8 Days Of Dx Dining With No Weight Gain! How Did That Happen? Lots Of Pics! Completed

[nancyjvanwyk]

great review. I have really enjoyed reading it. Please answer one question. Where is the Turf club? I am not familiar with that one.

 

[ShesALovebug]

Following along Can't wait to read (and see) the rest of the review.

I'm in South Jersey too, just outside of Atlantic City.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

great review. I have really enjoyed reading it. Please answer one question. Where is the Turf club? I am not familiar with that one.

The Turf Club is at Saratoga Springs Resort. If you take the boat there from Downtown Disney it will drop you off right outside of Turf Club. It is a hidden gem!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Just caught up with your reviews and they are great

I really want to try Artist Point and Jiko on our next trip. Thanks for posting

Thank you so much! Artist Point was really great and I love Jiko. The menu always seems a little out there, but everything always tastes amazing!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Following along Can't wait to read (and see) the rest of the review.

I'm in South Jersey too, just outside of Atlantic City.

Awesome! DH plays poker so we head down that way a lot. Thanks for reading!

 

[Beauty & the Best]

I'm really enjoying your dining reviews!

We have an ADR at Artist Point and it will be our first signature later this month. There aren't a lot of reviews (especially recent ones) on AP, so it was nice to read your take on it.

 

[fizz13]

fab reviews, really enjoying them. and making me consider adrs I never would have.... more confusion, thanks lol

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

I'm really enjoying your dining reviews!

We have an ADR at Artist Point and it will be our first signature later this month. There aren't a lot of reviews (especially recent ones) on AP, so it was nice to read your take on it.

Thank you so much! I'm glad I could give you some insight. It was our first time at Artist Point and it didn't disappoint.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

fab reviews, really enjoying them. and making me consider adrs I never would have.... more confusion, thanks lol

Lol thanks! More confusion still to come

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Day 5 already?! Oh no! We're more then half way done our trip! So depressing. We started our day at AK so that the transition to AKL would be easier. Now let me say that DH is obsessed with those carnival games in Dinoland at AK and he ended up winning 3 small prizes and an X-Large prize that morning and refused to have them sent back to the room (he was so proud) so we had to carry a huge plush serpent into Sanaa with us. Here is Mr. Serpent on the bus with us to AKL anxiously awaiting lunch as well.

Oh goodness, anyway, we arrived for our ADR at Sanaa. Here is the entrance.

The restaurant was almost completly empty so I asked if we could be seated at a window so we could see the animals. We were told that wouldn't be a problem. When we were seated we were at a window but it was the furthest window seat that didn't really even have a view of the animals because it was very far behind the animal barricades. I was kind of annoyed once I really took in the "view" we had. There were only about 5 other people in the restaurant for crying out loud. I should have just asked to be moved, but I always hate to complain, especially about something silly like that, but oh well.

Now let me start this review by saying that DH & I ate here last year on our Disneymoon. He loved it here and I did too, but my belly did not. I don't know what it was last time, but after we ate here I was laid up in bed the rest of the day with a bottle of Tums clutched in my hand. I still felt horrible that night and it ruined my first Jiko experience because I could hardly eat anything. So this time I brought some Tums just in case and tried not to mix too many crazy things together. We have dinner at California Grill (my fav) and I want to make sure I am feeling okay.

For appetizers DH had the Lamb Kefta.

I tried a bite of this last time(and again this time) and it is soooooo yummy! I went into this meal torn about which app to order because I know how good the Lamb is but there were a few other ones I had seen pics of on this board and wanted to try. So, I ended up ordering the Potato & Pea Samosas with Mango Chutney.

These were delicious! Amazing flavor with the mango chutney! Highly recommend both of the appetizers we got.

For our entrees I completly forget what DH ordered. SIL 1 & 2 both got the Tandoori Chicken with the sauces on the side at the recommendation of the waitress. I got the Grilled Lamb Kefta, which as it turns out had the same sauces on it, but the waitress never said anything to me about maybe wanting it on the side so I got it how it was.

This was sooooo tasty and so colorful and pretty, but I wish that the white sauce, which was the Yogurt Raita, was on the side because I did not like it on the Lamb. I scraped off as much as I could. I would recommend that if you order either of those dishes to consider getting the sauces on the side. SIL 1 liked the sauces and dumped them on, but SIL 2 & I were not fans at all, so better safe than sorry.

For dessert all four of us were not adventurous at all and we got the chocolate cake.

DH & I got candles in our cake for our anniversary, which was nice. It was very good cake, but plain. The sorbet had good flavor, but like I've said before I'm not a fan a fruity dessert stuff so I only ate a little bit. DH really liked it with the cake though.

We had a really good meal here and everyone was happy with what they ordered and best of all, no belly ache for me It was too hot to go back to AK, so back to the room for some wine and some pool time before dinner at California Grill during Wishes!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Now it's time for California Grill! I love it here so much! First we waited for the special elevator that takes you up to the restaurant.

I always feel so special when they take you up in that elevator! It's just one of those little things in WDW that I just love. We were seated next to a window and this was our view.

I have to give extra special mention to our server here. His name was Jason and he was awesome! Loved him! Last year we had Javier and I was hoping to get him again when we saw that he was still there, but Jason did not disappoint. He was so friendly and on the ball with everything the whole meal. Wonderful service!

Now the food! I have been waiting all year for the Triple Cheese Flatbread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula Pesto.

I had it last year and have been dreaming about it all year long. It was so amazing again this time too. I can't look at this picture too much. It makes me drool. DH ordered this as well and loved it.

For our entrees DH had the Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese Polenta which I did not get a pic of. He raved and raved about this dish! I think that might have been his favorite of the trip. I had the Filet with "Loaded" Mashed Potatoes and Teriyaki Barbecue Sauce.

I thought that the steak at Kona was my favorite, but this just blew it out of the water. AMAZING!!! The "Loaded" Mashed Potatoes had all the good stuff inside of them instead of on top. I forget exactly what it was loaded with, but I know that there was bacon! Yum!

Jason waited to put in our dessert orders while we went out on the observation deck to watch Wishes. This is always one of my favorite parts of the trip. Here was the view from the observation deck.

They even pump in the music from the fireworks out on the observation deck and the beginning always makes me tear up. It's always so magical watching the fireworks from up there. If you have never done it before you definitely should! Very romantic as well.

Okay, we are back inside and a moment later Jason appears with our desserts. He wished DH & I happy anniversary. He lit the candles in our dessert and promised not to sing since it would only embarrass us all. He wished us many happy years together and was very sincere and very sweet. Loved him! So, DH got some sort of cheesecake I believe.

He said it was okay, but he didn't seem crazy about it. All I know is I wanted to steal that Madeleine cookie on his plate. I ordered the Chocolate cake with the molten center and peanut butter gelato, peanut brittle & on the left side of the cake there was roasted marshmallow on the plate!

Delicious! SIL 1 & 2 got this dessert too and we all loved it!

Another wonderful California Grill experience! Now we have to walk over to MK to catch a bus back to our resort. Right after Wishes. And park closing. This will not be a magical end to my evening. Oh well, up next... our day of food chaos!

 

[mamaboogie]

Fantastic reviews! Lovely photos too. You ate at many of the places we ate at in August - glad to see you enjoyed them too!

 

[lovemickeyshouse]

So you goin to the Phillies playoff games?

Hi everyone! This is my first Food Report and I'm so excited to share it with all of you. Hope you enjoy reading about my trip as much as I enjoyed eating it!

First, a little about our group and our trip. This trip was celebrating me and my husband's 1st anniversary and his 2 sisters tagged along for the trip. We did 8 days of deluxe dining and stayed at Saratoga Springs. Here we are as soon as we walked through the gates of Magic Kingdom on our first day.

Now, onto the food. First up, Cinderella's Royal Table for lunch.

I must say that after all the negative reviews I read on this board about CRT I was very nervous about this one. However, it ended up being my favorite restaurant of the trip. When we first checked in at CRT I was instantly upset because they were no longer serving the Cream Cheese Buckle I was looking forward to. However, once we were seated and I took in my surroundings I started to get over it.

I loved our server and she gave all of us a Wishing Star and she gave my husband a toy sword and us 3 girls a wand of our choice. We had waaaay too much fun with those over the course of the trip. Definitely my favorite souveniers.

Our server then brought out the appetizer. It was very boring. I didn't even bother to take a picture of it. Actually, I didn't really get a chance to because my husband had eaten half of it by the time I got my camera out of my purse. This will be a running theme throughout this food report. I got pics of my food, but rarely a pic of his food.

Next up was the entree. We all got Major Domo's Pie.

This was one of my favorite dishes from the whole trip. I ate every single crumb of food on the plate. I think we all did actually. I then had to get over my disappointment from my cream cheese buckle and pick a dessert. We all got the Creme Caramel. It was very good, but very plain. I only had a bite though because I was saving room for this beauty

We special ordered the chocolate slippers for each one of us before our trip. I am so glad I found this board. I would never have known this dessert existed. We had so many people chattering around us wondering how we got them. SIL 1 & 2 had there names written in chocolate around the plate and for DH and I they wrote a Happily Ever After Message. Not only was this dessert so special and beautiful, but it tasted soooo good. My favorite dessert of the trip. I got it more as a novelty than I did for the taste and was pleasantly surprised. Would definitely order these again. Here is a shot of SIL 2's white chocolate slipper

All in all I was very very pleased with our CRT experience. Loved the little kid's extras we got even though we were all in our 20s. Our pic with Cindy was also very cute. We got great pics with the other princesses too. Our entree was so good that it made up for the lame appetizer. I personally liked the fast pace they had with getting our food out to us. I have heard other people complain they felt rushed. We are not the type of people who enjoy sitting in a restaurant for 2 hours. We want to get in and get out.

Up next, Dinner at Turf Club. Always a favorite!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

So you goin to the Phillies playoff games?

I wish! I actually could have gone to last night's game, but I had to work. Wish I had been there though

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Fantastic reviews! Lovely photos too. You ate at many of the places we ate at in August - glad to see you enjoyed them too!

Thank you so much for the positive response! Much appreciated

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Awesome update and love the pictures of the castle and fireworks.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

So, Day 6 was supposed to start with a 10am breakfast at Kona Cafe. At this point in our trip DH & I were feeling like we had spent very little time in the parks and LOTS of time on buses getting to our ADRs. I had planned our ADRs around being in the parks at certain times, but this trip the heat was brutal and was really wiping us out everyday, so we just weren't in the parks as much as we planned. I really wanted to spend a good chunk of the day at MK this day and we actually got up and ready early enough to make rope drop. I also wanted to try the Main Street Bakery at some point this trip too. So, one phone to Disney Dining later to cancel Kona and we are off to MK.

We arrived at MK about 2 minutes after rope drop and instead of heading for rides we headed to the Main Street Bakery. Everything in there looked so good! I had a hard time deciding what to get. DH didn't want something sweet so we paid for a Ham, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich for him since it didn't count as a Dining Plan snack.

He said it was really good and tasted more fresh and more quality than most breakfast sandwiches he has had.

I decided on the Cinnamon Roll.

I could not pass this up. It smelled amazing and was about the size of my head. 2 good qualities in a breakfast pastery.

DH and I both got a Vanilla Iced Coffee to wash down our breakfast and give us a nice caffeine jolt for the morning.

I loved this! I had one more before we left the park that day and another one on our last day at WDW.

That day was a scorcher at the park and we were all exhausted and headed back to the hotel. We had a really early dinner booked that night at Yachtsmen Steakhouse which meant that we had very little down time at the hotel until we had to get dressed and make the long journey to the Yacht Club. We did not feel like spending the rest of our day on buses. So, another phone call to Disney Dining and no more Yachtsmen. DH & I decided that since we had two meal credits to use we would go out to lunch and dinner that day and keep it confined to our resort or DTD. So, we walked over to the Turf Club for lunch.

We got into Turf Club around 3:00 with no reservation. They were still serving from the lunch menu, which has a few different items from the dinner menu. No pics from this meal. Sorry!

For our appetizer DH ordered the Tomato Bisque, which we both love. The bisque was the same as it was before except that now there are croutons on the top instead of a bunch of large chunks of toasted bread for dipping. DH was disappointed, but still liked the soup. They should really bring back the bread because that was the big appeal of the soup for me. For my appetizer I had the crab cakes again. Delicious as always.

For for entrees DH had a Cheeseburger and I had the Grilled Rib-Eye Steak Sandwich. I really should have known better than to order this. It was really tasty, but the meat still had big chunks of fat on it. That's how those types of sandwiches always are and I am not crazy about that, but I ordered it anyway so it was my own fault. Also, the french fries have changed at Turf Club. The fries are now a mix of regular frech fries and sweet potato fries, which was a nice change of pace.

For dessert DH had the banana cheesecake again and I had the Apple Crisp again. I know, adventurous.

Now onto our only bad meal experience at WDW. That night DH & I went to DTD to see a movie and SIL 1 & 2 went to HS for Fantasmic. We decided to all have dinner together at DTD and SIL 1 called and made and ADR for Wolfgang Puck Cafe. We have all eaten here 2 other times and we have really liked it both times. We showed up a few minutes early and we were seated right away. A very frazzled looking waitress showed up and took our drink orders. When we looked over the menu we saw that they had removed our favorite item, the Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf, from the menu. DH was having a hard time finding something he wanted and I kind of was too, but I really wanted the Carrot Cake for my dessert because it is one of my favorites, so we stayed.

The waitress came back and took our order for apps and entrees and a few minutes later she was back with our appetizers. When she dropped off our food she informed SIL 1 that they were out of the Rigatoni she wanted. SIL 1 was disappointed and found something else to order. I asked our waitress if we could get some bread, since she hadn't brought us any, and she informed us that they were out of bread because, "They had been really really busy today because of all the dining plan people." Okay no big deal I guess, even though I really like their bread. Now we overheard our waitress say to another table that they are out of desserts. Say what now?!?! No Carrot Cake?!?! we call her over to ask her what the deal is with dessert and she informs us, "We are all out of all the desserts. Too many dining plan people today. You can have a few scoops of ice cream if you want." We were all pretty upset. We wanted to just cancel our food and talk to a manager, but at this point there weren't really going to be any table service options available to us and we wanted to be able to eat something. Also, we all work or have worked with the public at some point and we really hate to complain when out at restaurants. It's too late to do anyhthing about it and I'm not in the mood to get into an arguement with a manager about. Let me also say that the restaurant was still surprisingly full and they were still seating people. I don't know why they couldn't make more of some kind of dessert with all those people still left. I'm sure it's not just that easy, but still. If they had told us they were out of desserts, bread and some entrees when we were seated we would have just left and tried to get into Raglan Road or even Turf Club again.

As for our food we did get, DH got the Artichoke Dip for his appetizer. Which he said was okay and I had the Calimari which was really good but the dipping sauce for it was kind of nasty. I don't know what it was, all I know is it was green. I would have rather had marinara sauce with it. For our entrees we all boxed them up and took them back to the room because at that point we were all so annoyed and we just wanted to go back to the room. DH had his Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken the next morning for breakfast and said it was really good. I had the Four Cheese Pizza. I ate mine when we got back to the room along with my refillable mug full of Diet Coke and it was very yummy.

So I just don't know what to tell you about Wolfgang Puck. The food that we had was good, but I was upset about what we missed out on and the poor service left our evening on a sour note. Looking back on the experience I wish that we had just talked to a manager because you never know what they could do to try and make your expereince better. I think this became a lesson on not making late ADRs.

Up next... Le Cellier and the meal that almost never happened, Narcoossee

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Great reviews! Thanks!

 

[mommahnina]

after seeing your cali grill post makes me want to eat there!!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

great update