Earlier this year I was super excited for the release of Gary Sinise’s book Grateful American. I preordered it on Amazon but found it cheaper at Sam’s before I even got my preorder. I started it right away but something was holding me back from going further than a few chapters in. Last week it finally hit me when I saw that the audio book won a listening award, this was a book that screamed “car read”, especially since Gary Sinise narrates the book himself. I started listening to it this morning and I am loving listening to him tell his story. He has such a great voice. I would love to see him do the Candlelight Procession at Epcot but it seems we keep missing him by a few days. That will be on my Disney bucket list, Gary Sinise at the Epcot Candlelight Processional.
Tag Archive | EPCOT
Southern Belle Foodie
Dictionary.com defines Foodie as: a person keenly interested in food, especially in eating or cooking
I would say I am a foodie. I love trying new places and there are restaurants we go to just for the food, no matter how long the drive or wait is. I would even have to say our Disney Vacations are all about the food. I thought I would share some of my foodie favorites from the road and at home.
Jewell’s on Main Warsaw, KY
– Fried Pickles
– Prime Rib
– Soft Pretzels with cheese sauce
– French Fries
– Pork Loin with Apple Glaze
– NY Strip
– Greek Salad Dressing
Copper Blue Milford, OH
– Steak butter
– Cranberry Chopped Salad
– Sweet Potato tater tots
– Fish (Cod)
– Jerk Chicken Sandwich
Fessler’s Bellevue, KY
– Steak Hoagie
– Garlic Bread with cheese
The Old Mill Pigeon Forge, TN
– Chicken and Dumplings
– Fruit Cobbler
– Green Beans
– Corn Chowder Soup
The Pottery House Pigeon Forge, TN
– Cheesesteak sandwich
– Bread: Cinnamon Raisin (you can purchase this and it makes great French toast) and Sourdough Bread
– Grilled Chicken with Moonshine Glaze
The Peddler Gatlinburg, TN
– Salad Bar
– Steak (the steak peddler cuts them right at your table)
Disney World
Be Our Guest Magic Kingdom
o Steak
o Truffle Aioli
o The Gray Stuff
50’s Prime Time Café Hollywood Studios
o Roast Beef
Rose and Crown EPCOT
o Steak
Dole Whip (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom)
Other Travel Destinations Go To Restaurants
– Po’Folks St. Petersburg, FL
– Harold Seltzer’s St. Petersburg, FL
– Largo Family Restaurant Largo, FL (St. Pete Area)
– Black Pelican Outer Banks
– High Cotton Outer Banks
– Henry’s Outer Banks
Changes Are a Coming to Disney World
Last weekend there were a lot of Disney World changes that were annoucned at the D23 Expo. While I am excited about some there are a few that sadden me. Mainly the closing of the Great Movie Ride. I know it was not the best ride at Disney but it was cute in is own way. I will miss it. I think it will be cool to finally have a Mickey and Minnie ride but I hate that it is at the expense of the Great Movie Ride. Hollywood Studios is going to be unrecognizable before long with Star Wars land and Toy Story land opening soon and the closing of the Great Movie Ride. I am super exciteed for a Ratatouille ride, though. I think it is great that EPCOT is adding more rides to the World Showcase. Between the Frozen ride and now Ratatouille it will give me a reason to spend more time in the World Showcase.
My Disney Vacation 2017 Day 2 EPCOT
EPCOT is probably my least favorite park but I do love the Flower and Garden Show. That is one of the reasons we went when we did. EPCOT to me is the hottest park of them all, very little shade, ecpecially in the World Showcase. And there really is not many rides. Illuminations is nice and if you can get lucky enough to get a late reservation and an outside seat at Rose and Crown they have some of the best viewing for Illuminations. This trip I was very excited for EPCOT because I had a princess breakfast reserved in Normway. I know I am 33 years old but I have never dined with princesses during any of my past visits to Disney World. The princess breakfast was okay and I really don’t have to go again, unless of course we have the two girls with us. Any my Rose and Crown reservation was late enough and we were out side so we were able to see Illuminations great. I did not ride the new Frozen ride while we were there so that just gives me a reason to go back, right?
Disney Photo Week Day 2
I love this picture from EPCOT. I took it from Germany in the World Showcase and I love that the monorail can be seen through the trees. I love how the giant white ball of Spaceship Earth is surrended by the beautiful blue Florida sky. EPCOT is probably my least favorite of the four parks but its sights like this, and the flower and garden show, that keeps me coming back.
I’m A Little Sad Today
I am a little sad this morning; I am not going to lie. The past two years on this first Saturday in May we have been going into Disney World for our vacation. I thought I would be okay with not going this spring but it is turning out that I am not. I want to see the Castle, The Tree of Life, and the EPCOT Ball. I want to feel the pain in my feet from walking so much around the parks. I want to taste the wonderful food at all my favorite restaurants, watch the evening firework shows and then go back to the hotel and crawl into that wonderful bed at Port Orleans. Surprisingly I am even a little sad about missing the Flower and Garden Show. I never really dreamed I would like it that much. I have two Disney shirts sitting here with tags still on; I bought them when I thought we were going back this spring. Now they are waiting to go just like me. I need to get my Disney Side on! Hopefully a trip this fall will work out I am having Disney withdraws.
It’s Official
Our Disney trip has been postponed. We are hoping to go in October but that is not 100% yet. Well if it was up to me and mom it would be 100%, for us at least, maybe not for the two girls. I’m kinda excited about going in October, different time, but at the same time I am a little sad to be missing the EPCOT Flower and Garden Show. I never dreamed I would like a flower and garden show as much as I do theirs. Hopefully come October I can say “I’m going to Disney World!”
Disney Week Day 5: The Food
I have not had a bad meal at Disney. I have had a few that were better than others but never horrible. The past two years we have had the Deluxe Meal Plan, and you can eat with that plan. With that in mind I planed to try as many new restaurants as we could but also hit some of the better ones from last year. I’m glad we did we found a few new favorites.
Restaurants We Ate At This Year
- Tony’s Town Square at the Magic Kingdom
- The Wave at the Contemporary
- Sci-Fi Drive-in at Hollywood Studios
- 50’s Prime Time Café at Hollywood Studios
- Rainforest Café at Animal Kingdom
- Liberty Tavern at the Magic Kingdom
- Biergarten at EPCOT
- Rose and Crown at EPCOT
- Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney
- Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios
Our Favorites/Must Do’s Next Time
Tony’s Town Square
50’s Prime Time Café
Liberty Tree Tavern
My Favorite Food Items
- Potato Leek Soup at Rose and Crown
- Cheese Grits at The Wave
- Turkey & Dressing at Liberty Tree Tavern
- Skillet Corn Bread at Hollywood and Vine
- The Bread at Town’s Town Square
Disney Week Day 4: The Shows
The shows at Disney World are amazing! Especially the nighttime shows. The team of people working on the shows do a wonderful job. From
parades, to live action shows, to firework shows one is better than the next. Three of my favorite shows are the nighttime shows at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. I recently heard Animal Kingdom is going to start having a nighttime show too. If they are I can’t wait to see it, I just know it will be good. The Magic Kingdom even has a street party celebration parade. Two of my other favorite shows are the live action shows of Beauty and the Beast at Hollywood Studios and Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom. Here are my favorite shows listed by park.
Magic Kingdom
Celebrate the Magic, Main Street Electrical Parade, Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party, Wishes Nighttime Spectacular, Country Bears Jamboree, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, The Hall of Presidents
EPCOT
The American Adventure, Sprint of America Fife & Drum Corps, Voices of Liberty, IllumiNations Reflections of Earth
Hollywood Studios
Muppet Vision 3D, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Fantasmic! Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Animal Kingdom
Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo the Musical
Disney Week Day 3: The Rides
As I said yesterday I am more about the laid back rides than the thrill seeking rides. Here are my favorite rides at each of the Four Disney Parks.
Magic Kingdom
Favorite: Tie between The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid.
Others: It’s A Small World, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Walt Disney World Railroad, Carousel of Progress
EPCOT
Favorite: Test Track
Others: Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Hollywood Studios
Favorite: Toy Story Midway Mania
Others: The Great Movie Ride
Animal Kingdom
Favorite: Kilimanjaro Safaris
Shows and Food coming in other posts.
Southern Belle Charm 