LifL and DW's TR

Annie, we did enjoy pin trading at AK. We can't go anywhere at the World without doing some trading any more

Monday - AK part 2

After leaving Nemo with big smiles on our faces, we decided it was time for lunch. As we were walking around, deciding where we wanted to eat, a young girl of about eight literally chased us down. It was a bit startling, but apparently she had seen our pin lanyards and wanted to browse. She didn't have anything that either of us wanted or needed, but she was bound and determined to trade. After some "negotiating", I offered her two of the hidden Mickey pins I'd brought for trade for her Kim Possible spinner. We ended up trading this pin later, but the little girl was pretty excited so it was worth it. Arriving at the Flame Tree BBQ, I noticed there was quite a line. I assumed it would move quickly, so I didn't think much about it, and DW went to find us a good table. Unfortunately, the line did not move quickly at all. It took at least twenty minutes to get to the window and then a few minutes more to get our food. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and the BBQ chicken salad for DW. I had eaten the pulled pork before, and it was about how I remembered it. It was good, not great. Was a bit greasier than I like and not as flavorful, but still enjoyable. DW's salad was excellent. I tasted a bite, and will be ordering that next time. It was a fresh salad tossed with what tasted like Italian dressing and a fresh BBQ chicken breast sliced on top.

After lunch we headed back to Dinoland USA. We went to get a FP for Dinosaur, then went on via the standby line. I've been on Dinosaur quite a few times, but I still had fun and still got a bit antsy during the 'scary' parts. DW really enjoyed it though the ride is bumpier than both of us would like. Upon exiting the ride, we did spend some time in the gift shop, and had fun browsing the wares. I found something there that is a rare treat in a Disney park...clearance items! You read that right, they had several items that were on clearance. Not "slashed" to 15% off either. They were better than half price. I was very tempted to buy one of the safari hats that was on sale for a fraction of what the same hat cost in the other parks. Once out of the shop, we headed for Primeval Whirl while we waited for our FP time. When it was almost time to board, one of the parties (mother and preteen child) in front of us told the ride operator they did not want to ride with anyone else - most parties at this point were of two. I found the way she went about it, a bit off-putting. She said it as though there were something wrong with the other people and within earshot of them. Then, naturally, the next party of two did the same. Once it was our turn, we boarded with the party of two behind us. We had a ball, as expected. We laughed and screamed and laughed the whole time. I wanted to ride again, but it was time to return to Dinosaur. We rode on the other side this time and sat in a different part of the ride vehicle. Interestingly, on this ride I did bump my knees a bit. It wasn't bad enough to spoil the ride, but it was there where this usually does not happen.

As much fun as we had at AK, we had to call it an early day because I had a lot planned for our evening. We headed back to the resort to get showered and changed. I told DW I wanted to "see if we could find a nice restaurant that takes walk-ins". I had her get all gussied up on the grounds that the good people of WDWFG had told me about a great restaurant at one of the resorts that wasn't as busy. Naturally, this wasn't entirely true. We were going to Narcoossee's because that's where I'd made an ADR for our Sweetheart Dinner. Arriving at the Grand Floridian wasn't that difficult, but the parking situation was a bit confusing. The guard stopped us, as he should, at the gate where I informed him we were just there for dinner. Thankfully, he didn't ask any further questions (I was worried he'd ask if we had a reservation). He let us in, then we just sort of 'ended up' in self parking. We weren't sure we were in the right place, and the barrier (like those where you would get a ticket at a pay parking lot) did not make it any less confusing. We pulled up, pushed the button, expecting to hear the guard or have a ticket dispensed; neither happened. The gate went up, we pulled in and found a place to park.

From there, we made our way into the the beautiful GF. Though we enjoyed the style and accouterments, the old south theme didn't do much for us. Being from the south, it didn't do much to 'take us away'. We walked around a bit, and looked in a few of the shops; I had to make it seem like we didn't have somewhere to be. This was one of the hardest parts about all the surprise planning. Making it seem like we were in no hurry at all, when we most assuredly were! Once I decided it was time to head for Narcoossee's, I started to panic a bit when I realized I had not a blooming clue where it was. Even looking at the map, it was not easy to even figure out which way to head - due to the construction. Once we headed into the courtyard and got our bearings, it was easier to at least head in the right direction. As we're getting close to the end where Narcoossee's is, DW's feet start to hurt from the fancy shoes; making the walk seem much longer. Once we finally found Narcoossee's, asking a CM or two along the way, I opened the door for her then walked ahead of DW to the hostess. I gave her our name, she confirmed we were having the Sweetheart Dinner, then she handed me a buzzer and directed us to have a seat. Though we had arrived ten or fifteen minutes early, we were still not seated by our reservation time. Not a big deal, but I'd rather not wait twenty plus minutes when I have a reservation.

I don't want to overwhelm anyone with a wall of text, so I'm going to break here. There is still a lot to come from this, our big anniversary day.

Yeah, it was a very long walk after being in the park all day; especially for DW. I'll have the rest of Monday up soon. Sorry it's taking so long; sometimes life gets in the way.

Monday - Grand Floridian pt 3

Once seated, I was a bit disappointed we were not seated at a window. I assumed we would be, having a reservation and having told every single (Disney) person I spoke to it was a very special occasion. Had I known anything about the layout of the restaurant, I would have made a specific request. With all that said, we still had a lovely view. Once we were seated, we were presented with our custom menus. It was a nice touch to see our names on the menu, but it felt a bit like ordering off a kids menu; as it was a folded paper menu. Mind you it was a very nice paper menu, printed on fancy paper with Disney touches and a romantic dedication, with our names and the date. Looking over the four courses, it wasn't hard to find things I would like, but there were a couple glaring issues. Firstly, when speaking to the reservations agent I asked specifically if the Sweetheart Dinner would be from a limited menu (as I know such things usually are). In case the agent was not familiar with the term, I explained what I meant by 'limited menu' (usually only one to three or four options per course). I was advised it would not be from a limited menu, and we could order what we wanted. Upon seeing the limited menu, I was a little miffed, but I didn't say anything or let on there was a problem. As for the menu itself, the first course was alcohol and I don't drink. In the dessert, raspberries were featured prominently and DW can't stand raspberries. None of these things were disclosed to me when making the reservation and booking the Sweetheart Dinner.

As for the offerings on the menu, they were lovely. The first course was a "sparkling celebration wine" served in commemorative etched champagne flutes we got to keep. DW enjoyed one of the offerings, while I requested OJ and club soda - so it would look festive. When placing our orders, I had a bit of a hard time conveying how I wanted my steak. I asked for medium plus (above medium, below medium-well) and the waitress looked at me like I was speaking Greek. Though I expected the server to be familiar with this temp in a fine dining restaurant, I placidly explained what I was looking for. I only ask for my steak this way because a medium well steak is most always overcooked. If cooked correctly, medium-well is perfect for me. When finished taking our order, the server walked away still looking a bit bemused. Our appetizers came shortly thereafter and I was impressed. DW had shrimp and clam chowder (with dill creme friache and house made crackers) while I had the "Green Goddess Salad" (romaine, cucumber, croutons, tarragon, tomatoes, and avocado dressing) - note I had the dainty salad while DW had the hearty chowder . They were beautiful to look at, and smelled great. That type of salad is not something I would normally order, or expect to enjoy, but it was absolutely wonderful. Even the (presumably) lemon grass garnish I wasn't sure about at first worked so well with all the other flavors. I wanted to lick my bowl clean, LOL. DW really enjoyed her chowder as well, but I didn't try it as I'm not a big seafood fan. Seeing the entrees arrive, put a big smile on my face (and in my tummy!). Both were just very pleasing to the eye, and nose. DW ordered the crab-crusted Alaskan halibut while I opted for the filet mignon. Hers was served with crushed fingerling potatoes, haricot verts, and meyer lemon sauce while mine was paired with potato gratin, romano beans, and choron sauce. Sadly my steak was way undercooked, a good bit below medium in fact. Being a special occasion though, I didn't say anything. Despite the undercooked, my dinner was excellent. The charon sauce was delectable and the potatoes delicious, like golden, cheesy candy. I could have eaten nothing but those potatoes the rest of the trip. DW really enjoyed her fish, though it was a bit gamey for my liking.

The dessert, believe it or not, was the highlight of the meal. It was white chocolate mousse with fresh raspberries on top, served in a milk chocolate heart and fresh strawberries with chocolate fondue. It was served on a "Celebrate Today" plate with milk chocolate curls and festive Mickey sprinkles and such (we did take a picture - I'll upload some after the TR). Now, let me say first that I am not a big fan of fruit and chocolate (together) and DW doesn't even like to look at raspberries. That coupled with the simple nature of the dessert, did not make for an overly enthusiastic couple. This dessert rocked our world. Every part of it was done to perfection. Even the fruit was fresh, ripe, and beautiful. I had DW try the raspberries with a spoonful of the white chocolate mousse, and I had to fight her for the rest of it. The strawberries dipped in the chocolate fondue was something you'll just have to experience. It makes you happy inside the way food seldom does.

On the whole, dinner was very good. Service was slow, our table was not pre-bussed in a reasonable amount of time, and our server seemed a bit perfunctory. I do have appropriately lower standards when dining at the World, as this is a unique situation. A lot of things I would normally take issue with are not a big deal to me at this type of restaurant. That said, at a price point on par with some fine a la carte restaurants, I expected a bit more. Overall we did enjoy our dinner at Narcoossee's.

More on Narcoossee's and the best part of our special night still to come.

If I have not mentioned before, I have a background in fine dinging (among other things). I have run this type of restaurant, so I may notice things others would not, but I don't feel I have unrealistic expectations.

Sure, I'll start a thread when I have a few minutes.

That's one way to look at it, but there are two major reasons I don't see it that way. First and foremost, these (Disney) are high volume restaurants relative to their non-Disney counterparts. It's very difficult, almost impractical, to offer "white glove" level service when herding people through like cattle. The other consideration is that we pay more for that Disney magic, so that changes the cost analysis some. All that said, I was still a bit disappointed.

This trip was the first time I've dined with ADR's, so I'm not qualified to pass judgment on a broad scale.

I've never been to V&A's, but in general high volume and top-notch service do not go hand in hand. That's not to say they are mutually exclusive, but normally you won't find one where you find the other.

Keep in mind, what's top-notch service to one, may be average to another; based on experience.

Tonight or over the weekend in the "Restaurant Tips" thread I'm going to start, I'll go over what I define as (and what I assert is, by strict standards) top-notch service.

Monday - AK, conclusion

After dinner, I told DW I wanted to enjoy the waterfront view and walk around the Seven Seas Lagoon. We relaxed outside Narcoossee's and took some pictures until DW got a bit chilly. After meandering around the area for a few minutes, we went out on to the dock to sit and rest my sweetie's feet while enjoying the sunset. She was getting wise by this point, since I had us sitting on the boat dock and she's seeing boats come and go. I didn't have much choice here since her feet hurt and she didn't want to walk anywhere. I was able to manufacture some suspense, while not letting on one of those boats was ours. Funny thing, I inadvertently created a lot more tension and excitement than I intended. We waited and waited on the dock, but there was no sign of our boat. When I didn't see our boat by about five minutes 'til cast off, I was getting nervous so asked a water taxi captain who was there if he knew where my boat might be. Now if you have sailed from the GF dock, you may have figured out my problem already. I was at the dock for the water taxi's, not the one for chartered cruises! No one told me there were two. All the instructions just said "...the dock at GF". Thankfully, I asked when I did and found out we needed to make our way around the other side to the correct dock.

We make our way quickly, but carefully so as not to hurt DW's tootsies, to the correct dock and find several boats there waiting for their fares. I walked towards the boats, but didn't find a captain to speak to. As I walked back toward the window, where I could ask someone where I was to be, a captain walked up and asked if I was there for a cruise. Turned out he was our captain. I took care of the quick paperwork and payment, then we boarded our boat. It was a 25' Tracker Pontoon boat all decked out with balloons and a Happy Anniversary banner. Oddly enough, it was this boat passing by that made DW suspicious I was up to something. She saw it go by while we were waiting at the wrong dock. Ours was the Wishes premium cruise (or Celebration, with the decorations), so we had the park audio for the show as well. Our captain, Kevin was friendly, knowledgeable, and was did a great job adding to the experience while being careful not to obtrusive. The boat was stocked with all sorts of snacks and beverages.

As for the cruise itself, it was extraordinary. I worried all day long about the weather. It had rained off and on each day, and the forecast called for more storms. As we boarded our boat, the sun was just starting to set and the clouds seemed to thin and did nothing but add to the beauty of our magical night. Once we headed out from the GF dock, we took a tour of the lagoon enjoying some historical narration from our captain. There were a lot of neat things I didn't even know existed. For example, I had never even heard of a water bridge. It's a bridge where the boats travel OVER the roadway to join the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. While this may be old hat to those of you who've traveled the water ways of the World, I thought it was awesome. They are apparently quite rare and a marvel of engineering. After our tour, we headed over to catch the Electrical Water Pageant. This was one of those Disney attractions that was new to me, but somehow very familiar. I don't know if I saw it as a child, or if I've seen it on TV, but it seems as though I have seen it but not on my trips to the World. The EWP was neat, quaint even. Just as I was wondering why it consists of such dated music and technology, our captain explained this was due to the fact that this was the last thing (project) Walt and Roy saw to completion together before Walt's passing. Even with these old barges, with technology you could easily buy to decorate your own house for Christmas, there was still a sense of wonder. After enjoying the Water Pageant, our captain plotted a course toward the castle to grab a good spot for the Wishes fireworks show.

I have to say, if you have not seen Wishes from the Seven Seas; you have not seen it as it should be seen. It was so much better, the show will never be the same from inside the park. Our captain explained this is where imagineers and executives go to view new elements and test things out because the view is just perfect. At the risk of sounding like a Disney commercial, it was magical...just magical. No other words can explain what it was like. It was many other things; romantic, beautiful, spectacular. This is the type of experience you'll remember for a lifetime. After the show, we took our time getting back to GF. Every part of the cruise was wonderful. As we pulled back up to the GF dock, our captain helped us onto the dock and asked if we'd like to take any of the refreshments with us. We did.

I would recommend this cruise highly, though it is not cheap. That said, for a special occasion, it is well worth it. Even more so if you have a group to share the cost. During our cruise, we got a kick out of listening to the banter on the Pirates and Pals cruise that was out at the same time. They really sounded like they were having a good time. This one in particular was apparently a group outing where adult beverages were served, so they were having a VERY good time.

Side-note: After arriving home, I decided I wanted to speak to someone about our Sweetheart Dinner being misrepresented. I first called guest relations and spoke to a customer service representative, then to a supervisor. The supervisor listened to all my concerns and took down my information, then assured me he would call me back that day or the next. When he had not returned my call for several days, I called guest relations again. This time, when I advised the representative my call had not been returned she took the initiative to try to get me to the right person. She advised I should speak to the GF manager on duty. When said manager came on the line, I was a little annoyed to learn that the gentleman was not the manager on duty but the front desk manager (normally not the same position). My concerns were quickly put to rest however, as the gentleman did a great job listening and again taking my information. He assured me he would contact the Narcoossee's manager himself and make sure that manager got back to me as soon as possible. Since this was mid afternoon, I assumed this would occur that day. It did not. When I had not received a call by the next evening, I called the GF direct but could not get an answer. It would just ring and ring and ring, then disconnect. I called at least three or four times over the course of the day, both the direct line as well as through the switchboard. I was beginning to get upset and was preparing to contact the next 'link' in the chain of command. Two days after speaking to the GF manager, someone finally called and it was the Narcoossee's manager. She too did an excellent job listening and assuaging my concerns. I explained where I was coming from, including my understanding of the unique situation Disney restaurants are in. She understood fully and ultimately turned what could have been a negative situation into a positive. On our next trip we're going to have dinner at Narcoossee's again, to give them another shot.

She was thrilled, Bali. She really enjoyed the atmosphere; it felt like we were the only ones in the world for a while. I'll ask her for some more specific feedback. I sometimes feel like she's come to expect these things from me, but what can I do. She deserves to be spoiled.

Won't be easy

Biggest day of the trip is up next. MK with lots of surprises.

Thank you for reading and for your patience. It's been a bit busier than usual for us lately. I'll try to start Tuesday tonight.