Note: My DS-9 and I shared most meals since I have a very small appetite and hate to waste anything. This worked out very well as we were both full at each meal! None of us are picky eaters and enjoy trying new and different foods. I didn't rate a "D" because I didn't feel that strongly about any place having food that awful. DH generally thinks most things are okay, nothing special so the food has to knock his socks off for him to have any other reaction.
Crystal Palace Arrival day; we had 7:30 p.m. ADRs but since we were at Magic Kingdom earlier than expected we decided to check if we could dine earlier at 6 p.m.. After about a 10 minute wait we were seated just as the characters came around! There was an assistant to make certain that each character visited each table, she even offered to take photos of our little group of three so that I wouldnt be the only one not in the photos.
The buffet had a nice variety of dishes and there were a couple of things I did enjoy very much but I just cant remember what they were! I do recall that I thought the food was generally pretty good. DH thought that it was okay but nothing special. DS had chocolate milk which he said was thick and delicious. Grade: B (nice ambiance, fun characters and pretty good food)
Flame Tree-11:30 DH got a turkey sandwich which he enjoyed. We (me/DS) shared a BBQ sandwich which we both enjoyed very much, the beans were not bad but the corn was a bit mushy though DS ate it anyway. We got DS a frozen lemonade and we shared a chocolate cake that was pretty good. Although it was hot and muggy, it didnt feel so bad under those trees and umbrella; we really liked the feel of this open air eatery. We somehow missed the seating area next to the river, it looked sooo nice! Grade B (tasty sandwiches and great atmosphere!)
50s Prime Time-6 p.m.. We were seated pretty quickly and met Aunt Sue, who was firm with us kids and funny. There was a newly wed couple seated next to us and the woman hadnt eaten all her veggie so when Aunt Sue asked them if they wanted dessert, I mistakenly mentioned that she didnt eat all her vegetables, I immediately got scolded for tattling! My DH had the grilled chicken which he said was okay, me/DS shared the fried herbed cheese for appetizer and it was delicious! We shared the glazed Salmon for dinner which was so-so. For dessert we had Dads Super Sundae and DH had the Smores, both were very good. We really enjoyed this fun place! Grade C+ (a place to try at least once for the fun!)
Sunshine Seasons 12 noon: I had the Salmon which was just so-so; the side of lentil bean salad was yucky. DS had stir fry which he thought had too much veggies and not enough noodles. For dessert I had a carrot cake which was very good; DS had a Brownie which was okay. Grade C (all in all it was okay, sort of like going to MacDonalds, its convenient)
California Grill - 6 p.m. This is a very sleek place, nice but just a bit sterile for my taste. We checked in and was directed to the elevator which took us up to the 14th floor. We were impressed as we stepped out into the restaurant! A gorgeous view of the Magic Kingdom below and lovely clean lines of this very contemporary dining room! Although we were not seated with an MK view, we could see some of the other hotels nearby.
We all shared the Dungeness Crab California Roll which we enjoyed very much and also the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with brioche French toast, honey-ginger sauce, and apple chutney this was absolutely delicious, even my son loved it! (of course when I got home, I read an article in the newspaper about Foie Gras and those poor Ducks) My DH had the Dayboat Scallops which he enjoyed; me and DS shared the Halibut which was just okay. DS had chocolate milk again and said Disney had the best tasting chocolate milk (it was very good!) For dessert DH had the Strawberries Forever and me and DS shared Valrhona chocolate cake, both were very good. DH really enjoyed his meal; although I didnt care that much for the Halibut, my son enjoyed it and I thought everything else was very good, the view is fantastic, plus the CM was very friendly and helpful!Grade: A
Cosmic Rays - 12 noon This was a fun resting place to cool off! DH had a Veggie burger and a brownie, me and DS shared a cheeseburger which was pretty good and shared a double chocolate cake which was rich. Grade: B- (as fast food joints go they had a nice variety and this one was pretty good)
Marrakesh 6 p.m. We were seated quickly and I noticed that this place was not crowded at all. I suppose its too exotic for a lot of people. We love trying different types of food after all we live in a state that serves up a LOT of exotic eats!
The belly dancer performed for about 15-20 minutes and had one of the kids dance with her; that was cute.
The bread was tasty. DH had Jasmina Salad and me/DS shared an appetizer of Chicken Bastilla, it was tasty but the fillo was a bit tough I have had better Bastilla. For dinner we had the Mediterranean Seafood Platter, the salmon was a bit dry, the seafood bastilla was pretty good and the shrimp ragout was pretty good. Although we shared this dish neither my son nor I could finish it as it was so much food! DH had For dessert we had the Crepes Atlas (apple crepes with cinnamon topped with ice cream and almonds) and the Moroccan Symphony (an assortment of baklava) both were tasty but the ice cream was too soft and melty. Grade B- (We liked the Morrocan ambiance, the food was a mixed bag, some we liked and some not)
Tusker House 12 noon Interesting and rustic, looks authentic African to me (although Ive never actually bee to Africa). Although it was a hot muggy day, we choose to sit outdoors as indoor just seemed to dark and closed in. We were fine sitting under the shade of the umbrellas in back. DH had the Vegetable salad which he liked, me/DS shared the ½ chicken w/mashed potatoes and veggies. The chicken was okay as was the mash, the green beans were very tasty. Dessert: Cheesecake was light and tasty and carrot cake was really good! Grade C+
Hoop Dee Doo Review 5 p.m. Took a cab to Fort Wilderness as I had read it can take up to 90 minute getting there by bus! Got there around 4:20, and then got the hotel shuttle to Pioneer Hall. Checked in and decided not to do the picture taking since we were not interested in paying for yet another photo. The doors opened at 5 p.m. and we were taken to our seats near the front of the stage. My DH wasnt thrilled about that but I was happy that we were nice and close! The tossed greens was pretty good and the corn bread was really delicious. My DH felt the food was okay but I thought the chicken and ribs were pretty good. The strawberry shortcake was good and boy do they give a lot! I felt bad that we had a whole untouched cake still left over.
The show was a lot of fun, my DS loved it. Initially my DH said You owe me big time for bringing me here, now youll have to go with me to Prairie Home Companion! But he did enjoy the show after it started getting going. Grade: A- (Although it was a fun show and I liked the food, there are very few shows that Id ever go to more than once)
Les Chefs de France 6:10 p.m. When we checked in they couldnt find our reservation but they seated us right away. Not the best seats since we were at the back next to the bar and some type of small machine that the CMs kept going back and forth to so it was a bit annoying.
We had two orders of the Escargot for the three of us. My son tasted this and said it was pretty good up until I mentioned snails, I then told him I was kidding that it was actually mushrooms. They were pretty good, my DH and son particularly enjoyed dipping their bread in the sauce. DH ordered the rotisserie chicken, it was very good, I ordered the Lamb shanks with creamy polenta and this was absolutely delicious! For dessert, my DH had crème Brule and I dont recall the whole name of my dessert but it had the word Opera in it and it was so good! I would definitely go back again! Grade A+
ABC Commissary 12 noon
There was no line and it was a nice cool and comfy place to sit and eat. I had the Cuban sandwich with was very tasty, and had the chocolate mousse for dessert. We enjoyed this place. Grade B
Hollywood and Vine 6 p.m.
We had the Fantasmic dinner package. We checked in and waited, while we were waiting I heard the guy telling people that if they did not already have a reservation they would not be able to dine there since they were booked up for the evening. We were seated within about 10 minutes.
The service was good, its a noisier place but that doesnt bother me. DH said it was pretty standard fare as far as the food goes. DS enjoyed the meatballs and I really enjoyed the Creamed Corn Spoon bread so much that I will be trying the recipe in the very near future! Nothing else sticks, everything else was pretty basic. Grade C+
Sassagoula Floatworks 7:30 a.m.
To save time we ate in our room on most mornings. The day that we did eat breakfast here, I had the strawberry pancakes and bacon, DS had the kids chocolate chip pancakes which he enjoyed, and DH had a yogurt because they failed to prepare his order. They were not very organized and the older woman taking the orders scolded the younger one because she gave the wrong orders to people waiting.
We did try the Beignets one day and it was okay, nothing special IMHO (I prefer the Portugese malassada better)
As far as the food goes, it was pretty standard. Cant compete with my homemade breakfasts but it was plenty or food and not bad. Grade C
Boatwrights 8:00 a.m.
We decided to skip the parks in the morning so we could sleep in a little and have a regular table service breakfast. The walk from French Quarter to Riverside was so nice (although hot & sticky).
Although this restaurant has mostly negative reviews, I figured that most of the reviews were for lunch or dinner meals. This being the only table service at Port Orleans, we were willing to try their breakfast.
We were seated pretty quickly next to the fireplace which was nice since we dont have them in Hawaii (it looked like a gas fireplace and it was not hot since it was down pretty low). I ordered the Sweet Potato Pancakes with Honey-Pecan butter and Bacon. Hmmmm! This was so delicious! DH had the Eggs Benedict which he said was pretty good and DS had the French Toast which he said was good and as usual, he loved the chocolate milk! *gasp!* Grade A
Boma 6 p.m.: We were seated right away and our CM was pretty attentive. The décor is as in the rest of Animal Kingdom Lodge is interesting. They have a very eclectic and interesting variety of dishes too. My favorites were the Ginger Carrot soup and the Bobotie, YUM! I enjoyed most of the selections here but noticed that some were on the salty side. I cant imagine an authentic African dish being salty so Im assuming its the Americanized version. The desserts were good, though nothing really called out to me. We tried the Zebra Domes that so many people rave about and were unimpressed. Grade: A (Totally enjoyed the food and the ambiance!)
My thoughts: Of course part of the reason a person may or may not like the food in any particular restaurant is what is ordered. Some things are better than others, so you might say the food was awful in the same place I thought it was pretty good and vice-versa. All in all, I enjoyed experiencing all the above restaurants reviewed whether so-so or excellent!
We also tried the funnel cake at Magic Kingdom and we all enjoyed very much and plan to have it again the next trip!
DH's favorites were Les Chefs, Boma and Marrakesh
My favorites were Cali Grill, Boma and Les Chefs
(my son seemed to like Les Chefs and Boma best)
Crystal Palace Arrival day; we had 7:30 p.m. ADRs but since we were at Magic Kingdom earlier than expected we decided to check if we could dine earlier at 6 p.m.. After about a 10 minute wait we were seated just as the characters came around! There was an assistant to make certain that each character visited each table, she even offered to take photos of our little group of three so that I wouldnt be the only one not in the photos.
The buffet had a nice variety of dishes and there were a couple of things I did enjoy very much but I just cant remember what they were! I do recall that I thought the food was generally pretty good. DH thought that it was okay but nothing special. DS had chocolate milk which he said was thick and delicious. Grade: B (nice ambiance, fun characters and pretty good food)
Flame Tree-11:30 DH got a turkey sandwich which he enjoyed. We (me/DS) shared a BBQ sandwich which we both enjoyed very much, the beans were not bad but the corn was a bit mushy though DS ate it anyway. We got DS a frozen lemonade and we shared a chocolate cake that was pretty good. Although it was hot and muggy, it didnt feel so bad under those trees and umbrella; we really liked the feel of this open air eatery. We somehow missed the seating area next to the river, it looked sooo nice! Grade B (tasty sandwiches and great atmosphere!)
50s Prime Time-6 p.m.. We were seated pretty quickly and met Aunt Sue, who was firm with us kids and funny. There was a newly wed couple seated next to us and the woman hadnt eaten all her veggie so when Aunt Sue asked them if they wanted dessert, I mistakenly mentioned that she didnt eat all her vegetables, I immediately got scolded for tattling! My DH had the grilled chicken which he said was okay, me/DS shared the fried herbed cheese for appetizer and it was delicious! We shared the glazed Salmon for dinner which was so-so. For dessert we had Dads Super Sundae and DH had the Smores, both were very good. We really enjoyed this fun place! Grade C+ (a place to try at least once for the fun!)
Sunshine Seasons 12 noon: I had the Salmon which was just so-so; the side of lentil bean salad was yucky. DS had stir fry which he thought had too much veggies and not enough noodles. For dessert I had a carrot cake which was very good; DS had a Brownie which was okay. Grade C (all in all it was okay, sort of like going to MacDonalds, its convenient)
California Grill - 6 p.m. This is a very sleek place, nice but just a bit sterile for my taste. We checked in and was directed to the elevator which took us up to the 14th floor. We were impressed as we stepped out into the restaurant! A gorgeous view of the Magic Kingdom below and lovely clean lines of this very contemporary dining room! Although we were not seated with an MK view, we could see some of the other hotels nearby.
We all shared the Dungeness Crab California Roll which we enjoyed very much and also the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with brioche French toast, honey-ginger sauce, and apple chutney this was absolutely delicious, even my son loved it! (of course when I got home, I read an article in the newspaper about Foie Gras and those poor Ducks) My DH had the Dayboat Scallops which he enjoyed; me and DS shared the Halibut which was just okay. DS had chocolate milk again and said Disney had the best tasting chocolate milk (it was very good!) For dessert DH had the Strawberries Forever and me and DS shared Valrhona chocolate cake, both were very good. DH really enjoyed his meal; although I didnt care that much for the Halibut, my son enjoyed it and I thought everything else was very good, the view is fantastic, plus the CM was very friendly and helpful!Grade: A
Cosmic Rays - 12 noon This was a fun resting place to cool off! DH had a Veggie burger and a brownie, me and DS shared a cheeseburger which was pretty good and shared a double chocolate cake which was rich. Grade: B- (as fast food joints go they had a nice variety and this one was pretty good)
Marrakesh 6 p.m. We were seated quickly and I noticed that this place was not crowded at all. I suppose its too exotic for a lot of people. We love trying different types of food after all we live in a state that serves up a LOT of exotic eats!
The belly dancer performed for about 15-20 minutes and had one of the kids dance with her; that was cute.
The bread was tasty. DH had Jasmina Salad and me/DS shared an appetizer of Chicken Bastilla, it was tasty but the fillo was a bit tough I have had better Bastilla. For dinner we had the Mediterranean Seafood Platter, the salmon was a bit dry, the seafood bastilla was pretty good and the shrimp ragout was pretty good. Although we shared this dish neither my son nor I could finish it as it was so much food! DH had For dessert we had the Crepes Atlas (apple crepes with cinnamon topped with ice cream and almonds) and the Moroccan Symphony (an assortment of baklava) both were tasty but the ice cream was too soft and melty. Grade B- (We liked the Morrocan ambiance, the food was a mixed bag, some we liked and some not)
Tusker House 12 noon Interesting and rustic, looks authentic African to me (although Ive never actually bee to Africa). Although it was a hot muggy day, we choose to sit outdoors as indoor just seemed to dark and closed in. We were fine sitting under the shade of the umbrellas in back. DH had the Vegetable salad which he liked, me/DS shared the ½ chicken w/mashed potatoes and veggies. The chicken was okay as was the mash, the green beans were very tasty. Dessert: Cheesecake was light and tasty and carrot cake was really good! Grade C+
Hoop Dee Doo Review 5 p.m. Took a cab to Fort Wilderness as I had read it can take up to 90 minute getting there by bus! Got there around 4:20, and then got the hotel shuttle to Pioneer Hall. Checked in and decided not to do the picture taking since we were not interested in paying for yet another photo. The doors opened at 5 p.m. and we were taken to our seats near the front of the stage. My DH wasnt thrilled about that but I was happy that we were nice and close! The tossed greens was pretty good and the corn bread was really delicious. My DH felt the food was okay but I thought the chicken and ribs were pretty good. The strawberry shortcake was good and boy do they give a lot! I felt bad that we had a whole untouched cake still left over.
The show was a lot of fun, my DS loved it. Initially my DH said You owe me big time for bringing me here, now youll have to go with me to Prairie Home Companion! But he did enjoy the show after it started getting going. Grade: A- (Although it was a fun show and I liked the food, there are very few shows that Id ever go to more than once)
Les Chefs de France 6:10 p.m. When we checked in they couldnt find our reservation but they seated us right away. Not the best seats since we were at the back next to the bar and some type of small machine that the CMs kept going back and forth to so it was a bit annoying.
We had two orders of the Escargot for the three of us. My son tasted this and said it was pretty good up until I mentioned snails, I then told him I was kidding that it was actually mushrooms. They were pretty good, my DH and son particularly enjoyed dipping their bread in the sauce. DH ordered the rotisserie chicken, it was very good, I ordered the Lamb shanks with creamy polenta and this was absolutely delicious! For dessert, my DH had crème Brule and I dont recall the whole name of my dessert but it had the word Opera in it and it was so good! I would definitely go back again! Grade A+
ABC Commissary 12 noon
There was no line and it was a nice cool and comfy place to sit and eat. I had the Cuban sandwich with was very tasty, and had the chocolate mousse for dessert. We enjoyed this place. Grade B
Hollywood and Vine 6 p.m.
We had the Fantasmic dinner package. We checked in and waited, while we were waiting I heard the guy telling people that if they did not already have a reservation they would not be able to dine there since they were booked up for the evening. We were seated within about 10 minutes.
The service was good, its a noisier place but that doesnt bother me. DH said it was pretty standard fare as far as the food goes. DS enjoyed the meatballs and I really enjoyed the Creamed Corn Spoon bread so much that I will be trying the recipe in the very near future! Nothing else sticks, everything else was pretty basic. Grade C+
Sassagoula Floatworks 7:30 a.m.
To save time we ate in our room on most mornings. The day that we did eat breakfast here, I had the strawberry pancakes and bacon, DS had the kids chocolate chip pancakes which he enjoyed, and DH had a yogurt because they failed to prepare his order. They were not very organized and the older woman taking the orders scolded the younger one because she gave the wrong orders to people waiting.
We did try the Beignets one day and it was okay, nothing special IMHO (I prefer the Portugese malassada better)
As far as the food goes, it was pretty standard. Cant compete with my homemade breakfasts but it was plenty or food and not bad. Grade C
Boatwrights 8:00 a.m.
We decided to skip the parks in the morning so we could sleep in a little and have a regular table service breakfast. The walk from French Quarter to Riverside was so nice (although hot & sticky).
Although this restaurant has mostly negative reviews, I figured that most of the reviews were for lunch or dinner meals. This being the only table service at Port Orleans, we were willing to try their breakfast.
We were seated pretty quickly next to the fireplace which was nice since we dont have them in Hawaii (it looked like a gas fireplace and it was not hot since it was down pretty low). I ordered the Sweet Potato Pancakes with Honey-Pecan butter and Bacon. Hmmmm! This was so delicious! DH had the Eggs Benedict which he said was pretty good and DS had the French Toast which he said was good and as usual, he loved the chocolate milk! *gasp!* Grade A
Boma 6 p.m.: We were seated right away and our CM was pretty attentive. The décor is as in the rest of Animal Kingdom Lodge is interesting. They have a very eclectic and interesting variety of dishes too. My favorites were the Ginger Carrot soup and the Bobotie, YUM! I enjoyed most of the selections here but noticed that some were on the salty side. I cant imagine an authentic African dish being salty so Im assuming its the Americanized version. The desserts were good, though nothing really called out to me. We tried the Zebra Domes that so many people rave about and were unimpressed. Grade: A (Totally enjoyed the food and the ambiance!)
My thoughts: Of course part of the reason a person may or may not like the food in any particular restaurant is what is ordered. Some things are better than others, so you might say the food was awful in the same place I thought it was pretty good and vice-versa. All in all, I enjoyed experiencing all the above restaurants reviewed whether so-so or excellent!
We also tried the funnel cake at Magic Kingdom and we all enjoyed very much and plan to have it again the next trip!
DH's favorites were Les Chefs, Boma and Marrakesh
My favorites were Cali Grill, Boma and Les Chefs
(my son seemed to like Les Chefs and Boma best)
Seems like you had a good time.
Excited!
