- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Day 1 of Family Trip to Orlando
Monday, June 8, 2026
Paul and I go to Discovery Cove at least once every summer in Orlando and this year I decided to get the tickets which include unlimited visits to SeaWorld and Aquatica for 14 days. Since I bought my mom the Premier Annual Pass for Busch Gardens for Christmas, she also gets unlimited access to both of those parts and just so happened to have free guest passes to bring my stepdad, Jimmy, so we enjoyed a fun family trip during the week when crowds were low.
First stop was dinner at Yard House in Icon Park.
There was a short wait so I grabbed a Dragon Fruit Cosmo (Skyy vodka, dragon fruit, citrus agave, cranberry juice, lemon, foaming bitters $12.29) from the bar while we waited which was not only pretty with a slice of dried dragon fruit garnish, but also very tasty.
Once we were seated, I got the Coco Passion (Rumhaven coconut, Blue Char Bay banana rum, Captain Morgan spiced rum, passion fruit puree, citrus agave, pineapple juice, and fresh pineapple $13.79) which was also delicious and helped me get into vacation mode.
To start. we always get the Poke Nachos appetizer (marinated raw ahi, crispy wontons, avocado, serranos, white truffle sauce, sweet soy ginger sauce, srirachi aioli, cilantro, green onions, nori, sesame seeds $18.49). Mom doesn't like spicy so we asked for no serranos and spicy sauce on the side for me to dip. It's great that you can get it customize to make it just how you like it.
I also got the Cripsy Brussels Sprouts (Gochujang sauce, crispy garlic, malt vinegar aioli dip $12.49) because I'm a dietitian who likes to get plenty of yummy veggies at meals. It was a large portion since it was an appetizer meant to be shared and not just a side dish, so I was able to take it back to the hotel to enjoy as a snack over the next couple days.
Mom and I also shared the new Pan-Seared Scallops (creamy polenta, asparagus, blistered tomatoes, grilled corn, garlic butter $37.49). The scallops were very salty to the point where we had to scrape off the seasoning. Since it was new, I'm not sure if the cook just accidentally overseasoned it. Everything else on the dish was really good but for the price I don't think I would try it again.
Jimmy got the Whiskey Glazed Salmon (whiskey black pepper glazed, parmesan mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, grilled baby broccoli $27.99) which is his usual and he enjoyed.
After dinner we strolled around Icon Park to walk off the food a little bit and saw some beautiful murals.
Comments