Most Recent Reviews
Review of Crystal Palace Breakfast
Reviewed by hsminnie Review Date: 06/12/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
This is the cheapest character meal and we always go. In 2010, I thought maybe the kids were tired of it - so I didn't schedule it and they almost mutinied. (Girls, at that time 18, 15 and 9, lol) So now, we will ALWAYS go 🙂
We have history with Pooh and friends in our family - so that makes the characters a good fit. Of course, a buffet is, by definition, limited - but they do a lot to make it great. We had 10:35, so we ran up against the lunch crowd and the buffet swap. Breakfast options were available the entire time, albeit on only one side.
The fruit was fresh, plentiful and ripe. Pastries were good. The cinnamon roles got stale on the outer layer, but after you peeled that off they were delicious. We enjoyed all of the hot items we tried (Bob said the hash was just 'ok').
Our service was great and the character handlers are always so good at managing the crowds. The upside to a late meal seating is an emptier dining room - which we really enjoyed. Coffee and juice was plentiful and good.
We'll definitely be back. We love it here and we've been several times with everything from a party of 2 to a party of 10.
Pros:
Almost everythingCons:
When it's full, it's kind of a mess. That is just a theme park downside 🙂Review of Yachtsman Steakhouse
Reviewed by joeval Review Date: 06/12/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
The best meal I've eaten in my 11 trips to Disney World. Our waiter Oscar was the best!! Worth the money!!
Pros:
Great food and atmosphereCons:
noneReviewed by hsminnie Review Date: 06/12/2014
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
Caveat: My 13 year old would recommend this place 🙂
The pizza was on crust the texture of dense sandwich bread rather than pizza crust. One bite was it for me. The salad was still very wet - which is just icky. Sodas were fine and Abby liked her pizza crust.
The staff (3 people) we encountered were definitely not having a good day. I still find that unusual at WDW - but there you are.
The order/pick up flow is odd and not well designated - and there were only 10 other people there with us. My husband commented it would be quite a mess with a huge crowd. We'd never been there, so maybe that doesn't happen. Crowds were heavy in DHS that day.
Lots of dirty tables, lackadaisical busing staff and - of course 🙂 - a ton of video games. It felt squashed. I noticed a lot of upper deck seating - which may have been more open.
DHS is not my favorite park nor does it have my favorite eateries - Starring Rolls excluded. However, this was a fail for all but the young teen. She didn't love it, but she liked it fine.
Pros:
The nameCons:
food, purchase/pick up line, staff when we were thereReview of Garden View Lounge Tea
Reviewed by hsminnie Review Date: 06/12/2014
Rating: (6) Recommended
Sadly, this family tradition is not what it once was. We've been traveling to WDW with our daughters since 2002 - when they were 10, 7 and 2. It is traditional for us to have tea one afternoon while dad gets a break. This time, because they grow up :), only my husband, our youngest daughter (now 13) and I were on the trip. Bob agreed to come to tea for the first time, and it was Abby's first trip as a tea drinker.
50% of the joy at the cafe is the setting. No matter how crowded the GF lobby becomes, the cafe is always a tranquil respite with beautiful views and good service. It also used to be a place to have good tea and delicious food. Some of this has changed - for the worse.
The tea is still good. In fact, our server made a special brew for my coffee loving husband (they were out of the tea he chose) and he loved it. Abby enjoyed the Imperial English Breakfast and I had the Gardenview Blend. Simple choices, good flavors. 🙂
We were told a la carte ordering was no longer an option - unless it was in addition to one of the 'packages'. This was frustrating because I knew Abby would not like the sandwiches. (1 picky eater of three - not too bad, lol.) We all chose Buckingham Palace.
The sandwiches used to be on thin sliced, dense 'appetizer' breads. Now, they are on regular breads. I did like most, but the pear and gorgonzola - my past favorite - has lost something in translation. I'm wondering if they prepare it differently, or if it was just the bread texture. The salmon is a 'spread' type filling, rather than a slice of smoked salmon, which I would have preferred. Our server brought Abby some PB&J when she noticed she only took one bite from her others. That was really sweet - and not necessary.
The onion tartlet is still yummy. I only take a bite or two - but they are delicious bites :).
The raisin scones are delicious, the jam tart is still an icky pile of goo to me.
Then, it was time for the best part. The VERY best part. Fresh, sweet strawberries with Devon cream. It's amazing. It was. It isn't now. They brought a dessert dish filled with pre-sliced strawberries in Cool-Whip. Cool-Whip. I recognized it because my husband started baking this year, and we discovered the joy and ease of fresh whipped cream. Cool-Whip is distinguishable because it tastes like oil. The strawberries were tiny slices and old. They had that fermented taste. Ugh.
Bob and Abby chose pastries. The eclair was ok - pastry can only survive so well in air - and the filling was sickly sweet. Bob had a chocolate peanut butter thing and they were ok with them.
Not that you would need it, but if you want more tea it's an extra charge. Abby loved the china, the tea cozy and the sugar cubes :). We all loved the relaxation the cafe provides.
We'll try to budget for this in the future, but I don't know if it will be a trip requirement. If they would allow a la carte purchases, definitely. But it's difficult to put aside $95 (tax and tip) for substandard eats. To reiterate, the service and ambiance is always a treat. We sit at our table for an hour or more and enjoy. It is always just a shame to see things slip from customer focused to profit focused in such a blatant way :(.
Pros:
Ambiance, staff, tea (the actual beverage)Cons:
Food quality reduced, no a la carte selectionsReview of Tony's Town Square Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by jiminy Review Date: 06/12/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
My husband and I have eaten at Tony's several times and have always been impressed with the service and the food. I tried the Cioppino and it was the best I have ever had. My husband had the Cannelloni and loved it. We usually don't get dessert but I had to try the Pistachio Creme Brulee and my husband tried the Chef's Signature Cheesecake. We were so happy that we ordered dessert! Perfect ending to a perfect meal. If you haven't eaten at Tony's, try it. You won't be sorry.
Pros:
Food was delicious and the service was outstandingCons:
NoneReview of Le Cellier Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by miketp Review Date: 06/11/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
My wife and I dined there on 6/5/2014. We were anxious due to reading several negative reviews here lately and it is our favorite restaurant in EPCOT. However, we left entirely satisfied. My filet and wife's bone-in ribeye were cooked perfectly. Our waiter was attentive and friendly and service was excellent. I want to say we were not on Disney dining plan and I have heard from others this sometimes affects service. The bread was hot and delicious and the Caesar salad was cold and crisp. My only complaint about the food was that the spinach was swimming in cream.
Pros:
great steaks, decent wine choices and full service barCons:
crowdedReview of Yacht Club Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by miketp Review Date: 06/11/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
Let me start off by saying that the Yacht has been our favorite resort. We have stayed at other Disney resorts but have always preferred the Yacht. We stayed here during Star Wars Weekend 4. It appears that cost cutbacks have reached the Yacht the bar near the lobby was supposed to open at 4 but when I stopped for a cold drink after a hot day I was told it was closed due to staffing problems but I could go to the Crew's cup Lounge. They sell the cups for unlimited sodas but there is no place in the Yacht to fill them during off hours. The bar will only fill at breakfast and not during the evening. You have to walk to the Beach Market to fill. Before we checked out I stopped at the Concierge desk to check on getting discounts for booking a room for next year. The woman gave me a brochure which only covered 2014 and told me to call Disney. Our room had a musty, mildew smell when we entered for the first time and we discovered there was only one queen size bed for the two of us. In the past we had either two queens or a king, needless to say it was very cozy. We still love the Yacht but hope it recovers its charm. It is so convenient to EPCOT and H. S., we walk to both. Also the Boardwalk is a 5 minute walk.
Pros:
location quietCons:
service has declinedReview of Fresh Mediterranean Market Lunch
Reviewed by dcdeb Review Date: 06/11/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Just had lunch at Fresh, and it was a pleasant surprise. Because the restaurant is at the Dolphin, it's off the beaten path and not very crowded, which is a definite plus.
Lunchtime menu is mainly salads -- a few on the menu, like a steak salad and a chicken salad, but there is also a wide selection of fresh ingredients from which you can "build your own" salad. Choose your greens, cheese, a protein, and a variety of veggies, all for a reasonable $15, which also includes dessert! Everything is very fresh and attractively presented, and the service was friendly and attentive without being overwhelming. Desserts included a variety of small tarts, most notable a double-chocolate that was to die for! I would definitely recommend Fresh for lunch, and plan to visit there again.
Pros:
Out of the way, so not crowded; fresh ingredientsCons:
Limited lunchtime menuReviewed by dcdeb Review Date: 06/11/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
I've attended Star Wars Weekends off and on over the years it's been offered and the crowds seem to grow larger every year. To see any of the celebrities or get autographs you have to be there insanely early, which is a real negative. However, with FastPass+ this year, I was able to reserve a spot to see Mark Hamill in his interview session, which was very convenient -- eliminated waiting somewhat, although I still lined up about 45 minutes before showtime, to try to get a better seat. One tip: Make sure you're waiting in the correct line for any of these events. There are FastPass+ lines and standby lines, and sometimes it's not easy to tell them apart -- you don't want to spent an hour in the wrong queue, so ask if you're not sure! Aside from seeing the celebs, there are so many characters around the Echo Lake side of the park now -- the lines for to get photos with them are long, but just seeing them mingling about is a lot of fun. If you're a Star Wars fan, it's definitely worth a visit to the park during this event.
Pros:
Chance to see Star Wars celebrities and charactersCons:
Crowds and long linesReview of Sanaa Lunch/Dinner - Kidani Village
Reviewed by monkback2 Review Date: 06/11/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We ate here 1st time may 27. Had lamb wife and kids all tried different trios. Awesome service and food. Bread and dips are a must do. I'm not a very adventurous eater but this one is on our list to go again.
