Dining Reviews 11/18-11/25 CS & TS & some snacks thrown in (updated!)

[modernscarlett]

So this was my first trip in 24 yrs, and my DD's (8) and DH's first trip ever. We were accompanied by my parents. We were on the DP and found it to be an excellent value and such a relief not to have to worry about the prices on the menu or dealing with cash at every meal.

Day 1 CS- Arrived at our resort, CSR, and went right to the Pepper Market after check-in. DH & I both had Mexican. It was good, but we had to wait quite a bit because the Mexican grill only had one poor soul doing everything. My mom had a burger, my dad had a Calzone, and my DD had the kids pizza. The bakery ladies advised us which desserts were on the DP, and we chose pastries to take back for breakfast the next morning. We weren't overwhelmed, but were quite satisfied with this meal.

Day 1 TS - Liberty Tree Tavern - Definitely one of the most enjoyable meals of the week! From the reviews, I kind of knew what to expect. However, my expectations were far exceeded. We did have to wait about 30 mins to be seated, but it was worth the wait. My DD, who had promptly informed the CM at the airport that she didn't care for Disney characters just loved the character interaction at LTT! They got her in the Disney spirit right away. Chip and Dale were hilarious. The food just ROCKED! All the meats were good, the mashed potatoes were heavenly, and the apple cobbler - YUM! And our server was friendly and attentive. It was a great way to start out our trip. As a bonus, our ADR was at 6:50, and when we came out, we were in perfect position to witness Spectromagic. It was truly magical for us!

Day 2 CS - Our plan was to be at Epcot, but DD woke up sick with fever, etc. We ended up getting take out from Pepper Market. I got the Calzone which was very good -loved the marinara sauce. My DH & my folks all tried the Asian specialties. My parents split a combination entree. Again, the food was good - not great, but good for CS.

Day 2 TS - We were supposed to eat dinner at San Angel Inn. However, with the circumstances, that wasn't going to happen. So I talked with a wonderful CM, Cali, at Disney Dining. She switched ressies around and we ate at Maya Grill this evening instead of the day we'd planned for it later in the week. I really like the decor of this restaurant - very well done. Our service wasn't the greatest, and I was put off by the plastic glasses given the prices on the menu and the upscale atmosphere. Maybe they had run out? For appetizers, my parents got salads, DH & I had the shrimp cocktail. Both were good. For entrees, I got the beef tenderloin tips, the server complied with my request and prepared DD plain grilled chicken and fries since she was feeling poorly, which I greatly appreciated. All the other adults got the ribeye. My tips were good, but the ribeye was excellent! For dessert I got some kind of chocolate dessert that was like a stack of little cookies with chocolate mousse in between. It was pretty tasty. Dh got the chocolate cake with raspberry sauce which was really good, my dad got the fried cheesecake which he liked, but I thought was just ok, and my mom got the creme brulee. She ate every bite with us also sneaking a bite here and there. We enjoyed this meal, food was good, service could have been better, but we would go back. I did notice on the actual receipt that there was a fixed price of $20.88 per person, even for DD, which must be what they get from Disney for people on the DP.

Coming up tomorrow - days 3 & 4 ABC Commissary, Hollywood & Vine, Main Street Bakery, Casey's Corner, Crystal Palace.

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoying ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[modernscarlett]

Day 3 CS - ABC Commissary - After eating our pastries in the room for breakfast, we found ourselves ready for lunch. While I hadn't planned on eating at ABC, it was convenient to where we were. The lines were long, but moved quickly. DD had the kids nuggets, fries and grapes with the sugar-free jello which wasn't touched. The rest of us got burgers which were ok - not great, but acceptable. The desserts left a lot to be desired. The cholocate mousse and strawberry parfait weren't really worth the calories.

Day 3 TS - Hollywood & Vine - After reading some negative reviews, I was a bit worried about this one. We enjoyed our meal here. It wasn't fancy, and we had to wait a bit for drinks, but the server was very friendly and answered all our questions. My DD really enoyed the peel and eat shrimp. We had a good variety, and with the Fantasmic package, I'd definitely do it again.

Day 3 Snack - Got some delicious hot chocolate late evening during EMH while touring the Osborne lights. With the cold temps and the snow blowing, it was the perfect nightcap! Unfortunately, the cart's card reader wasn't working, so we had to pay out of pocket, but it was worth it!

Day 4 Snack - breakfast - Stopped on the way into MK at Main Street Bakery. I'd heard much about the French Toast Loaf and just had to have it. All 4 adults got it, and my DD got a cinnamon roll. Very friendly staff, and although the lines were long, moved very quickly. I'll be coming here again.

Day 4 CS - Casey's - I told DH, a bit hot dog fan, that this little place had the best hot dogs. He said, "Now how do you know that? You've never eaten here!" I quickly told him that if the DISers said it, it had to be true! Sure enough, great dogs, we got a table inside, and HUGE drinks and very good fries. The brownies weren't all that good, but after all that food, no one cared anyway.

Day 4 TS - Crystal Palace - This buffet was much better in ambience and quality than H&V. We got the best table in the corner looking out at the castle. This meal was made even more special by a memory of my parents. When they brought me to MK as a kid, my mom remarked to my father how beautiful this restaurant was and how she wished they could afford to eat there. We made sure to get pics of my folks eating there so many years later! The service was good, great character interaction. The chicken and mushroom pasta was to die for, the prime rib, and everything was just great. My daughter loved this meal, especially all the desserts and ice cream lots of sprinkles! The red velvet cheesecake was really good as well. The Christmas decorations were gorgeous. Very nice dining experience!

Continuing tomorrow with day 5&6 at Epcot - San Angel Inn, Lotus Blossom Cafe, Sunshine Seasons, Rose & Crown, French Patisserie.

 

[jillyjoey]

Thanks for your reviews. We are headin to CSR on the 13th and so far it sound like we are eating at most of the same restaurants.

Sorry to hear that DD got sick -- what a bummer

 

[modernscarlett]

Our culinary adventures in Epcot Days 5 & 6....

Day 5 - TS for lunch - San Angel Inn - After reading some negative reviews, I was worried about this one. However, it turned out wonderfully. We were seated almost immediately, and the lunch menu was good and varied with good children's options as well. For an appetizer, my husband tried the ceviche, my mom tried the Sope Tradicional, and I tried the Sopa Azteca. I LOVED my soup. The cheese in the soup was just wonderful. They also altered my mom's sope to her liking, and she was quite pleased. For our entrees, our wonderful server, Isis, also was very accommodating for my DD. She ordered the kids chicken quesadilla, and served the tortilla on the side. My mom and I got the Plato Mexicano - YUM! My Dad got the Pollo a las Rajas. At first we wondered a bit because it just looks like a chicken breast over cheese sauce, and that's all that's on the plate, but he really enjoyed it. DH got the Carne Asada and he really enjoyed it, but didn't care for the chicken enchilada. That was my favorite thing, so I ate his, too! For dessert I had the flan which was ok and two others got the rice pudding. DD had the kids ice cream. I think their desserts are lacking, but really, from what I know of Mexican cuisine, their's are typical.

Day 5 - CS - Lotus Blossom Cafe - After touring the China Pavilion, one of my favorites, we ate at this cafe. DD didn't want the kids meal, so I ate the beef fried rice and gave the egg roll to DH. I enjoyed it, but could have eaten more of it. Everyone else got the Shanghai Grilled Chicken Rice Bowl. It was good, but we would have preferred fried rather than white rice. Everyone liked the chicken, but the spicy little bits of pickled veggies - yuck! Their desserts were the basic almond cookies which no one touched, and I tried the ginger ice cream. It was different and very palate cleansing.

Day 5 - Snack - Germany - Can't remember the name of the place, but it's the place with the chocolate candy and baked goods! Used our snack credits here. My folks got a pecan turtle which they raved about, DH & I got the Mickey brownies which were delightful, and DD got a hunk of dark mint chocolate with a soft center which she loved!

Day 6 - CS - Sunshine Seasons - By this point we were all tired of pastries for breakfast. My folks had some extra CS credits, and we paid for one out of pocket. We all got the breakfast platter which had scrambled eggs, link sausage and bacon, a biscuit, and potatoes. It was quite tasty and reasonably priced. DD got a cinnamon roll, but ended up eating part of mine.

Day 6 - TS for Thanksgiving - Rose & Crown - What a great choice for Thanksgiving. They had the traditional menu of Turkey, stuffing, Mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce. Price was $19.99 per adult. We got a perfect table overlooking the water, and the weather was perfect. For appetizers, I got the Stewed Mushrooms which were served in a cream sauce over a wonderful puff pastry - delicious! My DH tried the Lamb and Barley soup - another winner. We all sampled, and even DD thought it was great. My parents both had mixed green salads. For entrees, 3 of us had the Thanksgiving menu, but DD wanted the grilled chicken and my dad couldn't resist the fish and chips. I was very pleased with the Thanksgiving menu - but it was way too much food. Everyone was happy with their entrees. We had a very funny server, but it took forever for our food to come. We were there every bit of two hours, and while the atmosphere was wonderful, we had things to do! For dessert, DD had the make your own sundae, I tried the special menu Pumpkin Trifle - OH MY GOODNESS. Best dessert all week. If I was Gene Simmons, I would have licked every bit out of the bottom of the glass (sorry for the mental picture). The other adults got the warm apple crumble which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Day 6 CS #2 - Boulangerie Patisserie - On the DP here, for CS you can get a sandwich, a pastry/dessert, and a drink. All of the adults got the ham and cheese croissant toasted - oh it was so good, and just right for a light meal after such a big lunch. DH & I got pastries for the next day, chocolate croissant (ok, but wish I could have warmed it), and DH liked his apple turnover. DD, of course, couldn't resist the delectable chocolate cake of the day. I pounced on it as soon as she had eaten all she could. We really enjoyed eating here, and sitting at the little cafe tables reminded me of my trip to Paris many years ago.

Up next, Day 7 - our final day of Disney Dining - Tusker House and Boma at AKL.

 

[swankybeth]

Great reviews, thanks for posting. Looking forward to reading about Boma and Tusker House!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Great reviews! I can't wait to read the rest!

 

[modernscarlett]

Final reviews from day 7 - man this trip was just too short.

We finished up our day at Animal Kingdom and just really enjoyed our day, in spite of the throngs that were there along with us. For lunch, we tried Tusker House. I had read good reviews here, but wow, this was probably the best counter service and best value of the week. DD got the kids chicken leg and fries. The CM was kind enough to allow her to have the chocolate cake instead of that nasty sugar free jello. All of the adults got the chicken sandwich and fries. Wow, was it GOOD! And such generous portions. We opted for carrot and chocolate cake so we could try each. I couldn't believe the size of the pieces. If I had known that, we would have just ordered one and split, but both were just so tasty!

For dinner we went to the AKL and experienced the much anticipated Boma! First of all, we all fell in love with AKL - that is our next stop! We were seated immediately upon arrival, and our server was just the nicest lady. She took time to talk with us about the resort since we had several questions, explained the buffet to us, brought us info on resort activities, just made us feel so welcome. The soups, oh, the soups! I had a crab soup that was just delish! DH tried the butternut squash soup, a first for him, and he really enjoyed it. We all really liked trying new and different things. Some things were wonderful, some just ok, but the experience was wonderful! The desserts - where to begin! We all ended up with a plateful - best dessert selection of any buffet. The Zebra Domes did not disappoint! I also really enjoyed the pumpkin and pecan tarts!

This was our first foray into the world of Disney Dining. We found the plan to be an excellent value, and we already have our list of restaurants to try on the next trip.

Thanks for letting me share my experiences!

Lori