8 Days of Disney Dining Reviews Jan. 2007 (PHOTOS)

[mydogisbo]

Dining at Disney World is always a challenge to my mind. We love the character meals, but never eat nearly enough to justify the price. Some restaurants seem to be hit or miss. We have our perennial favorites, but want to try new things.

Here is a sampling of how we spent our food $ on our January Trip hopefully helpful to some.

Cast:
Me & DH, both 31
DS 7
DS 3

Trip Dates January 20-27
Restaurants:
Kringla Bakery
Whispering Canyon Café
Pizzafari
Patisserie Boulangerie
Earl of Sandwich
Crystal Palace (Breakfast)
Columbia Harbor House
50s Prime Time
‘Ohana Breakfast
Le Cellier
Playhouse Disney Play & Dine at Hollywood & Vine
Sunshine Seasons
Tony’s Town Square
Electric Umbrella

[mydogisbo]

First Stop: Kringla Bakery at Norway.

I decided I wanted to eat here to have a nice, light lunch (with sweets) & enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. DH & I had eaten here on our honeymoon a mere 10 years ago & I remembered enjoying it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January202007018.jpg

DS7 & I split a Turkey open faced sandwich. Very good & light. DH had his own. DS3 eats next to nothing (picky eater + indulgent parents = non eater, lesson learned). He had Cheez-Its & Fruit snacks we brought along.

DS7 had a fruit cup, mostly grapes, but good.

I ordered a Lefse (the rolled item) & a Schoolbread. The Schoolbread was FANTASTIC. Yummy cream on the inside. Coconut on the outside. Loved it. The Lefse I could take it or leave it. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Not bad, but not as good as the Schoolbread IMHO.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January202007019.jpg

Location Rating: A+ (nice warm day, quiet outside seating, not invaded by birds, very clean)
Food Rating: A+
Service: A (walked right up & placed our order, no one else in line, very nice CMs)
Overall Experience: A+ I highly recommend stopping in here, even if just for dessert!

[momofdbsdc]

Great start! I can't wait to read about the rest!!! :surfweb:

Thanks for sharing!!!
Kim
momofdbsdca

[mydogisbo]

Whipsering Canyon Café for Dinner

I knew I wanted to eat here based on DIS reviews & the location. We debated about staying at WL so I knew I wanted to check it out. We had a 6:50 ADR for 6 people. Not my first choice, but when my parents decided to join us 2 weeks before we left, that was the closest time to my original 6:30 I could get after adding 2 people.

So, we drove to WL & looked around in the lobby & went up a few floors to get a feeling for the place. I liked it, a lot. I think for this vacation though BCV was the best choice for us—just a sunnier feeling & that is what I needed this time.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January202007093.jpg

Anyway, on to the food.

I checked in at the podium around 6:40. I think we waited 10-15 minutes. It is nice because there is seating in the lobby that you can take advantage of while waiting.

We were seated in the main dining section, but sort-of off to ourselves. Our table was by the windows & closest to the kitchen doors.

Our server was Head of Lettuce. She was a hoot, calling the boys Cowboy, sneezing our straws on us, etc. The boys had a great time (we all did really—it was our first Disney night, how could we not???). We enjoyed the antics of pony races & ketchup bottles.

DS7 had the hotdog, proclaimed it good. It’s a hot dog. Don’t remember if we ordered anything for DS3—if they have pizza that is what he got, if not side of fries.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January202007103.jpg

DH & I shared the NY Strip steak. We ordered it medium well. They had no problems with us sharing & brought an extra plate when they served the meal. Don’t remember what the parents ate—sorry!! DH got a milkshake he said was good. Cornbread was very good. I would say we waited a little bit longer than average amount of time to get our food.

Our meal was not good. I think it was a fluke because I believe all of the good reviews here, but we missed out. Although we ordered it medium-well it came out charred. Literally burned on the outside. The mashed or smashed potatoes with it were cool, presumably because they had waited for the steak to cook. As I said, I don’t remember what my mom ordered but she did ask for a side of green beans. They brought the fluorescent beans out on a plate & she shared. I ate 2. They tasted as though they were frozen green beans & the only preparation that went into them was taking them from the freezer bag, put them on the plate, let it sit on counter while steak is burned. They were cold, not cool, COLD. Yuck!

I am glad we ate here—to see the WL, to play the games, the atmosphere is great. I don’t think we need to go back for a few years though—it wasn’t that impressive to me.

Location: A
Food: C-
Service: A-
Overall Experience: B

[TigerKat]

Enjoying your reviews, Sarah! Hopefully WCC was the only bad experience you had.

[MamaKate]

I love reviews with photos! Keep them coming!!

We plan on eating at Kringla for the same reasons you did. Light meal plus sweets :thumbsup2

[flea1267]

subscribing :)

[REL1203]

Nice reviews so far, keep it up

[Katiebell]

Great reviews so far, love the pics! Will keep watching for more -- a few of the restaurants on your list are on our list, too...

[honeybee213]

great reviews!

[mydogisbo]

Lunch @ Pizzafari

YUM!

Pizza is a staple at our house with DS3, so I knew this choice would at least be a meal for him. We went early, probably 11:30-11:45 because we had gotten to the park so early. We walked right up to the counter & ordered. Between the 4 of us we got 2 cheese pizzas & a pepperoni. (I saved on drinks by bringing those in with us, shhh!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January212007014.jpg

I have to say I think the pizza was quite good. We got it quickly, and it was nice & hot (but not too hot). The kids devoured it & we had just the right amount for all of us.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January212007069.jpg

I also really enjoyed the colorful & playful atmosphere inside. Although it was nice enough weather to eat outside we grabbed a table right inside—this place is huge! It was very clean too. No complaints on this one & we’ll be back. Very good for counter service.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January212007070.jpg

Location: A (pretty close to most everything, perfect for us to go to Camp M-M after eating)
Food: A
Service: A (very efficient—also very early—very clean)
Overall experience : A (highly recommend especially if you have children)

[ErinSLP]

great reviews---we were there the exact same time and ate at some of the same restaurants--can't wait to see if we were in any of them at the same time!!!!

[mydogisbo]

Dinner at Earl of Sandwich

I love eating here when we are at Downtown Disney. We usually don’t spend too much time over there, but we do like to shop at a few places in the Marketplace. The location of Earl of Sandwich is perfect for that & the price is just right!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January222007003.jpg

DS 7 got the kids turkey & cheese—proclaimed it delicious. He is a sandwich kid. He particularly liked the bread & I agree on that.

DS 3 got the pizza—can you believe it?? It was a closed sandwich though, which I was afraid would cause a meltdown from this pizza connoisseur, but mom to the rescue! I opened it up & things were just fine. This is a kid who goes nuts if the cheese gets stringy. He says, “Oh no! A rope!” Good grief.

I had the All American. Basically turkey & cheese with cranberry sauce (bacon too I think) warm. I got the ranch on the side for dipping. Delicious. I definitely recommend this sandwich. Their bread really is fantastic.

Don’t remember what DH got—sorry. He liked it though .

It was warm, & had not started raining yet, so we ate outside under their covered tables. It was a bit quieter outside, which was nice, plus we had a great view of Once Upon a Toy.

Location: A
Food: A+ (+ because it is a super value)
Service: A (very clean & very fast)
Overall Experience: A

[mydogisbo]

great reviews---we were there the exact same time and ate at some of the same restaurants--can't wait to see if we were in any of them at the same time!!!!

Wouldn't that be neat?--unless it was at Le Cellier where my DS3 was a little less than well behaved, or Tony's where he did meltdown as we were seated. I did see someone at WCC that I knew from another MB. We were staying close to each other too--& even more odd is that in 2006 we stayed at CBR for an extended family trip & we had our Disneymoon at POR (though in 1997 & it was still Dixie Landings). Let me know if anything matches up!

[Daisy14]

Enjoying your reviews and the pics, can't wait to read more!!popcorn::

[myosotisd]

Thanks for your review, great pics too:thumbsup2

[mydogisbo]

Breakfast at the Crystal Palace with Pooh & Pals!!!

This is a tradition. A family favorite. A Must-Do on our Magic Kingdom Day.

We had an 8:25 ADR. I wanted to arrive early to take some Magical Magic Kingdom pictures in an empty park. We got to MK around 8:05 & had to tell the CM at the entrance where we had a ressie to get in. We got great shots at the Roy & Minnie Statue, the Partners Statue, in the Middle of Main St. & so on. We checked in around 8:20 & waited maybe 5 minutes—it was very fast.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007030.jpg

We were seated, our waiter greeted us & took our drink orders. He also explained the order of the characters & where they currently were in their rotation.

We waited at the table as Pooh, & Piglet were close. After seeing them we headed off to the buffet. I got food for 3 of us & DH waited at the table with DS3. After I returned to the table to see Tigger, the waiter let my DH know that a large group was coming in & he probably wanted to get on over to the buffet. More on that later.

I absolutely LOVE the French Toast & Breakfast Lasagna. I rounded that out with a bit of fruit & bacon. DS 7 enjoyed fruit, bacon, a muffin & French toast. DH a bit of everything. DS 3 ate cereal & bread. I know. Everything was very fresh, hot/warm, & good.

My only complaint about this experience is not one that is directly the fault of the restaurant. The large group mentioned by our waiter was one of the Brazilian tour groups of teenagers. We encountered them throughout our trip & they were harmless. This morning, however, was different. They were seated all around us & the CP manager had certain tables set aside for the group & others for ADRs. Well, the group decided they were going to sit wherever they wanted in this area, because these 2 girls wanted to sit together & when they got in there weren’t enough seats at any of the designated tables for them to stay together & so on. The wait staff had to keep asking groups to move from the tables they claimed. The worst part was the leader of the tour group & the manager had a somewhat loud discussion about the situation right at our table. The group itself (mostly female) was a bit loud & obnoxious with the characters. We were still waiting for Eeyore to arrive at our table & he had to make it through all of the tour group before he could get to us—several of them getting up from their tables to meet him, rather than letting him work his way around.

This is still my favorite character breakfast & we will do it every time until something drastic changes. I just love entering MK before opening, I love the open, airy atmosphere of the restaurant & I love the food. Our waiter was excellent, despite the tour group.

Location: A+
Food: A+
Service B+ (our waiter gets an A, the manager gets a B- for not taking his discussion away from our table—they were literally right behind my sons’ chairs)
Overall Experience: B+/A- (just because of the tour group complications)

[TruBlu]

Great reviews! Love the pictures!:goodvibes

[mydogisbo]

Dinner at the 50’s Prime Time Café.

My family has always loved this restaurant, way back to the early 90s. It may have been the only TS restaurant we ate in when we came in 1991 (I think it was). DH & I thought it was the best meal we had in 2004, last year we were very upset to hear it was closed for refurb during our trip. I know this restaurant has a love/hate following, we are decidedly on the love side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007022.jpg

Our reservation was for 6:05. We walked over to MGM from Beach Club—a nice little walk through the Boardwalk, along the canal to the entrance—we really enjoyed this. It was an EMH at MGM, so we got wristbands before checking in at the restaurant. It was probably 10 minutes early when we checked in & we waited a bit for our table—maybe 15 minutes. I say a bit because I think that was our longest wait of the stay.

It was well worth the wait, though, because we got one of the “good tables” with the TV. There were some canisters up top that my grandmother had the exact same ones!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007037.jpg

Uncle Tim was our server & he was great in character. He signed our autograph book too. We were ready to order when he came to the table. Fried Chicken for DH & Me, substitute green beans (hoping they’re better than WCC), Chicken nuggets for the boys.

The food came very quickly & Uncle Tim was attentive to our drinks (even gave me a refill in a to-go cup before we left).

The Fried Chicken was delicious. DH cleaned his plate to the bones. I couldn’t eat quite that much, but it was excellent. We’ve never had anything else there, when we find something this good, why mess with it?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007035.jpg

DS 7 said that the nuggets were good & he really loved the make-your-own Sundae dessert. I think DS 3 approved too—he ate some of his.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007036.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007041.jpg

Another great time & great meal at the 50s PT for us!

Location: A
Food: A+
Service: A
Overall experience: A/A+

[mydogisbo]

Lunch at Columbia Harbor House

We’d eaten breakfast at Crystal Palace & were having dinner at 50s Prime Time. We didn’t want to eat much. My parents were hungry (they didn’t join us for breakfast) & the boys needed something, so we chose Columbia Harbor House.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007140.jpg

We sent DH in line for a basket of Chicken Fingers & a Basket of Fries for us to share & we headed upstairs for the perfect seat & we found it. Nice & quiet with a great view.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January232007144.jpg

The line was not too bad given the time of day, & service was pretty quick. Food was warm & good (for chicken fingers). But the nice quiet spot we got made it all worth while (& it seemed to be less crowded than some of the alternatives like Pinocchio’s).

Location: A+
Food: B+
Service: B
Overall Experience B+/A-

[mydogisbo]

Lunch at Boulangerie Patisserie

How did I forget to include this before these other reviews????

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January222007066.jpg

This was one of my favorite meals. We stopped on our way into the World Showcase & got nuggets & fries for the boys. Once we got to France I went in & ordered while DH waited with the boys. I got the warm ham & cheese croissant—YUM & the peach tart. The tart was wonderful—I didn’t want anything chocolately sweet & this hit the spot. If you can call a French pastry light, this was. We had our own drinks that we brought in with us.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January222007068.jpg

We grabbed a table outside, but as DH was inside ordering his lunch it began to rain on us, so we grabbed up everything & moved inside. Both locations were very nice, clean & had a lot of character. Probably would’ve preferred the weather to stay nice & let us remain outside, but the inside tables still had the feel of a sidewalk café.

We will definitely repeat this meal. I highly recommend it for a nice lunch.

Location: A+
Food: A+
Service: A (Fast moving line for the most part)
Overall Experience: A+

[momof2disprincesses]

Your reviews are great and your pictures are so clear!

I love that you took pictures and shared them of the OUTSIDE of restaurants and other interesting things (like the view from Columbia HH)! :flower3:

Thanks for sharing this!!!

[oybolshoi]

Great reviews - gotta love that ham and cheese croissant! :thumbsup2

[mommyaof2]

Great reviews!!! Thanks for sharing!! I can't wait until my trip in April, so I can share reviews too!:)

[mydogisbo]

Thanks for all of your comments. I decided to carry around my larg-ish digital SLR camera this time hoping for an assortment of good pictures. I love to take pictures of the details--I took 1500 pictures total this trip! I spared you some of the details like the chairs at Pizzafari :thumbsup2

I'll be back tomorrow with more reviews--a couple of character breakfasts coming up, Tony's & more.

[PoohGal05]

I am loving your reviews and pictures! My mom and I love Crystal Palace for breakfast too!

[DisneyDarlings]

Great reviews! Love the pictures, too. Can't wait to read the rest. I have made my TS ADRs, but am still deciding on CS meals. I want to try something new this time besides the usual burgers, chicken fingers, etc. I especially love the reviews of the CS meals at Epcot. Keep them coming!

[Stick_to_Disney]

I have a question about the patisserie. The ham and cheese croissant looks great, but is it made to order? We have some picky eaters in our family who don't like condiments. Can you order one plain (just meat and cheese)?

[mydogisbo]

The croissants we had were not made to order. They were in the bakery case & the server picked one & then toasted it. I really didn't taste anything except the ham & cheese--maybe some butter (or that could've been the croissant itself). I would think you could request one made a special way, but for our experience we ordered "off the shelf."

[Minniespal]

Excellent ~ Thanx for sharing.

[ErinSLP]

So far no match ups on the restauarants!! But that is pretty odd about all the other stays (CBR, POR). We more than likely passed by you during our stay. We would walk around the Yacht and Beach club at night so our little one could fall asleep! Loving all your pics, by the way! I wish we had taken more pics, but with a 2 year old, you get pretty distracted!!!

[MazdaUK]

Loving these reports, can't wait for more!

[Disney owl]

Great reviews thanks

[mydogisbo]

‘Ohana: ‘Ohana means family & family means no one gets left behind . . . or forgotten. Except our table for breakfast.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007007.jpg
{Sorry about the sideways sign--it is rotated on photobucket, but apparently wants to flip back here--must be Stitch}

Obviously, Stitch is a big fan of the real Stitch (as is Figment). We did this breakfast last year & really enjoyed it. We were seated at a nice table in the open room, view of the castle, attentive server, great character interaction, good food.

This year was different.

Our reservation was for 9:00. We checked in a bit early, I think by 8:45. We waited about 5 minutes for our table. The restaurant was pretty empty. We were seated in a terrible location. We were on the side at a table that was wedged in between the tikis with torches. I guess I could’ve asked to switch because there was really no one there, but I never do that. Our waitress comes around with our drinks (yummy guava juice) & fruit. That’s it. She didn’t tell us anything about the characters, or what she would be bringing for food. It took her a little while, but she did finally bring the family style platter.

DS 7 loved the sausage. I think their pineapple bread & cinnamon bread are very good (the pineapple bread is something different at least). The platter also has Mickey Waffles (my favorite), bacon, eggs, & potatoes. I loved the potatoes last year, didn’t like them this year—don’t know what is different, maybe just me. The food was not particularly hot, & our server never came back to see if we needed anything replenished.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007024.jpg

The character interaction was mediocre to poor. Mickey & Stitch were pretty good, but for the very small amount of people in the restaurant they really could’ve spent more time at each table than autograph, photo, move on. Literally, where we were sitting there were only 2 other tables inhabited by humans.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007042.jpg

This year, for us, this experience was not worth the money. Our server was particularly bad. We paid with our Disney Gift Cards & she had no clue how to do them. She never refilled our drink, and never came by to ask if we needed anything on the “all-you-can-eat” platter. We were forgotten.

The food itself is fine. Nothing spectacular, nothing out of the ordinary (except the pineapple bread). This will not be a repeat meal for us the next time we go.

Location: A (LOVE getting to visit the Poly)
Food: B
Service: C
Overall Experience: B

[Katiebell]

Awww, sorry 'Ohana was such a disappointment! :sad2: Hopefully it was just a fluke, since you said you liked it so much last time. It's still on our list for breakfast, because 626 is DH's favorite character, so we have to go there. And DH is the type to go hunt down the server if our drinks are empty and no one is coming by :laughing: No one stands between him and his coffee in the morning... :coffee:

These reviews are great -- can't wait to read more! And BTW, that's a really cute pic of your kids with Stitch :)

[labattblue]

‘Ohana: ‘Ohana means family & family means no one gets left behind . . . or forgotten. Except our table for breakfast.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007007.jpg
{Sorry about the sideways sign--it is rotated on photobucket, but apparently wants to flip back here--must be Stitch}

Obviously, Stitch is a big fan of the real Stitch (as is Figment). We did this breakfast last year & really enjoyed it. We were seated at a nice table in the open room, view of the castle, attentive server, great character interaction, good food.

This year was different.

Our reservation was for 9:00. We checked in a bit early, I think by 8:45. We waited about 5 minutes for our table. The restaurant was pretty empty. We were seated in a terrible location. We were on the side at a table that was wedged in between the tikis with torches. I guess I could’ve asked to switch because there was really no one there, but I never do that. Our waitress comes around with our drinks (yummy guava juice) & fruit. That’s it. She didn’t tell us anything about the characters, or what she would be bringing for food. It took her a little while, but she did finally bring the family style platter.

DS 7 loved the sausage. I think their pineapple bread & cinnamon bread are very good (the pineapple bread is something different at least). The platter also has Mickey Waffles (my favorite), bacon, eggs, & potatoes. I loved the potatoes last year, didn’t like them this year—don’t know what is different, maybe just me. The food was not particularly hot, & our server never came back to see if we needed anything replenished.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007024.jpg

The character interaction was mediocre to poor. Mickey & Stitch were pretty good, but for the very small amount of people in the restaurant they really could’ve spent more time at each table than autograph, photo, move on. Literally, where we were sitting there were only 2 other tables inhabited by humans.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007042.jpg

This year, for us, this experience was not worth the money. Our server was particularly bad. We paid with our Disney Gift Cards & she had no clue how to do them. She never refilled our drink, and never came by to ask if we needed anything on the “all-you-can-eat” platter. We were forgotten.

The food itself is fine. Nothing spectacular, nothing out of the ordinary (except the pineapple bread). This will not be a repeat meal for us the next time we go.

Location: A (LOVE getting to visit the Poly)
Food: B
Service: C
Overall Experience: B
Disappointed to hear 2 things...poor service and mediocre character interaction. Considering the restaurant was fairly quiet both of these items should been excellent.

I really like the idea of family style, since you don't have to worry about missing the characters, but now I'm not so sure about Ohana. Maybe you were just there on an off day. :rolleyes1

[Caboosey]

I love the reports on your little one's lack of eating... His Dining Report would be "Pizza and fries around the world!"

He'll probably grow out of it - I was a super-picky eater when I was young, and now I'm... OK, maybe he won't grow out of it. I certainly eat more than I did when I was his age, but I'm still pretty picky.

[PrincessTiff]

Great reviews, thanks!!:)

[mom2zoejane]

My DD2 and I will be at WDW in 6 weeks, and are doing some of the same places you have listed for your meals. Good info. Hope to hear about Hollywood and Vine and Sunshine Seasons. Thanks for Sharing:thumbsup2

[Alice28]

Your photos are wonderful- I sat in the SAME spot where you did in Columbia Harbour House and I just chuckled and grinned looking at your picture of the view. My mom and I sat up there, and no one else was up there...I told her I felt like a Queen and was looking over my kingdom.

AND, now I'm starving! Can't wait for some Disney food!

[mydogisbo]

I hope it was a fluke. I know that our server last January was much better (this year she was totally clueless & I would guess fairly new), as was our table location. In fact, last year that was the best character interaction we had of any of our character meals. I wouldn't rule this one out if you like the Poly & are Lilo & Stitch fans.

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Loving your review!!!! The pictures you took of the different eating places were WONDERFUL! I love the little details of Disney!!! Thanks for posting!

[S.Poppins]

The pic of the School bread made my mouth water! I will have to try France for lunch next time! Great job on the reviews.

[Local_Girl]

I'm really enjoying your reviews! :thumbsup2 Disney is all about the details, IMHO, so it's nice to see some of the views, signs, etc. too. I'm hoping to do CP for breakfast (and noticed that the price has gone up a couple bucks per person since the menu date posted on Allears...ugh! :sad2: ) and maybe Prime Time--both would be a first for us, so it's nice to hear the positive reviews. We also love the Patisserie, but have only done the goodies...next trip it's gonna be lunch AND goodies, LOL! :goodvibes

[mydogisbo]

Le Cellier. Our first time eating here—could it live up to the DisBoard hype??? YES!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January222007040.jpg

Wednesday was our “day off.” Our late breakfast (see ‘Ohana review), supposed to go play Miniature Golf & stay away from the parks. Well, it was a bit cool & a bit drizzly, so we didn’t fell like golf. & the MK was beckoning a monorail ride away from the Poly (I know the parking police are going to get me). So, we went over & rode a few things. We were still back at the Villa for lunch & an afternoon off like I’d planned. {This will have a point}

We had a 5:50 reservation. I thought that would be early enough that DS3 would remain relatively well behaved in this somewhat nice (but still we’re at Disney restaurant). I also thought that afternoon of rest would help. Not so much.

We checked in around 5:40ish. I had told them we were celebrating our 10th Anniversary when I made the ADR. Our actual anniversary is in May, but we are not able to get back to the World for it (though I have begged), and we honeymooned at Disney, so I wanted to do something to recognize the fact that we did & we were back (kiddos in tow). When we checked in they gave us Anniversary buttons. How nice!

We were seated pretty quickly, maybe 5 minute wait if that. We were taken to British Columbia. I liked that they gave you that little tidbit of information. DS7 is huge into trivial stuff like that.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007034.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007036.jpg

We went ahead & put in an order for the kids. DS7 chose the hot dog with fries & cheese soup for appetizer (I was so happy that they offered this on the kids menu). DS3 chose—you’re not going to believe it—Pizza. I know, a stretch for him.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007038-1.jpg

I waited for DH to decide what he would like to try since I knew 6 months ago that I was having the LeCellier filet with the mushroom risotto. DH chose the Pork Tenderloin.

Our server was very good. She kept our drinks full & brought the kids food quickly. I also enjoyed the bread appetizer--mostly the pretzel breadsticks. i did not care for the whole wheat version.

I convinced DS7 that I needed to try his soup first, “to make sure it wasn’t too hot.” It was very good, but very rich. I am glad I got to taste it & take a few sips, but I could not eat a whole cup of it. DS loved it too, but couldn’t finish it off.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January242007037.jpg

DS 3 was having problems staying in his seat (note photo above). My only complaint or dislike about LeCellier is how packed in you are. We seemed to be just inches away from tables on all sides which made it difficult for even getting to the table.

DH & I also got our food quickly. I ate mine a little too quickly thinking I might need to remove DS3 so he didn’t disturb other diners.

My filet was cooked to perfect—medium well & melted in my mouth. The flavor was a wonderful combination—very juicy. I also enjoyed the mushroom risotto, but didn’t eat too much of it. It is also pretty rich.

DH proclaims that his pork tenderloin was very good also—he doesn’t elaborate a whole lot on his food.

Then—we got a surprise dessert! Yeah for our anniversary! A very delicious chocolate mousse. I thought it was great & I had not had too many chocolate treats this week, so it really hit the spot.

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We used our Disney Gift Cards here & this time our server had no problems.

Location: B (liked the interior, but nothing too special really, also marked down for tight seating)
Food: A+
Service: A
Overall Experience: A

[phisigprincess]

Great reviews! I love that picture of your DS3 with the pizza at LeCellier. :)

[kelleigh1]

Loving the reviews and all the photos. Sounds like we were at WDW around the same time last year since 50's was being refurbished while we were there. It's on our list of places to go this year.

I'm still wondering if we should go to Le Cellier. We've already planned on L'Originale Alfredo di Roma while at World Showcase, and I didn't really want to do two TS in the same place. But with everyone raving over it, maybe we'll make an exception.

[mydogisbo]

Breakfast with the Playhouse Disney Gang!

I was so excited about this meal. We actually gave it to DS3 for his birthday (back in June). We made a certificate & everything. He talked about it all through the Fall. We’re going to have breakfast with Little Einsteins. Yes we are.

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The Play-N-Dine with Playhouse Disney is at Hollywood & Vine, a restaurant that to me had a very plain, very unimpressive interior.

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Our reservation was for 8:30. We had planned to walk over to MGM, but it was raining & a bit cool, so we drove. The park was deserted (sorry for the crooked photo, I had my camera up under all of my rain gear to keep it dry, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take the picture).

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We were seated immediately in the mostly empty restaurant. I don’t know if there were no-shows because of the weather, but it was really empty. They divide the restaurant into 2 sides & on our side there were 3 families including us. I think 1 more came in before we left.

The characters were great for my DS3—JoJo, Goliath, June & Leo. They made the rounds several times, but because there were so few children it seemed a bit unorganized. The Playhouse Disney hosts did the dance party portion, but I know it had to be a bit hard on them with so few children there. On our side there were 3 at the most participating. I think this would have been a lot more fun with a bigger crowd.

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The food was average. It wasn’t especially hot. Again, we had the Mickey waffles, bacon, & this time some triangular tater tot like hash browns. Those were a nice change. Eggs were also included on all of these buffets, but I don’t eat them so I tend to forget. It seems like there were some other bread options too. Like I said, nothing real impressive.

Our server was very nice & efficient. She had no problem doing our Disney Gift Cards. She even gave me a nice big drink in a take out cup to last me through the morning.

All in all, I’m glad we did it. DS3 had fun dancing with June & JoJo. Leo played around with DS7---but we got almost the same interaction at the character meet & greet (moved into the animation building because of rain) for free a few hours later. As I said, I think a larger crowd in the restaurant would’ve made for a better experience for the “play” part. The dine part, just average. We probably won’t go back to this one—just to try something different. But if you have preschoolers who love the Disney Channel I would recommend it just for the characters.

Location: A- (nice to be in MGM so early, easy to get to, clean)
Food: B
Service: A
Overall experience: B+

[lillygator]

thanks for the reviews...we are heading to Play and Dine in May!

[Enchanted Tiki Bird]

It looks like your sons are having a wonderful time with the characters at the Play and Dine, especially your 3 year old. It's nice to see those big smiles.

[seetheworld]

Great reviews! Thank you for taking the time to post! You did a wonderful job!

[NDAMomX2]

Im really enjoying your reviews! Great job!! :)

[ErinSLP]

seems like we were one day off at all our meals--we ate at LeCellier on Tues (1/23) and the Play and Dine Bkfst on Friday (1/26)!! Enjoying your reviews!!! By the way, the Breakfast was empty when we were there too, maybe 5 or 6 families on each side.

[mydogisbo]

Pizza Planet—Wahooo!

Betcha never would’ve guessed we would eat at a Pizza Place!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January252007184.jpg
Although I find most of the Table Service options at MGM intriguing, I find most of the Counter Service unappealing. Last January we ate at Pizza Planet & the place over by Star Tours (so uninspiring I don’t even know the name). We ate outside at Pizza Planet on a very pretty day & enjoyed it immensely.

This year it was still a bit cool outside & wet from the morning’s rain, so we ate inside. Upstairs. Hint to stroller-toting Mama’s trying to secure a table with two kids in tow while DH orders food—there is an elevator to the right as you enter the game room from the food service area.

We proceeded up on the egg-a-tor as DS3 calls it & found a table. I don’t like to take a table that is larger than our party size, but we had no choice. It was pretty crowded inside due to the less than wonderful weather outside. It was also loud. Do not come here to relax. I do like the theme of the restaurant & the way they executed it for Toy Story fans. This is where we sat, our view, etc.:

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Cleanliness—they had staff working constantly cleaning off tables, but it still wasn’t wonderful. I wiped down our table with a wet one before eating.

The line was pretty long (we went later in the day since we’d had the buffet breakfast), & it took at least 15 minutes for DH to come up with the food.

We ordered 2 cheese & 1 pepperoni for the 4 of us. No drinks—brought those along. This is because 1) I’m cheap 2) DS’s only drink juice & this way they could have a variety 3) I can’t drink caffeine & I don’t like water. Perfect portions.

Exact same pizza as Pizzafari, & again we really like it. Nice & fresh. I guess these are made on the “pizza machine” that I saw featured on Food Network’s Unwrapped WDW special.

Location: B (very nice if you can sit outside, very loud inside)
Food: A
Service: A-/B+ (big crowd, they dealt with it well)
Overall: A-

[bigbabyblues]

Thanks for the reviews! We're taking our boys back in May, and we're doing the H&V breakfast for my DS3. One thing I've noticed, even if we don't think it's all wonderful, the boys usually do! We were at WDW 2/1-2/6, and H&V seemed pretty empty when we walked past it both times.

[ANTSS2001]

Great Pics and Reviews.. so sorry about the ohana experience... never did breakfast there but always get good experience for dinner...

I love reviews with photos! Keep them coming!!

We plan on eating at Kringla for the same reasons you did. Light meal plus sweets :thumbsup2

:offtopic:

Hiya MamaKate!!! Glad to see a familar nick and a familar siggie.... DS still collecting pins ?:hug:

[Wish_I_Was_At_WDW]

Loving your reviews and pictures! Thanks for taking the time to post!

[Laurafoster]

Thanks for Sharing!!

[peightonmom]

Great Reviews Thanks for sharing! Your boys are too cute.
:goodvibes

[mydogisbo]

Thanks for all of the comments--I'm pretty proud of those boys :goodvibes

Hopefully I can post a few more reviews tomorrow. Coming up:
Tony's Town Square for dinner
Electric Umbrella for lunch
Garden Grocer (since we ate quite a few meals in our villa)

[2Pirates_1Princess]

Anxiously waiting for your review of Tony's. I made an ADR, but havn't heard much good about it. I also would like to see pics. Your restaurant reviews have been great and pics always help. We plan to Eat at Pizza Planet and will make sure we go at an off time.

[natalielongstaff]

great reviews, your boys are lovely:)

[MickeyNicki]

Great reviews - gotta love that ham and cheese croissant! :thumbsup2

This was my favorite, I remembered it with the ham and cheese baked into the croissant. Now the croissant is cut in half and ham and cheese put on it...basically it is a sandwich....

[hmillerbarilla]

This has been so fun to read. REALLY nice job!!! :thumbsup2 I just had a baby boy and he's the first boy baby in our extended family--so this has given me lots of ideas for when he's a bit older. I'm always surrounded by the princesses so this has been so interesting!! Thanks for taking the time to do this!:)

[mydogisbo]

Dinner at Tony’s Town Square

This was a last minute (well, relatively) idea of mine. We were going to the Pirate & Princess Party & had planned to eat in the villa, but I found rewards programs online & had earned more than I had anticipated, so we decided to “splurge” for another table service meal. Didn’t want CRT, weren’t crazy about LTT, & already ate at CP, so Tony’s was left. I was wary reading the mixed reviews, but I have never eaten there, and I remember wanting to when I went on trips with my family when I was younger. Was I disappointed?

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NO!

I loved eating here! We will definitely repeat this experience. Part of my infatuation may be Main Street. I love the architecture, the music, the balloons & the happy people coming in to the Magic Kingdom.

We had a very early reservation 4:30. I think that is their first dinner seating. We checked in & waited in the very nice little waiting area. We got there about 5 minutes early, & we waited maybe 7. We were the second party called. The weather was gorgeous that afternoon. Clear sky, sunny & probably mid to upper 60s. I requested a table on the porch at check-in. We were seated in the perfect location for us. Here you can see the wonderful views we had:

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I felt absolutely in heaven—warm sunshine shining on me, happy Magic Kingdom, me & my boys. Never mind that it was our last night at Disney—it was pure bliss.

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Our server was excellent. Quickly got our drinks & allowed us to place orders for the kiddos. Guess what DS3 had? Yep, pizza. But, did you know you can just order the pizza with no side items for a lower price? Yes, you can. Great! DS7 also selected pizza which he said was very good with the apples (covered in brown sugar—yum!). She cheerfully told DH & I that the plate of spaghetti was rather large, so we shared a plate. Perfect! Just like Lady & the Tramp. Speaking of whom, we asked our very nice server if Lady & the Tramp were signing autographs. She happily took our book & returned with it stamped. DS7, aka Autograph Hound, was in heaven.

The bread appetizer was served quickly, and was very good.

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The spaghetti followed very quickly on its heels. I would almost say too quickly if it were normal circumstances, but since we didn’t want to spend a lot of time eating (more time to play) & DS3 was restless, it was just right. It was literally 3 minutes after getting the bread. The spaghetti was good. Nothing fantastic, but good. Meatballs were good too—but DH & I don’t eat meatballs very often, so we are not experts.

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During our dinner on the porch the flag retreat ceremony took place. It was very nice to sit on the porch, leisurely eating our meal & watch this. I knew about the ceremony, but it hadn’t crossed my mind that it might coincide with dinner. It was a very nice surprise.

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The porch was very clean, very quiet & even private despite being on Main Street. We just walked through the main dining room, so I can’t really comment on that.

As I said, this is a definite repeat for us—even if just for the Main Street atmosphere that I love so much—that just says “Hey, I’m at Disney.”

Location: A+ (especially our perfect seats)
Food: B+
Service: A+
Overall Experience: A

[mydogisbo]

Electric Umbrella or Attack of the Birds.

We didn’t have a plan for the last day. We decided to go to Epcot because the boys were in love with Test Track & wanted to do it one more time & it was the most convenient since we were staying at the Beach Club & needed to hit the road by 4:00.

We got a late start & Epcot was crowded. We ended up in Future World at lunch time & the Electric Umbrella was the most convenient to where we were & what we needed to do.

I don’t really have a whole lot to say about it. It was mediocre.

Kids had chicken (I think). DH & I had cheeseburgers. They were fine, equivalent to McD’s or Wendys. I guess slightly larger. Could’ve been a little warmer, as well as the fries.

I don’t like the interior of Electric Umbrella. We’ve eaten there before & both that time & this we chose to eat outside & watch the fountain.

It was dirty. I cleaned the table off & then wiped it down with our Wet Ones. & our table rocked back & forth. The chairs had to be cleaned out. &, unlike Pizza Planet, I didn’t see anyone trying to clean up the area. Then there were the birds. LOTS of birds. I literally thought they were going to swoop down & take the food right out of our hands. I don’t know why they are so prolific in that area of Epcot—from the concourse between FW & WC & through the Fountain & Innnoventions area—but they were EVERYWHERE! A few nights earlier I was “splatted” by one—yuck! Thank goodness that didn’t happen while we were eating.

The service—I’m not sure. DH ordered while we took a seat. It probably took him about 10 minutes to get out there to us.

We won’t go back here again unless we have to.

This is the only picture I took (should’ve taken the birds too):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/mydogisbo/January272007013.jpg

Location: B (convenient to Future World attractions, Fountain is nice)
Food: B-
Service: B- (including cleanliness)
Overall Experience: B-

[mydogisbo]

Grocery Delivery


Just to add. . .

We were staying at the Beach Club Villas. I was excited about having the kitchen & full refrigerator so we could eat some light meals & breakfasts in the Villa. We wanted milk, cereal, sandwich stuff & drinks.

Although we were driving down & would have our car, we decided we didn’t want to spend our valuable park time going to the grocery store, so we ordered most things from Garden Grocer. This was perfect for us!

Our order was right on, everything there. It was delivered in the window we had specified & left with Bell services (as we requested) since we were in the park.

When we returned to the room bell services brought it up & in the room.

They did forget one item—guess what??? Individual frozen pizzas for DS 3 HA!! The child will not even eat a sandwich. The next day bell services called us to say they had been overlooked in the freezer.

So, this all worked out great for us. I recommend Garden Grocer—easy website to use, great service. A+

[mydogisbo]

And in case anyone is driving down I-95 . . .


We always end up stopping at the Ruby Tuesday’s in Darien, GA. Right off I-95 in a smallish outlet center. It is always very clean, no wait & good food. This time we stopped there on our way down. We drove from NC to Jacksonville, FL on Friday. This is a good stop if you want to get out of the car, better than fast food, but still pretty quick.

On the way home we stopped at a Wendy’s in St. Augustine. It was also near an outlet center, but a huge one. We went through the Drive-Thru. Horrible customer service. Guy at the window never spoke or even looked at us. I guess the food was fine—none of us got sick.

On the second leg of our trip home . . . we went through another drive-thru, but I don’t remember much about it. I must’ve been too sad.

Now I’m sad because this is the last of my dining reviews. I’ll have to relive my experience through the reviews of others & start planning my dining for next January—it’s never too early, right??

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about these places please post them & I’ll respond.

[Enchanted Tiki Bird]

Then there were the birds. LOTS of birds. I literally thought they were going to swoop down & take the food right out of our hands.

I have experienced this! Literally! But it was at Busch Gardens where the birds thought that my cousin had bought that big banana split for them.

[2Pirates_1Princess]

Thanks so much for the review of Tony's. This is the one ADR that I have been a little nervous about. However, I found out my mother-in-law loves the movie Lady and The Tramp so I think it will be a big hit no matter what. All of your reviews were great. Glad you guys had such a good time !!

[princesstigerlilly]

Awesome reviews Sarah! I LOVE Main Street too and we will give Tony's a try on our November trip :)

[WDWBetsy]

Love the review! Your boys are adorable. Thanks for sharing your review! :thumbsup2

[SLDL]

What great reviews & pictures!! You mentioned travelling from NC, how long did that take? We are driving in March from NC. Oh, and I was wondering why you didn't do the dining plan? We probably are not, but I'm just wondering if you figured up your totals & if it was cheaper the way you did it?

[Enchanted Tiki Bird]

Oh, and I was wondering why you didn't do the dining plan? We probably are not, but I'm just wondering if you figured up your totals & if it was cheaper the way you did it?

I don't know about the OP but we decided not to do the dining plan. Sure, if we were going to buy an appetizer, entree and dessert for every meal equivalent to what you get on the DDP it might be worth it but we don't eat like that. Therefore, it would be cheaper for us just to order what we would like, when we would like it, OOP.

[DisneyJo]

Great reviews again and such sweet boys.
A few nights earlier I was “splatted” by one—yuck! Thank goodness that didn’t happen while we were eating.
Did you know in the UK this is thought of as lucky! :rotfl2:

[mydogisbo]

What great reviews & pictures!! You mentioned travelling from NC, how long did that take? We are driving in March from NC. Oh, and I was wondering why you didn't do the dining plan? We probably are not, but I'm just wondering if you figured up your totals & if it was cheaper the way you did it?

It didn't take us as long as we thought--it was supposed to be around 7 hours to Jacksonville & another 2 hrs. 45 minutes from there. I think DH shaved about an hour off of that with his driving skills. :woohoo:

Yes, I actually looked up the menus on allearsnet, wrote down what I thought we would choose & added it up. It was way less than the dining plan--even though we did the 3 character meals at a set price. We just don't/can't eat as much food as you get with the dining plan to make it worth our while. We really never order appetizers or dessert, and as you saw, we often split entrees on several occasions. My dining budget was around $700 for the 4 of us--& we were under that, particularly because I had an additional character meal factored into that number that we cancelled mid-week.

[mydogisbo]

Great reviews again and such sweet boys.

Did you know in the UK this is thought of as lucky! :rotfl2:


We did have an awesome week--so I guess it was lucky :goodvibes

[purpliequeen]

Awesome reviews! Thank you.

[MamaKate]

:offtopic:

Hiya MamaKate!!! Glad to see a familar nick and a familar siggie.... DS still collecting pins ?:hug:

Sorry it took me so long to reply just got back last night from WDW & DCL. Great Trip!! Yes DS still collects pins, but I don't let him spend as much time on our trips trading since in the past he made us stop every minute to trade :laughing: . Hope your doing well :thumbsup2

P.S. On our way to WDW this trip, my kids asked me if I was meeting my friends again (you and your sister). They still remember how funny and friendly you 2 were.

Sorry for posting OT :headache:

[shellbelle]

Lunch at Columbia Harbor House

We’d eaten breakfast at Crystal Palace & were having dinner at 50s Prime Time. We didn’t want to eat much. My parents were hungry (they didn’t join us for breakfast) & the boys needed something, so we chose Columbia Harbor House.

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We sent DH in line for a basket of Chicken Fingers & a Basket of Fries for us to share & we headed upstairs for the perfect seat & we found it. Nice & quiet with a great view.

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The line was not too bad given the time of day, & service was pretty quick. Food was warm & good (for chicken fingers). But the nice quiet spot we got made it all worth while (& it seemed to be less crowded than some of the alternatives like Pinocchio’s).

Location: A+
Food: B+
Service: B
Overall Experience B+/A-

I love this table at CHH for the view and the peacefullness as well! :love:

[kaylie&laurensmom]

Great reviews! We are thinking of trying Tony's on our next trip but have heard so many bad reviews so it's nice to hear something good. Question - the bread looks like plain 'ol loaf bread - is it toasted or warmed or anything?

[ang]

loved the reviews....

[GraLaur07]

great photos and loved this review !:)

[NMW]

Thanks for the reviews and pictures!

[disnut1149]

Hi
I really enjoyed reading your reviews!! Thanks a lot for sharing. Your boys are so cute.

[mydogisbo]

Thank you for all of the nice comments.

For the Tony's bread--I think it was warm, definitely not toasted. Like I said, our entrees came so quickly that I hardly paid any attention to the bread other than eating it with the spaghetti.