Last week of February with Dining Plan ... my comments.

[mchelle77]

We stayed at CSR from 2/21 - 2/27 and had the DDP. "We" was myself, my mother (who is VERY picky) and my daughter, who just turned 11 this past Sunday (so a "Disney adult") ... They influenced my choices a LOT, but I got some new stuff in there. This was my 7th trip, my daughter's 4th and my mother's 1st. Here are my thoughts and comments about most meals/snacks:

Sunday, 2/21 - Downtown Disney/Disney Springs
Dockside Margaritas (new). Considering how I pride myself on being able to keep pace with the best of them, the Sunset Margarita knocked me on my butt a little. Maybe it was the fact that it was 3:30pm and I hadn't eaten much that day (got in on the train from Boston at 1pm), but I couldn't finish it. It got to be tasting a little too sour/tart at the end. But I would go again, because I'm a glutton for punishment. I'd be sure I had a proper meal first though.



Ghiradelli (repeat). A madhouse. As it was the last time we went. But so good. My mother got a regular hot fudge sundae and couldn't finish it. My daughter and I split an Ocean Beach Sea Salt Caramel Sundae (again ... we couldn't finish it) At $10 each, I recommend either NOT making dinner plans (see next comment) and definitely sharing one.



Raglan Road (repeat). This was my daughter's and my second time here. I LOVE the entertainment so I checked in early and requested the main room. Got seated right in front of the main stage - it wasn't as loud as I feared when I saw where she was guiding us. The entertainment did not disappoint, and I will continue to book this place over and over for that and the beer alone. Last time here, my daughter was only 9 so she was fine with the kids menu. This time she was able to choose anything, and she had promised to try new things, and did by ordering the Shepard's Pie. She loved it, I loved it. She loved it so much that, despite not having a way to reheat it at the hotel, she wanted to bring it with us. (She never did eat it though ... ) Which brings me to my next comment - having 10 year olds pay adult prices for food encourages them to ORDER adult items from the menu - which is fine to me, but it almost never get eaten. And they shouldn't feel compelled to (I assured her it was OK to not finish even half) But all I could think of was, what a waste - of my money, and of that food. (Disclaimer - I got a discount on the DDP through the Stay, Play and Dine package, so the money part didn't bother me as much ... but solidified that I'd never pay full price for it) I did comment to Disney in their survey they just sent that I wish they had some sort of junior pricing for DDP. Maybe 9-13 year olds pay somewhere in between and get smaller portions of the adult meals OR the kids menu choices.



Anyway, back to the food review. My mother got the Serious Steak and for some reason was bothered that it came with only mashed and not a vegetable. She added green beans and when only they came out (no mashed), she tasted a green bean, hated them, refused to eat them and asked for the mashed ... when she was charged for the second side, again, she was bothered by that. I told her it was her own fault for not reading the menu. I got the fish & chips. I know it's not the best option for getting full value of the DDP, but I was craving it and didn't regret it. One of the better meals I had all week. I had asked what the McGargles Fancy Frank Lager was, but they were out, so I just got my old standby (Bass Ale).





No room for dessert there, so we were able to get them to go (but only certain ones .. ) I LOVE the Bread & Butter pudding and, while the waiter said it wouldn't be pretty, it tasted just as good back at the hotel with no fork I ripped pieces off and dipped into the condiment containers full of ... whatever those sauces are. Messy, but SO good. We also ordered a Dunbrody's Kiss (decadent and delish) and some sort of flourless chocolate cake was was just eh.

Posting.

 

[mchelle77]

Monday, 2/22 - Epcot

Pepper Market (new) - Swapped a QS for 2 muffins (chocolate chocolate chip and blueberry) and a croissant with no issues. Filled the mugs with coffee, tea and hot chocolate and we were on our way.

The Land cart (new) - We got a Mickey Pretzel with cheese and all three shared it. These things are pretty amazing. I knew later I'd be getting the jalapeno pretzel in the World Showcase, but we were in need of something after that light breakfast.

Via Napoli (repeat) - This was a decision based on the really good pizza we had when we first went in 2013, and it was paid for OOP due to the not-so-good DDP value. I ordered a white sangria (really good), and we got arancini because it's my daughter's favorite there. That, combined with the bread they offer, filled her and she didn't touch any of the mid-sized half pepperoni pizza I had ordered. Had I known this would happen, my mother and I could have split a personal sized pizza, but the total only came to about $60 or so before tip, so it wasn't too bad.



We were celebrating my daughter's upcoming birthday (that following Sunday) so her birthday pin got her a LOT of attention This little free dessert (shown above) with an Italian rendition of "Happy Birthday", which I was able to record. I'd go back to Via Napoli again and again.

Kabuki Cafe (repeat) - My mother and daughter both wanted a Kakigori but they're huge, so we got one and all managed to split it. They even gave us an extra cup and spoons. It's a little plain for me, but they loved it. It was hot that day, and any cooling snack credit that can be shared is OK in my book.

Les Vins de France (new) - While waiting for our dinner reservation, I bought a glass of Veuve Cliquot, something I've always wanted to try. I'm glad I went with the $18.00 glass and not the $60 or so bottle (although I'm sure it's more in Disney!) because I found that I like my $10 bottle of Cupcake Prosecco more At least now I don't have to wonder.

Chefs de France (new) - My mother was skeptical of the French place, but was happy with her half roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. My daughter and I got the prix fixe - both ordered the lobster bisque (new for her - she LOVED it and wanted to take THAT to go as well LOL). She got the baked macaroni (she liked it, I thought it was a little bland/plain) and I got the beef short ribs with polenta. Our waiter told me it would be very tender, and he was so right. I did not need a knife. I wish I had room for it all, but was excited to try the profiteroles, which we all ordered. They were pretty good, although I wish they didn't put them on a plate. Very awkward to try to eat ice cream off of a plate.

UK Beer Cart (new) - We managed to get an excellent table next to Rose & Crown so I figured, grab a beer while we waited the hour. I was able to sample an Innus & Gunn, which has a whisky aftertaste that was interesting. I'm not a huge whisky drinker, but this wasn't bad. Didn't think I'd get through an entire one though, so stuck with the old Bass standby. While grabbing beverages, got my mother a tea and my daughter a (very rich and yummy) hot chocolate at the stand between UK and Canada. Don't know what that was called though.

Edited to add: the place that offered the jalapeno pretzel was closed, and AK doesn't offer them anymore, so I never got one

 

[auntfrannie]

I agree that the portions are pretty big. With so many places and snacks to try, sharing makes so much sense!

 

[Jgeauxmo]

We were there at the same time
as you at csr and got the same package deal. I love going with the ddp and not having to worry about prices at dinner. Also, that package was a really good value and was comparable to free dining.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

Monday, 2/22 - Epcot


Les Vins de France (new) - While waiting for our dinner reservation, I bought a glass of Veuve Cliquot, something I've always wanted to try. I'm glad I went with the $18.00 glass and not the $60 or so bottle (although I'm sure it's more in Disney!) because I found that I like my $10 bottle of Cupcake Prosecco more At least now I don't have to wonder.

I don't like Veuve Cliquot (orange label), either. But if you ever do want to splurge again, the Veuve Cliquot Demi-Sec (white label) is delightful and not so dry.

 

[DisneyJo]

Lovely reviews, thanks

 

[TeresaNJ]

Great review!

 

[mchelle77]

Thanks all! Sucked back to work, so I'll add more tonight.

I don't like Veuve Cliquot (orange label), either. But if you ever do want to splurge again, the Veuve Cliquot Demi-Sec (white label) is delightful and not so dry.

Great to know, thanks!

We were there at the same time
as you at csr and got the same package deal. I love going with the ddp and not having to worry about prices at dinner. Also, that package was a really good value and was comparable to free dining.

The last two times we went, we had free dining but I don't remember last trip (12/2013 to CBR) being THAT much different from what I paid for THIS trip WITHOUT "free dining" ... very strange. And that trip was the first week of December, not "peak" times.

 

[phabric]

Enjoyed reading your reviews.

 

[mchelle77]

Thank you!

************

Tuesday, 2/23 - MK full day

BoG, 820am - pre-park opening (repeat) - Our last trip to WDW was just a few days after our Disney cruise last April. We spent 3 nights at the Beach Club resort, with a day at Epcot and a day at MK. On that MK day, I had an 815am pre-park opening reservation as well. We were late for that, due to lack of proper time management. I had no clue it would take so long, and forgot that we'd need to get from the parking lot to the actual park. We ran into the park at 835am and were lucky to still go, but didn't get the "strolling down Main St, leisurely taking pictures" morning that I had wanted. So I rebooked for this trip and got an 820am ADR.

On this morning, I insisted that my husband drop us at the Contemporary at 745am and we'd walk over, and still have plenty of time. Great plan, until he realized that he couldn't find the rental car keys. The front desk suggested calling lost and found, so I encouraged him to check at the desk before going crazy, but now we were stuck going on the bus. So once again, we were ridiculously late (but still let in) and it started my day off on a negative note.



Still a great view, just not much time to soak it in.

I had pre-ordered, which was a great time-saver. Knowing that I could change it as late as that day was a safety net, although I knew what my kiddo would want (again) - the croissant donut thing. I ordered my mother the Eggs Florentine, hold the spinach, and myself the Croque Madame. I like a fried egg if it's well done, but this one was runny inside. It still was really tasty, and I'd order it again. Not much room for the pastries ... and I had planned on bringing a ziploc bag to put them in to snack on later, but forgot the bag AND didn't have a big enough bag to hold that bag in anyway, so those went to waste.




Cheshire Cafe (repeat) - My daughter and I got the (A-MA-ZING) cake cups here last trip, and were disappointed to hear those are only available in the spring. She got a raspberry lemonade slush instead, and my mother got a lemonade slush. I tasted a bit of my daughter's and it was decent - she had sucked most of the juice out though

Columbia Harbor House (repeat - sort of!) - We went here on the idea that I was getting to try something new, but once seated I realized that it looked familiar. However, I believe I was there on my second trip, way back in 2000, so it doesn't really count. My mother ordered the chicken/fish plate with fries and a chocolate mousse. I got a chicken plate and a chowder instead of a dessert (that my daughter wanted) and we shared the fries and the drink.

Popcorn (new) - Not much to say, other than my mother was craving it and it was really good. I don't remember where we got it, but I guess it doesn't matter much, since they have it all over the place. I believe we got it twice over that week.

Mickey bars (repeat) - again, don't remember where, but they can be found anywhere. We bought them while waiting for Festival of Fantasy to start, and we were sitting somewhere between Pecos Bills and Diamond Horseshoe...wish I could remember where, but can't. All I remember is my mother wanting to sit on a short wall in front of a store (that we were in front of) and some lady telling her she couldn't sit there because they had a big party. (Side note - I almost flipped out when I heard this. Ended up telling my mother really loudly while turned towards them that they can't TELL someone not to sit somewhere because someone in their party MIGHT want to sit there. Absolutely ridiculous. Anyway.)

1900 Park Fare (repeat) - This was a last minute choice, switched from Liberty Tree Tavern like a week before we left. Not sure why, I think because I was just iffy about LTT. And my mother wanted characters. And she likes buffets. And the stepsisters were a riot last time We left MK a little later than I had hoped becuase of FP+ that we took a gamble on. Got to our 635pm ADR at 640pm. (I hate being late) Tried a lot of stuff (caeser salad, catfish, beef stir fry, baked potato to name a few items that were memorable) and a few desserts. Also tried a Pim's Punch that was VERY tasty! My favorite part of this meal was the fact that Drisella was the EXACT same CM that was there for my daughter's first trip in 2009! I confirmed with our waitress (knowing the CMs can't break character) and we had them pose together again.


Posting ...

 

[mchelle77]

I should put a little "in between" post here that is not park-related, but food related, and applies to that Tuesday night. We were spending the morning at the resort on Wednesday, so no early morning, which means my husband and I were able to have a little date night at El Centro. So I can comment on drinks and the one awful food experience I had ....

Laguna's Bar (new) - we first stopped here thinking we may be able to catch the DHS fireworks, but realized after ordering that they were on the other side of the building. It was cool, but they had heat lamps going, which was enough to keep me from freezing I tried the Passion Fruit Caipirinha, which was fine. My husband got the Sangria Rioja, which looked really refreshing. I immediately regret my choice after tasting!

Rix Lounge (new) - After the outdoor drink, we went in to have another while being a little warmer and listening to some music. I think it was 80s/90s stuff, which was fine by me! We both ordered a Toasted Coconut - now I love coconut, it's my #1 favorite flavor, but I DON'T do "creamy/dairy-like desserty drinks". The description led me to believe that it wouldn't be too creamy (said a "splash of cream", and it wasn't. But I could only do one. Too desserty for my liking, but my husband really liked it.

Pepper Market (repeat) - we went in to grab a late-night snack. My husband ordered the nachos and I got the beef tacos with rice and beans. As we sat, I started to put a bit of sour cream and hot sauce on my first little taco when my husband pointed something out that looked strange. I pulled a piece of plastic out of the taco. It was like saran wrap, but hardened by heat. And it was a decent size, maybe about 4 inches long and an inch or so wide. I put it in a napkin and went to get a manager. Showed her, who got her boss, who got the chef and had him pull all of the food and check it. The "big" manager said that they make all of that beef in-house, and wasn't sure how it got there, but the chef said it could have been from wrapping the food when it's prepped to keep it covered while waiting to go out for that meal time. They all apologized and the woman manager insisted on refunding my QS credit. She also offered to get me something else, but I said I was fine with what I had, I was more concerned about letting someone know because if thta had been my daughter who got those tacos, I'd have flipped out. If some smaller child had ordered that and eaten it, they would have definitely choked.

 

[suse66]

Thanks for sharing your reviews! Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[mchelle77]

Wednesday, 2/24 - resort half-day and MK half-day

This day is a little fuzzy. It rained, I went for a run, had a massage (surprise from my husband, who got one the day before and thought I'd enjoy it - I DID! ) We had a late breakfast, which kept us full until dinner that night.

Pepper Market (repeat) - After my run, I went back to get my mother and daughter and we went to get a late breakfast. I got the chorizo, egg and cheese sandwich and a coffee in my mug, so was able to get a cheese danish for a snack later in place of a drink. The egg was a little dried up around the eggs, gave me flashbacks to that plastic in my taco. My mother got a ham and cheese omelette and my daughter got French Toast. They let her replace the "meat" with home fries, which she was happy about. (Side note - I never once had ANY issues with substitutions in terms of the dining plan. I was able to use a QS for 3 snacks, I was able to replace drinks/desserts for other items, etc. It was very helpful that they allow this now!)

Siestas Cantina (new) - after my massage, I met my mother, daughter and husband at the main pool. Grabbed a Blood Orange Margarita that I had eyed on the menu while stalking them pre-trip. It didn't taste any different than the sunset margarita I had had that Sunday at Disney Springs, to be honest.

Tambu Lounge (repeat) - showed up early for our 515pm ADR (had no idea Ohana opens AT 5pm!) Enough time to grab a pre-dinner drink. Last time here I had the Lapu Lapu because it was all I had heard about. I like it fine enough, but I think it was built up for me so it was a little anti-climactic. This time I got the Island Sunset, which I really liked. Reminded me of mandarin oranges, very tropical but not overly sweet.

Ohana (repeat) - The food was a topic of conversation on these boards, with some saying it's gone downhill. I feel like it was very much the same. Nothing stands out as bad OR excellent. It was the one meal that my mother seemed to love, due to the fact that she got more of a few items and that hadn't happened until then. We had a really nice view of the castle. I do believe this will be our last visit to Ohana, though. Despite the food being fine, there are so many other places I'd still like to try.



After dinner we took the monorail to MK, which had EMH until midnight that night. Had FP+ for Talking Mickey, Wishes and the 2nd MSEP (that I switched because we ended up getting a great view for the first parade) Anyway ...

Casey's Corner (repeat) - we got an end-of-night snack here on our way out around 930pm (couldn't last until midnight! ), and it was my only issue with the swapping (but was totally my own fault) What I wanted to do was split a hot dog and fries with my mother, give her the drink (my daughter and I had bottles of water) and get my daughter a side of fries. So I placed the fry order, paid with a snack credit, then the meal and used a QS credit and was asked about a dessert. GRR. I could have subbed the dessert for the fries. Oh well. We waited SO fricken long - I think we were in there for close to a half hour, and there was only two people ahead of us when we got in. Again, probably won't be back to Casey's.

 

[mchelle77]

Thursday, 2/25 - Hollywood Studios

Another fuzzy morning. I know we didn't get to the park at rope drop (we NEVER made RD) and I can't remember our breakfast. I think we just grabbed muffins and coffee/tea again on our way to the park.

Rosie's All-American (new) - really nothing to say about my meal here ... I was wanting a burger (it had literally been months since I had one) and this one was good enough. Fries and a diet Coke, and a Vadar cupcake (which was excellent, but I couldn't finish it) This place was chosen because it was the first place near where my mother and daughter were waiting for me after riding R&RC that offered burgers. No real thought put into the choice.


Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge (new) - this park was VERY laid back for us, didn't have a lot going on, things got over just minutes after something else began, causing us to wait a lot. While waiting for Indiana Jones to start, we all got something to drink, and I made mine adult. Went in to the Lounge and got a Winter Sangria to go. I remember liking it, and wishing I had a second, but can't comment on details.

50s Prime Time (repeat) - My husband and I were last here when we went on our honeymoon in 2003. Back then, we had a great waiter named "Uncle Patrick", who had the entire room sing "Love and Marriage" to us. One of the highlights of our trip! This time we scored another great waiter who was very much in character. He reminded me of a young William H. Macy (voice and appearance). My daughter was not hungry yet, so she only got a vanilla milkshake. I got the meatloaf (which I got last time too ) and it was just as good as I remember. My mother got "Mom's Favorites", which consisted of a little sampling of each of their more popular items, I guess (chicken, pot roast and meat loaf) She, too, got a shake, so I figured I would too. I am not the type to get a dessert WITH my food (I prefer to wait until after ... it's just a quirk of mine) but the specialty shake "Cherry Chocolate" sounded too good to pass up, and it was SO good! It was like a cherry ice cream with chipped chocolate (not chips, but like they shredded a block of chocolate) I finished every drop of the shake, but not my meal. When our waiter came back and asked "What are we thinking for dessert?" I said "I'm thinking 'to go'!" LOL My mother passed altogether but I really wanted to try the pineapple upside down cake. I never did though, because I was always too full. Another wasted item.



Oasis Canteen (new) - I can't even comment on this, because my mother and daughter shared a funnel cake but I didn't try it. They both seemed to love it.

I should be able to wrap this up tomorrow! Only a day and a half left

 

[c3h3a3r]

Enjoying your review

 

[PirateRachel]

great reviews, thanks for sharing!

 

[ForeverAlice]

Really nice job on the reviews! Keep it coming!

 

[mchelle77]

Friday, 2/26 - Animal Kingdom

This morning we went slow - short park day, 10am for our first FP+ .. we snacked on pastries that we had grabbed from the Pepper Market from the day or two before and had kept in our fridge.

Flame Tree Barbeque (repeat) - I got the same thing I got last time we went, the pulled pork sandwich with baked beans. Instead of a dessert, I got my daughter an order of fries, and I gave her my drink because I bought a Safari Amber. My mother got the chicken and rib combo, giving my daughter the cornbread (which I realized later that it was jalapeno cornbread and my daughter never had that before ... side story on that in a second ... ) and her chocolate mousse cake dessert thing. Everything was good enough, no complaints.

So side story - After about 2 hours or so of rides and shows, my daughter ended up not feeling well and we called my husband to pick us up. She ended up getting sick (and I mean, all in the rental car ... ) and I believe now that it could have been from the jalapenos in the cornbread, which we hadn't known about. I can't be sure, but she's lived on bland, plain foods for her entire life, never had anything spicy. That combined with the stress of agonizing over going on Everest (she ended up not because she didn't feel well - which was an excellent choice now that we know what would happen! LOL) did a number on her. Anyway ... we got back to the hotel and considered canceling dinner later that night, but let her nap first and she decided she was good to go. (I spent that time doing laundry and having beers at the pool bar while she and my mother napped and my husband found a place to shampoo the car. Productive afternoon all around )

Chef Mickey's (repeat) - we enjoyed this meal last time we went, mostly because of the characters. I don't remember much except that we all easily found foods there that we liked. This was another restaurant that people on these boards think is gross or overpriced or whatever ... I was impressed with the choices. Definitely seemed to add to it since 2009. I don't remember sushi there (or maybe it was because I just didn't eat it back then ) I tried a bit of everything, such as some sort of seafood etoufee, lobster mac and cheese and eggplant parm. But my favorite thing was the MACAROONS! The coffee-flavored one was delicious. I had four of those in addition to tasting 2-3 other ones.

Posting...

 

[mchelle77]

Final day! Saturday, February 27

Kona Cafe (new) - I had read about two things here that got me interested: the French Press Kona coffee and the pineapple macadamia pancakes. We had this booked for departure day last trip and canceled because we wanted to get on the road as soon as possible. This time we were taking the train and it wasn't leaving until that night, so we were in NO rush. Neither of those items disappointed. My daughter got the French Toast and my mother got the Two Eggs Any Style. My daughter passed along her bacon to me but I wasn't impressed. (I like well-done bacon and this was not) I couldn't finish my pancakes, but I wanted to.

Earl of Sandwich (repeat, many times over ... ) - We drive here for lunch whenever we're remotely nearby. Even if we're not going to Disney, but are just in the general area. We LOVE them. While we've been before, I got a different sandwich this time, the Holiday Turkey. Soooo good. And I don't normally get things like that, but I would definitely not hesitate to order again. Got the potato salad as a side, nothing special. My mother and daughter just got a side of mac & cheese, which was a fair size considering it was a "side". They added chips and a drink to make it a meal. My husband got the veggie and was happy with it.

Goofy's Candy Shop (repeat) - We come here to use leftover snack credits, or to just get rode-home snacks. I got a peanut butter cup and some sort of toffee brownie thing. The PB cup was pretty good (although, IMO, overpriced.) My daughter just got Pez

On the way home we had a few hours in DC and I was able to try Shake Shack as well ... burgers, fries and a "concrete", which I had thought was a shake, but what I got was basically a cup of ice cream (and not even good ice cream). All fine, but now that I've had it I'm all set LOL

And that's about it, or so I can remember .. I did just get word that my husband might be booked to shoot a wedding AT Disney next year, so it's possible I could be back next year for trip #8!

 

[sara1215]

View attachment 154654

Posting ...

We had that same Druzilla--she was my favorite. So funny!

Great dining review! Those pineapple pancakes sound fabulous!