Hot damn, Sam ... it's a do-over!!!
This dancing banana guy pretty well sums up my feelings upon finding out that we were going to be able to go back this Fall (until about a week ago we couldn't do it, but we caught a break and that's all I'm going to say about that).
I anticipate plenty of this:
And this:
And this:
We will arrive at WDW on October 8th - we're staying at Saratoga Springs this time, which sucks a bit when you want to Food & Wine it, but you will hear no complaints from us. And besides, we're within walking distance to Downtown Disney and this gives us a chance to try some more new places over there.
You wanna see our tentative food itinerary ... until the program details for this year's festival are released, that is ...
Wednesday, October 8th - arrive by noon (we hope); try for the bazillionth time to eat frigging lunch at Earl of Sandwich. This will most likely be an afternoon by the pool kind of day and then we think we're going to have dinner at Portobello's. For anyone reading that's not overly familiar with WDW, both of these dining establishments are located in the Downtown Disney complex.
Thursday, October 9th - Epcot baby - the first of many visits to eat and drink our way around the World Showcase food kiosks. We may try to have a late dinner at California Grill (Contemporary Resort) or we may just head over to Raglan Road (Downtown Disney) - we are still undecided on this one.
Friday, October 10th - We're sleeping in and then we thought we'd trek through the wilds of Florida to try the breakfast buffet at Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge). We plan on trying for a F&W Pairing do-over at Le Cellier (Epcot), so if we are lucky enough to nab it again we won't need dinner plans. Epcot should stay open late this evening, so we plan on snacking around the world showcase late into the night.
Saturday, October 11th - The food is light today because we're going to Party for the Senseless (Epcot) tonight!!! We've talked about spending the day at Typhoon Lagoon (water park) but the jury's still out on this right now.
Sunday, October 12th - We have a lot of uncertainty today ... if someone we're really interested in is hosting Sweet Sundays (Epcot) then we might try to book that. Otherwise we want to try for the F&W Pairing at the Italian restaurant in Epcot that keeps changing its' damn name. Depending on how this all plays out we may or may not try for dinner at Citricos (Grand Floridian). This restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so if we don't get there on Sunday night our only other option will be Thursday night.
Monday, October 13th - completely open at the moment. Jay and I think that rather than paying a bunch of money to WDW to take part in their sushi / sake pairing, we're just going to go back to Kimonos (WDW Swan) and make up our own tasting again. We get a lot more sushi and a lot more variety for a lot less money. I'm sensing more F&W snacking today as well.
Tuesday, October 14th - another totally open day for now. Maybe we'll go back to Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) for dinner.
Wednesday, October 15th - pretty much open ... Lori arrives some time today and we've agreed to try Todd English's Blue Zoo (WDW Dolphin) for dinner with her. I think that will be good times indeed. We've been wanting to try this place for a while now, but just haven't quite made it there.
Thursday, October 16th - our last day ... totally open. If we haven't already made it to Citricos then this is the night for us. If we have ... then we may try to get a reservation at Wolfgang Puck's Upstairs Dining Room (Downtown Disney).
You F&W veterans will note that I've left lots of open space to accommodate the special programming ... hopefully we can fill it up with some F&W pairings and a signature dinner somewhere. But if not, I'm sure we'll find something to spend our food dollars and voracious appetites on while at WDW.
Thanks for letting me share the early food love ... look for more updates as the seasons move towards late summer and early fall.
EDIT: Booked our airfare this week for October and took care of reserving a ride to and from the resort with Florida Tours. I also renewed our Disney Dining Experience card ... 20% off food and booze at most participating bars and restaurants at WDW and then they ever-so-thoughtfully add 18% right back to the bill as a gratuity.
I actually have a problem with that ... if I want to give Hunky the Bartender an 18% tip for handing me a beer that's my choice. But I don't like being forced to give someone 18% just for popping the cap, ya know what I mean? And lest you think I'm El cheapo, think again. Since Jay and I have both worked crappy food service and customer service jobs where patrons think it's their God given right to wipe their shitty shoes on our backs we actually over tip for all but the worst service.
Anyway, the only thing left to do now is to renew our annual passes and since we purchased those through DVC I think I can wait until June to renew. And I have to make ADRs soon for those restaurants we know that we want to try. Wolfgang Puck's is out - too many thumbs down on that one.
Boy this sounds really disjointed ... note to self: don't blog after drinking too much at dinner when you've been up for 17 hours straight. ;-)
20 comments:
I'm feeling the food love. You better make it over to Earl of Sandwich. I just want to hear you say something about the sandwich that sounds like you're ordering a "Full Monty". ;)
Ahem.
I haven't planned that much yet by a long shot. I don't even know if the Dolphin restaurants are on the same ADR system. Maybe I should let you make the ADR for Todd English's bluezoo™. (Why am I so snarky about the name of that restaurant? LOL!
I expect I won't be going to any other restaurants and sticking to the F&W stuff. Too bad we're not at the same PFTS, but then we both get to see pics of stuff we both didn't get to try.
- Lori
Loved the report and also love the fact someone besides myself are already planning a trip around the Food and Wine event list that doesn't arrive till July now...
Thanks Brenda
What....?? No Garden Room Tea?
Again... I am SOOoOoOOoo Jealous. Wish I could take another trip back to the world during the F&W Festival... Boo Hoo!
All the rest sound great! Thomas and I hope to try Boma or Jiko on our next trip.
Great choices Brenda, I so wish we could join you this year. Maybe next {cross fingers}.
Hey Lori! I was actually going to suggest that I make the Blue Zoo ADR - I think they're just on straight 180 days like the DTD restaurants. Party of 3?
We don't have much of an excuse for not waiting it out at Earl this time ... I'm going to practice not being impatient over the next seven months. And if it gets really bad, I'll just give myself the giggles by looking at the Hot Roast Beef Smoothie sign again.
I'm really hoping that we get a signature dinner during our trip dates ... one that we'd actually want to attend.
Hi Chelsi! Funny how that food and wine bug bites you and then never seems to go away, isn't it?
Feel free to come back and plan with us to your heart's content!
Thanks for stopping by to read.
Ms. Heimlich, how are you my friend?
Jay and I both agreed to do away with certain traditional eateries on this trip in order to free up some funds to try new things and hopefully a signature dinner or something along those F&W lines.
So what does that mean? No afternoon tea on this trip. And no Kona Cafe breakfast!!! I think this will be the first time in five years that Jay won't get his tonga toast .. but after they tried to poison him on this last trip maybe it's a good thing that we're passing on it this time. ;-)
I wish you and Thomas were going to be at WDW while we are - we could have a great time! Maybe next fall (2009) ??
Hi Deb! Thanks for stopping by. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you for 2009!
One day I will get to the F&W Fest.
I *heart* Earl of Sandwich. Love it.
I thought of you today. I was walking past a fancy smancy cheese store in downtown Chicago and thought, "Ooooh, Brenda would love this place!"
First, I'm blown away that there's another person from Chicago chiming in. I don't know of any fancy schmancy cheese places.
And yes, party of 3 at Todd English's bluezoo™ sounds good to me. Thanks for making the reservation. :)
I haven't figured out what the heck I'm doing for food and wine yet. I would have been interested in Vicki and Al's with you crazy kids, as well. I'm due to return there since my last visit was in 2002! Hmm, they do take DDE in the main dining room...
- Lori
Sounds good Brenda. Randy and I really want to make it back again this year, we'll see how we are doing after our trip with the boys in May. We usually make our decision in mid summer. I so want to do the Party for the Senses.
Kendra
O....M....G. I think I actually gained 5 lbs reading about your dining pleasures. I can't wait for this either!
I'm so jealous that you and Jay get to do so many great things together! Only 5 more years and we won't have any more kids at home (hopefully) :) Then we can go do the fun things too! :)
Hi Ann! Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the cheesey thought ... ;-)
You're right ... I probably would have loved it!
Lori, don't you worry a bit about that ADR at Bluezoo ... I will take care of it.
V&A could have been a good time, and I'm not ruling it out entirely, but I really want to see what the Festival program has to offer this year in the hopes that we can finally snag a signature dinner or equisitely expensive evening.
But if not ... perhaps you could finally have a chance to try Vicki & Al's dining room instead of always eating in their kitchen. ;-)
Hi Kendra - thanks for stopping by!
I hope you get a chance to go back this fall for some more F&W! Have you ever attended Party for the Senseless? If not, then I hope you get a chance to do so this year - it's so much fun!
Hi there Leannwoo!!
Don't you worry - there are good times to be had for you and your hubby! And just think of all the great ideas you'll have to try out in just a few short years. ;-)
Yeah, I'm the Quasimodo of Vicki and Al's. Both times I've been there, they've stuck me in the kitchen. I must have been hideous to look at. ;)
It's also interesting to me that I have established a pattern. In 1996 I got the Chef's Table. In 2002, six years later...Chef's Table.
Well, it's now six years past my last Chef's Table visit, so I think my Six Year Itch (heh) is due to show up again. Would it break the cycle to eat in the main dining room this time?
I really would like to go there more than once per six years.
Hey Lori ... tell you what I'll do... I'll talk to Jay and see what he thinks about V&A on this trip. I forgot about the 20% DDE discount, which is really a steal in the dining room.
Hmmmmm...so much to think about.
BTW ... you look nothing like Quasimodo! You're an attractive lady - don't forget it!
And I love the picture you've been using when you post comments. Is that from your evening at the Poly?
I was teasing about being Quasimodo because being booked at Chef's Table means never having to say you eat with the Great Unwashed. (duck)
Heheheh. And yes, that's my Polynesian dinner drink. I use it while posting to DisFriends.com as well, under BriarRosie. I have a signature header saying, "Life's too short not to be drinking a sissy drink from the Polynesian Resort." Words to live by. :)
And yes, the 20% DDE is great, especially if you like those add ons like foie gras. Or wine. Or both.
I'm still wondering (and should call and ask) if you want to pre-order the Chef's menu for the main dining room, is the DDE discount considered "void" because you can't use it for Chef's Table?
Hey Lori ... Jay doesn't want to do V&A this year (says we already have too many uber-fine dining things booked this year and that we won't appreciate it as much if we keep piling it on).
Maybe he's right ... and maybe he secretly hopes that there will be an exquisitely expensive evening to partake in instead!
I don't know about DDE and the chef's table menu in the dining room but it's a good question to ask. I bet the answer is no.
And ... making ADRs on 4/11!!!
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