Date night decisions...

[amberpi]

I have wanted to do Le Cellier ever since I started researching stuff at WDW, but more and more it just gets a beat down on these forums. Does anyone like going to Le Cellier?

Do you have an Outback near you? Its more romantic...the food is better than an Outback, but not by a HUGE margin. The cramped/dank/needs a fresh coat of paint vibe is just...ugh. Yachtsman and Shula's are much higher quality steakhouses.

OP - some things you might consider - Bluezoo at the Dolphin is very romantic, excellent food, and just more "adult." The atmosphere and drinks are excellent. You could then hit a few of the very solid bars around the lake and still hit Illuminations. MP is my favorite in park nice meal and could be an excellent start to a romantic evening. Both of these restaurants are quieter and a better overall dining experience - even than Yachtsman, but I do enjoy it quit a lot.

 

[amberpi]

The Signatures at Swan & Dolphin are a cut-above Disney run establishments.
http://www.swandolphinrestaurants.com/#

Us Swolphin dining fans are a vocal minority, huh?

I totally forgot about the Camp Dolphin thing since I don't have kids!

 

[amberpi]

I've heard a lot of really great things about Shula's. I guess I was hesitant to try it because we stayed at the swan last April and there was the worst smell coming from Il Mulino. I know they are in two different hotels and all, but kind of got freaked out about dining at the Swolphin.

I'm shocked by this. One of the things I LOVE about the Swolphin is that it all smells so good. I wonder what was up. Kitchen disasters happen.

 

[amberpi]

I thought cramped and dark would be part of the charm, lol. It's a cellar, right? I guess I can only find out by going!

I think dark is charming. LC isn't dark in the good way, its just dirty seeming to me. Like it desperately needs a remodel.

 

[Snarl]

Do you have an Outback near you? Its more romantic...the food is better than an Outback, but not by a HUGE margin. The cramped/dank/needs a fresh coat of paint vibe is just...ugh. Yachtsman and Shula's are much higher quality steakhouses.

OP - some things you might consider - Bluezoo at the Dolphin is very romantic, excellent food, and just more "adult." The atmosphere and drinks are excellent. You could then hit a few of the very solid bars around the lake and still hit Illuminations. MP is my favorite in park nice meal and could be an excellent start to a romantic evening. Both of these restaurants are quieter and a better overall dining experience - even than Yachtsman, but I do enjoy it quit a lot.

Lol, Le Cellier is off the list! But now bluezoo is on it. Agh!!!

 

[Snarl]

I'm shocked by this. One of the things I LOVE about the Swolphin is that it all smells so good. I wonder what was up. Kitchen disasters happen.

It smelled like something died. At first I thought it was coming from Kimonos, but it was definitely hanging around Il Mulino. We were only there for two days, so I won't permanently hold it against them.

 

[msb578]

We did a Wyndham Bonnet Creek trip two months ago. We decided to only do one park day. We were able to do some "couple" things with the more relaxed schedule (we have three children).

We enjoyed Bluezoo very much. I highly recommend it for a date.

We did take advantage of the Camp Dolphin offer. It's a good deal. The only thing I do need to point out is how SMALL Camp Dolphin is. It's tiny! The kids enjoyed it, and I think they'd agree to go back next time.

But, they also did the Sandcastle Club a few nights later. From my perspective as a parent, it was a better experience. There was so much more space in there, and more interactive activities. Camp Dolphin seemed to be more focused on video games (which I didn't mind too much, because our kids don't do a ton of that normally). Sandcastle was a clear winner for me. Captain Hook scared my oldest daughter (very surprising, as she's always understood what the characters are), but that was a minor blip.

It's tough, because I loved Bluezoo and I hope to try the other S/D restaurants- and that Camp offer is so good.

I went into all this detail because I suspect not too many families on the boards have tried both Camp Dolphin and the Sandcastle Club

 

[amberpi]

It smelled like something died. At first I thought it was coming from Kimonos, but it was definitely hanging around Il Mulino. We were only there for two days, so I won't let permanently hold it against them.

Weird, but freezers can go out and all kinds of kitchen castrophes can occur. I'd be sad if I didn't smell that wonderful lobby or delicious food smell the whole time I'm there. I'm a huge Swolphin fan. Sorry for the yuckiness! Glad you're open minded.

 

[Snarl]

We did a Wyndham Bonnet Creek trip two months ago. We decided to only do one park day. We were able to do some "couple" things with the more relaxed schedule (we have three children).

We enjoyed Bluezoo very much. I highly recommend it for a date.

We did take advantage of the Camp Dolphin offer. It's a good deal. The only thing I do need to point out is how SMALL Camp Dolphin is. It's tiny! The kids enjoyed it, and I think they'd agree to go back next time.

But, they also did the Sandcastle Club a few nights later. From my perspective as a parent, it was a better experience. There was so much more space in there, and more interactive activities. Camp Dolphin seemed to be more focused on video games (which I didn't mind too much, because our kids don't do a ton of that normally). Sandcastle was a clear winner for me. Captain Hook scared my oldest daughter (very surprising, as she's always understood what the characters are), but that was a minor blip.

It's tough, because I loved Bluezoo and I hope to try the other S/D restaurants- and that Camp offer is so good.

I went into all this detail because I suspect not too many families on the boards have tried both Camp Dolphin and the Sandcastle Club

That is such great information! Do you know how long the kids can stay at Camp Dolphin? I like that the Sancastle Club is 4:30 to midnight. I was hoping to fit a little alone time in the hotel room together too!

 

[Snarl]

Weird, but freezers can go out and all kinds of kitchen castrophes can occur. I'd be sad if I didn't smell that wonderful lobby or delicious food smell the whole time I'm there. I'm a huge Swolphin fan. Sorry for the yuckiness! Glad you're open minded.

Happy to know that wasn't normal!

 

[msb578]

That is such great information! Do you know how long the kids can stay at Camp Dolphin? I like that the Sancastle Club is 4:30 to midnight. I was hoping to fit a little alone time in the hotel room together too!

Right?!

Yes, Camp Dolphin is by the hour, and the kids have to be at least 4. I think they're open 5:30 to midnight. Two free hours are included per entree. We did just over three hours, and they didn't charge for the partial hour, which was nice. They seemed to expect a tip, which we did give them. At Sandcastle, tipping was against the rules. The flat rate at Sandcastle was kind of nice, not having to look at the clock.

Edit: there's no time limit at Camp Dolphin- you can pay for 6+ hours, by the hour

 

[Snarl]

Right?!

Yes, Camp Dolphin is by the hour, and the kids have to be at least 4. I think they're open 5:30 to midnight. Two free hours are included per entree. We did just over three hours, and they didn't charge for the partial hour, which was nice. They seemed to expect a tip, which we did give them. At Sandcastle, tipping was against the rules. The flat rate at Sandcastle was kind of nice, not having to look at the clock.

Edit: there's no time limit at Camp Dolphin- you can pay for 6+ hours, by the hour

Thanks a million times over! That is great to know.

 

[JZCubed]

That is great to know about Camp Dolphin! Who doesn't like to save $110!?!

I totally forgot about bluezoo. I really want to try the Cantonese lobster. Why did you just make my decision harder?

We prefer the butter-poached version of the lobster. Your Server may forget to mention that option to you.

Tempura String Beans with Truffle Aioli go great with a Grilled Fish.

 

[JZCubed]

Us Swolphin dining fans are a vocal minority, huh?

I totally forgot about the Camp Dolphin thing since I don't have kids!

Alas, the rules of 'engagement' have changed at Camp Dolphin.

Kids used to be able to self-serve their ice cream from Picabu....no longer.....my kids wants lamb chops instead.

These kids, they grow like weeds....but if they eat oysters (even if just fried), blue cheese, and lamb chops - gives me more options at the dinner table and that's something too!

 

[elaine amj]

I have wanted to do Le Cellier ever since I started researching stuff at WDW, but more and more it just gets a beat down on these forums. Does anyone like going to Le Cellier?

Awww..Dis'ers beat up on LC all the time but the filet is still my all-time favourite steak in WDW. There's a reason it's the star of the show. I think it's awesome for sauce people (I am). That truffle butter is to die for. We haven't tried YS but have tried Narccoossee and much prefer LC's filet. We do miss their burger though - that was amazing too!

That said, I'm an Ohana fangirl too And generally tend towards preferring middle-of-the-road food. So ymmv. We've done steaks in a variety of places and for some reason, LC makes us the happiest - crowded tables and all.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My DH and I have done quite a few EP area date nights while DS was at Sandcastle. We've gone to bluezoo (which is great), Kimono's (which is also great!), Monsieur Paul (which is ALSO great!) and have also just walked around WS. As a party of 2, we've been able to get walk-ups at Biergarten and Spice Road Table (our favorite TS in EP, GREAT cocktails). If you want to keep the night a little more flexible, you could try for a walk-up or just eat your way around the World. We also love strolling on the Boardwalk and getting ice cream at Ample Hills.

I'll reiterate what others have said about Camp Dolphin and Sandcastle. Camp Dolphin is very small and skews very young. My DS9 wanted to do a kids club one evening, so we went to Camp Dolphin to check it out and he had no interest. I, actually, thought the set-up was kind of lacking - it was small and they had really old toys lying around. He ended up going to Sandcastle as he had been there a few times and absolutely loves it.

 

[Snarl]

Awww..Dis'ers beat up on LC all the time but the filet is still my all-time favourite steak in WDW. There's a reason it's the star of the show. I think it's awesome for sauce people (I am). That truffle butter is to die for. We haven't tried YS but have tried Narccoossee and much prefer LC's filet. We do miss their burger though - that was amazing too!

That said, I'm an Ohana fangirl too And generally tend towards preferring middle-of-the-road food. So ymmv. We've done steaks in a variety of places and for some reason, LC makes us the happiest - crowded tables and all.

Good to know! I'll give it a shot soon, just maybe not date night.

 

[Snarl]

My DH and I have done quite a few EP area date nights while DS was at Sandcastle. We've gone to bluezoo (which is great), Kimono's (which is also great!), Monsieur Paul (which is ALSO great!) and have also just walked around WS. As a party of 2, we've been able to get walk-ups at Biergarten and Spice Road Table (our favorite TS in EP, GREAT cocktails). If you want to keep the night a little more flexible, you could try for a walk-up or just eat your way around the World. We also love strolling on the Boardwalk and getting ice cream at Ample Hills.

I'll reiterate what others have said about Camp Dolphin and Sandcastle. Camp Dolphin is very small and skews very young. My DS9 wanted to do a kids club one evening, so we went to Camp Dolphin to check it out and he had no interest. I, actually, thought the set-up was kind of lacking - it was small and they had really old toys lying around. He ended up going to Sandcastle as he had been there a few times and absolutely loves it.

Dang you are experienced at Epcot area date nights! I'm actually feeling a little choice anxiety now. I think we will be staying with the sandcastle club over Camp Dolphin. My girls are 7 and 11, I don't think Camp Dolphin will be very entertaining for them. They aren't much into video games.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Dang you are experienced at Epcot area date nights! I'm actually feeling a little choice anxiety now. I think we will be staying with the sandcastle club over Camp Dolphin. My girls are 7 and 11, I don't think Camp Dolphin will be very entertaining for them. They aren't much into video games.

LOL! We go a few times a year and, especially if DH is along, we typically stay at EP resorts. We love it and hope you do too!

 

[gharter]

There are many great choices for date night When our kids were younger, we always did that for one night.
Depending on the type of food you like, LC, Flying Fish, Monsier Paul, Yachtmans, Tutto Italia, and Spice Road. We have also enjoyed Artist Point, Narcoossees, Citricos, California Grill, and V & A for the ultimate date night.
A little worried hearing about Il Mulino, as we plan to go there in October.