"I DO...want dessert" Our 10-Day DxDP Honeymoon-FINAL POST

Sounds like you are a very prepared family who likes to dress up on vacation. :thumbsup2 I only mentioned it on my review because, of the seven signature dining locations in our itinerary, Cali Grill was the only one in which I felt underdressed. There were plenty of other men dining that night with khaki shorts, collared golf shirts, and dockside shoes (like my DH). It was the females in sequins that threw me for a loop. :goodvibes

Have a great time and Happy Anniversary!

I hope you didn't take my post as critical, it wasn't meant that way. And I agree that how you described your dinner dress was fine.

Prepared? Hm, I guess. With four kids, we need to be at least in some control :rotfl2: But, we have tried to make it a point for our kids to dine at all different types of restaurants, and also, dress and have manners consistent to each place we eat. Know what I mean?
 
Loving your reviews! We'll also have the DxDP, although since we'll be going with our 3 and 5 year olds, our experience will be just a tad different. :lmao:

The ladies had on sequins, 6-inch heels, and guys had on fancy suits. It looked like a really bad prom.

Sequins? 6-inch heels? For real? This all sounds too West Village Halloween Parade. I don't think I have anything in my wardrobe that would fit with that image.

We were very disappointed with the lobster eggs benedict. Yuck! :sick: Definitely not for us!

A side note from someone who has never interacted with face characters before: We both thought they were freakin weird! :scared1: Seriously. What do you say to them?!? I now know that we definitely prefer the characters who just wave and hug you.

What was so bad about the lobster eggs benedict? I like lobster and I like eggs benedict...we have breakfast ADRs at 1900 Pf in 3 weeks. I agree about the face characters. I have a hard time "suspending belief" and reallythinking of them as "Ariel" or "Alice" and coming up with witty things to say.
 
I'm continuing to look forward to all of your reviews! I've had strawberry soup several times on non Disney tropical vacations. After my first experience I've learned to ask for it as my dessert - delicious!

Call me weird if you wish, but my favorite character interactions were with the face characters. All but Ariel in her grotto in MK were at EPCOT. Being there with our granddaughters helped, I suppose. Mary Poppins and Alice were both available on the sidewalk around the United Kingdom. Alice asked 10 year-old Megan "What land do you come from?" And Megan replied "Michigan." Alice then said, "It must be very cold there - isn't that land shaped like a mitten?" Megan giggled and said "well, right now it isn't cold there." (This was in mid-May.) Unless you live in MI or have friends that do you may not know that we are always sticking our hand up to point out either where we live in the lower peninsula or where some other city or town is.
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Loving your reviews! We'll also have the DxDP, although since we'll be going with our 3 and 5 year olds, our experience will be just a tad different. :lmao:
Different? Yes. Just as fun (probably more so) but in a different way! Have a blast!



Sequins? 6-inch heels? For real? This all sounds too West Village Halloween Parade. I don't think I have anything in my wardrobe that would fit with that image.
Seriously. We were wondering what was up with that...most of the really dressy people were also really young (early 20s perhaps). It reminded me of the Jersey Shore cast, if you know what I mean :lmao: (So sorry to all my neighbors in NJ)



What was so bad about the lobster eggs benedict? I like lobster and I like eggs benedict...we have breakfast ADRs at 1900 Pf in 3 weeks. I agree about the face characters. I have a hard time "suspending belief" and reallythinking of them as "Ariel" or "Alice" and coming up with witty things to say.
I think the lobster eggs were just personal preference. We just didn't like the combo of eggs and lobster. Definitely try them thought! Everyone has different preferences.

I'm continuing to look forward to all of your reviews! I've had strawberry soup several times on non Disney tropical vacations. After my first experience I've learned to ask for it as my dessert - delicious!
It would be perfect for dessert!

Call me weird if you wish, but my favorite character interactions were with the face characters. All but Ariel in her grotto in MK were at EPCOT. Being there with our granddaughters helped, I suppose. Mary Poppins and Alice were both available on the sidewalk around the United Kingdom. Alice asked 10 year-old Megan "What land do you come from?" And Megan replied "Michigan." Alice then said, "It must be very cold there - isn't that land shaped like a mitten?" Megan giggled and said "well, right now it isn't cold there." (This was in mid-May.) Unless you live in MI or have friends that do you may not know that we are always sticking our hand up to point out either where we live in the lower peninsula or where some other city or town is.
That's a cute story. It is definitely amazing how they stay in character so well and how knowledgable they must be of different things. I'm sure when we have kids, the face characters will be a hit. Maybe it's only weird because we are 2 adults?:confused3
 


Fantastic reviews! I was so excited to see that you would be reviewing several restaurants my parents are interested in trying. We have Cali Grill and Flying Fish scheduled for our October trip, and they want Narcoosees for a trip in March with their friends. We've been sort of iffy about Jiko, because reviews have generally been hit or miss. But I think they just changed back to their original chef? Maybe? I'd love to try it, but I'm going to have to sell my dad on it. I think he might rather go back to Citricos, not because of the food (though it was good), but because he loved his mango margarita so much!
 
Enjoying your food updates...love it.
Thanks for reading! stay tuned...there's much more to come!

Fantastic reviews! I was so excited to see that you would be reviewing several restaurants my parents are interested in trying. We have Cali Grill and Flying Fish scheduled for our October trip, and they want Narcoosees for a trip in March with their friends. We've been sort of iffy about Jiko, because reviews have generally been hit or miss. But I think they just changed back to their original chef? Maybe? I'd love to try it, but I'm going to have to sell my dad on it. I think he might rather go back to Citricos, not because of the food (though it was good), but because he loved his mango margarita so much!

JIKO! JIKO! JIKO! :woohoo: Seriously. Try it. Schedule an early (5:30pm) ADR and then go on the culinary tour right before (4:45, I think). They will describe all the dishes for you and you even get to try some apps. You won't be sorry. If your dad hates it, tell him you will go to Citricos for 2 margaritas on you. :thumbsup2
 


We had been to Rose & Crown last year, and there were two reasons why we wanted to go back again: 1.) Illuminations and 2.) Illuminations. To us, this is the prime viewing location: the food is good, you get a great view, and you don't have to wait for an hour to see the show.

Our reservation was for 7:35 and we wee seated shortly after. As we were being seated, our host said, "Your server will be _____. You're lucky because she's one of the best." (I'm so sorry I cannot remember her name.) Well, let me tell you...he was WAY, WAY, WAY off. She was SO stinkin slow. It took us longer to eat here than it took for us to eat at many of the signatures. (20 minutes just to get the check after we were back from Illuminations.) Maybe she was having a rough night? Our opinion is that she was too chatty with her customers, and that put her way behind on the timing of the food.

Onto the food...
For my appetizer, I got the Apple & Stilton Salad.
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It was really, really good. I loved the sweet crispness of the apples. Also, the candied walnuts were to die for. I didn't know what Stilton cheese was. I now know that it is similar to blue cheese. Now, I'm not a blue cheese fan at all, but I really enjoyed this salad. If you're anti-blue cheese, you should probably get the Stilton on the side.

DH got the scotch egg for the appetizer.
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I did not even try this one :sick:. I thought I could eat anything, but even the thought of this one got to me. However, he really enjoyed it.

For my entree, I got the Bangers and Mash.
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Awwwwww yeah! :woohoo: I love this stuff. My DH (DF at the time) got it last year, and I was super duper jealous of his meal after I tasted it. Throughout the year, I have tried to replicate it at home, but I cannot find anything that is spot on. So, I knew as soon as we made our ADR that this would be my entree. It did not disappoint. It's not even the "bangers" that I love so much. In fact, they were slightly too salty. It's the mixture of cabbage, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Mmmmm mmmmm, good!

DH got the Sunday roast.
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He said it was good, but nothing special. I think it reminded him of the crockpot roast beef I make at home, so he was slightly disappointed. (Does that say anything about my cooking abilities? :rotfl:)

For dessert, we both got the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING!
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This was another one of those things we were looking forward to for the past year. This was the only night we were "allowed" to get the same dessert. It is fabulous. So sweet, rich, and yummy. If you've never had it and you are planning to go to Rose & Crown, do yourself a favor and get this dessert.

After dessert, we went out on the back deck to watch Illuminations. It was the perfect viewing spot and the wind was blowing the right direction this time. (Last year, we ended up with ashes or something in our beer because the wind blew everything our way.)

Overall, I enjoyed this dinner more than my DH. Since our reason for eating here was to watch Illuminations, and we have seen the show the past 2 years, we will skip on Rose & Crown next trip. If Epcot changes their nighttime show, we may reconsider and come back to R&C. We feel that there are much better restaurants, in Epcot alone, to come back again. The food was okay, service was terrible (worst of the week). If you want to see Illuminations without fighing for a seat or waiting too long, then this is for you. If you're not that interested in the show, go to another place for dinner.

Next up: Ohana breakfast
 
So, yeah...I changed the name of our reviews. The more I wrote, the more I thought the title was just...ehhhh...boring? This seems more fitting..."food coma" was more what it was like. And also, I NEVER EVER, EVEN ONCE turned down dessert. :cool1: (I'm very proud of that, by the way!)
 
I just started reading this and am enjoying your reviews. Also, congratulations on your recent nuptials.

Some thoughts/questions:

(Side note for you curious people: The other time was at AK when we watched the gorilla pick his nose and eat it! Totally awesome!!)

Will there be a review of this meal as well? With pix?

For an appetizer, I got the wild Gulf shrimp cocktail.

Sponsored by BP?

Seriously. We were wondering what was up with that...most of the really dressy people were also really young (early 20s perhaps). It reminded me of the Jersey Shore cast, if you know what I mean :lmao: (So sorry to all my neighbors in NJ)

Yeah -- that JWOW really classes up a joint.

Sorry you didn't enjoy your California Grill experience. We've done it twice and have loved it both times. One tip -- if you go back, you can request a table by the window overlooking the MK, and if they don't have anything, you can wait until something becomes available. We did that both times (had a drink in the bar while we waited), and didn't wait any more than 30 minutes either time. Watching the fireworks from your table is way cool, and thus worth the wait in my opinion.

In any event, looking forward to the rest of your reviews.
 
Will there be a review of this meal as well? With pix?
Well...since you mention it:
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We only got a picture of the food selection, not the actual ingestion. He seemed to really enjoy both processes. :laughing:



Sponsored by BP?
:rotfl2:



Yeah -- that JWOW really classes up a joint.
Seriously. I should've taken pictures. Words just can't describe it.

Sorry you didn't enjoy your California Grill experience. We've done it twice and have loved it both times. One tip -- if you go back, you can request a table by the window overlooking the MK, and if they don't have anything, you can wait until something becomes available. We did that both times (had a drink in the bar while we waited), and didn't wait any more than 30 minutes either time. Watching the fireworks from your table is way cool, and thus worth the wait in my opinion.
It's not that we (I) didn't enjoy it. It just didn't live up to all the hype in my head. I would definitely try it again if I was on the DDP. Thanks for the tip about requesting the table by the window. I don't usually like to do that, but in this case I just might.

I have been dying to try the bangers and mash!
Yummm.
 
For his app, DH got the crab cake.
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He proclaimed it the best crab cake he's ever had (he proceeded to say those exact same words 2 other times during our trip, but that's beside the point). I tasted it and it was a dang good crabcake. I feel like we are tough crab/crab cake critics because we live right on the eastern shore of Delaware. Crabs (and chicken) are our specialty. So, if we say they are good crab cakes, then they are good crab cakes. The coleslaw on top was a yummy contrasting flavor and texture.

I'm from Delmarva also! (The eastern shore of MD) Where else did you have good crab cakes in Disney? I'm so nervous about eating crab cakes anywhere else but in MD!
 
I'm from Delmarva also! (The eastern shore of MD) Where else did you have good crab cakes in Disney? I'm so nervous about eating crab cakes anywhere else but in MD!

Hey fellow Delmarvian! Good crab cakes...Brown Derby and Flying Fish. They were both delicious. Those are the only ones we tried, so there may be more. We were nervous as well. Especially when menus say "Maryland-Style Crab Cakes." :rotfl: We were pleasantly surprised.
 
I loved Ohana for breakfast!

First of all, I think the Poly is my favorite resort. I stayed here once when I was 4 (wayyyy back), but of course I don't remember much. I love tropical, island themes, and this definitely fits the bill.

Secondly, they bring the food to you!! It was just what we needed on an early morning after 5 hot days of walking a lot and rushing around. We didn't have to wait in lines or juggle plates in the buffet lines. We just sat back, relaxed, and...ate!

The food was your standard breakfast fare, but that was fine for us. It was definitely more than we could eat and I had that terrible, wasteful feeling (I would come to find later that "wastefulness" is a theme for Ohana:sad2:).

The characters were fun, but not the reason we came. They all spent plenty of time with us and, in fact, they all came around twice while we were there.
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I would recommend this breakfast buffet. It was very quiet, relaxing, and beautiful. What a great way to start the morning!

Next up: Coral Reef lunch
 
We were both really looking forward to this lunch. Ever since I was really little and came to D-World, I can remember hearing about this place. I always thought it sounded so cool, but we never really ate at nice places when we came. Now that we were on the DXDP, I knew we just HAD to give it a shot. Even though we had read many mixed reviews, we ended up sticking with our ADR.

When we first walked in, I thought the decor and theming were SO cool. I really did feel as if I was underwater. The cool AC, the blue tiled floor, and the awesome overhead lights really added to the ambience.

We were seated right beside the tank! Boy, was I excited! The dining room was even more incredible than the waiting area. There was a surreal blue-green glow that illuminated everything, and it was very cool, dark, and quiet. (We had a 1:30 ADR, so I think we avoided most of the lunch crowd.) Our server was the best of the week. I do not know her name, but she was great. (Side note: We had the SLOWEST service at almost every restaurant this trip. This was the only meal where the server was fully sttentive and paced the meal properly...but, more on all that later.;))

We decided to share the appetizer for two.
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It included samplings of Seared Scallops with a cauliflower foam with black truffle vinaigrette; Sea and Land: Grilled shrimp with cucumber salad and BBQ beef skewer with creamy polenta; and a taste of Creamy Lobster Soup. Being a gal who like a little bit of everything, I loved it. Everything I tasted, I liked (well...except for the cauliflower foam:eek:). DH liked it as well. If you have never been to Coral Reef before, I would recommend this appetizer. Now that we had been and tried this, next time we would both get the land and sea. I loved the shrimp and DH loved the beef.

For my entree, I got the mahi (I think?!? :confused3)
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From what I remember, this was really yummy, but different. I enjoyed it a lot but would be willing to try something else next time.

DH got the tilapia.
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Poor thing didn't read the menu except for the word "tilapia", and it was served on a huge pile of...beans:scared1:. It looked beautiful and yummy to me, but to someone who is deathly afraid of veggies, it's not the best thing to see in front of you. :lmao: I gotta say, he handled it like a champ and tried the beans. He loved the fish, as tilapia is one of his favorites. He liked his dish, but would've probably asked for rice instead of beans if he had known better.

For dessert, I got the chocolate wave.
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I had heard so much about it, I HAD to get it. From what I remember, it was a really good chocolate cake, with a warm gooey center. Delicious!

DH got the Baileys and Jack Daniels mousse.
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He LOVED this and, I have to agree, it was delicious. It had a very strong alcohol taste to it. Honestly, I'm surprised we liked it so much because neither of us are liquor fans, but it was yummy.

I really loved this lunch experience. The ambience is what made it for us. It was so great to be in a cool, dark(er), romantic place to just relax and eat good food after being in the hot sun all morning. The tanks were really cool, and we saw a variety of sea life and scuba divers. Our waitress even brought us a champagne toast since we were celebrating our honeymoon. All in all, I would recommend this place to couples and families, expecially those who like seafood. We were very happy when we left.
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Congrats on your wedding!!

I just got sucked in and I'm loving your review!! We ate at several of the same restaurants as you and your hubby! I loved Coral Reef too!
 
Congrats on your wedding!!

I just got sucked in and I'm loving your review!! We ate at several of the same restaurants as you and your hubby! I loved Coral Reef too!

Thanks! :goodvibes
Glad you're enjoying the reviews.
IMO, Coral Reef doesn't get the praise it deserves.
 
Heather, I know you must be busy as both a newlywed and a preschool teacher but I sure hope that you can soon continue your reviews. I've been enjoying them so much!
 

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