Recently returned-some observations (Long, sorry!!)

[familydisney]

So we got back from Disney recently with a deluxe dining plan. My mom came along on her first ever trip so I couldn't wait to impress her with all the great food Disney has to offer. There were hits and misses, but mostly I felt I learned a lot this trip. Most of it was dining and dining plan related, so I thought I'd post here.

1) I will never pay (or use a dining credit) for a Disney breakfast again, especially not a buffet. We ate at Crystal Palace, Akershus, and Tusker House and, though we'd done them before with good results, I feel they were pretty much the same. The character interaction was rushed and impersonal, the food was generic at best and the prices were outrageous. None of us was inspired at all and we pretty much ate and ran.

2) Refillable mugs only work when your room is close to the "filling station". We were about 1/4 mile from it at AKL, no joke! Plus they are too small too really even last back to the room. I would never pay for one, but with the plan, they were ok.

3) Liberty Tree Tavern was a great first night (and first ever Disney experience for my mom) dinner. The food was very good, and my mom raved about the gravy all week. We used to eat here all the time when they still had characters but hadn't been back, probably because we perceived a lost value. Now I will try to request it as a first night tradition. I know true foodies say it's just Stouffers, but then I guess that's what my family likes!

4) Whispering Canyon was our favorite from the last 2 trips but this time it was just ok. This was the first place we were able to use our appetizers that come with the deluxe plan, but mine was literally horrible. It looked like something my kids would throw together at home. My son's barbeque spring rolls were awesome, though! Skillet was greasy and meat was not great quality. Server was fun, though DH never got his coffee and he was seriously miffed. It pains me to come down on this place, but this time it just didn't deliver. Overall, I am not sure if we will be back or not.

5) Cape May Clam Bake was wonderful, IMO. DH wasn't as much of a fan, but I loved the crab legs, the shrimp, the spicy beef tips, etc. In general, he didn't enjoy the buffets this trip, and I would agree EXCEPT for this one! I can't wait to go back.

6) Les Chefs de France lunch is the best deal going, especially OOP. Since we got apps, I had the flatbread. It was great!! I loved Remy as well. The service was great and everyone enjoyed the meal here. We will be back.

7) I will never again make an ADR intentionally to view Wishes or Illuminations. Our first trip we lucked into one at Ohana before we ever knew. What a great surprise! Since then we have done 3 and all were either all out disasters or just underwhelming. This trip we did Rose and Crown and Ohana. At the pub the viewing area was cramped and full of people who were obviously not eating in the restaurant, plus it caused our meal to last forever. At Ohana, they canceled Wishes due to weather so we ate at an ungodly hour for no reason.
Rose and Crown's food was ok. My steak was great and it was an inexpensive menu, so I may pay OOP. Ohana I just hate. We go there for DH but the sides, salad, and dessert are not to my taste at all. The chicken this time was great, but it's hard to feel satisfied when you eat a few pieces of chicken for dinner. No one raved about it. I've put my foot down on this one for next trip.

8) Captain's Grille was...well...boring. There was nothing memorable about this one at all. My son hated the weird dill sauce they put on his steak, but the food was ok. Mom liked it, probably because it was boring!

9) If you want character interaction, go to Garden Grill!!! My boys are older now and in spite of them asking for character meals, I had started to think this was a mistake. The characters rushed off and the boys stopped caring when there was nothing but a token picture and signature. Garden Grill was so different. It was how Liberty Tree used to be. Chip kissed my hand, Pluto crawled to our table on all fours. Mickey teased my kids for not eating veggies. Dale played tic tac toe with my youngest. Plus we saw them all a few times and they still stopped! We were on the upper ring so I think the revolving view was mostly lost on us. We were too busy with the characters! Food here was a little...weird for my family. Liberty Tree was so traditional, but this one tried to be fancier than it needed to be. Overall, it was the only place my boys have demanded for next time and they have brought it up several times since our return. Go There!!!!

10) The best meal, from start to finish, was definitely Tutto Italia. Everyone loved everything we ate there, the servers were great and the host was wonderful. We had gotten word that morning that my grandfather was dying and mom would have to leave the trip early to go to him before it was too late. DH had told the host mom and I had had a rough day so he went out of his way to cheer us up.
All of the food was good there, but the meatball appetizer may be the best thing I have ever eaten anywhere. There were so many of them that I couldn't eat my entree! Everyone enjoyed everything they had from the short ribs to alfredo to a stuffed pork chop. Desserts were great too. We went to Tutto for me, but I converted the whole family!

**Final note**
I'm not sure I'd ever do deluxe again. We ate WAY too much and lost a lot of valuable touring time, plus DH missed his Pecos Bill fixings bar! It was fun to try, though. I actually think I may go OOP next time as the desserts overall left me cold and I don't need a milkshake with every meal.

I guess what it boils down to is this: the more trips I take the more strong my reactions become. The things I didn't like left me almost angry that I had wasted my time, but the things that were good have a permanent place in my heart, and my ADR list!

Hope this helps anyone. I can't go back for a long time and I'm about to cry typing it, but if any of you take my advice it'll be like a small piece of me is still eating at the World!

 

[smidgy]

what a well thought out post!!!

I love that you posted when your thoughts disagreed with others in your party. helps me think out our plans (since hubby and I have dif. tastes)

hubby would NEVER alow for the deluxe plan,,, I have to beg him for the regular plan (we only do it for free dining, or for a few days if we pay for it (do a split stay). and he always ends up complaining about having an "appointment" just to eat.

me? I'm a waitress and bartender, so I love being waited on when I eat!

we ate at Garden Grille back in the 90's with NO characters, when it was the Land grille, and the big thing was the rotating thru the dif. lands. so that sounds neat


we really liked the Price fixe at chefs de france, with the onion soup, ham and cheese sandwich, and dessert. and remY! it was so much food, we brought the other half of our sand. back to our room at beach club (what a treat!).

 

[ElizabethB]

Yeah, with the DDP, the desserts - even at the signature restaurants and even paying $10 OOP -- are generic and boring. Desserts used to be amazing. You can still get good desserts, but you have to go the restaurants that don't take DDP.

 

[ChrystalUnicorn]

Thanks for sharing your observations and tips. I totally agree with you about the Garden Grill we loved it last year out of the 4 character meals we did last year it was by far the best!

 

[Hootch]

you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences.

We have not tried Tutto yet. My wife has fond memories of the previous Italian restaurant from her younger years and wants to eat there.

I was surprised to see a CM, two separate nights, in June with a menu apparently trying to drum up business for LTT. Was it crowded when you were there? I know people weren't happy when the characters were removed and the prices stayed the same.

 

[AndreaDM]

Thanks for the review! Did you eat 3 meals a day, or did you use some for the signature places that take 2 credits? We are going deluxe for the first time next month and I'm trying to educate myself and be prepared.

Also, what kind of room did you have at AKL? We are staying there also and I hope we're not quite that far away!

 

[everythingALICE]

Thanks for this! It makes me really want to eat at Garden Grill! I've never been before but it sounds like a great time.

 

[klmall]

Thank you so much for all your reviews with details; these really help in planning!

 

[CindyIsMyFave]

This trip we did Rose and Crown and Ohana. At the pub the viewing area was cramped and full of people who were obviously not eating in the restaurant, plus it caused our meal to last forever.

Hmmm. We're doing R&C on NYE. 10:00 reservation with NYE fireworks due to start at 11:40. So I'm interested to hear more about the people who were in the viewing area who weren't eating? Do you mean out on the patio? Or in the "special" R&C viewing area? If there's any night people would try to be where they weren't supposed to be, I'd imagine it'd be NYE!

 

[chrisw127]

Good information. I really like Chefs de France. The food is always fresh and the restaurant itself is so pretty--much nicer than you would ever expect in a theme park. It's one of those places that I think gets overlooked, which I guess is good for those of us who like walk ups!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks for the observations.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Hello,
I am looking for a current menu for Tutto Italia for both lunch & dinner.
I had read on here the menu had changed from what is posted on AllEars.
I tried the search feature, and found your report.
Do you have a pic of the menu from your visit, and can you look at the AllEars menu and tell us how it compares to what you saw, please?
Did you have lunch or dinner there?

 

[mlittig]

Thanks for the great and honest review

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Thanks for the report. We are looking forward to both Cape May and Garden Grill in September.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Hello,
I am looking for a current menu for Tutto Italia for both lunch & dinner.
I had read on here the menu had changed from what is posted on AllEars.
I tried the search feature, and found your report.
Do you have a pic of the menu from your visit, and can you look at the AllEars menu and tell us how it compares to what you saw, please?
Did you have lunch or dinner there?

This one is dates 7/2011
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?restaurant.ID=86#menu

 

[LoriJune]

Thanks for the information! We are trying Chefs de France for the first time on our next trip for lunch, OOP, glad to hear you liked it.

 

[dogodisney]

Great review!
It will be just my DGD (8)and I for our upcoming trip and we will be doing a lot of Character meals. I hope I am not making a mistake by doing so. We have loved Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace and I hope we won't be disappointed this trip. We will be visiting the Garden Grill for the first time. I was a little worried about it but you have eased my mind.

 

[crabbygal902]

1) I will never pay (or use a dining credit) for a Disney breakfast again, especially not a buffet. My kids were really put out with me for not booking Chef Mickey's breakfast on this past trip, but I'm with you on the little character interaction and generic food at most of the buffets. I think that Cape May is best for character interaction and 'Ohana is best for food out of all the breakfasts we've tried.

2) Refillable mugs only work when your room is close to the "filling station".
Absolutely! We have purchased mugs and then are too tired to fill them up!

3) Liberty Tree Tavern was a great first night (and first ever Disney experience for my mom) dinner. It is certainly not gourmet, but my family likes it too. We haven't been back since the characters left. Perhaps we should give it another try.

4) Whispering Canyon was our favorite from the last 2 trips but this time it was just ok. I've been debating about this place. Thanks for the honest opinion.

5) Cape May Clam Bake was wonderful, IMO. I really liked this one, too.

6) Les Chefs de France lunch is the best deal going, especially OOP. Since we got apps, I had the flatbread. It was great!! I loved Remy as well. The service was great and everyone enjoyed the meal here. We will be back. Here's where I have to disagree. Remy was awesome, but the food was 'meh' (except for the amazing bread that they serve with the meal.)

7) I will never again make an ADR intentionally to view Wishes or Illuminations. Good advice! We lucked into a great showing of Wishes at 'Ohana on our last trip, but it was totally unintentional. I was considering making an Illuminations ADR for La Hacienda on our next trip, but you made some good points. Maybe it is better to just let the magic happen and not to expect it.

8) Captain's Grille was...well...boring. My parents-in-law love this place. I haven't been, but I can't see myself getting too excited about it.

9) If you want character interaction, go to Garden Grill!!! I haven't been to GG since back when they did the ice cream social. I'll have to put on my list of possibilities.

10) The best meal, from start to finish, was definitely Tutto Italia. I haven't been, but I am now intrigued.

**Final note**
I'm not sure I'd ever do deluxe again. If I were going with a group of adults, maybe deluxe would be the way to go. But I can't imagine my boys in 2 or maybe 3 sit down restaurants per day. They use up all their 'good' in just 1!!And there are a bunch of CS restaurants that I would miss...Japan, Morocco, etc.

I guess what it boils down to is this: the more trips I take the more strong my reactions become. The things I didn't like left me almost angry that I had wasted my time, but the things that were good have a permanent place in my heart, and my ADR list!

Hope this helps anyone. I can't go back for a long time and I'm about to cry typing it, but if any of you take my advice it'll be like a small piece of me is still eating at the World! We won't return until November 2012 and it seems like FOREVER. Thanks for the GREAT post!

 

[familydisney]

you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences.

We have not tried Tutto yet. My wife has fond memories of the previous Italian restaurant from her younger years and wants to eat there.

I was surprised to see a CM, two separate nights, in June with a menu apparently trying to drum up business for LTT. Was it crowded when you were there? I know people weren't happy when the characters were removed and the prices stayed the same.

It was pretty crowded, though not as much as when the characters were there. We did see Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) eating in the next room, though!

 

[familydisney]

Thanks for the review! Did you eat 3 meals a day, or did you use some for the signature places that take 2 credits? We are going deluxe for the first time next month and I'm trying to educate myself and be prepared.

Also, what kind of room did you have at AKL? We are staying there also and I hope we're not quite that far away!

Well, we kind of had a unique situation. Since we went DVC, they allow you to purchase any didning plan in any combination for any number of days. We ended up getting deluxe for every other day, getting us 1 sit down the 1st day and 2 the second, spreading the 3 meals out over 2 days. It was clever and mostly worked well. I could NEVER imagine 3 meals a day. This was too much, and I eat A LOT!!! We didn't do any signatures since we can't justify using 2 TS on a meal. It's financially better to pay OOP, unless you really want DxDDP. In general, I thought it was more than enough food.

If you are insistent on the DxDDP I think I may do the signatures simply because it's ridiculous to take 6+ hours of my day eating...

We were DVC as I said but got both good and bad luck at check in. After staying savanna view last year, we almost never saw an animla, we looked out over a roof and it was simply a let down. This time we decided to do standard view and just see animals in the look-outs, etc. We only requested one thing....close to transportation....

SO...when we checked in, we got the room very farthest from the lobby( I think it was 5384 or 5386). Lest you think I'm joking, there was literally one room past us on the far wall and it was a grand villa. If you look at AKL map, you'll see it's a crescent. We were the very end farthest from the buses. I was about to throw a fit until DH pointed out we had been upgraded to savanna. I agreed to give it a try.

The view was AMAZING! One morning there were 6 zebras, 3 giraffes, 2 ostriches, 3 antelope and 6 wildebeests out my balcony! The room was so quiet as we were so far away. We were in a dedicated lock-out studio so we only shared a wall with my mom, a hallway on the other side.

In short (I know, too late!), if you are going to AKL to relax at all, ask for this room! If you are park warriors, stay away from it. Just thinking of walking through the door of that room fills me with a weird sense of peace, a welcome change from the parks.

I hope you have a great trip!!!