The Deluxe Dining that defeated us ...a German perspective! (FINISHED!)

[annichan]

I only just noticed that my dining report has found new readers and comments, even though it had already sunk back a few pages in the forum. How nice to see that it is still interesting to people, and helps some plan their itineraries!

I have just recently made all my ADRs for our next trip which is now only a bit over five months away (I'm so excited! ). We will revisit many of our old favourites (like the California Grill, the Coral Reef and Yak & Yeti), but also trying out many new locations that I am very much looking forward to (such as Jiko, Teppan Edo, Sanaa, and even the one likely to cause the biggest culture shock of all: the Hoop-De--Doo Revue! ).

I would be happy to see some of you around for that next dining report!

Loved and appreciated the time taken to do all the reviews. Also loved your perspective from outside the US!

PaCricket

Thank you! It was such fun writing them!

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!!!!

Oh, I am so sorry to hear that you were sick on your honeymoon - here's keeping my fingers crossed that you will fare better on the next trip. Have a great trip, and I will be looking for your dining report!

My kids ARE the loud noises!

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!

Yes, while I totally agree with the message that the post you commented on is trying to get across (that being, if your DH wants to try something even if you don't, go for it and give the poor guy a chance to influence at least one little part of the planning ) I also agree with you - we definitely won't be dining at SAI again! Then again ... I heard that they now have a new tequila bar there, so THAT might be a reason to visit again!

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.

Thank you for reading, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes, in this case it WAS a good idea to come late to the party - I will try to be quicker with my reviews next time around! (And with the new 3-month policy, I will HAVE to ... Uh-oh ...)

And one more thing: Yes, thank you for "not even going into the chocolate" in Europe, I am desperately trying to lose a bit of weight for the cruise and all !

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!

Wow, thank you! You guys are all really nice and encouraging! I admit that it would have been easier for me (and probably wittier) if I had written my report in German, but this still worked out so much better that I feared it might. Danke fürs Lesen, everybody - "thanks for reading"!

 

[lorac4disney]

What a great review! I just spent all morning reading the entire thing from start to finish. It was wonderful.

Congratulations on your upcoming cruise! I do hope we get a dining review on that as well.

 

[kvogel11202]

Since I arrived very late to the party I can make my comments all at once! What a wonderful trip report! It's always interesting to see what people from outside the US think about some of our "ways"! Ok- i've been saving up- so bear with me!
1- yes, you put maple syrup on the mickey waffles- butter as well!
2- jam or jelly on the biscuits- otherwise they are SUPER dry!
3- the only Lobster that is truly good is Maine lobster- it is from the cold waters here up north and just the best! The meat is tender and sweet, and the butter is an accent, not used to cover the bland flavorless carribean (warm water) Lobster.
4- New England Clam chowder is supposed to be creamy, so your spoon standing up was good. It can be salty, as it has bacon, clams and potatoes in it. And as someone else said- the oyster crackers in the package is how we serve them up here, so it was more "authentic" - though I can see where that would come off cheap !!

I love dining at Disney and your report was a great read!! We are taking my son to Germany next summer for his birthday (Munich, Stuttgart and Bertchesgaden ) and I'm sure I'll be as confused by some of those items as you guys were by some of ours!!

 

[Hayley94]

Anyway, back once more to our final breakfast (which makes me hear the song “The final countdown” by Scandinavian band Europe all the time, only slightly changed to “It’s the final breakfaaast …”. Does any of you guys know this song, which was hugely popular in Germany in the Eighties? Anyway, I’m digressing again).

I LOVE THAT SONG!!!! ( I also love your breakfast adaption!!!)

Absolutely incredibly wonderful report, it was a mouth-watering joy to read, danke!!! are you planning another dining report for your next trip to WDW/Cruise? I really hope you will write one, because i'm kinda sad there is no more of this one to read
Hayley

 

[EKW]

I completely enjoyed your revues! One thought: girl, the reason you didn't get to see everything in two weeks is because you spent half your time in restaurants, lol!

My family doesn't eat enough to make any dining plan worth it for us, but, I have to admit, I do get a bit jealous when I see some of those yummy spendy dinners that I can't justify paying out of pocket for, lol!

I'll be looking for your next trip review!

 

[allshookup]

I just read your whole dining report from beginning to end! It was very entertaining & a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. I agree with others that the lobster tail is most definitely warm water lobster & therefor naturally tough & tasteless. I doubt that they are serving anything but fresh seafood, but I could be wrong. The New England lobster we get up north is sweet & tender & I hope you get a chance to try it someday. California Grill is also a favorite of ours, and a must do every trip. Your English is impeccable & yes we do say that we've had so much of something that it is coming out of our ears, so not just a German expression. Enjoy your next trip!

 

[annichan]

Hi everybody and thank you for all the nice comments - I cannot say enough about how much fun it has been writing this all, and how much fun it is reading all your responses, too!

What a great review! I just spent all morning reading the entire thing from start to finish. It was wonderful.

Congratulations on your upcoming cruise! I do hope we get a dining review on that as well.

Thank you! Well yes, I do plan to extend my next dining review to the cruise as well, if I'm not too dazzled and blown away by all that's going on on the cruise and forget to take notes or pictures (I mean, this is going to be my first cruise EVER! I don't think I have ever been that excited before in my entire life ... Apart from before my wedding, obviously ... )

Since I arrived very late to the party I can make my comments all at once! What a wonderful trip report! It's always interesting to see what people from outside the US think about some of our "ways"! Ok- i've been saving up- so bear with me!
1- yes, you put maple syrup on the mickey waffles- butter as well!
2- jam or jelly on the biscuits- otherwise they are SUPER dry!
3- the only Lobster that is truly good is Maine lobster- it is from the cold waters here up north and just the best! The meat is tender and sweet, and the butter is an accent, not used to cover the bland flavorless carribean (warm water) Lobster.
4- New England Clam chowder is supposed to be creamy, so your spoon standing up was good. It can be salty, as it has bacon, clams and potatoes in it. And as someone else said- the oyster crackers in the package is how we serve them up here, so it was more "authentic" - though I can see where that would come off cheap !!
I love dining at Disney and your report was a great read!! We are taking my son to Germany next summer for his birthday (Munich, Stuttgart and Bertchesgaden ) and I'm sure I'll be as confused by some of those items as you guys were by some of ours!!

Thank you for all the interesting comments! I will definitely try maple syrup on the mickey waffles. I am sure some German food will seem really "ethnic" to you when you come here, but I hope you will have a great holiday nevertheless - Viel Spass in Deutschland (have fun in Germany)!

I LOVE THAT SONG!!!! ( I also love your breakfast adaption!!!)
Absolutely incredibly wonderful report, it was a mouth-watering joy to read, danke!!! are you planning another dining report for your next trip to WDW/Cruise? I really hope you will write one, because i'm kinda sad there is no more of this one to read
Hayley

Thank you, what a nice compliment! Like I said, I shall TRY to make a dining report on the cruise, but I most definitely WILL write one on the WDW stay!

I completely enjoyed your revues! One thought: girl, the reason you didn't get to see everything in two weeks is because you spent half your time in restaurants, lol!

I'll be looking for your next trip review!

You are so right! I hope it will be better next time, as we have learned from our prior mistakes and are ONLY planning two sit-down meals a day and never three! (I know, that's really going to give us heaps and heaps more time if we "only" spend like four hours a day at the table )

I just read your whole dining report from beginning to end! It was very entertaining & a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. I agree with others that the lobster tail is most definitely warm water lobster & therefor naturally tough & tasteless. I doubt that they are serving anything but fresh seafood, but I could be wrong. The New England lobster we get up north is sweet & tender & I hope you get a chance to try it someday. California Grill is also a favorite of ours, and a must do every trip. Your English is impeccable & yes we do say that we've had so much of something that it is coming out of our ears, so not just a German expression. Enjoy your next trip!

Thank you for the nice comment on my English - writing this report has helped me learn a lot of new expressions! And should I ever get to New England (which I would love to do some day!), I will definitely try the glorious lobster you and others have been telling me so many good things about!

 

[marcus.ka]

Danke für diesen tollen Trip Report.

I just discovered your Trip Report a few days ago and then I started reading.

Right from the beginning I loved your trip report and I thought “What a nice and lovely couple!”
But then I came to the part where you skipped Fantasmic and I was in shock. I could never imagine to skip Fantasmic; not for a great meal or a meet and greet with Belle or even my beloved Tower of Terror.
Fantasmic was the first thing (combined with Wishes) I dreamed about the second night we arrived back home!

But then I thought: OK, give them another chance and I continued reading. And so I did, until I reached the point were you wrote that you DH didn’t like the Grand Floridian. THE most beautiful hotel in the world!
I would have understood if you would have left him immediately.



OK, now to be a little bit more serious:

Thank you for this great report. I really loved it.

But can I make one real suggestion: As much as I love these food and dining trip reports I would love to see more pictures of the interior of the restaurants. Because although the food is very important to me, the setting, the theming and the look of a restaurant are also essential.

Dankeschön!!!

 

[arilvdc]

I just read all of your reviews and I have to say THANK YOU!! You ate at many of the same places we have planned for our trip and now I don't regret any of our choices. Awesome, excellent writing, and great pictures!

 

[annichan]

Yay, new replies! And one comes from a fellow German:

I just discovered your Trip Report a few days ago and then I started reading.
Right from the beginning I loved your trip report and I thought “What a nice and lovely couple!”
But then I came to the part where you skipped Fantasmic and I was in shock. I could never imagine to skip Fantasmic; not for a great meal or a meet and greet with Belle or even my beloved Tower of Terror.
Fantasmic was the first thing (combined with Wishes) I dreamed about the second night we arrived back home!

See, this is where we will get back into your good graces this year: Fantasmic Dinner Package at the Brown Derby is booked again, and this time I solemnly vow I shall let neither food nor princess nor ride stop me from seeing Fantasmic

But then I thought: OK, give them another chance and I continued reading. And so I did, until I reached the point were you wrote that you DH didn’t like the Grand Floridian. THE most beautiful hotel in the world!
I would have understood if you would have left him immediately.

Nah, he'd have to do more things wrong than just disliking the GF. Like, disliking Disney World . (Just kidding, honey, the thought would never even cross my mind )

But can I make one real suggestion: As much as I love these food and dining trip reports I would love to see more pictures of the interior of the restaurants. Because although the food is very important to me, the setting, the theming and the look of a restaurant are also essential.

This is a really good idea actually, I will try to do that more in my next dining report!

I just read all of your reviews and I have to say THANK YOU!! You ate at many of the same places we have planned for our trip and now I don't regret any of our choices. Awesome, excellent writing, and great pictures!

Thank you for the nice compliments! It was great fun writing this report!

 

[marcus.ka]

Thank you for your feedback.

Are you allready planing another trip?

 

[TheNewMrsB]

What great reviews! We will also be dining at the Coral Reef, Flying Fish and Artist Point for the first time next month, and are already big fans of Narcoosee's, Cali Grill and Yachtsman's (not to mention DH's obsession with The Big Kahuna!), so I've had a terrific time going through your reports of your meals there.

I simply cannot believe you LOST WEIGHT! I'm so jealous. But I also have an addiction to the cookies at the Polynesian and have a bad habit of picking up one...or two...in the afternoon. Can't imagine why I always gain a few pounds... haha

I have to say, I'm disappointed that the tuna tartare is no longer on the menu at FF . I'm drooling over your picture/description! Maybe they'll put it back on...they have 7 weeks to do so! Fingers crossed!

 

[franandaj]

I'm subbing so I can catch up later! love your review so far!

 

[Patti Q]

I am subbing so I can read later!

 

[AshClan]

I'm very very late to the party, but wanted to let you know that I have lurked through this whole report, some when you were writing it, and the last few chapters just this past week, and I LOVED every minute of it. I hope you know that we all appreciate what hard work it is to write such a detailed report, and you did a stellar job!!! I loved all the photos, the ratings, and the final thoughts. And, yes, I am surprised that more readers didn't comment on your excellent command of the English language.

GREAT, GREAT JOB!!!!

Congratulations on your upcoming cruise/WDW trip! I hope you have as wonderful a trip as you did last time, and look forward to hearing all about it!!

 

[Rekenna]

With the omelet came an unsweetened muffin type of thing called a Buttermilk Biscuit that I tried but did not finish, as it did not do much for me.

Them's fightin words where I come from! If you ever come to Kentucky, we eat biscuits at about every meal with everything...I think that was one of the funniest things I have read in a really long time.

BTW-Lovin' your reviews. I wanted to say your written English is very nice-so please no worries there! Most English speaking people I know cannot write or speak English properly-so you are a way above the standard!

You are doing a great job and you and DH looke like a really nice couple!