Montana Disney Fan
<font color=blue>GAT-Master Extraordinaire<br><fon
- Joined
- Oct 2, 1999
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Restaurant Reviews Oct 12-22, 2005
2 Adults and 2 Kids (6 & 3).
Disney Restaurants
Boma Sit Down, Buffet Animal Kingdom Lodge The reason I booked this restaurant was he had heard so many good things about it that we wanted to give it a try. What a disappointment!! Way overpriced and the food was all dried out. We should have known since its a buffet but we thought, just maybe Our service was ok but it took forever to get the check. They had noodles and sauce, fries, and chicken strips for the kids and roast beef, a ton of odd salads along with rice and potatoes for adults. We used our Disney Dining Card to save us about $20 which helped ease the pain. $24 per adult for this place is a total joke. I do not recommend. D+
Flame Tree BBQ Animal Kingdom Counter Service We ate here a couple of times and really enjoy the food. My son LOVES the seasoned French fries as they are like no others anywhere in WDW (that weve seen). My wife and I like the BBQ pork sandwiches (with baked beans and corn on the cob) and my daughter usually gets the hot dog and applesauce. We usually split a Bud Light also and they also carry another Local beer but I cant remember the name. This restaurant takes the Disney Dining Card but every time we ate here I forgot to use it
since its a counter service restaurant. Meals for the 4 of us ran around $25. For a quick, delicious meal, Id recommend it. B
Sommerfest Epcot, German Pavilion, Counter Service I think this is the name of this restaurant. Anyway, this place serves great bratwurst and sauerkraut along with three types of German beer, ham sandwiches, and soft pretzels. We all love the food. My kids love the soft pretzel and my daughter actually likes the sauerkraut! For the four of us with one beer we paid $25 and they do NOT take the Disney Dining Card. I highly recommend it you enjoy this type of food. B
Yorkshire County Fish Shop Epcot, United Kingdom Pavilion, Counter Service Great fish and chips! About what youd expect only a little expensive. Good quality of food and they even have malt vinegar for the fish. Short menu but there is an abundant of seating in the area and they serve beer there if youre so inclined. Does not take Disney Dining Card but I still recommend for a snack. B
Cantina de San Angel Epcot, Mexico Pavilion, Counter Service If you can land a table by the lake its very nice and peaceful. We shared some loaded nachos with a margarita and enjoyed it all. Makes and excellent spot for viewing Illuminations if youre willing to camp the spot for at least an hour or more. Again, no DD card but I recommend for a snack. B-
The Garden Grill Epcot Future World We did the character lunch and had a WONDERFUL time. We sat on the outside ring and rotated slowly around while the characters show up one at a time (Mickey, Pluto, and Chip & Dale). The characters sit down at the table with you and can be mischievous (throwing bread and so on). They also pose for pictures with the children (and you dont have to wait in line!). The food was very good but the presentation made me wonder when it showed up. It literally looked like a plate of garbage when it arrived! They serve family platter style and you pick off the plate various meats and so on. Food taste was A+. We had a glass of wine each and then saved about $25 with the DD card. The atmosphere is dated but who cares! You get to hang out with Mickey Mouse! I highly recommend. An A- experience for us.
Akershus Princess Storybook Breakfast Epcot Norway Pavilion Another great experience. A little confusing prior to seating and a little long in line waiting to get the first picture with Sleeping Beauty, but still a very good experience. The atmosphere is perfect for this character breakfast and a lot better than the Garden Grill. The food was VERY good (once again, served Family Style on big plates and the presentation was also better than Garden Grill. I loved the sausage and potatoes! The kids loved the cinnamon rolls and potatoes also. The princess come out one at a time from a door that we were lucky enough to be sitting next to and pose for pictures with your children. We had Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Jasmine. We saved another $20 or so with the DD card. A+ experience and I highly recommend.
Ohana Polynesian Hotel Excellent food and excellent atmosphere. They also serve Family Style but offer a childrens menu if your kids are picky eaters as ours are. Make sure you eat in the Main dining room as thats where the action is. We had window seats with a nice view of the property and lake. The food was VERY good and the overall experience was nice. You start with appetizers and salad then they come around with skewers of meat (I loved the sausage) and Im pretty sure you just keep eating until you pass out. Desert is included and its a make your own ice cream which is nice as everyone has their own preferences. Another $20 or so saved with the DD card. I recommend. B+
California Grill Contemporary Resort. No kids with us at this restaurant. We hired a Fairy Godmother to watch them in our room so mom and dad could have a nice evening out. For those that have eaten here before you might not be aware that the format has changed. When you enter the hotel you go to the escalator and go up one floor to check in. Then you are escorted up in the elevator when your table is ready and promptly sat down. No more milling around the bar area at the Cal Grill. We enjoyed a BLT flatbread appetizer and my wife had a good salad. We also shared a very good Sushi appetizer before ordering our main course dishes (Pork tenderloin for me and Veal for my wife). The sun was setting while we dinned then we watched the fireworks over MK from our table (they pipe in the music also). One of the best dining experiences of my entire life. We saved $40 with the DD card (our bottle of wine was expensive). I highly recommend. A+
Flying Fish The Boardwalk Area We made this our big family meal out with the kids two nights before we left. They have a good kids menu and my daughter enjoyed a Mickey Pasta dish while my son had the fish and chips (good, but not as good as UK in Epcot). My wife had delicious scallops and I had a potato wrapped Red Snapper which literally melted in my mouth. We shared a nice bottle of Pinot and crab cake appetizer which was also heavenly. Overall, this was the best quality of food we ate in Walt Disney World (even better than Cal Grill). The service was awesome and the atmosphere was fun. Simply could not have been any better! Saved about $30 with the DD card. A++
Pecos Bills Counter Service in MK Great burgers and fixin bar but horrible childrens menu. A choice of grilled chicken sandwich or franks & beans??? What the ? Simple food done right and very speedy. The line may be long but theyll get to you very quickly! C+
Starlight Café MK, Tomorrow Land Counter Service Great BBQ chicken and ribs with mashed potatoes and cooked carrots. Kosher meals available to those that want them. Chicken nugget meal for the children. This place can also move a lot of people in a short period of time. Dont worry too much about lines. Best to have someone go stake out a table while one stands in line and orders. Good quality of food with high prices. Rib and Chicken meal for one is $14! Better to purchase a chicken meal and a rib meal for two then split it. You get more carrots and mashed this way but the same amount of meat. If you like this type of food, give it a try. B
Captain Jacks Downtown Disney Most reviews of this restaurant are horrible so we didnt have ADRs for it or anything. We just kind of ended up here one night while visiting DD. We were pleasantly surprised! My wife and I split the twin lobster tails which they put on separate plates for us and also separated the rice and veggies also. We had a crab and artichoke dip appetizer and my kids had hot dogs and applesauce. It was all very, very good and the service was excellent. We saved another $20 with the DD card and had a great time. If you go, get a seat of the sun setting over the water. Very good view. B+
Toluca Legs Turkey Company MGM, near ToT Hard to mess up chili dogs and a beer! A great snack or lunch. The turkey legs look disgusting though. They dont even look cooked! Who eats these things? No DD card here. C
Non-Disney Restaurants
Rainforest Café Downtown Disney This place is a mob scene from about 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. We walked up thinking, Lets see what this joint is all about and saw the throng of people. What a mess! I decided to wander inside alone to have a look and noticed a family of four leaving the bar. I ran up and asked the bartender to hold the seats for us so we lucked out not having to wait for 60 minutes. The food was average but the service from the bartender was outstanding. I was amazed! She did such a good job with my crabby and tired children. Personally, I dont care if we ever eat here again. Very, very noisy with below average food. I dont recommend. D+
Giardanos Pizzeria Off US HWY 193 We actually left the World three times to eat here as it was so dang good. The thin crust pizza was developed in Italy a long time ago and two brothers opened the restaurant to mimic their mothers cooking and bring it to America. The result is wonderful food, great setting, good service all at a reasonable price. We usually had a couple of glasses of wine each night we went and spent less than $35 for a family of four. We were staying at OKW and it only took about 15 minutes from our door to inside the restaurant. When we went to Ohana at the Poly it took 20 minutes for the same thing! Grade A pizza. If you love pizza, youll love Girodanos. A
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
2 Adults and 2 Kids (6 & 3).
Disney Restaurants
Boma Sit Down, Buffet Animal Kingdom Lodge The reason I booked this restaurant was he had heard so many good things about it that we wanted to give it a try. What a disappointment!! Way overpriced and the food was all dried out. We should have known since its a buffet but we thought, just maybe Our service was ok but it took forever to get the check. They had noodles and sauce, fries, and chicken strips for the kids and roast beef, a ton of odd salads along with rice and potatoes for adults. We used our Disney Dining Card to save us about $20 which helped ease the pain. $24 per adult for this place is a total joke. I do not recommend. D+
Flame Tree BBQ Animal Kingdom Counter Service We ate here a couple of times and really enjoy the food. My son LOVES the seasoned French fries as they are like no others anywhere in WDW (that weve seen). My wife and I like the BBQ pork sandwiches (with baked beans and corn on the cob) and my daughter usually gets the hot dog and applesauce. We usually split a Bud Light also and they also carry another Local beer but I cant remember the name. This restaurant takes the Disney Dining Card but every time we ate here I forgot to use it
since its a counter service restaurant. Meals for the 4 of us ran around $25. For a quick, delicious meal, Id recommend it. BSommerfest Epcot, German Pavilion, Counter Service I think this is the name of this restaurant. Anyway, this place serves great bratwurst and sauerkraut along with three types of German beer, ham sandwiches, and soft pretzels. We all love the food. My kids love the soft pretzel and my daughter actually likes the sauerkraut! For the four of us with one beer we paid $25 and they do NOT take the Disney Dining Card. I highly recommend it you enjoy this type of food. B
Yorkshire County Fish Shop Epcot, United Kingdom Pavilion, Counter Service Great fish and chips! About what youd expect only a little expensive. Good quality of food and they even have malt vinegar for the fish. Short menu but there is an abundant of seating in the area and they serve beer there if youre so inclined. Does not take Disney Dining Card but I still recommend for a snack. B
Cantina de San Angel Epcot, Mexico Pavilion, Counter Service If you can land a table by the lake its very nice and peaceful. We shared some loaded nachos with a margarita and enjoyed it all. Makes and excellent spot for viewing Illuminations if youre willing to camp the spot for at least an hour or more. Again, no DD card but I recommend for a snack. B-
The Garden Grill Epcot Future World We did the character lunch and had a WONDERFUL time. We sat on the outside ring and rotated slowly around while the characters show up one at a time (Mickey, Pluto, and Chip & Dale). The characters sit down at the table with you and can be mischievous (throwing bread and so on). They also pose for pictures with the children (and you dont have to wait in line!). The food was very good but the presentation made me wonder when it showed up. It literally looked like a plate of garbage when it arrived! They serve family platter style and you pick off the plate various meats and so on. Food taste was A+. We had a glass of wine each and then saved about $25 with the DD card. The atmosphere is dated but who cares! You get to hang out with Mickey Mouse! I highly recommend. An A- experience for us.
Akershus Princess Storybook Breakfast Epcot Norway Pavilion Another great experience. A little confusing prior to seating and a little long in line waiting to get the first picture with Sleeping Beauty, but still a very good experience. The atmosphere is perfect for this character breakfast and a lot better than the Garden Grill. The food was VERY good (once again, served Family Style on big plates and the presentation was also better than Garden Grill. I loved the sausage and potatoes! The kids loved the cinnamon rolls and potatoes also. The princess come out one at a time from a door that we were lucky enough to be sitting next to and pose for pictures with your children. We had Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Jasmine. We saved another $20 or so with the DD card. A+ experience and I highly recommend.
Ohana Polynesian Hotel Excellent food and excellent atmosphere. They also serve Family Style but offer a childrens menu if your kids are picky eaters as ours are. Make sure you eat in the Main dining room as thats where the action is. We had window seats with a nice view of the property and lake. The food was VERY good and the overall experience was nice. You start with appetizers and salad then they come around with skewers of meat (I loved the sausage) and Im pretty sure you just keep eating until you pass out. Desert is included and its a make your own ice cream which is nice as everyone has their own preferences. Another $20 or so saved with the DD card. I recommend. B+
California Grill Contemporary Resort. No kids with us at this restaurant. We hired a Fairy Godmother to watch them in our room so mom and dad could have a nice evening out. For those that have eaten here before you might not be aware that the format has changed. When you enter the hotel you go to the escalator and go up one floor to check in. Then you are escorted up in the elevator when your table is ready and promptly sat down. No more milling around the bar area at the Cal Grill. We enjoyed a BLT flatbread appetizer and my wife had a good salad. We also shared a very good Sushi appetizer before ordering our main course dishes (Pork tenderloin for me and Veal for my wife). The sun was setting while we dinned then we watched the fireworks over MK from our table (they pipe in the music also). One of the best dining experiences of my entire life. We saved $40 with the DD card (our bottle of wine was expensive). I highly recommend. A+
Flying Fish The Boardwalk Area We made this our big family meal out with the kids two nights before we left. They have a good kids menu and my daughter enjoyed a Mickey Pasta dish while my son had the fish and chips (good, but not as good as UK in Epcot). My wife had delicious scallops and I had a potato wrapped Red Snapper which literally melted in my mouth. We shared a nice bottle of Pinot and crab cake appetizer which was also heavenly. Overall, this was the best quality of food we ate in Walt Disney World (even better than Cal Grill). The service was awesome and the atmosphere was fun. Simply could not have been any better! Saved about $30 with the DD card. A++
Pecos Bills Counter Service in MK Great burgers and fixin bar but horrible childrens menu. A choice of grilled chicken sandwich or franks & beans??? What the ? Simple food done right and very speedy. The line may be long but theyll get to you very quickly! C+
Starlight Café MK, Tomorrow Land Counter Service Great BBQ chicken and ribs with mashed potatoes and cooked carrots. Kosher meals available to those that want them. Chicken nugget meal for the children. This place can also move a lot of people in a short period of time. Dont worry too much about lines. Best to have someone go stake out a table while one stands in line and orders. Good quality of food with high prices. Rib and Chicken meal for one is $14! Better to purchase a chicken meal and a rib meal for two then split it. You get more carrots and mashed this way but the same amount of meat. If you like this type of food, give it a try. B
Captain Jacks Downtown Disney Most reviews of this restaurant are horrible so we didnt have ADRs for it or anything. We just kind of ended up here one night while visiting DD. We were pleasantly surprised! My wife and I split the twin lobster tails which they put on separate plates for us and also separated the rice and veggies also. We had a crab and artichoke dip appetizer and my kids had hot dogs and applesauce. It was all very, very good and the service was excellent. We saved another $20 with the DD card and had a great time. If you go, get a seat of the sun setting over the water. Very good view. B+
Toluca Legs Turkey Company MGM, near ToT Hard to mess up chili dogs and a beer! A great snack or lunch. The turkey legs look disgusting though. They dont even look cooked! Who eats these things? No DD card here. C
Non-Disney Restaurants
Rainforest Café Downtown Disney This place is a mob scene from about 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. We walked up thinking, Lets see what this joint is all about and saw the throng of people. What a mess! I decided to wander inside alone to have a look and noticed a family of four leaving the bar. I ran up and asked the bartender to hold the seats for us so we lucked out not having to wait for 60 minutes. The food was average but the service from the bartender was outstanding. I was amazed! She did such a good job with my crabby and tired children. Personally, I dont care if we ever eat here again. Very, very noisy with below average food. I dont recommend. D+
Giardanos Pizzeria Off US HWY 193 We actually left the World three times to eat here as it was so dang good. The thin crust pizza was developed in Italy a long time ago and two brothers opened the restaurant to mimic their mothers cooking and bring it to America. The result is wonderful food, great setting, good service all at a reasonable price. We usually had a couple of glasses of wine each night we went and spent less than $35 for a family of four. We were staying at OKW and it only took about 15 minutes from our door to inside the restaurant. When we went to Ohana at the Poly it took 20 minutes for the same thing! Grade A pizza. If you love pizza, youll love Girodanos. A
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
