An Aussie Perspective on Disney Dining - updated 3/9 - Citricos FINALLY! [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

eurasian81

12-10-2009, 07:12 PM

Hi All

I have just returned from 10 nights at Disney (my third trip overall). After about 36 hours of travel time I have arrived home and thought that it's time that I post some reviews (and pictures!). These boards were an invaluable resource in planning our trip so hopefully I can provide some guidance to others.

The places that I will be reviewing are:

Kona Cafe (dinner) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34635249#post34635249)
Les Chefs de France (dinner- Candlelight Processional package) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34637510#post34637510)
Crystal Palace (breakfast) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34646726#post34646726)
Boma (dinner) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34665642#post34665642)
Hollywood Brown Derby (lunch) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34690688#post34690688)
Whispering Canyon Cafe (breakfast) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34719725#post34719725)
Le Cellier (lunch to go) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=35105498#post35105498)
Artist Point (dinner) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=35052117#post35052117)
Citricos (dinner) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=35751425#post35751425)

together with various counter service and snack options along the way including:

Everything Pop (lunch) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34646762#post34646762)
Everything Pop (breakfast) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34637510#post34637510)
Kringla (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34637510#post34637510)
Cosmic Rays (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34646726#post34646726)
Flame Tree BBQ (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34665642#post34665642)
Dole Whips (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34665642#post34665642)
Starring Rolls (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34690688#post34690688)
Earl of Sandwich (first time) (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34690688#post34690688)

Myself: celebrated my 28th birthday at Disney - diehard foodie
Dad: 62 year old, also a diehard foodie
Goal: Our motto for this trip was "quality and portion control" - we preferred to have fewer meals but at signature restaurants and both of us aimed to limit the weight gain!!

Before I start, I think it best to advise some key differences that exist between the Australian and US (or Disney) culinary scene as what some posters may see as a benefit, an Aussie may view as a negative (and vice versa):

- In Australia, tipping is only provided for exception service and the bill is simply rounded up. For example, a $67 dinner may receive a $3 tip. We would never never tip at a buffet. The reasons: our minimum wage in food service if over 18 years old is about $15-$20/hr, and we don't turn tables over at the speed you do in the States. Accordingly, a meal is usually server at a slower pace and will be the entire evenings activity, rather than the in-and-out turnover. On the flip side, because US waiters work for tips, on a generalisation, the service is usually better.
- Portions in Australia are enough for one (not an entire family with leftovers to take home).
- We have a much stronger asian influence in our cooking
- Food is much more expensive in Australia

That being said, hope you enjoy the reviews......

eurasian81

12-11-2009, 01:54 AM

Folks, please bear with me....

Encountering some slight technical difficulties as I am unable to post images (maybe due to the fact that I am a new member). Will be back up with the first post once I have resolved the issue.

msce2

12-11-2009, 07:08 AM

Wow! You have some really good places on your list. Can't wait to hear how everything was. Thank you for the info on the differences in dining. Did you find that you preferred one over the other?

oybolshoi

12-11-2009, 08:03 AM

Looking forward to reading your reviews and getting a different perspective on Disney Dining. :thumbsup2

Happy belated birthday! :goodvibes

BTW, once you hit ten posts then you should be able to post pictures here - unless they've changed the guidelines. It looks like you have 12 now, so you should be good to go.

GoofySon'sMom

12-11-2009, 08:31 AM

I can't wait for this one! The differences you posted are interesting ... I have never travelled out of the US so it is nice to hear how things are different in other countries. Looking forward to your perspective!

natalielongstaff

12-11-2009, 08:37 AM

count me in :thumbsup2

eurasian81

12-11-2009, 01:21 PM

Wow! Thank you for the info on the differences in dining. Did you find that you preferred one over the other?

I found that both have their positives.

Before I visited the States this time I had quite low expectations of the food (not only for Disney but for the whole trip based on some previous visits). I was gladly proved very wrong this trip. A large contributor was $. We were on the free DDP which helped a lot otherwise I don't think I would have eaten at all those restaurants. The other contributor was the Australian dollar which is usually worth around 50c-70c US was now around 90c which made eating out (and shopping) much more affordable for us.

My view (no offense intended) is that restaurant food in the States is great but the counter service/food court type food both at Disney and at malls is of a lower standard than home. Two small examples:

1. Cheese sauce - I don't see the appeal of orange liquid cheese at all and why it covers some many items. Where is the real cheese????
2. I found that we really had to search to find healthier options at food courts whereas they are more abundant here (salad bars, vietnamese food etc).

I really do prefer the service in the US as it is very attentive but some of our meals felt rushed. For us, going out for dinner is often times the main event of the night and to be in and out of Artist Point and Hollywood Brown Derby in 1 hour with three courses was too quick for my preference.

Price - food is so so much cheaper in the States - both restaurants and groceries. Even when you add in tax and tip and convert to $A, you food is still cheaper. I shocked my cousins when I told them that one Krispy Kreme donut here is $3!

So there are advantages to both.

eurasian81

12-11-2009, 01:23 PM

BTW, once you hit ten posts then you should be able to post pictures here - unless they've changed the guidelines. It looks like you have 12 now, so you should be good to go.

I thought so too but my "Posting Rules" still read "You may not post attachments". It's probably something really obvious that I'm missing so I've emailed the helpdesk to figure it out.

eurasian81

12-11-2009, 02:48 PM

OK, I think I'm up and running.

Our first dinner was at the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian. Overall a very enjoyable meal.

The sweet bread and macadamia nut butter was moorish and I needed a lot of self control to not fill up on it.

The waitress talked me into trying a pomergranate lemonade as my drink which I found to be sickly sweet (we weren't charged for it).

For mains, Dad had the Ahi Tuna Oscar which he said was great.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0605.jpg

I had the Teriyaki Steak with Sticky Rice, Broccollini and Pineapple Salsa. I picked this for the sole reason as it is very similar to the food I eat daily back home and I was missing rice, veggies and something grilled. It was perfect but I could only eat half the steak.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0604.jpg

For dessert, we split the banana white chocolate creme Brulee and the Kilauea torte.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0609.jpg

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0607.jpg

The Brulee was great but I found the Torte to be a little ordinary. It was very dense and rich, there was nothing wrong with it but I was expecting something different (something a little lighter). If you are in the mood for rich dense chocolate, then it is the dessert for you!!

A photo of the satisfied foodies:
http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0608.jpg

KatMark

12-11-2009, 03:11 PM

Great start and looking forward to more.

eurasian81

12-11-2009, 07:22 PM

Day 2 started with breakfast at Everything Pop. Dad and I split a breakfast pizza and got two bottles of water (using one counter service credit).

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0610.jpg

The pizza was surprisingly very tasty and not greasy at all. It had a sausage gravy on the bottom, topped with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese.

We hit Epcot before rope drop and for morning tea, we split one "Orange Bavarian" from Sunshine Seasons (one snack credit). It was very light and had an intense orange flavour. For a food court, this dessert was fantastic!!!

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0612.jpg

For Lunch, we headed to Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe and split an egg and smoked salmon open faced sandwich, school bread, "salad" and a "regular diet coke" (one counter service credit).

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0636.jpg

I'd call the "salad" more a collection of iceberg lettuce and tomatoes in a container rather than a "salad" and the "regular diet coke" in Australia would be considered a "super jumbo" (actually in all likelihood, you'd struggle to find a cup that big).

Overall, the meal was highly enjoyable. The bread of the sandwich had a very appealing nutty taste, the salmon was fresh, and I now see what all the fuss around school bread is all about - I'm a fan!

Along the way, we stopped at China to try the Green Plum cocktail which I had read about on these boards - I think it was called the "Green Tea Plum Wine Bao Bing". I can't remember exactly but I think it was about $7.50. I would describe it as drinking corn syrup. It had no taste other than super sweet. We tried to dilute it with water and it made no difference. Needless to say, it was $7.50 wasted.

Next stop, Les Chefs de France and the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package.

mom2ee

12-11-2009, 10:43 PM

wonderful start! :thumbsup2

mom2ee

12-11-2009, 10:45 PM

sorry i forgot to sub and now im posting again:dance3:

disneyfav4ever

12-11-2009, 11:23 PM

1. Cheese sauce - I don't see the appeal of orange liquid cheese at all and why it covers some many items. Where is the real cheese????
2. I found that we really had to search to find healthier options at food courts whereas they are more abundant here (salad bars, vietnamese food etc).It's really interesting to hear a different perspective on American dining.

I like cheese sauce when I want something junky, I don't count it as real cheese either though, and I do love me some good cheese. As far as health options, I think that's why America has such a large obesity problem. I think you can find healthy options at Disney, if you know where to look, but I don't really count calories on vacation. Also, and it seems you noticed this, portions are huge. I was at Applebee's a few nights ago, had an appetizer for my meal, and wasn't able to eat the whole thing.

eurasian81

12-12-2009, 12:41 AM

It's really interesting to hear a different perspective on American dining.

.... Also, and it seems you noticed this, portions are huge. I was at Applebee's a few nights ago, had an appetizer for my meal, and wasn't able to eat the whole thing.

I have family in the States and when they visit us, we find that we need to manage their expectations about the amount of food they will be getting at a restaurant (in order to avoid the shocked panic look in public!!).

If a meal is great and memorable, sometimes I'd love to have leftovers to take home and enjoy some more. However, if that was the case for every meal I ordered, it would be nearly impossible (for me) to maintain a healthy weight as I love to eat and have always tried to "clean my plate".

For this trip, Dad and I agreed upfront that we would split all our counter service meals and snacks and that worked really well for us as we were able to eat eat at many more places and we weren't constantly full.

disneyfav4ever

12-12-2009, 12:43 AM

I have family in the States and when they visit us, we find that we need to manage their expectations about the amount of food they will be getting at a restaurant (in order to avoid the shocked panic look in public!!).

If a meal is great and memorable, sometimes I'd love to have leftovers to take home and enjoy some more. However, if that was the case for every meal I ordered, it would be nearly impossible (for me) to maintain a healthy weight as I love to eat and have always tried to "clean my plate".

For this trip, Dad and I agreed upfront that we would split all our counter service meals and snacks and that worked really well for us as we were able to eat eat at many more places and we weren't constantly full.When I went with my mom we split CS meals too. I usually go solo, and can rarely finish a whole meal.

Linda67

12-12-2009, 02:23 AM

Hi there,
Great reviews - joining in now :cool1:

fleurbie

12-12-2009, 02:58 AM

Love the report :thumbsup2

cam&phoebsmom

12-12-2009, 01:23 PM

- In Australia, tipping is only provided for exception service and the bill is simply rounded up. For example, a $67 dinner may receive a $3 tip. We would never never tip at a buffet. The reasons: our minimum wage in food service if over 18 years old is about $15-$20/hr, and we don't turn tables over at the speed you do in the States. Accordingly, a meal is usually server at a slower pace and will be the entire evenings activity, rather than the in-and-out turnover. On the flip side, because US waiters work for tips, on a generalisation, the service is usually better.
......

we lived in Germany for a few years and the tipping was very similar to what you wrote. ^

It was difficult for us at first because I am so used to tipping well (both my husband and I were in food service in high school/college) and we felt kind of cheap since it was the exact opposite of what we were accustomed to here.

Is it difficult for you all to make the mental transition when you see a menu and know you will be tipping 15-20% on top of that, or is that just kind of a given when you travel to the U.S.? also is it common knowledge that in the U.S. tips differently? I know we found out only because my husband and I took a kind of "Welcome to Germany" class when we first moved there, but had we not i am sure we would have tipped as we usually do here.

eurasian81

12-12-2009, 01:47 PM

Before dinner, we stopped at the gift shop in France and ordered a wine flight. The three wines were: Pinot Noir (6/10), Chateaux Neuf du Pape (10/10) and Puilly Femue (6/10)

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0719.jpg

Our next dinner was at Chefs de France.

I had booked in for the Candlelight Processional Package (using 2 credits per person). Our dinner was Nov 29 so we were pretty confident that we could get to see the show without the package, but the combination of an included appetizer and guaranteeing that we would have Isabella Rossellini as our narrator sealed the deal.

For appetizers, we ordered the Cheese Plate (Gruyere, Brie, Goats and St Clair) and the Assiette Campagnarde. As soon as the food arrived we started eating so I forgot to take pictures.

The Assiette was fantastic - it included a couple of pates, terrines, cruton with confit onions, cornichons, cold meats and a very nicely dressed salad. Suffice it to say that between the cheese plate and the meat plate we also filled up on way too much bread!!

For mains, I had my heart set on the " Filet de saumon, crepe de pommes de terre coulis de poivrons rouge - Grilled salmon on a potato pancake with red pepper sauce". However, to my horror the menu had been updated and the salmon was now served with tomato bernaise and Ratatouille. I subbed the Ratatouille for potato gratin which was heavenly and the salmon was cooked perfectly. As usual however, only got through half of the plate.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0730.jpg

Dad had the "Canard au miel, haricots vert et pommes de terre douce - Roasted breast of duck and leg confit, French green beans and sweet potato, spiced honey sauce." Again, top marks for taste.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0731.jpg

For desserts, Dad had the creme brulee but I was very full at this point so simply ordered to sorbets (mango, strawberry and kiwi). The mango was great, strawberry OK and I didn't care for the kiwi even though they are one of my favourite fruits (it was a textural issue as the kiwi pump wasn't strained so the sorbet wasn't smooth).

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0733.jpg
http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0734.jpg

Whilst the package wasn't "required" it did afford us more free time as we didn't need to line up for the show, guaranteed us getting in on the night we wanted to go, and now comes with a preferred viewing area for Illuminations (between the two gift shops in front of the Christmas tree on the "Future World" side of the lake.

All in all, a great meal and I would recommend eating here.

BTW, another difference worth pointing out: Americans say "Appetizer and Entree" and we say "Entree and Main". My father grew up in a french speaking household and has concluded that the American use of "Entree" is the correct one (something to remember if you ever visit Australia).

eurasian81

12-12-2009, 01:54 PM

Is it difficult for you all to make the mental transition when you see a menu and know you will be tipping 15-20% on top of that, or is that just kind of a given when you travel to the U.S.? also is it common knowledge that in the U.S. tips differently? I know we found out only because my husband and I took a kind of "Welcome to Germany" class when we first moved there, but had we not i am sure we would have tipped as we usually do here.

On my prior visits, the $A has been so low that it was disheartening to see a price on a menu and then add the tax and the tip (our tax in included in the price) and then convert to $A. Luckily, this trip the $A is very close to the $US so we didn't do the mental conversion and I had been saving for months so I wasn't as concerned about the costs (the dining plan played a big part in that) as opposed to when I came in 2001 as a poor uni student when the $A was worth 50c USD.

For us, we know that we need to tip and have never "not tipped because it's not what we do back home".

My friends that have travelled to the States know about tipping waiters and bellhops, but I'm not sure everyone would know to tip housekeeping and hairdressers.

There were a few occasions where we weren't sure if we were meant to tip or not and had to ask others (e.g - we were told that: you are meant to tip the driver of the Alamo van who picks you up from your hotel, but you don't need to tip the Segway tour instructor) - so it can be a little confusing.

flamom

12-12-2009, 02:56 PM

I'm really enjoying your reviews,pictures and hearing about Australia. thanks for sharing!

cam&phoebsmom

12-12-2009, 03:56 PM

On my prior visits, the $A has been so low that it was disheartening to see a price on a menu and then add the tax and the tip (our tax in included in the price) and then convert to $A. Luckily, this trip the $A is very close to the $US so we didn't do the mental conversion and I had been saving for months so I wasn't as concerned about the costs (the dining plan played a big part in that) as opposed to when I came in 2001 as a poor uni student when the $A was worth 50c USD.

For us, we know that we need to tip and have never "not tipped because it's not what we do back home".

My friends that have travelled to the States know about tipping waiters and bellhops, but I'm not sure everyone would know to tip housekeeping and hairdressers.

There were a few occasions where we weren't sure if we were meant to tip or not and had to ask others (e.g - we were told that: you are meant to tip the driver of the Alamo van who picks you up from your hotel, but you don't need to tip the Segway tour instructor) - so it can be a little confusing.

I never thought about all the "extra" folks we tip here. Thanks for your perspective :goodvibes

mcrabeck

12-12-2009, 04:20 PM

Enjoying your reviews! Look forward to hearing more popcorn::

mom2ee

12-12-2009, 06:50 PM

curious about the CP and dining plan. did you have Deluxe or Regular? Were the app included at Chefs because of CP or was it DxDP?

DizOz

12-12-2009, 11:29 PM

eurasian81

12-13-2009, 02:31 AM

curious about the CP and dining plan. did you have Deluxe or Regular? Were the app included at Chefs because of CP or was it DxDP?

We were on the regular dining plan. Appetizers were included as part of the CP package (and thus the two credits used per person).

eurasian81

12-13-2009, 02:40 AM

Its great to get a fellow Aussie's opinions on the food. Most of the restaurants you visited are on our list for our next trip. Look forward to reading the rest of your reviews.

Two of the things I hate about travelling in the US is the coffee (Its like dish water so weak) and the bacon (More like chewy bits of rubber). Other than that you are right the service is much better than here in Australia. It seems sometimes they think they are doing you a favour by bringing your meal.

I'm not a coffee drinker but I have heard that comment from fellow Aussies often. If you read Pete Werner's blog on his Disney Adventures trip to Australia, he had the opposing view about our coffee which I found amusing!!

However, the bacon - I agree. I don't like it cooked to a crisp the was at Disney (but I know I'm odd on that point). The bacon at Pop Century was all fat and very little meat (may just be Pop though).

We picked those restaurants based on the menus and style of food (similar to Australian style of cooking but with ingredients that aren't as common (or affordable) here in Australia such as duck, lobster, buffalo etc. Burgers, prime rib, fried chicken, creamy pasta etc all have their place but it wasn't what we were looking to eat on this trip.

eurasian81

12-13-2009, 02:56 AM

I wasn't as diligent at taking photos of our counter service and snack food so I'll try to keep the word pictures succinct.

Day 3 started with breakfast at the Crystal Palace. The ADR was for 9am. We were able to enter the Magic Kingdom at 8am and take lots of photos of the empty park. We checked in at 8.25am and were seated at 8.30am so it worked out perfectly (there seemed to be a lot of empty tables that morning).

There was confetti on our table which was to celebrate that I had a pending birthday. I saw cupcakes being handed out and was actually relieved I didn't get one as I'd rather have a donut hole from the buffet as my sugar hit!!

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0820.jpg

Buffet food never looks as appetizing on one's plate so I don't have photos, but some quick highlights:

Scrambled Eggs - light and fluffy
Pastrami smoked salmon - 10 out of 10 - LOVED IT!!

I'm actually not a huge fan of the Winnie the Pooh characters as I didn't grow up with them but picked this venue as our character meal so we could get into the park before everyone else (I'm a photo buff) and the building itself is very grand. That being said, I have developed an affinity for Eeyore so was pleased to get a photo with him.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0829.jpg

We then split snacks for most of the day:

Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel - we didn't care for this at all - very doughy and tasted uncooked
Salt Pretzel - better than the sweet one but still a bit doughy for my taste
Brownie from Main Street Bakery - heavenly and huge

For dinner, we went to Cosmic Rays and split a chicken burger and got apples as our side and dessert. We cut the burger in half and then loaded up on the fixins bar all the salad we could fit. The chicken breast was moist and generous. The bread was a little soft but overall it was a good meal.

Next up, Day 4 (Pop, Fruit, Flame Tree BBQ and Boma) which was our attempt to cut back on the carb-overdose that was Day 3!!!

eurasian81

12-13-2009, 03:15 AM

I just realised I've missed a meal.

After checking in we headed to Everything Pop for lunch. Dad and I split a Reuben Flatbread and tub of grapes.

We both enjoyed it a lot; it wasn't greasy (which we thought it may be) and it was quite flavourful.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/eurasian81/100_0544.jpg

PearlySwan

12-13-2009, 03:51 AM

Wow! I'm loving you culinary report. Thanks for sharing and please keep it coming! :thumbsup2

Zeebs

12-13-2009, 06:02 AM

On my prior visits, the $A has been so low that it was disheartening to see a price on a menu and then add the tax and the tip (our tax in included in the price) and then convert to $A. Luckily, this trip the $A is very close to the $US so we didn't do the mental conversion and I had been saving for months so I wasn't as concerned about the costs (the dining plan played a big part in that) as opposed to when I came in 2001 as a poor uni student when the $A was worth 50c USD.

For us, we know that we need to tip and have never "not tipped because it's not what we do back home".

My friends that have travelled to the States know about tipping waiters and bellhops, but I'm not sure everyone would know to tip housekeeping and hairdressers.

There were a few occasions where we weren't sure if we were meant to tip or not and had to ask others (e.g - we were told that: you are meant to tip the driver of the Alamo van who picks you up from your hotel, but you don't need to tip the Segway tour instructor) - so it can be a little confusing.

It is terrible when you dollar is so bad against the currency of the country you are travelling in isn't it? on our first trip to the USA from NZ it was 38 cents in the $1, I remember a juice and toast at breakfast one more costing me nearly $20.00 nz dollars with tip and tax........

Yikes, although now I live in the UK it was nice on our last trip in 2008 as the pound was nearly double the US dollar so good for us.

Am enjoying the report, it is good to read from a prespective such as my own coming from NZ and having lived for 5 odd years in Australia.

Kirsten

Pooh&OurHunny

12-13-2009, 03:20 PM

Joining in.popcorn:: Enjoying your food report.

BecBennett

12-14-2009, 12:23 AM

Joining in.

I agree with you on the cheese, and my fiance would agree emphatically with you on the coffee.

However one thing I've found is the mince meat over in the states is completely totally awesome compared to our mince meat :confused3. I often get a craving for an American burger, but can never recreate it at home. I've bought DF a mincer for Christmas, and we're going to have another go at it :rotfl:

Flossbolna

12-14-2009, 07:14 AM

I Love your Australian perspective to Disney Dining. I think it is actually quite similar to my German perspective! :goodvibes Lot's of the things you describe I notice as well. :goodvibes

I am looking forward to your signature dinners, we have some of those planned as well! :thumbsup2

Sandy321

12-14-2009, 08:08 AM

enjoying your trip report - and your pictures are great!

Thanks for sharing it with us!!

mossyflossy

12-14-2009, 10:37 AM

signing on too. really interesting to hear the aussie perspective. I too don't get the yellow cheese thing in the US, and totally agree that the portion sizes are way too much, but that's from a British point of view!

eurasian81

12-15-2009, 02:46 AM

Sorry for the delay, started back at work yesterday and the holiday is officially over......

I’m going to combine the next few days into one post as these are the “without photos part”. I promise I have photos of HBD, AP ,WCC and Citricos!!

Day 4

The pretzel disappointment from the day before had me craving salads and protein.

For breakfast, we ventured into Everything Pop and ordered the Bountiful Platter (eggs, bacon , sausage, potato, biscuits and French toast fingers) but only got the eggs, bacon and sausage part. It was “meh” – not horrible but nothing to write home about.

Morning tea was a pineapple tub at the Harambe Fruit Market – very fresh and sweet.

For lunch we split a serve of Ribs, Coleslaw, Beans and Choc Mousse from Flame Tree BBQ. We both enjoyed the ribs – the spice rub was very good. The coleslaw was OK and Dad raved about the beans (but did note that they must have been sitting in a warmer for a while as they have formed a skin). I had a grand total of two mouthfuls of the mousse (it was delicious but sweet and I had a little “food guilt” from the day before so didn’t want to eat too much).

Finally, it was time for dinner at Boma. We checked in for our ADR about 45 minutes early as we both exhausted. Sidenote: I had chosen fashion over comfort that day as I figured that given the size of Animal Kingdom and the rides there, we’d knock it over in half a day and wouldn’t walk that much. Suffice it to say, walking around 12 miles in flip flops because someone wanted to go on Everest 7 times and we had to keep trekking back to Asia each hour was terribly terribly painful. I actually gave up wearing the pedometer after this day as we were averaging 25,000 steps a day so I gave up keeping track.

Back to the food, I was really bad with the camera today – no photos of food but will point out some the highlights for me:

Spinach and Quinoa salad – I had platefuls of this as it was fresh, zesty and exactly what had been lacking in the diet after travelling for so long
Pork Shoulder – tender, moist and flavourful
She-Crab Soup – I don’t usually like soup but it was great (I asked for the recipe!!)

I know that the big thing to do here is the Zebra dome and I was looking forward to trying one very much after reading these boards for months. I would describe them as “small balls of sickly sweet white chocolate icing covering a little bit of cake”. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it a lot, but one was enough for me.

Day 5

The next day we couldn’t face another day at the parks – I felt like my toes were broken and Dad was also limping so we decided to head to the Outlet Malls instead for a couple of hours shopping which ended up being about 8 hours!!

We made it to HS for Fantasmic – we were one of the last to leave the theatre and split a Churro on the way out. It was terrible; it must have been sitting there for a couple of hours as it was very leathery. After a mouthful we went back to the kiosk and they gave us a fresh one. Beware: get your Churro before the show!!

We limped back to Pop for dinner and I had the Chicken Penne Alfredo which was surprisingly good. The chicken breast was large and it was proper chicken (not processed and reshaped) and the penne was al dente. The sauce, well… you know how sometimes you taste something that you know isn’t great but it’s familiar and you enjoy it anyway?? That was the alfredo sauce; it didn’t taste gourmet, it was processed, it was thick and a little gluggy but it reminded me fondly of many meals at Sizzler with my teenage friends from many years ago and it tasted like comfort.

Day 6

I was so excited about today as it was our “Around the World on a Segway Tour”!! Excitement turned to disappointment when at the crucial “you may now take pictures” moment, my camera battery completely died. I asked another girl on the tour to take our photo and e-mail it to us, but alas, have yet to receive it – here’s hoping.

Actually, you think of all sorts of solutions after the event…if you are ever in a similar predicament, the smarter idea would have been to see if anyone else’s camera used an SD card and get them to use their camera with your card – wish I would have thought of that two weeks ago!!!

Anyway the tour was great – highly recommended. We spent the middle of the day at Florida Mall but made it back for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

We just snacked for dinner – the cookies were OK but the hot chocolate was very nice. I tried my first dole whip and I liked it a lot. I saw the size of the cup so we got one each which was a mistake as it was filled about 10cm over the top of the cup so neither of us could finish more than half! I also had a hotdog at Casey’s Corner which I always enjoy.

OK, that was the last of the “dull part in the middle”…next up, Hollywood Brown Derby (with pictures I promise!!!)

MomsOf2boys

12-15-2009, 09:47 AM

Zeebs

12-15-2009, 11:43 AM

I just wanted to say that I am very much enjoying your report and love hearing the Austrailian differences as well. I also noticed you refer to morning tea a couple of times, is this a regular daily thing among Australians? Very interesting as I always have heard afternoon tea. Thank you for sharing.

Morning tea is the general term for a drink and snack between breakfast and lunch also termed as smoko depending where you are from. In the UK they also refer to this time as elevenese. Afternoon tea is the term for the break between lunch and dinner (also called tea again depending where you are from)

It gets very confusing :)

Kirsten

MomsOf2boys

12-15-2009, 04:00 PM

Morning tea is the general term for a drink and snack between breakfast and lunch also termed as smoko depending where you are from. In the UK they also refer to this time as elevenese. Afternoon tea is the term for the break between lunch and dinner (also called tea again depending where you are from)

It gets very confusing :)

Kirsten

Thank you Kirsten... :) I have never heard of elevenese even! Love the idea.. I need to venture out farther than Disney one day!

eurasian81

12-17-2009, 02:56 PM

Day 7 was very wet and very cold. We headed out to Hollywood Studios and lined up for Toy Story Mania after rope drop. After the ride and before our Fast Pass Return Time to do it again, we searched from breakfast.

The options at HS are limited for counter service. We headed to Starring Rolls and I had read somewhere that it served savory as we all as sweet in the mornings. Nothing was displayed in the counter but we eventually tracked down a black forest ham sandwich (with greens, dressing and turkey as well), a cinnamon scroll, packet of chips (saved for another day) and some tea (one counter service credit to split).

After Toy Story Mania the 2nd time, the rain intensified and we started to re-assess our options (being at Disney for 10 nights affords the option of skipping the parks in wet weather!!). We decided to head for warmth and as we were leaving we walked past HBD and looked at the menu. It didn't make the original list of our restaurants but after seeing the menu posted that day (differed quite a bit from the one on www.wdwinfo.com) we rushed to guest services to see if we could get in. It appears that we got the last free spot as it seems everyone had decided to head indoors about 5 minutes after us!!!

This was an OOP meal for us so we ordered as we pleased......

For appetizers, we split the Cobb Salad. I'd give it very high marks for taste but the texture was a little squishy as everything was chopped so finely. Granted, it is a classic so who am I to critique, but for my liking it would have been perfect it the lettuce wasn't as finely chopped as it went soggy quickly.

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For mains, I had pork tenderloin served with greens (spinach or swiss chard), caramelised onions and mustard cheesy spaetzle (my all time favourite accompainment!!). When it arrived I was concerned as the pork looked very dry, however it was beautifully cooked.

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Dad had duck two- ways: a duck pastrami with a salad (can't remember) and confit duck with pureed carrots. It was delicious!!!

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Neither of the above dishes were listed on any of the menus we saw before coming to Disney. I guess it just goes to show that restaurants do update their menus seasonally and when you need to book 90-180 days out, the dish you had your heart set on may not be there, or conversely, a restaurant you weren't interested in, could be a great meal.

I was getting full and didn't really want dessert but the Banana White Chocolate Toffee Tower - Served on a cocoa almond cookie and Bananas "Foster" did sound good. We agreed to split it.

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It wasn't quite a cake, or a mousse but it was delectable!! The waiter also brought out a smaller chocolate mousse type dessert for me (on the house) to celebrate my birthday later in the week.

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Overall, this was a great meal and ended up being on of the highlights of our trip. Given that the meal was in a theme park and it was raining however, they seemed very keen to turn the tables and I think the whole meal was a grand total of 75 minutes which did seem a little rushed.

We weren't too hungry for dinner that night so we headed to Earl of Sandwich and get some food to take back to our hotel. I had the Original (beef and horseradish sauce), Dad had the BLT which we had 1/2 each off and we got a brownie (saved for another day) and a jello fruit cup (tasteless) for dessert. The Original was both our favourite and the Brownie (eaten two days later) was the best yet (better than the Main St one in my opinion).

Next up, Whispering Canyon Cafe (breakfast), Le Cellier to go (lunch) and Artist Point (dinner)....

zebsterama

12-17-2009, 05:41 PM

Truly enjoying the reviews and the pics!

Thanks for sharing.

FYI - With my work travels I made a number of trips to Australia in early part of this decade. Spent most of my time in Brisbane and Sydney.

It's an incredible country, you are very lucky.

Can't wait to see more.

Cheers,
Zebsterama
:hippie:pirate:

eurasian81

12-21-2009, 01:37 AM

We were seated at around 7.50am for a 7.35am ADR. The waiting area was a zoo; people were everywhere and the hostess had to keep turning away walk-ins.

When we were finally seated, only about 1/4 of the restaurant was used. I understand staggering the seating so the kitchen doesn't get overwhelmed with orders in one go, but it made the crowd at check-in trying to get tables even more frustrated.

We both ordered to BBQ Eggs Benedict (2 eggs, beef brisket and BBQ hollandaise on toasted english muffins) with a side of potatoes.

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It was perfect!! I'd had my eye on this menu item for months as I liked the concept of mixing smokey BBQ flavours with breakfast and it didn't disappoint at all. As usual, the portion was way too big but I loved every mouthful.

I had a strawberry all-you-care-to-drink milkshake for my drink (included on the DDP). It came in a glass mason jar and wasn't really a milkshake but just frozen vanilla/strawberry swirl softserve. I needed to wait a while for it to melt and needed to use two straws to get sufficient suction. It was very tasty but having seen it frozen, and knowing it was basically a huge jar of ice-cream, made the diet-monster in my head keep me from drinking too much. I got through about half.

With regards to the atmosphere, at that time of morning, there is none, nada, zip. As we were leaving they did the "ketchup call" but no one actually had any ketchup on their tables. So they did a "crayon call' for a little kid and that got some responses but the restaurant really needed to fill up first.

BTW, we had dinner at Artist Point that night and when walking past the WCC we could see the atmosphere was much more jovial.

Next up... how to get cheddar cheese soup without a reservation....

Alice in Oz

01-03-2010, 10:11 PM

Weird yellow fake cheese!? :scared1:We never see that here in Oz....

eurasian81

01-18-2010, 03:01 AM

I've been a little slack over the Christmas break but am back on board.

Artist Point is a tied first for my favourite meal in Disney and one of the top meals of my life.

We used the DDP so this was a two credit meal.

To start, we were given bread and butter (can't remember exactly but it was delicious)!!. Dad and I also had a couple of cocktails to kick off.

For mains, I ordered the salmon Dad had the buffalo with goats cheese polenta (both had different sides than what is listed on www.wdwinfo.com - must be a seasonal thing). We agreed to eat half of each as we could try both.

The salmon was cooked to perfection - it was very nice but I must admit that I didn't really get a strong hint of the cedar that was I expecting.

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It was served with a sourdough bread dumpling that I didn't care for (but Dad did). The brocollini was cooked perfectly.

The buffalo was absolutely lip-smackingly wonderful.

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It was served with asparagus and goats cheese polenta. The sharing plan went out the window as once tasted, Dad wouldn't part with half to share with me!!

In addition, on the DDP included in the plan is a side dish for the main course.
We had the truffled fries and tillbrook cheddar mac and cheese.

The fries were lovely, hand cut, rock salt and served with truffle mayo.

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The mac and cheese had a strong cheddar flavour (no fake orange cheese sauce here!!) - the photo was overexposed (sorry).

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After perusing the dessert menu, and considering our full stomachs, neither Dad or I really felt dessert. We aksed our waiter if we could have the cheese plate instead (an appetizer on the menu) to which he said "sure". There was a cheddar, a blue and another that I can't remember but they were listed separately on th menu. I remember enjoying all of them. In addition, because we were celebrating my birthday during this trip our waiter also brought out two complimentary glasses of sparkling red dessert wine to match the cheeses. It was perfect!!!

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Incidentally, I noticed that the cheese on most disney menus is an appetizer where as back home, it is usually an alternate to dessert, or an after-dessert.

Coming up, Birthday dinner at Citricos

mossyflossy

01-18-2010, 04:54 PM

Thanks for the review of AP, one of many good ones over the last few days.

can I ask whether the macarroni cheese was baked or soft? thank you:thumbsup2

msce2

01-18-2010, 04:56 PM

Great review of AP! :) Can't wait to try it in June!

woodleygrrl

01-18-2010, 05:03 PM

that is our first night reservation. we have never been there so I am happy to see such great reviews!

Pooh&OurHunny

01-18-2010, 06:46 PM

Thanks for the review on Artist Point...enjoying your reveiws.

Condorman

01-18-2010, 07:05 PM

In addition, on the DDP included in the plan is a side dish for the main course. We had the truffled fries and tillbrook cheddar mac and cheese.

What do you mean by this? I've never heard of a side dish being included with any dining plan, particularly when the entrees all come with sides of potatoes and vegetables. Do you mean when you received the bill you somehow weren't charged for the fries, perhaps as a courtesy, or did your server actually say this was some sort of new perk?

eurasian81

01-18-2010, 09:36 PM

What do you mean by this? I've never heard of a side dish being included with any dining plan, particularly when the entrees all come with sides of potatoes and vegetables. Do you mean when you received the bill you somehow weren't charged for the fries, perhaps as a courtesy, or did your server actually say this was some sort of new perk?

When we were seated, our waiter, Jim, explained how the dining plan worked at that restaurant.

He explained that for this meal we could have an entre, side dish, dessert and drink each. We thought it may be because it was a signature meal (using two credits) but this was the only meal we had the side-dish included (certainly not Citricos or HBD).

It was a really nice surprise as we were going to order those two sides anyway but it was an added bonus.

eurasian81

01-18-2010, 09:38 PM

can I ask whether the macarroni cheese was baked or soft? thank you:thumbsup2

It had a crunchy topping but I am going to go with "soft". It was definately saucy and the cheese was all gooey.

Belle5

01-18-2010, 10:03 PM

Really enjoying your reviews and your perspective.:)

Condorman

01-18-2010, 10:55 PM

When we were seated, our waiter, Jim, explained how the dining plan worked at that restaurant.

He explained that for this meal we could have an entre, side dish, dessert and drink each. We thought it may be because it was a signature meal (using two credits) but this was the only meal we had the side-dish included (certainly not Citricos or HBD).

It was a really nice surprise as we were going to order those two sides anyway but it was an added bonus.

Congratulations! You are the first person for whom that has ever happened. It makes me wonder what those on the DxDP would get in addition to the appetizer. Nice going.

GoofySon'sMom

01-19-2010, 05:47 AM

Congratulations! You are the first person for whom that has ever happened. It makes me wonder what those on the DxDP would get in addition to the appetizer. Nice going.

We were actually told the same thing when we ate at AP on 12/26. We ordered 3 sides along with our meal and were told that they were included in the dining plan. I don't think all restaurants follow this but it appears that AP does.

eurasian81

01-21-2010, 03:46 PM

Just a short reviews (sans photos) :
Le Cellier Take-away

After reviewing the menu for this restaurant, we decided that we weren't keen to eat here as there were so many other restaurants we wanted to try on this trip. However, months of reading these boards made us very curious about the cheddar cheese soup - so we got take-away.

We simply walked up to the front desk and asked to get two cups of soup to go. A waiter then came out to confirm our order and asked "would I like one breadstick or two" to which I said "two breadsticks". About 3 minutes later, two cups of soup arrive (in takeaway coffee cups with lids) and a foil package of six breadsticks (two serves). I didn't really want to make a fuss and change the order as he also brought out the bill at the same time. Two cups, plus two breadstick serves plus tax plus 18% tip included was about $22 which we both thought was incredibly steep.

The soup was good - more like a runny cheese sauce and I only had about half the cup as it was quite rich. Dad and I make it though about 1 and a half sticks so there was a lot of wastage.

All in all, quite enjoyable - would I do it again - yes, but only one serve of breadsticks and only on a rainy cold day (which is what we had) as I don't think I could eat the soup sitting on a bench in the heat of summer!

elizabethswan

01-21-2010, 05:17 PM

zhazhazsu

01-21-2010, 05:29 PM

WOW you got TO GO soup at Le Cellier..... good to know! I never would have dreamed that this was possible.

You have seriously opened my eyes to a whole new dining possibility Thanks!

angelmav

01-21-2010, 05:45 PM

Great reviews, I have rreally enjoyed them!

australiankaren

02-14-2010, 01:33 AM

hey

is it just us aussies or does everyone take photos of their food :)

I'm so struggling to work out where we will eat this time around in sept 2010, too many choices....

have a great day

PrincessInOz

02-14-2010, 03:35 AM

Hey AussieKaren,

is it just us aussies or does everyone take photos of their food
I don't think this is just an aussie thing. All foodies take photos of food. My friends and I just send MMS of food everytime we travel...especially of :cake:!

BecBennett

02-16-2010, 05:10 AM

i didn't even know you could take out from these restaurants. that's good to know. your review has been great, thanks for posting all of this info. i am surprised that they charged gratuity for a take out , but again, i didn't even know they had take out. is this something that is available from all disney restaurants???

it's available at all Disneyland restaurants, so surely it would be available at wdw ones too?

We used to get take away from Yamabuki when it was open. The first time we tried that the cm told us it was an option at all the restaurants.

offtoseemickey

02-20-2010, 09:15 AM

Loving your report - I have similar views as you (tipping, cheese sauce, HUGE protions), I'm from London.
Keep it coming

Thanks for sharing!!!

arilvdc

02-20-2010, 07:47 PM

Great reviews!!!

podsnel

02-20-2010, 10:37 PM

I love your refreshing, Australian perspective! :thumbsup2 I agree, the food is TOO BIG! :rotfl: So happy to hear we can take-away the soup in Canada- that will be a VERY good thing, always, to know!

looking forward to the rest...

jamjar84

02-21-2010, 08:17 AM

Really enjoying reading your reviews. :)

eurasian81

02-21-2010, 04:48 PM

I have been quite absent from these boards over the last few weeks; work has gone crazy and my home computer died. I will post the Citricos review this week.

With regards to getting orders to-go, we saw most restaurants doing it, you just had to ask. There were many people getting grapefruit cake from the HBD while we were there and another gentleman getting soup at Le Cellier as well.

eurasian81

03-09-2010, 01:27 AM

Hi All

Well, I've finally gotten my act together. Our dinner at Citricos was the highlight of our trip (along with Artist Point). It was my 28th birthday.

Upon arrival, we checked in and were seated in a nice waiting area that also serves as the V&A waiting area. We were promptly taken to our seats. Along the way I asked if we could have a fireworks view seat and our waitress happily found us a table.

Our server wished me Happy Birthday and then presented us with personalise menus noting the occassion.

Bread and butter with citrus salt (I think) was served - tasty but nothing special, just good quality bread.

For starters, I had the Arancini-Crispy Risotto…Italian Sausage, Quattro Formaggi, and White Truffle Aïoli and Dad had the Gâteau of Crab…Lump Crab, Orange Fennel Cream, and Tomato-Fennel Slaw. Both were heavenly. They were presented beautifully and we both dived right in before remembering to take photos. Sorry.

The Arancini were crispy on the outside and had a great cheesy centre. The truffle aioli was subtle yet very tasty. The crab cake was great. The orange fennel cream was great and we were mopping it up with our bread.

For mains, I had the Berkshire Pork Two Ways (belly and tenderloin) served with swiss chard, apple salad, herb gnocchi and a nice sauce (a reduction of some kind). It was perfection. The pork was tender, the gnocchi light and not doughy and the apple cut through the flavours nicely.

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Dad had the Filet Sicilian…Oak-grilled Filet of Beef with Sweet Vidalia Onions and Banana Peppers, Quattro Formaggi Crushed Potatoes, and Veal Glace de Viande. He loved it - the meat was fork-tender.

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For dessert, we then ordered the Warm Chocolate Banana Torte with Vanilla Ice Cream and Tropical Fruit Crème Brûlèe which we asked to come first, followed by the Cheese Course Trio…Lemon Ricotta from Central Florida, Idiazabal from Spain, and Fourme d’Ambert from Auvergne, France which Dad and I would share. As I mentioned before, I'm used to cheese at the end of the meal rather than as an appetizer.

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My torte was very tasty but rich and I couldn't eat it all. It had a cute "happy birthday" chocolate message which was a nice touch. The brulee was divine - perfect.

The cheeses were also great - no compliants and we were very full at that point.

I can't remember the wines or cocktails that we had that night as it was too long ago - apologies.

During dessert Wishes was on. Now I have read a lot of debate about this and here is my first-hand account.

- You can see the fireworks from Citricos
- The view is towards the back of the GF and the lake and not the MK
- The music is not piped into the restaurant like it is a CG
- The lights are dimmed
- Many of the fireworks launch from GF so they are very close and still magical.

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After dinner, we walked around World Showcase a couple of times to try to walk some of the food off and watch Illuminations for one last time......

Overall this trip was amazing and really served to change my opinions about the food in the US.

On another note, for those who have read my posts and the story about the "no photo on the segway tour"... after about 4-5 weeks of waiting for the photo, I assumed that the lovely lady who took it for us had lost my e-mail. Out of desperation, I e-mailed Disney to see if they could track her down and pass on my contact details (as due to privacy, I knew that they wouldn't give me her details directly). Low and behold, they did and I got the photo e-mailed a couple of days later and an e-mail from Disney noting they had found her - now that's service!!!

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