Just back...the things you see...

[Figee17]

We just got back and had some great dining experiences and a few that left us scratching our heads at the things that people will do in public...especially notable along those lines was our experience at Artists Pallette at SSR. We always enjoy their sandwiches so even though we weren't staying there that time, we took a trip over to view one of our favorite resorts, explore DTD, and have lunch there. While there, we saw two kids pulling leaves off of the potted plants outside and putting them on their mother's head while she was using her cell phone. They continued to do this for at least 10 minutes, taking at least 10 leaved off the poor plant. Then, one table down from us, a man proceeded to take off his shirt and *spray* himself with sunscreen, wait a few minutes, have the person he was with spray his back, wait a few minutes, and spray his face. We were overcome with the smell of sunscreen, so I can't imagine what his food tasted like afterwards?!?! And NO shirt?!?!?! I know its not a *restaurant* per se, but still I found it inappropriate behavior.

Anyways, we had great meals at the following through our trip. Feel free to ask if you have questions on them while my experiences are fresh in my mind:

Crystal Palace
Artists Pallete
Pecos Bill
Paridiso 37
Mama Melrose
Garden Grill
Sunshine Seasons
Landscape of Flavors (AoA resort)
Be Our Guest (dinner)
Trails End

 

[ttintagel]

Limited Time Magic: Random Weirdos Week seems to be going exactly as planned!

Although, it sounds like the family stopping every five minutes to exchange hats and Groucho glasses must have been on break when you were at Pecos Bill's.

 

[Figee17]

Limited Time Magic: Random Weirdos Week seems to be going exactly as planned!

Although, it sounds like the family stopping every five minutes to exchange hats and Groucho glasses must have been on break when you were at Pecos Bill's.

Exactly!
And I'm sorry I missed the show at Pecos! LOL

 

[nimbuscat]

Can you tell me about your experience at Garden Grill? I am on the fence. Right now we are booked at La Hacienda, but I'm not married to the idea or anything. I think my 2.5-year-old would enjoy the characters, but then again, we are doing tons of other character meals throughout the week. So I guess what I'm really asking is...how was the food and overall experience? Worth giving up a World Showcase meal for?

 

[mommalissa]

How was Mama Melroses? We are doing this meal for the first time in a few months and I have heard mixed reviews.

 

[Figee17]

Can you tell me about your experience at Garden Grill? I am on the fence. Right now we are booked at La Hacienda, but I'm not married to the idea or anything. I think my 2.5-year-old would enjoy the characters, but then again, we are doing tons of other character meals throughout the week. So I guess what I'm really asking is...how was the food and overall experience? Worth giving up a World Showcase meal for?

We LOVED Garden Grill and thought the character interaction was far better than the other character meals we had done. First, the characters didn't have a handler with them hurrying them along and the way the seating is, the character comes to your table at a side where there isn't another table so you can get pics without other diners in them. We really enjoyed the beef and mashed potatoes the most. I am glad we opted for that meal over a World Showcase meal, but we have also been several times this year and have hit World Showcase each time.

My 3 year old really opened up to characters in general after that meal. At the Crystal Palace a few days earlier, he didn't even want to get close to the characters, but at Garden Grill and after that he couldn't get enough.

We found it worth it but if its your only chance to eat at Epcot, I'm not sure I could give up World Showcase (could you do snacking through the World for lunch and Garden Grill for dinner?)

 

[Figee17]

How was Mama Melroses? We are doing this meal for the first time in a few months and I have heard mixed reviews.

I know it doesn't get great reviews, but we really enjoy it. I've had a few different meals there and I've enjoyed them both (spaghetti and meatballs once and a wheat fettuccini with veggies) and I especially enjoy their wine flight!! LOL.

 

[nimbuscat]

We found it worth it but if its your only chance to eat at Epcot, I'm not sure I could give up World Showcase (could you do snacking through the World for lunch and Garden Grill for dinner?)

Oh, I wish! I think next time I would be perfectly happy with that, but this time I am dead set on Chefs de France at lunch so we can see Remy. And also because Chefs is the one restaurant I remember eating at during my childhood trip with my family.

 

[nalajms]

We LOVED Garden Grill and thought the character interaction was far better than the other character meals we had done. First, the characters didn't have a handler with them hurrying them along and the way the seating is, the character comes to your table at a side where there isn't another table so you can get pics without other diners in them. We really enjoyed the beef and mashed potatoes the most. I am glad we opted for that meal over a World Showcase meal, but we have also been several times this year and have hit World Showcase each time.

I agree that Garden Grill has one of the better character interactions. However, if you're sitting in the booths (first level), they will not give you a high chair because it blocks the server and characters. My DS had a hard time getting off the booster to go hug the characters. And my then 6mon old had to be carried.

If you get a table on the second level, they can put a high chair in. But then it's like all the other character buffets, you see them at the next table and wait for them to come to you.

The food is great the first few times, but in the last 3 years they haven't changed their menu. That's the main reason we've stopped going.

 

[bangzoom6877]

I agree that Garden Grill has one of the better character interactions. However, if you're sitting in the booths (first level), they will not give you a high chair because it blocks the server and characters. My DS had a hard time getting off the booster to go hug the characters. And my then 6mon old had to be carried.

If you get a table on the second level, they can put a high chair in. But then it's like all the other character buffets, you see them at the next table and wait for them to come to you.

The food is great the first few times, but in the last 3 years they haven't changed their menu. That's the main reason we've stopped going.

We loved Garden Grill last year! We're looking forward to returning next July. I love it that the food is served family style. It makes it a lot less stressful, not having to coordinate trips to the buffet with pics with characters. It also doesn't feel crowded the way it is set up. We like it much better than Chef Mickeys for meeting Mickey!

 

[jennylyn_b]

We just got back and had some great dining experiences and a few that left us scratching our heads at the things that people will do in public...especially notable along those lines was our experience at Artists Pallette at SSR. We always enjoy their sandwiches so even though we weren't staying there that time, we took a trip over to view one of our favorite resorts, explore DTD, and have lunch there. While there, we saw two kids pulling leaves off of the potted plants outside and putting them on their mother's head while she was using her cell phone. They continued to do this for at least 10 minutes, taking at least 10 leaved off the poor plant. Then, one table down from us, a man proceeded to take off his shirt and *spray* himself with sunscreen, wait a few minutes, have the person he was with spray his back, wait a few minutes, and spray his face. We were overcome with the smell of sunscreen, so I can't imagine what his food tasted like afterwards?!?! And NO shirt?!?!?! I know its not a *restaurant* per se, but still I found it inappropriate behavior.

Anyways, we had great meals at the following through our trip. Feel free to ask if you have questions on them while my experiences are fresh in my mind:

Crystal Palace
Artists Pallete
Pecos Bill
Paridiso 37
Mama Melrose
Garden Grill
Sunshine Seasons
Landscape of Flavors (AoA resort)
Be Our Guest (dinner)
Trails End

Ugh! I hate the spray sunscreen in public thing. Off to the side is one thing but at an eatery or on a bus or in a bus stop. Sooooo not cool.

How was Paradiso!? We have eaten there 4 times but the last time the food sat under heat lamps for over 10 mins until our server showed up to get them. Enchiladas aren't supposed to be crunchy.

 

[km77]

I was with my husband and 18 month old enjoying lunch sat outside Captain Cooks at the Polynesian when a woman on the table next to us led her toddler on the floor between our tables and proceeded to change its very dirty, smelly nappy. Other tables were being used. Couldn't believe our eyes !!

 

[Haley]

I was with my husband and 18 month old enjoying lunch sat outside Captain Cooks at the Polynesian when a woman on the table next to us led her toddler on the floor between our tables and proceeded to change its very dirty, smelly nappy. Other tables were being used. Couldn't believe our eyes !!

omg that's disgusting!

 

[Sydney2977]

How was BOG? SO excited we got a 7:00 adr for our last night! Would love to hear all about your experience!

 

[Figee17]

How was BOG? SO excited we got a 7:00 adr for our last night! Would love to hear all about your experience!

It was great!! We got a "last minute" reservation the week before our trip, so it was a nice surprise and ended up being on our last night, so it was a nice way to end our trip in a memorable way.
We checked in and then had to wait on the bridge to be seated, and that was HOT in the August sun with no shade. That was really the only downfall.
Once we were seated (in the ballroom), we were informed that once we were finished with our meal, we could explore and take pictures of the other rooms if we'd like. Our server was thorough, though not very personable. He DID however steer me clear of the kids meatloaf and brocolli that originally appealed to me.
My parents both had a seafood dish in a puff pastry and thoroughly enjoyed it, I had the chicken (with the sauce on the side) and it was delicious, though I wish I had opted for the steak. DS (3) had pasta with butter...it was wheat pasta which my son is used to but others may not be, so FYI. They wheel a dessert cart around the room, so I was drooling over that everytime it went past and I opted to share the Strawberry Cheesecake cupcake with DS and didn't regret it.
At some point during the meal, they announced that our "host," the Beast would be receiving guests in the study. He quickly walked through the rooms with diners in them and then retreated to the study. After we finished our meal and paid our bill, we walked through the other room and then DS requested to go see the Beast. I was a little worried as he was not keen on him as he walked past our table, but sure enough, he loved the interaction. We were the only ones in the study and the beast was great with him!
Overall a great meal!

On another note: they were turning people away who didn't have reservations but the "music box" room was practically empty when we wandered through the see the decor...

 

[Figee17]

How was Paradiso!? We have eaten there 4 times but the last time the food sat under heat lamps for over 10 mins until our server showed up to get them. Enchiladas aren't supposed to be crunchy.

It was great! Though, we have eaten there at least half a dozen times and never had a bad meal there. I guess we've either been lucky or you had an "off" experience (I hope its the latter). They've also been accomodating when I wanted to modify a dish (I wanted tacos but don't like fish, their only taco option, so they gladly made it with steak or chicken...I have had it with the steak twice and LOVED it!)
Sorry you didn't have a good experience the last time you visited.

 

[Figee17]

I was with my husband and 18 month old enjoying lunch sat outside Captain Cooks at the Polynesian when a woman on the table next to us led her toddler on the floor between our tables and proceeded to change its very dirty, smelly nappy. Other tables were being used. Couldn't believe our eyes !!

Ewwwwww. Anyone with children knows you sometimes have to change kids in unconventional places on occasion, but A) you were at a resort where there are plenty of family friendly restrooms and B) at LEAST find a place away from people, especially if they are eating - SO GROSS!!!

 

[jennylyn_b]

It was great! Though, we have eaten there at least half a dozen times and never had a bad meal there. I guess we've either been lucky or you had an "off" experience (I hope its the latter). They've also been accomodating when I wanted to modify a dish (I wanted tacos but don't like fish, their only taco option, so they gladly made it with steak or chicken...I have had it with the steak twice and LOVED it!)
Sorry you didn't have a good experience the last time you visited.

Thanks glad to hear it. Sometimes you just hit am off night or a less than stellar server, no biggie! Lol

 

[CaliTex]

UUUgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh @ the dirty diaper in a restaurant!! Sometimes the things I read on Disboards are just downright frightening. What. The. Heck.

Glad to read the review of Garden Grill, we are going there for the first time this December with our 7 and 3 year old grandchildren. Sounds like they will enjoy it.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

I was with my husband and 18 month old enjoying lunch sat outside Captain Cooks at the Polynesian when a woman on the table next to us led her toddler on the floor between our tables and proceeded to change its very dirty, smelly nappy. Other tables were being used. Couldn't believe our eyes !!

We had a similar thing happen to us at Tony's in 2009. The table next to us, who we shared a bench with, had a toddler with a diaper you could smell through the whole meal. The family kept commenting how bad their kid's diaper smelled and at the end of the meal they changed him on the bench right next to me. DH is still scarred for life from the experience. He refuses to eat at Tony's because it gives him horrible smell flashbacks!