LuvThumper
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2016
This is my first post. I’ve learned so much valuable info from lurking here over the years and decided it was time to share my thoughts. This was my 9th WDW trip since 2000.
Disney Springs
The Boat House-
*Blueberry Lemonade- delicious, refreshing cocktail and oh so dangerous! The size and strength of 2 drinks(at $15, it should be)
*Firecracker Shrimp- small, tender shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce (think Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp). Enjoyed these as my lunch entree $16.00
*Classic Cheeseburger-DH enjoyed this better-than-average-burger. Was cooked to his liking, nice grilled flavor. Not the best but far better than a WDW park burger. Fries were thin cut and seasoned well. $18.00
Sprinkles
*Salted Oatmeal Cornflake Cookie Sandwich w/ Cap’n Crunch Ice Cream- I believe I saw this cookie/ice cream combo on a Disney Food Blog video and it sounded so good. It was disappointing. The cookie was super thick and hard. The ice cream had yummy flavor and creamy texture but the Cap’n Crunch cereal becomes gummy in the ice cream. $8.95. Should have gone to Vivoli I’ll Gelato instead. We visited there 2x in Nov. 2016. The best gelato/ice cream we ever tasted- highly recommend!
Magic Kingdom
HEA Dessert Party Plaza Viewing
The desserts were fine, not great, not bad. The best were the mini macaroons- lemon, chocolate and coffee flavors. There were no bottled waters left when we went through the line and checked back twice til they were replenished. Then they were warm... The main reason for booking was to have a good view of HEA without having to camp out on Main Street. The viewing location is great.
Pecos Bill
This counter service location was not in our plans yet we ate here twice. The first time because we needed a heavy snack to hold us over til dinner and the second because it is now the menu being used for the KTTK tour.
*Beef Nachos- surprisingly very good. The ground beef was flavorful, not greasy and the toppings bar has a wide variety of choices (including guacamole) to add on. Enough for DH and I to share for a snack. $12.49
*Southwest Salad w/ Chicken- DH and I both chose this for our KTTK lunch. Better than your average fast food salad. Lettuce was fresh and crunchy, chicken was good. Served with a packet of Marzettti’s Chipotle Ranch dressing. $10.99 (was included in tour)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Sweet Spells
*Carrot Cake Cookie- Another treat I heard about from a Disney blog, this one stood up to its yummy reputation. 2 huge, moist carrot cake cookies with a thick layer sweet cream cheese frosting sandwiched between. Definitely enough to share. Highly recommend! This is also sold at The Trolley Car Cafe(Starbucks). I went there first and the line was out the door. Sweet Spells is right across the street and there were only 2 others in line.
Baseline Tap House
*Golden Road 329 Lager- DH is a Yuengling fan and he enjoyed this. $8.25
*Golden Road Hefeweizen- told the CM I like Blue Moon and she recommended this. Very good. $8.25
*Bavarian Pretzel w/beer cheese fondue & spicy mustard- great pretzel (not the standard Mickey style)
The beer cheese fondue was runny and tasteless. Spicy mustard was good, standard grocery store spicy mustard.$9.00
*California Cheese & Charcuterie Plate- so, so enjoyable! Loved everything about this. $10.00
We intended this to be our lunch and it fit the bill perfectly. Will return here on our next trip.
EPCOT (F&G Festival Booths)
Lotus House
*Vegetable Spring Roll- this was a fried spring roll, it was fine, nothing special.
Bauernmart Farmers Market
*Potato Pancake w/ Caramelized Ham, Onion & Sour Cream- the toppings were good but the potato pancake was not crispy. Was also barely warm.
The Smoke House
I was becoming slightly discouraged with the F&G foods booths until The Smoke House
*Frozen Lemonade w/ Firefly Blackberry Moonshine- Yes!Yes!Yes! Will be trying to replicate this for summer entertaining.
*Beef Brisket Burnt Ends w/ Potato Hash, White Cheddar Fondue & Pickled Jalapeños- delicious, tender, smoky beef. All the elements complimented each other.
Florida Fresh
*Spicy Blackened Shrimp w/ Cheddar Cheese Grits, Brown Gravy & Fresh Corn- another winner! 3 large shrimp, creamy grits, outstanding spicy gravy and crisp corn.
Pineapple Promenade
*Dole Whip w/ Parrot Bay Coconut Rum- refreshing tropical bliss
Animal Kingdom
Tiffins
*Signature Bread Service- 3 breads, 4 sauces. Enjoyed the Smoked Baba Ghanoush and Blatjang sauces and the crispy cracker-like bread. $10.00
*Chef’s Charcuterie Board- DH said this was ok. $17.00
*Snake River Farms Wagyu Strip Loin- we both ordered this. Cooked perfectly medium, tender and seasoned well. One of the best steaks we’ve had. $53.00
*South American Chocolate Ganache- DH not impressed (couldn’t get a more detailed description from him)$12.00
*Sorbet Tasting- passion fruit sorbet was delicious. The other flavor (can’t remember) was good. The accompanying vanilla/coconut meringue like cookie was superb. $9.00
Satu’li Canteen
We ate here twice, ordering the same menu item each time- it was that good.
*Chopped Wood Grilled Chicken Bowl, Potato Hash, Creamy Herb Dressing $11.49
*Chopped Wood Grilled Chicken Bowl, Beans & Rice, Creamy Herb Dressing $11.49
The chicken was grilled to perfection with great wood grilled flavor. Each bowl is topped with a delicious sweet, tangy slaw. I had been looking forward to trying the chimichurri but it it no longer a sauce choice.
*Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse- A pretty dessert that tastes like pure sugar. Nice creamy texture but the blueberry and passion fruit flavors are weak.$5.29
Pongu Pongu
*Night Blossom-the signature beverage of Pandora. We passed on this our first AK day but couldn’t resist on our second visit. It’s such a lovely green & pink frozen drink. It’s sweet but not over the top. Fruity, icy, delicious. And my first experience with boba balls- fun! $5.99
Waring Outpost
*Triple Yeti Blast- 3 frozen margarita flavors layered- lime, strawberry, mango. This was good, not great. Would have liked stronger strawberry and mango flavors. Refreshing and on a hot day would be a fine choice.
$10.25
Polynesian Village Resort
O’hana
Our server, Simo was friendly and attentive. He always offered to bring us more of each menu item and filled our iced teas several times. $59.99
*Pineapple Coconut Bread- meh... dry
*Mixed Green Salad w/ Lilikoi Dressing- fresh greens, tasty dressing
*Pork Dumpling in Garlic Ginger Sauce. Nice crispy texture but there was no sauce
*Honey Coriander Chicken Wings- great flavor, cooked well, crispy skin
*Steak Skewer- tender meat, smokey taste
*Chicken Skewer- same as beef
*Spicy Peel & Eat Shrimp- cooked well but no flavor
*Stir Fried Veggies- ok
*Noodles Tossed in Teriyaki Sauce- very bland, no teriyaki taste
*Bread Pudding a’la Mode w/ bananas & Caramel Sauce- very good but was not served warm.
Kona Cafe
*Tonga Toast- finally tasting this famous dish. Loved it and would order again. Sweet, crunchy coating, yummy banana filling. $16.00
*Ham & Cheese Omlette- DH says “ it was good” $15.00
Kona Island
*Kona Coffee(Joffrey’s) the best coffee we’ve had on property. Had a cup every afternoon.$3.19
Pineapple Lanai
*Pineapple Dole Whip- no words necessary $4.49
*Pineapple Dole Whip/Vanilla Swirl- even better swirled w/ vanilla soft serve $4.49
Long lines both times we ate here with only one CM working- not good!
Boardwalk Inn
Trattoria al Forno
We made this reservation the day of. Great choice. Our server Greta was a sweetheart. Very efficient and attentive.
*Caesar Salad- this is not on the menu but they will make it for you. Your standard Caesar.
*Lasagne di Pollo-very good, plenty of nice spicy sauce. Perfect balance of noodles, meat, cheese and sauce.$21.00
*Parmigiana di Pollo- above average chicken parm. DH enjoyed the sauce as well. $22.00
We had planned on ice cream at Ample Hills for dessert but were stuffed. Next time....
Disney Springs
The Boat House-
*Blueberry Lemonade- delicious, refreshing cocktail and oh so dangerous! The size and strength of 2 drinks(at $15, it should be)
*Firecracker Shrimp- small, tender shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce (think Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp). Enjoyed these as my lunch entree $16.00
*Classic Cheeseburger-DH enjoyed this better-than-average-burger. Was cooked to his liking, nice grilled flavor. Not the best but far better than a WDW park burger. Fries were thin cut and seasoned well. $18.00
Sprinkles
*Salted Oatmeal Cornflake Cookie Sandwich w/ Cap’n Crunch Ice Cream- I believe I saw this cookie/ice cream combo on a Disney Food Blog video and it sounded so good. It was disappointing. The cookie was super thick and hard. The ice cream had yummy flavor and creamy texture but the Cap’n Crunch cereal becomes gummy in the ice cream. $8.95. Should have gone to Vivoli I’ll Gelato instead. We visited there 2x in Nov. 2016. The best gelato/ice cream we ever tasted- highly recommend!
Magic Kingdom
HEA Dessert Party Plaza Viewing
The desserts were fine, not great, not bad. The best were the mini macaroons- lemon, chocolate and coffee flavors. There were no bottled waters left when we went through the line and checked back twice til they were replenished. Then they were warm... The main reason for booking was to have a good view of HEA without having to camp out on Main Street. The viewing location is great.
Pecos Bill
This counter service location was not in our plans yet we ate here twice. The first time because we needed a heavy snack to hold us over til dinner and the second because it is now the menu being used for the KTTK tour.
*Beef Nachos- surprisingly very good. The ground beef was flavorful, not greasy and the toppings bar has a wide variety of choices (including guacamole) to add on. Enough for DH and I to share for a snack. $12.49
*Southwest Salad w/ Chicken- DH and I both chose this for our KTTK lunch. Better than your average fast food salad. Lettuce was fresh and crunchy, chicken was good. Served with a packet of Marzettti’s Chipotle Ranch dressing. $10.99 (was included in tour)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Sweet Spells
*Carrot Cake Cookie- Another treat I heard about from a Disney blog, this one stood up to its yummy reputation. 2 huge, moist carrot cake cookies with a thick layer sweet cream cheese frosting sandwiched between. Definitely enough to share. Highly recommend! This is also sold at The Trolley Car Cafe(Starbucks). I went there first and the line was out the door. Sweet Spells is right across the street and there were only 2 others in line.
Baseline Tap House
*Golden Road 329 Lager- DH is a Yuengling fan and he enjoyed this. $8.25
*Golden Road Hefeweizen- told the CM I like Blue Moon and she recommended this. Very good. $8.25
*Bavarian Pretzel w/beer cheese fondue & spicy mustard- great pretzel (not the standard Mickey style)
The beer cheese fondue was runny and tasteless. Spicy mustard was good, standard grocery store spicy mustard.$9.00
*California Cheese & Charcuterie Plate- so, so enjoyable! Loved everything about this. $10.00
We intended this to be our lunch and it fit the bill perfectly. Will return here on our next trip.
EPCOT (F&G Festival Booths)
Lotus House
*Vegetable Spring Roll- this was a fried spring roll, it was fine, nothing special.
Bauernmart Farmers Market
*Potato Pancake w/ Caramelized Ham, Onion & Sour Cream- the toppings were good but the potato pancake was not crispy. Was also barely warm.
The Smoke House
I was becoming slightly discouraged with the F&G foods booths until The Smoke House
*Frozen Lemonade w/ Firefly Blackberry Moonshine- Yes!Yes!Yes! Will be trying to replicate this for summer entertaining.
*Beef Brisket Burnt Ends w/ Potato Hash, White Cheddar Fondue & Pickled Jalapeños- delicious, tender, smoky beef. All the elements complimented each other.
Florida Fresh
*Spicy Blackened Shrimp w/ Cheddar Cheese Grits, Brown Gravy & Fresh Corn- another winner! 3 large shrimp, creamy grits, outstanding spicy gravy and crisp corn.
Pineapple Promenade
*Dole Whip w/ Parrot Bay Coconut Rum- refreshing tropical bliss
Animal Kingdom
Tiffins
*Signature Bread Service- 3 breads, 4 sauces. Enjoyed the Smoked Baba Ghanoush and Blatjang sauces and the crispy cracker-like bread. $10.00
*Chef’s Charcuterie Board- DH said this was ok. $17.00
*Snake River Farms Wagyu Strip Loin- we both ordered this. Cooked perfectly medium, tender and seasoned well. One of the best steaks we’ve had. $53.00
*South American Chocolate Ganache- DH not impressed (couldn’t get a more detailed description from him)$12.00
*Sorbet Tasting- passion fruit sorbet was delicious. The other flavor (can’t remember) was good. The accompanying vanilla/coconut meringue like cookie was superb. $9.00
Satu’li Canteen
We ate here twice, ordering the same menu item each time- it was that good.
*Chopped Wood Grilled Chicken Bowl, Potato Hash, Creamy Herb Dressing $11.49
*Chopped Wood Grilled Chicken Bowl, Beans & Rice, Creamy Herb Dressing $11.49
The chicken was grilled to perfection with great wood grilled flavor. Each bowl is topped with a delicious sweet, tangy slaw. I had been looking forward to trying the chimichurri but it it no longer a sauce choice.
*Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse- A pretty dessert that tastes like pure sugar. Nice creamy texture but the blueberry and passion fruit flavors are weak.$5.29
Pongu Pongu
*Night Blossom-the signature beverage of Pandora. We passed on this our first AK day but couldn’t resist on our second visit. It’s such a lovely green & pink frozen drink. It’s sweet but not over the top. Fruity, icy, delicious. And my first experience with boba balls- fun! $5.99
Waring Outpost
*Triple Yeti Blast- 3 frozen margarita flavors layered- lime, strawberry, mango. This was good, not great. Would have liked stronger strawberry and mango flavors. Refreshing and on a hot day would be a fine choice.
$10.25
Polynesian Village Resort
O’hana
Our server, Simo was friendly and attentive. He always offered to bring us more of each menu item and filled our iced teas several times. $59.99
*Pineapple Coconut Bread- meh... dry
*Mixed Green Salad w/ Lilikoi Dressing- fresh greens, tasty dressing
*Pork Dumpling in Garlic Ginger Sauce. Nice crispy texture but there was no sauce
*Honey Coriander Chicken Wings- great flavor, cooked well, crispy skin
*Steak Skewer- tender meat, smokey taste
*Chicken Skewer- same as beef
*Spicy Peel & Eat Shrimp- cooked well but no flavor
*Stir Fried Veggies- ok
*Noodles Tossed in Teriyaki Sauce- very bland, no teriyaki taste
*Bread Pudding a’la Mode w/ bananas & Caramel Sauce- very good but was not served warm.
Kona Cafe
*Tonga Toast- finally tasting this famous dish. Loved it and would order again. Sweet, crunchy coating, yummy banana filling. $16.00
*Ham & Cheese Omlette- DH says “ it was good” $15.00
Kona Island
*Kona Coffee(Joffrey’s) the best coffee we’ve had on property. Had a cup every afternoon.$3.19
Pineapple Lanai
*Pineapple Dole Whip- no words necessary $4.49
*Pineapple Dole Whip/Vanilla Swirl- even better swirled w/ vanilla soft serve $4.49
Long lines both times we ate here with only one CM working- not good!
Boardwalk Inn
Trattoria al Forno
We made this reservation the day of. Great choice. Our server Greta was a sweetheart. Very efficient and attentive.
*Caesar Salad- this is not on the menu but they will make it for you. Your standard Caesar.
*Lasagne di Pollo-very good, plenty of nice spicy sauce. Perfect balance of noodles, meat, cheese and sauce.$21.00
*Parmigiana di Pollo- above average chicken parm. DH enjoyed the sauce as well. $22.00
We had planned on ice cream at Ample Hills for dessert but were stuffed. Next time....
to the boards!
