Want to covert a skeptic? Try free dining + F&W! UPDATED 12/19 w/ Flame Tree bbq
- Thread starter abminer
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abminer
Mouseketeer
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- Jul 11, 2005
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Breakfast at Pepper Market, CSR
At 8am we headed to Pepper Market for our first shot at this controversial CS! Ok, it is really confusing. A hostess took us to a table (the place was almost empty) then our server came. She asked us if it was our first time eating there and then explained the process, but didn't explain it that well. She handed us a card, but there were already some on the table. You take your card to the various food stations where each CM stamps it with what you got and you take that to the cashier after youve eaten. We couldn't tell if each person in the group was supposed to take their own card or not since she handed us only one. We used one.
The waitress then takes your drink order. There are no smoothies or special coffees that come with a CS credit. I ordered OJ and DP got regular coffee. We explained that wed be using one CS credit and she did say that one credit got two drinks so we were covered. Our server kindly put them in to go cups without us asking.
We walked around the food area looking at the options. There weren't many CMs around nor any signs about the process. If you want a pastry or a bagel you arent allowed to use the tongs to get them yourself so you have to wait for a CM to do that for you. Youre not allowed to toast your own bagel either despite the toaster being out. Well, DP took the card and got the adult platter:
The All American Breakfast platter- Scrambled Eggs, Potatoes, Bacon or Sausage, and choice of Biscuit or Muffin $10.25
He chose sausage and a small blueberry muffin (a plain biscuit or banana muffin were the other choices). These are not the big muffins from the bakery counter. It wasn't great (I've had better and larger platters at WL and AKL's CS), but wasn't bad at all.
To subsidize our one CS credit I got a kids' Mickey waffle meal. Yes, I am an adult man who eats kids meals. This was the first trip I've tried this, but if you're trying to stretch your DDP credits and keep OOP costs down this isn't such a bad idea.
Childs meal 4.99
In addition to two small waffles and fruit it came with a small, bottled beverage so I got a water for later. The waffles were very fresh and crispy and with a few nibbles off DPs plate I was full.
At some point we got a second server! The shift must have changed, but neither server told us this. All of the sudden a male server was checking on us. We went to the counter to pay shortly after that and it was fine. I was given one receipt for the OOP kids meal, which included the 10% service charge (we did not leave an extra tip on the table). The platter, two drinks, and service charge were zeroed out on the other receipt for our CS credit.
This meal was ok and the staff we did interact with were friendly.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been (w/service charge) = approx. $23.85
Total cost to us (kids meal with service charge)= $5.85
rating = B
here's an extra pick showing the bakery options:
up next: lunch and lines at Pecos Bills
At 8am we headed to Pepper Market for our first shot at this controversial CS! Ok, it is really confusing. A hostess took us to a table (the place was almost empty) then our server came. She asked us if it was our first time eating there and then explained the process, but didn't explain it that well. She handed us a card, but there were already some on the table. You take your card to the various food stations where each CM stamps it with what you got and you take that to the cashier after youve eaten. We couldn't tell if each person in the group was supposed to take their own card or not since she handed us only one. We used one.
The waitress then takes your drink order. There are no smoothies or special coffees that come with a CS credit. I ordered OJ and DP got regular coffee. We explained that wed be using one CS credit and she did say that one credit got two drinks so we were covered. Our server kindly put them in to go cups without us asking.
We walked around the food area looking at the options. There weren't many CMs around nor any signs about the process. If you want a pastry or a bagel you arent allowed to use the tongs to get them yourself so you have to wait for a CM to do that for you. Youre not allowed to toast your own bagel either despite the toaster being out. Well, DP took the card and got the adult platter:
The All American Breakfast platter- Scrambled Eggs, Potatoes, Bacon or Sausage, and choice of Biscuit or Muffin $10.25
He chose sausage and a small blueberry muffin (a plain biscuit or banana muffin were the other choices). These are not the big muffins from the bakery counter. It wasn't great (I've had better and larger platters at WL and AKL's CS), but wasn't bad at all.
To subsidize our one CS credit I got a kids' Mickey waffle meal. Yes, I am an adult man who eats kids meals. This was the first trip I've tried this, but if you're trying to stretch your DDP credits and keep OOP costs down this isn't such a bad idea.
Childs meal 4.99
In addition to two small waffles and fruit it came with a small, bottled beverage so I got a water for later. The waffles were very fresh and crispy and with a few nibbles off DPs plate I was full.
At some point we got a second server! The shift must have changed, but neither server told us this. All of the sudden a male server was checking on us. We went to the counter to pay shortly after that and it was fine. I was given one receipt for the OOP kids meal, which included the 10% service charge (we did not leave an extra tip on the table). The platter, two drinks, and service charge were zeroed out on the other receipt for our CS credit.
This meal was ok and the staff we did interact with were friendly.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been (w/service charge) = approx. $23.85
Total cost to us (kids meal with service charge)= $5.85
rating = B
here's an extra pick showing the bakery options:
up next: lunch and lines at Pecos Bills
abminer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 462
lunch at Pecos Bill, MK
We arrived in Frontierland to discover Splash Mt. had shut down so we figured it was a good time for lunch. We walked to the nearby Pecos Bill's at 12:15 where we experienced the longest line of the trip! I didn't remember for a while that they have touch screens there. If you enter through the door that puts you out between the large seating area on your right and the registers on your left you need to walk all the way left to get to the screens. Instead we went straight ahead to the CM registers and decided to stick it out with our CM in training and ordered the gluten free version of 1 CS meal to share: a double bacon cheeseburger on a gluten free bun with gluten free fries, huge diet coke, and prepackaged carrot cake. I really should have been eating like this the whole trip, but this was the only place I remembered to ask for gluten free. We had to wait a lot longer, but a manager came out to deliver the special meal, which was nice.
Bacon Double Cheeseburger - served with your choice of french fries or apple slices $8.09
We started with a trip to the fixins bar. It has basic stuff plus shredded cheese and sautéed mushrooms. I didn't think it was so great or worth the hype. The bun tasted like it was made from white rice and was pretty good. The gf fries tasted normal to me. It was Burger King-level food. DP liked it, but I wasn't thrilled. But I definitely preferred it to Cosmic Ray's burgers. I think I just don't like WDW CS burgers in general though. The cake was better than anticipated. This was the first time I've eaten one of these prepackaged desserts (I avoid them at all costs). The cake itself was fine and who doesn't like cream cheesing icing? We felt that splitting one credit here was fine here in terms of the amount of food, even though it wasnt the largest CS meal we had.
I know it was a bad time of day for lunch, but it was so jammed in there it didn't make for a very pleasant dining experience. I'm just glad we got a table without waiting. Next time I'd try another option, maybe CHH or just haul it back to Main St. for sandwiches at the bakery.
Overall: B-
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have = approx. $15
Total cost to us $0!
rating = B
up next: dinner at Ohana!
Bonus review!
When we checked into CSR we got a coupon for a free champagne toast since we were celebrating an anniversary. We hit the Laguna bar in mid afternoon where the CMs were sooo nice. Marc and lady bartender immediately asked us if we even liked champagne. DP said yes, but when I said no they told me I could have whatever I wanted and asked what I liked normally. I just asked for a diet coke, but they said "we can do better than that" and offered me a virgin pina colada, or strawberry or mango daiquiri. I went with their recommendation: mango. It had orange juice in it and was seriously yummy. DP was happy with his champagne too. CSR has such nice landscaping and outdoor seating areas. This was a nice treat.
We arrived in Frontierland to discover Splash Mt. had shut down so we figured it was a good time for lunch. We walked to the nearby Pecos Bill's at 12:15 where we experienced the longest line of the trip! I didn't remember for a while that they have touch screens there. If you enter through the door that puts you out between the large seating area on your right and the registers on your left you need to walk all the way left to get to the screens. Instead we went straight ahead to the CM registers and decided to stick it out with our CM in training and ordered the gluten free version of 1 CS meal to share: a double bacon cheeseburger on a gluten free bun with gluten free fries, huge diet coke, and prepackaged carrot cake. I really should have been eating like this the whole trip, but this was the only place I remembered to ask for gluten free. We had to wait a lot longer, but a manager came out to deliver the special meal, which was nice.
Bacon Double Cheeseburger - served with your choice of french fries or apple slices $8.09
We started with a trip to the fixins bar. It has basic stuff plus shredded cheese and sautéed mushrooms. I didn't think it was so great or worth the hype. The bun tasted like it was made from white rice and was pretty good. The gf fries tasted normal to me. It was Burger King-level food. DP liked it, but I wasn't thrilled. But I definitely preferred it to Cosmic Ray's burgers. I think I just don't like WDW CS burgers in general though. The cake was better than anticipated. This was the first time I've eaten one of these prepackaged desserts (I avoid them at all costs). The cake itself was fine and who doesn't like cream cheesing icing? We felt that splitting one credit here was fine here in terms of the amount of food, even though it wasnt the largest CS meal we had.
I know it was a bad time of day for lunch, but it was so jammed in there it didn't make for a very pleasant dining experience. I'm just glad we got a table without waiting. Next time I'd try another option, maybe CHH or just haul it back to Main St. for sandwiches at the bakery.
Overall: B-
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have = approx. $15
Total cost to us $0!
rating = B
up next: dinner at Ohana!
Bonus review!
When we checked into CSR we got a coupon for a free champagne toast since we were celebrating an anniversary. We hit the Laguna bar in mid afternoon where the CMs were sooo nice. Marc and lady bartender immediately asked us if we even liked champagne. DP said yes, but when I said no they told me I could have whatever I wanted and asked what I liked normally. I just asked for a diet coke, but they said "we can do better than that" and offered me a virgin pina colada, or strawberry or mango daiquiri. I went with their recommendation: mango. It had orange juice in it and was seriously yummy. DP was happy with his champagne too. CSR has such nice landscaping and outdoor seating areas. This was a nice treat.
abminer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 462
Ok, I'm back. I'm all caught up planning my next voyage-Berlin for the entire month of January. Sorry...
Dinner at Ohana! (Poly)
We arrived at the Poly about 30 min before our O'hana ADR at 7:35. Before checking in we walked around the volcano pool and beach and watched the castle change colors from the bluff. That view is a stunner.
We went back to check in with the host at 7:30. Right from the start the O'hana CMs were the friendliest we met. We sat in the lounge and waited 10 min. The host kept making eye contact and mouthed "5 more minutes" while we waited. The lady who took us to our table was so sweet with us. She explained what we would get and that it was all you can eat and then showed us the dessert display to prepare us to save some room! She grabbed our 'Ohana welcome bread and walked us to a two top not right along the glass, but one table in. I made DP sit on the side where the best view of the castle was.
On my last trip my family excitedly had dinner at Kona and didn't much like it. It was so loud. Ohana's space is more private than Kona and has great views so I already liked it better. Our main server, a very fun blonde gal named Tonya, came out and intro'd herself and said we'd also have a male server who would bring the meats. She took drink orders (no smoothies here either). I got a diet coke and DP was talked into a raspberry rain cocktail (which he thought was ok, stronger than anticipated). She also told us coffee and tea at dessert were included in addition to sodas. We noshed on the bread. It's kind of dry, but has a great coconut flavor. Very soon the other server came by with the starters:
lo main (dull at first, but I ended up eating a ton as a kind of palette cleanser), pork potstickers with honey (yum); honey coriander wings that were a tad spicy and tasted to me like coffee rub (I loved these, but DP didn't, but he isnt a fan of wings in general), mixed greens with honey-lime dressing (nice), three sauces (we both only liked the peanut one, but theres also spicy mustard and sweet n sour), and broccoli with snow peas (I didn't like them-they were from frozen, but DP didn't mind).
This alone would have made a nice meal, but soon enough the first course came by: steak. Then peel n eat shrimp...
then mystery meat:
We weren't paying attention when we were told what it was. I swore it was turkey, but DP said pork. Either way I enjoyed it. DP liked the steak best. It was a bit too well done for my liking, but I had plenty to eat so I didn't ask for another round. We never got a fourth meat so I finally asked. Somehow the pork (yes, I was correct about the turkey) missed us so that was brought over. That was the only time I felt rushed, the server was insistent on clearing our side dish plates (salad bowl with stuff still in it) and seemed surprised that we wanted another round of meat. We were just taking a breather! Neither of us much liked the pork, too dry, but we didn't care as we were already so full.
Our main server then returned to see if we were ready for dessert.
bread pudding a la mode with warm banana and caramel sauce
I have to say, that bread pudding is the most amazing dessert I've ever had at WDW. Its super sweet, sticky and soft, and rich. One thing I didn't realize from seeing pics of it on the dis is that the bowl is for two people to share. Even so, we didn't quite finish it. I got a tea and DP got coffee, which were a great way to end this meal. Just as we were finishing the lights were dimmed, the music started, and Wishes began. We simply turned our chairs to see. The castle looks pretty small from there, but it's a nice view of fireworks and we also saw the electric light pageant go by. Again we didn't get any anniversary cupcake or anything, but we were so full we could barely walk!
We saw one game during the night, right next to our table actually, kids' limbo. It was sweet and a lot less noisy and crazy than the games at WCC.
Ohana isn't gourmet, signature dining and we didn't both love every single item, but they bring so many things to choose from that we both found more than enough to feast on. Overall, we really liked this meal, enjoyed the view and setting, and had great service; I totally get why it's so popular.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = approx. $85.24
Total cost to us ($9.25 alcohol plus tip)= $23.26
rating = A
up next: a quick breakfast at Rix and great lunch at Starring Rolls
Dinner at Ohana! (Poly)
We arrived at the Poly about 30 min before our O'hana ADR at 7:35. Before checking in we walked around the volcano pool and beach and watched the castle change colors from the bluff. That view is a stunner.
We went back to check in with the host at 7:30. Right from the start the O'hana CMs were the friendliest we met. We sat in the lounge and waited 10 min. The host kept making eye contact and mouthed "5 more minutes" while we waited. The lady who took us to our table was so sweet with us. She explained what we would get and that it was all you can eat and then showed us the dessert display to prepare us to save some room! She grabbed our 'Ohana welcome bread and walked us to a two top not right along the glass, but one table in. I made DP sit on the side where the best view of the castle was.
On my last trip my family excitedly had dinner at Kona and didn't much like it. It was so loud. Ohana's space is more private than Kona and has great views so I already liked it better. Our main server, a very fun blonde gal named Tonya, came out and intro'd herself and said we'd also have a male server who would bring the meats. She took drink orders (no smoothies here either). I got a diet coke and DP was talked into a raspberry rain cocktail (which he thought was ok, stronger than anticipated). She also told us coffee and tea at dessert were included in addition to sodas. We noshed on the bread. It's kind of dry, but has a great coconut flavor. Very soon the other server came by with the starters:
lo main (dull at first, but I ended up eating a ton as a kind of palette cleanser), pork potstickers with honey (yum); honey coriander wings that were a tad spicy and tasted to me like coffee rub (I loved these, but DP didn't, but he isnt a fan of wings in general), mixed greens with honey-lime dressing (nice), three sauces (we both only liked the peanut one, but theres also spicy mustard and sweet n sour), and broccoli with snow peas (I didn't like them-they were from frozen, but DP didn't mind).
This alone would have made a nice meal, but soon enough the first course came by: steak. Then peel n eat shrimp...
then mystery meat:
We weren't paying attention when we were told what it was. I swore it was turkey, but DP said pork. Either way I enjoyed it. DP liked the steak best. It was a bit too well done for my liking, but I had plenty to eat so I didn't ask for another round. We never got a fourth meat so I finally asked. Somehow the pork (yes, I was correct about the turkey) missed us so that was brought over. That was the only time I felt rushed, the server was insistent on clearing our side dish plates (salad bowl with stuff still in it) and seemed surprised that we wanted another round of meat. We were just taking a breather! Neither of us much liked the pork, too dry, but we didn't care as we were already so full.
Our main server then returned to see if we were ready for dessert.
bread pudding a la mode with warm banana and caramel sauce
I have to say, that bread pudding is the most amazing dessert I've ever had at WDW. Its super sweet, sticky and soft, and rich. One thing I didn't realize from seeing pics of it on the dis is that the bowl is for two people to share. Even so, we didn't quite finish it. I got a tea and DP got coffee, which were a great way to end this meal. Just as we were finishing the lights were dimmed, the music started, and Wishes began. We simply turned our chairs to see. The castle looks pretty small from there, but it's a nice view of fireworks and we also saw the electric light pageant go by. Again we didn't get any anniversary cupcake or anything, but we were so full we could barely walk!
We saw one game during the night, right next to our table actually, kids' limbo. It was sweet and a lot less noisy and crazy than the games at WCC.
Ohana isn't gourmet, signature dining and we didn't both love every single item, but they bring so many things to choose from that we both found more than enough to feast on. Overall, we really liked this meal, enjoyed the view and setting, and had great service; I totally get why it's so popular.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = approx. $85.24
Total cost to us ($9.25 alcohol plus tip)= $23.26
rating = A
up next: a quick breakfast at Rix and great lunch at Starring Rolls
wishspirit
When you wish upon a star!
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2005
- Messages
- 4,306
Great reviews thus far!
Keep up the good work!
Keep up the good work!
abminer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 462
Great reviews thus far!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the kudos. I'm crazy busy at work and trying to finish this thing, but with so few responses I was feeling rather unpopular.
But, I will not be deterred!
abminer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 462
breakfast at Rix (Coronado Springs)
We got a bit of a late start this day, but headed out for breakfast at Rix. I used our one remaining snack credit for a yummy, frosted cinnamon raisin biscuit as big as my hand. I still had a bottle of water from Pepper Market the day before and paid oop for a melon cup.
Biscuit - $2.50 and Fruit salad - $3.95,
We also paid oop for a coffee and a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on cheesy bread, which DP called "enjoyable."
Egg and Cheese Sandwich - ham or bacon $6.50 and coffee - $2.19
Rix is fast and we enjoyed the outdoor seating area. This breakfast was surprisingly filling and tasty.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $15.97
Total cost to us for oop items = $13.47
rating = B+
lunch at Starring Rolls Café and Bakery (DHS)
After a busy morning at DHS (TSM rocks) we hit Starring Rolls bakery around 12:15. I was really excited to try this CS. I haven't had very good CS at DHS in the past, but saw cupcake pics on this thread and I was sold. Im a total cupcake officiando. I have had every famous, designer cupcake in every major US city it seems. They had high standards to live up to.
This place is literally attached to Brown Derby. The only seating is the umbrella tables out front, but we had no trouble at all getting one. Because the bakery is so small it seemed mobbed even though the line was short. We split one CS credit and got:
Turkey Focaccia - with chips or fresh fruit $9.19
The sandwich wasn't as big as I'd anticipated (smaller than the sandwiches at Sunshine Seasons, which remain my fave), but the bread was fresh and it had a thick slab of muenster cheese and a nice pesto-like spread. It was pretty filling. We also got bbq chips, a big diet coke, and a butterfinger cupcake.
Because Im a total sugar glutton, I got another cupcake oop! We ate this one, the marble cupcake, then and there and it was yummo:
cupcake - $4.25
The cake was pretty moist and I liked the white sugar frosting (it wasn't gritty or super sweet). As you can see in the second pic, it had a hunk of chocolate fudge on top.
We nibbled at the butterfinger cupcake in our room that afternoon and it was insanely good, but intense. It was so big it barely fit in the to go box. It had chocolate cake with a molten chocolate center and more of the white icing under a layer of chocolate and butterfinger crumbs. We ended up throwing half of it out at the end of the trip because we were so full.
I would go back to Starring Rolls in a minute. But, Id try to remember that my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. These are quality cupcakes. Sure theyre way overpriced, but thats a lot of happiness for $4.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = approx. $21.01
Total cost to us (marble cupcake oop)= $4.25
rating = A-
up next: a canceled dinner ADR leads to the dining low-light of the trip, Pepper Market
We got a bit of a late start this day, but headed out for breakfast at Rix. I used our one remaining snack credit for a yummy, frosted cinnamon raisin biscuit as big as my hand. I still had a bottle of water from Pepper Market the day before and paid oop for a melon cup.
Biscuit - $2.50 and Fruit salad - $3.95,
We also paid oop for a coffee and a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on cheesy bread, which DP called "enjoyable."
Egg and Cheese Sandwich - ham or bacon $6.50 and coffee - $2.19
Rix is fast and we enjoyed the outdoor seating area. This breakfast was surprisingly filling and tasty.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $15.97
Total cost to us for oop items = $13.47
rating = B+
lunch at Starring Rolls Café and Bakery (DHS)
After a busy morning at DHS (TSM rocks) we hit Starring Rolls bakery around 12:15. I was really excited to try this CS. I haven't had very good CS at DHS in the past, but saw cupcake pics on this thread and I was sold. Im a total cupcake officiando. I have had every famous, designer cupcake in every major US city it seems. They had high standards to live up to.
This place is literally attached to Brown Derby. The only seating is the umbrella tables out front, but we had no trouble at all getting one. Because the bakery is so small it seemed mobbed even though the line was short. We split one CS credit and got:
Turkey Focaccia - with chips or fresh fruit $9.19
The sandwich wasn't as big as I'd anticipated (smaller than the sandwiches at Sunshine Seasons, which remain my fave), but the bread was fresh and it had a thick slab of muenster cheese and a nice pesto-like spread. It was pretty filling. We also got bbq chips, a big diet coke, and a butterfinger cupcake.
Because Im a total sugar glutton, I got another cupcake oop! We ate this one, the marble cupcake, then and there and it was yummo:
cupcake - $4.25
The cake was pretty moist and I liked the white sugar frosting (it wasn't gritty or super sweet). As you can see in the second pic, it had a hunk of chocolate fudge on top.
We nibbled at the butterfinger cupcake in our room that afternoon and it was insanely good, but intense. It was so big it barely fit in the to go box. It had chocolate cake with a molten chocolate center and more of the white icing under a layer of chocolate and butterfinger crumbs. We ended up throwing half of it out at the end of the trip because we were so full.
I would go back to Starring Rolls in a minute. But, Id try to remember that my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. These are quality cupcakes. Sure theyre way overpriced, but thats a lot of happiness for $4.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = approx. $21.01
Total cost to us (marble cupcake oop)= $4.25
rating = A-
up next: a canceled dinner ADR leads to the dining low-light of the trip, Pepper Market
abminer
Mouseketeer
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- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
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If you're trying to avoid the sickeningly sweet, don't get the butterfinger one. It was very sweet and rich. They also had a white chocolate and a regular chocolate one. Those had chocolate shavings on top and I bet they weren't too sugary.
abminer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
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dinner at Pepper Market (Coronado Springs)
We had originally planned to dine at Kouzzina this night. I made the ADR right when they started taking them. At that point there was no menu nor any reviews. I usually try to form my own opinions and not let bad reviews sway me, but after listening to the dis podcast review I was really second guessing. About two weeks before we left I made a Boma breakfast ADR in case we decided to bag the Kouzzina one. After a full day of cupcakes at DHS we were so full already and knowing the tip would be huge and that it's a pain to get to the boardwalk from CSR I cancelled Kouzzina with the CSR concierge and we decided to try Pepper Market instead. I have stayed at a different resort every time I've been to WDW and I like to really experience each one and that includes trying most of the dining options. I was excited to try PM and the idea of a CS option with real food on real plates is appealing.
We arrived at 7pm at Pepper Market. It was barely half occupied. Our waitress was an older woman and not particularly friendly. She gave us menus (we didn't get them at breakfast), but when we went up to the stations there were different and more choices. Again this area seemed understaffed. We both ended up at the Chefs station, where no one was on line (bad sign?). I got the Caribbean pulled pork platter. DP got the chef's daily special, chicken stir-fry over rice with an egg roll.
Well, this was really Cuban food, but I really like Cuban food and at $13 this seemed like a great deal on the DDP. My sides were actually good, the black beans had a nice flavor and the rice and plantains were fresh. The meat, Ropa Vieja style, was another story. It was cold and wet. You could tell they pulled the shredded pork out of a vat of water. It had soggy onions, but no sauce or seasoning at all. I pretty much just ate the sides.
DP did not fare so well. Before he ordered he said to me "do you think getting Chinese food in a Mexican place is a bad idea?" I told him to get whatever he wanted and that was all that appealed. Well, he regretted it.
It was horrible. The chicken was dry and rubbery, the rice even drier and crunchy, the veggies wilted. The egg roll was ok - it tasted microwaved. He was miserable with this choice. We should have sent it back and refused to use a second credit or gotten something else, but he wasn't that hungry.
During all of this our waitress hovered over us all night, sitting at the table behind ours, making us feel rushed. Why-no one was in there?
DP thought we should skip dessert, but it's the DDP so it was paid for! The cakes looked good, but after the cupcake binge we just weren't in the mood. The pastries looked good two, but we were checking out the next day and had a breakfast ADR and weren't going back to the room after dinner. Ice cream was the winner. I was expecting soft serve like at the other resorts' CS, but this was hard scooped. First we waited for ages to get a CM to serve us. This was also an older lady and she was lethargic and almost non-verbal. I asked what flavors they had and was told, drumroll please, chocolate and vanilla. Ok, we shrugged. I got vanilla, DP chocolate.
Like we experienced in the morning, you can't serve yourself anything. They had Hershey's syrup, sprinkles, and chocolate chips, but the woman had to get them for you. She gave me one plastic spoonful of sprinkles. The same with DP's peanut butter chips.
Here they are, $3.50 a bowl, and guess what? Mine had ice crystals in it. It tasted like any cheap store brand. Not Edys though.
We were ready to be done and head to Halloween at DTD, but at the check out registers the experience went from bad to worse. First my kktw card wouldn't go through, then the cashier lady said my entree didn't count on the DDP. I protested and the guy working the other register came and said we were right and had her ring it up as a burger. Then she tried to charge me a the service charge OOP and I refused explaining that the CM at breakfast said it was included on the DDP. She gave that up then she printed the receipt and it said I'd used my last CS credit, which I hadn't. All this took a very, very long time and I was getting very antsy to get to DTD. A manager finally noticed and came by and re-rang everything correctly.
So in the end we hated PM. We then went to DTD and wished we'd used at least one of those two credits at WPE or tried EOS for the first time. CSR's only real draw back is dining. Ask my DP how his first visit to WDW was and hell say great, except for one horrible restaurant. We didn't try Maya Grill, but with abysmal reviews we weren't going to risk it. Rix was fine, but it can't suffice as the only decent food in El Centro.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $44.00
Total cost to us = $0, but lots of aggravation
rating = D
up next: a little drama before breakfast at Boma
here are some other pics of the restaurant and what we should have ordered!
We had originally planned to dine at Kouzzina this night. I made the ADR right when they started taking them. At that point there was no menu nor any reviews. I usually try to form my own opinions and not let bad reviews sway me, but after listening to the dis podcast review I was really second guessing. About two weeks before we left I made a Boma breakfast ADR in case we decided to bag the Kouzzina one. After a full day of cupcakes at DHS we were so full already and knowing the tip would be huge and that it's a pain to get to the boardwalk from CSR I cancelled Kouzzina with the CSR concierge and we decided to try Pepper Market instead. I have stayed at a different resort every time I've been to WDW and I like to really experience each one and that includes trying most of the dining options. I was excited to try PM and the idea of a CS option with real food on real plates is appealing.
We arrived at 7pm at Pepper Market. It was barely half occupied. Our waitress was an older woman and not particularly friendly. She gave us menus (we didn't get them at breakfast), but when we went up to the stations there were different and more choices. Again this area seemed understaffed. We both ended up at the Chefs station, where no one was on line (bad sign?). I got the Caribbean pulled pork platter. DP got the chef's daily special, chicken stir-fry over rice with an egg roll.
Well, this was really Cuban food, but I really like Cuban food and at $13 this seemed like a great deal on the DDP. My sides were actually good, the black beans had a nice flavor and the rice and plantains were fresh. The meat, Ropa Vieja style, was another story. It was cold and wet. You could tell they pulled the shredded pork out of a vat of water. It had soggy onions, but no sauce or seasoning at all. I pretty much just ate the sides.
DP did not fare so well. Before he ordered he said to me "do you think getting Chinese food in a Mexican place is a bad idea?" I told him to get whatever he wanted and that was all that appealed. Well, he regretted it.
It was horrible. The chicken was dry and rubbery, the rice even drier and crunchy, the veggies wilted. The egg roll was ok - it tasted microwaved. He was miserable with this choice. We should have sent it back and refused to use a second credit or gotten something else, but he wasn't that hungry.
During all of this our waitress hovered over us all night, sitting at the table behind ours, making us feel rushed. Why-no one was in there?
DP thought we should skip dessert, but it's the DDP so it was paid for! The cakes looked good, but after the cupcake binge we just weren't in the mood. The pastries looked good two, but we were checking out the next day and had a breakfast ADR and weren't going back to the room after dinner. Ice cream was the winner. I was expecting soft serve like at the other resorts' CS, but this was hard scooped. First we waited for ages to get a CM to serve us. This was also an older lady and she was lethargic and almost non-verbal. I asked what flavors they had and was told, drumroll please, chocolate and vanilla. Ok, we shrugged. I got vanilla, DP chocolate.
Like we experienced in the morning, you can't serve yourself anything. They had Hershey's syrup, sprinkles, and chocolate chips, but the woman had to get them for you. She gave me one plastic spoonful of sprinkles. The same with DP's peanut butter chips.
Here they are, $3.50 a bowl, and guess what? Mine had ice crystals in it. It tasted like any cheap store brand. Not Edys though.
We were ready to be done and head to Halloween at DTD, but at the check out registers the experience went from bad to worse. First my kktw card wouldn't go through, then the cashier lady said my entree didn't count on the DDP. I protested and the guy working the other register came and said we were right and had her ring it up as a burger. Then she tried to charge me a the service charge OOP and I refused explaining that the CM at breakfast said it was included on the DDP. She gave that up then she printed the receipt and it said I'd used my last CS credit, which I hadn't. All this took a very, very long time and I was getting very antsy to get to DTD. A manager finally noticed and came by and re-rang everything correctly.
So in the end we hated PM. We then went to DTD and wished we'd used at least one of those two credits at WPE or tried EOS for the first time. CSR's only real draw back is dining. Ask my DP how his first visit to WDW was and hell say great, except for one horrible restaurant. We didn't try Maya Grill, but with abysmal reviews we weren't going to risk it. Rix was fine, but it can't suffice as the only decent food in El Centro.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $44.00
Total cost to us = $0, but lots of aggravation
rating = D
up next: a little drama before breakfast at Boma
here are some other pics of the restaurant and what we should have ordered!
natalielongstaff
<font color=deeppink>I need a cup of tea and a big
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2004
- Messages
- 80,430
Shame about peper market 
abminer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 462
Breakfast at Boma (Animal Kingdom Logde)
I hate dining reviews without pics. This is my third and I think I've managed to have pretty nice pics so far... until this meal. I am sorry, but I have a good excuse, read on.
After checking out of CSR we took a cab to AKL where we were going for our last TS of the trip, breakfast at Boma at 8:20. A character breakfast would have been a tough sell with DP, but I was confident this would be a big hit.
We went down and checked in at Boma and got a pager. While we were waiting I figured I'd take some pics of the restaurant decor. I went to pull my camera out of my shorts pocket and uh oh-it wasn't there! Now we were in crisis. Thus commenced a long and upsetting process of getting it back. The Boma hostesses were so nice and said not to worry, we could get seated whenever we were ready. There's no cell reception on AKL's lower level so after calling the CSR number on the courtesy phone, we headed out near the pool to cell phone it. CSR sent housekeeping to look for it in the room we'd just left and then I spoke to bell services who gave me to number for Mears cab company. I was so mad at myself and upset. I knew it must have fallen out in the cab. We spoke to someone at Mears and amazingly she identified our cabby with no ID or license plate number. She promised to call him then call us back and send him to AKL if he had the camera.
Knowing full well it would be a while and that we'd have no cell service in the restaurant, we went back and were taken right into Boma. The one positive memory of my dinner there in '05 was a great server. This didn't disappoint. We'd had great servers all trip and this guy, Clayton Jo, beat them all. I was so worried about the camera and sad I couldn't take pics of the food that the meal wasn't as enjoyable as it would have been, but even so this was a very good breakfast. I wish I could have it again right now!
Here's what they served that morning at Boma:
corned beef or ham carver (I didn't try either, but DP really liked the corned beef)
pap (like finer grain grits, just ok)
curried sausage and biscuit casserole (just ok)
turkey bobotie casserole (good-spiced ground turkey with peppers, onions, and eggs)
goat cheese scrambled eggs with chives (we both loved this and got seconds. It has a strong flavor, but is so creamy)
mini sized pastries, which from pictures I thought would be bigger (I liked the scone, DP liked the sugared choco chip croissant)
African fruit salad (I loved this and had it twice with granola. It's just mixed fruit such as melon, banana, oranges, real coconut, grapes...mixed with yogurt and mint)
raisin french toast (ok)
medium to small sized pancakes (so fresh and soft, wish I'd had more)
What else did they have that we didn't try? African spiced tomatoes, eggs, and potatoes; Belgian waffles; chose your own ingredients/omelet station (always crowded so we avoided it), 3 mini muffins (I did try the bran and it was so-so), mini cinnamon rolls, mini plain croissants, mini pecan buns, bagels and cream cheese (and other spreads), banana bread, oatmeal, cereals, strawberry banana yogurt (with real fruit in it), and fresh fruit (though none was tropical).
DP got reg coffee and declared it fine-they leave a carafe on your table. We both loved the jungle juice, which they bring to the table automatically and our server keep it coming. Its a combination of lemonade, pineapple juice, guava juice, orange juice, and papaya juice. We each had 2 plates and used 2TS so it was a cheap meal for just tip and we loved it.
When we got out front of AKL after paying, another cab with a driver was waiting and he came right up to us. There is no cell reception in Boma so we missed the calls from CSR mousekeeping say they didn't find the camera and the call from the Mears cab woman saying they did and that a driver was waiting with it outside of AKL. DP paid him the $20 since he'd been waiting the whole time we were at Boma and unable to get the message.
In the end I'm bummed I didn't get food pics from Boma, but sooooo relieved we got our camera and all our pics back and could take it to the AK. We still loved this meal and I far preferred it to the time I had dinner there. Looking for a big breakfast buffet with tons of choices, but no character craziness? Try Boma!
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $44.92
Total cost to us = $6.80
rating = A!
up next: our last meal, lunch at Flame Tree BBQ
I hate dining reviews without pics. This is my third and I think I've managed to have pretty nice pics so far... until this meal. I am sorry, but I have a good excuse, read on.
After checking out of CSR
we took a cab to AKL where we were going for our last TS of the trip, breakfast at Boma at 8:20. A character breakfast would have been a tough sell with DP, but I was confident this would be a big hit. We went down and checked in at Boma and got a pager. While we were waiting I figured I'd take some pics of the restaurant decor. I went to pull my camera out of my shorts pocket and uh oh-it wasn't there! Now we were in crisis. Thus commenced a long and upsetting process of getting it back. The Boma hostesses were so nice and said not to worry, we could get seated whenever we were ready. There's no cell reception on AKL's lower level so after calling the CSR number on the courtesy phone, we headed out near the pool to cell phone it. CSR sent housekeeping to look for it in the room we'd just left and then I spoke to bell services who gave me to number for Mears cab company. I was so mad at myself and upset. I knew it must have fallen out in the cab. We spoke to someone at Mears and amazingly she identified our cabby with no ID or license plate number. She promised to call him then call us back and send him to AKL if he had the camera.
Knowing full well it would be a while and that we'd have no cell service in the restaurant, we went back and were taken right into Boma. The one positive memory of my dinner there in '05 was a great server. This didn't disappoint. We'd had great servers all trip and this guy, Clayton Jo, beat them all. I was so worried about the camera and sad I couldn't take pics of the food that the meal wasn't as enjoyable as it would have been, but even so this was a very good breakfast. I wish I could have it again right now!
Here's what they served that morning at Boma:
corned beef or ham carver (I didn't try either, but DP really liked the corned beef)
pap (like finer grain grits, just ok)
curried sausage and biscuit casserole (just ok)
turkey bobotie casserole (good-spiced ground turkey with peppers, onions, and eggs)
goat cheese scrambled eggs with chives (we both loved this and got seconds. It has a strong flavor, but is so creamy)
mini sized pastries, which from pictures I thought would be bigger (I liked the scone, DP liked the sugared choco chip croissant)
African fruit salad (I loved this and had it twice with granola. It's just mixed fruit such as melon, banana, oranges, real coconut, grapes...mixed with yogurt and mint)
raisin french toast (ok)
medium to small sized pancakes (so fresh and soft, wish I'd had more)
What else did they have that we didn't try? African spiced tomatoes, eggs, and potatoes; Belgian waffles; chose your own ingredients/omelet station (always crowded so we avoided it), 3 mini muffins (I did try the bran and it was so-so), mini cinnamon rolls, mini plain croissants, mini pecan buns, bagels and cream cheese (and other spreads), banana bread, oatmeal, cereals, strawberry banana yogurt (with real fruit in it), and fresh fruit (though none was tropical).
DP got reg coffee and declared it fine-they leave a carafe on your table. We both loved the jungle juice, which they bring to the table automatically and our server keep it coming. Its a combination of lemonade, pineapple juice, guava juice, orange juice, and papaya juice. We each had 2 plates and used 2TS so it was a cheap meal for just tip and we loved it.
When we got out front of AKL after paying, another cab with a driver was waiting and he came right up to us. There is no cell reception in Boma so we missed the calls from CSR mousekeeping say they didn't find the camera and the call from the Mears cab woman saying they did and that a driver was waiting with it outside of AKL. DP paid him the $20 since he'd been waiting the whole time we were at Boma and unable to get the message.
In the end I'm bummed I didn't get food pics from Boma, but sooooo relieved we got our camera and all our pics back and could take it to the AK. We still loved this meal and I far preferred it to the time I had dinner there. Looking for a big breakfast buffet with tons of choices, but no character craziness? Try Boma!
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $44.92
Total cost to us = $6.80
rating = A!
up next: our last meal, lunch at Flame Tree BBQ
abminer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 462
The last meal - Flame Tree Barbeque (Animal Kingdom)
After touring the AK all morning and getting soaked (happily) on Kali, we arrived at 1:45 for lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. There were short lines.
After ordering we wandering the various outdoor seating areas and settled at the bottom area near the water looking at Everest and met some very very friendly ducks begging for food (DP befriended them). They weren't noisy or aggressive, they just get really close and give you the sad puppy eyes.
We used our last CS credit to share a ribs meal:
1/2 Slab of St. Louis Ribs - served with baked beans and cole slaw $10.49.
We got the key lime pie for dessert and an iced tea. We also ordered onion rings OOP ($3.79).
This was the only CS where we werent given a large soda
We got unsweetened iced tea, but surprisingly they had sweetened too. We were both bummed to discover that combos no longer come with cornbread nor could you buy a side of it. The ribs were a big portion. They definitely needed bbq sauce (which I missed initially, its in a pump near the ketchup) as theyre kind of dry and dont expect plump, juicy ribs. With sauce though they were pretty good-way better than burgers. We liked the coleslaw and DP liked the beans, but I just thought they were ok. The onion rings were great- a huge portion and super fresh and crispy. We also really enjoyed the key lime pie (it was not very tart). I personally try to avoid those prepackaged CS desserts as much as possible. After we ate we left the park to catch ME back to MCO.
Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $21.46
Total cost to us (OOP onion rings)= $4.04
rating = A-
In the end this was a pretty good trip dining-wise. I was 3 for 3 with the TS choices. Both DP and I loved them all and would go back to any of them. CS was a rougher road this time. We did enjoy Starring Rolls and Flame Tree so it wasnt a total bust. What is there left to do next time? I havent done signature dining in my last two trips now so I think thatll be at the top of my list in the future. I have also given up on CS burgers. At least DP liked it enough to say there will be a next time at all. I know our experiences at Ohana, Rose and Crown, and Boma seriously contributed to that.
The big lesson though was that we loved this time of year. This was my first fall trip and it wont be my last. The weather was great (not unbearably hot and no rain) and there were no crowds. Free dining helped too
.
So how much money did the free DDP save us? $345!
We paid $96.62 for alcohol, tips and extras. Considering that would only get us two decent meals out at home it was a major bargain!
Happy eating to everyone
After touring the AK all morning and getting soaked (happily) on Kali, we arrived at 1:45 for lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. There were short lines.
After ordering we wandering the various outdoor seating areas and settled at the bottom area near the water looking at Everest and met some very very friendly ducks begging for food (DP befriended them). They weren't noisy or aggressive, they just get really close and give you the sad puppy eyes.
We used our last CS credit to share a ribs meal:
1/2 Slab of St. Louis Ribs - served with baked beans and cole slaw $10.49.
We got the key lime pie for dessert and an iced tea. We also ordered onion rings OOP ($3.79).
This was the only CS where we werent given a large soda
We got unsweetened iced tea, but surprisingly they had sweetened too. We were both bummed to discover that combos no longer come with cornbread nor could you buy a side of it. The ribs were a big portion. They definitely needed bbq sauce (which I missed initially, its in a pump near the ketchup) as theyre kind of dry and dont expect plump, juicy ribs. With sauce though they were pretty good-way better than burgers. We liked the coleslaw and DP liked the beans, but I just thought they were ok. The onion rings were great- a huge portion and super fresh and crispy. We also really enjoyed the key lime pie (it was not very tart). I personally try to avoid those prepackaged CS desserts as much as possible. After we ate we left the park to catch ME back to MCO.Total meal cost without the free DDP would have been = $21.46
Total cost to us (OOP onion rings)= $4.04
rating = A-
In the end this was a pretty good trip dining-wise. I was 3 for 3 with the TS choices. Both DP and I loved them all and would go back to any of them. CS was a rougher road this time. We did enjoy Starring Rolls and Flame Tree so it wasnt a total bust. What is there left to do next time? I havent done signature dining in my last two trips now so I think thatll be at the top of my list in the future. I have also given up on CS burgers. At least DP liked it enough to say there will be a next time at all. I know our experiences at Ohana, Rose and Crown, and Boma seriously contributed to that.
The big lesson though was that we loved this time of year. This was my first fall trip and it wont be my last. The weather was great (not unbearably hot and no rain) and there were no crowds. Free dining helped too
.So how much money did the free DDP save us? $345!
We paid $96.62 for alcohol, tips and extras. Considering that would only get us two decent meals out at home it was a major bargain!
Happy eating to everyone
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