Our dining reviews - Oct17th-29th

akghutton

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Our dining reviews – Boy, it is amazing how many places you can eat on a 13 day trip to WDW

Jikos - We loved this restaurant. The décor was beautiful; loved the changing lighting to give the feeling of sunset on the savannah. The service was outstanding. Our server was GREAT with our 2 young DSs, even when my DH and I had to take turns taking our youngest DS(1) back to the room for changing and teething issues. DH and I both had the oak-grilled tenderloin with homemade macaroni and cheese in red wine sauce. The entrée was fantastic. We also loved the cheese pizza my DS(1) had from the children’s menu. I am going to see if I can order that as my appetizer next time, as the cheese on it was delicious. We will definitely be returning to Jikos on our next trip to WDW. I predict that just as the Yachtsman Steakhouse has become a must-dine-at restaurant for us on every trip, so will Jikos. A++++++

Cinderella’s Royal Table character breakfast – The castle and character interaction was nice. The Fairy Godmother was wonderful with our sons. However, I just didn’t think that the food was worth the price we paid for this meal. We were glad we tried CRT, but will not be returning. We prefer the buffet style character meals to the pre-plated meals. C-

Sunrise Safari Adventure and Breakfast Buffet through AKL concierge – Definitely a highlight of this trip. The safari alone was an amazing experience. The icing on the cake was the spectacular buffet they had waiting for us at the end of the safari at the Tusker House schoolroom. The food was delicious. The chef addressed us before we ate, explaining all of the dishes and offering his assistance to those diners with allergies. A+++++

California Grill – I posted a detailed report of our experience at California Grill. But is a nutshell: the view is gorgeous, the staff is friendly, the food, I can’t address, for after waiting for 1 hour and 45 minutes for a table(and we did have PS reservations), we opted to leave and seek out food elsewhere as our kids were very hungry. D

Mara – We really enjoyed the food selection at Mara, and were always able to find food to satisfy everyone in our family. B

AKL concierge lounge offerings – My DS(4) was thrilled that they had Froot Loops(we don’t buy these at home, so it has become a cereal for special occasions, like visiting grandparents and going to WDW) Great selection of food throughout the day. Wonderful assortments of fruits, snacks, drinks, appetizers, and desserts. A

50’s Prime Time Café – Good food, fun atmosphere, but a bit expensive for a lunch. We also had a 30-minute wait here to be seated. I don’t think that we will be dining here again for a while. C

Ice Cream Social @ Garden Grill – This had become a repeat favorite for our family. Yummy ice cream, a lot of character interaction, a revolving restaurant, reasonable prices, and attentive servers. The chef even came out to talk to me about alternative for my DS(1), who has a slight allergy to milk. A

Cape May Café character breakfast – This was our first time dining at Cape May Café. This restaurant dethroned Chef Mickey’s as our favorite character meal. The food was delicious, selection was extensive, atmosphere is light and fun, service was excellent, and the character interaction was magical. A++++

Hollywood and Vine Fantasmic dinner package – This restaurant was a pleasant surprise for us. The buffet was great. Again, good food and selection, our server was attentive, there was an excellent dessert bar, and we love the Fantasmic entrance pass, especially with 2 little ones. A

Yachtsman Steakhouse – An all-time favorite for us. This was our 5th visit to the Yachtsman Steakhouse, but first time with our kids, and it did not disappoint. We love their Caesar salad and filet mignon. Our DS(4) loved the cupcake with chocolate puzzle and frosting paints and brush. What a cool dessert!!! Our DS(1) slept through the whole meal, which made for an enjoyable meal for allJ A+++++

Chef Mickey’s character breakfast – We love Chef Mickey’s. The food and selection were great. The character interaction was wonderful. A

Rose and Crown – Good food, great prices, excellent view, and I discovered this time the piano player in the bar, when I walked through to the restroom, he was very talented – OUTSTANDING service. My DS(4) was picked to wave the magic wand to start Illumination – absolutely magical A+

Liberty Tree Tavern for MNNSHP – good food, but it was very busy, so the meal felt quite rushed. We loved seeing the characters in their Halloween masks and the servers in their Haunted Mansion make-up and garb; it definitely set the mood for the evening. B+

Le Cellier Steakhouse – One of our favorites – love the Canadian Cheddar Soup, filet and Canadian Club cake. We used lunch vouchers here for a late lunch/early dinner – it was a great deal. A+

Crystal Palace – Food was good, character interaction was very rushed. I think next time we will stick with Cape May Café and Chef Mickey’s for our character breakfasts. C+

ESPN Club – we went here 3 times for lunch and appetizers during the World Series games. Big thumbs up on atmosphere, especially for the World Series. Yummy appetizers. Roasted chicken for lunch was so-so. B

Rainforest Café @ AK– My DH and I shared a lunch voucher here and got the surf and turf. Excellent value. We saved approx. $45.00. Our sons loved the atmosphere. The food was great. Excellent service. A+

Last, but certainly not least – Beaches and Cream – This was our first time dining here, and we returned two more times. We shared Q & C vouchers at each visit, which were great values. The burgers were the best I’ve ever had, and the No Way Jose sundae was unbelievable. “We’ll be back!” A+++

;)
 
Thanks for the great reviews!! :D Sounds like you had a wonderful dining experieice at WDW.
 
Thank you! My boys are 4 and 1 too, so I especially appreciate reviews from a perspective that addresses their ages!
 

Thanks for the great reviews! We are looking forward to trying out some of your choices on our upcoming trip!
 
Yet another great Jiko review. You guys are just trying to tempt me to change my dining plans again. :teeth:


:bounce: :Pinkbounc :bounce: :Pinkbounc
 
Very much enjoyed your reviews.

I remember reading your other post about your wait at CG. Your patience is amazing! You might want to try again some night with an early PS....works better in our experience.

Doesn't WDW do a great job of making fine dining family friendly?
 
Very much enjoyed your reviews.

I remember reading your other post about your wait at CG. Your patience is amazing! You might consider trying again some night with an early PS....works better in our experience.

Doesn't WDW do a great job of making fine dining family friendly?
 
Great reviews! Thanks for sharing.
 
I have the Kingdom Lunch vouchers also - so you can get surf and turf? This is awesome. My DH and I always share the meal and use one voucher. I will give Le Cellier another chance. I had a bad meal the last time we were there. Yachtsman's Steak House is a little pricey - is it worth it? I would imagine Jiko is excellent, as we love Boma.
 
bsusanmb,
Yes, Rainforest Cafe at AK lets you order the surf and turf with the lunch voucher. Actually, our server, once he saw that we were using a voucher, went through the entire menu and pointed out which meals would give us the biggest bang for our buck. My DH and I shared one voucher and had plenty of food. We had the a large appetizer, the surf and turf(my Dh and I split the steak, my DMIL ate the lobster), a very large and cool rainbow slushie in a specialty container with a toy(that my DS(4) took), and a dessert, which we share with the table. It was a great deal; one that we hope to repeat on our next trip.

We have always had great meals at Le Ceiller, so you may want to give it another shot.

The Yachtsman Steakhouse has always been our special, splurge restaurant at WDW. We have always loved their food and service; we are big steak eaters when we are on vacation.:teeth:
Luckily we also get a 10% discount there with our DVC membership card.

Thanks for the responses everyone. Glad that my reviews were enjoyed!
 


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