Jiko's or Artist Pointe?

[mommy22pumpkins]

hi all. We are staying at the Poly in Sept and wondering which would be the better choice...Jiko or AP? We are thinking Artist Pointe would be easier to get to somewhat...monorail to MK then boat to WL. But we've heard such good reviews about Jiko the the boards and we've never seen AKL so tempted to try this one out. We have never been to either restaurant though.

Also...if we chose Jiko how would you get to AKL? I know there is a bus to take us to AK park...but how do you get to the restaurant. Sorry if these are silly questions! We are clueless

thanks for any advice!

Danielle

 

[jcc0621]

Haven't been to Jiko, but we love Artist Point (even if my mother is a CM there ). Love the mushrrom soup. DH had the Buffalo and absolutely said it was the best piece of meet he ever had. I had a sirloin that was out of this world.

As for transportation from Poly for WL Monorail to MK. Boat to WL.
From Poly to AKL - Monorail to MK then bus to AKL

Enjoy, whiatever you decide

 

[Wistful_Thinking]

Artist's Point...

Quiet atmosphere, tables far enough apart that you won't be involved in your neighbor's converations, and did I mention great food!

 

[pixie08]

I really like both but Jiko wins my vote.

 

[DizOz]

Must agree with JCC we loved the mushroom soup at AP. Saying that my DW love Jiko and we went back there twice as well as AP during our last visit in December.

 

[Smee]

Ooooooooo....I wanna be at Artist Point right now!!
It is my favorite at WDW. Their halibut is incredible, salmon is good too, as are the scallops, but the halibut.....yummmmmmmmmmmm.
P.S. A good mojito can be had from the bar there, too!

 

[kandmwedding]

Never been to Jiko, but I loooooove Artist Point! Mmmmmmm....

 

[yxe dad]

Jiko, it's on my must eat at list! AP was good last trip but Jiko was amazing.

 

[hrt2hrtmomdeb]

Artist Point is great... Jiko is OUTSTANDING which ever one you decide on you will definitely have a fantastic dinner!!!

 

[MissionMouse]

One factor you might also consider is the menu since you have a better idea of the types of foods you like better than we do...
Jiko
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=229
Artist Pointe
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=15

 

[Cass]

That's a tough one, I love both these restaurants.

Jiko has delicious flatbread, yum.... but my dinner at AP was outstanding (cobbler for dessert!)

You can't go wrong with either one really.

 

[madalex]

They are both wonderful. I just made my ADRs for my 10/08 trip and I am going to both. In the end, Jiko wins by a hair due to the somewhat more interesting food and the slightly better wine list.

 

[sasmmb]

I prefer Jiko as they have a more varied menu, and it's food that's hard to get just anywhere. Also since you have never been to AKL, it's worth going there for that alone as it is an amazing hotel! Be sure to go out back as they have their own animal savannah.

As for transportation, you can bus to Animal Kingdom and then transfer to a bus to AKL. The problem is when you are done with dinner, you may not be able to reverse it since AK closes earlier than the other parks. I think Disney's standard is to bus to Downtown Disney and transfer to a bus to your resort. Having done this once, it is a PITA. (Unless you want to spend time at Downtown Disney after your dinner). My suggestion is to take a metered cab. It really doesn't cost all that much. Be sure it is a METERED cab and not just a regular cab or car as they charge an arm and a leg and you don't know that until you get to your destination. You can ask the bellman / valet at Poly or AKL to get you a metered cab.

Enjoy and Bon Apetit!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

I would pick Jiko. We have dined at both Jiko and Artist Point and Jiko is much, much better.

 

[shellybaxter]

We like AP alright - but only eat there ever couple of trips due to a menu that is limited in our opinion. On the other hand we NEVER miss Jiko on any trip - sometimes we eat there twice in one trip. The menu is so varied and we love the wine list.

As for transportation - it is probably easier to get to AP but I wouldn't call it easy. The transportation to Jiko would either be bus to AK and then bus to AKL or monorail to Mk and bus to AKL.

 

[jarrdisney]

AP hands down. We've been to Jiko 3 times and have yet to have a good experience. The service and food has always been good to great at AP. I don't consider Jiko's filet with mac and cheese to be interesting at all. It's an overdone dish that you could have found at any new american restaurant 5 years ago. The other entrees like the lamb shank have been underseasoned and dry. The only redeeming quality is the S. African wine list. I want to like Jiko, but after 3 poor experiences it's hard to justify going back. We've been to AP plenty of times and would recomend it to anyone who enjoys a nice, laid back meal. The soup, salmon, and buffalo are all signature dishes. While none are very innovative, and the menu hardly changes, they usually execute their dishes very well. Try to ask for Gary as your server. He's one of the best at WDW.

 

[Smee]

We like AP alright - but only eat there ever couple of trips due to a menu that is limited in our opinion. On the other hand we NEVER miss Jiko on any trip - sometimes we eat there twice in one trip. The menu is so varied and we love the wine list.

As for transportation - it is probably easier to get to AP but I wouldn't call it easy. The transportation to Jiko would either be bus to AK and then bus to AKL or monorail to Mk and bus to AKL.

You can also take the monorail to the Contemporary and a boat launch from there to WL. Of course, if you are running short on time, it is a quick cab ride from the Poly to WL

 

[pilferk]

In the end, I don't think you can make a bad choice between those two. They've both excellent.

I prefer Jiko's. IMHO, it's second only to Victoria and Alberts in dining quality at WDW. The food is amazing, the service is DEVINE, and the wine is just stellar.

Artist's Point IS great, though, and would probably waffle between 3rd and 4th on my "list". It will be much more convenient for you to get to, from the Poly....monorail over to the MK and boat launch to WL.

If you're going the taxi route (or other transportation), though..the transports not really going to matter (other than time and cost), unless you're in a hurry to get somewhere AFTERWARDS (to the MK for Spectro and fireworks, for example).

 

[patsal]

Of the two I prefer Artist Point. We just ate at Jiko on Friday and I was underimpressed. This was not a first time for us and though I'm sure it won't be the last, it was unremarkable. Personally, there is more on the Artist point menu that I enjoy than of the Jiko menu.
First the service was pretty weak. We were seated ordered an appetizer to share and wine as well as soft drinks for the kids--refills never offered. We did ask once and that was all that they got. Dinners were easy, everyone ordered the filet and mac and cheese. All cooked alike as well, so it wasn't like we were difficult. We did not order dessert as we were full from the dinner. We had no dining plan or discount. We left a 15% tip as service was subpar.

 

[pilferk]

We like AP alright - but only eat there ever couple of trips due to a menu that is limited in our opinion. On the other hand we NEVER miss Jiko on any trip - sometimes we eat there twice in one trip. The menu is so varied and we love the wine list.

As for transportation - it is probably easier to get to AP but I wouldn't call it easy. The transportation to Jiko would either be bus to AK and then bus to AKL or monorail to Mk and bus to AKL.

Just as another option:

Walk to the TTC from the Poly (I love that walk, FYI) and take the Epcot Monorail. Then bus to AKL.

I find that works the best, especially during the "slower" seasons because Epcot is USUALLY open later than many of the other parks.