A kid-oriented dining plan!

[apirateslife4us!]

Hi SadieG! My husband loved the vegetable breakfast lasagna and I didn't really like it He loves bell pepper and vegetables in general, and I love really cheesy things, so that probably explains it. This had layers of green pepper, red pepper, zuchinni, and some other veggies I think, plus only a little bit of cheese (it was white, maybe mozarella?). There was more in it, I'm not sure how it was layered with something that looked like crepes but anyway, he couldn't get enough of it, and served himself two heaping portions. As for me, one bite was enough to know that I would be sticking with my three cheese omelet and cheesy bacon potatoes!

Speaking of breakfast lasagna's, the one at Crystal Palace was really sweet, like a dessert and I loved it so much I went back for a huge (loved every bite) second helping, but Donald didn't care for it and had only one bite!

Hope this helps and thanks for reading my reviews!

 

[wilma-bride]

Wow, Chef Mickeys breakfast is definitely going to be on our list for April. My kids will love it Thanks for taking the time to do your reviews - are there any more to come

 

[turning40withMickey]

I am with you on the sweeter lasagne being a favorite. Your reviews are fabulous. Chef Mickey's is the only on property restaurant we have ever eaten, we are so excited to try them all on our trip in August. WE have picked most of the same places as you, with children in mind!

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Thanks guys!! I'm really trying to be helpful... the Dis boards are what made our trip so great and I want to pay it back (or forward?)

Turning40withMickey, yum yum on Pooh's breakfast lasagna! I'm wondering how it would turn out if I tried to find the recipe!

And yes wilma-bride I have a few more reviews up my sleeve! Casey's Corner is going up in a few minutes, and then I want to do one of Electric Umbrella and also the Pop Century food court tomorrow if I can. I'll wrap it up with a general good snacks, great snacks thing in my conclusion. You must be so excited about your April trip! I hope your kids have as good a time at Chef Mickey's as ours did! As much as we loved all our picks, Chef Mickey's was something special for the whole family

If anyone has any questions about the dining plan or anything at all just ask! I'm very happy to help

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Casey’s Corner (Magic Kingdom)
Dinner (6:30pm)

Food-
Kid Rating: * * * * *
Parent Rating: * * *

Atmosphere-
Kid Rating: * * *
Parent Rating: * * * *

Would we come back?
Kids: Sure!
Parents: Only for a snacky-type bite to eat, for anything more we’d want a counter services with more selection

Not a bad spot if you like a good hot dog! Just don’t expect more than a glorified hot dog stand. We love hot dogs and weren’t in the mood for anything heavy so it worked for us!

What we ate:
Tink: Almost half of a giant hot dog smothered in cheese sauce, a few cups of cheese with fries dipped in

Peter: A few bites of hot dog and lots of fries

Donald: Hot dog and fries, large Coke and brownie for dessert.

Me: What the kids didn’t eat from their hot dog and fries… with at least a pint of cheese sauce! A water bottle and a brownie.

Food Details
If you like hot dogs, the ¼ pound dog they serve here is good stuff! Tasty, with soft bread and that extra yummy flavor you get from a good juicy ball park hot dog, we all loved ours! But if you don’t like hot dogs then this is the worst place you could choose to eat because hot dogs is what’s on the menu! The condiment bar has all the trimmings, even a cheese sauce for any other cheese lovers out there (I was in heaven!). I shamelessly went back and loaded my tray with cups of cheese sauce and not a drop went to waste! Tink doesn't normally like fries, she would rather eat apple slices, but she adores cheese (wonder where she gets it?) and the fries became a vehicle for her need for cheese! So anyway, having stuffed ourselves at Chef Mickey’s earlier and eating a few snack credits here and there we were feeling hungry enough to eat but not starving, so we ordered two meals and didn’t need the third. We all shared the large soda and saved the water bottle for later. We also tucked away the brownies for a fireworks treat, and we did it without the kids' knowing that way they wouldn’t pine away for them through the whole meal. FYI, since there’s no kids’ menu, kids order off the adult menu if you’re on the DDP. The dining plan choices are either the ¼ pound hot dog or a rather small serving of corn dog nuggets, both with fries or a side of chili, a large drink, and either a brownie or a small bag of Cracker Jacks (the Cracker Jacks were only .99 cents, so if you have a craving it would come out cheaper to pay out of pocket for that). Our family happens to love hot dogs, so the limited choices were fine for us, but as a parent I knocked off a star for that. I also knocked off a star for the lack of healthy options. Apple slices instead of fries or something would be nice, so three stars total as a parent (but as an non-parent adult I would have given this place four stars for food so long as you like hot dogs, remember the three stars is as a parent). From the kids, one star knocked off for the limited menu, one star added for the cheese sauce and sinfully delicious chocolate brownie! Really, as far as fries and dogs go, these were great and our kids loved them, Tink was stuffed! So five stars from them!

Atmosphere Details
This was a fine little spot to eat with friendly CMs and a nice location right on Main Street. The lines were very, very quick and the condiment bar was well-stocked and easy to get to. The seating area is pretty small but there were plenty of chairs, and a lot of people were taking their dogs or fries with them instead of sitting to eat, so we were the only ones waiting for a table outside. One opened up almost right away. Donald checked the back and there was indoor seating, but he said it was crowded back there. When I took a peek I saw that it was not advisable with a stroller at all. I have to admit I was hoping to sit outside anyway! It was nice munching on our hot dogs and watching Main Street, it wouldn’t be a bad way to watch a parade if you could time it right. I enjoy Main Street, and sitting back watching the sun set on the Magic Kingdom, I felt like we were a part of a living postcard. As a parent, the crowded seating (especially if you have a stroller and want to sit inside) knocked out a star, but other than that it seemed quite nice so four stars. From the kids’ side, Tink liked seeing the castle from our table, but other than that it was pretty neutral to the kids… not great, not bad, just fine, so three stars (at least the chairs had backs!).

Other Details
We had wisely made a bathroom pit stop back in Adventureland’s mega-bathroom so no trips to the bathroom mid-meal (from what I saw, most counter services have cramped bathrooms, especially in the older Magic Kingdom establishments, so we made it a point to go ahead of time when we could).
On another note, knowing that Tink’s meal would be an adult meal was all the more reason for us to split two meals and see if we wanted a third. This system worked so well for us at counter services, and freed up the extra counter service we had each day for a couple of breakfasts and a sandwich meal we took “to go” for the plane on our last day. The heat seemed to slow down our digestion and we felt full enough after our counter services, especially getting to eat all our yummy snack credits, that unless your family tends to eat big portions or you guys feel a little extra hungry, it might be worth trying out (especially if you have younger kids that don’t eat a lot. With older kids this might not work out!).

The Final Word
Very yummy hot dogs! If you like hot dogs this is the place to be. Also, if you want a snack or if you’re not on the dining plan and want an inexpensive bite to eat this could work for you. I don’t know if we’ll make it back to Casey’s for a full counter service meal, but being that it was so quick and in such a central location I imagine us at least using a snack credit for some cheesy fries!

 

[wilma-bride]

Casey's sounds good for a quick stop

 

[thunderbird1]

Oooh! Cheese sauce at the condiment bar! I thought that had disappeared from all the CS restaurants, so it's good to hear you can still get it somewhere. And corn dog nuggets and chocolate brownies--my dd will be in heaven! The fries came with your meals? You didn't have to use snack credits for them? We just may have to stop in for a junk food fix!

Thanks again for the awesome reviews!

 

[orlosipher]

Thank you so much for the wonderful kid-oriented reviews! Will you be posting a TR as well?

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Thanks for your great reviews. It sounds like you really had a wonderful trip!

 

[carri5317]

I have a question, we have an early ADR at CP for a character breakfast, but after reading your review of chef mickey character breakfast, I'm not sure which to choose, CP would allow us early entry to the MK but I have a 10yr old boy who I think whould enjoy the characters much better at Chef Mickey's, Since you have been to both which would you choose? Thanks Anyone for your advice!

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Hi everyone, if anyone's still with me!! Apologies for being MIA so long, between Tink's preschool graduation and the fourth of July I had to put the internet away for a while!

carri5317 I'm so sorry about taking so long to reply, and I hope my response helps (though you've probably given up on me by now! ) This would definitely be a tough decision for me as well... we all enjoyed CP, but after going to both I can definitely say we enjoyed Chef Mickey's more. Early entry is a factor to consider, but if it were my kids I know that early entry wouldn't outweigh the characters and overall fun atmosphere at Chef Mickey's. Also, the characters were a bit slower to get around at CP, and there were only four versus the five at Chef Mickey's. We loved CP and I know we'll be back, but only as an extra, and not in place of Chef Mickey's. I don't have a ten year old but I imagine Pooh and Piglet aren't going to be as funny as Donald's hijinks were. Of course please just take my advice with a grain of salt, but if it were me I'd book the earliest Chef Mickey's and ride the monorail over for park opening, rather than CP even with early entrance. Honestly, don't feel bad whatever choice you make because you will have a wonderful time at either, we did! I can't imagine a "bad" choice at Disney World!

Okay, I'm putting up a review of Electric Umbrella in a few... thanks to any readers still out there!

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Electric Umbrella (Epcot: Future World)
Lunch (12:00pm)

Food-
Kid Rating: * * * * *
Parent Rating: * * * * *

Atmosphere-
Kid Rating: * * * *
Parent Rating: * * * * *

Would we come back?
Kids: Sure!
Parents: Yes!

This place was a nice little find on our last day of fun! And had I known how much yummier it was than the Pop Century food court for lunch, I would have used our very last meal credit here and tucked it away for the airplane!

What we ate:
Tink: One chicken strip, a few fries, soda

Peter: About half a chicken strip, lots of fries, soda

Donald: Half of a bacon double cheeseburger, the last two chicken strips, fries, soda

Me: Half a bacon double cheeseburger, fries, soda (saved the water bottle and both of the chocolate chip cookies for later)

Food Details
Yummy yum yum! Great food served here, everything was fresh and there was a little of everything! We hadn’t had a single burger on our whole trip, so we decided to split the bacon double cheeseburger (half of a double burger is a whole burger, no? LOL). We figured the kids could split the chicken strips and fries, and Donald could polish off anything they didn’t eat. For both meals we got the chocolate chip cookies for dessert, and each cookie pack had two cookies, so we saved those for later (and later on they were absolutely delicious, nice and soft!). We did one soda and one water bottle, and the one soda was great because this counter service has self-serve fountain drinks, and refilling is allowed, so we tucked away the water bottle for later on. Much to Donald’s delight, there was that delicious Disney honey mustard he loves! It’s so sweet and tasty I dunked more than a few of my own bites into it! The kids enjoyed their chicken strips, but since the portions were nice and big Tink just finished one strip and was all set. Peter filled up on fries, but I got him to eat about half a chicken strip without much hassle (they were good, I tried a bite!) Everything was great-great-great! And like I said there were PLENTY of different choices. The island chicken salad sounded good, and so did the turkey wrap (would have been a good choice for taking on the airplane). There was also chili and a roast beef sandwich… You could get coleslaw or a fruit cup instead of fries if you wanted, and I saw a lady ask for grapes instead of fries even though it was off the kids menu and the CMs had no problems with that at all! Okay, so for kids meal choices I know there was a kids’ version of the turkey wrap, mac and cheese, or chicken nuggets, plus grapes or carrots or… I want to say some sort of apple? (applesauce or slices, don’t remember). My kids really enjoyed the food they had, so five stars from them! As a parent, there were plenty of healthy choices for my kids, and there were both the old classics (nuggets/mac and cheeses) and the turkey sandwich thing, plus lots of sides to choose from, so five stars from a parent too!

Atmosphere Details
Ahh, air conditioned bliss! Epcot seemed really hot, especially Future World, so I was so happy to see a counter service that had PLENTY of indoor seating. As soon as we walked inside that full blast of AC was just heaven, and the place was spacious and clean, with a nice overall feel to it. Nothing was cramped or too close together, lots of stroller room, lots of seating and tables, lots of windows…just a great place to sit and enjoy a meal. The condiment area was easy to get to, and there were quite a few fountain drink serving places so it was never crowded or a pain to wait to refill. From the kids, since it was just a place to sit and eat I almost said it was neutral, so three stars, but then I remembered how sweaty they were at Flame Tree and Casey’s…I added a bonus star for being air conditioned, so four stars from the kids! As a parent, this was just what the doctor ordered: no hot whiny kids, no stroller issues, plenty of seats, easy to get to ketchup and drinks, quick lines, definitely five stars for any moms/dads/generously loving caregivers out there looking for a spot to eat together!

Other Details
We loved that there were refills on the fountain drinks, but if you find it annoying to have to get up and refill a lot keep in mind that the cups here aren’t as big as in other counter services. We didn’t mind at all, and Donald and I took turns refilling as we usually do at any fast food service at home, I just thought I’d point it out so you could decide whether to just order a second drink or not. We opted for the water bottle, which came in handy later.

The Final Word
Terrific! We’ll be back here for any Future World CS meals, but I'm curious about a few of the World Showcase counter service too!

 

[undertheseas]

Terrific reviews, thanks for taking the time to post them! I'm so glad your DD enjoyed the princesses so much, to me that's what makes Disney so special!

 

[wilma-bride]

We love Electric Umbrella

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Hey Wilma, you and I must have had our taste buds separated at birth! I see you'll be going to Disney in another month, where are you going to eat?!! *Sighhh* I can't wait to go back

Undertheseas, thank you! It's so hard to describe what it was like watching my little girl at the princess dinner, but it IS what Disney is all about. I get teary-eyed remembering it, and I'll never forget.

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Okay, I've had a chance to read through the rest of the posts...

Disnut1149 we had such a wonderful trip, thank you! I remembered before going thinking that it was going to be fun for the kids and a nice memory for us, but I never imagined how much fun Donald and I were going to have too!

Orlosipher I love writing these reviews, actually I'm thankful that anyone's out there reading them! As for a TR, yes! I can't wait to start, hee hee! Writing out the reviews brings me right back there, so I do want to have the full trip report to relive too!

Thunderbird1 Ahhh the cheese... you really know how to go after my heart! Yes, the fries were included in the meal, and for a junk food fix this would be my choice. Mmm, cheese sauce! But I'd do what other people were doing and just take it to go and continue walking while munching

 

[seetheworld]

Wow, your reviews are wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you SO much!

 

[goofy4themouse]

Your reviews have been right on. I look forward to reading more your your reviews.
One question....are kids and adult tickets separate on the DDP? Because it seemed like you used adult CS at Flame Tree, Casey's, and Electric Umbrella. I wasn't sure if they were separate on the tickets ie room key.

 

[DisneyJo]

Electric Umbrella is now on my list

 

[kimwim8]

Great reviews! Thanks so much for sharing!