The Last Word Dining Reviews - UPDATE 6/17 - TS SUMMARY SHEET!
- Thread starter TheDWord
- Start date
disnut1149
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Hi
Great reviews!! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to read more!!
Great reviews!! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to read more!!
catho72
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2008
- Messages
- 1,539
I am enjoying your reviews! I totally agree with your review of Chef Mickey's decor.....we sat by the "temporary" wall (that's what I called it in my dining review, too) but after seeing recent pics, I think it's a permanent wall! I agree, since it's in a deluxe resort and is one of the most popular restaurants at WDW, the decor should reflect that. I was disappointed as well and feel it should get a makeover.
Love the reviews!
Thanks for the info on how the infant handled the different restaurants. We're taking our DD to WDW for the first time and she's only been to restaurants a handful of times. At 1 year-old, who knows what fun we'll have! I'm nervous about 10+ days of daily restaurant visits, but feeling better as I hear how other infants handle WDW restaurants.
Thanks!
JenniVamp
Thanks for the info on how the infant handled the different restaurants. We're taking our DD to WDW for the first time and she's only been to restaurants a handful of times. At 1 year-old, who knows what fun we'll have! I'm nervous about 10+ days of daily restaurant visits, but feeling better as I hear how other infants handle WDW restaurants.
Thanks!
JenniVamp
Our little one is as vibrant as they come (both in good and bad ways)- she knows how to put a smile on people's faces, yet she also manages to time her meltdowns perfectly (for her, not us!). I've found that no matter which Disney restaurant you go to with your baby, people are for the most part expecting there to be small children and do not mind the typical antics of a small child (although there was a time our baby was so cranky I had to take her outside for a bit). Plus, there are usually others in the restaurant with infants so you never really feel like a stranger. I'm sure you'll do fine.
Where: Epcot, Norway
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Time: 8:50 AM
Party Size: 4 Adults, 3 Children
The Princess Storybook Breakfast in the Akershus Banquet Hall in Norway is a princess character breakfast, similar to the one at Cinderellas Royal Table. As a 1 TS credit meal, we were curious to see what the differences would be between this and the CRT lunch we had experienced just a couple of days previously. When we planned these ADRs, my wife insisted that we have all three princess character meals in the itinerary, when I thought that one would be enough. I was definitely feeling like going somewhere else that morning, as I thought a) the meal would be subpar and b) this possibly couldnt top the atmosphere at CRT, but being outnumbered 6-1, we forged ahead.
Décor
When we stepped into Epcot, which was about 8:15AM, I split off from the rest of the crew to collect fastpasses for Test Track. As a result, I took the side entrance into the World Showcase (the walkways to the right of Test Track over the water near the baby station) and immediately felt a strange sense of serenity as I peered over the waters with America and Italy in the far distance. The water was spotted with flower arrangements, which had the appearance of colorful water lilies as it spread out into the distance. What was particularly strange was that what was normally robust with life, activity and noise was quiet, empty, and almost lonely. The quiet serenity afforded me the opportunity to pause and just breathe in the atmosphere. I didnt realize just how beautiful the place really was. The vast expanse that is the WS seemed even bigger that morning and without the distraction of crowds and noise, it made me appreciate even more just what Disney had done here. Something you wont find anywhere else in the world. In any event, after I was done reflecting and taking a few pictures, I headed on over to Norway. The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (ARBH) is a modest, stone structure, nothing too fancy on the outside. The inside, once you get by the princess photo-op area and into the restaurant, is bland, stale, and cheap. The walls are white brick and concrete, the floor was is a basic pattern carpet, and the furniture is a plain and ordinary, like what you would find in your typical diner. The continental buffet area is also outdated and tired. They accented the space with some apropos paraphernalia, but the space did not feel like a royal banquet hall in the least. If the intent was to spend as little as possible on the space, they could at least have gone all the way and made it look like a Norwegian peasant marketplace or some of that ilk. However, the feeling you get here is like they put lipstick on a pig and the space is a sorry excuse for interior design. The space also felt crowded as the continental buffet was off in a side room and the main dining room was a sea of tables relatively close to each other. Its a shame to the country of Norway that the historic representation of a royal banquet hall could be so lame.
Décor Grade: 4.0
Service
The breakfast here is an all-you-can-eat family style meal where the server brings you hot breakfast foods in a large plate. You can also help yourself to a buffet area with cold foods like muffins, danishes, fruit and yogurt. Our server was for the most part devoid of a personality, reciting the scripted introduction, then not speaking another word the entire duration of the meal. He brought over one plate of food, then disappeared for the next 20 minutes or so. Mind you there were six of us eating and the one plate was probably enough for about 3-4 people. So we rationed out the food and waited for another one, thinking that they would give a table of 6 two plates of food, but it would not come. When we finally sighted the waiter twenty minutes later, we asked for more food. About ten minutes after that the food came out. Now my kids are really into sausage links, and almost exclusively ate that one item during this meal. As a result, we ran out of sausages but had a lot of potatoes and eggs left over. We hailed the waiter and asked him for just more sausages. Ten minutes later, he shows up again with a whole new plate of food with all the foods in it. When we told him we had only wanted more sausages, he looked at us like we were crazy and had that whats the big deal look. We are really not into wasting food, and were disappointed that he had not listened to us properly the first time. He then proceeded to take a knife from the table and scrape off just the sausages from the plate, plunk them onto an existing plate on the table, then walked away with the new plate. We thought it was very rude and obnoxious of him to do that, and we never interacted with him again from that point on. Since the buffet area was self serve, there was no service there to comment on.
Service Grade: 3.6
Food
The breakfast food at ARBH consisted of cold foods like breads, danishes, yogurt, fruits, etc in a buffet area off to the side, and family-style hot foods in a platter served at the table. The hot foods were sausage links, bacon strips, home fries, and scrambled eggs. I found the food to be generally subpar, with absolutely no variety on the hot foods. The lineup of hot food is as basic as it gets when it comes to breakfast, and they could surely mix it up a lot more. The food itself I found generally subpar. The eggs were ok, but it was just scrambled eggs with nothing else in it. The bacon was thin, chewy and dry, and the sausage was a bit bland. The potatoes were also nothing home to write about. As for the cold food, nothing really stood out, except the yogurt. It was absolutely horrible. It was sour and chunky. Yuck. This was probably the worst breakfast we had during our time there, including all counter service restaurants.
Food Grade: 5.3
Character Interaction
For the photo-op, we took pictures with Belle in her yellow gown. During the meal, Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel (turquoise dress) and Sleeping Beauty worked the room. Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty were both OK, not overly in character, but friendly and talkative. We all agreed that Snow White was most in character, as her voice was just like the movie, in that high pitched, squealy inflection in every word. Her comments were also very cute and what you would expect Snow White to say. Ariel was also very much in character. She would say how she loved to collect things and even referenced a fork on the table as a dinglehopper. It was actually very funny. Overall, the characters were very good, took their time at each table, and were quite talkative. It even got my son (almost 5), who is not a big fan of Disney princesses, involved and laughing. The moment of the breakfast came when my daughter asked my son Where is Prince charming, prince eric, prince philip, beast, and prince snow white? and my son answered They all went out to hunt for food. What would we eat if they didnt go out hunting? We all had a big laugh out of that.
Character Interaction: Excellent
Value
For 4 adults and two children (plus an infant who got a dairy free plate free of charge), the total was $185.93. $28.99 per adult for breakfast is an extraordinarily high price for breakfast, even if the food were fantastic! Considering the average tasting food with no variety, subpar décor, and horrible service, the price seems even more expensive. The great character interaction mitigates the price somewhat, but comes nowhere close to being a place of any value, even with the two free photo-op pictures.
Value Grade: 4.3
Overall
Although everything about the meal was poor, the character interaction made it a fun time and somewhat alleviated an otherwise horrible experience at an outrageous price. The restaurant could use an extreme makeover in both the space and the menu. What made the food at places like Chef Mickeys and Tusker House so great was that there was a wide variety and creativity in the dishes- it just pleases a wider audience than just your run of the mill bacon, sausage, potato and eggs. As for the service, I can only grade based on what we experienced, but I have to assume here our level of service was the outlier, as it typically cannot be this bad. As Ive iterated before with CRT, you certainly cannot do breakfast here looking for good food or an immersive atmosphere. It really is ALL about the princesses in Norway.
The Last Word: 5.5 A fun character interaction saves this from being an utterly dissatisfying experience across the board.
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Time: 8:50 AM
Party Size: 4 Adults, 3 Children
The Princess Storybook Breakfast in the Akershus Banquet Hall in Norway is a princess character breakfast, similar to the one at Cinderellas Royal Table. As a 1 TS credit meal, we were curious to see what the differences would be between this and the CRT lunch we had experienced just a couple of days previously. When we planned these ADRs, my wife insisted that we have all three princess character meals in the itinerary, when I thought that one would be enough. I was definitely feeling like going somewhere else that morning, as I thought a) the meal would be subpar and b) this possibly couldnt top the atmosphere at CRT, but being outnumbered 6-1, we forged ahead.
Décor
When we stepped into Epcot, which was about 8:15AM, I split off from the rest of the crew to collect fastpasses for Test Track. As a result, I took the side entrance into the World Showcase (the walkways to the right of Test Track over the water near the baby station) and immediately felt a strange sense of serenity as I peered over the waters with America and Italy in the far distance. The water was spotted with flower arrangements, which had the appearance of colorful water lilies as it spread out into the distance. What was particularly strange was that what was normally robust with life, activity and noise was quiet, empty, and almost lonely. The quiet serenity afforded me the opportunity to pause and just breathe in the atmosphere. I didnt realize just how beautiful the place really was. The vast expanse that is the WS seemed even bigger that morning and without the distraction of crowds and noise, it made me appreciate even more just what Disney had done here. Something you wont find anywhere else in the world. In any event, after I was done reflecting and taking a few pictures, I headed on over to Norway. The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (ARBH) is a modest, stone structure, nothing too fancy on the outside. The inside, once you get by the princess photo-op area and into the restaurant, is bland, stale, and cheap. The walls are white brick and concrete, the floor was is a basic pattern carpet, and the furniture is a plain and ordinary, like what you would find in your typical diner. The continental buffet area is also outdated and tired. They accented the space with some apropos paraphernalia, but the space did not feel like a royal banquet hall in the least. If the intent was to spend as little as possible on the space, they could at least have gone all the way and made it look like a Norwegian peasant marketplace or some of that ilk. However, the feeling you get here is like they put lipstick on a pig and the space is a sorry excuse for interior design. The space also felt crowded as the continental buffet was off in a side room and the main dining room was a sea of tables relatively close to each other. Its a shame to the country of Norway that the historic representation of a royal banquet hall could be so lame.
Décor Grade: 4.0
Service
The breakfast here is an all-you-can-eat family style meal where the server brings you hot breakfast foods in a large plate. You can also help yourself to a buffet area with cold foods like muffins, danishes, fruit and yogurt. Our server was for the most part devoid of a personality, reciting the scripted introduction, then not speaking another word the entire duration of the meal. He brought over one plate of food, then disappeared for the next 20 minutes or so. Mind you there were six of us eating and the one plate was probably enough for about 3-4 people. So we rationed out the food and waited for another one, thinking that they would give a table of 6 two plates of food, but it would not come. When we finally sighted the waiter twenty minutes later, we asked for more food. About ten minutes after that the food came out. Now my kids are really into sausage links, and almost exclusively ate that one item during this meal. As a result, we ran out of sausages but had a lot of potatoes and eggs left over. We hailed the waiter and asked him for just more sausages. Ten minutes later, he shows up again with a whole new plate of food with all the foods in it. When we told him we had only wanted more sausages, he looked at us like we were crazy and had that whats the big deal look. We are really not into wasting food, and were disappointed that he had not listened to us properly the first time. He then proceeded to take a knife from the table and scrape off just the sausages from the plate, plunk them onto an existing plate on the table, then walked away with the new plate. We thought it was very rude and obnoxious of him to do that, and we never interacted with him again from that point on. Since the buffet area was self serve, there was no service there to comment on.
Service Grade: 3.6
Food
The breakfast food at ARBH consisted of cold foods like breads, danishes, yogurt, fruits, etc in a buffet area off to the side, and family-style hot foods in a platter served at the table. The hot foods were sausage links, bacon strips, home fries, and scrambled eggs. I found the food to be generally subpar, with absolutely no variety on the hot foods. The lineup of hot food is as basic as it gets when it comes to breakfast, and they could surely mix it up a lot more. The food itself I found generally subpar. The eggs were ok, but it was just scrambled eggs with nothing else in it. The bacon was thin, chewy and dry, and the sausage was a bit bland. The potatoes were also nothing home to write about. As for the cold food, nothing really stood out, except the yogurt. It was absolutely horrible. It was sour and chunky. Yuck. This was probably the worst breakfast we had during our time there, including all counter service restaurants.
Food Grade: 5.3
Character Interaction
For the photo-op, we took pictures with Belle in her yellow gown. During the meal, Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel (turquoise dress) and Sleeping Beauty worked the room. Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty were both OK, not overly in character, but friendly and talkative. We all agreed that Snow White was most in character, as her voice was just like the movie, in that high pitched, squealy inflection in every word. Her comments were also very cute and what you would expect Snow White to say. Ariel was also very much in character. She would say how she loved to collect things and even referenced a fork on the table as a dinglehopper. It was actually very funny. Overall, the characters were very good, took their time at each table, and were quite talkative. It even got my son (almost 5), who is not a big fan of Disney princesses, involved and laughing. The moment of the breakfast came when my daughter asked my son Where is Prince charming, prince eric, prince philip, beast, and prince snow white? and my son answered They all went out to hunt for food. What would we eat if they didnt go out hunting? We all had a big laugh out of that.
Character Interaction: Excellent
Value
For 4 adults and two children (plus an infant who got a dairy free plate free of charge), the total was $185.93. $28.99 per adult for breakfast is an extraordinarily high price for breakfast, even if the food were fantastic! Considering the average tasting food with no variety, subpar décor, and horrible service, the price seems even more expensive. The great character interaction mitigates the price somewhat, but comes nowhere close to being a place of any value, even with the two free photo-op pictures.
Value Grade: 4.3
Overall
Although everything about the meal was poor, the character interaction made it a fun time and somewhat alleviated an otherwise horrible experience at an outrageous price. The restaurant could use an extreme makeover in both the space and the menu. What made the food at places like Chef Mickeys and Tusker House so great was that there was a wide variety and creativity in the dishes- it just pleases a wider audience than just your run of the mill bacon, sausage, potato and eggs. As for the service, I can only grade based on what we experienced, but I have to assume here our level of service was the outlier, as it typically cannot be this bad. As Ive iterated before with CRT, you certainly cannot do breakfast here looking for good food or an immersive atmosphere. It really is ALL about the princesses in Norway.
The Last Word: 5.5 A fun character interaction saves this from being an utterly dissatisfying experience across the board.
TigerKat
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2006
- Messages
- 39,771
'OHANA 'OHANA 'OHANA
Perhaps you were expecting Irish fare at O'Hana, and that's why it was a disappointment?!
I knew there was an apostrophe in there somewhere! Sadly, I don't think the missplaced ' had anything to do with just plain old bad food...Where: Disney Hollywood Studios
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time: 2:40 PM
Party Size: 4 Adults, 3 Children
The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is a theme restaurant centered around a 1950s drive in movie theater. We had heard this was more of a burger n fries type of place and thought that it wouldnt be worth the 1 TS credit, so we went out of pocket on this one. The thought of eating in a classic car was appealing, especially for my son who is very much into cars, so like every other meal, we were also looking forward to this one.
Décor
The check-in area is right when you walk in, behind the main dining room. Its like they started with a large empty warehouse, and inserted 4 movie scenery props as the four walls of the main dining room, because from the check-in desk, which is outside of the dining room, the walls were just large wooden frames, like the other side of movie scenery backgrounds. Maybe this was intentional, maybe not, but it did not look good at all. They really should think about updating this front area. The usher took us down the hall and into the dimly lit main dining room, which is a very large open room with a huge movie screen on the front wall, a high black ceiling, dotted with white specks to make it look like a starry night and some other props, like painted trees, hills, etc that gave it the appearance of an outdoor drive-in theater. For the most part, the atmosphere is immersive and you truly do feel like you are in a giant movie theater for cars. Very well done there. The cars themselves were 50s style, with a myriad of bright colors, and fit the theme very well. Spacing was also good, so it did not seem too crowded. There were two types of seating- 1) row seating with three rows, and 2) table seating. The table seating did not really give you the car feel, as you basically are sitting across from each other at a regular table. The car hood and trunk is attached to either ends of the table. The table and chairs look like a rectangular cafeteria table and chairs youd see in an elementary school. They couldve made this option much more like a car, maybe like the inside of a limousine, but it is clear that the table option is just a cheap alternative to people who dont want to sit in the rows. We opted for a more truer sense of drive-in dining and took one car with three rows. While this felt more like eating in a car, there was no conversation going on, except with the person I was sitting next to. We quickly realized that we should have opted for the table, as plain as it was, as we had to constantly get in and out of the bench to attend to the kids. Now this would not have been so bad if there was anything decent going on in the movie screen, but this is really where Sci-Fi falters. The show, which is just short clips of black and white 1950s science fiction movies, is just plain boring, cheesy, uninteresting, dull and quite honestly, dumb. I just dont find it entertaining in the least bit to watch a guy in an insect costume wreaking havoc on a fake countryside, or aliens with jetsons-like laser guns walking around looking for humans to shoot. My attention span was less than 10 seconds to this, and even less so for my kids. They do put in some sporadic old cartoon clips in between the movie clips, but it looked like stick figures on a screen compared to cartoons of today, so even that was uninteresting to the kids. I understand that this is a 1950s drive-in theater, but cmon already- this is Disney! The creative minds there need to come up with something else here that will keep someone at least partially engaged to whats coming up on the screen. Maybe add in real world previews of upcoming Disney movies or some interviews of the cast of Hannah Montana or HS Musical for the pre teens / teens or air mini episodes of popular Disney shows- something that infuses more of todays Disney to keep things current and interesting.
Décor Grade: 6.0
Service
Our server at Sci-Fi was polite, friendly, and got everything in our order right. It was what you would expect from good service, though he wasnt much for words (which is fine). He also knew in advance that our baby had dairy allergies, and had the chef come out to meet us before we even asked about that. That shows good coordination in the staff, from the reservation people all the way down to the server serving us. Although he didnt really anticipate our needs, he was responsive and quick. Overall, we were very satisfied with the service.
Service Grade: 8.1
Food
I ordered the cheeseburger with swiss cheese, onion rings for two, and the cookies n cream milkshake. The wife also went for the burger. Our friend had the Reuben, and the nanny ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. The onion rings were very good. Not too greasy, which is what I find with most onion rings, yet still crispy on the outside. The burger was a bit on the small side, but otherwise was your classic diner-esque cheeseburger. The french fries were also your typical notch above fast food french fries. I had heard that the food was so-so, but that the milkshakes here were the bomb. Well, that bomb must have been a dud because my oreo shake tasted like it was made with skim milk and had a slight watery taste. Great if I were trying to count the calories, but when youre expecting the shake to be as fattening and calorie-filled as the entire meal itself, it was a letdown. Baskin Robbins shakes were far better. I guess the over hype going in made it even more disappointing. I wound up giving the shake to my kids, who didnt want to finish it either. Our friend wrapped up her Reuben, and later said it was very good after she ate it that night. Our nanny mentioned that the chicken sandwich was just OK, and that the chicken was a bit dry and tough. The kids ordered the pizza, the mac and cheese and the hot dog meals. They were OK, your standard Disney kids food menu. For the most part, we expected diner-like food, and thats exactly what we got, except for the milkshake.
Food Grade: 6.1
Value
The total bill came out to $107.82 for four adults and three children (including one with dairy allergies). Everyone ordered a meal, including the baby. It was our cheapest TS meal of the trip (on a per person basis), and our decision to go OOP on this one I think was a good one. Although the drive-in theme added to the experience, Id have to say that the flaws mentioned above totally offset any benefit. For the caliber of food, $15+ per person all in is probably acceptable.
Value Rating: 7.4
Overall
We made this ADR for the ambiance and the feel of eating in a drive in theater, in a classic 50s style car. For the most part, it did deliver, but the row seating cars, which is where you really get the feel, did not lend to a lot of communicating in a larger group setting. It also proved to be more of a hassle for us, as we were getting in and out of the row quite a few times to tend to our children. On top of that, the entertainment on the screen was outdated, boring, and cheesy. We werent necessarily expecting much in terms of food so its mediocrity didnt really let us down too much. In conclusion, despite the major flaws at Sci-Fi, just going through that unique experience made this a good one-time only thing to do.
The Last Word: 6.5 Boring and dull on-screen entertainment mars an otherwise fun atmosphere with diner quality food.
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time: 2:40 PM
Party Size: 4 Adults, 3 Children
The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is a theme restaurant centered around a 1950s drive in movie theater. We had heard this was more of a burger n fries type of place and thought that it wouldnt be worth the 1 TS credit, so we went out of pocket on this one. The thought of eating in a classic car was appealing, especially for my son who is very much into cars, so like every other meal, we were also looking forward to this one.
Décor
The check-in area is right when you walk in, behind the main dining room. Its like they started with a large empty warehouse, and inserted 4 movie scenery props as the four walls of the main dining room, because from the check-in desk, which is outside of the dining room, the walls were just large wooden frames, like the other side of movie scenery backgrounds. Maybe this was intentional, maybe not, but it did not look good at all. They really should think about updating this front area. The usher took us down the hall and into the dimly lit main dining room, which is a very large open room with a huge movie screen on the front wall, a high black ceiling, dotted with white specks to make it look like a starry night and some other props, like painted trees, hills, etc that gave it the appearance of an outdoor drive-in theater. For the most part, the atmosphere is immersive and you truly do feel like you are in a giant movie theater for cars. Very well done there. The cars themselves were 50s style, with a myriad of bright colors, and fit the theme very well. Spacing was also good, so it did not seem too crowded. There were two types of seating- 1) row seating with three rows, and 2) table seating. The table seating did not really give you the car feel, as you basically are sitting across from each other at a regular table. The car hood and trunk is attached to either ends of the table. The table and chairs look like a rectangular cafeteria table and chairs youd see in an elementary school. They couldve made this option much more like a car, maybe like the inside of a limousine, but it is clear that the table option is just a cheap alternative to people who dont want to sit in the rows. We opted for a more truer sense of drive-in dining and took one car with three rows. While this felt more like eating in a car, there was no conversation going on, except with the person I was sitting next to. We quickly realized that we should have opted for the table, as plain as it was, as we had to constantly get in and out of the bench to attend to the kids. Now this would not have been so bad if there was anything decent going on in the movie screen, but this is really where Sci-Fi falters. The show, which is just short clips of black and white 1950s science fiction movies, is just plain boring, cheesy, uninteresting, dull and quite honestly, dumb. I just dont find it entertaining in the least bit to watch a guy in an insect costume wreaking havoc on a fake countryside, or aliens with jetsons-like laser guns walking around looking for humans to shoot. My attention span was less than 10 seconds to this, and even less so for my kids. They do put in some sporadic old cartoon clips in between the movie clips, but it looked like stick figures on a screen compared to cartoons of today, so even that was uninteresting to the kids. I understand that this is a 1950s drive-in theater, but cmon already- this is Disney! The creative minds there need to come up with something else here that will keep someone at least partially engaged to whats coming up on the screen. Maybe add in real world previews of upcoming Disney movies or some interviews of the cast of Hannah Montana or HS Musical for the pre teens / teens or air mini episodes of popular Disney shows- something that infuses more of todays Disney to keep things current and interesting.
Décor Grade: 6.0
Service
Our server at Sci-Fi was polite, friendly, and got everything in our order right. It was what you would expect from good service, though he wasnt much for words (which is fine). He also knew in advance that our baby had dairy allergies, and had the chef come out to meet us before we even asked about that. That shows good coordination in the staff, from the reservation people all the way down to the server serving us. Although he didnt really anticipate our needs, he was responsive and quick. Overall, we were very satisfied with the service.
Service Grade: 8.1
Food
I ordered the cheeseburger with swiss cheese, onion rings for two, and the cookies n cream milkshake. The wife also went for the burger. Our friend had the Reuben, and the nanny ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. The onion rings were very good. Not too greasy, which is what I find with most onion rings, yet still crispy on the outside. The burger was a bit on the small side, but otherwise was your classic diner-esque cheeseburger. The french fries were also your typical notch above fast food french fries. I had heard that the food was so-so, but that the milkshakes here were the bomb. Well, that bomb must have been a dud because my oreo shake tasted like it was made with skim milk and had a slight watery taste. Great if I were trying to count the calories, but when youre expecting the shake to be as fattening and calorie-filled as the entire meal itself, it was a letdown. Baskin Robbins shakes were far better. I guess the over hype going in made it even more disappointing. I wound up giving the shake to my kids, who didnt want to finish it either. Our friend wrapped up her Reuben, and later said it was very good after she ate it that night. Our nanny mentioned that the chicken sandwich was just OK, and that the chicken was a bit dry and tough. The kids ordered the pizza, the mac and cheese and the hot dog meals. They were OK, your standard Disney kids food menu. For the most part, we expected diner-like food, and thats exactly what we got, except for the milkshake.
Food Grade: 6.1
Value
The total bill came out to $107.82 for four adults and three children (including one with dairy allergies). Everyone ordered a meal, including the baby. It was our cheapest TS meal of the trip (on a per person basis), and our decision to go OOP on this one I think was a good one. Although the drive-in theme added to the experience, Id have to say that the flaws mentioned above totally offset any benefit. For the caliber of food, $15+ per person all in is probably acceptable.
Value Rating: 7.4
Overall
We made this ADR for the ambiance and the feel of eating in a drive in theater, in a classic 50s style car. For the most part, it did deliver, but the row seating cars, which is where you really get the feel, did not lend to a lot of communicating in a larger group setting. It also proved to be more of a hassle for us, as we were getting in and out of the row quite a few times to tend to our children. On top of that, the entertainment on the screen was outdated, boring, and cheesy. We werent necessarily expecting much in terms of food so its mediocrity didnt really let us down too much. In conclusion, despite the major flaws at Sci-Fi, just going through that unique experience made this a good one-time only thing to do.
The Last Word: 6.5 Boring and dull on-screen entertainment mars an otherwise fun atmosphere with diner quality food.
NWOhioAngela
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2005
- Messages
- 1,071
Outdated and cheesy. Isn't that the point?!?!
I'm never impressed with the food there either, but we enjoy the cheesy old movies. I think this is one of those love it/hate it places.
PookieB
DVC Dreaming
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2005
- Messages
- 917
'OHANA 'OHANA 'OHANA
Perhaps you were expecting Irish fare at O'Hana, and that's why it was a disappointment?!
This is what I'm hoping! Or that it's a hit or miss experience. I'll find out next month. Great DR BTW!
ChelleinNC
Say "Hi" to Art the Greeter for me!
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2007
- Messages
- 3,804
Yes, it's supposed to be cheesy
Those movies are/were SO BAD that they're good 
TheDWord: sorry it wasn't to your liking. I do think that it is a love or hate it kind of place. When our kids were young, we split up so there was an adult with each kid. Made life easier, but no making out at the drive-in
Yes, it's supposed to be cheesy
TheDWord: sorry it wasn't to your liking. I do think that it is a love or hate it kind of place. When our kids were young, we split up so there was an adult with each kid. Made life easier, but no making out at the drive-in
We didn't hate it there, we just didn't enjoy the entertainment
I see the intention and I guess there could be an appeal, but I just can't help but think how much better it could be.Where: Saratoga Springs Resort
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time: 9:00 PM
Party Size: 3 Adults
The Turf Club is a restaurant located on the far side of the main building at Saratoga Springs, abutting the Buena Vista golf course with views of Downtown Disney. We originally had an earlier ADR at Biergarten, but due to timing issues, we had to cancel. We were disappointed, as we were very much so looking forward to Biergarten, and we had no other backup. We called to see if some other places (Le Cellier, San Angel, Yachtsmen Steakhouse, Turf Club), had an immediate ADR available, but there were none. Since we were staying at SSR, we just decided to go to the Turf Club and see if they could take a walk-on that night, fully expecting to be turned away. If not, it would have to be a QS night.
Décor
The waiting area is a nice, comfortable lounge with some chairs, tables and sofas and a flat screen TV. Theres also a pool table for guests to enjoy. The inside of the restaurant is what you would expect from a nice golf / country club restaurant, with ornate wood trim along the walls, partitions and the coffered ceiling, and a glass wall overlooking the lake. The tables are your standard wooden restaurant tables and the chairs are your standard wooden chairs with the fabric cushion seat. The place would have looked a lot nicer if they added some simple, clean white tablecloths, as the wooden tables give it more of a pub feel than a restaurant feel. There is an outdoor dining area for guests who want to eat outside, with views of the golf course, water and the peaks of Downtown Disney in the distance. If you came here for Disney theming, this is certainly not the place to go, as there really was nothing Disney about this place at all. For us, since it was three adults, it was actually rather refreshing to eat at a place with no crazy theming or characters. It was our oasis away from the Disney hysteria, and provided quite a relaxing atmosphere.
Décor Grade: 7.5
Service
When we arrived at the check-in desk, we were expecting to be turned away, as I had just called Disney dining to see if they had anything immediate available (none were). Well, when I asked if we could come as walk-ins, the receptionist asked someone in the back through her headset, and then cordially asked us to wait at the lounge for a few minutes. Within a couple of minutes, they were able to fit us in, no problem, to a very nice table next to the window, towards the rear. Our server was already waiting for us at the table, filling our glasses with water, and greeted us with a great big smile. He was absolutely a great waiter in every regard. He was friendly, attentive, and made us feel comfortable. We engaged in great conversation, but not so much so that it took away from our dinner- just enough to fill in the gaps. He was also knew the menu inside out, describing every dish in colorful detail. He made us want to order everything from the menu! He also anticipated our needs very well and had them ready before we even asked. For example, I ordered a diet coke. I usually ask for dc with lime, but this time, I forgot to ask for the lime. Well, anyway, when he comes back with our drinks, he brings with him with a plate of lemon and lime wedges! Awesome! Another example of this was when we got our entrees. Normally, when my wife and I go out to eat, we taste a little of each others dish. I normally cut a piece of my dish and place it on her plate, and vice versa. Well, we did the same here at the Turf Club. Soon thereafter, our waiter comes by with three small plates and says heres a few plates so you dont have to mix the meat with the fish (DW ordered a fish, me the steak). Very nice! Well, I have to say that from the initial accommodation of our last minute walk-up, to the transition from hostess to waiter, to great personality of the waiter, and to the waiters knowledgeable insight on the menu, it was overall the best service we received during our stay at WDW.
Service Grade: 9.6
Food
We decided to order an appetizer here (the servers description convinced us) and got the mussels for two for the three of us. Wow- some of the best mussels weve ever had. The broth, or sauce, was a garlic-white wine sauce with some bacon bits, which complemented the mussel flavor very nicely. Now we are very picky with our mussels and clams, and quite honestly, the sauce can really destroy the dish. Well, this sauce was not too overpowering, yet stern enough to make the mussel conform to the chefs intent of the dish as opposed to the other way around, as sometimes, a weak sauce makes the mussel dish taste like mussels in hot salt water. Its a fine line here, and the Turf club nailed it. For main courses, our friend and I ordered the NY Strip steak with the crabmeat topping and the wife ordered the seared tuna. The steak was prepared perfectly (medium rare). Our server told us when we ordered what to expect from a medium rare steak (cool reddish center) and it came out exactly as it was described. The tuna was also cooked perfectly, with a rare red center. The steak was very good meat- not what you would get from elite steakhouses, but for a casual restaurant, much better than what you would expect. Not a lot of fat on the strip, very juicy, tender and full of flavor. The sauce on the steak was also very tasty, not too strong, and in fact, probably a bit weak, as it didnt really enhance the flavor- However, the seasoning on the steak was just right- not too salty or peppery, so the weak flavor of the sauce was not a downer. The crabmeat topping was also great. Fresh crabs, with plumpness and density- not the stringy variety. The tuna was good piece of fish, bright red color, tender, and very tasty. It was a light dish, complemented very well by a chili oil dressing, and a potato concoction that was creamy, yet light. For dessert, I had the apple pie with ice cream and the wife and our friend had the chocolate lava cake. The apple pie was hot, crispy on the outside, and very sweet and full of apples on the inside. It was a bit heavy on the dough, but unlike a lot of apple pie ala modes where the filling is more syrupy and soggy than fruity, this one had a lot body and the apples were still somewhat firm. The ice cream was your standard vanilla ice cream. Overall a very nice dessert. The wifes lava cake was absolutely superb. The dough was fluffy, yet very rich in chocolate flavor. The inside just oozed the melted chocolate, and made for just a chocolate lovers dream come true. The raspberry sauce was sharp, yet sweet, and harmonized the rich chocolate flavor with the sweet berry tart-like tang. The vanilla ice cream that came with it probably wasnt necessary, but it didnt take away from the cake. We were impressed with how good the food was here, far better than the weak expectations we had going in.
Food Grade: 9.0
Value
For three adults, the total came out to $152.81, including tax and tip and included two appetizers (we ordered the mussels for two- it was the price of two appetizers), three entrees, three desserts, and two soft drinks. The NY strip was the most expensive item on the menu at $29, and I can tell you that for a dish of that quality, it could easily have been a $35-$40 entrée. The mussels for two were plentiful enough for three, and worth the $15 price tag. To top it off, the lava cake at $6 is an absolute steal. Although it was a pricey meal in total dollars, considering the quality of everything in the meal, we thought it was a good value. Also, an excellent choice and value for DDP'ers for a 1 TS credit restaurant.
Value Grade: 8.4
Overall
We were very surprised at how great this spur of the moment meal turned out to be. I am also shocked at how unnoticed this place goes, as I never really read anything about the place on the disboards. I assume this is the case because there really is no Disney theme here and its more like a regular restaurant than a Disney restaurant. However, for those of you who appreciate great food and great service, the Turf Club is truly a hidden gem in WDW, and one I highly recommend you add to your ADR list.
The Last Word: 8.9 Not your typical Disney atmosphere, but just a fantastic restaurant tucked away in a hidden corner of WDW.
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time: 9:00 PM
Party Size: 3 Adults
The Turf Club is a restaurant located on the far side of the main building at Saratoga Springs, abutting the Buena Vista golf course with views of Downtown Disney. We originally had an earlier ADR at Biergarten, but due to timing issues, we had to cancel. We were disappointed, as we were very much so looking forward to Biergarten, and we had no other backup. We called to see if some other places (Le Cellier, San Angel, Yachtsmen Steakhouse, Turf Club), had an immediate ADR available, but there were none. Since we were staying at SSR, we just decided to go to the Turf Club and see if they could take a walk-on that night, fully expecting to be turned away. If not, it would have to be a QS night.
Décor
The waiting area is a nice, comfortable lounge with some chairs, tables and sofas and a flat screen TV. Theres also a pool table for guests to enjoy. The inside of the restaurant is what you would expect from a nice golf / country club restaurant, with ornate wood trim along the walls, partitions and the coffered ceiling, and a glass wall overlooking the lake. The tables are your standard wooden restaurant tables and the chairs are your standard wooden chairs with the fabric cushion seat. The place would have looked a lot nicer if they added some simple, clean white tablecloths, as the wooden tables give it more of a pub feel than a restaurant feel. There is an outdoor dining area for guests who want to eat outside, with views of the golf course, water and the peaks of Downtown Disney in the distance. If you came here for Disney theming, this is certainly not the place to go, as there really was nothing Disney about this place at all. For us, since it was three adults, it was actually rather refreshing to eat at a place with no crazy theming or characters. It was our oasis away from the Disney hysteria, and provided quite a relaxing atmosphere.
Décor Grade: 7.5
Service
When we arrived at the check-in desk, we were expecting to be turned away, as I had just called Disney dining to see if they had anything immediate available (none were). Well, when I asked if we could come as walk-ins, the receptionist asked someone in the back through her headset, and then cordially asked us to wait at the lounge for a few minutes. Within a couple of minutes, they were able to fit us in, no problem, to a very nice table next to the window, towards the rear. Our server was already waiting for us at the table, filling our glasses with water, and greeted us with a great big smile. He was absolutely a great waiter in every regard. He was friendly, attentive, and made us feel comfortable. We engaged in great conversation, but not so much so that it took away from our dinner- just enough to fill in the gaps. He was also knew the menu inside out, describing every dish in colorful detail. He made us want to order everything from the menu! He also anticipated our needs very well and had them ready before we even asked. For example, I ordered a diet coke. I usually ask for dc with lime, but this time, I forgot to ask for the lime. Well, anyway, when he comes back with our drinks, he brings with him with a plate of lemon and lime wedges! Awesome! Another example of this was when we got our entrees. Normally, when my wife and I go out to eat, we taste a little of each others dish. I normally cut a piece of my dish and place it on her plate, and vice versa. Well, we did the same here at the Turf Club. Soon thereafter, our waiter comes by with three small plates and says heres a few plates so you dont have to mix the meat with the fish (DW ordered a fish, me the steak). Very nice! Well, I have to say that from the initial accommodation of our last minute walk-up, to the transition from hostess to waiter, to great personality of the waiter, and to the waiters knowledgeable insight on the menu, it was overall the best service we received during our stay at WDW.
Service Grade: 9.6
Food
We decided to order an appetizer here (the servers description convinced us) and got the mussels for two for the three of us. Wow- some of the best mussels weve ever had. The broth, or sauce, was a garlic-white wine sauce with some bacon bits, which complemented the mussel flavor very nicely. Now we are very picky with our mussels and clams, and quite honestly, the sauce can really destroy the dish. Well, this sauce was not too overpowering, yet stern enough to make the mussel conform to the chefs intent of the dish as opposed to the other way around, as sometimes, a weak sauce makes the mussel dish taste like mussels in hot salt water. Its a fine line here, and the Turf club nailed it. For main courses, our friend and I ordered the NY Strip steak with the crabmeat topping and the wife ordered the seared tuna. The steak was prepared perfectly (medium rare). Our server told us when we ordered what to expect from a medium rare steak (cool reddish center) and it came out exactly as it was described. The tuna was also cooked perfectly, with a rare red center. The steak was very good meat- not what you would get from elite steakhouses, but for a casual restaurant, much better than what you would expect. Not a lot of fat on the strip, very juicy, tender and full of flavor. The sauce on the steak was also very tasty, not too strong, and in fact, probably a bit weak, as it didnt really enhance the flavor- However, the seasoning on the steak was just right- not too salty or peppery, so the weak flavor of the sauce was not a downer. The crabmeat topping was also great. Fresh crabs, with plumpness and density- not the stringy variety. The tuna was good piece of fish, bright red color, tender, and very tasty. It was a light dish, complemented very well by a chili oil dressing, and a potato concoction that was creamy, yet light. For dessert, I had the apple pie with ice cream and the wife and our friend had the chocolate lava cake. The apple pie was hot, crispy on the outside, and very sweet and full of apples on the inside. It was a bit heavy on the dough, but unlike a lot of apple pie ala modes where the filling is more syrupy and soggy than fruity, this one had a lot body and the apples were still somewhat firm. The ice cream was your standard vanilla ice cream. Overall a very nice dessert. The wifes lava cake was absolutely superb. The dough was fluffy, yet very rich in chocolate flavor. The inside just oozed the melted chocolate, and made for just a chocolate lovers dream come true. The raspberry sauce was sharp, yet sweet, and harmonized the rich chocolate flavor with the sweet berry tart-like tang. The vanilla ice cream that came with it probably wasnt necessary, but it didnt take away from the cake. We were impressed with how good the food was here, far better than the weak expectations we had going in.
Food Grade: 9.0
Value
For three adults, the total came out to $152.81, including tax and tip and included two appetizers (we ordered the mussels for two- it was the price of two appetizers), three entrees, three desserts, and two soft drinks. The NY strip was the most expensive item on the menu at $29, and I can tell you that for a dish of that quality, it could easily have been a $35-$40 entrée. The mussels for two were plentiful enough for three, and worth the $15 price tag. To top it off, the lava cake at $6 is an absolute steal. Although it was a pricey meal in total dollars, considering the quality of everything in the meal, we thought it was a good value. Also, an excellent choice and value for DDP'ers for a 1 TS credit restaurant.
Value Grade: 8.4
Overall
We were very surprised at how great this spur of the moment meal turned out to be. I am also shocked at how unnoticed this place goes, as I never really read anything about the place on the disboards. I assume this is the case because there really is no Disney theme here and its more like a regular restaurant than a Disney restaurant. However, for those of you who appreciate great food and great service, the Turf Club is truly a hidden gem in WDW, and one I highly recommend you add to your ADR list.
The Last Word: 8.9 Not your typical Disney atmosphere, but just a fantastic restaurant tucked away in a hidden corner of WDW.
ChelleinNC
Say "Hi" to Art the Greeter for me!
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2007
- Messages
- 3,804
SHHHHHH!!!! We don't want everyone to know how wonderful the Turf Club is!
You'll find that many of us list it as a hidden gem. I think the reason it doesn't get talked about by the "masses" is because unless people stay at SSR, they're not going to go there to eat.
The decor & theme of the Turf Club go with the theme of SSR, which many people don't "get". For those unfamiliar with the real Saratoga Springs NY, it is a Victorian town known for it's horse racing and spring water & spas.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
I had only eaten there during a stay I had when SSR was still in first phase construction. Back then, the Turf Club was just the lounge with the pool table, and I did order some "pub grub" from there.
I thought it was good for what it was back then, and now...I'm hearing nothing but great things about it. Your descriptions definitely convinced me to give it a go sometime soon.
But why was your server only a 9.6 if he was that good?
I thought it was good for what it was back then, and now...I'm hearing nothing but great things about it. Your descriptions definitely convinced me to give it a go sometime soon.
But why was your server only a 9.6 if he was that good?
dismagiclover
Mrs. Darling: Mom to Wendy, John & Michael
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2007
- Messages
- 3,074
Just wanted to say that the thing we love the most about the Sci Fi diner is that you don't have to make conversation with the whole table My 3 kids sit in front of us and watch the movie clips and my husband and I can actually have an adult conversation. It's almost like a date
My 3 kids sit in front of us and watch the movie clips and my husband and I can actually have an adult conversation. It's almost like a date
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