DDP not for me, we're going PREMIUM!

amcjeep4life

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May 7, 2007
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We were recently lucky enough to stay at the AKL for 6 glorious nights! We were there from 9-16 to 9-22, and chose to stay on the premium plan. The premium plan entitles you to 3 meals for each night of your stay. All meals use one credit, including CRT and the dinner shows. It was expensive, but after adding all the goodies we enjoyed, and the cost of our meals, we came out just short of calling it even. Oh well. One more round of mini-golf would have put us at just even, or even another 30 minutes on those stupid Sea-raycers. We all had a blast, and I would definitely do it again. This was my nieces first trip, and our second. We were last there in 2000, so I don't consider myself a regular visitor, although now we want to go back. We had a cruise planned as next year's vaction, but the DH and I are considering a trip to the world, just us! We'll have to see!

Anyway, on to what you are really here for, the food! We did quite a few TS places, but had lunch at several CS places, just to make up some time. I was very impressed with the food (mostly), the service (mostly), and the time we waited at each meal. When I found out we were going during free dining, I was a bit worried. But, we held straight to our course and were extremely happy. On to Day 1!:yay:
 
Well, we have arrived. The plane ride was a shocker for my nieces, but they got over it quickly. We pulled into AKL at about 12:30, having landed at MCO around 10:45. Not bad. We went to our room (bunk beds, yea!) and checked in. Did I mention we stayed concierge too? We scooted up to the lounge and had some snackies, including Chocolate milk, and brewed iced tea! I am in heaven, as I can drink this by the gallon. After getting all set, it was off to Epcot! Our original plan was to grab some luch at a CS place here, but since we snacked at the concierge, no one wanted to eat at almost 2:30 and ruin our dinner at........Le Cellier! :cool1: Our ADR was for 6:20, and we checked in at about 6 (it was raining). I met my first DISer in the waiting area. Hello kindakrazy2, AKA Sarah. In WDW less than 4 hours and already met a DISer, yea! My DH was amazed that there were other crazy LGMH-wearing people out there. Sort of made all those hours here on the boards a bit more tolerable in his eyes. Anyways, before I get on with the reviews, it occurs to me you might want to meet the cast of this show. Here goes.

Me: :eeyore: I'm almost 38. AKA Tonya, or honey. Depends on which other character you ask. Willing to try most anything, but not a fan of seafood.

DH: :stitch2: He's recently 37. AKA Uncle Billy, or honey. Again, depends on who you ask. Eats anything, and looks it too. :goodvibes

DNiece1: pluto: She is 12 1/2. AKA Samantha, or Sam. Used to be exclusively Sam, but she's getting older, and doesn't want to be a Sam. Teenagers (said with a cool Jamaican accent a la Sebastien). ;) She is a bit picky, and has a tendency to say she doesn't like things without trying them. I made her try several things this trip, including a roller coaster, that she now likes. Again, teenagers. :lmao: Doesn't like seafood at all.

DNiece2: :tink: She will be 11 in a month. AKA Emma or the goldfish :fish: Called the goldfish because her memory lasts about as long. Spent the whole week chasing after her stuff when she forgot it. She will try anything once. Hates raw onions, but personally I think she doesn't like them because her grandfather doesn't. She's eaten stuff at my house with onions and never said anything. But once she sees one, she freaks. Go figure. Also, doesn't like yellow cheese. Again, go figure.

Enough of this, let's get to the food!!!:banana:

We had an awesome server named Sean. He was very attentive, and brought us extra drinks immediately. He joked with the girls, and offered suggestions for ordering. Here is the meal:

Emma: had Sprite with her dinner
Shrimp cocktail She said it was a bit spicy, but it didn't catch up right away. Served with some kind of wasabi slaw. My DH said it was spicy too, but good.
Herb-crusted Prime Rib This thing was huge. I almost laughed when I saw it on her plate. She did her best, eating through about 90% of it. Which left a piece or two for the DH and I to try. Much yummy! Served with cream cheese mashed potatoes and fried onion pieces. All was quite good, and she really ate her way through it.
S'mores This was very cute. The marshmellow is covered in sprinkles and comes on a stick, high above the rest of the dessert. She just about knocked her soda over trying to get the marshmellow off the stick, so parents be warned!

Samantha: had Coke with every meal!
Ceasar salad Said the dressing was a bit weird, and didn't like the peppercorn-parmesan crisp that came with it. I tried both and thought it was good. I ate most of the crisp.
7 oz. Filet This was the recomendation of Sean, but she asked for it with the sauce on the side, which he then picked on her about. He told her she was boring, especally after ordering the ceasar salad. She also asked for her steak well done, which made him, and me, cringe! It came with cream cheese mashed potatoes, which were quite yummy. She ate all the steak, and loved the sauce. UB (Uncle Billy) told her to order things they way they were on the menu, since it's made to be that way. She actully did that for the rest of the trip.
Refused dessert! What can I say, not my kid! I tried to talk her into it, but she was full.

DH: had coke with this meal
Beefsteak tomato stack Sean also recommended this, and it looked good, if you like raw tomatoes. On of the few things I honestly hate. It was big slices of ripe beefsteak tomato with fresh mozzarella cheese, drizzled with a balsamic reduction. I think he may have licked the plate, so I guess it was good.
Mushroom Filet Came with a mushroom rissoto and fried parsnips. Ordered medium rare. Was good. He ate it all.
S'mores He liked it. Ate it all. Did not have any problems getting the marshmellow off the stick.

Me: had diet coke, as I was feeling a bit decafeinated.
Cheese Soup Like a bit of heaven in a bowl! Some people say it is too beer-y tasting, but I thought it was delicious! Was definitely made to dip the pretzel bread into!
Mushroom filet I ordered it rare. Personally, I kind of like it still begging for mercy. Sorry. I thought it needed more mushrooms, but overall the risotto was good. I love parsnips, so it's nice to see them used. I ate it all.
Creme Brulee They didn't have the maple one, just plain boring vanilla. But it was good. I managed to convince Sam to try it, and then she was a bit bummed not to have ordered dessert. Told her. :rotfl:

Overall, I was very happy with Le Cellier. Everyone liked their meals, and I got snaps from my youngest niece, who always wants to order steak. They were very happy to be considered adults in Disney. :cool1: We only waited about 15 minutes to be seated, and since we checked in 20 minutes early, I was pretty happy with that. The meal took about 90 minutes, and came in a timely manner. I can't see anything wrong with this place and will definitely return.

Food: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3: and one half
Service: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

Cost: $186.42
 
Great review! Loved reading it too!

Maybe you should call Emma "Dory", rather than Goldfish. :lmao:
 

Luv2roam, I never even thought of Dory! Maybe I should be the goldfish. Thanks all for joining in. Day 1 is in the bag, and we are on to Day 2! Ready here we go..........
 
Today is breakfast at the Polynesian. Ohanas to be exact. Breakfast with Lilo and Stitch. I love Stitch. I have several dogs who should all be renamed Stitch. Anyway, today's breakfast will not be a breakdown like Le Cellier.

The breakfast interaction is awesome. The DH and I sat facing the room, so the kids had their backs to the middle. Then, when a character came, they just had to stand up in order to get a picture. Works well, and I read that here on the DIS! The first thing they bring out is a fruit dish. I love pineapple, and it was OK here. They also have some pastries as well. They were OK too. They have this juice called POG juice. It's Passion fruit, orange and guava. Mighty tasty if I do say so myself. I had 2 glasses, and the girls and the DH finished their first, and about half of their second. We also had sodas. Sorry, I don't drink coffee but need that caffeine rush in the morning. Any offended parents out there can take it up with the Awesome Auntie/Uncle Commision. Breakfast came out in a big skillet. There were scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, bacon, sausages and pancakes. They came around with a basket of Mickey waffles as well, so there was plenty to eat. You could also get extra of anything you wanted. I thought all the food was good, although I personally felt the scrambled eggs were a bit salty, everyone else liked them. I'm not a sausage fan (too used to eating homemade to want store made), but the girls and the DH both said it was good. The bacon was crispy and not too greasy. The potatoes were wedges of red-skin potatoes, still with skins on. Yum! The Mickey waffles were good, especially when doused in sufficient amounts of butter and syrup! :lmao: We saw Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto. The girls got to try their hand at autograph collecting, and were excited to see so many characters at breakfast. A friend had told them about standing in long lines to get autographs, so they weren't too keen on the idea, but we did several character meals that allowed them to get autographs without the lines. Thank you premium plan! Sam's favorite is Pluto, so she got her picture with him twice. They did the parade, which my girls were a little too "mature" to join in. Don't worry, I broke that habit pretty quick! :rotfl: Overall, I would say this was an awesome meal, and would do it again, especially if you are Stitch fans. He is so darn cute! The service was OK, nothing spectacular. She refilled our sodas and jiuce, and did ask if we wanted anything else to eat, but seemed very rushed. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't bad, just not as awesome as Sean was at Le Cellier.

Food: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3:
Service: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: and one half
Yo-yo factor (would I come back)::yo-yo: ::yes::

Total cost: $94.57
 
After the Polynesian, we headed to MGM, or whatever they are calling it. :rotfl2: There were EMH tonite, and we were planning on doing Fantasmic, so we planned a break after lunch. We hit a lot of stuff in the morning, then headed to our 12:40 ADR at 50's Prime Time. We checked in at 12:30, and were seated at 12:45. The girls were quite amused by the old decor and the shows on the TV, so were almost disappointed when we were seated. We were seated next to a nice couple from Indiana, maybe in their very early 50's. Auntie Claire was our server, and she was awesome. She managed to bounce a straw off the table and bonk Emma in the head. Emma was a bit put off, until I explained that it was part of the theme. Then they were OK with it. Their mom works part time as a waitress, and they hear her say how she needs to be so nice to the customers, so I think it was weird for them to have Auntie Claire be a bit brusque with them. But they were cool with it and really got into the swing of things once I explained that Auntie Claire was playing a part. The couple next to us were really into it too, and she took all our orders at the same time. The girls were amazed because she took 6 orders, appie, entree and dessert, without writing them down. This especially amazed the Goldfish! :lmao: Auntie Claire was really awesome, and explained the whole thing, and said what was included, and about how shakes could be your beverage, or your dessert. COOL! I ordered a Chocolate peanut butter shake for dessert, but the guy next to us ordered one as his beverage. When Auntie Claire brought it out, she asked who ordered it and I said I did! She accused me of trying to steal from our cousins, and told me if I didn't watch out, I'd end up in the corner! The girls were quite amused by this. So anyway, onto the food.

Emma: had a cherry spite in a special cup with a glow cube. Paid OOP for it.
Onion Rings Said they were good. Liked the horseradish sauce that came with them. Finished about half. Said she was getting full and wanted her entree.
Fried Chicken Came out with 3 pieces of chicken. Also had mashed potatoes and subbed green beans for the southern greens. Said the chicken tasted like KFC, which they love, so that was good. Asked for a box to take a piece of chicken back to the room.
Strawberry shake Said it was awesome, very thick, and way too big. They bring it out in a glass, which would be big enough, but there is about another glass full in the metal container that comes with it. Needless to say, she didn't finish it. We all tasted it, and it was very good. Well-flavored with out that fake strawberry taste.

Sam: Vanilla Coke
Onion rings She didn't quite finish them either. They were really big. She didn't like the sauce as much, and asked Auntie Claire for ketchup.
Fried Chicken Same thing, and she took a piece back to the room as well.
Vanilla Ice Cream Soda Not quite sure she knew what she was getting, I think she may have been expecting a float, but she liked it and finished it all.

Bill: Cherry Coke (and boy was it red and cherry flavored)
Onion Rings He said they were awesome. Liked the sauce, but mixed it up with ketchup. Ever see the shirt that says "I put ketchup an my ketchup"? That is my DH. I have managed to break him of dousing everything in it, but the ketchup monster still breaks out occasionally.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich My personal thought was "boring" but he said it was good. Grilled chicken on a roll with lettuce and tomato, woopie. To each his own.
Chocolate ice cream soda He said it was awesome and drank it all. I didn't even get offered a taste, so I guess it was good. :goodvibes

Me: Iced Tea, 4 glasses to be exact.
Herbed Fried Cheese Having been blessed with discovering the DIS before we went, I knew what to expect, and it wasn't mozzarella cheese! It was awesome. I dug each creamy bit out of it's golden shell and spread it on the crisp bread. Then I ate the fried shell part with just enough cheese left in there to make it taste great. Served with a bunch of red grapes, which were really good. Could make a meal if they served 2 or 3 pieces. Yum-o!
Pot Roast The meat was tender and very tasty. It is served over mashed potatoes, and the carrots and celery were served in little raw slivers over the top. A bit different, but very yummy. I admit, I did push a lot of the celery out of the way, but the carrots were great. I cleaned my plate, so I would like some dessert, thanks!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake I had read about a PBJ shake, but she specifically said chocolate, which could only make things better. And it was super yummy! I had to twist my own arm to finish it, just due to the size! And since DH didn't offer any of his soda, he wasn't offered any of my shake. I can't imagine having this with your meal and then trying to fit in dessert too.

We were all full, and kind of looking forward to a nap. Auntie Claire tried to airplane the guy next to us, but he wasn't having any of it. She did get the young boy at the next table over, and the girls laughed. I think they ate more than they normally would have after seeing that. I didn't see anyone get put in the corner, which was kind of a bummer, but still, it was definitely a fun meal, and very filling.

Food: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3:
Service: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
Yo-yo factor: :yo-yo: ::yes::

Total cost: $136.44
 
Great thread!!! We are going to Le Cellier for the first time in November and I can't wait now!!
 
(please dont feel like Im a stalker Mrs K.:lmao: I promise Im not!)
We R going to Le C for lunch in Nov too, I hope lunch is as yummy as the reviews about dinner sound, cuz we could ONLY get lunch ressies, so lunch it is!:wizard:
 
I'm going to try to fit in a review of dinner before I'm off to work. Luckily it was a buffet, so I think I'll be able to get it in.

Hollywood & Vine package with reserved Fantasmic Seating
This was a decent buffet. The food seemed good. We checked in at 5:50 for our 6 ADR, and waited about 15 minutes, so not bad overall. There is lots of outside waiting, but none inside. So, when your hot and sticky waiting for dinner, it does sort of put a damper on the meal. Our waitress gave the girls coloring pages, which I didn't really get. I mean, it's a buffet, you go right up for your food, no waiting. So why do they think kids need to be entertained here? Whatever. Sam said she wasn't really hungry, so was just going to have some salad. Whatever, just eat. Our first trip through the line I came back with prime rib, extra rare, fruit (mostly pineapple), mac & cheese, some potatoes, and corn. Everything was OK, just not great. It was all at a good temperature, just nothing that really sticks out in my mind. Sam ended up having 2 plates of salad, and some prime rib, then dessert too. Guess she was hungrier than she thought. Emma had 2 plates of prime rib and chicken nuggets. She can really eat. The DH says he can't remember exactly what he ate, but it was OK. Nothing jumps out as being awful, but nothing jumps out as great. Well, except the desserts. They were awesome. They had mini cherry cheesecakes, and chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse, and passion fruit parfaits, and rice crispie treats! While they weren't the mickey shaped ones, they were still a decent sized hunk. I think they had the best dessert selection. Service was a bit lacking. At one point, we had 4 empty plates and 2 empty glasses on our table. It took her 2 reminders to get us extra drinks. She really appeared to be rushed, since I never lost her to the back room. She was always out front, just super busy. I'm wondering if she was covering extra tables or something because she never stood still. There was a table in her section that you could see were just super demending, so I'm thinking that since other tables, including us, were a bit quieter, we lost out in the service. Whatever. We got our seating paper signed, and headed out to do some stuff before heading to Fantasmic. Overall, not a bad place, but I might be inclined to try some place else before returning here. Interesting tid-bit, they share restrooms with 50's Prime Time. Cool, huh?

Food: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3:
Service: :bounce: :bounce:
Yo-yo factor: :yo-yo: :confused:

Total cost: $119.47
 
Great reviews. Thanks for taking the time to share.
 
Hello all, and thanks for joining in. I am reliving my moments, and it is making me want to go back soooo bad! The DH is currently debating next year's trip. We have booked a 7 day cruise on another ship, and he thinks he wants to make it a land & sea vaction at WDW instead. While I am not one to stand in his way if that's what he really wants, I need to make sure it IS what he really wants. So I'm giving him until New Year's to officially decide, that way he can't say I tricked him into going. So, think happy thoughts for me! 4 days at AKL and 3 days on the Wonder. Can do that! :woohoo: :yay:
 
Breakfast today is at Restaurantosaurus. Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Pluto all joined us. We had an ADR for 8, and got to the park around 7:40. They made us wait at the gate until they checked us in, then released us like a pack of wild animals to run for the restaurant. Then we had to put our name on the list and wait to be called. There was a Photopass photographer on the bridge by the Tree, so we had to stop and have pictures taken. I prepurchased my photo CD, so wanted all the pictures I could get. Besides, usually the DH and I have no pictures of the 2 of us together, so it was nice to take advantage of. We had the girls pose first, then us, so got awesome pictures for their mom, and for us. Yea!

This is a buffet place. We ate in the room off to the right side when you first walk in. The characters came in there after going to the left side room first, so we got all our character interactions out of the way and then got to eat. It was nice. The characters seemed a bit more rushed here, but it was still nice. This place is bigger than Ohanas, so they must have to hustle a bit faster to get everyone in. Our server didn't rush us at all, and that was nice. She did a fairly good job, cleaned our plates away and brought us sodas when asked, but didn'y really go out of her way, and wasn't talkative. I don't mean the "Happy happy joy joy" kind of talkative, but just the explain things kind of talk. It was kind of "The buffet is over there, do you want a drink besides the OJ?" Maybe it was too early for her. The buffet was pretty good. They had this cheesy hashbrown casserole with onions and peppers that was awesome. They also offered it without the cheese on top, which Emma liked better, since the cheese was cheddar and jack, therefore orange. They had sausage gravy with biscuits, which was really good. They had all the regulars, like eggs and bacon and sausage. They also had oatmeal or cream of wheat or some such mushy concotion (ICK!). There was a seperate area with pastries and........Krispy Kreme donuts! Being a bit spoiled with getting warm Krispy Kremes about 15 minutes from my house, I have to say I'm not too fond of them cold. But the DH and the girls each had one and said they were good. The DH said he wished they had the creme filled ones, and not just jelly, but that was his only issue. They had this crumb coffee cake that was good, especially after dipping it into the maple syrup left on the plate from the pancakes. Overall, it was a nice meal, and we were able to get the jump on everyone else, and head right onto Dinosaur as the park opened at 9. They actually have a CM with a rope holding you hostage in the waiting area. It was kind of funny. Anyway, it was nice to see the characters, especially Donald, since that was the only place we saw him. We finished up at about 8:50 and headed out to the corral, then the DH and Emma rode Primeval Whirl twice in a row, without getting off. Then we headed in and rode Dinosaur twice. The girls didn't like it as much the second time, since they knew what was coming. I think if we had waited a few hours, it would have been a bit harder to remember where exactly that horned freak came out, which would have made the ride better. Oh well. So, here are the results

Food: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3: and one half
Service: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
Yo-yo factor: :yo-yo: ::yes::

Total cost: $94.57
 
OK, so we stayed in DAK all day, and since there is a dismal selection of eateries there, we chose Flame Tree BBQ as our lunch place. Would have preferred Tusker House, but renovations, schmenovations.

Emma: had lemonade with her meal
Ribs meal The ribs were nicely done, tender, and seasoned well. We got some extra BBQ sauce, but she said there was enough one them. She didn't like the beans, and said the cornbread was good. Ate everything except the beans
Frozen Lemonade Interestingly enough, we had just grabbed a frozen lemonade from the stand near the Flights of Wonder Show. We all agreed that the one from there was way better. This was ok, but not as good as the one from the stand.

Sam: had Coke with her meal, big surprise!
Ribs meal Said everything was yummy, except the beans. Did take advantage of the extra BBQ sauce, and said they tasted good without it, but better with. Also said the cornbread was good. Ate everything except the beans.
Frozen lemonade Same thing, liked the one from the stand better.

Bill: had coke with his meal
Ribs meal Liked his ribs, although he did give half to me to trade for half my chicken. We did that on purpose. He used both kinds of BBQ, and said they both tasted very good. He also said the cornbread was yum, and said he didn't really like the beans, although he would eat them if he was really hungry. Ate everything, including about 1/2 his beans.
Key lime pie decent sized piece, served with a dollop of whipped cream. I think he was expecting a more meringue-like pie. He said it was very good, tart but not too. He ate it all, and I wasn't even offered a bite, so I guess it was good.

Me: had iced tea with my meal
1/2 Chicken meal I thought this was very good. It was tender, and the seasonings on the skin were definitely into the meat as well. I also thought the ribs were good. I had the white meat portion, and felt that the breast was a bit dry, but Bill said the dark meat was nice and moist. I am not one to take advantage of extra BBQ sauce, especially wearing a white shirt, so can't tell you how they were. They had a sweet and a smoky. I also wasn't a big fan of the beans. They are that southern style, and made with BBQ sauce. I prefer my sweeter Boston style baked beans. I also found that most of the beans were pretty smashed, resulting in a refried bean-like consistency, which freaked me out. Don't get me wrong, I like refried beans, but not with BBQ sauce. The cornbread was awesome, very moist with out butter, which I couldn't find anywhere. Both girls looked too, and said it would have been better with a bit of butter.
Frozen lemonade I much preferred the one from the stand. This one was a scary, bright yellow color that doesn't really occur in nature. When it melted, it left behind this weird foamy yellow stuff that tasted just a bit off. I just ate the part that was still frozen and it was OK, but I was bummed I didn't order the key lime pie.

Overall, considering the lack of places to eat at the Animal Kingdom, it was a decent lunch. Not being a fan of pizza myself, I chose to avoid Pizzafari, and cast my vote for Flame Tree. The DH and Emma agreed, so Sam lost the vote. It is a bit difficult to find seating, and the forks, sauces, napkins and such are on a cart near where you get your food. If it is windy, they will blow away. There also herds of scavanging birds everywhere, so don't leave food unattended, or it may just disappear. We saw several kids feeding the birds their corn muffins, which just made things worse! DON"T FEED THE BIRDS! It's not good for them anyway.

Food: :jumping3: :jumping3: :jumping3: would have been 4 if the beans were better
Service: :bounce: It doesn't really count, since the only one who even talked to us was the girl taking our orders. They were very busy, and not friendly or chatty.
Yo-yo factor: :yo-yo: :rolleyes: I'd go back, but only because there aren't that many places there to eat.

Total cost: $60.80
 
It's funny. I have yet to hear anyone like the beans at Flame Tree. What the heck do they do to them to make them so unappealing?
 















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