October 2009 on the DDP (or "Doing the F&WF without the DxDP!)

[LoriABil]

This is my first Dining Review, and it is geared more toward those who are unsure if the need the Deluxe Dining Plan to enjoy the F&WF. Please bear with me!

Also, you will notice I have no pictures!That is because my camera died on arrival day, just in time for Mickey's not So Scary Halloween Party. It wasn't scary, just devastating!

That said, it was a lovely and memorable trip, with delicious food (at all parks, not just the F&WF), and I hope this review will help someone in a small way!

First, a little about myself and our trip...
Our cast includes Me, DH and DS (6). We arrived October 29th (Thursday) and stayed until November 3rd (Tuesday). We had the DDP (5 days), as the Deluxe the year before was too much for the family, and we found ourselves struggling to use it all up! We used our Disney Rewards points for giftcards at the F&WF, 25 each for DH and myself...more to come on that later!

Arrival Day! (10/29)
Breakfast: Airport
Lunch: Snacks on the plane
Supper: Cape May
We had an early ADR (5:30) at Cape May on the evening of arrival, hence the light breakfast and snacks before we arrived. DH was adamantly against this restaurant, stating "I have been to clam bakes, and I don't like clams. It took trading away 2 ADRs, but I finally got my wish! Although the buffet is a "New England Style Clam Bake & All American Dinner Buffet" I have to admit I also had my reservations (no pun intended). However, DH found enough for three plates worth of food, despite his announcement earlier in the room that he was not hungry! He had chicken, prime rib, potatoes (both mashed and boiled) corn on the cob, and more than I can remember. He even tried the fried fish (I believe it was whitefish, but definitely not haddock), and declared it good. So there is more that clams, mussels and crab legs at this buffet!

You are to pick up a plate or bucket (or both) and the tables are covered with butcher paper so that families can share the goodies...My husband looked mortified when I suggested this. He did not want any kind of shellfish on his paper! And DS agreed once he realized he could no longer draw on it once covered in food. So, I kept my bounty confined to the plate, using the bucket for shells. Mussels, clams, potatoes and the corn on the cob were all wonderful, but the one thing I had to have were the crab legs! These are kept halved, and are so large that it is difficult to fit a half into a bucket! They were perfectly steamed, and the butter was perfect!

DS even tried clams and mussels, along with his favorites of pizza (typical Tony's looking kid's pizza) corn and potatoes, green beans as well as the baked chicken. For a kid that is not at all adventurous, I was pleased when he wanted to try the mussel, stating it was really good. He then asked the server which muscle of the clam it came from. "I mean, is it his leg or his arm? I didn't even know clams had arms!" She decided she wanted the chef to hear this question as well, and brought the cook out to our pleasure. He laughed and explained it wasn't a muscle, it was just called a mussel. All of the cast members were so nice, and the server was attentive, especially for a buffet! She had evened offered to bring DS a dessert she knew he'd love! It was the Oreo bon bon, and although my son does not like chocolate at all, he tried it (I think he liked her!)
It was a wonderful meal and surroundings. I have seen some complain of the noise, and while the crowd was boisterous, I never felt I was struggling to hear my family speak, or shouting over the noise. The chattering just seemed to add to the Clam Bake feel, with several groups and families excitedly talking about past events or those to come! And, despite not getting to make a mess on our butcher paper, it was the perfect meal to begin a wonderful (if picture free) vacation!

Later...MNSSHP
AndMain Street Confectionery , which has become our parade-time favorite. Used the Disney Reward giftcard for two candy apples and a chocolate dipped strawberry (perfection!).

Day 2: (10/30)
AK and DTD
Plans were cast away, and friends were made (although not in that order)...\
Breakfast: Boardwalk Bakery
Lunch: My heart was set on Flame Tree Barbecue, which I also missed last year. Instead, Restaurantosaurus...
Supper: Ragland Road

Day 3 (10/31)
DHS/Resort
Breakfast: In room
Lunch: Pizza Planet
Supper: Captain's Grill
Later: F&WF

Day 4 (11/1)
MK
Breakfast: Beach Club gift shop
Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern
Supper: Hurricane Hannah's
Later: F&WF

Day 5 (11/2)
Epcot/F&WF!
Breakfast: Seasons
Lunch: Coral Reef
Supper: Yorkshire County Fish Shop

Day 6 (Departure)
Breakfast: Beach Club gift shop
Lunch: Austin Airport
Supper: Home, and not wanting to eat!

 

[LoriABil]

Day 2: (10/30)
Breakfast: Boardwalk Bakery
The morning is such a peaceful time at the Epcot Resorts! We loved strolling from the BC to the BW, and the smells coming from the Boardwalk Bakery are enough to get even Grumpy out of bed! DH had a Danish, while DS and I had a hard time choosing. I finally decided on the yogurt parfait, which had the perfect amount of fruit, yogurt and crunch. DS was begging for a cupcake, of all things, when the great Cast Member working behind the counter (I think her name was Kathy...) asked if he liked chocolate. "No." (I know, weird kid) She finally helped him decide on a blueberry muffin, then (after asking) she proceeded to put a dollop of whipped cream and top it with rainbow sprinkles! It looked just like a cupcake. A Blueberry Muffin Cupcake! She made DS's day. On the way back to the hotel, he met a boy from Brazil. They were going to the AK, too. We saw them again at the bus stop, and DS and he became fast friends! We ended up spending our time at Animal Kingdom with them, which threw a kink inot my desire to finally try Flame Tree Barbecue!
Lunch: Restaurantosaurus.
This place is the scourge of not just Animal Kingdom, but all of Disney World! There is a reason it is in Dinoland, USA! It should be extinct. If you disagree, flame on, friends, because that is obviously the closest I'll get to Flame Tree... However, with two families (and two boys) you suddenly have a hard time pleasing everyone, which may be a lesson I needed to learn for our GG coming up...anyhoo, on to the food.

DS had Hot Dogosaurus, which was a pretty good beef frank served on a stale bun. DH had the cheeseburger; again, another stale bun which fell apart upon biting. The burger and lettuce, were fresh, though. Since DS insisted on the Hot Dog (not part of a kids meal!) I had the kids meal cheeseburger. This was, oddly enough, adult sized and served on a nice, fresh bun! I had the grapes and carrots with it, of course, which were placed in the backpack for snacks, later. In short, the worst place we ate the entire trip. But the good company made up for it. Besides, it's not every day that you make friends from another country that you can share a laugh over terrible food with

Supper: Ragland Road
Maybe it was the horrible lunch, but we had reservations about Ragland Road...Our ADR was for 7:15. We arrived at 7:00 and were told there would be a 30 minute wait. There was live music inside, so maybe people hung out for a bit longer than usual. At 7:30, we asked about our table and were informed it would be another 15 minutes. At 7:40, with a hungry kiddo, and agitated mommy, we decided the patio would do. We should have decided this immediately upon being told of the 30 minute wait! It was so relaxing out there, and the agitation about missing the live Irish music inside quickly vanished as we watched the crowd busting by. Ragland Road had Smithwick's, which I'm sure helped my mood! Our server, Kate, was excellent as well. She went out of her way to make sure DS was taken care of, and even suggested we go ahead and put his order in, since he was complaining of STARVING...
For an appetizer, we had chicken. I can not remember the name of this dish, but I noticed it is no longer on the menu. This was chicken on a skewer, served with a honey mustard dipping sauce. Mediocre, at best, but the Entrees made up for it!

DH had already decided on the Fish and Chips, and I almost did as well upon seeing DS's dish (Atlantic Fish) come out. This "Kid's Menu" option is a big enough portion for any adult. It included one pice of golden fried fish and a side (DS choose fries). DH said "I am definitely getting the Fish and Chips!" If Crown and Rose turned you off of this dish, Ragland Road will make it all right again! The best Fish and Chips anywhere in Disney World! I finally decided to steal bites of DH's fish and chips and have the Keen Eye for the Shepherd's Pie, although I was a little frightened by the menu's description of a "contemporary twist." I think "Grown-up Version" is more appropriate. It was like sophisticated palate meets comfort food! The leeks added just the right taste, and it was perfectly seasoned from potatoes to meat! Oh, and the stolen bite of fish and chip wasn't bad, either! Dh and I ended up sharing both dishes, although DS refused to try a Shepherd's Pie "with hair in top!" He was referring to the shallots which were split and stood in the potatoes. That's okay, because he still thinks mommy's Shepherd's Pie is the best! (Little does he know!)
For dessert, we shared the Dunbrody Kiss, described as "Chef Dundon's gift to America. Chocolate, add chocolate, and then add some more." It is simply indescribable! words fail me, but my mouth waters as I type this! Dh says it is too much chocolate. As if there is such a thing! This is definitely a restaurant that stays on the favorites list!

 

[ShelleyLynn]

I am subscribing and so interested in your review!! My family is headed to the F&W in October. We have DD9 and DD7 so I appreciate hearing your son's comments! We have the DxDP. We really enjoyed DxDP on our last trip in December and thought having the extra credits would come in handy for eating around the F&W booths. We will have two days where that is what we have planned for lunch and we have 5 signature or dinner shows planned over our 8 night trip. I can't wait to hear more!

 

[LoriABil]

Day 3
Disney Hollywood Studios/Resort Day!

It was an EMH at DHS this day, so we went to the Starring Rolls Bakery. It seems like all of the other Bakeries on property - delicious! I had the Croissant Sandwich with egg and ham, while DS had a blueberry muffin and DH had a Croissant as well.

After some great rides and lots of fun, we had pretty much ended our day at DHS. We ate lunch at Toy Story Pizza Planet - the best pizza we had the whole trip. The meals on the DDP were huge - an individual pizza, a salad for your side, a drink and dessert! DS and I had cheese, his the kid's meal with a chocolate chip cookie and milk. He saved his cookie for later (as always.) The mixed greens salad is big enough to share (which I did with DS). DH had the pepperoni and salad. He got the cookie (good) and I got the MM Crisped Rice Treat - always my favorite, which I also saved for later after a huge, unexpectedly good lunch!
A warning to parents - there are lots of games in there. If you are done at the park, there are no rides to bribe them out there! I would recommend at TSM fast pass to get them out. We eventually told him we needed to go or we wouldn't have time to spend at the pool!

Dinner: Captain's Grille
We had a 5:45 ADR for Captain's Grille. This was a delicious restaurant, with a nicer atmosphere, but still laid back. This is a place you don't have to worry about bringing your kids to! The food was excellent - we all 3 agreed!
DH had the grilled rib-eye, his favorite. He asked for the steak Medium well, and it came out less than medium. DH didn't say anything, but kept looking at it. Our server caught on immediately and said - that doesn't look medium-well!, Would you like me to take it back? He was very kind. I think DH would have eaten it, but it made him so happy that it was at least cooked a bit longer. I tried his garlic mashed potatoes, which were wonderful!

I had the NY strip. I am not a steak girl, meaning I'll usually have one once a year, but I have to say, this was tender and sensational! The herbed potatoes were great, too, but I admit the garlic mashed potatoes were better! We also both had a Cesar salad - it was too hot for chowder!

DS had - again - cheese pizza.

For dessert, DS had the Fruit, brownie and marshmallow kabob. This was so cool! It was a strawberry, brownie and marshmallow on a Mickey straw, served with chocolate dip! DS thought this was very grown up and cool, as well as delicious. I would not know...he would not share!
Dh had the Apple Tart - and I had the Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse. We did share, and we both agreed, everything was delicious! This will definitely be a place to revisit in future trips!

Afterward, we went to Epcot to walk around for a bit - and maybe some wine... We all had our own water from the room, and I packed my Mickey treat and DS's cookie from earlier in the day. I had a $25 gift card from Disney Visa card budgeted for today.
We entered via the international Gateway, starting at Cork, Ireland, and making our way to just past the American Experience.
1. Cork, Ireland: Guinness Draught (shared between DH and myself) and Kerrygold Cheese selection - two harder cheeses, and a soft cheese. A bit too aged for my unsophisticated palate, but my son ate all of it! He loves cheese, and apparently all cheese! Cost: $9.75
2. Paris, France.
We started at my home land, so it seemed only fitting DH's homeland was second. The menu included Escargots, which I tried to get DS to try, but he would not! Maybe my adventurous cheese pizza eater will try it next year! He did try the chocolate milk Creme Brulee, $3.95- which he did not share - again! gasp. I had Merlot (Chateau Mezain, Bordeaux, 2007) $5.00 Total: $8.95 DH had the Chardonnay, which he said was "OK". He paid for his own drinks, for the most part, so I didn't count his in my budget.

To be continued..

 

[LoriABil]

3. The Brewer’s Collection
DS had a pretzel while DH tried a beer – I don’t remember which. He stopped here 3 time during our vacation, and always just said the beer was “OK”. The only one he raved about was Beck’s Octoberfest.
DH’s total: about 8.50

4. Marrakesh, Morocco
DH kept looking at the pitas, and we all thought about the baklava, but after much consideration, we decided we were too full to eat again! I had Royale Tangerine Mimosa, which was very light and perfect!
Total: $6

5. We skipped Tokyo (again, we were quite full!) and DH found the Hops and Barley booth! He had Samuel Adams Black Lager, and got me the Samuel Adams Octoberfest. We watched the “Eat to the Beat” concert, which DS enjoyed. DH then decided to try the SA Octoberfest as well, which he liked better than the Black Lager. We also shared a Lobster Roll (yummy!)

My total: 24.70
DH’s total: (assuming the beers were $6, as he says) $38
Grand Total: $63 – that’s right. The same as a really nice meal for a family of three – or a nice Disney meal for 2 But it was a lot of fun and we all had a great time. And I would definitely go back!

I wish we had not eaten at Captain’s Grille earlier, just because we were so miserably stuffed after all of that food! But if we hadn’t, we wouldn’t have made it past two drinks! This is the problem with the DDP – you feel you have to use it or you are wasting money – where we would have been satisfied getting DS something small, and eating our way around part of the F&WF! The worst part is, we might have done a quarter of the festival! What would we do next time? Did we learn from our mistakes? Stay tuned!