Foodie DxDP Family Reviews-- updated 6/22-Via Napoli
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Pooh&OurHunny
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wonderful start
3Minnies1Mickey
<font color=magenta>Just wanted to add, this is no
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Great start. 
Today brings up Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch, Chef Mickey's for dinner, and a couple of photographs to go along.
Let's start with lunch at Liberty Tree Taven. My kids enjoyed grabbing some crayons and pictures to color, before the meal. The "colonial" atmosphere is a nice change of pace, but nothing spectacular.
As to the food, colonial fare really translates as homey food. Appetizers did not warrant photographs. I started with the Fried cheese, which came in two types. The regular mozzarella sticks you find in every Italian restaurant/Pub/Diner, etc. And a smaller "puff" version. Both were perfectly decent, but unremarkable. The puff version stood out a bit more, if just because it was lighter. DW had the New England Clam Chowder, which she described as "fair."
DD had a salad appetizer and Mac & Cheese for lunch. Didn't warrant photographs, she mostly munched on her salad. DS had Chicken Noodle Soup with Sliced turkey and vegetables. He filled up on chocolate milk before the food came (We neglected our usual practice of rationing his beverage before a meal), so he was full before even eating a bite. He ate his green breans and didn't touch the rest. But I found his plate of food to be an excellent option for kid's food. Worthy of a picture:
I tasted his chicken noodle soup, which was okay. Thick chunks of chicken, decent broth. Better than Campbell's, but nothing great.
I had the salmon cakes served with greens and a sherry vinaigrette. The "greens" was a pretty lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber salad. The salmon cakes were fair. Truthfully, I was ordering them with the goal of a lighter entree, especially after eating fried cheese. Not typically my type of food, so I probably am not the best judge. Can't taste a picture, but you can take a look.
DW had the pot roast, which she thought was pretty good. I had a taste, the meat was tender and flavorful. Definitely as good as home cooked pot roast, if not better. Definitely a dish I would recommend without hesitation.
Most of us skipped a sugary dessert, especially since we basically had Dole Whip for breakfast. So DW, DS and DD had fruit cups. I went with the Apple Crisp. Served warm as it should be, and the apple filling had a nice taste of cinnamon and caramel. The pie crust could have been crisper, it became a bit mushy. Still, it was an adequate apple pie.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my first non-signature meal, at least slightly. The food was solid, it was fair, maybe even slightly better than fair. Not a meal that I would need to repeat, but also not one that I would need to avoid. Given the limited table service choices at Magic Kingdom, I could see coming back here. (And having witnessed the chaos at Counter service restaurants, I'll take a fair/mediocre table service restaurant any day)
Let's start with lunch at Liberty Tree Taven. My kids enjoyed grabbing some crayons and pictures to color, before the meal. The "colonial" atmosphere is a nice change of pace, but nothing spectacular.
As to the food, colonial fare really translates as homey food. Appetizers did not warrant photographs. I started with the Fried cheese, which came in two types. The regular mozzarella sticks you find in every Italian restaurant/Pub/Diner, etc. And a smaller "puff" version. Both were perfectly decent, but unremarkable. The puff version stood out a bit more, if just because it was lighter. DW had the New England Clam Chowder, which she described as "fair."
DD had a salad appetizer and Mac & Cheese for lunch. Didn't warrant photographs, she mostly munched on her salad. DS had Chicken Noodle Soup with Sliced turkey and vegetables. He filled up on chocolate milk before the food came (We neglected our usual practice of rationing his beverage before a meal), so he was full before even eating a bite. He ate his green breans and didn't touch the rest. But I found his plate of food to be an excellent option for kid's food. Worthy of a picture:
I tasted his chicken noodle soup, which was okay. Thick chunks of chicken, decent broth. Better than Campbell's, but nothing great.
I had the salmon cakes served with greens and a sherry vinaigrette. The "greens" was a pretty lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber salad. The salmon cakes were fair. Truthfully, I was ordering them with the goal of a lighter entree, especially after eating fried cheese. Not typically my type of food, so I probably am not the best judge. Can't taste a picture, but you can take a look.
DW had the pot roast, which she thought was pretty good. I had a taste, the meat was tender and flavorful. Definitely as good as home cooked pot roast, if not better. Definitely a dish I would recommend without hesitation.
Most of us skipped a sugary dessert, especially since we basically had Dole Whip for breakfast. So DW, DS and DD had fruit cups. I went with the Apple Crisp. Served warm as it should be, and the apple filling had a nice taste of cinnamon and caramel. The pie crust could have been crisper, it became a bit mushy. Still, it was an adequate apple pie.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my first non-signature meal, at least slightly. The food was solid, it was fair, maybe even slightly better than fair. Not a meal that I would need to repeat, but also not one that I would need to avoid. Given the limited table service choices at Magic Kingdom, I could see coming back here. (And having witnessed the chaos at Counter service restaurants, I'll take a fair/mediocre table service restaurant any day)
Dinner was Chef Mickey's. My review here will be pretty mixed. Going in, I knew I was paying for the character interaction, not the food. It generally met this expectation. Character interaction was good, the big 5 spent about a minute at each table.
The food certainly would not be worth the price alone. But some of the adult options were quite acceptable. A pasta putanesca had a nice spicy kick. Parmesan mashed potatoes were nicely whipped. The roast beef from the carving station was flavorful but a bit fatty. Thai chicken had a nice taste. So really, the adult food was solidly "okay."
But I was very disappointed in the kid's offerings. Chicken nuggets and pizza that looked and tasted as if it came from a frozen dinner. Considering this restaurant is really for the kids, I would have liked some better kid's food.
I tried a couple items from the dessert table, but nothing stood out. A brownie was a slightly dry brownie. A "chocolate Mickey dome" was just an oreo cookie, some some grainy chocolate mouse on top. (shaped into Mickey ears of course).
The meal did not really warrant photos, but I took one of my plate:
I would recommend this restaurant only as a means of meeting the characters without the lines found in the park. Even then, I wouldn't go out of my way. We are staying at the Contemporary, so the location is convenient. And I am grateful we got photos of the kids with the characters.
Would I do it again if I came back to Disney in the relatively near future? Honestly, I don't know. Guess it would depend on whether the kids asked for it.
The food certainly would not be worth the price alone. But some of the adult options were quite acceptable. A pasta putanesca had a nice spicy kick. Parmesan mashed potatoes were nicely whipped. The roast beef from the carving station was flavorful but a bit fatty. Thai chicken had a nice taste. So really, the adult food was solidly "okay."
But I was very disappointed in the kid's offerings. Chicken nuggets and pizza that looked and tasted as if it came from a frozen dinner. Considering this restaurant is really for the kids, I would have liked some better kid's food.
I tried a couple items from the dessert table, but nothing stood out. A brownie was a slightly dry brownie. A "chocolate Mickey dome" was just an oreo cookie, some some grainy chocolate mouse on top. (shaped into Mickey ears of course).
The meal did not really warrant photos, but I took one of my plate:
I would recommend this restaurant only as a means of meeting the characters without the lines found in the park. Even then, I wouldn't go out of my way. We are staying at the Contemporary, so the location is convenient. And I am grateful we got photos of the kids with the characters.
Would I do it again if I came back to Disney in the relatively near future? Honestly, I don't know. Guess it would depend on whether the kids asked for it.
irishsharon
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Loving your reviews
How are the crowds ? we are planning a trip for that time next year.
How are the crowds ? we are planning a trip for that time next year.
RoundtownGirl
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- Jan 22, 2011
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I'm enjoying the reviews and pictures. Your posts will be my Disney-fix for the week. Keep them coming! 
camsmomE
"right on the bum- that way no one will even notic
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- May 26, 2010
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It was funny to hear your review of Chef Mickey's because I could actually read it in my husband's tone. 
We took DD2 Cameran last year for the breakfast buffet- let me sum it up for you... I loved it, DH hated it, Cam loved the characters but didn't touch her food. Between my family's opinion and yours, I think we've declared it "hit or miss, and sometimes a nice combination of both."
We took DD2 Cameran last year for the breakfast buffet- let me sum it up for you... I loved it, DH hated it, Cam loved the characters but didn't touch her food. Between my family's opinion and yours, I think we've declared it "hit or miss, and sometimes a nice combination of both."
Loving your reviews
Crowds are really bad, but been manageable with a rope drop strategy.
It was funny to hear your review of Chef Mickey's because I could actually read it in my husband's tone.
We took DD2 Cameran last year for the breakfast buffet- let me sum it up for you... I loved it, DH hated it, Cam loved the characters but didn't touch her food. Between my family's opinion and yours, I think we've declared it "hit or miss, and sometimes a nice combination of both."
We didn't hate Chef Mickey. Didn't regret it in the least. But not sure it would be worth repeating. It's a great chance to meet characters without long lines. The adult food was edible enough.
Sci Fi Dine In for lunch today. Sorry, no pictures. Since it was too dark to see the food, decided not to take pictures.
After reading so many negative reviews of this restaurant, I was surprised to discover that I loved this restaurant. Oh, the food wasn't great. But the atmosphere is fantastic.
The re-creation of a drive-in theater with clips of Plan 9 From Outerspace, etc, might be the charm. But the real selling point, is that is is a very restful mid-day stop for lunch. Cool, dark, and quiet. Yes, quiet. With movies keeping my children busy, and every one else's children... and even adults watching the movies instead of talking, it is actually a very quiet restaurant. After a busy morning running around Hollywood Studios, this meal was the perfect break.
The food is basic burger/ribs/chicken stuff. My appetizer of onion rings was slightly above-average for onion rings. Nice thick cut, served with a tasty horseradish sauce. My burger with mushrooms and bacon was juicy and good. A burger isn't rocket science, but there was nothing wrong with this one. Fries were pretty basic-- nothing to stand out, but nothing wrong with them. DW thought her chips with a spinach dip were okay as an appetizer. She wasn't particularly impressed with the ribs for her entree, but said that you can't really dislike ribs smothered in a sweet barbecue sauce.
DD had Mac & Cheese with a salad. (Again.) Same Mac & Cheese as everywhere else. DS got a cheeseburger. The downside of the restaurant, DS was too distracted by the movies to eat, so he barely at a bite.
I had an Ice Cream Sundae for dessert, but I was too stuffed to eat more than half of it. Kids got ice cream, but DW traded her chocolate milk shake with DS's ice cream. I had a taste of it first, it was thick and creamy, a very good ice cream shake.
A further plus is the beverages -- Not many places serve a true Vanilla Coke anymore. And if you are on the DDP, you can get a shake as a beverage or a dessert.
So overall, the food was "fine." The atmosphere was fun, and it was a relaxing lunch. (Priceless).
If I returned to DHS, and wanted to try excellent food, I would probably try Brown Derby. But otherwise, I'd be happy to return to Sci Fi Dine In.
After reading so many negative reviews of this restaurant, I was surprised to discover that I loved this restaurant. Oh, the food wasn't great. But the atmosphere is fantastic.
The re-creation of a drive-in theater with clips of Plan 9 From Outerspace, etc, might be the charm. But the real selling point, is that is is a very restful mid-day stop for lunch. Cool, dark, and quiet. Yes, quiet. With movies keeping my children busy, and every one else's children... and even adults watching the movies instead of talking, it is actually a very quiet restaurant. After a busy morning running around Hollywood Studios, this meal was the perfect break.
The food is basic burger/ribs/chicken stuff. My appetizer of onion rings was slightly above-average for onion rings. Nice thick cut, served with a tasty horseradish sauce. My burger with mushrooms and bacon was juicy and good. A burger isn't rocket science, but there was nothing wrong with this one. Fries were pretty basic-- nothing to stand out, but nothing wrong with them. DW thought her chips with a spinach dip were okay as an appetizer. She wasn't particularly impressed with the ribs for her entree, but said that you can't really dislike ribs smothered in a sweet barbecue sauce.
DD had Mac & Cheese with a salad. (Again.) Same Mac & Cheese as everywhere else. DS got a cheeseburger. The downside of the restaurant, DS was too distracted by the movies to eat, so he barely at a bite.
I had an Ice Cream Sundae for dessert, but I was too stuffed to eat more than half of it. Kids got ice cream, but DW traded her chocolate milk shake with DS's ice cream. I had a taste of it first, it was thick and creamy, a very good ice cream shake.
A further plus is the beverages -- Not many places serve a true Vanilla Coke anymore. And if you are on the DDP, you can get a shake as a beverage or a dessert.
So overall, the food was "fine." The atmosphere was fun, and it was a relaxing lunch. (Priceless).
If I returned to DHS, and wanted to try excellent food, I would probably try Brown Derby. But otherwise, I'd be happy to return to Sci Fi Dine In.
DLo
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- Aug 14, 2006
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Enjoying your reviews. my ds13 loves sci fi - agree that the food isn't 4 star but it is a nice place to take a break - especially on a hot day. he likes eating in a car 
and burgers are one of his favorite foods and shakes are up there on his list too.
looking forward to more.
and burgers are one of his favorite foods and shakes are up there on his list too.looking forward to more.
lilandvisma
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So happy to hear about this ! We have an ADR here our first evening in March
Can't wait to read more !irishsharon
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Looking forward to the rest of your reviews
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