6 nights on the DxDP (2/25/2019 to 3/3/2019): a brief report…well, maybe not that brief!

Laura527

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
DH and I, and my brother (we’ll call him Bro) stayed at Pop for 6 nights from 2/25/2019 to 3/3/2019. We had two rooms and purchased the Deluxe Dining Plan for one of the rooms (the 2-person room with DH and me), sharing the 36 TS credits among the three of us. There was concern earlier in the year on the DIS Forum that some Disney restaurants were not allowing guests to share their dining credits with anyone not on the dining plan, but we had no problem whatsoever sharing our credits with Bro (not on the dining plan) at any restaurant. In planning out how to use our TS credits, I had made 9 ADRs at the 180-day mark and got everything we wanted. We used our snack credits to purchase breakfast items (croissants, pastries, muffins) which we ate in the room on days when we didn’t have a breakfast ADR, and for afternoon or evening snack items (Poutines at Epcot, mac ‘n cheese with pulled pork at AK, sodas, ice cream, etc.).

We arrived at Pop on Monday (2/25) evening and ate at the Pop food court. DH and I shared the fried chicken dinner which was very tasty and a good deal at $12 (includes an entire half chicken and 2 sides – the mashed potatoes were really good!), and Bro had the pot roast dinner which he also liked ($13). We paid OOP for this meal and didn’t use any dining credits.

Be Our Guest breakfast: on Tuesday (2/26), we arrived at MK ridiculously early for a PPO ADR at BOG. We got through security by 7:15 am, were let into the hub at 7:45 and into the Beast’s castle a little before 8:00 am. We had preordered (highly recommended!), got our food around 8:10 and were done and in line for SDMT by 8:40. The highlight of the BOG breakfast was seeing the castle which is gorgeous (we found a table in the West Wing), and getting to ride SDMT once before the RD crowd arrived, even on an EMM day. However, the breakfast itself was nothing special, and definitely not worth the $28 pp price tag! DH and Bro ordered the Feast a la Gaston which is basically scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, with a side of fruit and a shared plate of pastries – very average in quality. I ordered the Croque Madame which was tasty and a little more interesting but was still way overpriced. We used 3 dining plan credits, and meal would have come to $89 including tax if paying OOP for the 3 of us. You are basically paying double or more for your meal to be able to get one ‘free’ ride on SDMT or PP before the RD crowds line up. Although we were glad to see the Beast’s castle, this was a one and done for us.

‘Ohana dinner: that evening (2/26), we had a 5:15 pm ADR at ‘Ohana; we arrived about 10 minutes early and were seated around 5:20 pm. Having read all the negative reviews about ‘Ohana, we were a little worried about this ADR but ended up being pleasantly surprised! We were seated about one row back from the window with very nice views of the lake, pool and MK. Our server was great, very friendly and attentive, and we didn’t feel at all rushed. Although not Signature quality, the food was hot, fresh and very tasty. We really liked the salad, appetizers and steak (at least the first round), and the bread pudding a la mode dessert was a highlight. We did note some inconsistency in the steak: the first round was perfectly cooked (medium rare), tender and delicious; the second time around, the steak was a little overcooked and not as tender. Make sure to come hungry because you will be stuffed at the end of your meal! We used 3 dining credits and would have paid $291 which included a second round of drinks not covered by the dining plan, tax and tip.

La Hacienda: on Wednesday (2/27), we went to Epcot. We used snack credits to have breakfast in the room that morning and for snack items that afternoon at Epcot (Poutines at the Refreshment Port, ice cream at the France pavilion); we also used snack credits to purchase croissants and pastries from La Halles for breakfast later in the week. We had a 7:30 pm ADR at La Hacienda and requested a window seat hoping to see Illuminations at 9:00 pm. Unfortunately, we were seated about three or four rows back from the window so the view of Illuminations was not that great. Since our dessert arrived just before 9:00 pm, we didn’t have time to go outside before Illuminations started which was a bit of a disappointment. As our server said, it’s a lottery that you will get a window seat with a good view of Illuminations. The service and food were very good. For appetizers, we shared the guacamole, salad and Oaxacan tostada and they were all very tasty. DH and I ordered the Braised Short Ribs which I really liked but DH didn’t care for the sauce that much. Bro ordered the Carne Asada which he liked (although I think he likes almost everything!). The margaritas and desserts were very good too. We used 3 dining credits, and meal would have come to $315 which included a second round of drinks not covered by the dining plan, tax and tip.

Crystal Palace breakfast: on Thursday (2/28), we returned to MK. This was our favorite character breakfast at the World! We were seated within about 10 minutes of check-in, and had an excellent server. The interior is bright, airy and cheerful with all those windows overlooking the grounds and high glass ceilings. The buffet has an amazing variety of breakfast items including different egg dishes, potatoes, meats, smoked salmon, cheeses, pastries/muffins, Mickey waffles, French toast, fresh fruit, you name it… Everything seemed freshly prepared and was delicious. Bro and I got omelets which were prepared to order, and really good. The breakfast lasagna and puff French toast are also a highlight! Since we were on the dining plan, our meals came with a choice of mimosa or sangria along with coffee/tea. We really enjoyed the Pooh characters and had a lot of fun! We used 3 dining credits and would have paid $183 which included the mimosas, tax and tip.

California Grill: that evening (2/28), we had 6:15 pm ADR at Cali Grill and were seated right away next to the window with spectacular views of the lake, GF, Poly and an amazing sunset! Our server was outstanding, attentive and perfectly paced our meal. Appetizers (California roll, Hearts of Romaine and Braised beef short ribs wonton) were all very good. DH ordered the pork tenderloin and said it was outstanding, one of his best meals on this trip along with the filet at Jiko. Bro and I ordered the oak fired filet of beef and it was good but not exceptional (we thought the Jiko and Hollywood Brown Derby filets were better). Desserts were also good but seemed to lack the 'wow' factor (the chocolate cake and S'mores were very good but the Apple Crostata was a little dry). We finished just before 8:00 pm and went out to the observation deck to watch the fireworks which were spectacular. Being a Signature, we used 6 dining credits; our bill would have come to $393 which included a second round of drinks not covered by the dining plan, tax and tip. We were glad we came here on the DxDP and loved the views and fireworks but not sure we would return and pay OOP for this same meal.

Jiko Dinner: we went to AK on Friday (3/1) and again used snack credits for breakfast in our room and got savory snack items in the afternoon at AK; they have some really good and filling savory snacks at Eight Spoon Café and Flame Tree BBQ in Discovery Island. By late afternoon, we were starting to get tired and hungry, and had done almost everything we wanted to do at AK. We had a 7:35 pm ADR at Jiko and were able to move it up to 6:00 pm the day of. We got to AKL a little early to check out the savanna before dinner and were seated as soon as we checked into Jiko. Service and food were exceptional – we were blown away by Jiko! For appetizers, we shared the Wild Boar tenderloin, the Jiko salad and the Taste of Africa (naan breads and dips), and everything was absolutely delicious! DH had the filet mignon which he raved about; he let me have a taste and it was just scrumptious, perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth tender with an amazing glazed wine sauce. I had the lamb which was equally delicious and amazingly tender, and Bro had the Bison which he really liked (but he likes everything). Our server recommended a red wine with dinner which was included with the dining plan and it was out of this world. For dessert, two of us had the Kilimanjaro and the other had the Malva Pudding – all fantastic! We used 6 dining credits (another Signature) and would have paid $402 which included tax, tip and that second round of drinks we were getting ‘used to.’ Jiko definitely has that ‘wow’ factor and we would return in a heartbeat!

Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic breakfast: on Saturday (3/2), we were at DHS and had booked the Fantasmic Dining Package at Hollywood & Vine. We arrived a little before 10:00 am for our breakfast ADR and were seated right away. The décor is fairly blah at H&V at least compared to the other places we tried (but how can you beat a window view at Cali Grill?). Our server was excellent, and the food was good, fresh and well-prepared. However, compared to the Crystal Palace breakfast buffet, the choices were more limited. They did have an omelet station and the made-to-order omelets were very good. Again, our meals on the dining plan came with a choice of mimosa, champagne or sangria along with coffee/tea. A bunch of characters came around including Goofy which was fun. We used 3 dining credits and would have paid $182 which included the mimosas, tax and tip for the 3 of us. It was worth it on the DxDP and getting those ‘fantasmic’ seats at Fantasmic! that evening, but otherwise we thought it would have been a bit pricey to pay OOP for the same meal.

Hollywood Brown Derby: Bro is a big movie fan so that evening (3/2) we dined at the HBD. We arrived right on time for our 5:00 pm ADR and were seated within 10 minutes of checking in. The reviews at HBD are somewhat mixed but again we were pleasantly surprised by our meal and dining experience there! Our server was excellent, very friendly and attentive, and we were seated at a booth in the main dining area. The three appetizers that we shared (Beef Carpaccio, Crab wonton and Cobb Salad as an appetizer) were all excellent but portion sizes of the beef and crab wonton were on the small side. DH and Bro ordered the pork chops and said they were very good. I got the filet of beef and it was fantastic – perfectly cooked to medium rare, very tender and flavorable. I think it was almost as good as the filet mignon at Jiko and better than Cali Grill’s filet. They have some ‘featured wines’ that are not included in the dining plan (in the $25-40 range for a glass); we got one of the included wines ($15 range) and it was good but not extraordinary. For dessert, you get to pick a trio of mini-desserts and everything we ordered was delicious! We used 6 dining credits since HBD is a Signature, and would have paid $370 which included tax, tip and a second round of drinks (I think we may have turned into lushes on this vacation!).

Sci Fi Dine In Theater lunch: on Sunday (3/3), we spent our last half day at DHS again (Bro loves movies, Hollywood and Star Wars!), and had a 3:30 pm lunch ADR at Sci Fi. However, when we checked into Pop, we learned that we had to be back before 6 pm on Sunday to catch the DME bus to the airport. I tried to move our Sci-Fi ADR to an earlier time but was unsuccessful despite several tries. We checked in very early at 3 pm to Sci Fi and politely asked if it would be possible to be seated earlier so we wouldn’t have to rush through lunch. The CM said she would try but, unfortunately, we weren’t seated until 3:50 pm. I think Sci Fi is one of those places where you routinely wait 20-30 min past your ADR time to be seated. Our server was fantastic and made sure to bring everything out as quickly as possible. The environment at Sci Fi is totally unique and incredibly fun! You sit in 50’s style cars and watch old movies while you dine. It feels like you are outside under the stars at night in a drive-in theater. DH and I shared the Sci Fi Appetizer sampler (includes chips and dip, crab fondue, fried dill pickles and buffalo tenders) which was very tasty. Bro got the chicken tenders for his appetizers and said it was very good. DH and Bro ordered burgers and they were both very happy with their choice. I got the barbeque platter and it was just OK, kind of what you get at chain restaurants. I would get a burger in the future. We were allowed to get milkshakes instead of dessert; they were delicious and so thick you needed a spoon to ‘drink’ them. The cocktails were also very good. I got the Habanero line margarita and it was quite good, with an interesting kick to it. We used 3 dining credits and would have paid $196 which included tax and tip (we didn’t get a second round of drinks this time!).

In all, we were very happy with our restaurant choices and had terrific servers. We used all of our dining credits including the 24 snack credits. I kept track of our dining expenses to see if the deluxe dining plan was worth it. In our case, it was. The DxDP cost us $1,395. If paying OOP for the same meals and snacks, we would have spent $2,027 (including the tax but not the tip or items not covered by the dining plan since these are extra OOP expenses), saving us over $600 using the DxDP. Even with sharing the credits among the three of us, it was a lot of food! We ate (and drank ) very well during this trip…and can’t even imagine trying to use the 36 TS credits among just the two of us!
 
Nice report, thanks. Sounds like you made great use of the plan. Sounds like Jiko was very good. Might have to put that back into my rotation!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top