Hello, fellow WDW lovers. Just returned from a weeklong trip to Walt Disney heavy on the food. Since this was our third visit in three years, the goal was to relax and eat some spectacular meals at the World, which we did. So this report will mostly be geared to foodies like myself.
But first, a few observations and tidbits:
We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was just spectacular. We had a view of the Arusha Savannah and Arusha Rock. The hotel itself was so relaxing and beautiful. We'll definitely be staying there again.
Except for Friday, 11/3, the weather was fantastic and the crowds were light. On Friday, it was windy, overcast and chilly, yet oddly enough the Magic Kingdom was packed. That was where we waited in line the longest - 40 minutes for Winnie the Pooh. The rest of the trip we encountered no lines at all. For example, Expedition Everest was only ten minutes.
Speaking of Everest, it was my first time riding and loved it. It's so smooth and thrilling. Plus the Yeti is enormous. I had seen pictures and read trip reports, but still wasn't prepared for how HUGE that guy is!
Also rode The Seas with Nemo and Friends. It was cute and the technology that makes the animated characters appear to be swimming in the actual aquarium was very cool. But a strong warning: WATCH YOUR HEAD WHEN ENTERING THE CLAMMOBILE! I stepped into the clammobile and BAM! knocked my head onto the top of the clam shell. I spent the rest of the ride nursing my forehead. The second time we went on it, I stepped so gingerly into the vehicle that the octagenarian in line in front of us got into her clammobile faster. But my head was safe!
We did MNSSHP on Halloween Night, which was very festive. But when we went back to the Magic Kingdom three days later, it was decorated for Christmas already, which was kind of trippy. It made our stay feel a heck of a lot longer than it really was.
And last but not least, here are some pictures! This link should take you to my Kodak Photo Gallery. I hope.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=4lizlpl7.bppilz0r&Uy=kf2qbx&Ux=0
OK, now on to the food!
About a week before our trip, I read an article in about dining at Disney World and the best signiature dishes at the restaurants there. Lucky for us, we had made reservations at most of the restaurants on the list and I decided to try the dishes and see how they fared.
* denotes a signiature dish featured in the article
On Sunday, we ate at the Hollywood Brown Derby as part of the Fantasmic Dinner Package. The Cobb Salad*, as usual, was spectacular. So was the grapefruit cake. And, since we were going to eat there anyway, we discovered the Fantasmic package was actually cheaper and let us see Fantasmic without waiting.
Monday night was Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have one word to describe the experience: YUM! The kalamata flatbread was incredible. I had the brasied short rib*, which was so tender and juicy. The decor was fantastic and we were surrounded by locals, who obviously know a good thing when they see it. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys a great meal. It was amazing.
Tuesday was Tonga Toast for breakfast at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. It's one of the few things I remember from my first trip in 1980 (other than crying in Snow White. But I was young.) So I try to have it every time I go back to disney World.
Dinner on Tuesday night was at Le Cellier in Epcot. It was heavy on the cheese, beer and red meat, but well worth the calories and toll on my aorta. The cheddar and beer soup* was awesome. Seriously, if you're in Epcot and want a nice lunch, go to Le Cellier and have the soup and breadsticks. The main entree was steak, of course. And dessert was the creme brulee two ways. The regular was great. The maple creme brulee was a tad too sweet for me. The first spoonful was actually jarring.
Wednesday was Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge for their cedar plank salmon*. We ate here last year and I thought the salmon was spectacular. It was the culinary high point of our trip last year. This year, unfortunately, no so much. Maybe the chef had an off night, because it didn't taste as great as I remembered it. But I won't hesitate to go back next year and have it again.
On Thursday, we decided to go to Bistro de Paris in France at Epcot. We ate at Chefs de France last year and I thought it was overrated and crowded. Bistro de Paris is the exact opposite: underrated and intimate. The restaurant itself was elegantly simple and the food was wonderful. The duo of foie gras was perfect. I always feel guilty about foie gras until I taste it. And then it's yummy guilt. We got the seven course tasing menu, which was a ton of food. I was stuffed by the cheese course. Then the dessert came. Or should I say desserts, since it was a sampler of them. That really did me in. The only drawback to the meal was that it was extremely long. I'm all for a leisurely meal, but by the time it hit the two and a half hour mark, I was ready to leave. By then it was starting to feel like an endurance test. (Which I passed, I'm happy to report.)
Finally, Friday's dinner was at California Grill on top of the Contemporary. we went there for two reasons: the view and the sushi*. We were not disappointed with either. We were fortunate enough to be seated next to a window and the view was mesermizing. It was so cool to see the Magic Kingdom all lit up. Since our reservations were at 9:30, we weren't able to see Wishes from up there, but it's definitely on my to-do list. Still, it was so nice to sit there eating and drinking while having the best view in all of Walt Disney World. It was a great end to a great vacation.
But first, a few observations and tidbits:
We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was just spectacular. We had a view of the Arusha Savannah and Arusha Rock. The hotel itself was so relaxing and beautiful. We'll definitely be staying there again.
Except for Friday, 11/3, the weather was fantastic and the crowds were light. On Friday, it was windy, overcast and chilly, yet oddly enough the Magic Kingdom was packed. That was where we waited in line the longest - 40 minutes for Winnie the Pooh. The rest of the trip we encountered no lines at all. For example, Expedition Everest was only ten minutes.
Speaking of Everest, it was my first time riding and loved it. It's so smooth and thrilling. Plus the Yeti is enormous. I had seen pictures and read trip reports, but still wasn't prepared for how HUGE that guy is!
Also rode The Seas with Nemo and Friends. It was cute and the technology that makes the animated characters appear to be swimming in the actual aquarium was very cool. But a strong warning: WATCH YOUR HEAD WHEN ENTERING THE CLAMMOBILE! I stepped into the clammobile and BAM! knocked my head onto the top of the clam shell. I spent the rest of the ride nursing my forehead. The second time we went on it, I stepped so gingerly into the vehicle that the octagenarian in line in front of us got into her clammobile faster. But my head was safe!
We did MNSSHP on Halloween Night, which was very festive. But when we went back to the Magic Kingdom three days later, it was decorated for Christmas already, which was kind of trippy. It made our stay feel a heck of a lot longer than it really was.
And last but not least, here are some pictures! This link should take you to my Kodak Photo Gallery. I hope.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=4lizlpl7.bppilz0r&Uy=kf2qbx&Ux=0
OK, now on to the food!
About a week before our trip, I read an article in about dining at Disney World and the best signiature dishes at the restaurants there. Lucky for us, we had made reservations at most of the restaurants on the list and I decided to try the dishes and see how they fared.
* denotes a signiature dish featured in the article
On Sunday, we ate at the Hollywood Brown Derby as part of the Fantasmic Dinner Package. The Cobb Salad*, as usual, was spectacular. So was the grapefruit cake. And, since we were going to eat there anyway, we discovered the Fantasmic package was actually cheaper and let us see Fantasmic without waiting.
Monday night was Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have one word to describe the experience: YUM! The kalamata flatbread was incredible. I had the brasied short rib*, which was so tender and juicy. The decor was fantastic and we were surrounded by locals, who obviously know a good thing when they see it. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys a great meal. It was amazing.
Tuesday was Tonga Toast for breakfast at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. It's one of the few things I remember from my first trip in 1980 (other than crying in Snow White. But I was young.) So I try to have it every time I go back to disney World.
Dinner on Tuesday night was at Le Cellier in Epcot. It was heavy on the cheese, beer and red meat, but well worth the calories and toll on my aorta. The cheddar and beer soup* was awesome. Seriously, if you're in Epcot and want a nice lunch, go to Le Cellier and have the soup and breadsticks. The main entree was steak, of course. And dessert was the creme brulee two ways. The regular was great. The maple creme brulee was a tad too sweet for me. The first spoonful was actually jarring.
Wednesday was Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge for their cedar plank salmon*. We ate here last year and I thought the salmon was spectacular. It was the culinary high point of our trip last year. This year, unfortunately, no so much. Maybe the chef had an off night, because it didn't taste as great as I remembered it. But I won't hesitate to go back next year and have it again.
On Thursday, we decided to go to Bistro de Paris in France at Epcot. We ate at Chefs de France last year and I thought it was overrated and crowded. Bistro de Paris is the exact opposite: underrated and intimate. The restaurant itself was elegantly simple and the food was wonderful. The duo of foie gras was perfect. I always feel guilty about foie gras until I taste it. And then it's yummy guilt. We got the seven course tasing menu, which was a ton of food. I was stuffed by the cheese course. Then the dessert came. Or should I say desserts, since it was a sampler of them. That really did me in. The only drawback to the meal was that it was extremely long. I'm all for a leisurely meal, but by the time it hit the two and a half hour mark, I was ready to leave. By then it was starting to feel like an endurance test. (Which I passed, I'm happy to report.)
Finally, Friday's dinner was at California Grill on top of the Contemporary. we went there for two reasons: the view and the sushi*. We were not disappointed with either. We were fortunate enough to be seated next to a window and the view was mesermizing. It was so cool to see the Magic Kingdom all lit up. Since our reservations were at 9:30, we weren't able to see Wishes from up there, but it's definitely on my to-do list. Still, it was so nice to sit there eating and drinking while having the best view in all of Walt Disney World. It was a great end to a great vacation.
