Diet? What diet? A countdown: 18 TS restaurants on TIW card...#1 on pg. 18!

[basketlacey]

I am loving your reviews! Thanks for sharing with us. It is making me very excited for our trip!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Goodness gracious! I hate reading reports about all these fabulous breakfasts, when all I had for breakfast this morning was some cream of wheat and half a bagel

I've never considered going to 1900 Park Fare before...sigh, looks like I need to add this one to the list of 'must dos' as well..

Where in the GF is this located at?

1900 Park Fare is very easy to locate. When you enter the main lobby of the GF, it is to your left. Yes, you must try it! Looks like you may end up having to either get the deluxe dining plan again, or get an AP and the TIW so you can justify all this to your hubby!

By the way, did you notice my new ticker for next summer's cruise? I couldn't help myself, I needed something!! I already went back onto the Cruise Critic message boards (like the DIS but for cruises), and sure enough there is already a thread that has been started about our sailing...someone beat me to it! And here I thought it may be too early!

I am loving your reviews! Thanks for sharing with us. It is making me very excited for our trip!

When is your trip? Your ticker doesn't seem to be showing up.

 

[bangzoom6877]

OK, here's a change of pace from all those breakfast reviews...here is my first review of one of our TS lunches! It's coming in at #10 and it's.......

AKERSHUS!!!

This restaurant is located in Norway, in Epcot. It is a princess character lunch. You are not guaranteed which princesses you will see though. All 10 of us went to this lunch together. My nieces love the princesses, and my sister took them here for lunch on their 2007 trip. They requested to return, and she told us how good it was. At first, DH and I were not going to do this meal with them because we have boys. Then we thought to ourselves, our boys love Disney movies (including the princess characters in them), they are only 3 and 5 so we can still get away with a princess meal, and we really wanted to try the food here. We are so glad we decided to go! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this meal. I did not get too many pics here though, sorry. DS3 had fallen asleep in the stroller just before we went inside, and things were complicated. I did manage to get pics of both my entree and DH's entree though.

They start out by taking your photo. Since we had 10 in our party, we got 3 different photos taken, all included in the lunch price! You get one photo per 4 people, included! We got to take our pictures with Belle, all dressed up in her yellow gown!

Then, they take you to your table when it is ready. Ours was ready right away. You order your entree and beverage. Most of us had the light pomegranate lemonade. DH decided to try the Carlsburg beer. He said it was just OK. They had a nice selection of entrees, and a few different children's entrees as well. You start out with a cold buffet. There are salads, and some delicious cold salmon with dill, and a lemon aioli on the side. Very good! Excellent smoked salmon and cold cuts too!

Then, we had our entrees. DH ordered the Kjottkake, a traditional Norwegian dish. They call them meat dumplings, but they are what we would call meatballs, with mashed potatoes, asparagus and lingonberry sauce. Here's a pic:

DH said this was delicious so of course I had to try it! He was right, this was really good and I was almost sorry I didn't order it. Only thing was, I really enjoyed my entree!!!!! I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, but this was no ordinary grilled chicken sandwich!! This was open-faced, had delicious melted Jarlsburg cheese on it (mmm...melted cheese! ), bacon , and lingonberry mayonnaise. It was so delicious! It normally comes with a potato-fennel salad but I can't stand fennel so I substituted mashed potatoes instead. The mashed potatoes were real, and they were also real good! All sandwiches also include a cup of soup. The choices were corn chowder or vegetable, and I chose vegetable. The corn chowder is creamy and I was not in the mood for a cream soup. Here is a picture:

They give you a lot more soup than that...I had eaten some of the soup once I remembered to take a pic of mine...sorry! Everything about this dish was fantastic and I enjoyed every bite!

By the time we finished out entrees, we were stuffed, but of course they give you dessert so we just HAD to have some. Oh yes, we NEEDED it!

I wish I had a pic of the desserts but we were so into them that I forgot to take one, and before I knew it, they were gone! They serve desserts on a platter, an assortment of 3 different ones, for everyone to share. The desserts were chocolate mousse cake, rice cream and a pastry with a mascarpone filling. The chocolate mousse cake was out of this world, and my favorite dessert here! The rice cream was just OK to me...it is basically like rice pudding, with a strawberry topping. I am not a big fan of rice pudding, but if you like it you would probably like this. I liked the strawberry topping better than the rice cream underneath! The mascarpone pastry was delicious too! For those of you not familiar with mascarpone, it is a soft Italian cheese, and it kind of resembles a flavor like a thick whipped cream when it is by itself. When you add sugar and vanilla to it, it is delicious! It is what they use in tiramisu.

Character interaction was great here!! We saw Belle when we took the photo, and circulating around the dining room were Princess Jasmine (Aladdin), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Cinderella and Snow White. My little one's favorite is Jasmine and he got all shy and cute when he saw her!! She gave him a kiss and a hug and he was very happy!

Overall, this was a fantastic restaurant. Service was excellent, character interaction was great and the food was terrific! However, I am not sure we will get to go back because it depends on what my boys are into when we go back to WDW in 2 years. Not sure how long I can get away with a princess meal with them! But DH and I (and the rest of the family) loved the food...if it were for food alone, we would definitely go back!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Yum! Those dishes look delish! Is there a drooling smiley I can use here?

I am totally with you on the need for "real" mashed potatoes. After being force-fed the flakes for years and years, I was so happy to grow up and be able to make my own, real mashed potatoes!

And that cold buffet sounds sooo good - I love salmon and will use any excuse to have it!

Sounds like you had a good time there. We're in the top 10! Woo hoo!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Yum! Those dishes look delish! Is there a drooling smiley I can use here?

I am totally with you on the need for "real" mashed potatoes. After being force-fed the flakes for years and years, I was so happy to grow up and be able to make my own, real mashed potatoes!

And that cold buffet sounds sooo good - I love salmon and will use any excuse to have it!

Sounds like you had a good time there. We're in the top 10! Woo hoo!

I can't stand instant mashed potatoes!! Whenever I'm in a restaurant, if I am in the mood for mashed potatoes I always check to see that they are real ones! Disney uses the real ones, at least at the places I had them!! I always make my own at home too. I also love mashed sweet potatoes and I make those a lot as well.

The cold salmon is delicious. I also love salmon. I enjoy it in all sorts of ways...grilled, baked, teriyaki, cold, and in sushi and sashimi! DH prefers his as sashimi or sushi, he is not as into cooked salmon.

Yes, we are going to be in the single digits when I get to my next review!!! We are also through all the breakfasts we had in a restaurant!

I'm making a Disney dish for dinner tonight, but I can't reveal yet what it is. It was one of my favorite dishes of the entire trip, so it will be a while until you all find out!! But I asked the server how to make it and she told me step by step...it is so easy that I decided to try making it!!! I don't want to spoil this countdown by telling you what it is or where it came from. Oh well...you will all just have to wait and see...and no, it's not from my #1 restaurant, but it's up there!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

I'm making a Disney dish for dinner tonight, but I can't reveal yet what it is. It was one of my favorite dishes of the entire trip, so it will be a while until you all find out!! But I asked the server how to make it and she told me step by step...it is so easy that I decided to try making it!!! I don't want to spoil this countdown by telling you what it is or where it came from. Oh well...you will all just have to wait and see...and no, it's not from my #1 restaurant, but it's up there!

Intriguing! Can't wait to find out what it is and how it turns out!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Joining! Better late than never

Your boys are SO cute! What a nice looking family! I love how you are counting down to your favorite restaurant - great way to do a review! Looking forward to more.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Joining! Better late than never

Your boys are SO cute! What a nice looking family! I love how you are counting down to your favorite restaurant - great way to do a review! Looking forward to more.

Welcome, I'm glad you joined!! Thanks for the compliments about our family! I'm having a lot of fun writing these reviews.

 

[rhondag508]

Thanks so much! I'm really enjoying your reviews and pictures. Confirming some of my ADR choices (from April) and imagined menu selections for our October trip for me-I appreciate it!

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Ohh great reviews! Love the way you are doing a count down of favourites!!!!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Thanks so much! I'm really enjoying your reviews and pictures. Confirming some of my ADR choices (from April) and imagined menu selections for our October trip for me-I appreciate it!

Glad you're looking forward to your October trip! I know what it's like to make ADRs 6 months in advance, believe me! I also imagine my menu selections beforehand!

Ohh great reviews! Love the way you are doing a count down of favourites!!!!

Hi! I'm glad you are enjoying my reviews!

 

[ghengber]

(it's in the rule book)

 

[bangzoom6877]

(it's in the rule book)

Yes, it IS in the rule book...right next to "You MUST go on 'it's a small world' EVERY time you go to MK!"

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

Yes, it IS in the rule book...right next to "You MUST go on 'it's a small world' EVERY time you go to MK!"

I'm so so sad that "It's A Small World" will be closed for refurbishment while we are there...our trip just won't feel the same without it.

 

[bangzoom6877]

I'm so so sad that "It's A Small World" will be closed for refurbishment while we are there...our trip just won't feel the same without it.

I understand...I can't imagine a trip to WDW without going on that ride...or Peter Pan. Those are 2 rides that remind me so much of my very first trip to WDW when I was 8 years old and my parents took us there, and my grandparents were there with us too. Unfortunately they passed away a little over a year after that, in a car accident.

But, on the bright side...it is an excuse to go back to WDW soon so that you can ride it!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hey everyone! So, I'm down to the single digits already!! And coming in at #9 is.....

SANAA!!!

We ate dinner here after going to DHS and taking a break at the resort. The following day was a non-park day. We had a 5:30 pm ADR and were seated right away. The restaurant was not very crowded but by the time we left many tables were filled.

First off, I would like to say that the resort is beautiful. This restaurant is located in the Animal Kingdom Villas, Kidani Village. On our trip in 2008, this part of the resort was not yet finished or open, so this was a new treat. We had previously been to the AKL for Boma, and this was something new. I like it that the self-parking was in a garage, so the sun was not beating down on the car! We took an elevator up (or was it down...can't remember exactly!), then walked down a hallway to get to the restaurant. We passed the Community Hall room where they have some activities and took a peak inside...it looked very nice.

When we arrived at Sanaa, I asked if we could be seated by the window so the kids could see the animals. The host did just that and he was so nice! There was a very large bird just outside the window, and in the distance we noticed giraffes, antelope, and a zebra. The boys loved this place! Our server was Brenda and she was very nice and the service was excellent.

We were deciding on drinks at first...I'll take something with alcohol in it please! Oh yes...a nice glass of wine will do! I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio, which I absolutely love! DH had a Mojito:

DH said the Mojito was a little too minty for him, and as for me...well...I'm doing just fine with my wine!

We ordered the Indian bread service. I asked Brenda which of the dips she recommends, and which of the breads. She suggested trying all 3 breads (you get 3, so this made sense), and she said the coriander chutney was her favorite, that it has a sweet and spicy taste but not overly spicy. So, we got all 3 breads on their menu (naan, paneer paratha, and onion kulcha), and we went with Brenda's suggestion of the coriander chutney (the green one in the picture below) along with cucumber raita (a nice cool, yogurt-based sauce...it's the white one in the picture below), and the roasted red pepper hummus. I LOVE hummus and this seemed perfect. DH left the choices all up to me, YAY!! All were DIVINE!!! Here's 2 photos, one of the breads (sorry, we already ate some) and one of the dips:

The breads were perfect! The boys enjoyed the Naan, and we enjoyed all 3 of them! We were glad we tried all of them. The coriander chutney was exactly as Brenda described...sweet with a little spice, but not too spicy at all. It was delicious! The hummus was excellent, and the roasted red pepper was not overpowering at all. The cucumber raita was delicious too. I would highly recommend all 3 of these dips!

For my entree, I decided to go with the Tandoori Chicken. It came with a choice of Basmati Rice or Five Grain Pilaf. Well...I had not had some good old plain cooked whole grains in days so I ordered the Five Grain Pilaf. It was delicious! The Tandoori chicken was also delicious. A bit spicy, but only mildly. Perfect for me. The only thing that would have made this dish more perfect would be if they served it with a vegetable. I loved it so much that I told Brenda, and I asked her what was in the dipping sauce they gave with it. I told her I could definitely taste cumin, lemon and a hint of hot pepper in there (cayenne maybe? ). She said that there were several other spices in there. Later on she came back to the table and said she had an early Christmas present for me. She handed me a paper with the recipe for the Tandoori chicken!! I was right...it had cumin, lemon, and cayenne pepper in it, among many other things. It turns out that the dipping sauce is the same thing they use to marinate the chicken before cooking it! They use chicken thighs by the way, so if you only eat white meat this may not be for you. I love all chicken! And I know what you're thinking...no, this was NOT the recipe I made for dinner last night! I have not made this yet but I definitely will before summer is over! Here's a pic:

DH was also going to get Tandoori chicken, but he noticed the "Slow-cooked" section of the menu (after I pointed it out to him of course! ). He decided to go with the beef short ribs, and also the chicken in red curry sauce. He chose Basmati rice as his side dish. You choose 2 out of 3 main dishes here...the third one was shrimp in green curry sauce. He loved his entree and ate the whole thing! Here it is:

And here's the children's pizza that DS5 INSISTED I take a pic of!

And there you have it!! Sanaa was an excellent restaurant. We were too full for dessert but the boys ordered chocolate cake from the kids' menu...I tasted it and it was very good. We would definitely go back, and it is well worth a trip to AKV Kidani because it is a beautiful resort. After dinner we went outside to look at the animals and it was a lot of fun! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially if you like ethnic foods and to try new things! The prices are very reasonable too!

 

[wishinon3stars]

I have to let you know that I am truly enjoying your reviews and love your format! We're going in 49 days and you have me questioning some of our ADR's!

Linda

 

[bangzoom6877]

I have to let you know that I am truly enjoying your reviews and love your format! We're going in 49 days and you have me questioning some of our ADR's!

Linda

Wow, less than 2 months away! Will you be there for Food & Wine at Epcot?

Try not to question your ADRs based on someone else's opinion. I drove myself crazy over that, especially with Chef Mickey's dinner, and we loved it so much!!

 

[mommyoftwo08]

We LOVE Sanaa...any chance you'd share the recipe?

 

[crazycatlady]

Sorry I'm late, but I'm in for the rest of the report! You have a beautiful family and I love the review so far. I can't wait to see which restaurant is next on the list!