Dining review May 24-28 2018- completed 6-19

[DisneyFansInNYC]

All you have to do is go to the check-in and request the non-character breakfast. There is a separate room inside or you can sit outside which is what we did. I will post the menu as well as it is a little bit different from the character breakfast.

I am very excited about this. We really enjoyed the Bon Voyage breakfast but don't always want a character breakfast. I can't wait for the review.

 

[goofy78]

As we were making our way over to the BWV, I got a text the room was ready. We headed up to our room and waited for our bags to be delivered from the AKV. It was around 4:30 that they ended up showing up which was kind of annoying but nothing we could do. I had been going back and forth for some reason prior to our trip about where we were going to eat this night. Originally I had booked Via Napoli then Raglan Road then was trying to decide between Il Mulino, Monsieur Paul or Hollywood Brown Derby. We have always enjoyed Via Napoli and we had eaten at HBD a very long time ago but didn't remember anything about it. We also ate at Il Mulino before but I really didn't want to dine there. I was looking to dine in a park or Disney Springs for the atmosphere. Anyway I decided to book HBD. Unfortunately we will not be returning. We started off pretty good and it just went down hill from there. Our server was not the best but she did have the manager take DD filet off the menu as she did not eat it.

DH and I split the cobb salad which we both really enjoyed.

Our Famous Cobb Salad
Finely Chopped Greens, Turkey Breast, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Avocado, Chives, Cobb Dressing

DH ordered the filet. DD ordered it too but ordered it without the sauce and I think this is why she didn't eat it. It didn't look like they put any love into hers. I didn't take a picture of hers as it was pretty pathetic looking. DH always orders his steak rare/medium rare and his looked like it did not touch a heat source at all. He ended up eating it although I'm not sure why.

Charred Filet of Beef
Port Wine Glazed, Sunburst, Pattypan Squash, Toasted Cipollini Onion, Yukon Gold Potato Cake, Yellow Tomato, Ramps Chimichurri

Other DD ordered the duck dish and I think she liked it enough. She didn't really say too much about it. I actually liked my dish. I ordered the grouper and lobster cioppino. I'm pretty sure I was the only one who truly liked my meal.


Duck Two Ways
Pan-seared Duck Breast, crispy Duck Confit, Sweet Onion Silk, Farro Risotto, Tuscan Kale, Blueberry Gastrique


Black Grouper and Lobster Cioppino
Big One Mussel, Fergola Pasta, Blistered Tomatoes, Red Onions, Fennel, Poblano Pepper, Fontina Cheese, and Cioppino Broth

We ended up ordering one of the dessert samplers. DH and DD both got the cappuccino brulee and I got the blueberry cobbler. They enjoyed theirs and I was not really a fan of mine. I felt like I was just eating blueberries and if I'm eating dessert in Disney it's not going to be just fruit.


So this was the night we wish we could have gone somewhere different. I always start thinking "maybe we should try somewhere we haven't been yet" instead of just staying with where I know we love.

 

[TeresaNJ]

I don't mind spending a good amount of money for food when it's great, but when it's mediocre it really really annoys me. I think this is why we constantly go to restaurants we know we love at WDW, and hesitate to try something new. The last time we ate at the Brown Derby was years ago, and it was okay. Haven't been back since. Nothing about it stood out in my mind. Your cioppino looks really good though!

 

[GrantDB]

Following along for more updates, pics are great so far

 

[TooBoyz4us]

Great review so far!!! Your descriptions and pictures are excellent!! Thanks for doing this ;-)

 

[goofy78]

I don't mind spending a good amount of money for food when it's great, but when it's mediocre it really really annoys me. I think this is why we constantly go to restaurants we know we love at WDW, and hesitate to try something new. The last time we ate at the Brown Derby was years ago, and it was okay. Haven't been back since. Nothing about it stood out in my mind. Your cioppino looks really good though!

I feel the same way. We've been doing holiday long weekend trips for the past year and will probably continue to travel that way for a while. I think we will stick to the places we know we love and venture out for something new when we book a longer trip.

Following along for more updates, pics are great so far

Thanks for following!

Great review so far!!! Your descriptions and pictures are excellent!! Thanks for doing this ;-)

Thanks! I am not the best writer but I am trying my best!

 

[goofy78]

The next morning (Saturday) we walked over to Trattoria al Forno for breakfast. I had booked an ADR for our departure day (Monday) for the Bon Voyage breakfast. I used TP reservation finder and was able to get an 8:00 am ADR. But after being able to walk up on this morning, I cancelled the ADR and we ended up eating here again on our departure day but without the characters. DH and I are pretty adventurous eaters so I was a little surprised he was thrown off by the menu having Sunday gravy on a few of their dishes. I wasn't thrown off at all and decided to give one of those dishes a try. I thought the menus were different but now that I just looked online they seem to be the same.





Poached eggs with House-made Fennel Sausage, Sunday Gravy, and Parmesan Cheese over Golden Polenta with Toasted Focaccia

This was my dish and I absolutely loved it!!!!! The polenta was AMAZING and the eggs were poached perfectly! I pretty much ate this whole dish and loved it so much that I ordered it again when we came back on Monday.

DH ordered the Choice of two eggs with breakfast potatoes and sausage both days. I didn't get a picture of his. He ate his eggs and some sausage but not much else. We definitely splurge on vacation but he was trying to be somewhat good this trip so I think he chose to eat light. DD1 ordered a fruit bowl and a kids waffle. The fruit bowl was enormous (it cost $9.00!) but she really enjoyed everything. DD2 ordered the Buttermilk pancakes with chocolate chips and sausage. She loves pancakes and she loved these. She also ordered them on Monday.



I really wanted to try the pancakes but I don't like chocolate in my breakfast. So on Monday I ordered a side of pancakes along with my other dish. These were awesome! The strawberry compote on the side was amazing! It came with two pancakes so it was enough to share.

All of our food was delicious and I am not taking anything away from the food but the highlight of both of these breakfasts was this-



Trattoria al Forno’s special blend of Coffee, Cream, and Sweetener served over Ice

OMG!!!! This coffee was absolutely amazing!!!! I can not wait until we get back here in May to be able to sit on the Boardwalk and drink this. I usually drink my coffee black and unsweetened and this was perfect! Perfectly sweetened! I 100% recommend getting this. It's the one on the bottom of the menu for $4.50- not the one on the top with liquor.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

That breakfast looks amazing.
I miss the daily breakfast adrs we used to enjoy when the kids were younger but now no one else wants to get up early to eat
We are at HBD once about 10 years ago and it was fine but not amazing.
Looking forward to the rest.

 

[goofy78]

That breakfast looks amazing.
I miss the daily breakfast adrs we used to enjoy when the kids were younger but now no one else wants to get up early to eat
We are at HBD once about 10 years ago and it was fine but not amazing.
Looking forward to the rest.

It really was an awesome breakfast. Maybe next time I'll try a different dish but mine was so good I may have to stick with it! And while we were pretty bummed our HBD dinner was a bust, our next two dinners were out of this world!

 

[goofy78]

After our delicious breakfast we headed over to Magic Kingdom. We were watching the weather closely and originally had MK planned for Sunday but decided to switch it up as Sunday looked like more of a chance of rain than today. We didn't have too many FP for this day but I was able to snag a few. We rode some rides and walked around a bit and then headed over to Jungle Skipper Canteen for our first time. I had read that this restaurant was an easy walk up as it hasn't really become too popular but we did not have that experience. Around 12:00 I checked for an ADR on my phone and they did have a 1:00 but we really hoped we could eat earlier as we had a 6:00 dinner ADR. Anyway, I gave the hostess our name and she quoted us an hour. We decided to just wait and see what happened and ended up being called within fifteen minutes so it worked out great. The theming is spectacular in here and the servers were all very in the theme as well.

DH and I started of with a nice cold beer for our first time in MK.


Blue Moon
I know people have their different opinions on the alcohol at MK, but this was very refreshing.

I knew I didn't want a big meal so I could enjoy my dinner later on so I ordered the Falafel appetizer. These were very good but after maybe the third one it was enough falafel for me. I would get it again but only if someone shared it with me.


Falls Family Falafel
A secret recipe of Chickpeas, Garlic, Onions, Lemon Juice, and Herbs served with House-made Edamame Hummus and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

DH went with the steak salad. He thought it was good.


"A Lot at Steak" Salad
We're betting it all on this one! Grilled Steak, Romaine Lettuce, Spring Mix, Pickled Jalapeños, Red Onion, Queso Fresco, and Pumpkin Seeds tossed in a Chimichurri Vinaigrette

Picky DD ordered the mac and cheese from the kids menu but an adults portion. She did not like it at all but other DD ordered the Thai noodles which was extremely spicy so she ended up eating the mac and cheese. I also had a bit of the Thai noodles as I can handle spice a bit more. This dish was extremely spicy though. It worked out in the end.


Junior Skip's Macaroni & Cheese


Perkins Thai Noodles
Chicken, Tofu, Seasonal Vegetables, and Rice Noodles tossed in a Spicy Soy-Chili Garlic Sauce. A favorite of our friend Pamelia Perkins, President of the Adventurers Club

 

[suse66]

After freshening up in our room, we walked over to AKL for our dinner at Jiko. This was our fifth time dining here and probably our favorite restaurant at Disney. We started with the bread service and an appetizer which was the Elk Confit Flatbread. The bread service was great and the flatbread was absolutely delicious!!

Jiko is such a lovely meal. I loved the bread service as well.

I ordered the maize crusted grouper as I wanted to try something different. This dish was so good. The fish was cooked perfectly and all the vegetables mixed in with the sauce was awesome. I'm glad I tried something new. DH and I also enjoyed a bottle of Rustenberg John X Merriman wine from South Africa. Excellent!

I had the exact dish last August and really enjoyed it. The fish was halibut at the time but I'm sure the grouper would be good too.

Guacamole
topped with Mango and Pumpkin Seeds and served with Fried Flour Chicharrón, Salsa Valentina and Lime

Mmmm, going on the list for August.

This dish was really good and DH says if he is going to eat cauliflower then this is how it should be cooked.

I want them to put this on the menu at the CS in Morocco!

 

[goofy78]

Mmmm, going on the list for August.

Definitely have the guacamole on your list. It will become a must do for us every trip now, it was that good!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Great reviews and photos! You look more like your daughters’ sister than their mom.

Lucky you with the weather. I left the day you got there when it had just gotten nice out. We battled a lot of rain early on our trip, but it helped to keep the crowds down.

Looking forward to reading more of your reviews.

 

[kastoney]

Great report so far!!!! I love getting in the afternoon/evening before a trip too but for some reason my hubby thinks its not vacation unless you are up at o dark thirty for a plane ride.

Your Jiko meal looks awesome! I had the best fish of my life and best Disney meal there ever several years back and I've been afraid to try another piece of fish because I just didn't think anything could live up to it.

Loving all the flower and garden snacks. We haven't been in a few years, but hopefully will be back in April 2019.

I didn't know that Trattoria Al Forno offered a non-character option for breakfast. Is it the same menu/price? The food has always looked good we just don't like to pay the premium for character meals.

Can't wait to read more!

 

[goofy78]

Great reviews and photos! You look more like your daughters’ sister than their mom.

Lucky you with the weather. I left the day you got there when it had just gotten nice out. We battled a lot of rain early on our trip, but it helped to keep the crowds down.

Looking forward to reading more of your reviews.

Oh thanks so much for the compliment! I hope you ended up having a fantastic trip!

Great report so far!!!! I love getting in the afternoon/evening before a trip too but for some reason my hubby thinks its not vacation unless you are up at o dark thirty for a plane ride.

Your Jiko meal looks awesome! I had the best fish of my life and best Disney meal there ever several years back and I've been afraid to try another piece of fish because I just didn't think anything could live up to it.

Loving all the flower and garden snacks. We haven't been in a few years, but hopefully will be back in April 2019.

I didn't know that Trattoria Al Forno offered a non-character option for breakfast. Is it the same menu/price? The food has always looked good we just don't like to pay the premium for character meals.

Can't wait to read more!

I ALWAYS love your reviews and your daughter is adorable! Jiko is probably our favorite restaurant (if you don't include Victoria and Alberts which we did on our kid free trip in 2014). Five times and still not one bad meal. Flying Fish was a favorite two timer then a miss on the third try (new menu post renovations) but redeemed itself this trip.

We enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival as its not as crowded as the Food and Wine Festival but I will say when DH and I go back for Food and Wine it's on. We went in October 2017 and hit the festival hard. It was the best four days of my life!

It's not advertised anywhere that Trattoria al Forno does the non-character breakfast. I don't remember where I saw it but I'm so glad I did. Our home resort is BWV so now knowing we can get a fantastic breakfast where we are staying is great. I believe the character meal is a fixed price at $34.00 per adult and $20.00 per child. So kind of steep if you're not concerned about the characters.

 

[DLo]

Getting here a little late. Thanks for taking the time to review

Good tip about non character breakfast at trattoria. I like the menu but DH would prefer non character meals

 

[goofy78]

Getting here a little late. Thanks for taking the time to review

Good tip about non character breakfast at trattoria. I like the menu but DH would prefer non character meals

I love reading everyone else’s reviews. They’re so helpful. I did my first review in 2014 when DH and I did our first kid free trip. The breakfast at trattoria is a huge plus if you’re staying at the BW. More reviews coming soon!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Enjoying your reviews, we loved the fried cauliflower at F&G this year.

We also loved our breakfast at Trattoria

 

[goofy78]

Enjoying your reviews, we loved the fried cauliflower at F&G this year.

We also loved our breakfast at Trattoria

Thanks for joining! We are heading back in May 2019 for F&G. We really enjoy it!

 

[goofy78]

After our entrees at Skipper Canteen, DD DD and DH split two desserts. They thought both were good, I can't remember them saying anything other than that.

They split the Kungaloosh and Volcano


Kungaloosh!
An African-inspired Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Bananas served with Cashew-Caramel Ice Cream topped with Coffee Dust

and from the kids menu


Volcano!
Gooey Chocolate Cake with Caramel Lava and exploding Chocolate Rocks will make you shout "UH OA!"

I would eat here again but would try something different. The chicken dish looks pretty good. and there are a few other appetizers I would like to try.