slk537 said:
Carys - I am now convinced I will try a fiesta margarita next trip...I have seen a few of them on this lovely thread, and wow...those are gorgeous!
Question for you...could you tell me more about the Mama Melrose Fantasmic dinner? We have that reserved and I am curious about it...what kind of salad was that? Was it bleu cheese or feta or something else?
TIA!
I'm more than happy to talk about the Fantasmic package heheh
Specifically about the salad, it is the field greens salad, which has a balsamic viniagrette and gorgonzola cheese dressing. Off the plan, it costs $3.99. The waitress mentioned that they prepare the dressing in house. I should have asked for it, but I was too busy chowing down on it

Gorgonzola is an italian cows milk blue cheese, originally from Milan. It is usually eaten with fruit, such as pear, and is creamier when young, developing a stronger taste and crumblier texture as it ages. I really enjoyed this cheese with the salad, as it was a good balance to the viniagrette - sometimes I find blue cheeses don't quite taste right in the mouth with balsamic, it's a personal thing. I found on both occasions, the cheese used at Mama Melrose had little marbling, so people who normally avoid blues because of the 'mold' thing, it'd be worth at least giving this salad a try.
I'll copy paste what I've written in the past below:
Run down of Mama Melrose Fantasmic on the Dining Plan:
Both times that I ate here, I used a dining credit for the Fantasmic package. This package included a ticket to the reserved seating at the earliest Fantasmic show, and the following:
- One house bread and olive oil and sundried tomato dip.
- One flatbread between each four diners. There were four kinds of flatbread toppings to choose from, and when they say one for every four people, that's what they mean - I had an entire flatbread to for myself when I ate there solo, which is why I had it packaged for takeaway. They bring the container to your table on request for you to place however much of the pizza you don't wish to eat at the table into, which for me was the whole shebang
- One salad between four people, this time a salad with viniagrette and gorgonzola cheese - no choice, so if you don't like the ingredients (such as the cheese for example) be sure to request the salad come without that ingredient.
- One entree per person. The entrees to choose from were the same as on the normal plan. If you're one of those people who seek to maximise the plan to get the pricier stuff, you need to do your research before you dine here to see which dishes would normally cost more, as the Fantasmic menu does not list the normal prices.
-One dessert per person. Again, the list is the same as for the normal dessert menu, with no prices listed. However, if I recall correctly, the 50th Celebration dessert had a $2 surcharge if you wished to try that one. So if you're researching prices to get the bang for your buck, be aware that that dessert has less 'bang' it would otherwise have because of the surcharge.
- Non alcoholic drink, tax, tip. The fantasmic plan doesn't normally cover a drink, again if my memory is correct, but if you pay with a table credit on the dining plan, the whole shebang is still covered. I'd say this meal was good value for dining plan credit value, and at both meals everything was covered by the dining plan - no extra or hidden surcosts.
Review of Mama Melrose:
(Solo and with sister, Fantasmic Dining Package, both 4.30pm PS)
Service: At both meals, the service was friendly, helpful with recommendations, and timely with service as they were aware of our need to not linger and get to the show. We were seated promptly at our PS times. At both meals I requested the flatbread be takeaway, and each time was provided with takeaway containers with no hassle at all. Drinks were kept full, and when a party beside us during the second meal spilt an entire glass of water, the server (who was not even present when the drink was toppled) had the entire thing cleaned up and practically forgotten with no fuss within a couple of minutes. So although not over-the-top astounding, the service was still pretty darn good.
Appetizers: I again Loved the salad here the first server mentioned they prepare the vinaigrette in house, and I felt there was just the right amount of cheese, in well prepared crumble sizes, for the salad. My sister was disappointed that this salad (as seems to be the trend at American restaurants) was just lettuce greens, instead of the range of salad vegetables that were more used to at home. If I were to add anything to the salad, I think I might toss in some capsicum, but otherwise I cant fault the salad, because too many veges would have made the cheese and vinaigrette taste confusing, if that makes sense too much happening at once. The flatbreads were good I definitely preferred the chicken pesto over the four cheese flatbread, as it was less greasy without sacrificing any flavor. Both were still good when cold.
Entrees: At both meals, I had the Fra Diavolo. I suppose that shows how much I enjoyed it. The servings were huge, I couldnt finish the dishes both meals. The first time, I think they overpeppered the dish, although it was still good. I enjoyed it more the second time around, when the less heavy inclusion of pepper gave the dish a richer sensation in the mouth. Plus, I found a tiny seed pearl in a clam during the second dish! A surprising bonus heheh.
Desserts: First time around, I tried the Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake. I enjoyed the textures and flavors of the dish, and the serving was a good size not small, not ridiculously huge. However, the presentation of the cake in a muffin/cupcakey shape wouldnt let me shake the feeling that I was just eating a muffin with sauce, rather than a cake, which was distracting. At the second meal, both my sister and I chose the Honey Hazelnut and Ricotta Cheesecake, and we both enjoyed it. I cant remember much about the dish itself, but I can remember we agreed it was good, so tentative thumbs up for those of you looking for MM dessert advice on the cheesecake heheh.