Edgehopper
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
- Messages
- 341
Restaurants reviewed:
5/14: Port Orleans French Quarter food court, Les Chefs de France
5/15: Crystal Palace breakfast, Pecos Bill's, Cosmic Ray's
5/16: Blizzard Beach CS, 50's Prime Time Diner
5/17: Biergarten, Tutto Italia
5/18: Yak 'n' Yeti counter service, POFQ food court, Hoop Dee Doo Revue
5/19: Studio Catering Co., Raglan Road
5/20: Cantina de San Angel counter service, Lotus Blossom cafe
5/21: Sci-Fi Dine In
About us: I'm 28, male, fairly picky (strongly dislike cheese, most vegetables); DF is 24, female, will eat anything but hot dogs, strongly likes cheese. I've been to Disney many times before but haven't been since 2006; this is her first trip ever. We were on the regular DDP.
Favorites:
Mine: Raglan Road, Hoop Dee Doo, Tutto Italia
DFs: Tutto Italia, Hoop Dee Doo, Raglan Road
Least favorites:
Table Service: Chefs de France
Counter Service: Yak 'n' Yeti
Day 1:
POFQ Food Court: Arrived on Magical Express at noon, headed to the hotel food court. When making the reservation, I went with POFQ in part because of the beignets. So of course I got beignets for dessert. DF (still DGF at this point) got the meatball sub and a Mickey rice krispie treat, I got the steak sandwich and beignets. Everything was good but not fantastic here; the beignets didn't seem quite as good as I'd remembered, but I don't think that's because they changed.
Les Chefs de France: After having proposed in front of the Beauty and the Beast topiary (in a brief break between rain storms), we headed for our Chefs de France reservation. I was hoping there might be some free champagne or something for newly engaged couples, but no such luck
DF got the prix fixe meal, with the French Onion Soup, Gratin de macaroni, and the Creme Brulee. She loved the soup, but wasn't a big fan of the macaroni and cheese (she was also getting a migraine, so that affected things), and the creme brulee wasn't that fantastic--a little overburned on the top.
I had the filet, which was a pretty good steak but nothing special (especially compared to Les Halles, a French steakhouse founded by Anthony Bourdain that's fairly close to our NYC apartment); I tried the potatoes gratin that came with it but the cheese was too much--DF also thought the potatoes weren't very good. For dessert, I had the apple crepe, which was excellent. Overall a very good meal, but definitely overpriced outside of the meal plan and with noticeable flaws.
Day 2:
Breakfast at Crystal Palace: Unlike most of the commando Dis'ers, we went with a very late CP reservation, 10:15. We enjoyed the buffet, and as it was less crowded later in the day, the children were cute rather than annoyingly misbehaved. We had no problems with characters skipping a table of only adults, and the food was generally very good. I really liked the puffed French toast and the Mickey waffles; DF was a big fan of the fruit and cheese offerings.
Pecos Bill's: After working our way around Adventureland (disappointing Jungle Cruise ride with a trainee guide who just didn't seem into it), and Frontierland, we got to Pecos Bill's around 2:30, in time for the 3:00 parade. I got the bacon burger, DF got the "make your own" taco salad. Both were excellent (the burger was much bigger than average for Disney counter service), and we had decent seats for the 3:00 parade as well.
Cosmic Ray's: Having thoroughly confused DF with Carousel of Progress, we got to Cosmic Ray's around 7:30, with an 8:30 Magic, Memories, and You show to hit. I got the ribs, DF got the ribs & chicken combo. We both liked the ribs a lot, and the green beans were surprisingly good; the mashed potatoes and chicken weren't so tasty. Still pretty good overall.
Other notes on the day: I got a Mickey ice cream bar (good as always) and a Coke Float from Auntie Gravity's, which was a great cool-off snack. DF enjoyed one of those Itzakadoozie ice pop things. After a harrowing Space Mountain experience (DF sounded absolutely terrified), we walked through Main Street Confectionary on the way out but didn't feel like getting anything.
Day 3:
Blizzard Beach CS (Lottawatta Lodge): Once again getting a later start, we got to Blizzard Beach just in time for lunch. I got the chicken nuggets, DF got the stacked deli sandwich. The nuggets are Disney CS standard, but I think they're very good, and DF loved the stacked deli sandwich (she was hoping it would be available at other CS locations somewhere.)
On the way out, we stopped for mini-donuts, which were as wonderful as fresh mini-donuts with chocolate dipping sauce are expected to be.
50's Prime Time Cafe: With a nighttime EMH for DHS, open until 1 AM and with a 10:30 Fantasmic, we got a fairly late 8:15 PM reservation. While we were waiting to place our order, the family next to us was getting their public embarassment--Mom was ordered to stand with her nose against the wall for having her elbows on the table, while Dad was forced to eat more vegetables before ordering dessert.
I ordered the fried chicken here, while DF ordered the sampler plate, and we were terrified into cleaning our plates (even me--and I generally dislike vegetables and hadn't had collard greens before!) The chicken was pretty good, though not quite as good as Hoop Dee Doo would be later in the week, and the pieces weren't quite as big and juicy as I'd have hoped. The vanilla milkshake was excellent, very thick. Dessert was fantastic--I love smores, and if it wasn't quite as great as Brother Jimmy's BBQ's Smores Cake in NYC, that's only because the Smores Cake is the greatest dessert ever made. DF liked her cheesecake.
Other notes on the day: Even leaving the restaurant at 9:45, we had no problem getting a good seat for the 10:30 Fantasmic, though it was a low crowd day generally. EMH was pretty productive after that, as we got on Great Movie Ride without a problem, and was able to get on TSM with only a 15 minute wait. Plus, a vendor gave us a free diet coke thanks to our Just Engaged buttons!
Day 4:
Biergarten: On our first relatively early wake up day, we finished the major Future World rides in the morning leading up to a 12:45 Biergarten reservation. Our waitress made a big deal out of my apparently German last name (Beck--I'm actually of Russian descent, it was an immigration name change to appear less Jewish), and our tablemate's last name (Kaiser); it was amusing. I was a big fan of the wurst, the pretzel bread (I think I had 4-5 rolls), and the spaetzle, along with a liter of their wheat beer (I don't remember the brand, but I did like it). DF was hoping the schnitzel would be better, it didn't taste all that fresh. I was definitely full by the end of it.
Tutto Italia: A fairly relaxed afternoon with lots of stopping got us through Mexico's boat ride, the American Adventure, Turtle Talk, Living with the Land, Imagination, and Captain EO. DF's reaction to the current incarnation of Imagination was hilarious--it's a real acid trip of a ride. And Captain EO really needs to get the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment.
Anyways, on to dinner--our favorite dinner. I had actually been hoping to get the Tagliata di Manzo--the steak--but that isn't on the menu anymore (unless they have a different menu for non-DDP folks?) Instead, I got the veal roast, and I don't actually remember what DF got. Both were fantastic, and the mashed potatoes here were the best we had at Disney, very light and fluffy. For dessert, I got the trio of a mini-cannoli, chocolate-hazelnut cake, and something else I don't remember, which were all excellent (even with my aversion to cheese!) I also don't remember what DF got here, other than that it was excellent. I had the Rossini cocktail as well, and DF has a glass of prosecco, both of which were excellent. If you're on DDP, I'd highly recommend getting a Tutto Italia reservation; the food is excellent, and while it may not be worth it relative to the high price when ordering a la carte, it's one of the best tasting one credit dinners you'll find.
Other notes: After dinner, we got an Illuminations seat outside on the Italy pier, and while our view was partially blocked by the wooden poles they have there, it wasn't as badly blocked as it might have been, and it was easy to get seats there. It's a good place to get seats without locking them down an hour ahead of time. And DF may have set a new record by actually liking the Beverly at Club Cool.
Day 5:
Yak 'n' Yeti Counter Service: After getting in Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, and Flights of Wonder, I wanted Chinese food, so we chose YnY over Flame Tree (plus, we were already there). Two problems here, though:
(1) Too crowded, not enough shade--we spent about 5-10 minutes finding a table, which was made tougher by AK's refusal to put lids on their drinks. Eventually, we sat at a table with no shade but next to a wall, and we tried to hide in a little sliver of shade.
(2) Not all that great food; the breading on the chicken was too thick, more like what you'd find on American chicken nuggets than on a good Chinese fried chicken dish. I got the sweet and sour chicken, DF got the honey chicken, and we thought the sweet and sour sauce tasted better. On the plus side, frozen lemonades made a very good dessert on a hot day.
POFQ Counter Service, 2nd round : We finished up at AK by around 4:00, and since our Hoop Dee Doo reservation was for 9:30, we grabbed a quick meal at the food court in the meantime. But before then, we got another nice engaged couple bonus--a vendor gave us a free popcorn in souvenir bucket, diet coke, and beer! However, that may have been a mistake on my part; having had the beer, I felt too full for a funnel cake, which I didn't realize was available by Festival of the Lion King.
I don't really remember what we got--I think I got nuggets (which were the same as Blizzard Beach's) and DF got a pizza slice? Maybe? Not significantly different from the earlier review in quality, anyways.
Hoop Dee Doo: I didn't remember the last time I was here, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But the food turned out to be excellent, and our Just Engaged buttons got us picked out during "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" (though there was much more overwhelming, and justified, applause for the couple just reunited on the husband's return from military deployment.) I pretty much inhaled the cornbread, and the fried chicken and ribs were both very good. I also had about 3.5 glasses of Sangria. This is why we don't take cars to Disney World.
Day 6:
Studio Catering Co.: Back to Hollywood Studios in the morning, but with a little later start since we did TSM earlier in the week. We made it in to a Star Tours 2 soft opening (luckily--the line was only about 15 minutes, while it would be 2 hours if we had waited until Saturday). Lunch was at the Studio Catering Co., where the sandwiches were good, but nothing really special. As there isn't much available for good CS in DHS, it was a pretty good choice.
Raglan Road: After the Lights, Motors, Action! show and an Animation Academy attempt at drawing Jiminy Cricket (we were given the choice of Jiminy, Jack Skellington, and Louis from Princess and the Frog--I wanted to draw Louis), we attempted to get to Downtown Disney from DHS. Apparently that's not that easy, and we had to do a bit of lost wandering around the Saratoga Springs resort, but eventually we made it to DTD. A little bit of DisneyQuesting took up a few hours, and then we headed for Raglan Road, where we had made an 8:30 reservation earlier that day.
This turned out to be my favorite meal, even though I didn't realize until after we ordered appetizers that we had run out of TS credits--and also a few points were deducted for taking a half hour after our reservation time to seat us. This meant we didn't order dessert, but the beer-battered sausages were awesome, and the steak was one of the best I've had. Special credit to Raglan Road for their olive oil/Guiness reduction bread dip, which was a little sweet and one of the best things we had. DF had the Shepherd's Pie and liked it a lot as well.
Other notes: We got out of Raglan Road around 10:10, and some misguided cast member had told me that stores closed at 10:30. I desperately wanted to get to Goofy's Candy Co. that night, so we rushed to the Marketplace side, and then looked at a map and didn't see the store on the map! After some dejected looking in the World of Disney, I found a Cast Member who could tell me where it was, and we rushed over to find that it was actually open until 11. Big relief there. We stocked up on Disney treats and headed for the boat: A Mickey Apple, mint giant oreo, Mickey krispie treat dipped in chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, and white chocolate, and DF's graham cracker dipped in chocolate and coconut.
To be continued...
5/14: Port Orleans French Quarter food court, Les Chefs de France
5/15: Crystal Palace breakfast, Pecos Bill's, Cosmic Ray's
5/16: Blizzard Beach CS, 50's Prime Time Diner
5/17: Biergarten, Tutto Italia
5/18: Yak 'n' Yeti counter service, POFQ food court, Hoop Dee Doo Revue
5/19: Studio Catering Co., Raglan Road
5/20: Cantina de San Angel counter service, Lotus Blossom cafe
5/21: Sci-Fi Dine In
About us: I'm 28, male, fairly picky (strongly dislike cheese, most vegetables); DF is 24, female, will eat anything but hot dogs, strongly likes cheese. I've been to Disney many times before but haven't been since 2006; this is her first trip ever. We were on the regular DDP.
Favorites:
Mine: Raglan Road, Hoop Dee Doo, Tutto Italia
DFs: Tutto Italia, Hoop Dee Doo, Raglan Road
Least favorites:
Table Service: Chefs de France
Counter Service: Yak 'n' Yeti
Day 1:
POFQ Food Court: Arrived on Magical Express at noon, headed to the hotel food court. When making the reservation, I went with POFQ in part because of the beignets. So of course I got beignets for dessert. DF (still DGF at this point) got the meatball sub and a Mickey rice krispie treat, I got the steak sandwich and beignets. Everything was good but not fantastic here; the beignets didn't seem quite as good as I'd remembered, but I don't think that's because they changed.
Les Chefs de France: After having proposed in front of the Beauty and the Beast topiary (in a brief break between rain storms), we headed for our Chefs de France reservation. I was hoping there might be some free champagne or something for newly engaged couples, but no such luck
DF got the prix fixe meal, with the French Onion Soup, Gratin de macaroni, and the Creme Brulee. She loved the soup, but wasn't a big fan of the macaroni and cheese (she was also getting a migraine, so that affected things), and the creme brulee wasn't that fantastic--a little overburned on the top.
I had the filet, which was a pretty good steak but nothing special (especially compared to Les Halles, a French steakhouse founded by Anthony Bourdain that's fairly close to our NYC apartment); I tried the potatoes gratin that came with it but the cheese was too much--DF also thought the potatoes weren't very good. For dessert, I had the apple crepe, which was excellent. Overall a very good meal, but definitely overpriced outside of the meal plan and with noticeable flaws.
Day 2:
Breakfast at Crystal Palace: Unlike most of the commando Dis'ers, we went with a very late CP reservation, 10:15. We enjoyed the buffet, and as it was less crowded later in the day, the children were cute rather than annoyingly misbehaved. We had no problems with characters skipping a table of only adults, and the food was generally very good. I really liked the puffed French toast and the Mickey waffles; DF was a big fan of the fruit and cheese offerings.
Pecos Bill's: After working our way around Adventureland (disappointing Jungle Cruise ride with a trainee guide who just didn't seem into it), and Frontierland, we got to Pecos Bill's around 2:30, in time for the 3:00 parade. I got the bacon burger, DF got the "make your own" taco salad. Both were excellent (the burger was much bigger than average for Disney counter service), and we had decent seats for the 3:00 parade as well.
Cosmic Ray's: Having thoroughly confused DF with Carousel of Progress, we got to Cosmic Ray's around 7:30, with an 8:30 Magic, Memories, and You show to hit. I got the ribs, DF got the ribs & chicken combo. We both liked the ribs a lot, and the green beans were surprisingly good; the mashed potatoes and chicken weren't so tasty. Still pretty good overall.
Other notes on the day: I got a Mickey ice cream bar (good as always) and a Coke Float from Auntie Gravity's, which was a great cool-off snack. DF enjoyed one of those Itzakadoozie ice pop things. After a harrowing Space Mountain experience (DF sounded absolutely terrified), we walked through Main Street Confectionary on the way out but didn't feel like getting anything.
Day 3:
Blizzard Beach CS (Lottawatta Lodge): Once again getting a later start, we got to Blizzard Beach just in time for lunch. I got the chicken nuggets, DF got the stacked deli sandwich. The nuggets are Disney CS standard, but I think they're very good, and DF loved the stacked deli sandwich (she was hoping it would be available at other CS locations somewhere.)
On the way out, we stopped for mini-donuts, which were as wonderful as fresh mini-donuts with chocolate dipping sauce are expected to be.
50's Prime Time Cafe: With a nighttime EMH for DHS, open until 1 AM and with a 10:30 Fantasmic, we got a fairly late 8:15 PM reservation. While we were waiting to place our order, the family next to us was getting their public embarassment--Mom was ordered to stand with her nose against the wall for having her elbows on the table, while Dad was forced to eat more vegetables before ordering dessert.
I ordered the fried chicken here, while DF ordered the sampler plate, and we were terrified into cleaning our plates (even me--and I generally dislike vegetables and hadn't had collard greens before!) The chicken was pretty good, though not quite as good as Hoop Dee Doo would be later in the week, and the pieces weren't quite as big and juicy as I'd have hoped. The vanilla milkshake was excellent, very thick. Dessert was fantastic--I love smores, and if it wasn't quite as great as Brother Jimmy's BBQ's Smores Cake in NYC, that's only because the Smores Cake is the greatest dessert ever made. DF liked her cheesecake.
Other notes on the day: Even leaving the restaurant at 9:45, we had no problem getting a good seat for the 10:30 Fantasmic, though it was a low crowd day generally. EMH was pretty productive after that, as we got on Great Movie Ride without a problem, and was able to get on TSM with only a 15 minute wait. Plus, a vendor gave us a free diet coke thanks to our Just Engaged buttons!
Day 4:
Biergarten: On our first relatively early wake up day, we finished the major Future World rides in the morning leading up to a 12:45 Biergarten reservation. Our waitress made a big deal out of my apparently German last name (Beck--I'm actually of Russian descent, it was an immigration name change to appear less Jewish), and our tablemate's last name (Kaiser); it was amusing. I was a big fan of the wurst, the pretzel bread (I think I had 4-5 rolls), and the spaetzle, along with a liter of their wheat beer (I don't remember the brand, but I did like it). DF was hoping the schnitzel would be better, it didn't taste all that fresh. I was definitely full by the end of it.
Tutto Italia: A fairly relaxed afternoon with lots of stopping got us through Mexico's boat ride, the American Adventure, Turtle Talk, Living with the Land, Imagination, and Captain EO. DF's reaction to the current incarnation of Imagination was hilarious--it's a real acid trip of a ride. And Captain EO really needs to get the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment.
Anyways, on to dinner--our favorite dinner. I had actually been hoping to get the Tagliata di Manzo--the steak--but that isn't on the menu anymore (unless they have a different menu for non-DDP folks?) Instead, I got the veal roast, and I don't actually remember what DF got. Both were fantastic, and the mashed potatoes here were the best we had at Disney, very light and fluffy. For dessert, I got the trio of a mini-cannoli, chocolate-hazelnut cake, and something else I don't remember, which were all excellent (even with my aversion to cheese!) I also don't remember what DF got here, other than that it was excellent. I had the Rossini cocktail as well, and DF has a glass of prosecco, both of which were excellent. If you're on DDP, I'd highly recommend getting a Tutto Italia reservation; the food is excellent, and while it may not be worth it relative to the high price when ordering a la carte, it's one of the best tasting one credit dinners you'll find.
Other notes: After dinner, we got an Illuminations seat outside on the Italy pier, and while our view was partially blocked by the wooden poles they have there, it wasn't as badly blocked as it might have been, and it was easy to get seats there. It's a good place to get seats without locking them down an hour ahead of time. And DF may have set a new record by actually liking the Beverly at Club Cool.
Day 5:
Yak 'n' Yeti Counter Service: After getting in Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, and Flights of Wonder, I wanted Chinese food, so we chose YnY over Flame Tree (plus, we were already there). Two problems here, though:
(1) Too crowded, not enough shade--we spent about 5-10 minutes finding a table, which was made tougher by AK's refusal to put lids on their drinks. Eventually, we sat at a table with no shade but next to a wall, and we tried to hide in a little sliver of shade.
(2) Not all that great food; the breading on the chicken was too thick, more like what you'd find on American chicken nuggets than on a good Chinese fried chicken dish. I got the sweet and sour chicken, DF got the honey chicken, and we thought the sweet and sour sauce tasted better. On the plus side, frozen lemonades made a very good dessert on a hot day.
POFQ Counter Service, 2nd round : We finished up at AK by around 4:00, and since our Hoop Dee Doo reservation was for 9:30, we grabbed a quick meal at the food court in the meantime. But before then, we got another nice engaged couple bonus--a vendor gave us a free popcorn in souvenir bucket, diet coke, and beer! However, that may have been a mistake on my part; having had the beer, I felt too full for a funnel cake, which I didn't realize was available by Festival of the Lion King.
I don't really remember what we got--I think I got nuggets (which were the same as Blizzard Beach's) and DF got a pizza slice? Maybe? Not significantly different from the earlier review in quality, anyways.
Hoop Dee Doo: I didn't remember the last time I was here, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But the food turned out to be excellent, and our Just Engaged buttons got us picked out during "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" (though there was much more overwhelming, and justified, applause for the couple just reunited on the husband's return from military deployment.) I pretty much inhaled the cornbread, and the fried chicken and ribs were both very good. I also had about 3.5 glasses of Sangria. This is why we don't take cars to Disney World.
Day 6:
Studio Catering Co.: Back to Hollywood Studios in the morning, but with a little later start since we did TSM earlier in the week. We made it in to a Star Tours 2 soft opening (luckily--the line was only about 15 minutes, while it would be 2 hours if we had waited until Saturday). Lunch was at the Studio Catering Co., where the sandwiches were good, but nothing really special. As there isn't much available for good CS in DHS, it was a pretty good choice.
Raglan Road: After the Lights, Motors, Action! show and an Animation Academy attempt at drawing Jiminy Cricket (we were given the choice of Jiminy, Jack Skellington, and Louis from Princess and the Frog--I wanted to draw Louis), we attempted to get to Downtown Disney from DHS. Apparently that's not that easy, and we had to do a bit of lost wandering around the Saratoga Springs resort, but eventually we made it to DTD. A little bit of DisneyQuesting took up a few hours, and then we headed for Raglan Road, where we had made an 8:30 reservation earlier that day.
This turned out to be my favorite meal, even though I didn't realize until after we ordered appetizers that we had run out of TS credits--and also a few points were deducted for taking a half hour after our reservation time to seat us. This meant we didn't order dessert, but the beer-battered sausages were awesome, and the steak was one of the best I've had. Special credit to Raglan Road for their olive oil/Guiness reduction bread dip, which was a little sweet and one of the best things we had. DF had the Shepherd's Pie and liked it a lot as well.
Other notes: We got out of Raglan Road around 10:10, and some misguided cast member had told me that stores closed at 10:30. I desperately wanted to get to Goofy's Candy Co. that night, so we rushed to the Marketplace side, and then looked at a map and didn't see the store on the map! After some dejected looking in the World of Disney, I found a Cast Member who could tell me where it was, and we rushed over to find that it was actually open until 11. Big relief there. We stocked up on Disney treats and headed for the boat: A Mickey Apple, mint giant oreo, Mickey krispie treat dipped in chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, and white chocolate, and DF's graham cracker dipped in chocolate and coconut.
To be continued...
? No, really,...I can't drive 
