Yes, It IS About the Food OR Two Foodies Do WDW From Table To Table--TR About This Page:

[SuperDave]

Glad you enjoyed the tea event as I knew you would! Looking forward to the details in your TR!

[Her Dotness]

Really surprised to see that the GF's fabled Gingerbread House won't open until this Friday. It opened on Friday two weeks before Thanksgiving last year which is typical AFAIK. Do hope that doesn't mean the GF's Christmas decorations will be delayed, too.

Both lovely and difficult to be back in our Disney home where we wanted to stay again but couldn't manage this year. < sigh > With three ADR's there, we'll see a fair amount of it nevertheless. In fact, will start with 1900 PF breakfast on my birthday tomorrow. Then, Wed. night ditto for dinner and last night here--the fabled V&A's Chef's Table.

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Good thing we arrived at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista too late yesterday afternoon to get across the street into DtD Marketplace. That's the only area we had thought we'd do because of the Disney Springs construction, but even the Marketplace entrance has construction barricades along the bus stop side.

I dunno, maybe some afternoon when Drew wants to chill in the room, I'll hop a bus to DtD. Really kinda want to get into the pin shop and Basin. Basin shop in the GF was mobbed when we arrived for Aftn Tea and "MUST have bath bombs."

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Now rather wish I'd sprung for the MVMCP pin set. The pins were two layers in the shape of a round ornament, different colored ornaments with this year's party logo on the front layer which swiveled aside to reveal a character portrait. From the peek allowed by how they were set in the box, looked like the classic characters--Mickey, Minnie, Donald, etc. Just not all that into them, not nearly enough to spend $110 on the set. (EEEEK!) We got the party shirts, plenty good enough, and may get some of the new GWTS things. The Minnie ears headband with glow-bow looked pretty cool, more so on the people we saw wearing one.

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Memento Mori is sooooooo cool! I just gotta have that purple lace wallpaper pattern handbag/tote. A bit larger than I prefer for a bag, but it's soooo fabulous-looking I simply can't resist. Will add a photo when we can. Meant to snap one last night in MM but too easily distracted.

We both may get the ghost portrait photo which is The End Of COOL! It's one of those pictures that looks like a standard face portrait from one angle and shifts to a ghoulish alteration of the image from another. Probably can't get a photo to capture how they look for you, but trust me, they are total must-haves.

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Such a thrill (Look away here if a diehard Republican. ) to be in a state where Democrats are the majority political party. Last night's late local news actually reported on "The Affordable Care Act" instead of "Obamacare" which it's nearly always called on local news at home in Missouri.

Civilization apparently thrives outside of our home territory.

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< YAWN! > Yup, another night of little sleep, this time for us both. Just too much excitement with the MVMCP being so lovely, terrific weather for it, and the Castle beautifully lit as ever. Finally, this year we got to see it "snow" on Main Street which was simply lovely. We were both too glassy-eyed from a much too long day to have snapped a photo which probably wouldn't have shown the snow to much effect anyway since we've only iPhone cameras. Oh, well... We bailed about 20 minutes before the second parade, just too exhausted.

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I'm first for a shower so better shuddup now and get into it. Things to do to get ready to move to our new Disney home, Wilderness Lodge.

TTFN, all. (Ta-ta for now)

[lissybri]

Great to hear about the tea. I'm thinking of trying it for the first time next year.

[lauriep]

Great updates! It's starting out very nicely for you, with a wonderful tea. I always get the Buckingham Palace. I've always had the Roses pattern china--wouldn't seem right without it. Looking forward to the full write-up, but very glad to get these snapshots of your first day!

[TinkerbellJenn99]

Hi Dot ... just signing in so I can read all about your fabulous food adventures! Also, I'd love to see a picture of the bag when you have a moment.

[Her Dotness]

First ride we went on was Buzz Lightyear. There was a halt of the queue, and a woman leaned over the rope asking, "Are you Her Dotness?" It was Passporter wheezie! When I told her to be sure to stop us and say hi if they had a moment, I never dreamed the Disney magic would be THIS efficient!

So, if you catch this update, wheezie, what a delight it was to meet you IRL (in real life)! Our first PPer meetup ever. Sorry if I seemed a bit distant. Too much MVMCP excitement last night added to nights of little sleep, and I make a box of rocks look like a genius.

Time for a nap. Cold front coming in soon. Seeing Osborne Lights may consist of, "Yup, sure do see 'em. That's a lotta lights," and we Dnesses make a beeline for the car to go back to our WL home faster than Buzz Lightyear and all of Star Command.

P.S. I waxed Drew. 121,000 to something like 74,000. He'll get me back on TSMM, I'm sure. Talk about a when I saw my score vs. his halfway through. YAY, ME! ::::::brag, brag::::::

[oldmom]

glad to hear you are having such a wonderful time. The weather here is cold (12 degrees last night) and going to be colder tomorrow. wishing i was in Florida myself

[Coop]

Signing in! But this may not be good because I'm trying to lose my Disney/Cruise weight.

[chezp]

Sounds like you're having a great time!

[Cam22]

I love all the excitement and joy in these updates. Keep having fun!

[Her Dotness]

Waiting for our table at Hollywood Brown Derby.

The Osborne Lights may perform tonight quite without our assistance. Light rain as we got to DHS, and shortly after we'll likely finish dinner possibly another downpour.

Drew was having a coffee in the CL lounge this afternoon while I picked up our refillable mugs. When I met him there, he said moments before it rained so hard he couldn't even see there were trees!

CM's at WL are SO warm and friendly! The "vintage" woman who got the mugs for me was Disney delightful! We chatted for a while before she wished me the magic only WL has and waved a cheery goodbye. We both enjoyed talking with CL concierge Mike this morning who gave us the most gracious Disney welcome imaginable.

One of the rockers in front of the fireplace is waiting for me, maybe tomorrow night after dinner at Artist Point which is only about thirty feet from it.

Brief summaries of our BOG lunch and HBD dinner when I can muster enough braincells to provide same. BOG a bit disappointing, very very crowded and tables not being cleared Disney quickly.

TBC...

[mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince]

Enjoying your live updates. Hope the cold moves out before Thanksgiving!

[SuperDave]

Sounds like you're having a good time and looking forward to all the reports of your food indulgences!

Hope all goes well in Missouri with all the uproar over the last few months and people remain civil! I'm not thinking it will with too many troublemakers who will do anything to stir the pot and as long there is a TV camera around them to get their mug on the networks and just promote their agenda! Enough of this as it's quite pathetic what some of these activists are allowed to get away with! Too many people fall for this garbage!

[chezp]

Sorry to hear the rain's dampening your plans - I know about that feeling from our weekend in Disneyland Paris!

[Her Dotness]

I should go into the weather forecasting bidness. Predicted the rain would pick up enough as we finished dinner that we'd say "Forget it." As we left HBD, it was the same light steady rain of our arrival that gradually picked up intensity until poncho and umbrella--his/hers--became necessary. By the time we got to the bus stop, we were grateful to be going home. Steady moderate rain, one of those that you know is going to hang on.

We've time to get back there near week's end when weather should be great for seeing OL. We REALLY want to.

Brief summary of BOG lunch: The surprising disappointment was that with what appeared to be adequate numbers of staff, tables were not being cleared as quickly as necessary. This was so in all three rooms but particularly bad in the "Boom-boom room (West Room)." We really wanted to sit there but saw 6-8 tables sitting dirty and no one hustling to clean them. (Do we have to BEG someone to clear a table in THE most desirable room???) And yet, there were two or three CM's in the main room whose role seemed to be directing traffic and pointing people to the drink station.

We're guessing that the system hasn't yet adjusted to the demand. They're filling every room, but the experience is not as Disney efficient as it was last year shortly after FP was initiated. Get with it, Disney, or we won't look forward to going back.

Food details upon our return home. It was okay but just.

Hollywood Brown Derby--Nope, definitely not two credits. Odd elements grouped that sounded intriguing on the menu but proved to disagree with each other on the plate. Some things plated peculiarly. Just too unsettling an experience for a 2-cr.

Also, marred somewhat by a family with a very small child who likely was overtired as periodic earsplitting screeches enlivened the experience. Mini-rant coming: IF YOU CAN AFFORD WDW, YOU CAN AFFORD CHILDCARE! Yes, we're at Disney, but it's my contention that the youngest brought to a signature should be pre-schoolers capable of behaving appropriately with allowances for occasional disruptions parents quickly squelch. If you must bring younger kids who lose it partway through the meal and start screaming not merely to wake but to raise the dead, someone take the child to the restroom or outside to prevent frequent outbursts likely to disrupt other diners' experience. Okay, rant over.

HBD is still an unsettling mix of some things very tasty but on the whole disparate elements that don't work well together. A high-end 1-cr. Just not consistent or quite good enough to warrant two credits.

Our server, Angela, was fabulous! Conversational without being too chatty, highly efficient. Too bad the food wasn't as good as she or HBD would have gotten a rave from us. Disney certainly will!