Just thought I would add to the reviews!
Table Service:
Mama Melrose Dinner (paid out-of-pocket for DD)
This was an excellent meal! DD was not very hungry, so we paid out-of-pocket for her Chicken Parmesan kid's meal and drink. DH and I had the buffalo cheese/tomato appetizer and the calamari. The buffalo cheese scored a mild "eh," but the calamari was very good. DH had the steak, which was quite tender and cooked to his liking. I had the wood-fired chicken pipette, which was DIVINE!! For dessert we shared a tiramisu (average) and a chocolate truffle cake, which was moist and sinful. We did tip for DD's meal and above the 15 percent for ours.
Crystal Palace Dinner
What a disappointment. We had eaten lunch here before, but we decided to try dinner before the Spectro parade. This place was pure chaos. The characters didn't appear to have a set "route," and kept missing tables. Instead of talking to their server, many annoying patrons kept trying to accost the characters at someone else's table. The food was just not that exciting either, and our server couldn't seem to manage to keep our drinks filled. On the plus side, I did get a picture with my beloved Eeyore. NO extra tip here, since he failed at his only job: our drinks.
'Ohana Dinner
THIS PLACE WAS FABULOUS! Our server was absolutely excellent, and he earned an extra $20 tip for his effort. From the wontons, to the appetizers, to the shrimp, veggies, potatoes, meats, and yummy bread pudding... it was the best meal of the entire trip. My daughter loved learning the luau and doing the coconut race. We never, ever felt rushed, and our server kept our drinks filled and made us feel as though we were his ONLY table.
Sci Fi Dine-In Lunch (Paid out-of-pocket)
I did not expect much of this meal, but I was pleasantly surprised! We stuck with the basic burger and fries. The burger was juicy, and the fries were hot. Our server was a little slow, but not terrible. DD got an overpriced drink with a glow-cube, which she thought was very cool. This was a relaxing meal with a much more laid back atmosphere than 50s Prime Time.
Teppanyaki Dinner
One of our favorites! This is DH's favorite restaurant. DD had the shrimp, I had the shrimp and steak, and DH had the chicken and steak. We all had salads for appetizers and sherbert for dessert. From the veggies, to the rice, to the noodles, to the meat... It was all very, very good. And it is a fun place to eat as well! Our servers got an extra tip here too.
Cinderella's Lunch at the Castle
Again, I did not expect much. We were going mainly for the characters. But I was pleasantly surprised yet again. Our server brought the child's appetizer to DD, since she was not too keen on the adult appetizer. She had a great little plate of carrots, celery, cheese, and grapes, which she promptly devoured. We really loved all of our appetizer selections. The portions were small, but we each got one of everything. For our entrees, DH got the pork tenderloin, which was moist and very delicious. I had Major Domo's Pie. I didn't eat all of the crust, but the potatoes, veggies, meat, and sauce was very yummy. DD, to whom none of the choices appealed, had a $25 extra-large order of hotdogs on pretzel rolls. *sigh* The blueberry buckle with lemon ice cream was also much better than I expected. The best part, however, was the character interaction. This was our second time at the castle, and these folks have it down to an ART. They move effortlessly around the room, giving attention to each person. I love it here. Eating in the castle is definitely worth it! Our server also earned an extra tip.
Donald's Breakfast at Animal Kingdom (paid out-of-pocket for DD)
OK, the character interaction here was also very good. Like CRT, they do have a definite plan to their character rotation, and each character spent plenty of time with us. Our server was very friendly, but he was slow on the drinks and the refills. The food was OK -- standard breakfast buffet fare. Everything was hot and fresh though. We tipped a bit extra for DD's out-of-pocket tab, even though it had a puzzling 18 percent gratuity added on already.
Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge
OK, I'm glad I tried it, but I definitely will not return. The food did not "sit" well on my stomach, IYKWIM. The salads and the desserts were all very, very good, but I just did not care for any of the meats and veggies I tried. Maybe I am just weird, but we are normally very adventurous eaters. Waaah. Our server was friendly enough, though.
Liberty Tree Tavern
I have to say that I do not know what all the hype is about here! The salad was yummy, but the food was rather... well, bland. The meat was dry, and the dessert was boring. Once again, our waiter could not keep our drinks filled, and I promise we do not drink like camels, people! The character interaction, however, was among the best I have ever experienced. We did try LTT during our last trip for lunch, and I much preferred that experience.
Le Cellier (paid out-of-pocket for DD)
The best food and the worst service of the entire trip. Our server, bless his heart, was just a joke. It took him forever to bring our drinks, he couldn't remember what we had ordered, and he wouldn't bring us refills. Honestly wouldn't! We were all dry after the entree and requested refills when he took our dessert order. They never came. He walked by our table once and said, "Oh, I never got your drinks. I'll get right on that." And he promptly forgot. He brought our dessert. Again no drinks. We reminded him, and he promised to get right on it. He never did. At this point, it became a joke!
Then the guy completely messed up our ticket. We paid out-of-pocket for DD, and he only charged us for her appetizer. He looked at us like we had two heads when we said he had not charged us enough! Then we got to looking at OUR ticket, and the bill was only $41. For two steaks, two appetizers, drinks, and desserts? He had not charged us for the entrees. I signed it and told him I was on the dining plan, so it made no difference to me, but it would DEFINITELY affect him. We left him looking puzzled at the bill, still trying to figure out what was wrong with it. I got a bottled water on the way out of the park because I was STILL THIRSTY.
OK, that said, the meal was absolutely excellent! The pretzel bread is just so yummy! I had the cheddar cheese soup, the bbq filet with cream cheese mashed potatoes, and the chocolate whiskey cake. Everything was delicious, but the cake was not that terribly exciting. DH had the shrimp cocktail, sirloin steak, and maple creme brulee. The creme brulee was the best either of us had ever tasted, and you could cut his meat with a butter knife. DD had her typical chicken and fries! She had the s'mores for dessert, which had a very cute presentation. I tried to persuade her to get the chocolate "moose," but she was set on the s'mores! We will return, in spite of the horrid service! Needless to say, no extra tip here. We honestly felt like he either a) was incompetent, or b) just decided not to fool with us, since we were on the dining plan.
Counter Service:
Big River Grill CS at POR:
Had one lunch, one dinner, and three breakfasts here. Paid out-of-pocket for one breakfast. Breakfast was not bad at all: we had waffles, french toast, eggs and bacon, omelettes, the whole shabang. Dinner meals were pretty "eh." We had pizzas (DD), Philly Cheesesteak (DH), chef salad (me), chicken alfredo (me), and cheesburger (DH). It was all OK, but this place was CRAZY after 8 a.m.
Sunshine Seasons at the Land at Epcot
DH and I both had an oriental chicken type dish with rice and veggies. It was pretty good! DD had a kids' pack PB&J and a pink lemonade. For desserts DD had worms and dirt (very good, but hey, how can you mess up pudding?), DH had a chocolate cake (yummy!), and I had key lime pie (which was just plain gross!). Still, it was good, healthy fare for counter service. We would return here.
Columbia Harbor House:
This was a real find! I had a cup of clam chowder and half a tuna sandwich, with apple pie for dessert. The clam chowder was really, really good! DH had the fish and fries, which was a pretty small portion, and the apple pie. DD had chicken fingers and fries, with grapes for dessert. We ate upstairs, and it was quiet and cool. A nice break!
Backlot Express MGM:
OK, so we knew this place would not be very good, but we wanted to go to MGM on our last day, and we were out of TS credits! DH and I had the double cheeseburgers with fries and chocolate cake for dessert. DD had (big surprise!) chicken fingers and fries. I don't think she wanted dessert. We had churros from the cart later!
Out-of-Pocket Snack:
Ghiradelli's. I had a BOGO coupon, but I must have left it at home! Oh, well. DH and I both had the hot fudge sundaes (definitely slurpable!), and DD had a strawberry milkshake, which was BIG and very good!
Snacks:
I did not keep up with the specifics, but I know we used these for bottled waters, soft drinks, Mickey premium bars, Mickey ice cream sandwiches, Itzakadoozies, and a frozen banana. We tried to use them at a snack cart for churros, but the churros were not included. The nice man gave us two churros for free!! How nice!
I think Disney has accomplished what they set out to do. We found the meal plan to be convenient and a good value, so we would likely purchase it the next time!
Table Service:
Mama Melrose Dinner (paid out-of-pocket for DD)
This was an excellent meal! DD was not very hungry, so we paid out-of-pocket for her Chicken Parmesan kid's meal and drink. DH and I had the buffalo cheese/tomato appetizer and the calamari. The buffalo cheese scored a mild "eh," but the calamari was very good. DH had the steak, which was quite tender and cooked to his liking. I had the wood-fired chicken pipette, which was DIVINE!! For dessert we shared a tiramisu (average) and a chocolate truffle cake, which was moist and sinful. We did tip for DD's meal and above the 15 percent for ours.
Crystal Palace Dinner
What a disappointment. We had eaten lunch here before, but we decided to try dinner before the Spectro parade. This place was pure chaos. The characters didn't appear to have a set "route," and kept missing tables. Instead of talking to their server, many annoying patrons kept trying to accost the characters at someone else's table. The food was just not that exciting either, and our server couldn't seem to manage to keep our drinks filled. On the plus side, I did get a picture with my beloved Eeyore. NO extra tip here, since he failed at his only job: our drinks.
'Ohana Dinner
THIS PLACE WAS FABULOUS! Our server was absolutely excellent, and he earned an extra $20 tip for his effort. From the wontons, to the appetizers, to the shrimp, veggies, potatoes, meats, and yummy bread pudding... it was the best meal of the entire trip. My daughter loved learning the luau and doing the coconut race. We never, ever felt rushed, and our server kept our drinks filled and made us feel as though we were his ONLY table.
Sci Fi Dine-In Lunch (Paid out-of-pocket)
I did not expect much of this meal, but I was pleasantly surprised! We stuck with the basic burger and fries. The burger was juicy, and the fries were hot. Our server was a little slow, but not terrible. DD got an overpriced drink with a glow-cube, which she thought was very cool. This was a relaxing meal with a much more laid back atmosphere than 50s Prime Time.
Teppanyaki Dinner
One of our favorites! This is DH's favorite restaurant. DD had the shrimp, I had the shrimp and steak, and DH had the chicken and steak. We all had salads for appetizers and sherbert for dessert. From the veggies, to the rice, to the noodles, to the meat... It was all very, very good. And it is a fun place to eat as well! Our servers got an extra tip here too.
Cinderella's Lunch at the Castle
Again, I did not expect much. We were going mainly for the characters. But I was pleasantly surprised yet again. Our server brought the child's appetizer to DD, since she was not too keen on the adult appetizer. She had a great little plate of carrots, celery, cheese, and grapes, which she promptly devoured. We really loved all of our appetizer selections. The portions were small, but we each got one of everything. For our entrees, DH got the pork tenderloin, which was moist and very delicious. I had Major Domo's Pie. I didn't eat all of the crust, but the potatoes, veggies, meat, and sauce was very yummy. DD, to whom none of the choices appealed, had a $25 extra-large order of hotdogs on pretzel rolls. *sigh* The blueberry buckle with lemon ice cream was also much better than I expected. The best part, however, was the character interaction. This was our second time at the castle, and these folks have it down to an ART. They move effortlessly around the room, giving attention to each person. I love it here. Eating in the castle is definitely worth it! Our server also earned an extra tip.
Donald's Breakfast at Animal Kingdom (paid out-of-pocket for DD)
OK, the character interaction here was also very good. Like CRT, they do have a definite plan to their character rotation, and each character spent plenty of time with us. Our server was very friendly, but he was slow on the drinks and the refills. The food was OK -- standard breakfast buffet fare. Everything was hot and fresh though. We tipped a bit extra for DD's out-of-pocket tab, even though it had a puzzling 18 percent gratuity added on already.
Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge
OK, I'm glad I tried it, but I definitely will not return. The food did not "sit" well on my stomach, IYKWIM. The salads and the desserts were all very, very good, but I just did not care for any of the meats and veggies I tried. Maybe I am just weird, but we are normally very adventurous eaters. Waaah. Our server was friendly enough, though.
Liberty Tree Tavern
I have to say that I do not know what all the hype is about here! The salad was yummy, but the food was rather... well, bland. The meat was dry, and the dessert was boring. Once again, our waiter could not keep our drinks filled, and I promise we do not drink like camels, people! The character interaction, however, was among the best I have ever experienced. We did try LTT during our last trip for lunch, and I much preferred that experience.
Le Cellier (paid out-of-pocket for DD)
The best food and the worst service of the entire trip. Our server, bless his heart, was just a joke. It took him forever to bring our drinks, he couldn't remember what we had ordered, and he wouldn't bring us refills. Honestly wouldn't! We were all dry after the entree and requested refills when he took our dessert order. They never came. He walked by our table once and said, "Oh, I never got your drinks. I'll get right on that." And he promptly forgot. He brought our dessert. Again no drinks. We reminded him, and he promised to get right on it. He never did. At this point, it became a joke!
Then the guy completely messed up our ticket. We paid out-of-pocket for DD, and he only charged us for her appetizer. He looked at us like we had two heads when we said he had not charged us enough! Then we got to looking at OUR ticket, and the bill was only $41. For two steaks, two appetizers, drinks, and desserts? He had not charged us for the entrees. I signed it and told him I was on the dining plan, so it made no difference to me, but it would DEFINITELY affect him. We left him looking puzzled at the bill, still trying to figure out what was wrong with it. I got a bottled water on the way out of the park because I was STILL THIRSTY.
OK, that said, the meal was absolutely excellent! The pretzel bread is just so yummy! I had the cheddar cheese soup, the bbq filet with cream cheese mashed potatoes, and the chocolate whiskey cake. Everything was delicious, but the cake was not that terribly exciting. DH had the shrimp cocktail, sirloin steak, and maple creme brulee. The creme brulee was the best either of us had ever tasted, and you could cut his meat with a butter knife. DD had her typical chicken and fries! She had the s'mores for dessert, which had a very cute presentation. I tried to persuade her to get the chocolate "moose," but she was set on the s'mores! We will return, in spite of the horrid service! Needless to say, no extra tip here. We honestly felt like he either a) was incompetent, or b) just decided not to fool with us, since we were on the dining plan.
Counter Service:
Big River Grill CS at POR:
Had one lunch, one dinner, and three breakfasts here. Paid out-of-pocket for one breakfast. Breakfast was not bad at all: we had waffles, french toast, eggs and bacon, omelettes, the whole shabang. Dinner meals were pretty "eh." We had pizzas (DD), Philly Cheesesteak (DH), chef salad (me), chicken alfredo (me), and cheesburger (DH). It was all OK, but this place was CRAZY after 8 a.m.
Sunshine Seasons at the Land at Epcot
DH and I both had an oriental chicken type dish with rice and veggies. It was pretty good! DD had a kids' pack PB&J and a pink lemonade. For desserts DD had worms and dirt (very good, but hey, how can you mess up pudding?), DH had a chocolate cake (yummy!), and I had key lime pie (which was just plain gross!). Still, it was good, healthy fare for counter service. We would return here.
Columbia Harbor House:
This was a real find! I had a cup of clam chowder and half a tuna sandwich, with apple pie for dessert. The clam chowder was really, really good! DH had the fish and fries, which was a pretty small portion, and the apple pie. DD had chicken fingers and fries, with grapes for dessert. We ate upstairs, and it was quiet and cool. A nice break!
Backlot Express MGM:
OK, so we knew this place would not be very good, but we wanted to go to MGM on our last day, and we were out of TS credits! DH and I had the double cheeseburgers with fries and chocolate cake for dessert. DD had (big surprise!) chicken fingers and fries. I don't think she wanted dessert. We had churros from the cart later!
Out-of-Pocket Snack:
Ghiradelli's. I had a BOGO coupon, but I must have left it at home! Oh, well. DH and I both had the hot fudge sundaes (definitely slurpable!), and DD had a strawberry milkshake, which was BIG and very good!
Snacks:
I did not keep up with the specifics, but I know we used these for bottled waters, soft drinks, Mickey premium bars, Mickey ice cream sandwiches, Itzakadoozies, and a frozen banana. We tried to use them at a snack cart for churros, but the churros were not included. The nice man gave us two churros for free!! How nice!
I think Disney has accomplished what they set out to do. We found the meal plan to be convenient and a good value, so we would likely purchase it the next time!
Great reviews...thank's for posting 
