dandelion garden
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2005
- Messages
- 139
For those of you looking for a quick take on the restaurants and counter service places we visited (without having to trudge through my long-winded reviews 
) I offer the following summary
.
Counter Service
Earl of Sandwich
Food: Excellent
Comment: Nice outside seating, good beverage selection, convenient DTD Marketplace location
POR Riverside Mill Food Court
Food: Breakfast- Very Good
Dinner- Good
Comment: Convenient, Clean, Fast, Good selection, open early & late
Cosmic Rays
Food: Good
Comment: Cute atmosphere, Good spot to people watch, Stations could make it inconvenient if everyone in party splits up
Backlot Express
Food: Fair->Good
Comment: Nice spot to come out of the rain, Just an OK selection, Cute kids meal presentation
Electric Umbrella
Food: Fair
Comment: Close to Mission Space so you ride it on an empty stomach and have breakfast right after.
POFQ Food Factory
Food: Very Good
Comment: Nice selection, Convenient
Table Service
Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package
Food: Very Good
Service: Excellent
Comment: Good selection, worth it for the reserved Fantasmic seating, Nice theming, indoor waiting area a little confined
Ohanas
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Nice theming, fun for kids, Wishes view
San Angel Inn
Food: Fair
Service: Poor
Comment: Nice theming, cool setting, convenient location, wont be back though
Le Cellier
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Comfortable seating, nice atmosphere, good wine selection, nice fine dining experience for kids, convenient location
Donalds Breakfastasaurus
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Great Character interaction, Convenient buffet set-up, really nice theming
Hoop Dee Doo Review
Food: Good
Service: Excellent
Comment: Gut busting, fun dinner theater experience, a must-do at least once
Crystal Palace
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Nice location, very pretty atmosphere, kinda loud, character time felt a little rushed
For those questioning whether the dining plan is worth it, heres the numbers I crunched .
Cost of adding Dining Plan to 6 night package for 2 Adults & 1 Child=
$480
Approx total of our meals and snacks. Includes tax & 18% gratuity when applicable. I also added in the avg. cost of 2 TS credits to factor in the 2 credits left unused.
$589
So, yep, I definitely think it was worth it!
If, like me, you enjoy reading all the details, then read on
Day 1:
Dinner @ Earl of Sandwich - DDT
Used 3 CS credits for a Cannonball (meatball), A Beef & Blue, an Original, 3 cookies and 2 sodas. DH payed out of pocket (OOP) for a bottle of Newcastle. The cookies are huge. We shared 1 and took the other 2 back to the room for snacks.
I'm usually leary of ordering roast beef type sandwiches at a fast food place- 1 bite of fat or gristle & my appetite is ruined but my Beef & blue was perfect! The greens were fresh and crisp, the blue cheese was top notch & the bread...yum, don't get me started.
on all the sandwiches. Not the best use of dining credits but very yummy. We'd definitely go back but would pay OOP next time.
Total $25.78/ 3 CS credits
Day 2:
Breakfast @ POR Riverside Mill Food Court
Ham & Cheese Omelette, Fried Potatoes, Juice, Carrot Cake
Used 1 CS credit
This was the only time they allowed us a dessert with breakfast. On subsequent visits to the food court, they told us dessert only comes with lunch & dinner.
This was a surprisingly great breakfast. The omelettes was yummy & made to order. DH declared the potatoes which were crisp & nicely seasoned, "the best I've ever had." The carrot cake was a teeny bit dry but the cream cheese frosting made up for it.
We carried a tray back to our room (213 steps- yes we counted
and had breakfast by our quiet pool.
Total: can't find reciept but I remember it being ~$11.00/ 1 CS credit
Dinner@ Mama Melrose - DS
We used 3 TS credits for the Fantasmic Dinner Package
We got a family sized salad (mixed field greens w/ a nice vinagriette & gorganzolla) & a four cheese flatbread. The boys didn't care for the flatbread-I thinking they were expecting something more pizza-like. That was ok, more for me.
DH got the Italian Sausage entree. It came with peppers, onions, & rigatoni
in a spicy marinara. He enjoyed it enough to wipe the bowl clean with his bread.
DS got the kids chicken parmesan which he said was "Best ever."
I had the Wood-fired Chicken tossed with Pipette pasta with artichokes, peas, roasted red peppers in a basil and four cheese cream sauce. Very yummy.
For dessert we had the hazelnut cheesecake which was to die for & the vanilla gelato.
The service was excellent and very friendly. They send two CMs over to our table to trade pins with my son in between courses. Cute.
The total w/out drinks was about $80.00. / 3 TS credits
With a draft beer, a glass of wine, & a cognac it came to 111.39
Day 3
Lunch @ Cosmic Rays in MK
We used 2 CS credits for a Cheeseburger, a Double Bacon Cheeseburger, 2 fries, 2 sodas 2 brownies. They gave us an extra bun for no charge. The toppings bar was nice. The burgers were kinda dry. The brownie was gummy. The fries were really quite good, crisp and "just greasy enough" DS loved dipping them in cheese sauce from the toppings bar.
Total $23.90 / 2 CS credits
Dinner @ Ohanas in Poly
3 TS got us 2 adults dinners & 1 kids dinner.
While waiting for our table we bellied up to the bar and ordered a Manhattan ($7.25)for DH, an Ocean Rita for me, a $10.00 ((nope, not a typo)) Margarita with Blue Curacao, and a Lava Smoothie (some raspberry, ice cream concoction) $3.99 for DS.
We all loved, loved, loved this meal! We started with the salad with honey lime dressing, wontons w/ 3 dipping sauces. Then came the chicken wings and peel & eat shrimp which we made quick work of. We were about to ask for more wings when the potatoes and stir fried veggies arrived. The vegetables were crisp & fresh tasting but pretty bland- not much to them. The potatoes were yummy.
Then my happy little carnivores saw the skewers coming. We all liked the beef. I loved the turkey dipped in the peanut sauce (who would thunk?). DS liked the pork a lot but I thought it was too dry. DS enjoyed the sausage but DH & I didnt care for it much.
The dessert was to die for! I think my eyes literally rolled back in my head after the first bite. I make bread pudding at home fairly often but Ive never made anything like this. DH never eats my bread pudding but he even had 2 helpings of this. DH had his with the banana sauce they offer- I had mine straight with vanilla ice cream. DH told me that I was humming while I ate it
We would have asked for seconds but the plan was to catch Wishes from the beach so we grabbed our coffee and headed outside. (Dont worry, we returned our mugs after the fireworks).
We had, what I thought was a pretty crummy table. Because we were behind a big wall, we couldnt see the cooking area or the spot where the entertainer starts the kids activities. So when it came time for the limbo & the parade & such, I wasnt comfortable letting DS head out of our sight for so long on the other side of the restaurant so I awkwardly stood near other peoples table so I could see him & take pictures.
Also, our table was about 5 ? tables away from the windows too so we really couldnt see the MK too well.
And lastly, we were sitting directly below a very bright, possibly misalligned, ceiling light. We literally felt like we under a spotlight. I joked with our server that maybe we were expected to sing for our supper? We asked if anything else was available & were told no, not without a wait. So our waitress suggested moving the table over as far as it would go to the wall. That helped a little. The waitress later thanked us for bringing it to her attention & mentioned that shed told the manager about it and that they were ready for our musical number anytime.
The total for our 4 drinks (DH got another Manhattan when we sat down) was $30.55 OUCH. (From this night on we didnt order from the bar unless we saw the menu price 1st.)
The total for dinner was $78.49 and included an 18% gratuity. / 3 TS credits.
An aside here on what would become a recurring thing...
There were two women (mother & adult daughter maybe) arguing throughout their dinner at the table next to us. I think the child with them was behaving badly and they were insulting each others parenting skills. This may say more than you need to know about me, but I took a perverse pleasure in hearing it only because DH & I were griping at eachother earlier. Misery loves company?
Day 4:
Breakfast @ POR Riverside Mill
While DH was showering DS & I headed for our morning jaunt to the food court to fill our mugs with coffee and get breakfast to take back to the room.
Today we got a Mickey waffle with strawberry topping (it looked gruesome but tasted yummy), a side of bacon, an apple juice and a cinnamon bun.
As mentioned previously there were differing opinions on whether a dessert was included. This cashier said no but I insisted that we got one the day before. She said, Ill OK it this time but just so you know, its not included. I started to mention the numerous times that Id heard of reports of people getting pastries, fruit, yoghurt, etc. She showed me the dining brochure and sure enough, it was there in writing. Crud.
Anyhow, she allowed it this time and the total was $13.38 / 1 CS credit.
BTW, my DH held his hand over the cinnamon roll on the walk back. He said he didnt like the way the people walking by were looking at it. That kid cracks me up.
Lunch @ Backlot Express in DS
We used 3 CS credits here for a Dbl Cheeseburger & fries, a Kids Chicken nugget meal (which came with fries & apple sauce), and a Grilled Turkey sandwich with fries.
Everything was just OK. Wed read about the slim pickins at MGM. Now I know what you all meant. For dessert, we got 1 each of the desserts offered- Chocolate mousse, strawberry parfait, and chocolate cake. Nothing to write home (or here) about. It was raining pretty good at this point so we were happy to have a quiet dry place to park for a bit.
Total was 34.85/ 3 CS credits
Aside again: A Mom at the next table griped (and cursed! I whispered to DS to plug his ears) at her 4 kids through most of our/their meal. Again, sick pleasure that it wasnt us this time.
Dinner @POR Mill
DH & I shared a Deluxe Pizza. We didnt have high expectations but it was not bad at all. It came with a side of breadsticks (DS asked for 1 and gobbled them all up so they must have been good), a drink and dessert. We got a slice of pecan pie. It was plenty for the 2 of us and he used his mug for a drink.
DS ordered the Rib Plate, a side of mashed potatoes, a lemonade, and a slice of cheesecake. He didnt eat much of this, said it wasnt hot enough. So he filled up on cheesecake and my breadsticks.
DH checked us out and didnt get the total. For those who dont know, when you use MYW dining credits you total shows 0.00.
Im guesstimating it was at least $25.00/ We used 2CS credits.
Day 5:
Breakfast @ Electric Umbrella in Epcot
Here we shared a cheese omelette with bacon and a sausage and egg bagel sandwich, and 2 orange juices. No dessert. DS liked his bagel sandwich but everything tasted pretty nasty to me. The eggs were lukewarm, the cheese was icky, the juice was in tiny bottles. Not a good use of 2 credits but we were hungry, cold and grumpy this morning. Today, unfortunately, I was that person at the next table grumbling at her ungrateful, disrespectful family
Total 14.97 / 2 CS credits
Lunch @ San Angel Inn in Epcot
This was our first experience with bad service. I read the warnings from this board enough times so I wasnt surprised but our waiter actually
ROLLED HIS EYES AT ME!
In my book, that is the biggest insult. A rolled set of eyes (especially from someone working on tips, HELLO?!) will just set me off.
He seated us & asked if we wanted drinks. I told him that we would be using 2 Table Service Credits and paying cash for our drinks. He said, Credits, what do you mean?
I replied, Were on the dining plan and will be using 2 credits. And then came the eye roll and his response, Oh yeah, the dining plan. Well, what do you want to drink?
We ordered 2 Margaritas, $8.25 each here. He brought our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. DH ordered the Chefs Special (a stuffed Poblano pepper) & DS & I ordered the Plato Mexicano.
He said, Anything else?
I asked, We get appetizers with that, right?
He answered, real snarky, Yes. Thats why I asked if you wanted anything else.
Well, excuse me.
So for appys, we got the Sope Tradicional, a grilled soft corn shell filled with chicken and refried beans & covered with a green tomato sauce, cheese and onions. We also got the Sopa Azteca, tortilla soup with avocado, cheese and pasilla pepper. I really enjoyed the soup. None of us cared much for the other appy.
We were just OK with the entrees. For dessert, DS got a dish of vanilla ice cream. I ordered the rice pudding.
We knew it would be traditional, not Americanized, Mexican which we actually prefer. The snarky waiter may have ruined my appetite though so Im probably not the best to rate this place.
The saving grace- it is beautiful in there. The twilight lighting, the Mariachi music, & the décor were all lovely.
The total didnt show up on the bill, it just said 2 MYW TSR Adult but it was well over $50.00
I left a quarter with the bill, the universal sign for Your Service Sucks DH said he thought he did fine. Whatever.
Dinner @ Le Cellier in Epcot
OK, this meal made up for every bad meal that Ive ever had.
I so wish that wed skipped lunch earlier so that I could have come there with my friend M.T. Belly.
Anyhow, we used 2 TS credits- no problems sharing.
DH ordered the Shrimp cocktail, the New York Strip steak, and the Maple Crème Brulee (Which I inhaled. I later told DH they should rename it carmelized or&@$m).
I ordered the Cheese soup (loved it), the Filet (I requested a side of Bernaise instead of the maple sauce- LOVED it), and the Smores (for DS). We both had coffee with dessert.
We each had 2 glasses of a very nice Beaujolais (sp?). DS had a smoothie which didnt show up on the bill. Cash OOP was 31.13 for the wine including gratuity.
The total for the meal came to $111.18 / 2TS credits
Day 6:
Breakfast @ Restaurantasaurus in AK
Here we used 3 TS credits for 2 adult & 1 Child Buffet.
We had a 10:00 seating which worked out perfect. Almost no wait, great character interaction which included Mickey, Goofy, Pluto & Donald, and friendly servers.
Our server got me with the ketchup trick even though I knew it was coming.
Our picture came out cute so we bought the package- $25 for 2 large prints, 2 wallets, a magnet & a key chain.
DS loved the donuts, I loved the quiche, DH loved that they left a whole coffee carafe at the table.
Total 52.16 +tip / 3 TS credits
Dinner @ Hoop Dee Doo Review in FW
So, I had made reservations for the HDDR about 10 months before our trip.
Then the park hours came out & I read that Fantasmic wouldnt be running after the 2nd night of our stay, so I had to change around my itinerary & redo a bunch of my ADRs including my HDD ressie.
I knew that seats were reserved as the reservation was made so I was bummed when I needed to reschedule to the 7:15 show just a few weeks before the start of our trip.
Regardless, we got great seats- 3 rows back from the stage & smack in the middle.
The food was actually better than Id expected. The fried chicken was tasty & the ribs were pretty decent. We were also served corn on the cob, beans & salad. DH had the beer (Bud Lite, I think), I tried the Sangria (kinda icky, but I think my palate was spoiled by my previous nights wine at Le Cellier) & DS was thrilled that he could finally get a root beer. No other sit down or counter service wed been to yet had offered root beer?
For dessert they had strawberry shortcake which DS liked enough. I just ate some whipped cream off the top
The highlight of the evening though was watching DS enjoy the cornball humor. He later told me that his face hurt from laughing. Theres nothing like seeing an 8 year old, who at home is worried about acting & dressing cool, suddenly turn back into my little buddy again. It was worth every penny of the 125.85 that we paid to see him grinning ear to ear while playing a washboard with his BBQ sauce covered fingers.
BTW, we were pressed for time before the show so we took a cab from POR ($6.25 + tip) which dropped us off at the front of FW. We then took an internal bus to Pioneer Hall. It took us about 15 mins to get there total. After the show, there are resort buses waiting to take you back. We shared a bus with SS, OKW & POFQ.
Day 7
Breakfast @ Crystal Palace in MK
For our final morning we scheduled a 10AM character breakfast with the 100 Acre Gang.
The original plan was to do EMH till our ressy but since I didnt finish packing the night before (because DS & I were too busy crying ourselves to sleep cuz we didnt want it to be our last night), we got a late start and came straight here.
Our server thoroughly explained everything, including the character flight patterns
and she made recommendations on the buffet. She said that the Puffed French Toast was a must try. After trying it (OK, so I tried 3 pieces of it) I agreed wholeheartedly. Although, I really dont think it qualifies as French toast? It really seemed more like fried dough, like the carnival kind, rolled in cinnamon & sugar. But were on vacation right? And if I wanna eat fried dough for breakfast whos to say me nay. I also made a good dent in the Vegetable Frittata and the Cheesy Hashbrowns. DS liked the donut holes and also ate about a pound of bacon. DH tried a little of everything and like our previous character breakfast was just tickled to have a whole carafe of coffee on the table.
The character interaction was pretty good but they all seemed a little rushed. Maybe we were just spoiled by yesterdays extended character visits at Donalds in AK? We were visited by Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore & Piglet.
They did a little parade around the room and sang songs. DS looked at me pleadingly, silently begging me not to sing along.
Of course I ignored him. Im so rumbly in my tumbly .
Youd be rumbly in your tumbly too if youd just eaten 3 pieces of fried dough for breakfast.
When our server brought the check, I explained to her that we were leaving that afternoon and that we had 2 extra TS credits and wanted to buy someones breakfast. We asked her if she had any tables for 2 or more that were paying cash. She said she didnt but that she would check with the other servers. Can you believe that everyone in the dining room was on the dining plan?! Oh well, we tried.
The total incl tip was 60.97/ 3 TS credits
Lunch @ POFQ Food Court
We wanted to check out the pool at POFQ before heading out so after our swim we used up the last of our credits at the food court here.
Our 4 remaining CS credits and 3 remaining snack credits got us:
A ham & a turkey sandwich for the road on really awesome, chewy, flour dusted rolls. Each came with equally awesome, salty, crisp, homestyle potato chips, 2 drinks, and 2 orders of Beignettes.
DH didnt want anything because he thought we should have been "ON THE ROAD HOURS AGO!
We also bought lunch for a couple in line behind us. They got a bottled water, a Club Wrap & a Quesadilla .I wasnt that nosy, its just on my receipt
Initially, when I asked them if they were on the dining plan or paying cash, they looked at me as if Id asked them to hand over their first born. But once I explained that
1)we were on the dining plan,
2) we had remaining credits and
3) we were leaving in mere minutes and the credits would go to waste
they graciously accepted. I told them to go grab a dessert as that was included as well. Again, I got the look so I dropped it.
But Finally! we could spread some pixie dust!
I didnt note the totals on my receipts for these last CS meals because DHs eyes were burning a hole in my back because we should have been on the road HOURS AGO!
We used our last snack credits for 2 bottles of water and a bag of Chips for the ride.
Oh, I forgot to note earlier how we used our other snack credits.
The majority were used at the POR RM for Mickey Rice Krispy Treats to take back to DSs teachers. A couple went towards drinks & itsakadoozies in the parks.
Finally, since it was my DS favorite meal, I thought I should include a review of Goofys Candy Company.
DS used his own hard-earned spending money to purchase:
A $3.50 plastic tube that he filled with Goofys Sour Powder (colored flavored sugar).
For $8 something or other, he got a refillable cup that he could assemble and then have filled with a Slurpie type drink. They offered 8 flavors- he got his filled with Every flavor except Banana, and extra Lemon-Lime
For another $3.00 he got a Rice Crispie treat that he chose to have ready....?
dipped in milk chocolate, drizzled with white chocolate and caramel and topped with choc. Chips, crushed M&Ms and sprinkles. Ugh. Here he is back at the room trying to eat it with his 2 front teeth missing.
It was actually quite cute how they did it. They gave him a sheet to fill out what he wanted. Then they made a big production of preparing it and then then gave him the form back, signed by the "artist".
He also treated me to a bag of Mickey Pretzels that I got for the girls at work. What a good sharer.
Well, thanks for reading. I'm off to read everyone elses dining reviews so I can get busy planning my next trip!
) I offer the following summary
.Counter Service
Earl of Sandwich
Food: Excellent
Comment: Nice outside seating, good beverage selection, convenient DTD Marketplace location
POR Riverside Mill Food Court
Food: Breakfast- Very Good
Dinner- Good
Comment: Convenient, Clean, Fast, Good selection, open early & late
Cosmic Rays
Food: Good
Comment: Cute atmosphere, Good spot to people watch, Stations could make it inconvenient if everyone in party splits up
Backlot Express
Food: Fair->Good
Comment: Nice spot to come out of the rain, Just an OK selection, Cute kids meal presentation
Electric Umbrella
Food: Fair
Comment: Close to Mission Space so you ride it on an empty stomach and have breakfast right after.
POFQ Food Factory
Food: Very Good
Comment: Nice selection, Convenient
Table Service
Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package
Food: Very Good
Service: Excellent
Comment: Good selection, worth it for the reserved Fantasmic seating, Nice theming, indoor waiting area a little confined
Ohanas
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Nice theming, fun for kids, Wishes view
San Angel Inn
Food: Fair
Service: Poor
Comment: Nice theming, cool setting, convenient location, wont be back though
Le Cellier
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Comfortable seating, nice atmosphere, good wine selection, nice fine dining experience for kids, convenient location
Donalds Breakfastasaurus
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Great Character interaction, Convenient buffet set-up, really nice theming
Hoop Dee Doo Review
Food: Good
Service: Excellent
Comment: Gut busting, fun dinner theater experience, a must-do at least once
Crystal Palace
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Comment: Nice location, very pretty atmosphere, kinda loud, character time felt a little rushed
For those questioning whether the dining plan is worth it, heres the numbers I crunched .
Cost of adding Dining Plan to 6 night package for 2 Adults & 1 Child=
$480
Approx total of our meals and snacks. Includes tax & 18% gratuity when applicable. I also added in the avg. cost of 2 TS credits to factor in the 2 credits left unused.
$589
So, yep, I definitely think it was worth it!
If, like me, you enjoy reading all the details, then read on
Day 1:
Dinner @ Earl of Sandwich - DDT
Used 3 CS credits for a Cannonball (meatball), A Beef & Blue, an Original, 3 cookies and 2 sodas. DH payed out of pocket (OOP) for a bottle of Newcastle. The cookies are huge. We shared 1 and took the other 2 back to the room for snacks.
I'm usually leary of ordering roast beef type sandwiches at a fast food place- 1 bite of fat or gristle & my appetite is ruined but my Beef & blue was perfect! The greens were fresh and crisp, the blue cheese was top notch & the bread...yum, don't get me started.
on all the sandwiches. Not the best use of dining credits but very yummy. We'd definitely go back but would pay OOP next time. Total $25.78/ 3 CS credits
Day 2:
Breakfast @ POR Riverside Mill Food Court
Ham & Cheese Omelette, Fried Potatoes, Juice, Carrot Cake
Used 1 CS credit
This was the only time they allowed us a dessert with breakfast. On subsequent visits to the food court, they told us dessert only comes with lunch & dinner.
This was a surprisingly great breakfast. The omelettes was yummy & made to order. DH declared the potatoes which were crisp & nicely seasoned, "the best I've ever had." The carrot cake was a teeny bit dry but the cream cheese frosting made up for it.
We carried a tray back to our room (213 steps- yes we counted
and had breakfast by our quiet pool. Total: can't find reciept but I remember it being ~$11.00/ 1 CS credit
Dinner@ Mama Melrose - DS
We used 3 TS credits for the Fantasmic Dinner Package
We got a family sized salad (mixed field greens w/ a nice vinagriette & gorganzolla) & a four cheese flatbread. The boys didn't care for the flatbread-I thinking they were expecting something more pizza-like. That was ok, more for me.
DH got the Italian Sausage entree. It came with peppers, onions, & rigatoni
in a spicy marinara. He enjoyed it enough to wipe the bowl clean with his bread.
DS got the kids chicken parmesan which he said was "Best ever."
I had the Wood-fired Chicken tossed with Pipette pasta with artichokes, peas, roasted red peppers in a basil and four cheese cream sauce. Very yummy.
For dessert we had the hazelnut cheesecake which was to die for & the vanilla gelato.
The service was excellent and very friendly. They send two CMs over to our table to trade pins with my son in between courses. Cute.
The total w/out drinks was about $80.00. / 3 TS credits
With a draft beer, a glass of wine, & a cognac it came to 111.39
Day 3
Lunch @ Cosmic Rays in MK
We used 2 CS credits for a Cheeseburger, a Double Bacon Cheeseburger, 2 fries, 2 sodas 2 brownies. They gave us an extra bun for no charge. The toppings bar was nice. The burgers were kinda dry. The brownie was gummy. The fries were really quite good, crisp and "just greasy enough" DS loved dipping them in cheese sauce from the toppings bar.
Total $23.90 / 2 CS credits
Dinner @ Ohanas in Poly
3 TS got us 2 adults dinners & 1 kids dinner.
While waiting for our table we bellied up to the bar and ordered a Manhattan ($7.25)for DH, an Ocean Rita for me, a $10.00 ((nope, not a typo)) Margarita with Blue Curacao, and a Lava Smoothie (some raspberry, ice cream concoction) $3.99 for DS.
We all loved, loved, loved this meal! We started with the salad with honey lime dressing, wontons w/ 3 dipping sauces. Then came the chicken wings and peel & eat shrimp which we made quick work of. We were about to ask for more wings when the potatoes and stir fried veggies arrived. The vegetables were crisp & fresh tasting but pretty bland- not much to them. The potatoes were yummy.
Then my happy little carnivores saw the skewers coming. We all liked the beef. I loved the turkey dipped in the peanut sauce (who would thunk?). DS liked the pork a lot but I thought it was too dry. DS enjoyed the sausage but DH & I didnt care for it much.
The dessert was to die for! I think my eyes literally rolled back in my head after the first bite. I make bread pudding at home fairly often but Ive never made anything like this. DH never eats my bread pudding but he even had 2 helpings of this. DH had his with the banana sauce they offer- I had mine straight with vanilla ice cream. DH told me that I was humming while I ate it
We would have asked for seconds but the plan was to catch Wishes from the beach so we grabbed our coffee and headed outside. (Dont worry, we returned our mugs after the fireworks).We had, what I thought was a pretty crummy table. Because we were behind a big wall, we couldnt see the cooking area or the spot where the entertainer starts the kids activities. So when it came time for the limbo & the parade & such, I wasnt comfortable letting DS head out of our sight for so long on the other side of the restaurant so I awkwardly stood near other peoples table so I could see him & take pictures.
Also, our table was about 5 ? tables away from the windows too so we really couldnt see the MK too well.
And lastly, we were sitting directly below a very bright, possibly misalligned, ceiling light. We literally felt like we under a spotlight. I joked with our server that maybe we were expected to sing for our supper? We asked if anything else was available & were told no, not without a wait. So our waitress suggested moving the table over as far as it would go to the wall. That helped a little. The waitress later thanked us for bringing it to her attention & mentioned that shed told the manager about it and that they were ready for our musical number anytime.
The total for our 4 drinks (DH got another Manhattan when we sat down) was $30.55 OUCH. (From this night on we didnt order from the bar unless we saw the menu price 1st.)
The total for dinner was $78.49 and included an 18% gratuity. / 3 TS credits.
An aside here on what would become a recurring thing...
There were two women (mother & adult daughter maybe) arguing throughout their dinner at the table next to us. I think the child with them was behaving badly and they were insulting each others parenting skills. This may say more than you need to know about me, but I took a perverse pleasure in hearing it only because DH & I were griping at eachother earlier. Misery loves company?
Day 4:
Breakfast @ POR Riverside Mill
While DH was showering DS & I headed for our morning jaunt to the food court to fill our mugs with coffee and get breakfast to take back to the room.
Today we got a Mickey waffle with strawberry topping (it looked gruesome but tasted yummy), a side of bacon, an apple juice and a cinnamon bun.
As mentioned previously there were differing opinions on whether a dessert was included. This cashier said no but I insisted that we got one the day before. She said, Ill OK it this time but just so you know, its not included. I started to mention the numerous times that Id heard of reports of people getting pastries, fruit, yoghurt, etc. She showed me the dining brochure and sure enough, it was there in writing. Crud.
Anyhow, she allowed it this time and the total was $13.38 / 1 CS credit.
BTW, my DH held his hand over the cinnamon roll on the walk back. He said he didnt like the way the people walking by were looking at it. That kid cracks me up.
Lunch @ Backlot Express in DS
We used 3 CS credits here for a Dbl Cheeseburger & fries, a Kids Chicken nugget meal (which came with fries & apple sauce), and a Grilled Turkey sandwich with fries.
Everything was just OK. Wed read about the slim pickins at MGM. Now I know what you all meant. For dessert, we got 1 each of the desserts offered- Chocolate mousse, strawberry parfait, and chocolate cake. Nothing to write home (or here) about. It was raining pretty good at this point so we were happy to have a quiet dry place to park for a bit.
Total was 34.85/ 3 CS credits
Aside again: A Mom at the next table griped (and cursed! I whispered to DS to plug his ears) at her 4 kids through most of our/their meal. Again, sick pleasure that it wasnt us this time.
Dinner @POR Mill
DH & I shared a Deluxe Pizza. We didnt have high expectations but it was not bad at all. It came with a side of breadsticks (DS asked for 1 and gobbled them all up so they must have been good), a drink and dessert. We got a slice of pecan pie. It was plenty for the 2 of us and he used his mug for a drink.
DS ordered the Rib Plate, a side of mashed potatoes, a lemonade, and a slice of cheesecake. He didnt eat much of this, said it wasnt hot enough. So he filled up on cheesecake and my breadsticks.
DH checked us out and didnt get the total. For those who dont know, when you use MYW dining credits you total shows 0.00.
Im guesstimating it was at least $25.00/ We used 2CS credits.
Day 5:
Breakfast @ Electric Umbrella in Epcot
Here we shared a cheese omelette with bacon and a sausage and egg bagel sandwich, and 2 orange juices. No dessert. DS liked his bagel sandwich but everything tasted pretty nasty to me. The eggs were lukewarm, the cheese was icky, the juice was in tiny bottles. Not a good use of 2 credits but we were hungry, cold and grumpy this morning. Today, unfortunately, I was that person at the next table grumbling at her ungrateful, disrespectful family
Total 14.97 / 2 CS credits
Lunch @ San Angel Inn in Epcot
This was our first experience with bad service. I read the warnings from this board enough times so I wasnt surprised but our waiter actually
ROLLED HIS EYES AT ME!
In my book, that is the biggest insult. A rolled set of eyes (especially from someone working on tips, HELLO?!) will just set me off.
He seated us & asked if we wanted drinks. I told him that we would be using 2 Table Service Credits and paying cash for our drinks. He said, Credits, what do you mean?
I replied, Were on the dining plan and will be using 2 credits. And then came the eye roll and his response, Oh yeah, the dining plan. Well, what do you want to drink?
We ordered 2 Margaritas, $8.25 each here. He brought our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. DH ordered the Chefs Special (a stuffed Poblano pepper) & DS & I ordered the Plato Mexicano.
He said, Anything else?
I asked, We get appetizers with that, right?
He answered, real snarky, Yes. Thats why I asked if you wanted anything else.
Well, excuse me.
So for appys, we got the Sope Tradicional, a grilled soft corn shell filled with chicken and refried beans & covered with a green tomato sauce, cheese and onions. We also got the Sopa Azteca, tortilla soup with avocado, cheese and pasilla pepper. I really enjoyed the soup. None of us cared much for the other appy.
We were just OK with the entrees. For dessert, DS got a dish of vanilla ice cream. I ordered the rice pudding.
We knew it would be traditional, not Americanized, Mexican which we actually prefer. The snarky waiter may have ruined my appetite though so Im probably not the best to rate this place.
The saving grace- it is beautiful in there. The twilight lighting, the Mariachi music, & the décor were all lovely.
The total didnt show up on the bill, it just said 2 MYW TSR Adult but it was well over $50.00
I left a quarter with the bill, the universal sign for Your Service Sucks DH said he thought he did fine. Whatever.
Dinner @ Le Cellier in Epcot
OK, this meal made up for every bad meal that Ive ever had.
I so wish that wed skipped lunch earlier so that I could have come there with my friend M.T. Belly.
Anyhow, we used 2 TS credits- no problems sharing.
DH ordered the Shrimp cocktail, the New York Strip steak, and the Maple Crème Brulee (Which I inhaled. I later told DH they should rename it carmelized or&@$m).
I ordered the Cheese soup (loved it), the Filet (I requested a side of Bernaise instead of the maple sauce- LOVED it), and the Smores (for DS). We both had coffee with dessert.
We each had 2 glasses of a very nice Beaujolais (sp?). DS had a smoothie which didnt show up on the bill. Cash OOP was 31.13 for the wine including gratuity.
The total for the meal came to $111.18 / 2TS credits
Day 6:
Breakfast @ Restaurantasaurus in AK
Here we used 3 TS credits for 2 adult & 1 Child Buffet.
We had a 10:00 seating which worked out perfect. Almost no wait, great character interaction which included Mickey, Goofy, Pluto & Donald, and friendly servers.
Our server got me with the ketchup trick even though I knew it was coming.
Our picture came out cute so we bought the package- $25 for 2 large prints, 2 wallets, a magnet & a key chain.
DS loved the donuts, I loved the quiche, DH loved that they left a whole coffee carafe at the table.
Total 52.16 +tip / 3 TS credits
Dinner @ Hoop Dee Doo Review in FW
So, I had made reservations for the HDDR about 10 months before our trip.
Then the park hours came out & I read that Fantasmic wouldnt be running after the 2nd night of our stay, so I had to change around my itinerary & redo a bunch of my ADRs including my HDD ressie.
I knew that seats were reserved as the reservation was made so I was bummed when I needed to reschedule to the 7:15 show just a few weeks before the start of our trip.
Regardless, we got great seats- 3 rows back from the stage & smack in the middle.
The food was actually better than Id expected. The fried chicken was tasty & the ribs were pretty decent. We were also served corn on the cob, beans & salad. DH had the beer (Bud Lite, I think), I tried the Sangria (kinda icky, but I think my palate was spoiled by my previous nights wine at Le Cellier) & DS was thrilled that he could finally get a root beer. No other sit down or counter service wed been to yet had offered root beer?
For dessert they had strawberry shortcake which DS liked enough. I just ate some whipped cream off the top
The highlight of the evening though was watching DS enjoy the cornball humor. He later told me that his face hurt from laughing. Theres nothing like seeing an 8 year old, who at home is worried about acting & dressing cool, suddenly turn back into my little buddy again. It was worth every penny of the 125.85 that we paid to see him grinning ear to ear while playing a washboard with his BBQ sauce covered fingers.
BTW, we were pressed for time before the show so we took a cab from POR ($6.25 + tip) which dropped us off at the front of FW. We then took an internal bus to Pioneer Hall. It took us about 15 mins to get there total. After the show, there are resort buses waiting to take you back. We shared a bus with SS, OKW & POFQ.
Day 7
Breakfast @ Crystal Palace in MK
For our final morning we scheduled a 10AM character breakfast with the 100 Acre Gang.
The original plan was to do EMH till our ressy but since I didnt finish packing the night before (because DS & I were too busy crying ourselves to sleep cuz we didnt want it to be our last night), we got a late start and came straight here.
Our server thoroughly explained everything, including the character flight patterns
and she made recommendations on the buffet. She said that the Puffed French Toast was a must try. After trying it (OK, so I tried 3 pieces of it) I agreed wholeheartedly. Although, I really dont think it qualifies as French toast? It really seemed more like fried dough, like the carnival kind, rolled in cinnamon & sugar. But were on vacation right? And if I wanna eat fried dough for breakfast whos to say me nay. I also made a good dent in the Vegetable Frittata and the Cheesy Hashbrowns. DS liked the donut holes and also ate about a pound of bacon. DH tried a little of everything and like our previous character breakfast was just tickled to have a whole carafe of coffee on the table.The character interaction was pretty good but they all seemed a little rushed. Maybe we were just spoiled by yesterdays extended character visits at Donalds in AK? We were visited by Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore & Piglet.
They did a little parade around the room and sang songs. DS looked at me pleadingly, silently begging me not to sing along.
Of course I ignored him. Im so rumbly in my tumbly .
Youd be rumbly in your tumbly too if youd just eaten 3 pieces of fried dough for breakfast.
When our server brought the check, I explained to her that we were leaving that afternoon and that we had 2 extra TS credits and wanted to buy someones breakfast. We asked her if she had any tables for 2 or more that were paying cash. She said she didnt but that she would check with the other servers. Can you believe that everyone in the dining room was on the dining plan?! Oh well, we tried.
The total incl tip was 60.97/ 3 TS credits
Lunch @ POFQ Food Court
We wanted to check out the pool at POFQ before heading out so after our swim we used up the last of our credits at the food court here.
Our 4 remaining CS credits and 3 remaining snack credits got us:
A ham & a turkey sandwich for the road on really awesome, chewy, flour dusted rolls. Each came with equally awesome, salty, crisp, homestyle potato chips, 2 drinks, and 2 orders of Beignettes.
DH didnt want anything because he thought we should have been "ON THE ROAD HOURS AGO!
We also bought lunch for a couple in line behind us. They got a bottled water, a Club Wrap & a Quesadilla .I wasnt that nosy, its just on my receipt
Initially, when I asked them if they were on the dining plan or paying cash, they looked at me as if Id asked them to hand over their first born. But once I explained that
1)we were on the dining plan,
2) we had remaining credits and
3) we were leaving in mere minutes and the credits would go to waste
they graciously accepted. I told them to go grab a dessert as that was included as well. Again, I got the look so I dropped it.
But Finally! we could spread some pixie dust!
I didnt note the totals on my receipts for these last CS meals because DHs eyes were burning a hole in my back because we should have been on the road HOURS AGO!
We used our last snack credits for 2 bottles of water and a bag of Chips for the ride.
Oh, I forgot to note earlier how we used our other snack credits.
The majority were used at the POR RM for Mickey Rice Krispy Treats to take back to DSs teachers. A couple went towards drinks & itsakadoozies in the parks.
Finally, since it was my DS favorite meal, I thought I should include a review of Goofys Candy Company.
DS used his own hard-earned spending money to purchase:
A $3.50 plastic tube that he filled with Goofys Sour Powder (colored flavored sugar).
For $8 something or other, he got a refillable cup that he could assemble and then have filled with a Slurpie type drink. They offered 8 flavors- he got his filled with Every flavor except Banana, and extra Lemon-Lime
For another $3.00 he got a Rice Crispie treat that he chose to have ready....?
dipped in milk chocolate, drizzled with white chocolate and caramel and topped with choc. Chips, crushed M&Ms and sprinkles. Ugh. Here he is back at the room trying to eat it with his 2 front teeth missing.
It was actually quite cute how they did it. They gave him a sheet to fill out what he wanted. Then they made a big production of preparing it and then then gave him the form back, signed by the "artist".
He also treated me to a bag of Mickey Pretzels that I got for the girls at work. What a good sharer.
Well, thanks for reading. I'm off to read everyone elses dining reviews so I can get busy planning my next trip!
