Most Recent Reviews
Review of Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - Breakfast
Reviewed by jdkyankees Review Date: 12/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was my 35th time since 1989, been to almost every restaurant in Disney World. 1st time here. I had 27 people in my party for my granddaughters birthday. Sat us together at 3 tables together. I did make the reservations 4 months in advance. Service, food, and princesses plenty. We saw 5 princesses, they paraded the kids all over the restaurant and came to the tables and spent as much time as you wanted. A manager would then come around and ask if the princesses spent enough time with us, he would send them out again if not. We said no they were great. Best kept secret in Disney. We went for lunch, and were told we could have as many entrees as you wanted. I have some picky eaters in the 27 and they all found something and loved it. In the end, I went to management and told her food, service, princesses were excellent. Will do it again.
Pros:
loved everythingCons:
should of gone soonerReview of MagicBand
Reviewed by jdkyankees Review Date: 12/28/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Loved it. I had 21 people in my party and did it all on line and it was easy, from tickets to park passes, to dining reservations. To do the fast passes, easy, easy, easy. I made them a month in advance, split the parties to do what they wanted,and changed them the night before. It was fun experience, any problems, just call they will take care of it. There were 2 minor problems, one military passes still have to be manually put in, but you can do it at any ticket booth now. The other one person had to be put back on the band would not work. Just go to your hotel and they will reprogram the band. Again, made my life a lot easier. This was 35th time, 3rd at Xmas since 1989. Will be back in Feb. to do it again.
Pros:
loved itCons:
communicationReview of Theme Park Photo Pass
Reviewed by Ronniedawg01 Review Date: 12/28/2013
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
We purchased PhotoPass Plus for our granddaughter's first trip. Although the photographers were very pleasant and professional, the customer service end of this process was severely lacking. I placed my order for the CD that I had already paid for and a storybook that I spent literally 48+ hrs. making for my granddaughter's Christmas gift. I also checked 4 day shipping, which would have given me just enough time to receive the CD and book. The book was mailed one day AFTER the CD. The book arrived well within the 4 day window; the CD which was mailed one day earlier, again using the same 4 day shipping method, has yet to arrive. It is now 10 days after I received notice the CD was mailed, and still have not received it. Christmas has come and gone and still no pictures. In addition, I also noticed that several pictures were missing, so I emailed and called. They found all but one. It has never been found. I have pleaded with them to send me another CD and to mail it with tracking information. They do NOT answer my emails. Totally unacceptable and unprofessional. Never Again.
Pros:
Nice Photographers, Nice PicturesCons:
Receiving the CD and their customer serviceReview of Wolfgang Puck Express Marketplace
Reviewed by Nicklissa Review Date: 12/28/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Our family of 4 (including my husband and his parents) visit Disney World several times per year. Wolfgang Puck Express is ALWAYS a place we visit once or twice (or more) each trip. During Christmas week 2013 we only made it once, but it was still very good. The line to order was out the door and extended to the Christmas shop. Inside was busy, noisy, and all tables were full. My husband and I waited in line to order while his parents waited for an indoor table. The line to order was slow and long. It took about 20 minutes to finally order, but being the holiday season, we were not surprised or upset by the wait.
Mother-in-law and I had the grilled salmon which is served with fennel, tomatoes, arugula, roasted potatoes and horseradish cream. I really enjoyed this, but mother-in-law said the greens/salad were too bitter and tough and there were not enough potatoes (she is very, very hard to please). She ended up switching plates with my father-in-law who said he was thoroughly enjoying the BBQ Chicken flatbread pizza he ordered. He liked the salmon as well. My husband had the mac and cheese - it was very delicious. Husband and I are vegetarians who still eat fish (I don't eat shell fish, he does), and it's great to find a restaurant that has items we can eat. Husband and I ended up sharing our meals - the combination of his mac and cheese with the salmon was much tastier than the original combinations, but all was delicious. We will be back again.
Pros:
Food!Cons:
Can be noisyReview of Jiko - The Cooking Place - Jambo House
Reviewed by Nicklissa Review Date: 12/28/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Our family of 4 (including my husband and his parents) ate here on Christmas night 2013. We checked in 20 minutes earlier than our reservation and were seated within five minutes. Staff were very friendly and genuine. The restaurant is beautifully themed, and the quiet, muted, dark tones are appreciated by people such as myself who suffer terribly from migraines.
Our waiter was friendly and the number one reason we chose Jiko for Christmas dinner is this is one of the few restaurants on Disney World property that has a full, separate vegetarian menu. My husband and I are vegetarian, though my husband still eats fish. Having full options from appetizers and soups to entrees was a welcome change. We usually have to ask how everything is made and then try to negotiate changes to adhere to our dietary restrictions. Having the menu, a regular part of Jiko, on hand was lovely.
After drink orders were taken by our waiter, another staff member brought us an amuse bouche of plum pudding. Very tasty, and I usually hate plums.
We ordered the Taste of Africa and the cheese plate as our appetizers. The Taste of Africa is a selection of breads/flatbreads/crackers with four unique African-inspired/spiced dipping sauces. All was very good, and experiencing new spices was fun. The cheese selections were paired with sweet chutneys/brittle/jam, etc. and were wonderful. The only part of the appetizers we didn't like was when the plates were empty.
For entrees my father-in-law ordered Spicy Botswana-style "Seswaa" Beef Short Rib served with Cassava-potato puree, sambal, mushrooms and fava beans. He was leary of the short ribs being off-the-bone, but said it was delicious. My mother-in-law ordered the Lamb Two Ways which was served with autumn vegetables, pumpkin seed duqqa, grilled olive ciabatta and pomegranate demi glace. She is hard to please, especially with lamb, and she literally wanted to suck the bones (disgusting for us vegetarians), but she said it was the best she's ever had.
My husband ordered the West African Jerked Scallops that came with basmati rice, red quinoa, baby rainbow carrots, and coconut curry sauce. He enjoyed it very much and said the scallops were cooked well, not rubbery, and spiced nicely.
I ordered the Braai Pie that I can best describe as a type of quiche with a crust, filled with squash, carrots, potatoes, garbanzo beans, wilted greens and "tamatie bredie - a type of tomato sauce I think. It also came with some pickled veggies such as radish, etc. and that was terrible - too salty and weird textures. I did not eat that. The pie was delicious - but very small.
The reason I can not give Jiko a score of 10 for this visit is the time we waited for entrees. It took a while, which was fine. However, when the food arrived, everyone got what they ordered except for my husband. Since we told the waiter we were vegetarians, but that my husband still ate fish, the waiter noted the table as two of us being vegetarians. This was fine, but when the waiter put in the order for jerked scallops, the kitchen made the vegetarian version of this - which is jerked tofu. They took the dish back and my husband watched as we all ate. We tried to wait, but the food was getting cold. A floor manager checked in on us and when she found out about the mix up she promised to check in with the kitchen. She was very nice and very apologetic. However, the three of us finished our entire meal before my husband was even served.
It took some time after entrees to get our dessert ordered and served. Mother-in-law and I had the Chocolate and Tea Safari which included Vanilla rooibos-Tanzanian chocolate cake, free form "kit kat" and green tea ice cream. The ice cream was gross to me, but mother-in-law enjoyed it. Everything else, however, was divine - truly truly divine.
My husband ordered the banana bread pudding. It was served with ice cream in a separate dish. He enjoyed it but found it dry.
Father-in-law ordered the milk tart which included fig jam, whole figs with gold leaf sprinkles, and goat's milk balsamic ice cream. He said it was very good, but very small.
Getting the bill took a while as well, but we had a great time overall. We were on the dining plan, so 2 credits per person were used. The meal, had we not used dining credits, was almost $400 (including appetizers, entrees, 3 alcoholic beverages, 4 non-alcoholic beverages, desserts, taxes, and tip).
We will be back and I highly recommend you try it here. They do have a dress code, so you may want to check with the restaurant or Disney Dining when you make your reservation.
Pros:
Food, Vegetarian MenuCons:
Can be slow; pricesReviewed by Nicklissa Review Date: 12/28/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
Our family of four (husband and my in-laws) stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House on DVC points in a 2-bedroom lock-off with a savannah view December 22-27, 2013. The lobby never fails to amaze us, as we have seen it on numerous visits to the on-site restaurants. Our home resort is AKL Kidani and this was our first time staying at Jambo House. The theming is magnificent, the savannah quite beautiful, and the feeling of the Disney magic is definitely there. Check in was easy and cast members were very nice.
We stayed on the 5th floor (I believe all DVC units are on the 5th floor). We had a 2-bedroom lock off and both rooms had a musty/old smell. The larger 1-bedroom was hot all of the time - the a/c was not working well and the occupancy sensor was deformed, as if someone broke it. The fridge was also beat up - large, and I mean LARGE dents in the fridge were not exactly Disney-level. The small "island" in the kitchen had damaged legs, was uneven, and wobbled. The dining room table legs were also damaged and was wobbly. Some of the chairs were damaged and were also uneven.
The worst part was the studio lock-off. My husband and I shared this space. The couch had a VERY LARGE and VERY WET stain on one cushion - we were afraid to use the couch at all and put the bedspread on it and avoided both the entire week.
The 1-bedroom kitchen/dining/and living room were very small - VERY SMALL - especially compared to our stays at Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge Villas, Boardwalk, Kidani, Saratoga Springs, Hilton Head, etc. etc. We were always bumping into each other. The main bedroom was fine, the bathroom a good size. The studio lock-off adjoining the main 1-bedroom was also small. The bathroom was ridiculously small - barely enough room to turn around in to shut the door. We found it claustrophobic. TV's in both rooms were nice - a fair size and they pulled out from the hutch and were able to be turned. Ceiling fans appeared old, and were very, very noisy.
We enjoyed the savannah view, which made up for a lot. However, with the very obvious dents/damage and size - and the large amount of points required for a Christmas Week stay (not to mention the price if one were to pay cash), it was disappointing. It needs updating, cleaning, and repairs.
The Mara quick service restaurant was nice - my husband and I are vegetarians and we were able to find items to eat without asking for special accommodation - a huge plus.
The resort itself, outside of the rooms, is beautiful and well maintained. Yes, we would go back - but only on points at the Kilimanjaro Club level. Otherwise, if staying in a regular 2-bedroom, we'll go to Kidani every time until updates are made.
Pros:
Savanna view; most cast members; on-site restaurants; theme/Disney magicCons:
aged accommodations; some cast membersReviewed by 2SweetFlowers Review Date: 12/27/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
We love staying at AKL Jambo House for the ambiance -- especially the lobby area -- and the great views of animals. We stayed here two nights in December 2013. Our DVC room was about a two minute brisk walk from the lobby, which was a real problem for one of my traveling companions with health issues. Unfortunately, no other rooms closer to the lobby were available. The deluxe studio was comfortable for two, but a little challenging with four in the room. The wait time for bus transportation to the parks was very long -- especially for those of us heading to Animal Kingdom park. We waited over 20 minutes -- and some guests waited over 35 minutes -- before a bus arrived. It quickly filled to standing capacity leaving about 20 of us waiting to board. Another 5 or 6 minutes wait -- and then success -- only a short drive to Animal Kingdom park and we were even able to get seats on the bus! I would stay here again, but would definitely call in advance to request a room close to the lobby.
Pros:
Ambiance, AnimalsCons:
Bus Transportation, Distance to RoomReviewed by dandnmom Review Date: 12/26/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Yum Yum Yum. Second time eating here and it didn't disappoint. Great way to try new things - plenty of the basics if you're not that adventurous. (But why go if you're not.... you can get mashed potatoes elsewhere for a lot less....) Wish they'd put out a Boma-specific cookbook - I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Servers were very pleasant and quick, everyone eager to help - many were from Africa and eager to share their culture. How long 'til I can go back....?!?!?
Pros:
lots to try - good variety no matter your tasteCons:
priceReview of Candlelight Processional (Epcot)
Reviewed by dandnmom Review Date: 12/26/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
The program is lovely - singers are talented, Trace Adkins did a nice job, gives good meaning to the real purpose of Christmas. Had a rather loooong line to get in but moved quickly (as part of the paid meal package). Paid package was a real time saver - saw others in stand by line waiting over 2hrs to get in... we only waited a short time. Only frustration was Disney split the theater- standby on one side and meal package on others... would have "felt better" if they had given the best seats to the meal packages up front (for what was $$ paid). Good to do if you have the $ and want to eat at one of the restaurants anyway but if watching money, just sit outside the pavilion and listen - that's the best part (You go for the music and reading -the singers and orchestra don't "do" anything - no dancing, etc)
Pros:
wonderful focus on the real meaning of ChristmasCons:
those who were standby got just as good if not better seatsReviewed by dandnmom Review Date: 12/26/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
We attended on 12/19 - for the money paid, not sure it was worth it. The lines to see the parades, fireworks, etc were just wayyyy too crowded - felt like a sardine. Didn't get much hot chocolate or cookies (not that I need it- LOL) b/c the crowds near Main Street were just too busy. One main reason to go was to see "unique" character meet n greets - line for 7 Dwarfs was 1&1/2hrs - really- forget that... Did have a lot of short lines for rides which was nice. It was all just too much in too short of time - go to see special events or go to have short lines for the rides and skip the other offerings - but not both b/c you'll be unhappy like me.
