dawgfan
from georgia ya'll
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Party of two adults and three kids ages 12, 12, and 9. We had ADR for Ohanas, Chef Mickeys, and Fultons Crab House only. We ate at :
Boston Lobster Feast
Fultons Crab House
Mama Melrose
Chef Mickeys
The Garden Grill
Cosmic Rays
Boulangerie Patisserie
San Angel Inn
Sci Fi Dine Inn
Pizzafari
Ghirardellis
Bongos Cuban Cafe
Ohanas
Boston Lobster feast-My wife LOVES Lobster. It is her favorite food when we go out to eat at a good restaurant. I searched for a place to get Lobster while on vacation to WDW but inside the resort area there are few good choices for just a boiled lobster or a good grilled lobster tail. When I found this place on the net she remembered seeing a place just like this on our first trip. We were unable to eat there that trip but she really wanted to. I decided to add this to our list of places to try. I then heard on the Dis that I may not want to go here and instead opt for a better place that may be more expensive but would provide a better meal. I should have listened but all you can eat lobster sounded too good to my wife to pass up. We arrived and were seated promptly. The place was noisey and very busy. There is a buffet line with a cold salad side and a hot served side. The waitress came to break down the rules and the deal. The meal was expensive at about $34.00 or so for the buffet. The kids could order from a childs menu which they easily opted for.The buffet had fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, crab cakes, seafood casseroles, crab claws etc. It also had the smallest lobsters they could find. I felt bad eating these "baby lobsters" (not really) , but at the price I was paying we ate as many as we could choke down. You can only get one at a time, so many trips had to be made in order to get the main event item. The other buffet items were pretty dismal in flavor and preparation. When were done I proudly announced that this was a rip off and we would not be back (I kept that to my party and did not share that with the whole restaurant as I felt that would be bad manners).
Fultons Crab House-I already reviewed this restaurant when we got back so I will not go back through the details again but I will say this was the best meal we had the whole trip. We had ADR's. It was expensive but not rediculously so considering other Disney restaurants. The service here was fantastic. The food was well prepared. The atmosphere was great. We will definitely return on our next trip and will probably be making this a regular place to visit. It is a perfect first day place to visit if your check in day is a non park day.
Mama Melroses-We have eaten here before in 2002. We did this with the Fantasmic Dinner Package. The package allows you to eat any menu items with app., salad, main course and dessert for a fixed price. The 9 year old could order from the childs menu but the two 12 year olds had to order off the adult menu. The youngest got a hamburger. One 12 year old got chicken tenders and the other ordered spaghetti. My wife ordered Spaghetti and I ordered a pork tenderloin dish. The kids ate fairly well and advised that their food was good. The salads were ceaser salads and they were very good. My wifes spaghetti was fairly bland and she said it was "okay". My pork dish was undercooked and bland as well. The deserts were pretty good and we enjoyed them. After the dinner package was over we all decided that this was something that we would not do over again. The meal at Mama Melroses was not very good. The seats at the Fantasmic show were not stellar enough to warrant the price and the choices of restaurants. We would have done better to have eaten at Epcot and come over in time for the show if table service was what we wanted. Waiting in line may have been a pain but we could have taken it. My neice said that her parents usually just get counter service right as the arena opens to let folks in. They sit and eat in the stands to pass the time before the crowd gets thick and the show starts. This sounded like a much better and less expensive idea than what we had done.
Chef Mickeys-Prime rib done to perfection, boiled shrimp, baked fish, baked chicken, vegetables done well, and a desert bar are the things that make this place a great meal. Add the charecters to this mix with some of the best interaction and photo ops that can be had at WDW and you have the best charecter meal on the place. This is the second time we have visited here and will return again. We had ADR's but still had to wait a short time. We had drinks at the bar outside and took in the view from the Comtemporary toward WL. Once seated we immediately helped ourselves and the service was very good. I highly recommend this charecter meal especially for parents with kids younger then 7.
The Garden Grill-It was pouring rain outside and we had just exited Soarin. We needed time to rest and a place to wait out the rain. It was time to eat anyway so we took a look around at our options. The Garden Grill was what we decided on. We had no ADR here and had to wait 15 minutes. This was another fixed price, family style , all you can eat meal. They served a roast beef burgandy, catfish, and roasted turkey with a cornbread dressing. They also brought out chicken strips for the kids. They had beans, scalloped potatoes, and some other veggie I cannot remember. The meal was good for the most part. The catfish was not very good and was kind of soggy. The turkey was good. The roast beef was actually beef burgandy and was quite good. We opted to ask for more of this entre'. The kids got a build your own dessert which they loved. Ice cream with worms and crushed cookies etc seems to be a big hit no matter the age of the child. This meal was pretty good when all was said and done. We may return.
Cosmic Rays-We had never eaten here and decided to stop in one afternoon. The menu choices here are very good changes to the normal counter service options at MK. We opted to go for the regular park food choice of Cheeseburgers here but they were big and juicy. The fixins bar is also a nice thing to have to dress up your burger. Everyone liked the place. There is a side where specialty type sandwiches and roasted chicken are served so the choices at this place make it worth the stop.
Boulangerie Patisserie-This is a regular stop when we are in Epcot. The pastries here are fantastic. I had an eclair. It did not survive long. This is one of those places where you simply cannot make a decision easily. The items they have all look so good. We had just gone to the Norway pavilion and went inside Kringla Bakery. The smell there just blows you away. I wish they could bottle that. Strong coffee and pastry mixed in the air are so inviting. I still opted to wait for this place to get pastry and I was not disappointed.
San Angel Inn-We had no ADRs but we had tried to go to Coral Reef this time slot. At Coral Reef they todl us that they could not seat a party of 5. I knew this was not true. The CM offered to make an ADR at any other restaurant of our choice. We decided to go to San Angel rather than debate the point of a large party and seating with her. She just did not want to deal with our party with no ADR and this was obvious. We quickly walked to San Angel and were seated quickly. This turned out to be one of the best meals we had. I had the ceviche as an app. It was very good. I also had the Combinacion Cholula - seasoned roasted pork with diced chorizo, Spanish onions, chipotle pepper served with chile relleno, Mexican rice and refried black beans $14.75. My wife got Nachos de Pollo - border creation of tortilla chips topped with grilled chicken, red sauce, melted cheese, chorizo, jalapenos, tomatoes, and sour cream $13.99. She did not mean to order this but something got mixed up in her order with the waiter. She still enjoyed the meal. The kids ordered off the childs menu and had the usual---chicken tenders and fries. We had never been in the Mexican Pavilion. We liked this place. We may return here on another trip.
Sci Fi Dine Inn-We had no ADR here and were told that it would be very difficult to seat us for lunch. The hostess advised that she would do what she could but it may be a 45 minute wait. We opted to stay and see what they could do. We were then completely forgotten about by the hostess. But she saw us shortly after and called some guy who came out on rollers skates. He told us that he could seat us as soon as a family he had waited on finished desert. We waited a total time of about 20 minutes before we were seated. We all had cheeseburgers and fries as well as the thinckest chocolate shake I have ever had. The food was good. Tghe service was very good. It was fun to explain to the kids about Drive In's and Drive In movies. It seemd obvious to my littelst one that people in the 50's must have been obsessed with aliens as that is the topic of every B movie they show a trailer for. Some of these trailers are for the most rediculous movies ever made and can be quite comical. We had a good time here.
Pizzafari-Surprisingly good peperonni pizza and sandwiches here. We stopped in for lunch and had a quick bite. This is nothing fancy or to write a huge review on but it is good food especially for kids.
Ghirardelli's-just the smell of this place will make you stop in. We had a few sundaes one day while at DTD. This is a sweet treat lovers paradise. The service is slow when they are busy. They were packed the day we went. We sat outside and they brought out our order. Our sundaes had lots of chocolate and we had a great time eating this treat.
Bongos-We were at DTD ( we went three times this trip) and decided to stick around for dinner. We strolled by several places but I thought that Wolgang Pucks would be a good choice. We looked at the menu there and then compared that with the menu to Bongos. Bongos menu had more choices and we like spicy food as well. Cuban food is supposed to be somewhat spicy and so we dioecided to change to Bongos. We were seated quickly. I had the El Churrasco - tenderized skirt steak grilled and served with a side of Chimi-Churri sauce served with white rice and green plantains $19.95. My wife had Bistec de Sirloin - sirloin steak grilled and seasoned in garlic and salt, served with white rice and green plantains $24.95. The kids had hamburgers and chicken nuggets again. this was by far the worst most bland meal we have ever had at WDW. My steak had a dull galic flavor that lingered in my mouth. The pantains had absolutely no taste whatsoever. The rice was not even seasoned with salt. My wifes meal was equally dull of flavor. While there our waiter and another server bumped into each other and several glasses of liquid were dropped shattering on the floor. This caused a verbal altercation to arise with both the waiters as well as the bartender speaking spanish and arguing. We will not be back to this place. I asked about the bland food and our server advised that Disney would not allow them to serve spicy food. Everything is "flavor controlled" to appeal to a broader spectrum of visitor. He said that real Cuban food is very flavorful. I am aware of that and expected something much different here. I was very disappointed.
Ohanas-This is a regular stop for us and highly recommended in my book. Grilled meat is one of my favorite meals. Ohanas has a great atmosphere. The kids love the place. We had ADRs and still had to wait probably the longest time while at WDW to be seated. We had drinks from the bar and were eventually seated. They bring out skewers of grilled meats to your table. There is shrimp as well. The meats served are turkey, beef, and pork. All the dishes are well prepared and the service is awesome. This is a great place to eat. We will definitely return here.
Well that is it. We were distressed at the blandness of the food served this time around in many places. I do not know if this was just a bad choice on some meal locations or if this is a trend at WDW. Bongos was not the only place that served bland food. Most others were counter service. We did eat at POFQ's food court a few times. Many of those items were fairly bland as well.
Boston Lobster Feast
Fultons Crab House
Mama Melrose
Chef Mickeys
The Garden Grill
Cosmic Rays
Boulangerie Patisserie
San Angel Inn
Sci Fi Dine Inn
Pizzafari
Ghirardellis
Bongos Cuban Cafe
Ohanas
Boston Lobster feast-My wife LOVES Lobster. It is her favorite food when we go out to eat at a good restaurant. I searched for a place to get Lobster while on vacation to WDW but inside the resort area there are few good choices for just a boiled lobster or a good grilled lobster tail. When I found this place on the net she remembered seeing a place just like this on our first trip. We were unable to eat there that trip but she really wanted to. I decided to add this to our list of places to try. I then heard on the Dis that I may not want to go here and instead opt for a better place that may be more expensive but would provide a better meal. I should have listened but all you can eat lobster sounded too good to my wife to pass up. We arrived and were seated promptly. The place was noisey and very busy. There is a buffet line with a cold salad side and a hot served side. The waitress came to break down the rules and the deal. The meal was expensive at about $34.00 or so for the buffet. The kids could order from a childs menu which they easily opted for.The buffet had fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, crab cakes, seafood casseroles, crab claws etc. It also had the smallest lobsters they could find. I felt bad eating these "baby lobsters" (not really) , but at the price I was paying we ate as many as we could choke down. You can only get one at a time, so many trips had to be made in order to get the main event item. The other buffet items were pretty dismal in flavor and preparation. When were done I proudly announced that this was a rip off and we would not be back (I kept that to my party and did not share that with the whole restaurant as I felt that would be bad manners).
Fultons Crab House-I already reviewed this restaurant when we got back so I will not go back through the details again but I will say this was the best meal we had the whole trip. We had ADR's. It was expensive but not rediculously so considering other Disney restaurants. The service here was fantastic. The food was well prepared. The atmosphere was great. We will definitely return on our next trip and will probably be making this a regular place to visit. It is a perfect first day place to visit if your check in day is a non park day.
Mama Melroses-We have eaten here before in 2002. We did this with the Fantasmic Dinner Package. The package allows you to eat any menu items with app., salad, main course and dessert for a fixed price. The 9 year old could order from the childs menu but the two 12 year olds had to order off the adult menu. The youngest got a hamburger. One 12 year old got chicken tenders and the other ordered spaghetti. My wife ordered Spaghetti and I ordered a pork tenderloin dish. The kids ate fairly well and advised that their food was good. The salads were ceaser salads and they were very good. My wifes spaghetti was fairly bland and she said it was "okay". My pork dish was undercooked and bland as well. The deserts were pretty good and we enjoyed them. After the dinner package was over we all decided that this was something that we would not do over again. The meal at Mama Melroses was not very good. The seats at the Fantasmic show were not stellar enough to warrant the price and the choices of restaurants. We would have done better to have eaten at Epcot and come over in time for the show if table service was what we wanted. Waiting in line may have been a pain but we could have taken it. My neice said that her parents usually just get counter service right as the arena opens to let folks in. They sit and eat in the stands to pass the time before the crowd gets thick and the show starts. This sounded like a much better and less expensive idea than what we had done.
Chef Mickeys-Prime rib done to perfection, boiled shrimp, baked fish, baked chicken, vegetables done well, and a desert bar are the things that make this place a great meal. Add the charecters to this mix with some of the best interaction and photo ops that can be had at WDW and you have the best charecter meal on the place. This is the second time we have visited here and will return again. We had ADR's but still had to wait a short time. We had drinks at the bar outside and took in the view from the Comtemporary toward WL. Once seated we immediately helped ourselves and the service was very good. I highly recommend this charecter meal especially for parents with kids younger then 7.
The Garden Grill-It was pouring rain outside and we had just exited Soarin. We needed time to rest and a place to wait out the rain. It was time to eat anyway so we took a look around at our options. The Garden Grill was what we decided on. We had no ADR here and had to wait 15 minutes. This was another fixed price, family style , all you can eat meal. They served a roast beef burgandy, catfish, and roasted turkey with a cornbread dressing. They also brought out chicken strips for the kids. They had beans, scalloped potatoes, and some other veggie I cannot remember. The meal was good for the most part. The catfish was not very good and was kind of soggy. The turkey was good. The roast beef was actually beef burgandy and was quite good. We opted to ask for more of this entre'. The kids got a build your own dessert which they loved. Ice cream with worms and crushed cookies etc seems to be a big hit no matter the age of the child. This meal was pretty good when all was said and done. We may return.
Cosmic Rays-We had never eaten here and decided to stop in one afternoon. The menu choices here are very good changes to the normal counter service options at MK. We opted to go for the regular park food choice of Cheeseburgers here but they were big and juicy. The fixins bar is also a nice thing to have to dress up your burger. Everyone liked the place. There is a side where specialty type sandwiches and roasted chicken are served so the choices at this place make it worth the stop.
Boulangerie Patisserie-This is a regular stop when we are in Epcot. The pastries here are fantastic. I had an eclair. It did not survive long. This is one of those places where you simply cannot make a decision easily. The items they have all look so good. We had just gone to the Norway pavilion and went inside Kringla Bakery. The smell there just blows you away. I wish they could bottle that. Strong coffee and pastry mixed in the air are so inviting. I still opted to wait for this place to get pastry and I was not disappointed.
San Angel Inn-We had no ADRs but we had tried to go to Coral Reef this time slot. At Coral Reef they todl us that they could not seat a party of 5. I knew this was not true. The CM offered to make an ADR at any other restaurant of our choice. We decided to go to San Angel rather than debate the point of a large party and seating with her. She just did not want to deal with our party with no ADR and this was obvious. We quickly walked to San Angel and were seated quickly. This turned out to be one of the best meals we had. I had the ceviche as an app. It was very good. I also had the Combinacion Cholula - seasoned roasted pork with diced chorizo, Spanish onions, chipotle pepper served with chile relleno, Mexican rice and refried black beans $14.75. My wife got Nachos de Pollo - border creation of tortilla chips topped with grilled chicken, red sauce, melted cheese, chorizo, jalapenos, tomatoes, and sour cream $13.99. She did not mean to order this but something got mixed up in her order with the waiter. She still enjoyed the meal. The kids ordered off the childs menu and had the usual---chicken tenders and fries. We had never been in the Mexican Pavilion. We liked this place. We may return here on another trip.
Sci Fi Dine Inn-We had no ADR here and were told that it would be very difficult to seat us for lunch. The hostess advised that she would do what she could but it may be a 45 minute wait. We opted to stay and see what they could do. We were then completely forgotten about by the hostess. But she saw us shortly after and called some guy who came out on rollers skates. He told us that he could seat us as soon as a family he had waited on finished desert. We waited a total time of about 20 minutes before we were seated. We all had cheeseburgers and fries as well as the thinckest chocolate shake I have ever had. The food was good. Tghe service was very good. It was fun to explain to the kids about Drive In's and Drive In movies. It seemd obvious to my littelst one that people in the 50's must have been obsessed with aliens as that is the topic of every B movie they show a trailer for. Some of these trailers are for the most rediculous movies ever made and can be quite comical. We had a good time here.
Pizzafari-Surprisingly good peperonni pizza and sandwiches here. We stopped in for lunch and had a quick bite. This is nothing fancy or to write a huge review on but it is good food especially for kids.
Ghirardelli's-just the smell of this place will make you stop in. We had a few sundaes one day while at DTD. This is a sweet treat lovers paradise. The service is slow when they are busy. They were packed the day we went. We sat outside and they brought out our order. Our sundaes had lots of chocolate and we had a great time eating this treat.
Bongos-We were at DTD ( we went three times this trip) and decided to stick around for dinner. We strolled by several places but I thought that Wolgang Pucks would be a good choice. We looked at the menu there and then compared that with the menu to Bongos. Bongos menu had more choices and we like spicy food as well. Cuban food is supposed to be somewhat spicy and so we dioecided to change to Bongos. We were seated quickly. I had the El Churrasco - tenderized skirt steak grilled and served with a side of Chimi-Churri sauce served with white rice and green plantains $19.95. My wife had Bistec de Sirloin - sirloin steak grilled and seasoned in garlic and salt, served with white rice and green plantains $24.95. The kids had hamburgers and chicken nuggets again. this was by far the worst most bland meal we have ever had at WDW. My steak had a dull galic flavor that lingered in my mouth. The pantains had absolutely no taste whatsoever. The rice was not even seasoned with salt. My wifes meal was equally dull of flavor. While there our waiter and another server bumped into each other and several glasses of liquid were dropped shattering on the floor. This caused a verbal altercation to arise with both the waiters as well as the bartender speaking spanish and arguing. We will not be back to this place. I asked about the bland food and our server advised that Disney would not allow them to serve spicy food. Everything is "flavor controlled" to appeal to a broader spectrum of visitor. He said that real Cuban food is very flavorful. I am aware of that and expected something much different here. I was very disappointed.
Ohanas-This is a regular stop for us and highly recommended in my book. Grilled meat is one of my favorite meals. Ohanas has a great atmosphere. The kids love the place. We had ADRs and still had to wait probably the longest time while at WDW to be seated. We had drinks from the bar and were eventually seated. They bring out skewers of grilled meats to your table. There is shrimp as well. The meats served are turkey, beef, and pork. All the dishes are well prepared and the service is awesome. This is a great place to eat. We will definitely return here.
Well that is it. We were distressed at the blandness of the food served this time around in many places. I do not know if this was just a bad choice on some meal locations or if this is a trend at WDW. Bongos was not the only place that served bland food. Most others were counter service. We did eat at POFQ's food court a few times. Many of those items were fairly bland as well.
I had a coupon but it was only for a free drink.
