DonaldDoleWhip
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2008
- Messages
- 3,608
Since making this into a full trip report, it would probably help to include an index here:
Via Napoli lunch - below
Via Napoli lunch II
Hollywood Brown Derby lunch
Jiko dinner
Narcoossee's dinner
Citricos dinner
Yak & Yeti lunch / Artist Point dinner
Coral Reef lunch
Counter Service (Sunshine Seasons, Gasparilla's, Contempo Cafe) / Royal Palm Club
Haven't seen a lot about Via Napoli yet, but I wanted to share my experience there. I think the restaurant is a great addition to World Showcase, and it certainly fills a void that has been present for years. Not sure if I'll be back soon though.
After arriving today at GF, this was the first place I wanted to eat at (we almost went to Via's sister restaurant in Manhattan earlier in the week, but we couldn't fit it in, and I still wanted some decent pizza). World Showcase was pretty quiet during lunch time, and I was seated a few seconds after arriving. The chandelier in the entrance is beautiful to look at!
Didn't take any pictures of the main sitting area or kitchen, but the restaurant is loud. With the high ceilings, Italian music, and lots of tables, this place has a very casual atmosphere (it almost felt chaotic to me). Also, the experience can vary drastically, whether you're closer to the kitchen, at the banquet table, or in the very back (where I was placed).
To drink, I ordered the strawberry acqua fresca. It was refreshing and not too sweet which was nice, but for $5 I wouldn't get this often. As an appetizer, my waitress suggested the arancini. They're good, and the ragu is a nice touch, but for $10 I don't think I would order them again. The arancini at Whole Foods are almost as tasty anyway. Unfortunately, overpriced food seems to be a huge theme here, more than I've noticed at other casual Disney restaurants.
Of course, the best part of the meal was the pizza. I ordered an individual piccante, which had spicy sausage, broccoli rabe, tomato and mozzarella. $16 is a lot for an individual pizza, but there was a good amount of topping, and it was sufficiently filling. The broccoli rabe was expectedly bitter, but combining it with the other ingredients (especially the sausage) created a pleasant heat in my mouth. The crust was thin but not too thin, so it didn't taste overly charred and burnt, and I'm very happy with the flavor I ordered.
After finishing the pizza, I was already conscious of the price of this meal, so I skipped dessert. I'm sure it would have been nice, but I didn't need it. Overall my drink, appetizer and pizza came to $33 before tip, and that felt like too much considering the atmosphere (the arancini felt like the worst value, even though they were tasty). The service is friendly and helpful, so I felt bad when my waitress was being tormented by the table next to me (which I heard way too much of because the tables were close together). Perhaps sitting in a different location of the restaurant, and skipping the appetizer would make it worth doing again - the pizza is very nice, and I can see this place becoming one of World Showcase's more popular restaurants.
Here are my pics of the exterior (which still looks sort of odd and flat to me), the chandelier, the acqua fresca, and the food:
Via Napoli lunch - below
Via Napoli lunch II
Hollywood Brown Derby lunch
Jiko dinner
Narcoossee's dinner
Citricos dinner
Yak & Yeti lunch / Artist Point dinner
Coral Reef lunch
Counter Service (Sunshine Seasons, Gasparilla's, Contempo Cafe) / Royal Palm Club
Haven't seen a lot about Via Napoli yet, but I wanted to share my experience there. I think the restaurant is a great addition to World Showcase, and it certainly fills a void that has been present for years. Not sure if I'll be back soon though.
After arriving today at GF, this was the first place I wanted to eat at (we almost went to Via's sister restaurant in Manhattan earlier in the week, but we couldn't fit it in, and I still wanted some decent pizza). World Showcase was pretty quiet during lunch time, and I was seated a few seconds after arriving. The chandelier in the entrance is beautiful to look at!
Didn't take any pictures of the main sitting area or kitchen, but the restaurant is loud. With the high ceilings, Italian music, and lots of tables, this place has a very casual atmosphere (it almost felt chaotic to me). Also, the experience can vary drastically, whether you're closer to the kitchen, at the banquet table, or in the very back (where I was placed).
To drink, I ordered the strawberry acqua fresca. It was refreshing and not too sweet which was nice, but for $5 I wouldn't get this often. As an appetizer, my waitress suggested the arancini. They're good, and the ragu is a nice touch, but for $10 I don't think I would order them again. The arancini at Whole Foods are almost as tasty anyway. Unfortunately, overpriced food seems to be a huge theme here, more than I've noticed at other casual Disney restaurants.
Of course, the best part of the meal was the pizza. I ordered an individual piccante, which had spicy sausage, broccoli rabe, tomato and mozzarella. $16 is a lot for an individual pizza, but there was a good amount of topping, and it was sufficiently filling. The broccoli rabe was expectedly bitter, but combining it with the other ingredients (especially the sausage) created a pleasant heat in my mouth. The crust was thin but not too thin, so it didn't taste overly charred and burnt, and I'm very happy with the flavor I ordered.
After finishing the pizza, I was already conscious of the price of this meal, so I skipped dessert. I'm sure it would have been nice, but I didn't need it. Overall my drink, appetizer and pizza came to $33 before tip, and that felt like too much considering the atmosphere (the arancini felt like the worst value, even though they were tasty). The service is friendly and helpful, so I felt bad when my waitress was being tormented by the table next to me (which I heard way too much of because the tables were close together). Perhaps sitting in a different location of the restaurant, and skipping the appetizer would make it worth doing again - the pizza is very nice, and I can see this place becoming one of World Showcase's more popular restaurants.
Here are my pics of the exterior (which still looks sort of odd and flat to me), the chandelier, the acqua fresca, and the food:
It looks awesome!
