Never gonna make the clean plate club! 5 days of DxDDP with lots of pics!DONE 5/20

[Stellaluna]

I've been reading this boards for years, enjoying everyone else's reports and now it's finally my turn! We just returned from 5 days of Deluxe Dining with lots of pictures and very full stomachs. Here's our cast of characters:

Me, 43. I am a pretty adventurous eater, love seafood and steak and all those veggies everyone else seems to turn their nose up at. I do not however love tomatoes. I will eat them, but avoid them wherever possible. This makes Italian dining a challenge. I am an over planner, I poured over the boards and menus and changed reservations about a dozen times before we left .... and still ending up making changes once we were there. This is our first trip in 4 years and our first time on the dining plan so it was a bit of a learning experience for us too.

DH, 38 Dyed in the wool carnivore. Loves beef, his three favorite food groups are spaghetti, burgers and steak lol. Not big on vegetables, won't touch chicken, fish or seafood. Is not as picky as it sounds though, usually willing to try new things, as long as they don't revolve around his forbidden meats.

DS1, 13. AKA The Stomach. This kid is never full. He ate 2 entire chickens by himself at Medieval Times when he was two, and hasn't slowed down since. Puberty has only exacerbated the situation. Loves pizza, burgers and fries like most teenagers but loves to try new things too. He is a budding foodie who often reads the restaurant boards here with me. He's also the kid in every family picture making a face or putting rabbit ears behind his little brother.

DS2, 11 Always wants to try the most unusual thing on the menu. Is especially fond of seafood, crepes. Has Asperger's but surprisingly his sensory issues do not extend to food. Not fond of spicy foods, but will try almost anything once. Tended to have a meltdown every day at lunch. I have some great pictures of the back of his head.




Our Restaurant selections went like this:

Crystal Palace, breakfast
Whispering Canyon Cafe, lunch
O'hana, dinner
Le Cellier, lunch
Tutto Italia, dinner
50's Prime Time Cafe, lunch
Raglan Road, dinner
1900 Park Fare, breakfast
Rose and Crown, dinner
Yak and Yeti, lunch
Les Chefs de France, dinner

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 1: Crystal Palace, breakfast

We almost missed our reservations here as the morning check in did not go according to plan. Even though we were running late we only had to wait a few minutes to be seated. It was not very busy when we arrived but by the time we left there was quite a crowd outside.

Food here was mostly good. These are the poorest pictures of my trip. I was breaking in a new camera and didn't realize how blurry they were until it was too late. So bear with me, pics will get much better I promise:

Corned beef and potato hash, roasted potatoes, cheese cubes, sausage

The potatoes were yummy, made with bacon and very tender and flavorful. The hash was good too, had a nice consistency and lots of flavor. The cheese was cheese, lol and the bacon was cooked just right to my taste. The sausage however tasted 'off', I don't know if it their blend of spices or what but no one at our table liked this.

Chocolate Mickey Waffles, berries and whipped cream, grits, sausage, eggs and more hash. This was my plate

The berries were soo good! Fresh and sweet, I went back for more 3 times! They were nice with the chocolate waffles which were also good. They are very mild in their chocolate flavor, and I ate them without syrup, with the berries and cream. It was a great combo! Grits were good too, eggs were fresh on the buffet when I went up and just right.

Breakfast pizza and hash

DS1 said pizza was okay, he got a second serving of the hash but not the pizza.


Overall this is a good breakfast spot, and the character interaction here is great. Even at their ages my boys still get a kick out of meeting Pooh and friends, so it was a great way to start our vacation!

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 1 lunch, Whispering Canyon Cafe

After breakfast we took the boys to join the Pirates League. I tell you this so you will understand why my sons look the way they do in these pictures lol. It was a great experience by the way, DH was actually a little jealous once he got in there and saw everything, wished he had made an appointment for himself!

We headed to Wilderness Lodge a little early so we could look around the grounds. DH and I have always wanted to stay here but always end up choosing to spend our vacation budget on other parts of the vacation. The place really is quite beautiful and we enjoyed sitting in the lobby waiting to be called for our table.

I'll be honest. I didn't particularly want to eat here. But DS1 had read about the antics here and was dying to try it out. I knew he was going to be disappointed when we were shown to our table and I notice that every single table had a bottle of ketchup sitting on it already, as if to head off any shenanigans before they started. There was one waitress who seemed to be playing it up, but basically all we got was a vaguely rude waiter who threw straws at the table. Oh well. We were to have much better luck from here on out, and it hardly ruined our day so no sense dwelling.

Food was pretty good. DH and DS1 had the venison chili, The Stomach lived up to his name and cleaned his bowl in no time flat.

DS2 and I had the western chips and dip. These were good also, the chips were fresh and sauce was nice and cheesy.

The guys all ordered the bottomless shakes, chocolate for DS1, strawberry for DS2 aqnd vanilla for DH. I tasted all of them, they were very good real milkshakes.

DS2 had the Turkey Sandiwch: Dried Cranberry-Arugula Mayonnaise on
Blue Cheese Griddled Multigrain, Lettuce,
and Tomato with Grilled Vegetable
Pasta Salad or Potato Chips

He has the pasta salad. He said it was good but didn't eat much of it. This may have just been because he was very tired at this point and needing a break.

DS1 Had the Chicken Sandwich: Fried Chicken Breast topped with Pineapple Slaw
with Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad or
French Fries

He gave me his pineapple slaw, which I thorougly enjoyed. It was a nice combination of sweet and creamy and tart. He loved the sandwich and declared it "two thumbs up".

DH had the Angus Chuck Bacon Cheeseburger
with Bacon, Cheddar, Lettuce, and Tomato
with Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
or French Fries

It was a burger, it had bacon, DH was happy.

I had the Skillet: CANYON SKILLET
ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-ENJOY
Smoked Pork Ribs, Oven-roasted Chicken, and Pork Sausage served with
Cowboy Beans, Corn on the Cob, Creamy Coleslaw, Mashed Potatoes,
and Fresh-baked Cornbread

I didn't care for the beans, but I'm not a big baked bean person. The chicken was moist, the ribs were a little bland but the sauce was good. The sausage was very good, lots of flavor and a nice 'pop'. Mashed potatoes were nothing special, cornbread was okay.

We were exhausted and full at this point and so we got desert to go. I didn't get pics, sorry, but the guys got the smores cheesecake and I got the bread pudding. Bothe were okay, nothing special.

Overall I would give this lunch a C+. It's an okay choice but certainly nothing to go out of your way for. I doubt we will be back.

 

[irishsharon]

Great review so far Dh and I are planning our boys(8&5) first trip and where thinking of theDDXdpl so I cant wait to read more about what you thought, worth it or not?

 

[kimgof]

Great start! Great line up of restaurants you ate at. Your boys are very handsome and I know why you would call one "the stomach". I have a DS16 and I wish I could eat half the stuff he does!
Can't wait to read all about your dining adventures!

 

[Stellaluna]

Great review so far Dh and I are planning our boys(8&5) first trip and where thinking of theDDXdpl so I cant wait to read more about what you thought, worth it or not?

Thank you! We really enjoyed the DxDDP but it was a lot of food and a lot of eating. DS2 needs a break in the afternoon and we found that by the time we got done with a TS lunch, got back to the hotel, took some quiet time and got back into the park we had little time left to do anything before it was dinner time again. We would definitely do the deluxe again, but not for every trip. We will be back for a week in December and may do it then, it would be a nice break from the crowds I think.

Great start! Great line up of restaurants you ate at. Your boys are very handsome and I know why you would call one "the stomach". I have a DS16 and I wish I could eat half the stuff he does!
Can't wait to read all about your dining adventures!

Aww thanks. The ones you see in the pics are the floor models, your results may vary once you get them home.

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 1: O'hana Dinner

This is the meal my DH had been looking forward to all day. He is quite the meat eater and I had promised him endless skewers of grilled meat. After reading some of the mixed reviews recently I was afraid that maybe I had oversold this one. Fortunately we arrived on a night when they were spot on, and our meal here was fantastic.

They start you out with a lovely pineapple coconut bread. I would have a picture of this but DS1 hadn't been fed in absolutely HOURS and practically snatched our fingers off grabbing the bread. This was to be a recurring theme, fighting him for bread through the entire trip. Most of the pics of bread I think I did get he already has his hands in it.

Next is the salad, Mixed Greens with Mango-Poppy Seed Dressing

You can see the pathetic husk of bread that was left after DS1 got to it.

I loved the dressing on this, and I don't generally care for sweet or fruity dressings. This had a nice balance of sweet and tart. DH ate some but clearly he was saving himself for the meat.

They next brought out the dipping sauces and other sides.

House Made Peanut Sauce
Chimichurri Sauce
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce

Stir fried vegetables

Egg Noodles tossed in a peanut sauce with pineapple

Honey Coriander Chicken Wings

Pork fried dumplings

Predictably, DH and DS1 didn't touch the stir fried vegetables. DS1 prefers his veggies raw. I thought they were okay, nothing to brag about but prepared correctly and with decent flavor. The other items however.. WOW. The noodles were fantastic, firm and with lots of yummy sauce. The dumplings were full of fresh tasting veggies and nice and crisp. The wings were sticky and tasty and DS1 could have made a meal of these on their own.

Here's where I let you down my dear readers. I somehow did not get a single picture of the great skewers of meat. I blame this on DS2 -- he loves shrimp but can't stand peeling them -- the little feet get to him. So I was madly peeling shrimp instead of snapping pictures. This meal is where he put his brother to shame -- he ate an entire skewer of shrimp all by himself. I do not know how many shrimp that is, but these are big shrimp and it was ... well , a lot.

I will tell you this about the meat. It was heavenly. The beef was beautifully seasoned and very tender. The chicken was also well seasoned and not at all dry as I was afraid of. They had shrimp, pork, beef and chicken and each one was well seasoned and AMAZING. I was most impressed with the fact that each one had it's own unique flavors, there wasn't just one sauce or seasoning they lumped on everything, it was all done to suit the individual types of meat. This is now DH's favorite restaurant and he insists on coming back here whenever we are at Disney. The boys are still talking about this meal a week later.

Desert was a bread pudding in bananas foster sauce and ice cream. Also outstanding! Could have maybe used a few more bananas.

This one definitely gets an A. We will be back with bells on.

 

[nyrebecca]

Love it! Great pics!

 

[martinolichfamily]

Great reviews! I look forward to reading more! And seeing more pics!
Your Ohana review made me excited to try it in a few weeks!! I love some shrimp too!! We will for sure be going w/empty stomachs!! lol

 

[kimgof]

We love Ohanas ...especially the bread pudding

 

[danalee]

I'm in!! Looking good

 

[lin7]

Great reviews so far, looking forward to seeing more!

 

[bearbear]

great review. can't wait to read more.

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

CP breakfast looked so yummy - can't wait to do that on my next trip! Sorry WCC wasn't your favorite - It is hands-down my second favorite Disney restaurant only behind...Ohana. So good! Glad you enjoyed yourselves!!

Great review

 

[butiflfeet]

Great reviews so far! I'm glad to hear that Ohana did not disappoint

 

[2xcited2sleep]

You're off to a great start! Looking forward to hearing more. Sorry your Whispering Canyon experience was less than desirable. Sounds like you made up for it at O'Hana!

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 2: Le Cellier, lunch

We are generally not breakfast people so we just snacked our way around epcot waiting for lunch. I picked up this pastry in Norway:

It was pretty good. I am partial to fresh berries and these were as nice as the ones at breakfast the day before, fresh and sweet. The cream was lightly sweetened and good. The pastry was nothing special but overall it was still a yummy treat.

DS1 picked up this caramel brownie in Germany at Karamel Kuchen:

It was very sweet and very good.

DS2 grabbed Kaki Gori in Japan (sorry no pic) and this was also good, Cold and sugary, I especially liked the honeydew melon flavor.

We made it to Le Cellier a little early and went ahead and checked in. This is one reservation I was really looking forward to. Previously we had been annual passholders and had often just popped down without a lot of planning so getting into Le Cellier was almost impossible. This time I had known our travel dates enough in advance to score a reservation.

No pictures of the breadsticks (DS1 struck again) but the pretzel bread was everything I was hoping it would be. The multigrain was good too, with a nice nuttiness.

DS1 started with the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
made with Moosehead Beer and Bacon

Picture of this did not come out but it was all it was hyped to be. Cheesy, salty, yummy. Everyone had a taste and loved it. I'm going to be trying some of the recipes I've found online to recreate this at home. Might even pick up some pretzel bread sticks at Whole Foods to go with it.

DS2 proudly ordered the "Duck Balls". We tried not to giggle but failed miserably. What can I say, we're easily entertained.


Roasted Duck Meatballs
with a Caramelized Onion Tartlet and
a Cherry Gastrique

I am also missing this picture. These were also very good, DS only ate the meatball portion but I really thought the little caramelized onion tartlets they were served on made the dish. Lot of flavors that worked well together.

DH had the
Tomato Stack
with Caramelized Onions, Cucumbers,
Crumbled Blue Cheese, and
Yuzu Vinaigrette

This was sort of a nice take on a caprese salad, light and fresh. The flavors worked well together and the blue cheese didn't overwhelm like I thought it would. Very good.

I had the Lump Crab and Sweet Corn Custards
with Paprika Aïoli

These were pretty good, light and full of crab. I thought the aioli had a peculiar taste to it, but really did enjoy this appetizer.

For the main course, DS2 had the Chicken Crêpe
with Roasted Portobello Mushrooms,
Peppers, and a Blue Cheese
Béchamel Sauce

He got his without peppers. We were not expecting all the frisee on top, and he ended up picking most of it off. However he declared the crepe "really really good" and said the chicken was very tasty.

DS1 had the Le Cellier House Burger
with Roasted Mushrooms, Pancetta,
Maple Barbecue, Black Diamond Cheddar,
and Crispy Onions

This disappeared quickly so I assume it was good. He was still talking about the cheedar cheese soup he had as his appetizer.

DH had the New York Strip Steak
topped with Bercy Butter served with
Gruyére-Yukon Gold Potato Gratin

He loved this steak and the potatoes both. I didn't try the steak but the potatoes were good, a little salty. Hubby also cleaned his plate.

I had the Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon
served with Wild Mushroom Risotto
finished with White Truffle-Herb
Butter Sauce

The picture I have of this is poor and I'm sure you've seen this dish pictured dozens of times on these boards so I'm not posting it. I will say I subbed out the risotto for the cream cheese mashed potatoes, not because I don't like mushrooms (I love them) but I don't like risotto. It's a textural thing. The filet was to die for, and went wonderfully with the potatoes. It was tender and well seasoned and the sauce was outstanding. This was easily my favorite meal of the trip. I have seen people complain the food here is too salty, and I admit it had more salt than we are used to but was still very enjoyable for us.

I didn't get pictures of desserts. The boys had the chocolate mousse and devoured it. I had the maple creme brulee. I am a big fan of creme brulee, love the contrast of the toasty crunchy sugar and creamy custard. This did not disappoint and was the best creme brulee I had all week.

Overall, another A and definitely a new must do for us.

 

[vinotinto]

Neat reviews! Love your description of DS1 as "the stomach." Ha!

 

[disneydreaminA115]

yum! looking forward to the rest of your reviews!

 

[lilandvisma]

Joining in here !! Loving the reviews. We too thought Ohanas was spot on this time I've always thought the dessert could use a few more nanas as well but it's still sooo dang good! Can't wait to read more !!