Free Dining - 4 TS Reviews & Fun Pics! Complete!

[Nie0214]

The players: DMother, Myself (DD22), DBrother (DS16)
The trip: 9/5 to 9/9, free dining for four nights. This was my mother's first vacation in almost 4 years! It still had to be short though, since my brother is in high school, and my mother runs a business. The good news is, we still got to do a ton of stuff in only 5 days because the lines were so short! We walked on almost every ride!

Coral Reef - Lunch:

This was our first meal of the vacation, and I was very excited for it since I booked a diver and a special menu for my mother during this meal. My mom has had a really rough year, she divorced my father (they were married 23 years), her father passed away, her grandmother passed away the year before that, as well as other things. My mother is my best friend, and she would do anything for my brother and me. She really deserved and needed this vacation!

Mom's Meal:
Grilled Pork Chops

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/Dsc00025.jpg

Bailey's & Jack Daniel Mousse

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/Dsc00030.jpg

She said the mashed potatoes were amazing and the meat was cooked perfectly. She also loved her personalized menu (thanks Debbi!):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/Dsc00021.jpg

My Meal (Oh, and DBrother copied me):
Grilled Chicken Breast

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/Dsc00024.jpg

I'm not a fish eater, and I don't eat much red meat either so my only real option was the grilled chicken. It was cooked very well, a little on the bland side, but the rest of the dish made up for it spice-wise. The portion sizes were perfect, I didn't want to feel stuffed since I had a long night of EPCOT ahead!

The Chocolate Wave (for him)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/Dsc00028.jpg

Tropical Fruit Mango Sorbet (for me)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/Dsc00029.jpg

The cookie was yummy and the sorbet was sweet! The fruit at the bottom was a little too cold for my tastes, I like my fruit at room-temperature, but all-in-all it was a yummy light desert.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/th_MOV00022.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day1/?action=view&current=MOV00022.flv)

Here's a video of the diver with the sign. It's dark in the restaurant, and I'd never used this camera for a video before so I apologize for that. :( The sign says, "Thanks for everything, we love you Mom!" She was shocked and started crying, it was a great magical treat! :goodvibes

The restaurant itself was VERY loud, I would not recommend it for a quiet meal. I don't think I would go again unless I had a window seat, as the restaurant is rather dark, and I don't think you would be able to see anything in the tank from the other seats. It was definitely a nice place to visit for the experience just once, and the diver and menu made it worth our while.

Our waiter was a little quirky, but he kept our drinks filled and was quick on getting our orders and deserts. :thumbsup2

7/10 - The loudness was very distracting, but the food was good (not grand) and the service excellent. Definitely worth at least one visit to Coral Reef for the atmosphere.

Coming up:
Cape May Cafe - Character Breakfast (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27516167&postcount=13)
Le Cellier - Dinner (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27549542&postcount=27)
Crystal Palace - Character Breakfast (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27880552&postcount=44)

:banana:

[TJA]

Thanks! Looking forward to more.

[wirki]

I am here to hear all about your experience with the dinning plan.


It was so fun to meet you and your family while there. I even have a pic of you when I took a pic of how long the line was at Earl of Sandwich. I can not believe you were right behind us:lmao:

Looking forward to more

[Nie0214]

It was so fun to meet you and your family while there. I even have a pic of you when I took a pic of how long the line was at Earl of Sandwich. I can not believe you were right behind us:lmao:

:lmao: That's so funny!

[scottny]

I am here.

I was supposed to eat there today

I am going in December so I am kind of looking forward to it.

[MickeyNicki]

I'm in!

[christophfam]

Can't wait to read more! That was SO sweet what you did for and wrote about your mother. I can only hope my daughter is that good to me when she is older. :goodvibes I'm glad you had such a wonderful trip.

[christinou]

Wow, I want my daughters to grow up to be just like you, what a wonderful daughter you are.
I am really enjoying your report, thanks.

[butiflfeet]

I'm here, waiting for more reviews!

[iluvpluto27]

Thanks for the review. Looking forward to the rest.

[CanadianPaco]

:goodvibes I'm in for more!

[suzimar57]

that baily's and jack daniels mousee parfait looks soooooo good!

[Nie0214]

Cape May Cafe - Goofy's Beach Club Breakfast:

This was our second TS meal of the vacation, and it wasn't too early in the morning (8:50), so we were able to sleep in a little bit.. but we slept in a little TOO much! :scared: By the time we got to the bus stop outside of ASMusic, it was almost 8:10! We took a bus to Hollywood Studios and from there ran to the boat that was just docking. We weren't completely sure where to go after getting off the boat, but some very helpful joggers pointed us in the right direction. We were 7 minutes late, but we were still able to check-in. Woo!

Our buzzer lit up almost immediately, and we were sat at the table next to the door where all the servers/characters come in and out which was both a good thing and a bad thing. We were able to see and meet all of the characters, but the servers were rushing in and out and trying not to topple them over was an adventure.

Our server took forever in getting us our bill back (at least 10 minutes). She was talking to another table, and even after that she spent extra time in the back. She kept our drinks full and was busy trying to keep her section clean, so I can't fault her too much for being so rushed and disorganized. :)

The food here was the better of the two character breakfasts we ate at. It was very warm and fresh, and the fruit was yummy. My mom loved the breakfast casserole. My brother didn't care too much for the breakfast pizza, but my mom gave it mixed reviews.

I didn't take any pictures of the buffet, since most of you know it is just standard buffet food. I did, however, get plenty of pictures of the character interaction! The characters here were great! Before we walked into the restaurant, my mom had said "They probably won't even come near our table since we don't have any kids."

Boy was she wrong! :goofy:

We had an open seat since we were a party of 3 at a table for four. Goofy joined us during our meal:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day2/Dsc00065.jpg

The woman in the right in that photo kept getting up and taking pictures of the characters while they were with other tables and children, etc. I think at one point she took a picture of my mom and I with Minnie. It was very unnerving and rude, but I didn't want to make a scene and ask her to stop either. So just a PSA: Don't purposely take pictures of characters with other people at a meal! It's one thing that people are in the background of your pictures, but this woman actually took a picture of Minnie hugging me and my mother and while Minnie was signing autographs for a little girl at the table to our left.

Goofy was awesome about being a cool-dude. My brother, being 16, wasn't into the whole "Meet characters" aspect of Disney. He acts like he's too old, but I think secretly deep-down inside he loves it. ;) Goofy even got my brother into the breakfast:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day2/Dsc00068.jpg

While I was grabbing some seconds at the buffet, Chip came over and grabbed the sugar packets off our table and started tossing them at Goofy who was at another table. Whenever Goofy looked at Chip, Chip would blame it on my brother! They were hilarious.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day2/Dsc00070.jpg

Chip disappeared and a few moments later, Dale came out! Pardon the fashion faux pas on my part, but we were going to Typhoon Lagoon shortly after breakfast:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day2/Dsc00072.jpg

9/10 - The food was hot and delicious, the fruit was fresh, the characters were awesome! I could have done without the photo-happy woman at the table behind us, but that isn't Disney's fault. I would definitely go to this character breakfast again! We liked this one more than Crystal Palace.

Coming up:
Le Cellier - Dinner (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27549542&postcount=27)
Crystal Palace - Character Breakfast (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27880552&postcount=44)

:banana:

[scottny]

great review.

nice pics.

we are eating here in December and I cannot wait.

[janloz]

Great reviews so far. We are eating at CR, Cape May and Le Cellier in Dec and I got the diver/menus for my son's bday lunch. Glad to hear good review of Cape May too.

[habg1]

Is the chicken boneless at Coral reef? Anyone know?

[Nie0214]

Is the chicken boneless at Coral reef? Anyone know?

There is a bone at the very end (you can see in the picture, it is sticking up) but there was very little-to-no meat on it, so there was no reason to even touch it or get close to it. The rest of the breast was boneless. I am a picky eater, I wouldn't have eaten it if I had to pick around bones. :)

Interestingly enough the chicken at Coral Reef and Le Cellier seemed to be the same cut, it was like they were duplicates. There was a definite taste difference though!

[wirki]

I have eaten at Cape May before and the character interaction was great. The food was so..so. I am glad that you had a great experience.

Nice suit;)

[wilma-bride]

Sounds like you had great fun at Cape May. How rude of that woman to keep taking pictures of the characters with other people - I would have had to say something to her.

[Rags]

Great review!!! Keep them coming!:thumbsup2

[ajsmommy1129]

Sounds like you had great fun at Cape May. How rude of that woman to keep taking pictures of the characters with other people - I would have had to say something to her.

I'm with you Wilma, I would have said something. ??? about Cape May, is it on the DDP?

[HonnyDipp]

Great pics, thanks for sharing!

[DanaAustinChelsea]

I'm with you Wilma, I would have said something. ??? about Cape May, is it on the DDP? Yes, Cape May is on the DDP :thumbsup2

[habg1]

There is a bone at the very end (you can see in the picture, it is sticking up) but there was very little-to-no meat on it, so there was no reason to even touch it or get close to it. The rest of the breast was boneless. I am a picky eater, I wouldn't have eaten it if I had to pick around bones. :)

Interestingly enough the chicken at Coral Reef and Le Cellier seemed to be the same cut, it was like they were duplicates. There was a definite taste difference though!

Thanks for answering my question. I'm a picky eater also. We have ressie there in Nov. and alittle heads up is always nice!:)

[Nie0214]

Sounds like you had great fun at Cape May. How rude of that woman to keep taking pictures of the characters with other people - I would have had to say something to her.

I should have, but I wasn't sure if she spoke English well, would make a scene, or etc., and it wasn't worth embarrassing my family because I can't hold my tongue. :laughing:

Speaking of rude people, while Spectromagic parade was happening, you know how all the fathers put their children on their shoulders? (Why can't everyone just sit? Then everyone could see!) Well this guy who was about 6'2 puts his 8 year old on his shoulders, and then steps in front of me (5'4) and a woman who is about the same height as me who was holding her son on her hip.

The woman tapped him on the shoulder and said "Excuse me, you are really tall, and you just walked in front of us and we can't see a thing anymore, can you stand behind us?" The guy started swearing at her and telling her that he was there first (he wasn't) and wouldn't move. A father on the other side had to tell him to stop swearing! How rude! He could have easily seen everything behind us, we were nearly a foot shorter than rude-man-with-kid-on-top.

That was probably the only rude people I ran into on the trip, I'm surprised there weren't more.

[jeminni]

great reviews so far :goodvibes

[Nie0214]

Le Cellier - 4:00 Dinner:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day3/lecellier.jpg

I was excited about this TS meal, not because I've heard the food is amazing, but just because I actually got a reservation! :laughing: Here's a little back-story: we booked this free dining vacation sometime in mid-May (if you're doing the math, it's about 120 days out), and it was a rather quickly made decision. None of us knew anything about reserving dining times, etc. The last time we had been to Disney was in 2004. Being the internet-obsessed one, I started finding Disney websites to find tips and tidbits: allears, mousesavers, etc. I then stumbled upon the DIS. :goodvibes

So I find out about ADRs, what a nightmare, how do I know what I want to eat in 6 months! I quickly started emailing menus and possible dining ideas to my mom (we don't live in the same state), so she and my brother could approve of them. My brother is a picky eater, though not as much as I am, and he said he really wanted to eat at Le Cellier because their steaks sounded good. Now, my brother hadn't really been too much into planning this vacation at all, so I was thrilled that he actually sat down and looked at dining menus and found a place he wanted......... then I found out from the lovely DIS that Le Cellier is IMPOSSIBLE to book if it isn't 180 days out. :sad2:

And so the ADR adventure began!

I called at least 4 times a week to try and get a reservation. I hunted the DIS September ADR thread for anyone who might possibly cancel a Le Cellier
reservation. I begged, I pleaded, I emoticon/smiley-faced up my posts. It looked like there would be no Le Cellier for us. A DISer named Evan&Kimberly seemed to stalk the Dining line and would grab Le Celliers if they had them during her trip and would then give them away in the September thread. She tried to give me one on our departing day, but it was too late in the day and too close to our Disney Magical Express time. :(

Finally!! On August 4th, after two months of trying to get this reservation, I called and got a 4pm reservation! When I asked the CM to look for an opening on 9/5, she said "Oh, that's a really hard reservation to get, but I will check for you." She then started yelling, "I don't have one for the fifth, but there is one on the 7th! ARE YOU GOING TO BE HERE THEN!?!?" So obviously I'm overexcited, and I say "Yes we are! Book it!" The CM was just awesome, and she was just as excited as I was. She said it was the first time she'd actually gotten to book a Le Cellier in over three months! I sent a giant e-mail to my mother at work with size 72 font that said, "I GOT LE CELLIER!!!!!!!!!!!"

Okay, enough about the ADR fun, let's get to the food porn!

We arrived at the restaurant around 3:50, and they let us inside but we had to wait for them to set-up for dinner since 4pm is the first seating. There weren't too many people waiting inside, but I kept seeing people walk up to the check-in podium asking "How long is the wait?" and getting turned away. I also saw a stroller outside the restauarant with a family name tag and next to it a lime green Mickey head! No screenname or people in sight, so I couldn't say hi to the other DISer.

All of the servers and hosts gathered together to sing "O'Canada" before dinner started; it was a nice extra magical treat. :) After the song they yelled "Now let's play some hockey!" and my brother thought it was really funny. As for service, we had the best service of our entire trip at Le Cellier. Our waiter (I think it was Dave? but I'm drawing a blank on the name) was from Toronto, and he was really nice. He gave us some tips on what to eat and his favorites, and he let us know what was covered on the DDP (special drinks). He didn't have to write anything down, he joked around with us, and he was quick with refilling our drinks. Overall, amazing service!

If you haven't seen my thread talking about the new Le Cellier pilot program, you can see it here: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1949970 . Basically, in order to guide people away from the expensive steak, they have allowed regular DDP holders to get an appetizer, entree, and a dessert but only from certain options. I had really wanted to try the Chedder Cheese Soup, and I'm not a red meat eater, so this really worked out for me!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day3/Dsc00137.jpg

My brother and I both tried this pilot program and got the Chedder Cheese Soup. I didn't take a picture of it, since I dug in before I remembered to take one. The soup was very thick, and probably could have been a meal on its own because the portion was so huge. I ate more of it than my brother did, but I don't think either of us came close to finishing it. It was too salty to me, I think I polished down a glass and a half of water to try and neutralize the salty taste. Our waiter told us to dip some of our breads into the soup, so we did try that, and it was good. :)

Speaking of bread, all of the breads were warm and delicious. My brother is a bread-fiend, if he could go to a restaurant and eat the free bread as his meal, he probably would. He really liked the pretzel bread. My mom enjoyed the multi-grain, and I liked the sourdough. Go figure!

Mom's Meal:
Mushroom Filet Mignon

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day3/Dsc00139.jpg

She loved it. Her exact words were along the lines of, "It's perfect, just how I like it cooked!"

Brother's Meal:
Herb-Crusted Prime Rib

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day3/Dsc00140.jpg

He didn't say much, but my brother was embarassed of me taking pictures of our food (grow up! DISers need to see this!) and probably wouldn't waste his
time reviewing it. He really enjoyed the meat, I don't know if he cared for the potatoes, but he is really picky about potatoes for some reason.

My Meal:
Mustard-basted All Natural Chicken

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day3/Dsc00138.jpg

I know I had chicken at the Coral Reef only two days before, but I like chicken. I can't go wrong with a nicely cooked chicken. Anyway, this is easily the best chicken I've had in a long, long time, maybe even ever. The seasoning and flavoring wasn't just on the outside of the chicken, you could taste it in the center. It was just delicious and tender. I could really eat another one right now. The cream cheese mashed potatoes were also very tasty. I finished my plate, and I almost never do that because sit-down meals always have huge portion sizes.

For dessert, my brother and I had done the new Chef's Favorites pilot program, so we could only choose between the Maple Crème Brulee, Canadian Chocolate Moose, and the Seasonal Sorbet. I really wanted the Campfire S'mores though. What we ended up doing was that I ordered the Chocolate Moose off the pilot selection and gave it to my mother (who was going to order that), and she ordered the Campfire S'mores and gave me those. :thumbsup2

My brother ordered the Maple Crème Brulee and he enjoyed it, but said it was just okay.

Campfire S'mores

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day3/Dsc00142.jpg

I was too full to appreciate this dessert completely, but I loved how it looked! The ice cream was yummy, the brownie/chocolate graham cracker part was good. It was just a really fun dessert!

Canadian Chocolate Moose

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day3/Dsc00143.jpg

My mom really enjoyed her dessert, and it was just another fun magical ending to a Disney meal. :)

10/10 - I know some people say Le Cellier is overrated, but for people that don't dine out much like my family, it was an amazing meal. Our service was above excellent, and the food was cooked as we ordered and tasted amazing. The soup was too salty for me, but I at least got to try it! I would definitely eat here again if I visited more often. Yum!

Coming up:
Crystal Palace - Character Breakfast (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27880552&postcount=44)

:banana:

[Nie0214]

That was a lot longer than I expected it to be, thanks for waiting everyone! :)

[ajsmommy1129]

Yes, Cape May is on the DDP :thumbsup2


Thanks!!! :flower3:

[onelugnut]

i like your perspective on your reviews, thanks for taking the time

[mickeymotto]

Great reviews! So happy you were able to get the coveted Le Cellier ADR.:thumbsup2

[suzimar57]

great photos - question: what exactly is that chocolate mousse dessert?

is it literally 2 little piles of mousse?! - curious...

[scottny]

thanks for the review. I tried to get one but cannot.

[Nie0214]

great photos - question: what exactly is that chocolate mousse dessert?

is it literally 2 little piles of mousse?! - curious...

Yep it is! I think the eyes are M&Ms, and I know the ears are thin tuile cookie.

[Minniespal]

Excellent:thumbsup2

[ANTSS2001]

I made it ... i made it here !!!! I am so excited about the pictures... you did very well with all the pics!!! And it was so much pleasure to have met you and your family!!! :grouphug:

[suzimar57]

thanks for the "moose/mousse" explanation!

(thinking about it, that's something i should try in december!)

[chocolateMinnie]

Loving your reviews.

[Glendamax]

Hey Nie! Thanks for saying hello at "Oh Canada"!

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l301/glendamax/September%202008/Ak%20and%20EPCOT%20dinner/IMG_2914.jpg

[Carys]

(grow up! DISers need to see this!)


Haha!! Still laughing! Oh my, this just may replace my current favourite "get over it" phrase (Toughen up princess!) Nice :thumbsup2 Thanks for running a tough line for the greater good of mouse-eared mankind :)

[Nie0214]

Hi Glenda! :wizard: Oh wow, a picture that came out decent! :lmao: I can't believe I don't have red-eye! You must have a super camera, or editing skills!

Haha!! Still laughing! Oh my, this just may replace my current favourite "get over it" phrase (Toughen up princess!) Nice :thumbsup2 Thanks for running a tough line for the greater good of mouse-eared mankind :)

:rotfl: I think he warmed up to it after a few days, our last day we ate with other DISers. :laughing:


Sorry I haven't gotten to the last review yet, the old plaster ceiling in my living room started caving in and it was a fun Monday. :laughing: Thankfully I rent, so it's not completely my problem.

[MainStMandy]

:lovestruc Great reviews so far...oh how I love Le Cellier!!:lmao:

[Melisa1]

Great report and pics!:goodvibes

[Nie0214]

Crystal Palace - Character Breakfast:

This was our last TS meal of the vacation, and my mom was definitely looking forward to meeting Tigger! The wonderful DISer Aubriee booked this breakfast for 12 people and had room for my family to join in! Thank you so much from a former ADR newbie!

DISer list: Aubriee (Vanessa), her mom, her husband, ANTS (Timmy, what a hoot! Love the present you gave me!), PennConn (Rich), PennConn's Adrian :lovestruc, Jamstew (Jamie), and Kat. It was so fun to meet DISers, and Rich & Adrian were so funny. :) My mom found another Red Sox lunatic--I mean fanatic--in Kat.

This breakfast was booked for 8:10AM, so we left our hotel room around 7:15 to catch an early bus to the Magic Kingdom. This was our last day in the world, so I think my brother and my mom were ready to kill me for setting the alarm clock for 7AM or earlier all week! :lmao: We made it to MK really early and met with Aubriee & her family at the WL dock. Ironically, two men walking behind us and who had commented on my brother's Red Sox shirt were Rich & Adrian! It's a small world? :)

After waiting a few bus-loads for the remainder of our party (minus Timmy!), we entered Magic Kingdom early and got to stroll around Main Street. I had been looking forward to seeing Main Street without a huge crowd, but honestly there were so few people in WDW that week, that even at peak time during the parade it didn't seem that packed!

We took our picture in front of the castle (and ended up getting the "professional" version of this one as our free 5x7):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day5/Dsc00288.jpg

We all finally made our way to the Crystal Palace, which my mother had always wanted to eat at since the first time she visited WDW. We didn't get to eat right away though, as Timmy was crazy-late! She somehow had parked in the CM parking lot and had to move her car to the correct parking lot, and was very far away. When she finally joined us, she was out of breath from running down Main Street. :laughing

We were seated in two tables that were next to eachother and everyone was starving by this point, so we ran up to the buffet. The food was the general breakfast fare with a few differences. There was a make-your-own omelet bar, which my mom enjoyed. There was a Pooh's Corner for little kids that had these sugary-sweet-really-bad-for-you doughboy-like puffs. They were so yummy, though something I would only eat on vacation!

The character interaction here was so-so. I felt kind of ignored because we were two tables of 11 adults, but toward the end of breakfast (while we were waiting for our bills to be calculated, which took about 20 minutes) the characters started coming around.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day5/Dsc00295.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day5/Dsc00296.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day5/Dsc00298.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/geekydork/Disney08/Day5/Dsc00301.jpg

7/10 - The food was warm, standard fair, and honestly not as good as Cape May's breakfast. The characters were OK, they were really slow getting around, and they weren't as fun as Goofy and Chip & Dale.

Sorry this review is so short, but of the four TS meals we had, we enjoyed this one the least. The redeeming part was meeting all the fun DISers. :) I just couldn't bare to leave this review set unfinished.

:banana:

[wirki]

I feel the same way about this ADR. Yet this is the only ADR I made for our trip with the kids in Feb. They really want to go and I like going to the park before anyone else gets there. Walking down Main Street with no one around is great. Glad you got to meet all the Diser's you did! Company sometimes really makes or breaks the meal!

[Glendamax]

Thanks for posting this report! I must admit that I didnt know that Cape May did a Character breakfast. I went there for the first time for dinner a few weeks ago. I REALLY liked it, so I can imagine the breakfast is good there too!

Hope you're having a great week!

-Gmax :goodvibes

[kimmar067]

...nice pix - everything looks so YUMMY!

[MelanieC]

Great pictures and reviews- thanks for sharing.