The Scrumptious Summer Disney Dining Plan Sensation!

[creative gal]

Before I start, I feel I should apologise in advance for two things. First, the trip took place in August of this year, so is a little out of date. Second, I've got no photos. I was too busy enjoying eating all the wonderful food on offer.

My fiancee and I decided on a Disney holiday early last year, and my parents expressed an interest in coming as well. When we booked our room at Port Orleans French Quarter, we were lucky enough to get a free Disney Dining package. I was very excited about this and took the opportunity to plan trips to several special restaurants we had never visited before. We spent some time making advanced dining reservations, managing to secure resverations at California Grill (Hurray!) and a few more, but Le Cellier was booked up for dinner months before, which disappointed and rather surprised me, as I was expecting CG to be harder to gain a reservation for.

The months of waiting turned to weeks, and then days, until we embarked on our grand gastronomic adventure.

In order to get ourselves set up for a busy first day, everyone dined at the food court in the hotel on the first morning. The area was very hectic at mealtimes, particularly at breakfast. The food court was colourful, bright and just a little overwhelming in those first bleary hours that morning, as oversized Mardi Gras float props hung from the ceiling and the room buzzed with conversation. The layout of the various food stands was a little cramped and convoluted, as they were set in a tight semicircle with the registers in front of the stands. I decided to sample a Mickey waffle with strawberries. The waffle line was one of the longest, but it wasn’t hard to see why. The waffles were made fresh to order then topped with a sumptuous serving of strawberries. The waffle was light, fluffy and delicious, and didn’t even need maple syrup. The staff were friendly and efficient, although some seemed to struggle a little with understanding English. Our whole party also purchased refillable mugs for the duration of the trip.

After a busy morning exploring the Magic Kingdom, we stumbled upon Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. I was struck by the sheer size of the place; there were three huge service counters, seating around the service area, then a larger area of tiered seating and an animatronic alien DJ, as well as seating outside. We jumped in line for a burger and carrot cake (me) and a chilli cheese dog and brownie (my fiancée) and placed our order. We rapidly discovered the only drawback of the Disney Dining Plan is there can sometimes be too many tempting treats on offer. Quite often, my fiancé just wanted a main course, particularly from the counter service restaurants (though later in the trip he developed a taste for cookies!) but was virtually forced to have a dessert. He was desperate to sample his chilli cheese dog, and enjoyed it until a short while afterwards, when he was struck with a bout of indigestion. The toppings bar was great, albeit busy and quite difficult to get to, and I customised my burger with onions and sautéed mushrooms, adding some ketchup too. Despite the vast size of the place it proved difficult to find seating. We ended up wedged between several families in the main room, with the DJ playing and hordes of kids surrounding us. Consequently, it was quite a noisy venue. My burger was fine, if a little ordinary, and the fries that accompanied it were good. My carrot cake was rich and creamy, but I could only manage half before I admitted defeat. My fiancee devoured his chilli dog and brownie.

The entrance to Tony’s Town Square was a little difficult to find from Main Street, as a few gaps that appeared to be potential entrances to the restaurant were blocked by hedges, and access was found through the Town Hall itself. The restaurant consisted of two rooms, a large room with dark wood panelling and an airy room with glass walls and ceiling. We were directed into the conservatory room, which provided rather more peaceful surroundings than much of the Magic Kingdom. Still feeling full from breakfast and lunch, I ordered a shrimp pasta and barely touched the offered bread with olive oil, though this was well received by everyone else. The dish consisted of a generous portion of slightly oily, garlicky pasta topped with several plump shrimp, crisp asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes. I was very tempted by almost all the desserts on the menu, but, still feeling very full, I opted for the sugar free apple sorbet. I was presented with a huge scoop of refreshing apple sorbet with a pretty apple fan for decoration.

 

[SunnieRN]

Yummm, sounds great and your descriptions make up for the lack of pictures. Looking forward to more!

 

[creative gal]

Aw, thanks Sunnie RN.

After the previous morning’s extravagance, I decided to just have a croissant from the food court for breakfast, which was fine, a decent, light breakfast.

The French theme continued as we found ourselves in World Showcase in search of a light bite for lunch. I enjoyed a filling but not too heavy vegetable quiche and an apple tart for pudding. The lady serving us tempted my sweet tooth by offering a choice of main course and pastry or two pastries for my counter service credit, but I resisted the two pastry option. The quiche was a touch too big but very tasty and hearty, loaded with chunks of tomatoes, courgettes and onions. I could have quite happily selected any dessert option, as it all looked great, and is laid out in tantalisingly artistic rows. I eventually chose a delicious light apple tart. We dined alfresco in the tiny courtyard, which was picturesque, although outdoor seating is distinctly limited in this popular spot.

On arrival at the Coral Reef, we had a short wait before being seated in a comfy booth at the back of the restaurant. The restaurant enjoys one of the most unique and interesting settings in Disney World, overlooking the huge aquarium, with soft rippled lighting adding to the mood and atmosphere. The menu offers rather more than just seafood, and, as none of the fish dishes really appealed to me, I ordered steak and the restaurant’s signature pudding, the chocolate wave. We were all mildly disconcerted when we were presented with an uncut loaf of bread, but after a moment, we simply tore off chunks to our liking. The bread was good. My steak arrived done to my liking, juicy and tender, served with a gorgeously creamy, cheesy potato gratin and two stems of tender stem broccoli. The chocolate wave was a ‘melting middle’ style chocolate pudding, topped with brandied cherries. It was quite heavy and cakey, though the gooey melted chocolate centre and slightly sharp brandied cherries counteracted this a little. I struggled to finish the whole pudding.

 

[LindaBabe]

Your detailed descriptions are better than photos, and a whole lot easier to follow than a review that is loaded with them.

I do have a question, though. . . what is a courgette?

 

[Beep]

Your detailed descriptions are better than photos, and a whole lot easier to follow than a review that is loaded with them.

I do have a question, though. . . what is a courgette?

It's what the English call a zucchini

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I have seen pictures of most of the food you've eaten so I don't miss them - your descriptions are fantastic and I am really enjoying your reviews.

 

[SunnieRN]

The quiche sounds heavenly! I will definately look for that on my next trip and have it for breakfast the next day! Yumm looking forward to more!

 

[creative gal]

Having read many great reviews of Le Cellier, I was desperate to experience it, so when my parents booked the remaining TS meals at the hotel, I convinced them to take the only available reservation for 11.30am (and that was the result of a cancellation). We wandered through the replica of Victoria Gardens to the entrance of the restaurant, where we were treated to a rendition of O Canada, then led to our table by our friendly, knowledgeable server. Looking around the room, it seemed that all service was very high. The dining room was cosy and unpretentious, though underground, so there are no windows. We started with a variety of lovely fresh breadsticks, served warm with butter, each representing a different province of Canada. I deliberated only momentarily over the menu, as the mushroom filet mignon instantly stood out from the other offerings (strip steak, chicken and sandwiches). The filet mignon was served on a bed of beautifully creamy but delicate mushroom risotto. The meat was meltingly tender and the combined flavours of the steak, mushrooms and truffle created a rich, earthy, complex and utterly divine taste experience. We all ate in virtual silence, punctuated only by occasional moans of delight. I finished with a delectable maple crème brulee, sweet, creamy and tinged with the distinctive taste of real maple syrup.

When we visited Downtown Disney later in the evening, we went to one of the few counter service eateries in the area that were on the dining plan. It was around 8pm when we entered, but the place was still heaving. A wide variety of hot sandwiches are available, along with various salads and wraps. I decided to try the jerk chicken wrap, but, unsure of how spicy it would be, asked for just a little sauce. I needn’t have worried, as the sauce merely provided a slight kick to the sandwich, which was filled with large chunks of chicken and sweet peppers. The bread was similar to a Panini, but much thicker. The restaurant serves up huge portions of generously filled, hearty and tasty sandwiches. We all took our cookies away, partly due to the size of the sandwiches filling us up, but mainly to provide us with some sustenance if gradually approaching tropical storm Fay left us confined in our rooms. The main drawback was the noise level inside. Not only was there general background noise, tv noise and music noise, there was the added auditory annoyance of the staff bellowing customer orders, which, combined, created quite a chaotic atmosphere. However, the sandwiches are very good, there is outdoor seating available, and the portion sizes represent good value for money.

 

[creative gal]

We arrived at Pizza Planet just before the lunchtime rush, so we didn’t have to wait to place our orders, but I would guess it gets very busy at peak times, and the queuing area would probably be hectic at these times. We ordered a vegetable pizza with apple slices (for me) and a pepperoni pizza with chocolate chip cookie (for my fiancee). The pizzas were good, mine was generously topped with cheese, peppers, onions and mushrooms, and,for a deep pan pizza, had a relatively light crust and wasn’t too heavy. The apple slices were a welcome, refreshing alternative to the usual CS dessert options of cookies, carrot cake or brownies. There is plenty of shady outdoor seating at Pizza planet, which overlooks a little courtyard and the Muppet Fountain, but most of the indoor seating is located upstairs in the arcade room.

We discovered the Brown Derby more out of neccesity than choice, as we had not made reservations for dinner that evening and, enquiring at guest services on arrival at the park, we found only one restaurant that still had reservations available on the day. The restaurant possesses a very elegant interior, the main dining room full of dark wood panelled walls and sumptous, inviting booths. We were seated in the more intimate Bamboo Room. I decided to try the pan fried black grouper with summer vegetables and jewelbox tomatoes. We started with lovely fresh bread rolls and butter. The grouper looked very attractive, served on a bed of colourful mixed vegetables, including squash and courgettes, and surrounded by a rainbow of cherry tomatoes. The fish was fresh, light and flaked easily off the fillet in big chunks. I finished with a banana white chocolate toffee tower, which looked stunning – a layered masterpiece of chocolate cookie base, mousse centre and topped with whipped cream and caramelised bananas. It proved a very filling dessert, but there was a good contrast of flavours and textures, although there were perhaps a few too many flavours vying for attention in the dish.

 

[creative gal]

Before I launch into this review, I feel I should say that we've dined here a few times before and enjoyed it much more. If I had been paying out of pocket, I would have ordered one of their great burgers.

Tropical storm Fay had started creeping up by now, so we had a quieter day with a late lunch at Planet Hollywood. Perhaps due to the weather, it was exceptionally busy for lunchtime in Downtown Disney, and we stood waiting for over an hour for a table. Planet Hollywood is hugely popular and attracts hordes of people, thus, unless you’re prepared to dine at unusual hours, be prepared for a lengthy wait. The restaurant is packed with film memorablia on the walls and even hanging from the ceiling, which, along with the large screens showing classic film clips and trailers for upcoming releases, creates a vibrant and interesting atmosphere. We were seated at the back of the restaurant, but our table was still surrounded by other groups. The menu is varied, but focuses mainly on American cuisine, with burgers and steaks mingling with fajitas, chicken, pastas and sandwiches. I ordered the shrimp alfredo. I was soon presented with a generous serving of creamy pasta with five plump shrimp arranged around the bowl. However, it was a very heavy dish that rapidly turned claggy once the shrimp had been consumed.

We then discovered that the vast majority of the desserts were designed for sharing, and thus, we were only entitled to two desserts on the dining plan. We all chose to share banana split creme brulees, which were essentially two puddings in one. The banana split portion of the pudding rested on a rather shallow creme brulee base, but it was an innovative dessert that was sufficent for two.

 

[natalielongstaff]

great reviews

 

[creative gal]

We dined at the California Grill this evening, another restaurant I was very much looking forward to and had high expectations of, and I wasn’t disappointed. The table was booked for half seven, so we allowed ample time to find the venue, having never driven to the Contempory resort before. On arrival, we whizzed up to the fiftheenth floor in the lift and, as we were a little early, settled down in the bar. The dining area is modern and minimalistic, with lots of wood panelling and huge picture windows overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon.

The menu is quite limited but has a variety of meat and fish dishes, plus a vegetarian option, and changes regularly. We were soon seated at a table at the back of the main part of the restaurant. Our server was helpful and pleasant, offering advice and recommendations on the menu. The only negative element came from a party of loud children directly behind our table, getting in the waiter’s way and preventing some members of the group from hearing the waiter. I again decided to go for a fish dish and tried the halibut with serreno ham, beurre blanc, fennel and red pepper compote and cranberry beans. Beautifully presented, the fish was layered on a vegetable base, then topped with a crisp slice of ham. The bold flavours of the dish mingled together beautifully. It was surprisingly filling, despite the lack of potatoes, with the generous fillet of fish, vegetables and pulses providing a substantial, balanced meal.

Dessert was an amazing Valrhona chocolate cake served with homemade apricot ice cream and apricot sauce. The thin crust of the dessert cracked gently under the spoon to reveal the bittersweet, molten chocolate centre that dominated the dish. A glorious, decadent dish,the richness was tempered by the tangy apricot ice cream. We lingered in the gift shop and returned an hour later to watch the fireworks. Despite the driving rain, I stood out on the balcony to watch the fireworks from that unique vantage point.