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

[emmysmommy]

Hi Barb! Getting caught up here after having missed your awesome reviews. I follow your instagram posts so I get my morning fix of your great dining photos!!

 

[jabead]

Ok, drooling on the computer is not good for it Can't wait to read about the party - sounds amazing!

Glad to hear my photos are drool worthy! Thanks for reading and the party review is coming right up.

Question because I'm new can you get the cheddar cheese soup from a walk up location by chance? I know that's not a restaurant my family would want to eat at but I love cheddar cheese soup!

The only time that the cheddar cheese soup is available outside of Le Cellier is during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival held each year in the fall. During that time you can can get a plastic cupful of the soup at the Canada food booth.

Oh I know what you are talking about food and wine on the weekends is intense with crowds!! It's butt check to cheek haha! That's a shame your filet wasn't as good as before. We haven't been since it became a signature as we love the Yachtsman so much.

Yes, I've almost always preferred the filet at YSH, except for my previous trip to this one. During my April/May trip I had a filet at both YSH and Le Cellier and the LC filet won hands down. But this trip things were back to normal, with YSH being the definite winner. My next trip in May is with my kids and my son loves Le Cellier so we are currently in negotiations. Not sure yet who is going to win the steakhouse battle. Will my son win and we go to LC or will I get my way and we go to YSH???

Hey Barb, I'm just seeing your report here for the first time - and loving it. I was trying to figure out where I saw your username before - on Instagram!!! Mine is cynditech1 I'm having a great time looking through all of your pictures and descriptions! Thanks for sharing!

I was so jealous - going aways back - at how soon you got to see Jack & Sally at MNSSHP. We were there around the same time last year - and our wait was closer to 2 hours (even though we lined up well before the party)!

And I had to LOL about the crowds at F&W - we thought it was absolutely crazy last year - I'd never seen crowds like that before (that was our 3rd F&W). Of course, that doesn't stop me from wanting to do it again!

Well hello there! Thanks so much for following me on Instagram and stopping in to comment here too! Yes, this MNSSHP rookie really lucked out with the express line for the Jack & Sally Meet & Greet, but I guess I was pushing my luck when I entered WSC on a Saturday during the F & W festival.

It's always so sad to have a disappointing meal when previous experiences were better. Thanks for the Carly Hall review...I was flipping through the channels one day and saw her on The Chew and was wondering who she was!

Carla was really a hoot! Writing the review of her demo reminded me that I need to set my DVR to record The Chew.

Sorry to hear your recent trip to LeCellier was rather unspectacular. I have to admit though I was not surprised. I highly doubt I will ever set foot in LC again. I jumped off the LC bandwagon well before it ever became a signature restaurant.

Yes, personally I am now ready to take a break from Le Cellier. However, my next trip is with my kids and my son is a LC fan. So I'm not sure yet if it will make it onto the dining schedule for the next trip.

Oh, no. You've had better steaks at the Outback. That is not good.

I hope your day improved, food-wise.

Yes, I was on a roll this day food-wise with both a great breakfast and the delicious dessert served at the cooking demo. Then came the filet at Le Cellier.

You are right that steak looks absolutely amazing, too bad it didnt taste that way. Maybe the Australian steaks headed for outback got lost in Canada? Did it have any truffle taste?

Yes, the truffle butter sauce was tasty. It was the best part of this steak.

I'm sad you couldn't give Le Cellier a better report Barb. I haven't been there in a long time since before it became a Signature restaurant. At least the pretzel bread was still awesome.

We are staying at the Poly next trip so there is no excuse to not head over to GFC for the French toast just gotta pry Chase out of bed.

I know exactly what you mean, Rachel. My next trip is with my kids so I doubt there will be many breakfasts included in my next dining report.

Hi Barb! Getting caught up here after having missed your awesome reviews. I follow your instagram posts so I get my morning fix of your great dining photos!!

Hi Brenda! So great to have you here! I totally understand why you've been away from the dining boards. I so enjoyed seeing Emily's wedding photos on Facebook. She was such a beautiful bride!

 

[jabead]

Next up is the review of my first-ever...




If you have looked over my dining schedule in the second post of this thread, you may have noticed that I attended two Party for the Senses during my two week trip. I know this seems rather excessive but I had my reasons for this splurge. I guess I will just leave it that. Anyway, this particular Party was different from all the others in that for the first time all of the guest chefs were Disney chefs. And not just Disney World chefs but also from the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Resort in California, Disney Cruise Lines and Aulani (the Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii). All of these great Disney chefs from around the world in addition to the Executive Chefs from each of the four Disney World parks and the Chefs de Cuisine from nearly all of the DeLuxe resorts including the Yacht & Beach Club's Anthony DeLuca, Wilderness Lodge's Tim Oakley, Grand Floridian's Scott Hunnel (who was supposed to be there but I think was absent), Polynesian's Peter Bruenen, Contemporary's Brian Piasecki and the Boardwalk's Tim Keating converging in one place was just too much for this Disney foodie to resist. And so it was that I approached the World ShowPlace Events Pavilion at around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25th...approached it with both excitement and to be honest, with a little apprehension since I was doing this solo.




When I finally decided to do this second PFTS, there of course was no longer any Reserved Seating available so I went with General Admission for $149 plus tax. This meant I would be placed in the holding pen upon check-in and take part in the "running of the bulls" when they opened up the party area to the general admission guests. Those are not my words. This is what I had read during my pre-party research for this event. So I guess you can now understand my nervousness. However, in reality it wasn't that bad. My time in the "pen" passed by rather quickly, as I was busy looking over the menu booklet I was given at check-in and then trying to formulate a general plan of attack. When the doors to the party were opened around 7:30, I stood back for a minute or two to let the "herd" go on ahead. I then entered the huge room which housed at least 50 different food or beverage stations and I must admit that I felt a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. So of course, rather than following my plan I instead walked up to one of the very first stations that I came upon...
















This was the International Cheese & Butter station sponsored by Kerrygold Butters and Cheeses of Ireland. In addition to several cheeses, there were fresh and dried fruits, nuts, breads and crackers here. I placed a sampling of these on a small plate and put it on the plastic tray that I had been given at check-in and then moved on to the next area of the room which had four food and three wine stations. Two of these three wine stations happened to be serving sparkling wines that are among my favorites, MARTINI Asti Spumante and Banfi Rosa Regale. So now I had my first dilemma...two wines, one glass. I chose the Rosa Regale and was given a generous pour. Yay!


Drinking the Rosa Regale, which goes very well with chocolate, reminded me that Paula (smile4stamps) had given me a few pointers regarding the PFTS. One of these was to hit up the Chocolates station early. She warned me that towards the end of the party the line for this station would be long and they would run out of some of the most popular chocolates. Consequently, one of my next stops was the Assorted Chocolates station, which was located in the very back corner of the large room.







They had 9 different chocolates to choose from, including Key Lime, Caramel Apple, Cookies 'n Cream, Cranberry Cheesecake, and Apple Pie, to name a few. My favorite was the Salted Caramel, which was delicious! I may have taken a cupful of those back to the hotel with me that night.



I then visited a few more food stations in the back area of the room, including the one that served my favorite food of the evening...




Lamb Two Ways - Spiced Sausage with Natural Reduction and Seared Loin over Heirloom Eggplant Bolognese
(Brian Piasecki, Chef de Cuisine and Mark Donovan, Sous Chef of California Grill)


And another of my favorites...



Deep-fried Mille-Feuille of Scallop and Mushrooms Duxelles with Nori Sauce and Wasabi Oil
(Masayoshi Suzuki and Junichi Miyazono, Executive Chefs from Tokyo Disney and the Tokyo DisneySea Resort's MiraCosta Restaurant)



Luckily I found an open standing table nearby so that I could begin digging in to my choices.




I believe this was the previously shown Lamb Two Ways (middle) and Fried Scallop (left), along with Braised Pork Belly Steam Bun with Green Papaya Salad on the right (made by Peter Bruenen, Chef de Cuisine of the Polynesian Resort).


And a second not so great photo of my choices, all of which were good...





I also really enjoyed this...



Fragrantly Blackened Wild Oceans Day-boat Fish Taco with Poblano-Tomatillo-Cilantro Salsa, Pickled Onions, Epcot Cucumbers, Jalapenos, Hearts of Palm, Queso Fresco, and Crema Mexicana
(Tim Keating, Chef de Cuisine and Chef Tim Majoras of the Boardwalk Resort and Flying Fish Cafe)



As the evening progressed (and my wine intake), it seems my photo taking became rather hit and miss. But here are a few other highlights...




Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke stuffed with a Yuzu Crab Salad, Puffed Furikake Rice, Avocado Mousse, and Ponzu
(Kevin Chong, Chef from Aulani)




Peruvian Chocolate Timbale with Raspberry Foam
(Erich Herbitschek, Executive Pastry Chef from the Grand Floridian Resort)





Butter Mochi Cake with Pineapple
(Ron Viloria, Pastry Chef from Aulani)





Brown Butter Fiancier, Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta, and Sous Vide Seckel Pear
(Matt Avery, Pastry Chef from the Boardwalk Bakery)




Club 33 Traditional Opera Cake with Gianduja Chocolate Curl and Mecker Raspberry Coulis
(Jean-Marc Viallet, Executive Pastry Chef of the Disneyland Resort and Jorge Sotelo, Executive Pastry Chef of the the Grand Californian's Napa Rose Restaurant and California Adventure's Carthay Circle Restaurant)





Marscapone-Lemon Cremeux, Honey Crisp Apple, Beet Meringue, and Cassis Glaze
(Stefan Riemer, Pastry Chef for Concept Development, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts)


It seems like I concentrated on the desserts, or at least that is mostly what I photographed. But I swear that I tried a few other savory dishes. Two that come to mind but I seemed to have forgotten to photograph were the Braised Short Ribs with Porcini Port Wine Sauce, Parsnip Puree, Crispy Shallots, and Baby Radish Greens (Steve Walker and Brian McLaughlin, Chefs from the Disney Cruise Line) and the Braised Beef "Steak & Eggs" (Anthony DeLuca, Chef de Cuisine from the Yacht & Beach Club Resort). Also I seem to be missing a photo of the Sweet Corn Mousse with Milk Chocolate Gelato and Bacon Crunch (Deran Lanpher, Pastry Chef from the Yacht & Beach Club). These were all really good!

Unfortunately there were several things (at least 10) that I didn't get to try, as I ran out of time and stomach room. Other dishes which sounded interesting though were Braised Pork Belly (Hong Kong Disneyland), Braised Veal Cheek and Butter-poached Lobster (Disneyland Resort), and Seared High Plains Bison Tenderloin (Magic Kingdom Park). I tried a few more wines after my first glass of Rosa Regale. I seem to recall a La Crema Pinot Noir, a Pacific Rim Reisling, and I went back for a glass of MARTINI Asti Spumante. Oh, and I ended the evening with another glass of Rosa Regale, which I enjoyed while talking to one of my dining partners from the French Lunch I had attended the day before. It was nice to see a familiar face here, one that I would see again at the Swan & Dolphin F & W Festival and the PFTS which I attended with my husband the next weekend.


I'll wait until my review of the second Party of the Senses which I attended to compare the two experiences. So for now, that completes my review. I apologize that the photos aren't great. The lighting was kind of funky, plus I had to take most of the photos with one hand while balancing my plastic tray and wine glass in the other. But hopefully I've given you a general idea of what this event is like and the kind of foods which are offered. Oh, and a disclaimer. I might have incorrectly identified some of the foods in my photos, as it has been nearly four months since I ate them. If so, I apologize...my memory just "ain't what it used to be." ​

Next up: Breakfast at Kona Cafe with a DIS friend

 

[Scoobymoons]

Yum.....yum....yum.....and did I mention.....yum...?! That all looks seriously delicious and I completely understand the need to attend that event with so many incredible chefs represented in one room - wow! And you mentioned a second party....ok I. AM. READY.

 

[sunnysideup3]

That looks AMAZING. A total foodie treat

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Oh my the Party for the Senses looks like it was true to its name! I would have probably filled up on all those delicious looking chocolates.

 

[MagentaMulan]

I just started following along and all the food looks amazing!

 

[vettegirl]

PFS looks amazing!!! My husband is too picky and doesn't drink wine so we have never been. It's on my bucket list for sure!! Thanks for the amazing photos.

 

[emmysmommy]

You have to apologize for those photos?? They are better than I can do on my best day - with no wine!!
I had to chuckle at your formulating a "plan" while you were in the holding pen. From the first photos it definitely looks like sensory overload so I completely understand plans being ditched after the first 5 seconds.

All those wonderful choices reminds me of your traditional foods from around the world dining extravaganza that you host at your home. Everything is so beautifully presented.

Ok, have to ask..... do they give you a cafeteria type tray?

(Thanks for your sweet comments.)

 

[goofy4prez]

Brenda, I have no idea how you were able to walk out of that place when you were done; after all that they would have had to wheel me out of there because of being in a deep food coma. And I love your strategy, get the chocolates and desserts out of the way early.

 

[kastoney]

I'm not even sure I have words for the amazing food and drink you clearly had. I can't believe how big the portion sizes are, I would have expected bite size with so many offerings. But everything looks and sounds absolutely wonderful. I've never seen pics of the part before, so now I have one more for the bucket list ; ) can't wait to see what the next one shapes up to be like

 

[Adgie128]

What a cool inside look at PFTS! Thanks for sharing this.

I'm following your IG account, too, and love the daily posts. Disney food is my favorite to see on my feed!

 

[jabead]

Yum.....yum....yum.....and did I mention.....yum...?! That all looks seriously delicious and I completely understand the need to attend that event with so many incredible chefs represented in one room - wow! And you mentioned a second party....ok I. AM. READY.

Yes, I promise there will be a second PFTS but a week's worth of meals come first so I hope you can stick around.

That looks AMAZING. A total foodie treat

Hi Jillian! Yes, it was very exciting for me to be in the presence of so many great Disney chefs. It was an opportunity that I just couldn't pass up.

Oh my the Party for the Senses looks like it was true to its name! I would have probably filled up on all those delicious looking chocolates.

I have Paula to thank for the great tip about the chocolates. They were very tasty!

I just started following along and all the food looks amazing!

Thanks so much for joining in!

PFS looks amazing!!! My husband is too picky and doesn't drink wine so we have never been. It's on my bucket list for sure!! Thanks for the amazing photos.

Oh, does Peter like beer by chance? I'm not a beer drinker so I completely forgot to mention that they had beer at the party too. Many of the same beers served at the festival booths are also available at the party. I think they had about 10 different kinds including Sam Adams, Stella Artois, and the German grapefruit beer that so many people like.

You have to apologize for those photos?? They are better than I can do on my best day - with no wine!!
I had to chuckle at your formulating a "plan" while you were in the holding pen. From the first photos it definitely looks like sensory overload so I completely understand plans being ditched after the first 5 seconds.

All those wonderful choices reminds me of your traditional foods from around the world dining extravaganza that you host at your home. Everything is so beautifully presented.

Ok, have to ask..... do they give you a cafeteria type tray?

(Thanks for your sweet comments.)

It was more like a big plastic plate which had a holder for the souvenir wine glass (that was not plastic). It could hold a couple of the smaller plates that the food was served on. Or if you were really good at balancing them, you could pile on 3 or 4 small plates on the big one. Hopefully I took a picture of it during my second time around at the party.

Brenda, I have no idea how you were able to walk out of that place when you were done; after all that they would have had to wheel me out of there because of being in a deep food coma. And I love your strategy, get the chocolates and desserts out of the way early.

Barb here, not Brenda...but I totally take that as a compliment since I believe you were thinking of emmysmommy. I think Brenda told me your name is Bob. Did I get that right? Anyway, yes it was not easy. I think the bus stop for the Wilderness Lodge was the absolute farthest away, or at least it seemed that way. But that was probably a good thing, as it allowed me to walk off a few of the bazillion calories I devoured that night.

I'm not even sure I have words for the amazing food and drink you clearly had. I can't believe how big the portion sizes are, I would have expected bite size with so many offerings. But everything looks and sounds absolutely wonderful. I've never seen pics of the part before, so now I have one more for the bucket list ; ) can't wait to see what the next one shapes up to be like

Good addition to your bucket list!

What a cool inside look at PFTS! Thanks for sharing this.

I'm following your IG account, too, and love the daily posts. Disney food is my favorite to see on my feed!

Thanks for following me, both here and on Instagram.

 

[jabead]

Sunday, October 26th

You might recall that a few days earlier in my trip I had run into a DIS friend, DeeDee (buzz1121), at the Plaza during my pre-MNSSHP dinner there. We had made arrangements to meet on Sunday morning at one of my favorite places to have breakfast at Disney World...






First I must apologize, as apparently I was so busy catching up with DeeDee that I completely forgot my duties as a dining reporter and failed to take a photo of the menu. Mea culpa. But to be honest, I'm not sure if I even looked at the menu since I already knew exactly what I would order. And if you have read my previous dining reports, you too probably know exactly what I ordered...



Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes
topped with Macadamia Nut Butter, Pineapple Sauce, and your choice of Ham, Bacon, or Sausage


These were delicious and I was again completely satisfied with my choice. However, I was very happy when DeeDee ordered the special seasonal entree which I had always been curious about...


Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Pecan Butter

And I was even happier when she offered me a taste. So, which of the pancakes were better? Well, IMO the pumpkin pancakes were good, but they can't hold a candle to my beloved macadamia-pineapple pancakes.


So that's my short but "very sweet" Kona breakfast review. Oh, but I do have one more picture, the photographic evidence of my DIS meet with the lovely DeeDee...





​

Next up: My day at Magic Kingdom, including lunch at Be our Guest

 

[vettegirl]

Great breakfast update!! Thank you for the insight on the beer at PFS, we will definitely put that on our must do list now

 

[emmysmommy]

Kona Café, only the BEST place for breakfast in the world - as long as they have those macadamia pineapple pancakes. And even better when you dine with a Diser pal. Glad you were able to meet up with DeeDee.

 

[goofy4prez]

Barb here, not Brenda...but I totally take that as a compliment since I believe you were thinking of emmysmommy. I think Brenda told me your name is Bob. Did I get that right? Anyway, yes it was not easy. I think the bus stop for the Wilderness Lodge was the absolute farthest away, or at least it seemed that way. But that was probably a good thing, as it allowed me to walk off a few of the bazillion calories I devoured that night.

Oops, I did know that Barb, it was a typo error, sorry. And unlike me, you did get the name right with Bob. LOL

 

[Adgie128]

Even though I've done dinner at Kona a couple of times, I haven't managed to have breakfast there yet. I feel like a bad DISer for admitting that that means that I've never had tonga toast or macadamia nut pancakes, the latter of which would probably be my choice. They look so delicious in every review of them!

Oddly enough, I have a Kona breakfast menu sitting in my basement somewhere. When we went for dinner last time, I asked to look at the breakfast menu just for giggles. The hostess then told me to keep it when I went to hand it back. I didn't mention that I knew the menu pretty well from the boards.

 

[ursalita]

All of the things you photographed and described at the Party look amazing. I don't think I would even attempt anything like that, I would be way too overwhelmed. Sounds like you had a good time despite being apprehensive at first. I've heard so many good things about those pancakes at Kona I wish I'd tried them when I had breakfast there last trip. To be honest, I was so happy about the coffee I can't remember what I ordered.

 

[Scoobymoons]

I hope you can stick around.

Yup, indeedy I can

Kona looks yum - never been there for brekkie as we were put off by horrifically slow and half-hearted service at dinner once....your pancake pics make me wonder a second chance is in order!!!!!