How Did We Eat So Much?! Lots of Pics + DxDDP + DCL! *UPDATES 7/12*

[RGirl]

Welcome to my first Dining Review! I am so excited to be doing this. I have learned so much about WDW dining here on the DIS, and I have written two prior trip reports, so I thought it was time to join on as a full-fledged Dining Review DIS’er!

This trip included myself (Roni) and my 6-year-old DD, Willow. Here we are:

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We were traveling in August (first-time summer trip due to entering the school system - not quite as pleasant as our prior October trips ). We decided to do the DELUXE Dining Plan! I chose to purchase the Deluxe Plan because we do quite a bit of character dining and had planned to do at least one signature; after running the numbers, the Deluxe was not going to cost me a whole lot more than paying for all those character meals OOP and adding a signature and CS meals, and with the DxDDP we would be able to try a lot more that I wouldn’t be willing to pay for if I was doing every meal OOP. So I sprung for the plan and booked even more character meals and quite a few signatures. We were at WDW for a week, staying at the Boardwalk Inn. At the end of that week, we boarded the Disney Fantasy for a week of cruising and more dining! I intend to share my pictures and reviews from the Fantasy as well since we ate a LOT, including at both adult-only up-charge restaurants.

A quick aside: This was my first time using WDW’s special dietary program. I have an issue with gluten - it makes me quite ill, and it has gotten worse and worse over time. I used to just try to muddle through, picking things that I was pretty confident would be safe. This time, after reading up on it, I decided to notate my ADRs with my dietary needs and trust in Disney to help me out. So some of my reviews will touch on how different restaurants handled this issue, and some of my meals will be slightly altered from the menu version, but mostly, this will just be a fun food review!

I hope you will join me in my culinary reliving of our trip. Will the Deluxe be too much food? If so, will we care? Is there such a thing as too many character meals? Too many signature restaurants? Stay tuned for the answers to these questions and more!

Oh! I almost forgot that people like a list of the restaurants being reviewed! I will also link chapters here. Please note that we ate SO MUCH on this trip that I had to go back through my ADRs on the WDW app to list them!

1. Yachtsman Steakhouse Dinner

Yachtsman Continued

2. Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch

3. Artist Point Dinner

BONUS: Boardwalk Bakery

4.Hollywood Brown Derby Lunch

Hollywood Brown Derby Lunch Cont.

5. Garden Grill Dinner

6. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Breakfast

7. Le Cellier Lunch

8. Flying Fish Cafe Dinner

Flying Fish Cafe Dinner Cont.

9. Tusker House Breakfast

10. Chef Mickey’s Dinner

11. ‘Ohana Breakfast

12. Crystal Palace Lunch

13. Be Our Guest Dinner

14. Mama Melrose Lunch

15a. Jiko - but first Victoria Falls

15. Jiko - The Cooking Place Dinner

16. Cape May Cafe Breakfast

17. 1900 Park Fare Dinner

BONUS: Boardwalk Bakery and Babycakes Bakery

18. DCL Room Service Lunch

19. Royal Court Dinner

20. Cabanas Breakfast

21. Remy Brunch

Remy Brunch cont.

22. Flo’s Cafe (Quick Service) Lunch/Vista Cafe/Captain's Reception

23. Animator’s Palate Dinner

Animator's Palate Dinner (cont.)

24. Royal Court Breakfast

25. Cabanas Lunch

26. Palo Dinner

27. Enchanted Garden Breakfast

28. Royal Court Lunch

29. Royal Court Dinner

30. Royal Court Lunch

31. Animator’s Palate Dinner

32. Cabanas Breakfast

33. Flo’s Cafe (Quick Service) Lunch

34. DCL Room Service Dinner

35. Cabanas Breakfast

36. Cookie’s Too BBQ Lunch

37. Remy Dinner

38. Enchanted Garden Breakfast

 

[rodeo65]

Ooooh - looking forward to this report! We are going in February after a year where both DH and I have removed gluten from our diets. Not diagnosed, but made some lifestlye changes and we both feel so much better without it.

We have not included any notation on our ADRs and were intending to just do as you had done previously and make the best choices we can.

I can't wait to see what you were able to eat and how you enjoyed it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[vettegirl]

Outstanding lineup!!

 

[shan23877]

I'm excited to join in and hear all about it!

 

[doitforlove]

Can't wait for your review! You have an amazing line up at the parks! Can't wait for the Fantasy food as well. I've been thinking of booking a cruise recently!

 

[weswife]

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Linda67]

Count me in

I have a feeling this is going to be a good 'un

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Really looking forward to this one - we did the DXDP just once for the same reasons as you, wanted to do Sigs, character breakfasts and the two shows so worked out $$$ cheaper. Couldn't do it every trip though. Also we are planning our first Summer trip next year and have always done October/November or February.

:

 

[WildGinger]

Can't wait...can't wait! Most of these on our list for February. Also, trying to decide if we want the deluxe plan.

 

[LIBLULA]

Can't wait!!!!!

 

[Tinker12]

Looking forward to your reviews!!!

 

[RGirl]

I am working on the first review. I hope to have it posted by tonight or tomorrow. I have soooo many pictures from this trip to sort through and organize, so it's kind of slow going.

Ooooh - looking forward to this report! We are going in February after a year where both DH and I have removed gluten from our diets. Not diagnosed, but made some lifestlye changes and we both feel so much better without it.

We have not included any notation on our ADRs and were intending to just do as you had done previously and make the best choices we can.

I can't wait to see what you were able to eat and how you enjoyed it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome!! Thanks so much for joining in!

I felt very awkward about notating my ADRs and making things more difficult for the chefs and servers. However, after being gluten-free for a couple of years now, I get pretty violently sick if I accidentally get "gluten'ed," so I knew that I needed to make the notations as I did not want to spend my vacation sick. If you do get sick from it, you might want to consider it. But you can read along and see how it worked out for me!

Outstanding lineup!!

Thanks so much! I felt like we had a nice variety of character meals, fun meals, and signatures.

I'm excited to join in and hear all about it!

Thank you so much for joining!!

Can't wait for your review! You have an amazing line up at the parks! Can't wait for the Fantasy food as well. I've been thinking of booking a cruise recently!

Welcome!! Thanks so much for joining in! I hope you do a cruise - DCL cruises are insanely fun. This was our second, and I can't wait to do another one.

 

[RGirl]

Can't wait to read more!

Welcome! Thank you so much for joining in!!

Count me in

I have a feeling this is going to be a good 'un

Aww -thanks! I sure hope it will be good. I am really looking forward to sharing our dining experiences and pictures.

Really looking forward to this one - we did the DXDP just once for the same reasons as you, wanted to do Sigs, character breakfasts and the two shows so worked out $$$ cheaper. Couldn't do it every trip though. Also we are planning our first Summer trip next year and have always done October/November or February.

:

Welcome! Thanks for joining in! The DxDDP really is the way to go if you want to do the character meals and signatures. Even with mostly two-meal days though, it is a ton of food!

The change to a summer trip was, for us, really hard. It was a very different kind of Disney trip. I hope that you will enjoy your summer trip - WDW is fun anytime of the year.

Can't wait...can't wait! Most of these on our list for February. Also, trying to decide if we want the deluxe plan.

Hi there! Thanks for joining in! Oh, I'm glad to hear that our reviews may be helpful to you given that you are planning to go to some of the same places. One of the reasons that I wanted to write this DR was to help myself determine whether I would do the DxDDP again - I want to be able to reflect on how it all went for us now that we are home.

Can't wait!!!!!

Welcome! Thanks for joining in!!!

Looking forward to your reviews!!!

Thanks! I'm glad you joined. I can't wait to share all the details and pictures.

 

[livsmom04]

I'm joining in. Can't wait to hear about the food and your meals.

 

[autumnpalm]

Also joining in!

 

[wilma-bride]

Joining and looking forward to this. We are sailing on the Fantasy in just over 6 weeks so particularly looking forward to that part of the review.

 

[MrsB1228]

Joining in and looking forward to the reviews. Your daughter is adorable!

 

[RGirl]

I'm joining in. Can't wait to hear about the food and your meals.

Welcome! Thank you so much for coming along for the culinary ride.

Also joining in!

Hello there! Thanks for joining in!

Joining and looking forward to this. We are sailing on the Fantasy in just over 6 weeks so particularly looking forward to that part of the review.

Hello! Thanks for joining! How excited that your cruise is coming up so fast. Have you cruised with DCL before? Are you booking any meals at Palo or Remy?

Joining in and looking forward to the reviews. Your daughter is adorable!

Hey there! Thanks so much for joining. And thank you - I think she's pretty great!

 

[RGirl]

The Yachtsman Steakhouse

Our first WDW meal was one that I had been looking forward to for a very long time. The Yachtsman Steakhouse! We walked over from the Boardwalk Inn where we were staying. We had never been in the Yacht Club before - what a beautiful resort!

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We quickly found our way over to the Yachtsman Steakhouse.

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While waiting for our table, we had a seat with a view of some meat.

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We did not wait long, however, before being shown to our table. The restaurant is quite lovely.

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The wait to be seated, however, was our last short wait of the evening. We waited an incredibly long time before our server finally stopped by. When she did greet us, she was nice enough. She mentioned my gluten notation on my ADR and asked about it. She mentioned that the chef could come out, but she came across as kind of put out by the idea. I had heard that this was standard at WDW restaurants (the chef-to-the-table thing), but I thought maybe that had changed - I mean, it does seem like a lot of time out of the workday for a chef to be coming to every table with an allergy or intolerance or whatever. And, to be honest, the whole idea of taking up someone's time like this and being kind of singled out made me feel a little awkward anyway. So when our server suggested that I could just order what I thought I wanted and she would see if it could be made gluten-free, I agreed to do that. This was probably a mistake - this evening was the only time on this entire two-week trip of constant dining that I was sick. Anyway, that does not stop the food from being tasty!

Our server took our appetizer orders, but I said that we needed another minute to decide on entrees. This was another mistake. Our server proceeded to disappear. For a looooooooooong time. I got some pictures of the menu during that lengthy period of time:

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Finally, our server returned with our drinks and took our entree orders. She had promised some gluten-free bread earlier, and I had asked her to bring some regular bread for Willow as well. The bread did not arrive with the drinks, although she did bring the butter and the roasted garlic.

For my beverage, I had a huge bottle of Pellegrino, which was included on the DDP! DD had some apple juice and was thrilled to receive a Mickey straw with it. (Okay, in this first picture, she doesn't exactly look thrilled - in fact, you can kind of see that the nonstop waiting was taking a toll. And we hadn't even hit a park in August yet! )

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The bread-less butter looked tasty…..

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(Continued in next post due to too many images.)

 

[RGirl]

(Continued from previous post.)

Another server or food runner brought out our appetizers. DD ordered the kids’ green salad. She only ate a tiny bit of it, but I don’t think that reflects on anything other than the fact that she didn’t really feel like eating a salad.
DD’s review: “I didn’t like it. Because it had tomatoes and carrots and a different kind of dressing. I like croutons and oil and vinegar. Wait, I like CAESAR SALAD.”

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I ordered the cheese plate. Here is the description:

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And here is my cheese plate. All of the bread items had been left off, of course. That reminds me - we still hadn’t received any bread and actually waited a bit to eat our appetizers in hopes that we would receive some or see our server so we could ask for some, but finally we just ate our apps without bread. The cheese was absolutely delicious, as were the accompaniments - bread was definitely not necessary. (And yet, would have been nice…..)

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I also ordered a wine flight - I love to order these at WDW because they offer the opportunity to try a decent taste of several wines at a relatively reasonable price.

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A different server or food runner brought out our entrees - he was so nice and interacted very well with DD, which was sweet. DD had ordered the Oak-Grilled Steak Skewers with mashed potatoes and vegetables. You can see that she subbed french fries for the mash - the child does not like mashed potatoes! DD really enjoyed this meal and actually ate quite a lot of it. Her steak was cooked nicely to medium as we had requested.
DD’s review: “I loved it. I loved the steak and the french fries and the carrots. It was so yummy that I wanted to have it again at the Steakhouse!”

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I had ordered the Prime 12-ounce New York Strip Steak with White-Cheddar Twice-Baked Potato and Peppercorn-Brandy Sauce. I was given mashed potatoes instead of the twice-baked potato, presumably because of gluten. The steak was delicious, cooked exactly as ordered and very tender. The mashed potatoes were fine, bland, but nothing to complain about. I usually really love mashed potatoes though, so I was kind of surprised that I didn’t enjoy them more. It really didn’t matter, because the steak was scrumptious, and that really was the point of the entree.

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At some point during the course of the meal, we did finally receive bread. We did not receive any apology or reason for the delay - which was disappointing, because with things like this, I think an apology or recognition that you kind of messed up goes a long way with most guests. It certainly does with me. Anyway, onto the much-awaited bread: I received two hard, cold gluten-free rolls. If you have ever had these things, you know that they are almost inedible unless they are heated. Oh well - there was more than enough food tonight! The server did not bring any regular bread for DD, so I had to ask again for some. She did enjoy it when she received it.

As had become the norm, we waited a very long time for desserts to arrive. For her dessert, DD ordered the white chocolate Mickey puzzle that is offered at a number of the signature restaurants. This particular one came with chocolate chip cookies. DD really enjoyed this dessert a lot - it was fun and tasty! I will note, however, that that puzzle is surprisingly hard to put together! Really!
DD’s review: “I terribly loved it.”

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I did not have a lot of gluten-free options for dessert, but I enjoyed the creme brulee, although as with every other course, I was not able to finish it.

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Overall view of the Yachtsman Steakhouse: The food here was very good. We did not receive very good service, but anyone can have a bad night. I would not write off the restaurant based on our service experience. And I do understand leisurely, properly paced dining; I think that the wait times we had (most especially the wait for our server even to greet us) were excessive, but (to be 100% fair) perhaps they seemed longer than they were because I was dining with a 6-year-old child who was a bit tired from traveling all day.

Would we go back? Definitely. I would probably request a particular server based on others’ reviews, but we would absolutely return here for the atmosphere and the delicious food.

Up Next: Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch