A Signature a Day Keeps Reality Away: A Sep '15 Dining Report - Updated 4/11 x2

[Elevationist]

These are so cute! I see Orange Bird!

These two items are both on my MUST EAT list. Maybe on this next trip!

 

[disneyAndi14]

We tried LeFou's brew for the first time in September and thought it was ok, not great but refreshing in the heat. We are going in April as well 4/3-4/10, it is my daughter's spring break, we are trying CBR for the first time. We stayed at Beach Club last April, we loved it. I walked over to Epcot every day, really liked that perk.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Don't adjust your eyes, the cinnamon roll is that big. Like the three of us shared it kinda big. It's not the yeasty roll I once loved at Main Street Bakery and has an unexpected maple flavor to it, but that aside it is delicious and the perfect morning sugary snack. They also serve it warm so the icing is nice and melted and you can get some with almost every bite.

They are definitely worth it! My wife and I shared one of these on our last trip and it was enough for a light lunch for both of us. Just FYI, if you like the icing, you can ask for extra

LeFou's is definitely a love it or hate it kind of thing as a lot of folks find this a bit too sweet, but I find it nice and refreshing.

I have been reluctant to try LeFou's brew because of the mixed reviews. But it's probably something to put on my list...

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Yay for staying at Poly! The room and the view look fabulous!

I am totally with you on that cinnamon roll at Gaston's. It's so ridiculously huge! I was unprepared. I enjoy LeFou's Brew as well. It's not what you'd expect, but it's tasty.

Glad they made things right with your MagicBand issues!

 

[momof3princes]

We bought 4 of the LeFou's brews the last time we were there. I figured the boys would love them! Nope, none of them liked them! That resulted in me trying to rush and drink one of them so we didn't waste all of them and I ended up with MAJOR brain freeze! Makes me not want one so much the next time! Love the cinnamon rolls!

 

[pumba]

great photos and reviews...thanks for posting it

 

[ariane37]

Hmm, I'm a bit concerned about that very MB issue on our trip this Friday. We have quite a few MB's and I have never de-activated any. I plan on declining for our Jan. trip since it's just DH and I and we have AP MB's anyway, but the kids wanted new ones for this trips so we all got them Maybe I should just de-activate a few before we leave......

Love those cinnamon rolls at Gaston's!

 

[jabead]

Hi Kari! I was very happy to read your positive review of California Grill. It's been my favorite WDW restaurant since 2010 but after my last dinner there my confidence in that statement is definitely wavering. So I'm glad to hear that you had a good experience. It gives me hope for next time!

 

[kastoney]

I'm de lurking to say...

I love your reports, I've subbed to them all, and...

Love that retro looking Poly shirt your hubby is wearing. Really cool!

Welcome from the land of the lurkers. I used to live there too, but eventually I just couldn't keep this big mouth of mine shut.

Thanks so much for following along in the past and now. Hope you're enjoying

Yeah, Jason loves his shirt too ; ) I think it was a limited edition earlier this year and when we knew we were staying at the poly he had to have one. He loves anything retro so combine that with Disney and he was in heaven.

These are so cute! I see Orange Bird!

Thanks. He worked really hard on them (he designed them all personally and then printed them) and was thrilled to hear the infamous Billie liked them. You'll see later in the trip Casey insisted on having Orange Bird too. She had no idea what it was, but love that she appreciated it anyway ; )

These two items are both on my MUST EAT list. Maybe on this next trip!

You can do it Billie ; )

We tried LeFou's brew for the first time in September and thought it was ok, not great but refreshing in the heat. We are going in April as well 4/3-4/10, it is my daughter's spring break, we are trying CBR for the first time. We stayed at Beach Club last April, we loved it. I walked over to Epcot every day, really liked that perk.

Yeah for April trips. This will be our first time that time of year so I'm interested to see what the crowds will be like. Jason is running the Star Wars Half Marathon, so that is what led us to the dates. So happy to hear you all loved Beach Club. We almost went with Swan/Dolphin which was a couple hundred dollars less but ultimately decided when in Disney we had to be at an actual Disney hotel.

They are definitely worth it! My wife and I shared one of these on our last trip and it was enough for a light lunch for both of us. Just FYI, if you like the icing, you can ask for extra

I had no idea on the extra icing. Thanks for the tip. Who among us wouldn't want more of that ; )

I have been reluctant to try LeFou's brew because of the mixed reviews. But it's probably something to put on my list...

For $5 bucks go for it and satisfy that curiosity. I was actually surprised when I enjoyed it.

Yay for staying at Poly! The room and the view look fabulous!

I am totally with you on that cinnamon roll at Gaston's. It's so ridiculously huge! I was unprepared. I enjoy LeFou's Brew as well. It's not what you'd expect, but it's tasty.

Glad they made things right with your MagicBand issues!

Thanks. Poly was definitely great. Even if it was just once, glad we got to experience it.

Agree there really is no way to prepare yourself for what you think LeFou's may taste like, but tasty it sure is

We bought 4 of the LeFou's brews the last time we were there. I figured the boys would love them! Nope, none of them liked them! That resulted in me trying to rush and drink one of them so we didn't waste all of them and I ended up with MAJOR brain freeze! Makes me not want one so much the next time! Love the cinnamon rolls!

Man, that sucks. Can't believe you tried to chug one down, can't even imagine. We usually share one just because its so sweet. I can't fathom having 4 of them ; )

great photos and reviews...thanks for posting it

Thanks so much!

Hmm, I'm a bit concerned about that very MB issue on our trip this Friday. We have quite a few MB's and I have never de-activated any. I plan on declining for our Jan. trip since it's just DH and I and we have AP MB's anyway, but the kids wanted new ones for this trips so we all got them Maybe I should just de-activate a few before we leave......

Love those cinnamon rolls at Gaston's!

I'd definitely suggest deactivating those you know you won't have with you. just to be on the safe side I think we had something ridiculous like 12 each. Now we're down to a much more manageable 6 and I definitely intend on defining any future ones.

Hi Kari! I was very happy to read your positive review of California Grill. It's been my favorite WDW restaurant since 2010 but after my last dinner there my confidence in that statement is definitely wavering. So I'm glad to hear that you had a good experience. It gives me hope for next time!

Hi Barb!!!!! I'm with you a bit, California Grill doesn't quite seem to be what it once was but our oyster dish alone makes me think they still have some originality in them. If they keep doing more of this, "hopefully" you won't need any hope next time.

 

[Xclusive2WDW]

Hello I'm here, finally caught up on your other DR's and I look forward to this one! I love Signatures so this should be fun

 

[Saphire5742]

Nice Magic Bands. Glad you got that all sorted out.

I do love me some cinnamon rolls, but that looks too big just for me.

LeFou's brew on the other hand is something I have got to try. Apple juice is my ultimate favorite fruit drink.

 

[Vernie822]

Awww, how sweet! I just love her dress. Very appropriate for the Polynesian stay.

Ace Joker Hard Cider. This tasted like a mix of champagne and cider to me. At first it was a bit too bubbly for my liking, but it softened over time and paired really nicely with the oysters.

This sounds awesome!

This is of course a Filet Mignon and is served with Midwestern Sweet Corn Risotto, Grilled Corn Relish, Green Onion Oil, and Popcorn Shoots. I was a bit surprised by Jason's selection as he is a ribeye kind of guy but apparently he was lured by the sweet corn risotto. His steak was tender and cooked a perfect medium rare,. As for the alluring risotto, it was sweet and decadently creamy and the clear star of his plate. While he missed all that good gristle and fat he loves in a steak, he was very pleased with his selection.

Every time I see this entree, I think it looks delicious. Sounds like a winner.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi Kari,

I just found your trip report. I'm glad that I haven't missed too much.

We had problems at check in for one of our trips when they tried to charge my expired credit card. Even though I had put the new card on my profile, they found the old one. So down to the desk I went, but it was fixed easily because I had the new card with me.

We like Sunshine Seasons, too. It has something for everyone.

Thankfully our room was ready when we got back and despite having a standard room and requesting just to be away from the construction and a top floor, we were thrilled to find ourselves on the 3rd floor of the Samoan longhouse with this as our view.

Your view is gorgeous. I'm not a big fan of the Poly but it does have great views.

I have no idea who Farmer Lee is or where I can find him, but I'm sure he got a menu mention because his tomatoes are out of this world. This had not only amazingly fresh heirloom tomatoes, but also tomato chips and a divine tomato jam on top of buffalo mozzarella with a charred onion vinaigrette.

Our waiter at La Trattoria al Forna told us that they have a farmer who grows heirloom tomatoes for the WDW restaurants. They are delicious. Maybe that is who Farmer Lee is.

You'll see later how we use them, but here is a look at some of Jason's handy work so you can understand my "plight"

The bands are really cute. Did he only decorate one set of bands each?

We had problems with our MB's in April. The CM told us we had too many bands. So for the next trip I deactivated all of the bands that we left at home, and we didn't have any problems. They really need to warn people about this problem.

 

[Leshaface]

'd been able to score a reservation for Cali a few nights before we left when I realized we'd be too tired to venture too far for dinner. A quick monorail ride away, California Grill seemed a great choice!

Glad to hear you were able to score this last second! For the first time ever, this is probably going to happen with us this trip. We only nailed down one ADR, Yachtsman cause I want to make SURE I got this. I haven't eaten one steak since being pregnant and I fully intend on getting my Medium Rib Eye in January.

his is wood grilled oysters with a roasted bone marrow emulsion and baguette croutons. First and foremost the oysters were fresh and amazing. Grilling them kept their tenderness and briny quality like they were still raw, but also added an element of smokiness that worked really well. And the bone marrow emulsion brought a richness to the entire dish that really complimented the delicate oysters. My only complaint was there wasn't enough bone marrow on the plate for me ; ) #NoMarrowMoProblems

This sounds amazing and your hashtag is perfection!

Ace Joker Hard Cider. This tasted like a mix of champagne and cider to me. At first it was a bit too bubbly for my liking, but it softened over time and paired really nicely with the oysters.

I was a little surprised at your beverage order! You are definitely a well-rounded drinker

Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Flatbread and Farmer Lee's Tomato Salad to share.

And these dishes surprised me too!

While I tried to get her to stop at first, a quick look at the woman behind us wearing almost non existent jean shorts and a barely there crop top, made me less conscious of any sort of behavior we may have exhibited ; )

Yikes! Isn't there a dress code??

tables in wonderland card we saved $37.40.

I don't know if you've said or not, but do you find this to be a fairly good savings overall? And it's mainly for Table Service right? Cause we could use this for TS and then use our DVC for everything else...but then I was thinking, I know you get 20% off alcohol as well so not sure if it would be a big savings for us this trip??

finally a very nice cast member named Warren took pity on my plight and not only got all the bands working, but threw in some pixie dust and gave me 3 "magic" fast passes that I could use at MK, MGM, and Ep-A-Cot respectively

Woo hoo!

Not only was I extremely grateful and probably a bit too prolific in my thank yous (which may or may not have been the beer/wine talking)

Oh yeah, gotta fight for those babies!

Don't adjust your eyes, the cinnamon roll is that big

I can vouch for that!

She is so adorable.

Now of course I'd prefer it be an actual real brew, but in MK this is as close as I'm gonna get.

 

[kastoney]

Hello I'm here, finally caught up on your other DR's and I look forward to this one! I love Signatures so this should be fun

Welcome to the party and thank for reading the other reports. Only one signature down and lots more to go ; )

Nice Magic Bands. Glad you got that all sorted out.

I do love me some cinnamon rolls, but that looks too big just for me.

LeFou's brew on the other hand is something I have got to try. Apple juice is my ultimate favorite fruit drink.

Thanks. Jason worked hard on the bands so it would have sucked to not have them operational.

The roll is definitely too big for one person in my opinion, but no reason not to just eat part of it ; ) And if you love apple juice LeFou's should be right up your alley.

Awww, how sweet! I just love her dress. Very appropriate for the Polynesian stay.

Thanks she'll love the compliment. Each summer she has one dress that she absolutely loves and this was our summer 2015 one. Perfect for the Poly and the other 99 times she wore it ; )

We had problems at check in for one of our trips when they tried to charge my expired credit card. Even though I had put the new card on my profile, they found the old one. So down to the desk I went, but it was fixed easily because I had the new card with me.

For whatever reason when I started having issues they confirmed the card number, but didn't look at the expiration date. If he had done that we would have been fine and not wasted so much time.

Your view is gorgeous. I'm not a big fan of the Poly but it does have great views.

The view was great, but the pool noise a bit too much for my liking. Overall we loved Poly, but primarily for the monorail and dole whips anytime we wanted ; ) It's a great resort, but not our beloved Wildnerness Lodge.

Our waiter at La Trattoria al Forna told us that they have a farmer who grows heirloom tomatoes for the WDW restaurants. They are delicious. Maybe that is who Farmer Lee is.

The bands are really cute. Did he only decorate one set of bands each?

We had problems with our MB's in April. The CM told us we had too many bands. So for the next trip I deactivated all of the bands that we left at home, and we didn't have any problems. They really need to warn people about this problem.

We each had 5 sets I think. I'll post more pictures as we go along.

I completely agree on warning people on the bands. When we discovered the issue at check in, it was like the cast member was eluding to it being my fault. Not sure how my ESP was supposed to tell me that one ; )

Glad to hear you were able to score this last second! For the first time ever, this is probably going to happen with us this trip. We only nailed down one ADR, Yachtsman cause I want to make SURE I got this. I haven't eaten one steak since being pregnant and I fully intend on getting my Medium Rib Eye in January.

I'm sure your steak will be well worth it. Think we may go back to Yachtsman next trip. After it being so perfect the first time I'm almost afraid to go back ; )

As you've seen with me, there are lots of last minute options open, especially at a lot of the signature places, so just go where those pregnancy cravings take you ; )

I was a little surprised at your beverage order! You are definitely a well-rounded drinker

I surprise myself sometimes ; ) I'm largely a wine and miller lite kinda girl but I can throw a curve ball in there every once in a while.

And these dishes surprised me too!

You and me both. They only dish that really jumped at me was their scallops, but I knew I wanted to save those for Flying Fish later in the trip. Turns out that was a bad idea because as I'll explain later, Flying Fish didn't happen. No worries though, that salad was well worth it!

I don't know if you've said or not, but do you find this to be a fairly good savings overall? And it's mainly for Table Service right? Cause we could use this for TS and then use our DVC for everything else...but then I was thinking, I know you get 20% off alcohol as well so not sure if it would be a big savings for us this trip??

I really do think its a great savings. It's good for most table services and as you said is 20% off vice the 10% DVC/annual pass discount. I believe the break even point is spending $500 in food so you'll need to figure out if that is in your range at all. Of course with you being on the pregnancy lam the math may not work out this time around

She is so adorable.

 

[kastoney]

A Bowl Full of Cherries Helps the Milkshake Go Down

After our photo shoot from Gaston's we met up with a blonde chic with some serious hair posing for pictures in what once was Snow White's scary domain.

Before we used one of our magical fast passes for a ride on Snow White's new gig

And kept the princess theme going with a visit to a princess who was decidedly overdressed for her Dad's cottage

Neither Jason nor I wanted any part of Belle's enchanted tale, but unfortunately for him Jason's apathetic look landed him the roll of the wardrobe, which came complete with him being asked to sing for everyone. Of course being the ham that he is, he milked his fabled roll for all it was worth ; )

After lots of princess time we were off to lunch at one of our favorite MK places: The Plaza. On the way we stopped for some castle pics. Unfortunately Casey wasn't feeling it, but fortunately that meant that Jason and I got some rare alone pics.


We were seated quickly at The Plaza and it wasn't too long before these little beauties were on our table.



Jason ordered the vanilla shake (how terribly boring says his vanilla hating wife) and Casey and I were much more original in ordering the chocolate ; ) As usual these were thick and delicious and hit the proverbial spot. Witness the milkshake joy.


For those with discerning eyes, you may notice Jason's shake seems to be missing the cherry, because some little cherry lifter may have removed it before he even had a chance at it. Our wonderful waitress caught onto this and brought Casey her on bowl. Life is just a bowl of cherries (feel free to sing along).....


Unfortunately milkshakes alone do not a meal make, so for his entree Jason went with the Vegetarian Sandwich

This is Fresh Mozzarella, Hummus, Basil Pesto, Cucumber, Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato, and Lettuce on Freshly Baked Focaccia with a side of French Fries. I'm not a big red pepper fan so this wasn't my favorite, but Jason liked it. His only complain was there wasn't enough pesto on it.

For my entree's, I started with a cup of their tomato bisque

I ordered this on the recommendation of @GoofySon'sMom and boy was she right. This was creamy and delicious with a mild tomato flavor and the croutons added some great texture. It was probably one of the best tomato soups I've ever had and will be on my must order list from now on ; ) Thanks Vickie!

I really wanted a grilled cheese to go with this, but unfortunately there isn't one on the Plaza menu. Instead I ordered the Plaza Club for Casey and I to share

This is Smoked Ham, Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayonnaise layered on Sourdough Bread with a side of French Fries. This was a solid club, but nothing spectacular. It was a little on the dry side and could have used a bit more mayo. Casey however declared it the best turkey in the world ; ) I think next time I'll go back to my beloved Reuben instead.

Overall we had another great meal at The Plaza. The service was fast and friendly, food good, milkshakes superb, and most importantly the price is barely more than a quick service. With our tables in wonderland card we saved $7.89,

After lunch Casey insisted on shopping (she is so not my child some days) so we browsed the main street shops for a while before she settled on a tinkerbell doll. My brilliant hubby also cut her a deal that if she bought something today she wasn't allowed to buy anything else the rest of the trip. Sadly for her, but wonderful for my wallet, she took the deal ; )

On the way out we saw Sleeping Beauty had a short line so we had to stop. This ended up being one of the best character interactions of the trip, as Casey and Aurora had a long chat about dancing and maleficent.


Up next another signature, but this time with disastrous results.​

 

[Saphire5742]

Neither Jason nor I wanted any part of Belle's enchanted tale, but unfortunately for him Jason's apathetic look landed him the roll of the wardrobe, which came complete with him being asked to sing for everyone. Of course being the ham that he is, he milked his fabled roll for all it was worth ; )

What, no video?

On the way we stopped for some castle pics. Unfortunately Casey wasn't feeling it, but fortunately that meant that Jason and I got some rare alone pics.

What a treat. Nice pic

For those with discerning eyes, you may notice Jason's shake seems to be missing the cherry, because some little cherry lifter may have removed it before he even had a chance at it. Our wonderful waitress caught onto this and brought Casey her on bowl. Life is just a bowl of cherries (feel free to sing along).....

No discerning eyes here, but that's probably because I don't like those cherries.
Casey sure is quick!
That is a wonderful waitress. Casey must have been overjoyed.

Up next another signature, but this time with disastrous results

Oh no! Hopefully this was the only one with disastrous results

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Those milkshakes look so good, even the vanilla (I may have also ran 9.5 miles today so everything super calorie ladened looks so good to me)

One of these day's we will get to the Plaza - we haven't been there in years as we always end up going somewhere else.

Your waitress seemed she was on top of it to give her all those cherries!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Vanilla milkshakes are really good.

 

[disneyAndi14]

We are trying The Plaza for the first time in April, the soup looks really good and tomato basil is one of my faves, I'm sure milkshake will be on the agenda as well. Would you recommend the Reuben? I love a good reuben.