disneykid@hrt
01-25-2010, 06:14 PM
We then headed back to the room so Brie could get her snooze on and we could start getting jazzed up for Brielle’s Birthday dinner at California Grill! I had a special tutu dress made for Brie for this dinner. It was so cute! Hot Pink and black with a Minnie Mouse head on the shirt and Brielle’s name on it with the number 2. It really was perfect. She didn’t refuse to wear this one- which is further proof she just didn’t like the Snow White dress. (I sound bitter about the SnowWhite dress, don’t I?) We got to the Contemporary around 6:45 for our 7:15 ADR’s. At the check-in desk I asked if there was ANY possibility that we could get a window table. She told me that it was almost an impossibility. She said that people make reservations for 5:30 PM for an 8 o’clock Wishes showing. Darn it! But there is no way I would have been able to keep the kids behaved for that long at a restaurant! So we made our way up to the 15th floor. We still had a few minutes to wait and so we decided to check out the view from the balcony. Great view- wish I could have been able to capture it with my camera- but the pictures did it no justice. The only thing was that it was freezing cold and windy as heck. Things were starting to warm up the longer we were in Florida, but it was still very cold at night and in the mornings. (This is when the farmers were defrosting their crops around the clock.) So we had given up hope of a window seat and now realized we would not be able to enjoy the fireworks from the balcony because of the cold and wind. Maybe we’ll be close enough to the window to see the fireworks? I took Brie to the bathroom and couldn’t find the changing table. It was back in a separate bathroom that has a door that looked like a supply pantry. I told Brie it was the VIP Potty. I was so glad they had it separate. I hate when the tables are all out in the open. Especially when we have a SERIOUS diaper change. Like everyone wants to see THAT before they eat!! By the time we came out of the bathroom our buzzer was buzzing.
So our seater is telling us about the place. Her name was Jackie. “Great name!” She was walking all slowly and I was anxious and Brandon says I was “hardly letting her finish her sentences”. I was excited!! So she stops at this table by the window with confetti on it. It takes me a second to realize… but Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, we had a window seat. And not just any window seat… a GREAT window seat. (we were talking to the couple behind us- after Brielle threw a Goldfish at the gentlemen :tiphat:-and he said we had the best seat in the house.) I thought it might have been the best seat in the house, but I can’t see how there is a bad one- but it was a great view! I started crying. I couldn’t believe that I had been so blessed. Here we were, and for once everything was how I dreamed it would be! I felt like a Princess myself, and it wasn’t even MY birthday. Well- one part I hadn’t planned for was my newly 2 year old would not be on her best behavior. As I said earlier, she threw a Goldfish at the gentlemen behind us. She was just being combative. So when the server came Saad- whose birthday was also that day!- I told him that we were only going to be having entrees and birthday cake, and that we needed to keep things simple. So I ordered us all steaks- except Little Brandon who had a pizza. I was really impressed with the steak that was on the Kids Menu. It was $14- and was a really good portion. I had planned on ordering her an adult steak if I had to because my Brielle knows a good steak, and it is her fave. Well our food came just as the fireworks had begun. Perfect timing really. So here we were- “best seat in the house,” great food, great people, fireworks over Cinderella’s castle… I was in heaven:cloud9:. I couldn’t have asked for more. But there was…
So after our fabulous dinner, Saad cleared the table to make way for Brielle’s custom birthday cake. I called the Cake Hotline in early December and talked to somebody in Contemporary Private Dining. I knew I wanted a Mad Hatter style cake but she suggested I ask for flowers and just a real girly theme. The cake was beautiful! It was four layers, with a vanilla custard filling. The flowers and frosting were all pastel pinky colors. It had a layer of fondant and easily 2 dozen hand-made edible flowers. Edible Butterflies. Edible Bows. It was really a cool cake. It was not the best tasting cake I’ve ever had- but I have been spoiled by the local bakery that my family has been going to forever, they have DELISH cake… Anyway- the cake was cool. My Brie even blew out her candles! The people at the table next to us asked to take a picture. It really was cool. I’m sad it didn’t hold up too well. By the next morning it had a lean going on. Our fridge was full and so I couldn’t refrigerate it either. It was a $100 cake. I would order another one- but I’m not going to say it was worth every penny. Brielle’s birthday dinner was more than I could have ever asked for. We were some happy people. Even with Brie starting out a little out of control- I never felt really stressed about it, like I normally would at a restaurant like Cali Grill- and I think my staying calm worked to reign her back in more quickly. It was a great time, great view, great food, great service, a great experience. It is a memory I’ll treasure forever. Gosh, I’m tearing up just thinking about how truly Magical the whole thing was! I can’t wait to go back for a date night or something- and try a martini… or 2.
After we left the Contemporary we drove the back way back to POR, by Fort Wilderness, and talked about where we would stay the next time. (Which was great to hear because Brandon had been saying his usual “Disney just isn’t for me” crud. And I could tell a little Pixie Dust had finally landed on his shoulder.)
After dinner we let the kids play with their new toys and Brandon went and got us cocktails from the River Roost. (The piano guy is AWESOME!) It was nice to just relax. The day was perfect and the kids were happy! I think that as far as second birthday’s go, Brielle had to have one of the best. :party:
So our seater is telling us about the place. Her name was Jackie. “Great name!” She was walking all slowly and I was anxious and Brandon says I was “hardly letting her finish her sentences”. I was excited!! So she stops at this table by the window with confetti on it. It takes me a second to realize… but Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, we had a window seat. And not just any window seat… a GREAT window seat. (we were talking to the couple behind us- after Brielle threw a Goldfish at the gentlemen :tiphat:-and he said we had the best seat in the house.) I thought it might have been the best seat in the house, but I can’t see how there is a bad one- but it was a great view! I started crying. I couldn’t believe that I had been so blessed. Here we were, and for once everything was how I dreamed it would be! I felt like a Princess myself, and it wasn’t even MY birthday. Well- one part I hadn’t planned for was my newly 2 year old would not be on her best behavior. As I said earlier, she threw a Goldfish at the gentlemen behind us. She was just being combative. So when the server came Saad- whose birthday was also that day!- I told him that we were only going to be having entrees and birthday cake, and that we needed to keep things simple. So I ordered us all steaks- except Little Brandon who had a pizza. I was really impressed with the steak that was on the Kids Menu. It was $14- and was a really good portion. I had planned on ordering her an adult steak if I had to because my Brielle knows a good steak, and it is her fave. Well our food came just as the fireworks had begun. Perfect timing really. So here we were- “best seat in the house,” great food, great people, fireworks over Cinderella’s castle… I was in heaven:cloud9:. I couldn’t have asked for more. But there was…
So after our fabulous dinner, Saad cleared the table to make way for Brielle’s custom birthday cake. I called the Cake Hotline in early December and talked to somebody in Contemporary Private Dining. I knew I wanted a Mad Hatter style cake but she suggested I ask for flowers and just a real girly theme. The cake was beautiful! It was four layers, with a vanilla custard filling. The flowers and frosting were all pastel pinky colors. It had a layer of fondant and easily 2 dozen hand-made edible flowers. Edible Butterflies. Edible Bows. It was really a cool cake. It was not the best tasting cake I’ve ever had- but I have been spoiled by the local bakery that my family has been going to forever, they have DELISH cake… Anyway- the cake was cool. My Brie even blew out her candles! The people at the table next to us asked to take a picture. It really was cool. I’m sad it didn’t hold up too well. By the next morning it had a lean going on. Our fridge was full and so I couldn’t refrigerate it either. It was a $100 cake. I would order another one- but I’m not going to say it was worth every penny. Brielle’s birthday dinner was more than I could have ever asked for. We were some happy people. Even with Brie starting out a little out of control- I never felt really stressed about it, like I normally would at a restaurant like Cali Grill- and I think my staying calm worked to reign her back in more quickly. It was a great time, great view, great food, great service, a great experience. It is a memory I’ll treasure forever. Gosh, I’m tearing up just thinking about how truly Magical the whole thing was! I can’t wait to go back for a date night or something- and try a martini… or 2.
After we left the Contemporary we drove the back way back to POR, by Fort Wilderness, and talked about where we would stay the next time. (Which was great to hear because Brandon had been saying his usual “Disney just isn’t for me” crud. And I could tell a little Pixie Dust had finally landed on his shoulder.)
After dinner we let the kids play with their new toys and Brandon went and got us cocktails from the River Roost. (The piano guy is AWESOME!) It was nice to just relax. The day was perfect and the kids were happy! I think that as far as second birthday’s go, Brielle had to have one of the best. :party: