fa mulan
And I think to myself, "What a Wonderful World."
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2002
- Messages
- 267
Diners:
Me- 39 y.o. planner; first real trip (last was 25+ years ago!); Husband - 48 y.o. - first trip ever;
Daughters - 7 and almost 4 - first trip!
Day 1 (arrival -Fri. 2/7) - late dinner at Sassagoula Food court. The 4 of us shared 2 rib & chicken combos, w/ mashed potatoes & gravy and nicely sauteed (not overcooked) stringbeans; also got a cheesecake and banana split - used 2 Connections vouchers. Ribs were tender and tasty -everything was hot, fresh and delicious. The girls enjoyed everything as well, but they are excellent eaters and will try most things. Cost was $22 (value was $35.19) plus we bought a $10.99 mug.
Day 2 (Sat. 2/8) - bfast: a 9:15 P.S. at CRT - scrambled (slightly underdone) eggs, sausage (one was pink and undercooked), fresh fruit & granola, stuffed french toast, delicious cheesy potatoes, french toast sticks for the girls, eggs and bacon for the girls. The food was hot and fresh (except for the sausage which was remedied quickly by our waitress). Refills of potatoes and sausage were quickly brought out. The kids french toast sticks were a little chewy and not very good, although DD3 ate them with the syrup. DD7 did not eat the french toast but there was plenty else to suit her, including the potatoes which she loved. Good character interaction. Each princess (Snow White, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Pocahontas, Mary Poppins) stopped at the table, signed their autograph book, said hello to the girls and took a photo with them. Our girls were awestruck and not too talkative, so the interaction seemed a little quick (but not rushed); if they had wanted to engage the princesses in conversation, I think each character would have taken time to do that. The Fairy Godmother was delightful and spent some time fussing over each of our DDs. Used 2 bfast vouchers at $17 each. Cost for the girls was $25 incl. tip. Total spent $59. Saved about $12.
Lunch - we were all full, so wound up skipping lunch and snacking on popcorn instead during the SaD Parade.
Dinner - Had planned to go to EPCOT, but had so much fun in MK that we couldnt leave - so we went back to PO-FQ rested and grabbed a quick dinner at the same food court so that we could go back to MK to see FITS and Spectro. The girls and I again split the chicken and ribs combo (9.99) , but DH had jambalaya (7.99) this time instead. He loves spicy foods, and spiced it up w/ extra tabasco. He liked it. After having the ribs and chicken a 2d time, I was ready for something else. If we werent trying to get back to MK I wouldnt have eaten here again (not b/c it wasnt good food, but b/c I wanted to try other places!)
Day 3 (Sun. 2/9) - Bfast: poptarts, breakfast bars , milk & coffee in room, and a mid-morning muffin in the park.
Lunch: MKs Crystal Palace - delicious hot buffet w/ some sort of seasoned chicken breast, salmon, whipped potatoes (light & fluffy), green bean casserole, kids mac & chs and chicken nuggets (Perdue-type), croissants, rolls and bagels. For dessert, ice cream, bread pudding (a little to thick and doughy for my taste), apple cobbler and more. And Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet too. It was the perfect escape for a drizzly lunchtime, with a wonderful view of the castle. We had no P.S. but had to wait only about 5 minutes. Im sure thats not possible when its crowded! Cost $71 incl. tip.
Dinner: EPCOTs Tangierine - the 4 of us split a rotisserie chicken platter w/ rice, hummus and taboulli and a lamb & shawarma platter w/ taboulli, and got an extra hummus (for the girls - I told you they are excellent eaters!). The taboulli (a parsley, bulghur, lemon juice, tomato and onion salad - which I love - was ok, but not great. It wasnt as fresh as it could be. The shawarma (sliced chicken and lamb) was ok but a bit dry. The chicken (lemony and olive-y) was the best, and the girls enjoyed that as well as the rice and hummus. Dessert was baklava, which was very good. Beverages were orange juice and large diet coke. We used 2 vouchers here. Cost $22 plus extra hummus. Value w/o hummus was $34.46.
Day 4 (Mon. 2/10) - Bfast: bagels & butter and poptarts, milk & coffee in room
Lunch: MGM fast food - DH and I split a Tolouca Turkey leg and baked potato. Girls split fries and a footlong hot dog and also sampled the turkey and baked potato. The turkey leg - looking like something out of Bedrock - was surprisingly moist & tender and had a delicious smokey flavor. Very satisfying. The girls liked it also. Cost: around $15.
Dinner: H&V Fantasmic Pkg. - Another excellent buffet - selections included salmon, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, prime rib, green beans, sauteed veggies, corn pudding, penne w/ shrimp & scallops, french bread and bruschette (chopped tomatoes and onions), and a delicious southwestern caesar salad w/ a zippy creamy dressing. All was hot, fresh and delicious. There were plenty of choices and variety to satisfy everyone. Big sundae and dessert bar. Desserts were ordinary buffet type things (a key lime cake that was just ok, pineapple upside down cake, brownies). Cost: $71.82 incl. tax & grat. Even in Feb, the Fantasmic show looked packed. With the pkg, we were able to walk in and have a great location in the reserved area about 30 minutes before the show. Unless youre willing to arrive very early for a seat, I think the package is the way to go and I would do it again.
Day 5 (Tues. 2/11): Brunch: Boatwrights at PO-FQ. Outstanding breakfast. DH and I shared the fruit plate and the 3 egg omelet w/ everything, and 2 biscuits and potatoes. The girls each had Mickey pancakes and sausage. The pancakes were light and fluffy, and the girls devoured almost their entire meals. The omelet was packed with spinach, sausage, cheese, broccoli, and everything else. It was delicious and huge - perfect to share w/ the fruitplate. The biscuit was hot and flaky. We all left very full and satisfied. Cost: around $35 incl tip.
Dinner: 6:00 Boma - My vote for our best dinner. This was an outstanding buffet. Selections were hand carved prime rib w/ an assortment of sauces, marinated flank steak, banana leaf wrapped salmon, excellent soups (corn chowder and my favorite - seafood coconut curry - laden w/ shrimp, scallops and mussels in a perfectly spiced rich broth), sweet potatoes, and many other things I didnt have room to try. I had about 3 bowls of the curry soup, which was perfect for my cold. The mac & chs. looked very good, and was a hit w/ our DD3 who loves mac & chs. DD7 loved the sweet potatoes, curry soup, and salmon. Desserts were the best we had, though there wasnt much room for them. Zebra Domes were good, but I liked the warm banana bread pudding w/ vanilla sauce the best. The chocolate mousse was a hit w/ my husband and girls. Cost incl. 2 glasses of wine: $101.09
Day 6 (Weds. 2/12): Bfast: poptarts & coffee, croissants from Main St. Bakery in MK for DDs.
Lunch: Cosmic Rays: DH and I shared a chicken caesar salad. This was a large salad with a terrific garlicky, oniony caesar dressing and crunchy fresh croutons - an excellent caesar! Tastier than many Ive had in better restaurants. Girls had the kids corn-dog nuggets and fries. DD7 liked the corn-dogs better than DD3. Cost: $10.53
Dinner: Marrakesh: The four of us shared 2 Royal Feasts (the restaurant had no problem w/ letting us share) - the meal included seafood and chicken bastillas, salad, lemon chicken and lamb with couscous, and a dessert crepe in honey and with apples. We also ordered the lentil soup, which was thick and hearty but not hot enough. I thought it was bland, but my DD7 loved it. The girls liked the bastilla and also had some chicken and loved the crepes. I thought the chicken was ok, the lamb a bit dry, and the salad just ordinary w/ a dressing that tasted like bottled Italian. Overall, I liked the atmosphere, but was disappointed in the food. I love middle eastern cuisine and thought that this was not as good as other Moroccan restaurants Ive tried. Cost: $84.19.
Day 7 (Thurs. 2/13): 8:30 Bfast at Princess Storybook in Norway, EPCOT. This breakfasts food quality was even better than CRT: there were muffins, mini sticky buns and fruit, and a large skillet of cheesy potatoes, perfectly scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon and waffles. We had refills of he sticky buns and sausage. The princess interaction was about the same as at CRT except that there were FIVE princesses here: Belle, Jasmin, Mulan in her princess garb, Princess Aurora and Snow White. We were seated in the section near the door where all the princesses make their entrance into the castle, so we saw each of the characters just as they came in. Still, it felt a bit formulaic - 1. say hello; 2. sign autograph book; 3. take picture and 4. give hug if child wants one. Nonetheless, it was a great breakfast and a good way for the girls to see all the princesses in one place w/o a line. The ambience of CRT cant be beat, but the food here was better and it felt more relaxed. The tables were very close together, however. Cost: used 2 breakfast vouchers @ $17 each and paid $25 for the girls incl. tip. Total spent $59. Saved about $12.
Lunch: Yakitori House - a great, secluded little hideaway, with the soothing sound of flowing water when you eat outdoors. DH had beef udon noodle soup, DD7 had california roll sushi (picking out the avocado), and DD3 and I each had the childs meal of rice, beef and chicken yakitori. It was a delicious lunch in a quiet, pretty setting. Cost: about $20.
Dinner: This was supposed to be the evening of our adults only dinner at California Grill. However, we switched plans and cancelled reservations (w/ a $16 per child penalty for a less than 24-hr cancellation at Neverland) b/c it was a glorious, warm, sunshine filled day and the perfect evening to see Illuminations one last time. We ate at Chefs de France (no P.S.) instead and for the most part were satisfied. DH had onion soup and the roquefort salad and was very happy w/ his choices. The salad was beautifully presented - bleu cheese on endive leaves artfully placed like flower petals on the plate... I had the French Menu prix fixe meal of onion soup w/ gruyere cheese, chicken cordon bleu and creme brulee ($24.95). The onion soup was fabulous: a rich stock laden with tender sauteed onions, covered in hot, melted cheese. Yum. The cordon bleu, unfortunately, was like what you might expect from a large scale dinner banquet - tasty but ordinary, and on the dry side; I should have expected this since it was they must have prepared many of these for the evening. It was served with steamed broccoli and a pretty scoop of mashed potatoes. I was disappointed. However, the brulee was very good, and the caramelize sugar on top was perfect. The girls had the kids orange roughy and pasta and the chicken tenders and fries. The chicken was okay, but the fried orange roughy was pretty tasteless. I dont think its batter was seasoned. The restaurant let the girls substitute a shared creme brulee for the ice cream that would have come w/ their dinners. Cost: $76.81 incl. tip. Great service; friendly young French waiter named Benjamin.
Day 8 - (Fri. 2/14 - Valentines Day): Bfast in room (croissant from Mara; cereal; coffee and milk).
Lunch: Flametree BBQ - ribs and chicken platters served w/ corn on the cob and baked beans. The ribs and chicken were more highly seasoned than what we had at PO-FQ. I liked PO-FQs better, personally. These were also tender though. The onion rings were large but too bready. D7 didnt like them at all (and she is an onion-ring fan). DH and I ate them.
Dinner at Ohanas - We had a 5:20 P.S., so I knew we wouldnt get to see the fireworks, though we had a table w/ a fine view of the castle. The food here was delicious and very plentiful. Go hungry! The appetizers - chicken wings, fried rice (rice was a bit undercooked and hard), veggies, veggie wontons - were like a meal themself. The chicken wings were the best. Then came the meats: an Atkins dieters dream - all the marinated and grilled jumbo shrimp, pork, steak and turkey you could eat. The shrimp and steak were the best. The pork was good too. The meats were perfectly cooked (not dripping w/ blood as I had read here somewhere), w/ great grilled flavor. They came with tasty dipping sauces for the meats. DD7 ate about 7 shrimp and liked the steak w/ the peanut dipping sauce. DD3 ate steak, shrimp and loved the wonton appetizer. The pineapple fruit sauce is wonderful - I ate it by itself like applesauce! For dessert, the girls both loved the pineapple w/ caramel sauce that came w/ the meal, so much so that we asked for a second helping. I ordered coconut ice-cream which turned out to be a large scoop of vanilla ice cream rolled in coconut and drizzled w/ chocolate. It wasnt what I expected and was okay, but Ive had better. Our cousin the server was attentive but busy. So busy that she forgot to bring me my wine - but I didnt miss it too much. Cost: $91.70 incl. tip.
Day 9 - 2/15: Bfast and lunch from Mara . Cost for bfast: around $10 for oatmeal, a croissant, bagel, donut and milk for the girls. We had coffee. Lunch was $19.03 for a soup, a soup & salad combo, a kids mac & chs. and a kids chicken tenders (both came w/ fries). We helped eat the fries. The soup was a 3 bean sausage gumbo w/ okra and red pepper. It was thick and zesty w/ big rounds of sausage and was good or better than homemade (at least any bean soup Ive ever made!). The beans and okra and pepper were all perfectly cooked in the soup, not mushy or overcooked at all. Dinner was at MCO airport: 2 McDs happy meals and a shared Sbarro baked ziti w/ meatball dinner. Cost: $13.25.
Conclusion: DH and I thoroughly enjoyed the food and service at WDW overall. I only wish I could have tried more restaurants, and do regret not getting to California Grill. We didnt spend a lot on beverages b/c were not big soda drinkers and mostly drank filtered water from our Brita bottles plus coffee from a shared resort mug. I appreciate all the dining tips from the DIS! Thank you! And since it will be awhile until our next trip, Ill just have to read your dining reviews. Keep up the good eating and reporting.
Me- 39 y.o. planner; first real trip (last was 25+ years ago!); Husband - 48 y.o. - first trip ever;
Daughters - 7 and almost 4 - first trip!
Day 1 (arrival -Fri. 2/7) - late dinner at Sassagoula Food court. The 4 of us shared 2 rib & chicken combos, w/ mashed potatoes & gravy and nicely sauteed (not overcooked) stringbeans; also got a cheesecake and banana split - used 2 Connections vouchers. Ribs were tender and tasty -everything was hot, fresh and delicious. The girls enjoyed everything as well, but they are excellent eaters and will try most things. Cost was $22 (value was $35.19) plus we bought a $10.99 mug.
Day 2 (Sat. 2/8) - bfast: a 9:15 P.S. at CRT - scrambled (slightly underdone) eggs, sausage (one was pink and undercooked), fresh fruit & granola, stuffed french toast, delicious cheesy potatoes, french toast sticks for the girls, eggs and bacon for the girls. The food was hot and fresh (except for the sausage which was remedied quickly by our waitress). Refills of potatoes and sausage were quickly brought out. The kids french toast sticks were a little chewy and not very good, although DD3 ate them with the syrup. DD7 did not eat the french toast but there was plenty else to suit her, including the potatoes which she loved. Good character interaction. Each princess (Snow White, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Pocahontas, Mary Poppins) stopped at the table, signed their autograph book, said hello to the girls and took a photo with them. Our girls were awestruck and not too talkative, so the interaction seemed a little quick (but not rushed); if they had wanted to engage the princesses in conversation, I think each character would have taken time to do that. The Fairy Godmother was delightful and spent some time fussing over each of our DDs. Used 2 bfast vouchers at $17 each. Cost for the girls was $25 incl. tip. Total spent $59. Saved about $12.
Lunch - we were all full, so wound up skipping lunch and snacking on popcorn instead during the SaD Parade.
Dinner - Had planned to go to EPCOT, but had so much fun in MK that we couldnt leave - so we went back to PO-FQ rested and grabbed a quick dinner at the same food court so that we could go back to MK to see FITS and Spectro. The girls and I again split the chicken and ribs combo (9.99) , but DH had jambalaya (7.99) this time instead. He loves spicy foods, and spiced it up w/ extra tabasco. He liked it. After having the ribs and chicken a 2d time, I was ready for something else. If we werent trying to get back to MK I wouldnt have eaten here again (not b/c it wasnt good food, but b/c I wanted to try other places!)
Day 3 (Sun. 2/9) - Bfast: poptarts, breakfast bars , milk & coffee in room, and a mid-morning muffin in the park.
Lunch: MKs Crystal Palace - delicious hot buffet w/ some sort of seasoned chicken breast, salmon, whipped potatoes (light & fluffy), green bean casserole, kids mac & chs and chicken nuggets (Perdue-type), croissants, rolls and bagels. For dessert, ice cream, bread pudding (a little to thick and doughy for my taste), apple cobbler and more. And Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet too. It was the perfect escape for a drizzly lunchtime, with a wonderful view of the castle. We had no P.S. but had to wait only about 5 minutes. Im sure thats not possible when its crowded! Cost $71 incl. tip.
Dinner: EPCOTs Tangierine - the 4 of us split a rotisserie chicken platter w/ rice, hummus and taboulli and a lamb & shawarma platter w/ taboulli, and got an extra hummus (for the girls - I told you they are excellent eaters!). The taboulli (a parsley, bulghur, lemon juice, tomato and onion salad - which I love - was ok, but not great. It wasnt as fresh as it could be. The shawarma (sliced chicken and lamb) was ok but a bit dry. The chicken (lemony and olive-y) was the best, and the girls enjoyed that as well as the rice and hummus. Dessert was baklava, which was very good. Beverages were orange juice and large diet coke. We used 2 vouchers here. Cost $22 plus extra hummus. Value w/o hummus was $34.46.
Day 4 (Mon. 2/10) - Bfast: bagels & butter and poptarts, milk & coffee in room
Lunch: MGM fast food - DH and I split a Tolouca Turkey leg and baked potato. Girls split fries and a footlong hot dog and also sampled the turkey and baked potato. The turkey leg - looking like something out of Bedrock - was surprisingly moist & tender and had a delicious smokey flavor. Very satisfying. The girls liked it also. Cost: around $15.
Dinner: H&V Fantasmic Pkg. - Another excellent buffet - selections included salmon, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, prime rib, green beans, sauteed veggies, corn pudding, penne w/ shrimp & scallops, french bread and bruschette (chopped tomatoes and onions), and a delicious southwestern caesar salad w/ a zippy creamy dressing. All was hot, fresh and delicious. There were plenty of choices and variety to satisfy everyone. Big sundae and dessert bar. Desserts were ordinary buffet type things (a key lime cake that was just ok, pineapple upside down cake, brownies). Cost: $71.82 incl. tax & grat. Even in Feb, the Fantasmic show looked packed. With the pkg, we were able to walk in and have a great location in the reserved area about 30 minutes before the show. Unless youre willing to arrive very early for a seat, I think the package is the way to go and I would do it again.
Day 5 (Tues. 2/11): Brunch: Boatwrights at PO-FQ. Outstanding breakfast. DH and I shared the fruit plate and the 3 egg omelet w/ everything, and 2 biscuits and potatoes. The girls each had Mickey pancakes and sausage. The pancakes were light and fluffy, and the girls devoured almost their entire meals. The omelet was packed with spinach, sausage, cheese, broccoli, and everything else. It was delicious and huge - perfect to share w/ the fruitplate. The biscuit was hot and flaky. We all left very full and satisfied. Cost: around $35 incl tip.
Dinner: 6:00 Boma - My vote for our best dinner. This was an outstanding buffet. Selections were hand carved prime rib w/ an assortment of sauces, marinated flank steak, banana leaf wrapped salmon, excellent soups (corn chowder and my favorite - seafood coconut curry - laden w/ shrimp, scallops and mussels in a perfectly spiced rich broth), sweet potatoes, and many other things I didnt have room to try. I had about 3 bowls of the curry soup, which was perfect for my cold. The mac & chs. looked very good, and was a hit w/ our DD3 who loves mac & chs. DD7 loved the sweet potatoes, curry soup, and salmon. Desserts were the best we had, though there wasnt much room for them. Zebra Domes were good, but I liked the warm banana bread pudding w/ vanilla sauce the best. The chocolate mousse was a hit w/ my husband and girls. Cost incl. 2 glasses of wine: $101.09
Day 6 (Weds. 2/12): Bfast: poptarts & coffee, croissants from Main St. Bakery in MK for DDs.
Lunch: Cosmic Rays: DH and I shared a chicken caesar salad. This was a large salad with a terrific garlicky, oniony caesar dressing and crunchy fresh croutons - an excellent caesar! Tastier than many Ive had in better restaurants. Girls had the kids corn-dog nuggets and fries. DD7 liked the corn-dogs better than DD3. Cost: $10.53
Dinner: Marrakesh: The four of us shared 2 Royal Feasts (the restaurant had no problem w/ letting us share) - the meal included seafood and chicken bastillas, salad, lemon chicken and lamb with couscous, and a dessert crepe in honey and with apples. We also ordered the lentil soup, which was thick and hearty but not hot enough. I thought it was bland, but my DD7 loved it. The girls liked the bastilla and also had some chicken and loved the crepes. I thought the chicken was ok, the lamb a bit dry, and the salad just ordinary w/ a dressing that tasted like bottled Italian. Overall, I liked the atmosphere, but was disappointed in the food. I love middle eastern cuisine and thought that this was not as good as other Moroccan restaurants Ive tried. Cost: $84.19.
Day 7 (Thurs. 2/13): 8:30 Bfast at Princess Storybook in Norway, EPCOT. This breakfasts food quality was even better than CRT: there were muffins, mini sticky buns and fruit, and a large skillet of cheesy potatoes, perfectly scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon and waffles. We had refills of he sticky buns and sausage. The princess interaction was about the same as at CRT except that there were FIVE princesses here: Belle, Jasmin, Mulan in her princess garb, Princess Aurora and Snow White. We were seated in the section near the door where all the princesses make their entrance into the castle, so we saw each of the characters just as they came in. Still, it felt a bit formulaic - 1. say hello; 2. sign autograph book; 3. take picture and 4. give hug if child wants one. Nonetheless, it was a great breakfast and a good way for the girls to see all the princesses in one place w/o a line. The ambience of CRT cant be beat, but the food here was better and it felt more relaxed. The tables were very close together, however. Cost: used 2 breakfast vouchers @ $17 each and paid $25 for the girls incl. tip. Total spent $59. Saved about $12.
Lunch: Yakitori House - a great, secluded little hideaway, with the soothing sound of flowing water when you eat outdoors. DH had beef udon noodle soup, DD7 had california roll sushi (picking out the avocado), and DD3 and I each had the childs meal of rice, beef and chicken yakitori. It was a delicious lunch in a quiet, pretty setting. Cost: about $20.
Dinner: This was supposed to be the evening of our adults only dinner at California Grill. However, we switched plans and cancelled reservations (w/ a $16 per child penalty for a less than 24-hr cancellation at Neverland) b/c it was a glorious, warm, sunshine filled day and the perfect evening to see Illuminations one last time. We ate at Chefs de France (no P.S.) instead and for the most part were satisfied. DH had onion soup and the roquefort salad and was very happy w/ his choices. The salad was beautifully presented - bleu cheese on endive leaves artfully placed like flower petals on the plate... I had the French Menu prix fixe meal of onion soup w/ gruyere cheese, chicken cordon bleu and creme brulee ($24.95). The onion soup was fabulous: a rich stock laden with tender sauteed onions, covered in hot, melted cheese. Yum. The cordon bleu, unfortunately, was like what you might expect from a large scale dinner banquet - tasty but ordinary, and on the dry side; I should have expected this since it was they must have prepared many of these for the evening. It was served with steamed broccoli and a pretty scoop of mashed potatoes. I was disappointed. However, the brulee was very good, and the caramelize sugar on top was perfect. The girls had the kids orange roughy and pasta and the chicken tenders and fries. The chicken was okay, but the fried orange roughy was pretty tasteless. I dont think its batter was seasoned. The restaurant let the girls substitute a shared creme brulee for the ice cream that would have come w/ their dinners. Cost: $76.81 incl. tip. Great service; friendly young French waiter named Benjamin.
Day 8 - (Fri. 2/14 - Valentines Day): Bfast in room (croissant from Mara; cereal; coffee and milk).
Lunch: Flametree BBQ - ribs and chicken platters served w/ corn on the cob and baked beans. The ribs and chicken were more highly seasoned than what we had at PO-FQ. I liked PO-FQs better, personally. These were also tender though. The onion rings were large but too bready. D7 didnt like them at all (and she is an onion-ring fan). DH and I ate them.
Dinner at Ohanas - We had a 5:20 P.S., so I knew we wouldnt get to see the fireworks, though we had a table w/ a fine view of the castle. The food here was delicious and very plentiful. Go hungry! The appetizers - chicken wings, fried rice (rice was a bit undercooked and hard), veggies, veggie wontons - were like a meal themself. The chicken wings were the best. Then came the meats: an Atkins dieters dream - all the marinated and grilled jumbo shrimp, pork, steak and turkey you could eat. The shrimp and steak were the best. The pork was good too. The meats were perfectly cooked (not dripping w/ blood as I had read here somewhere), w/ great grilled flavor. They came with tasty dipping sauces for the meats. DD7 ate about 7 shrimp and liked the steak w/ the peanut dipping sauce. DD3 ate steak, shrimp and loved the wonton appetizer. The pineapple fruit sauce is wonderful - I ate it by itself like applesauce! For dessert, the girls both loved the pineapple w/ caramel sauce that came w/ the meal, so much so that we asked for a second helping. I ordered coconut ice-cream which turned out to be a large scoop of vanilla ice cream rolled in coconut and drizzled w/ chocolate. It wasnt what I expected and was okay, but Ive had better. Our cousin the server was attentive but busy. So busy that she forgot to bring me my wine - but I didnt miss it too much. Cost: $91.70 incl. tip.
Day 9 - 2/15: Bfast and lunch from Mara . Cost for bfast: around $10 for oatmeal, a croissant, bagel, donut and milk for the girls. We had coffee. Lunch was $19.03 for a soup, a soup & salad combo, a kids mac & chs. and a kids chicken tenders (both came w/ fries). We helped eat the fries. The soup was a 3 bean sausage gumbo w/ okra and red pepper. It was thick and zesty w/ big rounds of sausage and was good or better than homemade (at least any bean soup Ive ever made!). The beans and okra and pepper were all perfectly cooked in the soup, not mushy or overcooked at all. Dinner was at MCO airport: 2 McDs happy meals and a shared Sbarro baked ziti w/ meatball dinner. Cost: $13.25.
Conclusion: DH and I thoroughly enjoyed the food and service at WDW overall. I only wish I could have tried more restaurants, and do regret not getting to California Grill. We didnt spend a lot on beverages b/c were not big soda drinkers and mostly drank filtered water from our Brita bottles plus coffee from a shared resort mug. I appreciate all the dining tips from the DIS! Thank you! And since it will be awhile until our next trip, Ill just have to read your dining reviews. Keep up the good eating and reporting.
Have you exposed them to a lot of variety form an early age? My sons are 7 and 9 and I have given up hope on them, but I have a dd 18mo. and I really would like her to be an adventurous eater. 
