The Flip-Flop Trip: A first attempt to report our dining

[alex9179]

Welcome to my first dining report!



My name is Alex. We're a family of five and have been to WDW a few times since our first family trip in 2012. My husband, Billy, decided to stay home for this one so it was just the kids and me. Alexis is 15, Bryson 14, and LT 11. Their palates have been challenged over the years because I became extremely bored with the same 'ole meals every week. I try different cookbooks and cuisines, often, and they're always game to try it all.

I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures due to hunger, exhaustion, forgetfulness...you know, typical Disney trip symptoms!
This is our first trip using the dining plan. Previously, I would get an annual pass and TiW for myself (scheming for two trips within the year). Those, along with the Disney Visa discount, suited our eating style and saved a bit of money. When Visa released a free dining promotion this year, I impetuously booked a trip for August 1-6. Another day was added when Visa offered a room at the new Gran Destino tower. For 7 days, I "flipped" our usual dining style. Was it a "flop"? We'll see!
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[poppinsmomof2]

Sounds fun! I can’t wait to follow along!

 

[mom2cgj]

Can't wait to hear your experiences!

 

[alex9179]

7/31-8/1
1900 Park Fare and MK snacks

Our trip starts dark and early at 430 am. I decided to drive from the Houston area, aaaaallll the way to Orlando, in one day. I don't advise this. Being a cruel mom, I severely limited fluids so that we didn't have to stop for a bathroom every hour. 15 hours later, we arrive at an offsite hotel for the night. It was fine and we were able to sleep in before eating a decent complimentary breakfast to start CHECK-IN DAY at AKL with Villains After Hours later that evening.
I did online check-in a few weeks before and eagerly awaited our room assignment text while we enjoyed the pool before our ADR at 1900 Park Fare at 4pm. Given our timing, no text appeared so we ended up having to change in the pool restrooms and start the trek to the Grand Floridian to marry off my sons.
The kids had no idea it was a character meal, or that we were going to the after-hours event! Now, we're not really into characters and rarely try to meet them. However, The Steps sound like fun and the meal timing was just right to get the most out of our Villains tickets for the day. We had a really good time! Cinderella was quietly funny, talking about how she's been helping her sisters with their voice levels. Lady Tremaine was actually kinda nice and chatted about Lucifer with Alexis. Anastasia hinted that she was interested in a kingdom, to which Bryson firmly stated, "I'm poor." She replied, "sounds like a personal problem!" Drizella was my favorite and prattled on and on about how much she loves her cat, while making catty remarks about Cinderella.


The food on the buffet was a surprise! Everything was at least fine and some were down-right tasty. The famous butternut squash ravioli, pulled pork, salmon, and Mongolian beef stir-fry were hits with the kids. The salads were fresh and I avoided the starchy sides, in order to taste more items. The two prime ribs were cooked med-rare and medium-well, depending on your tolerance for pink, and tasty with the chimichurri. Alexis said that mine is better Excited for the included alcohol, I chose Conundrum white wine at $15/glass. It's a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon, muscat cannelli, and viognier. Smooth and not too sweet. Later in the meal, I went ahead and ordered another glass when our server made a motion. That's really all the encouragement I need! It was a nice surprise when I was paying and let him know that he hadn't added the second glass to the bill. He waved me off and said to forget it. He earned a little extra that night!The kids enjoyed the dessert selections, but are having a hard time remembering any in particular, and I enjoyed my second glass of wine.
This ADR would never have been made if not for the dining plan. Character meals and buffets aren't usually our thing. I don't think we'll go back but I'd certainly encourage another family to try it for themselves. Service was excellent, the food was good, and we had fun!

Our Villains night was great. I FP SDMT, Space, and Speedway and were able to ride Pirates. At 10pm we headed to Splash and BTMRR before grabbing drinks and ice cream just in time to be in the perfect place to see Maleficent make her debut! Her minions were ALL up in the kids' faces, thrilling them to no end. We rode HM, PP, Pooh, Barnstormer x2, Buzz, Pirates with the overlay (20 min wait at 12:24 am), BTMRR again. A quick stop for popcorn and drinks then we headed for the show and a final experience with the dragon and her scary familiars. Totally worth it.


You know what? We never received our room text. After arriving at AKL at 2:10 am, I went to the front desk and had that sorted out pretty quickly. We grabbed our luggage at bell services and collapsed into bed. We had a bunk bed room with a pull-down! Everyone had their own bed for the week and it was wonderful. I'm sorry they're getting rid of these with the refurbishment because it was so perfect for us.

Up next, a lazy day before dinner at Boma and an extreme lack of food pictures.​

 

[mom2cgj]

I'm glad you had a great experience at 1900PF. That's the one place my kids refuse to go back to after a horrible experience there a few years ago. When we went, the food was horrible - cold, bland, just bad. The characters were not great either. There was little to no interaction, no matter what we tried. The Prince was the only one who even tried, Cindy looked like she'd been crying, and the sisters and Lady T were just signing autographs and moving on. I think there must have been something going on behind the scenes, and it made for a pretty awful time.

 

[alex9179]

I'm glad you had a great experience at 1900PF. That's the one place my kids refuse to go back to after a horrible experience there a few years ago. When we went, the food was horrible - cold, bland, just bad. The characters were not great either. There was little to no interaction, no matter what we tried. The Prince was the only one who even tried, Cindy looked like she'd been crying, and the sisters and Lady T were just signing autographs and moving on. I think there must have been something going on behind the scenes, and it made for a pretty awful time.

I've read so many poor experiences, as well as many who had a great time and a good meal. This is why I didn't talk it up to the kids. They would have been fine with little interaction, but poor food wouldn't fly. I read easywdw's recent review and went ahead and kept the ADR. It's not fine dining, but it was miles better than the Panda Express we had when we got into Orlando. My first, and last, time eating there.

 

[poppinsmomof2]

7/31-8/1
1900 Park Fare and MK snacks

Our trip starts dark and early at 430 am. I decided to drive from the Houston area, aaaaallll the way to Orlando, in one day. I don't advise this. Being a cruel mom, I severely limited fluids so that we didn't have to stop for a bathroom every hour. 15 hours later, we arrive at an offsite hotel for the night. It was fine and we were able to sleep in before eating a decent complimentary breakfast to start CHECK-IN DAY at AKL with Villains After Hours later that evening.
I did online check-in a few weeks before and eagerly awaited our room assignment text while we enjoyed the pool before our ADR at 1900 Park Fare at 4pm. Given our timing, no text appeared so we ended up having to change in the pool restrooms and start the trek to the Grand Floridian to marry off my sons.
The kids had no idea it was a character meal, or that we were going to the after-hours event! Now, we're not really into characters and rarely try to meet them. However, The Steps sound like fun and the meal timing was just right to get the most out of our Villains tickets for the day. We had a really good time! Cinderella was quietly funny, talking about how she's been helping her sisters with their voice levels. Lady Tremaine was actually kinda nice and chatted about Lucifer with Alexis. Anastasia hinted that she was interested in a kingdom, to which Bryson firmly stated, "I'm poor." She replied, "sounds like a personal problem!" Drizella was my favorite and prattled on and on about how much she loves her cat, while making catty remarks about Cinderella.
View attachment 427353

The food on the buffet was a surprise! Everything was at least fine and some were down-right tasty. The famous butternut squash ravioli, pulled pork, salmon, and Mongolian beef stir-fry were hits with the kids. The salads were fresh and I avoided the starchy sides, in order to taste more items. The two prime ribs were cooked med-rare and medium-well, depending on your tolerance for pink, and tasty with the chimichurri. Alexis said that mine is better Excited for the included alcohol, I chose Conundrum white wine at $15/glass. It's a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon, muscat cannelli, and viognier. Smooth and not too sweet. Later in the meal, I went ahead and ordered another glass when our server made a motion. That's really all the encouragement I need! It was a nice surprise when I was paying and let him know that he hadn't added the second glass to the bill. He waved me off and said to forget it. He earned a little extra that night!The kids enjoyed the dessert selections, but are having a hard time remembering any in particular, and I enjoyed my second glass of wine.
This ADR would never have been made if not for the dining plan. Character meals and buffets aren't usually our thing. I don't think we'll go back but I'd certainly encourage another family to try it for themselves. Service was excellent, the food was good, and we had fun!

Our Villains night was great. I FP SDMT, Space, and Speedway and were able to ride Pirates. At 10pm we headed to Splash and BTMRR before grabbing drinks and ice cream just in time to be in the perfect place to see Maleficent make her debut! Her minions were ALL up in the kids' faces, thrilling them to no end. We rode HM, PP, Pooh, Barnstormer x2, Buzz, Pirates with the overlay (20 min wait at 12:24 am), BTMRR again. A quick stop for popcorn and drinks then we headed for the show and a final experience with the dragon and her scary familiars. Totally worth it.
View attachment 427373

You know what? We never received our room text. After arriving at AKL at 2:10 am, I went to the front desk and had that sorted out pretty quickly. We grabbed our luggage at bell services and collapsed into bed. We had a bunk bed room with a pull-down! Everyone had their own bed for the week and it was wonderful. I'm sorry they're getting rid of these with the refurbishment because it was so perfect for us.

Up next, a lazy day before dinner at Boma and an extreme lack of food pictures.​

What a fabulous start to your trip! It sounds like y'all got to do a ton at the Villains After Hours!

We haven't done 1900 Park Fare, but your report makes me want to squeeze it in on our next trip!

 

[alex9179]

What a fabulous start to your trip! It sounds like y'all got to do a ton at the Villains After Hours!

We haven't done 1900 Park Fare, but your report makes me want to squeeze it in on our next trip!

I was a little worried about Villains, after reading how unsatisfied others were with the event. I think very low crowds for AH are ending, since more and more visitors know about it. This was advertised quite a bit more so tickets sold well. We had a great time.

If you enjoy character meals, I think it's worth trying. The food quality surprised me but I also had low expectations. Haha, seems to be the theme for that day!

 

[poppinsmomof2]

I was a little worried about Villains, after reading how unsatisfied others were with the event. I think very low crowds for AH are ending, since more and more visitors know about it. This was advertised quite a bit more so tickets sold well. We had a great time.

If you enjoy character meals, I think it's worth trying. The food quality surprised me but I also had low expectations. Haha, seems to be the theme for that day!

It seems like they are selling more and more tickets to all the extra parties. But it is neat to have those "exclusive" things (we are doing MNSSHP this year) when you can do it.

LOL! I typically always go into buffets with a low expectation on food quality - that way if it's better than average, I am happy and not disappointed when it's not!

 

[queenofthehill]

Great start to this TR!

 

[alex9179]

8/2 The Mara and Boma

We slept in until around 10am the next day and took our time getting around. Before going to the pool, we got some lunch at The Mara. I saw Ryno and Craig's Dis review and decided on the Vegetarian Falafel Bites. This was delicious but those little balls really need the sauce, IMO. I couldn't finish all of the items even with giving bites to the kids. Alexis ordered the Mara Salad w/ Chicken. She powered through but this thing is huge and another entree that can feed two people with no problem. She thought the feta and dressing were both outstanding and was a refreshing meal. Bryson ordered the Hand-carved Turkey and Avocado Sub with cole slaw and fries. Another huge portion and he could only eat half of the sandwich. We didn't care for the sweet slaw but the fries were fresh and tasty. We took the other sandwich half to keep in the fridge, but it was never eaten. LT ordered the Tamarind BBQ Pork Sandwich with cole slaw and fries. This was the least liked by all of us. There's a very cinnamon-y flavor coming through that didn't resonate with us. He ate half, maybe, and the fries. Since we were all sharing, no one went hungry. For dining plan drinks, I grabbed a couple of orange juice bottles, a can of Yuengling for later, and drank a bottle of regular Budweiser. The kids played around with blends of the fountain offerings in their mugs.

After pool time we cleaned up for dinner at Boma! This is another buffet and I was kinda "eh" about it. I'd originally scheduled Sanaa because of a previous good experience, but I wanted to move it to the earliest seating and it just wasn't coming available. Boma is so well-loved I didn't feel like I was making a mistake and, since none of us had dined there, I liked that it was a new experience.
We really enjoyed everything. We were seated within the first 15 minutes after opening and got right to it at the meat counter. Good thing, too. It seems that it's been designated as the default start of the line and it wasn't looking inviting by the time we finished our first plate of samples. We all took a spoonful of almost everything, with the exception of the average starches. Alexis loved ALL of the soups, shrimp, and collard greens. I think she put the greens on her plate 3 times. Bryson loved the shrimp and chicken corn chowder (he ate a huge bowl of this). LT's favorite was the oxtail stew, and YES, it's delicious. I think my favorite station was the salad, but my earlier falafel bites played a part in that. I swear they tripled in size at the pool! I felt so overstuffed all evening. I sampled and enjoyed the Malva cake, Kenyan coffee tart, and zebra domes while the kids had bites of everything. I can't find my receipt but I had a Sauvignon Blanc and the kids had soft drinks. Our server was attentive and friendly and we enjoyed a lovely dinner before heading to DHS for our FPs and a very rainy evening. SDD went down to 35 min so we got in stand-by! I guess I was the only one who needed poncho protection from the stinging rain.

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[WeatherLights]

Nice report. So fun to have kids with more adventurous palettes! Just curious as to how many hours you had between your Mara lunch and Boma dinner?

 

[BLAllee]

Following along. We are headed to WDW in February 2020 and our ADR date just opened.

 

[alex9179]

8/3 AK EMH
Pongu Pongu, Dawa Bar, Mr. Kamal's, Satu'li Canteen

Day 3, and we've used a TS both nights, 1 qs meal, and have all 40 snack credits sitting there, mocking me. I'm starting to get a little tweaked about using all of the allotments. Those falafel bites are still hanging around, too. Who knew you could survive for DAYS after eating fried chickpeas!?!
Silly me, I was concerned about how far the credits would take us and had that "maximize value" mantra stuck in my head from reading the boards. I brought apples, bagels, cream cheese, and cereal bars for breakfast. All staying in their packaging, in the room.
Today was EMH at AK, one of my top 2 parks. We struggled out of sleep at the alarm and were at the gates by 7am, ready for the running of the bulls...also known as FoP Rope Drop. Thankfully, EMH and time have tamed this experience, though the kids were muscled away from me a few times on the trek to Pandora. I met a very nice couple while waiting for bag check, who we ran into a couple of times that day. These little connections are one of my favorite things about WDW!
LT is not a patient person. After our first trip, when he was 5, I vowed to never take him again. Guess I'm selfish because my WDW addiction had overcome his tyranny and we've made it back a few times since! His intolerance reared it's ugly head waiting for bag check, then to scan, then the queue. I was pretty sure it was hunger ruling his mood, so we stopped at Pongu Pongu after FoP. He wanted the Night Blossom and french toast sticks. Oh yeah, let's add 2 million grams of sugar to the mood! I made him pick one, which was the slushie, and made him eat a sausage and egg biscuit for some real food. The breakfast sandwich wasn't great. We each had bites, if for no other reason than protein. His drink was like an Xtra-Koolaid concoction. Very sweet, a little tart, and he shared with his siblings on the way to EE. The other two had Pongu Lumpia, pineapple cream cheese fried spring roll. My teeth ached at the description, but it's not as sweet as I imagined. The pineapple imparts most of the sweetness. They loved it. I had a different breakfast in mind.
We rode EE and headed to Dinoland to find Primeval Whirl down (all morning). Bryson left his hat on the jeep and a kind CM found it for us when we rode a second time. We escaped a light shower on the Safari and it was finally time for my breakfast! I used Disney rewards to purchase
The African Bloody Mary
Snow Leopard Vodka, Loaded Bloody Mary Mix, and Spicy African Berbere Sauce, garnished with Candied Bacon, Celery Stalk and Meat Stick


I remembered to take a pic after giving the kids the top portions of the garnishes.
The kids were hungry so we made a pit stop before more rides in Asia.
Mr. Kamal's seasoned fries with dipping sauces


The kids devoured these and we chose the saffron aioli and spicy ketchup. The aioli was the favorite. While they snacked, I put in a mobile order for lunch.
After Kali and EE we were all ready for lunch at Satu'li Canteen. I was starving and completely forgot to take pictures. For drinks I had a big Mo'Ara Ale (16 & 22 oz are both eligible when using a QS credit) and the kids all chose Pandoran Sunrises (a blend of sweet fruit juices including pineapple, mango, lime, and melon). My bowl had the kale salad as the base, slow-roasted grilled beef and wood-grilled chicken combo, with charred onion vinaigrette and a serving of a beet and quinoa mixture. I thought the dressing could have been more flavorful, but otherwise it was all delicious, the meat tender, and I ate nearly ALL of it. I don't love beets but this preparation wasn't objectionable, at all. Alexis and Bryson chose the chili-garlic shrimp bowl over noodles with black bean vinaigrette. The noodles were mixed, about half & half, with cabbage/carrots but this doesn't seem to be consistant. They say there was zucchini, as well, but I don't remember seeing it. They enjoyed it but couldn't finish more than half of the base. LT ordered the beef over noodles (lots more noodles on his plate), without any dressing. He ate almost all of his entree. We love this place. The proteins are flavorful, ingredients fresh, and the portions generous. This time, we had no problem finding a seat inside but that's not always the case. CMs are often willing to help get you seated, though. Here's are some pics of my and LT's entrees without dressing, since the same meat and base were ordered later in the trip.



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[alex9179]

Nice report. So fun to have kids with more adventurous palettes! Just curious as to how many hours you had between your Mara lunch and Boma dinner?

Thank you!
We ate lunch at around 11am and actually started eating dinner at around 530 pm, so about 6 hours apart.

 

[Ginger03]

Thanks for a great trip report,

 

[cruisin5]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[NYCgrrl]

Satu'li Canteen




LT ordered the beef over noodles (lots more noodles on his plate), without any dressing. He ate almost all of his entree. We love this place. The proteins are flavorful, ingredients fresh, and the portions generous. This time, we had no problem finding a seat inside but that's not always the case. CMs are often willing to help get you seated, though. Here's are some pics of my and LT's entrees without dressing, since the same meat and base were ordered later in the trip.

View attachment 427934
View attachment 427936
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The beef over noodles look right up DGD's alley; she doesn't like sauces for most meats. Will they allow more vegetables to be added?

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Loving your report! So nice that your kids are willing to try some more adventurous options

 

[alex9179]

The beef over noodles look right up DGD's alley; she doesn't like sauces for most meats. Will they allow more vegetables to be added?

I would think that if you request certain proportions when ordering, they will try to make it happen for you. We used mobile ordering and it isn't as flexible. The older two had more vegetables than LT's entree.