2 Adults, DDP, 12 TS/11 CS Restaurants, and Our First Dining Report! Final Rankings!

[sophie832]

We had a rough morning on 12/9. I was way excited about the Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour, but my excitement declined when I was so tired at 7:30am, plus it was freezing cold. I am not exaggerating. The temps might've been in the 40s, but wind chill made it feel like the low 30s or the 20s. Our tour guide was a very nice man with amazing knowledge, but all I could think about was how cold I was. The tour even spent more time inside than usual towards the end, just to get everyone out of the bitter cold.

I had hoped to go to the Main St. Bakery for breakfast, but the tour ran longer than I thought, and breakfast was over at 11am. After some silly tears, we went over to Epcot and had lunch at Sunshine Seasons.

Soup sounded good, so I ordered a cup of vegetable soup with crisp flatbread:

This was actually a snack credit, since it didn't come with our meals. I am so glad we got it, though! It was a nice blend of veggies and a great start to the meal.

For the main course, we both got the roasted chicken, but we had slightly different sides:


DH had the mashed potatoes, and I went with the rice pilaf. The other side is kind of like a bean salad, but without the dressing. I was pretty hungry, and sometimes that makes me think things taste better than they actually do, but I remember this being a tasty piece of chicken. Actually, it was more chicken than we could both eat! I think I ate more of the beans than DH...he's not as much of a veggie person.

We both got fountain drinks, but choosing dessert was a lot of fun (they have a really nice selection). I got a strawberry shortcake:

Yes, this tasted as good as it looks.

DH wanted the cheescake with blueberry sauce on top:

It was good cheescake, but not the all-time greatest. Still, very good.

We had gone on the Behind the Seeds Tour the day before, and we heard that they use a lot of the freshly-grown ingredients in the food at Sunshine Seasons. Maybe that's why the soup was so good. The entire meal was definitely worth the CS (and snack) credits. I also liked the varied selection of foods. Although the seating area seemed fairly full, we had no trouble finding a table in the second seating area closer to Soarin'.

Overall rating? Can't wait to go back and try something different!

 

[sophie832]

After a nice lunch @ Sunshine Seasons and some mini golf at Fantasia Gardens, we were looking forward to dinner @ Teppan Edo.

Got to the top of the stairs, through the doors, and immediately made my way towards the podium on the right, which seemed to be the correct one. Well, not only was I not standing the actual line for a few minutes (had to go to the back of the line once I realized I wasn't actually in the line), but then I realized there's a second check-in area for Teppan Edo, and we actually checked in at Tokyo Dining. It was 7:40 on the dot, the time of our ADR. They gave me a buzzer anyway, which went off about a minute after we sat down.

As many of you know, Teppan Edo is another "family style" seating situation. Well, not only were all 8 of the other people at our table together, but apparently they were part of a larger grand gathering that took up most of the restaurant. Boy did we feel out of place! We sat with four adults and four kids. They were nice enough, but I could tell they weren't that happy to be there. One of the moms was hoping for Tokyo Dining, but didn't realize their ressie was at Teppan Edo. One of the dads watched the chef at the other table and then kind of made fun of ours when she did all the same jokes. Plus, they got a little irritable with the waitress when she was trying to understand their specific orders for their kids (one would only eat rice, the other only rice and broccoli, etc.). So, the company was a bit of a turn-off.

Nevertheless, we tried to enjoy the meal. For drinks, we both had iced green tea, which is a favorite of ours when we go for Japanese food back home. DH ordered the steak and shrimp and I ordered the chicken and shrimp. Here are various shots of the meals being prepared, etc.





Noodles and veggies:


Steak and shrimp:


Chicken and shrimp:


DH thinks the food was great! I didn't like it because they cook everything in a lot of oil, and everything just tasted oily to me. The only parts I kind of enjoyed were the mushrooms (by request) and the shrimp. Also, the soy sauce pours out super-fast! The man next to DH found that out the hard way, and he ended up with soy sauce/rice soup

There were two dessert choices, so we got one of each, green tea pudding and ginger cake:


DH loved the green tea pudding. It kind of tasted like green tea flan...I think other people on the DIS have described it like that, too. The ginger cake was pretty much the same as the one at Yakitori house. You can taste the ginger slightly, which is fine for me, since I'm not a huge ginger person. I thought the cake was great both times.

Total w/o DDP? $79.08 before tip

Atmosphere? Nothing special about it for us. Loud, and you can basically see a preview of your "show" at the next table. This is a 2.

Service? Our waitresses and our chef were all really nice. Our main server was Hitomi, and she was from Hiroshima. I spoke to her a bit about her home, and found out her grandmother was there when the atomic bomb went off...and she's still alive today! The CMs in the World Showcase have so many stories to tell! For being so nice and sharing that tidbit with us, service was a solid 4.

Food? I give it a 2 1/2, but DH says 3 1/2.

Overall rating? We doubt we'll be going back.

 

[sophie832]

As I was going through my receipts again, I realized I totally forgot that we went for some tequila before Teppan Edo! DH didn't take any pictures with his camera, so all that remains are cell phone pics. Once I upload those somewhere, I will post them here.

We got the last 1/2 booth, 1/2 table. It's such a small place that I felt lucky to get a seat. Everyone in the place seemed to be having a great time. Francisco, our waiter, was helpful in picking out our drinks.

La Cava was soooooo worth it! In order to keep us from getting too tipsy, I ordered some chips and salsa. DH is a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, and he was determined to do the Cava Tequila Flight (3 shots). I ordered the Avocado Margarita.

DH did indeed do all three shots of tequila, and I downed the entire margarita. The couple at the table next to us were pretty plowed, so they were fun company. They encouraged us to order more, but the cost stopped us. My next drink would've been the Jalapeno Margarita, though.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up for the drinks! The chips and salsa were pretty tasty, too. I just hope I can post some pics at some point. We left a little tipsy and a little more relaxed

Total was $36.75 before tip, and worth every penny.

 

[*sarah*]

Loving your reviews so far! Can't wait to read more!

 

[sophie832]

Loving your reviews so far! Can't wait to read more!

Thanks!

 

[sophie832]

I actually couldn't wait to post this one, since it was the only meal I can definitively say I hated. We were staying at the YC, and we had some extra CS credits, so we decided to try breakfast at the BC Marketplace the morning of 12/10. We got there about 10-15 mins. before breakfast was over, but there were still people ordering it.

The selection there is really limited, so DH ordered the ham & cheese omelet croissant.

This shot was taken after a few bites, obviously. He thought it was so-so. I didn't taste it because I don't like melted cheese. He ate the whole thing, so I guess it wasn't that bad.

I ordered the french toast sticks w/ham.

This was SO gross! The ham was somehow flavorless...it didn't even taste like ham. The french toast sticks weren't much better. They weren't hot, either. I barely ate any. DH ate a few french toast sticks, stating that they weren't as bad as I thought they were.

Overall rating? We did get 2 drinks with each meal, which was nice, but honestly I would never order breakfast there again. DH wasn't that happy, either, so he agreed we wouldn't be going back.

 

[sophie832]

I really wanted to tour the Port Orleans resorts, since DH and I were thinking of staying there in January. Thus, we ended up having lunch at Sassagoula Floatworks.

We were very happy with the selection of QS food there. I couldn't help myself, and went with the beef Po' Boy. We both had fountain drinks.

French fries in the sandwich...yes! The side is a pasta salad, and I had grapes for dessert. The sandwich was huge! I tried to eat it all, but failed. Still, I ate quite a bit. It was delicious! The pasta salad was pretty good...not too heavy on the dressing, which was nice. The lemons are for my iced tea, btw. I like lots of lemon in my iced tea.

DH had a grilled chicken sandwich w/fries and an oatmeal raisin cookie:

This sandwich looks pretty plain, but they have lots of fixins you can add. Overall, he was happy with it, and he really liked their fries. The cookie was fresh and very good. Again, we were dazzled by all the dessert choices in the bakery station.

Since we went later in the afternoon, the dining room was almost empty. We had our pick of tables, so we chose a nice 2-person table next to the window. DH liked seeing "Suite Life on Deck" on the TV (yes, we watch it from time-to-time).

Overall rating? A great use of CS credits! Good selection, and tasty food. We would definitely go back.

 

[lilandvisma]

We had 2 OOP TS meals planned, one of which was lunch at Sci-Fi. We wanted to go because of the experience, although we were hoping for good food, too, of course.

We had an ADR at 11:50am. We arrived 10 minutes early, were handed a buzzer, and got seated about 5 minutes later. Waiting was no big deal, since there were only 2 other parties waiting, so we could just sit in the lobby. While we were there, at least 2 groups came by to ask if they had walk-in seating, which they didn't.

We were seated in the middle seat of one of the cars towards the back. The front seat was occupied by a man and his approximately 3-year-old son, while the back seat was occupied by a man and his tween daughter. Our waiter, Christian, seemed to take a bit of a long time getting to us, but it was maybe 10 minutes at most. He took our drink orders, plus the meal order for the people in front of us. I ordered a cherry Coke, and DH ordered their light pomegranate lemonade.

Once the drinks came, we ordered. The waitress for other cars nearby was so much more animated and friendly than our waiter. He wasn't rude or anything, but he just didn't have much personality. Plus, he would be gone for long periods of time while she was always coming around.

I ordered the Italian Grilled Chicken Sandwich, with the cucumber salad. Since I'm not a huge fan of melted cheese, but I love provolone, I asked for the cheese on the side. This is what it looked like when it came out:



It was missing the bruschetta! I guess the cooks thought I didn't want any because I asked for the cheese on the side?

I let our waiter know, but of course it took him a while to get the side of bruschetta out to me, and I'd already eaten half the sandwich by then. The sandwich was decent with the bruschetta, although the chicken was a little dry. The cucumber salad was typical...if you like pickled cucumbers, you'll like it.

DH ordered the Angus Chuck Burger with cheddar cheese and french fries.



He said it was fine...no complaints. They didn't ask how he wanted the burger cooked, but it was probably medium well or well done. Hard to tell in the dark.

Since we were paying OOP, we didn't order dessert.

Total OOP cost (before tip)? $37.13

Atmosphere? We give it a 4. It would've been a 5, but the little boy in the seat in front of us was a bit...ummm...hyperactive. His father didn't seem to care about anything except eating, so the boy was constantly climbing all over the seat, and often turned to stare at us or put his hand over the back of the seat towards our food. Not fun.

Service? This gets a 2. Not great.

Food? This is a 2 for me, and a 3 for the DH. I think if I'd had the bruschetta on the sandwich, it might've been a 3.

Overall rating? We might eat here again...but for the atmosphere only.

haha, I hate melted cheese as well And despise butter and the taste of it ! Totally loving your reviews as we seem to have a lot in common when in comes to food !

 

[Belle5]

I am thoroughly enjoying your reviews! Thanks so much for taking the time to share them with us!

 

[SuperRob]

La Cava was soooooo worth it!

Is La Cava at Epcot as well? Sounds like some place I'd have to go.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Great updates!!! Sorry to hear you had an unpleasant experience at Beach Club Marketplace!

It can occasionally be annoying with tablemates at Teppan Edo and other hibachi plces, especially as a smaller party (although sometimes the people you're seated with are perfectly lovely!). We love that type of food and show, but have pretty much resolved to not go back until we have a large enough group to fill a whole grill. It's not worth attempting the luck of the draw for us

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

great updates, enjoying your food reviews. How did you like the behind the seeds tour?

 

[LuvsTigger80]

As I was going through my receipts again, I realized I totally forgot that we went for some tequila before Teppan Edo! DH didn't take any pictures with his camera, so all that remains are cell phone pics. Once I upload those somewhere, I will post them here.

We got the last 1/2 booth, 1/2 table. It's such a small place that I felt lucky to get a seat. Everyone in the place seemed to be having a great time. Francisco, our waiter, was helpful in picking out our drinks.

La Cava was soooooo worth it! In order to keep us from getting too tipsy, I ordered some chips and salsa. DH is a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, and he was determined to do the Cava Tequila Flight (3 shots). I ordered the Avocado Margarita.

DH did indeed do all three shots of tequila, and I downed the entire margarita. The couple at the table next to us were pretty plowed, so they were fun company. They encouraged us to order more, but the cost stopped us. My next drink would've been the Jalapeno Margarita, though.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up for the drinks! The chips and salsa were pretty tasty, too. I just hope I can post some pics at some point. We left a little tipsy and a little more relaxed

Total was $36.75 before tip, and worth every penny.

Hi there!! just thought I would pop in say hi to a neighbor! My hubby can't wait to try this place. I don't think it was open yet on our last trip! Did you like the Avocado? My hubby had to make this at home(he found a recipe online). He likes it...says he feels like he needs chips to drink it.

 

[sophie832]

haha, I hate melted cheese as well And despise butter and the taste of it ! Totally loving your reviews as we seem to have a lot in common when in comes to food !

Oh wow! Finally someone who hates both those foods, too! We are kindred spirits in the food world!

I am thoroughly enjoying your reviews! Thanks so much for taking the time to share them with us!

Thanks for reading

Is La Cava at Epcot as well? Sounds like some place I'd have to go.

It's really someplace any adult who drinks alcohol should go to.

Great updates!!! Sorry to hear you had an unpleasant experience at Beach Club Marketplace!

It can occasionally be annoying with tablemates at Teppan Edo and other hibachi plces, especially as a smaller party (although sometimes the people you're seated with are perfectly lovely!). We love that type of food and show, but have pretty much resolved to not go back until we have a large enough group to fill a whole grill. It's not worth attempting the luck of the draw for us

Yeah, that's what we were thinking about Teppan Edo, too. Of course, that might mean we never go back

great updates, enjoying your food reviews. How did you like the behind the seeds tour?

I booked Behind the Seeds for DH, since he's an avid gardener and grows a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. Also, the boat ride in the Land was one of the only rides I remember from my WDW trip as a kid...I think back then it was sponsored by Kraft? So, that helped me get excited. In the end, we both really enjoyed the tour. We got lucky (and I mean this to be in no way offensive to families) with a small tour group of just 3 other adults. So, the tour was catered a little more towards adults. The other people in our group were also really into gardening, so they asked interesting questions, and so did DH. We got to taste fresh cucumber, release ladybugs, play a game of guessing spices in jars, and ended up with FPs for Soarin'! I don't know if all that is always part of the tour, but we had a great time. I'm not sure it's a tour worth repeating often, but I'm glad we did it.

Hi there!! just thought I would pop in say hi to a neighbor! My hubby can't wait to try this place. I don't think it was open yet on our last trip! Did you like the Avocado? My hubby had to make this at home(he found a recipe online). He likes it...says he feels like he needs chips to drink it.

Always nice to see a DIS-er from the LBC The Avocado was awesome! Our waiter recommended either the avocado or the jalapeno. Honestly, if it wasn't so expensive ($12/margarita) and we weren't eating so many chips before dinner, I would've stayed longer and had another drink. Hope you make it on your next trip!

 

[sophie832]

It's taken me a while to get to this review because I wanted to make sure I gave it some attention. We had an 8:40pm ADR at Tutto Italia. We showed up 10 minutes early, checked in, and were told our table was ready! After a few days of waiting for dinner every night, we found that to be very refreshing. Our table was by the window that looks into the Italy courtyard. Of course, the glass is kind of artsy, so everything you see is blurry, but it was still nice.

Almost immediately, our waiter Edoardo showed up to take our drink orders. We were already enjoying the restaurant, so we decided to have some real drinks. DH had the Placido Chanti, and I had a glass of pinot noir, but the name escapes me. Both were pretty good, although neither of us are wine connisseurs. We also got a nice bread basket and selection of olives right away.

We were amazed with the fast service! The different breads were nice. I don't think either one of us tried the butter. DH doesn't like olives, but I enjoyed each and every one of them. I should note that our food orders came out pretty fast, too.

For the main course, DH had the lobster ravioli:

You can see they put shrimp on top, which he loved, but he also thought the dish itself was spectacular.

I ordered the Casareci:

This is kind of like gnocchi in that the pasta is very thick. The sauce was meaty and oh-so-good! I cleaned my plate

Dessert was equally spectacular:

This is the Copetta, which is cream gelato with berries and chocolate sauce.

I had a trio of desserts (so I didn't have to decide), which was called the Piato Delizie:

From left to right, chocolate cake, cannoli, and tiramisu. All delicious!

To celebrate our anniversary (and this was only the second restaurant to do so), they brought out a lovely little chocolate mousse dessert with 2 candles:

Of course, I can't say no to dessert, so we ate that too.

I guess this is the point where I should mention that I am a pretty chatty person, and I usually make a bit of conversation with waiters or waitresses when they seem friendly. So, I started talking to Edoardo about his hometown (Naples), and how DH and I want to go to Italy someday, and over the course of the meal, we seemed to really make friends with him. So much so, that he gave us his e-mail address and told us to let him know if we were ever going to be in Naples, and he would give us a personal tour of the city!

Atmosphere? We sat in the little room off to the side of the main room, so it seemed quieter and more intimate. The decor was very Italian, I guess. This would be a 3 1/2.

Service? A total 5. We couldn't have been happier with Edoardo and the entire staff!

Food? Let's say 4 1/2. We both loved it, and have no complaint, but let's leave room for improvement.

Total w/o DDP? $116.86

Overall rating? We would definitely come back! This was one of the best meals of our trip!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Via Napoli looks great!! How funny you now have a tour guide should you ever visit Naples! All of your courses look fabulous

 

[sophie832]

Via Napoli looks great!! How funny you now have a tour guide should you ever visit Naples! All of your courses look fabulous

Via Napoli does look great! That's why we're trying it in a few weeks The review is Tutto. I hope VN is equally good!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Oops!! Freudian slip of the Italian restaurants - I've been interested to try Via Napoli, so it's been on my mind!

Let's try this again...TUTTO ITALIA looks great!!! Glad to see you had a good time there!! I haven't eaten in the Italy pavillion since Alfredo was there, seems as though it is worth a visit!

 

[jmm476]

I loved your review of Tutto, we'll be eating there Saturday night! I was a little bit concerned as I've heard a lot of bad reviews from there too, but your dishes look wonderful! Now I'm very excited to eat there.

 

[emmabelle]

I actually couldn't wait to post this one, since it was the only meal I can definitively say I hated. We were staying at the YC, and we had some extra CS credits, so we decided to try breakfast at the BC Marketplace the morning of 12/10. We got there about 10-15 mins. before breakfast was over, but there were still people ordering it.

Oh no! We're staying at the YC in 11 days and I thought we could get breakfast at BC marketplace some morning, but now I don't think I'll waste the money...


Love the pic's and the reviews by the way!