Free Dining Trip 8/24-8/31/08 Reviews

[JerseyJanice]

We are just back from a trip to WDW in which we received the free dining deal.

Everything about our trip--food, parks, and resort--exceeded my expectations. There was little that could have improved our experience, and having done it now, I can barely believe what a spectacular deal the free dining is.

I confess that I worried before the trip just how good the food would be since they were giving it away, but my worries were for naught. We didn't have one bad meal during our vacation.

So on with the show...

P.S. I plan to post a review of our resort, Pop Century, on the resort board as well. I'll tell you upfront that we loved it and will definitely stay there again.

 

[Donald is #1]

I'm on board!

 

[Trinity524]

I am ready....I am staying at Pop and I am getting free dining... Lay it on me

 

[JeffZ]

feed me

 

[JerseyJanice]

In order to get a decent airfare for this trip, I had to book flights that weren't exactly ideal. Our flight out was on Continental, arriving in Orlando at 7:00 p.m. It killed a day and that's why it wasn't ideal IMO, but there was one advantage to leaving so late--we didn't have to go to the airport at the crack of dawn.

BTW, on this trip, I brought my 12 year-old son and his 11 year-old cousin. DH had to work, so my younger single brother who lives near Tampa, joined us. For part of the trip, we also hung out with our neighbors who had an overlapping trip.

We arrived in Orlando on time, basically, about 7:10 p.m. We took the Magical Express and let me tell you--having someone else cart my luggage was a real boon without my husband there.

My brother timed his drive from Tampa to arrive at around the same time. We got our room, then went down to Pop's Food Court. It was late to be traveling anywhere else and we were wanting to save our energy for the MK the next day.

Both of the boys (DS and DN) got cheeseburgers and fries. Bro got some sort of sandwich and I decided on the beef and broccoli over rice. Bro's seemed to be the best choice of these, but all the food was adequate. I didn't love my beef and broccoli because the beef was on the tough side and it didn't have much sauce. The broccoli was very good though--obviously fresh.

For the dessert that comes with meal, DS got a chocolate covered Mickey-eared rice crispy treat and DN got a plain one. Bro and I each got a slice of the tie-dyed cheesecake. I'd heard so much about it that I was anxious to try it and Brio was curious too.

None of us wanted our desserts right after eating the meals, so we stored them in the room when we went up to change into bathing suits. Our luggage arrived in the interim which pleased me.

Later that night, Bro ate his cheesecake and I had a bite. (I stored my piece on ice inside the cooler he brought from Tampa.) It is "all that"! Yum! The texture is very nice--not too light and airy, not too dense. The red velvet cake base is very tasty.

The next day was the Magic Kingdom, Cosmic Ray's, and a switch in dinner plans due to the weather.

 

[DanaAustinChelsea]

Can't wait for your reviews! We will be staying at POP for our first trip in 17 days

 

[JerseyJanice]

Our day started out wonderfully in the MK. Near the photo place (is it called "Exposition Hall"?) just past the entrance, we got to meet Jiminy Cricket. I'd been wanting to meet him in person for years!

After doing most of what we wanted to do in Fantasy Land, we headed over to Cosmic Ray's. I knew from reading these boards that the chicken and rib combo meal was included as a quick service meal and was a great way to spend a QS credit. I didn't feel like having it though and opted for a bacon cheeseburger. I'm a sucker for the toppings bar at Cosmic Ray's and loaded my yummy burger up with mushrooms and fried onions.

Bro and DS both got the chicken and rib combo, and DN got a plain cheeseburger. I didn't get much info beforehand on DN's eating habits (or on any of his habits, for that matter--his mom wasn't exactly informative). The kid ate only 4 meals the entire trip, despite being an adult on the Dining Plan. Cheeseburgers were one of those 4 things; pizza, chicken nuggets and hot dogs were the other three. He wanted all his food plain--no ketchup, mustard, sauce or extra spices. Vegetables are apparently something he never eats.

All I can say after a week with DN is that I am very grateful I always fed my child a varied diet. He never got away with eating only junky food and now his tastes are beginning to mature, and he loves trying new and different foods. It's fun to share the things you love with your children, and believe me--I love food!

Anyhow, Bro and DS's combo meals were very good. The chicken and green beans were the best parts. The chicken was remarkably moist and the green beans were fresh and delicious.

I made a mistake this meal by choosing the chocolate cake as the boy's desserts. Neither wanted to eat it until later and it didn't hold up in my tote bag. The chocolate chip cookie I ordered lasted much better and that's my Free Dining tip for today--always get the CC cookie if you're not going to eat your dessert right away. It's packaged well and all the QS places we ate at offered it.

We really lucked out with the weather this trip. We heard from several people on the trip that it had rained like crazy the week before. We got a shower most days and had only one total wash-out, which was this night when I had an ADR at the Crystal Palace. We took an afternoon resort break, then headed back on the bus. During the ride, an intense rain storm began. When we drove under the water bridge that's just past the MK toll plaza, I was afraid they'd have to send in a rescue squad, the water got so deep.

We got off the bus and waited for the rain to slow down so we could make a run for the CP, but it just kept pouring. After standing there for a half-hour, a bus pulled in for the Wilderness Lodge. DS had been wanting to visit there since it's where we stayed when he was 5. He has vague memories of it and wanted to see it again so we hopped onto the bus.

I hoped that we could get into the Whispering Canyon Cafe, but they weren't taking anyone without an ADR, so we headed to the food court. (Yes, it was still raining hard.) And that's my other Free Dining trip for today--always have ADRs. The restaurants don't seem to bust you about the time you arrive or even the number of people you bring (as we learned during the trip). You just need to have an ADR at some point in order to be served.

Roaring Forks was pretty good. I got a roast beef and bleu cheese sandwich on foccacia. DS got a burger, DN got chicken nuggets. I can't remember what Bro's meal was, but I do recall that he got a bowl of chili on the side for a snack credit. And there's one more FD tip for today--the bowl of chili at the food courts makes a great small meal for a snack credit.

The rain finally stopped and we were able to take the boat back to the MK to see Wishes. It was a good day, but the rain did throw off our plans.

 

[JerseyJanice]

This was our day to go to the Animal Kingdom. Since it closes early, I made our Chef Mickey's ADR for that evening, figuring that CM's is such great entertainment.

We started out at the Festival of the Lion King show, then saw It's Tough to be a Bug. I fed the boys Pop Tarts for breakfast while Bro and I held out for lunch by drinking coffee in the a.m. Bro brought a coffee maker from home and it came very much in handy at Pop, which has no coffee machines available. I can't stand that Nescafe stuff in Disney's food courts and need my a.m. java.

The boys got pizza--pepperoni for my son and plain for DN. They also got the chocolate chip cookies I told you about upthread, and I put both in my tote bag for snacking later.

Bro and I each got the hot Italian sub which was delicious. Loved the pesto sauce on it. We also got frozen lemonades that we wound up walking away with after eating lunch.

Bro also brought a couple cases of water from home. We could have used snack credits for those since we really needed the hydration in the heat, but it worked out well for me to ice a few bottles every day and bring them to the parks. Even when they went warm, if someone needed a drink, they sufficed.

After riding back to Pop in Bro's car, we took a swim, then got ready for a night at Chef Mickey's. DS has loved this place since he was a baby and couldn't wait to share it with his cousin.

I must say that the food was really on this night. We visited CM's back in February, and it wasn't that good. This trip, thankfully, it was awesome. The soup was to-die-for! It was a smoked tomato bisque that Bro, DS and myself each had a bowl of.

We tried hard to get DN to try some prime rib and mashed potatoes, but he wouldn't. All he wanted was the chicken nuggets and pizza. DS asked Goofy to help convince DN to try the roast and spuds, so Goofy picked up a few forks full and fed them to DN. I thought he'd love the food if he just tried it, but as soon as Goofy walked away, he started carrying on about having to eat it. Hey, we tried to get that kid to eat something decent, but he fought us all down the line.

After dinner, we rode the monorail loop for the heck of it and went back to our room to rest up for the next day in which our neighbors would join us at Typhoon Lagoon.

(To be continued...)

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent

 

[MickeyNicki]

I'm in too! Excited about the POP review too, we are staying there in Jan with our nieces and have not been there since it first opened

 

[kimgof]

can't wait to hear more. great reviews!

 

[butiflfeet]

Thanks for reporting back about your meals! I can't wait to read more!

 

[luvpooh]

great reviews, I love your little tips!
your nephew sounds like how my nephew may turn out, I don't think I've ever seen the kid eat a meal not consisting of hot dog, pizza, nuggets or pasta! He's only 3 though so there's still hope!

 

[Trinity524]

waiting with baited breath

 

[Disneychix]

I'm glad you enjoyed CM dinner. We are trying it for the first time this month. I hope it's an "ON" night!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I hope everyone reading this thread gets an "ON" Chef Mickey's night too, DisneyChix.

Reading my last post back, I can see I was remiss in describing some of the exceptional food we enjoyed.

Every time I've been to Chef Mickey's for dinner (this was, I think, the fifth time), they've served prime rib and another roast on the carving board. This time, we got what they called "slow roasted pork loin." It was great! The boneless pork was coated thickly with spice/herb mixture. It tasted great with the brown gravy offered. (I like my meat wet and have no problem adding sauce or gravy to get it that way. )

The mashed taters were awesome. Didn't taste watery like they did in February. The dessert bar is always great at CM's. In addition to soft ice cream you dispense yourself and slew of sundae toppings, they have quite a pastry selection. This trip, I especially liked the tiny cheesecake topped with blueberries. Also adored the "Mickey Mousse Domes" which consisted of Oreo cookies topped with a rounded mound of dark chocolate mousse in which two itty-bitty chocolate disks are inserted for ears.

When CM's is good, it's the best. You can't beat the fun atmosphere that abounds there.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Before I go into today's review, I should mention that we barely used any snack credits up to this point. We did get a funnel cake order at the Magic Kingdom to share during the parade. The kids got orders of fries one time from the Pop Food Court, and I got a frozen Coke or two.

At Typhoon Lagoon, we met up with our good friends and neighbors, the "R" family. They have three sons--17, 15 and 13. The middle boy is autistic and loves Disney, especially the Magic Kingdom. He didn't like TL at all, though, and started melting down within minutes of entering the gate. His mom and dad asked if their other two boys could stay with us while they took the middle boy back to the resort and/or MK.

We do this a lot at home--the oldest and youngest sons stay with me and my son, while the R mom and dad take care of the middle child. It works out well for all of us. My son greatly enjoys the company of the two brothers. I like them a lot too and like that they have each other to play with. The mom (who is one of my BFF's) and dad appreciate the help. One hand washes the other...

Lunch was at Typhoon Tilly's. It was your basic counter service. I chose the chicken sandwich and the boys got cheeseburgers. On the DDP here, they allow you to choose your dessert from a bunch of ice cream bars (Mickey bars, Nestle Crunch bars, It's A Kadoozie, etc.). You get a receipt, then have until 5:00 p.m. to present it and get your ice cream. We didn't need to burn any snack credits later in the day thanks to this procedure. Bro did use one to get a fresh waffle cone with soft ice cream so my son and the younger neighbor boy split the Mickey bar he was supposed to get.

After we left the park, Bro left us for two nights to return to his home in Tampa to take care of some things. I then made plans to meet up with my BFF and her younger son for dinner at Raglan Road. BFF had originally made an ADR for five people that would be her three sons and DH. The older boy and DH were very tired and decided to stay at the resort with the middle child. So with BFF, her youngest son, my son, my nephew and myself, we were five.

We weren't seated immediately at RR and when BFF checked on where we were at, it turned out the pager they gave us was broken. They tried to get us into a table quickly after discovering the mistake. The first table they brought us to was for 12 people. That was another mistake, but they brought us to a large booth for six right away.

We got to see most of the restaurant while walking to/from the table for 12. My, my, it's a beautiful place! I've read lots of reviews about RR and I don't recall anyone mentioning how stunning it is visually. Stained glass and carved wood decorate much of the handsome dining room.

The entertainment that night was a lovely young lady playing violin and a handsome young man playing guitar. They were playing Celtic rock and it made for a wonderful atmosphere in a gorgeous place.

I wanted to order the Paddy's Pork, which I'd seen on on-line menus, but it wasn't on the menu this night at RR. I selected the "It's Not Bleeding Chowder" dish instead, while BFF and my son each ordered the Serious Sirloin. The other two kids got cheeseburgers and Shirley Temples.

I was unimpressed with the Guiness and olive oil reduction they serve as a starter since the reduction looked to be a teaspoon or two of it inside a larger saucer. I thought the bread was weird too because it was so hard and dense.

However, the Not-Chowder and sirloins were fantastic! My dish contained a nice variety of shellfish (scallops, crab meat, mussels and 2 extra large shrimp) in a tasty cream sauce. One thing that is usually great in Disney restaurants is cream sauces and soups. They use real cream plentifully and I can taste the real thing over a roux.

The steak was tender as can be. I cut DS's steak for him easily with my butter knife. BFF said the mashed potatoes and frizzled onions served with it were excellent.

For dessert, we ordered the Ger's bread pudding (because I read so much about it here) and the creme brulee tart. BFF and I could barely manage a few bites of each after our big and yummy entrees, but what we tasted, we loved.

Tomorrow--Sci Fi Dine-In

 

[Rebelmom67]

I am really enjoying your reviews, thank you.

 

[wilma-bride]

Great reviews so far

 

[JerseyJanice]

The next morning, I got DS and DN up as early as I could so we could get to the Studios and ride the new Toy Story Mania.

When we were leaving, I remembered that the boys left their cell phones in the room, lying around, so I ran back to tuck them away. In the process, I left my room key--with my park admission--on one of the beds. As we pulled into the park on the bus, I discovered this and asked the bus driver if he was going right back to Pop. He was not, but told me to go to Guest Relations as they could probably help without us having to go back to the resort.

Sure enough, a nice man in Guest Relations was able to deactivate the card that was back at the room and issue me a new one. Disney magic works!

Next, we went into the turnstiles and it showed that DN's tickets was "demagnetized." We went to another Guest Relations area where they did something to DN's ticket to fix it. My son was very annoyed by these two hold-ups and said something about getting Fastpasses for Toy Story. The CM who was helping us told him that the last FPs for TSM had gone 15 minutes earlier, and boy, was he mad at me!

So we hustled over there anyway and waited on the stand-by line. The sign said it would 70 minutes. I didn't actually time it; we seemed to get on the ride faster than that, so all was well. It is a great attraction with a very fun line queue.

After TSM, we headed for the Lights, Motors, Action show. On the way, we stopped for churros and frozen cokes. DN never had a churro before, but tried it because he liked the aroma. He won't try any new "real" foods, but when it comes to treats and snacks, he's game for most anything.

We heard from the R family after the show. The older and younger boy were on their way to meet us. We met them over by the big hat and went to Rock and Roller Coaster for fastpasses. I made an ADR at Sci Fi for noon for 4 people, and BFF made one at 3:00 for 5. That was the one we wound up using.

The Sci Fi is a wonderful break from the park on a hot, sunny day. It's so cool and blessedly dark in there.

At the podium, they asked if we wanted to sit 3 and 2 or 2, 2 and 1. I said 3 and 2, but they put us in the 2-2-1 configuration. No biggie, though.

I sat with DN in the front seat of our "car." DS and younger neighbor were behind us with the oldest boy in the back.

I'd read lots of times here that burgers are the best way to go at Sci Fi, so that's what I ordered. I took it all the way, with Swiss cheese, bacon, fried onions and mushrooms. DN got a burger too with yellow cheese and no other toppings. He also selected a vanilla shake as his beverage, while I got unsweetened iced tea.

Both neighbor boys took the Italian chicken sandwich and my son ordered the ribs. Everybody except me got the fries with their meals. I went for the cucumber-melon salad, which was delicious and a nice change of pace.

Everyone loved their food. My burger was incredibly tasty. Excellent! We laughed at the black-and-white movies they play. I especially liked the snack bar ads in between. I remember drive-ins from my childhood. The boys OTOH have only heard about them.

At one point, my son and his friend teased my nephew by rubbing their lettuce leaves on his back. DN got all crazy--he doesn't want lettuce anywhere near him.

For dessert, DS and I got the hot fudge sundae. DN took the fruit salad. Thank goodness that kid eats something unprocessed! The older neighbor got a chocolate shake. He didn't care for it, as DN didn't like his vanilla one much.

I hate that--lately, you can't get a drinkable milkshake anywhere. They make them too thick nowadays. What's up with that? If someone wants ice cream, they'll order ice cream. If they want a shake they can drink, well, forget about it in the new Millenium.

Later that day, we met up with BFF who brought backpacks for the neighbor boys so they could stay in our room that night. All the boys were getting along so well, I thought it would be fun and it was. In fact, it was a little too fun. They didn't go to sleep until after 3:00 a.m. and it was a bear to try and wake them for our ADR at the Beach Club in the morning.

We saw Fantasmic with BFF and loved it. Older neighbor got nachos to eat while we watched the show. When we got back to Pop, everyone changed into bathing suits and went swimming in the Hippie Dippy pool. Around 11:00, I got everyone out so they could get something to eat before the food court closed. The only thing open once we got there was the pizza section so that's what everyone had. The boys also each got their warm breadsticks and sauce as a snack option. They loved those things! DN stole a couple off the other kid's plates even though he ate a whole order of his own.

This is my single complaint about Disney--the food court and other resort amenities close too early when the parks are open late. Closing at midnight would be fine when the parks close at 8:00, but when the parks are open later, the food courts should be too. It was packed in there, so I'm sure they'd made enough business by staying later.

Next up--ESPN Club and the Garden Grill (No, we didn't make our ADR at the Beach Club.)