WDW Veterans Dine at Disneyland

[hillo]

I'm posting my Disneyland reviews here, because I know a lot of people visit both parks, and I had trouble finding reviews when planning my Disneyland trip.

My mom and I have visited WDW many times and have started going more frequently in the past two years. It was just two years ago that we had our first table service meal at WDW, even though I have been going since I was 6 months old. I finally convinced her that we should try some of the nicer restaurants. We began with Boma and have fed our Disney dining obsession ever since.

For an extra special trip, my mom agreed to take me to Disneyland to celebrate my high school graduation as long as I kept the same grades I had made all throughout school. I kept those grades and graduated valedictorian of my class with a full ride to college, so my mom had no problems with spending the extra money to go to Disneyland. (Off topic: My step-dad surprised me with a Disney Cruise, which I've never experienced, the day before my mom and I left for Disneyland. )

Our trip was May 31st - June 6th. We stayed at the Grand Californian with the 5 for 3 deal. I upgraded our tickets to 6 for 4, because it was only $5 more. (That's $5 total, as in only $2.50 a piece for the extra day. It only worked out that way because we had to pay a $25 change fee when applying the room discount. When I called back to ask about an extra day, the package was upgraded for only $5 more.)

Back to food....
My mom and I love food, but we rarely eat out. We save that money to eat and have fun at WDW. This trip, we wanted to be able to eat everything we wanted including a meal at Napa Rose (but I'll get to that later).

I have pictures of a good bit of the food, but sometimes we were starving and forgot. Some pics may have a bite out of the food. Sorry I don't have pics of Napa Rose, because that would have been very odd in such a nice restaurant.

I will begin my report as soon as I upload my pictures...

 

[hillo]

As soon as we checked in, we headed to Disneyland until our rooms were ready. I hadn't eaten anything all day, and my mom had only had crackers. Needless to say, we were starving!! First stop, French Market.

We split a salmon plate that had rice, vegetables, and cornbread. It was all good, especially for counter service. We also grabbed a cheesecake since it was recommended in the Unofficial Guide. It was good, nothing really special, but good. Only complaint: our free cups of water were very small with no ice, and the water tasted terrible. Besides that, it was a pretty good meal. $20.64

That evening, we went to see the Pacific Ocean. I had researched beaches and decided on Huntington Beach and Ruby's Diner for dinner. The location was great and our server was awesome. She had no problem waiting for me to go all the way back to the car to get coupons that I had printed out. They allowed us to use both, so we received both our milkshakes free (saving us almost $10).

Ruby's

View of the ocean

American Kobe Burger - very good. It was a little dry, because it doesn't have as much fat. All it needed was a little extra ketchup. The garlic parmesan fries were amazing!! Ruby's offers free refillable fries, so mom and I split a second helping of these.

Ruby's Melt - onions, cheese, and burger on rye bread. My mom adored this. She mentioned that she was craving it yesterday. She loved the pairing of the toppings and bread. She had regular fries which were good, but we both agreed that my garlic fries were much better.

Chocolate/Peanut butter milkshake - amazing!! Could possibly be the best milkshake I have ever had. It came in the full glass with the leftover brought to the table. (Modeled by a very windblown me.)

Total: $27.73

Next... Pacific Wharf Cafe, Food and Wine Festival, and Napa Rose

 

[hillo]

At 11am, we saw the Artisan Chocolatier, Diana Phillips. She was very interesting, especially explaining six different types of salt laid out before us. She talked about each salt as we tried them. The Himalayan pink salt was fabulous while the kosher, sea, and some French salt were also very good. We were really able to tell the difference between those salts and the iodized salts. Because of this demo, my mom bought kosher salt yesterday.

Her chocolate demonstration was also interesting. We were giving two small chocolates to sample. They were fine. I'm not a big fan of these types of chocolates. The one on the left had a chocolate filling and was better than the one on the right which had a passion fruit and something else filling.

Right after the demonstration, we realized we were starving, so I don't have a picture of our bread bowl at Pacific Wharf Cafe. We had the White Cheddar Cheese Soup with bacon. Also, we were asked if we would like chives and cheese on top. Of course!! What could be better than adding cheese to an entire bowl of cheese soup? The soup was very good and hit the spot on a cool and cloudy day. The both of us split a bowl and could not finish the bread which was also very good.

The next demonstration was at 1pm - Celebrate Canada. I hadn't planned to see this one, but it was wonderful!! Our favorite! (well, besides seeing Keegan Gerhard) The chef made salmon and rice which came with Boudin bread (we had now had enough bread). The salmon was good, not the best. However, the bread was very good, and the rice was amazing. Some of the best, if not the best rice, we have ever had. It really was great!! I hope to try the recipe sometime soon. It was also a very generous portion.

3pm demo - Celebrate USA: New York

The chef made Italian sausage. He wasn't interesting, but the sausage and toppings were very good, and I don't care much for sausage. The bread was more like a typical hot dog bun, so we didn't eat much of it since we had Napa Rose coming up.

At this time, we rode Grizzly River Run. This way, we could return to our room, change out of our wet clothes, and go to Napa Rose. Also, I was able to get in a few minutes on the treadmill while my mom showered and dressed. With all the food demos, I wasn't hungry until after looking over the menu for a few minutes. However, I'm glad we weren't starving when we sat down...

 

[SSRJen]

Thanks for the reviews of Disneyland! It is great to read what others think of Disneyland restaurants. I go to the park quite often, but usually end up at the same restaurants (White Water Snacks, Redd Rocket's Pizza Port, Carnation Cafe, ESPN and House of Blues). It will be great to get some new ideas.

Going to WDW and DCL soon and trying my hand at reviews here on DIS for the first time. I can't wait for the food festivities to begin!

 

[c&m]

Loved your pictures of the pier at Huntington Beach. Brought back some fantastic times we were there 3 summers ago and stayed at the Hyatt HB. It was one of the best beach experiences. We tried going to Ruby's but the line-up was too long that day, so we ended up going to Duke's. Your food at Ruby's looks yummy -- we have to go back to HB soon!

BTW, congrats on your graduation and making valedictorian!!!

 

[Dizneydaz]

Great start to your report. I like reading what WDW vets think of DLR. I'm a DLR veteran but with 14 trips (I think, let me check my siggie, yep 14 it is ) to WDW. Since we have AP to DLR we don't dine there that often (quick day trips mostly) so it's interesting to see what visitors think of the choices at DLR. Can't wait to read more.

And congrats on your studies! Full ride-that's is one great accomplishment! What's your field?

 

[hillo]

Thanks for the reviews of Disneyland! It is great to read what others think of Disneyland restaurants. I go to the park quite often, but usually end up at the same restaurants (White Water Snacks, Redd Rocket's Pizza Port, Carnation Cafe, ESPN and House of Blues). It will be great to get some new ideas.

Going to WDW and DCL soon and trying my hand at reviews here on DIS for the first time. I can't wait for the food festivities to begin!

Thank you for reading. We ate at a lot more places, so stay tuned! I hope you enjoy all your food at WDW. I know we always do!

Loved your pictures of the pier at Huntington Beach. Brought back some fantastic times we were there 3 summers ago and stayed at the Hyatt HB. It was one of the best beach experiences. We tried going to Ruby's but the line-up was too long that day, so we ended up going to Duke's. Your food at Ruby's looks yummy -- we have to go back to HB soon!

BTW, congrats on your graduation and making valedictorian!!!

We really loved our experience at Ruby's. Whenever we go back to California, we hope to go back to Ruby's. However, a trip back will probably be several years from now.

Great start to your report. I like reading what WDW vets think of DLR. I'm a DLR veteran but with 14 trips (I think, let me check my siggie, yep 14 it is ) to WDW. Since we have AP to DLR we don't dine there that often (quick day trips mostly) so it's interesting to see what visitors think of the choices at DLR. Can't wait to read more.

And congrats on your studies! Full ride-that's is one great accomplishment! What's your field?

Thanks for reading and the congratulations. Everyone knows I love food, so they were not surprised to hear that I'm going into Human Nutrition. I'm not sure where that degree will take me right now, but I know I want to do something with food. I may work as a Dietitian or work in food service management either in a restaurant or a hospital. It will probably be a couple (or three) years into college before I make a decision.

 

[hillo]

I made reservations 90 days in advance for Napa Rose's Chef Table. I wanted to see the chefs up close and interact with them. I did see the chefs up close, but only one young chef spoke to us out of our whole time there. She was very nice, but I was disappointed in not meeting Andrew Sutton or speaking with any other chef.

Our servers were great. They kept our glasses full and were always there when we needed them. They really were top notch.

The food was disappointing. We went in there knowing it was expensive and expecting to spend around $100 a piece. This was a one-in-a-lifetime experience, and we were going to enjoy it. However, the Vintner's table didn't appeal to us, so we decided we would each get an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Our server did seem a little disappointed that we would not be ordering wine.

First, we were giving a basket of bread. All the breads were nice, and we were hungry after trying to decide what we wanted from the menu. None of the breads were anything special, but the butter was delicious. I never eat butter with my bread, but I ate about half of the circle of butter. It was probably the best butter I have ever had.

Next, we were giving an amuse bouche that we saw being prepared. When our server brought it to us, we were not sure whether we should drink it or use a spoon. We had not been giving a spoon and the consistency was not right for a fork, so we decided to try and sip it. It didn't come out easily, and it tasted terrible. My mom tried a little more of it than me, but I only had two sips. No one ever explained what it was.


Appetizers:

Fried zucchini stuffed with goat cheese and covered in a sundried tomato sauce (this is as close as I can remember). This was very similar to mozzarella sticks. I love all those ingredients, but this dish was just ok. I was expecting more. More flavor and more food. For $16, we received two pieces about the size of my thumb (and I have a very small thumb).

Sauteed Hand-Harvested Diver Scallops - with a Sauce of Lemon, Lobster, and Tahitian Vanilla. $19 (from AllEars) Our server recommended these because they have been on the menu since the restaurant opened. After trying them, I couldn't figure out why. I can make scallops just as good for a whole lot less money. We received 2 medium sized scallops for the price of two pounds of scallops (on sale) at my local Harris Teeter. I was expecting at least 3 scallops, but I understand that it is a fancy restaurant, and it comes with expensive ingredients in the sauce. However, the sauce was mediocre. I really don't remember what it tasted like.


At this time, we were given a palate cleanser of cherry sorbet. It wasn't anything special, but I'm not going to complain over a palate cleanser.

Entrees:

We both decided on the halibut. We were going to each try something different, but the halibut looked very appealing to both of us. Our server recommended it over the beef because the artichokes that accompany it are in season. I loved artichoke hearts, but these were a little too bitter. They were fine. I ate them, but they really were not good. The halibut was cooked perfectly, but it was missing flavor, even when passing it through the sauce on the plate.

We both cleaned our plate of $37 halibut (which was a reasonable price had the flavor been better). If we had come in starving, we would have left hungry or just satisfied.

Since we were now full, and we saw the small $10 desserts being made, we decided to pass on dessert. It was time for us to leave.

All the food was presented beautifully and the service was excellent, but still not worth the price tag. We will not return to Napa Rose. Total $142.

 

[hillo]

Magic Morning for hotel guests began at 7am this morning and by 8am we were starving. So, we decided to check out Carnation Cafe. We arrived right when they opened and were seated immediately.

I loved the atmosphere here. We were right on Main Street, but still far away from all the people. Our server was excellent! He was very nice and friendly, brought refills, and was the perfect waiter for this type of establishment. The famous Oscar came out to ask us about our meal. That was a real treat! Also, there are nice, clean, and empty restrooms right around back.

My mom needed a coke at this point, and I ordered a Cafe Mocha. The mocha was great!! One of the best I have ever had. It was also a very large size.

I had the Cinnamon Roll French Toast that came with cream cheese and maple syrup. This was really good. Nothing spectacular, but still very good. The bacon was nice and crisp, and the fruit was fresh.

My mom just wanted a side of potatoes. She really liked them, and they were only $2.

As a bonus, we received 10% as Disney Visa Card holders. Total: $21.68, a great value

 

[hillo]

Food and Wine Festival Demonstrations

1pm: Celebrate Korea

An older Korean woman, Sun, and her American assistant, Ryan, were the hosts for this demonstration. They were fun and played well off of one another. This was one the most interesting demonstrations. They fixed japchae (noodles with vegetables) which were good but overly salty. We did go to the Korea demo again to see if they were fixing something different, but they fixed the thing. However, the dish was much better and less salty than the first demo.

3pm: Celebrate Morocco

The chef fixed a very good chicken and vegetable dish covered by a tangine. I could taste all the different spices, and it was a perfect portion. It was too spicy to eat any more, but it had just the right amount of spice for a sample portion.


Wine Country Trattoria
We had Priority Seating for 5:10pm at this restaurant and were seated at 5pm. Our reason for this time and day was to see the Pixar Play Parade at 5:40pm. We ended up having a great view of the parade. However, our server disappeared throughout the whole parade, and we were left with empty glasses. When another server filled my water glass, I was given no ice. Not a big deal, but I thought it was rather odd.

View of parade

Starter bread - good. I wish it had been warm. A runner brought more spread when I asked for it. The spread was a good red pepper spread.

We had four pieces of bread, but my mom and I were hungry and had already grabbed two pieces:

Spread:

My mom and I decided to split two different sandwiches. She ordered the chicken panini on foccacia bread. This was very good. The chicken was warm. The bread was fresh. The pesto mayo was a nice accompaniment.

I ordered the caprese sandwich on pretzel bread. The mozzarella cheese and red pepper were very good. The pasta salad was also very good, and the grapes were delicious and fresh.
Both of our plates ended up looking like this: The caprese sandwich is in front.

We left full. This meal was a great value. $27.27 including a coke, tax, tip, and 10% discount.

 

[hillo]

Cafe Orleans

We were absolutely starving by 11am, so we went to Cafe Orleans hoping to get in without a priority seating. We found out the restaurant didn't open until 11:30am and were able to get a PS for then. So, we rode Pirates and shopped a little. By then, it was time to be seated.

The view from here is gorgeous. A sprinkle of rain came up while we were eating. Even though we were outside, the umbrellas fully covered us. However, they didn't block the passersby gawking at our food.

We decided to split the 3 cheese Monte Cristo which has Swiss, mozzarella, and brie. This was very good except some bites would have an odd taste. It may have been too much brie in sections. It was good dipped in the berry puree. Overall, it was a very good sandwich. However, I wouldn't order it again.

The grapes and strawberries were nice and fresh. This picture shows two pieces of the sandwich. I had already stolen 2 pieces and a strawberry.

I ordered the pommes frites as my entree to avoid a split plate charge, and we split everything. These fries were awesome!! I have a new love of garlic on my fries. I would have been happy with just these. The Cajun remoulade dipping sauce was excellent, too.

This was a much better picture than mine if you would like to click the link.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/3107019292_720e8718e0.jpg?v=0

Mickey shaped beignets - they were good, but the creme anglais took them to a whole 'nother level. Only downside, the powdered sugar got everywhere. I believe the other sauce is a raspberry puree, but it was anything special.

At first, the server left the beignets off of the meal, but when we mentioned it, he added them back on, even after saying they were on him. I guess he decided $7 beignets were too much free stuff. Total: $35.42 - a little on the pricey side, but a good meal overall. Just a note, I didn't feel my best an hour after this meal. It may have been too much fried stuff. However, after the next F&W demo, I felt much better.

3pm: Celebrate USA: Southern flavors

I knew we wanted to check out the jambalaya at this demo. (Another chef had happened to mention what the food would be at this demo.) This meal was very spicy, but that was fine in this small quantity. The presenter was terribly boring and acted like he hadn't planned anything he was going to say. He was the head chef of all the New Orleans Square restaurants.


5pm: Celebrate Greece

Somehow, my mom was able to get me an empty seat in this one. We were told we were standby and then when an empty chair popped up, my mom got me in. The presenter was very interesting. He made chicken, couscous, olives, and some other ingredients stuffed in grape leaves. This was good, but I could definitely tell it was dark meat chicken which I don't care for. However, I would like to try this recipe at home with chicken breast. The sauce that came with it was very good. I saved half and gave it to my mom.

Next, our wonderful meal at the Blue Bayou

 

[SSRJen]

Great reviews. I have never eaten at Napa Rose, and don't have much desire at this point. I have heard great things about the bar area though. Might try that sometime.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Great updates! Sorry Napa Rose was so disappointing. I probably won't be eating there anyway (not a wine drinker) but it's interesting to read your review. It's obvious from your review that you have a great love of, and knowledge of, food.

I agree with you about the pomme frittes at CO. I had them for the first time a few months back and they are excellent. Only problem was we saw all the other tables around us getting theirs before their meal but ours didn't come until after we had been served our entrees. Our server was surprised about this. To me, this is the problem with restaurants having someone else serve your food other than your order taker. If something is wrong, or missing, you have to try to flag someone down. Our server was very concerned about how long it took (said the kitchen was messed up) and said dessert was on her but when the bill came it inc. our biegnets. My DSis decided to go ahead and pay for them anyway since our server was so nice.

I totally agree with you about the breadsticks at WCT! Why oh why are they not served warm? They would be so much better. Personally I don't care for the tomato spread so I ask for butter. We get those really cute rose shaped butters.

Can't wait to hear about BB....

 

[onelilspark]

Congrats on being Valedictorian!

I love the reviews, I'm disappointed with Napa Rose!!

 

[hillo]

Great reviews. I have never eaten at Napa Rose, and don't have much desire at this point. I have heard great things about the bar area though. Might try that sometime.

The bar area looks nice. They sell appetizers, drink, and desserts there. We sat in there for about 5 minutes while waiting on our reservation.

Great updates! Sorry Napa Rose was so disappointing. I probably won't be eating there anyway (not a wine drinker) but it's interesting to read your review. It's obvious from your review that you have a great love of, and knowledge of, food.

Can't wait to hear about BB....

Thank you for reading. I really do love food, so I'm always disappointed when I expect a dish to be really good and it's only mediocre.

Congrats on being Valedictorian!

I love the reviews, I'm disappointed with Napa Rose!!

Thank you. I had read such great reviews of Napa Rose, so I really was expecting more.

 

[hillo]

Off topic: I was very busy yesterday and didn't have time to post. One reason is because I went to a really good German restaurant. I have never been to a German restaurant before, and this was a great first experience. For any readers who live near the Charlotte, NC area, try the Waldhorn Restaurant. Our meal was delicious!! I had herb-crusted pork tenderloin which was, well, tender. It was amazingly spiced and wonderful. My parents loved their meals too, but agreed mine was the best. My pork was also only $9.95. It wasn't a huge portion, but I left full. We also had great bratwurst, knockwurst, and another type of bratwurst for an appetizer. They were great, and usually I don't care for sausage meat. The apple strudel was one of the best apple pies I have had. Also, our server was great!! Sorry, I just wanted to add that in. I'll continue with Disney food.

Blue Bayou

I know I had a picture of at least the cookie boat, but I can't find it on my computer right now, and I know it wasn't a good picture anyway. We didn't want to use a flash in the dark restaurant.

First of all, we checked in at 6pm for our 6:10pm PS time. I requested a waterside table and was told the wait would be 45 minutes. Since this was our first time, and we won't be back for years, we decided to wait. I shopped around for a little bit while my mom waited, and then I was going to let her look while I waited. After walking around for about 10 minutes, I went back to the restaurant. My mom decided to run to the restroom. Before she returned, our name was called. Our 45 minute wait ending up only being 15 minutes, and we had a waterside table!!

Our server was great!! My mom came in about 5 minutes later and the server showed up with water glasses. I love restaurants that go ahead and bring me water! He was wonderful the entire meal. About three different servers look care of us, and we never waited for a refill. They were also quick to bring my mom's half diet/half regular coke.

First, they brought out bread. It was good, just a roll. The butter was very good here too, and I surprised myself by eating some.

Just a note - there were no appetizers on the menu. Any menu I had looked at always had appetizers. We weren't planning on having an appetizer anyway, but I was surprised there were none listed.

I asked the server about the $12 split plate charge. I knew I would not have enough room for a whole appetizer and have some dessert. (I wanted a cookie boat.) He said that the fee included an extra gumbo or salad. However, he could bring an extra plate, and we could split it ourselves for free. That was perfect!

I really liked the gumbo. It was spicy, but not too much so. It would have been too spicy for a larger portion though. My mom thought it was too spicy, but I thought it was a great beginning to a New Orleans meal.

We split the Isla Cruces Crab Cakes. They were good, but I’ve had much better crab cakes. They did have a good amount of crab, but also a good bit of filler. I didn't like the mango slaw on top, but my mom did. Neither of us cared for the white asparagus. The potatoes were great! I could have had a plate of them.

Next, the server brought out a celebration chocolate mousse. This was the only place I was given a celebration dessert for my graduation. It was amazing!! They should have it on their menu. No competition, it was the best chocolate mousse I have ever had. My mom doesn't like chocolate mousse, but she loved this.

I didn't need any more food at this point, but I still had plans for a cookie boat. Once again, my mom doesn't like desserts like this, but she loved the cookie boat. It came with colored celebration syrups around it that I didn't care for, so I just avoided them. The ice cream was great and the cookie had to have been freshly made with gooey chocolate chips in it. Also, the fact that it is shaped like a boat is awesome.


P.S. I checked my camera and those pictures seemed to have disappeared. I’m not sure what happened.

 

[SSRJen]

The only reason I want to eat at the Blue Bayou is for that cookie boat!!!!

 

[vettegirl]

The cookie boat is sooo good! Too bad the took the prime rib off the menu, it was superb.

 

[hillo]

After riding a few rides, we decided we were quite hungry. So, a little after 9am, we made our way to the Riverbelle Terrace. There were plenty of seats with a great view of the waterfront. It was awesome to eat where (they say) Walt had breakfast on Sunday mornings.

I had the infamous Mickey Mouse pancake. It was too cute!! It was just a pancake, and it did need syrup. With the syrup, it was quite good.

My mom ordered just a side of potatoes. They were delicious and tasted freshly made.

Chef Jamie Gwen

Before the F&W festival, I had no idea who this lady was. I didn't even know if Jamie was a man or a woman. We didn't plan to see her demonstration, but ended up in California Adventure anyway. I'm so glad so did!! She made sliders which she said she was famous for. She always makes them at Taste which was going on that weekend. The burger was delicious!! A little undercooked for me, but I didn't mind since it was so good. I didn't eat many of the mushrooms that were on it(mom didn't eat any as she is allergic) because they were soggy. However, the cheese and burger were great! It made a perfect lunch. Also, Chef Jamie was a very interesting and fun presenter.

Celebrate Korea

They made the same japchae as before. However, the presenters were not as interesting, but the food was less salty and much better.

Celebrate Spain

The presenter for Spain was a young woman. I felt sorry for her. She acted very unprepared and kept saying "more better" and "more sooner" and the like. Also, she continued to say "I'm doing this, but you can this or this, etc." It made for a very confusing presentation.

She made two different gazpachos. The first was a traditional tomato gazpacho that was delicious! It was perfectly spiced and tasted of fresh tomatoes. However, the fruit gazpacho was terrible. I can't really describe the flavor, but we didn't care for it at all.

 

[BriarRosie]

Congrats on being valedictorian of your class! No wonder your mom didn't balk at a DLR trip, and your step-father tacked on a cruise! There was no way to deny that you deserved something special!

I went to the Disneyland food and wine festival last year, and I was amazed at how generous the demo portions are. The ones I've been to at WDW's festival aren't as generous.

I'm with you on Napa Rose. I thought it was ok when I went a few years ago, but it was not as good as the first time I went in 2003. I'm disappointed that my favorite restaurant, Vineyard Room (upstairs from the Trattoria) had closed. It was much better than Napa Rose, IMHO.

Speaking of the Trattoria, I'm a sucker for their lasagna. I haven't tried anything else. I agree that the bread would be nicer if it was warm, but they just don't do it.

Cafe Orleans: I ate there in December, and I was really pleasantly surprised at the sandwich I had. It was a chicken sandwich with an avocado sauce, and it had a little side salad on the plate. The sandwich itself was enough for two people. I left half of it on my plate. While I would love to eat a Monte Cristo, I couldn't do it unless I split it, as well.

Carnation Cafe: I also enjoy that you're on Main Street yet not in the crowds. I've only eaten lunch there, and I enjoyed it.

I'm totally with you on those garlic fries! I think you need to order them if you go to Todd English's bluezoo™ next time you're at WDW. Even thought it's pricey, I really enjoy the food there!

Great reviews!