Just Engaged and Eating in Disney! Review with pics :)

[disneydreaminA115]

Loving this review!! I cant wait to see more!

 

[Tracerr00]

Great reviews!! After reading your review of Whispering Canyon, I've now decided that it is a "must do" for me on my upcoming trip with my sister. The food looks amazing. I could make an entire meal of cornbread so this looks perfect! I love all of your photos (not only the food but of you two as well!)

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

Great reviews!! After reading your review of Whispering Canyon, I've now decided that it is a "must do" for me on my upcoming trip with my sister. The food looks amazing. I could make an entire meal of cornbread so this looks perfect! I love all of your photos (not only the food but of you two as well!)

Thanks so much The food is incredible - I really can't believe anyone would order anything other than the canyon skillet there because it is not even the most expensive item on the menu and it is insanely delicious. Last year, our waitress brought the cornbread out first so we had it as appetizer, throughout the meal, and dessert, haha. It's easily the best cornbread I've ever had. I think we polished off three baskets last year (should have saved room for more meat but we didn't know it would be so good!). Our waitress kept asking us if we were ready for dessert and I kept saying to John, "Why would I spend money on dessert when they have already given me this cornbread?!" It is THAT memorable.

I hope you do go and that you enjoy yourself as much as I have!

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

Up next is one of our favorite parks -- Epcot! We are head-over-heels for the World Showcase and my dream is to stay at the Boardwalk hotel.

First, we decided to get some sushi at the Yakitori House in Japan.

We got a sushi and a sashimi platter along with a glass of plum wine. Since we were going to be eating lunch soon, we just wanted a snack for the two of us to share. We were blown away by the sushi (California rolls), which is far better than anything we had ever gotten home in Philly.

We went back later in the week for more!

Some pictures of the Yakitori House, which is a very nice place to eat, inside or out.

Overall, we paid:

Sushi platter - 10
Plum Wine - 5.50
Tax - 1
Total - 16.50

We loved everything about this. For a quick snack or lunch, we would rate it a solid 9.

A few hours later, we headed to the San Angel Inn for our late lunch reservation. This was a meal we were really excited about. Neither of us had ever eaten here before.

We got a Photopass pic (at the end) as we walked in, which has a gorgeous background. We strolled around the marketplace and watched an amazing glass blowing demonstration before being seated (pretty quickly) for lunch. We had an amazing table spot, and John let me sit so that I could see the Mexican temple behind him.

Behind me:

We had chips and salsa brought out right away and ordered guacamole to go along with it.

The chips were pretty good. I did not care for the salsa which is a strange combination of spicy and sweet. The guacamole was good, but it was a very small amount to share. I also did not like the airy chips that came with the guacamole; however, John did and his parents, who had been here a month before, liked the chips so much they found a place to buy them at home. So much for taste.

John ordered the tacos de ribeye: grilled ribeye, chipotle pepper sauce, scallions and avocado, served on flour tortillas:

These were pretty good, but the portion you got for the money was small, in my opinion. Also, I thought they would come with rice or beans on the side, but no. I did not think this was a good value, and it was a bit messy to eat.

I ordered the enchiladas verdes con pollo: corn tortillas with pulled chicken, covered with green tomatillo sauce, topped with sour cream (which I requested off), queso fresco and onion, served with black beans.

My entree was pretty good. I even enjoy the beans, which I usually do not. For how much it cost, my meal was a better value since I did get both rice and beans. However, neither of us were blown away by this meal. In fact, I was disappointed because I really expected to enjoy it a lot more.

We went to On the Border last night (which I realize not everyone likes) and spent way less money, got a ton more food, and enjoyed every single bite. It is not that the food at San Angel Inn isn't good; I just don't feel it is a good value.

Overall, we paid:

Only drank water
Guacamole - 6
Tacos - 19
Enchiladas - 16
Tax - 2.50
Total, before tip - 43.50

John rated the meal a 7 because we paid too much for too little food. I rated it only a 6 because of the same reason and also because the restaurant is so dark you can barely read the menu. I would not go back.

Since we hadn't been excited for any of the desserts at San Angel Inn, we headed to the Norway bakery.

At my urging (based on reviews on this site!), John got the sweet pretzel:

Th pretzel was surprisingly light and very good. However, we both loved what I got more. The cloud horn:

The outside was lovely and dusted with sugar crystals. The cream inside was one of the most delicious and fluffy creams I have ever had. I wish I could have another cloud horn right now! Second best desserts in Epcot, after France's napoleon (shown later).

Overall, we paid:

Pretzel - 4
Cloud horn - 3
Tax - .50
Total - 7.50

John rated his pretzel 7 (only b/c he wanted my dessert more!) while I rated the cloud horn an 8 (it's no Napoleon!)

Mexico Photopass:

Up Next: Ohana

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

joining in...CONGRATS on your engagement. Your photopass pictures are soooo cute.

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

joining in...CONGRATS on your engagement. Your photopass pictures are soooo cute.

Thanks so much! We loved having the photopass and are definitely going to do it again. I would highly recommend it b/c it is simply so much fun!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks so much! We loved having the photopass and are definitely going to do it again. I would highly recommend it b/c it is simply so much fun!

I too love photopass b/c without them I would never be any of the pictures (I'm the photographer in the family). Last trip, my son would say I found another one mommy, he tells the photographer "my mommy loves you guys"...my husband and my son makes a game who can find them first and how many pictures will I get that day. 2 months ago I had like 750 pictures before adding any borders (I do understand ever picture is not perfect and some are out of focus but if I can get 50-75 decent pictures I'm a happy camper.)

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Love your reviews! And congratulations on your engagement!! What a fun place to celebrate!

The skillet at WCC intrigued BF, but the antics made him a bit wary. We were considering going there for breakfast, not sure if it would be quieter, but decided to skip it in the end. I'll definitely be showing him your pics and see if he regrets skipping it!

(And I'm a big fan of dessert as well, I know how disappointing it is when you have the "this isn't worth the calories" moment...normally calories aren't even allowed on my radar during dessert! )

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

....also, I LOVE the picture of you and Stitch!!!

 

[princess aleya]

First of all congratulations on your engagement, that is so exciting!! Your review is going great, thanks for sharing all the pics.

 

[serendipity]

Love the reviews - I must try that cloudhorn!!!

 

[mermaid764]

Congrats on your engagement!

Looking forward to more

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

Love your reviews! And congratulations on your engagement!! What a fun place to celebrate!

The skillet at WCC intrigued BF, but the antics made him a bit wary. We were considering going there for breakfast, not sure if it would be quieter, but decided to skip it in the end. I'll definitely be showing him your pics and see if he regrets skipping it!

(And I'm a big fan of dessert as well, I know how disappointing it is when you have the "this isn't worth the calories" moment...normally calories aren't even allowed on my radar during dessert! )

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks!

I completely understand why people would be wary about the antics, but if you aren't a person that has to have ketchup (and with that BBQ sauce, you don't need ketchup!), you would be fine. We have never had a problem with getting involved or not with anything. But of course, everyone's comfort level is different. We are going to go and get the breakfast skillet as well on our next trip (honeymoon???).

I still would go to CP again, even with disappointing desserts b/c the food was really good and I love the pooh characters.

And about Stitch, he is my absolute favorite character! So that was really exciting.

I really loved the review you just finished, by the way.

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

Love the reviews - I must try that cloudhorn!!!

Oh my, if you ever get any Epcot desserts, you have to try the napoleon in France and the cloudhorn in Norway. Soooo creamy and sugary and delicious!

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

On to my almost favorite restaurant (just edged out by WCC) -- Ohana!

John's family had been to Disney about a bazillion times (lucky) when he was growing up, but I had never been until he took me last year. We went for our 4 year anniversary. So, for 4 years, I had heard about Ohana. Repeatedly. So I was super excited to finally try it for myself. And it did NOT disappoint. I'm so glad that I lived hundreds of miles from Ohana or I would eat there once a month.

We had an amazing day at Magic Kingdom (you got to love a weekday in January when you get on Thunder Mountain as a walk-on three times in a row and Space Mountain barely has a line). I may or may not have had an unfortunate experience with the Evil Emperor Zurg:

But I got out of that one in time for us to return to our hotel (the Pop Century) to change into our fancy people clothes.

And because I'm crazy, I asked John if we could go back to Hollywood Studios AND Magic Kingdom JUST TO GET OUR PICTURES TAKEN in front of the icons before dinner.

And because he knows I'm crazy and because he loves me and because I would have pouted if he didn't (and boyfriend can't stand the pout, haha), HE SAID YES.

Oh my. This is the result. We literally spent five minutes in each park:

That was my "fancy" pose by the way. I guess.

The photographer at Magic Kingdom had us do a "reverse proposal." It was so fun:

The best part was that the street had been roped off for SpectroMagic and people were herded off to the side. They were watching us and a HUGE group of a Spanish-speaking family was so excited b/c they thought I was really proposing. So I turned to them and shouted, "He said yes!" Which they seemed to understand. Cheering ensued.

Anyway, that's the end of my self-indulgance for now. Wait, it's back. I'll go on.

So we made our way to Ohana (having spent way more time in transit than in the parks!) where we had maybe a ten minute wait or so.

We were served the pineapple bread and salad right away. One of us ordered a diet coke and we shared that and a water.

Sorry, we had grabbed a bite or two before I snapped pictures. I had a bite of the bread just to make sure I still didn't like it (I don't. Pineapple isn't really my flavor.) And for me, having the salad just means less room for steak, so I wasn't having any of that.

Next, we got the noodles and broccoli:

I had a bit b/c John raved about them, but again, I was saving room for the "real food." He demolished the noodles throughout the meal. They may have been his favorite part. For me, not really a pasta person, a noodle is a noodle.

Then, my heart leapt when I saw my babies - sesame glazed chicken wings and dumplings:

And for anyone concerned, these were still on the menu as of mid-January. A friend of mine saw this picture and said, "I almost just cried b/c that is so beautiful."

Some shots of Ohana:

I loved sitting near the fire pit. It was great, beautiful, and nice and warm. Last year, we had a clear view of the castle through the windows. That would have been great this trip b/c Wishes started and they dimmed the lights and played the music. However, our windows were covered by super tall trees and bushes. In fact, after Wishes ended, people clapped, and someone near us joked, "Wow. That was an amazing bush."

The sauces came out:

One is a sweet and sour sauce. Another is a peanut sauce. I forget the third b/c frankly, I don't use them. The food is way too good to be drenched in sauce.

Another "funny" story: I hate peanuts, peanut butter, anything nutty really. But I also love to try new things. So when John took a swipe of the peanut sauce and declared that it "is really great and tastes nothing like peanuts," I was cautious, but excited. I asked if he was sure, and then I dipped my finger in the sauce and popped it in my mouth. Oh dear Lord. I downed like half of our soda and said, "Are you kidding me? That taste is pure peanuts." Later, he put some sauce on a piece of chicken and said, "Wow, you were right. That does taste like peanuts." YOU THINK?!

The moral of the story: my man is an idiot.

The real moral: the peanut sauce is great for those who actually LIKE peanuts!

Back to the food:

Unfortunately I forgot to photograph my first plate with chicken and pork on it, but here is the steak and shrimp (which is really the best anyhow):

OMG so good! The steak is cooked perfectly medium and is juicy and amazing. The shrimp is messy to peel but oh-so-worth it.

Our waiter brought out dessert: THE DESSERT

Banana foster's bread pudding, which doesn't taste like bananas at all, just goodness:

If I had to raise a dessert as a child (and there are a number of instances in which this could be plausible), it would be this one. Of course, that would bring up a whole new set of moral dilemmas. Forget I said anything.

The ice cream and bread pudding work perfectly together. Some of the bread pudding is crisp and some is soft, and it's hot while the ice cream is cold. Your mouth will literally be confused at first. After the first bite, it will just be happy.

Last year, we gorged ourselves on the meat and didn't save room for dessert. We were about to tell them not to bring it when they put it on the table. So I said we had to try it so we didn't look like jerks. Neither of us thought we would like it b/c we don't usually like bread pudding. I tried the first bite, looked at John, and said, "OMG, we are going to eat this whole thing." And we did. And we fell in love. The end.

Except, then we (okay, just me) had to walk like hunchbacks to the monorail b/c I was so full I honestly couldn't stand up straight. The end.

John said that you could go to Ohana, hate the food, and still think every penny was well spent after you had the dessert. And he is NOT a dessert person.

This year, we had saved a little room and gobbled up the dessert. And then they brought us a cupcake for our engagement:

And we (okay, just me) almost cried b/c we were so full, but we had to eat that cupcake. John had the brilliant idea of pouring more banana foster's sauce on top of it. He only ate a small piece, which left me to finish the job. My mouth loved me. My stomach is still not talking to me. Which is fine, b/c it only has negative things to say anyway.

The moral of the story: Pour banana foster's sauce on your desserts.

We managed to avoid the singing Hawaiian lady that is there, who seems a bit bonkers to us, until we had our mouths stuffed with food and she threw leis around our necks. We couldn't even say thank you through all the food.

The waiter took our picture:

We're smiling through the pain of eating way too much.

Also, you can tell I wasn't kidding about eating all of our dessert. Notice the lonely cupcake paper on the left.

Overall, we paid:

Buffet, for two - 66
Diet coke - 4
Total, before tip - 70 (and for how much we ate, we feel as if we robbed them, hehe)

I give this meal a ten. Ohana is fabulous, the staff is great, the atmosphere is wonderful, the music is nice, and the food is the best. John gives it a 9.5 simply b/c nothing can compare to WCC for him. My man loves him some BBQ ribs and cornbread. If WCC had bread pudding, we'd never leave.

One more photopass, a "magic" shot:

Up Next: Snacks at Animal Kingdom and Rainforest Cafe

 

[manning]

Congrats. If my dad was still alive he would laughingly say "well there goes the end of a perfect friendship and the beginning yes dear." LOL

 

[disneydreaminA115]

Oh I'm a sucker for romance. And what could be more romantic than love AND Disney?!

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

Congrats. If my dad was still alive he would laughingly say "well there goes the end of a perfect friendship and the beginning yes dear." LOL

Love it! However, I'd like to think we always had "yes, dear" within our friendship too

Oh I'm a sucker for romance. And what could be more romantic than love AND Disney?!

Agreed, disneydreamin, agreed.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I'm glad you were able to get your pictures in the parks! I was definitely annoying DBF with the photopass shots...but I love them!

That's hilarious about the peanut sauce...boys are too funny. One time me and DBF were out to breakfast, and he was convinced that apple butter didn't have cinnamon (which I'm allergic to) in it. Even smelled and tasted it.

I stopped trusting him as my sole taste-tester after that

 

[Iwant2BAprincess]

I am enjoying your reviews! WCC looks yummy but how much of a chore is it to get over there from POP? We book in a few weeks and with a ds on the top of the "child" menu I am looking at places a little differently and that would be right up his alley.