The Good, the Bad and the YUMMY..10 days of free dining... Updated 9/26 Kona Cafe!

[familydisney]

So we got back Monday night very late due to the emergency landing of our flight...a whole different thread! So now I wanted to post my thoughts on our restaurants and food choices on our trip. For the most part we were pleased, but there were some disappointments and some things we learned that we want to pass along to others.
Here's who we are:
Woody (DH) loves most foods and prefers a true table service to a character meal or a buffet. He loves steak, and he got his share this trip!
Ariel (me) is very picky eating almost no vegetables...truly. I do love tomatoes and corn and I've never met a potato I didn't like. Otherwise, I prefer starches to meats (no flames on my future health, please)and will always take double mashed and leave part of my steak. Well, not at one of the restaurants....It was too good to leave.
Tigger (DS10) takes after his parents, but not in the best of combinations. He's picky like mom and a meat lover like dad. This is his first Disney trip as an "adult", so he got to order a filet every night. Surprisingly, he started to get sick of them after awhile...
Buzz (DS8)- is picky not just on what he eats but when. At breakfast, he could devour 6 eggs; by dinner, he's nibbling. Some of the foods he found too adventurous. I general, Disney kids' meals don't have much variety anyway.

So here's where we ate:
Day 1:
Pop food court
Pecos Bills
Day 2:
Chef Mickey's breakfast (Buzz's birthday)
Cosmic Rays
Whispering Canyon
Day 3:
Starring Rolls
Catalina Eddie's
Pop food court
Day 4:
Sunshine Seasons
Lotus Blossom
La Boulangerie Patisserie
Teppan Edo
Day 5:
Flame Tree Barbeque
Tutto Italia
Day 6:
Columbia Harbor House
Aloha Isle
Ohana
Day 7:
Sunshine Seasons
Cantina de San Angel
Kringla bakery
Le Cellier
Day 8:
Wolfgang Puck Express
Earl of Sandwich
Kona
Day 9:
Crystal Palace breakfast
Starring Rolls
Catalina Eddies
The Wave
Day 10:
Pop food court
La Boulangerie Patisserie
Harry Ramsden's fish and chips

I'll start posting day 1 this afternoon. I sure wish I were there now...

 

[gracie1]

Yum! Can't wait to hear these reviews

 

[milmore104]

I'm in can't wait. We leave in 17 days!

 

[TigerKat]

Signing on!

 

[natalielongstaff]

Count me in ! ( i would love to hear about the flight tho )

 

[familydisney]

Pop food court:
So day 1 we didn't get to Pop until 3:00 but hadn't eaten since breakfast. After we checked out the room (great, by the way), we went to the food court to fill up before we hit the parks. Woody and Buzz shared a bacon double cheeseburger. Woody tried to pay OOP for an extra bun, but the guy just gave it to him. Overall, they said it was a "typical burger".
Tigger had an order of chili cheese fries (snack credit). He didnt care for these. Of course I assumed it was his pickiness, but Woody didn't like them either saying they were too green pepper heavy and a little sweet...
I had chicken alfredo. This was not at all what I expected. It was a chicken breast that reminded me of Black-eyed Pea's chicken fried chicken, though not quite as much breading. It cam with pasta and both were in alfredo sauce. The noodles were very watery, but the chicken was WAY above expectations. As a result, someone in the family ordered it two more times.
Overall evaluation of Pop food court:
Food: B
Atmosphere: C
Amenities: A -(loved drink refills)
Pecos Bill's
So this is where we learned our first lesson. We're not new to Disney, nor are we new to the dining plan, but we ARE new to a 10 year old "adult". At Pecos Bill's we ordered one meal each. BIG mistake. Tigger's appetite had grown, yes, but not that much. Here's what we had.
Woody had, you guessed it, a bacon double cheeseburger. He loves the toppings bar here and had mushrooms, onions, cheese sauce, etc.
Buzz and I both had pulled pork sandwiches. These were great as well, and I got lots of cheese sauce for the fries. I also love pickles, so I got plenty of those from the toppings bar.
Tigger got a special item not normally on the menu, I think it was a trial run. It was basically a chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and an ear of corn on the cob. He plowed through the chicken, but stalled on the rest.
We all tried each other's and agreed it was all good. We just couldn't do enough damage, and neither Woody or I are "dainty". We SHOULD have ordered 2 meals. It was nice to try several things, but it was a waste.
Overall evaluation of Pecos Bill's
Food: A-
Atmosphere: B
Amenities: A+ (love that toppings bar)

Day 2 will include our first 2 TS credits...Some of the good and the bad...

 

[DLo]

good start. looking forward to your reviews. have 2 picky eaters in my group so waiting to see what yours ordered. (my ds 11 will be surviving on hamburgers and chicken fingers and french fries)

 

[Bluenoser]

Thanks for the reviews. These will help.

 

[minniebeth]

Mmmm... your dining review is making me hungry! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[bluejasmine]

Im in! Ohh the new entree at Pecos Bills sounds great but will I be able to NOT order the bacon double cheeseburger just to be able to add the yummy grilled onions and mushrooms, pickles and tomoatos from the bar?? Cant wait to read more!

 

[familydisney]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.

Day 2:

Chef Mickey's:
This was Buzz's birthday breakfast at an ungodly 7:00 AM. Got there early, and was seated at about 7:10. As we were among the first, the buffet was fresh and characters were moving in our direction quickly. Woody describes the ambiance as "cafeteria-like". Everyone found something to eat here. Buzz loved the fruit and cottage cheese, Tigger liked the bacon (though I don't see why!), I thought the hashbrown casserole was mostly edible...Woody, on the other hand, said all the food was horrible and there wee too few hot dishes to choose from. Obviously since it was his son's birthday, he played along but said only the characer interaction was worthwhile. I actually found the characters, though fun (Mickey, Donald, Minnie,Goofy and Pluto), to be a major problem with the timing of the meal. We'd get food, a character would come, and the food would get cold. Mediocre food served cold really shows its flaws. None of us ate enough to make it through the day.
Overall evaluation of Chef Mickey's:
Food: C (Woody gives it a D)
Ambience: C (Again, Woody gives it a D)
Service: C
Characters: B+

Cosmic Ray's:
Since we didn't eat enough breakfast, we needed a small mid-day pick me up. Knowing portions are huge, we hit Cosmic Ray's for a rib/chicken combo and a snack of fries with cheese sauce from the toppings bar. The chicken was moist, as usual, and the ribs were surprisingly good. It also came with mashed potatoes. Everyone just shared what we had and nibbled to tide us over to what we knew would be a huge meal later that night.
Overall evaluation of Cosmic Ray's:
Food: A- (portion size, quality and variety)
Ambience: C- (we weren't in the room with Sonny Eclispe)
Amenities:B (There is a toppings bar, but it's harder to negotiate than at Pecos Bill's)

Whispering Canyon:
We got there early as we had never been to WL before. It's beautiful, similar to home as we are from Wyoming, now Colorado.We were called pretty much on time and were near the back of the restaurant. We had "Marshall Law" as our server and he was really low-key. Maybe too low-key if you're going there for "antics". We were all allowed, on the dining plan, to order milkshakes...here's the next thing I learned: just say no! Yes, they're a good value. Yes, they're bottomless. Yes, it's cool their flavor of the day is usually wacky (cotton candy when we went). But they fill you up and tend to leave you feeling lethargic. Tigger was so miserable he could hardly eat his food, and this place was his choice...

On to the food. The corn bread was great. Woody said the salad was good as well, but I only picked out the tomatoes. Dressing was tasty. We all had the skillet, incuding Buzz, who chose ribs as his meat. When it came, I was amazed. It was enormous. There were brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken along with mashed potatoes, coleslaw. and corn on the cob. I didn't try the chicken since that's Tigger's domain. Woody dove into the ribs, and I enjoyed the pork and brisket. It was fantastic! I loved the food here. Others on the boards have said it was greasy...well, maybe it was, but BBQ is supposed to be greasy. I ate until I thought I'd burst. To me, this was some of the best food on the trip.

Another downfall to the milkshakes: we couldn't handle dessert. We took them to go instead. Woody got Smores cheesecake, Tigger got chocolate caek with Kahlua, I ordered the apple caramel pie and Buzz got chocolate chip cookies. They put them in a bag for us and we carted them with us to Fantasmic, where we did our best to at least sample them. We decided they were all good (though the cookie was just that). Mine would have been better hot, but they were a casualty of the milkshakes...

Overall evaluation of Whispering Canyon :
Food: B+ (I'd give it an A)
Ambience: B
Service: B- (lack of "fun")

 

[familydisney]

Natalie, the plane was the one that had an emergency landing in Tampa. It was all over the news and the internet. There's even a video of it. There's a whole thread about it on the tranportation board started by my husband. Basically, we had to go down the plane slides, etc. They compensated us VERY handsomely, but it was still a lot of hassle and anxiety. I'm just glad we got home!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

joining in and enjoying your food reviews. Can't wait to read more.

 

[bizeemom4]

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
Great reviews!! Can't wait to read more. Thanks!!

 

[familydisney]

Day 3:

Starring Rolls:
We had breakfast here on our DHS day. In general, I think DHS food is horrible and try to avoid it but I'd heard good things about this place. We used snack credits to get Woody a cinnamon roll to share with Buzz, Tigger a chocolate croissant and me a bagel. Overall, we thought it was good. I just don't love sweets in the morning, hence the bagel. We did eye some great looking sweets for later in the day, however. In general, this was a good option considering there aren't many others at DHS.
Overall evaluation of Starring Rolls:
Food: B
Ambience: n/a (seating is outside)
Amenities: also n/a

Catalina Eddie's

I must be weird, but I have actually always loved Disney's pizza. It's very bready and saucy, but I like that. We were going to go to Epcot on the boat for lunch to avoid DHS. Woody and I both ended up doing the American Idol show, though, so we had to eat there between shows and I chose Catalina Eddie's since they allow us to sub chips for a salad. I liked it as always, as did the kids. Woody just got a pretzel with cheese. By the way, cheese is separate and you either have to pay $1 for it or burn a 2nd snack credit. We won't make that mistake again.

Overall evaluation of Catalina Eddie's:
Food: B
Ambience: n/a (same as above)
Amenities: n/a

We were so late after each performing in the finale and staying for extra magic hours that we ended up eating at the Pop food court. Pretty much the same story as before...After a day of blah CS meals, we were looking forward to Epcot and Teppan Edo on Day 4.

 

[natalielongstaff]

Natalie, the plane was the one that had an emergency landing in Tampa. It was all over the news and the internet. There's even a video of it. There's a whole thread about it on the tranportation board started by my husband. Basically, we had to go down the plane slides, etc. They compensated us VERY handsomely, but it was still a lot of hassle and anxiety. I'm just glad we got home!

omg ! how awful, im glad you are all ok

loving the reviews

 

[familydisney]

Day 4:

Sunshine Seasons:
We had breakfast here as it's one of the few places in Epcot in the morning. I've never understood why the World Showcase places don't open for breakfast... Woody had a breakfast platter, I had a breakfast sandwich/panini of sorts, Tigger ordered a chocolate chip muffin and Buzz enjoyed the traditional cinnamon roll. The breakfast platter was the same as anywhere else...powdered eggs, see-through bacon, etc. My sandwich, though, was fantastic. It had eggs and cheese but it had pork and a sweet sauce on a far superior bread. I loved it so much that I couldn't wait to have it again, which I did later in the week. The only knock is that it doesn't come with any potatoes or anything. Tigger said the chocolate chip muffin was better than his croissant at Starring Rolls since it wasn't so sweet. He then ate most of Woody's breakfast. Buzz loved the cinnamon roll, which was the same as everywhere. The best thing we did here was get 2 CS meals (which came with 2 drinks each) and 2 snacks so each adult gave one drink to a kid.

Overall evaluation of Sunshine Seasons:
Food: B (though my sandwich was an A)
Ambience: C (it's open and loud)
Amenities: B (We did find out from the helpful CM that they allow refills on drinks. Don't know if that's true 100% of the time...)

Lotus Blossom Cafe:
This was my boys' favorite last trip and they couldn't wait to go back. They loved the orange chicken, so we ordered 2 of these to share. Each came with rice and drink but the dessert is a strange kind of ice cream. We tried the ginger/caramel and the strawberry/red bean. No one liked either.We'd have had more meals here but didn't want to waste a CS on a dessert we don't like. I would say that Buzz and I were supposed to share and when I sat back down after getting soy sauce, the chicken was basically gone! Overall, they liked it, but I could find better options in Epcot...and I did!

Overall evaluation of Lotus Blossom Cafe:
Food: B- (mostly due to the dessert)
Ambience: B+ (the China gardens are right outside)
Amenities: C (no refills, sauces are available)

La Boulangerie Patisserie:

Woody surprised me with a CS from here later that afternoon, knowing it's my fave. He got a ham and cheese croissant and a lemon tart. Though they're normally great, this time it wasn't heated all the way through and the lemon tart was a little soggy. It was still good, though, enough that we did the same thing our last day!

Overall evaluation of La Boulangerie Patisserie:
Food: B- (though normally better)
Ambience: C- (it's way too crowded and hard to maneuver, plus the line is always hot and long)
Amenities: B- (no, there are no refills but there are some of the best desserts you can get for a counter service!)

Teppan Edo:

So I was reticent to eat here since neither Tigger, Buzz nor I eat veggies. Plus when we were getting close to dinner, the skies literally opened up. I haven't seen rain like that in a LONG time. Even in ponchos, we were soaked and dripping as we went up the elevator to the restaurant. When the door opened, though, a beautiful Japanese woman was there to hand us a bag to put our wet ponchos in and towels to dry off with! We were seated about 15 minutes late with another family as wet as we were... Our servers were great and always refilling drinks, etc. Then we met our chef who was very nice but VERY low-key. That, coupled with the very quiet family at the other end and the volume of the other tables made it hard to get much "spectacle". He was very nice, though, and made some noodles w/o veggies for the boys. I was a grown-up and just picked around mine... Woody had the steak and shrimp, Tigger had the steak and chicken, I had the filet and Buzz went with the chicken kid's meal.
Woody and Buzz thought theirs were good, my filet was excellent and tender...I was sad when it was gone! But Tigger, though he liked his steak, said his chicken was "too strong". Chicken is his favorite food normally. I tried it and liked it. The desserts here are weird, too. Woody and Tigger had the chocolate ginger cake, which they enjoyed. I had the green tea pudding, which was kind of like a flan in a caramel sauce. I don't love custards, puddings, flans, etc, but I also don't like chocolate. Poor Buzz got stuck with a fruit cup still in the pakaging from the grocery store! I left thinking it was an adventurous meal that I was glad I tried, but it wasn't my favorite of the week.

Overall evaluation of Teppan Edo
Food: B (desserts didn't have enough choice, but meat and noodles great)
Ambience: A- (beautiful and definitely immerses you in culture, but loud)
Service: B (some great touches, but chef lacklustre)

 

[familydisney]

Day 5:

Flame Tree Barbecue:

We've eaten here before and always liked it, especially the seating by the water and watching the alligators. That day we ordered 2 of the rib plates and 1 pulled pork sandwich. They both come with fries and baked beans. Unfortunately, none of us likes the beans at all, not even Woody, so they are wasted. For dessert, we had the key lime pie. As usual, the ribs were pretty good, though a few of mine were a little overcooked. Buzz went crazy on them, eating most of mine... Tigger ate all of his sandwich before we could blink. We also enjoyed the pie very much. The only things we don't like here are Animal Kingdom specific...no drink lids and paper straws. Ok, so I know I'm supposed to be "green", but having no lid on a drink where there are birds all around you an you're in Florida with all the bugs just creeps me out. The paper straws disintegrate part way through the meal. Woody says it annoys him as it's obviously just a token gesture. If Disney really believed it should be green, it'd do this in all the parks...
Rant on straws is over now...
Overall evaluation of Flame Tree Barbecue:
Food: B+
Ambiance: A (beautiful and plentiful seating)
Amenities: B

Tutto Italia

So this is where I wanted to go for my birthday, but that day was the only day we could get Le Cellier so I had to eat there on my big day... darn!Anyway, I had been looking forward to this for several trips, but Woody simply doesn't love Italian. This time, I insisted, and I think everyone was glad I did. This was my favorite meal of the trip, by far!
I had the lasagna and let me tell you, if you expect pot-luck fare or even what you make at home, you'll be really surprised. I had almost forgotten how much better freshly made pasta tastes and how there's only a creamy smoothness to the noodles, not the rubbery kind store bought have. I made a bold statement that I'd eat it all...I couldn't, but I tried!
Tigger had the farfalle, which was basically a carbonara. He liked it, but picked around all the peas. Woody had lamb, and said it was great. He actually conquered his meal and had some of ours as well. Buzz got the kid's mozzarella stick appetizer and the fettucine alfredo for his meal (though they call it something different). Let's just say this was the real deal...therefore, he didn't like it. It was VERY heavy on the cream, which made me wish I'd had it! I did get some as he couldn't finish it all. He also didn't like the mozzarella as it was "real", not out of a freezer, cardboard taste and all. I loved it. The bread basket and olive/peppers was a huge hit and we even had it refilled.
Dessert was a mixed bag. Woody and Tigger had the chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Tigger said it was his favorite dessert of the week. I had the zabaglione gelato with berries. I did it off recommendations from these boards and it was very good. My problem was the zabaglione was too strong, almost coffee-tasting for me. The berries were heavenly, thugh. Which brings me to Buzz. He got the kid's gelato sundae. Now he had many sundaes this week, all pretty much the same. Not here! Here he got chocolate gelato with the berries I had at the bottom. He said it was better than all his other desserts combined! Also, here he had about 5 things to pick from, unlike everywhere else on the trip.
* Just a side note. Only eat here if on the dining plan. Just Buzz's kid's meal was almost $20. This was our highest ticket of the week. Though great, nowhere in Disney is worth $160 for 3 adults and 1 kid.

Overall evaluation of Tutto Italia:
Food: A+ (amazing what fresh-cooked, homemade food can taste like!)
Ambiance: B (it's too loud, but it's beautiful)
Service: B+ (Our waiter, Giovanni, was very nice and seemed to pay a lot of attention to the kids.We had mostly good service, but they forgot the app and served it with dinner. This is better than later in the trip where they never brought it!)

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

thanks for the update.