PixieDustandEeyore
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I recently had the prosciutto melon pizza and loved it soo much! Did you find some of your crust was burnt those we had little burnt pouches but still loved it!
UPDATE:Posts 50,53,54! Oops...I did it again! Miss Piggy does DxDP, Sept. 2010"
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catne
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Sorry I haven't been back here to finish my review...hubby's computer crashed so he was using mine. Then we traveled back to Nebraska & been getting re-situated here. A kazillion things to get done! Will be finishing up reviews soon! And Thanks...hope they let you share at Via Napoli, because that individual pizza is plenty big for two adults, especially if one has a very small appetite. I've seen some references to people being told they can't share the individual pizzas. The waiter at the next table really seriously discouraged the couple there from ordering an individual & then they had to throw away more than 1/2 or the large pizza. But other than that, we loved the food. Can't wait for November trip...seems a long ways off!Hi Cathy! I can't wait for our La Cava meet....you seem to have good taste in food.
Thanks for the Via Napoli review. Good to know the 'individual' pizzas can be shared. My grandma (who you will meet in Nov) and I have an ADR there and I was wondering about being able to share pizza there since she eats like a bird! I'm very excited about REAL pizza at Disney so I'm happy you were able to give it such a good review!
The escargot was outstanding...loved it! Try something besides that steak, though!
Yep, there was little burned spots on the crust on both mine & hubby's pizzas. However, we've had wood-fired pizza before & that's the way it was. Guess you can't cook over fire without a little char. It tasted different, but we really enjoy it that way sometimes (well, hubby thinks anything cooked on fire is going to be great, regardless. Caveman runs deep in the guys, lol.)
catne
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Sorry I didn't get back here sooner...hubby developed computer problems in Florida, so was using my baby netbook too much for me to have time to get on here & do justice to a review. Back in Nebraska, and things settling down, so soon will be wrapping up this review with Flying Fish, snacks & Liberty Tree Tavern lunch. Hope you enjoy!
We planned an early dinner at Flying Fish because we wanted to finish our Epcot touring that evening, so we checked in around 5:40...this was the best part of staying at Boardwalk...easy walk to the restaurant! Love the decor in Flying Fish, but once again the tables are just too darned close together. The place was virtually empty when we arrived (10 min. after it opened) but we still waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Don't know why...servers were standing around chatting at the other end of the restaurant. The place stayed mostly empty the whole time we were there...was still no more than 1/2 full when we left shortly after 7:00 p.m. How often do they actually fill all those tables? I wish they'd take out at least 1/3 of the tables. Or change the way they assign tables so they don't cram everyone into a corner of the place when there would be plenty of room to space parties more comfortably. We were seated at a 4-top, which was nice to have that extra room on the table (those 2-tops are way too small for all the dishes/glasses, etc.) However, they promptly seated 2 other parties in the row with us. Meanwhile, all of the surrounding tables for 4 sat empty while we were there...they could have sat the middle party of four at a 4-top several feet away so all three of these parties would've had some privacy and "stretch" room. Instead, they seated us all in the "row" of tables that are about 18 inches apart from each other. We did not have the same waiters, so they weren't seating us all close together due to making it easy for server "territory" either. Oh well. On to the food!
Cold, fruity rum concoctions were calling my name (gotta get my pirate-juice-fix. Yo ho ho!) so I chose the Boardwalk Bay Breeze "Skyy Vodka, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, and Pineapple and Cranberry Juice $7.25" Wonderfully refreshing & boozy drink...and relatively cheap, as Disney drinks go (under $8? That was pixie dust at it's best!) This drink confirmed my previous observations that resort restaurants mix stronger drinks than park restaurants: slurp, slurp, slurp!
Hubby usually goes for beer, but when he spotted the double dose of rum in this cocktail, decided he had to try a martini this time. His pirate juice concoction was the Seaside Martini, which is "Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum,Agave Nectar, and Pineapple and Myer’s Lemon Juice $9.25" He was suitably impressed with the alcohol content on this one and enjoyed it thoroughly. Plus, he was pretty sure that fancy martini glass made him the ultimate in suave & debonair, lol.
Our waiter brought the FLYING FISH CAFE MULTI-GRAIN BREAD, served warm with a little surprise.
Now, let me focus on that butter:
Notice: the butter is PLAIN BUTTER! Sure, it's cut in a cute little striped-sail shape, but it's still JUST butter. Quite a surprise...all the steak places serve the butter with some sort of exotic chunky sea salt, plus herbs, and olive oil or something! But here we are at the seafood place...and they serve the butter plain,lol. No sea salt! That was alright, though, just ironic...the bread was OK, nothing extra-special about it so we just nibbled a little while waiting for the real food.
I could not pass up the "Our Signature Flying Fish Café Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake: Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Rémoulade $16.00" WOW! For once, the "signature" dish deserved the title! This crab cake was delicious...and very large for an appetizer. The only part I didn't care for was the Ancho Chile Remoulade (the blob of sauce under the veggie top hat)...the remoulade was way too hot/spicy for my wimp-mouth. So I scraped it off & happily ate every bit of this delicious treat. The slaw was pretty normal tasting slaw, a bit vinegary to my taste so just took a bite or two. The Red Pepper Coulis (the lovely little red dabs artistically arranged around the plate) were actually quite good--sort of sweet with just enough bite to punch up the flavor on the crab cake. Yum. Longing to repeat this appetizer, just looking at the picture.
Here's a picture of the Crab cake, cut open to show the crabby interior...almost pure crab in this baby just enough non-crab ingredients to hold the cake together, but no doughy filler surprises here, about 98% crab.
Hubby just had to pick the "Floribbean Wild Gulf Shrimp Cocktail: Summer Melon, Hearts of Palm, Mint-Orange Pepper Relish Blood Orange and Mint-infused Olive Oil $17.00" Mark is enamored with the word "Floribbean"...I think it reminds him of something Homer Simpson would say, lol. Homer was not disappointed with the Floribbean shrimp...jumbo, fresh and tasty.
For my entree, I chose the Orrechiette Pasta “Frutti di Mare” as it appears on the menu. Literal translation is "Fruit of the Sea." What's funny...on the receipt, it just shows up as "seafood pasta". So give it a fancy name & elaborate description...and then reduce it to bare bones on the receipt:the magic of Disney, lol. This lovely combination dish, at $32, consisted of Florida Rock Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Clams, Mussels, Fennel, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Brandy-laced Lobster Crèma mixed in a huge mess o'pasta, topped with shredded fried onion.MMMMMM. Huge serving, and about every bite had some sort of sea food in it. Sauce was light, flavor of seafood came through deliciously. If you love seafood, this dish is for you!
DH had been waiting for the chance to order scallops, so of course he could not pass up :
"Oak-grilled Maine Diver Scallops Artichoke, fresh and Sun-dried Tomato, Basil, Pecorino Romano, and Mascarpone-laced Risotto di Carnarolli, with Proscuitto di Parma Cracklins $34.00" Huge scallops, perfectly grilled (for him...I thought they looked a little charred, but Mr. Caveman is pretty sure anything can be improved with a little char. He gobbled these up.) The pasta and sauce were tasty, but too much to finish. He loved this dish.
Well, so far we were loving the Flying Fish...great adult beverages, wonderful appetizers, and delicious entrees...so even though we were both getting happily full, it was time to try the Flying Fish desserts.
I don't usually like creme brulee...at least not the "classic" type (sorry, I know creme brulee connoisseurs will be horrified, but to me, classic creme brulee is the sort of tasteless bland pudding you'd give someone recovering from illness.) So I was happy to see a highly-flavored creme brulee on the menu: "White Chocolate-Bing Cherry Crème Brûlée Cherry and Candied Fennel Compote, Housemade Maraschino Cherries, and Anise Biscotti 8.00" YAY! Extremely flavorful sweet pudding, here! Although it looks almost too crispy in the photo that was more a function of odd-light in the picture, because the actual dessert was cooked correctly: the top was well-carmelized with crunchy-brulee goodness. The tart cherries were perfect to balance out the sweetness of the creme brulee. Would rank this as 2nd best creme brulee I've had at Disney (#1 is the banana creme brulee at Kona Cafe.) Altogether delicious way to finish up my meal. Hubby and I both had coffee with our desserts. It was good "restaurant" coffee (i.e., did not taste like instant)
Hubby loves all things blueberry, so he had to choose the "Florida Summer Crop Blueberry Tart “Blondie” and Almond Accents, Limoncello-laced Gelato, and Kiln-dried Blueberry-Almond Brittle $8.00" He was not disappointed - this little gem was full of blueberries. The almond brittle was very good, and the gelato was nicely tart/sweet. Although he could not finish this, he enjoyed all components immensely.
So, our subtotal for food & tax was $127.57...all covered by the Deluxe Dining ($63.58 per person) We spent an additional OOP cost of $17.57 for drinks & tax, plus tip of course.
What's the verdict on Flying Fish and Signature Dining? Well, this place lived up to the "signature" dining, for the most part...at least enough that we're still willing to try some of the other signatures in January. We loved Flying Fish decor, food & service. Give it a 9 out of 10 (taking it down one point just for the closeness of the tables, and the inability to seat people comfortable distances away from each other when the restaurant is nearly empty.) Other than that point, though, Flying Fish was wonderful. Would we return: YES! In fact, I've already dumped our January 2011 Yachtsman Steakhouse reservation & booked Flying Fish instead. There were several items on the menu we want to try, especially since we ordered different 6 different items between us & liked all of them. We figure that means there's a good chance other choices on the menu are good too.
We planned an early dinner at Flying Fish because we wanted to finish our Epcot touring that evening, so we checked in around 5:40...this was the best part of staying at Boardwalk...easy walk to the restaurant! Love the decor in Flying Fish, but once again the tables are just too darned close together. The place was virtually empty when we arrived (10 min. after it opened) but we still waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Don't know why...servers were standing around chatting at the other end of the restaurant. The place stayed mostly empty the whole time we were there...was still no more than 1/2 full when we left shortly after 7:00 p.m. How often do they actually fill all those tables? I wish they'd take out at least 1/3 of the tables. Or change the way they assign tables so they don't cram everyone into a corner of the place when there would be plenty of room to space parties more comfortably. We were seated at a 4-top, which was nice to have that extra room on the table (those 2-tops are way too small for all the dishes/glasses, etc.) However, they promptly seated 2 other parties in the row with us. Meanwhile, all of the surrounding tables for 4 sat empty while we were there...they could have sat the middle party of four at a 4-top several feet away so all three of these parties would've had some privacy and "stretch" room. Instead, they seated us all in the "row" of tables that are about 18 inches apart from each other. We did not have the same waiters, so they weren't seating us all close together due to making it easy for server "territory" either. Oh well. On to the food!
Cold, fruity rum concoctions were calling my name (gotta get my pirate-juice-fix. Yo ho ho!) so I chose the Boardwalk Bay Breeze "Skyy Vodka, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, and Pineapple and Cranberry Juice $7.25" Wonderfully refreshing & boozy drink...and relatively cheap, as Disney drinks go (under $8? That was pixie dust at it's best!) This drink confirmed my previous observations that resort restaurants mix stronger drinks than park restaurants: slurp, slurp, slurp!
Hubby usually goes for beer, but when he spotted the double dose of rum in this cocktail, decided he had to try a martini this time. His pirate juice concoction was the Seaside Martini, which is "Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum,Agave Nectar, and Pineapple and Myer’s Lemon Juice $9.25" He was suitably impressed with the alcohol content on this one and enjoyed it thoroughly. Plus, he was pretty sure that fancy martini glass made him the ultimate in suave & debonair, lol.
Our waiter brought the FLYING FISH CAFE MULTI-GRAIN BREAD, served warm with a little surprise.
Now, let me focus on that butter:
Notice: the butter is PLAIN BUTTER! Sure, it's cut in a cute little striped-sail shape, but it's still JUST butter. Quite a surprise...all the steak places serve the butter with some sort of exotic chunky sea salt, plus herbs, and olive oil or something! But here we are at the seafood place...and they serve the butter plain,lol. No sea salt! That was alright, though, just ironic...the bread was OK, nothing extra-special about it so we just nibbled a little while waiting for the real food.
I could not pass up the "Our Signature Flying Fish Café Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake: Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Rémoulade $16.00" WOW! For once, the "signature" dish deserved the title! This crab cake was delicious...and very large for an appetizer. The only part I didn't care for was the Ancho Chile Remoulade (the blob of sauce under the veggie top hat)...the remoulade was way too hot/spicy for my wimp-mouth. So I scraped it off & happily ate every bit of this delicious treat. The slaw was pretty normal tasting slaw, a bit vinegary to my taste so just took a bite or two. The Red Pepper Coulis (the lovely little red dabs artistically arranged around the plate) were actually quite good--sort of sweet with just enough bite to punch up the flavor on the crab cake. Yum. Longing to repeat this appetizer, just looking at the picture.
Here's a picture of the Crab cake, cut open to show the crabby interior...almost pure crab in this baby just enough non-crab ingredients to hold the cake together, but no doughy filler surprises here, about 98% crab.
Hubby just had to pick the "Floribbean Wild Gulf Shrimp Cocktail: Summer Melon, Hearts of Palm, Mint-Orange Pepper Relish Blood Orange and Mint-infused Olive Oil $17.00" Mark is enamored with the word "Floribbean"...I think it reminds him of something Homer Simpson would say, lol. Homer was not disappointed with the Floribbean shrimp...jumbo, fresh and tasty.
For my entree, I chose the Orrechiette Pasta “Frutti di Mare” as it appears on the menu. Literal translation is "Fruit of the Sea." What's funny...on the receipt, it just shows up as "seafood pasta". So give it a fancy name & elaborate description...and then reduce it to bare bones on the receipt:the magic of Disney, lol. This lovely combination dish, at $32, consisted of Florida Rock Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Clams, Mussels, Fennel, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Brandy-laced Lobster Crèma mixed in a huge mess o'pasta, topped with shredded fried onion.MMMMMM. Huge serving, and about every bite had some sort of sea food in it. Sauce was light, flavor of seafood came through deliciously. If you love seafood, this dish is for you!
DH had been waiting for the chance to order scallops, so of course he could not pass up :
"Oak-grilled Maine Diver Scallops Artichoke, fresh and Sun-dried Tomato, Basil, Pecorino Romano, and Mascarpone-laced Risotto di Carnarolli, with Proscuitto di Parma Cracklins $34.00" Huge scallops, perfectly grilled (for him...I thought they looked a little charred, but Mr. Caveman is pretty sure anything can be improved with a little char. He gobbled these up.) The pasta and sauce were tasty, but too much to finish. He loved this dish.
Well, so far we were loving the Flying Fish...great adult beverages, wonderful appetizers, and delicious entrees...so even though we were both getting happily full, it was time to try the Flying Fish desserts.
I don't usually like creme brulee...at least not the "classic" type (sorry, I know creme brulee connoisseurs will be horrified, but to me, classic creme brulee is the sort of tasteless bland pudding you'd give someone recovering from illness.) So I was happy to see a highly-flavored creme brulee on the menu: "White Chocolate-Bing Cherry Crème Brûlée Cherry and Candied Fennel Compote, Housemade Maraschino Cherries, and Anise Biscotti 8.00" YAY! Extremely flavorful sweet pudding, here! Although it looks almost too crispy in the photo that was more a function of odd-light in the picture, because the actual dessert was cooked correctly: the top was well-carmelized with crunchy-brulee goodness. The tart cherries were perfect to balance out the sweetness of the creme brulee. Would rank this as 2nd best creme brulee I've had at Disney (#1 is the banana creme brulee at Kona Cafe.) Altogether delicious way to finish up my meal. Hubby and I both had coffee with our desserts. It was good "restaurant" coffee (i.e., did not taste like instant)
Hubby loves all things blueberry, so he had to choose the "Florida Summer Crop Blueberry Tart “Blondie” and Almond Accents, Limoncello-laced Gelato, and Kiln-dried Blueberry-Almond Brittle $8.00" He was not disappointed - this little gem was full of blueberries. The almond brittle was very good, and the gelato was nicely tart/sweet. Although he could not finish this, he enjoyed all components immensely.
So, our subtotal for food & tax was $127.57...all covered by the Deluxe Dining ($63.58 per person) We spent an additional OOP cost of $17.57 for drinks & tax, plus tip of course.
What's the verdict on Flying Fish and Signature Dining? Well, this place lived up to the "signature" dining, for the most part...at least enough that we're still willing to try some of the other signatures in January. We loved Flying Fish decor, food & service. Give it a 9 out of 10 (taking it down one point just for the closeness of the tables, and the inability to seat people comfortable distances away from each other when the restaurant is nearly empty.) Other than that point, though, Flying Fish was wonderful. Would we return: YES! In fact, I've already dumped our January 2011 Yachtsman Steakhouse reservation & booked Flying Fish instead. There were several items on the menu we want to try, especially since we ordered different 6 different items between us & liked all of them. We figure that means there's a good chance other choices on the menu are good too.
MickeyNicki
It is pretty darn sad when a valet picks you out a
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Ah our favorite, Flying Fish! I love that place and been three times and each time it has been packed to capacity so it does fill up.
I wish I could squeeze it into our next trip but I was able to score Cali Grill just 2 months before we arrive so I had to dump FF for that. And we are trying Narcoossee's, Via Napoli and La Hacienda
Hmmm...Maybe I will do Via Napoli for lunch and add FF for dinner? That is a great idea....gotta go do it now before I forget
I wish I could squeeze it into our next trip but I was able to score Cali Grill just 2 months before we arrive so I had to dump FF for that. And we are trying Narcoossee's, Via Napoli and La Hacienda
Hmmm...Maybe I will do Via Napoli for lunch and add FF for dinner? That is a great idea....gotta go do it now before I forget
catne
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Ah our favorite, Flying Fish! I love that place and been three times and each time it has been packed to capacity so it does fill up.
I wish I could squeeze it into our next trip but I was able to score Cali Grill just 2 months before we arrive so I had to dump FF for that. And we are trying Narcoossee's, Via Napoli and La Hacienda
Hmmm...Maybe I will do Via Napoli for lunch and add FF for dinner? That is a great idea....gotta go do it now before I forget
OK, I stand corrected then on the tables. But it was a very quiet night when we were there (a Saturday, no less) I suppose it probably was busier later that night.
We loved Via Napoli for lunch...pizza makes a great lunch! We're trying Narcoossee's in January as well as doing Via Napoli again (one of my sons will be with us, so all new to him)...and Mark & I are trying La Hacienda in November. Can't wait. I'm not a Tex-Mex person, so hoping to try some of the non-spicy dishes there.
catne
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Well that shoots my theory all to heck...if you had an early ADR like ours but it still was full. Course, maybe that's the difference between back-to-school September, and Spring Break/Holiday crowds in March? Although we'll be in Florida in March, don't think I'll be brave enough to go to Disney then.
If you like crab cakes at all, this would be the place...have never had a crab cake with that much crab in it. It's like they just took a cup of crab, flaked it & balled it up. Yum
auntfrannie
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The scallops looked devine! I keep telling myself I'm going to try them the next time I'm there but I'm always swayed by the chef's special creation for the day. I've never been disappointed but I would sure like to try the scallops some day!! Great review!
catne
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Thanks...and I think I'll probably order the scallops next time we're there. Though I really like the seafood pasta, scallops would have been my other choice.
catne
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Saturday night we once again (DOH!!!) forgot to pick up breakfast pastries from any of the Epcot bakeries...by the time we remembered, we were on the boat back to Boardwalk so we figured we'd stop at the Boardwalk Bakery and get something non-traditional for breakfast. After all, we still had 6 snack credits to use up! Once again, there was an incredibly long line coming out the door at Boardwalk Bakery, so we waited & waited. By the time we got to the front, both of us were about 1/2 asleep. DH spotted the carrot cake (he LOVES carrot cake) and suggested we get that for breakfast.
BOARDWALK BAKERY...CARROT CAKE
So we ordered two slices, and went to the cash register...handed over our magic DxDP card to use up some of those extra snack credits. And then we discovered we hadn't looked for the "DP" sign. Carrot cake was NOT included as a snack credit. She asked if we wanted to pick something different, but the line had not gotten any shorter & we were already "holding" it up dithering about the carrot cake. We decided to pay cash (about $9.50 for the two slices) and headed back to the room for a nightcap.
We had the carrot cake for breakfast...and while it was alright, there's no way it was worth $9.50 for two slices. Although the slices were good sized, there was too much frosting on it. Now usually on a carrot cake, I like extra frosting because cream cheese frosting is not all that sweet...and it's cheesey, ya know, so it's like you're getting a little nutrition with your cake (how's that for justifying cake as part of a balanced diet?)
But this frosting was more of a "soft-serve" buttercream frosting with just a hint of cream cheese flavor and a whole lot of sweet...is there an artificial cream cheese flavoring? That's what this tasted like to me. The cake itself was short on shredded carrots & chopped nuts...more than a bit too spongy for our preferences. It was OK, but not nearly as good as it looked. We ate about 1/2 of each slice & tossed it...although we had a cooler full of ice (and Via Napoli leftovers) we decided the leftover cake wasn't worth saving - just not that good. Course, we're thoroughly spoiled by the world's best carrot cake from Stachan's Ice Cream over in Dunedin, FL. There's a bit of heaven if you're ever in that neighborhood
BOARDWALK BAKERY...CARROT CAKE
So we ordered two slices, and went to the cash register...handed over our magic DxDP card to use up some of those extra snack credits. And then we discovered we hadn't looked for the "DP" sign. Carrot cake was NOT included as a snack credit. She asked if we wanted to pick something different, but the line had not gotten any shorter & we were already "holding" it up dithering about the carrot cake. We decided to pay cash (about $9.50 for the two slices) and headed back to the room for a nightcap.
We had the carrot cake for breakfast...and while it was alright, there's no way it was worth $9.50 for two slices. Although the slices were good sized, there was too much frosting on it. Now usually on a carrot cake, I like extra frosting because cream cheese frosting is not all that sweet...and it's cheesey, ya know, so it's like you're getting a little nutrition with your cake (how's that for justifying cake as part of a balanced diet?)
But this frosting was more of a "soft-serve" buttercream frosting with just a hint of cream cheese flavor and a whole lot of sweet...is there an artificial cream cheese flavoring? That's what this tasted like to me. The cake itself was short on shredded carrots & chopped nuts...more than a bit too spongy for our preferences. It was OK, but not nearly as good as it looked. We ate about 1/2 of each slice & tossed it...although we had a cooler full of ice (and Via Napoli leftovers) we decided the leftover cake wasn't worth saving - just not that good. Course, we're thoroughly spoiled by the world's best carrot cake from Stachan's Ice Cream over in Dunedin, FL. There's a bit of heaven if you're ever in that neighborhood
purpliequeen
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Thanks for these reviews. We'll be dining at many of the places you mentioned over our next two trips- Christmas week and Spring break.
catne
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Thanks-hope my reviews have given you some good ideas about what to order/not order! Would love to go over Christmas...except for the crowds. Don't think I could handle the crowds at all (really wimpy about waiting in lines...I get too fussy, lol.)
catne
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Well, the original plan for Sunday was DHS at rope drop, with lunch at 50s Prime Time, then go over to Magic Kingdom for a couple of hours in the afternoon before heading back to our Tampa condo. However, that weekend the temps in Orlando were in the mid-90s with high humidity so on Saturday night, we decided we didn't want to rush around on Sunday, or try to do two parks. This was our 3rd trip this year...and no guests with us that had never been there - so we really had no "Must-Do" list at all.
We scrapped DHS plans, and decided to just go to Magic Kingdom "around" opening time. First time we missed a rope-drop in I can't remember how many visits! We would eat lunch somewhere at MK, probably counter service, or maybe stop at Downtown Disney on our way out of Disney World. So I cancelled 50s Prime Time. Or so I thought...a week later I was checking our November reservations & saw the September 50s Prime Time reservation was still on there for some reason? The system was acting goofy when I was trying to cancel -making me log-in over & over every step of the way, but I thought I got the confirm screen that the reservation was cancelled. Apparently didn't clear the system though.
Anyway, packed up the car & left it at Boardwalk while we took the bus to MK...plenty of room on the bus at that time, even though the bus is shared with the Swolphin. We arrived at MK shortly after 9:00, and we had a marvelously relaxing, fun Sunday morning at Magic K. We decided just to do a few "boring" rides, skip all the headliners. So right off, that makes it more relaxing with no mad dashes for Fast Passes. We took the train from Main Street to Frontier Land...then wandered over to Jungle Cruise for a walk-on there. Followed by POTC, then we decided to try the riverboat (could not remember if we have ever been on the riverboat!) Unfortunately, we missed the boat...it had just left the dock, so would be another hour before we could ride. Since it was hot, we headed over to Aloha Isle to use up a couple of our snack credits (we still had 6!) for these beauties.
Did not disappoint...love my Dole Whip. We were not all that hungry, so just got the cups of Dole Whip instead of the Dole Whip floats. Was very nice after an hour in the hot sun...it was already about 85 F. mid-morning, with a lot of humidity. No rain threatening, just very sticky hot air! We just sat in the shade & people-watched for awhile, then meandered back in the direction of the riverboat, poking around in a shop on the way.
We were too early for the boat, so we rode Haunted Mansion with about a 5 minute wait, and then walked out of there right in time for the riverboat. That was a very enjoyable little ride...wouldn't do it every time, but relaxing and a nice little breeze on the boat. It was fun to see parts of Tom Sawyer Island you can't usually see from other parts of the park (haven't been on the Island in a kazillion years, either. We'll have to do that again one of these days.)
Once we finished the boat ride, the marching band was playing nearby, so we listened to that for a couple of minutes...those guys are something in those full band uniforms standing out in the full sun. Must have all gone to college in Florida to be able to perform like that!
By this point, it was close to noon, and we realized we were very close to Liberty Tree Tavern. We'd eaten dinner there a couple of years ago when it was still a character meal...it was good-enough food for a character meal but not good enough to try again for dinner without characters. But I knew it was menu-choices at lunch, and I'd seen some good reviews so we decided to try a walk-up. Now I was fully expecting to get turned away (after all, it was Free Dining, it was a weekend, and it was lunch time at the Magic Kingdom...perfect storm for no walk-ups.) Surprise, surprise...she told us if would be just a 15-25 minute wait. There were seats available in the air conditioned waiting room, so we took it.
We scrapped DHS plans, and decided to just go to Magic Kingdom "around" opening time. First time we missed a rope-drop in I can't remember how many visits! We would eat lunch somewhere at MK, probably counter service, or maybe stop at Downtown Disney on our way out of Disney World. So I cancelled 50s Prime Time. Or so I thought...a week later I was checking our November reservations & saw the September 50s Prime Time reservation was still on there for some reason? The system was acting goofy when I was trying to cancel -making me log-in over & over every step of the way, but I thought I got the confirm screen that the reservation was cancelled. Apparently didn't clear the system though.
Anyway, packed up the car & left it at Boardwalk while we took the bus to MK...plenty of room on the bus at that time, even though the bus is shared with the Swolphin. We arrived at MK shortly after 9:00, and we had a marvelously relaxing, fun Sunday morning at Magic K. We decided just to do a few "boring" rides, skip all the headliners. So right off, that makes it more relaxing with no mad dashes for Fast Passes
. We took the train from Main Street to Frontier Land...then wandered over to Jungle Cruise for a walk-on there. Followed by POTC, then we decided to try the riverboat (could not remember if we have ever been on the riverboat!) Unfortunately, we missed the boat...it had just left the dock, so would be another hour before we could ride. Since it was hot, we headed over to Aloha Isle to use up a couple of our snack credits (we still had 6!) for these beauties.
Did not disappoint...love my Dole Whip. We were not all that hungry, so just got the cups of Dole Whip instead of the Dole Whip floats. Was very nice after an hour in the hot sun...it was already about 85 F. mid-morning, with a lot of humidity. No rain threatening, just very sticky hot air! We just sat in the shade & people-watched for awhile, then meandered back in the direction of the riverboat, poking around in a shop on the way.
We were too early for the boat, so we rode Haunted Mansion with about a 5 minute wait, and then walked out of there right in time for the riverboat. That was a very enjoyable little ride...wouldn't do it every time, but relaxing and a nice little breeze on the boat. It was fun to see parts of Tom Sawyer Island you can't usually see from other parts of the park (haven't been on the Island in a kazillion years, either. We'll have to do that again one of these days.)
Once we finished the boat ride, the marching band was playing nearby, so we listened to that for a couple of minutes...those guys are something in those full band uniforms standing out in the full sun. Must have all gone to college in Florida to be able to perform like that!
By this point, it was close to noon, and we realized we were very close to Liberty Tree Tavern. We'd eaten dinner there a couple of years ago when it was still a character meal...it was good-enough food for a character meal but not good enough to try again for dinner without characters. But I knew it was menu-choices at lunch, and I'd seen some good reviews so we decided to try a walk-up. Now I was fully expecting to get turned away (after all, it was Free Dining, it was a weekend, and it was lunch time at the Magic Kingdom...perfect storm for no walk-ups.) Surprise, surprise...she told us if would be just a 15-25 minute wait. There were seats available in the air conditioned waiting room, so we took it.
catne
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2008
- Messages
- 8,420
We checked into Liberty Tree Tavern at 11:55, and we were seated at 12:07 so it wasn't even 15 minutes. As we were walking by the check-in area on the way to be seated, they were telling another party of two at the door that it would be 35-45 minutes to be seated. When we left at 1:05, the greeter on the porch was stopping people from coming in the door & telling them if they did not have reservations there were no tables available for the remainder of the day! So I guess we lucked out on our timing, thank heavens.
Since the MK is "dry" the closest hubby could get to his beloved beer was rootbeer, so he ordered that. I chose coke: coke $2.69 and rootbeer $2.69
We chose the "Crab and Spinach Dip for Two - blue crab, spinach, cream cheese and flatbread $10.99" as our appetizer, and this did not disappoint:
I've seen some complaints that this dip should come with tortilla chips instead...well, we thought the flatbread was a much better match for this thick gooey dip. We ate most of this...it was that good.
For entrees, we were kind of stymied. It was a very hot/humid day and we were hungry...but the Liberty Tree is definitely a "theme" lunch menu and there was only one cold entree on there, a sweet type of chicken salad with apples, walnuts, etc. This didn't look all that appealing to either of us. Kind of wish there were a couple more entree salad choices and maybe a cold sandwich or two to choose from. But oh, well...apparently patriots didn't eat cold luncheons, lol. So after seeing plates of it delivered to a nearby table, hubby decided that pot roast looked wonderful: "New England Pot Roast... Our Tavern Keeper's Favorite - braised beef in a cabernet wine and mushroom sauce served with mashed potatoes and garden vegetables $17.99"
While this looked and tasted wonderful, it was a mistake to order it on a hot September day, especially after the filling appetizer...just to hot/too heavy for summer lunch. This meal would be GREAT in January on a cold blustery day. Hubby only ate about 1/4 of this...just no appetite for it.
I had thought seriously about ordering the pot roast...but figured I could taste his, so I went for the "Tri-Corner Sandwich - roast beef and swiss cheese with Liberty Slaw, horseradish cream sauce and arugula served on herbed focaccia with fresh fruit or tavern fries $11.49" This was a delicious sandwich, and lighter fare than the pot roast. But still too much for me. Hubby had some of it, as it definitely suited his appetite better than potatoes & pot roast. Even with both of us eating some of this, still did not finish it. They pack the meat on-it's quite a large sandwich. Enjoyed the flavors of the horseradish sauce mixing with the swiss cheese...good combination. The fries were hot & fresh.
So far, Liberty Tree lunch was proving to be much better than what we remembered from dinner there. Time for dessert! I love, love, love the sticky toffee pudding at Rose & Crown, so the "Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake -- vanilla cake with a gooey toffee filling, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce $6.49" obviously appealed to me.
OK, this was good, but too much, too sweet, and not quite what I would call "toffee" or "cake". What it really reminded me of was a fat hot chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven, so still melting chocolate chips inside...topped with ice cream & too much caramel & chocolate sauce. Didn't really get "toffee" in the flavor...other than the caramel sauce vaguely suggesting a toffee flavor; and the consistency was nowhere close to "cake." This was more like slightly under-cooked cookies or a cookie-bar than a cake. I didn't care for the overwhelming sweetness of this thing, though...so mostly, I just scooped bits of the crunchier outer shell of the "cake" and ate that with a little of the ice cream. Now ordinarily I have quite a sweet tooth, so I suspect I was just too full to care a whole lot about any kind of dessert at this point! If I hadn't been so full, and if I wasn't thinking of the Rose & Crown version of a sticky toffee dessert, I probably would have enjoyed this more. I'd be willing to try it again some time, anyway.
Hubby loves apple pie, so the apple tart appealed to him: "Apple Tart -- shortbread crust, sugared apples, and butterscotch ice cream $6.49" Although he liked the shortbread crust, he was also pretty full at this point, so he mostly ate the apple filling & the ice cream. His dessert also had caramel sauce on it so was just a tad too sweet for him. He like the dessert, though, and would probably order it again.
We're both history nuts, so enjoy the decor at Liberty Tree. Somehow the room we were in seemed to be less crowded than most Disney restaurants (although every table was full...there seems to be just a tad more space between tables.) Service was excellent at the Liberty Tree...our drinks never got more than 1/2 empty before a refill appeared. Our server was attentive without hovering (those guys go at the speed of light in there...never seen waiters & bussers move so fast. With no spills, either!) Our food came out at good intervals...our entrees showed up just after we were shoving aside the remains of the appetizer. Dessert showed up after our entree plates were cleared. The entire meal took just under an hour, which was just about right for lunch. The total bill, including tax, was $64.26, which was totally covered by the DxDP. (that was without tip of course.) We'd give Liberty Tree about a 9 out of 10 for lunch...knock it down a point for lack of cold-lunch choices on the menu. I suppose if we'd eaten here in early January 2010 (when the highs were in the low 40s) we would have loved the meal & given it a "10"...so yes, we'd definitely return. In fact, we are returning there in January 2011 with son, so will let you know if it's a 10 on a cooler day!
Since the MK is "dry" the closest hubby could get to his beloved beer was rootbeer, so he ordered that. I chose coke: coke $2.69 and rootbeer $2.69
We chose the "Crab and Spinach Dip for Two - blue crab, spinach, cream cheese and flatbread $10.99" as our appetizer, and this did not disappoint:
I've seen some complaints that this dip should come with tortilla chips instead...well, we thought the flatbread was a much better match for this thick gooey dip. We ate most of this...it was that good.
For entrees, we were kind of stymied. It was a very hot/humid day and we were hungry...but the Liberty Tree is definitely a "theme" lunch menu and there was only one cold entree on there, a sweet type of chicken salad with apples, walnuts, etc. This didn't look all that appealing to either of us. Kind of wish there were a couple more entree salad choices and maybe a cold sandwich or two to choose from. But oh, well...apparently patriots didn't eat cold luncheons, lol. So after seeing plates of it delivered to a nearby table, hubby decided that pot roast looked wonderful: "New England Pot Roast... Our Tavern Keeper's Favorite - braised beef in a cabernet wine and mushroom sauce served with mashed potatoes and garden vegetables $17.99"
While this looked and tasted wonderful, it was a mistake to order it on a hot September day, especially after the filling appetizer...just to hot/too heavy for summer lunch. This meal would be GREAT in January on a cold blustery day. Hubby only ate about 1/4 of this...just no appetite for it.
I had thought seriously about ordering the pot roast...but figured I could taste his, so I went for the "Tri-Corner Sandwich - roast beef and swiss cheese with Liberty Slaw, horseradish cream sauce and arugula served on herbed focaccia with fresh fruit or tavern fries $11.49" This was a delicious sandwich, and lighter fare than the pot roast. But still too much for me. Hubby had some of it, as it definitely suited his appetite better than potatoes & pot roast. Even with both of us eating some of this, still did not finish it. They pack the meat on-it's quite a large sandwich. Enjoyed the flavors of the horseradish sauce mixing with the swiss cheese...good combination. The fries were hot & fresh.
So far, Liberty Tree lunch was proving to be much better than what we remembered from dinner there. Time for dessert! I love, love, love the sticky toffee pudding at Rose & Crown, so the "Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake -- vanilla cake with a gooey toffee filling, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce $6.49" obviously appealed to me.
OK, this was good, but too much, too sweet, and not quite what I would call "toffee" or "cake". What it really reminded me of was a fat hot chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven, so still melting chocolate chips inside...topped with ice cream & too much caramel & chocolate sauce. Didn't really get "toffee" in the flavor...other than the caramel sauce vaguely suggesting a toffee flavor; and the consistency was nowhere close to "cake." This was more like slightly under-cooked cookies or a cookie-bar than a cake. I didn't care for the overwhelming sweetness of this thing, though...so mostly, I just scooped bits of the crunchier outer shell of the "cake" and ate that with a little of the ice cream. Now ordinarily I have quite a sweet tooth, so I suspect I was just too full to care a whole lot about any kind of dessert at this point! If I hadn't been so full, and if I wasn't thinking of the Rose & Crown version of a sticky toffee dessert, I probably would have enjoyed this more. I'd be willing to try it again some time, anyway.
Hubby loves apple pie, so the apple tart appealed to him: "Apple Tart -- shortbread crust, sugared apples, and butterscotch ice cream $6.49" Although he liked the shortbread crust, he was also pretty full at this point, so he mostly ate the apple filling & the ice cream. His dessert also had caramel sauce on it so was just a tad too sweet for him. He like the dessert, though, and would probably order it again.
We're both history nuts, so enjoy the decor at Liberty Tree. Somehow the room we were in seemed to be less crowded than most Disney restaurants (although every table was full...there seems to be just a tad more space between tables.) Service was excellent at the Liberty Tree...our drinks never got more than 1/2 empty before a refill appeared. Our server was attentive without hovering (those guys go at the speed of light in there...never seen waiters & bussers move so fast. With no spills, either!) Our food came out at good intervals...our entrees showed up just after we were shoving aside the remains of the appetizer. Dessert showed up after our entree plates were cleared. The entire meal took just under an hour, which was just about right for lunch. The total bill, including tax, was $64.26, which was totally covered by the DxDP. (that was without tip of course.) We'd give Liberty Tree about a 9 out of 10 for lunch...knock it down a point for lack of cold-lunch choices on the menu. I suppose if we'd eaten here in early January 2010 (when the highs were in the low 40s) we would have loved the meal & given it a "10"...so yes, we'd definitely return. In fact, we are returning there in January 2011 with son, so will let you know if it's a 10 on a cooler day!
catne
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2008
- Messages
- 8,420
We finished up our time at MK with a visit to the Hall of Presidents, then headed for the busses, with a very important stop on the way: the Main Street Bakery to use up our 4 remaining snack credits....planning to get some mighty-fine pastries to take back with us to our condo. We lucked out there...only one couple ahead of us for a very short wait, and they were ordering lunch. We wanted 3 of those wonderful cinnamon rolls and one apple turnover (hubby's favorite)...there were exactly 3 cinnamon rolls left in the serving pan & one apple turnover in that case! I'm sure more were coming, but that's all there was when we ordered. So we used up our 4 remaining snack credits & had breakfast on Mickey two days in a row (we stored these in the fridge, inside zip-lock bags & warmed them in the microwave...still tasted fresh on the 2nd day, even. YUM! Great way to "extend" the Disney magic a couple of more days.)
Sorry, didn't get a picture of the apple turnover, but rest assured, the Magic Kingdom's Main Street Bakery still makes the biggest, and best, apple turnovers...and ditto the fabulous cinnamon rolls. These were almost twice as big as the Boardwalk Bakery's version: both taller & bigger around. By the time I remembered to take a picture, I'd already eaten about a 1/3 of this roll! The full original roll covered almost all of that red-bordered snack plate (which is why I put it on top of a dinner-size plate to warm it in the microwave...would have had melted icing all over the micro otherwise.) Anyway, too big to finish for breakfast...we ate about 1/2 for breakfast & then saved the other 1/2 for a snack later in the day.
Summing up our DxDP experience...all "new" to us restaurants, or new meal times so it was a good chance to check a few more places off our list. Tried two more signature restaurants...was not overly impressed with previous signature experience, so went in with kind of a dubious attitude, I'll admit! Give a thumbs-down on Yachtsman Steakhouse - not worth the signature status or prices, IMO. But a big Thumbs-Up for signature Flying Fish, as well as thumbs up on Via Napoli for lunch, and Liberty Tree Tavern lunch. Down on Boardwalk Bakery (OK, maybe not "down"...but sideways, for sure - just not that impressed. I'm convinced the park bakeries are all better than the resort versions.) Thumbs-Up on Aloha Isle & Main Street Bakery, for sure. We enjoyed our low-key touring style this weekend (no multi-park days, no dashing to & fro for fast passes & headliner rides...mostly fuddy-duddy rides, lol.)
We paid $287.96 for 2 nights/2 adults on the DxDP...and the cash totals on our meals, snacks & mugs (excluding alcohol & tips) was $470.03 so once again, the dining plan was quite the value for us. We'd do it again (actually, we already are signed up...regular dining plan for a November weekend, and the DxDP for 4 night trip with son in January 2011. It will cost more, sure, but we suspect the restaurant prices will also go up.) Even taking out the cost of the mugs ($28) we still would have saved substantially on using the plan. For us, the dining plans work very well.
And yes, before the arguments on value begin...the dining plan DOES match the way we eat...We're not big on buffets, breakfasts or cheap entrees: we like the sit-down meals, and we like to get apps, prefer the high-end entrees and love dessert...it's vacation, Enjoy!
That's it for now...we'll be back in November for another quick weekend trip. Getting to the very last weekend of F & W & will try a few things there no doubt so we're just going to use the regular dining plan this trip. Hoping to meet up with a few Dis friends for a drink or two at La Cava. And we'll be trying 2 more restaurants we haven't tried yet: the new La Hacienda in Mexico, and 'Ohana at the Poly.
Sorry, didn't get a picture of the apple turnover, but rest assured, the Magic Kingdom's Main Street Bakery still makes the biggest, and best, apple turnovers...and ditto the fabulous cinnamon rolls. These were almost twice as big as the Boardwalk Bakery's version: both taller & bigger around. By the time I remembered to take a picture, I'd already eaten about a 1/3 of this roll! The full original roll covered almost all of that red-bordered snack plate (which is why I put it on top of a dinner-size plate to warm it in the microwave...would have had melted icing all over the micro otherwise.) Anyway, too big to finish for breakfast...we ate about 1/2 for breakfast & then saved the other 1/2 for a snack later in the day.
Summing up our DxDP experience...all "new" to us restaurants, or new meal times so it was a good chance to check a few more places off our list. Tried two more signature restaurants...was not overly impressed with previous signature experience, so went in with kind of a dubious attitude, I'll admit! Give a thumbs-down on Yachtsman Steakhouse - not worth the signature status or prices, IMO. But a big Thumbs-Up for signature Flying Fish, as well as thumbs up on Via Napoli for lunch, and Liberty Tree Tavern lunch. Down on Boardwalk Bakery (OK, maybe not "down"...but sideways, for sure - just not that impressed. I'm convinced the park bakeries are all better than the resort versions.) Thumbs-Up on Aloha Isle & Main Street Bakery, for sure. We enjoyed our low-key touring style this weekend (no multi-park days, no dashing to & fro for fast passes & headliner rides...mostly fuddy-duddy rides, lol.)
We paid $287.96 for 2 nights/2 adults on the DxDP...and the cash totals on our meals, snacks & mugs (excluding alcohol & tips) was $470.03 so once again, the dining plan was quite the value for us. We'd do it again (actually, we already are signed up...regular dining plan for a November weekend, and the DxDP for 4 night trip with son in January 2011. It will cost more, sure, but we suspect the restaurant prices will also go up.) Even taking out the cost of the mugs ($28) we still would have saved substantially on using the plan. For us, the dining plans work very well.
And yes, before the arguments on value begin...the dining plan DOES match the way we eat...We're not big on buffets, breakfasts or cheap entrees: we like the sit-down meals, and we like to get apps, prefer the high-end entrees and love dessert...it's vacation, Enjoy!
That's it for now...we'll be back in November for another quick weekend trip. Getting to the very last weekend of F & W & will try a few things there no doubt so we're just going to use the regular dining plan this trip. Hoping to meet up with a few Dis friends for a drink or two at La Cava. And we'll be trying 2 more restaurants we haven't tried yet: the new La Hacienda in Mexico, and 'Ohana at the Poly.
janeapplemeadow
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2008
- Messages
- 387
Thanks for your reviews. I really enjoyed them and your honesty about signature dining spots. Some of the best meals I've had at Disney haven't been at signature resturants. Like you, I sometimes walk away from signature dining places and shake my head at the food I was forced to eat at such crazy prices.
Rhongepooh
<font color=red>I must ponder this news<br><font c
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2004
- Messages
- 812
The food in your pictures looks so yummy!
catne
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2008
- Messages
- 8,420
Thanks...even though we got really good value for our DxDP credits I still kind of resent places like Yachtsman calling themselves "signature" and delivering less than signature-quality meals. Honestly have had better steaks at most non-signature places we've eaten at. I think some of them just "rest on their laurels. Probably time to shake up the head chef there.
catne
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2008
- Messages
- 8,420
I've gotten pretty good practice at the food photography with all our trips (making up for many "lost" years when we didn't take vacations or had to travel other places.) Mostly, I finally figured out to turn the flash off for most food pictures, lol.
cbg1027
Florida Girl
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2009
- Messages
- 5,084
Great review Cathy!
I def agree with about the bakeries. The in park ones seem to have much better food than the resort ones. Guess it's one of the ways they keep you having to buy parking admission...so you can go in the park and spend MORE money!
See you Nov 14!
I def agree with about the bakeries. The in park ones seem to have much better food than the resort ones. Guess it's one of the ways they keep you having to buy parking admission...so you can go in the park and spend MORE money!
See you Nov 14!
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