A Salute To All Things Disney, But Mostly Food - A Feb 15 Dining Report - That's a Wrap 7/18

[kastoney]

Great food pic. You have helped convince DH he will be satisfied with the BOG portion size sandwich,if nothing else.

Glad I could help ; ). The sandwich was definitely plenty big, the salad just not so much.

Looks like a fun time! That roast beef sandwich looks pretty awesome, and it may be what I get when we go. I'll be excited to see where you went for dinner!

It was very good. I definitely had a serious case of sandwich envy.

I've never been but I'm not loving any of the BOG meals I've seen thus far, so as for now it's not on our list. Sorry your food was its mediocre.

I'm still surprised BoG is still such a hard reservation to get. I wanted to give it another try, but the food just isn't anything to write home about.

I love your reviews! I want to do BOG, though I think I'm no longer leaning to the tuna salad. I loved your Artist Point reviews, it's the signature that holds the most interest for me.

The salad was good, just don't bring too much of an appetite with you. Artist point was very good. Next time we will have to try it on a non marathon day/travel day so we can savor it a bit more.

We have an ADR for dinner for BOG in August. Mostly that's for me because I do love being able to have wine with dinner at that was the only place it could be done in MK. We have done dinner before there and it was fine. Lunch was also fine, although I don't think I would ever do it again. It seemed much more expensive than our usual trip to Pecos Bills or Pinnochio Village Haus. I'd rather have a good breakfast and a great dinner. Lunch is kind of a throwaway meal for me.

Wine in MK is definitely a good thing. Had my fingers crossed the new dessert party would include some adult libations for that very reason, but was very sad to just see cider. No thank you

 

[kastoney]

I'm really enjoying your dining review. Casey is adorable and I love how you surprised her. I actually went with my parents to IHOP this morning and teased them about the fact they didn't take me to Disney.

Thank you so much. I told Casey yesterday maybe we could do ihop today (we didn't) and she made me promise we wouldn't trick her again ; ). Girl loves herself some funny face pancakes

joining in

Welcome!!!

I, too, had the Tuna Nicoise salad and remember it being a nice change but certainly NOT filling. And, for me, I like being satiated. I wish I had ordered a soup, as well.

I try and eat better at lunch time so I can be naughty at dinner, but that salad clearly didn't get the message that it needs to be filling too

I will be trying BOG for lunch and breakfast in May. I am not hyping it up too much in mind as I didn't like my dinner there back in Sept 2013.

You've got the right approach. Don't hype it and then you can't be disappointed. I'm very intrigued by breakfast though, if nothing else to get empty park picks if you can get in before the park opens. Can't wait to see what you think

I love the roast beef sandwich! I've even dreamed about it

Mmmmm roast beef dreams..

 

[weswife]

Awesome review! Pics are great... we are looking forward to BOG for lunch

 

[Wood Nymph]

Our trip was from 22-28 February with a split stay at the Villa's at Wilderness Lodge and the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Hi Kari, I just found your dining report. I love the title, by the way. We were in Disney Feb 26th to Mar 1st, staying at OKW.

Overall, Whispering Canyon was a great first meal. Being able to walk right up was awesome and our server was very attentive, though I would have liked to get a feel for what all the craziness was all about.

WCC came in very handy for us in October, when we had two last minute breakfasts and one last minute dinner. It is especially convenient when staying at the resort. We didn't get any antics at any of our meals, either, except for the ketchup routine.

Had a bit of a preview of things to come when Jason's magic band didn't work at the park entrance. Thankfully we brought the hard ticket, so he could use that.

We've been to Disney many times with the MB's and this was the first time we had a problem with the tickets not being attached to the MB's. They asked if we had the hard tickets but we never received them for our son and grandsons, so we had to go the the guest relations line. That is not what you want to be told on arrival day. At least we got a fourth fastpass for our trouble which we used for the Seven Dwarfs mine ride.

We'd planned on grabbing dinner in the Territory Lounge this night, but as we waited for our room drama to work itself out we were able to snag an Artist Point ressie instead.

We grabbed last minute reservations for Artist Point when we were at WL in January. We were sitting in Territory Lounge and decided to see if they had a table at AP available. The line at the check in desk was long so I went on the MDE app on my iPhone and made an ADR for a little later that evening without even leaving my seat. I just love being able to make last minute reservations like that.

For his entree Jason ordered the Roasted Berkshire Pork Loin with Smoked Gouda-Herb Polenta, Baby Heirloom Carrots, Lima Beans, Cipollini Onions, Washington State Apples, and Port-Pomegranate Reduction

I ordered this dish and it was very good. I loved trying the different heirloom carrots. Who knew you could get a purple carrot.

For lunch I'd done something very un-me and made a fast pass 27 days before our trip for Be Our Guest. We'd eaten here for lunch and dinner before and while I never got what all the hype was about, thought it was a good opportunity to sit down and eat. Luckily I did this 2 days before they moved to the ADR system or no chance I would have had the patience to try and get an ADR.

We got stuck having to get an ADR for our lunch on Feb 28th. It turned out to be a good thing, though, since the new reservation system was just three days old and we were able to place our order with a CM without having to go into that room with the kiosks.

Jason ordered the Carved Prime Chuck Roast Beef Sandwich - Served warm on a Baguette with Horseradish Sour Cream and French Fries.

My DH ordered this sandwich and while it was very good, it didn't have as much meat on it as the one Jason had.

We hadn't planned to move her bday, but when she didn't seem to remember so we just rolled with it. Though she is still requesting her trip to Ihop ; )

That is cute that she didn't forget the promise that you made about Ihop. She is adorable.

 

[DLFan123]

Your salmon looks great! Someday, maybe we'll make it over to Wilderness Lodge for a dinner at least.

 

[ursalita]

Enjoying your reviews so far. I remember loving that salmon at Artist Point during our first trip to WDW. So good. I'm so glad you reviewed the Tuna salad at BOG. We also snagged lunch ressies and that's my first choice. Too bad the Tuna was overcooked. That might make me rethink my plans.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Not sure why Disney even has a dress code for signature restaurants if no one seems to enforce it. Glad you enjoyed your dinner at AP anyway!

Be Our Guest lunch is on my want to do list, but it looks like it is sliding down in priority based on mediocre reviews. I felt similarly to you when we had dinner there. A great environment, but the food was just so so.

 

[kastoney]

Awesome review! Pics are great... we are looking forward to BOG for lunch

Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy lunch

Your salmon looks great! Someday, maybe we'll make it over to Wilderness Lodge for a dinner at least.

If you've never been to WL definitely at least go over for a visit. We completely love its serenity in the midst of the disney madness

Enjoying your reviews so far. I remember loving that salmon at Artist Point during our first trip to WDW. So good. I'm so glad you reviewed the Tuna salad at BOG. We also snagged lunch ressies and that's my first choice. Too bad the Tuna was overcooked. That might make me rethink my plans.

Don't get me wrong, the tuna wasn't horrible. Just don't get it on an empty stomach, as it will stay that way ; )

Not sure why Disney even has a dress code for signature restaurants if no one seems to enforce it. Glad you enjoyed your dinner at AP anyway!

Be Our Guest lunch is on my want to do list, but it looks like it is sliding down in priority based on mediocre reviews. I felt similarly to you when we had dinner there. A great environment, but the food was just so so.

Yeah, the marathon gear really through me for a loop. Clearly there wasn't a bouncer posted at the door.

Glad I'm not the only one on the BoG mediocre wagon. Sometimes I think I'm missing something so we've been for lunch twice after our dinner and each time I leave, I still don't get it

 

[kastoney]

Hi Kari, I just found your dining report. I love the title, by the way. We were in Disney Feb 26th to Mar 1st, staying at OKW.

Hi Sue, glad ya found me. Guess we were neighbors for a few days and didn't even know it.

WCC came in very handy for us in October, when we had two last minute breakfasts and one last minute dinner. It is especially convenient when staying at the resort. We didn't get any antics at any of our meals, either, except for the ketchup routine.

It was definitely a pleasant surprise for us to just walk up. Thankfully we didn't ask for ketchup ; )

We've been to Disney many times with the MB's and this was the first time we had a problem with the tickets not being attached to the MB's. They asked if we had the hard tickets but we never received them for our son and grandsons, so we had to go the the guest relations line. That is not what you want to be told on arrival day. At least we got a fourth fastpass for our trouble which we used for the Seven Dwarfs mine ride.

I'm not sure what is going on, but we had problems galore too (more to come on that next update). We'd gotten our tickets through Undercover Tourist so we had the plastic ones, but what a hassle for you if you didn't. I just love technology.

We grabbed last minute reservations for Artist Point when we were at WL in January. We were sitting in Territory Lounge and decided to see if they had a table at AP available. The line at the check in desk was long so I went on the MDE app on my iPhone and made an ADR for a little later that evening without even leaving my seat. I just love being able to make last minute reservations like that.

Yep, as much as I curse the disney website regularly that app and last minute reservations are a match made in heaven.

I ordered this dish and it was very good. I loved trying the different heirloom carrots. Who knew you could get a purple carrot.

Not me. I knew of orange ones, and the orange kind, and the ones that come in orange - so purple was a surprise ; )

We got stuck having to get an ADR for our lunch on Feb 28th. It turned out to be a good thing, though, since the new reservation system was just three days old and we were able to place our order with a CM without having to go into that room with the kiosks.

My DH ordered this sandwich and while it was very good, it didn't have as much meat on it as the one Jason had.

Glad you were able to get a reservation. We were in disney the day they opened up and I read about all the drama on the dis. Can't fathom that sandwich with less meat. What was there was plentiful, but not overdoing it by any means

That is cute that she didn't forget the promise that you made about Ihop. She is adorable.

Thanks so much. She's all her Daddy, but I remind Jason regularly that his good disposition she displays will eventually be taken over by the sarcasm that is engrained in my genes. The teen years are gonna be rough.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[kastoney]

While Casey was napping we made early dinner reservations for what had become our go to restaurant on property, Flying Fish. We'd visited here on all 5 of our previous visits and had never been disappointed. Not that we had high expectations or anything.

But before I get to dinner, Casey hadn't napped very long and we had some time to kill so I took her to the newly finished splash pad (it was under construction last time we were here) for some water fun and I enjoyed myself a beer poolside while she played (no pic, but believe it was a Coors Light).


We eventually made it back to the room to beautify ourselves and lucked out when a training bus came right to the bus stop and delivered us via our very own chariot to MGM. We'd be returning there later in the evening, but after a quick boat ride we had arrived at the Boardwalk and to our beloved Flying Fish.

We were seated by a very pleasant hostess from England who engaged in a very deep conversation with Casey on what she could do now that she was four. Apparently that included staying up late and chewing gum, but not smoking cigari (what she calls cigarettes) because that is yucky. No clue where this girl comes up with this stuff but at least she mentioned a vice her mama does not suffer from.

Our sever was equally pleasant and very attentive and quickly brought us some bread while we mulled over our dining options.

The bread was fine, nothing to right home about and in no way up to the amazing sourdough we'd eaten the prior night at Artist Point.

Normally at Flying Fish we always order the calamari and rock shrimp appetizer and had plans to do so again, but Casey spotted some slushi - aka what she calls sushi - at a nearby table and requested we get that. Not one to disappoint my birthday girl, we ordered the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Crispy Tempura Tuna-Vegetable Sushi Roll with Sweet-and-Spicy Umami Sauce.

The plating on this was odd as I wasn't expecting the tartare to actually be on top of the sushi roll and in case it wasn't evident it was quite the task to try and figure out how to eat it. Eventually figuring out that taking a big, honking bite all at once seem to be the expectation from the sheer size we dove right in. The tempura sushi roll was quite good and the umami sauce it was paired with was excellent and added that sweet and salty flavor that only umami can deliver. The tuna tartare on top though unfortunately was a little bland and could have done with a bit of acid. I didn't write down any details on the seaweed accompaniment, but as I recall the green was the fresher tasting and better of the two. Overall this was ok, but made us long for the calamari.

The birthday girl on the other hand was quite smitten with her slushi. We'd removed the tartare to give the poor girl any shot of landing this in her mouth, which surprisingly she did.


With our apps and entrees we'd ordered the same bottle of wine we'd had last time, a 2012 Laurenz V. Gruener Veltliner. For those who may be unfamiliar, Gruner Veltliner is an Austrian wine that is crisp and acidic and delicious. If you ever come across one I highly recommend trying it. I'm not usually a white wine fan, but I've never met a Gruner I didn't like.

For the entree's, Casey and I split the seasonal fish special - Tilefish - which was served with Epcot Greens, Cipollini Onions, Tiny Brussels Sprouts, Exotic Mushrooms, and a Lobster Butter Emulsion (note I'd ordered mine with no mushrooms as I loathe those little buggers)

In typical flying fish form, this was great. The fish was tender and meaty and somehow tasted like it was battered, though it was not. The sauce was rich and buttery, but still stood up well against the meaty fish. In lieu of the mushrooms they seemed to have loaded us girls up on the roasted brussels sprouts and cipollini's which was fine by me. They were both perfectly charred and roasted and paired well with the fish. There was an odd black veggie in there I had to ask what it was (fearing of course it was the dreaded mushroom) but was told it was a black brussel sprout. Purple carrots last night, black brussels sprouts, what's next - chartreuse spinach?

Jason had such success with his pasta dish last trip he ordered the Maine Lobster Spaghetti Nero Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes, Crisp Prosciutto, Wilted Arugula, Lobster Roe-Saffron Cream Sauce.

This looked absolutely amazing. Again, this looked absolutely amazing. And that unfortunately is where the success of the dish ended. The lobster was way overcooked and the sauce had a very odd bitter taste to it. We thought maybe it was the roe, but whatever it was it made the dish almost inedible. The only good thing on the plate was the crispy prosciutto - which those who have read my dining report before will know I worship at the alter of all things prosciutto. For some reason Jason felt this almost $40 dinner was an opportune time to enlist his "chef code" which means no matter how much he didn't like it, he decided to respect the chef and just eat it. I do not honor this code as if I encounter an inept business person I tell them of their said ineptness and don't just deal with it because I am also a business person. Apparently I just don't understand chef.

We elected to skip dessert in favor of finishing off our bottle of wine and call dinner done. This was the first misstep we've ever had at flying fish, so I'm sure we'll be back again. Despite Jason's meal, mine was great and the service was absolutely amazing. With our tables in wonderland card we saved $29.00

After dinner we headed to MGM for some extra magic hours. We contemplated skipping it all together this time around, as I find it rather lackluster, but decided on a late night visit so Casey could get funky at the Disney Jr Dance Party.

Unfortunately our magic band drama continued as we could not gain access to the parks as our tickets clearly marked park hopper were not enabling us to hop. Thankfully there was no line at guest services and instead of just fixing the issue with the bands, we decided to go ahead and upgrade to annual passes then as we'd intended to do so later in the week. It didn't take too long before he said we were all set (though in a bit of foreshadowing we were not) and he even gave us 3 extra fast passes for the night for all our trouble. This would have been a great gesture had it not been 10 minutes before closing ; )

Anyway, we used our time wisely and in an hour and a half did toy story, the movie ride, the muppets, and star tours before letting Casey rock out with Mickey, Minnie, and the Disney Jr. Crew.

She had a blast - and even got a balloon animal - so this little party may have saved MGM for another day.

We got back late in Casey's world - right after 10 - and got her to bed quickly before we indulged in some more frontier wine in bed. Wine + bed = Vacation bliss.

Up next an MK first....​

 

[Wood Nymph]

But before I get to dinner, Casey hadn't napped very long and we had some time to kill so I took her to the newly finished splash pad (it was under construction last time we were here) for some water fun and I enjoyed myself a beer poolside while she played (no pic, but believe it was a Coors Light).

That splash pad looks like a lot of fun for kids. And I think that the new fence and pool area look very nice. The patio in front of the Trout bar is a great addition to the resort.

Tilefish - which was served with Epcot Greens,

Are the greens grown in Epcot? Your meal looks delicious and is probably what I would have ordered too, in spite of never having heard of Tile fish.

this looked absolutely amazing. And that unfortunately is where the success of the dish ended. The lobster was way overcooked and the sauce had a very odd bitter taste to it.
For some reason Jason felt this almost $40 dinner was an opportune time to enlist his "chef code" which means no matter how much he didn't like it, he decided to respect the chef and just eat it.

That's too bad that he didn't send it back. My husband had terrible ribs at Olivia's in OKW which he wishes he had sent back. What did your husband end up eating for dinner?

 

[Misha72683]

My 2011 baby loves sushi too. It is definitely his go-to food. I don't think I ate sushi until my 20s, so I find it funny how much he loves it. I'm glad Casey enjoyed her 'slushi', but that sucks that Jason's dinner wasn't good. I'm not a chef, but very rarely send food back, I just suck it up unless it can actually harm me (like pink chicken).

 

[kastoney]

Are the greens grown in Epcot? Your meal looks delicious and is probably what I would have ordered too, in spite of never having heard of Tile fish.

That's too bad that he didn't send it back. My husband had terrible ribs at Olivia's in OKW which he wishes he had sent back. What did your husband end up eating for dinner?

Yeah, the greens said they were from Epcot, I'd completely forgotten that. I think this was my second tilefish meal at FF. I recall from a previous server it was from the Florida coast. It tastes similar to grouper to me.

Jason just sucked it up and ate the pasta. No way I would have let that fly.

 

[kastoney]

My 2011 baby loves sushi too. It is definitely his go-to food. I don't think I ate sushi until my 20s, so I find it funny how much he loves it. I'm glad Casey enjoyed her 'slushi', but that sucks that Jason's dinner wasn't good. I'm not a chef, but very rarely send food back, I just suck it up unless it can actually harm me (like pink chicken).

It's crazy to me what kids decide they like. Jason does sushi at work on Wednesday and brought it home one night. We gave her some to try and a slushi fan was born.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Oh my goodness. Too much MagicBand drama. Between that and the flight I don't know how you kept it together. I think I would have had a meltdown.

I love that your daughter was willing to skip IHOP to eat at Disney. Too cute!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[kastoney]

Oh my goodness. Too much MagicBand drama. Between that and the flight I don't know how you kept it together. I think I would have had a meltdown.

I love that your daughter was willing to skip IHOP to eat at Disney. Too cute!

Can't wait to read more!

Way to much drama. I tried to keep it all in perspective and tempered it with wine as needed : ) But the Magic Band drama ain't over yet...

 

[peach1377]

yea!! I have not been to Disney in over 15 years. I am bringing my 5 year old son for his first trip to Disney this June and there are so many Dining options, I am sooooo confused. I am a single mom so I have to watch costs, debating getting the dining plan but still tyring to weigh my cost options. But hopefully this thread can help me narrow down where to eat. Yummy!

 

[kastoney]

yea!! I have not been to Disney in over 15 years. I am bringing my 5 year old son for his first trip to Disney this June and there are so many Dining options, I am sooooo confused. I am a single mom so I have to watch costs, debating getting the dining plan but still tyring to weigh my cost options. But hopefully this thread can help me narrow down where to eat. Yummy!

How exciting for your first trip. Dining options can definitely daunting. I'm not sure how much your son eats, but my daughter and I typically share our meals which cuts down on costs. Very rarely is there not enough for both of us and sometimes I'll add on dessert or another side to augment the meal. I'm in the minority with most folks, but unless you decide to do the dining plan I'd forgo character meals. For me to pay up to $20 for my daughter to see characters that are elsewhere in the parks, just isn't worth it to me. Plus, there are lots of less expensive table service options that are quite good (one is coming up next) and some amazing counter service places. Some of our favs are Flametree BBQ, Columbia Harbor House, Sunshinne Seasons, and Tangerine Cafe.

 

[kastoney]

We had great transportation again today and were up and at em and at Magic Kingdom before 9. Who are we turning into? Taking advantage of the early arrival we were able to cruise the jungles of denial, explore an island with tom sawyer, and fly through Agrabah while simultaneously getting spit on by a very rude camel. I had the privilege of doing the ladder with Ms. Casey, Jason's riding partner was a little more frosty.


You gotta be comfortable with your manhood to ride a purple flying carpet with an Elsa doll ; )

After that we had a fastpass for splash mountain. Now some of you may remember Casey's reaction to this ride last time around. It looked something like this...

I being her oh so empathetic mother had strategically blocked this from my mind and let another ride through a movie that has been stuck in the Disney vault forever ensue. Needless to say, this did not go so well. There were tears, there were screams, there may have been a Dad lecturing the oh so wise mother, but there was most definitely not a train ride through Big Thunder Mountain in our cards for the day.

So what to do after a situation like this? Eat of course ; ) It wasn't quite time for lunch so we elected to try a Disney first for us POPCORN!!! Now clearly we've eaten popcorn before, just never at Disney for some reason. Blasphemy right?

While this now less terrified girl chugged down most of it, I was able to sample a little bit of the oh so buttery and salty goodness. This might have been our first, but would not be our only popcorn of the week.

For lunch I'd tried to snag an ADR that morning to Liberty Tree Tavern so I could indulge in all that is ooey gooey toffee cake, but the only availability was too late in the afternoon. Instead we decided to try another first for us......The Plaza


I should have taken a photo of the inside of the restaurant (shame on me, bad trip reporter) as I was struck by how small it was inside. After seeing the sheer smallness I was a bit surprised we'd been able to snag a prime lunchtime reservation that morning. Speaking of small since there were only 2 1/2 of us we were seated at what appeared to be a table for 2 with a 3rd seat scrunched in. So the quarters were a little tight.

To start with Jason and Casey decided to get milkshakes. Casey choose chocolate...


And Jason went for Cookies and Creme...

Isn't he pretty?

These were nice and thick and completely hit the spot. The shakes come with an extra glass as I gather it doesn' all fit in the glasses, so I took these on as my own. I liked Casey's chocolate a bit better, but both were quite good.

For our entrees Jason ordered the Beef Brisket Onion Burger with Lettuce, Tomato, Provolone, and Bacon with a side of French Fries.

This is a traditional disney burger with pile of brisket and onions on top. While the onion flavor got lost with the 3 meats in the mix, this was quite good and flavorful. Unfortunately they do offer a temperature cooking option so this was a bit overcooked for our medium rare taste, but that was my only complaint. The brisket was very moist and tender and the bacon added really good flavor. The fries were heavenly, and unlike our other 2 french fry endeavors to this point, were actually served hot. Novel concept huh?

Casey and I shared the Reuben which is Thinly Sliced Corned Beef on Grilled Marble Rye with Sauerkraut, Swiss, and Thousand Island Dressing and of course a side of fries.

This was an absolutely perfect reuben. The rye bread was delicious and grilled to perfection. The corned beef had the perfect blend of salt and subtle spices and was tender and moist. The ratio of bread to meat to cheese to sauce to sauerkraut was perfectly balanced, as well. In case you can't tell from my overuse of the word perfect, this was likely the best reuben I've ever had. And our fries, like Jason's, were thick steak cut fries that were nice and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Overall the Plaza was a great find for us and one we'll definitely do again as we aren't enamored with the MK counter service options. Our server was nice and attentive and the food delicious and well priced. With our tables in wonderland card we saved $8.72 bringing the total bill to less than $40.

On our way out we stopped to meet Tinkerbell with a fast pass (changed from big thunder after the earlier debacle). Casey insisted on taking her Elsa/Anna doll with her and sassy Tink seemed to be none too thrilled to share her space with a couple of princesses.

You can almost see the disdain hidden in her face ; )

From there we headed back to the lodge for a nap for Casey before our dinner at one of my favorite Disney restaurants.

Up next, We're Going Back to Cali, to Cali, to Cali....​

 

[KathyM2]

Some more good food....you are making me hungry as usual. That reuben looked good...I'm not usually a fan of them but...it looked tasty. Funny..I'd never considered the Plaza...something to think about...great location lol. I think I remember my mom scaring me on a whole bunch of rides when I was a kid lol...hopefully she will come around one of these days. Popcorn was a nice recovery though!