We're Still Hungry! A DDW July Getaway - 8/5 Complete!

[Belle5]

I think your meal at GFC MIGHT have topped ours...but ONLY because of that dessert platter. Oh, my goodness! I think somebody found out that DIS food review nobility was visiting!

So, you skipped AP... I don't blame you. As much as I love it, sometimes I just want to try something different--and it doesn't sound like Narcoossee's disappointed at all!! It's one of the few signatures we have avoided over the years, but you just might have talked me into it for next trip!

Terrific reviews, as usual. I am curious as to what you are studying in school. Is food critic a major? I'm going to guess journalism??

 

[dansyr2514]

ok..thanks alot...now I'm rethinking all my adrs's!. Your reviews...were awesome. We were planning on skipping Narcoossees this trip for Fulton's....but now I'm not so sure. I'm also trying to figure out a way to get in GFC. Reviews recently have not been that great...but your review is making me consider it.
Can't wait for your next review!

 

[smile4stamps]

Thanks for the wonderful reviews!! I was never a fan of blue cheese but it's growing on me!! Soft creamy cheeses are my favorites!! I love honey on my blue cheese! Delicious!!

We've been showered with dessert pixie dust at Citrico's! Twice!! We had a huge dessert platter presented to us on our last night of our '09 trip!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

All caught up now, just in time for the end it looks like? Love your reviews, you certainly have a way with words. I'm considering adding GFC for our next trip. What do you think of the atmosphere? Is it casual enough to bring a small child? We would probably have breakfast or lunch there on our MK day.

Yep, it's almost over. Thanks so much for joining in, and I'm glad that you've enjoyed the reviews.

I definitely think the atmosphere at Grand Floridian Cafe is casual. It's slightly quieter than other the other casual resort restaurants (such as Kona Cafe), and the decor is a bit 'neater', but I always see plenty of families with young kids there, and there's no dress code. Also, the pace of the meal is quick enough (especially for breakfast or lunch), so it shouldn't be an issue for a small child. I think GFC would be a nice escape from the crowds of MK.

Aha! So I guess I was 3 for 4, just had the timing/meals all wrong!

And I have soooo been wanting to try those sweet potato pancakes! I just wish I could convince my family that having a sit-down breakfast is worth giving up sleep time for.

Anyway, I was really happy to see this bonus review up this morning, as I had wrongly assumed that the GFC was your last meal of the trip.

Now the restaurant order finally makes sense. Interestingly enough, I had wanted to go to Kona for my last breakfast, but the convenience of The Wave was hard to overlook. I don't regret it. The Wave's light, relatively healthy breakfast was just what I needed on our departure day (and it doesn't have to be healthy, if you're in the mood for pork sausage, applewood-smoked bacon, breakfast pastries, or grits!).

The sweet potato pancakes were very tasty, especially with the honey pecan butter. But I'm with your family - as delicious as breakfast can be, it's usually a pain to wake up early. It might be worth leaving them behind so you can enjoy some of these meals (they'd probably be happy to sleep in)!

Well put!

It's all so true - Disney will always be a special place to me for all of those reasons.

My mouth is watering! Love the Wave buffet...pecan butter, Key Lime Eggs Benedict...the cool, quiet atmosphere. Great cocktails in the evening, too. We are not going for breakfast in Sept for breakfast cause it's a pain to ge to early from BWI. Sigh.

Glad to hear you also like the The Wave and its breakfast buffet! It might not be worth a special trip from the Epcot area, but it's still a great option if it fits into your plans.

Love those sweet potato pancakes...really remind me of the ones they used to have at Boatwright's at POR.

Jill in CO

The sweet potato pancakes were so yummy! I've never eaten at Boatwright's at POR, although I've seen positive reviews of it (and I've heard very good things about the breakfast it used to offer, as well as about the former Bonfamille's Cafe at POFQ). It's a shame that so many awesome meals have been cut over the years.

I love those pancakes, DDW. I also spotted the eggs Benedict which are my fave. I wish they would use smoked salmon as the meat instead of the usual bacon or ham.

I didn't try the eggs benedict this time, but I'm sure they're delicious! My mom had them in 2011 and also liked them - the key lime addition sounds awesome. I like your idea of serving it with salmon instead of Canadian bacon or ham.

 

[Roma]

Wow I am completely blown away by that dessert plate from Narcoossee's! Seeing some of those desserts for the first time (especially the pecan tart) makes me much more likely to consider ordering them in the future. In fact I'm not sure there is a single dessert from Narcoosee's I wouldn't consider ordering at this point, and that is something I cannot say for any other signature right now. What an incredibly special experience for you and your mom!!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

joining in

There you are, and just in time! There's a little matter I forgot to mention - beware of hitchhiking ghosts!

Well, not really. I started typing "just in time", and suddenly the Ghost Host's voice from Haunted Mansion was echoing in my head. Seriously though - you're just in time for the last update!

Yes! Exactly. That was just over the top! My DH was very impressed by everything as well. He's the one that tends to pump the brakes on a WDW vaca. But the staff really impressed him,when they did that for you all. I can tell after that, he's ready to pack!!

I'm glad to hear it! Hopefully you and DH will also get to experience some magic during your upcoming trip (and you'll be staying at AoA for part of it - enjoy that food court!).

Oh wow, I really like the sound of sweet potato pancakes with the honey pecan butter
Sounds like the kind of dish I would love

I'm sure you'd really like those pancakes. And if you don't feel like having a whole buffet, the pancakes are available as an à la carte entree as well.

Me too! And I would like them now!!!

With everyone talking about the sweet potato pancakes, now I'm in the mood for them as well.

great reviews & photos, thanks for sharing

Thanks for reading! I'm happy to hear you've enjoyed the reviews and photos.

What a fantstic surprise at Narcoossee! A whole table full of desserts is like a dream come true. You can't beat the customer service you get at WDW. A moment like that truly makes a trip special. So glad that you and your mom got to enjoy such a wonderful expereince there.

Thanks so much! It was truly an incredible surprise, and we're never going to forget it - we can't wait to return to WDW and experience more magical moments.

I think your meal at GFC MIGHT have topped ours...but ONLY because of that dessert platter. Oh, my goodness! I think somebody found out that DIS food review nobility was visiting!

So, you skipped AP... I don't blame you. As much as I love it, sometimes I just want to try something different--and it doesn't sound like Narcoossee's disappointed at all!! It's one of the few signatures we have avoided over the years, but you just might have talked me into it for next trip!

Terrific reviews, as usual. I am curious as to what you are studying in school. Is food critic a major? I'm going to guess journalism??

Narcoossee's really impressed us! It completely rebounded from our experience last summer (where the food was good, but the service wasn't), and now we can't wait to return there. My major will probably be something along the lines of marketing or finance (although I might decide to join my school's food magazine as a writer or photographer - I think it would be a lot of fun! ).

ok..thanks alot...now I'm rethinking all my adrs's!. Your reviews...were awesome. We were planning on skipping Narcoossees this trip for Fulton's....but now I'm not so sure. I'm also trying to figure out a way to get in GFC. Reviews recently have not been that great...but your review is making me consider it.
Can't wait for your next review!

I'm so happy that you've enjoyed the reviews! I haven't been to Fulton's in years, but at this point in time I think Narcoossee's would be a better bet. From what I've seen, the recent reviews for Fulton's have been disappointing, and the food doesn't seem to match the resort signatures in quality or creativity. If you still want Fulton's, I'd recommend going for lunch and paying OOP (since the lunch entrees are cheap for a "signature" restaurant).

As for GFC, I highly recommend it, especially if anyone would be interested in that burger! In fact, it's one of the first restaurants we added to the itinerary for our next trip - we're planning on splitting the burger and another lunch entree.

Thanks for the wonderful reviews!! I was never a fan of blue cheese but it's growing on me!! Soft creamy cheeses are my favorites!! I love honey on my blue cheese! Delicious!!

We've been showered with dessert pixie dust at Citrico's! Twice!! We had a huge dessert platter presented to us on our last night of our '09 trip!

Hopefully blue cheese (and goat cheese) will also grow on me - I feel like I'm missing out on amazing foodie experiences due to my dislike for so many cheeses.

So happy to hear that you also experienced some dessert magic! Your experience at Citricos sounds like something you'll never forget.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Wow I am completely blown away by that dessert plate from Narcoossee's! Seeing some of those desserts for the first time (especially the pecan tart) makes me much more likely to consider ordering them in the future. In fact I'm not sure there is a single dessert from Narcoosee's I wouldn't consider ordering at this point, and that is something I cannot say for any other signature right now. What an incredibly special experience for you and your mom!!

The dessert plate blew us away. Everything was really good! On past trips to Narcoossee's, we've had the no-sugar-added dessert (mango sorbet served with some fresh fruit - it was very refreshing and light), so the only dessert we haven't tried there is the cheese plate (which has gotten good reviews). At this point, I don't think you can go wrong - the dessert menu there is very strong overall.

Love those sweet potato pancakes...really remind me of the ones they used to have at Boatwright's at POR.

Jill in CO

I just wanted to add - after all this talk of sweet potato pancakes, I started looking for a recipe of the sweet potato pancakes at The Wave. I couldn't find one, but instead, this recipe came up - it's from Boatwright's! It does sound very similar to The Wave's pancakes, thanks to identical flavor profiles (cinnamon and nutmeg in the pancake batter, pecan honey butter on the side, etc). I can only imagine how good the breakfast at Boatwright's was - perhaps it'll return eventually.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

After packing up and leaving the room, we headed down to Contempo Cafe for our final meal. I really like Contempo Cafe - it's one of my favorite quick service locations at WDW.

We were in the mood for a relatively healthy lunch, so we both chose salads. My mom picked the chicken chop salad with mixed greens, corn, black beans, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado-buttermilk dressing (on the side). She really liked it, as usual.

I ordered the steakhouse salad with mixed greens, marinated beef, shaved red onions, goat cheese, and vine-ripe tomatoes with mustard dressing (on the side). This salad also comes with a tortilla. The beef was warm and nicely seasoned - to me, it tastes like the same beef they use on the marinated beef flatbread. After taking off a lot of the goat cheese (because I don't like it), I really enjoyed this salad. The combination of beef, red onion, and juicy tomato was great, and even the goat cheese added a creaminess and tanginess (which I appreciate in small quantities ). Both of us didn't need to use dressing, as the salads were good enough on their own.

Before leaving, I took pictures of some cupcakes at Contempo - maybe next time I'll actually try one!

Our food at Contempo was great - the fresh, light salads were a perfect last meal. And overall, the dining experiences this trip were wonderful. There were some real standouts (The Wave, Narcoossee's, Jiko, Brown Derby, and Grand Flordian Cafe) and some amazing surprises (Art of Animation's food court, and of course the dessert plate at our last dinner). It's so exciting that in less than ten days, we'll be back at WDW - hopefully I'll have another round of magical experiences to share with you.

 

[emmysmommy]

You really had some great meals for this trip. For the Contempo lunch I definitely would have gone with the beef version of the salad mostly because I love goat cheese!!! At least you can scoop some of it off and make it more to your liking. Your flatbread took me back to the AoA food court for a second.

Sheesh! Less than 10 days already - you are definitely making use of that AP!

Awesome job Mr. DDW!!!

 

[Linda67]

Normally I would be very sad that your reviews from this trip are over ..... but you are going back in under two weeks

 

[AvasMommy526]

Ok I'm new to posting on your reviews, I came across them thru other posters raving about you and I have spent the last week reading all your past reviews (i had to "stalk" you a bit to find them, hope you dont mind ) but I have to say you're are amazing at this! You're photos are beautiful and definitely make me hungry and jealous, I'm already so excited for our upcoming vacation and now your reveiws have me even more ready, not to mention changing around all my ADRs So I wanna say thank you for taking the time to write these wonderful reviews!

That dessert plate from GFC/Narccoosses....amazing!! I actually got teary eyed reading about it (is that ridiculous lol). I just appreciate kindness and I have to say you and your mom both seem like very kind people who deserve a big ol' dessert platter This gesture is definitely part of the Disney magic we have all come to love and appreciate

We are staying at CR in May and I'm hoping they still have that cupcake because it looks yummy, along with their salads!! I love all the signatures and wish we could do them all, our DD will be turning 2 while we there and she's is good in restaurants now but I don't want to push it lol!! So we will see, my DF and I are having a day to ourselves (after the wedding, grandmas looking forward to Disney time with DD) and we want to do dinner a signature, and after your reveiws I'm having a hard time picking one!!

Anyways sorry for the long post, just wanted to catch up on not posting and say thanks!! Can't wait for the next review!!

 

[Tracerr00]

I would definitely order that chicken chop salad. Yum! I am not a fan of goat cheese in the least so I probably couldn't get the steak salad (even if I tried to take it off!) but it looks very good!

Amazing reviews as always! But we won't have to be sad for long because you've got another trip coming up soon!!

 

[deenbrad]

I'm disappointed it's over but so happy you get to go back so soon!

 

[happy2012]

I'm glad to hear it! Hopefully you and DH will also get to experience some magic during your upcoming trip (and you'll be staying at AoA for part of it - enjoy that food court!).

I hope so too!! AOA does look fun!
Contempo Cafe's salad choices looks fabulous, I LOVE avocado. Yum, yum, yum! Ummm one, Q did you notice if the cupcakes come for dessert on the DDP? Thought I'd ask.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

You really had some great meals for this trip. For the Contempo lunch I definitely would have gone with the beef version of the salad mostly because I love goat cheese!!! At least you can scoop some of it off and make it more to your liking. Your flatbread took me back to the AoA food court for a second.

Sheesh! Less than 10 days already - you are definitely making use of that AP!

Awesome job Mr. DDW!!!

I'm sure you'd love the marinated beef salad at Contempo, especially if you're fine with all that goat cheese.

Can't wait to be back in WDW in just over a week - and pretty soon we'll both be there at the same time!

Normally I would be very sad that your reviews from this trip are over ..... but you are going back in under two weeks

It's so exciting that a bunch of us will be starting up reviews in August. Thankfully nobody will have to experience review withdrawal for too long.

Ok I'm new to posting on your reviews, I came across them thru other posters raving about you and I have spent the last week reading all your past reviews (i had to "stalk" you a bit to find them, hope you dont mind ) but I have to say you're are amazing at this! You're photos are beautiful and definitely make me hungry and jealous, I'm already so excited for our upcoming vacation and now your reveiws have me even more ready, not to mention changing around all my ADRs So I wanna say thank you for taking the time to write these wonderful reviews!

That dessert plate from GFC/Narccoosses....amazing!! I actually got teary eyed reading about it (is that ridiculous lol). I just appreciate kindness and I have to say you and your mom both seem like very kind people who deserve a big ol' dessert platter This gesture is definitely part of the Disney magic we have all come to love and appreciate

We are staying at CR in May and I'm hoping they still have that cupcake because it looks yummy, along with their salads!! I love all the signatures and wish we could do them all, our DD will be turning 2 while we there and she's is good in restaurants now but I don't want to push it lol!! So we will see, my DF and I are having a day to ourselves (after the wedding, grandmas looking forward to Disney time with DD) and we want to do dinner a signature, and after your reveiws I'm having a hard time picking one!!

Anyways sorry for the long post, just wanted to catch up on not posting and say thanks!! Can't wait for the next review!!

Thanks for joining in! I'm so happy to hear that you've enjoyed the reviews - I try very hard to provide the best descriptions and pics as I can.

Thanks so much for the incredibly kind words. I still can't believe what happened at GFC, but you're right - the magic of Disney can manifest itself in a variety of ways, and this was just one of them. Hopefully it won't happen to us next time, so someone else can receive that magic instead.

CR might not have the exact same cupcakes by May, since the cupcakes change seasonally. However, I'm sure the cupcakes will still be delicious. As for which signature to pick for your special night, that's a tough one - so many of them could be great for a romantic evening, including Artist Point, Jiko, Narcoossee's, or Citricos. Congratulations on your wedding, btw!

I would definitely order that chicken chop salad. Yum! I am not a fan of goat cheese in the least so I probably couldn't get the steak salad (even if I tried to take it off!) but it looks very good!

Amazing reviews as always! But we won't have to be sad for long because you've got another trip coming up soon!!

The chicken chop salad is great - it has such a great variety of veggies in it. And I'm very excited to be going back so soon - your trip is getting closer and closer as well!

I'm disappointed it's over but so happy you get to go back so soon!

I feel the same way. Leaving is hard, but the prospect of returning (especially a few weeks later) is always uplifting!

I hope so too!! AOA does look fun!
Contempo Cafe's salad choices looks fabulous, I LOVE avocado. Yum, yum, yum! Ummm one, Q did you notice if the cupcakes come for dessert on the DDP? Thought I'd ask.

Yep, I've definitely seen people get the cupcakes as a quick service dessert (or a snack, if you're not getting a whole meal).

 

[emmysmommy]

It's so exciting that a bunch of us will be starting up reviews in August. Thankfully nobody will have to experience review withdrawal for too long.

It will be interesting to see the comparisons of reviews for the same restaurants!

We need Jabead to drag out her reviews a little longer.

You are in single digits!! [where's the dancing banana dude? Oh well, you get a cheerleader instead!!]

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Well, I am sad that this review is finished, but I am happy that you will be enjoying more fine dining in the World very soon. That means I can look forward to reading more well written and enticing reviews very soon. I will be giving my best shot at a dining review when I get back from my trip at the end of this month. It should be interesting because I am going to include the thoughts of the entire family. A 13 year old boy, a 10 year old girl, my DH and myself. We shall see how it goes. Thanks for your great reviews.

Oh and by the way, that Chocolate peanut butter cupcake is something that I could easily find myself enjoying very much.

 

[jabead]

Congrats on the completion of another great dining report, Donald! I can't believe that you have managed to complete two dining reports now during the time that I have been working on my one. I am though determined to finish mine before you leave on your trip next week.

We need Jabead to drag out her reviews a little longer.

Okay, well maybe I can stretch them out one more week until Donald gets back.

BUT I do have just a few conditions:

1) Donald, you must begin your next dining report immediately upon your return home...no dilly-dallying!

2) You take pictures of your meeting at Disney World, and as I said before...not just of your food.
(but I do though expect there to be some sort of food/beverage involved )

3) You both check-in back here from time to time during your trips, 'cause I will miss you guys.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Okay, well maybe I can stretch them out one more week until Donald gets back.

BUT I do have just a few conditions:

1) Donald, you must begin your next dining report immediately upon your return home...no dilly-dallying!

2) You take pictures of your meeting at Disney World, and as I said before...not just of your food.
(but I do though expect there to be some sort of food/beverage involved )

3) You both check-in back here from time to time during your trips, 'cause I will miss you guys.

I second these conditions! And I, too, will try to check-in during our trip!

 

[jabead]

I second these conditions! And I, too, will try to check-in during our trip!

Yay! Glad to hear that GoofySon'sMom! I might just survive my quickly approaching post-dining report blues after all.