Where: Grand Floridian Resort
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2009
Time: 4:45 PM
Party Size: 3 Adults, 2 Children, 1 Infant
1900 Park Fare is a character buffet off the lobby of the Grand Floridian Resort. With 2 princess character meals under our belt, I was not really looking forward to this one at all, having been princessed-out by that point. However, DW and DD just couldnt get enough of these gals (I think its more because DW wanted to meet Prince Charming than anything else), so we trekked through the rain into the GF. As we approached the GF, DW says why dont you just drop us off and self park? No sense wasting money on parking. Mind you it was POURING at that moment in time, but I figured that the self park would be adjacent to the valet park area, and I had a poncho, so thats exactly what I did. Well, little did I know that guest self parking is across the street, probably a good 5-7 minute walk from the nearest self park space to the GF lobby. Basically, its use their valet, or be prepared for a hike. So, in the pouring rain, I hiked it over to the GF in my poncho. By the time I was at the restaurant, I was pretty much soaked, as the poncho doesnt help you too much in gale force winds and driving rain going sideways. Needless to say, I wasnt too excited about dinner.
Décor
Upon entering the restaurant, there is a photo-op at the end of a hallway after you check in, but there are no characters with this photo-op. There are four doors in the hallway that lead into the main dining room The dining room fits well with the rest of the classic Victorian GF motif, except for the center of the restaurant, which is sprinkled with child-like paraphernalia like horses from a carousel, colorful trimming around the walls, a large colorful organ with figurines affixed to it, and colorful hot air balloons as table centerpieces, giving it a seaside carnival-like feel. For a princess character meal, there was nothing in the décor that would lend itself to a princess-like setting. The dining room is split into a main dining area, a smaller dining area, and the buffet area. The buffet area is spacious and the buffet tables look elegant and is kept up nicely. The main dining area is large, and save for a couple of wide walkways, the tables are close together and crammed. The secondary dining area is located in the rear of the restaurant, in an alcove. At the end of the alcove is a set of double doors that lead back to the lobby of the GF. Clearly, this was formerly an anteroom leading into the space, maybe used by a bridal party as a back entrance, to make their way into the reception floor, before this was converted to the restaurant. As such, it is pretty tight quarters in there and you really cant see anything else going on in the restaurant, except whats specifically going on in that particular section. This is not good, as there are many unique and ad-libbed interactions between the characters themselves that is part of the entertainment that people in this area simply miss out on. When we were there, the restaurant was completely full, and we felt cramped, crowded, and closed-in, as there were simply too many tables, too many chairs, and too many people. In my opinion, there are a few major things that the restaurant could do to improve the flow and spacing. Firstly, they should move the main entrance to the double doors off the secondary dining room and use that alcove as the waiting area/lounge. Secondly, they should eliminate the photo-op, as there are no characters to take the photo with anyways, and utilize the existing entrance hallway an additional dining area. They should remove the wall in the existing main hallway with the doors leading into the main dining room out completely, so that this new dining space is opened up and can be integrated seamlessly into the main restaurant space. That space is much larger than the alcove and has windows to boot, so patrons sitting there wont feel like theyre in a cave, like it feels now in that secondary room. Also, since the area is much bigger in the main hallway, they could redistribute tables in the restaurant and make more room to walk in the main dining area without a lower overall table count. With the added space in the restaurant now that the tables are more spread out, there should be ample room for families with a lot of stuff, like strollers and such, and better character interaction as well. Overall, the restaurant looks nice and inviting, but there are some major flaws that detract from the experience.
Décor Grade: 5.5
Service
For the sheer amount of people in the restaurant, I felt that they could have used a couple of more servers. Our server was for the most part friendly and competent, but there were occasions where old plates were not taken away in a timely manner. It was really through no fault of our server, as she was always busy and running around, but when old plates start stacking up on the table, they really need to be taken away. Thats probably a big pet peeve for people at buffets regarding service, and 1900 was guilty as charged. Otherwise, drink refills were prompt, and the people behind the buffet areas were friendly as well. They did miscalculate my bill and there was a bit of an issue with the
DDP, but it was corrected rather quickly.
Service Grade: 6.3
Food
Mt first plate consisted of medium rare prime rib, sausage and peppers, mussels, tomato & mozzarella salad, and sweet potatoes, along with a bowl of the strawberry soup. The prime rib was very good, juicy, tender, with a nice red center. The sausage and peppers was also good, but was not as hot as I would have liked- it was rather lukewarm. The mussels were just OK- they were on the small side, a bit chewy, and the marinara sauce was a bit bland. The tomato / mozzarella salad was just OK as well- like it came out of a pre-made package (the cheese was little balls with cheery tomatoes that didnt seem too fresh). The sweet potatoes were good- not too soggy, not too hard. The strawberry soup here gets a lot of print and acclaim, but I have to say that it was not that good. Im not sure if this was supposed to be an appetizer or a dessert, and it was just too tangy for me. It could have worked better if they made it sweeter, but overall, I just dont think this dish works. I was also in need of a toothpick immediately after eating the soup. For my second plate, I had a little lasagna, corn, and Caesar salad. All items were good, but I must say the corn was excellent. It was in the childrens section too. A lot of corn in buffets taste like it came out of a can, but the corn here tasted like it was picked right off the cob. Very sweet as well. For dessert, I had a little bread pudding, apple cobbler, and soft serve ice cream. I really enjoyed then bread pudding here. At that point in the meal, I could almost feel every calorie going down and it did make me feel quite bloated and disgusting, but I had to finish the plate- it was that good. For a buffet, Id have to say 1900 was a little better than average. Some dishes were really good, but overall, it was pretty much what I had expected.
Food Grade: 7.0
Character Interaction
The characters there were Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella. What really makes this character meal different from others is the level of interaction among the characters themselves. Imagine youre in the house of Lady Tremaine, and imagine what the characters would be doing there- thats pretty much what you get here. Anastasia and Drizella trying to act like theyre all that with cheesy pick up lines to male adults in the restaurant, Lady Tremaine being bossy to everyone, including children, etc. One funny moment was when Drizella was at a table, and the stepmother was walking by and Drizella yells Mother! I want him! I want him! pointing to a guy at the table, and the stepmother just gives her that look like Oh grow up you imbecile! When the stepmother was at our table, our youngest was holding a a dinner napkin and the stepmother quips to me Good. Get her started early. Then tells my 1 year old Make sure the tables spotless before you leave. Then when my oldest (DS4) stands next to her to take a picture, she says And what do you do around the house? Nothing I hope. Thats what you have her for hahahah pointing to my youngest again. Mean, but funny. The stepsisters were also very funny. Drizella even led a dance with some of the kids in our area, and began singing in that awful, squeaky, loud voice. When she was singing, you could hear the stepmother shouting in the distance Oh shut up Drizella. Its that kind of interaction that really made the character experience better. Instead of the traditional come over to the table, sign the autograph, say a couple of words, pose for a picture, then move on, it was just more immersive here and almost like you were part of a story. Actually, Cinderella and Prince Charming, aside from a dance they did together, didnt really add much to the experience. It would have been FAR FAR better to have Cinderella in her raggedy clothes instead of the blue gown and play the part when shes a slave at her stepmothers. It really would have added to the theme. Prince Charming was probably not even necessary. He was boring and stale, and not to mention, he had a 21st Century hairstyle, and not what youd expect from a fairytale. Nevertheless, 1900 Park Fare dinner was by far the best character experience we had at WDW.
Character Interaction: Superb
Value
For 3 Adults and 2 paying children, the total came out to $159.30, including tax and tip. The meal was $31.99 per adult and $15.99 per child. Comparatively speaking, the cost is a slightly higher than other buffet dinners across WDW. The food was what youd expect from a buffet dinner, if not a bit better, and the service was also par for the course. What takes this place over the top and actually makes it a good value for your money is obviously the great character experience. Without it, it would not have been a good deal, but you cant replicate that experience anywhere else, which is what makes 1900 truly unique.
Value Grade: 8.1
Overall
1900 Park Fare dinner was a great experience for us. I had very little expectations going in, since this was my third princess character meal of the week, but the stepsisters and stepmother really made this a unique experience and fun for not just the kids, but the adults as well. The food was good buffet food and filled us to the gills. A major drawback is that secondary dining room, which is a pathetic excuse for a dining room, and where you actually miss out on a lot of the fun character interplay which goes on in the main room (we actually missed Cinderellas dance with Prince Charming). In addition to changing the layout, the restaurant could really use an interior design makeover, as the way it currently flows, its too crowded and you kind of get that closed-in feeling.
The Last Word: 7.8 Highly entertaining and amusing character interplay overshadows a crowded restaurant with serious design flaws.
(dinner and breakfast buffets). Hopefully the DH won't kill me for all the character meals 
but this is our kids first trip and I was trying to avoid standing in line at the parks for character autographs.
)
However, we do like the breafast there and have done it twice now. DD9 has said that's one of the ones she wants to do again this year on our last day (our tradition).
