My 1st dining review 2/9 to 2/13 - pictures too! ALL DONE!!

[SnwflkCts]

OK - DH and I did not do DDP this time in an attempt to not eat so many desserts! It did work. I've eaten at many of the WDW restaurants but never did a dining review. Soooo ... we were at WDW 2/9-2/14. We ate TS lunches 3 days and then dinner on Friday. I will also show some healthy snacks we had -- ARG -- healthy at WDW??? I did not gain weight - YEA!!! I was full!!!

We ate at:
Plaza in MK
Rose and Crown in Epcot
Mama Melrose in DHS (BEST MEAL OF TRIP!!!)
Kona Cafe at Polynesian Resort

Quick Service
Captain Cooks at Poly
Contempo Cafe at Contemporary
Yak & Yeti Counter Service in AK

Arrival Day. We arrived around 3 PM at the Poly. Our room was ready - beautiful room on ground floor with a little patio. Close to TTC and we parked out front. "Cheap me" was thrilled that I could save tip budgeted for bell services - we were able to just wheel our stuff into the building from a very close parking lot!!!

We walked around and went to GF to check out their CS and then returned to eat dinner at Captain Cooks. Pic of us at Epcot - I'm 51 and DH is 50. We are not very picky eaters. I am very much a Pollyana so no bad reviews here - service was SPOT ON everywhere - no problems at all. I noted a little card in each bill which informed people about tipping. It was a good idea. Not being on DDP we never got "reminded" about tipping - I know others mentioned that.

Here is our first meal:

Captain Cooks (Poly)

Cheese Flatbread $6.99, Hawaiian Flatbread $8.19 (pineapple-onions-ham) and a side Poly Salad (we shared) $3.99. The salad was mixed greens, blue cheese, pineapple and a light citrusy dressing.

The flatbread was good. DH loved his. Mine was good - but I have this weird thing about powdery stuff like flour/confectionary sugar on stuff -- kind of like running nails on a blackboard and there was flour on the bottom of it! Made me shivery - (I HATE powdered donuts!). Anyway - just my weird thing - it was tasty!

The salad was AWESOME. All the salads we had everywhere had very light dressing - which I like - so I didn't ask for it on the side. We had this salad again the next day since it was soooo good! We each had a small chocolate milk - (2 for 2.58)

Next up: Magic Kingdom and the Plaza Restaurant!

 

[natalielongstaff]

Fab start, well done on not gaining weight i have a little competition with myself to see how much i can put on !!

 

[KatMark]

Great start. Anxiously awaiting more.

 

[MelanieC]

Looking foward to the rest

 

[Stephanie VanMeter]

can't wait to hear about Mama Melrose, we are considering this place.

 

[SnwflkCts]

Does anyone know how to update (change) the thread title - I see people change it to say "updated," but I can only "edit" the body -- anyway ... on with the review. THANKS MELANIEC - she told me how!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did say "healthy" but it was a vacation so later on Monday, we did have a little snackie on our little porch while we watched people walking to the TTC. Ahhh ... gorgeous weather ... it was 23 degrees when we left VA two days before and 70s in FL!!!!

chocolate candy and beer - ahhhhhh LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

I've done that "weight gain" competition before "natalielongstaff" and just so hard to come back and not keep eating too much!!!! Now, we did eat lots of good stuff ... just tried not to eat as much of the mickey head ice cream as we have in the past!!! Or the death by chocolate desserts!!! More to come in next post!

 

[MelanieC]

For editing title -

When you click on edit of your thread - Click on Go Advanced when your in the edit screen.

 

[SnwflkCts]

Up and ready to go to MK on Tuesday. We made rope drop which was so fun!! The singing, the dancing ... oh they were doing that at the train station too??!! We hit our favorites early and caught a fast pass to Peter Pan right before lunch at the Plaza. We did have a snack of two bananas around 10 AM but I think you know what they look like. We got them in adventure land and ate them right before the Jungle Safari ride.

I should have taken a picture of the front the Plaza but I forgot - I was hungry! We were seated at a table where I had a perfect view of the castle. The seats are close together but the atmosphere was muted EXCEPT for the woman and her nephew beside us. She just spoke soooo loud but it was about her food and his food and such - so not obnoxious, just loud - she kept telling him to eat his sandwich for energy so the rest of the trip we HAD to eat to keep up our energy (ha ha) ... otherwise, it was fairly quiet!

The Plaza (MK)
We had a salad. $4.99 My dressing (strawberry vinegrette <sp?>) on the side and DH got ranch. Mixed greens, very good!

We both got a burger! Oh it was a giganto burger ($11.99). I had fries and DH had the chips. Mine was cheddar and mushrooms and DH had cheddar and onions. I have not had a burger and fries in ages ... and this was very good! We did gaze at others meals and DH said the steak and cheese looked good too! Here is the burger! The chips were ok -- I enjoyed the fries better!

We did NOT get a dessert! All that ice cream but I was waayyyy too full -- maybe next time -- dessert only!!!

We did get a late snack in MK to take back "home (resort)" with us:

I just LOVE the little popcorn bucket!!! I got so many ideas from the DIS boards. My first trips were great too but I really took advantage of all the research I did the past couple years!

We stayed in MK until a little after 5 PM or so. We were exhausted and decided to go back to the resort to eat dinner and swim .... so good-bye MK (I was sad to leave this park!)

 

[sandym718]

Great so far!! Looking forward to the MM and Kona reviews!

 

[SnwflkCts]

Thanks MelanieC for the hint on changing the title - it was making me crazy!!!

Dinner was at Captain Cooks again - yes we are an adventuresome couple, right???? The grounds are so lovely at the Poly that we enjoyed walking them in the evening. We each got the stir fried noodles ($7.99) and shared the Poly salad ($3.99) again. The noodles were tasty and contained a great deal of white meat chicken. I do have to admit that I think the food contains an awful lot of sugar - everything tasted so sweet.

DH got a large chocolate milk ($1.99) and I got a fountain drink ($2.19).

Captain Cooks

Off to Epcot on 2-11!!!

 

[DisneyFan83]

I look forward to hearing the rest!

 

[SnwflkCts]

Epcot - wow - great day! Did Test Track twice, saw Crush for the first time. We did not do Soarin' - I cannot handle IMAX type things and the height scared me ... so, it was out for me! We did not do World Showcase justice but we still had a wonderful day!

We stopped for a snack - fruit right ouside of TT. The fruit was fresh and ripe - it hit the spot!

Rose and Crown - I should have said before, we never waited more than 5-10 minutes for a table in any TS. The crowds were kept moving ... but we really did not feel rushed at all.

We were seated on the porch overlooking where Illuminations would be shown -- too bad it was 12 Noon -- -- we sat facing out over the lagoon which was good as the tables beside us filled up and it would have been a tight squeeze! Here was the view:

A pint of Harp beer ($4) and a cheese roll. I was impressed that bread came with many meals.

We each got a mixed greens salad - the dressing was very good - I believe it was a bacon vinegrette. It was a light tasting dressing. There were carmelized onions on the salad too. I would have to look at the menu to see what was in it -- but I ate it up!!!!!!!!!!! ($5.99)

The Entree??????????? Oh yeah - FISH AND CHIPS!!! ($15.99). I will say there was a slight slight slight fishy taste but I am used to very mild fish like tilapia. DH never mentioned it and he cannot stand fish much at all so he must not have thought it had any fishy taste, but I wanted to pass that on. I still enjoyed the fish & chips but could not eat all of it - just too much! Two HUGE pieces of fish and then the fries under it.

No room for dessert again, though our server TRIED his best to talk us into it! Lovely place to eat - I would go back in a heartbeat!

.... actually .... we were looking forward to a little bakery in Norway so we didn't want to fill up on dessert in R&C -- thank you DIS peoples for telling me about that bakery!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KatMark]

Oooh...I love that cheese roll at Rose & Crown.

 

[SnwflkCts]

That cheese roll was great KatMark!! And I was feeling very happy eating that with my Harp ... which was beginning to make me feel even happier!!!

After another run on TT and before our bakery stop ... we tried some FREE soda. NO ONE was in Club Cool -- please make sure and stop by it! It is a fun place to drop by!

Many of the sodas are good ... one is NOT:

DH "Beverly" face. DH is a good actor ... we tried that soda the LAST time ... never again.

 

[Rebelmom67]

Oh my gosh, I'm loving these reviews!!!

 

[SnwflkCts]

By the time we made it to Norway ... we were feeling our age ... and I remember doing theme parks from open to close ... but not anymore.

Anyway ... first time we got to the American Adventure! Loved hearing the Voices of Liberty! The attraction was very interesting and we rested a bit in the cool. It had gotten pretty warm at Epcot this day.

I would have never seen this bakery. Here is the snack we got!

School Bread!!!!!!!!! Yea!!!!!!!!! I finally got to try it!!! It is hard to describe! Both DH and I say buttery and creamy (not super sweet!)

We also got an almond pretzel to go. This worked out well since they put it between two oval plates and in a bag. We then looked through Mexico and rode the ride there - want to eat at the restaurant there some day! Caught Space Ship Earth on our way out. Oh -- the updates are neat! Then we dragged our sorry butts back to the resort. Guess where we are going to eat next??? Captain Cooks (We had one more main entree to try!)

 

[SnwflkCts]

Just FYI - we had breakfast in the room each day. Cereal and I also got "Oatmeal to Go" bars. They were ok - DH liked them. I took coffee that is in those filter packs. OMG - so much better than the weak coffee in the room. Each night we would buy milk and a banana in the main building to have with our cereal. DH thought I should take a picture of the cereal but I figured you know what that looks like too! He was soooo sweet - he didn't care that I took pictures and he would "set up" the shoot so all was in the shot. How cute, huh? Almost 24 years and I still want to keep him!!!

OK -- I swear ... last Captain Cooks entree:
I had the noodles again ($7.99). See previous night. Good the second night too! DH had the "Grown Up Grilled Cheese" ($7.59)-- there were different kinds of cheese on sunflower bread. It was good and gooey (but definately not something a kid would like in my opinion!). He got the Asian Slaw (other name - broccoli slaw). I didn't try that - not my thing.

I also got some addtional steamed veggies which were ok. I mixed them in the noodles ($1.89).

DH had a large chocolate milk and I had a fountain drink again. The refillable mugs are a good deal and a great souvie but we would not have made up the cost on this short trip and we were a little ways from the main building.

Our late night snack ... the Almond Pretzel. I liked it better than the School Bread -- shhhhhh don't tell the DIS board that! There was a chocolate pretzel too ... gotta make another trip to try that one!

Whoops, I had already divided it! Notice the plates??? I brought them home and we had lunch on them today. They were very Disney-like and I had to reuse them !

Tomorrow - wow ... we are starting to slow down at the parks ... but our favorite meal of the trip. MAMA MELROSE!

 

[TigerKat]

I'm on board, great reviews so far. You & DH are my age and you both look great!

 

[MinnieMom]

Wonderful reviews! Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[SnwflkCts]

DHS was free and clear in the morning. Walk on to attractions. We got into all we missed on our first trip. Now I didn't realize this was the opening day of American Idol ... after lunch it was becoming a zoo. Although I love American Idol, we left at 2:30 -- people were already lined up for a "parade" to start at 4 PM!

Famous ToT bell hop and myself:

We got a snack of bananas and searched for Star Tours which I wish I had not found. Remember my little thing about IMAX films ... well this type of ride makes me ill ... and even though I closed my eyes both DH and I walked out of there with sweat running down our faces and my stomach was sick ... so of course we went off to eat lunch ... ... well, we had a few moments to cool off and compose our stomaches.

Mama Melrose ... we were lost as usual and arrived 10 minutes late but no problem ... we got seated within 5 minutes. This is a beautiful restaurant and you actually are not sitting with your neighbor!!! It was quiet and cool.

Iced Tea and Sangria for me! The Sangria was really nice - I avoided getting a 1/2 carafe ... why ... I'm not so sure and sorry now.

Bread is served with the meal.

We both had the Ceasar Salad. It is served with Crostini. It was wonderful and fresh. Best salad we had!!!

DH had the Eggplant Napoleon. It looked good. Note the "pierogies" under the stack. DH said they were stuffed with spinich. I tasted the eggplant. Very good. He just scarfed this up ... (is that a word???).

I had the Chicken Parmesan. It was a large breast, very lightly breaded. I was hungry for more pasta though - but really there was plenty with the meal. The sauce was sharp and not sweet - just the way I like it. I certainly ate every bit!

DH had the cheesecake for dessert. I HAD to sample it for reporting purposes only. It was very light and made a good ending to the meal. I only had one bite though -- I was full. I did get coffee with my meal and it was rich and strong!

There are many bad reviews of MM. We went in 2006 and loved it. DH talked about it many times which is why I picked it to return to. Same wonderful service and meal. I know we are not at WDW during a peak crowd time but I have never had a problem with service! I heard our waitress teasing with the child behind us and giving him a certificate and such ... just a very very nice place to eat in my opinion. I think everyone should try a restaurant at least once and form their own opinion. I'm sure there are off days at MM but we will most likely eat here again - oh another trip to plan !

We left DHS at 2:30. Up next ... our afternoon snack and dinner ....