$5 A Day Means Disney MY Way: 17 nights, 26 ADRs, 165 TS credits

[meggiebeth]

Joining in! You have an ADR for quite a few places i'm considering for our next trip!!

Welcome! Thanks for joining in. I hope you find my reviews useful for your next trip!

Following! Can't wait to see your reviews!!

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We'll be going to Beaches and Cream for lunch!! What a wonderful review!!
Can't wait for more!

Thanks for joining in! Beaches and Cream really is great, the atmosphere cannot be beaten and the desserts are fabulous.

Fantastic start! Looking forward to reading more of your dining adventures!

Thanks for joining in and welcome!

Great review of Beaches and Cream! Those onion rings look quite tasty as all the ice cream

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Thanks, and welcome! The onion rings were lovely, but the dessert was even better!

Good start to your reviews although...

I could be wrong, but that doesn't look much like a cheeseburger

We love the Plaza and Beaches and Cream but weren't too bothered about the Hard Rock Café on our last visit. We thought it over-priced for the quality of the food.

Looking forward to reading more of your dining adventures.

I'll have to check on that then. Thanks for letting me know! William does order his burgers without all the accompaniments so that might have also changed its appearance.

Glad to hear you also like the Plaza and Beaches and Cream! Hard Rock Café is ridiculously overpriced, although we pay more for its counterpart in London. It is the exact same menu in both places!

great reviews

Some fab meals, Im just sorting through my ADR's at the moment.

Look forward to seeing some more.

Thanks for joining in! How lucky you're planning your ADRs- I'd love to be doing that right now!

Joining in! I am loving your reviews so far and look forward to reading along and drooling over all the yummy WDW food.

Thanks for joining in! It certainly was yummy!

Following along! Can't wait for the rest!

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Great Trip Report - Following along!!

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enjoying your dining reviews. About to head over to your trip report. Hurry with more

Thank you! Sorry for the delay in updating... hope you enjoy the forthcoming updates.

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!

Im here for food ride!!!

Welcome and thank you for joining in!

 

[RGirl]

I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your FFC experience, especially that you didn't feel comfortable there. We had a less-than-stellar experience there in August - although we liked the atmosphere a lot, and the appetizer I got was very good, we did not receive very good service, and my entree was disappointing. Such a shame for what has been in the past such a well-reviewed place. I hope you found some great meals to offset the less-than-great one at FFC!

 

[WDWaddictt]

Joining along...
Thanks for sharing!

 

[BebopAngel88]

Following!!

 

[kittengal13]

Only read the first page or so, but subscribing! Great review so far, thanks for sharing!

 

[meggiebeth]

Breakfast at Akershus

After a somewhat disappointing experience at Flying Fish Cafe we got up bright and early the next morning to eat out first breakfast of the trip. Our reservation at Akershus was at 9:40am so we got a decent amount of sleep!

We've visited Akershus before on our first trip to WDW in 2011. It was our very first Disney restaurant ever, and my parents were sceptical to say the least. I had begged them to take us to Florida and they reluctantly spent the great sum of money it cost to visit WDW. What many UK visitors do it stay in a rental property offsite and commute into the parks on a daily basis, for a much cheaper price. I persuaded my parents to pay extra so we could stay on site. Entering Epcot on our first park day ever and heading into Akershus was an awe inspiring moment for sure. The restaurant is beautiful; the decor is elegant and the food is delicious.

As you can guess, Akershus has now become a family tradition of sorts for our first Disney breakfast.

We arrived right on time and checked in. We had to wait about ten to fifteen minutes for our table. We took in the Norwegian view as we waited, whilst I snapped a family photograph.

We were seated, and our server was friendly but not that impressive. I had read that you could order Mickey waffles separately from the buffet. When I asked, she told me they normally only do them for people with allergies, but she'd ask. Clearly it wasn't a problem as I got a plate of them (but only really got two as my family ate the rest!)

The buffet was fairly varied, with lots of fresh fruit, fish and some meats, but all cold. They then bring you a big platter of cooked food, including a wonderful potato casserole that I highly recommend. It's nice to choose cold food whilst getting a variety of hot food that is fresh and hasn't been sitting out on the buffet table.

Here's my cold plate...

Followed by Rory's...

And I have two other photographs of plates but am not entirely sure about who they belonged to...

Here's the tasty hot platter they bring out!

The food at this place is really fresh and tasty, but another attraction. Is of course the princesses. We met Belle just before being seated. There was a Photo Pass photographer there but the great thing is that you get a special photo and folder included in the buffet price.

The princesses visiting the tables do vary, so the ones we met were...

I was disappointed Mulan wasn't there (for the second time in a row) as I have heard that she often is present. Mulan is one of mine and Rory's favourite Disney characters, but we didn't find the time to meet her in China.

The princesses also do an adorable procession where little girls (and boys!) can get up and parade around the restaurant with the princesses.

Many people ask the question 'Cinderella's Royal Table or Akershus?' I have to say, both are very different, and we ate at both this trip. Cinderella's Royal Table can't be beaten for location- and nothing quite tops being inside the castle. However there isn't the choice of food you get at Akershus, and the service tends to be not as good as Akershus... I'm presuming because gratuity is already included at CRT. Both restaurants allow you to meet the princesses, but for us, Akershus is cheaper than CRT but still a very expensive TS restaurant. For this reason, it's fabulous value on the DDP at just one credit.

Overall, Akershus remains one of my favourite restaurants and will be a 'must do' for all our trips at WDW. In fact I always recommend Akershus and Chef Mickey's as the quintessential Disney character meals.

It will always have a special place in our heart as the first Disney restaurant we ever ate at. I fondly remember that first trip to Akershus when my parents were in absolute awe of what WDW offered.

Overall Ratings

Atmosphere: 8
Value: 5 (OOP) and 9 (DDP)
Food: 8
Service: 7

Overall rating: 8 out of 10

Thank you Akershus for a magical start to the trip!

 

[meggiebeth]

I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your FFC experience, especially that you didn't feel comfortable there. We had a less-than-stellar experience there in August - although we liked the atmosphere a lot, and the appetizer I got was very good, we did not receive very good service, and my entree was disappointing. Such a shame for what has been in the past such a well-reviewed place. I hope you found some great meals to offset the less-than-great one at FFC!

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't have a good experience either! Similarly, we didn't enjoy California Grill at all in 2011 despite all the hype surrounding it and the fantastic reviews.

Joining along...
Thanks for sharing!

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Following!!

Welcome!

Only read the first page or so, but subscribing! Great review so far, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for joining in! I hope you enjoy the upcoming reviews.

 

[meggiebeth]

Dinner at Garden Grill

After a long morning at Epcot we were all a little tired, thirsty and hot. We decided to go back to Saratoga Springs to relax by the pool and get changed ready for a much anticipated meal- Garden Grill!

Garden Grill isn’t talked about nearly as much as some of the other restaurants in WDW, and yet for me, it was one of my favourites of the trip. It is unique in that the restaurant rotates around the ride below, Living with the Land, which makes for an interesting change in scenery throughout the meal, although it is a little squashed for those trying to move around the restaurant.

We arrived and waited ten to fifteen minutes to be seated. Our waitress, Pam, was incredibly friendly and gave us a warm welcome. We had lovely conversations throughout the meal- although unsurprisingly Pam was surprised to hear I was 17. This theme was continued throughout the trip, although I am somewhat used to it anyway!

My family loved the restaurant already. We had a lovely table in a self-contained booth, with lots of space. We enjoyed watching the changing scenes of the ride as it rotated, and the characters were certainly very exciting too!
Pam started off the meal by bringing us out a big bowl of salad and fresh, warm bread.

Basket of Warm Bread with Maple Butter
“Living with the Land” Harvest-inspired Farmer’s Salad

Both were absolutely scrumptious yet simple. My dad said to me;

“See, Meg. This is far better than the Flying Fish Cafe!”

He felt more comfortable, and he understood the menu! Needless to say, he was relieved that this restaurant was so much more suited to our family than the FFC.

We were then brought out an ‘all-you-can-eat’ platter, which was made up of...

• Char-grilled Filet of Beef with Red Wine Sauce
• Roasted All-Natural Turkey Breast with Lemon Caper Sauce
• Sustainable Fish of the Day with Roasted Tomato and Pepper Compote
• Garden Fresh Vegetables
• Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

All were simple but fresh. The mashed potatoes were really buttery and tasty. We requested more of the turkey and chicken, I believe, during the meal, and Pam was happy to oblige.

Rory was brought out his own little kids’ platter, which was a nice touch. It included:

• Oven-roasted Chicken Drumstick
• Baked Macaroni & Cheese
• Broccoli
• Crispy Sweet Potato Sticks

He didn't like the crackers on the macaroni cheese, but I think that's because he's not used to them! We don't do that in England.

Because I am vegetarian, I ordered a separate meal. Obviously the meaty platter the rest of my family ate wouldn’t be suitable for me! I can’t remember the name, but I had a barbequed vegetable entree. It was very flavourful and tasty, whilst being warming at the same time.

We then got given dessert, which both my parents thourougly enjoyed...

Fresh-baked Harvest Skillet Cake with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

They ate most of it, as you can see. My dad asked me to take this photo of him eating it, which is quite funny to look back on!

Pam brought out some of the kids’ dessert as well, which was a clever idea...

Cupcake Cone with Crisp Pearls

The cupcake was very fresh and the icing tasty too. I am not usually a fan of icing, though.

I was wearing my birthday badge, of course, and so Pam was kind enough to bring me a card signed by the gang at Garden Grill, along with a sweet treat!
The chocolate cake was very tasty, and I am a huge fan of chocolate so this really pleased me.

The characters we saw were very fun, with my dad particularly eager to meet Pluto. Chip and Dale liked being mischievous and we had some good moments with them too.

And this photo makes me laugh...

We left Garden Grill happy, full, and excited for what the next day of Disney dining would entail. Returning to WDW, Garden Grill would most certainly be at the top of my Disney dining list. You don’t hear much about it in relation to other character meals, but the food is simple yet tasty, the atmosphere is truly unique and the service (at least for us!) was also superb.

Our overall ratings for Garden Grill are as follows:

Atmosphere: 9
Value: 6 (OOP) and 9 (DDP)
Food: 8
Service: 9

Overall Rating: 9

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[Iowajes]

I'm really enjoying your reviews! So much yummy food!

He didn't like the crackers on the macaroni cheese, but I think that's because he's not used to them! We don't do that in England.

I didn't know we did that in the United States either. To me, that's bizarre!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I really enjoyed our meal at GG a couple of years ago but neither DH or DS were thrilled so I am not sure I/we will go back. Love seeing your review. Great pics with the characters!.

Looking forward to more ...

 

[sazzifrazz]

Thanks for your review of Garden Grill. I have been going back and forth with it but after reading your review I decided to go ahead and add it to our list!

 

[RGirl]

Oh, those Akershus potatoes. One of my favorite things at WDW! Love your princess pics too!

And Garden Grill!! This was the surprise of our August trip - we had one of the best character dining experiences we have ever had here (and, let me tell you, we do a LOT of character dining ). I’m so glad it is a favorite of yours too. We are sold on this place and will likely go back every time we visit WDW.

 

[vettegirl]

Well that is a shame about FF. My husband would not like the stinky fish smell When we stayed at the Beach Club in September the smell from Cape May about killed him. The GG looks lovely, we haven't dined there before but should give it a try on a future trip

 

[auntfrannie]

Love the reviews! I'm sorry Flying Fish was a let down for you. It's probably the only Disney restaurant that I make sure I visit on every trip because I've always had good experiences with both the food and service!

You have a wonderful variety of places on your list. Can't wait to read more! Thanks!

 

[kel585]

Following along

 

[SilentK]

Hey, fellow Brit here. Just found your review and caught up, enjoying it so far. Wish I could find Onion Rings like Beaches and Cream here.

 

[dtats]

Your dining reports are excellent! Very informative, too, and the pics are very helpful in seeing what the dishes really look like! Keep up great work!

 

[meggiebeth]

Planet Hollywood and the Incident of Stereotypical Tipping

On this holiday, we made a ‘pact’ of sorts to make every third day a ‘rest day’, where no park was really planned and we could have the opportunity to spend the whole day at the resort by the pool or engaging in other recreational activities.

This day, we had no breakfast planned... only an early lunch at Planet Hollywood for around 11am. We had a lovely lie-in and walked down to the boat dock to get a lift to Downtown Disney. It was incredibly convenient!

We always know when Rory gets hold of the camera because of the angles of the photos! He just snaps away without us noticing, so these pictures make us laugh.

It was a lovely, leisurely ride, and we surprisingly arrived with time to spare, so my brother and dad insisted we check out the Harley Davidson shop. We got photos of us on the bike in 2011 so it was nice to continue the tradition!

We then headed over to Planet Hollywood- after initially heading in the wrong direction- and checked in. It was incredibly quiet and we were seated almost right away. I was surprised at how few people were dining there, but I presume it was due to it being lunchtime, and also potentially not a very popular restaurant in WDW.

Our server tried hard to be attentive, but it was so quiet it wasn’t really a credit to him- they were standing around just waiting for something to do! This was when the trouble started. After finding out we were on the Deluxe Dining Plan, he must have seen the tip potential. He started pushing us to order five appetisers, because we were a family of five. Clearly we didn’t want five, and I sensed he was trying to push his tip up.

After five minutes of him insisting on ordering more appetisers and trying to make each one sound tempting, we felt very uncomfortable. We persisted in saying we wanted two... not five. Eventually he gave up, but it is not pleasant at all to be pressured like that.

I’m not quite sure what the names of our appetisers were, but both were OK- typical comfort food I guess. Two appetisers were plenty for us. We want the DDP for convenience- not to pinch every last bit of value out of it.

Time for a quick mid-appetiser photo! Say cheese!

I didn’t want much, so Rory and I swapped DDP entitlements. He ordered an adults’ meal and I had his kids’ pizza. It was fine as far as cheese pizzas go- nothing spectacular.

My dad got this interesting looking burger- although I am not quite sure what it is called! He thought it was nice, but not anything special.

My mum got the...

Pasta Carbonara

Smoked bacon, peas and garlic tossed with parmesan cream sauce and cavatappi pasta.

Cost: $16.99

In comparison to some of the other pasta dishes she tasted in Disney restaurants, she wasn’t impressed. I think it was a little bland and plastic-like.

William had a burger, although asked for it to be simplified.

He liked this too, but got a bit burger-ed out at this point after a week or so of eating burgers! He told me it was average as far as burgers go, but still quite tasty.

I think Rory had the...

Classic Burger

A choice 7 oz. burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle.

Cost: $13.99

Only Willum and I wanted dessert and we decided to get the large Chocolate Cake for Two. Instead of two scoops of vanilla ice-cream, we requested one vanilla scoop and one chocolate scoop. It was tasty and very rich, but we still preferred the wonderful sundae at the Plaza and its scrumptious counterpart at Beaches and Cream. We were able to order a dessert for two by using both mine and my brother’s entitlements on the DDP.

Of course, our waiter pushed for us to use all our entitlements, but my dad firmly insisted no. He then went off with my brother William to look at the exhibits around the restaurant in further detail. Unfortunately this put my mum in a very awkward position- she absolutely hates tipping. My dad had been finalising tips for the whole holiday so my mum was stuck on what to do. When the waiter delivered our bill, I felt incredibly insulted, as did my mum. He said to us;

“Your copy of the bill is under the tipping card. If you want it then just take it out from under the tipping card.”

Naturally, the tipping card was for international visitors. It stated along the lines of...
“In America, tipping is generally considered to be 18% for solid service, or 20% for good service.”

He then said to us “you need to fill in my copy of the bill so I can register the tip... so fill in either of those spaces (as in 18% or 20%) and use the tipping card to help you” followed by a “once you’re done you can take your copy of the bill from under the tipping card.”

The fact that he put so much pressure on us was ridiculous. He’d highlighted on the bill we had to fill in the ‘recommended’ tips of 18% and 20% and put big stars next to each. We were absolutely insulted. We tip well in America and to be patronized in this way was absurd. Other restaurants that did put the tipping card in didn’t mention it at all, and absolutely no restaurants highlighted recommended tips.

Clearly he heard our accents and feared we wouldn’t tip him well, but with his pushy attitude both with ordering as much food as we could and with literally forcing us into a high tip, he absolutely offended us. I know wages are so low, but tips are still optional and should be a kind gesture for good service.

Overall, the food was OK, and the whole reason we visited Planet Hollywood was for my dad, who absolutely loves looking at all the movie memorabilia. If you are into movies and their memorabilia then Planet Hollywood is great to do as a one-off. My dad loved it so much in 2011 we had to return this trip in 2013!

The major downer of the meal was the dreadful attitude and behaviour of the waiter. My mum was distressed and ended up tipping him 18%, but I regret that. We should have left without tipping him at all!

Overall Ratings

Service: 1
Food: 4
Atmosphere: 8
Value: 7

Overall Rating: 3 (Including waiter) or 6-7 (excluding waiter)

 

[Debs Hill]

I couldn't agree with you more about the tipping situation..........I will always tip generously when the service is first rate, but I feel so sorry for your poor mum feeling obliged to leave him 18% when he clearly deserved nothing at all! I think I would have written on the bill
No tip because neither provided with good or outstanding service!
xx

 

[meggiebeth]

I'm really enjoying your reviews! So much yummy food!

I didn't know we did that in the United States either. To me, that's bizarre!

Welcome and thanks for joining in! Oh, that's good to know about the crackers! I did think it was pretty odd... but then biscuits and gravy look disgusting to me too!

I really enjoyed our meal at GG a couple of years ago but neither DH or DS were thrilled so I am not sure I/we will go back. Love seeing your review. Great pics with the characters!.

Looking forward to more ...

Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed Garden Grill, although it is a shame your DH and DS didn't love it. It is a very unique restaurant, so hopefully if you go back they may be more enamoured.

Thanks for your review of Garden Grill. I have been going back and forth with it but after reading your review I decided to go ahead and add it to our list!

That's great! I hope you enjoy it. If you enjoy character meals then I am sure you will enjoy it. The 'experience' is fabulous. It's a restaurant where everyone is entertained between the characters and changing scenery. Not to mention the autumnal, warming food!

Oh, those Akershus potatoes. One of my favorite things at WDW! Love your princess pics too!

And Garden Grill!! This was the surprise of our August trip - we had one of the best character dining experiences we have ever had here (and, let me tell you, we do a LOT of character dining ). I’m so glad it is a favorite of yours too. We are sold on this place and will likely go back every time we visit WDW.

I'm glad someone else appreciates the wonder that is Akershus potatoes!

I am so glad to hear such a good report of Garden Grill- I'd have to second your comments! We'll return too... when we next get to visit WDW. Garden Grill is totally underrated- I'd recommend it as a fabulous character dining experience!

Glad to hear of someone else braving the heat in August! We went in 2011 and found the heat lovely (although a little overwhelming at times).

Well that is a shame about FF. My husband would not like the stinky fish smell When we stayed at the Beach Club in September the smell from Cape May about killed him. The GG looks lovely, we haven't dined there before but should give it a try on a future trip

I would recommend you steer clear of FFC for your husband then! I'm sure fish lovers would like it... but for those of us who don't like fish- it's not pleasant!

I am glad we didn't go to Cape May Café then- we did go for breakfast and luckily there was no fishy smell then. You definitely should try GG at some point- it is certainly an overlooked gem.

Love the reviews! I'm sorry Flying Fish was a let down for you. It's probably the only Disney restaurant that I make sure I visit on every trip because I've always had good experiences with both the food and service!

You have a wonderful variety of places on your list. Can't wait to read more! Thanks!

Thank you! Welcome!

I am glad to hear good things about FFC- and it really felt like one of the most upmarket restaurants in WDW (although Narcoossees was also pretty posh).

Following along

Welcome... thanks for joining in!

Hey, fellow Brit here. Just found your review and caught up, enjoying it so far. Wish I could find Onion Rings like Beaches and Cream here.

Hello fellow Briton!

Thank you! I totally agree about Beaches and Cream. I'd love to find the huge ice creams here too.

Your dining reports are excellent! Very informative, too, and the pics are very helpful in seeing what the dishes really look like! Keep up great work!

Thanks for joining in and I am very grateful for the compliments. I hope you enjoy the upcoming reviews!