Summer 2017...Disney, Universal, Carnival Liberty, and Disney!!!

Pongu Pongu

We did stop at Pongu Pongu for 3
Night Blossom - non-alcoholic mixture of limeade with apple and desert pear flavors topped with passion fruit boba balls...we are trying to locate Boba Balls locally but so far no luck!

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We really enjoyed these. Good flavor and not sickly sweet. Plus boba balls were a bit hit with my group! Three of these were three snack credits but would have been $19.13 out of pocket.

DDDP Credits used so far = 14 + 4 mug credits + 3 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $841.70
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $69.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $941.97
 
Narcoossees

We arrived at Narccoosses a few minutes before our ADR time and sat in the lobby only a couple of minutes before being seated.

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We were all very pleased with our seats. We ordered drinks and water (it was very hot outside!) and our bread arrived. The kids both got Mickey straws in their drinks.

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Love the pink salt. We even bought some for home!

For appetizers I had the Barbecue-Grilled Shrimp and Grits - Wild Florida shrimp with Budgie's barbecue sauce, low country grits, cherrywood-smoked bacon, and pickled green tomato chow-chow

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It was really good but the shrimp were pretty spicy. Paired with the grits though, they balanced each other out perfectly.

Tyler ordered the Crispy Rhode Island Calamari - Peppadew-Banana Pepper-Olive Relish and Tomato Coulis.

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These were really good and shared among us all. It was a decent sized portion too so very sharable.

Skye and Cary ordered the same appetizer. The Slow-poached and Chilled Shrimp - with Citrus Remoulade, frisee salad, pickled shallots.

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Very cold, refreshing, and good. Of course Skye wouldn't eat the one on the bottom in the remoulade so she traded Cary. But she did like the oranges that had the remoulade on them so go figure. I almost liked theirs better than mine but I don't get grits at home so I think that makes it my winner.

For entrees I ordered Butter-Poached Twin Main Lobster Tails - Brentwood corn souffle, malted popcorn sauce, jumbo asparagus, citrus gremolata.

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Yum! Skye discovered her love of asparagus on this trip so was grabbing everyone's who would let her. The lobster was super soft and not chewy at all. Skye and Tyler ate some of it too. I Also enjoyed the corn souffle, it was very good. Almost like corn bread but fresher.

Skye had the Line Caught Swordfish - dirty rice, creamy braised collard greens, red roux cream, Brentwood corn maque choux.

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But at the time it was being served with a potato base. This was really good. She ate every bite of the fish and some potatoes. The swordfish had a good browning but was not dried out inside at all! The potatoes were crispy in spots and soft in others. They were seasoned well and went great with the fish. It was nice seeing something other than a light veggie with a fish dish.

Tyler had the Grass Fed Filet Mignon - Boniato- potato mash, broccollini, with red wine-oxtail reduction

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He did not eat the mashed potatoes or the veggies (Skyler ate some of them) but downed the steak, sauce and all, and loved it.

I thought they had removed Cary's entrée from the menu but when we got there it was back on it so her got the Surf & Turf.

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It was the sirloin and twin butter poached lobster tails. It came with mashed potatore and the same veggies Tyler had. He cleaned his plate! Tyler's steak was better but he didn't have lobster (although I think he did get some of Skyler's lobster).

For dessert Skyler got the Plant City Strawberry Shortcake - strawberries and cream with vanilla genoise and wild strawberry sauce.

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It was very good and probably my second favorite of the night.

Cary and I got the Almond-crusted Cheesecake - with Lambert Cherry Sau...which may be one of my favorite desserts of all time!


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Cary got his to go for later because he was full.

Tyler got the Narcoossee's Candy Bar - Dark chocolate-mocha bar with house-made guanaja chocolate gelato.

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Very good but a lot of chocolate...another dessert that should come with a class of ice cold milk.

Our only complaint was that our waiter, Michael, was not very nice. He was short and spoke really fast and quietly. He did not return often to refill drinks. He did not clear away plates we were done with in a timely manner. He was just not extra like our wait staff usually is at Narcoossees. But other than that, we have always had great food, usually get a great table (although the one time we were not seated at the window was not a bad view either), and just love the delux bit not stuffy atmosphere on this restaurant. I am sure we will return. Probably even if not on a dining plan. It is expensive but so far, worth it.

Our total tonight was $365.26.

DDDP Credits used so far = 22 + 4 mug credits + 3 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1206.96
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $119.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $1307.23
 
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Gaston's Tavern

After all of that business we were hot and thirsty. So we headed back into Fantasyland...

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...and headed to Gaston's Tavern.

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We ordered 2 warm cinnamon rolls and a

LeFou's Brew
Frozen Apple Juice with a hint of Toasted Marshmallow and topped with All-Natural Passion Fruit-Mango Foam


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These are some of the best cinnamon rolls ever! They are served warm and soft and gooey! Tyler usually wants one for himself and the rest of us share one...makes sense right? The Brew is a really sweet, really cold apple juice. In the lobby they had containers of ice cold water and cups to help yourself with. So we had some of those too. it was really hot out already.

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Relaxing in Gaston's chair.

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While we were there they were setting up for a kid's party. It was kinda weird...I didn't know they did that kind of thing but it was the CMs setting it up not just a mom and they were using multiple tables in a place where they aren't many to begin with. Before we left the party showed up and it was about 20 little girls. And we handed off our table to one of the many families standing around with trays of food without a table to sit at.

We love Gaston's and I am sure it will be in regular rotation.

We used 3 snack credits but the cost would have been $15.42.

DDDP Credits used so far = 22 + 4 mug credits + 6 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1222.38
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $119.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $1322.65



 
Cheshire Cafe

We were hot and thirsty again so we stopped at Cheshire Cafe for a Mickey Mouse Frozen Lemonade.

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This was 1 snack credit but would have been $5.32.

DDDP Credits used so far = 22 + 4 mug credits + 7 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1227.70
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $119.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $1327.97


 


Tony's Town Square Restaurant

After hat shopping we got to our lunch destination. One of many a discussion on the boards. Tony's Town Square.

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We went in and checked in. We were a little early but we were seated quickly.

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We were seated in an area we have never been sat before. Right by the kitchen. And actually it wasn't all that bad. And it was a table for five so we had plenty of room.

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Our server was Josh and he may have been the best server of our whole trip. We placed our drink and water orders and our bread and oil was brought.

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The kids are not fond of the dipping oil but that did not stop them from eating the bread!

For appetizers I got the Zucchini Fries - breaded seasoned zucchini with creamy sun-dried tomato dressing for dipping.

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These are my go to here. I love them...they are soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside. The serving is less than it used to be, not that I need more but the cost did not go down with the quantity. Luckily the quality is still good!

Skyler got the Caesar Salad - Romaine lettuce tossed in Caesar Dressing topped with Romano and croutons.

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She loved it. It was nice and cold and crisp with the perfect amount of dressing and she loves the big shavings of romano.

Cary ordered the Pasta Fagioli - traditional meatless Italian soup with pasta and beans.

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Which seems to be his go to here also. He is not a huge soup person but he loves this one. It has great flavor and everything is cut on the small side so it is easy to get a spoonful of multiple things not just a huge chunk of carrot with a little broth like sometimes happens.

Tyler ordered Calamari - served with a side of lemon-caper aioli.

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Again, his go to here...however this time it had the lefs not just the rings and he was not fond of that. Skyler got a kick out of playing with them (although she also played with the raw liver and dissected the heart from the turkey on Thanksgiving so you can't judge anything by her! LOL) and I ate one. this was the first time we have had anything other than the rings. It was actually good but I couldn't get past the though that I was eating octopus legs, suckers and all...and normally I do not have food hand ups! But otherwise the rings were all eaten and enjoyed!

For entrees I got the Shrimp Scampi - Linguini tossed in white wine and garlic butter.

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Which was good as usual...but a bit less scampi-y. This dish is normally not super heavy on the scampi. It is not heartburn inducing (which I have had happen as a result of scampi before) but this time the garlic and butter was almost non-existent...not a big problem as it was still delicious but it was missing a bit of garlic and a more buttery sauce. It is a large portion so it could probably be shared by two people especially with an appetizer and/or dessert.

Cary ordered the New York Strip Steak - with arugula, onions, peppers, potatoes, and romano topped with chianti butter.

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He was on a steak kick this trip which surprised me. He really liked this, even the arugula salad. Normally he would miss the potato or something like that with a steak but there was enough from others to share he was good. The steak obviously is not a fillet but it was cooked well and to his desired done-ness. He really enjoyed this one.

Tyler does not miss his chance at Chicken Parmigiana - Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast topped with Melted Mozzarella and Tony's Marinara sauce over Spaghetti.

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He will practically lick the plate clean here. I guess you can't base your dining decision on us though because my kids are plainish eaters so he loves the plainish marinara sauce here. He has had this many times and it is always a large portion and he consistently loves it.

Skyler couldn't decide so she got the Italian Trio...Three classic favorites on one dish - Chicken Parmigiana, Baked Rigatoni, and Fettuccine Alfredo.

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Sorry for the bad picture. The portions were smaller than a regular portion but by no means were they small. The rigatoni is in the bowl, the chicken parm is on the plate covered in marinara and the the alfredo is next to it. She had to ask for an extra plate because she hates things touching. She loved the alfredo. She said she should have just ordered that but on the menu they all have shrimp or chicken with them and she didn't want that. She tasted the rigatoni, discovered it has a meat sauce so Cary ate that. Except for the bite i got and it was really good. Cheese was layered throughout the dish with little pieces of meat too. The chicken parm was just the chicken...no spaghetti. So she traded part of her chicken (she ate a few bites) to Tyler for some of his spaghetti. She said she does not think she woudl order this again unless they woudl let her substitute the rigatoni for spaghetti. They might, we'll see when we're back again. But, I think I might ditch my scampi for this next time. Otherwise she will stick with the alfredo and ask for the chicken or shrimp on the side.

For dessert, Cary ordered a Cappuccino.



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He just wans't in the mood for sweets...odd! But he said this was really good but not super hot.

I got the Cannoli - ricotta cream-filled shells capped with chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar.

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I love cannolis and i don't get them at home much. So pretty much this rounded out my whole go to meal at Tony's. I was so full though, Cary had to help me finish...so much for not wanting any sweets. The filling in these is so good and combined with the crunchy shell, perfect!

One of the kids got the Raspberry Sorbet and one got the Vanilla Gelato. I'm not sure who got which but Tyler ate a little of his and Skye ate most of hers and his by mixing the spoon half with sorbet and half with gelato. The sorbet was very tart and the gelato calmed it down and she loved it that way.

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All this time Josh kept drinks full before they were even needed, talked to Skyler like she was a big girl not a baby possibly even flirted a little (appropriately) which she loved, and gave suggestions when asked. He was friendly and very competent. We had parade passes here and he explained where to go and when.

We have been coming here almost every trip since the first time we dined here against all the advise out there and we love it. It is not some place on our "must do" list but whenever we need to fill a spot while at Magic Kingdom, this is our first choice. In fact, other than Cinderella's, it is probably our favorite overall venue in the Magic Kingdom...although that's not saying much. In our opinion, we don't see the hype in Liberty Tree Tavern or Be Our Guest...and while we had a decent meal at Be Our Guest, it wasn't an overall "Oh WOW" from us. But we like Ragu and Olive Garden so maybe that gives you more of a frame of reference. We go in expecting good food. Is it gourmet...no. Is it authentic Italian...no. But it is an overall hit with our family.

We were here about an hour...becaue we were enjoying ourselves not because the meal actually took that long...we probably could have been out of there in 45 minutes if we had wanted to. I assume we will be back.

We paid 4 dining plan credits but the meal would have cost $213.70 without it.

DDDP Credits used so far = 26 + 4 mug credits + 7 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1441.40
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $159.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $1581.67

 
The BOATHOUSE

By 6:43pm we were on a bus heading to Disney Springs. We headed to our evening destination window shopping along the way. We checked in at The BOATHOUSE at 7:30pm.

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We were seated right away. We walked through the whole place (it seemed) to a back corner near the kitchen. Seemed like a basic, same, old, boring restaurant for us. So far not getting the hype.

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We were handed our menus and brought water.

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The soft warm rolls were a huge hit.

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Our waitress, Ashley, was pretty slow on the order and the delivery. She wasn't super helpful either. They were busy but I would assume if you build a large venue, you hope/expect it to be busy so...??? We asked a few questions about the menu and were not super happy with the the answers. They do not do substitutions. The majority of the sides you would normally expect to come with your meal, cost extra, and of course are not included on the dining plan.

Finally, we got our order taken. A bit later our appetizers arrived.

I ordered Jumbo Lump Crab and Avacado with Tarragon Remoulade.

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I really enjoyed it even if it wasn't what I was expecting. It was a large scoop of crab and avocado covered in the remoulade. Everything went together really well. No one else wanted to try it though. I was fine with that.

Tyler ordered Hoison Chili Calamari - bell peppers, jalapeno, and serrano chili.


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Which again, we all enjoyed. They did have a bit of a wang to it but not an overpowering one. We have rings and legs here too. Again we ate the rings. It's a nice light batter and fresh, soft rings.

Cary ordered the Firecracker Shrimp...Sriracha Mayo, Serrano Chilis and Sweet Peppers.

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And he really enjoyed them. He is not much of a spicy food kind of an eater so even though they are called Firecracker, they couldn't have been too spicy. Tyler had a couple also but I think the sauce threw him off.

Skyler didn't see anything that she was familiar with that she wanted so she went with the BOATHOUSE Lobster Cocktail...Half Chilled 1 1/4 lb. Lobster, Creamy, Lady Rose Cocktail Sauce.

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Which freaked her out! I don't really know why. She loves lobster. She loves playing with claws and tails and things. But she was totally turned off by the face looking at her while she was tearing it apart. But it was really good once we got over laughing at her response. Very fresh and the sauces were good with the meat.

It was a while between our appetizers and entrees. Skye had the Cedar Planked Puget Sound Salmon...frisee, roasted wild mushrooms, petite green beans, grape tomatoes.

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She loved it! It was very well cooked...browned on the outside, moist on the inside.

I had the Filet Mignon Oscar Style (12 ounce)...Jumbo Lump Carb, Asparagus, Breanaise.


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I ordered it medium rare. It came a bit more done than that though. The Bearnaise did nothing for the steak at all and I was kind of disappointed. This piece of meat was nice but I should have gone with it plain. And it would have been nice if it had been cooked the way i asked for it to be. I know, I could have sent it back but it took so ling to actually get it that I didn't want to sit there much longer. The potatoes were awesome though. Skyler ended up with Tyler's.

The boys ordered Filet Mignon (12 ounce)...proudly serving certified USDA Gibsons Blue Star Heritage Angus with choice of sauce.

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Tyler ordered it medium rare and Cary ordered it medium. Tyler's seemed fine but Cary's was bleeding! He wouldn't eat it like that and Tyler had already started eating his so the waitress took it back and had it cooked more. It came back butterflied and cooked a little too much but he ate it. Tyler was unable to substitute the potatoes for fries. He could buy fries but not sub them for the potatoes. So, Skye took his potatoes. They both liked their steaks ok.

We sat quite a while after finishing our entrees before Ashley came back for our dessert orders.

For dessert Skyler ordered Strawberry Shortcake that is not on the menu anymore.

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We both really liked this. Lots of strawberries and whipped cream with biscuits between.

I had the Key Lime Pie in a Mason Jar...vanilla bean Chantilly cream.
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This was really good too and a cute way of serving it. it;s not a huge portion but it was enough.

Tyler got the Double Chocolate Bundt Cake...Vanilla Ice Cream, Raspberry Coulis, Valrhona Fudge sauce

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This was really good with the moist chocoalte cake soaked in the raspberry coulis. We all shared this.

Cary ordered the Root Beer Float...BOATHOUSE Signature.

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Which he really liked. It was nice to have this as an option.

Overall, this is one of Cary's favorite. For me, not so much. Tyler probably would have been happier if he could have gotten fries without paying an extra $9.00. Other than the lobster looking at her, Skyler was happy with her salmon. We were here over two hours. That is a long meal for us. It was not because we wanted it that long either. In the end I was disappointed that I have changed this one out from Morimoto but I don't think everyone else was. Since I am the planner, I am going to say, I will not book this one. Maybe again someday...but not in the next few trips.


The total of our meal was $333.35.


DDDP Credits used so far = 34 + 4 mug credits + 7 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1774.75
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $209.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $1984.53
 


World Premiere Food Court

So we got Mickey Waffles with bacon and sausage.

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It was enough for all of us to snack on before heading out to the park. The total was $9.13 and we paid out of pocket for this.

DDDP Credits used so far = 34 + 4 mug credits + 7 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1774.75
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $218.91
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $1993.66
 
Mama Melrose

At 11:31am we checked in at Mama Melrose.

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We were shown right in and lead to a great table.

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Our waitress was Danielle and she was good. She gave out menus and gave suggestions and brought bread.

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We were some of the first seated so it was pretty quiet in there when we started but filled up quickly.

For appetizer Tyler ordered Carne d'Italia Flatbread...with Pepperoni, House-made Sausage, Pancetta, and spicy Marinara Sauce.

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And he inhaled it.

I ordered the Rosemary Chicken Flatbread...Vidalia Onion Spread, Artichokes, Kalamata Olives, Shaved Red Onion, and Feta.

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It was good but I don't know that I'd order it again. There was a lot of chicken on there and everything went together great though.

Skyler ordered the Margherita Flatbread...Fresh Vine-ripened Tomatoes, Mozzarella, House-made Marinara Sauce, fresh Basil, and drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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She loves these but picks off all of the basil.

And Cary ordered the Vegetarian Minestrone...with Ditalini Pasta.

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He seems to order this every time we are here...so I assume it's good.

Tyler always gets the Over Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana...Breaded Chicken Breast with Marinara Sauce topped with Melted Mozzarella over Spaghetti.

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He always loves it here also. He has no complaints.

I ordered the special of the day which was a Pork Shank on mashed potatoes with a tomato based sauce.

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It was so tender it just pulled right away from the bone. I was very glad I had decided to order this.

Skyler ordered the Wood Grilled Chickem and Penne Pasta...with House-made Four-Cheese Sauce garnished with Pecorino Romano Cheese and Parsley...with the chicken on the side.

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She ate all her pasta and some of the chicken. The chicken was pretty bland without the sauce.

Cary ordered the Grilled Flat Iron Steakwith macaroni & cheese in a Chianti Wine Reduction.

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Which I now see is served with potatoes rather than mac & cheese. But he really enjoyed his meal here. The steak was cooked to his liking and the sauce was good with the steak and the pasta.

For dessert, since we were on the Fantasmic plan, we were supposed to get a dessert sampler but we asked if we could order separately and he said that was ok.

So Tyler ordered the Chocolate and Cherry Tart...Made with Ghirardelli ® Creamy Chocolate infused with Morello Cherries served with Cherry Coulis topped with Whipped Cream

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And it was very chocolaty and good.

Skyler ordered the Vanilla Gelato.

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Which was gelato.

Cary actually ordered the sampler platter.

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It was Miniature versions of Mama’s favorite Desserts Valencia Blood Orange Cake, Lemon Cheesecake topped with Passion Fruit Pearls, and Tiramisù. He liked them all...it is the Lemon Cheesecake (far left), tiramisu, and then the blood orange cake. It was just enough of each to get a good taste.

And I ordered the Traditional Cannoli...House-made creamy Cannoli Filling with a hint of Citrus and dusted with Cocoa Powder

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I couldnt tell you which Cannoli I liked better...Tony's or Mama's...they were both good and each had a little different flavor.

All in all, we like Mama Melrose. We have been here a lot and will probably come back in the future. I am hearing they are messing with the Fantasmic Package again and trying to give less for more again so I don;t know if the package will be what we choose in the future or not but we will most likely be back.

Our meal here lasted about an hour and a half and our total was $191.70.

DDDP Credits used so far = 38 + 4 mug credits + 7 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1966,45
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $239.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $2014,53
 
Peevey's Polar Pipeline & Trolly Car Cafe

We stopped at Peevy's Polar Pipeline for some drinks.

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We got a Blue Raspberry, a Coke, and a Lemonade Frozen Drink. Somehow I don't have pictures??? They were cool and refreshing. We used 3 snack credits but it would have been $13.74.

Skyler went to the Trolly Car Cafe while we did that and got a Strawberry Acai for 1 snack credit. It would have been $5.32.

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DDDP Credits used so far = 38 + 4 mug credits + 11 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $1985.51
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $239.78
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $2225.29
 
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Flying Fish

We checked into Flying Fish at 5:55pm and we were taken to our seat just inside the dining area.

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The new decor is much fancier than the old Boardwalk theme that was here before. Skye says she liked the old better.

The AbracadaBar was where the old bakery was at and the bathrooms are shared.

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I love the silverware here!

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...and the menu...

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The bread was brought...and the kids ate it but it was not their favorite.

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We all had drinks and water also. Our waiter was Danny.

For appetizer I had what the receipt says was the Tuna Appetizer and it is not on the Disney Menu anymore.

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And I'm not even sure what to tell you it was other than tuna. I can tell you it was really good!

Cary had the Mile Zero Shrimp Cocktail...Horseradish Aioli, Elderflower Mignonette, blood orange oil.



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And he really liked it. Fried shrimp and a sauce...what's not to like?

And Tyler got the Kurobuta Pork Belly...shank croquette, royal gala apple slaw, bing cherry gastrique, shirred quail egg.

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Being Tyler he was weirded out by the egg. But he did like the parts of it he ate. The pork belly was very tender. I tasted the egg with the fritter and it was very rich.

Skyler decided on a kid's meal for her entree so she did not get an entree. She ended up with a Kid's Mickey Pasta with Marinara and Skinny Green Beans.


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The pasta is shaped like Mickey heads and as we know, everything tastes better shaped like Mickey! She loves the green beans at Disney. She cleaned the plate.

I had the Maine Lobster Nero Pasta - golden tomato sauce, young artichokes, fennel pollen.

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It's on the Allearsnet menu but not the Disnet menu so not sure if it is still being served. It was really good but I didn't really notice the pasta being any different than normal non-squid ink pasta. The Lobster was a large piece on top of the pasta. The squid ink is supposedly more salty but I didn't notice so it must have been offset by the rest of the dish. I ordered it becasue it was different and lobster but I was very glad I did. It was a great dish. No one else would try it though.

Cary got the Wagyu Filet Mignon - fingerling potatoes, asparagus, rainbow carrots, demi glace.

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Medium well and with the sauce on the side. He really enjoyed it.

Tyler got the Wagyu Filet Mignon - fingerling potatoes, asparagus, rainbow carrots, demi glace.

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Medium rare with fries substituted for everything other than the meat! And he loved his also!

For dessert Cary ordered the Florida Reef - lemon tart, toasted meringue, Florida citrus salad, ruby red grapefruit sorbet.

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It was really good and we all liked it. The grapefruit sorbet was tart but the "sand" was sweet so it all blended well. The meringues were eaten by Skyler again and the lemon tart was not too tart!

I had the Blueberries, Limes and Sea Shells - mascarpone cream, blueberry lime compote, hibiscus meringue, rye bourbon caramel.

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And YUM! This was great and let me tell you, we practically licked the plate! Maybe pushing Narcoossee's Almond Cheesecake down a notch!

Tyler had the Under the Sea - Valrhona Manjari chocolate, chocolate coral sponge, pistachio sand, dehydrated milk foam, tasting of three sea salts.

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This was fun. The sponge is cake. The white is the milk foam...it was sweet. The sand was the same sand. The little chocolate half spheres are like a thick mousse. It was good and fun.

We were there just over an hour and a half. Danny was efficient. Not super friendly but enough, drinks were filled quickly, the meal was paced nicely. Our table was not far into the room but we didn't feel left out of the atmosphere. The new decor is beautiful, more of an elegant place now but still not stuffy. I did miss my favorite potato crusted snapper but I was certainly not disappointed.

We ended up using 6 credits and paid for Skye out of pocket. Our total was $292.84.

DDDP Credits used so far = 44 + 4 mug credits + 11 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $2278.35
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $309.35
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $2570.13
 
World Premiere Food Court

Cary and Tyler went to the food court and got a large pepperoni pizza with garlic bread knots.

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It was plenty for all of us for a snack and it was fresh and good. They were there just in time because they cashed out at 10:56pm and paid cash in the amount of $18.88.


DDDP Credits used so far = 44 + 4 mug credits + 11 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $2278.35
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $328.23
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $2589.01
 
Tiffins

We checked in for lunch at 11:30am at...

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...and had only a few minute wait, they hadn't opened yet.

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Now, this place is beautiful!

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We were seated right off the mail isle in the room. There is so much ti look at!

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We were brought water and menus.

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For appetizers, there was not much the anyone but me wanted so we experimented. Cary ordered the Blacked-Eyed Pea Fritters - Zhough Yogurt, Peppadew Puree.

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Cary ate a little of them and so did I, they were pretty good. The puree and the yogurt was really good with the fritters. The fritters were not dry like they sometimes can be. I would order these again.

I ordered the Sustainable Fish Causa - Peruvian purple potato, Aji amarillo vinaigrette, lime mayonnaise, cilantro, quail egg.

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It was interesting. The flavors were really good together. Again, I was the only one who would try this. The texture is different but not in a bad way. I'm not sure that I would order this again.

Skyler ordered the Tiffins Signature Bread Service - Harissa Yogurt, Zhough Yogurt, Black-Eyed Pea Hummus.

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It's weird that they bring the dips in such a large bowl of the smaller bowls but the bread comes on top. There is about an ice cream scoop sized scoop of each. Me and Cary tried the dips, the kids ate the breads. They were all pretty good...I even liked the hummus here! This would probably get ordered again.

Tyler ordered the Marinated Grilled Octopus - Salsify, Saffron Aioli, Lemon-Caper Olive Oil.

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Just because it was weird. He wouldn't touch it. In fact, once again, I was the only one to taste it. While the flavors were good, I just couldn't get past what it looked like to eat the whole thing. I had a couple of bites but I do not think it would be on our "order again" list.

For entree I ordered the Duo of Lamb - Ethiopian coffee butter-infused lamb loin, boerewors, soubise, chakalaka, tamarind barbecue, leek ash.

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This was really good. It was my first time having lamb. And I would definitely order this again. Cary liked it a lot too! It is chunks of rare lamb and lamb sausages. Yum!

Skyler ordered the Grilled Swordfish - Forbidden Rice, Tsukemono, trumpet royale, carrot-coconut puree with the puree on the side.

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She loved the fish and hated the forbidden rice. I tried it too and I can see why. What makes it forbidden? I did not like the flavor of it either. But the fish was really good, especially with the puree. Skye wouldn't eat the puree but that's her loss. This woudl get ordered again but we would ask to sub the rice for something else.

Cary and Tyler ordered Wagyu Strip Loin and Braised Short Rib - Rainbow Carrots, Roasted Peruvian Purple Potatoes, Chimichurri.

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They both loved it. Both pieces of meat were cooked perfectly and even the sauce was good. The carrots and potatoes were cooked really well too. This would be ordered again too!

For dessert Cary ordered Passion Fruit Tapioca Creme - Chocolate Crumble, Citrus Fruits.

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He really loved this. I don't like tapioca at all so I'll take hos work for it. We were laughing at him here because the cup is held to the plate by a "glue" and Cary found it and figured it was sugar or something to that effect so ate it after he pulled it off the plate. He asked the waiter what it was and he told him it was a glue that is edible but not meant to be eaten...we found this hilarious and we teased him about being the glue eater.

Skye ordered the Sorbet Tasting - Kaffir Lime Syrup, Passion Fruit Curd, crunchy Vanilla Crouton.

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She loved it! The whole thing!

Tyler ordered the Calamansi Mousse - Mango Lava, Swiss Meringue...but it was served slightly differently.

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We all liked this.

And I ordered the Lime Cheesecake - Almond-Sesame Tuile, Green Tea Sponge.

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Which was the best dessert according to me (Cary would say his was)! It was really good with not too much, over the top lime flavor but just enough. It had a mango puree with it and it paired well. I would get this again!

Our server was David L and he was good. He explained the decor and the menu. He filled drinks quickly. He offered to brig Tyler a different appetizer when he saw he wasn't eating his octopus. We did not take him up on that though because there really wasn't anything else he wanted. He was friendly but not in your face. We were getting seating for Rivers of Light for the evening so he gave us our passes and explained where to go to be seated.

Overall, I think we really liked Tiffins but I don't think it is a dining plan venue for us. We could do without the appetizers. And while the entrees are not huge, we probably would be good with one or two desserts. But I do think we will be back someday.

We used 8 credits but the cost would have been $300.29!

DDDP Credits used so far = 52 + 4 mug credits + 11 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $2578.64
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $382.23
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $2960.87
 
Pizzafari

It was super hot out so as we were walking up from there we stopped at Pizzafari for two Mandarin Orange Lemonades.

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It was very cool in there so we grabbed a table and cooled off a bit. The drinks were a great light refresher!

We used two snack credits but it would have cost $8.50.

DDDP Credits used so far = 52 + 4 mug credits + 13 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $2587.14
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $382.23
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $2969.37
 
Jiko

So we checked in at Jiko at 6:30pm and were seated right away. We were along the window towards the back of the room.

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We were given water and menus.

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Bread was brought. Not the kids' favorite but that did not stop it from disappearing.

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We love Jiko and the last time we were her (Christmas 2015) I was not feeling well so Skye stayed in the room with me and Tyler and Cary went alone to dinner. So this was the first time in a long time Skyler and I had been here. We were looking forward to it!

For appetizers I ordered the Brick Oven Cooked Red Shrimp - Congolese pili pili butter, maize-fried okra, avocado, peppedews.

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Isn't it pretty??? It was also very good! Everything went together really well. We all liked it.

Tyler ordered his usual...Grilled Wild Boar Tenderloin - with Mealie Pap, Chakalaka, Truffle Oil and Micro Cilantro.

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He only eats the meat but he loves it and if he could get them to just give him an entree sized version of this, he'd love it! I usually scoop up the rest with bread or something. It is really a good sauce.

Cary ordered the Charcuterie - smoked rabbit salumi, smoked chicken rillettes, duck proscuitto, elk sausage, accountrements.

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I do not remember what was what but he liked it well enough. If we were paying out of pocket, he probably would not have ordered it. He had the boar last time and liked that but was in the mood to try something we were not already ordering.

Skyler was ordering from the kids menu so was not using a dining plan credit. She ordered the Seasonal Garden Salad.

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It was exactly what she likes!

For entrees, I ordered the Maize-crusted Alaskan Halibut - vegetables of the moment and tomato-butter sauce.


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I had been looking at this for ever!!! I just couldn't tear myself away from the filet and I had not seen many pictures or reviews of it. But I broke down this time and ordered it...and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! It was a great dish. The halibut was flaky, think a frozen fish filet...but fresh! The corn breading was light but flavorful. The sauce was perfect with the fish and the vegetables were good too. Skye ate some of the fish but it was not the part in the sauce. The sauce was tomato based but not like a pasta sauce or anything like that...not that tomato-y and it was creamy/buttery. I would definitely forgo my filet for this in the future!

Cary and Tyler both had the Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon
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- bobotie mac n' cheese, grilled asparagus, kachumbari, South African red wine sauce.


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Tyler's was medium rare with fries and Cary had medium well as it came. They both loved the filet. We don't remember the mac & cheese...I didn't even remember it had meat in it and we're a mac & cheese family so normally, I'd remember that! So I want to say it was fine because I don't remember there being ANY complaints here...but I cannot review it. Skye was still stealing people's asparagus...she discovered she loves it on this trip.

Skyler had the Kid's Mac & Cheese - with White Cheese Sauce and I do not have any pictures of it for some reason. She loved it though, as always. It is rare she finds mac & cheese that she does not like. And with Tyler's asparagus and some of my fish, she was good!

For dessert Tyler ordered the Safari Sunset - carrot cake, cornbread calamansi and lemon cremeux, Kenyan coffee streusel, citrus gel, valrhona dulcey mousse, candied carrots.

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He loves carrot cake...ya, I find that odd for someone like him too! Bit he tore this apart...because you know, nothing should be touching other parts. He liked it. There were parts he could have done without but he's weird and the rest of us cleaned up whatever he didn't eat. the cake was moist and flavorful.

Skye and I chose the Strawberry Shortcake - local Florida strawberries, lavender scone, Swiss milk chocolate, cubeb peppercorn.

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MMMMM...it was really good...and I think I'd vote it the best of the night. The scone was really a perfect match to the chocolate and strawberries. Skye ate most of this.

Cary ordered the Kilimanjaro - Tanzanian chocolate mousse, pistachio financier, pink peppercorn meringue, cacao nib crunch, ras el hanout pineapples.

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It was really a cool looking dessert and it was good too. A very different kind of presentation! All of the desserts would get ordered by us again!

Alfredo was our waiter and he was good. The guys think he was their waiter when they were here last. He was friendly and helpful, efficient. But here, again, it seemed like as soon as he found out we were not ordering alcohol, were on the dining plan, and only three of the four of us were using it it seemed he lost interest. Don't get me wrong, he did his job but wasn't going to go above and beyond if he didn't have to. I'm sure if we had needed something or asked for something he would have been there but he was more present at other tables.

We love Animal Kingdom Lodge and Jiko so I am sure this will remain on the must do list in the future. If not on the dining plan, I could see us ordering slightly differently though. Jiko has a more relaxed, adult feel to it but well behaved kids would not be out of place here.

Our total here was $264.63...Skyes out of pocket cost was $14.91.

We were here for about an hour and a half hour enjoying our last night in Disney for the first part of our trip.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 13 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $2851.77
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $444.23
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3296.00
 
Satuli Canteen

I had wanted to try some food at the Satuli Canteen and everyone agreed we could stuff some more in, so we did.

We ordered the Cheeseburger Steamed Pod - steamed cheeseburger pod stuffed with ground beef, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and cheddar cheese served with crunchy vegetable slaw and vegetable chips.

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Again with the biba balls...had to love it now! These were so different, so weird, and so good! Skye loved the veggie chips. We fought over the balls. The kids wouldn't try the pods. So it was one for me and one for Cary. This was plenty to share...probably even if we were hungry...and we're not generally sharers.

We also got two Cheese Quesadilla - cheddar and mozzarella cheese in a tortilla served with vegetable chips and grapes.

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The clear cups were from the decanter of iced water they had set out just outside the doors for people to help themselves with. We really liked that they did this!

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The kids love a quesadilla...you know...cheese?!?!? Again, this was a lot of food actually for a kids meal. And they were happy they were hot. melty, and fried (not like some places where it is like they threw it in a microwave).

We also ordered Pandoran Sunrise - refreshing balance of tropical juices blended with Powerade melon.

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The drink was really refreshing and not tasting overly of powerade like I thought it would. The kids scammed most of this.

And Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse - with passion fruit curd.

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Skyler needed this...not that I was opposed to it but she NEEDED it. And surprise, surprise, even the freak boy liked it!

All in all we loved this place.

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I wanted to try one of the bowls but we just were not that hungry after our dinner. They have real silverware and there is a lot of seating. They do not let you sit inside if you are not eating though...which I have a love/hate relationship with. We were asked if we had food when me and the kids went to sit down and Cary was waiting for food but when we said Cary was waiting we were allowed to go in. I don't know if it is always like that or if they were lenient because it was not crowded. We also were given a couple of items to teach us some Pandorian language and about the creatures there.

We think we will be back!

Our total here was $38.39 and we paid cash.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 13 snack credits ( i have tallied wrong becasue I know we had 2 credits left for tomorrow)
DDDP value so far = $2851.77
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $444.23
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3334.39
 
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World Premier Food Court

Tyler needed 2 cinnamon rolls for breakfast while we swam and did laundry. I don't have a pic form this day but I am sure you can figure it out.

Total was $8.07 but he used 2 snack credits.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 15 snack credits ( i have tallied wrong becasue I know we had 2 credits left for tomorrow)
DDDP value so far = $2851.77
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $452.30
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3342.46
 
Planet Hollywood

At 11:15am we headed in line for a bus to Disney Springs for our last lunch at Disney for part one of our trip. We arrived at our destination at 11:40am.

We were dropped off right near Planet Hollywood, which was our lunch location.

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It looks really cool still!

I had been here once, about 25 years ago and I was interested in seeing what they did to the place. I had not heard many good things in a while but we enjoy things a lot of people complain about so we were going to check it out. Plus, those milkshakes!!!

So we walk over to the entrance and walk into the building.

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Where you enter is at the bottom of a large stairway.

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There was a girl standing at a podium to the side of the door helping another party so we waited. She glanced at us a few times. When she finished with that party, she walked away. So we stood there thinking she was doing something quick, although she did not say anything to us, and she'd be back shortly. No such luck. Finally about 10 minutes after she left, a different girl walked in and asked if we were waiting to check in. We told her we were and she said, "Oh, you need to go upstairs" and walked away.


So we head upstairs and check in and are seated right away...in THE WORST possible seats ever!!! We were practically squeezed onto the stairs to walk into the store. I was so upset.We couldn't see anything of the venue. We had a views into the store. And part of the bar. And the hallway to the bathrooms. And not much else! Part of coming here was seeing the venue. We couldn't even see the giant TV type screens on the wall in the main section of the restaurant. We could hear things from that area but not see them. There was a little screen in the section we were in but it was on a center wall facing is a direction that we would not have been able to see. We were not happy. No one seemed to notice. And I am not the kind of person to be re-seated...although I should have asked to be seated elsewhere. My fault, but come on...why would to rebuild a place and even create a seat that was this bad?!?!?!


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I realized on my last post in my dining review that I counted wrong on the credits used because we were planning to use our last two dining credits here and if needed pay out of pocket for extras. We explained this to the waitress, Marion, who probably thought I was a crabby butt. We verified that the milkshakes ARE NOT on the dining plan...which I did already know but you just never know. Maybe I was hoping for some pixie dust after the crappy table we were given. We were still holding out hope for great food!

For appetizers we decided on Potato Wedge Dippers - build your own potato wedges with special four-cheese sauce, crispy bacon bits, buttermilk ranch dressing, pico de gallo and sour cream.

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These were super delicious. The options that came with it to dip into and add onto were great. The wedges were hot and crispy on the outside and like a great baked potato texture on the inside. Obviously, Tyler did not eat them, they are not french fries after all, but the rest of us did and it was plenty as an appetizer.

We also ordered the Twice-Cooked Buffalo Wings - Chicken wings baked and then fried to perfection and tossed in buffalo sauce, served with celery, carrots and bleu cheese dressing.

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As you can see, these did not go unappreciated! Skyler wanted to swipe the chicken basket (her fav is a chicken if you have not been able to tell by now, and our kitchen is red and chickens!) but we would not let her. Again, these were really good, fat wings and a perfect appetizer size.

For entrees we decided on three. Cary had the Plain Jane Cheeseburger - choice of cheddar, swiss, SMC with LTOP & Donkey sauce on the side.

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Loved the plate! The fries were a combo of curly, steak fries and thin cut...so they were great! They put all the toppings in a bowl on the side so you can add them in yourself. He said his burger was really good. Well cooked and juicy.

Skye and I decided to split the Slow-roasted Chicken - slow-cooked all-natural chicken breast, pan gravy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and green bean blend.

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And we loved it. It was served kinda oddly though. Yes, the way you see it in the picture is how it was served. Nothing is in the side behind the chicken...it almost looks like something was missing??? But the chicken was tender and juicy, the mashed potatoes were creamy, and the green beans were Disney awesome. We both our fill and were plenty full from this. We would both order this again!

Tyler was the surprise of the meal. He decided to order the Bacon Mac-n-Cheese - Guy's award-winning burger. Applewood smoked bacon, six cheese mac-n-cheese, cheddar, LTOP, crispy onion straws & Donkey sauce on a brioche bun

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It was served with the same fries Cary had. He had it with just lettuce...no cheese, no tomato, no onion, no pickle, no Donkey Sauce and Crispy Onion Straws on the side. This is out of the box for Tyler. Mac & Cheese ON the burger???? He ended up really liking it! He ate it all. The onions were really good too...little onion ring bites! So far we were all very pleased!

After ordering dessert Marion brought these...

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For dessert we ended up getting the Banana Pudding Star Jar - layers of fresh bananas, vanilla wafers and cream banana pudding topped with whipped cream.

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Which was mine and it was delicious! Loved the way it was served too!

And the Brownie Cheesecake Star Jar - double chocolate brownie layered with chocolate and cheesecake, topped with vanilla ice cream plus caramel and chocolate sauce drizzle.

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Which was Cary's...and he loved it too!

And the kids shared the Cosmic Cotton Candy - start with a hand-dipped cotton candy milkshake, add rainbow sprinkles, white chocolate covered pretzels and top it off with cotton candy and a lollipop.

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The loved it completely!

All in all, we loved the food at Planet Hollywood! Marion did not spear English very well but in the end ended up bringing the correct food. She was not supper attentive but I was probably not her favorite customer so I assume that may have been a bit of why she wasn't super willing to spend time near us. The service from the staff downstairs (whose job I assume it is to direct people upstairs but didn't) also was not very good. Our seating was horrible, luckily it was early and there was not people using the stairs we were practically sitting on or it could have been extremely awkward. So, in the end, I am going to say this was one of our favorite meals of the trip, especially of the new to us venues. I hesitate to go back because of seating, and it is my luck that I would get the exact sale table or something similarly awful. But I do think this will be one of those places we do not hesitate to come back to in the future. Prices are high for a burger but everything was so good, it is worth it.

We ended up using our last two credits here and paying out of pocket for Cary's burger and the shake and two sprites. Marion had this all split out when she brought the bill without any discussion past the initial conversation of using two credits.

We were here for about an hour and fifteen minutes and our total bill here was $143.00.

Planet Hollywood was a hit for us!


DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 15 snack credits ( i have tallied wrong because I know we had 2 credits left for tomorrow)
DDDP value so far = $2952.86
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $518.80
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3471.66
 
Goofy's Candy Company

We were leaving Planet Hollywood at around 1:15pm ish and we headed over to the other side to use up our snack credits. We went over to Goofy's Candy Company for that! We first made our own Marshmallow and two rice krispy treats. Then we filled in with...

1 sour gummy charageters bag
1 sour worms bag
1 pink cotton candy
2 goofy sour candies
1 marshmallow something or other
2 large chocolate chip cookies
2 large sugar cookies
1 bad character gummies
1 chocolate fudge


We must have used other snack credits along the way of out trip though because I know we used them all. We figured this woudl get us through the rest of the parts of our trip. Our total here was $84.18!

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits ( i have tallied wrong because I know we had 2 credits left for tomorrow)
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $518.80
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3555.84
 
And this ends Part 1 of our trip. It is the only part with a dining plan.

The cost of the Deluxe Dining Plan was $2071.40.

DDDP paid for $3037.04 of our dining expense.
OOP was $518.80.
We paid $2590.20 for $3037.04 worth of food costs.
So we saved about $446.84.

Yes, I know, we would not eat this way normally...but it's vacation! At some of the places we would not all need an appetizer or dessert. Sometimes we wouldn't even each need our own entree. But it's vacation!

With the recent add on of an alcoholic beverage, and things getting more main streamed and downsized, we may need to put some extra thought into the dining plan for the future but I know I am the one who will be concentrating on cost too much without the plan.

And wait!!! I still have three more parts to the dining adventure so hold on for more fun to come!
 

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