Celebrating & eating @ MNSSHP: AKERSHUS BREAKFAST [updated 12/12/12]

[emmebear]

Joining in from the live report thread

Congratulations on passing your nursing exam!!

Your little girl is such a cutie

Cant wait for more reviews.

thank you!

being a nurse is very awesome!

 

[emmebear]

today, my best bite of food was the potato casserole @ akershus royal banquet hall. i didn't want to chose the lobster roll as that was my favorite bite of food yesterday.

the potato casserole was very warm, cheesy & delicious! i thought i tasted some sour cream (maybe) but i ate the entire portion myself. shameful, i know.

the entire breakfast was an unexpected surprise as i had low expectations. the potato casserole was very comforting, perfectly seasoned & absolutely amazing. i really enjoyed it.

i will start my trip report & reviews after a few days. i have wedding photos that i need to finish editing.

thanks for keeping up & reading. more soon!

 

[Ro Z]

Looking forward to more!!

 

[nanienamou]

Can't wait to read more!

 

[emmebear]

i thought i'd start this trip/dining review with some interior shots of my hotel room. i stayed at the little mermaid section at art of animation. i was in building 7 which is ursula. building 7 is on the right. triton is on the left with ariel being in the far back. the ariel building would be the furthest building from everything. however, it took me less than 5 minutes to walk to animation hall from my room (and this is walking with a 2 year old).

we were in room 7622 and had a king size bed. the room was on the second floor and very close to the elevators & ice machine. it was also a connecting room. i did not hear either rooms next to me and there was minimal foot traffic noise on this trip.

i absolutely loved this resort as my daughter & i are huge little mermaid fans. the resort is clean & AWESOME! we are staying again in november. i had great wifi signal in my room and all over the resort. i used my iphone & my macbook pro & had no issues with the signal or reception.

here are some shots of the room itself.

king size bed. that circle in the middle is a light that was very useful. the clock also played ocean noises. very cool.

mousekeeping left us a present on the bed. each day, we'd have a new towel design somewhere in our room waiting for us. it was a really great surprise!

this was the top of the table in the room. i thought it was very cute.

table and two shell chairs. the chairs were pretty light & easy to move around. so was the table.

the divider for the bathroom.

octopus hook on the connecting door.

bathroom vanity area.

ariel shower curtain.

inside of shower.

really great shower head for a nice stream!

h20 shampoo & conditioner (pretty crappy but really cute. ha)

drawers/entertainment center. the left 3 drawers were usable. the 3 "drawers" on the right are fake and the refrigerator was behind it. the tv on top was an lg and it had direct tv as the provider.

lots of plugs for all your electronic needs.

pretty spacious fridge that kept everything nicely cold. we had plenty of space & could have added lots of additional items if needed.

another cute towel figure!

you touched your KTTW card to this on your door and the door would open. pretty convenient especially when your hands are full.

this was my favorite towel figure! absolutely adorable.

a nice surprise...clean room & cute towel figure.

the carpet was even detailed with the little mermaid theme.

emme standing in front of the window shades.


the room was very clean & had the "newness" feel to it. it wasn't a super fancy room but it met all our needs & was very comfortable. the comforters were awful...very stiff but we kicked it off before bed and didn't use it. the thermostat did not go below 68 but the room was plenty cool. i really enjoyed our stay here & would not hesitate to stay again.

if anyone has any questions, i'll be happy to answer in this thread. i'm going to continuously update about our trip including hotel, MNSSHP and of course FOOD!

up next, little mermaid & AOA exterior pictures!

 

[rachel09985]

Great LM pics! I am sooo excited to get there in two days!!!

 

[emmebear]

i'm going to post exterior pics of AOA in a later post. up next...

LUNCH @ CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE
PART 1

my daughter REALLY enjoyed our breakfast at CRT last month. i really had not planned on eating at CRT again as it is pricey. however, after randomly searching for adr's, an opening for lunch came up. i immediately grabbed it as i thought it would be the perfect way to start our trip together.

iphone picture of emme & prince eric.
(more exterior pics of AOA soon...i have so many!)

me & my emmebear.

"hurricane sandy" brought dark skies and a little bit of rain & lots of humidity this day.


we drove from jacksonville, checked into our hotel and made our way to CRT. we were about 30 minutes late but we were checked in quickly and waited in line for our picture with cinderella.

the knight is by the exit door.

we waited about 10 minutes for our picture. the picture is included with your meal (which makes the price of the meal a bit less shocking).

the interaction with cinderella is brief but she is very attentive. she spoke with emme, signed her autograph book, twirled her & even made a very nice comment about her dress. she was very sweet. i did not care too much for the picture that was given to me (you are not allowed to chose a pose. the staff choses the picture and presents it to your table) so i'm not going to post it. emme looked constipated in the picture.


after the picture is taken, you go up a winding staircase with red carpet. there are so many pretty & interesting things to look up as you are walking towards the dining area.

emme loved the stairs! it is a short walk but take your time & look around as the castle is absolutely gorgeous. how many times will you be in a castle?!

after reaching the dining area, you are then greeted (again as a royal guest/family) & taken to your table. i was absolutely delighted when we were given a table by the window. we had a great view of fantasyland! the place was very busy & very full. the tables are close together. we had a two top and basically were wedged between two 4 tops. it was close quarters but wasn't uncomfortable. i only wish emme was able to sit next to me instead of being across from me. she felt so far away!

a table with a view!

on the table, there was a wishing star. during your meal, a song plays, the princesses dance around and the children wave their stars around. it's very cute! princesses also get a wand and princes get a sword. the wand wasn't on our table so the cm brought us one immediately.

wishing star

emme looks to be worshipping her star. ha ha.

a coloring page/menu for emme.


the menu is very pretty.

the front of the menu. lots of tasty items!

the back of the menu. very pretty!

our cm was very nice. he was also very busy. i have no idea how the cm's do it...dealing with cranky kids, cranky parents, overly stimulated kids, crying babies...but they all do it with a smile. i really appreciated that. he went out of his way to make the lunch special for emme. he was really, really sweet.

here are a few more pictures of the inside.

gorgeous chandelier.


...up next, a delicious lunch review & lots of princesses!

 

[debrapagliasotti]

We are going to have bkfst on Christmas Eve at CRT and I am so excited. We have never eaten there, but I figured it would be perfect for the holiday.

 

[Roma]

Is it just me or has Cinderella at CRT gotten a major makeover? Her dress and hair look radically different from the past.

 

[emmebear]

LUNCH @ CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE
PART 2


continuing with the dining review, after being seated, the cm took our drink order. i ordered a water & diet coke & emme had a milk.

he then asked if i would like the salad or the soup. the menu said "chef's tasting plate" so i was confused for a second when he only offered the soup or salad. i envisioned a plate of amuse-bouche type offerings but when i looked around, everyone had a salad or soup. i opted for the soup & he also said that he would bring emme some cheese & grapes. she's only 2 and would be "eating off my plate" essentially.

after bringing my soup he forgets my spoon but quickly retrieves it.

Mushroom & Beef soup

the soup was one of the best things i had eaten on this trip. it was warm, savory & had a very deep mushroom flavor. the soup was very hearty with huge chunks of mushroom, tender beef, carrots and potatoes. i would have been very happy with a large bowl of this soup and a crusty piece of bread as my meal. it was that good. very delicious! it was one of my favorites bites of food on this trip. if you love that earthy mushroom flavor, i highly recommend it. if you're not too keen on mushrooms, request the salad.

Cheddar cheese & grapes for emme.


for my entree, i picked the grilled pork chop. i was torn between the short rib & pork chop. i chose the pork chop as my mom makes the world's best short rib. the cm said that if i did not like the pork chop that he would gladly get me another entree.

Grilled Pork Chop with Apple Chutney, Mashed Potatoes (subbed for the Sweet Potato Puree) and Swiss Chard

Grilled Pork Chop with Apple Chutney, Mashed Potatoes (subbed for the Sweet Potato Puree) and Swiss Chard

Grilled Pork Chop with Apple Chutney, Mashed Potatoes (subbed for the Sweet Potato Puree) and Swiss Chard


i didn't have high expectations for the pork chop as i've had my fair share of dry pork chops. but to my surprise, the pork chop was very moist! it was also a thick cut pork chop with the bone in. it had very beautiful grill marks and had a slight charred flavor to it. i substituted mashed potatoes over the sweet potatoes as my daughter loves mashed potatoes. the cm even brought me an extra serving of potatoes for my daughter. the swiss chard had a great bite and was perfectly bitter which was a great contrast to the sweetness of the apple chutney. the pork chop was cooked beautifully. i was very happy with my choice.


alas, after having about 3 bites of my meal, the princesses started their rounds. we had prime positioning as we were the second table to be greeted. this was both good and bad as once the parade of princesses started, they all came within 30 minutes to our table. that's the reason we are here anyways, for the princesses. we got pictures with minimal wait but my food was getting cold. emme lost all interest in her lunch by this point.


the first to come to our table was snow white.

it always takes emme a princess or two to warm up to them. on our last trip, snow white was really engaging & REALLY into her character. she skipped from table to table. on this trip, snow white was a bit aloof & kind of a space cadet. i think she was having a bad day but she did look the park. she just wasn't acting the part. but emme's 2 & probably didn't notice.


up next, sleeping beauty!

sleeping beauty was very sweet to emme. she sat and chatted with emme for a good 5 minutes. she twirled her, commented on her tiara and had her giggling the entire time. she even said that she loved emme's dress & that her friend ariel has a similar dress. emme really took to her & enjoyed her time with her.


up next, ariel!

emme's favorite disney princess is ariel. on our last trip to crt, ariel was very distant & spent the least amount of time with emme. on this trip, ariel was leaps and bound better. she grabbed emme by the hand and she twirled her, gushed at her dress & they twirled together. emme was over the moon! emme was so excited that she could barely stand still for a picture. this interaction alone made the expense worth it. it was awesome!


last but not least, princess jasmine!

jasmine was really pretty & super sweet to emme. emme's only seen alladin once but she remembered jasmine. ironically, this is one of the few pictures with emme actually looking at the camera (i've scarred her for life with taking so many photos of her i think).


during the princess onslaught, i managed to finish my food. every last bit of it. i kind of felt like a total pig but we had not eaten breakfast before our drive down and i was famished.

demolished plate.


onwards to dessert...

the cm brought emme a really festive cupcake. it was so pretty. much prettier than the cupcakes you get at other meals. emme ate all the icing off the cupcake.

she loved the cupcake (moreso the icing).

yummy cupcake!


and now my dessert.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE TOPPED WITH CANDIED PECANS AND A DRIZZLE OF CRANBERRY SAUCE

this was definitely not a winner in my book. i felt deceived as it was more like a pumpkin mousse. maybe the filling wasn't chilled enough or hadn't had time to set. i was expecting a slice of actual cheesecake & was disappointed as i love pumpkin cheesecake. the graham cracker crust was really hard and the dessert itself was difficult to eat. on the positive, the candied pecans were really good and the cranberry sauce was nice & tart.

exiting & we're off to fantasyland.

heading to the carousel after crt is becoming a new tradition. emme is 2/2!

very happy emmebear.


i used my TIW card for this meal. i saved about $9.00 using my card and total was $48.00 with gratuity. typically, the meal is 2 TS credits. i was only on the standard dining plan & saved my credits for other meals. when booking online, i did link it to my dining plan but when checking in, i let them know i will be using my TIW card instead. it was no hassle at all to change the form of payment.

overall, the lunch experience was a very good one. even though i felt like our table was a bit cramped, the view to fantasyland was amazing. our cm was one of the best of the trip & emme absolutely loved her experience. i felt very lucky to get this ADR as i booked it just 2 weeks before our trip.

the food was really good but i did have low expectations. i was pleasantly surprised that the food was good minus the very odd dessert. emme loved the gorgeous cupcake. the experience is definitely worthwhile if you and/or your family is into princesses.

we have another lunch ressie scheduled for our second november trip. i haven't had any luck for our december trip but i will continue to try. i think i am going to make CRT a tradition for all our visits to disney. the joy in emme's face is priceless and it's an added bonus that the food & service are both good.

up next, LUNCH @ LE CELLIER!

 

[emmebear]

side note: hope these reviews are helping some of you! i'm not getting much feedback but i do hope i am helpful!



LUNCH @ LE CELLIER

i lucked out grabbing a last minute ADR to le cellier. my daughter fell asleep during the walk to le cellier & i almost wished i did not have an ADR as food & wine fest was happening & the park was virtually empty. alas, i've never been to le cellier & thought i would stick with my ADR & give it a try.

i have great friends who live in montreal & have visited frequently. i was excited about having poutine (steak fries with cheese curds & gravy) as i ran out of both gravy & cheese curds at my house. i also wanted to taste the le cellier signature dish of filet mignon with mushroom risotto.

i was 20 minutes early for my ADR & they could not seat me. i was hoping to be able to eat in peace as my daughter was sleeping but that would not be the case. she finally awoke & we were seated.

the inside was dimly lit. we were seated at the end of the bench seating with a very small table. the table was very small & i felt like we did not have enough room to eat. we were also seated by the main aisle so there was a ton of foot traffic as we were eating.

the pre-fixe menu for lunch.


our server was from ontario & she was super nice & very accomodating. she brings out the very yummy bread basket. the bread was warm & delicious.

pretzel bread was amazing!

i order poutine as my appetizer. i could not wait to sink my teeth into some poutine.

POUTINE

i was so disappointed in the poutine. the steak fries were proper as was the gravy but the cheese itself was not cheese curds. it actually resembled and looked like a mild cheddar cheese. i was so looking forward to the cheese curds being ooey gooey as it melted with the warm gravy but instead i got this mess. i think le cellier should really be ashamed of this poutine. i've had better poutine from a mcdonald's in montreal. in the many years i've travelled to montreal, i've never had a yellow cheese poutine.


for my entree, i ordered the signature dish. my daughter had pasta tossed in butter and cheese.

she did not care too much for the pasta. it was a wasted $5.99. however, it was very nice of them to accomodate her as she does not like red sauce at all.

Wild Mushroom Filet Mignon - Le Cellier signature dish served with wild mushroom risotto and white truffle butter sauce $27.99

if i'm not mistaken, this is a 5oz portion of the filet while dinner is an 8oz portion. the filet was cooked a perfect medium. it was well seasoned & very good. the risotto had a deep mushroom flavor (i'm a fan of mushrooms) but it was rather stiff & very thick. maybe they added something at the end to thicken the risotto or it was plated too early.

the dish itself wasn't life changing as others have posted online. the dish was good but maybe i expected too much? i thought it was a great price for the signature dish. would i return & order it again? probably not.

member of the clean plate club.


onwards to dessert...

Vanilla ice cream w/sprinkles
this was my daughters favorite part of the meal.

No sugar added: Spice-poached apples, puffed pastry & vanilla honey mascarpone cream
le cellier was the only place to do something special for my "personal triumph" addition to my reservations. this was both savory & perfectly sweet. some parts of the puff pastry was a bit hard but overall, i did enjoy this dessert.


i'm glad i got to try le cellier as i really did luck out scoring an ADR. i think i had too many expectations for le cellier. the lunch was lovely but i don't think i will be ordering these dishes again. i have an ADR for lunch next saturday but i'm not quite sure if i am going to keep it. if i do keep it, i definitely want to try some other dishes!

up next, MNSSHP & COSMIC RAY'S!

 

[nanienamou]

What the heck is that poutine! It's like they layered that plastic cheese sauce with gravy. Yuck. Real poutine needs to have the curds, the fresher, the better. When the curds are really fresh, they actually squeek under the teeth.

I'm sorry your experience at Le Cellier was lackluster. I,m very weary of eating there because I feel it's overhyped and we are not huge steak/beef eaters. And stiff risotto is a sure sign that it was prepared in advance.

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Thank for your reviews!! I really enjoyed reading them. Your daughter is so adorable. I love her pictures with the princesses!!

 

[rachel09985]

I am here. I absolutely love your reviews! And especially your photos!

I am so mad because somehow I got dust in my sensor during my trip. Now I gotta get it out.. Any tips??

 

[CS3SONS]

Love your reviews! Your daughter is so cute and your pictures amazing.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Sorry to hear you weren't blown away by LC

 

[autumnpalm]

As a Canadian...

NOPE that does not pass as poutine!

Loving your reviews, though! Have been reading along and finding them really helpful!

 

[emmebear]

thanks for reading along & the nice comments!

my montreal friends visited me on my birthday last year in florida & brought some poutine fixings for me. it sure beat the poutine @ le cellier.

poutine = heaven on a plate

@rachel09985, i've never gotten dust on my sensor. there are some tutorials on youtube & i've read a few articles. is it bad? can you not edit out using photoshop or whichever program you use?

 

[auntfrannie]

I thought I read somehwere that LC does a different poutine at dinner than what you were served at lunch. Which makes no sense to me. Why would you have two different versions with the lunch version not being anything that someone familiar with poutine would enjoy? Go figure.

Thanks for the reviews!

 

[rachel09985]

@rachel09985, i've never gotten dust on my sensor. there are some tutorials on youtube & i've read a few articles. is it bad? can you not edit out using photoshop or whichever program you use?

It is a dark spot. I was able to edit it out but it still annoys me!

I think I am going to try that air blower thing first!