Trip Report June 13th - June 27th

We just came back from two weeks at the Wilderness Lodge. It may be a few before I can add some pics to this report because I'm having camera issues. Therefore, I'm going to organize it a bit differently than other posters. I'm going to start by giving a run-down of our dining experiences and then give a day-by-day account of the trip. But first...here are our vital trip stats.
~ Players ~
Husband
*28 years of age
*major Penguins fan so his trip started out stellar with the Stanley Cup win the night before we checked in to the Wilderness Lodge
*been an addict of the magic since birth
*the Disney commando in our family
Me
*26 years of age
*5 months pregnant with a low tolerance to heat
*an addict of the magic since birth despite not going to the World until I was 22
*reduced from Disney commando-in-training to simpering mass of pregnant molecules thanks to the unusually hot June in Orlando
Trip Basics
We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge from the 13th through the 27th of June on a 9 day park hopper and one day base ticket with the regular dining plan.

 

[Pluto Princess]

Looking foward to the rest of the report and seeing the pictures!

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Table Services

Artist Point Dinner
I must say this is my favorite sit down in all of the World. The perfect way to start the trip for me! DH and I both had the smoky portabello soup. All I have to say is incredible. Everyone should try it. I had the Copper River Salmon while DH dined on buffalo. Some of the sides changed since we last dined there. Mine were even better than last year. DH (a sorta meat and potatoes guy) didn't care for his so much. We strayed from the signature berry cobbler and tested the waters of new desserts. The results? Incredible! We both enjoyed the rosemary creme brulee. Overall rating - 9.5 out of 10. Why not a 10? The iced tea. It was wretched. I know there's only so much you can do to mask the taste of Florida water, but several other places did a much better job of it than the Artist Point.

Le Cellier dinner #1
As always, Le Cellier was great (with one exception). The Le Cellier fillet is excellent, even when the steak must be cooked well done due to my current condition. (I'm a medium/medium rare kinda gal.) We tried the famous cheddar cheese soup...not such a good idea. DH liked the first bite or two then hated it. My tastebuds tolerated it a bit longer. However, once they grew weary of it, they took the rest of my body along for the ride. I left restaurant pleased with my steak and dessert (maple creme brulee) but feeling a bit ill from the soup. Of course, I don't like beer at all. I asked the waitress about the beer in it before ordering. She assured me that all of the alcohol was cooked out (a definite must since I'm preg-o) and the beer taste was very weak. I guess our Canadian waitress had a different idea of strong than us. Overall rating - 8 out of 10 because of the soup. Le Cellier did have tea that seemed to have been prepared with filtered water.

Captain's Grill
As always, this quiet escape pleased. DH had the clam chowder and claimed it was very good. My steak was excellent. DH enjoyed his apple butter pork chop but preferred the sides last year to this year. For dessert, we had the cremery cake. I was somewhat disappointed in it. The taste was quite different than the one I remembered and craved. Overall rating - 8.5 out of 10. The tea was good and our waitress was excellent (a fellow Penguins fan). Just a couple of disappointments kept it from being a 10. However, this place is pure bliss when looking for a quiet break from the bustle of the parks.

Cape May
This was a new restaurant for us. We went in with high expectations that were definitely met. DH cruised the buffet and tried several items. His favorite - the clam chowder. I found myself stuck on three items almost the entire meal. Mac and cheese (the best in all of the World or world), rolls, and peel and eat shrimp. I know that a lot of people say preg-o girls should avoid shrimp because of some weird disease. However, my doctor only warned me off of undercooked steak so I felt free to indulge in shrimp. And indulge I did. We both enjoyed the desserts, especially the Oreo bon-bons. Overall rating - 10 out of 10. Excellent iced tea, food, and service. Plus, I loved the crayons and paper on the table.

 

[Princess Tiana]

The trip sounds good already. Congrats and blessings on the little one!

 

[DAKOTADISNEY]

Can't wait to hear more! We're jealous that you got to stay at Wilderness Lodge for two weeks.

 

[disneygirl1]

Enjoying the report, can't wait to read the rest. I feel you on the pregnant in Disney thing!!! I was about 4 months pregnant one year we went in June and between the heat and the walking I wasn't sure I was going to make it though the day, but the trip was still a blast! Just a little less of the commando style that I so enjoy

 

[tink68]

Great report so far. You are making me hungry. :ROFLOL:We were going to stay at WL in Oct. but due to financial issues we moved down to a mod POFQ. Still going so no complaining here. Glad you had fun and congrats on little one. :wave:

 

[HollyBelle]

I can't wait to read more and I hope your camera stops disagreeing with you because I'm ready to see some pictures :sohappy:. We're checking in to the Wilerness Lodge Villas in a week and it will be my first stay there!!

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Bad news. I have to send my camera to the repair shop. At least it has an extended warranty. I'll pull out my memory card reader and hope that I didn't lose my photos.
Yesterday I added some more to my trip report. Per my luck, the webpage didn't load when I submitted and I lost it.
Oh well! Happy 4th of July guys!

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Sci Fi
I'll start this one by saying I know the reputation the Sci Fi has for food very well. A few years ago, we made the mistake of ordering real food there. Very bad idea. However, because we love the atmosphere, milkshakes, and sundaes, we find ourselves venturing here each year. Perhaps you could say we are glutton for punishment. DH had a burger, fries, and strawberry milkshake. I ventured into unknown territory and tried the chicken sandwich. I must stop to give the Sci Fi some praise here. The fries are several steps above standard Disney fries. This place also has great service. The waiter and the chef went out of their way to fix my sandwich in an onion free manner. But my praise stops there. The check-in process was poorly organized. We waited for several minutes past our ADR. That wasn't so bad. However, when people walked in behind us and were taken directly to seats, we suspected a problem. And indeed there was. The guy at the front desk never checked us in. Small mistake I understand, but still. Our sandwiches were just ordinary. Most definitely not worth the price tag. DH enjoyed his milkshake, but I thought it was lacking compared to year's past. My sundae (and Sci Fi sundaes are my absolute favorite WDW dessert) was a huge disappointment. Something, maybe the ice cream or brand of toppings, seemed different. Overall, I give this a 3 out of 10. We will most likely skip this one until our son is older. We will return then only because the Sci Fi is more an attraction than dining destination. Everyone should try it because the atmosphere is pretty cool.

Le Cellier Dinner #2
This time was sans the infamous soup. We both had the Le Cellier fillet. Again, wonderful. However, when the heat index is over 100, I have trouble enjoying heavy foods. The risotto (which is incredible) didn't settle well on my stomach. We had the maple creme brulee again. The top on mine was a bit burnt. This was also a problem on the first night. The best part of the evening - sourdough bread. Our waitress gave us lots of sourdough bread. Overall, I give this a 9 out of 10. One point lost for burnt creme brulee.

Boatwrights
This was a big disappointment for us. The dinner was like a frozen meal. (We had steak and some potato thing.) Major decline in quality from last year. DH had the pecan pie and liked it okay. My bananas foster was terrible. The sweet tea and corn bread were great. The service was good. But we won't be going back. Overall, I give this a 3.5 out of 10. I don't do frozen food at home so I most definitely don't want it at WDW.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Boma Breakfast
Wonderful. Simply wonderful. The only thing that could make this one better was if they served Zebra Domes at breakfast instead of just dinner. I give this one a 10 out of 10. Don't do dinner here. It is lackluster compared to the breakfast. Go to Boma breakfast on a day off. Sit back, relax, drink the coffee. I know I will be for many more times to come.

T Rex
Oh boy. Where to start? I'll give the T Rex props on the theme. Nice dinos, rooms, meteor showers. However, I found myself unable to really enjoy those elements fully. First, the heat. Dear goodness - at 6:00 the heat index was still close to 100. If you know pregnant women and heat, you know how I felt. My personal discomfort was not the T Rex's fault so I'll try to not mix the two. The check-in process was crazy. Mass chaos to be exact. You move from one line to another line and are standing outside in both of them. Once you enter the restaurant, the overwhelming amount of noise is insane. Chef Mickey's times about 25 - seriously. The layout makes the place like a maze of people, tables, and merchandise. My food (shrimp) was not very good and very overpriced. DH liked his chicken okay. We skipped dessert because I just wanted out of that place. Of course, our waitress really didn't offer us dessert. She basically ignored us. I know it's busy and all, but she walked by several times without ever so much as a glance. Our glasses of sweet tea sat empty for a long time and at almost $2.50 a pop, I really was unhappy about that. Overall, 2 out of 10. Loud, crowded, chaotic, overpriced (at least on what we ordered), and terrible service. However, we will be going back because I want my son to experience the T Rex. This place is kind of like Sci Fi - more of an experience than a dining destination.

 

[DormaNesbit]

I love all the dinner ratings! We went to Boatwrights in 2006 and our meal was absolute fabulous! It's ashame it went down hill. I hope your camera will be fixed soon for some pictures!:wave: Keep the written stuff coming!

 

[Beccone]

Enjoying your report, what a bummer about your camera

 

[flydisco]

We ate at Boatwrights for Mothers day 2008 and it was one of the worst meals we have EVER had on Disney Property. I have been to Disney over 30 times and this one really sticks out as just a really BAD experience.

Great trip report.

 

[WDWFigment]

Nice restaurant reviews. Looks like you enjoyed some of the finer restaurants at WDW. Hopefully the camera gets repaired and no data is lost!

 

[NewfieFan]

Loving your restaurant reviews!

 

[WishIWasAtWDW]

sorry to hear about your camera... major bummer. love the dining reviews and can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip! i'm so jealous you went for 2 weeks! sounds like so much fun!! and congrats on the new addition to the fam! and he's already had his first trip to disney! what a lucky kid! :lol:

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Alright fellow Disney fans, I'm back. Sorry about the long break between postings on my trip report. We started building our house, I went back to work (I'm a teacher and summer break ended ), and I had a terrible 8th month of pregnancy. I actually had an emergency c-section at 38 weeks. I've had a long recovery. However, God has truly blessed me. I have a beautiful, healthy son, a LOOOOONG maternity leave, and a new house that might be ready by Christmas. I'm so pumped I'll have a place to display my Disney collections properly! Anyway, in the mean time, I managed to salvage my pictures from my deceased camera. Plus, I got an awesome new camera! :sohappy:

I'll be finishing my dining reviews and detailing my trip with some pics over the next few days.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

1900 Park Fare (dinner)
Strawberry soup. That's why go here. My husband loves it. It's standard buffet fare. In all honesty, I think this one has gone down hill. I remember it being much better in the past. It is a great alternative to Cinderella's Royal Table because it is a Cinderella dinner. Overall I give it a 5 out of 10. Great service, good atmosphere, okay food. Eat the strawberry soup.

Maya Grill
This one was a bummer. It used to be our hidden gem favorite. Now, it's like a frozen dinner gone bad. The spices had this generic flavor. Very, very disappointing. Good service; blah/yuck food. There are much better choices on property. Overall 3 out of 10 (a generous 3).

Coral Reef
Alright, this was my real disappointment of the trip. I love the Coral Reef. Ever since I was a little girl and saw it on Full House, I've adored it. Positives - We got a tankside table. Negatives - service, food, noise, food, promptness, food, menu, food. Hands down, worst meal over the entire two weeks. We were so hungry after that meal we went to Norway and got a sweet pretzel with almonds. (I guess that would be a positive!) Very small portion of the main dish with an overload of terrible sides. Everything was very cookie cutter. The dessert was yucky as well. I don't remember what I had, but I remember not eating it. Our waitress was rude and overcharged our card. Overall 2 out of 10 just because I love the tanks and I got a sweet pretzel. This joins the ranks of T-rex and Sci Fi in my book. This is an experience restaurant not a dining destination.

Whispering Canyon Cafe
Dinner adventure on a Saturday night. For a southern gal, this was a welcome change! Yummmmmmmy - BBQ, cornbread, and veggies. Our waitress rocked, the food was great, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the was great. I can't stress how great this place is. You must eat here. Overall 10 out of 10. Plus, my hubby drank his drink too fast and got a refill for a thirsty boy.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Le Cellier Dinner #3
Okay, so I got adventurous this time and strayed to the new. It was worth it. DH had his usual - Le Cellier fillet. I had the coffee rubbed steak. It was DELISHHHHH!!!! :slurp: :slurp: :slurp: I also stuffed myself with enough sourdough to get my fix until our next trip. Oh, yeah, and I also strayed from my normal dessert. I always get the creme brulee (DH still did). I tried the moose this time. (You know, little guy with antlers and tongue?) It was great! I may have to get it every time. Overall, Le Cellier this trip gets a 10/10. The bad part of the evening was this was the night my camera began dying. No pics of my moose.

Liberty Tree Tavern (sans characters )
As is our tradition, Liberty Tree is our last dinner of every trip. Even with the removal of the characters, we kept with the pattern. The food was still great. The company around us was a bit disturbing - a lot of retentive parents refusing to let their kids enjoy themselves. But I digress. Everything was wonderful...except for the absent Goofy. It's just not the same without characters. We may change the tradition. I don't know. We left full...but sad. Overall I have to say 5/10 because it's only half the place it used to be.

Whispering Canyon Cafe (breakfast)
As a new tradition, we decided to eat at the WCC on departure morning. It was very good. The only damper on the meal was our impending departure. Overall a 10/10 b/c this is a tradition we will keep.


That's it for table services. I'll run through our counters and noteworthy snacks in my next post.