Food Glorious Food (please, may I have some more) Updated OPR & Sunshine Seasons!

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone! Sadly, we are back from our wonder 8-day vacation. But at least we get to relive it through our trip and dining reports! I am uploading my pictures as we speak, but in the meantime, here is a quick preview of my dining report.

First off, the players...

Me: I am the trip planner, dining coordinator, and general Disney organizer. I eat just about everything, although I am not a big fish fan and don't eat some pork products. Since I picked all the restaurants, I loved pretty much everything!

DH: He eats pretty much everything too. DH weighs in at decision time so some of these choices were based on his requests. But he likes almost all types of food which makes it easy.

Now for the hard part - the DDs! They are PICKY eaters. So the hardest part of figuring out where to eat was finding things they liked or where we could cobble together something acceptable that didn't make me feel like a terrible mother for allowing them to eat it!

DD8 has about three food groups - fruit, carbs, and dessert. I can get her to eat an occasional piece of chicken breast, hot dog, or steak, but for the most part it is bread in various forms. She eats virtually no dairy.

DD5 eats a bit more. Her favorite foods are PBJ, yogurt, and mac and cheese. Not much fruit, not much meat.

So if you have picky eaters, this dining report is for you! If nothing else, maybe it will make you feel better about your own eaters, and hopefully it will give folks some ideas of how we managed to cobble together meals for them!

Ok, so now the good stuff. Here is the list of the places we ate:

Beaches and Cream (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31761344&posted=1#post31761344)
Tutto Italia (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31771243#post31771243)
CHH (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31790786#post31790786)
Kona (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31808037#post31808037)
Breakfast at Old Port Royale (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31839539#post31839539)
Pizzafari (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31839905&posted=1#post31839905)
1900 PF (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31866178#post31866178)
Pecos Bills (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31881117#post31881117)
WPE and Goofy's Candy Co. (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31897681#post31897681)
TH character breakfast (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31945365#post31945365)
Jiko (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=32011938#post32011938)
Old Port Royale and Starring Rolls (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=32046069&posted=1#post32046069)
Narcoosies (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=32201347#post32201347)
Breakfast at Old Port Royale
Sunshine Seasons (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=32419566#post32419566)
Le Cellier
Plaza

We also had a couple of CS breakfasts and assorted snacks that I will try to work in as I go. I'll start in as soon as I get my pics posted.

:goodvibes

[kellymary]

I can not wait for your reportpopcorn::

[GoofySon'sMom]

Can't wait for the reviews! :goodvibes Sounds like you hit some great places!

[MickeyNicki]

Cant wait!

[Sam'sMom0126]

Looking forward to it. I have a VERY picky eater too so I'm interested to see your cobbling together ;)

[Mommytwotwins]

Can't wait to see pics and hear all about it!

[luckytobeme88]

An ice cream place on top the list is always a GOOD thing. Can't wait for the rest in pic.

[Leshaface]

I'm in! Lets get this going!:yay:

[Mickeefan]

I'm in!

[KatMark]

I'm here for more food porn.

[lynn46356]

Can't wait for the reviews and pics. I know what you mean about picky eaters. Our DS10 knows I meat, chicken nuggets or strips. We call him chicken legs. :) Looking forward to your report.

Lynn

[tink1957]

:cool1:I'm ready, bring on the food!popcorn::This popcorn is getting stale.

[Disneynut5]

I'm in. Going to Disney with 2 picky eaters in September!

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Sounds good and being a mom of a picky eater I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys liked.:goodvibes

[gardengirl628]

Count me in....I have a picky eater as well. Plain pasta with butter on it, mac & cheese if it's Kraft, bread, crackers, fruit. Yep, that about covers it.
Can't wait to read your reviews!

[jayhjay]

Ok, I am back! For starters, here are a few pics of the family so you know who you are talking to...

DD8 with DH
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2257.jpg

DD5 and me
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2258.jpg

And now, on to the food!

First stop was Beaches and Cream. We had a very (VERY) early flight out of DC and got to our resort by a little after 10. After exploring CBR for a bit, we headed over to Beaches and Cream for lunch. We didn't have time to fit it in any other day so I figured this would be a fun way to kick off the vacation, especially since we didn't have any park plans until dinner that night. DH and I had been here before, but not the kids.

As promised, we got to deal with our picky eaters from the get go! I knew that DD5 would not eat anything at B&C save the ice cream. When we arrived at the check in desk I asked if they had any PBJ. I figured if not, I'd run over to the Beach Club marketplace and pick up an uncrustable for her.

Ok, here is my brief aside... DD5 LOVES uncrustables! (She calls them "Pie Peanut Butter and Jelly"). Her favorite thing about going to WDW is getting to eat them. I refuse to buy them for her at home, but at Disney I let her indulge. Personally I think they are gross and I can't believe that Disney for all their "healthy kids meal" stuff that they serve that gross kids chicken pizza can't just make a real PBJ sandwich. But DD loves them so I guess I shouldn't complain.

So anyway, the folks at the check in desk said they would arrange for PBJ for her so we were all set. We got their around 11:15 and got the last booth on the left. If you can make it in early, this is definitely the best place to sit. Those little ice cream tables in the center are so small and so close to everyone else it is worth to hustle in when they first open.

So as I said, DD5 ordered the PBJ. When we were seated our CM already knew about her special request. They plated it and everything, just like a real kids meal with grapes and carrot sticks (both of which she eats amazingly).

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2263.jpg

I ordered the burger with fruit on the side. I have to say, I wasn't impressed with the burger. Definitely a premade pressed patty. It tasted fine, but nothing amazing. Out of the three burgers I had that week, I'd put it toward the bottom. I got a vanilla diet coke to drink. Yum!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2260.jpg

DH had the steak sandwich. Really yummy with lots of gooey cheese, onions, and maybe peppers? I can't be sure. That little green bowl on the side is au jous (sp?) He upgraded to onion rings from fries. So good! I should have gotten those too! He agreed with me that this was better than my burger. He got a vanilla coke.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2264.jpg

DD8 had the hot dog. Of course she ate it with no bun (I had to stop her from just holding it in her fist!) And she didn't eat the fries (but DD5 and I took care of those nicely). She only likes thin McDonalds style fries - don't ask, who knows why! :confused3

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2261.jpg

Both girls ordered water, btw, and they gave them small water bottles rather than tap water, which I really liked. Not that I have anything against tap water, but when you get a drink included with your meal, I am paying for it, so I appreciate getting the bottle instead.

So the girls both did well. DD8 shared the grapes, they all shared my fruit, we shared the fries, and pretty much everything got eaten. Now onto dessert!

DDs both got the mickey sundaes with their meal (even DD5 for whom they created a meal). I think they could choose from a few flavors, but they both got vanilla. Very cute!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2265.jpg

DH and I shared the No Way Jose. I always forget this is as big as your head until it comes to the table. Seriously, it is enormous. Almost embarrassingly so, but we managed to tough it out! So yummy with the gooey peanut butter and fudge. MMM!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2266.jpg

Overall, this was a great meal. I'd get something other than the burger next time, but everything else was great. And the service was excellent. I really appreciated that they went out of the way to find us an uncrustable. We had a lot of fun and would be back again for sure.

Oh, and we were on the DDP, but we paid OOP for this meal. Total cost: $53.05. I can only find one receipt and I can't tell if that is our bill, or what we paid on our room with tip. If I can find the other receipt I'll let you all know.

So there we have the first installment. I'll add Tutto Italia tomorrow.

[Leshaface]

Wow that No Way Jose looks awesome!!!

Great review! Can't wait for Tutto Italia!
popcorn:::banana:

[jayhjay]

Wow that No Way Jose looks awesome!!!


Yes, it is ridiculously good! I was laughing to DH about whether they intentionally miss the bowl and get the peanut butter and chocolate all over the sides! So yummy!

[Leshaface]

Yes, it is ridiculously good! I was laughing to DH about whether they intentionally miss the bowl and get the peanut butter and chocolate all over the sides! So yummy!

Haha! You're right! It's oozing everywhere!

[jacksmom]

Great start! Can't wait for more!:rotfl:

[medicgirl911]

I absolutely have to get to Beaches and Cream to try that sundae!!!! :eek: It looks heavenly!! :love: You have a great looking family, I can't wait to read more!!

[torsie24]

Awww, love that Mickey Sundae!

Thanks for sharing! Can't wait for more installments!

[woodleygrrl]

Hey there Neighbor!

I live in DC, too and it is nice to see someone else from the "neighborhood" post here!

I am leaving for Disney on Friday for 11 days and one of the places that we are going to try this time for sure is Beaches and Cream!

Thanks for starting this review and I look forward to reading it!

JOD

[binkytell]

in for the ride

we had kitchen sink last year but deffo getthin that no way jose
in august its looks fab:yay:

[jacksonsmom]

I am in!! I haven't been back to Beaches n' Cream for about 5 years! Our next trip we are going back. I really want a No Way Jose!!! :thumbsup2

[cnorth]

OOOH, I want that No Way Jose right now:thumbsup2

[TigerKat]

Great start! Looking forward to the rest.:goodvibes

[klacey1]

Subscribing!

I can't decide between Tutto and Mama Melrose's for August...maybe your review can help me decide!

[skellingtonfreak]

Great start! Looking forward to the rest of this line-up!

[jessrose18]

popcorn::

[MagicKisses2]

:yay: More!

[jayhjay]

I absolutely have to get to Beaches and Cream to try that sundae!!!! :eek: It looks heavenly!! :love: You have a great looking family, I can't wait to read more!!
Thanks! I think they are pretty cute! Plus, this is our first day so we still look pretty fresh - you should have seen us by Day 6!

Awww, love that Mickey Sundae!

It was really cute. The best part you can't see, but they had the cherry stem sticking out the back like a little tail! It cracked me up!


Hey there Neighbor!

I live in DC, too and it is nice to see someone else from the "neighborhood" post here!

Where are you in DC? I actually live in Olney. Do you know where that is? I grew up in Rockville and Gaithersburg.


I can't decide between Tutto and Mama Melrose's for August...maybe your review can help me decide!

I haven't been to Mama Melrose in a while but we really liked Tutto. I am just getting home from school pickup so I hope to get the review up soon.

[woodleygrrl]

I am in Woodley Park in DC. it is near the National Zoo, right on the red line. Best location ever and has the bonus of being on the route that the Vice President takes to get to work every morning. he gets up early!

[jayhjay]

I am in Woodley Park in DC. it is near the National Zoo, right on the red line. Best location ever and has the bonus of being on the route that the Vice President takes to get to work every morning. he gets up early!

Yep, I know right where that is. I am out in the suburbs, but my kids are big zoo fans!

[jayhjay]

After our lunch at B&C we went back to our resort, picked up our groceries and stroller, and settled in to our room (BTW, kudos to Garden Grocer and Orlando Stroller Rental for their excellent service!).

Considering we were up at 4 am, we settled in for a nap in the hopes our kids would not be total bears come dinner time. Then we set out for Epcot and dinner at Tutto Italia.

Surprisingly, with all our visits to WDW, we have never eaten at the Italy pavilion, even when it was Alfredos. But I have read so many great reviews of Tutto we decided to give it a try. Plus, Italian food has the advantage of being on the short list of things my kids will eat.

Our ADR was for about 6 and it was pretty close to that when we arrived. It looked like they were seating walk ups outside and ADRs inside (although I am not sure if those with ADRs could have gotten an outside table if they asked). DH heard the wait was a couple of hours, but I am not sure if that was for inside or out. We waited for about 10 minutes in the cool lobby and then were seated.

The restaurant is very nice looking, although it is one big room so fairly bustling, but not too noisy. I started off with a Bellini which was quite yummy (sorry, no pics) and everyone else had waters. We weren't that hungry after the big lunch so we skipped the appys, although they did bring out a little bread basket with some fancy butter. It had some breadsticks and other kinds of bread. You can sort of see it to the right here in the picture of DD. Also some pickled veggies that none of us ate (well DD tried one of the pickles and promptly spit it out - lovely).

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2278.jpg

At most of the TS places DDs got little menus with games and puzzles and some crayons which kept them busy. Although little kids wouldn't be able to do much on them. Even DD5 needed help with most of it. But for kids a little older, this will help keep them busy a bit.

The kids got appys with their meal and they both ordered the Fruit Cocktail. Which basically was chopped up cantaloupe, pineapple, and honeydew. And when I say chopped, I do mean CHOPPED. Teeny tiny pieces you could barely pick up with a fork. We ended up asking for spoons which made it easier, but I am not sure why it was all diced up like that. Making it harder of course to pick out the dreaded honeydew! Neither of them will eat that nor the pineapple so I had to painstakingly pick out each microscopic piece of cantaloupe from the bowl. DD5 has eagle eyes - I tried to sneak in some pineapple and she caught me every time! :rotfl:

Oh, they also ordered waters and got little bottles again like B&C, fwiw.

For dinner, DH ordered the Pollo al Mattone (roasted-pressed chicken with lemon, herbs and hot red peppers). It wasn't spicy though for those worried. I thought it was very good. Huge portion too, which came in handy as you will see later!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2281.jpg

I got the Cannelloni (baked with spinach, ricotta, bechamel and parmesan cheese). It was delish! Creamy, cheesy, fattening, yummy! It doesn't look that big but it was quite filling. I'd definitely recommend it.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2280.jpg

DD8 got the grilled chicken with vegetables. Grilled chicken is actually one of the few things she eats so I was hopeful here, but no luck. It was sort of strange, so I am not sure I blame her.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2279.jpg

I mean that is one flat, perfectly round piece of chicken. She said it tasted weird. And of course those veggies were not crossing her lips for anything. I asked if they could substitute them but they had nothing else. She ended up eating DH's chicken instead.

DD5 ordered the farfalle pasta with butter sauce (it was supposed to come with cream sauce but she wouldn't eat that). I made the mistake of letting them put on Parmesan cheese b/c she loves it at home. Of course at home it is called "sprinkly cheese" and is made by Kraft. This was real cheese and it had a bit more bite than she is used to. I loved it, but once it was on there, she wouldn't eat one bite of her noodles. Lovely! So we are 0 for 2 with the kiddies. But she also ate DH's chicken. Lucky him. I apparently didn't take a picture of this, but if you can imagine noodles with butter and parmesan cheese, you've got it.

For dessert, I had my absolute favorite - Profiteroles! (ok, secretly the reason I picked this restaurant was so I could get this dessert!). And they did not disappoint. Basically they are little cream puffs filled with vanilla gelato and topped with chocolate sauce. These came naked and they poured the hot chocolate over them at the table. Heavenly!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2283.jpg

DH ordered the chocolate torta (chocolate and hazelnut torte with whipped cream and raspberry sauce ) w/o the raspberry sauce. Nothing could top my dessert (imho) but he really liked it and said it hit the spot.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2286.jpg

The girls got the gelato with chocolate sauce. They had some sort of sundae but it had bananas so we had to adapt. It was a large bowl and they sucked it down.

And here we are at the end of the meal, full, fat, and happy!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2285.jpg

This was our first DDP meal and it is sort of confusing with the new system where tip is OOP. We got one bill with all our food (DDP and OOP) that indicated the recommended tip. Then once we filled it out with our tip, they took it back and gave us two separate bills, one with our DDP food and one with the OOP charges (in this case the bellini and the tip). It sort of makes these confusing dealing with all the paper. I forgot to write down our total cost, but DH left a $26 tip which was 20% so I will leave you all to do the math! Total OOP was $35 counting my drink.

Overall I thought it was an excellent meal and I would definitely be back. DDs meals didn't turn out ideal, but they are not your typical eaters and it wasn't the restaurant's fault. My food and DHs food were delicious. For a PP, I though it was better than Mama Melrose (or at least my memory of MM).

Ok, as Tigger would say TTFN (ta ta for now - our families new favorite slogan!). I have to actually do some work, but hopefully I can get back online soon. Next up, lunch at CHH and dinner at Kona. Both yum!

[gardengirl628]

Those profiteroles look amazing!
and I have pretty much planned all of our dining around which desserts I want! :lmao:

[kimgof]

Great Reviews :thumbsup2 We are trying Tutto this upcoming trip. Can't wait!

[Leshaface]

I loved Tutto Italia when we went last June!

Those Profiteroles looked AH-MAZING!:love:

[TXMomof3boys]

Thanks for the Beaches and Cream cheeseburger review. We have planned to eat at Hurrican Hannah's so we can try the B&C burger. Sorry to hear it was just okay. I can not wait to hear where your favorite burger was from!

We are trying Tutto Italia for the first time in June. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

Looking forward to reading more of your reviews. popcorn::

[AUDramaQueen]

Thanks for posting! Looking forward to the rest!!

[ireland_nicole]

Oh, those profiteroles look amazing; nothing else for it but to go change my Epcot plans :lmao: TTFN!

[Mycuteboyz3]

My DH and I just came back from DW we were there from 5-3 to 5-8 and we did enjoy our dinner at Tutto Italia. Those profitelores were delicious. Can't wait for the rest of your report.

[madameleota71]

I got the Cannelloni (baked with spinach, ricotta, bechamel and parmesan cheese). It was delish! Creamy, cheesy, fattening, yummy! It doesn't look that big but it was quite filling. I'd definitely recommend it.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2280.jpg

This looks soooooo good! :love:

[jayhjay]

Thanks for the Beaches and Cream cheeseburger review. We have planned to eat at Hurrican Hannah's so we can try the B&C burger. Sorry to hear it was just okay. I can not wait to hear where your favorite burger was from!

We are trying Tutto Italia for the first time in June. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

Looking forward to reading more of your reviews. popcorn::

Yes, it was good, but not amazing. If you are staying at the boardwalk area, I definitely think it is worth a trip to B&C. In fact, even if you aren't staying there I think it is worth it. I am just not sure it is worth it just for the burger. Then again, if I was sitting along stormalong bay, I'd grab a burger from Harpoon Hannah's w/o a second thought.

Oh, those profiteroles look amazing; nothing else for it but to go change my Epcot plans :lmao: TTFN!

Seriously, I have been know to go places just for profiteroles, but these were really top notch. I think the last minute addition of the hot chocolate sauce over the cold gelato is what makes it. Nice size portion, great gelato, yummy chocolate - what is not to like!

My DH and I just came back from DW we were there from 5-3 to 5-8 and we did enjoy our dinner at Tutto Italia. Those profitelores were delicious. Can't wait for the rest of your report.

Thanks! They were so yum!

[jayhjay]

This looks soooooo good! :love:

Yes, the cannelloni was delicious. I am not a big ricotta cheese fan so I don't often order this, but it wasn't too grainy like ricotta can sometimes be. And that sauces was delish!

[MossFamilyMom]

We are headed to the world in Sept and starting to think about ADR's. You have sold me on Tutto Italia!:yay:

[jayhjay]

Ok, I should be working... but instead I'll think about Disney World! :laughing:

For our first full day at WDW we headed over to the MK. As an aside, I ordered a variety of groceries from Garden Grocer that we had delivered to our resort when we arrived. To me it is well with the small cost to have everything waiting when we arrive rather than having to run around an unfamiliar grocery store trying to decide what to buy. Just in case you are curious, we ordered a case of water (at $7 that is the cost of about 2 at the parks!), plus some yogurt tubes, apples, bananas, mini boxes of cereal, mini muffins, pretzels, milk, and maybe a few things I am forgetting. I also ordered paper bowls, plastic spoons, and ziplock bags. This made it easy to eat in the room for breakfast, plus we could easily save leftovers, transport snacks, etc.

So after a quick breakfast in the room, we headed over to MK. We had lunch at one of my MK favorites - Columbia Harbor House. I always like this place because I enjoy the quiet upstairs and I think they have some unique things you can't find other places.

For lunch, I had the Anchors Aweigh sandwich (white tuna with lettuce and tomato on toasted multigrain bun $8.09). It comes with a bag of chips. It is really yummy tuna and tastes so great after being out in the hot park. I had the chocolate cake for dessert. It is one of those in the little cup with the lid. So chocolatey and yummy! MMM! I seem to only have a pic of the sandwich though...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2311.jpg

DH had the BLT salad (Mixed greens with crispy chicken, bacon, egg, and tomato $7.19). Basically a salad with chicken nuggets on top. Since I love WDW nuggets, that is good with me! He said the salad was very good. They had assorted dressings at the napkin station. I think he got ranch. DH also had the chocolate cake for dessert. We both had sodas, btw.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2310.jpg

DD8 ordered the kids "chicken chunks". I don't see them on the all ears menu but she definitely got a kids meal. It came with two sides and she got the grapes (bagged and removed from the vine) and a chocolate chip cookie (also bagged). Here is the annoying part - the kids chicken "chunks" are not the same as the good adult chicken nuggets. Instead of the yummy crunchy breaded ones (ala McDonalds chicken selects), they are round processed circles with sort of a crumb breading. I wish I had taken a picture but apparently with all the "these are gross" chaos I forgot. Needless to say my picky daughter took one look and declined. Even after the required "taste it before you say no" (does that ever work btw?), she didn't want them. Fortunately DH is a champ and he took her kids nuggets and gave her the real ones from his salad.

This issue did not appear to be unique to CHH so I can't blame them, but honestly, they can't give the kids the real nuggets? Definitely seemed like Disney is cheaping out here.

DD5 ordered the "pie" PBJ. Strangely this is not on the all ears menu either. She got it with the bagged carrots and the chocolate chip cookie. Both girls ordered waters and got mini bottles. The cookies were sort of cold and blah looking to me, but the kids liked them so I guess it doesn't matter.

We used 4 CS credits at CHH. As usual, I thought the food was good, atmosphere nice, and the selection great. We'll definitely be back.

As an aside, we also used three snack credits that day - one on popcorn at the cart in Fronteirland (salty and deliciously unnatural tasting), and two on a cookie and muffin from Main Street Bakery (huge and delicious).

And just b/c I can't resist, a cute picture of the girls with Peter Pan. Be back soon with my Kona review. Macadamia nut butter, where have you been all my life! :love:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2305.jpg

[torsie24]

Can't wait to hear about Kona! :)

That is bad that the kids nuggets aren't as good quality as the adults, surely they could just do a half portion for them?

And a very cte photo of your DDs by the way, although Peter is a little scary.....

[jayhjay]

And a very cute photo of your DDs by the way, although Peter is a little scary.....

Yes, he doesn't exactly scream "spritely" does he? But he was nice and good with the girls. They love Peter Pan, although I was sad we didn't see Wendy. Last time she was over there with him both times.

[AUDramaQueen]

Not sure why, but when I saw that picture of Peter Pan, I thought "Zac Efron in 15 years"

Your girls look adorable!

Great CHH review. It's my fave CS in MK if not all of the World. I too am a little schocked about the kids nuggets though. We will probably just order an adult meal and split it between the 3 of our kids.

[disneyfan61]

popcorn::

[jayhjay]

Not sure why, but when I saw that picture of Peter Pan, I thought "Zac Efron in 15 years"


:lmao:

[jeminni]

Now you got me really wanting an anchor's aweigh sandwich. :rotfl:

Great reviews :goodvibes

[tigger2on]

Where did you find Peter Pan Meet & Greet??? My kids would go mental!!!!

[Leshaface]

Not sure why, but when I saw that picture of Peter Pan, I thought "Zac Efron in 15 years"

Your girls look adorable!

Great CHH review. It's my fave CS in MK if not all of the World. I too am a little schocked about the kids nuggets though. We will probably just order an adult meal and split it between the 3 of our kids.

ROFL!!!!:rotfl::rotfl2:

[medicgirl911]

MMMMMM! Thanks for the pic of the anchors aweigh! That is the only Tuna sandwich I eat anywhere! I don't even make them at home LOL! I love Columbia Harbour House! :love: I have to agree, thats one scary looking Peter!

[dancemomnj]

Loving your reviews!:thumbsup2

[LiteBrite]

Where did you find Peter Pan Meet & Greet??? My kids would go mental!!!!

I'm not the OP, but I saw this meet and greet happening a couple of weeks ago in the Pirates pavilion in Adventureland - the far right part of it, just before the walkway to Frontierland. We saw it twice, once with just Peter, and once with Peter and Wendy together.

I'm really enjoying the reviews!

[MickeyNicki]

The kids nuggets from CHH sound just like the ones my little niece had at Cosmic Rays...she took one bite and said they were yucky, and they were exactly like the ones you described!

The tuna and the chicken BLT salad are my favorites from all the CS in MK!

Cant wait to read what is next

[jakenjess]

Great reviews so far! I have a very picky DS, 13 years old, I was hoping he'd grow out if by now! So I know what you're going through! We found all the restaurants very accommodating, so I'm sure there are lots of picky kids out there.

Looking forward to more!:)

[jayhjay]

MMMMMM! Thanks for the pic of the anchors aweigh! That is the only Tuna sandwich I eat anywhere! I don't even make them at home LOL! I love Columbia Harbour House! :love: I have to agree, thats one scary looking Peter!

It is so good. I am not sure what make the tuna so yummy (probably tons of full fat mayo!) but it is a good sandwich. And it is so rare to find that type of food in a CS place.


Loving your reviews!:thumbsup2

Thanks! :goodvibes

I'm not the OP, but I saw this meet and greet happening a couple of weeks ago in the Pirates pavilion in Adventureland - the far right part of it, just before the walkway to Frontierland. We saw it twice, once with just Peter, and once with Peter and Wendy together.

I'm really enjoying the reviews!

Yes, that is exactly where we saw them - to the right when you are facing the Pirates store, sort of near the bathrooms. Captain Hook and Smee are often across the walkway, closer to the front of Pirates. It seems sort of weird he is not by the Peter Pan ride, but I guess it fits the adventureland theme, plus the pirates stuff.

Oh, fwiw, when my girls were getting their hair wraps at the little stand in front of the Pirates pavilion, I noticed they had a small note up at the stand listing when Peter appears (i guess it gets busier then?). Anyway, they'd probably let you get a peek at that to find out exactly when he is there. But it is quite often.

[jayhjay]

The kids nuggets from CHH sound just like the ones my little niece had at Cosmic Rays...she took one bite and said they were yucky, and they were exactly like the ones you described!


I also saw them at the Old Port Royale (CBR food court). Apparently they have taken over!

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your nice comments, it is great to know people are reading and enjoying my reviews. And now onto the good stuff... dinner at Kona Cafe!

We have always enjoyed dinner at Kona and our meals have been consistently good. When we were making our ADRs this year, there seemed to be a little negative buzz out there on Kona, but I must say this was one of our best meals all trip and I wouldn't hesitate to go back.

After our day at MK, we went back to CBR, swam for a while and cleaned up. See how nice we look after showers!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2322.jpg

I had timed our reservation to allow us to catch fireworks afterwards from the Poly beach. They were scheduled at 9 so I made 6:45 ADRs (fwiw, we cut it a bit too close). After checking in, we were given a pager and were seated almost immediately. Our server Holly introduced herself and asked whether we were on the dining plan. She then took the time to explain exactly what was included in the plan, highlighting the smoothies which are allowed on the plan (well, the n/a ones).

For starters, they brought the most delicious sweet bread. It is a huge round loaf, probably about 8-10 inches across. It is yeasty and made with a bit of pineapple juice making it mildly sweet. As if that wasn't delicious enough, they serve it with this to die for macadamia nut butter (I think it comes with the pancakes in the am). May I just say, OMG! :lovestruc It is SO GOOD! I would eat just about anything with this butter on it! Honestly I would come to Kona just for the bread and butter! Embarrassingly, we managed to eat not just one, but two whole loaves of bread (with extra butter of course). Here is DD5 enjoying hers. Note the umbrella in her water!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2326.jpg

DH and I started with an order of the sticky wings (glazed chicken wings wings with a tangy mustard drizzle and toasted sesame seeds $8.49). These are pretty much the same as the ones at Ohana and come with a mustard sauce on them. Holly brought them with the mustard sauce on the side "so the kids can share them". Ha ha ha! :lmao: Clearly she has not met my kids! But it was actually good b/c we were able to get lots of sauce on each wing, and the zesty mustard with the sweet wing sauces was super good.

FWIW, they have this appy listed as for two now. It is quite a large portion (maybe a dozen wings?), but I am not sure it is bigger than before. For some reason I didn't take any pictures, but I am sure there are a ton on the food porn thread.

For dinner I went way outside my normal box and ordered the Tuna Oscar (served with fried green tomatoes, tempura-fried jumbo lump crab, and wasabi hollandaise $22.99). Not sure what possessed me other than I am getting more daring with sushi-style fish. Sorry this picture is pretty blurry. It looked clearer on my little camera display!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2327.jpg

As you can see it is pretty rare. I actually asked for it medium rare (it was supposed to be fully rare). I probably should have gotten it as suggested b/c it was a bit chewy but I am sort of wimpy about rare fish. But it was still delicious with a nice outer seasoning. You can't see it all but this was two huge pieces of fish. Two people could have easily shared this dish. The little circles on the side were the fried green tomatoes (pretty good, a little bland) and the little balls on the top were the tempura fried crab (amazing). And obviously asparagus. The wasabi hollandaise was fabulous and I asked for more, all the better to pour all over everything! I would definitely recommend this fish if you like tuna, it was great!

Oh, and I got some sort of smoothie as my drink. I honestly have no memory of what it was. My receipt says "P Smoothie S Chrgd" if that helps anyone. :laughing: But I remember it was good and not too icy.

DH got the Teryiaki NY Strip, which was the other dish I was considering (sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini $27.99). It was a huge piece of meat and quite delicious. Not too fruity which had concerned him a bit. I'd definitely recommend it.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2329.jpg

For the kids, we learned our lesson at Tutto and Beaches and Cream and specifically asked for their fruit cups with cantaloupe only! I think this was technically a side (or dessert) that came with one of the Pick 3s, but as with most places, they let us mix and match. Actually, now that I think of it, DD5 got the fruit and DD8 got french fries with her meal as her side dish.

DD8 ordered a hot dog (with fries) and DD5 ordered the ravioli with butter. Which is once again not on Deb's menu. And there was no mac and cheese (which is listed there) b/c DD would have ordered that instead. We took a gamble with the ravioli b/c she didn't like it last time she tried it, but there wasn't anything else she would eat. It will surprise NO ONE that she didn't like it. But she tried it. And she appreciated the cute Mickey shape! (oh, I just noticed the fries on her plate - they had forgotten she got the fruit as an appy and brought her the fries too by mistake)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2328.jpg

I didn't try them. They look awfully buttery to me, but kids probably like that. So once again, she ate DH's steak (for those counting, this is now his third meal out of four where he had to share or trade! Poor guy!). Of course, both girls LOVED the NY strip! I was officially shocked, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

For dessert, both girls got make your own sundaes. They were nice size and they loved decorating them themselves. (the far cup is chocolate sauce)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2330.jpg

The funny thing is that I looked over and the little girl at a nearby table was covertly pouring all her Mickey sprinkles into her hand and putting them in her pocket for later! Won't mom and dad be surprised! :rotfl:

DH got the Banana Chocolate Creme Brulee (you will notice a creme brulee pattern as the week goes on!). I tried it and thought it was good, but I am not a bit creme brulee lover. Points for presentation though! DH really liked it.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2332.jpg

Once again I picked the best dessert (if I do say so myself!) - the chocolate fondue.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2331.jpg

OMG was this good. Not quite the profiteroles, but a very close second! It came with some fruit (kiwi, strawberries, and pineapple) and some cookies. The ones you can see were sort of crispy lace cookies and behind those were two coconut macaroons. And of course, a huge bowl of thick rich chocolate. Give me that and the macadamia nut butter and I could be happy for life! Unfortunately there was not enough dippers to use up allt he chocolate and despite a strong desire, I thought better of picking up the rest and drinking it! :rotfl: (FWIW, this picture was taken after we had eaten a bit of the fruit).

For this meal, we used 2A and 2C TS credits. We paid $12.99 OOP for the wings and tipped $18 (I think about 20%). Our total bill was $104 before the dining plan stuff was backed out (I can't remember if that included the tip or not).

So other than the ravioli issue, this meal with a big hit with us. Everything was delicious from start to finish and we really enjoyed the meal. I would definitely continue to recommend Kona and we will certainly be back!

Next up, breakfast at Old Port Royale and lunch at Pizzafari.

[torsie24]

OMG - how have I never seen that fondue before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It looks SO good.

Now I don't know what to do - I was all set on hve the creme brulee......argh!

Wonderful update! Thank you!! :cutie:

[luckytobeme88]

Don't you just love those "bread" and butter! You're killing me here. Seriously :rolleyes1 I am trying this "south beach diet". I have been deprived.:sad1:

[AUDramaQueen]

Another great review.

Also, I would like to say how much I appreciate the fact you link your reviews in the first post.

Not that I don't enjoy reading everyone's comments, but sometimes you just wanna get to the Porn! Uh...did I just say that?:blush:

[medicgirl911]

The fondue looks great. If we end up going there, I am just going to have to buy my daughter that dessert or she would steal the whole thing from me lol. I think all fruit should be chocoalte dipped lol!!!!!!!:lmao: Can't wait to read more!

[jayhjay]

OMG - how have I never seen that fondue before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It looks SO good.

I saw it in someone's dining report a while back. It wasn't on the menu when we were there in Oct '07. But it was soooo good.

Another great review.

Also, I would like to say how much I appreciate the fact you link your reviews in the first post.

Not that I don't enjoy reading everyone's comments, but sometimes you just wanna get to the Porn! Uh...did I just say that?:blush:

Hey, we are all porn addicts on this board! Thanks for the nice words about the dining report. Glad you are enjoying it!

The fondue looks great. If we end up going there, I am just going to have to buy my daughter that dessert or she would steal the whole thing from me lol. I think all fruit should be chocoalte dipped lol!!!!!!!:lmao: Can't wait to read more!

Yes, mine stole all my strawberries! I guess it is better than taking all my chocolate! Next time I'd see if I could trade more fruit for the macaroons since I don't really like macaroons.

[mi*vida*loca]

Great reviews!!! :thumbsup2

[MelanieC]

Loving it so far :)

[jayhjay]

Great reviews!!! :thumbsup2

Loving it so far :)

Thanks guys! Today has been a crazy day but I am hoping to be able to write more tonight or tomorrow morning.

[katiebelle21]

Great reviews! I'll have to give Beaches and Cream a try--that sundae looked great, and the fondue at Kona looked yummy too!

[jayhjay]

Great reviews! I'll have to give Beaches and Cream a try--that sundae looked great, and the fondue at Kona looked yummy too!

Thanks!

Yes, I seem to be doing quite well on the desserts!

[Mycuteboyz3]

I also had the Tuna Oscar at Kona when we were there last week and it was delicious. I'm definately reliving my trip all over again. So far you've visited every restaurant that we went to. Keep it coming:)

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone! So we left off with Kona and dreams of chocolate fondue! The next morning we decided to head over the CBR food court for breakfast for a couple reasons. First, we knew going in we'd have extra CS credits as we had too many TS meals planned. Plus, I knew DD8 wasn't going to eat at our lunch that day at Pizzafari so I wanted to pick up some stuff for her from the Grab and Go.

So we headed over to grab some breakfast. Surprisingly, I realized not only have I never had breakfast at a resort food court, I don't think I have even eaten in one more than once or twice in the last four trips! The food court is in the central building near the pool, arcade, etc. There are about 5 counters, each with different food, along with fridges for drinks, fruit, etc. I am not going to remember it all, but I think there was waffles, eggs, egg sandwiches, french toast, fruit and a few other hot things.

Closest to the entrance is the Grab and Go. I was pleasantly surprised with the selection here. They had a huge wall filled with cold stuff - fruit bowls (mixed and single fruit), pudding, yogurt, uncrustables, etc. Plus another cold shelf with alcoholic drinks, desserts, and other snacks. Then a bakery area with bagels, muffins, danish, etc in the morning and things like cookies, cupcakes, etc later in the day. Also, an area with packaged snacks like rice crispy treats and bagged snacks. Plus a freezer with ice cream. They had a big sign up that said which items counted as DDP snacks, and then also noted which things qualified as "desserts". Almost everything that was a snack could also be a dessert.

We sort of wandered blindly for a while trying to figure out what to do and what to eat. Although each counter had its own menu, there was no central menu I could see so you had to go to each one and look to figure out what was offered. Oh, and there are central registers so you pick your food and then pay for it all together which is convenient.

I ended up with the mickey waffles with strawberry sauce and bacon. The CM said that it included a drink, but not dessert, and when I asked she said it could be a large size drink. I got a large bottled oj. Jumping ahead, when I went to pay, the CM said I got two drinks, so I had to run back and get another (large bottled water). The waffles were yum as all Mickey waffles are. Maybe too heavy on the strawberry sauce, but they were delish. Bacon was pretty limp and wimpy. I didn't end up eating it.

DH and DD5 got the french toast with bacon, along with 1 juice and 3 bottled waters. DD loves her french toast and gobbled it down. DH said it was very good but agreed with me about the bacon and none of our three servings ended up getting eaten.

For DD8 I got a bowl of mixed fruit. This was before we realized that the G&G had single fruit bowls and once again we ended up with the dreaded honeydew! Seriously, it is like breadcrumbs - thrown in for filler! We also ended up getting her a muffin and a bagel for lunch later at AK, and picking up a "just in case" uncrustable for DD5 for lunch as well.

Overall we used 3 CS credits, and 4 snack credits. If I had know then what I know now, I would have combined the 4 snacks into one "continental combo" which lets you trade four snacks for a CS credit, but more on that later. So breakfast was good and I was pleased with the food selection, especially at the grab and go.

[jayhjay]

After breakfast we set out for a day at AK. My kids are animal crazy so they were really excited about AK (in fact, as we speak they are watching "Underdog to Wonderdog". DD8 told me when she grows up she wants to either be a vet, or... an animal control officer! :rotfl: Too much Animal Cops!)

So while we were excited about the day at the park, I wasn't so sure about the CS options. Ever since TH and my beloved fried chicken sandwich were taken away, I haven't been too thrilled with the CS options here.

We headed over to Pizzafari since we have never eaten there before. I ordered the Hot Italian Sandwich w/chips (Turkey, ham, Swiss and Provolone Cheese topped with Caesar salad and pesto marinated tomatoes - $8.79). Now I am not sure where my mind was here b/c I don't like or eat ham and I didn't want to cause a hassle and ask them to make it w/o. So I figured I'd just remove it myself. Of course, this plan was foiled as the cheese basically melded the ham to the bread and I couldn't get most of it off. Also, it appeared to be smoked turkey which I don't like. So while the sandwich seemed well made and would probably be enjoyed by someone else, I didn't really like it. But I really think that is the fault of bad ordering, not bad food.

BTW, no idea why I didn't take pictures here, sorry about that. I am sure they are on the food porn thread if you want to see them.

DH ordered the cheese pizza that came with the Caesar salad. We both thought this was pretty good. And the salad was crisp and fresh with good dressing. I should have gotten this instead!

It will shock no one that my kids won't really eat pizza (too many ingredients touching!). DD5 on occassion will eat it, but DD8 won't eat any pizza with sauce. So we have to always order w/o. And then she doesn't really like cheese, so we have order no sauce and light cheese. People at restaurants always look at us like we are crazy (which is probably true). In all honesty, if I let her order a pizza crust with nothing on it she would be thrilled!

Given that, we opted for a "bring your own" lunch for her - a cobbled together array of food from the CBR food court (see my breakfast report for more details) - basically a muffin, a dry bagel (yum!) and an apple from our room. Lunch of champions!

For DD5 we had brought an uncrustable, but Pizzafari had mac and cheese so she voted for that instead. This was your typical Stouffers bright orange, runny macaroni noodles. She liked it but I wasn't really impressed. She got it with bagged carrot sticks and a cookie. She might have had a yogurt tube that we brought along too.

So we used 3 CS credits this meal. Oh, and I ordered some breadsticks thinking my carb loving DD8 would eat them. Of course, no, she would not. Who is surprised, raise your hand. I thought they were pretty good, soft and warm with a bit of parmesan on top and marinara sauce to dip. I think they may have had the dreaded green parsley flakes - kiss of death to the picky child! Of course, I had to pay OOP since these don't count as snacks. Which is a total cop out to me as they are under $4. But if you like bread sticks, I thought they were good.

So overall, I would go back there for the pizza and breadsticks. I think it is a pretty good CS option. Nicely decorated and spacious inside too.

Last thing, we also got a few snacks at AK. The kids both have Mickey bars (delicious, but boy do those things melt fast!) and DH got a bag of those roasted sweet almonds. He totally loves those and gets them every chance he gets. So three more snack credits there.

[medicgirl911]

Love your reviews, even without the pics!! LOL :happytv: I do have to say I have concerns about your daughters pizza issues LOL...umm can I just have a cooked pizza crust??? :lmao: I bet you do get some weird looks when you order pizza at home! :hug:

[elump1]

Hi! I just started reading your reviews and I want to say thanks for putting all the info about the picky eater situation. I have a picky eater and I am already wondering how that is going to work while we are there so it is nice to hear how someone else handled it! I can't even plan yet for what we can get for my daughter because we don't go until December and her list of food that she will and won't eat changes by the month (she is 3). Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for the info and I am enjoying reading your report!

[jayhjay]

Love your reviews, even without the pics!! LOL :happytv: I do have to say I have concerns about your daughters pizza issues LOL...umm can I just have a cooked pizza crust??? :lmao: I bet you do get some weird looks when you order pizza at home! :hug:

We also order cheese quesadillas "light on the cheese". :rotfl: My kids have also been know to eat frozen waffles still frozen! Seriously, DH and I eat virtually everything, I don't know where this comes from.

[jayhjay]

Hi! I just started reading your reviews and I want to say thanks for putting all the info about the picky eater situation. I have a picky eater and I am already wondering how that is going to work while we are there so it is nice to hear how someone else handled it! I can't even plan yet for what we can get for my daughter because we don't go until December and her list of food that she will and won't eat changes by the month (she is 3). Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for the info and I am enjoying reading your report!

I am glad it is helping someone! I have to say, the combination of the groceries we bought (apples, yogurt, dry cereal) and the grab and go (bagels, muffins, fruit bowls) helped a lot. (Did I mention my kids also eat cereal with no milk! :laughing:) We just brought a bunch of stuff with us each day to the park and to meals and we could supplement what they would eat.

And honestly, the biggest thing was just not letting it make me crazy. I don't think vacation is the time to get into fights over whether a dry bagel is a good lunch. I just tried to do my best and get something somewhat healthy into them and not spend too much time worrying about it.

[MassMom94]

DS was almost 6 the first time we went to Disney in 2003. He was a very picky eater and I was concerned about what he would eat there. Answer turned out to be, not much. So much so that we nicknamed him Popcorn Boy for the one food he ate the most. He survived. :thumbsup2

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long break between entries - DD5 has 103 fever so that has pretty much been sucking the life out of all of us this weekend. :sick: But things are settling down a bit so I figured I'd jump back into my report.

After our day at AK, we relaxed by the pool for a while and then headed over to the Grand Floridian for dinner at 1900 PF. First let me say, boy is parking far away! If you don't valet, you have to park across the street in a satellite lot - leave yourself 10-15 minutes to walk to the resort from there.

Once there we checked in and were seated within about 5 minutes (our ADR was around 6). This is the first time we have been to the new meal - last time it was still Cindy, Prince, the mice, and Godmother in the lobby. Now they take formal pics of you in the lobby in front of some sort of castle background but with no characters.

We were then led into our table in the first seating area (basically there is a seating area when you come into the room, then you can enter a larger main room with the buffet and more tables). Of course we were seated all the way in the back right up against the doors where you enter. We put the kids facing into the room so they could see what was happening, but this put their backs against the wall making it hard for the characters to get to them. Next time I'd reverse them.

Our server Bob came over, took drink orders, and gave us a basic overview of the buffet. Essentially there are four themed areas (Asian, Italian, etc), and then two kids pods. Plus a dessert area. I wasn't blown away by the selection at the buffet. The salads were pretty much the same on both sides. They had the standard carving station, some pasta dishes, some asian dishes that they were cooking behind the counter. Everything seemed hot and was kept full, but neither DH nor I found a ton of stuff we wanted. Kids choices included pizza (w/sauce so that was a no for my kiddies), maybe some pasta (again w/sauce), veggies. Can't remember what else. I think DD8 ate bread, fruit, and... that is about it. I don't think they had chicken nuggets (at least not the good ones) but they may have had mac and cheese. Honestly, I don't think anyone goes to buffets for the food, so I wasn't expecting much, but usually we have less trouble finding things we liked.

So why were we there? The characters of course! I had heard that the character interaction here is great. And since DD5 is still into princesses, but DD8 is not, I figured this would be a good match for both. For those not up on PF, characters include both stepsisters, Lady Tremaine, Prince Charming, and Cinderella. So a pretty good lineup. And I have read lots of reports of great teasing with Lady Tremaine and the stepsisters so I was looking forward to it a lot.

Alas, not to be for us that night. When we got there Lady Tremaine and Anastasia were right by our table. But then some sort of dance started in the main room (which we couldn't see from our seats) so they stopped going around. Once that ended, we first got a visit from Lady Tremaine. Her "shtick" was basically snapping to the kids "X, stand here" and glaring down her nose for pictures.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2394.jpg

I honestly think she was at our table less than 10 seconds. Next up was Anastasia. She was the only one who really was into it. The little girl next to us was scared and hiding under the table, and Anastasia got down on the floor and crawled under after her. By then DD5 had decided she did not want to be in any pictures (maybe Lady Tremaine scared her? Or maybe she was just being 5). I said something about her pouting and Anastasia said, "Oh, I pout all the time - I pout for a pony, I pout for a new hair ribbon, I pout for pink nail polish". When I pointed out DD5 already had pink nail polish she said "See, it worked!"

Here she is with DD8:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2399.jpg

And making pouty faces with DD5

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2400.jpg

We also saw Drizella (Drucilla?) and Cinderella, along with the always charming Prince (DD8 blushed when he kissed her hand - so cute!) :love:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2401.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2406.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2402.jpg

W/o exaggeration, our total face time with the characters combined probably was 45 seconds. I was quite disappointed that there seemed to be virtually no interaction, either with the kids or between characters, especially since I had heard such great things. On the plus side, their costuming and makeup was great, especially for the step sisters and Lady Tremaine. They made them look just like the movie!

As an aside, during our last trip we celebrated DD5's third birthday. So for DD8 who just turned 8 last month, we decided to have a b-day celebration dinner and this was it. They seemed to have scaled back on the birthday festivities. Last time the table was decorated with sprinkles, and DD got a crown and a placemat decorated with the character signatures. Then they brought a cupcake and sang. This time DD8 got a cupcake, but no other festivities. Here she is with the cupcake:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2404.jpg

We used 2A and 2C credits on this meal. We paid OOP for a Stella beer for DH, plus tip. Overall I'd say it was just average. Food was ok, characters ok. Nothing I would run back for personally. But others have reported much better experiences so weigh that in your decision.

FWIW, I think this was our least impressive food day overall (hard to top the profiteroles and fondue from the previous two days!). But don't worry, it gets better from here! Next up, Pecos Bills and WPE!

[2xcited2sleep]

Joining a bit late but can't wait for more! popcorn:: Great job so far. I am laughing (with you) at the trials and tribulations of traveling with such picky eaters. You have a great sense of humor about it. And DH is so generous with his meals! :laughing:

As a burger lover I am very interested in hearing what burgers topped the Beaches 'n Cream burger! popcorn::

[jayhjay]

Joining a bit late but can't wait for more! popcorn:: Great job so far. I am laughing (with you) at the trials and tribulations of traveling with such picky eaters. You have a great sense of humor about it. And DH is so generous with his meals! :laughing:

As a burger lover I am very interested in hearing what burgers topped the Beaches 'n Cream burger! popcorn::

Glad to have you!

[MelanieC]

Ahh sorry you didn't like the Hot Italian sandwich at Pizzafari. That is one of our families favorites and a MUST do at AK!

[jayhjay]

Ahh sorry you didn't like the Hot Italian sandwich at Pizzafari. That is one of our families favorites and a MUST do at AK!

Yeah, like I said, I think it was bad ordering on my part, not bad food. I shouldn't have ordered a sandwich with ham on it when I don't like ham! I guess I thought it would be easier to pick off. Oh well.

[jayhjay]

We spent another day at MK and decided to try lunch at Pecos Bill's. Surprisingly, we had never been there even with all our MK trips. But I had read good reviews and we decided to go for it, despite the fact that neither of my children would eat anything there!

We got there around 11:45 and it was already pretty busy, especially at the bustling entrance/food line. There are some outside tables and DH was able to grab one in the shade. I didn't look through the dining room too much but it appeared quite busy.

So both DH and I ordered the Cheeseburger and fries with sodas and carrot cake for dessert. I got the food and headed over to the fixings bar. I was pretty impressed with the set up here - lettuce, tomato, pickles, skillets of grilled onions and mushrooms, melty cheese in a frightening shade of orange, and assorted condiments. As you can see I ended up with a big delicious mess!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2434.jpg

I was pretty impressed with the burger. For those of you following my reviews, you know that I gave the B&C burger just an ok. In all honesty, this one was better. I would be willing to stake money that the burgers themselves are identical patties. Once I added the yummy toppings, this was better than my fairly bland B&C burger. (FWIW, I have heard rumors that at times B&C uses premade patties versus the good stuff. That could explain why my burgers in the past have been better there and why they get such rave reviews. But for whatever reason, my Pecos Bill burger won out over my B&C burger).

Here is the carrot cake. Nothing exciting and certainly not as good as the CHH chocolate cake! But really, we are comparing carrots to chocolate, so is that really fair?

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2436.jpg

As DH got the identical meal, I didn't take pictures of his. For the DDs we had to get creative since burgers will not pass their lips. For DD5 I brought the leftover uncrustable I had bought the day before, along with a yogurt tube and some pretzels from our room. I honestly have no idea what DD8 had. Apparently an apple...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2435.jpg

I hope that wasn't all! I don't have any receipts that show I bought her something, so I am thinking it may have been cereal from the room or leftover blueberry muffin? How embarrassing - I am sure it was something really healthy and chock full of veggies! ;)

Overall we used 2 CS credits here. I was very pleased and enjoyed my meal. I even broke my cardinal rule for all ballparks, stadiums and amusement parks - never order the hamburger. They are always gross! But in this case it was a good meal and we would definitely be back.

FWIW, later in the day we snacked on 2 Itzakadoozie pops (DDs) and one Dole Whip Pineapple float (me). Three snack credits and enjoyed by all!

Coming up - WPE and Goofy's Candy Co.

[torsie24]

Sorry 1900PF wasn't they best for you guys - the burger looks great though!!!

Can't wait for your WPE review and to see your Goofy creations!!! Mmmmm, is it bad I'm drooling already?

[jayhjay]

Hi all, I'm back with reviews from our night at DTD! First off, we had dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express, my favorite CS place at WDW. The food is always great and you get a lot for your money when on the DDP.

Ok, before I start, am I crazy or did this place move? Or at least get redone? :confused3 I swear last time there was a little lobby and all outside seating. Now it is bigger with both inside and outside tables. Presumably I am not losing it and something changed (but it could just be me).

Anyway, DH grabbed a table outside and I ordered the food. Pretty much everything is allowed on the DDP which is amazing considering the prices. I ordered the rosemary rotisserie chicken with a side of caesar salad (it comes with garlic potatoes but I subbed the salad. You can also get fries I think).

This was super delicious. Juicy, nicely seasoned, huge portion. With all things on the menu I sort of wish I had picked something I couldn't get anywhere, but there is no denying that this was delicious chicken! The salad was good too - dressing was tangy and light.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2446.jpg

DH got the better (or at least more creative) choice - the roast beef and cheddar focacia (thinly sliced Niman Ranch beef, sharp cheddar, mixed baby greens, tomato, Horseradish sauce and Dijon Aioli $11.95). It was so good. I wasn't sure about the bread b/c sometimes focacia is too thick, but in this case it was perfect. The chips on the side were so good too!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2448.jpg

DD8 got the chicken fingers and fries. She is pretty picky about her chicken nuggets - I know, you are all surprised - but she liked these. Of course the fries had the dreaded green stuff (probably parsley) that made them inedible to her picky palate (why garnish kids food? do any of them like it?). But the rest of us munched on them and they were good.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2447.jpg

DD5 had the side order of macaroni and cheese (mozzarella, fontina, cheddar and Gorgonzola cheeses with fresh artisan elbow macaroni, baked until bubbly and golden brown). Since this wasn't a "meal" we paid OOP.

Ok, there is nothing to say about this besides - OMG Yum! :yay: This was SOOO good. Now I must admit, I have become way more familiar with mac and cheese than I want to be considering this is what DD orders 95% of the time. So I have tried everything from the gross runny boxed stuff to the fancy gourmet. This was excellent, not too runny, not to "adult" tasting. She really liked it (and so did DH and I who finished it up!). If your kids only like Kraft or Stouffers, this might be a bit much, but it wasn't too fancy for my picky eater, FWIW.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2445.jpg

Our meals each came with dessert and we got two chocolate chip cookies (which the girls and I split) and one creme brule for DH. All were good, not really on par with the amazing food. If it comes with your DDP, get it, otherwise I'd take advantage of the amazing dessert options at DTD (we did both of course!)

Overall, this was an excellent meal and a great value. It was one of the few places that gave me a bill with prices, so I can tell you it cost $52.29 w/tax for our three meals, plus $4.21 w/tax for DD5's mac and cheese. Well worth three credits and an excellent meal!

Goofy's Candy Company

For us, no trip to DTD is complete without a trip to Goofy's candy company, especially when you have snack credits to burn! For those who haven't been there, it is a giant candy shop with both bagged snacks, a cookie/candy counter, and assorted other things, like bag your own jellybeans and m&ms, make your own slushies, etc. But the best part is the "make your own" dessert area. Basically you fill out a little form that let's you choose rice crispy treats, pretzel rods, marshmallows, apples, cookies, etc to dunk in your choice of chocolate and cover with your choice of candy.

When we got there, the DDs went for the candy/cookie case right away. I tried to convince them to hold out for the good stuff, but they both insisted so DD5 got a flower shaped sugar cookie and DD8 a huge rice crispy treat with chocolate on top.

DH and I went for the make your own candy of course! He got a rice crispy treat with chocolate and m&ms, maybe something else? It was so big it didn't even resemble a mickey anymore! I got pretzel rods with milk chocolate, two with reeses and one with m&ms, and caramel and chocolate drizzle. MMMMM! It looks like a big mess of sweet stuff in this picture, but it was good!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2608.jpg

So we managed to use up four more snack credits. Of course, none of us were hungry enough to actually eat any of it! So we brought it back to the resort and munched for the next few days (and still brought some home!).

Definitely give Goofy's a thumbs up! :thumbsup2

Let's see, what was next... Oh yeah, brunch at Tusker House and dinner at Jiko

[torsie24]

Ummmm, pretzel rods!! Good toppings choice!!!!!!!

[jayhjay]

Ummmm, pretzel rods!! Good toppings choice!!!!!!!

Yeah, I am a big sweet/salty person so these hit the spot!

[Gina35]

First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to give such great reviews.
You are doing an amazing job! The pics are fantastic, and you're so thorough that you've included everything one would like to know! We are going back to DW in August, so I've been hanging out at Disboards all of the time lately. Your
reviews are making me super excited about our upcoming trip (and super hungry each time I read a new entry; you've been making me drool over the desserts). Secondly, thanks for posting entries soooo quickly. I know how hard it is to get these done AT ALL, so I appreciate it tenfold because you're so efficient!! Finally, I absolutely LOVE your sense of humor and the way you infuse it into your writing (e.g., how your DD "apparently" had an apple at Pecos Bill's....and something healthy and chock full of veggies). This really is much more than a typical TR with dining reviews....it's like Allears or Deb's during comedy hour!! Thanks so much for making it so informative and entertaining!!!

[jayhjay]

First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to give such great reviews.
You are doing an amazing job! The pics are fantastic, and you're so thorough that you've included everything one would like to know! We are going back to DW in August, so I've been hanging out at Disboards all of the time lately. Your
reviews are making me super excited about our upcoming trip (and super hungry each time I read a new entry; you've been making me drool over the desserts). Secondly, thanks for posting entries soooo quickly. I know how hard it is to get these done AT ALL, so I appreciate it tenfold because you're so efficient!! Finally, I absolutely LOVE your sense of humor and the way you infuse it into your writing (e.g., how your DD "apparently" had an apple at Pecos Bill's....and something healthy and chock full of veggies). This really is much more than a typical TR with dining reviews....it's like Allears or Deb's during comedy hour!! Thanks so much for making it so informative and entertaining!!!

Aw thanks, you are so sweet! :goodvibes I am glad that you are enjoying the reviews and finding them helpful. It is nice to know someone is reading!

[medicgirl911]

We also order cheese quesadillas "light on the cheese". :rotfl: My kids have also been know to eat frozen waffles still frozen! Seriously, DH and I eat virtually everything, I don't know where this comes from.


:rotfl::rotfl: I will buy my daughter uncrustables at home occasionaly, and she prefers to eat those FROZEN!:sick: What is with kids lol!!!:rotfl:

[medicgirl911]

OK all caught up! Lovin the reviews of course, I really want to try WPE but I think on our DTD day we are going to go to T-Rex since we dont have that or even a Raintree ANYWHERE near Hicksville Illinois. But I really want WPE :guilty: LOL I do have to say Shame On You for no pics of your delecious dole whip!!! :laughing:

[ShannonMB]

Just joining you now, but I must say I'm really enjoying your reviews!!! You guys are adorable, your pics are great, and I'm enjoying your style!! And your quick posting, as a PP said.

Thanks for sharing, I love it!!! ;)

[TXMomof3boys]

I am looking forward to our dinner at WPE - enjoyed reading your review. Question - was it just the cookies that were not up to par or was it the cream brulee as well? I love Cream Brulee so I was wondering if I should go with something else if it was just okay (we are on the DDP)?

Thanks for describing Goofy's. We did not go there on our first trip and are planning to use some snack credits for treats to take back home. I have showed my boys the Mickey rice crispy treats and pretzel rods (here on DIS) and they are so excited about tasting them! :)

[Jenvenza]

Great reviews!

[jayhjay]

I am looking forward to our dinner at WPE - enjoyed reading your review. Question - was it just the cookies that were not up to par or was it the cream brulee as well? I love Cream Brulee so I was wondering if I should go with something else if it was just okay (we are on the DDP)?

I think they were both good, just not amazing. I mean, for CS creme brulee, you really can't complain. I just wouldn't choose one of those desserts over Ghiradelli or Goofy's if I was paying OOP. But if you have the DDP and get dessert anyway, I wouldn't hesitate to get either one.

[jayhjay]

OK all caught up! Lovin the reviews of course, I really want to try WPE but I think on our DTD day we are going to go to T-Rex since we dont have that or even a Raintree ANYWHERE near Hicksville Illinois. But I really want WPE :guilty: LOL I do have to say Shame On You for no pics of your delecious dole whip!!! :laughing:

LOL! Sorry about that! It was actually a Dole Whip Float - even better in my opinion! Picture yellow juice in a glass with yellow ice cream! ;)

Just joining you now, but I must say I'm really enjoying your reviews!!! You guys are adorable, your pics are great, and I'm enjoying your style!! And your quick posting, as a PP said.

Thanks for sharing, I love it!!! ;)

Thanks, I am glad you are enjoying reading!

Great reviews!

Thanks! :goodvibes

[jayhjay]

Ok, I can't resist making the 100th post! I am glad everyone has been enjoying the reviews and been so enthusiastic. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next review done tomorrow. Today was a bit crazy. Plus, American Idol is on tonight! ;)

JJ

[jayhjay]

For our second Animal Kingdom day, we decided to sleep in and have a late character breakfast at Tusker House (and by "sleep in" I mean DH and I try desperately to ignore our children who wake up early anyway :laughing:).

I made the latest possible breakfast reservation, which was 10:30. When we got there, the CM told us their would be at least a 20 minute wait. We had promised the girls they could get their faces painted so the girls and I dashed over to the booth around the corner while DH manned the pager. Ta-dah!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2460.jpg

We had a little wait so it was closer to 30 minutes and we got back just as the pager was going off. They have a new layout now that it has converted the buffet and, at least for breakfast, you go around to the back of the building instead of entering off the "main street" of Africa. When you get to the courtyard they take your portrait (are they doing this at all the character meals now?) and then lead you into what used to be the room with the registers. That has now been turned into the buffet room and after a getting a quick overview we were lead to our table.

Unfortunately I didn't take a lot of pictures of the food, but here is the quick rundown as best as I can remember. There was a pod with bagels and bread for toasting, as well as various spreads. Also fruit, various breakfast meats, biscuits, potatoes (hash brown style and tater tots), some quiches and frittatas, cereal, cottage cheese, hmmm, what else. Oh yeah, Mickey waffles, eggs, oatmeal I think. And then in the center, the "dessert" station with donuts, muffins, coffee cakes, etc. Overall I think an excellent spread. Here is my plate:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2469.jpg

From the top left it was bacon, sausage patties, coffee cake, mickey waffles, tater tots, regular hash browns, some sort of chocolate pastry, and some sort of fritata. I thought the food was very good.

DH got pretty much the same assortment as me. DD8 had a nutritious breakfast of two donuts, fruit, and a dry bagel - the breakfast of champions! :lmao: DD5 had fruit loops, a huge bowl of cottage cheese, and a donut. All I can say is thank goodness we weren't paying OOP. I am not sure I could stomach at $10 bowl of Fruit Loops! But they were thrilled with breakfast, so I guess I can't complain.

Oh, and they also serve that delicious juice that they apparently also offer at Boma for breakfast. I am the only juice drinker in the family so I not only drank two of my own glasses, but also DHs, and both DDs!

Ok, so here is the only problem. By the time we were seated, it was close to 11:00. I asked our server Jim whether it was going to be a problem getting breakfast since I knew it had to be close to time to turn over for lunch. He assured me that this wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately that wasn't really the case. We had time to get and eat our first plates, but by the time I went back with DD to get a second plate, much of the buffet had already been turned over for lunch. And then the CMs all came hurrying out, resetting tables, etc, getting ready for the lunch crowd. Now we had no trouble seeing the characters (in fact a CM came over to make sure we saw them all before they left), but I definitely would have liked a more leisurely pace. If we had really wanted to eat 2-3 plates we wouldn't have had time. And although they didn't push us, we felt pressured to hurry up and get out of there.

I should have realized this might be an issue b/c they serve lunch back to back with breakfast. When we did a late breakfast at CM, we had no problem b/c they don't serve lunch. So breakfast can drag on with no real problem. But here they need to turn over diners. So while I would definitely recommend the breakfast and would certainly return, I'd make an earlier ADR.

Ok, on to the fun stuff... the characters. The interaction was great, even in our more rushed environment. Much better than at 1900 PF. We saw Goofy, Mickey, Daisy and Donald, all in their safari gear. They were very fun and interactive. Here are a few pics...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2474.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2467.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2466.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2471.jpg


Overall it was a really good meal and we would definitely recommend it. Our total bill was $63.86 plus an 18% tip. We used DDP credits for the kids but paid OOP for us since we had an extra signature dining planned that night for DH and I and wanted to save credits.

Next up, Jiko!

[maryserv]

I'm really enjoying your take on what the girls did and didn't eat. My DS6 is uber-picky as well, no pizza sauce, "green thingys", and "weird-looking" things. What I really like is that you guys prepped for that, brought stuff and ate where you wanted to eat and didn't seem to sweat "running around for something the kids would eat".

[jayhjay]

I'm really enjoying your take on what the girls did and didn't eat. My DS6 is uber-picky as well, no pizza sauce, "green thingys", and "weird-looking" things. What I really like is that you guys prepped for that, brought stuff and ate where you wanted to eat and didn't seem to sweat "running around for something the kids would eat".

Thanks! I think it helped that we had a pretty good idea of where we wanted to eat and what they served before we got there (thanks to Deb at allearsnet). So I did try hard to find places where there was at least a chance they could find something. But as I mentioned, buying some basic groceries and carrying them around with us, both from Garden Grocer and from the resort Grab and Go, really helped. At least I knew they would have something to eat no matter where we went. That and ignoring "apple and blueberry muffin" as a meal! ;)

Glad you are enjoying the reviews!

[Disneymama5816]

I'm in. Looking forward to it.

[MarieS]

Great reviews and pix! You have a lovely family!

[jayhjay]

I'm in. Looking forward to it.

Great, glad to have you join us!

Great reviews and pix! You have a lovely family!

Aw thanks! :goodvibes

[marcyinPA]

I'm enjoying your reviews! And your daughters are adorable!! :goodvibes

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been out of the loop for a while. Now that Disney is done we have been planning some camping trips (and it will surprise no one I am just an obsessive a planner with that as with WDW!). Ok, but now we are back and on to the good stuff - dinner at Jiko!

After our day at AK, we headed over to Jiko for an adults only dinner (Kids went to Simba's clubhouse). This was the only day we didn't return to the room mid-day for a break so we were sort of hot and sweaty. In hindsight I would have left time to go back to the resort since even with a quick change and wash up in the bathroom, I think we both felt a bit harried. But I think we cleaned up pretty well...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2530.jpg
(Brenda if you are reading, this is in honor of your many "will show cleavage for food" photos! :rotfl:)

So after attempting to get ourselves presentable, we headed over to Jiko. As usual, it is an oasis after the chaos surrounding Boma. We had a 6:00 ADR and were seated almost immediately. Our table was in the long row of two-tops on the window wall site so we (or I) had a nice view outside.

Two side notes: have you ever noticed that the women almost always sit on the booth side of a booth/chair table? DH and I went out once and out of 15 tables in a row, the woman sat on the booth side. Same thing here. Second, I have to complain about these tables - SO CLOSE TOGETHER! I am not exaggerating when I say I could have held hands with the tables on either side. And I can tell you exactly what they all ate for dinner. This is a big pet peeve of mine (not limited to Jiko - same problem at Bistro de Paris), especially in a nice restaurant.

Ok, back to the food. I had been craving the cheese plate ever since I read someone else's review. And it did not disappoint. Here is what it looked like:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2523.jpg

And because I am a dutiful DIS boarder, I even took a picture of the piece of paper they give you accompanying it to tell you what cheeses they are (think you feel silly taking a picture of food, wait until you see the looks when you take a picture of paper! :laughing:)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2527.jpg
(this is sort of small so it anyone wants a larger version to read better, just tell me)

So you can read the descriptions, but here is my take on it. Far left is the humbolt fog. It basically tasted like blue cheese but less crumbly, although it was actually goat cheese. Above it is a little pot of raspberry preserves.

Next too it was something called "Midnight Moon". Sort of dry and aged tasting. I really liked it but that is my favorite kind of cheese. Up top some sort of apricot in a glaze. Yum. In the middle was some sort of soft cheese that had a little bite. And then two more that I can't really remember much about. On the right were some little crisps (the bread at the very end was from DHs appy). If you like cheese, get this appetizer! It was delicious. A nice variety of flavors and textures. Nice portions and great accompaniments.

DH got the Taste of Africa. It is a sampler of breads and spreads (I think mostly different kinds of hummus). It had the lavosh style bread, some sort of peppercorn crackery thing, and one other type. He LOVED it. I thought it was really good but I wasn't quite as over the moon. But he was really happy with it, and again, really nice size portion.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2524.jpg

You can sort of see in the background the bread and butter you get with the meal. A sort of sweeter yeasty bread with flavored butter.

For dinner I had the filet with macaroni and cheese. Last time I had this I was gushing and thought it was the best meal I had all week. It is what made me want to come back again this year. This time I enjoyed it a lot, but it was not the same life changing experience. I am not sure why. But it was really good with the filet cooked perfectly and the sauce really nicely complemented by the creamy mac and cheese. I don't think you can go wrong with this and it was really good, but I would consider other options next time.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2528.jpg

DH got the beef short ribs. He thought these were AMAZING! When I say the meat fell off the bone, I am not exaggerating. The meat was very tender and slightly sweet (it had carmelized onion). The pototoes were delicious as well. He would highly recommend it (and I thought it was great too).

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2529.jpg

For dessert DH had the chocolate pistachio creme brulee (I think this was his fourth creme brule of the week!). I am not a big pistachio fan (or a creme brulee fan) but I thought this was really good. The chocolate coats the bottom so you get a bit in each spoonful.

I had the lemon curd (House-Made Meyer Lemon Curd - With pomegranate and blueberry compote, white chocolate biscotti, and sour cream ice cream $8.00). I had this last time I was there as well and raved about it. Again, I thought it was really good, but not AS good as before. Not sure why. But it is a delicious mix of flavors - tangy lemon curd, sweet blueberries, cool creamy ice cream, crunchy bits of biscotti. I thought it was great and would definitely get it again.

Apparently I didn't take any pictures but you are in luck, b/c these are the same desserts we had last trip! So if you don't mind recycled pictures...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_0764.jpg
(Mine in the foreground, DH's in the background)

Last thing was I got tea with dinner. I had to laugh when I ordered b/c the description of this thing was like soft core porn! ("Two flavors, uniting together, intertwined...") The tea was called "Eros" and it was sort of a super mild Chai. It suggested serving with milk and I thought it was yummy (especially with their homemade raw sugar cubes). Served in a pressed pot for those who are interested.

Overall it was a really great meal. Last time we went crazy over Jiko. This time the meal was excellent, but for some reason I was slightly less enthusiastic. I would still recommend it whole heartedly, especially the cheese plate!

We used 4 TS credits for the meal and paid $63 out of pocket for DHs two whiskey sours, our appys, tip, and my porn tea.

Next up, lunch at Old Port Royale.

[TigerKat]

I am looking forward to a return trip to JIKO in October! I'm pretty sure the cheese plate will be at the top of my list of new things to try.:goodvibes

[MickeyNicki]

Great review of Jiko! I had the filet and the blueberry lemon curd the last time we went, I sure hope it lives up to my memory this Oct.

As for the booth thing, if you ever see a DH sitting on the booth side and a DW on the chair side that would be Todd and I...he prefers a booth for some reason and I like the back support of the chair...we are just such odd balls :rotfl:

[kckmom]

Thanks for the review of Tusker house, I just made rezzies for 8:20 bkfst with all 5 of us in August. We have done CM before, and wanted to try something different but still see the mouse. ;)

The menu sounds good, and the characters look awesome (nice to see Daisy in there!) As my DDs really wanted to dine with the princesses, not sure how this one will go over with them. Cannot get a meal at CRT at this point :sad2: but this looks like a fun option!

[jayhjay]

Thanks for the review of Tusker house, I just made rezzies for 8:20 bkfst with all 5 of us in August. We have done CM before, and wanted to try something different but still see the mouse. ;)

The menu sounds good, and the characters look awesome (nice to see Daisy in there!) As my DDs really wanted to dine with the princesses, not sure how this one will go over with them. Cannot get a meal at CRT at this point :sad2: but this looks like a fun option!

Yes, I think it was a great meal with lots of choices. And really nice character interaction. Maybe you can tell your DDs that Daisy is a princess! ;)

[medicgirl911]

[QUOTE=jayhjay;32011938]


Last thing was I got tea with dinner. I had to laugh when I ordered b/c the description of this thing was like soft core porn! ("Two flavors, uniting together, intertwined...") The tea was called "Eros" and it was sort of a super mild Chai. QUOTE]


Dang girl, we are going to have to put an adult only rating on your posts!!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: ;) LOL!

[jayhjay]

Dang girl, we are going to have to put an adult only rating on your posts!!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: ;) LOL!

I guess that is what you should expect when you order something called Eros. It was good though!

[oybolshoi]

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Another Bewb-Flasher!!! :lmao:

That's awesome ... did they give you the cheese plate for free? ;)

Honestly, the cheese plate is the primary reason that I want to go back to Jiko for dinner in October. Is that wrong? :confused3:laughing:

And I have to say ... it looked like your mac and cheese was skimpy and overdone and there wasn't enough sauce. Still, glad to read that you enjoyed your meal there. :goodvibes

BTW, you and your hubby are a very cute couple. :cutie:

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone, here are a couple more reviews for you all...

Starring Rolls Cafe

While waiting for HS Musical to start at HS, we stopped at Starring Rolls. I will admit I was drawn here after seeing an amazing looking chocolate/peanut butter cupcake in someone else's review. So the girls and I ran in looking for something yummy. We have never been here but they had a nice selection of pastries (I think maybe some sandwiches too?) Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures but here are the basics.

- DD5 got a blueberry muffin (who gets a muffin with all that yummy dessert? :confused3) It was your average muffin. Nice size though.

- DD8 got a cinnamon roll. Pretty big, but I thought it was a bit dry. Maybe b/c it was probably sitting since breakfast time and this was almost noon. She really liked it though.

- I got a chocolate eclair. Very big and tasty.

- For DH I got this colossal cupcake. I mean, imagine the tallest cupcake you can think of and double it! It was a white chocolate cupcake with icing and then layered white chocolate shavings. The topping part was probably 6 inches tall by itself. I could hardly carry it! Definitely delicious.

As a funny aside, the cupcake was decorated with this hard, red mickey head. DH put it in his mouth and tried to bite it but it was rock hard. A guy next to him looked at him and said, "Are you supposed to EAT that?" :laughing: Poor DH was a bit embarrassed... but he got the last laugh as you will see during our Narcoosies review!

Overall, great snacks and a good use of four snack credits.


Old Port Royale

We were not thrilled with any of the dining options at HS and since we were leaving early we decided to have lunch back at our resort.

Having learned our lesson from the CHH yucky kids chicken nuggets, we ordered DD8 an adult meal of Chicken Nuggets and fries. These were MUCH better and a very big portion (you could also get fewer nuggets I think but this was on the DDP so we got it). On the DDP she got a drink (water) and a dessert. We found you can choose a dessert from the grab and go, not just the few things they had at the CS line. In fact, they have a huge sign listing all the things that qualify as a snack credit, plus a note by which ones are considered dessert, which I thought was really helpful. She got an m&m cookie.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2572.jpg

For DD5 we got her a bowl of cantalope and yet another uncrustable. As usual she thought they were the best thing she ever ate! We got her a sugar cookie as well.

I had a special from the sandwich line, the Beef and Blue sandwich. This was SO GOOD. It was a huge sandwich with roast beef, blue cheese sauce, marinated red onions, lettuce and tomatoes. It was great. I am not sure how often they have this but I would definitely recommend it. It came with jerk seasoned potato chips which were really good but quite spicy. For dessert I had a vanilla cupcake from the grab and go. Very big and yummy. This was a great deal for one CS credit.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2573.jpg

DH had a buffalo chicken sandwich and chocolate cake. Apparently I took no pictures. I feel like the cake was the "in the cup" kind, not a slice but I am not sure. IMO his sandwich was just ok. He seemed to like it but it was basically chicken with spicy sauce on a roll. I like it when they put some blue cheese on it or something. Plus there was no lettuce or tomato or anything. But I think they assume you will use the "fixings" over by the sodas so maybe they leave it plain on purpose? But of course we didn't notice it until we left.

Overall, we were definitely pleased with the meal and I think it was a good deal and a lot of food. Actually probably one of our better CS lunches. We used 3 CS credits, plus 3 snack credits for DD5s "meal".

Next up... Narcoosies!

[jayhjay]

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Another Bewb-Flasher!!! :lmao:

That's awesome ... did they give you the cheese plate for free? ;)

Honestly, the cheese plate is the primary reason that I want to go back to Jiko for dinner in October. Is that wrong? :confused3:laughing:

And I have to say ... it looked like your mac and cheese was skimpy and overdone and there wasn't enough sauce. Still, glad to read that you enjoyed your meal there. :goodvibes

BTW, you and your hubby are a very cute couple. :cutie:

:rotfl: We can start the Brenda honorary cleavage flashing club!

Yes, I totally agree that the cheese plate is worth the trip alone. I think it actually might have been your review of it that encouraged me to get it this time, so that post is a double homage to you!

I agree that filet was a bit skimpy on the sauces. It just didn't have that same cheese melting into red sauce yumminess that it had last time. But I definitely wouldn't write it off, I just might try something else next time.

Thanks for your nice comments about DH and I! We cleaned up pretty well considering we had been sweating at AK all day. Of course, you can't smell us in this picture! :rotfl2:

[mi*vida*loca]

DH had the buffalo chicken sandwich when we went in March. He thought it was delicious! I didn't seem to think it was that good but DH thinks anything is great when he's hungry! :rotfl2:

Great reviews. Keep it up! :thumbsup2

[jayhjay]

DH had the buffalo chicken sandwich when we went in March. He thought it was delicious! I didn't seem to think it was that good but DH thinks anything is great when he's hungry! :rotfl2:

Great reviews. Keep it up! :thumbsup2

Yeah, I don't think it was bad, as much as sort of boring. But if you like chicken with buffalo sauce on a roll, it is perfect! ;)

[H20DogsNDisney]

can't wait for more! great report

[jayhjay]

can't wait for more! great report

Thanks! Hopefully I can get to Narcoosies tomorrow.

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone! Sorry for such a long delay between postings. Can only blame general life craziness but I am sorry it has taken me so long to post again. But Narcoosies was a great meal and I took lots of pics so hopefully you will all forgive me! :)

OK, enough groveling, on to the good stuff! I had been reading lots of good things on the boards about Narcoosies so I was really excited to try it and it did not disappoint. After learning our lesson about how far the parking lot is from the resort, DH generously dropped off me and the DDs and parked himself. Narcoosies is located about as far from the resorts as it could be, right along the water with a beautiful view along the lake (lagoon?) of MK and the other resorts. Just noting this b/c it takes about 10 minutes to get there from the monorail area and probably closer to 20 if you park.

So here we are at CBR before we left...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2577.jpg

and then the girls at Narcoosies overlooking the Contemporary and Space Mountain at MK...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2581.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2583.jpg

Inside we were not seated at a window but we could still see out onto the water. It is really nice inside and feels very peaceful and removed from the bustle. Ok, on to the food...

DH started off with a whiskey sour and the crab cake appetizer. Now we are from Maryland (MD is for crabs! - what a lovely state slogan!), so we tend to be picky about our crab cakes. To a Marylander the goal is as much lump meat as humanly possible held together by the barest hint of breading. These didn't quite meet that goal, but there were good with a nice sauce and a large portion size.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2588.jpg

I had a drink called a magic star. I can't remember what was in it - a bunch of juices, alcohol, and one of those glowy ice cubes. But it was good!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2587.jpg

(As an aside I asked for an extra ice cube so I could have one for each DD and she said they are $3! :scared1: My word! We passed on that)

For an appy, I started off with the seafood chowder. I almost got the cheese plate but it only had three cheeses, one of which was the same as I had the night before at Jiko so I passed. The chowder was delicious though. Very creamy and thick with lots of meat in it. Yum!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2589.jpg

Looks like the kids got fruit cups from my receipt, but I don't see any pics. I am pretty sure it was one of those chopped into teeny little pieces fruit cups though.

For dinner, DH got the Tuna. It was a spicy seared rare tuna with some kind of spring rolls on the side and rice with caviar.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2592.jpg

It was a huge portion and DH really liked it but it was quite spicy. I am not sure I could have eaten a whole meal of it. So be forewarned, although I am sure they would tone it down for you if you ask.

DD8 had previously decided she liked steak and ordered the kids filet. Anyone following my report will not be surprised that she ate none of it. Apparently she doesn't like filet, only firmer steaks like NY strip. Do you like how her palate consists of dry bagels, dry toast, and NY strip! :rotfl: Seriously, it is crazy! But this was a beautiful plate and a big portion. I think DH and I ended up eating the steak and she pretty much had bread, fruit cup, and dessert for dinner. Great!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2591.jpg

DD5 had mickey head macaroni and cheese. Of course she loved it and ate it all. Again, big serving. I mean, this is huge!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2593.jpg

I had been debating for a while before the trip on the surf and turf vs the whole lobster. I had heard the lobster is fresh and the lobster tail is frozen and all the New Englanders say the whole lobster is much better. But despite being able to pick a crab clean in minutes, I was sort of intimidated by the idea of tackling a whole lobster. Plus, I think my animal loving DD8 would have passed out if she had to look at that lobster head all meal! But some helpful DIS boarders told me I could ask for it deshelled before it came to the table so that is what I did. Behold!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2590.jpg

All I can say is YUM YUM YUM! Tons of lobster with melted butter and brocollini. In the center are the world's most amazing scalloped potatoes. Seriously drool worthy! I could have eaten just those and called it a successful meal. Just a note - in the menu they point out some parts of the lobster are quite chewy while others are tender and this was definitely true. Just pointing it out in case you are a lobster newby like me. Definitely a good choice and so delicious.

For dessert, DD8 had the smores. Really good.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2596.jpg

DH had creme brulee (yes, this is at least his fourth time!):

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2597.jpg

DD5 had the Nemo cupcake - is this the cutest thing you have ever seen? The fish were cocoa powder with the little reef decorations. So cute.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2595.jpg

I got the Almond Cheesecake on the recommendation of many on these boards. Now I don't really like NY style cheesecake so I wasn't sure about this but I figured it was worth a try. And I have to say it is AMAZING! It is like a ball of cheesecake surrounded by toasted almonds. There is not really a crust. And on the side, the cherries were delicious. It reminded me of the taste of the inside of an almond croissant or almond pastry. So good. Definitely order this!

And for those of you following along from my other reviews (specifically Starring Rolls), note the hard candy Mickey head that guy made fun of DH for eating - it is really candy after all! Ha!)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2594.jpg

Overall we had a wonderful meal here. I would come back for sure. Everything was delicious, huge portions, nice atmosphere. Really a great choice.

One last note: we planned to pay one adult and one child meal OOP b/c we were saving credits. Our server came back after we paid and said "oh, you have enough credits so I just put all your meals on the plan"! I know she was just trying to be helpful, but I know we can't be the only ones who ever do this that it shouldn't have occurred to her we didn't WANT to use the DDP for all our meals. I didn't want to deal with this at the restaurant so on the way out I stopped by the conceirge at the GF and they took care of adjusting our bill. Just a note to keep an eye on this stuff.

Ok, next up, breakfast at OPR, lunch at Sunshine Seasons, and dinner at Le Cellier!

[Busymom85]

Great review! Narcoosies looks great I'll have to try it sometime.

[torsie24]

Wow! Your meal looked wonderful! :)

That cup cake is sooo cute!

[jayhjay]

Great review! Narcoosies looks great I'll have to try it sometime.


It was definitely good. I think our best meal of the week.

Wow! Your meal looked wonderful! :)

That cup cake is sooo cute!

I know, wasn't it? They really took a sort of normal dessert and really fancied it up with themeing and cool decorations and stuff. I thought it was a nice touch (especially the Nemo theme since Narcoosies serves a lot of seafood).

[TigerKat]

Come on now, anyone that can pick a crab clean in minutes can surely tackle a lobster.;) We love our boiled crabs down here but they are tedious, the lobster is really much easier. I can understand not wanting the kiddo to have to look at the head all evening though.:rotfl: You can do it!!!!:thumbsup2

[toodycat]

This thread was the next best thing to eating there.

[kkayluvsdis]

I just read this thread from the start and I must say that my doritos are just not cutting it right now!!:rotfl:Great reviews! Looking forward to more!
-Kelly

[Ciciwoowoo]

I can totally sympathize with the picky eater syndrome...

I remember carting around the Uncrustables at WDW for my son when he was younger. He's 12 now, and addicted to filet mignon, so be forewarned! LOL

[MickeyNicki]

Wow Narcoossee's looks great, have to put that on my Oct list

[jayhjay]

Come on now, anyone that can pick a crab clean in minutes can surely tackle a lobster.;) We love our boiled crabs down here but they are tedious, the lobster is really much easier. I can understand not wanting the kiddo to have to look at the head all evening though.:rotfl: You can do it!!!!:thumbsup2

LOL, you are probably right! For some reason lobster intimidates me, but I guess that big old thing is probably a lot easier to get meat out of than an itty bitty crab.

[jayhjay]

This thread was the next best thing to eating there.

Aw, thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! :goodvibes

I just read this thread from the start and I must say that my doritos are just not cutting it right now!!:rotfl:Great reviews! Looking forward to more!
-Kelly

Yeah, I keep making the mistake of looking at my pictures and it makes me hungry. Why does Disney food taste so much better?

I can totally sympathize with the picky eater syndrome...

I remember carting around the Uncrustables at WDW for my son when he was younger. He's 12 now, and addicted to filet mignon, so be forewarned! LOL

Well it is good to know they do outgrow it. Although I am not sure my wallet can handle filet mignon!

Wow Narcoossee's looks great, have to put that on my Oct list

Yes, I would definitely recommend it. It seems to get fairly universal positive reviews. And really nice atmosphere - not too stuffy but still upscale with beautiful views.

[ShannonMB]

OMG, Narcoosee's. That looks to DIE for. Everything looks SOOO good. Man, I have to go there!!

[jayhjay]

OMG, Narcoosee's. That looks to DIE for. Everything looks SOOO good. Man, I have to go there!!

Yeah, I think it was our best meal (or at least MY best meal). Sorry for the delay in posting. I am hoping to finish up the last three meals in the next couple of days.

[Dizneydaz]

Great Narcoossee's review. You really make me want to go back. We ate there last year and didn't have the best time-maybe due to the lateness of our meal or the fact that our server would have been right at home at Denny's. :confused: But our 2 previous experiences have been great and I would eat there for just the almond cheesecake alone! :cloud9:

I've never done the whole lobster but knowing you can get it de-shelled, I might just have to try it. I usually get the surf 'n turf. One other thing I really enjoy there is the Calamari-worth ordering even if you have to pay OOP.

I'll go back now and read the rest of your reviews.

[NWOhioAngela]

One other thing I really enjoy there is the Calamari-worth ordering even if you have to pay OOP.



And they give you a huge portion too! YUM!

[MarkinNM]

But Narcoosies was a great meal and I took lots of pics so hopefully you will all forgive me! :).....

Good to hear you had a great meal at Narcossee's as this will be our 1st meal in WDW!!!

Thanks for the pics and review!!!

[jayhjay]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the long delay in posts. I was on such a roll for a while. Well, here we go...

Breakfast at Old Port Royale

Our second to last day we decided to once again have breakfast at Old Port Royale due to the enormous number of snack and CS credits we still had left.

No pics this time, but I once again got the Mickey waffle. I learned my lesson about the soggy bacon (and watched the woman in front of me) and this time I got the waffle with sausage instead (they put each patty in one of the mickey ears :laughing:) and the strawberry sauce on the side. It was better this way (less soggy) and the sausage was better than the droopy bacon. I got a water and OJ.

DH and DD5 got more french toast. I think they got all waters as their drinks so that gives us 5 full bottles! I can't find a receipt that shows was DD8 got. I think she must have had some sort of bagel/fruit/muffin combo from the grab and go. Sorry I don't remember more.

Sunshine Seasons

For lunch we ate at one my of favorite Epcot CS spots, Sunshine Seasons. I think their food is good and there is lots of variety. It is also a nice spot if you are in Future World b/c the other options are pretty grim! And as the best bonus, as your CS dessert, you can pick from their bakery - yum! :love:

I got the grilled chicken Caesar salad. It is a nice size, not too much dressing and decent chicken. I am VERY picky about my chicken, and although this isn't the best out there, it is pretty good.

For dessert I had the key lime pie. It is really pretty and looks sort of like a lemon meringue. It is sort of a strange consistency though - the lime part is really like lime mousse, rather than the denser style you usually find. But it tasted pretty good and gave me the false illusion that it was a "light" dessert, so that was good! :laughing:

Here is a pic:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2603.jpg

On the right side of the picture is DD8's cinnamon roll. Also her fruit cup. I am pretty sure that is what she had for lunch (I know you are not judging, my dear DISers! ;) )

DD5 had the ever present macaroni and cheese. This was the standard runny stouffers stuff. Probably at the bottom of my "macaroni and cheese rating scale" (after tasting 10 different versions on this trip I have gotten pretty good!). This is pretty much the same stuff they served at Pizzafari but at least this time they put it in a little cup. FWIW, this is served at the rotisserie chicken counter - I think it can be a meal side or a kids meal. She got it with carrots and grapes.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2604.jpg

DH got the Turkey Muffuletta. It was a big sandwich and he said it was pretty good. I tend not to like things with so much bread, but it did look good. He got a cookie for dessert.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/jayhjay/tn_IMG_2605.jpg

Overall it was a good meal. Food tastes fresh, good variety, yummy bakery. I'd recommend it if you are looking for a place to eat in Epcot.

Last thing, DH also got his favorite school bread later that day in Norway. He ate it so fast the DDs and I never even saw it, let alone got a picture (or a bite!) but he said it was delicious.