Jubilee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,098
Hi all! 
I have never written a report so please go easy on me. I do feel I owe it to you all for all the lovely reports I've read over the years. Oh, and I will include some pics too.
Just got home last night so I'm exhausted from my head to toes, but I will definitely be reviewing for your viewing displeasure.
Unfortunately, there were some disappointments along the way-and also some very pleasant surprises-but I want to be truthful and as honest as possible.
Firstly, I realized that I cannot justify the deluxe dining at all. It was not only too much food, but it was too much mediocre food. I barely had time to eat popcorn or root beer floats that, to me, are park staples since I was a kid. I think half my issue was that I sort of like eating fun junk (ice cream bars) and hidden treasures (carrot cake cookie) and you're just not hungry enough to do all that plus the meals on the deluxe dining plan.
The other problem was that I over-obsessed. Like you are probably thinking right now, you do not want to hear that it's too much food, or you do not want to hear that it won't be a perfect, delicious meal with awesome Disney service, theming and style. I think over-planning killed a little of the magic in finding a diamond in the rough place to eat when you're delirious and sweaty with sun scorched skin. Instead it was a meal I had been looking forward to, and counting on, and having expectations of for months. Yes, we all know that you have to at least think about where you want to eat, and make reservations months in advance. But do you have to change your reservations 3,000 times, look food $%^& pics, study menus, decide what to eat and go on a diet just to gain weight on your upcoming Disney trip? NO! Please do not do this (lol)... Now, I might've been an extreme case because Mike up at the concierge at All-Star Music did tell me he had never seen so many cancellations, but I know there are many of you up there with me.
Finally, as some have mentioned, and this was another one of those shut my eyes and plug my ears and say, "lalalalala" situations....we had pretty bad service almost everywhere. I realize people come in the masses daily, and with some of the terrible things I witnessed by the park guests over the week, I can imagine what the cast members have to endure on a daily basis, but if they cannot greet a table with a little bit of optimism then I do believe they are in the wrong field of work.
Can you imagine actually paying $86 for a lunch in which the server laid the dessert menu ON your entree plate while you were still eating? How about a $200 dinner where the server began her greeting with, "What can I get you to drink?" I'm sure not everyone will agree with me that these are extreme no-nos per se, but I can definitely tell you that we found most of the service to be abundantly underwhelming, if not bad enough to actually ruin the meal experience itself.
I should've prefaced that my husband and I are both in the restaurant industry so we may be a little more critical than most, but we are parents now and definitely try to remain open. When we enter a restaurant with 2 exhausted young children while wearing park clothes, I promise you we are not expecting crumbing between courses....but, rather, would just appreciate a smile and drink refills!
So I will get the review started within the next day or two. I hope you come back and check it out despite my being a debbie downer.
We were 2 adults, 1 child and 1 infant on the deluxe dining plan and here's where we ate:
9/10 Earl of Sandwich dinner
9/11 1900 Park Fare brunch
Spirit of Aloha dinner (actual show was rained out - 1 credit refunded)
9/12 Cinderella Royal Table brunch
Boma dinner
9/13 Le Cellier lunch
Cape May Cafe dinner
9/14 Tusker House breakfast
Pizzafari lunch
Yachtsman's Steahouse dinner
9/15 Chefs de France lunch
Tokyo Dining dinner
9/16 Play N Dine breakfast
Brown Derby dinner
9/17 'Ohana breakfast
The Plaza lunch
Chef Mickey's dinner
9/18 Intermission breakfast
Kona Cafe lunch
Earl of Sandwich dinner
I have never written a report so please go easy on me. I do feel I owe it to you all for all the lovely reports I've read over the years. Oh, and I will include some pics too.Just got home last night so I'm exhausted from my head to toes, but I will definitely be reviewing for your viewing displeasure.
Unfortunately, there were some disappointments along the way-and also some very pleasant surprises-but I want to be truthful and as honest as possible.
Firstly, I realized that I cannot justify the deluxe dining at all. It was not only too much food, but it was too much mediocre food. I barely had time to eat popcorn or root beer floats that, to me, are park staples since I was a kid. I think half my issue was that I sort of like eating fun junk (ice cream bars) and hidden treasures (carrot cake cookie) and you're just not hungry enough to do all that plus the meals on the deluxe dining plan.
The other problem was that I over-obsessed. Like you are probably thinking right now, you do not want to hear that it's too much food, or you do not want to hear that it won't be a perfect, delicious meal with awesome Disney service, theming and style. I think over-planning killed a little of the magic in finding a diamond in the rough place to eat when you're delirious and sweaty with sun scorched skin. Instead it was a meal I had been looking forward to, and counting on, and having expectations of for months. Yes, we all know that you have to at least think about where you want to eat, and make reservations months in advance. But do you have to change your reservations 3,000 times, look food $%^& pics, study menus, decide what to eat and go on a diet just to gain weight on your upcoming Disney trip? NO! Please do not do this (lol)... Now, I might've been an extreme case because Mike up at the concierge at All-Star Music did tell me he had never seen so many cancellations, but I know there are many of you up there with me.
Finally, as some have mentioned, and this was another one of those shut my eyes and plug my ears and say, "lalalalala" situations....we had pretty bad service almost everywhere. I realize people come in the masses daily, and with some of the terrible things I witnessed by the park guests over the week, I can imagine what the cast members have to endure on a daily basis, but if they cannot greet a table with a little bit of optimism then I do believe they are in the wrong field of work.
Can you imagine actually paying $86 for a lunch in which the server laid the dessert menu ON your entree plate while you were still eating? How about a $200 dinner where the server began her greeting with, "What can I get you to drink?" I'm sure not everyone will agree with me that these are extreme no-nos per se, but I can definitely tell you that we found most of the service to be abundantly underwhelming, if not bad enough to actually ruin the meal experience itself.
I should've prefaced that my husband and I are both in the restaurant industry so we may be a little more critical than most, but we are parents now and definitely try to remain open. When we enter a restaurant with 2 exhausted young children while wearing park clothes, I promise you we are not expecting crumbing between courses....but, rather, would just appreciate a smile and drink refills!
So I will get the review started within the next day or two. I hope you come back and check it out despite my being a debbie downer.
We were 2 adults, 1 child and 1 infant on the deluxe dining plan and here's where we ate:
9/10 Earl of Sandwich dinner
9/11 1900 Park Fare brunch
Spirit of Aloha dinner (actual show was rained out - 1 credit refunded)
9/12 Cinderella Royal Table brunch
Boma dinner
9/13 Le Cellier lunch
Cape May Cafe dinner
9/14 Tusker House breakfast
Pizzafari lunch
Yachtsman's Steahouse dinner
9/15 Chefs de France lunch
Tokyo Dining dinner
9/16 Play N Dine breakfast
Brown Derby dinner
9/17 'Ohana breakfast
The Plaza lunch
Chef Mickey's dinner
9/18 Intermission breakfast
Kona Cafe lunch
Earl of Sandwich dinner
