DxDP Takes Revenge [a Fall 2018 Report] - COMPLETE

[collybird]

DAY 12

This morning we were up bright and early for Early Morning Magic. By 8.15, we had ridden Toy Story Mania three times in a row (this was a dream, we only gave up because our arms hurt), and Slinky Dog Dash three times. We had ridden Alien Swirling Saucers earlier in the trip and it had made me feel a bit sick so we were going to miss that. As we boarded SDD for the third time, I said to Nik we should do Swirling Saucers as we had so much extra time to kill. But, during the third ride of SDD I start feeling very, very motion sick, I was looking around for a sick bag as though there was going to be one I had to sit down after the ride, after a few minutes rest I was still feeling a bit shaky, we decided we were happy with what we had done, so we left!

I feel as though I need a bit of a disclaimer here, reflecting back we seem so frivolous - booking DxDP and not making the most of the credits, booking EMM and riding 4 rides, booking EMM at HS and leaving early, booking the Dessert Party and not eating any desserts... I am aware these things cost a lot, but I don't like to dwell on the price of things once the money has been spent, you can't get it back, so you just have to go with the flow and do what suits you in the moment.

This event also includes breakfast, but none of the items appealed to us so we weren’t really sad to be missing it. We will definitely do EMM again next year if it’s offered, and this time we’d eat breakfast before riding anything, as I think an empty stomach contributed to my nausea. Disney Food Blog has some pictures of the offerings.

We went back to the resort, I slept away my dodgy tummy, then headed back out to Epcot, we still had some Food and Wine eating to do, and we decided that it would be best to cancel Le Cellier, it was a meal we really wanted to enjoy, and we wouldn’t have enjoyed it worrying about being too full. Plus, we were eating at Flying Fish that night, where Nik would probably order a steak, and I thought it was a bit mean of me to expect him to eat two in a day (oh, the hardship).

There was no-where jumping out at me to replace Le Cellier, so we decided to go on an off-site adventure again, if we had any hope of using all our credits we wouldn’t have done this, but we were fighting a losing battle.

***

Miller’s Ale House

This was probably top of the list of off-site places I wanted to go to, I knew exactly what I wanted to eat before looking at the menu.

I had the Zingers Mountain Melt -Zingers, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, applewood-smoked bacon and scallions on a mountain of seasoned fries. The Zingers are chicken tenders dipped in your choice of sauce, I chose Garlic Parmesan.

I didn’t love these, I enjoyed them, but I wouldn’t order them again. As I’ve said previously, I don’t like my food touching, so it was probably never going to be my favourite thing. Nik really liked this though, and wished he had ordered it.

Nik had Chicken Fajitas.

Now, I don’t really like chicken fajitas, but I [i]loved[i] these, this was my favourite dish of the holiday. I had one bite, and then we ended up sharing both dishes. Our awesome server even brought us some extra tortillas at no extra charge.

I didn’t take a picture of the receipt, I was undecided about confessing this off-site jaunt to you , but the two meals, our drinks and tip came to $45. Madness!

***

At Epcot, we tried an Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Hmm, I didn’t like, or not like this, I thought it wasn’t too dissimilar to the Toffee Nut Latte we love at Christmas time. Nik wasn’t a fan.

We had Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle

This is delicious, so more-ish.

We had the Cheese Trio - Profiterole topped with Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese and Orange Apricot Jam, Smoked Salmon Pinwheel with Boursin Shallot and Chive Cheese and Everything Seasoning, Strawberry Macaron with Boursin Pepper Cheese and the Maple Bourbon Boursin Cheesecake - Served with Maple Bourbon Cream, Caramel and Pecan Crunch

I have just discovered I had no pictures of these items! This is a Disney Parks picture of the Trio

I wasn’t too sure about the macaron or the profiterole, but I loved the pinwheel.

This is the cheesecake.

Another delicious item, soooo creamy, and I came so close not to having it!

I had another slush from Joffrey’s, this time the strawberry one.

This was nice, but the passionfruit one was nicer.

Our last Food and Wine item was Traditional Poutine - French Fries, Beef Gravy and Cheese Curds from Refreshment Port.

I really wanted to try the Beef Brisket Poutine, that is a special Food and Wine Festival Offering, but it isn’t a snack credit, so we stuck with Traditional. Nik loved this, it was piping hot, and a massive portion for a snack.

***

Flying Fish

I had originally planned for the five of us to eat at Yachtsman Steakhouse tonight, but when my mum told me Trish was a seafood fan I switched to Flying Fish. We haven’t eaten here since the refurb and we were excited to see how the restaurant looked. Pictures don’t do it justice, it was beautiful inside, I loved the bubble light features, and the fish tail silverware.



The bread service here was lovely, so crusty.

I must have messed with the settings on my flash as the pictures here are really dark! I had Snow Crab Croquettes - Remolaude – Micro Greens

These were beautifully presented, you’ll just have to trust me on that, and were delicious, a nice twist on a crab cake, I loved the crunchy exterior.

Mum, Nik and Trish all had Lobster Bisque -Sambuca – Chive Oil

They all said this was delicious, although Nik will tell you it doesn’t rate up there with the best of them. I thought it looked lovely.

Mum and I both had Sea Bass - Leek Fondue – Cassis-Red Wine Reduction

The leek fondue and the red wine reduction are survivors from Flying Fish’s delicious potato-wrapped red snapper dish, the sea bass has replaced the snapper, and is a great substitute. The fish was delicious and a substantial portion. The leek fondue compliments the fish perfectly, although the red wine reduction was a little strong for me, Mum enjoyed it.

Nik had Wagyu Filet Mignon -Asparagus – Sweet Onion Risotto – Potato Beurre Blanc

Nik enjoyed his steak but thought the risotto was a bit tasteless, and there wasn’t much of it.

Trish had Hokkaido Scallops - Antebellum Grits – Sweet Corn – Peppadew Emulsion

I had swayed towards ordering this, it was a gorgeous looking dish and Trish loved it, Mum said she doesn’t often say that about meals so I was very pleased. I tasted the scallops and they were delicious.

Granny wanted the Seafood Risotto -Garden Herbs – Rock Shrimp – Calamari – Scallops But, without any of the seafood! The server arranged for her to the have risotto from the filet dish alongside the sea bass, I didn’t take a picture as it wasn’t a menu item.



I had Cocoa Breach - Chocolate Hazelnut Cake – Warm Ganache

The presentation of us was a bit of a show, it reminded me of Bake Off, the server poured the ganache over the chocolate cake and it melted in front of me. That was the highlight of the dish, other than that it was just chocolate cake!

Nik had Blueberries, Limes and Sea Shells -Mascarpone Cream – Blueberry-Lime Compote – Hibiscus Meringue – Rye Bourbon Caramel

He enjoyed this, I don’t remember tasting it!

Mum and Trish both had Panna ‘Carpa’ -Buttermilk Panna Cotta – Strawberry-Lime Consomme – Basil Sugar

They both raved about this.

Granny didn’t have a dessert.

Dinner came to $422.78 and we used 10 TS credits. The original plan had been that we would use our Disney gift cards to cover the cost of this, but now we had a zillion credits left it made sense to use them for this. Trish said this was one of the best meals she had ever had, so my work was done. I was also thrilled to share the Crescent Lake area with them, as it’s one of my favourite areas on property.

CREDITS USED 98
TOTAL IN $$ 3,001.26

[gjdjud]

Miller's is a great place to go offsite and really reasonable. Totally agree with you about the Zinger Mountain Melt. I don't think I even looked at the menu as I knew before what I was having. Didn't quite live up to the expectations!

[SquishTheWhale]

it's really nice to use some of those credits up treating people!

I've also had the zinger mountain melt and was underwhelmed by it. However, that could have been down to the fact it was our arrival night and I'd had a cocktail while waiting for the table (spoiler alert: I am a lightweight). By the time the food came I just wanted to faceplant in it and sleep.

I think I ate about 10% and the rest came home, DH tried to eat some for breakfast but a pile of fries, cheese and chicken was a bit too much even for him at 7am.

By the way... you don't need to justify your spend on extra Disney events! It's your holiday so its your choice how you do it. Plus you couldn't have anticipated feeling sick! Reading that was definitley giving me Kraken at Seaworld flashbacks... ugh 🤢

[Eccle]

Flying Fish looks lovely, and a good chance to use up some credits.
Shame you felt bad after SDD, was it anything about the ride itself, or just doing it so much in a short time?

Millers is one of our regular places to visit, on our last trip I think it was the most expensive offsite meal we had! Have you ever been to Chilis?

[Goldia]

The meal at Flying Fish looks divine, how lovely that you were able to treat your family, it just made it more special that way. Plus your Aunty said it was the best meal she had ever had, well one of them anyway.

Miller's is somewhere that I've seen in a lot of food reports and many dibbers rave about it, I would have ordered the mountain melt if we ever made it there, but now I've read your review. Hmm, it's one that we will get round to sometime!

I don't see that you need to explain how or why you spend your money your way...It's between you and Nik only. Honestly, Colette it's up to you, besides what's perhaps frivolous to one person is an essential to someone else! For example, I don't see the need to spend a lot of money on make up, until very recently I used to buy everything from Avon as it was cheap! So, I don't really get it when I see hauls from Sephora, but they certainly don't need to justify their spending, it's their choice and it's lovely to see people having fun and being happy and that part of it I do get.

[Rescuer]

The Flying Fish looks amazing. We haven’t been there in ages but it’s on my list for the summer. It’s been awhile but we liked it loads more than the Yachtsman.

Another offsite meal, they truly are good value compared to disney prices. I like Miller's, we will be back there. I ordered the zingers last time and I always like eating them at the start but get bored with it. I might check our the fajitas next time.

You don’t need to justify how you holiday. I love Florida because there are so many different ways to do it, what’s right for one family might not be right for another. I truly do get fed up feeling I have to justify or apologise for my holiday choices to those who are constantly renovating or buying fancy cars who then question how we spend our money. Life is too short. As long as you can afford it and you are doing what you want it’s nobody else’s business.

[GezzasGem]

Oo liking the look of that Zingers mountain melt, my kind of dish! 😄 never tried Flying Fish for dinner, but both the wagyu fillet and scallops would be strong contenders for me. Lovely that they could offer that risotto dish for your Nan too 👌

[collybird]

Originally Posted by gjdjud

Miller's is a great place to go offsite and really reasonable. Totally agree with you about the Zinger Mountain Melt. I don't think I even looked at the menu as I knew before what I was having. Didn't quite live up to the expectations!

See more...

We'll definitely be back to Miller's! I'd have the Zingers on their own again but I wouldn't bother with the melt.

Thank you for reading!

Originally Posted by SquishTheWhale

it's really nice to use some of those credits up treating people!

I've also had the zinger mountain melt and was underwhelmed by it. However, that could have been down to the fact it was our arrival night and I'd had a cocktail while waiting for the table (spoiler alert: I am a lightweight). By the time the food came I just wanted to faceplant in it and sleep.

I think I ate about 10% and the rest came home, DH tried to eat some for breakfast but a pile of fries, cheese and chicken was a bit too much even for him at 7am.

By the way... you don't need to justify your spend on extra Disney events! It's your holiday so its your choice how you do it. Plus you couldn't have anticipated feeling sick! Reading that was definitley giving me Kraken at Seaworld flashbacks... ugh 🤢

See more...

It was definitely nice to treat them, and I do like to show off how good free dining is.

I don't think I could stomach leftover fries, cheese and chicken for breakfast either Next time I'll get the zingers on their own.

It's not so much that I feel I have to justify the extras, it's the fact that we don't use them to their full value that I'm scared makes me look wasteful

I feel sick just looking at Kraken, how embarrassing I was defeated by Slinky Dog haha.

Thank you for reading!

Originally Posted by Eccle

Flying Fish looks lovely, and a good chance to use up some credits.
Shame you felt bad after SDD, was it anything about the ride itself, or just doing it so much in a short time?

Millers is one of our regular places to visit, on our last trip I think it was the most expensive offsite meal we had! Have you ever been to Chilis?

See more...

Definitely just too much spinning in a short time, the bit where Slinky goes over the bumps nearly pushed me over the edge. I've mainly outgrown my motion sickness but sometimes it comes back to haunt me.

We have been to Chillis and we LOVED it. It was such amazing value, I had a combo and I couldn't believe how much food I had, and the fried cheese curds were to die for. We'll definitely be back again, good to know Miller's was on the more expensive side because I thought it was a bargain!

Thank you for reading.

Originally Posted by Goldia

The meal at Flying Fish looks divine, how lovely that you were able to treat your family, it just made it more special that way. Plus your Aunty said it was the best meal she had ever had, well one of them anyway.

Miller's is somewhere that I've seen in a lot of food reports and many dibbers rave about it, I would have ordered the mountain melt if we ever made it there, but now I've read your review. Hmm, it's one that we will get round to sometime!

I don't see that you need to explain how or why you spend your money your way...It's between you and Nik only. Honestly, Colette it's up to you, besides what's perhaps frivolous to one person is an essential to someone else! For example, I don't see the need to spend a lot of money on make up, until very recently I used to buy everything from Avon as it was cheap! So, I don't really get it when I see hauls from Sephora, but they certainly don't need to justify their spending, it's their choice and it's lovely to see people having fun and being happy and that part of it I do get.

See more...

Maybe you could all share a Mountain Melt as a starter? I think it was just too much for one person, I'm a bit of a picker and get bored fast.

Ah you are too kind to try and put my mind at ease, I just feel as though we seem to have spent a lot of extra money and not really got the best value out of it. I am quite tightfisted in real life so I am probably projecting my own opinion onto others

Thank you for reading!

Originally Posted by Rescuer

The Flying Fish looks amazing. We haven’t been there in ages but it’s on my list for the summer. It’s been awhile but we liked it loads more than the Yachtsman.

Another offsite meal, they truly are good value compared to disney prices. I like Miller's, we will be back there. I ordered the zingers last time and I always like eating them at the start but get bored with it. I might check our the fajitas next time.

You don’t need to justify how you holiday. I love Florida because there are so many different ways to do it, what’s right for one family might not be right for another. I truly do get fed up feeling I have to justify or apologise for my holiday choices to those who are constantly renovating or buying fancy cars who then question how we spend our money. Life is too short. As long as you can afford it and you are doing what you want it’s nobody else’s business.

See more...

I think Flying Fish is a bit of a dark horse, I thought about lots of other places before I settled on there, and I am so happy I did.

Thank you for your kind words, I was just paranoid We live quite frugally throughout the year, and our holiday is our only blowout - hence why I was so frustrated that the plan went so awry.

Thank you for reading!

Originally Posted by GezzasGem

Oo liking the look of that Zingers mountain melt, my kind of dish! 😄 never tried Flying Fish for dinner, but both the wagyu fillet and scallops would be strong contenders for me. Lovely that they could offer that risotto dish for your Nan too 👌

See more...

There was so much choice at Miller's, I was dead set on the Zinger Mountain Melt but I only discovered that you can choose different sauces on it when I got there, my mind was blown!

The server was lovely in Flying Fish, very tolerant

Thank you for reading!

[Eccle]

Originally Posted by collybird

Definitely just too much spinning in a short time, the bit where Slinky goes over the bumps nearly pushed me over the edge. I've mainly outgrown my motion sickness but sometimes it comes back to haunt me.

We have been to Chillis and we LOVED it. It was such amazing value, I had a combo and I couldn't believe how much food I had, and the fried cheese curds were to die for. We'll definitely be back again, good to know Miller's was on the more expensive side because I thought it was a bargain!

See more...

Good to know it was just the repeated riding that did it, my motion sickness tolerance isn't very high either.

I was thinking Chilis sounded like it would be up your street if you hadn't been. I don't think Millers is too expensive, but we did well with deals and vouchers at lots of places on our last trip!

[collybird]

DAY 13

Our last full day, boo!

Whilst Nik was still sleeping Mum and I headed over to Spyglass Grill for breakfast, I was so disappointed that we just missed out on the opening of the new main building as I’d have loved to have tried breakfast there.

Spyglass Grill

Mum had Bacon Breakfast Sandwich - Bacon, Egg and Cheese served on Brioche

Please excuse the terrible photography. She enjoyed this, a bacon roll isn’t something you often see in Disney! It didn’t come with any sides which was perhaps a little disappointing. She also tried some coffee from the refil stations, she said it was disgusting haha.

I had Cream Cheese Guava-stuffed French Toast - House-made Thick-sliced Brioche French Toast stuffed with Guava Cream Cheese and topped with fresh Strawberry Guava and Cream Cheese Sauces and a choice of Bacon of Fresh Fruit

This was delicious! I would pay TS prices for this it was that good. I was concerned it would be doughy but it was light and fluffy and the sauces on top were to die for. I had fruit on the side rather than bacon and it was really fresh, I miss Floridian fruit.

The two meals, a fresh orange and a chocolate milk came to $25.95 and we used two TS credits.

***


Sanaa

Lunch was at Animal Kingdom Lodge, we parked at Kidani Village, it was quite strange using the enclosed parking as we’d never done this before. I felt like the restaurant was quite difficult to find walking from the parking garage but we got there in the end. The Kidani lobby was very busy and my mum said ‘wow this is amazing’, it made me laugh because she didn’t have any reaction to Jambo House, which is much grander.

The restaurant was relatively quiet when we arrived (our ADR was at 11am) but filled up steadily and was quite busy by the time we left. We got a window table, which was great as we didn’t get one the last time we ate here, and saw lots of animals outside whilst we were eating.

We started with the bread service, Indian-style Bread Service - Choice of Five Breads – Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kucha or Paneer Paratha. Accompaniments – Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal and Spicy Jalapeno-Lime Pickle

We got one of each bread, our favourite was the spiced naan, which wasn’t really very spicy at all. The dips are organised from mildest to hottest, I preferred the milder ones, although a couple of them tasted questionable. Nik thought one tasted like cough medicine and Mum said ‘I know, it’s lovely’

I had the Sanaa Burger - Spiced Mustard and Peppadew-Goat Cheese served with Sanaa Chips and Pickle Spear

I had been really looking forward to trying this as the burger has had rave reviews here on The Dibb, but once we were actually there I was really worried about the inclusion of goat’s cheese after the pasta debacle at Trail’s End. But, I am pleased to say it was delicious. I was disappointed to see it is now served one a bun rather than on naan as it was previously. You can probably tell from the picture that the chips, were actually like crisps, rather than the cardboard ‘house-made chips’ at the QS restaurants. The chips had a slight kick and were really nice. This is an awesome dish, it is not served at dinner so go for lunch if you’d like to try it.

Mum had Tandoori Chicken - Traditional Naan, Rocket, Pickled Onion, Tomato, and Sambal Mayonnaise

This is what I had the last time we ate here, it is like a really good quality chicken kebab from a good Indian restaurant here, another winner of a dish, and again this is only served at lunchtime.

Nik had Potjie Inspired - Choose one from the Journey – Goan Seafood Curry, Butter Chicken, Braised Beef, or Spicy Durban Shrimp. Choose one from the Harvest – Aloo Masala, Chickpea Wit, Lentil Dhal, Paneer Tikka, or Cilantro-Coconut Vegetables served with scented Basmati Rice

He chose Butter Chicken and Paneer Tikka, this is exactly the same as he had the last time we were here. The server told us that on the Dining Plan you are actually allowed to order a third dish, she recommended the Braised Beef, so we added that on, unfortunately the kitchen initially forgot it so it was brought out later, and I forgot to take a picture.

Nik loved the Butter Chicken, he raved about this for ages, he wasn’t as keen on the paneer, purely because he couldn’t get his head around the fact it was cheese! Neither of us liked the braised beef, it very tender, but the texture reminded me of pet food

I had the Kenyan Coffee Petit Entremet -Kenyan Coffee-Chocolate Mousse, Espresso Financier, Vanilla Cremeux, Caramel, and Kenyan Coffee Crumble

I was torn between this and the Triple Chocolate Mousse, my dish was nice, but nothing special, I wish I’d gone for the other one instead.

Nik and Mum both had Spice Trade Candy Bar - Coconut, Apricot, Caramel, Pistachio, Cashew Bar coated with Milk Chocolate, topped with Chai Cream, Pistachio Crumb, and Apricot Gelee

The server described this as like a Snickers bar, I tried it but I didn’t think so, Nik said the coconut made it tasted more like a Bounty, he said it was okay, but didn’t taste like he expected (he loves Snickers!).

This meal came to $121.38 or 3 TS credits. I don't think we'll return to Sanaa, the dinner menu has never appealed to me, and although the food served at lunch is delicious I just find it a bit heavy for the Floridian heat. Also, we have such fabulous Indian food here in the UK that I don't ever think Sanaa can beat it.

CREDITS USED 103
TOTAL IN $$ 3,148.58

***

I was pleased to see they had my favourite Zebra Domes for sale in the little store at Kidani.

I used a snack credit for these. I don’t know what came over me, but I left them in the car whilst we spent the afternoon at Hollywood Studios, when I came back they were a puddle. So sad!

***

Almost, the last snack credit worth writing about (most were spent on water/soda) was a Frozen Strawberry Fanta in Hollywood Studios.

This was okay, like the frozen Coke, it wasn’t particularly refreshing and I felt like I needed another drink after finishing it, it must be all the sugar.

***

Hollywood Brown Derby

We had a Fantasmic! Dining Package reservation at HBD, the Signature restaurant in Hollywood Studios. At 180 days the earliest dinner ADR they offered here was at 4.30 but as the trip got closer some later time slots opened up and I was able to change it to 5.30 which suited us better.

Last year the Dining Package changed, previously any appetiser was included, now you get an entrée and a set dessert. As we were on the DxDP we were offered starters but as there was nothing that appealed to Mum or Nik we declined. I was a bit miffed as I wanted to try the cobb salad.

Being teetotal has meant I have never been able to order a drink with a glow cube, but HBD offered some virgin cocktails including one, I was so excited!

I have no idea why I am dressed like a tramp in a Signature restaurant, normally I dress up even for the in park ones, there must have been a reason why I was slumming it though.

We were really pleased to see the Tesco 50p part-baked rolls make another appearance

Nik and I both had Charred Filet of Beef -Port Wine Glazed, Sweet Potato Silk, Wild Mushrooms, Brussels Sprouts, Sweetie Drop Peppers

This was quite a disaster of a dish. The steak was overcooked, it had the texture of a burger, but not a nice one! The accompaniments were cold, not just lukewarm, cold. My steak was slo overdone, and I'd say Nik's was too. Our server was MIA so I couldn’t even complain, although I don’t like confrontation, so even if he was around I doubt I’d have said anything.

Mum had Duck Cutlets - Sweet Corn Silk, Fava Bean Puree, Succotash, Blood Orange Gastrique

She liked this, and I thought it was nicely presented, but she said the duck didn’t have any discernible flavour – it could have been pork, chicken or anything else.

The set dessert on the Dining Package is Brown Derby Original Mini Grapefruit Cake and Banana-Toffee Cake - French Macaroon, Banana Fosters, Cocoa Crunch, Banana Mousse, White Chocolate Ring, Heath Bar

Can I just say, I cannot wait until Disney get over their obsession with macaroons!? I was sick of the sight of them.

Our server cleared our dinner plates without a word, then disappeared without any mention of dessert, I started to get annoyed, I had zero intention of eating either of those desserts, I don’t like banana, and I have tried the grape fruit cake previously and I didn’t like that either, I had wanted to ask the server if it was possible for me to have whatever dessert kids are offered on the package.

The desserts came out, Nik and Mum tried them but didn’t like them, I didn’t even touch mine. When the server came to clear our dessert plates he remarked that I hadn’t eaten anything. He said I should have said, but I didn’t get the chance! Then he asked if I’d like some ice cream, which redeemed himself slightly. I declined the offer though, he said that if I changed my mind later I could pop back for some ice cream, I wasn't sure if he was joking about this or not

I did not enjoy this meal and it was the worst service we had had all trip. We had chosen HDB over Hollywood & Vine (which we love!) and this was a mistake. Dinner came to $226.82 and used 6 TS credits, if we'd have paid OOP for this I'd have absolutely complained. HBD is wonderfully themed but we won't be back.

CREDITS USED 109
TOTAL IN $$ 3,375.40

***

We used our final two snack credits on a soda and some nachos and cheese to eat during Fantasmic!

These are our favourite snack of all!

***

And, so our last park day came to end, this trip I'd conquered RnRC, ridden Everest for the first time since 2013, Splash and Space for the first time since 2014, but still ToT alluded me. I should have ridden it on the first morning right after RnRC when I was full of bravado, maybe next time!?