2023 RunDisney Dopey/Princess Dining Report (Completed 4/19, Baseline Tap House, Kimono's)

[flowergirl45]

Hi! I just found your dining report and love it! I also have gone solo several times, and done the Princess Half, so I can really relate. Thank you!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Hi! I just found your dining report and love it! I also have gone solo several times, and done the Princess Half, so I can really relate. Thank you!

I'm glad you're enjoying! I love solo trips, I always try to do new dining experiences on them!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Bar Riva and Rose & Crown, February 25th​

BoardWalk Deli

My favorite breakfast when staying near the Boardwalk is a side of bacon and a greek yogurt parfait. I forgot a picture of the parfait but it's huge and full of fresh berries and granola, I think I had a picture from my January trip earlier in this dining report. A great high-protein breakfast which was much needed post-Princess 10K that morning.


Side of Bacon, $2.99

The bacon wasn't as crispy this time so I guess it's a hit or miss. I did mobile order and it only took a few minutes, I do click "I'm Here" early since they just put the food bags on a shelf for you to grab.

Obviously I grabbed another iced caramel latte from Joffrey's, I think this was at the one near Guardians.



Throwing in my favorite picture from the Princess 10k since I won't be doing a regular Princess trip report!



Primo Piatto

I think we ended up having a super late lunch at Bar Riva so we had to have a pre-lunch at Primo Piatto to curb our hunger before eating at Bar Riva. Just vacation logic things!

I remembered the pizza was really good so we split one using mobile order. We did have to wait a bit for it so definitely click "I'm Here" early for your mobile order.


Margherita Pizza: Fresh Artisan Hearth-baked Pizza topped with Tomato Sauce, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Fresh Mozzarella finished with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Fresh-cut Basil, $12.29

I'm not sure if it was because we were starving, or if it was that good, but this might be my #1 pizza at WDW. It's a good individual size, smaller than something like Blaze pizza but also easily splittable as an appetizer. The crust is a little bit thicker than Neapolitan but still on the thinner side, the tomatoes are so fresh and flavorful. The mozzarella is gooey and plentiful, great cheese-pulls! I could always use more basil though! It was served piping hot and fresh as they are made to order. Seriously, can't say enough about this pizza.

Bar Riva

The pool bar at Riviera is casual, there are some tables where you seat yourself and a CM will come and take your order. Definitely bring your patience as it's not the quickest experience if they are busy!

I had my favorite Mediterranean Wave, it's a frozen slushie that is easy to drink without being sickly sweet. My friend enjoyed her aperol spritz!


Mediterranean Wave: Frozen blend of Cîroc Vodka, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Liqueur, Pineapple, Agave and Bols Blue Curaçao, $16.50
Aperol Spritz: Aperol, Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco and Soda Water, $15.50

My friend got the brie, while I had the tuna nicoise salad and a side of Romano fries. I can't remember if the Romano fries were on the menu (I think regular fries were) but they use the same kitchen as Primo Piatto as far as I know, so I'm guessing you could order anything that Primo Piatto serves.

Baked Brie Topped with Confit Tomatoes served with Crostini, $13.49

My friend is a huge brie lover and enjoyed this, she really like the tomatoes. It was a pretty small portion, definitely meant for one and not for a table.


Tuna Niçoise Salad: Seared Rare Tuna, Crispy Greens, Potatoes, Egg and Dijon Vinaigrette, $14.29
Romano and Herbed Fries, $4.49

I've had this tuna salad probably half a dozen times, and it is ALWAYS perfect. It has a very generous portion of seared tuna, which is not fishy at all. Plus the egg (perfectly boiled, not a hint of green) and potatoes, it's actually a very hearty salad. The green beans add a nice crunch and the olives and tomatoes round off this salad perfectly. The dressing is super light, no need to ask for it on the side. This is 100% my favorite salad on property, even above the HBD Cobb. They haven't changed it one bit and I hope it stays that way!

The fries are regular Disney quick service fries but the Romano cheese (similar to parmesan) is a nice touch.

I enjoy eating at Bar Riva, it's mostly the same food as the quick service Primo Piatto but it's nice to eat things off a plate instead of out of a box sometimes.

Rose & Crown

We had reservations around 6:40 for Rose & Crown which I wasn't that enthused about, the menu is extremely limited these days and even the burger is gone. I hadn't been there before so I wasn't sure what to expect. My friend assured me the fish and chips are supposed to be far superior to the quick service counter outside!

We took first available seating, which ended up being inside which I was glad for as it was a hot night!

I started with a beer flight and my friend got the fireball drink.


Cider and Fireball Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, and Strongbow Cider topped with Ginger Ale, $17.50
Imperial Sampler Bombardier Amber, Harp Lager, Old Speckled Hen English Pale Ale, and Guinness Stout, $14

My friend enjoyed her cider drink, though I think she did say she would have preferred if it was regular apple cider juice and fireball, ha!

I'm no beer aficionado, I tend to stick to light beers. I do love the Yeungling they always have at WDW that they never have here in MN!

I thought the amber was very sweet, not my favorite but easy to drink. The lager was probably my favorite and most generic tasting (no surprise), easy to drink with a little carbonation (is that even the right term?) and very mild flavor. The pale ale was also pretty generic tasting to me, I definitely preferred the lager though. I don't mind Guinness at all but it sure is heavy, I wouldn't be able to finish a pint of it. It hardly tastes like beer to me!

We were in for a treat, around 7:00 a gentleman came over and started playing the piano and singing right across from us. We had been talking that day about how sad we were that it was right after the festival, so no Rainbow Connection beacons of light show for us. Well, he ended up playing Rainbow Connection! There was also some Mary Poppins, Your Song, Mad World...we were so happy to be sitting right there at the right time!



I later found out this is a scheduled 20-minute show, so definitely time your meal based on the schedule and cross your fingers you can sit inside for this. I wasn't super enthused about R&C but this literally made the experience for me, the food could have been anything and I would have been so happy! We wished he could have played all night!

I found out later his name is Kelly Richards, there are tons of videos of him playing at Epcot, I watched a lot of them after my trip as he was fabulous!

Back to the food, we both got the fish and chips.


Fish and Chips “Rose & Crown’s Signature Dish” Beer-battered and served with Tartar Sauce, $26

The serving was three absolutely massive pieces of fish, served over fries/chips. I thought it was funny they bring out ketchup.

Oh wow, I am not a huge fish and chips person but this fish was out of this world good. Maybe not the fish itself, which was quite plain, but the breading was the best breading I've ever had. It was so crisp, absolutely melt in your mouth. Thinly battered but it was so flavorful and deliciously fried, I could have probably eaten that breading for a meal sans fish

I managed to finish about two pieces but definitely could have split this. They were enormous! I would 100% go back to R&C as it was a lovely atmosphere, we were pretty close to the bar which was very wild given it was a Saturday night, but it was some fun people watching. Plus, it's WDW, so it's not that crazy. Everyone was just happy to be there!

The service was wonderful, we had the sweetest CM from the UK, she was on the younger side but soooo nice, we felt so welcome there. R&C far exceeded my expectations in atmosphere and I can see why it's a favorite even if the menu isn't too exciting.

I ordered another beer to go and we headed over to catch the band playing in the UK pavilion to cap off a wonderful day!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love Bar Riva, the salad looks very delicious
I’m glad you had a nice dinner and entertainment at R&C, the fish dinner looks really good!
I love the Mediterranean slushy drink at Bar Riva
My sister and I plan to spend a little time at Bar Riva in April!

 

[Disneyhanna]

I love Bar Riva, the salad looks very delicious
I’m glad you had a nice dinner and entertainment at R&C, the fish dinner looks really good!
I love the Mediterranean slushy drink at Bar Riva
My sister and I plan to spend a little time at Bar Riva in April!

I am in love with Riviera, I have trips booked in November and January to stay there. Thank goodness for renting DVC. So exciting to have a sister trip coming up!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

That Mediterranean drink is beautiful. Love the colors. Bar Riva is really a gem. One of my friends loves that salad too. The whole resort is pretty terrific. Glad you enjoyed Rose and Crown. The menu doesn't have a lot of options but maybe everyone only orders the fish and chips anyway so they don't need to offer more.

 

[Disneyhanna]

That Mediterranean drink is beautiful. Love the colors. Bar Riva is really a gem. One of my friends loves that salad too. The whole resort is pretty terrific. Glad you enjoyed Rose and Crown. The menu doesn't have a lot of options but maybe everyone only orders the fish and chips anyway so they don't need to offer more.

I think Riviera really has the best pool and pool bar spot, it's so much more relaxing and quiet than some of the other resorts! I imagine the fish and chips are so popular it wasn't worth keeping a bigger menu, sometimes keeping things simple makes sense (and I'm sure it's cheaper that way, ha). I'd like to try the outside seating sometime!

 

[Disneyhanna]

One last review of this runDisney dining report! Lots of random eats, enjoy!

Fuel, Dolphin

We had a quick breakfast of grab and go sandwiches from Fuel, the line is long but moves pretty quickly in the mornings. I had the Standard and my friend had the Eggs-Press which was an egg and cheese muffin.

We both thought they were solid breakfast sandwiches, nothing special but a nice hearty way to start the morning.


The Standard: bacon, egg & pepper jack cheese on a toasted croissant, $9

Fuel has tons of condiments so I loaded mine up with hot sauce and enjoyed on our walk to Studios that morning! Breakfast sandwiches feel so indulgent to me, it's not something I ever have at home so it's definitely a treat on vacation.

We had yet another iced caramel latte from the Joffrey's outside Toy Story Land, that is probably my favorite stand and I wonder just how many ICLs I've had in this DR at this point



ABC Commissary

I have heard many great things about the buffalo chicken grilled cheese at ABC so I had to give it a try. It came with a side, the default is a dried cranberry farro salad.


Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Grilled Sourdough toasted with Buffalo Chicken, Monterey, Provolone, Cheddar, and Cream Cheese served with a side of Buffalo Sauce and your choice of Side, $11.59

Wow, this hit the spot! I really couldn't taste the cheese, it was more of a grilled buffalo chicken sandwich, but it was definitely comfort food. It's a filling portion and very mild buffalo heat. Definitely adding to my list of regular things to get!

The salad was very light and refreshing, it was a sizable portion and very hearty. It could use a bit more arugula and apple to go with all the farro but it was a great change from the usual fries.

My one criticism would be that the dipping sauce is just cold buffalo sauce, I almost wish it was cheese dip instead, or at least warm!

I had to try the tropical tart for something sweet.


Tropical Tart Mango-Passion Fruit Curd-filled Graham Cracker Tart topped with Whipped Raspberry-Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta, Toasted Coconut, and Dehydrated Strawberry and Passion Fruit, $5.49

This was pretty bad...it reminded me of typical dessert party fare. Very forgettable, the tart is quite bland and crumbly, and need more filling. Definitely skip this one, if I had saw what it looked like first I would have known to skip!

Pineapple Lanai

I'm not sure how we ended up back at Poly but we did! It was really hot so we decided to split a Dole Whip, and asked for it to be split into two cups which was no problem.


DOLE Whip® Soft-serve DOLE Whip® Pineapple, $4.99

Don't let the picture deceive you, these little cups were still hollow inside! It was the perfect amount for a light snack though. and was as delicious and creamy as ever. I can get Dole Whip locally but it's never as good as at WDW.

Baseline Tap House

People always rave about Baseline, so we headed there for a quick drink and snack before Fantasmic that evening. To my surprise, you just order at the counter inside and find seating. All this time I thought it was a casual sit-down place!

I did a create your own flight, and we shared a pretzel and charcuterie board. My friend had the cider which she really enjoyed.

Here are my beers ranked best to worst:

• Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA, Chico (6.7% ABV, 35 IBU) - surprise hit for me, I'm not huge on IPAs but this was very fruity and not too bitter like I often find IPAs
• Golden Road 329 Lager, Los Angeles (4.8% ABV, 25 IBU) - very standard, mild, generic beer, easy to drink
• Golden Road Hefeweizen, Los Angeles (5.0% ABV, 15 IBU) - tasted very much like banana, but not bad
• North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner, Fort Bragg (4.7% ABV, 22 IBU) - not my favorite, more bitter/hoppy than I prefer

The pretzel was a bit sad, you can see how dried out it is from sitting in the warmer. It was fine, but probably would have been better several hours earlier. Definitely was huge and plenty to share. I prefer cheese and my friend prefers mustard so it was perfect for us!


Bavarian Pretzel with Beer-Cheese Fondue and Spicy Mustard, $9.50
California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate: Toma Farmstead Cheese, Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese, Laura Chenel's Sonoma Goat Cheese, Chorizo and Calabrese Salami, Cornichons, Grapes and Toasted Baguettes, $12.50
Create-Your-Own Beer Flight Select 4 Beers | 5 oz. each, $12.50

We really liked the charcuterie board, it was a good size for two and not a bad price. My friend likes earthy cheese while I don't, and she's a vegetarian while I'm not, so its as great to split for us. I enjoyed the hard cheese which was a typical hard cheese (think something between aged cheddar and swiss) and loved the cured meats, which were excellent with very mild heat. The crackers were nice and buttery though we could have used more of them!

The grapes were super fresh, and while not pictured the cornichons and little pickled onions were also great. There was a very grainy mustard that went well with everything. This was a very nice snack with the beers, I'd definitely get this again. One person could probably finish the whole thing no problem but it was a good size for splitting between two along with the pretzel.

Kimono's, Swan

We had soda and popcorn at Fantasmic but needed a little bit to eat after. We stopped at Kimono's and ordered from the bartender.

It was easy to find inside the Swan, but WOW, I did not expect the restaurant to be so tiny. They were just starting to set up karaoke when we were there and there were only a few others in the restaurant, I would have felt so awkward. If you look up a picture of the restaurant, that's literally the entire restaurant, like a dozen tables or something.

We got a rainbow roll, salmon nigiri, and tempura udon. It took maybe 15-20 minutes and the bartender was really nice.


Spicy Rainbow Roll Spicy Tuna, Salmon and Avocado, $16
Fresh Salmon Nigiri, $9
Tempura Udon Soup with Shrimp, Krab, Asparagus and Shiitake Mushroom, $15

The udon was pretty mediocre, which is what I expected from a sushi place. I just was in the mood for noodles! Very salty broth, the tempura was not my favorite, it was nice that it was packaged separately. It hit the spot but was defitely the type of udon you make with a $1 packet.

The rainbow roll was comparable to your typical low-cost sushi restaurant, definitely nothing special or fancy. It was nice as it didn't have shrimp, most rainbow rolls do and my friend can't have shellfish so that was a win! It was a big roll at least, two rolls would probably be enough for a lighter meal. I didn't have any but the salmon nigiri seemed fine, again definitely not amazing quality fish or anything but does the job.

Overall I think Kimono's is a nice option for sushi and definitely better than what you can get at Epcot, but it's not anything to go out of your way for. Very comparable to the AYCE sushi places we have where I live, it satisfies a craving but will not knock your socks off!

I thought it was sooo expensive for what you get, I know you pay the WDW tax but it was very expensive for such average sushi.


Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes

On our final day we had Y&Y for breakfast, we actually meant to have this on our Princess trip the prior year but missed out because we got there at 10:32 due to a delayed Safari ride, and they stop serving breakfast at 10:30!

We had the breakfast bowls, one with bacon, as well as a side of hash brown bites.


Breakfast Bowl Scrambled Eggs, Cheddar, Breakfast Potatoes, Pepper and Onions, $11.99
with bacon, $12.99

I thought this was a solid breakfast, my friend was not a fan of the powdered eggs but I didn't mind them. The bacon was super crispy and plentiful, and the potatoes were hot and crispy. The bell peppers were my favorite, they were fresh and crunchy and one of the few vegetables I ate on this trip. I do wish the cheese was more melty! They had sriracha packets which was awesome.

I loved the has brown bites, they were so crisp and well seasoned. I could have eaten all of them myself!

This is a huge portion and definitely one of the better breakfast options in the parks, I wish all parks had something like this and not just the resorts. Finding breakfast can be so hard in the parks!

And one final iced caramel latte of the trip! My friend went and got lattes while I got our breakfast, I think the Joffrey's line was so slow I was done with my breakfast by the time she came back to our table



And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading! Hope you found some inspiration for new foods to try!

 

[erinch]

Thanks! Great fun!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Thanks! Great fun!

Thanks for reading!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I enjoyed reading your report! I just got back yesterday and had a great trip!
Love Baseline Taphouse sorry your pretzel wasn’t that good, ours was delicious but we were there pretty early in the day!

 

[Disneyhanna]

I enjoyed reading your report! I just got back yesterday and had a great trip!
Love Baseline Taphouse sorry your pretzel wasn’t that good, ours was delicious but we were there pretty early in the day!

Oooh, glad you had a great trip, can't wait to hear about it! I will have to go to baseline a bit earlier next time, either way the drinks were delicious so it'll definitely be a frequent stop for me now!

 

[elaine amj]

Just found your dining reviews and wanted to drop a note to say how much I enjoyed them. I often go solo too and appreciate the comments on price, value and portion sizes. Discounted gift cards are definitely the way to go!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Just found your dining reviews and wanted to drop a note to say how much I enjoyed them. I often go solo too and appreciate the comments on price, value and portion sizes. Discounted gift cards are definitely the way to go!

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I now have three more Disney trips worth of food to report on...if I can stop being lazy I will have to post them!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I now have three more Disney trips worth of food to report on...if I can stop being lazy I will have to post them!

Please do! Always love your reports