Just back. Many brief reviews.

[Mainebound]

Hi all,

Since this list has been so helpful to me over the months of planning, I thought I would share our eating experiences over the last week (3/11-3/17) at WDW. We stayed at AKL. Note that in almost every case we were a party of 4 adults, and two children ages 1 and 3.

I first want to note that my mom suffers from celiac sprue which makes her allergic to gluten, which is in many many things. The chefs at every restaurant came out of the kitchen and spoke at length to her. If there was a buffet, s/he would walk my mom slowly around pointing out what she could eat. If you or a loved one has a special dietary need, WDW is the place to go, IMHO.

Here are quick ratings (in letter grades, hey, I'ma professor!). note that I am not comparing apples and oranges (Boma to Mara for example) but rating each place for the kind of place it is and what I expected of it.

(We stayed at AKL)
Boma dinner A+ (really unique buffet with African selections, fabulous food and desserts)
Boma breakfast A (top notch, but very american buffet.)
Jiko dinner A- (great atmo, can't put my finger on why it wasn't more special)
Mara C+ (slow service, eggs were terrible, not great selection. Excellent chicken and soups same as Boma)

Chef Mickey's character dinner C- (mediocre overpriced food, a total zoo, sterile atmo, bad character interaction. will never return)
Crystal Palace character lunch A (very good food, beautiful and amazingly quiet, excellent character interaction)
Liberty Tree Tavern non-character lunch A- (had to wait 30 minutes past PS, very good food and excellent service)
Cosmic Ray's (counter service) C (just not good food)

Norway lunch A (beautiful, quiet, very good service, beautiful buffet, everything freash and beautiful)
Mexico lunch B (neat place, food not spectacular, but satisfies craving)
Morocco dinner A- (a bit too big, but beautiful palace like setting, fun with belly dancer, very friendly CMs, terrific food)

Kimonos (Swan) A (fabulous sushi and really fun karaoke. Service not up to Disney standards but better than most non-disney restaurants.)

Rainforest Cafe (AKL) B (food is just ok, although best fries in WDW. Atmo is terrific if you have young kids. they were never so quiet as they were there).

Sci Fi dine in theater B (you go here for the atmo. food is fine, nothing great. Service was slowest we experienced and we had to wait a while past our PS time. Those with young kids whould know that the films they show are violent. Bad scary special effects are still scary to a 3 year old.)

Hope these help some of you with your planning.

--Mainebound

 

[GenePA]

Thanks Mainebound! Looks like you have similar tastes to myself regarding the restaurants (though I have never had a meal as good as a B at Sci-Fi). I am curious if Akershus @ Norway was offering only a buffet? I have read on this board where they were changing their menu to offer a sitdown menu with a 'cold buffet' to go along with it? When we were there the week before you, I did not notice a change in menu.

Also glad to see you enjoyed Marrakesh. It's one of my favorites but I have a hard time concentrating on my meal with the 'belly dancer' on the floor

 

[Mainebound]

Hi Gene,

I hadn't seen your reviews when I posted mine. Wish I had your insight before the trip!

I followed the Unofficial guide advice about food at places like Sci fi-- keep it simple. So I had a burger which was fine. I should note that my mother ordered a medium burger which came blood rare and she had to send it back. But my sister claimed her catfish was delectable. So I figured it evened out at a "good".

About Akershus -- we think there may have been a separate children's menu, but neither my husband nor myself recalls a separate adult menu. We ate there on Tuesday last week. It's heaven for fish lovers like us.

--Mainebound

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well--so much for the "Unofficial" Guide and their food recommendations!!
Anyway-thanks for the reviews. Glad you liked Jiko's.

 

[Krissalee]

Thanks for the reviews!

I have a few questions about Kimonos. DH and I love sushi, and would really like to try Kimonos. What time where you there? Was it crowded? Where there a lot of people getting up and singing Karaoke?

 

[tracyeliza]

Friends of mine just returned from the World. They went to Boma and hated it. I have been hearing great things about it and was looking forward to going there on our trip coming up. Their review kinda took the wind out of my sails. I can't wait to see for myself. I am glad you had a good trip!

 

[tidoublegger]

First of all, thanks for the reviews! I am curious, did you have children with you? The reason I ask, is that I've always heard great things about Chef Mickey's, but it's always been from people with kids. I have a PS for dinner in May (with 1 child) and was really looking forward to it! : )

 

[ragamuffin]

The reason I ask, is that I've always heard great things about Chef Mickey's, but it's always been from people with kids. I have a PS for dinner in May (with 1 child) and was really looking forward to it! : )

tidoublegger - our Kids (age 2 and 3 at the time) absolutely LOVED Chef Mickeys. They loved the singing and dancing and "waving" - I thought the characters were great and they really enjoyed Chip and Dale. So I wouldn't let somebody's review spoil your expectations as we all have different tastes. But Mainebound is right by calling it a "total zoo" as it is loud and not exactly a quiet dinner.

The food tends to get a bad rap but I was stuffed when I left so it must be pretty good. I found it all quite filling and delicious.

 

[erikthewise]

Thanks for the reviews!
Mara -- I didn't think the scrambled eggs were so bad, if that's what you were referring to. But then I got them at 6:30. If you went at 9:30, and they had been sitting there for 3 hours....
Morocco -- "Fun with the belly dancer" and it still only gets an A- ?! Some people are so hard to please.

 

[Misti]

Thanks for the review and welcome home.

 

[lentesta]

Mainebound, thanks for the reviews.

Uncleromulus, I don't believe there's anything in Mainebound's reviews that's out of line with those appearing in the Unofficial Guide. Mainebound's experiences seem to be similar to the reader comments in the Guide.

Sincerely,

Len

 

[Princesstimes2]

I enjoyed reading your reviews. Thanks for posting. I can't wait to be in the World again.

 

[Erica]

Great reviews! Thanks for taking the time to post them.

Kimono's has always been one of my favorites but I have never there late enough for the Karaoke to start up. Here in Seattle we have some great Sushi/Karaoke joins, so I have a few misgivings going late to Kimono's since it is in a hotel (and non Disney at that). I will give it a try next time.

Thanks again!

-Erica

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks for the great reviews. Jiko is one of our favorite restaurant's at WDW. How big were the portions at Morocco, we have been thinking about eating here on our next trip. Thanks