Back from 8 nights of disney dining

[JJ&JSMOM]

We just got back last night after an 8 night stay at the Poly. First off I didn't take any pics of the food because I figured theres plenty of pics already plus w/3 kids I didn't really have much time !

Just so you know heres the CS I'll write about:
Capt. Cooks (ate most of our CS here)
Cosmic Rays
Electric Umbrella
Restaurantosaurus

The table services are:
Chef Mickey's dinner
Sci Fi Diner
Crystal Palace
Ohana's breakfast w/Stitch
Kona Cafe - dinner
Kona Cafe - breakfast
CRT

I thought I'd write up some more notes and then come back and post when I get a chance in between doing laundry.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Well - this isn't going to be as fancy as the other reviews but here it goes.

Day 1 - Chef Mickey's at 5:10pm
We arrived at the Poly at 3:00 and checked in. Once we were settled in our room we rode the monorail (love it!) to the Contemporary for dinner. We arrived a few minutes early and there was already a line forming but we checked in at the podium. We were seated shortly after 5:10. We had our pic taken which we ended up buying. I wanted to kick off our disney vacation w/a bang and I was not disappointed. The fab 5 were here (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto & Goofy) and they were great. They came back more then once - they really did a great job and they were not in any rush to get to the next table. Its great to meet the mouse and his friend early on in the vacation. Donald Duck and my DH acted up - it was funny!

The buffet was ok - nothing great but after a day of traveling it was welcomed. Since it was a buffet we had a little bit of everything. Our kids are ages 2, 4 & 7 and they liked the pizza, chicken strips & mashed potato. I had beef and barley soup (a little too thick for me) pork loin, prime rib, mashed potato, & beans. Very good. DH had a little of everything. The kids liked making their sundaes and the other desserts were very good as well.

So to summarize - the food was ok but a great selection and the character interaction was awesome. A great way to start off a vacation. And then when we saw Mickey or Donald in the parks we didn't have to stand in the long lines in the hot sun waiting to meet him. We would definitely do this again!

Day 2 - Animal Kingdom & MNSSHP

We decided to start our vacation w/a couple hours at AK. Kids wanted to go on the Safaris & walk the trails. After a couple hours we stopped at Pizzafari but there was no pizza on the kids meal which I thought was very bizarre but we moved on. We went to Restaurantosaurus and had lunch. The kids ordered Happy Meals and DH & I each ordered a cheeseburger. DH ate all of his but it didn't taste good to me so I had the kids jello & pudding. It was too hot to eat anyways. This was the first counter service we ordered on the ddp and lets just say the CM who took our order pretty much barked at me. I was confused on how to order - I told her we were on the ddp and I wanted 3 chicken nuggets & 2 cheeseburgers. And one chicken nugget meal we would be oop. I guess she didn't hear me because she got upset w/me for ordering 3 chicken nugget meals when only 2 kids were on the dining plan. I told her I was paying oop for the 3rd and she practically yelling said "You have to tell me that before I enter your order". To which I replied "I did". Then when I wanted to pay cash for the 3rd kids meal she wanted me to put it on my room card to which I said no I wanted to pay cash. I guess I put her out a little. Anyways - not a good start to the ddp. But the kids loved their meal. DH liked the strawberry shortcake for dessert, I had the brownie which I took back to our room for a snack later. And I ate the kids jello for lunch ! We would go back if we had no other choices but w/the new restaurant coming maybe we'll try that next time.

MNSSHP - This was great fun! We did all the rides we wanted to in fantasy land in 1 hour - walked right on. We had a snack prior to leaving the Poly so we had a late supper at Cosmic Ray's. The usual counter service food but the food & service was much better then earlier. A confusing layout as there are different "bays" depending on what you wanted so it could be confusing for a family ordering different items. I'd say this was the best and biggest counterservice we ate at besides Capt. Cooks.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Ok here we go to MGM. The kids have wanted to go to Sci Fi since I showed them some pics off the disboards. They loved it! They loved the atmosphere, movies and the food. They finally could have the pizza (DD2 had a hotdog) they've been waiting for (which by the end of the week I'm surprised they didn't turn into a pizza). They had sundaes for dessert which they liked. My DH ordered the onion rings for an app and ribs for a meal which he said we dry and I orderd the BLT salad which was delicious and the BBQ chicken sandwich which was ok. The desserts were great - the kids all had sundaes, DH had a sundae and I had the cheesecake. This was the best cheesecake I have ever had - absolutely fantastic. Our waiter was great. We left him a tip (in addition to the included tip w/ddp) as the service was top notch. The movies are really funny - the kids really got a kick out of them. We would definitely go here again probably just for dessert. The cars are cramped & a little awkward especially for a family of 5 w/young kids.

Capt. Cooks - For supper we decided to try out Capt. Cooks seeing we had been at the Poly for 2 full days and hadn't given it a try. I found the kiosk system to very confusing - in fact I almost walked out but I was too hungry . Its like ordering your food twice - seems like a wasted step in there but we got the hang of it. The CMs here were great - very helpful & friendly. We tried the flatbread pizzas which are delicious and the kids ordered chicken strips. For dessert we could have ice creams, bakery or dole whips. We tried the dole whips but didn't think they were that great. We come here many many more times for the pizza which we liked to eat at the outside tables and wait to watch the MK's fireworks. Truly magical!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

We woke up to driving rain outside and I guess a tropical depression was going through. So we were all set to stay in the room when I decided to go to the Great Ceremonial House to mail some postcards. Well let me tell you I learned a lesson - rain does not stop anyone at disney unless its a hurricane. I went back to the room, got everybody up and dressed and off we went to the MK. By the time we got there around 11:00 the rain had stopped and the sun was hot - go figure! Anyways we had an ADR at the CP at 11:30 so we headed over there. We checked right in and then the lines starting forming. We were the 3rd party called so it pays to get there early.

We really enjoyed this meal. The buffet was much better then CM's buffet but CM has the fab 5. Pooh was the first to visit us - we saw all the characters prior to going to the buffet line. And they came around again a little later. DH had a little of everything. I had flank steak w/the roasted garlic mashed potato & broccoli - very good. The kids loved it as well - they had chicken nuggets, green beans, mashed potato, pork loin, fresh bread. DD5 fixed herself a ham and cheese sandwich. Kids can also make their own PB & J sandwich with regular fixings not the the smuckers version. The desserts were awesome - several varieties of cookies, the kids made their own sundaes. The CMs here were very helpful & friendly. Our waitress was from Massachusetts so we had a nice conversation with her. We're from Maine but have family and roots in MA. We would go here again - the food was great and the character were great as well. But we'll have to see because DS8 wasn't too thrilled about Pooh characters - "hes a little bit old for Pooh ya know." He had a smile throughout the whole time. We spent the rest of the day in Adventureland, Frontierland ;& then watched Dreams parade and shopped a little bit and then back to the Poly.

For dinner - Capt Cooks again. Everyone wanted pizza this time. CS credits are not separated by adult and child so Capt Cooks just rang them through & didn't mind the kids ordering flatbread pizzas. To me its all the same - we went through our CSs meals much faster but thats ok. We paid oop SAturday and Sunday for our CSs. Again we went swimming and watched fireworks and EWP.
I have to put the kiddos to bed so thats all for now but I'll try and finish tomorrow.

 

[sandybobandy]

We think the same of Chef Mickey's. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there again, but I'm not mad that we went.

Am enjoying your reviews!

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Today we woke up to a beautiful morning. DD5, DS8 and I went to the MK first thing while DD2 & DH got the opportunity to sleep in. DD2 really needed this break. We met up w/them at MK for lunch. We did a few rides and then DD5 had her bday makeover at BBB which is really worth the money for those thinking about doing it for your DP. After her makeover, we went to lunch at CRT. We had our pic taken w/Cinderella and after a very very long wait we were seated. I was very apprehensive about this restaurant as I hadn't read very many good reviews but we absolutely loved it! It was our favorite restaurant until we went to Kona Cafe for dinner on Day 6. Our CM was wonderful. I ate most of the appetizer which was a plate of salad, chunks of cheese, cold chicken in some sauce, I'm not a culinary expert so I don't remember the names of it all but it tasted great! DH and I ordered the Major Domo's pie - very good! The kids had chicken strips and 2 sides (I can't remember what they were now) - they devoured their meals. DD2 had butter noodles but she fed them to DH and we shared our meals w/her - she loved the major domo's pie. For dessert I ordered a bday cake a week prior. Heres a pic

Our server brought a dish of icecream for each of us to go w/the cake in place of our dessert. This lunch was a real surprise - I didn't think anyone would find something to eat but I knew my DD5 wanted to eat in the castle on her 5th bday so I scheduled it. This was our first great meal of our vacay. We would probably go here again but I would like to try the Epcot princess meal sometime as well. Maybe a breakfast.

Supper was counter service at Capt Cooks - surprise surprise surprise. We just loved the evenings at the Poly - it was so magical and the kids loved the pool. So I think besides MNSSHP we spent our evenings by the pool.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Today was another beautiful day. DH, DS8 & DD5 had breakfast w/Stitch at Ohanas at 8:00 and then spent the morning at MK. DD2 slept in (she was very grumpy the day before so we thought we'd let her sleep - it helped) & then her and I went for a nice walk around the resort and did a little shopping. So I didn't go to Ohanas but per DH the food was excellent - scrambled eggs, bacon, home fried potatos,mickey waffles, oj, etc. We love to eat out for breakfast. DH said the character interaction was top notch - Stitch, Lilo, Mickey & Pluto. DS8 loves Stitch anways but he had a blast. Stitch put him in 2 headlocks, picked his nose & wiped it on DS8's shirt - great stuff for an 8 year old. I really missed going to this one - I guess its another reason to go again someday! DD5 was a little apprehensive going to this one but she likes Lilo so she enjoyed it as well - she thought Stitch was pretty funny.

For Dinner we had an adr for Kona Cafe. Everyone was tired at suppertime and wanted to cancel this adr & I refused. I've wanted to go to this restaurant since I made ressies 6 months ago so I made them go. They were glad I did because this was the best meal of our vacation. We were seated immediately - the CMs here are so friendly. For apps DH ordered the Sticky Wings, and I had the Kona Salad. DH didn't care too much for the Sticky Wings but I loved the salad it tasted so good - different types of lettuce (no iceburg), almonds, sliced apples, small blue cheese chunks in a light dressing. It was so good. I did order my first alcoholic beverage (of our trip) here - it was the Island Sunset - yummy! They brought a loaf of bread w/Macadamia nut butter that was so awesome. We asked for a second loaf. DH ordered prime rib w/mashed potato which he loved! I ordered the Beef Teriyaki which was good but I tried DH's prime rib and wished I had ordered that. The kids had hot dogs and a cheeseburger w/fruit cups for dessert. They ate everything on their plate. I ordered white chocolate cheesecake for dessert - very good and DH had the caramel banana creme brulee which he ate in 2 or 3 gulps. He said it was the best. The kids did have the pirate punch w/the souvenir cups and light up tinks and capt hook which they brought home w/them. Kona Cafe was just marvelous and no matter where we stay in the future we will definitely make adrs here. The service was impeccable - we left an extra tip here as well.

This has made me hungry so I guess I better fix some supper. I'll continue w/the rest of the reviews later. Thanks for reading - I know w/no pics its not as fun!

 

[Busymom85]

Great reviews. Thanks so much for taking the time.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

All I can say is "if you think disney is expensive go to SeaWorld". I could not believe the prices. A bottle of Coke $3.00 - ridiculous! Counter service at Mango Joe's - not even a very good counter service was $54 for 5 people. I thought that was a little steep considering 5 of us ate at Capt Cook's for $41. But we had a wonderful time there! Shows and seeing the animals was great as usual.

That night we ate at Capt Cooks - surprise surprise!

Day 8 - Today was our Epcot FW day. Before leaving for Epcot we had an early breakfast at Kona Cafe. The usual breakfast fare and of course the famous Tango Toast which DH had and loved it! The kids had Mickey cakes which is just 2 small pancakes and one large pancake in the shape of Mickey w/bacon. I had 2 eggs scrambled w/bacon & potatos - very good. The coffee was excellent. We ate everything and will definitely eat here next time.

Lunch at Epcot was at Electric Umbrella. I hadn't read very good things about this c/s so I was concerned but I knew everyone could find something they liked. We did check out Sunshine Seasons in The Land after Soarin' (AWESOME) but DS8 didn't like anything on the kids menu - I don't blame him. So we went to the EU. It was very confusing and crowded but we did ok. It has the usual c/s stuff, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets etc but it tasted very good. We would go here again.

Supper at Capt. Cooks -

Day 9 - Time to go home ! We had breakfast at Capt Cooks out of pocket as we used all our cs credits up the day before. We had Mickey Waffles, scrambled eggs, cereal, bacon, oj, Tonga Toast. Excellent meal and counter service too! As you can tell we loved Capt Cooks and would definitely go to there again if we're ever lucky again to stay at the Poly!

 

[NewRocDad]

Thanks so much for all this info!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

I know the DDP has changed and I'd have to research the new plan but we would use it again based on this trip. We saved at least $200 on meals - I'm missing a few receipts so I estimated the totals by using the menues on this board. It was confusing at times - everytime I thought I had it right the CM would explain it again to me so I guess I didn't have it right.

Capt Cooks let me use 1 TS (leftover since I didn't go to Ohanas breakfast) for a CS. Not the best use but at least we didn't leave w/o using it.

Our TSs ranked:
#1 Kona Cafe - dinner
#2 CRT - lunch
#3 Kona Cafe - breakfast
#4 Ohana's
#5 Crystal Palace - best buffet
#6 Chef Mickey's - Fab 5; no. 1 for character interaction
#7 Sci Fi - great atmosphere; food iffy
Our CSs ranked:
#1 Capt Cooks - flatbread pizza!
#2 Cosmic Ray's
#3 Electric Umbrella
#4 Restaurantosaurus - McD's food (not as good as McD's)
snotty CM

Anyways - thanks for reading. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!
Joanne