I don’t *like* food; I Love it – A Solo August 2015 Dining Report - 10/20 COMPLETE

[bizzybee3]

This is a great food/trip review and I am enjoying the report tremendously! Also, thanks for the great tip regarding dining at CRT during Wishes; had never considered that before so thank you for this wonderful idea that I will have to use at some future point.

 

[Dislover1991]

Wow your BOG experience is so different from ours! We had an incredible meal- the best at Disney and one of the best EVER! Sorry your experience wasn't so great!

 

[JustCor]

Be Our Guest
Order: Entree – Pan-seared Chicken Breast, Dessert - The “Grey Stuff”

I managed to score a reservation at one of the hardest places to get one a few weeks out from my trip – dinner at Be Our Guest. Yes it happened to be on the same day that I had a breakfast ADR but seeing as it was a totally different meal that didn’t faze me. ​

The ADR I had gotten was for 2 so earlier in the day I went to inform them I only needed it for one – just in case it was going to be an issue. Well the CM at the check in booth seriously could not have cared less so I left it as. ​

When it was time for dinner I checked in (and of course they asked where the second person was – so the whole lining up to tell them earlier in the day was a great use of time!). I didn’t have to wait long and was escorted by a hostess pretty much straightaway. Now unlike breakfast you have no choice in what room you’re in so I was a little disappointed when she told me I was in the West Wing seeing as that was where I’d had breakfast. And to make it even better as she led me to the table I realised it was the exact same table from breakfast as well!

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It took 15 minutes for my server to come to the table. Now I don’t like to criticise service if I don’t have to but this was hands down the worst service of the trip. So bad that it totally ruined the experience even before I’d had a chance to eat. The CM was just very snide in all her comments and was totally unhelpful when I ordered .

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But onto the order! None of the appetizers sounded appealing so I went with an entree and dessert. I decided on the pan-seared chicken breast and the “grey stuff” for dessert.T

My plan was to order a nice glass of wine with my meal. And that’s where the fun started. The server refused to accept my Australian ID and would not serve me any alcohol without a passport. Now I don’t think there is any reason you should have to carry a passport around a theme park but I would have done it if the reservation had said that it was the only form of ID accepted. The CM didn’t seem to care at all and I knew that it wasn’t consistently applied elsewhere as I was able to get drinks in both Animal Kingdom and Epcot without any ID. So it left a bitter taste in my mouth. However she did bring a basket of bread to the table so there was that.

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Thankfully it was only another 15 minutes before my entree arrived. The pan-seared chicken breast as per the menu was finished with fresh Herb-Truffle Butter and Spinach Cream Sauce, Seasonal Vegetables, and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. The price for this was $23.99+tax. How can I be polite here? This was not good. The chicken was super salty and tough. There was no taste at all of the herb-truffle butter and the seasonal vegetables were like a warm salad.

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After that disaster I waited for my dessert. I only ordered the grey stuff to be able to say that I’d had it but I wish I could have warned myself not to as it was awful. The grey stuff is supposedly a cookie crème but tasted just like sugary frosting. And it is served in chocolate shell which was super dry. I ate one bite and left the rest on my plate. The only upside was that it wasn’t super expensive at $4.19+tax.

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The poor service continued after that. I spent 10 minutes waiting for my server to come back but she seemed to have disappeared. I then spent another 5 minutes trying to flag down anyone just so I could pay the bill and get out of there.

After that I lined up for my photo with the beast. Thankfully it moved pretty quickly so I had my shot before too long and could then leave.

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So overall it was not a great meal. In fact it was probably the worst proper meal of the trip (excluding the terrible gravy fries from Pop). For the price they are charging the food is mediocre at best and in my case the service was terrible. It was so bad that I actually cancelled a lunch ADR there later in the week as I did not want to go back at all. Would I recommend it for dinner? Nope. Unless you have a really big Beast fan in your group, but other than that, no way. ​

Scorecard:
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Rating:
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I'm sorry your BOG meal was so bad. I've given a thought to trying to score an ADR here, but I keep reading middling reviews. I can forgive middling decor and atmosphere if the food is good, but beautiful decorations just don't overcome bad food and service for me. Hopefully that's the last dud of a meal you have.

 

[Redwitch]

Sorry your BoG meal was a disappointment, but I can't say I am surprised. They seem to be riding the theme wave and ignoring the food. We are trying breakfast and lunch on our upcoming trip - mostly to use some QS credits, but it will be a long time before I repeat dinner. Perhaps once the novelty wears off they will focus on the menu.

 

[aj23]

Sorry about your BoG dinner experience. It's hard to forgive meal when both service and food are bad. Hopefully the rest of the meals went well. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

This is a great food/trip review and I am enjoying the report tremendously! Also, thanks for the great tip regarding dining at CRT during Wishes; had never considered that before so thank you for this wonderful idea that I will have to use at some future point.

Thank you. It's definitely an interesting spot to watch wishes if you can get a table next to the windows!

Wow your BOG experience is so different from ours! We had an incredible meal- the best at Disney and one of the best EVER! Sorry your experience wasn't so great!

It just shows you how variable it can be when it comes to dining experiences. I'm glad you had a great meal there - I just wish I could say the same!

I'm sorry your BOG meal was so bad. I've given a thought to trying to score an ADR here, but I keep reading middling reviews. I can forgive middling decor and atmosphere if the food is good, but beautiful decorations just don't overcome bad food and service for me. Hopefully that's the last dud of a meal you have.

It was definitely the worst of the trip. Nothing else came close to that level of service or overpriced food.

Sorry your BoG meal was a disappointment, but I can't say I am surprised. They seem to be riding the theme wave and ignoring the food. We are trying breakfast and lunch on our upcoming trip - mostly to use some QS credits, but it will be a long time before I repeat dinner. Perhaps once the novelty wears off they will focus on the menu.

I've read that lunch is the best option when it comes to quality of the food. Breakfast was perfectly fine but expensive - however I thought it was worth it if you're doing it pre-RD to miss the 7DMT or A&E lines.

Sorry about your BoG dinner experience. It's hard to forgive meal when both service and food are bad. Hopefully the rest of the meals went well. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

Thanks! It was definitely not a great meal but thankfully it was an anomaly - the service at all my other TS meals was much better!

 

[anne m]

Sorry about your meal at BOG. i would like to try lunch there and order a kid's meal.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Sweet Spells
Order: Carrot Cake Cookie



After the mess that was last night’s meal, today was a brand new day and I was going to start it off on a hopefully high note. After rope-dropping at DHS and walking on to Rock’N’Roller Coaster (I seriously can’t recommend rope-dropping highly enough!) it was time for a late breakfast/early morning snack. And I knew exactly where I was headed.

There was one thing that I had read about in my planning that I was looking forward to trying more than anything else. I first read about in the disneyfoodblog Guide to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios Snacks book and then suddenly saw it talked about all the time on these boards. And that would be the carrot cake cookie.

I absolutely adore carrot cake and make a mean one myself (like seriously good, I always get asked for the recipe ). I headed towards Sweet Spells to grab myself one and to see if they were as big as people had warned me.

There was no line so I was able to walk right up to the counter to take a look for myself and boy people were definitely telling the truth when they said they’re massive. They are like the size of a compact disc (I can’t think of a more modern comparison ). Even though this was clearly going to be too much for one person I still had to try it so I ordered one and took it just down the road to the covered seating area they have.

After taking some comparison photos (that’s my Samsung Galaxy S5 next to it – which measures 5.59 x 2.85 inches) I took my first bite.



It was pretty good but I wouldn’t have described it as amazing or life changing. The cookie/cake part was a little fluffy for my liking (I prefer a dense carrot cake) and it had none of the crunchy nutty goodness that I expect from a proper carrot cake. It was definitely tasty but not what I was hoping for. The cream cheese filling however was delicious and I could have eaten just a cup of that. I managed to eat half before I began to feel sick from all the sugar and the rest ended up being thrown away.







It’s definitely a good use of a snack credit if you’re on the dining plan and could easily be shared by two people. And if you’re not on the plan it was only $3.99+tax so still affordable.

Would I order it again? I’m not sure. It was tasty and I enjoyed it but there are just so many other options in WDW that I would probably want to try those first. Now if they changed the recipe and added some nuts in (which won’t happen because of allergies I know) then I would definitely order it again.

Scorecard:


Rating:
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[SnowWhiteOz]

Beaches and Cream
Order: No Way Jose Sundae, Diet Vanilla Coke

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One ADR I had trouble getting was for Beaches & Cream. The only one I could find for ages was for 10pm but that’s just too late for me for a non-park restaurant. Two weeks before my trip I managed to get one for lunch (12:30) and it happened to coincide perfectly with my DHS day.​

After walking off my carrot cake cookie and going on all the big attractions I headed out of the park at 12pm to head over to the Yacht & Beach Club. My plan was to walk over but the timing gods must have been on my side as a boat was pulling up at the dock just as I was walking past. So I decided to take that over instead and it allowed me to see a few more of the Disney resorts along the way.

I took a good 25 minutes on the boat and then I spent another 10 minutes trying to find the actual restaurant (lesson learned – don’t follow the maps in the My Disney Experience app or you’ll end up finding the convention centre, the lounge and the spa before you find your destination! ).​

I checked in and was seated straightaway at a two top table next to the counter. I can definitely understand why the ADRs are so hard to get – the place is tiny and there is only a limited amount of seating available. I looked around taking in the awesome 50’s soda shop style decor (adorable) while waiting for my server.





It wasn’t too long before she came over to take my order. I went with a diet coke with real vanilla flavouring and if you’ve read the start of this report you’d know what I ordered for eats. No Way Jose Sundae you say? Yes you’d be correct – peanut butter and chocolate, how could I resist. Menu pics for those interested.





The server brought my drink out very quickly so let’s start with that. It was delicious. It had the right level of sweetness and vanilla aroma while still maintaining the refreshing aspect of diet coke. It was probably a little expense (although comparable with the rest of Disney) at $3.49+tax but I’d order it again.



A few minutes later and this arrived. The No Way Jose Sundae is a Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge delight featuring Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Morsels, Whipped Cream, and a Cherry. This was $8.49+tax. ​

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The ice cream itself is a basic vanilla ice cream but it was pretty tasty. However what this is all about is the toppings and the flavour combinations. The chocolate fudge sauce was delicious but it was the peanut butter sauce that made this dish. Oh my god that stuff is heavenly . And of course it wouldn’t be a proper sundae without a mountain of whipped cream on top. The only thing I didn’t like about this was the maraschino cherry on top (who actually enjoys maraschino cherries? )

This thing was absolutely enormous. I would have said it served 2-3 people quite easily. In fact after eating as much as I could without feeling sick I’d only managed to make a small dent in (less than a third ).



Beaches & Cream has definitely become one of those must do places for me. It made an excellent mid-day break on a DHS park day and I would seriously recommend it if you’re lucky enough to get an ADR.

And after all that I did decide to walk back to DHS – what better way to burn off all those calories!​

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[auntfrannie]

The No Way Jose looks delicious!

 

[sullymom]

I was able to get an ADR for our next trip, Can't wait to try the No Way Jose.

 

[Vernie822]

Yay, so excited you got the No Way Jose! I am dying for one right now, haha. Delicious! I will have to try the vanilla or cherry coke sometime too.

The carrot cake cookie is good, but I agree with you, I did not think it was life changing. I found a pretty easy copycat recipe and made them at home for Easter this year. Pretty easy and everyone loved them.. so now that I can make them I doubt I will be buying one haha.

 

[The Librarian]

I don't post much but I just wanted to send a big thanks for your reviews.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

The No Way Jose looks delicious!

It's always a risk when something looks that delicious but thankfully the taste lived up to the looks!

I was able to get an ADR for our next trip, Can't wait to try the No Way Jose.

Enjoy!

Yay, so excited you got the No Way Jose! I am dying for one right now, haha. Delicious! I will have to try the vanilla or cherry coke sometime too.

The carrot cake cookie is good, but I agree with you, I did not think it was life changing. I found a pretty easy copycat recipe and made them at home for Easter this year. Pretty easy and everyone loved them.. so now that I can make them I doubt I will be buying one haha.

I could definitely go a No Way Jose right about now - we're just starting to get warm weather in Australia so I'm all about that ice cream!

And yay for you for making the carrot cake cookie at home. I think I'm just going to stick to plain old carrot cake

I don't post much but I just wanted to send a big thanks for your reviews.

You're welcome - and thanks for reading along.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

50’s Prime Time
Order: Drink - Magical Star Cocktail, Entrée - Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken, Dessert - Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake

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So we’ve arrived at the last table service meal of my trip and I left it for one of the more unique in park dining experiences – 50’s Prime Time Cafe. I absolutely love 50s and 60s theming and own a lot of retro/vintage furniture pieces – in fact I often think I was born in the wrong time period and should have been living back then .

I had a 7:00 ADR and made my way inside to check in – this was the first time all trip that my table wasn’t ready upon check-in. I was told to go wait in the Tune In Lounge so I headed on over and managed to grab a seat at the packed bar as someone was leaving as I was hanging around looking for a seat. I ordered a pre-dinner cocktail – the Magical Star Cocktail. The CM behind the bar here was the absolute best CM I had all trip – he was absolutely amazing and made up for some poor service earlier in the trip. We had a great chat and he made a good cocktail so I can’t thank him enough for truly making my night.





I had just received my cocktail when I was called to dinner so I carried it in with me into the restaurant. I was seated in a booth along one of the back walls which gave me a great view across the restaurant area. The server was lovely and thankfully I got one who was into the whole theming. I had read that they were stopping or minimising the antics but I was looking forward to experiencing the whole thing so when I was made to set the table right of the bat I was one happy lady.



I placed my order - I went with the PB+J milkshake ($5.79+tax) and Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken ($19.99+tax). While waiting for my meal I had a nice chat with the family at the table next to me who were 50’s Prime Time regulars. I also finished off my cocktail which was very tasty – it was a fruity cocktail which of course is super easy to drink and because I’m clearly five years old on the inside the best part was the glow in the dark ice-cube.



My meal was then brought out – Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken was served (as per the menu) with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Gravy, and Seasonal Vegetables. The seasonal vegetable on this occasion was a half ear of corn. This was really good – it definitely tasted like something you would find in your grandmothers kitchen. The chicken was juicy and not at all greasy (which is usually my problem with fried chicken). The mashed potatoes were good and the gravy was very tasty. The corn was very fresh but could have used a little seasoning. It was also a massive serve - this could easily be split between two people as I left almost half the chicken on my plate.



The PB+J Milkshake was delicious but super thick. In Australia milkshakes are thin (like chocolate milk) and things like this are described as thick shakes. Well this was definitely a thick shake – I couldn’t drink it through the straw provided and ended up using a spoon! I’d only had about a third of the drink by the end of the meal so my cousin brought me out a takeaway cup to take the rest to go.





Overall this was a really enjoyable experience. The atmosphere is fantastic, the food was really enjoyable and it was some of the best service I experienced all trip. I would definitely go back - maybe not every single time – but I would go and would happily recommend it to others.

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[ALEXandFAB]

Ok, YUM. The Magical Star Cocktail and Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken are now definitely on my "must do" list...

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Ok, YUM. The Magical Star Cocktail and Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken are now definitely on my "must do" list...

Glad I could add something to your list. My to eat list is now pages and pages long

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Food Cart
Order: Mickey Bar​

It was my last day in the park (and a half day at that) so I decided it was finally time to bite the bullet and try the most talked about treat at WDW – the Mickey Bar. It was a super hot day and after almost melting while riding the Tomorrowland Speedway I decided it was time for an ice-cream to cool down.​

I stopped at the cart right outside the speedway and ordered my Mickey Bar – I believe it was $4.25+tax which I thought was expensive for a stick based ice cream. I took it over to a nearby wall and sat down to eat it.



First things first, I agree with everyone on the adorableness of this ice cream. The Mickey head shape is super cute and definitely screams Disney.



But that’s all I agree with unfortunately. I didn’t love it taste wise. The ice cream was just your super standard vanilla ice cream which was fine. But the chocolate was what let it down. The chocolate on this is the awful waxy fake chocolate which melts immediately. I really didn’t enjoy that part of it and it left me struggling to understand all the fanfare that it gets.

So what I’ve learned is that I am not a Mickey Bar kind of gal – give me a dole whip any day.

Scorecard:


Rating:
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[keahgirl8]

I've never eaten a Mickey bar, but I've always thought the same thing. It looks like just one of those cheap ice cream bars you get at a gas station. I prefer to get things I can't get anywhere else.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

I've never eaten a Mickey bar, but I've always thought the same thing. It looks like just one of those cheap ice cream bars you get at a gas station. I prefer to get things I can't get anywhere else.

That's actually a really good description- gas station ice cream! I'm going to steal that and use it from now on