No credit left behind...7 days of the deluxe dining plan 5/3 - 5/10/08

[hmgray95]

Hello all!

This is my first time writing a dining review so be kind to me...

First of all, let me give you some background on my family....I am 35 (although I was a mere babe of 34 when we went on this trip), and my husband is 35 as well. We have one daughter who is 4 going on 14, and one son who is now 4 months but was 3 months when we made the trip, and therefore consistently had the best attitude of all of us seeing as how he couldn't whine or complain, and slept through nearly everything. I am a WDW vet and have been going to the world since I was just a baby myself. I am also a card carrying member of the Disney Obsessed and Over-Planning Membership (or DOOM as I affectionally like to call it)....and if you are reading this post, you are probably a member as well (should we create a secret handshake?). DH loves Disney, but doesn't understand my obsession to plan our trips months (or even years) in advance and therefore lovingly humors my compulsion to constantly ask his opinion on my latest touring plan (which changes by the minute, so I am looking into having him nominated for sainthood). DD loves princesses, so of course loves Disney as well, and DS just loves to sleep and spit up at this point, so the jury's still out on his feelings about Disney. I'm afraid that I don't have any food porn for you guys, as DH's willingness to humor me did not extend to taking flash photography of food inside of dimly lit restaurants.

In the past, we have always paid OOP for our food, but in my planning zeal, I decided that it was time for us to put the dining plan to the test. After a mere 3 months of debating the merits of the regular dining plan versus the deluxe with DH....this consisted mainly of me outlining the pros and cons of each to him on a daily basis while he wearily nodded his head and mumbled "Whatever you want to do is fine with me"....I finally decided on the deluxe plan. I did have a difficult time making this decision....I had read so many comments about how it was just too much food for most people...but DH and I are big eaters, so I thought it might make sense for us. For those people who are debating this same choice, here's my list of pros and cons:

Pro: We can eat more table service meals.

We can do some things we wouldn't ordinarily do, like the luau.

We don't have to keep track of how many counter service meals we have to split between us because we will have 3 meals per person each day.

We will have more flexibilty....i.e. if we have a table service reservation made, but aren't hungry we can skip it and grab a counter service meal elsewhere later. Or if we are very hungry and had planned to grab a counter service meal, we can switch to a table service meal (incidentally, this happened on 3 separate occasions).

The resort mugs are included (and we always buy them)

We will have plenty of snack credits for water & drinks.

Cons: It costs twice as much


While it would seem like an obvious choice given the above lists, the one con was a big one to me. I was concerned that we would not get our money's worth out of the deluxe plan. But once I laid out the list of places that we would like to eat (some of which we would have to pay for OOP since we wouldn't have enough credits to cover them on the regular dining plan), and calculating the approximate total cost between the regular dining plan and the OOP expenses (have I mentioned how completely obsessed with planning I am?), I came to the realization that the deluxe plan would only cost us about $200.00 more. As most of you know, $200.00 in the grand scheme of a WDW vacation is a mere pittance....so bring on the deluxe plan, I thought!

Day 1:

We arrived on Saturday, May 3rd at around 12:00, and since we'd been up since 4 a.m. and had survived to this point on airport danishes and coffee, we were starving and a more than a little caffeine buzzed. We didn't want to waste a day of our tickets on less than a full day in the parts, so we headed straight to Downtown Disney and Wolfgang Puck's Express. We had never eaten here before but I had read so many good reviews of the place that I was dying to try it. All I can say is that it definitely lived up to it's reputation. I had the BBQ Chicken Quesadilla, with a chocolate fudge cookie. This was an absolutely perfect dish...the tortilla was grilled just right...nice and soft in the middle and just crunchy enough on the edges...and the barbecue sauce was a good blend of sweet and spicy. And since I was giving the baby a bottle while eating, it had the extra plus of being able to eat with one hand! DH had the Rigatoni with Chicken Alfredo and soft serve yogurt for dessert. His pasta was great as well....the alfredo was nice and creamy, and the chicken had a great grilled taste. DD had the kids cheese quesadilla and a chocolate cookie...and since she ate about half of it, I would say she must have enjoyed it (she's a lightweight when it comes to eating). The place was almost empty when we got there, as it was close to 3:00 by the time we arrived, and since it was not terribly hot that day, we ate outside. The outdoor seating area was really very nice (and completely shaded, which is rare for outdoor seating at Disney), and since there weren't too many people around, we were able to turn DD loose and let her chase after the birds (her intention was to feed them, but she doesn't believe that you have to drop the food on the ground and they will come get it. She thinks they will eat it out of your hands...this is what comes of watching Disney princess movies where they all frolic with small birds and woodland creatures). The only issue that we had with WPE was that when they brought out our food, they forgot to bring DH's salad, so he had to ask for it. Then we watched as the server we asked to bring it walked by us while leaving because her shift was over....so he had to go up to the counter to get it. But that wasn't a big deal, and certainly not enough to keep us from returning. This one is definitely on our list for next trip.

DH ate his soft serve...which tasted like soft serve, although they did have some chocolate sauce to put over it, which was a nice touch, but DD and I stowed the cookies for later. Why, you ask? Why because we were on our way to Goofy's Candy Co to customize some rice krispy treats and marshmallows, that's why!

We have never done this before....but having read about it on the boards I made it a must do on my list for this trip. DH chose a rice krispy treat, and DD chose marshmallows. I wisely chose not to get anything, because having seen the pictures on the boards of other people's treats, I knew that the two of them would have more than enough to spare. DH got his dipped in chocolate, drizzled in caramel, and then dipped in M&M's and Butterfingers. DD got her's dipped in chocolate and then dipped in M&M's and sprinkles. I just have to tell you, these were both the most enormous concoctions I have ever seen it my left, and for one snack credit apiece, were probably the best bargain at WDW. We got them to go as we didn't want to waste any valuable shopping time at DTD on eating treats. We broke into them later on and let me warn you, as the voice of experience, don't give these to your kids right before bedtime, or bedtime will come much later than it usually does.

We had reservations that night for Chef Mickey's, another place that wed had not eaten before (we are usually creatures of habit, but I wanted to expand our horizons on this trip). After arriving 15 minutes late, we were still seated almost immediately. This might have had something to do with the fact that it was 9:00 at night, and not many people were still eating dinner that late. We sat down, and dutifully following the instructions of the hostess, immediately told our server that we were on the deluxe dining plan. Our server's cheery response...."You don't need to tell me that until later". Okay, we thought...slight miscommunication between the host stand and the servers....no big deal...and we were off to examine the buffet. Let me say right here that we are fans of buffet eating in general....we like to have lots of choices and we like to be able to eat all we like. We usually find a plethora of choices at most WDW buffets. But we found that Chef Mickey's was a little lacking in variety. The food was very good...which I was a little surprised by, as I had read several negative reviews of dinner there....but there wasn't just a lot to choose from. The parmesan mashed potatoes were yummy (as everyone says they are), and I also liked the prime rib quite a bit, and the mango barbecue ribs. DD loved the Mickey Ravioli (in fact she cleaned her plate, something that very rarely happens). And the desserts were very good....DD stuck with the sundae bar (and who could blame her), while DH and I sampled from the dessert tables. I particularly enjoyed the oreo with the chocolate mousse Mickey hat on it, and the bread pudding. The character interaction was good....although it seemed like the rotation of the characters was an odd loop and hard to follow, which meant that we were constantly darting back to the table while making trips to the buffet line to make sure that we didn't miss any characters. But the thing that will make me probably never return to Chef Mickey's was the service. As people who have done our tour of duty as waitstaff, it takes an awful lot to get a poor tip out of DH and I. But the server we had there managed to accomplish that feat. Her name was Charlotte....if you get her while on your next trip to Chef Mickey's, I recommend that you ask to be seated elsewhere. We had to ask for refills on our drinks no less than 3 times apiece before those refills came and it took her forever to bus our dirty dishes. But the kicker came at the end, when she presented us with our check (without asking if we were ready for it), and it was not the dining plan bill, but a regular bill as if we were paying out of pocket. This would not have been a big deal...after all, when you serve as many people in a day as this woman does, it would be very easy to forget at the end of the day that someone had mentioned that they were on the meal plan. But when my husband said to her, "Oh, we're on the dining plan", she looked at him and said (and this is a direct quote), "Well, you should have told me that earlier." Excuse me....but I'm pretty sure we did say that earlier, and when we oh so gently reminded her that we had, she said (and this is another direct quote)..."No you didn't". Oh Charlotte....I'm afraid that the tip meter just dipped very low for you.

And thus ends day 1. I'll be back later with more...unless of course all the replies I get from you are all that I am boring you with my verbal diarrhea and that you don't want me to return.

[Crazy4disknee]

Great reviews so far. You keep writing, I will keep reading.

[iluvpluto27]

Great start. Looking forward to more.

[phabric]

Enjoyed your review. Will be looking for more.

[undertheseas]

You're off to a great start! :goodvibes

[mjaure]

I enjoyed your review and will be waiting for more! My family is doing the deluxe dining plan in October and I am interested to see how it worked for you.

--Mary

[Minnie M6]

Keep it coming...popcorn:: Very enjoyable and informative

[Avojeo]

I am loving your reviews!!! Keep writing!!!

[TigerKat]

I'm on board.......popcorn::

[tink1957]

Thanks for the great report:) You're off to a good start:cool1:

I can't believe that Charlotte will last long at WDW with that attitude:(

Can't wait to read more.

[John's Mom]

Great reviews! I'm in! popcorn::

[fenfur]

Isn't frolicking with woodland creatures and wild birds normal for everyone? Geesh mom, wait till she starts feeding the squirrels, lol.

Can't WAIT for more, great descriptions and fantastic writing.

But a great big ole raspberry to DH for not allowing pictures.

[juttawdw]

Great review , can't wait for more.

[hmgray95]

This was our first full day in the parks, and we spent it at MK. On my original dining plan, I had scheduled a quick counter service breakfast at Roaring Fork food court since we were staying at WL. However, upon reviewing my dining plan for the 7 millionth time (okay, 8 millionth), it occurred to me that we had only one table service meal scheduled for this day, and it was for very late that night, so why not take advantage of our flexibility with the deluxe plan and have a big table service breakfast? I quickly ran through my table service options for MK in my head, and realized that I had two choices: CRT or CP. Okay, then I guess we'll be eating at Crystal Palace. I called up reservations, who promptly told me I was crazy if I thought I was going to get a reservation a mere 3 days before the date I wanted (not really, but we were all thinking it, right?). Of course they told me that nothing was available, so my new plan was to see how long the walk-up wait was, and if it was too long, then we would grab some breakfast items at the Main Street Bakery. Upon arriving at MK at around 9:30, we discovered that the front of the park was packed, so you can imagine my surprise when I was told it was only a 35 minute wait for a table. I put my name down, pulled up a park bench and sat down to feed the baby while we waited....and a mere 15 minutes later we were seated! Damn those speedy Disney employees...the baby hadn't even finished his bottle yet!

This was our third time eating at CP, and we have never been disappointed. The character interaction is great (Tigger in particular is always fun), and the food is always hot, fresh and available in copious quantities. The service is always friendly and efficient, and for such a large venue, the characters always come by fairly quickly, which is important to me, as I am a fast eater, and as a type A personality, I cannot stand to just sit and wait without having something to do. While I enjoy most of the dishes at CP, the highlights for me are the potato casserole (a yummy combo of diced potatoes in a creamy cheese/sour cream sauce topped with a breadcrumb like topping), the puffed French toast (while this is technically a kids buffet item, don't let this stop you....I have routinely pushed away the kiddies in order to get to them), and the breakfast lasagna (a heavenely concoction that I can only describe as a creamy, warm, cinnamony slice of goodness that you gain 5 lbs just looking at). On this trip, they had added Mickey waffles to the buffet line, which was a very nice plus indeed, as they were perfectly cooked...crispy on the outside, and soft and warm in the middle. I also give CP props for being one of the few places at WDW that had infant seats. These are an ingenious little invention for those people who are traveling with an infant that is too small to sit up in a high chair, but who doesn't have a car seat with them to place baby in while dining. If you haven't seen one, it is a hybrid of an infant seat on top of a high chair bottom, and DS was quite comfortable in it, while myself and DH, who had resigned ourselves to a week of holding him in our laps while trying not to drop scalding hot food on his head, were thrilled beyond measure to learn of it's existence.

We rolled ourselves out of CP and headed to Fantasyland where we spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon on the rides. I will say that while the front of the park was very crowded, once you got past the hub, the crowds thinned out a lot, and we didn't wait more than 15 minutes for any attraction for the rest of the day.

We had a late dinner ressie, so we decided to head back to the WL and refresh ourselves in the pool for a while. The dining plan called for a quick counter service lunch, so we decided to grab something at Roaring Fork and eat by the pool. Let me say right now that we loved the WL...the theming is gorgeous, our inner courtyard view was stupendous, the service was great, and the convenience of being near MK was wonderful. Our stay there was pratically perfect in every way (to quote our friend Bert from Mary Poppins). We will stay there again in a heartbeat. But WL has one huge, glaring flaw....and that flaw is Roaring Fork. Perhaps I am just too used to the food courts at the moderates (we have stayed at POFQ, CSR and CBR in the past), but I think that this might be the smallest eatery I have ever seen at WDW. There are maybe 10 tables inside, with another 10 outside. There are only 2 stations, one hot and one cold. Even though it was 3:00 in the afternoon and well after the lunchtime rush, there was still a line at the hot station, and since that was the only place I could get chicken nuggets for DD (what is it with kids and chicken nuggets, anyhow? How can they eat them so often without getting sick of them?), I had no choice but to join the line. Luckily, the nuggets were already cooked and ready to go, so it did go fairly quickly. I choose some sandwiches and random desserts for DH and myself, and collected our refillable mugs that came with our plan. As I approached check out, laden with food, the young man at the register said to me, "Don't you want to get the drinks that come with your meals?" I pointed out to him that I was just going to use our refillable mugs instead, and he said, "OKay....I just wanted to make sure that you knew you were wasting money". While I did find it very refreshing that someone at Disney World actually cared about parting me from my hard earned cash, I have to admit I found his comment very humorous....I mean, how much could I possibly have been wasting by not getting 3 drinks?

Anyhoo, DD was very happy with her nuggets, and the sandwiches (turkey and brie for DH and ham and tillmook cheddar for myself) were absolutely enormous. I swear there was an entire pig on my sandwich. I could not get through it, so DH kindly finished it off for me (this happens a lot when we go out to eat). For dessert, I had gotten a bar cookie, an oatmeal raisin cookie and a Mickey rice krispy treat. THe bar cookie looked great, and had everything but the kitchen sink on it...chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, nuts, you name it...but really didn't have much taste. The oatmeal raisin cookie on the other hand was great. Soft, chewy and with a lovely hint of cinnamon.

Dinner was at CRT. After a quick trip to the BBB (side note....if you have a little girl, I highly recommend this place...DD had a blast), we presented ourselves for our 8:20 reservation. I think I was probably the most excited to eat there, and yes, I do realize how sad that is. After some pics of DD with Cindy in the lobby, we were ushered upstairs and seated at a table overlooking Fantasyland. How cool is that...we got a window table without even asking! The ambience of the room is very nice....it's fairly small, and has lots of wood and maroon velvet and heraldic symbols all over. The show that the Fairy Godmother and the mice put on was very cute, although could have been a little shorter....how many times can you hear "Bippity, Boppity, Boo" before your ears start to bleed? For appetizers, DH chose the Spring Roll, while I went for the Crab and Corn soup. Both were excellent. The spring roll was nice and crispy, but the vegetables inside were still crisp/tender and the dipping sauce was nicely sweet without being overpowering. The Crab and Corn soup was creamy and loaded with crab, but was not too fishy. For entrees, I chose the prime rib with gratin potatoes, and DH got the lamb with potatoes, vegetable ragout and herb pesto drizzle. Both were also very nice as well. My prime rib was nicely cooked, which is hard to accomplish for me, as I want it cooked long enough to not be bloody and raw, but yet still be cool and pink in the center. DH's lamb was very tender....and even though I am not usually a fan of lamb, I thought it was really tasty. DD got the beefaroni, which she normally scarfs down, but she didn't eat much....she was pretty tired by this point. I got the chocolate cream cheese buckle with chocolate ice cream and chocolate drizzle...some might say this dish has too much chocolate, but I say those people are crazy! This was hand down, my favorite dessert of the week. WHile the chocolate cake was very rich, the cream cheese cut it so that it was nicely balanced, and the juxtposition of the warm cake and the cold ice cream was great. DH chose the poached pear with angel food cake and mango sorbet....an odd choice for him, as he is normally a chocolate guy, but he pronounced it excellent and said it was perfect after the heavy lamb. DH got the crown sundae, which came it with cutest little chocolate crown you have ever seen on top of it.

In total, CRT was our favorite meal of the week, and when you consider that you get the photo package included and the fact that we were on the deluxe plan, we felt it was totally worth the 6 credits we used. We will definitely go back again.

Here's a little tip for those people who are planning on eating dinner at the castle....get ressies for about an hour and a half before the fireworks are scheduled to start. We were not inside the castle when the fireworks started, but as we were leaving we discovered that they had already closed off the ramps leading to the castle from the hub, so you can watch the fireworks from the ramps without being crowded by anyone else, and have a great view of Tink coming down her wire almost directly above you. At least that's what would have happened for us if DD wasn't in a "I'm totally freaked out by fireworks phase".

More to come...we've still got a lot of credits to use!

[iluvpluto27]

Great update. We're doing the dxddp for the first time on our next trip so it's really good to see how you used it.

[Phelpsie70]

Fantastic report, I'm loving your reviews and your writing style. Can't wait to hear more!

Michele

[qv09vvp]

I'm in...

[KatMark]

Loving your reviews. I loved your description of the Crystal Palace and the puffed french toast and pushing kiddies out of the way. I glare at them so I get my fair share! :lmao:

[pooch]

I'm enjoying your reviews but they have also made me glad we did not choose the deluxe plan. I'm totally full and its only day 2!!! Can't wait for more!!!!:thumbsup2

[sherry8253]

Jumping on board. Great reviews.

[Peggy Jean]

popcorn:: :rolleyes1

[jacksmom]

Love your reviews! Can't wait for more!:rotfl2:

[2giddy4wdw]

Got me hooked too!! Keep it coming!:banana:

[princesslily]

:earboy2: I can't wait for more! I get to make my ressies on June 13 :woohoo:

[dizneyrules]

popcorn:: More, more!! Type faster!

[Scornelius]

I'm absolutely loving your report!! Can't wait for more!!!!:worship:

[jeminni]

Great reviews. :) My 180 day mark is June 14th :yay:

[Leslieann1024]

:yay: Ready for more . . . . . where are ya ?!?!
You threw the bait, now reel us in ! (and no, having a life does NOT excuse you !)

[lUVTOGO]

Great Report so far! We are on the Deluxe plan in July so I am very interested in your reviews!!

[SassyLassy]

Great reviews! Now I want some pesto!! lol

[hmgray95]

Sorry for the delay everyone...I did bring my laptop home from work with every intention of doing some more reviews this weekend, but alas, I had too much going on this weekend to log on....aside from showers and sleeping, I don't think I spent more than an hour at home either day!

Anyhow, back to the reviews! Day 3 was our first attempt at park hopping with the kids. On last year's trip (when we only had DD and she was just about to turn 3) we decided not to do park hoppers....we felt like it would be too hard with a child. This year, since we were staying at WL and therefore had easy access to the MK by boat (and therefore the monorail as well), we decided to spread our wings and park hop, even though we had DS on board this year as well as DD. I have to say, it was much easier than I thought it would be. I think that was mostly because last year we were stupid enough to bring DD's jogging stroller which is roughly the size of a Pontiac while this year I smartly purchased a double umbrella stroller, so getting on the buses was not nearly the hassle it was last year. So, park hopping plan in hand, we started day 3 at AK, with Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House. I was quite sad when I heard that they were changing Tusker House from counter service to table service, as I always thought that TH was the best counter service at the World. However, I was glad to see that while changing it to table service, they still kept the same excellent food. This was a really good buffet. There were tons of options...both classic American style and some African inspired dishes...and everything was very fresh. I particulary enjoyed the cheese blintzes and the fruit selection, which was by far the best fruit selection of any buffet that I have been at in WDW. The characters were great, and this is one of the few places where Daisy appears, which thrilled DD. They have a cute little parade around the room, very similar to the parade at CP, where the characters lead the kids around while dancing, and in this case, shaking various African instruments. True to form, DD, who is never shy about "shaking her booty" at home (yes, she really says that..who says they don't learn anything at school), refused to participate unless I did as well. So there I was, standing out like a sore thumb admist all the midgets, shaking my marimba.

We had a late seating at TH, so by the time lunchtime rolled around, we were really only a little peckish, and since DD was napping in the stroller, I suggested to DH that I would get us a counter service meal to share while she slept. I wanted to try Yak & Yeti since it was new (by the way....is there any more unappetizing name for a restaurant than Yak & Yeti...insert your mystery meat Chinese food joke here), so we headed for the seating area on the side, and promptly remembered why we try at all costs to avoid eating lunch during peak dining hours. While there was an abundance of seats, they were all taken, and at any rate very few had any shade, which for DH, DD and DS, all of whom develop a lovely golden tan as soon as the sun touches them, is not a problem, but for myself who burns even while wearing SPF 70, is a major issue. So having packed my handy Neat Sheet (I highly recommend bringing one of these with you....there is literally a million different uses for it at the parks), we headed off to find a shady spot where we could have ourselves a picnic. I then got in the very long line at Y&Y. After 20 minutes of standing in the sun and attempting not to die from heatstroke, it occurred to me that it was odd that the line had not moved forward at all. It was then that I realized that there was some sort of problem with the computer system. Determined to try Y&Y (and really too lazy to pack up and move to a different place), I stayed in the line another 5 minutes only to hear the woman running the cash register announce that her system had just completely died. Undaunted by this turn of events (and again, really lazy), I moved to a different line. Standing here for another 10 minutes, I realize that the computer system problem is affecting all registers, and that the problem was that while the registers were working, they were not transmitting any of the orders being taken back to the kitchen to be filled. At this point, having already invested 35 minutes in this endeavor, I was damned if I was going to quit now. The manager (bless her heart....she just kept saying "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" to every customer she could find) had figured out a way around the problem by handwriting every order and taking it to the window....why it did not occur to her to just have the customer hand their receipt to the person at the kitchen counter, I am not sure. So a mere 50 minutes after I first got in line, I collected my crispy orange chicken with white rice and mango pie, and headed over to DH, who at seeing my face, realized that asking me what the hell took so long was probably not a good idea. At this point DD was awake, and hungry, so fortunately, she is a fan of Asian food, and happily shared in our crispy orange chicken, as I was not going to get in that line again. The food, I am happy to report, was fairly good. It was nothing special, and certainly not worth the 50 minutes it took, but I will go back, because quite frankly, I don't like any of the other counter service options at AK. The chicken was really just chicken nuggets with an orange sauce, but it was a nice lite sauce, not drenched as most Chinese places do, so it won my seal of approval. The mango pie was quite yummy....almost like a key lime pie, but with a mango flavor, whic is a really stupid description, but the best I can come up with.

For dinner, we had reservations at Biergarten at Epcot. This is DH's one requirement when we got to WDW....we must have dinner at Biergarten. He is a huge German food fan, and an even bigger beer fan, and while beer is readily available where we live, German food is not, so he is always very excited to go to Biergarten. I normally am as well, but they did not have any infant seats here, nor would they allow us to bring our stroller inside. This meant that we had to eat while holding DS, and I had a splitting headache from being in the sun so much that day, so between the two, I was not feeling the Biergarten love as much this time. Adding to that the fact that we shared a table with a family from Latin/South American who seemed very nice, but spoke no English, and that the band was finishing their set as we were being seated, so we didn't even get to see the show, and I was definitely getting annoyed. The food was good (if you go, get the pork schnitzel and the Bavarian cheesecake....both are always tremendous), but it seemed like they had less choices than usual....and they did, as DH [pointed out to me that pork knuckle was no longer available (not much of a loss in my book, but devastating to DH). DH enjoyed his giant mug o'beer, but due to my headache (and the fact that I was afraid that I would drop the baby if I started drinking), I chose not to imbibe, which also made it a lot less fun than usual. All in all, it was good, but just seemed kind of off for us this trip (DH agreed as well), and I think we will probably just get DH a counter service lunch and beer at Sommerfest next time instead of doing the full buffet.

That's it for day 3.....stay tuned as day 4 will be coming soon!

[Dr. J.]

It's a total bummer how work sometimes interferes with all things Dis. But we do have to pay for our addiction:rotfl2:

[hmgray95]

I forgot to mention that at the character breakfast at Tusker House, you pause for a photo opportunity before heading in to eat. This is just a family shot with an African style backdrop. They present the photos to you during your meal, and you can purchase them for the low, low price of 31.95. Ours was actually pretty decent, so we did purchase it...plus I had pre-ordered a Photopass CD and knew that I could add all the photos from this photo stop onto my CD if I purchased the package, so I ended up with all 4 photos the photographer took. Here's a pic in case you are interested in seeing what the backdrop looks like....this is my first time posting a picture, so I hope it comes through

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn284/hmgray95/image143.jpg

[tink1957]

Great family pic, thats a cute group you have there.::yes::

[DisneyJo]

Great reviews and your DD is just adorable :goodvibes

[SunnieRN]

What a wonderful picture! I am enjoying your trip report and looking forward to more! Your daughter is adorable!

[bakerhouse]

Loving the reviews. Glad you posted a picture so we can put faces to the reviews.

We're going in November and staying at WL. You are giving me great ideas!

[Avojeo]

I am loving your reviews!!! The family pic is adorable!!!

[2crazy4disney]

I am disappointed that the Biergarten at Epcot isn't a counter service because my DS8 has been talking about a Schnitzel all the time at home even though he has never had one and we really wanted to get him one. I wonder if you could go in and ask if it was possible to purchase just that. We have all our ADR's made so we only have CS left.

The Yak & Yeti has CS and TS because they have a cafe by what I read.

I am glad to see there are other people on here who are new to the DIS forums and are earning their ears. I have been trying to get a vacation ticker on here and have no idea how to do it. ::(

2crazy4disney
Chris
Driving from upstate NY
POP-Aug 08 FDP

[hmgray95]

I am disappointed that the Biergarten at Epcot isn't a counter service because my DS8 has been talking about a Schnitzel all the time at home even though he has never had one and we really wanted to get him one. I wonder if you could go in and ask if it was possible to purchase just that. We have all our ADR's made so we only have CS left.

The Yak & Yeti has CS and TS because they have a cafe by what I read.

I am glad to see there are other people on here who are new to the DIS forums and are earning their ears. I have been trying to get a vacation ticker on here and have no idea how to do it. ::(

2crazy4disney
Chris
Driving from upstate NY
POP-Aug 08 FDP


The German pavilion does have a counter service restaurant....it's called Sommerfest, and it's located right next to the Biergarten....but I think they only have sausages, pretzel and beer, and no schnitzel.

[2crazy4disney]

:cool1: Thank you hmgray95 for the info. You are the first to actually respond to my thread.

We will check that out! I am glad you had a great trip. We are looking forward to going but not the ride down. Driving is much cheaper than flying with a family of 5.

We love the dining plan, which is what made it affordable for us to go.

We will be celebrating DD and DS 's birthdays while down there since they are both at the begining of September and we will be there at the end of August.

Chris, DH, DS 17, DD 13, DS 8

[faindrops27]

I am disappointed that the Biergarten at Epcot isn't a counter service because my DS8 has been talking about a Schnitzel all the time at home even though he has never had one and we really wanted to get him one. I wonder if you could go in and ask if it was possible to purchase just that. We have all our ADR's made so we only have CS left.

The Yak & Yeti has CS and TS because they have a cafe by what I read.

I am glad to see there are other people on here who are new to the DIS forums and are earning their ears. I have been trying to get a vacation ticker on here and have no idea how to do it. ::(

2crazy4disney
Chris
Driving from upstate NY
POP-Aug 08 FDP

You are going to need two windows open. Click on edit your signature on the disboards. Then, click on my ticker, and another screen with ticker options will come up. Pick vacation ticker, put in your dates, copy, and paste the the whole code, in your disboards signature window. Viola. :goodvibes

[2crazy4disney]

Maybe you need so many posts before you can do that, because I don't see a edit your signature on here. Thanks for your help.

2crazy4disney

[tink1957]

Go to quick links on the dark blue line (its the next to the last one on the right) at the top of the screen, then edit signature & follow the previous directions. Hope this helps.:)

[hmgray95]

Sorry for the delay in posting updates....I have actually started a post on two separate occasions, only to have DS start having a meltdown both times and I had to stop.

Day 4 was another park hopping day. We had 8:40 ADRs for Kona Cafe. Why, you may ask yourself, would we go out of our way to have breakfast away from our hotel or a park on a day when we were already going to be jumping around? Two words: Tonga Toast. After much perusal of the food porn on this forum, I had decided that I had to try it. We arrived a few minutes before our ADRs, and I checked in at the stand. It must be pointed out at this point that English was not the hostess' first language, and she seemed to be struggling understanding my name and finding me in the computer. After a few minutes, I was on the verge of pulling out my daily schedule and giving her my confirmation number (I know, how big of a geek, am I?), when she finally located me, and after asking if they had an infant seat for DS, and being assured that they did, I joined DH by the railing overlooking the atrium. After about 10 minutes of trying to keep DD from throwing things over said railing ("But Mommy, he's doing it....why can't I?" she would cry as various young hooligans let fly with projectiles), I suddenly realized that all of the people who checked in after me were now seated, and yet our name had not been called yet. As if a fairy had read my thoughts, the hostess immediately called out our last name....only it was for a party of three, not a party of four like we were. As I have a not uncommon last name, I chalked it up to coincidence, and resumed my battle with DD. A few minutes later, our last name was called again....and yet again, it was for a party of 3. Thinking that perhaps the baby was not being counted as a person (easy enough mistake....he is pretty small), I went to the hostess stand to ask if she meant our party. Indeed we were not that party....it turns out she had pulled up someone's dinner reservation for that night, and not my breakfast ressie. I was assured that we would be seated shortly, and I reminded them that I needed an infant seat. Upon being led to our table, we find a high chair. Apparently, the hostess' command of English did not extend to the differences between the high chair and the infant seat any more than they did between my first name and some guy named David's first name. They did find us a table that could fit our stroller though, so about 20 minutes after we arrived, we were finally seated. At this point, DH, who didn't really understand the need to travel from pillar to post just for breakfast, pounces upon the waiter, and demands the only thing that he requires out of breakfast, which is coffee, or as I like to call it, his version of crack. DH was actually excited to be ordering coffee here, as I had enticed him into agreeing to going to Kona for breakfast with the words "French press" and "real coffee, not Nescafe swill". So you can imagine his disapointment when the waiter tells him that they are having a problem with the water lines which means they can't fill the press pots. He also mentions that the bathroom around the corner, which DD was in need of at this point, may not be working either for the same reason. I took DD to the bathroom anyhow, and it was working, so upon returning to the table, I tell DH to give it another shot at the press pot, which he does, and imagine our surprise when this time, the waiter says no problem. I should point out that our waiter did not seem terribly bright....when DH asked him if the Eggs Benedict were a pretty large portion, he described them as being the size of an english muffin and then topped with ham and eggs. Thanks....we really might have had trouble figuring that out ourselves. Anyhow, our food finally arrived....although I did not get my strawberry compote with the Tonga Toast, but at this point, who cares....and I must say the Tonga Toast was everything it is described as. Crunchy on the outside, and pillowy soft on the inside and filled with banana goodness...if you haven't tried it, you really should. DH did get the Eggs Benedict and it was quite good as well....very nice balance on the Hollandaise sauce, and DD got the Mickey pancake, which she devoured as she does anything that is covered in maple syrup. I will give Kona another try since the food really was good, but I think we will try dinner next time, and I think we will stay at the Poly as well since it was really a beautiful resort.

One funny side note about our trip to Kona.....I needed to take DS to the bathroom to change him after breakfast, and as I was pulling out his wipes and diapers, DH says, "Hey, I know that guy....I went to high school with him". Now this is something that I hear on a daily basis with DH whenever we step outside the house....he is forever saying that this guy looks familiar, and he knows that girl, and I generally just nod and smile, because after 11 years together I am tired of hearing it. And while most of the time he really does know the person, in my head I'm thinking, yeah, whatever, when he announced it this time. So I come out of the bathroom, and my jaw drops, because he's talking to the guy, and it turns out he really did go to high school with him! What are the odds of that?!?

We hopped on the monorail to head to MK (another reason why I think we will stay at the Poly next time....that monorail is so darn convenient), and spent the morning there doing some more rides. We then hopped back on the monorail and headed to Epcot. It was early afternoon at this point, and we were a little hungry and the kids were napping, so we headed for World Showcase. We decided that we would split a CS meal at the Cantina de San Angel, because they have a nice shaded outdoor eating area, so I hop in line and get us a combo meal. Since this is the Mexico pavilion, the CM's are of course all from Mexico, and therefore English is not their first language, either (are you sensing a theme here, people). After telling him that I wanted to use a DP credit, he presents me with my receipt and asks me to sign it. I get back to the table before it ocurs to me that I don't normally have to sign for the CS credits, and looking at my slip I realize that he has charged my room for the meal. DH goes back up to get it cleared up and to get DD a kids meal as she is now awake, while I dig in. For counter service Mexican, the food here is pretty decent. The combo platter, whic consisted of the strangest looking quesadilla I have ever seen, a burrito and an enchilada, with rice and beans, was plenty large enough for us to split, and was nice and hot and well seasoned, and DD's more normal looking quesadilla was quite good too and came with tortilla chips and cheese dip.

On our way through WS, we came upon the Joy of Tea stand in China. I was in need of some liquid refreshment, as it was very hot, and we ordered a Strawberry Oolong Slush, thinking we could use a snack credit for it. Turns out we couldn't, but it was refreshing nonetheless. The tea taste really comes through, which I was not expecting. It was very, very sweet though, and got sweeter the more we drank it, so if you don't like sweet drinks, I would not recommend trying it.

Dinner this night was at the Rose & Crown. I had reservations about booking this place, as the last few times I ate here (admittedly a long time ago) I didn't really like it, and I had read a lot of negative reviews on this board. But none of that could outweigh the main reason why I chose the R&C: alcohol. One look at the beverage menu, and my mind was made up. They have all of my favorites here... Cider, Black & Tans, Half & Halfs. I promise that I am not an alcoholic...actually I'm a lightweight when it comes to drinking, but I do really love English beverages, and I was willing to risk a crappy meal to get a properly poured pint. It turns out I needn't have worried....the food was excellent and DH and I rated this as one of our favorite meals of the trip. I started with the Potato and Leek soup, which was far superior to the more salty version I had at Biergarten. It was nice and thick and creamy, and I wanted to lick the bowl, but I restrained myself. DH got the cheese plate, which he pronounced excellent. While I enjoy cheese, two of the cheese on the plate were not to my tastes (the mushroom brie and the Stilton), so I did not partake of it, but he really enjoyed it. DH got the Steak and Fish for dinner, which he devoured. I didn't try his steak, but his fish and his mashed potatoes were great, and I got the lamb with Guiness BBQ sauce and gratineed pototoes. I am normally not a huge lamb fan, but after trying DH's at CRT, I decided to give it a try (it was the Guiness BBQ sauce that really enticed me), and this was yummy. The lamb was nice and tender, and the BBQ sauce was delicious. Another thing that I liked about dinner here was that the portions were not huge...so having an app, entree and dessert was for once, not too hard to finish. DD got the kids pizza....what can I say, it was the usual WDW kids pizza....nothing special. Dessert was truly outstanding. I got the Bailey's trifle and DH got the Sticky Toffee Pudding (for those of you not familiar with English desserts, this is not a pudding at all...it's actually a steamed cake). Both were absolutely delicious, and would warrant a trip back just for them. Add to that the plethora of cider and beer that we enjoyed, and it was just a great meal. We will definitely go back...in fact DH wants to replace Biergarten with R&C as his pick for dinner at Epcot.

Stay tuned....two more days to go, and I promise I will post them quicker this time.

[tink1957]

Thanks for the R & C review, we have booked it for our next trip & I was feeling anxious about the mixed reviews. I feel much better now.:thumbsup2

[emmabemmainc]

Wonderful reviews!

I just have an odd question--in your first set of reviews you state that you were really bothered b/c your waitress at CM gave you your bill without asking if you were ready for it (among other things--not a jab--the other things were not good!)---I have had MANY waitresses give me the bill w/out asking. You were at a buffet--what else would you have needed?

I am just not sure why that made you upset. I'd rather have the bill asap than to have to flag the waitperson down for that. I have never even thought to get upset about that.

[DisneyJo]

Sounds like a right mix up at Kona but at least the Tonga Toast lived up to expectations, did you know you can buy it at the Poly's CS Captain Cooks!

Glad you enjoyed R&C :goodvibes

[TigerKat]

Enjoyed your review of R&C, haven't made it there yet. I, too, love a great cocktail menu!;)

[Minniespal]

Excellent:thumbsup2

[sandym718]

Great update, and yes, stay at the Poly next time - it's the best!!!

[lisaj]

Fantastic reviews, glad the CP is still as good, its always a must-do for us!

[hmgray95]

Wonderful reviews!

I just have an odd question--in your first set of reviews you state that you were really bothered b/c your waitress at CM gave you your bill without asking if you were ready for it (among other things--not a jab--the other things were not good!)---I have had MANY waitresses give me the bill w/out asking. You were at a buffet--what else would you have needed?

I am just not sure why that made you upset. I'd rather have the bill asap than to have to flag the waitperson down for that. I have never even thought to get upset about that.

It ordinarily would not make me upset...but how were we to supposed to "tell her later" that we were on the dining plan as she instructed us to, if she didn't ask us if we were ready for the bill? I just wanted to ikkustrate that even had we tried to follow here directions we couldn't have as she didn't give us the chance...she just went ahead and prepared our bill,

[hmgray95]

Sounds like a right mix up at Kona but at least the Tonga Toast lived up to expectations, did you know you can buy it at the Poly's CS Captain Cooks!

Glad you enjoyed R&C :goodvibes

Yes, I had read you could get it Captain Cook's...just one of the reasons we will be staying at the Poly next time!

[SunnieRN]

Yummm R&C sounds like it was a great meal!! Yummmm sticky toffee pudding!!
I'm glad your tonga toast was good. It sounds so awesome. Coffee press coffee would be a big plus also!!
Thanks for more fantastic reviews!!

[hmgray95]

Day 5 was spent at Hollywood Studios. Since they have no good breakfast options there (other than the H&V Playhouse Disney Buffet and there was no way I was going to subject myself to The Little Einsteins more than I already do), I decided that this day was the perfect day to try out Whispering Canyon Cafe. Having read all about the antics performed there, I had decided it was the perfect place for DH (who is will play along with anything), and the all-you-can eat skillet breakfast sounded right up our alley as well. WE had an 8:00 a.m ressie, so the place was practically empty, so we did get a lot of attention from our server, which was great, but there wasn't a lot of other tables to observe, which is part of the fun too. If you want a lot of action, I would recommend eating later than we did.

Let me also say that if you are on the deluxe plan and eating here, bring your appetite (in fact you may want to try a mini fast for a few days before to make room), because even at breakfast, you get appetizers. Our very helpful waiter told us that we got a choice of the fruit plate or the bread and pastry basket, plus our meal. and two beverages, and that the smoothies and specialty coffees were included as beverage options. I chose the fruit plate, while DH got the pastry basket. Both were excellent...the fruit plate was huge and the fruit was ridiculously fresh. The pastry basket contained assorted danishes and croissants, and all were nicely flavored and fresh as well. I chose a smoothie (strawberry-orange I think), while DH got a mocha. I have to say, neither of these were terriblt ggod...the smoothie lacked flavor (although DD loved it), and the mocha did not seem to have any chocolate in it. We both chose the breakfast skillet, and DD got pancakes, which the server told us we could add chocolate chips to. Naturally, DD was all for this, and we thought, hey it's our vacation....let her have them. Huge mistake....the pancakes were so hot that they melted the chips sprinkled on top, so when you spread the butter on, it turned into a chocolate butter spread that was so rich that even DD could only eat a few bites of. And of course, I had wisely dressed her in a brand new, never before worn, sparkling white polo shirt this day (brilliant, aren't I?), so naturally the chocolate developed a near magnetic attraction to the shirt, and since nothing could get it out (the Tide pen merely turned what was a small chocolate spot into a much larger beige spot), to this day still appears on the shirt...a permanent souvenir if you will. But I digress....the breakfast skillets were quite yummy...DD ate my sausage and bacon (she's like a 4 year old Atkins dieter...she's never met a protein she doesn't like), so I can't comment on those, but the scrabled eggs were hot and creamy and the sausage gravy was delicious. The biscuits were a little heavy (I'm from NC, where golden, fluffy biscuits are available on every street corner), but the potatoes were outstanding. These were red potatoes that had been sauteed with onions, and I swear, I ate 3 servings of them.

We rolled out of WCC, with DH promptly declaring that he wanted to try it for dinner next time, and headed for the Studios. After such a huge breakfast, we weren't hungry until around 2:00, and then we still weren't that hungry. The kids were napping in the stroller, so I grabbed a spot on a shady bench that was right on the parade route, and sent DH off to grab us something to eat while I held our spot, the theory being that he would be back in like 10 minutes, and we could eat while waiting for the parade to start. Thirty minutes later, and he finally returned, bearing McDonald's french fries, a Taco Salad and a carrot cake. This is what happens when you send a man to collect food....let it be a lesson to you all. His theory...."Well, we weren't that hungry, so I thought a salad would be nice and light, and DD can eat the fries". Really....fries for lunch for a 4 year old...brilliant idea, especially since all she had for breakfast was bacon and sausage....she probably has the ateries of a 70 year old by this point! When I asked why it took so long to collect this bounteous buffet, I got a story about how English was not the first language of the person who waited on him at Toluca Turkey Legs Co (you might notice that this was a pretty consistent issue for us this trip...I swear, we lived in Asia for 2 years, and had less trouble getting people to understand us there than we did at WDW), and so they charged the items to our room, and he had to get a manager to correct it. Anyhow, the Taco Salad was actually nice and tasty....it had kidney beans and fresh corn on it, and lots of cilantro (which I could eat by the bunch), and a mildly spicy salsa. It was very fresh and light, and yet also filling, and I highly recommend it for a CS option.

We had reservations for dinner at 6:30 at Hollywood & Vine (I know that there are a lot of negative reviews of this place, but we have eaten there on almost every trip we've taken, and never had a bad meal or bad service), but since we just ate lunch at 2:30, we weren't that hungry, and we really didn't feel like staying at the part till 9:00 to watch Fantasmic, so DH suggested seeing if we could get into WCC for a late dinner. So while DD polishes off an entire tub of popcorn on her own (her arteries really don't stand a chance, do they?), I head off to Guest Services. The only open slot was at 8:50 p.m., which would ordinarily be too late for us to eat dinner, but since it was in our hotel, I thought, why not. We headed back to our hotel, and spent a few hours splashing about in the pool, and headed down to WCC around 8:30, where they promptly seated us, even though we were 20 minutes early. I will re-iterate again....bring your appetites if you eat here and are on the deluxe plan. DH chose the Cheese and Sausage Plate for his entree, while I chose the Fried Chicken Wings with a sweet chili glaze. Both were very nice, and very filling. The chicken wings had a nice heat but were not overpowering, and you get about 7 of them, so there is a lot for one person to eat. We both chose the all you can eat dinner skillet. This was a carnivore's dream....you get peel and eat shrimp, ribs, rotisserie chicken and pulled pork, plus beans, coleslaw, mashed potatoes and cornbread. All of the meat was phenomenal...the pulled pork was so juicy and tender, the ribs had a great, smoky, sweet sauce on them, the rotisserie chicken was hot and juicy, and the peel and eat shrimp were seasoned very nicely. I was not expecting to enjoy the chicken and shrimp very much....I don't like to work for my food...but it was tasty enough that I made the effort. I don't like coleslaw or baked beans, but DH said both were good, and the potatoes were great. Also, the place was packed, even at such a late seating, and it was a lot more fun than at breakfast since the servers had so many more people to interact with. For dessert, DH chose the Smores Cheesecake, while I got the Apple Caramel Pie. DH really enjoyed the Smores Cheesecake....I tasted it and thought it was good, but I am more of a cheesecake purist, and really would have preferred it plain or with a little strawberry sauce. The Apple Caramel Pie however, was amazing....sweet and cinnamony and sticky, and just plain yummy. We will definitely be back for dinner at WCC.

Day 6 coming up soon!

[DisneyJo]

Wow that was a lot of food :rotfl2:

[Sandy321]

Amazing!!

I am in no way going to remember all the comments I had while reading!! :rotfl2: LOVE the DOOM - probably because it fits me to a tee!! :rotfl2:

I cant wait to find out if you feel you felt the DDP + the cost of tips (and black and tans and half and half YUMMM - we dont have a ressie for here this year, I ran out of credits!! LOL) worked... well that's stupid, of course it was worth it - I can tell just by reading the reviews so far!!!

arg, I just am not sure about upgrading!!!

[TigerKat]

Waiting for day 6!!:goodvibes

[TPCShauna]

I've been enjoying your review. DH and I are doing DxDP for our December trip and I am always up for hearing how others use the plan.

Thanks for the great WCC breakfast review. We are booked here and I keep second guessing myself. I guess I'll just bite the bullet and go. I'm sure it will be good.

So, did you let all of your servers know that you were DxDP when they first greeted you? If not, when did you tell them?

Your DD is darling! She looks like a perfect little imp! :goodvibes

[paramedic52]

I'm glad to hear you both enjoyed WCC so much :) I booked us a dinner there. It sounds like we will really have a good time.

Thanks for such a great review of your experiences! You have me laughing all the way through

Oh, I also wanted to say I'm glad to read you have enjoyed eating at H&V. I booked the family an early dinner package there so we can get in to Fantasmic early to sit and wait for the show. I was really starting to regret doing that after reading a lot of the reviews here. But, no that I have at least 1 positive remark about the place I know there is still hope for us :woohoo:

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Thanks for the R & C review, we have booked it for our next trip & I was feeling anxious about the mixed reviews. I feel much better now.:thumbsup2

Ditto! We booked R&C for the drinks as well and (hopefully) the view for the fireworks so to hear the food is excellent is reassuring. Awesome reviews!!