She tends to say whatever comes into her circuits. - Marathon Weekend 2020 Dining Report with Bonus Trip - 2/12 California Grill

[tweetylori]

Yeah sometimes on vacation you have to stop with the healthy multi-grain approach and go with what you want. Kudos for trying.
I agree with you that the Fuzzy drink is the way to go at Oga's!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I didn't realize the only way you can get the beer flight at Oga's is to buy the souvenir cups too? That seems odd. Is it the same with the other souvenir cups? The fuzzy tauntaun is my go-to drink there as well.

It isn't the same for the other souvenir cups! Oh well, maybe the waiter just didn't want to deal with it either. Who knows? We won't get the beer flight again either way.

Backtracking … Takumei Tei is one of my new favorites as well. We did the omakase tasting menu and really enjoyed it. Next time I think I'll just do what you did and order off the menu. It was pretty empty the night we went, which makes me feel bad. I hope they're able to maintain the menu and service. Not sure if the menu or the $$ or the dress code or maybe all three are scaring people off. They definitely were not enforcing the dress code when we were in there... two parties with graphic tees and baseball hats. One couple was letting their toddler crawl around on the floor - including to other tables. But we still had a great time and I wouldn't hesitate to visit again. I also hope they will do a F&W event. Never too early to start dreaming about F&W!

I did the omakase over Thanksgiving and it was awesome. I totally get it! Since I had done it then, I was more willing to order off the menu now. I hope they are able to maintain the menu and service as well. At least that company owns the pavilion and operates all that other space. I hope it does well and continues. In November, the manager said they opened too late to really have time to plan for F&W last year but they were planning on doing it for next year. Hopefully it wasn't just lip service! When are you doing F&W this year? We're Oct 30th to Nov 9th! I'll also be there Nov 14th for the night to pick up Qi'ra.

What are those statues outside Via Napoli meant to represent? I've never understood those. I love that pizza though. SO good. It's a must do for me every trip -- so rare to find good pizza in Florida!

I haven't a clue. I'm sure some fan site has the reasons for the statues somewhere but their hands just don't match the animals and that is weird to me!

Glad to hear you enjoyed Beaches 'n Cream. I'm looking forward to trying it post refurb. Can't go wrong with a good burger and fries. Totally agree with you on the paper straws.

We weren't originally planning on it but Saturday night after dinner - we looked to see what else was available as we had Chefs de France originally booked. I was happy to see that option open! So many more places to sit now which is nice as more people get to enjoy. The menu seems a bit upgraded as well for the entree options.

Yeah sometimes on vacation you have to stop with the healthy multi-grain approach and go with what you want. Kudos for trying.
I agree with you that the Fuzzy drink is the way to go at Oga's!

Well, figured I would give it a shot since that was what the chef originally picked for it. Too bad it was a bad choice.

I think we may skip Oga's our next couple trips though. I've been 5 times since November and have now tried all the drinks I wanted to. Back to the Brown Derby lounge for me since I can get a seat there!

 

[tweetylori]

It isn't the same for the other souvenir cups! Oh well, maybe the waiter just didn't want to deal with it either. Who knows? We won't get the beer flight again either way.



I did the omakase over Thanksgiving and it was awesome. I totally get it! Since I had done it then, I was more willing to order off the menu now. I hope they are able to maintain the menu and service as well. At least that company owns the pavilion and operates all that other space. I hope it does well and continues. In November, the manager said they opened too late to really have time to plan for F&W last year but they were planning on doing it for next year. Hopefully it wasn't just lip service! When are you doing F&W this year? We're Oct 30th to Nov 9th! I'll also be there Nov 14th for the night to pick up Qi'ra.



I haven't a clue. I'm sure some fan site has the reasons for the statues somewhere but their hands just don't match the animals and that is weird to me!



We weren't originally planning on it but Saturday night after dinner - we looked to see what else was available as we had Chefs de France originally booked. I was happy to see that option open! So many more places to sit now which is nice as more people get to enjoy. The menu seems a bit upgraded as well for the entree options.



Well, figured I would give it a shot since that was what the chef originally picked for it. Too bad it was a bad choice.

I think we may skip Oga's our next couple trips though. I've been 5 times since November and have now tried all the drinks I wanted to. Back to the Brown Derby lounge for me since I can get a seat there!

Yay for any place with SEATS!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

When are you doing F&W this year? We're Oct 30th to Nov 9th! I'll also be there Nov 14th for the night to pick up Qi'ra.

Argh! My dedicated week is the week before. But being only an hour away I can visit pretty often - particularly for fun special events. Takumi Tei really seems destined for a terrific event. Would love to meet up with you this year!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Yay for any place with SEATS!

The lack of seats fits Oga's but I'm lazy when I drink. I stopped doing the standup bars after college!

Argh! My dedicated week is the week before. But being only an hour away I can visit pretty often - particularly for fun special events. Takumi Tei really seems destined for a terrific event. Would love to meet up with you this year!

Just missed it! I haven't seen info on the Swan & Dolphin F&W event yet - I'm hoping its that initial weekend of our trip. I hope we finally got to meet. At least I ran into @TeeterTots after all these years!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Flying Fish

At 8PM, I made my husband get moving so we could head downstairs towards Flying Fish. I was so glad I had switched our dinner reservations to our hotel as it made sure there were no excuses on going as I have a feeling if we needed to drive anywhere, my husband would have asked for room service.

We were quickly given a seat near the open kitchen. I’m not sure if our waitress was annoyed we weren’t really ordering a lot or just at the end of a mentally draining shift but she wasn’t the friendliest this evening. Oh well, I wasn’t going to let that affect my enjoyment. I even got a vanilla Manhattan which was refreshing!

Vanilla Manhattan

The first appetizer I went for was the pork belly. Since Flying Fish reopened from their refurbishment a few years ago, a version of this dish has been on the menu. This newest one is a bit weaker than some of the others as I found the pork belly to not as good as other times and the croquette just felt too big to really enjoy. It tasted fine and I finished it off but I may take a break next time around.

Slow-roasted Pork Belly, Gala Apple, Cherry Gastrique

My other appetizer (or well ‘main’ course) was their current version of the shrimp cocktail. I really enjoyed the sauces and the crispy ham to enjoy with the shrimp. It is rare for me to meet a shrimp I don’t like though.

Jumbo Shrimp, Crispy Serrano Ham, Citrus

My husband just went with an entree for his meal. He did the filet as red meat sounded good to him and add in a wonderful risotto, how could you go wrong? I stole some of the risotto and was very happy with it! I kinda wish I had asked for a side order of it for myself but as our server wasn’t really present or around much, I saved a few dollars!

Angus Filet Mignon, Asparagus, Sweet Onion Risotto, Truffle Sauce

I wanted dessert but my husband was over the service and really just wanted to go back to bed before we left the next morning. We stopped by the store before heading to the room and I got myself a chocolate covered rice crispy treat that was wonderful. My husband had his second cupcake.

M&M and Chocolate Covered Rice Crispy Treat

After our desserts, we watched some TV and then went to bed. We were up early - like 5AM early to get on the road home. We got our energy drinks for the road to keep me awake (he drove up to Disney and I drove home from Disney) and unpacked once we got home.


And so ends our Marathon Weekend trip! And now for some bonus content over the next few days….​

 

[TeeterTots]

I’m not sure how I missed this entire marathon weekend report! I’m glad we FINALLY got to meet! It was a great weekend!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Sorry to hear you didn't have the best service at Flying Fish. I've never had bad service there but by far my favorite service is always at the bar. I do wish they had a bit more variety in their menu but it remains one of my favorites.

I think Swan and Dolphin usually releases their festival dates pretty early … waaaaaaay earlier than Disney ... so we might hear something soon. I was thinking I might try to do that again. The first year I did it was rainy and it was moved inside to their convention space and I don't think I got the full experience that everyone raves about.

 

[tweetylori]

That vanilla manhattan looks amazing!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I’m not sure how I missed this entire marathon weekend report! I’m glad we FINALLY got to meet! It was a great weekend!

Well, that real life thing probably kept you away. I also love that you are also friends with people I consider friends and didn't realize it until now!

Sorry to hear you didn't have the best service at Flying Fish. I've never had bad service there but by far my favorite service is always at the bar. I do wish they had a bit more variety in their menu but it remains one of my favorites.

I think Swan and Dolphin usually releases their festival dates pretty early … waaaaaaay earlier than Disney ... so we might hear something soon. I was thinking I might try to do that again. The first year I did it was rainy and it was moved inside to their convention space and I don't think I got the full experience that everyone raves about.

The bar has always been great when we've done that too. We keep Flying Fish to when we are staying in the area as one of our easy dinner options.

I hope we find out soon about the dates. I've done it twice I think. The last time was the first time they had the beer garden which was fun but my mother didn't have that ticket so it made it weird when I wanted to go get beer. My husband and I won't have that problem as we would get the same level of ticket! Plus knowing we could just walk back to the room will be helpful. Party of the Senses is way too overpriced for us to enjoy now. I mean, if I'm going to put that amount of money down on an event - I want more than just Disney chefs like they have now!

That vanilla manhattan looks amazing!

It was! I love bourbon cocktails!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Kimonos

Less than two weeks after returning from Marathon Weekend, I headed back to Disney joined by my mother. I was stalking DVC to get a studio that Friday and Saturday night. I succeeded for Saturday and was working on Friday when my mother said, nope, not gonna risk it and booked the Swan for Friday Night. She said she needed more nights at the Marriott to maintain her status anyway. Who am I to say no to that?

I left work a little before 4PM and headed up to Disney. It took 3.5 hours because Sarasota hates me always. But at 7:30PM, I was heading under the gates!

Blurry Unsafe Photo!

My mother was already there and in the room so I headed up to the room number she had texted me earlier. I was starving but she had already eaten dinner so we decided to keep it simple and stay at the hotel. I hadn’t been to Kimonos in forever and that sounded better than Italian so off we went as a walk in. We had no problems and we were going to be out of there before the karaoke was going to start at 9:30pm.

Star Wars!

Kimonos

Table Setting

My mother had a cold and wasn’t hungry so she ordered tea and miso soup as it would be helpful for the cold. She also learned that even if a tea is decaffeinated - there is still caffeine in it so it didn’t help her go to sleep well.

Mint Tea

Miso Soup

I went with a nice crispy fruity sake. It was really refreshing and light!

8000 Generations Shochu on the rocks

The first of my orders was the wagyu beef satay which has a mustard miso sauce. The beef was so good, especially with that sauce. The mushrooms weren’t touched other than getting them out of my way of the sauce or beef! The waitress told me I should have just asked for them to leave them off but I wasn't sure if my mother was going to steal some or not since she likes those nasty things (@kastoney is my fellow mushroom hater is going to hate this)

Wagyu Beef Satay

I also ordered a dragon roll as I knew it would fill me up! Nice crispy shrimp with tuna, avocado and more shrimp on top. How could I go wrong? I quickly devoured it!

Dragon Roll - Giant Crispy Shrimp and Tuna

We headed to bed afterwards as we knew tomorrow was going to be an early wake up if we wanted a chance at the Rise of the Resistance and the ability to tackle Festival of the Arts!​

 

[ljcrochet]

Kimonos is my daughter's favorite sushi resturant in Florida

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

And now I want sushi. That looks so good!

 

[princess aleya]

That sushi looks wonderful!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Kimonos is my daughter's favorite sushi resturant in Florida

Well worth it! I can see why. I love Japanese food and luckily, we have lots to choose from in Naples (although a real lack of hibachi style places) Kimonos is up there for us too!

And now I want sushi. That looks so good!

It was good! I want sushi as well - maybe I can play the anniversary card with my husband tonight to get sushi.

That sushi looks wonderful!

It was! Very filling as well.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Festival of the Arts aka Liquid Lunch

My mother woke up at 4:45AM as I told her we would need to be on our way to Hollywood Studios if we wanted a shot at riding Rise of the Resistance with a decent boarding group number. A little before 6AM, we were with the masses driving in!

Hollywood Studio Outer Gates

Through security, we waited with the crowds until 6:30AM when they let us in. We were going to go to Starbucks but the line was wrapped down Sunset Blvd so we decided to head towards Toy Story Land to wait for the 7AM boarding group opening. Not many were in this area yet so we weren’t too far from the front right near Wood.

Hollywood Studios Inner Gates

I was super quick when the groups as shown here:

Group 15!!!

I had to help some people around us as well as they were refreshing the join boarding group page rather than entering it from the home screen of the application. The crowds were also moving forwards towards the rides and we joined the masses and headed to Slinky Dog Dash. We were on the ride within 10 minutes! Score!

Slinky Dog

By the time we were off the ride and leaving the queue, our boarding group was being called. We did a quick ride at Star Tours first to show my mother the new scenes and then it was Rise of the Resistance time!!!

Rise of the Resistance

And we were out of the park by 8:20AM! We drove to the Villas at the Grand Floridian so that we could leave our vehicles there and take the monorail into EPCOT. On our way to EPCOT, I got us Spaceship Earth Fastpasses. The first worked out perfectly as the window was starting as we were entering the Park so we took a ride on Spaceship Earth. Then we did the new Amazing Planet at the Land. It was ok - full of dad jokes. Good to see once and then it was time to start enjoying the festival!

At our first booth, we both got a dish to try and I got a beer that glittered as how could I not? I really enjoyed the glitter beer as it was perfectly fruity and not hoppy. Plus glitter! My chicken was so good. The sauces really helped the dish as well and the beet chips gave the right amount of texture the dish needed! I didn’t get to try any of my mom’s ceviche but it was gone in no time flat!

Sous Vide Chicken Roulade with Apples and Sage served with Warm Brie Fondue, Blueberry and Beet Gel and garnished with Beet Chip Crumbles

Shrimp Ceviche with Lime Mint Foam

#RainbowSherbetGlitterDreamAle by Playalinda Brewing Company

As we continued our walk around the World Showcase, I needed another cocktail. I went with the very pretty vodka rum cocktail in China that was really refreshing. Not sure why the Boba Pearls were magic as they seemed normal to me but either way - I liked it!

Butterfly Pea Flower-infused Cocktail with Lychee Syrup, Vodka, Light Rum and Magic Boba Pearls

Near Germany, I saw that they had a Saint-Honore Tart at the booth there. I loved the Saint-Honors I had in France so of course I had to have it again. It was a nice tart with decent cream puffs - not as good as Cedric’s but still happy with it! My mother also was bad and got a second one for free when the lady got really confused due to the person in front me refusing their fish dish as they were allergic and handed us both stuff. Let's just call it Disney Magic?

Saint-Honore Tart: Caramel Cream Tart w/ Caramel Glaze topped with Cream Puffs

In America, I went with the beer and chocolate pairing. I liked all the beers and chocolates although the chocolates looked like rip-offs from Norman Love with the decorations (I asked if they were Norman Love’s and they weren’t) My mother was happy with her beef wellington and it filled her up!

Chocolate and Beer Pairing Flight

Beef Wellington with Mushroom Bordelaise, Fennel Cream and Roasted Baby Vegetables

Because I hadn’t drank enough, I got the frozen sake cocktail in Japan. It was refreshing and would have been perfect on a hot day but it was on the cooler side this day.

Nigori Sake Cocktail: Frozen Nigori Sake and Calpico accented with Strawberry and finished with Cotton Candy[/I]

We did the new Beauty & the Beast Sing-aLong along with the new Canada: Far & Wide Films which were nice but not most-dos. I could see the sing-a-long being a fun addition to a drink around the world though. We headed out & I picked up my cheddar cheese popcorn along the way. That popcorn was a good lunch on my drive home the next day (Qi’ra agreed!)

​

 

[kastoney]

But most house insurances seem to ban most larger and stronger dogs anyway (and tiny ones like American eskimo dogs, why?).

Really? I had no idea. Wonder if my boy has been banned for 12 years and I had no idea

So awesome that you do this! I'm sure everyone really appreciated it

My husband had a burger as well, it is was beaches & cream is known for. Perfect cooked to medium and exactly what his stomach wanted post race.

I don't know why but this looks oh so good. Very little can bet a good burger and fries.

At 8PM, I made my husband get moving so we could head downstairs towards Flying Fish. I was so glad I had switched our dinner reservations to our hotel as it made sure there were no excuses on going as I have a feeling if we needed to drive anywhere, my husband would have asked for room service.

Smart move!!!

This newest one is a bit weaker than some of the others as I found the pork belly to not as good as other times and the croquette just felt too big to really enjoy. It tasted fine and I finished it off but I may take a break next time around.

I don't think I realized that they changed this up. Definitely disappointing. We haven't eaten there in a while but this has always been a fav

It is rare for me to meet a shrimp I don’t like though.

Ya don't say

he waitress told me I should have just asked for them to leave them off but I wasn't sure if my mother was going to steal some or not since she likes those nasty things (@kastoney is my fellow mushroom hater is going to hate this)

And those are the really gross big ones. No thank you!

Dragon Roll - Giant Crispy Shrimp and Tuna

Now yes please and thank you on this one. Looks delicious

Group 15!!!

Awesome group number!

Sous Vide Chicken Roulade with Apples and Sage served with Warm Brie Fondue, Blueberry and Beet Gel and garnished with Beet Chip Crumbles

Sous vide chicken and sparkly beer what more does a girl really need

My mother also was bad and got a second one for free when the lady got really confused due to the person in front me refusing their fish dish as they were allergic and handed us both stuff. Let's just call it Disney Magic?

What???? How orders a fish dish and then refuses it because they are allergic to fish? Bonus for getting free food out of it though

Nigori Sake Cocktail: Frozen Nigori Sake and Calpico accented with Strawberry and finished with Cotton Candy[/I]

You certainly did a great job with the liquid lunch. I'm not usually a frozen drink fan but this looks amazing!!!! Love me some sake

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Really? I had no idea. Wonder if my boy has been banned for 12 years and I had no idea

Eh, I'll deal with it if we ever move to either have a dog breed exclusion or if they accept CGC. They are just protecting themselves from the jerk owners who don't take care of their dogs or train them well and with some breeds, that can present a problem. Although, my husband has been attacked more by the small tiny breeds or golden retrievers on runs than those on the list.

So awesome that you do this! I'm sure everyone really appreciated it

I think most did! Other people were offended but those aren't my type of people. We're staying at VGF for Marathon Weekend 2021 so my shots will be a lot earlier in the race. I wonder how the appreciation will be then. I just won't use over-proof vodka this time! (That was my husband's fault - I told him to buy vodka for the shots and then he didn't tell me it was the over-proof stuff until after I said someone was like man, these are strong!)

I don't know why but this looks oh so good. Very little can bet a good burger and fries.

Exactly! Especially when you are hungry and just want something fulfilling.

Smart move!!!

12 years of marriage - I know how he works

I don't think I realized that they changed this up. Definitely disappointing. We haven't eaten there in a while but this has always been a fav

Yeah - not the best version of it but at least hopefully it will be changed by the next time we get back. Or when you get back. Cherries aren't always in season so I expect it will change soon.

Ya don't say

And those are the really gross big ones. No thank you!

At least being big and gross meant they were easy to move out of the way!

Now yes please and thank you on this one. Looks delicious

And it was! And so very filling thanks to it size!

Awesome group number!

I know! I doubt I'll ever get one that low again.

Sous vide chicken and sparkly beer what more does a girl really need

Puppy cuddles

What???? How orders a fish dish and then refuses it because they are allergic to fish? Bonus for getting free food out of it though

Yeah...it was weird but worked out for us! My mother was very happy to have her own tart once she realized how tasty it was going to be!

You certainly did a great job with the liquid lunch. I'm not usually a frozen drink fan but this looks amazing!!!! Love me some sake

I did! At least Disney drives us so I can have that liquid lunch. This was the right type of frozen drink - not too sweet thanks to the sake. IF you wanted sweetness, you just need to make sure you got some of the cotton candy (that quickly melted into the drink) or the syrup.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Enchanted Rose

As it was near 2 and our room wasn’t quite ready yet, we headed to Enchanted Rose to see what destroyed Mizner’s. My mother had the cosmo which she thought was extremely strong which at least was the case for the cost of it. I went with one of the tableside cocktails which was also strong but I don’t know if I would get again as the tableside element didn’t really add much to the enjoyment of the cocktail. And this is extremely nick-picky, but our waitress kept pronouncing calvados wrong and it bothered me but I also didn’t want to correct her. Then again, if we hadn’t had a ton of calvados on our vacation in September, I probably wouldn’t have known. I miss Mizner's and I don't really see myself coming back here often as it isn't the same feeling that kept me coming back.

Grand Cosmopolitan - Grey Goose Vodka, Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge and Juices of Cranberry and Lime

Tableside Cocktail - Envy: Busnel Calvados de Pays d’Auge, Green Chartreuse, Green Apple Puree, Angostura Bitters, Apple Chip

Right after our cocktails were served, I got the text that our room was ready! So we drank them quickly (or really, I had to chug the rest of my mothers too since it was too strong for her) and got into the room. We had a Lake View Studio that had been changed to a handicap room but it didn’t have a roll-in shower so if the reservation had not been changed, we would have never even known. Wonder if they were testing me to see if I would complain again?

 

[nco91590]

WOW! You got through so many booths! I am so jealous. The lines were so insanely long the entire time were there