A kid-oriented dining plan!

[apirateslife4us!]

Okay, here's the next review! Thanks for all the positive feedback!!

Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)
Breakfast (10:25am)
Characters: Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore


Food-
Kid Rating: * * * * *
Parent Rating: * * * *

Atmosphere-
Kid Rating: * * * * *
Parent Rating: * * * * *

Would we come back?
Kids: Yes!
Parents: Yes! Maybe we’ll try dinner!

It’s official. We are the notoriously-late-for-ADRs family At least this time we were within the fifteen minute late grace period and the hostess didn’t even remark on it After getting our light-up buzzer/pager, we waited about another ten minutes or so. It was enough time for me to take the kids inside to the bathroom before our meal (very small bathrooms... see below).

What we ate:
Tink: Winnie-the-Pooh waffles and bacon. Chocolate milk refilled once.

Peter: Practically nothing but orange juice. I did coax him to eat a few bites of banana and some bites of waffles, but mostly he was too excited about the characters to eat well.

Donald: Loved everything! He LOVES breakfast. Had plenty of potatoes, egg casseroles, biscuits, and sausage.

Me: The omelet bar, the puffed French Toast from the kids buffet (I had SO many of those!), Pooh’s breakfast lasagna (reminded me of a fruity bread pudding), LOTS of bacon (super crisp!)

Food Details
This was really yummy food, and even though we had a very late breakfast seating everything was fresh and plentiful. As a parent I give it four stars instead of five only because of the long wait for pancakes (you can wait in line at the omelet bar and request some but it would have been nice to just have them ready… sometimes there were some on a tray but not always). Also, Tink wanted ketchup for her breakfast pizza and I couldn’t find it (I meant to ask but with the characters coming I forgot), and the syrup was right near the crowded omelet bar and it was kind of a pain… so I noticed others pouring syrup into a small dish and bringing enough to the table for everyone and voila! Problem solved! These are all minor gripes, but maybe something to keep in mind and handle before everyone is settled comfortably ready to eat. I loved every bite of my food, and the kids, although distracted at the excitement of meeting Pooh and friends, enjoyed what they did eat, and had no complaints at all so five stars for sure!

Atmosphere Details
We had never been to a character meal before so I couldn’t wait! I was happily surprised by how pretty the restaurant was, I loved the fresh, clean feel to it. The characters were all dispersed throughout the restaurant so there was plenty of time between characters, we didn’t feel rushed at all. At first I was shy about asking cast members to take a family picture for us, but after watching a lot of other families do this I got up the nerve and am glad I did. We stayed for a LONG time (it was just so nice to sit and know the kids were enjoying themselves) and we never felt rushed, even when they converted one of the buffet lines to lunch! The character interaction was excellent, even the second time around. Tigger particularly played a long time with my son (who loved waving “hello” from afar but wouldn’t get near any of them). Tigger pretended to hide and then peek out at Peter from behind a plant and made him laugh. Tigger also bounced a long time with Tink, it was definitely five stars all the way around!

Other Details
What nice, wonderful cast members they have working here! They acted like we were royalty dining at the fanciest restaurant in town, not even batting an eye when Peter stood up in his chair and bounced around for a better look at Piglet or dropped his silverware on the floor for the second time. Pleasant smiles and understanding, cheerful nods at every turn.
On another note, if you have an out-going little one, he/she might want to march around the restaurant with the characters during the parade (Tink did!). Just be prepared to have to scan the restaurant to find him or her since the kids end up wherever they end up. Tink wasn’t scared or anything, and I kept a good eye out and waved her over right away, but one little boy got turned around and somehow wound up at the opposite side of the restaurant and couldn’t find his table! He was okay, just wide-eyed and he looked really relieved when his parents found him.
Another thing, the bathrooms are cramped. There aren’t all that many stalls and there always seemed to be a line, so try to make a pit stop before getting to the restaurant if you get the chance. It will do in a pinch, and honestly the bathroom was beautiful with the decorative stained glass... just don't do more than one kid at a time if possible!
Finally, do consider the convenience of eating in the park. I had been going back and forth between Crystal Palace and Park Fare (in the Grand Floridian), and although it would have been easy to take the monorail, it was that much nicer to take a spin on the tea cups and only minutes later arriving at our restaurant!

The Final Word
We had a wonderful time at the Crystal Palace! It’s definitely a place to bring the kids and feel comfortable while in a beautiful setting, yet as a parent you know they won’t be disturbing the peace because it’s geared especially for kids! Plus being right in the park saves on hassle and travel time

Next reviews... Columbia Harbor House and 'Ohana at the Polynesian!

 

[fundeepdown]

Thanks for the great reviews. I can't wait for the next two!

 

[wilma-bride]

Crystal Palace is already a favourite of ours for breakfast - excellent review. I really like how you are breaking up your information

 

[cinderella_mom]

Great reviews. I definately agree with you about CP. Even though DD is more into princesses than Pooh, she remembers this restaurant more from our trip last year than any other.

Also, the late breakfast works great for us, too. Being from CA, the 3 hour time difference means DH and I aren't hungry right away. DD is usually starving from the minute she gets up, so a cereal bar and a banana in the room will keep her happy.

 

[Cherlynn25]

LOVE the reviews! They are so detailed. A big help for us with little ones! Thank you!

 

[2ScottishPrincesses]

Thank you so much for this these are the best formatted reviews I've seen for parents, they're realy helpfull...Regards Kirsteen

 

[agentpleakley]

Awesome -- just awesome reviews. I am so glad I found this thread. Great to hear the perspective of kids too.

 

[pta-mom]

Great reviews...Thank you!! I've actually been dreading doing the Sci-Fi as I've heard so many bad reviews but my sons (9 1/2 & 11) REALLY want to go there so I've booked! Now, how was Ohana? That seems to be another one getting the golden boot award of late....please tell me otherwise!!

 

[DisneyJo]

Loving your reviews

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Hi everyone and thank you so much for the praise! I guess there's a review out there for everyone, I sure liked reading the ones that had to do with kids when I was planning

pta-mom I will try to get the 'Ohana review up this afternoon (Pacific time over here!), but to set your mind at ease, my family SUPER LOVED 'Ohana. Tink loved joining in on the limbo and doing the hula, she ate the shrimp as fast as we could peel it, and we spent about two or three hours afterwards just walking the resort and letting her play at the beach (bring a change of clothes for the kids if they like playing in the sand). And about Sci-Fi, I think your boys will really like it, all the kids in there looked like they were having a great time! Besides, where else but Disney World will your kids eat in a fake car movie theater? We really enjoyed our meal, but if your food isn't the best I bet your pictures will be!

Someone else who asked about Princess Storybook, it was Tink's all-time favorite meal, and very friendly CMs. I noticed that the princesses stayed at neighboring tables longer so I paid attention... these guests had some little thing to say about the princesses' movie/character, and since Tink was absolutely tongue-tied the princesses were zipping by! After that I chit-chatted with Snow about visiting the dwarves and baking them pie, asked Jasmine about Abu, and asked Aurora about the good fairies and they all stayed much longer (much to Tink's delight!)

Okay, Columbia Harbor House review up in a few minutes! Thanks again guys!

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Columbia Harbor House (Magic Kingdom)
Dinner (7:30pm)

Food-
Kid Rating: * * *
Parent Rating: * * * * *

Atmosphere-
Kid Rating: * * *
Parent Rating: * * *

Would we come back?
Kids (Tink says): I guess so, it was a nice place
Parents: Maybe… it’s not going to be a family favorite or anything, but if we were nearby it would feed us just fine with tasty food and minimal lines. Next time though I would rather get to the Fantasyland Pinocchio Counter Service so the kids can watch the Small World boats go by and see all the cute murals.

We happened to be in Liberty Square around dinnertime and hadn’t given much thought to which counter service we’d use at the Magic Kingdom (will prepare better for next trip!). Columbia Harbor House seemed a lot less busy than the Frontierland counter service (note to parents with small kids: if you won’t be riding Splash Mountain or Thunder Mountain, Frontierland is busy, full of hills, and hard to maneuver with a stroller! We never went back to that land for the rest of our trip and will avoid it until those rides become necessary!). We decided to eat at Columbia Harbor House before settling down to watch Spectromagic.

What we ate:
Tink and Daisy shared: The chicken, fish and fries platter. Chose a water bottle for a drink (which we saved for later and just shared the large Coke with the boys), and chocolate cake for dessert.

Donald and Peter shared: Chicken, fish and fries platter. Chose a large Coke for a drink and the apple crisp for dessert.

Food Details
After the Pizza Planet experience we decided to split two counter service meals and decide whether we wanted more food afterwards (two meals were fine, if you haven’t noticed, my kids aren’t big eaters!). So each platter came with two strips of chicken and two strips of fish, eight pieces all together which worked out well for our family with fries on top of it all. I LOVED the fish, Donald LOVED the chicken with honey mustard dipping sauce, and the kids slowly ate the chicken I put in front of them with their eyes glued on the chocolate cake. We let the kids split the cake and Donald and I shared the apple crisp, which was sadly cold (they just serve it that way). After polishing off the fries we were all pleasantly full with no wasting of food at all. As a parent, I found nothing to complain about the food that was served… both apple slices and carrot sticks were alternatives to the fries, grilled chicken instead of fried was an option, and milk or apple juice instead of soda, if I had chosen to do so. The fried chicken and chocolate cake were all my own evil doing, and tasted heavenly, so five stars from a parent’s point of view, whichever kind of parenting you choose for the night! From the kids’ side I knocked off a star because if you get the kids meal the only dessert option is the sugar free jello, which may or may not bug some kids (especially if mom and dad are smacking their lips over their cake!). I knocked off an additional star only because the selection at other counter services we passed by showed additional items like grapes and milkshakes.

Atmosphere Details
During our visit, the upstairs area was under renovation, and even so it didn’t feel crowded at all. The décor is nautical in theme, which didn’t make an impact on the kids but Donald liked it. For the kids I give it three stars because it was just fine, nothing special, nothing wrong, just a place to eat. As a parent I thought I’d warn you all that the seats are backless benches. Several times I saw Peter almost fall back, and then, WHOMP, he actually did fall back, bumping his head and scaring himself silly! There was no real harm done, it’s just something to be aware of for the little ones (check around for a booth or something if you can, I don't remember seeing any but I didn't look at the time!). So, three stars from a parent’s point of view (add a bonus star if you want the kids to just eat and get out without lollygagging… minus a star if you want the kids to let you sit for a while and relax because they’ll probably get bored).

Other Details
Napkins and condiments are easy to get to and there were plenty, so getting more ketchup for Tink and honey mustard for Donald was easy. Bathrooms are really small with only a few stalls (seemed like fewer than Crystal Palace), but clean (FYI, for a good “pit stop” bathroom, the ones in Adventureland near Aladdin’s Flying Carpet ride are big, also the ones in Tomorrowland). The CMs were all friendly and helpful, they even gave us a free bag of apple slices after I commented on how I should have ordered one meal with apples since it looked like so much fries!

The Final Word
Nearly everywhere in Disney is geared toward kids, but some more than others. This is a nice little place to stop and eat, but that’s all it is. Great for a quick stop that won’t distract the kids, but if you want to sit for a while at a kid-oriented place there are probably other counter services that’ll do the job better.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Hi,
I'm enjoying your reviews. We,too, have kid friendly TS planned for our trip in August - 4 of our ADR's are for the same places as you.

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Okay, I finished this later than I thought I would, with no excuse except normal Mommy busy-ness

Oh and it occurs to me as I post this that I skipped our lunch at the Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom! It'll be up next

‘Ohana (Polynesian Resort)
Dinner (5:15pm)

Food-
Kid Rating: * * * * *
Parent Rating: * * * * *

Atmosphere-
Kid Rating: * * * * *
Parent Rating: * * * * *

Would we come back?
Kids: Yes yes yes!
Parents: Definitely yes!

Have I mentioned that we are habitually late to our ADRs? That fifteen minute late grace period was, by this point, already factored into each reservation in our minds! So we took the bus from Pop Century over to the Magic Kingdom, and then opted for the boat ride over to the Polynesian (how often do you get to ride a boat to dinner?). It was such a beautiful little trip across the lake, the castle, the Grand Floridian, the beaches *sighhhh* Anyway, on to the review!

What we ate:
Tink: Her weight in peeled shrimp. Honestly, she couldn’t get enough of the stuff! She also had two chocolate milks and mostly the ice cream from the bread pudding.

Peter: Fries, cheesy potatoes and half of a chicken strip. He also drank a chocolate milk and had loads of bread pudding and ice cream.

Donald: Everything, but really enjoyed the shrimp, cheesy potatoes, skewered pork, sausage, and vegetables. He drank a virgin pina colada and despite feeling stuffed, managed more than a bite or two of the bread pudding.

Me: Everything as well, and I really loved the shrimp, cheesy potatoes, skewered meat, vegetables, and honey chicken wings. I also had a virgin pina colada and even though I was super-duper full, I had a LOT of bread pudding! Yummmmm

Food Details
We are not picky eaters, nor do we visit fancy restaurants at all (Red Robins and California Pizza Kitchen are the fanciest I can think of), so keep that in mind when I say how delicious and tasty everything was! From the moment I saw and smelled the food on everyone’s tables I knew I’d be having a great meal and I wasn’t disappointed. I think my favorite part was the variety, and getting to pick a little at everything before settling on my favorite-favorites! There have been a lot of complaints lately about the food being rushed, but for our family’s experience this was not the case. Although more food was brought out, nothing was ever taken away unless the platter was scraped clean (this happened with the potatoes, the shrimp and the vegetables!), well, technically the platter wasn’t taken, but another full one stacked onto it. We asked for seconds of anything we wanted, whether it had been a starter, appetizer, entrée, etc. and our amazingly wonderful waiter CM Patrick was always on top of things. The first thing my daughter asked him when he was explaining the menu was “Can I have some shrimp please?” and he always made sure she had plenty (yes it’s the kind you have to peel, but they were big and SOOOO good!!). When he asked what she wanted to drink, she said, “I want something that has a little umbrella in it.” Sure enough, her chocolate milk had an umbrella tucked into the straw! Also, we asked for two virgin pina coladas and said that we would pay out of pocket for them, but he let us put them on the dining plan! As a parent, you may be wondering if your picky eater will get his fill at this place, but just a few minutes after the shrimp and chicken were brought out so were a platter of chicken strips and fries, along with a bowl of mac and cheese, so whatever tastes your kids have they should be covered. We ate and ate and ate, took our time, talked, laughed, and enjoyed the food at our own pace. I didn’t have to remind the kids to eat, the kids chose the things they liked to eat and everyone was happy: five stars from parents and kids alike!

Atmosphere Details
Fun, tropical, energetic, I wish there was a restaurant like this back home! The CMs seemed so happy and relaxed amidst all the energy. I mean, most Disney CMs are cheerful, but there is something extra-welcoming with the CMs we met at this resort. The resort and restaurant appealed to Tink right away, and she was saying Aloha to anyone who would listen! Now normally, my kids get bored at long meals and I have to manage this, so it was incredibly nice having the singing, the limbo game and the hula dance break up the meal for the kids. Tink joined in, and Peter was entertained just watching, so I could actually eat my food in peace LOL! If you think your little one will want to join in on anything, definitely have your camera ready. We got some cute shots of Tink wearing a flower lei dancing with the other kids. As far as atmosphere goes, other than a character meal I think this is as family-oriented as you can get! It was a wonderful change of pace, a beautiful setting, everyone was entertained and the kids were able to be themselves without bothering anyone. All the games and singing and dancing makes this a five star from the kids, no question. As a parent, it was really nice to not have to spend an entire meal telling them to settle down and eat; and it was awesome not having to make up lame little games with straw wrappers and sugar packets to keep them occupied… absolutely five stars from me!

Other Details
If you do decide to dine here, or anywhere at the Polynesian, really consider leaving yourselves time afterwards to just wander the resort, it is so beautiful and there’s lots to see. Walking around the lobby, the waterfalls, the little ponds outside, and especially the beach are all a great way to walk off that super-full feeling you may have after your delicious meal. Plus if you bring a change of clothes for the kids they can play in the sand (Tink didn’t want to leave!). The time we spent after dinner that evening was probably two of the most relaxing hours of our trip. For clean up after the beach, we had the kids use the foot rinse by the pool, then walked back to the bathrooms right outside of ‘Ohana to change. The bathrooms were clean, ample, and definitely doable with two kids. Peter loves trains, so we opted for the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom, (the monorail is on the same floor as the restaurant/bathrooms). It was a beautiful ride and Tink thought the monorail was flying (no wonder she seemed so impressed!). Having taken the boat on the way to dinner, I'm not sure which I liked better, so I'm glad we did both!

The Final Word
We LOVED ‘Ohana, and I’m so very happy that I made this ADR. If a Polynesian experience appeals to you, don’t doubt for a moment that this will be a wonderful family experience… it’s at the very top of our family’s Disney “must-do” list, I can’t wait to go back!

Coming up... Flame Tree BBQ lunch and Akershus Princess Storybook dinner!

 

[turning40withMickey]

Thanks for these great kid friendly review! IT is just what I was looking for, the mom of young kids version of the dining plan! Fabulous!

 

[lisaj]

Loving this thread, don't often hear views of really young ones.

 

[Nasus]

Love the reviews so far...
The best thing about O'hana for us was the entertainment and coconut races! Our food was only so-so, the meat on the skewers were dried out, but our kids loved participating in all the fun
Susan

 

[wilma-bride]

Your review of 'Ohana really has me wondering whether to do this with our family in April. Would it be possible, do you think, for them to substitute the cheesy potatoes for fries or something as we have 2 adults in our party who don't eat cheese

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

I do love all your details! Things that I remember from when my son was little (his first trip to WDW was when he was 18 months) such as backless chairs and the HILLS!!! (AK can be truly painful after a while!)

I look forward to reading more!

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Hi there! It's nice reading how some of you can relate to what we went through at WDW... I wish I'd known about avoiding Frontierland from the beginning... the lines for Splash and Thunder mountains criss-crossed into a huge mob and I was stuck in the middle with a double stroller trying to get down the hill to the train station Peter kept yelling "Move it! Move it!" Anyway, hopefully these reviews aren't too rambly, the details are all so fresh in my mind I can't seem to help it!

Ciciwoowoo those backless seats got him every time! It's going to be fun to see how things change with each visit as they grow

Wilma-bride, you can definitely ask for fries instead of cheesy potatoes. They're so friendly and helpful at 'Ohana!!

Nasus, I agree about the entertainment at 'Ohana, that and the whole atmosphere won me over much more than the meal (though I did find it yummy!)

Okay, up with Flame Tree in a few!!!

 

[apirateslife4us!]

Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom)
Lunch (11:30am when we arrived...12pm by the time we ate)

Food-
Kid Rating: * * *
Parent Rating: * * * *

Atmosphere-
Kid Rating: * *
Parent Rating: * *

Would we come back?
Kids: They wouldn’t care.
Parents: Nope. The food was yummy enough that I’d come back if we ever went without kids or when they’re like, 8 and 11 or something.

Caution: Flaming Flame Tree!!! Oh, why didn’t we stop at Tusker House in Africa while we were there? Or even Pizzafari? Actually, the food here at Flame Tree was yummy, especially the barbecue sauce, but holy moly what looonng lines, what strict dining plan rules, what difficult seating! At Tusker House there was a group of dancers, and people were enjoying fries with their meals or mashed potatoes and vegetables instead of a tiny cup of baked beans… Oh well! Without kids these things are tolerable (I guess), but with a 2 and 5 year old I wouldn’t try it again.

What we ate:
Split between us: Beef Sandwich meal with an applesauce (instead of the beans) and smoked ½ chicken with baked beans and corn bread. There was a stack of free “giveaway” applesauces by the condiments, so I grabbed an extra. We also had a medium Coke and a medium lemonade for our drinks, and the chocolate cake and minute maid frozen lemonade for desserts.

Food Details
So, Donald and I split the delicious sandwich and most of the chicken. The kids devoured the chicken skin, then they reluctantly ate a few bites of the chicken meat I pieced out for them, and also they really enjoyed the cornbread and applesauce. The sandwich and chicken were REALLY good, especially after I finally hunted us down some BBQ sauce (details below). Donald loved the baked beans (no one else tried them…I just didn’t feel like beans at the time but they smelled good!). A word about ordering: there is no substituting allowed for those baked beans except for applesauce, so if you don’t feel like beans or applesauce you are out of luck with any of these meals, dining plan or not. Some people were ordering a side of fries or cole slaw on top of the meal and then giving away the unwanted beans or leaving the applesauce on the condiment bar for others, but then I saw a CM throw them all away, which of course is the only thing to be done but still, it seems like a waste. Anyway, the food was really good, just with very structured, limiting meals. Even if they hadn’t allowed fries, just a choice of cole slaw or beans it would have been nice... I guess they really wanted us to try their beans! Lastly, if you ARE on the dining plan, you get a medium drink instead of a large at this counter service, which was fine for us but something to keep in mind on a hot day. We didn’t order the kids meals, but the choices were a hot dog or chicken wings (I forget the side items). Overall, the strict meal choices were a downer, especially as a parent, so despite the delicious food I had to give it only four stars. From the kids, again, this was just another place that didn’t have any of their favorite foods, nothing great, nothing terrible, so three stars.

Atmosphere Details
Okay, so this wasn’t my favorite counter spot, atmosphere-wise. It felt really disorganized. Lines. The line que area was too small so there was a mass of bottlenecked people right before the real lines formed. It took FOREVER to get through this. Seating areas. There are two totally separate seating areas, so if you split up while one person orders and someone else goes hunting for a seat be sure and have your cell phone on, because it will be a toss up… did they choose the path to the right or the path to the left??? Go down one of the paths with your tray, up the three steps and glance around, nope not there… backtrack and go along the other path (“Excuse me for going against traffic with a tray of food and sodas”). Seats. Although Donald eventually found enough seats for us all while I ordered the food, (he chose the left path, by the way), there are not enough chairs for the amount of tables! People were staking out tables, then claiming chairs as they became vacant. It was musical chairs without the music, with people eyeing those lucky enough to have a seat, inching slightly over, glancing around to make sure no one else has laid claim on the chair, then asking in a hopeful voice, “When you’re all done, could we have one of those chairs?” We ended up giving away Peter’s chair to a family with older kids, since Peter wanted Mommy’s lap anyway. Condiments. Finally, we have food after an incredibly long line, we have a table, we have chairs, we have each other and everyone’s happy. I was ready to grab some napkins, utensils, and that famous BBQ sauce so I could sit in peace and eat. Except the sauce pumper thing was broken at our condiment island… the lid was partially off and the whole thing was disassembled. Okay, no problem, there’s gotta be another, so I left our seating area and walked down the other path to the other condiment bar and the BBQ sauce pumper thing over there was empty! So I scouted out a CM, let him know about the broken and also empty pumpers, grabbed napkins and stuff, went back to the table, made sure everyone was eating and under control, then went back to the nearby condiment island. A woman was trying to get the broken pump to work but it was no use. I told her that I’d let a CM know about it, I was ready to forget the sauce but she took the lid all the way off, then spooned some sauce into a few condiment cups… seemed like a good idea to me so I followed suit and filled two cups myself- victory at last!! When we finally left Flame Tree that pump was still the way we’d left it… maybe Flame Tree is understaffed? Oh well, the sauce was awesome so I’m glad I got some. I give it two stars for atmosphere because I feel generous now, the haze of time has taken the edge off that crazy lunch, but at the time I would have given it negative five stars. Considering the nice shade and pretty plants, that’s at least one star, and the cool-looking birds (they looked like miniature storks), entertained the kids a bit so there’s another star.

Other Details
I don’t know, we went for a pretty early lunch so I can’t think of what might have helped this place out. The food is tasty, so go if you dare, I’ve read a lot of really good experiences as well so maybe it was just an off day.

The Final Word
Not the place for us, if you guys go I hope you have a better experience!