Alaskans at Disney! 7 Days of Dining Reviews with Pics! (update #14, 7-9-08)

[Splat25]

O’Hana’s – Breakfast – Polynesian Resort Character Dining

One boat and monorail ride later we arrived at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. I was a bit excited about eating at O’Hana’s because I love family style food and I really like Hawaiian/South Pacific influenced foods. Before you are seated, they give everyone fake flower lei’s and have your group pictures taken. We had a bit of a wait, even with an ADR – about 15 min. And the lobby area was crowded with groups waiting. It was a very popular place.

Daughter with Lilo

Our Menu:

Hua Paka (Scrambled Eggs)
Uala Kahiki (Fried Potatoes) - island-style potatoes, caramelized onions & scallions
Pua'a (Pork) - pork breakfast sausage links & smoked bacon
Assorted Warm Breakfast Breads
Seasonal Fruit Bowl
Mickey Waffles
Juice & Chocolate Milk


Food Review:

The first things we were presented were a selection of breads and a fresh fruit plate. They served juice as well and were very attentive if you needed more. The fruit plate has a nice selection of honeydew, pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes and watermelon. I especially thought the watermelon and pineapple were very juicy and sweet. The other fruit was also in great shape and tasted good.

Fresh fruit plates

The special breads were extremely tasty here. In fact, during our meal were had the server bring over a second batch. The pineapple bread stood out and was the star of the basket. The bread was moist and the pineapple top added a tropical sweetness that complemented it well, especially when paired with a heartier breakfast of eggs and sausage. The other bread, I believe a cinnamon raisin, was also tasty, just not as good as the pineapple.

Special Bread basket

Next came the family style platter. There were not many south pacific or Hawaiian influence in the platter itself, but it was pretty good overall. It is a basic breakfast platter filled with biscuits, sausage links, bacon, potatoes, and eggs. The eggs were good, fluffy and tasty and not overcooked. The sausage was excellent and I ended up asking for more. The outside texture was slightly crispy, yet moist enough to be quite tender and could be easily cut with a fork. The sausage itself was spiced adequately and was my favorite part of the breakfast. It seemed very fresh, not like it has sat in a pan for any period of time. The bacon was crispy and has a slightly smoked flavor to it. The biscuits were pretty plain and about what I expected.

Breakfast Platter


Atmosphere:

The atmosphere seemed pretty laid back and our table was near a large window, so we had some nice natural light coming in. The décor was reminiscent of an old style Hawaiian restaurant with artifacts and masks on the walls.

One of the neat things they did at O’Hana’s was to hold a Kids parade sometime during the meal. They played fun themed music and the kids all went around the restaurant several time dancing in a long line while the families all clapped and/or cheered along. Our daughter seemed to have a really fun time doing that. She really enjoyed meeting the characters coming around. The only problem we had was that Stitch had already passed us by and wasn’t coming around again for some time, so we missed meeting him. Although, we did seem him in the hallway, so we got to say hello.

Daughter with Mickey

We would definitely come back again for this meal. The kids had a very nice visit the characters, the atmosphere was very relaxed, and the food was pretty good overall. Even though the food was mostly the expected basic breakfast, it was well made and the bread and atmosphere were wonderful.

 

[JulieAnn]

Great reviews! We loved the castle dinner when we went last December; it was especially memorable for dd.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Loved your Ohana report. I just dropped CP for Ohana breakfast for our Poly stay in Aug. We have done CP so many times and never Ohana breakfast so I thought why not, we are staying right there and can get over for the 7:30 seating....the bread alone is what I am dying to try!

 

[DisneyJo]

Great Wishes view from CRT, the food sounded nice too.

O'Hanas brekkie sounded good, I've heard the juice there is amazing, can't wait to try it in August

 

[shera]

oh yum great report,can't wait to taste all the yummy treats soon,thanks for all the great info

 

[Splat25]

Crystal Palace – Lunch – Magic Kingdom Character Dining
It was another warm and hot day at the Magic Kingdom (at least for us). We arrived at the Crystal Palace near our ADR time and ended up waiting about 10-15 out front while they were seating the larger number of ADR people waiting. They come out and call your last name by yelling; “Now seating xxx Party”. That part was kinda cool. We were so glad to finally get in and seated as it was hot and we had 2 kids who where both hungry and needed a break. This lunch meal is a character dining one featuring Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. The DD and DS enjoyed this character meeting a lot. The characters were very interactive with the kids here and very willing to help out with photos and autographs.

Menu: some of the buffet offerings

Mac and Cheese
Chicken Fingers
Cheese Pizza
Mixed Field Greens
Ranch and Zinfandel Dressings
Mandarin Orange Sesame Vinaigrette
Sliced Tomatoes and Egg with Toasted Cumin Dressing
Sweet Plantain, Cucumber and Corn Salad
Shrimp, Black Bean and Mango Salad
Edamame Salad - Young Soy Bean
Couscous, Tofu, and Roasted Vegetable Salad
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Tabbouleh Salad
Beet Salad with Sag Dhal Dressing
Romaine, Beef, and Bleu Cheese Salad
Papaya, Frisee, and Arugula Salad
Tropical Slaw
Sliced Turkey and Ham
Swiss Cheese and American Cheese
Apple Slices
Carrot Sticks
Garlic Redskin Smashed Potatoes
Broccoli tossed in Puri Puri and topped with Key Lime Ponzu
Medley of Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze
Fire Roasted Corn Spoon Bread
Braised Kale
Vegetable Fritatta
Stir Fried Curry Noodles
Wild Mushroom and Chicken Pasta with Basil Asiago Cream Sauce
Vegetable Pasta
Cinnamon and Lemon Infused Balsamic Rice
Green Thai Curry Chicken
Fruit and Vegetable Tofu Curry
Ancho Chile Rubbed Atlantic Salmon
Flame Roasted Rotisserie Chicken
Citrus Marinated Flank Steak
BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Lemon Squares
Chocolate Chunk Pecan Squares
Chocolate Marbled Cheesecake
Mango Flan
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tres Leches Cake
Boston Cream pie
Double Chocolate Brownies
Soft Serve Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream
Chocolate Sprinkles and Rainbow Confetti
Apple Cobbler
Banana Bread Pudding with Baily’s Irish Cream Sauce

Food Review:

We ordered our usual round of iced teas and chocolate milks. These were very refreshing and allowed us to relax and settle in for the character meal. One of the characters was getting close to our table so I sent the wife off to get food for the kids quickly while I has the camera ready. When she returned they were still a few minutes out from our table so she made another trip for our food this time.

The variety of salads was nice though DW opted for a tossed green salad. It was crisp and tasty, no wilted leaves here and it had fresh spinach as well. The dressing she had was basic ranch, good overall. The roll was good as well, fresh and soft. The pizza was a basic cheese pizza, good as far as it was but not exceptional.

Wife’s Pizza and Salad Plate

I had the mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables (broccoli, green beans, and carrots), mixed field green salad, pasta salad, and BBQ Pork Tenderloin. While the food was decent overall, nothing really stoof out for me here. The pork was tender and juicy with good spice, but the potatoes were a bit on the bland side (expected from a buffet). The broccoli and carrots were cooked and flavored well. Both salads were also good. The Mediterranean Pasta Salad was creamy and the red bell peppers really added to it.

My mixed plate

The kids shared cheese pizza, Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, green beans, fresh honeydew, and a buttered roll. I recall the chicken being fairly tender as I cut some up for my son. Also, the Mac and cheese was also good as I sampled that – just to be sure it was safe you know…lol. It was hot, cheesy and creamy and a favorite of both kids.

One of the kid’s plates

For dessert we had self serve ice cream from a soft serve, self-serve machine. I got mixed chocolate and vanilla for both the kids and myself. These were covered in sprinkles and such naturally. We had some brownies as well and were a bit disappointed here as it was on the dry side. We prefer the fudgy, gooey brownies.

Atmosphere:

The style is pretty interesting in this restaurant. Everywhere you look you see fancy Victorian styling with brass accents and lots of window areas. The nice thing about the design is that I didn’t see any particular area being flooded with light; in fact, it was pretty subdued for having all those windows on a very bright day.

Crystal Palace skylight dome

Inside dining shot – notice the columns and lights

A close-up shot of the ornate lights and columns

I thought the front garden area was especially nice. They have flower looking pooh, Eeyore and Tigger charters nestled in the beautiful garden in the atrium entrance area.

Bright and colorful garden Tigger!

Overall, we enjoyed coming here to eat. The food was ok, nothing exceptional, but overall good quality and selection. The atmosphere, location and characters are more than enough to warrant a future visit.

 

[Splat25]

Biergarten – Dinner – Epcot

We were about 10-15 minutes late for this dinner ADR. It takes a long time to get there from the Wilderness Lodge, especially if there are longer lines on the transportation needed to get there. Also, keep in mind it is on the back side of Epcot, so the walk does take a bit if you are not in the area. They seat you family style where larger tables are shared with other people – most were set up for 8 people. We tried to kept he kids away from other people (as not to bother them) and found this worked out pretty well.

There was a show on stage when we arrived. It was an interesting and fun show, but VERY loud. It hurt our ears at times and even though we enjoyed it, we were a bit glad when it ended. Thought it did drowned out the small tantrum DS had at one point.

Special Note: I was not able to take pictures for some reason at this meal, so thank you whoever took these photos I found. I did try to find photos that mirrored our experience there, so they are accurate.

Menu:

Cold Buffet Items

Gemischter Salat (Mixed Green Salad)
Tarragon-Mustard - Dressing
Krauter Dressing
Creamy Herb Dressing
Bayrischer Kraut Salat (Bavarian Cabbage Salad)
Gurken Salat (Cucumber-Dill Salad)
Rote Beete Salat (Pickled Red Beet Salad)
Nudel Salat (Macaroni Salad)
Bohnen Salat (Assorted Bean Salad)
Bayrischer Wurst Salat (Bavarian Sausage Salad)
Tomaten Salat mit Basilikum (Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil)
Kartoffel Salat (Warm German Potato Salad)
Wurst Platte mit Schinkenwurst, Landjager, und Bologna (Sausage Selection with sliced Ham Bologna, Landjager and Ring Bologna)
Senfgurken (Mustard Pickles)
Sulze mit Remouladen (Head Cheese with Sauce Remoulade)
Berliner Bouletten (Cold Meat Patties)

Cream of Potato and Leeks with Pretzel Croutons

Hot Buffet Items

Gegrilltes Brat Huhn mit Rosmary und Thymian (Rotisserie Chicken flavored with Rosemary and Thyme)
Eissbein-Gratin mit Gebackenen Zwiebeln (Pork Shank-Gratin with Fried Onions)
Gebratene Kartoffeln mit frischen Krautern (Roasted Potatoes with fresh Herbs)
Hausgemachte Spaetzle (Homemade Spaetzle)
Wurst Platte mit Gegrillter Bratwurst, Mini Regensburger und Kassler Ripchen
(Sausage Platter with Grilled Bratwurst, Mini Regensburger and Double-smoked Pork on Sauerkraut)
Frikadellen (Meat Patties in a red wine Sauce)

Weisswurst mit Senf und Pretzel Brautchen (Munich's famous white veal Sausages with Sweet Mustard and Pretzel Rolls)
Schwaebische Kaese Spaetzle mit glacierten Zwiebeln (Cheese Spatzle with glazed Onions)
Schnitzel Wiener Art (Breaded Pork Schnitzel Vienna Style)
Hausgemachtes Apfel Rotkohl

Braised Red Cabbage
Lachs Filet in Zitronen-Dill- Sahne Sauce (Salmon filet with a Lemon Dill Cream sauce Bremerhaven Style)
Glazed Carrots with Chives
Red Wine Sauce
Mushroom Sauce
Mini Frankfurters Sausages
Macaroni and Cheese

Crisp Pork Roast carved to order served with German Mustard, Apple Sauce and Apricot Compote
Freshly baked Veal Loaf carved to order with Bavarian Potato Salad
Braised Beef Roulades
Sauerbraten (Marinated Pot Roast)
Potato Dumplings with Bread Crumb Butter
Herring Salad Schleswig Holsteiner Style


Dessert Buffet

Florentiner Cookies
Blackforest Cake
Bavarian Cheese Cake
Fresh Fruit Salad
Vanilla Pudding with Chocolate Chips
Rote Gruetze with Vanilla Sauce
Freshly Baked Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce


Food Review:

This was a good buffet with a wide selection and even if I had my food pictures to refer back to, I’m not sure I could tell you everything I had or really how it all tasted. What I can add to this review is my overall impressions: The Sausages, Braised Beef Roulades, Schnitzel, Crisp Pork Roast, and Bratwurst were all top notch, especially when paired with their mustard sauces (several types were there), and sauerkraut. The meats were very flavorful and juicy. The Biergarten also had many cold salads to try out – a few were really quite good while others were a bit too much for my palette.

The kids also enjoyed the variety, with my son preferring the Schnitzel sausage overall. I think he ate like 2 or 3! The pretzel bread was a big hit with our family as well. It was crispy on the outside, yet moist and delicious on the inside.

Food similar to what we tried.

The apple strudel dessert was moist and delicious. It has a vanilla sauce that complemented it well. The Blackforest cake was also very tasty, but did have alcohol, so watch the kids with this one.

A last note, the service was good and our waitress was attentive when our drinks ran dry or plates needed to be taken away.


Atmosphere:

The inside is setup like you are in a small town square in a German town. There is Tudor type buildings and streetlight poles. There is a large stage up front where various singing and other entertaining acts occur. I recall one was pretty loud and we were seated about half way back.

Inside the Biergarten

Biergarten stage with performers

I enjoyed eating the food here and the atmosphere was certainly fun. There was live music/entertainment and a wide selection of German food. If you like German food and tastes you will enjoy it here. If you are not a fan, skip Biergarten as most of the food, even the less German ones, have a German flare. If you’re not sure but willing to take a food adventure, give it a try. I would definitely consider eating here again, for the sausages and pretzel bread in particular!

 

[disneymom2twins]

Great reviews!!! Thanks for taking the time to do this and include pics. They are very useful!

 

[manntra]

Thanks so much I was waiting for your Biergarten review as this is our first dinner when we arrive in August. Can't wait to try the pretzel bread! Looks yummy

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I just found this thread and read through all your reviews and pics. I enjoyed reading it all very much.

 

[danalee]

Just found your reviews, there great!

 

[buckeyebill1995]

Loving your reviews! Looking forward to seeing the rest!

 

[arieljasmine]

Thank you for sharing your latest reports. I especially enjoyed reading about CP as we loved it there. I have been craving sausages throughout my pregnancy, so Biergarten sounds great to me!

Laur's

 

[rico567]

Concur completely on Biergarten review. Thanks for posting such complete menus. My review of yesterday (6/23) can be viewed as "Lunch at Biergarten."

 

[samiet620]

Subscibing

 

[Splat25]

Hollywood & Vine (Play N Dine) – Breakfast – Hollywood Studios (Character Dining)

We found ourselves headed to MGM studios for a very busy day. We had heard mixed reviews about this restaurant, but decided to keep the ADR because it featured several characters my kids really liked. We were very happy we did, it turned out to be one of our favorites during the trip for character interaction and the food was good as well.

Buffet Menu:

Seasonal fruit, freshly baked pastries, assorted yogurts, Breakfast Meats, Scrambled Eggs and Frittata, Mickey Waffles with assorted toppings, Oven Roasted Potatoes, Sausage Gravy and Biscuits.

Food Review:

I tend to like a larger mix of breakfast items that revolve around meat, so I was all set here. I had sausage patties, bacon, corned beef hash, and biscuits & gravy. I added on some tater tots, oven roasted potatoes and eggs. Overall it was a decent breakfast with all the items I had being good. DW had taters as I did and also made a breakfast burrito. They had tortillas and toppings –salsa, sour crème, cheese and others – to make your own style burrito. She really like that option as it let her make it to her tastes. (no photo of this, sorry, was busy getting the DD photos while on parade J)

My buffet Run

The kids plates were more focused than ours were. They pretty much wanted tater tots and ketchup. My son wanted some sausage and my daughter wanted some fresh fruit and some waffles. The tater tots here were crispy and warm as they should be. The sausage had good flavor and was cooked well. It was mild enough that that the kids could easily eat their fill.

My son’s plate – best picture I could find

The fresh fruit my daughter had was much like the other Disney buffets we visited so far and was very good – cool and sweet. She also has pancakes with syrup, which were also good.

My daughter’s food– terrible shot, but it works.


Atmosphere:

The best reason to come to this breakfast is the fun kids have with the characters. Jo Jo and Goliath from Jo Jo's Circus and June and Leo from the Little Einstein’s make their rounds to the tables to have individual pictures with the kids and to sign autographs.

Jo Jo and the kids looking at my daughter’s drawing

However, that is only part of the fun; the best part is when the cast member leader organizes a dance type event for all the kids. My daughter seemed to take this as her “cue” to become one of the cast members and performed right up there with them and the characters for all the other kids and adults. They spent a good amount of time with the kids, at least 10-15min of dancing and singing in the 45-60 minutes we were there.

My girl out there having fun

My girl out there having even more fun. Can clearly see the buffet behind as well.

Like I mentioned in the introduction, this was one of our more successful and fun breakfast character dining reservations during our trip. The food was good, there was a decent variety and the entertainment value was awesome. We all had a great time and will be back again during our next trip

 

[disneymom2twins]

Thank you so much for this review!! We are going here for the first time in November, and there are very few pics and review from the H&V Breakfast.

I think my kids are going to go crazy for this! They love LE and JoJo!!

 

[texasgirl73]

Thanks for the great reviews. I am happy to see a favorable review of H&V. I made a breakfast reservation there because we have a 3 year old and 5 year old (along with an 8 and 13 year old) and thought they would enjoy it. The place tends to get horrible reviews here on DIS but I've stuck with it for the kiddos and I hope our experience is a lot like yours.

 

[raistlin]

Thanks for the reviews...looking forward to narcoossee's!!

 

[PrincessTigerLily]

I have seriously enjoyed your reviews, so thorough and enjoyable! We will definitely try a few of these places next time, that I never thought we would before. You made me so hungry I had to go raid the kitchen for a night-time snack! (Must remember to wipe drool off keyboard...)
Great report!