How Many Days In A Row Will We Wear Tie Dye (or Disney 2009 review): Part 8.3featured

Photo reminder: they’re mine, not yours…unless you ask.

It was around 3:00 pm by the time we got back to the hotel. We had dinner reservations at the Yachtsman Steakhouse at 6:30 and we knew we wouldn’t have much time to go to the Magic Kingdom with grandma if we kept them, so we called Disney Dining from the bus and switched our reservation to a much later 8:45 pm reservation.

When we got back to the resort, we were tired and sweaty so we took a short siesta. Stephanie and I ran some water into the tub, threw in a bath bomb and soaked our legs for awhile. My shins were killing me and we both had killer blisters and the strong jets smoothed away a lot of our aches. Since we all wanted to shower before dinner, Stephanie went and showered quickly before we went to Magic Kingdom so the other two showers were clear for Mom and I to use when we got back. Seriously- the best part of Bay Lake Towers for me was having two bathrooms. With only the four of us, it was a massive convenience and saved us so much time and frustration (Four women, one bathroom? We’d kill each other).

We decided to take the monorail over to Magic Kingdom because we like the ride and we quickly made our way through bag check and ticketing. Much to my surprise (and delight), the park was emptying out and crowds were pretty low for the time of year and we took a nice, leisurely stroll down Main Street.

We made our way towards Fantasyland for a few go-rounds on grandma’s favorite ride, It’s A Small World. Since she can’t transfer to the ride, we go through the handicap line, which is a double-edged sword. We usually have a long wait for the handicap boat (there are only a few) and if there’s another person in front of us, the wait is longer since it can only accommodate one party at a time. But, we get to ride by ourselves and if no one is waiting for the roll-on boat, we can ride around as many times as we want. You’d think we’d go crazy from hearing that song over and over and over again, but I think I love that ride just as much as grandma. Plus, it gives me a lot of time to take pictures. We did end up having to wait for another boat since there was another non-transfer wheelchair ahead of us, but we went around two or three times.

I call this…the March of the IASW Dolls

We did Mickey’s Philharmagic (on Stephanie’s request) after we got IASW’ed out and then we went over to Pinocchio’s Village Haus because grandma was hungry. Stephanie and I wanted to try Figaro Fries, only to be told they don’t serve them anymore. We used a snack credit to get an order of fries (which were average…McDonald’s serves better fries) and grandma used a meal credit to get a cheese pizza, a side salad, a large apple juice and a chocolate cake. There’s really a lot of value to Disney’s dining plan with regards to counter service meals. In our case, was it the best value? Nope. But we don’t do the dining plan to milk it for all it’s worth (not that there’s anything wrong with that). But for the regular and quick service dining plans? There’s a LOT of value from what they serve you from the counter service meals. Grandma thought the pizza was tasty (but required a lot of blotting to soak up all the oil on top) and the salad was fresh and crisp. She only had a few bites of the chocolate cake cup and said it was a little too rich for her taste. I took a bite and agreed. It was nice and moist, but very rich for a mass-produced dessert cup.

After she ate, we walked back to the front of the park through the castle, looked in a few of the shops to see what souvenirs we wanted to buy before we went home and decided to walk back to the resort.

We didn’t have much time to get ready. The Disney Dining people told us to give ourselves two hours to get from our resort to the restaurant if we were using Disney transportation and while that seems like a lot of time, you don’t typically figure in the amount of time you’ll spend waiting for a bus or a boat. In our case, travel consisted of hopping on a bus to DHS, walking to the launch and taking the boat over to the Yacht and Beach Club. I was sure we’d need the two hours if we wanted to take our time and not be rushed.

I showered in our bathroom and Mom showered in the other bathroom while Stephanie did her makeup and got ready. It took awhile to blowdry my hair since the blowdrier wasn’t super powerful. I forgot my bag of nice clothes at home, which had a new outfit I really wanted to wear for this dinner. I settled for a nice, summery dress that I had stuck in my suitcase last-minute. There is a dress code for this restaurant, but I’ve found that if there’s a loophole or any way out of a dress code, most people will find it. I can’t even tell you how many threads I’ve read on the DISboards on if people really need to get dressed up, how little they can get away with, etc. For us? We like getting dressed up. It’s part of the experience. I wish I could have dressed nicer.

We got grandma situated (while she was missing a lot of sit down meals, she planned to miss this one ahead of time…she doesn’t like long meals and doesn’t care to get dressed up) and walked down to the bus stop. We waited maybe 15 minutes for a bus to DHS and then had to scurry to catch the boat that was waiting at the dock.

I noticed that the captain was playing with a duck when we boarded and was a little surprised when he brought the duck on board and stuck him outside the window on the bow of the small Friendship boat. While he was driving, he fed the duck small pieces of bread from his pocket and got on the mic and told the boat about how his friend (Quackers the duck) always waits for him and rides with him. Quackers jumped off the boat somewhere near the Swan and Dolphin resorts and the boat driver said he’d probably be waiting for him back at DHS because he usually does. Quackers, apparently, recently found a boyfriend (aptly named Cheese) and Quackers and Cheese have recently started their family of little ducklings. Cute story. Look out for Quackers the next time you ride on a Friendship from DHS to Epcot.

We made pretty good time. By the time we debarked the Friendship at the Yacht and Beach Club, we had about a half-hour or so until our reservation, so we took some time to look around the pier a bit. I love the view of the Boardwalk from the Yacht and Beach Club. It looks like such a fun place at night.

We made our way inside and towards the Yachtsman Steakhouse and checked in. It didn’t look too crowded (and it wasn’t since they were taking walkups, so long as they were dressed properly), but they didn’t seat us until our reservation time. Since I had some time to sit and observe, I noticed that this really was an upscale experience. Everything, from the decor to the demeanor of the cast members, was very professional and nice. It doesn’t scream DISNEY at all, which is nice for us but would likely be disappointing for some who are looking for all Disney, all the time.

We were led past the butcher room and a display of all of the desserts to a table in a room that resembled a gazebo almost, with a high ceiling and low lighting. I’m usually on my cell phone anywhere I go and I put it away, as I felt the bright glare of my screen would have been out of place in such a dim room. We had a nice view of Stormalong Bay (which was busy for the late evening) out the windows. The room only had a few other parties in it (a couple celebrating their anniversary and a family with a very tired son who was being tended to by his nanny) and we appreciated the quiet atmosphere.

Our server, Kathy, came by and presented us with customized menus (I had made a note on the reservation that we were celebrating Stephanie’s graduation that night), which always make a nice keepsake. Kathy was a fantastic server. She was attentive and professional, and she was very knowledgeable about the menu. She took our drink orders and left us to peruse the menu.

We all ordered iced tea since it seemed refreshing for the hot summer night and were presented with tall glasses of cool tea and a small tray with lemons, sweetener and a small carafe of simple syrup for making sweet tea if we so desired. I thought it was a nice touch and it was the kind of touch you’ll only find in higher-end restaurants. It was small things like this that really made our experience at Yachtsman Steakhouse special. We’ve dined at many Disney restaurants and this was, by far, the nicest one we’ve been to yet.

Kathy also brought a basket of rolls, a tray of coarsely salted butter sitting in a shallow pool of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar (which was odd at first glance, but don’t knock it until you try it) and a small cup of roasted garlic cloves. I’d read about the rolls and how fantastic they were, so I went right for the onion pull-apart roll, as did Stephanie. Mom went for the other one, which I think was a sourdough. Mom and Stephanie are garlic fiends and loved to no end the fact that it was served with the bread. I could take or leave roasted garlic (we have it every so often at home) and didn’t take any, though I suspect it would be delicious with the onion bread. The onion rolls came as advertised. They were soft, flakey and the faint sweetness of the onion with a light dose of the salty butter was amazing. I could have made a meal out of those alone. Kathy got the hint and kept refilling our basket with more of them. The other rolls were a bit sturdier and went better with a quick dip in the oil and vinegar mixture the butter was sitting in.

After we placed our orders, Illuminations started and we had a nice (albeit obstructed) view from our seats. The music wasn’t piped in like it is during Illuminations at most of the restaurants at the monorail resorts, but I was glad it wasn’t. It was much nicer being observed in the hushed room.

Mom started with the Caesar Salad (crisp Romaine lettuce, aged Parmesan and ciabatta crouton), which was served on whole leafs of lettuce as opposed to chopped (you’ll find higher-end steakhouses will serve caesar salads on whole leafs) and thought it was excellent. The lettuce was crisp and the dressing was nice and creamy with a nice hint of garlic.

Caesar Salad

Stephanie started with the Heirloom Tomato Salad (Heirloom tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella, petite basil and aged balsamic), which is just a fancy way of saying a tomato salad with chunks of cheese. Stephanie thought it was fantastic and super fresh (and you really can tell how fresh the ingredients are at the restaurant you’re dining at in a salad like this). The salad came in the form of large chunks of tomatoes, some nice chunks of fresh mozzarella and some basil on top of a few swipes of what looked (and tasted) like pesto. I thought it was beautifully presented and it was a nice summer salad.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

I teetered between a seasonal melon and prosciutto salad (nothing better than some sweet melon and thin slivers of salty prosciutto…especially on a hot night) and the cheese assortment and I ultimately decided on the Assortment of Artisanal Cheeses (accompanied with toasted multi-grain baguette). The cheeses change seasonally and this night, I was served some nice portions of Monte Enebro, Beemster XO, Robiola and Point Reyes cheeses, each with their own accompaniments, and a small bowl with crispy baguette wafers.

Assortment of Artisanal Cheeses

The first cheese I tried was the Point Reyes, which was served with a carmelized fig and drizzled with a fig syrup. Point Reyes is a salty cheese from a region in California and is made of cow’s milk. It’s a bit pungent and carries quite a bite, but I love a good blue cheese and with the fig and syrup cutting through the salty bite, it was a bit milder and very nice.

Point Reyes

Next on the plate was the Robiola, which was my favorite of the four and was served with an onion and port wine relish. Robiola is an Italian cheese made from a blend of cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk. It’s mild, soft and slightly sweet and reminded me a bit of a nice brie. The cheese, alone, was very nice (especially on one of those crispy baguette slices), but it was jaw dropping delicious with the relish, which was heavy and sweet with a bit of a bite from the wine. Seriously- a few slices of this cheese and a few of those onion rolls and I would have been in gastronomic heaven. I didn’t even need the steak or the dessert. Just some rolls and cheese, please.

Robiola

After the Robiola was the Beemster XO served with honey, which was my least favorite of the four. Beemster XO is a 26-month aged gouda that hails from Holland and is made from pasteurized cow’s milk. I found it to be dry, brittle and salty and it didn’t have any of the creaminess you’ll find in a good gouda. The honey helped cut through the salt and blended the texture into something smoother, but I just didn’t enjoy this one.

Beemster XO

The last cheese on the tray was the Monte Enebro, served on top of a fruit-wine preserve. Monte Enebro is a spanish cheese made from goat’s milk. and it’s infused with the same mold used in Roquefort blue cheese. I found it to be softer than I expected and less pungent than a typical Roquefort. I thought the combination with the fruit-wine preserve was odd but unexpectedly good.

Monte Enebro

Kathy was excellent in making sure we weren’t rushed and made sure our steaks didn’t come out until we were finished with our appetizers. When you order steak, having a server that will monitor the progress of your meal correctly is essential. If they put in your steak order too soon, it’ll sit under a heat lamp too long and become overcooked or it’ll be brought out too soon and be cold by the time you get to it. We appreciated Kathy’s attentiveness.

Stephanie ordered the New York Strip Steak (12-oz. strip steak with peppercorn brandy sauce and potato gratin with Diamond white cheddar). She thought it was good, and coming from Stephanie, that’s a supreme compliment. Stephanie isn’t a steak person. We go to many steakhouses and very, very rarely, she’ll order a steak. This might be the first time in a very long time I remember her ordering a steak at a steakhouse. She only made it through half of the large portion and said the potatoes were too heavy. I tried them and agreed- they’re VERY heavy on the cheese. Tasty, but heavy. The sauce was nice and light and she liked it with the steak. There was a small garnish on the plate of spinach and onions which went untouched.

New York Strip Steak

Mom and I both ordered the Yachtsman Filet Mignon (8-oz. filet with mashed potatoes and a red wine sauce). Mom ordered hers well-done and butterflied and I ordered mine medium-well since I felt comfortable that the restaurant could handle it. Usually when we go out for steaks, if it’s a good steakhouse, they’ll know how to not overcook a medium-well steak. If we go out to a place like Outback, I’ll order it medium since they’ll tend to overcook it. I was pleased to find my steak was perfectly cooked and nice and pink in the middle. The filet was soft and tender and while the red wine sauce was a nice accompaniment, it was totally unnecessary. The potatoes were creamy but needed a nice dosing of salt and pepper. I couldn’t finish my steak or potatoes and ended up taking them back to the hotel.

Yachtsman Filet Mignon

It was nearing 11:00 pm when we got to dessert. None of us really had a taste for it, but it was included so we decided to order and sample. I can’t, for the life of me, find the name of Mom’s dessert since it was a seasonal specialty. It was a trio of small dishes featuring summer peaches. It was a nice and light end to a very long and heavy meal and Mom thought the way the peaches were used was excellent (I seem to remember a peach sorbet or gelato and a peach cobbler that she really loved).

Seasonal Peach Dessert

Stephanie ordered the Yachtsman Sundae (Trio of gelato with Amarena cherries), which was like an adult ice cream sundae, with scoops of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry or cherry gelato, some tangy Amarena cherries (which I *love*…the Melting Pot used to make a Cherries Jubilee chocolate fondue with Amarena cherries and Amarena cherry liquor that was to die for) and a heavy dollop of whipped cream, served with some thin chocolate decorations. Stephanie said it was excellent. I was too full to even try a bite.

Yachtsman Sundae

I ordered the Trio of Valrhona Chocolate (Peanut, espresso and salted caramel), which was three small chocolate delicacies. The peanut one was my least favorite since it was very heavy on the peanut and tasted like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on crack. I liked the heavy coffee note in the espresso one, but my favorite was the salted caramel one, which had the lightest flavor of all of them. I only had a bite or two of all of them, as they were entirely richer and denser than I thought they would be. Take my advice: if you go to the Yachtsman Steakhouse and order a three-course meal, pace yourself and order the lightest dessert they offer. Trio of Valrhona Chocolate? Not light. Not in the least. Death by Valrhona Chocolate would be a more apt name for it.

Trio of Valrhona Chocolate

After dinner, Kathy brought out a small tray of chocolate truffles and candy as a celebration gift for Stephanie, which was a nice touch. The cheque came to $202.22, and we used six meal credits (Yachtsman Steakhouse is a signature dining venue). I think it was a fantastic value for the six credits and we nearly needed to be rolled out of the hotel.

It was really, really late by the time we left. Epcot was closed, so our plan to walk through Epcot to get to the monorail was out. We probably should have taken a cab, but we were too tired and full to even think of it. We waited 20 minutes for a bus to the Magic Kingdom, which was empty when we got on (save for a mother and her three kids who we were pretty sure were homeless and rode the Disney busses at night until they stopped…it was a really sad and sobering sight to realize that homelessness is an issue everywhere- even at Disney) and it was a quiet ride to the Magic Kingdom bus depot. We took our time walking back to the resort along the well-lit pathway.

Stephanie and I crashed when we got back to the hotel. I think Mom might have ordered room service for grandma, but I was fast asleep not long after we got back to the room. It was a long day and an even longer evening and we had another big day at Epcot planned for tomorrow.