A newly transplanted Floridian’s Disney foodie adventures

[Aaryana]

I just relocated to Orlando, and the first thing I had to do was get my FL resident pass and book some dining reservations. I thought I’d start a thread to post pics and reviews of my dining adventures. Happy to answer questions about current offerings as I work my way through as many table service restaurants as I can. First up, dinner at Ohana.

This was not my first time dining at Ohana. I know others have had mixed experiences, but I have always enjoyed my meals here. This time was no exception. The food and service were fantastic. Our reservation was for 2 adults at 7 pm on a Friday night in September. The food was hot and fresh.


The bread was soft and warm.


And as always the noodles, wings, and potstickers hit the spot. I forgot to get pics of the shrimp and steak, but they were very well seasoned and flavorful. The chicken was as well and not tough or dry. Everything was perfect.


Unfortunately we were too full to really enjoy dessert, but the bread pudding was delicious as usual.

 

[Aaryana]

My mom and I stayed in a cabin while waiting for my furniture to be delivered. We tried the Trail’s End quick service on several occasions while staying at Ft. Wilderness campground.

The breakfast was standard Disney quick service breakfast. We enjoyed our daily bounty platters. The eggs and meats were well cooked, and the Mickey waffles were perfectly sweet and soft.


We tried the family style rib dinner. Unfortunately, I did not get a pic of the ribs. Probably because they were horrible. Burned, tough, and very minimal meat. They were almost all cartilage and practically inedible. This was a very disappointing meal at $40 for 2 people. The side items were good though. We had potato salad and macaroni and cheese.

The next night I tried the chicken strips and my mom ordered a burger. This meal was much better. My strips and fries were hot and fresh. Her burger was cooked as requested. The patty was juicy, not dry. We added a family style side of macaroni salad, which was delicious. The sides here are all great but the ribs were not. Would recommend trying either the fried chicken or just ordering entrees from the menu and adding extra sides.



The highlight here was the dessert. My mom enjoyed the banana pudding, and I had the s’mores brownie. The brownie was rich and chocolaty. It’s enough for 2 definitely.

 

[Aaryana]

I managed to score a reservation for Beak and Barrel on a Sunday pre Halloween party. I didn’t have party tickets this day. My reservation was for 1 person at 4:50 pm. I arrived at 4:30 and checked in. Waited to be seated until about 5:10. Keep that in mind when planning your day. I was thankfully placed at a table by myself. The table was very small, and it would’ve been super awkward to share for me. But I also hate sharing tables on cruises, etc. I did not order food because I wanted time to take pictures of the environment. It was a lot of fun, but they stick you to your 2 drink, 45 minute limit. Drinks are served in ice cold copper mugs. This hit the spot on a hot day in MK. They do allow you to purchase the special skull mug without an alcohol purchase but it is still full price. And you can’t get a regular soft drink in place of the alcohol. It’s a separate charge even with paying full price for the mug. I didn’t like that but given that the mugs are labeled as first edition, I sucked it up and purchased anyway. The mug is fun but smaller than I expected.

 

[hardcorestitch]

I just relocated to Orlando, and the first thing I had to do was get my FL resident pass and book some dining reservations. I thought I’d start a thread to post pics and reviews of my dining adventures. Happy to answer questions about current offerings as I work my way through as many table service restaurants as I can. First up, dinner at Ohana.

This was not my first time dining at Ohana. I know others have had mixed experiences, but I have always enjoyed my meals here. This time was no exception. The food and service were fantastic. Our reservation was for 2 adults at 7 pm on a Friday night in September. The food was hot and fresh.

View attachment 1007213
The bread was soft and warm.

View attachment 1007214
And as always the noodles, wings, and potstickers hit the spot. I forgot to get pics of the shrimp and steak, but they were very well seasoned and flavorful. The chicken was as well and not tough or dry. Everything was perfect.

View attachment 1007215
Unfortunately we were too full to really enjoy dessert, but the bread pudding was delicious as usual.

Glad your relocation led you to the magic that is Disney! I hope you enjoy the benefit of being a Disney local.

 

[erinch]

Along for the ride! Thanks for the pics and posts!

 

[Aaryana]

Thanks for the likes and comments. I hope you all enjoy my adventures. Up next, Topolino’s Terrace Breakfast à la Art with Mickey and Friends. My reservation was for 1 adult at 11:40 on Saturday. I arrived at 11:10 and was seated within 10 minutes. My server was very attentive and so, so kind! We chatted about his family and his favorite things to do in Disney as a local.



He quickly brought out a paint pail with breakfast pastries and POG juice. I love POG juice, and I’m glad it’s included with breakfast here. These are standard Disney pastries, which are good but not extra special. The spreads though, make the pastries even better. I enjoyed all three. The butter was slightly sweet and went perfectly on the croissant. The Nutella was yummy as expected. The strawberry jam had thick chunks of fresh strawberries and was delicious. The pastries included two each of croissant, chocolate chip muffins, pan au chocolat, and mini berry coffee cakes. My server brought me a box to take the extras home.



My server recommended the steak and eggs, which I was considering. I mentioned having the sour cream waffle last time and that I’d enjoyed it. I asked for an extra minute to decide between the two, and he said not to worry he will bring both. He just asked which one I preferred as the main entree. I chose the steak and eggs. I ordered my steak well done, as I have an immune issue and can’t risk undercooked meat. The steak was perfectly cooked with no pink but also not dried out or tough. It was tender and juicy and very well seasoned. The steak was served on a bed of polenta with mushrooms, peppers, and onions. It was fantastic! One of the better steaks I’ve had on property. The potatoes were excellent! I could’ve taken another serving to go. Well seasoned and just so tasty. The scrambled eggs are the standard Disney scrambled eggs. They were good and paired well with the meal.



I was treated to a half portion of the sour cream waffle at no extra charge. This waffle is perfectly sweet with its candied fruit and Chantilly cream. It doesn’t even need the included syrup. It made for a perfect dessert to finish off my meal. Another great meal at Topolino’s Terrace. I can’t wait to go back here, but I want to try some others first.

Up next, some samplings from Food and Wine and some MK quick service bites.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Can't wait to hear what you enjoyed at F&W

 

[Aaryana]

My first stop at F&W was the Hawaii booth. I’m planning to complete the Fromage Montage, so the pineapple cheesecake was on my list of must try foods.



First up, though, was some protein. The pork slider is always a favorite for me, and this years version didn’t disappoint. The pork was perfectly flavored and the toppings hit the spot. The bottom bun did get quite soggy by the time I found a table, but it was still very good. I just ate it with a fork instead of picking it up. The spam and eggs bowl was a surprise winner for me. I’m kinda iffy on spam, but this was super flavorful. The rice was the perfect consistency, and the spicy mayo was just enough spice without being hot or overpowering. I could’ve eaten a double portion of this happily. I hope to try it again before the festival ends. Both food options at the Hawaii booth were winners.



The pineapple macadamia nut cheesecake was so cute! The pineapple flavor was very light. I didn’t really notice it much. The cheesecake was moist and sweet. The macadamia nuts were decorative, not really incorporated into the cheesecake. Overall I liked this but probably wouldn’t repeat it. I think it would be better if it was a little bit colder. To me, cheesecake is a cold dessert and this was more room temperature bordering on being too warm. The pineapple flavor was also too light in my opinion. Still good, just not a favorite.

 

[Aaryana]

I stopped at Columbia Harbor House during a visit to MK. This was a party day, where I popped in just to enjoy some shorter lines. And, boy, did I ever! I managed to ride Jungle Cruise, POTC, HM, Pan, Small World, and Ariel’s between 10 and noon. I did a mobile order for pick up at 1:05 for CHH. I checked in at 1:00 and had to wait about 10-12 minutes for my mobile order. It wasn’t busy, so I was surprised it took that long. I ordered my usual fish and chips, which I normally really enjoy here.



This time, it wasn’t as good as before. The meal included 3 fish fillets and a side of fries, which was plentiful for one person. But the fish was slightly overcooked, not quite burned but definitely too brown. It also had an oddly sweet hint like maybe it was fried in the same fryer as a dessert. I’m not sure, but it was definitely an off day here. Also, I was sad to note hush puppies are no longer included. That used to be my favorite part. The fries were fresh, hot, and crispy though. All in all not my best experience here. I’ll probably try something different next time I need QS in MK. I’ll give CHH another try eventually, but definitely not soon.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

You're off to a great start and making the most out of being a local! Looking forward to following along on your adventures.