Solo Vegetarian free dining plan reviews 9/14 - 9/19!

[kittythepoohbear]

As Disney withdrawl sets in, I finally found some time to write the dining reviews. In general, I found the dining plan to be a bit much for a solo gal. I changed my TS meals so much when I got there I am surprised Disney didn't tell me to stick to one already. It really cut into the spontaneity that is the real joy of a solo trip. Also, even though I am a big eater and love food, I usually found myself so full from lunch that I couldn't enjoy my dinner. This was a big contrast from last year when my fiance and I used free dining. We found it to be a great deal for the two of us and I was usually famished from showing him, a WDW noobie, everything there was to see. Another unexpected and kind of sad turn of events was the affect of two free deserts a day on my poor almost-30 body. There was a time when I could eat chocolate cake everyday for every meal. Not so much now and my body let me know it by my 4th day there. I actually craved broccoli. Way too much sugar for me and I ended up giving away desert or just taking a couple of bites quite a few times. Sad, I know.
Now without further ado, here are the reviews!

9/14 - the first day

LUNCH - I arrived at the MK around noon and ran to Cosmic Ray's for my traditional first Disney meal. I really love Cosmic Ray's - I love Sunny Eclipse and his Space Angels, I love the outside seating with a great view of the castle, and I find the food to be both tasty and a good value. I usually get the veggie burger then load up on the great toppings, but ended up in the wrong line (I blame it on hunger) and so orderd the veggie wrap. This came with a choice of applesauce or pasta salad and desert choices of chocolate cake or carrot cake. This being my first meal, I decided to be bad and got the pasta salad and chocolate cake. The CM gave me applesauce by mistake and when I pointed it out he not only got me the pasta salad but let me keep the applesauce too.
The wrap consisted of lettuce, tomato, corn, black beans, green, red, and yellow peppers mixed together and stuffed into a whole-wheat wrap. There seemed to be a mustardy-type spread/dressing that was very tasty. The wrap itself was HUGE - about twice the size of most wraps I have seen/eaten. One half of this thing would have been more than enough, especially with the sides. The pasta salad consisted of medium sized shells with Italian dressing - very tasty but I am sure loaded with calories. But hey, I am on vacation! Do I need to mention the chocolate cake? It was moist and had a lot of stiff sugary, chocolatey icing. Oh so good. I ate all of this high-calorie goodness while sitting inside checking out Sunny's show. Both of his eyes seemed to be in working order and two CMs where giving kids hoola hoops to dance with. So I got lots of entertainment with my meal. I was so stuffed I decided to save the applesauce for later. I carefully wrapped it in a Disney small shopping bag along with a spoon but alas it got squished as I rode Space Mountain immediately after, so I cannot comment on the applesauce.

DINNER - I had a 5:00 pm ressie at Restaurant Marrakesh in Morocco in Epcot for dinner. I headed over there via monorail and was a few minutes early. I was seated very promptly, within 5 minutes of arriving, and was given a menu. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful this restaurant is. Gorgeous tile work on both the walls and the ceiling and seating arranged around a central "courtyard" where the musicians and bellydancer set up. The second thing I noticed was how empty the place was. I counted 4 occupied tables besides my own when I entered. I would have thought with free dining, there would have been more people.
My waiter came to the table quickly and asked if I had any questions. I mentioned I was on the dining plan and was a vegetarian. After asking if I ate fish (no), he recommended the salad and the vegetarian couscous. No sooner had I placed my order, two musicians came out and started tuning their insturments. I had made it just in time for the show! Woo hoo! My salad was served while the bellydancer came out. I was a bit disappointed with the salad as I expected something more, well, Moroccan. It was basically a green mixed salad with lettuce, tomato and cucumber. I have eated Moroccan cuisine quite often and was hoping for something more akin to the menu description of the Jasmine Salad - paraphrasing here but "an exotic selection of Moroccan salads". So I was thinking of carrot salad or perhaps eggplant. But it was a decent salad for what it was. My couscous came out soon after my salad. Now the couscous was delicious. The veggies where cooked with a delicious blend of spices, including cinnamon. As an American girl, the use of cinnamon in cooking food, not sweets, always catches me off guard. The veggies included zucchini, tomato, carrots, and pumpkin and were served on top of the couscous. I hate pumpkin, don't even eat pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but this was so delicious I ate it all! I am currently seeking a similar recipe to make at home this weekend. Hands down, the best entree I had all trip. After stuffing myself silly, my waiter came by and offered the desert menu. I had a choice of anything on the menu and I chose the bastilla. Oh my. I would travel to Morocco just to eat this thing. It is single crispy layers of delicate phyllo pastry stacked and topped with a thin, sweet vanilla cream (think half-and-half consistancy rather than a thicker custard cream) and chopped almonds. At first it was a bit difficult to break into the pastry as it was so crunchy, but as the vanilla cream was absorbed it became on giant mound of heavenly goodness. I think I gained a pound from this desert alone. I was so full but couldn't stop eating it since it was so good. I treated myself to a strong Moroccan coffee (not on the DP) to wash down the bastilla. It was good and strong and gave me a bit more energy to walk around. I definitely recommend Marrakesh - the food is very good and it is a great atmosphere. Something tells me walk-ins would not be too difficult -the restaurant was still very empty as I was leaving.

Coming up - Sci-Fi lunch, Peanut Butter Brownies at Peco's Bill, and Coral Reef

 

[theblondebee]

Can't wait to hear more. I never tire of reading about peoples dining experiences. Space Mountain is pretty much the same every time, but each meal seems to be unique to that person.

 

[i<3Disney]

yay vegetarian reviews!! weee

 

[kittythepoohbear]

More veggie reviews!

9/15 - Second day

LUNCH - Sci-Fi Drive-In at MGM Studios
I had wanted to eat here since I was a kid, but my family always refused. They were not going to pay money to sit in the dark eating hamburgers. After reading countless bad reviews in guidebooks and message boards, I had started to forgive them. I must admit though I was still intrigued as I walked by on Friday morning. The 12 y.o. girl inside of me said "C'mon, let's go in. It's supposed to be really neat!". It was about noon, I was hungry, and I was on a solo trip. This was my chance to free my inner child! I took a shot, walked in, and asked if they had a room for me. To my amazement, I was being taken to my seat in less than 5 minutes. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I had scored my first walk-in of the trip. The atmosphere of the restaurant really is neat. It is dimly lit with a starry sky surrounding you. The kitchen area is themed as a refreshment stand. Each car contains three rows with a counter-style table and bench like seats. I was seated in the last row of a car that contained four members of a family in the first two rows. I felt a little awkward, as if I were intruding on their space, but didn't want to be a pain and asked to be seated elsewhere. I figured I was a walk in, so perhaps there wasn't much space for lunch and I should be greatful for this seat. However, as my eyes adjusted to the lighting, I realized the place was only half full with plenty of completely empty cars. By this time I wished I had spoken up. It would have been nice to have my own car, but I had already placed my order.
My waitress was really sweet and on the ball with the dining plan. The one odd thing was that I had to order the whole meal - app., entree, and desert- in one shot. I couldn't wait till after my meal to figure out what I wanted for desert. I ordered the house salad, a Boca burger with American cheese and sauteed onions, and the chocolate tart. FYI - the Boca burger is NOT on the menu but they do have them. You just have to ask.
The salad was a good size and came with blue cheese dressing. I usually don't like blue cheese dressings - they are usually to rich for me, but this one was pleasantly tangy and creamy without being overpowering. Next came my burger. Having read such bad reviews about this place, I decided on the Boca burger since you can't mess it up. A Boca burger is a Boca burger no matter where you go. It was indeed tasty, especially with the cheese and onions. The fries that came along side where crispy and where great for ketchup dipping. I tried to leave some room for my chocolate tart, but it was getting tough. The chocolate tart was different from what I was expecting. Based on the menu description, I was expecting a chocolate on chocolate type desert. It was in fact a pastry tart crust filled with milk chocolate mousse. It was good, but I prefer dark, richer chocolate. All in all, the Sci-Fi was a fun experience. I wouldn't eat here for the food alone, but I was glad I tried it.

DINNER - Peco's Bill at MK during MNSSHP
I had figured if I ate at noon I would be hungry for dinner at the Party, right? Turns out, no. After the first parade (and getting rained on) we sought something to eat at Peco's Bill. My aunt, who is on a restrictive diet, was famished. I was far from hungry, but decided I should eat something. I chose the salad, she chose a hamburger. The CM let me use my CS credits to pay for my aunt's meal, which was nice, and we were given two chocolate peanut butter brownies for desert. The salad contained shredded lettuce and jicama with assorted chopped veggies with a lime vinigrette. The thing was huge. I could have worn the salad bowl on my head as rain gear. I knew there was no way I could finish it. While it was a tasty salad, it could have used a little more dressing for my taste. My aunt chucked the bun and loaded her burger with lettuce, tomato and a tiny bit of sauteed mushrooms in an attempt to keep to her diet. She said the burger was absolutely delicious and dug into it with great gusto, but this could have been due to not eating a hamburger for 2 months. The truly sinful part of the night came courtesy of the brownies. The CM we placed our order with said they were really good. This was an understatement. I am craving them right now. The brownie part was a little cakey but still rich and chocolatey. The peanut butter icing was well balanced - not too sweet but not overpowering in the peanut taste. My aunt and I shared one and we gave the other to a couple sitting at the table next to us. By the cries of "Oh my god, this is soooo good!" I guess they liked it as well. I will be stopping by Peco's Bill just for these brownies in the future. In the end, I could only eat about 1/4 of the huge salad, but the brownie made up for it.

Coming up- Coral Reef, Pop foodcourt food, San Angel Inn

 

[swankybeth]

Great reviews so far, looking forward to the rest!

 

[i<3Disney]

Awesome reviews! can't wait to read more

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Always looking for vegetarian reviews--thanks!

 

[kittythepoohbear]

9/16 - the third day

BREAKFAST - Pop Century Food Court
After getting back to the hotel around 12:30 am the night before, my aunt decided to stay over and join me for some Epcot fun the next day. As a result, I had a Disney buddy for the day. Our first adventure was navigating the Pop Century food court in order to find and buy a somewhat healthy breakfast for her. Remember, she is on a restrictive diet and has cheated a little by eating a hamburger patty and two bites of the peanut butter brownie. As we look around, she decides on the children's waffle platter. This consists of two of the palm sized Mickey waffles, 2-3 slices of bacon, and a cup of unsweetened applesauce. Since waffles and such tend to be too sweet for me first thing in the morning (darn this getting older!) I headed to the egg station and got myself a pre-made cheddar cheese omlette. There were about 6 of them just waiting there under the heat lamp. Very appetizing. The CM gave me a very wimpy helping of red skinned breakfast potatoes. I counted 5 little wedges. I thought of asking for more, but didn't want to be a glutton in front of my valiant aunt. I completed my hearty breakfast with a bottle of water as the oj was very small and very overpriced.
After finding a seat in the very crowded and noisy foodcourt, we commenced eating the breakfast. I must say the omlette was better than it looked. It had just enough cheese for flavor. I hate omlettes where you take a bit and get nothing but globs of cheese. The potatoes where very good. I wished I had asked for more. My aunt really liked her Mickey waffles. She had tried to be extra good and find sugar-free syrup but they didn't have any. They were also out of fruit topping for the waffles. The waffles and bacon filled her up quickly so I figured I would help her with her unsweetened applesauce. Ick. I never realized how big the difference is between sweetened and unsweetened. The applesauce tasted bitter and had an aftertaste. We both took a couple of bites and left the rest. In all, not a bad breakfast, especially for a busy foodcourt. I do wish the omlettes where fresher though.

LUNCH - Coral Reef in Epcot
My heart breaks just a little every time I read a review about how someone really hates the Coral Reef. Different strokes for different folks, but this place seems to get panned an awful lot. I have been there three times in the past year and have had both great food and service each time. One thing I really appreciate about this restaurant is its interesting and tasty veggie options. In most places, vegetarian options mean either pasta with veggies or a bunch of sides dishes. Coral Reef always has a good veggie option. We did a quick check of the menu before checking in to see if my aunt would need to speak to the chef about her diet but after seeing grilled tilapia on the the menu, she decided that would be fine. I noticed they had the same veggie dish that I had in June - a lentil and veggie tart in leek fondue. It was good last time, although a bit rich, but I figured I would try it again.
We were seated within 10 minutes of checking in and got a nice booth on the first level by the aquariums. Our server was very quick in greeting us and getting drink orders. I explained that I was on the DP and she was not and he said that would not be a problem. I had been a bit worried since I had heard mixed results about this issue on these boards, but it all worked out. I ordered the cesear salad and the veggie dish while my aunt stuck with the tilapia only.
The salad came about 15 minutes after ordering. It was a semi-deconstructed salad. The romaine lettuce was left whole with croutons and dressing poured over and topped with fresh grated Parmeasan cheese. One thing I liked was the romaine leaves where the younger, light green leaves. I am not a fan of big stems or tough greens so I enjoyed this salad. The dressing was creamy and slightly tangy and the croutons were tasty and crispy. This was the best salad of the trip. It would probably make a great light lunch combined with a soup or other appetizer. Soon after my dish was cleared, out came the entrees. If you have had Greek spinach pie, the shape and texture is somewhat similar. The dish consists of lentils and sauteed finely chopped veggies in a triangle shaped phyllo pastry. You get two of these on top of a rich sauce made of leeks and probably cream and topped with a dollop of mild creamy goat cheese. During my last visit, I had found the sauce to be too rich and oniony-tasting, but I am happy to report that the sauce was milder this time. I could have sworn that another veggie came with this dish and was trying to think what it was when I remembered - spinach. As far as I remember, the two tarts were served on a bed of spinach. So just two tarts and sauce this time, no other greens. Better safe that sorry, but I don't see why another green such as collards or kale couldn't be substituted.
My aunt's tilapia was served on a bed of steamed green beans with a saffron broth. She said this was the best tilapia was the very best she had ever had. She liked it so much, she actually whipped out her cell phone, called her fiance and told him she was going to bring him to the restaurant just so he can try this. Our server stopped by a couple of times during the meal to see if we needed anything and was quick of drink refills. I noticed that the table in front of us was preparing to leave and the little girl at the table was so enamored of our server she gave him a drawing, took a picture of him, and gave him a hug. All this while the giant sea turtles swam back and forth. This is why I love this restaurant.
For desert I had the chocolate wave. Now I remember the chocolate wave being served with a big dark chocolate wave nestled on top of the cake, but there was none this time. My aunt was upset by this as I later found out she wanted to steal said piece of chocolate and eat it. Thankfully there was no extra chocolate and she resigned herself to having one small bite of my desert. I refuse to share any more of my chocolate wave. For those who have not been initiated into the little slice of heaven that is the Chocolate Wave, it is a chocolate lava cake served with white chocolate ice cream. It is moist, rich, just sweet enough while still maintaining the slight bitterness of dark chocolate. The warm center oozes and sticks to the spoon similar to hot fudge. My sweetie and I made store bought lava cakes yesterday, but they just don't compare. True to his word, there was no problem when the check came. There were two seperate bills - one on the DP and one for the auntie. For those scared away by bad reviews, I urge you to give it a try, especially if you are a veggie.

DINNER - Tangiene Cafe at Morocco in Epcot
This has long been my favorite CS spot in Epcot and one of the best values in all of WDW. My aunt was having dinner with a friend later that evening so it was just me indulging in yummy Moroccan treats. This place is a must for any vegetarian. The vegetarian plate consists of hummus, cold lentil salad, chopped olive salad, cold veggie cous cous salad, and a mound of parsely that I think is supposed to be tabouleh. A big hunk of bread is served along side. All this for about $8.00. On the DP, you get a drink and baklava. The CM at the pick-up counter was trying to pick me up instead. It was kind of cute at first. He told me that this was the best type of baklava since it was made with honey, almonds, and pistachios. I will agree that the baklava was delicious but I am getting ahead of myself. While my aunt made a phone call to arrange dinner plans, I took my meal to the outside seating area just in time for Mo'Rockin, the Arabian rock band that plays in Morocco. Nothing like food and entertainment for free. It was abit windy, so I had to hold on to my napkins, but I really enjoyed my meal. The hummus was thick and garlicy, perfect for scooping up with the hearty white bread. The cous cous was slightly sweet from the raisins and the lentil salad was savory and filling. The tabouleh, or what as supposed to be tabouleh, was a bit disappointing since there were only a couple of specks of bulgar wheat. Heck, they could have been specks of stray cous cous, so it was more of a parsely salad than tabouleh. It was refreshing and tasty, so I can't complain. After finishing, I got up to throw out my plate but couldn't seem to find the nearest trash can. I went around to the inside of the cafe where who should I find but the CM from the pick up line (pun intended). He told me he was standing by the trash can, which was actually a couple of table behind me but I went the long way around. He then said I was trying to run away from him because he was ugly. Umm, no. Not really, I just want to throw out my trash. I smilied and said good bye. My aunt teased me for the rest of our evening together. So eat here for the yummy food, but beware of amorous CMs!!!

coming up - Columbia Harbor House, more Pop food, and Crystal Palace Breakfast

 

[budbeerlady]

Wonderful reviews, Thanks!!!!!!!!

 

[DVCTiff]

Great reviews!!! Thanks so much. And we also had a fabulous meal at Coral Reef on our honeymoon. But, shhhhh, maybe we don't want everyone to know it's so good.

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoying reading your reviews ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[kittythepoohbear]

Glad to hear the reviews are helpful! I love reading the dining reviews and am happy to contribute to the food porn. Sorry for the delay in getting the rest of the reviews up, but work, life, and a slight cold got in the way. So without further delay:

9/17 - The fourth day
BREAKFAST - Donuts in the room and coffe at Epcot.
Here I must mention the insanity that is what you can buy at POP for 1 snack credit. I saw many, many goodies but was oh so happy to see with my own eyes that the variety box of 8 Entenmann's donuts was still available. I bought this on my first night and snacked on them throughout the trip. On this day, two chocolate frosted donuts served as breakfast. Just what you need in Disney, sugar for breakfast. I rounded out my "breakfast with a decaf cappucino at Epcot, pruchased by The Universe of Energy. I don't have luck with caffeine and as I woke up feeling a little meh I didn't want to push that luck. The coffe was about $3.50 I believe. I didn't try to use a snack credit so I am not sure if it would be covered.

LUNCH - San Angel Inn in Mexico Pavillion
I actually had dinner plans here for Mon. night, but those plans changed so I decided to try my luck for lunch. At 11 am, I made my way to the pavillion and requested a table for one for lunch. No problem - second walk in of the trip. I was given my little slip and spent my half-hour waiting time (the restaurant does not open until 11:30) by walking around and going on El Rip Del Tiempo.
This is another restaurant that seems to get a lot of flack but in the two times I have been there have had good experiences. By the time I got back from my trip through Mexico, there was a little crowd gathering for lunch. I was given one of those funky pagers and within 10 minutes was seated. I had a lovely table at the far right end corner right by the river. I noticed that they sat pretty much everyone that was waiting by the river with plenty of other seats available. My waitress was Elsa and she was wonderful. Perhaps it was helped by my speaking Spanish, but she did a fabulous job. Elsa engaged me in plesant small talk (Where are you from? Where did you learn Spanish? Do you visit Disney often?) while she took my drink order. I informed her that I was not using the DP for this meal and was a vegetarian. When she heard the veggie comment, she was quick on asking me if I wanted to see the seperate vegetarian menu and was back in a flash with it. I decided on the combo plate, no appetizer and she said she would be back shortly with my drink. Sure enough, a few minutes later my ice water and coke were served as well as the complimentary tortilla chips with salsa. Folks, the portions are here huge and they give you a very large serving of chips and salsa. This means that you can save money here by just ordering an entree and using the chips and salsa as an appetizer. Last year, we made the mistake of eating here on the DP and ordering 3 courses. We were so stuffed we could only share one of the deserts. My entree came about 15 minutes after the chips and drinks where brought out. The combo plate consisted of a cheese enchilada, a bean burrito, and rice. The cheese enchilada was very good and had what looked like a green sauce (could have been the lighting which is very low). It had a nice kick to it but was not too overly spicy. The bean burrito was delicious. It was filled with beans and veggies and was smothered in a great sauce. The burrito was also huge - it took up half the plate. The rice was tasty and well cooked. No dried out hard rice here. I did get a sense of chicken broth though, but I didn't ask before hand nor did I bring it up while eating. I am a bag veggie, I know, but as I get older small things like that tend not to bother me as much as they once did. I just know to ask next time and perhaps request a different side dish. Those that are very strict veggies would do well by asking before ordering. As I had planned, I was stuffed by the time I was almost done with the entree so no desert this time. Besides, my body couldn't handle more sugar that morning. My check was brought, card was charged, and I said good bye to Elsa just about an hour after I sat down. I really recommend San Angel Inn for a good lunch or dinner in Epcot. The atmosphere is lovely especially if you get a seat by the river. The food is very tasty and filling and service is good. I will definitely be back again.

DINNER - Columbia Harbor House at MK
After a nap at the hotel, I hustled my butt to MK for EMH. I got there around 5pm and being a bit hungry made my way to Columbia Harbor House. I had never eaten there before, preferring my Cosmic Ray's. I had read great things about the Lighthouse Sandwhich right here on the DIS boards so I decided to do something different and give it a shot. Using the DP, I got a soda, the sandwhich with a side of chips, and chocolate cake. While the restaurant was not particularly crowded, most of the tables were occupied. I wish they had opened the upper seating area but alas that was roped off. I found a table for four in a corner (there were no tables for two available) and made myself comfy. The LIghthouse sandwhich was very good although very different from anything I have ever eaten. The bread was delicious, hearty and crusty. It never once got soggy and held the fillings in place. The fillings consisted of a hummus spread, a very saucy broccoli slaw, and thinly sliced tomatoes. The broccoli slaw was slightly sweet. You could just taste the hummus in the background. This sandwhich surprised me by not being messier. I expected this stuff to be falling out of the bread and all over my fingers but it didn't. Perhaps it was pixie dust, but I finished my sandwhich without a mess. The chips were chips - nothing too special there. The chocolate cake was the same as in Cosmic Ray's but after the peanut butter brownies at Peco's Bill it just wasn't to same. I am glad to have found another good quick meal spot in MK. Thanks DIS!

Coming up - a day spent eating POP food, Crystal Palace, and Tony's Townsquare

 

[Laura]

Thank you so much for posting your reviews! Can't wait to read more!