Coming to you Live from Disney World!-Take 2 AUG/SEPT WINNERS ANNOUNCED

[jabead]

Next was another update from Anne, this one of the Afternoon Snacks today at the Wilderness Lodge's CL Lounge...


Old Faithful Club





"Warm, fresh potato chips."





"The biggest bowl of gummy bears I've ever seen"






Goldfish crackers





"Wasabi mix with rice crackers and almonds."





Chocolate Chip Cookies






Sugar Cookies​

10 August Game Points Earned

 

[jabead]

Next we received an update from a reporter who's trip ended on Aug. 5th.

pennyplanner and her sister had their last dinner at Disney World on Aug. 4th at the Wilderness Lodge's...






"A bonus picture of the beautiful lighting in Artist Point. It has long been one of my family's favorite restaurants."




"This dining experience, however, let us down. From the start, we told our waiter we wanted a relaxing pace for our dinner. This was our last evening at WDW. At first, everything was fine. Then the kitchen tried to deliver our dinners before our appetizers were finished. No problem our waiter assured us. They would fire new dinners and not just stick them under heating elements. Unfortunately he was wrong."



But first some menu pics...









Here is what they had...



Confit Natural Bacon with Sunny-side up Quail Egg, Chow Mein Noodles, and
Blood Orange Glaze

"This was my choice. This was basically pork belly. I'm not sure what the difference is! It was a perfect blend of fat and meat. It's richness was cut by the egg. Being a small egg, it wasn't too runny--almost like an easy over consistency. It seemed like an odd selection of items, but it worked! Delicious."






Artisanal Cheese Selection

"This included cheddar with tiny fresh grapes, a soft Brie-like cheese with whisper thin raisin toast and a puddle of honey, and a bleu (their spelling!) with a thin raspberry jam sauce. The selection was beautifully presented, and the accompaniments were well matched. At first my sister was skeptical of the raspberry, but leave it to the experts! It accented the bleu well."


"We were off to a good start with no sign of the problems to come."



Now for their entrees...



Slow-roasted Buffalo Strip Steak with Foraged Mushroom-Fingerling Potato Hash and Rainier Cherry Reduction

"The picture looks good, but cutting into this was another story. It was dry and cooked to a more medium interior. All the lovely natural juiciness was gone. The fingerling potatoes were a bit too firm for me, but the vegetables were overall nicely cooked and tasted fresh. It was disappointing to have my favorite buffalo (always a must have for me!) overdone."





Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut with Blue Crab Pierogi, Truffle Butter, Toy Box Squash, Asparagus, and Meyer Lemon Emulsion

"This was another disappointing entree. The fish was over cooked and the pierogi (like a dumpling) was like shoe leather. Only the vegetables were good tasting and the right texture."



"This is where our waiter let us down. Runners from the kitchen delivered the food, and he didn't check back with us after they were delivered. When he finally did and we voiced our displeasure, our friendly, chatty server was suddenly silent. He did not utter one word - not when he cleared our plates or while we ordered dessert. (We were on the dining plan.) Nothing. It was both odd and disappointing."


And speaking of dessert, here is the menu they chose from...







Baked Alaska-- Chocolate Espresso Tower, Vanilla Anglaise, Cherry Carmel, and Cherry

"Good but needed to thaw a bit at room temperature. It was rock hard, making it difficult to eat. Not something to order again."






Fresh Lemon Curd with Molten Pistachio Nougat, White Chocolate Foam, and Fresh Raspberry Garnish

"The lemon cured tasted just right--slightly tart, not cloyingly sweet. The texture was off though. Too much gelatin maybe? Too firm for me! The star was the pistachio nougat. Worth risking a burned tongue from its high temperature. The foam was more like a soft whipped cream. The white chocolate flavor was just okay. I'd have preferred just straight whipped cream. The nougat was sweet enough on its own!"



"When the check was delivered, our waiter finally spoked. He had comped us our wine. We were having our dessert. Odd I thought that he dropped it off so early. I might have had a cup of their exceptional herbal tea, but wasn't asked. Next the manager came to our table. We politely questioned what the point of a rushed fine dining experience was? Why had the kitchen so misjudged the timing of our dinners? He mentioned speaking with the staff about timing and communication. Yada, yada, yada..."


"We finished our dessert and wondered if Artist Point would still be on our must-do list. Its menu is different than what we can get in our part of the country--New England. We LOVE the Wilderness Lodge and have had wonderful meals there. Unfortunately, this was a miss--a big miss.
Our waiter returned again and picked up the original check. There was a further comp and all that remained was the dining credit info. Still, it was disappointing. We were just looking for that "last night in Disney" wonderful dining experience we'd come to expect at Artist Point."


"Overall Rating: 2 stars :-(
If only the California Grill was open..." ​

5 August Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for name/menu pics and misc. pic

 

[Marblies]

This is so disappointing. I am often surprised that guests accept sub-par food or service simply because it was pre-paid (DP). That should never be the case.
It should be set right.

We had a most wonderful meal at Brown Derby. All seven of us were completely satisfied with all 3 courses, but the bad taste came at check time. I gave the server 2 KTTK cards and cash tip equal to 25% - (he was very attentive and wonderful during the meal and it was a very special occasion). However, he went back to tally the bill and came back in a very foul mood and demanded that I had shorted him $65 dollars and gratuity was not included in the dining plan. He actually pulled up a chair and sat (backwards, no less) with his hand out. I then pointed to the second card and explained again that 2 of the meals were on it. Not an apology or anything - he huffed and stormed back to the cash podium. He must have assumed that I was stiffing his tip. A small moment that successfully soured a wonderful experience.

 

[jabead]

Next are pennyplanner's final updates.

Breakfast on their last day was at the Contemporary resort's...

Contempo Cafe





Kids' Breakfast with side of Grits and extra Cheese

"Perfectly sized portion! This was quite good. Only disappointment was the
fruit. Soft mushy grapes and tasteless strawberries. Grits? Mmmmmm
Can't find that buttery, cheesy goodness up north! Breakfast turkey sausage was spicy goodness. And now I finally know why everyone raves about the waffles! I slathered on some butter, left the fake maple syrup unused and dug in. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Why did we wait until our last day to try these???"



And then their last lunch was at Magic Kingdom's...

Columbia Harbor House





Crispy Shrimp Platter

"This was a large portion that we shared since we both had those kid sized breakfast platters. We were both underwhelmed by the shrimp platter. They were perfectly cooked--nice and crispy--flavorful bread crumbs BUT very little discernible shrimp flavor. We squeezed some fresh lemon juice over them, (from my iced tea) and used the high quality cocktail sauce. Still, we wouldn't order these again. I would have preferred tartar sauce. Don't know if it's available."

"Overall Counter Service Rating: 2 stars
Based on lack of flavor despite the exceptional crispiness!"



And a non-food update...



"Brand new antennae toppers?! Only cam across these in the Ye Old Christmas Shoppe at the Magic Kingdom. Friendly clerks said they just arrived!"




And then last a quick snack update from Epcot's french bakery...

Les Halles



Chocolate Mousse

"Mmmmm, lovely creamy texture and medium chocolate flavor!"




"So that's all our reviews. We often forgot to take pictures. Our vacation hunger clouded our intent!"

"We loved Le Fou's Brew! Yummy passion fruit foam? Apple, toasted marshmallow notes to the icy mixture! Another first was the AMAZING buttered popcorn in the Magic Kingdom. How silly of us to have overlooked that on our many trips to the World!"

"Disappointing Dole whip float. The machines were not adequately freezing the whip. It lacked the icy goodness I've come to expect!"

"Overall, the food was very good. We have high standards and more sophisticated palates than some. The common thread? We LOVE the Disney food experience! Because we added so much commentary, it took a while to post, but it was soooo worth it. It made us stop and think about the subtleties of the food and dining experiences (from Signatures to Counter Service) during our favorite vacation!"

"A special thank you to Barb for her amazing commitment to this thread, and to Rachel for helping out!!!"​

5 August Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for misc. pic

 

[BlovesC]

Once again I say that it's clearly AP & WL week in Barb's thread!

But oh no, what a sad dining experience! Being brought an entree while still in the middle of appetizers is a big pet peeve of mine, it's annoying anywhere but you definitely don't expect it to happen at a signature. And what a shame about the overdone entrees! They really must have let them sit!

We're eating at AP on Sunday and you both ordered what DH and I were likely going to get. I hope we have better luck!

 

[amandaC]

Next in last night were a couple more updates from Vicki (GoofySon'sMom).


She said, "We ended up having 2nd lunch today at..."


Columbia Harbour House






"Clam chowder and the Anchors Aweigh Sandwich (white tuna with lettuce and tomato on toasted multigrain bun with potato chips). Ironically our check total as $17.76!" ​

2 August Game Points Earned

Ha! Once my son's purchase at the Tower of Terror store was $6.66!

 

[SmallWorld71]

DDW also added this bonus update of a surprise left for them in their room at AKL.


"Probably because we're celebrating a birthday, we received these zebra domes in our room a few hours before our Boma dinner. What a nice surprise!"

​

2 August Game Points Earned + 7 Bonus Points for sign, menu, and misc. pics

I seem to be focusing on all the unimportant things lately (instead of the food), but in case anyone else is curious, this is from Trip Advisor:

Phrases you'll come across on a trip to Botswana

Dumela meaning Good day/Morning/Afternoon/Evening

You can say this to anyone at anytime of the day. Dumela really means accept my warmest compliments

 

[jabead]

We're eating at AP on Sunday and you both ordered what DH and I were likely going to get. I hope we have better luck!

I have just one thing to say about that...I hope you are planning to do live updates?!?!

 

[jabead]

And since we have received pennyplanner's final update, it's now time for me to say...




Thanks so much for being a Live Reporter...Good Job!!!





pennyplanner's Total Aug./Sept. Game Points Earned = 64
​

 

[jabead]

Next we have Anne's (scanne) great update from their Afternoon Tea at the...





First some menu pics...






















Here is what they chose...




Cheese Plate

"The orange is Irish cheddar, white one is Vermont cheddar, sage cheese has the green tint, then a goat cheese and a Boursin. Fruit and crackers. The cheddars were both excellent and we drizzled them with honey."






Tea Sandwiches

"My DD had the Mrs. Potts tea with a pb&j, ham and cheese, and tuna salad. Not gluten free. She doesn't have celiac...just a sensitivity so once in a while she will have gluten."






"I'm a little picky so I had only the cucumber and watercress sandwich and the grilled pear and Gorgonzola."





Tea cozy





"Golden cranberry scone with raspberry jam, Devonshire cream, and house made lemon curd and a jam tart. The lemon curd was dreamy! And the cream and raspberry preserves on the scone was delicious!"






"My aunt chose two pastries for dessert: creme horn with mixed berry mousse and swan with mojito mousse."






"My mom, my daughter and I chose the strawberries with cream."




"We come to tea every year and it never disappoints. I did ask about the lack of a la carte items and was told that they did away with them to streamline the experience. The only a la carte add on is the fruit and cheese plate, which is $16.00. Everything else is now one of the experiences - Princess Kate, The Grand Tea, The Buckingham, and Mrs. Potts. We will be back! Love it here!"



A great pic of Anne and her daughter...






And one of the whole group...



​

5 August Game Points Earned + 7 Bonus Points for name/menu pics and pic of group

 

[Dreamport]

"Another thing in the display case also caught my eye."



"Do you see it now?"

No, but I see my strawberry tart waiting for me!!

 

[jabead]

Next we received a couple of updates from DonaldDoleWhip, starting with one from his lunch on Wednesday.


He said, "For lunch, I was debating between Moroccan and Japanese. I even took pics of Marrakesh's menu with the intention of eating there."








"However, Japan won out. I spent some time walking around the pavilion before asking about lunch availability."








"Lunch was at..."





"The atmosphere is very modern and serene."






Table setting






View from my table





Full Menu





















Some drink options








"Tokyo Dining also offers a special lunch menu."



"My choice was the Chirashi Zushi from the special menu. This was exactly what I felt like - a big bowl of seafood! Combined with the wasabi, pickled ginger, and warm sushi rice, this was a satisfying lunch."







"The lunch special included a bowl of miso soup."





"Dessert was also included. I chose the green tea soft serve, which was super creamy and had a strong matcha flavor."





"Food and a view."





"Tokyo Dining isn't the flashiest of World Showcase's restaurants, but I enjoy it - my experiences there have always been pleasant and relaxing, with solid food and friendly service. It's definitely my top lunch choice when I'm in the mood for sushi!"​

5 August Game Points Earned + 10 Bonus Points for sign, menus, and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

Then this update from DonaldDoleWhip.


"After lunch, I rode Soarin' and then felt like more snacks. My next stop was somewhere I couldn't wait to try again."










"I chose the pineapple and mixed berry sorbets. The mixed berry was very good, with some added texture from the berry skin and seeds. As for the pineapple, I couldn't stop myself from comparing this to the famous dole whip..."




"I actually preferred this. It tastes more natural."



"The original boulangerie was never a huge draw for me, but France has quickly become one of my favorite WDW locations for a snack!"





"I also headed over to Morocco."












"Since I skipped lunch here, I wanted to grab something small from..."





Menu





"Inside the restaurant."






"Tabbouleh is one of my favorite foods, so I decided to order a side of it."



"This was a huge portion, and I loved every bite. I would happily eat parsley on its own, so it's nice to have a dish where parsley and lemon juice are the dominant flavors."






"Bonus pics from Italy."












Tutto Gusto menu

​

2 August Game Points Earned + 8 Bonus Points for signs, menu, and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

Next is Anne's (scanne) snack update from Downtown Disney.


She said, "We got a Razzy Jazzy at Forty Thirst Street..."




"Yummy!"



"Then we got the munchies a few hours later and got popcorn and a pink lemonade slushy from..."







"My DD and DS."​

2 August Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for sign and pics of DD and DS

 

[jabead]

One more update for tonight, this one from Vicki (GoofySon'sMom).


Today she and Andrew had lunch at Magic Kingdom's...






First a menu pic...





"We both had the tomato bisque. This is one of our favorite WDW soups."






"Andrew had the chicken sandwich and I had the Plaza Club. Both very good."



Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Grilled Chicken Breast topped with Shaved Ham and Swiss Cheese served on a Flour-dusted Kaiser Roll
& Plaza Club - Smoked Ham, Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayonnaise layered on Sourdough Bread



"As always, the Plaza was a solid meal and a nice respite from the heat!"

​

3 August Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for name/menu pic

 

[jabead]

Once again I say that it's clearly AP & WL week in Barb's thread!

Time to call it a night, but check back tomorrow for great updates from Roaring Forks, Artist Point, and Territory Lounge. Hmmm, I think you might be right Becky.

But bucking the trend was Vicki, who dined tonight at Yak & Yeti.

 

[yorkshirebelle]

And since that was yorkshirebelle's final update, it's now time for me to say...

Thanks so much for being a Live Reporter...Outstanding Job!!!

yorkshirebelle's Total Aug./Sept. Game Points Earned = 162

Not a bad final points score! Thanks Barb and Rachel for keeping this thread updated, I had great fun contributing to it. I will now have to relive our holiday through everyone else's reports. Keep them coming!

 

[jabead]

Just a reminder that next up to the Disney Dining Plate is...​

Ginamarie





Ginamarie will be at Disney World from 8/18 - 8/25 and has volunteered to again do live updates for us!





HAVE A GREAT TRIP, Ginamarie!!! ​

 

[jabead]

Let's begin the day by finishing up yesterday's updates, starting with one from Vicki (GoofySon'sMom).


She and Andrew had dinner last night at one of their favorite Disney restaurant's, Animal Kingdom's...






First a menu pic...






"Our waiter's name was Vic so we had to have a photo."







"I had the green apple sake."






"We shared the green beans and pot stickers."





Pork Pot Stickers with soy lime dipping sauce
& Wok-Fried Green Beans with sweet Thai chili dipping sauce




"Andrew had the ribs. I had the steak and shrimp minus the shrimp."



Baby Back Ribs - Slow-roasted pork ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice, and sweet chili slaw






Shaoxing Steak - Skirt steak with jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables, and chili plum dipping sauce




"In homage to Mr. DDW, I had a side of broccoli..."





"And of course the main reason for eating here...



The wontons!"


"Very good meal. It's funny because the first time we ate here was our first Mom & Son trip and we hated it! I am so glad we are believers in giving every restaurant a 2nd chance because it is now a favorite."​

2 August Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for name/menu pic and pic of Vicki

 

[jabead]

Now for all of our Wilderness Lodge-themed updates from last night, beginning with Anne's (scanne) update from their dinner at...


Roaring Fork


Anne said, "We ended our day back at the hotel and we were all hungry. We wound up at Roaring Fork for pizza, chicken nuggets, and pulled pork."














"Average. I don't care much for Disney pizza...but I didn't want anything else."




"And we got some dessert from the lounge..."


Old Faithful Club




Brownie and peach-strawberry cobbler​

4 August Game Points Earned