shortypots
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2003
- Messages
- 1,117
I should warn you folks, this is going to be a long one!!!
Wow, what a trip. This was our last of 4 trips within 12 months, so we decided to go with the deluxe plan to try all the wonderful restaurants we hadn’t tried yet. We had also just returned from a cruise to the Caribbean the week before, so we really had put on the pounds from this two week trip!
I won’t waste anymore time on small talk cause I am sure you all want to read the reviews. I will say that the week was great because although the weather was uncharacteristically cold, it wasn’t too bad (but we did cab it 3 nights after dinner so as to not wait for the busses in the cold.) I will tell you though that we are DINKs with annual passes and the Disney Dining experience, so I will compare the regular price as well as the DDE price to get a true view as to whether or not the DXDP was worth it for us.
Day 1 – not on the dining plan since we arrived on the 15th and our plan started on the 16th. We arrived fairly early around 2:30ish and decided to have a pizza on the Boardwalk. Since the pizza was only $2 more to get the full pie vs 3 slices, this seemed like a smart move. We were so hungry however, that we ate nearly the entire pie between two of us. It was pretty good. Cost about $20 and change with a soda. Since we ate around 3 pm, we were really not that hungry around 7ish so we went over to the Polynesian to try some Sushi. The lump crab cake roll is so unique and tastes wonderful. We actually had it for the first time as an appetizer at the Kona Café last month, and loved it, so we made it our meal this time. Very reasonably priced, although can’t recall exactly what we spent. Maybe $70 including tip, an adult fufu drink, a couple of beers for hubby and dessert for both of us.
Day 2- Tutto Italia and Flying Fish café
We went to Epcot on this day after checking into OKW since we had to get our new keycards with the dining plan on them. We tried Tutto Italia for lunch and were quite surprised at how expensive it was even for lunch. I can tell you, if we weren’t on the plan, you would not catch us in there for anything but dessert. I had the proscuitto and melon appetizer which was very good and DH had the Eggplant Napolean which was very similar to eggplant parmesan just not deep fried. He enjoyed the eggplant and what little I got of it was very good as well. Our entrees however, left a lot to be desired. He got the pasta with Sausage and I got the lasagna. DH was disappointed with his because he thought he was going to get the sausage as two pieces off the side or something instead of crumbled in the pasta, although he said the flavor was ok, just didn’t feel the value was there for pasta. My lasagna was huge, although a little bland. I ate maybe a qtr of it. Dessert on the other hand was fantastic. DH had the profiteroles which he couldn’t say enough about all week. I had the chocolate hazelnut tart. YUMMO! Loved it but very rich.
Total price of meal including tax: $96.92
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $78.72
Gratuity = $18.20
# of entitlements used – 2
Personal rating out of 10 – 7.5, although a 9.5 for desserts and apps
Our next meal on this day was for Flying Fish Café. We arrived a little before our time and were seated promptly. Ambiance was lovely in this restaurant. For apps we both got the crab cake which was massive. I was nearly finished with mine when the waiter decided to come and take both of our plates. DH asked if I was finished, and I wasn’t so he was a little upset I didn’t say something. Truthfully if I had eaten any more, I would have burst later, but not the point. For Dinner, I ended up with the scallops and they were amazing. Now that I think back on it, I think DH got the scallops too, but cannot recall for certain. There were 3 very large scallops on the plate and some sort of risotto. I stuck to the 3 scallops and still only got through 2 of them. DH I believe cleaned his plate. Dessert here was good. I got the trio of sorbets since I was so full, and my favorite was the ginger one. There was also a cranberry one and pear. Can’t recall what DH got, but he enjoyed it. And I have to say, I really liked the fact that they had dessert wine flights here. Although, I made a mistake and ordered the dessert wine flight instead of the ice wine flight like I had intended. The wines were tasty, but would have definitely enjoyed the ice wines more.
Total price of meal including tax: $129.18
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $104.92
Gratuity = $28.96
# of entitlements used – 4
Personal rating out of 10- 8.5
Day 3- Liberty tree tavern and Artist point
The last time we had enjoyed lunch at Liberty Tree was back in 2000 on Christmas day. I must say this time was much better, not that it was bad the last time. For the starter, DH had the chili which was a massive bowl that he really enjoyed, and I had the Fried Cheese. I didn’t realize that it was going to be 2 different types of cheeses. 1 was a white cheddar and the other the standard mozzarella. I thought this was a nice touch, even though there was entirely too much for one person to eat. For our entrée I went with the pot roast and was pleasantly surprised. It seemed to be seasoned just perfectly and had a bunch of mashed potatoes to soak up the really yummy sauce. It fell apart on the plate. It was very good. DH had the mushroom cheeseburger and liked it very much. For desserts, we had the apple caramel tart which was good, but too much for DH to handle and the Ooey gooey Toffee Cake which I have to highly recommend. Was one of my favorite desserts of the trip. Was kind of like a warm choc chip cookie bar with toffee pieces and ice cream. Very good. Enjoy LTT very much.
Total price of meal including tax: $59.46
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $48.29
Gratuity = $11.16
# of entitlements used – 2
Personal rating - 9
Artist point was our next culinary stop and this was another we had tried on our trip in 2000, although, back then we were not thrilled with this restaurant. We decided to give it another go since we were dining deluxe and have heard such great things about it. This trip was much better than the last. We had heard so many good things about the Smoky Portobello soup that we didn’t even look at anything else on the menu for apps. We both got this and it was FANTASTIC!!! DH ate his entire bowl, but I left about ¾ of mine since it was very filling. I also should mention that there was a drink I wanted to order called the candy cane martini. I had gotten it last year around the holidays and I was hoping they could make it, but knew it needed specific ingredients (I believe it was candy cane schnapps or something). They didn’t have it but they did try to make me something else similar. Even though they when I tried it, it was nothing like the martini (more like mouthwash) they didn’t charge me for the drink. I was very impressed! For our meals, DH got the buffalo short rib and I got the strip steak. DH really enjoyed his short rib and I enjoyed my strip. The mushroom butter was a nice touch. For dessert, DH got the cobbler and really enjoyed it. I do not recall what I got and I do not see it on the menu online, so can’t remember. I thought it was something chocolatey but do not remember. This trip definitely got a thumbs up from us this time.
Total price of meal including tax: $127.80
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $103.80
Gratuity = $32.10
# of entitlements used – 4
Personal rating out of 10- 8.5
Day 4- Nine dragons and Yachtsman’s Steakhouse
Today were supposed to go to Coral Reef for lunch, even sat and waited to be seated, but when we looked at the menu, we were not impressed at all, so we left even before the waiter had gotten there. We figured we have actually been in that tank twice, so wasn’t a big deal to sit there and look at it eating food we were not interested in. So, we tried to get into Le Cellier but to no avail, but they did check to see what was available, and they mentioned Nine Dragons. We had mentioned this was one of the places we wouldn’t mind going, so we decided on them. We were very impressed with this place and really enjoyed our meals. DH had the Beef Cong you Bing for an app and I had the shimp and chicken egg rolls. Both apps were very good, although the server told us it would take 20 mins for the Beef to come out. It didn’t take nearly that long, thankfully. For our meals, I went with the Honey chicken which was really tasty. DH had the fried rice which I thought was odd because it had ham in it instead of pork. Just a different flavor. I liked the honey chicken much better than the fried rice, but he really enjoyed the fried rice. For dessert we tried the ginger cake which was really good. Very strong ginger flavor which I happen to like, and we also tried the Rice pudding. This comes in a massive bowl and it almost looks like chocolate because of the dark brown coloration, but it doesn’t taste anything like chocolate. The rice has a different texture and I was not fond of it at all. If you do happen to get it and actually like it, you will have a lot to enjoy.
Total price of meal including tax: $74.49
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $60.50
Gratuity = $13.99
# of entitlements used – 2
Personal rating out of 10 – 9
Our dinner for the evening was at Yachtsman’s steakhouse. This was our first time every trying this place because we always felt it was a little too expensive for our tastes, but this time because we are on the deluxe dining plan, we decided to splurge! Boy am I glad we did! We really enjoyed this place very much. We again were seated promptly with no problems. For our appetizers I got the scallops which were so perfectly tender bites, and I really enjoyed them. I believe DH got the same thing, but do not recall, probably because I was so wrapped up in mine! For our meals our server recommended the strip steak cooked with the peppercorn sauce and potato gratin. Even though he recommended that steak, I thought the Australian Wagyu was an interesting choice. Basically it is also a strip loin but it is the Australian version of Kobe steak. After that description and being on the dining plan, how could I not try it? DH went with the recommended strip steak and loved the preparation of it. I tried it and was happy that I selected the Wagyu. Not that it wasn’t good, I just preferred my steak to his. The wagyu was absolutely incredible, probably the best steak I have ever had! It was as tender as a filet mignon, but had such incredible flavor. I told DH he has to be careful now that I have such expensive taste. I believe I had the crème brulee for dessert and dh had the trio of sorbets. The meal itself was so good, I forgot what I ordered for dessert!
Total price of meal including tax: $154.82
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $125.64
Gratuity = $27.40
# of entitlements used – 4
Personal rating out of 10 – 9.5
Wow, what a trip. This was our last of 4 trips within 12 months, so we decided to go with the deluxe plan to try all the wonderful restaurants we hadn’t tried yet. We had also just returned from a cruise to the Caribbean the week before, so we really had put on the pounds from this two week trip!
I won’t waste anymore time on small talk cause I am sure you all want to read the reviews. I will say that the week was great because although the weather was uncharacteristically cold, it wasn’t too bad (but we did cab it 3 nights after dinner so as to not wait for the busses in the cold.) I will tell you though that we are DINKs with annual passes and the Disney Dining experience, so I will compare the regular price as well as the DDE price to get a true view as to whether or not the DXDP was worth it for us.
Day 1 – not on the dining plan since we arrived on the 15th and our plan started on the 16th. We arrived fairly early around 2:30ish and decided to have a pizza on the Boardwalk. Since the pizza was only $2 more to get the full pie vs 3 slices, this seemed like a smart move. We were so hungry however, that we ate nearly the entire pie between two of us. It was pretty good. Cost about $20 and change with a soda. Since we ate around 3 pm, we were really not that hungry around 7ish so we went over to the Polynesian to try some Sushi. The lump crab cake roll is so unique and tastes wonderful. We actually had it for the first time as an appetizer at the Kona Café last month, and loved it, so we made it our meal this time. Very reasonably priced, although can’t recall exactly what we spent. Maybe $70 including tip, an adult fufu drink, a couple of beers for hubby and dessert for both of us.
Day 2- Tutto Italia and Flying Fish café
We went to Epcot on this day after checking into OKW since we had to get our new keycards with the dining plan on them. We tried Tutto Italia for lunch and were quite surprised at how expensive it was even for lunch. I can tell you, if we weren’t on the plan, you would not catch us in there for anything but dessert. I had the proscuitto and melon appetizer which was very good and DH had the Eggplant Napolean which was very similar to eggplant parmesan just not deep fried. He enjoyed the eggplant and what little I got of it was very good as well. Our entrees however, left a lot to be desired. He got the pasta with Sausage and I got the lasagna. DH was disappointed with his because he thought he was going to get the sausage as two pieces off the side or something instead of crumbled in the pasta, although he said the flavor was ok, just didn’t feel the value was there for pasta. My lasagna was huge, although a little bland. I ate maybe a qtr of it. Dessert on the other hand was fantastic. DH had the profiteroles which he couldn’t say enough about all week. I had the chocolate hazelnut tart. YUMMO! Loved it but very rich.
Total price of meal including tax: $96.92
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $78.72
Gratuity = $18.20
# of entitlements used – 2
Personal rating out of 10 – 7.5, although a 9.5 for desserts and apps
Our next meal on this day was for Flying Fish Café. We arrived a little before our time and were seated promptly. Ambiance was lovely in this restaurant. For apps we both got the crab cake which was massive. I was nearly finished with mine when the waiter decided to come and take both of our plates. DH asked if I was finished, and I wasn’t so he was a little upset I didn’t say something. Truthfully if I had eaten any more, I would have burst later, but not the point. For Dinner, I ended up with the scallops and they were amazing. Now that I think back on it, I think DH got the scallops too, but cannot recall for certain. There were 3 very large scallops on the plate and some sort of risotto. I stuck to the 3 scallops and still only got through 2 of them. DH I believe cleaned his plate. Dessert here was good. I got the trio of sorbets since I was so full, and my favorite was the ginger one. There was also a cranberry one and pear. Can’t recall what DH got, but he enjoyed it. And I have to say, I really liked the fact that they had dessert wine flights here. Although, I made a mistake and ordered the dessert wine flight instead of the ice wine flight like I had intended. The wines were tasty, but would have definitely enjoyed the ice wines more.
Total price of meal including tax: $129.18
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $104.92
Gratuity = $28.96
# of entitlements used – 4
Personal rating out of 10- 8.5
Day 3- Liberty tree tavern and Artist point
The last time we had enjoyed lunch at Liberty Tree was back in 2000 on Christmas day. I must say this time was much better, not that it was bad the last time. For the starter, DH had the chili which was a massive bowl that he really enjoyed, and I had the Fried Cheese. I didn’t realize that it was going to be 2 different types of cheeses. 1 was a white cheddar and the other the standard mozzarella. I thought this was a nice touch, even though there was entirely too much for one person to eat. For our entrée I went with the pot roast and was pleasantly surprised. It seemed to be seasoned just perfectly and had a bunch of mashed potatoes to soak up the really yummy sauce. It fell apart on the plate. It was very good. DH had the mushroom cheeseburger and liked it very much. For desserts, we had the apple caramel tart which was good, but too much for DH to handle and the Ooey gooey Toffee Cake which I have to highly recommend. Was one of my favorite desserts of the trip. Was kind of like a warm choc chip cookie bar with toffee pieces and ice cream. Very good. Enjoy LTT very much.
Total price of meal including tax: $59.46
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $48.29
Gratuity = $11.16
# of entitlements used – 2
Personal rating - 9
Artist point was our next culinary stop and this was another we had tried on our trip in 2000, although, back then we were not thrilled with this restaurant. We decided to give it another go since we were dining deluxe and have heard such great things about it. This trip was much better than the last. We had heard so many good things about the Smoky Portobello soup that we didn’t even look at anything else on the menu for apps. We both got this and it was FANTASTIC!!! DH ate his entire bowl, but I left about ¾ of mine since it was very filling. I also should mention that there was a drink I wanted to order called the candy cane martini. I had gotten it last year around the holidays and I was hoping they could make it, but knew it needed specific ingredients (I believe it was candy cane schnapps or something). They didn’t have it but they did try to make me something else similar. Even though they when I tried it, it was nothing like the martini (more like mouthwash) they didn’t charge me for the drink. I was very impressed! For our meals, DH got the buffalo short rib and I got the strip steak. DH really enjoyed his short rib and I enjoyed my strip. The mushroom butter was a nice touch. For dessert, DH got the cobbler and really enjoyed it. I do not recall what I got and I do not see it on the menu online, so can’t remember. I thought it was something chocolatey but do not remember. This trip definitely got a thumbs up from us this time.
Total price of meal including tax: $127.80
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $103.80
Gratuity = $32.10
# of entitlements used – 4
Personal rating out of 10- 8.5
Day 4- Nine dragons and Yachtsman’s Steakhouse
Today were supposed to go to Coral Reef for lunch, even sat and waited to be seated, but when we looked at the menu, we were not impressed at all, so we left even before the waiter had gotten there. We figured we have actually been in that tank twice, so wasn’t a big deal to sit there and look at it eating food we were not interested in. So, we tried to get into Le Cellier but to no avail, but they did check to see what was available, and they mentioned Nine Dragons. We had mentioned this was one of the places we wouldn’t mind going, so we decided on them. We were very impressed with this place and really enjoyed our meals. DH had the Beef Cong you Bing for an app and I had the shimp and chicken egg rolls. Both apps were very good, although the server told us it would take 20 mins for the Beef to come out. It didn’t take nearly that long, thankfully. For our meals, I went with the Honey chicken which was really tasty. DH had the fried rice which I thought was odd because it had ham in it instead of pork. Just a different flavor. I liked the honey chicken much better than the fried rice, but he really enjoyed the fried rice. For dessert we tried the ginger cake which was really good. Very strong ginger flavor which I happen to like, and we also tried the Rice pudding. This comes in a massive bowl and it almost looks like chocolate because of the dark brown coloration, but it doesn’t taste anything like chocolate. The rice has a different texture and I was not fond of it at all. If you do happen to get it and actually like it, you will have a lot to enjoy.
Total price of meal including tax: $74.49
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $60.50
Gratuity = $13.99
# of entitlements used – 2
Personal rating out of 10 – 9
Our dinner for the evening was at Yachtsman’s steakhouse. This was our first time every trying this place because we always felt it was a little too expensive for our tastes, but this time because we are on the deluxe dining plan, we decided to splurge! Boy am I glad we did! We really enjoyed this place very much. We again were seated promptly with no problems. For our appetizers I got the scallops which were so perfectly tender bites, and I really enjoyed them. I believe DH got the same thing, but do not recall, probably because I was so wrapped up in mine! For our meals our server recommended the strip steak cooked with the peppercorn sauce and potato gratin. Even though he recommended that steak, I thought the Australian Wagyu was an interesting choice. Basically it is also a strip loin but it is the Australian version of Kobe steak. After that description and being on the dining plan, how could I not try it? DH went with the recommended strip steak and loved the preparation of it. I tried it and was happy that I selected the Wagyu. Not that it wasn’t good, I just preferred my steak to his. The wagyu was absolutely incredible, probably the best steak I have ever had! It was as tender as a filet mignon, but had such incredible flavor. I told DH he has to be careful now that I have such expensive taste. I believe I had the crème brulee for dessert and dh had the trio of sorbets. The meal itself was so good, I forgot what I ordered for dessert!
Total price of meal including tax: $154.82
Total price of meal with tax but including 20% DDE discount: $125.64
Gratuity = $27.40
# of entitlements used – 4
Personal rating out of 10 – 9.5
We also tried Yachtsman & Narcoossee's this last trip and we were very pleased with both.
