Our 1st Dining Report - August 11-18th, 2009 [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

dina7

08-24-2009, 11:21 PM

Like the title says, this is our 1st Dining Report after visiting the World countless times. This is also our 1st time on the Dining Plan.
Our family consists of me(42) who absolutely loves food, DH(45) who is a picky eater, DS (turned 14 on this trip) & DS (8) who are both somewhat picky. I spent a lot of time looking over menus on Allears.net to find places where "the boys" would all find something they would eat. So we are somewhat limited in our restaurant choices. I was really excited & looking forward to trying the DP. It did not disappoint...I loved it & my DH & I liked having our meals paid for ahead of time.

These are the Table Service Restaurants we ate dinner at:
Sci-Fi Dine-In
Crystal Palace
Boma
Chef Mickey's
Tutto Italia
Mama Melrose's
Tony's Town Square

Here are the Counter Svc. Restaurants we ate at:
Columbia Harbour House
Restaurantosaurus
Pecos Bill's
Backlot Express
Cosmic Ray's
Pepper Market at CSR

Plus various places for Snacks

Ok, so to start off we checked in to CSR & headed out to HS. We don't normally go to a pk. on arrival day, but we had an early flight & were at HS by 1:00. We had an early dinner ADR at 5:20 at Sci-Fi so we decided to have a snack at Starring Rolls Bakery.

I had the Napolean & everyone else had the Marble Cupcakes.
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01775.jpg

The Napolean was yummy, but couldn't finish it. My DS(8) loved the marble cupcake, DH & DS(14) liked it, but said it was a little too sweet. It had chocolate cake in the center surrounded by yellow cake. Nobody finished theirs...they were pretty big. We bought 3 bottles of water oop which cost $2.50 each, thinking we should save our snack credits. I know everybody says to just use them & not save them, but we thought we would run out. Of course everybody is right...we should have used them for the waters. As a note, we did use up every last snack credit & we did not have to load up on packaged snacks at the last minute to use them up. Once we got the hang of it, we were regularly snacking away! BTW, cost of these 4 Snacks would have been $16.47 if not on DP!

More to come...

mefordis

08-25-2009, 06:43 AM

Looking forward to the reviews!

milmore104

08-25-2009, 07:48 AM

Great start.

dina7

08-25-2009, 10:46 AM

Now for our 1st Table Svc. Restaurant of the trip: Sci-Fi Dine-In at HS. I know many people aren't crazy about the food here, but we have eaten here on several trips & have always been pleased. Besides the fact that the atmosphere is just great & a lot of fun with the whole drive-in movie experience. We love it & weren't disappointed this trip.

Here we are in our car. Our wonderful server Nick offered to take the photo for us. BTW, he was the best server we have had in WDW & in my DH's opinion in any restaurant. (& we go out to eat pretty often here in NY)

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01778.jpg

Next is DH's Bacon Cheeseburger, which is not on the dinner menu (we were here for dinner), but I knew from other posters that you could ask for it. We did & of course it was not a problem. My DS (14) also got a cheeseburger, but I did not take a photo of it since it looked pretty much like this one. Also, I did not take photos of a lot of my family's ctr. svc choices because very often they chose burgers & basically if you have seen one Disney burger you have seen them all.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01781.jpg

dina7

08-25-2009, 10:57 AM

Btw, DS (14) is of course, considered an adult on DP, so he did order off Adult menu at every meal. They both enjoyed their burgers. Next is DS(8)'s Cheeseburger & for an appetizer, the Garden Salad.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01780.jpg

I did mention my family is picky & just an example of this is my DS(8) doesn't eat salad. Nobody besides me does. So I ate his salad for DP review purposes only:cutie:. The weird thing about it was that the lettuce was shredded...almost like what you would top a burger with. It also had tomatoes & cucumbers with a ranch type dressing. It was tasty & very fresh, just a strange texture w/ the shredded lettuce.

Last is my St. Louis Ribs with fries & cole slaw. You also had a choice of other sides like baked beans, veggies, basically anything they offered according to our svr. Nick. Even a double portion of fries if you wanted.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01779.jpg

dina7

08-25-2009, 11:10 AM

Forgot to mention drinks: DS(14) & DH had Chocolate shakes which Nick explained at the beginning of our meal were included as beverages on the DP as well as smoothies. DS(8) had bottle of water & I had a coke. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of shakes I guess. They loved them & said they were very thick!

My ribs were really good, not over the top great, but nothing I would complain about. I was also glad that it was not a huge portion. I almost finished them. The cole slaw was excellent...like homemade & fries very good too. Nick brought me a small bowl for the bones & a stack of wet towelettes in the packet to clean up with, along with extra napkins for everyone. He was always one step ahead with everything we needed, but not obnoxious & in your face. We never had to look for him when we needed something or for the check. He was great with the kids too.

My Dessert--Celebration Cheesecake With Treats

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01782.jpg

This was one of the best desserts of the trip for me. If you like cheesecake, you have to get it! I didn't eat the M&Ms, but did have a few pieces of the caramel corn. The Celebrate Today sign was white chocolate--DS(8) loved it!

dina7

08-25-2009, 11:22 AM

DS(8) was too full for dessert as he had cleaned his plate. Unfortunately, the dessert choices on the kid's menu are fruit cup or ice cream sundae. So since neither travels well in the heat, DS(8) skipped it. DH & DS(14) both ordered the Peanut Butter Chocolate cake "to go" since they were too full to eat it then also. It is normally served w/ ice cream, but obviously in the FL heat they got it without. We were returning to CSR after dinner as it was our 1st day there & we were tired. After settling into our room, DH & both sons ate the PB Chocolate cake. Actually, DH didn't get to have very much as the boys truly enjoyed it. Each piece wasn't huge, but in a chubby cylinder shape if that's a description. The cake was chocolate & the center was warm peanut butter. They raved about it & said they will order it again! Sorry I didn't take a photo, but was unpacking while they were devouring the cake. As we went along, I did forget to take photos of some ctr. svc. food as well. It always seemed like my DS(8) would remind me to take a photo after everybody was halfway through w/ their meal. I did take some though & will post what I have.:)

MickeyNicki

08-25-2009, 11:26 AM

Wow what great pics!

How did you like the ribs? We had lunch at Sci Fi and really enjoyed the burgers and reubens but the ribs look great...were they tender and tasty?

dina7

08-25-2009, 11:32 AM

So overall, we loved Sci-Fi & will be returning next yr. It was a great start to our trip & Nick, our server topped it off. We felt he was so good that the day we checked out of our resort, I stopped at the concierge desk & asked to fill out a compliment card on him. (We had been meaning to do it at HS, but kept forgetting all wk.) Anyway, I was mistaken, they are called Guest Fanatic Cards & we did fill one out for Nick. The CM said that periodically they have a cash drawing from all the Cards filled out during that time period & even if Nick did not win that, the card would be put in his permanent record so that if he comes up for some kind of promotion or applies for a different position this would be looked at. At least we knew it couldn't hurt. So if you are lucky enough to deal with an exceptional CM, take a minute to fill out a Guest Fanatic Card. Just take note of the date & place that you dealt with them. Even if you fill one out & it's not at the location where they work, WDW will send it to the appropriate place through inter-office mail I was told.

Forgot to mention total cost of this dinner at Sci-Fi would have been $93.35 including tax if we were not on DP.

dina7

08-25-2009, 11:35 AM

Wow what great pics!

How did you like the ribs? We had lunch at Sci Fi and really enjoyed the burgers and reubens but the ribs look great...were they tender and tasty?

Ribs were really good, but like I said not the best I've had. They were very tender, but there was a little bit of fat on them, which was hard to see since it's so dark at Sci-Fi. I would definitely order them again. Though, it's funny next time I think I want to try the Reuben. Was that good?

It's funny...I could see the food better in the photos than when we were actually there!

MickeyNicki

08-25-2009, 11:44 AM

Ribs were really good, but like I said not the best I've had. They were very tender, but there was a little bit of fat on them, which was hard to see since it's so dark at Sci-Fi. I would definitely order them again. Though, it's funny next time I think I want to try the Reuben. Was that good?

It's funny...I could see the food better in the photos than when we were actually there!

The reuben was awesome, I would def order that again....I know what you mean about the pics...it is so dark in there and when I took my pics the food looked sooo great!

Sandy321

08-25-2009, 12:58 PM

DLo

08-25-2009, 03:33 PM

thanks for the reviews and pics. The pb and choc cake sounds awesome. Thanks for mentioning the Guest Fanatic Card. Not enough people get props for their good service!

milmore104

08-25-2009, 03:35 PM

It all looks so good! It makes me wish I was there now. We love Sci-Fi. It's been a favorite of ours since it opened. Although we can no long just walk up and get in!!!

dina7

08-25-2009, 05:57 PM

every review of Sci Fi makes me want to give it a try!! We've never done it - but I believe will put it on our must do list! (we like to try new places!)

Thanks for the review of the ribs - was that a dry rub? Did you have a sauce on the side? (Ribs are so different in every part of the country!) They look tasty - I didnt want to go and order a cheeseburger - was going to save that treat for Beaches and Cream! :rotfl:

Sci-Fi is so much fun for a meal...such a unique experience! It wasn't a dry rub on the ribs. It was a barbecue sauce on them already that had a nice flavor. The sauce was not on the side. The ribs were pretty flavorful.

pumba

08-25-2009, 06:07 PM

I love the photo of the cars you sat in......that is just to cute.......also thanks for the reviews ....it always helps to see it as well as hear about it..

dina7

08-25-2009, 06:59 PM

Krissalee

08-25-2009, 07:04 PM

You are off to a fantastic start - looking forward to reading more! :hippie:

TigerKat

08-25-2009, 07:14 PM

Great start!!!!:thumbsup2

Samandmom

08-25-2009, 07:51 PM

I agree about PB cake from Sci Fi is absoultely wonderful. :thumbsup2 Thanks for the reviews so far.

Joshua_me

08-25-2009, 08:10 PM

Wow !

Really great quality pics, Dina... Thanks for taking the time to do this...

We've been 'scared away' from the Sci-Fi since a *really* bad experience a couple of years ago. Maybe it's time to give it another try.

Looking forward to more reviews... :goodvibes

KatMark

08-25-2009, 10:01 PM

Dina, loving your reviews. We are doing Sci-Fi on our "mini" trip to the CSR next month. It's been years since we've been there (at least 9 or 10) and we can't wait to be back.

devonsmommy

08-25-2009, 10:23 PM

Loving your reviews so far!

dina7

08-25-2009, 10:41 PM

On our next day, which was our 1st full day in the parks-Wed, 8/12, we started with MK, our favorite! Got there for Rope Drop as we did all the other days of the trip for the rest of the pks too. We don't normally do that EVERY day & now I remember why... because it makes me exhausted, which it did!! Had a great time anyway!

Ate lunch at Columbia Harbour House. Had the Shrimp Platter with Fries & a Coke. Apple Crisp for dessert.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01790.jpg

I was excited when I heard on the Boards that they had a new Shrimp Platter, so I had to try it. It wasn't that great though...your basic fried shrimp. Oh well. Next yr. I will try the Anchors Aweigh Sandwich that everyone raves about. (I think that's the name of it) The Apple Crisp was surprisingly good though & served warm which was a plus.

dina7

08-25-2009, 11:02 PM

The CM at Columbia Harbour House was very helpful in explaining how the DP works at Ctr. Svc restaurants & stated that there was no difference in ordering for a child. They can order anything on the regular menu. When I was reading other Dining Reports before we left, people were saying it depended on which CM you got whether they would let you order off the regular menu at Ctr. Svc or that one of you had to get on a separate line to order the child the food off the reg. menu, etc. This is how it was at all Ctr. Svc. places...you could order any meal regardless if it was for a child or an adult. So that was easy. Sometimes my DS(8) orderd a kid's meal & sometimes an adult meal depending on what he was in the mood for or what he like on the menu.

Sorry I didn't take any photos of everyone else's food at CHH. Figured everyone has seen chicken nuggets & fries & if you have read at least 1 Dining Report, you have seen the infamous Triple Choc. Cake. DH & DS(14)had the 8 Chicken Nuggets, DS(8) had 6 Chick. Nuggets, all w/ Fries & Large Bottled Waters & Triple Choc. Cakes.

They all loved the Triple Chocolate Cake...it looked really sweet to me w/ all the icing, but I didn't try it. DS(14) said it was his favorite dessert of the trip.:)

Total for Lunch at Columbia Harbour House if not on DP = $59.49

sctigger

08-25-2009, 11:39 PM

popcorn::

dina7

08-25-2009, 11:54 PM

Next is our 4:50 ADR at

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01803.jpg
We checked in 10 minutes before as instructed when I made ressies by phone. Were given a pager & waited about 10-15 minutes for our table. We had done b'fast here before we had our younger son & lunch last yr. We loved both & wanted to try the dinner now that we were on the DP.

Photo of my dinner plate:

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01798.jpg

Ok, I will start at the top of the plate at 12:00: Mixed Veggies in a tasty light sauce, right below it is a mussel in thai curry sauce...they look weird but were yummy & the sauce didn't have much of a distinctive flavor -not spicy at all, corn spoon bread-delicious, adobo pulled pork-good, but I took too much, wasn't THAT good:), some sort of beef-excellent, got 2nds on that, more mussels, some sort of pasta & veggies in a yummy cream sauce-got more of that too, garlic mashed potatoes-really good, but I'm a big potato fan, broccoli in puri puri, some type of supposed spice, but didn't taste any additional flavor besides fresh broccoli. In the center is rotisserie chicken which was very average-just ate a couple of bites of it.

Here is the problem with my Dining Report & buffets. I am so into the fun of eating the food, that I do not make a note of what things are called. This presents a real problem once we get to Boma, you'll see.

Dessert Plate:
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01800.jpg

Starting at the left going across the plate: Chocolate Cake-good, Chocolate Trifle-good, but a little too sweet & I took too much...not enough to this dessert to eat this much of it, I think this was banana bread pudding, but I wouldn't swear to it & I didn't eat much of it, at the bottom of plate is Coconut Flan which was the best dessert of the nt!

Cost of CP Dinner for 3 adults & 1 child if not on DP=$122.44 inc. tax!!
While we enjoyed the food, this character dinner is a colossal rip-off if not on the DP! I would definitely do the lunch to save $ as the food is almost identical.

dina7

08-25-2009, 11:58 PM

DS(14) & DS(8)
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01801.jpg

DS(8)
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01796.jpg

Took a photo w/ Pooh too, but didn't want you to get sick of my kids.
Did not get to meet Eeyore as we got tired of waiting for him to get to our table & we were finished eating. It takes a long time for all of the characters to make it around to your table. It's funny, last yr. we didn't get to see Piglet for the same reason. We were fine w/ it though especially because my boys aren't that little anymore & don't feel like they "have to" see every character from Pooh.

MarkinNM

08-26-2009, 12:08 AM

GREAT REPORT!!!!

Going in 18 days and Sci-Fi as well as Crystal Palace (have a BF & D booked) and cant wait to try it! Thanks for the pics and your thoughts...........

SweetMommy

08-26-2009, 08:10 AM

I'm loving your reviews, can't wait to read more!

DLo

08-26-2009, 08:32 AM

We ate at CP last year for lunch and this year we will be having dinner there before MNSSHP. I agree about cost/value but hey we got free dining so I am not worried about it. Paid oop last year for lunch and enjoyed it.

Sandy321

08-26-2009, 11:58 AM

BTW, we had a grocery delivery from Garden Grocer. Had the following items delivered: case of Deer Park Water-saved $ with that since we brought 4 bottles in a small cooler bag w/ us every day to the pks., 3 boxes of cereal, 1/2 gal. milk, Dixie Paper Bowls, (brought plastic spoons from home) 2 bags Goldfish, Fritos, & Baked Lay's. We used up everything except some bowls, 1 box of cereal because DS(14) decided to skip b'fast every day so we brought that home, part of 1 of the bags of Goldfish, & some of the fritos & chips...we just threw the rest of those out b4we left. To us it was still worth it to do the grocery delivery. Mainly for the water savings & saving time in the am by eating cereal in the room. I know a lot of people use their snack credits the nt. before to get bakery items at their food court to eat in the am, but CSR is very annoying w/ what is allowed as a snack. The only fresh bakery items that count as a snack credit at Cafe Rix, which is the grab & go food place, are Cookies & Muffins!:confused: The other items that count as a snack credit there are small containers of cereal & oatmeal, Pop Tarts, pint size milk, & candy. I think that is all I remember because I specifically asked the CM working there. Same thing at the Pepper Market Food Court...only cookies & muffins count as a snack credit. A Croissant or Danish cost over $4 each.:mad:

Thank you for this! We are going to do a grocery delivery for the first time in Jan - and Ihavent a clue what I should order!!

For us what we did was split a CS breakfast - I couldnt eat a bakery item for breakfast, I need protein!! Then we split a CS lunch! It works nicely for our family... (and then some days we do a character breakfast)

On our next day, which was our 1st full day in the parks-Wed, 8/12, we started with MK, our favorite! Got there for Rope Drop as we did all the other days of the trip for the rest of the pks too. We don't normally do that EVERY day & now I remember why... because it makes me exhausted, which it did!! Had a great time anyway!

Ate lunch at Columbia Harbour House. Had the Shrimp Platter with Fries & a Coke. Apple Crisp for dessert.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01790.jpg

I was excited when I heard on the Boards that they had a new Shrimp Platter, so I had to try it. It wasn't that great though...your basic fried shrimp. Oh well. Next yr. I will try the Anchors Aweigh Sandwich that everyone raves about. (I think that's the name of it) The Apple Crisp was surprisingly good though & served warm which was a plus.

:yay: I'm excited now too - CHH is our absolute favorite CS place in MK - That shrimp looks better than what Long John Silver offers!!

Love your review of CP - glad to hear you didnt wait long - just read that the wait was over an hour for another person during free dining! and I chuckled about not remembering what you took - I am so guilty of that as well!! Your kids are great! Thanks for sharing your pictures!

BEASLYBOO

08-26-2009, 01:51 PM

The Anchors Aweigh Sandwhich is one of my favorites! It's nice to get away from the fried/burger environment. Their Vegetarian Chili is really good too! Thanks for your dining report, nice pictures, nice family!

Other than Boma, I really don't care for the Disney Buffets.

dina7

08-26-2009, 02:22 PM

Thank you for this! We are going to do a grocery delivery for the first time in Jan - and Ihavent a clue what I should order!!

Love your review of CP - glad to hear you didnt wait long - just read that the wait was over an hour for another person during free dining! and I chuckled about not remembering what you took - I am so guilty of that as well!! Your kids are great! Thanks for sharing your pictures!

Yes, our wait wasn't bad for CP on Wed. 8/12...we met up w/ a friend of mine in MK on Mon. 8/17 who had a Lunch ADR for CP & she said it was mobbed & waited over an hour as well. The CM told her it was because there was a problem with the online ADR system making too many ADR's for the same times. MK was also packed on the evening of 8/17 & we figured the Free Dining had a lot to do w/ it.

Thanks for the nice comments about my family too!
:flower3:

Smiling Cheshire Cat

08-26-2009, 02:55 PM

Enjoying your dining reviews. Thanks for the tip about lunch being identical to dinner at CP. We have FD next trip but if it's pretty much the same I may try and book lunch.

Looking forward to hearing more.

IrishTinkerbell

08-26-2009, 03:09 PM

popcorn::

gemmybear83

08-26-2009, 03:10 PM

Brilliant reviews!:thumbsup2

Were staying at CSR next month and doing an order from Garden Grocer, weere you in your room when the food was delivered, if not how did you get it?:lmao:

Also did CSR charge you a delivery charge?

Thank you!:)

dina7

08-26-2009, 03:46 PM

Brilliant reviews!:thumbsup2 Thanks!!
Were staying at CSR next month and doing an order from Garden Grocer, weere you in your room when the food was delivered, if not how did you get it?:lmao: No, we weren't in our room when food was delivered. Garden Grocer will leave a msg. on the phone in your room & on your cellphone if you give them the # letting you know your order was delivered to CSR. Bell Svcs. stores the grocery order for you at no charge & keeps cold items refrigerated. All you have to do is call Bell Svcs. when you get to your room after receiving msg. from Garden Grocer & ask them to bring it to you.
Also did CSR charge you a delivery charge?
Thank you!:)

CSR did not charge a delivery charge since they just store the order at Bell Svcs. & bring it to you later. I think when people have things shipped directly to CSR, they go to the Business Ctr. & are charged, I believe.

dina7

08-26-2009, 05:05 PM

On the way out of MK on 8/12 my 2 boys chose to each get a Huge Cinnamon Roll "to go" from the Main St. Bakery that they ate later in our room. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of them, sorry. They were huge though & they loved them. I tried a bite & I have to tell you, I was underwhelmed. Just tasted like a cinnamon roll, nothing special. Maybe it was because I didn't try any of the really gooey part near the middle. Next time I will have to give it a 2nd chance since they were raving about them.

Cost of 2 Cinnamon Rolls if not on DP=$5.89 inc. tax

dina7

08-26-2009, 05:19 PM

Got to AK at Rope Drop for the 1st time. They do a cute little opening ceremony w/ Mickey, Minnie & Pluto. We rode the Kilimanjaro Safaris which is a favorite of mine & saw a decent # of animals, but no lions. A couple of giraffes came right up to our car, which was fun. Then walked through the Pangani Forest Trail which is a must-do for me since I love gorillas. We saw a bunch of them this time. They are so amazing. The boys & DH did Kali River Rapids.

Then I think that's when we ate lunch at Restaurantosaurus. We placed our order at 11:05 & the place wasn't crowded, but for some reason it
took longer than we thought it should for our food to be ready...strange.

Sorry, again I didn't take photos of the food because we all had burgers & I was starving.:) DH got the Bacon Double Cheeseburger & the 3 of us got the Cheeseburger, all with Fries. I had a Coke & the boys had Bottled Water. We all had the Chocolate Cake for dessert. I took a photo of the cake since it looks slightly different than the one at MK. I thought the frosting on the cake was too sweet, so I took a lot of it off & ate most of the cake without it. My family made fun of me for that one.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01826.jpg

Total for Lunch if not on DP=$55.01 inc. tax

After lunch we rode Primeval Whirl a couple of times & saw the Flights of Wonder Show which we always enjoy. Went back to CSR for an afternoon break. Next is our early dinner at Boma.

dina7

08-26-2009, 05:49 PM

From CSR we took the bus to AK & then took a bus from there to AKL to get to Boma. If taking the bus to Boma, make sure you get off at the 2nd Bus Stop, which is for Jambo House, since that's where Boma is located. As you enter the lobby, just go downstairs to Boma.

Here is a photo of my 1st plate:

Ok, I will do my best with this buffet, but I forgot what some of the items were by the time I returned to our table.:lmao:To the right of the bowl of soup are Potatoes with Afritude-very, very good-nice seasoning-good for everybody, to the rt of potatoes, I have no idea what salad that was:confused3, continuing clockwise is some kind of Beef which was perfectly seasoned & flavorful--got 2nds on that, next is Pita Bread with 3 different kinds of Hummus: forgot what the lt beige one is, next is Sundried Tomato, then Black Olive...pretty good, but I'm not a big hummus fan anyway, some type of salad w/ a tasty dressing-sorry I'm not a big help here,FuFu which is white & sweet potatoes w/ cinnamon & coriander-delicious got 2nds!, & above that, again I have no recollection! This is some Dining Report, huh?!

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01836.jpg

The bowl contains Seafood Soup which was yummy! I tried all 4 soups, but only took a photo of this one. I was in soup heaven. The other 3 were Muligatawny (sp?) which was a little too sweet for me, Mushroom which was really good, Potato Bacon which was my favorite...awesome flavor!

Will continue with Desserts.

nicolemomof4cuties

08-26-2009, 07:49 PM

So overall, we loved Sci-Fi & will be returning next yr. It was a great start to our trip & Nick, our server topped it off. We felt he was so good that the day we checked out of our resort, I stopped at the concierge desk & asked to fill out a compliment card on him. (We had been meaning to do it at HS, but kept forgetting all wk.) Anyway, I was mistaken, they are called Guest Fanatic Cards & we did fill one out for Nick. The CM said that periodically they have a cash drawing from all the Cards filled out during that time period & even if Nick did not win that, the card would be put in his permanent record so that if he comes up for some kind of promotion or applies for a different position this would be looked at. At least we knew it couldn't hurt. So if you are lucky enough to deal with an exceptional CM, take a minute to fill out a Guest Fanatic Card. Just take note of the date & place that you dealt with them. Even if you fill one out & it's not at the location where they work, WDW will send it to the appropriate place through inter-office mail I was told.
.

I think that i was really awesome of you to take the time to fill out a compliment card for him! So many people just complain about bad servers (me included) but forget about the great ones. Being a family of 6 we have recieved some pitiful service, LOL! But the times that we have recieved great service I have called and told the general manager and a few times even corporate. Being a server is hard work-especially with children as customers so I like the good ones to know that they are SO appreciated!

dina7

08-27-2009, 09:38 PM

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01837.jpg
I'm going to start clockwise from the pyramid/volcano looking thing at the top-disappointing-very dry, not much flavor & the white frosting that looks like it's dripping down from the top was hard as a rock, so not good-had a bite or two, Chocolate Chip Cookie-very good & homemade tasting, Zebra Dome-Ok, I will say it, I don't know what all the fuss is about, but I didn't care for them...they were just very mushy, soft & gooey, not super sweet or anything, but nothing about them made me want to have another one...sorry I know almost everybody loves these, DS(8) was the only person in our family who loved them, Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake-great!!!, have no clue what this Littlesquare is called-had a strange texture-tasted ok & I almost finished it because I was trying to figure out what it tasted like...nice description, right?!, Brownie w/ powdered sugar, Fruit Tartlet-custard w/ strawberry in a nice little crust-was good sorry, can't remember next item & in ctr. is a Chocolate Mousse Cup which was very good.

Total Cost if not on DP for 3 Adults & 1 Child=$107.53 inc. tax

Boma was one of my favorite meals of the trip...I absolutely loved it! Had a lot of new foods to try, but enough std. food for my picky eaters like pasta & meatballs...both were served plain & you could add the sauce to them yourself, which DS(8) loved because he likes to eat meatballs w/out sauce. DH raved about the meatballs & sauce...said they were a little spicy, which was a good thing. They also had french fries and mac & cheese that was not the std. boxed kind, but tasted more homemade according to DS(14). Sorry I didn't get photos of the food the rest of my family ate, but I was in food heaven! We are definitely going to Boma on our next trip...I wouldn't miss it. Don't be put off by other posters' descriptions of the food being so spicy or having strange spices...it didn't.

dina7

08-27-2009, 10:03 PM

Just something to consider when deciding on a time for your Dinner ADR...we made ours for 4:30 because I had read on the Boards that the buffet line gets long as the evening goes on. This was an understatement! We were one of the first bunch of tables seated. Went right up after giving our drink order to the server, Joanne, who was pretty good. Around a little after 5:00, the line was ridiculously long...from the 1st station where you get your plate, the line went back at least 25 feet, which is where we were seated. So it was kind of annoying trying to eat while people were standing on line for the buffet literally right next to us. The other buffets like Crystal Palace have the 2 identical sides, which I thinks helps to move the line. This is just one continuous line. There are different stations which you could actually go up to, but everyone in the line gives you a look, like you're cutting. I didn't care as I kept going up to try the different soups. I think the problem also has to do with the fact that Boma has foods that people aren't as familiar w/ so they take longer deciding if they are going to put it on their plate. So if it works for your schedule, I would make as early an ADR as you can for dinner, if you don't want to spend a lot of time standing on line.

Pooh&OurHunny

08-27-2009, 10:48 PM

Great food review...enjoying it. I do understand about the line in BOMA (there was nobody on the kids section so I went to get my son Pasta and people gave me a look that I should have gone to the back but nobody was there) So I went to give my son his plate and then I went to the line to get my food. I usually try to get his first so I can look around for my food. But I was really cutting people...if there was alot of people I would have waited. As for getting the soup too and salad. I think the set up for Boma can be better. I like Tusker House buffet set b/c I never had to wait in line.

mouseika

08-27-2009, 11:06 PM

Great reviews!!

onelilspark

08-28-2009, 08:33 AM

Not sure how I missed the start, but I'm here now!

BEASLYBOO

08-28-2009, 09:30 AM

But I was really cutting people...if there was alot of people I would have waited. A I like Tusker House buffet set b/c I never had to wait in line.
Even at Boma, I cut the "so called line", people usually hang out at the meat/casserole section and cause a bottle neck, and if all I want is a refill on soup/salad, I go straight there. I'm not taking someone elses turn, it's really no different than w/ dessert, I'm not getting in line at the meat area just to get desserts. I'm there and gone before anybody catches up.

SnwflkCts

08-28-2009, 08:03 PM

dina7

08-28-2009, 08:07 PM

Great reviews! :thumbsup2 That was the best picture of the Sci Fi cars I've ever seen! Also the burger pic made me drool ... YUM! Thanks for posting your reviews! I'll probably never make it to Sci Fi. We can't get past Mama Melrose (DH LOVES IT THERE!)! I just need to make more frequent trips to WDW, right? :laughing:

Thanks!! We like Mama Melrose too. We ate at both places this trip. One was on our arrival day & the other on a day when we spent a good amount of time at HS.

dina7

08-29-2009, 12:47 PM

Me & DS(14) at Boma-I actually stopped eating long enough to smile for a photo:laughing: See the Hidden Mickey on my chair!
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01838.jpg

dina7

08-29-2009, 12:56 PM

AKL Lobby...we walked around the resort after dinner. http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01841.jpg

Also, checked out the animals. There are a bunch of large landings you can walk out onto to look at animals. Would have been more fun if it wasn't raining as you could even walk out on paths to get a closer view of them. We saw zebras, giraffes...sorry photo is blurry.
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01840-1.jpg

mcrabeck

08-29-2009, 03:00 PM

Enjoying your reviews- looking forward to more!

dina7

08-29-2009, 03:32 PM

Enjoying your reviews- looking forward to more!

Thanks for your reply & to everyone else who has said nice things about my Dining Report so far. Glad some people are enjoying it...I didn't know if it was too boring. Makes you feel good to see other disboarders reading it.
Thanks!! Will try to post more photos later tonight.

dina7

08-30-2009, 09:35 PM

My DS turned 14 on Aug. 14 & we went to MK...got his Birthday Fun Card, which was for $79, at the Guest Services/will call windows to the right of the turnstiles. The line moved quickly so we were still there before RD. Had a fun morning, then ate at Pecos Bill's...hadn't eaten here in years. Ordered food at 11:21...not crowded, but surprised how many people were eating early too.

Only took a photo of my meal...the rest of the family ate Bacon Double Cheeseburger/fries, Cheeseburger/fries, Kid's Meal Cheeseburger/fries, Nesquik, Kozy Shack Chocolate Puddings, Coke, Bottled Waters. Boys liked their burgers!

Chicken Wrap with Fries...you can also see Chocolate Pudding...one of my boys ate it. You can't tell much from the photo, but the wrap was filled with pieces of fresh white meat chicken, lettuce, tomatoes,& shredded cheese in a tasty ranch-type dressing. It was delicious & very fresh & huge...I could not finish it!
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01847.jpg

Pecos Bill was really good, but they did change the chairs there & they are cushioned stools. It was annoying with no backs to the seats. We didn't like the dessert choices...only chocolate pudding & carrot cake & none of us like carrot cake.

Cost of lunch if not on DP=$39.90

dina7

08-30-2009, 09:51 PM

Around 1:00 we stopped for a cool snack as it was sweltering out.

I ordered the Hot Fudge Sundae with Chocolate Soft Serve, Hot Fudge & Whipped Cream. I forgot to take a photo, but it was awesome & hit the spot!!

DS(14) got a Chocolate Shake.
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01850.jpg

The Shake is photographed next to the bottle of water to show the size of the shake. My son thought it was too small. So we let him get a 2nd one...of course he couldn't finish the 2nd one though.

Cost of Shakes if not on DP=$3.79 each without tax
Cost of Hot Fudge Sundae if not on DP=$3.69 without tax
Used 3 Snack Credits

cmcvean

08-31-2009, 10:48 AM

Enjoying your reviews!

dina7

09-02-2009, 07:46 PM

We have done the Character Breakfast at Chef Mickey's many times over the yrs., but have heard mixed reviews about the dinner. We decided to try it anyway since we chose to do dinners for all of our TS ADR's to get the most bang for our buck w/ the DP & we asked my DS who was turning 14 on Aug. 14th, where he wanted to eat on his b-day & he said Chef Mickey's. So here we go to:

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01852.jpg

Sandy321

09-02-2009, 08:44 PM

aarrggg on the no backs at Peco's Bills -just silly imho - but thanks for the confirmation! I can just see me trying to figure out how to drag a chair from across the street ( j/k there are no places across the street!!)

Happy GOLDEN Birthday to your DS - what a special memory for him!!

DH and I have split that chicken wrap - it is huge!!

dina7

09-02-2009, 08:55 PM

Here is my plate going clockwise from the top: Parmesan Mashed Potatoes-yummy, some sort of Beef which was delicious-got 2nds, Shrimp w/ cocktail sauce-what's not to like!, some sort of Green Beans/Potato combo-good, Broccoli w/ cheddar cheese sauce-lame, Mixed Veggies-very good, I know this last item looks like ordinary mac & cheese, but it didn't taste like it...was delicious..had veggies in it like mushrooms & it was some kind of red pepper cheese sauce-not a great description, but truly yummy, got 2nds.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01854.jpg

I also had the soup, which was New England Clam Chowder & I have to say it was surprisingly excellent.
There were also a lot of cold items (salad, potato salad, etc, fruit) on the buffet, but I'm not big on the cold stuff when there is hot food available. Yes, even in the summer, even in August in WDW!

dina7

09-02-2009, 09:13 PM

Hey, look at this, I actually took a photo of somebody else's dinner plate besides my own! Here is DH's plate: Yes, this is EVERYTHING he ate: Pizza, Pretzel Roll, & some type of Focaccia Bread.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01855.jpg

My DH was not happy with the buffet selection. He does not eat a lot of different foods, but he thought it was limited in the choices available.
Compared with the other buffets we did this trip, Crystal Palace & Boma (no comparison at all), CM's had a lot less to offer. In our opinion, it is a much better choice for Breakfast. We will not be doing Dinner here again. There are just so many other TS restaurants that are better.

Also, as other people have stated, that photo they make you pose for before you are seated is the most ridiculous thing going. As we were waiting on a short line for our photo to be taken our pager went off...our table was ready, so we got off the line to be seated. Well the CM in charge of the photo line came running & TOLD us to come back to get our photo taken & then we would be seated. My DH & I looked at him & politely said No, thank you.

dina7

09-02-2009, 09:19 PM

Forgot to mention, in my previous photo of DH's plate, you can see DS(8)'s plate in background...all he ate was the Mickey Macaroni & Cheese. I was annoyed because I know there were other items on the buffet he would have normally eaten. He was in vacation mode though, I guess & I know he was looking forward to the desserts.

dina7

09-02-2009, 09:49 PM

My Dessert plate: Starting at top right is Cheesecake-very good, Choc. Chip Cookie-fine, Mickey Dome (I forge the exact name)better than I expected-good combination w/ the mousse type main part & the oreo bottom. The little ears were chocolate candy...I took those out. Last is Raspberry Bread Pudding-not too good, weird tasting.
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01866.jpg

Not a great dessert selection IMO. There were also Brownies, Rice Krispie Treats, & Soft Serve Ice Cream with various toppings which you did yourself. Some of the toppings were oreos, gummy bears, m&m's. Can't remember anything else.

dina7

09-02-2009, 10:14 PM

This is cupcake my DS(14) was given for his birthday treat. The pile of candles was for us to use. Each time a character came to our table, we lit one of the candles, sang Happy Birthday & DS blew out the candle. It was fun. Our server explained this to us beforehand. (This was different than one of our last b-day visits to CM's where the whole restaurant sings Happy B-Day at the same time to the b-day guests.)

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01856.jpg

The characters came by very quickly, which was good because you didn't have to worry that you were going to miss one if you got up to get food.

A couple of Character Photos:
http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01857.jpg

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/dinamckenna/DSC01861.jpg

BTW, our server was fine, nothing special.
Total for Chef Mickey's for 3 Adults & 1 Child if not on DP=$111.96 w/out tax
$119.24 tax included
Child Dinner=$15.99 Adult Dinner=$31.99 (So Not Worth It!!)