7 days on the DDP, what a value! 1/7-1/13/07

[staiebomb]

We just got back from a WONDERFUL Disneyworld vacation and used the Dining Plan for the first time. We all give the Dining Plan itself 5 STARS!! Just a fantastic value and SO SO convenient...I can't imagine ever going again without it!

Cost of Dining Plan (3 adults, 1 child): $895

Value of 7 Table Service Meals: $886 (including Tax and tips)

........therefore...........

Cost of 7 Counter Service meals and 7 snacks: $9.00!!!!!!!!!!

The value of this plan is just UNREAL! At home, would we eat all those appetizers and desserts...no...but this is DISNEY! We only get to go once every 2 to 3 years so why not live it up while were there! The plan is just SO convenient too....I never had to pull out my wallet for 7 days for food! Now THAT's what I call a vacation!

As you can see, we LOVE the DDP...as for the restaurants, here's some good and bad reviews ----Items listed are for the 3 adults, kids choices are pretty standard at the TS places.

50's Primetime Cafe: DINNER Great Atmosphere We ate here on our Honeymoon and were just as impressed this time. Our Waitress was not as "into" the part as others in the restaurant but she was very friendly just the same.

Special Drinks: 3 Chocolate Milkshakes (GREAT!!)

Appetizers: Shrimp Cocktail (small but tasty), Onion Rings(AWESOME!!) and Fried Herb Cheese (very good as well)

Entrees: Fried Chicken (2) (Juicy and Delicious!!), Roasted Pepper (Good but a little "exotic" according to DW who is a "burgers and fries" girl)

Desserts: Brownie Sundae, Angel Food Cake with Berries, Coke Float (all very good)

I HIGHLY RECCOMEND this restaurant and give it 4 out of 5 stars....we will definately go back again.


Tony's Town Square: DINNER Nice Atmosphere We ended up on the Patio but had requested the "veranda" so we could see and hear the Spectromagic parade, but we just got to see it and "sort of" hear it! Nice looking place, this was our first time here. Waiter was friendly, but a bit "fake" for Disney standards.

Appetizers: Minestrone Soup (good), Tomato and Mozerrella Salad (very good) and Spinach and Artichoke Dip (EXCELLENT, the crispy bread that came with it was terrific)

Entrees: Spaghetti with Meatballs (Nothing Special), NY Strip Steak (Very tender but not very flavorful) and Seafood Diavoli (I tried this for something "different" as I like Spicy things, but it wasn't very spicy and there was some very "wierd" types of seafood in it....I liked the shrimp and salmon parts best)

Desserts: Tiramisu (EXCELLENT), Amaretto Cheescake (too sweet, but excellent texture) and the Ice Cream Bomb (warning it's covered with strawberry sauce as well as the chocolate, it doesn't say that on the menu, DW did not care for it...I thought it was just OK)

I DO NOT RECCOMEND this restaurant and give it 3 out of 5 stars....nice atmosphere but the food is just Average and the price (if not on the DDP) is a little too expensive ($18.99 for Spaghetti and Meatballs?!) I think we will try Liberty Tree tavern next time for our Magic Kingdom TS credit)


Up next time: Princess Story book Breakfast and the Dining highlight of our trip LE CELLIER!! Mmmmm........

Jason

 

[dawgfan]

Thanks for the review.

 

[disnut1149]

Thanks for your reviews. I'm looking forward to your review on the Princess breakfast. We're thinking of doing this in August.

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[larklynn]

enjoying

 

[2BusyPlanning]

I'm in....

You've been to many of the places I am planning for on our next trip. Nice to see up-to-date reviews!

 

[natalielongstaff]

great reviews

 

[becalubob]

Looking forward to the others!

 

[Disney owl]

thanks for sharing

 

[TheDizMom]

The smores at Prime Time are huge and sooo good. Just thought I'd add that for anyone who was planning to go.

 

[2giddy4wdw]

Thanks for sharing your reviews, can't wait to hear about the others!!!

The smores at Prime Time are huge and sooo good. Just thought I'd add that for anyone who was planning to go.

They aren't that big anymore. We were there in Nov/Dec, and they are about half the sizes as they used to be. I was so shocked. Our waitress said that they cut down the size because so many of them were being thrown away since people were full by the time they got to dessert.

 

[staiebomb]

Our third day was spent at Epcot where we experienced two EXCELLENT Table Service meals:

Princess Storybook Breakfast at Norway: BREAKFAST Just about the perfect setting for this experience..beautiful restaurant set in one of the most beautiful "countries" at Epcot. After the hostess checks your party in, you head to the "feature princess" of the day to get your photo taken. On our day it was Belle in her Yellow gown....as my wife pointed out, with that gown it would be REALLY difficult for her to walk around to all the tables!

Princesses on our day: Belle, Jasmine, Aurora and Snow White.....Aurora was especially friendly and took lots of time talking to my daughter and "trying" to get my 17 month old son to take a picture with her...he was too busy flirting with her and was a bit "shy" when she tryed to take his hand.....very good job by all the princesses, but Aurora stood out as the best.

Cold Buffet: Assorted Danishes (all very tasty), Fruits, Cheeses (some very interesting "nordic" types)

Family Style Breakfast Platter (refills at no extra cost): Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage Patties, Biscuits and a FANTASTIC Hashbrown Casserole!! It was made with the "nordic" cheeses and was the best I've ever tasted! I absolutely overstuffed myself on that stuff!

I HIGHLY RECCOMEND this restaurant and give it 4 out of 5 stars....we will definately go back again. The food itself is much better than typical breakfast fare and of course the real reason your there in the first place is for the princesses...and they didn't dissapoint!


*****The following review is for 2 adults only (myself and my niece) as DW and DS needed to take a stroll as he was not quite ready to sit down to a meal...which as a quick warning to those with toddlers can be quite a task! Most Table service at Disney takes anywhere from an Hour to an Hour and a Half from start to finish and that is a REALLY long time for a 17 month old to sit still in one place! If your planning on a nice dinner (such as Le Cellier) and you have a toddler with you...if someone in your party is not a big steak fan (such as my wife) it might be best to have her be a "designated babysitter" ahead of time so as not to cause the rucus we did at the start of the meal. Let's just say DW and DS were not even SEATED at the table yet when he through quite the fit and she decided to take a walk around World Showcase! I feel bad that she missed out on the awesome experience, but the menu was a bit fancy for her taste to start with, so it worked out in the end.******


Le Cellier: DINNER Where do I start? Very friendly Canadian staff...from the hostess to our waitress and even the bus boys! PERFECT atmosphere, I LOVE the whole Cellar motive. The place just smells AMAZING....

Specialty Drinks: Capuccino freeze and some Creamscicle type drink...both were fantastic!

Appetizers: Beef Tenderloin Kebob (DELICIOUS!!) and Vine-Ripened Tomato Stack (very good-the "balsamic" at WDW is just AMAZING!!)

Entrees: Filet Mignon with maple BBQ sauce and Cream Cheese mashed potatoes (this was my nieces plate...but I tried some of it all and WOW!! What a great BBQ sauce...and the Cream Cheese mashed potatoes were like eating a slice of HEAVEN!!) and I had the New York Strip Steak (THE ABSOLUTE BEST STEAK I have ever had the pleasure of eating!! Cooked perfectly to order and Seasoned INTENSELY----just the best peice of meat I have ever had...I can't say enough...the Yukon gold potatoes were delicious as well)

Desserts: Chocolate Whisky Cake (WOW!!!) and the Maple Creme Brulet (not my cup of tea, but my niece LOVED it)

I 100% GREATLY RECCOMEND this restaurant and give it 5 out of 5 stars....I am out of words to describe it!!

The Saga continues with: Boma and the Crystal Palace!

Till next time,

Jason

 

[2giddy4wdw]

I'm glad that you enjoyed LeCellier. We tried it for the first time this past trip and it is now a must do for us!!! Princess Breakfast sounded great. I've heard some half and half stories about it!!! Keep the reviews coming!!

 

[TigerKat]

Enjoying your reviews, we too tried LeCellier on our last trip and it was great!!

 

[TheDizMom]

Thanks for sharing your reviews, can't wait to hear about the others!!!



They aren't that big anymore. We were there in Nov/Dec, and they are about half the sizes as they used to be. I was so shocked. Our waitress said that they cut down the size because so many of them were being thrown away since people were full by the time they got to dessert.

What a bummer! My husband and I loved them. We did end up or rather I did not finishing it though. We're they still as good?

 

[staiebomb]

BOMA at Animal Kingdom Lodge DINNER I had really high hopes for this exotic buffet after all the great reviews I had read...and I was NOT dissapointed! What a fantastic selection of different kinds of food! One bit of a warning folks...if you're body is not used to all those exotic spices, you may be spending some of the night on the toilet!! From first hand experience, the GREAT food was WELL worth it!

SOUPS: This was my absolute favorite part of the meal, just ask my wife! She was rolling cause after the wonderful desserts I just HAD to get more soups!! I don't remember the exact names of the soups, but there was a Coconut Curried Chicken Soupthat was awesome!! A great Curried Coconut Seafood Stew type of thing and an AWESOME Spicy Chicken and Potato type of soup...All in all there were 5 different soups on the buffet, and I tryed them ALL. (the combination of all of them was probably the main cause of the discomfort later! ) The soups change on a daily basis, and I can't wait to try some other ones next time!

SALADS: Not usually my thing...I'm not a rabbit! But at Boma, there is such a varied selection that even a MEATATARIAN like myself found a couple good ones...the Watermelon Rind salad is GREAT as was the African Fruit Salad and the Chicken Salad.

MAIN DISHES: Too many great ones to mention.....but here's a few:

Chicken Pepper Pot
Couscous Marrakesh
Durban Spiced Roasted Chicken
Malabu Pepper Steak
Potatoes with Afritude

All these dishes were FANTASIC!! Heavily spiced, just the way I like it...but I think I was the only one in the party that enjoyed the soups and main dishes, my wife, niece and daughter all stuck to the Salads, kids buffet (which had some really good mac 'n cheese-YUM) and of course the AWESOME desserts.......

DESSERTS: Zebra Domes (alcoholic---oh yeah!), cheescake tart with fruit filling, chocolate moose and MANY MANY other DELICIOUS desserts..no Simba Paw Prints though have they done away with them?


I HIGHLY RECCOMEND this restaurant and give it 5 out of 5 stars! Flat out the best buffet I have ever eaten at! What's best of all is that for the non-adventurous types there is plenty of stuff to make them happy as well. This was a close tie with LeCellier for best meal of the trip.

NEXT TIME we'll bounce with tigger at the Crystal Palace and Eat like royalty at 1900 Park Fare.

Thanks for Reading!

Jason

 

[phisigprincess]

Thanks for the reviews! I've been hearing great things about Boma. In fact, the woman I befriended in the Magical Express line said that she made dinner reservations there for 2 of their nights and her DH was pushing for 3!

 

[kelleigh1]

So glad to read your Boma review. That's our "exotic" choice of the trip. I'm the type who will try just about anything once. Hubby usually will too, but he's a little more shy about it than I am. When I pointed out Boma to him, he seemed hesitant, but he's warmed up to the idea of trying something different...especially since it means we'll get an inside look at AKL.

 

[Tinkerbell's Mom]

Great reviews, I'm onboard for the rest of the trip )

I absolutely LOVED your reference to not being a rabbit, you sound JUST like my bf, he doesn't touch salad.