Allegro
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2007
- Messages
- 357
Chef Mickey’s
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 95.81
Tip: 14.19
Thumbs Up
Chef Mickey’s was the first restaurant we visited on our trip a mere 2 ½ hours after getting off the plane. This was BIG mistake because thereafter whenever we came anywhere near the Contemporary the kids asked if we could go back to Chef Mickey’s and ALL meals were compared to that first meal and not even the California Grill measured up. For the kids that was. Their parents, not that impressed.
Okay the food was fine. Good actually. I enjoyed the Prime Rib even though it was a little fatty. It was tender and cooked the way I like it – medium rare. I also really enjoyed the mashed potatoes. I had salad which was typical buffet salad – nothing to write my grandmother about but not bad and passed on the cooked veggies because to me they didn’t look that appetizing. The broccoli was covered in cheese sauce that looked unappetizingly like melted cheese whiz. The carrots were floating in some kind of watery sauce. I also turned my nose up at them but DH and DS enjoyed them so maybe I just needed broader horizons. DH also made mention of the rice and beans and really good and he still hasn’t stopped raving about the sausage and sauerkraut that I was too full to try. My son who loves chicken nuggets turned his nose up at the one’s at Chef Mickey’s. I couldn’t blame him. They looked yummy but they were tasteless and over-breaded. The dessert buffet is varied and I enjoyed almost everything I popped into my mouth. The chocolate cake was particularly good but I was disappointed that the cake itself have been ravaged before I got there and while I hung about hoping they would bring a fresh one out they didn’t so what I essentially got was the leftover bottom layer of a piece someone else had taken the rest of. It was still good though and I would have eaten more had there been more.
What I didn’t like especially compared to the other character meals we had later (Liberty Tree Tavern and Tusker House) was the character interaction. It was kind of piss poor. And the character interaction is what you’re paying for here so I expected it to be top notch. We went most of our meal without having a character stop by the greet us. They were there – we could see them visiting other tables but it seemed whenever our turn was coming up they needed to do a dance or take a break or anything but stop and spend time with my kids. In the end I think we did get to see everyone but it was always hurried and not what I would call spectacular interaction.
Our waitress was also less than stellar. I hope she had worked a long and annoying day and that wasn’t her general mood but I wouldn’t call her cheery. I actually saw her roll her eyes when one of the children stepped in her way. She didn’t re-fill drinks and she never cleared the table of used plates so eventually I resorted to giving everything to the poor guy who was bussing the table next to us. Not a $100 dollar experience at all.
The kid’s, though, they had a stellar experience. They had fun and it was the perfect meal to take kids who were a bit hyper after traveling all day. It was loud and noisy and no one was expected to sit in their seat and behave like Little Lord Fauntleroy.
We would go again.
Electric Umbrella
2 CS credits each
Cost of the meal: 32.10
Thumbs Up
Okay the best laid plans. I had all these plans to make sure I hit CS restaurants before 11:30 in an attempt to not be there during the busiest part of the day. Didn’t manage that once. We had planned to eat at Sunshine Seasons after doing Soarin’but the kids were quite insistent that they wanted chicken nuggets for lunch to we hauled ourselves over to the Electric Umbrella.
I’m glad we did. The food was really good. For a CS place I was impressed. I was in shock at the cost but I congratulated myself on having purchased the dining plan and I liked the food so no harm no foul.
I had a Bacon cheeseburger which for some odd reason the clerk informed me she would have to “charge me extra for the bacon” which would have made a difference if I wasn’t using the dining plan. Since I was and she knew I was (I told her before ordering) why bother confusing me (I expected to have to pull out .50 to pay her; I didn’t); DH had a double Cheeseburger. The kids had their beloved chicken nuggets. For dessert the kids had Jello and DH and I had chocolate chip cookies which we took away with us. It was simple fast food but the burgers, it my opinion, were above average and the service was quick.
The place itself was a zoo. Not because there wasn’t enough seating; I think there is plenty but there is a whole bunch of seating to the right (and slightly behind) the serving area that I think people miss. The obvious seating fills up fast at that time of the day (it was raining so sitting outside was not a good option) and things get a little hectic.
Still a good choice that I would chose to repeat should the opportunity present itself.
California Grill
2 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 118.96 + 29.02 (OOP)
Tip: 28.02
Two Thumbs WAY Up
Another mistake here. Shouldn’t have put this restaurant on day 2 of our trip. This is definitely a trip ending restaurant because nothing ever measured up again. We had the most delightful meal here. Food was excellent. Service was exemplarily. Setting an atmosphere were lovely. We dressed for dinner and were happy with that decision. Certainly there were people there in park clothes but I know I would have been uncomfortable and self-conscious to be them. Most people were dressed a step up from casual for a special night out. It certainly was special.
DH and I began our meal with a Wild Mushroom Soup that isn’t on the online menus I’ve seen. It was very good with just enough spice. Maybe it was a little salty in the end but not overpoweringly so and almost like the salt had settled in the bottom of our bowl because it wasn't something I noticed when I started to drink this soup. For our main course I had the Oak-fired Filet of Beef with Roasted Root Vegetables, Edamame and Teriyaki Barbecue Sauce. It was heavenly. The filet was done just perfectly. The sides were good although there weren’t a lot of them. In the end I ate everything on my plate. I was satisfied – not too much, not too little with just enough room for dessert. DH had the Crispy Petite Chicken with Potato Gnocchi, Creamy Kohlrabi, Pomegranate Reduction and Chervil. His comment was that it was certainly “petite.” But he enjoyed it and particularly liked the gnocchi. In the end he too was satisfied – not bloated and not hungry – and he’s a big guy (6’1, 200 lbs) and a hearty eater. He too had room for dessert. Dessert was the perfect way to top off a good meal. I had the Valrhona Chocolate Cake with orange ice cream and DH had the Honey Crunch Cake. DH isn’t a big dessert guy and he had great things to say about this cake. It was light and tasty and he really enjoyed the sponge toffee crumbled over it. I’m always happy to be eating chocolate – but the cake was special. I tend to be leery of cakes with molten centres as then tend to be disappointing. Not this one. The chocolate centre was warm and rich. It was wonderfully paired with the orange ice cream and I’m disappointed that I won’t be having it again anytime soon.
The kid’s were entertained from the beginning of the meal and the waitstaff (not just our waiter but those from other tables) kept them wonderfully entertained with a nice word here or a smile there. With that our rambunctious kids were little angels for most of the meal. PS was thrilled to have pizza (Mickey shaped!). DD morphed into an incredibly picky eater this trip and while the Chef kindly prepared a cheeseless Pizza for her she only at a little of it and then only under duress. They finished there meal off with vanilla ice cream that in its own simple way was also quite good.
Our waiter was attentive, helpful and personable. The only time I felt that I wanted/needed to tip more than 20% (and we did). The Chef who visited our table because I have food allergies was wonderfully accommodating and helpful. Of all the Chefs I met during our trip he was the only one who gave me the impression that he cared whether I lived or died in his restaurant rather than I was interrupting his busy job and annoying him. He brought the kids’ pizzas out himself.
All in all it was a great meal and experience and one we will certainly hope to recreate in the future. Dollar for dollar it wasn’t all that expensive either. While it was the most expensive of our week of meals it was only marginally more than Whispering Canyon Café and that’s a little laughable.
Columbia House Harbour
1 CS credit each
Cost of the meal: 30.00
Thumbs Up
We ended up here after DH turned his nose up (why I don’t know) at Peco’s Bill’s. It was a good meal. One in which I was left looking particularly unhealthy and my kids and DH super good. The kids ALWAYS wanted chicken nuggets and fries and we blindly ordered them the chicken and salad thinking that they were getting nuggets and fries. Well no, they got grilled chicken and salad which is not a real kid favorite if you know what I mean. DD(5) had a small meltdown over this. DS just chowed right down quite happily. Once DD realized nothing else was forthcoming she gave the chicken a try and discovered that she actually like it. Go figure. So they ate happily.
I guilty sat there and ate my chicken fingers and fries. What kind of a place offers chicken fingers and fries for adults but not kids? DH had chowder and a ½ a sandwich with strawberry yogurt for dessert. No complaints from him. I had chocolate cake (again guiltily) and mmmmm…. What more can I say?
The kids had applesauce as part of their meal and cookies as dessert. I nabbed the cookies for later (later being in about an hour actually lol).
Good meal. We would return.
Whispering Canyon Café
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 117.31
Tip: lost the tip receipt but I would expect 18%
Thumbs Down
It was all right which isn’t saying much. I’m sorry it didn’t live up to its hype at all. I definitely would have enjoyed it more if I didn’t know what to expect but I probably wouldn’t have made a reservation there in that case. We have both breakfast and dinner there during our trip. I would probably not eat there again. It wasn’t awful it just wasn’t all that great. First off it was the longest wait for a table of our entire trip and probably the only place we arrived on time for our ADR (we were never more than about 5 minutes late anywhere but despite trying hard we always seemed to be running late). We waited about a half hour to be seated and as we wanted to get to EMH at MK that night really made me antsy. When we finally did get a seat our waitress was pleasant enough but not really a crazy type although she did throw our straws at us – the last crazy thing to happen directly to us.
For dinner the whole family had the canyon skillet. Hmmm… what to say? The salad was good – again not great just a typical salad. The kids enjoyed kid’s meal watermelon and the appetizer which I must say is a brilliant idea. Our kids will eat salad but were thrilled with watermelon. The bread was a huge hit with DS(3) and DH was happy as he was in the midst of a rare cornbread craving. The skillet was WAY too much food for the four of us to eat and we were hungry to start with. It was tasty enough but there was nothing that sent me over the top. The pulled pork was pretty tasteless and was only made palatable by drowning it in barbecue sauce. The ribs were good although a little on the meatless side. I didn’t have the chicken but DH said it was all right. The potatoes were all right (there’s that phrase again!) but a little lukewarm. The corn was good though! The only thing was asked for seconds of since you only get four little pieces. The kids each had one; I had two, which left DH with none. They brought shrimp on the side for DH (I’m allergic). He ate them he said because he felt they had gone out of their way to serve him some. I’m a novice here having never eaten them but he said they were prepared his least favorite way needing to be peeled and with the legs (yuck! He showed me) still one.
We hade shakes and smoothies – again they were all right. I never realized they were bottomless though – I should read the menu more carefully – and no one ever offered me a re-fill. In fact it was often difficult to even locate our waitress.
We were seated at the back, near the kitchen so all the waitstaff had to walk by our table. They do this thing where they bang their serving tables on the floor as they walk. It was amusing for the first five minutes we were seated after that it just got old. There were a couple of calls for ketchup that were a little amusing but not a lot and people didn’t seem really all that in to the joke either. The one funny thing was some guy who drank all his soda – the calling down he got was hilarious and I was left wishing we had his waitress instead of our own. The kids had one race around the restaurant that DD enjoyed. DS didn’t get a horse and came back to our table sulking (par for the course with him). Seemed rather perfunctory though. I was expecting them to have more activities for the kids.
All in all at only $19 less than our meal at the California Grill (which included a glass of wine for me) it wasn’t what I would call a great value.
Breakfast a few days later was a little better. Our waitress was obviously more into things and that helped. She strongly encouraged DH to ask for more syrup and I suspect there would have been some fun and hijinks there but DH who doesn’t like to be the centre of attention refused to go along. They do have wonderful fruit plates which I really can’t say enough good about. Good selection of tasty fresh fruit with a side of yogurt. We had one of those for breakfast and took several back to our rooms as desert, (we were too stuffed for dessert the night we ate there) which we used for breakfast for two days afterwards.
I’d have breakfast again there but probably not dinner.
Backlot Express
Cost of the meal: 34.00
Thumbs Down
Oh my lord! I have never seen so many confused old people in my entire life and I’m not taking about the patrons. The entire staff of the Backlot Express should be enjoying their retirement 100%; no part-time jobs, nothing to fill their time but golf and bridge. The service was ghastly. Not because they weren’t trying but because they were all confused. The family in front of me ordered their food and then tried to play with the DDP. The clerk had done something wrong and in order for them to pay using their credits she for some reason had to void their whole order and re-enter it. This created mayhem in the kitchen. When I got to the counter they had built their order twice and the old guy responsible was calling out “43, 43, 43 … where is the owner of order #43” Meanwhile, the family was holding a ticket for order #46. That order – exactly the same as 43 was also sitting waiting to be claimed but old guy was fixed on 43. They explained twice to him what happened. He would stare at them as they explained and then go back to calling out “43, 43, 43 … where is the owner of order #43” Yah. So I piped in and told him that there was no order 43. That seemed to have worked; 46 took there order and left and old guy stood there holding 43 and literally spinning on the spot. Not sure what to do with this extra order. Eventually that problem went away.
Then the person who ordered after I did got served. When I asked the only non-octogenarian in the room where my order was she told me she just passed out what the kitchen sent her. Back to waiting. Then an order that looked remarkably like mine showed up – without drinks or desserts. This REALLY confused old guy who then asked me what it was missing and tried to fill in the blanks. This stressed him out considerably. After many minutes and the provision of my receipt so that they could read what I was missing we sorted things out and I got my meal. It took FOREVER for us to get 2 hotdogs with fries and two kids’ chicken nuggets and fries an orange soda, a coke, 2 strawberry parfaits, and two puddings. Everything tasted fine. The strawberry parfaits I could have done without. They were VERY cafeteria like and not all that tasty. I didn’t finish mine.
The restaurant was conveniently located and the food was all right but we wouldn’t go back here because the service was just scary.
Kona Café
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 87.04
Tip: 14.71
Thumbs Down
Huge disappointment here. It’s funny how service can really make or break a place. I didn’t have a poor meal anywhere. The food was always good or better but service and atmosphere can really kill an experience. At Kona this was definitely the case. After hearing so much about how heavenly the Poly was I was looking forward to dining there and getting a change to see this resort. Maybe it’s nicer during the day? It was really dark and really noisy! Once in the restaurant it only got worse. DH commented that he could barely hear me from across the table over the din. So all in all – dark and noisy. The tables are also really close together. I felt like I was sharing a table with the people sitting next to us.
The food was okay. I had the Filet Mignon and it was good. I enjoyed it but again it is almost impossible to mess up Filet Mignon. The mashed potatoes were good and I really enjoyed the asparagus spears. They were really cooked nicely. DH had the pan-asian noodles with shrimp. He commented that his veggies were also cooked really nicely and he liked the sweet and sour sauce. So I guess they did well there. DS(3) had a Chicken strip meal. What a hearty meal. He had pasta with tomato sauce and cheese and chicken strips on the side, along with carrots and green beans. He ate well and happily. DD’s meal was a sharp contrast. Although this was partially her clueless parents fault. The menu does say french fries available on request. I thought that meant that the hot dog would come with some other side – not so much. The menu says hot dog it means “hot dog” no embellishments. No sides of veggies or potatoes or anything else. So there is DS sitting and eating a feast and DD(5) had this lonely hot dog on a plate. I gave her half of DS’s veggies (he had enough food for three kids his size) and that was her dinner. Luckily she isn’t a big eater! DS’s meal came with fruit salad for dessert (his reason for ordering it no kidding aside). DD had ice cream. In the end they were both happy.
I took home white chocolate cheese cake for dessert because I was full and fully intended on eating it later but I forgot all about it. I found it cleaning out the fridge as we were leaving to go home. It looked like it would have been good.
DH had a Kona cone. It was underwhelming although I enjoyed pilfering some of his cotton candy and M & Ms.
This was by far the most inexpensive TS dinner we ate. It was though the only one that felt upon finishing that we had eaten because that’s what we did to sustain ourselves. There wasn’t anything particularly entertaining about it.
We got the feeling we annoyed our server. She wasn’t particularly cheery or helpful.
We would not go back. In fact our experience at Kona has even left the Poly itself looking less attractive as a possible hotel for us in the future.
Liberty Tree Tavern
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 91.55
Tip: 15.47
Thumbs: Up
Okay the food here was ho-hum. But the meal was terrific. See – what I said above – atmosphere and service make a big difference. Okay the service wasn’t stop in your tracks wonderful. She did her job effectively and efficiently. I got the feeling she was kind of tired and maybe she was but I can’t complain; the lady did what she was paid to do. The character interaction was wonderful though. And having your food brought to you instead of having to try to time things around character visits was splendid.
The food, as I said earlier, was ho-hum. We had the typical Liberty Tree fare as there really isn’t any other option. Tossed Mixed Greens, served with our special Tavern Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing; roasted turkey breast, carved beef, and smoked pork loin, with mashed potatoes, green beans, herb bread stuffing, and Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese. It was all right but reminded me of cafeteria food – especially the meats. The potatoes were yummy but I’m a sucker for mashed potatoes and I’m pretty much happy eating those no matter how they are prepared. Chef Mickey’s were better though. The green beans were good to. The macaroni and cheese – ummm… was Stouffer’s around in Colonial times and please, tell me, when was real cheese ever that colour. I can’t comment on how they tasted because I didn’t want the experience of tasting them. DH seemed to like them. DS who would join a religion if it involved cheese worship and who I often wonder will morph into the shape of macaroni he eats so much of it, took one bite and threatened us with a really nasty old age home if we made him eat any more. The bread got thumbs up from everyone. Now I have allergies, and at each TS restaurant the chef came out and explained to me what I could and couldn’t eat (nice service!) anyways the ONLY thing he warned me away from (because of nut allergy) was the apple crumble for dessert. He commented that it MIGHT have trace elements in it (not really a big problem for me actually as I pretty much have to bite down on a tree nut to get into trouble and trouble I will get into but trace elements don’t worry me) and that I should have ice cream on the side. So I was ready for my ice cream on the side. Feeling a little like I do when I’m eating at my parents’ house and going along with everything so as not to freak my mother out (since she kept me alive throughout childhood and all). I wanted cobbler; figured I was going to be okay anyways but since the chef went to the trouble and all… So I was completely surprised when dessert arrived and our waitress dumped (no two words about it) a bowl of apple cobbler and ice cream in front of me along with 4 bowls to serve the family and ran out of the room not to be seen again until bill time. I didn’t even have to chance to ask about a separate bowl of ice cream. Now I could have waited patiently for her return but the cobbler was sitting right there how and tempting with the ice cream melting so deliciously on top. I dug in and I didn’t die (yes I’m irresponsible). It was good. Nothing special though. DD commented that her granddad’s was better. She was right.
Where the Liberty Tree Tavern really won out (and what we really paid for) though was the character interaction. It was wonderful! The characters visited often (most more than once). They stayed a good amount of time each time. We didn’t feel rushed. The kids had time to chat, post take pictures and get autographs. The meetings were intimate. The kids had a blast. DH and I were actually able to eat and enjoy our meal.
I liked the individual rooms that they seat you in. I made everything a little cozier. I’m sure it kept the noise and distractions down. It was really nice.
We would go back.
Flame Tree Barbecue
Cost of the meal: 37.09
Thumbs: Down (dirty yucky birds)
Okay this was our only counter service disappointment. Probably because we didn’t order the right things so I guess I can’t really blame the restaurant. BH had a Turkey Sandwich that was good if underwhelming. I had a BBQ chicken Salad. For some bizarre reason I thought I was ordering BBQ chicken and a salad. I wasn’t prepared for strips of cold chicken in a salad. It was all right but not what a really wanted so I was disappointed. To be fair there was nothing wrong with it per se. The kids had hotdogs, carrots, grapes and applesauce. They were happy. For dessert DH had key Lime Pie – he didn’t complain about it. I had chocolate cake. AS always, mmmmmmmmmmm…..
Our big problem with this place were the birds. I like birds. Nothing against them. I don’t however like to eat as they swarm around me searching for food. They were everywhere, as was their poop. It was more than annoying. As were we eating we were just being overrun. For that reason, we won’t eat there again. I don’t know if there are any indoor options for CS at Animal Kingdom but when we go back that is certainly something I will seek out.
Roaring Forks
Cost of the meal: 31.71 (breakfast); 34.66 (lunch)
Tip: 15.47
Thumbs: Up
Oh the much maligned Roaring Forks. I kept hearing over and over again how small it was and how crazy it was in the mornings. Not our experience at all. We had two meals there – a breakfast and a lunch and the food was good, for counter-service food. It was not crazy busy – busy yes, but not crazy. And tables were easy to find. The kids were thrilled with their “coloured cheerios” (my poor sugar and fruit loop deprived children lol) as I let them eat whatever they wanted. The mix your own yogurt was yummy and they certainly didn’t skimp on the fruit. DH had pancakes and so much bacon that he joked that the server either really liked him or thought he needed to be on the Atkins diet.
I was impressed with my options for lunch. I had chicken strips, DH a tasty turkey sandwich and the kids had their beloved chicken nuggets and fries.
All in all I can’t complain. Perhaps, not having visited other CS resort based restaurants I just don’t know what I’m missing but the Roaring Forks served our needs just fine.
Interestingly though, the breakfast we had there was only $5 less than the one we have at Whispering Canyon Café. Considering that I ate less than I did at the TS restaurant I’m thinking I would probably opt to eat at WCC rather than hustle for things at Roaring Forks.
We easily and cheaply ate most breakfasts in our room as it was.
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 95.81
Tip: 14.19
Thumbs Up
Chef Mickey’s was the first restaurant we visited on our trip a mere 2 ½ hours after getting off the plane. This was BIG mistake because thereafter whenever we came anywhere near the Contemporary the kids asked if we could go back to Chef Mickey’s and ALL meals were compared to that first meal and not even the California Grill measured up. For the kids that was. Their parents, not that impressed.
Okay the food was fine. Good actually. I enjoyed the Prime Rib even though it was a little fatty. It was tender and cooked the way I like it – medium rare. I also really enjoyed the mashed potatoes. I had salad which was typical buffet salad – nothing to write my grandmother about but not bad and passed on the cooked veggies because to me they didn’t look that appetizing. The broccoli was covered in cheese sauce that looked unappetizingly like melted cheese whiz. The carrots were floating in some kind of watery sauce. I also turned my nose up at them but DH and DS enjoyed them so maybe I just needed broader horizons. DH also made mention of the rice and beans and really good and he still hasn’t stopped raving about the sausage and sauerkraut that I was too full to try. My son who loves chicken nuggets turned his nose up at the one’s at Chef Mickey’s. I couldn’t blame him. They looked yummy but they were tasteless and over-breaded. The dessert buffet is varied and I enjoyed almost everything I popped into my mouth. The chocolate cake was particularly good but I was disappointed that the cake itself have been ravaged before I got there and while I hung about hoping they would bring a fresh one out they didn’t so what I essentially got was the leftover bottom layer of a piece someone else had taken the rest of. It was still good though and I would have eaten more had there been more.
What I didn’t like especially compared to the other character meals we had later (Liberty Tree Tavern and Tusker House) was the character interaction. It was kind of piss poor. And the character interaction is what you’re paying for here so I expected it to be top notch. We went most of our meal without having a character stop by the greet us. They were there – we could see them visiting other tables but it seemed whenever our turn was coming up they needed to do a dance or take a break or anything but stop and spend time with my kids. In the end I think we did get to see everyone but it was always hurried and not what I would call spectacular interaction.
Our waitress was also less than stellar. I hope she had worked a long and annoying day and that wasn’t her general mood but I wouldn’t call her cheery. I actually saw her roll her eyes when one of the children stepped in her way. She didn’t re-fill drinks and she never cleared the table of used plates so eventually I resorted to giving everything to the poor guy who was bussing the table next to us. Not a $100 dollar experience at all.
The kid’s, though, they had a stellar experience. They had fun and it was the perfect meal to take kids who were a bit hyper after traveling all day. It was loud and noisy and no one was expected to sit in their seat and behave like Little Lord Fauntleroy.
We would go again.
Electric Umbrella
2 CS credits each
Cost of the meal: 32.10
Thumbs Up
Okay the best laid plans. I had all these plans to make sure I hit CS restaurants before 11:30 in an attempt to not be there during the busiest part of the day. Didn’t manage that once. We had planned to eat at Sunshine Seasons after doing Soarin’but the kids were quite insistent that they wanted chicken nuggets for lunch to we hauled ourselves over to the Electric Umbrella.
I’m glad we did. The food was really good. For a CS place I was impressed. I was in shock at the cost but I congratulated myself on having purchased the dining plan and I liked the food so no harm no foul.
I had a Bacon cheeseburger which for some odd reason the clerk informed me she would have to “charge me extra for the bacon” which would have made a difference if I wasn’t using the dining plan. Since I was and she knew I was (I told her before ordering) why bother confusing me (I expected to have to pull out .50 to pay her; I didn’t); DH had a double Cheeseburger. The kids had their beloved chicken nuggets. For dessert the kids had Jello and DH and I had chocolate chip cookies which we took away with us. It was simple fast food but the burgers, it my opinion, were above average and the service was quick.
The place itself was a zoo. Not because there wasn’t enough seating; I think there is plenty but there is a whole bunch of seating to the right (and slightly behind) the serving area that I think people miss. The obvious seating fills up fast at that time of the day (it was raining so sitting outside was not a good option) and things get a little hectic.
Still a good choice that I would chose to repeat should the opportunity present itself.
California Grill
2 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 118.96 + 29.02 (OOP)
Tip: 28.02
Two Thumbs WAY Up
Another mistake here. Shouldn’t have put this restaurant on day 2 of our trip. This is definitely a trip ending restaurant because nothing ever measured up again. We had the most delightful meal here. Food was excellent. Service was exemplarily. Setting an atmosphere were lovely. We dressed for dinner and were happy with that decision. Certainly there were people there in park clothes but I know I would have been uncomfortable and self-conscious to be them. Most people were dressed a step up from casual for a special night out. It certainly was special.
DH and I began our meal with a Wild Mushroom Soup that isn’t on the online menus I’ve seen. It was very good with just enough spice. Maybe it was a little salty in the end but not overpoweringly so and almost like the salt had settled in the bottom of our bowl because it wasn't something I noticed when I started to drink this soup. For our main course I had the Oak-fired Filet of Beef with Roasted Root Vegetables, Edamame and Teriyaki Barbecue Sauce. It was heavenly. The filet was done just perfectly. The sides were good although there weren’t a lot of them. In the end I ate everything on my plate. I was satisfied – not too much, not too little with just enough room for dessert. DH had the Crispy Petite Chicken with Potato Gnocchi, Creamy Kohlrabi, Pomegranate Reduction and Chervil. His comment was that it was certainly “petite.” But he enjoyed it and particularly liked the gnocchi. In the end he too was satisfied – not bloated and not hungry – and he’s a big guy (6’1, 200 lbs) and a hearty eater. He too had room for dessert. Dessert was the perfect way to top off a good meal. I had the Valrhona Chocolate Cake with orange ice cream and DH had the Honey Crunch Cake. DH isn’t a big dessert guy and he had great things to say about this cake. It was light and tasty and he really enjoyed the sponge toffee crumbled over it. I’m always happy to be eating chocolate – but the cake was special. I tend to be leery of cakes with molten centres as then tend to be disappointing. Not this one. The chocolate centre was warm and rich. It was wonderfully paired with the orange ice cream and I’m disappointed that I won’t be having it again anytime soon.
The kid’s were entertained from the beginning of the meal and the waitstaff (not just our waiter but those from other tables) kept them wonderfully entertained with a nice word here or a smile there. With that our rambunctious kids were little angels for most of the meal. PS was thrilled to have pizza (Mickey shaped!). DD morphed into an incredibly picky eater this trip and while the Chef kindly prepared a cheeseless Pizza for her she only at a little of it and then only under duress. They finished there meal off with vanilla ice cream that in its own simple way was also quite good.
Our waiter was attentive, helpful and personable. The only time I felt that I wanted/needed to tip more than 20% (and we did). The Chef who visited our table because I have food allergies was wonderfully accommodating and helpful. Of all the Chefs I met during our trip he was the only one who gave me the impression that he cared whether I lived or died in his restaurant rather than I was interrupting his busy job and annoying him. He brought the kids’ pizzas out himself.
All in all it was a great meal and experience and one we will certainly hope to recreate in the future. Dollar for dollar it wasn’t all that expensive either. While it was the most expensive of our week of meals it was only marginally more than Whispering Canyon Café and that’s a little laughable.
Columbia House Harbour
1 CS credit each
Cost of the meal: 30.00
Thumbs Up
We ended up here after DH turned his nose up (why I don’t know) at Peco’s Bill’s. It was a good meal. One in which I was left looking particularly unhealthy and my kids and DH super good. The kids ALWAYS wanted chicken nuggets and fries and we blindly ordered them the chicken and salad thinking that they were getting nuggets and fries. Well no, they got grilled chicken and salad which is not a real kid favorite if you know what I mean. DD(5) had a small meltdown over this. DS just chowed right down quite happily. Once DD realized nothing else was forthcoming she gave the chicken a try and discovered that she actually like it. Go figure. So they ate happily.
I guilty sat there and ate my chicken fingers and fries. What kind of a place offers chicken fingers and fries for adults but not kids? DH had chowder and a ½ a sandwich with strawberry yogurt for dessert. No complaints from him. I had chocolate cake (again guiltily) and mmmmm…. What more can I say?
The kids had applesauce as part of their meal and cookies as dessert. I nabbed the cookies for later (later being in about an hour actually lol).Good meal. We would return.
Whispering Canyon Café
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 117.31
Tip: lost the tip receipt but I would expect 18%
Thumbs Down
It was all right which isn’t saying much. I’m sorry it didn’t live up to its hype at all. I definitely would have enjoyed it more if I didn’t know what to expect but I probably wouldn’t have made a reservation there in that case. We have both breakfast and dinner there during our trip. I would probably not eat there again. It wasn’t awful it just wasn’t all that great. First off it was the longest wait for a table of our entire trip and probably the only place we arrived on time for our ADR (we were never more than about 5 minutes late anywhere but despite trying hard we always seemed to be running late). We waited about a half hour to be seated and as we wanted to get to EMH at MK that night really made me antsy. When we finally did get a seat our waitress was pleasant enough but not really a crazy type although she did throw our straws at us – the last crazy thing to happen directly to us.
For dinner the whole family had the canyon skillet. Hmmm… what to say? The salad was good – again not great just a typical salad. The kids enjoyed kid’s meal watermelon and the appetizer which I must say is a brilliant idea. Our kids will eat salad but were thrilled with watermelon. The bread was a huge hit with DS(3) and DH was happy as he was in the midst of a rare cornbread craving. The skillet was WAY too much food for the four of us to eat and we were hungry to start with. It was tasty enough but there was nothing that sent me over the top. The pulled pork was pretty tasteless and was only made palatable by drowning it in barbecue sauce. The ribs were good although a little on the meatless side. I didn’t have the chicken but DH said it was all right. The potatoes were all right (there’s that phrase again!) but a little lukewarm. The corn was good though! The only thing was asked for seconds of since you only get four little pieces. The kids each had one; I had two, which left DH with none. They brought shrimp on the side for DH (I’m allergic). He ate them he said because he felt they had gone out of their way to serve him some. I’m a novice here having never eaten them but he said they were prepared his least favorite way needing to be peeled and with the legs (yuck! He showed me) still one.
We hade shakes and smoothies – again they were all right. I never realized they were bottomless though – I should read the menu more carefully – and no one ever offered me a re-fill. In fact it was often difficult to even locate our waitress.
We were seated at the back, near the kitchen so all the waitstaff had to walk by our table. They do this thing where they bang their serving tables on the floor as they walk. It was amusing for the first five minutes we were seated after that it just got old. There were a couple of calls for ketchup that were a little amusing but not a lot and people didn’t seem really all that in to the joke either. The one funny thing was some guy who drank all his soda – the calling down he got was hilarious and I was left wishing we had his waitress instead of our own. The kids had one race around the restaurant that DD enjoyed. DS didn’t get a horse and came back to our table sulking (par for the course with him). Seemed rather perfunctory though. I was expecting them to have more activities for the kids.
All in all at only $19 less than our meal at the California Grill (which included a glass of wine for me) it wasn’t what I would call a great value.
Breakfast a few days later was a little better. Our waitress was obviously more into things and that helped. She strongly encouraged DH to ask for more syrup and I suspect there would have been some fun and hijinks there but DH who doesn’t like to be the centre of attention refused to go along. They do have wonderful fruit plates which I really can’t say enough good about. Good selection of tasty fresh fruit with a side of yogurt. We had one of those for breakfast and took several back to our rooms as desert, (we were too stuffed for dessert the night we ate there) which we used for breakfast for two days afterwards.
I’d have breakfast again there but probably not dinner.
Backlot Express
Cost of the meal: 34.00
Thumbs Down
Oh my lord! I have never seen so many confused old people in my entire life and I’m not taking about the patrons. The entire staff of the Backlot Express should be enjoying their retirement 100%; no part-time jobs, nothing to fill their time but golf and bridge. The service was ghastly. Not because they weren’t trying but because they were all confused. The family in front of me ordered their food and then tried to play with the DDP. The clerk had done something wrong and in order for them to pay using their credits she for some reason had to void their whole order and re-enter it. This created mayhem in the kitchen. When I got to the counter they had built their order twice and the old guy responsible was calling out “43, 43, 43 … where is the owner of order #43” Meanwhile, the family was holding a ticket for order #46. That order – exactly the same as 43 was also sitting waiting to be claimed but old guy was fixed on 43. They explained twice to him what happened. He would stare at them as they explained and then go back to calling out “43, 43, 43 … where is the owner of order #43” Yah. So I piped in and told him that there was no order 43. That seemed to have worked; 46 took there order and left and old guy stood there holding 43 and literally spinning on the spot. Not sure what to do with this extra order. Eventually that problem went away.
Then the person who ordered after I did got served. When I asked the only non-octogenarian in the room where my order was she told me she just passed out what the kitchen sent her. Back to waiting. Then an order that looked remarkably like mine showed up – without drinks or desserts. This REALLY confused old guy who then asked me what it was missing and tried to fill in the blanks. This stressed him out considerably. After many minutes and the provision of my receipt so that they could read what I was missing we sorted things out and I got my meal. It took FOREVER for us to get 2 hotdogs with fries and two kids’ chicken nuggets and fries an orange soda, a coke, 2 strawberry parfaits, and two puddings. Everything tasted fine. The strawberry parfaits I could have done without. They were VERY cafeteria like and not all that tasty. I didn’t finish mine.
The restaurant was conveniently located and the food was all right but we wouldn’t go back here because the service was just scary.
Kona Café
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 87.04
Tip: 14.71
Thumbs Down
Huge disappointment here. It’s funny how service can really make or break a place. I didn’t have a poor meal anywhere. The food was always good or better but service and atmosphere can really kill an experience. At Kona this was definitely the case. After hearing so much about how heavenly the Poly was I was looking forward to dining there and getting a change to see this resort. Maybe it’s nicer during the day? It was really dark and really noisy! Once in the restaurant it only got worse. DH commented that he could barely hear me from across the table over the din. So all in all – dark and noisy. The tables are also really close together. I felt like I was sharing a table with the people sitting next to us.
The food was okay. I had the Filet Mignon and it was good. I enjoyed it but again it is almost impossible to mess up Filet Mignon. The mashed potatoes were good and I really enjoyed the asparagus spears. They were really cooked nicely. DH had the pan-asian noodles with shrimp. He commented that his veggies were also cooked really nicely and he liked the sweet and sour sauce. So I guess they did well there. DS(3) had a Chicken strip meal. What a hearty meal. He had pasta with tomato sauce and cheese and chicken strips on the side, along with carrots and green beans. He ate well and happily. DD’s meal was a sharp contrast. Although this was partially her clueless parents fault. The menu does say french fries available on request. I thought that meant that the hot dog would come with some other side – not so much. The menu says hot dog it means “hot dog” no embellishments. No sides of veggies or potatoes or anything else. So there is DS sitting and eating a feast and DD(5) had this lonely hot dog on a plate. I gave her half of DS’s veggies (he had enough food for three kids his size) and that was her dinner. Luckily she isn’t a big eater! DS’s meal came with fruit salad for dessert (his reason for ordering it no kidding aside). DD had ice cream. In the end they were both happy.
I took home white chocolate cheese cake for dessert because I was full and fully intended on eating it later but I forgot all about it. I found it cleaning out the fridge as we were leaving to go home. It looked like it would have been good.
DH had a Kona cone. It was underwhelming although I enjoyed pilfering some of his cotton candy and M & Ms. This was by far the most inexpensive TS dinner we ate. It was though the only one that felt upon finishing that we had eaten because that’s what we did to sustain ourselves. There wasn’t anything particularly entertaining about it.
We got the feeling we annoyed our server. She wasn’t particularly cheery or helpful.
We would not go back. In fact our experience at Kona has even left the Poly itself looking less attractive as a possible hotel for us in the future.
Liberty Tree Tavern
1 TS credit each
Cost of the meal: 91.55
Tip: 15.47
Thumbs: Up
Okay the food here was ho-hum. But the meal was terrific. See – what I said above – atmosphere and service make a big difference. Okay the service wasn’t stop in your tracks wonderful. She did her job effectively and efficiently. I got the feeling she was kind of tired and maybe she was but I can’t complain; the lady did what she was paid to do. The character interaction was wonderful though. And having your food brought to you instead of having to try to time things around character visits was splendid.
The food, as I said earlier, was ho-hum. We had the typical Liberty Tree fare as there really isn’t any other option. Tossed Mixed Greens, served with our special Tavern Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing; roasted turkey breast, carved beef, and smoked pork loin, with mashed potatoes, green beans, herb bread stuffing, and Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese. It was all right but reminded me of cafeteria food – especially the meats. The potatoes were yummy but I’m a sucker for mashed potatoes and I’m pretty much happy eating those no matter how they are prepared. Chef Mickey’s were better though. The green beans were good to. The macaroni and cheese – ummm… was Stouffer’s around in Colonial times and please, tell me, when was real cheese ever that colour. I can’t comment on how they tasted because I didn’t want the experience of tasting them. DH seemed to like them. DS who would join a religion if it involved cheese worship and who I often wonder will morph into the shape of macaroni he eats so much of it, took one bite and threatened us with a really nasty old age home if we made him eat any more. The bread got thumbs up from everyone. Now I have allergies, and at each TS restaurant the chef came out and explained to me what I could and couldn’t eat (nice service!) anyways the ONLY thing he warned me away from (because of nut allergy) was the apple crumble for dessert. He commented that it MIGHT have trace elements in it (not really a big problem for me actually as I pretty much have to bite down on a tree nut to get into trouble and trouble I will get into but trace elements don’t worry me) and that I should have ice cream on the side. So I was ready for my ice cream on the side. Feeling a little like I do when I’m eating at my parents’ house and going along with everything so as not to freak my mother out (since she kept me alive throughout childhood and all). I wanted cobbler; figured I was going to be okay anyways but since the chef went to the trouble and all… So I was completely surprised when dessert arrived and our waitress dumped (no two words about it) a bowl of apple cobbler and ice cream in front of me along with 4 bowls to serve the family and ran out of the room not to be seen again until bill time. I didn’t even have to chance to ask about a separate bowl of ice cream. Now I could have waited patiently for her return but the cobbler was sitting right there how and tempting with the ice cream melting so deliciously on top. I dug in and I didn’t die (yes I’m irresponsible). It was good. Nothing special though. DD commented that her granddad’s was better. She was right.
Where the Liberty Tree Tavern really won out (and what we really paid for) though was the character interaction. It was wonderful! The characters visited often (most more than once). They stayed a good amount of time each time. We didn’t feel rushed. The kids had time to chat, post take pictures and get autographs. The meetings were intimate. The kids had a blast. DH and I were actually able to eat and enjoy our meal.
I liked the individual rooms that they seat you in. I made everything a little cozier. I’m sure it kept the noise and distractions down. It was really nice.
We would go back.
Flame Tree Barbecue
Cost of the meal: 37.09
Thumbs: Down (dirty yucky birds)
Okay this was our only counter service disappointment. Probably because we didn’t order the right things so I guess I can’t really blame the restaurant. BH had a Turkey Sandwich that was good if underwhelming. I had a BBQ chicken Salad. For some bizarre reason I thought I was ordering BBQ chicken and a salad. I wasn’t prepared for strips of cold chicken in a salad. It was all right but not what a really wanted so I was disappointed. To be fair there was nothing wrong with it per se. The kids had hotdogs, carrots, grapes and applesauce. They were happy. For dessert DH had key Lime Pie – he didn’t complain about it. I had chocolate cake. AS always, mmmmmmmmmmm…..
Our big problem with this place were the birds. I like birds. Nothing against them. I don’t however like to eat as they swarm around me searching for food. They were everywhere, as was their poop. It was more than annoying. As were we eating we were just being overrun. For that reason, we won’t eat there again. I don’t know if there are any indoor options for CS at Animal Kingdom but when we go back that is certainly something I will seek out.
Roaring Forks
Cost of the meal: 31.71 (breakfast); 34.66 (lunch)
Tip: 15.47
Thumbs: Up
Oh the much maligned Roaring Forks. I kept hearing over and over again how small it was and how crazy it was in the mornings. Not our experience at all. We had two meals there – a breakfast and a lunch and the food was good, for counter-service food. It was not crazy busy – busy yes, but not crazy. And tables were easy to find. The kids were thrilled with their “coloured cheerios” (my poor sugar and fruit loop deprived children lol) as I let them eat whatever they wanted. The mix your own yogurt was yummy and they certainly didn’t skimp on the fruit. DH had pancakes and so much bacon that he joked that the server either really liked him or thought he needed to be on the Atkins diet.
I was impressed with my options for lunch. I had chicken strips, DH a tasty turkey sandwich and the kids had their beloved chicken nuggets and fries.
All in all I can’t complain. Perhaps, not having visited other CS resort based restaurants I just don’t know what I’m missing but the Roaring Forks served our needs just fine.
Interestingly though, the breakfast we had there was only $5 less than the one we have at Whispering Canyon Café. Considering that I ate less than I did at the TS restaurant I’m thinking I would probably opt to eat at WCC rather than hustle for things at Roaring Forks.
We easily and cheaply ate most breakfasts in our room as it was.
thanks for the honesty! DH would love the sushi @ CG! It looks like a must do, thanks for the review!
