Where are we, Jersey? Bye, Phoenicians! An August 2017 TR * NEW DINING/TR LINKS*

[ariane37]

We got probably 8" today. No school for the girls today and tomorrow... We have to go shovel us out tomorrow. Blek!!!

Wow! I know some of my friends in NJ got quite a bit of snow. Still can't believe we have nothing and they had a snow day I'm convinced it's going to snow overnight and they'll have off again tomorrow which will cut into their spring break week!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Wow! I know some of my friends in NJ got quite a bit of snow. Still can't believe we have nothing and they had a snow day I'm convinced it's going to snow overnight and they'll have off again tomorrow which will cut into their spring break week!

Only 3 days till Florida. Just keeping saying that to yourself! And hopefully you won't lose power this time!

 

[dnllmz]

Ugh. Still snowing here. But looking at your pics of Cabana Bay reminded me that summer is coming. It is coming, right???

Cookie dough looked so good. Now I’m craving cookies. If there’s no school tomorrow I’m baking cookies.

 

[ArielSRL]

ordered the skort from Dick's, along with this one:

Let me know your opinion bc I wouldn’t mind some new ones and I like that first one for sure.

Love the back!

So cool!

I had to settle on ordering 1 for this trip:

I love this!

That's right, a dish of cookie dough.

Yummy! I’m all about the cookie dough.

red velvet one

Oh now this sounds heavenly.

Honestly my pictures don't even do the view justice, it's amazing

Looks very nice!

They have something cool for the kids:

Not just for kids! I love an ICEE....however it’s better if it’s an “adult” one!

And for kids and adults:

Yum!

The pizza was so absolutely disgusting, the only pizza I've ever had to rival it is the pizza from the BW window (if you've read my dining reports you'll remember my review of this ).

Oh no. Yuck!

 

[DLHNYC]

When I read your "IT WAS GROSS" comment about lunch at Cabana Bay, my first thought was "I wonder if it was the pizza....". We stayed at Cabana Bay a few years ago, and got back late after being in the parks, and the dining options were limited. I thought I couldn't go wrong with pizza -- it's bread, sauce and cheese, how bad can it be? But that had to be the worst pizza I've ever had. Couldn't finish it. At least they have wine to go.

 

[Steppesister]

While the views were lovely, the pizza didn't sound the same. Sorry!! Especially when you were so hungry! Blech and no thanks!

Cute T's you ended up with! Love the Cheshire Cat one.

 

[Tracy161]

Sounds like an awesome meet up with @Raeven! And I LOVE your new outfits! I know what you mean, I have so much Disney attire but I can't help myself I figure one can never have too many Disney clothes, right?!

Have a wonderful trip!!! I cannot wait to hear all about it! I'm bummed I'll miss you in May... I'll be arriving shortly after you and Raeven and a few others head home Darn work gets in the way of everything

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!!!

 

[pepperandchips]

I'm so sorry for ghosting for so long but have loved every second of catching up on your reports! You know I'm a dark side defector so am loving the Universal tour. It's so weird to me that the food they served you sucks so bad as we really truly enjoy the food at Universal and I can't believe they're not showing off their Creme de la creme to TAs who are selling their packages, for petes sake!

We have stayed at Portofino, RPR, and HRH now and while I really thought RPR would be my favorite, I still love Portofino the most. That room is no joke! Opulent is the word that comes to mind. At least disney has put in keurigs in most of the deluxes now. Our bathroom at Portofino wasn't like that, thank goodness. I prefer a (preferably soundproof) wall between me and anyone who's availing himself of the potty facilities

I don't understand why I miss EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR TRIPS by like a week. Seriously. This timing is awful! Although Kari @kastoney has invited me on her birthday trip in August so I am going to see what I can do about making it down the weekend of the 17th and maybe finally get to meet my two Dis dining friends.

Enjoy your trip this weekend/next week! Sounds like an amazing time!!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Love the back!

The back of this is soo cute!! I hope you have an awesome trip

I saw how pretty hers was and had to get one lol. I loved it! Then Steve told me how many calories are in it But I didn't let that ruin our day!

Yum! Also, that's awfully low, Steve! You really didn't need to know.

I even got a big ol' thing of COOKIE DOUGH after our lunch:

NICE! At some of the shows Nathan's been at recently for work there have been vendors selling cookie dough, and it always look so tempting. I'm sure they do really well selling it!

So nice that you got in a non-Disney Dis-meet. Sounds like you both had a great day!

Finally we made our way into one of the new tower buildings that opened last May when Volcano Bay did. This is what I'd been waiting for, because some of the rooms offer an awesome view of VB:

Wow! This is so cool! I've never had much interest in Cabana Bay, but if I ever stayed there I'd want this view

We made our way back up to the conference room here at CBBR and they had lunch set up.

IT.......WAS..........GROSS​

Oh man! You just can't catch a break with the food on these training trips!

The pizza was so absolutely disgusting, the only pizza I've ever had to rival it is the pizza from the BW window (if you've read my dining reports you'll remember my review of this ).

Wow. That's a really low bar. Sounds disgusting.

 

[ariane37]

Ugh. Still snowing here. But looking at your pics of Cabana Bay reminded me that summer is coming. It is coming, right???

How much did you guys end up with? It started snowing around 9pm last night - the end of our no-snow day So kids had a delay today.
LOL I was talking to a couple teachers at the school this morning while handing out spring pictures. One is looking to go away in April and I was saying how the weather in Boston will be nice, not too hot or cold. The other teacher goes, "well, unless it snows!" So eventually summer will get here

Let me know your opinion bc I wouldn’t mind some new ones and I like that first one for sure.

I'll let you know! I wore one around the house for about an hour and it was good, but you know, things work different in Disney lol. Could be great all day or not.

Not just for kids! I love an ICEE....however it’s better if it’s an “adult” one!

VERY true

When I read your "IT WAS GROSS" comment about lunch at Cabana Bay, my first thought was "I wonder if it was the pizza....". We stayed at Cabana Bay a few years ago, and got back late after being in the parks, and the dining options were limited. I thought I couldn't go wrong with pizza -- it's bread, sauce and cheese, how bad can it be? But that had to be the worst pizza I've ever had. Couldn't finish it. At least they have wine to go.

I used to think that even bad pizza was good pizza - until we ate at the BW pizza window. And like I said this was just as bad. Not sure how it happens! In honestly I've heard that it's because of the water being different down south as opposed to up north; where my parents used to live in NC there was a guy from NY who opened a pizza place and had water trucked in from up here But it does amaze me they sell that and amazes me even more they give it to a big group of TA's whom they're trying to impress so we'll sell Universal!

While the views were lovely, the pizza didn't sound the same. Sorry!! Especially when you were so hungry! Blech and no thanks!

SO.BAD. Now I can eat; and I love to eat. And when I'm hungry I'll eat stuff that isn't that great. But I couldn't get more than 2 bites of this down. Not only was it not worth the calories (the cookies were though lol) it just tasted horrible. The people around me eating piece after piece.........I had to wonder what pizza tastes like around them!

Sounds like an awesome meet up with @Raeven!

Yes! I love getting to hang with DIS peeps in Disney and outside Disney and we had a fun day You're pretty far from Albany, aren't you?

I figure one can never have too many Disney clothes, right?!

Sometimes I think about putting a bunch of mine on Ebay or a local buy/sell group, especially shirts the boys have outgrown. But then I think I need to keep them for 1. grandchildren and 2. just to show how many I had at one time

I'm bummed I'll miss you in May... I'll be arriving shortly after you and Raeven and a few others head home Darn work gets in the way of everything

I know, it sucks! Stupid work One of these days........................

 

[ariane37]

I'm so sorry for ghosting for so long but have loved every second of catching up on your reports!

It's so weird to me that the food they served you sucks so bad as we really truly enjoy the food at Universal and I can't believe they're not showing off their Creme de la creme to TAs who are selling their packages, for petes sake!

That's what Cathy and I were saying last year AND this year I guess they think it's all good. I will say, our last night we were split into groups and taken to different restaurants at CityWalk and many had great meals, including Cathy and Pam. And I did like my food at Bayliner Diner last year; it wasn't spectacular but it was good and tasty. I guess they just don't focus on the food for us.

Our bathroom at Portofino wasn't like that, thank goodness. I prefer a (preferably soundproof) wall between me and anyone who's availing himself of the potty facilities

I think it's pretty with the window but not everything about a bathroom is pretty!

I don't understand why I miss EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR TRIPS by like a week. Seriously. This timing is awful! Although Kari @kastoney has invited me on her birthday trip in August so I am going to see what I can do about making it down the weekend of the 17th and maybe finally get to meet my two Dis dining friends.

This has been happening for a couple years now, c'mon lady! Seriously though, come down in August. Just do it We're there the 18-25th and we'll definitely be hanging with Kari @kastoney and I would love for you to be there!

Enjoy your trip this weekend/next week! Sounds like an amazing time!!!

The back of this is soo cute!! I hope you have an awesome trip

Thank you! T- minus 48 hours

At some of the shows Nathan's been at recently for work there have been vendors selling cookie dough, and it always look so tempting. I'm sure they do really well selling it!

@Raeven told me about this place last time she went to the mall, maybe a month or so ago? And I've been waiting for it since lol. Then over the weekend I read an article online about how cookie dough shops are the newest craze. I'm ok with that!

Oh man! You just can't catch a break with the food on these training trips!

Nope I wish we had a little more freedom to eat on our own than they give. Next time I'll have to eat all my favorites at home the few days before I go just to make up for the crap I'll be served there.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Ugh, I HATE it when they don't order plain pizza, even if it was disgusting! It just seems like such a basic thing to do-everyone can eat it (well unless you are dairy or gluten free, but then you usually need a whole special pizza)!

I hope you got some good food later that day!

 

[dnllmz]

How much did you guys end up with? It started snowing around 9pm last night - the end of our no-snow day So kids had a delay today.
LOL I was talking to a couple teachers at the school this morning while handing out spring pictures. One is looking to go away in April and I was saying how the weather in Boston will be nice, not too hot or cold. The other teacher goes, "well, unless it snows!" So eventually summer will get here

We ended up only getting 10”. We were expecting over a foot. My kids had a 2 hour delay too. Thank god! A lot of local schools were closed today too. I don’t think I could have handled another 24 hours stuck in the house with them. I say that with love.

The Boardwalk pizza is horrendous. It’s like a crappy Mama Celeste that you paid 5 times more for.

 

[Tracy161]

You're pretty far from Albany, aren't you?

Only three hours or so... And who doesn't love a nice drive

Sometimes I think about putting a bunch of mine on Ebay or a local buy/sell group, especially shirts the boys have outgrown. But then I think I need to keep them for 1. grandchildren and 2. just to show how many I had at one time

YES!!! I support this decision!

 

[Jfsag123]

I have been enjoying catching up on your adventures! Congrats on your 3 impending trips, one of which I'm sure you're in the process of last-minute prep for, as it starts tomorrow!

I read way too much to respond to, but I did want to specifically congratulate you on becoming a grandma and to say I'm so glad to hear that Ricky has recovered well and is done with physical therapy! I remember how devastated y'all were all those months ago and I'm so happy it's worked out well.

We're talking about doing a March trip again next year, as it was our favorite time for weather of any trip. I'm looking forward to hearing about that Fantasmic! dessert party, as I may or may not be a sucker for dessert parties. Have a great trip!

 

[Raeven]

Well we were supposed to get our 4th Nor'easter today and they called a snow day around 6:30. Kids are 2 snow days over their limit so now they go to school the day after Easter, and as of right now, 9:22 pm, we have NO SNOW!

Did you end up getting any? This area seems to be done with snow, that 4th storm missed us.

Speaking of meeting up with @Raeven, we went shopping for the 2nd time closer to where she lives in upstate NY. It was great! We got Starbucks which I don't drink often even though Steve works for them and she introduced me to the "pink drink":

I've got to write a post about our day in my PTR too!

If I'm being honest Raeven and I shared this and while I don't normally share my desserts there's no way one of us would have finished this on our own.

I don't normally share dessert either but those cookie dough cups are way too much!

Anyway we had a good time hanging out and talking and I'm sure we'll get together again! And, we're both going to be in Disney at the same time in May so we should be able to meet up along with Josh and Steve!

Yes!

Honestly my pictures don't even do the view justice, it's amazing and that's coming from someone who doesn't like water parks! If I did ever end up staying here I would book a volcano view room for sure.

Me too, because I really want to see the park without going into it

They served us pizza, we assume the same kind they serve down in the Bayliner Diner. They had pepperoni, a meat one, one with quite a few veggies; no plain.

Ew. I hate when there's no plain pizza! Some of us don't like toppings.

The pizza was so absolutely disgusting, the only pizza I've ever had to rival it is the pizza from the BW window (if you've read my dining reports you'll remember my review of this ).

Ewwww. Josh thinks all pizza in FL is gross because we're used to NY pizza

 

[kastoney]

Anyway we had a good time hanging out and talking and I'm sure we'll get together again! And, we're both going to be in Disney at the same time in May so we should be able to meet up along with Josh and Steve!

Looks like you two had a great day. I'd love to say I wish I could join in, but you all shop way too much for me

Finally we made our way into one of the new tower buildings that opened last May when Volcano Bay did. This is what I'd been waiting for, because some of the rooms offer an awesome view of VB:

Wow, that is an amazing view!

IT.......WAS..........GROSS
​

I took no pictures because it wasn't worth the space on my phone. They served us pizza, we assume the same kind they serve down in the Bayliner Diner. They had pepperoni, a meat one, one with quite a few veggies; no plain. Breadsticks and a Caesar salad. The pizza was so absolutely disgusting, the only pizza I've ever had to rival it is the pizza from the BW window (if you've read my dining reports you'll remember my review of this ). Cathy and I couldn't eat it. Couldn't do it. So we had a little salad, a few bites of a breadstick as they were dripping with garlic and while I normally love my garlic,

Do they ever feed you well???? I seem to recall every meal they give you is suspect at best.

This has been happening for a couple years now, c'mon lady! Seriously though, come down in August. Just do it We're there the 18-25th and we'll definitely be hanging with Kari @kastoney and I would love for you to be there!

Woohoo!!!!! Forgot to text ya so I'll do it now since I'm lazy but my best friend decided to come down with us for a few days. She just moved to Savannah GA so she's just a few hours away. She drinks and is sarcastic like me and she shops, so you'll love her. But then her husband - who couldn't be more anti-Disney - decided to come too. They couldn't get in our hotel so we switched to BWI for the first few days (hoping our experience is nothing like yours). Now I'm left scratching my head on what to do with someone in Disney who I know will likely hate everything about it. We may just have to go on a 3 day bar tour

 

[ariane37]

Ugh, I HATE it when they don't order plain pizza, even if it was disgusting! It just seems like such a basic thing to do-everyone can eat it (well unless you are dairy or gluten free, but then you usually need a whole special pizza)!

I was shocked they had no plain pizza - shocked! To just assume everyone would want the toppings was wrong. There was an agent who was GF so they made her a special pizza and she said it was good; who knows, but maybe I should have said I was GF, too

I hope you got some good food later that day!

Well yes and no......I ended on a sweet note

The Boardwalk pizza is horrendous. It’s like a crappy Mama Celeste that you paid 5 times more for.

I cannot say enough negative things about that pizza. My entire family would sooner starve than ever eat that again. It's repulsive.

I have been enjoying catching up on your adventures! Congrats on your 3 impending trips, one of which I'm sure you're in the process of last-minute prep for, as it starts tomorrow!

Hey Kelley! I should probably be asleep since I have to get up around 1:30 am but I can't! Too excited

but I did want to specifically congratulate you on becoming a grandma

I made sure I have lots of extra room to bring home princess baby stuff lol

I'm so glad to hear that Ricky has recovered well and is done with physical therapy! I remember how devastated y'all were all those months ago and I'm so happy it's worked out well.

It's such a relief, he's almost there. He'll be starting the sports training program as soon as we get back; he had his eval there and they don't fool around! It's intense. But the purpose is to get him back to where he was before his injury while still observing his limitations until the Dr. lifts them, so when that happens he's on top of his game again. And really he has very few limitations now other than truly no rough sports.

I'm looking forward to hearing about that Fantasmic! dessert party, as I may or may not be a sucker for dessert parties. Have a great trip!

I'm most excited about that and Blue Man Group!

Did you end up getting any? This area seems to be done with snow, that 4th storm missed us.

The kids had off and around 9pm we got like, half an inch The teachers were pissed because now they have to make the day up by going to school the day after Easter.........

I don't normally share dessert either but those cookie dough cups are way too much!

No way I could have finished that myself!

Ewwww. Josh thinks all pizza in FL is gross because we're used to NY pizza

NY, NJ, Conn. are the only places so far that I've found truly good pizza Sorry everyone else! But until you've had NY pizza it's hard to understand. @Raeven gets it

 

[ariane37]

Alright, let's try one more update before we leave tomorrow:

Day 2 Part Five:
My Favorite Universal Show and CityWalk Dinner​

After our crap-tastic lunch we had some free time in the parks, so Cathy, Pam and I headed to Universal Studios. We only had about 90 minutes and Pam wanted a Butterbeer so we went there first. It was pretty crowded today and we didn't feel much like riding anything so we kind of just chilled and Pam did some shopping. We took the Hogwart's Express over to IOA to ride Gringott's but it was down, so rode the Hogwart's Express back to US where Cathy and I got some ice cream. Nothing fancy:



So my food today consisted of breakfast pastries, 3 chocolate chip cookies at lunch, and this.

Oh here are some shots I took walking in to the parks:







It was getting close to time for us to go to our assigned restaurants for dinner but there was one thing I REALLY wanted to do; pretty much the one thing between both parks I truly enjoy. Neither Cathy nor Pam had done it before and we had just enough time to catch the last showing of the Horror Makeup Show! I wish I took pictures in the lobby because it's pretty cool, but we got there right as they were closing the doors so I only have one of the stage:



Hi Chucky

What I love most about this show is how inappropriate it is for kids, yet there's always kids in the audience
So now it was time for us to say good-bye. We headed out to CityWalk and the girls dropped me at my assigned restaurant, NBC Grille, while they moved on to Vivo. I'll tell you the loved Vivo, and Cathy was texting me pictures of her Mojito's. We weren't able to drink at dinner I was happy to be trying this restaurant as I had planned to go here next week with the family after Blue Man Group, figuring the boys would like it since they show basketball games constantly.

The apps we got were really good; onion rings with dipping sauces and a queso dip with chips. I failed on pictures, sorry! So far so good. For dinner I got a basic cheeseburger and fries:



Looks good; brioche bun which is normally really good! I asked for my burger medium and it was still mooing so I couldn't eat it. I ate around the edges and that was it. Another agent got steak and said it was ok; another one got ribs and said they were "eh", so I don't know if we'll go there next week.......

Now the way they do it at the trainings, is that we have the dining plan so dinner was on that. As such we were all entitled to dessert, and I had my eye on an apple cobbler, until our server told us THE dessert that comes with the dining plan was a chocolate chip cake with vanilla ice cream, and that's what you got when on the plan.



Not mine; I didn't get it. If you remember, vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies were my meals that day already which is why I wanted the healthy apple cobbler And for the record I think it stinks that by purchasing the dining plan you don't have a choice of dessert! We had someone with us allergic to chocolate and they were out of luck. On a positive note those that ate it said it was good; also for those that don't know, at Universal you don't have to get the dining plan for every night of your stay or for every member of your party, so that's kind of cool.

Everyone was chatting it up with our guide and Cathy and Pam were done, so they were texting me like crazy to meet them outside. I felt bad leaving my group early, so finally they just came in and got me......we wanted to catch the new Harry Potter castle projection show and it was almost time! Sadly I have no pictures. It didn't blow me away but it was pretty cool. We had like, 8 minutes until park closing so we hightailed it over to Kong and were the last ones to ride it. I'd ridden it with them last year for the first time and thought it was just ok; this time I actually thought it was a little better!
Pam shopped AGAIN on our way out of the park, and then it was my turn when we were back at CityWalk:



Do you know what I got here? If you remember my report from last years' training you do!



Yeah baby, the best macaroons in the world! That's $60 worth right there and worth every penny! I carried those puppies like they were glass until we were back in my room lol.
Speaking of carrying them back, we wanted to hit a bar we saw at Portofino so we took the water taxi over there. Unfortunately it was a cigar bar so we went out front to take the resort to resort transportation back to Sapphire Falls and figured we'd go to our bar at Amatista.

I have a little bit more to say but I do need to tell Chris to get off his games and go to sleep! So I leave you here for now. I will finish this up with one short post when we get back and then jump right into a new TR for this trip. See you all soon

 

[ArielSRL]

So my food today consisted of breakfast pastries, 3 chocolate chip cookies at lunch, and this.

Meals of champions! Haha.

The apps we got were really good; onion rings with dipping sauces and a queso dip with chips.

Glad the apps were good.

I asked for my burger medium and it was still mooing so I couldn't eat it.

Oh no! I thought your food mojo was turning around.

And for the record I think it stinks that by purchasing the dining plan you don't have a choice of dessert!

Agreed!

Do you know what I got here? If you remember my report from last years' training you do!

Nice! More sweets!

That's $60 worth right there and worth every penny! I carried those puppies like they were glass until we were back in my roo

Wow. $60 worth?

Unfortunately it was a cigar bar

Don’t tell Chad.