Keep Calm and Go to Disney! 10/21 - 11/4/14 COMPLETE

[Niki Andiokno]

The French Luncheon looks amazing. I love champagne, so I think I need to start saving up the dough for my October trips. Yes trips!! Our annual passes will expire before the Food & Wine Classic at the Swan/Dolphin, so we will go at the beginning of the festival and again at the end of October.

I finally convinced Mike to go to California Grill during our early June trip. Now I am the one who is on the fence. We haven't been in years. I love it, but Mike not so much. I am a bit concerned after seeing your review.

 

[goofy4prez]

Love your updates on your dining experience that day. The last time I had the breakfast skillet at WCC, I left with the same impressions as you... Not very good. Still like the dinner skillet but I will pass on the breakfast. I'm glad you had a great experience at MP. I went there for the first time reluctantly back in December, 2013 and loved it. We returned again to MP June, 2014 and once again loved it. As for Cali Grill, I also have placed it on probation. Our visit in December 2013 it was outstanding; the service was a little spotty but the food was awesome. Our most recent visit in June, the service was terrible and there were a lot of issues with the food. We are going back again this June and will see how things go from there.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The kale salad doesn't look very appetizing.
The twisted Mai Tai looks good, though. I've seen you mention this cocktail before, and since fruity drinks are my favorite, I think I'm going to try one.

 

[jedijill]

Oh no! Cali Grill is one of my favorites and your experience is a disappointment. I'm sorry the meal was so-so. Glad you enjoyed dessert...I've not been impressed with the post-reno dessert menu.

Jill in CO

 

[JintyB]

Oh Barb, sorry to hear the Cali Grill was so disappointing. We were there in August (and my brother and his family were in another part of the restaurant at the same time) and both parties had a wonderful time and a wonderful meal.

I have to say we chose differently - sushi as an appetiser and steak for main - I cant imagine EVER ordering kale if I didn't have to! My dessert was also amazing though, I had the sundae sampler and LOVED the reverse root beer float. Wishes was great too.

Our server was efficient, albeit not overly friendly, but overall we had a better time than in 2011 when we were last there.

I'm feeling hungry now

 

[ursalita]

I'm sorry your dinner looked way better than it tasted. It looks great in the pictures.

I am glad that I chose Flying Fish over Cali Grill for our date night dinner this spring.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures.

 

[kastoney]

Looks like Cali grill is a tale of two cities unto itself. I've found the same as you it's either great or a bust. I keep going back in search of the greatness, but unfortunately it can't always be found. Glad you could at least end on a good sweet note.

 

[happy2012]

The champagne meal looks so good & fun too!

 

[mickeyforpresident]

Hello from a UK DISer! Stumbled on this review last night and couldn't put my iPad down....THANK YOU so much for such wonderful writing and super pictures. I can't wait to read the rest. Cheerybye.

 

[vettegirl]

Well that is a shame about the CG. We have only been once and the only thing I loved was the Spicy Kazan Sushi Roll. We have not been in a rush to return, even though the view is amazing. I would like to sit at the bar to have that sushi roll at least one more time!

 

[jabead]

The French Luncheon looks amazing. I love champagne, so I think I need to start saving up the dough for my October trips. Yes trips!! Our annual passes will expire before the Food & Wine Classic at the Swan/Dolphin, so we will go at the beginning of the festival and again at the end of October.

I finally convinced Mike to go to California Grill during our early June trip. Now I am the one who is on the fence. We haven't been in years. I love it, but Mike not so much. I am a bit concerned after seeing your review.

Oh, I bet you and Mike would love the French Lunch. If I do end up returning this year for the F & W festival it would probably be at the end of October so maybe we can do the lunch together. Hopefully it will be the champagne one again. As far as Cali Grill, I don't think you will have a problem if you go with the sushi. I'll be returning there on my next trip in May and my daughter loves sushi so my next review will probably have one of the sushi dishes.

Love your updates on your dining experience that day. The last time I had the breakfast skillet at WCC, I left with the same impressions as you... Not very good. Still like the dinner skillet but I will pass on the breakfast. I'm glad you had a great experience at MP. I went there for the first time reluctantly back in December, 2013 and loved it. We returned again to MP June, 2014 and once again loved it. As for Cali Grill, I also have placed it on probation. Our visit in December 2013 it was outstanding; the service was a little spotty but the food was awesome. Our most recent visit in June, the service was terrible and there were a lot of issues with the food. We are going back again this June and will see how things go from there.

I've had many great experiences at California Grill so I'm able to overlook the last three not so great ones. It was the first ADR that I booked for my next trip in May so hopefully it will be a good one and all will be forgiven.

The kale salad doesn't look very appetizing.
The twisted Mai Tai looks good, though. I've seen you mention this cocktail before, and since fruity drinks are my favorite, I think I'm going to try one.

Oh yes, do try the Mai Tai!

Oh no! Cali Grill is one of my favorites and your experience is a disappointment. I'm sorry the meal was so-so. Glad you enjoyed dessert...I've not been impressed with the post-reno dessert menu.

Jill in CO

I know, I know. I too love California Grill and hate that we are currently on the outs. But I haven't given up on it. I'll be back in May to give it another chance.

Oh Barb, sorry to hear the Cali Grill was so disappointing. We were there in August (and my brother and his family were in another part of the restaurant at the same time) and both parties had a wonderful time and a wonderful meal.

I have to say we chose differently - sushi as an appetiser and steak for main - I cant imagine EVER ordering kale if I didn't have to! My dessert was also amazing though, I had the sundae sampler and LOVED the reverse root beer float. Wishes was great too.

Our server was efficient, albeit not overly friendly, but overall we had a better time than in 2011 when we were last there.

I'm feeling hungry now

Yes, I know I messed up by ordering kale. I guess I had a false sense of security since I had enjoyed the previous version of the kale salad, twice. But next time I visit my kids will be with me and one of them loves sushi and the other two love the Cali Grill filet so we might have better luck.

I'm sorry your dinner looked way better than it tasted. It looks great in the pictures.

I am glad that I chose Flying Fish over Cali Grill for our date night dinner this spring.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures.

Oh, I really like Flying Fish too. I would say the atmosphere at Cali Grill is more date night worthy but the food has been better at Flying Fish during my last couple of visits to each. Hope you have a great dinner wherever you end up!

Looks like Cali grill is a tale of two cities unto itself. I've found the same as you it's either great or a bust. I keep going back in search of the greatness, but unfortunately it can't always be found. Glad you could at least end on a good sweet note.

Very true. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I will be returning there on my next trip. Hopefully I won't be disappointed yet again.

The champagne meal looks so good & fun too!

It was very good and very fun too...I estimate it was about 8 champagne glassfuls of fun!!

Hello from a UK DISer! Stumbled on this review last night and couldn't put my iPad down....THANK YOU so much for such wonderful writing and super pictures. I can't wait to read the rest. Cheerybye.

Well hello and welcome to the party! Thanks for joining in and reading along.

Well that is a shame about the CG. We have only been once and the only thing I loved was the Spicy Kazan Sushi Roll. We have not been in a rush to return, even though the view is amazing. I would like to sit at the bar to have that sushi roll at least one more time!

My oldest daughter liked the Spicy Kazan Sushi Roll and since she will be with me the next time I visit Cali Grill, it might very well be making an appearance in my next dining report.

 

[jabead]

Day 5 - Saturday, October 25


While the last review of my dinner at California Grill was one of the most difficult to write, the next review was one of the easiest. Difficult because my favorite Disney restaurant disappointed me once again, but easy because another of my favorites came through with yet another great experience. And so without further ado, here is the review from my breakfast at the Grand Floridian's...




With a very full day planned, I decided to sleep in today for as long as possible and take a taxi from the Wilderness Lodge to the beautiful Grand Floridian Resort...






I actually didn't make an ADR for this breakfast and I was a little concerned when I walked up to the entrance of the restaurant and saw that it was much busier than it usually is and had a line to check in at the desk. Perhaps this hidden gem is not so hidden anymore? With a party of only one, luckily I didn't have to wait too long before a table became available. While I waited I enjoyed taking pictures of the surroundings...




Hmmm...I had never before noticed this telephone that sits in the corner of the waiting area. It reminded me of the Royal Albert china that they used to have at the Garden View Lounge afternoon tea...




I also love the large vase of beautiful fresh cut flowers that sits in the middle of this room...





Soon my name was called and I was seated at the exact same table as the last time I was there. I then thought I might have the same server, but to my surprise it was a different familiar face who greeted me at my table. He was familiar not because he had waited on me before but because he had made many appearances in the GFC breakfast reviews of my DIS friend Brenda (emmysmommy). Here is a photo of Brenda and Robert from Brenda's May 2014 review...





I believe that Robert has a bit of a crush on Brenda because as soon as I mentioned that I was a friend of hers, he became extra friendly and stepped up his service. In my excitement to tell Brenda that I had the good fortune of being served by her friend Robert that morning I (without thinking) sent her a text message...at 6:30 a.m. her time!! Oops, very sorry about that Brenda.


Anyway, though I already knew exactly what I would be ordering here, I went ahead and took a look at the menu...








While I waited for my breakfast to be prepared, I amused myself by taking about a hundred photos of the rose on my table...











Sorry, one of the pitfalls of dining solo.


It wasn't long though before my glorious breakfast arrived...



Vanilla-laced French Toast - Brioche Bread dipped in Vanilla-flavored Batter served with your choice of Bacon or Sausage



And because one photo of this is just not enough to sufficiently express my love...




Holy cow this is good!!! If you like french toast, I highly recommend that you get yourself over to the Grand Floridian Cafe to try this. I'm pretty sure you will not be disappointed.



Oh, and if you have read any of my previous dining reports you probably already knew exactly what I would order here, as it is always the same. I apologize for not giving you a little more variety but it would be impossible for me to have breakfast at the GFC and not order the french toast. No way, no how. However, on my next trip to the World my kids will be with me and one of them has her eyes on the Lobster Eggs Benedict. So those of you who are tired of the same old french toast, there is hope for you to see something new next time. ​

Next up: Food & Wine Festival Culinary Demonstration by Carla Hall

 

[dixonsontour]

Great start to the day. I've never eaten at GF cafe for breakfast - my DH went whilst we were at the perfectly princess tea party and enjoyed it.

 

[vettegirl]

Glad to see the legendary Robert was your server. I remember him from Brenda's reports. The breakfast looks amazing. I have had dinner there twice and loved it both times. I really wanted to try it for breakfast one of these trips!!

 

[rteetz]

Great report! I have never eaten at the GF Cafe or any restaurant at GF for that matter. This really makes me want to go and try it.

 

[kastoney]

French toast, check, great server, check, lots of Rose picture, check. Looks like today is shaping up to eclipse yesterday!

 

[happy2012]

GFC!!!! Can't wait to try!!!! the beautiful rose is totally picture worthy.

 

[jabead]

Great start to the day. I've never eaten at GF cafe for breakfast - my DH went whilst we were at the perfectly princess tea party and enjoyed it.

Well, you have one on me because I've never been to the princess tea party. My princesses were too old when I discovered the lovely Garden View Lounge so I had to settle for having Afternoon Tea there with them. Maybe someday though I'll have a granddaughter to accompany to the tea party...but hopefully not for a few years.

Glad to see the legendary Robert was your server. I remember him from Brenda's reports. The breakfast looks amazing. I have had dinner there twice and loved it both times. I really wanted to try it for breakfast one of these trips!!

I've never had dinner there before so we are even Lori, but it sounds like we both need to change that.

And on an unrelated topic, I'm loving your Instagram photos. It looks like you and Alexander are having a great time at Disneyland!

Great report! I have never eaten at the GF Cafe or any restaurant at GF for that matter. This really makes me want to go and try it.

You definitely should try the GFC or one of the other great restaurants at the Grand Floridian resort. This was the first of three wonderful meals that I had at the GF on this trip.

French toast, check, great server, check, lots of Rose picture, check. Looks like today is shaping up to eclipse yesterday!

It definitely started out much better than the day before.

GFC!!!! Can't wait to try!!!! the beautiful rose is totally picture worthy.

I love the red roses on all of their tables and the bright, cheery ambiance of the GFC.

 

[jabead]

Following my breakfast, I took a stroll around the beautiful grounds of the Grand Floridian Resort...




Then it was time to head to Epcot, so I jumped on the monorail and road it to the Ticket & Transportation Center where I then transferred over to the Epcot monorail. I really enjoy riding the monorail to Epcot and circling Future World as it arrives at the monorail station there. I try to do this at least once every trip and surprisingly this ended up being my one and only time on this two week trip. Upon entering the park I went straight to the Festival Center to look around. Though this was the 5th day of my trip, I had not yet set foot inside the Festival Center. First I picked up my pre-purchased ticket for the Culinary Demonstration. I also asked at this time if they had any free tickets left for the Book Signing session that Carla Hall would be doing following the demo and was told that they had all been given out. So I spent some time looking at all the Food & Wine Festival merchandise that they had for sale in the shop and then found a seat on a bench just outside the area where the Culinary Demonstration would be taking place two hours later. By doing this, I got to see the last 1/2 hour of the Cheese Seminar that was taking place in this same area. I had considered attending this since I love cheese, but I just couldn't justify spending $79 plus tax for a cheese plate and some wine. After seeing about 1/3 of the 1 1/2 hour presentation and some of the cheeses and wines they were served, I was happy with my decision. Anyway, as soon as the Cheese Seminar ended at 11:30 a line starting forming for the 1:00 Carla Hall demo so I jumped in the line. This ended up being a wise move because I chit chatted with and got to know the people ahead of and behind me in the line. They were all so nice and festival veterans who gave me some great tips regarding the Party for the Senses that I would be attending for the first time ever that night. Also they told me that they did in fact still have tickets for the book signing session, you just had to ask the right person. So they saved my place in line while I went back to get my ticket (from the right person this time ) and then went back to the store to purchase Carla Hall's book. Not long after I returned to the line they started letting people in. My new friends made a beeline for the front and center table and I followed them so not only did I have a great view for the demo but I got to continue to enjoy the company of these people.


And then it was time for the demo to begin...








For those of you who are not familiar with Carla Hall, she is a co-host of The Chew (a TV show on ABC) and was also a Top Chef finalist. However, the reason that I wanted to see her in person was her fun personality and I was not disappointed...
















Hopefully the above photos convey just how entertaining Carla was during her demonstration. And then of course there was her wonderful dessert...



Salted Peanut Chocolate Pudding Tart with a Salted Peanut Shortbread crust and Milk Chocolate Ganache

Sorry but I apparently didn't take the time to fully focus my camera before taking the photo. Probably because I was so anxious to dig in to the subject, which looked incredibly delicious. And it tasted just as good as it looked, if not better. I ate every last morsel of my tart, as did everyone else at my table. We all gave both the dessert and Carla's presentation glowing reviews.

Oh, and I forgot to mention previously that the chocolate tart was paired with a Sauvignon Blanc from a Napa Valley winery. I was a little puzzled by this pairing, but in the end the two did work surprisingly well together.



After the 45 minute demo, it was time for Carla to wave her good-byes to the very satisfied audience...






I followed the group from my table over to the book signing area and got in line. A cast member came around to collect our tickets and then at 2:00 Carla came out to do her thing...




It was a great experience meeting her in person, one of the highlights of my trip. ​

Next up: A Late Lunch at Le Cellier

 

[jedijill]

I loved Carla on Top Chef! She is one of my favorites. That dessert looked delicious!

Going back...the GFC french toast looks tasty too! I need to book a breakfast there some of these days.

Jill in CO