We love Hoop Dee Doo and have been there 3 times now...you were sat in the exact same table we had last October! Great report

Hollywood Brown Derby

We headed over to the Hollywood Brown Derby, which is on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, to check in for our Advance Dining Reservation. I think it may have also started raining, so we wanted to get out of the wet!


I don’t think we had to wait too long for our table, and were soon shown into the restaurant.

The Original Brown Derby was first established near the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine, and noted for its fine food, good times and glamorous company. It gained a loyal following from the movie and entertainment industries and the stars made the Derby their second home. Many celebrities found themselves honoured on the Derby’s Wall of Fame, a collection of caricatures that began in 1929, including Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis and John Wayne. The Cobb Salad was invented when owner Robert Cobb raided the fridge seeking a midnight snack for the theatre magnate Sid Grauman.

I’m not actually that knowledgeable about the place, the history was printed on the menu!


The restaurant wasn’t too busy, but we found the service to be a bit slow. Our waiter was very friendly and chatted with us when he could. I loved all the pictures on the walls, and the general feel of the place. As with most signature restaurants, we started out with a bread basket with some flavoured butter, but my pictures of that were hideous, so you’ll just have to imagine what bread looks like :P
 
When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a table service restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) Signature restaurants are 2 credits per person.

Appetizers…

Me: ”Our Famous Cobb Salad” – with finely chopped greens, turkey breast, bacon, egg, tomtatoes, crumbled blue cheese, avocado, chives and Cobb dressing. ($9)

Him: Blue Lump Crab Spring Rolls – with a snow crab claw, Asian slaw and spicy miso aioli. ($13)

The Boy: Andouille-Crusted Prawn – over black diamond Cheddar grits, wilted greens and ancho oil ($12)

I felt like I couldn’t go to the home of the famous Cobb Salad without having this, so that was the basis of my appetizer decision! I asked for the blue cheese to be left off as I can’t stand the stuff.

However, when I received my dish, it was covered in it. I did pull the waiter up on this, (politely I might add!) and it was replaced without a problem at all, and I was left to enjoy my salad which was very good. It can also be ordered as an entrée.


The spring rolls were stuff with filling, and the serving was very generous.


Apps were always quite hard for Liam on the Deluxe Dining Plan as he’s somewhat of a fussy eater, but he picked the shrimp and ate a little bit of it, leaving the rest for hubs and I to share. I have to say, it was delish!


Entrées…

Me: Charred-Glazed Filet of Beef – with a red wine reduction, topped with a Cabernet and roasted shallot butter over truffle oil-wild forest mushroom mashed potatoes and sautéed haricot verts. ($43)

Him: Crispy Spiced Duck Breast – with locally grown romanesca, orange cauliflower and duck confit-filled potato with a sweet pepper-almond sauce. ($36)

The Boy: Grilled Wagyu Beef Burger – with Gruyere cheese, pastrami, heirloom tomato, avocado and a fried egg on a toasted brioche with Cognac-mustard aioli and hand-cut steak fries. ($22)

My steak was very good, as I found all the steaks that we ate around Walt Disney World this holiday, but I did find the colour of the Cabernet butter a bit odd!


The duck that Steve had was amazing, really juicy, and the potatoes were delicious.


Liam really didn’t fancy anything off the main menu, but the waiter was happy for him to order from the lunchtime menu. He decided on the burger, which sounded awesome with all the toppings on it, but since he is a fusspot, they were not present! He said it was a very good burger, and I think I might order it if we go back!


Finally, onto desserts, of which there were a selection of 9 mini desserts which you could pick a trio of. Since 3 x 3 = 9, we got all 9 and shared them between us! They were $9 per trio.

Desserts…

Me, Him + The Boy:

Amaretto Flan - and Opalys white chocolate whip with an almond cookie

Caramel Custard - with passion fruit glacé

Double Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Warm Blueberry Cobbler – with crème fraîche and orange blossom honey

Brown Derby Origianl Mini Grapefruit Cake

Chocolate Sphere – with hazelnut praline chocolate and orange-white chocolate mousse

Milk Chocolate Crémeux – with mojito concoction on almond rocher

Crunchy Sugar Cookie Puff – with lemon grass cream

Banana Toffee Cake – on cocoa crunch and strawberry-banana pearls($27)


They were all very delightful and a really fun dessert too! I can’t tell you which were our favourites as I really can’t remember now, but I’m sure the photos of these mini desserts do them enough justice!

Towards the end of our meal, the restaurant really emptied out in readiness for the Villains Unleashed event that was happening, and the staff were moving chairs and tables all around us, which was most annoying! I know that they have to prepare, but they really should have stopped reservations in time for this to go on.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at the Hollywood Brown Derby and would go back and eat there again.

Fantastic food report

Rosie’s All American Café

By now (around 11:00pm), we were all feeling a bit peckish, so we went to buy some food. We had wanted to buy one of the special event hotdogs (which were only for sale at one place in the whole park!) but we heard that they had run out of the special buns, so didn’t bother to line up. We just picked up a burger, coke and cupcake each from Rosie’s All American Café and walked back to the table benches near the stage to have our dinner.

When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a quick-service restaurant you are entitled to one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage for one credit per person. You do not have to pay a tip at a QS.

I can’t remember what specific burgers we all had, as I don’t seem to have a photo of the receipt. What can I say, other than they were burgers?!

The Maleficent cupcake was lush though! They were part of our meal on the DxDDP, but could also be bought for $5.19. They were a dark chocolate cake filled with a decadent blackberry filling topped with smooth blackberry buttercream.

Really enjoying this, thanks

Fantastic food report... love all the details and running totals

Steve went ahead to the Castle to let them know we were on our way (I was hobbling by now ) – we didn't want to miss the reservation, and be charged for it!


The boys had a photo with Cinderella, before we were called for our reservation.


I booked Cinderella's Royal Table because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about! We were shown to our table and given a menu. The restaurant was fairly busy, and it was lovely being inside the castle.


When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan and breakfast at a table service restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) Signature restaurants are 2 credits per person.

There is just one appetizer at CRT, which is a Pastry Plate with a selection of pastries - including Mickey Mouse shaped muffins.


I've mentioned before how we were pretty much done with breakfasts on the dining plan! Looking at the menu, it was very decadent, and fit for a princess or prince! But not for us at that time of the morning.


Entrées…

Me: Healthy Choice – Scrambled egg whites, hot ten-grain cereal, Greek yogurt topped with castle-made granola, no sugar added walnut-sunflower bread, and fresh fruit.

Him: Caramel Apple Stuffed French Toast – Decadent French toast stuffed with sweet cream cheese, baked with caramel apples, and drizzled with a Calvados caramel sauce.

The Boy: Traditional Breakfast – scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and potatoes

A holiday so far of food indulgence meant I went for something lighter with the healthy choice breakfast. All the elements came served on a big plate with recesses for all the components. I wasn't fan of the hot cereal, but I enjoyed everything else.


Steve had the French toast, which was rich and very yummy.


Liam is better suited to a buffet style breakfast, as he can pick and choose what he likes. He doesn't like eggs, and didn't want bacon either, so the waitress switched them out for some French toast sticks instead. He ate it all, so I know it was good!


During breakfast, the Princesses walked from table to table for autographs and photo ops. Our Princesses were Snow White, Aurora, Ariel and Jasmine. We've not met Princess Jasmine before, so that was pretty cool – she was also the most awesome of the Princesses we met!


Once we'd finished breakfast, we paid our bill (tip is included) and went on our merry way for a day at Magic Kingdom. I'm glad we got to experience Cinderella's Royal Table, but would unlikely do it again. Not because it was expensive – dining in Disney is expensive (although, we were on the dining plan) but because, now that it's done, there isn't a need to do it again. We weren't blown away by the food, and since I don't have young children, meeting the Princesses isn't the be all and end all for us as a family! But dining in Cinderella Castle is magical and I'm glad we've done that!

Thanks for the update, I am drooling over that French Toast!

That is one funny looking Aurora...

By now, we were all feeling peckish, and we knew we had credits not being used for ADRs, so made use of them by buying lunch at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café.


Whilst lining up (which always takes forever in counter service places at Walt Disney World) we made our decisions on what to have. I also made the decision to have my drink in a novelty boot cup. I'm a sucker for novelty drinking vessels, and this is added to my collection to go in the bar I plan on constructing in the garden! We paid out of pocket for this ($8.99) as it is not included in the dining plan.


When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a quick-service restaurant you are entitled to one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage for one credit per person.

Entrées…

Me: Southwest Chicken Salad – chicken breast served over mixed greens with chipotle ranch dressing, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, roasted corn, and jalapeno ($9.69)

Him: Taco Salad – Fried flour tortilla with seasoned beef ($9.29) + Chili-Cheese Fries ($4.99 –a snack credit)

The Boy: Deluxe 1/3lb Angus Cheeseburger – topped with bacon, onion rings and barbecue sauce, with corn on the cob, apple slices, or French fries ($11.29)

You can add to your meal with toppings like fried onions, salad, pickles, cheese, and sauces at the Toppings Bar.


I really enjoy the salads at the counter service places in WDW, and this was no exception – it was loaded and was very tasty.


I don't seem to have a photograph of Steve's taco salad, but here are his chili-cheese fries, and I think, the taco bowl may be in the shot of Liam's burger. All the food was good. We found a seat eventually, but it was messy from the previous guests, so a little clean up operation from us was in order. By now I the heat had been getting to us, and I remember Steve and I bickering about something or other. Arrrgh, don't you hate it when that happens! It was soon put to rest though, and we enjoyed our lunch without any further incident!


Desserts…

Me: Carrot Cake ($4.19)

Him: Chocolate Cake ($4.19)

The Boy: Chocolate Cake ($4.19)

Nothing special to write home about – cake is cake! I think after a spoonful, these just went into the bin -_-


Looking through my spreadsheet of snacks, it looks like we bought some drinks through the day, as well as kettlecorn (to take home) and of course those chili-cheese fries up there


We cleared our table and ventured outside, to find a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade which we hoped wouldn't be rained off at the very last minute like it was on our first day at Magic Kingdom!

After a couple of hours rest, we got ready for our dinner reservation at California Grill at the Contemporary. We'd marked it down as our anniversary dinner – just a few weeks late A heads up if driving to Contempo – stay in the far right lanes when you go through the toll gate, so that you don't miss the exit for it. We've done this in the past and had to drive ALL the way back around, and it's not a short trip!


We were looking forward to our meal here as heard good things about the restaurant. We were also excited to be able to watch Wishes. We got there a bit early so as to request a table by the window – they were happy to meet our request, and we waited in the bar lounge whilst they got a table ready.


Whilst waiting, I had a Pina Colada, and Steve and Liam had a coke – we paid out of pocket for them (around $15 with tip). We were soon called to our table which was covered in Mickey confetti, and given our menus.


And the view from our table was outstanding!


All signature dining seems to start out with a bread basket, with a flavoured butter. I should have written dwon what each one was in each restaurant, but I forgot…


When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a table service restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) Signature restaurants are 2 credits per person.

In all honesty, this was so long ago now, and my notes from our last few days in Orlando were, uhm, zero, so I don't remember too much detail of the food any more. I'm certain it was very good though, our server was very attentive and chatty, and we liked it enough to book to go back on our next trip. Here's what we had…

Appetizers…

Me: Oshizushi – tuna-avocado tempura, salmon-tobiko tartar, chili-soy glaze ($24)

Him: Yuzu-Marinated Sashimi – yellowfin tuna, salmon, izumidai, hamachi, wasabi oil ($24)

The Boy: Dragon Roll – spicy and tataki tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado, dragon sauce, hijiki shirataki salad ($25)

The food presentation was wonderful, and the sushi and sashimi that we had was very good too. Liam attempted sushi, but wasn't a fan – it means hubs and I shared his app.


As we finished our appetizers, we saw the Electric Water Pageant float by on Seven Seas Lagoon – not the best photos I'm afraid!


Entrées…

Me: Lamb Porterhouse – lemon-roasted artichokes, fregola, Marcona almonds, sun-dried tomato vinaigrette ($49)

Him: Bison Tenderloin – Benzinger olive oil potatoes, candied rhubarb, Vidalia onions, Madeira fig demi-glace ($50)

The Boy: Oak-Fired Filet of Beef – heirloom tomato risotto, baby vine tomatoes, tiny basil, tomato butter ($49)

The meats were tender and full of flavour, and some unusual accompaniments too which made for very interesting dishes.


Desserts…

Me: Sundae Sampler – unique and playful sundaes with a nostalgic twist: Frangelico toffee, reverse root beer float, and banana split ($13)

Him: Seasonal "Backyard Barbecue" Tasting – Walrhona chocolate and smoked marshmallow s'mores, strawberry shortcake with sweet cream, and spiked cherry-lime mojito ($13)

The Boy: Chocolate Pudding Cake – luscious chocolate cake with Nutella filling, meringue kisses, and Chantilly cream ($14)

I had already seen desserts going out with mini bottles on the plate, and I said to Steve "I MUST have THAT!" and so, despite the fact that I don't like root beer, I did, cos I like cute little bottles :v

As we were celebrating our anniversary, they also added a congratulations chocolate to both mine and Steve's dessert plates.


As our desserts arrived, Wishes began – the restaurant dimmed down the lights and piped the music in. Rain had started to fall, and I'm glad we were inside watching them from such a fantastic vantage point! Seeing them from up here, we couldn't believe quite how far behind Cinderella Castle the fireworks go off from!


It really was a perfect ending to a perfect day!