Honest dining reviews

[Wendy31]

Cape May -

We've never been, but, lately, the Clam Bake Dinner is getting some really good reviews. For our next trip, we have a night open, & we're either going here or 1900 Park Fare. Right now, I'm leaning toward Cape May. Plus, the boardwalk area is really nice to walk around after dinner!

Crystal Palace -

We always go to lunch here. Especially in June, after touring the MK all morning, you'll be ready for a nice break. While it is a buffet, DH & I both think the food is a tad bit better here than normal buffets. The buffet usually has more than just traditional buffet fare. I love the mandarin orange salad dressing!

'Ohana -

We love 'Ohana!! It's our traditional "last night in Disney" meal. I think your DDs will enjoy the atmsophere - coconut races, hula lessons, etc. Plus, each time we've been, the food has always been really good. The bread pudding is delicious! However, recently, 'Ohana has been getting some less than stellar reviews, which has me worried for a our next trip. Do expect a long wait to be seated (even w/ an ADR) - one time, we waited over an hour past our ADR time. And come very hungry!

Tony's Town Square -

We've been for lunch, and I thought it was okay. I would go again (probably again for lunch). DH was not impressed at all & says there are other restaurants he'd rather go to. If you do go & your DDs are collecting character autographs, make sure to ask your serve for Lady's & Tramp's autographs - they hang out in the kitchen!

1900 Park Fare -

Although I've always been tempted to make an ADR for here, we've never been. You can meet characters here that you really can't elsewhere - like Prince Charming. Plus, the stepmother & stepsisters are supposed to be really fun! However, I've read some really mixed reviews on the buffets. And, since we always do CRT, I normally end up booking an ADR for somewhere else.

If I were you, I would want to add a Mickey character meal - maybe breakfast at Chef Mickey's (where all of the Fab 5 characters are!) or dinner at Garden Grill in EPCOT (Mickey, Pluto, Chip & Dale). And, if you're not doing CRT, I'd probably book breakfast at Akershus.

 

[PamelaKay]

Hi, I'm a first timer at booking restaurants for my trip and would like to know what you think of my choices. I will be going with my wife and three daughters 8,8 and 5. We will be staying seven nights in May.

We are all on the DDP.

I want to thank this board for giving me some great reviews on restaurants.

Feel free to let me know what you think of my choices and any recommendations for the other two nights.

These are all dinner reservations:

1-Cape May
2- Crystal Palace
3- 'Ohana
4- Tony's Town Square
5- 1900 Park Fare

Keep in mind my three daughters

Thanks for your help.

My honest feedback. I like all of your picks except Tony's. I have eaten lunch and dinner there and the food was just ok and the atmosphere is not all that great. I preferred the Tutto Italia in Epcot. That being said, I have heard great things about Via Napoli at Epcot and plan to try that on my next trip.

I do have one piece of feedback on Ohana. If you can, go there early for dinner. It seems the later your reservation is, the longer it takes for them to actually seat you.

Also, if you were not wanting a buffet, you might consider Coral Reef for seafood instead of Cape May. It is fascinating and entertaining to watch the fish in the aquarium while you eat.

 

[Cinderella Mom]

We've been to Tony's, Crystal Palace, O'hana's (breakfast only). We love all three of these. 1900 Park Fare is on my family's list for our next trip to try. Friends of mine highly recommend it and say the stepsister's are so funny! We had a great waiter and the food was quite good at Crystal palace. We have eaten breakfast and dinner there and you can't beat the buffet with kids. Something for everyone! Can't comment on Cape May. Would love to try it someday! Hope you have a magical time with your family!

 

[chabs]

Yeah, I'd suggest that too. The food is godawful but the kids can meet a zillion princesses there.

Crystal Palace is decent enough and I've always enjoyed Ohana... I can't speak to the others on your list, I've never eaten at them.

The breakfast was decent though. I typically hate the quality of food at Disney and I thought that this breakfast was actually pretty good. I would definitely pick this as #1 for 3 little girls, plus you get the free picture (ours was with Belle in her gold dress-I think that's who you usually get pictures with)

Crystal Palace also has one of the better buffets at Disney-I would totally skip 1900 Park Fare because it is less than average. We like Tony's too. I guess you just have to pick by what types of food you think your family would like and go from there because everyone has their own tastes.

 

[rubato]

Thanks for your opinion. I was more worried about the kids at 'Ohana than Cape May. I love seafood and have heard great reviews about the Cape May. Dad needs a break from the character dining too.

We ate at Cape May on Sunday night and the crab legs were not good. Rubbery, tasteless and overcooked. We were the first people seated for dinner, so it's not like they were sitting out for a long time. Plus, we kept going back and getting just a couple in the hopes that it was just a bad batch. Nope.
We were really disappointed overall in their selection. I did love the clam chowder. It had lots of clam in it and was really tasty. The ribs weren't bad either. My son is not a seafood eater and did get enough to eat, but he was disappointed in the oreo dessert. He thought for sure it would be amazing, and it wasn't. I think it's worth a try, but I just hope they do a better job of cooking the crab legs on your night.

 

[asdfghjkl13]

Cape May- I tried this place and since it was a clambake and I'm not a fan of seafood, I didn't like it that much. But it does get great reviews!

Crystal Palace- My favorite character meal! Amazing food and great characters

Ohana- One of my favorite restaurants! The food was really good.

Tony's- Good food, but slow service

1900 Park Fare- Good restaurant, not my favorite though

Overall you will enjoy your restaurants!

 

[jandm]

Hi, I'm a first timer at booking restaurants for my trip and would like to know what you think of my choices. I will be going with my wife and three daughters 8,8 and 5. We will be staying seven nights in May.

We are all on the DDP.

I want to thank this board for giving me some great reviews on restaurants.

Feel free to let me know what you think of my choices and any recommendations for the other two nights.

These are all dinner reservations:

1-Cape May
2- Crystal Palace
3- 'Ohana
4- Tony's Town Square
5- 1900 Park Fare

Keep in mind my three daughters

Thanks for your help.

We are going for a week in May too, and scheduled 'Ohana, Tony's & Park Fare. I've heard great things about all of those.

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

With 3 DDs, 1900 Park Fare is absolutely not to be missed for dinner. Very good food and one of the BEST character meals I have ever experienced. Even my DS (7) can't wait to go back and see his gf Drisella!

 

[MAMA GRAVE]

Hi, I'm a first timer at booking restaurants for my trip and would like to know what you think of my choices. I will be going with my wife and three daughters 8,8 and 5. We will be staying seven nights in May.

We are all on the DDP.

I want to thank this board for giving me some great reviews on restaurants.

Feel free to let me know what you think of my choices and any recommendations for the other two nights.

These are all dinner reservations:

1-Cape May
2- Crystal Palace
3- 'Ohana
4- Tony's Town Square
5- 1900 Park Fare

Keep in mind my three daughters

Thanks for your help.

Thanks to all for the reviews and help. I find it fascinating that one person loves a restaurant and another thinks it's like eating dog food.

I am going to keep:

Cape May
Crystal Palace
'Ohana
1900 Park Fare

I just added Kona Cafe for dinner.

I'm thinking of changing Akershus from dinner to breakfast. (more opinions please)

Tony's Town Square seems like it could be the odd man out depending if I can find something better.

We are on the DDP and only want to use one dining credit.

TIA.

 

[megan4777]

1-Cape May
2- Crystal Palace
3- 'Ohana
4- Tony's Town Square
5- 1900 Park Fare

Keeping in mind your dd's .....I think 1900 park fare is wonderful (and my Dh would say so too)
I would also do Ohana, based on past experience.... We had 19 people and LOVED it!!!!

I won't tell you not to do the others....We are going to try Tony's town square this year so I can't tell you not to do it: )

Good luck!!!


I just saw your edit....do Akershus for lunch

 

[MAMA GRAVE]

1-Cape May
2- Crystal Palace
3- 'Ohana
4- Tony's Town Square
5- 1900 Park Fare

Keeping in mind your dd's .....I think 1900 park fare is wonderful (and my Dh would say so too)
I would also do Ohana, based on past experience.... We had 19 people and LOVED it!!!!

I won't tell you not to do the others....We are going to try Tony's town square this year so I can't tell you not to do it: )

Good luck!!!


I just saw your edit....do Akershus for lunch

Thanks for your help Meg.

Do you have any "must do" dinners we should try?

We are staying at Coranado Springs.

 

[midori sweet]

As you will see, even in this thread, people's experiences and opinions do vary somewhat on these.

However, here are my 2 cents:

1. Cape May Cafe Clambake. We really enjoyed it. The seafood was plentiful and tasty, but there were many other choices, also. Excellent desserts; however, I did hear that the pastry chef there has recently changed. We especially like it there for both breakfast and dinner, because it never seems to get quite as crowded and chaotic as BC is a bit off the beaten path.

2. Crystal Palace. A favorite for any meal, for us. The setting is pretty and the characters are adorable. I think the selection is great and the food is tasty. I can be very picky about basic things like mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, but these were wonderful.

3. Ohana Dinner. We liked the menu, food and atmosphere, but realize that the wait for a table can be very long and the meal takes a long time from start to finish as well.

4. 1900 PF Dinner. The characters are great - especially the stepsisters. What a hoot! We really liked the dinner selections on this buffet, but I can see how they would not appeal to everyone. It can be tricky to move around in there, also, as the characters take up lots of room (dancing, etc.).

5. Kona Dinner. We thought the food quality was wonderful here, but didn't love the atomosphere. It gets very, very crowded up on the second floor of the Poly GCH between people waiting for Ohana and Kona. Plus, Kona is completely open to the Poly two story lobby, so it was very loud during our meal.

6. Akerhaus Breakfast and Dinner. This is my DH's absolute favorite; however, I know many people who don't care for the menu. If you like lox and other cold, smoked fishes, you will be in heaven at the cold buffet. We have had both breakfast and dinner there, and found the family style parts of the meal to also be pretty good. We found the princess interaction to be much less rushed here than at CRT.

I think your line-up looks pretty good. I tried to give the pros and cons of each place, but all of the ones listed above are ones we would happily go back to.

FWIW, we did not have great experiences at CRT or Chef Mickey's, but I know many people do enjoy those places.

 

[jandm]

Your right, you will get a lot of different opinions! We are keeping Tony's on our list. Our kids love pasta and the atmosphere sounds nice. When I asked for opinions about Tony's someone said "It's not good at all, it's like eating at the Olive Garden"----well, I guess we don't mind the Olive Garden, in fact we actually like it!

 

[catne]

we really liked Cape May, Crystal Palace and 1900 Park Fare. Agree the characters at CP and Park Fare dinner are must-do for girls.

Tony's was OK for a park restaurant... but we would not compare it to Olive Garden, though (We really like Olive Garden and do not think Tony's is in the same category at all...Tony's is a big step below Olive Garden. More like a mall food court Italian food place.) Unless there's a big reason to stay in the park for that meal, I'd suggest going elsewhere (monorail resorts have many choices. Kona Cafe, The Wave, Grand Floridian Cafe are all one credit meals on the monorail so convenient to Magic Kingdom)

'Ohana is one of the very few Disney restaurants we would not return to...cold food, mediocre service and we found the entertainment very annoying.

 

[vanillarum]

My kids, older than yours, 14 and 18, think O'Hana is the best character meal. You just can;t beat Stitch's antics. The food is not bad. This is a must do for us. Check out my avatar. That was our last trip there in '07. Good luck.

 

[Fabooliss]

We ate at all but Cape May last trip (with 5 and 2 year old). Tony's was bland, just not great food, we love the Olive Garden... this didn't come anywhere close! Theming was ok, but my kids hadn't seen the movie (other than the 10 minutes they watched as we waited for our table in the lobby), so it was lost on them.

Crystal palace (breakfast) and 1900 Park Fare (breakfast AND dinner) were good food with great character interaction... we are returning to both. Ohana's we loved the experience AND the food, and is a must do.

Can't comment on Cape May, but we are heading there next week, all reports are it is quite good.

 

[3pletprincesses]

We loved 1900 PF for dinner. My girls got to twirl around with the Prince and Cinderella. The step sisters and mother are hilarious. Food was really good and actually warm but we are not picky people.

Akershus would be a really nice option too if you want something else then buffet to see the Princesses. It's a must on our list.

Can't say for the other restaurants for dinner.

However, CP and Ohana breakfast are good and a must on our list too.

 

[Feigned]

1-Cape May : I have been here a few times and I have really enjoyed it, even though I am not a big seafood fan and I don't eat clams/etc. I found plenty of other things to eat and liked what I had. I especially liked their salad bar (I love salads lol) and the soups that they had. They have had various dishes each time I have gone and I have always found something I liked. I even ate a bit off of the kids' buffet area and it was tasty. lol I would definitely go back there.


2- Crystal Palace : I'm not a huge fan of the dinner at Crystal Palace. I have been there a few times and while I did find things on the buffet I liked (the ratatouille for example), there were also many other things I did not enjoy. The last time I ate there, we had horrible service and we were very disappointed that they closed down half the buffet basically right after we had been seated for our late ADR. We were seated with about 10 other families, on top of people who were already there, so the place was not empty. My friend missed out many dessert items because they closed down half of the dessert buffet early too. Our waitress was never around and it took forever to get the check and get out of there. I might be willing to go back and try it again though. The characters are nice for young kids too.

3- 'Ohana : This is one of my favorites!! I would go back for the peanut dipping sauce alone. The "starters" like the salad, wings, broccoli, potstickers, and noodles are all really tasty. I am not huge on meat, so the skewers weren't as much of a priority for me, but I do enjoy the turkey a lot and sometime I like shrimp (though I don't like peeling and sometimes cleaning it- yuck). The dessert of bread pudding is really yummy too! I love to go here.

4- Tony's Town Square: I have only been here once in recent years and I wasn't really impressed. I am used to really good Italian food and this wasn't it. It was just okay. If you're not really picky about your Italian food, this will probably be fine for you and your daughters. The atmosphere was really cute at least!

5- 1900 Park Fare : I haven't been here since 2005, so I don't really remember much about the food. The strawberry soup is delicious! It is also a really cute place with great characters for young girls. Your daughters will probably love it.


Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I find it fascinating that one person loves a restaurant and another thinks it's like eating dog food.

Exactly this. I was going to mention that when I responded the first time to your post. LOL Beware, opinions are wild crazy opposites on here. I've finally decided to take them all with a grain of salt. FTR, we think Akershus has great food and 1900 Park Fare is our favorite buffet. Love the food there. Really dislike Crystal Palace lunch and dinner buffets and we are going to Tony's next month despite the poor reviews. So, there you have it.

 

[Princess Sleepy]

Crystal Palace: We liked the buffet here when we went for lunch 2 years ago. Some of the foods were different from what we had seen at other places and appealed to our DDs (2 and 5 at the time). It was our first trip and we had very low expectations for buffets and were pleasantly surprised.

Tony's: We did this one last summer, spur of the moment on my daughter's birthday for lunch. (We inadvertently got the DxDP and had credits to burn.) I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was beautiful and the service was great. I don't actually remember the food one way or the other, so it must have been fine, but not outstanding.

1900 Park Fare: We were disappointed in the food, but loved the characters. However, it was DD's 4th birthday and they really did not make a very big deal about it. e got some great pictures of her with Cinderella and the step family, though.

We have not eaten at Cape May or Ohana.

I have eaten several times at Akershus (breakfast and dinner) and we are planning on lunch next time. I would recommend it to anyone.