18 Disney Dining Days May 10-28: A Really Long Review

[mello]

17 People, 18 Days of Disney Dining
First the tedious details, then a quick summary with ratings, then more detailed info on each restaurant.

Cast:
Our immediate family of 5: Me, DH, DS 14, DS 12, DD 5. All 3 kids are good, adventurous eaters, but our 12yo is an avowed foodie, who likes things like sushi and calamari, and analyzes the ingredients in things. This was our 3rd time on the dining plan.

The extended family of 12: Ranging in age from 5yo to 68yo; I’ll spare you the details of names & individual ages! Some are foodies & wineys, some are picky, some have food allergies, some will eat anything. This was all of their first time on the dining plan, first time at WDW for most. One couple had been to WDW back in the Halcyon Pre-DDP Days, and like us, remembered the varied menus, stellar service, and fantastic food.

The Whole Enchilada (or the boring details):
We ate in every combination from couples to the entire group, and found that on the whole, the food was average, the experiences were above average if slightly rushed, and that Disney does a better job of handling large and varied groups than most restaurants we frequent at home.

Those dealing with Celiac disease and diabetes found that it was much easier and more pleasant to dine at Disney than at most other places they’ve been. Servers, Chefs, and Counter Service CM’s were all knowledgeable and professional, accommodating and kind, and some went far out of their way to ensure a satisfactory dining experience for the celiacs particularly.

Compared to our first DDP experience in 2005, the “Dumbing Down” of the menus as a result of the plan has become painfully obvious, and sad to see. I was one who did not agree with people who said it would happen, but now I must reluctantly concede they were right. One may now compare Disney Dining to cruise ship dining. They have it down to a science, with meal seating times in waves, no more than 5 items on the menu, mass service of homogenized meals, a quick run through of the characters or entertainment, and shoosh you out the door in time for the next seating. My mom, a foodie who’s never been to WDW before, caught on by about the 4th day. She said, “I can see exactly what they do. They order a ton of beef, a ton of salmon, a ton of chicken, and a ton of penne pasta, and distribute it out to the restaurants, and then the chefs at each restaurant try to make it fit the theme. And some do a better job of it than others!” True, so true. Some do a better job than others. But how sad that it all has all been reduced to such blatant standardization, and such lack of choice on the menus. By the end of our trip I thought I’d scream and run if I saw one more dessert menu that consisted of Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie, and Fruit Something. Where, oh where has the creativity gone? Hopefully not so far that it can’t come back! That said, we intentionally sought out restaurants with some diversity in the menus, and most of our experiences were good ones.

*A Couple Notes about the DDP Changes this Year:
Sometimes we dined in groups smaller than 6, and sometimes we didn’t, so we found we were constantly checking on whether the tip was included or “suggested”, and trying to figure out how to divide it up, who’s card to put it on, who was paying cash, how to tip up or down appropriately for the service, etc. etc. It made the end of meals far less relaxing than they had been previously. We decided that we’d rather give up desserts or even all counter service meals in order to have the tip included again, just for simplicity’s sake. True all-inclusive is just so much more relaxing for a vacation.

A few of the better servers we visited with mentioned that the changes to the tip structure have “not done anyone any favors” to quote one fabulous server we had. We were trying to figure out how to tip her more than the included 18%, and she mentioned how uncomfortable it is for her to keep having conversations about her tips with the guests! She said never in all her years of serving has she been forced to discuss her tips, and now she has to do it all the time, and she hates doing it. A couple other fantastic servers expressed similar sentiments. I have a feeling many of the good ones are being shorted with the imposed 18%, and many of the lackluster ones are skating by.

I know I’m being ambivalent here. On the one hand, I like the DDP; on the other hand, I don’t. On the one hand, it’s convenient and a good value (or used to be, anyway); but on the other hand it’s quite possible that it has ruined the whole table service experience as it once was. I know you can’t have it both ways, but I’m sure many of you know just what I mean. It’s a love/hate relationship. But right now, I’m leaning much farther away from the love, lol.

Places We Ate & Quick Ratings:
A Quick Note on Ratings: 1=Worst and 10=Best;
Food includes freshness, quality, flavor, uniqueness, presentation, etc.
Service includes promptness, efficiency, professionalism, and above all, friendliness.
Atmosphere includes themeing, character interaction, entertainment, appropriateness of lighting and noise levels, space, and will inevitably reflect to some degree where we were seated in the restaurant. And yes, most rate higher than average in atmosphere just because, well, they’re in Disney World!

Sat May 10: Chef Mickey’s Breakfast: Food:5 Service:5 Atmosphere:6
Sat May 10: Ohana Dinner: Food:9 Service:9 Atmosphere:6 (more on that later)
Sun May 11: Garden View Lounge Tea: Food:8 Service:7 Atmosphere:9
Mon May 12: Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner: Food:6+ Service:9 Atmosphere:8
Tues May 13: Biergarten Dinner: Food:5 Service:8 Atmosphere:9
Wed May 14: Sunshine Seasons Lunch: Food:5 Service:Quick Service Atmosphere:4
Wed May 14: Garden Grill Dinner: Food:7 Service:2 Atmosphere:4
Thur May 15: 50’s Prime Time Lunch: Food:6 Service:8 Atmosphere:8
Fri May 16: Sci Fi Lunch: Food:6 Service:9 Atmosphere:9
Fri May 16: Artist Point Dinner: Food:8 Service:7 Atmosphere:7
Sat May 17: Artists Palette Lunch: Food:7 Service: QS Atmosphere:6
Sat May 17: Wolfgang Puck Express Dinner: Food:9 Service:8 Atmosphere:6
Sun May 18: Grand Gathering Safari w/ Tusker House Dinner Food:6 Service:5 Atmosphere:7
Mon May 19: Cantina in Mexico Lunch: Food:6 Service:QS Atmosphere:9
Mon May 19: Marrakesh Dinner: Food:6 Service:6 Atmosphere:8
Tues May 20: 1900 Park Fare Dinner: Food:6 Service:6 Atmosphere:9
Wed May 21: Garden View Lounge Tea: Food:8 Service: 8 Atmosphere:9
Wed May 21: Whispering Canyon Café Dinner: Food:8 Service:9 Atmosphere:8
Thur May 22: Seafire Inn (SeaWorld) Lunch: Non-Disney Overall:5
Thur May 22: Olivia’s Dinner: Food: 7 Service:9 Service:9 Atmosphere:7
Fri May 23: Discovery Cove Lunch: Non-Disney Overall:8
Fri May 23: Earl of Sandwich Dinner: Food:7 Service:QS Atmosphere:5
Sat May 24: Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch: Food:8 Service:7 Atmosphere:10
Sat May 24: Columbia Harbor House Dinner: Food:6 Service:10 Atmosphere:7
Sun May 25: Artists Palette Lunch: Food:7 Service:QS Atmosphere:6
Sun May 25: Raglan Road Dinner: Food: 6 Service:4 Atmosphere:6
Mon May 26: Cosmic Ray’s Dinner: Food: 5 Service:QS+ Atmosphere:6
Mon May 26: Pecos Bill’s 2nd Dinner: Food:4 Service: QS Atmosphere:5
Tues May 27: Boulangerie Patisserie Lunch: Food:7 Service:QS Atmosphere:9
Tues May 27: Narcoosee’s Dinner: Food:10 Service: 9 Atmosphere9
Wed May 28: Wolfgang Puck’s Express Lunch: Food:9 Service:8 Atmosphere 6

 

[mello]

I will try my best to be objective about the good and the not-so-good.

Chef Mickey’s Breakfast

Food: 5 Average buffet food; nothing remarkable but nothing horrible either

Service: 5 Average buffet service

Atmosphere: 7 Way more fun than your average buffet! The kids loved it.

We would eat here again with kids, purely for the fun factor and the characters.

Ohana Dinner

Food: 9 Delicious! Fresh crisp salad with great dressing, moist meat, yummy sides (we enjoyed the wontons and the noodles), and the bread pudding is heaven on earth. Colorful, plentiful, and fun presentations.

Service: 9 Excellent pacing to the meal and very friendly servers.

Atmosphere: 6 Pleasant Polynesian as usual, but they didn’t dim the lights for Wishes, so it was bright, and noisy, and nobody paid any attention to the show – really ruined one of our whole reasons for eating there. We asked why and our server said, “Well, I’m not really sure, but I think somebody fell down in the dark, or something like that, so now we can’t lower the lights”. Sounds odd to me. I’d be curious to hear others’ experiences with Wishes at Ohana recently.

Thankfully, this restaurant remains high on our “must do every trip” list, though we may book earlier than Wishes, then watch it from the beach after dinner.

Garden View Lounge Tea

Food: 8 A pleasant change from the usual fare. Nice variety of sandwiches, fresh strawberries, soft scones, a decent rendition of devonshire cream, and flaky pastries. Lovely presentation.

Service: 7 Nicely paced, and pleasant enough.

Atmosphere 9 Such a beautiful spot with such a relaxing, elegant feel to it!

This also remains a “must do” for us.

Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner

Food: 6 Yes, I know it’s Stouffer’s but it’s comfort food, and looks just like Thanksgiving dinner when served up. And it’s quite satisfying after a day trekking around the park. What can I say?

Service: 9 One of the best servers in all of WDW. She was unfailingly friendly and efficient while carrying large turkey-laden trays and tripping over kids and characters everywhere. And she kept our drinks filled constantly – a big plus!

Atmosphere 8 Feels like a Colonian Inn, and the character interaction was some of the best of our trip.

We will most definitely eat here again.

Biergarten Dinner

Food: 5 We loved this on our last 2 visits, but were rather disappointed this time: the meats seemed overdone and dry, the jaeger sauce had a burnt flavor, the spaetzle was undercooked (spaetzle should be soft like dumplings, not al dente like Italian pasta), and the apfel strudel was not like we remembered at all – the pastry was too tough to get a fork through, the apples were crunchy, and the vanilla sauce was watered down. Maybe it was just an off day (I hope?) On the bright side, the cucumber and tomato salads were fresh, colorful, and nicely flavored.

Service: 8 Our server, Rolf was quite personable, and we enjoyed talking with him about Germany!

Atmosphere 9 We love how it feels like you’re outside in a real biergarten in the evening, and the entertainment is a hoot!

Reluctantly debating whether to book this again next trip in case it was an off day, or try something different…

Sunshine Seasons Lunch

Food: 5+ A tad bit better than typical counter service food. The salmon wasn’t bad, and the sandwiches had plenty of meat & veggies on them.

Service: Typical Quick Service

Atmosphere: 4 Basically a big colorful noisy cafeteria

For counter service, we would prefer to eat our way around the World Showcase, but I wouldn’t rule this place out for a full day in Future World.

Garden Grill Dinner

Food: 7 The cornbread and honey butter were delicious, the chicken was moist and had really nice flavoring, the green beans were nicely crisp, and the strawberry dessert was totally to die for. The trouble was, there just was not enough of any of it. 1 plate of food for 6 adults. Our “DDP Adult” kids (ages 12 & 14) were served childrens’ food, which was blah and boring to them (and the server never did bring them adult food when we brought it to his attention).

Service: 2 Our server barely spoke, never smiled, sort of tossed our silverware and straws at us as he rushed by, we had to beg repeatedly for refills of everything, which were then very slow in coming, we were thirsty the entire time, and our adult kids never did get served adult food. After dinner, my dh spoke with the manager about removing the 18% automatic gratuity, which was done, and they offered to credit us back 1 adult and 1 child credit for the boys’ meals (though I believe to be correct it they should have deducted 2 child points and credited 2 adult points).

Atmosphere: 4 Unfortunately we were seated on the upper tier, so my view was of a revolving blank wall with doors in it. The characters seemed rushed which surpised us greatly after reading reviews of this restaurant which often say character interaction is great!

We may try this restaurant again some day, because the food warrants it, but there are many others we’d go to first.

50’s Prime Time

Food:7 Good old comfort food again. I commend this place because some semblance of the former menu remains intact, even though it has been trimmed somewhat since our last visit. We were very pleasantly surprised to still be able to get meat loaf and post roast, for instance, and s’mores, and milk shakes with the can!

Service: 8 We had a very good server, she joked with the kids, and was able to read the older folks’ reactions to her role, and temper it when need be – she did a great job, and we had such a fun time. The whole meal wound up a bit longer than we expected, and we did have to readjust our show schedule for the afternoon, but the experience was great, so no problem.

Atmosphere: 8 The themeing here is spectacularly 50’s and loads of fun. My parents absolutely loved it!

This will likely be our restaurant of choice for our Studios day next time, for both the menu choices and the fun factor.

Sci Fi Lunch

Food: 6 We had not overly enjoyed our food here last time, but everyone wanted to go, and the atmosphere is a hoot, so we booked it again, and dh & I decided to go with what the place is known for: burgers and flavored cokes. We found them to be pretty decent for burgers (not generally my favorite food). Our foodie DS ordered penne pasta (with shrimp if I’m not mistaken), and it was really yummy; I wished I had ordered it! The minty sundae I had for dessert was refreshing, both in taste and in novelty.

Service: 9 Our server here was excellent, totally on the ball, chatty & friendly, and she handled the 3 different cars in our party, kids & spills with ease and good cheer.

Atmosphere: 9 This has to be one of the most unique places there is to eat anywhere!

Everyoe’s got to try it at least once.

Artist Point Dinner

Food: 8 We were hoping to catch Copper River Salmon, but were a few days too early. I had the cedar plank salmon anyway, and it was delicious! It came with a pork belly hash, which I did not care for at all, it had sort of a greasy bacony flavor; I would have far preferred something green, or something lighter like rice, on the plate. DH had the buffalo, which he really enjoyed. I tasted it and it was not gamey at all, very nice. We were sorely disappointed that Coffee Three Ways has been removed from the menu. Coffee is such a Northwest thing, and that dessert was one of the main reasons we had booked AP. We had the berry cobbler instead, which was good, but not spectacular in any way, though it has been on the menu forever. Not sure what direction this restaurant is going in… perhaps more Midwest than Northwest (what with the pork belly and removal of the coffee dessert and all). (???)

Service: 7 Not much to comment on here. Our server was pleasant and efficient, no more, no less.
Atmosphere: 7 It’s a lovely restaurant, and I’m sure the window tables are most pleasant. Unfortunately we didn’t have one, we were sort of tucked away near the door to the kitchen and couldn’t see much, but the décor was still nice, and the lighting and noise level were pleasantly low.

Very good, but not quite as stellar as we were expecting. We’ll try other signature dining experiences next time.

Artists Palette Lunch
Food: 7 This is definitely one of our favorite counter service establishments on property. Many people are miffed that it doesn’t have burgers and dogs. For us this is a huge plus! I was pleased to find my favorite house salad still on the menu – fresh, crisp greens, dried berries, candied nuts, tender chicken – mmmmm! DH had a flatbread which he enjoyed immensely.

Service: Typical QS

Atmosphere: 6+ In addition to a unique QS menu, it is unique for QS atmosphere as well; smaller and quieter than the average counter service restaurant, and we love the lighting!

This counter service is a step above the norm for WDW on the whole, and we will most definitely eat here again!

Wolfgang Puck Express Dinner

Food: 9 Ok, for counter service, this place rocks! It is SO refreshing to find a menu that is not dumbed down due to the Disney dining plan (say that 3 times fast)! A nice, varied menu selection, fresh, quality food, presented beautifully on real plates with real utensils instead of plastic, nice napkins, totally delicious food and plenty of it… I just can’t say enough about it. If you like iced tea, you’ll love this place – they have 3 varieties – plain, sweet, and fruity.

Service: 8 Again, for counter service it’s above and beyond… we actually had servers coming around offering to get us things and refill our drinks. (This was the only QS place where we gave a tip – we felt it was warranted in this case).

Atmosphere 6 Pretty much typical counter service atmosphere, but the real plates and utensils make it feel more “table servicey” .

Of course, some people have a Wolfies in their own home town, but we aren’t among them, so WPE still a novelty for us. We hope, oh we so hope, that this restaurant does not catch the dreaded dumbing down due to the Disney dining plan disease! We would rather pay out of pocket here than see that happen.

Grand Gathering Safari w/ Tusker House Dinner

Food: 6 The food wasn’t bad, what we got to taste of it, that is. I really liked the salad and the large pearl couscous. I didn’t get to eat my main dish, and never saw the dessert, however.

Service 4 The meal part of this experience was chaotic and rushed. Too much waiting in lines for everything, from dinner to the characters and the critters. The servers took away plates we were still eating off of, and took dessert away before we ever even saw it (we were waiting in line for characters). Very disorganized and a huge disappointment for the cost.

Atmosphere 7 This restaurant is nicely themed.

Note that this was not a normal Tusker House buffet dinner, but it sounds like the food is the same or very similar. We would not do this particular Grand Gathering experience again, but we would love to try a regular dinner here!

Cantina in Mexico Lunch

Food: 6 Slightly above average for Mexican takeout

Service: Standard QS

Atmosphere: 9 Sitting by the lagoon under an umbrella table, listening to the mariachi band, drinking a margarita or a conga juice and munching on a taco, is one of my favorite things to do in the World Showcase, and therefore in all of Disney World (since WS is my favorite place in WDW).

Location, location, location…

Marrakesh Dinner

Food: 7 A pleasant surprise here. We cancelled Boma at the last minute and booked this instead (the only place with an opening in Epcot that evening). We weren’t sure about it, but figured, what the heck. The food turned out to be quite good. The lemon chicken with couscous was delicious in fact! As was the mint iced tea.

Service: 6 Pretty good, but it was a little hard to understand what our server was saying at times, and she had a hard time grasping the concept that one child needed gluten free food. She kept saying, “that isn’t allowed on the dining plan”.

Atmosphere: 8 Very decorative, and the little girls enjoyed the music and the fact that the belly dancer invited them to join her. One of them said, “I want to be a belly dancer!” lol.

1900 Park Fare Dinner

Food: 6 We went with very low expectations for the food, due to reading reviews here, and again were pleasantly surprised. The bread was very good, nice and yeasty. The salad was crisp, green and fresh. We found the prime rib to be cooked nicely and very tasty, and the potatoes were good as well. Nothing standout and stellar, but definitely some good, edible food here. For dessert we enjoyed the strawberry soup very much, and the little mini desserts were fun. Those that tried the bread pudding said it was yummy.

Service: 6 Our waiter was very pleasant and efficient, but for some reason he kept mentioning politics. Definitely not my favorite subject while in Disney World! We ignored it and all was fine.

Atmosphere: 9 It’s very nicely decorated, and the characters are great, as reported. The step sisters were absolutely hilarious! We had made autograph books (thanks to the talented “Dis-igners” here), and they both got SO excited to see their pictures in the kids’ books. One of them yelled out to the whole restaurant, “Oh! I’m in a book! Look everyone, I’m in a book!” as she waved the book around for all to see. DD had a dress with a Cinderella print on it, and Anastasia said, “Hey, you’ve got blue smudges on your dress!” One of them kissed DS 14 on the cheek and left a big lipstsick mark, which was pricelessly funny, and the other one asked one of our grandpas to dance with her. A good time was had by all here.

We can’t wait to go back!

Garden View Lounge Tea

Food: 8 Did this one twice; once with immediate family, once with the ladies for Granny’s B-Day. Food was the same both times. Very nice.

Service: 9 The service was slightly better this time around, (not that it was bad before) since our server kindly noticed Granny’s B-Day and paid her a little extra special attention.

Atmosphere: 9 Again, just lovely.

Whispering Canyon Café Dinner

Food: 8 Quite good, and lots of it. A couple of us ordered the Canyon Skillet, and I was so glad I had because the salad was delicious (love a good salad). Delicious corn bread, good chicken & ribs, etc. More good ol’ comfort food. The kids’ milkshakes were totally delicious and such fun flavors! The standout for me was the bananas foster dessert. I think the sauce may be the same as on the bread pudding at Ohana (?)

Service: 9 Extra good here. We had the entire group that night, in a very festive mood, and our server joined right in and made it extra festive. She handled the large group and all the craziness admirably.

Atmosphere 8 You definitely have to be in the right frame of mind for this experience, and we were! It’s very casual, very nicely themed, and very raucous. We loved it – especially DH and DBIL. We had a jolly old time requesting ketchup for Granny, and when Papa asked for lemon in his water, the server brought him a whole lemon on a fork! The highlight was when she made our whole group ride stick horses around the restaurant singing Happy Birthday to Granny.

Seafire Inn (SeaWorld) Lunch Non-Disney so somewhat OT

Overall 5 Food was below average for counter service, and not worth what we paid, but the little animal show while eating was neat, so it evened out to average.

Olivia’s Dinner
Food: 8 Ok, I have to admit I was so tired that night that I can’t remember what I had for an entrée. It can’t have been that memorable I suppose. But what did make an impression was the pineapple bread, and the sweet tea. It was the first time I had tasted either, and oh heaven! I really didn’t care if I had anything else, and we spent the rest of the trip seeking out restaurants that had sweet tea (our server said 3 or 4 other restaurants have it. We also asked about the pineapple bread, and were told they get it off-site somewhere, so assumed we wouldn’t find it elsewhere on property – but anybody know for sure?)

Service: 9 Our server, who was from Morocco and has an lovely but unusual name – (Raisa maybe?) Was wonderful. She went above and beyond the call of duty to cheer up two very tired and crabby little girls, and we appreciated that very much!!! She also made an effort to find out about the pineapple bread and sweet tea for us.

Atmosphere: 7 A very pleasant place, nicely but not heavily themed. We enjoyed the photographs, shuttered windows and the overhead lighting. Feels like a laid-back “normal” restaurant that would be a favorite if we lived in Florida.

There is no doubt we will visit Olivias again.

Discovery Cove Lunch Non-Disney so OT again

Overall 8 Although it was served in a cafeteria line, there was a nice selection, the food was fresh tasting and very nicely prepared. I had lobster salad, grilled salmon with red potatoes, and fresh fruit for dessert. There were nice umbrella tables and live music playing while we ate. A very pleasant experience. (And way OT: the whole day was simply wonderful!)

Earl of Sandwich Dinner

Food: 7 Certainly some of the best sandwiches we’ve ever eaten. I’d love to get ahold of some of that bread! And the Earl’s Grey Lemonade is pretty darn good too.

Service: Typical QS

Atmosphere: 5 The place is decorated cute, so it would be quite pleasant if it weren’t so echoey and loud in there! It’s sort of one of those sensory overload experiences.

Delish, but eat outside where it’s quieter!

Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch

Food: 8 Those of us who ordered Major Domo’s pie were not disappointed. It hasn’t changed a bit since our first experience at CRT – it remains as tasty and beautiful as ever. However, our DS, who tried to order the Bibbidy Bobbidy Brew, was disappointed to find out they no longer have it, or the special mug it came in. The kids meals could be a bit more upscale for the surroundings and the price.

Service: 7 Friendly and oh so efficient, but fairly rushed and structured feeling.

Atmosphere: 10 Well, you just can’t top eating inside Cinderella’s Castle! It’s really beautiful. And there are the princesses. All in all an unbeatable combo.

Yes, we’re sucked in. Because the only other way to eat inside a castle is to fly to Europe. As long as we have little princesses about, and as long as they keep Major Domo around, we’ll keep returning – photo packages, increased prices and decreased menus be darned.

Columbia Harbor House Dinner

Food: 6+ A bit better than expected for quick service. Our tuna sandwiches were fresh, with nice crisp lettuce and ripe tomatoes. The apple dessert was a very pleasant surprise – quite good. And best of all, they had sweet tea!

Service: 10 Another very pleasant surprise here. The manager himself came and sought us out upstairs with extra grilled chicken for our little Celiac child, and apologized that he didn’t have more to feed her! He then proceeded to stay and chat with us about allergies, and various dietary issues, and the classes that WDW has been giving to employees, and upcoming plans to deal with various allergies, etc. Just a really nice guy, and we really appreciated his sincere interest in our dining experience!

Atmosphere: 7 We found the nice carpeted area upstairs with the little paned windows, and felt like we’d found a little hidden gem! This was a nice, pleasant, cool, quiet supper on an extremely hot & busy day in the MK.

We have a new favorite counter service place in the Magic Kingdom!

Artists Palette Lunch
Food: 7 Service: QS Atmosphere: 6
This is all the same as before, so I won’t repeat it. Definitely a keeper though.

Raglan Road Dinner
Food: 6 The menu was quite fun to read. I had the Keen Eye for the Shepherd’s Pie, and it was okay, but pretty salty, and I thought that for the price, it could come with some veggies or something else besides just the pie sitting there by itself. BIL got the fish and chips, and it was literally just 1 piece of fish. Desserts were ooey and gooey and good. We especially liked the bread & butter pudding. But all in all, we have a much better Irish Pub here at home, so guess we’ll stick with that.

Service: 4 Wayyyyyy sloooowwwwww. I was dying of thirst most of the time (see salty dinner above). We (just 7 of us, not the entire group) arrived early for a 7pm reservation and didn’t get out of there until nearly 10pm, which ruined the guys’ plans for a movie after dinner. They were not too happy about that.

Atmosphere: 6 It’s pleasanty Irish Pub-ish inside. But apparently on Sunday evening there’s no entertainment. Either that, or it starts after 10? We were a bit disappointed about that.

We really, really wanted to like this place, and fully expected to. Darn! Perhaps we’ll give it another shot sometime.

Cosmic Ray’s Dinner

Food: 5 Regular counter service food, a nice variety though, at the different stations. I like the roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Nothing to write home about, and the mashed potatoes for some reason are annoyingly sweet, but still a healthier alternative to burgers and such, and pretty decent.

Service: QS+ We had a CM who was extra friendly and helpful with pointing things out and expediting our order, which was nice.
Atmosphere: 6 Pretty good for counter service. It isn’t just anywhere that you can be entertained by a singing alien while you eat!

This has been a good standby quick service location for us, mostly because of the varied choices and Sonny Eclipse, and it will likely continue to be.

Pecos Bill’s 2nd Dinner

Food: 4 Either it was the late hour or the greasy spicy beef, or a bit of both (most likely) but the taco salad I had did not agree well with me. I liked the idea of the toppings bar for the salad, but the shell was greasy, and the meat was greasy and way too spicy, and the whole thing just didn’t turn out too well. DH felt the same way about whatever burger thing he ate too. We should have never given in to the idea of 2nd dinner (we’re not hobbits after all), but we were wanting something besides candy at 10pm, it was handy, we had extra CS credits, and it seemed like a good idea at the time…

Service: Standard QS

Atmosphere: 5 The whole inside of the restaurant smelled like bathroom cleaning supplies, so we (and everyone else it seems) ate outside. It was very hard to find a table, even at the late hour.

Our first experience here may well be our last as well.

Boulangerie Patisserie Lunch

Food: 7 Good quiche, sandwiches and delicious pastries

Service: QS standard

Atmosphere: 9 Another one of our favorite spots in Epcot is sitting at the little patio tables outside the Patisserie, listening to the French music, looking at the gardens and fountains, and watching the people go by. Ahhhh, it feels just like being in Europe.

I would eat here every day if I could!

Narcoosee’s Dinner

Food: 10 Ok, this was, hands down, our favorite meal of the entire trip. Dh & I, DSis & DBIL celebrated BIL’s birthday here; all 4 of us got the surf & turf. The filet mignon was melt in your mouth tender, with not a speck of fat on it, and beautifully seasoned & cooked. The best filet mignon I’ve ever had. It actually stole the show over the lobster tail, which was a treat in itself, and quite large. The raspberry Mojitos were absolutely the best mojitos ever, too. And then there was dessert. We were so stuffed we could barely stand it, but DH and I both enjoyed how refreshing the sorbet was, and BIL raved over his cheesecake.

Service: 9 Very good service, friendly and dignified, with a bit of special attention for the birthday. Excellent.

Atmosphere: 9 The location is quite hard to beat, beautiful views of the sun setting over 7 Seas lagoon, the water parade, and the Magic Kingdom for Wishes (they still dim the lights here). The decor, the murals, and the lighting are all very soothing and pleasant. I had read that it can be noisy, but that evening it was quite peaceful.

A perfectly wonderful last night of our trip. I will be looking forward to dining here again.

Wolfgang Puck’s Express Lunch
Food: 9 Delicious again. I had a nice pasta dish this time; very fresh and colorful.
Service: 8 Another guy getting iced tea refills for us!
Atmosphere 6 Same as before

So, that’s finally it. Wow, I’ve worked on this for so long, I hope it helps someone! Bon Appetite!

 

[suzimar57]

wow!

this was one of the best (and easiest to read!) food reviews i've seen in a long while - i wish more were done like this!

(especially hate the ones where everything is one big paragraph! )

anyway - it sounds like GG was one of your biggest disappointments - i never got that "tossing the silverware" thing they do either - and it's really a shame your 2 children got dissed with the adult food - leave it to disney to mess up the credit as well!

we always enjoy narcoosees - and that almond crusted cheesecake is the ultimate as fas as desserts go for us!!!

upstairs at columbia harbor house is well worth the effort to climb the stairs - much quieter, more peaceful - we always eat here

LTT is great for dinner (although we can do without the characters!) - the food is really good there, i don't care if stouffer does make it!

when you stick with burgers/fries and shakes at sci-fi, you can't go wrong - but it sounds like the shrimp/pasta was a surprise hit!

never ate at WPE - planning to in december - heard good things about it, consistently - glad you were happy there as well

ah, the afternoon tea - i've done this one several times and always leave feeling calmer, more relaxed - and the food is surprisingly filling - just wish they'd give more devonshire cream (like a 1/2 gallon tub's worth....)

again - thanks for the reviews - excellent! (and you sure did eat at a lot of places - that's our idea of a great disney vacation!)

 

[DisOrBust]

I have to say your review of the DDP is right on the money! I don't know how anyone can really defend it. We are now to the point that if you want to eat onsite then you have to have the DDP or its just cost prohibitive. Disney had a decentralized kitchen but not anymore.

I can honestly say I'm looking forward to seeing Universal again.

 

[iluvpluto27]

Thanks for the reviews. You ate at a lot of good restaurants, you've got me excited for my Narcoosees adr now!

 

[MickeyNicki]

I do agree with your about the restaurants all having the same foods, a pork dish, a chicken dish, a steak dish, a salmon dish and a pasta dish, we always pick a restaurant that has something prepared a bit different...and the desserts are always the same which is why DH and I skip dessert and have something from a CS stand like France or Norway or get an ice cream treat instead...cheaper too!

 

[lvloopingbag]

Great reviews! Thanks for all of your effort!

 

[TigerKat]

Great reviews! I must say I am extremely disappointed, this is the first I've heard of no entertainment, or after 10PM at Raglan Road on Sundays. We have an ADR for a Sunday night.

 

[John's Mom]

Thanks for sharing your reviews!

 

[BrettS]

Garden Grill Dinner

The trouble was, there just was not enough of any of it. 1 plate of food for 6 adults.

I'm so sorry you had a bad experience at the GG. That's one of our favorite restaraunts. It's way too late now, and I'm not sure it would have helped given your server, but the GG is all you can eat. If you finish the plate they bring you can ask for more of anything and everything. Definitely go back because the food is great and most of the servers are great too

Brett

 

[Mom2JPL]

Loved your review! Concise (sp?) and easy to read!

 

[momjkm]

great reviews- liked the atmostphere--- and food ratings... did everyone eat the meal at LTT? any substititions at LTT for a picky kid (like getting chicken tenders)
thanks Jill

 

[mello]

great reviews- liked the atmostphere--- and food ratings... did everyone eat the meal at LTT? any substititions at LTT for a picky kid (like getting chicken tenders)
thanks Jill

We didn't ask about substitutions, and if memory serves me right, the kids ate right from the same family style platters. There was a bowl of macaroni & cheese, which is probably really for the kids, though we all had some - it was pretty good! They do have a different lunch menu, so it might be possible to get one of the kids' meals from that menu - not sure though.

 

[kimgof]

Great reviews. Thanks so much for taking the time to do them.
We have ADR's for WCC and 50s PT( have never been to either). I am so looking forward to them after reading your reviews.

 

[50 years Too!]

Love your efficiency.
Great information, and easy to quickly digest format.

Thanks, Deb

 

[AydensMom]

Thanks for the quick, easy to read reviews. Narcoossee's is our must do every trip and we have yet to be disappointed. We too just discovered CHH last trip and were pleasantly surprised.

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Thanks for the reviews. I will be eating at many of the places you did! Narcoossee's sounds wonderful. Can't wait to try the surf and turf.

 

[IncredibleboysMom]

Great reviews! Your Garden Grill experience sounds exactly like ours last September. Good food, Horrible service. The characters literally bounced off of our table as they ran by!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[mom2my3kids]

Great Reviews!!

 

[Uncleromulus]

Enjoyed reading all of these reviews!