Mission 0 credits complete! Sept 2014 Dining Report (Onsite/Offsite) **COMPLETE**

[Megandllsmum]

Looking forward to reading more. . . . We loved Wolfgang puck express when we went in October, the pizza was to die for

[MissFortune]

Day 1: Epcot - Fountain View Starbucks

It was a really early start to the day for EMH and we were at the bus stop when it was still pitch black outside.

Before we left the room we had a quick snack from yesterday's Garden Grocer delivery to keep us going until we could get something proper to eat.

We each had 1/2 of a muffin. Andy's was chocolate & mine was banana nut. Nothing too exciting but it was very flavourful. I wish you could buy this type from the supermarkets here.



It got to about 11.00am and we were hungry again - it must be all the trekking to Soarin' & Test track. It was still a little early for lunch though so we headed into the Fountain View Starbucks to see what they had to offer.

We chose to share one of the CS meal options so we'd still have room for some F&W snacks.



As you can see from the menu here - you can opt for two breakfast options here for a counter service credit on the dining plan:

1. A hot entrée (breakfast sandwich/wrap) and any size drink or bottle of soda/water.

2. Any of the pastry offerings in the cases, a piece of whole fruit and again any drink.

We went for the Sausage & Cheddar sandwich which they toast fresh for you and a Diet Coke ($4.49 for sandwich & $2.59 for soda).



It did take a little while to come as it was pretty busy and some people were ordering the most complicated combinations of drinks ever!

When we did get to eat it it was totally worth the wait. Hot, fresh & really tasty. The meat was really juicy and had a little peppery spice to it. Some ketchup would have made it a 10/10 but we couldn't see any and couldn't get back near the counter. I think for me it was better than the similar Mcdonalds mcmuffin and we both pretty much fought for it. A great use of a CS credit and good value - especially if you choose a fancy coffee to go with it. We just had a bottle of soda.

The cashier misunderstood me and charged the price to the room but we got it sorted out no problem at reception back at SSR. They took the charge off and deducted a credit without question.



Overall this was much better than expected

Credits used here - 1 CS
Credits left - 11 CS,14 TS & 14 SC

[MissFortune]

Originally Posted by Ycryan

Loving your report, can't wait to read more. x

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Thanks for reading

Originally Posted by dixonsontour

Great start

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Thank you - I have read all of your dining reports (multiple times ) and loved them all!

Originally Posted by 16offtodisney!

Oh looking forward to seeing the rest x

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Cheers

Originally Posted by Megandllsmum

Looking forward to reading more. . . . We loved Wolfgang puck express when we went in October, the pizza was to die for

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I really want to try the pizza next time, they look really good. Especially the BBQ chicken... or pepperoni

[MissFortune]

Day 1: Epcot - Food & Wine Festival and Other booths Pt. 1

At lunchtime we planned to have a walk around World Showcase and stop for snacks along the way which would be a sort of "buffet" lunch.

Hawaii

First stop to my favourite booth from last year for an item I absolutely loved before.

Kalua Pork Slider with sweet and sour Dole Pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise – $3.75





It was every bit as amazing as before! The pork is really tender and so juicy (it tends to drip down your hands slightly if not careful. That sounds a bit grosse, but believe me it's so good!). I don't like pineapple on the whole (like the flavour, hate the texture) but on this it really works and the spicy mayo is the final touch that sets it off perfectly. Thankfully this was all mine as it's not Andy's cup of tea. I love love(!) this and will continue to buy for as long as it's offered. It's also a really good size for just under $4. It's an 11/10 for me. Now I will stop gushing

To go with my slider we shared a couple of the alcoholic drinks on offer.



On the left is Aulani Sunset featuring Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum ($6.75) and on the right Maui Splash Sweet Pineapple Wine ($3.50).

The Aulani sunset cocktail was nice and refreshing. It's just rum with some kind of tropical juice. It was sweet and not too strong. Quite nice & a good size but wouldn't bother to get it again.

Neither of us like the sweet pineapple wine at all. It was warm which was surprising, a bad surprise and was really strong! It was a bit paint stripper-ish - I wrote in my notes "would put hairs on your chest" lol and we couldn't get any pineapple flavour at all. Thankfully it was cheap because it didn't get finished.

We chose not to use a snack credit for the slider or possibly we forgot.

Total paid in cash (incl. any applicable tax) - $14

Canada



Second stop on the trail was Canada for the Le Cellier fillet steak... what else?!

“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce ($7.25)



This one was Andy's but of course I had a little try for reporting purposes only, you see.

Another repeat purchase from last year and another great choice.

The serving size is pretty good again, not massive obviously. It's really soft & flavourful and to say that they mass cook these it was cooked really well. I didn't try the wild mushrooms as i'm a bit funny about these (give me button any day) but the sauce also really complimented it. I have heard others say that it can be a bit salty and I agree but i'm a salt monster so it didn't bother me at all.

Would get this again 100% and I wouldn't hesitate to order a full sized one if dining in the restaurant either. Also it goes without saying that it's fantastic value for a snack credit @ over $7!

Credits used here - 1 SC
Credits left - 11 CS,14 TS & 13 SC

Rose & Crown

Not a F&W stand I know but we stopped here along the way. We managed to score a seat inside just as a group was leaving.



We got a pint of Strongbow & a Malibu and Coke.



Not much to say about this but Andy always has to stop to get a pint of "normal" cider whilst he can as we pass. It was nice and cool inside though so was a welcome stop as it was getting really hot out. Why does WS always seem so much hotter than everywhere else?

Total paid in cash - $16 which was a bit steep

[loves_disney]

great report looking forward to reading more!

[MissFortune]

Day 1: Epcot - Food & Wine Festival and Other booths Pt. 2

France

On the way round we stopped at the champagne stand for a Grand Marnier slushie to share.



Tasty as ever - it has a refreshing orange taste and is perfect to stop and cool down for a minute. The little tables and chairs at the side of the stand offer a nice view out onto the lagoon.

Total paid in cash (incl. any applicable tax) - $9.95

Morocco

We have not visited this booth before. We opted for a Kefta pocket - Ground seasoned beef in a pita pocket $5.





I had a quick bite before scooping out the veg inside so that Andy could eat it as it's one of the few things that caught his eye in the list of foods in the passport. It was just OK - a bit like a slightly chewy home-made burger and desperately needed some more sauce as the bread was on the dry/stale side.

We also got a Sangria ($5) but the only picture I have of it is me drinking it



Neither of us really enjoyed this - it was more like straight up strong red wine which neither of us drink.

Overall not impressed by our picks from Morocco and will probably give it a miss next time.

Total paid in cash (incl. any applicable tax) - $10.00

Japan

Not the actual F&W booth - this was from the Japan Hospitality Kiosk (Outdoor Sake bar) opposite Teppan Edo.

Tokyo Sunset cocktail - $8.50.







As the sign says it was Coconut Rum, Peach Schnapps, Banana Liqueur, & Pineapple Juice. It was lovely and sweet and had a pretty prominent banana flavour. Very refreshing and we would definitely get one of these again. The umbrella was a cute added bonus!

Total paid in cash (incl. any applicable tax) - $9.06

Italy wine cart

From the little wine cart at the front of Italy - Limoncello Spritzer. $7.75



I don't know exactly what went into this as there was no information on the menu and I can't find anything on-line either. I was expecting this to be sweet but it was actually very dry and didn't have any Limoncello flavour which was disappointing. I have no idea what gave it its pink colour. If you like champagne/prosecco you might like it. Somehow it got knocked over into a flower bed whilst still half full and neither of us were gutted at its loss

Total paid in cash (incl. any applicable tax) - $8.26

Italy

From the actual F&W booth - Filetto di pollo, con funghi al marsala: Chicken tenderloin, cremini mushrooms, marsala sauce and ciabatta bread. $5.75



This was surprisingly good. The marsala sauce was very deep flavourful and the chicken juicy. The mushrooms were a welcome addition and the bread was a good idea to mop up the tasty sauce. The only thing that I would change would be to make the sauce a bit thicker - it was flavourful but on the thin side and didn't really "stick" to the chicken. I'm fairly confident we'd get this again.

Total paid in cash (incl. any applicable tax) - $5.75

Poland

Frozen Szarlotka (apple pie) featuring Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka – $8.75



So as you can see this is a little frozen cocktail that's apple pie flavoured. It did had a subtle apple pie hint but it wasn't overly strong on either apple flavour or alcohol. Andy wasn't overly impressed but whilst I enjoyed I think it will be a skip next time.

Total paid in cash (incl. any applicable tax) - $8.75

Germany

I popped into Karamel Kuche to grab some chocolate covered, caramel drizzled grapes that i'd been excited to try but I couldn't find them anywhere. I asked a CM who looked confused and said they don't do these only strawberries or pineapple. She asked another CM who said that they've never made these.

Then what are these I see on DisneyFood Blog? Scotch mist?


disneyfoodblog/2012/0...aramell-kuche/

I left sad and empty handed (in protest ) with a plan to come back and try again another time.

China

Last stop of the day. Beijing Roasted Duck in Hoisin Sauce – $6.50



I forgot to take a picture so have borrowed one from DisneyFoodBlog for your viewing pleasure.

This was nice - the steamed bun is something i've never tried before, it was very soft & delicate and made for a good "vessel" for the duck. It didn't have any flavour really which let the duck stand out. There was plenty of duck in there with a few fatty pieces that I had to pick out but duck is a fatty meat - that's what gives it it's flavour! The hoisin sauce was really strong but I like it, so no trouble there. It was pleasant but next time I would like try the Mongolian Beef as I really couldn't decide between these.

I actually used a snack credit for this! Yay

Credits used here - 1 SC
Credits left - 11 CS,14 TS & 12 SC

[Grapesoda]

Yes, more added... yum!

[MissFortune]

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

Yes, more added... yum!

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Thanks for stopping by

[MissFortune]

Day 1: Rainforest Cafe DTD

Our ADR was at 7.00pm - we left our room at about 6.20pm and headed across the bridge. This took about 10mins so we were quite a bit early when we arrived at Marketplace. It made sense to pop into the Lava Lounge and waste a bit of time whilst sipping a cocktail before checking in.

I had a Blue Nile - Cruzan Mango Rum, DeKuyper Blue Curacao Liqueur and Finest Call Blood Orange Sour with sweet & sour

Andy had a Panama Punch - Bacardi 151, Myers’s Original Dark Rum, Peach Schnapps and 99 Bananas Liqueur. Accented with Creme de Cassis and orange and pineapple juices.

Both $8.99ea in a non-souvenir glass.



Both very nice, fruity & refreshing.

Total paid in cash without tip (incl. applicable tax) - $19.14

After we'd paid our tab it was nearing 7.00pm so we made our way round to the Rainforest Cafe entrance to check in for dinner at the elephant desk. As we rounded the corner we were met with 2 massive parallel queues all the way back to the Goofy's Candy Co building.



Both queues were really slow moving and most people (us included) were confused which was the right line, so just joined either and hoped for the best. There wasn't any direction by the CM's so there were lots of people bypassing the line straight up to the check in desk and then getting sent back to the end of the queue.

After a 10-15 minute wait we finally got to the front and checked in OK (phew!) although now late for our ADR time but it didn't matter and we were told to stand to the side and we would be called up. It was a pretty hectic start to the meal but after another 10 minute wait we eventually got seated.





I love the different animal themed tables here. Really classy



It was extremely busy in the restaurant and we were sat waiting for 15 minutes looking at all the décor and animals before anybody came to serve us. It was a young male CM who informed us that our server was too busy to come to us just now so he would take our drinks order. We both just had Sprites which are of course included on the DDP. We both knew what we wanted to eat as well so asked to order food now too.

Our "real" server made her way over soon after ordering to say hi, apologise for not being available straight away and scanned our magic bands for our TS credits. She was really friendly and it was nice that she had taken the time to apologise and make sure we'd ordered everything we needed. We didn't notice until the food was served that we didn't have any cutlery but she soon sorted this out for us.

The food didn't take too long to come, thankfully as it was getting late now.

I had Mojo bones with Safari fries (which are just regular fries with a fancy name) & Coleslaw.



I really enjoyed everything - the ribs were soft and easily came away from the bone but had a crispy crust where the sauce had caramelised on the grill, which I love. The fries were hot and the coleslaw was the lovely American kind that is more zingy and fresh than our mayo smothered version.

Andy had the Beastly Burger with Safari Fries.



He enjoyed this a lot at first but about half way through he said it all got a bit mushy and same-y tasting. If I had to guess it think it's probably because he had it cooked medium so the meat can sometimes be a bit soft (If that makes sense?! ). He only ate about 1/2 and I think some of this may be tiredness as we don't eat late normally anyway and it was our first full day too.

I wasn't feeling massively energetic either by this point so we asked for dessert in a to-go box so we could eat it in bed and get an early night

We chose the Chocolate Diablo cake and having had it before we knew it was huge so decided to share one piece between us. I know we could have dessert each on the DDP but it would most likely have been totally wasted (not to mention we would have been paying a tip % on something we didn't want).



It is a really lovely piece of cake though. Really fudgy (a light sponge this aint!) complimented with a tangy raspberry sauce. Every last piece was devoured.

I enjoyed the food but I have to say I don't think the meal experience is worth $70 approx when paying OOP. We have been 3 or 4 times now and think we'll skip it next time to allow us to try some new places. The evening was quite slow to get started with a lot of waiting around which wouldn't have been a huge deal normally but as first days go this had probably been our busiest ever so we were pretty pooped. At the risk of sounding grumpy I must say that the servers shouting "Volcanooo!" literally every 3 minutes wore pretty thin after a while too :angry: All that being said I was happy to use 2 TS for this.



Credits used here - 2 TS
Credits left - 11 CS,12 TS & 12 SC

[gjdjud]

Really enjoying this! I made the same mistake with the burger at RFC except I asked for it medium rare. Medium well might be the way to go!