Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen that I was in Montreal last week. My husband's cousin and his wife invited us to join them for a quick Fall trip. On one of the rainier days (we had multiple) we headed to the BioSphere, an interactive museum dedicated to the environment. I had really wanted to go to the Biodôme but it's closed through Summer 2019. Such a shame! The BioSphere was pretty cool, even though the rain made it hard to view one of the cooler parts of the museum. Christian absolutely loved it because he's a sucker for science and being environmentally friendly (we'll eventually get solar panels for our house.)
I had different shoes in mind for this outfit but the weather made me wear my trusty rain boots.
Sweater: Banjo + Matilda Trinket Embellished Stripe Sweater (The Outnet), Corduroys: Abercrombie & Fitch, Rain Boots: däv, Bag: Etienne Aigner (thrifted)
And a few photos of the BioSphere
I had different shoes in mind for this outfit but the weather made me wear my trusty rain boots.
Sweater: Banjo + Matilda Trinket Embellished Stripe Sweater (The Outnet), Corduroys: Abercrombie & Fitch, Rain Boots: däv, Bag: Etienne Aigner (thrifted)
And a few photos of the BioSphere
On one of our four (hah!) visits to EPCOT during our trip we did Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway for lunch. As the title suggests, at this experience you get to take photos with various Disney Princesses. The restaurant is beautifully themed inside so be sure to look around all the rooms before heading out.
Upon entering the restaurant for your reservation you get taken into a little alcove for a photo with Belle in her yellow dress from Beauty and the Beast. Then you sit down and a waitress takes your drink and entree order. After that you get to go up to a buffet to choose your appetizers. For my meal I chose Svinestek med Frukt (or Seared Pork Tenderloin) with Apricot Glaze, Multigrain Pilaf, Sautéed Mushrooms, and an Apple-Fennel Slaw. It was REALLY delicious and the pork was perfectly cooked. Kristen had the Flyt-stuffed Pasta which is cheese and spinach-stuffed pasta with olive oil-poached tomatoes, Parmesan cream sauce, and sweet balsamic glaze. She said it was very tasty.
Following the meal you are brought a dessert trio to share. We received a chocolate mousse torte, an apple cake with caramel sauce, and a rice pudding with strawberry sauce. The torte was my favorite, super smooth and had a nice crunch of toasted coconut on top. The apple cake was also very delicious and a great option for those who don't like their desserts to be too sweet. I didn't try the rice pudding but my friend said it was very tasty. Our waitress also brought me a cupcake and card for my birthday!
The princesses we got to take photos with were Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel. I have seen other people get photos with Mulan at the meals so it probably changes every so often.
This was the most expensive meal of our trip coming in at $70 each after taking off our annual passholder discount and including tip. While the experience was fun I definitely wouldn't do it again. But it is another one that is fun to try just once as a splurge. It's also a cheaper option than Cinderella's Royal Table which I really enjoy. It's easier to get a reservation here too, but you should still book 180 days in advance if possible. This trip for us was about trying new dining experiences so in my mind it was worth it for us.
Next time I'll probably take everything I spent on specialty dining and do the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom. But, who knows when my next Disney trip will be now that I have a house and husband to worry about, ha ha.
Upon entering the restaurant for your reservation you get taken into a little alcove for a photo with Belle in her yellow dress from Beauty and the Beast. Then you sit down and a waitress takes your drink and entree order. After that you get to go up to a buffet to choose your appetizers. For my meal I chose Svinestek med Frukt (or Seared Pork Tenderloin) with Apricot Glaze, Multigrain Pilaf, Sautéed Mushrooms, and an Apple-Fennel Slaw. It was REALLY delicious and the pork was perfectly cooked. Kristen had the Flyt-stuffed Pasta which is cheese and spinach-stuffed pasta with olive oil-poached tomatoes, Parmesan cream sauce, and sweet balsamic glaze. She said it was very tasty.
Following the meal you are brought a dessert trio to share. We received a chocolate mousse torte, an apple cake with caramel sauce, and a rice pudding with strawberry sauce. The torte was my favorite, super smooth and had a nice crunch of toasted coconut on top. The apple cake was also very delicious and a great option for those who don't like their desserts to be too sweet. I didn't try the rice pudding but my friend said it was very tasty. Our waitress also brought me a cupcake and card for my birthday!
The princesses we got to take photos with were Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel. I have seen other people get photos with Mulan at the meals so it probably changes every so often.
This was the most expensive meal of our trip coming in at $70 each after taking off our annual passholder discount and including tip. While the experience was fun I definitely wouldn't do it again. But it is another one that is fun to try just once as a splurge. It's also a cheaper option than Cinderella's Royal Table which I really enjoy. It's easier to get a reservation here too, but you should still book 180 days in advance if possible. This trip for us was about trying new dining experiences so in my mind it was worth it for us.
Next time I'll probably take everything I spent on specialty dining and do the Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom. But, who knows when my next Disney trip will be now that I have a house and husband to worry about, ha ha.
On one of the days of our trip we did the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare! It's a character breakfast at The Grand Floridian Hotel and it's really fun. We were in the minority of people there without children but we're kids at heart and love our Disney characters! This meal, as with most character meals, comes with a larger price tag than general dining. After our annual passholder discount we paid about $45 each including tip. But with these meals you're going for the fun as much as for the food so I think it's worth it to do at least once. Especially if you have children who love any of the featured characters.
At this meal you get to take photos with Mary Poppins, Pooh, Tigger, Alice in Wonderland and The Mad Hatter! You get a professional photo taken with Tigger and the rest of the characters walk around to all the tables during your meal for photo ops and autographs. I was given a birthday card here for the characters to sign, super cute!
It's also a buffet so you can eat as much as you'd like. They have everything from Mickey waffles and fresh fruit to eggs, french toast, cinnamon rolls and so much more! They even have a strawberry soup which I tried. It was tasty but it just felt strange to be drinking my strawberry (I'm not a smoothie person either.) I didn't take photos of all my food *gasp* but everything was delicious. I really loved the cinnamon roll because it wasn't as hard as some tend to be. There was a nice texture from the sauce but the inside was soft and not too chewy.
The hotel is beautiful so if you aren't staying there be sure to have a walk around to take in the splendor. You can definitely see the difference between the Deluxe, Moderate and Value Resorts. You get what you pay for, as they say. But, since we barely spend any time in our hotel room, we opt for the cheaper options. This trip we stayed at Pop Century, super fun and themed by the decades. That being said, I do want to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge at some point because of the Savannah views! What can I say, I love animals and it's as close as I'll get to a real safari for a while. Still saving up though.
As a picky eater, you probably wouldn't expect me to be excited about a Food & Wine festival. In the case of EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival I was really looking forward to tasting lots of different cuisines around the world. Before my trip I made a list of at least 30 things I was considering trying and then discovered a handy app someone had made to make tracking those wants easier - WDW - Food&Wine. I definitely recommend downloading it if you are planning on going to the festival. It helps track what you want to try, what you've tasted and what you spent!
Here's a quick guide to everything I tried at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival and my picks for the best bites!
EPCOT also has it's Eat to the Beat concert series during the Food & Wine Festival and we were there for the 98 Degrees performance! 90s boy band dreams realized! They sang some of their classics as well as the 2 songs the did for Disney (True to Your Heart for Mulan and their version of Circle of Life from The Lion King.) See some photos and video below from my Instagram!
As an annual passholder (coming to an end in December...saddd) I also had a couple extra perks to take advantage of. On my first day at EPCOT during the food & wind festival I was able to visit the Festival Center and pick up a really cute Chef Mickey magnet for my fridge. AND if I went to EPCOT 4 days during the festival I could get an adorable Mickey cutting board.
Here's a quick guide to everything I tried at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival and my picks for the best bites!
Spain
Spain had one of my favorite bites of the Food & Wine Festival. It's the Spanish-style Paella with Chorizo and Roasted Chicken for $5.25. The portion size is great for this price and it was delicious and flavorful! The chorizo was a nice spicy touch. You get two pictures because I couldn't decide which I liked best and because I actually ate this twice during our visit, our first day and our last day.
Australia
Everyone is always surprised to find out that I love shrimp. Not sure why I like it so much, probably because most of the time it's smothered in garlic. This particular dish is Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Pea for $5.50. The shrimp had a great spicy kick to them! The cake is Lamington: Yellow Cake Dipped in Chocolate and Shredded Coconut for $3.75. It was very tasty and I almost got it a second time but I was too tired to walk back to Australia since we were in Mexico and it's all the way on the other side of EPCOT. 
China
China never disappoints with food so I was excited to try the Chicken Dumplings with Chinese Slaw for $4.95 and Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles for $6.75. The dumplings were tasty but you only get 2 for the $5 so it's not that big of a portion. The noodles however are a very large portion for your money. I would happily get that again.
Germany
In Germany I had to try the Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll for $5.50. I got it without the mustard since I'm not a fan but it was still delicious. I had actually never had bratwurst before so this was a good way to see if I like it. I do.
Islands of the Caribbean
The Jerk-spiced Chicken Lollipop with Roasted Sweet Plantain Salad and Mango Chutney Yogurt for $5.50 is another dish I tried without the accompanying condiment. I don't like yogurt so I asked for mine without the mango chutney yogurt. You may want to bring some floss with you if you try this, I got some spices stuck in my teeth. Not a pretty picture.Morocco
I've always been a fan of baklava (especially when I had some in Santorini!) so getting the Chocolate Baklava with Toasted Almonds and Dark Chocolate Sauce for $4 in Morocco was a no brainer! My friend and I shared this one since we both had a lot on our "to try" lists. It was soooo good!
Taste Track
I also had to try Disney's version of the cronut at Taste Track. I got the basic Croissant Doughnut Tossed in Cinnamon Sugar for $6. I wanted to try the one with Chocolate Hazelnut Cream but my friend and I had lunch in Norway later that day so I wanted to make sure I had lots of room for our meal! It was good, but not great enough to be worth $6.
France (Not Food & Wine)
This isn't part of the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival but I always have to get some delicious chocolate ice cream at L'Artisan des Glaces. This may even be better than gelato I had in Italy. It's AMAZING! (I haven't tried any other flavors so I can only recommend the chocolate)
EPCOT also has it's Eat to the Beat concert series during the Food & Wine Festival and we were there for the 98 Degrees performance! 90s boy band dreams realized! They sang some of their classics as well as the 2 songs the did for Disney (True to Your Heart for Mulan and their version of Circle of Life from The Lion King.) See some photos and video below from my Instagram!
As an annual passholder (coming to an end in December...saddd) I also had a couple extra perks to take advantage of. On my first day at EPCOT during the food & wind festival I was able to visit the Festival Center and pick up a really cute Chef Mickey magnet for my fridge. AND if I went to EPCOT 4 days during the festival I could get an adorable Mickey cutting board.
