10 Pounds Later - Our Delicious Deluxe Dining Review UPDATED 12/29 Raglan Road Dinner

[JacksMama]

We Three Foodies​

I can say with certainty that we are all major foodies! I own a cafe and all of our vacation meals are usually planned out before activities.

Despite all of the walking that was done, we each managed to gain TEN pounds on this trip. Thankfully most of it came off fairly quickly when we get back, but the DxDP really did a number on us. The portions were HUGE and by the end of the trip we were either skipping dessert or the appetizers - I know, a total travesty!

Without further adieu, allow me to introduce us:

I'm Mama, and I'm 34 years old. I'm a major dessert and cheese lover.

He is Daddy, 36 years old. Loves cocktails and the savory side of thing.

The tiny one is our own pirate in training, we'll call him Captain Jack. He is also a cheese and dessert lover. Takes after his mama!

 

[JacksMama]

Grading Scale​

I tried to come up with something clever for a grading scale, but my mind is still fried from Christmas. I'm gonna KISS and go with:

A = More, please! Can't get enough of this meal and would love seconds.

B= Content. No need for seconds, but enjoyable none the less.

C= Eh, I could have had half as much and been satisfied.

F= Nothing in between C and F, F= FOOD FAIL! How can I undo this waste of caloric intake?

 

[JacksMama]

Artist Point​

Rating: F, do not want. Only F of the trip

Sigh... This was our first meal of our trip and I had high hopes. We landed on a Thursday night at 6PM and we were right on time for a 9PM ressie. We stayed at the WL for this portion of the trip and after all of the great reviews we were so excited for this meal.

I'm not sure what was more underwhelming about this meal, the server or the food. Our server was unfriendly and we were there for 2 and a half hours. His other tables zoomed in and out, and he frequently disappeared for long periods of time and always hit our table last on the rotation. He was also condescending and spent ages with other guests at the restaurant and we felt ourselves to be an afterthought. The server one section over was fantastic which we could see just by his interaction with his tables. I think if we had gotten his section we would have had a different experience.

Now, onto the food!

First up I had the Salt Roasted Heirloom beets: truffled goat cheese, cider pached pink lady apples, spiced walnuts nd mulled wine vinaigrette. I fancy myself a beet aficionado as I went through a stage in my childhood where I attempted to subsist solely on beets (kidding, sort of). I'm hard pressed to find a beet salad I don't love. This one was over the top. While the mulled wine vinaigrette was a nice winter touch, there was just too much going on in this dish and nothing actually stood out. I was not a fan.

DH had the Dungeness Crab Salad - with Asian slaw and shaved radish. He enjoyed his, I didn't get much feedback on this one.

I ordered the pork tenderloin and 30 minutes after I ordered our server came out to tell me they had run out. Instead I ordered the Seared Diver Scallops - with blistered Heirloom Tomato risotto and herb pistou.

This may be the most overseasoned dish I have ever tasted in my life. Why didn't I send it back? We had already been there an hour and I was invested, dang it. I usually have no issue sending something back if I feel like there's something wrong with it, but DH and DS were content with their meals so I rode it out. The scallops tasted as if they had been brined and then rolled in a bowl of salt. DH is a massive scallop fan, took one bite and drank an entire glass of water.

DH ordered the Char-grilled Buffalo Striploin Steak - with marble potatoes, garden vegetables, and Shiraz Gastrique. His was actually quite lovely. The buffalo was cooked to rare and melt in your mouth. The presentation was lacking but the dish was actually quite lovely.

Captain Jack ordered the Mac and Cheese, definitely the best Mac and Cheese of the trip. I think it had Tilamook which gave it a nice tangy flavor. Sorry, no pix.

For dessert, I decided to pass. I know, me, the dessert lover! My first two attempts were a fail so I decided to stop while I was ahead.

DH ordered Artist Point Cobbler - Seasonal berries and housemade ice cream. It was full of juicy blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. The ice cream was so full of berries and was bursting with flavor. One of the better desserts we had on the trip.

Captain Jack ordered the Mickey puzzle. He ate the entire stack of white chocolate and it kept him occupied for quite a while which was great considering the length of our meal!

 

[nkereina]

Surprised at your review of Artist Point! Very interesting! I'll be anxious to read the rest of them!

Would you ever do DxDP again?? My BF and I did DxDP for the first time in September and also had something like 10 credits left over, and we also canceled about 4 ADRs last minute due to food overload. With the new cancellation policies in place, anyone else who shares our experiences will now have to go and stuff themselves or face the $10 cancellation policy

Regardless of the extreme amount of food and left over credits which probably means we lost money, I might try DxDP again. Now that I'm hip to everything, I could be more strategic about the ADRs and maybe come out ahead next time.

 

[JacksMama]

Surprised at your review of Artist Point! Very interesting! I'll be anxious to read the rest of them!

Would you ever do DxDP again?? My BF and I did DxDP for the first time in September and also had something like 10 credits left over, and we also canceled about 4 ADRs last minute due to food overload. With the new cancellation policies in place, anyone else who shares our experiences will now have to go and stuff themselves or face the $10 cancellation policy

Regardless of the extreme amount of food and left over credits which probably means we lost money, I might try DxDP again. Now that I'm hip to everything, I could be more strategic about the ADRs and maybe come out ahead next time.

I know, I am surprised too. I saw other tables having a much more positive experience so if I'm ever out that way again I'd give it another go.

I am not sure how I feel about doing the DxDP again. I have no idea if we saved money or not, we definitely overate because of it. I think that I'd probably plan out our meals first and then see if it would be a good idea. For our next trip, we plan on nixing nearly all of the morning character meals and probably doing more CS at lunch, but we love the idea of all signatures for dinner. It was our first time so we learned a LOT. Like you, now that I feel more informed I'd have to plan my ADRs before I decided on doing DxDP again.

 

[Pinkgirl]

ouch - not a good start (food wise - not review lol) I HATE bad service and OH has been known to hide under tables as I send food back!

Roll on Cinders table

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

We just ate at Artist Point our first time a few weeks back.

We started with the cheese trays & both had a steak.

The steaks were both cooked wrong. My DH's was rare instead of med well & mine about med instead of well done. I sent mine back & the waitress insisted on returning my DH's too. When they finally came back...his was great & mine still bloody...so back it went again. When it returned it was perfect & I must say awesome!

Meanwhile they gave us an extra cheesetray to eat. And the chef himself brought my steak out the 3rd time. They even gave us homemade truffle candies in a choc box.

We had the berry cobbler & it was great too.

However, it ended being a really long meal with the goof ups. But the service was awesome. We never complained & they were really nice about the problems.

We'll try Artist Point again as the steak was so good once I finally got it. However, I think I'd pass on ordering what you had!

 

[MickeyNicki]

While I really want to try AP I have cancelled it every single trip....it just doesnt wow me. I feel your pain about having your first meal of the trip be a lousy one, that has happened to us a few times and it puts me on edge for the other meals.

 

[kelleigh1]

I have to admit, I kept thinking "c'mon...where's the reviews." And then I kept repeating to myself, "it's the holidays - PATIENCE". LOL

We have AP on our list for 2012 trip. I was bummed to see you rated it so low. It won't make me change our plans, but I'll go in expecting the worst and hoping for the best. It does sound like the food wasn't terrible, which I guess is a good sign, and as you said yourself, had you been seated in a different section, your rating might have been better. It's a shame because Disney dining is not just about the food, but is highly influenced by the servers and the entertainment side of things too.

Looking forward to following along with more reviews. If AP was the worst, it can only get better from here.

 

[JacksMama]

ouch - not a good start (food wise - not review lol) I HATE bad service and OH has been known to hide under tables as I send food back!

Roll on Cinders table

Haha, I'm right there with you! Your OH sounds like my DH. Thanks for reading along with me!

 

[JacksMama]

We just ate at Artist Point our first time a few weeks back.

We started with the cheese trays & both had a steak.

The steaks were both cooked wrong. My DH's was rare instead of med well & mine about med instead of well done. I sent mine back & the waitress insisted on returning my DH's too. When they finally came back...his was great & mine still bloody...so back it went again. When it returned it was perfect & I must say awesome!

Meanwhile they gave us an extra cheesetray to eat. And the chef himself brought my steak out the 3rd time. They even gave us homemade truffle candies in a choc box.

We had the berry cobbler & it was great too.

However, it ended being a really long meal with the goof ups. But the service was awesome. We never complained & they were really nice about the problems.

We'll try Artist Point again as the steak was so good once I finally got it. However, I think I'd pass on ordering what you had!

It makes me happy to hear they worked so hard to make things right. Hearing your experience is what makes me know I'll give it another try one of these days. Cheese plates, yummmm.

 

[JacksMama]

While I really want to try AP I have cancelled it every single trip....it just doesnt wow me. I feel your pain about having your first meal of the trip be a lousy one, that has happened to us a few times and it puts me on edge for the other meals.

MN, I am such a fangirl of your dining reviews, I feel honored you are reading mine! You're so right, it was a stinky way to start things off but I did think to myself, it can only get better! Thanks for dropping by.

 

[JacksMama]

I have to admit, I kept thinking "c'mon...where's the reviews." And then I kept repeating to myself, "it's the holidays - PATIENCE". LOL

We have AP on our list for 2012 trip. I was bummed to see you rated it so low. It won't make me change our plans, but I'll go in expecting the worst and hoping for the best. It does sound like the food wasn't terrible, which I guess is a good sign, and as you said yourself, had you been seated in a different section, your rating might have been better. It's a shame because Disney dining is not just about the food, but is highly influenced by the servers and the entertainment side of things too.

Looking forward to following along with more reviews. If AP was the worst, it can only get better from here.

I was having serious guilt not getting this going sooner, so I'm happy to be back at it! I think there were so many factors in giving it such a low rating, I'd be willing to bet your visit will be so much better. Even my DH said he thought it deserved a C because he liked his food, just not the service. Thank you for reading along!

 

[JacksMama]

Cinderella's Royal Table​

Rating: A = More, please! Can't get enough of this meal and would love seconds!

We woke up bright and early and took the boat over for an 8:10AM ressie at CRT. Captain Jack isn't a huge princess fan, but he L-O-V-E-S castles and I knew I would be in big trouble if I didn't get him in here for a meal. The theming of the castle was wonderful and the service was fantastic. We never once felt rushed and even though we finished the meal before all of the princesses made the rounds, the server encouraged us to stay and we enjoyed our coffee and juice.

As we were on the DxDP I didn't really think about the price. I suppose it's true that it's just breakfast food, but it was hot, fresh, plentiful and you're paying for the experience. My son received a sword that he still plays with daily, and we plan on making this this first official meal of our trip in the World each time we return.

Now, on to the food!

Basically everyone gets the same side options, and then you can order your own main.

We began with a basket of mini muffins, cinnamon rolls and croissants, as well as a side of fruit, and juice. The mini chocolate croissants were so delicious! Highly recommend.

For my main I ordered the stuffed french toast. It was not nearly as sweet as I had heard, and after eating half of it I was stuffed! I think it would have been even better if I had gotten an additional side of raspberry sauce, but I was trying to control myself the first day. It was covered in a bit of chocolate ganache and powdered sugar. There was also quite a few fresh berries of which I ate all of them!

DH ordered the eggs, potatoes and bacon. He loved the eggs and the potatoes, but we found the bacon to be soft and low quality, as it was throughout Disney. He enjoyed his otherwise and finished his plate. Sadly, I have no photos of his.

Captain Jack had the french toast sticks, he ate quite a bit and we geared up for our day!

CRT was also one of the two places that recognized Captain Jack's birthday with a cupcake, which we really appreciated and started the day off with a bang. Seriously, who doesn't want cake for breakfast?

Belle was my favorite princess, so here is a parting pic from that meal!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Loving your reviews so far! Can't wait to read more!

I'm so glad you all enjoyed CRT. We ate there for lunch last year and it was probably my favorite meal of the trip. I've read so many negative reviews about CRT, so it's nice to read a positive one for a change.

 

[kelleigh1]

I have got to come back and take the time to read CRT since we plan on breakfast there. Need to run now to catch the train, but guess I'll have to get on the computer again when I get home tonight so I can read this one. Can't wait!!

 

[Linda67]

Looks like you had a wonderful time at CRT

What a wonderful way to start your day

 

[LoriJune]

Great reviews, anxious to read more!

 

[Tracerr00]

CRT breakfast looks wonderful! And that shot of Belle and Jack is the best - very cute!

 

[creativeamanda]

Joining in! May daughter and I are doing the DxDP in June and you did a lot we plan to do. We will have CRT for breakfast for the first time ever. I'm glad to see someone liked it--I see negative reviews of CRT all the time.