First a Little Pomp & Circumstance,then a Whole Lot of Disney Dining! COMPLETE

[Tracerr00]

Well...one out of three ain't bad? Too bad about your DDs not enjoying their steaks such a bummer. I guess if you're being optimistic then at least you loved your salmon! My DD used to love her steak medium and then something happened or someone said something to make her fearful of any pink. So now she only gets it well done which kills me! But I think she'll be getting steak everywhere we go!

But...did your DD end up liking the mac & cheese?

 

[jabead]

That's so funny that she liked the mushroom soup! If you begged her to try it she probably wouldn't have! I have two boys (DH & DS) who are always picking at my plate. I have no idea how I'm so fat cause I never get to eat a whole meal!

Ahh yes, the joys of parenthood! After the kids have eaten everything they like from both your plate and their own, they then leave the rejects for their dad to eat. 'Cause dads will eat anything won't they...well, except for the steak at Artist Point apparently.

That soup looks amazing. I can't wait to see what you ordered. The entire menu looked delicious,

The AP mushroom soup is definitely amazing! The fact that it contains mushrooms (albeit very finely chopped and not the "slimy" kind, as the kids say ), yet DD1 really enjoyed it, is a true testament to its greatness!

Found your review yesterday and just caught up. I'm really enjoying reading the reports, although its making me very hungry! Looking forward to the next installment.

Hi jmm476! Thanks so much for joining in! I'm really glad you are enjoying my reports.

 

[jabead]

Never been to AP but have always wanted too...would you drop Kona for it on your arrival night? That is what I am toying with.... Oy decisions decisions!

Hmm...that's a tough one. I of course would definitely recommend Artist Point, especially if you like salmon. But I know from reading all of your past reviews, that Todd loves a good steak. And obviously I can't recommend the steak at Artist Point, as now three of my family have panned it. But hopefully he would be able to find something else on the menu to his liking.

So I say, go for it! And not just because I would love to hear your take on this restaurant...although I must admit that that would be great!

 

[jabead]

Part II is making me feel extremely mixed emotions. I would've loved that salmon dish, since I'm a huge fan of Artist Point's cedar plank salmon (and also a huge fan of salade niçoise!). Salade niçoise is normally served with tuna, but I love the idea of modernizing it and changing up the fish. That dish would definitely earn a Tink from me.

On the other hand, there isn't much hope that your DDs will like Artist Point. They didn't like the sound of any appetizer (I could easily scarf down the mushroom soup, beets, mussels, or oysters), and they weren't impressed with their meat dishes (the most important part of the meal). Oh well - with your whole family against AP, I have a feeling you'll be skipping it next time.

Yes, I know that as of now, things are looking rather bleak. But based on what will happen in the conclusion, I still have a small glimmer of hope for my return to Artist Point.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Hmmm, I don't think either of your DD's dishes look very inspiring. Our first meal at AP, DH had the special of the night, a very, very good steak! I had the filet that was on the menu at the time and all but licked my plate. Last year, I did not love my pork dish at all. DH did try the salmon and liked it alot. DS has buffalo and enjoyed it. I would not have gone back this year but they both have it as their #2 choice. No idea what I will order this year.

 

[jabead]

A cliffhanger review- I can't wait to see what you ordered for the main entree.

Loved the pictures of the Pooh breakfast. Didn't know AP ever did breakfast, much less with characters.

Really enjoyed reminiscing with you about Pocohantas. We met Meeko before he was a regular at AK at the Storytellers Cafe at the Grand Californian and I was so thrilled to meet a Pocohantas character. Wish WDW would change some of their character meals around more often.

Definitely agree with you on this! My family has not been to a character meal in years, since we got "burnt out" from seeing pretty much the same characters no matter where we went.

And speaking of some different character meals, I remember once we went to a Villians themed dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. The villians were all very much in character and we all had a great time interacting with them...especially Cruella, as she was the only face character there. I don't think it lasted very long though. There were rumors that they received complaints about the villians scaring the children. Does anyone else remember this???

Anyway, here are a few pictures we took there:

DH and his DB posing with Cruella - Villians Dinner Aug. 2000

DD1, DS and I (Barb) with Captain Hook


and a rarely seen villian...

DD1 and DD2 with the Evil Queen (in her Old Hag form) from Snow White


I'm pretty sure that Governor Ratcliffe was also there but the picture seems to missing from our scrapbook. ​

Now I just might be able to convince my family to go to a character meal if they brought this back, or something similar.

 

[jabead]

And I loved your asides on Pocahontas! You've got me wanting to watch it for the first time in ages as well!

I really do love to watch Disney movies, especially when my kids are watching with me.

Can I just say that I've had dreams about that salmon from AP?! It's seriously the best salmon dish I've ever had in my life.

I'm pretty sure that the AP salmon made a cameo appearance in my rather odd dream last night too! I guess that's what happens when you write these reviews late at night.

hmmm.... so maybe we'll stick to the original plan and do Flying Fish. I had thought about switching because we do FF every trip, but maybe not.

Wow, that is really a tough one, as those two restaurants happen to be tied for 3rd in my current favorites list of Disney Signature restaurants. I guess my advice would be to go with whichever one fits better (location-wise) into your schedule.

The salmon looked tasty. it is too bad the two steaks didn't work out.

Yes, it was a pity about the girls' entrees. But things will improve with our desserts, sort of.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Love, Love your pictures of the Villian character meal! My family would totally be there if Disney would bring back the Villian meal.

Glad you enjoyed your salmon, but sad for the girls about their steaks. I've got my eye on the scallops for our next trip to AP.

Hope the desserts turned out better.

 

[jabead]

I'm a little nervous about your daughter's choices for AP since Em was going to order the steak or bison again. I'm not decided although I may have gone the steak route as well. Hmmmmm.... I may go for something totally un-Brenda and order the salmon. (I don't eat fish too often but love seafood that is creepy crawly and is served with heads on sometimes!!)

I think you might just like salmon, so I say you should go for it!

As for Emily, between the two choices of the steak and the bison, I would advise her to go with the bison. Of course, my advice is based on appearance only, as I did not ask to taste either of my daughter's entrees for fear I would have to reciprocate and offer a taste of my salmon. (I had learned my lesson on this the hard way by losing 1/3 of mushroom soup ).

But anyway, IMHO the Bison looked much more appetizing than the Beef.

Plus Belle5 (the reviewer I referred to in regard to the soup) said that several in her family of 9 had the Buffalo and all very much enjoyed it. They dined at Artist Point around the same time as we did. Here is a link to her review.


Belle5's Review

 

[hotcarib]

WOW!!!
Thank-you so much
Your reviews are among the best I have ever read!!!!

 

[jabead]

But...did your DD end up liking the mac & cheese?

Yes, I think she did like the fried mac 'n cheese because she kept it when she traded entrees with her sister.

Hmmm, I don't think either of your DD's dishes look very inspiring. Our first meal at AP, DH had the special of the night, a very, very good steak! I had the filet that was on the menu at the time and all but licked my plate. Last year, I did not love my pork dish at all. DH did try the salmon and liked it alot. DS has buffalo and enjoyed it. I would not have gone back this year but they both have it as their #2 choice. No idea what I will order this year.

Hmm...how do you feel about chicken???

Crispy Buttermilk-dipped Airline Chicken - with Herb Spaetzle, Fava Beans, Bacon Jam, and Natural Chicken Jus. (Picture courtesy of Belle5)


I thought the AP chicken entree looked and sounded pretty good according to Belle5's review and picture. There were 9 people in her group, so they tried several different things at Artist Point. Here is a link to her great review: Belle5's Review

Love, Love your pictures of the Villian character meal! My family would totally be there if Disney would bring back the Villian meal.

Glad you enjoyed your salmon, but sad for the girls about their steaks. I've got my eye on the scallops for our next trip to AP. Hope the desserts turned out better.

And I must say that the scallops look pretty good too.

Seared Diver Scallops with Herb Spring Pea Risotto and Chardonnay Saffron Beurre Blanc. (Again from Belle5's review)

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Definitely agree with you on this! My family has not been to a character meal in years, since we got "burnt out" from seeing pretty much the same characters no matter where we went.

And speaking of some different character meals, I remember once we went to a Villians themed dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. The villians were all very much in character and we all had a great time interacting with them...especially Cruella, as she was the only face character there. I don't think it lasted very long though. There were rumors that they received complaints about the villians scaring the children. Does anyone else remember this???


Now I just might be able to convince my family to go to a character meal if they brought this back, or something similar.

Me, Me, Me , I remember it. My DH thought this was awesome. When he heard I wanted to go to a character meal he balked a bit, but when he saw who would be there he was all in. I know we had Captain Hook, Queen of Hearts, Governor Radcliff and someone else. My neice was terrified and she was about 4yrs old but our DS, who was 19months old LOVED them. He waved over Captain Hook and was playing with his hook for like 5 minutes. My poor neice cringed the whole time and wouldn't even look at the characters. That was in 2000. Wish that would come back, it was awesome.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I rea-read Belle5's review this afternoon and that chicken does sound delicioius! If it is still on the menu, that may be for me!

 

[emmysmommy]

I would love to do a villains character meal - that would be so fun!

Thanks for the advice on the entree choices at AP for Em. She did like the buffalo strip loin before several years ago. Between it being on the menu for HBD and AP she certainly has plenty of opportunity to order it. Thanks for posting the link to Belle5's review. What actually sounds good right now is the asparagus!

 

[jabead]

WOW!!!
Thank-you so much
Your reviews are among the best I have ever read!!!!

Thanks so much for the kind words, hotcarib! It makes writing these reviews so much easier when you get feedback, especially positive feedback like yours.

Me, Me, Me , I remember it. My DH thought this was awesome. When he heard I wanted to go to a character meal he balked a bit, but when he saw who would be there he was all in. I know we had Captain Hook, Queen of Hearts, Governor Radcliff and someone else. My neice was terrified and she was about 4yrs old but our DS, who was 19months old LOVED them. He waved over Captain Hook and was playing with his hook for like 5 minutes. My poor neice cringed the whole time and wouldn't even look at the characters. That was in 2000. Wish that would come back, it was awesome.

Wow, I can't believe your 19 month was not afraid of the Captain, and even played with his hook. That is so awesome!

I rea-read Belle5's review this afternoon and that chicken does sound delicioius! If it is still on the menu, that may be for me!

Alright then, so we've got your appetizer and entree picked out. That just leaves dessert!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Alright then, so we've got your appetizer and entree picked out. That just leaves dessert!

Yes, so please hurry with your review!

 

[Linda67]

Your salmon looks delicious
I really enjoyed the salmon when we visited AP but the old side dish it came with was a little too salty, the new "nice" side dish that yours came with looks lovely
It's a shame that that your DDs didn't enjoy their steaks as much
I hope that dessert made up for their disappointment

 

[jabead]

Good Morning everyone! As I was diligently working on Part III of my Artist Point review last night, I took a break to check the boards for new posts. I of course saw that DonaldDoleWhip had posted a GFC - Part II. In all honesty, this really didn't surprise me as I was highly suspicious about him not having dessert on the final night of his trip. But when I read his post, I of course was blown away by the surprise which he masterfully unveiled to us. So I first must say to you Donald,


KUDOS, for a job well done...a truly brilliant ending to another exceptional set of dining reviews!!!


And so last night, after regaining my composure, I attempted to continue with the writing of my Artist Point finale. However, I found it very difficult to fairly judge and comment on our ordinary desserts after the vast array of awesome desserts I had just seen. Consequently, I decided to call it a night and postpone the writing of Part III until this evening.

But for this morning, I would like to tell you about the wonderful bit of Disney CM Magic that we experienced on our last trip. It was not directly related to any of our dining experiences so I did not mention it during my reviews. However, with my current Disney-happy mood today (brought on by DDW's magical experience ) I decided to relate to you our story...

On the evening of our California Grill dinner, the girls and I had gotten all "dolled up" in anticipation of having a special dinner at my favorite Disney restaurant. We boarded the MK bus from our resort and shortly thereafter the skies broke loose with a deluge of rain. Still raining when we arrived at the MK bus station, the three of us were standing under the one umbrella we remembered to bring that evening. We had originally intended to walk from the bus station to the Contemporary, but with the rain and only one umbrella we were afraid of getting soaked and showing up at the CA Grill check-in desk looking like three drenched cats.

​

So as we were standing there by the bus station (probably looking rather lost) contemplating our options:

1) Attempt to wait out the rain and be late for our reservation

2) Make a run for either the monorail station or down the pathway to the Contemporary (which would be very difficult for me to do in heels )


It was then that we experienced a little of that wonderful Disney magic. A van pulled up with two CMs inside. The one sitting closest to where we were standing, rolled down her window and asked if they could help us find something. I laughingly explained that we were not lost but just trying to figure out the best way to get to the Contemporary without getting rain-soaked. Their reply, "Well, the best way would be for you to hop into our van and we will drive you over there." So of course, we happily took them up on their kind offer and jumped into the backseat of their van (oh, and don't worry it was clearly marked as a Disney van ). A few minutes later we were delivered to the front door of the Contemporary...quite dry and in a wonderful mood.


And so although our experience was a rather simple one, neither tasty or visually stunning like DDW's, it was for us greatly appreciated and a very nice (and dry ) beginning to our special evening at California Grill.

Oh, and by the way, we actually arrived at the CA Grill check-in desk a few minutes early, looking much like this happy cat...

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

That's such a nice story! Those little vans seem to be used during busy times - I took one once from MK to Yacht Club. How perfect that the timing prevented you from becoming soaked and miserable (like that poor cat )

 

[deenbrad]

That was great! The rain in FL amazes me. In NY when it rained it seemed to be a steady rain lasting all day. In GA it's a steady rain lasting for an hour or two (sometimes with lighting and/or tornadoes). In FL it's like someone just turned on a faucet. The deluge is incredible. We left MK once due to rain and there was literally a river flowing down when we were climbing up to the monorail! Yuk! Glad you got to CG dry!!