Eating is Half the Fun of Going to Disney! Dining Review with Photos - Complete !

Good Morning One and All, and Merry Christmas Eve! :santa: And now we return to our regularly scheduled review!

Before we left for our dinner at the Poly we stopped and got our wristbands for that party and had a few PhotoPass pictures taken
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For dinner we had a reservation back at Kona, this time no pager for us, we checked in and were shown right to our table. The cold tablets had kicked in and DH was feeling much better and he was hungry! Our server brought over the bread and butter (sorry no picture) which we both just dived into. I really loved warm bread and butter, and the macadamia nut butter is so good! DH decided we should share an appetizer so we ordered the Wontons. This is actually a picture from our 2007 trip (I guess I was so hungry I just decided to dive right in), the presentation was slightly different from this picture. The Wontons were in a long rectangle dish and there were five of them, and boy were they tasty! I even ate the garnish whichwas tasty and had the ginger soy on it as well!
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DH decided on the Prime Rib, with Mashed Potatoes. He was able to get an end cut, which he said was very juicy and tender. The mashed potatoes also got a big thumbs up, but the broccolini was just wasted sitting on the plate. As far as DH is concerned there is only one vegetable, and that is corn…he won’t touch anything else. :rotfl:
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I had the Teriyaki New York Strip with mashed potatoes and broccolini. I order all of my steaks medium well, which sometimes mean I get a steak that is a little dry..this was not the case, it was cooked perfectly for me. I loved the Teriyaki and pineapples on the steak and the broccolini and potatoes were yummy as well!
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For dessert we both had the banana crème Brulee. I thought it was great! :banana: The bottom of the dish had a layer of chocolate and I thought the combination was tasty. DH didn’t like the chocolate on the bottom, but did like the rest of it. For him nothing compares to his Maple Crème Brulee at Le Ceiler.
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We both liked Kona, although DH feels he couldn’t really properly judge the breakfast since he wasn’t feeling well when we ate. But he does want to come back to try the Macadamia Pancakes, and said he would do dinner there again as well.

After dinner we headed back to the Magic Kingdom for MVMCP. The crowd level was pretty good for the attractions, long for the photo opps, so we reluctantly skipped those. During the course of the evening we shared a pretzel, and later had hot chocolate and cookies. No pictures of those, the batteries in my camera died and I didn’t buy a new set until just right before the fireworks. The hot chocolate was yummy and helped to keep us warm, it was 45 and cold, but not as bad as it was at the candle light processional, which I think was around 39. We at least dressed for cold weather, there were so many people at the party that were walking around with blankets to keep the warm. Here is our picture as we were heading out of the park
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Next our last meals of the trip!
 

Breakfast today was a breakfast sandwich (egg, bacon, cheese) for DH, which was really very good sized and freshly made, so he enjoyed it.
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For me I had pancakes and sausage. You know for me some reason everything I got at the CBR food court was just not warm enough for me. In this case the pancakes were kind of dry too, even with syrup on them.
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When we were done with breakfast DH went to go check out and I went searching for a family in the food court that I could give three of our CS credits to. Ironically the first two families I found that were not on the dining plan, pretty much thought I was crazy asking them if I could buy their breakfast. The third family was so sweet and listened to me explain that I wanted to buy their breakfast by using my left over credits. They were so appreciative and thrilled that they got two drinks instead of one! It felt great to pass along some Disney Magic, and bring a smile to faces of strangers. DH finally caught up to me and we headed to the bus to Downtown Disney and Goofy’s Kitchen. Thankfully when we got there, we were the only customers there…since we had 12 snack credits to use I wanted to take full advantage of that. So I grabbed my trusty pencil and began filling out forms for my treats. (FYI all of the pictures were taken when we got home…and we are still eating the treats today!)
First I did a caramel apple dipped in milk chocolate, topped with sprinkles and caramel drizzle.
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Then I made marshmallows dipped in Dark Chocolate, rolled in crushed oreo’s then drizzled with white chocolate
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Next two sets of pretzel rods dipped in milk chocolate, rolled in mini white & dark chocolate chips and drizzled with caramel.
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And the last of my treats was a fudge cookie dipped in milk chocolate with holiday sprinkles and white chocolate drizzle.
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DH likes one treat, and that is Mickey Rice Krispy Treats…which he didn’t want to customize, he wanted them the way they were.:confused3
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While I was busy in Goofy’s kitchen, Bob was outside smoking. As he was standing there he felt a light touch on his arm, he turned and there was a woman there that smiled at him and handed him an envelope and walked away. When I walked out with the treats he was standing there holding the envelope. We decided to walk to Wolfgang Puck and order sandwiches to go so we would have something to eat on our trip home. We placed the order for two roast beef and cheddar sandwiches and then sat down to open the envelope. It was a Christmas card with a message of thanks and support for being a member of the military. Bob was immediately distressed because he is not in the military, and felt he got the card under false pretenses. You see he has always loved the Air Force, and deeply regrets not joining when he was younger. He loves building models of military planes so I bought him a Air Force jacket…which he wore the entire trip. Although the card didn’t make it to the person the sender intended, it never the less achieved it’s purpose…it brought joy to Bob. You see Bob lost his job 18 months ago. The last year and a half have been very difficult for us, and we almost cancelled this trip to use the money for bills, then he finally got a job, so we decided to take the trip as a celebration. The card gave Bob the feeling that there are still caring people in the world, and for him it was the turning point from the last months of rejection and sadness. Ironically, the card was signed and had a mailing address for a couple that lived a few suburbs away from us. When we got home Bob wrote them a letter and mailed it back…the couple, Bill & Shirley called him back and were moved by his letter. We recently got a Christmas Card from them, it’s a Photo Pass picture with Pooh, Tigger and Eyeore…I don’t know if they are on these boards (I haven’t had a chance to ask) but they are Christmas Angels! Thanks Bill & Shirley:hug:

Up next eating Wolfgang Puck on the plane makes people jealous…and final thoughts.:thumbsup2
 
Mmmmm....your treats from Goofy's Candy Co. look so yummy. I have never customized some before but it's on the top of our to-do list for next month's trip!
 
Fantastic report and pictures! Your wedding pics are fantastic and congratulations to your husband on his new job!
 
Wow, that's a really touching story! I'm really enjoying your DR. My kids really want to go to Chef's, but I've reading some really bad reviews lately. So, I don't know...

I've wanted to go to LeCellier for some time now, but since they took the Maple BBQ filet off the menu that everyone raved about, I haven't gone. What are your absolute must haves from this restuarant? From reading, it would seem the maple cream brulee is a must have for your husband at least...:goodvibes
 
I loved your reviews! We also love anything Hawian & Disney! We have been blessed with hubby's job to go to Maui and stay at the Grand Waliea twice, breathtaking sums it up nicely!:cloud9:
I so want to stay at the Poly (and will someday) maybe when hubby and I go to Disney alone but that wont be for awhile so its always something to look forward to! Maybe we will be there at the same time!:goodvibes

I was glad to read your hubby got a new job and things are looking up, congrats & Happy New Year!!!
 
Thanks everyone for reading! Sorry I have been away so long, I have been swamped at work.

Wow, that's a really touching story! I'm really enjoying your DR. My kids really want to go to Chef's, but I've reading some really bad reviews lately. So, I don't know...

I've wanted to go to LeCellier for some time now, but since they took the Maple BBQ filet off the menu that everyone raved about, I haven't gone. What are your absolute must haves from this restuarant? From reading, it would seem the maple cream brulee is a must have for your husband at least...:goodvibes

I really love the Mushroom Filet at LeCellier, I usually order it with the cream cheese mashed potatoes. I am also a big fan of the cheese soup, but I know it is not for everyone. I know lots of people that think the beer in the soup is overpowering, for me I hardly notice it.

I loved your reviews! We also love anything Hawian & Disney! We have been blessed with hubby's job to go to Maui and stay at the Grand Waliea twice, breathtaking sums it up nicely!:cloud9:
I so want to stay at the Poly (and will someday) maybe when hubby and I go to Disney alone but that wont be for awhile so its always something to look forward to! Maybe we will be there at the same time!:goodvibes

I was glad to read your hubby got a new job and things are looking up, congrats & Happy New Year!!!

Lucky you getting to stay at the Grand Waliea twice! What does your hubby do? I love to travel and get to 3 or 4 times a year with my job...although they have never sent me to Hawaii. We love Kailua Beach on Oahu, the last time we stayed in Maui, my hubby flipped an ATV and broke his arm, and needed surgery. Rather than cut our vacation short and fly home and have the operation, he opted to have his arm wrapped and finish the last week of our trip.
BTW....I understand the "New Kids Thing" :rotfl: I am addicted to the new CD, and Dirty Dancing is the ringtone on my phone...what can I saw, I may be 48 on the outside...but most of the time I act like I am still a teenager. Thanks for the congratulations on my hubby's new job! :)
 
Heading Home
We had a flight out of Orlando at 3:45 so we were on Magical Express by 1 pm, and at the airport by 2 pm. It was a full flight so it took awhile for everyone to get situated so we were probably running about 15 minutes late. As soon as the Captain gave the go ahead to unfasten seatbelts and the use of tray tables, DH and I were pulling out the Wolfgang Puck and eating our lunch. Here’s a picture I took of the sandwich before we boarded.
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The Roast Beef & Cheddar is described as this: thinly sliced Niman Ranch beef, sharp cheddar, mixed baby greens, tomato, Horseradish sauce and Dijon Aioli. I had the sandwich exactly the way it came, and DH had it with just Roast Beef and Cheese. My goodness this sandwich was yummy! The Yukon Gold Parmesan Potato Chips were excellent as well. The sandwich is actually served warm, but it was great cold as well. We each had a chocolate chip cookie with our sandwiches….sadly the cookie was only average. As we were eating other passengers that were passing kept asking us if we bought the meal on the plane, lol, there was some serious sandwich envy going on during that flight! Anyway, after a change of planes in Atlanta we finally back in Chicago a little after 8.

Closing thoughts
Le Celier never gets old for us, and is by far our favorite place to go, Yak & Yeti & Teppan Edo were really enjoyable and we would do them again. Personally I could skip Sci-Fi Dine and it wouldn’t break my heart. I do like Kona, but I may like breakfast there better than I do dinner. Chef’s De France is also a place I would skip. Since we have upgraded from free dining to deluxe we are going to try some new places on the next trip. I am thinking Yachtsman, Raglan Road, Jiko & Biergarten along with a return to Narcoose’s and few of our other favorites. I wish I could talk DH into giving Boma another try, we were there last in August 2007, and he really didn’t like it. I have until March 31st to formulate a plan of action, so until then I will keep an eye on the boards to help me come up with a plan.

Thank you all for reading along, and for posting your dining reviews as well! Without all of you here on the boards I wouldn't have tried anything new.:flower3:
 
Lucky you getting to stay at the Grand Waliea twice! What does your hubby do? I love to travel and get to 3 or 4 times a year with my job...although they have never sent me to Hawaii. We love Kailua Beach on Oahu, the last time we stayed in Maui, my hubby flipped an ATV and broke his arm, and needed surgery. Rather than cut our vacation short and fly home and have the operation, he opted to have his arm wrapped and finish the last week of our trip.
BTW....I understand the "New Kids Thing" :rotfl: I am addicted to the new CD, and Dirty Dancing is the ringtone on my phone...what can I saw, I may be 48 on the outside...but most of the time I act like I am still a teenager. Thanks for the congratulations on my hubby's new job! :)[/QUOTE]

Would you believe that he is a tractor salesman! I kid you not, the store he works for has had high sales and that how he got the trips, he is the top salesman! They get them through the tractor distributers, this years trip is a cruise and just his boss & wife are getting to go, but thats ok we want the Maui trip again!;)
New Kids ahhhh my goodness havent they grown up well:thumbsup2 still make me a little weak in the knees even now!:cloud9:
 
Thank you so much for taking the time to post your reviews! They were some of the best I've read on here--I loved seeing the wedding pics too--how fun!!! :)
 
I loved your review! :goodvibes

Thank you also for the story about the lady and the thank you for being in the military card. We have a tentative trip planned for this year at Thanksgiving, and I am going to borrow that idea!
 
Here's a tip for the next time you'd like a ressie for Raglan Road. I tried to get a ressie through Disney Dining and it was a no go. I was able to get the exact time and date I wanted through OpenTable.com. This wouldn't work if you don't have internet access unless you could call RR directly.
 
Would you believe that he is a tractor salesman! I kid you not, the store he works for has had high sales and that how he got the trips, he is the top salesman! They get them through the tractor distributers, this years trip is a cruise and just his boss & wife are getting to go, but thats ok we want the Maui trip again!;)
New Kids ahhhh my goodness havent they grown up well:thumbsup2 still make me a little weak in the knees even now!:cloud9:

When My hubby and I were just dating he won a trip for top customer support with his former job. They sent him to Arizona, the year after he won, the trip was to Hawaii. :rotfl: We still joke about that today.

When the New Kids first came out I really wanted to got to their concert, but figured I was not exactly the average fan since I was in my 20's...so I took my niece Jaime, who was 12. Jaime made me a shirt to wear to the concert it said "Old Kid On the Block". Flash forward to fall 2008 and Jaime's husband shells out $300 for a single ticket for her to go to the concert...I had one of those shirts made for her! What comes around goes around!:rotfl: I do think they have aged very nicely!

Thank you so much for taking the time to post your reviews! They were some of the best I've read on here--I loved seeing the wedding pics too--how fun!!! :)

Thank you! Since Bob and I had both been married before and had huge weddings (my first wedding we had 20 people in the wedding party, and a reception for 550 attendees....Bob's was a wedding party of 10 and a reception for 280) we decided we wanted ours to be small and fun. Our wedding party was our kids and a few of their friends that we have known since they were in diapers...you know the kind of kids that are at your home so much they are almost your own? We had 75 guests all close friends and family, and the Hawaiian dancers for entertainment. It was a great party!

I loved your review! :goodvibes

Thank you also for the story about the lady and the thank you for being in the military card. We have a tentative trip planned for this year at Thanksgiving, and I am going to borrow that idea!

Thank you for reading. I too loved the card idea for our service men and women. I remember the first flight I took after September 11th, and the reaction on the plane when a group of servicemen boarded...there was applause, and it was very moving. I think the idea of the card is a wonderful way to remind them that what they do is appreciated and never forgotten.

Here's a tip for the next time you'd like a ressie for Raglan Road. I tried to get a ressie through Disney Dining and it was a no go. I was able to get the exact time and date I wanted through OpenTable.com. This wouldn't work if you don't have internet access unless you could call RR directly.

You know I use Open Table all the time for work. I never would have thought of that!;) This trip I purposely left my laptop at home, it was enough that work had my cell phone number and was calling me on that! Next time I think I will bring my laptop along, that way I can try to do a live dining review!
 
Yes, eating is one of the best part having a trip to Disney. You have great pics, all are awesome. Looking forward to other pics to come. :)

Have a nice day everyone. :)
 














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