Kid's Power Pack, Where Have You Been All My Life?

Last week, the whole Growing Up Disney family went to Walt Disney World.  On Thursday, we had a big lunch at Sanaa (yum! Another post.) and then split up for the afternoon.  That evening most of the crew met up at Disney's Hollywood Studios to see The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (fabulous! More posts to come.)  After the lights, I needed to feed the kiddos so we headed for the ABC Commissary.  My children don't eat the widest variety of foods and the kid's meals at DHS tend toward chicken nuggets.  I was thrilled to see the Kid's Power Pack on the menu.  For $5.49 we got a small carton of milk (other options are available), strawberry yogurt, a cheese stick, goldfish crackers, carrots with ranch, and a chocolate chip cookie.  These meals have been around for a year or so, but this was my first time to check one out personally.  

For starters, the box was adorable and my husband must have worked some sort of magic to get Tink to let him throw it away when we left the restaurant.  The box alone bought a little time for me to finish my Asian Salad with Salmon, which was pricey at over $11 but tasty.  

The girls like all the foods in the Power Pack so we didn't have to cajole them to eat anything.  They dove right in and since they are 3.5 years and 17 months old, one meal was plenty for the both of them, especially after a good lunch and afternoon snacks.

While it's not nutritional dinner of the year, it made a fabulous, quick, easy, meltdown delaying meal.  They eat their veggies pretty well at home so I'm not too worried if vacation is relaxed.  

~Amy

"Best Of" Week: Toddler Feeding Made Simpler for Travel and at Home

My husband saw me working on this post and asked if I was going to title it "My Best Idea Ever" because he thinks it just might be.

Minnie turned 13 months old yesterday and is a fiercely independent child.  She's never been very interested in being a baby.  She wanted table food early, walked early, etc.  Basically, she's your normal second child who is trying her best to keep up with her big sister.  This has led to a set of challenges to keep her safe and fed while maintaining my sanity.  Hence, my latest baby breakthrough.  

Months ago, we discovered the baby food pouches and the spoon that attaches to them.  The pouch baby food does tend to be on the sweet side but getting some vegetable in her is better than none.  These were so wonderful for travel or just meals out at home.  Since Minnie wants mostly what we are eating, she's never been much for baby food.  This made the traditional jars or homemade food awkward because it's messy to deal with a partially eaten container.  With the pouches and spoons, we didn't dip into anything so the leftovers could be taken home.  I'd drop an icepack in the insulated pocket on my diaper bag and off we'd go to dinner.  I could safely and neatly bring home the rest of the food to try again within 24 hours.  I did this at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort since we had a full kitchen and didn't stay gone from the resort for too long.  At Walt Disney World, I carried a cooler bag with multiple ice packs anyway, so we were able to use this plan there too.  

 

 

Back to that independent streak, (which by the way, my parents think is hysterical. They have no idea where she got it. Not.) now that Minnie is older and able to feed herself even more finger foods and is learning to use a spoon, my previous plan doesn't fly.  I tried letting her hold the pouch without a spoon attached and eat straight from it.  That worked for a while, but eventually, she learned to squeeze it or bang it on the high chair.  A kid with a DIY banana squash volcano does not make for a pleasant meal out.  

Now for the sanity saver.  I bought a couple of Crayola juice box holders at Walmart for $2.50 each and they work perfectly.  Just slip the food pouch into the juice box holder and put on the lid.  She can't squeeze or remove it.  The ones I have are partially open on the bottom which is helpful if I need to squish the package halfway through the meal to help Minnie get to the rest of it.  Our juice box holder also has a large circular opening on the lid which allows me to put the lid on over the cap for the baby food if needed.  We've tested this system out at home and on a weekend road trip.  Minnie ate more of the fruit/vegetable combinations than usual and didn't make a mess with them.  If we had any leftovers, they went straight into the fridge at the hotel or on ice in the van.  This works with any size baby food or applesauce package, but the larger ones do need to be folded just a bit to get the lid on, just be sure not to remove the cap until after you've done that.

This idea helped Minnie feed herself which made her happy and kept her cleaner at mealtime which made me happy.  I hope it allows you to enjoy getting out just a little more too.  Please let me know if you try it.

This article originally appeared on Growing Up Disney on July 2, 2012. 

Disney Baby Tips: Part 2 Feeding Time

Today is a continuation of my favorite baby items, as my sister-in-law prepares her registry for her first child.  I've appreciated the help from other parents in the many reviews I have read and it's my turn to pass along some lessons learned.  I make nothing off these recommendations.  They are simply products I use and love.

For nursing, I can't say enough good things about My Brest Friend.  This pillow provides proper support for baby, improving latch-on and saving mom's back.  I got one when Tink was a few weeks old.  I was so tired of struggling with sliding pillows and I hated the boppy.  I made sure that I took my nursing pillow to the hospital when Minnie was born and used it from the second feeding on.  I've even thrown it in the van when we've traveled to make on-the-go feedings easier.

For older kids, I love the Bumkins Super Bib.  It's thin but really stops messes from ending up on clothes since it lays flat on the child.  The little pocket catches a good bit of the crumbs.  The best thing is how easy it is to clean.  Simply rinse it off after a meal and hang it up to dry.  It will be ready for the next meal.  From time to time, I put it in a mesh bag and wash it with the girls' clothes.  Ideally it shouldn't be machine dried but will survive just fine if you forget a few times.  We only have one and that's been enough.  I've used disposable bibs for travel while we are on the road or out at the parks, but I always carry along my Bumkins bib for use in the DVC villa or at Grandma's house.  It's so much easier than the stack of cloth bibs I traveled with (and had to wash) when Tink was very small.  I recently bought the starter bib which is a smaller version for Minnie.  So far I don't love it.  It's the same great fabric, but she's a brand new eater and things tend to slide down her neck past the starter bib.  I'll try it again when she's a little bigger.

The Munchkin Snack Catcher is terrific for keeping snack time cleaner.  The lid allows the kiddo to slide her hand in but stays shut in case the bowl is turned over.  Tink uses these around the house, in the van and at theme parks, the zoo, the farm, etc.  When we are out with the stroller, I've used a No Throw Strap (got mine at Walgreens) to attach the snack catcher to the stroller.  That way if she dropped it, we didn't have to worry about loss or dirt since it didn't reach the ground.  My pack had two straps so I attach one to each side of the stroller so we can secure snack cups, sippy cups or toys.  I do put these cups in a ziploc bag before putting them in the diaper bag.

Another little gizmo I like for snacks on the go is the Philips Avent Formula Dispenser/Snack Cup.  While I wasn't crazy about this as a formula dispenser, it seals tightly and is great for carrying small snacks in your diaper bag.  With Tink, I kept this loaded with three different toddler friendly snacks.  It was really handy at Disney World.  If she got cranky on the bus, I could give her a few bites without making a mess.  I also like that this can be used longer since the divider comes out and you can use it for larger food, like apple slices.


I hope this helps another parent (or someone doing baby shower shopping.)  These items have all made my life a little easier in their own way.

All of the photos in this post were obtained from Amazon and are property of the manufacturers.

At Your House After the Mouse--Beat the Heat Tacos

Another great benefit of freeze ahead cooking is the ability to prepare dinner without heating up the house.  A huge plus this summer!  It's supposed to feel like 115 here today. 

Tonight we are having tacos.  From the freezer, I have retrieved one pack of taco meat and one pack of black beans.  We always have tortillas and the other fixin's on hand.

Taco Meat:
I usually make 3 pounds at a time.  One big pot to clean and I have many easy meals stored away.  A little secret of my taco meat mixture...it has carrots in it.  You can know that your family is getting a little more of their veggie requirement without a fuss.  The carrots also add a little sweetness to the mixture.  They hide well behind the tomatoes.  If they need to be totally incognito for your crowd, just make sure you puree them really well, adding a little water as needed.

My kitchen posts are more about teaching concepts and inspiring ideas, so again, this isn't a hard and fast recipe.

Per Batch:
1 pound ground beef, ours is really lean, but that's up to you
3 carrots, pureed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning

Brown and drain your ground beef.  Add in the can of diced tomatoes, the carrot puree, and taco seasoning.  Bring it up to a boil and allow to cool well before packaging for the freezer.  Use the same trick as the round steak.  Prepare freezer zip top bags with the amount your family will eat in one meal.  I still freeze these flat in a cake pan, but folding the bag in half makes this smaller quantity easier to deal with later.

Black Bean Dip/Side Dish/Burrito Filling:
I've been making a version of this for a while now.  For a super fast addition to your taco dinner, combine one can of black beans, drained, with one can of tomatoes with cilantro and lime.  Cook until the tomato juice has condensed by about half.  This is a great side on its own, rolled into a tortilla for a burrito, or combined with some cooked rice for a heartier option. 

I've started cooking dried beans since they are less expensive.  Prepare a one pound bag of black beans according to the package directions.  Add in two cans of tomatoes with cilantro and lime and one can whole kernel corn, drained.  The yellow of the corn looks really nice in the mixture.  It could use some green too, so I think I'll try some green pepper or fresh cilantro next time.  If you are making this with dried beans, you'll end up with a rather large quantity, so freeze it using the tips above. 

For both the taco meat and the black beans, I allow them to thaw on the counter for a half hour or so and then cut off the bag.  I reheat them each in a microwave safe bowl covered loosely with plastic wrap. 

With your freezer and pantry stocked with these recipes, you can easily cook a quick meal with minimal clean up and without heating up the house. 

Homemade tacos with black beans-- a great simple meal At Your House After The Mouse

At Your House After The Mouse--Round Steak

Between WDW vacations and visiting out-of-state family, it feels like we travel alot.  A few years back, I found a method of cooking that helps put a good meal on the table when you're short on time.  This is really handy when you're just back from vacation and having a hard time dealing with the real world again.  I am referring to "freeze ahead" or "large batch" cooking.  No matter what you call it, it's great.  I love it when my freezer is full of items I can use to quickly and easily feed my family.

While this is a little off topic for a Disney blog, we're all busy all the time, so why not make life a little easier between trips?

Let's start with a very simple recipe for round steak.  One of the great things about cooking and freezing large batches is that it allows you to take advantage of good prices on food items.  The next time round steak is on sale at your local market, buy a couple of packs and try this recipe.  I am fortunate that my inlaws raise cattle and give us beef, but I never quite know what to do with the round steak.  Now we enjoy this ridiculously easy meal.

Per Batch:
1 pound (give or take) round steak
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pack dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup water
Sour cream to taste

Slice the round steak into strips.  I like to cut mine while it's still slightly frozen so it slices more easily.  Place into your crock pot.  Top with remaining ingredients and stir well.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Stir a little sour cream into the portion of the mixture that you'll be eating immediately.  Leave the sour cream out of the portion that will be frozen.  I serve it over rice, but potatoes or egg noodles would be good too.

Freeze the leftovers in quart-sized freezer zipper bags, pressing out as much air as possible.  The amount you'll put in each bag will depend on how many people you need to feed.  These were set up for two adults.  Be sure to label and date the bags.  Lay the bags flat in a cake pan and freeze until solid.  The frozen bags stack really nicely in your freezer.  This trick works great for all sorts of recipes: soups, sauces, taco meat, etc.

When you are ready to serve, open the bag a little to vent and microwave it for about a minute.  Once it's thawed enough to break apart with your hands, transfer the mixture into a saucepan and heat thoroughly.  Before serving, stir in a little sour cream. 

In the picture, I've served this with what I call Italian green beans and Granny's carrots.  Both are also freezer-friendly.  I'll cover them in a future post if this one goes over well. 

Freeze ahead cooking requires a little planning but it pays great dividends.  It's wonderful to know you can have a homecooked dinner on the table in the time it takes to cook rice.  And since you've done all the real prep and cooking on another day, the clean-up is minimal as well.  Just what you need as you're readjusting to the real world. 


Please check out our other recipes and home ideas.
Pumpkin Crisp
Cheesecake Cookies
Carrot Cake Cookies
L.A. (lower Alabama) Caviar 
Nutella Brownies
Beat the Heat Tacos
Ribbon Window Valance
Christmas Card Display

Team Favorites - Character Meals

Character dining is one of the truly unique experiences offered at Walt Disney World.  Yes, lots of places offer a good breakfast but no one other than Disney lets you combine that meal with the magic of some one-on-one time with your favorite characters.


Today our team discusses our favorite character meals at Walt Disney World. 

Amy:  For breakfast, my favorites are Chef Mickey's and The Crystal Palace.  We took Tink to Chef Mickey's breakfast for her first birthday.  It was a good meal, a fun atmosphere, and I like the chef costumes for the characters.  You can't beat a ride on the monorail to start the day.  For my full review, click here. 

I worked at The Crystal Palace during College Program, so it's a sentimental favorite.  The food is really good here and the team replenishes it often.  The characters are Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet.  You'll see them lead a parade with the kids once or twice during your meal.  I love this building with all its windows, curlicued decor, and Magic Kingdom location.  I think dinner is the best meal here but come hungry because it's not cheap.  It's now $32.99 per adult for dinner.  Kids 3-9 are $15.99. 

My other dinner pick is The Garden Grill.  This restaurant is in The Land pavilion at Epcot.  It rotates very slowly so the view changes throughout your meal and sometimes you overlook scenes from "Living with the Land."  Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale are the characters you'll meet.  The Garden Grill is only open for dinner now.  The meal is served family-style with steak and turkey for the adults and chicken and mac and cheese for the kids.  Some of the produce is grown in the greenhouses at The Land pavilion.  This location is a few dollars cheaper per person than The Crystal Palace.

DisneyDad:  I have to admit I enjoy the character meals as much as any kid.  Over the years we have been to many different character meals and I have enjoyed them all.  Most recently we had the Breakfast Buffet at Chef Mickey's at The Contemporary.  The first time we went to Chef Mickey's it was a restaurant at Downtown Disney complete with...who else... Chef Mickey!

Of the character dining experiences WDW currently offers my two favorite are Chef Mickey's and The Crystal Palace.  Chef Mickey's is in the Grand Concourse at Disney's Contemporary Resort. Depending on where you are seated you can watch the monorail run though.  The restaurant brings Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy to your table as you bring all you can eat from the buffet to the table.  We recently had breakfast there and the food was as good as any breakfast buffet I have been to anywhere.  All the food was fresh, the hot food was hot and the cold food was cold and it all was delicious.  My favorite for breakfast is always the Mickey Waffles and theirs were fresh and warm.  (Did I say I enjoyed this as much as the kids?)

My other favorite, The Crystal Palace, is just off Main Street, USA at the Magic Kingdom.  The restaurant looks like a Victorian conservatory complete with palm trees growing under the glass dome.  The food here is buffet style also.  (My daughter worked here in the College Program.  On one trip here only one side of the buffet was open while they were getting the second side setup.  We actually had the buffet opened for us by one of the chefs so we could be first in line.)  (Amy's note: one of my cast member friends thought this would be a special treat for my parents.  Looks like he did make some magic.  My parents are still happy about this and it was in 1997.)  Pooh and Friends come visit your table at The Crystal Palace.  The last meal I had here was breakfast and it was excellent.  It is a great way to start the day at the Magic Kingdom.

Ridge:  I have to say that character meals aren't really my thing at this point in my life.  As far as the characters are concerned, The Crystal Palace would have to be a favorite of mine since I am being asked to choose. T-i-double G-er has to be one of my favorite characters, right after Mickey Mouse, of course.  At The Crystal Palace we have always had good luck with having the right amount of time and getting the pictures we wanted. It also doesn't hurt anything that the food here is also really good.  But if you want to see the HC (Head Cheese) himself, you really can't beat Chef Mickey's. It was a real cavalcade of characters and only took about 45 minutes in the rotation to see them all. Here's a tip, if you are in a spot where the characters rotate off stage, because they only stay on the floor for about 15 minutes before "rotating," keep an eye out for their handlers. We were seated right at the point where our Chefs were rotating and it is easy to get overlooked because the replacement might confuse where his/her counterpart left off. If you accidentally get missed, just ask one of the handlers and they'll steer the character back your way.

 ---------------

It looks like our team has similar opinions again.  Other character meals we've had over the years that didn't make our favorites include 1900 Park Fare breakfast, Liberty Tree Tavern dinner (discontinued), Olivia's breakfast at Old Key West (discontinued), and Donald's Breakfastasaurus (now similar meal at Tusker House).  


Cinderella's Royal Table (formerly King Stefan's Banquet Hall) used to be a family favorite, however, the restaurant started changing in the early 2000s.  Our last visit there was in 2005.  We might go back someday if Tink insists, but in my opinion the elegance of the place is gone now that it is a character dining location.  It's also very pricey and VERY hard to get a reservation.  I realize I am in the small minority here and if you have never had a meal in the castle, then this is a treat.   


I would like to try the character breakfast at Tusker House.  Our lunch there was wonderful.  For my full review, click here.

Cape May is not on my to-do list.  We ate dinner once when we stayed at Beach Club and I wasn't impressed.  Since we usually stay at Old Key West, this restaurant would not inspire me to make the journey over there.


Akershus Banquet Hall is a must-do once Tink gets a little older.  Most of the princesses will greet you at this character meal.  The breakfast was so popular that it's now a character location all day, so if you don't want to get up early for breakfast, you can still meet Belle at lunch or dinner.  Breakfast is traditional breakfast fare while lunch and dinner feature a Norwegian menu with hot entrees and a cold salad/herring bar.  Chris and I had lunch here once and enjoyed the food. 


For me, the jury is still out on 'Ohana.  I love breakfast at Kona Cafe, but 'Ohana just seems chaotic to me.  Lilo and Stitch are here in the morning.  Maybe someday I'll brave this one.


What are your favorite places to dine with the characters?  Do you have a character meal that you just must have each trip?  Any that you don't want to repeat?  Please leave your comments below. 

(Check back because I just might scan some pics of me in the oh-so-lovely Crystal Palace costume...)

Buffet Review--Tusker House

Does anyone else have to look carefully when you type the word "buffet"?  I am a Parrothead as well as a Disney fan and have to make sure I don't subconsciously start talking about Jimmy.  While I am sure he can set out a great spread, this story is about Tusker House. 

Tusker House is a buffet restaurant located in Africa in Disney's Animal Kingdom.  It has been renovated within the last couple of years.  In its former life, this was a quick service dining location.  To access the restaurant, you wind around to the left and back of the building.  Here you check in with the hostess and you'll be given a buzzer.  There is plenty of space to wait in the outdoor seating area.  Ridge wants me to be sure that I mention the Dawa Bar located within this outdoor area.  He recommends this little oasis.  There was an African drum group playing during our brief wait and somehow Tink slept through the band.  Once our buzzer went off, we returned to the hostess stand and were taken indoors to one of the restaurant's dining rooms.  Our server was very helpful and gave us a good idea of what we'd find at the buffet. 

This was our best group meal of the trip.  Everyone really enjoyed the food and it was similar to one of our favorites, Boma.  The menu is African cuisine and we especially liked the seafood stew, salmon, samosas, couscous, and the various breads.  Disney's Tusker House page gives additional details on the food.  What I really loved about this meal was that I got to relax a bit.  Character meals are great, but it was nice to have a calmer environment.  I can see that this could be a noisy restaurant if busy but we didn't have any problems.  There was just enough action to keep the little one entertained but not enough to distract her from the task at hand.  I love buffets for little ones for a couple of reasons.  First, under three years old is free.  Second, we can feed her quickly.  Tink is pretty well behaved in a restaurant, but a one year-old only has so much patience.  I was able to offer her a good variety of foods, including PB&J and corn dogs from the kids bar as well as veggies from the adult sections.  I was really impressed by how well she ate here.  They don't have straw cups for kids, but a disposable coffee cup with a lid worked about as well as a sippy cup for milk.

Tusker House isn't quite as good as Boma, but I would definitely return.  It's nice to have this cuisine at the park; it's much more convenient than the hike over to Animal Kingdom Lodge.  The food was very good and they only put out small quantities and replenish frequently so everything stays fresh.  I can't end a food post without talking about dessert.  A good variety of treats are offered, so get a big plate and try the spice cake.

Lunch at Tusker House is about $21 per adult.  Dinner can be up to $29.99 per adult.  Breakfast is a character meal featuring Donald Duck, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy.

Have you eaten at Tusker House?  What did you think?

Buffet Review--Chef Mickey's

What could be better than having breakfast with Mickey Mouse on your first birthday?!?!

Chef Mickey's Restaurant at Disney's Contemporary Resort (Approx $27 per adult, kids under 3 free)

Six months prior to our trip, I spent over an hour on the phone starting at 6:00 a.m. central time to get an ADR for Chef Mickey's breakfast since this very popular restaurant fills up quickly.  (There is also an online reservation system but it was not working on this particular day due to the recent completion of upgrades to Disney's system.)  My party of 6 was scheduled for 10:45 a.m. on the big day. 

After checking in, we were escorted to the photo line.  Here Photopass photographers take group shots behind a large figure of Mickey and in front of a giant plate.  A photo package was brought to the table later.  This one was $32 and included one 5x7, 4 4x6 and a very creative folder with coloring postcards and recipes.  The images can be added to your Photopass card only if you buy the package at the restaurant.  After photos, we waited a few minutes before our pager went off.  We were more fortunate here in terms of seating and character rotation.  Our table was part of a small section along a wall with booths on the wall side and chairs on the other side.  This was much more spacious than our previous character meal experience.  Our server took drink orders and we all got settled in.  My husband brought back Mickey waffles, eggs, and fruit for Tink.  They use the same waffle iron as 1900 Park Fare but these were a superior recipe.  My brother brought me a plate with all sorts of breakfast goodies.  We all agreed that we preferred the food selection here.  They have all the usual suspects of a breakfast buffet: eggs, bacon and sausage, fruit bar, breakfast breads, cheesy potatoes (yum!), etc.  Pancakes were made fresh on a large griddle on the buffet line.

As good as the food is, the real attraction is Mickey.  The characters at this location are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald Duck.  The boys were all in chef's jackets or aprons and chef hats.  Minnie was wearing her classic red polka dot dress.  We were most of the way through our meal before our first visitor, Donald, arrived.  The characters did a good job of visiting with Tink and all signed her birthday card.  We were accidentally skipped by Minnie and Pluto, but the character handlers corrected the problem quickly. 

Chef Mickey's is a great place for a birthday and it seems like nearly every table is celebrating.  During the song that plays regularly throughout the morning, Tink was presented with a cupcake and "I'm Celebrating" button.  They must really go through the cupcakes here because this one was still warm when it arrived.  (I could use one of those now.)  It was tasty but not up to Grand standards.

Chef Mickey's earned an 8/10.  The food quality was high, our server was average, location is great.  Character meals are never cheap but there is no way we could have stood in line for all of those characters with a one year-old.  I would go back and would recommend this restaurant.  Maybe next time we'll check out the dinner buffet.

Buffet Review--Supercalifragilistic Breakfast

On our recent trip to Walt Disney World, we took Tink to three buffet meals.  Each was a very different experience.  Our group included my husband and I (30-somethings), my one year-old daughter, my 28 year-old brother, and my 50-something parents.  I'm going to review each meal.

Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa  (Approx $25 per adult, Kids under 3 are free)
We arrived on time for our 11:10 Advance Dining Reservation.  After a great group photo, we were seated in a smaller room off the main dining room.  I was hoping this was a good sign but I was wrong.  They had just seated the three tables around us so everyone was moving at the same time.  The server was not very understanding that it takes some time to settle a 12 month-old child.  I felt rushed by her and the characters who arrived and stirred up the room just moments after we were seated.  Unfortunately, it's just luck as to where the characters are in their rotation when you are seated, but it does make a difference in your initial experience.  I did not check out the buffet line myself due to the chaos.  My husband brought back food for Tink and my brother brought me a plate.  The food was good and it sounded like they were replenishing the supply regularly even though we were at the end of the meal time.  The characters at this location are Mary Poppins, Pooh, Tigger, Alice, and the Mad Hatter.  All of them spent a good amount of time with Tink.  We got good pictures and autographs on her birthday card.  This was her first time meeting characters and it went great other than the Mad Hatter.  I am sure he is lots of fun with teenagers, but he picked at Tink and made her cry. 

I give this meal 6/10.  The food was fairly good.  They have all the standards: eggs, waffles, bacon, and a few special items like lobster benedict.  Tink loved the Mickey waffles, eggs, and fruit.  Kid-friendly restaurants tend to be loud, but our group couldn't have a conversation over the noise.  I am glad to have tried something new, and the family photo was worth it, but I don't see us returning to this restaurant.  Possible bonus points:  Tink was given a large cupcake for her birthday.  Never turn down anything coming out of the bakery at the Grand.  They made my wedding cake and this cupcake was a wonderful treat later in the day. 

Have you dined here?  What did you think?  Please comment below.

Coming soon: a review of breakfast at Chef Mickey's.