Free Dining Trip 8/24-8/31/08 Reviews

[JerseyJanice]

We are just back from a trip to WDW in which we received the free dining deal.

Everything about our trip--food, parks, and resort--exceeded my expectations. There was little that could have improved our experience, and having done it now, I can barely believe what a spectacular deal the free dining is.

I confess that I worried before the trip just how good the food would be since they were giving it away, but my worries were for naught. We didn't have one bad meal during our vacation.

So on with the show...

P.S. I plan to post a review of our resort, Pop Century, on the resort board as well. I'll tell you upfront that we loved it and will definitely stay there again.

[Donald is #1]

I'm on board! popcorn::

[Trinity524]

I am ready....I am staying at Pop and I am getting free dining... Lay it on mepopcorn::

[JeffZ]

feed mepopcorn::

[JerseyJanice]

In order to get a decent airfare for this trip, I had to book flights that weren't exactly ideal. Our flight out was on Continental, arriving in Orlando at 7:00 p.m. It killed a day and that's why it wasn't ideal IMO, but there was one advantage to leaving so late--we didn't have to go to the airport at the crack of dawn.

BTW, on this trip, I brought my 12 year-old son and his 11 year-old cousin. DH had to work, so my younger single brother who lives near Tampa, joined us. For part of the trip, we also hung out with our neighbors who had an overlapping trip.

We arrived in Orlando on time, basically, about 7:10 p.m. We took the Magical Express and let me tell you--having someone else cart my luggage was a real boon without my husband there.

My brother timed his drive from Tampa to arrive at around the same time. We got our room, then went down to Pop's Food Court. It was late to be traveling anywhere else and we were wanting to save our energy for the MK the next day.

Both of the boys (DS and DN) got cheeseburgers and fries. Bro got some sort of sandwich and I decided on the beef and broccoli over rice. Bro's seemed to be the best choice of these, but all the food was adequate. I didn't love my beef and broccoli because the beef was on the tough side and it didn't have much sauce. The broccoli was very good though--obviously fresh.

For the dessert that comes with meal, DS got a chocolate covered Mickey-eared rice crispy treat and DN got a plain one. Bro and I each got a slice of the tie-dyed cheesecake. I'd heard so much about it that I was anxious to try it and Brio was curious too.

None of us wanted our desserts right after eating the meals, so we stored them in the room when we went up to change into bathing suits. Our luggage arrived in the interim which pleased me.

Later that night, Bro ate his cheesecake and I had a bite. (I stored my piece on ice inside the cooler he brought from Tampa.) It is "all that"! Yum! The texture is very nice--not too light and airy, not too dense. The red velvet cake base is very tasty.

The next day was the Magic Kingdom, Cosmic Ray's, and a switch in dinner plans due to the weather.

[DanaAustinChelsea]

Can't wait for your reviews! We will be staying at POP for our first trip in 17 days :thumbsup2

[JerseyJanice]

Our day started out wonderfully in the MK. Near the photo place (is it called "Exposition Hall"?) just past the entrance, we got to meet Jiminy Cricket. I'd been wanting to meet him in person for years! :)

After doing most of what we wanted to do in Fantasy Land, we headed over to Cosmic Ray's. I knew from reading these boards that the chicken and rib combo meal was included as a quick service meal and was a great way to spend a QS credit. I didn't feel like having it though and opted for a bacon cheeseburger. I'm a sucker for the toppings bar at Cosmic Ray's and loaded my yummy burger up with mushrooms and fried onions.

Bro and DS both got the chicken and rib combo, and DN got a plain cheeseburger. I didn't get much info beforehand on DN's eating habits (or on any of his habits, for that matter--his mom wasn't exactly informative). The kid ate only 4 meals the entire trip, despite being an adult on the Dining Plan. Cheeseburgers were one of those 4 things; pizza, chicken nuggets and hot dogs were the other three. He wanted all his food plain--no ketchup, mustard, sauce or extra spices. Vegetables are apparently something he never eats.

All I can say after a week with DN is that I am very grateful I always fed my child a varied diet. He never got away with eating only junky food and now his tastes are beginning to mature, and he loves trying new and different foods. It's fun to share the things you love with your children, and believe me--I love food!

Anyhow, Bro and DS's combo meals were very good. The chicken and green beans were the best parts. The chicken was remarkably moist and the green beans were fresh and delicious.

I made a mistake this meal by choosing the chocolate cake as the boy's desserts. Neither wanted to eat it until later and it didn't hold up in my tote bag. The chocolate chip cookie I ordered lasted much better and that's my Free Dining tip for today--always get the CC cookie if you're not going to eat your dessert right away. It's packaged well and all the QS places we ate at offered it.

We really lucked out with the weather this trip. We heard from several people on the trip that it had rained like crazy the week before. We got a shower most days and had only one total wash-out, which was this night when I had an ADR at the Crystal Palace. We took an afternoon resort break, then headed back on the bus. During the ride, an intense rain storm began. When we drove under the water bridge that's just past the MK toll plaza, I was afraid they'd have to send in a rescue squad, the water got so deep.

We got off the bus and waited for the rain to slow down so we could make a run for the CP, but it just kept pouring. After standing there for a half-hour, a bus pulled in for the Wilderness Lodge. DS had been wanting to visit there since it's where we stayed when he was 5. He has vague memories of it and wanted to see it again so we hopped onto the bus.

I hoped that we could get into the Whispering Canyon Cafe, but they weren't taking anyone without an ADR, so we headed to the food court. (Yes, it was still raining hard.) And that's my other Free Dining trip for today--always have ADRs. The restaurants don't seem to bust you about the time you arrive or even the number of people you bring (as we learned during the trip). You just need to have an ADR at some point in order to be served.

Roaring Forks was pretty good. I got a roast beef and bleu cheese sandwich on foccacia. DS got a burger, DN got chicken nuggets. I can't remember what Bro's meal was, but I do recall that he got a bowl of chili on the side for a snack credit. And there's one more FD tip for today--the bowl of chili at the food courts makes a great small meal for a snack credit.

The rain finally stopped and we were able to take the boat back to the MK to see Wishes. It was a good day, but the rain did throw off our plans.

[JerseyJanice]

This was our day to go to the Animal Kingdom. Since it closes early, I made our Chef Mickey's ADR for that evening, figuring that CM's is such great entertainment.

We started out at the Festival of the Lion King show, then saw It's Tough to be a Bug. I fed the boys Pop Tarts for breakfast while Bro and I held out for lunch by drinking coffee in the a.m. Bro brought a coffee maker from home and it came very much in handy at Pop, which has no coffee machines available. I can't stand that Nescafe stuff in Disney's food courts and need my a.m. java.

The boys got pizza--pepperoni for my son and plain for DN. They also got the chocolate chip cookies I told you about upthread, and I put both in my tote bag for snacking later.

Bro and I each got the hot Italian sub which was delicious. Loved the pesto sauce on it. We also got frozen lemonades that we wound up walking away with after eating lunch.

Bro also brought a couple cases of water from home. We could have used snack credits for those since we really needed the hydration in the heat, but it worked out well for me to ice a few bottles every day and bring them to the parks. Even when they went warm, if someone needed a drink, they sufficed.

After riding back to Pop in Bro's car, we took a swim, then got ready for a night at Chef Mickey's. DS has loved this place since he was a baby and couldn't wait to share it with his cousin.

I must say that the food was really on this night. We visited CM's back in February, and it wasn't that good. This trip, thankfully, it was awesome. The soup was to-die-for! It was a smoked tomato bisque that Bro, DS and myself each had a bowl of.

We tried hard to get DN to try some prime rib and mashed potatoes, but he wouldn't. All he wanted was the chicken nuggets and pizza. DS asked Goofy to help convince DN to try the roast and spuds, so Goofy picked up a few forks full and fed them to DN. I thought he'd love the food if he just tried it, but as soon as Goofy walked away, he started carrying on about having to eat it. Hey, we tried to get that kid to eat something decent, but he fought us all down the line.

After dinner, we rode the monorail loop for the heck of it and went back to our room to rest up for the next day in which our neighbors would join us at Typhoon Lagoon.

(To be continued...)

[Minniespal]

Excellent:thumbsup2

[MickeyNicki]

I'm in too! Excited about the POP review too, we are staying there in Jan with our nieces and have not been there since it first opened

[kimgof]

can't wait to hear more. great reviews!:thumbsup2

[butiflfeet]

Thanks for reporting back about your meals! I can't wait to read more!

[luvpooh]

great reviews, I love your little tips!
your nephew sounds like how my nephew may turn out, I don't think I've ever seen the kid eat a meal not consisting of hot dog, pizza, nuggets or pasta! He's only 3 though so there's still hope! :)

[Trinity524]

popcorn:: waiting with baited breath

[Disneychix]

I'm glad you enjoyed CM dinner. We are trying it for the first time this month. I hope it's an "ON" night! :)

[JerseyJanice]

I hope everyone reading this thread gets an "ON" Chef Mickey's night too, DisneyChix. :)

Reading my last post back, I can see I was remiss in describing some of the exceptional food we enjoyed.

Every time I've been to Chef Mickey's for dinner (this was, I think, the fifth time), they've served prime rib and another roast on the carving board. This time, we got what they called "slow roasted pork loin." It was great! The boneless pork was coated thickly with spice/herb mixture. It tasted great with the brown gravy offered. (I like my meat wet and have no problem adding sauce or gravy to get it that way. :) )

The mashed taters were awesome. Didn't taste watery like they did in February. The dessert bar is always great at CM's. In addition to soft ice cream you dispense yourself and slew of sundae toppings, they have quite a pastry selection. This trip, I especially liked the tiny cheesecake topped with blueberries. Also adored the "Mickey Mousse Domes" which consisted of Oreo cookies topped with a rounded mound of dark chocolate mousse in which two itty-bitty chocolate disks are inserted for ears.

When CM's is good, it's the best. You can't beat the fun atmosphere that abounds there. :)

[JerseyJanice]

Before I go into today's review, I should mention that we barely used any snack credits up to this point. We did get a funnel cake order at the Magic Kingdom to share during the parade. The kids got orders of fries one time from the Pop Food Court, and I got a frozen Coke or two.

At Typhoon Lagoon, we met up with our good friends and neighbors, the "R" family. They have three sons--17, 15 and 13. The middle boy is autistic and loves Disney, especially the Magic Kingdom. He didn't like TL at all, though, and started melting down within minutes of entering the gate. His mom and dad asked if their other two boys could stay with us while they took the middle boy back to the resort and/or MK.

We do this a lot at home--the oldest and youngest sons stay with me and my son, while the R mom and dad take care of the middle child. It works out well for all of us. My son greatly enjoys the company of the two brothers. I like them a lot too and like that they have each other to play with. The mom (who is one of my BFF's) and dad appreciate the help. :) One hand washes the other...

Lunch was at Typhoon Tilly's. It was your basic counter service. I chose the chicken sandwich and the boys got cheeseburgers. On the DDP here, they allow you to choose your dessert from a bunch of ice cream bars (Mickey bars, Nestle Crunch bars, It's A Kadoozie, etc.). You get a receipt, then have until 5:00 p.m. to present it and get your ice cream. We didn't need to burn any snack credits later in the day thanks to this procedure. :) Bro did use one to get a fresh waffle cone with soft ice cream so my son and the younger neighbor boy split the Mickey bar he was supposed to get.

After we left the park, Bro left us for two nights to return to his home in Tampa to take care of some things. I then made plans to meet up with my BFF and her younger son for dinner at Raglan Road. BFF had originally made an ADR for five people that would be her three sons and DH. The older boy and DH were very tired and decided to stay at the resort with the middle child. So with BFF, her youngest son, my son, my nephew and myself, we were five. :)

We weren't seated immediately at RR and when BFF checked on where we were at, it turned out the pager they gave us was broken. They tried to get us into a table quickly after discovering the mistake. The first table they brought us to was for 12 people. That was another mistake, but they brought us to a large booth for six right away.

We got to see most of the restaurant while walking to/from the table for 12. My, my, it's a beautiful place! I've read lots of reviews about RR and I don't recall anyone mentioning how stunning it is visually. Stained glass and carved wood decorate much of the handsome dining room.

The entertainment that night was a lovely young lady playing violin and a handsome young man playing guitar. They were playing Celtic rock and it made for a wonderful atmosphere in a gorgeous place.

I wanted to order the Paddy's Pork, which I'd seen on on-line menus, but it wasn't on the menu this night at RR. I selected the "It's Not Bleeding Chowder" dish instead, while BFF and my son each ordered the Serious Sirloin. The other two kids got cheeseburgers and Shirley Temples.

I was unimpressed with the Guiness and olive oil reduction they serve as a starter since the reduction looked to be a teaspoon or two of it inside a larger saucer. I thought the bread was weird too because it was so hard and dense.

However, the Not-Chowder and sirloins were fantastic! My dish contained a nice variety of shellfish (scallops, crab meat, mussels and 2 extra large shrimp) in a tasty cream sauce. One thing that is usually great in Disney restaurants is cream sauces and soups. They use real cream plentifully and I can taste the real thing over a roux.

The steak was tender as can be. I cut DS's steak for him easily with my butter knife. BFF said the mashed potatoes and frizzled onions served with it were excellent.

For dessert, we ordered the Ger's bread pudding (because I read so much about it here) and the creme brulee tart. BFF and I could barely manage a few bites of each after our big and yummy entrees, but what we tasted, we loved.

Tomorrow--Sci Fi Dine-In

[Rebelmom67]

I am really enjoying your reviews, thank you.:)

[wilma-bride]

Great reviews so far :)

[JerseyJanice]

The next morning, I got DS and DN up as early as I could so we could get to the Studios and ride the new Toy Story Mania.

When we were leaving, I remembered that the boys left their cell phones in the room, lying around, so I ran back to tuck them away. In the process, I left my room key--with my park admission--on one of the beds. As we pulled into the park on the bus, I discovered this and asked the bus driver if he was going right back to Pop. He was not, but told me to go to Guest Relations as they could probably help without us having to go back to the resort.

Sure enough, a nice man in Guest Relations was able to deactivate the card that was back at the room and issue me a new one. Disney magic works!

Next, we went into the turnstiles and it showed that DN's tickets was "demagnetized." We went to another Guest Relations area where they did something to DN's ticket to fix it. My son was very annoyed by these two hold-ups and said something about getting Fastpasses for Toy Story. The CM who was helping us told him that the last FPs for TSM had gone 15 minutes earlier, and boy, was he mad at me!

So we hustled over there anyway and waited on the stand-by line. The sign said it would 70 minutes. I didn't actually time it; we seemed to get on the ride faster than that, so all was well. It is a great attraction with a very fun line queue.

After TSM, we headed for the Lights, Motors, Action show. On the way, we stopped for churros and frozen cokes. DN never had a churro before, but tried it because he liked the aroma. He won't try any new "real" foods, but when it comes to treats and snacks, he's game for most anything.

We heard from the R family after the show. The older and younger boy were on their way to meet us. We met them over by the big hat and went to Rock and Roller Coaster for fastpasses. I made an ADR at Sci Fi for noon for 4 people, and BFF made one at 3:00 for 5. That was the one we wound up using.

The Sci Fi is a wonderful break from the park on a hot, sunny day. It's so cool and blessedly dark in there.

At the podium, they asked if we wanted to sit 3 and 2 or 2, 2 and 1. I said 3 and 2, but they put us in the 2-2-1 configuration. No biggie, though.

I sat with DN in the front seat of our "car." DS and younger neighbor were behind us with the oldest boy in the back.

I'd read lots of times here that burgers are the best way to go at Sci Fi, so that's what I ordered. I took it all the way, with Swiss cheese, bacon, fried onions and mushrooms. DN got a burger too with yellow cheese and no other toppings. He also selected a vanilla shake as his beverage, while I got unsweetened iced tea.

Both neighbor boys took the Italian chicken sandwich and my son ordered the ribs. Everybody except me got the fries with their meals. I went for the cucumber-melon salad, which was delicious and a nice change of pace.

Everyone loved their food. My burger was incredibly tasty. Excellent! We laughed at the black-and-white movies they play. I especially liked the snack bar ads in between. I remember drive-ins from my childhood. The boys OTOH have only heard about them.

At one point, my son and his friend teased my nephew by rubbing their lettuce leaves on his back. DN got all crazy--he doesn't want lettuce anywhere near him.

For dessert, DS and I got the hot fudge sundae. DN took the fruit salad. Thank goodness that kid eats something unprocessed! The older neighbor got a chocolate shake. He didn't care for it, as DN didn't like his vanilla one much.

I hate that--lately, you can't get a drinkable milkshake anywhere. They make them too thick nowadays. What's up with that? If someone wants ice cream, they'll order ice cream. If they want a shake they can drink, well, forget about it in the new Millenium.

Later that day, we met up with BFF who brought backpacks for the neighbor boys so they could stay in our room that night. All the boys were getting along so well, I thought it would be fun and it was. In fact, it was a little too fun. They didn't go to sleep until after 3:00 a.m. and it was a bear to try and wake them for our ADR at the Beach Club in the morning.

We saw Fantasmic with BFF and loved it. Older neighbor got nachos to eat while we watched the show. When we got back to Pop, everyone changed into bathing suits and went swimming in the Hippie Dippy pool. Around 11:00, I got everyone out so they could get something to eat before the food court closed. The only thing open once we got there was the pizza section so that's what everyone had. The boys also each got their warm breadsticks and sauce as a snack option. They loved those things! DN stole a couple off the other kid's plates even though he ate a whole order of his own.

This is my single complaint about Disney--the food court and other resort amenities close too early when the parks are open late. Closing at midnight would be fine when the parks close at 8:00, but when the parks are open later, the food courts should be too. It was packed in there, so I'm sure they'd made enough business by staying later.

Next up--ESPN Club and the Garden Grill (No, we didn't make our ADR at the Beach Club.)

[Donald is #1]

I wanted to order the Paddy's Pork, which I'd seen on on-line menus, but it wasn't on the menu this night at RR.

Paddy's Pork wasn't on the menu? :scared1: I had it in May and thought it was excellent.

[Blondie]

Enjoying your reviews Janice! Looking forward to the next installment! :)

[averill94]

Great reviewing! Thanks for the CM review....we have an ADR for our 1st night next trip. (We decided this would be our tradition a few years back) I thought maybe we'd had enough of CM's, but feel differently after reading your review. At the worst I think the food is ok and you cant beat the characters and atmosphere to start your trip!

Thanks

[JerseyJanice]

As I mentioned, the four boys stayed up until 3:00 a.m., so waking them in time to make our breakfast at the Cape May Cafe was impossible. The best laid plans...

We were supposed to meet Bro (who'd spent the previous two nights at home in Tampa) for the breakfast at the Beach Club along with the neighbor parents and their middle son. We were too late, though. The oldest neighbor boy had told me the day before that he really wanted to go to the ESPN Club so I suggested we head there for lunch instead. All the boys loved that idea so we boarded the boat for the Boardwalk at the International Gateway and called Bro on his cell. He'd gone ahead and eaten breakfast at the Cape May Cafe with our neighbors and their other son.

The kids were more interested in the arcade and gift shop at ESPN than the food. I ordered the warm roast beef sandwich I had there in February. I just love the horseradish sauce it's served with. I also got the cucumber salad instead of the fries.

My son ordered the Red Wings appetizer as an entree. The older neighbor boy got something called a Dingers sandwich, which is basically boneless Buffalo wings on a roll. The two other boys (nephew and youngest neighbor) got hot dogs. The waitress seemed to think that DN was on the child's meal plan (he was not), so I had to insist that they give him the adult hot dog. The night before, he literally stole the other kid's food out of their plates, so I wanted to make sure he ate enough of his own.

After lunch, we went back in Epcot and scored Soarin' Fastpasses for 6:55 p.m. Our ADR at the Garden Grill was for 7:10 p.m., so that worked out well. The only issue was that our ADR was for four people, but we were now six with the neighbor boys. The guy who checked us in first said it might be a significantly longer wait, but then he backed down a bit and gave us a 20 to 25 minute wait. What could we do, but wait? It's not like we could have left and went to the Coral Reef instead, which is where I now wished we had an ADR. (The boys were all fascinated by the sea life in the Living Seas exhibit.)

This was the first time I'd eaten at the Garden Grill. I liked the food very much, but I didn't care for the atmosphere. We were seated in the "inside ring" of tables. On one side, you could view the Land greenhouses, nice enough, but to our other side, it was just a blah-looking wall along a narrow path. Character interaction was lots of fun, though, with the boys teasing Chip and Dale about which chipmunk is tougher and buffer.

The meal started with a salad that had a very tasty ranch dressing. The bread had oats on the crust so I didn't think the boys would like it, but they did. We asked for a platter of chicken nuggets and fries since both my nephew and the oldest neighbor kid didn't like the look of the regular menu.

Our meal came on three platters. One contained the chicken nuggets and fries, another with fresh green beans and catfish, and the third with everything else, which was flank steak, rotisserie chicken, and cheesy potatoes.

Bro, my son and I thought the food was delicious. Everything was well-seasoned. As I write this and remember it, my mouth is watering. The fish, the steak and the chicken were all so good, it's impossible to say which I liked most.

The older neighbor and DN filled up on the nuggets and fries. The younger neighbor didn't seem to eat much of anything--his loss. We asked for a second round of steak, mainly because my son ate so much of it. (That boy of mine is such a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy.)

We asked to get the dessert and check together, as we were trying to make Illuminations. The dessert was as tasty as the rest of the meal. It consisted of two vanilla custard-filled puff pasties topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Somehow or other, the waitress had trouble totalling up our meal--I guess because we split the bill between two meal plans. We ran out of there and toward the World Showcase. With trying to walk through the huge crowd, we missed most of Iluminations, and I'll tell you--I was mad!

After the show, the boys wanted to use the Fastpasses we had gotten earlier for Test Track. I was pretty bend of shape and needing to regroup, so I sent them to ride TT while I sought out the French drink stand. I was anxious to try the Grand Marnier drink featured on one of Samantha Brown's shows. I found it and asked specifically for the Sam Brown drink. The man working there told me that a lot of people ask for that drink.

Next up--1900 Park Fare and Ohana's

[JerseyJanice]

Our last full day in WDW! Always a bittersweet day.

We had an ADR for breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, where I'd been trying to get to for years. It was rainy out, so Bro decided to drive us in his van instead of taking the MK bus and monorail. He hurt his back sometime during the trip and was trying to rest it, so he valet-parked once we got to the Grand Floridian.

We checked in and got our beeper, then left Bro sitting on a sofa in the lobby with DN who was just plain exhausted. DS, who is always a ball of energy, and I went exploring around the lobby and its shops. I'd never been inside the Grand Floridian before; I'd only passed through the monorail. Of course, it was gorgeous and I just loved looking in the Basin shop.

A carafe of coffee was waiting for us on our table. It wasn't as awful as I expected it to be. Back in February, I couldn't get over how terrible the WDW coffee was. It didn't seem quite as bad this trip; maybe they're brewing Nestle coffee now as opposed to adding hot water to make Nescafe Instant. (That IMO is one vile tasting beverage.)

All the guys ordered orange juice while I got tomato juice. I tasted DS's juice to see how fresh it was. I hate being served Minute Maid from concentrate in Florida, and fortunately 1900 Park Fare's was a better quality juice.

I went up to the omelet station while the boys did their thing. I had to duck out of the line to supervise DN at the buffet. He didn't quite understand that you're supposed to fill a plate and bring it back to your table before you start eating the food. :eek: Sometimes, his table manners made me wonder if he was raised by wolves, but his parents are lovely people. They are big into physical fitness, so I doubt they hit buffets often, if ever, and that was really the problem.

Finally, I got my omelet and a bowl of strawberry soup. Ahhh! Strawberry soup! They could name it "Heaven in a Bowl." I loved it and can see why it's the signature dish at 1900 Park Fare. Bro thought it was more like a smoothie than a soup, but I disagreed with him. They left enough solids in the mixture to necessitate eating it with a spoon rather than sipping it through a straw. And I swear--any dish that has cream in it is awesome at Disney! They don't skimp on using good cream at WDW restaurants.

We loved the characters at this meal. Pooh and Tigger came around and were cute, but the "face" characters were fantastic since they could talk to you. We had Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter. All three of these characters play their parts very well. In fact, Alice scolded me for saying that out loud about Mary Poppins. (Mary is not playing a role, don't you know? It's really her!)

It's taken me almost 10 years to get to 1900 Park Fare, and let me say that it was worth the wait. We loved the meal and the characters. Next trip (don't let my husband hear me say that!), we eating dinner there for sure.

I took my boys (DN and DS) to the Magic Kingdom that day while Bro stayed in the room messing up my bed to rest his back. (j/k, but I do get peeved about going to sleep in a messy bed.) It was raining on and off, but that worked in our favor. It cooled down the air considerably and kept the crowd levels low in the park; we walked onto everything.

We took the monorail over to the Polynesian Resort while Bro drove himself over in his van. We waited the standard 20 minutes and got a table near the window that faces out to the MK. Great! We could stay there to see Wishes. Since we sat down around 8:00 p.m., Bro couldn't believe we wouldn't have time to get back into the MK for the fireworks, but I told him we'd be best off taking our time and watching them from our table.

As in February--when I was too sick to enjoy our Ohana's dinner--we started with coconut bread and a salad dressed in honey-lime vinigarette. Everybody except me hated the bread. DS is crazy for Ohana's salad though. He loved it back in February and jumped on it this meal.

Next came the dumplings and wings. Bro and DS went crazy over the wings and ordered a second dish of them. DN wouldn't try a thing after the bread. He looked miserable, so I asked the waiter to bring him a dish of chicken nuggets and fries. Bro got annoyed by this--a result of our own upbringing because my parents loved to feed us--so I was like, "you're kidding, right? For a whole week, this kid wouldn't eat any adult foods. We're going home tomorrow, and I'm not going to start fighting with him over it now."

We got our noodles (they were potatoes in February) and vegetables, then the skewers started coming around. The noodles were too soft for my liking, but everything else was terrific, even the broccoli and garlic. The skewered, grilled shrimp were outstanding--much larger than the ones they served in February.

Bro was blown away by Ohana's and swore he's taking the next date he wants to impress there. The soft lighting and fire glow does provide a romantic backdrop.

DN did the coconut race in which--according to DS--he came "dead last." Both boys joined the singing Hawaiian lady for hula dancing.

Dessert at Ohana's is fantastic! One of the best things I've ever eaten! It's coconut bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream and served with bananas foster sauce. The texture and flavor are out of this world!

Ten o'clock approached quickly, as I told Bro it would. They dimmed the lights and put on the soundtrack to Wishes. DS and DN moved closer to the window to watch. Wow! It looked great from there--a perfect ending to an absolutely perfect meal. :)

Yes, we saved the best meals for our last day. 1900 Park Fare and Ohana's both get big thumbs up from Bro, DS and me.

Next (and last--boo hoo!), Day 8, Captain Jack's and Everything Pop Food Court.

[JerseyJanice]

Well, here I am posting about our last day. What a fun trip it was overall. We have some great memories we will laugh about for years. (Remind me to post about what happened at Club Cool in Epcot. My son and the neighbor's youngest are still cracking up over it.)

After the dinner at Ohana's, Bro went back to the room and left WDW after packing his stuff. We went into the Magic Kingdom to see Spectromagic, which was fabulous. The next morning, I talked to BFF about the possibility of meeting them at Blizzard Beach. We had the admission, but it looked like rain, and honestly at that point, my feet were shot. I couldn't stand the thought of walking up hills and ladders to ride the slides and I couldn't let DN do those things alone. (He is not the strong swimmer that my son and the neighbor kids are.)

We wished the R family farewell over the phone. Our trip was Sunday-to-Sunday, while theirs was Tuesday-to-Tuesday. We spent a solid three days with them and enjoyed their company very much. Maybe next year or the year after, we'll be able to do it again and with our other neighbors too. We three families do a lot together at home, and Disney World is the ultimate family get-together.

After Bell Services took our luggage and carry-on bags, we decided to go to Downtown Disney. I had the Concierge desk swipe my card to see how many meal credits we had left. We were at 2 TS credits, 2 CS credits and 6 snack credits. Not bad, considering we missed our CP dinner.

Once Downtown, I decided we should eat lunch at Captain Jacks to burn up the 2 TS credits that were left. I ordered DN a kid’s meal since that’s all he ever ate anyway. I got the crabcake and DS got the pot roast. I really liked the melted, smoked mozzarella cheese on my crabcake and the sauce drizzled on it was good too. DS liked his pot roast, but said my pot roast is much better. (He’s a smart boy!) I tasted it and agree. Mine is better seasoned. :)

DN got either a cheeseburger or chicken nuggets. I forget which. Didn’t matter because by this point, I was just so grateful that my own kid eats and enjoys regular food. I couldn’t put up with a kid of mine eating only junky food. (I don’t think I would either, but that’s another matter.)

We used up the rest of our meal credits when we got back to Pop to meet the Magical Express. The two boys got CS meals (probably cheeseburgers) while I ordered a bowl of chili that I paid for with a snack credit. We used up the remaining snack credits on rice krispy treats and candy, then left for the airport.

Overall trip impressions--in a word--excellent! All of our meals were very good to fantastic. On the whole, I’d say we got better food and service than we did in February when we paid for everything out of pocket. None of our servers or any WDW staff made us feel self-conscious or cheap by using the free dining plan. Disney seemed to be on its game in every way.

I can hardly wait to go again. :)

In case you're interested in reading my resort review, here's a link:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1947536

[wilma-bride]

Thanks for finishing your reviews. Love the idea of watching Wishes from 'Ohana :)