Just the facts ma'am, a report with Kenny G!

GrimAndGrinning

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 3, 2018
OK so here's the deal. I'm going to try to bang through this report as fast as possible so it's as current as possible. I'm not going to post photos unless specifically requested, and I will admit a few times I was hungry enough to release I hadn't taken any until I'd practically inhaled whatever I was eating at the time. These are all based on meals and snacks 10-18-18 through 10-25-18.

For the curious, here's the list of places I went:
Be Our Guest
Jungle Skipper Canteen
Beaches and Cream
Sunshine Seasons
Coral Reef
PizzeRizzo
50's Prime Time
Zara's Sweet Shop (I think?)
Rainforest Cafe (AK)
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Sunshine Seasons
Food and Wine Festival shananigans
Daily Poutine
Art Smith's Homecomin'
Crystal Palace
Starbucks
 
Lunch at Be Our Guest, oy what a disappointment.

I preordered my meal, which was the french dip sandwich with fries and the master's cupcake (aka the grey stuff). Here's where I found out the desserts are no longer included with the quick service meals. I'm not entirely sure how I missed this but was thrown when they asked if I'd be using a snack credit on my cupcake. Now it makes sense why there's 2 snacks on the basic dining plan now. At first I was sort of annoyed until I really thought about it and realized I don't like half of the quick service options for dessert!

It took nearly 20 minutes to get my preordered meal. The sandwich was good, hot and tender but someone was very heavy handed with the black pepper. It wasn't inedible, but not what I remembered. The fries sucked. They were underdone and lukewarm, but at that point I was starving so I ate them anyway. After waiting so long to get the meal in the first place I didn't want to wait any longer. That plan was quickly dashed as I then waited another 20 minutes for a cupcake. I was told by 3 separate CMs it'd be there in just a second. Then I watched 12 other cupcakes pass me by before a CM passing through finally asked what I was waiting for and went to grab it for me.

The ballroom was packed, and I ended up in the West Wing. The theming is great, but it's so dark! I mean I get it, dark and scary Beast in his hidey hole but it's a little too much to be nice to eat in. I didn't really have a choice here, and its not like it really changed how my food tasted, I just wouldn't choose that room again.

Jungle Skipper Canteen

I only went here for dessert to be entirely honest. I can be quite a picky eater and most of the menu isn't really appealing to me. That said, the Quicksand was right up my alley.

I am SO glad I went in for this item because it was delicious!!! The official description is "Jasmine Rice Pudding, Mango Sauce, Lemon Curd, Hibiscus Meringue, and Pineapple". I couldn't find any pineapple here, but that's ok. This is dense and rich, but not heavy. The garnishes add a tart, unique and refreshing touches to the creamy rice pudding. There's some type of cookie with this and I could have eaten a bunch of those alone!

Beaches and Cream

After checking in an hour and a half late due to some bad travel advise, I was down right hangry! I handed the menu back as soon as it was handed to me and said "I've been dreaming about this for the past 4 years, I want the grilled cheese sandwich". The server was a little stunned and I quickly apologized as I realized I sounded like a terrible movie villain. Luckily that sandwich was just as good as I remembered! They use a blend of cheeses that make it unique but still accessible to people who aren't adventurous. An adult version of a childhood classic but would absolutely be great for kids too. I opted for fries rather than the tomato bisque, and they were hot, fresh and great as well. The only thing that I was unhappy with was that my sandwich was sullied by the most vile culinary creation in existence. The chef put my beautiful cheesy piece of heaven on a plate... with a PICKLE! AND IT TOUCHED MY SANDWICH!!!! I ended up cutting off the whole edge of my lovely sandwich due to contamination.

For dessert I ordered the brownie a la mode and dear lord the size of that brownie is obscene. It has to be 3x3" plus the ice cream, fudge, and whipped cream. I couldn't dream of finishing this thing by myself. Don't get me wrong, its delicious. I would just explode is all. The brownie is dense, but not fudgey, which is the only thing that could make this item better.
 
Omg I’m rolling on the floor with...pickle... it touched your sandwich!

My kiddo used separate section plates for a Very Long Time to avoid food touching..
oh the memories..
The brownie.... sounds Devine to me lol
Thx for sharing
 
Sunshine Seasons

I had originally planned on something different for lunch, but hunger is a demanding mistress. I was too hungry to bother walking to where I'd planned on going, and in the past Sunshine Seasons has served me well.

This time...not so much. I got the rotisserie chicken, and asked for mashed potatoes for my side. They were fine with that, and then proceeded to also give me the black beans that usually go with this item. And just ick. They soaked into half my potatoes and onto my chicken. The chicken itself was on the dry side, and the serving was a good deal smaller than I've gotten in the past. I think I'll try something new next time.

Coral Reef

Seeing as this was my first "nice" meal, I was really excited. I've been to Coral Reef in the past so I knew about what to expect. After a bit of a wait, I was seated and given yummy warm rolls. I tried really hard not to inhale them.

For my entree, I ordered the sirloin, the loaded mashed potatoes and asked for a different veggie than creamed spinach. This started a small trend around me as once my meal got to me, everyone decided they too wanted the steamed broccoli I had because it looked so good. And it was, fresh and basic. The steak was well cooked and seasoned, but just a little stringy. The mashed potatoes were awesome and I easily could have kept eating those, but glory awaited me in the form of the Chocolate Wave. Oh Chocolate Wave, how I love thee. You beautiful, melty, sinfully decadent minx. Had I felt it was appropriate to lick the bowl, I would have, and I'm not going to say I didn't.
 


Omg I’m rolling on the floor with...pickle... it touched your sandwich!

My kiddo used separate section plates for a Very Long Time to avoid food touching..
oh the memories..
The brownie.... sounds Devine to me lol
Thx for sharing

Certain things can touch, but never a pickle. Sometimes I remember to ask them to leave it off, like if I'm at a burger place where I know its super likely they put them on the plate. That being said, if I suspect they put one on anyway then took it off, I have been known to sniff my plate for any traces of evil.
 
Omg I busted up laughing about that pickle. I am the exact same way! Pickle and Tomato contamination are the worst. I always try to remember to ask for no pickle, even if I’m not sure it comes with it or not.

We got free chick-fil-a sandwiches at work one day and I cut half the chicken off and got rid of the top bun due to the pickle.

I want to try Beaches n Cream now. Grilled cheese, fries and a brownie sundae.... sounds like a winner to me. Thanks for the pickle warning.
 
PizzeRizzo

Color me pleasantly surprised! I never really know what to do for a quick service at Hollywood Studios. Nothing really draws me in, but this place was new to me so I figured why not?

I will say the inside decor is lacking, rather like a food court. The food definitely makes up for it. I got the cheese pizza, which comes with some sort of pasta salad (which I didn't eat as cold pasta grosses me out) and a cannoli.

I come from Buffalo NY, and we have very set ideas on what pizza and cannoli should taste like. I try not to compare pizza too much because what comes from our area is unique, and don't really go in with high expectations. This pizza was fluffy and chewy, the dough itself didn't have a ton of flavor but whatever the put on the outer crust adds a lot to it. The sauce is well seasoned, and the cheese isn't bland or put on so much it becomes a rubbery mess. The cannoli shell was a little soggy but not in a gross way. The filling was a little different than I'm used to but it was still really good. The cannoli at Epcot are better, but this one is still good. It comes with chocolate garnishes, and I didn't see any plain ones floating around but I'd imagine they might keep a couple plain in case of chocolate allergens.

All in all, I'd totally go back here. It makes for a nice filling option that is everybody friendly.

50's Prime Time

I will admit that I don't really go to prime time for the food but for the theme and servers. I will have to take that back now because the food has most definitely changed for the better!!

First item up for grabs, the fried cheese appetizer. I LOVE this dish. It is NOT mozzarella sticks. It's fried garlic and herb boursin, which is sort of like a french dense cream cheese. Breaded and fried, it becomes this amazing garlicky spread that makes anything taste better. It's served with a crostini, apples and grapes, and topped with a raspberry puree. Now I know you're probably thinking "all that fruit with garlic cheese? You're insane". I promise, just try it.

I also ordered my favorite magical star cocktail now that alcoholic drinks are allowed on the dining plan. Nectar of the gods.

For my entree I went classic with the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and veg. Again, my expectations? Not high. Thankfully I was proven so so wrong as that chicken was heavenly. Hot and crispy, well seasoned, tender and juicy!! The mashed potatoes were great, they were never bad but they tasted better seasoned this time.

For dessert, I opted for cheesecake. This too sort of blew me away. Dense, creamy and flavorful. It was served with a sort of fresh strawberry sauce and the tartness of the berries against the richness of the cheesecake shows why that classic pairing exists.

I walked out full and happy, and not a little bit shocked. Honestly this was one of the better meals I had on this trip.
 


Zara's Sweet Shoppe

Animal Kingdom is another place I sort of struggle foodwise because much of it is just meh to me. I was feeling peckish and decided to grab a snack from the closest place. They had a bunch of different items, and I went with a cookie that was bigger than my face. I figured it could nibble through the day. I was wrong and apparently much hungrier than I realized because I ate nearly the entire thing in the span of les than 10 minutes. It was a chocolate chip cookie with chocolate dipped ears. Usually I like a chewier cookie, but that wouldn't hold up in this size. It was on the crispier size but not dry. I used a snack credit on it, but if I remember correctly, it was around 5 dollars. For the size, I would say it'd be worth paying out of pocket for as it could be easily split...or inhaled by one hungry person *ahem*.

Rainforest Cafe

Again, having read reviews my hopes weren't super high and again, I was pleasantly surprised!

After a bit of a wait, I was seated and my server was happy to take my drink and entree order together. I had the burger and it was fantastic! The roll I believe is a brioche roll, the meat was fantastically seasoned and well cooked. Nice hot and crispy fries came with it. I mean yes, ultimately it was a plain cheeseburger BUT what I think needs to be kept in mind is when you have a plain item, there's no sauces or garnishes to hide behind. I would go back to any place that had this burger because it was so classically delish. I guess I can see why people give this place a pass because yes,the menu is not mindblowing. It does have a lot of options though, and seems like it'd be a nice place for a diverse crowd due to the variety of things available.

For dessert, I had key lime pie and oooh it was so good. I'm super picky about key lime pie because it MUST be made with real key lime juice. Accept not substitutions!! This was cold and creamy, tart but not so far as sour, and had some sort of cream topping (which was different than the dollop of whipped cream) that added to the overall creaminess of the dish.

I would absolutely go back, judge me all you want.
 
Yachtsman Steakhouse

A meal I'd been dreaming about, and it mostly lived up to what I wanted it to be.

First though, was a ridiculously long wait. I had an ADR, and as a solo diner I would have thought it wouldn't have taken so long to get a table. I was wrong. I can only hope they were short staffed, I had 2 CMs walk past and ask if I needed something because I apparently looked lonely and lost. "A table?" I said. Maybe they don't get a lot of solo diners?

After finally being seated, I had a lovely server who explained everything I needed. Originally I wanted to get a few additional items, being the bone marrow and the beef fat potatoes. She wasn't negative about the bone marrow, but based on her description of it being very greasy on the tongue, I decided to pass on that. There wasn't anything that would have stopped me from getting those potatoes though. The server said I could sub out the mashed potatoes that came with the filet I ordered, but well, POTATOES! I was on vacation and potatoes in all forms must be given a chance.

My beautiful basket of rolls was brought out and I fought valiantly not to inhale them. It was a battle that was doomed to failure. Those onion rolls are gold. Quite shortly after my entree arrived, as well as my little potato gems. I ordered the filet, and asked for medium rare. I really should have gotten medium, simply based on the thickness of the steak I was served. Obviously I had no way of knowing that, and the outer rim of the meat was perfectly fine, just the center was a bit under for my liking. This isn't something I'd ever hold against the restaurant because they gave me what I asked for. I should have said I would take it however the chef felt it should be cooked and I would have likely been better off. Either way, it was seasoned well and the meat itself was of fantastic quality. The mashed potatoes the meal came with were beautiful and silky, but the real star was those beef fat potatoes. They weren't exactly what I pictured and it was all the better. These lovelies are cut up fingerling potatoes, which have been cooked with onions and bacon, but first beef fat is added to the skillet and rendered down a bit. Seriously they were everything I could ever ask for in a crispy potato. Simple concept and well executed to really be a fantastic bite of food. Or in my case, several bites.

For dessert I decided on the Lexington Sundae. Salty and sweet sounded good to not blow out all the food I'd just enjoyed. I was a little stunned when my server brought over a giant dish that easily could serve 3 people. Featuring salted caramel and buttered popcorn gelatos, a toasted marshmellow and crispy pearls, it really was fantastic. It definitely hit on different textures and the play on salty and sweet, it was just enormous. Even my server agreed they could reduce the size of it because no one finishes it alone.

The weird non potato related highlight of this meal? When subtly, I was told to look past a particular diner, and check out who was sitting alone. None other than Kenny G. My server said she won't typically point out if there are celebrities dining in, but she knew I'd be discreet. And I tried, really I did. I only stealthed one little picture and honestly I don't think anyone would realize it was him if I didn't say first. But I will tell you it was very hard no to stare and probably good that I was heading out anyway. I was slightly less excited when I found out he was playing the Eat to the Beat concerts and thats why he was in town, but hey! I still ate at a place an international music star ate and I was pretty darn excited.
 
Sunshine Seasons

Ok so this is a little silly to even bother with as I literally only had a cinnamon roll here while on a break from the unDiscovered futureworld tour. That said, it was a really good cinnamon roll.

Food and Wine Festival

Even though I'm a fairly picky eater, I like to travel during food and wine, even if I only get 2 or 3 things. This year I actually hit a bit of a jackpot and had a lot of really great stuff (desserts ok? I'm a weakling for a good pastry).

I don't remember the order I went in so I'm just going off my notes here:

Belgium- beef braised beef with smoked gouda mashed potatoes. Ick! The beef was dry and stringy, had a really gross sauce element ( I think it was all of what was braised together), and the overall taste was just gross. The mashed potatoes were ok, but I didn't get smoke or gouda from them at all.

Brazil- Pao de queijo- YUM!! I actually can buy these frozen at a local grocery store, but the ones from food and wine were enormous! Two of them to a serving, and they were warm and chewy and everything I've come to expect in this item. So glad I caught them this year.

China- Mango bubble tea- Oh so good. I love bubble tea in general but this was excellent. Assam tea and milk, the mango and the tapioca together was sooo good. Silky and cold, it was incredibly refreshing and I wish I could have gotten a bigger cup of it. Really I should have gone back for another and I'm still sort of kicking myself on that as I'm drooling while typing this.

France- Carbonade of Boeuf, Puree de Pomme de Terre- translation? What seemed like the same stringy dry beef from Belgium with different potatoes.

Greece- Bougatsa- one of my favorite authors had actually mentioned this on her facebook as a favorite pastry and I can totally understand why. This is a phyllo parcel with a baked custard filling, and lemon and honey syrup on the top. I could eat this every day, it was soooo good. Not terribly strong, but just a well balanced item with a lot of contrasting texture between the filling and the phyllo. The lemon and honey added to it, they didn't overpower or takeaway from the base at all. Also nice was this was a quite generous size for the price. It was all I could do not to cram the entire thing in my mouth.

Hawaii- passion fruit cheesecake- another win! Another solidly good cheesecake, but the passion fruit and crunchy macadamia nuts took it up a notch.

Islands of the Caribbean- Quesito with guava sauce- super yummy, but not quite as good as the bougatsa.

Mexico- coconut rice pudding- this is another item I could have eaten another of, it was cold and creamy, brightly flavored and not overly sweet.

There were 2 items on my list I ended up skipped simply due to the fact I couldn't have shoved another crumb of food in my mouth if my live depended on it. I actually ended up heading back to the room earlier than I planned because I'd made myself so full it was uncomfortable to do much of anything other than throw myself into the bed and moo in discomfort.
 
Enjoying your report! That Lexington Sundae sounds like a thing of beauty.
 
Love your descriptive writing. One issue though, how can you possibly write about potatoes and NOT put a picture in to drool over?:rotfl2:
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top