Dining adventures with a 4yo and a 10 month old-UPDATE 50's PrimeTime & Chef Mickey's

[bigal'sdaughter]

Hello everyone!
We just got back from our week long adventure in the Happiest Place on Earth!
First of all I just wanted to thank everyone on these boards for all of your help. I really appreciate all of the help.... it made our trip.

Now I thought I'd do this as a thank you and in case anyone out there has kids the same ages as ours and would like to know how it went. Also there will be no food porn/pics as when we got everyone settled (bib on, snacks out, crayons in hand etc) the adults were more intested in eating and relaxing than pulling out the camera and taking pics.

Also please know that this might take me awhile - but I will finish!

So on with the show...!

Cast of characters:
DH: foodie, likes beef and anything asian influenced. Wanted lots of TS meals because Cosmic Rays at lunchtime drives him insane. Suggested our plan of attack which I will outline below.
Me: likes almost everything - allergic to shellfish-so excited to be back at WDW!

We live in an area with a lot of fine dining and we love to go out with our friends to eat on the weekends (no kids) so we can expect a lot - but we also have reasonable expectations.

DD: turning 4 usally a good eater of kids type meals, used to eating out alot in adult places - but on this trip often did not eat much of her meals due to being full from other meals/snacks (Mickey Bars and Popcorn). Thus, I will not really be reviewing in detail her meals...
DS: 10 months - can eat a lot. Table Food only. Did really well at lunch - our dinners were around 6 and sometimes he was tired and did not eat much.

Our plan: TS as much as possible. CS when its busy just gets to DH. The hustle and bustle of it all - especially with an infant is not relaxing. We used our meals as our breaks. Our kids are used to restaurants and we planned the meals around their schedule and (sorry) no signatures....
We also do several character meals and not the breakfasts - we are just not breakfast people- but one day I will go to Donald's Tusker House!
This plan worked very well for us- anyone out there with a child around the 1 year mark + older kids and if budget allows I would suggest adding in some more TS meals. Being able to sit down, take a breath, and have a waiter/waitress worked well for us. Sometimes its a lot to juggle the baby, the preschooler, the highchair, the backpack, get hands washed, find a table etc while the other adult gets the huge tray of food -etc.. you get my drift.
I just wanted to say this worked for us!

 

[bigal'sdaughter]

One more thing : no dining plan for us. Two reasons: 1 - we wanted more TS and last time with the plan we felt like we had to eat every course and just felt like it was too much food. Now we are junk food junkies (as you will see from what we ordered) but all those courses were just too much for us. We also like a little break before our dessert. So maybe we spent a little more - but no upset stomachs and now the we are back the scales really did not move!


So after a decent drive, but a hectic check in (misplaced rental stroller) we had to rush to make our 6pm ADR at Le Cellier. DH always wanted to try it and it did not disappoint. It was DH's favorite meal of the week!

DH: Ceasar Salad, NY strip,
Me: Filet with Mushroom Risotto
DD: Cheese soup (for mom!) pasta, fruit cup.

Bread: AWESOME! Pretzel Bread was everything it was cracked up to be. DS loved it too. DD liked the sourdough a lot. DH also liked the other bread - the multi-grain one.
The Salad was very tasty. Just enough dressing and fresh lettuce.
The cheese soup (child's portion) was the perfect amount for me. It was a little salty, but I really enjoyed it - especially with the pretzel bread.
Both steaks were cooked perfectly! (Medium rare) That is what makes it or breaks it for us. DH enjoyed his potatoes and I love anything with mushrooms so the risotto was great. DS also like the steak - he had some of each and some of DD's pasta.
DD's pasta was just spaghetti with the sauce on the side but it suited her just fine. She really just wanted more from the bread basket and her fruit cup anyway.

Too full for dessert.

Overally a great meal. Now, it was not as fine as areally good steak from your local fine steakhouse or favorite chain (Palm, Ruth Chris, etc.) but for in the parks it was great and worth the splurge. Defintely will try to do again.

 

[bigal'sdaughter]

So as this was a surprise trip - we all woke up early grabbed some cheerios and got to MK for rope drop. Crowds were low all day - but we did not stay for EMH - could not make it that long without naps.
So after a busy morning of all of fantasyland and toontown by noon we were ready for lunch. At the last minute I made an ADR for the Plaza. DH was excited because after many many trips to the world - he had never eaten here. One of the best decisions I ever made!

Major shout-out to Chef Constance who not only checked on our allergy, but brought out a plate of fruit for the baby to snack on, and then brought out a sample of fries when we asked if we could get them extra-crispy (great tip y'all!)

DH: burger with fries. Fresh, hot, big portion, yummy!
Me: Cheesesteak. very large portion - almost too much bread, crispy fries - great!
DD: salad (shared with DH) chicken sticks, apple slices, rice, cookies and milk
DD's chicken was grilled so DS had some as well. DD loved her apple slices and the dessert. It was 3 little cookies and a little like expresso cup of milk. Really cute and fun.

When you walk in and look to the right we sat in that back corner table (it's actually close to the door.) This was great because the citizen of main street with the large beautiful yellow, white and black dress came in, sang and made fun of some of the patrons. DD's favorite color is yellow and the citizen came over so DD could see her dress. She also played with DS and made a fuss over him. He ate up her attention.

Overall, it was an AWESOME meal. Sandwiches yes - but a very relaxing hour in the parks. The A/C was on, the food was hot and fresh and the service and especially Chef Constance were great! Please consider if you want an alternative to counter service...

Cinderella's Royal Table..

Ok - you told me so - you were right it was very bad- and we had low expectations going in.
None of us had ever eaten in the castle and it was a birthday present for DD so we had to try it.....
NOW DD loved all of the princesses - but we were at the end of the rotation so the last 2 princesses were very rushed. DD still loved seeing them and her create your own sundae and cupcake.

DH:Shrimp, tenderloin with potatoes, creme caramel
Me: pork chop with Mac n cheese, cheese plate, trio
DD: tenderloin plate, fruit, sundae and cupcake!

DH's shrimp was ok, but his whole main course plate was ice cold. The dessert was bleh.
Me: my cheese plate was fine, and my pork chop and mac n cheese were good. The trio was just ok. The pork chop was not hot - but was fully cooked and tasted good.
DD liked her fruit, but would not eat her main plate. Of course - 2 desserts and princesses made her very happy.

Being at the end of the rotation was bad because it made the baby sit for a solid hour before we saw the first princess and he was just done. So I have no pics with him with any princess except Snow White, and I could not really enjoy DD's special moments as much because I was busy keeping him from breaking down completely. (We had a 5:50 reservation and we were seated right on time - which was great!- so he was not tired - just bored from sitting)

The service was also just not that good-they brought out the second course and left the dirty plates (we were obviously done.) Normally not a big deal - but the tables are small and with a baby that likes to drop things -lots of extra stuff on the table is just not good. We had to literally flag people down to take the dirty plates and get refills on drinks.
Ok - well I won't say never again - but DH said I could take her solo for breakfast if she begged to go again. Honestly, since we have tried many of the restaurants in Epcot and we like Epcot at night - we will try Norway next time.
The interesting part is that I think that DD liked Chef Mickeys's and Crystal Palace better.....

 

[lissawynn]

I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed your meal at The Plaza. We had an ADR there last summer but cancelled so we could do more rides on our last night. We have a dinner ADR for June
Also, the princess breakfast in Norway was wonderful. We went in June and had an 8:00 A.M. ADR. The food was very good - much better than what I was expecting, as I'm not a fan of pre-plated breakfasts. We saw Belle (of course), Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, and Ariel. We were seated very close the the princesses' entrance, and each took their time with DD and DS (I believe he was kissed by each one). I cannot say enough good things about this meal. The CM with Belle was also fantastic. DD was a little shy about having her pic taken first thing, so she gave us a card to come back when DD was ready. We did not have to wait in line, which was great. I'm sure we'll be doing this again, but it'll probably be just the girls next time.

 

[bigal'sdaughter]

So excited to have a reader!

So after a morning of hitting our MK favorites, we went to get Baby's first haircut at the Barber Shop. It was a great experience. DS wiggled alot but we really enjoyed it. He looked so handsome afterward. Paula did a great job. They also gave DD a little pixie dust in her hair. She loved it! Definitely check it out.

Crystal Place Lunch
Awesome! They brought DD and DH birthday pins and birthday cupcakes. DD loved the attention. Our server (and I forgot her name) was great! The restaurant was only about 2/3 full so we got a lot of time with the characters. We saw 3 of them twice in a little over an hour.
(As an aside - we also saw some Chilean Miners with their guide while we were there.)
The buffet was very hot and fresh. They were consistently refilling the food. Kids loved the fruit. DH loved the carved meats and the salads. I liked the rotisserie chicken and all of the desserts- especially the chocolate trifle.
Overall, it was very tasty. As we are not breakfast buffet people - I would say check out the lunch. It is a cool, fun, respite during the day.
We will be back!

We then went to Epcot for a few hours. It was empty so we ran around future world and rode everything! We also had a popcorn snack. We then went back to MK to grab dinner and watch the MSEP.

Dinner at Cosmic Rays:
So while I staked out a spot DH grabbed some food at Cosmic Rays. We ate it on the curb while waiting for the parade.
DH: burger and fries
Me: hot dog and fries
DD and DS: split kids chicken nuggets and fries
It was hot, tasty and hit the spot because we were hungry. Other than that- it was nothing special.
For dessert DD and DH enjoyed a rainbow of M&M's from the confectionary.

I enjoyed the MESP - but it was short! Although it was really great seeing Pete and his dragon at the end! Overall though I'd like to see SpectroMagic come back.

 

[tluvstink]

Great reviews! Thank you for taking the time to post them

Terri

 

[MickeyNicki]

Yay youi are back! Cannot wait to read all about it! Hope you guys had a great time!

 

[bigal'sdaughter]

Thank you to everyone who is tuning in!
MickeyNicki- seeing your post made me realize that I forgot a key review!

At Le Cellier after our long drive - it was nice to have access to a full bar. DH had a liquor drink and I had a Raspberry Rain. It was great! A little sweet and refreshing!


Now on to Yak n Yeti TS lunch.
We were all really looking forward to this one. I loved some of y'alls reviews and DH loved the menu. So after a warm and busy morning at AK (and a ice cream bar!) we were ready. The restaurant was about 3/4 full and we were seated immediately. They were taking walk ups on about a 15 min wait.

The restaurant is really gorgeous inside. The A/C was on and we were given a large round table so we spread out.
The chef came out about my shellfish allergy and told me to stay away from the fried rice b/c they use the same wok for shrimp dishes. I would never have even thought of that so I appreciated it!
App: Steamed pot stickers. Very fresh, thin, not gummy at all. Everyone (including DS) really enjoyed them.
DH: the ribs, with fried rice on the side so I could have a taste! Huge Portion! Very hot and fresh, falling off the bone. Just enough sauce. He ate it all (well after DS snabbed a little!)
Me: Crispy Honey Chicken. Good Portion, Big enough to fill up a very hungry gal but not too much. It came out piping hot, crisp- but not overly fried and not opverly sauced. The Broccoli was perfect! I cleaned my plate. Now I know that this was maybe not the most creative choice - but it was just done right. I will order it again in a heartbeat!
DD: mini burger, rice with chopsticks, jello. DD loved eating her rice with chopsticks like mom so she was very happy. The burger was a good kids size.
Please note that there were no refills on kids drinks (AJ for DD)- we did not realize that going in.
The service was very good as well.
Overall, an awesome experience! It has moved to a must do on my list!
On the way out I peeked in the bar - it was cool and comfortable and people were enjoying some adult beverages out of the sun.

Snack in France:
Well as tradition goes we had to make a stop at the Boulangerie/Patisserie.
We split a Napoleon and a Chocolate chip cookie. The Napoleon was HUGE! Very flaky and the filling was heaven. The big cookie was soft and fresh. DD was psyched.


Tutto Italia Dinner
We were seated right at about 6 and the restaurant was pretty empty but filled up fast. Yup - the bread basket was awesome. DD loved the bread sticks, DH and I loved the crackers and DS loved the softer choices.
DH had a liquor drink and I had the prosecco with strawberry. YUM! I love prosecco and the sweet strawberry was a great addition. A little bubbly after a long hot day with 2 little ones is the best way to start supper.
DH: spaghetti and meatballs. Simple, hot, fresh sauce and a good portion. He finished it all.
Me: I can't find what it was called, but the little cheese gnocci/dumpling-esque dish with tomato sauce. A large portion that I could not finish with lots of fresh sauce. Very good.
DD: Spaghetti/Farfalle and Meatballs and Fruit. Well she was more interested in the bread basket and the fruit but DS loved her meatballs. They made it with farfalle (bowtie) for her and she liked that. It was also easier for the baby to eat.
The service was excellent. Our water glasses were being constantly filled.
Overall a great meal.


Dessert to go from Germany:
Kids were done by now - but we had to make a quick stop at the Caramel Shop in Germany for adult dessert for later. First of all that place just smells amazing! We took some caramel corn and a chocolate caramel marshmellow for later.
The marshmellow was a little bit of heaven. The Mallows were soft, chocolate sweet and the caramel was awesome. DH devoured the carmel corn. He said that is was great. A must do for anyone who likes caramel.

Thanks again for reading....

 

[podsnel]

Nice reviews! When our kids were small, we always liked TS better, too- it was a nice break. Now they are bigger, and we still feel the same way!

 

[bigal'sdaughter]

- ok let me try this again.... I just lost my review! AGH!

Fifties Prime Time:
After a rope drop rush to TSM and a busy morning with characters, the little mermaid and the muppet movie - we were ready for lunch and Fifties Prime Time. I really wanted to eat here and get a little ribbing... we were all psyched for it....

Well - sadly we got no character interaction at all. Not a smidge - not even the rules (no elbows on the table.) Yup - I was just a little sad (still am actually) about it.
Otherwise the meal was quite tasty. The restaurant was only about 1/2 full when we came in and we were seated in the sunroom area overlooking the lake. It was a quiet little nook back there. Our server was a sweet older lady who did a nice job otherwise.

ALL: chocolate milkshake. HUGE and yummy. We split it into 2 giant adult portions and a good sized kids portion. sweet and not to chocolately. DH who's favorite ice cream treat is the chocolate milkshake declared it very good - not the best of all time or anything - but definitely worth it!
DH: fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes. Huge Portion. DH liked that he could get all white meat. He shared with DS and still had a ton left on his plate. the chicken was crisp and not greasy at all. DS could not get enough of the potatoes.
Me: Eric's chicken sandwich and fries. Yum! Fries came out hot and crisp so everyone snabbed some. the sandwich was a good size - I finished most of it. It was grilled nicely - still very juicy with just a little BBQ sauce - not overpowering at all. I would order it again.
DD: hot dog, goldfish crackers and grapes. The dog was huge so she took it out of the bun and ate just the dog. So after the appeased us with that she could turn her attention to what she really wanted - goldfish, grapes and milkshake.
Overall, very tasty and good service - just no character interaction. Would I come back? Sure - but I would prefer to try Sci Fi (been to the other TS at HS) or just grab a burger from Backlot Express ....

We then took a little shopping trip to downtown Disney where we took back several treats from Goofy's for later for the adults (Cookies for DH, Mint Fudge for me.) DD got a Dory cookie. It was big and frosted and blue. The cookie itself was a little dry - but I wasn't the judge - the 4 year old loved every blue moment of it!

Also - Basin was gorgeous and a lot of fun! Even DD loved smelling the soaps!

Chef Mickey's Dinner
ok - I know some folks don't like this one - but I really do. It is also DD's absolute favorite! Now, being that this is a buffet - I do not expect gourmet fare/signature level food. I do expect lots of hot, tasty food and good character interaction. That's exactly what I got.

Restuarant was about consistently 3/4 full the whole time we were there. We got a lot of time with several of the characters and saw most of them twice. It was great. DD loved her b-day cupcake and the napkin twirling. Donald made a big fuss over her. DD could hardly wait...she was just sitting on the edge of her seat and watching the character come down the row -so when it was her turn she just jumped up and ran/hugged right into them. She was so happy....Character interaction was definitely a 10!

The food - now some people eat really fast - but with having to get plates for the kids - we took our time. It took us about 1hr 15 min to eat. We were never rushed- which I really liked. The server was very nice.

Now the food was good, hot and lots of it
There was a roast beef on the carving board. It was very good - but the line for it backed up. DH had that, with a big salad, broccoli, scalloped potatoes and a roll of some sort.
I had some salad and then a little of lots of stuff. The meat was good, as was a curry chicken that they had. The chicken was roasted with a little seasoning and was very juicy. The scalloped potatoes were very cheesy and the parmesan mashed potatoes were creamy and delish!
DD had some fruit, some chicken nuggets, Mickey Roni and Cheese, and a roll of some sort. I think she was saving room for dessert.
All of the desserts were yummy - but especially the mickey domes over the oreos. YUM. I must have had 3. I also liked the key lime tart - just a little tart - not to much. I think the cheesecake was my least favorite of the desserts. Of course DD loved her ice cream with all of the candy she wanted to put on top.
Overall, I really like Chef Mickeys Dinner. Its a very fun atmosphere and I will happily go back!

 

[Melissalovespugs]

I am enjoying your reviews! We are going in May, with our daughters ages 5 & 1. It is good to read the experience of someone with similar aged kids, especially since you did a lot of table service. We are on the quick dining plan this time, because DH is skeptical about doing a lot of sit down meals with the kids. I think they would be fine, and in fact I was hoping to do the deluxe dining plan. He said I can schedule 1 sit down meal per day (which will pay for oop) and we will use the quick service for the other 2 meals each day. A good compromise, I guess.

Looking forward to reading more reviews!