So This is What a Dream Tastes Like

[jenseib]

I'm off to check it out. This has been a fantastic food review and great pics. I really enjoyed reading it.

 

 

;) Thanks

[jenseib]

We had made our way over to Pop Century and checked in. Mom and Dad went off to Animal Kingdom then. They had lunch there, but I don’t know where, or what.

Claire took a quick swim and then we headed off to Magic Kingdom.

After doing a few things she declared she was starving. One of those things that if you didn’t get food she would just die on the spot. I had wanted to eat at Columbia Harbor House or Pecos Bills, but we happened to be in Tomorrowland at that point and I knew we I had to get her food fast. We settled for Cosmic Rays. We like it there, but it’s just a place we go to all the time, so I wanted to branch out a bit.

We got in line at Bay 1, just randomly. I gave her some choices.

The place was packed. I was amazed how busy it was. I think it was after 2 at this point. We had to wait in line to order for a bit, the whole time I kept hearing a little voice telling me how hungry she was. Finally after a cashier change right when it was our turn, we ordered.

We were greeted by this friendly CM as we approached the counter to get our food.

Claire got the kids peanut butter and jelly with fries. I kind of said to myself…”why am I paying for PBJ on vacation?” But that’s OK, that’s what she wanted.

I went back and forth on what I wanted. The chicken dinner sounded really good, but I wasn’t THAT hungry. I finally settled on the Chicken nuggets with fries.

These were good as well, but way too much. I should’ve ordered the kids meal for myself. OR just got these and share with Claire, but since she wanted PBJ, that didn’t work. I only ate about half of it. Claire ate about half of hers as well, along with one of my nuggets.

[jenseib]

We watched Sonny perform. Claire loved this when she was 2 and danced to the music on our first MK night that trip. She didn’t even remember him this trip. I know we have been here since that 1st trip with her, but we might not have sat down by Sonny.

We had fun and soon were on our way back out for more MK fun in the crowded heat!

[Dave_MaryJo]

jenseib, everything looks so good! I would like to see all of your pictures aboard Disney Dream. Do you have a photo sharing website that you can post them on? like flickr, fotki, etc...

[jenseib]

jenseib, everything looks so good! I would like to see all of your pictures aboard Disney Dream. Do you have a photo sharing website that you can post them on? like flickr, fotki, etc...

 

I am writing a trip report with details and pictures in it. It's called a hop, no skip and many mishaps to a disney dream, and I am posting it here on cruise critic as well. I have only just atreted editing pictures at this point, so the ones I post are the only ones I have edited at this point and time.

[jenseib]

Dinner was at CRT. We had it scheduled for 9:30 PM. We also had it scheduled for only 3 people. I had been talking to a Dis/facebook friend, Keri. Her DD Natasha works at CRT. She said that I could go to the desk early and see if they could accommodate 4, which should be no problem, and then also check to see if we could be seated earlier. So before our BBB appointment I stopped off at the desk and asked the CM working. She said it was no problem getting 4 in and to come back after we had finished up with BBB and see how things were and they may be able to seat us earlier. So that is exactly what we did. Natasha was working, and I must add she is super nice and so pretty too!

She clicked some keys on the computer and YES, we could be seated right away. I believe it was just after 7 PM.

We went in with our Royal Invite.

Claire took her picture with Cinderella.

We made the walk up the stairs. My Mom and Dad weren’t too happy with the number of stairs! It did seem like an extra long flight this time around.

We were seated right by the door. The last table that the characters visited. We could see they had started making the rounds too.

We had Gustuvo again. (sp?) He was very friendly, but I think he was a bit more forgetful this time. He did seem really buys too.

We made our orders.

I started out with the Rock Shrimp Cocktail - rock shrimp with tomato marmalade.

This really wasn’t what I was expecting. I was expecting bigger shrimps I guess. It was OK. Not something I would normally order, but it tasted fine.

[jenseib]

Mom got Mixed Greens Salad - Mixed Field Greens and fresh herbs tossed with a White Balsamic Vinaigrette.

She said it was good.

Dad had the Soup of the Day, which I think was Beef Barley.

Claire had Bite sized Cheddar Cheese and Grapes. She doesn’t like cheese so we all sampled that and she ate all her grapes.

We also got some rolls that were very good. They are off to the side in this picture.

The wishing ceremony then started and Claire took her wishing seriously.

Snow White was the first character to arrive. All I can say is I was not impressed. She talked a really high pitched baby talk. I have never heard a Snow White talk like this before, and it was really irritating. My mom even questioned it to me. We really felt like laughing at her. Claire was happy though.

[Dave_MaryJo]

love the pictures keep it coming :)

[jenseib]

Ariel was next, and she too had a baby voice. Not as bad, but it was still in baby talk. Is this a new thing? I know the cruise Princesses did NOT talk like that.

Aurora was up next and she did talk normal.

Our food then arrived. Claire got the Beef Tenderloin with corn, and instead of Mashed Potatoes we asked for fries. She got rice instead. Gustuvo said they didn’t have fries. Claire won’t eat rice either, but I didn’t worry too much. She would be fine with just the meat. It looked good to me. She probably had the best meal of all of us.

Mom I “think” mom had the Vegetarian "Cassoulet" - baked French-style casserole of cannelini and Garbanzo beans topped with wild mushrooms, zucchini, shallots, tomatoes, and herbs. It was some sort of pasta dish and she said it was AWFUL. She only ate about 3 bites and set it aside.

Dad had the Fried Chicken - fried chicken with a house-made Macaroni and Cheese and Cheese and Broccolini. He said it was pretty good. He wasn’t very hungry though, so he didn’t eat a lot of it. Mom ate his macaroni and cheese.

[jenseib]

love the pictures keep it coming :)

 

I'm posting more right now!

[jenseib]

My meal was the Roasted Beef Tenderloin - sliced roasted beef tenderloin with Duchess potatoes, asparagus, and a tomato Hollandaise. The meat was good, but I could’ve done with out the sauce. It had a funny taste to me. The potatoes were fine, but they got the sauce on them, so that made them less appealing as well.

Belle was the last character to arrive. This is one of Claire’s favorites. She was happy to see her.

Dessert then arrived. Mom and Dad got Seasonal No Sugar Added Sorbet - with berries. They said this was very good!

They are being a little goofy here.

Claire got the make your own Sundae.

I got Valrhona Chocolate Mousse - A light chocolate mousse presented with berries and raspberry sauce. Definitely the best part of the meal, but it doesn’t even compare to the Chocolate Buckle they used to serve.

[jenseib]

The kids menu.

Here is the picture they took and gave us with the meal.

I had prepaid for 3 people. Mom paid for Dad at the end of the meal. This meal for 4 was over $200. It was NOT worth it at all. The menu had changed last Fall and it is not nearly as good as what it was. The food was just not good for the most part for the money. The character interaction was not great either. I felt rushed to take a picture. They were there only a short time and then gone. Aurora even forgot to sign Claire’s book and I had to have a CM run it back to her to sign. It was nice to eat in the castle, and Mom and Dad were impressed with that part. They said they would never normally ever do that on their own. And Claire loved it, so that’s the only thing that made it really worth eating here. I will NOT be booking this place again though in the future unless they change the menu and /or bring back the chocolate buckle.

[MEGADAN]

Thank you for the Excellent Food Review on the Dream. We sail in August and I am certain I will love the food.

[Host Mick]

Adriana Castelotti talked this in the film and in real life.

You can hear her actual voice on Snow White's Scary Adventure in Disneyland.

 

Snow White was the first character to arrive. All I can say is I was not impressed. She talked a really high pitched baby talk. I have never heard a Snow White talk like this before, and it was really irritating. My mom even questioned it to me. We really felt like laughing at her. Claire was happy though.

 

[jenseib]

Thank you for the Excellent Food Review on the Dream. We sail in August and I am certain I will love the food.

 

Thanks

 

Adriana Castelotti talked this in the film and in real life.

You can hear her actual voice on Snow White's Scary Adventure in Disneyland.

 

This didn't sound like the movie or on the ride. This was really like a baby and almostwith a lisp. And Why Ariel talked that way I have no clue. It was really annoying, yet funny.

[jenseib]

Day 6 ~ April 4th

Breakfast today was at 1900 Park Fare. I booked this place for ONE main reason……We wanted to see Mary Poppins!

We were kind of rushing to get to the 10:45 ADR. And just so you know, if you drive there and self park, you end up across the street with a long walk. I did not know this. I would’ve valet parked if I knew how far out we had to park. But we still made it on time.

We checked in. Again, this ADR had been made for 3 people and I asked if a 4th could be added. No Problem!

We were given a pager and we walked out to the lobby.

Claire may not be looking at me, but at least Marie is!

I asked Claire to pose for me, but I got a lot of faces like this one.

Finally a nice face.

Our pager buzzed and we walked back. We got a picture of Claire taken. They have never done this at dinner at 1900 PF for us. Not sure if it’s because we have either had very early or late dinners, or because they just don’t do it at dinner? But the lady really liked her costume and took several. I jumped in for a few as well. And yes I bought it. It was really cute and then I could add them to photopass. (which should be coming any day now.

So here is the one we bought.

The photographer mentioned there was another girl in there dressed up at Mary as well. Who would’ve thought that?

We were seated …at the table right next to the other little Mary Poppins….and Claire got her autograph book ready. She was NOT here for food. She was here to see Characters.

[jenseib]

I ran up and got Claire a plate of food. I must confess, I did not really take food pictures this day. I was too focused on getting Claire with characters, and of course being extra tired from the long trip, I kind of just plum forgot.

Claire enjoyed some ham, watermelon, bacon and a Mickey waffle.

Finally our first character arrived….Pooh Bear.

Next up was Alice. I could not get Claire to really look up for these pictures.

And then Tigger

Again, I felt like the characters were rushing through somewhat. But still it was better than CRT.

[jenseib]

I realized I hadn’t been taking food pictures so I told Claire I wanted one of her Mickey waffle before she ate it.

Surprisingly, Claire was eating very well, and I did go up and get her more watermelon.

Then the moment we had been waiting for….Mary Poppins!!!!!

Mary talked a lot to Claire. Very good interaction. Claire would nod and smile here and there. Before Mary left, she said to us that it was a very nice conversation with Claire, though she didn’t believe Claire even said one word!

Claire was all smiles after her visit with Mary, but we still had one more visitor to come. The Mad Hatter. Claire has seen him before. She went to the Wonderland Tea Party last trip and LOVED him there, but she was a little intimidated by him this time. She said she didn’t want a picture, or if she did, someone had to be in it with her. But by the time he made it to the table, she was a little more open to him.

Ironically, this is probably the best smile she gave for all the characters.

We finished up eating, and some of the characters had even made it around for a 2nd time. We just said hi, but didn’t take more pictures.

Again, I did feel that a lot of the characters didn’t take much time. Mary was excellent though. She took a lot of time with Claire, and that was all that mattered to us.

The meal was good. Great selection of food and we all enjoyed it. I don’t seem to have this receipt anymore. I know it was under $50 with a tip for Claire and I. I do remember thinking it was cheaper than I thought it would be. It was worth every penny for us.

We then made the long trek back out to the van to start the rest of the day!

[metairiegal]

Beautiful pictures of your daughter and Mary Poppins! Well, they all are fantastic but so cute of her and Mary! :)

[jenseib]

Beautiful pictures of your daughter and Mary Poppins! Well, they all are fantastic but so cute of her and Mary! :)

 

 

Thanks. We got a lot of attention with that dress!

[jenseib]

Dinner was at The Cheesecake Factory.

I had never eaten here before, but have heard about it many times. We don’t have one anywhere near where I live.

Because of a mishap I had during the day, I had to make a trip to Best Buy. The guy at the hotel desk said there was a mall near the Best Buy with many restaurants and when he mentioned Cheesecake Factory, I knew that was my choice.

I dropped the family off near the doors and I went into the lot to park.

Off topic note, but I swear the parking spaces in Florida are smaller than the ones in Ohio. I felt like I was squeezing into each one and prayed we could all open our doors.

I couldn’t believe this menu. It was like 20 some pages long! I knew no matter what else I got…Cheesecake would be ordered! Claire also wanted Cheesecake, and Dad found one he liked as well! Yes, we were looking at the desserts first…what’s wrong with that? LOL!

I think we decided we would just get the cheesecake to go for a snack later on.

I decided on pizza. Mom wanted to share, and that was fine by me. She also wanted quesadillas, so we decided to share those as well. Note to self…that was way too much food!

I think Dad had a steak. I didn’t take a picture of his. I have to admit again, that the lack of sleep was catching up to me, and I would forget to take pictures sometimes, or the camera was becoming heavy! LOL!

Actually I only brought my point and shoot in to the Cheesecake factory, so the pictures I took of the actual restaurant are awful. I do have a few food shots though.

The bread was REALLY good here. Claire was going to town on it, and would yell at us if we went for some. We asked for more and some went back to the room with us as well.

Our quesadilla after we had already started to attack it.

It was good. Not the best one I have ever had, but still very good.

Claire went with the corndog and fries. She loves corndogs (after all it is in the hotdog family) and really enjoyed this meal.

Our pizza arrived and we attacked it before I even thought to take a picture. It was very good.

We boxed up half of the quesadilla and the pizza and received our cheesecakes to go. We were stuffed, and I couldn’t even imagine how we were going to eat those wonderful desserts. And sadly I never took a picture of them. I got Reeses Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake and it was fabulous and rich. Dad got UltimateRed Velvet CakeCheesecake™ and Claire got strawberry cheesecake. All were great, thoug h it took us two days to completely eat them all.

I don’t know what this cost. Mom paid for us all. I offered to pay the tip, but she told me not to worry about it since I had just spent some money (much more than I wanted to) at Best Buy. I was very happy to try this place. I wish there was one close to me. I will definitely try to find one in my travels in the future.

[jenseib]

Day 7 ~Tuesday, April 5th.

Breakfast was at Residence Inn. They again had the free buffet for the guests. It was very good, with lots of different food to choose from. I did not take a food picture at all here. I was up before everyone else and went down and got a plate and went outside and made some calls while I ate.

They had waffles, biscuits and gravy, sausage, hash browns, rolls/pastries, fruit, juice, yogurts, cereal, milk, etc. It was a really nice selection.

I was happy with what I got and it filled me up nicely. Mom, Dad, and Claire came down later while I was off picking something up. They enjoyed it as well ,though Mom said Claire didn’t eat much.

When we arrive at Epcot, Claire was a bit hungry, so I got her a soft pretzel. Of course I had a few bites. And it was good. I love soft pretzels.

Lunch was at Le Cellier.

This was a place I really debated over. I had a 4:10 dinner ADR. But once the new pricing came out, I just couldn’t see spending that kind of money and cancelled. I wanted to try lunch to see how much we really would like it before committing to the high prices. I would look daily and nothing ever came up. The morning we were leaving (March 30th) I gave one last look and guess what? There was a 2:10 opening for April 5th . I booked it.

Claire wore her Mary Poppins outfit again because we had wanted to see Mary right after we ate. We changed into it just before heading over to Canada. We checked in right on time and had about a 5 minute wait, if that.

We were led to our seats and looked over the menu and the place. It took a little while to order. We soon found out we had a slow waitress. She was very nice, but just not speedy at all.

Claire went right to coloring.

Claire was having a hard time deciding what to drink. She just kept making faces and wouldn’t decide. I finally just said get her a Red Maple, Raspberry smoothie with a splash of Sprite. I tasted it and it was very good.

Dad and I both got Strawberry milkshakes that were absolutely fabulous as well.

Our bread arrived soon after we ordered. I have to say I was NOT impressed. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I hear how wonderful the pretzel bread is, and to me it was no big deal. I think the soft pretzel we had earlier was better. I guess I didn’t understand the hype about this bread when you could just go buy a soft pretzel somewhere. LOL! The other breads weren’t anything special either. And all were pretty hard. I’m not sure if they are supposed to be or not.

Claire ordered Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, hot dog and the kids sundae. She did not want the soup, but I ordered it anyways, and figured I would eat it as it was something I had wanted to try after all the rave reviews.

I was NOT impressed! It wasn’t awful, but not great either. I hear so much about this soup, and it was a major let down. First off, it’s called Cheese soup…..why? I didn’t even taste cheese flavor in it. And second it was sooooo salty. For me to say that is something too. I love salt. I salt almost all of my food. But this was just way too salty even for me. Now I had read that some people thought the food here was too salty, but I never thought it would bother me. I’m queen of the salt.

Now if they could do away with the saltiness, this wouldn’t be too bad at all. Actually it wasn’t bad at all, it just didn’t live up to the legend.

Mom and Dad ordered Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon. Instead ofrisotto, they both got Gruyere-Yukon Gold potato gratin. Dad is picky and was worried he wouldn’t like risotto. He had never heard of it before and didn’t know what it was. Lets just say we had a long conversation about what he should get. He said the potatoes were not what he was expecting, but he still liked them.

Mom and Dad really enjoyed this meal. They talked about it quite a bit.

And I am sad to say that I had put my camera away at this point and forgot to pull it out for the main course.

I got Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon with wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb butter sauce.

Again, not impressed. WAY TOO SALTY! Now the food was very good except for the fact that it was just so dang salty. It’s hard to explain. I could tell it tasted good, but I knew it could be better without all the salt. Mom also mentioned her food was a bit too salty too. And she said she heard another table mention something about the food be extra salty. I don’t know if this new, or if we got them on a bad day.

Either way, I still ate every drop on my plate. Like I said, it was good food, it was just not perfect.

Here is when I pulled my camera back out. Claire had eaten her hotdog and left most of the fries.

[jenseib]

Claire is the only one who got dessert. Her meal came with it, and we were much too full. I had wanted to get the Mousse, but there was just no possible way to fit it in! LOL!

Claire enjoyed her Sundae and we all did take a nibble at it.

I think for Claire and I the bill was just over $50 including the tip. I had left my rewards card to pay with and Claire and I left to get in line to see Mary. I had accidentally left the wrong one…the empty one, so Mom said she paid for me. When I went to pay her back she said not to worry. She had planned on putting gas in the van the next day before we returned it, and I could just do that instead. It was pretty close to an even trade there too.

This is the pretty scenery outside of the restaurant. I don’t think I have ever even walked back here before.

What did I think of this place? I am glad I tried it, but I won’t be going back. The prices are high, and the food wasn’t good enough to me to do it more than once. I am glad we did it though. I now know it really isn’t the place for me. We can now go on to try other places in Epcot.

[jenseib]

Later in the afternoon Claire and I got a snack. I had actually planned to have several snacks through out the day, but my stomach wouldn’t allow it. Darn stomach!

I got a Mickey bar. I hadn’t had a whole one to myself yet. I was a little disappointed in myself!

As you can see I had to juggle a bit to take the picture! LOL!

It was delicious!!

Claire had an Itsakadoozie (sp?)

We never stopped for dinner. We just weren’t that hungry. We thought about getting popcorn before Illuminations, but we were running late and the line was long.

We ended up just eating the leftovers from the Cheesecake Factory when we got back to the hotel. I’m not sure what all Mom and Dad ate while they walked around Epcot, but I know Mom said something about getting a snack in France.

The Cheesecake Factory leftovers were just fine with Claire and I. And we finished off the cheesecakes as much as we could.

[portsgirl]

I really loved your reviews and beautiful pictures! It is really nice to hear from such a nice down to earth family. We are doing a similar trip next year with our granddaughter and your reviews have really helped. We see so many negative comments, that I was beginning to second guess our plans. Like you, I am a foodie but not a food snob. And just looking forward to the whole experience. Thank you again.