ADRs? Yes We Made Stinking ADRs - A June '15 Dining Report - Updated 10/10: Sassagoula & Wrap-up

[kastoney]

Oh YAY!! I'm so happy you liked the collards! Growing up in the deep South, I have a love for all things collards, all things bacon, and all things Tabasco (or Crystal at times, too). Love love them!

And Gin? Oh boy gin. It's my most favorite adult beverage but drinking it makes me either want to fight or get naked ... and the line is a fine one. My poor husband.

Speaking of ... I know a man who owns a restaurant that serves kickarse jalapeno pimento cheese as an appetizer

Thanks again for the collards hook up. Having grown up south adjacent, I never got them too much but when I did I loved them!

LMAO on you and gin. Thankfully the gin didn't have the effect it has on you on me or everyone at Boatwrights would have been in for an eye-full.

Mmm, jalapeno cheese app. Your gonna have to remind me which place your hubby owns downtown. May be worth a trip ; )

Joining in! We love food and our next trip will be the first time to have a trip filled with ADRs!

Thanks for journeying along and eating and drinking with me ; )

Hi Kari I commented on your Feb. dining report pretty early into it and then.......I kinda disappeared But, I just went through and read the whole thing, I'm here now, and I'm going to be a good Dis'er (although sometimes it's good to be bad )and stay with it b/c I really really enjoyed your previous one

We did Boatwrights in Feb. of last year while staying at POFQ. Last minute decision and we were pleasantly surprised. Can't remember what anyone else had, I had steak-maybe a filet? but it was delicious! Would definitely return there if we're ever staying at FQ again but I don't think we'd make a special trip over otherwise. We were just a walk-up and it was a few nights before Presidents Day. Thinking it's probably a place you can get a walk up most times of year, with some fairly obvious exceptions.

PS really love and appreciate your sense of humor and sarcasm (and I sincerely mean that)!!

Hi Ariane So glad you liked the last report. And even if you can't always keep up with this one it is indeed good to be bad.

Glad you all enjoyed Boatwrights too. I wasn't sure if our good meal was a fluke or if they really are consistent.

Thanks on the sarcasm comment. I really enjoy it too ; ) Jason not always so much ; (

Abita Beer is THE way to go!! I live in Southeast Louisiana so Abita is the go to beer!! During the spring they come out with Strawberry Harvest Lager. That and some crawfish....I can't say anymore!

Love the review on "Boaties". The chicken and waffles looked yum. We stayed at Riverside in 2013, but didn't get to dine there. Always next time!

Ah, so Abita isn't a novelty for you lucky duck. We have a cajun restaurant not too far from us that serves it, so that is usually how I get my Abita fix. Though I've neve reven heard of the strawberry one. Sounds delish! Unfortunately the crawfish are a little harder to come by.

Well that sounds dangerous

Sounds like it could be dangerous for lots of us

 

[kastoney]

Following!! I also caved in and made ADRs for our next trip.

Hopefully you got some good ones

Funny how that happens. I wonder if all this obsessing about menus and food before the trip is making our expectations higher lol...but you know, you need to know what to expect!!

I usually try and avoid menus right before the trip so I'm surprised when I get there, but this one I knew I was getting. My expectations were definitely high, but I think expecting to see a pimento in something claiming to be pimento cheese was a pretty low bar ; )

Odd...but I think I want to try it!

Yeah it was strange, but good

I sure hope you mean Tabasco lol...I'm sure you're kidding because you did it a few times...must be a Casey'ism..right? I must have missed that in another report lol

No I clearly meant tobacco. Don't you put that on your food ; ) Adds a nice smokey flavor and some crunch to just about anything.

Following along. We've stayed at POR twice now and we still have never eaten at Boatwright's. I'll be hitting it up for sure next time we stay there.

Definitely give it a whirl, especially if you're right there.

I think this is very clever...I was telling my husband about it and he asked why I've never taken him to disney when he says he wants a ribeye! You sure do set the bar high for the rest of us mere mortals!

I set a high bar, that even I won't ever pass again ; ) Sorry Jason it all goes down hill from here

You mean it is not every father's dream to hang out at Chuck E Cheese, but I love Casey's plan and that she was in on it!

Jason took Casey to Chuck E Cheese the first time we ever went and swore he'd never go back again. So yours truly gets that distinct honor. So dream maybe not so much, nightmare now that is definitely in the realm

She is a treadsetter with all her little names for things, so cute.

Most of them are just the wrong names for things and we don't correct her, but Boaties was all her

No wiser words were ever said. She is very straight forward in her descriptions of food!

She did give dinner last night a thumbs up, so maybe there is hope for her yet

Love this! And loving your report so far...

Thanks so much Tammy!

You've come over to the dark side of ADR making!! I can't wait to read - I always love your reports. We are going in September and no ADR's because we are doing QS, but I'm excited to try new places.

Yes, the dark side and I are new at least acquainted with each other. We're still not sure its a good match, but we're still feeling each other out ; )

When are you all going in September? We'll be there the 5th-14th and have a handful of ADRs made (mostly lunches) but not too many

 

[kastoney]

After 16 hours in Orlando, we were finally heading to a PARK!!!!! We were out the door around 8:30 and were walking through the gates of MK right before 9. I had no idea POFQ was so close to MK (and really every other park too) so this was an unexpected surprise. Even better, we walked and in and saw this beautiful sight...


Now I know the castle is beautiful for everyone, but this was the first time we were seeing it without that god awful CRANE!!!! Now I get it takes time to put Christmas decorations up, but for people who normally travel in September and February - neither of which are close to Xmas by the way - we have seen that crane each and every trip. So much so that this was the first time Casey had seen the castle without it. I think she thought Cinderella was permanently doing construction on her house ; )

In the park so early and having a few hours before our first ADR we killed some time by swimming under the sea, chilling in the grotto with a chick with a thing for forks, and hanging out in the library with a candlestick and a princess


And meeting a mouse and a duck dressed as gypsies (what kind of place is this BTW)




And braving the death defying ride through the sky on an ample eared elephant


Before of course posing with your child's hair piece




We then headed over to the teacups for a quick whirl and as we were walking up to the end of the line saw a family climb over the gate, with a stroller in tow, saying they didn't want to walk to the entrance. Yes that would be the whole 30 feet or so from where they were to the entrance. Not surprisingly when we got to the next cast member they were told they couldn't bring the stroller in and this turned into a big brouhaha as they claimed they were allowed to enter with it. We proceeded to have to wait for one of them to leave the line to put the stroller away and then come back before we moved again. #WhyDoesBadBehaviorStillSurpriseMe


We had fun though

After that we split up so I could get a new Tables in Wonderland Card and Jason and Casey could take a spin around the race track.

We met back up at one of our lunchtime favorites: Liberty Tree Tavern and Jason stayed outside to put some more sunscreen on Casey while I checked us in. I mention this because the bouncer at the door didn't want to let me in because my whole party wasn't there. I explained they were right outside and was begrudgingly let in. As I waited to check in the bouncer approached me again and wondered why my family hadn't joined me yet and indicated if they didn't come soon I wouldn't be allowed to complete check in. About a minute later she tried the same thing with Jason holding him up at the door questioning if his whole party was there. #SomeoneTakesTheirJobTooSeriously

Eventually we were allowed to be seated and were taken to an empty dining room.


Our server (Caitlyn, who was fabulous by the way) quickly brought some water and took our orders, while Casey busied herself with some coloring


For our entree's Jason elected to get the Liberty Boys BLT, which I hadn't recalled seeing on the menu last time

This is Slow-roasted Pork Belly, fresh Greens, and Tomatoes on House-made Bread with Caramelized Shallots and Mushroom-Mayonnaise Spread. And yes, it was as good as it sounds. The pork was nice and tender, with very little fat, and my beloved arugula added a nice crunch. His only complaints were you really couldn't taste the mushrooms in the mayo (which was a good thing in my book since I despise those little buggars) and they used diced tomatoes, so you didn't get one with each bite. The fries were good and hot, just needed a bit of salt. Overall this was a great twist on a BLT and both of us would order it again.

Casey and I were sharing the Colony Salad with Seared Salmon, which they brought split between the two of us.

This is my half of the salad portion. I would have preferred they didn't actually split it, because no chance my child was eating all of that, but I just stole from her plate so it worked out fine. For those unfamiliar the Colony Salad is Washington Apples, Sweet Pecans, Applewood-smoked Cheddar, and Craisins tossed with Field Greens in a Honey-Shallot Vinaigrette. Overall the flavor of the salad was good, but it claimed to have field greens - which is usually a spring mix - and this was mostly iceberg lettuce, which I'm not a fan of. Despite this the apples brought some good sweetness and the craisins added a bit of tartness and went nicely with the salad dressing. The cheddar cheese was fine, but some blue cheese would have paired much nicer.

As for the salmon, here is a pic

I was very surprised at how good the salmon was. It was a cooked a bit too much for my liking, but it had an excellent lemon flavor and was nice and moist. The lemon aioli it came with was delicious too and really put it over the top.

Those who have been to LTT, know that dessert isn't even an option here. You are obligated by law to order the most wonderful dessert in all of the world. Seriously, the bouncer at the door will arrest you and put you in disney jail if you don't order it. So without further adieu, here is the soon to be famous Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake in all her wondrous glory.

This is Vanilla Cake with a Gooey Toffee Filling, Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream. Better said, this is PERFECTION! Warm cake, sticky caramel sauce, pieces of toffee, and then some ice cream. Words can't do its deliciousness justice, but here are two very satisfied customers.


I'm glad we got to Liberty Tree before it closed for refurbishment and will miss it on our next trip. It's a great spot to grab a quality lunch and get out of the craziness of the park for a while. And did I mention the dessert is really good too ; )

With our newly acquired Tables in Wonderland card we saved $7.89

Up next Jason finally gets that Ribeye!

​

 

[DisneyJo]

Your meal looks delicious and I'm s pleased you made it past the bouncer

 

[cinderkelly]

We then headed over to the teacups for a quick whirl and as we were walking up to the end of the line saw a family climb over the gate, with a stroller in tow, saying they didn't want to walk to the entrance. Yes that would be the whole 30 feet or so from where they were to the entrance. Not surprisingly when we got to the next cast member they were told they couldn't bring the stroller in and this turned into a big brouhaha as they claimed they were allowed to enter with it. We proceeded to have to wait for one of them to leave the line to put the

Seriously people????? I love it how some people try to BS their way through things like that....oy

Now I know the castle is beautiful for everyone, but this was the first time we were seeing it without that god awful CRANE!!!! N

What a beautiful sight!

I explained they were right outside and was begrudgingly let in. As I waited to check in the bouncer approached me again and wondered why my family hadn't joined me yet and indicated if they didn't come soon I wouldn't be allowed to complete check in. About a minute later she tried the same thing with Jason holding him up at the door questioning if his whole party was there.

All that hullabaloo for an empty dining room?

This is Slow-roasted Pork Belly, fresh Greens, and Tomatoes on House-made Bread with Caramelized Shallots and Mushroom-Mayonnaise Spread. And yes, it was as good as it sounds. The pork was nice and tender, with very little fat, and my beloved arugula added a nice crunch. His only complaints were you really couldn't taste the mushrooms in the mayo (which was a good thing in my book since I despise those little buggars) and they used diced tomatoes, so you didn't get one with each bite. The fries were good and hot, just needed a bit of salt. Overall this was a great twist on a BLT and both of us would order it again.

That looks delish!

This is Vanilla Cake with a Gooey Toffee Filling, Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream. Better said, this is PERFECTION! Warm cake, sticky caramel sauce, pieces of toffee, and then some ice cream. Words can't do its deliciousness justice, but here are two very satisfied customers.

Oh my! I think I just drooled a little bit

I'm glad we got to Liberty Tree before it closed for refurbishment and will miss it on our next trip. It's a great spot to grab a quality lunch and get out of the craziness of the park for a while. And did I mention the dessert is really good too ; )

With our newly acquired Tables in Wonderland card we saved $7.89

Up next Jason finally gets that Ribeye!

Super cute pic! Do you know how long LTT will be closed for refurb? MUST try that dessert!! I'm sure I'll be safe, we've got a year + 2 months to wait

 

[sunnysideup3]

We went to LTT on our May trip and loved it! I got the colony salas with chicken and the toffee cake and was a very satisfied customer! The picture makes me hungry for it again! I hope nothing changes when they are doing their refurb!

 

[Sailormoon2]

Those who have been to LTT, know that dessert isn't even an option here. You are obligated by law to order the most wonderful dessert in all of the world. Seriously, the bouncer at the door will arrest you and put you in disney jail if you don't order it. So without further adieu, here is the soon to be famous Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake in all her wondrous glory.

And without ever having eaten it, I know this statement is 100% the gospel truth (because you can never have enough Ooey Gooey Toffee-ness) so I am profoundly sad to be missing out in 3 weeks time Glad you got to enjoy it (again!) however.

 

[UnderTheRialto]

I love your salad comments. I am a huge fan of field greens and despise, despise iceberg lettuce. I agree that bleu would be a much better pairing than cheddar!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

OMG I love the way you surprised your hubby! That is so darn cute! I couldn't possibly keep that secret for even a day, so good for you for holding out until close to the trip.

Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. Heaven on a plate. It is seriously the best thing ever.

And ewww to the people climbing over the gate at the tea cups. Like you said, why does bad behavior still surprise me.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Those who have been to LTT, know that dessert isn't even an option here. You are obligated by law to order the most wonderful dessert in all of the world. Seriously, the bouncer at the door will arrest you and put you in disney jail if you don't order it. So without further adieu, here is the soon to be famous Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake in all her wondrous glory.

This is Vanilla Cake with a Gooey Toffee Filling, Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream. Better said, this is PERFECTION! Warm cake, sticky caramel sauce, pieces of toffee, and then some ice cream. Words can't do its deliciousness justice, but here are two very satisfied customers.
​

​

The Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake looks amazing. I'm devastated that LTT is going to be closed when I'm there. Any suggestions for something half as delicious looking in MK?

 

[totebagg]

chilling in the grotto with a chick with a thing for forks

LOL

Before of course posing with your child's hair piece

Well aren't you guys sassy!

And She is Absolutely Adorable!

Your lunch at LTT looks great but what's up with the false advertising (iceberg lettuce does not field greens make!) and I am glad the bouncer didn't have to rough you up for breaking the rules! We have yet to eat at LTT and it will be closed when we go too, so maybe next time. I have heard so much about the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake that I made it for Easter this year and while it probably doesn't hold a candle to what you get there - it was AMAZING!

Up next Jason finally gets that Ribeye!

OH BOY can't wait to hear about this dinner since it is why you came.

 

[bama belle]

I have never been to LTT and was so upset when I heard they would be closed for refurb during our trip- I need to try that dessert!!

 

[suse66]

Great reviews so far Kari! POFQ looks like a really pretty resort..... with a family of five we always do deluxe as we are over room capacity for most other resorts but I think I would like to try it out one day. Love your meal at LTT, I had the colony salad as well when we were there in March but had mine with chicken. I agree that there was a lot of iceberg lettuce and I would definitely ask for dressing on the side next time as I found it a bit much for my taste. I wonder if you could answer a question for me..... does the toffee cake have nuts in the sauce? The chef I spoke to the day we had lunch insisted there were nuts in it and as I am allergic to all nuts except almonds, he advised me not to order it. So if it is almonds in the toffee sauce I could finally try that little bit of goodness but if it pecans or walnuts I am out of luck!

Looking forward to the next installment!

 

[aj23]

#WhyDoesBadBehaviorStillSurpriseMe

I feel like I need to use this hashtag in my daily life

 

[KathyM2]

His only complaints were you really couldn't taste the mushrooms in the mayo (which was a good thing in my book since I despise those little buggars)

I'd have to agree with you there...hate mushrooms and the rest of that sandwich sounds really good.

the soon to be famous Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake in all her wondrous glory.

That sounds awesome...do you remember if it had nuts in it? I'm not allergic...I just don't like them in desserts...

 

[JKSWonder]

Liberty tree is closed for our trip in three weeks! I'm still upset about it.

 

[ariel1025]

New reader here. I must admit, I'm in the 180 spreadsheeter group, but maybe you'll motivate me to change my mind on that Loving the reviews so far!

 

[MelBel75]

Great review! Enjoying reading it!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Now I know the castle is beautiful for everyone, but this was the first time we were seeing it without that god awful CRANE!!!! Now I get it takes time to put Christmas decorations up, but for people who normally travel in September and February - neither of which are close to Xmas by the way - we have seen that crane each and every trip. So much so that this was the first time Casey had seen the castle without it. I think she thought Cinderella was permanently doing construction on her house ; )

It seems like we always see the crane, too. It was there when we went to MK at the end of February.

Those who have been to LTT, know that dessert isn't even an option here. You are obligated by law to order the most wonderful dessert in all of the world. Seriously, the bouncer at the door will arrest you and put you in disney jail if you don't order it. So without further adieu, here is the soon to be famous Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake in all her wondrous glory.

I discovered this dessert after I had found the Dis, which means years and years without this deliciousness in my life. Now we never miss a trip without this dessert.

I was very surprised at how good the salmon was.

I had the salmon at Columbia Harbor House and was surprised at how good it was, especially for a counter service restaurant.

he chef I spoke to the day we had lunch insisted there were nuts in it and as I am allergic to all nuts except almonds, he advised me not to order it. So if it is almonds in the toffee sauce I could finally try that little bit of goodness but if it pecans or walnuts I am out of luck!

It is made with walnuts, so the chef was right to advise you to avoid it.

 

[archdandy]

Mmmmmm, ooey gooey toffee cake!