Disney Dining Deluxe Doesn't Do Us In -- a week in heaven with photos

[weswife]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing!!!! I enjoyed all of your pics.!!! Excellent reading too! My DS will celebrate his 11 b-day and the next day i will celecbrate my 40 b-day! He picked O'Hanna which he has done in the past, he enjoys it so why not do it again! For me they picked the Coral Reef, this will be our 1 st visit there!

I hope I can complete a review when I get back! Hopefully its 1/2 as good as yours! Great job!!!!

 

[SnwflkCts]

Very nice reviews. What an adorable family you all are!

I really liked how you fell in love with WDW on your first (and once in a lifetime) trip. The same happened to me! I told my DH that I just FELL IN LOVE with WDW -- and it was the MOST relaxed I had ever seen my DH -- so as you see -- we have been back a couple more times!

I think maybe I will add Coral Reef to my NEXT trip plan! It looked like fun!

Felt bad about the iced tea incident - really bizarre. I wouldn't have known how to handle it myself - and I think my DH would act exactly like your DH. Though I think a nice dry tee shirt would have been in order -- or something.

Thanks for taking the time to share!

 

[TillyMarigold]

Yes -- on the last trip, DS was given a little 'driver's license' that was a really sweet little touch; it seems as though all those kinds of extras are gone. I wouldn't mind if they even consolidated their menu and JUST featured burgers -- if you're going to do something, might as well do it right!

Sounds, too, as though your approach to DxDDP is the same as ours -- we have it, and then we sit down and order what it is we'd like to have for a meal without worrying if it is or isn't on the plan and it all works out very nicely!

DH and I were both given the driver's license when we ate at Sci-Fi this past September.

 

[TillyMarigold]

We so enjoyed our cm that on the way out, I mentioned to the manager how wonderful he had been. It turns out that they have special little cards you can fill out, and once a month they draw out a name from people who've been recognized specially by guests and they get something (maybe it was a gift certificate? it was something decent). I hope our guy won. Please consider doing this when you have exceptional service -- mention it to the manager. It really makes a difference to the cm.

The prize varies, but yes, it is often a gift certificate. More importantly if your CM wants to work for Disney long term, the carbon copy goes in his/her personnel file.

They're called "Guest Service Fanatic" cards I think, and you can get them from really any employee at all, but the people at Guest Services and the front desk of resorts will be most likely to know what it is.

 

[bleeps]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing!!!! I enjoyed all of your pics.!!! Excellent reading too! My DS will celebrate his 11 b-day and the next day i will celecbrate my 40 b-day! He picked O'Hanna which he has done in the past, he enjoys it so why not do it again! For me they picked the Coral Reef, this will be our 1 st visit there!

I hope I can complete a review when I get back! Hopefully its 1/2 as good as yours! Great job!!!!

I hope you have a wonderful trip -- how great that you and your son both have birthdays to celebrate! I definitely encourage you to do a review when you get back. It's a lot of fun, it helps make the magic last a little longer, and it's a nice little record to have for yourself of your magical WDW meals!

Glad you enjoyed ours and thanks for your kind words!

 

[bleeps]

Very nice reviews. What an adorable family you all are!

I really liked how you fell in love with WDW on your first (and once in a lifetime) trip. The same happened to me! I told my DH that I just FELL IN LOVE with WDW -- and it was the MOST relaxed I had ever seen my DH -- so as you see -- we have been back a couple more times!

I think maybe I will add Coral Reef to my NEXT trip plan! It looked like fun!

It's true, isn't it? WDW really can be a place where adults just slow down and relax and really enjoy themselves.

I hope you do try Coral Reef next time! It's on our list, again, for our next trip, and I'm really hoping they still have that fabulous mahi-mahi on the menu!

Thanks for your nice comments and feedback!

 

[bleeps]

DH and I were both given the driver's license when we ate at Sci-Fi this past September.

This is wonderful news! I know it's such a small thing, but it really makes me happy that they haven't given up on them all together!!

The prize varies, but yes, it is often a gift certificate. More importantly if your CM wants to work for Disney long term, the carbon copy goes in his/her personnel file.

They're called "Guest Service Fanatic" cards I think, and you can get them from really any employee at all, but the people at Guest Services and the front desk of resorts will be most likely to know what it is.

Thanks for the additional information. Giving back in a meaningful way to the CMs who really do make the magic feels wonderful!

 

[KarenC]

Citricos.

DS was wearing a clean, crisp white t-shirt (not an undershirt -- much heavier/nicer) and chinos. DH and I also had crisp chinos; DH had a nice polo shirt on and I had a nice blouse. I mention what we were wearing because this is the first and only time that we all kind of felt as though we were being looked down on. Now, we're hypersensitive -- I'll admit that -- and maybe something about sharing the same waiting area with V&A's and seeing all those folks dressed to the nines made us feel shabby? And there certainly were others in Citricos much less "dressed" than we were. But it got us off on a slightly uncomfortable foot.

Just reading through your reviews for the first time. This was EXACTLY our experience at Citricos, although we're not usually that sensitive. We're not strangers to fine dining and find that the really "classy" places NEVER make you feel out of place. We thought the folks at Citricos needed to get over themselves and realize the work in a restaurant that's part of a theme park. We had a decent meal but we all agreed it was the most unpleasant experience of our trip.

Do try Narcoosees--we had a wonderful meal there and wonderful service. They even held our table long after our ADR time because we were caught in traffic as a result of a downpour and flooding roads. Good thing, because that was my 50th birthday and my DH had a Little Mermaid cake made for me that was waiting for us at the restaurant!

 

[bleeps]

Just reading through your reviews for the first time. This was EXACTLY our experience at Citricos, although we're not usually that sensitive. We're not strangers to fine dining and find that the really "classy" places NEVER make you feel out of place. We thought the folks at Citricos needed to get over themselves and realize the work in a restaurant that's part of a theme park. We had a decent meal but we all agreed it was the most unpleasant experience of our trip.

Do try Narcoosees--we had a wonderful meal there and wonderful service. They even held our table long after our ADR time because we were caught in traffic as a result of a downpour and flooding roads. Good thing, because that was my 50th birthday and my DH had a Little Mermaid cake made for me that was waiting for us at the restaurant!

I can't tell you how much better it makes me feel to hear this!

We are definitely going to try Narcoosses now -- thank you very much for the recommendation. I'm delighted to hear that they treated you right on your birthday, too!

 

[TillyMarigold]

I can't tell you how much better it makes me feel to hear this!

We are definitely going to try Narcoosses now -- thank you very much for the recommendation. I'm delighted to hear that they treated you right on your birthday, too!

I agree, Narcoossee's had absolutely amazing service. My DH even asked the waiter if he happened to know who made the tea he had with dessert, and the waiter told him it's imported specifically for Disney, but then went in the back, found the box, and wrote down the company name and website address for them. We filled out a Guest Service Fanatic card for him. (The only other person we filled one out this trip for was our Wild by Design tour guide.)

 

[bleeps]

I agree, Narcoossee's had absolutely amazing service.

I'm definitely sold now! Thanks for sharing!

 

[flipflopmom]

Don't know if you are around any lately, but you owe my family roughly $600. That's the cost it took to upgrade the 4 of us to DxDp again! I was just browsing the dining reviews, and suddenly all the yummy foods we had last year came rolling back, the great appetizers, the convenience, the snacks, the snacks we brought back to bring home the magic. We had originally decided to try the regular dining plan, but YOUR review made me ask DH - "You sure you don't want to upgrade" and his response was "I think I do, see what you can get ADR wise.

A friend of his came back raving over Yachtsman, but I hadn't booked it due to the 2TS. So we have now added it, Chefs, Tony's, and will be returning to Y&Y. You enabler.

Another consideration for us was DD turning 10. She was not overly thrilled with the child's selections last year, and doesn't eat red meat, so we knew she would be somewhat limited, especially without appetizers. I am hoping she'll be more like your DS, and slowly try new foods. She has texture issues, so it can be a challenge. Her 3 year old sister is her opposite, loves steak, and will eat almost anything, in large quantities!

Thanks again for the reviews, especially from a parent of a Disney Adult child perspective!

 

[rachel09985]

Great reviews, looking forward to the rest!

Where is that Minnie Mouse Status in your picture? It is so cute!!

 

[bleeps]

Don't know if you are around any lately, but you owe my family roughly $600. That's the cost it took to upgrade the 4 of us to DxDp again!

Another consideration for us was DD turning 10. She was not overly thrilled with the child's selections last year, and doesn't eat red meat, so we knew she would be somewhat limited, especially without appetizers. I am hoping she'll be more like your DS, and slowly try new foods. She has texture issues, so it can be a challenge. Her 3 year old sister is her opposite, loves steak, and will eat almost anything, in large quantities!

Thanks again for the reviews, especially from a parent of a Disney Adult child perspective!

You know, if I had the $$ I'd give it to you! (Another great reason to win the lottery!!)

We just booked our next trip -- we're going back down in November. We debated the dining plan to get (or, at least I raised the question) and both DH and DS said, "Deluxe!" DH reiterated one big advantage from his perspective, which is that we spent next to nothing OOP for food (other than those frozen coffee drinks at AK that we love!).

Anyway, I really do hope you find that the adult plan for your daughter helps expand her horizons and that you enjoy all the places you'll be dining!!

 

[WDisneyMom]

Found your DR last night and just finished reading it all...FANTASTIC!!
P.S. We alslo had Greg in Nov at LeCellier and thought he was awesome!!!! best server of the trip! I wrote a brief overview of LeCellier and Greg in my Mini Trip/Dining review linked in my signature!

 

[bleeps]

Found your DR last night and just finished reading it all...FANTASTIC!!
P.S. We alslo had Greg in Nov at LeCellier and thought he was awesome!!!! best server of the trip! I wrote a brief overview of LeCellier and Greg in my Mini Trip/Dining review linked in my signature!

Excellent! I'm off to read your review right now!!

 

[WAHMto5]

Great reviews...thanks so much for sharing!

 

[bleeps]

Great reviews...thanks so much for sharing!

Thanks for reading and commenting!!

 

[Mocharilla]

Speaking, then, of the service. Ahem. So I was a waitress, back in my own olden days, so I am very, very understanding, appreciative, and tolerant of restaurant servers. I know how hard the job is. OK. And then there's the whole signature dining thing. I do think it is reasonable to expect superior service at these places. The guy we had was just, so.... obsequious, while at the same time kind of looking down his nose at us. Weird and contradictory, I know -- but it was as though he was going to make up for the fact that he somehow thought we didn't belong there by going overboard in the "and how may I be of service to you?" thing. He made us feel pretty uncomfortable, he made no effort to engage us or work with us on our choices (and didn't even comment on the stuff that went back barely touched, where in a fine restaurant it is usual to expect that if you don't eat much of what you were served that the waiter will ask you if there was a problem and try to fix it). [edited to add that in retrospect, it was unfair for me to say that dishes 'went back untouched' because that wasn't really the case -- DS and I just left a bit more than we usually would but that was more the sides than the mains. I think I wanted the cm to read my mind, and of course that's not reasonable nor fair on my part.]

Just joining in (super late ) and I'm not caught up to the end, but I just HAD to comment on this.

We went to Citrico's on our honeymoon last summer, and we dealt with a very similar thing. We had a female waitress who seemed to make it clear that we didn't belong there, and just decided to be overly snobby. We understand that it's a nicer restaurant, and we did nothing that, in our opinion, seemed any different. Dressed properly, acted properly, etc. But, she just seemed to be rude about us being there.

She proceeded to give us very strange/cryptic answers. Like, when we asked if bottled water was on the DxDDP when she offered it, she was like "It can be." and then proceeded to tell is "It's fine. It'll just disappear like the rest of them.". Then, we ordered the cheese plate, but my husband doesn't like blue cheese, so he left most of it, and she said "Ah, I see you're done with your cheese plate... Yes, blue cheese is only for those with sophisticated palettes, like all our food here." And then we were eating the decorative thing on the lemon cheesecake, and I asked "What is this made of? Is it actually edible?" as a joke, because we were curious after nibbling and wondering what exactly it was, and she just snatched the plate away and was like "Well, you've already EATEN half of it."

Just overall rudeness.

So, I'll stop hijacking your thread now. Just sharing a similar experience with strange/rude waitstaff.

Back to reading...

 

[bleeps]

Just joining in (super late ) and I'm not caught up to the end, but I just HAD to comment on this.

We went to Citrico's on our honeymoon last summer, and we dealt with a very similar thing. We had a female waitress who seemed to make it clear that we didn't belong there, and just decided to be overly snobby. We understand that it's a nicer restaurant, and we did nothing that, in our opinion, seemed any different. Dressed properly, acted properly, etc. But, she just seemed to be rude about us being there.

She proceeded to give us very strange/cryptic answers. Like, when we asked if bottled water was on the DxDDP when she offered it, she was like "It can be." and then proceeded to tell is "It's fine. It'll just disappear like the rest of them.". Then, we ordered the cheese plate, but my husband doesn't like blue cheese, so he left most of it, and she said "Ah, I see you're done with your cheese plate... Yes, blue cheese is only for those with sophisticated palettes, like all our food here." And then we were eating the decorative thing on the lemon cheesecake, and I asked "What is this made of? Is it actually edible?" as a joke, because we were curious after nibbling and wondering what exactly it was, and she just snatched the plate away and was like "Well, you've already EATEN half of it."

Just overall rudeness.

So, I'll stop hijacking your thread now. Just sharing a similar experience with strange/rude waitstaff.

Back to reading...

Wow. On the one hand, it makes me feel a little better to know it wasn't just us, but on the other hand the kind of comments your CM made were totally out of line!! And sorry that it had to happen on your honeymoon!

Also funny to me about the bottled water thing. We've learned to ask, "will this bottled water be covered by the dining plan, or would we be charged extra for it?" -- because on past trips we made the mistake of asking, "can we get the bottled water -- we're on the dining plan?" and a couple of CMs said "sure you can get whatever you want!" and then charged us for it. When we questioned (nicely) the charge, we were told -- "well it's not COVERED by the plan but you can order whatever you want!" We wondered if the CMs really thought that by pushing up the cost of the check they'd be increasing their tip -- didn't work on us!