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

[stellablue]

Hi guys

I'm in process of writing my trip report as well: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1713965,
but this part is much easier. Unfortunately the only photos of food we have are our Goofy's Candy Connection concoctions (just need to figure out how to post this!), but we did get to try a variety of places that I hope will be helpful to you .

We did not do DDP. This was our 1st trip to WDW together and 1st trip in several years, so we thought we'd calculate how much we spent this time around to see if it's worth it for next time. Just got back, so DBF will be calculating our meals and stuff to see if we would use it for next time.

Just DBF and I so prices are meals for two. If we split something, I'll mention it.
I will rate each place on a scale of 1-5 (1=aweful, 5=terrific) in categories of:
Taste
Portion size
Restaurant Ambiance
Service
Good for adults/a couple
& will note if we would eat there again.

Enjoy and feel free to comment or ask questions!!
__________________________________________________________________
Overview:

Here are the places I will be reviewing:

Table Service & Buffets:

1) Beaches & Cream (BCR)
2) Boma (AKL)
3) 50's Prime Time Cafe (DHS)
4) Sci Fi Drive In (DHS)
5) Liberty Tree Inn (MK, Char Din)
6) Crystal Palace (MK, Char. Brk)
7) Biergarten (Ep/Germany)

Counter Service:

1) Captain Cooks (Poly)
2) Mara (AKL)
3) Tangierine Cafe (Ep/Morocco)
4) Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe (Ep/Norway)
5) Boulangerie Patisserie (Ep/France)
6) Lunching Pad (MK)
7) Main Street Bakery (MK)
8) Pizzafari (DAK)

 

[TigerKat]

I'm in.......

 

[stellablue]

Beaches & Cream:

Type: Table Service *Does not take ADR's*

Location: B&C is located in the Beach Club Resort right by Storm-a-long Bay. We took a bus from our resort to Epcot and walked through Future World, through the World Showcase to the International Gateway. I'm sure there is a more remote route, but we had just arrived and wanted to take everything in and this was a very pleasant route to do so.

Time of Day: around 1pm/Lunch

Cost: Around $30 with 20% tip (total for two)

We chose this place based on the wonderful reviews on the Disboards and we were not disappointed! It is a really cute place-much smaller than we expected, located right in front of Storm-a-long Bay. It was pleasantly themed with 50's style beach decor. you can sit in booths, at the counter, or tables. It was not busy when we arrived and we only waited 10 minutes max before our buzzer went off. We sat at a table in front of the working jukebox.

Our server was Maria and she was so sweet and smiley! She was also very attentive. I do not remember waiting long for the food and she was great with refilling our soda and water and also just checking in to make sure we were comfortable. I loved the outfits the servers wore-really added to the atmosphere of the restaurant!

I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich on multigrain bread and a Diet Coke. The sandwich came with fries or onion rings, but I asked for fresh fruit instead. The grilled chicken was fantastic-made in some sort of vinegar marinade. The lettuce & tomato were very fresh, as was the mixed fruit.
DBF ordered a cheeseburger & french fries and a Diet Coke. I couldn't help but taste his and the fries were so good! The burger was great too and I don't usually care much for burgers. It reminded me of the grilled burgers we used to get on the beach on Cape Cod when I was younger.

Portions were huge and as sad as we were about it, we just did not have room for dessert We were able to peek at other people's desserts and they looked wonderful! But definately looked like at least two people could split one sundae.

Taste=5
Portion size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=5
Service=5
Good for adults/a couple=5
We would DEFINATELY eat here again! We enjoyed this place so much, it has become part of our arrival day tradition

I think next time though, we will split a meal and split dessert.

Next up: Captain Cooks!

 

[TigerKat]

WOW - Perfect 5's already, hope the rest of your meals measured up!

 

[Sunshein]

Great start! I have always wanted to try the No Way Jose at Beaches and Cream. We have just never taken the time to go to the Yacht and Beach Club.

 

[stellablue]

WOW - Perfect 5's already, hope the rest of your meals measured up!

Hi Kathy!
Thanks for being my first reader!
Yes, this B&C was excellent all around! We loved everything about it and can't wait to go there again during our next trip!

 

[stellablue]

Great start! I have always wanted to try the No Way Jose at Beaches and Cream. We have just never taken the time to go to the Yacht and Beach Club.

Well, we had plans to get the No Way Jose, but we were so full from lunch! We are definately going to split a meal next time to save room for dessert!

It's really not that out of the way to head over the the Beach club from Epcot. It was a very pleasant walk. We walked around the Boardwalk after that before heading back to Epcot.

 

[TruBlu]

Great so far!

 

[TigerKat]

Hi Kathy!
Thanks for being my first reader!
Yes, this B&C was excellent all around! We loved everything about it and can't wait to go there again during our next trip!

I can't believe we spent 12 days at the Boardwalk and never even thought of B&C.......

 

[Melisa1]

Great so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stellablue]

Captain Cooks:

Type: Counter Service

Location: Captain Cooks is located in the Polynesian Resort on the first floor of the Great Ceremonial House. We took the monorail from Epcot to TTC & switched trains to the monorail resorts.

Time of Day: around 8:30 in between Wishes & Electric Water Parade

Cost: Around $18 total (*In addition, we bought a refillable beverage mug here for *I think* $12.50)

We chose this place because we planned to watch Wishes & the Electric Water Parade from the Poly Beach that night. The Poly Resort itself is a beautiful resort. The beach was so beautiful and a very romantic and quiet place to enjoy Wishes and the Electric Water Parade.

Captain Cooks was very easy to find. Although it was a bit busy, there was ample seating. This counter service restaurant was set up a bit different-you order your food on computer screens & then just wait for your food to be called, grab your tray, and wait in line to pay. I'm not sure how I felt about this. On one hand, we found this system very easy and efficient to use. On the other hand, they didn't provide descriptions of the meals on the screen-just the sandwich names. Also, I'm not sure how to make substitutions or changes to your meal. I didn't feel like trying, but I guess you just need to catch the food prep person in time, but it does seem hard to get their attention if it's busy.

The theming was very simple, nice ceiling fans, and VERY clean. Service staff were all very friendly and efficient.

Food was great at this place! I swear we lucked out all around on our first day. I ordered the Multigrain Turkey Club. It comes with a choice of sides and I chose steamed veggies. Being our first night, we also purchased our refillable mug. I love that the new mugs are universal across all resorts. Anyways, the turkey was very high quality deli turkey, fresh multigrain bread, and fresh lettuce and tomato. I don't eat bacon, so I pulled that off easily. My sandwich also came with mayo on it which I don't like (reason why I wish they listed descriptions on the computer screen!) but I only ate half the bread and it was fine. The steamed veggie side was very good-plain/no sauce just the way I like it.
DBF ordered the Aloha Pork Sandwich with Polynesian chips as his side. His sandwich was basically BBQ pulled pork & cheese on pineapple coconut bread. I didn't try this because I don't like BBQ sauce or pulled pork, but DBF thought the sandwich was great! I did try the chips-they were yummy! They tasted like a Terra Chip type mix with a great spice to them.

Portions were huge and we both were only able to finish half our sandwiches. We packed up the rest to bring home, since we were heading back to our own resort later that night.

Attention all you Dole Whip fans: Yes this is the ONLY other place I saw in WDW besides Magic Kingdom that serves Dole Whip! & it's a self service machine We ended up splitting a Dole Whip: vanilla/pineapple swirl. I didn't care for the pineapple, but DBF loved it. I did love the vanilla side and DBF didn't care for that-geez aren't we perfect for each other??

Watching Wishes from the beach at Poly was so romantic and beautiful. The beach was not too crowded and we shared a lounge chair within perfect view of the castle. We headed back to the beach after dinner to catch the Electric Water Parade which was also a fun treat. Not too many people love the EWP, but I think it's great!

Taste=5
Portion size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=5
Service=4 (due to my minor quams with the computer system)
Good for adults/a couple=5

Again, this is going to become part of our arrival day routine, so we will definately eat here again. We had planned to go to Poly that night and figured we'd eat the CS there, but it far exceeded our expectations. I would say that this place had the highest quality food out of all our counter service places.

Next time we might again opt to share a sandwich, as the portions were so big....although it was also nice to have leftovers since we were staying in a resort with a fridge!

Next up-Day 2/Epcot lunch & snack at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe & Tangerine Cafe!

 

[TigerKat]

Just curious - what resort did you stay at?

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent

 

[my3disneygirls]

Great so far. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[stellablue]

Just curious - what resort did you stay at?

We did a split stay of CBR & AKL. We were at CBR during this particular part of our stay. But we traveled to both B&C and the Poly from Epcot. The travel was very easy and pleasant. Walking through Epcot to get to B&C was a fun and relaxing way to kick off our trip. We did some monorail resort hopping on our way to Poly, stopping at CR and GF!

This agenda was so perfect for us for our arrival day and I can't wait to do it again! Walk through Epcot to B&C, walk around the BW, enjoy Epcot for a few hours, hop on the monorail and visit GF (we might skip the CR visit next time), head to Poly for Wishes, dinner at CC, and EWP.

The only thing we will change for next time is our resort. CBR was an ok resort, but I think next time we'll save up a bit more $$ and opt for WL or BWI for our first half of the trip.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

We did a split stay of CBR & AKL. We were at CBR during this particular part of our stay. But we traveled to both B&C and the Poly from Epcot. The travel was very easy and pleasant. Walking through Epcot to get to B&C was a fun and relaxing way to kick off our trip. We did some monorail resort hopping on our way to Poly, stopping at CR and GF!

This agenda was so perfect for us for our arrival day and I can't wait to do it again! Walk through Epcot to B&C, walk around the BW, enjoy Epcot for a few hours, hop on the monorail and visit GF (we might skip the CR visit next time), head to Poly for Wishes, dinner at CC, and EWP.

The only thing we will change for next time is our resort. CBR was an ok resort, but I think next time we'll save up a bit more $$ and opt for WL or BWI for our first half of the trip.

It is extremely easy to go from Epcot to just about any resort. It has the boat to the ones by the lagoon, and the monorail to the other resorts. Definatly easy for park-hopping to, since you can also get to MGM by the boat, and MK by the monorail.

 

[TigerKat]

CBR is our fave mod resort, but after we made the jump up to BWI we can't imagine staying anywhere else.

 

[stellablue]

Thanks for the positive reviews so far-I'm glad you are all enjoying!

 

[stellablue]

CBR is our fave mod resort, but after we made the jump up to BWI we can't imagine staying anywhere else.

I agree!

We enjoyed CBR....until we moved to AKL deluxe! It really does make a difference-bed was more comfy, shower was much better, overall atmosphere much better. As long as we continue to go during Value season, I think we can do it if we save up a little extra. To me, after a long day in the parks when my feet are killing me, I want to be pampered at the end of the day

 

[stellablue]

Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe (snack)

Type: Counter Service/Bakery

Location: Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe is located in Epcot's World Showcase in wonderful Norway.

Time of Day: around 11:30am DBF got hungry for a snack and we had schoolbread on our list of must-tries (as suggested by fellow Disboarders!)

Cost: about $5.00 (schoolbread + soda)

As mentioned, we had schoolbread on our list of must-tries and we happened to be walking through the World Showcase when DBF was hungry for a snack.

The Norway area itself is such a nice place to walk around in. It's definately one of our favorites in the WS. There's lots of stuff to do and see like the Maelstrom ride and the Viking exhibit at the Stave Church.

The Kringla bakery is very small and cute inside with lots of other yummy looking goodies, including sandwiches. They display the goodies in the glass case so nicely! I can't remember if there was seating inside (I don't think there was-it's very small and quaint), but there was ample covered seating outside. It was a bit drizzly at this point (drizzle only lasted a short while before the sun came back out), so I was glad for the covered seating.

It was not busy at all when we were there. The CM working there was very sweet and friendly.

We got one piece of schoolbread (it was pretty big!) and a large diet coke. I wasn't really hungry, so I only had a taste. DBF liked this. He didn't think it was the best dessert he's ever had, but said he enjoyed it enough that he would order it again. It looked kind of like a donut (minus the hole) completely covered in coconut with some sort of vanilla custard inside. I really liked the custard inside, but thought the bread part was rather bland.

Taste=4
Portion size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=5
Service=5
Good for adults/a couple=5
We both agree that we would definately visit this bakery again. DBF said he would order this again. I think I would opt for something else for myself-my guess is most everything is yummy here!

__________________________________________________________________
Tangierine Cafe:

Type: Counter Service/lunch

Location: Tangierine Cafe is located in Epcot's World Showcase in Morocco.

Time of Day: around 2pm

Cost: about $14 (shared one meal + large soda)

We were originally going to have lunch at the Sunshine Seasons food court in The Land, but I was hungry while we were in Morocco and suddenly got in the mood for hummus! We had also read a number of great reviews for this place on...you guessed it-the Disboards!!

We enjoyed the Morocco area. Beautiful buildings and scenery, such pretty tiles everywhere, pretty stuff in the stores, and the Mo' Rockin' band was great!

Tangierine Cafe itself had a very busy and kitchen-like atmosphere. Nothing to write home about. Service staff were efficient, but more business-like than smiley/homey, but CERTAINLY curteous. I guess I'm just very used to extra smiley and friendly CM at WDW. It was a little busy when we were there, but moved along quickly and food was ready in no time.

There was ample seating outside. Seating area was nice, but not as nice as the decor of the rest of the country.

Portion size of the platters are HUGE and splitting a meal was more than enough food for us. We shared one chicken shwarma platter which came with hummus, tabouleh, piece of bread, and raisin couscous. The chicken was good, but had a texture I'm not used to. We are both picky about hummus, but this hummus was yummy! The tabouleh was the most fresh I've ever had! I liked the couscous-it was different and sweet. I didn't eat the bread, but DBF did and said it was just a plain roll. I thought that they should have served this platter with pita bread. The hummus and tabouleh were our favorites from here.

Taste=4
Portion size=5
Restaurant Ambiance=3
Service=4
Good for adults/a couple=5
I think we might eat here again, but I might just opt for a side of hummus and tabouleh next time.

Next up: Dinner at Biergarten!