Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem’s Free Dining Extravaganza

[danalee]

Holy Danish! that made me chuckle

But now i really, really want a cheese danish....

 

[chocolateMinnie]

The cheese danish looks amazing - it is something I have never tried - I see it on a review and think that I must try one next trip but just like the rides in the park by the time I've done(eaten) all my favourites I've run out of time to try too many new things

 

[MonorailMagic415]

So apparently Photobucket has a bandwidth limit which I have exceeded. Unfortunately it is telling me that my pictures are going to be disabled until July 11th unless I upgrade to the pro version. Since I am cheap I am going to try to find a way around this to post new pictures for upcoming reviews, but in the mean time my pictures are not going to be there.

I am so bummed, if anyone has any advice I would love to hear it!!

In the meantime, I am sorry for the lack of pictures in previous entries. I am going to try to make a new account so I can continue writing!!

Bummed but not letting it stop me from posting!!

 

[MonorailMagic415]

The cheese danish looks amazing - it is something I have never tried - I see it on a review and think that I must try one next trip but just like the rides in the park by the time I've done(eaten) all my favourites I've run out of time to try too many new things

That is the exact same issue I run into every trip!! I have so many favorites I want to try that by the time I get them all done I hardly have time or space for new rides or restaurants!

I guess this means we just need to go more often!!

 

[juliebug1997]

Tiny pic?

 

[MonorailMagic415]

Well I solved part of my photobucket problem. I can post new pictures but unfortunately those that I previously posted will be unavailable until July 11th. While we wait for that day to arrive, here is the next update!

Now before you read my next entry, please remember what I said at the very beginning of this dining report. The Chef and I are not the type to complain about the food down in Disney World. We tend to love just about anything and give our servers the benefit of the doubt.

That being said, this night was just about the only exception we’ve made.

We were really looking forward to trying Kouzzina. We are big Iron Chef fans and were excited to try Cat Cora’s restaurant. We had 6:30 dinner reservations and we all wanted to get in, get out and then have an evening at Epcot. So we checked in a few minutes early and we were seated right away. We really enjoyed Spoodles a few years ago, and for those of you who have been there before you can see the inside has not changed much:

Our server saw us pretty quickly and right away we all had the same feeling about her. She seemed a bit shakey, kept getting in our space to carry things and complaining that the plates were too heavy. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, we didn’t get it bother us or our conversation for the evening. We started out with the bread and oil. The bread came with three different types of oils, and they were very good! As were the olives and I am not normally an olive fan, so that tells you something!

The chef and I both decided on the New York Strip steak. I am normally not a huge steak person so this being my second for the trip was something new for me!

The steak was good and had a really interesting but yummy spice in that Fresh Herb Saltsa on top. I was happy with it as was the Chef. Since we both ordered the same thing, I decided to spice it up and show you a bit of the in laws meals. My DFIL ordered the Kouzzina Sampler. This included a sample size of the Greek-style Lasagna, Char-grilled Lamb Burger, and Cinnamon-stewed Chicken with Orzo. I believe he was pleased with it!!

I tried a bit of my DMIL’s entrée which was the same Lasagna dish as you see pictured in the sampler. It was different, but really good. It had a cinnamon flavor in it and the flavor definitely stood out. It was good but filling from what I remember my DMIL saying. My DFIL enjoyed his entrée as well. Our service was slower during dinner, but not too bad at this point. It didn’t help that I was feeling excited to get to Epcot. However next came our low part of the experience. When it came time to order dessert I asked for the Chocolate Budino Cake which is a warm chocolate cake and the Chef ordered the Loukoumades which are Greek doughnuts. As our server was taking our menus she said, just be aware that the doughnuts are cooked fresh and take a little bit longer. Not a problem we thought, we have some family that cooks fried dough around Christmas and it usually doesn’t take too long. We figured it was about the same process. We waited and talked, then we started feeling a bit anxious. It was taking a long time and our server was NO WHERE in sight. We all started looking for her and could not catch a single glimpse of her. Finally about 25 minutes later she appears and said very matter of factly that “Something happened to the first batch of doughnuts and they won’t tell me what. They are making the second batch now.” There was no apology and no sympathy in her tone, simply this was what happened. I wish that she had at least given us the option to skip them or get something else. Another 20 minutes went by before they finally got there. A total of 45 minutes waiting for those doughnuts and not a SINGLE apology or explanation. Here is my Budino cake:

It was pretty good, but at this point I was feeling a bit sour and don't think I ate too much.


And here are my DH’s doughnuts:

The icing on the cake is that, they really weren’t worth the wait at all. Not too impressive. Our Uncle’s fried dough is much better. Would we have enjoyed them more had they not taken 45 minutes?? Most likely, yes. Either way they weren't all we were hoping for. Looking back I wish I would have said something to the manager about our experience. I was literally about to go find the manager when the dessert got there and at that point we just wanted to get to Epcot for the 30 minutes it was still open. All the tables around us had turned, including those that were seated much after us. We paid and skedaddled outta there. We went to Epcot, got a brew right away and enjoyed a little bit of the World Showcase while Illuminations was about to go on. Here is my wonderful DH cheering me up with a brew and a fez.

It’s a little scary how many pictures I have of him in a Moroccan fez. I drank that brew a bit quickly and was in a good mood in no time. Its remarkable how much good company, good drink and the World Showcase can turn any night around! That and sweets from the Boardwalk! We left Epcot shortly after getting there and walked back down to the boardwalk to enjoy our snack credit for the day. As soon as we saw the dessert case all 4 of us knew right away what that sweet lovin’ Chef would order.

A S’mores cupcake.

This thing was massive!! It was awesome however hard to finish, poor Chef only ate about half. I just reminded him of this and he got a bit sad. Poor guy. Haha. I got the chocolate éclair:

I couldn’t get a picture of mine in the case so it’s a dark shot from outside the bakery.

It was delicious! I love it when the filling is nice and cool and refreshing. Perfect-o!!!


We found a table and enjoyed the lights and ambiance of the Boardwalk at night.

Up Next: Star Wars Weekends, and lunch at Downtown Disney!!

 

[librarygeek]

I'm glad to hear that at least the food at Kouzzina was good. I have a reservation for dinner there because I'm also an Iron Chef fan. But you're right, that is an absolutely ridiculous wait for dessert! I would have felt the same exact way as you.

Also, that Smores cupcake looks sooo good! I may have to get me one of those when we are there!

 

[MonorailMagic415]

Finally back to the boards!! I am so sorry I have been MIA, I got caught up in another side project and the Chef and I have been incredibly busy! Love the summertime but man are we busy!!

Anyway we left off with somewhat of a disappointment with Kouzzina and snacks at the Boardwalk to help us recover. We woke up Friday ready to start our day at the Studios for Star Wars Weekends!!

Started it off with another one of these:

Delicious as always. I did not have a picture of anything the Chef got. We were eating our snacks to go since we had to hop on the bus this morning. I have been there for them before but the Chef never had. We intentionally got almost all of our big stuff done at the Studios earlier in the week so that we could just see some characters and walk around enjoying the ambiance while DMIL and DFIL enjoy a bit of golf. The plan was to meet them afterwards for lunch at Downtown Disney.

Here is a small taste of Star Wars Weekends:


Greeting us as we walked in:

The Chef and a Storm Trooper.

Me as a Storm Trooper, my head looks ridiculously small in this picture.

After some fun in the Studios we had definitely worked up an appetite for lunch. We had originally decided to meet them at the Studios, but we were done and ready to eat so we called them to say we would meet them at the Boardwalk. We thought we would take a nice stroll up from the Studios. Now THAT is a long walk. It is so pretty but if you are hot and hungry you may be regretting your decision towards the end...just sayin'.

We did however get this cool shot of the studios:

Anyway on to THE FOOD!!!

I had been looking forward to my meal at Downtown Disney ALL WEEK. One of my favorite counter service meals is Earl of Sandwich. Mmm…just thinking of it now makes me hungry. So amazing. The Chef does enjoy some Earl, however he was much more excited about Wolfgang Puck Express. So we decided to split up again. DMIL and I went to Early and the Chef and his dad went to Wolfgang Puck. Now for those of you who have eaten at Earl of Sandwich understand that sometimes a delicious sandwich means a long line.

This day was no exception. Now it does move fast however it was still a great deal longer then the line at Wolfgang Puck. So by the time we finished with getting our food and met up with the boys it they had already been seated for a bit.

Here is what my DH ordered. He went with the macaroni and cheese for his entrée:

I have had this here before, it is delicious. This time was no exception! Very heavy though, so keep that in mind in case you are looking for a light meal.

For dessert the Chef went with a slice of cheesecake:

He said that it was good with a nice “crispy sugary top”.

Now here is my meal. I always go with the Earl’s Club which comes with roast turkey, smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce and roma tomato and sandwich sauce.

I’ve been sitting here writing this trying to pinpoint what it is exactly that makes these sandwiches so incredible. Is it the bread? That’s definitely important. The perfect toastyness? Also important. I do also really love that sandwich sauce. I can’t decide. All I know is that for me, no trip to the World is complete without a stop at Earl.

For dessert I went with some fresh chocolate pudding.

Very refreshing!! I put a sizable dent in this but alas I could not finish it. It was yummy though! One thing to note is that the Downtown Disney restaurants sometimes have different sides that they include on the dining plan. For example at Earl you can get a sandwich, a drink and chips OR a dessert. Not both. I went with a sweet since my sandwich covered my savory taste buds.

Both meals hit the spot and gave us energy for some more afternoon swimming.

Next up: Another highly anticipated meal- dinner at Biergarten!!

 

[hmillerbarilla]

So glad you've posted! I love both EOS and WPE. That would be a hard decision!

Can't wait to hear about the Biergarten! That is one of our favorites as well!

 

[MonorailMagic415]

This evening was bittersweet. I was so excited for it all week because of how much I love an evening in the World Showcase and dinner at Biergarten. However it was towards the end of our trip and so I knew that our trip would be winding down.

We started off our evening in Epcot with one of our favorite World Showcase movies, Impressions de France. Here is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Just a couple of gargoyles…

We finished the movie and took a leisurely stroll towards Germany for dinner.

Ah yes, Biergarten. It is one of my all time favorite Disney restaurants. I love the buffet of yummy German food, I love the entertainment, and of course I love the drinks. So much fun to be among good company, good food and drinks and German singing…Ziga Zaga Ziga Zaga Oi Oi Oi!!


One of my favorite aspects of this restaurant is the family style seating, although I guess this could potentially negatively affect your evening as well. For those of you who have never dined here, at Beirgarten they have tables for about 8. Your party will be seated with another party or two depending on each party size. A previous time we ate here we sat with an older German couple and a couple on their honeymoon. By the end of dinner we all had our arms around each other while singing German Beirgarten songs and sharing stories. It was a wonderful evening! However if you are the type of person that gets weirded out sitting with strangers you may want to seriously consider this before you make reservations. We love it there!


Another one of my favorite parts of this restaurant is the ambiance. You are seated in what appears to be a German Biergarten in a type of village square at night time. Because of this it is a bit dark in there. Here are a few shots of the ambiance and the German musicians that perform while you eat.

Now on to our many plates of meats and potatoes!

Here is my first plate.

Sausage, kraut, potatoes, cheese, pickles, and their pretzel bread. Now I enjoyed all of this a great deal, however there is so much filling food that I always try to pick and choose what I want to eat all of. I always feel bad but sometimes at these types of buffets I want to have a bite or two of something but not fill up on it because I have so many favorites. This is how I feel about their pretzel bread. It’s good, but its bread so it fills you up. There are so many delicious meats and other dishes that I did not want to waste too much room on breads.


Here is a blurry shot of the Chef’s first plate.

He also had two different types of sausage, pretzel bread, schnitzels, spaetzles, and pork. He apparently did not mind too much about eating more pretzel bread. He enjoyed it all and said it was all delicious!

Here is the Chef and I with our brews.

Yum!

Here is my second plate.

This time I went with more sausage and kraut, a cold sausage, spaetzles, pork, beef and mac and cheese. I did notice right away that the macaroni and cheese tasted a bit different then before and then the mac and cheese at Boma. It was not as good; however I love just about any kind of macaroni and cheese so I was not dismayed. The Chef however had some on his second plate and decided he did not want to waste room on it.

Here is the Chef’s second plate.

More of some of the same: delicious schnitzels, potatoes, pretzel bread and sausage.

Finally we were ready for dessert.

I kept it light, the only downfall to Biergarten is that you fill up fast! I went with the apple strudel and more of that delicious Bavarian Cheesecake I had earlier in the week.

Here is DH’s dessert plate.

He also went with some apple strudel, black forest cake, vanilla pudding and a blueberry tart type of dessert. The apple strudel was his favorite, but he said they were all good. He ate a lot of it too, so I am guessing it was all pretty tasty!!


It was a delicious dinner and we were finally ready to enjoy a high seas Norwegian Adventure!! After riding Maelstrom and enjoying more of the World Showcase, we were ready for some more highly anticipated snacks from around the world. The Chef really wanted some Kaki Gori, and I was really excited about heading to France for a strawberry tart. So we split up again and met up in France with our snacks. Unfortunately by the time he got to France and we had our snacks, his rainbow flavored Kaki Gori was pretty liquefied (and eaten).


Here is a very blurry melted Kaki Gori.

It did however taste delicious and was quite refreshing!


Here is one of my favorite snacks from the World Showcase.

This is a delicious treat for any strawberry fan if you have never had one. They can be found at the Boulangerie Patisserie and are one of our favorite snacks. I think my DMIL had at least 2, maybe 3 of these delightful pastries that week.

It was an awesome evening of feasting and would recommend it to anyone!

Wow so I don’t think a single dining review has made me hungrier and unfortunately I do not have a Biergarten buffet in my kitchen. Alas, I will have to satisfy my hunger another way.

 

[MamaJessie]

Biergarten looks fun! We've never tried it before but have reservations for our next trip.

 

[MonorailMagic415]

Biergarten looks fun! We've never tried it before but have reservations for our next trip.

Great choice!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!

 

[MonorailMagic415]

Our last day.

I think one of the saddest sights on the last day of any trip is seeing all those zeros on the bottom of our dining receipts. 0 quick service credits remain, 0 snack credits remain, 0 table service credits…I wanted to take a picture of these to really help convey how sad this is. However I never did, it was just too painful to look at.


We started off our last day with a final quick breakfast and coffee at Old Port Royale. The Chef got his final muffin.

I don't know about all of you, but I am starting to feel like these muffins all looked the same. This was a pineapple coconut muffin and it actually was his favorite of the trip! He said it tasted like a pina colada. YUM!!


I enjoyed my last delicious cheese danish and we were off to a final morning at Epcot. We rode some rides (had to get Soarin’ in one last time) and strolled around Future World a bit until we came to one of our favorite refreshment spots in Future World: Club Cool.

We love sticking to the floor while we sample sodas from around the world. I also love getting a chance to take a picture of my DH’s face looking like this:

I believe this reaction was caused by Kinley Lemon, the Israeli soda that is a bit sour. Had to chase it down with some Smart Watermelon from China.

Ahh…that’s better.

Now neither of us is the type to go in there and feel the need to fill up our water bottles with various sodas. I am the kind to enjoy a small glass or small sip of some while enjoying the air conditioning. The Chef has a bit of a sweet tooth (in case you haven’t noticed by now) and so he really enjoys it here! I definitely recommend taking some time to cool down, relax without lines and sample some sodas if you never have.

After enjoying some final rides in Future World, we decided to head up to have a stroll around the World Showcase and enjoy some lunch.

We both had decided that we wanted to try out the new dining options at Mexico. After strolling around a bit to check out the new layout, we got in line to check out the new menu at La Cantina de San Angel. I think that the options have improved since they have renovated it. We both went with Tacos de Pollo (Chicken soft shell tacos) with churros for dessert.

I was really impressed with my meal this time compared to last time. The dishes seem fresher almost and I loved the salsa options they had for you at the fixins’ bar. I always enjoyed eating at the Mexican pavilion, but now I am really excited to try the new table service restaurant as well. I would love to hear about it if anyone has eaten there!

Here are the Churros:

Previously I would not have said I was a huge fan of the Churros here, but whatever they have changed made all the difference to me. Combined with the caramel dipping sauce and I loved them! I would definitely eat here again.

After doing a bit more shopping around the World Showcase, we were already ready for a snack! Our last of the trip, so we had to make it a good one! It was a hot day and we wanted to keep our energy up so the Chef decided to take a rest at the Kringla bakery at Norway. He absolutely loves the School bread. We found it during our college program days when we were searching for the cheapest snack in the World Showcase. This won it at around $1.99, plus it is quite delicious!

For those of you who have never had it, it has a coconut layer at the top and the same icing at the top is also the filling inside. You should also know that this picture does not really do its size justice because it is a really big dessert, especially considering the price. So if you are looking for an inexpensive, delicious sweet treat- the School Bread is an excellent option! While we were waiting in line, my DH recommended it to a woman behind us who was feeling indecisive. She ended up sitting near us in their seating area and told us she was glad she went with it!

For my last snack I went with something that I cannot go a trip without. While maybe not as interesting as School Bread, every trip I take has to include a Mickey Ice Cream bar.

Here it is folks. Didn’t even stop walking to eat it or photograph it but it hit the spot!!

It was a hot day and we were excited to enjoy our last time at the Caribbean Beach pool.

Up Next: Our final moments in Disney World and a delicious meal at Grand Floridian Café!

 

[Linda67]

Another great update

I simply have to try the school bread on our next trip

 

[kimgof]

School Bread and Mickey Ice Cream , who could ask for more?

 

[librarygeek]

I'm hoping to try that school bread, I've heard really good things about it! And I love coconut

 

[JessiLynn015]

I'm glad I found your review!! Can't wait to read more

I had to write down some things that my Mom & I will have to try when we're there. That Carrot Cake Cookie looks delicious!! YUM! Can't wait to try it

 

[jecskc]

Loving your review. It is always sad when your trip ends. Even more sad when your trip report ends. I feel your pain.

 

[MonorailMagic415]

Loving your review. It is always sad when your trip ends. Even more sad when your trip report ends. I feel your pain.

It is sad!! The trip reports help keep the magic alive once you are home, now I guess it means I have to start planning the next trip!

 

[MonorailMagic415]

After swimming in the pool we loved so well all week at the Caribbean Beach Resort for one last time, we were ready for our last meal at the Grand Floridian Café and EMH at the Magic Kingdom. The Chef and I love all the Disney World resorts, and one of our favorite things to do when we are there is to take a resort tour. We started with a quick drive over to my personal favorite, The Wilderness Lodge. After soaking the gorgeous lobby and grounds at that resort, we drove over to the Grand Floridian in time for our dining reservations at the GFC. I had never eaten there and our goal was to find a Magic Kingdom resort restaurant for our last night so we could enjoy our last few magical moments in Disney World at MK. The Chef and his parents had eaten there a few times but had not been there in a while. I was excited to try a new restaurant and enjoy the Grand Floridian. Maybe someday we’ll stay there…a girl can dream right??



A fun scene that greets you as you enter the Grand Floridian:

We checked in a little early and were seated almost immediately.
Here is our view of the restaurant; it was an adorable place to have our last meal!

We were informed that our server, Janie, is “one of our best”. And she definitely did not disappoint! She was efficient to say the least. Our bread came out right away along with some Hawaiian Sea Salt butter. I loved this butter; I am a salt fan so it hit the spot for me for sure. Sorry the image of the butter is a bit blurry; I must have been distracted by the Chef’s antics. We were enjoying our server and her comments as she brought our drinks and bread. This lady was not messing around!

For our entrees we strayed from our typical ordering and the Chef ordered the chicken and I went with the NY Strip Steak. It was a steak filled week for me, which I usually do not eat a lot of. Our entrees came out quickly.

Here is the Chef’s roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes:

At that point he was looking for a lighter dish and I think the roasted chicken hit the spot. I am guessing that it was nothing extremely exceptional since when I asked him about it recently he simply said “it was good I guess, I don’t really remember”. I guess that's what I get for not taking better notes that week. I know he was pleased with it that night.

Here is my strip steak:

I was not concerned with eating something light. This was my last meal of the trip and I was going to enjoy some meat and potatoes!!! I thought it was a good steak. I tend to go for real lean cuts like a filet, so I didn’t eat all of this by any means. But it was served in a red wine sauce that really complimented the steak and the potatoes. I also remember that those veggies were done perfectly. I really like my veggies cooked al dente and these did not disappoint. I asked for it prepared medium and I was really happy with how it turned out. I would have to say that was definitely a trend of the week, I usually ask for my steaks prepared medium and each one that I ordered that week was perfect! Out of my 3 steaks I had all week, I would rank it 2nd. It is hard to top a steak from Le Cellier, but it was still delicious!!

Next it was time for dessert. The four of us could not really decide on what we wanted, so our server helped us decide.

We shared the dessert sampler between two people. The chef and I had one and DMIL and DFIL had another. It was the perfect about of a sweet ending since we were all pretty full. From left to right it is a Lemon Tart, Tiramisu, Chocolate Mousse and a Lemon Cheesecake, and of course the dark chocolate Mickey.

Here is a close up of the chocolate boss:

My personal favorite of these desserts was the tiramisu. Lemon desserts are not usually my favorite, but I did enjoy the cheesecake. It was not a very overpowering lemon flavor which I was pleased with. The Chef’s personal favorite was the cheesecake. He let me have the Mickey, but something about chomping down on the head of the main mouse was a bit disturbing. I tried a bit, but could not finish all of it. I think I ate both ears and left him with his head and body still intact.


Overall I really enjoyed the Grand Floridian Café. It was a good meal and there is something romantic I think about eating at the Grand Floridian, no matter which restaurant you are in. Whether you are at Narcoossee’s or the GFC, the ambiance of the Floridian will add a bit of romance to your night. I recommend it!!

After a delicious meal and dessert, we were ready for the Magic Kingdom. I had been looking forward to trying some fresh potato chips from the Friars Nook all week, and unfortunately it was closed later that night by the time I was ready for it. This was the second time that week that it was closed when I was going to try some of those fresh potato chips; I guess we will have to enjoy it next time.


It was a week of free dining that did not disappoint. I was happy we were able to go to some of our favorites and try some new ones. The dining plan is a lot of food and we enjoyed getting our fill of our favorite meals and snacks. Thank you so much for reading along as the Chef and I reminisce about our trip, as well as for your kind words and feedback. I enjoyed writing my first report and plan to make it a post trip tradition now!


Some Disney magic to leave you with:

See ya’ real soon!


The Chef and Janice