Just Back. Dining Thoughts for 4/28 to 5/5

[PrincessWithABlaster]

So we spent last week at Disney and I thought I'd give a brief description of our dining experienced.

First: Mobile order was definitely still worthwhile. The only place that was really backed up when we used it was Aloha Isle. It saved us a lot of time and was a much more pleasant experience than going up to the counter to order.

BOG. Farewell BOG TS dinner. We will have young Disney adults for the next many years so Prix fixe is totally out of the question. At least we had a good last supper. We had a really nice server. Both DH and I really enjoyed the food (I had the braised beef). In what has become a recurring theme for us at Disney, our server disappeared right around the time we were hoping to get the check. He was gone 15 or 20 mins. I ended up taking the kids out and DH sat alone at a 6 person table until he finally returned. This has happened to us too many times to count at Disney.

Sci Fi Diner: This was a total bust for us. The food was mediocre at best, our server was nice but very inattentive. And it wasn't just her. She, of course, disappeared when we wanted the check and she wasn't the only one. Two other tables around us were trying to find their servers too (they each had separate servers not ours). One guy got up and went in the back to find someone to get him his check. And there was a wait in the lobby which was totally on Disney. I don't know if FL has mandatory breaks that include servers (WI had them for non-tipped workers but not tipped ones when I was a server) or they don't do a good job of training servers. Also, the movie clips really disturbed my middle daughter. She did not like all the violence (even though it was 50's era and earlier violence). She's watched the Star Wars movies but the women screaming and zombies freaked her out and she asked to leave before we could finish our meal. Our son wasn't too keen on the clips either.

Via Napoli: It was ok. A little loud for our liking though.

Coral Reef: Really good experience. I already posted about it.

CRT: A lot of people say the food is mediocre here but I we really enjoyed it. It was nice to have a choice of appetizer and the steak and shrimp was very good. I also really liked the new Jaq and Gus (I liked the older version with the lime and oats too). The amaretto cheese cake was delicious. The chef came out and talked to us about our meals - apparently he had some free time - and said this version of the steak and shrimp was new so he was looking for feedback. I had it without the bleu cheese (he was mock offended) and I thought it was really very good.

Tusker House: I loved it the first time I went, but I feel like it's been slipping. There were only 2 or 3 entrée options that were Indian/African inspired which I thought was weak. And I remember having more interesting bread options in the past. I keep wanting it to be as good as the first time and the last two times it just hasn't been.

CP: The usual. We go for the characters. I don't love it, I don't hate it. The service was fine but nothing special and the same for the food.

Oh and one more thing. Our favorite QS meal this time was at La Cantina in Epcot. DH and I though the food was very flavorful for QS.

Ok, two more things. If you are in Epcot for F&G, go to Canada and get the whiskey, maple, and popcorn shake. Yes, it sounds bad but it was delicious. The best drink I had all week. I wanted to go back for more. It was even better than the Grand Marnier slushie in France. If you like whiskey at all, it's really good.

 

[Goldilocks07]

Love this very candid post! I'm going tomorrow and happy to read this review!

 

[NYCgrrl]

Thank you for taking the time to write up your experiences and observations.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Welcome home, my friend!

I too have experienced trips where our wait staff was no where to be found when it came time to settle the check. Or they took my charge card and disappeared with it. It is really frustrating.

 

[Hope Soda]

I feel exactly the same about CRT. It's one of my favorite restaurants for the food, and my boys love it, too (probably just for the swords, and a little for the princesses).

I'm also totally with you on the disappearing servers at check time! I hate that and it happens all the time (not just at Disney, but it's generally more annoying at Disney because that's when I'm most likely to have something else on the schedule after). I will say that CRT and Garden Grill always seem to have the most attentive servers for us, and our last Tusker House server was wonderfully attentive. My 4 year old missed Mickey and Donald when he went potty (#1), then Donald again when he went potty again (#2)! They had both characters come around back to back, and set us up to take our pictures in front of a door and some decorations instead of with tables in the background. And they took the pictures so my husband could be in them, too!

However, we always have the slowest service at Sanaa, but the food's just so good and we aren't usually on a time crunch, so it's not a huge deal. We have learned to ask for the check as soon as we're done ordering from a restaurant in the parks though.

 

[GillianP1301]

Good post! I like to read realistic and down to earth type reviews like this. The waiting for the bill at the end of a meal is one of my biggest pet peeves (and not just at WDW). At Disney, it bothers me even more because once we're done, we want to move onto the next thing on our plan. So, I have started to ask for the bill whenever they bring the dessert. That almost always works to get it to your table quickly. Sometimes still get stuck waiting for it to get returned as process for signature though, but it does help a little bit. At a buffet, I will often ask for the bill well before I know I'm done so that it's all settled and I can leave exactly when I want.

 

[Lanie]

The waiters disapearing when it's time to get the check is really a pet peeve of mine. And it really makes no sense because if they were awesome before that it kind of leaves you with a so-so service impression at the end and could affect the tip!

Thanks for the reviews

 

[KenHutch]

Glad you had fun. A question, my 8 year old god daughters father is Hispanic so she loves the food. Can you give some details about your experience in Epcot? We have only eaten there once and I thought it was just OK but I know she will want to eat there.