This Ain't No Volcanic Disappointment! ~ A Free Dining Review 10/2 - 10/8 * NEW 11/3

[disneyfav4ever]

That ostrich looks amazing!

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

Great so far! I love your avatar pic, and I was cracking up at the drinking family in front of you, including the kid with all the juiceboxes!

Thanks As for the family, quite frankly, I'm not sure how they handled sitting through the show without going potty once!

I think what you called a Floating Disappointment was an Ile Flottante.

I had the Ostrich Filet with different accompaniments last April and loved it. I hope they still have this preparation when I go in December!

Was the banana dessert called a Semi Freddo? I'd not wild over semi-freddo's.

I'm not big on cake either, but I love CG's chocolate cake! I've had it with raspberry and strawberry....but the pineapple sounds amazing too!

Like the reviews, keep 'em coming!

Just googled Ile Flottante and yep, that's it! I've always wondered what it was called, thanks! And Semi Freddo does sound familiar, I think you're right about that desert too.

Also meant to add...I love the photo in your avatar! Is that your dog? Where did you get that costume? It's adorable!

Thanks That is my dog, Lola. I actually got that costume at Target about 3 Halloweens ago. I actually dressed her in it last December for pictures with Santa at DTD. She was really popular.

That ostrich looks amazing!

I know, it was so pretty! Tasted even more amazing than it looked too!

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

10/4 was our MGM/MK/MGM/MK day (yes, I have a hard time calling it DHS). That darn Toy Story ride required us to get to MGM first, but we also wanted to see the new parade at MK. Even further complicating our plans was the fact that MK had EMH until 1am so we went back to MGM/DHS to fill up some more time and use fastpasses and then went back to MK. You got all that?

I really wanted to try Starring Rolls for lunch because I heard good stuff about their sandwiches and let's be real here - the CS options there are lacking (I still gag at the thought of the Commissary). So we got there at 11am and were disappointed that there were no sandwiches left, except for some vegetable wraps. For some reason, I was under the impression that once they're out, they're out so we walked away. We then decided to ask to make sure that was accurate, but were told to come back in 20-30 minutes and they'll have more.

We sat at the tables and as soon as I saw the woman opening the door to the display case, I bolted (hey, I was really hungry). Oh my goodness, those sandwiches are HUGE!

My mother and I both opted to get the turkey focaccia sandwich. She was sorely disappointed when she realized they also had ham. She survived though.

So it's bread, turkey, cheese (muenster? I can't remember), lettuce and a pesto mayonnaise. Very messy, but very good. Good change from the same ol' cheeseburger and fries. In the background you can see the chips we also got with the dining plan. We both got BBQ chips, but they were just okay. Borderline stale tasting, even though they were not expired. I also got a bottle of water, and my mom got chocolate milk.

Onto desert.. Apparently anything in the case was considered a dessert on the dining plan. I was originally just going to get a chocolate croissant, but then I started dreaming bigger.

I opted for a banana cheesecake type thing (yes, I'm pretty sure that is the name written on the sign in the case). It was good. Didn't finish, though, because I was full.

My mom opted for a marble cupcake. This picture honestly does not give it justice - these cupcakes are GINORMOUS. She enjoyed it, but thought it was pretty rich. She also didn't finish because she was also full.

I would definitely give Starring Rolls a 5 out of 5. Great value and great quality for a CS. We used 2 CS credits, but otherwise OOP all of this would have cost us $32.70.

 

[cbg1027]

Thanks That is my dog, Lola. I actually got that costume at Target about 3 Halloweens ago. I actually dressed her in it last December for pictures with Santa at DTD. She was really popular.

One of my Grandma's dog looks like Lola's Twin. His name is Zac (short for Prozac) and his wardrobe is probably larger than mine.

Me and my Gram are going to Disney in 8 days and the only part she doesn't like is leaving Zac behind! Other trips she takes he usually goes with her.

 

[Disneyof3]

We liked our seats. We were pretty much dead center and the second table (out of 3) in the row (going back from the stage). For the dining plan, I wouldn't go past category 2 because you either get front to the side, or center in the upper seating level. Also, the show is pretty interactive for kids, the beginning part at least. There is a time where they allow kids to come up to the stage and dance with the actors.

thanks for the reply.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

One of my Grandma's dog looks like Lola's Twin. His name is Zac (short for Prozac) and his wardrobe is probably larger than mine.

Me and my Gram are going to Disney in 8 days and the only part she doesn't like is leaving Zac behind! Other trips she takes he usually goes with her.

Aww, it is hard to leave the little one behind. Luckily, though, Disney has updated their pet souvenirs and they have some really cute things. I got Lola this adorable Mickey Mouse hoodie complete with the ears. Zac may have a few new things in his extensive wardrobe!

thanks for the reply.

You're welcome

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

Like I mentioned, we ended our day at MK for the EMH. We had a little delay due to the fact that we took the monorail in and they decided then to add another train to the track. We weren't bothered by this, but if you talked to the people who were rushing to go see Wishes, then you'd get another story. (Honestly, who hops on the monorail 15/20 minutes before the fireworks start?) So when we finally made it to MK (after standing off to the side to avoid the people running to the front gate), we headed straight to Pecos Bill. I wanted to head there for the melted cheese yummm! So glad it has made a comeback at the parks.

So we attempted the new self service kiosks, but the screen wasn't recognizing when I was tapping the buttons and I didn't want to look like I was beating the screen so I gave up and ordered with a human being. We ordered with a CM who was funny because he was making sure we ordered LARGE drinks to get our money's worth.

I ended up with the chicken wrap with fries, a LARGE diet coke, and a cookie for desert.

Let's see, how to describe the wrap? Okay, maybe this wrap was amazing at 4pm when they actually made it. Yes, they are pre-made and sit on a tray in a fridge until someone orders one. This would be perfectly okay if they didn't put the dressing on it. It was soggy, but again, I bet it would be good if it was fresh. Fries were good with the cheese sauce, and I love condiment bars because I always get a cup of pickles.

My mom ended up with the special they're apparently testing: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn. Let me preface this with this story: When you stand in line, you can actually see the CMs in the back putting together the hot food through a tiny window type thing. So my soggy wrap gets pulled out the fridge and as we're waiting we can see my mom's getting prepared. Looked interesting until they plopped.. yes, plop is the best word for this.. the gravy on. We started busting a gut and the man behind us even exclaimed "UGH I don't think I can eat after seeing that!" and we laughed even harder when we explained to him that we ordered it.

Luckily, it tasted better than it looked. The chicken was not dry and the breading was soft. It is also a good size piece of chicken. The corn was hot and good, and the mashed potatoes and slop were decent as well. I'll be anxious to see if they keep this permanently.

Overall, I'd give Pecos a 3.5 out 5 mostly because of the condiment bar.
We used 2 CS credits, but otherwise OOP this would have cost us about $28.79.

 

[ShannonMB]

My DD loves the cheese sauce on the fixin's bars for her fries, too. I must say, your mom's chicken looks very good, but the gravy looks a little white/weird. I'd give it a whirl, though.

 

[Tinker Pam]

Looks Yummy

 

[SuzieN]

I just returned last week from a week at WDW and also ate at a couple of the places you've already reviewed. TOTALLY agree about the "volcanic disappointment"! How blah was that?!!! I took one little taste and pushed it away (and I rarely push food away!). We also ate at the California Grill and I, too, had the BLT flatbread and the banana dessert. The flatbread seemed to really lack something - it was pretty bland. The banana dessert, on the other hand, I have to completely disagree with you on. I REALLY had to hold myself back from licking the plate!!!! What could possibly be wrong with a creamy, carmely, banana-y dessert??!!! NOTHING in my book!!! Loving your reviews - keep 'em coming!

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

The 5th was our Clearwater Beach day so we started with breakfast at the ASMu Food Court.

We both opted for the breakfast platter which included scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, french toast sticks, a biscuit, and your choice of bacon or sausage. The following picture is a little fuzzy, I apologize.

It was a lot of food, I don't think either of us finished it. Everything was pretty standard breakfast fare but it was good, just nothing to write home about. There was a British couple who hoarded the butter (seriously!). I asked them where they got the butter because I couldn't find it and they stared at me for a second (they must call it something else in England) and I asked again and they said up at the station. They were done eating so who knows what they were planning on doing with that 8+ unused butter packets. Build a fort, perhaps.

Overall, I'd give it probably a 4 out of 5. We used 2 CS, otherwise OOP it would have cost $28.72.

After getting back from Clearwater and washing up, we headed down to DTD to shop some more and have some food. We decided on Earl of Sandwich because the holiday themed sandwich interested us a couple of days prior.

Note: If you are a diehard Earl of Sandwich fan, you might want to skip this review because it's going to be harsh.

So we're still fairly new at the Dining Plan and what it all entails. We pretty much have it down pat for Disney CS, but we weren't sure what it was going to be at a restaurant not owned by Disney. Our game plan was to ask the girl at the register when we placed our order. We place our order and once we're about to ask what we get as sides/deserts, she screams "NEXT!!!" and we turn around bewildered thinking there was a huge line she was trying to get through quickly. There was one other family behind us. Ok, slightly rude but no biggie. So we try to ask some girls making salads. The one girl stared at us and then turned to her friend and told her to talk to us. We soon discovered there was a language barrier and that all the girl could inform us was "$2.50 and under!" They were very sweet and trying to be helpful, but we were still a little unsure. So the cashier should be able to help us, right? Wrong. He was useless. He did answer our question, but he talked so fast we were still confused. So we decided to just go with what we had been doing all week and we took a desert and a side. When I came home, I searched to see if we were correct but apparently we stole so oops.

Sheesh, what a pain in the butt! So we sit, and I go up to get our drinks. Once I get back to the table, our buzzer is going off so I go up to collect our food. I stood there.. and stood there... oh, that employee is looking at me, she'll be over in just a second I bet.. wait, why is she turning around.. why are the cashiers just staring at me? I decided to take it upon myself and just grab my food. They came running then, go figure.

I was hoping the food would make up for it all, but sadly it didn't. We both ordered the holiday sandwich which consisted of turkey, stuffing, cranberry, gravy, and mayo. I got mine sans mayo, and my mom got it sans cranberry.

It was incredibly dry. Maybe the mayo would have helped that, but I'm guessing no. I think I only ate half of mine. My stolen potato salad was just okay. My mother got the fruit salad which was pretty standard. I believe we both got brownies, which we ate the next morning. Those weren't bad.

I would give Earl of Sandwich 0 out of 5. The service was horrendous. I counted at least 10 people that I could see, and they seem to be getting paid to stand around and talk. Now don't get me wrong, I have worked MANY jobs where I interacted with the public, including working food and beverage at MK so I know how hard it is and what unusually high standards guests have. I am not a complainer usually about service because I've been there before. But this experience was crazy. I was extremely disappointed.

Anyways, we wasted 2 CS credits. Otherwise, OOP it would have cost about $25.56.

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

The 5th was our Clearwater Beach day so we started with breakfast at the ASMu Food Court.

We both opted for the breakfast platter which included scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, french toast sticks, a biscuit, and your choice of bacon or sausage. The following picture is a little fuzzy, I apologize.

It was a lot of food, I don't think either of us finished it. Everything was pretty standard breakfast fare but it was good, just nothing to write home about. There was a British couple who hoarded the butter (seriously!). I asked them where they got the butter because I couldn't find it and they stared at me for a second (they must call it something else in England) and I asked again and they said up at the station. They were done eating so who knows what they were planning on doing with that 8+ unused butter packets. Build a fort, perhaps.

Overall, I'd give it probably a 4 out of 5. We used 2 CS, otherwise OOP it would have cost $28.72.

After getting back from Clearwater and washing up, we headed down to DTD to shop some more and have some food. We decided on Earl of Sandwich because the holiday themed sandwich interested us a couple of days prior.

Note: If you are a diehard Earl of Sandwich fan, you might want to skip this review because it's going to be harsh.

So we're still fairly new at the Dining Plan and what it all entails. We pretty much have it down pat for Disney CS, but we weren't sure what it was going to be at a restaurant not owned by Disney. Our game plan was to ask the girl at the register when we placed our order. We place our order and once we're about to ask what we get as sides/deserts, she screams "NEXT!!!" and we turn around bewildered thinking there was a huge line she was trying to get through quickly. There was one other family behind us. Ok, slightly rude but no biggie. So we try to ask some girls making salads. The one girl stared at us and then turned to her friend and told her to talk to us. We soon discovered there was a language barrier and that all the girl could inform us was "$2.50 and under!" They were very sweet and trying to be helpful, but we were still a little unsure. So the cashier should be able to help us, right? Wrong. He was useless. He did answer our question, but he talked so fast we were still confused. So we decided to just go with what we had been doing all week and we took a desert and a side. When I came home, I searched to see if we were correct but apparently we stole so oops.

Sheesh, what a pain in the butt! So we sit, and I go up to get our drinks. Once I get back to the table, our buzzer is going off so I go up to collect our food. I stood there.. and stood there... oh, that employee is looking at me, she'll be over in just a second I bet.. wait, why is she turning around.. why are the cashiers just staring at me? I decided to take it upon myself and just grab my food. They came running then, go figure.

I was hoping the food would make up for it all, but sadly it didn't. We both ordered the holiday sandwich which consisted of turkey, stuffing, cranberry, gravy, and mayo. I got mine sans mayo, and my mom got it sans cranberry.

It was incredibly dry. Maybe the mayo would have helped that, but I'm guessing no. I think I only ate half of mine. My stolen potato salad was just okay. My mother got the fruit salad which was pretty standard. I believe we both got brownies, which we ate the next morning. Those weren't bad.

I would give Earl of Sandwich 0 out of 5. The service was horrendous. I counted at least 10 people that I could see, and they seem to be getting paid to stand around and talk. Now don't get me wrong, I have worked MANY jobs where I interacted with the public, including working food and beverage at MK so I know how hard it is and what unusually high standards guests have. I am not a complainer usually about service because I've been there before. But this experience was crazy. I was extremely disappointed.

Anyways, we wasted 2 CS credits. Otherwise, OOP it would have cost about $25.56.

I'm curious about your clearwater beach day - we are looking for a beach day having never left WDW property before but unsure of what to do. Cocoa beach had also been recommended. Can you comment? We would have to rent a car.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I'm curious about your clearwater beach day - we are looking for a beach day having never left WDW property before but unsure of what to do. Cocoa beach had also been recommended. Can you comment? We would have to rent a car.

I have been to both (Clearwater twice, Cocoa once) and I prefer Clearwater. I like how the water is clearer and more tranquil on the Gulf and it is white sand beaches. Both are well-liked beaches, though, so I don't think you can go wrong with either. You just need to decide if you want to swim in the Atlantic or the Gulf. The distance from Orlando is pretty much the same for both. I don't know if you have kids, but I know there is a lot of stuff to do at Clearwater (great aquarium, pirate cruise). Not too sure what there is at Cocoa but I'm sure someone can chime in.

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

I have been to both (Clearwater twice, Cocoa once) and I prefer Clearwater. I like how the water is clearer and more tranquil on the Gulf and it is white sand beaches. Both are well-liked beaches, though, so I don't think you can go wrong with either. You just need to decide if you want to swim in the Atlantic or the Gulf. The distance from Orlando is pretty much the same for both. I don't know if you have kids, but I know there is a lot of stuff to do at Clearwater (great aquarium, pirate cruise). Not too sure what there is at Cocoa but I'm sure someone can chime in.

Atlantic/Pacific don't care as long as it has salt and waves, and you can't see the other side. We have a summer place here in Alberta on a lake which of course has none of these. We have DS15 and DD12 and I would love to surprise them if possible with a surfing lesson - any ideas?

 

[NuttyDisneyMom]

Clearwater Beach is my hometown! I was born and raised there It is a lovely beach town, as you well know. Ah...I miss it sometimes! Now you can see why I say I'm a WDW Native....23 years of only being 90 mins away from WDW

 

[mcrabeck]

Enjoying your reviews and pictures- looking forward to the rest!

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

Atlantic/Pacific don't care as long as it has salt and waves, and you can't see the other side. We have a summer place here in Alberta on a lake which of course has none of these. We have DS15 and DD12 and I would love to surprise them if possible with a surfing lesson - any ideas?

What a nice surprise for your kids! The first thing that comes to mind is Ron Jon Surf School at Cocoa Beach. I have never done it personally, but I doubt you can go wrong with Ron Jon. Check out their site http://ronjonsurfschool.com/

Clearwater Beach is my hometown! I was born and raised there It is a lovely beach town, as you well know. Ah...I miss it sometimes! Now you can see why I say I'm a WDW Native....23 years of only being 90 mins away from WDW

Jealous! I remember when I was on my College Program, we'd go to the beach during the day and go in to work at night. That was the life Now I have to deal with chilly Ohio, boo.

Enjoying your reviews and pictures- looking forward to the rest!

Thanks

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

10/6 was our MNSSHP night so we decided to be lazy that day and sleep in. It was in the 90s during our entire vacation so the combination of the long days and heat was just wearing us out. We decided to eat at Pepper Market since it was fairly close to our hotel and I hear good things about it.

When we arrived, we were seated by a very nice man who tried to seat us close to the food stations. Very nice gesture, but the table was slightly on the main path and I have anxieties about being "on show" at restaurants. I prefer to be mixed in with the rest of people. We were greeted by our waitress who explained the process to us (well, me. Mom had already been there before). She was nice enough, but walking past us and not acknowledging us when we were trying to get her attention because our drinks were empty was not fun.

We headed up to the stations and walked around forever because we were having a hard time deciding. We both wanted something different, and every time we looked to see what the entrees actually looked like we were slightly disappointed. Quite honestly, the dinner entrees that were not available intrigued me more. We ultimately decided on entrees that were specials that day.

I don't recall there being titles on the entrees, but I think I got some sort of sweet and sour chicken with rice, veggies, and an egg roll.

It was okay. The egg roll was probably the best part. I found the sauce on the chicken to be a little funny. Veggies and rice were your standard fare.

My mother got some sort of beef and mushroom in a wine sauce I think. Came with mashed potatoes and corn.

I actually liked her meat and its sauce better than mine and she liked my chicken better, which was kind of funny.

For dessert, we both opted for a strawberry cake. Slightly blurry picture, I apologize.

Ummm, yumm!!! I have probably mentioned this, but I am so not a cake person but this was delish. Very light and fluffy, the frosting was not too sweet and the strawberries were good. We both enjoyed our desserts.

Overall, I'd probably give Pepper Market a 3 out of 5. I wouldn't mind trying it for dinner because the food sounds better to me. We used 2 CS, but OOP this would have cost us $43.31 for the food + tip.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

Like I mentioned, 10/6 was our MNSSHP night. Originally, we had trouble deciding whether or not we wanted to do a TS dinner that night. Last December, we ate at LTT during MVMCP and we felt like it took too much time away from our party experience even though we arrived at 4pm. However, that was our only MK day that trip, so we figured that was why and decided we'd be okay. I was originally interested in 1900 Park Fare but then when I saw an opening for CRT I figured why not?

So our reservations were for about 5:30ish and when we tried checking in, we were told that they did not allow you to check in more than 10 minutes before your ADR. No problem, but it's just so odd that every time you make an ADR they ask for you to arrive at least 15 minutes prior. So we finally checked in and then waited for a bit until we could take our picture with Cinderella. There were a few little girls in their Cinderella costumes, including a set of blonde twins that looked adorable.

We were seated after our photo session right near a window, which was nice. I'm imaging it feels more magical to sit by the window with the view rather than being in the back corner. For drinks, my mother ordered a Coke and I started with a flavored lemonade. Our waiter said it was pomegranate, but quite honestly I think it was raspberry.

For an appetizer, I had the salmon-crab cake.

This was definitely mostly filler. I was definitely not impressed. The sauce was a sweet corn nectar according to the menu, and that I really liked. It helped the dry crab cake go down a tad easier.

My mother opted for the BLT Salad.

She enjoyed the salad, but felt the lettuce was a little weak since it was a wedge. Too much of the boring white lettuce and not enough of the darker green lettuce.

For an entree, I opted for the Herb-Rubbed Roast Chicken. It comes with wilted spinach, mashed potatoes, and a chicken jus.

I scraped the herbs off the top because it did not make the chicken look appetizing (I'll spare you what I really thought it looked like). This was average. There was a post on the Restaurant Board where someone compared the CRT dinner food to food served at weddings. I think that statement is extremely accurate, at least in my experience. Everything in the entree was good, but not amazing.

For her entree, my mother got the Prime Rib. It comes with grilled asparagus and roasted potatoes with a Cabernet sauce.

She agrees with the wedding statement. She found her entree good, but not spectacular.

And finally, dessert. I opted for the seasonal sorbet, which was raspberry, with berries. It was your average sorbet.

And my mother opted for the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buckle. She said it was "alright" and "mushy."

Overall, we both agree CRT earned a 3.5 out of 5. I wouldn't say it was worth the money/credits for the food, but I think eating in the Castle should be done at least once in your life. We used 4 TS credits, otherwise OOP this would have cost $109.67.