We broke in the Deluxe Dining Plan...with lots of PICTURES! I finally finished one!!!

[iluvpluto27]

I'm really enjoying your reviews. I love that cheesecake from Narcoosees, probably the best dessert I've ever had! Oh, and I'm a big crab cake fan too, and that gateau of crab from Citricos is really, really good. I hope it's still on the menu in September!

 

[TigerKat]

Signing on!

 

[momofdbsdc]

Great start Sherry!!!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

subscribing yummy!!

It sure was a lot of yummy...I never knew what we were missing before the dining plan!

I'm really enjoying your reviews. I love that cheesecake from Narcoosees, probably the best dessert I've ever had! Oh, and I'm a big crab cake fan too, and that gateau of crab from Citricos is really, really good. I hope it's still on the menu in September!

We found out the hard way on our next trp that the cheesecake does not travel well...but you'll have to come back for the next trip's dining review for that story! Part of the reason I cannot even bare to think about a trip without the deluxe dining plan is because the appetizers are some of the best selections in The World!

Signing on!

Great start Sherry!!!

Thanx guys! It is so much more fun to do this knowing someone is reading.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After our not-so-wonderful breakfast, we had a 2pm ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern.

This was one of our worst planned days as far as timing of eating. Plus, running so late at 1900 Park Fare put us at the point where we were not all that hungry but we had the credits so what the heck, right? And this is another place that is difficult to find info on...at least for lunch. Dinner does not really interest us much. However, I seem to be missing some pictures from here too...as much as I wanted to be able to show our meals here. On this trip we also discovered how looking at a menu or placing a food order seems to trigger Skye's bladder. It was like every time we were sitting down or worse yet, when our food had just arrived, she would say those dreaded five words..."I have to go potty". And it did not matter that we may have just been there or if I asked before we went in...she would still say it. And here was no different...read on for more details.

We arrived right on time and the check-in area was packed. There were two women seating people and one of them could not be heard when she was calling names and apparently did not feel like walking away from the desk to make sure everyone could hear her. Of course, this is the woman who called us. Now I heard her faintly mouth something but was not sure so we waited for her to say it again. She did. And I thought it was us. So we gather our things and head over to where she was and she acted put out that we made her say our name twice. It was really loud in there and she was really quiet. So anyway, she takes us to our table in the room off to the left. We were seated along the inside wall.

There was plenty of room and we did not feel smashed in at all. We had never been here before so it was all a new experience to us. Patty shows up to take our order. We all ordered ur usual drinks and I took one for the team here and ordered the fried cheese for my appetizer. The kids ordered a fruit salad and a salad. I figured we could all munch on all of it since none of us were very hungry. So we got our drinks and the afore mentioned five words were said. We found the bathroom easily enough...it was the place with the longest line we waited in the whole trip. It is up the stairs in the lobby and down the tiny hall. There is, I think, two stalls in there. And as our luck would have it, it was apparently cleaning time too! So while we were waiting our appetizers came. I have no pictures because Tyler did not think about it and when I retruned the waitress approached. She asked us if there was a problem and I told her there was just a huge line in the bathroom. Then she proceeded to tell me about how a lot of kids have problems going to the bathroom when they are there and on and on. I though it was pretty inappropriate and just plain weird! So anyway, the salad was salad. The kids will not use dressing so it was on the side. The fruit was fruit...fresh and sweet. The fried cheese, well it was not very good. Now I cannot say for sure that it was not good because it tasted bad or if it was just that it was dropped off on our table to sit and wait for us to return from the bathroom but I am quite sure that being cold contributed to our not liking them too much.

For entrees Skye had the Mac 'n Cheese which is the only picture of an entree I seem to have.

It was her favorite typical Disney Mac 'N Cheese. She liked it and ate about half of it.

Tyler had...come on, guess??? Yep, Cheese Pizza. No picture but it was the usual kid's meal pizza. I had the Salmon Club Sandwich. It was huge...not just a huge sandwich but a huge piece of salmon on the sandwich. I wish I had a picture! It was ok. Not bad, not good, but not memorible either. I ate half of it...and believe me, that is not like me! I think our displeasure with Liberty Tree Tavern may have been a combination of things though. First, that we had had such a bad beakfast experience...second, it was really cold out still...third, the hostess thing...forth, the bathroom thing and the conversation about it after...and fifth, some average food. Normally, that would not have been an issue, as we are not super foodies, but I think maybe all of that together may have contributed to our experience here.

Well, one saving grace was dessert. The kids had ice cream sundaes with red, white, and blue star sprinkles that left your mouth blue!

Tyler's came with a candle in it. I had the Liberty Shortcake.

Pound cake, berries, and whipped cream....mmmmm! It was very good. Not the best dessert but definately the best part of this meal.

So all in all, I hope our circumstances were the reason for our not liking this place but honestly, in general, it does not hold much much appeal for us. I do not think we would return here unless it would be the only thing available...which will probably not happen.

Our cost would have been $45.74 had we paid out of pocket but we paid three credits. Surprisingly enough I still felt enough to leave $8.00 for a tip...it is beyond me why. No, don't get me wrong...it was not a horrible meal but it was not up to par with our meals (minus 1900 Park Fare) up until now.

We will not be back!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Ok, so our dining luck was not with us today. Would it turn around at The Plaza?

I had been wanting to go to The Plaza for a long time. I had heard such good things. But I had never really even noticed the venue itself before. I did not know how small it was. We were freezing and we were tired. Plus, that coupled with our day's dining thusfar, I tried to convince the kids to ditch our ADR and go back to the room and eat there. They were having no part of it. So we arrived for our 6:50pm a little early, about 10 minutes. We were not the only ones there though. I don't know if they were that overooked, or if people were just eating slowly, or if they had taken too many walk-ups but we waited for near an hour...outside...in the cold...the freezing cold. And the only thing that made it tolerable was this...

See how cold it was...Skye had her fur coat and hat and gloves on all day! Ever with all that on we were still freezing!

When we finally did get called in we were seated in a half booth against the wall.

Because the room is so small, every time the door opened (which was a lot for people coming and going and since there is no bathroom inside, it happened often!) we were cold. I ate with my coat on and I think Ty kept his hat on the whole time too.

Chris took our order for our usual drinks and the kids ordered grapes as their appetizer.

They were cold and crisp and sweet and good. My kids are grape freaks so this option was perfect. I ordered the Tomaot Bisque Soup.

It had big crouons in it and was very creamy...perfect! It was a huge serving too...and hot! The soup was wonderful.

Both the kids ordered the Grilled Cheese with fries.

Grilled Cheese is another staple for them and while it is becoming easier to find in The World it is still not abundant. The fries were big, thick cut fries. And the sandwich was hot and cheesy and gooey and very good. It was buttery but not burnt...believe me, burnt is something my kids point out right away. I had the Cheese Steak Sandwich and fries.

It was sooooo good. I just don't know what to say! It was a perfect meal for me. Soft bread, lots of cheese...just perfect.

For dessert, Ty had Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk.

They cookes were really good...from the bakery we were told. Skye had a Mickeylodeon.

She loved it...Mickey's ears always go first! She had strawberry ice cream from the ice cream shoppe next door. I had the Banana Split.

MMMMMM! I think that's all that need be said. On top of all of that, Chris brought Tyler a wonderful little birthday cake.

This was the best birthday treat he received the whole trip. It was white cake inside and really moist and good.

Our bill would have been $47.80 without the dining plan but we paid three credits. We left $7.20 tip. We did not leave until around 8:30pm but it was not because we were eating all that time or waiting on our food....it was due to the wait to get in.

All in all, we loved, loved, loved The Plaza even with our long wait...I am hoping this was an unusual day for them.

I would recommend this place to anyone and as far as Disney standards, it is one of the better and cheapest table services venues around.

I would definately return! But maybe at a first lunch seating just to make sure we did not have to wait for an hour to get in!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

The next day we skipped breakfast and had a 12pm ADR at Restaurant Marrakesh.

We had never been here before and honsetly I was a bit afraid. I have always wanted to get brave but Lou is not an adventurous eater so when has been there, there was no way I would get him in there. So this was our perfect opportunity. I had heard many good and bad things but you never know until you try it for yourself. So we did.

We were the first ones seated and we were to the left on the balcony along the ledge.

We knew there was a belly dancer and Moroccan band but we not sure of details so this was a perfect spot to sit and observe. Issam was our waiter and he was very good. First he took our regular drink orders and brought out some bread.

It was still steaming and hot. I hope it is always like that but I suspect it is because we were in so early. The kids loved it and would have made a meal of just that! We had a second loaf. I had Seafood Bastilla for my appetizer.

I was nervous when he put the plate down in front of me with the green sauce on top and all. Oh my goodness! It was really good and I almost licked the plate! The kids shared here. They got a bowl of fruit. It was fruit. For their entree they got Chicken Tenders and fries.

After eating three meals in close succession yesterday, it was plenty for them to share. They finished it all so I am assuming it was good. I had the Beef Shish Kabob.

It came with rice and a sauce that was really good. This was the perfect choice for me! There were no overpowering spices or different flavors...actually there was just enough. And actually, I think Lou would love it here. About half way through our meal the band came out and then the belly dancer.

She danced a little and then took some kids from near tables to learn to belly dance. She does not stay out too long but is out long enough for you to be entertained during your meal. We did not get many good pictures of her because we were a little far away and I do not have the camera that I would like to have but we got some fuzzy pictures. The kids had vanilla ice cream.

They both got a dish even though they only got one meal. I had the bastilla.

Nope, I should have made a different choice here…not that there is a lot to choose from but this was the wrong choice. I don’t know what it was exactly that I did not like and it was not horrible…I mean I did eat some of it…but it was not something I would order again nor was it something I would recommend to someone else.

Our service from Issam was great. Our glasses were always full and he was friendly.

All in all, Marrakesh will be somewhere we will return to in the future. We would recommend it to anyone…it is not as scary as it might sound! Our total for the two meals was $51.39 but cost us only 2 meal credits. We left a $10.00 tip. We were there for about an hour and one half. Awesome!

GO!

 

[Mich123]

Great reviews! I'm signing on...love the restaurant list at the beginning...where didn't you eat??! Your reviews are definitely helping me plan our vacation--we're doing the DDP, but I'm starting to think we should consider an upgrade.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Did you ever re-read your posts and see all the stupid mistakes in spelling and typing that you did not think you were making?!?!?!

 

[Joie29]

Just saying hi and how excited I am to go back and read through your reviews!

What a great list of places to try...thanks for sharing your experiences!

 

[dancemomnj]

I'm loving your reviews!

 

[msce2]

Enjoying the reviews! TY!!!

 

[Jenvenza]

Great reviews! And super-cute kids!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Great reviews! I'm signing on...love the restaurant list at the beginning...where didn't you eat??! Your reviews are definitely helping me plan our vacation--we're doing the DDP, but I'm starting to think we should consider an upgrade.

Surprisingly enough, even after two two week jaunts in The World with the Deluxe Dining Plan there are still places or meals at places we have not done. It does seem like a ton though!

Just saying hi and how excited I am to go back and read through your reviews!

Thanx! It is fun to go back to re-live the reviews!

What a great list of places to try...thanks for sharing your experiences!

No prob...I have poured over these boards, especially the dining reviews, so many times that hope one of my reviews will help someone make up their dining list.

I'm loving your reviews!

Enjoying the reviews! TY!!!

Great reviews! And super-cute kids!

Thanx guys! I'm glad to have you along!

 

[MissMichelle]

We are doing the deluxe plan in August and was second guessing myself (I get extremely full off the regular plan) but after seeing some of your reviews I CAN'T WAIT! What choices! Thanks for the reviews so far!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We are doing the deluxe plan in August and was second guessing myself (I get extremely full off the regular plan) but after seeing some of your reviews I CAN'T WAIT! What choices! Thanks for the reviews so far!

You know, we just took it as another part of vacation. We ordered what we wanted, we ate what we wanted. If we did not finish something, then we left it. It was nice to have the ability to go to all of the table services venues and not have to worry about getting the value out of it.

Now, the trip after this (our last one for a while ) we got in on free dining and then upgraded and that was great. I figured since we only paif for half of it, we had made our money's worth by day three of a 14 night trip!

My problem is that Tyler just turned 10...and you know what that means! But he does not eat like an adult...in variety of quantity so unless we get in on free dining and upgrade to DDDP, I don't know if it will be worth it. And that has me bummed already and there is not even a trip in the planning stages!

 

[Mich123]

I'm glad to see your comment about your 10 year old...my analysis showed that DxDP wasn't as valuable once the kids outgrew the child's plan because they just wouldn't eat enough. For our 10 day trip, it's $1000 more for everyone (me, DH, DD9 and DD12) to go Deluxe and I figure I'll spend less than that on the DDP, running out of TS meals at some point and paying out of pocket. The difference might be that we'll be a little more reluctant to go to Signature Restaurants, but that being said, I already have CA Grill, Jiko and HBD lined up along with a couple of character meals.

I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

I'm glad to see your comment about your 10 year old...my analysis showed that DxDP wasn't as valuable once the kids outgrew the child's plan because they just wouldn't eat enough. For our 10 day trip, it's $1000 more for everyone (me, DH, DD9 and DD12) to go Deluxe and I figure I'll spend less than that on the DDP, running out of TS meals at some point and paying out of pocket. The difference might be that we'll be a little more reluctant to go to Signature Restaurants, but that being said, I already have CA Grill, Jiko and HBD lined up along with a couple of character meals.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Ya, once your child becomes not a child at Disney, the DDDP gets kinda expensive. I am thinking the best option for us may be going regular DDP and actually paying for his kid's meal out of pocket and using the extra credits for more meals. But our problem is that we like buffets with characters so at those he would end up paying as an adult either way...and then that overcomes the benefits I think. We'll see, maybe by the next time we go the boy will realize that there are other things out there besides pizza, hot dogs, nuggets and an occasional chicken piece - all plain of course!

Yes, I'd be interested in hearing how it fares for you!

 

[engle]

Loving your reviews....keep em coming!!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Loving your reviews....keep em coming!!

Thanx! I'm determined to finish two trips worth of reviews...so all this encouragement is helping!