Family of 4 Dining Reviews from last month's (May 2008) 10th Anniversary Trip!

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Thursday May 15 ~ Crystal Palace dinner ~

We had been to CP on both of our previous trips, but for breakfast. Like I said before, we decided to give up the CP breakfast this trip and try Ohana. I made all of our ADR's 180 day out. For this day we had scheduled Whispering Canyon Cafe for dinner. About a month prior to our trip we started to think that maybe WCC wasn't for us. So I called to cancel. I tried to get 1900 Park Fare (I wasn't going to tell the boys until we got there! :laughing: ) but the only opening they had for the 15th was at 8:30pm. Well that's too late for my kids. So I asked about CP, not really expecting them to have anything. But they did, and a 6:20pm! :goodvibes

When we got there the check in line was huge! And it was outside and it was HOT! DH took the kids off to the side and I made my way through the line and got us checked in. We were now in our t-shirts and shorts, not dressed up at all, but I did have my anniversary button on. I didn't mention the anniversary to the CM at check in or anything and never really gave it a thought. We waited awhile and they finally called our name. We went up to the front and then they said - oh it's going to be another few minutes for your table. I am thinking - oh great here we go again, bad service just like this morning's breakfast. But I should have known that we have always had superior service at CP and tonight wouldn't be any different! :yay:

We got to our table and there was a heart on the table made out of mickey-head confetti! :love:

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Our waitress then came over and congratulated us and asked how many years and how to spell our names. She got our drinks for us and kept them filled the whole time! Very nice and friendly. We went up to the buffet and then came back to character after character! A great experience as always! The kids enjoyed the parade with the characters too! Even though the boys have outgrown Winnie the Pooh and friends we always have a nice time here. The dinner buffet was just as nice as the breakfast buffet has always been. Here is the menu:

"Peel & Eat Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce and Lemon Wedges
Sliced Tomatoes and Egg Toasted Cumin Dressing
Sweet Plantain, Cucumber and Corn Salad
Shrimp, Black Bean and Mango Salad
Edamame Salad - Young Soy Bean
Couscous Tofu and roasted Vegetable Salad
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Beet Salad with Sag Dhal Dressing
Romaine and Bleu Cheese Salad
Papaya Frisee and Arugula Salad
Mixed Field Greens
Ranch and Zinfandel Dressings
Mandarin Orange Sesame Vinaigrette
Tropical Slaw


Smoked Corn Chowder
Turkey Vegetable Soup

Garlic Redskin Smashed Potatoes
Broccoli tossed in Puri Puri and topped with Key Lime Ponzu
Medley of Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze
Mac and Cheese
Cinnamon and Lemon Infused Balsamic Rice
Thai Curry Mussels
Fruit and Vegetable Tofu Curry
Fire Roasted Corn Spoon bread
Braised Kale


Fire Roasted Prime Rib
Herb Roasted Turkey
Cheese Pizza
Slow Roasted Adobo Pork
Wild Mushroom and Chicken Pasta with Bail Asiago Cream Sauce
Chicken Fingers
Vegetable Pasta
Ancho Chile Rubbed Atlantic Salmon (This was the best salmon I have ever had, mild fish and not too spicy)
Flame Roasted Rotisserie Chicken

Sun-Dried Cherry Chutney
Violet Mustard Sauce
Beef Demi Glaze

Pooh's Corner
Mac and Cheese
Chicken Fingers


Key Lime Pie
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Tiramisu
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Boston Cream pie
Double Chocolate Brownies
Ice Cream Sundae Bar

Chefs are happy to cater to your special dietary needs. Let the hostess know at the Podium and you can also talk to the Chef's at the Buffet.

Non-alcoholic Beverage and Dessert included"

"COST: $27.99/Adults, $12.99 Children ages 3-9"

Everything was very good and obviously there is A LOT to choose from! Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet had made there was around and all spent plenty of time with our kids. We were done eating and about ready to go. We could see that Eeyore was a few tables away. We paid and our waitress came back and told us not to leave because Eeyore was coming. When Eeyore got to the table our waitress came right over with a cupcake with candles in it and an anniversary card for us signed by all the characters!! She took my camera and took pictures of us with Eeyore. The kids thought this was hilarious!!

There really isn't anything bad to say about CP. You can always count on a good experience there! And to think we almost didn't go there this trip!

Crystal Palace ratings: All 5 out of 5 of course!

CP pictures to come!
 
Wonderful report Shelly! I love CSR and we are staying there for our 4th year this November. I totally understand what you mean about the PM. It does seem as if you wait forever to get your meal and depending on the CM you can have a great or lousy experience. I had to chuckle when I read the pastry CM you were talking about because I know exactly who you mean. Short, gray hair woman? She is very rude and as slow as anything. Towards the end of our trip my husband and I kept hoping she wasn't working.I also agree that they could offer a few more desserts to choose from, most are actually breakfast items Danish etc. I guess the waiters who got us our drinks etc I basically just ignored them and if i wanted a refill got it myself as we always filled up our mugs prior to leaving and felt comfortable getting our own. And honestly seeing that they charged the 10% service I never give any extra unless I had received superior service there which hasn't been often. I love CSR but agree they could do some work on the food part of it. Next time give Boma a try for breakfast it is WONDERFUL and always a must do for us! Thanks again!
 

Here's someone still waiting for more.

Glad you are still onboard! :goodvibes

Loved the pictures. Im glad they made your anniversary special for you :goodvibes

Thanks! Yes, they really did make it a special evening!

Wonderful report Shelly! I love CSR and we are staying there for our 4th year this November. I totally understand what you mean about the PM. It does seem as if you wait forever to get your meal and depending on the CM you can have a great or lousy experience. I had to chuckle when I read the pastry CM you were talking about because I know exactly who you mean. Short, gray hair woman? She is very rude and as slow as anything. Towards the end of our trip my husband and I kept hoping she wasn't working.I also agree that they could offer a few more desserts to choose from, most are actually breakfast items Danish etc. I guess the waiters who got us our drinks etc I basically just ignored them and if i wanted a refill got it myself as we always filled up our mugs prior to leaving and felt comfortable getting our own. And honestly seeing that they charged the 10% service I never give any extra unless I had received superior service there which hasn't been often. I love CSR but agree they could do some work on the food part of it. Next time give Boma a try for breakfast it is WONDERFUL and always a must do for us! Thanks again!

:lmao: OMG I'm glad I'm not the only one who has had a run in with that little old lady!! All I wanted was a chocolate chip cookie! :faint: Yes, they have all these nice desserts sitting there and all you are allowed to pick from is cookies and breafkast danish type items. . . :confused:

I hope you have a great trip in November! And here's hoping for better luck at PM!! :wizard: pixiedust:
 
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

Isn't it just like me to show up late to the party?:lmao:


I somehow missed your link--- duh me.

Love love love the report. Wish we could have seen each other.

;) ( the snooty for real is gone -poof- from my computer. It's a conspiracy, I swear!)


:rotfl:

Jo
 
I just read the review for the O'hana breakfast. I'm actually considering changing our morning ADR at Chef Mickey's to O'hana! Thanks for the info!:thumbsup2
 
I think they prefer if you make a reservation. Probably for staffing. Although it wasn't very busy the night we took the kids there. There were 6 kids total and 3 staff members. I guess there could have been more kids coming later, my kids didn't stay very late. They open at 4:00 and run until midnight I think. We took the kids around 5:15 and picked them up around 7:45, so we were charged for 2 1/2 hours. It's pretty pricey at $11 an hour per child. But the kids loved it so much that they said they'd pay for it themselves if they had to!! :rotfl: (They always have plenty of spending $ by the time we get to WDW from birthdays, holidays, chores, grandparents, etc!)

Here's some more info:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/Just_for_kids/childcare.htm

When you figure in Dinner is included it is not so bad I guess. We are going to do this one day my youngest is not yet 4 :)
 
Great reviews. Did you like CSR even with PM not being the best?

We thought CSR was okay. Would we go back? Probably not. We are a family that spends a lot of time at the resort, and we had too many bad experiences with rude CM's there to want to go back.

The room was nice and bright, just wasn't kept clean. Our housekeeper couldn't even leave a shower cap like I asked for 3 days in a row. You've read about the service at PM. Another CM at the front desk argued and argued with me about printing my boarding passes. :faint: Too many inconveniences.

We did think it was a very beautiful place. The pool is great! There was lots to do and see. Bus service was good.

So I guess it's all in what you want. I know that not every CM is always going to be pleasant and helpful, but for what we pay to go to WDW I sure don't expect so many unpleasant people in one place!
 
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

Isn't it just like me to show up late to the party?:lmao:


I somehow missed your link--- duh me.

Love love love the report. Wish we could have seen each other.

;) ( the snooty for real is gone -poof- from my computer. It's a conspiracy, I swear!)


:rotfl:

Jo

Glad you could join us!! Better late than never, right?!? :rotfl:

Found him --> :snooty:

:lmao:
 
I just read the review for the O'hana breakfast. I'm actually considering changing our morning ADR at Chef Mickey's to O'hana! Thanks for the info!:thumbsup2


Yes, Ohana was a great time! :stitch2: I'm not sure I'd give up Chef Mickey's for it though. Chef Mickey's is always great too, although I've never been to their breakfast. . . Hmm. . . That's a tough one. Maybe you can do both!! Good luck, really you can't go wrong with either! :wizard:
 
Yes, Ohana was a great time! :stitch2: I'm not sure I'd give up Chef Mickey's for it though. Chef Mickey's is always great too, although I've never been to their breakfast. . . Hmm. . . That's a tough one. Maybe you can do both!! Good luck, really you can't go wrong with either! :wizard:

I'm on the fence here. I have to decide which one would you choose for breakfast? CM's or O'hana?:confused3
 
I'm on the fence here. I have to decide which one would you choose for breakfast? CM's or O'hana?:confused3

That's a tough one! I've never been to breakfast at CM's, only dinner. The dinner buffet is great and the characters are wonderful and the service is really great too. I think we will try CM's breakfast on the next trip, only because we have done dinner there twice now. I expect the experience will be as great as dinner!

We had a great experience at Ohana's too. There's just not as much to choose from there since it is served family style.

So, we really enjoy both places. Maybe it depends on which characters you want to see most. We went to Ohana because it is the only place to see Stitch.

Can you go to Ohana for breakfast (since the characters are only at this restaurant for breakfast) and go to CM's for dinner some evening??? That's what I would do if you were wanting to try them both. Both are a great place to see a lot of characters!
 
Friday May 16 ~ Sci-Fi Dine-In lunch ~

When I called 180 days out for this ADR I wanted an 11:00am ADR (when they open), since we were just going to eat a very light breakfast in the room. They told me the earliest they had available was 11:25am. So I took it!

We were ready to eat around 11:00 as I thought we would be so we went to the podium at about 11:05 and were told we would be seated shortly. Not even a minute later they came and seated us. The place was pretty bare. Still not sure why I wasn't given the 11:00 ADR. . . Oh well! We really liked the atmosphere right away. They put the kids in the front seat of the car so they could "drive". DH and I were in the middle seat, and we picked up a few "hitch hickers" about half way through our meal in the back seat.


Our waitress was great and fast. Took our orders right away and the food came quick. We were on the dining plan, so milkshakes were included. The kids (9 & 6 1/2) loved the oreo shakes! My chocolate shake was very good and creamy. DH had the vanilla and loved it too. DH and I got the "Italian Grilled Chicken Sandwich - with bruschetta topping served on a kaiser roll. Served with choice of cucumber-melon salad or fries $13.99". DS9 got the kids hamburger with fries, DS6 got the kids hot dog and fries. DS6 was the only one who really didn't like his food. But he is VERY picky, so I wasn't surprised!


The waitress told us that dessert was still included on the DDP even though we had shakes, but we were way too stuffed. She offered to pack up some desserts to go for us, but we were going to be at DHS all day and it was 94 degrees, so we passed. Even though there were a lot of great dessert choices and I'm sure they were all very yummy!


The only negatives about the place would be that it is very dark, so it is hard to see the menu and your food. But I understand that that it really needs to be dark to set the atmosphere. And the drive-in speaker was right beside me and it was VERY loud!

Overall a great place to eat and fun for the whole family! :goodvibes

Sci-Fi Dine-In rating: Overall 4.5 out of 5
Food 4.5 out of 5
Service 5 out of 5
 
That's a tough one! I've never been to breakfast at CM's, only dinner. The dinner buffet is great and the characters are wonderful and the service is really great too. I think we will try CM's breakfast on the next trip, only because we have done dinner there twice now. I expect the experience will be as great as dinner!

We had a great experience at Ohana's too. There's just not as much to choose from there since it is served family style.

So, we really enjoy both places. Maybe it depends on which characters you want to see most. We went to Ohana because it is the only place to see Stitch.

Can you go to Ohana for breakfast (since the characters are only at this restaurant for breakfast) and go to CM's for dinner some evening??? That's what I would do if you were wanting to try them both. Both are a great place to see a lot of characters!

Ok, I figured it out! I have an ADR for breakfast at CM and an ADR at O'hana for dinner that evening. Thanks for your advice, can't wait to see more! Subscribbing! :hug:
 
It's nice to see something good about the Sci-Fi, there's a lot of bad reviews out there. The food must have been good if you were too full to have "free" :rotfl: dessert! (Pre-paid, really, nothing is ever free!)
 
Ok, I figured it out! I have an ADR for breakfast at CM and an ADR at O'hana for dinner that evening. Thanks for your advice, can't wait to see more! Subscribbing! :hug:


You know that the characters are not at the Ohana dinner, right? They are only there at breakfast. Just didn't want you to be surprised!
 
It's nice to see something good about the Sci-Fi, there's a lot of bad reviews out there. The food must have been good if you were too full to have "free" :rotfl: dessert! (Pre-paid, really, nothing is ever free!)

Yes, we really enjoyed Sci-Fi! :goodvibes The food was very good, especially the shakes! And it's not like us to pass up a "free" dessert!! :rotfl:
 
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