How Did We Eat So Much?! Lots of Pics + DxDDP + DCL! *UPDATES 7/12*

[RGirl]

You are so forgiving and kind to not call out the chef for not delivering the GF waffles!! I'd be hollering 'where's my waffles?' I suppose not having a big appetite that early in the morning soothed over any feelings of rebellion on that topic. Sorry you didn't enjoy it more though.

It would have been a different story if I had been hungry!

It was a really fun breakfast spot. I'm not really much of a breakfast eater, so I really only book these because Willow loves breakfast and characters.

Ahhh whip cream and chocolate chips make an ordinary waffle extra special.

I have to say, if I HAD received my waffles, I totally would have added whipped cream and chocolate chips!

Both times we've had breakfast at Cape May the characters made rounds twice and they were FANTASTIC. Goofy even took my seat at the table and messed with me.[/QUOT]
That's great! We definitely thought the characters were wonderful there and really enjoyed seeing them more than once.

Hi Roni! Getting caught up on your awesome DR, I just finished reading about your Tusker House experience and I have to say the special gluten-free goodies you were served certainly looked delicious! It sounds like you and Willow really had a great experience. TH is a restaurant I've yet to try as I'm not generally a big fan of buffets, but I have to say reviews like yours really make me want to experience it.

We LOVED TH. I cannot imagine not booking it every trip (barring some significant decline in food and/or experience). It was probably my favorite breakfast buffet to date.

Enjoying your reviews and am now going to dive back in, lol!

Thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.

 

[RGirl]

Great reviews!

Thank you! And thanks for joining in!

I'm so glad Mama Melrose has great Gluten free offerings but it the worst place to eat if you are allergic to pork like I am. I never used to list my allergy cause it is more a reaction - I can't process the fat and it makes me ill, but it won't kill me. I just look at the menu and asked questions if there was any doubt like meatballs or meatloaf, etc.

At MM, I ordered mac and cheese - safe right??? NOT! someone put ham in the dish and didn't list it on the menu. Of coarse I ate some before I figured it out! Once I let the server know, all heck broke loose. They acted like I was at fault for not letting them know about my allergy up front! I still maintain that it should have been listed on the menu. A lot of people don't eat pork for religious and other reasons.

Oh, that's really too bad.

I listed my gluten intolerance for the first time this trip just because I got tired of the guessing game and accidentally making myself sick. It sure was great not to have to worry! I hope that you have had as good a luck when you have listed your allergy.

I love that the chefs come out and talk to me know though. It makes ordering so much easier especially at the buffets.

I was amazed at the buffets. They were my biggest concern, and they turned out often to be my best option! Amazing how well WDW handles food issues. I was very grateful for how helpful the chefs were.

It was tough on the Dream though when I had to preorder my meals the night before! I never really know what I want till that moment.

Yeah, I was concerned about that, but then it didn't really end up bothering me. I think because, with all the food all the time, I didn't really care if I wasn't in the mood for something the next night - it's not like I really needed to eat anymore!

Can't wait for the Fantasy reviews

Thanks! I'm excited to get them started very soon!

I'm caught up.. sorry I've been off the Dis for almost 2 months!

Hey there! It's great to see you back!

So glad to hear you had good meals at Mama Melrose and Jiko. I think we may do Mama Melrose in May but Jiko my husband still isn't ready to give another chance!

MM was such a great surprise. Jiko I expected to love, but I had expected that of other signatures that disappointed, so I was so happy that Jiko delivered. I hope you enjoy MM as much as we did!

Sorry BOG dissapointed! I've not even tried to get in there due to the mixed reviews! Maybe sometime in the future!

Good call on your part! I suppose we will end up going back just to see the Beast - but it seems like kind of an ordeal just to meet the dang Beast no matter how much we love him!

Glad you had such good experiences at Artist Point and Jiko - they're probably my two favorite Disney restaurants. Jiko's gluten-free menu is particularly impressive - it's nice that they don't limit you to a dish or two!

Thanks for dropping in!

How funny - those were definitely my two favorite signatures of this trip by FAR. I didn't expect to enjoy AP as much as I did; we will definitely be back. I just knew I would love Jiko, and I really appreciated the GF menu - it was a really nice touch and not terribly limited (as GF menus often are).

 

[RGirl]

1900 Park Fare Dinner​

Our last WDW dinner was at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort. Here, you get to have dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming and the Step Family! It sounded like fun to us, so we were rarin’ to go! Dinner is a buffet.

Service was okay - not memorable. The chef came out and was very nice, but he didn’t really seem to know what he was doing. He did not show us around the buffet; instead, he had a piece of paper with allergy information on it, and he kind of read through it a little bit. But he didn’t really seem to know what gluten was - e.g., he told me that the pasta was not safe because of the SAUCE. Now the sauce may very well have been unsafe, but don’t you think the pasta itself would be the bigger issue on that one? Anyway, he was a nice guy. Unfortunately, there was VERY little on the buffet that I could have. Even the salmon was off-limits because of its sauce. This was very different from all the other character buffets we had done at which I was regularly shocked by how many options I had. The chef did offer to make me a piece of salmon and a caesar salad without croutons, which I thought was very nice - I took him up on that. He also offered a gluten-free brownie and ice cream and said to just let the server know when I wanted it. Our server was rarely around, however, and I really didn’t need more dessert after the week we had had, so I passed on that one.

Honestly, the food here was not really very good. I would say it was probably the worst food of the trip - it was edible, but it really didn’t compare to any of the other places we dined.

DD sampled some pizza, mac and cheese, potato chips (the chips were VERY good ) and pot stickers.

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This is the salmon and salad that the chef brought for me. It was definitely edible - nothing special, but I wasn’t expecting fine dining and I was pleased that the chef was kind enough to make me something like this separate from the buffet.

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On the buffet, the only things I could really eat were potatoes (mashed and chipped) and the seafood boil thing. I thought the latter sounded pretty good, so I was excited to try it. It was NOT good. I can’t even remember why, but I do remember being very disappointed in it. I didn’t eat it at all.

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DD sampled some dessert:

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The characters here were fun - mostly because they were pretty unique ones in that you don’t always just find them roaming around, especially together. They were VERY rushed, however. We had a great time, but I would say it was less great than our other character meals this trip.

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Would we go back for this one? I’m really not sure. I think that the characters could be a blast, and if they hadn’t been so rushed, the characters may have made up for the food. But I probably wouldn’t book this again anytime soon.

 

[MrsB1228]

Sorry 1900 Park Fare wasn't the best food-wise. While it was nice for the chef to make something special for you, it certainly doesn't look like he put much creativity into it. I'm glad it was edible, if uninspired.

Willow certainly looked beautiful (as always) and I also loved the Pocahontas outfit she wore to breakfast at Cape May. She looked adorable!

Thanks for more great reviews and pictures Roni!

 

[smile4stamps]

Such a bummer that your last meal was a disappointment. The characters always sound enticing but the food can go either way. I would have also been interested in the seafood bake so disappointed to find out that wasn't good!

 

[RGirl]

Sorry 1900 Park Fare wasn't the best food-wise. While it was nice for the chef to make something special for you, it certainly doesn't look like he put much creativity into it. I'm glad it was edible, if uninspired.

No, the "special" plate was not very creative - but after experiencing the buffet, I was thrilled to get it!

Willow certainly looked beautiful (as always) and I also loved the Pocahontas outfit she wore to breakfast at Cape May. She looked adorable!

Thanks Carol! I will be sad when she stops wanting to wear all the cute dresses at the park.

Thanks for more great reviews and pictures Roni!

Thanks for continuing to read along and comment - that's what makes it so fun, isn't it?

Such a bummer that your last meal was a disappointment. The characters always sound enticing but the food can go either way. I would have also been interested in the seafood bake so disappointed to find out that wasn't good!

I wish I could remember exactly what was wrong with the seafood boil thing - maybe it was cold or something? I know that my reaction was such that I felt like it had the potential to be not that safe to eat, so it must have been a temperature issue.

We really didn't feel that bad about the whole thing - Willow had fun meeting some characters she hasn't met before. And we knew we were in for some GREAT dining aboard the Fantasy starting the next day!!!!

 

[RGirl]

Boardwalk Bakery and Babycakes Bakery​

On our last morning at the Boardwalk, we still had some snack credits to use up, so DD picked out several treats from the Boardwalk Bakery - a cinnamon roll, a Mickey chocolate chip muffin, and a Minnie ganache/cake thing.

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She enjoyed the cinnamon roll this morning, which we proved was indeed as big as her head!

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The night before, we had picked up some gluten-free cupcakes from Babycakes at DTD. Don’t they look yummy? Well, I’ll be honest - I wasn’t that impressed. Our local bakery makes a much nicer gluten-free cupcake. These were awfully dense and dry. I don’t think I actually ate one entire cupcake. Kind of a waste, but we had 22 snack credits left on our last day, so I didn’t feel too terrible about it. To be fair, these did sit in the fridge overnight; I have done the same with our small-town local bakery GF cupcakes though, and they were still better than these. They weren’t terrible, but they just really weren’t great either. But they sure look pretty, don’t they?

Sorry for such a brief review, but very soon we will be making our way through some BIG EATING aboard the Fantasy! ​

 

[smiths02]

Boardwalk Bakery and Babycakes Bakery

On our last morning at the Boardwalk, we still had some snack credits to use up, so DD picked out several treats from the Boardwalk Bakery - a cinnamon roll, a Mickey chocolate chip muffin, and a Minnie ganache/cake thing.
http://s9.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyBullmastiff/media/Disney 2013/Day 9A/file_zps9d59f09e.jpg.html

http://s9.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyBullmastiff/media/Disney 2013/Day 9A/file_zpsa3552802.jpg.html

She enjoyed the cinnamon roll this morning, which we proved was indeed as big as her head!
http://s9.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyBullmastiff/media/Disney 2013/Day 9A/file_zps543d6f4d.jpg.html

http://s9.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyBullmastiff/media/Disney 2013/Day 9A/file_zpsf6a4b338.jpg.html

The night before, we had picked up some gluten-free cupcakes from Babycakes at DTD. Don’t they look yummy? Well, I’ll be honest - I wasn’t that impressed. Our local bakery makes a much nicer gluten-free cupcake. These were awfully dense and dry. I don’t think I actually ate one entire cupcake. Kind of a waste, but we had 22 snack credits left on our last day, so I didn’t feel too terrible about it. To be fair, these did sit in the fridge overnight; I have done the same with our small-town local bakery GF cupcakes though, and they were still better than these. They weren’t terrible, but they just really weren’t great either. But they sure look pretty, don’t they?
http://s9.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyBullmastiff/media/Disney 2013/Day 9A/file_zpsc8e754e0.jpg.html

Sorry for such a brief review, but very soon we will be making our way through some BIG EATING aboard the Fantasy!

Aren't the Babycakes products also began and nut free? Your local bakery might taste better because they have eggs, milk, nuts, butter, etc.

 

[englishrose47]

Sorry you didn't enjoy 1900 food !! I found it to be fine , but I don't have any diet restrictions !!I loved the characters there too !!!But I definatley preferred Akerhaus Princess breakfast better !!

 

[RGirl]

Aren't the Babycakes products also began and nut free? Your local bakery might taste better because they have eggs, milk, nuts, butter, etc.

A very good point. Our local bakery actually does the GF cupcakes vegan as well - not sure on nuts.

These were not terrible by any means, just kind of overly dense, which again, could be at least in part due to having refrigerated them, as noted in the review. The cake they did for us was much better (even with refrigeration).

Sorry you didn't enjoy 1900 food !! I found it to be fine , but I don't have any diet restrictions !!I loved the characters there too !!!But I definatley preferred Akerhaus Princess breakfast better !!

I'm sure the food is much better when you can eat it! The characters were definitely fun.

I agree, however, that the Akershus breakfast is better - mmmmm, Akershus potatoes…….

 

[Samandmom]

Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to read about the cruise food.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Holy cow 22 snack credits left! That happened to us one year too. We had so many left at the end of the trip that we were grabbing up every packaged goodie we could get our hands on to give out as souvenirs to family when we got home. I hope you got to use all of yours up!

That's a shame about the cupcakes. At least your daughter seemed to enjoy her cinnamon roll. That picture showing the cinnamon roll size is too cute!

 

[colaslor]

Thanks

 

[RGirl]

Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to read about the cruise food.

Coming right up!!!

Holy cow 22 snack credits left! That happened to us one year too. We had so many left at the end of the trip that we were grabbing up every packaged goodie we could get our hands on to give out as souvenirs to family when we got home. I hope you got to use all of yours up!

Next time, I think we'll be sure to use a lot of them for frozen drinks - we could have used some of those! I think we left 2 or 3 SCs on the table, but we did pretty well.

That's a shame about the cupcakes. At least your daughter seemed to enjoy her cinnamon roll. That picture showing the cinnamon roll size is too cute!

The cinnamon roll was apparently quite tasty. The cupcakes might have been better had I not refrigerated them.

Thanks

Thanks for reading!

 

[RGirl]

DCL Room Service and Frozen Drinks​

Finally, we were on the Fantasy! And we were pretty beat from our hot and crowded week at WDW. A little room service for lunch as we waited to sail away sounded perfect to us. We shared a caesar salad, a fruit bowl, and a cheese plate.

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Everything was fresh and yummy. And someone delivered it right to our room, and it didn’t cost us anything other than the cruise fare (and a tip) - it doesn't get better than that! We were pretty happy girls!

Later, we wandered up to Deck 11 to watch land fade away. We had to indulge in some frozen drinks, of course! I honestly have no idea what they were, but they were cold, sweet, and tasty. Mine was the grown-up variety.

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And here is DD’s:

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This should give you an idea of how tasty it was:

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[DonaldDoleWhip]

Sorry to hear about your experiences at 1900 Park Fare and Babycakes. That salmon looks so bland, although at least it was freshly prepared. As for Babycakes, I really liked their french toast cupcake, but my other snacks there have been inconsistent.

It'll be interesting to read about the cruise food. We've never taken a cruise, but the all-inclusiveness is pretty appealing!

 

[librarygeek]

The food at 1900 Park Fare really doesn't look that great. We did the breakfast there and thought it was one of the better breakfasts they did. Loved the strawberry soup! I don't know if you could have that though. The characters there were great though! In the morning you get different characters - I think we had Mary Poppins, Alice, the Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger.

One of the things I loved about the dining plan was the snack credits, because I don't get a lot of snacks otherwise - and I love an excuse to get some of those yummy pastries! It's a shame that babycakes cupcakes weren't too good. But it's good you have a place near you that makes good gluten free cupcakes!

Mmm, frozen drinks Despite the fact that it's like zero degrees here right now, I'd still love one of those!

 

[englishrose47]

Sail away looked relaxing !!! The drinks looked yummy!!!

 

[RGirl]

Sorry to hear about your experiences at 1900 Park Fare and Babycakes. That salmon looks so bland, although at least it was freshly prepared. As for Babycakes, I really liked their french toast cupcake, but my other snacks there have been inconsistent.

Yeah, the 1900 food was pretty bad. The salmon was bland, but it was a huge step up from the other offerings! I still think that the Babycakes treats might have been better if I had not refrigerated them, but I do feel a little better to hear that someone else has had a less-than-perfect experience with them. You know, we did pick them up pretty late in the day too, so they may not have been particularly fresh to start with either.

It'll be interesting to read about the cruise food. We've never taken a cruise, but the all-inclusiveness is pretty appealing!

Dining on the cruise is fun. And most of the food is pretty good. I'm a HUGE fan of the adults-only up-charge restaurant, Remy, but more on that later.

The food at 1900 Park Fare really doesn't look that great. We did the breakfast there and thought it was one of the better breakfasts they did. Loved the strawberry soup! I don't know if you could have that though. The characters there were great though! In the morning you get different characters - I think we had Mary Poppins, Alice, the Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger.

The reviews of breakfast always seem to be MUCh better. I would be happy to give that a shot sometime, although I always find it difficult to fit in resort breakfasts.

One of the things I loved about the dining plan was the snack credits, because I don't get a lot of snacks otherwise - and I love an excuse to get some of those yummy pastries! It's a shame that babycakes cupcakes weren't too good. But it's good you have a place near you that makes good gluten free cupcakes!

I will make MUCH better use of our SCs next time. For example, we will use a bunch of them on frozen drinks - I wish we had done that more often because it would have helped with the heat and would have been a pleasant way to use up SCs. Lesson learned!

Mmm, frozen drinks Despite the fact that it's like zero degrees here right now, I'd still love one of those!

There is something just so perfect about that first frozen drink on sail-away day. Awww - pure bliss!

Sail away looked relaxing !!! The drinks looked yummy!!!

I cannot describe how good it felt to be aboard that beautiful ship, sipping tasty frozen drinks, and watching the shore melt away. Heavenly!

 

[MrsB1228]

LOL at the picture of the Willow-head sized cinnamon roll!

Sorry the cupcakes weren't as good as you had hoped, I agree they certainly look good. I've been told we have a bakery here that does amazing vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free cupcakes and other baked goods. I don't have any issues with food allergies so I've never tried Babycakes, I go for the ones with all the bad stuff added, LOL.

So excited to see the start of your cruise reviews! Your room service items all look very good, glad you both enjoyed them. Your frosty adult beverage looks yummy as well, can't do sail-away without one of those!

Looking forward to the next instalment.