As we were driving into Orlando the sky poured down on us, thunder boomed above us and lightning hit in the distance. 

We were very thankful for the covered valet area of the Hilton Disney Springs. Our friends were a ways away from the hotel so we figured we would get lunch. The hotel restaurant didn't seem too allergen friendly but in the market next door I found a treasure trove of dairy-free delights! I found fruit, sandwiches, coconut jerky, and stroopwafels!

When our friends arrived we headed up to our rooms that were across the way from each other. Our rooms were extra large, offered 2 queen beds, couch, table, desk, large bathroom, and views of the pool area. There were a couple downsides to the resort. The rooms could use an update, the ceiling above our window was leaking, and in our friends room the water coming out of the shower was brown at first and needed to be flushed out. 

We changed our clothes and brought the kids down to the pool to swim for a bit. We were thrilled to see an actual kiddie pool that the kids could stand up in. The boys made a friend and the three of them almost nicely shared water toys.   ​

We made reservations for dinner at Jaleo a few months ago for our anniversary. We walked over from our hotel so we strolled through the shops along the way to dinner. 

We were shown to a table right away. While sitting at a Foosball table is fun, with the kids pulling the handles it can get a bit dangerous lol. We discussed the kids need for a quick meal with our server and thanks to him we were able to order the Jose's Way tasting menu. 

We enjoyed salmon cones, the famous liquid olives, gin and tonic oysters (which we all agreed could have used some more acidity), Iberico de Bellota jamon, bread with tomato, octopus ceviche, the most amazing onion dish ever (seriously it was beyond flavorful), salt potatoes, scallops, paella, garlic shrimp, a beef dish, and then a few desserts. 

The meal was outstanding and we highly recommend the restaurant!

Tomorrow we finally land at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort!  ​

Before heading up to our friend's place we stopped and paid $22 to park at Universal Citywalk so we could try Voodoo Doughnuts. There wasn't a line and there also weren't any good vegan donuts. Apparently, morning isn't a busy time for them so they have limited flavors. As the day goes on they bring out more. 

We ordered regular donuts for Greg and our friends and I chose the vanilla sprinkle vegan donut, chocolate glazed donut, and the plain donut. When I mentioned coming back later on the staff member wrote a note down on our receipt so we could skip the line. At the time I didn't think much of this. 

Later on, we visited again (it's free to park after 6 pm) and there was definitely a line this time. I showed the person at the door our note and we were able to bypass all of the lines. We ordered one of all of their vegan donuts. Their plain donuts are good but nothing to write home about. In Boston we love Union Square Donuts, they are soft, melt in your mouth, and have great flavors. Voodoo donuts excel at their vegan flavored donuts. My absolute favorite was the Portland cream. It had been so long since I had a filled donut! Delicious! I also enjoyed their maple cake.  ​

We met up with my friend at her place and spent a fun morning checking out the grounds of her place, playing pool, and joking around. 

For lunch, the 3 of us went to Saint Anejo. We were seated right away, ordered some skinny margarita's and ate a bunch of chips with salsa. For entrees Greg chose the al pastor tacos, my friend ordered the carnita's tacos, and I opted for the chicken mole. My mole was very flavorful but the sauce was thin and my chicken was very tough. If the mole continued cooking for dinner service I bet it would be terrific! Greg's tacos were very good but the absolute winner was my friends carnita's. The carnita's are outstandingly tender, savory, and delicious. 

Our server was so nice and took my meal off of the bill which wasn't necessary but definitely appreciated. 

In the afternoon, my friends parents and boyfriend joined us for drinks at her place and then on to dinner. We walked nearby to The General Public House. We were seated right away even without a reservation. We ordered our drinks and decided to pass on starters. Greg ordered the Odd Bird and I chose the Rock Shrimp Po Boy. Both sandwiches were plentiful, cooked perfectly, and very tasty thanks to different accompaniments. I also always appreciate good truffle fries (sans cheese). 

We parted ways after dinner and made plans to see each other again in a couple of months. Earlier I told you we stopped by Universal CityWalk again. After that we went back to our hotel enjoyed a donut each while watching the fireworks again. 

To end my celebration we made a reservation for the Omakase dinner at Morimoto Asia. We have enjoyed Omakase dinners at 7 different restaurants and this is hands down our favorite. Last year we did the Omakase with Chef Alex at Morimoto Asia and had a truly memorable experience. 

Tonight's dinner was with the restaurants Executive Chef Yuhi Fujinaga. Our server Jesus welcomed us to the sushi counter, offered us a drink menu, filled our water glasses, and gave us towels to wipe our hands. To accompany our meal we both opted for the drink pairing. We were definitely pampered with 10 courses for dinner. Chef Yuhi welcomed us, talked a bit about his background, and how the restaurant offers their Omakase (Kaiseki style).

Our amuse bouche offered a poke, a ceviche, and a shrimp cocktail but not in the typical sense. The poke was of octopus that still had a chew for texture, the ceviche was a marinated anchovy with pickled okra, and the shrimp cocktail was with a tomato sofrito. 

The 1st course was lightly torched Wagyu steak. What I loved about this dish, besides that it was Wagyu, was that the vinaigrette and pickled ingredients made this rich beef taste almost refreshing.  

The 2nd course was the sushi course with Chef David. I can't remember each item we ate but there were 5 delicious and fresh pieces. 

Our 3rd course was the Otsukuri (Sashimi) course. Any other day and the Kusshi Oyster would have been my favorite but I loved the O-toro. The O-toro came over a container that was lightly smoking it and topped with black lava salt. The dish was beautifully presented and was an incredible bite. 

The 4th course is hands down my favorite of the evening. Foie Gras Chawanmushi (custard), topped with a duck consomme, and crispy Peking duck. This dish had everything. Silky, crunchy, and and so much depth in duck flavor.

Shark skin flounder was our 5th course. This was a solid dish. The flounder was cooked beautifully and came with the most surprisingly sweet beans I've ever eaten. I love a happy surprise.

I was pleasantly surprised by the 6th course. I have tried miso glazed cod at a variety of Omakase dinners but the Miso glazed salmon Chef Yuhi prepared was delicious. The sweetness was well balanced which I appreciated. 

Definitely getting full at this point but it's so hard to stop when all of these incredible dishes are in front of us. I'll admit I didn't eat much of the 7th course because I knew it would be filling. We were given a large portion of mochi rice stuffed chicken topped with Peking drippings.

Over the last couple of years, I became a fan of lamb dishes. Our 8th course was one of the best lamb dishes I've ever eaten. The Hunan Lamb Shank with Japanese curry jus was coated with a delicious rub, crispy on the outside, and, incredibly tender inside.

The 9th course was unique and special. Tuna-kotsu ramen, tuna collar, and tuna prosciutto (that the chef cured himself). I'm not a fan of fish based soups personally but I did try this dish and could appreciate the efforts involved. 

Dessert was up next and it was delightful. Greg was given a creme caramel with caramel sauce and black sesame air cake. My dairy-free dessert was an almond milk custard topped with fruit, boba, and a mango sauce. It was all delicious and I wish I could buy that mango sauce! ​

We were definitely ready to be at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and to start relaxing so we woke up early for the 3.5 hour drive from Brunswick to Orlando. 

We checked into our hotel and our upgraded room wasn't quite ready yet but they would text us as soon as it was. We settled down at the Peacock Alley for a cocktail and snack while we waited for our room and friends to arrive. The mimosa and vegan Mediterranean Flatbread were delightful. 

We received a text saying our room was ready. Unfortunately, this was another fail. Last year we were in suite 930 and our room smelled like fried foods. The staff assured us that the vent issue was solved and so up we went to check our room 630. I was again hit in the face with a fried food smell the minute I walked into the room. There is a vent right above the entrance to these particular suites and it is connected to the kitchen. I am appalled that the Waldorf continues to let this occur. Back to reception we went and asked politely to turn down the upgrade and explained the situation again. 

The staff were friendly and gave us a smaller upgrade that wasn't quite ready yet. Our friends arrived and met us for drinks and fun while waiting for our room.  ​I also noticed after our check in that we were supposed to get complimentary breakfast vouchers but never did so. ​

We decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at Disney Springs since we waited for our room and our friends had to go home early. 

We chose to eat at The Edison. First Impressions were that the interior was unique and exciting but the lunch menu was limited so there was a bit of concern. Our server was very friendly, helpful with my allergies, and never made us wait. 

We started with cocktails and the DB Clothesline Candied Bacon (dairy free). We all loved the appetizer! The combination of sweet, salty, peppery and the chutney were delicious. For lunch we ordered the turkey club, the Edison burger, and the fish and chips. 

My fish and chips (also dairy free) were good but had a little too much coating on it. My friend stated the turkey club was the best she's ever had, and both guys enjoyed the burgers. 

I recommend this restaurant and I would return but probably for dinner rather than lunch. 

I thought I would have had a harder time finding a special request but found the rose gold mouse ears Porscha requested. For dessert we walked over to Sprinkles so I could enjoy a vegan red velvet cupcake!

We drove back to the port and the guys dropped off my friend, myself, and the kids. We had the two of us, our bags, the two kids, the two strollers, the purchases, the cupcakes, and more. Thankfully the security area was empty because we were a bit disheveled! We finally re-organized everything and made our way back up to the ship. Oddly enough the guys drove to the agency, got a very expensive cab ($20 for a 2 min cab ride), went through security and arrived on the ship only 5 minutes after us. 

It was time for the kids to settle down and get ready for bed. Greg and I went to our room and freshened up a bit. Tonight we went to the pub for some Bourbon, pretzels, and acoustic music. The servers were very friendly, thoughtful, and the music was right to our liking. 

Tomorrow we'll be in CocoCay and I'll share my thoughts on the Cabana rentals.