For me, in additin to great food and a wonderful wine list, what separated Le Cellier from other steakhouses available was the Cast Members. They really interacted with the guests. They would introduce themselves and tell you what Province they were from - they would tell you all sorts of neat stuff about their home Province as well as Canada in general. It was a fun place to dine and one of the few restaurants that I have memories of specific Cast Members - It really was a memorable dining experience, not just dinner.
It is too bad the Cast Members don't have the time to interact and give their "personal touch" to guests anymore.
I agree about the introductions. It was a nice touch. However, at dinner, the niceties ended once we ordered our meals. Not the case at lunch. Our waitress was very attentive and knowledgeable. It also was very nice that we were brought extra pretzel bread to go I don’t think they would do that over at Chefs de France!
Joined: Mar 25, 2010 Posts: 805 Location: Denver, CO
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:49 am Post subject:
Wizzard419 wrote:
One curiosity I had with the place was that there were other great steakhouses within walking distance as well as other great dining establishments but that one location is always packed. I don't know if it is just a "Normal food" kind of thing, or is it a location thing (like the sausage stand at TDS that had a huge wait)?
In my opinion, it's all about the dining plan. Yachtsman (which I believe to be better) is a signature meal, and costs two dining plan credits for a dinner. Shula's (which I also believe to be better, and to have the best pure steak dinner experience in the parks) isn't in a Disney property, so it's not on the dining plan at all.
On the other hand, Le Cellier is a one dining credit establishment, for the time being. Folks can get a decent steak dinner without having to leave the park, and pay the same relative price as they would were they to go to any other restaurant in World Showcase (except for Bistro).
The familiarity of some of the menu items and the convenience of being in the parks is part of it, but the reason it's currently such a hot reservation is the fact that you get so much bang for your buck when you're using the dining plan.
Back to an earlier thought, I agree that there is always at least one person in a group that stays away from more exotic or foreign tastes and textures so that would also make sense as to why that is one of the most popular WS resturants.
I have a reservation at Shula's in January for Matt's birthday. Last year we went to Yachtsman (and have been once more since). As good as Yachtsman is, does anyone here that has been to Shula's think it is better? We've never been, hence my asking. Would you consider it to be more in line with Morton's/The Palm?
Joined: Mar 25, 2010 Posts: 805 Location: Denver, CO
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:53 am Post subject:
I've never been to Morton's, but I have been to both Shula's and the Yachtsman.
I guess it boils down to this: If you want a complete dining experience, with great appetizers and a more diverse menu, then Yachtsman is for you. However, if your one and only goal is to have a delicious piece of beef, then I'd recommend Shula's. Their sides are a la carte, and while they are definitely tasty (and large, since they're meant to be shared amongst the table), they make it no secret that the steak is the star of the show.
This is why I prefer Shula's when it's just my girlfriend and me. I know I don't have to humor the whims of other people, and I know that the two of us are big fans of a perfect steak. Shula's cooked for me one of the most amazing rib eyes (it's a Cowboy Steak on their menu) I've ever had. They have my heart forever.
In comparison, the rib eye I had at Yachtsman was good, but it was a lesser quality of beef and over-seasoned. There really isn't a steakhouse or steak on Disney property that has or is a better cut of beef than what you can get at Shula's.
I will have to try it next time I'm there... if I can ever get enough time for a friggin' vacation.
Another question, what is the benefit of the dining plans that I see people talkinga bout all the time (and ranting when places change status)? Is it just that it saves a little money?
Joined: Mar 25, 2010 Posts: 805 Location: Denver, CO
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:49 pm Post subject:
Well, there are three kinds of dining plans, and they all work on point systems. There's the quick service plan, that, as you can guess, entitles you to so many quick service meals and snacks a day, but no table service.
The regular dining plan gives you a certain amount of table service points, quick service points and snack credits. It's not really sufficient for signature dining, unless you plan on paying out of pocket. If you're only planning on hitting a few sit-down meals and buffets, I guess this would be the one you want.
Now, the deluxe plan is one that you'd get if you plan on hitting a few signature joints, which take twice as many points as regular table service restaurants. A sit-down credit entitles you to an entree, beverage (non-alcoholic) and a dessert.
Now that that's out of the way, the reason that people talk about it all of the time is that Disney likes to give it away for free in their promotions. Personally, only think it's worth it if you're not a big restaurant goer and you're attending with more than two or three adults (as in, anyone too old for kids' menu). In our case, there's only two of us and we like to dine out at table service restaurants a lot. Also, we don't always like eating desserts. For us, the dining plan is both too much (food) and not enough (points). Some restaurants also give you a modified menu for the dining plan, as opposed to the full out of pocket menu. I find that unacceptable.
Ah, so as someone who likes to drink and having all the courses is not out of the question it would not be worth it for my people to get one. Thanks for the info.
I've never been to Morton's, but I have been to both Shula's and the Yachtsman.
I guess it boils down to this: If you want a complete dining experience, with great appetizers and a more diverse menu, then Yachtsman is for you. However, if your one and only goal is to have a delicious piece of beef, then I'd recommend Shula's. Their sides are a la carte, and while they are definitely tasty (and large, since they're meant to be shared amongst the table), they make it no secret that the steak is the star of the show.
This is why I prefer Shula's when it's just my girlfriend and me. I know I don't have to humor the whims of other people, and I know that the two of us are big fans of a perfect steak. Shula's cooked for me one of the most amazing rib eyes (it's a Cowboy Steak on their menu) I've ever had. They have my heart forever.
In comparison, the rib eye I had at Yachtsman was good, but it was a lesser quality of beef and over-seasoned. There really isn't a steakhouse or steak on Disney property that has or is a better cut of beef than what you can get at Shula's.
My first experience at Yachtsman, I was asked if I wanted any char on the beef. I said no. They didn't listen and there was a decent amount of char. It was edible and tasted fine; I had no complaints, so I didn't send it back (plus Matt's order was fine and I wasn't going to hold up the dinner for something I could easily look past). For our apps, he ordered the escargot and I ordered the scallops. We both ordered the Porterhouse for our entrees, if I remember correctly. The second time we went, I had the lamb and he ordered the scallops as they were offering it as an entree at the time. I like the place, but probably won't go back for a while since I'd like to get back over to California Grill (Slow-roasted Suckling Pig Flatbread?!?!?!?) and Artist's Point (buffalo whatever cut!)!
Joined: Mar 25, 2010 Posts: 805 Location: Denver, CO
Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:17 pm Post subject:
No problem! Glad to help out! Shula's is a little quirky, what with all of their football memorabilia and a really heavy football theme, but it's definitely fun. It's a steak you won't soon forget, that's for sure.
Oh, by the way, the suckling pig flat bread is freaking amazing. The winner on that particular dish is the addition of cracklings. They are salty and crunchy and just the perfect texture foil to the tender pork.
On a related note, the flank steak flat bread that they have at Jiko right now is also fantastic. I could give you a list of all of the places at which we dined and what he had on our trip in November, if you're interested in looking for a new place or item to focus on for your next blog submission. We really splashed out when it came to the dining this time.
As for Jiko, Matt and I had a light dinner at their bar back at the end of September when we stayed at AKL for two nights. He had the grilled wild boar tenderloin and I had a steak flatbread. Both were delicious, although the portion size of the boar was tiny.
I'm interested to hear about your dining experiences from your trip as well! It's nice to have another perspective of a dining experience, good or bad.
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I don’t think they would do that over at Chefs de France! 
