The Incredible Expanding Women - 14 days on the DxDP ~ COMPLETE!

[MrsB1228]

I hope you are feeling better! Sorry about that virus that got you down.

Thanks Brenda! I don't usually get sick but this particular virus really kicked my butt. I was feeling lousy for almost a month and I still have the cough. Sheesh!

Ha ha! powdered sugar inhalation - it's very dangerous. Those beignets look awesome!

They were delicious but probably one of the messiest things I've ever eaten. You learn really quickly not to inhale/exhale while you're taking a bite, lol!

I'm catching up so I have a few other comments...

Chefs de France: Wow! Too bad about your "new" server. You were nice to give her the benefit of the doubt. I love that bacon & onion flatbread. Someone else that I dined with in December said the cheese sandwich wasn't so good. I'll take your advice and stay away from that one for sure. I'm completely scared to eat escargot. I should get over that.

Whew! At least your camera was safe!

She definitely didn't understand the DxDP, that's for sure. I can't really blame her if she hasn't received the proper training but she pretended she understood it and wanted to argue about it. I refused to get into a debate and simply told her to go check or bring a manager.

The flatbread was my favourite part of the meal.

As for my camera, I did breathe a sigh of relief when they handed it to me. I honestly wasn't that worried, but there was still a little niggling doubt in the back of my mind so I was very happy to see it again.

YSH: That was a looong wait. However, those onion rolls are worth any wait!
I love the candle in Nancy's birthday treat! Nice touch.

We really enjoyed our meal here, it made up for the long wait, and that salad was seriously amazing.

Kona Café: Awww man, a conspicuous pile of fries on the table. Too bad they didn't better communicate to avoid the fries throw down.

I imagine they thought they were being generous, but they should honour their customer's wishes if they don't want the extra. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant and Nancy felt like she was on display with the piles of fries surrounding her. She found it a bit embarrassing.

Citricos: Always a favorite of ours. I'm a fan of the olive bread!

Citrico's olive bread =

That sandwich looks delish !! Gotta try that some time !!

It was sooo good! I'll definitely be getting it again!

Your food pictures looks great, thanks for sharing, I'm hungry looking at the pics.

Thank you, and thanks for reading along!

I am enjoying your review! The pics are wonderful. I have wanted to go to Kona and also plan to go to BOG!

I'm glad you're enjoying the review, thanks for joining in! I hope you enjoy Kona and BOG!

You are right about not breathing while eating the beignets! When I took some back to our room for a late night snack one trip I breathed in and inhaled some powdered sugar which then caused me to cough, which caused powdered sugar to cover the entire room. Those things are messy!

That's exactly what I meant! The first time we tried them DH and I were in the food court. I had gotten an order of beignets and he had a brownie. Thinking to minimize the amount of powdered sugar landing in my lap, I held the container under my chin to catch any "fallout". I took my first bite, inhaled and snorted a bunch of powdered sugar which had the same result as you experienced, except I covered DH in the powdered sugar, both from my beignet and the container. Which then caused me to burst out laughing, covering him even more, he looked like a snowman!

 

[MrsB1228]

Dinner that night was at another Signature restaurant, Flying Fish Cafe at the Boardwalk.

A picture of the interior. Of all the signatures we tried, Flying Fish seemed to be the most casual. It didn't really "feel" like a Signature location. The inside is rather whimsical though and I loved the light fixtures and ferris wheel at the back.

Shortly after we placed our orders, the bread service arrived.

To be honest, I really don't remember much about this. I believe it was sourdough, but it obviously wasn't very memorable.

Nancy chose the Flying Fish Caesar Salad as her appetizer.

Our Very Own Caesar Salad: Hearts of Romaine, Roasted Garlic Dressing, Parmigiana-Montegrappa Frico and Pesto Ciabatta Croutons.

Nancy enjoyed her salad, but it was honestly a pretty standard Caesar. 3/5

I ordered:

"Our Signature Flying Fish Appetizer Duo: Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake and Our Very Own Caesar Salad

This was really good! The salad was a typical Caesar but that crab cake was delish! Next time I think I'd order the crab cake on its own. 4/5

They had a nice selection of appetizers, it was hard to decide.

For her entree, Nancy selected:

Our Chef's Thunder Fish "Surf & Surf" - Pesto Glazed Georges Bank Swordfish and Butter-laced Gulf Coast Blue Crab: Wilted Kale, Epcot Eggplant and a Mediterranean Vegetable Fricassee with a Verjus, Tarragon and Shellfish Butter Sauce.

Nancy LOVED this! She really enjoys swordfish and this was prepared perfectly. The meaty fish was enhanced by the sides and the addition of the crab just sent it over the top. 5/5

I ordered:

Idaho Potato Wrapped Red Snapper: over a rich Leek Fondue with a Veal Glace de Viande and a Red Wine/Cassis Butter Reduction.
I was looking forward to trying this as this is one of their signature dishes and I enjoy red snapper. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of this presentation. I found the dish to be rather bland and lacking in flavour. The fish was well cooked, but the combination of flavours just didn't do it for me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't "wow" either. Nancy definitely made the better choice, I was suffering "entree-envy". 3/5

For dessert, Nancy and I both chose the same thing:

Our Signature Flying Fish Cafe "Caramelized Banana Napoleon": Crisp Phyllo, Banana Mousse, Creme Caramel, Exotic Fruit Coulis and Bitter Chocolate.

We both really enjoyed our dessert! It was light and tasty and a perfect sweet ending. 5/5

Service was good. Our server was prompt, friendly and helpful when asked about the menu. Nancy really enjoyed her entree and dessert but wasn't overly impressed by the app. I enjoyed my app more because of the delicious crab cake but was underwhelmed by the entree, and dessert was wonderful. Overall Nancy gives Flying Fish Cafe 4/5 and I give it 3.5/5.

Up Next: Breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe and dinner at Be Our Guest.​

 

[smile4stamps]

I felt the same way about that fish! I thought it was just kinda blah!! Thankfully I ordered the duo with the steak which was awesome!!

 

[MrsB1228]

I felt the same way about that fish! I thought it was just kinda blah!! Thankfully I ordered the duo with the steak which was awesome!!

You know, I was really considering doing that too but since I'd had quite a lot of beef over the course of this trip I thought I'd just have the fish. Big mistake, lol. I'm glad I'm not alone in my opinion of the red snapper though. I'd read such great reviews about it so maybe my expectations were too high? In any case, if we return in future I'll be ordering the swordfish if it's still on the menu. Nancy gave me a bite and it was amazing!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I've never been here, but then we don't really eat much fish so it has just never appealed. Still enjoying your report

 

[MrsB1228]

I've never been here, but then we don't really eat much fish so it has just never appealed. Still enjoying your report

I don't think I'd be in any hurry to return to be honest. Not that our experience was bad, just that the other Signatures are so good and I'd rather revisit Jiko or Citrico's. I'd also love to try Narcoossee's as it's the only Signature we missed.

Thanks for sticking with me Samantha!

 

[MrsB1228]

The next morning, we had a 10:30 reservation for breakfast at another new to us restaurant, the Grand Floridian Cafe.

Disney's flagship resort is certainly beautiful, the grounds are simply stunning.

As you can see, it was another beautiful day.

We arrived a bit before our reservation time and had to wait to be seated, even though the restaurant was only half full. I imagine they had limited servers and that was the reason for the wait. In any case, it's a very pretty spot so we didn't mind.

We both selected the same thing for breakfast.

Vanilla-laced French Toast: Brioche Bread dipped in Vanilla-flavoured Batter served with Bacon or Sausage

This was sooo good! I've read many reviews singing the praises of this seemingly simple dish, and it didn't disappoint. Using brioche bread with the addition of vanilla makes these something special and Nancy and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. 4.5/5

Service was extremely slow that morning. However, we weren't heading to the parks until later in the afternoon and didn't have anywhere we needed to be, so we were quite happy to simply sit, chat and enjoy each other's company.

Up next: Dinner at Be Our Guest​

 

[MrsB1228]

We were very excited about our reservation that evening as we were going to be having dinner at the newest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest in New Fantasyland. The theming throughout New Fantasyland is pretty incredible, with the attention to detail that Disney is famous for. Nancy and I thought it was quite beautiful.

Our ADR was for 6:30, and we checked in at 6:15. We waited until 6:40 before we were called to be escorted into the restaurant.

The entrance to the restaurant is quite impressive.

Beautiful details are everywhere.

We were led to a table in the ballroom, located in the center of the room.

Our server was Will and he was terrific! He was very much in character, knowledgeable about the menu and took very good care of us.

The bread service arrived shortly after we were seated.

Nothing out of the ordinary here. They were just the standard white dinner rolls served in many locations. However, they were warm and the butter was soft so we quite enjoyed them.

For her appetizer, Nancy chose:

French Onion Soup: Topped with crouton and gruyere cheese.

Nancy loves French Onion soup and this didn't disappoint! The broth was rich and flavourful and there was lots of melty cheese on top. She really enjoyed it. 4/5

I selected the other soup on the menu as my appetizer.

Potato Leek Soup

YUM! This soup was rich, thick and creamy. Loaded with big pieces of potato and leeks, it was delicious! 4.5/5

We both chose the same entree, with one difference.

Braised Pork (Coq au Vin Style): eight-hour slow-cooked pork with mushrooms, onions, carrots and bacon served with pureed cauliflower and seasonal vegetables.

Nancy loved this! 4/5

Here's my entree:

As you can see, I had the same thing, but I subbed the au gratin macaroni normally served with the pork chop for the pureed cauliflower. I often eat pureed cauliflower at home in place of mashed potatoes, and I wanted to try the macaroni here as it's gotten some good reviews. I loved everything about my entree, it was so, so good! 4/5

Shortly after our dishes were cleared, Will wheeled over the dessert cart and described all of the selections.

Here's what we chose:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake: vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling, and cream cheese icing. Will described this as "Belle's favourite dessert". This was Nancy's choice and she loved it. She said the strawberry mousse was delightful and the strawberry on top was perfectly ripe and sweet. 4/5

"Poison" Apple Cupcake: vanilla sponge cake, apple filling, whipped buttercream icing and a chocolate witch's hat.

Unwrapped.

This was a seasonal offering and was my choice. All I can say is wow! It was delicious and chock full of apple filling. I really enjoyed it. 4/5

After we finished our coffee, we took a little tour of the West Wing.

Everything about our experience here was wonderful. From the service, to the food, to the theming, it was everything we had hoped for. We will definitely return! Overall, Be Our Guest gets a solid 4/5 from both of us.

Up next: Lunch at Restaurant Marrakesh, dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel.
​

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Both meals looked delicious today, makes me wish I had plans to go to WDW

 

[MrsB1228]

Both meals looked delicious today, makes me wish I had plans to go to WDW

I know what you mean! We're going in September but I wish I was there right now, lol!

Thanks for continuing to read along!

 

[smile4stamps]

Yours is actually the most positive review I have read of BOG. Most people I talk to like the Ambiance but not the food! And therefor we haven't even tried to get in there. Maybe sometime in the future when some of the hype dies down.

 

[MrsB1228]

Yours is actually the most positive review I have read of BOG. Most people I talk to like the Ambiance but not the food! And therefor we haven't even tried to get in there. Maybe sometime in the future when some of the hype dies down.

I know what you mean Paula, I've read some pretty abysmal reviews for BOG too, including some before our trip. I was a little sceptical about the food before we went, but I knew we had to experience it, if only for the theming. Our meals were a very pleasant surprise as everything was truly delicious.

 

[DisneyJo]

Your BOG meal looks delicious and I really must remember to ask to sub items

 

[MrsB1228]

Your BOG meal looks delicious and I really must remember to ask to sub items

It was wonderful Jo and I highly recommend trying the au gratin macaroni, it was delicious!

 

[MrsB1228]

Monday found us back at Epcot.

We had a lunch ADR at Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco pavilion. It was another first for us and we were looking forward to it.

Our reservation was for noon and we were seated right on time. The restaurant was a little busy with a lunch time crowd so we had to wait a bit for our server to show up. We busied ourselves by taking in the details of the restaurant. It's quite pretty inside with all the intricate mosaics and tile work.

We decided to start by ordering the shared appetizer.

Appetizer Combination for Two: Beef Brewat Rolls, Chicken Bastilla, and Jasmina Salad.

Here's my plate.

Nancy and I both enjoyed this. The Chicken Bastilla and Beef Brewat Rolls are a combination of savoury and sweet as they're both dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon and the meat is minced and mixed with onion, egg and various spices. I'm usually funny about mixing sweet flavours with savoury, but I enjoyed this. It helped that it was a small serving, it was just enough to enjoy without being overwhelmed. The salad was very good and we both enjoyed it. 3.5/5

The view from our table.

While we were having our appetizers, the band arrived and started to play. Before too long they were joined by the belly dancer, a lovely lady who tried hard to get some kids to join her but most were too shy. Apologies for the blurry photo, she was moving too quickly to get a really clear shot.

Our entrees arrived just as the band was finishing up.

Chicken Kebabs: grilled brochettes of chicken breast with olive salad and dried fruit sweet couscous.

This was my entree and unfortunately, this is where the meal went sharply downhill. The chicken was wa-a-a-y overcooked, parts of it were definitely burnt and all of it was dried out. The olive salad was much too salty, to the point that I couldn't eat it and the juice from it covered everything on my plate, including the dried fruit couscous. The couscous was very sweet and was stone cold, and I mean icy cold. I imagine it's meant to be served this way, but that detail wasn't mentioned in the description so I was rather surprised by it. I didn't like this at all. 0/5

Chicken Couscous: rolled semolina steamed & served with seasonal vegetables.

This was Nancy's choice. Neither of us realized that the chicken would be dark meat. I guess we should have asked but for the price, we assumed it would include at least some white meat. No such luck. It was also the scrawniest, stringiest piece of chicken I've ever seen. Nancy left the majority of it untouched. She said the couscous was dry and overcooked but the vegetables were ok. 1/5

When the server returned to clear our plates, she never asked if we were unhappy with our meals, even though we barely touched either entree. She also didn't return to check on us after we received our food. We actually didn't see her again after that, and had a male server for the remainder of our stay. I don't know what happened there.

For dessert, we each got the Moroccan Symphony.

Moroccan Symphony: Assorted Moroccan baklavas. These included pistachio, walnut and lemon baklava and they were lovely. Flaky layers of pastry, filling and honey sprinkled with powdered sugar, cinnamon and almonds. At least the meal ended on a sweet note. 4/5

We also enjoyed many cups of the wonderful Moroccan Mint Tea.

This was the worst meal of our trip. The apps were ok and the dessert was good, but the entrees were so horrible we decided Restaurant Marrakesh is one and done. We won't be going back.

Up Next: Dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel.​

 

[smile4stamps]

We have never dined at Restaurant Marrakesh. It just hasn't fit into the rotation... That and I simply always forget about it when planning meals!

I am sorry to hear your meal was SO BAD! Sound like horrible service on top of bad food which just makes the meal even worse!

I have to say Morocco was the worst food booth for us during F&W so it doesn't exactly make us want to dine there!

 

[englishrose47]

I enjoyed my dinner at BOG in December too!! I had the seafood dish and loved it. I opted for the Lemon cupcake and all I can sya is WOW, it was delish !!!

 

[englishrose47]

Never tried Restaurant Marrakesh. Ate at Tangerine café once and did NOT like it at all. Nothing on the menu at Marrakesh appeals and after your review I too will not be going !!

 

[bangzoom6877]

On our first trip in 2008, we had lunch at Tangierine and loved it. So in 2010 on our second WDW trip we decided to try dinner at Marrakesh. We didn't like it at all. We also had sub par service. It's not that the food was bad, it just wasn't anything special for us. It was also one and done for us.

I'm enjoying reading all of your reviews! We're going to dinner at BoG for the first time this July, and looking forward to it! Can't wait to read the rest of your reviews!

 

[smiths02]

Marrakesh looks awful. I had thought about it, but it looks as if it couldn't hold a candle to our local Lebanese restaurant.