The Girl With The Whale Tattoo eats Disney- onsite DDP/offsite food report May 2019- COMPLETE

[Jakey Neverland]

Really loved your report so far, lots of places you have been are on my list. Homecoming looks amazing esp the mac cheese! And that KeylimePie will be my eldest daughters idea of heaven.

People are weird aren't they, if you really cannot cope with shared tables don't book. Surely they couldn't have enjoyed themselves. Nothing queer as folk eh!

[Disney Planning]

Really enjoyed your report so far, Homecomin got cancelled last year but might add it for our next trip. Some of the cocktails look delicious.

[collybird]

I love Magic Cookie bars, one of the best Disney snacks.

I loved seeing all of your Flower and Garden eats, they all seem a little more elaborate than those at Food and Wine.

[JenD1]

Originally Posted by orlandoamber

I am probably just confused, but I swear I’ve read another recent review somewhere describing exactly the same couple you described and this situation!

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Yes me too. Surely can’t be two couples like that?! 🤣

[Rescuer]

Yak and Yeti looked great. I love the look of your cocktail there. We plan to go and maybe use our $25 Landry card and pay oop as I’m craving the starters like wok fried green beans and the tuna nachos.

Shame about Cali Grill, we’ve only done dinner once there but had a great experience but I’m sure we were a 7ish reservation as we were finished before the fireworks. We’ve got the brunch booked and like you say I’ve blocked out the rest of the day for the resulting food coma!

I like your Epcot cup, weird question, is it flimsy or sturdy?

Thanks for posting. You are making me very eager for our summer trip.

[SquishTheWhale]

Originally Posted by Rescuer

Yak and Yeti looked great. I love the look of your cocktail there. We plan to go and maybe use our $25 Landry card and pay oop as I’m craving the starters like wok fried green beans and the tuna nachos.

Shame about Cali Grill, we’ve only done dinner once there but had a great experience but I’m sure we were a 7ish reservation as we were finished before the fireworks. We’ve got the brunch booked and like you say I’ve blocked out the rest of the day for the resulting food coma!

I like your Epcot cup, weird question, is it flimsy or sturdy?

Thanks for posting. You are making me very eager for our summer trip.

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The clear Starbucks cup? It's very sturdy, the plastic is very thick and rigid. It's really big too- I've been using it every day since I got home! It was $25 in one of the parks Starbucks, can't be sure which but I'm thinking it was MK.

The starters did look really good at Yak n Yeti- so wish you could swap desserts for starters on the DDP!

7 Would have been a better time to do Cali Grill, I was trying to be clever and time the fireworks for inbetween mains and dessert. Note to self: you are not clever.

Originally Posted by collybird

I love Magic Cookie bars, one of the best Disney snacks.

I loved seeing all of your Flower and Garden eats, they all seem a little more elaborate than those at Food and Wine.

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I would like to try food and wine one time! Some of the stalls they have then like the Thai one would be right up my street.

Originally Posted by Disney Planning

Really enjoyed your report so far, Homecomin got cancelled last year but might add it for our next trip. Some of the cocktails look delicious.

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I would put Homecomin as a top priority! It was really good.

Originally Posted by Jakey Neverland

Really loved your report so far, lots of places you have been are on my list. Homecoming looks amazing esp the mac cheese! And that KeylimePie will be my eldest daughters idea of heaven.

People are weird aren't they, if you really cannot cope with shared tables don't book. Surely they couldn't have enjoyed themselves. Nothing queer as folk eh!

See more...

I guess its possible the couple had just had a massive barney but didn't want to miss their reservation and be charged $10 Lol! But it's also possible they were just terrible people.
We went to a Teppanyaki on cruise once and shared with a couple where he looked like Richard Branson and she was blonde mutton dressed as lamb with a bunch of silicon thrown in. She delighted in telling everyone how she was his second wife and how much better she was than the first!
We also saw her later that cruise trying to give a lap dance to one of the musicians while he was on stage.

Originally Posted by orlandoamber

I am probably just confused, but I swear I’ve read another recent review somewhere describing exactly the same couple you described and this situation!

See more...

Originally Posted by JenD1

Yes me too. Surely can’t be two couples like that?! 🤣

See more...

I did mention it on another thread as there was a discussion about awkward table mates at Teppan Edo! But I think all I said was that they were from New Jersey and really rude. If you saw a more detailed post then maybe the other family were dibbers too!

Originally Posted by Claudette

What a strange couple at Teppan Edo. Yesterday DH and I decided to change our Teppan Edo to Tokyo Dining as we think the menu is better. I was just curious to try Teppan Edo as we have never been.

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Tokyo dining looked nice but as a non sushi eater the menu looked a bit limited for me! I do really love Japanese food though. We went to an excellent Japanese restaurant later on.

[Rescuer]

Thank you. I've added the cup to my shopping list. Might encourage me to drink more water at school.

[princessnicki]

we literally had the same experience at CG- brunch is next level and i would go back tomorrow but dinner was a bit of a let down for us- salty food, booked a 7.45pm ADR to see the fireworks in between main and dessert and we finally got our mains at 8.50pm so had to inhale them and didn't get first choice on the viewing spots, poor server

[SquishTheWhale]

Originally Posted by princessnicki

we literally had the same experience at CG- brunch is next level and i would go back tomorrow but dinner was a bit of a let down for us- salty food, booked a 7.45pm ADR to see the fireworks in between main and dessert and we finally got our mains at 8.50pm so had to inhale them and didn't get first choice on the viewing spots, poor server

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Such a shame! Maybe we had the same server...

[SquishTheWhale]

Day 8

Today was the day we changed hotels from Riverside to the Rosen Plaza on IDrive. Originally I'd had some AK FPs booked for this morning as I thought we would want to go back for a second day, but as we'd ridden everything the first time I cancelled them so someone else could be happy picking up a FOP FP.

Instead we decided to spend a morning at Disney Springs, I think we both needed an off day from the parks and we hadn't had time for a proper look around when we were running late for Homecomin. So after leaving our luggage at Riverside we finally managed to get the boat to DS!

While waiting at the dock we saw this little guy underwater, anyone know what type of snake he is? It was funny as a little girl was saying 'mummy mummy there's a snake' and mummy was having none of it just looking at her phone, clearly she thought she was making it up. I had a look and was like 'oh, there actually is a snake!' and then everyone rushed over to look lol.



Enjoyed the ride down the river to DS, except when DH was convinced that a large wasp hanging out in the boat was trying to kill him. Had a good mooch round DS and was very restrained only spending $50 in Sephora. If we'd had any of the $200 gift card left I'm sure I'd have spent more! We ended up using it and the $60 card we got for declining mousekeeping on tips and Starbucks mugs. Be warned if you want all 4 parks Starbucks mugs you're looking at around $90 after tax. Ouch.

Anyway for lunch I have always wanted to try Poutine so we got a classic from the Daily Poutine stand.



We also used a snack credit on a powerade



We paid for the poutine out of pocket, I want to say it was around $9? Now I'm from Yorkshire originally and we all know Yorkshire invented chips and gravy. But I did really enjoy the addition of cheese curds, I was worried they'd melt into a mess but they stayed solid. The chips themselves were only okay but the gravy was very nice. Although it was roasting hot weather so we felt a bit silly eating hot gravy!

After that we got a mexican burrito bowl thingy from the 4 Rivers Cantina truck, which is behind the World of Disney store



The instagrammable thing to get from here is the huge taco cone, but they looked super difficult to eat and even more so to share so we got it in a bowl. I think we got beef.



It had rice, beans, salad, salsa, cheese, taco strips and came with guac and sour cream. I think it was around $11. Not the most mind blowing mexican I'd ever eaten but tasty and very fresh. I liked that Guac was included, a lot of places it costs extra which DH always complains about. Did you see the hidden mickey?!

We had 2 snack credits left and I was desperate to try a Joffreys Donut as I was missing the Big Pink from Universal. So 1 snack credit gone here



And then as it was roasting hot we got a frappe from Starbucks and sat in to drink it and eat the donut.



I think this was just a skinny caramel frappe. 1 snack credit used.

And that's the end of the dining plan-
0 Snacks left 0 TS 0 QS. I think I missed a snack credit somewhere in this report as I had 4 left at last count, so I've failed at an accurate dining report, oops.

Dining plan thoughts

We found the plan the perfect amount of food for us. We didn't over eat and we didn't feel the need to scrimp and save credits. However do keep in mind we got that pizza free on the first night- I think we'd have cut out one of the QS breakfasts if that hadn't happened. We used a lot of snack credits at the Flower and Garden festival so if that wasn't around maybe we'd have been left with snacks to spend on candy to take home or whatever.

Food was, as we all know, very expensive in Disney and I wouldn't want to stay on site without free DDP. We did end up coming back once or twice in the second week and bought some food OOP, and boy do those prices hurt without the DDP. Skipping ahead here, but generally speaking we find both the prices and quality of food better offsite, but what do you expect with a theme park really. If you go to Alton Towers you pay £10 for a sad looking burger- at least the Disney food is generally pretty good and varied.

We would consider staying onsite again with the DDP but wouldn't only want QS as we like an evening sit down meal. However we did find the ADR times a little stressful and restrictive. So at the moment my thoughts are if we did Disney again we'd stay offsite and use some of the savings on accomodation to pay for a few onsite meals. I'm very glad we got to experience 'the bubble' at least once though!

Rosen Plaza

As we were near the bus depot we caught the bus back to Riverside, the driver was absolutley hilarious so made it just as enjoyable as the boat. Picked up the cases and Ubered over to the Rosen Plaza, we must have arrived about 3pm as we were able to check in straight away. We'd booked via Netflights and paid £400 for 7 nights which is very reasonable in my book. When we stayed at the Rosen Inn next door we paid £40 a night, and I think the extra is 100% worth it for the Plaza.

Despite the fact I'd booked a room category with 2 queen beds I sent a cheeky email asking for a king bed on a high floor and they gave us a king on the 6th floor. If we'd been willing to wait a couple of hours for the room to be ready they did offer us a king on the 14th floor but DH wasn't willing to entertain that (probably sensible but I sulked a little as I wanted the view).

The rooms are lovely, spacious modern and clean.




I adored the little light up pull out mirror- found doing my makeup in the quite dark room at Riverside a pain in the bum but this was great.

We had a view of Idrive as far as the Icon360. Feels like a luxury to have a window to look out of! I can live with motel style accomodation but this is so much nicer and brighter.



Okay so I know you're here for food not views. After a swim in the pool we headed out to one of our favorites, Bahama Breeze. This is a few minutes walk down IDrive.

DH had a zombie cocktail



I got right put off ordering a cocktail because very rudely they had all the calories listed on the menu next to them! Lol. Ended up choosing a non alcoholic frozen slush thing because it had the least calories next to it...



It was tasty but slushes are always a bit tricky to drink so probably should have just had a diet coke.

For mains DH chose the skirt steak churrasco. He was dithering between this and the Taste of Jamaica but as he had the latter last time decided to go for something new. He also ordered an extra side of plantains which wasn't on the menu but they charged him $3.29 for.

10-oz. skirt steak topped with chimichurri. Served with yellow rice, black beans and sweet plantains. $21.49



He really liked this but possibly preffered the sampler just because it had more going on.

I chose the Caribbean lobster mac and cheese because I saw this on someone else's food report (sorry I can't remember who!) and I NEEDED it in my life. Lightly fried lobster tail with griddled Bahamian mac & cheese. Served with roasted bell pepper sauce, homemade chimichurri and green beans. $22.49



Oh my god this was so good. The lobster was fried in a light batter like it was the best, sweetest fish from a chippy you've ever had in your life. The sauces were delicious and the mac n cheese good too. I'm normally someone who eats veg for function not pleasure but somehow even the green beans were really good.

Oh and the lobster shell was there for presentation only, the lobster wasn't attached to it. So not difficult to eat at all.

I think the meal was about $70 so not cheap but really good and worth the price (and we did choose some of the most expensive mains on offer!). Love Bahama Breeze every time we go.

Too full for dessert we decided to go down the road to the Regal cinema at the Pointe to see detective Pikachu. Did not expect that the seats in here would be super comfy leather electric recliners! (ignore the fact I'm pulling a dumb face in this photo) (and no comments on how pale I am even after a week in the sun... I'm well aware I don't tan lol)



You can also get loads of food to take in like pizza, churros, burgers, nachos all sorts of things. The tickets were only $12 so a bargain considering it costs you £12 here for a bog standard ticket at Cineworld.

And that's the end of day 8! Next time food at the Premium outlets, Citywalk food court and voodoo donuts