Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm - 9 Days of Disney Dining (food report)

[jeminni]

Great reviews and a beautiful picture of your daughter with Cinderella.

 

[DisneyDarlings]

Thank you everyone for your warm reception, and thank you SandyM for your compliment about my DD - - she's great fun!!

All righty, I guess I'll dive right in with our first meal at Earl of Sandwich. We drive down to Orlando from Atlanta so it's become a tradition to stay off-site for one night and eat at DTD to get us in the Disney frame of mind. Last year, we ate at Earl of Sandwich for dinner and, because we had such a great meal last year, decided to eat there again.

DH and I both ordered the Original sandwiches (sans the horseradish) and DD ordered the kids Grilled Cheese. We also got 2 bags of chips, a bottled water, and a *$5.00* Michelob Ultra (welcome to Disney, right? ). Total was $27.06.

I hate to say it, but our DD's grilled cheese (which I sampled in the interest of a fair and balanced food report) was the clear winner. It was melty and gooey and fabulous. DH and I both agree that the roast beef in our Originals was stringy and fatty and just tasteless. What a bummer! Also, since we nixed the horseradish, the sandwiches were very dry (looking back, we should have asked for some mayo or something).

Besides the grilled cheese, though, the other positive thing that I noted was that the ordering system seemed much better managed this year.

Will we go back? Probably. The Earl has become our first night tradition, so I would hate it write it off for one (well, two, really) bad sandwiches.

Next up: CRT breakfast

This is exactly what we do! Drive down, stay off-site, and eat at DTD! We tried Earl of Sandwich for the first time last spring and we loved it!

 

[Crystal_27]

I love the Drizella picture! I'm on board !

Thank you! The one with Anastasia was better but was way out of focus, unfortunately - LOL.

I'm loving your reviews, and it looks like you ate at several of the places we'll be going to in October. I agree, your DD is adorable. I also have to say that I'm VERY impressed with your DH's scrapbook pages. All I've done is use autograph pages from the DISigns thread, and my DH thinks I'm a little crazy for not just buying an autograph book there. I think it's wonderful that your DH enjoys things like that .

Can't wait for more!

Thank you for the compliment about my DD! About the scrapbooking, it's really a great way for me and him to spend time together and it allows us to create memories for DD, which she will hopefully appreciate as she grows older. And, for what it's worth, I think that using the DISigns autograph pages will make the characters very much appreciate that you took a little extra time to personalize your pages.

Great reviews and a beautiful picture of your daughter with Cinderella.

Thank you! The picture that the Photopass photographer took was better, but we haven't gotten our CD yet so I figured I'd post what I took. It's so dark in the lobby that it's very difficult to even get a decent picture.

This is exactly what we do! Drive down, stay off-site, and eat at DTD! We tried Earl of Sandwich for the first time last spring and we loved it!

Yeah, that has really worked for us for our last two trips. We stay at the Howard Johnson about 3 miles from the Disney World entrance. At $35.00 a night, the HoJo is certainly a good price for a place to wind down and relax after a day of driving.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

and a *$5.00* Michelob Ultra (welcome to Disney, right? ). Total was $27.06.

Educate me please; what is a michelob ultra??


Ps; you had me big time when reading about 1900 Park Fair. What a blast!

 

[tikkipoo]

That picture is freakin' hilarious!!!

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent

 

[Tess]

Educate me please; what is a michelob ultra??


Ps; you had me big time when reading about 1900 Park Fair. What a blast!

Not the Crystal_27, but to answer your question, Mich Ultra is a low carb beer.

 

[DLo]

enjoying your reviews and pictures. How cool that your dh scrapbooks. I don't have the skills for that. I am in awe of those that do.

Looking forward to the rest.

We drive down from the Atlanta area also. We usually stay close but off site the night before but last year we stayed at POP. We had to leave late last year because of my older ds school schedule and didn't arrive until almost midnight - bummer. This year we are staying at Pop again and hope to arrive earlier so we can eat at DTD and actaully see what Pop looks like.

 

[Crystal_27]

Educate me please; what is a michelob ultra??


Ps; you had me big time when reading about 1900 Park Fair. What a blast!

It's great to see you over here, Girlfriend! Michelob Ultra is just a beer here in the States. Just to give you a comparison, we typically pay about $5.00 for a 6-pack, so we thought $5.00 for one beer was quite hysterical, even for Disney prices - - DH and I joked that it too must have been infused with Disney Magic.

That picture is freakin' hilarious!!!

Yeah, my poor DD - she looks like she's thinking "why am I taking a picture with this wacko"?

Excellent

Why, thank you!

Not the Crystal_27, but to answer your question, Mich Ultra is a low carb beer.

Yup - the nectar of the Gods as far as DH is concerned.

enjoying your reviews and pictures. How cool that your dh scrapbooks. I don't have the skills for that. I am in awe of those that do.

Looking forward to the rest.

We drive down from the Atlanta area also. We usually stay close but off site the night before but last year we stayed at POP. We had to leave late last year because of my older ds school schedule and didn't arrive until almost midnight - bummer. This year we are staying at Pop again and hope to arrive earlier so we can eat at DTD and actaully see what Pop looks like.

I'm honored to have a fellow Atlanta girl on my food report. Say, do you know where I can get some gas - LOL?!?

We stayed at the Poly for this trip, but I'm trying to convince DH to let us go back in February, 2009. If we do go in February, we'll be staying at the POP - it looks like so much fun.

 

[TarheelPrincess]

I'm taking my little princess to WDW next week and love seeing pictures of other little princesses. Your daughter is adorable and your pictures are fantastic. Thank you for sharing your memories with us.

 

[Crystal_27]

Since we decided to tour the World Showcase this day, we opted for a late breakfast at Ohanas. Looking back, it makes me laugh that waiting to get seated at Ohanas was the longest wait we had all week (including standing in line for rides - LOL). We only waited for about 20 minutes, though, so it wasn't that dire.

Breakfast consisted of bread (cinnamon rasin and pineapple), fruit, and a skillet containing bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits, and potatoes. Mickey waffles are then served separately.

The food was good, although for being an "all you can eat" meal, we didn't see our waitress after the skillet was served (except to process the check) so we didn't get seconds on anything except the Mickey waffles (which were brought to our table by the "waffle runners").

Also, DH and I tend to get itchy feet in restaurants at Disney - once the food is eaten, we want to get to the parks ASAP. So, we waited about 20 minutes after we were finished eating to see Lilo and Stitch but decided to leave before seeing Pluto and Mickey - they were still on the other side of the restaurant.

Would we eat there again? Probably not - too much waiting around, and the food in the skillet was identical to what we ate at Captain Cooks for the remainder of our trip, for a fraction of the cost. Total price with tip was $61.95.

Since we ate a late breakfast, we skipped lunch, but did stop and get a Kaki Gori for a snack:

We opted for a cherry, strawberry, and tangerine "rainbow" and it really was a refreshing treat!

Then, although not exactly dining related, DD was lucky enough to get picked by Miyuki for a candy creation. DD opted for a pink swan and I (and everyone else) was *awed* at seeing Miyuki make this swan, especially when she made the wings. Miyuki is truly an artist!

Anyway, that's it for now. Next up: LeCellier

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

It's great to see you over here, Girlfriend! Michelob Ultra is just a beer here in the States. Just to give you a comparison, we typically pay about $5.00 for a 6-pack, so we thought $5.00 for one beer was quite hysterical, even for Disney prices - - DH and I joked that it too must have been infused with Disney Magic.

Beer, how simple can the answer be sometimes?

The Big sure is one lucky girl! She somehow draws special things and people towards her, doesn't she? Did she eat her swan yet?

By the way; don't know if it's you, DH or a combination but there are some great photos on here and previous topics.

Let the pictures and reports keep coming! It's drool-worthy and by the way; I've waited long enough for my Kona-fix.

Found gas yet?

 

[oybolshoi]

Love your reviews so far ... I was cracking up while reading about your adventures at 1900 Park Fair.

BTW, your daughter is a real cutie.

 

[Crystal_27]

Let me just start off by saying that Le Cellier was the most anticipated restaurant of our trip. We are a "steak and potatoes" famiily anyway, but I've always read such great reviews about Le Cellier. We certainly weren't disappointed.

We had a 5:00 p.m. ADR at Le Cellier, but they seated us right away when we showed up at 4:20 p.m.

First came the bread, and I whole heartedly endorse the pretzel bread.

Since an appetizer came with DD's meal, we ordered the (DIS-famous) cheddar cheese soup for all of us to try.

It, too, was just as great as everyone on the DIS says it is. Creamy, cheesy, peppery, and perfect. Instead of the child's portion, I wish we would have ordered a gallon of the stuff.

DH also ordered a ceasar salad for us to split.

As I stated before, we are big steak people, so all three of us ordered steak - - the mushroom filets for DH and I and the child's steak for DD. The mushroom filet came with risotto but we substitued that for the cream cheese mashed potatoes.

On a taste test alone, DH and I thought that DD's steak was the winner because it was so flavorful. However, the filets were so tender they just melted in our mouths, so we definitely had no complaints there. And, the cream cheese mashed potatoes were great too - thick and creamy and yummy.

For dessert, I ordered the chocolate "moose," DH ordered the strawberry cheesecake, and DD ordered the fruit cup.

We shared our desserts all around the table. DD and I thought the chocolate moose was the winner, but DH was very partial to the cheesecake.

Total cost including tip was $136.89. Regarding the tip, Le Cellier was the only restaurant during our trip that we opted for a 20% tip (instead of 18%) - our server Kurt was on the ball when it came to refills and our meal "pace;" in addition, he was very personable and fun.

Would we eat here again? Most definitely, maybe even multiple times during one trip. In addition to being a great value on the DDP, the food and service were just extraordinary.

Up next: Captain Cooks, Mama Melrose

 

[frdeb1999]

Love the review and pics....looking forward to the next installment!

 

[Crystal_27]

I'm taking my little princess to WDW next week and love seeing pictures of other little princesses. Your daughter is adorable and your pictures are fantastic. Thank you for sharing your memories with us.

Awww, have a great time. I hope you are as blessed with great weather, no love bugs, and wonderful park touring as we were.

Beer, how simple can the answer be sometimes?

The Big sure is one lucky girl! She somehow draws special things and people towards her, doesn't she? Did she eat her swan yet?

By the way; don't know if it's you, DH or a combination but there are some great photos on here and previous topics.

Let the pictures and reports keep coming! It's drool-worthy and by the way; I've waited long enough for my Kona-fix.

Found gas yet?

You are too sweet, my dear! We try and do our best with The Big, for sure. I can't wait for you to meet her.

She actually did eat some of her swan yesterday - before now, it's just been too pretty to eat.

And, thanks for the compliments about the pictures. The camera does most of the work, honestly, but I'm usually the one pressing the button, at least.

As to the gas, it seems as if there is more supply. However, lines are still long, tempers are flaring, and panic seems very close to the surface. Keep crossing your fingers for us.

Love your reviews so far ... I was cracking up while reading about your adventures at 1900 Park Fair.

BTW, your daughter is a real cutie.

Yeah, 1900 PF, definitely was a great memory. "THIS IS WHAT WE DESERVE" has become quite the catch phrase in our household. And, thank you for the compliment about DD - we sure love her to pieces.

Love the review and pics....looking forward to the next installment!

Thanks! Hopefully, I'll have the next one up tomorrow!

 

[Donald is #1]

Great review! So what is the long stick on the cheesecake? Is it a peppermint stick?

 

[Crystal_27]

Great review! So what is the long stick on the cheesecake? Is it a peppermint stick?

No, not a peppermint stick -it's actually a chocolate straw. My DD loved it!

 

[Donald is #1]

No, not a peppermint stick -it's actually a chocolate straw. My DD loved it!

Wow, how cool!

 

[Crystal_27]

Well, since we were staying at the Poly, Captain Cooks played a very large role for breakfast and lunch with us. I think we had this breakfast combination 6 times during our trip:

Do the contents of the breakfast platter look familiar? And, I'm not kidding that it tasted exactly like our Ohana breakfast skillet the previous day. Very good.

DH fell in love with Tonga Toast during our last trip, so you can bet he was thrilled with getting to eat it almost every day during this trip. We also learned during our second breakfast at Captain Cooks that they have the strawberries to top the Tonga Toast instead of syrup, a definite improvement according to DH. I don't care for Tonga Toast one bit because all I can taste is overripe bananas.

One other great thing about using CS credits for breakfast was getting 2 drinks with every meal. We ended up with one orange juice and 3 waters every day, and the waters were certainly helpful in the miserable heat.

Cost was $21.28.

For lunch, we also visited Captain Cooks this day (and many others) and got a flatbread and a chicken caesar salad:

With these for dessert:

We all loved the flatbread! My DD loves tomatoes so she was definitely in heaven with meal. As to the salad, every day we found it was crisp and refreshing, with a generous serving of chicken, but we unfortunately also found every day that the croutons (chips?) that were on top were soggy and nasty.

As to the desserts, the cupcake was yummy and chocolately but the rice crispy treat was a disappointment - soggy and tasteless. For the subsequent days at Captain Cooks, we just opted for 2 cupcakes.

Total cost $25.08

For this day, we also partook in a premium ice cream bar which was, of course, wonderful.

I have to apologize now because I'm going to do Mama Melrose in my next installment. Until then, thanks everyone for reading.