Holiday Dining Reviews for 11 Hungry...Family Members

[krb2g]

Hi all! We had a fantastic pre-holiday trip in December with a fair amount of dining (it felt like we spent a lot, even if we didn't have ADRs for every meal!). We tend to be a ~1 ADR/day type of family. This trip we traveled with 11 total--all adults. We stayed Club Level at the Boardwalk Inn, so that figured into our dining plans as well. We paid for all of our meals out of pocket.

Here's a quick overview of our plans and food schedule:

Club Level Food Summary

December 17: Arrival and Epcot; Lunch--ADR at Restaurant Marrakesh; Dinner--walk up to Big River Grille

December 18: Magic Kingdom; Epcot; Late Night DHS; Breakfast--CL; Lunch--Pecos Bill's; Dinner--ADR at Tutto Italia

December 19: Animal Kingdom; Late Night Magic Kingdom; Breakfast--CL; Lunch--Flame Tree BBQ; Dinner--ADR at Chef Mickey's

December 20: Epcot; Breakfast--CL; Lunch--Sunshine Seasons; Dinner--Candlelight Processional Package at Coral Reef

December 21: DHS; Breakfast--CL; Lunch--ABC Commissary/Pizza Planet; Dinner--walk up to ESPN Club

December 22: Epcot and Departure; Breakfast--CL; Lunch--MCO Airport; Dinner--Maryland

 

[krb2g]

Our first day we had an early flight and then went directly to the Boardwalk Inn. We were escorted up to the Innkeeper's Club, but had just missed the breakfast selections (and didn't stay quite long enough for the lunchtime snacks). Then we went to Epcot, and by the time we got to Restaurant Marrakesh we were *hungry*! We had never been to Restaurant Marrakesh before, although various members of our party had some familiarity with Moroccan cuisine.

We checked in for our ADR and were seated almost immediately. The decorations inside the restaurant are gorgeous. They reminded me of my trip last summer to Spain--it's the same style you'll see at La Alhambra. We were seated on the far side of the restaurant, as far away from the music and dancing as you could be, but we were all at one table. I suspect that we were so far away from everything because we were such a big party.

Our server was fantastic: we had a great rapport with him--and by the end of the meal he wrote our names in Arabic on the table covering--very cool! The entertainment was great as well--Moroccan music and a belly dancer. The music started before and ended after the dancer. It was a little hard to see because of our distance from the stage, but what we were able to see was very entertaining.

The meal was excellent too. Although we are not the most adventurous eaters in the world, everyone enjoyed their meals. I had the Roast Lamb Meshoui. The lamb was excellent--the meat was very tender. The sides (both for the lamb and for my mother's chicken) were also very good--they had great combinations of flavors and textures. Other popular entrees were the Shish Kabobs, the Chicken Kabobs, and the Sultan Sampler. The Casablanca beer was surprisingly popular (we ordered it to try something Moroccan, but most people got refills because they liked it). We shared the Bastilla for two for dessert (among 11 of us), but even with that many people eating, we couldn't finish it! Very delicious, but we were full from our dinners.

After we finished the meal, we were all in agreement that we would happily return to this restaurant again.

 

[krb2g]

Because the eleventh member of our party was arriving late on our arrival day, we wanted to have dinner in the Boardwalk area. We were hesitant to make ADRs, however, because we weren't sure how long the Magical Express would take her (or even if her flight would arrive on time). We figured that we could probably eat at either the Big River Grille or the ESPN Club without too much difficulty. It's worth noting that while you can make reservations at the Big River Grille, you have to do it by calling the restaurant directly, instead of making them through Disney's system.

It was almost 10 when we went to the Big River Grille to see if we could be seated. Fortunately, it was no problem whatsoever. We were seated very quickly at a table big enough for all 11 of us. The atmosphere was casual--there were TVs showing a college football game and you could look to one end of the restaurant and see the vats where they brew their own beer. I believe this restaurant is owned by the same company that runs Gordon-Biersch restaurants in other places in the country (there's a Gordon-Biersch in Washington, DC and in Phoenix). I ordered the sampler flight of beers. I preferred the lighter beers to the darker ones (but that's my usual preference). The best was a special holiday beer that was a little spicy. Since I was so full from lunch and from a 5-7 stop in the Club Lounge (more on the Club Level to come!), I ordered a bowl of the beer cheese soup and a Greenhouse salad. Others at the table got burgers. The food (especially the soup) was very good. We enjoyed the low-key atmosphere, the convenient location to our room, and the ability to be flexible with a table-service meal. We've been here before (I think twice--both of the other times we've stayed at the Boardwalk Inn) and we'd definitely return on a future trip as well!

 

[krb2g]

We spent our first full day in the Magic Kingdom. I had initially hoped to have lunch at Columbia Harbor House or Cosmic Ray's (we haven't tried either of them, and I was especially hoping to see Sonny Eclipse), but when lunch time rolled around and we were all hungry, we were in Adventureland, so Pecos Bill's it was. We've eaten here before and enjoyed it. The food this time was up-to-par as well. The burgers are good, but what really makes them special is the toppings bar. I especially enjoy adding sauteed mushrooms and onions to my burger. We were able to find three tables (seating four each) close together fairly easily. Not the most unusual cuisine in the Magic Kingdom, but this restaurant definitely fit the bill! I'd come back here as well (although I'd prefer to try Cosmic Ray's or the Columbia Harbor House first).

 

[krb2g]

The second night, we had a dinner ADR for Tutto Italia. We had some difficulty making this reservation--first I couldn't find any online availability. Then I called 407-WDW-DINE and asked, and was told that parties of more than 8 needed to make reservations directly with the restaurant. When I called Tutto Italia directly, the CM asked what month I wanted to make the reservation in, and I told her December, and she immediately told me there was no availability (for the record, these calls happened in July, about two weeks after our 180-day window opened up). Finally I tried calling 407-WDW-CLUB (for the Club Level IPO) and the CM suggested that we make a reservation for 5 and one for 6 at the same time and ask that the restaurant seat us as close together as possible. So that's what we did.

Of course, when the night in question arrived, we were running a little later than we hoped. We made it just in the nick of time for our ADR. We sat in the lobby for maybe five minutes. When we were taken back into the restaurant, we were seated in a back room--at one table to ourselves! We were, of course, very pleased to be seated all together.

This restaurant's atmosphere was very nice (and it did feel Italian), but it wasn't quite as appealing to us as Restaurant Marrakesh (of course, Tutto Italia is now closed for renovations, so it may be totally different when it reopens!). There were bread and olives on the table--a nice touch, especially with the olives. We ordered a bottle of wine here. I had the Farfalle (bowtie pasta with prosciutto, peas, and a parmesan sauce) which I enjoyed. My mother had the Cannelloni al Forno which was good from the bite I sampled, but which she thought was a little bland for an entree. We also tried the Caesar Salad, the Fresh "Bufala" Mozzarella, the Risotta Ai Gamberi E Aragosta, and the Costata Di Maiale Alla Valdostana. All the reports coming back were good, but maybe not quite as enthusiastic as for Restaurant Marrakesh. I think we skipped dessert. I would probably want to sample other restaurants in the World Showcase (and return to favorites like Teppan Edo, which, sadly, we skipped on this trip) before trying Tutto Italia again.

 

[krb2g]

Frankly, we have yet to try a table-service restaurant in the Animal Kingdom because we like the Flame Tree BBQ so much. There is a ton of seating for this restaurant, but it never seems to feel quite as crowded as Pecos Bill's does, in part because the seating areas are more broken up (you go from area to area). If you have small children (or are just directionally-challenged yourself) this quality might also make it easier to get lost here, but we like the ambiance. The seating is all outside, so if it's super-hot or rainy it might be less pleasant, but it was great weather for us. There were a lot of birds around (no surprise) but we didn't try to feed them and they didn't bother us.

I had the half-slab of ribs with coleslaw and baked beans. The ribs and beans were really good, but the coleslaw was a little different, and I wasn't a huge fan (I didn't finish it, in fact). Flame Tree BBQ is still my top choice for eating in the Animal Kingdom, though--both because of how delicious the food is and how pleasant the atmosphere is. Even though it's a counter-service restaurant, it's on my can't-miss list.

 

[krb2g]

That night, we had an ADR for dinner at Chef Mickey's. It seemed the most sensible way to get to the Contemporary was to take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, and then walk to the Contemporary. This plan was fine, but it is a little bit of a pain, because if you go by Disney's traffic rules, you'll need to walk back towards the Magic Kingdom from your bus stop in order to cross the street at the central plaza before heading over to the Contemporary. When we tried to cross where we were let off (which was as close to the Contemporary as possible, and thus, counter-intuitively, the farthest to walk) our bus driver honked at us and told us we couldn't cross there. We waited till he pulled away and crossed anyway. Probably not the safest choice, but it's a really frustrating design....

When we got to the Contemporary, we checked in at the podium and got a beeper. Then we wandered around the fourth floor. We had just about enough time to check out the Gingerbread tree and the Fantasia store (maybe ten minutes) before we were called to be seated. Although I had read online that they are supposed to take a group picture (and try to sell it to you) before seating you, that never happened for us (and I was flustered enough not to remember to ask about it until after we had left the restaurant).

Once again, we were all able to sit at our own table. When we walked in, it seemed like all the other tables had little kids in their parties. The kids were well-behaved, but it made us feel a little out of place (later on, another all-adult table was seated in our section). Our waitress took our drink orders, told us the pattern in which the characters greeted, and assured us we had plenty of time to fill our plates before one of the characters passed by. Of course, as we were filling our plates, we missed Goofy. Then, as we were settling in to eat, Pluto came into the room and started waving his napkin over his head--as did all the children in the room, who were apparently more in the know than us. It was the "celebration" time, and some of the kids were dancing. Very cute, but disorienting at first. After about two minutes of this celebration, the characters all disappeared. Then they came back and started working through the rooms again. When Pluto came, we were a little slow to get up, and he only greeted part of our party (and we were a table full of adults, so maybe he assumed we didn't all want pictures with the characters). Again, I was a little slow-to-respond at this point (a theme of the night, apparently). By the time Minnie came through, I was much more prepared, and we had great interactions with Minnie, Mickey, and Donald. Then there was another celebration (much more fun now that we knew what to expect--there were definitely some adults twirling their napkins at our table this time!) and Goofy came by just as we were finishing up our desserts.

We had done the character dinner at Garden Grill on our last trip (also all adults) and we found the interaction came much more easily or naturally at that dinner--at this one, we had to jump up out of our seats in order to make sure we got pictures with the characters. They felt more rushed (although it seemed like they were taking more time with families with small children). Once we got the hang of it, the interactions seemed to go much better, though.

The food was pretty good for a buffet. There was a wide range of selection. I thought the carved meat station was especially good. The Mickey macaroni and cheese was a little disappointing (a little watery for my taste) and I sort of filled up too much on the salads and didn't have as much room for the food later on in the buffet (definitely should have made a no-food pass first, but I was also worried about missing characters). There was also a nice selection of desserts--I had a brownie, a key lime tart, and a Mickey-dome (chocolate mousse on an Oreo with little Mickey ears sticking out)--and there were even more offerings to choose from (including a soft-serve ice cream station).

We enjoyed the food, and the character interactions were good once we got the hang of them (and with five characters--and such classic ones at that--you're doing great on the character side of things). The characters were all dressed up as chefs, which was also really cute! Still, I think I'd wait to go back to Chef Mickey's until I had little kids in my party. It seems like it was geared more towards them.

 

[krb2g]

The next day was our Epcot day, and since we had an early dinner reservation for the Candlelight Processional package, we decided to do a light lunch. My mother, sister, and I split the turkey sandwich and the ginger mongolian beef. Splitting the sandwich was a little difficult, as it sort of fell apart as I cut it, but it was quite tasty. The stir-fry was really good too. I like the Land pavilion--especially the hot air balloons hanging from the ceiling--and it's an open, airy place to eat, but it was a little crazy too. Someone bumped into my dad as he was carrying a tray to our table and some beers (which *had* to be opened at the time of purchase) spilled on the tray. Next time we'll be a little more careful carrying stuff! It was definitely a good place to get food away from the burgers-and-fries counter-service drill, and I would definitely come back here next trip!

 

[krb2g]

We booked the Coral Reef ADR as part of the Candlelight Processional package. Coral Reef was actually not our first choice for this package (we tried to get it for both Tutto Italia and Restaurant Marrakesh) but even though I called on the first day reservations opened, Coral Reef was the first restaurant I could get for the package for the date that we wanted and for the correct number of people. We booked a 4:05 dinner for the 6:45 showing of the processional.

Although we showed up before our ADR time, it seemed to take a long time to be seated (I would guess at least twenty minutes). When we were seated, it was at two tables, close to each other, but separate. This was the only table-service restaurant at which we could not all eat at one long table. We were on the middle tier and still had a great view of the fish tanks (we asked for one of the identification guides, but our waitress never managed to bring us one!). Although Disney apparently had been having some problems with the tanks and had canceled dive tours, we didn't notice any difference at all--you could still see all the fish fine. Because the Candlelight Processional package includes an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, and because we were seated so slowly, it was nearly 6:30 by the time the bill came, and we still had to get all the way around to the theater at the American Adventure by 6:45. We all made it (and ended up, luckily, with great seats for the processional), but it was a near thing. We definitely saved time waiting in line by getting a package (and we would have had to eat anyway), but next time I did the CP package, I would pick a restaurant closer to the theater, in the World Showcase. It made me sick to think that we had spent all that money for dinner (we would never have ordered so much food if it weren't included in the package) and still might not get seats for the show. I'll give the CMs working at the CP credit (for the most part). The CM at the dinner show line let us in right at 6:44 and assured us we would have seats. When we got into the show area a less-helpful CM said we could sit on that side (but the seats would be split up among several rows and would have obstructed views) or we could try our luck on the other side. On the other side there were several rows toward the front that had plenty of empty seats and another helpful CM guided us to one of those rows (we think they were reserved for handicapped guests but not needed, so released just prior to show time). So we ended up with great seats, but I was definitely more nervous than I should have been. We were also able to view Illuminations from the front of World Showcase--the area was pretty packed, but we had a good view (and we didn't spend any time camping out, so that was a park-time savings, too!).

So, on to the food. It was fantastic! I ordered the steamed mussels for my appetizer, and I think that between us, we ordered almost every appetizer on the menu (crab cakes, fried shrimp, lobster soup, and fish tostadas). They were all great (well, I was a little skeptical of the crab cakes as they didn't look all that big, but I am also a crab cakes snob who won't touch them outside of Maryland, so your mileage may vary). We almost all got the New York Strip for dinner (with the exception of one lobster ravioli). The steak was excellent--cooked just right, with really good sides, and a good size too. I felt a little bad ordering steak at a seafood restaurant, but it turned out to be an excellent option. The lobster ravioli was pretty good; I only had one bite and it struck me as maybe a little bland, but I could be wrong about that. For dessert, I had the chocolate wave, which was so good, I ate half of it before I remembered to take a picture! If I recall correctly, the Bailey's and Jack Daniels Mousse was also well-received at our table. We had been to the Coral Reef before, and based on this meal (which was probably the best of our trip) I would go back again in a heartbeat. The atmosphere is really great (love being able to watch the fish, and we got to see divers this trip too).

 

[krb2g]

On our day at Hollywood Studios, we split up between the ABC Commissary and Pizza Planet. All six of us who went to ABC Commissary ended up getting the same thing: the burger with the fried shrimp on the top. At first, I was skeptical of this combination, but it ended up tasting really good (I ate the shrimp separate from the burger). The style is a subdued art-deco, and we found a quiet table without much problem at all. I enjoyed this restaurant and probably would return here on a Hollywood Studios day. The crew who went to Pizza Planet said they enjoyed their meals as well, but that the restaurant felt crowded. I think it took them a little longer to eat than it took us.

 

[krb2g]

That night, we hadn't made any particular plans for dinner, so we decided to try the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk. We were able to walk right in and be seated at a table for 11. I think it was also getting late this night (I was about to fall asleep all through the meal, not by any fault of the food!). There were TVs everywhere, and you could watch any game you wanted. There weren't (as far as I could tell) many big games going on this night; I think there was maybe one family in there explicitly to watch a specific game (they were wearing jerseys). If you're going on the night of a big game though, I am sure it would be much more crowded! The food here was simple but good: I had a cheesesteak. This restaurant is another one of our favorites when we're staying at the Boardwalk: it's convenient and it's always been easy to get a table at the times we've tried. I'm sure we'll be back here next trip as well.

 

[krb2g]

The final aspect of our dining plans was the Innkeeper's Club at the Boardwalk Inn. This trip was our third time staying club level (and our third time in the same exact room, which was pretty darn cool!). We used the club for breakfast everyday, and for snacks most other days. I've broken down the offerings by time of day.

Breakfast: The breakfast here was fantastic. You could get all sorts of fancy coffees and teas, orange juice, milk, and chocolate milk. There was always oatmeal with nuts and berries for toppings, yogurt (but sort of sour, I wasn't such a fan), croissants, fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs, cereal, some sort of muffin or pastry, and bagels. This continental-style breakfast was exactly what I like to eat and it was all fresh and delicious. Best of all, we could stagger our arrivals, so we didn't have to wait for everyone to be ready in the mornings to start eating. We found eating in the hotel saved us time when we got to the parks.

Lunch: The snacks around lunchtime were definitely the lightest--goldfish, crackers, and a variety of chocolate dipped nuts. Good for a quick snack, but not particularly filling or particularly fancy.

Evening: The evening appetizers were the best. There were apple slices and caramel for dipping, delicious peanut butter and raspberry jelly rolls dusted with powdered sugar (I could probably have lived off of these!), a raw fish offering (usually tuna or salmon)--also fantastic, veggies and dressing, cheese, a selection of interesting salads, and a selection of hot appetizers (like chicken skewers or spanakopita). The challenge here was not to eat so much that you spoiled your dinner. In fact, I could probably have just eaten the club-level evening offerings as dinner. Plus there's a selection of wine and beer available.

Dessert: The dessert offerings were also good (although I remember less about them specifically)--there were some cordials and liquors to accompany them.

The club lounge food offerings worked well for us because we usually had breakfast in the lounge, and then came back in the evening for appetizers before dinner. If we had scheduled more ADRs or were on the dining plan, I don't think we would have been able to make as full (and delicious) a use of the club lounge. We would definitely do club level again at the Boardwalk Inn.

 

[vettegirl]

Great reviews!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Great reviews - I didn't realise you could book direct with Big River Grille.

What is a cheesesteak? Forgive my ignorance - i'm assuming it's a steak with melted cheese on top?????

 

[wilma-bride]

Great reviews, thanks for posting.

 

[krb2g]

Great reviews!

Thanks for reading!

Great reviews - I didn't realise you could book direct with Big River Grille.

What is a cheesesteak? Forgive my ignorance - i'm assuming it's a steak with melted cheese on top?????

Thanks for reading!

We've never actually *had* to make a reservation, but when I posted about Big River Grille before our trip on the boards, someone else commented that you could make a reservation directly with the restaurant.

A cheesesteak is a sandwich served with thinly-sliced steak and cheese melted on top. It's a Philadelphia specialty, although you can find them all over the place. I think it's a nice change of pace from a burger!

Great reviews, thanks for posting.

Thanks for reading!