"Good Food Is Like Music You Can Taste" - Sept DxDP Review, Family-Style! UPDATE 10/7
- Thread starter Wendy31
- Start date
Wendy31
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2005
Hi, everyone! Just wanted to let y'all know that I have NOT forgotten about this thread! I promise.
My grandfather passed away this past Saturday, so the past few days have been a little busy for us. He was 87, had congestive heart failure, &, within the last few months, had really started to get much weaker. While his death wasn't unexpected, it's been a little hard for my dad, my uncle, & my aunt. But, after 28 years, he's finally reunited with my grandmother in Heaven which is lovely to think about.
Anyway, I'll be back with more reviews soon!
My grandfather passed away this past Saturday, so the past few days have been a little busy for us. He was 87, had congestive heart failure, &, within the last few months, had really started to get much weaker. While his death wasn't unexpected, it's been a little hard for my dad, my uncle, & my aunt. But, after 28 years, he's finally reunited with my grandmother in Heaven which is lovely to think about.
Anyway, I'll be back with more reviews soon!
MickeyNicki
It is pretty darn sad when a valet picks you out a
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2005
I am so sorry for your loss 
Wendy31
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2005
I'm joining in! Great reviews so far and I love how you surprised the kids
Your meal at CRT sounds like it was a great experience - looking forward to reading more!
WELCOME to one of my fellow Sept diners!! Surprising the kids was VERY fun! Since it was rather early in the morning for them, they didn't quite "get it" at first! It was funny!
And I really did love our CRT experience! Like I said, we've eaten there previously, & this was our favorite time! I don't know if it was because it was our 1st night, so everything was just more "magical" since we had the whole trip still in front of us or if it really has improved that much!
Regardless, it was great!You kids are sooo cute! Loving your reviews, keep em coming...its helping me get revved up for my trip in 20 days
Thank you so much!! I LOVE reading your reviews!! I tried really hard to take as good & as many pictures as you, but I failed! LOL!
Creme Brulee is not my most favorite dessert, but, for some reason, I think I have to get the maple creme brulee at Le Cellier... I guess I think it just goes better with the restaurant?? Anyway, it was sweet, but not horribly sweet... but, then I have a sweet tooth. It was sweeter than I remember the creme brulee at Kona being - the only other place I think I've had creme brulee. My favorite part was the carmelized topping - but, of course, it was crunchy like candy & probably did have little bit of a maple-y candy taste & texture to it. Hope that helps a little! I like flan & panna cotta better, so I kind of expect that same kind of texture with creme brulee. I didn't think it had "set" enough, but, maybe, since I'm not a regular creme brulee connoisseur, I don't know what I'm talking about! LOL!
I'm loving your reviews-we're going in Dec with the Dlx DP for 2 wks & your family reminded me of ours,even down to our sons matching baby curls(we're doing Harmony for his first cut too) except we'd be the people next to you at Le Celliercan't wait for more!
Thank you!! You will love the Harmony Barber Shop! It was a wonderful experience!! Oh, and we became the people next to us at Le Cellier as well! I told DH he had spoken too soon! Just wait for that story!!
Thanks!! I'm glad we're not the only ones who think they look like pumpkin seeds! Isn't that cool if they are pumpkin seeds? I'm always impressed with the little details!
I am so sorry for your loss
Thank you both very much.
Wendy31
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2005
Monday, 9/12 - Continued
DINNER - Garden Grill
We've had hits & misses with Garden Grill. In 2006, we loved it. In 2008, we didn't. In 2010, we took part in Disney's "Give a Day - Get a Day" promotion. That summer, we went with my parents to St. Augustine for a week & drove down to EPCOT for our "Get a Day". My parents had only ever been to the Magic Kingdom & had never eaten at a character meal, so I booked our dinner at Garden Grill so they could "experience" the characters. However, after our Garden Grill lunch in 2008, I was a little worried - because my mother can be a little critical. But we were pleasantly surprised! The food was really good & fresh, & the characters were great.
So, when planning our ADRs for this trip, I really wanted to be sure we had a Garden Grill ADR. I think, if I'm remembering correctly, it's the only character meal with Chip & Dale. We also like how the restaurant slowly revolves through different scenes of "The Land" ride - it's just a really neat restaurant.
(I also wanted to be able to eat at the Kona Cafe as well, so we actually added a day to our trip so we could fit both in!
)
For whatever reason, the earliest ADR I could get was for 6:35 pm - at exactly 180 + 10 days out! I wasn't the only one who had problems getting an ADR - there were several threads at the time wondering what was up with Garden Grill. 6:30 is not too late for us to eat dinner - DH usually gets home from work around 7:00 pm, so we're used to later dinners. However, at Disney World, I normally try to schedule earlier dinners because I reason that, the later the ADR is, the more crowded it gets & the longer you have to wait to be seated. And, with 3 kids, the less time you have to wait, the better! So I was worried that we would have to wait a while to be seated.
And, thankfully, I was wrong!
We even checked in early (about 6:15-ish) & were seated within 5 minutes!
As an aside - With a few exceptions, we were seated quite timely at all of the restaurants this trip! What ended up taking a long time was the actual meal itself - not because we eat slowly - but because there so much lag time between the server taking our order, the time between courses, & getting our check & paying! This was not our experience in 2008, & this change has really made us rethink the DxDP for our next trip. But more on that later!
Back to Garden Grill -
We were seated at one of the half-circle booths on the lower level which was great - it gives you a good view of all the different scenes as you revolve through "The Land". I also like these booths because you kinda feel like you're in your own little world. The problem with the tables at these booths, though, is there isn't a lot of room when you start adding plates & the various platters. It gets crowded quickly. From where I was sitting, it was hard to maneuver to take pictures. So, sadly, here is another meal where I don't have a lot of photos of our food!
Our server was... different. He was "fake-helpful", if that makes sense. Meaning, he thought he was really good, but, aside from his talkative nature, he really wasn't.
When he first came to our table, he introduced himself & told us about the Garden Grill - the different courses, how the characters came around, etc. He told us to save room for dessert because that was the best part - and he should know because he used to be a pastry chef. When he came back with our drinks & a bread basket, I said something like, "So you used to be a pastry chef?" And he was quite delighted to tell me that he had, in fact, gone to the same pastry school as Emeril Lagasse. And, oh, the stories he could tell me about Emeril! In fact, according to things he'd heard, Emeril was not a good dessert chef at all, & he (our server) could make a better dessert than Emeril could. Emeril, according to him, has a great personality but isn't a really that good of a cook.
Ookay.
What I wanted to say - So, being that you're a better dessert chef than Emeril, why aren't you, oh, I don't know, making pastries at some really good restaurant or bakery? Or, why aren't you working at the Grand Floridian or Boardwalk bakery? Instead of serving at the Garden Grill?
What I said instead - Really? I didn't know that about Emeril.
Anyway, the bread was good - especially with the maple butter!
After our server thought we had a sufficient amount of time with our bread & drinks, he brought out the salad. The food at Garden Grill is served "family-style".
DH liked the salad - he said it was, wait for it, "alright". Older DS & I don't like ranch dressing, and the salad at Garden Grill comes with it already on it. I knew this but had forgotten. In 2008, I asked for & received a plain salad for myself. But our server this time was rather... slow, so I didn't bother. DD likes ranch dressing but doesn't like lettuce, so she didn't try any either.
Right about the time Mickey visited our table, our server came with our platter of the main course items. Instead of just leaving the platter & moving on, he stands at our table with the platter in his hand & watches as we try to get around him with 3 kids (1 of which is NOT happy with the characters yet) & 3 autograph books. So, since he's standing there (in the way!), I take the platter from him, place it on the table, hand him our camera, & ask him to take a picture of all us with Mickey.
For some reason, though, I neglected to take a picture of the platter. I think I was busy with characters & autograph books.
We were served 2 pieces of flank steak with some sort of cream sauce over mashed potatoes, 2 pieces of plain broiled fish over rice, and 2 pieces of turkey over some sort of corn-vegetable medley with some cranberry relish on the side. In addition, he brought us a kids' platter of baked chicken legs and some macaroni & cheese.
The flank steak was good as were the mashed potatoes. The steak was tender, & the cream sauce was good. At first, I was afraid it was horseradish sauce, and it may have been, but I didn't really taste horseradish. The fish was okay. I didn't taste the turkey because we gave it to the kids. I nibbled at some rice which tasted fine but didn't try the corn medley. I missed the dressing that is normally served with the turkey. The cranberry relish was really good - nice & tart yet sweet & very fresh-tasting. Nothing was awful, but nothing was really great either.
DD ate some turkey, a chicken leg, & some macaroni & cheese. Older DS ate some turkey, some fish, a chicken leg, some rice, & some macaroni & cheese. Younger DS ate some turkey, some rice, & some macaroni & cheese.
The problem with these platters is there really isn't enough of each item for everyone to have a serving. Our platter probably had maybe a serving & 1/2 of the mashed potatoes, 1 serving of the vegetable medley, & 1 serving of the rice.
So, when our server came back to check on us & ask if we needed any more of anything, we said we'd like some more flank steak, mashed potatoes, fish, & chicken legs. He then asked, "How many more chicken legs?"
I don't know? Maybe 3?
We don't eat alot, but it did feel a little like they were being somewhat stingy with the food.
Well, of course, it takes FOREVER for him to bring a 2nd platter back! At one point, he walks by our table, & says, with a wink, "I haven't forgotten about you! Another server grabbed your platter by accident & gave it to another table."
Honestly, it's not like all this stuff is not already made & ready in the kitchen. How long does it take to go the kitchen, dish up a platter, & take it to a table?
Eventually, we were served dessert! According to our server, the best part. And it probably was! LOL!
Here's the kids' dessert, a cookies & cream mousse...
He brought 3 kids' desserts which was nice. I tried some of younger DS's, & it was really good.
For reference, though, here's a picture of the kids' dessert from 2010...
Notice the missing brownie from this year's picture?
And, finally, here's our dessert...
In 2010, the dessert was a strawberry-rhubarb cobbler which was wonderful! My dad LOVED it. This year, it was a strawberry-peach cobbler which was still good, but not as good as 2010. I do like how, at the Garden Grill, they use homemade whipped cream for the topping instead of ice cream. Very yummy!
However, by contrast, here's a pic of our dessert from 2010...
Notice how much more whipped topping there is? Also, behind the dessert, is the platter of the main course items - this was our 3rd platter (for 4 adults & 2 kids) brought to our table w/o our asking. So there was definitely a difference between 2010 & 2011.
As always, the character interaction at Garden Grill was good. The characters at Garden Grill seem to always take a bit more time, & they come around to the tables frequently - which is one reason why I'll probably book another ADR here.
Our younger DS was still not used to characters & was especially afraid of the furry characters! Each one took special time with him & tried to play a little with him. It didn't work... yet. He eventually warmed up to the characters & even loved them. But not at Garden Grill! LOL! DH & I really appreciated the characters' patience with him though.
In addition to Mickey Mouse, we saw Dale...
And Chip...
And Pluto...
While he would let his big sister hold him for Chip & Dale, I had to hold him to meet Pluto!
By contrast, here he is with Mickey & Pluto in 2010...
"What big noses you have!"
Anyway, back to 2011, our server also pointed out a hidden Mickey to us!
Here's a pic of the back side of the house that you see when riding "The Land". You can't see it from this pic, but the inside of the house (at least this room) is fully decorated! I just love Disney's attention to detail!
And, finally, here's a pic of the ceiling outside of the Garden Grill & over the Sunshine Seasons area.
Like I said, Garden Grill is a "hit & miss" restaurant for us. This year, it was maybe a bit of a "miss", but we'll probably give it another chance again. The food was okay. Our server was entertaining (although he probably didn't mean to be! LOL!) but slow. The character interaction was good. But our meal seemed to take FOREVER. We were seated around 6:20ish, & we were walking out around 8:20ish. And that's just really too long for us - it takes away from whatever else you've planned for the evening. But, also, 2 hours is really too long for kids - especially toddlers. If DH & I were dining by ourselves in one of the signature restaurants, I wouldn't mind it as much. At least though, the characters had plenty of time to come to our table multiple times!!
DINNER - Garden Grill
We've had hits & misses with Garden Grill. In 2006, we loved it. In 2008, we didn't. In 2010, we took part in Disney's "Give a Day - Get a Day" promotion. That summer, we went with my parents to St. Augustine for a week & drove down to EPCOT for our "Get a Day". My parents had only ever been to the Magic Kingdom & had never eaten at a character meal, so I booked our dinner at Garden Grill so they could "experience" the characters. However, after our Garden Grill lunch in 2008, I was a little worried - because my mother can be a little critical.
But we were pleasantly surprised! The food was really good & fresh, & the characters were great. So, when planning our ADRs for this trip, I really wanted to be sure we had a Garden Grill ADR. I think, if I'm remembering correctly, it's the only character meal with Chip & Dale. We also like how the restaurant slowly revolves through different scenes of "The Land" ride - it's just a really neat restaurant.
(I also wanted to be able to eat at the Kona Cafe as well, so we actually added a day to our trip so we could fit both in!
)For whatever reason, the earliest ADR I could get was for 6:35 pm - at exactly 180 + 10 days out! I wasn't the only one who had problems getting an ADR - there were several threads at the time wondering what was up with Garden Grill. 6:30 is not too late for us to eat dinner - DH usually gets home from work around 7:00 pm, so we're used to later dinners. However, at Disney World, I normally try to schedule earlier dinners because I reason that, the later the ADR is, the more crowded it gets & the longer you have to wait to be seated. And, with 3 kids, the less time you have to wait, the better! So I was worried that we would have to wait a while to be seated.
And, thankfully, I was wrong!
We even checked in early (about 6:15-ish) & were seated within 5 minutes!
As an aside - With a few exceptions, we were seated quite timely at all of the restaurants this trip! What ended up taking a long time was the actual meal itself - not because we eat slowly - but because there so much lag time between the server taking our order, the time between courses, & getting our check & paying! This was not our experience in 2008, & this change has really made us rethink the DxDP for our next trip. But more on that later!
Back to Garden Grill -
We were seated at one of the half-circle booths on the lower level which was great - it gives you a good view of all the different scenes as you revolve through "The Land". I also like these booths because you kinda feel like you're in your own little world. The problem with the tables at these booths, though, is there isn't a lot of room when you start adding plates & the various platters. It gets crowded quickly. From where I was sitting, it was hard to maneuver to take pictures. So, sadly, here is another meal where I don't have a lot of photos of our food!
Our server was... different. He was "fake-helpful", if that makes sense. Meaning, he thought he was really good, but, aside from his talkative nature, he really wasn't.
When he first came to our table, he introduced himself & told us about the Garden Grill - the different courses, how the characters came around, etc. He told us to save room for dessert because that was the best part - and he should know because he used to be a pastry chef. When he came back with our drinks & a bread basket, I said something like, "So you used to be a pastry chef?" And he was quite delighted to tell me that he had, in fact, gone to the same pastry school as Emeril Lagasse. And, oh, the stories he could tell me about Emeril! In fact, according to things he'd heard, Emeril was not a good dessert chef at all, & he (our server) could make a better dessert than Emeril could. Emeril, according to him, has a great personality but isn't a really that good of a cook.
Ookay.
What I wanted to say - So, being that you're a better dessert chef than Emeril, why aren't you, oh, I don't know, making pastries at some really good restaurant or bakery? Or, why aren't you working at the Grand Floridian or Boardwalk bakery? Instead of serving at the Garden Grill?
What I said instead - Really? I didn't know that about Emeril.
Anyway, the bread was good - especially with the maple butter!
After our server thought we had a sufficient amount of time with our bread & drinks, he brought out the salad. The food at Garden Grill is served "family-style".
DH liked the salad - he said it was, wait for it, "alright". Older DS & I don't like ranch dressing, and the salad at Garden Grill comes with it already on it. I knew this but had forgotten. In 2008, I asked for & received a plain salad for myself. But our server this time was rather... slow, so I didn't bother. DD likes ranch dressing but doesn't like lettuce, so she didn't try any either.
Right about the time Mickey visited our table, our server came with our platter of the main course items. Instead of just leaving the platter & moving on, he stands at our table with the platter in his hand & watches as we try to get around him with 3 kids (1 of which is NOT happy with the characters yet) & 3 autograph books. So, since he's standing there (in the way!), I take the platter from him, place it on the table, hand him our camera, & ask him to take a picture of all us with Mickey.
For some reason, though, I neglected to take a picture of the platter. I think I was busy with characters & autograph books.
We were served 2 pieces of flank steak with some sort of cream sauce over mashed potatoes, 2 pieces of plain broiled fish over rice, and 2 pieces of turkey over some sort of corn-vegetable medley with some cranberry relish on the side. In addition, he brought us a kids' platter of baked chicken legs and some macaroni & cheese.
The flank steak was good as were the mashed potatoes. The steak was tender, & the cream sauce was good. At first, I was afraid it was horseradish sauce, and it may have been, but I didn't really taste horseradish. The fish was okay. I didn't taste the turkey because we gave it to the kids. I nibbled at some rice which tasted fine but didn't try the corn medley. I missed the dressing that is normally served with the turkey. The cranberry relish was really good - nice & tart yet sweet & very fresh-tasting. Nothing was awful, but nothing was really great either.
DD ate some turkey, a chicken leg, & some macaroni & cheese. Older DS ate some turkey, some fish, a chicken leg, some rice, & some macaroni & cheese. Younger DS ate some turkey, some rice, & some macaroni & cheese.
The problem with these platters is there really isn't enough of each item for everyone to have a serving. Our platter probably had maybe a serving & 1/2 of the mashed potatoes, 1 serving of the vegetable medley, & 1 serving of the rice.
So, when our server came back to check on us & ask if we needed any more of anything, we said we'd like some more flank steak, mashed potatoes, fish, & chicken legs. He then asked, "How many more chicken legs?"
I don't know? Maybe 3?
We don't eat alot, but it did feel a little like they were being somewhat stingy with the food.
Well, of course, it takes FOREVER for him to bring a 2nd platter back! At one point, he walks by our table, & says, with a wink, "I haven't forgotten about you! Another server grabbed your platter by accident & gave it to another table."
Honestly, it's not like all this stuff is not already made & ready in the kitchen. How long does it take to go the kitchen, dish up a platter, & take it to a table?
Eventually, we were served dessert! According to our server, the best part. And it probably was! LOL!
Here's the kids' dessert, a cookies & cream mousse...
He brought 3 kids' desserts which was nice. I tried some of younger DS's, & it was really good.
For reference, though, here's a picture of the kids' dessert from 2010...
Notice the missing brownie from this year's picture?
And, finally, here's our dessert...
In 2010, the dessert was a strawberry-rhubarb cobbler which was wonderful! My dad LOVED it. This year, it was a strawberry-peach cobbler which was still good, but not as good as 2010. I do like how, at the Garden Grill, they use homemade whipped cream for the topping instead of ice cream. Very yummy!
However, by contrast, here's a pic of our dessert from 2010...
Notice how much more whipped topping there is? Also, behind the dessert, is the platter of the main course items - this was our 3rd platter (for 4 adults & 2 kids) brought to our table w/o our asking. So there was definitely a difference between 2010 & 2011.
As always, the character interaction at Garden Grill was good. The characters at Garden Grill seem to always take a bit more time, & they come around to the tables frequently - which is one reason why I'll probably book another ADR here.
Our younger DS was still not used to characters & was especially afraid of the furry characters! Each one took special time with him & tried to play a little with him. It didn't work... yet. He eventually warmed up to the characters & even loved them. But not at Garden Grill! LOL! DH & I really appreciated the characters' patience with him though.
In addition to Mickey Mouse, we saw Dale...
And Chip...
And Pluto...
While he would let his big sister hold him for Chip & Dale, I had to hold him to meet Pluto!
By contrast, here he is with Mickey & Pluto in 2010...
"What big noses you have!"
Anyway, back to 2011, our server also pointed out a hidden Mickey to us!
Here's a pic of the back side of the house that you see when riding "The Land". You can't see it from this pic, but the inside of the house (at least this room) is fully decorated! I just love Disney's attention to detail!
And, finally, here's a pic of the ceiling outside of the Garden Grill & over the Sunshine Seasons area.
Like I said, Garden Grill is a "hit & miss" restaurant for us. This year, it was maybe a bit of a "miss", but we'll probably give it another chance again. The food was okay. Our server was entertaining (although he probably didn't mean to be! LOL!) but slow. The character interaction was good. But our meal seemed to take FOREVER. We were seated around 6:20ish, & we were walking out around 8:20ish. And that's just really too long for us - it takes away from whatever else you've planned for the evening. But, also, 2 hours is really too long for kids - especially toddlers. If DH & I were dining by ourselves in one of the signature restaurants, I wouldn't mind it as much. At least though, the characters had plenty of time to come to our table multiple times!!
TanzUnited99
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2010
Wow at the amount of time you spent at Garden Grill - we didn't even spend that long at some signature restaurants! 
I hope you get a good experience at Garden Grill on a future trip.
I hope you get a good experience at Garden Grill on a future trip.
luvmychaos
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2011
Your GG review reassures me that I made the right decision about not booking an ADR there - we CANNOT risk any drawn out meals -the natives would be waaaay too restless!! Keep em coming! Please
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