Dining Review: World of Color Dining Package

As we were planning on June 2015 Disneyland vacation, my cousin and I knew we wanted to see World of Color, the AMAZING nighttime show at California Adventure. (Don't worry, I'll dedicate a whole post to that incredible-ness later.) In reading about the show, I knew how popular it was, and since we had three little ones with us, we wanted to avoid waiting in a line or jockeying for space in what I knew would be tight quarters.

I'd read about the World of Color dining package, and that seemed to be the best bet for us. After consulting the menus and dining options, we chose lunch at Wine Country Trattoria, located near the entrance to Cars Land in California Adventure. (You could also chose to eat dinner.)

We arrived on time for our reservation, and we seated shortly. The format for the meal is prix fixe - for about $40.00 per adult and $20.00 per child, you get your choice of soup or salad, an entree and then a desert sampler. There is also a kids menu with many standard choices - pizza, sandwiches, pasta, etc.

There were many delicious choices and we all tried to pick something different, so we could sample each other's meals.

I chose the salad and it did not disappoint. It was delicious and fresh, and the perfect meal starter. My cousin and her husband both chose soup; one getting the tomato and another the Italian wedding soup. I like the wedding soup the best - the little meatballs were delicious and it was all well-seasoned.

For the main meal, I chose the Potato Gnocchi. Oh MY this was so good - cooked perfectly and a large portion, as well. My cousin's husband chose the salad with sautéed shrimp, and once word got out how good those shrimp where, I think he only had one or two for himself!

My cousin Kim chose a special that wasn't listed on the menu; a pasta with broccoli, which she liked. In tasting the entrees, however, we agreed that my Gnocchi was perhaps the best of what we'd gotten. In the picture below, the items are: Gnocchi at top left, salad at top right, shrimp salad at bottom left and broccoli pasta at bottom right.

I didn't take pictures of the kid's meals but they enjoyed them; they each had a mini pizza and a side of vegetables.

Finally came the grand finale - the desserts! In looking at the menu, we thought we each had to choose something but they bring you a sampler platter with one of EACH of those amazing offerings listed on the menu - DROOL. We had a tiramisu, macaroons, panna cotta and a lemon creme puff. They give a full platter to each two adults, so we ended up with two platters of desserts which was more than enough. All of us, kids included, sampled a little bit of everything. As I gravitate towards fruity things, my personal favorite was the Lemon Cream Puff.

At the conclusion of the meal, our server came to our table with 6 FastPasses for the World of Color show. He told us where to go and the return time for the FastPasses.

However, here's a tip - go EARLIER than they say. On the tickets was printed a time of 8:45 PM, as the show starts at 9PM. However, lines start to form about 7:45ish and they start letting people into the WoC viewing area around 8PM. Ask the cast members where the line is forming for the dining packages, and they'll tell you where to go. This means that you'll be at the viewing area about an hour before the show starts, BUT you'll also have a better chance of standing right near the front. The WoC dining FastPasses are the very front of the viewing area and it's first come standing area only but the view cannot be beat. You will get a bit damp (as they project the images onto water) but it's so worth it.

I would do this again in a heartbeat; in fact, when I go back in November I plan on doing it again and trying another of the restaurants offered.

Have you done this dining package before? What did you think?

Have a magical day!

Dining Review - 1900 Park Fare

Good morning and a Happy Sunday to you! You might be saying "Hey! Where's Sunday with Friends?!" I promise, that feature will be back soon. But in the meantime, I wanted to share my recent experience at 1900 Park Fare.

On my most recent jaunt to Walt Disney World, my friend Ellen and I headed over to the Grand Floridian for breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. Ellen had never been, and my last trip there was YEARS ago, so on Thursday morning we took the short walk from the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian.

(In a future post, I'll share with you about staying at the Polynesian. Thank you, Ellen, for letting me bunk with you!)

Our reservation was at 9:15AM and when we arrived, the restaurant was about 1/2 full. You check in, and then cast member photographers take your pictures against a pretty backdrop / feature wall at the entrance area. They scanned the picture onto Ellen's Magic Band and we were on our way.

They seated us and then our waitress took our drink orders, and said to go enjoy the buffet. There were quite a few choices, and varied! There was an omelet station, with omelets made to order. There was also lots of fruit and cereals, breads and rolls, and of course breakfast staples like eggs, bacon, sausage and the like. They also had a kid's buffet (at their height!) with Mickey waffles, eggs and bacon. A entree option I hadn't seen before was the Lobster Eggs Benedict, which I chose. It was quite good! Not as good as the Eggs Benedict on Disney Cruise Line, but it was still delicious.

1900 Park Fare is a character meal, and at this breakfast we had Tigger, Pooh, the Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins and Alice. (At dinner, you have Cinderella, Lady Tremaine, the Prince and the Step Sisters.) I like character meals because if you like character pictures and autographs, it's a great way to get them without having to stand in lines. We still ended up waiting quite a bit for the characters (we must have caught them just before they went on a break) and so we were done with our meal by the time they were making their way around to us. This was a slight disappointment but ended up working out just fine. The characters came around in quick succession, and we took pictures and video. If you follow me on Periscope, you saw some of those videos a few weeks ago!

(In the picture below, the flower lei is from the Polynesian, not the breakfast at Park Fare. Just so you're not confused!)

The price was $26.99 each, but Ellen had the Tables in Wonderland dining card (more on that later!) so it saved us 20%.

I would give the breakfast food at 1900 Park Fare a grade of B to a B+. It was good, but nothing spectacular. However, I feel that at these character meals, you're paying more for the experience vs the food. That being said, the food was good, and the service from the cast members was good, as well. 

It was a very good breakfast, and a nice way to start our day. Other than the blip with the timing of the characters, we had a nice meal and a good time together.

I hope you all have a great Sunday! Have a magical day!

A Lunch at Beaches and Cream

Hello, all! I'm back from another fun trip to Orlando. As with the cruise I took in February, I'll be doing a different sort of "trip report". Instead of giving the information in date order, I'm just going to pull out some fun experiences and tell you about them over the next few months!

On Saturday the 18th, my cousins and I met for lunch at Beaches and Cream, the diner-esque restaurant at the Beach Club Resort. Sam and his girlfriend Skylar picked me up at the Wilderness Lodge, and we met Jacob there at the restaurant.

We've eaten here quite a few times; the food is consistently good, the service fun, and the prices are right. We had a reservation at 11:05AM so the restaurant wasn't busy; however, as we sat and had our meal, the tables filled up.

Beaches and Cream has a traditional diner menu, including burgers, onion rings, shakes and malts, and delicious ice cream treats. We all got different sandwiches and burgers; I added onion rings to my order. YUM! They are SO good and really hit the spot.

I am not a shake/malt fan BUT many people around us were ordering them and they looked delicious. Our waitress said her favorite is the Frozen Sunshine; it's rainbow sherbet, vanilla ice cream and seltzer blended together and topped with whipped cream and a candied orange slice. Someone at a table near us ordered one - and I have to admit, it did look tasty!

Of course, we couldn't go to Beaches and Cream and NOT get dessert! :) There's a smaller walk-up line in the restaurant where you can get sundaes and cones, but we ordered desserts off the menu.

We asked our server if Mickey Bars were available to order, as we didn't see them on the menu. She said yes (score!) so that's what Jacob ordered. Sam just wanted chocolate ice cream in a dish, and Skylar and I split the Banana Split.

Oh MERCY was this good!! So yummy and just what you want a banana split to be. Most of their ice cream treats are large enough to be shared by 3-4 people; this was a great size for the two of us to split.

I'll be returning to Beaches and Cream again; it's a great place to get a burger, onion rings and some killer ice cream.

Have you ever eaten at Beaches and Cream? What's your favorite thing to order?

Have a magical day!

The Pros and Cons of the Disney Dining Plan

From August 31 - September 4, I was able to "test drive" the Disney Dining Plan for myself. I've already done Live blog posts where I gave the actual dollars and cents (you can check those out in the archives!) but today I wanted to give my opinions on the Pros and Cons of the Dining Plan.

Pros:

* Your meals are pre-paid. There is definitely something to be said for convenience, and it was great not having to feel like I was getting my wallet out (or scanning my Magic Band) every time I ate. Having already taken care of that expense BEFORE the vacation is very nice; to me, this is the biggest perk of the Dining Plan.

* If you like to order higher-dollar entrees, you will save money.  If you're someone who typically orders the steaks, seafood or other higher-dollar meals, you'll hit the $60 per person, per day adult charge for the regular Dining Plan pretty quickly. If you know you'll be ordering that pricey Filet meal at Le Cellier, for example, the Dining Plan is probably a good bet for you.

* Dessert (and appetizers, if you're on the Deluxe plan) are included with your meal.
With the Dining Plan, you get a dessert included as part of both your Quick and Table Service credits (if you use a Quick Service for breakfast, however, dessert is NOT included). It's nice knowing that you'll always have a sweet treat with your meal, or something you can take back to your room and enjoy later.

* Since you get a Table Service credit, it encourages you to take time and have at least one sit-down meal per day.
For some this could be a Con, but I love getting some time off my feet while at Disney. This is especially true in the center-of-the-sun heat and humidity of Orlando in September. Having that credit available to use makes you take a break in your day and have a more leisurely meal.

Cons:

* It's a LOT of food. To me, this was the biggest Con of the Dining Plan.  Of course, to someone else, this might be a Pro.  I don't have dessert with every meal when I'm at home and after about 2 days of having dessert with every meal, I was starting to get TOO full. Like a revolving, still full from the last meal, can't imagine eating again.

*If you won't eat $60 worth of food per day, it's probably not a good deal for you. The current Dining Plan price for an adult is $60.44 per day, and so if you can't see yourself eating that amount of food in a day, the Dining Plan might not be for you. Example - let's say you like to grab a muffin for breakfast, split a lunch entree with your traveling partner and graze with snacks at dinner. From a money standpoint, the Dining Plan will not be worth it for you.

* You are staying in a suite or Disney Vacation Club room with a kitchen (or at least a kitchenette) and you plan to have some meals in your room.
One of the benefits of the suites on property is that you have a kitchenette or full kitchen at your disposal. I have been on my vacations where we buy breakfast foods, snacks, etc to eat in the room and it not only saves time but money. If you know you're going to eat at least a meal in your room each day, the Dining Plan might not be for you.

As always, these are just my opinions and I would love to hear yours! Do you like / not like the Dining Plan? Why?

Have a magical day!

Dining Review: Nine Dragons

On Tuesday September 2nd I headed into Epcot and my lunch reservation at Nine Dragons, at the China pavilion in the World Showcase.

This was a bit of a "cheat" on my goal of eating at different Table Service restaurants this trip, as I had been here before.  However, I really enjoyed it back in March and wanted to give it another try.  Plus, I ended up having 1 extra Table Service credit on the Dining Plan (I had canceled a meal earlier in the week) and so I thought, why not?

Nine Dragons doesn't get much love from Disney bloggers and the Disney fan community, and I honestly have no idea why. Both times I have been there, the food is good and most importantly, the service is top-notch.  I think some of the nicest, best cast members at Disney work here at Nine Dragons - they do a phenomenal job.  This meal was no exception.

I arrived at Nine Dragons and although I had a reservation, I was not in their system.  But no matter, they weren't busy and were able to seat me right away (I still don't know WHAT happened to that dining reservation - it's floating around the interwebs, I guess!). I was escorted to a table near the front of the restaurant, and my waitress came by soon after.

She took my drink order (my usual Diet Coke) and then gave me some information about the menu.  Like a number of the Table Service restaurants, they had a Prix Fixe option where for one price you got a soup, your entree and dessert.  She also said not to look at the entrees listed on the table tent for the Prix Fixe, that I could choose any entree from the menu that I wanted. That was great, as none of the listed entrees really excited me.

After a short deliberation, I chose the Hot and Sour Soup, the Sesame Chicken and the Ginger Cake for dessert.

The soup came first, and it was SO GOOD.  I didn't get a picture, because I was enjoying it so much I didn't stop to take one!  It was the perfect blend of hot and sour (thus the name) and was just delicious. If I could have bought a thermos of it to take with me, I would have!  So good.

It was then time for the entree, and my portion of Sesame Chicken, with fried rice, was *just* right. The perfect portion where I felt satisfied when I left, but I was not bursting at the seams.  Just looking at it now makes me salivate for this lunch - I really need to learn a Sesame Chicken recipe so I can attempt to recreate this at home.

The dessert was also quite good - and like a bad blogger, I of course didn't get a picture of it.  Grrr. I really enjoyed it; it was light and almost refreshing, and was the perfect end to my meal.

I had another great experience at Nine Dragons, and will definitely be coming back again.  Not only was my food good, the correct temperature, delivered in a timely fashion, etc - - the service was wonderful. Everyone from the hostesses to my waitress was kind, friendly and struck the perfect balance between being an attentive waitress, but not hovering over me.

Nine Dragons is still on my list of favorites - and is quickly becoming a place I HAVE to go to when at Disney World!

What is your favorite Table Service restaurant in the World Showcase?

Have a magical day!

Dining Review: Liberty Tree Tavern

On Monday, September 1st, I spent a lovely morning at Magic Kingdom.  After doing lots of attractions, it was time for lunch!  I made my way over to Liberty Tree Tavern.

I was excited, as I've not eaten here before but the reviews have always been pretty great.  It was quiet (a theme I would see all this week) and after checking in, I was able to be seated right away.

The menu has a variety of "traditional" fare - sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. I seriously considered ordering the BLT, as I LOVE a good BLT, but decided instead on the Colony Salad.  It's a salad with warm chicken, cranberries, cheese, green onions, apples and pecans with a very nice vinaigrette dressing. 

As I waited for my meal, I took a few pictures from my seat.  I was probably one of four groups dining at 11:30AM that day, so it was very quiet.

 

One nice thing about dining solo is that your food often comes pretty quick.  After only about 5-6 minutes of sitting at my table, my salad arrived.

 

YUM!! This was SO good and really hit the spot.  It was a super hot, sticky September day and having the cool salad was the perfect entree.

It was then time for dessert.  Remember, when you use a Table Service credit with the Dining Plan, you also get a dessert.  My lovely server told me all the choices, and then I asked his opinion on what I should order.  Without hesitation he said, "The Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake" and so that's what I chose!

 

Oh my goodness - this was SO GOOD.  Holy crap. The chocolate cookie / brownie, with the ice cream, AND chocolate sauce and caramel, AND toffee bits?! Be still be heart.  It was divine.  As you can see, it was HUGE and this could easily be split among 2 adults.

So, the verdict?  Would I eat here again?

Absolutely, 100%!  The food is good, the service is great and the atmosphere is wonderful.  There are so many more dishes here that I need to try, so you can believe I WILL be back!

Have a magical day!

 

 

Dining Review: Les Chefs de France

Today I am going to share my dining review of Les Chefs de France, located at the French pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase.

I was on a mission this trip to experience Table Service locations that I haven't visited in the past, and Les Chefs de France was on the list.

I toured Epcot on Tuesday, September 2nd and had a wonderful day (a full blow-by-blow of this day to come later!).  After a ride on Mission Space, I made my way back to the World Showcase and to Les Chefs for my 6:30PM reservation.  I was a few minutes early but I was able to be seated right away.

My waitress was great, very friendly.  I was seated at a 2-top table (I found this was the case for every Table Service meal I had) and was given a menu.  I ordered my normal Diet Coke, as sodas are included on the Dining Plan, and looked at what I would like to eat.

For each Table Service meal on the Dining Plan, you get your entree, dessert and a non-alcoholic beverage.  However, Les Chefs has a Prix Fixe option (as do many other locations) that is included on the Dining Plan and ends up giving you more food.   If I had paid out of pocket, it would have been $39.99 (plus tip).

I chose the french onion soup, the Gratin de macaroni for my entree and their strawberry and creme cake, which also came with a small scoop of sorbet.

The first course was the soup, and it was a large serving.  I was expecting more of a cup of soup, but this was a large bowl.  It also came with a good sized full baguette, which I didn't eat as I wanted to have room for the rest of my meal.

My main course was the Gratin de macaroni, and I had been anxious to try this.  Mac & cheese is one of my favorite meals to make at home, so I had high hopes for Les Chef's version.  As you can see in the picture, it was another HUGE serving and I only ended up eating about 1/3rd of it. It looked to be nearly a full box of pasta in just that one dish.  I have to say, honestly - I was a bit disappointed in it.  I didn't have much flavor and was very rich.  I think my macaroni I make at home is better, so that was a disappointment.

At this point, I was already pretty full but wanted to try a few more bites of the dessert.  I LOVE the dessert / pastry shop at the French pavilion so I was looking forward to dessert but again was underwhelmed.  It was fresh and the cake was a good consistency, but again not very flavorful.  The sorbet, however, was incredible - it tasted like it had been made fresh that day and it was probably my favorite part of the meal.

Here are some more pictures for you:

I didn't dislike the experience and I wasn't upset; my waitress was just lovely and the atmosphere of the restaurant was top-notch.  I will give them another try some time in the future - I like to give a restaurant at least a few tries before I decide not to go again, just in case they are having an "off" night. However, I'm sorry to say Les Chefs de France didn't make it onto my "must have" list for Disney Dining.

I was glad I was able to make it there this trip and try it out for myself.

Thank you for reading - and have a magical day!