The 12 days of... the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan! 11/16 Update ...Complete!

[jamjar84]

Great reviews, keep em coming.

 

[elle bell]

Thanks for sharing your reviews! I'm looking forward to your review of Jiko!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Yum, that looks delicious! I just love a good breakfast buffet.

 

[Jiminy_78]

Day 5: Dinner at Jiko

Tonight was our big date night! We had tickets to La Nouba and an early ADR at Jiko, and we were very excited. After a nice afternoon break at the resort where we relaxed by the pool and did some laundry. We caught a bus to the Animal Kingdom and the driver asked us where we were going since the park was about to close. We told him that we were trying to get to the Lodge for dinner and he was kind enough to make an extra stop on the way to AK and dropped us off at the Jambo House. Little moments of magic like this are why we love Disney so much!

We were early for our ADR so we checked in and asked for a seat by the window. Funny story, we all know that there are dress codes for Disney’s signature dining establishments but we’ve all seen the guy at California Grill walking around in torn shorts and a sloppy t-shirt. On our previous trip to WDW in September we had dined at Jiko for the first time and coming straight from the park in shorts and t-shirts we were sat in the private wine room with a family of 15. We didn’t get to enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant so we made a point on this trip to dress up since we were heading to La Nouba right from the AKL.

The hostess sat us and gave us each a Happy Anniversary button to wear; they had written a big 8 on there since we were celebrating eight years. Our server came by and introduced himself and asked us what we wanted to drink. We started with water and he brought them back out with the bread service. I then went with a sprite to drink and DH ordered a glass of red wine, I believe it was a Chakalaka Blend.

For my appetizer I ordered the BBQ Chicken Flatbread (with Apple-Jicama slaw, African barbecue sauce, and four cheeses). I had this when we went in September and it was just as yummy as I had remembered. The apples are a great accent in flavor and they add a nice crunch to the flatbread.

DH ordered the Crispy "Savanna" Rolls (with sweet corn, bitter greens, goat cheese, and curry vinaigrette). He said they were light and tasty and “outstanding”; I was bummed that I couldn’t try them because of the goat cheese.

For our entrée we both went with the Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon (with Macaroni & Cheese and Red Wine Sauce). Here was where the meal went downhill a little. DH ordered his medium-rare and it came out medium to medium well. I ordered mine MW and it was very well done. I am not a fan of well-done steaks but with the baby coming I am not supposed to eat a lot of “rare” meat. Both our steaks were overcooked so that was a bit of a letdown. Our server never really returned to check on our food, so we went ahead and ate our entrees the way they came out, they were still tasty, just not what we had hoped for. The macaroni was excellent, although I forgot to ask what the “four cheeses” were and after I had finished eating I overheard the server at the table next to us telling her guests that it had goat cheese in it.

For dessert, I went with the Kenyan Coffee and Koeksisters (Kenyan Coffee Ice Cream with Spiced Doughnuts); I substituted cinnamon ice cream for the coffee ice cream. The doughnuts were fresh and delicious! The cinnamon ice cream was a little gritty because of the cinnamon but it was still refreshing.

DH had the Lemon-White Chocolate Mousse (with Spiced Blueberry Coulis and Vanilla Tuile); he thought it was light and refreshing. He also enjoyed a cappuccino with his dessert for his non-alcoholic drink choice.

We were also presented with a Pistachio Creme Brulee (with a chocolate-layered bottom) on the house for our anniversary. It was delicious but we were too stuffed to enjoy the entire dessert.

The Ratings:
Food

Summary: We both thought our appetizers and desserts were amazing, and the macaroni and cheese was divine, we just wished that our steaks had been cooked to temperature we ordered them.

Decor

Summary: We loved our table by the window, we were able to both take in the ambiance of the restaurant and people watch out the window. There were unique sculptures of birds and the temperature in the restaurant was comfortable.

Service

Summary: Our server was very knowledgeable about wines and was able to help DH select a nice wine to accompany his meal. But beyond that he did not seem that interested in what he was doing and was rather disconnected.

Cost
$130.34 (2 credits per person)

Overall

Summary: We love dining at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and we will return to Jiko again someday. Even with the steaks being overcooked we still enjoyed the meal overall and the restaurant setting was fun and relaxing

On Deck: Day 6: Breakfast at Kona Cafe

 

[beansf]

These are so fun to read. I love your rating system. I can't wait to read more. Thanks for sharing!

 

[oboedm]

Thanks for the review of Jiko! We are going there is Sept and plan on ordering some of the same items. Maybe I will order my filet medium instead of medium well! =)

 

[Greta]

Just joining now and read your whole review so far. Love how organized you guys are and I think I need to go get something to eat now - you two made me HUNGRY!
Looking forward to more food porn and great reviews, keep up the good work!
Thank you

 

[bluejasmine]

Really enjoyed the reviews! you hit alot of the places we have ADRs for our Sept anniversary trip! It defanitely restored my faith in my choices! Thank you!

 

[Overexcited]

Enjoying the reviews, thanks for all the hard work!

 

[MiaBella05]

joining in

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Great reviews, looking forward to the rest!

 

[CdnBuzzFan]

Great TR! I love looking at pictures of food. Looking forward to your review of the Liberty Tree. We'll be there in September.

 

[MrBean]

Day 6: Breakfast at Kona Cafe

We have heard so many good things about the breakfast served at Kona Cafe that we definitely wanted to give it a try this trip. Now, we love to go to Kona Cafe for dinner, which we do pretty much every trip to the World, but this would be our first for breakfast (admittedly because for the resorts we stay at, it's not the most convenient to get to).

So off we go, with a bus transfer and a ride on the monorail to arrive at our early morning reservation at the Poly. The Poly has such a nice, refreshing, tropical feel, it's one of our favorite resorts to visit!

There were two things at Kona that I wanted to try, the Tonga Toast and the Big Kahuna. Lucky for me, my DW was up for sharing this morning

The Tonga Toast (banana stuffed sourdough bread, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with Strawberry Compote and your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage) was fantastic. The sweet of the Tonga Toast paired with the savory meat was a perfect combination. It's definitely a great item to share!

The Big Kahuna (French toast, Macadamia-Pineapple pancakes, eggs, home fried potatoes, ham, bacon, and sausage) is a huge breakfast with a little bit of everything that you could possibly want. The star of the plate are the pancakes, which certainly made us miss Hawaii.

To drink, Kona has some great options, including the Lilikoi (passion fruit, orange and guava blend) which was fantastic, as well as the best coffee press on property (100% Kona Coffee).

The great thing about breakfast here is that afterward you have two great transportation choices to the Magic Kingdom. The monorail or a relaxing boat ride (which was our choice this time). If only we could afford to stay here

The Ratings:
Food

Summary: Excellent!! The best breakfast drink options as well as unique dishes

Decor

Summary: Nice open area with Polynesian theme and colors, the beautiful bamboo fans remind us of one of our favorite bars in Waikiki.

Service

Summary: Didn't check back after food was served. Had to flag her down to get anything. Otherwise, just OK

Cost
$43.93 (1 credit per person)

Overall

Summary: Another delicious, inexpensive breakfast with a tropical feel. Best coffee available, and a great start to a Magic Kingdom day

On Deck: Day 6: Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

Just loving your dining reveiws and the wonderful photos of all your meals....great job !!!

 

[Jiminy_78]

Day 6: Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern

I’m sorry for the delay in posts; we’ve been keeping busy getting ready for baby. We’re down to the last few weeks before our son’s due date and I’m pretty sure that we’ll never actually be “ready” but we’re trying. Let’s get back to the food and magic! When we were planning out where we were going to eat, DH did a lot of research. He read a lot of the food blogs and explored the various menus. We ate lunch at LTT in 2007, and I ate dinner there with my family back in 1989. When deciding where to have lunch on Sunday to use up all our points we checked out all the MK table service restaurants. DH’s research told us that LTT had one of the best appetizers, burgers, and desserts in MK and they did not disappoint.

We arrived a little late to our ADR (thanks to another ride on one of our favorites, TTA) and were initially told that our ADR did not exist. DH gave the host our reservation number and he was able to look it up. He told us that their computer erased ADRs after ten minutes. Oops. Don’t panic though; this is why it’s always good to bring your reservations with you! He found our names and we were sat quickly thereafter.

Our server came by to introduce herself and we ordered our drinks (DH got iced tea, I got a sprite). For our appetizers we went in different directions. I ordered the New England clam chowder for my appetizer. This is a VERY thick soup and very filling.

DH ordered the Tavern Fried Cheese (with marinara sauce); this includes both mozzarella cheese sticks and cheese curd. DH had been reading/hearing about how amazing this was and he had to agree with the masses. He did share a few bites with me and I agree that it was very tasty.

For our entrees, we both ordered the Angus Chuck Cheeseburger (topped with bacon and cheddar served with fresh fruit or tavern fries). We both found the burgers to be very juicy and flavorful; and they were cooked to temperature perfectly.

We couldn’t finish our burgers because we wanted to save room for dessert. I ordered the Caramel Apple Tart (shortbread crust, sugared apples and cinnamon ice cream). It was yummy and the ice cream was refreshing.

However, DH had the better dessert, hands down. In fact his dessert may have been one of the best of our entire trip. I was definitely having dessert envy while I watched him eat. He had the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake (vanilla cake with a gooey toffee filling and caramel sauce). This really was an “ooey gooey” dessert and it was DELICIOUS.

We were really full by this point and our server surprised us by bringing out a chocolate cupcake for our anniversary. She graciously brought us a container to take it with us when we explained that we were just too full of goodness to take another bite.

Just as we were preparing to leave it started to rain, and when I say rain, I mean POUR. With our tummies full we threw on our rain jackets and made a mad dash to Peter Pan! We love WDW, where we can eat like adults and play like kids.

The Ratings:
Food

Summary: DH made a great choice here and enjoyed every bite of his three course meal. My soup was a little thicker than I would normally eat and my dessert was very good, but not as amazing as DH’s. Food came quickly and was well prepared.

Decor

Summary: Colonial style with lots of wood and a rustic feeling.

Service

Summary: She was wonderful and paid close attention to our needs without being overbearing. Our drinks were refilled and plates cleared away in a timely manner. She also packed up a dessert to go for us.

Cost
$58.39 (1 credit per person)

Overall

Summary: I think that LTT is often overlooked and is a great place to eat in the MK. The décor is very inviting and relaxing and with the exception of the too small restrooms upstairs, it’s a great place to escape from the crowds and enjoy a meal.

On Deck: Day 6: Dinner at Artist Point

 

[Overexcited]

Day 6: Breakfast at Kona Cafe

We have heard so many good things about the breakfast served at Kona Cafe that we definitely wanted to give it a try this trip. Now, we love to go to Kona Cafe for dinner, which we do pretty much every trip to the World, but this would be our first for breakfast (admittedly because for the resorts we stay at, it's not the most convenient to get to).

So off we go, with a bus transfer and a ride on the monorail to arrive at our early morning reservation at the Poly. The Poly has such a nice, refreshing, tropical feel, it's one of our favorite resorts to visit!

There were two things at Kona that I wanted to try, the Tonga Toast and the Big Kahuna. Lucky for me, my DW was up for sharing this morning

The Tonga Toast (banana stuffed sourdough bread, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with Strawberry Compote and your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage) was fantastic. The sweet of the Tonga Toast paired with the savory meat was a perfect combination. It's definitely a great item to share!

The Big Kahuna (French toast, Macadamia-Pineapple pancakes, eggs, home fried potatoes, ham, bacon, and sausage) is a huge breakfast with a little bit of everything that you could possibly want. The star of the plate are the pancakes, which certainly made us miss Hawaii.

To drink, Kona has some great options, including the Lilikoi (passion fruit, orange and guava blend) which was fantastic, as well as the best coffee press on property (100% Kona Coffee).






After I read this and saw the pictures I went and made an ADR for our last breakfast before we fly home. I can't wait!
Funny I went to post this and the error message came up that there were too many emotion icons! I had to trim the message to get a reply Great Post!

 

[leanne11]

2 questions...how did they know of yr anniv? did you have to tell each rest individually??? and what about naubo(?) did you like it...wonderin if it is worth getting a sitter for???

 

[Jiminy_78]

2 questions...how did they know of yr anniv? did you have to tell each rest individually??? and what about naubo(?) did you like it...wonderin if it is worth getting a sitter for???

When DH made our dining reservations, the cast member on the phone asked him what we were celebrating. He told him that it was our 8th anniversary and the CM made a note on each reservation. Not every restaurant acknowledged it, but some did when we checked in.

We both really enjoyed La Nouba, we were in the front and center section and while they were great seats, I cannot imagine that there would be a bad seat in the house. The theater itself isn't too big, so you'd never be far from the stage. Plus, so much of the show happens above the stage you can really see it from everywhere. The only real perk I found about having front and center section seats was that the times when the show came into the audience we really felt that we were in the middle of that. The only downside of the whole evening for me had nothing to do with the show itself but with the fact that the seats are really close together and the lady sitting next to me had very strong perfume on and liked to talk a lot during the show. She was by herself so I'm not sure who she was talking to but I just ignored her because I was nervous that if I engaged in conversation with her even once she'd take the bait and keep talking to me the entire show.

 

[klacey1]

LTT is at the top of our "must-do" list for our next trip--glad to see you guys loved it so much!
Also-- congrats on being so close! When is your due date? Do you have a name picked out?

 

[englishrose47]

Subbing and going back to drool some more!!!