Where is the funnel cake? Updated 8/13/13 Finale!!

[wizzzzzard]

Great review!!! So glad that the choir sang for you with that filet!!! And you even tried the roasted garlic with the bread - look at you!!! The cherry dessert that your DH ordered looks really good. For some reason I'm into cherries right now.

Oh and that porterhouse is definitely a man-size slab of meat!!!

It was super-awesome. I would recommend skipping lunch before tackling this monster of meat.

 

[smile4stamps]

I'm late to the party but at least not TO late! Your reviews so far are excellent. Both Raglan Road and YSH are on the plans for us next month! Raglan Road is such a favorite with hubby and I that we will be going multiple times!

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Day 2, Breakfast at Akershus​

So we woke up early enough to get to our first breakfast of the trip. We were going to spend the day at EPCOT and started at Akershus. We love the breakfast here. Who doesn’t love that potato casserole? So, this was our first shirt day. We wore…

We arrived and were called within about 10minutes and got our picture taken with the ever lovely Belle.

We were seated to the left of the entrance in a lovely smaller room. Our server was Therese. She was lovely and friendly and reminded us of DD’s 2nd grade teacher, whom we all love dearly. We got our drinks and then there was the princess parade. DD had NO interest in doing a parade. She said she is much too old for things like that. After the parade, DD and DH went to the cold buffet. Apparently DD is now into yogurt and fruits.

Then out came the plated meal; sausage, bacon, eggs and potato casserole.

DS was in a mood (not quite an autistic meltdown, but darn close). So he wanted no part of pictures with beautiful princesses and also wanted no part of a buffet, eggs or potatoes. He was in this meal strictly for the meat, and meat he ate. We ate and took pictures and while I love this restaurant, this meal didn’t do it for me this year. The food was good and the service was great. The eggs were moist but not wet, the potatoes were nicely cheesy and the meats were cooked well but a little greasy. The atmosphere is wonderful in this building. I truly think the problem with this meal was we weren’t really hungry yet. After having Yachtsman for a later dinner the night before, we weren’t at that hunger level that we went in to rip that meal apart, and I think that affected our overall rating. Here are a few pictures that I took. It is really a lovely place.

There there is a lovely picture of my 2 babies (who actually allowed me to take there picture willingly)

I may or may not go back on our next trip. The food is filling and well prepared and since it is all you care to eat, you can fill yourself as full as you like. And if you have little girls (or maybe teenage boys ) this place is great. But since we have done it before and there are so many other places to eat and my kids really had no interest in the princesses, I don’t think it will make it on our must do list next trip.

I give Akershus, breakfast with the princesses …

3 fish (it won't let me get my fishy fish - I am so sad)

Our cost for this meal was 149.06 (including tax) or 4 TS credits or $37.26/credit

Up next: One of our all time favorites, Teppan Edo. Will it live up to past experiences???

 

[dixonsontour]

Loving the detail in your reviews.

We are doing Akershus again next month..the potato casserole is great. My DD is 6 and I hope she will still be excited to see the princesses.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

We have an Akershus ADR in Dec. DD still very much loves princesses (even at the age of 9), so this meal is mostly for her...plus getting into Epcot early is a nice perk too.

Not sure what expectations I have for Akershus to be honest...

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Dunbody's Kiss...

http://www.kevindundon.com/dunbrody_kiss.html

Thanks for the recipe! No snickers but mars bars. Huh, wasn't expecting that! Don't know if I would make it, but maybe if I get adventurous.

I'm late to the party but at least not TO late! Your reviews so far are excellent. Both Raglan Road and YSH are on the plans for us next month! Raglan Road is such a favorite with hubby and I that we will be going multiple times!

If the party isn't over, you are not late!! (that's my mantra ) I really hope you will like both those restaurants.

Loving the detail in your reviews.

We are doing Akershus again next month..the potato casserole is great. My DD is 6 and I hope she will still be excited to see the princesses.

At 6 my DD was so in love with the princesses it was so cute. I do love that casserole, just wasn't feeling it that day. Hope you enjoy it!

We have an Akershus ADR in Dec. DD still very much loves princesses (even at the age of 9), so this meal is mostly for her...plus getting into Epcot early is a nice perk too.

Not sure what expectations I have for Akershus to be honest...

My daughter is just newly 10 and last year she told me that she isn't into princesses any more. (that was her entire bedroom decor )

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Enjoying your reviews!! Your kids are really cute!!

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Hi
Enjoying your reviews!! Your kids are really cute!!

Hi Disnut, Thank you for the compliment and about my children, I think they are cute 90% of the time as well. The other 10% don't ask.

 

[vettegirl]

Yum potato casserole sounds great! I have never eaten there before, but do love reading about it!

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Day 2, Teppan Edo​

So after breakfast, we headed back to the front of the park and had some fun. At one point we saw this. (Nod to DDW)

My DD thought this was the best thing ever being so close to these little cuties. Ok we are in Disney World and the best part of our trip is seeing ducklings. Now, what I was waiting to see was my lunch cooking right in front of me on a grill that is set very hot, 500*. Please remember do not let your children touch the very hot grill. So we went and checked in outside and then went into the refreshing air conditioned upstairs and waited about 5 minutes for our table mates to arrive and we were seated. This was our 3rd time eating here and our table mates 1st time. This was our first time on the deluxe plan so we were excited to try some appetizers here for the first time. I knew what I wanted already but I had to have the chef chat with me about my allergies. This was one of the places that I knew would have something that I had to be careful of. I have some weird allergies. I will admit that but, they are legit and I need to watch what I eat. I am allergic to green tea and avocado. Don’t ask. I realize it sounds crazy, but it’s true. So the “chef” doesn’t come out, but the manager does. She said I just had to stay away from the drink and if I wanted to get sushi, she could make something without the avocado. I was good because I don’t like sushi and green tea won’t be entering my system ever. So I was free to order what I wanted. It was nice that she took the time and made me feel comfortable about ordering safely. So DD and I decided to go with…
Wafu Ribs - sake, soy and ginger braised pork ribs

These ribs were so yummy. They were juicy and very flavorful. There wasn’t any one ingredient that was over powering. They were all in check and worked well together. The meat came right off the bone and went down so easily. They gave you 3 per order and that was just right. DH said he wanted something light so he went with the
Tuna Salmon Sensation - sashimi grade raw tuna, salmon and avocado cubes served with a sesame-saki-soy dressing

I couldn’t try this since it contained avocado, but he really liked this. I question his choice on this one as he has always told me that he doesn’t like sushi or raw tuna. Hmmm, well I guess he was open-minded because he didn’t want heavy and this was the only light option he would like. He really liked it. That only leaves DS. He is not a fan of meat on the bone, wanted nothing to do with raw tuna, and didn’t want soup or soy beans. Had no interest in salad and can’t stand onions, so he went with
Assorted Tempura - shrimp, chicken breast and seasonal vegetables served with Japanese tempura dipping sauce

He liked these. The breading was light and not greasy at all. He gave me a very small bite and I liked it a lot.
Then we started the show…

I love the look of meat cooking on the grill

I have to say that we got a slightly lame chef. While he was good and the food was perfectly cooked to order, he wasn’t about the show. Others shows that were going on around us and I was wishing we were at those grills. Oh well, at least we had the food to look forward to. I always get the scallops. Something about them cooked on this grill, they are a little sweet and juicy. So I figured, why mess with a good thing and got them

These along with all the extras that come along with it was scrumptious. Lots of noodles with fresh vegetables and mushrooms gives you a nice amount of food. I am not the biggest fan of sesame seeds but when it’s mixed with the noodles and veggies, it is ok with me. I love fresh mushrooms grilled and the ones they use here are super fresh and perfectly sized and grilled to perfection. The rice I can take or leave. The sauces that they give you are nice, but I only ever use the white one. It perfectly compliments the seafood and it is delicious. I even like to dip my mushrooms in it.
My DH wanted to try something new and saw this on the menu and said yes, Kajiki Maguro - swordfish steak

He said the swordfish was kind of plain and mostly flavorless. He did say it was cooked well and not dry. He said he used the sauces to dip all his pieces in because it was bland. I didn’t have any as I recall. My DS will pretty much only get one thing here and if it ever got taken off the menu, I have no idea what he would order then. He got the Ebi - large shrimp

They were cooked perfectly and he promptly ate them as well as almost everything else in site except for the onions and veggies.
DD wasn’t feeling like going out on a limb this meal and so she picked Tori - chicken breast

Again, it was juicy and perfectly cooked. She loved it.
So we were on to dessert. Now, most people know that this restaurant is sorely lacking in the dessert department. I am always saddened when it is time to pick because there are only 3 choices and one of them I am allergic to. Well that leaves chocolate ginger cake or ice cream. I have tried the cake before and am not a fan. Ok, well, that leaves one. Ice cream it is. Since my DD’s birthday was being celebrated, they brought her dish with a candle in it. She also received a chef hat. She was oh so happy that our TA put her birthday on all our reservations.

We all got the ice cream and I have yet to figure out what the problem with the ice cream is in Florida. Is it the machines, the humidity, the mix or what? It always tastes like ice milk not ice cream. It just isn’t creamy, and isn’t that what ice cream is??? Oh well, it was just an ending and we knew it wasn’t the be all end all. Plus, we had 64 snack credits to spend during this trip. I am not really worried too much about a cup of ice whatever.
So our lunch cost us $184.68 or 4 TS credits or $46.16/credit

Did we like this meal? Yes, we did. I loved how the manager came out and made sure I was eating safe items for me and didn’t make fun of my allergies. The food was perfectly cooked and mostly delicious. The only complaint I have that would matter is the show. Our chef was lacking in the show but at least he can cook well! Would we go back? You bet your sweet bippy we will.

I am giving this meal
4



Up next will be La Hacienda and a special snack! Will the funnel cake finally make an appearance?? Stay tuned to find out

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Hmm, I've never been to Teppan Edo, but it's the only TS location in Epcot that I haven't tried. It would be nice to check it off the list, and I'd definitely like to try that chocolate ginger cake.

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Hmm, I've never been to Teppan Edo, but it's the only TS location in Epcot that I haven't tried. It would be nice to check it off the list, and I'd definitely like to try that chocolate ginger cake.

I can say that we have never had a bad meal there. Sometimes the "show" is a bit cheesy but cute. But the food can be lighter because it is not (most of it) fried. I know that food in WDW doesn't have calories but it is naturally flavorful and all the components work well together. We all love mushrooms so that is good. I hope you do try it. I am not a big fan of ginger so I don't get that cake. But if I weren't on the Dining plan, I would skip dessert and check out what the rest of the world has to offer to satisfy my sweet tooth.

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Karla! I'm a cheesy potato lover at Akershus so I can relate to looking forward to that dish. Sorry you weren't so hungry to enjoy everything. I loved that your DH posed with all of the princesses.

I saw those ribs served at Tokyo Dining as well. They do look delicious. I'm with you about the dessert options at Teppan Edo. I never end up getting dessert there since nothing appeals to me. Back to the yummy stuff in your review.....your DS's tempura looked perfect - oh yeah, that's what I ate recently!

 

[happy2012]

Wow those veggies looks delish @ TE!! We ate there in 2009 & were super excited for it! Both DH & I enjoyed the scallops. But...sadly,we have not been back only b/c we had a pretty boring group @ our station.[they might have just been tired] Anyway. they actually gave me a weird look when I clapped for the chef. [Me the only one clapping...awkwardness. ] IDK...maybe I am weird. Maybe we'll try it & get lucky w/ a more lively group!!

 

[jabead]

Your great review reminded me just how much I enjoy the food at Teppan Edo. Unfortunately we don't make it there every trip (due to there being so many great restaurants at Epcot WSC to choose from), but we haven't been there on our last two trips and now I'm kind of missing it. Anyway, I totally agree with you about their dessert selection. While DD1 loves their green tea pudding, the rest of us would rather have our dessert from the bakery in France. Luckily, France is very close to Japan...at least at Epcot it is!

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Sorry about the unintended break in the action. I haven't been home any night this week! I hate not having a few nights to decompress during the week. I would prefer at least 2 nights without meetings or outings to just veg in the evenings to help my kids with homework and such.

So anyway, if I still have any readers out there (echo, echo...) I will be posting tomorrow a very special snack outing that ended with an accidental DISmeet. I will also be posting my La Hacienda and then Tusker House. If I can get another one in I will try!

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Karla!!! I'm just back in town myself so I'm getting caught up.

looking forward to your La Hacienda and the place that we have always cancelled for breakfast.. Tusker House.

Try to at least enjoy your weekend!

 

[jabead]

I'm still here, Karla! And looking forward to more reviews.

 

[DisneyMomFanatic]

Snacks and a DISmeet​

Well, before we had our late lunch we had gone into one of the places that had snacks in future world. My kids saw the candy, saw the snack sign, knew we had many snack credits to spend, and decided to help us with the spending of them. They ended up buying 4 bags of things. They each got 2 things. DD got rock candy and gummy something. My DS got the circus peanuts and sour worms. Each bag was around $4.00 but we used 4 snack credits. Sorry no pictures of those sugar bags.

After lunch we were walking around World Showcase and were nearby the American Pavilion when we hear the Fife and Drum players so we gathered around and listened. They played about 3 or 4 songs including the national anthem and we did the Pledge of Allegiance. About this time, our family was going to head into the pavilion and wait for the show. As I turned around I saw someone with a camera taking pictures but I couldn’t see her face. All I saw was her hair and it looked quite familiar, then I looked around and saw a face I did recognize from the boards. The face I recognized was Emily and the hair I recognized was Brenda (Emmysmommy). So I went up and asked if she was emmysmommy/Brenda. She said yes and I introduced myself. It was awesome. It was the first time I ever had an accidental Dismember meeting. I was so happy. We all introduced our families to each other.
We took a picture or 2 and went into the show.

*Please do take notice to my lovely DD photo bombing our picture! That's my crazy girl!!!

We got an anniversary wish and phone call from Mickey Mouse. It was neat. After the show, we saw each other outside again and were talking all about food and where we were going to eat, where we had eaten and what we liked. The DD wanted a cold drink or frozen goodie. I wanted the American Dream. I had seen it on the boards here and it sounded divine (especially since it was so hot and humid out). We went to Fife and Drum and order 1 American Dream with a smile on my face and cool dreams in my heart. And the cute little CM behind the counter says. “oh, I’m sorry our machine is broken. Did you want something else?” UM, NO!!! I wanted that. I was bummed. But DD saw the frozen lemonade and got that. I tried one sip and wow that thing was super tart that I thought I would pucker my whole head inside out. But everyone else thought it was good. Whatever, it was refreshingly cold.
We then parted ways with Brenda, Michael, and Emily.

One more snack credit down. 8 more to go on this leg of our trip.

Up Next, La Hacienda, a first time meal for us.

 

[emmysmommy]

I'm so glad that you recognized Em!! Otherwise I would have completely missed a fabulous impromptu Dismeet!!

And folks, I saw the pucker from the frozen lemondade so it must have been tart!

We did bump into each other in Germany... did you get a treat there? We were just browsing but if I was hungrier I would have grabbed some caramel treats.

That was so great that the CM recognized your anniversary and did something special.