My TA said that WDW has been recently releasing dessert party times about ~60 days in advance. So, I still have some time on that.
My autograph book is in my bag today, so I can take an inventory during lunch.
I also *finally* put my pick-a-pearl in the necklace I got for it:
Our fifth day in the parks was our second and final day at Epcot. Fortunately, the crowds were on the low side of moderate (our previous visit was the high side of moderate) which helped us have a better day. The morning of this day was definitely one of my favorite mornings. We had a wonderful breakfast at Garden Grille and then walked on to Soarin' with no wait. We then had our own boat for Livin' with the Land. It was truly a magical morning!
Location- Epcot's Land Pavilion, Seas Pavilion, Imagination Pavilion and the World Showcase
Eats:
The Garden Grill- I was a little nervous about this choice. We aren't breakfast people. On all the other days, we ate poptarts, fruit, granola-type things, etc... In addition, Garden Grill was family-style. We don't eat a lot in one sitting, so all-you-can-eat type affairs aren't something we enjoy. And lastly, we've avoided character meals due to price, crowds, anxieties, etc... So, why did I pick it? Well, I got a pre-rope drop reservation which was supposed to allow us to go on Soarin' with no lines! It was highly recommended by WDW Prep as a good touring strategy, and I decided to give it a try.
It turned out to possibly be my favorite meal. The food was delicious. Neither of us ate the bacon because it was way undercooked, but this didn't matter to me because I actually loved their cinnamon bun. I don't like cinnamon buns/rolls at ALL. This thing was delicious. All of it was delicious. Delicious waffles, scrumptious tater tots, yummy sausage, POG juice, and more. Service was great. We got a great booth with a nice view of Living with the Land. We saw all the characters. It was a wonderful experience, and it worked like a charm! NO lines for Soarin' and we got to ride Living with the Land by ourselves!
Not only will I do a pre-rope drop ADR at Garden Grill again, I plan on doing it next year!
Lotus Blossom Cafe- This wasn't part of the plan, but Jimmy was starting to fade so I wanted to stop somewhere and have him sit down for a bit. We shared Orange Chicken and Potstickers. It was average- worse than last time we are there. They also had a special Festival of the Arts food. It was cute, but bland, and way overpriced.
Tangerine Cafe- For dinner, we at the quick service place in Morocco. We shared the Chicken Schawarma platter. It was pretty good. I liked the quiet atmosphere.
Rides & Attractions-
Soarin', Living with the Land, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Journey into Imagination, Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, Friendship Boats, Japan Pavilion, Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour, Spaceship Earth, American Adventure
Diversions-
We did the "Pick-a-Pearl" in Japan...there was no wait! I got a single golden pearl. I also met Baymax.
Side Notes-
I had a beautiful Festival of the Arts dessert that turned my tongue blue!
While Jimmy relaxed in the hotel room that evening, I went down to the gift shop to pick up a bag we had sent to the hotel a couple days prior, and I took a quick snapshot of our lobby.
Our third day of the trip was our first day at Epcot. Sadly, this was one of the least favorite days of our trip. We still had fun, but we had to leave early. The crowds in the world showcase overwhelmed both of us (thanks to Festival of the Arts), and we became tired, cranky and stopped having fun. The morning was was great, though. I have some ideas on how to do Epcot in the future, which I'll discuss in the planning posts for my next trip.
In front of my Dory!
Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe- This bakery and cafe in Norway is often raved about on Disney blogs and podcasts. We ate here for lunch and found it underwhelming. It was small and crowded. We had the Traditional Kjøttkake (Norwegian Meatballs) which were just okay. We also got the Schoolbread (which is pretty infamous) as well as a Troll Horn for later. We found both too sweet and rather bland. We rank this pretty low on our list of eats for now.
Norway lunch.
Coral Reef- This was our second time dining at the Coral Reef. We love the atmosphere and watching the fish tank. This time we sat on the second tier, but up front, so we still had a good view of the tank. I had the Oven-roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy Polenta Cake, Pearl Onions, Swiss Chard with Bacon and Mushrooms and thought it was wonderful. Jimmy had the Seafood Scampi- Seared Skewer of Sea Scallops and Shrimp, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Diced Tomatoes, and Pasta served with Scampi Butter, and thought it was good. We got a free dessert: The Chocolate Wave served with Raspberry Gelato.
Jimmy at Test Track.
Test Track, Mission Space: Green, Ellen's Energy Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Cabelleros, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo & Friends (x2) Turtle Talk with Crush, The Seas Pavilion
Required fish face
Joy & Sadness Meet & Greet- The *best* meet and greet! They were so adorable!!!!!! And their area was super well themed.
Sadness gives the best hugs! She really hugs you tight, and she rubs your back. Adorable.
Worth the wait! Will definitely do this meet and greet again!!!
Two pressed pennies (third row), 1 set of signatures, and a couple of resort pennies (right hand side)
Loot for the day!
