Most Recent Reviews
Review of Contempo Cafe
Reviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (6) Recommended
I hoped that this food would be good since it was the most convenient for Bay Lake Tower, but we were wrong. The food all tastes like they cook it earlier and then just warm it up. They do have sugar free brownies and they are delicious. The chicken flat bread tasted like it was on a cracker. Made me miss Roaring Fork. Breakfast is the best thing served.
Pros:
LocationCons:
Food tasted like it was cooked hours before then warmedReview of Yachtsman Steakhouse
Reviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
Once again, we had the best meal of our trip at Yachtsman. Started off with their bread (onion rolls are to die for) with roasted garlic. Yummy! One son had a the Assortment of Artisanal Cheeses plate and the other had Charcuterie Board which were delicious and fun to try new things. We all had the filets, which were cooked to perfection along with mashed potatoes. Our server, Bill was the epitome of a professional server. Will eat there again. And again. And again.
Pros:
Best food this tripCons:
Getting there from another resortReview of Crystal Palace Breakfast
Reviewed by allears2014 Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We always have breakfast here and it is a must do for my family.
At breakfast, we've never had a bad server and on March 30, 2014, our server did not disappoint. He was friendly, funny and seemed happy to be there- - it looked like he was having a good time working!
The buffet is typical breakfast food. They do have an omelet bar, but the line is usually long and since I don't want to miss a character coming by our table, I always pass.
For eggs, bacon, fruit and pancakes, the meal overall is quite pricey; however, since it is a character dining experience I feel that makes up for the cost.
The downside is characters race through and since the meal is pricey, I feel like the characters should slow down a little. There is limited to no interaction with the kids. I can barely focus my camera and the character is waving "bye" to my son.
They also do a parade around the restaurant, but again, it's like the characters do not get what being Pooh or Tigger means. I saw several obviously shy kids not joining in and the characters walked right by them without offering a hand or motioning them to join. The characters need to get "in character" and not just put on a Pooh suit and race through the restaurant. An extra 10 or 15 seconds per table is not going to ruin the day, but it would make all the difference in the world to those kids.
Pros:
Great serviceCons:
—Review of Wolfgang Puck Express Marketplace
Reviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We ordered the meatloaf sandwich, which was good but had too much rosemary for our taste. Our boys each had a pizza and loved it. Servers were quick to fill our drinks. Great choice for a quick dinner. Reasonable prices, too.
Pros:
No reservation needed, helpful serversCons:
NoneReviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
Once again, Splitsville didn't let us down. We had three pizzas: meatlovers, BBQ chicken, and pepperoni--loved all three. Had the california roll as well. Great, great service. Highly recommend.
Pros:
Fun atmosphere, good foodCons:
Little loudReview of Spice Road Table
Reviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
We really enjoyed the two different sample platters. The chicken rolls tasted and looked exactly like the egg rolls from Chili's. The service was awful. Our server waited at least 5 minutes to approach our table and we felt like he didn't want to be there at all. The beautiful young lady at the entrance was so engaging and knowledgeable about each and every dish--best thing about the restaurant. We did get seated immediately, though.
Pros:
Easy to get inCons:
Slow serviceReview of Yak and Yeti Restaurant
Reviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
We so wanted to like this restaurant and thought we would after reading the reviews. I had the steak and tempura shrimp. The steak was very tough and wrapped whole around a mound of rice, which was cold. My son had the chicken lo mein, which was also cold. Best thing was my husband's tempura shrimp. There are better places to eat for the money.
Pros:
Interesting decorCons:
Cold, bland foodReview of Garden Grocer
Reviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
Garden Grocer is a must for every single trip. You can order the staples you need without having to make a trek in your car. We order things such as milk, bagels, cream cheese, cereal, juice, and most importantly, cases of water. Never had a single issue with them.
Pros:
Convenient, freshCons:
NoneReview of Bay Lake Tower (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
Bay Lake Tower is a beautiful hotel. We used our vacation points to book a 2 bedroom and were happy to find 3 full baths! Location just can't be beat--you can walk to Magic and take a monorail to Epcot. Negatives: loud music coming from the pool area that reached the 6th floor, even with noise cancelling fans. Cast members were using a very loud microphone, too, and this was during normal nap time for kids...1-3pm. The food court they share with the Contemporary is simply awful. Food was all sitting in steamer bins or microwaved.
Pros:
Beautiful hotel, fabulous locationCons:
Pool area noise travels, terrible quick food courtReview of Be Our Guest Dinner
Reviewed by allears2014 Review Date: 04/06/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
I called as far out as I could in advance for a dinner reservation here for our ADR on March 30, 2014. I wanted a reservation around 6pm, but was informed 8:40pm was the only slot open that entire evening. Reservations apparently fill up months in advance.
We checked in at approximately 8pm hoping we could get in a little earlier. I was given a pager and told to "wait on the bridge" and do not "leave the bridge" or we could lose the reservation.
I asked if we would be seated early or closer to the ADR and was informed it depends on how fast people eat. Never got that before from a hostess. Had I known we actually would not be seated until 9pm, I would have waited a few minutes later to check in.
I would guess around 40 people waiting at that time on the bridge- - all standing since there is no seating. After about 20 minutes, I asked if there was somewhere we could sit- my son was exhausted as was his grandmother. We were told we could sit on a rock past the gate, but that we could not get up or walk around- - "you must stay seated".
Once inside the castle, it was beautiful and felt like a real castle. We were seated in the main Ballroom and watched the snow falling through the windows.
Tables are too close together, but that is true for most Disney restaurants. Our server was very good and was able to appear pleasant and friendly despite how busy they clearly were.
I started off with the salad trio, it was ok-- I would not order it again. I got steak for my entree and it was wonderful! I ordered it medium and it was perfectly medium, well seasoned and seared nicely. Instead of ketchup, the fries are served with a mayo dipping sauce, which I enjoyed as well.
For dessert we all got the "grey stuff" which is a beautiful chocolate dessert with a grey cream (like a whipped cream) on top with grey edible pearls as garnish. It really was delicious!
Afterwards, we were told we could look into the other dining rooms and then meet the Beast for a photo before leaving, but were strictly instructed that "you must see the Beast last, because after meeting him you must leave the restaurant."
In sum, I found the food, our server and the decor great, but the many "rules" such as "you not leave the bridge", but being expected to stand for long waits with no seating and no estimate on the wait time; when my DS's grandmother could not stand any longer, told we could sit on a rock "but could not get up or walk around"; then, as we were leaving, the issue with being required to exit after meeting Beast all seemed a little rigid and odd, especially for the normally accommodating service from Disney, which is why I could not give Be Our Guest a 10.
