(Yorkshire)Man vs Food - Aug/Sep trip

[PudseyChancer]

Despite suffering from a man flu attack (the savagery of which would have laid most blokes out for weeks! ), I've utilised a rare day off work today and have done the first bit of planning for our August trip. Last time round we were on free dining but this will be our first trip as DVC members, so we'll be doing our dining all over the place and not just tied to Disney, which really appeals.

We're doing a split stay, first at Universal at RPR, moving onto Animal Kingdom Lodge and then onto Beach Club Villas - those of you that read my trip report from our last trip will know it was a surprise to the kids, so therefore being aware of this year's holiday they've been able to choose some of the places they'd like to go, which they've enjoyed doing. I'll be doing another trip report this time round, and hopefully capturing reviews of where we've eaten also.

We've got reservations for Disney sorted for Sanaa, Raglan Road, Boma, Mara, Tony's Town Square, La Hacienda de San Angel, T-Rex, Liberty Tree Tavern, O'Hana's and Whispering Canyon. We had really enjoyable meals at Liberty Tree Tavern, Whispering Canyon and O'Hana's on our last trip and are therefore the only places that we've been before - the rest will be new ground!

Offsite we're looking to visit Margaritaville, Bubba Gump's, Nascar, Uno's Chicago Grille, Sweet Tomato's and Village Inn. I've insisted on Margaritaville though I think it's more for the experience than the food!

There's a distinct lack of steakhouses in there so will look to remedy that at some stage, and other must do's on the holiday are a lobster roll from Columbia Harbour House and a 'proper' Chicago pizza from Uno's!

What do you reckon?

 

[wilma-bride]

No Friendlys It's one of our favourites on I-Drive.

We ate at Margaritaville a couple of years ago - great food and, like you say, the atmosphere is good too. Better if you are sat downstairs, I would imagine - we were upstairs, although we still joined in with the singing Nascar Cafe is on our list for August too.

Overall, you've got some great choices there though

 

[wayneg]

Sanaa - Ate there last year and was one of the first on our list for this year, great food, location and service. Don't go expecting a Bradford curry
Raglan Road - Again ate there last year and going back this year, their Bread & butter pudding is the best I have ever tasted, washed down with Guiness, perfection.
Boma - First time I enjoyed, Karen & Matt were not impressed, 2nd time none of us impressed, we just don't enjoy buffets like we used to.
Mara - Great counter service food, a definite each trip, along with the 2 Port Orleans food courts and Wulfgang Puck Express we eat most CS meals at these.
Tony's Town Square - Never eaten there.
La Hacienda de San Angel - Never eaten there.
T-Rex - Ate there last year and paid OOP, not something I would do again, burgers are far better at Beaches & Cream and half the cost, this year going back on DDP.
Liberty Tree Tavern - Enjoyed both our meals there a lot.
O'Hana's - 1st time near window great time, 2nd time right next to the "entertainment" was one of the worst dining experience anyone could have. I have no idea how that lady gets to work for Disney.
Whispering Canyon - We enjoyed here in the little room out the back, not sure about being in the middle of it all.

Margaritaville - Ate there once, OK nothing special, maybe better if you are there for a few drinks as well, food was average.
Bubba Gump's - Never eaten there.
Nascar - Never eaten there.
Uno's Chicago Grille - Never eaten there.
Sweet Tomato's - Register with their website, put in your Bday for a few days before you leave, they will send you vouchers, maybe BOGOF. Last time cost us about $25 for 3 of us, I never expected to enjoy a meal without meat, here I can.
Village Inn - Never eaten there.

Dixonsontour posted about their visit to Uno's last week, they prefer Giordanos, see posts #36 & #37
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2921536&page=3

Some great places Dave, enjoy.

 

[PudseyChancer]

No Friendlys It's one of our favourites on I-Drive.

Joh - it's such a minefield!!! Loads of places on i-drive that we want to go to and had overlooked Friendly's, though looking at their desserts we might have to slip it in somewhere, I don't think I'd be forgiven otherwise!!!

Sanaa - Ate there last year and was one of the first on our list for this year, great food, location and service. Don't go expecting a Bradford curry

Some great places Dave, enjoy.

A Bradford curry in Orlando - the mind boggles, not sure I could handle the hot weather and a hot curry, ha ha!!! Wayne - your trip reports are excellent for research, plenty of photos to back up your reviews, I saw Dixonsontour's report the other day, the 'build your own pizza' looks like it contains the right amount of faffing about for Billy and Isabelle to enjoy it!

There's a lot of 'safe' options to make sure Billy is catered for, definitely want to have the Pilgrim's Feast at LTT, and Caroline liked O'Hana's but I think that had more to do with the massive pineapple cocktail she had prior to the meal!!!

Looking forward to Sweet Tomatoes, went on my first ever Orlando trip and loved it; the Village Inn does the best breakfasts in Orlando in my opinion...

 

[wilma-bride]

Joh - it's such a minefield!!! Loads of places on i-drive that we want to go to and had overlooked Friendly's, though looking at their desserts we might have to slip it in somewhere, I don't think I'd be forgiven otherwise!!!

You won't regret it. One of our must-do places every time we visit. Cheap and cheerful but plenty of choice and, like you have already noticed, great desserts. Can recommend the steak tips and the Honey BBQ Chicken melt

What are your dates, by the way? What dates are you at RPR? There are a few of us staying there at the end of August and we're trying to organise a mini-meet.

 

[PudseyChancer]

You won't regret it. One of our must-do places every time we visit. Cheap and cheerful but plenty of choice and, like you have already noticed, great desserts. Can recommend the steak tips and the Honey BBQ Chicken melt

What are your dates, by the way? What dates are you at RPR? There are a few of us staying there at the end of August and we're trying to organise a mini-meet.

Ha! I'd spotted the steak tips also - though the burgers look very nice too.

We arrive on the 28th Aug and stay for four nights before moving onto AKL - think we arrive once everyone else has gone!

 

[wilma-bride]

Ha! I'd spotted the steak tips also - though the burgers look very nice too.

We arrive on the 28th Aug and stay for four nights before moving onto AKL - think we arrive once everyone else has gone!

That's a shame Dave. We leave for Beach Club Villas on 25th August. I will try to make sure we don't drink all the alcohol (or eat all the food) before you arrive

 

[paulh]

try Cafe Tu Tu Tango on international drive,great tapas and the banana pizza for desert to die for
Paul

 

[PudseyChancer]

try Cafe Tu Tu Tango on international drive,great tapas and the banana pizza for desert to die for
Paul

Anywhere that has pizzas as dessert is worth a visit - the chocolate calzone???

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Oh you're a funny man I'm going to have read up on that trip report.

OK I think all of your plans are fab, including Friendly's ha-ha but I personally would have to tell you that if you want REAL Chicago pizza then you need to go down the street and visit Giordano's - I love Uno's but for real tradition I have to say Giordano's tops it

http://www.giordanos.com/

Just my opinion

 

[dixonsontour]

Yes was going to say we preferred the giordanos deep dish pizza (accepts restaurant.com coupons) to chicago unos but DD would vote for unos make your own pizza (they accept the kids eat free card)

We love Friendly's aswell. Not fancy but always tasty and friendly staff. On fri and saturday night there is a balloon man in - DD got a pretty impressive parrot. He was a nice bloke not pushy at all.

Village inn again one of our usual's. Takes kids eat free card or go on Wednesday for free pie - they even gave DD some.

For steak have you been to Manny's chop house? Great value and I think your kids would love it - my DD is always happy drawing on the table cloth. Kids eat free Mon or Tues and they do happy hour/early bird menu 4-6pm.

Once i've got over the shock of being back at work i'll try and do a food report with lots of pics of the above.

I did do an offsite eating report with lots of pics last october but only put it on the dibb - not sure if you venture over there. Called dining on a budget $100 a day with coupons it's in the restaurant review section (warning nothing remotely healthy is featured).

Also what about breakfast? DD loves the kids pancakes with rainbow sprinkles at perkins and also enjoyed cracker barrel the most last week (she wanted to buy a rocking chair)

 

[BethEJo]

Longhorn Steakhouse is another good one for steak

The warm bread that they serve at the table too is just soooo good! Portions and sides are also gigantic (nothing new there!), and it demolished me!

But it was one of the best steaks I had ever had!

 

[UKDEB]

I feel your pain, mate! So much food, so little time! There are loads of places we love offsite and so many more we want to try, but we have to be realistic. We're staying onsite this time (and skipping our traditional 2 nights at Universal in favour of 3 nights on the coast in Sarasota), so we know we're not likely to go to the expense of taxis too often, meaning most of our offsite meals will be lunches and that does restrict our choices to some extent.

Commenting à la Wayne on your choices (minus the ones you've already tried):

Sanaa We've eaten there once for lunch. We're considering going there for dinner in November because we'd like the opportunity to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail in the gorgeous bar area; we reckon the ambiance would be even better after dark (although obviously during the day you get to see the animals out on the savannah); and the menu is more varied.

Raglan Road One of our favourites. It was a bit of a slow burner for me. The first time we were there (late afternoon/early evening) I found it all a bit cavernous (a bugbear of mine with many Disney restaurants) but I subsequently discovered that it's a place that benefits from being busy. It has an entirely different atmosphere during the evening when the crowds are in and the band and Irish dancers are performing.

Boma A one-time first morning breakfast tradition for us when the kids still came with us, but it's a few years since we last did it. The 7am breakfast, with the morning sun streaming through the windows and the place virtually to ourselves was a much more pleasant experience than the dinnertime mayhem (which is more akin to a cacophonous school canteen than a restaurant). We've only eaten there once for dinner, but we've been around the area enough times when dining at Jiko to know that it's way too chaotic for our tastes.

Mara Haven't eaten there. We love Rix Lounge at CSR, though.

Tony's Town Square It's a long, long time since we ate there, but I can't see us going back. Bland, boring interpretations of Italian classics. I guarantee it won't come close to anything you make at home.

La Hacienda de San Angel It has a little bit of that cavernous thing going on, but I can forgive it because it's so pleasant. As with so many places, where you sit is going to have a big impact on your enjoyment. We were initially seated in a small ante-room next to a servers' processing point. The area itself seemed like an afterthought and we felt as though we'd been consigned to the naughty kids' room away from all the fun. Also, I could tell from the short time we were there that the constant backwards and forwards of servers was going to seriously pee me off, so I asked to be moved. We were moved to the main restaurant and I was able to suss out the best seats, which I'll definitely ask for next time. I can see why many people would want a table next to the huge lagoonside windows, but my preference would be for the booths which run along the back wall, but facing the windows. It is a tad pricey, but their signature margaritas are fab-u-lous! The food is definitely a step-up for theme-park food and I hope it marks the start of some new thinking. We were really impressed with Via Napoli, too, and will probably give that another whirl. They have the water and the flour for the pizzas shipped in from Italy. That's devotion to pizza! Again, it's a bit cacophonous and cavernous, but it is a lovely space.

T-Rex Love it. Yes, it's RFC re-incarnated with a virtually identical floorplan and menu, but the lighting and decor are so pretty! Like RFC, portions are huge and we usually just order from the appetisers menu.

Margaritaville You probably won't be surprised to learn that this is our home away from home when we're staying at Universal! However, we've only started going there since we've been doing our adult-only trips; we go there during the evening (for the whole evening) and sit at the Volcano Bar. I'm not sure I'd be so keen on it as a family dining experience. The food's pretty average - not awful, but nothing to write home about.

Bubba Gump's I don't think we've eaten there.

Nascar I quite like this place. The food is pretty standard sports bar fare, but, yeah, it's alright.

Uno Chicago Grille We've eaten at one in Kissimmee and one in New York, I think, but both were so long ago I can't remember much about them.

Sweet Tomatoes Haven't been to one. Despite all the rave reviews, there are way too many other places I want to try offsite and I just can't find the enthusiasm for this.

Village Inn Never heard of it.

We're not going to make any ADRs for November. We have loads of onsite favourites, but there's nowhere either of us is desperate to eat at this time. We can't bear having our eating times mapped out in advance and we're confident we'll get in to the places we want to by being flexible on times. And, if not, it's no biggie - we'll just eat somewhere else. I'm keen to try the new Tutto Gusto wine bar in Italy, although from what I've seen the food is "small plates" (which suits us fine, but I'm not sure it's going to be a big pull for families).

Offsite we have a long list of places on the wishlist. We won't get around to all of them, but there are a few which I'm sure will make the cut. Top of Matt's list (always top of Matt's list) is the Orlando Ale House. Ever since we drove past the new one on I-Drive near Pointe Orlando with the outdoor seating area, I've been saying I want to try that one, but we'll probably end up at the LBV one when we're staying at SSR. The Pub at Pointe Orlando is firmly on the list, even if we only prop up the bar for a while. The Bull and Bear Steakhouse at the Waldorf Astoria is possibly my current favourite, so that's a shoe-in. Oh, and Yellow Dog Eats in Windermere has piqued my interest. There are so many more, but I need to head for bed now.

Oh, one last thought: have you considered the Tables in Wonderland card? It's a no-brainer for us. 20% discount on virtually all bars and table-service restaurants (including alcohol, even when you only have alcohol - result!), and then 18% added back as an auto-gratuity. If you're going to take advantage of your DVC discount to get APs, it'll cost you $75. If not, as a DVC Member, you can get it for $100. With break-even at $375, we'll be quids in on our first night at the Top Of The World Lounge!

 

[PudseyChancer]

Yes was going to say we preferred the giordanos deep dish pizza (accepts restaurant.com coupons) to chicago unos but DD would vote for unos make your own pizza (they accept the kids eat free card)

We love Friendly's aswell. Not fancy but always tasty and friendly staff. On fri and saturday night there is a balloon man in - DD got a pretty impressive parrot. He was a nice bloke not pushy at all.

Village inn again one of our usual's. Takes kids eat free card or go on Wednesday for free pie - they even gave DD some.

For steak have you been to Manny's chop house? Great value and I think your kids would love it - my DD is always happy drawing on the table cloth. Kids eat free Mon or Tues and they do happy hour/early bird menu 4-6pm.

Once i've got over the shock of being back at work i'll try and do a food report with lots of pics of the above.

I did do an offsite eating report with lots of pics last october but only put it on the dibb - not sure if you venture over there. Called dining on a budget $100 a day with coupons it's in the restaurant review section (warning nothing remotely healthy is featured).

Also what about breakfast? DD loves the kids pancakes with rainbow sprinkles at perkins and also enjoyed cracker barrel the most last week (she wanted to buy a rocking chair)

We're not massive on breakfasts and tend to do an earlier lunch on the back of some toast or something light in the morning - though I may take advantage of a Denny's somewhere along the line as I think they're decent value - the Village Inn we'll visit on our Seaworld day - it's a great place, very friendly servers.

 

[PudseyChancer]

Longhorn Steakhouse is another good one for steak

The warm bread that they serve at the table too is just soooo good! Portions and sides are also gigantic (nothing new there!), and it demolished me!

But it was one of the best steaks I had ever had!

I definitely need to get a steakhouse on the list, there's so many good ones probably going to have to flip a coin!

 

[wayneg]

I definitely need to get a steakhouse on the list, there's so many good ones probably going to have to flip a coin!

I think we are doing Manny's & Texas Roadhouse this year but will no doubt have steak at many restaurants on DDP, Grand Floridian Cafe has great steaks (with garlic fries)

 

[PudseyChancer]

I feel your pain, mate! So much food, so little time! There are loads of places we love offsite and so many more we want to try, but we have to be realistic. We're staying onsite this time (and skipping our traditional 2 nights at Universal in favour of 3 nights on the coast in Sarasota), so we know we're not likely to go to the expense of taxis too often, meaning most of our offsite meals will be lunches and that does restrict our choices to some extent.

Commenting à la Wayne on your choices (minus the ones you've already tried):

Sanaa We've eaten there once for lunch. We're considering going there for dinner in November because we'd like the opportunity to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail in the gorgeous bar area; we reckon the ambiance would be even better after dark (although obviously during the day you get to see the animals out on the savannah); and the menu is more varied.

Raglan Road One of our favourites. It was a bit of a slow burner for me. The first time we were there (late afternoon/early evening) I found it all a bit cavernous (a bugbear of mine with many Disney restaurants) but I subsequently discovered that it's a place that benefits from being busy. It has an entirely different atmosphere during the evening when the crowds are in and the band and Irish dancers are performing.

Boma A one-time first morning breakfast tradition for us when the kids still came with us, but it's a few years since we last did it. The 7am breakfast, with the morning sun streaming through the windows and the place virtually to ourselves was a much more pleasant experience than the dinnertime mayhem (which is more akin to a cacophonous school canteen than a restaurant). We've only eaten there once for dinner, but we've been around the area enough times when dining at Jiko to know that it's way too chaotic for our tastes.

Mara Haven't eaten there. We love Rix Lounge at CSR, though.

Tony's Town Square It's a long, long time since we ate there, but I can't see us going back. Bland, boring interpretations of Italian classics. I guarantee it won't come close to anything you make at home.

La Hacienda de San Angel It has a little bit of that cavernous thing going on, but I can forgive it because it's so pleasant. As with so many places, where you sit is going to have a big impact on your enjoyment. We were initially seated in a small ante-room next to a servers' processing point. The area itself seemed like an afterthought and we felt as though we'd been consigned to the naughty kids' room away from all the fun. Also, I could tell from the short time we were there that the constant backwards and forwards of servers was going to seriously pee me off, so I asked to be moved. We were moved to the main restaurant and I was able to suss out the best seats, which I'll definitely ask for next time. I can see why many people would want a table next to the huge lagoonside windows, but my preference would be for the booths which run along the back wall, but facing the windows. It is a tad pricey, but their signature margaritas are fab-u-lous! The food is definitely a step-up for theme-park food and I hope it marks the start of some new thinking. We were really impressed with Via Napoli, too, and will probably give that another whirl. They have the water and the flour for the pizzas shipped in from Italy. That's devotion to pizza! Again, it's a bit cacophonous and cavernous, but it is a lovely space.

T-Rex Love it. Yes, it's RFC re-incarnated with a virtually identical floorplan and menu, but the lighting and decor are so pretty! Like RFC, portions are huge and we usually just order from the appetisers menu.

Margaritaville You probably won't be surprised to learn that this is our home away from home when we're staying at Universal! However, we've only started going there since we've been doing our adult-only trips; we go there during the evening (for the whole evening) and sit at the Volcano Bar. I'm not sure I'd be so keen on it as a family dining experience. The food's pretty average - not awful, but nothing to write home about.

Bubba Gump's I don't think we've eaten there.

Nascar I quite like this place. The food is pretty standard sports bar fare, but, yeah, it's alright.

Uno Chicago Grille We've eaten at one in Kissimmee and one in New York, I think, but both were so long ago I can't remember much about them.

Sweet Tomatoes Haven't been to one. Despite all the rave reviews, there are way too many other places I want to try offsite and I just can't find the enthusiasm for this.

Village Inn Never heard of it.

We're not going to make any ADRs for November. We have loads of onsite favourites, but there's nowhere either of us is desperate to eat at this time. We can't bear having our eating times mapped out in advance and we're confident we'll get in to the places we want to by being flexible on times. And, if not, it's no biggie - we'll just eat somewhere else. I'm keen to try the new Tutto Gusto wine bar in Italy, although from what I've seen the food is "small plates" (which suits us fine, but I'm not sure it's going to be a big pull for families).

Offsite we have a long list of places on the wishlist. We won't get around to all of them, but there are a few which I'm sure will make the cut. Top of Matt's list (always top of Matt's list) is the Orlando Ale House. Ever since we drove past the new one on I-Drive near Pointe Orlando with the outdoor seating area, I've been saying I want to try that one, but we'll probably end up at the LBV one when we're staying at SSR. The Pub at Pointe Orlando is firmly on the list, even if we only prop up the bar for a while. The Bull and Bear Steakhouse at the Waldorf Astoria is possibly my current favourite, so that's a shoe-in. Oh, and Yellow Dog Eats in Windermere has piqued my interest. There are so many more, but I need to head for bed now.

Oh, one last thought: have you considered the Tables in Wonderland card? It's a no-brainer for us. 20% discount on virtually all bars and table-service restaurants (including alcohol, even when you only have alcohol - result!), and then 18% added back as an auto-gratuity. If you're going to take advantage of your DVC discount to get APs, it'll cost you $75. If not, as a DVC Member, you can get it for $100. With break-even at $375, we'll be quids in on our first night at the Top Of The World Lounge!

I'll be honest, some of the choices do not appeal to me in the slightest, (Tony's/Bubba Gumps specifically (Billy/Caroline's choices - who am I to argue?!!), but there's something for all of us on the list) though being a loser, I feel sure that when it's time for desserts at Bubba's I won't be able to help myself and ask Lieutenant Dan for ice cream!!

I stopped off for a few cocktails at Margaritaville a couple of trips ago and really liked the chilled out ambience, we're heading there for our first night and I cannot wait to loiter on the porch of indecision! When I'm tucking into my first Landshark beer I'll know I'm on holiday!

Thanks for the heads up about the TIW card - think we could also make some savings, do we pick that up when we check in or do you have to buy before you go?

 

[Lisa x]

Margaritaville is one of my fave places ever in Florida! I just love the whole atmosphere, we usually just sit at the bar drinking landshark and get some appetisers to share, there are only the two of us though! I love the Jimmy Buffet songs that they play there

For our steak place, it's just gotta be Outback for us!

Oh and I love Bubba Gumps too, the coconut shrimp is so good!

I love the title of your thread being a Man V Food fan haha, look forward to a trip report if you do one!

 

[UKDEB]

I feel sure that when it's time for desserts at Bubba's I won't be able to help myself and ask Lieutenant Dan for ice cream!!

I stopped off for a few cocktails at Margaritaville a couple of trips ago and really liked the chilled out ambience, we're heading there for our first night and I cannot wait to loiter on the porch of indecision! When I'm tucking into my first Landshark beer I'll know I'm on holiday!

There's nothing better than a Landshark. Well, other than a Landshark with a rita chaser!

Thanks for the heads up about the TIW card - think we could also make some savings, do we pick that up when we check in or do you have to buy before you go?

You can get it before you go, but it takes a while to be delivered so I wouldn't suggest leaving it any later than a month out. Last time we bought both our APs and the TIW card at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot, but we were staying at the BoardWalk. This time our first night will be at BLT and, as it's only available from Guest Services locations, we're wondering whether to get it in advance so that we'll be able to get it earning its keep straight away at the Top Of The World Lounge. I suppose we could walk over to GR at MK, but we're on a late flight and we don't want to be wasting any drinking time!

 

[UKDEB]

Margaritaville is one of my fave places ever in Florida! I just love the whole atmosphere, we usually just sit at the bar drinking landshark and get some appetisers to share, there are only the two of us though! I love the Jimmy Buffet songs that they play there :banana

Ditto! In fact, when it's just the two of us, eating at restaurants bars and sharing appetisers is our usual MO. Other favourites for doing that are The Cheesecake Factory, Brio Tuscan Grill, T-Rex Cafe, Old Hickory Steakhouse, Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe, The Wave, Seasons 52, ESPN Club, Crew's Cup Lounge, David's Club at the Omni Championsgate, and The Orlando Ale House. This time we're considering doing the same at the Bull & Bear Steakhouse, Yak & Yeti, Sanaa, Capital Grille at Pointe Orlando, Vines Grille and Wine Bar at Sand Lake Road and California Grill.

All this talk is making me hungry! Is it lunchtime yet?