Magic Happens, and Then You EAT: Our Gluttonous *Year of the Dragon* COMPLETE!!

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Thank you, we are soooo excited to be heading back so soon, too! Thanks for the encouragement about the plans. Aladdin is opposed to paying OOP for any meals, on principle. He feels that the DxDP should be more than enough to satisfy us without having to pay more, except for adult beverages and tips, of course. We have never shared meals before, but primarily because we like to sample a variety. Typically, our family of 4 will order 4 different dishes so we can taste them all. It will be hard to see a fourth dish on the menu we'd like to try but skip it to save the credit. I will look at it as we are also saving the calories. We surely won't need a FULL 3 course meal twice a day. Especially since we will be "forced" to eat 2 snacks per day !

What meals have you most enjoyed sharing? Have you shared at any of the above? I'd appreciate any tips! And thanks for reading! I am reading yours, too!

We've had great success sharing meals at many of the places you plan to eat at- Citrico's, Kona, Via Napoli, LTT, Le Cellier, and Cali Grill. We weren't on the DDP, but I don't see why it would matter. The only thing you might encounter is if everyone wants a soft drink you might have to pay for one extra drink. We always share the Big Kahuna breakfast platter at Kona. At Citricos we shared the grouper and they split it for us in the kitchen. Also we shared the pork at Cali Grill and it was split by the kitchen. My son and I have shared the burger at Le Cellier and LTT. We usually like to order an appy and dessert so splitting meals works well for us to try more things. I really hope it works out for you.

BTW, I love your Eyeore rating system. So cute.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Love, Love, LOVE your rating system. Eeyore is where it's at. Can't wait to follow along throughout the course of your PTR and Dining Reviews. Your going to most of the restaurants I went to on my last trip so I'm excited to see how our experiences compare......Did I mention how awesome your rating system is

Oh, thank you so much for joining in my dining report! I see you are relative new to the DIS so you probably didn't post dining reviews of those places? Did you have any "don't miss" dishes at any of the restuarants? Thanks about the rating system! I'm excited about it!

We've had great success sharing meals at many of the places you plan to eat at- Citrico's, Kona, Via Napoli, LTT, Le Cellier, and Cali Grill. We weren't on the DDP, but I don't see why it would matter. The only thing you might encounter is if everyone wants a soft drink you might have to pay for one extra drink. We always share the Big Kahuna breakfast platter at Kona. At Citricos we shared the grouper and they split it for us in the kitchen. Also we shared the pork at Cali Grill and it was split by the kitchen. My son and I have shared the burger at Le Cellier and LTT. We usually like to order an appy and dessert so splitting meals works well for us to try more things. I really hope it works out for you.

BTW, I love your Eyeore rating system. So cute.

I doubt we will share meals at any of the signature places...unless we are REALLY full. We are definitely going to want to sample as many different dishes as we can. I could definitely see sharing an appetizer and a burger with fries (and toffee cake) at LTT or the Big Kahuna at Kona with Belle, though! The problem in my family will be on narrowing it down to who is willing to share and who is in the mood for the same thing on any given day. If it doesn't work out and we can't figure ways to share at least 4 meals over the course of a week...then we are even MORE gluttonous than I already know we are!

Thanks about the rating system. LOVE Eeyore!

 

[CraigB03]

Oh, thank you so much for joining in my dining report! I see you are relative new to the DIS so you probably didn't post dining reviews of those places? Did you have any "don't miss" dishes at any of the restuarants? Thanks about the rating system! I'm excited about it!


There are a few.... of course.... it is Disney after all the clear food capital of the world

The on dish I dream about and must have every time I go to WDW is the Almond crusted cheesecake at Narcoossees..... with every bite the clouds part and angels sing
The sword fish at Citricos is another favorite along with the shrimp and feta appetizer and while the Tonga Toast used to get all the exposure here on the boards, more and more I'm realizing that people have begun to discover my personal favorite breakfast option at Kona... the pineapple, macadamia pancakes.

Finally, it looks like day 8 will be spent in HS in which case I'd recommend either the Carrot Cake cookie (mom's fav) from the Writers stop or the the Red velvet cupcake (my fav) from starring rolls for your "breakfast" snack credit.... after all, calories don't count in Disney (Despite what your 7 pounds in 12 days might think)

Thanks for considering the advice of a Disney amateur... it means a lot coming from a DIS vet like yourself.....always enjoy your reviews. I'll be headed back the world in late August and am planning on attempting my first DR soon after.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Oh, thank you so much for joining in my dining report! I see you are relative new to the DIS so you probably didn't post dining reviews of those places? Did you have any "don't miss" dishes at any of the restuarants? Thanks about the rating system! I'm excited about it!


There are a few.... of course.... it is Disney after all the clear food capital of the world

The on dish I dream about and must have every time I go to WDW is the Almond crusted cheesecake at Narcoossees..... with every bite the clouds part and angels sing
The sword fish at Citricos is another favorite along with the shrimp and feta appetizer and while the Tonga Toast used to get all the exposure here on the boards, more and more I'm realizing that people have begun to discover my personal favorite breakfast option at Kona... the pineapple, macadamia pancakes.

Finally, it looks like day 8 will be spent in HS in which case I'd recommend either the Carrot Cake cookie (mom's fav) from the Writers stop or the the Red velvet cupcake (my fav) from starring rolls for your "breakfast" snack credit.... after all, calories don't count in Disney (Despite what your 7 pounds in 12 days might think)

Thanks for considering the advice of a Disney amateur... it means a lot coming from a DIS vet like yourself.....always enjoy your reviews. I'll be headed back the world in late August and am planning on attempting my first DR soon after.

I definitely have that Almond-Crusted Cheesecake from Narcoossee's (after the Surf & Turf) and the Shrimp & Feta appy from Citricos on my list. I run a little hot and cold about swordfish, so I will have to see what kind of mood I'm in that night. ITA about the Pineapple Macadamia Nut Pancakes at Kona! They are MUCH better than the Tonga Toast...not that the TT is bad... We had breakfast at Kona many years ago, before I started doing DRs, and I've been dreaming of those pancakes since! And yes, we all agree, we MUST try the Carrot Cake Cookie in DHS!

I appreciate all of your suggestions, please keep them coming. And thanks for reading all of my reports; again, I'm so glad you're here for this one, too. I look forward to reading yours!

 

[megan511]

Joining in! I love Eeyore too, he is my absolute fave! I would love to do DxDP one day but we will probably wait until our kids are older. I think it is so great that your teens still love Disney!

 

[bethko1]

Can not wait to read your dining report!!!

 

[emmysmommy]

Looks like some wonderful dining choices! And to be staying at the Poly ... fabulous! Looking forward to reading your reviews.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Looking forward to your reviews! Looks like you're hitting some great places.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

And also: I love your rating system! Hopefully there won't be many raincloud or unhappy Eeyores.

 

[deenbrad]

Sounds like a great trip! Looking forward to your reviews!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Joining in! I love Eeyore too, he is my absolute fave! I would love to do DxDP one day but we will probably wait until our kids are older. I think it is so great that your teens still love Disney!

Welcome, and thanks for reading! Yes, we are trying DxDP now that the kids are older and we know they do appreciate it. They both really enjoy fine dining...not to say they don't still love the old favorites and comfort foods, like they would find at Chef Mickey's, for example. We did TiW with them 2 years ago, because with our room-only discount, we weren't allowed to add a dining plan. We about broke even with our 11 night trip (well, not on the scales ) with the TiW vs what we would have paid with DxDP, but with the slightly shorter trip, we think DxDP will work best for us.

My kids are still HUGE WDW fans and I imagine they always will be (like DH and I are). They both tried to campaign to bring their HS band and chorus to the competition in WDW, but most kids fought against it, the argument being "too babyish!" I'm so glad they've never felt that way! If they did, I'd be stuck with horrible decision of forcing them to come along and humor their parents, or stay home with Grammie!

Can not wait to read your dining report!!!

Thank you, and weldome to my report! I hope you enjoy it!

Looks like some wonderful dining choices! And to be staying at the Poly ... fabulous! Looking forward to reading your reviews.

Thank you for reading! Oh, yes, the Poly is our MOST happy place! It's our absolute favorite! I hope that over the years will will have enough trips to try all of the resorts, but I imagine we will come back periodically to the Poly (with a discount, of course) ! If my reviews are half as wonderful as yours, I will be very proud! I love all the pics of you and Emmy. We are still a little internet shy about posting personal photos. I hope we get over that, eventually!

Looking forward to your reviews! Looks like you're hitting some great places.

And also: I love your rating system! Hopefully there won't be many raincloud or unhappy Eeyores.

Thank you so much for reading! I am so thoroughly enjoying all of your awesome reviews, I hope I can live up to your standards! And thanks about the rating system! I'm hoping not to have to use ANY Raincloud or Unhappy Eeyores...but I promise to be honest!

Sounds like a great trip! Looking forward to your reviews!

Thank you so much for joining in! I believe this trip is going to be amazing! I am really, REALLY looking forward to sharing the dining reviews with you!

 

[creativeamanda]

You know, your mentioning of sharing 3 meals has me thinking of where Sweetie and I could do that:

Le Cellier
Rainforest Cafe
Maya Grill
Planet Hollywood

Thanks for the idea!

 

[Momofthreemen]

My DH and I will be there at the same time. Love your PTR. Can't wait to hear more.

 

[iloveeeyore]

You know, your mentioning of sharing 3 meals has me thinking of where Sweetie and I could do that:

Le Cellier
Rainforest Cafe
Maya Grill
Planet Hollywood

Thanks for the idea!

You're welcome, and thanks for reading! I am really excited to read more about your dining experiences with Sweetie in June! I honestly can't take credit for the sharing idea. I got it here on the restaurant board when I asked for help with managing my credit shortage. The only place you mention above where we are also dining is Le Cellier, and there aint NO ONE gonna take none of my filet! So sharing at that one is out for us gluttons! We have been to RFC and PH and I know the portions there are huge for every course, so if you and Sweetie can really agree on what to order, that would be a cinch! We stayed at CSR last summer, but couldn't squeeze Maya Grill into the plans. Next time we will make it a point.

My DH and I will be there at the same time. Love your PTR. Can't wait to hear more.

How exciting! Do you have a PTR going, I'd love to follow along! Welcome to mine, and thanks for reading!

 

[MainStreetFireman]

50 days until I am swapping out memory cards of our camera to take Disney food porn pictures, and, most importantly, having my first Disney meal of the vacation!

Can't wait!

 

[iloveeeyore]

50 days until I am swapping out memory cards of our camera to take Disney food porn pictures, and, most importantly, having my first Disney meal of the vacation!

Can't wait!

I KNOW!! Ridiculously excited! So, what should we get at the ASMu food court?

 

[iloveeeyore]

THIS WHOLE POST IS A LIE! WE ARE NOT STAYING AT ASMU, WE ARE STAYING AT THE CONTEMPORARY! BUT WE WANTED TO KEEP IT A SURPRISE UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, AND MY KIDS READ THIS REPORT, SO I HAD TO LIE TO ALL OF YOU, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!

So our vacation package is at the Poly from Sat. 8/4 - Sat. 8/11. However, flying in on Saturday at an early time (we fly JetBlue from our county airport, direct to MCO, several flights/day offered) was more expensive than flying in on a slightly later flight on Friday. In fact, I did the math, and it turns out that it was cheaper to fly in a day early and stay at a value for one night than it was to fly in early on Saturday. We could even afford to throw in a few CS meals at the All Stars food court! Given a choice between giving our money to Disney and getting MORE time at Disney, or giving that same money to JetBlue for LESS time in WDW, I'd take the MORE time option any day!

We chose ASMu as our value, since DS plays the tenor saxophone in the HS jazz band, and we are all pretty jazzy, as a matter of fact! We have also read that of the values, ASMu is probably the most quiet and serene, if one could be quiet and serene. This will be our first experience at a Disney Value Resort, and I must say that we are all really looking forward to it...especially the food court. The food courts at the values have quite a bit of variety, from what we understand, so we would appreciate any suggestions you might offer about what is not-to-be-missed.

 

[iloveeeyore]

WooHoo! I finally figured out how to post efficient links for the purpose of this DR. I know some people enjoy scrolling through an entire thread, while others are interested in reading only certain posts. I am happy to be able to present both options!

 

[Momofthreemen]

Hi iloveeeyore! Can't wait to read your report. DH and I will be there the same time as Ya'll. We have ressies at a lot of the same places. You may get our tables at Narcoossee's and Cali grill. We should be finishing up when you are arriving. Hope your trip is fabulous!

 

[MrsB1228]

Awesome!! I love Eeyore, so of course I also love your rating system. Can't wait to read your reviews! ​