After having finished lunch only 4 hours before, we WERE NOT HUNGRY. I wanted lite and refreshing. The fact that we had eaten so much this day will contribute to the "view" and review of this restaurant.
Decor - pretty, nothing spectacular!
Service - she was okay, again, nothing spectacular
Food - with a few exceptions, it all tasted alike, regardless of what it was supposed to be.
As I stated, buffet food pictures at character meals, especially, were just not happening. But here you go!
Strawberry soup - it is good. Similar, to me, to a non-tangy strawberry yogurt. It was refreshing, as much as something with heavy cream in it can be, so it fit the bill.
Salad - I made a salad, and that was definitely good!
Main dishes - the prime rib, especially with the horseradish, was very tasty!
HOWEVER, I tasted paella, chicken marsala, stir fry. They were all very bland, and all tasted exactly alike. The girls got some pizza, maybe some mac and cheese, fruit, typical kids cuisine. DD1 ended up eating bread and fruit. She didn't like anything she ate.
DH tried a variety of dishes, proclaimed them all edible but not great, with the exception of the prime rib.
Desserts - there were a variety of these,the lemon cheesecake tart was really good. Bread pudding was okay. The girls got soft serve, and liked it.
Character interaction: At the end of the day, the characters are really why we book these ADR's, right? It's not supposed to be about food!
Cindy - she was sweet. After she spoke, they played her music for her and Prince to dance, and she promised to come back, which she did. However, it was speak, make a comment about being sisters and hoping they got along better than she did with hers, "come stand for a picture" pose, and leave. We found that we had much better Cindy interaction at Akershus.
Ahh... the Prince. DD2 talks about dancing with Prince Charming daily. When she is "playtending" she is going on a date with Prince Charming. She is going to marry Prince Charming when she grows up. I couldnt' wait for this one. I just KNEW she was going to be starry eyed. WELL, he walks up, and the kid VAULTS across the table without a pole into her Daddy's lap. I guess sometimes, meeting your fantasyman is just too much REALITY!
She did agree for a picture with him IF her Daddy would hold her.
However, one of our best memories from this trip involved him, and had nothing to do with our family. When it came time to chose people to dance with, the Prince went to a lady that appeared to be in her 40's with Down Syndrome. When she stood up, she bowed to him, and they danced, and then at the end she bowed a few more times with such sincerity. It was so very sweet and special, and DH and I both were crying watching. It was the magic of Disney at it's best.
Lady Tremain - she was okay. We had met a different one last year, and she was much more amusing. Although, she did have the girls hold their hands together so they wouldn't touch her, and when DD2 said "Is that the stepmother?" She said "I have a name, child." It was funny.
The stepsisters were a lot of fun, and really interacted with the girls, fixing hairbows, trying on her hairbow. They were LOUD and wild. DD1 had fun dancing with Anastasia!
All in all, not a bad time! Since, for us, the main objective was for DD2 to meet the Prince, and that flopped so badly,
, we left, again, saying "This is not a must do." Honestly, if in a few years the kids want to go back, we might. And I can see them wanting to be with the stepsisters again, but not for Cindy!
Would you go back here or pick a different character meal? Also, we'll be coming from Epcot..does the monorail just drop you off at front?
