We're STILL full!!! 9/22/07 - 9/29/07 Free Dining report W/ pics! COMPLETE 11/14

[Prinny27]

After breakfast, DH and I said goodbye to my parents and were off to Epcot. We spent the morning doing Future World and around 12 decided to head over to the Electric Umbrella for lunch. It wasn't too crowded yet, and the line moved quickly. We got to the CM, placed our order, handed over our KTTW, and were told that it wasn't working. Thinking that it had demagnetized, we handed over our second KTTW which STILL didn't work. Then the CM very rudely asked for money, which I said, 'I'm sorry, we're on the DDP, I'm not paying out of pocket.' So he canceled our order, and we went to a second CM on another line to try again, because we had just used the cards for FP's.

The second CM was much more helpful, and even got a manager to override the system, which unfortunately didn't work either. That meant it was off to Guest Relations (which, luckily, was only a 30 second walk away) to sort it all out. They called our resort and it turns out that their reservation system had crashed and they needed to reset everything, and the only way to resolve the DDP issue was to have new cards cut. So that meant it was back to POR to solve the problem.

Once back at the front desk, they appologized and cut us new cards. They said we had 14 credits left, when really, it should have been 12. I tried to explain it to the CM, but he told us not to worry about it. WOO HOO! Two free dining credits! So after we had lunch we went back to our room and canceled our ADR at O'Hana, and were lucky to get one at the CA Grill instead! We had also mentioned to that CM that the day before it took over 9 hours to get our luggage from DME, even after three phone calls to bell services over three hours - which is WAY more than we normally have to wait. He went and got the manager, Courtney, and she was fabulous. She couldn't believe how long it had taken, and gave us 4 complimentary fast passes to be used anywhere. We were so happy! But on top of that she also gave us a $50 room credit, which is way more than we expected. So even though we had a bit of frustration with things going wrong, they definitely made up for it!

So... with our new cards in hand, we headed over the the Riverside Mill for lunch because we were STARVING by this point and there was no way we could wait to get back over to Epcot.

DH and I both got the Chicken Fingers Basket

I remember this being okay - nothing great, but then again, it's chicken fingers. They aren't meant to be gourmet, but sometimes they just hit the spot! They were warm and fresh, just out of the frier. Although, I do recall they were a little bit on the 'slimy' side. I only ate one and a half and then gave up. The fries, on the other hand, were stellar. Disney does their fries so well - nice and crispy, just the way I like them! For dessert, we got the sugar cookies again. These were soft and fresh as always. Like I said before, I love these! On a side note, I had gotten a fountain drink with my meal, and really wanted the Minute Maid Light they serve, but ALL of the dispensers (four in total) had the flavor out, and was just water. Oh well, it was better the next day.

Chicken Strips Basket (2): $13.38
Cookies (2): $3.78
Fountain Drink (2): $3.78
Total: $20.94 (2 CS credits used)

 

[disneyfansx5]

Thanks for the pics and the reviews. They are wonderful! I look forward to future pics and reports.

 

[Prinny27]

Double Post, sorry!

 

[Prinny27]

After lunch at Riverside Mill, we went back to our room and napped for a little bit. Then it was off to Epcot to play around Future World some more and for dinner at Biergarten. When we got to the front gate, our cards weren't working, AGAIN! So we were off to Guest Relations to get a courtesy entry card so we wouldn't need to head back to the resort for a second time that day. The CM there gave us the courtesy cards, as well as a No Strings Attached (this is the first time DH had ever seen one of these. I tried explaining it to him, but he never quite got the concept.) to use as a FP. It was pouring at this point and hundreds of guests were streaming out of the gates, so we thought we would head to Soarin' to use the NSA. This was literally the QUICKEST wait I have ever had for Soarin. We were on in less than 7 minutes from the time we entered the FP Return entrance. That NSA was definitely a great thing!

After Soarin' it was off to Germany for dinner. I put our name in, and we waited about 10 minutes in the nasty humidity to be called. Once inside, our waiter, Guido (!!! Isn't that Italian?), came over and took our drink orders - just a soda and a water. He explained how the buffet works, and then left to bring us our drinks. The band came on, so we sat and watched them for a few minutes.

I love this place! We hadn't been there in about two years, so it was about time we went back. The food isn't the most amazing you will ever have, but it really is a great time.

My plate

Starting at the bottom (about 6 o'clock) is the pork schnitzel. This was very good. I don't quite know how to describe the taste, but remember thinking it was excellent. Next, going clockwise, are the Roasted Potatoes, which were very good, but I almost ate a huge chunk of garlic, which turned me off to them after that, because I am not such a huge fan of garlic. Then comes the Mac and Cheese. This was my favorite - I even went and got a second plate of just this. It almost reminded me of a Stouffer's mac and cheese, except it's much cheesier, creamier and a bit thicker. Then is the Pretzel Bread with butter. This, of course, is amazing. It's the same as you get at Le Cellier, but not made into a long bread stick. It's crunchy on the outside, but warm and fluffy inside - what's not to like!?! Then last is the Warm German Potato Salad. That was okay, but it had odd spices, and I wasn't crazy about it being warm.

DH's plate

He is obviously much better at the 'all you can eat' thing than I am! Starting at the top (about 12 o'clock and going clockwise) is Ham (he said this was just okay, regular ham), the roasted potatoes, pork schnitzel, something else that he couldn't remember and I forgot to look and see what it was, the pretzel bread, mac & cheese, and sausage with sauerkraut. He said that he liked the food, it wasn't bad, but nothing special. The atmosphere is great - a lot of fun. And that's his professional opinion!

Next, of course, are the desserts! DH's plate

Starting with the brown cake roll is the Dark Forest Cake. I didn't try this, but DH said it was chocolatey and creamy with cherry in the center. Next, going counter clockwise, is the Florentine Cookie. I had one of these on my plate (which was so tiny it was pointless to take a picture of), and loved it. It's a very soft cookie with almonds layered on top. DH says they were, 'pretty good'. After that was the Bavarian Cheese Cake - light and creamy with only a little bit of cheesecake flavor, which is good, because neither of us likes cheesecake at all. There was a sort of powdered sugar layer on top that gave it a perfect sweet flavor. That big puddle of white stuff you see on DH's plate was a vanilla cream sauce that was supposed to be paired with this, and reminded me in flavor of Vanilla Coffee Mate creamer. The last dessert on his plate is the Apple Streusel. I also didn't taste any of this, but he said it was good, and that is was typical streusel. Though, to be fair, he doesn't really like apple streusel, so he's not the best judge!

The other thing I had for dessert and forgot to take a picture of was the vanilla pudding. Wow, was this great! Best pudding ever! It comes in little espresso cups with chocolate shavings on top. It's thick and creamy and just wonderful.

Now, remember how I said our cards didn't work getting into the park, even though we had supposedly just gotten them fixed that afternoon? Well, of course, that meant they weren't working for the DDP, either! It took Guido about 20 minutes to come back to the table with our receipt, after handing him our card. We were surprised that it had gone through, but when we double checked the receipt, imagine our surprise when we saw that we had 126 TS credits remaining! Turns out, he had charged our dinners to the family sitting next to us (how long were they staying for, anyway!?!), and when we pointed this out to him, it took him another 25 minutes to come back with our bill and the other family's. Not surprisingly, our card hadn't worked, and he had billed POR for our dinners. That meant, another trip to the front desk when we got back.

This time, Sean at the front desk helped us, and knew exactly what had happened, what he was talking about, and showed us that even though our cards had been reprinted, they still had the same serial numbers as our original cards, so in essence the faulty cards had just been printed twice. So he printed us brand new cards, with new numbers, and thankfully that was the last time we had to deal with that fiasco on our trip! Whew!

Adult Dinner (2): $47.98
Tip: $8.64
Total: $56.62 (2 TS credits used)

 

[BaBeeCee14]

Great reveiws and pictures

 

[girli565]

I'm sorry that you didn't like the breakfast at Boatwrights! I think the sauce on the eggs benedict is hollandaise not mayo... It has the texture of mayo but it's a butter based imulsion with egg yokes and butter and seasonings. I can't remember exactly what's in it because I'm more of a bernaise sauce girl myself. But now I know to order it with the sauce on the side.

 

[Busymom85]

Thanks for the great reviews! Looking forward to more.

 

[Prinny27]

This morning we decided to grab some breakfast at the Main Street Bakery. We just love it here. The lines can be long, but it is always worth the wait. The only problem is that everything looks so good, that when I get up there I want to order it all.

DH and I both ordered the Ham & Cheese Croissants, then he got a Chocolate Croissant and I got the Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

I'll start with the Ham & Cheese Croissants. OMG, these are excellent! I don't even know what makes them so good, because as you can see, they are obviously not gourmet. But, wow, are they great. I don't like ham, so I always take my slice (which is thick, dinner cut ham, not deli-sliced) and give it to DH so he can put it on his sandwich. The croissant is nice and flaky, just a tiny bit on the oily side. The cheese just melts right in your mouth, and the flavor is a little on the sharp/tangy side. Delish!

DH liked his chocolate croissant. I tasted it, and was immediately sorry. Like I said, I don't like chocolate, and this thing was PACKED with it. I just took a tiny bite off of the corner, and it was oozing chocolate. I don't know what I was expecting from a chocolate croissant, but it was definitely a lot of chocolate! Plus, it was dark chocolate, not milk chocolate.

When I ordered the fruit parfait, I saw it in a big bowl behind the counter, and it looked delicious. I thought they would give you a tiny little bowl, so I figured it would be a nice side to my sandwich. Well, imagine my shock when the CM pulled out that huge bowl, and then continued to pile it high. The entire thing would have filled me up for hours. But it did not disappoint. It was EXCELLENT! There was strawberry yogurt with granola, raisins, blue berries, strawberries and bananas. It was perfect for breakfast - light, but very filling. And all of the fruit was fresh and none of it (including the granola) was soggy.

We will definitely be back to the Main Street Bakery - we love it there, and you really can't order anything that tastes bad there. Plus, it's a nice place to go right when the MK opens, because you can grab a table and watch all of the opening numbers that are performed out on the street at opening.

This meal we paid OOP for:
16oz Coffee: $1.89
Chocolate Croissant: $2.49
Mixed Parfait: $3.79
Egg Sandwich (2): $11.58
Tax: $1.29
Total: $21.04

 

[MickeyNicki]

Thanks for that post, we are looking forward to grabbing breakfast there next week.

 

[Prinny27]

Thanks for that post, we are looking forward to grabbing breakfast there next week.

You will love it - everything there is so wonderful. Have a great time!

 

[Prinny27]

I had read on these boards how good the smoothies at Auntie Gravity's were, so even though we weren't that hungry, we grabbed an early afternoon snack.

DH and I both got the Tropical Fruit Smoothie

This has orange, pineapple, mango and passion fruit in it. It was about 91 degrees with 97% humidity this day, so the smoothie was extra refreshing and really cooled us down. It was a perfect blend of icy and creamy, and there wasn't an over-powering taste of citrus fruit. We both highly recommend this snack!

Again, we paid OOP for this.
Tropical Smoothie (2): $7.98
Tax: .52
Total: $8.50

 

[tluvstink]

I'm loving your reviews! Thanks for taking the time to post them.

Terri

 

[stephd219]

Thanks for the great reviews. I am so sorry you had such a hard time with your cards. You seemed to have a great attitude even though I am sure it was such a hassle.

 

[Prinny27]

Thanks for the great reviews. I am so sorry you had such a hard time with your cards. You seemed to have a great attitude even though I am sure it was such a hassle.

Thanks, it was definitely frustrating while we were there, and we kept saying that if this was our first ever trip to WDW, we might wind up hating it, but luckily we've been there dozens of times before so we know this was a mistake that rarely happens, so it was no big deal! A little inconvenient, but hey, we were in Disney! A little problem there is better than one at home, right?

 

[theycallmered]

Great reviews!!!

 

[Tortuga Joy]

Loving your report and can't wait for more. So sorry you had problems with your card and all but it sounds like Disney went all out to fix it. Wow! 126 credits ...I wish I could go for that long!

 

[Prinny27]

For lunch we headed over to DH's favorite place to eat in the MK - Pecos Bill's.

We both got the 1/4 lb. Cheeseburger meals

I'm sorry, I had already taken a bite out of mine. I found a table and waited for a good half hour before DH showed up with the food because it was so busy there! We both thought this was very good. It was a typical fast food meal, but it really hits the spot (especially since we rarely eat fast food at home). The fries were perfect - very, very crispy. DH loves the toppings bar. Immensely. I hardly ever go to it, but as you can see, he piles his burgers high. Surprisingly, he didn't go for the sauteed mushrooms and onions this time, he said it was too hot out for that.

For dessert we both got the Peanut Butter Brownie Mousse

Sorry it's a bit blurry, my camera doesn't always focus itself right away. Anyway, we both love this. It's absolutely fabulous, and that's saying a lot, because normally I will not touch any kind of chocolate. The brownie part is so moist, and the mousse is rich and full of peanut butter flavor - it's definitely stronger than the chocolate flavor. It's a very rich dessert, though, so it's hard to finish one. Here we just shared this one, and took the other one to eat later in the week. One day last year we found the exact same kind in the bakery section of our super market and threw a fit - the people around us thought we were crazy. We were just so excited to have a taste of Disney at home.

Cheeseburger & Fries (2): $11.78
PB Brownie (2): $7.18
22oz. Coke: $2.39
Bottled Water: $2.00
Tax: $1.63
Total: $24.98 (2 CS credits)

 

[pixe*dst]

More great reviews. Biergarten looks so cool I would love to eat there, but I don't think whoever we shared a table with would appreciate my 4 yo's, um, enthusiasm.

We tried Pecos Bill for the first time in September & thought it was very good too.

 

[Prinny27]

More great reviews. Biergarten looks so cool I would love to eat there, but I don't think whoever we shared a table with would appreciate my 4 yo's, um, enthusiasm.

We tried Pecos Bill for the first time in September & thought it was very good too.

Thanks! The funny thing I noticed about this restaurant is that ALL of the children congregate on the dance floor - even when the band isn't playing. They were running around and dancing and letting out all of there energy down there, which was nice. Plus, it's not a quiet restaurant, and everyone sings along with the band and clangs glasses, so I think this is one place where no one would mind an excited little kid!

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

The food all looks so yummy! We tried going to the MK bakery but did'nt get there till 10:30 and the line was out the door. Glad you got the KOTW cards fixed and that Disney took care of you. Linda