Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo..Karla

Found the new Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom T-shirts at the Emporium today.

They really do seem to give your cards and extra power boost.

Still looking for the new extra card packages. The CMs tell us that the cards go out the door faster than they can stock them and there have been no restocks in at least three weeks. Hmmmm??

Gina...we leave tomorrow... :'(

I'll be glad to toss your keys out the window to you as we go by on I-95??

Being from New England, I can't bring myself to even try either of the lobster offerings - especially at those prices. I'd much rather hit the grocery store and bring home a bagful of the sea bugs for $4/lb.

Speaking of bugs...

My favorite F&W dish has been the escargot in France. Ok not so much bugs as slimy little butter-soaked boogers, but oh-so-delicious!

Since we'll only have 3 days of F&W this year, we're going to have to choose our menu wisely, so all these reports and photos are really helpful.

Or we could just stuff ourselves silly and then not eat for a couple of days.

Before coming to the Fort we were in Maine at Acadia NP. Lobster was $4-5/pound cooked for you...just pick it up at the roadside stand. Lobster dinner in Bar Harbor (1 1/2 pounder) was $10.

Oh so yummy!!

We stopped at Linda Bean's restaurant in Freeport, ME and the lobster was really good there too. Nothing like that nasty stuff at Epcot!

I would be ashamed to put my name on that Epcot lobster junk!

My opinion of escargot??? :barf:

Great job, Karla.

We are planning another visit to the F&W Festival, and your report helps a lot.

That lobster claw looks gross! And the lobster roll was one of my favorite things last year- the one you got looks totally different from how I remember it.

We already tried the chocolate mousse with salted caramel and chili dessert, and thought it was easily the most unique thing we tried so far. There is a lot of flavor in those little cups!

So, overall, what was your favorite dish this year?

TCD

Oh...that's easy....CANADA and the steak with truffle butter was hands down the absolute best!!

Best dessert....it's a tie....IRELAND for lava cake and BELGIUM for the waffle. :drool1:

Thanks for the report! Based on your recommendations, I'm making a list of what and what not to try.

Have fun...just bring an empty stomach!

I still like the food and wine festival, but like most things Disney, what started out as a good value where you could get a reasonable sample for a buck, has turned into an expensive outing, with sometimes disappointing results.

You're absolutely correct! We started out with $200 and have about $50 left....and that was food only - NO DRINKS!

Thanks for sharing, Karla!

Thanks for the reviews and awesome photos, Karla!

You're welcome...hope you enjoyed the trip!

:wave1: Hi Rita and Mama!

It was so very nice to see you again...even if it was only for a short visit.

Mama is just the funniest and oh so cute !

Hope to see you both (and Ed too!) on our next visit.

And for Ed......

Here comes the final installment of gastronomic delicacies from Epcot’s 2012 Food & Wine Festival.

ITALY

Ravioli di Formaggio all’Emiliana – Nice creamy sauce, very good but nothing that you couldn’t get at a decent Italian restaurant.

HOPS & BARLEY

Linda Bean’s Lobster Claw Cuddler with Herb Mayonnaise – Unfortunately, this was the worst food item we attempted to eat. The claw had a strong fishy smell. When meat was removed from the shell it had a peculiar yellowish cast to it. We couldn’t get it past our noses to take a taste…and I think I’m glad we didn’t!

Linda Bean’s Perfect Main Lobster Roll – Bun was dried out and had a tiny dab of mayo on it. Lobster meat was stringy. No idea what those dried green speckles are supposed to be.

Pumpkin Mousse with Ocean Spray Craisins Dried Cranberries and Orange Sauce - Nice flavors, tangy, wished there was a bigger taste. Serving size was inconsistent.

FLORIDA LOCAL

White Corn Arepa with Mangalitsa Pork Rillette and Zellwood Sweet Corn Salad – The arepa (cornmeal patty) was nice a light but had little taste. The port rillette was salty and cold and the corn salad a tangy, sweet taste.

From Wikipedia: Rillettes is a preparation of meat similar to pâté. Originally made with pork, the meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded, and then cooled with enough of the fat to form a paste. They are normally used as spread on bread or toast and served at room temperature.

And here’s a link on Zellwood Corn: http://vegetablegrow...ellwood-Variety

JAPAN

Sukiyaki Beef Pan – Soft, moist roll with a tiny amount of beef and lots of teriyaki flavor.

BELGIUM

Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Truffles – For me, truffles should have a ganache center. These seemed just like ordinary molded chocolate pieces…nothing special in taste, but they looked pretty and had a nice fancy gold package.

IRELAND

Lobster and Seafood Fisherman’s Pie – This year it had a mashed potato consistence instead of last year where it was more sauce like base. Found only a few small pieces of seafood in the pie but overall the taste was good.

DESSERTS & CHAMPAGNE

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Orange Cake, Raspberries and Pomegranate (center) – Yummy! Wanted more.

Lemon Custard Verrine with Blueberry Compote (right) – Very tangy lemon flavor, canned blueberry filling on the bottom. The brown stuff on top was like tasteless, dried out pie crust.

Dark Chocolate Mouse with Chili and Salted Caramel (left) – More of a milk chocolate flavor, true chili “zing” to it, not much caramel taste.

I hope you enjoyed our food trip around Epcot as much as we did (or at least most of the food)!

I leave you with a few more pictures from around Epcot….

And that’s all there is until next year!

Dang it Karla!!! :banghead: I was going to include that in my TR. Saw if flying Sunday on the way home.

... or maybe... :raspberry2: ? ?

But do you have pics of it laying flat out with all kind of canisters around it and one giant gas truck in front of it?! :clint:

No...but I'll keep watching your TR for these pictures.

:heart: :heart: :heart:

Hi Gina...!!

:popcorn:

Saw this new balloon yesterday. The sign is still out saying the attraction is closed and nobody was around to ask for information.

Sad to say but your site was filled with new people in less than a couple hours :'(. Wish you could have stayed longer! Great TR...waiting for the rest of the story!

Amber's little Princess is stiff competition for Prince Aiden!!

Just to tease you some more...here he is with his first lobster dinner in Bar Harbor, Maine.

:jumpforjoy Karla, you're back at the fort! :jumpforjoy

BTW is my favorite little chick magnet with you this trip? If so, give him a :bighug: for me!

Nope, sorry. But I will be sure to pass on the hugs. We had him with us for 10 weeks on an extended summer trip up to Maine, Acadia NP, and many places in between. We just returned him home about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Mom and Dad said it was time for him to stay home a while and rejoin the family. We're hoping to have him back with us to see the Christmas lights or maybe early next year. Hope our paths cross again sometime.

Yesterday we went over to the Carolwood Pacific meeting room at the Wilderness Lodge DVC building. We met Dave and saw Russell. Both were very busy talking to the many people interested in Disney railroads.

If you want more information on Disney railroads, one of the places you can go to is www.fortwildernessrailroad.com

Here's a few pictures from around the room.

Here is Dave Leaphart.

If you're interested in FWRR, you can purchase these books and the mugs too.

Notice the spike and part of the track in the upper center of this picture.

These are actual blueprints from the FWRR

Here’s Russell’s train…I’m sure many of you will remember candy for the kids being dumped from those cars on Halloween night at the Fort.

Way in the back there is a VW Camper Van. Next to it is a tiny, purple FF.net sign. Sorry, but I forgot to get a closer picture.

Today we gathered with others interested in the FWRR. Dave lead a walk around the Fort telling stories of the FWRR and pointing out specific stops and areas that still exist within the Fort where you will find remnants of the old railroad. The walk had 11 different stops and was about 3 miles around the Fort.

That’s Dave on the left pointing out the FWRR stops by the Settlement.

Thanks to Dave, Russell and the many others for preserving a most important part of Disney history.

Oh, my goodness! I am drooling on the keyboard! I hope to get to F&W again this year. This is making me want to go tomorrow!

I have to say, that grilled Greek dish kinda looks like mashed potatoes topped with kibbles and bits.

I grew up in NY state (Oneonta/Binghamton area) and we had family in the Buffalo area. I don't remember having pierogies, but I do remember eating beef on weck, or maybe it was wick? Does that ring a bell? Roast beef on rolls with a bunch of salt baked on them like a pretzel.

Thanks for bringing us along to the festival!

You can't live in the Buffalo area and not know about Beef on Kimmelweck (weck) Rolls.

I live for the days we go back to visit family and get to eat all those ethnic foods again.

And, of course, I have to get my fill of Ted's Char-Broiled Hot Dogs too!!

Karla, I am sure y'all had an awesome summer trip and I'm sure it was worth it, but I sure hate that you won't be there with us! I do have an opportunity to see you though! :) I am going to be in Orlando the 3rd and 4th and hope to get by the Fort on the 4th! I hope that you will be around. I get through with my conference at 5 and have to drive across town to pick Mama up before we head that way!

Thanks for the F & W report! I'm looking forward to enjoying eating my way around the world!

Yea!!! :yay:

I'll make sure we are back by dinner time on the 4th.

You can find us in 432...how about joining us for a GAG??

Today we continued our journey, eating our way around Epcot.

CANADA

“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce – This was delicious! Nice tender, melt in your mouth beef, lots of mushrooms, and who could turn down truffle butter?

GREECE

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki – Such a tiny taste made it hard to evaluate. The tzatziki sauce overwhelmed the luke-warm chicken. And, unfortunately the bread was dry.

Spanakopita – Nice and warm, flaky outside, tasty inside that was not mushy.

Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey – Good thing there was honey and nuts because the cheese had no taste at all.

FRANCE

Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni – The chicken was falling apart tender and the sauce was very flavorful. Underneath the chicken, the macaroni and cheese was somewhat dry.

Crème Brulee au Chocolat au Lait – Not enough chocolate flavor. More like soft pudding then like custard/flan that holds it’s shape. The caramelized sugar had an acrid burnt taste.

POLAND

Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream – Way too little kielbasa and it was barely warm. Potato inside pierogie had a nice taste. Pierogie needed to be fried a little longer to give it some color and finish cooking the outside. Onions were cooked but not caramelized.

Like DaveInTN, I grew up in the Buffalo area and was raised on pierogies

These can’t hold a candle to “authentic” Buffalo pierogies and kielbasa.

For today’s dessert we ventured into Germany and got some apple strudel with vanilla sauce. Our piece was twice the size of what they give you at Germany’s F&W festival booth for $3.79. But, the festival’s $3.50 strudel also comes with Karamel sauce on it.

That’s all for today.

Have to get the stomach settled down again to be able to finish our tour around Epcot with Italy, Hops & Barley (lobster... :drool1: …yum!!) and a few others.

Karla, Did you say you're leaving October 10th? Does that mean you are not going to be there for Halloween?

Sorry Rita...because of our unexpected summer trip (and associated costs!) we had to cancel out on Halloween.

Thanks fiends for these trip reports on the F&W. Expecting 4 sets of visitors from the north in the next few weeks. Only one set staying with us. I'm sending the various reports on to them....maybe get some more fiends in the process ......good going guys!!

It's nice seeing what they offer at F&W! I've never been to it, so I'm enjoying tagging along.

Hang on....we're off to Part 2

Hey - I am first to join in! Love Food and Wine Festival - thanks for sharing!

Welcome aboard!

Thanks for the pictures, everything looks delicious even if some things were only 'so-so'. No trip planned, but maybe I'll finally make it back to F & W next year.

Hope to meet you at next year's festival.

I'm in, waiting for more!!

Hi TJ! We drove around the 2000 loop when we arrived and saw your unit.

Went by the next day and you were gone :-[ . Sorry we missed you.

Karla, we talked about how cool it is to compare what you all liked vs. what we did.

You didn't tell me you got the lava cake. That's on "the list of things to use up the rest of my wristlet money" That and the caramel apple struedel. We were too full to make it to the desserts.

Good mornin' neighbor! We will see how they compare when you do your TR.

You will sure want more of the lava cake!

Karla!!!! :hugs2: I'm so glad to see you!!! Are you at the Fort now? Will you be there when I get there on the 27th?

Love the pics!

Hello Rita! Yes, we are at the Fort and will be here until Oct 10th! Looking forward to seeing you, Ed and Mama again!

I've been gone because we were on an extended summer trip.

We left our home in June and took the long way traveling up to Acadia NP in Maine with our adorable GS, Aiden.

Dropped Aiden home two weeks ago and headed directly to the Fort for some "adults only" decompression time.

I love my grandchildren and we had a great time traveling with Aiden for 10 weeks...but kids are lots of work, more so as I get older and slower and the kid gets faster!

I'm sooooo looking forward to first time at F&W. Thanks for the pictures!

Hi Gwen! Are you coming down soon? Hope to see you.

One thing I have found on the F&W as was mentioned. If country is a permanent country and they have a quick service place, some of the stuff in the Festival is served inside as a much larger serving for only a $1 or so more. The Rice Cream is a perfect example. I bet that spoonful was a $1 or $2 and inside, a full size one is $2.49

Absolutely correct Carol!

This photo made me want to grab my car keys and run out the door and head straight to Epcot:

Holy smokes, those things are good!

Thanks for the report, Karla.

Great job!

TCD

You're welcome, TCD! But trust me when I say...go inside Germany and get one of their regular brats smothered in sauerkraut.

Don't spend your money on these skinny little naked brats with the stale pretzel roll.

Great pictures and description. Definitely honest reviews.

Thanks! Stay tuned for more.

Love the food and wine festival. Thanks for the pics and report. I'm gonna have to live vicariously through these trip reports as we once again will not make it. Keep posting, can't wait.

We love F&W too. There will be more to this report as soon as we can get our stomachs back in shape and brave the heat again!

Thursday was the soft opening for Disney’s Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

Come on along as we start a journey around the world with stops in many countries for some (we hope) fantastic food.

Cast members, their families and friends were encouraged to attend.

Official welcome to the festivities

First we had to purchase our “thing-a-ma-bob” so we don’t have to drag out the wallet each time. It’s so convenient and certainly makes it easier for Disney to part you from your money .

SOUTH AFRICA

Seared Filet of Beef with Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Braai Sauce – The meat was so tender you could almost cut it with the plastic fork. The picture doesn’t show the meat with the Braai Sauce because it’s spicy hot with a peppery after taste and I chose to leave it off. The sweet potatoes were so sweet that some may not like them.

Spinach and Paneer Cheese Pocket – Crispy outside, could have used more stuffing inside. Has a spicy sauce added inside to the mix of spinach and cheese.

BELGIUM

Belgium Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream – Soft waffle that could have been a little warmer. Berry compote was sweet and had a nice little tang to it.

CHEESE

Cheese Fondue with Sourdough Bread – Bread on the stale side. Fondue tasted mostly like swiss cheese. We heard some people describe it as too “white wine” tasting.

Artisan Cheese – (L to R) Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Cheddar, Rogue River Creamer Echo Mountain Blue Cheese, La Bonne Vie Goat Brie – All tasted great, wish there had been more. The Brie was more solid, not the creamy variety.

GERMANY

Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll – Needed a nice hot, fat brat. Pretzel roll was hard and stale. Probably our least favorite of all the food we tasted. If you want the Apple Strudel, go inside Germany and get a nice big piece for only $3.79.

Schinken Nudel (Pasta Gratin with Ham and Cheese) – Very tasty, would have been nice to have a little more ham. Large piece easily split between two people.

IRELAND

Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys Ganache – Really good but we were expecting a “molten” center. This one was warm but no runny center. Could have been a little bit bigger taste.

CHINA

Mongolian Beef in Steamed Bun – Light, fluffy bun and not spicy. Good crunch texture with the added noodles.

Pork Potstickers – Very flavorful, nice and hot.

Mango Tapioca Pudding – Sweet with big tapioca pearls. Mango tasted canned, not fresh.

SCANDINAVIA

Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberries – Very tiny (on the stingy side) and bland meatballs.

Rice Pudding with Strawberries – More bland pudding but fresh piece of strawberry on top.

AUSTRALIA

Lamington (Chocolate and Coconut Covered Yellow Cake) – Moist coconut on outside but inside yellow cake was dry.

So that’s it for today’s round of taste testing. As soon as the stomach settles we will venture out again to check out Hops & Barley, Morocco, Poland, Italy and all the others we missed today.

Hope you liked tagging along.

And, as alcohol is now on the no-no list :'(, somebody else will have to report on liquid refreshments.

If I remember correctly you get ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN Headline, PBS, Fox, ESPN (a couple of them), Disney, HGTV, MSNBC, Duffy Bedtime Story, History, TVLand, Weather, Animal Planet, A&E, Radio Disney, the usual what's happening at the resort, DVC Infomercials, some spanish channels, and even one Japanese channel. I know I'm forgetting some but I can't remember any for Verses. Maybe they will show some of the Tour de France on one of the ESPNs??

I should add that these are my personal observations - yours may differ.

We travel with two small dogs and all listed accept pets (some have breed restrictions).

If I remarked that WIFI or cable was bad it may have been fixed by now.

Your level of noise tolerance may be different than mine so what I find noisy may not bother you.

And, prices change so be sure to check.

I can help with some from North Carolina to Florida...we have been to all these places with a 40' motorhome towing a small car. I’ve included a short description for each. They are all maneuverable staying hooked up with the dinghy. I would feel safe in any of them. Some are older than others but are clean and acceptable for overnight. We also travel in small 4 hour jumps when our grandson is with us so we can take our time leaving in the morning and get off the road early enough so that he has time to play and run out some energy. We use Passport America when possible and find some of these places are good and some not so good. Hope this helps!

RV Resort at Carolina Crossroads, Roanoke Rapids, NC - close to I95, clean, level gravel sites, mostly pull thrus, small trees to no problem with satellite, pool, climbing structure (pirate ship) for kids, clean, small dog run area, $25 overnight rate (in after 6pm and out by 9am), Passport America ($21, Monday to Thurs), Good Same discount, 30/50 amp, full hookup with sewer and cable, free WIFI

RVacation RV Park, Selma, NC - right next to I95 so you get some road noise and train whistles, mostly pull thrus, level gravel sites, pond for catch and release, ducks you can hand feed, no pool, children’s area is couple swings and a whirly-gig “thingy”, 30 amp and 50 amp sites, full hook up with sewer, no cable, free WIFI, $30-40 Good Sam discount

Sleepy Bear’s RV Park, Lumberton, NC – Next to I95, road noise, older but clean, paved pull thrus, 30 and 50 amp hookups with sewer, small pool and play area and mini-golf, $33-35 AAA, Good Sam discount

Bass Lake Campground, Dillon, SC – Next to I95, road noise, friendly staff, catch and release fishing lake, small playground, 30 and 50 amp sites, grass/gravel, slow WIFI, clean bath/laundry rooms, $32, $16 Passport America (cash only).

South of the Border, Dillon, SC – ½ Mile off I95, not much noise, older paved sites, 30 and 50 amp hookups with sewer, beware - electric connection fell below 106 volts with only about 10 campers, bathrooms old but mostly clean, rusted out playground, for pool you must walk/drive to hotel, decent restaurants and small amusement and souvenir shops to explore across street. $25, AARP discount

Comfort Inn RV Park, St George, SC - Right behind the Comfort Inn next to I95, traffic noise, train noise, 30 amp and 50 amp sites, some with sewer, back ins so you must unhook, strictly bare bones overnight, Passport American $16, WIFI at the hotel lobby

Jolly Acres RV Park, St George, SC - about 3 miles off I95, gravel sites, sites are kind of scattered around, 30/50 amp hook up with sewer, pull thrus, extremely slow WIFI, no cable, spotty cell phone service, some train noise, small pond to feed ducks, nothing for children, very nice owners, $32, $16 Passport America, 10% AAA/Senior discount

New Green Acres RV Park, Walterboro, SC - next to I95, traffic noise, all pull thrus, dirt/grass/gravel sites, lots of trees so no satellite, cable but not very clear, slow WIFI connection. Small off leash dog agility area. Pool, swings, slide – older but clean and usable. $32, Good Sam, AAA discount

Savannah Oaks RV Park, Savannah, GA – about 2 mile off I95, older campground with lots of trees so no satellite, terrible cable, WIFI did not work, pull thru sites, 30/50 amp with sewer, gravel/dirt sites, clean pool, small enclosed kids play area, dirty bathrooms, about 15 min to downtown Savannah, $35-45, Good Sam discount. This is one place we would only use as a last resort.

Coastal Georgia RV Resort, Brunswick, GA – about 2 miles off I95, only a couple years old so only has small trees, paved roads, cement pull thru sites, 30/50 amp, cable good, WIFI good, catch & release fishing in lake, clean pool and restroom facilities, $40, Good Sam discount

Golden Isles Vacation Park, Brunswick, GA – next to I95 with some traffic noise, older park but clean, grass/gravel sites, 30/50 amp with sewer, good satellite reception, small pool and playground area, $32/night, Good Sam Discount, $16 Passport America

Walkabout RV Park, Woodbine, GA (was St George RV Park) – About 2 miles off I95, gravel/grass sites, 30 and 50 amp, clean pool, bath and laundry, trail to boardwalk out to Crooked River, no playground, nice owners, $30-33, $17 Passport America

Crooked River State Park, Woodbine, GA – Paved roads, grass/gravel sites, 50 and 30 amp, no sewer but has dump station, pool has been closed due to economic issues, some hiking trails, birds and animals, many trees (satellite questionable), cable with a couple snowy stations, older bathrooms, $28/night, senior discount, $5 entry fee.

Kiki RV Park, Kingsland, GA – About ½ mile off I95 behind Raceway Gas Station and next to Econo Lodge on busy street. Road noise and noise from gas station. (Owned by Econo Lodge owners which is where you register). About 20 sites, ½ are pull thrus, all paved (no grass) like a parking lot, no trees. 30/50 amp with sewer hookups, WIFI from motel was good, Small pool at Econo Lodge. No bathroom, shower or laundry – must be self-contained. Lots of restaurants, stores in area, $50/night (too expensive), $25 Passport America. This would not be a first choice RV park.

Flamingo Lake RV Park, Jacksonville, FL – Large park, many permanents (all clean), paved roads and sites, 30/50 amp with sewer, pull thrus and back in, spring fed lake with catch & release fishing, small pool and playground, swimming in lake, on-site café and bar with decent food. $40-55, Good Sam discount

Thanks for that link. Wow. That is quite a group. I wish I had been able to see this in person.

We have done the Endor (ewok) scene on Star Tours. Also an underwater one. One of these days, I intend to find out how many there are.

TCD

When the revamped Star Tours opened it was announced by Disney Imagineering that there were 54 different adventures.

I think we have seen 5...maybe?

:heart: Farewell Princess....until next time...sending kisses and hugs!! :heart:

Yea for getting rid of junk food ads!

Now if only they would cut out the junk toy ads too!