September/October 2009 Dining Reviews - Updated 11/1

[disneyfav4ever]

I just got back from my ninth trip to the World, which was also my fourth Food and Wine Festival Trip. I was in Disney from September 29th until October 4th, and actually just got home less then an hour ago, but couldn't wait to get these reviews started.

I stayed at All Star Movies, with the free dining promotion, but I ended up getting an annual pass, and the Tables in Wonderland discount, so I had good deals on food this time, and will be saving some money next year as well.

Reviews to Follow;

Sunshine Seasons
Food & Wine Part I
Tequila Bar
Kouzzina (Dinner)
Kona Cafe (Breakfast)
Plaza (Lunch)
Contempo Cafe
Tambu Lounge
Mizner's Lounge
Wishes Dessert Party
Tangerine Cafe
Food and Wine Part II
Hollywood and Vine
All Star Movies Food Court
Pizzafaria
Sanaa
Wolfgang Puck Express
Jiko
Kouzzina
Food and Wine Part III
Authentic Taste Seminar & Authors Without Borders
Party for the Senses - Wine View Lounge
Party for the Senses - Square Section
Party for the Senses - Oval Section
Party for the Senses - Triangle Section
Party for the Senses - Flag Section
Party for the Senses - Octogan Section
Party for the Senses - Star Section
Food and Wine Festival Welcome Center
Sweet Sundays
Food and Wine Part IIII
Kringla og Bakeri

I should be able to get this started tomorrow, though I do have quite a bit of laundry, unpacking, etc, to do. But I'd rather be working on reviews.

 

[oybolshoi]

Welcome Home!!

 

[mchelle77]

Subbing

 

[natalielongstaff]

Welcome back, im looking forward to your report !

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I'm already awake and up this morning. I'm usually not really functional at all until noon, but I guess my mind and body is still in Disney time, since I'm always up by like 7:00 AM at the latest there. Seems like a good time to start my dining reviews to me.

Copying TDCNala's idea, I am also using a picture rating system. Mine is based around the characters from Ratatouille, since it's Disney, and it's a "foodie" movie.

The critic will be given to any item that is excellant, and I'd have to order again.

Remy stuffing his face, will be given to any food that is very good, and I was perfectly happy with, but was slightly less memorable then anything with a critic's rating. I still highly recommend any of these dishes though.

The Remy approved rating. It was good, I was happy with it, but it wasn't so good that I would have to order it again, but I would still recommend it.

In the movie, Emile will eat anything, for this rating, food is edible, but either kind of boring or tasteless, and is not something I'd really recommend, or that I'd get again.

This one is probably pretty self explanatory. It was horrible, I wouldn't recommend, or ever think about getting it again, and could only eat a bite without throwing it away.

 

[mossyflossy]

really looking forward to your reviews. fab ratings system!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Cannot wait for the reviews ... love your rating system!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Welcome back!

I wonder if we ended up running into each other last week.

 

[TigerKat]

Signing on!!!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I had a 7:30 flight out of Philly, which actually landed early, which was nice, and I was checked-in at All Star Movies, and at Epcot, before noon. My first order of business was to get an annual pass and Tables in Wonderland, before getting something for lunch.

Even though I had Tables in Wonderland, I also had the basic dining plan since I was there for free dining. The combination of the two really worked well for me, and I already have free dining booked again for next year. The last two trips I'd had the deluxe plan, but it was pretty nice this time to not have every hour of my trip planned, and to not always be full. I still ate plenty though, and had plenty of food.

I decided on Sunshine Seasons for lunch since I had never tried it, and I wanted to get a fast pass for Soarin, which is in the same building.

I decided to get a salad, and even though the goat and beet cheese salad sounded wonderful, I really wanted more protien then that, and decided to get the seared tuna on mixed greens.

I have really mixed feelings about this. The food was fresh, and I have no complaints there, but there was not enough dressing on the salad at all, and it had not been tossed well, since there were one or two bites that I could actually taste the dressing, and that tasted good. I thought there was too much onions and what I think was jicama, neither of which I'm a huge fan of. The tuna was good, but the portion was very small.

I give it;

It could've easily gotten a Remy approved rating, had it had a little more dressing, I think that was the main flaw.

For dessert, (this was one of the meals I used a counter service credit on,) I had the creme brulee.

This was good. It was the best ever, but that's comparing it to table service restaurants, and I didn't expect it to be that good. But for what it was, creamy custard, and crispy crust, it gets a;

I also had a diet Coke, since that was included on the plan.

Cost of the meal was $17 and some change. Had I paid for this out of pocket I would've been dissapointed, but since it was "free," it wasn't bad. Probably my least favorite counter service of the trip.

 

[Flossbolna]

I adore your rating system!! I am a great Ratatouille fan

Sorry that the salad was only an Emile. I had it twice and had quite enough dressing on it. I hate it if I have to eat plain greens...

You have a wonderful list of restaurants, I am looking forward to read all your reviews!

 

[katiebelle21]

I am in! I really enjoyed your last set of reports, and am excited to see another round!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

 

[Nancy for Disney]

Great start and great rating system. Looking forward to the rest.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Welcome Home!!

Subbing

Welcome back, im looking forward to your report !

really looking forward to your reviews. fab ratings system!

Cannot wait for the reviews ... love your rating system!

Welcome back!

I wonder if we ended up running into each other last week.

Signing on!!!

I adore your rating system!! I am a great Ratatouille fan

Sorry that the salad was only an Emile. I had it twice and had quite enough dressing on it. I hate it if I have to eat plain greens...

You have a wonderful list of restaurants, I am looking forward to read all your reviews!

I am in! I really enjoyed your last set of reports, and am excited to see another round!

Great start and great rating system. Looking forward to the rest.

Thank you all for reading along!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I adore your rating system!! I am a great Ratatouille fan

Sorry that the salad was only an Emile. I had it twice and had quite enough dressing on it. I hate it if I have to eat plain greens...

You have a wonderful list of restaurants, I am looking forward to read all your reviews!

I'm the same way, I hate plain greens, and a lot of the lettuce was definatly not tossed well.

Welcome back!

I wonder if we ended up running into each other last week.

Wouldn't suprise me if we did. I know a lot of DISers were in Disney last week, but the only ones I ended up meeting were ones I had planned meets with.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

After lunch at Sunshine Seasons I checked out the Festival Welcome center, but there wasn't much going on, but it was early on a Tuesday afternoon, and it was crowded there on the weekend. I can also report that there are no more of the special bags from last years signs, but hopfully they'll do the same with this year's signs next year, as that would be a cool item to have. They do have red tote bags, and I did buy one of those, served well as my carry on going home. I also bought this years cookbook, the Tinker Bell pin, and a set of wine glass charms.

After a bit I wandered into World Showcase, where my Food and Wine Festival snacking begun. I had gotten one of the Festival's gift cards, and kept it around my wrist the whole time. Those things made it so easy to get stuff from the booths, too easy as a matter of fact, as I never felt like digging in my bag for my key to the world card for my snack credits which I had intended to use first.

My first stop was the Dessert and Champagne booth, where I got the Grand Marnier parfait.

The parfait part, which reminded me slightly of cheesecake, I thought was pretty good. It was nice and cool and creamy. The sauce was very tangy, and I thought it was decent.

I'm giving this an;

I just didn't like it quite enough to give it a Remy shove your face full of food rating.

I then ended up in Mexico, where I rode the boat ride, which I have to say I hate since they added Donald and the other characters. Nothing against Donald, but it made a somewhat decent ride, despite it being kind of lame, into something completely stupid. I could see how they could just sneak Donald into one scene, and make it like a hidden Mickey game, like they did on It's a Small World, which would be cute. But this ride has nothing going for it, except for a few minutes out of the Florida heat.

I also have to say something about a comment I overheard. I was right outside by the Cantina, and overheard a man say to his wife, "look Mexico," and his wife said, "it's just a building, there's nothing inside." Completely bypassed the whole Mexican pavillion. I think a lot of people just don't know how much there is to World Showcase, or any of the parks for that matter, since I encountered a few people over the trip who had no idea what a lot of stuff was.

My next stop was the Thailand booth, which was all the was over by Germany, so I walked by quite a few of the booths before stopping again. There I had the shrimp and green papaya salad.

I really liked this. The papaya salad was very cool and refreshing, and the shrimp were cooked and seasoned perfectly.

I'm giving it an

since it was one of the better things I ate all day, though know that the only reason it's getting above the Remy approved rating is because those shrimp were so good.

My next stop was the Hops and Barley booth, and I got the crab cake.

This was the best crab cake I ever had at the Festival, though it wasn't as good as others I've had in actual restaurants. The slaw was tasty, but nothing special. Still, it was a decent snack, so it's getting a;

The only other booth I stopped at that day was the Ireland booth, where I got both the fisherman's pie, and the chocolate lava cake.

The fisherman's pie was filled with lobster and scallop's, and a very rich sauce, that was very yummy, and tasted just like lobster bisque. It was also really thin and runny, and could've been thicker, but that was the only negative. The mashed potatoes on top were good, but nothing special, still, the seafood part was wonderful, so it's getting a;

The chocolate lava cake was great as well, though the portion was small, it was very chocolaty and rich, and the Bailey's gananche was wonderful on it, so it's getting a;

So that was my first day at the Food and Wine Festival, and I have to say the Ireland booth was by far my favorite this year, and a lot of the samples were really downhill from here. Though there was only one thing I had that I absolutly hated from the booths, there were very few really good things after today.

 

[natalielongstaff]

Great ratings system !

 

[MickeyNicki]

Glad you had a great time, happy you arrived home safe and sound!

Totally loving your rating system, way too cute!

It was awesome meeting you, I had such a great time and hope our dates can work in 2010!

Now, bring on more food! I am starving!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Glad you had a great time, happy you arrived home safe and sound!

Totally loving your rating system, way too cute!

It was awesome meeting you, I had such a great time and hope our dates can work in 2010!

Now, bring on more food! I am starving!

It was great meeting you too. I already have my trip booked for next September, I'll send you a message with the exact dates. Now I just need to wait for an AP rate for a spring trip.