Thanks to the PCRU, We Get to Go to DLR Too! **COMPLETE 8/21/2010** - Page 8 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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WOW! You guys really got a lot done in one morning! Love your descriptions of the rides and this TR is making me think that a trip to DLR should be in our future.
I had booked lunch at Café Orleans as a last minute whim/request from AJ. I really had no idea what to expect but was very pleasantly surprised. I have to digress here a bit and say I was still pretty nervous about eating at DLR after the Napa Rose issues. I had packed Izzy an Uncrustable, some fresh fruit and potato chips for her to eat at lunch. In any case, we had a reservation right at opening and requested an indoor table to give Izzy a little respite from the heat.
AJ ordered a Monte Cristo while Paul and I both enjoyed salads. (The boys also split some of their famous pommes frites)
We had a great and attentive server, Debbie who noticed Izzy was eating her pre-packed food. Bless her heart, Debbie came over with a kosher menu and asked if we wanted anything off of it. I thanked her and explained Izzy wasn’t keeping Kosher but rather had food allergies. You can imagine our surprise when she offered to have the chef come out. After a quick discussion, she confirmed that the chefs always come out at Café Orleans. As relieved as I was to hear it, Izzy was already knee deep into lunch so we politely declined. (Though Debbie received an extra nice tip for being so observant and attentive. I also sent a nice comment through guest services.) IOverall, Café Orleans is a wonderful gem inside the park with great service and great comfort type foods. I would have loved to split an order of beignets! J
Since we had really been up quite early and accomplished so much, we opted to take the short walk back to the room and relax a bit. Paul volunteered to bring Izzy to the pool while I had my mandatory MS Siesta. AJ stayed with me and went online I am sure to catch up and chat with his friends a bit. About 40 minutes later, I meandered down to the pool to give Paul a break.
Of course, I couldn’t get my little fishy out of the water! She really adored the pool and it wasn’t at all crowded. She got her fill of the slide and then happily jumped in and out a mere 20 times or so!
After about two solid hours of pool time, I finally convinced her it was time to get out, dry off, and start to prep for our very special anniversary dinner. J
We made our way back into Disneyland and walked towards New Orleans Square. Izzy and I were really excited as we had never been to Club 33. All along the walk, Paul and AJ keep filling us in on little tidbits from their dinner at Club 33 last year. We approached the door and let Izzy lift the little door that revealed the buzzer. She checked us in and the door unlocked so we could go into the lobby area. We were greeted by the most delightful CM, Jen, who did a quick check of our clothes and shoes before escorting us to the glass elevator. The four of us just managed to squeeze in and we enjoyed the quick rode to the second floor.
We were shown to a lovely table next to the balcony doors and were quickly greeted by Alistair, our server. It was still fairly bright outside so the dining room was filled with light and had an airy quality to it. As the meal progressed and the sun set, the dining took on a much richer feel. I hate to disappoint any of you, but I took very few pictures here. (although if you want awesome pics of Club 33….check out Sharon’s TR as she did a great job capturing so much in her TR.)
First thing we did after sitting down was square away Izzy’s dinner. They gave us a children’s menu but offered to make her anything she might desire that was off menu. It was a lovely gesture but luckily, Izzy’s favorite dinner choices were on the menu! Next, they brought out two baskets of wonderful crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside bread. One basket was specifically for Izzy as the bread was free from her allergens or cross contamination and the other basket was for the rest of our table. We happily munched on our breads while we perused the menu. There was a fabulous tasting menu which I think we would have considered if Izzy wasn’t with us but decided to stick to a nice three course dinner instead.
After ordering, Alistair brought us each a nice amuse bouche of a mushroom tart with am aged balsamic reduction. Heaven on a plate and melt in your mouth yummy.
APPS:
Sweet Potato Bisque
Seared Scallop
Fruit Salad
ENTREES:
Short Rib
Grilled Duck
Chix
DESSERTS:
Our freebie anniversary dessert came first and it was quite a lovely chocolate mousse bomb. Rich and chocolately and perfect to share a bite or two. I was still inclined to have another dessert so Paul and I split this baby….
Apple Charlotte; yum! It was light and carmel-y and a perfect not cloyingly sweet dessert.
Izzy was so thrilled with her rose petal sorbet and really enjoyed it! Since then, she has asked for it frequently and I cannot seem to find any. I was, however, able to find a recipe and if I can just get my hands on some organic rose petals, I will be good to go!
Overall, the service was top notch, very warm and attentive without being overbearing. The meal was nicely paced for our family giving us a bit of time in between courses to explore the other rooms a bit or chat with each other. The food was good, on par with other signatures at WDW but not above it. However, the nostalgia factor of eating here is what sets it apart. Being able to see a chest of drawers that was used in the filming of Mary Poppins or having one of the servers take us on a mini tour of the Club was what really made the meal! J
As the meal ended and our visit wound down, AJ picked put a couple of souvenirs he wanted to purchase and I picked up polo shirt for Princess Sharon that she had missed out on when she ate here on her ABD visit. (Note, Sharon….it was shipped today!) AJ then skedaddled to meet his friend and get in line to watch World of Color while Izzy and I explored to wrap around balcony just off the main dining room. It was really beautiful outside and fun to watch the hustle and bustle of New Orleans Square from above. I had heard you could see Fantasmic from here but I would have to say it is an obstructed view as there are a few very substantial trees in the way.
It was a great dinner and I am very thankful for our wonderful contact who is a gracious and long standing member; we can never thank him enough for arranging our meals here!
Ah, it was a very full and exciting day. Izzy was tired and requested to go back to the room, change into PJs and watch the fireworks from our balcony. We happily obliged as I think all three of us were feeling the fatigue. AJ, of course, was out taking in WoC, and would sneak back into the room long after the rest of us were fast asleep!
Danielle
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~Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars~
What a great afternoon at the pool, definitely think that Izzy got her share of pool fun for the day (I love how kids can spend endless hours in the pool and never get tired). Dinner sounded amazing, everything looked delicious and glad that Izzy was able to enjoy a wonderful meal, her dessert looked delicous.
I think fireworks on the blacony sounded like the perfect way to end the day.
Now that's more like it! Two servers on the ball. I was a bit worried. And it sounds like a wonderful (and yummy) day overall for everyone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydani
As the meal ended and our visit wound down, AJ picked put a couple of souvenirs he wanted to purchase and I picked up polo shirt for Princess Sharon that she had missed out on when she ate here on her ABD visit. (Note, Sharon….it was shipped today!)
Woohoo!
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I think fireworks on the blacony sounded like the perfect way to end the day.
I am with you, Meg!
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Originally Posted by WHMom
I'd love to hear how AJ liked WoC!
He loved it and thought it was fabulous. You will have to wait a few days t hear my take on it.....
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Originally Posted by Nala
Izzy's rose petal sorbet looks both pretty and delish. Will there be a rose garden in your future?
Only if you move to B'more, plant and care for it....I have two very black thumbs! I really want to try and make it but I am having the hardest time locating organic roses....I am worried about making the stuff with commercial roses that have been treated with pesticides and such.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great update Danielle! Glad the tide turned and you had some great meals and servers! Great pictures too! How cool to go to Club 33!
It is ironic our trip started and ended with lousy meal service but in between....it was fabulous!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Oh wow, what a superb meal at Club 33 - I'm jealous! I want to go there one day.
I do hope you get the opportunity to go there someday, Cheryl....maybe an ABD tour is in you and Mark's future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
Now that's more like it! Two servers on the ball. I was a bit worried. And it sounds like a wonderful (and yummy) day overall for everyone. Woohoo!
We definitely lucked out with some great servers; I wouldn't hesitate to go back to them!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MinnieJen
Yummo!!!
I am glad we did so much walking in order to burn all the yummy food off!
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
What a great meal at Club 33! And how wonderful to have attentive, observant servers, unlike at Napa Rose!
Ah, wait until the last day....makes Napa Rose look like a reasonably decent experience....
Quote:
Originally Posted by MGW
Can't wait to read more!
Hopefully by tomorrow!
danielle
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~Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars~
Just catching up. What a productive morning you had.... very impressive, indeed! We could never cover so much ground on one of our WDW mornings. Sounds like you enjoyed some wonderful meals... and the photos made me hungry, as they usually do! Looking forward to your next update.
Today was our only day to sleep in….so we did! Actually, I stand corrected; I was up by 6am, Paul at 7am and then the kids roused around 9ish. Paul and I took turns enjoying the offerings in the lounge, reading the paper, and generally relaxing…it was heaven! J
After the kiddos woke, it was quickly time to wash, dress, and take the 3 minute walk from our room to the entrance into DCA via the hotel lobby. The security from this entrance was much tighter with a CM checking all room keys before allowing guests to make their way to bag check. All week long, there were quite a few unhappy guests being turned away. Lucky for us, we had the golden ticket and zipped right through. My family wanted to head straight to Toy Story as some new additions from TS3 had recently been added. There is no fastpass option for this ride so they figured it was best to hit first.
As they went towards the pier, I stopped by Ariel’s Grotto to speak with the chef about our plans for dinner there later that week. Chef Jeremiah came out and probably thought I was a bit loony and over anxious. He assured me they would prepare a delicious and safe meal, off menu, if needed. I was beginning to realize that everywhere except Napa Rose actually followed protocol and I could probably relax a bit!
I met the family on the far side of the pier as they took a whirl (or three) on Mulholland Madness. I guess our no-lines luck was still holding out! Next, Paul and Izzy went on the Sunwheel as AJ and I hung out, did a little browsing.
We made our way over to Grizzly River Run. Lucky for us, the fastpass machines were still giving out World of Color fastpasses but since we had the GAD/GAD fastpasses, Paul and the kiddos took three back to back river rides. Lucky for them, they were spared getting soaked. Not everyone on their rafts was as fortunate. They decided not to press their luck so we continued on towards Blue Sky Cellar.
BSC is really an amazing place and one which all Disney aficionados should take the time to visit. What an amazing collection of models, specs, illustrations of past, present, and future plans. We were lucky that some great CMs were available to explain and answer questions. Seeing all the future plans definitely makes me want to jump back on a plane to DLR in 2011!
By know, our bellies were grumbling and the boys assured me they had the perfect answer. We made our way towards Pacific Wharf where I snagged a nice, shady table. I wiped down the table and chairs, set up Izzy’s meal and waited for the boys to come back with lunch from the Pacific Wharf Café. O.M.G. this was a fabulously refreshing and wonderful meal. We all ordered salad or soup in the bread bowl. (Mine was chix, DH had shrimp and AJ had chowder.)
The bread was outstanding and totally made the meal. Crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside sourdough at its best. I tell you, I could have made a meal just out of the bread. A+++, this place is a keeper! J
Next up, we went towards the Hollywood Backlot. We arrived with about five minutes to spare before the next showing of Drawn to the Magic. We really hadn’t planned on seeing this show but thought….what the heck. It turned out to be really cute and a great little respite.
Since Mike and Sulley were directly behind us, we jumped into line. It was here that we encountered one of the longest wait of the trip….25 minutes! (oh the horror) No worries, the queue was nicely shaded and we chit chatted until it was our turn. Izzy and I loved this ride and all the little details that were put in. I would love to see this at WDW!
Like energizer bunnies, we kept going and going and going! The Animation Building was a hop, skip and a jump away so there we went. Wow, this place is awesome. We spent over an hour exploring and hadn’t even made it to the drawing class or Turtle Talk. I thought the various rooms were fabulous and loved all the ways animation is used and brought to life. I knew we would definitely make our way back here again.
Alrighty, we had a big night ahead and I was more than ready for my siesta so back to the Grand Cali we went. Twenty minutes later, I was refreshed! J
UP NEXT: Steakhouse 55 and Fantasmic!
danielle
__________________
~Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars~
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Pixie Dust
Funny how food you're allergic to isn't even appealing.)
Great pictures too! How cool to go to Club 33! 
PassPorter Guide Author
I want to go there one day. 
Waiting to eat with Goofy - DLR May 2010
I really want to try and make it but I am having the hardest time locating organic roses....I am worried about making the stuff with commercial roses that have been treated with pesticides and such.
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
Aimee
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