staceylynnga
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2004
Sorry this is soooooo long--but I have lots to say 
Let me first say that we had 4 nights in Orlando, 3 PS, 1 random. My soon-to-be and I are both 29 and have no children (yet!). He is pure Georgian, meat & potatoes. Anything too dressy, too center of attention (seated in the middle of a large room) makes him uncomfortable. I am usually comfortable wherever I go, though there is always an exception.
We stayed at the Hilton in WDW & thanks to Priceline, enjoyed a wonderful stay for a terrific value. We rented a car (also with Priceline) and used it to/from MCO and to/from Universal. Otherwise, we typically walked to Disney's Marketplace & took the bus to our destination.
I am a restaurant amateur/connoisseur and spend my time researching & visiting different restaurants, any kind of food. I stayed away from anything too ethnic b/c he is not the most adventurous guy; also didn't do any character meals (though we took many pictures with them in our park visits).
So here's what we ate:
09/16 THURSDAY
No breakfast; straight to MGM
Lunch at Back Lot Express--we shared the double cheeseburger, fries w/ cheese, & a large coke; food was decent, nothing extraordinary
Dinner at California Grill (7:30 p.m. PS)
Loved it! Kevin is the best! Definitely a special treat. Great atmosphere, really enjoyed seeing Wishes from our table, and even found friendly couples at adjacent tables--took pictures for eachother, recommendations, etc...
We were given a window seat (a wonderful surprise! we didnt' even request it; and the place was filling up). Kevin was our waiter and any couple or family would be lucky to have him take care of them. He offered us wine tastings, plenty of great recommendations, lots of time to enjoy the evening, a great personality. I was told by the restaurant that anyone who wishes to request a waiter can call the restaurant directly to make the reservation and ask for that individual (vs. using WDW-DINE).
My soon-to-be had beer, I drank wine (cannot remember what specifically--but Kevin recommended the wines to me & they were delicious, one white/one red). I loved the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli appetizer (if you are a fan of goat cheese, you will too), he had the sushi sampler (which for $11 was a terrific value, 6 different types of sushi). I had the yellowfin tuna (cooked perfectly, great dish), he had the beef filet (if you or your spouse is a meat lover, get this! The blending of flavors is wonderful and the potato gratin is a treat.). We skipped dessert. Total with tip came to about $145. Definitely worth it, wished we could have made a 2nd visit during this trip.
9/17 FRIDAY
This was a Universal day and we did both parks in about 6 hours--I know this is a restaurant board for Disney, but if you go, don't miss The Mummy at Universal Studios or the Water Rides (there are 3) at IofA.
No breakfast again.
We took lunch at Richter's Burger Co. All I can say is, DON"T. Not worth the $6 or $7 for what my guy called a "Krystal" burger.
We didn't have dinner reservations Friday night b/c we didn't know how the day would go or how we'd feel afterward. We wound up at Finn's at the Hilton. Great menu (if you love seafood), pretty decent prices. He had a salad with ranch & ordered the peel & eat shrimp (an appetizer) for his dinner. They give you 1 lb of shrimp & he was still eating them as I was drinking my coffee. I started with gumbo (I've never had this before & it was delicious--a thick brown soup loaded with sausage & okra & fried gator) and had chilean sea bass for my entree. You can have the fish 4 ways (poached, sauteed, blackened or broiled). I had it sauteed; it was a nice filet and cooked just right, but I wish I had it broiled or blackened (just personal taste).
Total with tip--just under $90.
9/18 SATURDAY
Day at EPCOT--very hot out, hard to stay hydrated, so we ate 3 times that day (and we are both pretty slim).
Breakfast at the Electric Umbrella in Future World. We would have passed, but my soon-to-be was quite hungry. He ordered the chedder omelet with hash browns. He finished it, but I think it was more stomach rumblings than food enjoyment.
Snack at the Fish Shop (Counter svce) at the UK. He ordered fish & chips; I picked up a pastry (suprastain or something like that--anywho, threw most of it away) at the bakery in France. The fish was tasty but it was too hot out to eat fried food outside (maybe if we were indoors with A/C).
Epcot was pretty empty so we got through it fast (even tried Mission Space--won't do it again though!! Violent ride, that one! hahaha, but worth the experience). Headed to Magic Kingdom for a few hours (busiest park anywhere in the World and my regret is that "It's a Small World" is being renovated, but we had a good time nontheless).
Lunchtime!!! 3rd meal of the day (and not even 3 p.m.)
Liberty Tree Tavern
George was our server and took a while getting to us (we were in need of sweet tea!!!), but once he did, things went well. My soon-to-be had the Roast Beef sandwich (for $10, it's a bargain! they load it up with meat & it looked & tasted great), I had a bacon cheeseburger & fries (ate 1/2 the burger--it really hit the spot, but was too big to finish after downing 3 glasses of tea). All in all, I was very pleased to have lunch there and would definitely go back.
Dinner! My favorite meal of the day. We had 8:30 p.m. PS at Artist Point in Wilderness Lodge. I had high expectations going in and I guess that caused a slight letdown. The atmosphere was not as romantic as I believed and the food, while delicious, did not WOW me like California Grill. We were given a table for 4 in the middle of a brightly lit dining room (my guy would have been happier in a corner, against a wall...
). The best part of our meal was our waiter. Sylvester is from Bombay and has been in the U.S. for about 2 years. He was terrific, very helpful, and we wound up talking for about 15 minutes on a tangent about various things.
We didn't drink Saturday night so our total with tip was just about $100. We shared the Venison Spring Rolls -- they give you 2 and they're about 7 inches long and very crisp & tasty. Definitely need more sweet/sour sauce (I love sauces though). My guy ordered the Buffalo Sirloin, I had the Scallops. He finished the Buffalo--it was cooked rare & is a very lean meat. Sort of a shell steak with a bit of game on the end. I'm not sure I would order it, but it was interesting to try. I enjoyed the sea scallops--they give you 4; for $25, I was hoping for 5 or 6, but no big deal. They were cooked right and I finished everything on the plate.
9/19 SUNDAY
Animal Kingdom Day--we arrived around 10 & stayed until about 2
My soon-to-be started his day with some beef jerky from the market at our hotel--he's a glutton for it. I started my day with a sugar cookie from Kusafiri Coffee Shop at AK. I am a cookie monster by nature (not so much a chocolate fan), and this one hit the spot. Soft & chewy, sugar/butter taste, loved it!
Lunched at the Tusker House Restaurant
We each ordered the fried chicken sandwich with fries; pretty good, I must say, though I mostly passed on the bread (I am by no means a low-carb girl, but I rarely eat chicken on bread).
Dinner (PS at 7 p.m.)
Flying Fish Cafe at Boardwalk
I loved this place, really enjoyed our waiter Michael, the hosts were great (seated us in the back as we asked--a gentleman we spoke with on the Disney bus recommended it, said it's quieter; in September, I'm not sure it matters, but the restaurant did fill up as the evening went on).
We started off with the crab cake appetizer (it's my favorite--if I see it, I zone in!) and this one didn't disappoint. 100% lump crabmeat and the remoulade was delicious. Entrees--my guy ordered & loved the Salmon (I typically don't enjoy salmon, but I tasted his and liked it--not fishy and not as "fruity" as some can be). I ordered one of the evening's specials--a blackened (I think!) mahi mahi with 3 cheese risotto (parmesan plus...). This was possibly my favorite entree b/c I love risotto and theirs was pure heaven (not grainy at all, just smooth/creamy & oozing happiness). And the fish was prepared to perfection as well.
We drank well at the Flying Fish--another wine tasting fun fest. We had 2 samples and these were no skimpy 1/2 ounce pours. Almost 1/3 glass full--2 different pinot noirs. I wound up with the Benton Lane from Oregon and it really went well with my dish. My soon-to-be had a bottle of Bass & he enjoyed that as well.
Dinner with tip -- I have the receipt somewhere.... Found it! Just under $130.
We skipped dessert b/c I wanted to check out the bakery 2 doors down--enjoyed the cheesecake. Not extraordinary but it was very nice.
What else can I say? We spent more on meals overall than hotel & airfare combined. That's Disney for ya. But I am a food fanatic (I walk for exercise b/c given my tastes, I'd be in trouble over time) and we truly enjoyed every moment of our vacation. Any questions about any thing (food related & otherwise), I'd love to help. Otherwise, hope you all enjoyed my diary of our 4 days in Disney.
Stacey
Let me first say that we had 4 nights in Orlando, 3 PS, 1 random. My soon-to-be and I are both 29 and have no children (yet!). He is pure Georgian, meat & potatoes. Anything too dressy, too center of attention (seated in the middle of a large room) makes him uncomfortable. I am usually comfortable wherever I go, though there is always an exception.
We stayed at the Hilton in WDW & thanks to Priceline, enjoyed a wonderful stay for a terrific value. We rented a car (also with Priceline) and used it to/from MCO and to/from Universal. Otherwise, we typically walked to Disney's Marketplace & took the bus to our destination.
I am a restaurant amateur/connoisseur and spend my time researching & visiting different restaurants, any kind of food. I stayed away from anything too ethnic b/c he is not the most adventurous guy; also didn't do any character meals (though we took many pictures with them in our park visits).
So here's what we ate:
09/16 THURSDAY
No breakfast; straight to MGM
Lunch at Back Lot Express--we shared the double cheeseburger, fries w/ cheese, & a large coke; food was decent, nothing extraordinary
Dinner at California Grill (7:30 p.m. PS)
Loved it! Kevin is the best! Definitely a special treat. Great atmosphere, really enjoyed seeing Wishes from our table, and even found friendly couples at adjacent tables--took pictures for eachother, recommendations, etc...We were given a window seat (a wonderful surprise! we didnt' even request it; and the place was filling up). Kevin was our waiter and any couple or family would be lucky to have him take care of them. He offered us wine tastings, plenty of great recommendations, lots of time to enjoy the evening, a great personality. I was told by the restaurant that anyone who wishes to request a waiter can call the restaurant directly to make the reservation and ask for that individual (vs. using WDW-DINE).
My soon-to-be had beer, I drank wine (cannot remember what specifically--but Kevin recommended the wines to me & they were delicious, one white/one red). I loved the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli appetizer (if you are a fan of goat cheese, you will too), he had the sushi sampler (which for $11 was a terrific value, 6 different types of sushi). I had the yellowfin tuna (cooked perfectly, great dish), he had the beef filet (if you or your spouse is a meat lover, get this! The blending of flavors is wonderful and the potato gratin is a treat.). We skipped dessert. Total with tip came to about $145. Definitely worth it, wished we could have made a 2nd visit during this trip.
9/17 FRIDAY
This was a Universal day and we did both parks in about 6 hours--I know this is a restaurant board for Disney, but if you go, don't miss The Mummy at Universal Studios or the Water Rides (there are 3) at IofA.
No breakfast again.
We took lunch at Richter's Burger Co. All I can say is, DON"T. Not worth the $6 or $7 for what my guy called a "Krystal" burger.
We didn't have dinner reservations Friday night b/c we didn't know how the day would go or how we'd feel afterward. We wound up at Finn's at the Hilton. Great menu (if you love seafood), pretty decent prices. He had a salad with ranch & ordered the peel & eat shrimp (an appetizer) for his dinner. They give you 1 lb of shrimp & he was still eating them as I was drinking my coffee. I started with gumbo (I've never had this before & it was delicious--a thick brown soup loaded with sausage & okra & fried gator) and had chilean sea bass for my entree. You can have the fish 4 ways (poached, sauteed, blackened or broiled). I had it sauteed; it was a nice filet and cooked just right, but I wish I had it broiled or blackened (just personal taste).
Total with tip--just under $90.
9/18 SATURDAY
Day at EPCOT--very hot out, hard to stay hydrated, so we ate 3 times that day (and we are both pretty slim).
Breakfast at the Electric Umbrella in Future World. We would have passed, but my soon-to-be was quite hungry. He ordered the chedder omelet with hash browns. He finished it, but I think it was more stomach rumblings than food enjoyment.
Snack at the Fish Shop (Counter svce) at the UK. He ordered fish & chips; I picked up a pastry (suprastain or something like that--anywho, threw most of it away) at the bakery in France. The fish was tasty but it was too hot out to eat fried food outside (maybe if we were indoors with A/C).
Epcot was pretty empty so we got through it fast (even tried Mission Space--won't do it again though!! Violent ride, that one! hahaha, but worth the experience). Headed to Magic Kingdom for a few hours (busiest park anywhere in the World and my regret is that "It's a Small World" is being renovated, but we had a good time nontheless).
Lunchtime!!! 3rd meal of the day (and not even 3 p.m.)
Liberty Tree Tavern
George was our server and took a while getting to us (we were in need of sweet tea!!!), but once he did, things went well. My soon-to-be had the Roast Beef sandwich (for $10, it's a bargain! they load it up with meat & it looked & tasted great), I had a bacon cheeseburger & fries (ate 1/2 the burger--it really hit the spot, but was too big to finish after downing 3 glasses of tea). All in all, I was very pleased to have lunch there and would definitely go back.
Dinner! My favorite meal of the day. We had 8:30 p.m. PS at Artist Point in Wilderness Lodge. I had high expectations going in and I guess that caused a slight letdown. The atmosphere was not as romantic as I believed and the food, while delicious, did not WOW me like California Grill. We were given a table for 4 in the middle of a brightly lit dining room (my guy would have been happier in a corner, against a wall...
). The best part of our meal was our waiter. Sylvester is from Bombay and has been in the U.S. for about 2 years. He was terrific, very helpful, and we wound up talking for about 15 minutes on a tangent about various things.We didn't drink Saturday night so our total with tip was just about $100. We shared the Venison Spring Rolls -- they give you 2 and they're about 7 inches long and very crisp & tasty. Definitely need more sweet/sour sauce (I love sauces though). My guy ordered the Buffalo Sirloin, I had the Scallops. He finished the Buffalo--it was cooked rare & is a very lean meat. Sort of a shell steak with a bit of game on the end. I'm not sure I would order it, but it was interesting to try. I enjoyed the sea scallops--they give you 4; for $25, I was hoping for 5 or 6, but no big deal. They were cooked right and I finished everything on the plate.
9/19 SUNDAY
Animal Kingdom Day--we arrived around 10 & stayed until about 2
My soon-to-be started his day with some beef jerky from the market at our hotel--he's a glutton for it. I started my day with a sugar cookie from Kusafiri Coffee Shop at AK. I am a cookie monster by nature (not so much a chocolate fan), and this one hit the spot. Soft & chewy, sugar/butter taste, loved it!
Lunched at the Tusker House Restaurant
We each ordered the fried chicken sandwich with fries; pretty good, I must say, though I mostly passed on the bread (I am by no means a low-carb girl, but I rarely eat chicken on bread).
Dinner (PS at 7 p.m.)
Flying Fish Cafe at Boardwalk
I loved this place, really enjoyed our waiter Michael, the hosts were great (seated us in the back as we asked--a gentleman we spoke with on the Disney bus recommended it, said it's quieter; in September, I'm not sure it matters, but the restaurant did fill up as the evening went on).
We started off with the crab cake appetizer (it's my favorite--if I see it, I zone in!) and this one didn't disappoint. 100% lump crabmeat and the remoulade was delicious. Entrees--my guy ordered & loved the Salmon (I typically don't enjoy salmon, but I tasted his and liked it--not fishy and not as "fruity" as some can be). I ordered one of the evening's specials--a blackened (I think!) mahi mahi with 3 cheese risotto (parmesan plus...). This was possibly my favorite entree b/c I love risotto and theirs was pure heaven (not grainy at all, just smooth/creamy & oozing happiness). And the fish was prepared to perfection as well.
We drank well at the Flying Fish--another wine tasting fun fest. We had 2 samples and these were no skimpy 1/2 ounce pours. Almost 1/3 glass full--2 different pinot noirs. I wound up with the Benton Lane from Oregon and it really went well with my dish. My soon-to-be had a bottle of Bass & he enjoyed that as well.
Dinner with tip -- I have the receipt somewhere....
Found it! Just under $130.We skipped dessert b/c I wanted to check out the bakery 2 doors down--enjoyed the cheesecake. Not extraordinary but it was very nice.
What else can I say? We spent more on meals overall than hotel & airfare combined. That's Disney for ya. But I am a food fanatic (I walk for exercise b/c given my tastes, I'd be in trouble over time) and we truly enjoyed every moment of our vacation. Any questions about any thing (food related & otherwise), I'd love to help. Otherwise, hope you all enjoyed my diary of our 4 days in Disney.
Stacey
