tigerbelly
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2012
- Messages
- 145
This was our first onsite stay at WDW with the dining plan (free, upgraded to the Disney Dining Plan- 1 TS, 1QS, 1snack) We were very excited to sample the foods that I had planned out up to a year in advance. I gleaned so much useful information and advice from the dining reports here on the boards that i wanted to share my own.
A little introduction first ..
I am a bit of a foodie. I like to cook and we eat very healthy. Lots of fresh veggies and meats and salads and very little sugar or processed foods. Disney was to be our exception and indulgence week.
DH enjoys the foods I prepare and has a bit of a sweet tooth. He tends to avoid gluten but does not have an allergy perse- just an intolerance so we did not avoid during the trip.
DS7- He loves to eat and has a big appetite. He has a good palate for adult foods and appreciates healthy options.
DS4- Practically a vegetarian. He rarely eats meats or starches. He prefers fruits and vegetables and yogurt and cheese.And as the title portrays- my dS4 not once, but twice bit his finger thinking it was a french fry. It was hard not to laugh about it. He really did cry hard about it and he doesn't normally cry about things.
(I will be adding some photos later, and fixing grammar and spelling mistakes. I just got home this morning and wanted to write while it was all fresh in my mind)
Onward to the food reviews!
Everything Pop
Dinner: Our first meal after checking in to Pop Century was in the food court. It was all very daunting to figure out how it all worked but we quickly fell into line and decided to try the flatbread pizzas. We each got a different flavor, I did the mediterranean and DH did one with mushrooms and we split them. I founds the toppings to be very tasty and while I love thin crust pizza it was a bit dry and too coated with flour for my tastes. The kids got burgers and fries. DH and I each got a sundae and they were SO good. 3 scoops of ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream, and cherries. More than enough to share with the kids.
Breakfast: The next morning we attempted breakfast before making rope drop at Epcot. It was very crowded. DH and I split into different lines and managed to both come back with the bounty platter. I got the mickey waffles for DS7 and DS4 was not hungry. The breakfast was delicious and huge. I made the mistake of eating the whole thing and was miserably full all the rest of the day. I have determined that I am not a fan of Disney's bacon. It has a bit of a fake flavor to it. The sausage was good and the biscuits were awesome as were the fluffy eggs and hash brown casserole. I found the addition of pancakes to be way too much food and didn't eat much of them. The mickey waffles with fruit were cute but DS7 did not like the sausage.
Via Napoli lunch: Our very first table service set the bar very high. Our server, Simone, was incredible. Very thorough, friendly, and great with the kids. We ordered 2 pizzas and shared again. The prosciutto and melon, and the margherita
DS7 got the kids spaghetti and meatballs and DS4 got cheese pizza and they both came with a very large beautiful cup of fresh fruit. For dessert DH and I both chose the tiramisu which was a large portion and absolutely delicious. The kids enjoyed a vanilla gelato with hot fudge. Simone made a point to bring an extra bit of hot fudge for their sundae. The only complaint was that our bread service came halfway through our meal and i did not try it. DS7 ate some with his spaghetti though.
Sleepy Hollow: On the evening of our Mickeys Not So Scary night we knew we wanted to try the Sleepy Hollow waffles for a quick dinner. When we got there at about 6pm they were no longer serving the chicken waffles which was disappointing to DH, but they still had the nutella fruit waffles available so we settled on those and 4 liberty swirl slushies. The service was extra slow that evening and we waited for about 20 minutes for the waffles and even longer for the slushies, which were overflowing and half melted. That was a bit disappointing but the nutella fruit waffles made up for it. They were delicious and the fruit was perfectly ripe. Hit the spot before our late evening.
F&W: I had grand plans of snacking around the world at food & wine instead of lunch but the crowds prevented us from making much headway. We were smart and got the kids a QS at Sunshine Seasons before heading to world showcase. I believe DS7 got the mongolian beef and DS4 the macaroni and cheese. He hardly touched it. DS7 was disappointed in the small portion size of his meal.
Our first stop was Greece where I got the spanakopita and DH got the chicken gyro. Both were delicious. We ventured a bit further but the traffic was intense. The kids were melting in the heat so I got them orange dole whips. We proceeded to pick up a Stella for me and a Stella and a Guinness for DH. We made it to Japan and tried the sushi. That was decent but a bit of a disappointment once we found that they have the same exact sushi at the buffet at chef Mickey. There wasn't much special about it. I believe DS and DH enjoyed a ravioli from Italy and then we made our way to our dinner reservation.
San Angel Inn: My first impression of San Angel in was CHAOS. The check in line was long and half the people in it found that their ressie was actually at La Hacienda. Talk about confusing. The little shop area was flooded with people and I found it very uncomfortable to wait for my seat while milling about this dark shop. Once we got to our seat I felt better about it but it did feel very cramped and a little too dark. The food was pretty good. Not very many options and not the typical Mexican fare that you would expect. I got the Pollo A Las Rajas. The chicken was very tender and the rice and cream sauce was awesome. I did not enjoy the onion strips and just pushed those to the side. DH got the Carne Asada and seemed to enjoy his meal. DS4&7 got the kids taco meal. It came with a fruit cup that tasted like it had been frozen and thawed. They didn't like it too much. For dessert DH chose the Mousse De Chocolate and I had the Crema Bavaria. Both were absolutely decadent. The kids enjoyed their dulce de leche ice cream.
Gaston's Tavern: DH was determined to try a Le Frou's Brew and it didn't disappoint. I have heard it described as frozen apple juice but I'd say caramel apple juice. The passion fruit foam was fun too. We also had a cinnamon bun and a chocolate eclair to share between the 4 of us.
Chef Mickey: This reservation was a very last minute one. I had rearranged our day to include a mid day break which meant I had to cancel our lunch ressie at Kona and I just happened to find a dinner available at Chef Mickey. I have read so many scathing reviews of this place that I hesitated for a moment but seeing how interested ds4 was in the characters during this trip I thought- may as well try it- if not for the food- for the character interaction. My first plate was quite good. Delicious baked potato and pork ribs and roast beef. If I had just stuck with that I would have been fine but since it was a buffet naturally I went back and tried bits and bobs of other things. I found out this trip that my stomach does not like buffets. By the end of the meal I had regretted combining so many different foods. The characters were fun if not a bit rushed. Our waitress was polite but not friendly. My ds4 spilled his plate on the floor and I felt embarrassed rather than accommodated. All in all we wouldn't go back there, but I didn't feel that the place was messy or the food was cold or unappetizing like many people say. Just not for us. The dessert bar was probably the best thing there. My kids loved the soft serve machine and then m&m's and reese's pieces. I found most of the bite sized desserts to be overly sweet and unmemorable.
Backlot Express: It is said that there are very few good eats at Hollywood studios and I will admit that I went back and forth about where to spend our counter service there. We had eaten at Backlot once before so we did it again. I got the buffalo chicken sandwich and it was unmemorable. I think the bread was too thick. The fries were ..fries. Nothing exciting. I also got the carrot cake cupcake which I split with DS7. I am not a fan of cake in the slightest, but carrot cake is an exception. I enjoyed it. It was moist and not too sweet. I scraped the frosting off. It was some kind of orange buttercream. The white chocolate hat on top was tasty. Dh got a turkey sandwich I think? And the banana parfait. DS7 got a burger and DS4 got a snack pack. The snack packs were perfect for him. He never wanted to eat when we sat down. He would eat the yogurt right way and then nibble on the others throughout the day.
Sci Fi Dine In: When I walked into the dining room at Sci Fi I was so thrilled. It was a wonderful quiet dark atmosphere and felt like a good break from the heat and the park. Our waitress was so mellow and soothing. I just loved her demeanor. I wish I could have seen her nametag. She tied for best service with Simone from Via Napoli. DH and I both got the Steak with blue cheese butter. It was awesome. It came with 2 onion rings, sauteed summer squash and mashed potatoes. The only complaint I had was that it was so dark in there that I couldn't see to cut my steak and ended up removing a few mouthfuls of gristle with a napkin because I couldn't see to cut around it. I can't remember what DS's had although I assume it was a burger and fries. DH and I both chose a vanilla coke for our drink and he had a chocolate milkshake for dessert. I chose the house made candy bar and didn't expect to enjoy it so much. I have never had anything like it. The layers were delicious and the texture was really good. It wasn't overly sweet.
Be Our Guest: We scored a fastpass for BOG lunch and did a preorder through the website so I had hoped that the check in process would go quickly. I felt a bit smug as we passed a long line of people waiting to get in. (A little research goes a long way!) When we got in it was quite hectic and when we got up to the kiosk we found that it did not have our preorder. We were having trouble selecting all of our meals so a CM helped us out. We had to start over a few times and felt bad holding up the line. We wandered around to find a good seat but the entire west wing was full and then the window seats in the ballroom were full too. We saw and empty table and made our way there and were intercepted by a family that said that they were waiting for that table. Not sure why it was wide open. But we moved on. DH got the turkey and I got the roast beef and we split them and traded. I was absolutely enamored with my roast beef and he was in love with the turkey. I think we should have just keep our own sandwiches. The horseradish cream sauce on the roast beef was perfection. I would eat there again in a heartbeat. DS7 had the orated pork and enjoyed it. I tried a bite and it was very flavorful. DS4 had the turkey and cheese sandwich which he hardly touched. He ate the fried and applesauce at least. I chose the lemon raspberry cream puff and enjoyed it very much. My MIL makes really delicious cream puffs and these were not as fresh as hers. A little dry on the outside but the lemon pudding was delicious. DH had the master cupcake and liked it a lot. I tried a little bit of the grey stuff on top and didn't like it. DH7 was trying to get me to split my puff with him but I declined. It was all mine! The one thing that made me disappointed was that the kids did not get a dessert option other than applesauce. I am all about healthy eating but it doesn't seem fair to me that they had to watch us eat cream puffs and cupcakes. I imagine that they could make a mini version of those for the kids meals.
'Ohana: I was most excited about this meal out of all meals. I wanted to experience the Polynesian atmosphere. I think I was a little bit disappointed! Not sure what I expected or why exactly. I felt that the theming was very dated and dark. It felt like a 70's movie. The Tambu lounge was very crowded and the check in was confusing since we came in the back way from the ferry landing. We were seated and then the food came at us really fast. I wish that I had saved my appetite more. The food was delicious and plentiful. I felt that there was a lot of waste and food waste makes me really uncomfortable. My kids were acting up and I just couldn't get into the evening.
The bread was dry. I wish they had given us a dipping sauce r a butter or something to go with it.
The salad was boring. Iceburg with a few pieces of mandarin or papaya. The design was sparse. I love my salads but this one was unremarkable.
The chicken wings were alright. Nothing special.
The dumplings were a favorite. I liked that they were crispy and not steamed like normal ones. My ds4 ate most of them. And that is about all he ate. We had to get a second order of them.
The noodles were SO good. I don't know what kind they are but the texture and flavor really hit the spot. And the vegetables were perfectly done. I love broccoli but find that most restaurants cook it badly or it has a weird plastic flavor. This was perfectly done with great flavor. The water chestnuts and mushrooms were a nice touch.
Out of the meat I enjoyed the pork the most followed by the beef. The chicken was a little bit dry and the shrimp had a spicy marinade on it that didn't work for me. The dipping sauces for the chicken were good. I liked the peanut more than the sweet and sour.
I had been waiting to try the famous 'Ohana bread pudding. I don't know if it was that I was overly full or what but I didn't find it to be too spectacular. Maybe it's because I make a really good bread pudding myself.
I had a Lapu Lapu along with a coke for a beverage. The Lapu Lapu was delicious and extremely strong. The first sip was deceiving but the rest of it was strong.
I left the restaurant with a very uncomfortable full feeling. It is rare that I eat to fullness and so the sensation made me feel a little bit panicky. We were headed to Magic Kingdom so i could walk it off. It dawned on me that it was the coke that put me over the edge. I am not normally a soda drinker and the bubbles really made me feel ill.
Tamu Tamu Refreshments: Our last day was an Animal Kingdom day and we had 3 quick services to use up. We arrived at about 10:30 not having eaten breakfast. We stopped at Tamu Tamu to grab 2 fruit salads and a kids snack pack. The QS came with desserts so we got a chocolate shake and an orange cheesecake cup. We all shared this and it made a perfect breakfast. The fruit salads were beautiful and plentiful and the chocolate shake was a nice treat for mid morning. The orange cheesecake was a pleasant surprise. Not overly sweet. DS4 was pleased with his snack pack as usual.
Yak & Yeti: I was wavering between Tusker House and Y&Y and I am SO glad I chose what I did. A friend got food poisoning from Tusker House the week I was there and it really put me off of the place. Yak and Yeti was absolutely gorgeous. I really loved the Asian decor and the beautiful surroundings. The food choices were hard. I wanted to try everything on the menu. I love asian food so much. I ended up with the Crispy Honey chicken. My Ds7 was very disappointed in the kids menu. He loves asian food too. So I told him that if he ordered the lo mien I would share some of my chicken with him. Dh ordered the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp. We both enjoyed our meals very much. I loooove cilantro and my dish had cilantro on top and the server brought me sriracha which was lovely. I use sriracha a lot at home and I had missed it. Ds4 got a burger which he only ate half of. I ordered glacier waters for the kids and I and it was really tasty. DS7 said it tasted like bleach which made me laugh. Has he ever tasted bleach?
For dessert the kids got ice cream sundaes and DH chose the sorbet sampler. I knew exactly what I was getting. The cream cheese wontons. I was NOT disappointed. They were every bit as good as I imagined. DH tried one and the tried to sneak another one but I was being possessive of my dessert. haha Boma: Our day at Animal Kingdom was cut short due to tiredness and crankiness. So we debated on whether to cancel Boma for the evening. I tried to cancel online and it wouldn't let me. After having a little nap at the resort we decided to just go ahead an try to make it. We hopped a bus which took use right to the resort (a little pixie dust from the bus driver) and checked in at Boma. I had messed up the time and thought it was 6:30 but it was at 6:00 they didn't even flinch about it. I didn't figure it out till much later. I found the restaurant to be very crowded with a long line at first for the buffet. I am normally a pretty adventurous eater. I like ethnic foods. But there wasn't anything that stood out to me as delicious or remarkable. I tried the infamous zebra domes and was not impressed in the least. The only dessert that enjoyed was the Kenya coffee tarts and these mini pumpkin pies. I found the strawberry panna cottas to be sickening and the brownies to have a weird flavor. There was also an apple crisp thing (which I normally love) and the crisp was really hard and the apples tasted like canned. Not impressed. I know it s not Boma's fault but I was seated next to a little girl who scream the whole dinner. I'm not talking a baby either. We're talking full on bratty tantrum. The parents did absolutely nothing about it. I was really irritated. Although I may have just been on edge from my own children and their trying behavior. But had that been my child I would have pulled her from the restaurant so fast.
In summary: If not for free dining I would not ever purchase the dining plan. Because it was free I did not freak out that my kids didn't finish their meals. In the future if free dining is not an option we will pay out of pocket. I will be able to eat less. Perhaps splitting meals with my DS7 so he can eat off the adult menu. I will buy yogurt and fruit and veggies for my ds4 instead of trying to make him eat things he doesn't want. And while I loved almost all the desserts I had at Disney- I would much rather have a dole whip later in the park than buy a dessert after every meal. And we will not be doing any buffets. I just cannot deal with that much food and that many choices.
