Just Another Trip Report
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:46 pm
Been back for a week. The suitcase still sits on the sofa not yet unpacked. Went back to work this week to find out that my half of the building (work in a wholesale club) was going empty and spent a hellish week trying to put things back together with not enough staff. Fun, fun, fun.
We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and had an amazing check-in. At the gate they radio'd ahead that we were there and I got up to the lobby, checked the bags (which I never do) and left my husband waiting while I parked the car. When I got up to the lobby there was someone waiting with my husband with my packet and room keys. I never made it to the Lobby desk. Two minutes after we got upstairs our luggage appeared. AKL staff, you rock!
Later on we met Zazu and Avengador and their wives for dinner at Saana. It was lovely and my husband and I really enjoyed it. Because there were six of us we got to try quite a few different things. Our server was excellent. During our conversation we realized that there were stupid people everywhere. Quite a bit to talk about.
As for Stupid Guests we saw a few. There was a car at the Epcot parking gate trying to drive in reverse. I guess they went the wrong way and didn't know that you can tell the attendant what you've done and be directed where to turn to exit without being charged. Not sure where they thought they would turn around in that area. We also saw several women with their boosoms popping out of their tops or their tuckus hanging out the back. Then there were the two women wearing shirts that said "Bitch 1" and "Bitch 2." Did these people forget where they were going when they got dressed this morning? And the one that really got to me, the woman at Boma's who talked about procedures on her cervix during breakfast in a loud obnoxious voice that could be heard about 2 tables over. Yuck!
We went to the Food and Wine festival on Saturday. After several years the food offerings start to look the same, so instead I started trying wines. After a few things looked a little more exciting. The lines were long and kept getting longer as the day progressed.
Around 7pm we got in line for the Party for the Senses. We were towards the front of the crowd massed in front of the gate, but I am starting to think it might of been better if we'd come late. The process to hand out glasses and plates was chaotic. We didn't nab a table right away (Zazu, you were right) and unlike when I went to the Grand Tasting many years ago, they kept handing out separate plates for everything. The plate they gave at the door combined with the wine glass and the plate they gave your food on was an unwieldy combination. We finally found a table in the back and worked it from there.
Our favorite foods of the evening were the Lamb and Spinach Cigars with a Blood Orange Tzatziki, the Kerrygold cheeses, and the Romanicos Chocolates. There were a lot of pork belly(3) and other pork dishes(3). I am sure the reason the pork belly was used is that it will stand up to holding at high temps long, but I wish the had screened the menu a little more to provide more variety. We tried a few things we've never had before: wild salmon ceviche, roasted octopus, pan seared sturgeon, and beef tenderloin over sushi rice.
I would have to say my favorite part of the Party for the Senses was the drinking. We don't usually do a lot of it, but I enjoyed myself. I went over to the Wagner Family of Wines table and asked the rep what might go well with pork belly and cheddar cheese (what I had at the time) and she suggested a wine called Conundrum. My husband asked what I was having and I told him I was having a Conundrum. He decided to have one too! Another highlight to the evening was being told we could keep our Stella glasses. When I walked out I had 4 Stella glasses, the two festival glasses-ours to keep, and I took the wine tasting plates too, what the heck, LOL, all in my purse. I am terrible!
We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and had an amazing check-in. At the gate they radio'd ahead that we were there and I got up to the lobby, checked the bags (which I never do) and left my husband waiting while I parked the car. When I got up to the lobby there was someone waiting with my husband with my packet and room keys. I never made it to the Lobby desk. Two minutes after we got upstairs our luggage appeared. AKL staff, you rock!
Later on we met Zazu and Avengador and their wives for dinner at Saana. It was lovely and my husband and I really enjoyed it. Because there were six of us we got to try quite a few different things. Our server was excellent. During our conversation we realized that there were stupid people everywhere. Quite a bit to talk about.
As for Stupid Guests we saw a few. There was a car at the Epcot parking gate trying to drive in reverse. I guess they went the wrong way and didn't know that you can tell the attendant what you've done and be directed where to turn to exit without being charged. Not sure where they thought they would turn around in that area. We also saw several women with their boosoms popping out of their tops or their tuckus hanging out the back. Then there were the two women wearing shirts that said "Bitch 1" and "Bitch 2." Did these people forget where they were going when they got dressed this morning? And the one that really got to me, the woman at Boma's who talked about procedures on her cervix during breakfast in a loud obnoxious voice that could be heard about 2 tables over. Yuck!
We went to the Food and Wine festival on Saturday. After several years the food offerings start to look the same, so instead I started trying wines. After a few things looked a little more exciting. The lines were long and kept getting longer as the day progressed.
Around 7pm we got in line for the Party for the Senses. We were towards the front of the crowd massed in front of the gate, but I am starting to think it might of been better if we'd come late. The process to hand out glasses and plates was chaotic. We didn't nab a table right away (Zazu, you were right) and unlike when I went to the Grand Tasting many years ago, they kept handing out separate plates for everything. The plate they gave at the door combined with the wine glass and the plate they gave your food on was an unwieldy combination. We finally found a table in the back and worked it from there.
Our favorite foods of the evening were the Lamb and Spinach Cigars with a Blood Orange Tzatziki, the Kerrygold cheeses, and the Romanicos Chocolates. There were a lot of pork belly(3) and other pork dishes(3). I am sure the reason the pork belly was used is that it will stand up to holding at high temps long, but I wish the had screened the menu a little more to provide more variety. We tried a few things we've never had before: wild salmon ceviche, roasted octopus, pan seared sturgeon, and beef tenderloin over sushi rice.
I would have to say my favorite part of the Party for the Senses was the drinking. We don't usually do a lot of it, but I enjoyed myself. I went over to the Wagner Family of Wines table and asked the rep what might go well with pork belly and cheddar cheese (what I had at the time) and she suggested a wine called Conundrum. My husband asked what I was having and I told him I was having a Conundrum. He decided to have one too! Another highlight to the evening was being told we could keep our Stella glasses. When I walked out I had 4 Stella glasses, the two festival glasses-ours to keep, and I took the wine tasting plates too, what the heck, LOL, all in my purse. I am terrible!