You just graduated from college!! What's next? 5/13 - 5/21 THAT'S A WRAP!

[jabead]

We are at the BC from Oct 21 to 26th. Our daughter and family will be with us until Saturday, Oct 24th around 2pm, when their ME arrives. This is not the daughter we were with last Oct at the WL. This is the other daughter.

We would be free any time after 2p on Saturday, Oct 24th until we take ME around 2pm on Monday, Oct 26th. We'll have to meet up again. Let me know if you have any free time then.

That sounds great! I'm staying at the Boardwalk Inn, so just across the lake. I'm open on Saturday - Monday except for Saturday night when I'm going to the Party for the Senses. Just let me know where you'd like to meet and I'll be there.

Barb, I will be there with my niece 10/17 - 10/23. It sounds like we'll just be missing each other...unless you change your dates!

Oh man, soooo close!!

I'm late to the commenting party, but just wanted to let you know that I have faithfully (and jealously!) read your F&W report as well as this one, and you are definitely one of my favorite reviewers!

My family and I will be at WDW from 10/21 - 27, if we overlap at all, hopefully we can bump into each other!

Thank you so much! I would love to meet up with you sometime between 10/24 (I arrive late on 10/23) - 10/27. I haven't made hardly any ADRs this time or even started planning out what park I'll be heading to each day. I'll be doing this soon though and then we can compare park schedules to figure out a good time/place to meet up. I'll send you a PM soon.

Cool! The more dinning reviews the better

I'll have their first review from Bongos posted tonight!

Hey Barb, can I ask what settings you had on your camera to get the shots of the entertainment inside Raglan Road? It is so dark in there, and when I went 2 years ago my pics were pretty sad. We will be visiting Raglan Road on our trip coming up this October. so I will have another chance at trying to get good pictures of the dancers. Thanks.

Our camera (a Sony mirrorless digital) seems to do pretty well in low-light situations so I don't think we made any changes to the standard settings but I can't remember for sure. Hopefully you will have better luck when you are there in October.

Your bailey's shake looks amazing, too bad the other drinks weren't very good. Especially at those prices. We tried Raglan for the first time last trip and enjoyed the sausage appetizer too. Too bad some of the entree's weren't on point, but glad yours was good. I love blood sausage, but had never heard of the white kind before. Thanks for the description.

Can't wait for a whole new dining gang to enter the mix ; )

While the names blood pudding, or blood sausage, or even banger don't sound very appealing, luckily they taste better than they sound.

Your Irish breakfast looks delicious! My husband loves the Dalkey Duo, it's a ton of food! Good tip on the weekend entertainment.

Yes, I was surprised to see that there were at least 10 sausages (6 on the forks and at least 4 more in the bowl) with the Dalkey Duo appetizer so plenty for the four of us! Not something I could order on a solo visit.

Raglan Road is on my radar to add to our next trip, anywhere that has entertainment and is loud is good for us. That way if the kids are loud no one notices!
Looking forward to the bonus dining reviews of your nephews trip!

First bonus review is coming right up!

I didn't know Raglan Road served brunch! I'm going to have to try and squeeze it into our next trip for this now.

Yep, every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 - 3:00, but if you'd like to see the band and dancers then you should wait until after 12:00 to go.

Raglan road is one place I've always wanted to try but just haven't yet. The fish and chips looks good despite the lower rating that's probably what I would've ordered. Your full Irish meal looks very good as well I'm just not one who is fond of breakfast foods after a certain hour.

We never had a problem with the fish and chips here before so I'm not really sure why he didn't like them this time.

At one time it was available on the boma cocktail menu - had it three years running not sure if it was available elsewhere but it was my favourite drink ever.
We had a rotten meal last trip at Raglan Road. Would only return for desserts

Oh, that doesn't sound good at all.

Hi Barb - all caught up again! I love The Melting Pot! We have one about a half hour from us and I have never been to that one but we have been to several while traveling both to FL and Washington DC. Your review has definitely made me want to check out the one near us.

Some day I s'pose I will get to Universal but dealing with all the negative stuff has me putting it off a bit longer!

Hi Vicki! Welcome back! Sounds like you had a great trip. As for Universal, hopefully by the time you go they will have all the kinks worked out on their WWOHP rides.

 

[jabead]

As I said in my previous review, I'm incorporating into my dining report the Disney dining reviews of my nephew and his wife. They were at WDW for 5 nights/6 days (July 26 - 31) to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. This was their first trip to Disney World and they are foodies so they did the DeLuxe Dining Plan, using their 15 credits (each) to dine at 11 full-service restaurants (4 of which were 2 credit meals). They sent me photos and their notes from nearly all of these, including their lunch at Downtown Disney's...






My nephew chose for his appetizer the Ceviche Tradicional...



Traditional Ceviche - Corvina fish marinated in lime juice, red onions, cilantro and mild jalapeño peppers served with crispy plantain chips (gluten-free)



While his DW had the Tostones Rellenos...


Stuffed Plantain Cups - Three crispy plantain cups filled with Shrimp Criollo (Camarones Enchilados)



For his entree, my nephew went with the Churrasco a lo Cubano...



Cuban Style Skirt Steak - Fire grilled skirt steak served with white rice, green plantains and Cuban chimichurri sauce (gluten-free)



And his DW had the Cuban Sandwich...


Roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, mustard and pickles on toasted Cuban bread, served with French fries





The Cinnamon and Sugar Churros were my nephew's choice for dessert...






The churros were served with three dipping sauces...



Strawberry guava, condensed milk, and chocolate sauce



And his wife chose the Tres Leches...


Three Milk Cake - Homemade vanilla cake soaked in a sweet blend of three milks topped with whipped cream



Their comments: The appetizers and entrees were delicious!! The French fries were crispy and seasoned wonderfully. I wasn’t that excited about my Tres Leches dessert though. It was too mushy for me and I am not that big on cake but the churros were awesome. This was one of the best meals we had. It was a delightful Cuban experience! ​

Next up: Arrival at the Boardwalk Villas and dinner at Trattoria al Forno

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Glad to see a good Bongos review. This was the surprise meal of our trip. We all loved it!

 

[kastoney]

Wow, you never hear much about bongos and now I'm wondering why. Their meal looks great!

 

[senadler]

I was thinking the same thing. I went to look at the menu and it looks great. I am surprised I have not heard anything about it.

 

[Misha72683]

Loving the review so far!!! The Melting Pot is a restaurant I really, really want to try, but there aren't any in Ontario. I'm hoping to see if we can manage to find one on our drive.

We'll be at Disney at the same time. We're there from October 25th to 30th.

 

[momof3princes]

We had talked about trying Bongo's and now I think we should, it looks great there!

 

[happy2012]

Oh I'm so happy to hear your nephew loved Bongo's!!! I think the restaurant is so beautiful from the outside view in DTD, but we've never been. If I had room on my list-ha! I'd put it on there.

 

[vettegirl]

Oh my goodness those churros look so sinfully good! Great to Bongos get a review

 

[jabead]

Glad to see a good Bongos review. This was the surprise meal of our trip. We all loved it!

Oh, I can't wait to read your review!

Wow, you never hear much about bongos and now I'm wondering why. Their meal looks great!

Yes, I think I need to check this place out for myself sometime!

I was thinking the same thing. I went to look at the menu and it looks great. I am surprised I have not heard anything about it.

Leave it to the first-timers to discover a hidden gem.

Loving the review so far!!! The Melting Pot is a restaurant I really, really want to try, but there aren't any in Ontario. I'm hoping to see if we can manage to find one on our drive.

We'll be at Disney at the same time. We're there from October 25th to 30th.

Oh, please do say hi if our paths should cross.

We had talked about trying Bongo's and now I think we should, it looks great there!

I say go for it!

Oh I'm so happy to hear your nephew loved Bongo's!!! I think the restaurant is so beautiful from the outside view in DTD, but we've never been. If I had room on my list-ha! I'd put it on there.

I know what you mean...list too long, time too short.

Oh my goodness those churros look so sinfully good! Great to Bongos get a review

I'm excited to share my nephew's reviews because he and his wife went to nearly all different restaurants than we did on our trip. The first-timers have definitely given me some ideas for my future trips.

 

[jabead]

After brunch at Raglan Road and a movie at AMC Theatres, it was time to head to the Boardwalk Villas to begin our 5 night stay there.






Initially, the check-in process seemed to go fine (note the foreshadowing here ) and we were soon off in search of our Room #2010, on the same floor as the lobby. I was happy when I first heard our room assignment, as I wrongly assumed that the room numbers began with 2001, meaning Room 2010 would be only five rooms down the hallway from the lobby. Well, I was wrong...very wrong!
​

Our room was about as far from the lobby (which is the gray section which connects the villa and the inn sides of the resort) as it could possibly be, as you can see from the map...




In fact, after walking past nearly 50 rooms with all of our luggage in tow, I was beginning to wonder if Room 2010 was actually at the Swan hotel.


But eventually we did find our room and the door actually opened after a few tries with my Magic Band (again more foreshadowing). I immediately started taking photos of our 1-bedroom villa, as I knew it would soon be covered with stuff. I started with the kitchen, which looked pretty much the same as it had when I last stayed in a 1-bedroom villa back in 2012.




Then the living room area, which had received some updates since 2012...











New bedding, draperies, flat screen t.v. mounted on the wall, etc. in the bedroom...











We then had some time to unpack, relax, and then get ready for our dinner at the Boardwalk's newest restaurant...




For those unfamiliar with Trattoria al Forno, this restaurant took the place of Kouzzina (which took the place of Spoodles). In a somewhat controversial move, Disney opened this Italian restaurant on December 18, 2014. Why controversial? Because this was the 5th Italian restaurant (or 6th if you count Epcot's Tutto Gusto wine bar which serves food) in the Epcot/Epcot Resort/Hollywood Studios area or 8th on Disney property. Now don't get me wrong... I'm half Italian, so I've been raised on Italian food and I love it. But did they really need another Italian restaurant? I will give you my answer to that question at the end of this review.

So let's get on with it, shall we? Arriving on time for our 8:30 ADR, I was surprised to find a line at the check-in desk and the lobby/waiting area almost completely full of people. I had no idea that this restaurant was that popular. While we waited in the lobby area for our name to be called, I noticed the wall of photos...




I was half expecting to see a picture of my own Italian grandparents up there somewhere...





After about a 15 minute wait we were seated at a table which was not far from their open kitchen...




Here are photos of the menu we were given...








No appetizers this time, other than the complementary loaf of ciabatta bread served in a paper bag...



The bread was pretty good, crunchy on the outside and soft inside, and the olive oil for dipping was fine.


Also, the girls and I again ordered cocktails. Emily went with the Aperol Spritz...



Aperol and Ruffino Prosecco topped with soda water - $9.25

Note: Aperol is an Italian aperitif made of bitter orange, gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona among other ingredients


I was a little surprised when she ordered this, but she insisted that she wanted to try something new. However, sometimes new is not always better...she gave it a rating of 3.


But her cocktail choice actually rated higher than mine...


Rossini - Ruffino Prosecco with Wild Strawberry Liqueur - $9.25


I was between ordering this and a Peach Bellini. I wish I'd ordered the bellini. While I've had a Rossini before (most recently at Epcot's Tutto Italia) and liked it, I did not like this one and gave it only a 2.


So the winner of the cocktail round this time was Allison, who went with a simple glass of White Sangria ($9.00)...



She enjoyed this and gave it a rating of 4.


After photographing her cocktail, it seems that Allison snapped some photos of her siblings...who did not look amused.








But luckily our entrees arrived before I was her target.


And speaking of entrees, we each went with something different so that we could all try a variety of things. Two of us chose pasta dishes, including Allison who ordered this...


Semolina Tagliatelle alla Carbonara with Guaciale (an unsmoked Italian cured meat made from pork jowl or cheeks)


She thought the noodles in this dish tasted like they had been sitting around for awhile under a heat lamp. Consequently she gave it only a 3. I tried her carbonara and also rated it a 3. I actually prefer carbonara that is made with pancetta rather than guaciale. For me, pancetta (a similar Italian cured meat that is made from pork belly) tastes saltier and is a little less fatty. Just my own personal preference, YMMV.


The other pasta dish, ordered by Emily, was the winner of tonight's best entree category...


Baked Lasagna with shaved fennel-arugula salad

She rated this a 4, saying it was good but a little too spicy to receive a 5.


As for my son, he ordered the entree that he usually gets at an Italian restaurant...


Chicken Breast alla Parmigiana with Tagliatelle

He said the chicken was good but the pasta was not, so he gave the overall dish only a 3.


And I felt the same way about my entree choice...


Braised Beef Bolognese with House-made Cavatelli

The braised beef was excellent, very tender and flavorful. The pasta though was pretty bad. It was overcooked and "gummy" and the liquid sauce was of no help to it. So overall I have to rate this dish only a 3.



Before we had all finished our entrees, my son said he wasn't feeling well and asked if he could go back to the room. Not long after, I got a phone call from him saying his Magic Band had not worked to open our door. Someone had let him in and said they would send a maintenance person to our room later to replace the Mickey key pad on our door. By this time we were done eating so I asked for the check and indicated that I would like to pay it by using my Magic Band. But guess what? Yep, once again there was no magic in any of our bands.

Now normally I always carry a credit card with me, but I had switched bags just before leaving the room and had forgotten to transfer my wallet with my credit card, cash, etc. Since I had no desire to wash dishes as payment for our dinner, my plan B was to stall by ordering a dessert to share and send Emily back to the room to retrieve my wallet.

And so folks, here is Plan B...


Bomboloni with Dark Chocolate served with Vanilla Gelato - $6.49

This is their signature dessert and was actually pretty good. They were similar to the zeppole that are served at Via Napoli. And while I still prefer the zeppole, I rated these a 4 and the girls agreed.


After finishing our dessert, our very nice and patient server again brought the new check (with the dessert added) and I paid with my credit card and also used my Tables in Wonderland to get a 20% discount.

So overall, our first experience at Trattoria al Forno was okay. There were some high points, as the sangria, lasagna, dessert, and the meat part of our entrees were good. But then there were the lows, most notably their pastas (with the exception of the lasagna). So did Disney World really need this 8th Italian restaurant? At this time I would have to say no. However, I plan to give their breakfast a try during my next trip since I will again be staying at the Boardwalk, so perhaps this will change my mind.


Oh, and in case you were wondering, I got the problem with our Magic Bands straightened out as soon as I returned to the hotel...and I received a free bottle of water for my trouble. I also reminded them that the key pad on our door still needed to be replaced so they sent someone up to our room soon after I returned to it. Thankfully, we had no other problems for the rest of our trip. The "magic" in our bands had been restored and all was right with the "World".

​

Next up: My nephew's dinner at Yak & Yeti

 

[rteetz]

The boardwalk looks great despite your troubles. I've always wanted to stay there. Trattoria Al Forno looks very good. I love Italian and do agree with the controversy that it wasn't necessarily needed but I haven't heard too many bad things about the restaurant so maybe I'll have to give it a try.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

I am in total agreement with you about the lockers at Universal. Very frustrating. I can't NOT carry a bag with me and Rob gives me such a hard time every time we have to stop at a locker. It takes so much time. But the rides are awesome, so I guess we have to take the good with the bad.

Thank you for the hint about the Character Warehouse! I am 100% making a side trip there next trip. I am excited for some bargains!

 

[ksromack]

I ended up canceling our Trattoria al Forno when I got the F&W Regional wine pairing lunch.......then I went and added Via Napoli for lunch our second to last day. How could we pass up pizza at Via Napoli? I thought if I kept Trattoria that would be too much Italian food (gasp) if there IS such a thing

I think their breakfast looks great.....I'll be waiting for your review in Oct!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I just can't get myself excited to try Trattoria Al Forno. I do not think Disney needed another Italian restaurant and wish they went with something different - like tapas or something. Most of the reviews I have read (including yours) hasn't changed my mind. I want more than mediocre pasta in WDW. DS would love the pasta and clams but not in the pasta is mushy. As of now, this will not be in our March list. Unless your upcoming breakfast next trip changes my mind.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Not feeling Trattoria at all but then Italian and Indian Restaurants are everywhere in our home town so we tend to give them a miss on holiday anyway. I loved Kouzzinas but I guess we were in the minority as it was always quiet and closed so quickly.

Bongos though looks fabulous and has definitely hit the 2016 planning list

 

[ksromack]

My issue with Italian food is two-fold.

• My grandparents were first generation Sicilian. I'm used to good Italian food.

• We returned from a 24 day trip to Europe in May......and Italy for 8 days was the best of the trip. Again, GREAT Italian food!!!

My friend just ate at Bongos a few days ago.....I can't wait to hear what she thought of the place. It does seem to fall under the radar!

I'm so anxious to hear about the rest of the dining report!

 

[vettegirl]

I have heard good things from a feller Diser about their lasagna being quite good but it's not enough to get me to try it. I really love Tutto Italia, and want to try Mama Melrose. There are rumors it could close with the expansion that is coming up. Looking forward to hearing your nephews take on my favorite Yak and Yeti.

 

[MrsB1228]

Finally getting caught up on a few reviews!

I really enjoyed reading about your experience at Universal, both in the parks and as "Rock Royalty". I agree with you about the Magic Bands, they really do make life easier! Less to carry around and keep track of = a happier Carol.

LOVE the new tote bag and Vera Bradley hipster, what great finds and thanks for the heads up about that store!!

Raglan Road is one of our favourites! Sorry the kids didn't enjoy it as much as you did.

I loved reading the review of Bongo's! We've never been to that restaurant (it's never even been on our radar) but this review makes me want to put it on the list.

I haven't had fondue in ages, I really enjoyed reading about the Melting Pot!

Sorry Trattoria al Forno was a bit of a disappointment. I'm also in the group that thought another Italian restaurant was overkill.

Looking forward to more!

 

[AllyinWonderland]

It is a bummer that Trattoria al Forno was a disappointment. I haven't heard great things about it, and I agree that Disney really did not need another Italian restaurant. We have an open night during our stay at BWI this fall so I keep considering Trattoria al Forno, but I think I will skip it based on the reviews I have read so far.