2023 RunDisney Dopey/Princess Dining Report (Completed 4/19, Baseline Tap House, Kimono's)

[Disneyhanna]

Every time I got to Via Napoli I say I am going to try the pasta but then can't resist a pizza. But your pasta looked good (although I would do without the shrimp.) Also - how do you do a 10k with only a banana??? I always had to do a bagel with peanut butter before. And for the half, I had to do stinger gummies like every mile or so.

My secret is a huge and late dinner I often eat dinner 8-9pm so I am pretty used to a light breakfast, at 3AM I was probably still digesting ! I did gummies for the half and full, once I hit double digits I definitely need more breakfast. I think I also had some applesauce pouches and honey stinger waffles before the half and full beforehand as well! Usually I’m a person of habit and always order the same thing so the pasta was a deviation from the usual for me! But I was glad I tried it! You’ll save like $7 without the shrimp, ha!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Half Marathon and "Rest Day," January 7th​

'Ohana

So this day was actually my birthday! And to celebrate, I booked breakfast at 'Ohana with and was joined by a handful of running friends. I was a bit distracted and didn't get too many pictures of the food, so my apologies for the bad cropped photos!

This was my first time at 'Ohana, I've heard pretty lukewarm reviews in general but thought it would be a fun post-half marathon meal. Plus characters! There were a ton of people in the waiting area, I wonder if they were doing walk-ups? We had an 11:30 reservation and I checked in around 11:32 in the app. We were called at 11:43 but I totally missed the notification, I try and do the app and text notification just in case but still my phone never went off, strange. I didn't notice until around 11:55 but it wasn't an issue that we were over 10 minutes late, phew.



We walked by the kitchen on our way in and wow, look at all those waffle makers! Our hostess had clearly picked up a shift and had never worked at 'Ohana before, she was a little lost trying to find our table from the slip she had.



She only brought one tiny little pineapple-coconut bread for our table, there were five of us, at first we thought it was because she was new but we saw other servers bringing only one bread to even larger tables. We did ask for more since we were still carbo-loading for the marathon the next day of course!

I really liked this, it was served a bit chilled but it's a typical Hawaiian sweet bread, I didn't really taste any coconut. Very sweet and moist, with a little pineapple glaze that was delicious. If this was warm it would be even better!



I've been at the Poly a few times to look around but never in 'Ohana, I didn't realize it was such a beautiful restaurant with a more beautiful view!



The characters come around a few times, we saw Mickey, Stich, Lilo, and Pluto. Since we were a group of adults more interested in eating than conversing at that point, they didn't linger long. They do a little dance parade kind of like at Topolino's. Though the restaurant is pretty big and was full, it's wasn't as noisy or chaotic as I imagined.



You also get a few bowls of fresh fruits, and then they bring a skillet. We just got one for our table, again I thought that was a bit interesting. I am glad they are trying to cut down on waste but it's a bit awkward passing it around and there was only enough for one waffle, one biscuit, and a tiny bit of eggs and potatoes to go around. Of course you can ask for more but I would have preferred two skillets to start, we all had half marathon shirts on after all, we were going to need more than one waffle.



Overall the food was fine, the waffles were perfect and still hot, the biscuits were a bit dry and I would have loved a dish of gravy rather than just the butter. The eggs were typical, I was a bit disappointed there was no bacon though I heard after this meal that you can apparently ask for bacon? Wish I would have known! The sausage links and potatoes were also very typical, this really is just the same as those bounty platters from the value resorts but with characters and a fancier dining room. I did not try the ham, I was loading up on carbs instead.

Our waitress was fine, she stopped a few times and brought our refills quickly, no complaints. I don't think I had particularly standout service anywhere on this trip, but it was really busy and I know all the CMs are working very hard!

I had a sweet little surprise at the end, I was wearing my birthday button but I did not put I'm celebrating in the app or anything, but our waitress obviously saw and brought out a little cupcake. So nice of her!



This was a terrible refrigerated cupcake, I ate a bite to be polite but that was all I could force down

They were able to apply our discounts and split the checks here, so convenient.

Overall this was a solid breakfast but definitely nothing special, it is quite expensive at $45/person but for a special occasion it was a fun way to start the morning and fill up after the race. It is crazy to me that Topolino's breakfast is the exact same price, no wonder it is so much harder to book! If you're looking for good food and no characters, I 100% recommend Boma breakfast which has far tastier options.

During our meal and afterwards, a CM named Eddie greeted us and asked how we were doing. He had the biggest smile and was just the nicest person, just happy to be there, that really ended our experience on a good note!

We were meeting up with our running group outside at the Poly and enjoyed some time in the sun with friends and then went to MK to ride the train, before heading back to our resorts.

The Mara

Since I had a huge brunch, I finished off the day with quick service dinner at AKL. I mobile ordered a kids' chicken strips meal and the pasta with meatballs. I think the pasta is only served on race weekends. A bit of a bummer, as the Mara could really use a pasta option year-round.


Pasta with Meatballs, $10.99
Chicken Strips Served with Strawberry-flavored Yogurt Smoothie, Grapes and choice of Small DASANI® Bottled Water or Small Lowfat Milk, $8.49

The Mara was pretty busy around 6PM and it took about 15 minutes to get my mobile order. I had apple slices and fries as my two sides, and my pasta also came with a nice warm roll. I brought it back to my room to enjoy and wind down, I inhaled the chicken as I was pretty hungry. They were much meatier than some of the chicken strips I've had, not too much breading! The fries were typical Disney shoestring fries, and the roll was much better than I expected, nice and soft. I should have grabbed some butter! The pasta was solid, the noodles weren't overcooked and the marinara was plain but not bad, certainly better than the kids' pasta I had at Primo Piatto on my last trip that was so bland I will never forget it! It was a nice big portion, I ate every single noodle, gotta fuel up for the marathon the next day! I'm not a huge meatball person so I skipped those, I wish there was an option to skip them. Again, really wish this was always an option at the Mara as sometimes you just want some boring old pasta after a long day!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Marathon Day, January 8th​

Looking at my notes I think I should have eaten more this day than I did, LOL! I had a banana in the corrals along with some applesauce and a honey stinger waffle, nothing too exciting. Lots of electrolyte drink and gummies and another banana during the marathon, and I made it back to my room by about 12:30PM.

I may have had some snacks in my room, not sure but I headed to Epcot for dinner and had a pre-dinner of course, so I wouldn't be too hungry at actual dinner.

Connections Eatery

I had been craving a burger all trip, so I ended up mobile ordering a kids' meal around 3:30 to tide me over til dinner.


Kids' Cheeseburger Served with choice of two Sides and choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small DASANI® Bottled Water, $8.49

This came with fries but I ate them before I took the picture, lol. The hunger was starting to kick in! I find I'm not immediately hungry after a marathon, I fuel well enough (on pure sugar) during the races that I am usually okay for a while. But I think I inhale those fries before I even sat down.

I got the salad as my other side, it was tiny but actually a nice change from the usual kids' meal options. It had a very light vinaigrette, nothing fancy but thumbs up from me. The fries were regular shoestring fries, crispy and hot.

Funny enough, I think I have had more kids' burgers at WDW than adult burgers. I prefer regular burgers but I often don't want a burger as my whole meal, so I get the kids' version so I can also order something else. Does anyone else do this? The patty is really small, but I inhaled this as well, your typical kids' quick service burger but I liked that it was served on an actual plate, feels a bit fancier this way. I love how Connections has so much seating, they definitely thought that through.

Les Vins de Chefs de France

Time to give the slushies at France another chance, I learned from my mistake last time and got the super-sized version. I went with the citron slush this time, since I didn't like the orange version.


Citron Le Geant Slush (Grey Goose Citron, Vodka and Lemonade) with a Grey Goose Citron Shot, $19.95

This was hard to carry it was so full! It means you have to sip some of the floater first, my face was Also the hole in my slush, the bartender could have used softer hand with the grey goose, don't they know I need cute pics?!

There was just a hint of lemonade, enough to make it quite drinkable. But mostly tastes like alcohol, at least doesn’t taste like cheap alcohol! This was better than the orange slush but the frosé still takes the #1 spot in my heart. I'd say this is worth the extra money if you want your drink to pack a punch.

Karamell-Küche

One of my running friends recommended the gingerbread cookie at Karamell-Küche when we were at Via Napoli the other night, so I had to give that a try. I mobile ordered of course, and got my AP discount.


Caramel Gingerbread Cookie Sandwich, $5.99

This was huge, it is served chilled so the buttercream is hard. The cookie itself is still nice and chewy, not too hard, and is perfectly spiced. It is not too sweet, so the sweet thick layer of caramel and buttercream compliment it well. I like that there is so much cookie to filling ratio as the filling gets very sweet! This was so rich and decadent, 3-4 people could definitely share.

San Angel Inn Restaurante

We had a 6:30 San Angel Inn reservation, check-in and service there was quite speedy.



It is very dark in there! But your eyes adjust quickly. We were not by the water so I sort of forgot it was there. It wasn't too loud, I really did forget we were in a pavilion where people are coming and going constantly, it felt like a normal restaurant.

Sadly chips and salsa are not included, at least they were not offered to us. So we ordered some chips, salsa, and Queso for the table. The chips were fine, I don't think they were house made or anything, but I really enjoyed the salsa which has a good kick. The Queso was okay too, it congealed super fast! The portions were pretty small and I asked for more but we never got any!

I had to get an avocado margarita of course, this is the same as you get at La Cava. A light melon flavor, no taste of avocado, it just makes it nice and creamy instead of icy. Pre-mixed these days but still made fairly strong!


La Cava Avocado: Tromba blanco tequila, melon liqueur, fresh avocado, lime juice, hibiscus salt rim, $17

You can see the Queso here, it's a tiny little cup and we were all too polite to finish it off! Actually, I think we just ran out of chips, ha! The Margherita looks small but the cup is deceptively big.

The menu here is actually quite small, and doesn't seem to leave much room for customization. I am used to very Americanized tex mex where everything comes with lettuce and cheese and tomatoes and sour cream, so this was a bit different than what I'd usually order at a Mexican restaurant in that there were only a few ingredients in most of the dishes. I ended up ordering the ribeye tacos, I expected a pretty small dish but it ended up being way more food than I thought.


Tacos de Ribeye: Ribeye, thinly sliced, with Poblano peppers, red onions, bacon and Monterey Jack cheese served with corn tortillas and plantains, topped with crema Mexicana and cotija cheese, $30

This was a solid dish, the ribeye beef was tender and full of cheese, it came with four white corn tortillas and I think I had two of them and then just ate the beef plain, since I am pretty neutral on tortillas. There was way more meat than could ever fit in the four tortillas, so you won't leave hungry.

The plantains were delicious, I've had plantains many times and they are like a less sweet and more firm banana. These were prepared in a more savory way with the cheese, I enjoyed it. They were still firm despite being cooked, as opposed to when they are served caramelized and more cooked down.

The salsa verde was very good, very cilantro forward and had a good kick as well. It was nice to have a bit of spice in my food at WDW! Overall I enjoyed this dish and would consider ordering it again. None of the other menu items really appealed to me, I lean more towards Asian cuisines with noodles and white rice but I was still glad to have tried San Angel Inn!

Our server was very nice, and they were able to split our checks despite being a group and they brought the card reader to the table. One of the ladies I was dining with is from the UK and she was like finally, I can pay without them taking my card away

Overall thumbs up for San Angel Inn, I wouldn't rush back but I enjoyed it and the atmosphere was pleasant, nice without being stuffy but a big step up from the chaos of quick service or character meals.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I think there is something about running that triggers the need for a cheeseburger. I remember after I did the Princess half, all I wanted for dinner that night was a cheeseburger. My friends were like "Don't you want to go somewhere nice for a steak or something?" Nope - Splitsville for a cheeseburger, fries, and pina colada please.

 

[Disneyhanna]

I think there is something about running that triggers the need for a cheeseburger. I remember after I did the Princess half, all I wanted for dinner that night was a cheeseburger. My friends were like "Don't you want to go somewhere nice for a steak or something?" Nope - Splitsville for a cheeseburger, fries, and pina colada please.

No truer words said! Nothing hits like greasy, fatty food after a long run

 

[Disneyhanna]

I am back from Princess Weekend! Had many great eats including Boathouse, Trattoria, Rose and Crown, Grand Floridan Cafe, Baseline Taphouse, and more, so this DR will continue for a while!

Last Park Day, January 9th​

Topolino's Terrace Breakfast

On my last full day of the Dopey trip I went to Topolino's as a group of 5 for breakfast. Perfect post-marathon breakfast when the hunger really kicks in! They are always running a bit behind in my experience, so it did take a while to get seated after our check-in time around 11AM. We all got POG juice of course!



We were brought two buckets of pastries, we did not ask but I have never had issues getting refills. I tried all three, the chocolate chip muffin, croissant, and apple muffin. The chocolate chip muffin and croissant were like I remembered, the croissant was still crisp and obviously baked that morning. Absolutely delicious. The jam, honey butter, and Nutella are great but not needed.

The apple crumb muffin (not sure if that's what it's called?) is new, I didn't get a picture but it's a bit bigger than the chocolate chip muffin and was SO delicious. I thought I'd miss the turnover but this was the greatest thing ever, so warm and delicious and moist and obviously freshly baked. Wow, the pastries at Topolino's just hit it out of the park every time.

I ordered the steak as my main and a side of avocado toast, as well as a side of bacon. I believe you can now only get one entree and sides of breakfast items like eggs or bacon. Bummer! But it is a lot of food still, I understand. I'm glad I got to try a few of the things I would never order as my main (such as the toast or waffles).


Avocado Toast: Prosciutto, Poached Egg, Toy Box Tomatoes, Fennel, Harissa Vinaigrette, Ciabatta
The bread wasn't very toasted, my main criticism. The avocado tasted like fresh avocado and thankfully not like guacamole (a common thing with avocado toast), the poached egg was perfect and runny. This was a large piece of bread so it was quite filling, however it was definitely not easy to eat since the bread was a bit floppy and couldn't quite hold up to all the toppings. I would have preferred the prosciutto to be toasted as well to give it some crunch, it's a bit hard to eat in this format.

It was fun to try but I wouldn't order it as a main if I could only choose one entree. I can't say I really tasted the fennel or vinaigrette since that was mostly on the plate. There was lots of arugula which I don't think was listed in the description, perhaps it replaced the fennel since I don't see it?

Next up the steak, my usual order here.


Wood-fired Butchers Steak: Polenta, Pomodoraccio Tomatoes, Roasted Onions, Wild Mushroom Conserva, Watercress

This was the best steak I've had on property as of my trip the previous year, it wasn't quite as good this time (ordered medium rare and it came out more medium) but it was still tasty. The cut is very tender, and it's a large portion especially for brunch. The polenta is deliciously cheesy, and I love wild mushrooms.

The bacon was so-so, I've had better at Primo Piatto's as this was a bit bendier than I'd prefer. Still, it was bacon, what's not to like!



The characters are great here, even though social distancing is over at WDW they still space the tables pretty well so that characters can get through, and since the restaurant is pretty small there are lots of opportunities for interactions. We mostly just smiled and waved and took pictures but we saw all the characters at least twice in the hour and a half we were there. The music they play during the character parade is so catchy!



Overall wonderful breakfast at Topolino's the new rule about only one entree is a slight bummer but at $45, I still think this is far and away the best value for a character meal. It is the same price as 'Ohana but the food is 10x better. I am the type to only order water at sit down meals, so it's always nice to have soda or juice or coffee included at the prix fixe meals. I like doing a late breakfast that serves as my breakfast and lunch since the meal is so big.

I also love the casual vibe of breakfast, most people are in park clothes and it's so bright and cheery, and not too hectic since the space isn't that big.

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe

Since I had such a huge brunch, I didn't have dinner until around 8PM. Big mistake, I ended up feeling pretty nauseous from not eating enough, this always happens to me on solo trips because I try to fit so much into my day and sometimes don't take breaks for regular meals! (I eat plenty, obviously, just not always at the right time )


Kids' Macaroni & Cheese: Served with choice of two Sides and choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small DASANI® Bottled Water, $6.99

This Mac and cheese was pretty bad but it did the job. It was actually a good sized portion, at least a cup. Not very creamy but sometimes desperate times, right? I got two cuties as my sides because I couldn't stomach the thought of fries at that time. The apple juice helped as well, after this food I felt much better and was able to continue on with my light including After Hours at Magic Kingdom!

After Hours at MK​

I didn't want to waste too much time eating snacks, but I stopped for popcorn and soda twice. I also had a Mickey premium bar on my first snack stop.



Loved the pretty Coke bottles, note that Diet Coke comes in the regular bottle (made that mistake on round 1 of snacks). I contemplated emptying it and bringing it home and then thought better of it, what the heck would I do with a plastic Coke bottle

The popcorn was fresh throughout the event, and snack cart lines were quick, even if the line looked long since you don't have to pay it took less than a minute. They had bottled water, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Mickey premium bars, ice cream sandwiches, and strawberry bars.

Checkout Day, January 10th​

Boma

I grabbed a Boma breakfast reservation for 11:05AM the night before for my checkout day, no parks since my flight was mid-afternoon. That's my favorite way to finish my trip, sleeping in and having breakfast at the resort. I think the walk-up list was quick as well, and the restaurant was half empty, and I was seated immediately.

I was seated at a table this time, no sitting right next to the other parties! I thought the POG juice at Boma and at Topolino's was so much better than at 'Ohana, where it was pretty watered down.



Omg, there was SO much food to choose from on the buffet. My first round I got the scrambled eggs with feta, tomato, and spinach (thank goodness they switched to feta, last time it was goat cheese, not for me), bacon, asparagus, sausage, blueberry pancake, oak grilled tomato, and a caramel sticky bun.

What else is there to say other than DELICIOUS! There were so many pastries, I had to resist filling up on those. The tomato was excellent, love the grill flavor. Perfect crisp asparagus with no woodiness, I could eat a pound of asparagus if it's good. The bacon was on the limp side, if I have to find something to criticize. The pork sausage was a little dry as well, so really the non-meat items are what shine at Boma.

The sticky bun was probably a bit better earlier in the mealtime as it had dried out a bit but was still very decadent and nutty.

I also had the coconut steel cut oats with some fried plantains, this was so creamy a lot like the rice at dinner. I added some syrup but it didn't really need it since it was prepared quite sweet already. I could have eaten a large bowl of that for breakfast and been satisfied!

Of course, I had to go back for round two.



More of the delicious tomato and asparagus and eggs, which were so creamy and fluffy. Way better than quick service eggs, these tasted like real scrambled eggs. Some fresh fruit for balance, and a little salami and cheese because I'm a sucker for that sorta thing. I took a guava turnover as well which was a good choice, this was similar to what Topolino's used to serve, so crispy and obviously freshly baked. Melt in your mouth good! The watermelon was perfect and the pineapple was even better, so ripe and sweet.

There was so much food I didn't get to try, such as these beautiful yogurt parfaits.



And of course carved ham, Mickey waffles, muffins, bagels, toast, potatoes, omelets, deviled eggs, and so much more. This breakfast buffet is unbeatable and I can't imagine you could possibly leave hungry, there really is something for everyone. At $35 it is getting a bit pricey but it is 100% worth it. If you had to choose between breakfast and dinner at Boma, I would probably recommend breakfast first. Not as unique as dinner but it is just done so well.

Even though I had a late seating, everything was fresh and refilled. When I left, there were still plenty of people eating. My server was also great, really nice and fast at removing dishes. I know people don't always like eating at buffets by themselves but I think it is great because you still get to try so much food without ordering a ton of plates that you end up wasting. I had a sweater I left on my seat to make it obvious I was still there!

And that's a wrap on the Dopey part of the dining report! But don't fear, many more dining reviews are coming as I ate at just as many if not more amazing places during Princess this past week. Stay tuned!

 

[erinch]

Love your reports

 

[Disneyhanna]

Love your reports

Thank you so much for the kind words!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Boathouse Dinner, February 22nd
​

Boathouse

Due to some crazy snow that was forecasted for MN, we were able to take our Princess flight a night early and get in dinner at Disney Springs since we booked a room at the Hilton Buena Vista Palace (wow, didn't realize just how short of a walk it is). I had been once before and this is my friend's favorite restaurant at WDW.

I set up an alert on Opentable since there were no times we wanted, and maybe a few hours before dinner I got an alert which worked great! Our reservation was at 7:15 for two.

Disney Springs ended up being crazy busy so we were glad we had a reservation. We overheard people trying to walk up being quoted a wait until at least 10PM. Definitely crowds from President's Day, Princess, and Mardi Gras!

Omg, I didn't realize how BIG this restaurant is. We were seated right away and our host led us from room, to room, to room. We had to have gone through four huge dining areas at least. They really can seat a lot of people and they were filling every table!

I forget what my friend got but I ordered a strawberry gin fizz.


Strawberry Gin Fizz: Hendrick's Gin, Strawberries, Mint, Lime Juice, Soda Water, $14

Wow, this was strong! I actually had to let the ice melt a bit to water it down because I'm a bit of a wimp. It was fine after that, though the strawberries weren't the ripest so it really was just a gin soda with some fruit and mint in it. I didn't read it that close and missed that it didn't have tonic in it which I would have preferred. Lots and lots of mint!

Our waiter brought half a dozen rolls for the two of us, excellent. I forgot how wonderful these rolls are, warm and soft, melt in your mouth. They don't need the honey butter but of course I still slathered it on. We polished these off no problem, and I think our server brought another serving without our asking.



I ordered a half dozen oysters, I am no expert other than I haven't met an oyster I didn't like. I wanted to try the Lucky Dux which are exclusive to the Boathouse but they were out. I ordered three different types, and really enjoyed all of them. I was told which were which and promptly forgot, so it's always oyster roulette for me. I'm pretty sure I had the Merasheen and Pink Moon, and I forget the third, I think it had a "mushroom finish."


OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL: Served with London Dry Gin Cocktail Sauce and Cucumber Mignonette
Half dozen, $25.50
MERASHEEN* NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA Small size, balanced salinity, smooth meats, sweet brothy finish
PINK MOON* PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA Small size, well-balanced salinity, creamy cucumber finish

These were so delicious, while we have plenty of raw oysters in MN they just taste better in FL. These were all quiet small, no fishiness and all quite mild. I just think they taste like the ocean (not fish)! I enjoyed both the cocktail sauce and cucumber mignonette, a little squeeze of lemon, delicious. If they weren't so expensive I think I could eat dozens of oysters.

Sorry I have no more tasting notes...I am bad at wine tasting as well. Wine is wine to me, I'm not sure how people taste so many notes and flavor profiles. I do find it fun trying multiple oyster flavors because they all taste so different. They didn't have much for medium/large oysters that night, they seem to favor the smaller ones. I'm not sure I have any preference or if one is "better" but let's just say I sometimes miss working in consulting where we'd order oysters for the table and keep 'em coming and I never saw a bill

Our food and drinks were quite slow to arrive, not our server's fault at all, and we could tell he felt a little anxious about how long everything took as he did apologize a few times. No problem, we were in no hurry, we had nowhere to be!

My friend has a shellfish allergy and is pescatarian so she had her favorite veggie pasta. She loved this, and has had it before. The portion looked hearty, a good amount for one hungry eater (and not a crazy 3x portion size or anything).


Pipette Pasta with Vegetables & Garlic Butter Broccolini, Mushrooms, English Peas, Baby Kale, Zucchini, Grape Tomatoes, $19

I wanted something a bit lighter given I had oysters and a lot of rolls, so I settled on the Mahi tacos. I'm not a huge taco person but I'm always trying to branch out.


Grilled Mahi Tacos: Shaved Cabbage, Salsa Roja, Avocado Cream, $23

These were okay, the fish was very fresh but the crust on it was very salty, getting close to too salty. The white corn tortillas were just single wrapped which was fine by me since I am not a huge tortilla person (unless they are fried, give me all the tortilla chips). There needed to be like 5x the amount of avocado cream. The onions on the side didn't go very far, and there was no fresh pico or anything to keep the tacos from being a bit dry, they would have definitely benefited from a mango or pineapple salsa. The salsa roja was more suitable for the chips served on the side. The cabbage is a bit drying too, so yeah more avocado cream would have made this much better and probably would have eased the saltiness.

All in all, the tacos were just so so, I'm sure I could have asked for some more sauce or something but it wasn't a big deal. I would just try something else next time! There was a lot of fish, so while the overall portion on this wasn't too big it was filling with all the protein.

I think I had at least two more rolls so overall roll count was five for me, I'd say that's a successful visit to the Boathouse and I will gladly go back!

 

[followthatmouse]

Oh, we love the Boathouse! I never miss an opportunity to enjoy an oyster flight! The Pink Moon with its distinct cucumber finish is one of our favourites, too! As for the Mahi tacos, I believe there has been more than one review recently with similar thoughts. So, they may require a tweak.

We have been very lucky with getting a decent table in the past. I’m not sure that we’ve ever seen the back rooms there! But we haven’t tried to dine on a holiday weekend. Your planning … and your use of Open Table were very wise!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Oh, we love the Boathouse! I never miss an opportunity to enjoy an oyster flight! The Pink Moon with its distinct cucumber finish is one of our favourites, too! As for the Mahi tacos, I believe there has been more than one review recently with similar thoughts. So, they may require a tweak.

We have been very lucky with getting a decent table in the past. I’m not sure that we’ve ever seen the back rooms there! But we haven’t tried to dine on a holiday weekend. Your planning … and your use of Open Table were very wise!

That is interesting on the tacos, I guess I should have looked 'em up first! I sure wish I was eating those oysters right, now, so darn good. I had no idea they had so many rooms, it was a trek! All of the rooms were very nice though, they all looked a bit different. I can't imagine what the kitchen must look to serve such a big place!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Expo Day, February 23rd
​

Citrus 28 at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace

My friend had to work remote this day and it was our checkout day as well, so we grabbed a quick breakfast from the little convenience mart at the hotel (not my photo).

This was a great little option, they had plenty of grab and go breakfast items as well as pastries and Starbucks coffee. I had a glazed donut and my friend had a cheese danish. It is so funny paying $4 for a pastry on vacation when they're $1 at the gas station!

The rest of the day was a flurry between my friend working, checkout out of the hotel and Ubering our bags to the Polynesian, and then heading for a break at the race expo. This all took so much time that we missed lunch!

Captain Cook's

When we finally had a very late lunch around 3:30PM (that donut had worn off many hours prior), we mobile ordered Capt. Cook's. My friend had the Pan-Asian Noodles and Vegetables ($9.99) while I decided to try the famous Pulled Pork Nachos ($10.29)

We were both absolutely starving so take our reviews with a grain of salt (I think ANYTHING would have tasted like the best thing on earth).

The noodles came in a paper cup, it was not a huge portion but my friend loved it. She had it the year prior and was much more impressed this time around, not sure if it was any different or if we were just hungry. Not my picture but here's one from DFB:

I don't know how to tag people on here but Caroline, if you read this, I remember reading that you love the pulled pork nachos in multiple TRs. Well, I 100% agree, these were FANTASTIC.


Pulled Pork Nachos: Topped with Cheese, Spicy Mayonnaise, Pico de Gallo, and Pineapple Salsa $10.29)

I'm very neutral on pulled pork, but these were the best nachos I have ever had. I think it is the chips, instead of bland tortilla chips they use a mix of house made kettle chips and fried wonton chips. The kettle chips were very thin and crispy, and the wonton chips are far more indulgent than a regular tortilla chip.

The pulled pork was plentiful, they don't skimp at all. The pineapple salsa and pico made this so fresh, it pairs so well with the pulled pork (which thankfully does not have barbecue sauce, that would be too far). I know that cheese seems weird with all that but the cheese sauce is pretty light, and it's not the typical plastic cheese so it blends nicely with all the other flavors. (Plastic cheese has a time and a place, but not in this dish!) Everything about this was so fresh, the chips were not soggy at all since I'm sure they prepare it to order.

I ate ever single bite of this. I didn't think it was spicy nor did I notice the mayo at all, so it must be pretty light on that. Overall I 100% recommend this and will probably get it every time I am at the Poly. I would say it is a hearty single portion, shareable as a snack but probably not big enough to share as a main dish without something else.

Barefoot Pool Bar

Once my friend finished working, time to enjoy our evening at Poly! We headed for drinks at the main pool bar.



I had the Frozen Martini with Dole Whip Watermelon, and my friend had the Voyager. We both loved our drinks, they were so pretty! The Poly vibes around sunset were immaculate!



The bartender poured the shots first, so mine was really all dole whip until I got to the bottom, but couldn't complain! I loved the watermelon dole whip, it was definitely sweet but sooo smooth. The sugared rim was also delicious, I think it was watermelon flavored sugar. These were around $16 each. I do appreciate they pour the shots before the frozen drink, so you know what you are getting. I imagine they could do a mocktail version as well because of this!

Oasis Bar & Grill

You can order for from the main pool bar but it comes from the Oasis pool bar which is by the quiet pool. We ordered the sashimi and malasadas dessert. I had a total fail and forgot to take pictures so I dug some up from the internet.

Our sashimi was served in a brown paper to go container (same as my Sanaa takeout) with a plastic insert, so the fish was separated by a divider from the wakame (seaweed) salad. The sashimi pieces were MUCH thinner than the ones in the photo below, but also much longer, it was an odd shape for sashimi but probably a similar amount volume-wise as shown here.

Sashimi of Tuna, Salmon and Hamachi served with Wakame Salad, $17.99 (Photo from AM Appelby)

We split this so it was not a lot for the two of us but we were basically having three dinners in a row and planned to do Kona Cafe to go after, so this was our appetizer course. The fish was all very fresh, not life changing but better than grocery store sushi for sure. We both love salmon the most and it was delicious. The large thin slices were odd for sashimi but they were fresh tasting and not fishy at all so we were happy with it. The wakame salad was typical and very tasty, the dominant flavor is sesame, it's a nice palate cleanser and I love the crunch!

The malasadas we had looked more like mini donuts, they were extremely crisp on the outside and not soft and fluffy like you'd expect, but still delicious. They were piping hot thankfully!

Malasadas: Portuguese Doughnuts served with Passion Fruit Curd, $5.29 (Photo from Disney Tourist Blog)

The portion was three and they were very small like mini donuts. The passionfruit curd tastes just like the Satu'li canteen mousse, I could just eat it by the spoon. This was a small little dessert but tasty and not terrible for the price, I always appreciate desserts that are in this price/size range since usually I am just trying to fit something sweet in after my meal

Kona Cafe to Go

We did Kona Cafe to go on our 2022 Princess trip, so we continued the tradition this trip! I love having a to go sushi option and you still get the 10% AP discount, so it takes a little off the sting of the high prices. I also love that they just put the food on a stand so you can click "I'm here" in advance and just pick up at your leisure, without needing to be present when they call your name.

I had the hamachi (yellowtail) and tuna roll, which had eight very small pieces. I have a love hate with Kona Cafe, I love that they serve fresh sushi (not common in WDW) but boy, do they know they have a captive audience and price accordingly.


Hamachi Tuna Roll: Hamachi, Tuna, Avocado, Jalapeño, Cilantro, Ponzu, $21

The roll was very fresh and obviously just prepared, so no complaints there, but I find the sushi at Kona very unexciting. I'm not sure if it's that the fish or the rice that's just on the bland side, maybe both. It's far better than grocery store sushi since the rice is not hard, but it definitely lacks a bit of flavor. The price is a bit outrageous considering the pieces are absolutely tiny (probably half the size of an average sushi roll) so you would need a lot of rolls to fill up.

I can't say I really noticed the jalapeño or ponzu, or a whole lot of flavor in general.

My friend thought her spicy tuna roll was fine, though she said it was very not-spicy. No surprise there!


Spicy Tuna Roll: Ahi Tuna, Spicy Mayonnaise, Cucumber, $19

The star of the show for us was the plant-based coconut tapioca.


Coconut Tapioca Coconut Tapioca: Pudding, Pineapple-Coconut Jam, Fresh Fruit, and Popping Boba (Plant-based), $5
Pudding so dense

This reminded me a lot of the overnight oats at Galaxy's Edge if you've had that. It was a small serving, but the perfect way to end a meal if you want something light. The fruit was very fresh and I always love popping boba, but the pudding itself was absolutely delicious. I haven't had a lot of tapioca pudding before and I loved it, it was so creamy and tasted like coconut milk, seriously this was so good. I'm not sure what the pineapple-coconut jam was, it definitely just blended in with the rest of the flavors, but it probably sweetened the pudding. Definitely give this a try if you like fruity desserts!

And of course, we had to get the bread pudding. I think this is the same as what they serve at 'Ohana?


Pineapple-Coconut Bread Pudding: Warm Bread Pudding topped with Vanilla Ice Cream and Homemade Caramel Sauce, $12

This was well-packaged, there were two caramel sauces which were hot and so buttery, very decadent. There was a small scoop of ice cream also packaged separately. The bread was warm, this was our first time trying it and we were surprised at how dense it was. Think fruit cake but much tastier! It tasted like canned pineapple, not so much coconut flavor. We both thought it was delicious but could only eat a few bites. Four people could easily share this!

Overall, I will keep returning to Kona Cafe because I'm a sucker for sushi but I just try to ignore the prices

I am going to Maui this September and our stay at the Poly got me really excited for the trip!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

All the food and drinks at the Poly look yummy but yeah, $21 for that tiny sushi roll is insane. I too am a sucker for sushi so would probably buy it too. When in Disney!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I am so glad you tried the nachos at Captain Cook’s, I love these little beauties!
I plan on having a date with these in April

The sushi from Kona, wow expensive for such a small roll.
We have a wonderful Japanese place here with the best rolls and during happy hour you get a beautiful fresh big roll for $9.00, awesome deal. I could eat there everyday!
I love Ohana bread pudding, however, it is not the same as years ago, no more bananas, it use to be more like a banana foster topping over the bread pudding! Why does Disney change things that are perfect??
I sure hope the nachos never change I would be gutted

 

[Stacybaeasm]

​

I think I had at least two more rolls so overall roll count was five for me, I'd say that's a successful visit to the Boathouse and I will gladly go back!

Because - carb loading baby!!!!

 

[Disneyhanna]

I am so glad you tried the nachos at Captain Cook’s, I love these little beauties!
I plan on having a date with these in April

The sushi from Kona, wow expensive for such a small roll.
We have a wonderful Japanese place here with the best rolls and during happy hour you get a beautiful fresh big roll for $9.00, awesome deal. I could eat there everyday!
I love Ohana bread pudding, however, it is not the same as years ago, no more bananas, it use to be more like a banana foster topping over the bread pudding! Why does Disney change things that are perfect??
I sure hope the nachos never change I would be gutted

My mom is a big pulled pork fan so I'm excited for her to try them on our next trip. Ya Kona is definitely not cheap, I tried Kimono's this trip as well and thought they were pretty comparable, aka very average. Oooh I would have loved the bread pudding with bananas, it was definitely more like a loaf/cake than pudding. It is hard getting attached to food as they sure love to change things! But then I think about how Satu'li has hardly changed since opening (other than removing breakfast), which gives me hope!

 

[Disneyhanna]

All the food and drinks at the Poly look yummy but yeah, $21 for that tiny sushi roll is insane. I too am a sucker for sushi so would probably buy it too. When in Disney!

I buy discounted DGCs year round just so I can get all my food for "free" or at least that's what I tell myself, since I don't have a bill after the trip

 

[Disneyhanna]

Grand Floridian Cafe and Trattoria al Forno, February 24th​

Sleepy Hollow

Breakfast is so limited in MK (especially if you don't eat meat), so to Sleepy Hollow it was! We stood in the very slow line and were able to refresh for a mobile order window (took a while) before we even got close to ordering. Mobile order was ready in just minutes.


Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich Served with Strawberries, Banana, Blueberries, and Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread, $8.49

Yum, these waffles are so hit and crisp and fresh. They have a hearty spread of Nutella and tons of fresh fruit. It's a lot of sugar and we felt a bit gross after eating these but it was so delicious and totally worth it. They're pretty messy so grab napkins! I do miss the savory option they used to have with egg, ham, and cheese.

We also got iced caramel lattes from Joffrey's of course, delicious, but I am at my photo limit for this post so no picture!

Grand Floridian Cafe

We are both pretty tired of MK quick service so we had lunch plans at the GF Cafe. My friend had lunch here on her last trip and was excited to go back. It was quite busy even though we were on the later side (close to 2pm) so we were glad we had reservations, it took a while to be seated.

My friend ordered the Grand Colada while I had the Antioxidant Lemonade.


Grand Colada: A tropical blend of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Coconut and Pineapple topped with Bols Blue Curaçao, $14.50

My friend loved her colada and my lemonade was very enjoyable, not sure I tasted even a hint of alcohol, it mostly tasted like lemonade, not that I can really complain about that!


Antioxidant Lemonade: Van Gogh Açaí-Blueberry Vodka, Minute Maid® Premium Lemonade, and Pomegranate Juice topped with Sprite®, $14.50

I ordered the apple salad as a starter, it was huge and definitely entree sized. I think you could add a protein to it and it would make a decent lighter meal.


Heirloom Apple Salad: Organic Baby Lettuce, Heirloom Apples, Sharp Cheddar, Pecan Brittle, and Crispy Prosciutto with a Honey-Apple Vinaigrette, $13

This salad was so good, very similar to the salad at Liberty Tree tavern with just more fixings. There was so much cheese and prosciutto, and it was very lightly dressed. Super refreshing and as a blue/goat cheese hater I loved this option.

For my entree I got the steak and eggs of course, I had to see how I liked this now that Topolino's has made changes to how much you can order. Eggs were over easy and absolutely perfect!


Steak and Eggs: Sirloin Steak, Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole, Two Eggs, and House-made Steak Sauce, $21

The hash brown was exactly like the cheesy hash browns you'd get on a Sunday brunch buffet, very nostalgic to me since I grew up going to buffets on Sundays. The steak was a hearty lunch size, if I had to guess maybe 10-12oz?



I finally broke my curse of ordering medium-rare steaks! This was cooked perfectly, a bit of red in the middle and all pink, not a hint of brown in the middle. I have had so many medium to medium-well steaks at Disney that I was starting to think medium-rare was impossible.

This was a very flavorful steak, I think I do just prefer cheaper/fattier cuts. While it was not super tender, and maybe a bit on the chewier side, it was well seasoned and juicy and a solid steak especially for the price. I think this is definitely a new favorite easier on the wallet meal for me.

My friend got the Impossible burger which I think she got last time, no picture but she enjoyed it. If you look it up it looks just like the pictures online!

Impossible™ Burger: Caramelized Onions and Plant-based Smoked Gouda on a Kaiser Roll (Plant-based), $21

It was a little bit slow, I'd say a leisurely pace, but we had an amazing waitress and she was so upbeat and friendly. I 100% will be back on MK days, it was a great break from the parks. We thought it was funny, it was almost all women eating here, I know it was Princess weekend but still

Trattoria al Forno

We picked up a dinner reservation for Trattoria, and like the last time, it was a while past our ADR time (even checking in 20 minutes early) before we were seated. We had a 7:40 reservation, checked in at 7:20, and did not have our appetizers until 8:40.

Our waitress was sooo sweet and adorable, and she was very clearly assigned to too many tables. The restaurant wasn't full but I imagine they were short on waitstaff. No big deal to us, while we were hoping to get to bed a little early for our 2:15AM wakeup the next day for the race, it was our fault for the late reservation!

When we sat down we were in park clothes, there was an older couple next to us that was waiting for their check and I think the guy was giving us some major side eye. Like come on, this place is basically Olive Garden level, full of kids watching their iPads, it's very casual

It took a pretty long time to order but once our orders were entered, the food came so fast. I started with the calamari, which had a nice mix of the rings and whatever the non-ring pieces are called. This was very crisp and fresh, I will say it was very salty, getting very close to too salty.


Calamari: Lemon, Parsley, Lemon-Garlic Aïoli, $17

The flavors were very lemon-forward so keep that in mind. Overall I wouldn't mind ordering this again, but it's definitely a lot for one person. I only got through maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of it on my own and I was quite hungry by that point.

The free little ciabatta rolls were delicious, the olive oil and tapenade is very delicious for dipping, again quite salty from the tapenade.

I think my friend got the tuscan salad, no picture but it was definitely a starter portion and she had no complaints.

Tuscan Salad Countryside Greens, Almonds, Gorgonzola, Blackberries, Lemon Vinaigrette, $12

My friend got the truffle gnocchi, which she really enjoyed.


Truffle Gnocchi: Parmesan, Fontina, Truffle Cream, $28

I tried a bite and it was very good, truffle isn't my favorite flavor but it was very rich. Definitely extremely cheesy, my friend loves cheese and by the end she was starting to get a bit cheesed out, it may look like a small portion but don't be fooled! Still she definitely liked it, you may just need a nap after!

I had the shrimp pappardelle.


Shrimp Pappardelle: Artichokes, Tomatoes, Capers, White Wine-Butter Sauce (Contains alcohol), $31

This was definitely different, the sauce was very lemony and light, not at all creamy, It was salty but not overwhelmingly so. The noodles were excellent, homemade and very wide, but as you can see form the picture there really weren't many noodles. Definitely lots of broth (not really sauce since it was so thin). The tomatoes were fresh, I didn't eat too many artichokes since they're not my favorite, and the shrimp were plentiful and cooked well. I think it would be a bit light if this was all you ordered. It would have been nice to have some fresh grated parmesan!

Overall this was a really light pasta dish, the dominating flavor was definitely lemon and our waitress actually asked if I wanted everything included, so I imagine you can leave off ingredients if you feel so inclined. I would probably try something different next time, but I was satisfied with this!

Even though our meal took forever, we ordered some desserts to go. I got the panna cotta and my friend had the tiramisu.


Panna Cotta: Fresh Fruit, Florentine Lace Cookie, $10

Tiramisù Lady Fingers soaked with Espresso and layered with Italian Mascarpone Cream, $10

They were obviously pre-packaged to go, so I imagine it is popular to order them to go!

No picture of the tiramisu because I did really bad at taking photos this trip, it was a hearty square portion and my friend who is Italian thought it was great!

My panna cotta was pretty awful, it was like a cross between chocolate pudding and jello and not in a good way. It was just so gelatinous, like there was way too much gelatin. I didn't realize it was a chocolate panna cotta. I only had a few bites before tossing this, I didn't have it until the next day so maybe it would have been better fresh.

The lace cookie was both sweet and savory, almost a bit burnt tasting, not my favorite. Definitely felt overpriced in this to-go format at least, since it takes a bit away from the presentation.

While Trattoria isn't my #1 restaurant, we still enjoyed our overall experience and I would definitely go back. They are always so fast in the kitchen, it's just the seating/ordering part that seems to slow down the experience. We did get the check fairly quickly so no complaints there.

I will say they seat 2-person tables so close together, you could totally have a conversation with the people next to you. I would like to try Il Mulino sometime and see how that compares, though I hear you definitely should dress up a bit for that one!

We didn't get back to our room at the Dolphin until after 9:30, maybe not our wisest plan with the early wake up the next day, but sometimes that's just how it goes in WDW!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

This was a very flavorful steak, I think I do just prefer cheaper/fattier cuts. While it was not super tender, and maybe a bit on the chewier side, it was well seasoned and juicy and a solid steak especially for the price. I think this is definitely a new favorite easier on the wallet meal for me.

That steaks looks rather sad. Glad to hear that it tasted good!

My friend got the truffle gnocchi, which she really enjoyed.

I adore truffle flavor! Sounds amazing!

Shrimp Pappardelle: Artichokes, Tomatoes, Capers, White Wine-Butter Sauce (Contains alcohol),

Thanks for sharing the review! We've only done breakfast here. You've made me want to try their dinner!

I would like to try Il Mulino sometime

We haven't tried Il Mulino either. It is appealing that they take Open Table ressies!

 

[Disneyhanna]

That steaks looks rather sad. Glad to hear that it tasted good!

I adore truffle flavor! Sounds amazing!

Thanks for sharing the review! We've only done breakfast here. You've made me want to try their dinner!

We haven't tried Il Mulino either. It is appealing that they take Open Table ressies!

The steak was 100x better than what I've been served at CA Grill and Topolino's so I'll take it as a win! For the price I really could not complain at all, that's practically Applebee's pricing!

I have never done breakfast at Trattoria, I tried to do mobile order on my last trip but I think it's no longer an option (it was listed but always said closed). I hear it is wonderful though! I have such great things about the S/D restaurants and yet I still haven't tried them, despite staying there a handful of times. One of these days!