Most Recent Reviews
Review of T-Rex
Reviewed by Susan Kowalski Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
This is a very fun restaurant - I just love the decor - but the food leaves a bit of room for improvement. I ordered the Jamaican Rundown off of the special Caribbean Creations menu. What showed up at my table looked nothing like the picture in the menu. I had told my waitress that I did not care for andouille sausage (one of three main proteins in the dish) and she assured me that there would be lots of shrimp. Someone in the back did not get the memo as I had mostly chicken and andouille sausage and very little shrimp. Needless to say, it was very disappointing.
If you are looking for a cool/fun place to have lunch and don't mind ordering a basic burger or chicken then this is the place for you. If you are looking for an upscale, delicious meal I would try somewhere else.
Pros:
Fun atmosphere. Usually I can get a table mid-afternoon with no reservation.Cons:
Food is not the best at Disney.Review of Olivia's Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by Susan Kowalski Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
I'm a big fan of Disney's Old Key West resort. I was over there for the Conch Tour and decided to stay and have lunch at their full service restaurant, Olivia's. Everything in Disney has a backstory, so I researched Olivia's Cafe and thought the story was interesting: Olivia Farnsworth lived in a small cottage along Turtle Krawl, upwind of the strip. Almost daily, she would invite curious passersby who smelled her cooking to come on in and pull up a chair. People loved her vibrant flavors and earthy personality, and, before long, she found herself setting more tables. Eventually, Olivia opened the doors to her eponymous cafe, which has been a haven for locals and a must-visit for out-of-towners ever since.
The restaurant decor is very appealing - light and airy, just like I would expect in Key West. It was chilly the day I was there so I opted to sit inside, but they do have a very nice patio as well.
There was no wait to be seated and my server came to the table right away. After taking my drink order she left me to peruse menu which had a wide variety options, but a bit pricier than I expected. I decided on the Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken ($19) which comes with Mashed Potatoes, Southern Gravy and Seasonal Vegetable and boy, was it was delicious!! The portion size was just right - I was full without being overstuffed.
If you are planning to eat at a full service restaurant on property, I would recommend Olivia's Cafe.
Pros:
Good food with both indoor and outdoor seatingCons:
None that I can think of 🙂Reviewed by Colleen Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
We love this party, and this was our fourth year in a row attending. We love the atmosphere, costumes, trick or treating, Boo to You Parade and Hallowishes. I have read a lot of people complaining about the crowds, and although it had gotten more crowded over the years we have had no trouble doing the things we like. We had short wait times for rides, decent spots for the parade without camping out ahead of time, and came away with plenty of candy. Even though the trick or treating lines seem very long they move quickly and they are quite generous. We don't do the character meet and greets so I can't comment on that, but I have heard those lines were quite long. We look forward to doing this again next year.
Pros:
general Halloween atmosphere fun parade and shows manageable wait times Trick or TreatingCons:
becoming more crowded limited food options for dinnerReviewed by Joel0917 Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (9) Not Recommended
we had two families that stayed here together. WE loved the three bedrooms. one room had bunkbeds. one a queen bed and one had a king with it\\\\\\'s own bathroom. This is great for a larger family or a multi family. It is quite a hike to the main Saratoga building. A shuttle bus runs slow so having a rental car is a MUST! But it is quiet. However we did go swim at the main building.
Pros:
Space and peace and quiet.Cons:
You pretty much have to have a rental car to get back and forthReview of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
Reviewed by Becky B Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
Had lunch here in April 2018. Used the mobile ordering app and had our food fresh and hot in minutes of arriving, no lines. Cheese burgers and fries all around. No, the toppings bar no longer has free hot cheese sauce but for a buck you can add a cup of it to your meal. A buck, and its a good portion and quite tasty. Burgers here are standard theme park but still, we enjoyed, especially after adding sautéed mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, sriracha aioli, and other great toppings available at no extra charge. And a cute place - love listening to the corny, silly lounge singer Sonny Eclipse (animatronic alien). I would actually say this is my family's favorite place to have a quick service burger in WDW.
Pros:
Inexpensive and great mobile orderingCons:
Very busy place, sometimes hard to find tablesReviewed by Susan Kowalski Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
What an amazing experience!!! Even though this is a Disney resort they have done a wonderful job of making you feel as if you are in Africa -
even hiring many of their staff directly from Africa. There are hidden Mickeys if you look really hard, but that is not the main theme here. There are two locations: Kidani Village (DVC location) and Jambo House (which has both DVC room and non-DVC rooms available). I prefer staying in Jambo House. They have the larger of the two pools and also have the only quick serve location on property.
There are many things l love about this resort, so I'll list just a few:
* In Jambo House most rooms have a view of either a yard where animals roam during the day or the pool. There is nothing that can compare to waking up in the morning and looking out of your patio door to see a giraffe eating breakfast right outside of your room!
* There are many free activities each day including pool games, meeting with a cultural representative to learn about their country, playing wildlife games (you can earn beads that you can take home with you), cookie decorating, movies by the pool each night, and more!
* You can take a free daily tour of Jiko's and Boma (the full serve restaurants at Jambo House) where they discuss fun details about the restaurant, it's furnishings and also give out free samples
* There is free night viewing of the animals using night-vision glasses
* The Community Center in Kidani Village has free crafts
* Nightly bonfire with free marshmallow roasting
As you can tell, this is my favorite place to stay on property.
Pros:
Very authentic atmosphere.Cons:
A long way away from all the other theme parks.Review of Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by Colleen Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was our first stay at Wilderness Lodge, and we loved it. We stayed in a two bedroom villa at Copper Creek, and the room and resort were even more beautiful than we had imagined. We had a view of the main pool and could see the fireworks from Magic Kingdom over the top of the resort across the way. The main pool is wonderful, but we mainly used the DVC pool because of it's zero entry for my granddaughter and proximity to Geyser Point which we enjoyed very much. We had a vehicle and only used the bus service once, but we did like the boat to Magic Kingdom. We had a fun dinner at Whispering Canyon and felt the choices at Roaring Fork were quite good. I would definitely stay at this resort again!
Pros:
beautiful, secluded resort close to Magic Kingdom great pools and food choicesCons:
noneReview of Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza
Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
I was so excited to eat here and had the bonus of arriving when the line was very short (only 5 peeps ahead of me). At that point everything started going downhill. I asked for mozzarella cheese and was given mozzarella and goat cheese - but very little of either. I asked for a few other toppings and off I went to find a table. When I picked up my pizza I noticed that one side was pretty burnt, but I felt I could eat around it. When I got to the table an selected my slice I noticed that three full pieces had no cheese at all, and of course they happened to be the ones that were not burnt.
I stopped a manager and asked if the amount of cheese I had on my pizza was normal and her response was \"It is normal, but the next time you come you can ask for as many toppings as you want. You can keep asking for more toppings for a hour and we will not stop you.\" No offer of a new pizza or a coupon or anything. Just a comment 'next time you come in'. Well lady, there will not be a next time. There are too many options of good food to come back here.
Pros:
Able to pick toppings from a large bar of optionsCons:
My pizza had very little of each ingredient. One pizza came out burned.Review of Tony's Town Square Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by Becky B Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
We had lunch here in April 2018. Bread service was nice. We all enjoyed having a glass of wine in the Magic Kingdom. Service was stellar. 4 Caesar salads and 4 orders of spaghetti and meatballs. The food here doesn't usually get good reviews and I think that's unfair. It is not bland and the sauce doesn't not taste like it comes out of a can. My grandfather's mother came from Italy and never spoke a word of English - and this sauce comes close to the family recipe. And the meatballs were clearly not frozen but handmade, tender and full of flavor. I do wish they used fresh pasta but it was cooked correctly. The atmosphere is lovely, too. My father has a soft spot for this place and was just thrilled we were able to get a last minute Ressie. It remains a magical favorite.
Pros:
Spaghetti, wine, atmosphere, service - and location on Main St.USACons:
I truly can't think of any consReview of Enzo's Hideaway Tunnel Bar
Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (6) Recommended
I love the concept of this restaurant - a 'rum runner' tunnel that Maria and Enzo found when they were remodeling their existing restaurant. Having the entrance a little hidden is also fun. My favorite entrance into this location is through an unmarked door in the lower level of The Edison - it just feels like you could be finding a secret speakeasy back in the 1920's. Heads up: once you are inside, the atmosphere changes to an upscale Italian restaurant - no speakeasy attire/format here.
That all said, I was not as impressed with the food as I was hoping to be. I've eaten here a couple of times with mixed results. The Salumi e Formaggi is amazing - although it is disappointing that they price it as $17 per serving, but require that you purchase at least two servings (it should just be priced as $34).
I did not have as much success with the pasta. The taste was fine, but it was just bowl of pasta with no garnish. I guess for +$20 I was expecting more. Friends of mine ordered the Classic Lasagna Bolognese and were very happy with it.
On my third trip to Enzo's Hideaway I tried the Salmone (salsa verde, roasted seasonal vegetables, fingerling potatoes) which was very tasty, but I was surprised at the small portion of vegetables.
I think this is a fun place to go have a drink and/or appetizers especially if you like 'hidden' locations. Dinner is fine, but not the best place at Disney.
