You Mean We Have to Eat Again? 1st time DLX Dining Review- Updated with Boma

[ldnoggle]

My parents and I just returned from a 5 night, adults only trip to the world for the Food and Wine Festival to celebrate my 29th birthday. We traveled Nov 3-8, stayed at CSR and had the Deluxe Dining plan. Since I learned so much from these boards, I thought I would post reviews of the places we ate. We made our ADRs at the 180 day mark, and for the most part planned either 1 or 2 meals a day, with a Signature dinner each night. The only one we did not keep was the last one- we switched Yachtsman's Steakhouse for Brown Derby just so we'd have more time at the Extra Magic Hours in Hollywood Studios.

Of course I read reviews for the pictures....but unfortunately I don't have pictures of most of our meals. I will just do quick reviews of our meals while they're fresh on my mind. I'll get started tomorrow!


Day 1 (Thurs, 11/3) Arrival Day
Food and Wine Booths
Spirit of Aloha Luau
Luau Food Pics

Day 2 (Fri, 11/4) Epcot Day
Sunshine Seasons
Food and Wine Booths
California Grill

Day 3 (Sat, 11/5) Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom
Boma
Snacks in MK
Flying Fish

Day 4 (Sun, 11/6) Hollywood Studios and Epcot
Starring Rolls
Sci-Fi Dine In
Narcoossee's

Day 5 (Mon, 11/7) Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios)
Pepper Market
Le Cellier
Hollywood Brown Derby

Day 6 (Tues, 11/8) Epcot, Departure Day
Pepper Market
Food and Wine Booths

Final Thoughts on DLX Dining

(As you can tell, we loved Epcot! We also took full advantage of having park hoppers)

 

[kayrosek]

Your list looks great. I can't wait to read your reviews. The color of type you have chosen is pretty hard to read though. It would be easier if it was a bit darker.

 

[lobsterkmd]

Yes please change the color of the font! I want to read your review but can't see thing

 

[jenandjuice]

Looking forward to your review!!

 

[pumba]

I cant read your post either...
But look forward to any ones reviews of restaurants..
I LOVE FOODIES..

 

[janeapplemeadow]

I'd love to read your report, but please change your type color. I couldn't read it at all.

 

[Tracerr00]

Signing on! Can't wait to hear about all of your meals! I hope they were great

 

[ldnoggle]

Sorry about the color in the 1st post- I fixed it! That's what happens when I'm writing using my iPad and click without looking to make sure my finger ended up on the right spot

So, our flight arrived at MCO on Thursday around 1:00 pm. By 2:45, we were checked into our room at Coronado Springs and on the (empty) bus heading to Epcot! Even though we had ADRs for the luau at 8:00, we hadn't eaten since breakfast and couldn't wait to sample a few Food and Wine snacks!

Australia Booth
Here, we tried the Shrimp on the Barbie with Pepper Berry Citrus Glaze. This was a great item to start with! All three of us ordered this- and none of us were disappointed! The shrimp were hot and fresh, and the citrus glaze had just the right amount of spice in it. The only problem I had was how to eat them without getting messy (since they were on the barbie and we were trying to walk and eat). This was one item that I had to repeat in the next couple of days!

Mexico Booth
Here, we shared a couple of Grilled Ribeye Tacos and the Strawberry Lime Margarita on the Rocks. The taco was good, but not great for me. The Chipotle Pepper Sauce on the taco was my favorite part...it was definitely a little spicy. Fortunately, I had the margarita to help with that! The strawberry lime margarita was awesome! It was another repeat later on in the trip. It was cool and refreshing...just what we needed after a couple of spicy sauces and a beautiful sunny afternoon!

By the time we sampled these booths and rode the rides in Mexico and Norway, we figured it was time to head back to the resort to see if our luggage was in the room so we could get ready to head to the Polynesian for a luau!

 

[ldnoggle]

After a stop back at Coronado to check on our luggage and change, we jumped back on (another empty!) bus headed toward the Magic Kingdom. From there, we grabbed the monorail and rode to the Polynesian! Since we were a little early, we had some time to explore....but before long it was time to head to Luau Cove!

**I actually do have pictures of this meal, and I'll post them as soon as my post count gets high enough**

Even after checking in, we had to stand and wait for about 30 minutes before we could enter. This was because the earlier seating had to clear out. Once we were allowed into the entrance area, we were able to at least order a drink! I got margarita...and it was pretty good. A word of warning though....if you go the luau and are wearing shorts or a dress, don't forget the bug spray! It was the one thing I forgot to pack and after standing and waiting for all that time, my mom and I left with our legs covered in mosquito bites!

Finally, we led to our table. If you've never been to the luau, everything is served family style and your drinks (including beer or wine) are included. We booked using our dining plan, which allows either Level 2 or 3 seating. We were really pleased with our seats for the show- our table was in the 2nd row back from the stage just to the left of center stage. Waiting for us on the table was the salad of mixed greens with mango-poppyseed dressing and pineapple coconut bread. This was so good! I eat salads because they are good for me, not because I love them- but I had seconds (maybe even thirds) of this. The dressing is SO good! The bread was great too. I'm more of a warm bread, soft butter person and this bread was not served warm, but it was almost like dessert in itself. My mom and dad loved the fresh pineapple served with this- but I don't eat pineapple so I focused on the bread and salad.

Not long after we were sat our server came by to explain the process and take our drink orders. Dad and I both stuck to beer and water (Bud Lights for us and I think Bud was the other choice). The wine choices were a Merlot, a Rose, or a Chardonnay. My mom ordered a Pina Colada and asked for it in the souvenir coconut.

Once the drinks were served, we didn't wait long on the main course! We were served a family style plater of BBQ pork ribs, roasted chicken, Polynesian rice, and veggies. So delicious! Both of my parents loved the ribs. My favorites were the chicken and the rice. I could have eaten platefuls of just the rice! Our server was great and never let our drinks get more than half empty before he was back with another.

For dessert, we were served the Volcano Delight, basically a chocolate mousse molded into a volcano shape. I really liked the raspberry (I think) sauce drizzled on top. There was a pineapple sauce on the bottom that I though was a bit tart- but then again pineapple isn't my favorite.

The Show: I've read a lot about the cheesiness of the show, while it is a little bit cheesy, we really enjoyed the dances. I really liked that the entertainment portion of the luau was pretty much embedded into the dinner, so the cast would kind of introduce the next course and then take a break to give you a chance to enjoy eating before coming back for the next part. Our favorite part was definitely the authentic dances at the end, leading up to the fire dancer.

Would we do it again: Yes. My parents actually went to the luau years ago, and my mom remembered it fondly enough to want to go again. I thought it was a great way to start our trip!

Dining Plan: We used 2 credits per person for this, so 6 total. Drinks and gratuity were included here.

 

[st4rrab0vemybed]

Great review so far, and looking forward to the rest! Also, looking forward to the pics. from the Luau. Happy Belated B-Day btw!

 

[TexasErin]

I'm in! Looking forward to more!

 

[ldnoggle]

Great review so far, and looking forward to the rest! Also, looking forward to the pics. from the Luau. Happy Belated B-Day btw!

Thank you! I'm already thinking that going back for next year's Food and Wine Festival would be a great way to spend my 30th!

I'm in! Looking forward to more!

Thanks!

 

[ldnoggle]

Here are a couple of pictures from the luau. You'll notice that most of them are more people than food...but you can get an idea at least

Mom's drink for the night, and you can see a bit of the bread and pineapple.

Entree platter. Roasted chicken, rice, veggies, and ribs.

 

[ldnoggle]

We made plans to spend our first full day at Epcot. The plan was to get there early, ride and get Fast Passes for Soarin' before it got too crowded, then start snacking our way around the World Showcase booths for lunch.

We managed to get to Epcot right before 9, and headed straight to Soarin'. We had about a 10 minute wait...and then we got to ride! We grabbed fast passes after we rode and then my dad and I decided to split something from Sunshine Seasons for breakfast. Originally, we had breakfast reservations at Akershus, but knew we wouldn't want to get up in time for the 8:00 am reservation, so cancelled it before we even left home.

At Sunshine Seasons, we split the Breakfast Panini. I don't see it on an online menu right now, but it was a hot sandwich filled with eggs, bacon, turkey, and cheese. It was really good! It came with a side serving of the breakfast potatoes that I think you see just about everywhere. The potatoes weren't my thing....I thought they were a little bland so dad got most of those. Splitting the panini was more than enough food for us for a semi-late breakfast.

The most amazing thing to us about this morning was that we did most of Future World and ate breakfast in 2 hours. This day of low crowds really spoiled us!

Dining Credits Used for this meal: 1
Total Credits Used: 7
Credits Remaining: 38

 

[ldnoggle]

(After typing all this, wow it looks like a LOT of food! Well, it doesn't just look like it...we did eat a lot! I just want to point out that the 3 of us split most things, and tasting all of this did take us most of the late morning/early afternoon with lots of walking and shopping in between tastes)

On Day 1, we started took a left upon entering the World Showcase and started with Australia. Today, we decided to start from the opposite direction. Of course my mom and I had an ulterior motive for doing this. Today was my birthday- and we wanted to start with dessert!

Desserts & Champagne
Oh my gosh. I cannot tell you how much we loved this booth. While I wouldn't call myself a foodie by any means (my brother takes that title), I worked in a fine dining restaurant during college, and my family enjoys eating out and trying new places and foods a lot. There are a couple things I'm almost always disappointed in when we go out- and desserts are one of those things. I have a major sweet tooth, and desserts always look so good- but it seems like they hardly ever measure up. Mom and I both ordered the dessert trio (it was my birthday, so I didn't have to share!), which came with samples of Lemon Chiffon, White Chocolate Macadamia Mousse with Dark Chocolate Pearls, and Tres Leches Verrine. These were like little slices of heaven. I tried the Tres Leches first because I thought it would be my least favorite. Wrong! It was so moist and the cinnamon on top just made it! I ate the Mousse next- and it had just hints of white chocolate. Again, no disappointment there. I saved the Lemon Chiffon for last, and it was my least favorite (this time). After the sweetness of the other two dishes it was just a little more tart than I was expecting. However, it was my mom's favorite of the three, so just goes to show that different people like different things!

Greece
Next was the Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey. No ones else would even try this, but this was one of the tastes I was most looking forward to. It was hot and obviously fresh off the grill. I love cheese and am obsessed with pistachios, so it was a perfect combination for me. For some reason I expected more of a grilled cheese type of dish, but it was definitely just the cheese- no bread. I loved it, but it was way too rich for me to finish by myself (even the small serving).

Ireland
I didn't sample anything from here, but my dad had the Lobster & Scallop Fisherman's Pie. He loved that it was steaming hot, and was very filling. He said that if you don't like mashed potatoes, don't get this dish because it tasted like it was mostly potatoes with a few pieces of lobster and scallops.

New Zealand
Here, Mom and I split the Seared Sea Scallop with Kumara-Red Curry Puree and Apple Radish Salad. We loved the scallop- it was cooked perfectly! I thought the curry was a really good compliment to the scallop, even though it didn't really have the spiciness I was expecting. I did not like the Apple Radish Salad, but my parents both liked it enough to finish it!

Singapore
All three of us split the Shrimp Cake on a Sugarcne Skewer with Singapore Noodles here. This was so good! There was so much shrimp and not a lot of filler in the shrimp cake. It was also piping hot, which helped make it delicious! It was crispy on the outside, which I also love. I didn't taste the noodles, but both of my parents liked them.

Hops & Barley
While my parents were waiting on their shrimp cake, I got in line for Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster Roll at this booth. I've read both good and bad reviews of this, but personally I loved it! The roll itself was warm and toasty on the outside and buttery and soft on the inside. The lobster was chilled and there was just enough mayo to make everything creamy and just good! Also, at more than $7, I think this was the best value for one of our snack credits we got!

South Africa
My mom and I stopped here to try the Seared Filet of Beef with Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Braai Sauce. We both thought it was good, but not great. The meat was a little tough, but it was served hot, and the sweet potatoes were really good!

After an afternoon of snacking our way around the World Showcase, we decided to head back to Coronado to rest a little before our dinner at California Grill!

Snack Credits Used: 8

 

[ldnoggle]

Even after all the eating we did at the Food and Wine booths, we were still ready for dinner at the California Grill! My parents were especially excited about this, as I'd never been in the Contemporary before (that I can remember) and they stayed there during their first trip to Disney not long after it opened.

We took a bus from Coronado to Magic Kingdom and were planning to hop on the monorail (or walk) to the resort- but once again we were on a totally empty bus except for us and the driver surprised us by taking us straight there after making sure it was okay! He saw my birthday pin and heard us talking about dinner and said it was a birthday surprise. It was such a nice gesture and just another example of Disney getting customer service right! We were actually nearly an hour early for our ADR time, so figured we'd just have a couple drinks at the bar. Surprisingly, we were seated about 5 minutes after checking in. Even though we didn't get a window seat, we were really happy with our table. We were right by the kitchen, and had lots of fun watching the final prep of so many dishes. It was also a nice touch to see confetti on the table for my birthday!

I'll say up front that this meal took well over 2 hours. I know this would be a turn-off for many people, but we really liked being able to sit back and relax and not rush over meals. This was the longest meal of the week, but we did step outside for Wishes. All of our signature dinners took about 2 hours. Again, I know for some that is a huge waste of what could be park time, but for us with no kids it was great at the end of long days!

So...what did we eat and what did we think of it?

Appetizers
I started with the Triple Cheese Flatbread

Mom had a crab and avocado stack- which I don't see on a menu right now and Dad had the California Roll. (Sorry for the bad cropped iPhone pics)

We absolutely loved our choices! I guess the best evidence of that is that none of us wanted to even taste anyone else's! And we all ate every single bite!

Entrees
Based on our server's recommendations as well as what we kept on seeing leaving the kitchen, my mom and I both ordered the Oak-Fired Filet of Beef. It is now served with purple mashed potatoes. My dad ordered Bison Filet with Black Truffle Macoroni and Cheese.

Wow. I was a little nervous about this meal after reading some not so great reviews right before left. I shouldn't have worried at all. The steaks were cooked perfectly (medium for me and dad, medium well for mom), the sauce complimented the filet beautifully, and the purple potatoes- I have no idea what was in them, but they were wonderful! Dad definitely preferred our filets to his bison because the filets were much more tender than bison. I tasted the bison and didn't find anything wrong with it- but had to agree that the filet couldn't be beat. We were almost finished with our entrees when Wishes started- and we left them to go watch most of it. Of course everything was cold by the time we got back....but Mom and I finished the last couple of bites anyway because it was THAT good! I never finish steaks when we eat out, but I wasn't leaving any of this! Somehow though, we still found room for dessert.

Desserts
For dessert, I had the Bananas and Caramel.

This was good- but not so good that I wouldn't try something else next time.

Mom had some sort of cheesecake (sorry, I can't remember the flavor and its not on the menus that are online) served with coconut ice cream and dad had the Valrhona Chocolate Smores Cake. Again, it's not the one on the current online menus. It had a molten chocolate center and was served with a homemade marshmallow and peanut butter ice cream with a graham cracker crust. This was delicious and definitely the winner! My parents made fun of me because we had just been talking about how chocolate cake desserts always sound and look so wonderful but never taste as good as you hope. This was wonderful (and I had to steal a little of it from dad). I definitely ate my words on this one.

This meal was so amazing, as was the service. Our server was always there to refill our drinks or remove plates at the right time, but definitely didn't hover or rush us at all. After eating here, we wondered if any of our other meals would measure up.

Dining Credits used for this meal: 6 (2 per person)
Total Meal Credits used: 13
Meal Credits Remaining: 32

 

[starousse]

That meal looked amazing, especially that chocolate smores dessert. YUM!! I'm really looking forward to this dinner now. The online menus don't show that Bison dish or that new dessert. I hope it's there next month when I'm there.

I'm looking forward to hearing more of your reviews

 

[ldnoggle]

That meal looked amazing, especially that chocolate smores dessert. YUM!! I'm really looking forward to this dinner now. The online menus don't show that Bison dish or that new dessert. I hope it's there next month when I'm there.

I'm looking forward to hearing more of your reviews

Thank you! While we enjoyed all of our meals, this was the one that all of us agree on being a must-do repeat if (when?) we go back! I hope they're on the menu for you too, especially the dessert!

 

[ldnoggle]

Since our plan was to spend today in Animal Kingdom, and I knew we couldn't visit Disney without a breakfast at Boma, it made sense to eat here on this morning. It was a 5-10 minute cab ride over to AKL from Coronado, then we were able to catch the Animal Kingdom bus after our meal.

I know this is a dining review, not a trip review, but I can't say anything about Boma without at least mentioning how beautiful Animal Kingdom Lodge is! I was a little confused about where Boma was located, but walking down the huge staircase puts you right at the check-in desk.

We had an 8:05 reservation and were about 10 minutes early (amazing for us in the morning!), but were sat right away. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived, but quickly filled up.

Of course the first thing our server brought us was the Frunch, a mixture of lemonade and pineapple, orange, guava, and papaya juices. It was delicious, and the serve returned with a pot of coffee and waters shortly after. We didn't order the pressed pot, and while the coffee wasn't as good as my Keurig, it wasn't bad at all!

I loved all the options available here for breakfast. I'm not big on buffets, but I don't turn down breakfast in any form so it was great that we all got exactly what we wanted. It was nice that there were really healthy options such as steamed asparagus and grilled tomatoes (which I didn't try). I started out with the Brioche (French Toast with raisins), bacon, and scrambled eggs. So good! My mom loved the carved ham, and both of my parents took advantage of the omelette station. They were pretty impressed...and nobody can make an omelette like my dad so they must have been good! My mom's other favorite was the fruit salad. This had huge, fresh chunks of pineapple, cantaloupe, and other fruits with some sort of yogurt-based dressing. I didn't try the fruit salad, but I did like the strawberry-banana yogurt, which also had chunks of fresh strawberries and bananas in it. The oatmeal, which I topped with brown sugar and fruit was also really good- hot and just the right thickness for my taste. The only pastry that I sampled was a banana-macadamia nut mini-muffin, and it tasted fresh and moist, with just a hint of banana. Delicious!

This was the best breakfast we had, and we all wanted to go back before our trip was over! The only reason we didn't was because it was a little out of the way for us. At around $20 per person (I don't have the receipt so can't tell you exactly how much it was) it was a pretty good use of a meal credit was well! We were so full from this meal that we didn't get hungry again (except for a small snack) until dinner.

Dining Credits used for this meal: 3
Total Meal Credits used: 16
Meal Credits Remaining: 29

 

[nikimak2]

Starring rolls is my favorite place to eat breakfast good choice. My favorite place to eat is the Sci-Fi Diner another great choice obviously i love hollywood studios hope you had a fun trip