Thanksgiving Week Dining Reviews 11/20-11/26

[momof3poohlovers]

These are the restaurants that we were fortunate and sometimes not so fortunate enough to eat at:

Ohana- Dinner - 11/20
Coral Reef- Dinner- 11/21
1900 Park Fare- Thanksgiving Dinner- 11/22
Hollywood & Vine- Dinner- 11/23
Le Cellier- Dinner- 11/24
Liberty Tree Tavern- Dinner- 11/25

Characters are: Myself- a Disney addict and avid planner ; DH- tolerates Disney only because he knows that it makes his wife happy ; DD15/16- celebrating her sweet 16 at DW ; DD's Best Friend- we paid for her entire trip as part of DD16's birthday present ;DD12-sweet but had too much fun teasing her sister and her friend; and finally DS9-great kid who still loves Disney as much as me!

Overview- we were on the DDP and definitely came out ahead. All of our dinner ressies were between 5:00pm and 5:30pm(except for Thanksgiving Day, we had a 3:00pm ressie at 1900 Park Fare).

 

[momof3poohlovers]

Ohana

Food-A+
Service-A+
Atmosphere-A

Our first night at DW! Our plane didn't land until 6pm so I made our ADR for 9:45pm to account for a late plane, Magical Express, and check-in at AKV's. We were done checking in by 8pm so we decided to head over to Ohana's early and hope they would seat us early. It worked! We arrived at the restaurant by 9pm and were seated in less than 5 min. We had a table right by the window with a wonderful view of the castle. This restaurant has been hit or miss for us in the past but honestly the food and service were definitely the best we've had. The meat was so tender and juicy, I honestly was surprised because in the past it has sometimes been very dry. The potatoes were hot and cheesy and oh so good! The bread pudding was also excellent. The only thing that wasn't the greatest was the shrimp. There was nothing wrong with it, it was just ok. Our server was also very attentive and on top of things, he definitely earned the extra tip we gave him. My 9 year old participated in some of the games but honestly, they were a little crowded. All six of us thought this was one of the best meals besides the food at Le Cellier, we had all week.

 

[momof3poohlovers]

Coral Reef

Food-C+
Service-C-
Atmosphere-A+

We checked in for our 4:50pm ADR about 15 min. early and were seated about 5:00pm, not too bad. We sat on the 2nd level toward the middle and had a pretty good view of the tank. We thought the tank was awesome and my kids had a really good time checking out all the different fish, sharks, turtles, etc. Our server was ok. She did an adequate job but really wasn't anything special. Most of us ordered the 12oz New York Steak. DD's friend ordered hers well-done and I ordered mine medium well but all of the steaks came out medium. I was able to eat mine but hers was really red so she sent it back. She didn't get it back until everyone else was already done eating but it did come back cooked to her liking. My dd12 ordered the shrimp pasta and hated it. I have to admit I thought it was nasty as well as I tried a bite. My ds9 tried the mahi mahi off the kid's menu and said it was ok(although he didn't eat much of it). Another problem I had was that we were celebrating dd16's 16th birthday and I surprised her with asking the diver to hold up a sign. Well, the diver holding the sign held it up just as the food was being placed on the table and while we were all busy telling the waitress whose food was whose, we almost missed it! Luckily I happened to see someone pointing at the tank and looked up a couple of seconds before it was taken down. My dd and the rest of the family got to see it but we had no time to take pictures or anything. I realize this isn't the diver's fault but I don't know, the waitress (because I had informed her of my dd's bday and about the diver while my dd was in the bathroom)should have timed it better or maybe had a better clue on who ordered what. I was really disappointed that we didn't get a picture but oh well, maybe next time. For dessert, my dh and I ordered the chocolate wave which was delicious and the kids all ordered a sundae off the kid's menu, they enjoyed this as well. Overall, my husband and I enjoyed our food, our children thought it was only ok. We may give it another try in the future.

 

[mommanne]

Momof3, I'm glad you didn't totally miss the diver with the sign but it's a shame you didn't get the picture! Our trip was the first time we've been to WDW in 6 years and I will say that the extraordinary attention to details that we've seen in the past was lacking in many areas and this is a very good example. It should have been timed better, IMHO.

 

[momof3poohlovers]

1900 Park Fare-Thanksgiving Meal

Food- C
Service- D-
Atmosphere-B

Because we didn't know how long it would take us to get to the Grand Floridian from Animal Kingdom, we arrived at GF at 2:15 for our 3:00pm ADR. It wasn't open yet so we got to explore the hotel which was absolutely beautiful. The doors finally opened about 2:45pm and when I went to check in I was told that they couldn't find my ADR! I was very polite and said that I had my ADR # with me(thank goodness!)and so the manager came over and told the cm to check the history and they said that it had been cancelled. I explained that I did not know who cancelled it but it definitely wasn't me. The manager was very nice and said not to worry, it wasn't a problem. We were in!

We were the third family to be seated and were led to the very back right corner, right where everyone entered, far from the buffet. At first I thought ok, at least we got in but then the other families started to sit down around us and we literally were locked in. There was no room to get around the table next to us and get our food. Everytime we wanted to get up and get our food, someone had to get up out of their chair and push it in so we could pass. It was to the point that it wasn't even worth it to go up and get our food.

The service was even worse. When we sat down, we were told to give our waitress the chance to take our drink order before we got our food. Ok, we waited 15 min. for her to come take our drink order by then most other tables not only had their food but their drinks as well. We didn't receive our drinks until after we were done eating dinner and were on dessert. It was ridiculous but it was Thanksgiving and I really wanted it to be a special day and I didn't want to ruin it by complaining. I think she could tell we were irritated though because she made the comment that they seat so many tables at once(the restaurant opened for dinner at 3:00pm so everyone was seated at once)but I didn't notice anyone else without drinks and the tables that were inches from us were seated after us and got their drinks before we even were asked to order ours. I am not sure if we had so many problems because they added us in or what but I still feel it is no excuse, it's not like our server was taking our dinner order, it was a buffet, all she had to handle was the drinks. Anyway, moving on.

The food was nothing special. We had eaten Thanksgiving dinner here in 2005 and loved it so much that my whole family wanted to do it again. It has definitely declined in the last 2 years. Actually the prime rib was awesome! It really was excellent but the turkey was pre-sliced and tasted like it was reheated and the rest of the food was just ok. We all thought the food was just average, definitely not as good as our previous trips.

The entertainment was another story. Yes, the restaurant was very loud but it didn't bother us at all. The stepsisters were an absolute riot! They really did put on a good show. They actually grabbed some very cute(according to both my DD's and my DD's friend)young guy from another table and were dancing and playing around with him. He was such a great sport and they even brought him to "meet" the stepmother. It was hilarious! We really did enjoy the characters even though my DS9 hid under the table so the stepsister's couldn't kiss him!

After our experience here though, I am not sure if we will be back.

 

[momof3poohlovers]

I forgot to add a warning. My 9 year old son ordered Pirates Punch to drink at 1900 Park Fare. Well we just figured it was another name for fruit punch, well it wasn't. It was in a "special" plastic cup with a light up captain hook on it. It cost us almost $9 for this drink. We were on the dining plan and we had no clue this drink was not included nor that it came in a special cup, our waitress never said a word so be aware of what your kids are ordering!

 

[momof3poohlovers]

Hollywood & Vine

Food- D
Service- A
Atmosphere- D

We dined here the Friday after Thanksgiving and did the Fantasmic Package. We checked in about 15 min. early and were seated about 30 min after our ADR time. I was starting to get a little worried as our ADR was for 4:50 and we weren't seated until almost 5:25 and we had to be in line for Fantasmic by 6:00pm. We ended up having just enough time and made it to the special entrance for those doing the Fantasmic package just as the gate was opening. I had asked what happened if we didn't have enough time to eat and was told too bad they don't accommodate you so if they don't seat you in time, your tough luck. Something to keep in mind when planning what time to eat! Make sure you book with plenty of time to make it to the show.

We all agreed that the food here was the worst meal of our trip. We had tried it once before a couple of years ago and it wasn't very good then either but we were hoping it was just an off night, it wasn't. The prime rib was so tough I couldn't even chew it and most other things were your typical cheap buffet food. The only thing I really enjoyed was the chicken which had some berry(?) sauce on it. Even my husband who will eat just about anything thought this place was bad.

Our server was very good though and we had drinks before we even made it back to the table with our food. She was friendly, thorough, and efficient. Definitely different than the previous night. She earned every bit of her tip!

The atmosphere here is nothing special. It wasn't any different than going to your local buffet restaurant.

We won't be returning here.

 

[Swimnoid]

great reviews...thanks for sharing!

 

[momof3poohlovers]

Le Cellier

Food- A+
Service- B(I didn't give it an A due to our wait time)
Atmosphere-A

Once again we arrived about 15 min. before our ADR time of 5:30pm. We were doing the Candlelight Processional Package and our show tickets were for 8:15pm. At 6:00pm we still weren't seated(a number of families who arrived after us had already been seated so I asked what was up and they said they were waiting for our table to be cleaned off. It all worked out and we were seated by 6:10pm, 40 min. after our ADR time.

When we sat down, I explained that we were on the package for the 8:15pm Candlelight Processional and she said we would have plenty of time. DH, DD12, and DS9 ordered the cheese soup for an appetizer and all three loved it! The rest of us ordered the steakhouse caesar and thought it was ok. While we were waiting the 55 min. in the waiting area, my DD12 had said she wasn't feeling well. While ordering our dinner, she again said she wasn't feeling good. DD12 has been known to be a drama queen and a bit of a hypochondriac so we kind of dismissed her. Both her and I ordered the mushroom filet, DS9 ordered the children's steak, and DH, DD16, and her friend ordered the 14oz strip steak. While waiting for our dinner and after eating her soup, DD12 announced that she needed to go back to the room, she was feeling REALLY sick now. Again, the bad mom that I am, I told her to just put her head down, she would be fine(I am still thinking she is exaggerating). Our dinner comes finally, our food took forever to come and everything is absolutely delicious. Definitely the best tasting meal we have had the entire trip. DD12 does not touch her food so DH decides to eat hers too! For dessert, DS9 orders the Chocolate Moose using DD12's dessert credit, it was absolutely adorable and yummy! I ordered the creme brulee and it too was incredible. DH ordered the chocolate cake and DD16 and her friend ordered the smores. Everyone thought their dessert was really good. It again takes forever to get our dessert and by this time we knew DD12 wasn't playing(she never skips a meal) and know that either myself or DH was going to have to miss CP in order to take her back to the room. DH sadly volunteers and brings her back to the room, after he's done with dessert of course. Now before I get flamed for not taking her back sooner, DD12 has been known to "be sick" and then we go home and she's perfectly fine so we never know whether she's crying wolf of not.

The restaurant is kind of dark but not too dark. We really like the atmosphere here. Our server was named Sara and she was very friendly and really outgoing. She took our entire order, inc. dessert right after we sat down because she knew we were short for time. Our drinks were always filled and our order came out right. The only complaint we had was the time it took for us to get our food and I don't believe that was her fault. I do know that when we sat down, the family at the table next to us was just getting their dinner and by the time we got our dessert another family had already sat down, gotten their food and were done with their dessert and were paying their bill. I have no idea what they ordered (maybe our steaks took longer to make? )but we didn't leave Le Cellier until 5 min. before 8:00. I don't think an hour and a half is a long time to take to eat, it's just that we had to literally run to get in line for CP and we were one of the last ones in line(we did have great seats though!)CP is probably our favorite show at DW and DH and DD12 had to miss it. After the show, we went back to the room and DD12 was asleep. 10 min. after I walked in, she threw up all over her bed, the floor, and suitcase. I guess I deserved it for not believing her to begin with!

Overall, we loved this restaurant and will be back next time!

 

[momof3poohlovers]

Liberty Tree Tavern

Food- B
Service- A
Atmosphere- A

We were attending MVMCP at Magic Kingdom so our ADR was at 5:20pm. We checked in 30 min. before our ADR hoping to get in early so we could start riding rides early and it worked. We were seated in less than 5 minutes!

Our drink order was taken and food started arriving soon after we sat down. Everyone loved the Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad with the exception of DD's friend. The turkey, beef and ham were also pretty good, although not as good as we had remembered on our last visit. The stuffing was ok but the mashed potatoes were awesome. The gravy was lumpy but still good! Finally for dessert was the best of all, apple cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream. I thought it was absolutely delicious! So did DD's friend and DD12. DH and DD16 had just ice cream, can you believe they don't like apple cobbler!

Our server was great. Very attentive and kept the food coming, even bringing seconds on some stuff. The atmosphere was great as well. The character interaction was wonderful and we saw all of the characters more than once. The characters we saw were:Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, and Dale.

We had a great time and DD12 was feeling somewhat better after taking the day off to rest. We also had a great time at the party! We will definitely be back here.

That's it! No more reviews. Overall, we had a great time at Disney and eating at Disney.

 

[John's Mom]

Thanks for posting your reviews. Sorry about your DD. My DD got sick after eating at the Kona Cafe; and she loved her meal. She spend most of the night in the bathroom. That's not a great way to spend your vacation.

 

[mindyd]

Thanks for posting your reviews we are doing Coral Reef and 1900 park fare on our upcoming trip.

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent

 

[Disney owl]

thanks for the reviews

 

[gzh6464]

Just returned from T-Giving week and have the following reviews:

1) Ca Grill -wonderful place, excellent views, good food. Yummy dessert. Even tried the Buffalo which was good

2) 50's primetime after fantasmic on EMH night. Cute shtick, fried chicken and meatloaf were great. Service was unbearably slow!

3) Lua - tons of food (pretty good too), entertaining show. If on DDP use credits for this as it is more expensive than typical table service places

4) Flying Fish - favorite place. Excellent food. Excellent desserts

5) Citricos (for thanksgiving) - disappointing. Clearly a place with European flare is out of it's element making traditional T-Giving dinner. Signature dish Osso Bucco was ordinary. They had big troubles figuring out the bill and its relation to DDP

6) Artist Point - good, service was fine. Signature dish (Cedar plank salmon) was good but nothing special. Nice salads.

7) 1900 Park Fare - Mary Poppins breakfast. self serve. Ordinary food (plenty of it). Go for the characters not the meal (we saw PooH, Tigger, Alice, Mad hatter, Mary Poppins)

8) arkhaus Princess lunch - pretty good considering the masses. Highlight of DD trip metting princesses

Counter - Most counter places were nothing special (tried spanish place in adventureland (soggy taco,) pecos bills frontierland(good burger), noodle place tomorrowland (limited asian food), food court in the land (great variety- very busy), Morocoan place (excellent), flame tree cafe in AK (good ribs), backlot cafe in MGM (burgers- OK), hotdog place on mainstreet (for a quickie - was adquate).