Shutters at Old Port Royale at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights started last night. Being huge fans of this event, we always make dinner reservations at Hollywood Studios the week they start and the week they end.  Well, I procrastinated a little and was not able to get dinner reservations at the restaurant I wanted in Hollywood Studios, so we decided to try Shutters at Old Port Royale at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.  I had heard great things about their food and I was looking forward to visiting a Disney resort I had never been to. 

Most Disney restaurants seem to now be serving GNI rolls, which sadly, most chefs don't know how to prepare well.  My bread was soft around the edges and hard and dry in the middle.  When these rolls are prepared well, they are pretty good, but tonight, that was not the case. 

I usually don't order appetizers, but I really wanted to try the chicken wings.  These amazingly crispy chicken wings were tossed in a habanero-brown sugar glaze.  They might be the best wings I have had in the 5 1/2 years I have been gluten free.  I would go back to Shutters just to get these wings.  They weren't as spicy as I thought they were going to be, so my daughter Emma was able to enjoy them too.  They were served with  blue cheese, which I do not eat, so I can't comment on that part.  Katie ordered the Citrus-Poached Shrimp appetizer with crispy plantains.  They fried them in a dedicated fryer so I could try them too.  I might be ordering the shrimp and wings the next time we go back. 

Shutters has several main courses that are naturally gluten free, but I chose to order the brisket, which needed some modification.  I enjoyed my gluten free sides, green beans and mashed yuca, but the brisket was just ok.  We make brisket at home and and eat it frequently when we go to barbeque restaurants.  It wasn't as tender and flavorful as I was expecting.  I was not served the same sauce as my husband because the original sauce was not gluten free. 

 

I enjoyed the decor of the restaurant and it was nice and quiet.  

Katie enjoying a little cuddle time with Mitch as we waited for dessert. 

For dessert, the chef told me that their cheesecake is naturally gluten free, but I had heard they make gluten free vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.  We ordered two chocolate cupcakes to share.  After struggling to cut them, we realized that they were still frozen in the center, so they were not very edible.  If I ever decide to order the cupcakes again, I will make sure to tell the chef as I order my dinner. 

I think I will have a hard time getting my family to go back to Shutters.  No one was blown away by their entrees and dessert was a complete disappointment.  I would have asked for a replacement, but we were in a hurry to get to Hollywood Studios.  I will definitely be going back for the wings! 

After dinner, we headed to Hollywood Studios to see the Osborne Lights for the first time this year.  I'm sure this will be the first of at least 5 or 6 visits for us.  You can see someone in the picture with the new Glow With the Show Ears, which will set you back $25. 

We were on a mission from the start to find the purple cat, which is hidden in a new spot in the display every year.  It took us at least 30 minutes and a second tour around to find the purple cat this year.

Spoiler Alert -- the poor cat was stuck in a tree!