Sweet 16 celebrated with Mickey & Pals-9 days of TiW dining: Completed 6/14

[emmysmommy]

My apologies in advance.... this will be a very uninspired dining review which is really not representative of the great options at this restaurant. (Curses to our LC lunch which left us not too hungry for dinner 6 hours later!!)

We took the boat the short trip from CR to WL and checked in about 10 minutes early for our 7:55pm ADR. We just hung around the podium area but there is a lounge that you can relax and order drinks from the bar right there as well. We were seated at a table for 2 against the near wall to the entrance - it had a great view of the entire restaurant. Carlos was our server and did a good job.

Now here’s the thing…. Once again, I wasn’t hungry. I didn’t want to cancel this ADR since I figured I could at least eat the Portobello soup, which I love! Em wasn’t that hungry as well so in the end, we each ordered the mixed field green salad with Asian pear and sunflower seed granola and dressed with a champagne vinaigrette. I also ordered the smoky Portobello mushroom soup and we split the artisanal cheese plate.


While we were awaiting our courses we were served the sourdough bread that was accompanied with buttered sprinkled with dirt or something that resembled dirt. Ok, so it was likely a type of sea salt. It was soft and delicious.

The soup was fabulous, as always. It really is a small serving since it was gone in a couple of minutes. Oh wait, that was probably me just inhaling it so quickly. I love the crunchy roasted shiitakes that garnish the soup. The chive oil drizzled over the top was a nice finish to the smokey flavors. There is not a flaw in that dish - well, except that they need a bigger ladle for the serving!

The salads on the other hand were just ok. The pears were sliced so thin and were a delicate addition to the mixed greens but the salad just didn’t have a lot of flavor. I liked the sunflower seed granola, it was sweet and crunchy and Em didn’t want hers so I ate it too.

The cheese plate consisted of 3 cheeses; Smokey bleu cheese (smokey flavor contrasting to the sharp traditional bleu flavor), Raypenaer VSOP (sharp, tangy, hard Dutch cheese), and Humbolt fog (very mild goat cheese with a very soft texture.) The cheese were served with fruit accompaniments; dates, caramelized pear, and currents (not sure if it was currents or something else?) as well as walnut toast points. My favorite cheese was the tangy Raypenaer – delicious!

We passed on dessert since we didn’t see anything on the dessert menu that we wanted. Carlos delivered the bill which was only $50.56 with $9.80 in TiW savings. This was one of our cheapest dinners even though it was a Signature restaurant. I was surprised that Em didn’t order the buffalo sirloin since she had loved it last time. I guess she just wasn’t in the mood!

Up Next: Akershus Princess Breakfast

 

[emmysmommy]

Insert short break here.....

I have to go back east to CT this week on business so I will pick up my dining review when I return next weekend.

Yikes, I leave tomorrow and have not hauled my suitcase out of the closet yet! You can bet that is not my approach to vacation travel! It is well planned and anticipated.

DH, DD and I are off to D-land today to enjoy Memorial Day at the Happiest Place on Earth.

I wish all of you a wonderful Memorial Day!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

What a shame that you weren't hungry for Artist Point! That soup is amazing though. Love the roasted mushrooms they garnish it with DH still insisits to this day, no matter what evidence I present to him, that it was bacon on top of the soup and not roasted mushrooms.

Hope you have a fabulous day at Disneyland! Happy Memorial Day to you too!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Mmmm, Artist Point - still my favorite Disney restaurant. The mushroom soup looks perfect as usual.

Have a great Memorial Day at Disneyland, and looking forward to more reviews when you get back from your business trip!

 

[gardengirl628]

Omg....I dream about the smoky portabello soup. It is the yummiest thing I have ever eaten. It's my only "must-do." In October, we will be going there our first night. I've seen a recipe for it somewhere but seems too complicated for me.

Thanks for the tip about the carrot cake cookie. They are so good, but sometimes Writer's Stop is super crowded.

 

[Deesknee]

Well, the weather here on the East coast is beautiful. Hope it stays this way during your stay! Safe travels. And I look forward to the return of your reviews.

 

[NJMouseLover]

I have enjoyed reading this thread. You and your daughter look like you're having so much fun! I remember when my mom took me on a vacation just her and I. I loved it so very much and still remember it to this day. We are even talking about going on vacation together alone again! I'm sure your daughter will remember these special moments forever.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

The portobello soup from AP looks so good. I had the same salad when we ate there last December and it was so much bigger than yours looks. It totally filled the plate and had lots of fruit and nuts in it.

Thanks for sharing your reviews!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Yum, the soup from AP looks delicious! I have never been to Artist's Point before - hopefully I'll get to try it while I'm working down there.

 

[m6c5a90]

I am truly enjoying your dining reviews, great job! Can't wait to continue reading.

That portobello soup from Artist Point looks delicious!

 

[emmysmommy]

What a shame that you weren't hungry for Artist Point! That soup is amazing though. Love the roasted mushrooms they garnish it with DH still insisits to this day, no matter what evidence I present to him, that it was bacon on top of the soup and not roasted mushrooms.

Hope you have a fabulous day at Disneyland! Happy Memorial Day to you too!

I can see where the mushrooms may be confused with bacon... I assume it is mushrooms - maybe I'm wrong! Even it we are not that hungry, I would like to at least split an entree since I want to try the cedar plank salmon.

Mmmm, Artist Point - still my favorite Disney restaurant. The mushroom soup looks perfect as usual.

Have a great Memorial Day at Disneyland, and looking forward to more reviews when you get back from your business trip!

Thanks! I'm back and ready to pick this back up.

Artists Point really has me coming back mainly because of the soup.

Omg....I dream about the smoky portabello soup. It is the yummiest thing I have ever eaten. It's my only "must-do." In October, we will be going there our first night. I've seen a recipe for it somewhere but seems too complicated for me.

Thanks for the tip about the carrot cake cookie. They are so good, but sometimes Writer's Stop is super crowded.

You and I have a love for that soup in common!

I would be scared to have the recipe for the carrot cake cookie - I would want to bake way too often.

Well, the weather here on the East coast is beautiful. Hope it stays this way during your stay! Safe travels. And I look forward to the return of your reviews.

My 3 days in Hartford was lovely! Perfect weather and a laid back travel schedule for once made for an easy week.

I have enjoyed reading this thread. You and your daughter look like you're having so much fun! I remember when my mom took me on a vacation just her and I. I loved it so very much and still remember it to this day. We are even talking about going on vacation together alone again! I'm sure your daughter will remember these special moments forever.

Awww... mama/daughter trips are so special - no matter the age. I hope my DD looks back 20 years from now and has fond memories.

The portobello soup from AP looks so good. I had the same salad when we ate there last December and it was so much bigger than yours looks. It totally filled the plate and had lots of fruit and nuts in it.

Thanks for sharing your reviews!

That soup, it really is soooo good!

Yum, the soup from AP looks delicious! I have never been to Artist's Point before - hopefully I'll get to try it while I'm working down there.

If you go there you will be a fan!

I am truly enjoying your dining reviews, great job! Can't wait to continue reading.

That portobello soup from Artist Point looks delicious!

Thanks for reading! More to come.... and, yes, the soup really was amazing.

 

[emmysmommy]

We arrived at EPCOT prior to park open and walked over to the character dining entrance to the left of the general admission turnstiles. Our name was checked off on the guest list so we were admitted to the park! It is such a cool feeling to walk through a nearly empty park so early in the morning. I took photos along the way and we made it to Norway in advance of our 8:30am ADR.

We checked in and were told it would be a short wait before we were seated. It didn’t take long before our name was called and we were in line to have our photo taken with Belle. She looked more Persian than French not that it matters!

We were seated at a table for 4 in a small annex area of the dining room in the back. There were only 4 other tables in the small room. It was kinda nice being tucked a little out of the way. The princesses still made their rounds so we didn’t miss anything.

Silje (pronounced ‘Celia’) was our server. She invited us to the cold buffet to start. We knew our way around so we didn’t have to be told twice to get some food.

Em with our server:

There were plenty of selections for the buffet. From my photos I can share that they offered the following: breakfast breads (bagels, danishes, mini muffins and croissants); cheese (Jarlsburg. Gjetost – a Norwegian goat cheese & Muenster); deli meat slices (it looked like salami but that doesn’t make sense since that isn’t Norwegian.) There was also fresh fruit (a few varieties of berries and bananas) and yogurt with granola, raisins, and nuts. And finally, they had herring, smoked salmon with red onion & capers.

Buffet selections:

My cold plate was fruit and danishes with a slice of cheese. Silje served our hot plate of food after we had finished our cold plates that sat empty for a short period of time. I don’t recall the service being so slow in the past… we weren’t in a hurry so it didn’t bother us too much.

My cold plate:

Em's cold plate:

The hot plate of food contained; scrambled eggs, sausage links & bacon, and cheesy potatoes. They don’t automatically bring out the Mickey waffles so we had to ask for those. She delivered one Mickey waffle for the two of us so instead of arm wrestling for it she offered to put another order into the kitchen to bring more. Good idea! Not sure why 1 waffle made sense but…I didn’t leave hungry.

First lone waffle that would have required a thunderdome moment to fight over:

Throughout the meal, we were greeted by the princesses; Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, and Ariel with legs. We did our perfect princess pose with all.

Periodically, they had the princess parade through the restaurant where the little princesses and princes went to the nearest Princess and they would hold hands and promenade through the restaurant when they played the special song. So cute!

We received our photo folio of the photo that was taken with Belle when we arrived. It is included in the cost of the meal which was $39.99 but with our TiW discount it was $32.59. The total bill with TiW discount ($14.80) and 18% gratuity was $82.74.

I LOVE this place! Not just for the princess interaction but I really like the hot plate of food. Unfortunately, next time we are passing on this dining venue as my DH wasn't as thrilled about trying it as I was. Since this isn't all about me , I'll try something else.

Next up: Via Napoli lunch

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Thanks for sharing your review of Akershus. That picture of the lone Mickey waffle looks so sad.

We haven't eaten at Akershus in several years, but you have inspired me to want to go back.

You were lucky to get a table for 4 when it was just the 2 of you. Once my son and I went and it is hard to get all that food on a small table meant for 2.

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[emmysmommy]

Thanks for sharing your review of Akershus. That picture of the lone Mickey waffle looks so sad.

We haven't eaten at Akershus in several years, but you have inspired me to want to go back.

You were lucky to get a table for 4 when it was just the 2 of you. Once my son and I went and it is hard to get all that food on a small table meant for 2.

Looking forward to reading more!

Ohhh the two top table that reminds me of the first time we went. Between our food, beverages, my camera and the condiments - there was zero room!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I LOVE this place! Not just for the princess interaction but I really like the hot plate of food. Unfortunately, next time we are passing on this dining venue as my DH wasn't as thrilled about trying it as I was. Since this isn't all about me , I'll try something else.

Next up: Via Napoli lunch

What?! Not all about me?! I am not sure I understand that terminology!

Seriously, with a teenage boy, I haven't been to Akershus yet but it will be on the list when DH and I travel alone in the future. (Although the thought of that does make me sad! ) DS and I are having breakfast at CRT this year while DH sleeps in. Figure I shouldn't push my luck with this one!

The hot plate looks really good though! Someday ....

 

[emmysmommy]

What?! Not all about me?! I am not sure I understand that terminology!

Seriously, with a teenage boy, I haven't been to Akershus yet but it will be on the list when DH and I travel alone in the future. (Although the thought of that does make me sad! ) DS and I are having breakfast at CRT this year while DH sleeps in. Figure I shouldn't push my luck with this one!

The hot plate looks really good though! Someday ....

Ha ha ha!!! Love it! You are so funny! It is hard to remember that it is not all about me... especially when I am the one doing all of the planning!

I would love to hear about CRT and your teenage son's perspective. I think my boys may have hammed it up had we done these types of trips when they were teens.

 

[Deesknee]

What?! Not all about me?! I am not sure I understand that terminology!

Seriously, with a teenage boy, I haven't been to Akershus yet but it will be on the list when DH and I travel alone in the future. (Although the thought of that does make me sad! ) DS and I are having breakfast at CRT this year while DH sleeps in. Figure I shouldn't push my luck with this one!

The hot plate looks really good though! Someday ....

I had to laugh when I read this. When my sons were teenager, the only character they were interested in was the princesses! That isn't exactly true, but those are the ones they were MOST interested in.

We went to Arkershus once for lunch. We really enjoyed the princess interaction. One of my sons love the Rice pudding.

 

[vettegirl]

Love the princess photos!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

The solo waffle picture is hilarious. As for the rest of the food, the cold buffet looks really good.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Ha ha ha!!! Love it! You are so funny! It is hard to remember that it is not all about me... especially when I am the one doing all of the planning!

I would love to hear about CRT and your teenage son's perspective. I think my boys may have hammed it up had we done these types of trips when they were teens.

I had to laugh when I read this. When my sons were teenager, the only character they were interested in was the princesses! That isn't exactly true, but those are the ones they were MOST interested in.

We went to Arkershus once for lunch. We really enjoyed the princess interaction. One of my sons love the Rice pudding.

Not making DS come to CRT this year. DH and I are going without him. We went last year for breakfast and he wasn't too thrilled to be there. He actually was a bit rude. Only time it has happened in WDW. Honestly, he has never really liked the face characters in general. He is Ok with Goofy, Mickey, etc. He did ask me if we could make this trip less character-centric. But he also requested breakfast at 'Ohana so go figure! So he and I will eat there before DH arrives. All of us will go to Tusker House with Donald and DH and I will go to CRT and 1900 Park Fare while DS sleeps in. Seems a fair compromise for all and most importantly, I get what I want! Because it really is all about me!