Dining reviews 5/16-5/24 *Updated 6/3 Final Thoughts*

[BBH]

I returned on Sunday from a soggy 8 night adventure at Disney World. In preparation for my trip I enjoyed reading all of the wonderful dining reviews on the disboards so I thought I would post my thoughts on my dining experience. Unfortunately we didn’t take any food pictures.

I traveled to Disney World with my boyfriend Bob. This was our second trip; the first was in November 2006. We decided to mainly try new restaurants this time, but we did revisit a couple places. We used the basic dining plan which ended up working out well for us.
I am going to review the table service restaurants first. Here is a list of where we ate:

Raglan Road
Boma
Whispering Canyon
Ohana
Flying Fish
Le Cellier
Narcoossee’s
California Grill

I will evaluate the restaurants on a 4 star scale considering both the food and the atmosphere.

Raglan Road
This was our first stop on Sunday 5/16 after checking into Port Orleans French Quarter.
We were starving after traveling all day so we decided to order an appetizer. We selected Calamari City which in addition to Calamari included tempura fried vegetables and a spicy remoulade sauce. This was really good, at first. Over the years I have had a lot of bland Calamari, and I appreciated that this had good flavor. However, when we reached the bottom half of the basket everything was stuck together in a big blob. In addition, the description said tempura fried vegetables which indicated there would be a variety of vegetables, but we were served 95% broccoli.
For my entrée I had the It’s not Bleedin’ Chowder, I love shellfish, and I really enjoyed this dish. I liked that it was something different; it is much more common to find broth based shellfish stews on the menu. I recommend this dish and would order it again.
Bob had the sirloin for his entrée, and he wasn’t that impressed with it. He ended up finishing my entrée and wishing he had ordered that instead. One thing to note is that I don’t eat beef or pork so I won’t be able to offer a detailed opinion on what Bob ordered.
For dessert I had some type of crumble I think it was strawberry/apple. It was good, but nothing too memorable. Bob enjoyed the bread pudding.
We were seated near the stage and enjoyed listening to the band and watching the Irish dancing.

Food ***
Atmosphere ****

Boma
We really enjoy visiting the different deluxe resorts for dinner. On our last trip we ate at Jiko at the Animal Kingdom lodge so this time we decided to give Boma a try. We spent our first day at the parks at the Animal Kingdom, the weather was nice, until we finished dinner then the rain came in and it rained and rained and rained the rest of the week.
Usually I am not a big buffet person, but the food quality was a lot higher here than a typical buffet. The soups are what really stood out to us, they were excellent. We tried the butternut squash soup, a spicy chicken soup and a seafood curry. I read a lot about the zebra domes, I wasn’t that impressed by them. I heard the lady next to me express the same opinion to her husband. I did like that Boma offers a variety of desserts, and that they were in small portions.
Food *** ½
Atmosphere **


Whispering Canyon
On Monday we visited the Magic Kingdom and decided to take a lunch break away from the park. I wanted to explore the Wilderness Lodge so we took the boat from the Magic Kingdom. I had the chicken sandwich and Bob had the beef sandwich, we also had the chocolate shakes, everything was very mediocre. I wouldn’t be motivated to eat here again. The environment seemed like it would be fun for kids though.
Food **
Atmosphere ** (higher for families)

Ohana
I was a little worried about what I would think of this meal since the reviews were really mixed. We ended up really enjoying it, and it was one of the highlights of the trip for Bob. This was a nice casual dining experience. I think the way the food is presented also makes it more interesting. We enjoyed every course of the meal. Although the broccoli was pretty bland, it just tasted liked frozen vegetables with a little garlic. Bob absolutely loved the bread pudding, I thought it was good too, but he is more into bread pudding than me. He liked this bread pudding here better than Raglan Road, but he thought both were good.
Food *** ½
Atmosphere *** (higher for families)

 

[MickeyNicki]

Great reviews! Cannot wait to hear about Cali Grill, we are eating there a week from today

 

[natalielongstaff]

great reviews so far

 

[BBH]

Flying Fish
We ate at Flying Fish on our previous visit in 2006 and really enjoyed it so we decided to go back on this trip. I started my meal with a cocktail that was quite tasty; I think it was called the pineapple upside down cake martini. We started our meal with the crab cakes; these were some of the better crab cakes I have had. For dinner I had the yellow fin tuna it was served with vegetables and a very light coconut curry sauce. I enjoyed the dish, but Bob’s was really delicious. He had the special of the evening which was the swordfish, he thought it was excellent. For dessert I had the Strawberry Napoleon it was absolutely delicious and was served with strawberry ice cream. Bob had the trio of chocolate desserts, it was good, but the Strawberry Napoleon was truly a special dessert.

Food ****
Atmosphere *** ½

Le Cellier
This restaurant is the reason Bob called to make our ADR’s at the first possible moment, which is way too early in the morning since we live on the West Coast! This is definitely a good place to go if you are on the dining plan; it is a great value for one table credit. We started off with smoothies since they were included on the dining plan as our beverage. I had the mango and it was good, but I liked the taste I had of Bob’s raspberry smoothie better. I went for the Le Cellier experience where you get an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I started with the mixed greens, I was really disappointed with this salad, it had very little dressing, and I wouldn’t recommend it. For dinner I had the salmon, I just looked at the Le Cellier menu on the Disney World website and the salmon entrée listed is different than what I had. I think it was called salmon two ways. I can’t remember what the sauces were really like, but the salmon was very average, nothing too exciting. For dessert I had to have the chocolate mousse, it was good, especially if you are a chocolate lover. I also enjoyed the presentation since it is shaped like a moose. The gentleman at the next table was so impressed by it he asked to take a picture of my dessert.
Bob started with the cheese soup, he was very skeptical, but he decided to go with it since I had read so many good reviews. He really enjoyed it and thought that the bacon really added to the flavor. For his entrée he had the mushroom filet, which he found to be excellent. He finished off his meal with the delicious maple crème brulee. We found the atmosphere to be lacking in this restaurant and the tables are really close together so it is impossible to have a private conversation. I almost forgot to mention that I really enjoyed the pretzel bread! To truly appreciate this restaurant I think you need to order a steak, and since I am not a red meat eater, I am going to default to Bob’s ratings on the restaurant.
Food *** ½
Atmosphere **

Narcoossee’s
After days of rain we were pleasantly surprised that the rain held off until the evening on Thursday. After a day at the Animal Kingdom that began with the interesting Backstage Safari tour we ended our day with a nice meal at Narcoossee’s. Even though this restaurant uses two table services credits on the dining plan, you still come out ahead, depending on what you order of course. We were tempted to try an appetizer so we ordered the nightly special which was crab & cod cakes; they were good, but nothing outstanding. Our entrees ended up being really filling so we really shouldn’t have ordered the appetizer. I ordered the lobster, it was really big, a lot of food. It was served with potatoes that were good, but very rich. For dessert I had the almond crusted cheesecake, it was delicious. This dessert was presented in a fun way with the celebration theme. The waiter did warn me not to eat the candy decorations since they were rock hard.
Bob had the surf and turf; he thought it was really good. For dessert he had a chocolate cake with blood orange sauce, he enjoyed it, but liked my cheesecake better. The only thing we didn’t like was the bread, it was really bland. It was supposed to be sourdough, but it barely had any sourdough flavor. The atmosphere here is really nice, we enjoyed the water view. After dinner we went outside and caught the electrical water parade which was a fun end to the evening (even though it was raining again).
I would also like to mention that if you decide to drive here the visitor parking is a lot farther away than we were expecting so you need to add a little extra time to get to your reservation on time.
Food ****
Atmosphere *** ½

California Grill
On Friday the rain held off until lunch time so we were able to do the Around the World at Epcot tour in the morning, it was a lot of fun. Luckily the rain decided to stop in the early evening so by the time we arrived at the California Grill the sun was starting to peak out. This was a repeat visit for us, but last time we dined here it was dark out so we didn’t get to appreciate the view. This time the view was absolutely beautiful. If you dine here make sure to step out on one of the observation decks to further enjoy the view.
The California Grill changed their menu, I remember last time I went they served a variety of flatbreads, and flatbreads are featured on the menus you can find online, and these are no longer being served. I started with the hearts of romaine salad, it was really good. I am a big fan of sushi so I decided to have that as my entrée; I selected the spicy kazan roll. I enjoyed the scallops the most with the spicy sauce. The dish was served a little different than I expected I assumed the scallops would be included in the roll, but the rolls were in a circle with scallops in the middle, most of the spicy sauce was in the middle covering the scallops. Bob started his meal with a creamy corn soup with bacon fritters, the soup was really good. Bob had the pork tenderloin for his entrée, and he enjoyed it.
For dessert we had the warm chocolate cake it was quite tasty. We found the service here to be top notch. Bob was particularly impressed when he asked for a wine recommendation to compliment his dinner. Our waiter then brought out two different bottles of wine for him to try, and Bob was quite pleased with the wine he ended up selecting.
Food ****
Atmosphere ****

That’s it for the table service reviews. We really enjoyed all of our meals, all of the food reviews I read in preparation for the trip really helped out.
My next posting will focus on our counter service meals.

 

[tortoni]

I enjoyed your reviews. We are going to some of the same places in July so I am glad to see that you enjoyed them!

 

[BBH]

We ate at the following counter service establishments:

Flame Tree Barbecue
Backlot Express
Sunshine Seasons (twice)
Yak & Yeti
Tangierine Café
Wolfgang Puck Express

The counter service meal that was the best value on the dining plan was at Wolfgang Puck Express. Our meal would have cost $40 if we had paid out of pocket. I had the chicken tortilla melt, it was very good. It was a little spicy, I like spicy foods, but I just wanted to warn those who don’t. This was a big meal, and also included a green salad with a citrus dressing and potato chips. Bob had the barbecue chicken pizza and he found it to be average. He wished he ordered something different like one of the melts I had since he can get barbecue chicken pizza anywhere.

As far as the other counter services establishments go I would say they were all better than your basic fast food meal. Backlot Express was very mediocre, I had a grilled vegetable sandwich and Bob had a grilled turkey sandwich. As you know there aren’t any real gems when it comes to counter service at Hollywood Studios. This was better than I expected after reading all of the bad reviews, but still nothing to get too excited about.

This was our second visit to Flame Tree Barbecue. I really love the seating area here. We like to sit in the area down by the water, it feels very secluded and you get a great view of Expedition Everest. I had the barbecue chicken and Bob had the beef sandwich, both were good. For dessert I had the chocolate cake and Bob had the Key Lime Pie, both were just okay. I really didn’t need dessert at lunch, but this came with the dining plan.

On my last trip to Disney World I discovered Sunshine Seasons, and loved all the variety it offered. I was eager to go back especially since it is such a good value on the dining plan. One of the big draws here is that they have a bakery with lots of items to choose from. These desserts are part of the dining plan. The desserts are so much better than the little pre-packaged desserts you get at most of the counter service locations.
On our first trip we visited the rotisserie station where I had the rotisserie chicken and Bob had the pork chop. These were both generous servings of meat. The meal also comes with two sides; we both had the mashed potatoes and carrots. For dessert I had to have the strawberry shortcake after seeing so many pictures of it online, it was very good, but rich with lots of whipped cream. Bob had the chocolate cake; he enjoyed it so much he had it on our second visit as well. This was a good and very filling meal.
We felt the food on our second visit wasn’t as good as the first time, but still a good value. This time we went to the Asian station. You can select two entrees and two sides. I had the spicy chicken, which was your basic stir fry, but it was not spicy at all. Bob had the beef stir fry as well as the spicy chicken. This food was similar to what you would find at the Chinese counter in your local grocery store. Dessert did not disappoint. As I mentioned before Bob had the chocolate cake and I had a blondie (brownie like but instead of chocolate it has a vanilla base), it was very good.

The other Epcot counter service establishment we tried was Tangierine Café. I had read many good things online, and it did not disappoint. I had the chicken wrap and Bob had the shawarma chicken and lamb platter. This was a good meal, and I enjoyed having something a little different. Both meals were served with some yummy baklava. I wasn’t too excited about the lentil salad and couscous salad that my sandwich was served with and only took a bite of each. Bob thought that the bread served with his platter wasn’t very good.

We also ate at the counter service part of Yak & Yeti in the Animal Kingdom. I had the shrimp lo mein; it was pretty good for fast food Chinese; however I think I got maybe 4 shrimp max so it was mainly noodles. The mango pie I had for dessert was one of the better pre-packaged desserts I had at one of the counter service establishments. Bob went for the honey chicken; he really didn’t care for this very much. He thought it tasted like Chicken McNuggets with honey on them (which isn’t a compliment sorry McNugget lovers).

Next up – Favorite snacks

 

[BBH]

Here is a listing of my favorite snacks:

Magic Kingdom-Aloha Isle- Dole Whip- I love this stuff! I first had it at the Dole Plantation in Oahu, and have been hooked ever since. Other than Hawaii, Disney Parks are the only place I have seen it. If you haven’t tried this it is pineapple flavored frozen yogurt, it is so refreshing on a warm day.

Downtown Disney-Goofy’s Candy Company-
What a great place to use unused snack credits if you are on the dining plan. There are so many options. We absolutely loved making our own treat. I found this to be a great value! We ended up making 3 treats, a chocolate covered cookie, a chocolate covered gingerbread cookie, and a chocolate covered Rice Krispie treat. I created the Rice Krispie treat covered in milk chocolate and completed covered in Reese’s Pieces and to finish it off a caramel drizzle. They really don’t skimp on the toppings, this treat was heavy! It took me days to eat it. I was surprised that the price for the make your own treat was very similar to the pre-packaged treats.

Various locations-Frozen Coke
Very refreshing on a hot day. We enjoyed 2 on our trip one at the Animal Kingdom and one at Epcot.

I didn’t have the opportunity to try the various bakery items in the World Showcase, maybe next time! Between all the food on the dining plan and the crappy rainy weather I didn’t get as much snaking done as I expected.

 

[KatMark]

Great reviews. Thanks for sharing. We agreed with you--we were not impressed with Whispering Canyon at all.

 

[pennyplanner]

Thanks for your reviews. A quality counter service meal is tough to come by. I will be returning to Sunshine Seasons and Wolfgang Puck Express later this month.

Where did you find the frozen cokes in Epcot and Animal Kingdom? I LOVE to have one of those for an icy "caff" me up treat!

--penny

 

[natalielongstaff]

Yummy ! i love Flame tree

 

[Busymom85]

Enjoyed your reviews. I agree Goofy's Candy Company is a great way to use snack credits. Thanks for posting.

 

[BBH]

Thanks for your reviews. A quality counter service meal is tough to come by. I will be returning to Sunshine Seasons and Wolfgang Puck Express later this month.

Where did you find the frozen cokes in Epcot and Animal Kingdom? I LOVE to have one of those for an icy "caff" me up treat!

--penny

We got our frozen Coke at Drinkwallah at the Animal Kingdom. This is a small building at the edge of Asia with Coca-Cola signs on it.

At Epcot we went to Club Cool in Future World. This is is a Coca-Cola store that features free samples of popular soft drinks from around the world.

 

[BBH]

Final Thoughts

Overall I had a positive experience dining at Disney World and using the dining plan. I spent a lot of time planning for this trip, and mother nature (with all of the rain) definitely altered my original plans. I never dreamed that the ponchos I brought to keep from getting wet on Kali River Rapids would have been worn almost every day as rain gear. Dining was the one part of the plan that went on as scheduled.

Category Item Location
Appetizer Crab Cakes Flying Fish Café
First Course Various Soups Boma
Hearts of Romaine Salad California Grill
Entrée It's Not Bleedin' Chowder Raglan Road
Dessert Almond Crusted Cheesecake Narcoossee's
Snack Dole Whip Aloha Isle
Best Table Service Ambiance Watching the Sunset California Grill
Best Quick Service Ambiance Sitting by the water Flame Tree Barbecue
Best Quick Service Meal Chicken Tortilla Wrap Wolfgang Puck Express
Best Quick Service Dessert Strawberry Shortcake Sunshine Seasons
Best Use of Snack Credits Make Your Own Treat Goofy's Candy Company


Bob's Choices:

Entrée Swordfish (special item) Flying Fish Café
Dessert Bread Pudding Ohana & Raglan Road
Best Quick Service Meal Pulled Pork Sandwich Flame Tree Barbecue
Pork Chop Sunshine Seasons
Best Quick Service Dessert Chocolate Cake Sunshine Seasons



Dining Plan

The dining plan ended up being a good value for us. It wasn’t perfect, but we still came out ahead in the end. I never thought I would hear myself say this, but there were too many desserts. I really didn’t need to have dessert at lunch, and most of the counter service locations didn’t offer very memorable desserts. I like that with the dining plan your meals are prepaid, it was nice to have a good idea of the total trip cost going into it. I am very value oriented (I am an accountant) so I enjoyed knowing that I was saving money throughout the trip. Le Cellier and Narcoossee’s ended up being the table service restaurants that were the best value on the dining plan. On the quick service side Wolfgang Puck Express was the best value.
Total for 2 on the dining plan for 8 nights $639.84
Total cost for items if not on plan $858.53
Total Savings $218.69

 

[cberhorst]

Thank you for all the good suggestions!