"Insanity is my Middle Name" - Impromptu Easter Weekend Trip -Update 4/23 - Wishes!

[vinotinto]

Thanks for the reviews! Glad to see more pics of Tokyo Dining as I'm considering it for lunch on our next trip.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Very good report so far. I noticed you like to eat appetizers and dessert, too. Every so often, I like to do that instead of having an entree. Sometimes you're just not in the mood for it! I haven't been to Jiko for few years other than a special wine dinner, but I want to go back soon, now. Mostly because they never used to have a dedicated chocolate dessert!

I still haven't made it over to Yak and Yeti, but I probably would want to do the appetizer thing there, too.

And the tempura brought me back...to yesterday. I had tempura for lunch yesterday. Yum!

I do like to go for the appetizers/dessert at some places especially depending on my mood. Plus it lets me try lots of different things without looking too much like a pig, although I think Sunday night I might have been a little piggy.

For years I never had dessert at Jiko - its only in this past year I've started ordering it there. Both the donuts & the trio are so so good.

Yak & Yeti to me is the only place in Animal Kingdom worth eating nowadays. If you can't tell by now - I hate counter service, especially with the cost cutting measures...errr "health reasons" (no more beef hotdogs, bun changes) I mean I still enjoy the fries but eh.

My husband teases about me going to Tokyo Dining since we eat Japanese Food at least weekly at home, alternating between the sit down portion or the cooking table. But meh - its tasty and thats all that counts.

Great reviews, thanks very much for posting.

Thanks for reading along!

Enjoying your reviews, that Cherry Blossom Martini looks great.

It was great Glad you are enjoying!

Great review , fried green beans sound DELISH!!

They were! I wish my local place had them but sadly their veggies w/ tempura are carrots, sweet potato and mushrooms.

I am LOVING your beverage choices!!

I was loving drinking them! Although I didn't have that many on this trip as I thought I would.

great reviews and pictures as always ...

curious about that drink at Tokyo Dining ... was it very sweet or did they use a dry sake to offset the plum wine? It looks great but drinks that are too sweet set off my gack-reflex.

It was definitely on the sweeter side. I ordered it thinking they would have used something drier but they didn't. I really don't know a lot about sake, maybe one of these days I'll learn more.

Thanks for the reviews! Glad to see more pics of Tokyo Dining as I'm considering it for lunch on our next trip.

You definitely should try it for lunch! Its one of the better places for lunch in the World Showcase!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Il Mulino​

After Lunch at Tokyo, I finished up the World Showcase & went to one of the Demos at the Garden Center where we learned about the history of the festivals and then got make our own Mickey Shaped potted plant (which 1 week later – I still haven’t killed!) I returned to my room to relax and get ready for dinner.

I arrived at the Swan about 15 minutes before my reservation time & checked in. There were a lot of strollers around the podium which meant not a lot of room for waiting to be called to your table. After about 10 minutes, I was lead to a small table on the left of the restaurant, next to a very large column. In a few minutes, my server stopped by to drop off the basket of Italian bread & Red Pepper Flake Sticks and the accompaniments (eggplant and sausage) and to take my drink order. I ordered a glass of Tolloy Pinot Grigio - $10.50/glass and looked over the menu while munching on the nicely flavored Red Pepper Flake Bread.

When she returned with my wine, she gave me a list of the many specials they had this evening, when the pasta one sounded interesting to me & I ended up ordering that one. This would be basically the last I would see of my server this evening until it became time for the check, as random staffers kept bringing me my courses as my server spent a lot of time with the other tables.

For my first course, I ordered:
Parmigiano Reggiano – Aged Parmesan Cheese - $8

While the presentation of the blocks of cheese is lacking, the flavor of the cheese was perfect. I enjoyed about half of this with my bread before another staffer returned with my second course:

Caesar Salad - $9

The Caesar was wonderful and I again was about half way done when my pasta was served by another random server. I tried to mention I would like another glass of wine, but they had walked off before I could say anything.
Pasta Special – Linguine w/ Cream Sauce, Peas, Prosciutto, Lemon Zest - $24

The pasta was great! I really enjoyed the lemon with the peas and prosciutto. I should have ordered a half portion as it was too much but you live and learn.

I sat for about 15 minutes after I was finished eating the pasta before my server from the beginning of the evening came by with the check. I handed her my TIW card & credit card and she walked off without saying much and someone else other than her returned with my credit slip.

You notice how I’m missing mentioning that usual thing that is served at the end of the meals at Il Mulino?

Yeah…

As I was signing, a manager stopped by my table to ask how my evening here was & I was honest. I had felt the service was lacking & mention the lack of offer to refill my wine glass, the lack of presence of any server team, no Limóncello and such. He apologized for these mistakes & did bring me a bottle of the wine I was drinking to make up for those qualities lacking in his server staff that evening & brought me over the Limoncello that I hadn’t been served at the end of meal.

The food here was very good & I felt the manager went beyond what he should have done as I wasn’t expecting a bottle of wine for me giving the feedback I did (I really just wanted my Limoncello). The cost of the meal was in line with what I would expect for something of its quality, especially in Disney. I’m willing to give it another try come October to see if the service staff picks up its game.

Meal Cost: $53.15
Total Trip Cost: $209.29

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Easter Morning

On Easter morning, Magic Kingdom had extra magic hours that started at 7AM. Being that it was Easter & I assumed it would be crazy busy I wanted to make sure I was there for the opening. This morning, I purchased a Powerade - $2.89 for my ‘breakfast’ until I got into the parks.

Snack cost: $3.09
Total Trip Cost: $212.38

Confectionary​

After a very productive 45 minutes of getting the rides in Fantasyland done & the two headliners in Tomorrowland done, hunger started creeping in. I wasn’t sure what I wanted & decided to look through Main Street Bakery and the Confectionary to figure out what I wanted.

I went for a breakfast of champions that fit Easter Day. At least it fit Easter Day growing up, when I would wake up – find my eggs – then eat junk food.

Easter Cookie! - $3.25

Even better was the 10% discount I got on it for having an annual pass!

Snack Cost: $3.11
Total Trip Cost: $215.49

I ate my lovely breakfast as I was waiting for Adventureland to open at 8am. I got on Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Thunder Mountain x2, skipped Splash as I didn’t feel like getting wet, Haunted Mansion, Philharmagic, Stitch and then left the park. I’m glad I left when I did as leaving the crowds were picking up a ton and frankly I didn’t feel like getting stuck among the masses.

This is when I decided to call & see if I could get a massage schedule for this afternoon at the Grand Floridian Spa. They had a 2 o’clock spot open. I returned to my resort to relax a little & pick up lunch.

All Stars Music Food Court​

Around 11:30, I headed up to the food court at the All Stars. I decided to go for 2 Breadsticks - $1.89 & a Beef Taco Salad - $7.39 for my meal.

I got both of these expecting the quality to well suck, as I feel the majority of counter service meals do. I was pleasantly surprised by both! The beef actually had some flavor to it, hot, & was very filling. I liked the breadsticks, although I probably in hindsight didn’t need them with how much food that taco salad really was. I ate about half before I was done & went back to the room to get my bag packed for the massage as I was planning on showering after the massage & heading back to the Magic Kingdom or grapping dinner somewhere in the Monorail loop.

Meal Cost: $9.73
Total Trip Cost: $225.22

 

[BriarRosie]

Most of the time, I've seen nothing but raves for Il Mulino. But I think I've seen someone post they have eaten twice within a 3 day period, once with excellent service, and the second time with the crappy service you had. They said if the bad experience happened the first time they went, they wouldn't have returned.

I still want to try Il Mulino but hopefully not have your server.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Most of the time, I've seen nothing but raves for Il Mulino. But I think I've seen someone post they have eaten twice within a 3 day period, once with excellent service, and the second time with the crappy service you had. They said if the bad experience happened the first time they went, they wouldn't have returned.

I still want to try Il Mulino but hopefully not have your server.

Exactly. Every review I've seen of the place has been outstanding. I think I sometimes just attract bad luck when it comes to service - at least once a trip(Feb 09 - Citywalk place, July 09 - Yachtsman, Oct 09 - Kouzziana, Dec 09 - Mama Melrose, Feb 10 - end of V&A) I guess 1 bad meal a trip out of many isn't a bad record.

I'm giving it another shot come October w/ my husband. The food was very good & hopefully I don't get the same server either.

 

[TigerKat]

Il Mulino was our favorite restaurant on our February trip. Hoping it will be again in October. I'm glad the manager took care of you.

 

[englishrose47]

I really like the look of that pasta dish!!!!! Sorry about the LOUSY service !!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Il Mulino was our favorite restaurant on our February trip. Hoping it will be again in October. I'm glad the manager took care of you.

As was I

I should open that wine tonight since I'm going to have lemon shrimp ravoli - I think it fits enough for that.

I really like the look of that pasta dish!!!!! Sorry about the LOUSY service !!

It was really good!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

California Grill​

After an extremely relaxing 80 minutes of massage at the Grand Floridian Spa, I spent some time in the steam rooms & got dressed. I walked to the shops at the Grand Floridian where I ended up spoiling myself for the 2nd time that day & buying myself something impractical.

With the Annual Pass discount – I got 10% off so the price hurt a little bit less.

By this point in the day, I had splurged more than cost of my hotel room on myself. What was splurging a bit more?

Around 5:15pm, I went to the podium at the 2nd floor of the Contemporary and inquired if I would be able to walk in. While they said there may be a table available, I was more than welcomed to sit at the bar as the restaurant isn’t opening until 5:30pm anyway.

I began with a Ray-Ray - $9.00 from the cocktail menu while I looked over the menu for this evening as there was still 15 minutes before the kitchen opened for the evening..

This is a sweeter pineapple drink that was perfect w/ a decent amount of alcohol in it too

Dinner Menu:

There were many things on the menu that appealed to me but I wasn’t sure how full I would be. Thus talking with the awesome bartender, I would order one course then decide if I wanted something else. As the restaurant opened at 5:30pm – I ordered a second drink – Pomegranate COZ - $9

I began with Creamy Spring Onion Soup w/ Toasted Sourdough, Gruyere Cheese & Chives – $11

I’m not the biggest soup lover but this sounded really good to me & I was surprised by how much I liked it. It was thick & cheesy. The onion taste was there but not extremely overpowering. If it was on the menu again, I would have a hard time deciding between this appetizer and something different it was that good.

Still hungry, I ordered a second course –
Crispy Asian Rock Shrimp Salad w/ Florida Citrus, Red Onions, Soy Reduction & Wasabi Cream - $17

I had this back in October & loved it then. The wasabi cream & soy reduction make an excellent dressing for the salad. The rock shrimp were hot and cooked exactly how I like them.

When I finished, I realized I still had enough room to enjoy another menu item that looked appealing to me:
Braised Beef w/ Thai Coconut Cury, Mango Pickles, Bok Choy, Sesame and Triple Cheese - $13

Amazing! It definitely was a different kind of flatbread with the flavor profiles presented. I could tell it is something my husband would never enjoy. Although I couldn’t finish it as my eyes were bigger than my stomach.

I had paired this course with some Jack & Coke as I felt the sweeter drinkers wouldn’t work well with this flatbread. My server agreed with that choice as I also didn’t feel like switching to wine after drinking liquor.

Over the course of the 2 hours I spent here, the restaurant was rather quiet. Wishes wasn’t until 10pm that evening so California Grill was less noisy than it usually was. For it being Easter Sunday – the bartenders & some of the servers I spoke with agreed it was rather dead for the occasion. I was the only one eating at the bar until I left at 7:15pm – maybe 2 or 3 parties got a drink before they went on their way to a table. The main bartender I dealt with was AMAZING! She was funny, made all the alcoholic beverages quickly (including some strange requests) and we both had a good laugh when we saw someone’s child *rolling* on the floor as the parents didn’t even care which spawned a conversation about the lack of table manners nowadays (Seriously, if I acted like that as a child as I see many children today – my mother would have either spanked me or made us leave. ) We talked about our pets – as when she moved to the US from Scotland she had to leave her King Charles Spaniels behind but has since become more of a cat person since living in Orlando (long hours away from home make cats easier for her and husband’s schedule)

The evening here was amazing and like what California Grill was before the masses descended about it for the fireworks show.

Meal: $83.81
Total Trip Cost: $309.03

 

[wilma-bride]

I love that purse and will be buying one for myself when we visit WDW in August.

Cali grill looked delicious

 

[Linda67]

Wonderful review of CG. The soup looks really good
Love the purse to

 

[NorweJenNY]

I got a kick outta your title, as we had an impromptu trip over Easter weekend too! Same reasoning... I had extra time off of work! My kids didn't have school, and dh just became more flexible with his work schedule, so off we went! And those APs were just itching in our pockets...

Love the picture-filled review!

 

[englishrose47]

That soup looks wonderful!!!!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I'm surprised that CG didn't have a prefixed menu for Easter Sunday.

 

[onelilspark]

I haven't been back to the Cali Grill in years. In general I've always thought the food wasn't as good as it could be and most of the hype comes from the location... I have to say, the food reviews keep getting more and more tantalizing. I'm re-assessing going in October...hmmmm....

 

[angel26]

Great reviews can't wait to here more.

 

[athenna]

Awesome review!

I dont always read food trip reports, because as much as I love them, it's hard for me to keep up with them, because sometimes I can only get on the DIS on weekends. ...But decided to follow a couple...I'm loving your report You've eaten at some of my fav spots so far!
Sorry about your service !@ Il Mulino. I havent eaten there yet, but kuddos to the manager for trying to make it right.

I have to say I am totally outraged that Yak & Yeti took the Pho off the menu Why must WDW dumb down so many menus??? Pho was the 1st meal I ever had @ Yak & Yeti and I loved it!

Cant wait for the rest of the report.

 

[princessallegra]

Great reviews! I'm so jealous of your trip!! And your bag!!!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I love that purse and will be buying one for myself when we visit WDW in August.

Cali grill looked delicious

Oh yay! I've been using it every day since & well my coworkers might think I'm strange but in a male dominent work environment I need something thats just me!

It was delicious I want to go back already.

Wonderful review of CG. The soup looks really good
Love the purse to

Thanks! I was shocked by how much I really enjoyed that soup.

I got a kick outta your title, as we had an impromptu trip over Easter weekend too! Same reasoning... I had extra time off of work! My kids didn't have school, and dh just became more flexible with his work schedule, so off we went! And those APs were just itching in our pockets...

Love the picture-filled review!

Thats too funny! Living close w/ APs is just dangerous but a good type of dangerous.

I'm going to be AP less for about 2.5 months but thats because when we go in October we'll be upgrading to the two-coast APs as we plan on visiting Disneyland next year & it works out cheaper. Plus my husband will be allowed to finally visit the water parks & DisneyQuest this trip as he's yet to do those.

That soup looks wonderful!!!!

It was so good too & I'm really not much of a creamy soup person.

I'm surprised that CG didn't have a prefixed menu for Easter Sunday.

I believe they only do that on the big fireworks day - 4th of July & New Year's Eve. I have a chance I may actually be going on 4th of July this year if I don't have to work. Thus that trip will be impromptu also.

I haven't been back to the Cali Grill in years. In general I've always thought the food wasn't as good as it could be and most of the hype comes from the location... I have to say, the food reviews keep getting more and more tantalizing. I'm re-assessing going in October...hmmmm....

I'll admit Cali Grill isn't as nice as it used to be but I think its more atmosphere why I don't like it anymore. As the secret got out about the fireworks, you see families dragging their overtired children to a 'fancy' meal & them just not having it. I'm still one that believes Signature places = business casual.

Great reviews can't wait to here more.

Thanks! 1 more review left which I hope to get to today - if not today, definately this weekend.

Awesome review!

I dont always read food trip reports, because as much as I love them, it's hard for me to keep up with them, because sometimes I can only get on the DIS on weekends. ...But decided to follow a couple...I'm loving your report You've eaten at some of my fav spots so far!
Sorry about your service !@ Il Mulino. I havent eaten there yet, but kuddos to the manager for trying to make it right.

I have to say I am totally outraged that Yak & Yeti took the Pho off the menu Why must WDW dumb down so many menus??? Pho was the 1st meal I ever had @ Yak & Yeti and I loved it!

Cant wait for the rest of the report.

I know! I'm sad Yak & Yeti has definately removed their more exotic food probably to feed the masses as I know I'm see on the dis people talking about how nasty it was (but I also have a feeling they didn't know what Pho was before they ordered it) I'll still keep going there though as its the best food in the Animal Kingdom.

I'm glad my report is one of the ones you started to read!

Great reviews! I'm so jealous of your trip!! And your bag!!!

Thanks! You have a trip coming up soon too right?