Spartan
<font color=blue>My 3 yo son always announces to e
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2001
- Messages
- 301
I know there's been lots of reviews from the dining plan, so what the hey, I'll add mine in too.
I'll just stick to the TS reviews. The only CS we did out of the ordinary of the "what-we-were-near-at-the-time strategy" was the Earl of Sandwich in DTD. It was a pretty good sandwich, but didn't get any sides with it (and the cupcake was dry). It was plenty filling by itself, but to me nothing better than a chain place like Panera. There must have been 50 people in line by the time we left, so I guess some really like it. The other thing that sticks out is the chocolate brownie with peanut butter moose dessert they give you at Pecos Bill's. We all scarfed that down, even though we're not big peanut butter fans.
As for TS, first night my wife and I ate at Le Cellier, while my parents took our son to Rose & Crown. After mentioning we were on the dining plan, our waiter suggested we try the surf & turf. The "turf" (filet) was excellent, but the "surf" (lobster tail) not so great in my opinion. We both chose salads as our appetizer, and the chocolate whiskey cake as the dessert. The cake seemed about as dense and rich as you could possibly make any edible creation, outside a 5" thick slab of Mackinaw Island fudge. My wife, who is more of an expert on these types of things, agreed that it was rich, but she had eaten richer. Next time I would stick to steak only. We were suckered in at the thought of getting a $39 entree for free. I do remember our bill for the two of us was $132, and that was just with ice tea to drink. My parents both loved Rose & Crown. They both got the standard fish & chips, and loved eating on the patio. I would rate the meal a solid B+ for both food and service.
Second night we dined at Sci-Fi. This was a surprise to my parents. This was their first trip, and this place really tickled them - they had no idea of what it was going into it. We had a front-row car and a lively waiter who was playing the part very well. The appetizers were very good. I was being good and stuck with the salad. Others had the spinach dip (excellent), and chili (very good). My son had vegetables with dipping sauce. For entree's, I thought I was being slick and stuck to a burger, while everyone else ordered from the dinner menu. My wife's salmon was pretty decent. My parents both got the steak. It was a bit tough to cut through, but had a good flavor. I think the outside was crusty due to a sauce it was seared in. Desserts were pretty good too. My mom had that cheesecake that comes with caramel corn and a bunch of other things on it as decoration. The cheesecake itself was very tasty, although it sounded weird from the menu. I got a chocolate shake (good, but just a normal shake), and the others had sundae's. The kid's dessert was also a sundae, I believe. Overall, this was better than expected. The atmosphere was great, and the appetizers and food very good. I give it an A- based on overall experience of food, service, and atmosphere.
Third night we ate at Chef Mickey's. We eat here every trip, but this may have been our worst experience. The food seemed very bland, and less of a selection this time around. I can't even remember what I ate. We ate very early (5:10), which is just the opposite of when we typically go there (9-ish). Going late gives much better character interaction as well in my opinion, as you get a chance to see them all together as they do their goodbye for the evening. We were lucky to see Mickey and the gang one (brief) time. We'll probably return, but not as enthusiastically as we have in the past. Grade: C.
Fourth night was Planet Hollywood. Again, a place I chose more for atmosphere than food, but was pleasantly surprised. We were seated in the upper level in the corner right on the balcony. I was surprised that such a good table was available until we sat down and noticed the wobble. They were about to move us, altough I hated to give up the spot, until a nice manager came over, gave the table top a spin, and fixed it all up. I guess it was just loose. I heard the table behind us grumble - they had been at the table before us and had to move because of it. I think they had the best appetizers of any of the places we visited (except for the fried dumpling things that my dad chose - those were not so good in my opinion). I had very good potatoe skins, my mom the spinach dip, and my wife the bruschetta. She raved about the bruschetta all week. I'm not a tomato guy, so I can't tell you if it was good or not. I do know that the bread they brought her was about 12" x 18" - very comical. It was good, as was the other sauce they supplied with it. For entrees, I chose the mahi-mahi, and thought it was the best fish I had on the trip. My wife chose some sort of southwest chicken salad, and said it was very good, altough she barely put a dent in it after that appetizer she got. My dad got the salmon, said it was good, and my mom got the LA lasagna, which I've had there before, and is very good. Desserts were also good. I wanted the bananas foster cheesecake, but was informed I could not get it due to being seated in the upper level??? I ended up with strawberry cheesecake (it must do better at higher altitudes), and it was extremely good for a normal, run-of-the-mill dessert. I thought it was about as good as any cheesecake I've ever had. My wife stuck with her usual "anything that starts with the words 'triple-chocolate'" selection. My mom had the creme brule (or was it flan?), and my dad a different chocolate cake. The cake looked a bit dry, The triple-chocolate thing was as rich as it sounded, and my mom's was pretty good. All in all, a very good and better than expected experience. I went there for the atmosphere, but left saying we'd go back because of the food. Grade: A
Fifth night was O'Hanas. This was my favorite meal of the trip, although not just because of the food. This is one of those places we had always meant to try but never made it to. I don't have any way to compare it to what it was like previously, but I loved it. The salad, jumbo shrimp, shrimp and non-stuffed fried wontons, and chicked were all excellent. The waitress even brought us some excellent smoothies when we informed her we were on the dining plan - even for my son. I also enjoyed the cheesy potatoes. I understand they used to serve rice, but I have a hard time imagining I'd like the rice better than these. The vegetables were OK, but they were vegetables, so I ate them sparingly. I found the main course humorous. We were already quite full by the time she started bringing out the giant spears of meat. Nevertheless, I had to try them all. I found the turkey and pork to be bad. The turkey was close to being jerky, and the pork was charred to the point that all I could taste was burnt. The steak was pretty good, and surprisingly, I liked the sausage the best. The best meat, however, were the shrimp. Luckily everyone else forgot about them, or were turned off by the fact that they still had legs on them, so I got to enjoy all of them myself. Because of this, I really didn't care about the spears. The best part, was that we were seated right by the window, and got to watch the MK fireworks while waiting for our dessert. I had not picked the restaurant for this reason, and we had been in MK the night before for Wishes, but it was great. It was on Wednesday, and apparently they were testing out the MNSSHP fireworks that night instead of Wishes. It was one of those neat little magical moments that was not planned out but just happened. They dimmed the lights and piped in the halloween music, and it very nice 15 minutes. The meal was finished with the bread pudding with the banana sauce. Again, I can't compare it to the previous dessert, but I loved it. Even though I was stuffed, I (along with my mom) managed to eat the majority of it. Since it contained no chocolate, my wife was only mildly impressed with it. Grade: A+ because of food, excellent service, atmosphere, and unexpected view of the MNSSHP fireworks.
Sixth night was Crystal Palace, another first for us. My son has always been more inclined to eat with Mickey than Pooh, but we wanted to give this one a try. It was an adventure making it to our reservation on time (which we didn't, by the way), because it turned out none of us (except my son) wanted to visit MK on this day. So it became a trip into MK just for the purpose of eating, which was a bit of a hassle, but fun for my son, who then got to ride his second favority ride (the monrail) over to Epcot with my wife and mom while my dad and I took the car over. I thought the food here was a much better quality than that of Chef Mickey's. Again, maybe it was just this trip, but to me there was no comparison on both the quality and selection. We also had another bit of a magical moment here in that when we were seated, we had just missed seeing Eeyore and Piglet. I informed the attendant in the center of this, and he assured us he would send them over before we left. As we were nearly done, I noticed the attendant speaking to Eeyore just before they started the parade through the restaurant. When the music started, both he and Piglet came to our table to see us. Eeyore took my son's hand, and they led the parade. My son was beaming. He walked him back to our table afterwards, and they stayed for autographs and pictures. A very nice moment. Grade: A, for very good buffet food and some special service.
Our last night was at Mexico. This is another regular visit for us, but seems to have gotten worse each time we've been there. This time was no exception to the pattern - it was our worst meal of the trip. Luckily, it was so dark in there that I really couldn't see everything that I was eating. The chips and salsa were the highlight. This was most likely our last trip here for a meal. The atmosphere is neat, but I can get the same thing on the boat ride and it won't cost me $90 to do it. I did think my dessert was pretty good - a bread pudding, but nothing too special, and not nearly as good as O'Hana's. My wife had something that sounded fancy on the menu, but ended up being a bowl of chocolate moose. Because it was chocolate, she liked it, but it did not compare to her other 13 chocolate desserts she had during the week. For appetizers, I forget what we ordered, but they were mediocre at best. For entrees, I had the most expensive thing - steak, fried plantains, and something else, and she had some dish that was basically steak and mashed potatoes. The steak was very poor both in quality and in how it was cooked. Mine was overcooked and hers undercooked (for her liking and the way she ordered it). My parents were smart enough to skip this one. Grade: C- (it would have been lower if not for the chips)
The only problem we had with the dining plan is that at one time they charged me 2 CS credits for a carton of milk and an orange juice. I didn't notice until the next day when I looked at my CS receipt. I hadn't kept the snack receipt, so I had no way to prove what I got. The front desk was nice enough to believe me, and credited me back 2 CS and subtracted 2 snacks. I guess you should always check your reciept to make sure things are right, even after something as simple as a snack item.
I ended up with several mickey rice crispy treats, a couple of juices, and a couple of oranges on our last day, as we ended up with almost all of our snack credits remaining. Overall, we loved the dining plan, although it seemed like so much of our time was spent around dinners. I don't feel I got to eat nearly enough burgers this trip, as we usually only do a couple of TS-type dinners per trip. We didn't realize desserts were included in the CS credits, so that seemed a bit excessive, although we did manage to get through them. I'd love to see them offer this again, altough I'm not sure if I would plan a trip in September just becuase of this as opposed to a more favorite time of ours in early December or later October.
I'll just stick to the TS reviews. The only CS we did out of the ordinary of the "what-we-were-near-at-the-time strategy" was the Earl of Sandwich in DTD. It was a pretty good sandwich, but didn't get any sides with it (and the cupcake was dry). It was plenty filling by itself, but to me nothing better than a chain place like Panera. There must have been 50 people in line by the time we left, so I guess some really like it. The other thing that sticks out is the chocolate brownie with peanut butter moose dessert they give you at Pecos Bill's. We all scarfed that down, even though we're not big peanut butter fans.
As for TS, first night my wife and I ate at Le Cellier, while my parents took our son to Rose & Crown. After mentioning we were on the dining plan, our waiter suggested we try the surf & turf. The "turf" (filet) was excellent, but the "surf" (lobster tail) not so great in my opinion. We both chose salads as our appetizer, and the chocolate whiskey cake as the dessert. The cake seemed about as dense and rich as you could possibly make any edible creation, outside a 5" thick slab of Mackinaw Island fudge. My wife, who is more of an expert on these types of things, agreed that it was rich, but she had eaten richer. Next time I would stick to steak only. We were suckered in at the thought of getting a $39 entree for free. I do remember our bill for the two of us was $132, and that was just with ice tea to drink. My parents both loved Rose & Crown. They both got the standard fish & chips, and loved eating on the patio. I would rate the meal a solid B+ for both food and service.
Second night we dined at Sci-Fi. This was a surprise to my parents. This was their first trip, and this place really tickled them - they had no idea of what it was going into it. We had a front-row car and a lively waiter who was playing the part very well. The appetizers were very good. I was being good and stuck with the salad. Others had the spinach dip (excellent), and chili (very good). My son had vegetables with dipping sauce. For entree's, I thought I was being slick and stuck to a burger, while everyone else ordered from the dinner menu. My wife's salmon was pretty decent. My parents both got the steak. It was a bit tough to cut through, but had a good flavor. I think the outside was crusty due to a sauce it was seared in. Desserts were pretty good too. My mom had that cheesecake that comes with caramel corn and a bunch of other things on it as decoration. The cheesecake itself was very tasty, although it sounded weird from the menu. I got a chocolate shake (good, but just a normal shake), and the others had sundae's. The kid's dessert was also a sundae, I believe. Overall, this was better than expected. The atmosphere was great, and the appetizers and food very good. I give it an A- based on overall experience of food, service, and atmosphere.
Third night we ate at Chef Mickey's. We eat here every trip, but this may have been our worst experience. The food seemed very bland, and less of a selection this time around. I can't even remember what I ate. We ate very early (5:10), which is just the opposite of when we typically go there (9-ish). Going late gives much better character interaction as well in my opinion, as you get a chance to see them all together as they do their goodbye for the evening. We were lucky to see Mickey and the gang one (brief) time. We'll probably return, but not as enthusiastically as we have in the past. Grade: C.
Fourth night was Planet Hollywood. Again, a place I chose more for atmosphere than food, but was pleasantly surprised. We were seated in the upper level in the corner right on the balcony. I was surprised that such a good table was available until we sat down and noticed the wobble. They were about to move us, altough I hated to give up the spot, until a nice manager came over, gave the table top a spin, and fixed it all up. I guess it was just loose. I heard the table behind us grumble - they had been at the table before us and had to move because of it. I think they had the best appetizers of any of the places we visited (except for the fried dumpling things that my dad chose - those were not so good in my opinion). I had very good potatoe skins, my mom the spinach dip, and my wife the bruschetta. She raved about the bruschetta all week. I'm not a tomato guy, so I can't tell you if it was good or not. I do know that the bread they brought her was about 12" x 18" - very comical. It was good, as was the other sauce they supplied with it. For entrees, I chose the mahi-mahi, and thought it was the best fish I had on the trip. My wife chose some sort of southwest chicken salad, and said it was very good, altough she barely put a dent in it after that appetizer she got. My dad got the salmon, said it was good, and my mom got the LA lasagna, which I've had there before, and is very good. Desserts were also good. I wanted the bananas foster cheesecake, but was informed I could not get it due to being seated in the upper level??? I ended up with strawberry cheesecake (it must do better at higher altitudes), and it was extremely good for a normal, run-of-the-mill dessert. I thought it was about as good as any cheesecake I've ever had. My wife stuck with her usual "anything that starts with the words 'triple-chocolate'" selection. My mom had the creme brule (or was it flan?), and my dad a different chocolate cake. The cake looked a bit dry, The triple-chocolate thing was as rich as it sounded, and my mom's was pretty good. All in all, a very good and better than expected experience. I went there for the atmosphere, but left saying we'd go back because of the food. Grade: A
Fifth night was O'Hanas. This was my favorite meal of the trip, although not just because of the food. This is one of those places we had always meant to try but never made it to. I don't have any way to compare it to what it was like previously, but I loved it. The salad, jumbo shrimp, shrimp and non-stuffed fried wontons, and chicked were all excellent. The waitress even brought us some excellent smoothies when we informed her we were on the dining plan - even for my son. I also enjoyed the cheesy potatoes. I understand they used to serve rice, but I have a hard time imagining I'd like the rice better than these. The vegetables were OK, but they were vegetables, so I ate them sparingly. I found the main course humorous. We were already quite full by the time she started bringing out the giant spears of meat. Nevertheless, I had to try them all. I found the turkey and pork to be bad. The turkey was close to being jerky, and the pork was charred to the point that all I could taste was burnt. The steak was pretty good, and surprisingly, I liked the sausage the best. The best meat, however, were the shrimp. Luckily everyone else forgot about them, or were turned off by the fact that they still had legs on them, so I got to enjoy all of them myself. Because of this, I really didn't care about the spears. The best part, was that we were seated right by the window, and got to watch the MK fireworks while waiting for our dessert. I had not picked the restaurant for this reason, and we had been in MK the night before for Wishes, but it was great. It was on Wednesday, and apparently they were testing out the MNSSHP fireworks that night instead of Wishes. It was one of those neat little magical moments that was not planned out but just happened. They dimmed the lights and piped in the halloween music, and it very nice 15 minutes. The meal was finished with the bread pudding with the banana sauce. Again, I can't compare it to the previous dessert, but I loved it. Even though I was stuffed, I (along with my mom) managed to eat the majority of it. Since it contained no chocolate, my wife was only mildly impressed with it. Grade: A+ because of food, excellent service, atmosphere, and unexpected view of the MNSSHP fireworks.
Sixth night was Crystal Palace, another first for us. My son has always been more inclined to eat with Mickey than Pooh, but we wanted to give this one a try. It was an adventure making it to our reservation on time (which we didn't, by the way), because it turned out none of us (except my son) wanted to visit MK on this day. So it became a trip into MK just for the purpose of eating, which was a bit of a hassle, but fun for my son, who then got to ride his second favority ride (the monrail) over to Epcot with my wife and mom while my dad and I took the car over. I thought the food here was a much better quality than that of Chef Mickey's. Again, maybe it was just this trip, but to me there was no comparison on both the quality and selection. We also had another bit of a magical moment here in that when we were seated, we had just missed seeing Eeyore and Piglet. I informed the attendant in the center of this, and he assured us he would send them over before we left. As we were nearly done, I noticed the attendant speaking to Eeyore just before they started the parade through the restaurant. When the music started, both he and Piglet came to our table to see us. Eeyore took my son's hand, and they led the parade. My son was beaming. He walked him back to our table afterwards, and they stayed for autographs and pictures. A very nice moment. Grade: A, for very good buffet food and some special service.
Our last night was at Mexico. This is another regular visit for us, but seems to have gotten worse each time we've been there. This time was no exception to the pattern - it was our worst meal of the trip. Luckily, it was so dark in there that I really couldn't see everything that I was eating. The chips and salsa were the highlight. This was most likely our last trip here for a meal. The atmosphere is neat, but I can get the same thing on the boat ride and it won't cost me $90 to do it. I did think my dessert was pretty good - a bread pudding, but nothing too special, and not nearly as good as O'Hana's. My wife had something that sounded fancy on the menu, but ended up being a bowl of chocolate moose. Because it was chocolate, she liked it, but it did not compare to her other 13 chocolate desserts she had during the week. For appetizers, I forget what we ordered, but they were mediocre at best. For entrees, I had the most expensive thing - steak, fried plantains, and something else, and she had some dish that was basically steak and mashed potatoes. The steak was very poor both in quality and in how it was cooked. Mine was overcooked and hers undercooked (for her liking and the way she ordered it). My parents were smart enough to skip this one. Grade: C- (it would have been lower if not for the chips)
The only problem we had with the dining plan is that at one time they charged me 2 CS credits for a carton of milk and an orange juice. I didn't notice until the next day when I looked at my CS receipt. I hadn't kept the snack receipt, so I had no way to prove what I got. The front desk was nice enough to believe me, and credited me back 2 CS and subtracted 2 snacks. I guess you should always check your reciept to make sure things are right, even after something as simple as a snack item.
I ended up with several mickey rice crispy treats, a couple of juices, and a couple of oranges on our last day, as we ended up with almost all of our snack credits remaining. Overall, we loved the dining plan, although it seemed like so much of our time was spent around dinners. I don't feel I got to eat nearly enough burgers this trip, as we usually only do a couple of TS-type dinners per trip. We didn't realize desserts were included in the CS credits, so that seemed a bit excessive, although we did manage to get through them. I'd love to see them offer this again, altough I'm not sure if I would plan a trip in September just becuase of this as opposed to a more favorite time of ours in early December or later October.
