Just Back, Few Thoughts . . .

[LaMickey]

We just returned from a week at WDW and the information I gained from these boards was very helpful. So, I thought I would return the favor and post some of our experiences. Below are some of my random thoughts and opinions on the restaurants we visited. Please remember this is only my opinion (and some from my family), and I am far from an expert.

As background we are a family of 10, me, DW and 8 kids ranging in age from 3to 15. Sorry no good food pictures. It always seemed we were done by the time I thought to take pictures of the food. Oh, and no DDP. It was all OOP although I did have a TiW card.

ARRIVAL DAY:
Chef Mickey’s
I need to start here with the fact that we took a calculated risk with this one. When we originally booked the 5:45pm ADR we were planning to arrive mid-day. Because of some travel changes our flight was scheduled to land at 3:30pm. We knew we would be cutting it close and we were. We checked-in at CR (staying at BLT) at 5:15 and headed straight to the restaurant.

Ok, now the restaurant. Liked it well enough. Food was just Ok, but not at all bad. After reading some of the reviews I was worried, but some of the things, like the carving station, I actually enjoyed. The character interaction was terrific and the kids really enjoyed the napkin dance. Because it is out in the open at the CR it is a bit noisy and there is a lot of stimulus all around. Also, probably because we were still in travel mode this was not a relaxing dinner. There is something for everyone and given it is a chance to see Mickey, Minnie, and the gang I would suggest it for families with little ones.

DAY 1: This is our first real day at WDW and, of course, we planned to spend it at MK. We got there before opening and were able to accomplish most of our want list before the crowds got too bad. We took a mid-afternoon break and went back later in the afternoon/evening to do a few more things, but did not stay through the fireworks. We caught them from the resort.

Crystal Palace
We were lucky enough to get a pre-park opening ADR (8:05am). Staying at BLT we got there with no trouble, checked-in and were seated by about 8:15am. I think we all really enjoyed this meal. I know breakfast food is mostly the same everywhere, but there was a good variety and you could get quite a bit made to order. I think I ate too much, but I love breakfast and this was the only one we scheduled. Again here, the character interaction was really good, although the characters at Chef Mickey’s were more interactive and fun. We also had to wait to see Tigger during which time the little kids began to get antsy. Overall a really good experience. And, we got out just after the park had opened so we were able to catch some of the busier ride before the crowds arrived.

Tomorrowland TerraceWe had just dodged a rain shower and leaving Tomorrowland, so we decided to stop in for a quick lunch. Hamburgers, chicken nuggets, etc. kept everyone happy. I found generally the CS locations were not all that different in terms of quality of food with a couple of exceptions I’ll note as I go. This was not one of those that stood out, and the seating is covered but outside. It was cooler at this time because of the rain, but I would prefer a spot with AC in June.

Snack note: The little kids wanted a Mickey ice cream and since were in Adventureland at the time I took the opportunity to try my 1st ever Dole Whip. It will be a regular stop. I prefer the float. I even now own a Dole Whip T-shirt.

Contempo CaféThis is the CS location at the CR and we ended up grabbing a few things there a couple of times. I won’t list every occasion, but will say I thought the food was excellent. I had the turkey BLT and the kids ordered flatbreads (fancy name for pizza), and we were pleasantly surprised. It was much better than the standard food in the parks.

Two side notes here: (1) While I did manage enough self control to avoid the cupcakes at the Contempo they looked delicious. Not sure I could have gone there again without trying one. And (2) the habanero margarita at the Outer Rim Lounge is really good.

I'll be back with more later, and would be happy to provide any additional information I can.

DAY 2 - Epcot / Wolfgang Puck's Cafe - Post #7
DAY 3 - CRT - Post #8
DAY 4 - Sci-Fi Drive In Diner - Post #10

 

[alice99]

Excellent information.... looking forward to hearing more later.

 

[NOLAdisneymom]

Excellent information! Keep em coming!

 

[IllinoisMommy]

Sounds like a good start- glad you could get early ADRs at Cp, this is great before park opening. I really gotta try a Dole Whip next trip (though it will be December so maybe not as refreshing as in summer)

 

[jabead]

As background we are a family of 10, me, DW and 8 kids ranging in age from 3to 15. Sorry no good food pictures. It always seemed we were done by the time I thought to take pictures of the food.

Wow, with 8 kids I totally understand that taking pictures of your food would be the last thing you would think about at meal time. So no worries...you are doing a great job of conveying your thoughts without the use of pictures. And I'm really looking forward to reading the rest.

 

[LaMickey]

Thanks for the feedback!

Actually the 8 kids really made the trip fun. And, we managed a whole week without losing any.

Day 2 coming next . . .

 

[LaMickey]

DAY 2:
This is our Epcot day. We had breakfast in the room and caught the monorail over to the park. We got there just after 9:00 and the crowds were pretty light. The plan was to do as much as we could at a comfortable pace and head back to the resort mid-afternoon. We had plans to DD this evening. We did most of what the kids wanted to do (except Mission Space), but the pace was not as easy as DW and I would have liked. We always seem to get rushed for the 2nd half of the WS. This is another reason I will be looking into a trip for just me and DW. Maybe during F&W.

Lunch at Epcot
We tried a couple of places here as I have a number of not-so-adventurous eaters. We were in the WS at lunch so we parked our party at the Liberty Inn and ventured out from there. A couple of us headed to Japan for sushi rolls and beef udon noodles. Others wanted fish and chips and braved the longer walk to England. This is where I have to say that the CS food at Epcot is much better than the other parks. I sure it is the variety, but by the end of the week I get tired of the same old burgers. Everyone enjoyed their food, even those that got burgers in America. Epcot is not my kid’s favorite, especially with TT down, but next time I want to try some of the other food options, like Morocco.

Wolfgang Puck’s Café
We ventured out to DTD this evening to meet some friends that just moved to Orlando a couple of weeks prior. We only made plans a week or so before, so the options for a party of 14 were limited. I thought we left BLT in plenty enough time, but of course arrived about 7:00 for a 6:45 ADR. Apparently the local traffic was just as bad as our friends got stuck and arrived right behind us. No worries they still had room and we were seated in no time.

With all that said Wolfgang Puck’s was very good. I don’t remember what everybody had, but there were no complaints. I had the Chinois Chicken Salad and it was excellent (and very large). We had a few drinks, sat and visited for a good while and then headed out to Ghiaradelli’s for dessert. I won’t do a separate review for dessert. Its ice cream, really good ice cream. The menu is extensive, so they should have whatever you need. I will say that one scoop is more than enough for the average person, although a growing 14 year old boy apparently needs two.

 

[LaMickey]

Found a little free time and was able to squeeze in another day.

DAY 3
This was sort of a rest day. We got moving slow, went to church and had lunch at the resort. A few things from the Contempo mixed in with food we had in the room. It was nice have the full kitchen. We then went to MK again in the afternoon. This was the evening the little girls were looking forward to.

Cinderella’s Royal Table
We had a dinner ADR at the castle. The debate I’ve had with this one is the value for the cost. First the experience. The initial check in and heard through pictures with Cindy, then wait to go upstairs was a bit disappointing. When we first arrived they were letting in a few groups at a time and all was flowing well. By the time we took our picture they seemed to just be letting everyone who checked-in outside in. The move to the dining room upstairs was much slower, so the picture area was really over crowded. But soon we were called up and seated. Our server was J.R. and I must say this was the best service we got at any restaurant all week. We had hardly gotten seated when the princess parade started. They came out one at a time right by our table – although they started the visits at the other end of the room. We had a nice visit with each, and even the teenage boys enjoyed the interaction.

And the food? I though the food was better than I expected. It was actually really good.

Now for some context that I maybe should have provided previously. I live in South Louisiana and there is some of the best food in the world in and around New Orleans. None of the food at Disney is anything close to what I get at home, and even some of the best restaurants are less expensive than CRT (especially without drinks). My opinion on the food is based on my expectations only and not how it compares to other places in the outside world.

So, is CRT food worth the price? Of course not. But I realize I am not paying for the food. I’m paying for the princesses.

So what is my conclusion on CRT. I think it is a must-do once or every so often. I don’t think I would pay that much every time, but as with the other character meals, if it means I don’t have to wait in line for a picture with any of these characters it is worth every penny. At this point I should mention that just as the princesses arrived my camera battery died - not a warning - died! Really poor planing on my part, but that goodness for the iPhone.

And with this meal we conclude our character meals for the trip. We’ve seen Mickey and friends, Pooh and friends, and the princesses. From here on it is just food.

Tomorrow is DHS and Sci-Fi Diner.

 

[NOLAdisneymom]

Found a little free time and was able to squeeze in another day.

DAY 3
This was sort of a rest day. We got moving slow, went to church and had lunch at the resort. A few things from the Contempo mixed in with food we had in the room. It was nice have the full kitchen. We then went to MK again in the afternoon. This was the evening the little girls were looking forward to.

Cinderella’s Royal Table
We had a dinner ADR at the castle. The debate I’ve had with this one is the value for the cost. First the experience. The initial check in and heard through pictures with Cindy, then wait to go upstairs was a bit disappointing. When we first arrived they were letting in a few groups at a time and all was flowing well. By the time we took our picture they seemed to just be letting everyone who checked-in outside in. The move to the dining room upstairs was much slower, so the picture area was really over crowded. But soon we were called up and seated. Our server was J.R. and I must say this was the best service we got at any restaurant all week. We had hardly gotten seated when the princess parade started. They came out one at a time right by our table – although they started the visits at the other end of the room. We had a nice visit with each, and even the teenage boys enjoyed the interaction.

And the food? I though the food was better than I expected. It was actually really good.

Now for some context that I maybe should have provided previously. I live in South Louisiana and there is some of the best food in the world in and around New Orleans. None of the food at Disney is anything close to what I get at home, and even some of the best restaurants are less expensive than CRT (especially without drinks). My opinion on the food is based on my expectations only and not how it compares to other places in the outside world.

So, is CRT food worth the price? Of course not. But I realize I am not paying for the food. I’m paying for the princesses.

So what is my conclusion on CRT. I think it is a must-do once or every so often. I don’t think I would pay that much every time, but as with the other character meals, if it means I don’t have to wait in line for a picture with any of these characters it is worth every penny. At this point I should mention that just as the princesses arrived my camera battery died - not a warning - died! Really poor planing on my part, but that goodness for the iPhone.

And with this meal we conclude our character meals for the trip. We’ve seen Mickey and friends, Pooh and friends, and the princesses. From here on it is just food.

Tomorrow is DHS and Sci-Fi Diner.

From another South Louisianian... AMEN about our great food!

 

[LaMickey]

DAY 4:
Hollywood Studios day. This was a tough day. We got a later start than we wanted and didn’t get to DHS until 9:30 or so. Many of the show times just would not fit properly into the morning schedule and it was HOT! Which brings us to lunch.

Sci-Fi Drive In Diner
We had a 12:30 ADR, checked in at 12:20 and waited only about 10-15 minutes. We got front row, 2 cars next to each other. The teenagers had hitchhikers in the back row of their cars, but did not mind at all. Lunch could not have been better. Service was great and the AC provided the perfect break from the heat. The food was good and the portions were big enough that DW and I could actually share. Again at least one of the boys went for the double cheese bacon burger. The burger won this one. Oh, and I was told the milkshakes were excellent. I opted for the beer instead, which was also good. Based on the reviews I was curious to see f any of my little girls would be frightened by the movie clips. They are far from brave, but were not bothered in the least. The clips are so bad they are really more funny that scary.

Not only did the lunch break hit the spot, but the afternoon went much smoother. Loved TSM (1st time and I beat my teenage sons). Caught Disney Jr. with the little ones and RnRC and ToT with the big kids as well as a few other things. I can’t say for sure that the afternoon was attributable to lunch, but it seems Sci-Fi is now one of our favorite spots.

 

[LaMickey]

Ok, it took a few days, but I am finally gtting around to finishing this off.

DAY 5
Can you guess? Which park is missing? Yep, AK day. I know the opinions of AK are mixed, and they were in our group as well. Several of the kids said this was their favorite, while DW for example hates it. I’m somewhere in the middle. I like the park and what they have is fun, but I find it to be a good amount of walking for only a few “must-do’s”. We were able to mix in a bit of Epcot this day as well. The AK portion of this review will be short as we only had lunch and no ADR. For the record I voted for Flame Tree, but at the time hunger hit the group we were right by. . .

Restaurantasaurous
See review of every other CS restaurant, but with paper straws. And, we were able to sit inside and enjoy some AC. The food was good, not great. Fixin’ bar was nice, but if the straws were the most memorable thing how good could it really be? We were satisfied and by Disney standards it was reasonably priced.

By this time I had pretty much decided that, with the exception of Epcot, there was no real need to go out of the way for a CS meal. Except for an occasional different menu item there just isn’t that much difference from one place to the next. I am sure some will point out the exception to this rule, but apparently I didn’t eat there – maybe it was Flame Tree.

Via Napoli
I know this is not in AK. We had originally planned to eat there on Day 2, but those following along will recall we went to DTD instead. Since Pizza is a hot with my family we rescheduled. I enjoyed this meal. The service was good, but not the best. We also got drinks spilled on my 3 year old. Fortunately she is a trooper and the waitress was very apologetic. She took her back to see the kitchen and them making the pizzas. But back to the food. Certainly the best pizza on property. I would actually eat this outside of Disney, just probably at a little lower price.

After dinner we took a more leisurely walk through the WS. We stopped at the bakery in France for pastries and at the pub in England for a black & tan. Then we found a nice spot between England and Canada to watch IllumiNations. All in all a really nice evening.

A none food note. We stopped at a couple of shops on the way out to let the crowd die down and when we boarded the monorail we were told it was the last one for the night. It was an EMH night and many were arriving, but I guess the shorter monorail hours are still in effect. Also, we caught some of the MK fireworks from the monorail as we got back to the TTC.

DAY 6
THIS IS OUR LAST DAY. We took a vote and MK won again. I think some of it had to do with the fact that we could just walk there and not mess with buses or even the monorail. This was our 1st stay at the CR or BLT. Just for the walk to MK alone I’m hooked.

The Plaza Restaurant
This was a late addition a few weeks out. I figured no matter what park we started at we would likely be back near the resort for our last evening so we got a 7:00 ADR here. I had been here before, but not in many years. Wow this place is small. This was the only restaurant that we were at completely separate tables – near but separate. I don’t count Sci-Fi as no one faces each other anyway. Also at some of the character meal we were at a banquette with two table, but all in a row. Still not a problem, as the four teenagers don’t have any issues sitting apart from mom, dad, and the little siblings. The food was similar to what you find in the CS places, but a notch or two better. Maybe just fresher and better prepared. And then there is the ice cream, sundaes, brownie sundaes, and floats. At least one person tried each and the glasses were all empty. This was a nice last meal at Disney and I am glad we booked it.

Another plug for the DIS. Waiting for a few minutes outside the Plaza I was amazed at the number of people who walked up looking for a table without any idea that you needed an ADR. Even when it was explained several still asked why they wouldn’t be able to get a table. Thanks again to everyone here.

 

[DisneyMom5]

Thanks for the feedback!

Actually the 8 kids really made the trip fun. And, we managed a whole week without losing any.

Day 2 coming next . . .

Great review! Thanks for sharing.

We have 8 kids also.
Slightly different order...ranging from 18 down to 2.


We take them everywhere anyway, so Disney is no different.
Actually, we've only taken 7 of them officially to WDW, as I was pregnant with the youngest on our last trip.

You have 8 kids, you like WDW, and you like Black and Tans?
You can hang with us any time.

Glad to see another big family of Disney lovers!