Keep Calm and Go to Disney! 10/21 - 11/4/14 COMPLETE

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Yeah, a great meal at YSH! Everything you chose looked wonderful. I admire you for asking for another server instead of sitting there cursing your bad luck. Can't wait to try YSH if for no other reason than those onion rolls.

Our last stay at BC we had a similar room location. It seemed a shorter walk to Epcot from our room than from the lobby to our room.

 

[poohangel]

I have not been to YSH for a long time. Would love to go back for rolls, butter and those wonderful little garlic cloves. MMMMMM.
Oh, your pictures are wonderful

 

[jabead]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had an overly salted meal at Yachtsman. Our steaks were properly cooked, and our server was lovely...but everything was SO SO salty

Enjoying your review so far!

When I last dined at YSH I was with Paula (smile4stamps) and her DH Hunter, who is also a chef. He told us that when food is over salted the culprit is often that the chef is a smoker. We confirmed that the person who prepared the over salted side dishes that night was in fact a smoker so Hunter's theory seemed to prove true. It sounds like maybe the smoker was working the night you visited.

I love the location of your room! That would have made my whole trip!!

It was pretty great to be so close to my favorite park, Epcot. I believe that one of the other choices given during the online check in was to be close to Epcot. If I had chosen that they probably would have placed me in a room right next to the lobby.

I'm so glad Yachtsman redeemed itself. After the last couple reviews I read I was nervous for you!

Believe me Jillian, after my last couple of visits to YSH...I was nervous for me!!!

Great location at the Beach Club (despite the distance from the lobby). Funnily enough, I used online check in for the first time this trip and requested nar elevators and our room at BWV could not have been further away from the elevators - so much for online check in and room requests

Sounds like you kicked off your trip with a great meal at Yachtsman - and I am glad you requested a different server and gave yourself (and Yachtsman) a fighting chance

To be honest, it was very much out of character for me to complain or "rock the boat" in any way. However on this trip, I felt more empowered. There will be other times where I speak up when I'm not happy. Ok, not many times, but a few.

I'm glad YSH redeemed itself! Good for you for asking for a new server. Those onion rolls are to die for. I had that dessert before and it is yummy!

Jill in CO

I'm very glad too, Jill. It would have been very hard to give up those onion rolls.

I'm here!! I've silently enjoyed your DRs from afar and now I feel the need to comment I'm glad YSH is back in your good graces, we loved our meal there! (and now I wonder who he who must not be named is....)

Can't wait for more nibbles

While I do not hesitate to name names when it comes to singing the well-deserved praises of a great server, the opposite is true when I feel I have received poor service. And especially in this case, since I know that there are some here on the boards who love this man. So I'll just say that his style of serving is just not my cup of tea and leave it at that.

Lots more nibbles coming soon!

You cracked me up with the walk of shame! Better not take any changes with his bad service!

And I really started to feel a sense of bad service "deju vu" when the next night at Jiko I had the same "not so great" server as we had in April. Made me consider canceling my reservation for Flying Fish.

Primo spot there at the Beach Club! That is a great walk to Epcot. I wish we had gotten so lucky. We kept having to schlep from the far end of BWV.

YSH looks good. I am glad you had a better experience this time. I just hate it when I am disappointed by a favorite.

BTW, how do you put updates in your title? I haven't figured out how to do it yet. I am so inept at this computer thing.

Yes, this time YSH finally lived up to my expectations. It was some of my other favorite restaurants that disappointed me.

We took our grandson for this free picture and were thrilled to have Minnie and Pluto. Our grandson's favorite character is Pluto. This really is a good deal.

The Beach Club is one of our favorite resorts and the one that we have stayed at the most. The proximity to Epcot is the major reason we like to stay there.

I'm glad that you had such a good experience at the Yachtsman. I read about your Dec and April dining experiences and they really sounded horrible. So it is really nice that this time was a winner.

I'm sorry to hear that the mashed potatoes were too salty. I had the mashed potatoes with my dinner at Crews Cup Lounge on Sept 24th and they were delicious. (I assume that they were the same ones that are served at the Yachtsman.) I'm glad that they weren't as salty as the ones you were served.

Hi Sue! I think I heard or read somewhere that the Crew's Cup food is actually prepared at Captain's Grille and not YSH. Can anyone confirm? Anyway, I wish that I would have been able to squeeze in a visit to Crew's Cup for their fried shrimp. Yummy! What did you have for your entree? Was it good?

Well that turned out to be a great room location for Food & Wine. Like you said, too bad you weren't staying there longer. But 14 days is outstanding! I would love to be there for 14 days.

And glad that Yachtsman's redeemed itself. Last time we dined there everything was also way to salty. Couldn't even eat the Ceasar salad that we ordered. But that picture of your steak makes me wish I was having that for breakfast! Looks fantastic.

And we always go to Crew's Cup Lounge for the rock shrimp appetizer and the truffle fries. Yum. It is just a nice lounge to go to for a snack and get away from all the hustle bustle.

Fireworks next. Yay!

Hi Chris! Ah yes, you were the one who gave me the idea to go to Crew's Cup for the shrimp and fries. Went there last December and loved them. Wish I could have gotten there again this time. Well, actually I was there once but darn it, I was way too full to eat anything!!

Yeah, a great meal at YSH! Everything you chose looked wonderful. I admire you for asking for another server instead of sitting there cursing your bad luck. Can't wait to try YSH if for no other reason than those onion rolls.

Our last stay at BC we had a similar room location. It seemed a shorter walk to Epcot from our room than from the lobby to our room.

That is a perfect description for that room location, Rachel! It was a shorter walk to Epcot than to the lobby!

 

[jabead]

"A Musical Interlude with a side of Illuminations"


I believe this was my 5th trip to Disney World during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. On each of my previous four trips I had enjoyed at least one (but usually more) of the Eat to the Beat concerts which were held nightly at the American Gardens Theatre stage in Epcot's World Showcase. On this trip I had planned to attend five and made it to all but one. The first band that I wanted to see was scheduled to perform on my arrival night, so after my dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse I made my way to Epcot to do some

"Walkin on the Sun"...









I must admit that Smash Mouth had pretty much fallen off my musical radar over the last decade. Therefore, I'm not positive but I believe that only one of the original band members was performing at this concert, Steve Harwell. But since he is the lead singer, their hit songs sounded almost exactly as I remembered them.

But what set this concert apart from the other three that I saw later in my trip is that Smash Mouth took the "Audience Participation" thing to the max. They actually invited the entire audience to join them on stage (or at least as many that would fit)...




So their concert became one big party, with dancing...




Photo ops...





And whatever it is that this guy was doing??...





Their strategy to get the audience involved seemed to work perfectly, as a good time was had by all...even me from my seat in the back row.




Following the concert, I needed to make my way over to the opposite side of World Showcase because I had a FP+ for Illuminations. But I couldn't help but stop to take a photo along the way...






Or maybe two...





Anyway I arrived at the designated location for Illuminations at the beginning of my FP+ window of time, which was something like 8:35 - 8:55. There was already a line formed to have your Magic Band scanned for entrance into the viewing area. This was the first time that I had done the FP+ for Illuminations so I did some research ahead of time to find out where the viewing area is located. I found this really great map posted by Robo in the Theme Parks and Strategies section of the DIS...

I wished I had gotten there earlier because I ended up standing behind about three people. The view was still good, but I decided that I would try to get a FP+ for another night later in my trip and arrive earlier to try and get a spot closer to the front. Anyway, I still managed to get a few pictures that are kind of cool...


















And with that it was time to call it night. My first evening had gone pretty much as I had planned, but what would tomorrow bring? I'll give you a hint...LOTS AND LOTS OF FOOD!!! ​

Next Up: Breakfast at Sunshine Seasons

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi Sue! I think I heard or read somewhere that the Crew's Cup food is actually prepared at Captain's Grille and not YSH. Can anyone confirm? Anyway, I wish that I would have been able to squeeze in a visit to Crew's Cup for their fried shrimp. Yummy! What did you have for your entree? Was it good?

I like to think that we are getting Yachtsman food at Crews Cup prices, but it does make sense that it might be prepared in the Captain's Grille kitchen.

Brenda was the reason that we started making the Crews Cup Lounge a "must do" for every trip. She always has high praise for this place.This time I had the short ribs, and Brenda was right, they were delicious. There aren't any ribs in the short ribs, just tender and flavorful meat. It came with risotto but I subbed the mashed potatoes and was glad that I did. Another time I ate there I had the sirloin steak and that was very good. The clam chowder is another one of my favorites. My husband likes the Angus burger and the price is right for that entree. We haven't tried the truffle fries that everyone keeps praising. For some reason they don't sound appetizing. Maybe it is the word "truffle" that is a turn off.

I must admit that Smash Mouth had pretty much fallen off my musical radar over the last decade. Therefore, I'm not positive but I believe that only one of the original band members was performing at this concert, Steve Harwell. But since he is the lead singer, their hit songs sounded almost exactly as I remembered them.

We went to the Smashmouth concert on Wednesday night and we really enjoyed it. We also enjoyed the Commodores in Sept. The concerts are fun and one of the things we enjoy most about Food & Wine and Flower and Garden.

If you ever want to watch Illuminations on a night when you are staying at one of the Epcot resorts, there is a really nice viewing spot just to the right of the frozen slush booth in France. It is a spot that looks like it would have trees blocking your view, which is why most people avoid it. But we discovered that it is a great view without any trees in the way and no one standing in front of you. And it is a quick exit to the International Gateway.

 

[vettegirl]

I am so glad the YSH redeemed itself this time around! I do remember you last review so not so good We are booked there but are having to pick between it and Narcoossess. I am going to need to decide this next week which one to keep. Your filet looks amazing! Looking forward to hearing more.

 

[jabead]

I have not been to YSH for a long time. Would love to go back for rolls, butter and those wonderful little garlic cloves. MMMMMM.
Oh, your pictures are wonderful

Thanks Angela. Oh, and I totally agree with you regarding their rolls. Sooo good!

If you ever want to watch Illuminations on a night when you are staying at one of the Epcot resorts, there is a really nice viewing spot just to the right of the frozen slush booth in France. It is a spot that looks like it would have trees blocking your view, which is why most people avoid it. But we discovered that it is a great view without any trees in the way and no one standing in front of you. And it is a quick exit to the International Gateway.

Great tip, thanks Sue! Hopefully I will remember to check out that spot on my next trip.

I am so glad the YSH redeemed itself this time around! I do remember you last review so not so good We are booked there but are having to pick between it and Narcoossess. I am going to need to decide this next week which one to keep. Your filet looks amazing! Looking forward to hearing more.

Oh, that's a tough one Lori. I actually also had a great dinner at Narcoossee's on this trip. I guess I would base my decision on the location. Since you are staying at the Beach Club, dining at YSH would be very convenient.

 

[jabead]

DAY 2 - Wednesday, October 22nd​

My first full day at WDW began by checking out of my room at the Beach Club and sending my bags on to my next resort home, Animal Kingdom Lodge. Then I headed to Epcot for my first FP+ of the day, which was Soarin'. But before boarding my flight I headed over to the quick service restaurant next door to see what was cookin'.







Here is some of what I found there...





Assorted Muffins, Chocolate Croissants, Bagels, and Danish





Same as above plus Cinnamon Rolls





Cookies, Turnovers, Plain and Whole Grain Croissants, and Assorted Muffins again
(not sure what that is between the turnovers and croissants...maybe a cupcake???)



But wait...it gets better.






































Oh, and one of my favorites...



Strawberry Shortcake



But what I wanted was listed on this breakfast menu...






It wasn't breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs, or a panini though...





It also wasn't french toast or biscuits...





No, what I wanted was the Croissant Berry Pudding...













And as always, it was delicious!!



Once I'd had my snack and a much needed cup of coffee, I was ready for my flight over California followed by a date with my favorite mouse...


​

Next up: Italian Regional Food & Wine Pairing Lunch at Tutto Gusto

 

[vettegirl]

Holy dessert selections Glad you enjoyed your choice it looked amazing! Also love the picture with Mickey, too cute

 

[mdsouth]

I had breakfast at Sunshine Seasons too. I had the plain croissant. Boring! . I wish I would have seen your report before I went. I would have picked the Croissant Berry Pudding too! My daughter did have one of the big chocolate chip cookies along with her cereal.

I asked this in my own trip report that I am currently writing, but what is everyone's favorite breakfast it item at WDW?

 

[wilma-bride]

Great pictures of Illuminations Barb

And, for us, breakfast at Sunshine Seasons is a must on any day at Epcot - never had the Croissant Berry Pudding though, I normally have one of their yummy cakes or pastries.

 

[dvc4life]

Love the Blueberry Croissant Bread yumminess. One of my favorite things for breakfast while at EPCOT! I love how the blueberries POP in your mouth. Mmmmmmm.

And, on this cold morning it would be really wonderful right now.

 

[Linda67]

Barb I am here!
I have to catch up on what you have posted so far but will be checking in regularly from now
I will be enjoying WDW like I was there by reading your dining reviews

 

[jabead]

Holy dessert selections Glad you enjoyed your choice it looked amazing! Also love the picture with Mickey, too cute

There were definitely some amazing looking desserts at Sunshine Seasons but I always have to have the Croissant Berry Pudding. It has never disappointed me.

I had breakfast at Sunshine Seasons too. I had the plain croissant. Boring! . I wish I would have seen your report before I went. I would have picked the Croissant Berry Pudding too! My daughter did have one of the big chocolate chip cookies along with her cereal.

I asked this in my own trip report that I am currently writing, but what is everyone's favorite breakfast it item at WDW?

Hmm...that's a tough one. For me I would say it's between Kona's Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes and the Grand Floridian Cafe's French Toast.

Great pictures of Illuminations Barb

And, for us, breakfast at Sunshine Seasons is a must on any day at Epcot - never had the Croissant Berry Pudding though, I normally have one of their yummy cakes or pastries.

Thanks Joh! I never realized just how many yummy cakes and pastries that Sunshine Seasons has before. I usually make a beeline to the Croissant Berry Pudding.

Love the Blueberry Croissant Bread yumminess. One of my favorite things for breakfast while at EPCOT! I love how the blueberries POP in your mouth. Mmmmmmm.

And, on this cold morning it would be really wonderful right now.

I am so not ready for this cold weather!!

Barb I am here!
I have to catch up on what you have posted so far but will be checking in regularly from now
I will be enjoying WDW like I was there by reading your dining reviews

I'm very happy to have you here Linda but so wish you could have been there too.

 

[jabead]

I reached the Italian pavilion a little more quickly than expected and they were not yet checking in guests for the 12:00 Italian lunch at Tutto Gusto. While I was waiting outside the restaurant, a group of guys wearing bright costumes and carrying flags came marching in and began performing on the platform area next to me.



Sbandieratori Di Sansepolcro


There were four guys doing some synchronized flag twirling while other guys played the drums and trumpets. I'm not sure if this act was part of the many entertainment changes which recently occurred at Epcot or if it has been around awhile and I've just missed it. Hmm...not sure what else to say about them. I guess I found them slightly more entertaining than the new lumberjack act in Canada.


But oh, how I long for the good 'ole days of singing "Run Run Run Away" along with Off Kilter...




... or yelling "RUBBISH!!" at the World Showcase Players.





ETA: Actually both the phrase "Run Run Run Away" and the word "RUBBISH!" came to my mind when I saw the Lumberjack act which replaced Off Kilter in Canada. If you feel the same way regarding the recent entertainment changes at Epcot, please write a letter, send an email, or stop in at Epcot Guest Relations to voice your complaint in person if you are there...or better yet, do all three! Oh, and for my fellow Off Kilter fans, there is a Facebook group titled, "Save Off Kilter". Please join our group, the more members the better!!​

- To be continued in Post 77 -​

 

[rteetz]

Just found your report! Following along!

 

[jabead]

- Continued from Post 75 -


Italian Regional Food & Wine Pairing Lunch
held at
​

Sorry about the detour, back now to the Italian pavilion and the matter in hand.





I was the first to check in at the desk at Tutto Italia and was told to have a seat in their lobby to wait for them to begin seating for the lunch to be held next door at the wine cellar, Tutto Gusto. When they began seating at shortly before 12:00, I was the first to be seated at our table for six...





I had just enough time to take a few photos before my tablemates were seated.




Yes, you counted right. There were 6 glasses placed before me, but don't worry...only 5 of them were for wine.



The always impressive-looking Tutto Gusto bar...



When they saw me taking photos, the wine presenter (on the right) and his helpers put on a happy face.



While I was looking over the menu for our lunch...




...another lady traveling solo and two couples filled the other five spots at the table. All of these people were very friendly and my uneasiness about dining with strangers was soon put to rest. I told them that I would be taking many photos of my food because I planned to do a dining review on the DIS. Though they had never heard of the DIS, they were very willing to help me in whatever way they could. They even asked if I would like to take a photo of our bread plate before anyone partook of its contents.





I really like the soft bread here but the hard bread sticks, not so much...although I have a daughter who loves them. But I tried to eat only a few nibbles of my bread because I knew that there was much more food coming my way, starting with the first course of...



Tomato & Fior di Latte Mozzarella

This was different than any of the other caprese salads I've had. Instead of the tomatoes being sliced they were chopped into small pieces and made into a compote. The tomato compote was tasty and the fresh mozzarella cheese was delicious. I didn't take a photo of the wine bottle when we were served the white wine which was paired with this course but this photo includes my glass of Pecorino from the Abruzzo winery, Il Feuduccio.





I might be partial to this wine because my grandparents were from the Abruzzo region of Italy, but it was my favorite of the five we were served. It was a light and fruity white wine which paired quite well with our first course, cutting the acidity of the tomatoes.


Our next course was hands down my favorite of the five...







Lobster Ravioli with Truffle Butter


OH...MY...GOSH!!! Best lobster ravioli ever! Ate every last morsel and then finished up what was left of the truffle butter with my bread. So incredibly delicious!!



By the way, the ravioli was served with another white wine, Pinot Bianco, Montegrande.




And here is another photo which includes our cute Italian server...




I don't remember much about this wine, probably because I was so focused on the ravioli. I do remember two things about it though, the first was that I didn't enjoy it as much as the Pecorino. Which is good, because the second thing is that this wine is not available for purchase in the U.S. other than at Tutto Gusto.



My favorite course was then followed by my least favorite...




Duck Breast with Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Sauce

This was my least favorite not because it was not good but because I am not really a fan of duck. As duck goes, this was well-prepared. Oh, and I really enjoyed the sweetness of the butternut squash and the pomegranate sauce. If you enjoy duck then I'm sure you would have enjoyed this course.


A red wine, Barbera d'Asti, Castello Poggio, was served with this course. Again I'm not a fan of most red wines, but this one was drinkable for me.





Our cheese course included three cheeses...




Two of these were soft cheeses (La Tur and Robiola) and the third was hard (Parmigiano Reggiano). I would have enjoyed the Parmigiano Reggiano with some honey, but since there was none it was probably my least favorite of the three. The Robiola seemed similar to Brie. I liked it but the creamy La Tur was my favorite.



The cheese course was paired with a very sweet dessert wine (think ice wine), Fior d'Arancio Passito, Montegrande.





This was too sweet, even for me.



Our final course, which was my second favorite of the meal, was this delicious dessert...






And a close up shot...




Gianduia Profiterole - Vanilla Cream Puffs with Gianduia Chocolate


This was the best profiterole I've ever had. Who would have thought that the Italians could make a French dessert even better than the French? Take that France!


Oh, and the dessert course was paired with a sparkling red wine which was similar in taste to Rosa Regale, but slightly sweeter...




The Corbinello was from the same winery (Montegrande) as two of the other wines which were served. Although it was good, I still prefer Rosa Regale.





And one last photo to share, this one of our very happy group after we had been wined and dined...



Salute!​

Next up: Wanyama Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

[Niki Andiokno]

Wow, the Tutto Gusto wine lunch looks fantastic. Can't wait to hear about the safari.

 

[wilma-bride]

I would have LOVED that duck

 

[dixonsontour]

Great start following along