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

[WickedDreamer]

No worries, I loved reading Trip reports and just recently start reading Dining reports.. This trip we are trying - Le Cellier, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Narcoossee's, and Cinderella's Royal Table which we went to last trip for dinner.

 

[RGirl]

No worries, I loved reading Trip reports and just recently start reading Dining reports.. This trip we are trying - Le Cellier, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Narcoossee's, and Cinderella's Royal Table which we went to last trip for dinner.

I love obsessing over my ADRs, tweaking them right up until the last minute. So I LOVE dining reviews!

Your list looks GREAT! I haven't tried Narcoosee's yet, but I have read many good reviews. How fun!!!!!

 

[RGirl]

Hollywood Brown Derby Lunch​

Our second full day at WDW found us checking in for our third signature dining experience - this time for lunch.

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We have eaten at HBD for lunch on each of our three trips to WDW. DHS is a great park, but there is a lot of concrete and lot of heat - for us, HBD is kind of an oasis in the midst of all that. A quick shot of the interior from our booth:

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Now on our past two trips, we had not been on a DP, and certainly not the DxDDP, so all I have ever ordered here before was the Cobb Salad and a champagne flight. Being on DxDDP, I thought I would give some other things a try.

Here are the menu options for you to peruse along with me:

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And the kids’ menu:

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For my non-alcoholic DDP beverage, I got an unsweetened iced tea - I needed the cold and the caffeine! (This is almost always my drink of choice.)

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Now I don’t usually drink alcoholic beverages at lunch, but I just can’t go to HBD without ordering the champagne flight for some reason! Here it is:

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And here is what they were - ALL were extremely good:

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Our server here was just lovely - she worked with us through anything and everything as you will see. The chef who came out about my gluten problem was also great - basically every entree except the Cioppino was gluten-free as prepared from the menu, and the Cioppino could easily be prepared for me by replacing the orzo with veggies or another starch. How cool is that? There were also several appetizers that were gluten-free, and the chef indicated that they could make the one I wanted gluten-free for me by substituting the coating. I have to say, HBD was absolutely phenomenal about accommodating my dietary restrictions.

DD enjoyed the standard HBD bread:

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And I had a nicely warmed gluten-free roll with some really delicious butter.

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(Continued in next post)

 

[RGirl]

Hollywood Brown Derby Lunch Cont.​

For her appetizer, DD ordered the Celery and Carrot “Dippers” with Ranch Dressing. Now DD does not like celery, and she is the only child on earth who does not like ranch. And she had a long conversation with our poor server about this. DD insisted that she liked carrots with ketchup (she had spent the whole summer with her BFF who actually does like this disgusting combo, so she liked to pretend that she liked it too), so our server brought her this:

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Gives me the shivers just looking at it!!!

I had the Andouille-Crusted Prawn over Black Diamond Cheddar Grits, Wilted Greens and Ancho Oil. This was so delicious! The prawn was huge and perfectly cooked; the grits were creamy and flavorful. YUM!

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A couple more shots of our view:

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For her entree, DD ordered the Pan-Seared Hot Dog with Baked Potato Chips.

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Unfortunately, she thought this was disgusting. And, although she is somewhat picky lately, it was clear that it was not just DD being picky - I mean, she likes hotdogs (yes, I buy the nitrate/nitrite-free kind at home when we have them at home because they are so available now, but she has certainly had other types of hotdogs before and enjoyed them, and I doubt that there is much of a taste difference anyway). She seemed genuinely hungry and disgusted with this dog, so when the server asked how things were, I mentioned, somewhat uncomfortably, that DD really did not like the hotdog.

DD’s description of the offending hotdog: “It was like white and kind of brown, and it was soft. And when I bit out of it, it tasted like soft. I hated it.”

Our server was so sweet and placed an order for DD to get the Grilled Cheese on Whole-Wheat Bread with Sliced Apples - after we made sure that it could be made with Cheddar as DD will not eat American “cheese” (and I really, really can’t blame her for that as I won’t either!). DD LOVED this sandwich. She snarfed it down as fast as she could.

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DD’s review: “It was sooo good. I couldn’t stand it - it was TOO GOOD! I would eat that again. And the carrots were good too.”

I really wasn’t terribly hungry at this point - apparently, the DDP was getting to me after only a handful of meals? Honestly, I think it was the heat. But I decided to use that as an opportunity to order something that I wouldn’t normally order to see how I would like it. So I ordered the Duck Two Ways - Sauteed Confit with Swiss Chard over a Herb and Coat Cheese Polenta Cake finished with Pan-Seared Maple Bourbon Duck Magret with a Sun-Dried Cherry Sauce.

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Now, I have certainly had duck before, but it is not really a protein of choice for me. The confit was delicious as were the accompaniments. I wasn’t a HUGE fan of the duck breast - it seemed rather tough. But again, I am not someone who just LOVES duck, so I am probably not the best person to pass judgment on this dish. I was really happy to have tried it and not disappointed at all. Like I said, I wasn’t exactly hungry anyway and definitely ate more than enough to stave off any future hunger.

For her dessert, DD ordered the Hidden Treasures - Vanilla Ice Cream, Oreo Cookie Crumbs,Gummy Worms, and a fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie. I’m pretty sure she enjoyed this…. (You can spy one of her endless selfies in progress in the first pic. )

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DD’s review: “It was cold, and it was yummy too! I loved it too much!”

As mentioned, I was not exactly starving at this point. So I ordered the sorbet that the chef had said was available as a gluten-free option - I don’t think it is on the menu. I think it was a cantaloupe flavor, and it was very refreshing and the perfect choice for me at this moment.

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[khaleesi]

Reading along to live vicariously through you!! I absolutely love that you're including your daughter's reviews!! Too cute.

Of course, you kind of lost me with the "I'm not much of a dessert person" thing. Haha.

 

[Linda67]

I had no clue that there was a champagne flight at HBD
My head was turned by the margarita flight

 

[RGirl]

Reading along to live vicariously through you!! I absolutely love that you're including your daughter's reviews!! Too cute.

Glad to have you reading along! DD loves giving her "reviews."

Of course, you kind of lost me with the "I'm not much of a dessert person" thing. Haha.

I used to have a real sweet tooth - not sure what happened to it. Now, offer me a cheese plate, and I am THERE!

I had no clue that there was a champagne flight at HBD
My head was turned by the margarita flight

Mmmmm - margaritas!!! That sounds good too! There is something about HBD that just makes me want to sip champagne.

 

[livsmom04]

Wow! HBD food looks so good! One day I guess I will eat there. We always get the DxDDP too. As for the ketchup and carrots...I've seen it done before. My daughter used to eat that before she became an extremely picky eater.

 

[librarygeek]

I love the snacks at the Boardwalk Bakery!! I had a fruit tart there as well as the most amazing cupcake I've ever had - a s'mores cupcake. Yum!

That prawn at HBD looks delicious! And the champagne flight - I love rosa regale! And I've heard good things about the Fairy Tale one too. Do you mind me asking how much the champagne flight was? And cantelope sorbet sounds like the perfect refreshing dessert on a day like that

 

[ByKnight]

Thank you for this review I am still trying to decide if the meal plan is worth it but you are building a compelling case for it.

 

[Dislover1991]

Sorry, I know you haven't posted your review for lunch at Crystal Palace or breakfast at Cape May but could you just perhaps tell me which you preferred?

We have an ADR for each - I just made one at Cape May last night because the DFB made it sound so great! But now I have to decide whether I want to cancel Cape May or lunch at Crystal Palace

 

[fabulousfive]

Excited to follow!!

 

[budafam]

Mmmm, I love Brown Derby. Our first experience there was less than stellar but the second time made up for it.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

Subbing! You have some really great ADRs listed!

 

[PrincessPaczki]

Hi. I am enjoying your dining reviews. I can't wait to read more.

 

[RGirl]

Wow! HBD food looks so good! One day I guess I will eat there. We always get the DxDDP too. As for the ketchup and carrots...I've seen it done before. My daughter used to eat that before she became an extremely picky eater.

We definitely enjoy HBD!

Too funny about the ketchup and carrots! I had no idea that it was a "thing."

I love the snacks at the Boardwalk Bakery!! I had a fruit tart there as well as the most amazing cupcake I've ever had - a s'mores cupcake. Yum!

I love looking at the cases of goodies there - so pretty!

That prawn at HBD looks delicious! And the champagne flight - I love rosa regale! And I've heard good things about the Fairy Tale one too. Do you mind me asking how much the champagne flight was? And cantelope sorbet sounds like the perfect refreshing dessert on a day like that

The prawn was absolutely perfect. And I just can't pass up that flight. You know, I honestly can't remember how much the flight was. Sorry. If I ever locate my receipts, I'll check for it though.

Thank you for this review I am still trying to decide if the meal plan is worth it but you are building a compelling case for it.

The Deluxe Plan made good financial sense for us because of all the character meals we had planned. I have never been able to make the regular DDP come out as financially helpful for us though.

Sorry, I know you haven't posted your review for lunch at Crystal Palace or breakfast at Cape May but could you just perhaps tell me which you preferred?

We have an ADR for each - I just made one at Cape May last night because the DFB made it sound so great! But now I have to decide whether I want to cancel Cape May or lunch at Crystal Palace

Oh, that is a tough one! I think it really depends on what you are looking for. I prefer lunch food to breakfast food, so I definitely ate more at CP, but the breakfast food was totally fine at CM, and most people would probably prefer it to buffet lunch food. Character interaction was probably better at CM because it was not crowded at all - the characters were able to spend time joking around and stuff. But you can no longer see Eeyore anywhere except CP, so.....

Sorry - I'm not very helpful!

Excited to follow!!

Thanks for joining in and commenting!

Mmmm, I love Brown Derby. Our first experience there was less than stellar but the second time made up for it.

Goes to show, you kind of have to try a place more than once, huh? We have been three times - first time was fantastic, second was okay (not great service), and this time was just lovely.

Subbing! You have some really great ADRs listed!

Thanks for joining in! We were definitely very lucky to try a lot of great places this trip!

Hi. I am enjoying your dining reviews. I can't wait to read more.

Thanks! I hope to have more posted soon!

 

[Leslieann1024]

"so far, nice, but please.. the fonts.. so big, so purple.. so not needed! "

Loving your report so far ! And no worries about the font - I like being able to "identify" with different trippies by the fonts ![COLOR="Blue"][/COLOR]

 

[Lita]

"so far, nice, but please.. the fonts.. so big, so purple.. so not needed! " Loving your report so far ! And no worries about the font - I like being able to "identify" with different trippies by the fonts !

I agree! I like the color and fonts

 

[RGirl]

Loving your report so far ! And no worries about the font - I like being able to "identify" with different trippies by the fonts ![COLOR="Blue"][/COLOR]

Thanks!

And thanks - I like it too.

I agree! I like the color and fonts

 

[RGirl]

Garden Grill Dinner​

Garden Grill was a new dining experience for us, and we were really excited to give it a try. I had added it originally because of DD’s desire to meet Pluto as many times as humanly possible on this trip. Plus, we love Mickey and Chip ‘n’ Dale too.

We had to wait a few minutes for our table (because we were a little early), and there was a real crowd waiting with us.

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One of the greatest things about this dining experience was that, once in the restaurant, we felt like we were the only people there. The booths are set up in such a way that you hardly notice that anyone else is in the place. And our server and the characters were so attentive and present that we really felt like we were their main focus all evening. What a treat!

This was the original view from our table:

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However, as you may know, this restaurant rotates, so it wasn’t our view for long! This is a pretty cool feature too - fun for kids and a little different. And it’s neat to see the Living with the Land attraction from a different perspective.

You can kind of get a sense of how private the booths feel from this pic of DD.

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Our server greeted us promptly and explained the way the food and characters work (this place does not have an a la carte menu but instead is served family style) very efficiently and thoroughly. And then she went off to get the chef to address my gluten issues. While waiting, we were visited by our first character - a favorite of ours Chip! He spent so much time with us and was so funny.

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The chef came by next, and he was very personable and funny. He and DD talked quite a lot - she told him she loves broccoli (she does not) and that she was going to eat a whole plate of it. And he then said that, if that was the case, he was going to bring her a whole plate! As for gluten, almost everything that is served here was safe except that he would sub gluten-free rolls, delete the stuffing and steak sauce, and sub a gluten-free dessert. The chef then proceeded to interact with Dale who was visiting the table next to us but had come over to “talk” to the chef before finishing up with the other table. It was a really good time! Very high energy and fun in this place!

After the chef left, Dale made his way over to us, and again - absolutely great character interaction here.

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After Dale left, the chef returned with a huge plate of broccoli for DD!

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Yep - she actually ate some of it!

DD’s review: “I kind of like broccoli. Just a little bit. I don’t eat it very often. I mostly like the stems. The chef was pretty funny!”

I was able to order a nice bottle of Perrier on the DP.

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And I took our server’s recommendation and got the sangria.

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It was okay. A little too sweet for me, but not bad at all.

Farmer Mickey came by next.

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The first food items were gluten-free rolls (and regular bread for DD), maple butter and the Harvest-Inspired Farmer’s Salad

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That butter is DANGEROUS. I must NEVER make it at home - it would make the sole of a shoe taste delicious. And I do not know what they put in the salad here, but it was like crack. I had to fight DD for it - we both just loved it. Can't explain it - maybe we were starved for veg already?

DD’s review: “I liked how Mommy and I fought over the salad. It was pretty good - I think I’ll order that next time. I have to get it again! Every time I go to Disney World!”

Pluto stopped by then. And once again - just amazing character interaction!

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The children’s entree platter here includes broccoli, chicken drumsticks, mac and cheese with goldfish crackers on top, and sweet potato fries.

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DD’s review: “The mac and cheese was so good - like homemade. I have to get that again! I ate some of the chicken leg too - it was tasty.” As for the sweet potato fries: “Yuck.” (This has nothing to do with GG’s fries, she doesn’t like these anywhere.)

The adult entree platter includes Roasted All-Natural Turkey Breast with Lemon Caper Sauce, Sustainable Fish of the Day with Roasted Tomato and Pepper Compote, Char-Grilled Filet of Beef with Red Wine Butter, Garden Fresh Vegetables, Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes, and Artisan Bread Pudding (omitted from mine). Now, obviously, this is a character meal, and you go here to see the characters, so I did not expect a lot from the food. But I have to say that everything we had here was pretty darn good - definitely at least a notch or two above most character dining experiences. The turkey and mashed potatoes on this platter were particularly yummy!

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The other cool thing about this experience? The characters visited us more than once. Pluto even did the Hotdog-Hotdog-Hot-Diggity-Dog dance for DD.

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And there was dessert too! The kids’ dessert is a cake cone!

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DD’s review: “That was SOOOO good! But I was full.”

And I got gluten-free brownie bites and cookies. Now, I know these are just some packaged product, but this was really enjoyable because it was different. And I don’t buy gluten-free packaged products like bread, cakes, muffins, etc. at home, so it wasn’t something that I would normally have.

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So Garden Grill? It was our best character dining experience of the trip. We will DEFINITELY return. And if future experiences are as good as this one, it is a place we will book every trip.