DxDp was Pure Torture! (In a Good Way Of Course!) 1 Adult & 1 Child Review

[budafam]

Hi everyone! I am back from our trip and so excited to do my first dining review. We booked our trip on October 1st for the following dates: October 30th-November 4th and surprisingly we got a lot of GREAT ADR's considering how close we were! I was also pleasantly surprised when I realized it was during free dining. I upgraded to the Deluxe plan since we were staying at Pop and I'm glad I did. The meals gave us time to take a break during the day and my 5 year old son made it through everyday from rope drop till park close! I'm so proud! lol...

I'm 28 years old and this was my 2nd time to Disney. (1st time flying there - only 2nd time flying ever). My favorite foods include anything that lives in the water. I am a big seafood fan. I also love good homestyle meals such as pot roasts, meatloafs, chicken, mashed potatoes, etc. The hearty stuff

DH & DD3 stayed home on this trip and I surprised DS with the news at 3am the morning of departure that we were about to get on an airplane and go to Disney! He was THRILLED!!!

DS5 is a typical boy. He loves to play, color & LOVES everything Disney. He is a bit of a picky eater but has become much more adventurous recently. His favorite foods are pizza, pancakes & sweet stuff. He loves chocolate milk but hates chocolate cake or cookies.

We are from Wisconsin so cheese & milk are staples to us. I'm pretty sure I ordered milk at almost every meal (the soda gets old with the refillable mugs real fast)!

Here is our list of ADR's:

Arrival Day - October 30th - MK Day - MNSSHP
Dinner - The Plaza

October 31st - Epcot Day
Lunch - Biergarten
Dinner - Coral Reef

November 1st - Animal Kingdom Day
Breakfast - Ohana
Lunch - Yak & Yeti
Dinner - Boma

November 2nd - Hollywood Studios Day
Breakfast - Hollywood & Vine
Lunch - 50's Prime Time Cafe
Dinner - Brown Derby

November 3rd - Magic Kingdom Day
Lunch - Liberty Tree Tavern
Dinner - Narcoossee's

Departure Day - November 4th - Magic Kingdom Day
Breakfast - Cinderella's Royal Table

We also took advantage of Food & Wine while we were there... and used some leftover snack credits on a few boxes of candy to take home. All in all, I really enjoyed the DxDP. I would take advantage of it again but try to book less meals and more signatures to use up the credits. 3 meals a day IS difficult. I didn't really believe it before I went but wow, it was pure torture some days.

Thanks for joining in and reading Enjoy!

 

[budafam]

This was our arrival day. Our flight landed at 10:50 and we were in our room at Pop by 12:15. We went right to the food court to get a snack & our refillable mugs.

We chose nachos to be our first snack credit useage.

Since I hadn't eaten anything yet (nerves due to flying!) This hit the spot. DS gave it a 3 out of 3.

At 3:00 we headed over to MK and waited for 4:00 to be let in with our MNSSHP tickets. Our ADR at The Plaza was for 4:20. We went straight to the restaurant and checked in. They got us in at 4:15.

I ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich which came with a salad.

DS got a mixed salad and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich that came with grapes & bananas.

For dessert I got the New York Style Cheesecake that came with strawberries. This was excellent. Very creamy and the strawberries had a great flavor. I was pretty full by this time and only ate about half.

DS got the Mickeylodeon with strawberry ice cream. He loved it... it was so cute!

DS's rating: 3 out of 3. We would return here when we have to pay OOP. It was a bit of a waste using the dining plan but it was all we were able to book. I'm glad we tried it.

We spent the rest of the night enjoying the festivities. MNSSHP was so much fun. We did a little trick or treating and ended up with this much candy:

We also ended up purchasing a soda & cute Mickey ghost popcorn bucket. I just couldn't help myself. We lasted till midnight and then crashed... hard.

 

[budafam]

We arrived at Epcot shortly after opening. It was raining. This was our first experience at Disney in rain. I was hoping it would clear up before the afternoon because I was planning on some Food & Wine Festival action and I didn't think the rain would mix well with those plans!

Around noon, the rain started to taper off and we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. Here are the snacks we had:

Australia:

Grilled Lamp Chop with Potato Goat Cheese Salad & Shiraz Reduction

I thought this was nasty. The lamb was good (I had never had lamb before) but the goat cheese/potato salad was so bad, I only took one bite. DS wouldn't even try it.

Shrimp on the Barbie with Pepper Berry Citrus Glaze

I thought this was great. The shrimp were plenty big and there was lots of flavor... pretty spicy as well (I love hot stuff!) Despite DS loving shrimp, he refused to try this. I think it was the rain that was bothering him at this point.

Mexico:
Shrimp Taco

Amazing. Loved this and so did DS. I couldn't believe he actually tried it with all that cabbage on there. He took 3 bites and wanted to go back for another one! The only complaint was that there could've been more shrimp... they sure stuffed it full of cabbage though.

China:
Pork Pot Stickers

This was my first pot sticker experience and I was not impressed. They were very chewy and doughy like. Not much filling at all and the sauce that was with them was too strong for me. I was really looking forward to these so it was a bit of a let down. DS wouldn't even touch them.. lol.

South Korea:
Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw

I liked these a lot. The sauce was good and the flavor was plentiful. There was a bit too much lettuce IMO but I guess that's why they're named that.. lol! DS wouldn't try these either

By this time, we were up to Germany and STUFFED! Time for lunch... yay for the DxDP!!! haha... we were about 30 minutes early for our reservation but they took us in just in time to catch the last 10 minutes of the music show. We were seated on the second tier (right above the floor seating) with another family. Here are some food pics:

We opted for milks... had I not been with DS, I would've loved to try one of those mugs of beer. The family we were sitting with was from Pittsburgh. They were very friendly and super nice. We talked with them for the rest of the time there and I forgot to take pics of our desserts

All in all, we loved Biergarten. I would return but next time, make sure I'm hungry (and thirsty). It was a neat atmosphere and the service was fantastic. DS also loved it. He said it got a 3 out of 3.

 

[budafam]

After Biergarten we took a boat back to Future World to use our FP from the morning for Test Track (DS's fave ride). After that we took a walk around the other side of the WS and ended up at the American Theater where my favorite band was playing that night, Hanson. We got in line and spent the next 2 hours waiting for the 2nd show. We had a front row seat and I loved every second of it. Afterwards we went over to Hops & Barley (the one I had been looking forward to the most!

Linda Bean's Lobster Claw Cuddler with Drawn Butter

opened:

This was my favorite by far. I wish I would've sat there and used all 20 snack credits on just claws. Yum. DS tried it and liked it as well. We also got:

Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster Roll

This was great as well but going from the claw to the roll just didn't do it justice. There was a heavy mayo flavor to it. If I'm going to eat seafood, I like it to just be plain (well, with butter of course)... I don't like mixing it or making salads out of it. It was good though.

After we ate, we headed to the boat and caught the last one for the night back over to Future World. We made our way to Nemo and rode then went over to Coral Reef. We were seated within 2 minutes of checking in and we got a booth up on the top tier

I ordered the crab cakes, lobster ravioli & chocolate wave. All were absolutely excellent. Even though I was still pretty full, I managed to polish everything off. Our waiter was fantastic as well! I was really worried about this one because of all the bad reviews but that just goes to show you, you should try it out for yourself!

DS ordered the cheese pizza and a make your own sundae for dessert. He also got a plastic dolphin on his drink cup. He loved everything and gave this place a 200 out of 3. lol... yeah, our number scale went a little tipsy after this meal.

before:

after:

I would go back here even if we weren't on the DP. It was just over $60 for everything we had. It was very loud but I've come to expect that at any restaurant in Disney.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Enjoying the reviews so far! How much fun is a Mom & Son trip?! I didn't get to have mine until DS was 12 and I will treasure the memories always!

 

[budafam]

Enjoying the reviews so far! How much fun is a Mom & Son trip?! I didn't get to have mine until DS was 12 and I will treasure the memories always!

Omgosh, it was the best! DS was so well behaved the entire time and he had sooo much fun. I really loved spending time with just him and getting to see more of his personality. In 2 years, I plan to take DD when she's 5.

 

[budafam]

This was our AK day. We had an early ADR (7:30) at Ohana's. Our bus driver took us right to Poly instead of having us take the monorail. We really enjoyed this meal. DS had no idea about the characters so he was pleasantly surprised. He loved the parade as well. The food was excellent and so was the service.

Then DS got a cupcake for celebrating his bday. The waitress even sang to him. It was a wonderful surprise. Although we were too full to enjoy it, she packaged it up in a cup for us to take along.

DS gave this place a 500 out of 3. For our next trip I'm going to try for a dinner Ohana ADR.

We went to Animal Kingdom for the day. We stopped for a root beer float and it was excellent.

 

[budafam]

Our lunch ADR was for Yak & Yeti. I was a bit worried about DS at this one. We were seated within 5 minutes of checking in. We loved the decor. Our waitress said that everything in there had been brought in from India. Very cool. We were seated upstairs. I ordered the fried green beans & the mahi mahi. DS got chicken nuggets & french fries. I ordered him a root beer off of the DP.

These were sooo yummy! I ate them all. That probably explains why I could barely eat the entree. lol...

I found the fish to be ordinary. It was like something you could buy frozen and cook at home. I didn't care for the taste of the veggies at all but the rice was great.

DS loved the fries. He's not a huge chicken nugget fan but he ate a couple of them. Then it was time for dessert. I got the fried wontons and they did NOT disappoint. YUM!

DS got ice cream with a caramel sauce. He loved it.

I would return to this place but order something different. I probably wouldn't pay OOP for it though. DS gave it a 100 out of 3 so he must've really liked it.

 

[budafam]

We left AK after the parade. We ended up being about 10 minutes late to our ADR at Boma. They seated us within 2 minutes of checking in. This buffet is amazing. I couldn't believe how long it was! Everything was different and oh so good. I just wish we had been hungrier! The steak was the most standout dish I had. It was sooo good. Here are pictures:

I was very excited about dessert. They looked sooo good. Some of them were. I wasn't a fan of the coffee flavored items. DS got a surprise delivered to the table as well.

I will return here next time. DS loved it as well. He said 300 out of 3. We really enjoyed walking around the lodge as well. It was our first time there and that place is just simply amazing.

 

[budafam]

It was Hollywood Studios Day. We had an ADR before park opening and I was the first to check in. It was chilly this morning so we hung out in the bathroom to wait for 8:00... we went straight to the restaurant and my name was the first called. When we walked in, all of the workers & characters were crowded around the entrance and it was announced that we were the first family of the day. Everyone clapped... it was a great way to start off the day. We got a certificate saying that and then we were allowed to go up the buffet first.

DS's plate:

My plate:

The food here was excellent. The service was great as well. We got our check in plenty of time to make rope drop and the character interaction was fantastic. They had a couple of dance moments while we were there and DS got to participate. It was a very fun time and I would return for sure! DS gave this place a 3 out of 3.

After a few rides, we took a mid-morning break at Starring Rolls. I got the Butterfinger cupcake and DS got a strawberry parfait. Both were great but I'm not too huge of a chocolate fan so I only ate about 2/3rd's of it. DS downed about half of the parfait.

 

[vettegirl]

Great reviews! I am getting one of those lobster claws for sure on Thursday, that looks amazing!!

 

[donnaf516]

Great reviews - looking forward to more!

 

[MickeyNicki]

You have me missing Coral Reef and Y&Y...have not been in a few years, will have to add them in for our next trip!

 

[budafam]

We spent less than 3 minutes sitting on the couch in the "living room" at 50's Prime Time before getting told "Time to Eat!" lol... I loved this place. Just the decor alone was worth the ADR! We had a great waitress... she wasn't too loud and crazy but still threw in enough jabs to make it fun. I got yelled at while being on my cell phone... DH heard it on the other end and was laughing at me.. haha. While we were eating, the family across from us dropped a glass and it broke. The dad was so scared about the waitress finding out but when she did, she said Mickey pays for all those dishes anyways so no worries! lol...

I ordered the crab cakes & the sampler platter. The crab cakes weren't all that great. I didn't care for the seasoning on it but the sampler platter made up for it. It was simply amazing. Soooo good, I wish I had it right here, right now.

DS ordered chicken nuggets with fries & I got him a Mickey Be Bop light up drink. He loved it. We sparked the table next to us to order one (we should be getting paid commission for that! lol..)

For dessert I ordered a PB&J milkshake. It was amazing but there's just so darn much of it... I couldn't even suck down half of the glass full let alone start on the second cup full they give you! DS got another make your own sundae. This one came with a cherry on top which he was pretty excited about.

before:

after:

This place was awesome. I would return here in a heartbeat. I'm not sure if DH could handle the sarcasm (he's a very picky eater as it is) but I would gladly come here with the kids and try to get myself in trouble DS gave them a 2010 out of 3. lol..

 

[budafam]

We spent the afternoon going to the stunt show, seeing the parade and going on a few rides (ahem, TSM). DS wanted a snack so we attempted to buy a fruit cup but they were sold out so we got the apples & caramel.

Our dinner ADR was at Brown Derby. I was excited about this reservation but I was not hungry. Not one bit. Neither was DS. Still, we went and as soon as we were seated, we let our waiter know that we wouldn't be eating much since we've had so much already. We were also in a bit of a hurry... we wanted to get the ADR over with so we could get a few more things done to hopefully be able to catch Fantasmic in time.

The restaurant was a lot more fancy than I had expected. I ordered the Cobb salad and asked if that would be okay if that's all that I ordered. The waiter told me it would still be 2 credits per person and I knew that but I just couldn't justify ordering food that I know would just sit there

DS ordered a salad & a grilled cheese sandwich. The waiter took awhile to bring out the grilled cheese. He was talking with the table next to us. The man seated there seemed to be from another country. The waiter kept bringing out workers who were from the country to talk to the guy. I didn't mind until he started ignoring us and tending to that table a lot more. We had begun eating before those people had been seated. They had all 3 of their courses and were gone before we got our check.

Our waiter kept telling DS to take a few more bites. Just a couple more. Keep going. A few more. I had previously told him that we were stuffed from all the other food that day. Then he brought DS out a dessert that we didn't even order. He showed it to me behind DS's back and set it on the counter behind DS so he couldn't see it. Then he walked away. I got up, brought the dessert over and discovered it was chocolate. DS hates chocolate. He wouldn't even take a bite. It was all melted by that time anyways and finally the waiter came with the check. I didn't even take a picture of the dessert. I just wanted to get out of there by this point.

I won't go back there... the salad was not all that great, it's just a salad. DS gave this place a 1. He still says that he really hated the Brown Derby.

 

[budafam]

This was our full MK day. We got there for rope drop and had an amazing morning of walk on rides! We took a break mid-morning for a warm cinnamon roll and milk at Main Street Bakery.

Soooo yummy! They are huge!!! One was enough to share between the both of us. I think this may become a tradition.

Then we took a walk through the candy store.

For lunch we had an ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern. We checked in and were called in about 5 minutes. We had a nice window seat. Our waitress was great. Very attentive and had great timing I ordered the tavern fried cheese since DH is usually the one ordering that and I never get a bite. It was great! I loved the cheese curds. For an entree I got the pot roast. This was amazing. Very, very good.

DS got the cheese pizza. He liked it and had a lot of fun with the coloring pages they had there.

I got a root beer and loved the mug it came in.

For dessert, I got the Johnny Appleseed Cake. It came with ice cream and was soooo good.

I would love to return here. Excellent food & service. DS gave it a 30 out of 3.

 

[KatieCollette]

Nice reviews so far! I love your pictures, and also your nails with the Mickey on them

 

[skm]

Loved your reviews and photos! Thanks for sharing!

 

[sjs314]

Great reviews, everything looked so delish in your pics

 

[okmommy]

Sounds like a delicious week