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

[Tracerr00]

I'm so excited to see your amazing review of VN! My DD and I have an ADR here next week and I was a little nervous at first because she doesn't eat red sauces (yes, sadly that is lasagna, pizza, sloppy joes, etc) and I knew that there were a few pizzas without red sauce here and I was hoping they would be ok. That quattro formaggio pizza looks fantastic and it makes me happy to know we'll be having that! And we'll be having desserts of course. Yum!!

[glass half full]

As a newbie to DDP, I'm curious as to what type of breakfast you can get for a snack credit. Will you be including these in your reviews?

[jerseytinkerbell]

I feel the same way you do about Italian food and it's the reason why I tend to steer clear of all the Italian themed restaurants at WDW. I also have so much access to great Italian cuisine in my area and I feel like if I try VN or Mama Melrose or the like, I am just setting myself up for disappointment. However, your review just swayed me a little bit. If you enjoyed it I think I will too. Oh boy, add another one to the "list." My "list" is more like a novel now, but oh well, there's no such things as too much good food.

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Time to catch up - glad you loved Via Napoli! I really like the pizza there, and I thought the gelato frizzante dessert was a lot of fun!

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I'm behind reading reviews so I've got to comment about Chef Mickey's. It gets some negative review so it is good to see an honest and positive look at it. We haven't been there since the last time we were on the DDP since it is pricey, but we had the best time and thought the food was decent enough to go back for the experience.

I'm so glad your pizza loving family enjoyed VN. I need to go back and try something more exotic, but the pepperoni was so good I would have to force myself to try something new.

I know you were a little concerned about sharing meals and using dining credits. Glad it worked out for you at Kona.

Staying tuned for more...

[MainStreetFireman]

Originally Posted by jerseytinkerbell

I feel the same way you do about Italian food and it's the reason why I tend to steer clear of all the Italian themed restaurants at WDW. I also have so much access to great Italian cuisine in my area and I feel like if I try VN or Mama Melrose or the like, I am just setting myself up for disappointment. However, your review just swayed me a little bit. If you enjoyed it I think I will too. Oh boy, add another one to the "list." My "list" is more like a novel now, but oh well, there's no such things as too much good food.

Iloveeeyore accuses me of being an Italian food snob; but I just will not eat at a Sbarros, Olive Garden or Romano's. And, with such great pizza so plentiful in NY (and NJ), I wouldn't have gone here if it was just another pizza. This wasn't. It was a great experience that I would return to again.

If not on the DDP, Iloveeeyore and I could split the Frito Misto and a pie and be more than satisifed. There is some "discussion" about split desserts, but that's just because I have a real sweet tooth.

Speaking of Jersey pies, have you ever tried Maruca's tomato pies in Seaside Park? A different spin in their cheese mixture, they include cheddar. (That's why they call them "tomato pies" and not pizza...)

[sushi candy]

Amazing review. I am now determined to order that four cheese pizza. Your review makes me even more excited for my VN ADR!

[bangzoom6877]

Hi! I came over here to see your Via Napoli review, curious if you loved it too. That place really is amazing...and I don't say that about pizza outside of NYC...it was just so good! DH and I split the capricciosa when we were there and we thought it was outstanding...but may have to try a different variety next time we eat there! Everything you ordered looks terrific, and OMG how great and magical are those zeppole?!

[DebbyLof428]

Hi, I finally made it over to your food porn - Everything looks soooo good. The pineapple/macadamia nut pancakes are my favorite Disney breakfast. We haven't tried the pizza from VN because living in this area we're used to good pizza too and didn't want to be disappointed. (Colony Pizza in Stamford if you're in the area). We just might give it a try for lunch. Can't wait to read more.

[MrsB1228]

Mmm ... your review is making me look forward to our ADR at VN even more, we LOVE that place!

[smile4stamps]

What a wonderful review of Via Nappoli!

I'm still debating between there and Le Cellier... So far Via Nappoli is winning though! I have 50 days yet to decide!

[iloveeeyore]

Originally Posted by megan511

Wow Via Napoli looks amazing! Those desserts

My mom & I love burnt crust too.

Hopefully we will get to try dining there sometime soon.

Please put VN on your "must do" list! It IS amazing. I didn't expect too much from the desserts, but they really won us over!

Originally Posted by basketlacey

I am not hungry at all but my mouth is watering! First off, Kona breakfast looks amazing! I have a dinner ADR instead of breakfast but now I am tempted to switch! I have two other breakfasts booked though so I might just have to keep dreaming about the macadamia pineapple pancakes and pressed pot of Kona coffee!

And then Via Napoli! My favorite and a do not miss for us! I love the pizza and the ugly but good sundae!

Don't switch your dinner ADR at Kona, anyway. It is also fabulous for dinner. DH and I are kind of considering Kona as our new overall favorite restaurant in Disney. It is consistent and great for every meal!

Oh, Via Napoli!!! I want to be there now, too! Now MY mouth is watering, too!

Originally Posted by jmm476

Great review of VN! Everyone always talks about the zeppole dessert, but I thought that the frizzante looked amazing.

The frizzante was something very special and unique and definitely worth trying. I will be having it again for sure! Not to say that the zeppole aren't heavenly!

Originally Posted by auntfrannie

Your VN meal looks amazing! I had the Carciofi last year and it was just sooo good.

Next time try the Quattro Formaggio! It was even better than the Carciofi, if that can even be imagined! We think it was the provolone that made it so exquisite.

Originally Posted by Tracerr00

I'm so excited to see your amazing review of VN! My DD and I have an ADR here next week and I was a little nervous at first because she doesn't eat red sauces (yes, sadly that is lasagna, pizza, sloppy joes, etc) and I knew that there were a few pizzas without red sauce here and I was hoping they would be ok. That quattro formaggio pizza looks fantastic and it makes me happy to know we'll be having that! And we'll be having desserts of course. Yum!!

You and your DD will be in bliss! Ask for some marinara sauce on the side for yourself just so you can taste it! It is one of the best I have tasted, and I'd hate for you to miss it.

Originally Posted by glass half full

As a newbie to DDP, I'm curious as to what type of breakfast you can get for a snack credit. Will you be including these in your reviews?

I'm not sure if I have any pics of any of our breakfasts, I will found out as this report unfolds and I make my way through the pics and receipts. This was maybe our fifth trip using a dining plan, and we USUALLY make breakfasts out of snack credits, and USUALLY from the CS spot at our own resort (so we don't waste valuable morning park touring time). Items that we often choose are bagel with cream cheese, muffin (blueberry, corn, chocolate chip, bran), danish (cheese, apple, cherry), cinnamon roll, yogurt parfait (with berries and granola), whole fruit or fruit cup. I will try to at least make mention of our breakfast snacks in this report. And if you have any other specific questions about the dining plan, please feel free to ask.

Originally Posted by jerseytinkerbell

I feel the same way you do about Italian food and it's the reason why I tend to steer clear of all the Italian themed restaurants at WDW. I also have so much access to great Italian cuisine in my area and I feel like if I try VN or Mama Melrose or the like, I am just setting myself up for disappointment. However, your review just swayed me a little bit. If you enjoyed it I think I will too. Oh boy, add another one to the "list." My "list" is more like a novel now, but oh well, there's no such things as too much good food.

Oh, please, give VN a try. I doubt you will be disappointed! Our meal was absolutely wonderful! None of us can wait to go back!

Originally Posted by DonaldDoleWhip

Time to catch up - glad you loved Via Napoli! I really like the pizza there, and I thought the gelato frizzante dessert was a lot of fun!

Welcome back!! Yes, frizzante was so much fun! Amusing to the mouth! :

Originally Posted by Smiling Cheshire Cat

I'm behind reading reviews so I've got to comment about Chef Mickey's. It gets some negative review so it is good to see an honest and positive look at it. We haven't been there since the last time we were on the DDP since it is pricey, but we had the best time and thought the food was decent enough to go back for the experience.

I'm so glad your pizza loving family enjoyed VN. I need to go back and try something more exotic, but the pepperoni was so good I would have to force myself to try something new.

I know you were a little concerned about sharing meals and using dining credits. Glad it worked out for you at Kona.

Staying tuned for more...

Oh, I really wanted to try the pepperoni, too! I was so surprised when Hercules ordered the same think I was ordering, and I thought I'd make the switch at the last minute so we could all try the pepperoni! Oh, well, I know we will be back, and next time, we will hopefully taste the pepperoni!

Yes, the sharing thing worked out really well, not only at Kona, but at other places as well.

Thanks for staying tuned!

Originally Posted by MainStreetFireman

Iloveeeyore accuses me of being an Italian food snob; but I just will not eat at a Sbarros, Olive Garden or Romano's. And, with such great pizza so plentiful in NY (and NJ), I wouldn't have gone here if it was just another pizza. This wasn't. It was a great experience that I would return to again.

If not on the DDP, Iloveeeyore and I could split the Frito Misto and a pie and be more than satisifed. There is some "discussion" about split desserts, but that's just because I have a real sweet tooth.

Speaking of Jersey pies, have you ever tried Maruca's tomato pies in Seaside Park? A different spin in their cheese mixture, they include cheddar. (That's why they call them "tomato pies" and not pizza...)

Well, you ARE an Italian food snob, no? And as for desserts, we can split...two or three!

Originally Posted by sushi candy

Amazing review. I am now determined to order that four cheese pizza. Your review makes me even more excited for my VN ADR!

Oh, can I come on your trip so I can have some Via Napoli with you?! So jealous!

Originally Posted by bangzoom6877

Hi! I came over here to see your Via Napoli review, curious if you loved it too. That place really is amazing...and I don't say that about pizza outside of NYC...it was just so good! DH and I split the capricciosa when we were there and we thought it was outstanding...but may have to try a different variety next time we eat there! Everything you ordered looks terrific, and OMG how great and magical are those zeppole?!

OMG, we are shocked at how VN converted us! I need a ticker so I know when I will be EATING at VN again!

Originally Posted by DebbyLof428

Hi, I finally made it over to your food porn - Everything looks soooo good. The pineapple/macadamia nut pancakes are my favorite Disney breakfast. We haven't tried the pizza from VN because living in this area we're used to good pizza too and didn't want to be disappointed. (Colony Pizza in Stamford if you're in the area). We just might give it a try for lunch. Can't wait to read more.

Oh, yeah, go to VN for lunch! You might be as pleasantly shocked as we were! We live about 35 minutes from Stamford. We'll take a drive one day when I have a stretch off. We like the mall there, anyway, and haven't been in a while. Thanks for the tip!

Originally Posted by MrsB1228

Mmm ... your review is making me look forward to our ADR at VN even more, we LOVE that place!

Oh, yeah, lucky duck!!! I'm so envious!

Originally Posted by smile4stamps

What a wonderful review of Via Nappoli!

I'm still debating between there and Le Cellier... So far Via Nappoli is winning though! I have 50 days yet to decide!

Hopefully I can get my LC review up in the next 50 days...that might make it easier to decide...or not!

[iloveeeyore]

It was the night of our first full day in WDW, so you KNOW what that implies...Hoop Dee Doo Revue for dinner!!

This is our family's one and only legitimate MUST DOO every trip! It is such an important part of the Disney trip experience to us. We went without it once (2008), in the spirit of doing everything differently, but we really missed it and regretted our decision to skip it.

We have taken to booking the 9:30 show over the past few trips for a few reasons. We did it the first time in 2010 because we were using a TiW card and could only get Cat. 1 seating with a discount at the late show. So we gave it a try. We found the humor seemed a bit more "adult" and a little bit different from the earlier shows we had experienced. We also found it fit nicer into our schedule, without having to rush out of a park or from whatever we were occupied doing in order to get over to FW at an earlier time. This time, it worked out perfectly with our ridiculous DxDP dining schedule, having the 3 meals this day...there's no way we could have even thought of eating anything any earlier than 9:30, given our eating frenzy at the amazing, shocking and unbelievable Via Napoli at 2PM! (Oh, yeah, did I mention we enjoyed Via Napoli? )

Since we made our ADR's at the 180-day mark and booked Cat. 1, our table was perfectly located near the center of the stage, one row back. BTW, because of lower attendance at the late show (when it's showing at 9:30 anyway), almost everyone gets pretty much Cat. 1 seating, regardless of what they book. The 3 times we have gone to the late show, the balcony has been empty and so has about 1/3 of the floor.

This is what our table looked like when we were escorted to it (Eeyore was anxious to get in the photo):

We love the metal plates, the checkered linens, and the buckets of food. Before we even sat down, we were all set up with a bucket of salad, 2 loaves of corn bread, butter and a "menu." The meal is served family-style and is all-you-care-to-eat. The menu tells you what you will be served, it doesn't present multiple choices. Other foods are available if you have dietary restrictions, and it's recommended that you plan for this ahead of time.

Here is a close-up of the salad and the corn bread:

The salad is very good, it is dressed with a light viniagrette. The corn bread is delicious!!! To us, it is just the right amount of sweet, which is to say, not too much. I think a real southerner would say this is on the sweet side, but it's not as sweet as what we usually find in the north. Maybe a perfect compromise?!

My beverage:

My second sangria of the day! This is delicious (not as perfect as VN) and pretty potent...I was feeling it a little about half-way through. Our waiter offered me more, but I declined because I was so full and didn't want to overdo it. But I would have enjoyed another, and it would have been included!

I don't have pics of my family's drinks, but Aladdin got a Bud Light (which he declares perfect for the scenario), Hercules probably ordered a milk, and Belle probably chose ginger ale (neither of them here to confirm); whatever they ordered, their glasses were always full, guaranteed!

A bucket of fried chicken:

It was dry! This has been perfect on past experiences, but on this night it was very dry. I took a bite and couldn't finish it. If we had been starving, I would have asked our server for a different bucket, but there was plenty on the table to top off our still half-filled tummies!

A bucket of ribs:

These were perfect, fall-off-the-bone, finger-lickin' delicious, and to compensate for my disappointment over the chicken, I ate more than one...can't remember if I had 2 or 3, but I remember thinking it was too much! These are spare ribs, not baby backs, so they are big and meaty, and these were so tender! If you like ribs, there was nothing to complain about here!

Corn:

I didn't taste this. It looked like your typical canned corn. My family enjoyed it, since we rarely eat this at home. I think the last time we had corn in this form was HDDR 2011! Aladdin described this as "salty, sweet perfect HDDR corn."

Mashed potatoes and pork and beans:

The mashed potatoes are amazing. We asked for seconds of these and almost finished the second bowl! So rich and creamy! The beans were very good, if you like BBQ beans, and had huge chunks of pork in them.

Strawberry Shortcake:


So delicious! This is the perfect strawberry shortcake, no joke! We devoured the whole thing, even though we were really stuffed by this point. The cake is not sweet, the strawberries delicious, just the right amount of topping. I am a big strawberry shortcake fan, and this one always takes the cake!

The show was as terrific as always...great singing, piano and banjo, lots of laughs for us. It was corny and hokey, which is exactly what we expect and enjoy about it...the experience was all-around terrific. We didn't notice as many different, ad lib kind of jokes in this show, but it was still great, and we will definitely be back.

Again, rating this experience is difficult for us! It's a 5 for experience, but food-wise it wasn't perfect due to the dried-out chicken. Should we down-grade it for a piece of imperfect chicken? Nah! We have had perfect chicken in the past, and probably could have gotten another bucket that was perfect if we had asked. Anyway, we don't go to the HDDR for the chicken. We go for the show and the ambience. According to Belle, "if you're willing to let your hair down, slap your lap, play a washboard and hoot and holler, this is the perfect experience. If that's not "you," you're better off skipping this event. For us, HDDR rates an overall:



5/5!

The total cost of this event for 4 adults in Cat. 1 would have been $271.88 including tax, tip and unlimited beer, wine, sangria. We "paid" 8 TS credits.

[cantwaitvaca09]

Great review!!, kinda makes me what to change for MBYBBQ..

[DonaldDoleWhip]

HDDR always looks fun. We haven't done it in about 10 years, and I don't think we're going to rush back (since I definitely don't need an entire meal filled with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and strawberry shortcake ), but I'm glad to see it's still great as always.