A Christmas Dining Extravaganza

[tyandskyesmom]

I'm loving your dining review. We normally do the deluxe plan. For our September trip it was suppose to be just me and DH and we are going on a free dining package so we were going to just stick to that. Now DS,21 will be joining us and between everyone's wish lists and must do's I think that we are going to end up upgrading to the deluxe. Your price breakdown is helping me to see that the extra $800 it will cost us to upgrade is going to be worth it for us.

I really believe it is how you look at it and what you want out of your vacation. I mean, we could have eaten cheaper than this but on vacation, we want to be able to eat what we want and not worry about price. However, we are a family of people who usually DO want to order the most expensive items on the menu and I and the mom who is counting the dollars so that we can eat...so the DDDP gives us the opportunity to make our vacation a true vacation for us!

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I really believe it is how you look at it and what you want out of your vacation. I mean, we could have eaten cheaper than this but on vacation, we want to be able to eat what we want and not worry about price. However, we are a family of people who usually DO want to order the most expensive items on the menu and I and the mom who is counting the dollars so that we can eat...so the DDDP gives us the opportunity to make our vacation a true vacation for us!

I just finished getting our ADRs really complete and I have to say when I look at ALL of the places I have booked, that's a lot of food! But for my DH and DS, the dining is a huge part of the vacation. I even joked with them that maybe we could just take the park tickets off since all they were interested in was eating, lol.

I know some don't like taking the time away from rides and parks to sit down and eat, but for us it's a great break away from the crowds and heat. We too tend to order the more expensive things, not because of price or value, but because that's what we actually want to eat. It is so nice not having to worry about counting money when you are looking in those beautiful snack cases and wanting to have a cupcake.

 

[TabGray]

I absolutely LOVE reading all of your reviews. I'm in the process of planning my first trip ever to Disney (155 Days!) It's just me and my DH and I am so ridiculously excited!!! You're reviews are really helping me plan my ADR's and getting me even more excited... if that's even possible! I'm looking forward to reading more. Have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

Wow, I'm SO late but loving your reviews and pictures!!!

 

[cwiklamama]

Loving your reviews- excited to hear you will be doing a QS dining report!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Be Our Guest

We headed back to our dinner reservation but it was still too early to check in so we walked around a bit. All the rides had lines that were too long to wait in right now so we just enjoyed the atmosphere.

At 8:15pm we checked in at Be Our Guest for our 8:30pm ADR. We were taken in within 2 minutes. We were sat in the center of the ball room and encouraged to go look at the other rooms.

in the West Wing!

Our server was Courtney. She took our drink orders...a sprite, 2 orange Fanta, and a root beer.

For appetizers Skyler and Cary had the Garden Salad - with Champagne Vinaigrette (Skye had the dressing on the side). She actually did end up liking the vinaigrette a lot though. It was a basic salad with the good kinds of greens.

Tyler and I did the Assorted Cured Meats and Sausages - served with cornichons, pickled onions, and toasted baguette (serves two) because there was not really anything else on the menu he wanted.

It was good. Some of the items were not something we would normally eat but it was fun to be able to try them and not feel like we wasted money buying them. We all shared in on this.

All of us except Skyler got the Grilled Strip Steak - with garlic-herb butter and pommes frites...me and Tyler medium rare and Cary medium well. Tyler was thrilled that he didn't have to ask for fries in place of something else this time!

As usual, the green beans were really good. The fries were fries. And the steak was good...not the best cut we'd had but it was a decent meal. They were all cooked to our liking.

Skyler again got the Seasonal Sustainable Catch du Jour - served with seasonal vegetables...which was again salmon. She had Courtney explain to her the presentation and asked for everything to be separate...she did not want the fish on anything or any sauces directly on the food. She also asked for green beans instead of any other vegetable. This was all ok with Courtney and it came out as specified. I can't find any of our pictures and none, obviously anywhere else the way Skye's looked so you're going to have to use your imagination a little here...

So hers was salmon on the plate next to green beans with a small ramekin of sauce. She did not touch the sauce but I tasted it and it would have been great on the salmon.

For dessert we had 2 The "Grey Stuff" - chocolate spongecake topped with Lumiere's special "grey stuffs, a strawberry cream cheese cupcake -vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling, and cream cheese icing, and an Eclair a l'Orange - Custard filling with zested Orange and then finished with Chocolate Ganache. One of the grey stuffs and the cupcake were packed up to go...the others we shared there.

The grey stuff was Skye and my favorite. Cary and Tyler liked the cupcake the best. But we enjoyed them all!

We walked around the other rooms and took pictures...making sure not to be on top of someone elses dinner in doing so.

At about 9:30pm we paid our bill and went to stand in line to see Beast! We waited about 10 minutes. He was on break when we got there.

All in all we really liked Be Our Guest. I don't know that I'd kill myself to squeeze it in but if it worked out, we'd be game! Breakfast and lunch does not seem to thrill me though. It is really a beautiful setting and meeting the beast at the end is awesome (although it would be cool if Belle was there too!).

We may return someday.

TOTAL = $208.49 ... TOTAL FOOD = $4850.43
USED 4 CREDITS ... USED 109 MEAL CREDITS

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Casey's had just opened when we arrived. And as usual, the lines were crazy...and the tables were filling fast. But miraculously, the lines moved quickly and we were able to snag a table quite easily.

We ordered 3 Foot Long Hot Dog - with French fries, an order of corn dog nuggets served with French fries, 2 pink cotton candies, 2 brownies, a chocolate milk, an orange Fanta, and 2 cokes.

Cary and I loaded up with toppings and the kids ate theirs plain. Casey's is always a good meal and everything was hot and fresh.

TOTAL = $64.42 ... TOTAL FOOD = $4914.85
USED 4 CREDITS ... USED 113 MEAL CREDITS

 

[Candycane83]

Have to say I really love your reviews!!! if I need a review on a restaurant, I just have to look into this dining report for one!

 

[Lady de Winter]

Wonderful review, very detailed - Thank you!

 

[DrunkJam]

AWESOME reviews. I always said never the dxdp, but this is making me reconsider....

 

[DHare]

Hello,
Your reviews are fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing. I love all your details and pictures of your family. I was so sad to hear about your fall. I hope it did not dampen the rest of your wonderful trip too much? Terrible about your camera lens also. Did they ever replace it for you? It's very exciting that you have another trip coming! Or have you had it already? I will be reading that trip review also.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

AWESOME reviews. I always said never the dxdp, but this is making me reconsider....

I can't wait to get to the end of my next trip report (coming up if I can ever get photobucket to cooperate) so I can reveal the results of out dining plan experiment!

Hello,
Your reviews are fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing. I love all your details and pictures of your family. I was so sad to hear about your fall. I hope it did not dampen the rest of your wonderful trip too much? Terrible about your camera lens also. Did they ever replace it for you? It's very exciting that you have another trip coming! Or have you had it already? I will be reading that trip review also.

Thank you! The fall stunk...and it hurt...but Other than being a little more cautious, I was ok. The camera lens though!!!! UGH!!!! That was the worst part! About a week and a half before we left for our last trip, I got a new adjustor and a call in return. I was able to locate my lens (entered in exactly as it is listed in my manual) for $199.00 online. They wanted to give me just over $100 because she claimed she found it for that much. She gave me the web site and it was some unknown little web site and I could not easily locate my lens on it so how do I know what I am getting and if I even want to trust this odd web site with my credit card info. So I complained a bit and told her how I was told by many people that I should have made a bigger stink at the time and gotten more than just my lens replaced. But that was not my goal...I just wanted my lens replaced. So she agreed to pay out the $199.00. I didn't get the check until the day before we left so I still do not have my lens yet (I have purchased a water proof Fuji...which on the last day of or last trip we found isn't so water proof!) for cheap prior to that so I was good for that trip.

July trip has come and gone. It was VERY different and I cannot wait to tell you all about it!

 

[DrunkJam]

I can't wait to get to the end of my next trip report (coming up if I can ever get photobucket to cooperate) so I can reveal the results of out dining plan experiment!



Thank you! The fall stunk...and it hurt...but Other than being a little more cautious, I was ok. The camera lens though!!!! UGH!!!! That was the worst part! About a week and a half before we left for our last trip, I got a new adjustor and a call in return. I was able to locate my lens (entered in exactly as it is listed in my manual) for $199.00 online. They wanted to give me just over $100 because she claimed she found it for that much. She gave me the web site and it was some unknown little web site and I could not easily locate my lens on it so how do I know what I am getting and if I even want to trust this odd web site with my credit card info. So I complained a bit and told her how I was told by many people that I should have made a bigger stink at the time and gotten more than just my lens replaced. But that was not my goal...I just wanted my lens replaced. So she agreed to pay out the $199.00. I didn't get the check until the day before we left so I still do not have my lens yet (I have purchased a water proof Fuji...which on the last day of or last trip we found isn't so water proof!) for cheap prior to that so I was good for that trip.

July trip has come and gone. It was VERY different and I cannot wait to tell you all about it!

Oh, and I meant to say, SO sorry about the fall. That happened to me! I fell on my camera in Paris (France) and broke it. I walked around Paris and caught the Eurostar home (london) - By the time I got to London, my knee was a funny shape. I walked to the hospital (there is a good one just opposite the station, luckily)
The triage nurse took one look and no one let me stand up again the whole time I was there. Turns out I had broken a tendon and taken chip out of my femur! I was SO upset about my camera that I hadn't really noticed my leg.

 

[suzimar57]

Just read your entire DR - very fun read, great reviews!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

The Plaza Restaurant

We made our way around towards Main Street U.S.A. and our late lunch ADR at The Plaza Restaurant. We checked in at the podium and there was about a five minute wait. So on course I took pictures.

There was an Elf taking pictures in the grassy area and we never get around to getting pictures taken because the line was always really long!

We were seated along the windows towards the Castle. Our waiter was Carlos. He was efficient but services was a little slow here...which was not a problem for us today.

For my appetizer I had the the Tomato Bisque Soup (it might be my favorite tomatoe soup ever...very thick and creamy with croutons to crunch!), Cary had the Italian Wedding Soup (which he had never had before but said it was a lot like a beef vegetable soup), and Tyler ordered the Tossed Salad with ranch dressing on the side for Skyler (which she loved).

I ordered the Cheese Steak Sandwich - shaved beef grilled with onions, mushrooms, red peppers, and white American cheese served on a hoagie roll with fries. I love this sandwich here.

Skyler ordered the Kid's Grilled Cheese Sandwich with fries (which counted as her appetizer). It was a decent grilled cheese sandwich.

Cary had the Meatloaf Meal - hearty slices of home-style meatloaf served with red skinned garlic mashed potatoes, gravy and seasonal vegetables. He initially forgot to tell Carlos no gravy on the potatoes but Carlos said no prob and took it back. It did not take long to bring him out a new plate minus the gravy. He thought this was very good.

Tyler had the Grilled Chicken Sandwich - topped with bacon, remoulade, bruschetta, provolone, and arugula served on a Kaiser roll with everything on the side! How he can live with such plain food is beyond me. But he liked it. And Cary and I munched on the other things he has put "on the side".

Then it was time for dessert...mmmmm!

Tyler ordered the Brownie Sundae (which is no longer on the allears menu). Nice soft, chewy brownies, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry...what's not to like?!?!?!

Skye had the Mickeylodeon with cookies and cream ice cream...

I had the Original Banana Split - chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream topped with hot fudge, strawberry sauce, crushed pineapple, chopped nuts, whipped cream and a cherry...yummy! My favorite! It's hard to find a real balance split that uses chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream and strawberry, chocolate and pineapple sauces anymore...well, The Plaza does!

And Cary had The Plaza Restaurant Sundae - ice cream (your choice of chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, no sugar added raspberry sorbet, no sugar added butter pecan or non-fat chocolate-vanilla swirl) with hot fudge, strawberry sauce, crushed pineapple, topped with whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. It was a great mix of flavors!

We finished S-T-U-F-F-E-D! The kids and I had been here before but not Cary. We were all very happy as usual. We did use fur dining plan credits even though Skye only ordered a kids meal...I don't even know why...maybe I forgot to tell him and we just didn't want to hassle with it once he brought our check.

Everything was really good and our drinks were filled regularly. The Plaza is not a great use of the dining plan credits because it is on the cheaper side (well, for Disney anyway) but it is good food right on Main Street with a great view. It's little and cozy inside.

I don't know how I am going to feel about it if they are no longer taking ADRs though because it is very small and even with ADRs we have sometimes had a horrible wait to be seated but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

We were here about an hour and a half...which is normally longer than we would dine but we were relaxing and service was a bit slow...but at this point in our trip, that was ok with us.

TOTAL = $97.88 ... TOTAL FOOD = $5012.73
USED 4 CREDITS ... USED 117 MEAL CREDITS

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Old Port Royal

After getting dressed for bed, the kids ran to Ole Port Royale for some food. They brought it back to the room to eat. They got a cheese pizza, a pepperoni pizza, a cinnamon roll, a chocolate dipped crisped rice mickey head on a stick, a Fanta orange and a lemonade.

It was all good and what they wanted.

TOTAL = 32.54 ... TOTAL FOOD = $5045.27
USED 2 CREDITS ... USED 119 MEAL CREDITS

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After they ate dinner in bed we all passed out and slept like logs! We were more than half way through our trip and even with all we had done, and even with almost 4 more days to go we were starting to get sad....

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

After they ate dinner in bed we all passed out and slept like logs! We were more than half way through our trip and even with all we had done, and even with almost 4 more days to go we were starting to get sad....

It's always hard thinking about the end, even when you have so much time left!

 

[DVC Katie]

Great report, thank you for sharing!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

GARDEN GRILL

We has a 9am ADR for Garden Grill. We've never been here before because the food for lunch/dinner was never something we would all eat...picky people! But when they added breakfast, well, that we could do! We arrived a little before 9am and we were seated right away. We were in a circular booth facing out towards the land. Our server was Staci and she was ok. And surprise, surprise...some of these pics are not mine...

We ordered our drinks and they were brought back with a plate of fruit and a giant cinnamon roll type thing and you know that is right up our alley!

I don't recall having those three little cups of whatever they were though???

Both of these went real fast and we were brought another of both.

Then we were brought a platter of biscuits and gravy...

Which only I would try...it was pretty good, although I am not a biscuits and gravy connoisseur.

And a mixed platter...of tater tots, ham, bacon, scrambled eggs and Mickey Waffles.

It was all very good and fresh! Ty and Cary loved the eggs...it was one of the only places that the eggs were not runny. Skye and I loved the ham and Mickey Waffles. But I can assure you nothing on that platter went to waste. We did get more of the bacon, ham and eggs. But it did take a while for that to happen. A bit longer than it should have, we expected it to, or a similar request other places took. While we were waiting though we were able to visit with ...

CHIP

(ok, I just turned that in photobucket and it looks right there!!!)

PLUTO

DALE

and MICKEY

All in all we really liked Garden Grill breakfast. It is great to have another sit down option inside Epcot. We would definitely consider returning for breakfast...I'm still working on other meals though.

We were out of there by 9:40am. So not too bad for a filling breakfast and four characters!

TOTAL = 127.76 ... TOTAL FOOD = $5183.03
USED 4 CREDITS ... USED 123 MEAL CREDITS