DxDDP with my 2 year old & bday celebration. CRT, 'OHANA, GG, CAPE MAY, SANAA & more!
- Thread starter emmebear
- Start date
butiflfeet
I drink and I know things
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2008
Crystal Palace looks yummy for lunch. We've only ever gone there for breakfast so one of these trips we'll have to try lunch!
emmebear
nurse & mommy.
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2012
'OHANA dinner.
my daughter fell asleep & we headed over to epcot to enjoy a few cocktails instead of returning to the hotel. we headed to mexico & i had a sol beer. last time i had a sol, i was in mexico. only difference, in mexico, my sol was ice cold. not so much at epcot but it was still refreshing & the view was absolutely beautiful.
my daughter is finally awake & we headed over to the seas & also rode the figment attraction before heading out. the aquarium was very nice & peaceful.
hidden mickey!
we headed over to the polynesian where we had 7:50 adr for dinner at 'ohana. we were 25 minutes early & grabbed a drink at the bar and took a quick tour of the hotel. when checking in & i asked if we could possibly have a window seat so that we could view wishes during dinner (it doesn't hurt to ask, right??) the cm said he would "try his best" as i was celebrating my birthday.
[apologies for not having my flash with me...my camera weighs a ton & i didn't want to carry the added weight of my flash & i haven't edited the images yet. i already felt like the crazy lady with the obnoxious camera while my friend wanted to throttle me.
]
i was pleasantly surprised when we were taken to our table. it wasn't directly next to the window but we were two tables over with a clear view of the castle. fantastic! finally, it was time to eat.
on our way to our tables, the cm picked up a loaf of the friendship bread. this was a big hit for my daughter. she really enjoyed it.
we were also given lei's at the table and my daughter was very creative with this lei throughout dinner.
after the cm took our drink orders, the salad came out quickly. i hadn't even had the chance to blink and BOOM! there was the salad.
i did not have any of the salad as i considered it a filler but my friend said it was lightly dressed (which we both like) and that it was very refreshing. i will take his word for it...i still considered both the bread & salad as wasteful fillers.
FINALLY, lapu lapu time. despite the shocking price tag of about $13.95, the lapu lapu was very stiff and delicious.
next up was the broccoli & noodles. again, i thought these two items would take up precious tummy space for the meat so i had one small bite of the noodles. tasted like typical chinese style lo mein but again, a big hit for my daughter. she showed the broccoli & noodles whose boss!
my daughter does not drink juice or soft drinks and the cm was able to fill this cup with milk. the cup was $6.95 (expensive) but she felt very special with the cup. it was worth every penny.
up next, the mouth watering pot stickers. i'm korean & my mother makes out of this world dumplings. i did not have high hopes for these pot stickers but they were very very good. they definitely tasted homemade. i only ate the centers and didn't care much for the edges. the wings were ok. i wished they were fried a little crispier. i anticipated a very crispy wing but when i bit into it, the skin was soggy. it could have possibly been due to the sauce but i love a crispy wing and this batch was not. the sauce was not overly sweet and was very good. even though i was disappointed with the wing, the pot stickers more than made up for the lackluster wing.
here are the 3 sauces they also bring to your table.
the first meat to arrive to our table was the steak. i was worried as other reviewers have noted that the steak was tough, dry & over cooked. not this steak! it was cooked perfect, very tender & juicy. my only regret was not to get more meat from the same skewer as my second helping was tough & dry.
i was again worried about the chicken either being undercooked or dry. this batch proved me wrong as it was flavorful, moist and cooked through. my daughter devoured the chicken and it was a great vessel for the dipping sauces. the peanut sauce & chicken combination was fantastic! the chicken was the most consistently cooked properly meat of the night for us.
aaaaaaaaah, shrimp time! the shrimp was my favorite protein during dinner. the shrimp easily peeled as it was already deveined and most if not all of the legs were already removed. the shell came off in two pieces. it was a little effort to get to the shrimp but all the hard work was worth it. i must've eaten at least 14 shrimp & i was so happy i did not fill my tummy up with the fillers. i had two shrimp that were undercooked but the next batch did not disappoint. i loved all the sauces on the shrimp. very very very good! don't let the peeling part avert you from eating the shrimp (which is why my friend would not eat the shrimp).
in between skewers of meat, there was a limbo line where the kids gathered with the singing lady while shaking maracas. this was a great break as i was able to walk off some of the food and "shake it" with my daughter. very very fun and not as chaotic as one would think. all the adults cheered on the kids and it was very festive without being overly annoying.
maracas shaking time!
now, onto the life changing dessert i've read so much about...the bread pudding.
i'm not much of a sweet dessert person. i had a fear this would be overly sweet but it was a perfect blend of savory & sweet. it was ooey & gooey and the ice cream was a perfect match for the sauce. this was the best dessert of the trip. i had about 4 spoonfuls before i felt as if i was going to burst. my friend however had no issues in finishing the bread pudding. he is a huge dessert lover & he looooooved the bread pudding.
the cm brought out vanilla ice cream & sprinkles without me even asking for my daughter. i thought this was very nice & thoughtful. as usual, she loved the ice cream, especially the mickey sprinkles.
after completing our meal, wishes began at magic kingdom. the music was not piped into 'ohana. however, one person pulled up the music on her phone and played it as the fireworks were beginning. the view was glorious & it was a perfect way to end dinner.
i did notice that tables received rolled white towels in a basket. we did not get a basket so i'm not sure if this was suppose to be before or after dinner hand washing towels. also, my cm seemed very frazzled at times but it didn't hinder our meal. 'ohana did not do anything special because it was my birthday but that was not a big deal.
this adr was one that i struggled the most with. i've read so many mixed reviews of the place but i'm really glad i kept the adr. the meal was delicious, my daughter had a great time & the view for wishes was beautiful.
there were a few misses with the meat & i felt terrible for wasting the overly cooked dry pieces but i was able to get properly cooked meat after the initial miss. other "brazillian steakhouse" places do overly salt their meat but i did not have this problem at 'ohana.
i did not feel rushed at any point of the meal & service for the most part was very good. our drinks were always replenished and the dishes were cleared promptly. i would definitely recommend 'ohana dinner to everyone & would love to return if i can get another adr.
next up, CINDERELLA ROYAL TABLE breakfast @ 810am!
my daughter fell asleep & we headed over to epcot to enjoy a few cocktails instead of returning to the hotel. we headed to mexico & i had a sol beer. last time i had a sol, i was in mexico. only difference, in mexico, my sol was ice cold. not so much at epcot but it was still refreshing & the view was absolutely beautiful.
my daughter is finally awake & we headed over to the seas & also rode the figment attraction before heading out. the aquarium was very nice & peaceful.
hidden mickey!
we headed over to the polynesian where we had 7:50 adr for dinner at 'ohana. we were 25 minutes early & grabbed a drink at the bar and took a quick tour of the hotel. when checking in & i asked if we could possibly have a window seat so that we could view wishes during dinner (it doesn't hurt to ask, right??) the cm said he would "try his best" as i was celebrating my birthday.
[apologies for not having my flash with me...my camera weighs a ton & i didn't want to carry the added weight of my flash & i haven't edited the images yet. i already felt like the crazy lady with the obnoxious camera while my friend wanted to throttle me.
]
i was pleasantly surprised when we were taken to our table. it wasn't directly next to the window but we were two tables over with a clear view of the castle. fantastic! finally, it was time to eat.
on our way to our tables, the cm picked up a loaf of the friendship bread. this was a big hit for my daughter. she really enjoyed it.
we were also given lei's at the table and my daughter was very creative with this lei throughout dinner.
after the cm took our drink orders, the salad came out quickly. i hadn't even had the chance to blink and BOOM! there was the salad.
i did not have any of the salad as i considered it a filler but my friend said it was lightly dressed (which we both like) and that it was very refreshing. i will take his word for it...i still considered both the bread & salad as wasteful fillers.
FINALLY, lapu lapu time. despite the shocking price tag of about $13.95, the lapu lapu was very stiff and delicious.
next up was the broccoli & noodles. again, i thought these two items would take up precious tummy space for the meat so i had one small bite of the noodles. tasted like typical chinese style lo mein but again, a big hit for my daughter. she showed the broccoli & noodles whose boss!
my daughter does not drink juice or soft drinks and the cm was able to fill this cup with milk. the cup was $6.95 (expensive) but she felt very special with the cup. it was worth every penny.
up next, the mouth watering pot stickers. i'm korean & my mother makes out of this world dumplings. i did not have high hopes for these pot stickers but they were very very good. they definitely tasted homemade. i only ate the centers and didn't care much for the edges. the wings were ok. i wished they were fried a little crispier. i anticipated a very crispy wing but when i bit into it, the skin was soggy. it could have possibly been due to the sauce but i love a crispy wing and this batch was not. the sauce was not overly sweet and was very good. even though i was disappointed with the wing, the pot stickers more than made up for the lackluster wing.
here are the 3 sauces they also bring to your table.
the first meat to arrive to our table was the steak. i was worried as other reviewers have noted that the steak was tough, dry & over cooked. not this steak! it was cooked perfect, very tender & juicy. my only regret was not to get more meat from the same skewer as my second helping was tough & dry.
i was again worried about the chicken either being undercooked or dry. this batch proved me wrong as it was flavorful, moist and cooked through. my daughter devoured the chicken and it was a great vessel for the dipping sauces. the peanut sauce & chicken combination was fantastic! the chicken was the most consistently cooked properly meat of the night for us.
aaaaaaaaah, shrimp time! the shrimp was my favorite protein during dinner. the shrimp easily peeled as it was already deveined and most if not all of the legs were already removed. the shell came off in two pieces. it was a little effort to get to the shrimp but all the hard work was worth it. i must've eaten at least 14 shrimp & i was so happy i did not fill my tummy up with the fillers. i had two shrimp that were undercooked but the next batch did not disappoint. i loved all the sauces on the shrimp. very very very good! don't let the peeling part avert you from eating the shrimp (which is why my friend would not eat the shrimp).
in between skewers of meat, there was a limbo line where the kids gathered with the singing lady while shaking maracas. this was a great break as i was able to walk off some of the food and "shake it" with my daughter. very very fun and not as chaotic as one would think. all the adults cheered on the kids and it was very festive without being overly annoying.
maracas shaking time!
now, onto the life changing dessert i've read so much about...the bread pudding.
i'm not much of a sweet dessert person. i had a fear this would be overly sweet but it was a perfect blend of savory & sweet. it was ooey & gooey and the ice cream was a perfect match for the sauce. this was the best dessert of the trip. i had about 4 spoonfuls before i felt as if i was going to burst. my friend however had no issues in finishing the bread pudding. he is a huge dessert lover & he looooooved the bread pudding.
the cm brought out vanilla ice cream & sprinkles without me even asking for my daughter. i thought this was very nice & thoughtful. as usual, she loved the ice cream, especially the mickey sprinkles.
after completing our meal, wishes began at magic kingdom. the music was not piped into 'ohana. however, one person pulled up the music on her phone and played it as the fireworks were beginning. the view was glorious & it was a perfect way to end dinner.
i did notice that tables received rolled white towels in a basket. we did not get a basket so i'm not sure if this was suppose to be before or after dinner hand washing towels. also, my cm seemed very frazzled at times but it didn't hinder our meal. 'ohana did not do anything special because it was my birthday but that was not a big deal.
this adr was one that i struggled the most with. i've read so many mixed reviews of the place but i'm really glad i kept the adr. the meal was delicious, my daughter had a great time & the view for wishes was beautiful.
there were a few misses with the meat & i felt terrible for wasting the overly cooked dry pieces but i was able to get properly cooked meat after the initial miss. other "brazillian steakhouse" places do overly salt their meat but i did not have this problem at 'ohana.
i did not feel rushed at any point of the meal & service for the most part was very good. our drinks were always replenished and the dishes were cleared promptly. i would definitely recommend 'ohana dinner to everyone & would love to return if i can get another adr.
next up, CINDERELLA ROYAL TABLE breakfast @ 810am!
rachel09985
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
Great pics! Do you have an album on Flickr? I would love to see the settings!
Your daughter is soooo cute and I am super excited to read about CRT as I have a reservation there in 2 months!
Your daughter is soooo cute and I am super excited to read about CRT as I have a reservation there in 2 months!
DonaldDoleWhip
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2008
So happy you had a good experience at 'Ohana! Not all of our meals there have been perfect, but 'Ohana definitely has the potential to impress when everything goes well. 
TheNewMrsB
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2008
So glad you enjoyed your 'Ohana experience! Nice to read positive reviews. As I said before, still trying to score an ADR - hoping the credit card cancellation policy results in some cancellations as we get closer. Last time I believe we were nine days away when I finally got us in.
Ooooh lapu lapu...how I love them! And yes, the bread pudding is seriously to die for. Our CM saw that we had finished ours and asked if we wanted more. We just laughed - I mean, how could he possibly be serious? Well guess what he came back with??? I thought DH would cry. I think he might have, in fact.
Ooooh lapu lapu...how I love them! And yes, the bread pudding is seriously to die for. Our CM saw that we had finished ours and asked if we wanted more. We just laughed - I mean, how could he possibly be serious? Well guess what he came back with??? I thought DH would cry. I think he might have, in fact.
CraigInPA
Since June 1974
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2012
And yes, the bread pudding is seriously to die for. Our CM saw that we had finished ours and asked if we wanted more. We just laughed - I mean, how could he possibly be serious? Well guess what he came back with??? I thought DH would cry. I think he might have, in fact.
This happened to us as well. Except, when she asked, if we wanted another, we said "Yes, please." When it was time to leave, I felt like I was about to burst. Fortunately, this was right before the fireworks, so I hid my discomfort by suggesting we go to the beach to watch them.
NoOrdinaryPrincess
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2011
Excellent update!
ShortStuff
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2012
My goodness, your daughter is adorable!! Love the picture with Piglet!! :
Belated Happy Birthday! It sounds as if your celebration is off to a wonderful start!!
:Belated Happy Birthday! It sounds as if your celebration is off to a wonderful start!!
disnut1149
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2006
Hi
Great reviews!! Your DD is adorable!!
Great reviews!! Your DD is adorable!!
emmebear
nurse & mommy.
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2012
CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE breakfast @ 810am
i was very lucky to reserve this ADR as i booked with less than 2 weeks to my vacation. at first, i booked a 10:20am ADR. one hour later, i checked again an the 8:10 ADR was staring back me so i called disney dining & had my time changed. we took our own car to the ticketing center and then took the resort monorail to magic kingdom.
my friend sophie of SEWSMOOTH created this gorgeous dress for emme to wear on this special day. sophie is extremely talented & i highly recommend her to everyone. she also has a site on etsy! emme loved this dress & she received so many lovely comments while at the park. the tiara is from my sister's wedding in 2011 where my daughter was a flower girl. my daughter could live in this tiara...she refuses to take it off most times.
i was so excited to enter magic kingdom before the park opened. we entered magic kingdom a few minutes before 8am and main street was empty! there was photo pass photographers out & about as well. i was worried it would rain but the weather was very hot & sunny already at 8am. after a few photo moments, we headed over to the castle for our reservation.
iphone photo of emme, walt, mickey & random guy in background.
my reservation was for 2 (one adult, one infant) & i had no issues adding my friend to the reservation. he was handed a check at the end of the meal & it was absolutely no hassle. we parked our stroller and we were in line to meet cinderella within 5 minutes.
the castle is absolutely gorgeous! you are given a photo folder with a picture of the castle, a picture with cinderella (the picture itself is a 6x8 but with the framing it equals an 8x10), and 4 4x6's for "free" during your meal. the line itself moved quickly but i did not feel rushed.
this is the actual photo (just an iphone re-photo) with cinderella. my daughter is traumatized with me taking so many pictures of her & she purposefully looks away from the camera so i was shocked that she was actually looking at the camera. actually, i was very thrilled! my daughter was completely shell shocked when she met cinderella. her eyes lit up & after her initial shock, she was so excited. they had great interaction with each other & cinderella stayed in character quite well.
after the picture with cinderella, we were walking up the red carpeted stairs to which we were greeted by a seater. we were taken to our table which was in the middle of the seating area. i was hoping for a window seat but was happy just to be in the castle. my daughter had a wand waiting or her at the table. additionally, there was a pink place mat with all the princesses there as well. i'm not sure if this was for my birthday or if it was for my daughter. either way, she was thrilled & could barely sit still.
our cm came over quickly and filled our cups with orange juice and brought over a large pot of coffee. emme got a milk. he also brought out delicious pastries for us as well.
my friend says these were all delicious but the biscuits were cold & hard. i was unable to eat any of these as my daughter was very excited & i was in mom mode.
my daughter's favorite princess is ariel and ariel was the first one to visit my daughter. the princesses waste no time to greet you once you are seated. again, my daughter was in shock to see ariel. i wish ariel was the last princess to greet my daughter because by then, my daughter got over her shock. she literally just stared at ariel & could barely muster a word. ariel was in character and chattered away to my daughter in a one way conversation with emme. ariel also seemed very rushed compared to the others. i tried to get her attention for a picture re-do but she kind of just hopped along her way. after the third attempt, i just stopped trying to get her attention.
emme did a lot of staring with ariel.
finally a smile from emme with ariel.
the cm took our menu order. i ordered the "steak & eggs", my friend ordered the "cream cheese stuffed french toast" & my daughter received complimentary french toast sticks with syrup.
up next, snow white. my daughter is a huge fan & she was shocked once again but she definitely was warming up to the characters. i can't imagine what she is thinking after seeing all the movies & then seeing the characters in real life. it has to be a bit surreal.
happy emme!
snow white was very sweet and even left a kiss mark on the autograph page. her voice even matched the movies. she also skipped from table to table and around the dining area.
our breakfast finally arrived!
Steak and Eggs - grilled filet mignon on a mild Chipotle-caramelized onion frittata served with our signature rosemary-lemon roasted potatoes
Steak and Eggs - grilled filet mignon on a mild Chipotle-caramelized onion frittata served with our signature rosemary-lemon roasted potatoes
i can't remember if the cm asked how i liked my steak cooked but it was cooked "medium". i'm not sure what the green sauce was (pesto, chimichurri) but it was slightly spicy and added a kick to the steak. the onion frittata was so yummy (for powdered eggs) as was the steak & the sauce. the potatoes were warm and very good (even though i asked for ketchup). i really enjoyed my breakfast!
and this is what my friend ordered (seems like my portrait lens liked the bacon the best & i didn't have time to shoot a second shot).
Cream Cheese-stuffed French Toast - drizzled with Cognac chocolate ganache served with bacon and fresh fruit
my friend (who has a sweet tooth) loved his french toast. he still loved it even after the outrageous price of the meal.
he ate every single bite. i wish disney bacon had a litte more "oomph" to it. the bacon is so thin & i love bacon. i also wish i tasted it but no time as i was stuffing my facing, helping my daughter & taking pictures.
up next, sleeping beauty!
aurora spent the most time with my daughter. my daughter has never seen sleeping beauty & just called her a princess when she saw her. they talked about their tiaras & she was very kind to my daughter.
during breakfast, the princesses danced around and a wishing star song played and stars were waved around.
lastly, belle arrived to our table. she had on her blue dress. she was so pretty!
belle was very patient & exceptionally soft spoken & super sweet to my daughter. she played the part very well and was extremely genuine with her time with my daughter. ariel was rushed (sad face) but belle took her time & kindess radiated from her.
our server was very good & efficient. he replenished our drinks without us asking and checked on us often. i don't know how my daughter lost her wand during the meal but the cm replaced it quickly.
the meal lasted about 70 minutes for us. we had a really great time during breakfast. i'm not quite sure if i would pay for this meal out of pocket and it did take 2 TS credits. but the experience was very worthwhile. i will probably only visit the castle for a very special occasion. i am glad i got to try out the new menu as the old menu looked very uninspired.
after the meal, we were unleashed into fantasyland. my daughter rode the carousel first. she loved the white horses. it was so nice to just be able to walk up and ride every ride in fantasyland with virtually no wait. the longest i waited was 5 minutes for peter pan's flight. so.much.awesome.
walking towards the carousel and you can see the new fantasyland behind her!
after leaving the carousel, we saw lady tremaine & the step sisters. it was so hot this early (humid, sticky hot) & i have no idea how these 3 did not melt. they did cut off the line early.
drizella was taunting my daughter's dress and twirled around. as she twirled, her dress almost knocked my daughter over. drizella was horrified (maybe she thought i would turn into mama bear & unleash my fury) but my daughter just laughed and then the three snapped back into character. lady tremaine told me daughter to "stay out of the way" next time.
after a few more rides, we were about to exit the park but the parade had started. we had a great view (right in front of the castle). my daughter was very tired but mustered up some energy to dance. she found jessie & they danced together for a few minutes. very awesome!
festive mickey!
so cute!
my daughter loved this view!
emme dancing with jessie
tuckered out emme finally taking a nap after a very busy morning.
my final thoughts on crt: we had a very delicious meal at the castle. i don't think the meal itself is worth the hefty price tag but you are paying for the overall experience. however, the food was very good! my daughter loved meeting all the princesses (who all stayed in character very well) and it was nice to actually be able to keep the picture. i always feel awkward when i turn down the $30 photo taken at a character meal.
the dining room was very calm (unlike other character meals where there is a frenetic energy present) & i never felt rushed during my meal. i was very busy trying to eat, help my daughter actually eat as she was distracted with the princesses & swapping lenses for pictures. it was a very unique experience and something i am glad to have tried. my daughter is still talking about this meal and wants to return to have breakfast with cinderella. i did use my dxddp for this meal & if i think of it that way, the monetary cost of it seems less than the actual $58.00 for the meal (funny how my brain works...ha!).
but the way my daughter's face lit up & her excitement made this a very special meal for us. i will never forget it!
my next trip, we are going to try akershus & i'm looking forward to comparing the experiences.
up next, MAMA MELROSE F! PACKAGE dinner.
i was very lucky to reserve this ADR as i booked with less than 2 weeks to my vacation. at first, i booked a 10:20am ADR. one hour later, i checked again an the 8:10 ADR was staring back me so i called disney dining & had my time changed. we took our own car to the ticketing center and then took the resort monorail to magic kingdom.
my friend sophie of SEWSMOOTH created this gorgeous dress for emme to wear on this special day. sophie is extremely talented & i highly recommend her to everyone. she also has a site on etsy!
emme loved this dress & she received so many lovely comments while at the park. the tiara is from my sister's wedding in 2011 where my daughter was a flower girl. my daughter could live in this tiara...she refuses to take it off most times. i was so excited to enter magic kingdom before the park opened. we entered magic kingdom a few minutes before 8am and main street was empty! there was photo pass photographers out & about as well. i was worried it would rain but the weather was very hot & sunny already at 8am. after a few photo moments, we headed over to the castle for our reservation.
iphone photo of emme, walt, mickey & random guy in background.
my reservation was for 2 (one adult, one infant) & i had no issues adding my friend to the reservation. he was handed a check at the end of the meal & it was absolutely no hassle. we parked our stroller and we were in line to meet cinderella within 5 minutes.
the castle is absolutely gorgeous! you are given a photo folder with a picture of the castle, a picture with cinderella (the picture itself is a 6x8 but with the framing it equals an 8x10), and 4 4x6's for "free" during your meal. the line itself moved quickly but i did not feel rushed.
this is the actual photo (just an iphone re-photo) with cinderella. my daughter is traumatized with me taking so many pictures of her & she purposefully looks away from the camera so i was shocked that she was actually looking at the camera. actually, i was very thrilled! my daughter was completely shell shocked when she met cinderella. her eyes lit up & after her initial shock, she was so excited. they had great interaction with each other & cinderella stayed in character quite well.
after the picture with cinderella, we were walking up the red carpeted stairs to which we were greeted by a seater. we were taken to our table which was in the middle of the seating area. i was hoping for a window seat but was happy just to be in the castle. my daughter had a wand waiting or her at the table. additionally, there was a pink place mat with all the princesses there as well. i'm not sure if this was for my birthday or if it was for my daughter. either way, she was thrilled & could barely sit still.
our cm came over quickly and filled our cups with orange juice and brought over a large pot of coffee. emme got a milk. he also brought out delicious pastries for us as well.
my friend says these were all delicious but the biscuits were cold & hard. i was unable to eat any of these as my daughter was very excited & i was in mom mode.
my daughter's favorite princess is ariel and ariel was the first one to visit my daughter. the princesses waste no time to greet you once you are seated. again, my daughter was in shock to see ariel. i wish ariel was the last princess to greet my daughter because by then, my daughter got over her shock. she literally just stared at ariel & could barely muster a word. ariel was in character and chattered away to my daughter in a one way conversation with emme. ariel also seemed very rushed compared to the others. i tried to get her attention for a picture re-do but she kind of just hopped along her way. after the third attempt, i just stopped trying to get her attention.
emme did a lot of staring with ariel.
finally a smile from emme with ariel.
the cm took our menu order. i ordered the "steak & eggs", my friend ordered the "cream cheese stuffed french toast" & my daughter received complimentary french toast sticks with syrup.
up next, snow white. my daughter is a huge fan & she was shocked once again but she definitely was warming up to the characters. i can't imagine what she is thinking after seeing all the movies & then seeing the characters in real life. it has to be a bit surreal.
happy emme!
snow white was very sweet and even left a kiss mark on the autograph page. her voice even matched the movies. she also skipped from table to table and around the dining area.
our breakfast finally arrived!
Steak and Eggs - grilled filet mignon on a mild Chipotle-caramelized onion frittata served with our signature rosemary-lemon roasted potatoes
Steak and Eggs - grilled filet mignon on a mild Chipotle-caramelized onion frittata served with our signature rosemary-lemon roasted potatoes
i can't remember if the cm asked how i liked my steak cooked but it was cooked "medium". i'm not sure what the green sauce was (pesto, chimichurri) but it was slightly spicy and added a kick to the steak. the onion frittata was so yummy (for powdered eggs) as was the steak & the sauce. the potatoes were warm and very good (even though i asked for ketchup). i really enjoyed my breakfast!
and this is what my friend ordered (seems like my portrait lens liked the bacon the best & i didn't have time to shoot a second shot).
Cream Cheese-stuffed French Toast - drizzled with Cognac chocolate ganache served with bacon and fresh fruit
my friend (who has a sweet tooth) loved his french toast. he still loved it even after the outrageous price of the meal.
he ate every single bite. i wish disney bacon had a litte more "oomph" to it. the bacon is so thin & i love bacon. i also wish i tasted it but no time as i was stuffing my facing, helping my daughter & taking pictures.up next, sleeping beauty!
aurora spent the most time with my daughter. my daughter has never seen sleeping beauty & just called her a princess when she saw her. they talked about their tiaras & she was very kind to my daughter.
during breakfast, the princesses danced around and a wishing star song played and stars were waved around.
lastly, belle arrived to our table. she had on her blue dress. she was so pretty!
belle was very patient & exceptionally soft spoken & super sweet to my daughter. she played the part very well and was extremely genuine with her time with my daughter. ariel was rushed (sad face) but belle took her time & kindess radiated from her.
our server was very good & efficient. he replenished our drinks without us asking and checked on us often. i don't know how my daughter lost her wand during the meal but the cm replaced it quickly.
the meal lasted about 70 minutes for us. we had a really great time during breakfast. i'm not quite sure if i would pay for this meal out of pocket and it did take 2 TS credits. but the experience was very worthwhile. i will probably only visit the castle for a very special occasion. i am glad i got to try out the new menu as the old menu looked very uninspired.
after the meal, we were unleashed into fantasyland. my daughter rode the carousel first. she loved the white horses. it was so nice to just be able to walk up and ride every ride in fantasyland with virtually no wait. the longest i waited was 5 minutes for peter pan's flight. so.much.awesome.
walking towards the carousel and you can see the new fantasyland behind her!
after leaving the carousel, we saw lady tremaine & the step sisters. it was so hot this early (humid, sticky hot) & i have no idea how these 3 did not melt. they did cut off the line early.
drizella was taunting my daughter's dress and twirled around. as she twirled, her dress almost knocked my daughter over. drizella was horrified (maybe she thought i would turn into mama bear & unleash my fury) but my daughter just laughed and then the three snapped back into character. lady tremaine told me daughter to "stay out of the way" next time.
after a few more rides, we were about to exit the park but the parade had started. we had a great view (right in front of the castle). my daughter was very tired but mustered up some energy to dance. she found jessie & they danced together for a few minutes. very awesome!
festive mickey!
so cute!
my daughter loved this view!
emme dancing with jessie
tuckered out emme finally taking a nap after a very busy morning.
my final thoughts on crt: we had a very delicious meal at the castle. i don't think the meal itself is worth the hefty price tag but you are paying for the overall experience. however, the food was very good! my daughter loved meeting all the princesses (who all stayed in character very well) and it was nice to actually be able to keep the picture. i always feel awkward when i turn down the $30 photo taken at a character meal.
the dining room was very calm (unlike other character meals where there is a frenetic energy present) & i never felt rushed during my meal. i was very busy trying to eat, help my daughter actually eat as she was distracted with the princesses & swapping lenses for pictures. it was a very unique experience and something i am glad to have tried. my daughter is still talking about this meal and wants to return to have breakfast with cinderella. i did use my dxddp for this meal & if i think of it that way, the monetary cost of it seems less than the actual $58.00 for the meal (funny how my brain works...ha!).
but the way my daughter's face lit up & her excitement made this a very special meal for us. i will never forget it!
my next trip, we are going to try akershus & i'm looking forward to comparing the experiences.
up next, MAMA MELROSE F! PACKAGE dinner.
DonaldDoleWhip
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2008
Your steak and eggs looks really good! CRT has gotten many lukewarm reviews when it comes to food, but this year they made some major improvements to the breakfast menu, and it shows! Glad to hear that the overall experience was wonderful.
ShortStuff
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2012
What a little sweet princess she is!! Her dress and tiara are both precious and she is beautiful!! I love the looks of awe on her face, when a princess was near by!! Too too cute!!
emmebear
nurse & mommy.
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2012
Your steak and eggs looks really good! CRT has gotten many lukewarm reviews when it comes to food, but this year they made some major improvements to the breakfast menu, and it shows! Glad to hear that the overall experience was wonderful.
i agree! i've read the lukewarm reviews of the subpar breakfast at the castle & i am glad to experienced the new menu. it was castle worthy!
@shortstuff: thank you for the compliments about my daughter. she had such a fabulous time!
i also forgot to mention that i did get a birthday cupcake during breakfast. it did not have the usual sprinkles and i thought it was much prettier than the usual birthday cupcakes.
both pics taken via iphone. my daughter took 1 bite as she was still very excited about meeting all the princesses!
goofyintoronto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2011
LOOOOVE your pictures! Great camera you have, youre a pretty good & creative photographer! Loving the reviews.
CRT breakfast actually looks quite delish. Esp the french toast your friend had. MMmmmmmm.
CRT breakfast actually looks quite delish. Esp the french toast your friend had. MMmmmmmm.
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
I love your pics! And you're right - CRT is a special experience. I was quite amazed at how rushed the whole meal felt for me though. We had a 10:20 reservation and we were out of there in about an hour or so. Of course, part of feeling rushed was constantly getting up to take pics. My food was pretty cold by the time I got to eat it.
It's probably a one time thing for us to eat in the Castle...unless there's any particular special reason. I'm so glad we did it and now have the bragging rights It was well worth it once.
It's probably a one time thing for us to eat in the Castle...unless there's any particular special reason. I'm so glad we did it and now have the bragging rights
It was well worth it once.Share this page
-
Walt Disney World Bounce Back Offer Can Save You 25% to 35%!
-
Tokyo Disneyland to Replace Buzz Lightyear with Wreck-It Ralph Attraction
-
Does Anyone Have Disney Jollywood Nights 2024 Predictions?
-
Top 4 Reasons to Stay at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter
-
A Brief History Of Disney: Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
