Most Recent Reviews
Reviewed by esilvestre Review Date: 07/25/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was our 4th stay at this resort. We were there from June 28 through July 8th. On line check in was great. Only 1 problem. We needed a handicapped accessible room and we were not assigned one. I called front desk and we had a new room in one hour.
Our buses were always available. We never waited more than 10 minutes. Television screen with bus times was a great new edition.
The room was spotless. Everyday we had extra towels and plenty of soaps and shampoos.
The food court was a little busy in the morning,but at least we knew the food was always fresh. I have stayed at deluxe, moderate , and value resorts. This is by far our favorite Disney Hotel. Trust me we have stayed at many different hotels in Disney, this was our 22 visit. We love the Port Orleans Riverside.
Pros:
front desk , maid service, buses,food courtCons:
NoneReview of Spice Road Table
Reviewed by Environmentalist Review Date: 07/24/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
Spice Road Table is a fantastic place to eat. The food tastes wonderful, it's relatively uncrowded for a new restaurant and the view is amazing - right along the World Showcase lagoon. The theming of the restaurant is vintage Disney - you really do feel like you have stepped into an outdoor cafe. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
One note - it is pricey. Food is served tapas style, which is fine, but the prices are pretty outrageous, even at Disney levels, for the amount of food you get. Moreover, some plates provide far more food than other for the same price. We were aware of this going in and the prices still surprised us. Definitely be prepared to pay more than you expect here!
Pros:
Tasty food, great location, beautiful themingCons:
Not enough food for priceReview of Harambe Nights at Animal Kingdom
Reviewed by mzznlink Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
We attended the night of 12th, which was our last night at WDW after a 2 week stay at OKW. Givven that we had to get up at 5:00 AM then next morning, this wasn't a rational decision. Our daughter-in-law has an old school friend who's a cast member and he said it was a must do, so we did.
It started raining the moment we got off the bus, got harder as we approached the park entrance. CMs had plain plastic ponchos to hand out as you got your wrist bands.
We were directed to Pizzafari where we found a table and enjoyed the appetizers (spicy but tasty) and drinks. They are quite liberal with the rum so don't be surprised with the punch. Don’t spend the full time here because you’ll be left with seats that nobody else wanted once you get to the show. (ask me how I know)
Next stop is the new building they recently finished for The Lion King Show. It’s somewhat smaller, but then the show’s different. It’s now a combination of narration, dance, singing, and video from the movie giving you a condensed version of the movie. We preferred the energy of the old show. It was still a good show, but the seats we ended up with were on the left side of the stage and had top look over the orchestra. The drummer pacing back and forth checking things in between actually hitting something got a little irritating, but we did arrive later than the rest.
Afterwards we found that the rain had stopped and we would be dining outside. Given the number of tables and people, along with the numerous buffet line, bars, and entertainment, I can’t imagine experiencing this part inside. This was the best part for me; 3 or 4 bars, numerous buffets (always stocked) and a band/DJ. They even had various characters and photographers.
We left at 10:00 because of having to get up early the next morning and were picked up almost immediately by the bus back to OKW.
I’d do something similar in the future, but not on the last night of our stay.
Pros:
Selection/amount of food and drink, entertainment.Cons:
Show seating.Reviewed by abmadmo Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Feeling pretty lucky to have been a part of the nightly party featuring a live band and fireworks finale. It was all pure magic! I curse snow from November to April at home but somehow seeing snow bubbles flying down from all the buildings in HS with the fireworks and Frozen songs blaring everywhere, well it was just glorious <3
Pros:
Beauty and excitementCons:
crowdsReview of Flame Tree Barbecue
Reviewed by abmadmo Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
This is a counter service we look forward to on every trip and it's not disappointed us yet! The food is very good, portions are large enough that my husband, teen, tween and myself shared 3 meals and still threw food away. The line moves very quickly and there is ample seating, much of it under canopies and there's a never ending parade of various birds roaming around searching for a dropped french fry- very fun to watch and not to be missed!
Pros:
Good sized portions, amazing food, beautiful covered outside seating, the birds wandering aroundCons:
Nothing!Review of Sanaa Lunch/Dinner - Kidani Village
Reviewed by Environmentalist Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was my second time eating at Sanaa. It won't be my last. The atmosphere is great, with the unique dining room and unusual table placements, along with the view of the savannah and the little tricks the staff uses to get the animals close to the windows.
The food is very good - similar to what you would find at a good Indian restaurant. Sanaa has a fusion emphasis - Indian and African flavors, so anyone looking solely for African cuisine should go to Jiko or Boma. But Sanaa has tremendous value and variety and is a bit daring for Disney with its spices and ethnic cuisine. Overall, very good.
My only complaint was how Sanaa handled our large group of eleven. Due to the unusual table placements, our group was squished into a table area that should have handled eight at most. We had asked to be as close as possible to the windows, so kudos to them for trying, but it was a bit too cramped.
Pros:
Daring foods for Disney, amazing flavorsCons:
Cramped space for large groupReview of The Wave Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by Environmentalist Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
The Wave is amazing. If you are a foodie who values locally grown, organically raised food, this is the restaurant for you. The food is outstanding, with tremendous variety and flavor. Moreover, due to the Wave's odd location - tucked away in the 'basement' of the Contemporary, it was uncrowded while we ate. The restaurant was perhaps half full and quieter than any Disney restaurant I've eaten in for a long time.
Be sure to try the Wave. You'll be glad you did!
Pros:
Food is amazing, a hidden gemCons:
none at all!Review of Kona Cafe Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by Environmentalist Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
This is the second time I've eaten at Kona Cafe. The food is amazing here. There is a great variety of menu options and the flavors are top notch. Truly a Disney hidden gem, as many people don't seem to know about it. There were empty tables while we were there at the dinner rush, which surprised me.
The only con is the noise factor - not within the restaurant, but from people walking through the GCH from the monorail and from people waiting for dinner at Ohana. It did get a bit loud at times and made it harder to hear, even though we were near the back wall of the restaurant.
Even with the noise, be sure to try Kona Cafe while it is still there. Rumors are flying that Disney will close it during the construction at the Poly and replace it with something else.
Pros:
Great variety and flavors, amazing dessertCons:
Open air environment to GCH can be noisyReview of 'Ohana Best Friends Character Breakfast
Reviewed by Environmentalist Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
Our group of fourteen had a late brunch at Ohana one morning. Our check-in was for 10:45. We arrived at 10:40. We weren't seated until 11:30. I understand delays, especially with a large group, but 45 minutes is excessive, as we had five hungry kids.
Once seated, the meal went smoothly. Fresh fruit and passion-fruit juice were excellent. Family style meal was ample and tasty. The characters came by the table and spent a decent amount of time with each child. The meal was relaxing and enjoyable and we didn't feel rushed to leave, even though the restaurant technically closed while we were there.
I would recommend Ohana, but don't need to return. You can get just a good a meal at Kona Cafe, without the long wait.
Pros:
Good food, fun atmosphere, relaxed character interactionCons:
LOOONG wait to be seatedReviewed by Environmentalist Review Date: 07/23/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Our family spent 11 nights at the Poly in June 2014. We had three rooms, with a total of 11 people. We had requested ground floor rooms at Niue, but ended up at Tuvalu, which was initially disappointing, but ultimately a fine choice for us.
Our view from our ground room was nothing special. It was standard view, which meant that we saw part of the marina, a lot of flora, and Fiji. Yet being on the luau side of the resort also meant we had little to no construction noise or issues. We also didn't hear the luau in the evening, probably due to being in the marina side of the building.
Our room was clean and spacious. We had special medical requests, which were followed throughout the course of our stay. The pool, GCH, and transportation options were all a quick walk away. The walkway to the TTC changed several times while we were there, but was not a big problem.
Obviously, the plus for being at the Poly is the proximity to the MK and monorail to Epcot, the theming of the grounds, and the excellent cast members. All of those were plusses for us. Location-wise, we were easily able to pop out of our door to watch the fireworks or the electrical water pageant on numerous occasions, which was a lot of fun.
The pool area was a lot of fun - it will be interesting to see what they do with it after it reopens. One piece of advice. Try to get to the pool when it opens at 9:00, if you're not going to a park that day. We had the pool and the slide to ourselves for over an hour, with the first people outside of our family arriving an hour later.
There were a few negatives: Construction in the GCH meant that we couldn't enjoy the full beauty of that building, as well as the ground surrounding it. The refrigerator in our room overheated on several occasions and was actually hotter inside than the room. The biggest annoyance was the automatic door at the end of Tuvalu. You could go out of the building, but not re-enter, even with a magic band or key. We reported this problem on the first day of our stay and continued to report it every other day after. It still wasn't fixed when we left eleven days later.
Still, all in all, the Polynesian is a great place to stay. I would definitely go there again. The price is steep, but with a 30% discount, it was more manageable.
