Dates
12/2/04 12/9/04 at Grand Floridian
Cast of Characters
DH 33, 7th trip, fairly conservative eater
DW 33/34, 9th trip, more adventurous eater
DD 4, 4th trip, picky kid eater
Thursday 12/2/04
Dinner - Chef Mickeys (3rd trip)
Checked in at 7:20 and was seated within about 5 minutes. Donald was out in the middle, Dale, Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, and Chip all came by the table. Good carved turkey, cheesecake, carrot cake, oatmeal raisin cookies, parmesan potatoes. Bad the citrus chicken had a very strong taste.
Rating 4/5, will return at least every other trip
Friday 12/3/04
Breakfast Cinderellas (3rd visit)
MK actually opened at 8:00 this day, even though it wasnt supposed to be an EE day. They were taping the xmas parade and Main Street was already lined with extras.
We were the second party to check in and were seated in a couple minutes. Characters were Mary Poppins, Snow White, Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella. The Belle was the same Belle that we had at breakfast last Dec. It was also the same CM that had been Jasmine at PSB a couple days before our Cindys last year. So we kind of consider her our Belle. As most report, the characters come in a flurry all at once and kind of rush through. Our Belle did stay longer and brought back some pixie dust for DD though.
Food was fair. Good - sausages (big, full sausages), potatoes, cinnamon rolls, strawberry yogurt stuff (dipped French toast in).
After breakfast, the lobby was a zoo with people waiting so we passed on Fairy Godmother (the line was 15 kids deep). One of the best parts was being first ones in Fantasyland. We got the first ride on Dumbo that day.
Rating 3.5/5, must do for DD (wouldnt if not for DD)
Lunch Tonys (1st visit)
We werent overly hungry, but needed something to tide us over until dinner. We checked in at 1:00 and were seated within 5-10 minutes. DD had a pepperoni pizza and DH/DW split an Italian panini sandwich. The food was fair. DH thought the meatball sub looked a lot better and wished they would have ordered that instead. The food wasnt bad, just not great.
Overall 3/5, will return but not a must do (maybe in another 3-4 trips)
Snack Main Street Bakery
The delicious chocolate cake. So fudgy.
Rating 999999999999999999/5
Dinner MGM
We didnt have a real meal scheduled because we wanted to see Fantasmic. DH/DD split some popcorn. DW had a cheeseburger and fries from Rosies. It served the purpose of filling the stomach.
Rating 3/5, worked for was needed
Saturday 12/4/04 (DWs birthday)
Breakfast Cape May (1st time for breakfast)
Checked in at 8:10 for 8:00 PS, waited 5 10 minutes to be seated. Characters were Dale, Goofy, Minnie, and Chip. Character interaction was fair.
Food was pretty good omelet (not made to order), bread pudding, Krispy Kremes (though nothing compared to fresh ones in a store). DW did get a big chocolate cupcake for her b-day. It was VERY cocoa-ey (and DH likes cocoa).
Rating 4/5, will return but probably not an every trip must-do
Dinner 1900 Park Fare (6th visit???)
Checked in for the first seating at 4:30 (there was already a line checking in). We saw Fairy Godmother out in the lobby area and then took our ticket to a seater to go to our table. In the dining room was Suzy, Perla, Cinderalla, and Prince Charming. We also had a special guest in the lobby replacing FG about half an hour in Jasmine, that we stepped out to see at her time (FG told us that Jasmine would be there at 5:15).
Food was mixed. DH thought the food selection wasnt as good as the past couple years, DW thought there was still a good offering. Special notes to the sausage & peppers, prime rib, and potatoes. DH had the strawberry soup that he likes and always has the bread pudding. DH keeps wanting to like the bread pudding more than he does. He thinks his issue is the vanilla sauce isnt quite right for him to be cold on the hot bread.
DW got some b-day items here. A song, a special placemat, a crown, and a cupcake.
Overall 4/5, must do since we stay at GF
Sunday 12/5/04
Breakfast Main Street Bakery
A couple days earlier DH had spotted how good the cinnamon rolls looked. DH had also read rave reviews of the French toast loaf. So he picked up one of each. The cinnamon roll was okay (Cinnabon is better). But the French toast loaf was really good. We thought the inner portion was almost like a really gooey bread pudding (a good thing). And the outer edge was good dipped in the syrup.
Rating 4.5/5, will have the French toast loaf again
Lunch Crystal Palace (1st time for lunch, breakfast twice before)
Checked in to a LONG line at 11:30 and had quite a wait to be seated (20 minutes from the time we got in line to check in to being seated). Good character interaction with Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, and Piglet. The food was good for lunch too. Special notes to the chicken, potatoes, and chocolate chip cookies.
Rating 4/5, must-do for DD to see Piglet (cant find him elsewhere), probably switching back and forth between lunch and breakfast
Dinner Earl of Sandwich (1st time)
This was a DTD shopping night for DH and DW (DD was dropped off at the Neverland Club). The sandwiches were good for $5 at WDW. We were there around 8:00 and the line wasnt too long (maybe 5 minute wait to order). DH had the Italian (okay), DW had the Montague (really good). DH wished he would have had the meatball.
Rating 4/5, will stop in for sure whenever in DTD and hungry
Monday 12/6
Breakfast skipped
Lunch Flametree (1st visit)
Flametree had been our want list for a few trips, but we had never made it. So we were determined to do it this time. As we walked back to Dinoland in the morning, we could already smell the cooker. So our appetites were set for some BBQ. Unfortunately it didnt meet up to our expectations (probably a fault of setting expectations too high for a counter serve). DH had a ½ rack of ribs, DW had a pulled pork sandwich, and DD had chicken wings. We did order two of the meals on the voucher somehow. The food wasnt bad, it just wasnt as good as we were hoping. We tried both sauces, but didnt find either one that tasty. DH ended up eating his ribs with just the dry rub, which is the only way some say to eat them. We did eat down by the water, which was kind of nice seeing across the water to the building of Everest. But it was quite a hike.
Grade B-, okay for food, would return sometime when at AK and in need of something to eat to satisfy hunger
Afternoon snack Mickey heads
What would a trip be without a Mickey head ice cream bar? We used the vouchers for a couple of Mickey heads, and they were good. The key is trying not to eat them right away because they are frozen so hard. If you manage it, they are so good once they start melting a little. DD even likes licking the white part.
Grade A, will have at least one every visit
Tuesday 12/7
Breakfast skipped
Lunch Sci Fi (2nd visit)
We checked in at 11:00 for an 11:00 PS and were seated right away. We had a much better experience than we did the first time we tried here. The first time DD was a couple years younger and was in a terrible fit of a mood. So we didnt get to enjoy/appreciate the restaurant. This time she was actually entertained with the movies (having a Tom and Jerry helped, Im sure). For food, DW had the club sandwich which she really liked, DH had a cheeseburger and fries that were a cheeseburger and fries, and DD had a few bites of a cheeseburger.
Grade solid B, not a return every time place for us, but will return every few visits
Dinner Cape May (3rd visit for dinner)
We checked in at 5:30 for the first seating and were seated right away. We had a very good and friendly server here, dont remember his name though. Items of note include the chicken, ribs, key lime pie, and oreo bon-bons. Oh, those oreo bon-bons. I think DW ate 3 or 4 and DH had 4 or 5, almost making themselves sick. But they are so good.
Grade A, most likely a return every trip for us
Wednesday 12/8
Breakfast Princess Storybook Breakfast (2nd visit)
We did a couple of things in Future World before heading back to Norway to check in for our 10:20 PS. We wanted to do the last seating, having eaten a big dinner the night before and trying to get a couple of EE Future World things done. After our PS call-in date, they extended the breakfast hours, so we were not the last seating. We checked in a few minutes early, and were seated at our original time of 10:20. Food-wise, they started with a skillet of sticky buns with caramel topping. They were so good that we asked for a second skillet for dessert after the main food. The main food was eggs, bacon, sausage, cheesy potatoes (high marks on these while they were hot they held the heat better than the other foods), and maybe pancakes too. Last year they had waffles, but none this year. Characters were Snow White, Mulan, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty. The Sleeping Beauty was the same CM that played Alice outside the tea cups in MK a few days earlier. DW asked SB if she could sing Winnie the Pooh silly, like her friend Alice did. We could see the light go on for the CM, remembering the silly singing and dancing she did as Alice with DD at MK. SB played along that her good friend Alice had taught her how to sing the song. We think the CM was surprised with this because we could see her telling another CM there about it.
Grade B, get to see some princesses but the food is just okay nothing special, will return as long as DD wants to eat with princesses
Afternoon snack MK Bakery (lots of visits)
While we waited an hour and 15 minutes for DD to get her first haircut at the barbershop (luckily she napped during the wait), DH had a fresh ice cream sandwich from the bakery chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, something about the fresh sandwiches doesnt seem the same as the first one a couple years ago. The cookies seem pretty crisp and it is hard to keep the ice cream between the cookies to eat as a sandwich. Maybe if the cookies were softer they would mold better to the fresh dipped ice cream and taste better to boot.
Oh, DH also picked up a couple pieces of that delicious chocolate cake for the plane trip home the next day.
Grade C, love the idea of this treat, but might opt for one of the pre-made frozen ones from the cart next time (the cake was an A+ the following day)
Evening snack MK Ice Cream shop (lots of visits)
DW didnt want to miss out on her ice cream treat. So on our way out of MK at 7:00 as Wishes was going, she stopped off for a traditional scoop of cookies n cream in a cup (with the cone stuck on top). This turned out to be the perfect time to get ice cream, as there was no line because everyone was outside watching Wishes.
Dinner Gasparilla Grill (5th or 6th visit)
Since we hadnt had any real food to eat for a while, we decided to order a couple of small pizzas. They were fair. DD said she wanted ice cream, so she got a bowl that she didnt eat any of (tired and cranky). She ended up playing with it though to enjoy herself a little bit.
Grade C+, not good or bad pizza, serves the need for a quick eat.
Thursday 12/9
Breakfast 1900 Park Fare (6th or 7th visit for breakfast)
We got to the lobby at7:50 for our 8:00 PS. The doors werent open to check-in yet though. The doors opened at 8:00 and we were the second group seated for the day. The characters were Eeyore, Pooh, Alice, Mad Hatter, and Mary Poppins in the lobby. Being there so early without the restaurant full allows two or three visits from the characters. Food-wise, we had made to order omelets, the cheesy eggs, Mickey waffles, french toast, bread pudding, and strawberry soup. The quality of the food for a breakfast was very high.
Grade solid A, will return every trip
12/2/04 12/9/04 at Grand Floridian
Cast of Characters
DH 33, 7th trip, fairly conservative eater
DW 33/34, 9th trip, more adventurous eater
DD 4, 4th trip, picky kid eater
Thursday 12/2/04
Dinner - Chef Mickeys (3rd trip)
Checked in at 7:20 and was seated within about 5 minutes. Donald was out in the middle, Dale, Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, and Chip all came by the table. Good carved turkey, cheesecake, carrot cake, oatmeal raisin cookies, parmesan potatoes. Bad the citrus chicken had a very strong taste.
Rating 4/5, will return at least every other trip
Friday 12/3/04
Breakfast Cinderellas (3rd visit)
MK actually opened at 8:00 this day, even though it wasnt supposed to be an EE day. They were taping the xmas parade and Main Street was already lined with extras.
We were the second party to check in and were seated in a couple minutes. Characters were Mary Poppins, Snow White, Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella. The Belle was the same Belle that we had at breakfast last Dec. It was also the same CM that had been Jasmine at PSB a couple days before our Cindys last year. So we kind of consider her our Belle. As most report, the characters come in a flurry all at once and kind of rush through. Our Belle did stay longer and brought back some pixie dust for DD though.
Food was fair. Good - sausages (big, full sausages), potatoes, cinnamon rolls, strawberry yogurt stuff (dipped French toast in).
After breakfast, the lobby was a zoo with people waiting so we passed on Fairy Godmother (the line was 15 kids deep). One of the best parts was being first ones in Fantasyland. We got the first ride on Dumbo that day.
Rating 3.5/5, must do for DD (wouldnt if not for DD)
Lunch Tonys (1st visit)
We werent overly hungry, but needed something to tide us over until dinner. We checked in at 1:00 and were seated within 5-10 minutes. DD had a pepperoni pizza and DH/DW split an Italian panini sandwich. The food was fair. DH thought the meatball sub looked a lot better and wished they would have ordered that instead. The food wasnt bad, just not great.
Overall 3/5, will return but not a must do (maybe in another 3-4 trips)
Snack Main Street Bakery
The delicious chocolate cake. So fudgy.
Rating 999999999999999999/5
Dinner MGM
We didnt have a real meal scheduled because we wanted to see Fantasmic. DH/DD split some popcorn. DW had a cheeseburger and fries from Rosies. It served the purpose of filling the stomach.
Rating 3/5, worked for was needed
Saturday 12/4/04 (DWs birthday)
Breakfast Cape May (1st time for breakfast)
Checked in at 8:10 for 8:00 PS, waited 5 10 minutes to be seated. Characters were Dale, Goofy, Minnie, and Chip. Character interaction was fair.
Food was pretty good omelet (not made to order), bread pudding, Krispy Kremes (though nothing compared to fresh ones in a store). DW did get a big chocolate cupcake for her b-day. It was VERY cocoa-ey (and DH likes cocoa).
Rating 4/5, will return but probably not an every trip must-do
Dinner 1900 Park Fare (6th visit???)
Checked in for the first seating at 4:30 (there was already a line checking in). We saw Fairy Godmother out in the lobby area and then took our ticket to a seater to go to our table. In the dining room was Suzy, Perla, Cinderalla, and Prince Charming. We also had a special guest in the lobby replacing FG about half an hour in Jasmine, that we stepped out to see at her time (FG told us that Jasmine would be there at 5:15).
Food was mixed. DH thought the food selection wasnt as good as the past couple years, DW thought there was still a good offering. Special notes to the sausage & peppers, prime rib, and potatoes. DH had the strawberry soup that he likes and always has the bread pudding. DH keeps wanting to like the bread pudding more than he does. He thinks his issue is the vanilla sauce isnt quite right for him to be cold on the hot bread.
DW got some b-day items here. A song, a special placemat, a crown, and a cupcake.
Overall 4/5, must do since we stay at GF
Sunday 12/5/04
Breakfast Main Street Bakery
A couple days earlier DH had spotted how good the cinnamon rolls looked. DH had also read rave reviews of the French toast loaf. So he picked up one of each. The cinnamon roll was okay (Cinnabon is better). But the French toast loaf was really good. We thought the inner portion was almost like a really gooey bread pudding (a good thing). And the outer edge was good dipped in the syrup.
Rating 4.5/5, will have the French toast loaf again
Lunch Crystal Palace (1st time for lunch, breakfast twice before)
Checked in to a LONG line at 11:30 and had quite a wait to be seated (20 minutes from the time we got in line to check in to being seated). Good character interaction with Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, and Piglet. The food was good for lunch too. Special notes to the chicken, potatoes, and chocolate chip cookies.
Rating 4/5, must-do for DD to see Piglet (cant find him elsewhere), probably switching back and forth between lunch and breakfast
Dinner Earl of Sandwich (1st time)
This was a DTD shopping night for DH and DW (DD was dropped off at the Neverland Club). The sandwiches were good for $5 at WDW. We were there around 8:00 and the line wasnt too long (maybe 5 minute wait to order). DH had the Italian (okay), DW had the Montague (really good). DH wished he would have had the meatball.
Rating 4/5, will stop in for sure whenever in DTD and hungry
Monday 12/6
Breakfast skipped
Lunch Flametree (1st visit)
Flametree had been our want list for a few trips, but we had never made it. So we were determined to do it this time. As we walked back to Dinoland in the morning, we could already smell the cooker. So our appetites were set for some BBQ. Unfortunately it didnt meet up to our expectations (probably a fault of setting expectations too high for a counter serve). DH had a ½ rack of ribs, DW had a pulled pork sandwich, and DD had chicken wings. We did order two of the meals on the voucher somehow. The food wasnt bad, it just wasnt as good as we were hoping. We tried both sauces, but didnt find either one that tasty. DH ended up eating his ribs with just the dry rub, which is the only way some say to eat them. We did eat down by the water, which was kind of nice seeing across the water to the building of Everest. But it was quite a hike.
Grade B-, okay for food, would return sometime when at AK and in need of something to eat to satisfy hunger
Afternoon snack Mickey heads
What would a trip be without a Mickey head ice cream bar? We used the vouchers for a couple of Mickey heads, and they were good. The key is trying not to eat them right away because they are frozen so hard. If you manage it, they are so good once they start melting a little. DD even likes licking the white part.
Grade A, will have at least one every visit
Tuesday 12/7
Breakfast skipped
Lunch Sci Fi (2nd visit)
We checked in at 11:00 for an 11:00 PS and were seated right away. We had a much better experience than we did the first time we tried here. The first time DD was a couple years younger and was in a terrible fit of a mood. So we didnt get to enjoy/appreciate the restaurant. This time she was actually entertained with the movies (having a Tom and Jerry helped, Im sure). For food, DW had the club sandwich which she really liked, DH had a cheeseburger and fries that were a cheeseburger and fries, and DD had a few bites of a cheeseburger.
Grade solid B, not a return every time place for us, but will return every few visits
Dinner Cape May (3rd visit for dinner)
We checked in at 5:30 for the first seating and were seated right away. We had a very good and friendly server here, dont remember his name though. Items of note include the chicken, ribs, key lime pie, and oreo bon-bons. Oh, those oreo bon-bons. I think DW ate 3 or 4 and DH had 4 or 5, almost making themselves sick. But they are so good.
Grade A, most likely a return every trip for us
Wednesday 12/8
Breakfast Princess Storybook Breakfast (2nd visit)
We did a couple of things in Future World before heading back to Norway to check in for our 10:20 PS. We wanted to do the last seating, having eaten a big dinner the night before and trying to get a couple of EE Future World things done. After our PS call-in date, they extended the breakfast hours, so we were not the last seating. We checked in a few minutes early, and were seated at our original time of 10:20. Food-wise, they started with a skillet of sticky buns with caramel topping. They were so good that we asked for a second skillet for dessert after the main food. The main food was eggs, bacon, sausage, cheesy potatoes (high marks on these while they were hot they held the heat better than the other foods), and maybe pancakes too. Last year they had waffles, but none this year. Characters were Snow White, Mulan, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty. The Sleeping Beauty was the same CM that played Alice outside the tea cups in MK a few days earlier. DW asked SB if she could sing Winnie the Pooh silly, like her friend Alice did. We could see the light go on for the CM, remembering the silly singing and dancing she did as Alice with DD at MK. SB played along that her good friend Alice had taught her how to sing the song. We think the CM was surprised with this because we could see her telling another CM there about it.
Grade B, get to see some princesses but the food is just okay nothing special, will return as long as DD wants to eat with princesses
Afternoon snack MK Bakery (lots of visits)
While we waited an hour and 15 minutes for DD to get her first haircut at the barbershop (luckily she napped during the wait), DH had a fresh ice cream sandwich from the bakery chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, something about the fresh sandwiches doesnt seem the same as the first one a couple years ago. The cookies seem pretty crisp and it is hard to keep the ice cream between the cookies to eat as a sandwich. Maybe if the cookies were softer they would mold better to the fresh dipped ice cream and taste better to boot.
Oh, DH also picked up a couple pieces of that delicious chocolate cake for the plane trip home the next day.
Grade C, love the idea of this treat, but might opt for one of the pre-made frozen ones from the cart next time (the cake was an A+ the following day)
Evening snack MK Ice Cream shop (lots of visits)
DW didnt want to miss out on her ice cream treat. So on our way out of MK at 7:00 as Wishes was going, she stopped off for a traditional scoop of cookies n cream in a cup (with the cone stuck on top). This turned out to be the perfect time to get ice cream, as there was no line because everyone was outside watching Wishes.
Dinner Gasparilla Grill (5th or 6th visit)
Since we hadnt had any real food to eat for a while, we decided to order a couple of small pizzas. They were fair. DD said she wanted ice cream, so she got a bowl that she didnt eat any of (tired and cranky). She ended up playing with it though to enjoy herself a little bit.
Grade C+, not good or bad pizza, serves the need for a quick eat.
Thursday 12/9
Breakfast 1900 Park Fare (6th or 7th visit for breakfast)
We got to the lobby at7:50 for our 8:00 PS. The doors werent open to check-in yet though. The doors opened at 8:00 and we were the second group seated for the day. The characters were Eeyore, Pooh, Alice, Mad Hatter, and Mary Poppins in the lobby. Being there so early without the restaurant full allows two or three visits from the characters. Food-wise, we had made to order omelets, the cheesy eggs, Mickey waffles, french toast, bread pudding, and strawberry soup. The quality of the food for a breakfast was very high.
Grade solid A, will return every trip
