For the First Time in Forever... December 2017 Dining Report

BriLovesDisney

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 9, 2017
Seasons Greetings!

We, sadly, just got home from our amazing Dec 19-27 trip to WDW. To help cope with my PDD (post Disney depression) I've decided to embark on my first ever dining report!

My mom, grandmother, and I stayed at Disney's Pop Century resort and had the Deluxe Dining Plan. We haven't been to Disney in five years, so it was a welcome treat to be at Disney World for Christmas. I hope you all enjoy our food adventures :)


So, without further ado, let's get started!

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(Obligatory rose gold ear post)
 
Day 1:

We decided to drive to Florida because none of us care for flying, so after a two day road trip we were pretty famished. I didn't have park tickets for that day, as I wanted to explore Disney Springs, so I made reservations at Art Smith's Homecoming.

We were so famished in fact, that I forgot to take photos of the meal. Oops, I told you guys I'm new at this. :rolleyes1 Nevertheless, I do remember what we got and how it was and, on the bright side, I did remember to take photos of the rest of our meals :)

My grandmother and I split the famous fried chicken with mashed potatoes and a cheddar drop biscuit.
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(photo from Disney Springs website)

We deemed the chicken good, but nothing outstanding.

My mom ordered the braised beef short ribs. I couldn't find a picture on Disney's website for this. It was more like pot roast than beef short ribs. We didn't care for the sauce on it either.

For dessert we ordered the Moonshine cake. The server told us several times that it was for 'adults only' and that I wouldn't be able to eat it since I'm 2 and 1/2 years away from the magic number. Nevertheless, I did try a bite and it tasted very STRONGLY of alcohol. I wished we had ordered the hummingbird cake.

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(photo from Disney Springs website)

Overall, we decided we probably wouldn't be coming back here and next time we would try D-Luxe Burger. However, I would like to try their hummingbird cake the next time we come to Disney.
 
Day 1:

We decided to drive to Florida because none of us care for flying, so after a two day road trip we were pretty famished. I didn't have park tickets for that day, as I wanted to explore Disney Springs, so I made reservations at Art Smith's Homecoming.

We were so famished in fact, that I forgot to take photos of the meal. Oops, I told you guys I'm new at this. :rolleyes1 Nevertheless, I do remember what we got and how it was and, on the bright side, I did remember to take photos of the rest of our meals :)

My grandmother and I split the famous fried chicken with mashed potatoes and a cheddar drop biscuit.
View attachment 290789
(photo from Disney Springs website)

We deemed the chicken good, but nothing outstanding.

My mom ordered the braised beef short ribs. I couldn't find a picture on Disney's website for this. It was more like pot roast than beef short ribs. We didn't care for the sauce on it either.

For dessert we ordered the Moonshine cake. The server told us several times that it was for 'adults only' and that I wouldn't be able to eat it since I'm 2 and 1/2 years away from the magic number. Nevertheless, I did try a bite and it tasted very STRONGLY of alcohol. I wished we had ordered the hummingbird cake.

View attachment 290790
(photo from Disney Springs website)

Overall, we decided we probably wouldn't be coming back here and next time we would try D-Luxe Burger. However, I would like to try their hummingbird cake the next time we come to Disney.
The hummingbird cake is scrumptious! It's a huge piece, and plenty for two hungry dessert lovers.
 


Day 1 Part Two:

After several hours of shopping at Disney Springs I decided it was finally time to go to Amorette's! This was someplace I had been dying to go to ever since it opened. I already knew what I wanted when I got there :)

I purchased the mini Mickey dome cake/mousse.
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I took the photos on the white bedspread when we got back to the room, which explains the angelic glow around the dessert. But let me tell you, it tasted even better than it looks. The Mickey Mousse cake was amazing and I wished I could've stopped by DS one more time before I left to take one home with me! My mom usually hates mousses and custards but she loved this thing. It was a hit.

Next up we tried the Key Lime Tart aka Sunset on Mile Marker 0. Also amazing, but very different from the Mickey Mousse. It was much more refreshing and light. This was true key lime, not something that we get to taste very often up here in the midwest.
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I know this photo isn't as angelic as the Mickey Mousse, but it was just as awesome :)

Overall, Amorette's was even better than what we imagined and both desserts were worth the price.

Up next: breakfast with chipmunks and dinner in Britain followed by the Candlelight processional with Neil Patrick Harris!
 
The hummingbird cake is scrumptious! It's a huge piece, and plenty for two hungry dessert lovers.


We'll definitely have to try it when we go next year. We saw it on a table next to us and it looked amazing! The Moonshine cake was just too heavy/dense and tasted too much like alcohol for our tastes.
 


Day 2:

Breakfast: Garden Grill

After our okay dinner and amazing dessert at Amorette's on our arrival evening we were ready for a classic Disney character breakfast. We chose to book the Garden Grill so we could have the Candlelight Dining Package to see Neil Patrick Harris that evening.

We got to Epcot about an hour before park opening. Even though our breakfast was for after the park opened they still let us in which allowed me to take some nice photos of the park without all of the people in my pictures.


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After a few photos we were off to The Land pavilion for our breakfast.

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We started off with Chip's Sticky Bun Bake. I'm not a huge cinnamon roll person, but I have to say it was amazing! I'll definitely have to try this at home :) All three of us thought this was the best part of the breakfast.


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Up next was the breakfast skillet

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As always, the Mickey Waffles are amazing but we didn't like the chocolate hazelnut sauce and asked for syrup instead. We asked for crisp bacon, as most of the time when you order bacon in a restaurant it comes out rubbery. Sadly, the bacon was kind of burnt instead of crispy. We asked for new bacon and they gave us the regular rubbery type.

We didn't like the sausage, the eggs were okay, and the tater tots were tater tots. We wished they would've had something more inventive than tater tots on the skillet, but overall it was an okay meal. We rated it a 6.5/10 - definitely not our favorite breakfast meal at Disney but also not the worst.
 
Day 2 Part 2:

Early Dinner: Rose & Crown Pub

Rose & Crown has been a favorite of mine for years and it just wouldn't be a Disney trip without going to get fish and chips there.

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My grandmother and I shared the fish and chips while my mom got the pub burger. As always, the fish and chips were amazing and the pub burger was actually better than the fish and chips which shocked me!

I'm sad to report that the photos of the fish and chips and pub burger are lost, but both were amazing. If anyone is heading there and you've already tried the fish and chips, give the pub burger a try! You could really tell the meat was fresh and not frozen and very tender.

My mom was celebrating her birthday that day, so they brought her out a not-so generic cupcake.

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I usually don't like Disney's birthday cupcakes they give you at the restaurant but this one was really excellent. It was lemon flavored and had a caramel filling.

Overall, Rose & Crown is still amazing and we gave it a 10/10. We'll definitely be returning, except next time I'm getting the burger all to myself :)
 
We have yet to try Rose & Crown but had the fish and chips at the QS and were delighted! Big fillets, lovely crunch, and perfect after being rained on all morning. No wonder it's popular in England :scratchin

I'm bummed that your Homecoming meal wasn't great. We're thinking of trying that one but, I'm ordering the fried green tomatoes.

I'm really enjoying your report!
 
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We have yet to try Rose & Crown but had the fish and chips at the QS and were delighted! Big fillets, lovely crunch, and perfect after being rained on all morning. No wonder it's popular in England :scratchin

I'm bummed that your Homecoming meal wasn't great. We're thinking of trying that one but, I'm ordering the fried green tomatoes.

I'm really enjoying your report!

You've got to try Rose & Crown! It's my favorite restaurant in Epcot. I love their fish and chips and never would've even tried the burger if my mom hadn't ordered it.
Was also bummed about our Homecoming meal... we were really looking forward to it. The chicken was good, but definitely overhyped. It just didn't feel special to us. And the cake was so disappointing.

Thanks! Glad to have you along! :)
 
Day 3:

After a wonderful Rose & Crown meal and seeing the Candlelight Processional for the first time (see photo) we settled into our hotel for a few hours sleep before heading to the bus stop at 6:00 AM to get to our 7:15 breakfast at Chef Mickey's.

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Chef Mickey's is my mom's favorite character buffet, but since I had heard so many bad things about it in recent years I was a bit apprehensive even though we had never had a bad experience.

Since we hadn't been to Disney in 5 years I was excited to try Minnie's Breakfast Pizza at Chef Mickey's again. To my dismay, they no longer served it. I'm not going to lie, there were a few tears shed. RIP Minnie Breakfast Pizza, you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. :sad::(

After recovering from my favorite dish being ripped away from me I drowned my sorrows in a Mickey waffle, fruit, cheesy hashbrowns, bacon, and the southwest scramble. Ironically, my mom and grandmother had the same thing, minus the Mickey waffle.
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The southwest scramble was good. It had green peppers, onions, and red peppers in it. The Mickey Waffle was, as always, awesome. The fruit was okay, and the cheesy hashbrowns were so good I went back for seconds, as did my grandmother.

We did have an issue with our server. I tried to flag her down several times to get some milk she never came to check on us. At the very end of the meal she brought some to us after scanning our Magic Bands for the dining plan. I know it's a buffet, but she never asked us what we wanted to drink or if we needed anything else besides orange juice.

Overall, Chef Mickey's disappointed all of us. Yes, it has nostalgia, but the food quality has gone down since the last time we visited. We gave it a 5/10.


Lunch/dinner/snack:

After a few hours of riding attractions in Magic Kingdom I decided it was finally time to try a Dole Whip. None of us had ever tried one before so we were pretty excited. After standing in line for 15 minutes behind screaming children I was finally awarded with the frozen treat.

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I can't believe we didn't try this years ago! I'm not an ice cream fan by any means, but this was really good. It was light, refreshing, and had the right amount of pineapple flavor. 10/10 would recommend.

Up next we had a reservation at the Plaza. After the Dole whip none of us were particularly hungry but since we didn't have a dinner reservation we decided to split an appetizer and I got a bottomless milkshake. Vanilla, of course.

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As always, the Plaza milkshakes are top notch. I couldn't even finish the glass let alone the remainder it came with so I let my mom and grandmother have the rest.

We decided to split the plaza fries, which is french fries, lettuce, tomatoes, nacho cheese, ranch dressing, and bacon crumbles.

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It was actually a lot smaller than we were expecting and we had no problems finishing it between the three of us. Although it was good, it wasn't as good as we thought it was going to be. We gave it an 8/10. Would we come back specifically for this? No, but we will come back for the milkshakes :)

After the Plaza we rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. All I have to say is NEVER. AGAIN. I can't believe I survived, let alone let me mom talk me into getting on it. I was ready to leave the MK at that point, and it was a party night, so we couldn't stay for too much longer.

We headed on over to AK to see Pandora at sunset. I had been anxiously awaiting to try the Night Blossom drink at Pongu Pongu, so after seeing Pandora come to life and a sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris it was finally time to try one :)
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A lot of people had told me it was going to be way too sweet and, although it was sweet, we really enjoyed them! I do have to say, the next time I get one I'll be asking for the bubbles on the side. After getting through half the drink my straw sucked up mostly bubbles and overpowered the flavor and texture of the drink. Did anyone else experience this?

After a few more hours at AK we headed back to pop century. My mom wanted to stop by the quick service place for a carton of milk, and I picked up a container of the Tie Dye Cheesecake. I had never tried one before, and after I picked one up I was second- guessing my decision as eating that much food coloring just doesn't make me want to dig in. It was actually really good!

I have to say, I've seen the presentation of the slices that they used to serve and those were a lot more appealing than the plastic ramekins they serve them in now. Nevertheless, I would 10/10 get one again!

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My mom didn't try it, as she doesn't like cheesecake, but my grandmother said as long as she didn't have to look at it while eating it she enjoyed it. She also said she would get it again.

Up next: breakfast with Poppins and Alice, pastries in Norway, and Dinner at Liberty Tree!
 
Sorry Chef Mickey was a disappointment. We haven't done it and the reviews I've read aren't encouraging me to try. FWIW Crystal Palace has a breakfast pizza.
 
Sorry Chef Mickey was a disappointment. We haven't done it and the reviews I've read aren't encouraging me to try. FWIW Crystal Palace has a breakfast pizza.

Thanks! I'll definitely have to check out the Crystal Palace Breakfast for the next time :) Hopefully it's as good as Chef Mickey's pizza was.

I don't recommend it and there are better places to see the Fab Five. It's not that it's bad, it just isn't as good as others on property. The atmosphere is nice, but now that my breakfast pizza isn't there anymore I definitely won't be going back.
 

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