appleseed1
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2008
- Messages
- 134
Thx. for sharing!
Best,
Best,
Two "Junior Seniors" Enjoying 7 Days on DxDP
- Thread starter Kathy Z
- Start date
stitchaholic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2009
- Messages
- 964
loving your reviews, I am hoping my DF and I will get to Disney after the kids are grown also, they are 12 and 10 and would not be too happy about being left home at this point 
, they are even coming to our disney wedding/honeymoon 
can't wait to read more!
, they are even coming to our disney wedding/honeymoon can't wait to read more!
Kathy Z
Counting my Blessings
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
- Messages
- 1,513
I love your reviews so far! Thank you so much for the detail and pics. I especially love your self described selves as Junior Seniors.
I can't take credit for that description myself, I picked it up from a friend we met in 2004 on a cruise in French Polynesia. Both of our husbands had taken early retirements.
I was ready to continue here but I have an error message on my image hosting site at the moment so I'll try again later today.
DisneyDancin7
Loves the Smell of Columbia Harbour House
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2008
- Messages
- 471
Couldn't agree more!
Kathy Z
Counting my Blessings
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
- Messages
- 1,513
Day 5 continued...
Dinner: Yachtsman Steakhouse
This was my husband’s favorite in Dec. of 2009 and I liked it too so we included it again despite the negative reviews some have been giving it recently. The meal began with a nice basket of assorted dinner rolls and roasted garlic. Our server suggested ordering the Seared Main Diver Scallop appetizer that he felt was the best on their menu and I allowed his suggestion to sway me. They were fine but after such a build up I suppose it is not surprising that I was a little disappointed in the plate. DH also followed his advise and chose the scallops over the lobster bisque that he probably would have liked just as well if not more. The fillet in 2009 was cooked perfectly to order and could be cut with a fork. That was not the case with our filets this evening. Both were cooked quite a way beyond our requests and they were not fine cuts of meat, a real disappointment from a steakhouse. In 2009 Yachtsman filets were far superior to Le Cellier but on this trip it was the exact reverse. We did go with the suggested wine pairing and it was very nice. We were told we could substitute any vegetable on the menu for the mashed potatoes and in an effort to eat healthy we took advantage of this. I made the mistake of ordering brussel sprouts. Now I have to tell you that I grew up hating brussel sprouts but a few years ago our daughter introduced us to brussel sprouts cooked properly and I learned that they are delicious. What I was served at the Yachtsman were way overcooked and covered with an unnecessary amount of some kind of sauce – so much for trying to eat healthy! DH ordered a kind of roasted winter squash we had never heard of before. It was not as bad as the brussel sprouts but it wasn’t very good either. We shared a Yachtsman Sundae for dessert and it was quite nice. We were also treated with a decorated plate with 4 bite size candies. The Yachtsman has been crossed our list for future trips.
You can view the walk-in meat refrigeration unit at the entrance
Yachtsman Steakhouse bread basket with roasted garlic
Scallops appetizer
Overcooked filet with overcooked brussel sprouts
DH's overcooked filet with winter squash
Nice Anniversary Treat
Yachtsman Sundae
Amount of food bill without tip: $123.54 4 Entitlements Used 14 Deluxe Cp Rm
Day 6 – We finally had a day where the temperature briefly reached into the 70’s.
Breakfast: Donald’s Safari Breakfast at Tusker House
This is the first time we have booked an early ADR in a park to gain entrance before opening. I’d do it again here and would also love to do it in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT (especially during the Flower & Garden Festival.) As you might expect from my enjoyment of the Tigger character and animatronic Remy I’m especially fond of real animals and Animal Kingdom is not a half-day park for me. We devote 1.5 days of a week’s vacation to AK. As far as the food goes, it was a buffet with nice options. Donald greets everyone and Disney hopes to sell photo packages for a tidy profit but at least we did not receive a hard sell. If we had children perhaps we would have sprung for the photos but we had enough good shots on our PhotoPass that I felt no need for these separate shots (not available on PhotoPass.) We were seated in the very brightly lit side room that I found distracting. Mickey, Daisy and Goofy stopped very briefly at our table. I did choose my only Mickey waffles of the trip here and they were delicious as were the other pastries I selected. Neither the scrambled eggs nor potatoes held their heat well by the time I walked them back to our table. I would do this breakfast again for the advantage of entering AK prior to opening. We got a lot done this morning after breakfast.
Our Greeting with Donald at Tusker House
My First Plate
At last! I have a Mickey waffle
Amount of bill without tip: $48.97 2 Entitlements Used 12 Deluxe Cp Rm
Lunch: We had expected to grab a bite at Flame Tree barbeque (our favorite counter service) for lunch but we had a special late afternoon and evening planned and as I mentioned near the beginning my husband was still recovering from almost 2 weeks spent in the hospital in October. So we headed back to AKL and went to Mara for Chicken Caesar Salads, water, juice (saved for later) and dessert. DH selected carrot cake, which he ate there. I selected a Mickey Crisped Rice, which I brought home. Since we had plenty of meal credits left we used them for this meal. Yes, I know, not a very good value for the credit but better than having leftover unused credits. The salads were quite good and were all the food we needed so soon after a large breakfast.
Amount of bill: I forgot to write it down – slightly under $30 2 Entitlements Used 10 Deluxe Cp Rm
Dinner: Our big splurge of the trip. The meal plan cannot be applied towards this – Wanyama (Sunset) Safari on the AKL savannahs followed by dinner at Jiko. This is available only to persons staying at AKL, either Jambo House or Kidani Village. I’ll include my review of the meal here because it is one of the reasons we had extra credits to use elsewhere. Also the food we were served comes from Jiko’s regular menu. Up to 12 persons can go on the safari per day. We had 6 other people on our safari so there were 8 of us seated at a large table in Jiko. Individual souvenir menus were provided at each place and unfortunately I apparently left without bringing either of ours with us. The bountiful meal is served family style. The first baskets brought to the table contained a variety of cracker breads. Assorted condiments were also provided. There are wine pairings from South Africa served throughout the meal. Several appetizers were brought out and the kitchen prepared special plates for my husband and I since we had informed them that we do not eat bell peppers or cucumbers that were components in two of the appetizers. My favorite appetizer was a fantastic flatbread with chicken among the toppings. It was by far the most popular appetizer on the table. Once again, we all dug into the food before I thought to take photos. Before the main dishes were served we were each presented with a palate cleansing sorbet & liquor. It was too tart for some of our companions but I thought it was quite good. There were 3 main courses: oak-grilled filet mignon served with macaroni and cheese, roasted chicken served with a potato gratin and green beans and maize-crusted halibut with assorted vegetables including Chinese pea pods, spinach & tomatoes. Each person was served their own dessert plate consisting of 3 mini-desserts; two chocolate delicacies flanking a wonderful crème brulee. After all of these desserts were on the table my DH & I were presented with a most delicious surprise, a special additional dessert plate with strawberry sorbet and chocolate strawberries in celebration of our anniversary. What a sweet ending to a fantastic day!
My Plate of Entrees on Wanyama Safari at Jiko
Our Desserts and special Anniversary Dessert
Experience: It was worth the splurge to do once. No Entitlements Used – Out of Pocket
Dinner: Yachtsman Steakhouse
This was my husband’s favorite in Dec. of 2009 and I liked it too so we included it again despite the negative reviews some have been giving it recently. The meal began with a nice basket of assorted dinner rolls and roasted garlic. Our server suggested ordering the Seared Main Diver Scallop appetizer that he felt was the best on their menu and I allowed his suggestion to sway me. They were fine but after such a build up I suppose it is not surprising that I was a little disappointed in the plate. DH also followed his advise and chose the scallops over the lobster bisque that he probably would have liked just as well if not more. The fillet in 2009 was cooked perfectly to order and could be cut with a fork. That was not the case with our filets this evening. Both were cooked quite a way beyond our requests and they were not fine cuts of meat, a real disappointment from a steakhouse. In 2009 Yachtsman filets were far superior to Le Cellier but on this trip it was the exact reverse. We did go with the suggested wine pairing and it was very nice. We were told we could substitute any vegetable on the menu for the mashed potatoes and in an effort to eat healthy we took advantage of this. I made the mistake of ordering brussel sprouts. Now I have to tell you that I grew up hating brussel sprouts but a few years ago our daughter introduced us to brussel sprouts cooked properly and I learned that they are delicious. What I was served at the Yachtsman were way overcooked and covered with an unnecessary amount of some kind of sauce – so much for trying to eat healthy! DH ordered a kind of roasted winter squash we had never heard of before. It was not as bad as the brussel sprouts but it wasn’t very good either. We shared a Yachtsman Sundae for dessert and it was quite nice. We were also treated with a decorated plate with 4 bite size candies. The Yachtsman has been crossed our list for future trips.
You can view the walk-in meat refrigeration unit at the entrance
Yachtsman Steakhouse bread basket with roasted garlic
Scallops appetizer
Overcooked filet with overcooked brussel sprouts
DH's overcooked filet with winter squash
Nice Anniversary Treat
Yachtsman Sundae
Amount of food bill without tip: $123.54 4 Entitlements Used 14 Deluxe Cp Rm
Day 6 – We finally had a day where the temperature briefly reached into the 70’s.
Breakfast: Donald’s Safari Breakfast at Tusker House
This is the first time we have booked an early ADR in a park to gain entrance before opening. I’d do it again here and would also love to do it in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT (especially during the Flower & Garden Festival.) As you might expect from my enjoyment of the Tigger character and animatronic Remy I’m especially fond of real animals and Animal Kingdom is not a half-day park for me. We devote 1.5 days of a week’s vacation to AK. As far as the food goes, it was a buffet with nice options. Donald greets everyone and Disney hopes to sell photo packages for a tidy profit but at least we did not receive a hard sell. If we had children perhaps we would have sprung for the photos but we had enough good shots on our PhotoPass that I felt no need for these separate shots (not available on PhotoPass.) We were seated in the very brightly lit side room that I found distracting. Mickey, Daisy and Goofy stopped very briefly at our table. I did choose my only Mickey waffles of the trip here and they were delicious as were the other pastries I selected. Neither the scrambled eggs nor potatoes held their heat well by the time I walked them back to our table. I would do this breakfast again for the advantage of entering AK prior to opening. We got a lot done this morning after breakfast.
Our Greeting with Donald at Tusker House
My First Plate
At last! I have a Mickey waffle
Amount of bill without tip: $48.97 2 Entitlements Used 12 Deluxe Cp Rm
Lunch: We had expected to grab a bite at Flame Tree barbeque (our favorite counter service) for lunch but we had a special late afternoon and evening planned and as I mentioned near the beginning my husband was still recovering from almost 2 weeks spent in the hospital in October. So we headed back to AKL and went to Mara for Chicken Caesar Salads, water, juice (saved for later) and dessert. DH selected carrot cake, which he ate there. I selected a Mickey Crisped Rice, which I brought home. Since we had plenty of meal credits left we used them for this meal. Yes, I know, not a very good value for the credit but better than having leftover unused credits. The salads were quite good and were all the food we needed so soon after a large breakfast.
Amount of bill: I forgot to write it down – slightly under $30 2 Entitlements Used 10 Deluxe Cp Rm
Dinner: Our big splurge of the trip. The meal plan cannot be applied towards this – Wanyama (Sunset) Safari on the AKL savannahs followed by dinner at Jiko. This is available only to persons staying at AKL, either Jambo House or Kidani Village. I’ll include my review of the meal here because it is one of the reasons we had extra credits to use elsewhere. Also the food we were served comes from Jiko’s regular menu. Up to 12 persons can go on the safari per day. We had 6 other people on our safari so there were 8 of us seated at a large table in Jiko. Individual souvenir menus were provided at each place and unfortunately I apparently left without bringing either of ours with us. The bountiful meal is served family style. The first baskets brought to the table contained a variety of cracker breads. Assorted condiments were also provided. There are wine pairings from South Africa served throughout the meal. Several appetizers were brought out and the kitchen prepared special plates for my husband and I since we had informed them that we do not eat bell peppers or cucumbers that were components in two of the appetizers. My favorite appetizer was a fantastic flatbread with chicken among the toppings. It was by far the most popular appetizer on the table. Once again, we all dug into the food before I thought to take photos. Before the main dishes were served we were each presented with a palate cleansing sorbet & liquor. It was too tart for some of our companions but I thought it was quite good. There were 3 main courses: oak-grilled filet mignon served with macaroni and cheese, roasted chicken served with a potato gratin and green beans and maize-crusted halibut with assorted vegetables including Chinese pea pods, spinach & tomatoes. Each person was served their own dessert plate consisting of 3 mini-desserts; two chocolate delicacies flanking a wonderful crème brulee. After all of these desserts were on the table my DH & I were presented with a most delicious surprise, a special additional dessert plate with strawberry sorbet and chocolate strawberries in celebration of our anniversary. What a sweet ending to a fantastic day!
My Plate of Entrees on Wanyama Safari at Jiko
Our Desserts and special Anniversary Dessert
Experience: It was worth the splurge to do once. No Entitlements Used – Out of Pocket
Kathy Z
Counting my Blessings
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
- Messages
- 1,513
Day 7
Breakfast: Yesterday afternoon after eating lunch at Mara I used a snack credit for a giant orange muffin. I also saved my drink (a bottle of orange juice) to bring back to our room. We split these to share for a breakfast snack in our room since we were still quite full from last nights extravaganza.
Lunch: Grand Floridian Café
This venue is quite pretty with lots of light from the many windows. Each of the tables holds a bud vase with a single red rose. We were led to a table with two roses, one red and one yellow another acknowledgement of our anniversary. DH began his meal with Caramelized Onion Soup au Gratin Quattro Formaggio and Provolone while I began with Crab Cakes - Pan-seared with Mango Relish. He was pleased with his soup (I dont think hes ever had a version of this soup that he did not like) and my crab cakes were quite good; not too much filling with decent crab. And I ate every bit of both of the crab cakes and mango relish, which paired delightfully with them. Their fish of the day was halibut served with rock shrimp hash and herb mashed potatoes. I eat most of my fish with the addition of fresh lemon and requested lemon when my fish was served. Our waitress suggested I try the fish first to see if I really needed the lemon, which I did, but by then she was out of sight. I was a bit perturbed but she returned about 3 or 4 minutes later with some lemon wedges and a short apology. Once I had my lemon I was happy with my plate. DH is less finicky and he also finished his entrée. The desserts at GFC are tiny but at least they do not try to hide this fact. When the wait staff brings around the dessert tray you are told that these represent the actual size of the desserts. We each chose the Key Lime Pie - Chocolate Crust topped with Carmelized Sugar. They were extremely delicious, the right balance between tart and sweet, and I could not have eaten much more than this mini serving (maybe just one more bite!) The chocolate crust, the key lime pie, chocolate wedge on top and lime sauce composed an excellent dish.
Grand Floridian Crabcakes appetizer
Halibut entree
Mini Keylime pie
Amount of bill without tip: $59.68 2 Entitlements Used 8 Deluxe Cp Rm
Dinner: Flying Fish Café
In 2009 despite staying at the BWI we had not managed to fit the FFC into our meal planning. So I was determined to make it a high priority when I planned for this trip and I am so glad that I did. I grew up not liking seafood (brussel sprouts werent the only thing I would not eat.) But over the years and several vacations to the Caribbean I learned how tasty seafood could be. And now we all know that it is even good for our health. I still dont prepare it myself as often as I should so I enjoy ordering it when we are out to eat. I like the décor of the Flying Fish. I had read about it being noisy, which it is, but we managed. From our table we could see the open kitchen although we were not right close to it. Thats why my photo Ive included is a bit blurry, its a cropped telephoto shot. Our waiter brought out very generous glasses of complimentary sparkling wine. DH took a sip of his following our toast before I took the photo. I knew before we arrived that I wanted to try their Signature Flying Fish Cafe "Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake". Most every crab cake includes red bell pepper and my digestive system can tolerate this in small amounts but I was concerned about the accompaniment of Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Rémoulade. Our waiter brought the chef to our table to discuss options with me. The photo shows my Jonah Crab cake served on a bed of assorted sprouts and an herb oil drizzle. It was one of the best crab cakes Ive even eaten. DH began his meal with the Chef's Degustation of Worldly Artisanal Cheeses - Five Tasting Portions and accompaniments Raisins on the Vine, Membrillo, Honeycomb, Pumello-Red Onion-Golden Raisin-Yuzu Compote Agrodolce. He was in heaven with these but still shared tastes of two of the cheeses that he knew I would enjoy. I selected Our Signature Flying Fish Café "Potato-wrapped Red Snapper" - Leek Fondue with a Veal Glace, Red Wine, and Cassis Butter as my entrée while DH chose Our Signature Flying Fish Café "Char-crusted Certified Black Angus New York Strip Steak" - Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Root Vegetables, and Pole Beans, with Classic Sauce Foyot. Both of us were extremely pleased with our choices. When eating out I enjoy ordering things that I know I would never go to the bother of preparing at home no matter how delicious they might be. The potato wrapped red snapper certainly falls into this category. DH, knowing that he could have a taste of my entrée decided to see if he could make up for his disappointment in Thursday nights meal at the Yachtsman and went with the strip steak. Although it appears quite dark on the outside this is because it is char-crusted. Inside it was a perfect medium rare as ordered. And he had saved some of his blue cheese to place on top so he was quite pleased with the combination. We each had a glass of Newton Chardonnay that went lovely with my red snapper. Im not quite sure why DH didnt order a red wine but he enjoyed his Chardonnay. He went with the cheesecake for dessert. It was nothing special. Only now as I check the menus do I see that is a no sugar added dessert. I had the trio of sorbets. Although the berries served on it were wonderful the sorbets themselves were not as tasty as the ones we had earlier in the week at Les Chefs de France. Either they are made in house and do not come from a common supplier or since the dessert was the best part of my meal at Les Chefs de France the sorbets there just stood out as excellent.
Flying Fish from the Boardwalk
Flying Fish interior
To Toast our Anniversary - Again!
Grill in open kitchen
My special version of their Jonah crabcake
Flying Fish cheese plate
Potato Wrapped Snapper
New York Char Grilled Strip Steak
No sugar added cheesecake
Sorbets and Berries
Amount of food bill without tip: $132.06 4 Entitlements Used 4 Deluxe Cp Rm
Breakfast: Yesterday afternoon after eating lunch at Mara I used a snack credit for a giant orange muffin. I also saved my drink (a bottle of orange juice) to bring back to our room. We split these to share for a breakfast snack in our room since we were still quite full from last nights extravaganza.
Lunch: Grand Floridian Café
This venue is quite pretty with lots of light from the many windows. Each of the tables holds a bud vase with a single red rose. We were led to a table with two roses, one red and one yellow another acknowledgement of our anniversary. DH began his meal with Caramelized Onion Soup au Gratin Quattro Formaggio and Provolone while I began with Crab Cakes - Pan-seared with Mango Relish. He was pleased with his soup (I dont think hes ever had a version of this soup that he did not like) and my crab cakes were quite good; not too much filling with decent crab. And I ate every bit of both of the crab cakes and mango relish, which paired delightfully with them. Their fish of the day was halibut served with rock shrimp hash and herb mashed potatoes. I eat most of my fish with the addition of fresh lemon and requested lemon when my fish was served. Our waitress suggested I try the fish first to see if I really needed the lemon, which I did, but by then she was out of sight. I was a bit perturbed but she returned about 3 or 4 minutes later with some lemon wedges and a short apology. Once I had my lemon I was happy with my plate. DH is less finicky and he also finished his entrée. The desserts at GFC are tiny but at least they do not try to hide this fact. When the wait staff brings around the dessert tray you are told that these represent the actual size of the desserts. We each chose the Key Lime Pie - Chocolate Crust topped with Carmelized Sugar. They were extremely delicious, the right balance between tart and sweet, and I could not have eaten much more than this mini serving (maybe just one more bite!) The chocolate crust, the key lime pie, chocolate wedge on top and lime sauce composed an excellent dish.
Grand Floridian Crabcakes appetizer
Halibut entree
Mini Keylime pie
Amount of bill without tip: $59.68 2 Entitlements Used 8 Deluxe Cp Rm
Dinner: Flying Fish Café
In 2009 despite staying at the BWI we had not managed to fit the FFC into our meal planning. So I was determined to make it a high priority when I planned for this trip and I am so glad that I did. I grew up not liking seafood (brussel sprouts werent the only thing I would not eat.) But over the years and several vacations to the Caribbean I learned how tasty seafood could be. And now we all know that it is even good for our health. I still dont prepare it myself as often as I should so I enjoy ordering it when we are out to eat. I like the décor of the Flying Fish. I had read about it being noisy, which it is, but we managed. From our table we could see the open kitchen although we were not right close to it. Thats why my photo Ive included is a bit blurry, its a cropped telephoto shot. Our waiter brought out very generous glasses of complimentary sparkling wine. DH took a sip of his following our toast before I took the photo. I knew before we arrived that I wanted to try their Signature Flying Fish Cafe "Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake". Most every crab cake includes red bell pepper and my digestive system can tolerate this in small amounts but I was concerned about the accompaniment of Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Rémoulade. Our waiter brought the chef to our table to discuss options with me. The photo shows my Jonah Crab cake served on a bed of assorted sprouts and an herb oil drizzle. It was one of the best crab cakes Ive even eaten. DH began his meal with the Chef's Degustation of Worldly Artisanal Cheeses - Five Tasting Portions and accompaniments Raisins on the Vine, Membrillo, Honeycomb, Pumello-Red Onion-Golden Raisin-Yuzu Compote Agrodolce. He was in heaven with these but still shared tastes of two of the cheeses that he knew I would enjoy. I selected Our Signature Flying Fish Café "Potato-wrapped Red Snapper" - Leek Fondue with a Veal Glace, Red Wine, and Cassis Butter as my entrée while DH chose Our Signature Flying Fish Café "Char-crusted Certified Black Angus New York Strip Steak" - Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Root Vegetables, and Pole Beans, with Classic Sauce Foyot. Both of us were extremely pleased with our choices. When eating out I enjoy ordering things that I know I would never go to the bother of preparing at home no matter how delicious they might be. The potato wrapped red snapper certainly falls into this category. DH, knowing that he could have a taste of my entrée decided to see if he could make up for his disappointment in Thursday nights meal at the Yachtsman and went with the strip steak. Although it appears quite dark on the outside this is because it is char-crusted. Inside it was a perfect medium rare as ordered. And he had saved some of his blue cheese to place on top so he was quite pleased with the combination. We each had a glass of Newton Chardonnay that went lovely with my red snapper. Im not quite sure why DH didnt order a red wine but he enjoyed his Chardonnay. He went with the cheesecake for dessert. It was nothing special. Only now as I check the menus do I see that is a no sugar added dessert. I had the trio of sorbets. Although the berries served on it were wonderful the sorbets themselves were not as tasty as the ones we had earlier in the week at Les Chefs de France. Either they are made in house and do not come from a common supplier or since the dessert was the best part of my meal at Les Chefs de France the sorbets there just stood out as excellent.
Flying Fish from the Boardwalk
Flying Fish interior
To Toast our Anniversary - Again!
Grill in open kitchen
My special version of their Jonah crabcake
Flying Fish cheese plate
Potato Wrapped Snapper
New York Char Grilled Strip Steak
No sugar added cheesecake
Sorbets and Berries
Amount of food bill without tip: $132.06 4 Entitlements Used 4 Deluxe Cp Rm
lilandvisma
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,245
You're welcome. Yes, we did have a great vacation!
Day 4 Another record low temperature for the date at Orlando Airport: 32 degrees
Breakfast: Snacks and leftovers in our room. I had used a snack credit at our gift shop last night for a small bottle of orange juice. We split that along with my cobbler from AP. This was all that was needed to tide us over until our 11:05 am lunch ADR.
Lunch: Plaza Restaurant
I know that most people feel the Plaza is not a good value for using TS credits but we had plenty to use and I love the Plaza. Ill eat here every trip whether on the meal plan or not. If we were only on the regular dining plan I would pay out of pocket for the Plaza and save my TS credits for other places. With our tiny breakfast we had an early lunch at 11:05 am. We also had an early dinner planned so that we would have plenty of time to find curb positions for MSEP and Wishes. I ordered my only soft drink of the week at the Plaza. I need a cola to really enjoy my delicatessen type foods. DH ordered coffee. DH and I each ordered a hot creamy potato soup to begin followed by Grilled Reubens - thinly sliced corned beef on grilled marble rye with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing (requested only small amount of dressing.) At the Plaza sandwiches are served with choice of broccoli slaw, homemade chips or French fries. I had the broccoli slaw in 2009 and found it to be very good so we each ordered that with our sandwiches. Despite the still cold outdoor temperature who could resist ice cream at the Plaza? Not us! We each had a hot fudge sundae for dessert yummy!
Hot creamy potato soup
Reuben sandwich with broccoli slaw
Amount of bill without tip: $47.95 2 Entitlements Used 24 Deluxe Cp Rm
Dinner: Crystal Palace
We had lunch at CP in 2009 when our granddaughters were with us. We all enjoyed the beautiful restaurant, the delightful Winnie the Pooh along with his friends Tigger, Eyeore and Piglet, and the buffet where even our 7 year-old picky eater was satisfied. Because of its convenient location near the center of the MK I decided to have dinner there. The character interaction was still wonderful. They treated us like big kids, having lots of fun with us and I appreciated that especially Tigger who was a real clown. I was a bit disappointed in the food selections and found only one item noteworthy. The coconut flan from the dessert array was delicious. It was so velvety smooth and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and coconut. The fact that I only chose to sample 3 desserts (Ill usually try more at a buffet) shows that I was not that impressed with their offerings over all. Would I book Crystal Palace again? Yes, but only for an early breakfast to get into the park before opening. Thats a goal I have for the future.
This Tigger was very friendly and silly
DH's first selections
My first selections
Pooh and my DH, Bill
A small portion of the dessert selections
Amount of bill without tip: $78.79 2 Entitlements Used 22 Deluxe Cp Rm
Great reviews
I have got to ask, in the dessert picture from Crystal Palace on the right hand side...is this Flan?? It was my favorite part of our lunch in 2009 and I'm hoping they still have it!
bluejasmine
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2005
- Messages
- 9,176
I really enjoyed your report! I too want to go to Chefs just for Remy! He is my hero! LOL I am 36 and its my fave movie! I plan on buying a stuffed Remy when we are back there in Sept!
All your foods look amazing and now I am wishing I had more than an apple for lunch!
All your foods look amazing and now I am wishing I had more than an apple for lunch!
chocolateMinnie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2008
- Messages
- 3,006
fantastic reviews, despite other people's poor reviews we also had an amazing meal at Le Cellier.
Particularly interested in AKL in room dining as we are spending our first trip at AKL this year.
Particularly interested in AKL in room dining as we are spending our first trip at AKL this year.
Kathy Z
Counting my Blessings
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
- Messages
- 1,513
I almost purchased the stuffed Remy in France (the only place we saw them) but I wanted him to be a little smaller so he would be on the same scale as the teddy bear and penquin I put under our Christmas tree. I'm glad you're enjoying the report.
One of the things I did remember to bring home was the complete In Room dining folder from AKL so if you have any particular questions - ask away!
lilandvisma - Yes, that was the coconut flan in the bottom right of the dessert photo from Crystal Palace. I wish I had some right now!
Departure Day
Breakfast: DH had In Room dining. I went to Boma
A word of explanation is needed here. Last night after our fantastic meal at Flying Fish we took the boat to DHS to see the Osborne Festival of Dancing Lights. Were not big fans of DHS but we still had 1 day remaining on our passes because we had spent the day visiting the monorail resort hotels viewing all of their Christmas decorations. Who goes to WDW during the Christmas holidays and does not go to see the Osborne Lights? Well, my husband did OK at first but by about the third time the dancing cycle began with the lights flashing on and off he informed me that he had to get out of there immediately. The flashing lights were triggering a vertigo attack. We managed to get back to AKL and to our room so that he could lie down. Once I knew that he was managing symptoms OK I went to the front desk to see if we could get approval for late checkout since our Magical Express departure time the next day was after 1:00 pm. We were granted a 12:30 pm checkout. We had planned a 10 am breakfast at Boma for our travel day and I was really looking forward to the variety of choices there. So we opted to get private dining for DH so that he could stay resting in the room as long as possible and I went to Boma alone. This time I remembered to take a photo of my omelet with cheese, mushrooms, spinach & tomato before I ate it! I filled up with lots of other tasty selections and once again had their delicious juice and a pot of tea. When I got back to the room I learned that when DH's breakfast arrived it included both the pineapple and potatoes along with the ham & cheese omelet, crispy bacon, toast, coffee and orange juice. Unlike some vertigo patients he actually feels better when he eats so he was feeling pretty good by the time we had to check out.
Room Service, all inclusive $36.15 2 Entitlements Used 2 Deluxe Cp Rm
View from my table at Boma looking towards dinning room with buffet beyond - not in view
The view directly out my window at Boma
Omelet with cheese, mushrooms, spinach & tomato, potatoes, bacon & cinnamon bun
Other pastries I selected at Boma plus roasted or baked tomato at top of plate
Fruit I selected at Boma
Boma without tip: $24.49 (holiday pricing) 1 Entitlement Used 1 Deluxe Cp Rm
I went to Mara and traded in our final TS credit for 3 Mickey Crisped Rice treats to carry home.
Use of Snack Credits
We knew when we decided to purchase the Deluxe Dining Plan that we would use very few snack credits for items to be consumed while at WDW. But I knew that with some planning I could use all 28 of our credits. In the end, we only consumed 7 snacks while there and 2 during our flight home. We carried the remaining 19 home along with the 4 Mickey Crisped Rice treats I had gotten at Mara (1 as my dessert option on day 6 and the 3 in the trade for our final TS credit.) Except for the 5 flavors of fudge that we shared with everyone during the holidays and 2 chocolate bars, our grandchildren received the rest of the snacks. I really should have provided a supply of childrens toothpaste along with them! Instead I just told them that mom & dad were in charge of how much they could have each day. Goofys Jelly Beans are staying put away until Easter. They were the best use of a snack credit value wise marked at $4.95 but allowed for a snack credit.
My favorite snack was from Germanys new shop Karamel Kuche where I chose the caramel roll with marshmallow crème. It was so big, fresh, creamy & delicious. I ate just a few bites when it was purchased and saved the rest for that night. DH chose the huge caramel & milk chocolate crisped rice treat and he ate it all right there. I think this selection closely tied his other favorite snack, which was from the fudge counter in the Contemporary Resort. There he got a white chocolate topped peanut butter cup with a dark chocolate bottom and a chocolate Mickey head on top. The fudges and many selections from the Karamel Kuche are priced at 3.95 and are on the DDP. Another good use of a snack credit (at least as of December 13, 2010) can be found in the gift shop in Germany. It took several checks of various chocolate bars before a most helpful CM found one type that still scanned as eligible for a snack credit. It was a 100g Feodora Tradition Superior Dark Chocolate. We got 2 and brought them home. If I had known how good they were I would have used more credits on them instead of the fudge, which for the most part disappointed me. I guess were spoiled with excellent fudge available here at home in Michigan.
15 of our snack credits were used for items priced at 3.95 (7 fudge, 2 Karamel, 3 Goofys mini unicorn pops, 2 chocolate bars and 1 giant muffin), 3 were used for Goofys Jelly Beans priced at 4.95. 6 of our credits were used on additional candy for our grandchildren (3 candy gummy kabobs and 3 Mickey swirl pops) that were priced at 2.95 each. I forgot to note the price of the small bottles of orange juice but think they were between 2.39 and 2.69. And finally, I also forgot to note the price of the large oatmeal raisin cookies from the Boardwalk Bakery, which were perfect for enjoying on the plane during our flight home. I think the cookies were about $2 each.
Now the big questions are did we save money by purchasing the DxDP and would we do it again?
We paid $1007.86 for DxDP for 2 adults for 7 days in 2010 including tax. The value of all the meals we ordered during our trip including tax but excluding tips and alcohol, which were paid out of pocket, came to $1135.75. Add to that the value of the 28 snacks of approximately $101.08 and it adds up to $1236.83 for a savings of $228.97. Many people get a much higher value saved but we went with the idea that we would only order what we wished to eat even if it was not the biggest bang for the buck. Also, we may be the only vacationers in the history of a Disney dining plan that includes refillable mugs to only ever use our mugs for water from the fountain at our CS restaurant. At least the mugs saved us the cost of bottled water. I dont like the taste of the water from the tap in our room even for taking my pills or brushing my teeth. Even though I did not always order a dessert and I left unfinished food on my plate more than a few times I managed to gain 2.5 pounds and DH gained more. So, yes, we saved money with the DxDP. But would we do it again? Probably not; and the reason is that I think we now know enough to choose wisely and split entrees in several places, not waste food or feel the need to bring home a bunch of snacks just to use up all of our credits.
I'll keep following this up for a little while to answer any questions you may have. Thanks so much for coming along on the journey to read my dining report.
Happy travels to everyone in the planning stages of their next trip to the magical happy world of Disney.
Kathy Z
Counting my Blessings
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
- Messages
- 1,513
You're welcome, I enjoyed writing the review. I think Disney made a wise move when they decided to extend Remy's stay indefinitely.
I can not wait to try the caramel and marshmallow cream, loved your reviews
If you like those small wrapped caramel roll candies available in your local stores you will love these fresh beauties from Karamel Kuche - YUM!
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your wonderful dining reviews with us
You're welcome - have a great time at Disney Paris!
sjs314
"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2010
- Messages
- 10,388
Loved reading about your trip and the dining reviews. The title caught my interest....upon reading further I found a few simularities between us.
DH retired this past Dec 31st. We will be traveling to the world this coming September using the DxDP ,at the time of travel DH will be 59 and I 58, also retired.
I found the idea of room service breakfast and shareing interesting, not an option I had thought of previously. I do not make our ADR's until end of March so still in the early planning stages of where we plan to eat. Our list is long with so many places we always wanted to try along with a few of our favorite.
This will be the first time ever for us to travel alone, even after our DS's were grown we traveled with them and their wives
I am still up in the air about Boma's I stayed AKL a few years back with a friend and loved Bomas. I and thinking to make an ADR for breakfast there for our AK day so I can show DH how beautiful AKL is. We are staying BC.
Thing is I want to try Tuskers maybe for lunch because of the reserved seating tix for the nemo show.
Anyway thanks for the great reviews and your pictures were fantasic.
DH retired this past Dec 31st. We will be traveling to the world this coming September using the DxDP ,at the time of travel DH will be 59 and I 58, also retired.
I found the idea of room service breakfast and shareing interesting, not an option I had thought of previously. I do not make our ADR's until end of March so still in the early planning stages of where we plan to eat. Our list is long with so many places we always wanted to try along with a few of our favorite.
This will be the first time ever for us to travel alone, even after our DS's were grown we traveled with them and their wives
I am still up in the air about Boma's I stayed AKL a few years back with a friend and loved Bomas. I and thinking to make an ADR for breakfast there for our AK day so I can show DH how beautiful AKL is. We are staying BC.
Thing is I want to try Tuskers maybe for lunch because of the reserved seating tix for the nemo show.
Anyway thanks for the great reviews and your pictures were fantasic.
Kathy Z
Counting my Blessings
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
- Messages
- 1,513
Sheila, enjoy your retirement. Traveling as just a couple can be so romantic at any age - we know
We still do some vacations with the entire family, the Outer Banks of NC being our favorite family destination (more affordable than trying to take three generations to WDW.)
If you are anything like me you will change you mind a few times regarding your ADRs. I think I made my final minor changes just a few weeks before our trip. We actually skipped the Finding Nemo show this time. But it would be nice to have the reserved seating if we were to go see it again. In 2009 we just managed to score some decent seats that weren't way up high and far from the stage. Although we enjoyed Nemo we prefer Lion King which we go see on every trip. If I ate breakfast at Boma and lunch at Tusker House I'd probably grab a snack or CS for dinner that day.
We still do some vacations with the entire family, the Outer Banks of NC being our favorite family destination (more affordable than trying to take three generations to WDW.)
If you are anything like me you will change you mind a few times regarding your ADRs. I think I made my final minor changes just a few weeks before our trip. We actually skipped the Finding Nemo show this time. But it would be nice to have the reserved seating if we were to go see it again. In 2009 we just managed to score some decent seats that weren't way up high and far from the stage. Although we enjoyed Nemo we prefer Lion King which we go see on every trip. If I ate breakfast at Boma and lunch at Tusker House I'd probably grab a snack or CS for dinner that day.
John's Mom
Jambo Wildbunch Gang
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2004
- Messages
- 4,024
Kathy,
Thanks for sharing your great reviews and pics!
Continued good health to your husband.
Kathy Z. M.
Thanks for sharing your great reviews and pics!
Continued good health to your husband.
Kathy Z. M.
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