Disney Divas Xmas 2009 - Day 2

Date: Sunday, December 20


Weather: 45 degrees when we got up - stayed in low 50s until afternoon when it got up to about 58 LOL! Low 50s/high 40s when we went to dinner


Ok I found out today just how big a wimp I have turned into since moving to Florida! I was born and raised in New England and have only lived here for 7.5 years but it was too durn cold for us yesterday to do much. LOL.

We had breakfast in the room and then since the wind was so strong decided to drive to Downtown Disney instead of waiting for the bus. Figured we would stop by EPCOT on the way back to hotel. Had ressies for 7:05pm at Cali Grill.

Downtown Disney parking lot was packed! Had to drive around a lil bit to even find a spot and finally lucked out. It seemed a tad warmer there than it had at CSR so we were glad of that. We were both ready for lunch as we had goofed off at the hotel a bit before finally leaving so we decided to try Earl of Sandwich as we had not been there in a few years. There were 2 people in line ahead of us but all the tables were taken! People getting in from the cold I guess.

The CM who took our sandwich order was rather abrupt and short when I tried to ask a couple of questions but we refused to let that put us off. Everyone else was pretty friendly. Tey got the Hawaiian BBQ (ham, grilled chicken, Hawaiian BBQ sauce, Swiss cheese and pineapple) with chocolate milk while I got the BLT and a soda. We both got the Brownie sandwich for dessert. The Hawaiian BBQ was ok the sauce is more of a sweet and sour than a BBQ. The BLT was great! As for the Brownie Sandwich...it looked like it had cream in the middle but it was really like a frosting...far too hard and sugary to be really good.

From there we went to the Pin store and picked up a couple new pins including new ones for the Princess and the Frog and a few for the kids that Tey regularly babysits for. We walked through several other stores just being silly and Christmas shopping for friends back on the West Coast. Then we went into my favorite store - Basin. Love that place. Plus they give an Annual Passholder 10% discount on purchases.

We played with catching a movie but decided that we really did not want to sit in a theater and after people watching until we got too cold, headed back to the car. Tey was still sleepy and had caught a slight chill the night before so we decided to bypass EPCOT and headed back to hotel. We kept feeling like we needed to go SOMEWHERE and not just sit in the room but realized that hey this is our vacation so we can do what we want...even if that included nothing at all. Tey took a much needed nap and I did some work UGH!




We got ready and left for Cali Grill around 6:15pm as I was driving. Tables in Wonderland is a great program if you are an Annual Passholder or Florida Resident as it gives you 20% off meals and alcohol plus free valet when you are dining at a resort hotel! So we valet the car and headed on up to the 2nd floor to check in even though we were early. The guy checking us in ( I am drawing a total blank on his name right now) was from Ireland! I mentioned that I had gone there last year and that spawned into a lively discussion on Northern vs Southern Ireland and places to go see when I go back....hopefully next year! While waiting for the escort up to the 15th floor another couple that was dining at Cali Grill asked me about Ireland as they had overheard the convo and of course I had to recommend that they go! LOL.
We were seated within 2 minutes of arriving upstairs and our waiter turned out to be from our home state..about an hour away from where we are from! So that degraded quickly into a who can do a better Boston accent contest between us all with other tables laughing at us. It was great.


We were not real hungry so decided to forgo appetizers. Tey was adventuresome and ordered the Bison (which was new on the menu today) with mushroom risotto and turnips. I love Bison but was not sure how she would like it so I ordered the filet of beef just in case so she would have another option. Both were delicious and we split the too plates. I was not a big fan of the risotto as it was chunkier and crunchier than I expected but kiddo loved it. the bison was wonderful (would have been better if Tey had ordered it medium-well as opposed to well done) as was the filet. I even ate all my broccolini! LOL.


The pomegranate martini I ordered was so good I had to have a second and Tey got a virgin strawberry daiquiri (was included in dining plan!) For dessert, she ordered the Valrhona Chocolate Cake which for Xmas came with peppermint ice cream and pomegranate macerated cherries....sooooo good! I got the Buche de Noel or Yule log with cranberry compote and ginger cookies. Did not like any of it. The yule log was dry and bland and the cookies were like cardboard with only the slightest ginger flavor. But hey you live and you learn. LOL. Also ordered coffee with dessert...can you say warm coffee colored water? Blek. Let Tey have some to warm up.



Tomorrow plans: Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Restaurant Marrakesh