Greetings From England – The Brits Are Back!! **COMPLETED 07/05**

[Kricketnp]

Just read through this whole review and enjoyed every minute of it! We are staying at WL in August, so it was nice to see some of the things from Roaring Fork, as well as the fancy pool drinks. Thanks for the entertainment on a slow day at work!!

 

[mamaboogie]

Does your night in Downtown Disney involve an alcoholic beverage or two??

 

[wilma-bride]

Wow, Via Napoli looks fantastic. I like Calamari but, like you say in can sometimes be tough and chewy. That looked great though. And I love the look of the Quattro Formaggi - I don't like tomato so that would be right up my street

By the way, if you enjoyed the Segway tour at Epcot, you'll have to try the Fort Wilderness one - it's loads better and you get to go faster

 

[sjs314]

I am dying to try Via Napoli on our October trip, your pics were great. DH loves calamari, me not so much but it did look good. Enjoyed the review

 

[Linda67]

I'm really enjoying your reviews! How cool to be the only ones in a tour. No wonder you felt like VIPs!

It was a wonderful tour and just amazing to be whizzing round World Showcase on our own

Yay on being the only two on the Segway tour - what a great way to start the day!

The pizzas look yummy - it's a shame DH didn't enjoy his as much as he thought he would.

Mmm all these desserts look sooo good - can you tell I have a sweet tooth?!

Don't know how I'm going to cope with all the choices at Disney World!

That's why we all keep going back, there is always something else to try

Just read through this whole review and enjoyed every minute of it! We are staying at WL in August, so it was nice to see some of the things from Roaring Fork, as well as the fancy pool drinks. Thanks for the entertainment on a slow day at work!!

Woah, the whole report in one go, you deserve a medal
Hope you have a great day at work today

Does your night in Downtown Disney involve an alcoholic beverage or two??

Me? alcoholic beverage? never !!
Actually not a drop past my lips at DTD that evening

Wow, Via Napoli looks fantastic. I like Calamari but, like you say in can sometimes be tough and chewy. That looked great though. And I love the look of the Quattro Formaggi - I don't like tomato so that would be right up my street

By the way, if you enjoyed the Segway tour at Epcot, you'll have to try the Fort Wilderness one - it's loads better and you get to go faster

Morning Joh

We actually did the Fort Wilderness Segway Tour last year and loved it

It also introduced us to Wilderness Lodge for the first time and that's probably why we ended up staying at WL this year

Funnily enough we were the only two on the Fort Wilderness Tour as well; perhaps we need to change our deodorant

I am dying to try Via Napoli on our October trip, your pics were great. DH loves calamari, me not so much but it did look good. Enjoyed the review

A big thumbs up for Via Napoli from us and the calamari was by far the best I have ever had

 

[cbg1027]

Wow I'm really late joining in, but I'm here now! Everything looks good, especially Jiko - I agree it is quite amazing!

 

[Linda67]

Wow I'm really late joining in, but I'm here now! Everything looks good, especially Jiko - I agree it is quite amazing!

Never too late to join in

I still can't believe that anyone at all is reading this

 

[Linda67]

Hey everyone

Hope you are all having a wonderful week

Thursday 26th May Continued

So following a great morning and lunch at Epcot we explored Word Showcase for a while before deciding to head back to Wilderness Lodge for an afternoon at the pool

We had no plans for dinner this evening so we decided to hop in the car to Downtown Disney for a spot of retail therapy and a bite to eat

In between shopping we stopped by The House Of Blues for a quick drink and met a lovely couple who had just got married at Disney and were staying on for their honeymoon; it was fun chatting to them, you could tell that they were made for each other

As we were close by following our drink we headed into Disney Quest for a while but didn’t stay long as hunger began to strike

We still had plenty of CS credits left and neither of us wanted a big meal as we were planning to go back to WL for a late night swim so we went back to the old favourite; Earl Of Sandwich

OK, I am re-cycling photos here as we ended up ordering the same sandwiches that we had eaten on our previous visit

The Caprese - fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes, fresh basil and drizzled balsamic vinaigrette

Tuna Melt - albacore tuna salad and Swiss cheese

We split both the sandwiches and they were delicious as always

I didn’t get to try my beloved Veggie Sandwich on this trip so I will have to make sure I do in October

I also pick up one of these

Earl Of Sandwich Bread Pudding

I ended up taking this back to WL and eating it for breakfast on our balcony the following morning

Ooh I loved this and will certainly pick one up next time I am there

DH ordered the same as on our previous visit as he had loved it so much

Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Pot

He munched this down in no time

I have just heard the exciting news that a new Earl Of Sandwich location has opened in London

It’s nowhere near where I work but I think it would be well worth hopping on The Tube one afternoon in the name of research

Coming Up Next ………. ‘May The Cup Cake Be With You’; We Head Over To Star Wars Weekends

 

[TanzUnited99]

Yay on going to EoS again!

Didn't know that Eos was opening in London - will have to look into that

 

[wilma-bride]

Love EOS. We were going to try the London one when we were there at the beginning of the month but it closed at 4 in the afternoon

 

[mamaboogie]

EoS in London??? Might have to have a trip to the big smoke!

I was disappointed to miss out on the DLRP one earlier this year!

Looking forward to hearing about the Star Wars weekend!

 

[disney_princess_85]

Great reviews, as always!

I was in London over the weekend and I visited EoS.

 

[Linda67]

Yay on going to EoS again!

Didn't know that Eos was opening in London - will have to look into that

I think I am going to have to pay EOS London a visit and report back

Love EOS. We were going to try the London one when we were there at the beginning of the month but it closed at 4 in the afternoon

Oh don't you just love London, it's a realy 24 hour city isn't it

EoS in London??? Might have to have a trip to the big smoke!

I was disappointed to miss out on the DLRP one earlier this year!

Looking forward to hearing about the Star Wars weekend!

I was just thinking about another Jan/Feb trip to DLRP and EOS would certainly be my first stop

Great reviews, as always!

I was in London over the weekend and I visited EoS.

Oooh, tell us more
Was it yummy

 

[Linda67]

Friday 27th May 2011

We were up bright and early and after an extremely healthy breakfast of bread pudding and coffee we headed towards Hollywood Studios for our first experience of Star Wars Weekends

We arrived before Rope Drop and enjoyed the show

Even though we had been lucky enough to enjoy the soft opening of Star Tours the previous week we still made it our first stop

We walked straight on and it was fun to ride it again with such big Star Wars fans

Next up it was off to the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower Of Terror and after we had riden them both and picked up Fast Passes for later it was decided that we needed to replenish our sugar levels with a visit to Starring Rolls Cafe

No sharing this time, it was nearly time to fly home and we were prepared to pay for ‘Excess Baggage’

I was dead set on ordering the Red Velvet Cheesecake Cup Cake that I had spotted the previous week but I just couldn’t resist this when I saw it

Darth Vader Cup Cake

This was basically a chocolate and peanut butter cup cake with the Dark Lord balanced on top (what’s not to love?)

If this is what you get for lunch on the Death Star, I’m off to join the Dark Side

It was, as is everything I have ever eaten here, yum, yum, yummy

I enjoyed a good cup of coffee with it (you get proper coffee in SR) and I was a very happy lady

I think DH was still sulking about sharing our last Butternut Finger Cup Cake so this time he had it all to himself

Yep, he finished the whole thing – that’s my boy

Coming Up Next ………….. Our Final Night ; Artist Point

 

[mamaboogie]

Morning Linda!

No! Not the final night!! I don't want it to end!

I LOVE your speech bubbles! I'm so with you on the peanut butter/choc/Darth Vader love - snacks just don't get any better! Let's skip off to the dark side together.

Looking forward to Artist Point!

 

[wilma-bride]

I detest peanut butter but that cupcake looked really good.

Can't believe this is nearly over

 

[TanzUnited99]

Lol at getting a cupcake each! Having seen that Darth Vader cupcake before I love it and would definitely also join the dark side for such a treat!

 

[Linda67]

Morning Linda!

No! Not the final night!! I don't want it to end!

I LOVE your speech bubbles! I'm so with you on the peanut butter/choc/Darth Vader love - snacks just don't get any better! Let's skip off to the dark side together.

Looking forward to Artist Point!

Morning Shari, coming right up with the Artist Point Review

I detest peanut butter but that cupcake looked really good.

Can't believe this is nearly over

I can't believe you don't love peanut butter, I thought we had so much in common

Lol at getting a cupcake each! Having seen that Darth Vader cupcake before I love it and would definitely also join the dark side for such a treat!

Even though the Darth Vader Cupcake was great; I can't wait to try the Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcake when I return in October

 

[Linda67]

Friday 27th May 2011 Continued

After a very enjoyable day at Hollywood Studios we headed back to the Wilderness Lodge to spend our final afternoon by the pool and pack our cases for tomorrows flight home

So that we weren’t rushing around too much on our last night I had made an ADR at Artist Point so that we could enjoy our final night at this wonderful resort

After swimming, lounging and enjoying some time in the hot tub; we showered and changed before heading to The Territory Lounge for a pre-dinner drink

All that swimming had made us hungry and our ADR wasn’t for a little while so we decided to share a flatbread with our drinks

No surprises that DH ordered a coke and following a quick look through the Cocktail menu I chose this:

Territory Lounge Mojito

It was a lovely refreshing drink and I really enjoyed it, it wasn't too sweet which sometimes puts me off Mojitos

Territory Lounge – BLT Flatbread

This was obviously meant to come with bacon served on top but we asked if we could have it without as there aren’t too many non-meat options on the menu

We both loved this flatbread and it was just the right size to share with our drinks

There seemed to be quite a storm brewing outside so we decided to take a walk around the resort and down to the beach for one last time before it the rain hit

We both loved The Wilderness Lodge and it is such a beautiful and relaxing resort to walk around, especially in the evening

Before long it was time to go and check in at Artist Point

Yet again we were delighted to be taken to a wonderful window table which gave us the most incredible view of the electrical storm that had now begun

Soon our server arrived to take our drink orders and talk us through the menu options

DH stuck with water and I had chose a glass of wine from the very impressive wine list; 14 Hands Chardonnay, Washington

I don't usually choose Chardonnay but this was the recommended pairing for my appetiser and it was excellent

Next up we were brought a basket of warm sourdough which DH made a start on right away; I don’t actually remember trying this as I wanted to save my appetite

Bread Service

We were both really hungry this evening as we had skipped lunch following our pig-out on Starring Rolls Café Cupcakes and the flatbread had only made us realise how hungry we were so we decided to both have an appetiser

DH chose this:

Spring Pea Risotto with crispy Snake River Farms Pork Belly,Radish Salad, and Goat Cheese Crisp

He thought this was OK but didn’t love it

It was a shame because he said that the Pork was very good but that the risotto was far too salty and that spoiled the overall taste of the dish

I however had a much more suscessful appetiser:

Smokey Portobello Soup with Roasted Shiitakes and Chive Oil

This was a wonderful soup , I had explained to our server that I didn’t eat meat and I had thought that I had read somewhere that this soup had bacon in it

She double checked for me and it turns out that the soup is made with vegetable stock and what looks to be bacon on the surface of the soup are actually sautéed shiitake mushrooms

I dread to think how much cream was in this little bowl of heaven but it was worth every calorie

Our dinner was nicely paced at Artist Point and we never felt rushed; I hate it if your entrees arrive the second you finish your appetiser but no such problems here

First up DHs choice

Char-grilled Beef Tenderloin with Marble Potatoes, Spring Beans,Pearl Onions, and Green Peppercorn Butter

Again a wonderful dish and great cut of meat but spoilt by too much salt in the vegetable preperation

We don’t tend to add much salt to our cooking at home so it may just be our palate and others wouldn’t find the dish too salty but I would think it’s better to have the option to add more salt at the table

The meat was really good and tender according to DH and he did eat most of this dish

I knew what I was going to order before I arrived:

Cedar Plank-roasted Wild Columbia River King Salmon with Asparagus, Petit Zucchini and Baby Carrots

You are presented with the salmon still on the Cedar Plank at table side before the fish is plated alongside your vegetables

This was a truly delicious piece of Salmon, cooked to perfection

It was delicate, fresh and full of flavour and the cooking process preserves the moisture of the fish perfectly

The salmon is usually served with a bacon-egg vinaigrette so our server suggested I switch this for a citrus dressing.

The dressing was served on the side but the fish was so good I didn’t want to add anything too it

My only problem with this dish was the vegetables, they were perfectly cooked but again far too salty in my opinion so I left most of them

The storm had now passed and we spent a while chatting before decided on what to order for dessert

Having enjoyed the wonderful Peach and Strawberry Cobbler at Whispering Canyon Café the previous week I decided to give the AP version a go

Artist Point Cobbler . . . Seasonal Berries and House-made Black Raspberry Ice Cream

This was a great choice, if not a little heavy after such a big meal but it was sooo good I had to finish it all

The star of the dish was the Black Raspberry Ice Cream

DH chose another fruity pud

Baked Peach Upside-Down Cake with Sweet & Sour Caramel Sauce and Roasted Peach Ice Cream

Well he cleaned his plate so I think it’s safe to say he enjoyed it

We both had a wonderful evening at AP and even thought there were a few elements of the meal that were not to our taste, overall I would give this restaurant high marks and would love to visit again one day

Our server was a delight and really helped to make the evening extra special, she even delivered a pile of Mickey Straws to our table when she had overheard me saying I wish I had one in my drink!

We settled our bill and headed back to our room to do the last few bits of packing and enjoy a final Hot Chocolate on our balcony

Coming Up Next …………. My Final Waffle, Waffle

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Glad to see that your meal at Artist Point had some high points. AP is currently my favorite signature restaurant, and I've tried all of those dishes. Loved the risotto (didn't have a salt issue, but mine had a good amount of pepper), the salmon was incredible (and I far preferred it to the beef), the soup is always delicious (glad to hear it's completely vegetarian!), and the berry cobbler is wonderful (much better than the previous incarnation). Wasn't a big fan of that peach dessert (something about the sourness of the sauce was really odd to me), so I'm glad DH liked it more than I did.

I know quite a few people love Artist Point, but others see it as "just okay." I'm just happy your meal was better than okay, if not perfect all the way through. I'm looking forward to trying Jiko again (haven't been there since March) - everything about your experience there sounded amazing.

I've loved your reviews, and can't wait for the next round!