Saved over $1100.00 with FREE dining!!!

[cshaffer21]

Just got back Wednesday night from a girl's only,FREE dining week in the World. Stayed at POP. Had some great meals and some ok ones.The three of us ate over $1100.00 worth of food in 8 days!!!!

The cast is:
Me: 52 yo mom and bank teller. Loves Disney. Has visited about 15 times since 1979. Loves the free DDP.

DH: 52 year old project mgr at a bank. Likes Disney but didn't want to go this year so we went without him. Think he was surprised we went

DD: 22 yo college student. Is in her last year at Rowan U. She loves Disney, chicken, mashed potatoes and fries. Plays the flute and maybe joining the Navy next year after graduation to play in the Navy band.

DS: 19yo college student. Did not go on this trip. Just got his own apartment and needed to work to keep up his rent money. Don't worry. This year he has been to New Orleans and the Indy 500 with friends. So i didn't feel too bad about leaving him.

DD: 14 yo lover of softball and pin trading. Starting high school in a few days.

So that's us. This is the 3rd year we have gone during free dining. Both times before were in September. This year I noticed that the restaurants were much, much less crowded than before. We ate at all different times of the day and never was there a huge line at the check in desks. The servers didn't seem to be so hurried or hassled too.

Best meal was a tie between Rose and Crown Pub/Big River Grille. Worst meal was at Tony's. Very disappointing! Red sauce was awful and DD22s pork was very pink. Server said that's how they serve it.

I will be continuing my report after a few more loads of laundry and a trip to the grocery store.

 

[wolf2961]

Look forward to hearing more of your trip. We were just @ Pop as well, 8/19-29, with free dining. Really is a great deal, but it seems that quite a few here take it for granted. We would never be able to do all the Character meals that we do without it.

 

[MissBritt]

Wow, great savings! I'm anxious to read about all the places you ate.

 

[Sandy321]

Looking forward to the reviews!! WTG on the all girls trip!!

Is it wrong of me that I am gleeful when someone else has a horrid time at Tony's? Meaning, glad it wasnt just me!

 

[ma2jr]

Yes ... bring on the reviews, can't wait

 

[MomsOf2boys]

I'm ready!

 

[cshaffer21]

Sorry this took so long but 1 flat tire later I am ready.

Aug 25-Arrival day:We got to POP on ME around 3:30. Went to our room, unpacked and were ready to go to Downtown Disney. But before we could go we needed to eat a late lunch at the POP food court. I had small vegetable soup, each DDs shared a personal pizza. With one drink our OOP was $14.72. The girls liked the pizza and the soup was actually pretty good. Tasted like minestrone.

Dinner: Wolfgang Puck's Express $62.04
I had Mac & Cheese, side caesar salad and creme brulee
DD22 had rotiserie chicken, mashed potatoes and brownie
DD14 had rigatoni alfredo, side caesar, and brownie
By the time we were hungry it was about 7:30. It had started to rain and the line for WPE was pretty long. Our other choice was Earl of Sandwich, but none of us wanted a sandwich so we waited. Actually it went fast since some people in front of us left.

Grade: B+
Good: creme brulee and mac and cheese! & that this is only a counter serve!!!!
Bad: Finding a table. Most people were saving tables for those in line and since it was raining there were limited seats outside. The wait staff was very good about helping and brought an extra chair for us at a small table for 2.

 

[cshaffer21]

Aug 26-Day 2-Epcot

Breakfast: 4 snack creditsPOP food court-we had 2 choc croissants, rice krispie Mickey, and a water
cost $11.00

Lunch: Sunshine Seasons-3 CS credits
Me: pork chop, mashed, and carrots, butterfinger cheesecake, coke
DD22: rotisserie chicken, mashed, cookie, coke
DD 14: Rotisseiie chicken, rice, and carrots, choc cake, sprite
cost: $50.13
grade:B
good: cheesecake, not crowded
bad: didn't have same turkey sandwich as last time

Dinner: Rose and Crown Pub-3 TS credits-first time visit
Me: Fish and Chips, toffee pudding, iced tea
DD22: Pork, chips, trifle, coke
DD14: Pork, chips, choc cake, sprite
cost: $87.03
grade: A
good: Fish and chips, our waitress was wonderful
bad: 0

 

[Mickeefan]

I'm subscribing! Keep the reviews coming!

I go in 2 weeks.

 

[cshaffer21]

Aug 27-Day 3-DHS

Breakfast:nothing

Lunch: Pizza Planet
We were so hungry that we were here about 10:40. Didn't open till 11, but there were a few people waiting with us!!
We all had the pizza and salad with sodas. It was good. We ate upstairs. That was fun.
Total: $40.56
Grade: B

Dinner: Mama Melrose
Our resevations were for 2:55. We knew that we wouldn't be too hungry so we checked in right on time. after a 2 minute wait we were seated. Our server was Kevin. I asked him if it was lunch or dinner. He siad lunch. When he came back with our drinks DD14 asked if they had a vodka sauce. He said wait 1 minute and went and got us the dinner menu. Everyhing was available except the pork. We were very grateful and left him a big tip. He was just so nice!!!
Me:Sirloin steak,mashed,asparagus, crema limone, coke
DD22: cheese pizza, choc truffle cake, coke
DD14: penna alla vodka, choc truffle cake, sprite.
Grade: service A+, food B-
Total $75.50
There was nothing wrong with the food. It just was ok. My lemon dessert was excellent!!!

 

[cshaffer21]

I forgot. at Fantalmic we had popcorn, soda and a raspberry slushie. Fantasmic was great as usual even if it poured frrough the whole show.

 

[cshaffer21]

August 28-Friday- MK

Breakfast: slept late and just went to MK and ate lunch after riding Buzz.

Lunch: Cosmic Ray's For some reason we hadn't been to Cosmic Ray's since the kids were little. I think I didn't like it because we had to go to different windows to order which was hard with little ones.
Me: cheeseburger, fries, choc cake, coke
DD22 and DD14: chicken nuggets, fries choc cake sodas
Total: $43.59
Grade: B
Good: mushrooms from fixins bar
Bad: seats are too close together, it's hard to move about. Cosmic Ray (sorry if you like him)

Dinner: Tony's Town square
We had been here quite few years back in January and ate on the porch. We enjoyed it and they still had Mickey shaped pizza. This time the food was not good and there seemed to be too many servers for the amount of tables occupied. But we didn't have good service from our waitress. Not sure what the problem was.
Me: Chicken Parm, cheesecake, coke
DD22: Pork, mashed,ice cream bomb, coke
DD14: Chicken Parm, cheesecake, sprite
grade: C- Sauce was icky and pork seemed to be too underdone
Total: $81.81

No snacks today

 

[Sandy321]

dumb question - at Cosmic Rays did they have chairs with backs on them?

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Joining in...thanks for sharing your food report.

 

[shopn24seven]

Great reviews, cshaffer21!!
P.S. Waving from ATCO.......

 

[Angelrose]

Enjoying your report. Waving from the Absecon area.

 

[LaNina72]

Bad:... Cosmic Ray (sorry if you like him)

ehhh... as long as he still offers the 1/2 chix & ribs meal I think we will be okay.

Thanks for the reviews!

 

[cshaffer21]

I'm not completely sure if the chairs had backs. But I think they did. When my daughter gets up I will ask her if she remembers. But I do remember there wasn't much space in the aisles when it was crowded. A few scooters were trying to get around and had some trouble.

 

[DLo]

enjoying your reviews especially the good/bad comments. looking forward to more.

 

[Beckypooh1972]

We had free dining in September 08 and I really liked it too. We are going again for free dining in December. We didn't have the DDP in May 09 so we ate off property a lot. That said, the meal prices at Disney are very inflated and in my opinion a poor value without the DDP. At some of our Disney meals our servers' tips were as much as $25.00 a meal; the price of the tip was close to what we would have spent on a "table service" meal at an off property restaurant. However, I just really don't like going off property so much; I think it spoils the magic so I'd rather eat on property if we have the free DDP. Otherwise, Disney prices are too high compared to what you can get off property for the money. For example, we love seafood, so one of our favorite chain restaurants is Bonefish Grill. We have never paid more than $75.00 including tip and alcohol for a meal there. A similar meal at Disney would probably cost us $150.00. The nicest thing about the DDP is definitely the convenience and freedom of getting whatever you want on the menu. So I have mixed feelings I guess. I do wish their menus had better seafood options, it is Florida