Stellablue & Goofypajamas Dining Reviews 1/31-2/6 Parks & Resorts!

[stellablue]

Pizzafari

Type: Counter Service/lunch

Location: DAK Safari Village (I think in Camp Minnie & Mickey?)

Time of Day: around 1pm

Cost: $20 (part of this price was the souvineer sports bottle w/drink)

We chose this place based on positive reviews we read on the Disboards. The decor of this place is so bright and fun-great colors! There are several rooms of seating, though I didn't notice the extra rooms until we were leaving and ended up saving a table in the main room while DBF waited in line. The place was PACKED! DBF was in line for at least 20 minutes....but we stuck it out because we really didn't notice many restaurants in general in this park and we are not fans of Mcdonalds.

One thing exceptional about this place is it's cleanliness. Top notch in that department. Tables were constantly being wiped down between sittings, condiments counter was constantly being maintained.

We split a pepperoni pizza and italian sandwich. DBF got the sports bottle drink topper which got us $.99 refills anywhere in the park for the rest of the day. It was so hot outside, this was a great deal!
This was our first experience with the infamous WDW pizza. We didn't think it was that bad-DBF actually thought it was pretty good. It just tasted like frozen pizza quality pizza. I picked off the pepperoni (just due to preference). The italian sandwich was surprisingly very good. Neat idea to use caesar salad instead of just plain lettuce.

Taste=4
Portion size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=4
Service=3 (there's got to be a way to reduce those lines )
Good for adults/a couple=3 (average)
We might eat here again for the italian sandwich, but after exploring the park later that day, I think we might just opt for a grab and go sandwich & some fruit from one of the stores. The lunch was a bit heavy for such a hot day. They really do need to add some more meal options at DAK

Next up-Boma!

 

[stellablue]

Boma

Type: Buffet

Location: AKL downstairs from the lobby, near pool area

Time of Day: 8:30pm ADR's

Cost: $70.00 (including 20% tip & wine)

We chose this place based on positive reviews we read on the Disboards .

Restaurant was busy, but we were seated within 5 minutes of checking in. We had just spent all day at DAK going semi-comando style for part of it and had been on the go for 4 days and we were hungry, achy, and exhausted! We got home from DAK around 6:15 and were able to nap for a bit and clean up and we were ready for a relaxing dinner and evening at our very cool resort

The decor of this place is beautiful, just like the rest of the resort. Dark wood and low lighting makes it a very romantic place for couples. We got seated in the back near a window and I loved our spot-private and out of the way. It's a pretty large restaurant. Very busy, yet still a calming atmosphere.

We had a very nice server-I wish I wrote down his name, but I forgot. He was very polite, explained the buffet in detail, and got out drinks and cleared our plates in a timely fashion.

We ordered a south african pinot noir. I thought it tasted ok (nothing special), DBF didn't care for it at all-he thought it had a smokey flavor. The food here was spectacular! The only thing I didn't care for was the salads (lots of fruit mixed with veggies & I don't care too much for that), but there was plenty more to eat. Soups were great. DBF had some sort of seafood stew, I had a creamy chicken. They didn't have the signature squash soup that night or that would have been my first choice. My absolute favorites were the fufu and...sounds silly, but the chicken fingers they served in the kids section-best I've ever had! Desserts were...too many to choose from! They were all great-from the zebra domes, banana bread pudding, to the homemade cookies.

We were so full and comfy from dinner and spent the rest of the evening exploring the AKL & retiring early

Taste=5
Portion size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=5
Service=5
Good for adults/a couple=5(very romantic atmosphere )
We will definately eat here again on our next trip! Only thing we will do differently is choose a different wine or try one of the beers.

Next up-MK Crystal Palace Character Breakfast w/Winnie the Pooh!

 

[TigerKat]

I'm so sorry you didn't get to see Wishes up close, that's a great excuse to go back real soon!

 

[DisneyJo]

Loving your reviews so far

 

[phabric]

Enjoyed reading your reviews.

 

[Disneyof3]

Awesome reviews. Sorry about Big Ugly Dad, he sounds like he didn't want to be there at all. Hope his kids don't have bad memories of WDW... Cant wait for your review on CP. Were heading there in March for the first time...

 

[stellablue]

Crystal Palace

Type: Buffet

Location: Magic Kingdom, between Main Street & Adventureland

Time of Day: 8:25am ADR's

Cost: about $45 (including 20% tip)

We chose this place for one main reason: Winnie the Pooh! Also, after seeing all the long lines of people waiting in character spots for pictures, we realized that this is a great way to meet the characters without waiting in line. I could be wrong, but there does not see to be a discrepency in price between character buffets and regular ones.

Anyways, this is a lovely restaurant-reminded me of the Grand Floridian theming and the class of Main Street. White and clean decor with lots of sunny windows and a beautiful view of the castle from the porch. They were very busy when we arrived, but it was fun to wait. The park wasn't even open yet and we got some great shots of an empty Main Street & the castle. We were called within 10-15 minutes of checking in.

Can't remember our server's name, but he was an older man with glasses. Very professional, thorough, and friendly throughout our entire meal and checked in with us often.

The characters were great...and of course I got shy again! I loved watching them with everyone else and got shy when they came by us. Thank goodness for DBF who was hamming it up everytime they came by. I think he made Piglet laugh by saying "Oh d-d-d-dear, it's P-p-p-piglet!" when he came by Anyways, the characters were all great, very attentive to each table and very good with some kids who looked a little nervous (first time jitters I think!). We saw Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, & Pooh. Personally, I think they should have expanded it to also having Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, & Roo, but I guess there is only so much space & time in the meal.

They had a cute Pooh-rade every 20 minutes or so where all the characters and kids marched around the restaurant. It was fun to watch the little ones and I love Winnie the Pooh songs

Food was fantastic! Lots of variety to choose from. My favorites were the honey yogurt w/granola & dried fruit, vegetable fritatta, grits, & Pooh's breakfast lasagna. DBF favored the breakfast lasagna and honey yogurt as well. There was also a variety of breakfast meats, potatoes, breads, pastries & muffins, make your own omelet station, fresh fruits, and cereals. This huge meal definately took care of our food for most of the day till dinner!

Taste=5
Portion size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=4
Service=5
Good for adults/a couple=3 (kind of adult decor mixed with kid entertainment)
We would definately consider eating here again, though I've learned that I'm really not one for character interaction... I know, it's a horrifying thing for a WDW fan to say! I love watching them and I get so excited when they come out, but I like watching them from a distance and I feel silly and shy when they approach me for some reason. But that said, the food, atmosphere, service, and location of this place would make me want to return here. Between the two character meals we went to (LTT & CP), we both liked CP better and this is aside from my bad timing incident the other night. Definately more of a relaxed atmosphere.

Almost to the end of our trip
Up next is late lunch/snack at Boulangerie Patisserie!

 

[DisneyJo]

Glad you had a good breakfast, the characters are so cute aren't they

BTW the way to tell the difference between Chip and Dale is that Chip has a black nose, think chocolate chip

 

[my3disneygirls]

Glad you had a good breakfast, the characters are so cute aren't they

BTW the way to tell the difference between Chip and Dale is that Chip has a black nose, think chocolate chip

I know that wasn't directed at me, but I appreciate it. I can't ever remember Chip or Dale, so chocolate chip will surely stick with me. Thanks!

 

[stellablue]

Boulangerie Patisserie

Type: Counter service

Location: Epcot, toward the back of France in the World Showcase

Time of Day: 4:30pm

Cost: $7.00

After a huge breakfast at CP, we were good for most of the day, but started to get a little hungry by 4:30 and decided to stop by the French bakery for a snack. I had been curious about this place and figured, it's a french bakery-how could it be bad? Well, it was!

They were very crowded (line out the door), but it went by really fast. They have two separate lines/display cases/registers when you get in and a few people working behind the counter at each. It was not all that decorated in there-very tight spaced and sort of plain. The servers were efficient, but I wouldn't say all that friendly. Most didnt speak much and interacted with very plain faces.

There is very limited seating outside (but I think I saw more indoor seating in a separate area), but we were lucky enough to grab a table as soon as someone was leaving. It was pleasant seating though. The France pavilion is really nice IMO and I enjoyed sitting outside with the french ambiance.

Anyways, we got a ham & cheese croissant and a frozen cappuccino. I asked for the sandwich heated. He overcooked it a bit so the cheese was very dry. Ham was on the lower side of quality (& I'm being kind here!) and this was my first experience with a croissant-I am not a fan. The frozen cappuccino was DISGUSTING! It almost tasted like medicine-very bitter yt watery at the same time. I"m not sure if they forgot to add sugar or what but-yuck! I was also a little surprised by the size-I thought it would be a bit bigger...

I was surprised because the ham and frozen latte we had gotten at Main St. Bakery back at the MK was SO good! The ham was a completely different quality and frozen latte was Starbucks quality. Apparently, they do not get the same base ingredients from the same vendor.

Maybe we should have tried something different-dessert maybe? But honestly, I thought the pastries looked much better & fresher at the Norway Bakery.

So here we go....my only overall bad ratings :
Taste=1
Portion Size=3 (sandwich was a decent size, latte was not)
Restaurant Ambiance=2 (nothing special inside)
Service=3 (efficient but not friendly)
Good for adults/a couple=5 (sitting outside)
It is unlikely that we will be visiting here again. IMHO, there are way better choices of snack food in the World Showcase. I think we'll hit up Norway next time we are looking for a special treat.

Ok, only a few more to go! Next stop-late night dinner from The Mara (AKL)!

 

[stellablue]

The Mara

Type: Counter service

Location: Animal Kingdom Lodge, a bit passed the pool

Time of Day: around 10:30pm

Cost: around $15

We arrived home from our last evening at Epcot and decided to grab some dinner from the Mara to go and eat it in our room in our pajamas. We were so happy to see that they were still open!

Mara has a nice variety of food choices. Lots of grab & go choices that looked like some stuff they also serve at Boma-we spotted some hummus, zebra domes, and several other desserts, good looking salads and sandwiches. They also have a small bakery section, packaged snacks, fruits, and a hot counter.
There is also a good variety in their condiments/toppings area. Sosa fountain has Sprite Zero as well, which was a nice change from Diet Coke. I opted for the chicken strips and french fries (since the ones I got at Boma were so good). The chicken strips at Mara were even better than the ones at Boma-I swear these are the best chicken strips I've ever had! Good quality juicy chicken and crunchy slightly seasoned coating. They were huge! French fries were good as well. DBF had some of mine and thought it was yummy too. For his own meal, DBF got a pepperoni flatbread pizza. He thought it was good, but liked the pizza from Pizzafari at DAK better. I had a taste (minus the pepperoni) and I preferred the Mara one, but to each their own

Decor is nice in there-casual, soft African music, ceiling fans, brighter lit than the lobby area. It was semi-crowded, but pleasant. The servers were outstanding! Very friendly, efficient, and chatty. There is ample seating inside and I think you can also take your food to the pool area if you wish. We ate our food in the comfort of our room in our PJ's in front of the t.v. so the ambiance was terrific for us after a long day at the parks.

Taste=4 (had to knock off 1 pt b/c DBF preferred the DAK pizza)
Portion Size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=4
Service=5
Good for adults/a couple=3 (just average, very casual)
We would definately eat here again for lunch/dinner meal!

Next up-Goofy's Candy Company-WITH PHOTOS!!

 

[ScarletFire]

Hey there. I enjoyed your reviews. You should give the Boulangerie Patisserie in France another try. The pastries are delicious and I particularly love the chocolat mousse. As for the coffee, we know that coffee is not a Disney specialty.

 

[stellablue]

Hey there. I enjoyed your reviews. You should give the Boulangerie Patisserie in France another try. The pastries are delicious and I particularly love the chocolat mousse. As for the coffee, we know that coffee is not a Disney specialty.

Hi ScarletFire (love your username!),

Yeah, I know I shouldn't have been so surprised by the frozen cappuccino (I prepared myself this trip for Nescafe ), but we had such a wonderful frozen latte at MK a few days before, I guess I assumed the frozen coffees were different. Maybe we'll try a pastry next time. I almost got a chocolate chip cookie with our order, but I figured we'd be too full to get to it. Looking back, I'll bet it would have been the perfect thing to wash down the taste of everything else!

 

[okiegirl]

Great Reviews .. The dark beer at Biergarten is Spaten Optimator (our favorite). Keep reviewin' and I'll keep readin'

 

[stellablue]

Goofy's Candy Co.

Type: candy store, custom sweets

Location: Downtown Disney

Time of Day: around 12 noon

Cost: around $6.00

Stopped off in DTD on our last day to check it out AND had to stop in at Goofy's Candy Co. after spending many months drooling over everyones photos on here! We thought we'd be good and get it for dessert, but our top lunch choice, Earl of Sandwich, was packed and we really could not find a decent CS lunch place around there- So, we were "forced" to have Goofy's treats for lunch

As an aside, we didn't care much for DTD. We thought it was really more of a tourist trap. We are also not huge shoppers (& not huge partiers so PI was out for us) and we were surprised at the lack of CS places. Only other appealing place we saw was Wolfgang Pucks Express, but they were closed. We did go during the afternoon & were thinking that maybe it's better at night??

Anyways, Goofy's is so cute inside! and if you like candy or buying a gift for someone who likes candy-be prepared to shop!! We made our way to the infamous customized treats counter and grabbed a slip to fill out.

It was not crowded in here at all. In fact, we were the only ones at the counter while we were there!

Sha was our server and she was so friendly and really talented with her concoctions. She was very funny too-VERY proud of her work I'm guessing that lots of people take pictures of their finished products because she asked us before she packed it up and displayed our slips and everything.

All I have to say is....WOW!!! Why don't we have places like this at home?

I got: Rice Krispy Mickey dipped in milk chocolate, butterfinger, oreo cookies, rainbow sprinkles, and drizzled with caramel and white chocolate.
DBF got: Rice Krispy Mickey dipped in milk chocolate, peanut butter cups, oreo cookies, and drizzled with caramel.

I was going to pick up one for my best friend to bring back home later that evening, but I was afraid it would ruin from the heat and also traveling. I think this is true, mine started to get melty while we were sitting outside. DBF polished off most of his. Shamefully, I could only finish a little less than half of mine It was yummy, but huge and I'm not used to the intense sweetness of this concoction. I think I went a little overboard with the toppings, but when you see the choices you just want to try all of them!

Taste=4 (knocked off 1 point b/c it was just a bit too sweet-BUT if you look at my overboard toppings, you might understand!)
Portion Size=5 (huge!)
Restaurant Ambiance=4 (very cute in here)
Service=5 (Sha was terrific!)
Good for adults/a couple=5 (I would count eating an over the top Mickey Rice Krispy treat as romantic, wouldn't you??)
We will definately stop here again on our next trip. Though next trip I think I will either try to convince DBF to split the rice Krispy treat or I might try a candy apple and go a little lighter on the toppings so I can finish it!

& this concludes my dining reviews & the last of our great WDW dining until our next trip! We left WDW around 6:30pm later that day for the airport. Our next meal was disgusting Sbarros at the airport-which was yet to be desired!!

Overall, our experiences were positive.
-We had great luck in finding lots of great meals that we will be repeating for our next trip.
-Overall portion sizes at restaurants were adaquate to huge! So much that next time we will likely share more meals.
-We thought that overall, WDW does an exceptional job in restaurant theming and ambiance.
-Overall service was excellent!
-Lots of places that were very appropriate for couples/adults.

Top 5 favorite restaurant choices for our whole trip:
1) Boma dinner at AKL
2) Beaches & Cream lunch at BCR
3) CP breakfast at MK
4) Main St. Bakery at MK
5) Biergarten at Epcot

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed and maybe found it helpful for your trips to come!!

 

[stellablue]

Great Reviews .. The dark beer at Biergarten is Spaten Optimator (our favorite). Keep reviewin' and I'll keep readin'

Oh thank you so much for the info on that beer!!! I've been searching and searching for the name of it since we got home!!

I know we are from different states, but have you been able to find this beer at your home? It was one of the best beers I think I've ever had!

 

[Tink2312]

Great reviews
Crystal Palace for breakfast sounded really lovely! I'm with you on the whole character interaction - I love watching them interact with other people but get so shy when they come to me
I'm definitely going to try CP next trip though- I was salivating reading the review! But can I ask, what the yummy heck is breakfast lasagne??

 

[DisneyJo]

Thanks for your reviews, it took me 3 days to finish my Goofys rice crispy treat

 

[BabyPiglet]

Great reviews! Sorry to hear about Big Ugly Dad, he seems like a real meanie. Hopefully he was just having a really bad day and he's not like that in real life.

Oh and I'm surprised to hear about Boulangerie! I had a Napolean (layered puff pastry with cream in the middle) and it was fantastic. Even on a super crowded F&W festival night. I guess you just caught them on a bad day, I'm sorry.

Glad you had a great bunch of meals for the most part!

 

[stellablue]

Great reviews
Crystal Palace for breakfast sounded really lovely! I'm with you on the whole character interaction - I love watching them interact with other people but get so shy when they come to me
I'm definitely going to try CP next trip though- I was salivating reading the review! But can I ask, what the yummy heck is breakfast lasagne??

The breakfast lasagna was a hodge podge of several things-very good & nothing I've had before! If I can remember correctly, the layers were pancakes (instead of "pasta") with different kinds of fruit in between and doused in syrup.

We loved it! I would love to find the recipe for this to make it at home.

They also had a really good breakfast pizza in the kids section-flaky pizza slices topped with eggs, cheese, & I thin potatoes.

CP is a must try for both the cute characters, theming, & the food variety!!