MickeyMonstersMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2002
- Messages
- 1,432
MMMs annual solo trip dining report
Background: I accompanied my children to visit their dad (who obligingly moved to Florida to help me satisfy my WDW obsession), spending a few days near Daytona Beach with relatives and a few at Pop Century. While my report will focus mainly on WDW eateries, a few others deserve mention, for good or ill, so they are included here as well. I didnt keep track of the money spent, though Id planned PSs and budgeted for my meals based on the menus at allearsnet.
Offsite eateries:
4/17 Lunch: A&W at DTW airport. The food tasted nothing like our local A&W and was not worth the outrageous prices. If you ever try this place, please dont think it representative of the entire chain.
4/19 Dinner: Outback Steakhouse, Daytona Beach. I ordered the smaller cut filet mignon with broccoli. Wow. This was the best steak Ive had in over a decade, literally able to be cut with a fork. The service was also fantastic. Our local Outback isnt worth another visit, but Ill make a point of eating at the one in Daytona when I return.
WDW meals:
4/20 Dinner: Ohana. One of our family traditions is to eat at Ohana our first night at WDW, so of course the 5:10 PS had been made months in advance. I was seated at 5:05 and tucked right into the pineapple-coconut bread. This is supposedly new and is different from the banana bread I ate last time, but the taste was so familiar - I think that this was served back in 2002. At any rate, I loved it. Cousin Crystal brought out the lazy susan and Cousin Joe kept the meats coming. Every time I eat at Ohana I have a different favorite item, and this time the rice, salad, and peanut sauce really stood out. I managed to polish off all of the salad as well as the green beans and made a serious dent in the rice. The turkey and beef were fabulous, as usual (I dont care for pork and never eat shrimp - more for the rest of you!) and I ate more than I ever have there! Even after the pineapple was long gone, I was still picking at the remnants of that bread - which tastes great dipped in the peanut sauce, btw! Service was adequate, not special, but the food was as good as ever. I was in pain for my gluttony, but it was worth it!
4/21
Breakfast: Everything Pop. I had planned on grabbing some kind of platter with eggs right at 6 am and taking it back to my room while I got ready for the day, but the hot stations do not open until 6:30 and 7:00, so I opted for a yogurt-granola parfait with blueberries instead. It was very tasty - Im glad I tried it!
Lunch: Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco Pavilion, Epcot. Wow. I was seated within 5 minutes of my noon PS and ordered the chefs lunch special: chicken shish kebab with rice, preceded by jasmina salad and a beef brewat roll. I also had the mint tea. I typically take my tea weak, so the first sip of the tea was a bit of a shock, but I came to enjoy it greatly with the meal and even bought some (hopelessly inferior American) mint tea upon returning home. My server, Sara, started the meal with a loaf of a delicious and hearty bread - yum! The salad was superb as well, similar to Greek salad, but with a tangy difference. The brewat roll was good - I had been concerned about mixing meat and sugar, and that was fine. I just happened to like every other aspect of the meal more. The kebab (chicken, pepper, onion, and tomato) and rice were placed on a tomato-based sauce that was to die for! Because I hadnt read the menu closely I was expecting couscous and was a little disappointed, but everything was great anyway. The meal ended with an apple crepe smothered in honey - very sweet and something I would not normally choose, but excellent with that meal. I didnt care for the belly dancer (as I said in my trip report, she seemed more MTV than traditional Morocco), but the decor was fascinating and the musicians were wonderful. I will make a point of eating here on future visits, though I may wait to bring the Monsters until they are a little older and will appreciate the food more.
Afternoon Snack and Dinner: Kringla Bakeri og Kafe, Norway Pavilion, Epcot. I *must* have rice cream on every visit, but once I got in there decided to live dangerously and try a veiled maiden instead. It was very good - I love the combination of apples and cream - but I still prefer the rice cream. Later I couldnt decide between more Moroccan food at Tangierine Cafe or Mexican at the Cantina, and dithered so much that I finally just ended up having another old standby, the open-faced turkey sandwich - and of course, rice cream - for dinner. Absolutely wonderful, as always.
4/22
Breakfast: Everything Pop. I chose the adult breakfast platter with eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and biscuit, as well as a premade fruit salad from the coolers. It was a lot more than I needed, especially after all the gorging Id done the past couple of days. I wish there were more a la carte offerings at the hot stations. The food was fine for typical breakfast fare, and served with a much sunnier attitude than that dished up at ASMu last year.
Lunch: Flame Tree Barbeque, Animal Kingdom. I purchased a Meal Plus voucher at AK hoping Id get my moneys worth from it, and definitely did. I bought a Coke early on and then redeemed the entree and beverage coupon at FTB for a beef sandwich and Coke. The sandwich came with baked beans and corn on the cob, so it was a great deal. The sandwich was fantastic, and the beans were great, too. Im picky about sweet corn and didnt expect much there, but it was passable. Id eat at FTB again any day: between the food and the amount of peaceful seating, its the perfect place for a relaxing, tasty lunch. I redeemed the snack coupon later for a Mickey Bar, of course.
Dinner: Boma, Animal Kingdom Lodge. Just as our first time, the food was simply fabulous. Id had no luck trying to change our PS to a time earlier than our scheduled 7:50, but we showed up at 6:30 just in case they could work us in and then just enjoy the gorgeous resort in the meantime. As it turned out, we were seated within ten minutes even though the place was packed and very noisy. My children, ex-husband, and his wife joined me for this meal. DD was over the moon about having zebra domes again, but the other adults had never been to Boma so I was looking forward to getting their opinions of the place. They are much more adventurous diners than the rest of us, so between the two of them I think they tried everything, daring each other to taste items theyd never had before. My ex said he would never have chosen the restaurant since it was at a WDW resort, but would definitely go back when theyre in the Orlando area. The couscous was as great as Id remembered, and the olive hummus was even better. I dont remember what else I ate -its all a blur now. At one point I had four different bowls of soup in front of me, all great. I did try the press pot coffee, which I found thick enough to stand a spoon in and much too strong for my taste - I probably should have asked for a glass of milk and enjoyed it as cafe au lait, but oh well. Again as before, dinner at Boma was the perfect way to end the vacation and I sense another tradition in the making.
4/23 Breakfast: Everything Pop. Kids and a food court do not always mix. They just had too many choices and we ended up getting too much food for us all to eat. There were chocolate chip pancakes (very yummy), a waffle that DD didnt share, a few plates of eggs, and some bacon, although DS had also put dry cereal and milk on his tray. I was getting very tired of the Nescafe by this time, and didnt finish that last cup of the trip. The kids meals are definitely a better value than the adult ones, though, so I didnt mind the expenditure so much.
All in all, it looks like Ive added more must-eat places and foods without bumping any from my previous favorites list - I guess Ill just have to make my future vacations longer so that I can fit them all in! Give a yell if you have any questions.
Background: I accompanied my children to visit their dad (who obligingly moved to Florida to help me satisfy my WDW obsession), spending a few days near Daytona Beach with relatives and a few at Pop Century. While my report will focus mainly on WDW eateries, a few others deserve mention, for good or ill, so they are included here as well. I didnt keep track of the money spent, though Id planned PSs and budgeted for my meals based on the menus at allearsnet.
Offsite eateries:
4/17 Lunch: A&W at DTW airport. The food tasted nothing like our local A&W and was not worth the outrageous prices. If you ever try this place, please dont think it representative of the entire chain.
4/19 Dinner: Outback Steakhouse, Daytona Beach. I ordered the smaller cut filet mignon with broccoli. Wow. This was the best steak Ive had in over a decade, literally able to be cut with a fork. The service was also fantastic. Our local Outback isnt worth another visit, but Ill make a point of eating at the one in Daytona when I return.
WDW meals:
4/20 Dinner: Ohana. One of our family traditions is to eat at Ohana our first night at WDW, so of course the 5:10 PS had been made months in advance. I was seated at 5:05 and tucked right into the pineapple-coconut bread. This is supposedly new and is different from the banana bread I ate last time, but the taste was so familiar - I think that this was served back in 2002. At any rate, I loved it. Cousin Crystal brought out the lazy susan and Cousin Joe kept the meats coming. Every time I eat at Ohana I have a different favorite item, and this time the rice, salad, and peanut sauce really stood out. I managed to polish off all of the salad as well as the green beans and made a serious dent in the rice. The turkey and beef were fabulous, as usual (I dont care for pork and never eat shrimp - more for the rest of you!) and I ate more than I ever have there! Even after the pineapple was long gone, I was still picking at the remnants of that bread - which tastes great dipped in the peanut sauce, btw! Service was adequate, not special, but the food was as good as ever. I was in pain for my gluttony, but it was worth it!
4/21
Breakfast: Everything Pop. I had planned on grabbing some kind of platter with eggs right at 6 am and taking it back to my room while I got ready for the day, but the hot stations do not open until 6:30 and 7:00, so I opted for a yogurt-granola parfait with blueberries instead. It was very tasty - Im glad I tried it!
Lunch: Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco Pavilion, Epcot. Wow. I was seated within 5 minutes of my noon PS and ordered the chefs lunch special: chicken shish kebab with rice, preceded by jasmina salad and a beef brewat roll. I also had the mint tea. I typically take my tea weak, so the first sip of the tea was a bit of a shock, but I came to enjoy it greatly with the meal and even bought some (hopelessly inferior American) mint tea upon returning home. My server, Sara, started the meal with a loaf of a delicious and hearty bread - yum! The salad was superb as well, similar to Greek salad, but with a tangy difference. The brewat roll was good - I had been concerned about mixing meat and sugar, and that was fine. I just happened to like every other aspect of the meal more. The kebab (chicken, pepper, onion, and tomato) and rice were placed on a tomato-based sauce that was to die for! Because I hadnt read the menu closely I was expecting couscous and was a little disappointed, but everything was great anyway. The meal ended with an apple crepe smothered in honey - very sweet and something I would not normally choose, but excellent with that meal. I didnt care for the belly dancer (as I said in my trip report, she seemed more MTV than traditional Morocco), but the decor was fascinating and the musicians were wonderful. I will make a point of eating here on future visits, though I may wait to bring the Monsters until they are a little older and will appreciate the food more.
Afternoon Snack and Dinner: Kringla Bakeri og Kafe, Norway Pavilion, Epcot. I *must* have rice cream on every visit, but once I got in there decided to live dangerously and try a veiled maiden instead. It was very good - I love the combination of apples and cream - but I still prefer the rice cream. Later I couldnt decide between more Moroccan food at Tangierine Cafe or Mexican at the Cantina, and dithered so much that I finally just ended up having another old standby, the open-faced turkey sandwich - and of course, rice cream - for dinner. Absolutely wonderful, as always.
4/22
Breakfast: Everything Pop. I chose the adult breakfast platter with eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and biscuit, as well as a premade fruit salad from the coolers. It was a lot more than I needed, especially after all the gorging Id done the past couple of days. I wish there were more a la carte offerings at the hot stations. The food was fine for typical breakfast fare, and served with a much sunnier attitude than that dished up at ASMu last year.
Lunch: Flame Tree Barbeque, Animal Kingdom. I purchased a Meal Plus voucher at AK hoping Id get my moneys worth from it, and definitely did. I bought a Coke early on and then redeemed the entree and beverage coupon at FTB for a beef sandwich and Coke. The sandwich came with baked beans and corn on the cob, so it was a great deal. The sandwich was fantastic, and the beans were great, too. Im picky about sweet corn and didnt expect much there, but it was passable. Id eat at FTB again any day: between the food and the amount of peaceful seating, its the perfect place for a relaxing, tasty lunch. I redeemed the snack coupon later for a Mickey Bar, of course.
Dinner: Boma, Animal Kingdom Lodge. Just as our first time, the food was simply fabulous. Id had no luck trying to change our PS to a time earlier than our scheduled 7:50, but we showed up at 6:30 just in case they could work us in and then just enjoy the gorgeous resort in the meantime. As it turned out, we were seated within ten minutes even though the place was packed and very noisy. My children, ex-husband, and his wife joined me for this meal. DD was over the moon about having zebra domes again, but the other adults had never been to Boma so I was looking forward to getting their opinions of the place. They are much more adventurous diners than the rest of us, so between the two of them I think they tried everything, daring each other to taste items theyd never had before. My ex said he would never have chosen the restaurant since it was at a WDW resort, but would definitely go back when theyre in the Orlando area. The couscous was as great as Id remembered, and the olive hummus was even better. I dont remember what else I ate -its all a blur now. At one point I had four different bowls of soup in front of me, all great. I did try the press pot coffee, which I found thick enough to stand a spoon in and much too strong for my taste - I probably should have asked for a glass of milk and enjoyed it as cafe au lait, but oh well. Again as before, dinner at Boma was the perfect way to end the vacation and I sense another tradition in the making.
4/23 Breakfast: Everything Pop. Kids and a food court do not always mix. They just had too many choices and we ended up getting too much food for us all to eat. There were chocolate chip pancakes (very yummy), a waffle that DD didnt share, a few plates of eggs, and some bacon, although DS had also put dry cereal and milk on his tray. I was getting very tired of the Nescafe by this time, and didnt finish that last cup of the trip. The kids meals are definitely a better value than the adult ones, though, so I didnt mind the expenditure so much.
All in all, it looks like Ive added more must-eat places and foods without bumping any from my previous favorites list - I guess Ill just have to make my future vacations longer so that I can fit them all in! Give a yell if you have any questions.
