The jabead Family went to Disney World! 3/23-3/30/13 COMPLETE

On March 28, 2013 the four of us divided and conquered...or at least half of us conquered Animal Kingdom, while the other two slept in. :rolleyes2

After riding Expedition Everest, my son and I decided to have breakfast at...





The breakfast menu...






I chose the...



Tonga Toast - Cinnamon French toast with warm maple syrup topped with fresh strawberries and bananas served with your choice of bacon or sausage - $10.99

Obviously this was nothing like the Tonga Toast at Kona Cafe. It was regular french toast topped with slices of strawberries and bananas. Nothing special, but tasty so I gave it a rating of 4 out of 5.



My son went with the...



Cha! Cha!'s Wild Waffle - Our very own smiling version of a freshly made Belgian waffle served with fresh strawberries, bananas and maple syrup and choice of bacon or sausage. $9.99


Again nothing special. He gave it a 3.


Although they don't accept Tables in Wonderland here, they do give a 10% discount on entrees to Annual Passholders so I saved $2.10.


It was fun to give this place a try, but there are many other places at Disney World where I'd rather have breakfast. ;)
 
Our lunch was at a place that is often reviewed so I'm going to make this one extra short. ;)





Menu pics...












We started by sharing a couple of appetizers...




Pork Pot Stickers





Wok-Fried Green Beans

We gave the pot stickers a 4 out of 5, while the green beans only received a 3.




For his entree, my son had the...



Crispy Honey Chicken - Tempura chicken, broccoli, carrots, honey sauce and choice of jasmine or brown rice

He rated this a 3 1/2.



I had only a side of two Pork Egg Rolls...



These received a rating of 4 from me.




And for our shared dessert...





We chose the...



Fried Wontons - Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream, honey-vanilla drizzle

This was the first time that DS tried these and he liked them a lot. We both gave these a 4 out of 5.


Again no Tables in Wonderland discount here, but I did receive a 10% Annual Passholder discount on my son's entree.​
 
While DS and I were at Animal Kingdom having our lunch at Yak & Yeti, DD and DH finally ventured out of our room at the Swan and walked over to the Beach Club to have lunch at...






They both ordered the...



Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bisque - Six-cheese blend on sourdough bread


They rated this a 4 out of 5.


Now the amazing thing to me about their lunch at Beaches & Cream is that they didn't have any dessert. :faint:
 


After our lunch at Yak & Yeti, DS and I went back to the Swan where we met up with the other two. Then the four of us headed to Downtown Disney to do some shopping, followed by a round of bowling at...




While there we decided that we needed a snack to hold us over until our late dinner ADR at Raglan Road.










As you can see from their menu, they offer a wide variety of food...everything from pizza to sushi. We decided to order this appetizer...



Loaded Fries - Crinkle-cut french fries smothered with nacho cheese, bacon, ranch, and scallions - $10.00

These were really good, we rated them a 4.


DH and DD also each had a Blue Moon...



They take Tables in Wonderland here so we received a 20% discount on our food and beverages.​
 
As mentioned previously, we had a dinner ADR that night at...




We went with two of our standbys here and shared two orders of Fish & Chips for our entree...






And finished up our meal by sharing the...

IMG_0321.jpg


Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding with Butterscotch and Custard Sauces (served on the side in small pitchers)


Pretty standard stuff for Raglan Road, but we enjoyed our dinner here. Overall the Fish & Chips received an average score of 4 and the Bread Pudding received a perfect score of 5. Raglan Road remains a Downtown Disney favorite! :thumbsup2
 


We began our next day, March 29, 2013, at DHS. My DH remained behind to make some work phone calls...which btw, could only be done by going outside on the balcony. Oddly, our AT&T cell phones did not work when we were inside our room at the Swan. :confused3 Also, we found that the wi-fi that you pay for as part of the daily resort fee at the Swan & Dolphin resorts was awful here too. I was posting a few live updates during the trip and several times I was forced to walk over to the Boardwalk and sit in the lobby with my laptop. Of course, my kids and DH (who was needing to do work emails) hated this. :( Now I suspect though that this had something to do with the location of our room, as I'd never heard of others experiencing these problems. But even though we paid far less for our room at the Swan than we would have during Spring Break time at the Boardwalk or Yacht & Beach Club and the room itself was perfectly fine (very comfy beds :thumbsup2 ), I doubt that I could convince my family to return to the Swan...or the technology "dead zone", as my DS referred to it. ;)

But I digress, so back to our food reviews which on this day did not begin until lunch. We had a bit of a disagreement about where to have lunch. I really wanted to try a couple of new (to me) things at Prime Time Cafe. My son, however, had looked at some online menus prior to our trip and decided he wanted to eat at Big River Grille. :confused3 My daughter wanted to remain neutral so we we didn't have a tie breaking vote. Therefore I decided that we would compromise and do both. :laughing: So for this reason, we skipped breakfast and started our food intake for the day with an early lunch ADR at...




For the first time ever, we were seated at a table with a t.v... :banana:





Here are photos of the menu posted outside, 'cause I forgot to take any when we were inside having lunch... :guilty:







Knowing that we were going to be having another lunch later, we decided to get just one entree for the three of us to share. Now I had seen many rave reviews of the fried chicken so I really wanted to try it. DS and DD though wanted the pot roast, so again we compromised and ordered the...



A Sampling of Mom's Favorite Recipes - Crispy-fried Chicken, Fork Tender Pot Roast, and Traditional Meatloaf with all the fixings -$20.99

I loved the fried chicken and liked the pot roast (which I'd had before), while the kids both loved the pot roast and liked the chicken. None of us cared for the meatloaf. So overall we gave the sampler platter a rating of 4 out of 5.




The other thing that I really wanted to try here was the...



Peanut Butter and Jelly Milk Shake - $5.29 (Rating of 6 out of 5)


I made the mistake of only ordering one of these for us to share, as I didn't think we would all like it. Boy, was I wrong!!! :worried: We all loved it and polished it off quickly. My son asked if we could order another one, but I convinced him that he should leave some room for our second lunch...the one he had requested. ;)


Because of this, we also passed on dessert but DS had fun looking at the dessert photos with the viewfinder...




With the discovery of the delicious fried chicken and PB & J shake, Prime Time Cafe is now on my "Must-do Every Trip" list. :thumbsup2
 
We have only missed 50's Prime Time on one trip. I LOVE that fried chicken!! The time we missed was because I wanted to try Hollywood Brown Derby instead. We almost missed it a second time because the only open day was when we had HDDR which would have been Chicken and Chicken... WE ended up hanging out at the Tune-in Lounge that trip though so I still got my fill of the Fried Chicken!
 
On our way to the Boardwalk to meet up with DH for our second lunch (his first), DS says he is tired and not hungry and would rather just go back to the room to take a nap. What?!?!:confused3

DD and I decided to go on with our plan without him and met my DH for lunch at...




It was a nice day so we chose to sit outside on the boardwalk and enjoy the warm weather and the beautiful view...













First a few menu pics...







DD and DH decided to share a Beer Sampler...



This was a great deal as it was only $7.50! They enjoyed sampling all of their microbrews, which included a light lager, pale ale, red ale, brown ale, a pilsner, a summer wheat, and a seasonal beer that I don't recall.




For an appetizer we all shared an order of...



1/2 Chicken & 1/2 Beef Nachos - Tortilla chips, creamy pepper jack cheese, sliced jalapeños, topped with pico de gallo and sour cream - $11.99


These were just okay, we gave them a 3 out of 5.


DH and DD each ordered a cup of the...



Beer Cheese Soup - $4.50

Again this was okay and given a 3. It was not nearly as good as the cheese soup at Le Cellier.


Then DH and I shared the...





1/2 share of the Mushroom Swiss Burger with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms, served with lettuce, tomato and Kettle chips - $12.75

Guess what...yep, this was just okay. Another 3.


So overall, other than the inexpensive beer sampler, nothing here was memorably good. We often stay at the Boardwalk so we might give BRG another try sometime but it's not a place I would go out of my way for to visit again. But to end on a positive note, they do take TIW here for a 20% discount. :thumbsup2
 
Hi Barb- I'm here :goodvibes
Those loaded fries look delish... and I agree with you about the No Way Jose...mmmmmmmmm, so very good
 
Our dinner that night was just a little further down the Boardwalk at...







Here are photos of the menu we were presented with that evening...







My DD started with a glass of White Sangria...





And we all had some of the bread, which I believe was sourdough...





For an appetizer, DD and DH shared the...



Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake with Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roast Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Remoulade - $17.00

They both rated this a 5.


I love the crab cake appetizer at Flying Fish but I also enjoy their Caesar Salad so I had to order the...



Our Signature Flying Fish Cafe Appetizer Duo: "Crispy Main Coast Jonah Crab Cake" and "Our Very Own Caesar Salad" - $16.00

This is a smaller portion of each of these great appetizers and for me this combo makes for appetizer perfection! I gave this a 5 out of 5. :thumbsup2


DS didn't find any appetizer or salad on the menu which suited his very limited tastes, so he stuck with the bread. ;)


For our entree, DS wanted the steak and I wanted the red snapper so I talked him into sharing the Signature Flying Fish Entree Duo for $47.00.


They brought this to our table already split, with my son having the...



Char-crusted Angus New York Strip Steak served with Haricot Vert, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Root Vegetables


While I had the...



Idaho Potato-wrapped Red Snapper over a rich Leek Fondue with a Veal Glace de Viande and Red Wine-Cassis Butter Reduction

My DD and DH also got the Entree Duo, but split the steak and red snapper equally.

All three steak eaters rated it a 4. DD and DH also rated the red snapper a 4, but I gave it a 5. :thumbsup2

Oh and by the way, like my appetizer duo, these were each a smaller portion than if you ordered just the steak or red snapper entree on its own. This was actually the perfect size for me, as after finishing it I still had room for a few bites of dessert.


And speaking of dessert, here are photos of the menu...








We couldn't agree on just one or two desserts, as everyone seemed to want something different. So we ended up splurging and ordering three desserts to share.

My DD's choice, which she pretty much kept for herself because it is one of her favorite Disney World desserts, was the...



Signature Flying Fish Cafe Caramelized Banana Napoleon - Crisp Phyllo, Banana Mousse, Creme Caramel, Exotic Fruit Coulis, and Bitter Chocolate - $8.00


That left the other two choices for the rest of us to share...




PB&J Creme Brulee - Raspberry Confiture, Double Chocolate Biscotto, and Chocolate Ganache Pipette - $7.00

I had seen this reviewed here on the DIS and thought it sounded delicious, so I really wanted to try it. I was disappointed with this though, as it just wasn't as tasty as I thought it would be. DS ended up eating most of this.


And we also had the...



Caramel-Chocolate-Brioche Bread Pudding with Vanilla-Praline Gelato, Spicy Pecan Brittle, and a Cinnamon Anglaise Sauce - $8.00


From the description, doesn't this sound like it would be delicious? Well, in reality it wasn't anything special. :worried:


So although I love the rest of the food that I've had at Flying Fish, after this third visit here I had still not found a dessert that I loved. That problem was solved during my next visit to FFC in December, when Paula's DH, Hunter, arranged for us to sample this delicious frozen dessert cocktail...




- Photo taken by Rachel (rachel09985) -




This was actually on the menu when I was there in March, but I completely overlooked it. So now I'm hoping that it will still be on the menu when I return to Flying Fish in May to have dinner with Paula & Hunter and Brenda & Michael. If not, perhaps Hunter can again work some of his dessert magic and get the bartender to make it for us anyway??? ;)
 
I've always had good luck with the desserts at FF. The exception was the trio of boardwalk treats; I just didn't care for it. But that frozen PB concoction looks divine! FF is the one place I always make a point to get an ADR. I'll be there in May and will be looking for the PB drink.
Thanks!
 
We have only missed 50's Prime Time on one trip. I LOVE that fried chicken!! The time we missed was because I wanted to try Hollywood Brown Derby instead. We almost missed it a second time because the only open day was when we had HDDR which would have been Chicken and Chicken... WE ended up hanging out at the Tune-in Lounge that trip though so I still got my fill of the Fried Chicken!


I am so happy that you guys were able to switch your Prime Time ADR to an earlier day so that I could join you. While I still would probably have done this one solo, I think it would not have been nearly as much fun. ;)




Hi Barb- I'm here :goodvibes
Those loaded fries look delish... and I agree with you about the No Way Jose...mmmmmmmmm, so very good

Hi Beth! I wish there was going to be time for us to have a No Way Jose together. Sadly, I didn't get there during the December trip and probably won't be able to fit it in on this next one either. Maybe October??? :)
 
I've always had good luck with the desserts at FF. The exception was the trio of boardwalk treats; I just didn't care for it. But that frozen PB concoction looks divine! FF is the one place I always make a point to get an ADR. I'll be there in May and will be looking for the PB drink.
Thanks!


I would definitely recommend it Fran, it was delicious! :thumbsup2

When will you be there in May? My next trip is from 4/27 - 5/4.
 
I would definitely recommend it Fran, it was delicious! :thumbsup2

When will you be there in May? My next trip is from 4/27 - 5/4.

I'll be there May 14-21. I haven't been since my trip last May so I'm excited. I'm going to try to sneak in a trip in October, too.

I hope you & your family have another great vacation. Can we look forward to dining reviews?
 
I'll be there May 14-21. I haven't been since my trip last May so I'm excited. I'm going to try to sneak in a trip in October, too.

I hope you & your family have another great vacation. Can we look forward to dining reviews?


Actually this trip will again be a solo one, like my last trip in December. Luckily, Paula & Hunter and Brenda & Michael are allowing me to tag along with them to many restaurants so I will only be having a few meals on my own. And yes, I hope to do a dining report. Hopefully I will be able to finish this one (it's only taken me about a year :laughing: ) and our joint one from the December trip soon and then I'll get the next report started.

Oh, and if you happen to end up going during the last week of October, please let me know. :thumbsup2
 
Barb,

So glad to see you decided to finish your dining review. I admire your perseverance!

We've eaten at the Big River Grille in Nashville and also had the chicken nachos. I agree with you, they were just ok.

Seeing your pictures of a Flying Fish makes me want to give it another try.

So glad you've got future trips planned!
 
Barb,

So glad to see you decided to finish your dining review. I admire your perseverance!

We've eaten at the Big River Grille in Nashville and also had the chicken nachos. I agree with you, they were just ok.

Seeing your pictures of a Flying Fish makes me want to give it another try.

So glad you've got future trips planned!


Hi Rachel! :wave2:

Thanks for popping in here to read and comment. I know these reviews aren't all that interesting since they are almost a year old now, so I really appreciate knowing that there are a few people out there reading along. :)

I didn't realize that BRG was a chain restaurant...or that it at least has one other location. Thinking about their menu though, that kind of makes sense. It's typical "chain restaurant" menu is probably what appealed to my very unadventurous (when it comes to food) son. I was pretty perturbed with him though when he chose this place and then bailed on us. :(

It looks like you are planning an early-summer trip. I hope you are planning to do a dining report? ::yes::
 

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