Trip Report From Batuu to the Boardwalk...and Beyond!

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We're back from an absolutely wonderful trip that involved many firsts! As many times as we have been to Disney, we are always looking to try new things and find new favorites, and this trip was no exception! If you read my PTR (here) you will know that we actually went on two trips back-to-back; many of you questioned my sanity when I posted about the short trip, but you'll have to keep reading to find out exactly how crazy it was. If you're ready for food, drinks, and DRAMMA, you have come to the right place!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2-6, cont.

We wanted breakfast at or near the Boardwalk and all agreed to try Ale and Compass. We had all been there for lunch but not yet for breakfast. The Yacht Club security guard verified our reservation and told us we could park in self parking for two hours or valet all day. I guess they were being more strict since it was opening day of both SWGE and F&W. We started to head toward the self park when I remembered that as a Tables in Wonderland member, I get free valet parking! We decided to be fancy and try valet...except we got lost on the way. :hilarious: First we entered self parking, then we ended up at the Beach Club valet, THEN at the convention center valet, before FINALLY finding the Yacht Club valet.

When we found the correct place to be, we got out and asked what we needed to do to verify the free valet parking. We just needed to show our receipt with the TiW discount after the meal. The valet got in the car and we started to enter the lobby, when my brother realized he had left his phone in the car. :facepalm: He ran back just in time before the valet drove away. 🤣

Once inside we checked in at Ale and Compass and were seated within a few minutes. Our server, Christina, greeted us, took our drink ordered, and explained the menu. You can either order an entree from the a la carte menu, or you can order the buffet, which includes an entree AND soft drinks. We all opted for the buffet.

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Fruit, cheese, and pastries from the buffet

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Jay's entree: protein bowl with eggs (tofu available for a vegan option)

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Chocolate avocado toast (came with the protein bowl)

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My veggie frittata with fruit

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M's American Breakfast, no meat

We all had coffee as well and I think M got orange juice too. Christina kept raving about the mini chocolate muffins and practically demanded we try them. 🤣 Not wanting to disappoint, M and I shared one.

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This was a really good meal in every way. The entrees were all prepared well, the buffet had a good amount of variety, the coffee was fresh, the service was excellent, and the price was reasonable. I love fresh fruit and I could probably get my money's worth at a buffet like this just eating fruit. The value was excellent for the amount and quality of food, and with the Tables discount it was even better!

After breakfast we enjoyed the Yacht Club lobby for a few minutes.

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We decided to split up for the time being and meet up again later. M and I could have just walked to the Boardwalk but Jay offered to drive us so we went with him to get his car. The same valet from before was working and he asked my brother if he had his phone. :hilarious::hilarious::hilarious: We added an extra dollar to his tip for that. He also literally RAN to go get the car, so it was super fast!

Jay dropped us off and we headed back to the room for a much needed nap!

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Broken ad...

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Up next: Another op'nin', another show!
 
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bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Back when it was Captain’s Grille I’d eat my weight in those chocolate mini muffins. :hilarious:
🤣

The fork in the restroom could've been Ariel's dinglehopper...
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Mystery solved! She left her hairbrush in the bathroom!

I went to Ale & Compass for breakfast in September and also went with the buffet option just for the berries on the buffet. Usually buffet fruit is all melon so I was so excited about all the berries!
Yesss! And they were GOOD berries!

I think it's supposed to be a Porg's nest?
View attachment 418308
Makes sense!

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They ruined perfectly good chocolate! And toast!!
(Come on...did you really think I would let this slide?)
I thought of tagging you...but I knew you'd be drawn to the avocado abomination. Avobination. Abomicado?

And I forgot to mention the best part:
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See the little container of toast topping? My brother assumed it was caramel and poured it all over his toast. Turns out it was carrot ginger syrup! :grumpy:

I’ve got to admit, I love chocolate and I love avocado, but the combination does NOT sound appetizing. My thought was just « why? »
I tried a bite. It was...okay. I guess it was trying to be healthy instead of just being toast with straight up chocolate or nutella or something. But then why not stick with avocado and not try to make it sweet?
 

dizfan917

Well-Known Member
We trundled over there for breakfast before our busy Animal Kingdom day and enjoyed breakfast as well. We both got the buffet option and Kevin was surprised how it was basically ALL carbs (plus some cheese and fruit...). I'm down with all the dough, but he was hoping for a few more options, I think. I remember I didn't even get around to eating the croissant I grabbed...

The entrees were very generously sized and we were ready to ESPLODE by the time we left!! MMmmmm, good.
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2-6, cont.

Partway through our nap the phone rang VERY LOUDLY and woke us up. 😠 It was housekeeping asking when they could come into the room to "take out the trash." I understand why they "take out the trash" even when the "not really a do not disturb sign" sign is on the door...but it woke us up. We are both light sleepers to begin with and it takes a long time to fall asleep, and we couldn't go back to sleep after that. 😩

Since we were up we got dressed and went to Epcot for opening day of Food and Wine. We have now done opening day twice because it tends to work out with our educational/academic schedules. Both MIL and FIL were already in Epcot so we decided to meet up.

We were in the park in no time thanks to the short distance between Epcot and the Boardwalk and we headed straight to the France booth! MIL and FIL were eating at Tangierine Cafe and had a table with enough room for us to sit, so we joined them after getting our food and drinks.

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Fondue Savoyarde: Fondue of Imported Cheeses and Chardonnay served with Croutons – $5.25
AND
La Passion Martini Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron, Cranberry and Passion Fruit Juice – $11.00

France KNOWS how to do frozen drinks right and this was no exception! I'm looking forward to getting another one of these when we go back (spoiler alert!). The fondue was very good but it needed at least one more piece of bread! We ended up using a spoon to eat the rest of it. :hilarious:

Since M's parents were still eating (aka the still had a right to be at the table) I ran to get the next food item.

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Look, ma, no lines!

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From Brazil: Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread (GF) (V) (KA) – $4.50
AND
Frozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaça – $11.00

The cheese bread was better than I remembered it last time we tried it, and the caipirinha was well-balanced with tart and sweet flavors.

MIL really wanted to buy us a dessert or snack (she always wants to buy us stuff! It's sweet!) so she and M went to find the next booth item.

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Belgium: Golden Malted® Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream (V) (KA) – $4.25

You may be asking, "NO CHOCOLATE WAFFLE???" In years past we have always gotten two waffles, one chocolate and one berry, and the chocolate waffle has always been slightly disappointing. So we went with just the berry this year.

This day was HOT. Not like actually above 100 degrees hot, but HOT enough that I was complaining HOT.

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As a result there were several booths/items we skipped because eating those items just sounded unpleasant. But what sounded great???

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BEER!
From The Brewer's Collection: Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen Pomegranate Beer – $4.50 (for M)
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse Naturtrüb – $4.50 (for me)

We each enjoyed our selections.

Up next: RAIN!
 
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Swissmiss

Premium Member
Your comments about the heat and not finding certain foods items appetizing ... yet you got the fondue 😂 (I say this partially in jest, as I have and will eat fondue in warm weather though it is more common as a fall/winter meal).

Although I’m sure it was delicious, you really need to try it with made with Swiss cheeses as it was meant to be made 😉
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Your comments about the heat and not finding certain foods items appetizing ... yet you got the fondue 😂 (I say this partially in jest, as I have and will eat fondue in warm weather though it is more common as a fall/winter meal).

Although I’m sure it was delicious, you really need to try it with made with Swiss cheeses as it was meant to be made 😉
It's always time for cheese!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2-6, cont.

As we continued our journey around the world we had to skip a few items, including the Spicy Kenyan Vegan Githeri from Africa, and the Madras Red Curry from India. I may be able to eat cheese of any temperature at any time, but I had to draw the line at curries when it's in the 90s outside! :hilarious:

We all stopped in Mexico to escape the heat for a few minutes.

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And why not ride Gran Fiesta Tour AGAIN??

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After the ride we heard the sound of Mariachi Cobre!

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It was raining outside so they did the show inside! MIL and I both love hearing these guys so we all stayed for the whole show, which we don't normally do when it's happening outside.

Next stop: Annual Passholder magnets!

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Chef Minnie! 💜💜💜

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Um, weird ad...

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Somebody dropped a sticker!

Up next: Vegetables!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2-6, cont.

M and I split off from her parents after we all got our magnets. I'm honestly not sure what they did, but we went on...THE VEGETABLE BOAT RIDE!

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Side note: I always love to see the special signs for Food and Wine and the other festivals showing which foods were used in which food items!

Up next: More Vegetables!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2-6, cont.

Did I mention it was hot? On this day? On this whole trip?? IT. WAS. HOT.

Luckily for us there were lots of tables, chairs, and couches inside the AIR-CONDITIONED Building Formerly Known as Innoventions/Communicore West. And there were several F&W kiosks close enough for one of us (M) to claim a table and the other (me) to go order food and/or drinks. First I went to Earth Eats.

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The IMPOSSIBLE™ Burger Slider with Wasabi Cream and spicy Asian Slaw on a Sesame Seed Bun (V) – $5.25
AND
IMPOSSIBLE™ Cottage Pie: IMPOSSIBLE™ Ground Meat with Carrots, Mushrooms, and Peas topped with Mashed Cauliflower, White Beans, and Mozzarella (V) – $5.00

I liked both of these; M liked the burger but wasn't a big fan of the cottage pie so I ended up eating most of it. In general we are not huge fake meat people because we prefer to just eat healthy natural foods, but we do enjoy an occasional burger, "hot dog," etc.

NEXT!

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From Flavors from Fire: Bell’s Brewery Porter, Comstock, MI – $4.50
AND
Edmeades Zinfandel, Mendocino County – $5.00

We enjoyed both drinks. I'm always down for a good Zinfandel!

The lighting required a quick nails photoshoot.

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NEXT!

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From The Cheese Studio: Black Pepper Boursin® Soufflé with Fig Marmalade (V) – $5.00
AND
Alta Vista Estate Malbec, Mendoza – $7.00

YUM! I don't think the soufflé was really intended to be a dessert item but I would totally have it for dessert! It was a balance of sweet and savory and I will DEFINITELY get this again on my next trip! (BETTER WRAP THIS UP SO I CAN GET READY FOR MY NEXT TRIP!!!)

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Just checked out of curiosity...

After The Cheese Studio we ran out of booths that were close enough for me to run back and forth so we braved the OUTSIDE to get to the next one.

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Vinaigrette, Parmesan Cheese and Pumpkin Seeds (V) (KA) – $4.50
AND
Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese: Trio of Artisan Cheeses paired with Reata Chardonnay, Rainstorm Silver Linings Pinot Noir Rosé and Spellbound Petite Sirah – $11.25
The cheeses are:
  • Gorgonzola with Cow and Sheep’s Milk
  • Artigiano Aged Balsamic & Cipolline Onion
  • Italico

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Close up of the cheese...on a trash can, naturally

This was all really good! I would definitely get the ravioli again. My favorite cheese was the Gorgonzola and M liked the Italico, I think.

NEXT!


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From Shimmering Sips: Frozen Mimosa featuring White Claw Natural Lime Hard Seltzer – $6.00 (and ominous duck in the background)

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More ducks (and ibis!)

NEXT!

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From Joffrey's: Chai-quila: Chai Tea with Avion Espresso Tequila – $9.99

This was good! It's like the Mexican cousin of Tipsy Ducks in Love.

NEXT!

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From Islands of the Caribbean: Frozen Mojito – $10.50

As you can probably tell from this photo, this was NOT frozen. To be fair, the CM at the cash register warned me that the machine wasn't keeping them cold enough and it might not actually be frozen, so I took the risk. But...wow! It was not very good. Without the frozen element the flavors were really harsh and it tasted/smelled a little like bathroom cleaner!

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Up next: More cheese and more frozen drinks! That's what vacation is for!
 

bee

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love when I see Beers featured from here in MI =D There was another one that hubby had that even I liked.



I'm so sad I never got back to try this, it was on my list!
Hopefully it will come back another year and you'll get to try it!
 

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