The Many Adventures of NaCler (& Family)

[Amy]

NO HINTS... -------->>>>>

Nice!

[cy1229]

I saw your FB posts. I know who it is... and I'm not tellin'

[NaCler]

I think I am going to take an unconventional approach to this trip report and start with the areas I think you guys would care about first. It’s time to take a glimpse at the Food and Wine Festival.



Background info: Me, my wife, my 7yo son and his best friend (also 7yo) started at Norway and made our way over to Canada, stopping anywhere that sounded interesting. To be fair to the boys, we went to American Adventure first for some “normal” food for them as we knew they would not want to try what we were having.

Let’s see how it went:

China – Mongolian Beef on Bun - $4.50

Cheese – Cheese Fondue with Sourdough Breadstick - $3.25 (No photo on this one as I forgot)
Singapore – Beef Rendang with Jasmine Rice - $3.25

Morocco – Beef Kefta on Pita - $5.00, Chicken Roll - $4.75

Belgium – Belgian Waffle with Berries and Whipped Cream - $3.00, Belgian Truffles - $1.75


Canada – Cheddar Cheese Soup - $4.00, Mushroom Filet - $6.50, 6oz Moosehead - $3.50


The Cheddar Cheese soup from Canada was definitely the best thing I tried, followed closely by the Mongolian Beef from China. I liked the Beef Rendang as it was very spicy, but it lost points when my wife told me it had coconut in it! The Beef Kefta on pita was basically a meatball in a pita with some coleslaw but I really enjoyed the Chicken roll. It tasted just like the Southwestern eggrolls from Chilis. The Belgian waffle was a nice sweet treat.
We wanted to try more, but having two 7yo getting antsy did not allow for it.

Next up… New Fantasyland

[mindflipper]

Which country was handing out the Tums and Alka Setzer?

[Amy]

You know us well ~ start with the food!!
It looks like you got to try quite a few things actually! How were the lines?
It seems like the pricing is sort of arbitrary. Some of the food seems inexpensive for what you got, and some seems really expensive for the portion size. The cheese fondue sounds the best to me, and the kefta sounds intriguing, maybe even enough to eat some meat to try it That Belgian waffle sure looks tasty! Were the boys adventurous enough to try anything?

Which country was handing out the Tums and Alka Setzer?

[NaCler]

Amy, the longest we had to wait was maybe three minutes for the Belgian waffle as most people were getting the Belgian beer. At each tent they have multiple registers depending on how popular the station is. You pay first, then get a receipt that is redeemed a little farther down with someone who hands you your food and tears the receipt. It's just like their permanent counter service places, so it runs really well. We were there at 3pm on a Sunday, so it really wasn't bad at all. There were longer lines that we did not attempt like Germany and Poland. Those probably would have been about 10 minutes. Still not bad.

I was disappointed in the cheese fondue. It was very bitter and you could really taste the beer that was in it. It was a little too overpowering for me. The cheddar cheese soup was the perfect combination as you could still taste the beer but it wasn't as overpowering.

If I went back today, I would definitely wait on Germany and Poland as they had kielbasa dishes that sounded really good. I would also try the lobster and seafood fisherman's pie for Ireland. And maybe the Greek salad on pita in Greece. Just another $40

[mindflipper]

Ooooooooooooooo ....already updated his avatar posing with Wreck-It Ralph from the new animated movie. Sweet!

[Amy]

Amy, the longest we had to wait was maybe three minutes for the Belgian waffle as most people were getting the Belgian beer. At each tent they have multiple registers depending on how popular the station is. You pay first, then get a receipt that is redeemed a little farther down with someone who hands you your food and tears the receipt. It's just like their permanent counter service places, so it runs really well. We were there at 3pm on a Sunday, so it really wasn't bad at all. There were longer lines that we did not attempt like Germany and Poland. Those probably would have been about 10 minutes. Still not bad.

I was disappointed in the cheese fondue. It was very bitter and you could really taste the beer that was in it. It was a little too overpowering for me. The cheddar cheese soup was the perfect combination as you could still taste the beer but it wasn't as overpowering.

If I went back today, I would definitely wait on Germany and Poland as they had kielbasa dishes that sounded really good. I would also try the lobster and seafood fisherman's pie for Ireland. And maybe the Greek salad on pita in Greece. Just another $40

Mmm, Belgian beer I'm surprised they wouldn't have a separate line for beverages and food. Maybe when they are busier they do? The process of ordering, paying and then moving down to receive your food does sound pretty efficient. Guess I've never seen it mentioned anywhere how the process worked. Sounds like the lines were really good for a weekend afternoon!
Too bad about the cheese fondue. I didn't care for the Canadian cheese soup the one time we were able to get a cup to go for F1gment because there were so many onions in it But I think I would have enjoyed the soup if it hadn't had the onions in it. I've seen photos of a lobster roll that looks pretty tasty. Haven't seen the pie version, not sure that sounds so tasty

[wewantsdaredhead]

This is awesome! Keep it coming.

[NaCler]

Next up on your interest meter... New Fantasyland. Before we went to WDW I was hoping we would end up getting to experience the New Fantasyland but since they were doing CM previews, it didn't look like we were going to get the chance. I asked Soarin08 if there was a way to get us on the list but she said that it was limited to parties of 3 and you had to sign up in advance. So, bad news and it looked like I would have to wait until late November to see it. Or maybe not...

Spoiler Alert... but not revealing any secrets. Some pics included.

We started off in Animal Kingdom all day, but I will post more on that later. We got to the MK about 5:30pm and did the usual attractions, i.e. Peoplemover... The electric parade was scheduled to start early that night (8pm) even though the park was open until midnight. My sister wanted to wait on the parade but since we have seen it MANY times and we had limited time in the MK for this trip, we decided to ride some rides. The best idea ever. We had Guest Assistance pass because my nephew has Autism. So, we were able to ride BTMRR twice, Peter Pan and Pooh all within an hour. Then we decided to take a peek at the New Fantasyland area. And guess what... they were letting guests in! We quickly headed for the Be Our Guest restuarant to check it out. It is truly amazing and I can't wait until we can try this place out, even though it is a little fru-fru. I will not post any pics on this because they do not do the place any justice.

We then went over to the Little Mermaid ride. The queue is so elaborate and the ride is really good. Here are a few pics:











While this ride was very nice, it is not the best thing in New Fantasyland, in my opinion of course. Unfortunately, when we got off the ride they ushered us out as the fireworks were about to start. We found out why during the fireworks. Apparently most of the big fireworks are fired over the area. In fact, I now have a favorite spot to watch the fireworks, right at the gates of the New Fantasyland as they are going off all around you. After the fireworks, we had to wait about 15 minutes or so, but then they reopened New Fantasyland and let us back in. I was very happy about this as I really wanted to see the Enchanted Tales with Belle since I had heard so much about it. Here are a couple of pics to whet your appetite:



There are 2 REALLY AWESOME things in this attraction. One of them is the mirror. I'm sure you have all heard about it from reading others' posts or online reports, but I PROMISE you that nothing can prepare you for what you will see when you encounter that mirror. The only word that can describe it is WOW. You then enter a hallway in the castle where you see the talking wardrobe which is a great animatronic. You then go into the library and act out the story from Beauty and the Beast. But what is in that room will have you mesmorized. Lumiere is the BEST AA ever created by Disney. I could not take my eyes off of him. It is truly amazing. I don't care for B&TB that much, but this is a can't miss attraction just based on the amazing technology. PLEASE do not miss this one.

We then went back to the Little Mermaid ride and enjoyed it again. It's funny that it has that "new car smell." It smells so fresh and clean. But I digress... We went over to Gaston's Tavern to check out the LaFou's Brew... EVERYONE has been raving about this drink. Some have said it is the next Dole Whip... They are crazy. I think I may be the only one who doesn't really like it. It tasted very good for the first couple of sips as it tasted like frozen apple juice with toasted marshmellows in it. But after about 3 sips it just turned into frozen apple juice. The foam on top was very bitter and did not help the drink at all. Definitely not worth the $5.00 price tag. Please don't let me scare you off as everyone should try it and form their own opinion, but I won't be getting any more of them.

Well, that was it for New Fantasyland. We did not check out Ariel's Grotto since we did not have my little girl with us. But I hear that it is nice.

One more thing. I checked out Pirates before we left to see the new Mermaids. Right after the mist screen you hear a mermaid singing and you can see two places in the water, one on the left and one on the right that are lighter in color. When the boat gets closer there is a projection of a mermaid swimming away from the boat. The projection flips her tail and there is a little splash in the water. A cool effect and there are rumors that they may appear several times during the ride instead of just the beginning. I hope so as I really think it adds to the eeriness of the ride.

Next up... probably Animal Kingdom pics...

[Amy]

The pictures I've seen so far of the Little Mermaid attraction are really nice. It looks very cute and I am looking forward to seeing it You got some very nice photos ~ I have heard that Prince Eric and Ariel almost kiss in the boat, but all the photos I've seen, they are pretty far away. Do they move or do they appear to kiss through optical illusion as you move around the scene? Did you notice?
New clam smell ~ hmmm, don't say that one too loud or WDW might put it in their shaped air freshener line
Enchanted Tales with Belle looks pretty cute as well. Probably something to see once or twice unless you have little ones who enjoy acting out the story. Is Lumiere an AA or a projection or a bit of both?
I've heard mixed reviews on the LeFou's brew. Kind of sounds like the Butter Beer at the park which must not be named...people like it or don't care for it. The one consistent thing is that people find the beverage to be overpriced for the serving size. Wonder if WDW will adjust the price point on the drink anytime soon?
Fireworks going off all around you sounds like a winner. Sort of like at DL when they did the 50th Wishes ~ fireworks went off all around the area by the castle ~ fireworks in the round...it was awesome!! We will have to try the gates of Fantasyland for the fireworks next time. Do you know if they will always close the land for fireworks ~ sort of like they do for Toontown in DL? Hopefully they won't simply close Fantasyland early and not reopen after fireworks each evening!

[Mousekedude]

There are 2 REALLY AWESOME things in this attraction. One of them is the mirror. I'm sure you have all heard about it from reading others' posts or online reports, but I PROMISE you that nothing can prepare you for what you will see when you encounter that mirror. The only word that can describe it is WOW. You then enter a hallway in the castle where you see the talking wardrobe which is a great animatronic. You then go into the library and act out the story from Beauty and the Beast. But what is in that room will have you mesmorized. Lumiere is the BEST AA ever created by Disney. I could not take my eyes off of him. It is truly amazing. I don't care for B&TB that much, but this is a can't miss attraction just based on the amazing technology. PLEASE do not miss this one.

That was exactly our reaction... and almost my exact words in my post!!

[NaCler]

M-Dude... Great minds my friend...

Amy, I don't see how they could do the Enchanted Tales with Belle while the big fireworks are going off right overhead. You would definitely hear them, I would think. I think Lumiere is mostly an AA but his motions are so fluid it is hard to believe it. His face may be projected but it is so well done you can't tell. The only bad thing is if Lumiere breaks down, the whole attraction will shut down.

[Amy]

M-Dude... Great minds my friend...

Amy, I don't see how they could do the Enchanted Tales with Belle while the big fireworks are going off right overhead. You would definitely hear them, I would think. I think Lumiere is mostly an AA but his motions are so fluid it is hard to believe it. His face may be projected but it is so well done you can't tell. The only bad thing is if Lumiere breaks down, the whole attraction will shut down.

Found a close up photo of Lumiere on Inside the Magic. It looks like you hit it spot on ~ an AA body with a projected face. Here is a link to the post... http://www.insidethemagic.net/2012/08/i ... ney-world/ His is the fifth picture down

[dstrawn9889]

just like buzz, and all the cars, and to an extent, Mme. Leota syncing the projector to the AA.