I did not think I would make many dining reservations this time round, but somehow I ended up with rather a lot.
Surf's Up Breakfast at PCH Grill
As we are staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel for the first few nights this time round, we could not pass up this character breakfast. Actually if I am honest, whatever the circumstances, this would have made the cut. This has become one of my favourite character meals. It features Stitch, which is the perfect starting point. The character interact there is wonderful and apart from Stitch, Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Pluto are also present. I like their outfits as they are all kitted out for a day at the beach.
Although the character interaction is great, the star of the meal is actually the food. This is somewhat surprising for that kind of meal. Everything is fresh and hot. On top of the normal buffet breakfast fare, they also have some more unusual dishes like breakfast flatbreads and Chilaquiles, a Mexican dish consisting of tortillas, salsa, chicken, eggs and cheese. I am really looking forward to our breakfast.
Chip and Dale Critter Breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe
I was in two minds about this. We have done this twice before and enjoyed it. The character interaction is great and they do have some characters there that are not all that common. Chip and Dale I can see pretty much anywhere, but Koda, Kenai and Terk are a little harder to come by and I have only ever seen Meeko and Brer Fox there. What made me question my choice is the actual dining arrangements. You used to have the choice between the buffet, which was OK and the a la carte menu, which was great. Unfortunately since earlier this year, the only offer the buffet. Still, the character interaction in combination with the fact that this means that I am virtually next to the back entrance to California Adventure on the day I will use my early admission there convinced me to run with this.
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Steakhouse 55
This is one of only two reservations that I have where there will not be a character in sight. This restaurant has a special place in my heart. We had our vow renewal dinner there in 2011, which was rather special. We also had another dinner and a breakfast there since and neither has disappointed. We both love a good steak and Steakhouse 55 definitely provides this. For me the ultimate side dish for a good steak is macaroni cheese. When I had the macaroni cheese there in 2011 and 2012, I thought this was the best macaroni cheese in the world. That was until I tasted the macaroni cheese at Club 33 last year, which is not even in the same league as the macaroni cheese at Steakhouse 55. I suppose the macaroni cheese at Club 33 could be described as the best in the universe. The good thing for me is that I heard that Chef Marcel, who used to be in charge of Club 33 is now in charge of Steakhouse 55 so I may just get to taste the best macaroni cheese in the universe again.
Aunty's Breakfast Celebration at the Makahiki
This is the only reservation that I have for our stay in Hawaii. The restaurants at Aulani don't really appeal to me and I am sure that we will mainly eat at the little shopping centre nearby. However, on my actual birthday I really want a character breakfast. Fortunately Aulani provides. There is not a great deal of information about this, but it is a buffet that combines traditional breakfast foods with some more exotic choices. As far as I can see the characters present are Minnie, Mickey, Goofy and Stitch. I am sure we will enjoy it.
Goofy's Kitchen
This was another afterthought. We had dinner there twice before, but Graham is not too impressed with this in terms of food and service. I always wanted to try breakfast there. I decided to go for it for two reasons. I have the Holiday tour booked that day. This starts at lunchtime and lasts until mid afternoon. So a late breakfast seemed to be perfect. One of my fundraising t-shirts features the Princesses in their winter outfits and the DISigner challenged me to find the corresponding Princesses. I did some asking around and most sightings of Princesses in their winter outfits were at Goofy's Kitchen. I know that this is by no means guaranteed, but I thought this was worth a try. I have also seen that they have some rather whacky Christmas decorations there and I am looking forward to seeing them.
Thanksgiving Buffet at the Grand Ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel
I had been agonising about what to do for dinner on that day. This will be our third Thanksgiving in the USA. The first time we made a reservation at a local restaurant a couple of days ahead of time and in 2012, I made a reservation at one of the resort restaurants at Walt Disney World 180 days ahead. This time round I was kind of torn between trying to wing it and try to make a reservation offsite once we get there or make a reservation ahead of time at Disneyland. I had not really got any further with that thought process when I heard about Thanksgiving Buffet at the Grand Ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel. I did some reading up on this and was sold.
They have all kinds of different buffet tables including a kid's table, a table with cold dishes, a soup and salad table, a table with hot dishes including various carved meats and of course a dessert table. So there should be plenty for every taste. I am particularly looking forward to the chocolate fountain.
The setting is rather grand and they also have all sorts of characters out. I have seen photos and the characters are wearing Thanksgiving/ Harvest outfits so that will help me with my character hunt, too.
Napa Rose
This is the reservation that I am equally excited and scared about. We briefly considered Napa Rose for our vow renewal dinner in 2011, but very quickly discarded this idea. We had a look at the menu a few times, shook our heads and moved along. We probably would never have considered eating there if it was not for the chef counter. Eating right in the kitchen appeals to the inner geek in me. I think I will struggle at times to remember that I am actually there to eat as I will be completely absorbed in what is going on.
Graham is a pretty adventurous eater. Actually, I can only think of a couple of things that he won't eat and one thing (chocolate) that he is allergic to. He has the habit of letting our servers on our cruises choose his meals and says that this broadens his horizons. Although he does not have many things he won't eat and will try everything at least once he is not really into "fancy food".
When it comes to food, I am the polar opposite of Graham. I also have a food allergy, but on top of that, I am a very picky eater. I have a list as long as my arm of food that I won't touch. It also takes me ages to get up the courage to try something new. Within the confines of what I will eat, I am actually quite adventurous and I enjoy slightly fancier food. However, the normal menu at Napa Rose does not fill me with joy as there are so many things on there that I won't eat.
If you eat at the chef counter, you have three options. You can either order from the normal menu, order the set Vintner's Menu or opt for the tasting menu. We are going to go with the tasting menu. With this, they check with you for your preferences and limitations and then custom make a menu for you. This sounds absolutely perfect for us.
