"Today was the first time we used our APs.. in one of the 4main parks for this year. We had lunch over at MK.. not realizing they were rehearsing the filming of the WDW Holiday special.. they didn't seem to post signs like at Disneyland.. whatever.. we decided to try the place around the corner from Main Street and the Nestle Ice Cream shop.. "Plaza Cafe" the menu was similar to the Grand Floridian Cafe.. without the crowds,pretention.. and etc.. and easily better service and food. Sean had the Club and I had the Rueban.. I rewarded myself for taking the middle whole grain slice of my half of Sean's Club sandwich, by pigging out on our shared sundae.. the Plaza house sundae with 2scoops of Butter Pecan Ice Cream..whipped cream, caramel and hot fudge and walnuts and 2 cherries.. Sarah, our server was super nice.. I must say her name as we will like to put in a good word for her. Because of the rehearsal, they had the music for the dance rehearsal in front of the CASTLE blasting 20x louder than they would for your average parade. I am resolving to take ASL classes next year, after the move. NOT JOKING.

We were able to do a few attractions. We had a 10min walk on for Mickey's Philharmagic, which should be called "Donald's Philharmagic" and definitely doable several times.. just not over and over.. it's not MIB or Buzz.. it's a 3-D show that is amazing!!! We did it then got a fastpass.. and headed over to Tomorrowland where they have both TimeKeeper and Carousel of Progress running!!! whoo hoo.. sign says "TIMEKEEPER IS OPEN!!!" hurray! We also rode TTA, Buzz Lightyear, Snow White (which stopped while we were on the ride for about 15min. no front of the line passes or apologies given for the electricity going out..)

We brought the "MY PAL JOEYMICKEY" in with us to the park and he was telling us to go see Alien Encounter.. which is in rehab for the Stitch Encounter opening in a couple years.. He also told us to check out the 4pm parade at about 330pm when we left the park to go back to our resort for laundry, nap & dinner.. and to meet our pals for Survivor... weird.. but wait there's more! "

OK.. so here we go!


Sean on Main Street



Cinderella castle

You know the saying, "take a picture it'll last longer.. " so here's a couple of the delicious Sundae Sean & I split at the "Plaza Cafe".  =)



Sean with Sundae



Meeko & Sundae =)



Sean & Pamela sharing the sundae (photo by CM Sarah)

Cinderella Storytime..


Cinderella Castle plaque

"I Pagliacci" performed by Willie the Whale poster



Sean waiting in the Pooh darkride queue. =)



Snow White dark ride 


Stitch makes a sneakie appearance.



Buzz Lightyear map of the planets



just as the Buzz ride begins (yes we put the camera away so we could aim!)




Sean humors the Cranky Meeko and we ride TTA (tomorrowland transit authority) one of Pamela's favorite things.



Indy Speedway, not nearly as cool as Autopia at DIsneyland.. viewed from the TTA (we didn't ride the Speedway, btw)



view of Main Street from the Castle



Rufus loves the Magic Kingdom. Here he is in front of the faux Liberty Bell in Liberty Square.



100 years of Magic parade.. starring Cinderella & some dude..  =P (see Belle & the Beast in the next globe!!)



Peter Pan, Donald & Goofy greet their fans from the last big float!

Mickeys for 75 birthday.



Mickeys!


Richard F Irvine



view of MK from the Irvine



General Joe Potter



Polynesian Beach as seen from the Irvine.  =)


Ok..  so we head back to our resort, where we had dinner at Shutters. Here's the review as posted  the 4th of December 2003, to Meeko's Live Journal:

"We had a really crappy dinner at Shutters.. veggies ok.. but service below par.. the pork chop dinner I ordered w/side of sauteed spinach and mashed sweet potatoes was VERY fatty and I left most of it.. The sauteed spinach was way too buttery.. Mashed Sweet potatoes were fine. The alcohalic drink I got.. was good.. but the water tasted funky.. which may have been due to the sweet taste of my drink. Sean had the Jamiacan Jerk Chicken w/side of garlic mashed potatoes and broccolini. The chicken resembled more a herb rubbed rotisserie chicken.. which is fine if you didn't expect Jamaican Jerk chicken which is known for being a shredded bbq style chicken meat. Garlic mashed potatoes were fine and so was the broccolini which was a less floret-y (yeah that's not a real word!) version of broccoli but quite edible. The drink Sean ordered was a Shutters Cabana Banana which was VERY banana and when I tried it didn't taste much of alcohal.. which is either bad or VERY bad if you tend to drink til you are drunk.

Our server was not very attentive in the way one might appreciate. Shutters is a new restaurant which many have not tried before or have not seen reviews for, as the place opened recently. There are about 6 or 8 main entrees... There are no specific veggie plates but the chicken pasta w/veggies I imagine can be ordered without the meat.. Although they don't seem to have a side list, I would think you can order anything with the meat or fish left off... Problems I had were:

-despite being seated within a couple minutes, the waiter came up to our table, didn't introduce himself or go over the menu with us. He wanted to know what we wanted immediately. When we advised him we had just sat down and hadn't looked at the menu, he said fine, and said he'd give us a couple minutes.. He then came back and wanted to take our drink orders.. I wasn't familiar with the drinks and they don't list specfific non-alcohalic drinks on the menu. Sean & I agreed to go with a specialty drink.. and then ordered that and then our food.. Sean got a 'black bean soup' starter.. which was in need of something...

-waiter brought soup without first moving our bread plate.. ok, but then when the food came, he hadn't cleared Sean's soup bowl.. and then again, when the DESSERT we ordered came, our dirty dinner dishes were never cleared. Another server had brought out the cappachino creme brulee Sean ordered for us to split, and asked to take the plates, which we gladly allowed.. The creme filled cookie that adorned the creme bruleee tasted a bit stale to me.. more rubbery than a crisp creme filled cookie. The dessert itself was pretty good, but I don't see myself coming back to CBR for dinner, nor to eat at their mediocre/but passable foodcourt.

Our dinner which included 2 alcohalic drinks, a soup, 2 entrees and dessert totaled about 58.00 and with tip was just under $60. We definitely plan to fill out a card to send in.


My thought is that if the food is prepared for the 5k or whatever of tourists that come through the doors each day.. it makes sense that the food is bland and without any kind of creativity. If you want a good meal at WDW with flavor and taste, you must be willing to eat at places like California Grill or Narcoosies.. etc. Places like Plaza Cafe or Shutters.. or even Boatwrights at Port Orleans (which we won't eat at ever again) is making food for the Middle American family. If you review a restaurant given the later, a higher review might be warranted, however if you review a place to personal taste.. then a 3 or 4 is more than it might deserve, which explains the wide disparity between reader polls and actual travel guide reviews.  "