Most Recent Reviews
Review of Le Cellier Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by LISAE Review Date: 08/23/2014
Rating: (7) Not Recommended
Ok so let's get the price out of the way first - we visited 8th August and the price suggests something way out of the league of the current Le Cellier, service is ok, restaurant is ok, seating is very close together, food is average.
Take the price out of the game and then my objective view slightly changes from a 4 to a 7.
The bread remains very good however we have noticed that you have to ask for more it is never just refilled nowadays.
The cheddar cheese soup is not to my taste but remains enough reason for my 16 year old son to choose this restaurant above many others for one of his two table services choices of a two week holiday.
The meat is cooked under most USA restaurants but this was clearly indicated to us when ordering. Even so I'm not sure why they just cant cook a medium the same as all other restaurants and not just medium rare instead!
The ribeye steaks were very nice but very salty. The sides are not great.
I enjoyed the maple crème brulee and my husband tried the unusual flavours of sorbet but there was nothing attractive for the kids so they declined (even though it was included in our two credits on the dining plan) and opted to use a snack credit elsewhere in EPCOT rather than choose from the small choice here.
As a side note in two weeks my carnivore daughter ate steak a minimum of once and sometimes twice a day. We joked she must have eaten her body meat in the red meat we restrict at home but here she ate less than half of her steak. That should tell this steak place something.
Pros:
Good but not great foodCons:
Price, saltinessReview of Categories 1 - 2 - 3 - The Suites
Reviewed by jkb78 Review Date: 08/23/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We stayed in Suite 8602 on the Magic for a 5 night cruise from Barcelona on August 7. Large veranda was wonderful, this is a handicap accessible room. We had wonderful service and our room was spotless! It can be noisy when moving chairs in restaurant above but did not bother us. Would definitely sail on Magic again. Tawanda was absolutely amazing!
Pros:
Great LocationCons:
Can be noisyReview of Disney Dining Plan
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/23/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
I'm a Type A planner, and spend a lot of time perusing menus and figuring out what I'm going to eat to see if the meal plan is worth it. I have spread sheets to compare options. As I'm an AP holder, I compared purchasing Tables in Wonderland, or using the regular DDP, which was available to me for $48.99/night. Even at that rate, the DDP was still a better deal than TIW or completely out of pocket.
I saved about $75 and didn't eat anymore than I normally would. Since it was so hot, I was happy to have snack credits for frozen lemonades and other cold treats. I enjoyed all you care to eat meals for dinner at Garden Grill, Boma, 1900 Park Fare, and Chef Mickey's, as well as a breakfast at Tusker House.
While I do agree that the option of an appetizer or dessert would be nice, I think that if you are willing to do some planning ahead of time, the DDP can be a great deal.
Pros:
Good value when discountedCons:
Planning ahead of time to make sure you get money's worthReview of Theme Park Photo Pass
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/23/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was my first time using Memory Maker. I was pleased at the abundant number of photographers I saw throughout the theme parks and water parks. Nearly every character I met (and that was a lot of characters!) had a photographer with them. I encountered some new magic shots, such as one with Chip the tea cup, that I absolutely adored.
The long range RFID readers are great on the rides. I never had to stop at a photo counter as all the photos (except one) showed up automatically. I think the new on ride video for Tower of Terror is cute but not as cool as it was hyped up to be.
It seems there are fewer options for borders on the website than in the past. The website is also notoriously slow, particularly when there are many pictures in the account. This has always been a problem, even on the old Photopass site, but there has to be a way to improve it!
Pros:
Many opportunities for photos, RFID readers on ridesCons:
Lack of borders, slow websiteReview of FastPass+ (Retired)
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/23/2014
Rating: (5) Recommended
I have a love/hate relationship with FP+. This was the first trip where I was able to make my choices 60 days out. The "tiers" at Epcot and DHS don't even bother me that much, because both Test Track and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster have single rider lines, and I travel by myself quite often. Only downside for Test Track is that you can't truly design your own car in the singles line.
It is nearly impossible to make day of changes, and the touted ability to make more than 3 FP choices per day is a joke. By the time you've finished your three options, it's already noon at the earliest and you're left with ridiculous choices like Figment and Captain EO.
I made my FP+ choices 60 days out and scored a prime Anna & Elsa FP for 9:20am...but then I had to change my dates and literally the only one available for them in a 7 day span was 6:20pm on an EMH night. Certainly not ideal but I wasn't going to wait 90+ minutes either.
While it is gratifying to see that Mickey head turn green, there has to be a way to make some changes. I wish there was a compromise between the old and new systems-such as tapping your band to get a return time, rather than a paper ticket. And judging by the "Standby" tickets that have recently been instituted at the A&E meet and greet and BOG lunch, Disney has also realized that guests are unhappy and changes need to be made.
Pros:
Planning in advanceCons:
Planning in advance, difficult to make same day changes, problems getting more than 3 FPsReview of My Disney Experience
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/23/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
I think MDE is a good concept if only they could get all the bugs worked out. I like having all my reservations and such in one place...but the app is so incredibly slow and frustrating to use. They say you can use it to update FP+ in the parks but it is such a hassle to do. Then of course, there are the times when ALL reservations disappear from MDE, or it forgets that it really does know your password. Once they manage to get it working consistently, I think this would be a great benefit to vacationers.
Pros:
Good to have everything in one placeCons:
App is super slow and frustratingReview of Blizzard Beach
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/23/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
I visited Blizzard Beach on the evening of 8/15, arriving around 5pm. The park closed at 8 that evening and I stayed until the very end. My first slide was Runoff Rapids and the wait was just walking up the 127 steps! That was followed by a brief wait, maybe 10 minutes, for Snow Stormers. I floated partway around Cross Country Creek before boarding the chair lift-using the singles line I did this 3 times and never waited more than 5 minutes.
The first run up the mountain our chair stopped about five feet from the drop point-apparently one of the other chairs had a malfunction and we didn't move for nearly 10 minutes. There was no wait for Teamboat Springs and a lovely British family adopted me for the raft trip down. I love this ride!
Back up the lift twice more for Summit Plummet and Slush Gusher. SG had about a 25 minute wait but it passed quickly while talking to others in line. I forgot about the "air time" on that slide! Summit Plummet had no more than a 10 minute wait. I now know why I hadn't done it in four years: the water was like knives and I swear my hips were actually bruised from the force of the water! Unfortunately, there was no Photopass person to capture the trip due to the late time.
Downhill Double Dipper had been closed from the time I got to the park until around 6:30. It had the longest line of all, at about half an hour. I don't understand why this is such a slow loader. Finished off the day with a bit of floating in the near empty wave pool.
I really enjoyed my evening at BB, and definitely recommend going in the last few hours before closing, particularly when the park is open later.
Pros:
Limited crowds in early eveningCons:
Line at DDD, bruises from Summit Plummet, broken chair liftReview of Typhoon Lagoon
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/22/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
I visited Typhoon Lagoon twice on my most recent trip. On 8/13, I arrived around 2pm. My first stop was to get some lunch. The park was very crowded at this time. I was able to find a chair under a shelter in the back of park by Shark Reef. The lines for everything were very long, and all I did were the wave pool and the lazy river. Castaway Creek was uncomfortably crowded, wall to wall people. I did get some nice Photopass pictures and was able to meet Stitch before I left around 4pm.
My next visit was on 8/17. I had good luck visiting Blizzard Beach later in the day, so I tried the same with TL. I arrived around 3pm and left around 5 (the park closed at 6). In that time I was able to accomplish Shark Reef, the single rider slide on Crush n Gusher, Keelhaul and Mayday Falls, one of the Storm Slides, the wave pool, and the lazy river.
I enjoy TL quite a lot, but my recommendation would be to get there first thing in the morning or in the last three hours before closing.
Pros:
Less crowded in late afternoon, great themingCons:
—Review of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by JoeyO11 Review Date: 08/22/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We stayed here with a family of 4 in the cars suite from aug 14th to aug 19th. Great location to and from the food court and buses. We had a small pool the cozy cone right out side of the building we were in. Breakfast and dinners are tough because of the crowded food court. House keeping was great. Room always clean. Themed Cars room was awesome. kids loved sleeping in the pull down bed. Overall it's a great room for the space you get.
Pros:
Great pool. Great AtmosphereCons:
Food court crowdedReview of Cape May Cafe Clam Bake Dinner
Reviewed by SMReichert Review Date: 08/22/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Was seated 10 min after reservation time. Waiter was prompt and courteous. Plates were cleaned off quickly. Drinks were quickly refilled. Food was good for a buffet (I'm not a big buffet person) My picky 11 y/o son was happy with what he had.
Dessert was good. A good variety of miniature desserts.
Will definitely go there again. In fact, I love the resort!
