11 Days of Deluxe Dining - Updated 7/20 Dessert Party - final update

[klacey1]

Subscribing-- looking forward to the rest!!

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

OK. So I fibbed a little. I completely forgot that we did Yak & Yeti the next day for lunch. So that will be next! But I'll do a double update and do my Brown Derby review as well.

So we actually originally had lunch reservations at Sanaa. But as I mentioned DH likes to change things up. He decided he didn't want to bus to the lodge, and then bus back to the park to go back to our resort, POR. So since we were already in Animal Kingdom, we decided to try Yak & Yeti. We already had plans to eat here later in the trip, as it's a favorite of some friends that we were meeting up with. We always meet up with our friends every time we go, and we always hit up Yak & Yeti with them. This was my favorite time there.

We got there right when they were opening, so it took a few minutes to get seated. We were seated up stairs, which was a new thing for us.
Chuck had not realized with the Deluxe Dining Plan we each got our own appetizer and dessert. He was in heaven, and I think finally realizing just how much food we would be eating. So here's what we got!

Dim Sum Basket for Two Pork pot stickers, shrimp siu mai, cha su boo and pork siu mai steamed on a banana leaf, soy lime dipping sauce 13.99

We decided to be risky here and get something completely different. We were not disappointed. Everything was super yummy. The big fluffy ones were the cha su boo I believe. They were my favorite. They had some sort of pork in the middle and a sauce, it tasted a bit like a sweet barbeque sauce. Like I said, super yummy.

Seared Miso Salmon Miso glazed Atlantic salmon, coconut-ginger rice, baby bok choy and shiitake mushroom stir-fry 24.99

The salmon was AMAZING!!! I enjoyed mixing in the rice some with each bit of salmon. It was super flavorful! The veggies ended up being over seasoned however. I love mushrooms, but I found these very slimy as well.

Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp Skirt steak, tempura-battered shrimp, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables, chili plum dipping sauce 25.99

Chuck got what our friends normally get every time. He said it was pretty good, but nothing special.

Fried Wontons Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream, honey-vanilla drizzle 7.99

I really love the wontons. They are so yummy! But I did find them super sweet.

Chocolate Cake Chocolate pudding cake, raspberry sauce 6.99

If it has the word pudding in it, Chuck's going to try it. He let me take a taste, as he's not much into sweets. It was really good but oh so rich! There's no way I could eat a whole piece of this cake! Mixed with the raspberry sauce the flavor reminded me of a raspberry hot chocolate my mother used to drink when I was little.

We left feeling super stuffed and wondered if we would even be hungry for our dinner reservations.

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

We had dinner reservations at the Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios. This was what we considered our first real meal on the dinning plan. We were attempting to try several 2TS credit restaurants this trip. We have eaten here one other time and it wasn't a very pleasant experience, but we decided to try again. I have some fond memories of coming here as a child with my family.

we were seated very quickly at a nice table in the back. Beside and kind of below us, was a couple who kept fighting. It was commercial more than anything, because the lady was hammered. She drank way too many martinis and when she got the bill, she cried! But she was in good spirits again when they left.

The first thing we noticed was that Donna, our server, cared more about all the other tables around us then us. This started our Dinning Plan conspiracy theory. While this is our first time on the deluxe plan, we've done the regular plan before. Sometimes we feel as if we are neglected because we are on the plan. Service is slow, or bad...and we can't help but wonder if there this is a coincidence or not. HOWEVER, I learned from Leroy Jethro Gibbs that there is no such thing as a coincidence! (That's an NCIS reference for all you out there that didn't catch that. )

Anyways, once we finally got to order our drinks, we were completely ready to order everything.


Andouille-crusted Prawn over Black Diamond Cheddar Grits, Wilded Greens, and Ancho Oil 11.00

This was so good. I'd never had a prawn or grits before, and I could eat this all day long.

“Our Famous Cobb Salad” with Finely Chopped Greens, Turkey Breast, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Avocado, Chives, and Cobb Dressing 8.00

Chuck loves there Cobb Salad...only time he'll ever even think of eating Blue Cheese.

Charred Filet of Beef over a Zellwood Corn and Pancetta Risotto, Arugula Pesto, and Pickled Rainbow Carrots 41.00

I'm pretty sure what I got was a little different than what's listed. It came with mashed potatoes can other veggies. But now that I remember back I think that it was supposed to come with risotto and rainbow carrots.


Spit-roasted American Bison with Sautéed Beets with Sautéed Beets tossed in an Herb-Shallot Vinaigrette, Forest Mushroom, White Truffle Croquette, and a Cocoa Espresso Barbecue Sauce 38.00

Chuck said this was pretty good. I had almost gotten this instead of my filet, so he let me try it. I thought it was super yummy! It was cold however.

We almost didn't order dessert. We waited. And waited. And waited. Finally Chuck got up and asked someone upfront to find Donna for us. She finally came back and we ordered the desserts and asked for our check, so we wouldn't have to wait forever.

Grapefruit Cake Brown Derby Original! Light Layers of Yellow Cake with fresh Grapefruit-Cream Cheese Icing 7.00

I had been dying to try this after stalking pictures here on the Dis. I like grapefruit. I like cake. I figured this was a sure thing. Oh my, totally not for me. I found it was great, until I swallowed. Then was left with an odd aftertaste I didn't care for.

Double Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée with Dark Chocolate-dipped Biscotti 8.00

Chuck, knowing that I live for creme brulee but that I had to try the grapefruit cake, ordered this. He didn't want dessert, but he figured, it came with the plan so why not get it anyways! I found this really good. Even Chuck took a bite!

Even though we asked for our check earlier, we ended up waiting forever while she chatted up the table next to us. This really set a bad tone for us. Our first "fancy" restaurant of the trip, and just awful service. We finally managed to get her attention and pay so we could leave.

With our bellies full, and mean slow Donna out of our mind, we headed over to look at the Osborne Family Lights. I cried. I'm not afraid to admit it. Christmas at Disney gets me every time!

Up next: Breakfast at Kona!

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

The next morning we decided to go to Kona Cafe before heading over to the MK early. We had a little bit of issues getting there because the monorail system was acting up this morning.

I'd been excited when Chuck agreed to eat breakfast here. He's not a huge fan of 1.) breakfast in general, and 2.) eating at resort restaurants because of the extra travel it takes to get there. But I'd been dying to try the Tonga Toast here.

First things first. I'd really wanted to try the press pot here. But there were out! Out of coffee? Hardly seems right? So I had to settle for a regular cup. It was decent, but I was still disappointed.

Big Kahuna
French Toast, Pancakes topped with Pineapple Sauce and Macadamia Nut Butter, Eggs, Home-fried Potatoes, Ham, Bacon, and Sausage.
11.99

Chuck got the Big Kahuna. He ate almost everything if I remember right. He particularly enjoyed the french toast and sausage.

Tonga Toast
Banana-stuffed Sourdough French Toast rolled in Cinnamon Sugar and served with a Strawberry Compote and your choice of Ham, Bacon, or Sausage.
12.99

I of course had to try the Tonga Toast. I thought it was really delicious. Chuck did particularly care for it since it was covered in sugar, and he doesn't care for sweets. Crazy I know! I loved the strawberry compote that came with it too!

I would definitely eat here again. In fact, we have ADRs for our next trip coming up in April.

 

[johnsonginad]

Out of pressed pots? I would be devastated. Those things are to. Die. For. But, on the other hand, I think that Tonga Toast would make me happy again! I've not gotten to try it yet, but all of these pictures of it I keep seeing make me drool! Lol!!

Great reviews! Keep em comin'!

 

[JessicaKnits]

I'm in! I'm really excited to read your reviews as you are eating at a lot of places that we are planning to try on our September trip.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Signing on and looking forward to more.

You guys are most definitely adorable! But off to a bit of bad luck start with the bad/slow service at Brown Derby and lack of press pots at Kona! Am sure it gets better from here!

 

[jacksmom]

Great reviews!

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

We origionally had ADRs at Rose and Crown. But true to form, DH decided to change it up. He didn't think Rose and Crown was his thing, and he knew I'd been dying to eat at Fulton's, and we love our seafood. It took us forever to get to DTD, because we were already at the MK. We tried to take a monorail to the TC, and the monorails were down for the day. Then we forgot you can't get to DTD from the TC! Silly us. We ended up walking to the Polly and grabbing a bus to DTD from there.

We finally made it! And I was ready for some seafood!

We got in right away, there was no wait. The place was mostly empty, but we waited and waited and waited for our waiter. He finally came to take our drink orders, and explain the DDP to us. We had to wait a long time again to order our apps.

Shrimp Cocktail Jumbo shrimp, classic cocktail sauce 15.00
For some reason, I can't upload this picture. So imagine your standard Cocktail Shrimp in a glass photo here.

I decided to go with the classic Shrimp cocktail for my appetizer. It was pretty good. I was starving, so anything would have been good!

Lobster Bisque Blue crab garnish 9.00

Our waiter brought the blue crab out in a little cup and dumped it in the soup. He then attempted to make a cute Mickey head, not a bad job either! Chuck said this was really good. He's a big lobster bisque person, so I'm glad he enjoyed it!

After much deliberation, we ordered something not like either of us to. We were on vacation right?! So let's have an experience!

Louis Fulton's Ultimate Crab and Lobster Experience for Two
Two whole pound and a quarter Maine lobsters, Alaska snow crab, Pacific Northwest dungeness crab. Served with red skin potatoes
92.00

Our waiter came by and showed us how to get the crab meat out efficiently. He also came by (much later) to show us how to get the meat out of the lobster shell. It was amazing. It took a long time to eat, but it was deliciously messy, and fun to eat!

All in all our food was good, but our service was incredibly slow here. We waited a ton in between everything. We waited about 30 minutes for our desserts. Now, I never pass up dessert. Ever. If I'm stuffed, I'll find room for at least one bite of delicious goodness. We were there so long, and waiting, that we got the dessert to go...and it took so long waiting for it, we passed on it. We were there for 3 hours! I was really worried about our awesome dinner we had planned, because I was afraid I wouldn't be hungry! But don't worry....I was.

 

[gardengirl628]

Great reviews so far! Thanks for sharing!

 

[vettegirl]

Enjoying reading about your adventures!

 

[nutz2notz]

Yes, you guys are cute and I'm really enjoying your reviews.

Looking forward to more.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Joining in!

I have also found the service at Brown Derby to be sub-par. It was certainly the worst service we had at a signature restaurant (and quite a few non-signature restaurants!). We were on the dining plan, too, so perhaps that was the difference? (I know it's not supposed to make a difference, but our server certainly gave us the impression we were a waste of her time. I thought it was rather rude.)

That plate of crab and lobster looks amazing! You will have to try the Rose & Crown sometime... we thought it was great!

 

[lobsterkmd]

Loving your reviews!! The service at Brown Derby is up and down. I have had the best WDW service thus far there and I have also had the worst. Luckily the best was the last time I dined there- I almost didn't go.

I am looking forward to reading more!!

 

[princess aleya]

Enjoying your review, can't wait see more. Everything looks amazing

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

Joining in!

I have also found the service at Brown Derby to be sub-par. It was certainly the worst service we had at a signature restaurant (and quite a few non-signature restaurants!). We were on the dining plan, too, so perhaps that was the difference? (I know it's not supposed to make a difference, but our server certainly gave us the impression we were a waste of her time. I thought it was rather rude.)

That plate of crab and lobster looks amazing! You will have to try the Rose & Crown sometime... we thought it was great!

We are getting ready to go back to WDW in about a month. We are definitly trying Rose & Crown this time. DH finally decided that too many people like it for us not to try it!

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

So up next is Le Celliers! I've been trying for about three trips to Disney to get ADRs here, but since we always plan our trips fairly last minute, they are usually booked up. This time, I got lucky! DH also ended up enjoying it so much, he spammed our mobile magic app for another reservation to open up. He actually found several, but I told him twice in one trip is plenty!

Bread

I really loved the pretzel sticks. But neither of us cared for the one with the sunflower seeds. It was very dry.

Whiskey Flight

Chuck loves whiskey so he decided to get the flight. He enjoyed it so much, he got two on our second trip here!.

Margarita Flight

I decided to try this. It was pretty good. I picked up the glowing ice cube at one point to turn it off from flashing, and I dropped it on the corner of the glass. It totally broke the glass. Our waitress was really cool about it though, and said that the glasses are tiny and delicate. She even brought me a new drink even though I had drank that one.

Margarita

I had this our second dinner there. It was pretty tasty.

"Cedar Creek" Clams Provençal Oven-roasted Tomato, Fennel, and Garlic-Basil Pistou 15.00

Chuck had this the first dinner. He proclaimed them to be amazing, especially the broth.

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup made with Moosehead Beer and "Neuske's" Smoked Bacon 9.00

I had the soup, I don't usually order soups at restaurants. But I was so glad I did! This was super yummy and cheesy.

Assortment of Artisanal Cheese with Chef's Selection of Dried Fruits and Preserves 14.00

I also don't usualy get cheese plates, but I did quite a bit on this trip. This was probably my favorite. I loved the honeycomb and Brie combination.

"Chef's Garden" Caesar Salad Baby Romaine, Brioche Croutons, Parmesan, and Boquerones 10.00

Chuck said that as salads go this was pretty good, but he would have rather had clams again.


“Le Cellier” Mushroom Filet Mignon AAA Canadian Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Risotto, White Turffle-Butter Sauce, and Micro Chervil 43.00

So as I said we had the same entrees on both nights since we loved them so much. I'm usually not a steak person, but this was the best steak I've ever had, and the risotto was so delicious!

Canadian “AAA” New York Strip Steak with Potato Pavé, Wilted Spinach, and Vin Rouge Reduction 44.00

DH is a steak person however. He loved his. He said it was the best steak of the trip.

Maple Crème Brûlée 6.99

I enjoyed the ceme brulee. It probably wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was still super yummy.

White Chocolate Cheesecake Citrus Shortbread Cookie, Seasonal Berries, and Raspberry Air 10.00

The while chocolate cheesecake was delicious! I did think that the outter layer has a weird texture

Chocolate Trio

I can't find this on their current menu. But it was a chocolate trio. Chuck loves the molten cake, which is his favorite dessert. He got it both times!

So the food was super good, and our service was amazing. We really enjoyed it here. Even waiting for out table was kinda fun. The first night we were there, the staff asked us Disney trivia questions. So that was fun.

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

The next day we headed back to Epcot. We were meeting some friends there that would hang out with us for the rest of our trip. You'll probably see them later in the report, because we did eat some meals together. But not this one. So we were feeling a bit adventurous and decided to try Nine Dragons. We discussed it for quite a bit before going in as I had read lots of mixed reviews on it, and most were not good.

I found the restaurant very pretty, and the staff to be very polite and nice. Our CM was super sweet and nice, but also very quiet and timid. We were seated at a small 2 seater table, and had the room basically to ourselves.

Shrimp and Chicken Egg Rolls
Tender Shrimp, Roast Chicken and fresh Bell Peppers, served with Plum-Chili and Ginger-Soy Sauces
7.98

Chuck got the egg rolls. He said they were really flavorful and he was glad that he got them.

Shrimp and Taro Lollipops
Playful take on a traditional Dim Sum favorite, served with special Wu Xiang Dipping Sauce
9.98

I was still feeling adventurous and these sounded yummy. I really enjoyed them and Chuck liked them too. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Now, when our sweet waitress brought them out, as you can see the sauce sites on the wood plate thing. Well, I stupidly had my camera sitting on the edge of the table near the wall. When she places the plate down, the sauce slide right off because she tipped it. It spilled all over my new camera, the table, and me! She kept saying "are you all right" over and over. Everything cleaned up fine and I spent some time scrubbing the stickiness out of the crevices of my camera, but we didn't see much of her the rest of the meal. I think she was embarrassed the poor thing.

Nine Dragons Fried Rice
Stir-Fried with Chicken, Ham, Eggs, and Vegetables, topped with Grilled Shrimp
15.98

So this was Chucks dish. He was disappointed with it. He said it was luke warm and didn't have much flavoring. He didn't think it had been fried together, but rather just mixed up together. (the veggies and meat seperate from the rice).
Honey-Sesame Chicken
16.98

This was delicious. I'm glad that I got something simple, that I would get at home even. The honey sauce was super tasty on the chicken, and I thought it made a very pretty plate. I was please with this.

Coconut Rice Pudding
Nutty and Creamy - Sticky Red Rice Pudding infused with Coconut Milk and touch of Cinnamon served with Wonton Crisps
7.98

DH found this pretty flavorless as well. He was really excited about it, but just thought it tasted bland. He didn't eat much and instead sat and watched me eat my dessert.

Ice Cream
Strawberry-Red Bean or Caramel-Ginger
3.98

I had the Strawberry-red bean ice cream. A-MAZING. Seriously. So yummy. I sat and ait a good bit until I didn't think Chuck could handle it anymore. He personally didn't care for the ice cream, but he doesn't really like strawberries.

Afterwards the food didn't sit very well on our tummies as Chinese food sometimes does. So we headed back to the POR for a nap. Obviously this wasn't the worst meal we've had but I don't think we'd go back. While my food was pretty good, Chuck didn't like his at all. I'm glad we tried it for our own, but I felt like we should have listened to some reviews.

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

For dinner we were meeting our friends at the California Grill before MVMCP! We're big fans of the CG and have eaten there before, and we are big fans of the party! So it was going to be a super night!

Our friends were a bit late to our ADR's, but we were able to get seated almost right away once they arrived. We sat in a section that was a round room with what would be an awesome view of Bay Lake I assume. But it was dark, and we couldn't see anything.

We did have rather slow service this time, which was slightly annoying since we were trying to make it to the party. Again, I debate weather being on the dinning plan effects your service. Our waiter was around and present in the room a lot...just not at our table. We had to get his attention a lot.

On to the food!!!I realize this is all changing, but it's still fun to share!

Spicy Kazan Roll . . . Crab, Shrimp, Scallops, Tuna, Fireball Sauce

So three of us got this for our appetizer. I love this dish. I get it every time I come here. The spicy sauce is in the middle loaded with scallops. It is rather spicy so I like that, because if your a baby like me, you can only handle a little bit of spice. The scallops just sort of melt in your mouth and feel so delicate. DELICIOUS!

“Dragon Roll” . . . Spicy and Tataki Tuna, Shrimp Tempura, Bell Pepper, Avocado, Chili-Soy Glaze

We all had a taste of this as it was HUGE. My piece had avocado on top instead of the tune. It was pretty tasty. I enjoyed it a lot.

Oak-fired Filet of Beef . . . Buttered Purple Stokes Mash, Citrus-glazed Baby Carrots, Teriyaki Barbecue
I forgot to get a picture of this. Chuck and one of our friends got this. Chuck said it was ok, nothing special, nothing too bad. I think it was over cooked though. Ingrid, our friend, didn't care for it I believe.

Seared Diver Scallops. . . Chestnut Risotto, Maple-Squash Broth, Honey-Chestnuts

I got these. They were ok. They weren't very warm, and I understand it's hard to keep seafood hot, I like my food hot. It felt like they were sitting under a warming station for awhile. The scallops were not melt in your mouth good like the ones with the sushi, so I was a little disappointed. I also found the risotto a bit chewy.

Bacon Cheeseburger . . . Wagyu Beef, Tillamook Cheddar, House-made Dill Pickles, Florida Tomato Ketchup

Elmer, the other friend, got a flatbread pizza for his entree. It was really neat. We all tasted it. I thought it tasted pretty good. Not really my cup of tea, but it was yummy. He hate all of it besides the bites we had. He liked it a lot.

I'm not sure what this dessert was called. i think it was some sort of holiday special. I think the peppermint bark candy was pretty yummy. Chuck didn't care for the chocolate cake, but liked the ice cream.


Fall Apple Cobbler
-Walnut-Oatmeal Streusel, Calvados Ice Cream and Apple Caramel Drizzle

On recommendation of our waiter I got this dessert. I think it had great potential. But as I said earlier, when things are meant to be hot, I like the hot! This was sat down in front of me and I was told to be careful, the container is super hot. Well, it wasn't. The cobbler was cold in the center. Like ice cold. i didn't eat it. However, I was full, and we were late for the party, so I didn't complain.

We want out to the view point since this was Ingrid and Elmer's first time at the CG. We had been hopping to be able to get ADR's to see the fireworks from here, but it wasn't in the cards.

I'm excited to see how the CG turns out when we go in December. I am disappointed that the awesome sushi chef is retiring. That was my favorite part about the CG!

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

Next up is Yak & Yeti again. This was one of our friends favorite places to eat, so we had to have lunch there again, plus, there's not a whole lot of choices in AK for TS meals.

Lettuce Cups for Two Minced chicken breast, chopped vegetables, Saigon Haison sauce, crisp lettuce cups 13.99

Chuck and I had the lettuce cups. They were delicious, and lettuce cups are always a favorite of mine. The lettuce was nice and crisp and the chicken was tender, and the sauce had a little zing.

Pork Egg Rolls 5.99

Pork Pot Stickers Pan seared or steamed, soy lime dipping sauce 8.99

Our friends got the pot stickers and egg rolls. They said they were both pretty yummy. I had a bite of the egg roll and agreed.

I have no idea what drink I got, but it was amazingly refreshing.

Baby Back Ribs Slow-cooked pork ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice, sweet chili slaw 25.99

DH got the ribs. He said they were really good! They were also pretty messy!

Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp Skirt steak, tempura-battered shrimp, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables, chili plum dipping sauce 25.99

Our friends both got this as it is their favorite. They both enjoyed it as always.

Malaysian Seafood Curry Mahi Mahi, scallops, lttle neck clams, mussels, shrimp, zucchini, roma tomatoes, red curry coconut broth, jasmine rice 22.99

I got the curry. Can I just say this was one of my most amazing finds on this trip. I was worried it would be really spicy, and I don't handle heat super well. The waitress assured me it wasn't too hot, so I gave it a try. The broth was so flavorful, and while it had a little zing, it wasn't spicy at all. I enjoyed every bit of this, even the rice was amazing. Everything was cooked perfectly too. YUM!

New York Cheesecake New York style cheesecake, mango and strawberry coulis, fresh whipped cream 6.99

While Chuck got the chocolate cake again, I tried the cheesecake. It tasted just like a cheesecake should and was pretty good. I was pretty stuffed by this time though, and didn't eat a lot of it.

To summarize, it was a good trip to Yak & Yeti as always. I found a favorite dish there, and we will definitely be back!