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

[WDWaddictt]

Those breakfasts look so yummy! But do they ever look big, I may have to split it with my daughter when we go.

 

[MrsB1228]

I know this is a DR, but I wanted to share a few pictures of our morning at MK. It was such a beautiful day and we really enjoyed ourselves, particularly touring around the New Fantasyland. There aren't many food porn pics here, so you may want to skip this instalment.

I never get tired of looking at Cinderella's castle, and today there was no crane in the way.

Look at that gorgeous blue sky! We were so lucky with the weather this trip.

Another castle, this time belonging to the Beast.

This is the bridge leading to Be Our Guest. We had an ADR there on October 6.

Nancy beside Gaston's fountain. Unfortunately the man himself was never around when we were there. Oh well ... next time.

The theming inside Gaston's Tavern is fantastic!

Now, to keep this somewhat food related, Nancy and I decided to share a LeFou's Brew.

With flash ...

... and without.

We really enjoyed it! I've read other reports where people have found it too sweet, but that wasn't our experience. We thought it was very refreshing. I plan on getting another next trip. 4/5

Hope you don't mind the slight detour. The next post will be back to our regularly scheduled DR.
​

 

[MrsB1228]

Those breakfasts look so yummy! But do they ever look big, I may have to split it with my daughter when we go.

They were very good, but I really think the portion size is way too large for one person. Splitting an entree is a great idea as long as you both can agree on the same thing, LOL.

Thanks for reading!

 

[libinatorsmom]

Awesome REVIEWS! Thanks so much for sharing - I am really going to try and get food pictures on our trip in May! Though we are going on a budget and no dining plan this time around... Really enjoy the pictures and love reading your comments

 

[DisneyJo]

What great seats you had at HDDR, I totally agree about the POR food court, it's one of my DD's favourite places to eat

What a shame about CG, the food should be top notch there!!

 

[smile4stamps]

Feel free to dine with my Hubby and I at any time! We enjoy company!!

As far as your steak.. An uncut steak will continue to cook once removed from the heat and also under a heat lamp will not help it any. A steak that is left sitting for 10minutes can easily go from a well cooked Medium to an overcooked well-done steak just sitting there. The fact that it took 10 minutes for you to receive your food after wishes tells me that this was likely the case. It may have been slightly overdone to start but sitting there for that long was not helping it any at all!!

Service honestly is a big issue from others I have heard from at CA Grill as well. Hopefully that gets figures out soon!

 

[lizzyb]

Sorry to hear CG did not impress you. We have only been once and that was back in 2011 and we loved it! Hope they can turn it around.

 

[guinness408]

Great reviews...thanks for sharing!

 

[roxysmum123]

Joining in! Thanks for the great reviews, they're getting my tummy rumbling!

 

[MrsB1228]

Awesome REVIEWS! Thanks so much for sharing - I am really going to try and get food pictures on our trip in May! Though we are going on a budget and no dining plan this time around... Really enjoy the pictures and love reading your comments

Thank you! I hope you decide to post a DR when you get back, many people are interested in how others manage Disney on a budget so I'm sure you'd have lots of people interested! I know I'd definitely sign on!

What great seats you had at HDDR, I totally agree about the POR food court, it's one of my DD's favourite places to eat

We had awesome seats at HDDR! I couldn't believe how lucky we were and was so appreciative of the extra pixie dust for DS's birthday.

POR is also one of our favourite QS places!

What a shame about CG, the food should be top notch there!!

I felt the same way Jo. You expect more from a Signature restaurant.

Feel free to dine with my Hubby and I at any time! We enjoy company!!

It would be lovely to meet both of you! Here's hoping we'll be at the World at the same time sometime soon!

As far as your steak.. An uncut steak will continue to cook once removed from the heat and also under a heat lamp will not help it any. A steak that is left sitting for 10minutes can easily go from a well cooked Medium to an overcooked well-done steak just sitting there. The fact that it took 10 minutes for you to receive your food after wishes tells me that this was likely the case. It may have been slightly overdone to start but sitting there for that long was not helping it any at all!!

That's exactly what I was thinking Paula! I thought we had a long wait for our entrees to arrive because they were waiting until after Wishes to cook them, but when they arrived I could see that was clearly not the case.

Service honestly is a big issue from others I have heard from at CA Grill as well. Hopefully that gets figures out soon!

I hope so too! It's such a beautiful restaurant and you certainly can't beat the view! I've been reading more positive reviews lately so hopefully they've got things ironed out now.

Sorry to hear CG did not impress you. We have only been once and that was back in 2011 and we loved it! Hope they can turn it around.

CG has a large number of loyal repeat customers, and I read mostly glowing reviews before the refurbishment so was very disappointed in the experience. I wouldn't write it off however, as any restaurant can have a bad night. I'd be willing to give it another try, but I won't be rushing back anytime soon.

Great reviews...thanks for sharing!

Thank you, and thanks for reading!

Joining in! Thanks for the great reviews, they're getting my tummy rumbling!

I'm glad you're here, thanks for joining in! They're getting my tummy rumbling too, LOL!

 

[MrsB1228]

After a very enjoyable morning in MK, Nancy and I made our way to Liberty Tree Tavern. We had a lunch ADR at 1:15 and we were really looking forward to it. We had lunch at LTT during our trip in 2011 and really enjoyed it.

For her appetizer, Nancy chose:

This was the soup of the day, our server called it "Southwest Soup". Nancy loved it! It was rich and flavourful and had a bit of zip, but wasn't spicy at all. She gave it 5/5.

I chose the New England Clam Chowder. This was very tasty, thick and creamy with big chunks of clam and potato. I wouldn't say it's the best clam chowder I've ever had, but it was very good. 4/5

We both selected the same entree.

Pilgrim's Feast: traditional roast turkey with herb bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and a garden vegetable. This was very good, the turkey was moist and flavourful and the sides were also well prepared. I didn't really care for the stuffing, I thought it was rather dry and lacking in flavour. I enjoyed it, but was wishing I'd ordered the pot roast instead. That will always be my favourite entree here. I gave it 3/5 and Nancy gave it 4/5.

Time for dessert!

Fruit Crisp: baked seasonal fruits with a crisp streusel topping and homemade ice cream. This one was peach. This was Nancy's choice and she liked it very much. 4/5

Of course I had to get my favourite:

Ooey-Gooey Toffee Cake: warm vanilla cake with a chocolatey, toffee filled top, topped with vanilla bean ice cream, drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauces and topped with chocolate and toffee chunks. OMG!! It's worth dining at LTT for this dessert alone. 5/5

After lunch we decided to head back to the resort and take a break from the heat of the day. I snapped a quick picture of one of the Main Street balloon sellers on the way out.

We decided to take it easy that night and just grabbed a quick bite to eat at the POFQ food court. We each had a chili cheese dog with fries and a package of clementine oranges for dessert. I didn't bother with pictures as I'd left both my phone and my camera in the room. They were good for what they were, and we really enjoyed the clementines! I guess we were just craving some fruit at that point.

Up Next: Lunch at Chefs de France and dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse.​

 

[SPOERLX3]

What a FUN Dining review! Thank you for sharing

We are planning a trip with 2 of my grandsons and we are looking at September due to the smaller crowds.

We are planning September 24th thru October 1st and I noticed y'all were there about the same time last year.

Can you share with me what the weather was like during your trip and what are the crowds actually like during that time frame

Thank you so much and will be watching for more reviews

 

[lizzyb]

Your lunch at LTT looks amazing! We are trying it for the first time on our upcoming trip.

 

[MrsB1228]

What a FUN Dining review! Thank you for sharing

Thank you! Glad you're reading along.

We are planning a trip with 2 of my grandsons and we are looking at September due to the smaller crowds.

We are planning September 24th thru October 1st and I noticed y'all were there about the same time last year.

Can you share with me what the weather was like during your trip and what are the crowds actually like during that time frame

Oh, that sounds like so much fun! I can't wait to introduce my grandson to WDW! I'll have to wait a while though as he's only 3 months old, LOL!

The weather at that time of year is always hot with varying degrees of humidity. There's often afternoon showers/thunderstorms which do little to relieve the humidity unfortunately. DH and I found it oppressively hot and humid in 2012, and it rained almost every day. Our ponchos got lots of use that year, LOL! However, my sister and I really lucked out with the weather last year! It was still hot, but the humidity levels were much more "livable" and we only experienced rain twice, and both were only sun showers. Once you get more into October, the humidity starts to ease a bit, which is often a welcome relief.

As far as crowd levels go, they're pretty average. I think the best time to go for really low crowds is late August/early September or in January/early February. You have to time your visits to Epcot because of the F&W Festival. It's usually really crowded on the weekends and in the evenings, especially when there's evening extra magic hours. If you're a family that arrives at the park for rope drop, you'll do great!

Thank you so much and will be watching for more reviews

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I hope you and your family have a magical vacation! Maybe I'll see you there.

Your lunch at LTT looks amazing! We are trying it for the first time on our upcoming trip.

We always enjoy LTT, the food is pretty consistent. I think this time we're going to try dinner again, just for a change. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

 

[MrsB1228]

Thursday found us heading back to Epcot. Our destination was Chefs de France for our 12 pm ADR.

We checked in about 10 minutes early and were seated after a very short wait. We were one row away from the windows, so it was a nice, bright location.

No sooner had we settled in, when we had a visitor.

Now seriously, how cute is he?! So sad he won't be making appearances anymore, everyone was really getting a kick out of him. His handler was great too, she was very funny! She mentioned that Remy was being very difficult that day, and was in a bit of a snit. "But of course, he is French so what can you expect?"

Our server here wasn't the best. Perhaps she was new, but she really didn't have much knowledge with regard to the deluxe dining plan. When we were ordering our appetizers, she mentioned that we would be charged for them as they weren't included in our plan. I pointed out that we were on the deluxe plan and she replied "yes, I know, but you will still have to pay for appetizers if you order them." I told her to go and check with her manager regarding what's included with the deluxe plan.

After a lot of back and forth, we finally had things straightened out.

Nancy and I decided to share once again.

Here you can see our choices.

Nancy ordered Cassolette d'escargots de Bourgogne au beurre persille: Casserole of burgundian escargots baked in parsley and garlic butter. These were very good! Served piping hot with lots of garlic, just the way we like 'em! 5/5

I ordered A la flamme Alsacienne: Alsace specialty. A flatbread made with cream fraiche, onion and bacon. This was also very good, although the crust was a bit soggy in places. 4/5

For her entree, Nancy chose:

Quiche Lorraine: ham and cheese quiche with a mixed green salad. Nancy really enjoyed this, she said the pastry was nice and flaky and the quiche well seasoned. The salad was pretty spartan, and was entirely comprised of lettuce, alongside the three grape tomatoes you see on her plate. 4/5

I ordered:

Croque monsieur et la salade verte: classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a green salad. This was ok. It was barely warm when it arrived so the cheese on the outside of the bread congealed and became very hard. My salad was also not exciting, and was a bit wilted as well. I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. 3/5

Time for dessert!

Nancy decided on:

Creme Brulee: Vanilla creme brulee served with a Madeleine. Nancy LOVED this! The brulee was perfect, a nice thin, crispy layer of sweetness over a smooth, silky custard. Wonderful dessert! 5/5

I chose:

Profiteroles au chocolat: Puff choux with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. This was good, the chocolate sauce was delicious! The pastry was a little tough, but the taste made up for it. 3.5/5

After some more confusion regarding the DxDP, we finally got our bill settled and were on our way. Service at this restaurant wasn't the best, to put it kindly. Our server seemed to be very confused about the dining plan as I heard her arguing with another table about what they could and couldn't have. I can understand if she's new, but she really shouldn't be serving on her own if she hasn't completed her training. And if she isn't new, then she really needs to get on the ball. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and just say she must be new.

Overall, we give Chefs de France 3.5/5. Nancy really enjoyed everything she had, but I was less impressed.

When we left, Serveur Amusant was performing.

Amazing! I'm very anxious when I'm watching him though, due to the fact that I have a serious fear of heights and imagining what would happen if he slipped.

Up next: Another Food & Wine Selection, Dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse.
​

 

[MrsB1228]

After we left France, we leisurely wandered through the various stores between France and America, spending quite a long time in Japan. We then decided to stop at the American Adventure Coffee Cart for a cold, sweet treat.

May I present, the Shakin' Jamaican Coffee!

Shakin' Jamaican Coffee: Made with Kāhlua, Vanilla and Caramel, served hot or frozen.

This my friends, is what sweet, boozy dreams are made of! It was smooth, creamy and packed a punch! The brown layer you see at the bottom of my glass is Kāhlua, and I took the picture after I'd mixed most of it through! It may taste like a fou-fou drink, but it will sneak up and kick you in the pants if you drink it too fast.

Now, it was after we got our treats, found a bench and got ready to photograph them, that I realized I didn't have my camera! I knew I must have left it on the table at Chefs de France when we left almost 2 hours ago! I left Nancy in charge of my precious SJC and hot-footed it back to France. I asked at the check-in podium, and sure enough, they had it safely tucked away. Phew! I thanked them profusely and then made my way back to Nancy and the drink that I now needed more than ever, LOL!

If you're at Epcot during the next F&W Festival and they are offering this drink again, get it. You'll thank me later. ​

 

[MrsB1228]

We were looking forward to our dinner reservation tonight as we were trying another Signature restaurant that was new to us. We had a 7:55 pm ADR at Yachtsman Steakhouse.

We took the Friendship boat from the International Gateway in Epcot and arrived at the Yacht Club at 7:15.

We spent some time exploring as this was Nancy's first time at the resort. We checked in for our reservation at 7:40. The waiting area was packed and it was clear the restaurant was fully booked. This was our longest wait for a table as we weren't seated until almost 8:30. Fortunately we were able to snag a couple of comfy chairs and we amused ourselves by watching the butcher carving up the steaks in the display kitchen.

Once we were seated, our server was quick to arrive with ice water and to ask if we had any questions about the menu. We asked for his suggestions and then made our selections.

Our waiter soon returned with the bread service.

One of the famous onion pull-apart rolls with butter and roasted garlic. OMG! 5/5

We both decided on the same appetizer and entree.

I try to take most of my restaurant photos without flash so I'm not disturbing other diners, but the lighting is quite subdued in YS so I took another photo with flash. This is "The Land" salad: Boston Bibb, Blue Cheese, Figs, Serrano Ham and Tangerine. Our server explained that most of the ingredients are grown in The Land greenhouses in Future World, hence the name. This was hands down, the absolute BEST salad of the trip! Everything worked together so wonderfully, it was magic. Nancy and I both agreed we could have made a meal on the salad alone. Definitely 5/5.

12-oz New York Strip: with twice baked cheddar potato. This was very good, tender and seasoned well. Nancy and I both enjoyed it but agreed it wasn't the best steak of the trip. 4/5

For dessert, Nancy ordered:

Chocolate-Peanut Cake: Pretzels, Salted Caramel Gelato, Liquid Ganache. Nancy enjoyed this immensely and said the ratio of salty to sweet was just right. 4.5/5

I chose:

Lemon and Blueberry: Meyer Lemon Curd, Blueberries, Graham Cracker, Meringue. This was very good, but the intense lemon curd wasn't really balanced by any other flavour. There weren't enough blueberries or graham crackers to accompany it. I love lemon curd, but it was a bit of overkill, even for me. 3.5/5

They surprised Nancy with a special selection of birthday treats.

The goodies were: Apple Gelee, Hazelnut Truffle, Pistachio Cake, Toasted Maple Marshmallow, Spiced Pumpkin Macaron. Nancy kindly split her goodies with me and they were truly delectable little morsels. We especially enjoyed the hazelnut truffle and the macaron, but all were delicious. It was a lovely gesture that we truly enjoyed.

Our overall rating for Yachtsman Steakhouse is 4.5/5. Everything was very good and some parts were truly excellent. We would happily return.

Up Next: Breakfast at Crystal Palace.
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[DisneyJo]

The Birthday desserts look delicious, how lovely of the Yachtsman to do that

 

[englishrose47]

That salad looked amazing , I am NOT a huge salad fan, but put Blue cheese in it and it becomes much more appealing, what was the sauce on the steak !!!??? I think I would have wanted that on the side !!!

 

[MrsB1228]

The Birthday desserts look delicious, how lovely of the Yachtsman to do that

We thought it was a very thoughtful gesture, and they were all very, very tasty!

That salad looked amazing , I am NOT a huge salad fan, but put Blue cheese in it and it becomes much more appealing, what was the sauce on the steak !!!??? I think I would have wanted that on the side !!!

That salad was indescribably delicious! I didn't think any salad could possibly top the incredible tomato and peach creation we had enjoyed at Jiko, but this one did. I have to say it was very close, I wouldn't refuse either one of them, LOL. According to my notes, the sauce on the steak was a peppercorn brandy sauce and it was very good. It really enhanced the taste of the beef.