February family trip food reviews

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Hello! We recently returned from a fabulous trip to Disney and Universal. I've got pictures and reviews to share from our dining adventures. This was my first attempt at doing a dining report on a trip with our kids. I got about a 50% picture rate!

We had an extremely early flight and grabbed breakfast sandwiches at the airport. Nothing special, but hit the spot.
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The first three days of our trip were at Universal. We stayed at Royal Pacific for the first time.
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Amazingly our room was ready when we arrived around 9 am. Before heading into the parks, we grabbed food at the hotel quick service.
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Raspberry Jam and Cookies and Cream pop tart type things... These were fun. The raspberry one was too sweet. Cookies and Cream one was surprisingly not too sweet and very yummy. The outer crust of these were so good. We also loaded up on Starbucks caffeine!

Universal's Mardi Gras festival was going on during our trip. It reminded me a lot of Epcot's Food and Wine festival, except not as good. We experienced huge waits for food that really soured us on it. Everything tasted good though.
We got meatballs and a hot dog and a mead flight from a booth near Men in Black ride. Then we got a taco, corn, and mixed drink from the Mexico booth. We wanted more food but every line was super long.

For dinner we ate at Leaky Cauldron. We did mobile order. I really hated Universals approach to mobile order. They made you wait in a long line that moved really slowly to get seated at a table. It's like it was their way of limiting the capacity so that the kitchen can keep up. When we finally were allowed to sit down and press the "make my food" button, there were plenty of open tables. I much prefer Disney's method of using mobile order window times to control capacity because you can be doing other things while waiting. Anyway...
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Bangers and mash:
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Scotch eggs:
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Fish and chips:
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Not pictured: My kids got some fun themed drinks that they really loved. DH got Shepard's pie.

We ate here once before and love the atmosphere. It's so highly themed and immersive. I don't love the food. Generally it's kind of bland, but I'd continue to come back just for the theme.
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We ended the evening with beignets from a festival booth. They were fresh and yummy. That's the end of day one!

Fabulous start to your trip report. WOW great pics so far! RPR is our favourite Universal hotel - did 10 nights last summer and going back again this August! Your food reviews are “dead on”.
Brenda

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Day 5
Day 5 started with breakfast bars while waiting for rope drop at Hollywood Studios.

We got in 3 rides before lines got too crazy and then we spent our time snacking and doing the Magic Band+ Bounty Hunter game in Galaxy's Edge.

No visit to Batuu is complete without some blue milk!


Ronto Morning Wrap
Eggs, Grilled Pork Sausage, Shredded Cheddar, and Peppercorn Sauce in Pita Bread

I adore the normal Ronto Wraps and was excited to try a breakfast one for the first time. I loved it! The lunch one is still my favorite, but this was delicious. The 4 of us shared it so we all got a bite!

Outpost Popcorn Mix​

a colorful blend of Sweet and Spicy flavors

First time trying this from Kat Saka's Kettle. My kids quickly fought over the bag. I think I forgot to try it before they devoured it.

Spiked Cold Brew Black Caf
Joffrey's Coffee™ Cold Brew with Chocolate Liqueur topped with Sweet Cream Cheese and Chocolate Puffs

This looks better than it tastes. I was not a fan. The flavors just didn't jive well in my opinion. Definitely won't get it again.

Somehow we were hungry for lunch around noon. I wanted to try Backlot Express since we've never eaten there, but DDs liked ABC Commissary menu better, plus air condition! We mobile ordered and found a great table tucked in the back corner of the restaurant that didn't feel so chaotic compared to previous visits.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich​

Grilled Sourdough toasted with Buffalo Chicken, Monterey, Provolone, Cheddar, and Cream Cheese served with a side of Buffalo. With side of....
Arugula-Farro Salad
Arugula, Farro, Granny Smith Apples, Dried Cranberries, Plant-based Parmesan, and Pecans tossed in a Dijon Vinaigrette

I loved this! Sandwich had just the right amount of grease on it! Rich and creamy cheese with chunks of chicken. The side of buffalo sauce to add extra spice really makes it amazing. I loved the side salad too. Fresh and bright flavors compared to the sandwich. I'd 100% get this combo again.

Pork Carnitas Tacos​

Pork Carnitas on Flour Tortillas topped with Avocado Salsa Verde and Pickled Onions served with Mexican Rice and Black Beans topped with Pork and Queso Fresco

DD2 ate all of this. She said that she liked it. I think I've gotten this before. It's a solid option for quick service.

DD1 got gumbo. I think it must have been a seasonal special item because I can't find it on the menu. The picture makes it look terrible, but she liked it lot.


Chicken Club Sandwich
Marinated Chicken, Bacon, Provolone, Avocado Ranch, Lettuce, and Tomato served on a Toasted Brioche Bun with your choice of Side

DH got this. This is like the worst picture! I probably had to snap fast before he dug in! He said it was fine. Definitely not something to get excited about.

I think the allure of indoor dining will keep us returning to ABC Commissary in the future.

For dinner we did the Fantasmic Dining Package at Hollywood & Vine. Fantasmic is a must-do, family favorite and we always do the dining package. We've done Mama Melrose and Brown Derby before, but kids always request H&V for the characters. The Halloween and Christmas versions are our favorites.

I snapped just 1 picture.
I really loaded up my plate! Nothing was really memorable. It wasn't bad, just nothing special, which is exactly what we were expecting. I think dessert was my favorite part! They had a peanut butter and jelly tart thing, which was fun. DH and I got Cigar City Jai Alai IPAs. You can get this IPA at a lot of Disney restaurants. When we are missing Disney at home, we buy this beer from the grocery store and reminisce about past trips.

At Fantasmic, DH and I got Goose Island IPAs and cotton candy for the kids. After the fighting over popcorn earlier in the day, we got 1 cotton candy for each of them. They each had about 3 bites. Go figure!!! I didn't take food/drink pictures, so here's Fantasmic:


That's the end of Day 5. Day 6 we do Epcot and start to slow down a bit as we were doing the RunDisney Princess 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Fabulous start to your trip report. WOW great pics so far! RPR is our favourite Universal hotel - did 10 nights last summer and going back again this August! Your food reviews are “dead on”.
Brenda

Thanks for reading! 10 nights at RPR sounds amazing! The grounds are beautiful and the walk to the parks was lovely. I liked it's themeing better than Hard Rock. Wish we had time and better weather to enjoy the pool - maybe time time!

 

[erinch]

Oh my! Such a great trip!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I am putting ABC Commissary on my list of options. The grilled cheese and tacos look delicious!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Oh my! Such a great trip!

Thank you! We had a blast. Definitely made the best of it with all the crowds.

I am putting ABC Commissary on my list of options. The grilled cheese and tacos look delicious!

Yey! They are great in park quick service options.

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Day 6
Day 6 started with breakfast bars while waiting for Epcot rope drop. The morning was kind of a dud. We rope dropped Ratatouille and it broke down before we got on it. By then every other ride had a huge line. We did really enjoy the new DuckTales game that replaced Agent P's. And we got on GOTG with an early boarding group. And we had a lot of fun at Club Cool! So it did have some bright spots.

Lunch was at Teppan Edo. My kids love Hibachi and we'd never eaten there. I was happy to check another restaurant off the list, but went in with low expectations. I didn't do a great job on pictures.

Yuzu Lemonade
Yuzu lemonade with Strawberry Popping Boba

Both DDs got this. They liked it. They love boba.

DH and I shared a Sake. I don't remember which one we got, but it was the servers recommendation. We really liked it. We don't love Sake but enjoy getting it every once in a while at restaurants. I was surprised by how much I liked this one.

We started by sharing a sushi roller. It was good. Slightly higher quality than grocery store sushi, but nothing special.

The entrees included a salad. It was good. Pretty standard Hibachi salad with ginger dressing.


For entrees, we ordered steak, chicken, shrimp, and salmon. It all tasted good, but nothing special. The noodles were a little overcooked for my liking.


Overall, I don't regret doing lunch at Teppan Edo, but it is definitely a one and done for us.

Dinner was back at Capt Cook's at the Polynesian. Mobile order was a little faster this time than the first night.

Asian-style Noodle Salad
Rice Noodle, Mandarin Oranges, Mixed Vegetables, and Candied Cashews served with Honey-Miso Dressing with chicken

This was mine. It was good, but I liked my salad the first night a bit better. This dish felt like it was missing something. But I did like how unique it was.

Aloha Pork Sandwich
Pulled Pork with Cheddar, Asian Slaw, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes on a Brioche Bun served with French Fries

Is no picture better than a half eaten sandwich picture? I'm not sure. DH chomped into this so fast. The toppings on this were really good - chunky enough not to get lost. The quality of the pulled pork could have been better. It tasted like the tubs of pulled pork you can buy in the grocery store.

Pulled Pork Nachos
Topped with Cheese, Spicy Mayo

DD1 got these after seeing DD2 get them the first night. Sooooo good. I happily helped her finish them off.

Cheeseburger
1/3 lb Grilled Angus Burger topped with American, Lettuce, Tomato, and Pickles on a Toasted Brioche Bun served with French Fries

What a terrible picture! I was snapping so fast before they dug in. DD2 finished this and was happy with it. It was a standard quick service burger.

I think we grabbed beers and smoothies from the pool bar before going to bed early for the RunDisney 5k the next day.

That's the end of Day 6! The next day we do MK.

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Day 7
Day 7 dining started at 4 am with breakfast bars while waiting for the RunDisney 5k to start.

After the 5k and showers, we headed to the MK. Not food related, but it was foggy! We joked that Maleficent had cast a curse on the castle.


We had a 10:30 am ressie at Crystal Palace. My DDs love CP. This was probably our 5th or 6th time dining there - always for breakfast. We love eating there at this time of day. The restaurant isn't as full so the characters come around faster and it's not as chaotic. At about 10:45 they shutdown one side of the buffet to switch out for lunch.
I took just one pic:

For a buffet, I really love this breakfast food. Pooh's Puffed French Toast is so good. It's basically like a super sugary fried donut. It's one my favorite breakfast foods at Disney. New since our last visit, they had Mickey Churro Waffles. Basically, it was a Mickey waffle fried with cinnamon sugar. It was super good, but the French toast reigns supreme. The creole shrimp and grits were also super tasty. Good sized shrimp, well cooked with good spice level.

I also got a mimosa. Never gotten one here before. For $14 I was skeptical, but was really happy with the champagne to OJ ratio. Just a splash of OJ!

Crystal Palace breakfast is such a family favorite. We'll be back for sure!

Dinner was at Tony's Town Square. It was our first time eating there. I went in with low expectations as it doesn't have the best reputation. Originally we were going to do Cinderella's Royal Table, but the characters weren't back yet, so we opted to try something new instead.

Drinks were lemonades and a bottle of wine. I think we got

Arcanum 'il fauno di Arcanum' Super Tuscan Merlot Blend, Tuscany​

I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.

DDs wanted monzarella sticks as an appetizer. Given their reputation, I was imagining that we'd be served frozen monzarella sticks. I was so happy when these arrived:

They were really good! Flavorful sauce, perfect fried shell. Yey!

Onto entrees:
DDs both got:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
House-made Beef and Pork Meatballs served over Spaghetti with Tony's Marinara Sauce

It was a huge portion and I should have tried to get them to split it cause there was a lot leftover. They liked it.

Butcher's Steak
Marinated Hanger Steak with Crispy Parmesan Potatoes, Arugula, Lemon, and Mild Calabrian Chili-Pesto

DH loved this. Steak was flavorful and well cooked. Lots of arugula. He was really happy with this.

Orecchiette With Spicy Italian Sausage
House-made Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Onion, Roasted Garlic, and Toasted Breadcrumbs

This was mine. Holy cow! I loved it! The sausage was super spicy. Really nice lemony sauce. I would totally get this again. It was a very generous portion too.
Tonys was a surprise hit with us! I would be happy to dine here again. I liked it just as much as previous visits to Skipper Canteen.

We were stuffed and had to get up early again for the 10k the next day, so headed home after dinner.


That's it for Day 7. Day 8 is the 10k and resort time!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Nice that Tony’s was a pleasant surprise! The food definitely looks better than I’ve seen in the past. Maybe they finally are taking note of all the lousy reviews over the years?

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Nice that Tony’s was a pleasant surprise! The food definitely looks better than I’ve seen in the past. Maybe they finally are taking note of all the lousy reviews over the years?

Yes! So glad that we tried it and it seems to have improved.

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Day 8
Day 8 started with the RunDisney Princess 10k. We snacked on pretzels from a food truck in the post race area while waiting to meet Cinderella. No pic, but they were what you'd expect from a Auntie Anne's or Wetzel Pretzel.

After showers we did a late breakfast from Capt Cook's. They had a few unique-ish sounding breakfast items that I was excited to try.

DD1 and I waited for our mobile order while DH and DD2 went upstairs to Tambu Lounge to order pineapple drinks. We then met them upstairs and ate in the Tambu Lounge seating area, which wasn't crowded at all since they don't serve food until later in the day. It was quiet and a nice change from eating at Captain Cook's.

Morning Flatbread​

Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Chives, and House-made Sausage Gravy

This was pretty good! Not Life changing, but I liked it.

Breakfast Burrito​

Eggs, Bacon, and Cheddar served with Breakfast Potatoes

This was terrible. The burrito was 95% egg and was quite pathetic.

Wonderful World of Roast Beef Hash
(Description is gone from their site)

This was pretty good! Tender meat, somewhat crispy potatoes. Nice runny yolk on the egg. Happy we tried this.

Lapu Lapu​

Plantation Original Dark Rum and Tropical Fruit Juices served in a fresh Pineapple topped with Gosling's 151 Rum

I love these! There is something about drinking out of a pineapple that is just so much fun. DDs got the non-alcoholic versions. They loved them. I'll get these every time!


That afternoon I napped and DH took the kids to the pool. They got lava smoothies again and had fun participating in the pool games.

DH tried to get into Trader Sam's. He arrived 30 mins before they opened and they were already full and not even adding people to the wait-list! They told him to return at 5 pm to be out on the list.

For dinner our original plan was a ressie at Citricos. We hadn't eaten there since the refurb. But I ended up cancelling the ressie since I thought dinner might take too long and I wanted to get to bed early.

So our new plan was to get drinks at Enchanted Rose and quick service at Gasparilla QS.

We arrived shortly after it opened at 3:30 and omg, it filled up fast! Had we arrived 30 mins later, finding a table would have been challenging. We sat at a super comfy couch in the main area.

We had fun taking medal pics while we waited for drinks.

Seasonal Old Fashioned​

Widow Jane 10yr Straight Bourbon Whiskey, House-made Seasonal Syrup, and Bitters

DH loved this. The seasonal syrup was pretty flavorful and added a fun twist to a traditional old fashioned. But he can't remember what the flavor was!

Floral Bitter Beauty (maybe??!!)
Hendrick’s Gin, St~Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Campari, Aperol, Lemon, and Soda

I think this may have been what I drank - I don't remember for sure. It was a nice cocktail. Very lemony.

Rosemary Cooler (x2)
Minute Maid® Premium Lemonade, Vanilla, and Rosemary

DDs both got this. It was surprisingly so so good! Lemonade + vanilla sounds like a strange combination, but it totally worked. Super yummy!

They serve snacks starting when they open. So we tried all 3!
House-made Beef Jerky

This was just ok. The jerky had a great texture and it seemed like good quality meat, but it was lacking on the flavor side. I wouldn't get this again.

Warm Marinated Olives
Guajillo-spiced Mixed Nuts

I don't like olives, but everyone else said they were good. The nuts were fun to munch on and had cranberries mixed in which was a nice addition.

We were having a great time hanging out at Enchanted Rose and decided to order another round of drinks and stick around until their full food menu became available at 5 pm. Our server took our order early and popped it in right at 5.

Day 8 Part 2, coming soon...

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Great to hear good things about Tony's. Trying it week after next for the first time in maybe 30 years. LOVE the lapu lapu. Strong but so delicious and it's tough to beat drinking out of a pineapple! Breakfast at Captain Cook's looks really good. I don't tend to bother with breakfast, but this looks like a great option. Looking forward to hearing about the Enchanted Rose food. It's such a lovely atmosphere but I have to say that part of me misses the band that played at Mizner's (and also when Mizner's was a little less popular and you could usually easily find a seat).

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Great to hear good things about Tony's. Trying it week after next for the first time in maybe 30 years. LOVE the lapu lapu. Strong but so delicious and it's tough to beat drinking out of a pineapple! Breakfast at Captain Cook's looks really good. I don't tend to bother with breakfast, but this looks like a great option. Looking forward to hearing about the Enchanted Rose food. It's such a lovely atmosphere but I have to say that part of me misses the band that played at Mizner's (and also when Mizner's was a little less popular and you could usually easily find a seat).

I hope you have good luck at Tony's too!
Aww, yeah, I miss the band too. We only made it to Mizner's once and it definitely had a more chill vibe.

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Day 8, Part 2
5 pm rolled around and we ordered a bunch of food at Enchanted Rose to make it our dinner.

2nd round of drinks...

Garden Spritzer
Seedlip Garden 108 Herbal Distilled Non-alcoholic Spirit, Lime, Agave, and Soda

This was DD1s. Our server warned her that it was very garden-y and made her think twice on ordering it, but she decided to go for it. She was glad she did! It was interesting and very good.

Aura in Me
Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin, St~Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Honey, Pink Peppercorn, Cardamom, and Lemon (contains pasteurized egg whites)

This was mine. I really liked it. I couldn't really taste any peppercorn or cardamom. But it was good.


DD2 got this. She really liked it. They really loved ordering fancy mocktails on this vacation!

Old Fashioned​

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Orange, Sugar in the Raw, and Angostura Bitters

DH went for this. He liked the seasonal one much better. This was a little boring after that one.

On to food...
Artisanal Cheese Selection
Four Chef-selected Tasting Portions, Honeycomb, Quince Paste, Apricot Jam, Pumpkin Seed Brittle, Cranberry Bread

This was fantastic. We enjoyed all of the cheeses and they were all unique and different from each other. Super tasty.

Charcuterie
Duck Rillettes, Bresaola, Serrano Ham, Sopressata, Tomato Jam, Cornichons, Citrus Mustard, Pickled Carrots, Olive Crostini, Grissini

This was a disappointment. The meats weren't impressive. Little flavor. The serving was small for the price. Thumbs down.

Seasonal Flatbread
Artichoke, Fig, Ricotta, Roasted Garlic, Watercress

Super good! I loved the sweet figs and tangy artichokes together. The watercress added some freshness. Very happy with this.

Croquettes
House-made Fennel Sausage, Tomato Sauce, Pecorino Romano

I don't remember much about these. I think they were good, but nothing special. For the price, I wouldn't get them again.

House-made Truffle Fries
Black Truffle, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Aïoli

We love truffle fries and order them often. I'd call us truffle fry connoisseurs. These are definitely in the top 80% of truffle fries... right up there with AbracadaBar. My only complaint about these is that the serving size is too small!

Hummus
Tapenade, Smoked Paprika, Grilled Pita Bread

This hummus was well done. DDs really wanted it and liked it. I don't know if I've ever had hummus that knocked my socks off. But I wasn't mad that we ordered it and would agree to get it again.

That's all the food we got. We left full and happy. It was fun to try a bunch of different food and lounge on the couches.

We hung out a bit after dinner taking in the lobby and hoping that they don't ruin it in the upcoming refresh. I love it so much.


Next up is Day 9 - our last day... Kona cafe, Ohana, and airport food!

 

[auntfrannie]

Small plate dinners are some of the best! We've been doing that more and more lately and skipping the heavier entrees. Plus it goes good with a round of drinks!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Small plate dinners are some of the best! We've been doing that more and more lately and skipping the heavier entrees. Plus it goes good with a round of drinks!

I agree. Such a fun way to try more things!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

Day 9
Our last day - so sad! DD1 and I ran the Princess half marathon. DH and DD2 cheered us on as we ran past the Poly. Then they arrived at Kona Cafe right as it opened for breakfast and were seated immediately with no reservation. They impressed me and took pictures!

Tonga Toast
Banana-stuffed Sourdough French Toast rolled in Cinnamon-Sugar, served with a Strawberry Compote, and with your choice of Ham, Spiced Ham, Bacon, or Sausage

DD2 got this. She says that it was super good. It had a nice crunchy outside and a soft inside. She also got the Moana smoothie and said it was the best smoothie ever - even better than the volcano one at the pool bar.

Macadamia Nut Pancakes​

with Macadamia Nut Butter, Pineapple Sauce, and your choice of Ham, Spiced Ham, Bacon, or Sausage

DH got this. He says they were really good and had an impressive amount of macadamia nuts.

We had requested a late check-out, but were denied. DD1 and I barely had enough time after the race to shower and exit the room by 11 am. For lunch, we had a 11:50 am ressie at Ohana. We chose this to have one last character meal. We hadn't eaten breakfast here since December 2015!

The characters felt rushed. They gave a hug and then posed for a picture and were on their way unless we quickly initiated further interaction. DD1 asked Lilo if she could teach her how to hula and Lilo lead them in a hula. It was cute.

Our meal started with the bread/rolls. I think they are supposed to have a pineapple flavor, but I couldn't really tell. Then we got fruit which tasted as expected.


Skillet. Sausage, eggs, biscuits, potatoes, ham with pineapple. The ham was the only mildly interesting thing.


Love that Stitch is on the waffle! These tasted like your standard Disney Mickey Waffles.


Overall Ohana breakfast was fine. I wish the food was a little better. It's barely a step above the standard QS Bounty Platter. I think my favorite part of the meal was that we had a view of Cinderella's castle from our table. I'll never tire of a view like that.

Goodbye Poly!


We ubered to MCO and made it through security fairly quickly. As is our tradition, we stopped at Cask & Larder before our 5:30 pm flight. It was the busiest I've ever seen it! We weren't really hungry but wanted to get something so that we wouldn't need dinner when we landed.

DH and I got their beers which we always enjoy. I like their IPA and amber.

Fried pickles! We love fried pickles and these are always really good.


Wings. I don't think we've gotten these before. They were surprisingly really well done. Nice crispy skin.


Pork tacos. These were not good. The meat was so fatty and they were really greasy in a bad way. Their sauce was slightly sweet and really off-putting. Definitely won't be ordering these again.

That's it! It's been fun reliving our food adventures.

Our next Disney trip will be for a long weekend in December for DH's work conference at the Four Seasons. I'm already looking forward to returning to Capa! We are taking the kids with us and planning a day in MK and Epcot. Not sure where we'll eat in MK, but I've got my eye on Takumi-Tei for a unique meal in Epcot.

Until then! Thanks for following along!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Enjoyed your reviews! And congrats on the half marathon