TDC Nala
1937, what a year that was
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2001
This was actually just a Labor Day weekend trip until Disney decided to give me 80 bucks to spend on my birthday, so it’s now 9 nights (had to extend trip to include birthday). Unfortunately I can’t spend it on food, because there will be massive amounts of food involved. I don’t eat very much at home, so I eat on vacation.
I will have 9 nights worth of food, enough for 1 night at Animal Kingdom Lodge and 8 at Animal Kingdom Villas on points. This is a food picture review, so maybe it doesn’t matter that there won’t be any cool photos of animals from my rooms – I’m standard view all the way. The only animal photos will probably be of the ones that are cooked and served on plates with sauce.
If I end up going other places with friends, then some of the places I actually booked are going to drop off the schedule.
It’s Overhyped because I went crazy with the online reservations and ended up being able to book some of the most popular Disney restaurants. Most of them are places I haven’t been to in years because I don’t really recall them being all that and a bag of chips, and you can’t get into them now anyway unless you get up at stupid o’clock to call Disney Dining and hit redial a lot – which these restaurants are not worth – or you get lucky playing around with the online reservation system.
The Overhyped category of my reservations would include Le Cellier, Coral Reef, California Grill (the one place in this category I’ve been to in the last 3 to 5 years – I was last there in March) and ‘Ohana.
The Underhyped: Jiko (First Thursday Dinner Series, plus regular menu on another night if they’ll let me in without a reservation), Flying Fish
The Unhyped: Sanaa, Brown Derby, Kouzzina (don’t have a reservation there, planning to drop in) and Tchoup Chop (which is at Universal so it’s not surprising that it would be unhyped)
Plus a couple of myriad counter services. I’m on the quick service dining plan for the first night (non-DVC) only, so there will be two counter service meals at the least. I am not using any dining plan with the longer DVC stay. You better believe it – August/September and I am not on free dining like everybody else. Maybe there will be a couple of random extra TS if I am hungry enough and can get into any. I gotta love touring without a dining plan.
There shalt be no food at Disney that thou not takest food porn. I’ve also implemented the unpatented
Simpsons Pictoral Rating System
to rate food items. And some booze items.
The “Full Monty Burns” will designate excellent food. (For my taste it’s going to have to be somewhat unusual and have a great deal of flavor to rate a Full Monty.)
The “Lisa” designates food which is good and nice, but doesn’t have whatever extra is needed to earn a Full Monty.
The “Ned” is for just okay. I can’t call it good, but it’s not bad either. It’s okely dokely, neighbor.
“Release the Hounds” means that wild dogs should be set upon whoever allowed this dish to be served.
I’ve been eating at Disney for 10 years now and can recall only about 3 or 4 items that would have earned “Release the Hounds” so I think at this point I will expect to issue a few Montys, lots of Lisas, some Neds and hopefully no Release the Hounds. The Simpsons Rating System as used in this thread reflects my taste and my taste only. Your opinions and interest regarding any individual food item may vary. Not sold in stores.
I’m going to post as live as I can get it. The first night I am not on a DVC reservation and don’t have free internet, so the first day’s food porn won’t be up till the second day at the earliest. I used to spend every night out at Pleasure Island till the wee hours BUT NOOOOooooooooooooo, not this time. So there may be enough time for me to post each night’s food. Believe me, I’d rather be at the Adventurers Club.
I will have 9 nights worth of food, enough for 1 night at Animal Kingdom Lodge and 8 at Animal Kingdom Villas on points. This is a food picture review, so maybe it doesn’t matter that there won’t be any cool photos of animals from my rooms – I’m standard view all the way. The only animal photos will probably be of the ones that are cooked and served on plates with sauce.
If I end up going other places with friends, then some of the places I actually booked are going to drop off the schedule.
It’s Overhyped because I went crazy with the online reservations and ended up being able to book some of the most popular Disney restaurants. Most of them are places I haven’t been to in years because I don’t really recall them being all that and a bag of chips, and you can’t get into them now anyway unless you get up at stupid o’clock to call Disney Dining and hit redial a lot – which these restaurants are not worth – or you get lucky playing around with the online reservation system.
The Overhyped category of my reservations would include Le Cellier, Coral Reef, California Grill (the one place in this category I’ve been to in the last 3 to 5 years – I was last there in March) and ‘Ohana.
The Underhyped: Jiko (First Thursday Dinner Series, plus regular menu on another night if they’ll let me in without a reservation), Flying Fish
The Unhyped: Sanaa, Brown Derby, Kouzzina (don’t have a reservation there, planning to drop in) and Tchoup Chop (which is at Universal so it’s not surprising that it would be unhyped)
Plus a couple of myriad counter services. I’m on the quick service dining plan for the first night (non-DVC) only, so there will be two counter service meals at the least. I am not using any dining plan with the longer DVC stay. You better believe it – August/September and I am not on free dining like everybody else. Maybe there will be a couple of random extra TS if I am hungry enough and can get into any. I gotta love touring without a dining plan.
There shalt be no food at Disney that thou not takest food porn. I’ve also implemented the unpatented
Simpsons Pictoral Rating System
to rate food items. And some booze items.
The “Full Monty Burns” will designate excellent food. (For my taste it’s going to have to be somewhat unusual and have a great deal of flavor to rate a Full Monty.)
The “Lisa” designates food which is good and nice, but doesn’t have whatever extra is needed to earn a Full Monty.
The “Ned” is for just okay. I can’t call it good, but it’s not bad either. It’s okely dokely, neighbor.
“Release the Hounds” means that wild dogs should be set upon whoever allowed this dish to be served.
I’ve been eating at Disney for 10 years now and can recall only about 3 or 4 items that would have earned “Release the Hounds” so I think at this point I will expect to issue a few Montys, lots of Lisas, some Neds and hopefully no Release the Hounds. The Simpsons Rating System as used in this thread reflects my taste and my taste only. Your opinions and interest regarding any individual food item may vary. Not sold in stores.
I’m going to post as live as I can get it. The first night I am not on a DVC reservation and don’t have free internet, so the first day’s food porn won’t be up till the second day at the earliest. I used to spend every night out at Pleasure Island till the wee hours BUT NOOOOooooooooooooo, not this time. So there may be enough time for me to post each night’s food. Believe me, I’d rather be at the Adventurers Club.
Bwahahaha! I wonder if people who eat at Sanaa look out the huge window overlooking the savannah and wonder if they can pick out a wildebeest for dinner. "That one sure looks tasty. The little one in the corner doesn't look to have enough meat on him."
I can't believe you're actually committed to doing this. I'm blaming Kevin Lansbury for that. 
Can't wait for Tchoup Chop review, I'm really excited to be going there for the first time in October!
for Adventurers Club.
Love your rating system!!! Can't wait to hear all about it! Our days will overlap by a few, we are going to be in the World 8/26-9/2
