Disney Dining Review: Tutto Gusto

I think this is the first time I'm repeating a restaurant!  When my parents and I checked out the new Test Track, we also grabbed lunch at Epcot.  My Dad had never been to Tutto Gusto and I was certain he would love it - wine, cheese & meat? What's not to love?

The menu has also changed since the last time I was there.  The big thing is that they moved to pre-selected plates rather than a la carte.  I'd like to see it still be a la carte, if given a choice.  And the items I had last time are no longer on the menu. They gave us the menu for Tutto Italia, which we put aside.  I discovered after we got back that at least the polenta is a side you can order from Tutto Italia, so we could have gotten it at Tutto Gusto if we wanted.

I didn't take many pictures, so I'll apologize in advance.  We got there just before noon and there wasn't a problem getting a table (Tutto Gusto is first come, first serve - no reservations.)  It's fairly dark in there and I had trouble getting a cell phone signal inside, so if you're trying to get in contact with someone, be aware of that.

Who wants to hear my thoughts on the new Test Track?

A few weeks ago, I met my parents up at Epcot.  Our number one thing to do?  The new Test Track of course!

We got in line at 9:30am, the wait time said 60 minutes, so we waited it out.  Shouldn't be too bad.  Of course, that assumes that the wait time is accurate.  While we were in line (which went way out of the queue) the wait time went up to 80 minutes.  Still not bad.

Of course, since I'm telling you about the wait, it was clearly not accurate.  We wound up waiting close to 2 hours instead.

My parents had done Test Track back in December, but did it with a Fastpass.  They said with the FP, the options when you design your car are very limited, which is partly why we decided to wait it out in the normal line.

Dining Review: Be Our Guest

One of the things I have been anxious to do is to check out Be Our Guest.  My Mom and I finally were able to get that chance this past week.  Be Our Guest is located in New Fantasyland and when you enter, you're transported into the Beast's Castle (which you can see high above you as you cross the bridge.)

The line wasn't nearly as bad as when Geoff and I went in December.  We waited about 15-20 minutes to place our order.  As you walk in, you're split into two lines.

Dining Review: Contempo Cafe

Also prior to the Holidays (I know, I've been slacking) Geoff and I went up to the Magic Kingdom.  Our original plan was to eat at Be Our Guest in New Fantasyland, but when we arrived, we were told the wait would be over an hour.  And well, we didn't want to wait that long.

So we grabbed a LeFou's brew (I love Apple Juice and sweet things, so I like it) and walked over to the Contemporary for lunch instead.  We had eaten at Contempo Cafe a few years ago when we were down for Food & Wine Festival and enjoyed it, so we decided to try it again.

Contempo Cafe is located on the same level and right next door to Chef Mickey's.  So it's loud.  And the monorail runs right over your head (who can resist that?!)  You place your order on a touch-screen kiosk, pick up any desserts/chips/drinks you want, and then head to the cashier.  Once you pay, you'll receive a buzzer that will go off when your food is ready.  Of course, there's nothing telling you that this is the process, so you tend to get a lot of confused people waiting around the pick up window.

Dining Review: Grand Floridian Cafe

Probably one of the best things about Disney is that it is almost exactly half-way between us and my parents. Which means it's the perfect spot to meet my Mom for lunch.  Before the Holidays, we did just that.  We decided to meet at the Grand Floridian Cafe and check out the Holiday decorations at the Grand Floridian.

The Grand Floridian Cafe is tucked in the back left corner of the main building of the Resort.  Like the rest of the Resort, it has Victorian decor.  We stumbled over this particular dining location a number of years ago when we were looking for a late breakfast.  It's a good little find.  It's usually not too busy, so it's easy to get a reservation and it stays fairly low-key and quiet.

We checked in about 5 minutes early, and were given a buzzer.  Not too much later, it was going off and we were directed to our table.  We were seated fairly close to the front in the middle of the room.  Personally, I like the back of the restaurant and against a window, but we're not terribly picky.  Our waitress was very nice and attentive, no complaints there.

Dining Review: Roaring Forks - Cupcakes

Geoff's parents visited for the Holidays and while they were here, we decided to head up to Disney.  And because we're not totally crazy, we didn't actually go into the Parks.  Rather, we had lunch at Kona (which I didn't take pictures of, sorry!) and then explored the Magic Kingdom resorts to look at their Christmas decorations.  It was great, we got a little Disney Magic without the insane crowds!

Grand Floridian Lobby

Our tour eventually led us to Wilderness Lodge, where we decided it was time for a sweet snack!  Geoff's Dad shares my sweet tooth, so it wasn't like I had to twist anyone's arm.

How I know I married the right person

Geoff: "You look cute tonight."

Me: "Ugh, my hair is frizzy."

Geoff: "Maybe I like frizzy haired ladies."

Me: "Did you like the teacher from the Magic School Bus?"

Geoff: "I was just thinking the same thing!"

...we're a match made in nerdy heaven...