Ten Day Dining Review With Pictures 12/1 Casey's Update!

Great reviews! We have never been able to eat at BOG. I definitely want to get there on our next trip in May 2016. We love Tusker House, though we have only been for dinner. Thanks for sharing your trip.
 
Day 7 continued (Catalina Eddie's)


I had decided to go ahead and just book out fast passes for Hollywood Studios in the evening since we had only spent one day there. We had our second Toy Story Mania, a Star Tours and the Frozen Sing-a-Long, that was neat, but may not have needed a fast pass. The tiered system was limiting and I had switched my extra Tower of Terror for another Star Tours back on the first full day because my wife and daughter HATED ToT, especially my wife. It was a definite "no-go."

The plan was to spend a few hours using the fast passes, then go to Fantasmic. This worked out great. At about 8:10 we started over and got right into the stadium. I wouldn't wait much past when we did because it was well obver 2/3 full when we got seated. As it was, we had good seats and only had a half an hour to wait until showtime.

The park was open until 10, and the last time we went, we hit the whole area near the entrance top Fantasmic and Beauty and the Beast where Catalina Eddie's, Rosie's All-American, etc. are all located. It worked great last trip because most were leaving the park and it was a peaceful meal. This time, we stopped to watch the tail end of the fireworks and were later than the last time. This meant that all the restaurants were closing down. We decided as a group to just go to Catalina Eddie's because it was a meal upon which we could all agree. We were literally the last group served before they closed. Because of that, the food quality was mixed.


Our daughter had a cheese pizza, which was fresh and hot, chips as her side and a banana parfait as her dessert. She reported that the pizza was just like Pizza Planet and the dessert was good also. The chips made it the whole way home!


hws 1 2015.jpg

My wife went with the chicken Caesar salad. I am not sure if this came with a side dish or not. If it did, I'm sure she grabbed chips also. The Caesar salads at WDW are her go to when in doubt because they are usually safe in terms of quality. She had no complaints with her meal.


hws 2 2015.jpg

I had the hot Italian deli sandwich with the Caesar side and a soft drink. The salad was very good. The sandwich had potential except I had all of the pesto topping piled on maybe 25% of the sandwich, and it was soggy there, so it sat for awhile. By the time I saw it, the windows were already closed and there was nobody to talk to about it. It was edible, just not worth the full price of the meal in that condition. A little "ooze" can be seen at the bottom left of the sandwich.

hws 3 2015.jpg

All told, it isn't a bad strategy to hit one of these restaurants in the cluster right after the early Fantasmic show. We learned that waiting the extra 10-15 minutes to watch the fireworks will hinder this plan. Go straight after the show and you will have the most peaceful meal of your trip... just don't wait until everything is closing!
 
Joining in! Several of the places you've reviewed are on our radar for 2016. Appreciate the detail :)
 
Thanks for your reviews. I'm really enjoying reading them. My trip is in two weeks. Can't wait.!
 


Day Eight (Yorkshire County Fish Shop and The Crystal Palace)

Day eight was Epcot in the AM and back to the Magic Kingdom in the PM. I did get a Test Track Fastpass, along with a Turtle Talk and Spaceship Earth. We were in the park this time when it opened and got to Soarin' right away. We got right on and did our Test Track fastpass right after. The Spaceship Earth fastpass saved us about 30 minutes, and we didn't really need the Turtle Talk, but it was just bad timing. We should have looked at the fish for 10-15 minutes first then used it because we got there just as the show before us was starting.

After Turtle Talk, we hung out in the aquarium for a while and finished out Future World before heading to the World Showcase, which was getting crowded at this point. We had never eaten at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop in England and had it on our "to try" list. We all get fried fish during Lent, but not many other times, so it was a good choice.

We all got the same thing... a basket of fried fish and fries. There were two big strips in each basket as well as the fries. The portions were just right. The only issue I had was that the fish was VERY greasy. I think it was either a fluke or we needed to set them on napkins to soak up some of the grease. My wife got fruit for dessert, seen in this pic.


yorkshire 1 2015.jpg

On the advice of the very friendly young man working the counter, my daughter and I both had the Victoria Sponge Cake for dessert. It was awesome, just as promised. We all had a fountain soft drink.

yorkshire 2 2015.jpg

Other reviewers have complained about the seating here and they are correct. It is shaded, but outdoors and has very limited seating. We had a late lunch that day, maybe 1:30, so we were able to get a table. The aggressive birds have also drawn criticism and they were there also. They didn't jump on the table or anything, but would have if given the chance. Even the ducks were not lacking in confidence at all. We always think the ducks and birds are a charming part of the experience and didn't mind, but I can see how some might.

Overall, this restaurant does offer a nice counter service option other than pizza and burgers. I did think the fish was too greasy, but I am still willing to recommend this and will give it another try the next trip.

We finished out World Showcase because we had a few items to buy that we were looking at, then went back to the hotel and on to the Magic Kingdom for our dinner at The Crystal Palace.
 
The cook must have gone crazy with the deep fryer with your fish. Overall we have always had decent little meals there and I love their chips!
 


The cook must have gone crazy with the deep fryer with your fish. Overall we have always had decent little meals there and I love their chips!


I'm just thinking they didn't let them drain off. It wasn't busy at all so I think they went straight from the fryer to the serving tray. If it was a little more busy, they may have sat for that 30-60 seconds and drained off a little. Better too fresh than old and rubbery! They were not over or under cooked at all, just very greasy. Needless to say, they all were eaten without too much complaining!
 
Day 8 continued (The Crystal Palace)

After a really long day at Epcot, we made it back into the Magic Kingdom for our 6:55 dinner at The Crystal Palace. We were seated right on schedule towards the back of the restaurant.

I must confess that this particular meal experience is difficult to rate fairly because as we sat down all of the excitement, lack of full nights of sleep and some dehydration caught up with our daughter. She got a very small plate, then kind of put her head down and even started to cry because she just wasn't feeling well. We had been very diligent in making her drink early and often, but it is just a fact that it is very difficult to stay hydrated in that heat.

We did have her drink some water and after a little while she really perked up and was fine for the rest of the trip. I think the whole experience is tougher on kids than even seniors because adults will take advantage of every opportunity to nap and rest. Even during rest times, kids stay awake just due to excitement. Luckily she recovered, but it was a great reminder for future trips. Whatever amount of liquids seems right, double it!

On to the meal...


The selection here was good, but not as diverse as I remember it in the past. I thought there was more here than at 1900 Park Fare, but not as much as Chef Mickey's. They were much heavier on the prepared salads than before. a whole section of the buffet was dedicated to them. That left the other offerings a little thin.

Here was a sample plate. They did have the prime rib and good mashed potatoes, but chicken tenders were on the main adult line as a choice, not with the children's. That just made the choices fewer. The corn bread stuffing was excellent.

crystal palace 1 2015.jpg


Here is a small plate our daughter got when she wasn't feeling well.

crystal palace 2 2015.jpg



Another small plate. The Mac and Cheese was good.

crystal palace 3 2015.jpg


Everything here came from the children's section. The pasta was probably the best item there that day. The rolls are also very good.

crystal palace 4 2015.jpg

Here is some sliced turkey and some more sides as our daughter was feeling better.

crystal palace 5 2015.jpg

Another mixed plate. Forgot the flash. It looked better live than here!

crystal palace 6 2015.jpg


Here, I put soft serve on top of hot peach cobbler for dessert. Again, we forgot the flash!


crystal palace 7 2015.jpg


Like I stated before, we were tremendously distracted and worried about our child during this meal, so a completely fair review just can't happen. The food was fresh and it all tasted good, it just seemed the choices were not as great as other trips. I tried to schedule our meals to avoid the "pizza and burger rut," but in some ways found a "chicken tender and mashed potatoe" rut at the buffets.

It is worth noting that the character interaction here was excellent. We met Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. All spent time at the table and actually made it around a second time because we were there longer than expected because our daughter started eating 40 minutes into the meal. The cost here was a little less that Chef Mickey's and 1900 PF, but was still over $100.

We love the atmosphere, characters and location of this restaurant and will definitely go back. We may try breakfast again the next time since it has been a few trips.

It was raining outside fairly hard while we ate and as a result, the park had emptied out quite a bit. We were very happy that our daughter recovered because 5 minute waits in the Big Thunder Mountain stand-by line are hard to pass up! It was a great rest of the evening... just remember to STAY HYDRATED!
 
Terrific reviews, thank you so much for sharing!
 
I have several of the same reservations for my upcoming trip. Glad to read your review and get a preview.
 
Thanks for the reviews. What time was Fantasmic that night that you got there a bit after 8? Haven't been in years so just looking to figure out timing.

Haven't had fish from Yorkshire in years, but I recall it being pretty good Too bad yours was greasy.

Hope you daughter recuperated quickly after Crystal Palace. Completely understand you not being too into the meal to give it a good review. But it sounds like it was pretty decent.
 
Thanks for the reviews. What time was Fantasmic that night that you got there a bit after 8? Haven't been in years so just looking to figure out timing.

Haven't had fish from Yorkshire in years, but I recall it being pretty good Too bad yours was greasy.

Hope you daughter recuperated quickly after Crystal Palace. Completely understand you not being too into the meal to give it a good review. But it sounds like it was pretty decent.

It was a 900 start.
 
I am enjoying the reviews! Yes, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and hydrate more! I am from Texas. My family is used to heat and humidity, but walking all day at DW zaps all your energy.
 
I am enjoying the reviews! Yes, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and hydrate more! I am from Texas. My family is used to heat and humidity, but walking all day at DW zaps all your energy.[/QUOTE
I am enjoying the reviews! Yes, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and hydrate more! I am from Texas. My family is used to heat and humidity, but walking all day at DW zaps all your energy.




We averaged over ten miles a day. Any day with Epcot or the Animal Kingdom was closer to 13 miles. They are not easy miles either... Alot of sidestepping and dodging people.

I play golf and walk nine holes daily and my feet still hurt. To put it in perspective, one day at wdw is literally the same as walking 18 regulation golf holes and having a very active day otherwise... All in high humidity. Not drinking is probably the worst thing someone can do, with a horrendous sunburn a close second.

The sit-down meals are expensive but do offer a great opportunity to cool off and drink. Always get water in addition to any other beverage, even at counter-serve meals.

It is also crucial to drink several classes of water back at the resort at night. Not doing so is a guaranteed disaster.
 
Glad your daughter felt better! It stinks to not feel well on a Disney trip, especially for kids.
 
Day 9 ('Ohana and Pinnochio Village Haus)

We kind of had a bonus day this trip and basically had it wide open. We had repeat trips to Big Thunder, Splash Mt. and the Mine Train all fastpassed for late morning/early afternoon. Last trip we had dinner at 'Ohana and liked it very much, but decided to try the breakfast this time because our daughter loves Stitch.

We had a reservation for 9:30 and arrived early due to the Magic Kingdom bus driver being nice and taking us straight to the Polynesian after dropping off the other folks at the Magic Kingdom. We were seated on time with no issues.

After being seated, we were offered some friendship bread from our new "cousins" serving us. There was bread with the pineapple as well as the frosted one that had raisins. Both were very good.


ohana 1 2015.jpg

Within minutes another tray come out. This one was with fruit. All was fresh and was all you can eat, just like everything else here.

ohana 2 2015.jpg

Next came the main platter. It had scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, biscuits and Mickey/Stitch waffles. This is the only place we saw the Stitch waffles. Everything on this platter was fresh and cooked very well. It is almost identical to the Akershus offering on their main platter, but these are not the special potatoes and at Akershus there are no waffles.

ohana 3 2015.jpg

Here is a rare close-up of one of the Stitch waffles... Clear photos of Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster are far more common, so enjoy! Actually most families don't sit there holding up the waffle to get a good pic, but we are far from "normal!"

ohana 4 2015.jpg

As I stated before, the food here was excellent. 'Ohana is located in a beautiful setting and is a good choice for any meal.

The characters present that day were Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch. If Minnie was there also, I'll update later when I look through the pics to see for sure. It seemed like the character interaction was much closer to Tusker House than Chef Mickey's. The characters spent quite a bit of time at the tables and played around with the kids. This is a great place to meet Lilo and Stitch, and Mickey for the third time for certain. The service here was great also. We were given a version of the monkey juice that was similar to Tusker House. We never had to wait for anything. Our server was on top of all our needs.

We only had two issues here. One was minor and the other was going to be major had our meal been booked for a later time.

The first was that we were skipped by Mickey because he stopped to do a parade and another family grabbed him when he came back. Our server got him back to our table very quickly and I only mention it to help remind people to just wait their turn. We have found that 95% of negative experiences on WDW property are from people being inconsiderate. These people literally left their table and grabbed him when he returned from the parade. Again, it's not a huge deal, but it does get annoying at these meals when members from other families just allow their children to walk into pictures, grab at characters when it isn't their turn, etc.

The other issue wasn't so bad for us, but was going to be. As we were finishing our meal, waiting for Stitch and getting the bill and tip settled, a massive tour group came into the restaurant and sat together. There were at least 50 members and they took up most of the front of the restaurant. Where I felt bad for people was that they started yelling, singing and chanting louder than people do at an outside sporting event and the worst part is the adult "leaders" were leading the cheers. It was deafening. They started the chants and were still chanting 15 minutes later when we left.

I am all for having fun, and we all know the restaurants at WDW are naturally loud, but this was just over the top. It was just as distracting as if ten other families all had megaphones and stood up on the tables and just started screaming the Happy Birthday song over and over and over. There are just ways one should act in a public place and this isn't it. My purpose, like in my Akershus review, isn't to bash anyone or judge different cultures. I want to give anyone reading an accurate idea of what we experienced so that they can make an educated choice on where to eat. I refuse to overlook something like this because it did honestly impact the experience for us and would have completely ruined it had that group of teen been seated when we were. I also know this tends to be a July and January issue and will be a non-issue for most, but I have a real problem with the selfishness of those adults that led the cheering. They do these tours for a living and should know better. They just didn't care.

That's enough of that. After leaving, we went to the Magic Kingdom, then hopped a bus to the Animal Kingdom. I always tell people that you learn something new every trip that can make the next one better. The completely awesome bus driver we had from the French Quarter was kind of educating the bus on the best ways to get around and mentioned taking a bus from park to park. I always used the MK monorail to and from Epcot and we have used a boat from HWS to get to Epcot, but never used a bus to get to the AK from a park. Sure enough, there is an Animal Kingdom bus stop at the MK. We grabbed some Starbucks with a snack credit after using our fastpasses in the MK and went to the AK to close it down!
 
Glad your daughter felt better! It stinks to not feel well on a Disney trip, especially for kids.


We did too! She was really looking forward to the Stitch breakfast, even more than Chef Mickey's. She pulled through and it all worked out. It is just scary how fast someone can go from totally healthy and full of energy to completely laid out flat! At home, just take a few days and relax, but it is awfully expensive to have to just lay in a hotel room for a day or two at WDW.
 
I looked and checked the pictures. The day we were there, Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch were the only characters at 'Ohana. I thought that maybe Minnie was there, but she was not!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts







facebook twitter
Top