Dining plan? We don't need no stinkin' dining plan...a review with a few pics :)

[mousekatool]

Hi folks! My family (Me, DH, DD7 and DS4) recently visited WDW April 14-21, and I thought I would share my 2 cents on the meals we had, and the pros and cons of not having the DDP.

Our last trip was in 2011, and at the time, we got a great room discount, so we purchased the DDP. DS was 2 then, so he shared with us or ate free at buffets, so it worked out pretty well. But because I was attending a conference this trip and got the special conference rate on the room and park tickets, we weren't able to purchase the DDP. I was a little bummed at first, but we figured it would be a good opportunity to see which worked best for our family.

I had scheduled ADRs every day, and we planned to eat breakfasts in the room and just wing it otherwise.

So, without further ado, I give you my dining reviews!

 

[mousekatool]

For both our trips to WDW, we have driven from NC, which is usually a 9-10 hour drive. On our last trip, I had made a dinner ADR for our arrival day, but due to traffic delays, it looked like we were going to miss it. I really panicked and scrambled to reschedule it while we were traveling, although we ended up making it on time. So, I decided I didn't want the stress of a scheduled ADR on this trip. Fortunately, there was a great solution at our resort.

The conference I attended was held at the Beach Club/Yacht Club conference center, so we stayed at YC. I figured that since Beaches and Cream didn't accept reservations, it would be a good place to start our dining adventures.

When we checked in at the hostess stand, we were told the wait was 1 hour, but it actually ended up being more like 25-30 minutes. We took our pager, and went over to BC to explore. After finding Cape May (our breakfast destination for the next day) and buying autograph books for the kids at BC Marketplace, we found a seat near Stormalong Bay. We only waited a few more minutes before our pager buzzed.

Once we got inside, I realized why there was a wait- the place is tee-iny! But the decor was cute. We perused the menu, and when our server heard DS say he wanted grilled cheese (not on the kids' menu), she quickly offered it as an option. I decided on the tomato soup/grilled cheese combo, and DS offered to share the soup with me, which was great, since what I really wanted was ice cream! His sandwich was the typical American cheese/white bread combo, and he gobbled it up. Mine was a 6-cheese blend on sourdough. The filling was really tasty, but the outside was a little greasy. The tomato soup was delicious. It was creamy, with chunks of tomato throughout. We enjoyed our meals.

DH ordered the Beach Rachel (Griddled Pastrami on Marble Rye with Sauerkraut, Arugula, Swiss, and Peppercorn-Russian Dressing). He liked the concept, but not the execution. He said it was really, really greasy, and not as good as he had hoped. DD had the hot dog, which she enjoyed.

Then, the moment I had been waiting for.....dessert! We nearly had a rumble at the table over it, though, because DH was planning to have just a serving of butter pecan, while I was determined to split a No Way Jose. Well, guess who won??



Holy schmoley, this thing was incredible! I was already super full, but we finished this bad boy.

DD and DS both had the Mickey Sundaes, which they devoured.

There were a number of Kitchen Sinks served while we were there, but there was no way we could've eaten one!


Overall, we all enjoyed B&C. This meal was a great way to start our trip!

 

[SRiley1985]

Following along! I had the No Way Jose last year and I agree...amazing! I could just skip the sandwich and go straight into it.

 

[jesswindsor]

I'm in!!

 

[MrsTeddy]

Sounds yummy!
I'm following!