Trip Report The “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket…or Two….or Three” Christmas Experience.**Completed**

So here we are again for another fun filled journey that is sure to include some poor spelling, beer, poor grammar, great food, beer, plenty of animals, a fourth wheel, park visits, beer, and judgement for said poor spelling and grammar. For those ignorant to the primer for this journey you may read all the funivities HERE. The Cliff’s Notes version is we’ve got five nights in the bubble at one of the most beautiful resorts on property and are accompanied by two teens that can watch each other so lets get this ball rolling!!!


Sunday December 17th


So yesterday after a viewing of The Last Jedi we made our way to the half way point, Tifton, for a night’s stay. Not being a complete barbarian, insensitive to his three female traveling companions, I offered to get up this morning at 04:45 to get breakfast for the tres muchachas while they get ready because, you know, ladies be taking forever to get ready in the AM. Hats off to the trio as they were downstairs by 05:30 and we were on our way to the bubble. A very uneventful three and a half hours and we hit the Super Target on 192 to pick up some cold staples before making our way home!
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After dropping our gear off with bell services I needed to head to the front desk to make sure the 4th wheel’s band and charging privileges would work, OH BOY, what an ordeal!!! What should have been simple ended up taking an hour with an overly confident CM, Jeff. At one point he had lost the 5-day hopper pass associated to her band and had to call IT to get it back! He instructed me that he had set 4thWheel’s limit at $400, corrected her band, and that all our bands were ready to use. A bonus of it taking so long was our room became available while we waited and it wasn’t even 11:00!!! During my interaction with Jeff I specifically asked that he verify that all bands would work. I even made mention that “I guarantee at least one of these bands will not open our door”. He thought all the issues he was having with charging and losing the ticket had me worried, I assured him it was experience that had me worried. So, with Jeff’s assurance we made for room 5130! Guess what? 3 of the 4 bands WOULD NOT open our door! So I told the ladies to head inside, call bell services, and I would take care of the bands. I made my way back down to see Jeff who was probably tired of seeing me by now and politely let him know. Jeff said one thing that really bothered me and that was “You have too many magic bands and that is why you can’t get into your room”. He followed that up with “You do know you can decline the bands, you don’t have to get one each time”. He then proceeded to count all the bands I had on my MDE account. I didn’t care for being blamed for Disney’s lack of foresight or design so I asked Jeff if Disney had a rule on the number of bands a guest may have associated with an MDE account to which he answered “no”. So then I pointed out that I was playing by the rules and the number of bands should have no bearing. So another 10 minutes and he assured me the bands where set and then asked where we were headed this evening. I told him HS and he gave us our first golden ticket of the day to ride RnR.
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So back up I went and thankfully the bands worked! Bell services had arrived and the teens were itching to get to MK so the DW and I said go! That’s when the 4th wheel informed us that her ticket was no longer showing up on her MDE account!!! Back to see Jeff! Another 15 minutes with Jeff and the ticket was back with further reassurances that it would work. This lead to our second golden ticket of the hour! Jeff gave the girls a golden ticket for 7DMT and they made their way to MK but not before being forced into taking one of the only picture we would get of them this trip
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Still to come: Room 5130, Sanaa, our third Golden Ticket, and I promise a lot fewer issues going forward.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Wednesday December 20th cont:

We made for the car after our Dino-Rama visit and were soon back home. We cleaned up and put our sig clothes on for our dinner reservations. Another benefit of AKL is having, arguably, the best sig on property a few footsteps away! A quick elevator ride and we arrived.
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We hardly ever visit the bubble without visiting Jiko, we just love this place. It was surprisingly busy tonight but not so busy that we couldn’t hear each other talking like CG. For the most part I think this place scares people off like Sanaa does and we’re fine with that! We were quickly seated and presented with menus, bread and water.
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There was even some holiday theming going on too.
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Those that have followed along in the past know that our beverage of choice at Jiko is Red Jasper. We really fell for this wine a few years ago and is now a must when we visit. It’s a flavorful red blend from South Africa and strikes a great balance between dry and sweet.
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We tend to bounce between tapas and entrees depending on visit, mood, and menu. This trip we opted to go tapas. The DW went with the mushroom leek flatbread and the brick oven cooked red shrimp.
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I went with the charchuterie and cheese and requested an off menu item. The Bobotie Mac & Cheese is something we tried for the first time a few years ago and it typically comes as the base for the Oak Grilled Fillet. If you ask nicely they will provide you with an entrée portion. This mac & cheese is nothing short of phenomenal. It includes a special blend of cheeses, African sausages, and spices. The portion was HUGE and probably should have been something the DW and I shared, but I powered through it ;):D
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Everything from service, food, and atmosphere was excellent tonight, no surprise there. This was a fine ending to another great day. Thankfully we didn’t have far to go to get back to our room because we were done!

Up next: the girl as the power, finally nabbing a Nutella waffle, and a CG dinner.
 
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lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm so relieved that Jiko was not the bad signature you mentioned! We didn't go to it last trip and I don't think I'll make that mistake again ;)
Never had a bad experience there. The food is excellent and its fun trying new things. I think to date I've had boar, elk, rabbit, and its probably the only restaurant where I'll eat okra. I also like that their charcuterie board isnt loaded with organ meat :hungover:.

The bad sig I referenced was Tiffins. I suppose Tiffins is a fine theme park restaurant but I don't consider it a sig and is not a venue we will return to unless they overhaul their menu. Like anywhere, if you've never had it I say give it a chance because YRMV.
 

imahistorygeek

Well-Known Member
The Brick Oven-cooked Red Shrimp from Jiko was hands-down some of the THE BEST food I've ever had at WDW. I cannot properly describe the greatness of this dish. The mushroom leek flatbread was also amazing. These maybe my go-to meals from now on at Jiko. This meal even beats out the Porterhouse for 2 at Yachtsman's. That steak was so good that we didn't even talk through the meal or even slow down to drink.

Jiko is one of the places which many cannot hold a candle to in comparison. I've always felt as though Jiko is a true signature dining experience. Maybe it's because the food isn't for everyone and it's not in high demand, or it's in a resort, I don't know. This place just feels different than other signature restaurants. We haven't been to Victoria and Albert's, but I'm hoping we will try it eventually.

One of my favorite things about Disney is its ability to make me want to try new and different foods. Our very first trip as a family to WDW back when DD was in the 1st grade (she's now in the 10th grade) and we at hamburgers for almost every single meal and those little chocolate cakes in the tub. I remember reading about Jiko and thinking the food was just too different for us to enjoy. I'm so glad we tried it and loved it. We've changed a lot in terms of our food preferences.
 

Swissmiss

Premium Member
Jiko is exactly to type of food I love and don't always get to eat because my DD is hyper-sensitive to spices (as in if I put just a shake of pepper in something as I cook she'll know the second she takes a bite) - so our first time eating there I put her in the kids club (she was 6) so that I could enjoy it without having to parent. We did eat at Tiffins on our last trip (January) which is why we didn't also do Jiko (didn't stop us from doing our arrival day go-to lunch at Sanaa though ;)). Our meal was good, maybe not signature good but good but I think we agreed that we didn't feel the need to go back.

I agree with you about the tables being on top of each other. There was also a problem with air vent drafts - it was during the cold spell in early January and in several restaurants I was right under the draft - it was like they hadn't switched from air conditioning to heating, just changed the temperature. I was sensitive to this as I was running both the 5k and the half marathon and despite coming from a cold climate and training in the cold, I kept feeling like I couldn't warm up inside restaurants and didn't want to come down with something before finishing the half. The funny thing is that I was the only one who really felt the drafts but in the end I was the only one not to get sick on or after the trip!
 

dizfan917

Well-Known Member
OMG. That mac & cheese. I don't eat much steak or red meat (aside from the burger variety), but I ordered the filet simply because the mac & cheese sounded so good. I was right to try it, it was INCREDIBLE!! I've told everyone who would listen since then about it. We have our reservations at Jiko for our upcoming visit in July (22 people for a few 50th birthdays... we'll see how that goes). I hope to get it again.

when you mentioned mac & cheese in a teaser post I had my suspicions... I kinda figgered you were talking about Jiko!
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
OMG. That mac & cheese. I don't eat much steak or red meat (aside from the burger variety), but I ordered the filet simply because the mac & cheese sounded so good. I was right to try it, it was INCREDIBLE!! ... I kinda figgered you were talking about Jiko!
Winner winner!

We have our reservations at Jiko for our upcoming visit in July (22 people for a few 50th birthdays... we'll see how that goes). I hope to get it again.
!

22!!!:eek: I hope they give ya'll that small room as you enter. You may have your own private dining experience, well as private as 22 people can be.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday December 21st:

We woke early today and, like the previous days, did our best ninja impressions so as not to wake the teen monsters while getting our coffee and Entenmann's. We opted to drive today to make sure we hit rope drop, which we did. Soon we joined a few hundred friends
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We made for the hub before Pirates but not before grabbing a few pictures.
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This would be the first time that the Pirates photo spot actually linked to our bands…isn’t it just magical.
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We had a FP for BTM next and the token selfie ensued.
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Even though it was early the wait for Peter Pan was very short so we went for a standby experience. Along the way this guy really stood out to me. The gold was particularly bright and had me wondering how I never noticed this piece before.
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I hardly ever get to experience the Pan queue and think it is one of the best themed experiences. The butterfly scene is pretty awesome and our Asian visitors really took a shine to this spot in the queue and had to be encouraged to move along.
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Up next: Meeting Mary, the bird thief, and a CG dinner.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday December 21st cont.:

After a wonderful flight with Pan we enjoyed the stereotypical cultures of the world! I got a little creeped out by these clowns.
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A rare ride for us is the carousel. In fact, this marks only our second time…ever! While waiting for the ride to wind us up we got to enjoy the display of picking our new leader. Of course several burly men gave it a go until this princess finally showed them how it was done, she was soooo excited too!
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We moved to The Little Mermaid next, is there ever a wait for this disappointment? At least the AC is enjoyable. We followed up our 3 minute power nap with a little Dumbo selfie.
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We were up against a FP window for SM and made for one of my favorite WDW whips. Check it out @Figment Forever , I must be clairvoyant because I was mocking you before even knowing I was mocking you!!! #acting
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We closed out our TL visit with some Zurg annihilation. I’ve got to listen to the DW’s complaints about “cheating” every time.
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Up next: Tom and his crew, Mara lunch, and I promise this will end soon.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday December 21st cont.:

We left Tomorrowland needing a pick-me-up in the form of caffeine and waffle… The DW really enjoys the chocolaty coffee drinks from Starbucks so we grabbed part one of our cravings there.
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On the way to get part two of our fix we noticed that Mrs. Poppins was standing all alone! Well, we couldn’t have that so we took a detour to brighten her day with our presence!
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After sharing notes on what it means to be practically perfect in every way we finally came upon Sleepy Hollow. We’ve been jonesing for the Nutella waffle for some time but for whatever reason on previous trips we just haven’t gotten one! I’m happy to say that today we would remedy the Nutella fix. The line had a few people in it and it was coming up on the hour which meant the Muppets would be providing an important history lesson. I told the DW to head on and enjoy the American parts while I waited for the waffle queue. Soon I had the goods and the DW returned enlightened.
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The waffle was well worth the wait and a repeatable snack!


Up next: Jingle Cruise fun, Disney wildlife, and CG with a view.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday December 21st cont.:

All sugared up we made for our Jingle Cruise FP. No words on thus voyage other than to say we had a FANTASTIC skipper. He had a terribly unique sense of dry humor with perfect dramatic pauses and inflection. I’m sure the younger crew passengers didn’t understand why the adults were laughing but we really enjoyed his craft.
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After our voyage we decided the weather was still too good to not enjoy some more pool time so we made for the exit.


Up next: Thomas J. Turkey, The Cheetos thief, and one last Golden Monkey
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday December 21st cont.:

So on our way out the crowds were picking up but we still managed to take advantage of some CM photography
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We had no wait for a monorail and a short walk to the car but was shocked to see this motley crew converging on our ride as we turned on to our row.
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They really didn’t care that we were there and acted like they owned the parking lot so we just stood there and watched them mosey on by.

We had a quick ride back home, changed into our pool gear, and were reliving a common scene!
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Thankfully no calls from the teens came today about MB issues. We relaxed for a bit and decided some food was in order so I made the short walk to Mara to pick us up some food. DW went with the falafel plate and I chose the grilled chicken salad. Both were excellent for QS and were lite enough so as not to ruin what was surely going to be a fantastic CG dinner tonight #foreshadowing.
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While we were enjoying our pool and lunch time a family pulled up next to us with the full barrage stroller kitchen. You’ll notice something was left open on this doublewide nightmare.
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It was only a minute later when the opening was taken advantage of. This little fella made a couple rounds stockpiling the cheesy goodness while the DW and I enjoyed the show.
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Up next: Balcony animals, CG, and the end is finally here with just 27 days to spare.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday December 21st cont.:

Soon it was time for our CG reservation. Just a few months prior we had a fantastic experience here. I had been thinking about the ribeye I had and couldn’t wait to repeat it!

Traffic was lite and we arrived at the CR for dinner but really enjoyed the tree out front. We tried a selfie in front of it but the lighting was off and it came out horribly.
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As we entered the resort we were smashed in the face with arguably the best lobby smell of all. We took the escalator to the check-in desk and soon were in the elevator to the restaurant.
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We were seated on the MK side of the restaurant and while we didn’t have a window seat we still had a fantastic view of the park.
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We were promptly met with menus, water, and bread.
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For drinks, the DW went with a red blend and I chose MIA Tourist Trappe.
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My Untappd notes for the MIA are:
MIA Tourist Trappe 10%ABV: ABV is on point. Drinks too much like a champagne for me. Good not great.

I read through the menu, twice. I was disappointed to read that the ribeye was off the menu, oh noes! I confirmed with our waitress and sure enough the new chef was worried that they had too much steak on the menu…boo! I’m not a huge fan of filets so I passed on steak tonight and went with the Green Circle chicken with duck confit, fried potatoes, and veggies. (looking at the menu now and it seems they added a cowboy ribeye to the menu)
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The DW went with the filet and the Potato-Rutabaga Gratin. The filet came on a bed of sauce that was just not good.
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The chicken was fantastic as was the duck confit that accompanied it. The filet and gratin, on the other hand, were not so good and both were dry, IMO, and seriously lacking in flavor. The sauce that came with the filet was just wrong. For as excellent as our first GC experience was this one was lacking, maybe a 5 out of 10. We will probably give GC another chance I just don’t know when.


Up next: MK pics and VF drinks
 

Zipadeelady

Well-Known Member
Your chicken and veggies look delicious! But @imahistorygeek I think I would've been disappointed if that came out, it looks a little....I don't even know how to describe it. :happy: But your choice at Jiko has J and I definitely wanting us to give it a try.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Your chicken and veggies look delicious! But @imahistorygeek I think I would've been disappointed if that came out, it looks a little....I don't even know how to describe it. :happy: But your choice at Jiko has J and I definitely wanting us to give it a try.
The elk, boar, and of course the Bobotie mac & cheese are all winners there for me. I'm sure y'all octopus eaters can find something there of quality ;):D.

After looking back at my Untapped entry for the Tourist Trappe it showed that only one other friend had also tried the beer. I looked up who it was and it was J but he had it at AbracadaBar.
 

Zipadeelady

Well-Known Member
The elk, boar, and of course the Bobotie mac & cheese are all winners there for me. I'm sure y'all octopus eaters can find something there of quality ;):D.

Hey, J is the one that eats octopus. That mac n cheese and flatbread look delicious to me!!

After looking back at my Untapped entry for the Tourist Trappe it showed that only one other friend had also tried the beer. I looked up who it was and it was J but he had it at AbracadaBar.
This does not surprise me. J has tried some of the oddest beers I've heard of and Tourist Trappe sounds like one he's like to try. :happy:
 

imahistorygeek

Well-Known Member
Your chicken and veggies look delicious! But @imahistorygeek I think I would've been disappointed if that came out, it looks a little....I don't even know how to describe it. :happy: But your choice at Jiko has J and I definitely wanting us to give it a try.

I can’t remember the taste of the meal, but I remember being underwhelmed. If this had been our first meal, we’d would probably have never returned to CG.

Jiko is amazing and definitely worth a try!
 

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