We ate HOW much?? 10 days of total gluttony at WDW, with pics! UPDATE 9/2/12!

[bangzoom6877]

Hello everyone!! I’m back to review the first character meal of our trip…lunch with the Disney Junior characters at Hollywood & Vine!

We had an 11am ADR for lunch, but we went at 10:20, thinking we could go early (we had finished the major rides by then). The CM at the podium told us that they were in between meals and setting up for lunch, so they weren’t seating again until 11am. She suggested we go and do something rather than have to sit around and wait for 40 minutes, so we went to the Animation Academy and looked around for a little while. We returned a few minutes before 11 and were called and seated at 11am.

We came here mainly because Philip and Jonathan really love the show “Jake & the Neverland Pirates” on Disney Junior. For a while they had outgrown Disney Junior but once they got into this, they also started watching other Disney Junior shows again like Handy Manny and Special Agent Oso. Occasionally, they watch Little Einsteins when it is on as well, and they still love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Once I found out that Jake is now one of the characters at H&V, I changed Sci-Fi lunch to this. We had Sci-Fi booked for later in the trip anyway and I knew the boys would love seeing Jake and the other characters too.
I had very low expectations of the food at this place because of reviews I have read. I know, I know, reviews are very subjective, but I couldn’t help it! I never truly learn my lesson about that. The last time we were at H&V was for the character breakfast in 2008, so I really didn’t know how it was going to be because I never experienced lunch or dinner there.

When we sat down, our server took our drink order and immediately sent the chef over to the table. I told Eric to bring Jonathan to the buffet because he was hungry, and I waited with Philip. The chef was so nice, and very attentive. He said that a shellfish allergy was very manageable at the buffet. He took us on a tour of the buffet and explained everything to us. There were only 2 items Philip couldn’t have…one was a soup that had shellfish in it (clam chowder maybe?), and the other was lobster mac and cheese. They had a station for made-to-order pasta, and the chef said to just let the CM know he is allergic to shellfish and she will make his pasta in a clean pan if he wanted to have some (because shrimp is one of the choices). He also assured me there was no cross contamination at the pasta station since the ingredients were only handled by the CM and that was their normal protocol. As it turned out, Philip didn’t want the pasta anyway, but it was nice to know they keep the buffet as safe as possible for guests.

When we first arrived, they had some of the breakfast foods still out on the buffet, so Eric and Jonathan came back with eggs and Mickey waffles. By the time I was at the buffet with Philip, they had closed off the section where the eggs were but they still had Mickey waffles and topping at the kids’ buffet area, plus they still had some tater tots. Philip took a waffle and some tater tots. I took a waffle and put blueberry topping on it. I also took a mixed bean salad, a braised beef dish, a generous helping of lobster mac and cheese and a bowl of Caesar salad. Everything was delicious, and so the food exceeded my low expectations. The lobster mac and cheese was my absolute favorite! In this pic, you could also see Eric’s plate of eggs, a biscuit with gravy and a slice of watermelon:

While we were eating the characters started to come around. The characters here are Handy Manny:

…Special Agent Oso:

…Jake the Neverland Pirate:

…and June from Little Einsteins but the boys didn’t want to take their picture with her. Character interaction here was great for the kids, and every 20 minutes or so a couple of CMs would join the characters (2 on either side of the restaurant so everyone could see and/or participate) and start singing and dancing to popular Disney Junior songs. I was surprised that the boys didn’t want to participate, but they enjoyed watching. When we went to H&V in 2008, Philip was 3 and he participated then (Jonathan was 1 and not even walking yet).

Then, it was time for another plate. This time I got olive & tomato salad, fresh mozzarella, couscous salad, corn spoon bread, herbed polenta, chipotle BBQ chicken (delicious!!), more lobster mac and cheese, and one of their deli sandwiches. Everything was excellent.

Soon it was time for dessert. We had to walk past the dessert area to get to the food each time we went up to the buffet, and I could hear those desserts calling my name! I tried a few different ones and they were all very good. I had some chocolate mousse, banana mousse, apple crumble, red velvet cake, carrot cake and a chocolate pecan bar (to die for!). And of course I had to get a side of soft serve vanilla ice cream!

Overall, we enjoyed our lunch at Hollywood & Vine very much. The food and service were both excellent, and character interaction is truly outstanding. Would we return with the boys? Absolutely, if they are into the characters there. Would we go if it weren’t for the characters? Probably not, but not because the food is not good, just that the characters make it more worth it, and we are not huge eaters who look for buffets. I highly recommend H&V lunch to anyone who has children that enjoy any of the Disney Junior shows, or for adults that prefer all-you-can-eat meals and don’t mind going to character meals (I know some enjoy it, some don’t). Kids seem to really enjoy this place, and they had plenty of wonderful and delicious choices on the buffet for adults. They obviously aim to please everyone, which is a very difficult task.


This meal cost us $105.23, including tax and gratuity, after the TiW discount was applied. We saved $20.39 on this meal by using the TiW card. It was worth every penny, and we enjoyed it very much!

Up next...Kona dinner, one of our all-time favorites! Stick around, you'll be glad you did!

 

[smile4stamps]

Thanks for the H&V review... It seems to be getting decent reviews lately... While I am an adult who loves character meals I don't know those characters lol!!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Thanks for the H&V review... It seems to be getting decent reviews lately... While I am an adult who loves character meals I don't know those characters lol!!

I could definitely see DH and I still going to certain character meals when the boys are grown and we go on trips just the 2 of us. But not H&V...more like Mickey meals or Winnie the Pooh!

 

[Linda67]

Glad you had a good time at H&V
Sounds like you went in purely for the kiddos so it's a nice bonus that the food was good

 

[smile4stamps]

I could definitely see DH and I still going to certain character meals when the boys are grown and we go on trips just the 2 of us. But not H&V...more like Mickey meals or Winnie the Pooh!

We have reservations at Crystal Palace and Tusker House!

Considering 'Ohana and 1900 Park Fare...

All are breakfasts!

 

[ksack]

We love it at Kouzzina! We're definitely returning on our next trip too, probably the first night once again. I also want to try it for breakfast.



I teach high school Italian and Spanish. In a few weeks I begin my 14th year. I'm also in charge of a show at my school called "SING!". It's a competition (Juniors work with Sophomores on the same team and Seniors work with Freshmen on the same team) where 2 teams of students each get to produce, write, direct, and perform their own musical. They make everything...they write the scripts & lyrics (with existing music, just their own words), make their own costumes, design and build their own sets, and perform for 2 nights in early February. I started coordinating it last year at my school and I love it! I participated in it in high school (a different school, actually the one where it was invented) and loved it then too. It's wonderful to see it all come together from the very beginning! I have also been hosting and singing in a Benefit Concert that our Coordinator of Student Activities runs each year. All of the money raised goes to a specific charity (this year it was Breast Cancer Research). And, in the Spring I started helping out with hair and makeup for the theatre productions (they performed "Hairspray" and it was spectacular!). I do a lot but I love it all!

Eric teachers high school Health Education, and he is also a Dean. He is also the Athletic Director at his school, in charge of the sports teams. The school just started their sports program last year, and he was its first Athletic Director since the school opened in 1969. He played lacrosse in high school so he also sort of went back to his roots!

We can't take days off to go away...the NYC public school system is pretty strict about that, and I wouldn't do it even if they weren't. Plus, I wouldn't take my kids out of school to go away unless it was an emergency or if it was for one day because of a relative's wedding or something like that. Otherwise they go to school unless they are sick. I can't help it...it's just the way I was brought up! So, no F&W for us until retirement. By then the boys will be 25 and 27 so we won't have to worry about the school thing!

You teach HS Italian??!!! I truly wish my high school had classes in that..

 

[budafam]

How was that lobster mac & cheese? Looks like my kind of dish.. lol. We've been there for breakfast twice and loved it both times. I have it booked for lunch on our upcoming trip and now I'm looking forward to it!

 

[RHMH]

Bangzoom - sorry I am behind reading your trip report because I was assigned a project by my DD12 and it is due Tuesday. I have to help make a 3-D poster on one of her summer reading books.

I will catch p in a couple of days.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Glad you had a good time at H&V
Sounds like you went in purely for the kiddos so it's a nice bonus that the food was good

Yes, this lunch was really just for them. Eric and I always find something to eat at character meals, and we love watching their reaction when they see their favorite characters. It really is priceless!

We have reservations at Crystal Palace and Tusker House!

Considering 'Ohana and 1900 Park Fare...

All are breakfasts!

I love the food at Crystal Palace breakfast! I will be reviewing it in this dining report! And 1900 Park Fare has great breakfast food too...we went there in 2010 and loved it!

You teach HS Italian??!!! I truly wish my high school had classes in that..

Oh yes, Italian is a wonderful class for a high school to offer. There are so many students interested in taking it, at least where I live, and I don't know why more schools don't offer it. Although it's also not that easy to find a licensed Italian teacher. I love teaching it...and one of our state standards is culture, so I incorporate a lot of that into the classroom, which makes the language more meaningful for the students. I also have several students whose relatives came from Italy, and they get very excited when they get to learn about their family's region. I am truly blessed to teach such wonderful students, and I also get to work with them on one of the many shows my school puts on every year. It's also nice seeing them outside the classroom when they really get into their productions, and to see how creative they are.

How was that lobster mac & cheese? Looks like my kind of dish.. lol. We've been there for breakfast twice and loved it both times. I have it booked for lunch on our upcoming trip and now I'm looking forward to it!

The lobster mac and cheese was excellent. I was expecting it to be on the salty side, but it was not too salty at all. I don't like food that is very salty and I cook with very little salt at home. It was full of flavor, and delicious!

Bangzoom - sorry I am behind reading your trip report because I was assigned a project by my DD12 and it is due Tuesday. I have to help make a 3-D poster on one of her summer reading books.

I will catch p in a couple of days.

It's OK, I completely understand! I was so busy at work in the Spring, that in the blink of an eye 2 months had passed since the last time I had been on the DIS! I don't think I have ever stayed away for that long! The 3-D poster sounds very cool though. We are getting ready for the beginning of the school year over here. We're all set with the boys' school supplies, thank goodness! Eric and I go back to work on Sept. 4th and the boys start school on the 6th. The first couple of weeks are always hectic at work because students' schedules frequently change (high school), and we have to wait to give out textbooks. Luckily I have a Smartboard in my classrooms so I have lots of different activities to do with them, without using the book. I am excited to begin the new school year and very happy for the boys (Kindergarten and 2nd grade already!) but the best part about having my summers off is spending so much time with the boys, and I always miss that a lot once school starts again. Eric and I are very lucky to have the same days off with them. We are off a few days in September because of the Jewish holidays, so that's always a plus!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hi everyone, I’m here to review Kona Café dinner for you!

We had an ADR at 6:30pm for Kona Café, on Saturday, 7/28/12. This was one of our favorite restaurants on our 2010 trip so we were really looking forward to eating dinner here again. We waited about 5 minutes and then we were seated. We had a very nice waiter named Andrew. He is from Queens, NY so we were talking about NYC a lot. He was very friendly. He brought the chef over right away because of Philip’s allergy. Philip wanted Mickey ravioli from the kids’ menu, plain without any sauce, and the chef said that would be fine. (My boys eat their pasta plain, no sauce…I used to do this as a kid too.)

We didn’t end up getting any appetizers. I wasn’t in the mood for alcohol, bbut Eric got the Kona Longboard Lager, which he said was very good.

When Andrew brought Eric his beer, he took our dinner orders. Afterwards, he wuickly returned with the delicious bread they serve at Kona Café’s dinner. It has a slightly sweet taste, but not too sweet, and it is served with macadamia nut butter. I LOVE this bread! It is so delicious, not dry, and the macadamia nut butter is the perfect complement. Eric and Philip ate a couple of pieces each, and Jonathan and I shared the rest!

Both boys ended up with the kids’ Mickey ravioli, no sauce. They both ate it right up and liked it very much.

I ordered the Tuna Oscar. Last time we were at Kona Café in 2010, I had the coconut almond chicken which I loved, and Eric had the Tuna Oscar. I had tasted Eric’s tuna and it was so good, I knew I wanted to have that for dinner this time. It was amazing, the best tuna I have ever eaten. It was fresh, seared rare just the way I like it, seasoned just perfectly. The tempura crab, asparagus and wasabi hollandaise were the perfect complements, and the fried green tomatoes were just delicious and heavenly. This was one of the best meals I had the entire trip!

Eric saw that they had a Kona coffee rubbed pork chop and he just couldn’t resist. He gave me a piece to taste and it was delicious. He really enjoyed this dish!

After a wonderful meal, Eric wanted to try one of the desserts. I told him I would rather go to Captain Cook’s to get a Dole Whip (can’t get enough of those!), but he said he would rather order a dessert at the restaurant. He asked if I would share it, but I told him if I did that, then I wouldn’t have room for a Dole Whip. So he decided he would get a dessert for himself. We gave the boys a choice and they said they would rather get the Dole Whip than have dessert at the restaurant. They also needed the rest room, so Eric took them and I was looking at the dessert menu. Andrew came over and asked if I had any questions. I told him I didn’t have any questions, and I was just looking forward to the French Press 100% Kona coffee. I told him that Kona coffee is our favorite, because of how rich yet smooth it is. I told him that after our last trip, I bought a French press and some 100% Kona coffee because of how great it is (Eric and I frequently have this as our weekend coffee when we have the time to really savor it!). Eric and the boys returned as I was talking to Andrew, and Eric started talking to him about the coffee too. And…Eric ended up ordering the Kona coffee panna cotta for dessert, keeping with his “coffee theme” from his dinner! I tasted 2 bites…OK, I couldn’t resist! It was amazing…melted in my mouth, had that rich and delicious Kona coffee taste. Eric absolutely loved this!

We also ordered the French press 100% Kona coffee for 2. I don’t think we could ever come here and NOT order this coffee! I think this is the best coffee in all of WDW…but I also like Kona coffee more than any other variety of coffee, and I’ve never even been to Hawaii! It was truly amazing, as always!

As a very nice surprise, Andrew handed me a white paper bag, and said quietly to me that it contained 2 French press pots’ worth of their 100% Kona coffee! He told me not to tell anyone about it, but of course we were very thankful! This morning, we finished it, and yes it made 2 french press pots!

Kona Café remains one of our favorite restaurants on Disney property. It’s a nice, relaxed meal but a very kid-friendly place because, well…it’s still Disney World! The perfect balance to have a nice relaxing family meal. Food was outstanding just like last time, service was friendly and wonderful, and the extra Kona coffee to take home was a very nice bonus.

This dinner cost us $80.89 including tax and tip, after applying the TiW discount. We saved $14.53 on food and $1.15 on the alcoholic beverage. We also ended up giving Andrew come extra on top of that because of how attentive and friendly he was, and the very nice gift he gave us.

I highly recommend Kona Café dinner. It is an amazing place with amazing food, and of course the Polynesian Resort is just beautiful! This remains one of our favorites and we will definitely return for dinner again on our 2014 trip!

Up next: Wake up, and return to Kona! Breakfast at the Kona Café. Was it as impressive as dinner there? Stay tuned to find out…

 

[smile4stamps]

I so want to go to Kona lunch or dinner! Both menu's look good so I'm not sure which to choose!

But then again I am also thinking of GFC cafe for the same day so I'm so confused!! LOL!

 

[CatNipRules]

We are eating at Kona for breakfast on our upcoming trip. Reading the latest report makes me really want to try dinner there!! From the drinks to the bread, it looks absolutely amazing!!

I love it when there is extra magic from the cast members!

It makes me very, very hungry!!

 

[jecskc]

Enjoying your reviews !! How nice of Eric to give you some of their coffee. I just love coffee and I have thought of buying a french press, but since I have a Keurig, I am not sure I need one. I would be good to take on a Disney cruise, though since their coffee is nasty. Looking forward to reading more !!

 

[bangzoom6877]

I so want to go to Kona lunch or dinner! Both menu's look good so I'm not sure which to choose!

But then again I am also thinking of GFC cafe for the same day so I'm so confused!! LOL!

We came close to eating at Kona for lunch on our first day, and not going there for dinner. Originally, we had GFC scheduled for the night we went to Kona, then I canceled and changed it to The Wave, and then on the way down to FL, I changed to Bongos lunch on arrival day and Kona dinner on the 28th. I believe they do not have the bread at lunch, so if you want to try that for sure, then go for dinner! I'm so glad we did. I think next time, we will go for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

We are eating at Kona for breakfast on our upcoming trip. Reading the latest report makes me really want to try dinner there!! From the drinks to the bread, it looks absolutely amazing!!

I love it when there is extra magic from the cast members!

It makes me very, very hungry!!

Oh, just wait for my Kona breakfast review! Trust me, try to go for both!

Enjoying your reviews !! How nice of Eric to give you some of their coffee. I just love coffee and I have thought of buying a french press, but since I have a Keurig, I am not sure I need one. I would be good to take on a Disney cruise, though since their coffee is nasty. Looking forward to reading more !!

We have a Keurig too, which we use on weekdays and sometimes on the weekend. But you can't get 100% Kona coffee k-cups (only the blend, which is very good though), so it is nice to have the treat of the 100% Kona coffee in the french press sometimes. We also love the Dunkin Donuts coffee, but find the k-cups are too expensive so we keep the ground Dunkin Donuts coffee here and sometimes on the weekend we make that in the french press...comes out awesome!

I do have to correct you on one thing (can't help myself, sorry)...Eric is my husband, and our waiter's name is Andrew. I got confused at first when you said "How nice of Eric to give you some of their coffee". I was thinking to myself, of course Eric would give me some of this great coffee, it was a french press for 2! Then I realized you meant our waiter Andrew who gave some to us as a gift.

 

[bangzoom6877]

And a return trip to Kona Café for breakfast the next morning…

Since we had gone to the Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage the night before, making it a late night, I made an ADR for Kona Café breakfast for 10am, later than we normally go for breakfast. I knew the boys would want to sleep late, which for them means waking up between 8:30 and 9am. We left our villa at 9:30am and drove over to the Polynesian Resort.

A couple of minutes after we checked in, we were seated. The restaurant was about half full when we got there, and stayed pretty much that way the whole time we were there. I knew I wanted to try the Tonga Toast, but the Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes also looked great, and I had read a lot of great things about them. I thought maybe I would order one, Eric would order the other and we could split them. But Eric had his heart set on a full order of Tonga Toast, and told me that he wasn’t in the mood for pancakes with pineapple. So, we both ended up with the Tonga Toast and bacon.

I was VERY happy with my decision to get the Tonga Toast for myself too! It was truly amazing. I love sweet breakfasts, especially when paired with bacon, and this definitely hit the spot. If you normally prefer more savory breakfasts, then this may not be for you. I have read that some people find it to be too sweet, but we didn’t think that at all (Eric likes sweet breakfasts too, as well as savory ones). Of course, we also did not use any syrup…the cinnamon sugar it is rolled in gives it enough sweetness for us. It also comes with a strawberry compote, which I tried but it was served cold…I would rather have a warm compote. But really, it didn’t need anything! This was delicious, stuffed with banana that just melts in your mouth!

Of course, what’s breakfast at the Kona Café without a French press pot of their 100% Kona coffee?! Eric and I shared one of those. After having it the night before at dinner, we were looking forward to having it again in the morning. We felt very spoiled!

Philip decided to get the French toast, with bacon, from the kids’ menu. He enjoyed this very much. And Jonathan had the Mickey pancakes, which he loved, with bacon.

This was an outstanding breakfast, a unique place to go with a lot of different options. Definitely out of the ordinary, although they also serve some of the ordinary. I think there is something for everyone on their menu, from the pickiest of eaters to foodies. You can have what you are used to, or try something you can’t get at home. We loved it and will definitely be back for breakfast on our next trip, maybe even more than once! The quality of the food was just excellent. The service was also very fast and efficient. They are probably used to people wanting to get out of there quickly and head to the parks. We always say we will stay at BWV (our DVC home) on every trip, but I swear if they ever build a DVC unit at the Poly, it would be worth it to stay there...I LOVE this resort! I think if I ever stayed there, I would be at Kona every morning for breakfast (or getting Tonga Toast at Captain Cook's) and eating Dole Whips daily!

This meal cost us $47.12, including tax and tip, after applying the TiW discount. We saved $9.13 using the TiW card. This breakfast was worth every penny and then some…it was amazing!

Next up…a quick stop for lunch at Boardwalk Bakery, and Garden Grill character dinner with the rest of the family! Stay tuned…

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I want to go to Kona soo badly! I wonder if I could fit it in on our last day.

 

[Krissalee]

We have an ADR for dinner at Kona in November. DH and I don't like to order the same thing (so we can taste other meals), so I bet we will be fighting over who gets to order the Tuna Oscar!

What a sweet surprise from your server, Andrew -this is the unexpected magic that makes WDW so special!

 

[JerseyJanice]

What an awesome thing for Andrew to do!

Your meals at Kona look amazing. I'll make it there one of these days!

 

[rachel09985]

Great reviews! That panna cotta looks amazing!

 

[bangzoom6877]

I want to go to Kona soo badly! I wonder if I could fit it in on our last day.

If you could fit it in, I highly recommend it. The food was so good, for breakfast and for dinner!

We have an ADR for dinner at Kona in November. DH and I don't like to order the same thing (so we can taste other meals), so I bet we will be fighting over who gets to order the Tuna Oscar!

What a sweet surprise from your server, Andrew -this is the unexpected magic that makes WDW so special!

Haha, this sounds like me and Eric at breakfast...I am dying to try the pineapple macadamia pancakes but he wouldn't budge on that one. That's why next time I'm gonna see if we could do 2 breakfasts at Kona, so I could get the pancakes one morning and the Tonga Toast the other morning...pancakes first though, so in case I'm missing the Tonga Toast I know it will be coming up later in the same trip. Oh my, I need help!

And yes, the surprise magic is always terrific! We met many friendly and special CMs on this trip.

What an awesome thing for Andrew to do!

Your meals at Kona look amazing. I'll make it there one of these days!

Yep, service was terrific even before he surprised us too! Try to make it there...it's SOOOOO good!

Great reviews! That panna cotta looks amazing!

The panna cotta was delicious. I had to stop myself from taking more, and the only thing that helped was that I knew there was some Dole Whip waiting for me at Captain Cook's. But the panna cotta really was great...it kind of reminded me of coffee ice cream, just not as cold. And I love coffee ice cream!