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

[2xcited2sleep]

Off to a great start. Can't wait for more!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for a wonderful update, we had LeCellier for our first time 3 weeks ago and my husband was surprised in a goodway. He thought it would't be great but we did have a wonderful lunch (I had what you got and I really liked it) and we had one of the best service during our trip. We will go again on our next trip

 

[crazycatlady]

We had lunch and dinner at LeCellier on our last trip and the food was fantastic both times. That fillet is amazing. My DD14 had the prime rib and it was good, but not nearly as good as the fillet.

I am planning on trying the R&C on our next trip. The warm drink with dessert is a great tip and I wonder if all of the restaurants offer that?

Really enjoying your reviews!

 

[sophie832]

I absolutely LOVE your reviews and pictures...I can't wait for more...

Off to a great start. Can't wait for more!

Thanks to both of you for following along!

Thanks for a wonderful update, we had LeCellier for our first time 3 weeks ago and my husband was surprised in a goodway. He thought it would't be great but we did have a wonderful lunch (I had what you got and I really liked it) and we had one of the best service during our trip. We will go again on our next trip

We had lunch and dinner at LeCellier on our last trip and the food was fantastic both times. That fillet is amazing. My DD14 had the prime rib and it was good, but not nearly as good as the fillet.

I am planning on trying the R&C on our next trip. The warm drink with dessert is a great tip and I wonder if all of the restaurants offer that?

Really enjoying your reviews!

We're going to try Le Cellier for lunch on the next trip. Good to hear you both had good lunch experiences.

 

[sophie832]

The "morning" of 12/7, which was actually past noon for us, we stopped by the Boardwalk Bakery before heading out to DTD. We wanted to use some snack credits and have a little breakfast.

Tried to get a pic of the chocolate croissant before biting into it, but we just couldn't help ourselves! Plus, we kind of forgot


We also got a cheesecake brownie:


If I remember correctly, the chocolate croissant was delicious, but the cheesecake layer was much tastier than the brownie layer. We also had some "coffee" to go with it.

Definitely a good use of snack credits, but probably would pass on the cheesecake brownie next time, and try something else.

 

[sophie832]

Got off the DTD bus at the first stop (Marketplace) and headed straight over to Wolfgang Puck Express. We'd heard that this location was better than the one on the West side, and it didn't disappoint. Apparently everyone else knew it was awesome too, though, because the line was out the door! I was a little sad to wait, until I heard someone say that the line was shorter than the one at Earl of Sandwich.

Anyway, our order was taken around 1:30pm, and we only waited in line for about 15 mins.

DH wanted sweet tea, but that machine was all out, so I got him the flavored iced tea, and I had the same. Here's a pic of our iced teas with one of our desserts (fresh fruit):


For his main course, DH ordered the Pesto Chicken Salad sandwich w/sweet potato fries:

He said the sandwich was tasty, no complaints. We are both lovers of sweet potato fries, and these did not disappoint.

I ordered the Pressed Bistro sandwich, also with sweet potato fries:

I know going in that this had a lot of unhealthy stuff in it, and the sauce was really overflowing on it, but I have to admit it was sooooo good!

For the other dessert, we ordered frozen yogurt w/one topping. The cashier told us to just ask our server about it, and our server told us to let her know, and she'd bring it out at the end. Well, that worked out fine, except our server disappeared for quite a while when we were ready to order dessert, so DH had to go hunt her down inside.

Here's a pic of the vanilla frozen yogurt with strawberry topping:

I love Pinkberry-style frozen yogurt (on the tart side)...this tasted like Penguin's. DH loved it, and I thought it was ok. I think anyone who likes the sweeter frozen yogurt would be fine with it.

By the time we left, there was no line, so I guess we'd hit the lunch rush. IF we make it back, we'll try to go at an off-peak time.

Total w/o DDP? $39.46

Overall rating? We'll be back!

 

[sophie832]

So, we'd had a fun time at DTD and Disneyquest, but now we'd been walking around killing time for an hour or so before our dinner ADR, and it was cold. Plus, I'd just spent 30 minutes on the phone with WDW tour reservations to switch our Behind the Steam Trains tour to an earlier day. After all of that, we arrived about 10-15 mins. early for our 7:40pm ADR. The inside waiting area was packed. DH went up to check in, and got a buzzer. No mention of how long the wait would be. Well...it was long.

I know that we'd just gotten lucky with the quick seating up until this point, but 30 mins. standing in a crowded waiting area was getting to me. During that time, I was bumped into tons of times, and I had a little girl hand me a religious pamphlet (I hate solicitation at any age...and where were her parents?!).

By the time we sat down, we were in a bad mood. Our table was in a great location to see the Irish singing/dancing show, but the booth portion that I sat in was the back side of a bar area, so people were sitting right on the other side of me with their feet dangling and kicking the back of my seat. Not to mention the family that was there for a bit and practically had their hands in my face.

Our server, Harlyn, was a nice guy, but it was so loud in the place that he had to yell all the time. DH wanted a beer, but not as dark as Guinness, so the server suggested Kilkenny. I had an iced tea.

Here's a pic of the Irish soda bread w/oil and beer for dipping, plus DH's beer in the background:


Close-up of the bread...and yes, there are bites in the bread already:

We both liked the bread and the dipping "sauce". The bread had a bit of a sweet taste, which was nice.

I ordered the ever-popular It's Not Bleedin' Chowder!

So good that I cleaned my plate.

DH had the Pie in the Sky:

The salad wasn't anything special, and he said the pie was average (he's a pot pie lover).

For dessert, I decided on the Trifle Sinful:

No one flavor in this was terribly strong, and yet it was delicious! I'm a big lover of custards and puddings, so I knew I'd enjoy it.

DH had to have Ger's Bread and Butter Pudding:

That's the best picture we got, so you can't really see the sauce you pour over it. DH declared it the best bread pudding he'd ever had. I don't like butter taste/sauce, so I didn't try it.

Total w/o DDP? $70.90

Atmosphere? We are torn on this. Maybe if we hadn't been in such a bad mood, we would've enjoyed it more. The noise and the show are probably authentic Irish pub, but we were so annoyed. Let's give it a 3.

Service? Harlyn was nice, considering our foul mood, but the wait for the table was frustrating (and the hostess seemed not to care about anyone's waiting issues). Let's say 3 1/2.

Food? This is a 4 1/2. Some of the better food we ate on the trip.

Overall rating? On the actual night we dined there, we were just in a bad mood, so I think we'll go back someday and hopefully be in a better mood. This is on our "maybe" list.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Oh how I love seeing those chocolate croissants on days at home! One of my favorite pastries in WDW (although nothing will top the Napoleons from France in my book!)

It sounds like we were seated in pretty much the same place at Raglan Road! I was sitting in the booth, and had people leaning over the back of the seat to get a better view of the band and dancers. It wasn't as noticeable after we and they got food though! We had had a bit of a wait when we checked in as well, but decided to sit outside in the little "patio" area (it was a bit chilly out, but preferable to being in the busy waiting area), so it was a bit more relaxed. The bread and butter pudding there is fantastic, but SO filling! I had convinced my boyfriend to split one with me, that we wouldn't finish two of them. We barely got through half of one!

 

[sophie832]

Oh how I love seeing those chocolate croissants on days at home! One of my favorite pastries in WDW (although nothing will top the Napoleons from France in my book!)

It sounds like we were seated in pretty much the same place at Raglan Road! I was sitting in the booth, and had people leaning over the back of the seat to get a better view of the band and dancers. It wasn't as noticeable after we and they got food though! We had had a bit of a wait when we checked in as well, but decided to sit outside in the little "patio" area (it was a bit chilly out, but preferable to being in the busy waiting area), so it was a bit more relaxed. The bread and butter pudding there is fantastic, but SO filling! I had convinced my boyfriend to split one with me, that we wouldn't finish two of them. We barely got through half of one!

I agree that the people leaning over seemed to be less of an issue after a while. Either they finished and left, or got their food...I don't know, but they weren't as intrusive.

Your post in your review about forgetting to add the restaurant list made me realize I hadn't really introduced DH and myself, so I went back to the first post and added a little background blurb.

 

[sophie832]

12/8 was our big MK day, so we decided to start off with some sweet treats for breakfast. This was a little bit by accident, since we stopped into the Main St. Movie Theater, thinking it would be like the one on DL's Main St., and found it was a store that connected with the Confectionary. There was no line, and only one woman ordering, so DH and I figured we might as well get some snacks.

DH decided on the seasonal gingerbread man w/chocolate Mickey ears:

Unfortunately, it looked better than it tasted. He only had a couple of bites before he gave it to me. It just wasn't that sweet, and not even that gingerbread-y. I still ended up eating a few bites later that day when I was a little hungry.

I got the chocolate-covered Smores:

This was ooey-gooey deliciousness! I devoured it (and I think I may have let DH have a taste).

I can't say for sure we'll end up back at the Confectionary again, since we didn't get a chance to hit up the Main St. Bakery, but if we did, I'm sure we would find something else tasty in place of that gingerbread man.

 

[sophie832]

I think this is a shot of the interior of CHH:

Not sure, but DH always notices details I wouldn't.

The restaurant was pretty busy, but not too bad. Only had to wait in line for maybe 10 mins. Anyway, DH had the chicken nuggets w/fries and sweet tea, and I had the Lighthouse sandwich with potato chips and regular iced tea. For dessert, DH had a strawberry yogurt and I had the apple crisp.

We found a nice table for 2 in the seating area up top. Nice decor overall...seemed to suit the restaurant well.

Here's a shot of most of the food at the table:


Close-up of my sandwich:


I could've sworn there was a close-up picture of the apple crisp, but now I can't find it. You can see it way in the top in the pic with all the food, but it's a bit blurry.

DH didn't finish all of his chicken strips because he said it was too much food. He thought the strips and fries were really good, though. The yogurt is Yoplait, so I think we all know what it tastes like. It was cold, so that's the best we could hope for.

I chose the Lighthouse sandwich because I felt like something vegetarian, and I love hummus. The sandwich wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I mostly tasted bread, and some kind of watery hummus-like sauce. It just wasn't that great. I never ate the potato chips...in fact, I still have them sitting at home.

I really liked the apple crisp. I like my dough a little more on the soft side, and I know most people probably expect a crisp to be, well, crisp, but the soft texture was fine for me. Plus, the apples were gooey and perfectly sweet. So tasty!

Overall rating? We'd go back, but I won't order the same sandwich next time.

 

[amandadisney]

Great reviews so far!

 

[sophie832]

I'd read a lot of mixed reviews about Coral Reef here on the DIS, so my expectations weren't particularly high going in. Still, I made the reservation because of the aquarium and my love of seafood.

We had a 7:00pm ADR, and arrived just a couple of minutes early. When the host handed us a buzzer, he told us they were running 25-30 minutes late. Well, at least he warned us...unlike the unkind hostess at Raglan Road. The seating area inside was full, and it was cold outside, so we stood up inside for a bit. Then a seat opened up, so we got to relax. Our buzzer went off at 7:30, which was right when we expected.

We got a table nearly next to the aquarium (the second row on the bottom level). The couple right next to the aquarium was actually the couple we'd sat next to for a bit while we were waiting. We didn't talk to them, but found it interesting we happened to be sitting near them.

This happened at a lot of the restaurants: we'd start taking pictures of the food, and our waiter would ask if we wanted him to take a picture of us together Usually, we would respond that we just wanted pictures of the food (we have a lot of Photopass pics of the two of us, and I don't consider myself to be at my best when I'm eating), which always confused the waiter, but this time we decided, why not?

You can see why we're not fans of pics taken while eating dinner

Our waiter, Jose, was wonderful. About halfway through the meal, I noticed his nametag showed he was from Colombia. DH is Colombian, and once we told Jose, he spoke Spanish with DH for a bit. I think it always helps if you hit it off with your server a little bit. Plus, DH is always glad to meet other Colombians.

For dinner, I ordered the Pan-Roasted Jumbo Sea Scallops and my usual iced tea:

This was my second consecutive night of scallops and mussels, but both meals turned out really well. Normally I am not a huge fan of mussels, but at RR and at CR, I thought they tasted really good. This dish has little pieces of pasta and chorizo mixed into a spicy tomato broth. It wasn't that spicy for my palette, but I like it spicy. DH thought it was spicier than he would've liked. I cleaned my plate, so that should tell you I loved it.

I thought DH would order the steak, but instead he ordered the Seared Chicken Breast:

It's served over spaetzle, which makes this our second spaetzle experience on the trip. The chicken was ok, but not great...not nearly as juicy as the one at R&C. DH and I both enjoyed the veggies and spaetzle...in fact, I finished it off after I'd finished my plate! Yes, I love to eat!

For dessert, DH decided on the Butterscotch creme brulee, since he loves butterscotch, and I got the Chocolate Wave.


Both were delicious. I don't think we tasted each other's, but we both were very happy with our choices.

The "Best Wishes" chocolates were the first mention of our anniversary by a restaurant since we'd begun our trip. The one on my plate is actually Take 2...the first one he brought out said "Happy Birthday" Oh well, it's the thought that counts I guess. Jose also gave us each a plastic dolphin (the kind that go in cocktails) to take with us.

Total w/o DDP? $71.72 before tip

Atmosphere? A solid 4. The aquarium and sea decor were awesome, but the open seating area is pretty loud.

Service? A 4 1/2. Jose was great!

Food? We can't complain. My dinner and the desserts were the highlights. We give it a 4.

Overall rating? We'd definitely go back!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Great-looking meal at Coral Reef! I've never been there, but BF was thinking that it would be a cool place to visit (I'm not a big seafood lover, so I wasn't as enthused ). Your review definitely makes me consider it for the future though!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Greetings from a fellow Cali-girl!

Loving your reviews! Was this your first visit? I enjoy reading DLR vets take on WDW.

I've been hesitant to try Rose & Crown, but it sounds like I'll be adding that our ADR list for our next visit, thanks to your review. My DD was so happy to see your review on the Udon at Yakitori House, as well.

Should you decide to try CHH, may I recommend the Anchors Away sandwich? It's the most magical tuna you'll ever eat. Trust me.


~Tracy

 

[sophie832]

Great-looking meal at Coral Reef! I've never been there, but BF was thinking that it would be a cool place to visit (I'm not a big seafood lover, so I wasn't as enthused ). Your review definitely makes me consider it for the future though!

I've read so many mixed reviews about Coral Reef, but I guess that's true of most of the WDW restaurants. We really enjoyed it, so I think it's worth giving it a shot someday. The only thing that was tough was waiting for a table, and I've seen a lot of people mention having a long wait, so that's something to consider.

Greetings from a fellow Cali-girl!

Loving your reviews! Was this your first visit? I enjoy reading DLR vets take on WDW.

I've been hesitant to try Rose & Crown, but it sounds like I'll be adding that our ADR list for our next visit, thanks to your review. My DD was so happy to see your review on the Udon at Yakitori House, as well.

Should you decide to try CHH, may I recommend the Anchors Away sandwich? It's the most magical tuna you'll ever eat. Trust me.


~Tracy

Technically, this wasn't my first visit...I went with my parents when I was 9 or 10. It was a horrible trip in July, and I barely remember any of it. But, it was DH's first time, and it felt like my first time.

I love reading posts from fellow DLR vets, too! We have APs, so we upgraded to Premier APs for our trip. Being at WDW, especially the MK, felt pretty surreal at times, since we're so used to DL.

R&C was a restaurant that had gotten some bad reviews on the DIS prior to our visit, but as you can see, we really loved it! I don't think there's any restaurant in WDW that I wouldn't try at least once. It seems like everyone has different tastes, and different luck as far as service and food.

I wanted to get the tuna sandwich at CHH, but I changed my mind after thinking about how tuna salad can just sit out sometimes, and it has all that mayo in it...I know that's silly. I should've just gotten it. You're the second person I've seen this week on the DIS who's mentioned that it's really tasty.

 

[jmm476]

Just found your reviews (through your post in the R&C question). I love your reviews so far! And I'm glad to hear that you liked R&C, I just booked it last night and we'll be dining there in a week and a half.

Now my big dilemna is whether I should order the chicken over the sweet potato pillow or the vegetarian shepherd's pie...

 

[Miffy2003]

Really enjoying your reviews and photos

We had a Jarrod at Le Cellier last February - but it must have been a different one. Ours was also very nice!

 

[SuperRob]

Wonderful reviews, Sophie! Look forward to reading more!

 

[sophie832]

Just found your reviews (through your post in the R&C question). I love your reviews so far! And I'm glad to hear that you liked R&C, I just booked it last night and we'll be dining there in a week and a half.

Now my big dilemna is whether I should order the chicken over the sweet potato pillow or the vegetarian shepherd's pie...

I know how you feel! We're going back in Jan., and my dilemma is whether to order something different than DH, or just give in and order the chicken too.

Really enjoying your reviews and photos

We had a Jarrod at Le Cellier last February - but it must have been a different one. Ours was also very nice!

Thanks for reading! Jarrod must be a lucky Canadian name or something

Wonderful reviews, Sophie! Look forward to reading more!

Thanks