Disney Dining Trip Report
Disney Dining Plan - What a deal! We spent approximately $1400 on CS, TS, and snacks for 8 nights, and 8 days, with a cost of about $800 for 2A 2C. There was too much food, but it really took the pressure off. If I'd paid OOP for all those meals, I would have been so cranky every day at dinner, that the trip would have been a real disaster. Paying ahead allowed us to relax and have at least one good sit down dinner each day.
CS was no problem, and we sometimes ordered adult meals for DD's because they didn't like what was on the kids menu. No cast member ever gave us a hard time or was restrictive in the least. We extended our stay by one day, and they wouldn't let us add to the dining plan. It worked out because we had 2 CS meals left for the four of us the last day and we were able to use them up. We didn't use all our snack credits, so we ended up getting sodas and mickey rice crispy bars at the hotel the last night to bring home. It's hard to use all those snack credits because you spend so much time walking around FULL!!
DD8, DD6, Me, and DW
COUNTER SERVICE We had originally planned these out to maximize out bang for buck on DDP with CS, but in practical experience, we just stopped where it was convenient. The kids often just wanted a burger, and we figured that was a fair trade for good behavior at fancier TS places. Each meal for the 4 of us averaged around $45-50.
Pecos Bill Excellent chicken wrap, otherwise standard fare. The little peanut butter cake was tasty, but kind of rich.
Electric Umbrella Standard Burgers and Fries cookie dessert was awful
Sunshine Seasons A great Counter service, lots of options. The couscous was neat.
ABC Commissary Standard fast food. Nothing special.
POR Food Court The biggest disappointment. Separate lines you have to go through, and the food was barely mediocre.
Tusker House Good rotisserie chicken and fresh veggies, and the chocolate cake was EXCELLENT!!!!!! I wanted to go back just for some more of that cake! A great choice for CS.
Cosmic Rays - Another good choice you can get burgers, or a full dinner. The food was good and the chicken entrée didnt feel like a counter service meal. There are multiple lines that may split your group, though.
BOMA Our first night we ate at BOMA. Got there a little early and was able to see some of the animals. That resort is something to see. Dinner was great, but many of the flavors were different. I enjoyed the potatoes with Affritude. Different but good. The meat quiche was very good, as well as the peanut rice. Yum. There was a potato and bacon soup I enjoyed. The prime rib was a bit bland, but I made up for it with other dishes. For dessert, Zebra domes and a Morrocan nut/phyllo dish. The Zebra domes were okay, but nothing special, to me. I absolutely loved the nut-phyllo dish!!! Very rich, though. Our service was great. I also had a Safari Amber, which was enjoyed as well. A good first TS meal, but we're undecided about going back. Total on DDP, $97. A good experience.
Crystal Palace - Well, this one was definitely for the kids. Characters, characters, characters. I won't go back for the food. We ate well, but nothing to write home about, certainly. I barely remember what we ate. We all left with full bellies, and we got some great pictures of the kids with Tigger, Eyeore, Piglet, and Pooh. Total on DDP $102. Oh please let's do something besides a Buffet!!
LeCellier - Oh my GOD! We arrived at the podium for check-in, were greeted, and asked about food allergies, and dislikes. Waited about 10 minutes to be seated, and were put in the main dining room, in a corner. That's great, because I like the benches. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. He encouraged the kids to get both specialty drinks and apps. They both got the beef filet kabobs, and smoothies. I tried the cheese soup, and DW had the cheese sampler. All were good, but we didn't care much for the cheese sampler. All of us loved the pretzel bread! DW and I ordered the 14oz NY strip steak - cooked medium. It was done to perfection, tender, and not the least bit dry. Great flavor, and we enjoyed the potatoes as well. I enjoyed two bottles of Canadian Amber beer, a specialty beer only available at LeCellier. I found it lightly sweet and kind of spicy. After dinner, we got dessert. I had the chocolate whiskey cake, very good. A superb dining experience. We'll definitely do that one again, maybe even twice! $174 on DDP
Mama Melrose- Fantasmic Dinner Package.... We were lucky enough to get ADR's at 4:40, one of the later times for the Fantasmic package. Our server was Yayoi, and she did great. Salad and a pizza as Apps for the family to share, then had chicken parmesan. Good food, good service, and the Fantasmic package gave us reserved seating. The only way to go. I'm not sure we'd eat there without the Fantasmic package, but it was good. Just not fantastic. Service was great. $112 on DDP
Whispering Canyon Cafe - What fun! We got an absolutely awesome waitress. I think she was Brittney. The place was empty at 5:00 when we showed up for our ADR. By 5:15 it was packed! She taught us how to get ketchup, and we were the loudest in the place! The kids did a pony race and shared crayons. DW and I had the skillet. Good food, but certainly not fancy. We enjoyed the chicken and the ribs the best. Dessert for DW was the dust bowl. It was okay. I LOVED my apple pie w/ icecream. Superb comfort food. I had two yards of draft beer, and DW had a blue drink (blue curacao, tequila, fruit juice.... basically a weak blue margarita). Drinks were good but kind of whimpy. We had a blast and will certainly do this again. Total on DDP $107
Ohana - I've never been so full in all my life! I ate so much I was physically in pain when I left. We arrived for our 5:30 ADR and were seated within 10 minutes. We were at the side of the main dining room with a side view of the fire pit. The kids spent only a little time at the table for all the coconut races, limbo's, etc. They started out with the wonton chips. Nothing special there...kind of ho-hum. The peanut dipping sauce was good. Salad, and peel-and-eat shrimp followed, and they were good. I had a Lapu-lapu, and it was terrific. Bacardi rum and pineapple juice, topped with Bacardi 151. Quite strong. The food started coming, and they just kept piling it on. The turkey was super, and the steak was very good - not too dry. The pork was dry, but I just kept up with the other dishes instead. The sausage was surprising. It was much leaner than I expected. I'm not a fan of sausage, so I only took one of those. We ate, and ate, and they kept bringing food. Ordered another Lapu-Lapu. This one was stronger than the first!! So we're stuffed beyond belief. The waitress says we have to eat dessert, too. Dang. No room. She brings the bread pudding with carmel sauce. I take one bite. DANG!!! Love it!! I've still got no room for dessert, but I push it down anyhow. So now I'm very pleasantly lit, and unpleasantly full! We waddled out and swore we'd never eat again! It's okay, because everybody else was waddling too. We'll be back!. $94 on DDP.
Coral Reef - We arrived for our 5:30 ADR, and were seated within about 10 minutes. I had asked them at check-in very politely if we could have a view of the tank. Told them that would make our experience extra special if they could please do that for us. We were seated opposite the viewing windows in a booth with a clear view of the tank. The kids loved watching the sharks, turtle, and fish go by. No specialty drinks here. Made us pay OOP for the glo-cube drinks. The staff was friendly and quick, and kept our drinks full. Lobster soup, smoked fish linguine, and salad apps. Okay, but not spectacular. I ordered the 12oz NY strip, and DW got the salmon. Both were fantastic, and the steak really had slightly better flavor than the one I ate at LeCellier. Dessert was the chocolate wave. Good, but a bit too runny and rich for my taste. The kids had the build your own sundae and DD8 had the peanut butter candy bar. Big hits, they loved it. We'll do it again. $151 on DDP
Teppankaki - A fun experience and some good food. I will say that this is the most restrictive restaurant with the DDP. Soup or salad basically is the app. The whole time we were there we felt rushed. The language barrier made them misunderstand DW's order, and they made us feel like we were the ones that messed up. They did lose points in my book for that. The chef was good, but not very interactive. I had the steak and shrimp. DW had the chicken and steak. Both were good and cooked properly. I also ordered a Mt.Fuji, which was blue curacao, tequila, and pineapple juice. I really don't think there was alcohol in it. Very weak.... then again I may have still been numb from those two Lapu-Lapu's at Ohana. Dessert was ice-cream or sherbet. Nothing special. I'm not sure we'll go back there again. I enjoyed the different experience, the seaweed app, ethnic foods, but none of us liked that rushed feeling we got and the wait staff's attitude. About $120 on DDP.
Disney Dining Plan - What a deal! We spent approximately $1400 on CS, TS, and snacks for 8 nights, and 8 days, with a cost of about $800 for 2A 2C. There was too much food, but it really took the pressure off. If I'd paid OOP for all those meals, I would have been so cranky every day at dinner, that the trip would have been a real disaster. Paying ahead allowed us to relax and have at least one good sit down dinner each day.
CS was no problem, and we sometimes ordered adult meals for DD's because they didn't like what was on the kids menu. No cast member ever gave us a hard time or was restrictive in the least. We extended our stay by one day, and they wouldn't let us add to the dining plan. It worked out because we had 2 CS meals left for the four of us the last day and we were able to use them up. We didn't use all our snack credits, so we ended up getting sodas and mickey rice crispy bars at the hotel the last night to bring home. It's hard to use all those snack credits because you spend so much time walking around FULL!!
DD8, DD6, Me, and DW
COUNTER SERVICE We had originally planned these out to maximize out bang for buck on DDP with CS, but in practical experience, we just stopped where it was convenient. The kids often just wanted a burger, and we figured that was a fair trade for good behavior at fancier TS places. Each meal for the 4 of us averaged around $45-50.
Pecos Bill Excellent chicken wrap, otherwise standard fare. The little peanut butter cake was tasty, but kind of rich.
Electric Umbrella Standard Burgers and Fries cookie dessert was awful
Sunshine Seasons A great Counter service, lots of options. The couscous was neat.
ABC Commissary Standard fast food. Nothing special.
POR Food Court The biggest disappointment. Separate lines you have to go through, and the food was barely mediocre.
Tusker House Good rotisserie chicken and fresh veggies, and the chocolate cake was EXCELLENT!!!!!! I wanted to go back just for some more of that cake! A great choice for CS.
Cosmic Rays - Another good choice you can get burgers, or a full dinner. The food was good and the chicken entrée didnt feel like a counter service meal. There are multiple lines that may split your group, though.
BOMA Our first night we ate at BOMA. Got there a little early and was able to see some of the animals. That resort is something to see. Dinner was great, but many of the flavors were different. I enjoyed the potatoes with Affritude. Different but good. The meat quiche was very good, as well as the peanut rice. Yum. There was a potato and bacon soup I enjoyed. The prime rib was a bit bland, but I made up for it with other dishes. For dessert, Zebra domes and a Morrocan nut/phyllo dish. The Zebra domes were okay, but nothing special, to me. I absolutely loved the nut-phyllo dish!!! Very rich, though. Our service was great. I also had a Safari Amber, which was enjoyed as well. A good first TS meal, but we're undecided about going back. Total on DDP, $97. A good experience.
Crystal Palace - Well, this one was definitely for the kids. Characters, characters, characters. I won't go back for the food. We ate well, but nothing to write home about, certainly. I barely remember what we ate. We all left with full bellies, and we got some great pictures of the kids with Tigger, Eyeore, Piglet, and Pooh. Total on DDP $102. Oh please let's do something besides a Buffet!!
LeCellier - Oh my GOD! We arrived at the podium for check-in, were greeted, and asked about food allergies, and dislikes. Waited about 10 minutes to be seated, and were put in the main dining room, in a corner. That's great, because I like the benches. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. He encouraged the kids to get both specialty drinks and apps. They both got the beef filet kabobs, and smoothies. I tried the cheese soup, and DW had the cheese sampler. All were good, but we didn't care much for the cheese sampler. All of us loved the pretzel bread! DW and I ordered the 14oz NY strip steak - cooked medium. It was done to perfection, tender, and not the least bit dry. Great flavor, and we enjoyed the potatoes as well. I enjoyed two bottles of Canadian Amber beer, a specialty beer only available at LeCellier. I found it lightly sweet and kind of spicy. After dinner, we got dessert. I had the chocolate whiskey cake, very good. A superb dining experience. We'll definitely do that one again, maybe even twice! $174 on DDP
Mama Melrose- Fantasmic Dinner Package.... We were lucky enough to get ADR's at 4:40, one of the later times for the Fantasmic package. Our server was Yayoi, and she did great. Salad and a pizza as Apps for the family to share, then had chicken parmesan. Good food, good service, and the Fantasmic package gave us reserved seating. The only way to go. I'm not sure we'd eat there without the Fantasmic package, but it was good. Just not fantastic. Service was great. $112 on DDP
Whispering Canyon Cafe - What fun! We got an absolutely awesome waitress. I think she was Brittney. The place was empty at 5:00 when we showed up for our ADR. By 5:15 it was packed! She taught us how to get ketchup, and we were the loudest in the place! The kids did a pony race and shared crayons. DW and I had the skillet. Good food, but certainly not fancy. We enjoyed the chicken and the ribs the best. Dessert for DW was the dust bowl. It was okay. I LOVED my apple pie w/ icecream. Superb comfort food. I had two yards of draft beer, and DW had a blue drink (blue curacao, tequila, fruit juice.... basically a weak blue margarita). Drinks were good but kind of whimpy. We had a blast and will certainly do this again. Total on DDP $107
Ohana - I've never been so full in all my life! I ate so much I was physically in pain when I left. We arrived for our 5:30 ADR and were seated within 10 minutes. We were at the side of the main dining room with a side view of the fire pit. The kids spent only a little time at the table for all the coconut races, limbo's, etc. They started out with the wonton chips. Nothing special there...kind of ho-hum. The peanut dipping sauce was good. Salad, and peel-and-eat shrimp followed, and they were good. I had a Lapu-lapu, and it was terrific. Bacardi rum and pineapple juice, topped with Bacardi 151. Quite strong. The food started coming, and they just kept piling it on. The turkey was super, and the steak was very good - not too dry. The pork was dry, but I just kept up with the other dishes instead. The sausage was surprising. It was much leaner than I expected. I'm not a fan of sausage, so I only took one of those. We ate, and ate, and they kept bringing food. Ordered another Lapu-Lapu. This one was stronger than the first!! So we're stuffed beyond belief. The waitress says we have to eat dessert, too. Dang. No room. She brings the bread pudding with carmel sauce. I take one bite. DANG!!! Love it!! I've still got no room for dessert, but I push it down anyhow. So now I'm very pleasantly lit, and unpleasantly full! We waddled out and swore we'd never eat again! It's okay, because everybody else was waddling too. We'll be back!. $94 on DDP.
Coral Reef - We arrived for our 5:30 ADR, and were seated within about 10 minutes. I had asked them at check-in very politely if we could have a view of the tank. Told them that would make our experience extra special if they could please do that for us. We were seated opposite the viewing windows in a booth with a clear view of the tank. The kids loved watching the sharks, turtle, and fish go by. No specialty drinks here. Made us pay OOP for the glo-cube drinks. The staff was friendly and quick, and kept our drinks full. Lobster soup, smoked fish linguine, and salad apps. Okay, but not spectacular. I ordered the 12oz NY strip, and DW got the salmon. Both were fantastic, and the steak really had slightly better flavor than the one I ate at LeCellier. Dessert was the chocolate wave. Good, but a bit too runny and rich for my taste. The kids had the build your own sundae and DD8 had the peanut butter candy bar. Big hits, they loved it. We'll do it again. $151 on DDP
Teppankaki - A fun experience and some good food. I will say that this is the most restrictive restaurant with the DDP. Soup or salad basically is the app. The whole time we were there we felt rushed. The language barrier made them misunderstand DW's order, and they made us feel like we were the ones that messed up. They did lose points in my book for that. The chef was good, but not very interactive. I had the steak and shrimp. DW had the chicken and steak. Both were good and cooked properly. I also ordered a Mt.Fuji, which was blue curacao, tequila, and pineapple juice. I really don't think there was alcohol in it. Very weak.... then again I may have still been numb from those two Lapu-Lapu's at Ohana. Dessert was ice-cream or sherbet. Nothing special. I'm not sure we'll go back there again. I enjoyed the different experience, the seaweed app, ethnic foods, but none of us liked that rushed feeling we got and the wait staff's attitude. About $120 on DDP.
My bf drank one and had to take a nap afterwards..lol 
you think I'd be able to describe them better. They very tasty.
