From the World to the Land... A Duo of Dining Reports! Updated 1/28

[plutosgirl]

Following...loving your report. Sorry you didn't like Columbia Harbor House. This is one of my go to QS meals. I really enjoy sitting up stairs and overlooking the people in the park and although it's mostly fried food I always thought it was good and there is just something about their cobblers in the little cups! Mmmm…. Can't wait for the rest of your report!

 

[DLo]

just found your reviews and all caught up now. An impressive list of restaurants . looking forward to reading more.
what an amazing experience at V & A!

 

[Raeven]

. He wasn't a big fan of this. The souffle was kind of floury and dry, and the black pepper taste wasn't prominent. The fig marmalade was pretty good enough, but it wasn't enough to salvage the souffle.

We were disappointed in this too. After taking a bite my friend turned to me and said it tasted like a dry KFC biscuit

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Wow, your meal at V&A looked incredible! What a fantastic experience.

 

[kastoney]

The drinks are quite expensive, with the cheapest being around $35. I think both of the drinks my husband ordered were around $45 each.

Wow! That is insane for a drink. I knew V&A was expensive but that is next level.

My husband described it as "the best Costco dinner roll I've ever eaten." That is a compliment! The butter was amazing.

Sounds like the perfect descriptor to me. There is little better in the world than bread and good butter.

The next course was the Black Label Jamón Ibérico, Baby Tomatoes, 100 Year Old Balsamic for me

Wow, this looks and sounds amazing. Jamon and prosciutto are some of my favorite foods so this would have been a favorite of mine too

The pain perdu was very custardy with a pronounced black truffle flavor. This whole course was amazing!

While the steak looks amazing give me custardy truffle any day of the week. Amazing!

Our total bill was around $700 after tax and tip. Overall, it was WORTH IT. We went in planning on this being a one and done, but I definitely want to go back at some point

It does sound worth it. We've still yet to ever get to V&A. We've had reservations a few times but never end up going. We've had similar meal experiences elsewhere and my hubby is concerned the Disney version won't live up to those meals. From your meal I do not think that would be the case.

 

[sahu]

Following...loving your report. Sorry you didn't like Columbia Harbor House. This is one of my go to QS meals. I really enjoy sitting up stairs and overlooking the people in the park and although it's mostly fried food I always thought it was good and there is just something about their cobblers in the little cups! Mmmm…. Can't wait for the rest of your report!

Thanks for joining! I actually think Columbia Harbor House is one of our go to QS meals too as it's one of the better QS choices in the MK, but I think it's fine ultimately. I've never tried their cobblers though - perhaps I should!

just found your reviews and all caught up now. An impressive list of restaurants . looking forward to reading more.
what an amazing experience at V & A!

Thanks for joining in! V&As was truly incredible.

We were disappointed in this too. After taking a bite my friend turned to me and said it tasted like a dry KFC biscuit

Ugh gross! My husband's critique wasn't as harsh, but I think it was definitely his worst of the fest!

Wow, your meal at V&A looked incredible! What a fantastic experience.

Thank you, we loved it! I would definitely go back again.

 

[sahu]

Wow! That is insane for a drink. I knew V&A was expensive but that is next level.


Sounds like the perfect descriptor to me. There is little better in the world than bread and good butter.


Wow, this looks and sounds amazing. Jamon and prosciutto are some of my favorite foods so this would have been a favorite of mine too


While the steak looks amazing give me custardy truffle any day of the week. Amazing!


It does sound worth it. We've still yet to ever get to V&A. We've had reservations a few times but never end up going. We've had similar meal experiences elsewhere and my hubby is concerned the Disney version won't live up to those meals. From your meal I do not think that would be the case.

Yeah, the drinks prices were out of this world. On the bright side, they were really good drinks? I'll stick with my nice, cheap iced tea at V&As. The jamon was amazing! I bet you would have loved it. I think you would really enjoy V&As. It was really exceptional and isn't a watered down Disney version of a tasting menu at all. I even said NO GAME MEAT so my meal was more boring than some I've seen, and it was still incredible!

 

[sahu]

The next day we headed back to Animal Kingdom and had another rich meal, this time at Tiffins.



I ordered the surf and turf, which came with purple potato puree, peppers, and carrots. This was pretty good! This was actually my first time eating lobster, which I thought was fine but a little weird texturally. My husband ate most of the lobster tail because there was no way I was going to eat all that food, but I had to maximize my dining credits! The steak was very good and tender, but of course didn't compare to the V&As that I ate the night before. I recall the purple potato puree being delicious.



My husband got the Pan-seared Alaskan Halibut (Fingerling Potatoes, Onion Jam, Frisée-Jicama Slaw, Cilantro Chutney). He said this was good, but it was basically just some fish and of course didn't compare to the toothfish from V&As! Poor Tiffins got the short end of the stick being the night after our amazing V&As meal. He remembers really liking the sides that the fish came with, though.



I got the Tiffins Trio for my dessert, which the online menu says comes with South American Chocolate Ganache, Whipped Cheesecake, Guava Mousse. I really wanted to try the guava mousse after hearing about how good it was from @chunkymonkey's trip reports! Friends, I am sorry to report the guava mousse is NOT THERE and they've replaced it with a chocolately Lion King mousse. Hopefully the guava mousse comes back someday! The Lion King mousse had a delicious chocolate-caramel flavor and I really enjoyed it, but I wanted that guava mousse! The whipped cheesecake was probably my favorite of the three and had a rich but somehow light taste. The South American Chocolate Ganache was a little too bitter for my tastes, but I ate it anyway. You can't leave dessert behind!



My husband ordered the Halo-Halo (Sweet Potato Ice Cream, Jack Fruit, Raspberry-Ginger Beer Sorbet, Condensed Milk Ice Cream, Coconut Crumble, Lime Pâte de Fruit). He LOVED this. The flavors were more subtle than you would think, which made it more palatable than the description would make it seem. Overall, we liked Tiffins and would go back, but I think we would have liked it more when the menu was more adventurous. Our meals were basically just steak and fish, which you can get anywhere. The most interesting thing was my husband's dessert.

For dinner, we headed to Disney Springs for dinner at D-Luxe Burger! We have eaten here once before and didn't really care for it. Would we have better luck this time?


I liked it much more this time! I ordered the Classic Cheeseburger and my husband ordered the Plant-based Pacific Island Burger. I found my burger to be pretty fresh and juicy. My husband said his burger was pretty bland, unfortunately. The fries, which I remember being terrible from our first visit, were pretty good as well. I would definitely go back and my husband would go back as well, but it wouldn't be his first choice.

The next day was our departure day, so we checked out of Wilderness Lodge and made the short trip over to the Contemporary to the Wave for breakfast.



I got the breakfast buffet since I was craving Mickey waffles! It was pretty good for standard buffet food, but I would rate it below Ale & Compass.



My husband ordered the sweet potato pancakes and enjoyed them. He described them as not being as heavy as expected, and he really liked the flavor. Vegetarian pro-tip: my husband has never been denied when asking to substitute eggs for the bacon/sausage on the side!

This concludes the WDW portion of the trip report! Next time I write, I'll be writing about Disneyland!

 

[ariane37]

SO behind! OK, you tried some things at the festival that I haven't other than the Brazilian cheese bread. I thought that was................cheese and bread lol which is a fine combination but I was expecting a little something more??

Now V&A's looks wonderful! We go back and forth as to whether we should try it, mainly because I'm rather picky. No fish or weird meats so it would just be beef chicken and pasta but I know you can call and request to not have certain things. Maybe someday.......

Now Tiffins on the other hand we love! We've eaten there about 4x. The first 2x were when the menu was "original" and definitely more adventurous and I still loved it! I wish the menu hadn't changed however we were still very happy the last 2 times and I think it's one of my top 3 fave signatures.

Wave breakfast buffet! Had a great experience a couple years ago and not so great in July. Then I had breakfast and Ale and Compass last week and I do think it's better than the Wave and would return!

Looking forward to Disneyland!

 

[sahu]

SO behind! OK, you tried some things at the festival that I haven't other than the Brazilian cheese bread. I thought that was................cheese and bread lol which is a fine combination but I was expecting a little something more??

Now V&A's looks wonderful! We go back and forth as to whether we should try it, mainly because I'm rather picky. No fish or weird meats so it would just be beef chicken and pasta but I know you can call and request to not have certain things. Maybe someday.......

Now Tiffins on the other hand we love! We've eaten there about 4x. The first 2x were when the menu was "original" and definitely more adventurous and I still loved it! I wish the menu hadn't changed however we were still very happy the last 2 times and I think it's one of my top 3 fave signatures.

Wave breakfast buffet! Had a great experience a couple years ago and not so great in July. Then I had breakfast and Ale and Compass last week and I do think it's better than the Wave and would return!

Looking forward to Disneyland!

You and Steve would love V&As! I’m just like you, I’m very picky about meat and when they called about dietary preferences said NO GAME MEAT NO LAMB NO VEAL and they did a great job accommodating! So I’m sure you would have a great meal even with just beef, chicken, and pasta.

I think next time I go to Tiffins I’ll try something more interesting! I did really like it though, just wish we had a chance to try the original menu.

The Wave was very good, but it couldn’t top that delicious Ale & Compass breakfast! Glad you liked it too

 

[kastoney]

While I'm sure Tiffins couldn't live up to V&A it certainly does look like you all went out on a great food note. We are huge D-Luxe burger and Wave fans too so glad you enjoyed them both.

Can't wait to read about DL. We officially booked a hotel for April earlier this week.

 

[sahu]

While I'm sure Tiffins couldn't live up to V&A it certainly does look like you all went out on a great food note. We are huge D-Luxe burger and Wave fans too so glad you enjoyed them both.

Can't wait to read about DL. We officially booked a hotel for April earlier this week.

It was a pretty good food day! The day before just happened to be the best ever food day. So excited for y'all! There are definitely some newer places you'll have to hit in DL.

 

[sahu]

Two weeks later was day one in Disneyland! We took an early flight so we were in California around 1pm. We had only had Starbucks pastries for breakfast so we were hungry. We checked into the Grand Californian and decided to get a quick meal at the GCH Craftsman Grill.

I wasn't super hungry and was aware that we had an early dinner, so I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese off the kids menu. For a kids meal, it was a lot of food! This was much better than I expected it to be. The parmesan gave it a much richer flavor than just a simple grilled cheese would have. The fries weren't anything special, but they were better than the average quick service fries. This was a winner in my book!



My husband ordered a much larger and much fancier meal. He ordered the Poke Bowl (choice of Salmon, Tuna or Tofu marinated in Poke Sauce, with choice of Steamed White Rice or Shredded Lettuce with Red Onions, Pickled Cucumber, Edamame, Avocado, Green Onion, Furikake, Sriracha Aïoli, and Togarashi Spice) with tuna. He loved this and thought it was amazing. It wasn't the freshest tasting poke bowl, but it was delicious and a very substantial meal.



Overall, I loved GCH Craftsman Grill and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for anyone looking for something different at Disneyland. It was quieter than most meals are at lunchtime since it is tucked away at the back of the hotel.

I remember this day being a very crowded day at Disneyland, and after lunch we went into the park. We rode a few rides before our dinner at Blue Bayou. We did the Fantasmic Dining Package, which I think came with an appetizer which I skipped and I believe my husband got a salad which I apparently didn't take a picture of. The bread that came with the meal was soft and herby. It is VERY DARK in Blue Bayou since you're inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, so my pictures are really not good.



I once again ordered the Surf & Turf (Split Lobster Tail, Petite Filet Mignon, Au Gratin Potatoes, Chef's Choice Vegetables, Cabernet Sauce). Once again my husband ate my lobster tails. The steak here was okay. It wasn't very tender, but the sauce and the mashed potatoes were very good.



My husband ordered the Catch of the Day (Sustainable Fish, Chef's Choice Vegetables, Chef's Seasonal Sauce). He later remarked that the Disney fish of the day is always salmon, and of course it was salmon here. He thought this was okay. There was nothing special about the salmon, but he really liked the corn soup-y side it came with, which was sweet without being too sweet.



For dessert, I ordered the creme brulee, which is my all-time favorite dessert. This was a fairly standard creme brulee, although I remember that the raspberries weren't very fresh.



My husband ordered the
Opera Cake (Almond Sponge Cake, Chocolate Ganache, Coffee Buttercream). This was very good, and the almond, chocolate, and coffee flavors blended together very well.



I don't know how much I would recommend Blue Bayou. I think it's worth going to at least once for the ambiance, but the food was fairly mediocre and of course it doesn't compare to the fabulous signature restaurants at WDW. I think the food is VERY overpriced for the quality, and I generally consider Disney restaurants to be fairly well-priced considering you're paying a Disney tax.

 

[Grumperella]

Your V&A meals both look delicious! I usually think of myself as a fairly adventurous eater, but so far I haven't been willing to drop $300+ to be adventurous.

I'm sorry you Blue Bayou meals weren't great. My family has eaten lunch there on a couple of occasions and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more!

 

[hereforthechurros]

Two weeks later was day one in Disneyland! We took an early flight so we were in California around 1pm. We had only had Starbucks pastries for breakfast so we were hungry. We checked into the Grand Californian and decided to get a quick meal at the GCH Craftsman Grill.

I wasn't super hungry and was aware that we had an early dinner, so I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese off the kids menu. For a kids meal, it was a lot of food! This was much better than I expected it to be. The parmesan gave it a much richer flavor than just a simple grilled cheese would have. The fries weren't anything special, but they were better than the average quick service fries. This was a winner in my book!

View attachment 451459

My husband ordered a much larger and much fancier meal. He ordered the Poke Bowl (choice of Salmon, Tuna or Tofu marinated in Poke Sauce, with choice of Steamed White Rice or Shredded Lettuce with Red Onions, Pickled Cucumber, Edamame, Avocado, Green Onion, Furikake, Sriracha Aïoli, and Togarashi Spice) with tuna. He loved this and thought it was amazing. It wasn't the freshest tasting poke bowl, but it was delicious and a very substantial meal.

View attachment 451460

Overall, I loved GCH Craftsman Grill and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for anyone looking for something different at Disneyland. It was quieter than most meals are at lunchtime since it is tucked away at the back of the hotel.

I remember this day being a very crowded day at Disneyland, and after lunch we went into the park. We rode a few rides before our dinner at Blue Bayou. We did the Fantasmic Dining Package, which I think came with an appetizer which I skipped and I believe my husband got a salad which I apparently didn't take a picture of. The bread that came with the meal was soft and herby. It is VERY DARK in Blue Bayou since you're inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, so my pictures are really not good.

View attachment 451462

I once again ordered the Surf & Turf (Split Lobster Tail, Petite Filet Mignon, Au Gratin Potatoes, Chef's Choice Vegetables, Cabernet Sauce). Once again my husband ate my lobster tails. The steak here was okay. It wasn't very tender, but the sauce and the mashed potatoes were very good.

View attachment 451473

My husband ordered the Catch of the Day (Sustainable Fish, Chef's Choice Vegetables, Chef's Seasonal Sauce). He later remarked that the Disney fish of the day is always salmon, and of course it was salmon here. He thought this was okay. There was nothing special about the salmon, but he really liked the corn soup-y side it came with, which was sweet without being too sweet.

View attachment 451474

For dessert, I ordered the creme brulee, which is my all-time favorite dessert. This was a fairly standard creme brulee, although I remember that the raspberries weren't very fresh.

View attachment 451475

My husband ordered the
Opera Cake (Almond Sponge Cake, Chocolate Ganache, Coffee Buttercream). This was very good, and the almond, chocolate, and coffee flavors blended together very well.

View attachment 451476

I don't know how much I would recommend Blue Bayou. I think it's worth going to at least once for the ambiance, but the food was fairly mediocre and of course it doesn't compare to the fabulous signature restaurants at WDW. I think the food is VERY overpriced for the quality, and I generally consider Disney restaurants to be fairly well-priced considering you're paying a Disney tax.

Every DL local will warn you that Blue Bayou is just a $$$ tourist trap... but the little girl in me that grew up going to DL had to give it a try! We did lunch and my soup & salad was decent but overall same as you, no reason to go again.

 

[ariane37]

We checked into the Grand Californian

Oh nice! I haven't been to DL in over 25 years and when we go back I would love to stay here!

I don't know nearly as much about DL dining as I do WDW but Blue Bayou is talked about often so I'm kind of surprised it wasn't that great. But I would still probably consider it a "must to"simply because of it's popularity!

 

[kastoney]

The GCH menu looks really good but the DIS folks did a podcast from there recently and seemed to hate it. Glad to hear a dissenting opinion because this certainly looks like a place we'd like.

How disappointing for Blue Bayou. We definitely want to try and eat there when we are there but think we'll skip to Monte Cristos and lunch

 

[sahu]

Your V&A meals both look delicious! I usually think of myself as a fairly adventurous eater, but so far I haven't been willing to drop $300+ to be adventurous.

I'm sorry you Blue Bayou meals weren't great. My family has eaten lunch there on a couple of occasions and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more!

V&As is amazing! Shockingly, I would declare it to be worth the money.

Every DL local will warn you that Blue Bayou is just a $$$ tourist trap... but the little girl in me that grew up going to DL had to give it a try! We did lunch and my soup & salad was decent but overall same as you, no reason to go again.

Yep, it's a one and done for me, but I'm glad I went!

Oh nice! I haven't been to DL in over 25 years and when we go back I would love to stay here!

I don't know nearly as much about DL dining as I do WDW but Blue Bayou is talked about often so I'm kind of surprised it wasn't that great. But I would still probably consider it a "must to"simply because of it's popularity!

With the great signatures at WDW, the DL signature experience at Blue Bayou was definitely a little lacking! But it's definitely a must do at least once because of the ambiance!

The GCH menu looks really good but the DIS folks did a podcast from there recently and seemed to hate it. Glad to hear a dissenting opinion because this certainly looks like a place we'd like.

How disappointing for Blue Bayou. We definitely want to try and eat there when we are there but think we'll skip to Monte Cristos and lunch

Every review I've heard besides the DIS one has been positive! We really enjoyed it for a quick, air-conditioned lunch. Blue Bayou is a must do at least once I think, but maybe lunch instead of dinner.

 

[sahu]

The next day was an excellent food day! We started out the morning at California Adventure. We didn't have reservations for the next place we wanted to go, but we lined up outside before it opened and managed to get in. We were headed to the Lamplight Lounge! We were seated downstairs on the patio overlooking Pixar Pier, and there was a nice breeze that day. Sitting on that patio eating our meal was one of our favorite memories of this trip!

My husband started with a Final with a Fix (Greenbar IXÁ Reposado Tequila, St. George Raspberry Liqueur, Cointreau, fresh Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, and a dash of Del Maguey Vida Mezcal). He thought this was delicious. It didn't taste very strong so it was very drinkable, and he thought it paired really nicely with his entree.



For his entree, he got the Lobster Nachos (warm Lobster with Black Beans, Aged Cheddar-Oaxaca Cheese Sauce, Pico de Gallo, and Chipotle Crema). He loved this and found it very satisfying as a meal. I had read reviews that the lobster was kind of rubbery, and luckily he didn't think that was the case at all. Overall, these are highly recommended by us!



I got the Chicken Sandwich (crispy Chicken Breast with Spicy Chili Sauce, Vinegar Slaw, Pineapple Butter, Pickles, and Toasted Amish Bun served with Malted Fries). This was also amazing. The chicken was nice and juicy and the pineapple butter and chili sauce gave it a more interesting flavor than just a chicken sandwich. The fries were AMAZING. Another highly recommended dish!



Ultimately, I can't recommend Lamplight Lounge enough. The food and setting were both so nice. Any future trips to DLR we take, we will definitely be back at the Lamplight Lounge!

For dinner, we hopped back over to Disneyland and headed over to Cafe Orleans. We opted to split the Pommes Frites (traditional French Fried Potatoes tossed with Parmesan, Garlic, and Parsley served with Cajun Spice Rémoulade) and Three-Cheese Monte Cristo (Swiss, Mozzarella, and Double Crème Brie fried in a light batter, dusted with Powdered Sugar, and served with a Berry Purée). The fries weren't much more than quick service fries, but a bunch of parmesan and garlic made them extra delicious. The remoulade was pretty mild, but it was delicious and gave the fries an extra kick.



The Monte Cristo was incredible. It wasn't as heavy and greasy as I was expecting, and the cheese mixing with the fried bread was so delicious. I can't recommend this (or the meat version) enough! However, one was plenty for both of us. so I really recommend sharing one of these.



My husband also got a mint julep, which was very good.



We also got the mickey beignets, which were quite good but a huge portion. I forgot to take a picture, but they were nice and fluffy and covered in powdered sugar. Disney beignets are almost as good as Cafe du Monde in New Orleans.

That's all for this day! Thanks for reading!

 

[kastoney]

We didn't have reservations for the next place we wanted to go, but we lined up outside before it opened and managed to get in. We were headed to the Lamplight Lounge!

Do they take reservations here? Those lobster nachos are definitely on my must try list!

The Monte Cristo was incredible. It wasn't as heavy and greasy as I was expecting, and the cheese mixing with the fried bread was so delicious. I can't recommend this (or the meat version) enough! However, one was plenty for both of us. so I really recommend sharing one of these.

Oh I so can't wait to try this. I haven't had a Monte Cristo since Benigans went out of business like 20 years ago. It's been a long wait.

My husband also got a mint julep, which was very good.

Because you are now my official Disneyland food guide, do they sell alcohol inside the DL park? I thought they didn't for some reason