A Holiday Signature trip - 20DEC23-1JAN24

[ForceofWill]

This trip over Christmas I wanted to try more signature spots and redact the bank account while we enjoyed some great food. Overall we had a great time and I'm glad we ate where we did, but honestly I think we can safely omit a lot of these on future trips. Starting at the beginning, we drive down starting at 9pm on the 19th from Eastern VA, end up in the area at 9AM so we head to the Walmart on 192 that's just across the street from the condo to kill some time until 10am early check in. Needless to say, I'm exhausted from the overnight drive, so I take a nap while the wife sets up the place with her decorations and organizes kids and the clothes.

After some relaxing we head to AKL for our reservation at Jiko, one of our favorite spots. Got there a little early, so it's Victoria Falls TIME!

Off menu old fashioned - Van Der Hum tangerine liqueur and luxardo cherry juice for sweetener. A fine take, since I know AKL doesn't have one big ice cube, if a little sweet for my taste.(They can't do the Jiko old fashioned here)


Goat cheese dip! I've never had this before but man, it's just great. Both kids helped demolish this, one of our favorite apps on property now.


Uh oh, it's time for Jiko reservation!

 

[ForceofWill]

Seated at Jiko and the nostalgia comes rushing back, our host seems surprised when I say no, it's not our first time, we love this place.

Bread service and Jiko old fashioned. The old fashioned is one of my top 5 drinks on property, it's very stiff which I enjoy. I prefer bitter over too sweet.


For appetizer we went with the new scallop and escargot. Normally we get the boar so we wanted something different. This dish is superb. Scallop is perfect, the escargot are earthy and deep and the broth is bright and with a citrus tang. This escargot ends up being much better than Topolino's(spoiler). It's just so true to form yet balanced and flavorful. Even my 11yr old ate one. The bread was used for sauce sponges, we all loved the broth so much.


Entree time and it's venison for me and the lamb shank for the wife. On point for the trip, she forgets to get a picture of the lamb, but it's tender with an excellent flavor as usual(The wife is scolding me as she brings up the picture she did indeed take, I sheepishly take the L on this one). The venison is a first for me and I enjoy it even more than the Filet I had last time. It's perfectly tender, not gamey at all and seasoned perfectly. The mushrooms are divine, ever so meaty and deep. No need to remind us why we come here a lot.

 

[ForceofWill]

It's tomorrow already, 21DEC23 and it's time for our first park, MK. I go back and forth with whether or not to keep our Skipper Canteen reservation, we like this place, and end up swapping for a Steakhouse 71. It was going to be a cheaper option since we're eating at Topolino's tonight. This was a mis-steak.

Service was good, our server warned us of the kitchen being slow, ominous.....

Bacon and Eggs to start. Are you even allowed to order something else? Still delicious and ends up being my favorite thing of the meal.


After this gem that ends up being the slippery slope leading to the downfall of my Keto diet while at Disney, it's time for our mains. Wife ends up with the salmon as always and enjoys it, it's hard to make her upset when it comes to a salmon dish though. I, still under the impression I'm going to maintain my keto, decide to order a NY strip from the dinner menu. It's terrible and I immediately regret it. Overcooked and I would be surprised if that cut was even a choice cut. Just a poor excuse for a steak really, I'm talking Applebee's people. The broccolini are edible. I cut the crowns off and eat them awkwardly, since we have a plate on a plate situation going on here. What's this contraption about? The stalks require pruning shears or a small chainsaw to get through, neither of which I possess currently so they remain on the plate. I've enjoyed basically every lunch item I've ordered here in the past. Funny how Steakhouse 71 has the worst steak I've ever had on property, heh. We don't return this trip.

 

[ForceofWill]

It's dinner time on the first park day after some room time and showers/clothes change. Our first time at Topolino's. What's that? We're early for our reservation and the wife wants to see if she can pin trade? Oh, DARN, I guess it's lounge time.

Modern Fashioned. My second favorite take on Old Fashioned on property. As I'm enjoying this outside, I can't help but wonder why no one else is out here relaxing. It's a great space.


Time to get seated after the kids run off some energy out here. We opt for the escargot again. It's delicious for sure and I would say much less scary as a first take on escargot, but you could basically omit the escargot from the dish and it would still taste the same. It's puff pastry and a delicious garlic butter sauce and you might have accidentally eaten an escargot in there somewhere. The kids destroy the rest of the sauce with their bread. It is tasty for sure.


For mains we get the bouillabaisse and the rigatoni(chicken). Wife enjoys her pasta but wouldn't say it's a standout dish in any way. The bouillabaisse is something else though, I love this dish. I really enjoy getting something different than a typical restaurant and this delivers. Packed with seafood depth without being overwhelming. At this point I've slipped down the hill that was Keto and am just wallowing in the mud down here so, screw it, it's dip the bread in the soup time. I really enjoy this meal and wish I ordered it the next time we were here.

 

[auntfrannie]

Thanks for the reviews. I've been seeing quite a few people saying that SH71 is no longer the gem it once was. That's too bad.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Two great dinners already! Looking forward to seeing the rest.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

You're off to a great start! Jiko is also one of my favorites. I'm never able to tear myself away from the wild boar but perhaps I'll try to branch out. Will have to check those old fashioneds out as well. Sorry to hear Steakhouse 71 disappointed. I've only done the burger there and like it as an MK-area option but probably wouldn't go out of my way for it. The rooftop area at Topolino's is heaven. The rigatoni used to be my favorite but they've changed the preparation and it isn't the same. Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[ForceofWill]

The next day 22DEC23 is Hollywood Studios. I have an early lunch setup at Brown Derby right at opening and am exited for a light lunch. Later we have a fairly early dinner at San Angel Inn after we park hop. I was hoping for something more from this place honestly. Me and the wife both get a cobb salad since we love them. Both of us are pretty disappointed with it. I'm not a fan of the dressing, it's far too finely chopped and overall just pretty mediocre. For contrast, there's a place near us called Taste, quick service sandwich type place that has a Cobb infinitely better with a creamy boursin cheese dressing. I would think for being "famous" the salad would have blown me away.



What a good Cobb looks like for half the price


We get the heck out of Brown Derby and get ready for our evening at Epcot where I know we won't be disappointed. Our table at San Angel isn't near the water but the atmosphere is still nice. I start with the corn old fashioned and enjoy it quite a bit. It's strong for sure and you definitely know there's mezcal in there. We also get the chips and queso to start. I feel like this is a solid deal at disney for an appetizer, you get a salsa with it that's very unique, it's blended smooth with a deep rich flavor and slight spice you don't normally see in a salsa. The queso is just a perfect example of simple white queso. Why do so many Disney youtubers think queso is made with cheddar lol, white american is what melts into that amazing gooey goodness.


For dinner I get the Tacos de Ribeye since I loved them last trip. I really enjoy this dish. The steak is perfectly tender and prepared about like a nice Philly cheesesteak consistency so it's perfect to make little tacos or use the leftover chips and make nachos for a texture change. Wife gets her Pescado Veracruzana and loves it, if it's just a little on the heavier side for a fish entree. As we all know, the lighting in this place is non existent for photos, we're lucky any of them came out. And just so we don't think I'm picking on Brown Derby, since everyone has places by them that make their favorite food, we love San Angel inn. We have multiple excellent Mexican restaurants near us, and one where they know me by name, I still have no complaints with San Angel, they execute well every time.

 

[ForceofWill]

23DEC23, it's time to pack up some small bags from the condo to take for our 2 night stay at AKL Jambo. We head to Animal Kingdom as our park and get the kids a some BBQ fries at Flametree to hold them over until dinner. After we check into AKL and get settled it's time for Jiko, when finally we can just walk home to our room, so nice. We order the escargot again since it was soo good last time, it's equally delicious tonight. The holiday menu option is out and it sounds good so I order it. It's a bone in ribeye with potatoes. Wife tries the chicken for the first time.

The steak is plated excellent but just doesn't blow me away. It's cooked perfectly but is lacking some seasoning. The potatoes are as well, I was really hoping for some African flare here for the palate. First time I've been a little disappointed at Jiko. The service remains superb but I am regretting not getting the venison again.

By contrast, the chicken dish the wife gets is amazing. A great flare of flavors that I was hoping for in my dish. The collard greens with it are so good I end up stealing half of them. Man, that chicken dish is probably the best chicken on property.

 

[ForceofWill]

It's Christmas eve and we get to spend it at AKL! A dream of ours realized and we now are loving this hotel more than we thought we could. The park today is MK so we swing by Grand Floridian Cafe for a lunch. I wanted to try the new burger that replaced the lobster thermidor one. I had pretty high hopes but they were shattered. Even ignoring being cooked far past well done when I ordered medium rare, the burger was a letdown. The patty had no seasoning whatsoever and the brie on top was very small. The pepper relish was a distracting flavor and didn't pair well. Wife get's the salmon she's had here before and enjoys it. It's a pretty simple dish but for Disney, it's priced pretty good at lunch and cooked well enough. Let's get out of here, it's insanely busy at the Grand today. Back to AKL to relax and enjoy the resort.


Tonight is obviously another Jiko night and we spend some time relaxing at Victoria Falls. I love this lounge. When I sit down I think to myself, self, you should give that holiday steak another shot, it was probably an off night. So we get the boar to start which is as tender and delicious as always, never gamey and then make a repeat order for the mains.

The chicken is spot on again and I get jealous. I receive my steak and it's just as pretty but once again extremely muted in flavor. I do however remember that they make the rosewater harissa and ask for a side of it. Now we're talking, this is my favorite sauce on property. It's actually very spicy, not just Disney spicy and I love the flavor. It saves the steak for me but I should have got the filet or venison, I didn't learn.

 

[ForceofWill]

Christmas morning! But we have to checkout. I wake up early to relax at a viewing area near our room with a coffee.


Today is Epcot because we guessed that MK would be insane on Christmas day. We split up around the world showcase and my 11yr old son and I stop at Spice Road Table. I love this place. I've been to the middle east a lot thanks to all you fine taxpayers, so I'm nostalgic for the flavor profiles and decor. We grab a sampler and some dolmas and I try the Moroccan Mule. It's actually very good, nice carbonated bite, with a fig sweetness while not becoming overbearing.

I love everything on the plates but am a particular sucker for dolmas(bonus, tons of olives with it).


Dinner is at Topolino's so we head back later to the condo and drop off what we brought to AKL and change. Our server was so good last time I get a little upset with the host when he says they can't sit me with him by name. After explaining that we'll wait longer for his section, he caves to my request. Tonight they have the filet with shrimp for Christmas and I decide, since I've had such good luck with holiday menu steaks, I must get this one instead of the amazing bouillabaisse I had last time. The steak arrives and it's..........fine. Again there's nothing wrong with it and it's cooked perfect but I regret not getting that stew. I must be on a quest to find amazing steak at Disney or something.

The wife's sole is excellent and her favorite fish dish to date on property. I'm happy for her as I eat my filet I could have gotten at one of a hundred other places.

 

[erinch]

Great report!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Brown Derby. I enjoy the salad but wish it wasn't quite so finely chopped. I'm a big fan of San Angel Inn as well. The food has never let me down. My one quibble is with how close together the tables are. Eating at Jiko 3x in a trip sounds like a dream!! I think that wild boar is my favorite dish anywhere. LOL on the holiday steaks -- sorry that none wowed you. The moroccan mule is a hidden gem of a cocktail and the bar is rarely busy -- I'm not sure most people know it's open for to-go orders.

 

[ForceofWill]

So it's 26DEC23 and it's time for our first time ever at Narcoossee's. We drive to the Grand quite a bit early so I can see what the parking situation is like. To my surprise, the guard lets us into the regular parking lot with a 3 hour paper parking pass. The regular lot to the left is full so we end up parking to the right, in front of the DVC part. I'm happy since I had assumed they would make us turn around and park in that overflow lot across the street, I guess everyone complaining finally broke the camel's back. Thanks everyone!!

We enjoy some time walking around the grand and the wife likes to pin trade around. We get to Narcoossee's about an hour early and the host let's us snag seats at the bar to enjoy some drinks while we wait. Sergio, the bartender, ends up being the best bartender we've ever had at WDW. I mean seriously, go to Narcoossee's just for him at the bar and enjoy a drink, such a refreshing pleasant experience. I order the old fashioned and it becomes my favorite version on property. Just perfectly balanced, the one large ice cube hand stamped with the GF logo, then he adds some Luxardo syrup into the stamp so it pops out with some contrast. *chef's kiss*


After two drinks a piece it's time for our table, close out to tip Sergio and off we go. We have a window table and have aligned our dinner for the fireworks. The ambiance becomes our favorite of the trip. The service is excellent and we get the calamari to start. It's very nice, I enjoy the pickled veggies with it but we get calamari at a lot of places and I wouldn't say it's the best we've ever had. The bread however is probably our favorite free bread service we've had. That sourdough is just top notch. Our server asks if we'd like to wait on the mains until after the fireworks show since it's close to the time and we oblige. Such a great time so far.


After the fireworks we receive our mains, I get the redfish and wife has the salmon. Both are excellent, I wish the blackened seasoning on my redfish was slightly more spicy but that's a personal preference. Our server even stated when I ordered that their blackened seasoning is not spicy. It's still incredible and I eat everything on the plate, as does the wife.

Redfish then Salmon

 

[ForceofWill]

27DEC23 is an Animal Kingdom day and a nice excuse for Tiffins. We always love this place but I'm a little sad they got rid of the 50th veal. We get our favorite room with the butterflies/bugs and animals! To start we decide to try the new pork belly app and are pleasantly surprised with it. I thought it might be too sweet and based on our last trip maybe a little tough. However, it's perfectly tender and has a nice balance with the pickled veg and pork rinds with it.


I'm still upset with the loss of the 50th veal dish and am insistent the new veal dish will not compete, so obviously we both get the fish. We love this whole fish so much. Perfectly crispy outside with a tender flakey inside. Very nicely seasoned simply with some salt. People will eat bone in fried chicken all the time but for some reason this fish freaks them out. Think of it the same way, only fish and you'll enjoy it for sure, we LOVE IT!

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

27DEC23 is an Animal Kingdom day and a nice excuse for Tiffins. We always love this place but I'm a little sad they got rid of the 50th veal. We get our favorite room with the butterflies/bugs and animals! To start we decide to try the new pork belly app and are pleasantly surprised with it. I thought it might be too sweet and based on our last trip maybe a little tough. However, it's perfectly tender and has a nice balance with the pickled veg and pork rinds with it.
View attachment 825088

I'm still upset with the loss of the 50th veal dish and am insistent the new veal dish will not compete, so obviously we both get the fish. We love this whole fish so much. Perfectly crispy outside with a tender flakey inside. Very nicely seasoned simply with some salt. People will eat bone in fried chicken all the time but for some reason this fish freaks them out. Think of it the same way, only fish and you'll enjoy it for sure, we LOVE IT!
View attachment 825089View attachment 825090

I’ve got Tiffins reservations coming up in the beginning of Feb and can’t wait! I have the pork belly app on my list!

 

[DaisyNY]

Enjoying your reviews…certainly ate at some special restaurants!

 

[ForceofWill]

Enjoying your reviews…certainly ate at some special restaurants!

Right now my kids eat like birds. The two of them share a kids meal and still won't even finish it, especially with free bread at the table. So we got away from the signature restaurants pretty reasonably. 2 mains, an app and drinks plus only the $12-$15 for the kids.

 

[nursejackie]

I love reviews with pictures, so thank you for taking the time to upload them. We visited Narcoosee's either Christmas Eve or Christmas day many times and have never had a bad experience. We were bummed it was closed for refurbishment on our last visit, but look forward to returning next year. Their almond-crusted cheesecake is calling my name!

 

[starousse]

Excellent reviews