Keep Calm and Go to Disney! 10/21 - 11/4/14 COMPLETE

jabead · Mar 25, 2015

LindseyJo22 said:
That breakfast looks delicious!

We are doing a morning breakfast on our upcoming trip, and I wasn't super concerned about the food since the characters are the main reason I want to go, but I'm glad there are lots of food options that look good. The Puffed French Toast and Breakfast Casserole sound particularly interesting, and I'm pretty sure no Disney buffet breakfast is complete without Mickey waffles!

Glad you liked what you saw. IMO, Crystal Palace breakfast is a great choice for a character meal. Enjoy! :thumbsup2

wilma-bride said:
I love Crystal Palace breakfast - mmm, puffed french toast! Love how you and Tigger are colour coordinated.

It was a great breakfast, but not quite as great as lunch.

jesswindsor said:
Just caught up!! Great Reviews so far, can't wait for more!! Crystal Palace is one of my favorite breakfast spots.

Thanks for reading, Jess! After two great breakfasts at CP, it is becoming one of my favorites too.

Vernie822 said:
I love Crystal Palace - especially the Puffed French Toast. Yum! Can't beat getting into the MK early for some pictures then going to breakfast with Pooh and the gang.

Although last trip we ate at Tusker Houser at Animal Kingdom.. Holy cow, it was so good! Both buffets are fantastic and offer great character interaction IMO.

Oh, I went to Tusker House for the first time ever on this trip. Stay tuned for that review.

rteetz said:
Crystal palace looks great for breakfast. I have only had dinner there. The food looks very good as well.

I'm the opposite, as I've only had breakfast there. Maybe I'll give lunch or dinner a try sometime.

GoofySon'sMom said:
Hi Barb - great pre park opening pics! Since we are taking his girlfriend, Andrew is happy to eat at CP in August! Looking forward to the puffed French toast! And I was able to get a pre park opening CRT breakfast that he also is ok with! It has been great fun planning her first trip!

Hi Vicki!

So glad that you are in Disney trip planning mode again and back here on the boards. I've missed you. :goodvibes

I bet you and Andrew are super excited about introducing his girlfriend to the "Happiest Place on Earth." I hope your trip is wonderful and full of pixie dust. :tink:

kastoney said:
You just inspired me to make a prepark opening reservation at crystal palace for our trip in September. We've been to crystal palace once before but never before park opening. And I somehow missed the omelet station. A park to myself and omelets, here I come....

Yay! Hope you have a great experience. Enjoy that omelet! :thumbsup2

sunnysideup3 said:
When will you be there in May, Barb?

I love Crystal Palace but have never gotten an omelette, I will have to next time!

I believe we will arrive on the 13th (we are driving this time, so still subject to change) and leave for home on the 21st. We will be spending 2 nights at Universal but the rest of the time will be at WDW. How about you, Jillian?

Linda67 said:
Hello Barb
Just been catching up
Love your early morning shots of Main Street
Yummy breakfast by the looks of it!
Lx

Yay!!

So good to hear from you again, Linda! :goodvibes

Are you currently planning any Disney trips? I hope so.

ursalita said:
Hi Barb! I really enjoyed reading your last few updates. So you certainly had some highs and lows. I really enjoyed your review of Crystal Palace. Thank you for taking all those pictures. We have an early breakfast scheduled next month and can't wait to try so many of those items.

Thanks so much for reading! Please stay tuned for much more Disney foodie fun!

Smiling Cheshire Cat said:
Love your pre-park opening pictures Barb! And I really appreciate the many buffet pictures at CP. We have an ADR at Crystal Palace for our upcoming May trip requested by my 18 year old kid. I think he's enticed by the omelets, but I still like the characters.

My kids are wanting me to change our May trip plans from having breakfast at Crystal Palace to having breakfast (instead of lunch) at Be our Guest. Want to trade kids for a bit, Rachel? :laughing:

Scoobymoons said:
Gotta love the pre park opening photos - one of the reasons we go to Crystal Palace for breakfast as well Another ADR booked for this summer and your review cements the decision!! Thanks

Thanks so much and glad to be of help!

RunnerMommyof4 said:
Oh I can't wait for breakfast at Crystal Palace and hope we get a pre rope drop ADR. It looks so yummy and we are BIG breakfast eaters.

There are definitely many great choices at this breakfast. I hope you get that early morning ADR and enjoy your breakfast at Crystal Palace! :thumbsup2

OThopeful35 said:
We have an 8:10 am ADR Crystal Palace on our upcoming trip. This will be our first visit. The food looks yummy.

I think you have made a great choice with Crystal Palace. Oh, and congrats on snagging a 8:10 ADR! :cheer2:

wilma-bride said:
Sorry, didn't mean to be absent for so long - you know what those post-Disney blues are like though Anyway, looks like October is a no-go, Gary can't get away. But we are heading to WDW in August instead - yay! Managed to score 4 nights at the new Poly villas so super happy about that - just a shame we won't get a chance to meet up again.

Darn, darn, darn and a whole lot of other expletives!!! :sad:

Florida in August + me = :faint:

I just can't take the heat. :scared:

Hopefully I'll catch you another time though. But hey, I think Vicki and family will be there sometime in August. Hopefully your dates will match up. :thumbsup2

goofy4prez said:
Barb, I've been stalking but so far behind in responding on several TR's. I love the Crystal Palace Restaurant and love getting the chance to walk down Main Street in a virtually empty park. I am really bummed out that I had an 8:05 am ADR for my trip in June but had to change my arrival date a day later and my departure one day later as well. Unfortunately it fell on our CP day and was not able to get another ADR for that early. The one question I would have for you is, how in the world did you not load up your plate with the breakfast lasagna? I am absolutely addicted to that stuff. I can't tell you how many miles of running I have to do when I get back home to burn off the weight I gain from it.

Ok, I guess our tastes aren't exactly the same, Bob. :laughing:

I tried the breakfast lasagna on my last visit to Crystal Palace and wasn't a fan. But hey, my Narcoossee's review is coming up so I think we will be in agreement again soon.

marchingstar said:
I stumbled on this thread looking for a review of CP (I'm still pretty new to these reviews, and haven't read through a whole one before). This is so comprehensive! I didn't know if Mickey waffles were offered at CP, and I'm so glad to see them in your photos. And everything else looks delicious too--I'll definitely start planning an omelette now!

Can I ask what time your reservation was for? I know 8:05 is the coveted time. I have an 8:40 booked for our May trip. It's on a day when the MK opens at 9, so hopefully we'll get some pics as nice and empty as yours. How much time did you spend in the park before heading to the restaurant? Thanks again for the great photos!

So glad you found me and that you found my CP review helpful. I believe my ADR was at about the same time as yours, but I was there early (at 8:00) so I could take my time with taking photos and soaking up the quiet, uncrowded MK atmosphere. :goodvibes

jabead · Mar 25, 2015

Following my breakfast at Crystal Palace I had three FP+ scheduled for the morning, including another ride on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, plus Haunted Mansion, and the "Wildest Ride in the West"...BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD!!

Ok, not really all that wild but still one of my favorite rides at Magic Kingdom.

I then had some time to kill before my lunch so I took some photos in the Frontierland area.

I haven't been to Tom Sawyer's Island in nearly 15 years. My family made it on the first raft over there one morning in an attempt to find the hidden paint brush, which could be exchanged for a Fast Pass for the whole family to ride Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain (I believe). Sadly we never found it and that was first and last time that we set foot on the island. And since this fun activity was discontinued sometime around late 2012 or very early in 2013, I guess we will never find that elusive paint brush. Anyone here ever search for/find a paint brush on Tom Sawyer's Island?

Besides never finding a paint brush, another thing that I have never done in my nearly 20 trips to Disney World is cruise the Rivers of America aboard the Liberty Belle...

It was then almost time for lunch so I found a nice shady spot to sit on the porch of the restaurant where I was to dine that day...

The front of the restaurant was decked out in its Autumn finest...

I was super excited about this lunch for two reasons: 1) It's one of my favorite restaurants at Disney World for lunch 2) I was to dine with someone from here on the DIS. Someone who I had known for more than two years but never before had the opportunity to meet in person. To say I was excited to finally meet Joh (wilma bride) and her family is definitely an understatement.

Anyway, I was happily sitting on the porch awaiting Joh's arrival when a nice elderly couple with a lovely English accent walked up and sat down in the open seats beside me. Much to my surprise this would end up being Joh's in-laws and two of my five dining companions for lunch. Moments later Joh arrived along with her DH, and their son, who was an adorable "mini-me" of his father. Here is a photo of this wonderful threesome...

And so I had the very good fortune of being part of the awesome "wilma bride" family of England during our lunch that day at Liberty Tree Tavern.

(Photo taken by Joh's DH)

Ok, on to the food now, beginning with a look at the menu...

Sorry that my menu photos are dark and full of shadows, but hopefully they are somewhat legible.

I had no need to look at the menu though here, as I always order the same two things. The unbeatable combo of the...

Colony Salad with Washington Apples, Sweet Pecans, Applewood-smoked Cheddar, Craisins Dried Cranberries, and Grilled Chicken tossed with Field Greens in a Honey-Shallot Vinaigrette

And for dessert...

Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake - Vanilla Cake with a Gooey Toffee Filling, Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream

Both of these were delicious, as always! No complaints, except that I was way too full to eat more than a few bites of my dessert. But thank goodness it did not go to waste, as Joh's son was also a big fan of the Ooey Gooey. I offered him the rest of my dessert and he happily accepted my offer. It was a definite win/win!

Just like my three previous visits to Liberty Tree Tavern, this was again a great lunch and one of my trip favorites. Thanks so much for adopting me for lunch, Joh & family! Sorry I couldn't pull off an English accent. Oh, and see you again soon in Japan!

Next up: Dinner at Narcoossee's

rteetz · Mar 25, 2015

Big Thunder is my favorite mountain.

I have also never been on the liberty belle and have never been to Tom Sawyers island. I have heard of the paint brush but it's disappointing that it has been discontinued.

Another thing I've never done but have wanted to is the liberty tree tavern.

sunnysideup3 · Mar 25, 2015

Barb- we will be there the 20th- 25th and actually eating Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch on the 20th! And your lunch is exactly what I will be ordering! Hopefully I can see you in the crossover!

goofy4prez · Mar 26, 2015

jabead said:
And for dessert...

Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake - Vanilla Cake with a Gooey Toffee Filling, Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream

Both of these were delicious, as always! No complaints, except that I was way too full to eat more than a few bites of my dessert. But thank goodness it did not go to waste, as Joh's son was also a big fan of the Ooey Gooey. I offered him the rest of my dessert and he happily accepted my offer. It was a definite win/win!

Just like my three previous visits to Liberty Tree Tavern, this was again a great lunch and one of my trip favorites. Thanks so much for adopting me for lunch, Joh & family! Sorry I couldn't pull off an English accent. Oh, and see you again soon in Japan!

Next up: Dinner at Narcoossee's

Barb, I didn't have to wait for your upcoming report on Narcoosees to once again share similar tastes. :goodvibes

Liberty Tree Tavern is one of my favorites as well and absolutely love the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. When I leave this world and stand before our God, if He decided to give me an eternity with that dessert over a crown, I just might take up that offer. :rotfl2:

Linda67 · Mar 26, 2015

Yay, you've got to the Joh lunch!
Oh how I wish I could have met up with you all
Nothing planned for this year Barb, looks like it will be 2016 before I am back at WDW :eek:

I am making up for it with a Disneyland trip in July though :goodvibes

RunnerMommyof4 · Mar 26, 2015

Yummy another report with Liberty Tree Tavern. I can't wait to try it when we are there.

wilma-bride · Mar 26, 2015

Barb, you have no idea how surreal it was to rock up to LTT and see you sat there with my in-laws :rotfl:

Your post has reminded me just how much I love the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake, I will be sad not to get the chance to eat there this year :sad2:

And how good of Daniel to help you out with your dessert - not wanting to rain on your future reviews but I sense the start of a trend :rolleyes1

We so enjoyed having lunch with you - keep working on that British accent though

kastoney · Mar 26, 2015

Another great dismeet and a perfect meal at LTT. How nice of you to show the brits what good ole American tavern food is like (sans the beer of course). Your cake pic has got me salivating. Seriously....salivating ; ) The ooey gooey cake has got to be one of the best desserts on property.

DizzneyDi · Mar 28, 2015

I love LTT lunch, and I order the same thing you do, Barb. I'm generally not a huge salad fan. Though it's hard to find an actual salad bar these days, I definitely prefer them to plated salads because I want to pick my own ingredients and add as much dressing as I want. But I will always make an exception for the Colony salad. I don't know how they manage to coat every lettuce leaf with dressing and yet there is never a puddle of it in the bottom of the bowl! And the apples and nuts and craisins add so much to the taste. Absolutely divine! :lovestruc

On my last trip in late January, DS and I planned on lunch at CHH after our Haunted Mansion fastpass. To get there we passed LTT, and I happened to have my phone in my hand. Hmmm, there was a lunch ADR less than an hour out, plenty of time to take our ride and browse through the new HM store--sold! And of course I had my salad and DS had his Pilgrim's Feast and we shared the divine Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. Some traditions just HAVE to honored, right?

vettegirl · Mar 29, 2015

Wow that salad sure does look quite tasty!! I am dying to try the dessert there, one of these Disney Days.

bonnielynn · Mar 30, 2015

I'm really enjoying your reviews... I can't wait to get down there and try some of the places that you have reviewed.

jabead · Mar 30, 2015

rteetz said:
Big Thunder is my favorite mountain.

I have also never been on the liberty belle and have never been to Tom Sawyers island. I have heard of the paint brush but it's disappointing that it has been discontinued.

Another thing I've never done but have wanted to is the liberty tree tavern.

Even on my solo trips when I don't do many rides, some of the classics like BTMR are still a must do. As far as LTT, I absolutely recommend that you give it a try for lunch sometime! :thumbsup2

sunnysideup3 said:
Barb- we will be there the 20th- 25th and actually eating Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch on the 20th! And your lunch is exactly what I will be ordering! Hopefully I can see you in the crossover!

Liberty Tree is currently on our schedule for the 17th, so sadly I won't be running into you there. I think on the 20th we will be splitting our day between DHS and Epcot. I'm hoping to talk the kids into sticking around for one more day, the 21st. If I'm successful then we will likely be at Epcot since it's our favorite park, but perhaps will spend a little time in the morning at MK. Hopefully our paths will cross somewhere, sometime in those two days. :goodvibes

goofy4prez said:
Barb, I didn't have to wait for your upcoming report on Narcoosees to once again share similar tastes. Liberty Tree Tavern is one of my favorites as well and absolutely love the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. When I leave this world and stand before our God, if He decided to give me an eternity with that dessert over a crown, I just might take up that offer.

Amen to that, Bob! :thumbsup2

Linda67 said:
Yay, you've got to the Joh lunch!
Oh how I wish I could have met up with you all
Nothing planned for this year Barb, looks like it will be 2016 before I am back at WDW
I am making up for it with a Disneyland trip in July though

No WDW trips planned this year??? :faint:

RunnerMommyof4 said:
Yummy another report with Liberty Tree Tavern. I can't wait to try it when we are there.

I hope you have a great meal there!

wilma-bride said:
Barb, you have no idea how surreal it was to rock up to LTT and see you sat there with my in-laws

Your post has reminded me just how much I love the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake, I will be sad not to get the chance to eat there this year And how good of Daniel to help you out with your dessert - not wanting to rain on your future reviews but I sense the start of a trend

We so enjoyed having lunch with you - keep working on that British accent though

I'm so glad that Daniel was willing to take the rest of the Ooey Gooey cake off my hands. I would have felt terrible if I had had to let it go to waste. Daniel, I think that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

kastoney said:
Another great dismeet and a perfect meal at LTT. How nice of you to show the brits what good ole American tavern food is like (sans the beer of course). Your cake pic has got me salivating. Seriously....salivating ; ) The ooey gooey cake has got to be one of the best desserts on property.

My next review will feature another one of the best desserts on property. Yep, two of the best in one day. It was a great day, a great day indeed! :cloud9:

DizzneyDi said:
I love LTT lunch, and I order the same thing you do, Barb. I'm generally not a huge salad fan. Though it's hard to find an actual salad bar these days, I definitely prefer them to plated salads because I want to pick my own ingredients and add as much dressing as I want. But I will always make an exception for the Colony salad. I don't know how they manage to coat every lettuce leaf with dressing and yet there is never a puddle of it in the bottom of the bowl! And the apples and nuts and craisins add so much to the taste. Absolutely divine!

On my last trip in late January, DS and I planned on lunch at CHH after our Haunted Mansion fastpass. To get there we passed LTT, and I happened to have my phone in my hand. Hmmm, there was a lunch ADR less than an hour out, plenty of time to take our ride and browse through the new HM store--sold! And of course I had my salad and DS had his Pilgrim's Feast and we shared the divine Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. Some traditions just HAVE to honored, right?

Absolutely! Oh, and congrats on scoring a spur of the moment ADR at LTT. It was meant to be! :thumbsup2

vettegirl said:
Wow that salad sure does look quite tasty!! I am dying to try the dessert there, one of these Disney Days.

Lori, you have not yet experienced the awesomeness that is the Ooey Gooey?? :eek:

You must get yourself to Liberty Tree Tavern ASAP!!

bonnielynn said:
I'm really enjoying your reviews... I can't wait to get down there and try some of the places that you have reviewed.

Glad you are enjoying my report. Thanks so much for reading! :goodvibes

jabead · Mar 30, 2015

My plans for dinner that night were to return to a signature restaurant which I had not been to in 2 1/2 years. My family's first two or three visits to Narcoossee's had been very good experiences. One of them, back in 2010, was among the best meals of that trip. But then my next three visits were while we were using the DeLuxe DDP. Trying to maximize the value of the plan, I made the mistake of ordering the most expensive entree on the menu, which was the Surf & Turf (filet mignon and lobster tail), and every time I was disappointed. So after three lackluster meals, it was time for Narcoossee's and I to take a break. I probably would have permanently severed our dining relationship except for one thing...Narcoossee's Almond-crusted Cheesecake. My love for this dessert ultimately drew me back to Narcoossee's and was the primary reason for this return visit. Would I regret my decision to give Narcoossee's another chance? Read on to find out.

I arrived at Narcoossee's by taking a boat from Magic Kingdom. The boat dock at the Grand Floridian resort is conveniently located right next to the restaurant. Unlike the resort's other restaurants, Narcoossee's can be found in a separate building down by the lake rather than in the resort's main building.

Once I checked in at the desk inside and received my pager, I found a bench seat outside on the porch since it was a beautiful night. When my pager went off I was seated at a four-top table by the window...

Here are the menus I was presented, starting with the Cocktail/Wine/Beer menu...

I wanted some wine that night but couldn't decide on just one so ordered one of their white wine flights...

Here is what I chose...

I had had the Conundrum several times previously, but the A to Z Riesling and Trinitas Moscato were both new for me. I enjoyed all three wines and would recommend the Unique White flight to any other white wine fans out there.

Then on to the food...

Though a couple of the appetizers sounded good, I wanted to save room for dessert so stuck with just the bread to start with...

This was a good sourdough along with butter with sea salt. Not quite in the same league as the onion rolls at Yachtsman, but a good start to the meal.

As for my entree, I chose the...

Key West Shrimp & Fettuccine - Wild White Shrimp, Savoy Spinach, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, and Lemon-Chardonnay-Garlic Cream Sauce

I had read a few less than stellar reviews of this dish, but I'm so glad I decided to ignore these and try this for myself because I thought it was delicious. One of the negative reviews commented that this entree tasted like a frozen dinner. I totally disagree with this assessment. The perfectly cooked shrimp in my entree were large and very fresh tasting, not like they had once been frozen. The pasta was also cooked perfectly and the sauce was surprisingly light for a cream sauce. I thought it perfectly complemented the shrimp and pasta. I had a similar entree at Hollywood Brown Derby on my last trip and really enjoyed it but I would have to say that the Narcoossee's one was even better.

Then it was time for the Electrical Water Pageant, but first I placed my order for dessert and coffee. For the purpose of ordering there was no need for me to look at the dessert menu, but I did take photos of it for my review...

Though I could see the water parade from my seat by the window, I went outside to get a better view and took a few (not so great) photos...

I always enjoy seeing this simple, yet classic Disney World parade.
It was almost time for the Magic Kingdom fireworks (I believe it was HalloWishes that night) to begin so I stayed outside on the porch to await their start.

I apologize, as again my photos are not good. But hopefully you can tell that Narcoossee's private porch (it's only to be used by the restaurant's patrons) provides an excellent view of Magic Kingdom and the fireworks. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the music from the fireworks show is piped in to the restaurant, inside and out. This is definitely a perk of dining at Narcoossee's around the scheduled time of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

Anyway, once the show was over I returned to my table where my dessert and coffee were waiting for me...

I forgot to ask if I could get just a regular cup of coffee, so what I ended up with was a pressed pot of their Joffrey's premium signature blend coffee. While this was good, for me it wasn't really worth the premium price of $6.29 per person. But even a $6+ cup of coffee could not put a damper on my enjoyment of this wonderful dessert...

Almond-crusted Cheesecake with Lambert Cherry Sauce

Oh my gosh, I had forgotten just how delicious this dessert was!! This could very well be my favorite Disney World dessert. The combination of the creamy, sweet cheesecake and the salty, crunchy almonds is perfect. Seeing my photos and thinking about this dessert is making my mouth water. It's also making me sad because Narcoossee's is not on the dining schedule for my upcoming trip. Unfortunately, I let my three kids choose the restaurants where we will be dining and even though I was campaigning for Narcoossee's, it did not make their cut. So unless I resort to bribery (which is possible ), I don't foresee this heavenly cheesecake in my near future. But...as God as my witness, I will not go without it for 2 1/2 years ever again!!

I left Narcoossee's that night quite full and very happy. This had been the best dinner of the trip so far, beating out Yachtsman, California Grill, and Artist Point. With upcoming dinners at Flying Fish Cafe, bluezoo, and Citricos, would Narcoossee's hold on to the #1 spot? Stay tuned to find out.

Next up: Breakfast at Trail's End

rteetz · Mar 30, 2015

I have never eaten at a Disney signature restaurant. Narcoosses looks fantastic. Not a huge shrimp person but it's doesn't look frozen. The electrical water pageant is one of those Disney gems that many people miss out on. I also love how Disney puts the music on in the restaurants with views of the magic kingdom.

starousse · Mar 30, 2015

That shrimp dish looks great.

pagek83 · Mar 30, 2015

That cheesecake looks amazing!! I may have to talk my DH into going to Narcoossees on our next trip!

RunnerMommyof4 · Mar 30, 2015

Can't wait to hear about Trails End since we are staying at Fort Wilderness.

wilma-bride · Mar 31, 2015

Barb, what a lovely dinner at Narcoossee's - I love cheesecake but detest almonds so that dessert would be a no-go for me. Shame as I always think it looks delicious.

dvc4life · Mar 31, 2015

Wow! What a delicious looking meal. Looks exactly like what I would order. We are going to be dining there in September for out anniversary. Sure hope they still have that shrimp dish then.

And the cheesecake, did you know you can stop in at the bar and order it to go? No kidding. I just read this on, if my memory serves me right, a TR from JerseyTinkerBell. So, if you are not going to be dining there you could always stop in and get one to go for later back at your resort!

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