Our Land Cruise: Special Diet and 14 nights of DxDDP

[itradehilton]

After a quick dip in the pool and some down time in the room we headed off to Epcot to explore world showcase before our dinner reservations. We arrived at Chef De France 15 minutes before our reservations and only had to wait a few minutes to be seated. We informed the host about the DxDDP and our Food allergies. She told us to let the waiter know.

We were the first to be seated in our waiters area so he introduced himself and explained that he has only been here for two weeks. DH informed the waiter about the dining plan and GF diet and asked to speak to the chef. He suggested we try an orange soda, Orangina, from France and gave us a detailed explanation of the soda's history. It was light and refreshing drink.

After getting drinks off our waiter went to get the chef but returned back to the table several minutes later alone. He said," The chef can not come out and you can have the salad, the salmon, and the sorbet." My DH was less than pleased. This attitude of telling him what he would eat and not going over the menu set the mood for the dinner. DH said no he wanted the cheese plate. So off the server went again and low and behold the cheese plate only had cheese on it and was GF naturally. DH said he wanted the duck so off the waiter goes for a third time and comes back to tell DH if he has the duck he can't have the sauce. This is fine with DH but we got the impression we had offended someone because we altered the meal. While trying to order the waiter would constantly lecture DH that they only wanted his meal to be safe as he continually tried to talk him out of menu items. It must have taken 30 minutes of running back in forth to the kitchen before DH's order was finally completely taken. Poor Little Yoda just ordered "the salad, the salmon, and the sorbet".

Appetizers:

DH and I both had the Cheese plate which was a nice assortment of cheese. Little Yoda ate the salad and The Fish had the Onion soup which he said tasted good. The waiter forgot to bring out regular bread for the Fish and I until I asked for some.

Main course:

DH had the Duck two ways and thinks it tasted very good without any sauce. Little Yoda ate the salmon but said it was not as good as the Coral Reef's salmon. The Fish and I both ordered a seafood dish with gnocci. My gnocci was a little burned on one side. I didn't send it back since dinner had been a hassle and I just wanted it over.

The highlight of the meal was Remi. The woman in charge of Remi saw me signal to her that Little Yoda would like to wee Remi. He actually loves to cook.

Remi

Dessert:

Little Yoda had the sorbet which tasted light and refeshing. The Fish had chocolate cake while DH and I had the Creme brulee. The Fish liked his cake and ate it all. SH and I were both disappointed with the creme brulee. Compared to every other restaurant this one was plain. No berries or creme just one giant dish of creme brulee.

Sorbet with fruit GF

Chocolate cake

creme brulee

At the end of the meal we gave the waiter our DXDDP card and he acted surprised and told us he had asked about the dining plan and we had told him no we didn't have the dining plan. He was so worried about the orange soda not being on the plan. We said it was no problem and we paid OOP for the drinks. His behavior when accusing us of lying about being on the dining plan just reinforced our opinions about Chefs De France. Most of the food was good but being disregarded by the chef and having a waiter push dishes and lecture us set the tone for the meal. When Disney sets itself apart by providing great GF food service this type of service stands out when you have dined at nine other TS restaurants. We will never eat here again.

 

[itradehilton]

On the sixth day we decided to take a break from the parks in the morning and headed to Downtown Disney to go to Disney Quest. While walking through the shops we decided to stop at Cap'n Jacks for lunch. We got there just as it opened and the place was empty so we were able to get a seat right away without any reservations. From the moment we sat down we felt welcomed. The waitress was light hearted but professional. When we were ordering drinks she pointed out to Little Yoda could have the Mega Berry smoothie for his drink on the DxDDP but warned him it might fill him up. So of course he went for the smoothie.

Berry Smoothie

The chef came out soon and really new his stuff in regards to GF dining. What a pleasure. He was very patient with Little Yoda and answered all of his questions. The Chef also modified DH's meal a little bit too.

Appetizers:

DH and the Fish had the Peel and eat Shrimp which were fresh and very good. The Fish had a bowl of clam Chowder which he enjoyed and I had the White fish and Horseradish Cream which was awesome.It reminded me of good New York Deli food. I loved this fish plate.

Peel n Eat Shrimp

Cod appetizer

Main Course:

The Fish ordered the Jumbo Crab Cakes and let me taste a bite. They were flavorful and very good. I was in the mood for a bit of spice so I ordered the Etouffee and it did not let me down. Little yoda wanted the Pasta with shrimp since they have GF pasta. The chef whipped up a batch of GF alfedo sauce for the pasta too. DH wanted the daily fish special but the chef could not put on the sauce. So DH asked for some of Little Yoda's Alfredo sauce on the side and the chef happily added it to DH's plate.

Crab Cakes

Etouffee

Fish of the Day GF

Pasta Shrimp Alfredo

Dessert:

Dessert is not Cap'n Jack's strong point. The Fish ordered the cheesecake which was decent. I should of had that too because I ordered the Key lime pie. Two bites and I was done. The waitress asked if I wanted something else since I was obviously not eating the pie but I passed since I was full enough. DH and Little Yoda both had the ice cream. I think it was the only GF choice.

Ice Cream

Cheesecake

Key lime pie

Overall we loved the service we received from the waitress and the chef. It was a great option for seafood loving GF diners. The seafood was great in both the appetizers and the main courses but next time I would just skip dessert.

 

[itradehilton]

After enjoying a few hours at Disney Quest, or should I say until the noise was to much for DH and I we rounded up the boys and headed back to the room to relax a bit before meeting up with our friends.

The boat ride to DHS is slow but relaxing since our friends kids are small it was really is the only option since their DS is attached happily to The Fish's hip every moment were together. The Fish loves it. We were able to catch the stunt show, Star Tours, and part of American Idol Experience before our reservation for dinner.

When we entered the 50's Prime Time Cafe it was packed. I knew we were going to have to wait for our table of 8 based on previous reviews. So we were sent to the living room to wait. Great decor a definite throw back to the 50's. After about 15 minutes some seats near the TV room opened up so we corraled the kids in this area. Another 10 minutes passed before are table was ready.

menu
We were quickly introduced to our cousin Josh who took drink ordered played his part a little and got the chef. Our tables were really 2 booths next to each other but that was okay we could still talk and we had elbow room.

The chef came out and went over the GF options with Little Yoda and DH. He did not mention the GF Fried Chicken so I brought it up. The chef said yes he could make it but it would take an extra 30 minutes since he had to heat up separate oil. That was okay with DH since I had already showed him previous posts with pictures and he wanted the Fried Chicken. We let our cousin Josh know that it would be alright to serve everyone else and DH would just wait for his chicken.

For drinks my family all ordered the milkshakes OMG they were so good. They were very, very filling.

Chocolate Shake

Appetizers: The Fish and I decided to share the onion rings. They were good but not great. DH ordered Seafood salad and really liked it. I was eyeballing it and wished that I had ordered that instead. Little Yoda ordered the Salad Wedge, well to make it GF that had to take everything off of it and now it was just one big piece of lettuce. (DH cut it half so Yoda could eat some)

Seafood Salad GF

Lettuce wedge GF

Main course: Fried chicken was what everyone wanted except Little Yoda who orded the Top Sirloin Steak they have to swap out the mashed potatoes and they give you French Fries instead. The portions here are HUGE. I only was able to eat two pieces but The Fish's plate brought a gaping look of wonder from cousin Josh. I don't think he has ever seen a plate of bones left before. The Fish consumed everything. (He is why I liked the dinning plan so much: teenage athletes comsume food.) Yes, the chicken was great. DH could not believe how crispy the GF chicken was.

Chicken with green beans

Chicken and greens

Top sirloin and Fries GF

To Die for GF Fried chicken

Dessert: This is were our dining came to a halt. We were way to full to eat any more so we ordered a couple of desserts to go to enjoy at a latter date but alas they never were eaten.

Overall this was a fun restaurant to dine in and the GF fried chicken will bring us back. Cousin Josh did a good job of bringing the experience alive.

 

[vinotinto]

Still following along... thanks for the pics.

 

[itradehilton]

Glad people are enjoying the reviews. It's almost time to go back to school so I've been busy getting all the books passed out. I will try to get a few more done before school starts.

 

[itradehilton]

WE headed out early for the Kona Cafe to get a hearty meal in before hitting Typhoon Lagoon. We drove over to the Poly and arrived about 5 minutes before the restaurant opened so we wondered around upstairs for a few minutes. Before I knew it we were seated.

Menu

As usual the waitress, Lori, took our drink order and let the Chef know we had special diet dinners. The chef went over the menu with DH and Little Yoda. DH wanted something that couldn't be modified so he settled on steak and eggs. Instead of the biscut they gave him 2 Mickey Waffles. Yum... Excellent and cooked just his style. Little Yoda wanted the Mickey waffles with ham. Little Yoda could not believe that these were GF. They were that good. The Fish ordered the Big Kahuna and devoured every last bite. You think he hadn't eaten in a day. I ordered the Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes. They were good but not as good as the ones I ate in Hawaii in a little locals restaurant.

The coffee was great and the service matched. The food was very good breakfast fare. The highlight for the meal was the GF waffles. Kona's was almost empty at 7:30 in the morning and still pretty empty when we left. Sorry only two pictures I forgot to charge the camera.

Steak and Eggs GF

Waffles with ham GF

 

[itradehilton]

We arrived at Typhoon Lagoon soon before it opened for the day. While entering I asked the CM at the Gate where I could find a nice shady spot. He directed us toward the sandy area just past Crushin Gusher. This was a great place to set up camp. We hit the major rides before an early lunch, 11:30, This would be our second time using QS so we wanted to get to the Leaning Palms early to beat the rush. As it turned out this was our best idea for the day because we were able to met the the chef order and find a seat in the shade all before the crowd moved in. At the register we had to wait about 5 minutes for a chef to come out and go over the menu items. They were still setting up in the kitchen. I could see them checking the temp of some frying baskets toward the front.

Lunch

DH and Little Yoda decided on the Bacon Double Cheeseburger made with a GF bun and fries cooked in a dedicated frier. The chef actually brings the food up himself the CM's behind the counter did not even touch the tray. the burgers and bun tasted great but Little Yoda took off the bacon because it was not crispy enough. The fish ordered the Chicken Breast Nuggets with fries. I tasted one and thought they were good eats. I wanted something light so I ordered the Chicken wrap. It was the perfect choice for today, light and tasty.

Sorry no pictures alas the dead camera battery. I made sure to charge it before our big dinner at the California Grill later tonight.

 

[Ullis]

Love your reviews, great pics and just the right amount of writing to describe the experience.

 

[butiflfeet]

I love Kona Cafe for breakfast! DH and I always get the Big Kahuna because we can't decide what we want and that has a whole bunch of good stuff in it

 

[itradehilton]

Love your reviews, great pics and just the right amount of writing to describe the experience.

thanks, I'm glad your enjoying them. I should be able to do more this weekend.

 

[itradehilton]

I love Kona Cafe for breakfast! DH and I always get the Big Kahuna because we can't decide what we want and that has a whole bunch of good stuff in it

That was The Fishes thinking he can eat a lot.

 

[itradehilton]

Well, school has been crazy but I finally think I can get back to the review.

 

[itradehilton]

Day 7: California Grill – Dinner 5:45 PM

We drove over to the Contemporary from the Boardwalk and left the car with the valet. We checked in downstairs and only waited a few moments before we were escorted up the elevator to the California Grill. On the way up the hostess chatted about the great selection of California wines. She gave a little look when we laughed, then we explained about flying 3000 miles to drink wine from home. Our table was not ready so we sat in the bar and DH ordered a drink. Before it could arrive the table was ready so the waitress from the bar had our server just add it to our dinner tab and brought the drink to the table. Very good service from the moment we sat down until the end of our meal. We had a great view of the park from our table the only down side was the sun.

Appetizer

Having read all of the great reviews we knew sushi was going to be an appetizer. DH and Little Yoda Ordered the California roll while The Fish and I decided to split menu items. We shared the Spicy Kazan Roll, excellent flavor and just spicy enough. We also split the Beef Flatbread. I was surprised how much I liked the flavor of the Flatbread.

California Roll - GF

Kazan roll

Beef Flatbread

Main Course

DH and Little Yoda both continued on with more Sushi. They both ordered the Deluxe Sushi platter. In order to make it Gluten Free the chef would just change some of the items on the platter. The waiter asked first if this was okay. Oh course it was and the chef did a superb job. The Fish ordered the Filet of Beef and it was cooked just like he wanted, medium. I ordered the Scallops and liked the scallops themselves but was not excited about the side dish.

Deluxe Sushi Platter GF style

Filet of Beef

Scallop Dish

Dessert

Both DH and Little Yoda ordered the Banana custard GF style. They both liked the dessert. The fish ordered the Valrhora Cake and raved about the dessert for days. I had the Market dessert, which was very light and sweet.

Valrhora Cake

Banana Custard GF

Seasonal Peach Dessert

Overall

We enjoyed our Dinner and were glad we were on the DxDDP because otherwise we would not have spent the money. I would like to return to the California Grill during the winter months when the sun goes down sooner.

 

[itradehilton]

Day 8: Jiko – Animal Kingdom Lodge – Dinner

On the 8th day we packed our bags and had the bellhop hold them until the afternoon since we were moving to Kidani Village. They recommended we move the bags ourselves stating it would be faster than if we had Disney send the bags to our new resort. We still had a lot of snack credits left so we went to Epcot in the morning and snacked around the park. After spending most of the day at Epcot we headed back to the Boardwalk to pick up our bags and drove over to Kidani Village for our second week at Disneyworld.

Dinner

We had 6:00 PM reservations at Jiko and were the first to arrive at the restaurant. The hostess quickly seated us then the waitress, Dawn, arrived within a minute and us. We were pleasantly surprised that the Chef had made a dedicated Gluten Free menu so there was no need for him to come to the table. Right after taking our drink order Dawn asked if we would like a sample of the soup of the day, it was GF. Why yes we all indulged in the sample. It was very tasty. So much so that DH ordered it for his appetizer. Since the chef had recently changed the menu the menu items were different than the ones I found on disbords and other websites so I don’t know the exact names of all of the dishes. What I can say is we very much enjoyed the flavor profiles.

We started with night with a bottle of wine.

Appetizers

DH had the soup again; the fish ordered the savannah rolls, think egg roll with an African spice profile. He ate them very quickly but allowed me a taste. Little Yoda had the Jiko salad, GF. He tends to order more simple menu items. I had the appetizer special and the receipt does not print the name of the item and I don’t remember the name. We all enjoyed our choices.

Soup GF

Savanah roll: Beef Boati

Bread ( not GF)

Appetizer

Jiko salad GF

Dinner

DH and Little Yoda were ordering off the Gluten Free menu. DH had the pork, which he enjoyed but after tasting Little Yoda’s lamb he wished he had ordered the lamb. The fish ordered the fish (somehow I missed this photo I think he ate to fast) and I had the Tuna. The Tuna was the best I had in Disneyworld. Seared just enough on each side with the most incredible spice rub. I would order it again in a heartbeat.

Pork

lamb

Tuna


Dessert

DH had the crème brulee it was good but he has eaten a lot of crème brulee this week. The boys both got the chocolate dessert since it was GF and chocolate. I couldn’t make up my mind so our server, Dawn suggested the seasonal lemon and blueberry dessert. It was a perfect ending, very light and mellow after all the spice in my meal.

Creme Brulee

Flourless chocolate dessert (GF)

Lemon/blueberry dessert
Overall

We ranked Jiko as one of our favorite places to eat. It had both great service and a dedicated Gluten Free menu. The food was well spiced so if you have an adventurous palette then Jiko is a great choice for you.

 

[Tinker12]

We stayed at AKL 2 times and never had the chance to go to Jiko. I never really looked at booking and ADR's. I think I was a little naive when it came to reservations and not realizing that Jiko was on the DDP. I'm disappointed we never have been to the restaurant. In the future, my DH and I will go when we stay at AKL again "Home away from Home".

Thanks for the reviews!

 

[davebon23]

Glad to see you have come back to finish your reviews. I am really enjoying them. I will be going GF for the first time this August. Your pictures are awesome. Thanks again for coming back to finish.

 

[itradehilton]

Glad to see you have come back to finish your reviews. I am really enjoying them. I will be going GF for the first time this August. Your pictures are awesome. Thanks again for coming back to finish.

I'm glad you are enjoying them it is nice to have time to sit down and write again. You should have a great time dining at Disneyworld my DH and DS#2 both loved the experience.

 

[itradehilton]

We drove over to Boma from Kidani Village it was faster than the bus. Within a few minute of our check in we were seated. The waiter was promt and quickly brought us our press pot of Kenyan coffee. Very good coffee. Our server, Carlos, was so prompt that I never had to refill my own cup he was quick to refill the coffee cups and bring more of the wonderful juice. Carlos asked the chef to come to our table to go over the GF options with DH and Little yoda. The Fish and I headed to the buffet and filled our plates with meats with African sauce (on the side),eggs, Corn beef Boboti and fresh fruit. I skipped most of the pastries but The Fish tried a few. Pastires were not the highlight of the meal.

When returning to the table DH and Little Yoda where gone touring the buffet with the chef who pointed out what food was safe to eat. The chef also took their order for GF waffles. Little Yoda has a limited breakfast pallet so the waffles and some plan meat was all he ate. DH was a bit disappointed that the sauces for the meats were not safe to eat but he did enjoy the food he was able to eat.

Unfortunately this was a day I forgot to take many pictures.

GF waffles

Overall we enjoyed breakfast at Boma's and planned to return on our last morning. The chef and our server made our dining experience enjoyable.

 

[itradehilton]

Today we took it easy and stayed out of the parks. We had reservations for the 5pm Hoop-Dee-Doo musical and we were ready for the corny show. We drove over to Fort Wilderness but they only have parking up front and we still had to get on one of their resort buses to get back to Pioneer Hall. We arrived early for photos and check in. It was HOT so we ducked into the store nearby to keep cool since they don't let you into the Hall early. We had Category 2 seating and were seated on the right of the stage at a table for four. The Fish is a typical teen and rolled his eyes when we told him we where going to the show but during the show he enjoyed all of the corny humor and was given a washboard to play during the show.

Dinner

Dinner is served in mass during set times with a little bit of corney drama. As soon as we were seated the waitress came over to find out what we wanted brought to the table. Sadly they said they could not make GF Fried chicken but would grill up some plain chicken breasts. In addition to the baked chicken the ribs, corn and baked beans were Gluten free. They also warmed up GF rolls, I think Little Yoda ate three. For dessert they replaced the strawberry shortcake with a GF Brownie covered in strawberries and whipped cream. Little Yoda doesn't like whipped cream so he had his plain. They also serve unlimited drinks with the meal. DH said the Sangria was good.

baked chicken GF

Fried chicken

GF ribs, GF beans, GF rolls, fried chicken

strawberry shortcake

GF brownie with berries (huge portion)

The food was very good and plentiful. I could not believe how much food was brought to the table. They would also refill any item you requested. We thought it was well worth the 2 credits for the show and dinner.

 

[davebon23]

I'm glad you are enjoying them it is nice to have time to sit down and write again. You should have a great time dining at Disneyworld my DH and DS#2 both loved the experience.

Thanks, I am looking forward to being able to eat and not get sick, like most times when I eat out. I wish it was sooner than August and was closer so we could go more often.