Most Recent Reviews
Review of Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
The food is a 9.5 all day, everyday. Lack of seating is the first problem. Disney could lose the big round tables with 5 chairs and fit many more square tables with 4 chairs in the seating area. The 4 or 5 park benches in the courtyard do not cut it either when the band if playing. Final issue is the wildlife. I was walking with a tray of food along the main walkway and a bird swooped out of the sky and hit my tray. I had a firm grasp on the tray and it nearly came flying out of my hands. I expect that I may have to fight off birds and other fury rodents when seated along the water. But birds swooping down and trying to grab food as you are walking is over the top. Disney needs to take some steps towards getting rid of this wildlife problem. It is most likely the same wildlife and they now expect to be fed. They have no fear of humans and that is dangerous.
Pros:
Great fishCons:
wildlife and lack of seatingReview of Hollywood and Vine Dinner
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
I went into this dining experience not expecting much and I was surprised. We only ate here for the fantasmic dinner package. In the long run the package wasn't even needed as the Fantasmic show was not full.
Due to the weather we decided to check-in 30 minutes early and we got a table within 5 minutes. We sat down around 4:30 and it was not busy at all. By 5:30 it was full and waiting area was full outside. We never had an issue getting to the buffet even with the crowds. We probably stayed longer than we normally do because of the weather and we were never rushed.
The service was a 10. Our waiter took our drink orders immediately after sitting down and brought refills when needed. My kids were celebrating their birthday and the server brought special cupcakes for them. This is the best service we ever had at a Disney restuarant. He was an older Asian guy and I wish I got his name to give him a shoutout!
The food was an 8 - 8.5. When compared to places like the Crystal Palace, Tusker House, and 1900 Park Fare, Hollywood and Vine is a 10. The buffet had a good selection and everything was fresh. The top picks were the lobster and shrimp mac and cheese, pasta, chicken breast with ranch sauce, and salmon.
Obviously you have to pay Disney prices. For 2 adults and 2 children we had to come out of pocket $140 after tip. That keeps this from being a 10. If you are on the dining plan then Hollywood and Vine is a no-brainer. Coming out of pocket you might want to think twice. This same meal would have cost me $35-40 at Golden Corral near I-4.
Overall this rates near the top of Disney buffets. Only a few rate ahead of it in my opinion (Biergarten, Ohana, and maybe Cape May.)
Pros:
Overall good experienceCons:
costReview of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
Stayed in Building 10 (70's) Jan 30-Feb 2. Arrived at about 8:15 am and they had a room ready. Check-in was quick and easy. We were using the wrist bands so everything was on them. I was able to link my annual passes, fastpass+ selections, charging, and room key all to the band.
Our room was on the corner of the courtyard facing the foosball players and the lake. The area was quiet for the most part. However, the one day we decided to take a timeout and rest at the room for a few hours we had to listen to a South American school group sing, clap, and chant in the courtyard. Why they picked that courtyard I don't know? This brings up my major issue at value resorts. You have to put up with large groups almost anytime of the year. A big high school dance competition was going on at HS so a imagine the All-Star resorts were even worse during this weekend. I'm starting to think there is no slow time of the year at Disney anymore.
We did not use the food court. It looked to be very busy every morning when we walked by. The gift shop is attached to the dining area. The gift shop was nicer and bigger than the All-Star Sports.
Our room was adequate. The room is small as expected. We area family of 4, but we spend most of time at parks or pool so room size is not a huge issue. Beds were ok. I noticed mildew on the corner of the shower tiles and a layer of dust on the shelf above the mini-fridge. Our room was cleaned by 1pm.
The main pool near Classic Hall serves the purpose. Kids were disappointed with no slide and adults wanted hot tub. Other than those differences you also have to bring towels to pool. Moderates and deluxe have towels for use at the pool area.
The bus service was pretty good. We never waited more than 10 minutes coming or going for a Pop Century bus. Major complaint is no shade/shelter at Classic Hall bus stops. While we waited in the rain several times the bus driver took his time loading motorized scooters first. Disney should consider a system where people with motorized scooters and people with large land yacht strollers have to wait for a special bus. Anyway.....
Overall our experience at Pop was better than All-Star Sports. I just like the feel of the Deluxe resorts better. Some of the little things make staying at a Deluxe or Moderate worth the extra cash. I have to give Pop an above average rating because it served our purpose for this trip with no major problems.
Pros:
PriceCons:
Large Tourist GroupsReview of Mama Melrose's Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by JennaDeeDooDah Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
My husband and I love Mama's and eat here every trip to Walt Disney World. Our most recent time was on Sunday, January 26. We checked in 10 minutes before our ADR and were promptly seated. I love looking at the photos of all of the stars who have dined there that grace the walls when you first walk in. I also really enjoy the theming. I think it is quite pretty in there and my husband and I have found that it is an excellent restaurant for a romantic dinner for two, or for a fun family meal.
We were on the Fantasmic Dining Package, so my husband and I each had an appetizer and an entree with a dessert to share. My husband had the mussels and I had the calamari. My husband loved that the mussels were in the seafood arrabbiata sauce, but didn't care for the mussels themselves. He had trouble shelling many of them. The calamari was good. I enjoyed the red sauce that came with it more than the red sauce at Tony's, but not as much as the red sauce at Via Napoli. The second dipping sauce was a pesto-based sauce that I didn't care for. The calamari itself was good.
My husband opted for the charred strip steak and I had the margherita flatbread. The flatbread was no bad, but I prefer the wild mushroom flatbread. With the margherita, the cheese didn't cover the entire pizza. Wherever they put a tomato slice, there was no cheese. That is not the case on the wild mushroom flatbread. My husband raved about his steak. I had a bit and had to agree. It practically melts in your mouth. I highly recommend it.
The dessert platter that we shared had the seasonal panna cotta with a mango compote, chocolate amaretti cheesecake, and something else that I can't really remember. The cheesecake was both of our favorites and we didn't care for the panna cotta.
Overall, it was a nice meal and we will certainly continue to return here. It's not as well themed as Sci Fi Dine In or 50's Prime Time Cafe, so your children might prefer one of those restaurants, but I do highly recommend Mama's, as well. The food is always good, the waitstaff is attentive, and the theming is lovely.
Pros:
food, atmosphere, serviceCons:
Not as themed as other resorts in the same parkReview of Tony's Town Square Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by JennaDeeDooDah Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
My husband and I had dinner at Tony's on Saturday, January 25. We had scheduled our ADR for 30 minutes prior to the Main Street Electrical Parade in hopes of watching the parade from the patio while we dined. We checked in 45 minutes before our ARD to request a seat on the patio. They told us that, unfortunately, they would not be able to accommodate us as those seats were already taken as the people currently sitting out there had requested them for the parade. I was a bit surprised to find out that people would sit out there for over an hour prior to the parade starting after they had all finished their meals, but no big deal. We headed tot he room to wait for our names to be called.
It is cute how they call out, "Attenzione! Attentzione!" before they call your name for a reservation. We got to hear it a lot, actually, as we were seated 20 minutes past our ADR. I suppose that was to be expected, though, as there were many people who weren't going to be leaving their table until after the parade. We were pleasantly surprised to be seated in the front room where we ended up having a rather good view of the parade. It did get a bit crowded as some people tried to come in the room to watch the parade. The staff at Tony's was good at having them take seats to keep from blocking the view of those of us at tables. the room was quite lovely as it was mostly made of glass and the roof was almost 100% skylight. I loved the fountain of Lady and the Tramp as we walked through the restaurant, as well.
My husband and I had read reviews of this place and decided to stay away from main dishes with red sauce. We ended up ordering the calamari as an appetizer and it came with a red sauce and an olive relish, so we were able to sample the red sauce. It really wasn't bad. It was the kind of thing you would have from a Buitoni, Prego, or Ragu jar, but certainly not as disgusting as many have made it out to be. The olive relish was very good.
My husband ordered the shrimp scampi at the recommendation of our waiter (who was excellent, by the way, and very good at making recommendations). He enjoyed it, but didn't think that there was much shrimp on the dish. I ended up having the soup of the day and the tomato mozzarella salad. The soup was butternut squash and was quite good. It tasted different than any other butternut squash soup I have had as it seemed to have significantly more spices, but I did enjoy it. The salad was good, as well, with large cuts of mozzarella.
Halfway through our dinner, a couple came in who had just gotten engaged. Tony's made the meal special for them by laying out a checkered table cloth and lighting a candle in a Chianti bottle for their table. I loved that little touch. In all, I'm sure we would eat here again, but it isn't at the top of our list. The food was decent and the atmosphere lovely, but there are other restaurants we enjoy more.
Pros:
Service, parade viewCons:
crowdingReview of Tony's Town Square Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by ljbevis Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
I booked this restaurant because we were on the deluxe plan and there are so few table service restaurants in Magic Kingdom. We were able to watch the entire electrical parade while waiting for our table with 7:15 reservations. The table was cramped with 9 of us at an 8 top. The server rushed us through the courses (more so than any other place all week.) The Calamari appetizer was good, but the sauce was terrible. My DS had the melon which was drenched in balsamic vinegar. When it was mentioned to the server she very rudely pointed out that it gave more flavor. Family members who have eaten in Italy said they have never seen melon and ham with vinegar like that. The entrees were universally bad. We had the steak, short ribs, cioppino, and kids pizza. One of my dd couldn't even eat the pizza. The cioppino is supposed to be in a broth and it was in the same marinara as the dipping sauce for the calimari. The steaks were ok, not great and the short ribs were awful. The only person who said his food was ok was my brother who had the chicken parm. We have decided that we would have been better off with the quick service at Cosmic Ray's even using a deluxe dining credit than eating at Tony's. I am not sure what I would do in future, but Tony's will not be on my list of ADR's on our next visit. I suggest you do yourself a favor and skip it as well.
Pros:
TS in Magic KingdomCons:
Price, food, serviceReviewed by Kasaro0819 Review Date: 02/02/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
This is definitely my favorite hotel at disney, it's easy to get around, friendly helpful staff, super easy check in. The bus service was much better then expected & the food court food is pretty good
Pros:
Small, great bus service, food court, clean roomsCons:
Loud toiletsReview of Kona Cafe Breakfast
Reviewed by Fishfamily Review Date: 02/02/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We try to visit WDW in January for lower crowds and prices. We had no plans on Sunday so I wanted to see The Polynesian resort. Going to the Kona was a good way to do that.
We loved it! The food was good and the service was good as well. I had the Tonga toast, My kids had eggs wife enjoyed the coffee. Its hard to screw up breakfast and it was really good.
Afterwards we walked all over the resort including spending time by the lagoon. I think this will be a yearly thing now, the Poly is fabulous and breakfast at the Kona is a nearly perfect way to start the day.
Pros:
Atmosphere, foodCons:
Can't think of oneReview of Cinderella's Royal Table Breakfast
Reviewed by Fishfamily Review Date: 02/02/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
I was very much looking forward to our princess breakfast and I was not disappointed! We had an early seating, 8am or so, and it was great. Lots of pictures of us on an empty Main Street, that is worth something right there.
We got our picture with Cinderella and were seated quickly. Drinks are included so after you prepay you can just enjoy the experience. And it is neat dining INSIDE the castle. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Jasmine all made the rounds. They are introduced with their background and the kids get all excited ghessing who it is.
The food is quite good and I like that its not a buffet. The service was friendly and efficient. There was plenty of time with the princesses, we would go back, my girls, ages 4 and 2 are still talking about it.
Pros:
Atmosphere, princesses, food, all-inclusiveCons:
It is not cheapReview of Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by jenniemouse Review Date: 02/02/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
Loved taking boat to MK. Rooms had plenty of room for storage and we could see fireworks from our woods view balcony. Food court was small and crowded around the coffee in the morning but served us when we need it. Bus stopped at GF on way to AK and FW campsites on way to EP. We drove our car to HS. Overall loved it and would go back.
