1200 pics, 1100 miles, 15 deluxe dining meals, 1 great time at POR *Completed 9/5*

[alan_renfroe]

It was about 11:50am on Sunday morning, June 1st. DW and DD had a 12:15pm lunch reservation at Crystal Palace. (DD's favorite character is Eeyore!) DS and I had a lunch reservation at Tony's Town Square. This is a tradition for he and I that started back in 2008. That year, DW and DD had reservations for a princess dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table. DS and I decided to try Tony's and we had a great experience. From that day on, DS said "we should make eating at Tony's our tradition!" I thought it was a sweet gesture...so now it continues!



We checked in and our names were called within 2 or 3 minutes.

In the past we've been seated towards the back of the main dining room. This time we were seated towards the front of the restaurant with a great view for people watching. We were offered a table outside, but it was too hot for that.





Our server's name was Jeffrey and he did a great job. Very pleasant service.

The lunch menu at Tony's:



Now keep in mind that we had slept in....then had what turned out to be a HUGE late breakfast with 9 beignets! It was a little sad but we weren't even that hungry.

DS ordered the Calamari as he has every single time we've been here:





He liked it as always but couldn't finish it. I had a bite or two and it was good, but not as good as Tutto Italia for sure.

I had intended on ordering the Calamari also, but thought I might have something a bit lighter. I ordered the Seasonal Melon with Prosciutto and a balsamic reduction.



This was SO good! It was just the right thing to order on a hot day.

For my entree I ordered the Shrimp Scampi:



I had ordered this the last time I was here and really enjoyed it. I read in someone's trip report that they ordered it with extra garlic to enhance the flavor, so I asked for extra garlic. It was perfect! It tasted great...but again, we were already so full that I only ate about half of mine.

DS ordered the Meatball Sliders:





By the time they arrived, DS was so full he only ate about half of one slider. He offered me a bite, but I was too full to even try a bite. They looked good. And the chips were good. Had we not loaded up on beignets about an hour and a half ago we would've really enjoyed these.

We had our server, Jeffrey, take a pic for us:



We were both WAY too full to even consider dessert, so we skipped it entirely. In fact, I was getting a little worried about DS...he wasn't feeling too great.

It would be hard to rate our experience at Tony's Town Square on this day but I think it was as good as it could be. The only thing wrong was that DS and I were both full when we got there. Neither of us were feeling very talkative and we didn't really get our bonding in like we usually do here. Other than that, the service was great, the food was very good, the atmosphere was good, and I got to enjoy the tradition of having a meal at Tony's with my DS. Overall grade I'd give our food and service: A-

Meanwhile, DW and DD were having lunch at Crystal Palace. We had decided early on in our planning stages that DS and I would have lunch at Tony's on this day, but DW and DD didn't know exactly what to do. They originally thought about taking the monorail to the Contemporary for lunch at The Wave. They considered doing the tea at the Grand Floridian, but they had done that before. We all had breakfast at Crystal Palace once before and absolutely loved it. So they decided to try lunch at Crystal Palace.

DD got to hug her very favorite character: Eeyore!





She got a kick out of the detail put into the costume, right down to the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey:



...and then Tigger bounced up!



When they first got there, they had just missed Pooh and Piglet while they were getting their food at the buffet. Before Pooh and Piglet came back around they were already finished with their meal.

They didn't get any food pics, but they were both underwhelmed with the lunch buffet at Crystal Palace. DW said that the breakfast buffet was WAYYY better and this was her least favorite meal of the entire trip. But again...you have to factor in the fact that we all had filled up on beignets before lunch! Shame on us!

 

[PrincePluto]

Subscribing!

Wow, you're just an updating machine! Nice that you and your son have a tradition just for the two of you. The food at Tony's all looks so yummy. It's interesting technique to try to provide an update on a meal where you weren't actually present!

 

[disneymania0711]

Love the TR!! You seem like you have a wonderful family who all share the Disney love!!

 

[maryj11]

Glad you posted the pictures of Tony's . We have never eaten there and thought about trying it so it was nice to see them.
Sorry your bonding with your son didn't go like it usually does , it may have been because of the big breakfast

 

[annie170]

That's too bad you couldn't eat all of your lunch. It looked really good. Nice picture of the two of you!

This is kind of the problem I run into with the Dining Plan. I feel like I'm always eating, and we just do the regular Dining Plan. Because it's prepaid, I feel the need to make the most of it by ordering the more expensive items or eating at the buffets.

I agree with your wife, breakfast is better at Crystal Palace. Lunch was alright, but just feels like a chain buffet to me. Too bad they missed out on Pooh and Piglet.

 

[pigletgirl]

All caught up. What a neat tradition your family has! It's too bad you guys were a bit too full, but it sounds like you all enjoyed yourselves!

 

[aqua319]

Just wanted to say I found your trip report and am loving it so far!! My fiancé and I will be staying at POR for our honeymoon in Nov. so I loved reading about your experience staying there. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I'm getting some great ideas from your trip report! I definitely think we will need to make sure we see Yeehaw Bob and go to POFQ for some beignets!! I can't believe you get that large a portion for a snack credit. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

 

[KatMark]

Great updates, Alan. I did not know about those monitors...that would be great if they got them at all of the resorts.

DS looks like he is saying "another picture?"

I LOVE all of your photopass pictures on Main Street...you could use any one of them for a Christmas card/letter.

I have never done Crystal Palace for lunch. I've learned over the years that the only buffets we will do at Disney is breakfast. Lunch and dinner are just not good at all.

I know you and DS enjoy Tony's. It's too bad you were still full from breakfast. I will say despite my lack of love for Tony's, I did enjoy that calamari earlier this month for dinner.

 

[DisFanAmI]

Following along... We were at POR just the week before! Hoping to write my first TR soon. Loving your pics!

 

[PrncessA]

Those beignets sure are filling!! We had the same experience with the dxddp and being to full from previous snacks or meals to eat at our scheduled meal as well! Those meatball sliders look really good, it is making me hungry!!

I love your father/son & mother/daughter tradition!!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Subscribing!

Wow, you're just an updating machine! Nice that you and your son have a tradition just for the two of you. The food at Tony's all looks so yummy. It's interesting technique to try to provide an update on a meal where you weren't actually present!

I'm missing Disney World already, so it's always fun to post a new update! Takes me back to those wonderful few days. Yes, it's pretty tough to review a restaurant that you didn't eat at...but DW was clearly not that impressed.

Love the TR!! You seem like you have a wonderful family who all share the Disney love!!

Awwww thanks! Glad to have you reading along!

Glad you posted the pictures of Tony's . We have never eaten there and thought about trying it so it was nice to see them.
Sorry your bonding with your son didn't go like it usually does , it may have been because of the big breakfast

I read a lot of mixed reviews on Tony's and I think it has a lot to do with your individual server and what, specifically, you order. Fortunately, we had a really good server and we liked the dishes we ordered. We definitely spoiled our meal by eating too many beignets so soon before lunch. Lesson learned!

That's too bad you couldn't eat all of your lunch. It looked really good. Nice picture of the two of you!

This is kind of the problem I run into with the Dining Plan. I feel like I'm always eating, and we just do the regular Dining Plan. Because it's prepaid, I feel the need to make the most of it by ordering the more expensive items or eating at the buffets.

I agree with your wife, breakfast is better at Crystal Palace. Lunch was alright, but just feels like a chain buffet to me. Too bad they missed out on Pooh and Piglet.

I happen to agree with you on the Dining Plan. There were times on this trip I felt like we didn't have as much freedom because of our meal schedules. Now DS absolutely LOVES the dining plan. However, if DW and I go back next year, just the two of us, we will go out of pocket. I like having dinner reservations, but I probably wouldn't make as many lunch ressies and eat some quick service meals.

All caught up. What a neat tradition your family has! It's too bad you guys were a bit too full, but it sounds like you all enjoyed yourselves!

Yeah, I hope we will continue this tradition for years to come. DS is 17, so he's at an age where parents aren't "cool", but he still likes keeping this tradition alive. Plus, it was weird going to the Magic Kingdom for the first time on this trip and the first thing we do is eat a meal. I think we were both ready to go ride rides!

Just wanted to say I found your trip report and am loving it so far!! My fiancé and I will be staying at POR for our honeymoon in Nov. so I loved reading about your experience staying there. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I'm getting some great ideas from your trip report! I definitely think we will need to make sure we see Yeehaw Bob and go to POFQ for some beignets!! I can't believe you get that large a portion for a snack credit. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

Hi aqua319! Welcome to our trip report! How exciting that you'll be at POR for your honeymoon. I think that is an excellent resort choice! POR is so peaceful and it's almost a destination in and of itself. And I would have to say Yeehaw Bob and beignets at French Quarter are must-dos! I hope to eat at Boatwright's next time we stay there...I regret that we never had the chance to eat there on this trip.

Great updates, Alan. I did not know about those monitors...that would be great if they got them at all of the resorts.

DS looks like he is saying "another picture?"

I LOVE all of your photopass pictures on Main Street...you could use any one of them for a Christmas card/letter.

I have never done Crystal Palace for lunch. I've learned over the years that the only buffets we will do at Disney is breakfast. Lunch and dinner are just not good at all.

I know you and DS enjoy Tony's. It's too bad you were still full from breakfast. I will say despite my lack of love for Tony's, I did enjoy that calamari earlier this month for dinner.

Oh, those monitors are wonderful for impatient people like me. I don't mind waiting, but I would like to have an idea of about how long I'll be waiting. These monitors track all of the buses and post a time you can expect each bus to arrive. POR has four bus stops, but only the South terminal had the monitor.

You nailed it with DS and the pictures. As I've stated before...he's 17 and he's good at it. Wait until you see more of our ride photos....he's got this look on his face that's like, "whatever." But he's a good kid, it's just that age where you have to remain "cool".

I totally agree with you about Disney buffets, with the possible exception of the clam bake at Cape May Cafe. The only other buffets we've had that weren't at breakfast were Crystal Palace and Hollywood & Vine. I hated H&V and would not go back.

It's funny because I don't really look forward to Tony's for the food as much as I do for the experience with my son. We were disappointed in 2009, but I must say this time was a really good experience. It's certainly not fine dining by any stretch.

Following along... We were at POR just the week before! Hoping to write my first TR soon. Loving your pics!

Hi and welcome to the trip report! If you get one started be sure to post the link here and I'll follow along! Hope you all loved POR as much as we did!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Those beignets sure are filling!! We had the same experience with the dxddp and being to full from previous snacks or meals to eat at our scheduled meal as well! Those meatball sliders look really good, it is making me hungry!!

I love your father/son & mother/daughter tradition!!

Hi Sara! This was the first time we've been since DD has been considered an adult. We would've been better off in some cases if she would've just ordered off the kids menu. DS, however, that's a different story. That boy can eat! It's too bad we were too full to enjoy the meatball sliders....wish I could have them right now!

 

[alan_renfroe]

It was about 12:55pm on Sunday, June 1 when I got a text from DW. She and DD were finished with their lunch at Crystal Palace and were heading to Mickey's Philharmagic. We had a FP+ for Space Mountain at 1:35pm and we had originally planned to meet up there. However, since they were finished with lunch and DS and I skipped dessert, we decided to meet them at Mickey's Philharmagic.

We walked right in to the pre-theatre area and waited....and waited...and waited. They were having some problems with the attraction.





After about 15 minutes they got it fixed and we entered the theatre. We were just about to give up and leave, but I'm glad we didn't.







This attraction has always been one of my family's favorites. It's like Disney's Greatest Hits! Love the music, the flying carpet, the 'splash', the smells....just love everything about this attraction. The theatre, however, is looking a bit worn these days. I hope they will maintain this wonderful attraction because all four of us love it.

After Mickey's Philharmagic it was time for our Fastpass for Space Mountain. We walked from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland. Along the way, I happened to notice the wait time for Anna & Elsa was 240 minutes and the wait time for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was 90 minutes. Fortunately, our family really wasn't interested in Anna & Elsa and we had a Fastpass for later at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

We approached Space Mountain with great enthusiam! DW and DD have never ridden!





When we got to the Fastpass entrance, a CM informed us that the attraction was down. He told us we would be automatically issued a new Fastpass that would be good for any attraction for the rest of the day. Works for me!

It had been hot and overcast all day. Finally, the clouds opened up and the typical Central Florida afternoon shower was upon us. So what do you do when you're in Tomorrowland and it's raining? Get on the PeopleMover, of course!



















By the time we got off, the heaviest of the rain had past. After a quick restroom break, we headed towards Frontierland. We had a 2:45pm Fastpass for Splash Mountain.





It was now about 2:20pm and the only things we had done at MK so far were Philharmagic and the Peoplemover. I was beginning to feel like the Hecks on The Middle! But the day was young...and we still had all three of our Fastpasses...not to mention that MK would be open until 3am with the Extra Magic Hours! So I wasn't too concerned.

Coming up next, a fun afternoon at MK...and later, dinner at Narcoossee's!

 

[teedee]

It seems like we were having the same vacation a week after you guys. Or at least ate in the same restaurants. We ate at Tony's and Crystal Palace on this trip. The meal at Tony's was one of the two best meal's we had all week. It gets bad reviews on these boards, but we've always loved it. We had great character inaction at Crystal Palace, but the food was only ok. It seemed like there weren't as many choices as there used to be.

I'm such a Disney nerd, the first time I get on a bus for the Magic Kingdom every trip and the music comes on I just tear up. Gets to me every time. Same thing when I see the castle for the first time.

Terri

 

[HumblePie]

What a great trip report!

 

[mickeystoontown]

It's too bad that you and your son weren't hungry enough to really enjoy your lunch at Tony's. At least you were able to continue the father/son tradition.

We've never had lunch at Crystal Palace but have had breakfast and dinner there and dinner is definitely the best. Maybe you guys can give dinner a try sometime and have a better experience.

Oh man! Don't you just hate it when Space Mountain is down? That happened to us too and we ended up trading our Fastpass for Buzz.

 

[joy13]

Just joined in - great report so far! I'm full just reading about all your food so far! It all looks yummy though. Can't wait to read more.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Oh wow Alan, I simply LOVE to death this tradition you share with your son. Not to mention the fact that he suggested it. That is awesome. Disney kids I'm telling you... Better than other kids.

Aww that's too bad about the lack of appetite though. But at least the tradition lives.

Haha, well I guess considering Eeyore is a featured guest at CP, it was a wise choice.

I think that's exactly why I love Philharmagic so much... a perfect mix of Greatest Hits.

 

[disneymania0711]

How do you know you read too much on DISboards??

I made meatball sliders for dinner tonight!! Maybe not Tony's good but I had to have some!!

 

[alan_renfroe]

It seems like we were having the same vacation a week after you guys. Or at least ate in the same restaurants. We ate at Tony's and Crystal Palace on this trip. The meal at Tony's was one of the two best meal's we had all week. It gets bad reviews on these boards, but we've always loved it. We had great character inaction at Crystal Palace, but the food was only ok. It seemed like there weren't as many choices as there used to be.

I'm such a Disney nerd, the first time I get on a bus for the Magic Kingdom every trip and the music comes on I just tear up. Gets to me every time. Same thing when I see the castle for the first time.

Terri

Hi Terri! I have to say our food and service at Tony's was really good that day for sure. And I'm the same way when I hear that music on the Magic Kingdom bus. It's the official signal that you've officially arrived at the Happiest Place on Earth!

What a great trip report!

Thank you very much! Welcome aboard!

It's too bad that you and your son weren't hungry enough to really enjoy your lunch at Tony's. At least you were able to continue the father/son tradition.

We've never had lunch at Crystal Palace but have had breakfast and dinner there and dinner is definitely the best. Maybe you guys can give dinner a try sometime and have a better experience.

Oh man! Don't you just hate it when Space Mountain is down? That happened to us too and we ended up trading our Fastpass for Buzz.

He and I sort of laugh about it now...we were so full we were miserable! But at least THAT is a story and it continues our father/son tradition at Tony's.

I would definitely try a dinner at Crystal Palace. I know we all really enjoyed our breakfast there on our last trip. We liked it WAY better than Chef Mickey's.

On the Space Mountain thing....well, stay tuned....I don't want to give any spoilers away! But it all worked out well!

Just joined in - great report so far! I'm full just reading about all your food so far! It all looks yummy though. Can't wait to read more.

Thank you joy13! Welcome aboard! We are glad to have you along for the trip!

Oh wow Alan, I simply LOVE to death this tradition you share with your son. Not to mention the fact that he suggested it. That is awesome. Disney kids I'm telling you... Better than other kids.

Aww that's too bad about the lack of appetite though. But at least the tradition lives.

Haha, well I guess considering Eeyore is a featured guest at CP, it was a wise choice.

I think that's exactly why I love Philharmagic so much... a perfect mix of Greatest Hits.

DS is a good kid and I'm so glad he and I started that tradition together. You never know...in the (hopefully VERY) distant future, he could have a child and it could be a tradition for all three of us!

DD has always adored Eeyore! She thinks he's so cute and sweet. She loves Crystal Palace!

Isn't Philharmagic just one of the best things ever? I never get tired of it and I could watch it over and over again.

How do you know you read too much on DISboards??

I made meatball sliders for dinner tonight!! Maybe not Tony's good but I had to have some!!

Hahahahaha! That cracked me up! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I'd say at least a thousand!
Hope you enjoyed the sliders tonight!