Here is a quick run down of our dining experience at WDW from September 3rd through 10th. This was our first trip to WDW. The Dining Plan is definitely worth it. We were on the free dining promotion and would pay for it if we had to. The prices for food at WDW are outrageous. No way would we have been able to go to the restaurants we went to if we had been paying out of pocket. I was surprised so few people knew about the free dining. Credits are still pooled. We chose to order from the Adult menu for our 3 yr. old and have he and my daughter (18 mos.) split the meal.
Donalds Breakfastosaurus:
This was a great way to start our vacation. The characters were good. The food was good. (Sidenote: At the buffet table, the platters that the food are on are VERY small ..they had to be refilled after about every 4th person. Whats up with that? Is Disney trying to keep people from taking too much food?)
Mickeys Backyard BBQ:
Looking back I wonder why I chose to attend this dinner show. I guess it looked good on paper. Dont get me wrong, it wasnt bad. Its just that we live in Utah and these Western-type shows are pretty common and MUCH better here. The chicken was good but the ribs were terrible.
(Note on WDW RIBS: In my opinion, the ribs at WDW are not very good. I tried them at three different restaurants in three different parks (Flame Tree in AK was the best). It probably has to do with the Dry Rub vs. Wet Rub cooking styles. I came to refer to the WDW ribs as the East Coast ribs. Even for Dry Rub ribs, Ive had far better. In the West, the majority of ribs are cooked by the Wet Rub method and are much tastier, I think.)
Cosmic Rays:
Pretty good chicken and mediocre ribs (see ribs note above). There are so many choices here that I would go back to try some other dishes.
Pinnochio Village Haus:
The new menu is VERY GOOD. I highly recommend the Italian Sub sandwich. All the food here was good.
Pecos Bill:
Yummy hamburgers. The fixins bar was good. Would eat here again.
Crystal Palace:
The food was good-average buffet fare. The place was packed. Too expensive for what you get though.
Tusker House:
Excellent food here as well. The grilled salmon is delicious.
Flame Tree:
This place should be called the Duck Encounter. A whole flock of ducks is constantly at your feet here. They are not in the least afraid of humans. A girl sitting next to us was afraid of ducks and stood on her chair the whole time she was eating .very amusing. The ribs here were the best in WDW, which isnt much of a complement.
Mama Melrose:
Good food overall. A little different for our taste, however. They mix too many different tastes into each dish.
ABC Commissary:
The hamburgers were good. Would eat here again.
Sci-Fi Dine In:
This was the most disappointing of the TS restaurants. The theming was good, but the food was mediocre. We had dinner the night before it closed for refurbishment, so that may have had something to do with it.
Cantina San Angel:
Good Mexican food. Ordered the combination plate yummmm. We would definitely eat here again.
Teppanyaki (Japan):
EXCELLENT!! Loved it. Highly recommended, especially on the dining plan.
The portions were about what you get at a typical restaurant. The appetizers and desserts were a bit much if you had them at all meals. Food prices are very high, as you can imagine. Any questions?
Donalds Breakfastosaurus:
This was a great way to start our vacation. The characters were good. The food was good. (Sidenote: At the buffet table, the platters that the food are on are VERY small ..they had to be refilled after about every 4th person. Whats up with that? Is Disney trying to keep people from taking too much food?)
Mickeys Backyard BBQ:
Looking back I wonder why I chose to attend this dinner show. I guess it looked good on paper. Dont get me wrong, it wasnt bad. Its just that we live in Utah and these Western-type shows are pretty common and MUCH better here. The chicken was good but the ribs were terrible.
(Note on WDW RIBS: In my opinion, the ribs at WDW are not very good. I tried them at three different restaurants in three different parks (Flame Tree in AK was the best). It probably has to do with the Dry Rub vs. Wet Rub cooking styles. I came to refer to the WDW ribs as the East Coast ribs. Even for Dry Rub ribs, Ive had far better. In the West, the majority of ribs are cooked by the Wet Rub method and are much tastier, I think.)
Cosmic Rays:
Pretty good chicken and mediocre ribs (see ribs note above). There are so many choices here that I would go back to try some other dishes.
Pinnochio Village Haus:
The new menu is VERY GOOD. I highly recommend the Italian Sub sandwich. All the food here was good.
Pecos Bill:
Yummy hamburgers. The fixins bar was good. Would eat here again.
Crystal Palace:
The food was good-average buffet fare. The place was packed. Too expensive for what you get though.
Tusker House:
Excellent food here as well. The grilled salmon is delicious.
Flame Tree:
This place should be called the Duck Encounter. A whole flock of ducks is constantly at your feet here. They are not in the least afraid of humans. A girl sitting next to us was afraid of ducks and stood on her chair the whole time she was eating .very amusing. The ribs here were the best in WDW, which isnt much of a complement.
Mama Melrose:
Good food overall. A little different for our taste, however. They mix too many different tastes into each dish.
ABC Commissary:
The hamburgers were good. Would eat here again.
Sci-Fi Dine In:
This was the most disappointing of the TS restaurants. The theming was good, but the food was mediocre. We had dinner the night before it closed for refurbishment, so that may have had something to do with it.
Cantina San Angel:
Good Mexican food. Ordered the combination plate yummmm. We would definitely eat here again.
Teppanyaki (Japan):
EXCELLENT!! Loved it. Highly recommended, especially on the dining plan.
The portions were about what you get at a typical restaurant. The appetizers and desserts were a bit much if you had them at all meals. Food prices are very high, as you can imagine. Any questions?
