Cast: Me(30) and DH(31). DH has a chronic pain condition and uses a power wheelchair so I have included information about accessibility for those that are interested in such things. He can walk a few feet and transfer to a regular chair. However, he prefers to stay in his PC and this requires a table that he can drive straight into his "seat" because it is hard to maneuver the chair around in between crowded tables. We always explain this when entering a restaurant and I always state that we are willing to wait longer for a suitable table. We stayed on the concierge floor at AKL, so we did not eat breakfast out and supplemented meals with snacks from the lounge.
Tuesday (Animal Kingdom) We took part in the Sunrise Safari which included a huge buffet breakfast at the Tusker House. Before the meal started, one of the chefs came out and talked about the foods. There were the traditional American bacon, eggs, sausages with pastries, bagels, etc. But there were also African sausages, green tomatoes with fried eggs, open omelettes, fruit, cheese, potatoes with peppers and onions and ham. We ate until we could eat no more and then spent the rest of the morning in the park. We did share a big pretzel in the early afternoon, but we were too full from breakfast to have lunch.
We went to the 6:00 show of La Nouba and then went to Wolfgang Puck's Café. We were not impressed and will not go back. We had a 45 minute wait for a table because they do not make priority seating from 6:30 to 9. No problem because we knew this ahead of time. It was very crowded and they were seating people outside on the patio which had tables crowded together, so I spoke to the hostess about DH's power chair. I told her than we would need a table that he could drive straight into, because there was not enough room to turn around between the tables and that his chair sticks out which can make it difficult for staff and guests to get through when he is seated next to another person. I expressed concern about being seated outside because DH is very sensitive to cold and cold air can cause him considerable pain. I told her that we would prefer to be seated inside had no problem waiting longer for a suitable table. I was assured that the patio was heated and warm. Our little beeper went off and we were headed out to the patio. After a hazardous trip through the bar that required several guests to get up and move their chairs (which made DH very uncomfortable) we finally arrived at the patio door. The hostess quickly realized there was no way to get to the table for two we had been assigned to, so she offered us the table for four that was a little closer. There was a gas heater (those large portable heating stands) in the way as well as several other chairs and people. I asked her if we could wait for something more suitable. She said that it would be a really long wait, did not seem interested in taking us back through the bar and called two waiters over to move the heater. It took almost 5 minutes of moving and maneuvering to get DH into the table. While all of this was going on another hostess approached from the opposite direction with four guests who were supposed to be seated at the table that was now ours. They were understandably upset that their table had been given away and complained loudly, leading to even more embarrassment for DH for causing trouble. Our services was so slow that the meal took almost 2 hours. DH was not able to get up to use the restroom during this time. The heaters were warm, but they could have used 2-3 more. Each time a new table was filled, the new table requested that a heater be moved closer. This removed the heat from another table. We lost our heater almost immediately and froze for the remainder of our time there. Solution for the restaurant: Don't seat more tables that you have heat for. Other diners were also complaining about the cold. One table next to us got up, carried their plates inside and ate at the bar. DH and I shared the trio of spring rolls appetizer. It was very good and each type of spring roll was very different from the others. This was a large appetizer and could have easily been shared by 3 or more people. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the best part of our meal. I ordered a mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. The greens were fresh, but there was hardly any dressing on the salad. A few drops of oil and no vinegar that I could taste. I would have asked for more dressing, but we did not see our waitress again until after we finished our entrees. DH had the Gingered shrimp stir-fry. The flavor was good, but there was way too much stir-fry sauce on the noodles. It was overpowering. I had the butternut squash soup as my entrée. The flavor was good, but it was only lukewarm when it arrived at the table (long trip through the half-heated patio) and after a few minutes at our unheated table it was cold. By this time, DH's pain was so severe (sensitivity to cold, remember?) that he just wanted to leave. It took many trips by our table before I could catch our server's attention to get our check. Then another set of maneuvers to get the chair out from the table and a hazardous trip back through the bar to get out of the restaurant. Service: Horrible. From the problems with the seating to the non-existent server. Our drinks were never refilled and there was no opportunity to ask for additional dressing for my salad or get my soup reheated. Acessibility: Probably fine when not busy, but the staff clearly has had no training on how to deal with customer with special needs. Even after a detailed explanation and specific request from me, our table location was horrible for DH's needs.
Tuesday (Animal Kingdom) We took part in the Sunrise Safari which included a huge buffet breakfast at the Tusker House. Before the meal started, one of the chefs came out and talked about the foods. There were the traditional American bacon, eggs, sausages with pastries, bagels, etc. But there were also African sausages, green tomatoes with fried eggs, open omelettes, fruit, cheese, potatoes with peppers and onions and ham. We ate until we could eat no more and then spent the rest of the morning in the park. We did share a big pretzel in the early afternoon, but we were too full from breakfast to have lunch.
We went to the 6:00 show of La Nouba and then went to Wolfgang Puck's Café. We were not impressed and will not go back. We had a 45 minute wait for a table because they do not make priority seating from 6:30 to 9. No problem because we knew this ahead of time. It was very crowded and they were seating people outside on the patio which had tables crowded together, so I spoke to the hostess about DH's power chair. I told her than we would need a table that he could drive straight into, because there was not enough room to turn around between the tables and that his chair sticks out which can make it difficult for staff and guests to get through when he is seated next to another person. I expressed concern about being seated outside because DH is very sensitive to cold and cold air can cause him considerable pain. I told her that we would prefer to be seated inside had no problem waiting longer for a suitable table. I was assured that the patio was heated and warm. Our little beeper went off and we were headed out to the patio. After a hazardous trip through the bar that required several guests to get up and move their chairs (which made DH very uncomfortable) we finally arrived at the patio door. The hostess quickly realized there was no way to get to the table for two we had been assigned to, so she offered us the table for four that was a little closer. There was a gas heater (those large portable heating stands) in the way as well as several other chairs and people. I asked her if we could wait for something more suitable. She said that it would be a really long wait, did not seem interested in taking us back through the bar and called two waiters over to move the heater. It took almost 5 minutes of moving and maneuvering to get DH into the table. While all of this was going on another hostess approached from the opposite direction with four guests who were supposed to be seated at the table that was now ours. They were understandably upset that their table had been given away and complained loudly, leading to even more embarrassment for DH for causing trouble. Our services was so slow that the meal took almost 2 hours. DH was not able to get up to use the restroom during this time. The heaters were warm, but they could have used 2-3 more. Each time a new table was filled, the new table requested that a heater be moved closer. This removed the heat from another table. We lost our heater almost immediately and froze for the remainder of our time there. Solution for the restaurant: Don't seat more tables that you have heat for. Other diners were also complaining about the cold. One table next to us got up, carried their plates inside and ate at the bar. DH and I shared the trio of spring rolls appetizer. It was very good and each type of spring roll was very different from the others. This was a large appetizer and could have easily been shared by 3 or more people. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the best part of our meal. I ordered a mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. The greens were fresh, but there was hardly any dressing on the salad. A few drops of oil and no vinegar that I could taste. I would have asked for more dressing, but we did not see our waitress again until after we finished our entrees. DH had the Gingered shrimp stir-fry. The flavor was good, but there was way too much stir-fry sauce on the noodles. It was overpowering. I had the butternut squash soup as my entrée. The flavor was good, but it was only lukewarm when it arrived at the table (long trip through the half-heated patio) and after a few minutes at our unheated table it was cold. By this time, DH's pain was so severe (sensitivity to cold, remember?) that he just wanted to leave. It took many trips by our table before I could catch our server's attention to get our check. Then another set of maneuvers to get the chair out from the table and a hazardous trip back through the bar to get out of the restaurant. Service: Horrible. From the problems with the seating to the non-existent server. Our drinks were never refilled and there was no opportunity to ask for additional dressing for my salad or get my soup reheated. Acessibility: Probably fine when not busy, but the staff clearly has had no training on how to deal with customer with special needs. Even after a detailed explanation and specific request from me, our table location was horrible for DH's needs.
