The 9 Day Birthday Feast w/pics! Updated 9/5

[buckeyebill1995]

We went to Disney for my DD and DN's 8th birthday last week and the sweet girl at Disney Dining put 'birthday celebration' on EVERY ADR we had -- so we sang Happy Birthday 9 times! I'm going to do my first ever dining reviews -- with pics if I can figure out how to upload them. I am also going to try and do a comparison to figure out if the DDP saved us money over just using the DDE.

The restaurants I am going to review are:
Artist's Palette (lunch) - Private Dining at the Artist's Palette...sort of. Post #12
50s Primetime Cafe (dinner) - I would had to have been twelve! Post #17
Artist's Palette (breakfast) - Not How I Remember Them Waffles! Post #27
Hollywood Brown Derby (dinner) - The Star Wars Cake with Flowers. Post #28
Flame Tree Barbeque (lunch) - He DID NOT just do that! Post #38
Anandapur Tea Company / Yak & Yeti (Dinner) - Just Because It's the Most Expensive Doesn't Mean It's The Best. Post#47
Sunshine Seasons (breakfast/lunch) - Sunshine Seasons and Mourning the Junior Chef's Academy. Post #48
Le Chefs de France (dinner) - We don't mean to be rude, but we're French. Post #51
Raglan Road (dinner) - The Luck of the Irish! Post #57
Earl of Sandwich (lunch) - Sandwiches Fit For Royalty! Post #63
The Wave (dinner) - Doin' The Wave at The Wave! Post #69
Main Street Bakery (breakfast/snack) - Yummy! Post #79
Lottawatta Lodge (lunch) - Lottawatta? Lotta Nothin'! Post #80
Crystal Palace (dinner)
Studio Catering Co (lunch)
Starring Rolls Cafe (snack)
Mickey's Backyard BBQ (dinner show)
Wolfgang Puck Express (lunch)
Turf Club (dinner)

Hope you enjoy them!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I'm in! Can't wait for the reviews!

 

[danalee]

thats cool! they did this for my son and he loved, felt like a king. It was a nice sprinkle of at dinner!

 

[passthepixiedust]

I can't wait to read them!

 

[suzimar57]

looking forward to reading your reviews - bring it on!

 

[txmomto1]

I'm in!

 

[LuccaDrake]

Bring on the food porn!

 

[apurplebrat]

Can't wait to read the reviews

 

[TigerKat]

I'm signing on.......

 

[DesigningMouse]

Can't wait for pics.

 

[iluvpluto27]

I'm in, you ate at some great restaurants and can't wait to hear your reviews.

 

[buckeyebill1995]

Okay, first let me set the stage. My daughter and nephew were born 8 days apart and were turning 8. They are both huge Star Wars fans, thanks to my DH whose obsession with Disney is overshadowed only by his obsession with Star Wars, and wanted to celebrate their birthday at Star Wars Weekends. We just purchased DVC last Christmas *yeah* and had some developer points to use, so we thought it would be a great idea to treat them. Also joining us was my dear niece who just turned 2. It should be noted that my BIL, whom I love dearly, is very anti-Disney. He finds it 'too commercial.' ANYWHO...so inviting them to join us at Disney...in July...for SWW the weekend before the 4th of July probably not the smartest thing us Disney-aholics have ever done, but so be it! As planned, they joined us for the weekend and left on Monday. We stayed until the following Sunday.

We were in a two-bedroom villa at SSR which was lovely! Overlooked a rose garden and a lake, very tranquil. So after settling in, we decided to stop off at Artists' Palette for some lunch before heading off to DHS. As I mentioned, this was our first trip 'home' so we were used to staying at Caribbean Beach. I have to say, I liked Old Port Royale better. There was more seating, both indoor and outdoor, and since the stations are spread out, there are several short lines instead of one long one.

When we got there, the dining area was packed and one section was closed off because they were waxing the floor. I began scouring for tables while the boys waited in line and saw a row of tables lined up in the back hallway that leads to the Turf Club. No one was there! I wasn't sure if we were allowed to sit there so I started to leave when I ran into a CM who told me "I've been telling people all day we moved the tables out here while we waxed the floor, but no one is listening!" Voila -- private dining room right under the Mickey jockey uniform! I frantically flagged down my sister who was stalking a table where a family appeared to be gathering up their trash and we were set! Hey, we've all gotten our snoopy-vulture on for tables at Disney at one time or another, right?

Lines and tables aside, the lunch at Artist's Palette was definitely a step above Old Port Royale! My sister and I split the tomato and mozzarella salad and the chicken and artichoke flatbread. The salad was wonderful -- the tomatoes and mozzarella were very fresh, it was not too oily, had just the right amount of basil -- very flavorful and refreshing! We gobbled it up in about two seconds flat and in retrospect I wish we'd have each gotten our own. The chicken and artichoke flatbread was also very good. It was crispy without being burnt, not greasy at all. I would say it stood up very well to similar items at the trendy brick oven pizza places I've been to in Brooklyn. The kids, as expected, all got chicken nuggets with grapes. Being the nugget connoisseurs that they are, they said they were better than McDonalds. And they actually ate them all, which is high praise coming from picky 8 year olds! Also, I don't know where Disney gets those grapes, but they are SO GOOD! The kids were fending off the adults from stealing them the whole trip! My DH chose the buffalo chicken flatbread, which he didn't care for. In all fairness, it had cole slaw on it and he is not a big fan of cole slaw to begin with. But he felt the sauce was all heat and no flavor, and didn't finish it. I was stuffed or I would have tried it, but it looked good to me! I can't remember what BIL had, I think it was a salad, but he was rather quiet, probably b/c he was there under protest, and didn't comment much on it. I didn't tell them I was planning a dining review; they already think we're 'not normal' for how much we love Disney, so I didn't take food pics till they left and didn't press too much for information.

Next up -- 50s Prime Time Cafe -- otherwise entitled "I WOULD HAD TO HAVE BEEN TWELVE!"

 

[MickeyNicki]

I'm in!

 

[DisneyJo]

Great start

 

[momof1+1+2]

Can't wait to read them all!

 

[sherry8253]

Count me in.

 

[buckeyebill1995]

Okay, it was hot. And humid. And CROWDED. All of which I could have handled. After all, we were at SWW at Disney's Hollywood Studios! Or, as my DD said with great nostalgia and drama "It'll always be MGM to me!" But after several hours of my DN's uncharacteristic multiple tantrums, my sister complaining about everyone's apparent lack of deodorant, my BIL's "I don't know how you guys do this" comment, and my DD loudly complaining about smokers in non-smoking areas, and I was stressed. Add to that my own mini-breakdown over my DD using her Mickey Bar as a chocolate facial , and an extremely rude and pushy woman who blamed us that her kids weren't picked for Jedi Training Academy when our kids were (the kids were workin' those Birthday buttons for all they were worth, to be sure, but REALLY!), and I was on the brink. When the heavens opened up and cut short the Indy show, I was practically vibrating from the stress. I needed a Glow-tini in the worst way!

We ran through the rainstorm and headed for 50s PrimeTime Cafe. We were about 45 minutes early for our reservation and the CM said she would check us in, but couldn't guarantee we'd get seated before our reservation time. That was fine by us -- at least we were dry, and that's what the Tune In Lounge was for!

My sister and I took the children to the restroom to dry off and try and hedge our bets on getting to eat hot food. My DD is infamous for having to go to the restroom right when my plate is set in front of me! I had found a list of 'best and worst' restrooms on the Studio Central website and had told everyone about it. When we walked into the restroom at PTC my nephew announced 'check your list -- this has GOT to be one of the stinky ones!" He was right, but quick pow-wow on not hurting other's feelings was in order. When we came out we saw the boys sitting on the couch, each enjoying a frosty cold beer, without ordering anything for us and the kids! I must have shot daggers at them because my dear BIL jumped up and asked what we wanted, but as soon as I said "glow tini for me, please" our name was called.

I love this place! We were here on our first trip and my daughter still dies laughing about 'mom' feeding me my vegetables! Also, the atmosphere is so cool, I love looking around there. I swear my great aunt has the exact clock hanging in the Tune In Lounge! So I was really looking forward to sharing this with the rest of the gang, and had specifically asked for someone who was 'into the part.' Aunt Janice did not disappoint on that front. She scolded me and my DH for cuddling at the table and told the kids to 'set the table and do their homework.' When she went to take our drink order, I of course ordered a glow-tini.

Then she carded me! Now, I don't carry my purse at Disney. I know myself well enough to know I WILL leave it on a ride and lose it. As I always do, I asked my DH to grab my ID, DVC card and ticket. He swears I didn't ask him. He didn't bring it. She told me she couldn't serve me! Pointing out that we were celebrating my daughter's 8th birthday and I would have had to have been twelve to still be a minor did not faze her! If my DH thought I was shooting daggers at him before for not getting me a drink while we were in the bathroom, imagine the harpoons heading his way now! Part of me still thought she was joking until she actually brought me a PB&J shake, which was delicious but SO not what I wanted! My sister, just to be a booger, ordered a glowtini too and even though she is six years younger than me, did not get carded. I guess I should be flattered...

On to the food! I ordered my favorite -- the pot roast! It was even more delicious than I remembered, and I am not even a red meat kind of girl. But it is melt-in-your-mouth, like grandma used to make go-od! As I said, I didn't take pics till guests left, so I stole this one off of photobucket for you...hope they don't mind...

DH ordered the meatloaf, which he LOVES! Although he was smart enough to say that it's not as good as mine! I know he's full of it, but it made me smile -- he's awesome that way! My sister got the meatloaf, too, and she really liked it as well. Couldn't find a picture to steal -- sorry!

Kids got -- you guessed it -- chicken nuggets and grapes! They were too busy yakking about how they defeated Vader to eat much I was surprised Aunt Janice didn't let them have it, but maybe my look of death at DH when I got carded scared her off a bit. BIL had the chicken -- which was a huge portion and I tried a bit of it, it was excellent! Very juicy and tender, incredibly flavorful, darn near perfect! He asked for rolls and Aunt Janice brought over a plate of those oldfashioned rolls that would come in the bread bag in a rectangle that you would tear apart and warm up. Remember those? We DOVE into them, they were just like we remembered from when we were kids! And Aunt Janice told us you only get them if you ask for them. Learn something new every day! It was especially cool because BIL really didn't expect rolls, he was getting into it and just asked to get a rise out of the waitress -- guess the Disney Magic was working after all!!!

She then brought out cupcakes with a candle and Mickey Sprinkles that the kids went ga-ga for! Everyone in the room sang Happy Birthday to their Cousins! It was great! Here is a pic of the cupcakes about 30 seconds after we sang Happy Birthday!:

The rest of us had smores that are just as good as the real thing and all was right with the world.

Next up -- NOT QUITE HOW I REMEMBER THEM WAFFLES!

 

[mcrabeck]

Great reviews! Can't wait for more!

 

[daisy112878]

Great reviews!!!

I can't believe the waitress wanted your ID but not your sister's. How weird. I would have totally thought she was joking.

 

[suzimar57]

wow - carded at the 50s - got to be a first!

loving your reviews so far!