Welcome to another of Trip Report Tuesday! We'll begin today's recap surrounded by the vintage Christmasy goodness of Hollywood Studios, we'll lunch at an instant favorite, The Boathouse, savor our savanna view at Animal Kingdom Lodge at midday, and end the evening chatting and chowing our way around World Showcase at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival! There's a whole lot of deliciousness in this post, so you may want to grab a sip 'n' snack from the kitchen before you begin scrolling. :) When you're all set I welcome you to day three of this sweet week weeklong Disney date!
Day 3 - Sunday, November 11th, 2018
"Hooray for Hollywood" (Studios)!
Hollywood Studios is my favorite WDW Christmas park! I swoon at the sight of their vintage style decor. You get a glimpse of it before you even step foot in the park, which I adore!
Being a dog owner now that I'm putting together this post, I love these pretty poodles all the more! :)
The giant floating ornaments make the cutest Christmastime accents to Echo Lake! I think they look even more beautiful all lit up after dark . . . stay tuned for a glimpse of that in a future post!
Time to head into the busyness of the (then new) Toy Story Land.
No, we did not get into the queue, estimated at a nearly 2 hour wait, that stretched beyond the land itself. Ha!
Buzz Lightyear sporting a Santa hat
Ooooo! ;)
Jessie and Woody looked pretty cute with their festive accessories!
Good thing this Hamm Christmas cookie was so huge. It's too cute to eat anyway. :)
The Green Army Drum Corps was in the Christmas spirit too!
Woody's Lunch Box was adorable decked out with a popcorn and cranberry garland!
Time to take in some more of that sweet vintage style decor . . .
How 'bout some backstage passes?
All smiles when Disney dating the love of my life! <3
This, as you may recognize, is a maintenance service elevator, still in operation, waiting for you. We invite you, if you dare, to step aboard because in tonight's episode you are the star. And this elevator travels directly to The Twilight Zone...
Time to head to Disney Springs for our lunch reservation!
The Boathouse
Disney Springs
We had wanting to try The Boathouse since before its opening, so this was to be a very special lunch date! Right away I was taken with their adorably well themed Christmas decor outside the doors!
Darling duckies and friendly staff greeted us upon check-in.
Our meal began in the most delightful way, warm, buttery bread rolls! My mouth waters just looking at this photo!
After the rolls (that were reason enough to visit!), we kicked things off with a side of truffle fries to split and for my seafood lovin' hubby some firecracker shrimp.
If you've been around here for a bit, you may know that if there's a good looking steak on any menu it's a safe bet that I'm ordering it. This was no exception and was an excellent choice too!
Jason went with the shrimp and andouille mac 'n' cheese and loved it!
What a fantastic feast we enjoyed!
Stuffed and fully satisfied, we popped inside their cute shop. The greeting above its door read, "There are small ships and there are big ships, but the best ships of all are friendships!" So true. :)
After browsing their shop we took a stroll on the dock outside the restaurant to see all the beautiful boats there. Enjoy scrolling through a digital dockside tour here . . .
You can buy tickets at The Boathouse Boatique for vintage amphicar tours on Lake Buena Vista.
Before leaving Disney Springs we stopped by The Basket at Wine Bar George where you can get goodies to go.
I went with a Frosé (frozen rosé, vodka, and strawberry) and a chocolate chip cookie. Both were scrumptious!
We took advantage of our savanna view balcony on this lovely afternoon. There was plenty of activity and animals galore to watch while relaxing in the shade.
Just beyond the trees you can catch a glimpse of Expedition Everest, so technically this savanna view villa is also a park view room too! :)
You don't have to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge to take in this wild view! As you can see in the snapshot above, there is a lookout spot where visitors can take in the savanna too. AKL is near the Animal Kingdom park. If you're interested in spending some time at this awesome resort but are lodging elsewhere, perhaps after a morning at Animal Kingdom you may enjoy taking a short drive (either your own or a complimentary Disney bus ride) to AKL's Jambo House (their main building). A fun little afternoon stop here for me would include grabbing a cute cupcake from their quick service spot, The Mara, to be enjoyed in their gorgeously grand lobby, making a stop in their fun gift shop, and taking a stroll out out to the savanna to see what wildlife is out and about. If that sounds very specific it's because we've done exactly that when we've stayed elsewhere on previous trips, but I still wanted a taste of our Disney Vacation Club Home. It's a good way to spend an hour or two. :)
After a bit of rest and relaxation we headed out for an evening at Epcot.
Our dinner plans were to eat and drink our way around World Showcase at the Food and Wine Festival. Always a good idea!
It seems like every trip to Epcot during Food and Wine included this creamy spinach and artichoke dip with pulled chicken. It was just that good!
Marinated chicken with peanut sauce and stir fried vegetables
Seared shrimp and scallop cake with cold noodle salad
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was playing an Eat to the Beat concert that night. I confess that I didn't actually remember who played on this particular evening, so I got a little help from google and a quick check of the concert schedule that year. :)
We scored a pretty great table outside the Hops & Barley booth in American Adventure pavilion. From there we listened to the live music and chatted as Jason enjoyed a couple lobster rolls. These are reason enough for him to come to the festival. Seeing him savor these little seafood sammies always makes my heart just as happy as they make his tastebuds!
Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread)
Another round of crème brûlée with raspberry jam was definitely in order. Yum!
Something to give that dessert a run for its money, the warm chocolate pudding with Irish cream liqueur custard! Jason was actually just talking earlier tonight about how much he's looking forward to having this in a couple months. That's saying a lot, because he's not usually even a big dessert fan!
While it wasn't a piece of cake to photograph after dark, this sweet Food and Wine Festival decor made my heart smile!
The "Epcot Ball" in my favorite color - swoon!
Still one of my favorite Tervis tumblers, this Figment fabulousness gets used daily in our home. :)
Back at the resort after a wonderful evening, we clicked on the tv to find Jason's favorite Pixar film, The Incredibles. Disney magic, I tell ya. :)
Thanks so much for joining me for another Disney day detailed in trip report form! Hope you'll be back again next Tuesday for more fun in the Sunshine State! We'll be starting our day in Animal Kingdom, taking an afternoon stroll through Disney Springs' spectacular Christmas Tree Trail, and putting a bow on the night at another one of our faves, Raglan Road! Can't wait to share every bit of that with you here, so consider this your personal invitation to return this time next week!
In Case You Missed It:
Direct Link to Previous Trip Report Tuesday Post -
TRT // 20th Wedding Anniversary WDW Trip Day 1
TRT // 20th Wedding Anniversary WDW Trip Day 2
Lots of great food in this post! I had no idea there were boats by Disney Springs. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dara! It was a very delicious day! If you enjoy looking at unique and beautiful vintage style boats it's definitely worth a stroll down The Boathouse's dock when visiting Disney Springs. :)
DeleteSuch a fun day! I was so excited to see the Christmas decor at Hollywood Studios during our trip back in January - it really is the best. I'm putting the Boathouse on our list for the next trip, that looks like such a great restaurant! And how fun to have such a wild view from your room! Thanks for all the details and trip recommendations - I'm making mental notes for our next trip. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're a girl after my own heart, dear friend! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment! Hearing that you're taking note of things you may enjoy on a future trip makes sharing even more worthwhile. :) By the way, "next trip" is music to my ears! Happy planning for a future magical getaway! xoxo!
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