annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Thank you
!I'm sad your reviews are over, but am very much looking forward to your final thoughts! THanks for sharing with us!
Coming up tomorrow, definitely!
The Deluxe Dining that defeated us ...a German perspective! (FINISHED!)
- Thread starter annichan
- Start date
- Status
Thank you
!I'm sad your reviews are over, but am very much looking forward to your final thoughts! THanks for sharing with us!
Coming up tomorrow, definitely!
torsie24
Mummy to a perfect princess.
- Joined
- May 14, 2008
Duh-nuh-nuh-nuuuuuuuuh, duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.
I was popular in the UK too!
I'm so sad your report is over!! Luckily we don't have long to wait until your next one which will include yummy DCL food too! You lucky people!!
Vielen Dank für Ihren wundervollen Report. xxxxx (I haven't spoken any German for 6 years so forgive my spelling/grammar!)
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Well well, this is the end! Sad, I know, but the trip is over (and has been since May 09, but finally I have caught up with my report as well, lazy me) and it is time for me to present my final thoughts, and of course my ultimate “Best/Worst” list.
It has taken me about a week longer than I had intended to, but I have put quite a bit of effort into it. For an obsessive-compulsive planner like myself, there is nothing quite as enjoyable as compiling lists. So let’s start with that:
Our Best/Worst List
WHERE WILL WE RETURN AND WHERE WON'T WE?
So what restaurants will we be returning to, and which will we give a wide berth in the future?
Well, for all sorts of different reasons I rather think we will not visit any of the following restaurants again: This does not always mean (or rather, hardly ever means!) that we hated it there, so I will try and explain our reasons for every restaurant. (Restaurants are listed in order of appearance in this report, apart from the “Biggest Loser” being number 1.)
San Angel Inn: Our “biggest loser”!
This is one restaurant that we really did not like: a long wait for a volcano-side table which we ended up not getting anyway; a very crowded setting with tables so close together that you develop the instant wish to drop a clothes size just to be able to squeeze past; and the food seemed a bit bland too, although I admit that we ate in a bit of a hurry since DH wasn’t feeling so well, so I didn’t give the food as much of a chance as I did in other restaurants.
Whispering Canyon Cafe: This was nice but as long as we don't stay at Wilderness Lodge, we probably wouldn't go to the trouble of dining at the WCC. It was very convenient while we stayed there, but especially since we've now already been three times, not worth driving to (unless they finally start abusing us just like they do with you Americans!
)
Boma: We didn't like it too well, even though the food was good - but it was ust nothing special for us. We will definitely try Jiko instead, though!
Spoodles: Can't go there anymore since it is now closed! We might give Kouzzina (the new restaurant at the spot where Spoodles used to be) a try, though.
1900 Park Fare: Boy, were we scared of the characters
…
The Wave: really nice breakfast, but no special Disney atmosphere and I don’t like the fact that is has got no windows, so we will probably skip it and try something else instead.
Chef Mickey's: We found this very noisy and not too great for adults sans kids, so at least as long as we do not have children we won't return there.
Liberty Tree Tavern: I am truly not sure about this one, especially since the dessert was so fantabulous (see below). However, the whole place was a bit dark and maybe we just didn't get the whole "colonial ambience", but we were not really that much into it. So not bad at all, just not as good as many others. (But then again, the toffee cake ... oh be still my beating heart ...)
Everything I haven’t mentioned here will definitely see us again on some future visit! In detail, we will visit again (in order of appearance in this report – apart from our top favourite which gets mentioned first):
California Grill: This was the best of the best!! The short and pleasant wait time in the lounge by the window, the table location, outstanding food, the drinks, the service, the pixie dust and the views of the fireworks - the whole package was just perfect! We will so definitely return here during our next trip – and I am just realizing what this means: I will be back at the California Grill THIS YEAR!
Trails End: I think this is already a widely-known fact – nowhere else can you dine table-service at Disney World for so little money, and it still tastes good and has a nice wilderness atmosphere with friendly servers! I didn’t eat much due to the fact I was so tired and already not feeling well, but should we ever stay at the Wilderness Lodge again I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to take a nice walk along the jogging path to Fort Wilderness, have dinner at Trails’ End, wander by the campfire and probably stay for the movie, and then take a romantic night-time ferry-ride back to Wilderness Lodge via the Contemporary. A great evening for little money!
Crystal Palace: I am pretty sure we will turn an early breakfast on the first morning of our vacation here into a tradition – this is such a great way to start a WDW vacation! Stroll along an almost-empty main street, then have some breakfast and get hugged by Pooh. Perfect!
Tony’s Town Square: After I had to leave after the appetizer last time due to my stomach bug (or whatever it was), we might well return here during our next trip and have a more enjoyable dinner. (As far as I see it, this might be the best place to have dinner at the MK?)
The Plaza: Not something planned for our next trip, but we think it’s the nicest place to have lunch at the Magic Kingdom, so we might well end up here sometime.
Olivia’s Cafe: This was so enjoyable! Not crowded at all, and it was one of the rare opportunities to sit outside when dining (something that most Germans love – but then again we don’t often get the opportunity with all our bad weather, and the sun is hardly ever so harsh that you wouldn’t want to sit outside). It was pretty, the food was yummy, the server was nice – what more could one ask? (I still don’t think we will be back this next visit as Old Key West Resort is rather out of the way for us. But should we happen to be there, I would love to eat at Olivia’s again.
Raglan Road: Especially the entrée and dessert here were really yummy, and the live band was cool (the Irish tap dancing lady was really cute, too). We are not currently planning on returning here on our next trip, but some day we certainly will!
Tusker House: This was very enjoyable both for breakfast (with the characters in their safari garb) and for lunch (without characters, but with very inspired and varied ethnic cooking). As far as I have designed our dining plan for next trip (that is, only very roughly) this is not featured because I think we will prefer our beloved Yak & Yeti, but who knows … This would always be nice!
Sci-Fi Dine-In: See below at the Brown Derby – we might just return here next time. (In fact, I think we will as DH has just requested it – and rare is the moment when he actually specifically requestst a certain restaurant instead of leaving the planning to me!). In a word: Fun!
The Coral Reef: We HAVE to return here next time! I just have to have that beautiful appetizer again, and I have to try steak for an entrée – I have read they do such great steak, I just wanted to stick with the maritime dining theme last time, but next time I shall look at the fishies but devour the four-legged beasties instead
Flying Fish Cafe: Loved the food! The wait for a table was long even though the place was not nearly full, it was loud and the service was a tad slow, but the food was so fabulous it makes up for everything else. Plus we will be staying so close to this place at the Beach Club Villas, it will be no more than an enjoyable stroll along the Boardwalk home after our meal. See where I am going with this? Yup – back to the Flying Fish!
Kona Cafe: Great breakfast here! I have read that other meals are great here too, but I don’t think we will try them during our next trip. I don’t think we will be able to stay away from the Big Kahuna breakfast though!
Artist Point: We had two great and memorable dinners here. If we had not stayed at the Wilderness Lodge last time (making this our “home signature restaurant”) we probably would not have dined here twice, but I am really glad now that we did. I do not think we will return here on our next trip because there are so many new possibilities to try out and old favourites to revisit which are closer to the Boardwalk area where we will be staying next, but I just know we will return to the World more than once, and then we will be back at Artist Point for sure.
The Hollywood Brown Derby: This was so nice, enjoyable, yummy and full of pixie dust. We might well return next time – unless we decide in favour of much less suave but fun (and one credit per person cheaper) Sci-Fi Dine-In instead.
Narcoossees: Oh, this was really good. The prices are steep, but luckily this is not so much of a concern when using the Deluxe Dining Plan. The ambience was beautiful, as was the voew of the marina and the Castle off in the distance. Service was impeccable, the food was very nice even if maybe not as spectacular as at other signature dining experiences we tried. Next time, we won’t go for the Surf and Turf!
‘Ohana: This is a must for our next visit! Probably not for dinner, but the breakfast was so great we would love to do it again. What can I say – it had Lilo and Stitch, a glorious skillet and pineapple bread!
The only negative thing I need to mention is the air-condition: It was rather too cold there for us, but the same holds true for various other restaurants (like Chef Mickey’s and most especially the Sci-Fi Dine-In – arctic!
)
The Yachtsman Steakhouse: This is a must-do for next time, especially since we will be staying nearby so we will be able to have a nice glass of wine with dinner and can then just walk home. Loooking forward to the fabulous steaks already!
The Yak & Yeti: This was a lot of fun, very friendly and atmospheric and had some of the best food we have had the chance to try during our whole trip. Little wonder we will be back here on our AK day!
Cape May Cafe: I am sure we will be back here for a yummy character breakfast next time, especially since we will be staying so close by at Beach Club Villas!
In this summary, I have already mentioned several restaurants that we are very likely to visit again on our next trip this fall, so I should probably also mention a few new restaurants that we will (very likely) try next time as well:
Marrakesh: I so wish we hadn’t had to cancel our reservation there (but alas, my stomach bug or whatever it was that day, didn’t leave us any choice!). We had a quick look inside and it looked beautiful, and I just love oriental cuisine (as long as it is not insanely spicy, which I don’t think will be the case in a WDW restaurant. Pretty much a must for next time!
Le Cellier:
This is the other restaurant ADR we had to cancel that day I was not feeling well … I do think we will give it a try next time, I have read so many good things about it and had really been looking forward to it.
Jiko:
DH talked me into cancelling this one and it was perfectly alright for me at the time, but I need to try this next time! I have read so many great things about their cuisine, this is the biggest must after California Grill (so there you go, DH! No use trying to talk me out of it this time!
)
Tokyo Dining / Teppan Edo:
We didn’t fit any of these two into our plans for the honeymoon, but since we both really like sushi and Asian cuisine we would love to try one of them next time round. Not sure which one of the two, though.
Hoop-De-Doo Revue:
And now for something completely different, as they say: The Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue! I would love to go to a dinner show, I never really have before. We briefly toyed with the idea of trying either this or the Luau show on our honeymoon, but ended up deciding against it somehow. Now that we have found our love for the Wilderness Lodge and adjacent jogging path, we have a good reason to try the Revue!
Has anybody done the Hoop-Dee-Doo and have something to say in favour or against it? I’d love to hear some opinions!
Citrico`s:
And yet another ADR that we cancelled
… To be remedied next time, I hope! Like I said before, DH is not that much into the Grand Floridian and therefore I may not be able to drag him there for dinner twice, so I will have to make up my mind whether I rather want to revisit Narcoossee’s, or give Citrico’s a try. We will decide that a bit later, I think. (Any opinions on this, anybody?)
Coming up next and last: The rest of my final thoughts and rankings ...
(I just felt that it was taking too long to get this finished, so I wanted tp at least share the parts I have finished with you.)
It has taken me about a week longer than I had intended to, but I have put quite a bit of effort into it. For an obsessive-compulsive planner like myself, there is nothing quite as enjoyable as compiling lists
. So let’s start with that:Our Best/Worst List
WHERE WILL WE RETURN AND WHERE WON'T WE?
So what restaurants will we be returning to, and which will we give a wide berth in the future?
Well, for all sorts of different reasons I rather think we will not visit any of the following restaurants again: This does not always mean (or rather, hardly ever means!) that we hated it there, so I will try and explain our reasons for every restaurant. (Restaurants are listed in order of appearance in this report, apart from the “Biggest Loser” being number 1.)
San Angel Inn: Our “biggest loser”!
This is one restaurant that we really did not like: a long wait for a volcano-side table which we ended up not getting anyway; a very crowded setting with tables so close together that you develop the instant wish to drop a clothes size just to be able to squeeze past; and the food seemed a bit bland too, although I admit that we ate in a bit of a hurry since DH wasn’t feeling so well, so I didn’t give the food as much of a chance as I did in other restaurants.Whispering Canyon Cafe: This was nice but as long as we don't stay at Wilderness Lodge, we probably wouldn't go to the trouble of dining at the WCC. It was very convenient while we stayed there, but especially since we've now already been three times, not worth driving to (unless they finally start abusing us just like they do with you Americans!
)Boma: We didn't like it too well, even though the food was good - but it was ust nothing special for us. We will definitely try Jiko instead, though!
Spoodles: Can't go there anymore since it is now closed! We might give Kouzzina (the new restaurant at the spot where Spoodles used to be) a try, though.
1900 Park Fare: Boy, were we scared of the characters
…The Wave: really nice breakfast, but no special Disney atmosphere and I don’t like the fact that is has got no windows, so we will probably skip it and try something else instead.
Chef Mickey's: We found this very noisy and not too great for adults sans kids, so at least as long as we do not have children we won't return there.
Liberty Tree Tavern: I am truly not sure about this one, especially since the dessert was so fantabulous (see below). However, the whole place was a bit dark and maybe we just didn't get the whole "colonial ambience", but we were not really that much into it. So not bad at all, just not as good as many others. (But then again, the toffee cake ... oh be still my beating heart ...)
Everything I haven’t mentioned here will definitely see us again on some future visit! In detail, we will visit again (in order of appearance in this report – apart from our top favourite which gets mentioned first):
California Grill: This was the best of the best!! The short and pleasant wait time in the lounge by the window, the table location, outstanding food, the drinks, the service, the pixie dust and the views of the fireworks - the whole package was just perfect! We will so definitely return here during our next trip – and I am just realizing what this means: I will be back at the California Grill THIS YEAR!
Trails End: I think this is already a widely-known fact – nowhere else can you dine table-service at Disney World for so little money, and it still tastes good and has a nice wilderness atmosphere with friendly servers! I didn’t eat much due to the fact I was so tired and already not feeling well, but should we ever stay at the Wilderness Lodge again I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to take a nice walk along the jogging path to Fort Wilderness, have dinner at Trails’ End, wander by the campfire and probably stay for the movie, and then take a romantic night-time ferry-ride back to Wilderness Lodge via the Contemporary. A great evening for little money!
Crystal Palace: I am pretty sure we will turn an early breakfast on the first morning of our vacation here into a tradition – this is such a great way to start a WDW vacation! Stroll along an almost-empty main street, then have some breakfast and get hugged by Pooh. Perfect!
Tony’s Town Square: After I had to leave after the appetizer last time due to my stomach bug (or whatever it was), we might well return here during our next trip and have a more enjoyable dinner. (As far as I see it, this might be the best place to have dinner at the MK?)
The Plaza: Not something planned for our next trip, but we think it’s the nicest place to have lunch at the Magic Kingdom, so we might well end up here sometime.
Olivia’s Cafe: This was so enjoyable! Not crowded at all, and it was one of the rare opportunities to sit outside when dining (something that most Germans love – but then again we don’t often get the opportunity with all our bad weather, and the sun is hardly ever so harsh that you wouldn’t want to sit outside). It was pretty, the food was yummy, the server was nice – what more could one ask? (I still don’t think we will be back this next visit as Old Key West Resort is rather out of the way for us. But should we happen to be there, I would love to eat at Olivia’s again.
Raglan Road: Especially the entrée and dessert here were really yummy, and the live band was cool (the Irish tap dancing lady was really cute, too). We are not currently planning on returning here on our next trip, but some day we certainly will!
Tusker House: This was very enjoyable both for breakfast (with the characters in their safari garb) and for lunch (without characters, but with very inspired and varied ethnic cooking). As far as I have designed our dining plan for next trip (that is, only very roughly) this is not featured because I think we will prefer our beloved Yak & Yeti, but who knows … This would always be nice!
Sci-Fi Dine-In: See below at the Brown Derby – we might just return here next time. (In fact, I think we will as DH has just requested it – and rare is the moment when he actually specifically requestst a certain restaurant instead of leaving the planning to me!). In a word: Fun!
The Coral Reef: We HAVE to return here next time! I just have to have that beautiful appetizer again, and I have to try steak for an entrée – I have read they do such great steak, I just wanted to stick with the maritime dining theme last time, but next time I shall look at the fishies but devour the four-legged beasties instead
Flying Fish Cafe: Loved the food! The wait for a table was long even though the place was not nearly full, it was loud and the service was a tad slow, but the food was so fabulous it makes up for everything else. Plus we will be staying so close to this place at the Beach Club Villas, it will be no more than an enjoyable stroll along the Boardwalk home after our meal. See where I am going with this? Yup – back to the Flying Fish!
Kona Cafe: Great breakfast here! I have read that other meals are great here too, but I don’t think we will try them during our next trip. I don’t think we will be able to stay away from the Big Kahuna breakfast though!
Artist Point: We had two great and memorable dinners here. If we had not stayed at the Wilderness Lodge last time (making this our “home signature restaurant”) we probably would not have dined here twice, but I am really glad now that we did. I do not think we will return here on our next trip because there are so many new possibilities to try out and old favourites to revisit which are closer to the Boardwalk area where we will be staying next, but I just know we will return to the World more than once, and then we will be back at Artist Point for sure.
The Hollywood Brown Derby: This was so nice, enjoyable, yummy and full of pixie dust. We might well return next time – unless we decide in favour of much less suave but fun (and one credit per person cheaper) Sci-Fi Dine-In instead.
Narcoossees: Oh, this was really good. The prices are steep, but luckily this is not so much of a concern when using the Deluxe Dining Plan. The ambience was beautiful, as was the voew of the marina and the Castle off in the distance. Service was impeccable, the food was very nice even if maybe not as spectacular as at other signature dining experiences we tried. Next time, we won’t go for the Surf and Turf!
‘Ohana: This is a must for our next visit! Probably not for dinner, but the breakfast was so great we would love to do it again. What can I say – it had Lilo and Stitch, a glorious skillet and pineapple bread!
The only negative thing I need to mention is the air-condition: It was rather too cold there for us, but the same holds true for various other restaurants (like Chef Mickey’s and most especially the Sci-Fi Dine-In – arctic!
)The Yachtsman Steakhouse: This is a must-do for next time, especially since we will be staying nearby so we will be able to have a nice glass of wine with dinner and can then just walk home. Loooking forward to the fabulous steaks already!
The Yak & Yeti: This was a lot of fun, very friendly and atmospheric and had some of the best food we have had the chance to try during our whole trip. Little wonder we will be back here on our AK day!
Cape May Cafe: I am sure we will be back here for a yummy character breakfast next time, especially since we will be staying so close by at Beach Club Villas!
In this summary, I have already mentioned several restaurants that we are very likely to visit again on our next trip this fall, so I should probably also mention a few new restaurants that we will (very likely) try next time as well:
Marrakesh: I so wish we hadn’t had to cancel our reservation there (but alas, my stomach bug or whatever it was that day, didn’t leave us any choice!). We had a quick look inside and it looked beautiful, and I just love oriental cuisine (as long as it is not insanely spicy, which I don’t think will be the case in a WDW restaurant. Pretty much a must for next time!
Le Cellier:
This is the other restaurant ADR we had to cancel that day I was not feeling well … I do think we will give it a try next time, I have read so many good things about it and had really been looking forward to it.
Jiko:
DH talked me into cancelling this one and it was perfectly alright for me at the time, but I need to try this next time! I have read so many great things about their cuisine, this is the biggest must after California Grill (so there you go, DH! No use trying to talk me out of it this time!
)Tokyo Dining / Teppan Edo:
We didn’t fit any of these two into our plans for the honeymoon, but since we both really like sushi and Asian cuisine we would love to try one of them next time round. Not sure which one of the two, though.
Hoop-De-Doo Revue:
And now for something completely different, as they say: The Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue! I would love to go to a dinner show, I never really have before. We briefly toyed with the idea of trying either this or the Luau show on our honeymoon, but ended up deciding against it somehow. Now that we have found our love for the Wilderness Lodge and adjacent jogging path, we have a good reason to try the Revue!
Has anybody done the Hoop-Dee-Doo and have something to say in favour or against it? I’d love to hear some opinions!
Citrico`s:
And yet another ADR that we cancelled
… To be remedied next time, I hope! Like I said before, DH is not that much into the Grand Floridian and therefore I may not be able to drag him there for dinner twice, so I will have to make up my mind whether I rather want to revisit Narcoossee’s, or give Citrico’s a try. We will decide that a bit later, I think. (Any opinions on this, anybody?)Coming up next and last: The rest of my final thoughts and rankings ...
(I just felt that it was taking too long to get this finished, so I wanted tp at least share the parts I have finished with you.)
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Duh-nuh-nuh-nuuuuuuuuh, duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.
I was popular in the UK too!
I'm so sad your report is over!! Luckily we don't have long to wait until your next one which will include yummy DCL food too! You lucky people!!
Vielen Dank für Ihren wundervollen Report. xxxxx (I haven't spoken any German for 6 years so forgive my spelling/grammar!)
Aaaah, finally some appreciation for good old Eighties music
Thank you for your nice compliment in near flawless German!
(I have had so many nice replies in German that I might just write the next report in German so you can all get your dictionaries out again )I have one last post to make, haven't finished writing it yet but will soon!
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Okay, it looks like this is getting so long that there will even be a third part yet. Anyway, let's get started:
PRICE
Here come the cheapest and most expensive meals we had, and that is not taking into consideration how we liked the experience, just the bare costs:
Most expensive breakfast: Room service
Not something we will likely be doing again
Most expensive lunch: Yak & Yeti
Believe me, that was worth every cent to us!
Most expensive dinner: Narcoossee's
No wonder with both of us choosing the Surf and Turf! I don't think that entree was particularly worth that much money (didn't care for the lobster at all), but the rest of the meal and overall experience was very good so I wouldn't hesitate to dine at Narcoossee's again (especially on the Dining Plan, of course).
Cheapest breakfast: Spoodles
Not by a large amount, just slightly the cheapest.
Cheapest lunch: Tusker House
Very good value, we think great variety of food and nice ambience for the price
Cheapest dinner: Trails' End
I have already said how I think this place is great value, and thus it is no wonder that our dinner at Trails End was by far the cheapest of them all.
FOOD
Moving on from the costs, this is all about the food - which dished did I enjoy most, and which ones could I have most easily gone without?
Best appetizer:
Even though I don't want to appear indecisive to you all, I shall have to go for a tie between two appetizers that were to me equally delicious and equally beautifully presented: the sushi we had at the California Grill, ...
... and the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare at the Flying Fish Café.
Oh, yummm ... And for a bit of an exotic (at least to me
) choice, I would like to give an honorary mention to the wonderful mussel appetizer I enjoyed at Artist Point!
Appetizer I could most easily have gone without:
Hm, oh well, probably the Assortment of Artisanal Cheeses I had at the Yachtsman Steakhouse ...
... as half of them were way too strong-tasting for me, so this appetizer was kind of wasted on me. I still enjoyed it, though!
Best (entree-sized) salad:
Of the seven salads I had while staying in the World, almost all were quite delicious. Since I will try to limit myself to one single choice at least in this category (), I have to say that the Key West Salmon Salad (Olivias Café) was the best.
Fresh, beautifully presented, wonderful salmon, a great mixture of different flavours from sweet to sour, I would choose this again any day.
Salad I could most easily have gone without:
Like I already said, I liked almost all of them very much but the only one I truly dont remember anything about is the Ensalada de Casa I had at the San Angel Inn, so in lack of a better (or rather, worse!) choice, this is it.
Best entree:
Difficult, difficult there were so many great ones! After giving this a lot of thought, however, I have decided upon my all-time favourite being the Hijiki Crusted Ahi Tuna I was lucky enough to get to enjoy at the Hollywood Brown Derby.
For all you tuna lovers out there: Try it! You will not regret it. Incidentally, the other dishes I was thinking about awarding first prize to was the blackened catfish (Coral Reef) ...
... and Its Not Bleeding Chowder (Raglan Road) ...
..., so I realize I may be more of a fish person than a steak person. Wow, I was never aware of that! It may mean you will get to see more fish and seafood reviews in my next report.
Entree I could most easily have gone without:
Well, as anybody who has read my reviews will doubtlessly already have guessed, I could most easily have gone without the Surf and Turf (Narcossees).
I admit that I got carried away at the chance of ordering such an expensive entrée ($ 58,00 if not on the Dining Plan!), and as I am (sometimes) an adventurous eater, I was looking forward to trying lobster for the first time. That dish was not worth its price for me by far, though the filet mignon was wonderful, but the lobster was very bland, boring and so.so. Many have told me that this is because the lobster tail in this dish comes prepared from frozen, so that may be the reason why we were not impressed with it at all. Not sure whether I will go all fresh lobster or all gorgeous meat when we dine here next, though!
Best dessert:
Fried Wontons (Yak & Yeti) ...
... tie for first place with Ooey-Gooey Toffee Cake (Liberty Tree Tavern), ...
... the first being the light alternative for slightly more health-conscious eaters, and the latter being H-E-A-V-E-N wrapped in what feels like 10,000 calories
. Oh dear, and let me not forget the absolutely mouth-watering combination we made of our two desserts at Raglan Road ... Man, I'm just no good at making clear-cut decisions here ...
Dessert I could most easily have gone without:
I have to opt for the Grapefruit Cake at the Brown Derby: despite the fact that it was beautiful to behold, it was too much, too sweet and not sour enough for me. Did I mention already that it looked fantastic, though?
Best breakfast:
The Big Kahuna at Kona Cafe: lots of food, very ethnic to us as it seemed so American, and so yummy that we finished it all! (But let me tell you this was a hard decision, what with the pineapple bread at 'Ohana!)
Breakfast I could most easily have gone without:
And once again I have to mention Chef Mickeys the food was not bad, but I was too busy shivering with cold and covering my ears from the din to enjoy the food.
Coming up next: Like I said, there will still be one final post!
PRICE
Here come the cheapest and most expensive meals we had, and that is not taking into consideration how we liked the experience, just the bare costs:
Most expensive breakfast: Room service
Not something we will likely be doing again
Most expensive lunch: Yak & Yeti
Believe me, that was worth every cent to us!
Most expensive dinner: Narcoossee's
No wonder with both of us choosing the Surf and Turf! I don't think that entree was particularly worth that much money (didn't care for the lobster at all), but the rest of the meal and overall experience was very good so I wouldn't hesitate to dine at Narcoossee's again (especially on the Dining Plan, of course).
Cheapest breakfast: Spoodles
Not by a large amount, just slightly the cheapest.
Cheapest lunch: Tusker House
Very good value, we think great variety of food and nice ambience for the price
Cheapest dinner: Trails' End
I have already said how I think this place is great value, and thus it is no wonder that our dinner at Trails End was by far the cheapest of them all.
FOOD
Moving on from the costs, this is all about the food - which dished did I enjoy most, and which ones could I have most easily gone without?
Best appetizer:
Even though I don't want to appear indecisive to you all, I shall have to go for a tie between two appetizers that were to me equally delicious and equally beautifully presented: the sushi we had at the California Grill, ...
... and the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare at the Flying Fish Café.
Oh, yummm ... And for a bit of an exotic (at least to me
) choice, I would like to give an honorary mention to the wonderful mussel appetizer I enjoyed at Artist Point!
Appetizer I could most easily have gone without:
Hm, oh well, probably the Assortment of Artisanal Cheeses I had at the Yachtsman Steakhouse ...
... as half of them were way too strong-tasting for me, so this appetizer was kind of wasted on me. I still enjoyed it, though!
Best (entree-sized) salad:
Of the seven salads I had while staying in the World, almost all were quite delicious. Since I will try to limit myself to one single choice at least in this category (
), I have to say that the Key West Salmon Salad (Olivias Café) was the best.
Fresh, beautifully presented, wonderful salmon, a great mixture of different flavours from sweet to sour, I would choose this again any day.
Salad I could most easily have gone without:
Like I already said, I liked almost all of them very much but the only one I truly dont remember anything about is the Ensalada de Casa I had at the San Angel Inn, so in lack of a better (or rather, worse!) choice, this is it.
Best entree:
Difficult, difficult there were so many great ones! After giving this a lot of thought, however, I have decided upon my all-time favourite being the Hijiki Crusted Ahi Tuna I was lucky enough to get to enjoy at the Hollywood Brown Derby.
For all you tuna lovers out there: Try it! You will not regret it. Incidentally, the other dishes I was thinking about awarding first prize to was the blackened catfish (Coral Reef) ...
... and Its Not Bleeding Chowder (Raglan Road) ...
..., so I realize I may be more of a fish person than a steak person. Wow, I was never aware of that! It may mean you will get to see more fish and seafood reviews in my next report
.Entree I could most easily have gone without:
Well, as anybody who has read my reviews will doubtlessly already have guessed, I could most easily have gone without the Surf and Turf (Narcossees).
I admit that I got carried away at the chance of ordering such an expensive entrée ($ 58,00 if not on the Dining Plan!), and as I am (sometimes
) an adventurous eater, I was looking forward to trying lobster for the first time. That dish was not worth its price for me by far, though the filet mignon was wonderful, but the lobster was very bland, boring and so.so. Many have told me that this is because the lobster tail in this dish comes prepared from frozen, so that may be the reason why we were not impressed with it at all. Not sure whether I will go all fresh lobster or all gorgeous meat when we dine here next, though!Best dessert:
Fried Wontons (Yak & Yeti) ...
... tie for first place with Ooey-Gooey Toffee Cake (Liberty Tree Tavern), ...
... the first being the light alternative for slightly more health-conscious eaters, and the latter being H-E-A-V-E-N wrapped in what feels like 10,000 calories
. Oh dear, and let me not forget the absolutely mouth-watering combination we made of our two desserts at Raglan Road ... Man, I'm just no good at making clear-cut decisions here ...Dessert I could most easily have gone without:
I have to opt for the Grapefruit Cake at the Brown Derby: despite the fact that it was beautiful to behold, it was too much, too sweet and not sour enough for me. Did I mention already that it looked fantastic, though?
Best breakfast:
The Big Kahuna at Kona Cafe: lots of food, very ethnic to us as it seemed so American, and so yummy that we finished it all! (But let me tell you this was a hard decision, what with the pineapple bread at 'Ohana!)
Breakfast I could most easily have gone without:
And once again I have to mention Chef Mickeys the food was not bad, but I was too busy shivering with cold and covering my ears from the din to enjoy the food
.Coming up next: Like I said, there will still be one final post!
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
More great memories
Best server:
We encountered lots of nice servers, and only very few not-so-nice ones (though Raglan Road immediately comes to mind But I won't harp on that one any more!). It is therefore difficult to make a choice - but if I have to choose, I gladly give this award to the outstandingly friendly Brenda at Artist Point.
Oh, and I would like to give an honorary mention to our server at the Coral Reef whom I have never even mentioned during my review, as I just realize
. He was extremely friendly, he was just having a bit of a bad day - at first he dropped a glass at our feet showering our shoes with little glass shards. Then he apologized profusely and we assured him that it was really no big deal. He then proceeded to pour us some coffee and apparently the thermos was not properly closed so he dropped (or rather, threw) a wet plastic thermos lid in my lap. After that, we could hardly get him to stop apologizing. Honestly, if you happen to read this: It was really no big deal and we still like you! )
Nicest ambience:
Needless to say, we dined in lots of pretty, comfy and well-designed restaurants. The greatest Disney ambience we experienced was probably at Tusker House we were so impressed with the décor in the food hall and the dining rooms, it all created a beautiful and perfect illusion of an Africa that is disneyfied and yet realistic.
Best characters:
This would have to be Pooh and Friends at Crystal Palace - because there is nothing like being given a big welcoming hug by Pooh when your holiday has just begun!
Biggest shock:
meeting Prince Charming at 1900 Park Fare
Biggest pity:
feeling horribly ill at Tony's Town Square and having to leave after the appetizer
Best tip I learned:
Should you have something to celebrate, definitely have it mentioned on your reservation! We got such great tables, great service and beautiful little surprises for our honeymoon, of course this didnt happen everywhere and one should never expect too much but it certainly helped letting everybody know about it!
Biggest culture shock:
Ordering a salad and receiving half a head of lettuce
eek at the Sci-Fi-Dine In
Biggest laugh:
There were more romantic than funny moments, but maybe that is normal on a honeymoon. What we did find really funny, in a nice way, was the sweet waitress at the Cape May Cafe.
Most amount of pixie dust:
This is hard to say among all the Mickey confetti, personalized menus, perfectly located tables and complimentary glasses of champagne. I would have to go with the menu we received at the Brown Derby though, where they took our picture and incorporated it in the commemorative menu.
Most magical moment:
This has to be watching Wishes from our table at the California Grill, hand in hand, sipping our complimentary champagne. So wonderfully romantic!
So this was it, this was my trip report.
All that is left for me to say is that yes, it was way too much food, and yes, we felt totally defeated by it.
It was good value for us financially, though: Even though we left one table credit unused, we saved a total of $ 757.00 from what we would have paid out of pocket (to calculate this, I have counted each snack credit as $ 2.50 which is quite realistic since we mostly used them for water bottles).
I realize of course how we would not have ordered so much food had we not been on the Deluxe Dining Plan, and therefore we have not realistically saved quite as much money. But still, you see where I am coming from.
We have found it incredibly nice and relaxed not having to worry about costs since everything apart from tips and alcohol was prepaid, and it was a good thing not having to carry so much cash on us: for every withdrawal at an ATM outside the European Union, we have to pay a % fee so it was cheaper that way, plus I felt safer walking around without much money on us.
We did find our daily schedules to be rather strict with three meals a day to attend at set times, but we also know that we would not be happy with less than 1-2 meals a day, and we are not really into quick service and fast food.
Altogether, these facts have made us decide that we will in fact use the Deluxe Dining Plan again during our next trip. The regular Dining Plan is just not suited to our needs well enough, with not enough table service credits but many counter service credits which we would not be using. Should there ever be a Dining Plan type with 2 TS credits per day and zero CS, that would definitely become our favourite!
Anyway, such a thing does not exist yet unfortunately, so this is how we will go:
We will go on the Deluxe Dining Plan, scheduling a nice dinner every evening since this is really important to us while on holiday. Most often, we will go to signature restaurants and/or dinner shows, thus using up two credits.
For breakfast, we will probably stay in our studio and have just a small breakfast prepared in our kitchenette, except for the 3 or 4 mornings (out of eleven total) where we will go to a breakfast either with our without characters (strongly leaning towards Crystal Palace, Ohana and Kona Cafe here).
For lunch, we will not schedule any meal for most days except maybe once or twice.
All this combined means that we will probably let several credits (definitely more than just the one) go unused this time. We may also skip dessert whenever we feel like it, or split an appetizer instead of ordering one each.
That way, we wont be using the Deluxe Plan to the fullest but will have it tailored exactly to our needs, and still pay only as much or even less that we would if we paid for everything we wanted out of pocket.
So, let me say goodbye to you with a picture of me back in the real world, snacking on non-Disney food: This was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for our connecting flight home to Europe.
Actually, there was one more surprise waiting for me when I got home: Naturally, I had dreaded stepping on my scales for the first time after this deluxe food fest, so I waited for another couple of days until I finally did. And the result was
I had lost 3.5 lb!!!
Gotta be the magic of Disney.
Goodbye everybody!
Best server:
We encountered lots of nice servers, and only very few not-so-nice ones (though Raglan Road immediately comes to mind But I won't harp on that one any more!). It is therefore difficult to make a choice - but if I have to choose, I gladly give this award to the outstandingly friendly Brenda at Artist Point.
Oh, and I would like to give an honorary mention to our server at the Coral Reef whom I have never even mentioned during my review, as I just realize
. He was extremely friendly, he was just having a bit of a bad day - at first he dropped a glass at our feet showering our shoes with little glass shards. Then he apologized profusely and we assured him that it was really no big deal. He then proceeded to pour us some coffee and apparently the thermos was not properly closed so he dropped (or rather, threw) a wet plastic thermos lid in my lap. After that, we could hardly get him to stop apologizing. Honestly, if you happen to read this: It was really no big deal and we still like you! )Nicest ambience:
Needless to say, we dined in lots of pretty, comfy and well-designed restaurants. The greatest Disney ambience we experienced was probably at Tusker House we were so impressed with the décor in the food hall and the dining rooms, it all created a beautiful and perfect illusion of an Africa that is disneyfied and yet realistic.
Best characters:
This would have to be Pooh and Friends at Crystal Palace - because there is nothing like being given a big welcoming hug by Pooh when your holiday has just begun!
Biggest shock:
meeting Prince Charming at 1900 Park Fare
Biggest pity:
feeling horribly ill at Tony's Town Square and having to leave after the appetizer
Best tip I learned:
Should you have something to celebrate, definitely have it mentioned on your reservation! We got such great tables, great service and beautiful little surprises for our honeymoon, of course this didnt happen everywhere and one should never expect too much but it certainly helped letting everybody know about it!
Biggest culture shock:
Ordering a salad and receiving half a head of lettuce
eek at the Sci-Fi-Dine In
Biggest laugh:
There were more romantic than funny moments, but maybe that is normal on a honeymoon
. What we did find really funny, in a nice way, was the sweet waitress at the Cape May Cafe.Most amount of pixie dust:
This is hard to say among all the Mickey confetti, personalized menus, perfectly located tables and complimentary glasses of champagne. I would have to go with the menu we received at the Brown Derby though, where they took our picture and incorporated it in the commemorative menu.
Most magical moment:
This has to be watching Wishes from our table at the California Grill, hand in hand, sipping our complimentary champagne. So wonderfully romantic!
So this was it, this was my trip report.
All that is left for me to say is that yes, it was way too much food, and yes, we felt totally defeated by it.
It was good value for us financially, though: Even though we left one table credit unused, we saved a total of $ 757.00 from what we would have paid out of pocket (to calculate this, I have counted each snack credit as $ 2.50 which is quite realistic since we mostly used them for water bottles).
I realize of course how we would not have ordered so much food had we not been on the Deluxe Dining Plan, and therefore we have not realistically saved quite as much money. But still, you see where I am coming from.
We have found it incredibly nice and relaxed not having to worry about costs since everything apart from tips and alcohol was prepaid, and it was a good thing not having to carry so much cash on us: for every withdrawal at an ATM outside the European Union, we have to pay a % fee so it was cheaper that way, plus I felt safer walking around without much money on us.
We did find our daily schedules to be rather strict with three meals a day to attend at set times, but we also know that we would not be happy with less than 1-2 meals a day, and we are not really into quick service and fast food.
Altogether, these facts have made us decide that we will in fact use the Deluxe Dining Plan again during our next trip. The regular Dining Plan is just not suited to our needs well enough, with not enough table service credits but many counter service credits which we would not be using. Should there ever be a Dining Plan type with 2 TS credits per day and zero CS, that would definitely become our favourite!
Anyway, such a thing does not exist yet unfortunately, so this is how we will go:
We will go on the Deluxe Dining Plan, scheduling a nice dinner every evening since this is really important to us while on holiday. Most often, we will go to signature restaurants and/or dinner shows, thus using up two credits.
For breakfast, we will probably stay in our studio and have just a small breakfast prepared in our kitchenette, except for the 3 or 4 mornings (out of eleven total) where we will go to a breakfast either with our without characters (strongly leaning towards Crystal Palace, Ohana and Kona Cafe here).
For lunch, we will not schedule any meal for most days except maybe once or twice.
All this combined means that we will probably let several credits (definitely more than just the one) go unused this time. We may also skip dessert whenever we feel like it, or split an appetizer instead of ordering one each.
That way, we wont be using the Deluxe Plan to the fullest but will have it tailored exactly to our needs, and still pay only as much or even less that we would if we paid for everything we wanted out of pocket.
So, let me say goodbye to you with a picture of me back in the real world, snacking on non-Disney food: This was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for our connecting flight home to Europe.
Actually, there was one more surprise waiting for me when I got home: Naturally, I had dreaded stepping on my scales for the first time after this deluxe food fest, so I waited for another couple of days until I finally did. And the result was
I had lost 3.5 lb!!!
Gotta be the magic of Disney.
Goodbye everybody!
Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
Thanks for the review and the detailed final thoughts!
Just one tip: I have found that it was worth getting an account with DKB which comes with a free Visa card that does not charge for withdrawals at ATMs outside of Germany. I use that for all my travel needs!
Just one tip: I have found that it was worth getting an account with DKB which comes with a free Visa card that does not charge for withdrawals at ATMs outside of Germany. I use that for all my travel needs!
sue and co
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
A fantastic report, thank you for sharing. I do hope that you decide to do one later in the year and I will look out for it.
annichan
There's a platypus controlling me, he's underneath
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
Thanks for the review and the detailed final thoughts!
Just one tip: I have found that it was worth getting an account with DKB which comes with a free Visa card that does not charge for withdrawals at ATMs outside of Germany. I use that for all my travel needs!
Thank you all so much for your nice words, and I am happy that you have enjoyed my reviews! I will now happily delve into planning our next trip, and let you hear all about our dining adventures afterwards!
princessallegra
They call me Mrs. Disney
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
Danke!!!! What amazing reviews!!!!!!!!!!!! So informative and helpful. What an amazing honeymoon you had!! Very exciting that you get to go back! We were in Disney for part of our honeymoon too last June, but I was sick almost the whole time! BOO! We are now going back for our 1 year anniversary Thanks again for your reviews. We're trying many of the same places: Narcoossee's, Yak and Yeti, Artist Point (been once before loved it!), Yachtsman, Crystal Palace (first character meal together!). We will also be trying Jiko, so check out my report for that one!!!! 
Thanks again for your reviews. We're trying many of the same places: Narcoossee's, Yak and Yeti, Artist Point (been once before loved it!), Yachtsman, Crystal Palace (first character meal together!). We will also be trying Jiko, so check out my report for that one!!!! 
EKW
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2010
EKW
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2010
You should still give it a try. Has your DH never eaten somewhere he didn't really want to go just because you did? Hmmm?
When it comes to SAI, I would go and only have a drink...enjoy the cool air...then get some real food from a CS somewhere else.
My experience with the SAI is that you can't get a worse meal. Stale bagged chips...at a Mexican restaurant? Tastless, textureless entrees, and a kid's meal so bad that my ds was in tears.
You can soak up the ambiance there from the Plaza area...the atmosphere at the tables (so crowded our waitress couldn't get to us without running a maze pattern) and the lousy food are worth skipping!
I just found this post and enjoyed it so much I read it all in one sitting. I started sometime after the weather (11:15) and its now 1:47am. It was all just that good. If the lobster didn't taste divine it wasn't Maine lobster. Try it again sometime- you will love it.
Based in part on your and other people's reviews I only booked my husband daughter and I 2 meals per day on the deluxe dining plan. And yes wine in this country is expensive if you are used to European prices. I "accidentally" spent 8 almost 9 months in Europe and was shocked- just shocked- at how cheap really good wine is there. The butter and milk is better there too. I don't know why. We won't even go into the chocolate.
My husband isn't going to be happy. I'm going to take food pictures too! I never realized people did this until I started trying to figure out what to do- our first trip is August 2010.
I guess if you come late to the party you don't have to wait almost a year to get the whole dining report.
Based in part on your and other people's reviews I only booked my husband daughter and I 2 meals per day on the deluxe dining plan. And yes wine in this country is expensive if you are used to European prices. I "accidentally" spent 8 almost 9 months in Europe and was shocked- just shocked- at how cheap really good wine is there. The butter and milk is better there too. I don't know why. We won't even go into the chocolate.
My husband isn't going to be happy. I'm going to take food pictures too! I never realized people did this until I started trying to figure out what to do- our first trip is August 2010.
I guess if you come late to the party you don't have to wait almost a year to get the whole dining report.
wdwobsessed
Work hard, Play hard. :)
- Joined
- May 11, 2001
I usually skim through reports or only read about the places I plan on going to the next trip ... but I really enjoyed yours and read the whole thing!
Well done!
Well done!
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