We stayed at Pop from 6/3-6/10, 2 adults, 9 yo girl, 5 yo girl.
Saturday- arrived at Pop via Magical Express at 6pm and headed straight to downtown disney for dinner. Counter service @ Wolfgang Puck Express was great. The Rosemary chicken w/ one side was great (I got Caesar salad), the linguini w/ tomato, basil and garlic was uninspiring but edible. The girls got mac n cheese and chicken fingers/fries. We could choose between brownies or cookies- we took cookies and brought them back to the room.
Sunday AM- Pop food court - 1 cs meal (breakfast pizza) was "ok" according to dh and he didnt' repeat it during the week. 1 box entemann's donuts- 1 snack credit
Sunday lunch- 50s PT cafe- we got Fried herb cheese and onion rings as our appetizers (YUM) the girls got chicken noodle soup (unremarkable), for our entrees we had fried chicken (ask for green beans if you aren't fond of greens), Caesar salad with chicken and the girls got hot dog and chicken strips. For dessert we took a kid's fruit to go and shared the angel food cake. The fried chicken was delicious and the Caesar salad was very good on a hot day. (Next time I'd get the dressing on the side though. ) The bill was over $90- that was with 2 of us drinking water and only 2 desserts! but we used 4 TS credits for it. (We'd go back here)
Sunday dinner - Hollywood and Vine fantasmic package. The buffet was fine. Better than your average buffet but not remarkable in any way. The pot roast was tasty and the desserts were good. DH is allergic to shellfish or it would have been a better buffet (we all passed on the shrimp because of his allergy) 4 TS credits
Snacks on Sunday- 1 ice cream bar and 1 popsicle.
We paid cash for cotton candy and cold drinks at Fantasmic.
We didn't use snack credits for bottles of water because EVERY counter service place or stand that sold cups of fountain soft drinks would give you as many cups of ice as you wanted. We just kept refilling our widemouth sports bottles w/ that ice and let it melt to cold drinking water.
Monday- Magic Kingdom. We were there for rope drop and my dh failed to realize he could eat breakfast before we left
P So he was grumpy until lunch at Pecos Bills at 11am. We shared 2 bacon double cheeseburgers, large drinks and brownies w/ pb mousse. PLENTY of food for 4. Had we ordered an extra bun or two we'd have been absolutely stuffed. We even gave one unopened brownie to a table of teens next to us. 2 CS credits
After a rest at Pop we had an early dinner at the food court- Deluxe nachos, chicken strips and fries, grapes, dirt cake and 2 powerades. 2 CS credits.
Back at the Magic kingdom that night we shared a turkey leg and frozen coke. More free ice for our water bottles too.
Tuesday- Animal Kingdom...
Breakfast at Pop (snack credit- donut holes) 1 cs credit for french toast platter and milk. (dh repeated this meal a few times so I'd say it was good..the crunchy topping was tasty)
Lunch at Tusker House- fried chicken sandwich, chicken salad, 2 kids drumstick meals- one of each dessert (the carrot cake was very good but my dd loved the chocolate) and we gifted a cheesecake to the family behind me in line and 4 beverages. The chicken sandwich was good, nice and hot and crispy. The salad was delicious with the balsamic vinagrette and the lentils and beans they tossed in. The kid's mashed potatoes were very tasty. I'd have preferred grapes or melon or something to the applesauce they got with all the kids meals but since that's not as perishable, I understand why they include that! ...4 CS credits
Dinner at Boma- EXCELLENT buffet. YUM on the salads, desserts and butternut squash soup- I could have eaten 4 bowls of it! The red wine flight was nice and reasonably priced, imo. My dh seemed to enjoy the top sirloin and the prime rib. I thought that the avocado/grapefruit salad was really refreshing. We loved the banana bread pudding with vanilla sauce and the mini strawberry tart. I liked the zebra domes and my 9 year old loved the chocolate mousse. The kids were less enthusiastic but the kids buffet selection was good. 4 TS credits
Snacks on Tuesday included a couple popsicles. This was the only day we struggled w/ finding places to get ice. The counter service locations are harder to find at AK - plenty of carts but no one sold fountain drinks.
Wednesday- Epcot
We got a late start- used 3 CS credits for POP breakfast- kid's waffle, kid's pancake, another french toast. I used a snack credit for a choc croissant. That was really good- warm and gooey inside and flaky on the outside. Since we had refillable mugs, the kids got choc milk or OJ or else we'd get a bottle of water for later.
Lunch- Akershus Princess lunch in norway. This was the BEST meal of the trip by far. The "cold table" was outstanding. The cucumber salad and beet salad were fabulous. Everything was fresh and cold and terrific. The cheeses and breads were great too. The service was good and fast. For our entrees we had the soup and sandwich- this was absolutely delicious. The Soup had a bit of a bite from the Jarlsberg cheese and was creamy and rich. The sandwich was difficult to eat (had to use a knife and fork for sure) but so good. The salmon was perfectly prepared, the mayo was creamy and flavorful, the bacon was crisp and salty. My dh had the Traditional Kjottkaker. It was like a meatball in the red wine beet sauce. He hates cauliflower but loved the mashed potatoes despite that. The girls were boring w/ hot dogs and corn but they ate every bite. The desserts were great. I preferred the rice cream along w/ my 5 yo. Dad loved the cheesecake and thought that the berries were the right amount of tartness and the 9 yo was happy that everyone like other things so she could have the chocolate cake all to herself! 4 TS credits and worth every penny!!!
Dinner at Le Cellier- late reservation and we were tired. We waited about 30 minutes after our reservation time to be seated despite having checked in 20 minutes before our ADR. The server encouraged us to try the non-alcholic frozen drinks. The best was the Choc Raspberry smoothie- it was like a shake. The strawberry smoothie was good. I liked the mango one the best. Kids have to choose a child's app now (either cheese soup or tossed salad w/ ranch). They both got salads which were drenched in dressing (ask for it on the side!) My husband had the Vine Ripe tomato stack- he said it was good. I tried the beef kabob and it was DELICIOUS. I really liked the relish underneath. For entrees we had the strip steak and the 7 oz filet Both were good. Not "The Palm" good or "Morton's" good but good. (better than outback!) The mashed potatoes were very tasty. The girls got chicken and fries despite talking about steak all day- they were so tired. For dessert we ordered the sampler which included the sorbet, creme brulee and chocolate cake. I liked the creme brulee. It was not too sweet and a nice consistency. The sorbet was delicious. One daughter passed on dessert and the other had the smores and they ended up sharing. The favorite part was the marshmallow garnish on top! 4 TS credits saved us $175 plus tip!
The only snack we had on Weds was a pretzel in germany.
Thursday- breakfast @ Chef Mickey. The character interaction wasn't very good. The food was fine for a breakfast buffet. I enjoyed the bagel selection and toppings (lox, cream cheese, capers, onion) The bacon was nice and crispy. The girls had I had previously eaten at Goofy's Kitchen at Disneyland and I'll just say that Goofy should win the chef competition! 4 TS credits (won't go back)
Then on to Blizzard Beach- Lunch @ Lottawatta lodge- double cheeseburger, chicken strips, chicken wrap. All good. They let you save your dessert for later so we went back before leaving and had our ice cream. That's a great benefit. They only allow a "small" drink as your beverage on the dining plan whereas everywhere else allowed a large. We'd eat here again- 3 CS credits.
We ordered POP pizza delivery. It's a good value - 2 large pizzas w/ 2 toppings, bread sticks and a 2 L of soda for $34 but the pizza was terrible in our opinion. It just had very little flavor but the breadsticks were good.
We got the girls a bag of chips later at the pool. (large bags of lays products were one snack credit). We'd pass on the pizza in the future.
Friday- breakfast at pop- 3 credits- mickey waffles, large pancake platter, breakfast sandwich. The waffles and pancakes are nice and fresh. My dh didnt' care for the breakfast sandwich. He said the egg seemed too rubbery for his taste.
lunch at pop before heading to epcot- we had double cheeseburger, chicken and fries (my kids are in a rut, what can I say?) and chili cheesedog. The cheese fries were great. Desserts were fruit and dirt cake.
Dinner at epcot- Biergarten. We had great conversation with a family from Wales at our table but the food was sort of unremarkable. Ok, but not fabulous- We enjoyed the beef rouladen and the brats w/ sauerkraut. The beet salad was good. The dessert section of the buffet was poorly filled so the apple streudal was pretty dried out and crusty. The little almond cookies were very good though... 4 TS credits
Saturday (departure day) We had 6 counter service credits left and about 10 snacks!
Breakfast at Pop (french toast, pancakes, mickey waffles again). Magic kingdom: Snacks at Mrs. Pott's in Fantasyland- chocolate shake, rootbeer float and ice cream cone w/ 3 snack credits and then lunch back at Pop for Beef, bean and bleu flatbread, double cheeseburger, chicken and fries... WOW on the beef bean and bleu flatbread. It had great flavor, just the right amount of bleu cheese and a nice crispy crust. We wished we'd ordered that sooner! We used up the last of the snack credits on bags of mickey pretzels, some mickey candy bars, rice krispie treats, and fruit for the flight home and snacks later.
We used every single snack credit, cs credit and ts credit. We paid less than $40 out of pocket for misc snacks and another $34 for that horrible pizza. Our total estimated food costs for the week was $1275...we paid $753. Not bad!!!
While the disney dining plan isn't necessarily meant to be an "all-inclusive" experience, we found that we were able to have breakfast, lunch and dinner on the plan and not feel hungry. Luckily our kids are "kid" prices still but even at adult prices we'd have "saved" especially since their costs would increase at buffets and the like.
My favorite part of the plan was being able to relax and not freak on the kids if they wasted food or decided they didn't like something or watch them choose chicken strips AGAIN.
Saturday- arrived at Pop via Magical Express at 6pm and headed straight to downtown disney for dinner. Counter service @ Wolfgang Puck Express was great. The Rosemary chicken w/ one side was great (I got Caesar salad), the linguini w/ tomato, basil and garlic was uninspiring but edible. The girls got mac n cheese and chicken fingers/fries. We could choose between brownies or cookies- we took cookies and brought them back to the room.
Sunday AM- Pop food court - 1 cs meal (breakfast pizza) was "ok" according to dh and he didnt' repeat it during the week. 1 box entemann's donuts- 1 snack credit
Sunday lunch- 50s PT cafe- we got Fried herb cheese and onion rings as our appetizers (YUM) the girls got chicken noodle soup (unremarkable), for our entrees we had fried chicken (ask for green beans if you aren't fond of greens), Caesar salad with chicken and the girls got hot dog and chicken strips. For dessert we took a kid's fruit to go and shared the angel food cake. The fried chicken was delicious and the Caesar salad was very good on a hot day. (Next time I'd get the dressing on the side though. ) The bill was over $90- that was with 2 of us drinking water and only 2 desserts! but we used 4 TS credits for it. (We'd go back here)
Sunday dinner - Hollywood and Vine fantasmic package. The buffet was fine. Better than your average buffet but not remarkable in any way. The pot roast was tasty and the desserts were good. DH is allergic to shellfish or it would have been a better buffet (we all passed on the shrimp because of his allergy) 4 TS credits
Snacks on Sunday- 1 ice cream bar and 1 popsicle.
We paid cash for cotton candy and cold drinks at Fantasmic.
We didn't use snack credits for bottles of water because EVERY counter service place or stand that sold cups of fountain soft drinks would give you as many cups of ice as you wanted. We just kept refilling our widemouth sports bottles w/ that ice and let it melt to cold drinking water.
Monday- Magic Kingdom. We were there for rope drop and my dh failed to realize he could eat breakfast before we left
P So he was grumpy until lunch at Pecos Bills at 11am. We shared 2 bacon double cheeseburgers, large drinks and brownies w/ pb mousse. PLENTY of food for 4. Had we ordered an extra bun or two we'd have been absolutely stuffed. We even gave one unopened brownie to a table of teens next to us. 2 CS credits After a rest at Pop we had an early dinner at the food court- Deluxe nachos, chicken strips and fries, grapes, dirt cake and 2 powerades. 2 CS credits.
Back at the Magic kingdom that night we shared a turkey leg and frozen coke. More free ice for our water bottles too.
Tuesday- Animal Kingdom...
Breakfast at Pop (snack credit- donut holes) 1 cs credit for french toast platter and milk. (dh repeated this meal a few times so I'd say it was good..the crunchy topping was tasty)
Lunch at Tusker House- fried chicken sandwich, chicken salad, 2 kids drumstick meals- one of each dessert (the carrot cake was very good but my dd loved the chocolate) and we gifted a cheesecake to the family behind me in line and 4 beverages. The chicken sandwich was good, nice and hot and crispy. The salad was delicious with the balsamic vinagrette and the lentils and beans they tossed in. The kid's mashed potatoes were very tasty. I'd have preferred grapes or melon or something to the applesauce they got with all the kids meals but since that's not as perishable, I understand why they include that! ...4 CS credits
Dinner at Boma- EXCELLENT buffet. YUM on the salads, desserts and butternut squash soup- I could have eaten 4 bowls of it! The red wine flight was nice and reasonably priced, imo. My dh seemed to enjoy the top sirloin and the prime rib. I thought that the avocado/grapefruit salad was really refreshing. We loved the banana bread pudding with vanilla sauce and the mini strawberry tart. I liked the zebra domes and my 9 year old loved the chocolate mousse. The kids were less enthusiastic but the kids buffet selection was good. 4 TS credits
Snacks on Tuesday included a couple popsicles. This was the only day we struggled w/ finding places to get ice. The counter service locations are harder to find at AK - plenty of carts but no one sold fountain drinks.
Wednesday- Epcot
We got a late start- used 3 CS credits for POP breakfast- kid's waffle, kid's pancake, another french toast. I used a snack credit for a choc croissant. That was really good- warm and gooey inside and flaky on the outside. Since we had refillable mugs, the kids got choc milk or OJ or else we'd get a bottle of water for later.
Lunch- Akershus Princess lunch in norway. This was the BEST meal of the trip by far. The "cold table" was outstanding. The cucumber salad and beet salad were fabulous. Everything was fresh and cold and terrific. The cheeses and breads were great too. The service was good and fast. For our entrees we had the soup and sandwich- this was absolutely delicious. The Soup had a bit of a bite from the Jarlsberg cheese and was creamy and rich. The sandwich was difficult to eat (had to use a knife and fork for sure) but so good. The salmon was perfectly prepared, the mayo was creamy and flavorful, the bacon was crisp and salty. My dh had the Traditional Kjottkaker. It was like a meatball in the red wine beet sauce. He hates cauliflower but loved the mashed potatoes despite that. The girls were boring w/ hot dogs and corn but they ate every bite. The desserts were great. I preferred the rice cream along w/ my 5 yo. Dad loved the cheesecake and thought that the berries were the right amount of tartness and the 9 yo was happy that everyone like other things so she could have the chocolate cake all to herself! 4 TS credits and worth every penny!!!
Dinner at Le Cellier- late reservation and we were tired. We waited about 30 minutes after our reservation time to be seated despite having checked in 20 minutes before our ADR. The server encouraged us to try the non-alcholic frozen drinks. The best was the Choc Raspberry smoothie- it was like a shake. The strawberry smoothie was good. I liked the mango one the best. Kids have to choose a child's app now (either cheese soup or tossed salad w/ ranch). They both got salads which were drenched in dressing (ask for it on the side!) My husband had the Vine Ripe tomato stack- he said it was good. I tried the beef kabob and it was DELICIOUS. I really liked the relish underneath. For entrees we had the strip steak and the 7 oz filet Both were good. Not "The Palm" good or "Morton's" good but good. (better than outback!) The mashed potatoes were very tasty. The girls got chicken and fries despite talking about steak all day- they were so tired. For dessert we ordered the sampler which included the sorbet, creme brulee and chocolate cake. I liked the creme brulee. It was not too sweet and a nice consistency. The sorbet was delicious. One daughter passed on dessert and the other had the smores and they ended up sharing. The favorite part was the marshmallow garnish on top! 4 TS credits saved us $175 plus tip!
The only snack we had on Weds was a pretzel in germany.
Thursday- breakfast @ Chef Mickey. The character interaction wasn't very good. The food was fine for a breakfast buffet. I enjoyed the bagel selection and toppings (lox, cream cheese, capers, onion) The bacon was nice and crispy. The girls had I had previously eaten at Goofy's Kitchen at Disneyland and I'll just say that Goofy should win the chef competition! 4 TS credits (won't go back)
Then on to Blizzard Beach- Lunch @ Lottawatta lodge- double cheeseburger, chicken strips, chicken wrap. All good. They let you save your dessert for later so we went back before leaving and had our ice cream. That's a great benefit. They only allow a "small" drink as your beverage on the dining plan whereas everywhere else allowed a large. We'd eat here again- 3 CS credits.
We ordered POP pizza delivery. It's a good value - 2 large pizzas w/ 2 toppings, bread sticks and a 2 L of soda for $34 but the pizza was terrible in our opinion. It just had very little flavor but the breadsticks were good.
We got the girls a bag of chips later at the pool. (large bags of lays products were one snack credit). We'd pass on the pizza in the future.
Friday- breakfast at pop- 3 credits- mickey waffles, large pancake platter, breakfast sandwich. The waffles and pancakes are nice and fresh. My dh didnt' care for the breakfast sandwich. He said the egg seemed too rubbery for his taste.
lunch at pop before heading to epcot- we had double cheeseburger, chicken and fries (my kids are in a rut, what can I say?) and chili cheesedog. The cheese fries were great. Desserts were fruit and dirt cake.
Dinner at epcot- Biergarten. We had great conversation with a family from Wales at our table but the food was sort of unremarkable. Ok, but not fabulous- We enjoyed the beef rouladen and the brats w/ sauerkraut. The beet salad was good. The dessert section of the buffet was poorly filled so the apple streudal was pretty dried out and crusty. The little almond cookies were very good though... 4 TS credits
Saturday (departure day) We had 6 counter service credits left and about 10 snacks!
Breakfast at Pop (french toast, pancakes, mickey waffles again). Magic kingdom: Snacks at Mrs. Pott's in Fantasyland- chocolate shake, rootbeer float and ice cream cone w/ 3 snack credits and then lunch back at Pop for Beef, bean and bleu flatbread, double cheeseburger, chicken and fries... WOW on the beef bean and bleu flatbread. It had great flavor, just the right amount of bleu cheese and a nice crispy crust. We wished we'd ordered that sooner! We used up the last of the snack credits on bags of mickey pretzels, some mickey candy bars, rice krispie treats, and fruit for the flight home and snacks later.
We used every single snack credit, cs credit and ts credit. We paid less than $40 out of pocket for misc snacks and another $34 for that horrible pizza. Our total estimated food costs for the week was $1275...we paid $753. Not bad!!!
While the disney dining plan isn't necessarily meant to be an "all-inclusive" experience, we found that we were able to have breakfast, lunch and dinner on the plan and not feel hungry. Luckily our kids are "kid" prices still but even at adult prices we'd have "saved" especially since their costs would increase at buffets and the like.
My favorite part of the plan was being able to relax and not freak on the kids if they wasted food or decided they didn't like something or watch them choose chicken strips AGAIN.
