Never gonna make the clean plate club! 5 days of DxDDP with lots of pics!DONE 5/20

[kelleigh1]

Breakfast was great!

I think that's the way I'm leaning. I love breakfast!

 

[KCSherri]

Great review so far!

DD12 and I are going in August for a Mother/Daughter trip. She is a pure carnivore - and I could call her, "The Stomach", as well!

We've got reservations at several of the restaurants you're reviewing, so this is great. Her favorite restaurant is Le Cellier - go figure - as she loves the steak there.

Can't wait to read more!

 

[teachermommy78]

Great report!!! I too am on the list of people who have most of these ADRs set for my upcoming trip!

Is it true that they don't do the ketchup thing like one of the other posters claim (at WCC)? Can anyone else confirm this? My DD will be devastated. We may have to change ADRs. She really wanted to make her brother ask.

 

[PISCESANGEL]

Subbing- looking forward to hearing more!

 

[Stellaluna]

First of all thanks to everyone for the generous remarks. I am very much enjoying writing this review, so it's good to know that at least someone is enjoying reading it!

Nice reviews I wish I could put away food like that! We did DxDP for our honeymoon and I gained 10 lbs, no lie.

I was trying to figure out where 15 credits went. Isn't it 3 TS credits per day X 5 days? Did they change something- are some of those 2 credits now? Or did you only have the DxDP for 4 days?

We stayed for 4 nights (5 days) so it works out to 12 credits. That still leaves one meal outstanding, but that's a part of the story I haven't gotten to yet....

This is probably would I love the most about DIS "Food Porn" - by the menu description, I never would've thought to order this entree. It doesn't sound bad at all, just doesn't catch my eye. However, once I saw your picture, I can't imagine going there and getting steak instead! The Crêpe looks so delicious.

ITA! I never would have pictured this dish like that based on it's description.

Thanks for sharing

The rude waiter throwing straws at you is part of the act! They also throw drink mats, lock you in jail, drag you around the room on a chair and shout at you. They no longer do the sauce thing.

For anyone else reading this and you want the full works, and I mean the full works, then tell them that Heather from the UK sent you and ask for Hickory.

Oh we totally got that it was part of the act. Our complaint was that was the only part of the act we got. But we were very tired at this point and maybe giving off a "vibe" ??? Don't know, there was one waitress there that was very into it, and I wouldn't skip it based our experience. Maybe we will give it another try sometime.

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 2 Dinner: Tutto Italia

DH had been looking forward to this meal especially. He spent 2 years stationed in Italy and fell in love with the place. I firmly believe that if he could he would pack us all up tomorrow and move back there.

Once again The Stomach got to the bread service before I got a picture. It was an assortment of breads and crunchy breadsticks with dipping oil or herbed butter. Very good.

For appetizers we ordered two of the meatballs. I don't see these (or some other things we ordered) on the online menus. They are an italian meatball in a marinara sauce with cheese.

We ordered two of those and DH and the boys fought over them. They were outstanding. I didn't have any. I was working on the other appetizer we were sharing.

Grand Antipasto Misto - chefs selection of various appetizers and specialties, generous platter served family-style (serves two)

This was amazing. So many different things. I am a huge fan of olives, and I would have liked more of those but I don't know that I would have had room to eat them anyways! The meats were all very good, there was prosciutto and two other meats I am not sure of the name of. One was sort of salami like (thought that really doesn't do it justice) and the other one was more cold cut like but had a very nice flavor. The mozzarella was fresh and DH commented on how much it was like the mozzarella he had been used to getting in Italy. There was also a Gorgonzola that I thought was very good, bean salad, peppers and tomatoes, artichoke hearts and grilled zucchini. If you like anitpasto this is a must order.


For the entree, DH ordered
Casareci - cavatelli pasta, sweet sausage ragu, tomatoes, Pecorino Romano

I liked this a lot. I'm a big fan of sausage, but not tomato sauce. I thought this had a very good balance between the two and the pasta was of course perfectly prepared. DH was very happy with it.

DS1 ordered the Spaghetti - veal meatballs and pomodoro sauce

I would have liked to see him order something a little more adventurous but to be fair spaghetti and meatballs is his all time favorite dish. He loved this and gave the sauce two thumbs up and a clean plate.

DS2 ordered Lasagna al Forno - with meat ragu, bechamel and parmesan

I know it doesn't look like it in this pic but this was HUGE. He tried very hard but couldn't finish it. He said the sauce was good and cheesy and he enjoyed the meat as well. Said it had a good basil flavor.

Now we come to my 'learning experience'. I discovered a few things at this meal. First of all, here's a hidden perk to the deluxe dining plan. It's a lot of food, so much so that you begin to realize that if you do order something you don't like it's not big deal. It's not like you'll go away hungry. This made me a little adventurous in ordering my entree. As I've stated before I am not a tomato fan. Specifically tomato sauce. I don't even eat ketchup. I love a fresh tomato, a slice on a sandwich, and I can eat spaghetti if it isn't drowning in red sauce. I also was pretty sure I didn't like risotto. I have only had it a few times but haven't liked it once.

There was a dish on the menu that I don't see listed online. It was basically a risotto with shrimp and tomato sauce. I love shrimp. I love fish. I love seafood. DH thought I would like this. I tasted the sauce from the meatballs and it was really surprising. Very fresh tasting. I thought "maybe I've just had poorly prepared risotto before". After all I like rice. I just didn't like the texture of the risotto. I had had a huge lunch. I had a lot of appetizer. I was definitely getting dessert. I figured what did I have to loose? So I ordered this:

I didn't like it. The shrimp was yummy. The tomato sauce was probably the best tomato sauce I've had in recent memory. The risotto was definitely better prepared than I was used to and I actually ate about 4 or 5 bites. It is undoubtedly an outstanding dish. It is just not for me. I do love though that the dining plan gave me room to get out of my comfort zone a bit and try something new.

Now dessert. Italy makes almost all of my favorite desserts. Tiramisu, cream cakes, zabaglione, cannoli, spumoni.... I could go into an Italian restaurant and eat myself into a coma on just the desserts. It makes the tomato sauce worth it. We shared ours but here's what we got:

No sugar added lemon ricotta cheesecake:

Very good. Didn't miss the sugar at all. DS1 declared this his favorite cheesecake of the trip.

Dessert sampler This had mocha tiramisu, a mini cannoli and chocolate torta:

It was all fantastic but OH that Mocha Tiramisu pot! It was creamy and chocolaty and my toes curl under.

We also got a full size cannoli:

When we were in Detroit there was a fantastic little Italian bakery I used to look forward to stopping at for the cream cake and cannoli. This was tied with them for the best cannoli, the filling was outrageously creamy and good.

A few notes about the meal in general. They pace is much slower here than at other EPCOT eateries. Not in a slow service kind of way but as in an expertly timed, let you catch your breath between courses kind of way. I very much enjoyed it. It also turned out that our waitress was from the same small island in Italy that my husband had been stationed on -- Sardinia -- and she and DH enjoyed chatting about the sights. He even got to dust off some of his very unused Italian. She was so lovely, but was due to go back to Italy in just two weeks or I would recommend everyone request her. Some of the best service I have had in a restaurant.

We loved this meal and are looking forward to dining here again sometime. I heartily recommend it!

 

[tzeitel]

Great reviews and photos! You went to several places on our list - including Tutto Italia. I was a little iffy about it but your review has reassured me it will be a good fit for us.

Like you I do not like tomatoes (evil slimy little things ) but I do like tomato based sauces - can't do an actual tomato slice or chunky salsa though!

 

[tweetylori]

You sure did the first 2 days right...can't wait to hear and see the rest...thanks!

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 3 lunch: 50's Prime Time Cafe

For day 3 we hit DHS. Got DS2 in one of the first JTA shows, hit ToT and Rnr and stopped for a snack:

There is a pineapple coconut slushie, sugar cookie, pecan roll and nut fudge from Beverly Sunset. All were yummy but nothing stood out. Later it was off to lunch at 50's PTC.

We had a short wait for a table and I tried to get the boys picture in front of one of the TVs.

Somehow this started one of DS2s meltdowns. By the time we got to the table he was in full bitter tantrum mode. I managed to get him to at least mellow out enough to not be disruptive to anyone else but he was sulky and sarcastic throughout the meal. More so whenever our waitress came around so we missed out on a lot of the antics here. She was really great and apologized for not playing around with us more but it was clear to everyone that it just set DS2 off more when she came around to play so we just shelved it. Oh well. (BTW our waitress was the one pictured on the Disney webpage for 50s PTC.) Here's what we ordered:

Beer-battered Onion Rings For Two
served with Horseradish Sauce

This was DH's pick for appy. I ended up stealing quite a few of these, they were very good onion rings.

I had Aunt Annie’s Seafood Salad
Lump Blue Crab, Bay Scallops, and Shrimp tossed in
Citrus Vinaigrette served on seasonal Greens

I did not care for this at all. The seafood itself seemed to be of good quality and properly prepared but the vinaigrette was not good. It had a strange tanginess to it and there was entirely too much of it.

DS2 had Cousin Amy’s Iceberg Lettuce Wedge
Blue Cheese Dressing, Bacon, and Chives 5.49

I tasted it and thought it was yummy. Didn't get much of an opinion from DS2 but he ate most of it.

DS1 had Chicken Noodle Soup
Hearty mixture of Chicken, Vegetables,
and Egg Noodles

He enjoyed this and ate it all. Pretty standard chicken noodle soup.

We also had milkshakes, the PB&J for the boys and me, and vanilla for DH.

That PB&J is amazing. If you're a fan of those flavors at all you should try it.

As far as entrees, DS2 and I had Grandma’s Chicken Pot Pie
A creamy Cheese mixture of Chicken,
Mushrooms, Carrots, Celery, Onions, and
Peas topped with a flaky Pastry

This was ENORMOUS. Pastry was nice and flaky and the sauce had a great flavor. Lots of chicken. It was nothing innovative, good solid comfort food, but definitely good.

DS1 had
Cousin Eric’s Char-grilled
Chicken Sandwich
Marinated Chicken Breast topped with
Cheddar, Grilled Onions, Barbecue Sauce,
Lettuce, and Tomato on a Kaiser Roll served
with a House Salad or French Fries

The Stomach is a Chicken Sandwich aficionado and just loved this one, especially the sauce.

DH had Dad’s Traditional Meatloaf
Blend of Beef and Pork topped with Tomato
Glaze served with Mashed Potatoes
and Green Beans

He loves meatloaf and devoured this one. He did not finish his green beans though and got them fed to him by our charming waitress. This cheered up DS2 a bit.

DS2 was in serious need of a break at this point so we hurried through desserts and didn't get pictures. I had 50’s Boston Cream Parfait, the boys had S'mores and DH skipped dessert. They were all good.

The food here is nothing spectacular or surprising but it is well prepared, solid comfort food. It is a good option in a park that doesn't have a lot of food choices. I probably woudln't bother with it if it were located in Epcot for example, but for DHS it's a predictable choice.

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 3 dinner: Raglan Road

Once we got DS2 calmed down and back to his normal self we headed to Downtown Disney for Disney Quest and dinner at Raglan Road.



We got a great seat in the main Dining Room right by the stage but alas it was Sunday so no dancers. There was great live music though and the place was gorgeous.

I actually got a picture of the bread service here, albeit in DS1's hands....

Nice Irish Soda Bread with dipping sauce. Nothing to write home about.

I have seen others report that they were not allowed to order the shared appetizers on the Deluxe plan, so I was a little apprehensive but we were told it wasn't a problem. The only thing that was excluded was the Appetiser D'Lirrah for Two - our Dalkey Battered Sausages, Georges Bank Scallops, Guinness Glazed Ribs, and Chicken Lickin' Skewers.

We opted for the Scallop Forest - George Bank scallops in a golden batter served with a citrus lime dipping sauce and sweet chili jam

YUM! The batter was crispy and not greasy and the scallops inside were perfectly cooked. The dipping sauces were good too. DS2 swiped almost all of these and then got me to take a picture of something else so he could swipe one off my plate.

We also got the Dalkey Duo - Dalkey-battered cocktail sausages with a Dalkey mustard dipping sauce

I read cocktail sausages and was expecting those little smoked things in the deli section at the supermarket. They are in fact fresh little sausages in a light crispy batter and really really good.

For entrees DS2 ordered the Meatballs a la Liffey Luv - Guinness meatballs and spaghetti in a red wine jus with tomatoes and shaved parmesan cheese

Yes, he ordered spaghetti and meatballs in an Irish pub. I think he was still feeling a little contrary from earlier. They tasted about like you would expect spaghetti and meatballs in an Irish pub to taste. He won't order them again.

DS1 had Burger 'R' Way - Char grilled sirloin beef burger with bacon, tomato chutney, and Dubliner vintage cheddar. Served with Irish style chips

Devoured this and said it was very good. He liked the tomatoes.

DH had Keen Eye for the Shepherds Pie - We give the traditional shepherd's pie a little makeover with our contemporary twist to this favorite dish

He said this excellent and made lots of little 'yum' noises while he was eating it. Of course he had to have a Guinness to wash it down with.

I had Lambo - Lamb shank braised in rosemary jus with mash, leeks, shiitake mushrooms, and baby carrots

I was a little disappointed with this. The lamb and sauce had a good flavor but were a little overcooked and dry. The mash was very bland but the veg were very nicely cooked and seasoned (no carrots). Very hit and miss.

Went the sharing dessert route again and we ended up with two Dunbrody Kiss - Chef Dundon's gift to America. Chocolate. Add chocolate. Then add some more. With us?

This was indeed very chocolaty. It had a strange texture though -- something flaky in there. The boys liked it. I didn't care for it.

Bailey's Brulé Tart - Créme Brulé, Irish style

The custard portion was good but the crunch was missing from the top -- it was pretty soft. It was okay.

Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding - Like no other pudding you have ever tried. Believe us

Oh my did this ever live up the hype. It is the sauces that make it but the bread pudding itself is very well prepared, crispy in bits and soft and yummy in others.

We had a good time, and I would go back, but maybe more for appetizers and entertainment.

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 4 breakfast: 1900 Park Fare

My birthday is coming up in a few weeks and we aren't going to be able to pop back down to the World that weekend so we decided that this was to be my birthday day. I am not that into princesses but I LOVE Alice. So off to The Grand Floridian we went. I had put on my reservation it was my birthday celebration so there was a birthday button waiting for me.

I liked the buffet here much more than Crystal Palace and I will try to recap the plates as best I can.

This was DH's plate. Note the copious amounts of meat and conspicuous lack of anything that could be construed as a fruit or vegetable. The bagel was reported to be "just a bagel" but he did like the spread that was on it. Bacon and ham were good as was the sausage. He enjoyed the cappuccino.

Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, hash browns, breakfast quesadillas. All solidly good.

Hash browns, biscuit and sausage gravy, bacon. The sausage gravy was very good over the hash browns.

Strawberry soup. Thought it definitely lived up to the hype.

Bacon, lobster eggs benedict, pancakes with bananas foster sauce

The eggs benedict was good but I still dream of that bananas foster sauce and pancakes. I would came back here for that alone.

My birthday cupcake. Took this home and ate it later but it was yummy!

Our service here was not good, we were constantly looking for the waitress for drinks and it took forever to get the check. But the food was fantastic and we really enjoyed the characters here! Will definitely come back for this breakfast again.

 

[Stellaluna]

Day 4 dinner: Rose and Crown

This was supposed to be my "It's my birthday, it's all about me" day so we originally had lunch reservations at Sanaa -- Animal Kingom is my favorite park and I love Kilimanjaro Safaris. I also love Indian food, which DH can't stand. But there's a burger on the menu there so I used the aforementioned "all about me" card and made a reservation. By this day though we had really begun to feel like we were spending all our time chasing reservations and eating and were dying for a slow afternoon. So I cancelled the Sanaa reservation and decided to put the extra credit to a signature meal at the Yachtsman tomorrow. (yes, the more astute among you already realize we aren't going to make that but bear with me, we'll get there.)

After spending a glorious and relaxing day at Typhoon Lagoon we headed back into Epcot for our dinner reservtion at Rose and Crown. We had a 7:45 reservation and I was hoping for a patio table. We politely asked and then waited... and SCORE! I had put my birthday badge back on, and I'm sure that had a little to do with it but I was so pleased with this extra bit of pixie dust!

For appetizers, I picked
Trio of United Kingdom Cheese
with accompaniment

I forget what the one on the left is, the center was an Irish Cheddar and the right was Stilton. Very very good, especially the Stilton.

DH and DS1 had
Potato and Leek Soup

This was nicely seasoned and very silky.

DS2 had
Mary and the Lads
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with a
Spicy Bloody Mary Mix

He usually doesn't like anything spicy but really enjoyed these.

Entree time brought DS1 the Fish and Chips
Battered fresh Cod served with English Chips

He ordered this asking "Can I have fries instead of chips?" Of course the waitress and I set him straight. The fish and chips here were amazing. The batter was so light and crispy and the fish was moist and tasty. Does anyone know if the counter service fish around the corner is the same? If so I am all over that! This was seriously good fish and chips!

DS2 learned from his pub spaghetti experience the night before and this time ordered Shepherd’s Pie
Ground Lamb with Onions, Carrots, and
Mushrooms topped with Creamy
Mashed Potatoes and Cheddar

This was a good and proper Sheppard's Pie. I thought the mash on top was very good.

DH had Grilled Sirloin
with Roasted Potatoes, seasonal Vegetables,
Red Wine Sauce, and Stilton Cheese

He thought the steak was good but didn't care too much for the potatoes. He ended up eating most of my chips.

I had Grilled Sirloin and Fried Fish
with Yorkshire Pudding, Roasted Potatoes, seasonal
Vegetables, and Red Wine Sauce

I subbed out chips for the roasted potatoes. Again, the fish here is amazing. The sirloin was very good too but I think next time I will just for the fish and chips. They were that good.

We enjoyed a lovely view of Illuminations and the waitress brought me out a birthday card that was signed by all the staff. Made me tear up a little (yes, I'm one of those people) and really made for an absolutely magical meal.

DS1 had his dessert here,
Sticky Toffee Pudding -- didn't get the picture but he was nuts over this dessert and is insisting I learn how to make it for him.

DS2 and I took our desserts to go. He had the lemon pie which was surpisingly good.

I had the Bakewell Tart. One of my favorite things in the world is a Mr. Kipling Cherry Bakewell, I sometimes special order them to have them at Christmas. This was spot on and made my mouth very happy.

This was definitely our pixie dust meal. I am looking forward to going back.

 

[vettegirl]

Great reviews I have dreams about the scallop forest from rr, amazing!

 

[MsPeggySue911]

I have been enjoying your reviews but am amazed and even shocked by how daring and adventurous your kid's taste buds are. Most kids are super picky and won't eat 90% of the stuff your kids are eating. I wish my kids would eat more like that.

 

[Linda67]

Wow, lots of updates today

Glad you enjoyed the Rose & Crown

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Loving your reviews but you can't go to an English pub and call the cheese 'Irish Cheddar' yikes, it's like coming to Florida and asking every American 'do you come from Canada? don't they do the best steaks............'

 

[Stellaluna]

Loving your reviews but you can't go to an English pub and call the cheese 'Irish Cheddar' yikes, it's like coming to Florida and asking every American 'do you come from Canada? don't they do the best steaks............'

LOL I thought it was strange myself but you'll have to take that up with the folks at Rose and Crown, it was presented as Irish Cheddar on the menu and again by my server when she brought it out.

 

[Stellaluna]

I have been enjoying your reviews but am amazed and even shocked by how daring and adventurous your kid's taste buds are. Most kids are super picky and won't eat 90% of the stuff your kids are eating. I wish my kids would eat more like that.

Thank you. I have always kept them involved in the food planning and preparation, they have been helping me cook since they were old enough to push a stool to the counter in the kitchen. I really think that makes all the difference. DS1 now makes dinner occasionally and DS2 can make an omelet or crepes (his favorite). One of the reasons we have never done the dining plan before was when they were smaller there was NO WAY that the kids meal options would have worked for them.

 

[peanut520]

I really enjoyed your reviews and am glad to hear that there are kids that are adventurous eaters. my 2 yo eats everything we do and we are adventurous eaters by culture. since we dont have a dining plan for her i think eating off our plates will work well for our first trip, but i worry that i have it too structured dining plans with a all the ADRs.

 

[DisGirl819]

Great reviews so far! It all looks really delicious and I can't wait until my trip in Sept.

I hope that my kids can be as adventurous eaters as yours are when they're older. At 3 and 1, they're a bit fickle but I understand that