Just back-Le Cellier, CP, Tusker, Mama, Chef M's & more

[MissyDVC]

We are back from a 7 day trip. We were on the regular DDP and we have a party of nine which included 6 Adults(one 11 year old), 2 children and a 9 month old. We ate at: Artist's Palette(Saratoga Springs), Le Cellier, Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, Mama Melrose's, Sci-Fi, Pinocchio House, Electric Umbrella, Tusker House for Donald's Breakfast Safari, Lotus Blossom Cafe, Liberty Inn and the Rainforest Cafe in DTD. Some also ate at the Food Court at POP but I was not there so I can't give a review for that. I will start the reviews and then answer any questions if you have them....enjoy

**I should add that we have a mixed group of eaters--some adults were easy to please(me included), others were more nitpicky. The kids like regular kid food and we all love to eat!

Crystal Palace(Dinner)--we had a 5:10 pm reservation and were taken in on time. We had a great server and the food was good. All the food was hot and everyone found something they liked. I enjoyed the garlic mashed and the chicken. Other adults thought the food was just ok (but seemed to eat alot of it ). Kids liked the cheese pizza and the chicken tenders/nuggets. The desserts were really good and fresh--ice cream with lots of toppings, cakes, cookies, etc. The kids had so much fun with the characters and enjoyed marching in the parade twice! We had plenty of time with each character and our server was very attentive to clearing the plates and filling the drinks. He even got one of the adults a second cup of coffee to go without being asked. Overall, a B for food and and A for service and character interaction.

Next:
DTD Rainforest Cafe and Artist's Palette

 

[MissyDVC]

DTD Rainforest Cafe: This visit had 3 Adults and 2 kids ages 11 & 7. Even though this was not on the dining plan, we were shopping and decided to go here and try it. We loved it. We had 3 appetizers--Lava Nachos, Caribe Chicken and Pita Quesedillas for the adults, kid's Shrimpkens and kid's Cheese Pizza. We also had 3 Mongoose Mai Tais. The Mai Tais were yummy and fruity. The appetizers were plentiful and good. We al liked the Caribe Chicken with the coconut curry sauce on the side the best but we enjoyed all three. It was even too much food for the 3 of us. The kids enjoyed both of their entrees and liked the thunder effect that happened every once in a while. It was noon and the place was busy but we were seated right away and had a nice and attentive server named Alba. Overall-A for food, service and atmosphere.



Artist's Palette(Saratoga Springs Resort): We most had 2 Adults and 2 kids 7 & 9 when we ate here. This is where my family stayed so we ate several meals here. For breakfast, we would have child's Mickey Waffles, biscuits and gravy and croissants. These were all good and hot. All of the pastries were very fresh. For lunch, we had Chicken Tenders with homemade kettle chips, kid's pbj. Cheeseburger Flatbread and Spicy Chicken Paninis. The Paninis were excellent. They had grilled chicken with spicy chipotle mayo on them--SOOOO good. They were a lunch special on our first day. My DH really enjoyed his Cheeseburger Flatbread. For dinner, we had Cheese Flatbread, Pepperoni Flatbread and the Chef's Special Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf. Both of the Flatbreads were hot and delicious. The Meatloaf was also very good, especially for a counter service. The food at the Artist's Palette was very hot, fresh and different from the usual counter service. The only problem that we had was that it does get very crowded at times and was hard to navigate with trays of food. But the choices and the quality outweigh the inconvenience. Overall--Food A

Next: Electric Umbrella and Chef Mickey's

 

[MissyDVC]

Ok, Electric Umbrella (Counter Service/EPCOT Future World) We all had either burgers, chicken tenders or grilled chicken sandwiches. We thought that they were all good/standard counter food. It was pouring when we need to eat lunch and we were able to find 2 tables inside for lunch so were very happy

Chef Mickey's for Dinner--we had a 5:30 pm ressie and we were seated on time. All 9 of us ate here I really liked the parmesan mashed potatoes and the Chipotle Lime Chicken. I also had the ribs which tasted good but didn't agree with my belly later on in the evening. Others had shrimp and pork loin. The pork was very dry and the shrimp was ok (although again they ate platefuls). I also had a cornbread stuffing with dried cherries that was tasty. The kids again enjoyed the chicken and pizza and fresh fruit. We had lots of attention from all of the characters and the kids loved spinning their napkins. Oh, there were lots of desserts and they were yummy!

Overall-fun time with the characters and food was ok--maybe a B- or a C+


Next--Sci-Fi and Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano

 

[MissyDVC]

Sci-Fi for Lunch--we had the first seating of the day at 11 am and we were seated in 2 cars for comfort and since it wasn't busy yet. The atmosphere is really cool, low light and they show old sci-fi clips and cartoons. They are funny and entertaining. The kids all loved it and one even made the request to make sure to put that at the top of the list for our next trip. All the adults had burgers and the kids had pizza. We also had onion rings, milkshakes and sundaes. The burgers were large and had a great choice of toppings. The milkshakes were thick and yummy and the server let us have those as our desserts. If you are sick of fries, the cucumber-melon salad was a fresh side choice. We were all so full and satisfied after this meal. Overall--service, atmosphere and food A.


Mama Melrose's--we did this for dinner with the Fantasmic Dinner package. Our seating was at 4 pm and we were seated right away. We had the best server that I have ever had and her name was Holly. She had the best attitude and had such a friendly & easy-going demeanor that she added to a great experience. Because we had the Fantasmic Dinner package, we had appys, entrees and dessert. The appys were delicious--we had mozzerella and tomato & bruschetta. Both were generous portions and very fresh tasting. For entrees, we had Chicken Parm and Spaghetti Fra Diavolo. The Chicken was good as was the Fra Diavolo. For desserts, we had gelato, Crema Limone and Warm Truffle Cake. All 3 of these desserts were amazing and made the meal extra special. For us, this was WELL worth the time and 1 TS credit, especially with the Fantasmic Dinner package. We gave Holly a very large tip and I will be contacting WDW about how exceptional she was.

Next--Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House and Le Cellier

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Thanks for sharing your reviews. I'm anxious to hear about Donalds Breakfast.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Hi
Thanks for sharing your reviews. I'm anxious to hear about Donalds Breakfast.

I second that!

 

[mom2my3kids]

May I ask how much the fantasmic package was?

 

[MissyDVC]

Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House-- we had a 10:00 am ressie and we were seated right away. Our server was Luis and he was nice and funny. The food choices were very good--mickey waffles, eggs, bacon, cereal, oatmeal, porridge, sausage, carved ham, cheese blintzes, Krispy Kreme donuts, muffins, bagels, toast, potatoes, tater tots, etc. It was all hot and replenished constantly. The staff was very friendly and all smiles. They even made my DD feel better when she broke a plate. They were so nice about it and even made her smile. The juice that was served at the table was refreshing and good. The character interaction(Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Daisy) was very good and the kids enjoyed playing the instruments and being in the parade. I will say that this was definitely the loudest dining experience of the trip but since we have kids, we are used to that and it was ok with us. Food, service and atmosphere A


Le Cellier--First let me say that the meal surpassed even our high expectations. We had a 7:10 pm ressie and we only had a very short wait and we were entertained by a server out front who did some magic tricks and asked questions about rides, etc. We were seated at a long table directly in front of the fireplace. We had mussels and cheddar soup for appys. Both were delicious. For entrees, we had NY Strip Steak, Maple BBQ Filet Mignon, Mushroom Filet Mignon & Sauteed Shrimp and Bay Scallops. All of these entrees were exceptional. The beef dishes were perfectly cooked and very tender and the seafood was fresh and flavorful. The desserts were unique and fresh. The breadsticks were warm and good and the explanation by our server about what they represented made them even better. Kids had the usual kids menu food and enjoyed it. This will be a definite stop on every trip in the future. It is a bargain on the DDP and everything about this meal was wonderful. I should add that we did not make it to see Illuminations at 9 pm that evening with our ressie time. Maybe 10 minutes earlier would have been enough to make it.

Lastly, Lotus Blossom Cafe, Pinocchio House and Kringla Bakery

 

[MissyDVC]

May I ask how much the fantasmic package was?

We used the Dining Plan and it was 1 Table Service Credit but if you are paying out-of-pocket,

The Fantasmic dinner package choices are:

Hollywood Brown Derby at $36.99 for ages 10 and up, $10.99 for ages 3-9

Mama Melrose at $29.99 for ages 10 and up, $10.99 for ages 3-9

Hollywood & Vine at $23.99 for ages 10 and up, $11.99 for ages 3-9

Hope that helps

 

[TigerKat]

Subbing....

 

[MissyDVC]

Lotus Blossom Cafe--we had lunch here. There were 5 adults here. We had the Orange Chicken with rice and the Beef Noodle Soup Bowl. The chicken was sweet and all white meat. We were all surprised at now good the Beef Noodle Bowl was. The dessert choices were ginger ice cream and red bean ice cream. The ginger ice cream was odd but ok but the red bean was good and sweet. We enjoyed this meal and it wasn't too heavy but filled us up.


Pinocchio House--we had lunch here on our last day. We like to come here for 2 reasons--we like to eat at 11 am and get the window seats and wave to the riders on IASW. It makes us happy to remember our trip and get waves and smiles from other guests. The 2nd reason is....figaro fries!!!! My favorite and I save the best for last. The kids love the pizza here and my figaro fries--fries topped with melted cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and ranch dressing. And the best thing is that it is only a snack credit!!!! YUM, YUM


Kringla Bakery--in Norway. We got School Bread and Cinnamon Buns. School Bread--what can I say???? a donut-type pastry filled with a vanilla pudding and topped with icing and lots of coconut! Heavenly. The Cinnamon buns are very fresh and surprisingly light. They don't have the white icing on top but lots of cinnamon.


If there is anything else I can answer, please ask. We loved the meals and snacks and the DDP worked well for this trip. Hope these helped someone

 

[KatMark]

Thanks for the great reviews!

 

[mom2my3kids]

Thank You...Great Reviews

 

[SmallWorld71]

Thanks for the reviews! Sounds like you had a blast.

 

[MissyDVC]

Thanks for the reviews! Sounds like you had a blast.

We definitely did This trip we brought family with us who wanted to do character meals and other meals that we have done in the past so it was fun to plan! I like the DDP and also doing it without the Plan. It is almost 2 totally different trips when planning with or without the DDP

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent

 

[ampc3]

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[DianaPrincessofWales]

Thank you for your very informative reviews. I'll have to try those figaro fries at PVH. We had a sandwich there on our last trip and it was really bad. But.....I totally ADORED the interior of this restaurant! Very cute! I also loved the school bread! Thanks again. I can hardly wait to go back just to eat!!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi - Can I ask what your 9mth old eats at WDW??

(We are taking our then 9mth old in May and am hoping it is easy to feed him there as we are travelling from the UK and its difficult to bring too much with us)

thanks ever so much!!

 

[englishrose47]

Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House-- we had a 10:00 am ressie and we were seated right away. Our server was Luis and he was nice and funny. The food choices were very good--mickey waffles, eggs, bacon, cereal, oatmeal, porridge, sausage, carved ham, cheese blintzes, Krispy Kreme donuts, muffins, bagels, toast, potatoes, tater tots, etc. It was all hot and replenished constantly. The staff was very friendly and all smiles. They even made my DD feel better when she broke a plate. They were so nice about it and even made her smile. The juice that was served at the table was refreshing and good. The character interaction(Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Daisy) was very good and the kids enjoyed playing the instruments and being in the parade. I will say that this was definitely the loudest dining experience of the trip but since we have kids, we are used to that and it was ok with us. Food, service and atmosphere A


Le Cellier--First let me say that the meal surpassed even our high expectations. We had a 7:10 pm ressie and we only had a very short wait and we were entertained by a server out front who did some magic tricks and asked questions about rides, etc. We were seated at a long table directly in front of the fireplace. We had mussels and cheddar soup for appys. Both were delicious. For entrees, we had NY Strip Steak, Maple BBQ Filet Mignon, Mushroom Filet Mignon & Sauteed Shrimp and Bay Scallops. All of these entrees were exceptional. The beef dishes were perfectly cooked and very tender and the seafood was fresh and flavorful. The desserts were unique and fresh. The breadsticks were warm and good and the explanation by our server about what they represented made them even better. Kids had the usual kids menu food and enjoyed it. This will be a definite stop on every trip in the future. It is a bargain on the DDP and everything about this meal was wonderful. I should add that we did not make it to see Illuminations at 9 pm that evening with our ressie time. Maybe 10 minutes earlier would have been enough to make it.

Lastly, Lotus Blossom Cafe, Pinocchio House and Kringla Bakery

I also ate at Le Cellier and saw the CM do the majic tricks. It was a really nice touch !! The food was as you described excellent!!