Just back...quick opinion...

[hiwaygal]

We just got back home...we are still recuperating but I just wanted to post my thoughts on the couple of places we ate while at the World...

We ate at Spoodles our first night and it was really good! The waiter/cm (Charlie) was really talkative and told us how to make the dipping oil they serve and how to make alfredo sauce. We had the four-cheese flatbread which was really good and DH got the rigatoni and I had the fettucini alfredo...MMMmmmm!!! We ordered a pitcher of Sangria too and it was very refreshing!

Our second night (our wedding dinner) we ate at California Grill...all I can say about this place was we obviously didn't get it! I have heard raves, but I guess when it comes down to it, DH and I are definitely NOT into "fancy shmancy" dinners with items we can't pronounce. I can understand that others might think the California Grill is fabulous, but we thought it was a waste of money. The fireworks were pretty cool, though!

The third night we had ADR's for Liberty Tree Tavern. OMG!!! I simply can't say enough good stuff about this character dinner! The food was AMAZING!! And our server (Laurie) was very sweet. This will DEFINITELY be a MUST DO if we ever get back to Disney!

And lastly, we didn't take time for a sit down dinner after that...the only thing we really stopped to eat was fish and chips at the little "Yorkshire" place in Epcot (at the end of the bridge to the International Gateway). I had seen this place while we did the Segway tour (another MUST DO, if you haven't) and was CRAVING it by the time we got back around there! SOOOO GOOD!!! DH doesn't eat fish, so he just had some "chips"...but I had the fish and chips snack and it was more than enough! Wish I could find a place like that around here! .

Anyway...that's pretty much it for us...hope this information helps someone!

 

[sotoalf]

We just got back home...we are still recuperating but I just wanted to post my thoughts on the couple of places we ate while at the World...

We ate at Spoodles our first night and it was really good! The waiter/cm (Charlie) was really talkative and told us how to make the dipping oil they serve and how to make alfredo sauce. We had the four-cheese flatbread which was really good and DH got the rigatoni and I had the fettucini alfredo...MMMmmmm!!! We ordered a pitcher of Sangria too and it was very refreshing!

Our second night (our wedding dinner) we ate at California Grill...all I can say about this place was we obviously didn't get it! I have heard raves, but I guess when it comes down to it, DH and I are definitely NOT into "fancy shmancy" dinners with items we can't pronounce. I can understand that others might think the California Grill is fabulous, but we thought it was a waste of money. The fireworks were pretty cool, though!

The third night we had ADR's for Liberty Tree Tavern. OMG!!! I simply can't say enough good stuff about this character dinner! The food was AMAZING!! And our server (Laurie) was very sweet. This will DEFINITELY be a MUST DO if we ever get back to Disney!

And lastly, we didn't take time for a sit down dinner after that...the only thing we really stopped to eat was fish and chips at the little "Yorkshire" place in Epcot (at the end of the bridge to the International Gateway). I had seen this place while we did the Segway tour (another MUST DO, if you haven't) and was CRAVING it by the time we got back around there! SOOOO GOOD!!! DH doesn't eat fish, so he just had some "chips"...but I had the fish and chips snack and it was more than enough! Wish I could find a place like that around here! .

Anyway...that's pretty much it for us...hope this information helps someone!

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your California Grill dinner. What did you order? I don't consider it any more fancy-schmancy than, say, Spoodles, by the way.

 

[WDWBetsy]

Glad to hear you had such a good time. Congrats on the new marriage!

IMHO, the menu at California Grill just doesn't appeal to me.

We loved LTT as well. We're looking forward to eating there again for MVMCP in November.

 

[hiwaygal]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your California Grill dinner. What did you order? I don't consider it any more fancy-schmancy than, say, Spoodles, by the way.

Hi!

At California Grill, we ordered the Roasted Chicken with grilled corn salsa, Fiscalini Farms cheddar cheese and chipotle aioli appetizer...and it was really good! Then I had the Hearts of Romaine Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, aged parmesan, and sourdough croutons and it was a decent salad...then DH had the Oak fired filet with garbanzo pate (we had to ask what that was) and green beans and I had that chili rubbed free range chicken and it had some kind of corn meal thing with cream cheese inside.

I don't know...I think we're just more steak and potatoes/burgers and fries type folks than the really gourmet stuff we got the impression was served at CG. Like I said before, I can totally understand how lots of folks would love it, it just wasn't our style. Maybe we were just kinda embarrassed to have to ask what everything was, you know? Or maybe we were just overwhelmed with everything that day...

I kinda thought Spoodles was like a "pumped" up version of Olive Garden Maybe the time of day we were there had something to do with it all too. We ate at Spoodles fairly early, we were like the second guests seated. At CG, it was later and everything was in full swing.

 

[hiwaygal]

Glad to hear you had such a good time. Congrats on the new marriage!

IMHO, the menu at California Grill just doesn't appeal to me.

We loved LTT as well. We're looking forward to eating there again for MVMCP in November.

Thanks for the congrats! Disney weddings is AWESOME! And their wedding cake is TO DIE FOR!!! Mmmmm...that buttercream frosting is the best I've ever had! And the chocolate cake with amaretto mousse is yummy too!

 

[BCV23]

Congratulations and thanks for the reviews.

At CG was your appetizer one of the flatbreads? We've really enjoyed the different flatbreads over the years. Sounds as if the filet is a little different now.

 

[hiwaygal]

Hi BCV23! Thanks for the congrats!

Yes, the appetizer was one of the flatbreads! It was easily the best part of the meal at CG.

I can't really say how good or bad the filet was, I don't eat beef anymore. DH usually gets a sirloin type steak, so this was a bit of a different thing for him. He also usually orders it well done and he said it was a bit too well done for his taste...but if I remember correctly, filets are best when "medium"

I expected the chili rubbed chicken to be a little spicy, but it was actually quite sweet. It was kind of a confusing thing for the taste buds, you know? The chicken was very tender, but just not to my liking taste wise.

 

[Terri C]

Congratulations and thanks for posting. I loved reading your reviews.
I happy LTT was a good experience. We have an ADR for Oct 30 before
MNSSHP. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Tinkbell]

Congratulations! I totally agree with you about California Grill. Maybe we dined on an "off night", but the food we had was nothing to rave about.

 

[skuttle]

Glad to hear you really enjoyed LTT! We're going there for the first time before MVMCP in December and I'm really looking forward to it!

We dined at the California Grill the night we arrived at WDW for our honeymoon back in 2000. We LOVED it and just could not say anything bad about our experience. Everything was wonderful. We returned in 2003 and it was just "okay". I guess we ruined it by starting our honeymoon there. There was just something missing when we went back in 2003. It wasn't bad, but I think we'll be trying other places before returning.

 

[danny1649]

Thanks for reviews,we to love LTT.

 

[hiwaygal]

Glad to hear you really enjoyed LTT! We're going there for the first time before MVMCP in December and I'm really looking forward to it!

We dined at the California Grill the night we arrived at WDW for our honeymoon back in 2000. We LOVED it and just could not say anything bad about our experience. Everything was wonderful. We returned in 2003 and it was just "okay". I guess we ruined it by starting our honeymoon there. There was just something missing when we went back in 2003. It wasn't bad, but I think we'll be trying other places before returning.

You will absolutely LOVE LTT!!! DH is still talking about it! I'm not sure if he liked the food more or the characters! But seriously, the food was really really good!

I didn't think the food was bad at CG...it just really wasn't to our liking and that made us feel like it wasn't worth it. We just felt as though our $$$ was better spent at LTT. And the service at both places was quite satisfactory. The waiter at CG was a little more "stuffy" but I think that's kinda the atmosphere at CG, you know? I mean, he was friendly enough but there was nothing "special". And I know I shouldn't have expected it, but it was our wedding dinner...and they knew...I would have been happy if he had just offered to take our picture for us.

DH wants to try other places too when/if we ever get back!

 

[TwingleMum]

Congrats!!!! Thanks for sharing. I'm trying LTT for the first time in Dec so I was glad to hear you enjoyed it.

 

[bigcrit]

We were at the CG and LTT in May. The CG was good but I'm not sure I would go again. Too many other places left to try in WDW.

I didn't particularly care for the LTT. The food wasn't very good at all. I will say the character interaction was better than any other place in WDW though.