The fantastic 10 day dining plan trip with NO WEIGHT GAIN!!*finishedOct.23*

[CJK]

Ahhh the dining plan!!!! It doesn't get any better than that!!! It is so much fun feeling free to experiment and try different things without worrying so much about the cost. I guess they call it Fantasyland for a reason!

With all the food we were eating (meals and snacks), I was convinced I was going to come home weighing 10lbs but heavier........but I actually broke even!!!! Two days after arriving back home, I actually dropped 2lbs. I'm still in shock!!!

I'll quickly list our table service and counter service restaurants so you'll know what's comin'! We rated each table service restaurant as well.
Table Service Restaurants (all for dinner)
Boma
Kona Cafe
Coral Reef
Artist Point
Le Cellier
Narcoossee's
Wolfgang Puck Cafe
Concourse Steakhouse
Planet Hollywood

Counterservice Restaurants
Flame tree Barbecue
Cosmic Ray's
Sunshine Seasons
Pop Century Foodcourt (lunch and breakfast)
Toy Story Pizza Planet
Pepper Market
Old Port Royale
Mara
Tangierine Cafe
Wolfgang Puck Express

I'll also throw in a few snacks. We took advantage of the new snack possibilities. We bought boxes of cookies, fudge, milkshakes, sundaes, and HEAVENLY made-to-order rice krispie treats from downtown disney and much much more!!

Feel free to ask any questions. I'm quite willing to relive this trip as much as I can!!!

Our cast consists of two adults in their early 30's. We were there for 10 glorious days. We're fairly adventurous eaters, but we also enjoy the old stand-bys too. I called it 10 days of a wonderful holiday while dh called it 10 days of glorious GOOD EATIN'!!! Feel free to ask any questions. Here we go!!!!

 

[susieq76]

*gets popcorn* Okay, I'm ready for the reviews! Yummy!

 

[CJK]

Day One

Counterservice Lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue in Animal Kingdom
We had just arrived and noticed that we were going to need a little time to adjust to the heat! We had just spent a couple days camping waaay up north in the cold weather, so we were not used to this heat! We decided to share a meal here. The counter lines were pretty busy (it was around 12:30pm), but they moved quickly. We decided to get the 1/2 Slab of St. Louis Ribs which came with baked beans and corn. We found a shaded table right by the water. It was wonderful! The ribs weren't the best we've had, but they were certainly still enjoyable. While sitting by the water, a boat went by with various characters on it, singing away and clowning around. It was our official welcome to Disney! We also enjoyed some water and the lite lemonade which was actually pretty good. We shared the key lime pie for dessert. I was surprised by how good the pie was. As we were still not very hungry due to heat, we were satisfied with sharing this meal. It was a great start to our day.

Snacks
Mid afternoon, we got a hankering for a smoothie! I checked my trusty "snack list" from the disboards and decided to try the smoothies from Tamu Tamu Refreshments. Dh got one of the fruity smoothies while I got cappuccino flavour. We sat at some nearby tables and enjoyed some African music entertainment. Both smoothies were $3.79 and were quite good. They were of good size and perfectly hit the spot on a hot afternoon!

Boma Restaurant in Animal Kingdom Lodge
This was one of only two repeat restaurants for us (the other being Le Cellier). We had eaten here several years ago and really enjoyed it. This trip was no different. We were seated 5 minutes after checking in and were lucky enough to get a window table for 2. We had a wonderful female server who explained the various buffet sections to us. She took our beverage orders (I ordered rootbeer and dh ordered lemonade). We immediately went to the buffet! Oh the glorious smells and sights! The gentleman who was cutting the prime rib that night got a kick out of my excitement. I guess it was quite apparent how happy I was to be there, so he good naturedly teased me about how much he appreciated my enthusiasm for the food! We agreed that we had, "shared a special moment together". I wish I had gotten his name now!

We enjoyed Boma as much as last time. Some cuts of meat were cooked to perfection and seasoned well. However, other meats (ie. the prime rib that night) was surprisingly bland. The seafood curry soup I had, however, was the best I've ever had. I had to go back up for seconds! As we were enjoying our dinner, our waitress continued to check on us and refill our beverages. Dessert was fantastic. Although, I must admit that I basically limited myself to two Zebra domes and fresh fruit!! Why waste room on something when there were more Zebra domes to be had? Between the fresh pineapple and zebra domes.......I was delirious!

Once our meal had ended, our waitress offered to get us some smoothies in to-go cups. We were very surprised because we had already had our beverages with this meal, but she insisted that they'd be covered on the dining plan. We were admittedly quite full, but decided to take her up on the offer anyway. Were we glad we did b/c they were the BEST smoothies of the trip (and we had a lot!!). I had mango and dh had raspberry. The flavours were very powerful and blended perfectly. I didn't think I'd have room to eat it all, but somehow I managed! It was magical finishing our smoothies while wandering around the resort.

Dh and I gave this meal a B+ each.

Tomorrow: Cosmic Ray's, snacks (fudge) and Kona Cafe

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent start ~ Can't wait to read more.

 

[deltachi8]

Nice review of Boma - sounds like we may have had the same server by your description - very helpful and attentive indeed.

 

[Buzzandthemermaid]

Thanks for the reviews.

 

[dixiedizfan]

Great reviews so far ... can't wait for the rest! And by the way, I totally understand about you not gaining any weight. WDW is the only place I can go and eat like a horse and not gain anything ... I guess walking for miles all day around the parks burns all those calories up.

 

[chobie]

Um, I hate you. I always gain weight, even though we usually only go for quick 2-3 day trips. It always comes right off though. I think its water weight because I never use salt in my foods at home and cook from scratch most of the time, so I'm thinking my body is just not used to the salt content of restaruant meals. Or maybe its all those margaritas and pina coladas...


Great review BTW, I love Boma too.

 

[Schucraig]

Great reviews so far! I can't wait for more!

 

[Local_Girl]

Enjoying your reviews and looking forward to more!

 

[KatGarcia]

Loving the reviews.. and am equally excited about Boma!!!

 

[shovan]

Great Review! Can't wait for the rest! Were you able to do all of this on the dining plan? With 2 signature restaurants?!

 

[CJK]

Thanks everyone!! I forgot how HUNGRY dining reports make me!! I WANNA GO BACK!!!

Day 2

Snack
Okay, I admit to have been DREAMING about this one for months. I couldn't wait to get my fill of fudge from the candy shop in MGM Studios. I wasn't sure if the a snack credit would cover it or not, but was THRILLED to find that it did. I practically ran people down as I ran into the store and picked out my beloved turtle fudge. I bit into it........and the world stood still. Quite honestly, something really shouldn't taste that good! I fully intended on only having a few bites and saving the rest for later, but before I knew it, I had wolfed down the entire thing. Fantastic doesn't even begin to describe it.

Lunch at Cosmic Rays in Magic Kingdom
Was it ever crowded!! I had to circle the restaurant 4 or 5 times before I could get us a table. It was mobbed! We had never eaten here before, and I'm wondering if crowds was the reason why. We decided to share again today, since I was still pretty full from my snack! We shared the half chicken/ribs combo which came with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. We were surprised by how good it was. The potatoes and veggies were terrific - with just the right amount of seasoning to bring it up a notch. The chicken was typical, but the ribs were quite tasty. Dh was glad I was too full to eat much, because he really enjoyed everything. We enjoyed the chocolate cake for dessert as well. It was a good meal, but due to how busy and noisy it was, we were quite anxious to leave. People were hovering around our table as well in hopes of grabbing it.

Dinner at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian hotel
I was very excited about eating here. I had heard of this restaurant for years, but never actually ate there. Just like Boma, we were seated within 5 minutes of checking in. We were pleasantly surprised with our table as it was a booth for 2 and very comfortable. Our waitress was very pleasant and explained the dining plan to us and what we were allowed to order. Dh started his meal with a raspberry smoothie (sensing a theme here? ) and I had a virgin pina colada. Both were excellent.

I was anxiously awaiting the infamous Kona Cafe crabcakes. They didn't disappoint. They were very, very good, not to mention filling. There were only 3 of them, but I couldn't quite get through the third if I still wanted to enjoy my entree! Dh had the kona salad. He said it was good - nothing fantastic, but good nonetheless. For our entrees, I had the turkey medallions (wrapped in bacon). I really liked it, but I must admit that I was feeling too full to REALLY love it. Dh had the filet mignon. He said it was good, but not as flavourful as he would have liked.

Here's where I tell you how......ahem.....strange my husband can really be. There was NOTHING on the dessert menu that interested him! He doesn't really like pastries/bread type things and prefers fruit and/or ice cream. Well, they didn't have any on the menu. Me on the other hand, liked ALL of the desserts so I had a difficult time choosing. I finally decided on the banana creme brulee. AMAZING!!! I was really too full to eat it, but I certainly gave it my all. It was devine!! So what did dh order? He asked me what my second choice would have been, and he ordered that!! Nice guy huh? His loss, my gain! He ordered the lava cake. It was quite delicious (the bite I had of it anyway). Dh almost ate it all, but said he didn't like it too much. I don't think there was anything wrong with the cake, his dislike of it had more to do with his dislike of cake in general!

Our rating of this restaurant differed from each other. Dh gave it a B+, while I gave it an A++! I just loved everything I had. As I sit here, feeling hungry, I wish like mad I could eat the rest of my meal NOW that I didn't have room for then!

Tomorrow:
Sunshine Seasons for lunch, and Coral Reef for dinner

 

[CJK]

Great Review! Can't wait for the rest! Were you able to do all of this on the dining plan? With 2 signature restaurants?!

Thanks! Yes, all of these meals were on the dining plan. We shared a few counter service meals which allowed us to spread our eating out a bit. We didn't set out to share, but I was just too full to eat so much food each day. It was fun being able to go to so many places!

 

[chobie]

Yes, they do have the best fudge don't they? I love the peanutbutter/marshmallow fluff fudge.

 

[El Tel]

Two days after arriving back home, I actually dropped 2lbs.

The DDP plan - sounds like my kind of diet

I hope it works for me too!

 

[Schucraig]

I can't wait to go to Kona! I am also going to Coral Reef, I can't wait to hear your review!

 

[CJK]

Lunch at Sunshine Seasons Food Court in the Land Building in Epcot
On this our third day of the dining plan, we had learned a couple things. The first, is that we were going to try to have our lunches BEFORE 12pm to avoid the massive crowds at the counter service restaurants. Secondly, eating earlier will, HOPEFULLY, give us time to feel hungry for dinner. We arrived at 11:30am and the crowds looked great! We both decided to go for the Asian food (Two Entree Items and Two Sides each). I can't remember exactly what each item was, but there were noodles, chicken, beef and lots of veggies involved. We each got a chocolate milk to drink and decided to go for ice cream for dessert. We asked the cashier if we could get our ice cream after eating our entrees. We had to decide what dessert we wanted before we eat our main course. She stamped our receipt and told us to come back when we were finished our entrees.

We had no problem finding a table. Our lunch was pretty good. It wasn't the best Asian food we've ever had, but it was flavourful with lots of veggies. The serving sizes were HUGE. I couldn't eat it all.........yet I had to get a waffle cone now? Dh ended up finishing my lunch AND chocolate milk so that I could muster up ANY room that I had left for the waffle cone. I decided on cookies & cream ice cream (two gigantic scoops!!) in a waffle cone. Dh got strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone. Well, normally I would have loved every bite and would have gone back for more! But today, I was full before I even started eating it. I felt TERRIBLE not being able to enjoy it. I do wonder now if I could have gone back an hour later, rather than right after lunch? The quality of the ice cream and cones were terrific. But sadly, I actually had to throw my cone into the garbage. I felt guilty about the food waste but now as I sit here......I could cry! I'd do anything to be able to eat that cone now!!! Dh managed to eat all of his!

Snack: Wine & Food Festival Sicillion sausage pizza
Despite my feeling full from lunch, I just couldn't walk by this pizza at the Italy booth! It smelled amazing and was a pretty good size. I did enjoy the sausage itself, but the pizza overall was pretty cool in temperature and it tasted like it had been sitting there for a while. Still, I loved being able to use our snack credit at the Wine & Food festival!

Coral Reef in the Living Seas in Epcot
We had a 5pm ADR for Coral Reef. This was our first time here, so we were excited. Well, me moreso than dh since he doesn't like seafood! He was humouring me by going. I was surprised at how busy it was at 5pm. We waited 10-15min. before being seated. We did request a window seat, but none were available. However, our table was just one table away from the window seat. The aquarium was so much fun to watch!

Our waiter was quite overwhelmed with how busy he was so he kept telling us how unprofessional the hostess was being for seating so many tables in his section at the same time. I sort of thought it was unprofessional of HIM to be complaining to us, but anyway..... We were not allowed any speciality drinks on the dining plan here. That was fine anyway, since I probably wouldn't have room for one anyway! We both settled on the lite lemonade which is actually quite good.

I had the crab legs appetizer which was quite good. Dh had the caesar salad. He said it was fine, but nothing special. I was really looking forward to the shrimp pasta entree but was quite disappointed. The shrimp itself was plentiful and quite good, but the pasta was soooo bland and oily. I just ate the shrimp and maybe a few bites of the pasta. What a disappointment. Dh liked his New York steak much better - quite tender. I was relieved! For dessert, dh was in the same situation as he was at Kona Cafe. Nothing really interested him! We finally decided to get the butterscotch creme brulee and chocolate wave dessert that we had heard so much about. The chocolate wave was quite similar to the lava cake at Kona Cafe. It was pretty good, but not dh's cup of tea. The butterscotch creme brulee was good, but not as good as the banana creme brulee from the night before.

The food may have been a slight disappointment for me, but watching the aquarium and the divers was so much fun. One diver put a starfish on his face and pretended that the starfish was attacking him! It was hilarious. We also had a great conversation with the table beside us. There were some sting rays in the aquarium which made us think about Steve Irwin.

In short, it was an enjoyable meal. Dh gave it a B+ while I gave it a B. If it weren't for the view and crab legs, I would have given it a lower review.

Tomorrow includes Planet Hollywood, Ghiradelli's, Goofy's Candy Co. AMAZING make-your-own treats, MNSSHP

 

[Disney owl]

great reviews thanks

 

[CJK]

Day 4

Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney
Since we booked the dining package, we also received a gift certificate for Planet Hollywood. We were planning two Signature restaurants for this trip, so it made sense for us to use the gift certificate on one of our "off" days. We had been to other Planet Hollywood's, but never to this location. We had our ADR for 2pm on the day of the Halloween party. Since 2pm isn't peak time, we quickly realized we didn't need our reservation. We were seated immediately on the main floor. Our waiter was very nice and explained what we were eligible for with the gift certificate. Dh decided to order the BBQ bacon cheddar burger platter (with fries) with a lemonade (the pink kind rather than the lite he'd been having). I ordered the world famous chicken crunch chicken fingers appetizer as my entree. We were pleasantly surprised. Dh considers himself a burger Aficionado and he really liked his burger. The pink lemonade really hit the spot as well. I also enjoyed my appetizer very much. It was the perfect quantity for me, since I had been eating soooo much so far this trip. It was quite loud, however, so it was a bit difficult having a conversation. The tables were so close together too, so that the guy behind me kept ramming into my chair. It could have been an accident, or maybe he was just trying to get closer to me.

Our waiter didn't make us feel like second-class citizens for using the certificate at all (as I have heard some people say). After lunch, we got our free key chain with the other gift certificate and walked around the restaurant enjoying the movie paraphernalia. Our waiter even recommended that we go to the 2nd and 3rd floor as well. I was THRILLED to see the wedding dress from Father of the Bride - one of my favourite movies ever! I also loved watching the Thriller video on the big screen. Ah memories!

We enjoyed our Planet Hollywood experience, though we admitted that it didn't have that Disney "feel" to it that we had been experiencing so far this trip. Dh only gave it a C+ rating, while I gave it a B-. Still, we had fun nonetheless and for ONCE, I was glad to walk out without feeling full!

Ghiradelli's for ice cream sundaes at Downtown Disney
Okay I admit it. I didn't eat much at Planet Hollywood because I was saving room for my beloved Ghiradelli's sundae!!! Prior to our trip, I had printed the 2for1 coupon for hot fudge sundaes. We were excited to put them to use. However, dh would prefer a strawberry sundae but we didn't know if we'd be allowed to get anything other than hot fudge since it specifically read hot fudge on the coupon. We arrived at around 3:30pm and were surprised by the lack of crowds. Dh asked if he could get a strawberry sundae with the coupon and they said yes!! He was happy and I was happy too because I didn't want to share this time! We found an indoor table and anxiously waited for our sundaes. They arrived in good time and they were HUGE!! I'm VERY excited to report that it was every bit as good as I hoped it would be and I almost ate the entire thing!! I hadn't been able to finish anything yet this trip, but give me a Ghiradelli sundae and I'm a new woman! Dh really enjoyed his as well and said the strawberry sauce was just the perfect amount of sweetness. My hot fudge was pure heaven. 'Nuf said!

Made-to-Order Rice Krispie Treat at Goofy's Candy Co. in Downtown DisneyOkay, I had read about this on the disboards but it really has to be seen to be believed. You know those Mickey rice krispie treats with chocolate on the ears that you see in all the resorts and theme parks? Well, they have them here too. The difference, is that you can get MORE toppings on it if you want. No - I don't mean a few drizzles here in there, but ENORMOUS amounts of your favourite toppings. Here's my experience with it!

A young teenage guy was laughing at how excited I was to be there. I think my excitement may have influenced how hard he worked on my treat! You fill out a little form detailing what toppings you'd like on your rice krispie treat (or pretzels, or cookie, etc...). Well, after pondering the list for a few minutes and salivating all the while, I decided on the following. First, he dipped the ENTIRE Mickey rice krispie treat into milk chocolate and swooshed it around a bit. He was watching my eyes dancing while I watched! Next, he shoved the rice krispie treat into a HUGE bin of crushed m&m's. No exaggeration. He let it sit there for a few minutes so as to let the m&m's harden to the rice krispie treat. When he lifted the rice krispie treat out of the bin, it had literally DOUBLED in size. But were we done yet? Nope!

Next, he drizzled some warm caramel sauce on the front followed by a coat of white chocolate for good measure. Aye aye aye! It was official: I was in love! He put it in the fridge for a few minutes to harden and then voila, my perfect treat was finished! It was so big, that he had to put it in a box as there was no way it would fit in the plastic baggie anymore! Allllllll of this was considered one snack credit on the dining plan!

Although I wanted to dive into it right away, I refrained and waited until I actually felt hunger. I ended up eating it over the next couple of days (I admit to wondering if it was too sweet, but when you only eat a little bit at a time, it's still quite good). In fact, I loved it so much that I ended up getting another one to bring home (which is already gone too)!! It was DEFINITELY the best snack of the trip for me!

We had planned on getting a counter service meal at the Halloween party to share that night, but we found that we were too busy enjoying the party to remember to eat.

Tomorrow:
Our Anniversary!! Lunch at Pop Century food court and dinner at Artist Point