Kona Café Breakfast – Beyond Tonga Toast

Tonga Toast at Kona Café is a Walt Disney World original.  This breakfast specialty has thousands of loyal fans and tops the list of must-do’s for those who have not yet had the privilege.  A generous serving of “Banana-stuffed Sourdough French Toast rolled in Cinnamon Sugar and served with a Strawberry Compote and your choice of Ham, Bacon, or Sausage” – Sounds heavenly and if you love sweet breakfast foods, you will not be disappointed.  Unless you’re me and you prefer savory eats first thing in the morning.

Kona Café Breakfast – Beyond Tonga Toast

For quite some time now, Kona Café has been a Disney vacation tradition.  Raymond and I (and now Joseph) are partial to the Egg White Omelet with roasted red peppers and goat cheese.  It comes with a side of berries and is an all around solid (and healthy) breakfast choice.  In fact, that’s just what they both ordered on our departure day.  Kona Café Breakfast - Beyond Tonga ToastMe? I decided to break away from the usual and try something new.  With quite a few delicious-sounding choices on the menu, I took my time selecting what I considered a splurge.  One, very simple-sounding dish caught my eye:  The Samoan.

Described as, “Poached Eggs with Hollandaise served over Smoked Pulled Pork Hash“, what could I not love about that?  All my favorite food-types in one dish.  In short order, my plate arrived.  It looked much fancier than I’d imagined.  Kona Café Breakfast - Beyond Tonga ToastBeneath a handful of gently sautéed arugula, the “hash” was actually some large, tender fried potatoes in a ring around the pulled pork.  This circle of yumminess was topped with two perfectly prepared poached eggs – yolks soft but not runny, whites firm but not rubbery.  The hollandaise sauce was smooth, thick and tangy.  I was uncharacteristically quiet as I savored every bite.

If you’ve been under the impression that Tonga Toast is your only breakfast option at Kona Café, think again.  Haven’t tried Kona Café yet?  Add it to your to-do list and you just might find a morning visit to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort becoming a vacation tradition for you, too.

Are you a Kona Café fan?  What’s your favorite breakfast item?

2017 Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend in Review

Last weekend’s trip to Walt Disney World was brief but packed with fun.  I’ve got so much to tell you, I thought I’d start with this post full of my impressions of the best and not-so-great aspects of our visit.  I’ll follow up with posts on the Star Wars 10K and half marathon and a restaurant review or two.  Here’s the scoop…

2017 Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend in Review

We arrived mid-day Friday.  Our plan was to get to the Grand Floridian (stayed at the DVC Villas), drop off our luggage, grab a bite at the Gasparilla Island Grill (underrated quick-service), then rush over to Wide World Of Sports so Joseph and I could pick up our race packets for the Dark Side Challenge.  This part went off without a hitch.  I was very excited to see Richard (famous greeter at the Grand Floridian) looking well.  If you seen him, say hello and he’ll say, “Welcome to the Grand!”  I love that he’s in his 90’s and still enjoying his job so much.

We wanted to spend a few minutes shopping at the Expo if possible and, thanks to the event buses running often, mission accomplished!  I’d booked Magic Kingdom FastPasses starting at 4:30 (or thereabouts) for Seven Dwarfs, Big Thunder, and Space Mountain and we arrived in plenty of time!  We even managed to squeeze in Pirates and PeopleMover as well.  Dinner was at Narcoossee’s and the 8:30 dining time was my first error of this trip.  WAY too late to eat before having to get up at 3:15 a.m. the next day.

Before dinner, we managed a quick glass of wine in Mizner’s Lounge.  Joseph had never heard the Lobby Society Orchestra play before and they sounded especially great that evening.  We were wishing we’d had more time to relax and enjoy the music.  On the way to Narcoossee’s, we spotted a rather large dark-colored snake on the sidewalk.  As I’ve mentioned before (here), Joseph has an affinity for reptiles.  I wanted to take the snake’s picture, Joseph wanted to pick it up!  Raymond and I, at the exact same time, realized what was about to happen and quietly said, “Don’t do it!” just about the time the snake decided to slither off into the bushes.  I did mention to the hostess that some guests might be alarmed if Mr. Snake decided to move back onto the warmth of the walkway.

Dinner was excellent as was our view of Wishes during our meal.  As we headed to our room to catch what sleep we could, we noticed and Cast Member and a gentleman in a suit holding a flashlight searching for the snake – or at least making sure it stayed off the sidewalk.  Our room (studio #1428) was the biggest disappointment of our stay.  There was no split bathroom, just a plain bathroom with a tub/shower combo.We didn’t even know such a room type existed!  Made getting ready take much longer for the three of us as we are a decidedly anti-bathroom-sharing people.  The room overall was lovely, but felt like a plain hotel room.  If you’ve seen DVC studios at Disney’s Polynesian Village or Bay Lake Tower, you can appreciate how disappointed we were.  There’s a split bathroom at the Poly and Bay Lake Tower’s kitchenette is so large, there’s extra room (with a counter and mirror) for getting ready.

Watch for a full report on the Star Wars 10K in the next few days.  Let me jump straight to our post-race activities…

At 180-days out, I’d booked a reservation for lunch at Beaches & Cream (Beach Club) and then cancelled it the day before we left home.  I should not have done that.  The recently opened Polite Pig in Disney Springs seemed just our type of place and we all wanted to try it.  Arriving at Disney Springs around 10:00 a.m., we had about an hour to shop before the restaurant opened and we were among the first in the door.  The atmosphere is neat and the employees were perfectly polite.  But, in spite of our love for barbecue and smoked meats, we were (all of us) disappointed in our food.  Such unanimous agreement is practically unheard of!  I ended up feeling sorry we didn’t get to try Beaches & Cream.  Next time we visit the Polite Pig, it’ll be for the bar instead of the food – our beers were very delicious and their drink menu is vast.

After lunch we were off to Epcot for the Disney Exchange Podcast Meet-up!  Nick, Dave, and I, (and our families) were excited to see friends of the show and spent an hour visiting and laughing a LOT!  We felt very humbled and special to have listeners willing to interrupt their Disney vacation to spend time with us.  Thanks especially to “Aunt Sandy”, Dave J., Victoria, Olivia, Linda, and Phillip (a.k.a. Duke).  After the meet-up, Raymond, Joseph and I headed off to use our FastPasses.

Frozen was down, so we used our first FastPass for Soarin’ followed by Spaceship Earth (we got stuck for a couple of minutes by the garlic hat guy and it was great!).  Our last FastPass went unused (Nemo) when we realized how nice it would be to go back to our room for a few minutes before dinner at Il Mulino – our now-traditional-pre-half-marathon-go-to restaurant.  If you are not on the Disney Dining Plan, I urge you to give some of the Swan and Dolphin’s restaurants a try!  This was our fourth visit to Il Mulino and our experiences have all been consistently excellent.

Immediately after dinner, we got back to our room as quickly as possible and were out as soon as our heads hit the pillows!

Sunday morning, there was that little matter of the Star Wars Half Marathon.  (Full review soon.)  Raymond was waiting for Joseph and me when we finished the race and the three of us, along with Dave and his wife, Anne, enjoyed a few minutes of the post-race party before getting on with the rest of our day.  Animal Kingdom was on the agenda and by the time we got there, a bad case of “hangry” had struck so we decided to grab some small plates at the Nomad Lounge.And ended up staying for three hours once Nick and Dave (and their wives and friends) found out where we were and joined us.  If you haven’t been to Nomad Lounge, go!  It’s about as perfect a place to relax as exists on Disney property.  The beverage selection is great, the food is yummy, and the atmosphere is tranquil.  Unbelievably, we left Nomad Lounge and spent a few more minutes together at the Dawa Bar.

Eventually we needed to excuse ourselves in favor of FastPasses for Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest.  We strolled along the Gorilla Falls Trail between attractions and then caught a bus for Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village section for dinner at Sanaa.  We were early and spent time out on the savannah overlook sitting in rocking chairs and enjoying the lovely weather.  Sanaa’s manager was kind enough to find us a table about 30 minutes before our reservation and we were delighted to introduce Joseph to the restaurant’s famous bread service.

To wrap up the day, we met our Disney Exchange friends back at Animal Kingdom for Rivers of Light.  It was our first time to see it and typically, Raymond, Joseph and I had completely differing opinions about this new show (more on that at a later date).  By this time, even with all the rest and relaxation, the trackers on our Fitbits had passed 20 miles for the day.  It was time to turn in so we had enough energy to squeeze in a last little bit of Disney in the morning.

We were awake and busy packing by 6:15 a.m.  We had breakfast scheduled at Kona Café (another tradition) followed by one last FastPass in Magic Kingdom for Space Mountain at 9:20.  Our ride to the airport was scheduled to pick us up at 11:00 a.m.  Dave met us in Magic Kingdom and we had time for a last ride around Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover before blasting off into Space.  It was time to go.  One last bit of pixie dust found us as we went back to our room for our luggage – Cinderella’s horses, carriage and footmen were on the path around our building and we got to see them up close as they passed by.  Then we found ourselves leaving Walt Disney World behind to get home for some much needed rest!

For a very short 72 hours, we had an amazing (exhausting) time!  Joseph completed his first runDisney events.  Nick, Dave and I managed (finally!) to have our first podcast meet-up.  Family, friends, and LOTS of Disney magic all around…we could not have asked for a better time.

Walt Disney World – Time For Disney Springs?

Disney vacation time is valuable!  Between parks, resorts, and restaurants, scheduling and planning are important priorities.  Time well spent is a good investment.  That being the case, who would get the most from Disney Springs and how much vacation time should be devoted to visiting this newly enhanced area of Walt Disney World?

Walt Disney World – Time For Disney Springs?Walt Disney World - Time For Disney Springs?

You love to shop – If you live in a big city with loads of shopping choices or you love to shop on line, Disney Springs’ shopping district, Town Center, won’t hold much appeal.  But if you live far from a city and love to browse stores like Zara, Lilly Pulitzer, Free People, Kate Spade New York, Anthropologie (my personal weakness), Uniqlo, and more!  Looking for souvenirs?  The Marketplace is for you.  Lots of Disney everything from clothing to toys and collectibles, cell phone cases, art, ornaments, jewelry – it’s all there in one place.

It’s going to rain a lot – Sure, an afternoon thunderstorm is common (especially during the summer months) and those are usually momentary interruptions to park touring.  When the weather’s going to be lousy for an extended period of time, Disney Springs offers some excellent alternatives like catching a movie at the AMC Theater and bowling a few rounds at Splitsville.  We’ve not yet tried Splitsville (I hear the menu is fantastic) but we very much enjoyed seeing Rogue One at Christmastime when the parks were super crowded. Walt Disney World - Time For Disney Springs?

Looking for new dining options – There are now more options for dining than ever!  Quick service, table service, snacks and sweets are everywhere!  If you’re looking for a new place to try in every price category, don’t leave out Disney Springs.  We love Morimoto Asia (both dining room and walk up counter).  We think Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar is awesome and The Boathouse has great food and a wonderful atmosphere.  We’re looking forward to trying many more places on upcoming visits.Walt Disney World - Time For Disney Springs?

Grown up and want a night out – Looking for something to do outside the parks and away from your resort?  Disney Springs has more than shopping and dining.  Great lounges, live entertainment, and seasonal attractions (like the special Christmas Tree display and drone show last holiday season).  In the evenings, it’s crowded, but fun!

Arrival Day – No ticket necessary – Need something to do at Disney World without a park ticket?  We’ve visited Disney Springs as an arrival day outing.  We’ve also spent an evening at Disney Springs pre-Disney cruise when we had no park tickets but wanted to start feeling the Disney magic right away.  If your family is staying at Disney World longer than the number of days you have park tickets for, consider Disney Springs.  Most stores open at 10:00 am and we’ve found very light crowds early in the day.

I know that every minute of a Disney vacation is precious.  Many visitors to Walt Disney World choose not to spend time at Disney Springs and at one time, we were that family too!  Now we’ve come to appreciate the option of visiting Disney Springs as an alternative to Disney World’s parks and resorts and try to make at least one visit there on every trip.

Are you a Disney Springs fan?  What draws you there?

 

 

 

runDisney Race Ready Accessories

If I ever declare bankruptcy, I’m pretty sure the fault will lie squarely with Amazon Prime.  It’s too easy to type in a few search terms and buy, buy, buy!  Recently, I decided to treat myself to a couple of items in time for the Dark Side Challenge.

runDisney Race Ready Accessories

Have you ever noticed how cleverly targeted Facebook ads are?  That’s where I first saw the Running Buddy “Buddy Pouch”.  Not an armband and not a fanny pack, these simple holders are carried at the waist and are attached to the wearer with magnets.  Perfect for runners, Buddy Pouches will hold cell phones, keys, gels, ID, etc.  Quick trip to Amazon and I found the one suited best for me:  The Buddy Pouch 6+.  It’s large enough to hold my iPhone 7 in the charging case.  Reasonably priced at $22.98, I  added it to my cart!

See, this is the thing with Amazon Prime…I have a hard time stopping with just one item.  Next I started thinking about the ear buds I was running with and how annoying they are.  The cord’s always in my way and the pieces that go behind my ears keep falling off.  I started browsing and voila!  I found some Senso ActivBuds wireless headphones with tons of positive ratings.  They come with loads of accessories and I thought $36.97 seemed like a good price.  I added those to my cart, clicked to check out and two days later, my boxes arrived!

To test these new accessories, I wore them both for my last long run (9 miles).  I was worried that the Buddy Pouch would be too weighed down by my phone in the charging case (pretty bulky) – maybe the phone would bounce or make the waistband of my shorts sag or be annoying in some way.  I’m pleased to say that none of that happened.  The Buddy Pouch was so comfortable, I didn’t even notice I was carrying anything.  The fabric on the back of the pouch (that’s worn next to your skin) is smooth and wicks moisture well.  I’m very pleased and would give the Buddy Pouch a 5/5-star rating.The Senso ActivBuds work well, were easy to set up, and provide great sound.  I did have to change the eartips to a smaller size and find the position of the on/off switch and the volume control buttons a bit of a challenge to get used to.  Not having a long, annoying cord connected to my phone is wonderful!  ActivBuds provide up to 8 hours of playback so I don’t have to worry about running out of music.  The pieces that fit behind my ears are very flexible and much more comfortable than what I had before.  The charging accessories and carrying case are also plusses.  I’ve run with them several times now and am happy with the value and performance.  I’d give ActivBuds a 4/5-star rating simply because I don’t like the location of the on/off switch.

I’m ready to run!  In just a few more days, Joseph and I will finally put our hundreds of training miles to the test…Star Wars 10K and Half Marathon, we’re coming for you!!!