Most Recent Reviews
Review of Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
Reviewed by JennaDeeDooDah Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
My husband and I dined here on Monday, January 27. This was our first time at Via Napoli and we were not disappointed. The staff was all friendly from the hostess to the waiter and busboy. The food was fantastic! We split the calamari and I was amazed at ho wonderful the marinara sauce was that was served with it. We also had the Capricciosa pizza and it lived up the all of the hype. Our waiter told us that it was very authentic and that they even shipped in the water from a spring here in the states with the came chemical make up and PH level as the water they use to make the food in Italy. For dessert, we shared Zeppole di Caterina. They were able to stand on their own, but the whipped cream that came with them helped put them over the top as out of this world. We will definitely dine here again.
Pros:
food, service, ambianceCons:
—Review of MagicBand
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (6) Recommended
Jury is still out on this one. I was able to connect my room key, annual passes, and charging on the band. In the past I would have to carry a stack of cards for passes and room key. Disney also offers accessories for the bands to make even more $$. Well played Disney, well played! We did not have any issues with the bands and they worked fine. However, I did notice multiple issues when entering the parks. One bad band or problem will hold up an entire line. One morning at Hollywood Studies the entry line was moving at a snails pace due to the entire system running slow. What happens if system crashes even for 15-20 minutes? I'm giving the bands a solid 6 because it is a good concept. I can't say the same about Fastpass+.
Pros:
Everything goes on bandCons:
Slows down park entranceReview of FastPass+ (Retired)
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (3) Recommended
I have to say yes when recommending this product only because there is no other alternative!
It is a good idea in theory and that is where it ends. Even during the busiest times during the summer I could score 4-5 paper fastpasses easy. Magic Kingdom I could get passes for Thunder Mtn, Splash Mtn, Space Mtn, and Peter Pan, and possibly one more repeat for Thunder Mtn depending on how long we stayed at park. If you knew how to work the paper fastpass system it was easy. It did require some extra walking, but that was good to burn off those high calorie Disney meals. Now you can only get a pass for one big ticket ride and two rides that you usually don't even want to go on or don't need a pass. Wait times for those rides have also increased. Jan 31 and the wait times for Goofey's coaster, Small World, Haunted Mansion were all at 25-30 min by Noon? Never have I seen those crazy wait times at end of January. Who needs fastpasses for figment, Muppets show, Spaceship Earth, and Small World? Seriously Disney!
I have to pick my fastpass+ selection from one park per day only. Why get a park hopper option then? That was not well thought out by Disney.
In order to make this a success Disney needs to modify some of the policies/rules. Resort guests should get more Fastpass+ picks and there should be no restrictions. Resort guests should be able to get a pass for Soarin, Test Track, and Malestrom in the same day. I should not have to pick one of those rides. I would even not be opposed to a "class system" for the fastpass+. Deluxe guests get 5, Moderates 4, Value 3. They already do it for the bus stop locations at parks so why not for fastpass+?
This was a good theory, but it needs some big changes. This is obviously not a big hit right now and I can see why.
Pros:
reduce walkingCons:
limited selectionReview 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
