Joy to the World: an offsite Christmas extravaganza at Disney, Universal & SeaWorld – Dec. 2016 TR
- Thread starter Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
- Start date
chicagoshannon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 9, 2008
Wow! I never would have imagined the low crowds in Harry Potter on Christmas Eve. I've never seen it with so few people and we usually go in Sept or Feb!!
Penguinempress
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 11, 2015
The DIS never seems to notify me of updates on this post, grrr! Congratulations on the new job! It would be wonderful to be in Hogsmeade when it's so quiet (whenever I've been, it's been wall-to-wall people and I'm just desperate to get out!) Sad the trip report is coming to a close but it really looks like a fabulous vacation!
Lynne G
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2009
Lovely pictures of the dark side.
So happy to hear your new job is the right one.
We spent Christmas Eve with the dolphins at DC and the weather was wonderful. And, since we were not tired, hopped over to SW to end the night. Then, Christmas Day, we did Aquadica, then dinner at SW, the Shark Place. Expensive meal, but excellent waiters, and good food.
We will be doing Christmas again in Orlando, but Epcot this year. Booked Garden Grill for breakfast, then Biergarden for dinner, and with the breakfast, tickets for the CP show. I hope the kids will enjoy it. Eve will be in HS, with a dessert party as a treat. I hope we eat our share of snacks.
Ah, an ending to this great trip report. Always so much fun to read each of your TRs.
So happy to hear your new job is the right one.
We spent Christmas Eve with the dolphins at DC and the weather was wonderful. And, since we were not tired, hopped over to SW to end the night. Then, Christmas Day, we did Aquadica, then dinner at SW, the Shark Place. Expensive meal, but excellent waiters, and good food.
We will be doing Christmas again in Orlando, but Epcot this year. Booked Garden Grill for breakfast, then Biergarden for dinner, and with the breakfast, tickets for the CP show. I hope the kids will enjoy it. Eve will be in HS, with a dessert party as a treat. I hope we eat our share of snacks.
Ah, an ending to this great trip report. Always so much fun to read each of your TRs.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Sea World was pretty quiet too, then? I am sorry that you spent the money on Quick Queue and then really didn't need it.....that's always a bit disappointing. Though its hard to be too annoyed when crowds are marvelously light on the most special night of the year!
Nah, the goof up wasn't you. I am sure MANY folks have done the same....the photographers really need to be telling guests to stop by one of the photo stores and have the magic elements added before they leave. Otherwise, how would anyone know? (except for learning the lesson the hard way)
I will mention, just in case it helps anyone, that there is a My Universal Photos kiosk in the hub, and they are able to add the magic elements to any photos you had taken that day. It has saved my bacon more than once......sometimes I completely forget about needing to stop until that booth catches my eye.
I suspect that the crowds grew over the course of the day, but that early part was pure magic. Sometimes it pays to be a morning person!
Thank you!!
It sure is nice to not be completely stressed out on a work day. And one of my coworkers is a HUGE Disney fan.....so Orlando is a regular topic of conversation at the office 
. I agree.....its hard to really enjoy ANY theme park when people are packed in like sardines
. And I'm probably a little more hyper-sensitive to crowds than most. What can I say, I appreciate an abundance of personal space 
.Your Christmas plans sound simply AMAZING
(and I'm more than a tad envious....oh, how I wish I were planning another holiday vacay!!). What great memories you will all be making together . I was actually taking a peek at airfare for mid November, on my birthday weekend. We could fly nonstop with Frontier for $175 pp return, and we have some free nights at the Vistana that we could use for accommodations. I was almost tempted to pitch the idea to Steve, to sneak away for a Friday to Monday short trip where we could do a day at Universal and maybe a MVMCP. All this Christmas reminiscing has me itching for a festive weekend away.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Saturday, December 24th (continued) 
After draining the end of our Butterbeers, we toured through Hogsmeade for a bit before heading over into the Lost Continent.
The Mystic Fountain was talking to some young visitors, so we stopped to watch and listen for a while. The delight of the little ones as the fountain teased and splashed them was heartwarmingly entertaining. Whoever provides the voice for that feature within the park does a simply spectacular job of interacting with guests. Honestly, the Lost Continent doesn't really pack much appeal otherwise (other than being visually striking) but the fountain is always a hit.
We strolled onward to Seuss Landing.....as you know, its one of my favourite sections of the park!
We thought that perhaps we would run into some larger crowds in this section of the park, considering it was Christmas Eve and thousands of families would be looking for somewhere for their kids to run off their holiday excitement
, but nope. It was pretty quiet here, too 
. I hope it doesn't make me sound bad to say that made us deliriously happy 
.
Between the Christmas music playing over the speaker system and the cheery decorations, it was almost easy to let go of the going-home blues for a while. I was instantly glad we had decided to devote this first part of the day to visiting a theme park: it passed the time in the most merriest way, and I was determined not to be melancholy on Christmas Eve.
We rode every ride in that section of the park, all with a five minute wait or less. We started with the High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride, and worked our way around the balance of Seuss Landing in a big ol' circle.
We also stopped to really appreciate some of the detail and care that went into the decorations in this section of the park. Not only are they "pretty" (and wonderfully festive), but they "fit". Like someone opened a Dr. Seuss Christmas book and everything fell off of the page and onto the streets. No detail was missed.....not a single one.
The whole effect was....what's the word? Oh yes!.......STOO-PENDOUS!
Even though we had pretty much completed the full loop of IOA, I asked Steve if he wanted to pop by the Marvel area one more time.....it is his favourite land in Islands of Adventure, and quite possibly his favourite spot in the Universal parks, period. I crossed my fingers that there might be a character out and about when we got there. That would be a fun way for my Steve to end off our trip.
We took our time meandering along, stopping to shop in a few of the little themed shops as we toured.
It was a great time to take pictures when the walkways were virtually bare.
Reaching the end of the Marvel section, we turned back and decided to head back toward the park entrance. While we could have taken the Hogwarts Express over to the Studios with our AP's, we decided we would get there just as quickly if we walked.....and it was such a lovely weather day, it was nice to be outside as much as we could be
. Tonight, it was back to the frosty chill of the north 
.
It turned out that deciding to leave via the park entrance was a smart choice, indeed! We found this guy.....one of Steve's favourite Marvel characters....strolling around near the Hulk. Steve's day was made, right there and then.
Port of Entry was also quiet as we made our way to the exit. As we walked past this spot.....
....Steve actually looked at me and said, has there always been a windmill there? Um, yeah, Mr. Observant
. It's always been there. Obviously we have hustled by much too quickly on prior visits.
We passed through the store one last time (mentally going over our list of people whom we bring home a little souvenir for....didn't want to miss anyone, and at Christmas no less!) but were reasonably sure we had made all the necessary purchases.
And then, we bid Islands of Adventure adieu. Spring would be here before we knew it, though!
Checking the time on our phones, we noted that we had plenty of time for a stop at the Studios before we sought out a hearty lunch before heading to the airport. The low crowds in IOA helped maximize the condensed day we had available to us, and we were super grateful to the vacation Gods for that. So, we strolled through Citywalk and breezed through the Studios gates: time was a wastin', so we were quick to get started!
To be continued....
After draining the end of our Butterbeers, we toured through Hogsmeade for a bit before heading over into the Lost Continent.
The Mystic Fountain was talking to some young visitors, so we stopped to watch and listen for a while. The delight of the little ones as the fountain teased and splashed them was heartwarmingly entertaining
. Whoever provides the voice for that feature within the park does a simply spectacular job of interacting with guests. Honestly, the Lost Continent doesn't really pack much appeal otherwise (other than being visually striking) but the fountain is always a hit.We strolled onward to Seuss Landing.....as you know, its one of my favourite sections of the park!
We thought that perhaps we would run into some larger crowds in this section of the park, considering it was Christmas Eve and thousands of families would be looking for somewhere for their kids to run off their holiday excitement
, but nope. It was pretty quiet here, too . I hope it doesn't make me sound bad to say that made us deliriously happy .
Between the Christmas music playing over the speaker system and the cheery decorations, it was almost easy to let go of the going-home blues for a while. I was instantly glad we had decided to devote this first part of the day to visiting a theme park: it passed the time in the most merriest way, and I was determined not to be melancholy on Christmas Eve.
We rode every ride in that section of the park, all with a five minute wait or less. We started with the High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride, and worked our way around the balance of Seuss Landing in a big ol' circle.
We also stopped to really appreciate some of the detail and care that went into the decorations in this section of the park. Not only are they "pretty" (and wonderfully festive), but they "fit". Like someone opened a Dr. Seuss Christmas book and everything fell off of the page and onto the streets. No detail was missed.....not a single one.
The whole effect was....what's the word? Oh yes!.......STOO-PENDOUS!
Even though we had pretty much completed the full loop of IOA, I asked Steve if he wanted to pop by the Marvel area one more time.....it is his favourite land in Islands of Adventure, and quite possibly his favourite spot in the Universal parks, period. I crossed my fingers that there might be a character out and about when we got there. That would be a fun way for my Steve to end off our trip.
We took our time meandering along, stopping to shop in a few of the little themed shops as we toured.
It was a great time to take pictures when the walkways were virtually bare.
Reaching the end of the Marvel section, we turned back and decided to head back toward the park entrance. While we could have taken the Hogwarts Express over to the Studios with our AP's, we decided we would get there just as quickly if we walked.....and it was such a lovely weather day, it was nice to be outside as much as we could be
. Tonight, it was back to the frosty chill of the north .It turned out that deciding to leave via the park entrance was a smart choice, indeed! We found this guy.....one of Steve's favourite Marvel characters....strolling around near the Hulk. Steve's day was made, right there and then.
Port of Entry was also quiet as we made our way to the exit. As we walked past this spot.....
....Steve actually looked at me and said, has there always been a windmill there? Um, yeah, Mr. Observant
. It's always been there. Obviously we have hustled by much too quickly on prior visits.We passed through the store one last time (mentally going over our list of people whom we bring home a little souvenir for....didn't want to miss anyone, and at Christmas no less!) but were reasonably sure we had made all the necessary purchases.
And then, we bid Islands of Adventure adieu. Spring would be here before we knew it, though!
Checking the time on our phones, we noted that we had plenty of time for a stop at the Studios before we sought out a hearty lunch before heading to the airport. The low crowds in IOA helped maximize the condensed day we had available to us, and we were super grateful to the vacation Gods for that. So, we strolled through Citywalk and breezed through the Studios gates: time was a wastin', so we were quick to get started!
To be continued....
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Saturday, December 24th: continued
Confession: I didn't even bother taking my camera out at Universal Studios
. I decided to devote those last precious minutes of our park time to simply enjoying every sight, sound and smell without being distracted by taking photographs. Sometimes, you just have to enjoy the moment, right?
Since our remaining time was somewhat limited, we opted to skip Diagon Alley entirely.....I was very certain we'd make up for that in the spring
. We walked through Hollywood, caught a quick ride on both ET and the Twirl & Hurl, and then made our way around through New York. With a flight to catch later on (and hoping to avoid any potential for motion sickness in the interim) we opted to skip any big rides and just stick with the small ones, knowing the folks in the adjacent seats would likely be grateful for our smart decision . I was determined to not need to put those little white bags to use on our way home....I'd been doing VERY well where that was concerned in recent years, and I didn't want to jinx myself now 
!!
Keeping a keen eye on the time, we eventually decided to make our way toward the park entrance, squeezing in one last ride on Shrek. As we exited through the attraction store, my ear picked up that familiar voice......and I said to Steve, I hear Donkey!!
Looking across the street from Ye Olde Gift Shoppe, there was Shrek and Donkey, greeting guests who were gathered in a small line overseen by attentive TM's.
We couldn't NOT stop
.
Shrek was quietly adorable.......and Donkey was a hoot, as always
. He always had a sharp-tongued comment for Steve about how much he resembles Shrek . Steve, bless his heart, takes it all in good humor.
We always love this character meet, as Donkey makes it very personal (with his incessant chatter and bazillion questions....just like his character in the movies) and his quick wit never fails to give us a hearty laugh. It really was the ideal way to end off our time at the parks.
Bidding goodbye to Shrek and Donkey, we headed slowly toward the park entrance. We had just enough time for a leisurely mid-day meal before making our way to MCO.....and there was one final to-do on our vacation itinerary that needed to be scratched off. A new restaurant had opened in Citywalk just a couple of months prior, and no other dining establishment had ever appealed to my inner spirit more than this one:
How's that for ending on a high note?
Our inaugural experience at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savoury Feast Kitchen is next.
Confession: I didn't even bother taking my camera out at Universal Studios
. I decided to devote those last precious minutes of our park time to simply enjoying every sight, sound and smell without being distracted by taking photographs. Sometimes, you just have to enjoy the moment, right?Since our remaining time was somewhat limited, we opted to skip Diagon Alley entirely.....I was very certain we'd make up for that in the spring
. We walked through Hollywood, caught a quick ride on both ET and the Twirl & Hurl, and then made our way around through New York. With a flight to catch later on (and hoping to avoid any potential for motion sickness in the interim) we opted to skip any big rides and just stick with the small ones, knowing the folks in the adjacent seats would likely be grateful for our smart decision . I was determined to not need to put those little white bags to use on our way home....I'd been doing VERY well where that was concerned in recent years, and I didn't want to jinx myself now !!Keeping a keen eye on the time, we eventually decided to make our way toward the park entrance, squeezing in one last ride on Shrek. As we exited through the attraction store, my ear picked up that familiar voice......and I said to Steve, I hear Donkey!!
Looking across the street from Ye Olde Gift Shoppe, there was Shrek and Donkey, greeting guests who were gathered in a small line overseen by attentive TM's.
We couldn't NOT stop
.Shrek was quietly adorable.......and Donkey was a hoot, as always
. He always had a sharp-tongued comment for Steve about how much he resembles Shrek . Steve, bless his heart, takes it all in good humor.
We always love this character meet, as Donkey makes it very personal (with his incessant chatter and bazillion questions....just like his character in the movies) and his quick wit never fails to give us a hearty laugh. It really was the ideal way to end off our time at the parks.
Bidding goodbye to Shrek and Donkey, we headed slowly toward the park entrance. We had just enough time for a leisurely mid-day meal before making our way to MCO.....and there was one final to-do on our vacation itinerary that needed to be scratched off. A new restaurant had opened in Citywalk just a couple of months prior, and no other dining establishment had ever appealed to my inner spirit more than this one:
How's that for ending on a high note?
Our inaugural experience at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savoury Feast Kitchen is next.
chicagoshannon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 9, 2008
ooh can't wait to hear about Toothsome! We never did make it there.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
I am very excited to share that particular experience with everyone.......it is such a unique place. We have been twice now, and can't wait to return again this fall.
I am going to do my best to post that update tonight (if not tonight, then tomorrow for sure.....I work today, but then am off until Tuesday). Stay tuned
.
happy wanderer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2017
We are planning to visit Toothsome in November...cannot wait to hear all about it! Totchos and chocolate bread pudding are calling my name!
Ruthie5671
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2009
OMG - make the reservation. Do it now!!! Why are you even reading this? You should be picking seats on an airplane!
Mrs Doubtfire
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
I agree you should book!
By the way, we visited guest services at SW on Christmas Eve and they very kindly gave us an express pass to use at some time in the future. That gives us a reason to save up and go again right?
Joanna71985
<marquee><font color=green>Characters are my frien
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2005
You're going to have so much fun! Biergarden is one of my favorite restaurants, and CP is such an amazing show
Bidding goodbye to Shrek and Donkey, we headed slowly toward the park entrance. We had just enough time for a leisurely mid-day meal before making our way to MCO.....and there was one final to-do on our vacation itinerary that needed to be scratched off. A new restaurant had opened in Citywalk just a couple of months prior, and no other dining establishment had ever appealed to my inner spirit more than this one:
How's that for ending on a high note?
Our inaugural experience at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savoury Feast Kitchen is next.
Ooo, I can't wait to hear this review! I still need to try Toothsome
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
I can't believe you haven't been to Toothsome yet!
Girl, ya gotta go .Not to spoil the ending, but it lost a little of its shine once we reached the airport
. But overall, it was pretty awesome.We are planning to visit Toothsome in November...cannot wait to hear all about it! Totchos and chocolate bread pudding are calling my name!
I don't think you'll be disappointed
. But I have to ask......what's a Tochco? 
I am intrigued!Ugh, I couldn't do it
. With our October trip and Christmas both a comin', and me just new at a job, it felt totally indulgent and wasteful. Steve even told me to book it, but I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. Oh, how I wish I could just be wild and crazy and financially irresponsible every once in a while.Aw, how nice!! SeaWorld has such amazing customer service
. Do you have another SeaWorld visit on a future itinerary?
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Saturday, December 24th (continued)
We had actually had Toothsome on our must-do list for many months before we ever arrived: we had eagerly monitored guest feedback here on the Disboards after it opened in October, and we were hopeful that the issues it experienced on opening (namely, the LONG delays for food to arrive) had been successfully worked through within their first two months in business. It was one of the first places we had planned to dine with Kerry, Robert and David early in the trip.
Fast forward, then, to December: Kerry, Robert and David couldn’t wait to try it either, and decided to dine there the night before we arrived in Orlando. Unfortunately, their experience was anything but positive: while finding their dishes visually appealing, they didn’t enjoy the taste; they also felt their service was sub par. Worse yet, the suspected that the food actually made them sick, as they all suffered from various forms of upset stomach in the hours following their meal there. Their report certainly didn’t have us running to book the next available table……and the vacation marched on without us making any real effort to set aside time to give Toothsome a try.
Fast forward to this day, in the final hours of our trip, and that massively ornate building was calling our name as we debated our options for a last lunch in Orlando.
While we trusted the honest and candid feedback from our dear friends, we also thought that the restaurant deserved a second chance; an opportunity for it to either redeem itself. We truly felt we’d regret not giving it a try ourselves…..because every business, even the great ones, can have a bad day. It didn’t take us long to talk ourselves into it: if they had a table available, Toothsome for lunch it would be.
Heading into the restaurant, we were welcomed by a pair of friendly young greeters who were decked from head to toe in very impressive steampunk-style dresses. We asked if there would be much of a wait for a table…..we were being mindful of the time, knowing we needed to be at the airport by around 4 pm for our early evening flight…….and they explained that they would just need a few moments, but should be able to seat us quite quickly. They took our phone number, and cheerily promised to text us within the next few minutes. We opted to browse the adjacent chocolate shop while we waited.
We had just nicely started meandering through the store, taking in all the nifty little details and unique products that lined the walls and filled the tall shelves (and trying desperately to avert my eyes from the selection of chocolates and truffles in the long glass case....telling myself I'd ruin my meal if I filled up on sweets this close to lunch), when I heard Steve call for me from behind….. “Uh, Gina? You might want to turn around. Look who I found!”.
Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome herself was gliding through the shop, stopping to chat with guests and pose for pictures: her big personality just it up that whole little shop. We both were quite impressed by the depth of the character of this lady…..while she made a great personal connection with US, she also wove a lot about HER (and the Toothsome story) into our conversation and it all felt very ‘natural’. While just having an accurate looking character is a pretty cool thing in my book, having one that also embodies the personal characteristics (especially when it’s a face character) is no small feat. We hadn’t even sat down yet, and I was already having that “I’m so glad we came!” feeling.
We were still chatting it up with Penelope when I got the notification that our table was ready, so we returned to the podium and were whisked away to our table. The restaurant was actually surprisingly empty, so our brief wait for a table had nothing to do with numbers. We were asked if we had any objections to being seated on the second floor, and we said absolutely not. We were also asked if we preferred to take the stairs or the elevator; we opted for stairs, figuring we’d be glad we worked off an extra 10 calories or so by the time this meal was over.
The inside of Toothsome is just as captivating as the outside, and the second floor is particularly lovely. The huge windows let in a ton of that glorious Florida sunshine, and provide a spectacular view of Citywalk.
There’s a large bar in the center of the 2nd level, which appears in this picture as if it weren’t being used, but there was a bartender present.....though he wasn’t very busy right then, obviously. He, too, was in the trademark steampunk garb, and fit in with the décor as seamlessly as the wrought iron stools and brass accents.
Everything from the photos on the walls to the knick knacks on the shelves were perfectly fitting. I’ve never thought myself much of a steampunk fan before that point, but Toothsome was rapidly converting me.
Our very friendly and efficient server was quick to bring us menus once we were seated by the hostess. The menu not only featured a full summary of the food and beverage items available, but it also offered a little history lesson on the Toothsome story.
We eventually had to tear our eyes off the décor and from the more information parts of the menu and start deciding on what we were actually going to order. Our server was great…..she popped back a few times to see how we were doing, but didn’t rush us at all. We both had decided when we arrived that we would HAVE to order milkshakes: since they were their signature creation, it would seem a sin not to sample two flavours from their extensive line up.
Choosing one turned out to be an almost impossible task. They all sounded SO good!!
I am pretty sure we spent more time deciding on our milkshake choices than we did on our entrees.
We had just nicely passed along our orders (finally!!) to our server when this guy strolled up to our table:
Jacques, Penelope’s trusted companion. While not quite as engaging as the effervescent Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome, he too was wonderfully in character and a ton of fun.
How awesome to have met both characters on our first visit!
More on our meal at Toothsome is still to come.
We had actually had Toothsome on our must-do list for many months before we ever arrived: we had eagerly monitored guest feedback here on the Disboards after it opened in October, and we were hopeful that the issues it experienced on opening (namely, the LONG delays for food to arrive) had been successfully worked through within their first two months in business. It was one of the first places we had planned to dine with Kerry, Robert and David early in the trip.
Fast forward, then, to December: Kerry, Robert and David couldn’t wait to try it either, and decided to dine there the night before we arrived in Orlando. Unfortunately, their experience was anything but positive: while finding their dishes visually appealing, they didn’t enjoy the taste; they also felt their service was sub par. Worse yet, the suspected that the food actually made them sick, as they all suffered from various forms of upset stomach in the hours following their meal there. Their report certainly didn’t have us running to book the next available table……and the vacation marched on without us making any real effort to set aside time to give Toothsome a try.
Fast forward to this day, in the final hours of our trip, and that massively ornate building was calling our name as we debated our options for a last lunch in Orlando.
While we trusted the honest and candid feedback from our dear friends, we also thought that the restaurant deserved a second chance; an opportunity for it to either redeem itself. We truly felt we’d regret not giving it a try ourselves…..because every business, even the great ones, can have a bad day. It didn’t take us long to talk ourselves into it: if they had a table available, Toothsome for lunch it would be
.
Heading into the restaurant, we were welcomed by a pair of friendly young greeters who were decked from head to toe in very impressive steampunk-style dresses. We asked if there would be much of a wait for a table…..we were being mindful of the time, knowing we needed to be at the airport by around 4 pm for our early evening flight…….and they explained that they would just need a few moments, but should be able to seat us quite quickly. They took our phone number, and cheerily promised to text us within the next few minutes. We opted to browse the adjacent chocolate shop while we waited.
We had just nicely started meandering through the store, taking in all the nifty little details and unique products that lined the walls and filled the tall shelves (and trying desperately to avert my eyes from the selection of chocolates and truffles in the long glass case....telling myself I'd ruin my meal if I filled up on sweets this close to lunch), when I heard Steve call for me from behind….. “Uh, Gina? You might want to turn around. Look who I found!”.
Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome herself was gliding through the shop, stopping to chat with guests and pose for pictures: her big personality just it up that whole little shop. We both were quite impressed by the depth of the character of this lady…..while she made a great personal connection with US, she also wove a lot about HER (and the Toothsome story) into our conversation and it all felt very ‘natural’. While just having an accurate looking character is a pretty cool thing in my book, having one that also embodies the personal characteristics (especially when it’s a face character) is no small feat. We hadn’t even sat down yet, and I was already having that “I’m so glad we came!” feeling
.
We were still chatting it up with Penelope when I got the notification that our table was ready, so we returned to the podium and were whisked away to our table. The restaurant was actually surprisingly empty, so our brief wait for a table had nothing to do with numbers. We were asked if we had any objections to being seated on the second floor, and we said absolutely not. We were also asked if we preferred to take the stairs or the elevator; we opted for stairs, figuring we’d be glad we worked off an extra 10 calories or so by the time this meal was over
.
The inside of Toothsome is just as captivating as the outside, and the second floor is particularly lovely. The huge windows let in a ton of that glorious Florida sunshine, and provide a spectacular view of Citywalk.
There’s a large bar in the center of the 2nd level, which appears in this picture as if it weren’t being used, but there was a bartender present.....though he wasn’t very busy right then, obviously. He, too, was in the trademark steampunk garb, and fit in with the décor as seamlessly as the wrought iron stools and brass accents.
Everything from the photos on the walls to the knick knacks on the shelves were perfectly fitting. I’ve never thought myself much of a steampunk fan before that point, but Toothsome was rapidly converting me.
Our very friendly and efficient server was quick to bring us menus once we were seated by the hostess. The menu not only featured a full summary of the food and beverage items available, but it also offered a little history lesson on the Toothsome story.
We eventually had to tear our eyes off the décor and from the more information parts of the menu and start deciding on what we were actually going to order. Our server was great…..she popped back a few times to see how we were doing, but didn’t rush us at all. We both had decided when we arrived that we would HAVE to order milkshakes: since they were their signature creation, it would seem a sin not to sample two flavours from their extensive line up.
Choosing one turned out to be an almost impossible task. They all sounded SO good!!
I am pretty sure we spent more time deciding on our milkshake choices than we did on our entrees.
We had just nicely passed along our orders (finally!!) to our server when this guy strolled up to our table:
Jacques, Penelope’s trusted companion
. While not quite as engaging as the effervescent Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome, he too was wonderfully in character and a ton of fun.
How awesome to have met both characters on our first visit!
More on our meal at Toothsome is still to come
.
Mrs Doubtfire
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
Toothsome seems an interesting place, I'm looking forward to your review. BTW what is steampunk? That's a new one for me.
As to another visit, it's always on our wish list but we have to save up first I'm afraid
As to another visit, it's always on our wish list but we have to save up first I'm afraid
happy wanderer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2017
I don't think you'll be disappointed
We saw them on the menu (via Yelp)...I am sort of a tater tot fanatic, and this just spoke to me!
Totchos
Fried Tator Tots, Spicy, Green Chili, Crispy Pork Belly, Andouille Sausage Cheddar Cheese Sauce
chicagoshannon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 9, 2008
AH You left us hanging on what flavors you chose 
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
