Dining report 10 days meal plan

[bsusanmb]

Just returned from POR and 10 days of dining package - 2/25-3/7. Beware, some of the CM"s don't know the rules - one gave me an old brochure that included all of the restaurants from the silver package - WRONG!
I kept our receipts and our meals cost $999.79 - package was $700 for two adults plus tax. We used all of our sit down meals in the signature meal restaurants.
Citricos - notified them that it was my birthday and anniversary and got a specially printed menu with our names etc on them. Both got filet mignon, delicious, crab appetizer - too cheesy, salad very good, tropical creme brulee and a berry medley very good. Service excellent. nice experience, but won't return
Artist Point - there was a chef's special which included soup excellent!, salad good, salmon best I ever had, ice cream and berry dessert - excellent for $47 each. This was a very pleasant experience and excellent meal - will return.
California Grill - sushi appetizers - I prefer the sushi at Japan, It was really "fishy" tasting. Very crowded, extremely noisy, beautiful view. Long wait - 45 minutes after our PS. Filet mignon ok - I don't care for sauces, and the augratin potatoes were just ok. Dessert strawberry medley - good. won't go back. had a lovely table, but just not my cup of tea.
Jiko - flatbread tour of Africa for appetizer - to die for!! and huge portion. Salad was really good also. Filet mignon excellent, but butterfish was a disappointment as it was breaded. Sauce and presentation very good. Dessert ice cream malt was good. Loved my meal, very pleasant and quiet. Will return here.
Narcoose's - soup (roasted squash with crab) excellent, whole Maine Lobster with roasted asparagus - awesome, key lime creme brulee excellent - this was the most expensive meal - $177. Would love to go back, but only if on the meal plan. Too pricey.
We had trouble eating all of the counter service meals - too much food. Best ice cream for my snacks was in Animal Kingdome - king size nutty buddy which was $3.50. DH loves frozen bananas available almost everywhere. Used a lot of the CS for breakfast.
Paid out of pocket for Sticky Mickey at Concourse Steakhouse - great deal - only $2.99 and it is HUGE and GOOD..... I love to eat, but the meal plan was a little much for me. I will do it again, I believe it is fun to have choices that are paid in advance.
Susan

 

[Tinseltown Trauma]

Appreciate the report. I'm going in early May (solo) for 9 nights and, as you did, will be using all (but 1) of my table service on signatures (Citrico's, Artist Point, Flying Fish, Narc.). Esp glad to hear you liked Narcoosee's so much, as I've read some lukewarm posts on it. Curious to know why you would not return to Citrico's in the future?

Looking forward to eating my way through the World!

Thanks,
TT

 

[jenr812]

Great, detailed report!! Just what I'm looking for as I'm deciding my PSes! Thanks. I'm also curious as to why you won't return to Citrico's? It sounds like you enjoyed it. Your menu choices sound so yummy (well, except Sushi - I'm too scared to try it LOL). Thanks again!

 

[sherry8253]

Thanks for your dining report neighbor. I enjoyed reading it.

 

[pennyplanner]

Susan,

Where did you use your counter service credits for breakfast?

Thanks for posting your yummy reviews!

--penny

 

[Minniespal]

Great reviews ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[bsusanmb]

We ate our breakfast at the hotel food courts - both Riverside and French Quarter. At Riverside you can order a specially made omelette that comes with a biscuit and potatoes. Also got pancakes frequently. We each got OJ the meal and then a cinnamon bun for dessert which I saved for a bedtime snack - or the beniettes (don't know how to spell it - pronounced ben-ya). Our counterservice breakfasts ran around $21-24 for two people. We also got counter service lunch/dinner at Cosmic Ray in MK which was a good deal, and at the Tusker House in the AK. You can get salmon at Tusker House.

I liked Citricos, it was pretty, and the server was very nice. I didn't care for the food. I do not like my filet mignon to be cooked with sauces. I like a good steak that melts like butter, but tastes like filet. I love crab, but not baked with a smelly cheese - I just didn't care for the food all that much. I am sure others do, but for my taste, I loved Artist Point's food, and of course, the lobster or the surf and turf at Narcoose's.

I just had a hard time fitting in all of the food from the counter service. I am not a great fan of counter service meals - a few are ok, but 10 was a bit much. We did get California Rolls at Japan one evening, and they were really good - no fish taste at all!

I am glad that we had the opportunity to try all of the restaurants. Disney doesn't give anything away, and I believe this is a trial at this price. Then again, you have to be Disney savvy to assure you come out ahead in the deal.

Susan

 

[jenr812]

We ate our breakfast at the hotel food courts - both Riverside and French Quarter. At Riverside you can order a specially made omelette that comes with a biscuit and potatoes. Also got pancakes frequently. We each got OJ the meal and then a cinnamon bun for dessert which I saved for a bedtime snack - or the beniettes (don't know how to spell it - pronounced ben-ya). Our counterservice breakfasts ran around $21-24 for two people. We also got counter service lunch/dinner at Cosmic Ray in MK which was a good deal, and at the Tusker House in the AK. You can get salmon at Tusker House.

I liked Citricos, it was pretty, and the server was very nice. I didn't care for the food. I do not like my filet mignon to be cooked with sauces. I like a good steak that melts like butter, but tastes like filet. I love crab, but not baked with a smelly cheese - I just didn't care for the food all that much. I am sure others do, but for my taste, I loved Artist Point's food, and of course, the lobster or the surf and turf at Narcoose's.

I just had a hard time fitting in all of the food from the counter service. I am not a great fan of counter service meals - a few are ok, but 10 was a bit much. We did get California Rolls at Japan one evening, and they were really good - no fish taste at all!

I am glad that we had the opportunity to try all of the restaurants. Disney doesn't give anything away, and I believe this is a trial at this price. Then again, you have to be Disney savvy to assure you come out ahead in the deal.

Susan

Do you know what time the counter service places in Port Orleans open for breakfast? Those breakfasts sound good! We're planning to breakfast in the room and use counter service for lunch, but we may do it the other way around (depending on when they open) since we plan to return to the resort midday anyway. Thanks for the added info

 

[bsusanmb]

Breakfast is at 0630.

 

[Tinseltown Trauma]

I just had a hard time fitting in all of the food from the counter service. I am not a great fan of counter service meals - a few are ok, but 10 was a bit much.

I am glad that we had the opportunity to try all of the restaurants. Disney doesn't give anything away, and I believe this is a trial at this price. Then again, you have to be Disney savvy to assure you come out ahead in the deal.

Susan,

Thanks for the helpful feedback on Citrico's.

I agree, it's a lot of food everyday, and that's why I don't understand why so many folks don't perceive this to be such a good deal, esp because a guest can use use up their allotments on signatures, as you did and I'll be doing!! All it takes is a little planning in how to use the cs and ts wisely, which restaurants to patronize....I'm with you, I think at the very least, Disney will close up many of the loopholes (w/regard to differentiating kids meals, sharing, etc.), if not increase the overall price, once this plan is up and running; for Disney, this current meal plan is almost too good to be true!

TT

 

[bsusanmb]

For sure, Disney doesn't give anything away - which is probably why the Coronado Springs isn't included, Beaches and Cream is now considered a sit down meal, and many EPCOT restaurants aren't included. I used to use the vouchers and made out like a bandit. I used the Kingdom lunch vouchers at Japan and ordered the Lobster hibachi and the bill would have been astronomical. Of course the Q&C we used for prime rib and at B&C.

If I had it to do all over again on the meal plan, I believe I would have shared a meal at Artist Point, and paid for an extra appetizer. This would have extended our meals, and not made us feel like stuffed sausages by the end of the 10 (actually 11) days.

I kept a diary of everywhere we ate, and what we spent, and what we had left. By the 8th day, my DH kept saying, "Oh, man, you mean we still have that many to use????"

I would recommend anyone on this plan keep track yourself. At the POR, I got two ice cream snacks, and the CM rang them up together - snacks must be rung up separately. I ended up being charge for 2 counter service by mistake. I had to go to guest services, they did a print out, and I had my receipt. They changed the count to reflect exactly what I had.

And as I said in my first post - some CM's will give you the new meal plan brochure and then give you the old silver and gold plan and tell you that there are lots more choices than on the new plan - WRONG - you can only get what is on the new plan brochure.

Susan

 

[TwingleMum]

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed your reviews.