A Little of This, A Little of That - updated 11/23

[SmallWorld71]

Decided to finally stop hemming and hawing and write this dining report. It's going to be a mash up of 3 separate trips. DD18 and I stayed at POP from February 14th - 17th to celebrate her 18th birthday, then DH and I went to Disney Springs for one day (July 29th) while visiting relatives, and finally, DD18 and her BFF celebrated their high school graduation and were at POP from August 4th - 10th. Rather than try to remember the order of things DD and I have decided to organized the review by TS, CS, Festivals, and snacks.
* Of note. DD has been vegan for over 3 years so you will be seeing a lot of plant based option reviews.






*Up first: Skipper Canteen

 

[SmallWorld71]

SKIPPER CANTEEN

This is a place I have been wanted to try ever since it opened. DD and I went in February and she liked it so much that she and BFF returned in August.



Up first: DD and I shared the Falls Family Falafel which is falafel with an edamame hummus, toasted pumpkin seeds, and radishes. This was amazing and one of the best things we ate the entire trip. I would definitely get this again.



We both ordered the Curried Vegetable Crew Stew for our entrees. This is a coconut rice with seasonal vegetables and pineapple tofu in a curry sauce. In order to be vegan, they substitute plain rice for the coconut rice as the coconut rice as honey. Again, this was delicious! You would never know you were inside a busy theme park!

* With coconut rice:


*With plain rice:


Punch Line Punch - tropical fruit juices and mango puree, yum!


DD once again got the curried vegetable crew stew in August.


In February, we were too full by the end of our meal to have dessert, but in August DD forwent the amazing falafel in order to have enough room for dessert. She got the Panna-Connie's Congo-Lime Delight, a vegan panna cotta with mango-lime sorbet and fresh fruit. She said this was about the weirdest dessert she had ever eaten. She ate the whole thing, however said it had an odd flavor and texture, and if she went back again would most definitely choose the falafel appetizer instead.


Food: 5 out of 5 (minus the weird dessert which gets 3.5 out of 5)
Service: 5 out of 5 on both trips
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
We loved Skipper Canteen and it has become a must do for us!

*While we don't have her personal review, BFF got the "Tastes like Chicken" Because it is! and the Kungaloosh for dessert, a chocolate cake with caramelized banana and cashew caramel ice cream. BFF very much enjoyed both of these, and the skippers, as the waiters are called in this restaurant, ask every time someone orders the chicken if it indeed tastes like chicken, which was highly amusing.

 

[kastoney]

Glad to see your hemming and hawing turn to writing Skippers is definitely the best thing going food wise in MK. And the falafel is thankfully never disappoints

 

[SmallWorld71]

Glad to see your hemming and hawing turn to writing Skippers is definitely the best thing going food wise in MK. And the falafel is thankfully never disappoints

Thank you for following along! I don’t comment very often on the boards, but I love your reports.
Definitely glad we finally got to try Skippers.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Yay, another new review! Keep 'em coming! Also we really enjoyed Skippers when we went back in 2016. Looks like they've changed up the falafel but the new version looks yummy.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Yay, another new review! Keep 'em coming! Also we really enjoyed Skippers when we went back in 2016. Looks like they've changed up the falafel but the new version looks yummy.

Thank you for joining. The falafel was quite yummy!
Next installment should be up by Thursday.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Took a little longer than I'd hoped, but here comes the next TS review:

DH and I visited my dad in Bradenton, FL the last week of July. Since we booked our flights and rental car pretty late, we ended up having to fly in and out of Orlando instead of Sarasota or Tampa due to availability. Since our flight home was so early, we decided to spend the night before in Orlando. I got a ridiculously cheap room at Coronado Springs for the night and the plan was to split the time during the day between Disney Springs and the pool at the resort. Mother Nature had other ideas though bringing with her rain from about 1 pm on, so the Springs it was. It was so packed at the Springs that day!

We had a 5 pm ADR at The Boathouse which was a new to us restaurant. By 4:30 we were sick of shopping and dodging rain drops, so we asked about the possibility of being seated early. They said there was no table available in the dining room but that there was a high top in the bar area open. We took this and were glad we did. It was a nice spot right by the window. Our server was fantastic, upbeat and efficient.

We started off with a couple of drinks. DH had the Sailfish Brewing Sunrise City IPA, one of the Florida Craft Beers. I did not get a picture, but he enjoyed it. He enjoys IPAs. I had the Blueberry Lemonade: Stoli Blueberry, Western Son Lemon Vodka, Homemade Lemonade, and Fresh Blueberries. I like fruity drinks and this drink was right up my alley; pretty to look at and refreshing after all the walking on a hot, wet day. Behind my drink you can see the A-MA-ZING rolls. I ate 2 of the 3 and the waitress offered to bring me more. But, I declined as I wanted to have room for my food.

As we were eating, we noticed everyone around us was drinking some blue drink with a rubber duck in it. Seriously, we counted 9 just at tables we could see and more being made at the bar. DH asked our waitress about it who said she couldn't believe how many they were selling that day. She said that it tasted like a blue jolly rancher and she was exactly right. DH decided to try one and was happy that he did, but it was a one and done for him due to the sweetness (this didn't stop him from finishing it). We think our adults sons would really like this one.
If you've been to The Boathouse, I am sure you've seen them. But, behold the Duck, Duck, Razz: Stoli Razz, Peach Schnapps, Blue Curacao, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup.

Now, I am not going to lie, I feel a little awkward posting the next part of this review. I was reading @kastoney's latest report, and it turns out that my DH and I ordered exactly the same as she and her DH did! I had the Filet Mignon Sliders and DH had the Grilled Fresh Mahi Sandwich. We seemed to fare better than they did however and loved our meals. The steak was cooked just to my liking (plus, living with people who don't/ can't eat red meat, I hadn't had filet mignon in months) and I was very happy with my choice. DH enjoyed his meal as well. We both agreed we'd love to come back again some time.

Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 (it was packed and a little loud, but I liked the decor and our table had a great view)
Service: 5 out of 5
Food/ Drinks: 5 out of 5

 

[kastoney]

Looks like you all fared much better at Boathouse than we did. Too funny that we ordered the exact same things to eat. I think it was so busy the day we were there with it being fathers day and all that they were just having execution problems.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Next up for TS is Mama Melrose. DD18 and her friend went there on their trip earlier this month so she is going to do the write up for this one:

During our last family trip during Christmastime of 2014, we ate at Mama Melrose and very much enjoyed it. I was more than willing to come back here again on this trip, and after seeing their vegan options I definitely wanted to try them.

They started off by bringing us some delicious and hot bread with olive oil and seasonings to dip it in.


For an appetizer, I got the Minestrone Soup, a delicious soup filled with many vegetables and ditalini pasta. I actually had gotten this as an appetizer way back in 2014, and was so excited to have it again this trip.


The plant based entree offered is the Polenta Cake, Mushroom, and Herb Cauliflower. This dish also has spinach, red pepper, and a cashew-cheese sauce. The polenta cake was very odd, with the texture of a moister cornbread. Odd texture aside, the whole dish was very flavorful and I would get it again.


Food: 5 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5

Up next: Garden Grill

 

[SmallWorld71]

Between me going back to work (teacher) and DD moving into college, this next review got delayed more than I would like, but here goes....
When deciding where to eat on our short February trip, DD and I decided to try Garden Grill. At the time, it was the only character dining available and we thought it might make the trip seem a little more 'normal' if we got to meet some of our character friends. We have eater at many character dining locations in the past, but this was a our first time at Garden Grill.

After a lovely morning in World Showcase which was one of those rare days where the weather was actually perfect for touring, sunny, 70s, no humidity, we headed over to Future World where we did a little painting before heading inside to the Land Pavilion for our early dinner.

For anyone not familiar, the Garden Grill is a rotating restaurant that slowly rotates past scenes from Living With the Land which has been a favorite of DD's since she was 4 and is a must do classic for our family. I do wish they'd bring back the Listen to the Land song though.....
Due to Covid, they were seating all diners on the lower level while the characters circulated on the top level.

We were brought to our table where we were greeted with a hidden Mickey:

We were brought out the salad and rolls which are vegan as it and were also brought some plant based butter. These were decent, nothing fancy but a good start to the meal.

The meals at Garden Grill are served family style on platters. I had decided that I was fine with the plant based platter, but did ask for a side of the mac and cheese from the regular meal. The plant based platter had succotash, green beans, rice, and some type of loaf. The veggies and rice were fine, but I did not care for the loaf. (I typically don't like things that are imitating meat.) DD thought it was weird but liked it well enough. When the waitress learned that I didn't like it, she asked if I wanted to try anything else from the regular platter and I decided to try the turkey. (no picture)

Continued in next post...

 

[SmallWorld71]

Garden Grill continued...

Dessert was a Berry Short Cake with whipped cream. They also had a plant based dessert that was very similar, but with different pound cake and no whipped cream. This was quite yummy and my favorite part of the meal.


The characters interaction was amazing. We saw Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale multiple times each and I have to give them credit. They did an excellent job interacting with us even though they were on the level above.

Overall, we had a great time! The food was nothing special, but it was well prepared and more than adequate. I don't see this on our must do list, but it's a great way to meet some characters in an atmosphere that is more relaxing than most character meals. We both agreed we would go back if the situation was right: had kids with us or someone who wanted to meet Mickey for example.

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5 - our server was very attentive and friendly which is not always the case at family style places and buffets
Food: 3 out of 5 (maybe 4 if we're just talking the dessert)
Characters: 5 out of 5

Up next: Counter service and snacks at MK

 

[erinch]

Loving your reviews!

 

[SmallWorld71]

Loving your reviews!

Thank you!

 

[SmallWorld71]

Magic Kingdom odds and ends, Part 1

Traveling back in time to February, DD18 and I had enjoyed a delicious and filling lunch at Skipper Canteen. After lunch, we had a quick trip to Disney Springs, then back to MK where we enjoyed a perfect weather evening and tons of rides.

Our Skipper Canteen meal kept us full for hours, but eventually we got the munchies and went for a classic snack: the Dole Whip! We shared raspberry-pineapple swirl cup which is one of my favorite ways to have a Dole Whip. 5 out of 5 for sure!

Then we hit a ton more rides before standing in the one line of the trip that took forever and was our only regret - 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. It moved painfully slow. Had a nice view of Space Mountain all lit up, though.

After that long wait it was getting late and we figured we better grab a bite to eat. But.... we had waited too long and everywhere was closed! (Remember, this was when many CS places hadn't even reopened yet.) We didn't want ice cream again, so we searched and searched until we came upon the only cart still open and had the Disney Dinner of Champions:

It was a bit stale being so close to closing, but it did the trick more or less. 3 out of 5 stars.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Magic Kingdom Odds and Ends, Part 2
Jumping forward from February to August.... we join DD18 and her BFF at the Magic Kingdom.

First Up: The Plant Based 'Cheese Pizza" from Pinocchio's Village Haus.
DD18: 'I got this for dinner on both our Magic Kingdom Days. Great option if you're looking for that good old 'takeout pizza.' The vegan cheese was really good and melted well, which can be an issue with vegan cheese.

Next Up: The Plant based bratwurst and tots and strawberry lemonade slush from The Friar's Nook.
DD18: 'The bratwurst was really good and was even better with the sauerkraut added. The lemonade slushy was very refreshing on an extremely hot day.'

Dole Whip:
DD18: 'I got a regular dole whip and BFF got a float for breakfast, how can you go wrong?' (Side note: Ice cream for breakfast at Disney. She is her mother's daughter. I am so proud!)

Popcorn:
DD18: 'It's popcorn, it's vegan, it's in a box with an amazing pattern. What else is there to say?'

Thanks for following along and don't be shy about saying hi!
Up next, Animal Kingdom CS

 

[kastoney]

There is very little in life that beats Disney popcorn. I am sure that it is exactly the same as the popcorn I have at home, yet it tastes 1000% better from that magical box

 

[SmallWorld71]

There is very little in life that beats Disney popcorn. I am sure that it is exactly the same as the popcorn I have at home, yet it tastes 1000% better from that magical box

It's amazing how that works, isn't it.

 

[SmallWorld71]

All right, let get this report back on track....
On the third, and final, day of our February trip, DD18 and I headed to Animal Kingdom. It was an overcast and somewhat drizzly day and the lines weren't bad at all.

Since it was the day we were flying out, we didn't want to sacrifice the time needed for a sit down meal. So, we ended up at 2 CS places. First up it Satu'li Canteen. This was actually the only place we encountered a crowd. They were not letting people in the seating area until their food was ready, but for whatever reason the CM at the entrance saw us standing nearby and invited us to come take a much appreciated seat while we waited.

I got the Chopped Wood-Grilled Chicken Bowl: Wood-Grilled Chicken Thighs marinated with Garlic and Olive Oil topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with your choice of Base and Sauce. I chose the green onion vinaigrette and the red and sweet potato hash.
DD got the Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl: Crispy Fried Tofu seasoned with Chili-Spice topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with your choice of Base and Sauce. She also got the green onion vinaigrette and the potato hash.

We really enjoyed these! 5 out of 5! DD got the exact same meal when she returned in August.

I also got the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse: Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse with Passion Fruit Curd. I have been wanting to try this ever since I first saw it on Instagram. Sadly, it was a one and done for me. I found both the texture and flavor to be somewhat off putting. I ate about a 1/3 before giving up and tossing it. It just wasn't to my tastes.

 

[SmallWorld71]

After a day filled with rides, birds, cavalcades, and a trip to first aid to get bandages for the biggest blister I have ever had... we realized that we better eat something before heading back to our resort to catch the not so Magical because we are leaving Express. At this time, there was so little open in the airport, we didn't know if we could even find food there.

We decided to eat at Flame Tree Barbecue due to its proximity to the entrance/ exit.

I got the Smokehouse Chicken Salad: Pulled Chicken on top of Mixed Greens Salad tossed with Smoked Cheddar, Diced Granny Smith Apples, Dried Cranberries, Cornbread Croutons, Crispy Onions, and Barbecue-Ranch Dressing.
The plant based option here is Hot Link Smokehouse Sandwich: Plant-based Sausage topped with a Tangy Mustard Barbecue Sauce, Slaw, and Crispy Onions on a House-made New England-style Roll.

These were both fine. Nothing amazing, nothing awful. They did the trick and we were both satisfied with the choice. I briefly considered trying some ribs and beans, but that didn't seem like a wise meal choice right before a lot of traveling. I put Flame Tree in the happy to go back but also not upset if I don't return category. 3 out of 5 stars.

Up next: We head to Epcot for Mardi Gras and the festival that may have unseated the Flower and Garden as my favorite Epcot festival.

 

[kastoney]

Looks like a great meal at Satuli. Those bowls are always so good. Wish all Disney counter service was this good.