Most Recent Reviews
Review of Biergarten - Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by John Review Date: 10/16/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
My grandaughter loves to eat at the Biergarten, as does the rest of the family. They have great food, service, entertainment and a wonderful family atmosphere. Also enjoy meeting other people from various parts of the country eating at our table.
Pros:
Great Food and entertainmentCons:
—Review of Undiscovered Future World - Epcot
Reviewed by mfener Review Date: 10/16/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
My wife and I love backstage tours and since we had been to Epcot many times before (and love it!) we felt this would be a fun new experience. And for the most part it was. It's long: over 4 hours, and the last three hours were very informative and enjoyable. The problem was the the first hour, which was a recap of Epcot's history, given while we stood in front of Guest Relations. Our guide was knowledgable and personable and did a fine job, but we wish the tour script called for immediate visits to the backstage areas, all of which were very interesting and exactly what we were looking for. The VIP lounges in the Living Seas and Mission Space were beautifully impressive. The Land and getting a front row seat in Soaring was great. The enormous costume and cast member area was a real treat, especially when we had the chance to peak in at the princesses putting on make-up and getting ready for their "shifts". The large backstage mehanical area for test track vehicles and for the Illuminations barges was also very interesting.
Going backstage and seeing the tremendous amount of activity that goes on behind the scenes gives you a new appreciation for the planning, operation and management of an enterprise like Epcot. The number of cast members, vehicles of all sizes, tons of machinery, and huge support buildings of all kinds are just amazing.
All in all, it was a good tour and we would recommend it to anyone who has a yen to see how magic is created. The perks at the end, including a discounted lunch in China and preferred seating for Illuminatins, were nice even though we didn't use them.
Pros:
Backstage areasCons:
45 minute Epcot historyReview of Kouzzina by Cat Cora - Dinner
Reviewed by RF53 Review Date: 10/15/2013
Rating: (1) Recommended
I wish I could tell you what the food is like at this restaurant, but I never got to order! Our experience started out pleasantly. We were greeted promptly and our reservation time was honored, which is not common for most Disneyworld area restaurants. The hostess was very nice. She addressed us by name and escorted us to our table. She said someone would be right with us. That is the last member of the restaurant staff I saw for quite some time. I noticed that the restaurant was only half full, however it was very loud and the staff was running around as if they were in a race. Someone raced by our table and said without stopping that she would be right with us. Again, nothing. Not even a glass of water. It made me feel like if I was at Denny's. At this point I said to myself, "If a member of the staff does not come to our table in the next two minutes we are out of here". No one came. I realized then what kind of a night it was going to be if we stayed. This restaurant is touted as one of the better restaurants in Lake Buena Vista, if not the entire Disneyworld property. Perhaps we caught it on a bad night, but I expected so much more from a restaurant where I planned to spend a couple of hundred dollars. The chef may be iron, but the service was more like wet cardboard! Needless to say, I won't be going back.
Pros:
—Cons:
ServiceReviewed by Mknight Review Date: 10/15/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was such a fun time for us. The lines for everything were short even for popular rides. The special food items are great and the treats at the trick or treating stations were plentiful. The parade, dancing, and decorations all made for a special night. With them letting people with party tickets in at 4:00 that means 8 whole hours to enjoy everything, with that in mind I can't complain about the price.
Pros:
Parade Dance Parties short lines at the attractionsCons:
NAReviewed by tmbcole Review Date: 10/14/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We were at Old Key West from September 29th through October 3rd and we loved the location. Check-in was quick and simple the cast member who assisted us was very helpful and had us checked-in within a few minutes (less than 5 min).
The resort was beautiful. We were only a 10 minute bus ride to any park. We were located on Miller Road, as I requested, and our bus stop was the next to the last stop and then we were off to the parks. It was awesome.
We had a deluxe studio and that was the biggest studio we've ever stayed in. Pros and cons . . . the location. We loved the location for the bus transportation. We hated the location because of the noise from the highway, golf course (early in the morning), and the water sprinklers for the golf course. I need to do more research next time so I can request a different location.
We ate at Oliva's one morning and it was excellent. The quick service location (I forget the name) was just as good. The price of food was excellent and priced within my budget.
I look forward to staying here again. I highly recommend this resort.
Pros:
Beauty & Bus TransportationCons:
Looks wornReview of Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles
Reviewed by tiredmom812 Review Date: 10/14/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We shared a ham and cheese croissant, creme brulee, and duo chocolate. All were delicious. There are so many beautiful desserts, it's hard to choose what to get.
The new location is larger, but I think they should have used more of that space for seating.
Pros:
Most everythingCons:
Lack of seatingReview of Flame Tree Barbecue
Reviewed by tiredmom812 Review Date: 10/14/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Once again, we were not disappointed with our dinner here. Plenty of food, and it tastes great. I didn't care for the beans, but DH loved them. We like to sit nearest the water where we can see Mt. Everest.
If you are bothered by birds, you may not like the outdoor seating here. There were several birds walking around our table waiting for something to drop.
Pros:
Taste, portions, seating areaCons:
BeansReview of Artist Point
Reviewed by Kurt Jensen Review Date: 10/13/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
When we checked in we were seated at a two-top with an uncomfortable bench seat. There were many empty tables. After insisting on being seated somewhere else, the rest of our time was fine. (Hint to Artist Point staff: If you are offering a free amuse bouche at one table and don't at others, folks notice) Our meal was very well done. We both had a wonderful mushroom soup. The cedar plank salmon was great. My wife said the pork tenderloin was great too. The Pacific Northwest wine list is nice touch.
Pros:
Food, winesCons:
seatingReview of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by tiredmom812 Review Date: 10/13/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
We arrived around 1:30, and had a room by 3. Check in was quicker than I expected, given the amount of people in the lobby. It was crazy, but Disney kept it moving. The suites are the perfect size for our family of 5, and we loved having our own room and bathroom. The sofa bed, and murphy bed were easy to ready. You could hear noise from the hallway, but not from other rooms. It was very quite, not like our stays at Pop in the past. Mousekeeping was great, always clean. There was a towel fish and Mickey when we arrived, those were the only towel animals we had all week. The Big Blue Pool was great for all of our kids, ages 5,10 & 13. We didn't get to use it as much as we would have liked to because it was cold at night.
I was not impressed with breakfast. The eggs were just disgusting. DH & DS didn't like the hashbrowns either. And if you order the platter with the yellow sauce, it does not come in a bowl as pictured. It is put on the plate, and gets on everything else. By time you get through the lines, your food is cold. This is the worst food I've ever had on Disney property. We did get pizza one night, and it was good.
We also had problems with phone service in and around the buildings. We had to go to the lake, or out front to use our phones. Another problem was the parking. The closest parking to the Finding Nemo rooms is in front of the main building.
Overall, we were very happy with our stay, and will probably want to stay there again on our next trip.
Pros:
Theme, pool, size of suiteCons:
Food, parking, cell serviceReviewed by Kurt Jensen Review Date: 10/12/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Loved the new Octoberfest and the IPA. We shared an order of chicken nachos. They were quite good. We usually visit at least once while we are at Disneyworld.
