Most Recent Reviews
Review of Wild Africa Trek - Animal Kingdom
Reviewed by dvcnut Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This tour was awesome!! I will never view the safari tour the same way again. You learn so much more about the animals and get to see them more closely from vantage points that the vehicles can't give you. It was fun to watch the safari vehicles go by and have people take pictures of us as we stood above them. The lunch was light, but gave you the needed energy to finish the tour. Definitely worth the cost!
Pros:
EverythingCons:
NoneReview of Keys to the Kingdom - Magic Kingdom
Reviewed by dvcnut Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This is a great tour for the money. You learn so much and begin to appreciate what sets Disney apart from other theme parks. The only downside, if there is one, to the tour is that you are literally standing for five hours. The jungle ride, lunch, and haunted mansion are nice breaks but don't give your feet much of a break.
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Info learnedCons:
Standing for five hoursReview of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I stayed at Art of Animation with my two friends for the first time for six nights, 7/24-30. I had been twice prior to walk around and was able to previously tour a Cars suite with allears. This time I wanted a Lion King suite, and was able to book with a 60% off cast member discount.
I'll start with the minor negatives.
1)At check in, Pat forewarned us that cell phone service in the rooms and buildings might be poor as they were designed for hurricane weather, not wi-fi and cell towers. We had AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon as carriers, and none of us got great reception-one bar or no service at all.
2)The bathroom lighting, at least in the "guest" bathroom, was super dim due to the energy saving lightbulbs. It was so dark in there at first that I couldn't even tell I'd turned on the light.
3)Mousekeeping, particularly during the weekend, was a little odd. One day, they didn't make up the sofa bed at all, and while they replaced a few towels in the bathroom, the rest were just left in a pile (and not even a folded one, at that) on the Inovabed. We also came back to the room on Saturday night to find the safe locked and unable to be opened. Perhaps mousekeeping saw that there was money and medication in it and locked it? We called the desk and they sent up the Duty Manager quickly to help us out. Also, for the first two days we couldn't find the privacy tag (it was behind the emergency exit plakaed on the door), so I was woken up at 8:30am by mousekeeping knocking. Once we found it, we had no more disturbances.
4)When we first got to the room, my room key, and only mine, wouldn't work to open the door. I went down that evening to get it fixed. They told me that they would print me a new key and hopefully that would fix the problem. If not, it may be that a Magicband error was attached to the reservation and that would take longer to fix. Of course, it couldn't be the easy solution. On our second day I called the desk and they told me they would have to essentially re-book the reservation and cut us all new keys, which they did promptly. However, I didn't have my credit card with me, so the PIN and charging privileges were unable to be set up. This caused some confusion with the dining plan and purchases until I was able to go back again to add it back on. We also ended up with an extra day of CS credits on the DDP and a second set of mug credits as a result of the re-booking. Thankfully all cast members were extremely eager to help fix the problems I encountered.
All of these were pretty minor things and did not influence my choice of staying here again.
When we arrived around 1pm, our room was ready. I had requested a highest floor lake view room prior to arrival, and we were given a third floor lake view room. Our room was 6738, the second door from the exterior stairs, which made it a quick jaunt to the parking lot. The lake view was great! We hardly ever heard neighbors upstairs or to the sides, so either we didn't have any, they were very quiet, or the insulation was fantastic!
We found the suite to be spacious for the three of us and it allowed us to separate: the two girls took the living area and we gave the boy the bedroom. I slept on the Inovabed and found it perfectly comfortable, and nobody else complained about their beds either. The bathroom vanity had enough space for two females to spread out all their stuff. I did find the towels to be uncomfortable scratchy and thin, but hey, it's a value resort.
We liked having the kitchenette for drinks, breakfasts, snacks, and leftovers. I was sad that that they've done away with the colorful bedspreads; now they are just white with a runner at the bottom. We did have enough drawer and closet space, but the male in our group also basically lived out of his suitcase (his choice, not due to space restrictions). There was enough room to put luggage, albeit not out of the way-I kept mine against the wall between the living and bedrooms. We left the sofa and table beds pulled out all the time and mousekeeping left them that way. The floor by the living area windows was crowded with suitcases, the bug chair, and the couch cushions, but this wasn't a big deal. We also found there to be plenty of outlets, which is kind of a rarity in Disney hotels. The wi-fi in the rooms was great.
I did go down to the Flippin' Fins pool one night, but sadly, never made it to the Nemo pool. It wasn't crowded, but the water was warm, so it was relaxing. We enjoyed walking around the resort and exploring the different areas. I do feel the Lion King got a bit jipped on outdoor theming. There was construction on the "playground" the whole time, so perhaps Disney is finally converting it to something resembling more of a play space.
We used the buses only a few times: once coming back from Downtown Disney late at night, and one time each to and from Magic Kingdom in late afternoon/early evening. The wait was 10 minutes or less for all trips.
Landscape of Flavors was very good. The Ink and Paint shop had some cool stuff, and the cast members were very easy going and helpful when we had to return a couple of items. Pizza delivery was also satisfactory.
I highly recommend using Resort Airline Check In if eligible. Although they had a bit of difficulty finding our info at first, we were able to check in, get our boarding passes, and leave our luggage. It arrived back in Buffalo with no problem, and this also allowed us more space for souvenirs from Downtown Disney!
I absolutely adored this resort, and would not hesitate to stay here again. In fact, I may stay here in December or January with my mom and brother. None of the minor complaints inconvenienced us enough to influence our thoughts on the resort.
Pros:
Fun theme, friendly cast, great roomsCons:
Bathroom lighting, spotty mousekeeping, room key snafuReview of 50's Prime Time Cafe Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
I dined here for (I think) the fourth time on 7/29. This might be the table service restaurant I've eaten at the most! Our reservation was for 1:40pm. We arrived a few minutes early and spent some time in the "living room" but were seated by 1:45. Our party of four was given a TV table, which we were happy with!
Three of us were on the dining plan, and my other friend who joined us used my cast member discount for his meal. We ordered the awesome fried cheese appetizer to share and it was just as great as I remember it being this past December.
For our entrees, we had the Olive Oil Poached Salmon, Mom's Favorite Recipes (fried chicken, pot roast, and meatloaf with green beans, mashed potatoes, and collard greens), the Pot Roast, and the Fried Chicken. Everyone loved their meals and I'm fairly certain we all cleaned our plates.
Between desserts and beverages we had two PB&J shakes, a vanilla shake, Dad's Brownie Sundae (minus the whipped cream), and the Smores. I really don't get the smores hoopla. I didn't think they were all that great.
Our server was a bit brusque bordering on rude, and not in the fun spirit of the restaurant. When she seated us, she literally gave us the menu rundown and DDP inclusions twice in a row without starting over, like she totally forgot she had already said all of it. I experienced a bit of deja vu! She told us we couldn't have clean plate stickers even when we asked AND cleaned our plates, and didn't do any fun interaction with us. At the end of the meal she was kind of snarky about my discount and how I "should have told her sooner" that I would be using it.
While the food and environment were great, the poor service kind of ruined the experience. I will return but hope I don't get the same server again.
Pros:
Great foodCons:
So-so serviceReview of Main Street Bakery Serving Starbucks
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I was very sad that they decided to replace the old bakery, which was always a favorite. I chose to stop in here on 7/28 with a friend who loves Starbucks during evening extra magic hours. He said it was the most well staffed Starbucks he'd ever seen!
We did enjoy the fact that literally everything on the menu in any size is considered a snack credit on the DDP. He was able to order a Venti caramel coffee drink of some sort, and I got a strawberry & creme frappuccino (I am not a coffee drinker!). My friend was so happy to be able to get real coffee! If you're a Starbucks fan then this is a great addition to the parks, but if you prefer nostalgic, classic Disney then I think you may be disappointed.
Pros:
Real coffee, snack credit options, well staffedCons:
Not the same anymore =(Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We dined here for breakfast at 10:50am on 7/30. I had previously dined here alone in May 2010, and thought it was just okay bordering on poor quality. However, I wanted something relaxed but filling for our last day of vacation.
We were seated nearly right away, and our server was Laura. She brought us coffee, chocolate milk, and water with no problems, and was great about promptly clearing away our dishes and keeping the drinks refilled.
I started with breads and fruit: banana bread, blueberry muffin, croissant, and cinnamon roll, plus cantaloupe and pineapple. Another person in my group had a sticky bun and said it was great.
For my next course I had a waffle, a blueberry pancake, bacon, sausage, and oatmeal with brown sugar. I thought the oatmeal was a bit on the watery side, but I'm also used to instant oatmeal with milk. All other items were great.
My last trip up to the buffet was for the amazing Goat Cheese & Chive scrambled eggs. I remembered these being the best thing I ate during my last time here, and this time was no different. Everyone in my party loved them, and I normally HATE eggs of any kind.
This was a much better experience than the last time, and I now understand the Boma hype. Will definitely be joining on the bandwagon for this restaurant!
Pros:
Great food and serviceCons:
Watery oatmealReview of 'Ohana Dinner
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My two friends and I dined here on 7/28. We made reservations for 5pm, and arrived after an afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. Since it was still early, we sat at the Tambu Lounge bar and had a few drinks prior to checking in-Walt was a great bartender!
The line to check in was massive, or so I thought. The line was actually for people without reservations! I wish they would have made this clearer at the beginning. We were seated promptly at 5, right near the window and the fire pit, but the trees blocked much of the view.
Simo (I believe) was our server. We started with the always delicious pineapple bread, which was quickly followed by the salad. I loved the new dressing! Soon after we received the pot stickers, which our whole party loved, and the chicken wings. We asked for more of these items.
Not long after that, we were served the lo mein noodles and mixed vegetables. I enjoy the lo mein very much, since it has a bit of a sweet flavor, and my friend who loved broccoli had a field day eating the veggies! I'm also told the peanut dipping sauce was particularly good, and my party also seemed to like the sweet & sour sauce (there was no chimichurri sauce the night we were there).
I loved the chicken, and thought the steak and pork were good as well. I don't care for the marinade on the shrimp, but one of my friends liked it a lot. We were offered more meat several times, but were very full already!
I enjoyed the banans foster bread pudding more than in the past, and one of my friends liked it as well. My other friend doesn't like bananas, and asked if she could just have pineapple with caramel sauce like they used to do, but was told no. So she had bread pudding and ice cream with no sauce and was satisfied.
We were served so quickly that we did feel rushed. This is not a pleasant thing when you are being served so much food. That was our only real complaint. I enjoyed the meal much more this time than when I dined here last year, although I really believe that my perceptions were influenced by the company I was dining with (I liked my companions much more this time around).
One slight disappointment is that we did not receive leis upon the completion of our meal as we have in the past. I will definitely return, however!
Pros:
Great mealCons:
Food comes very quickly, rushed feelingReview of Yachtsman Steakhouse
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
One of my party of three recommended the Yachtsman, so we made it a point to dine here on our recent trip. Our reservation was for 7:20pm on 7/29. We arrived about 10 minutes early but were seated right on time.
Our server was Susan. We each ordered a drink from the bar: a beer of some sort, a Jamison Whiskey sour, and a "glow-tini". I don't really enjoy vodka, but I really wanted the glow cube! I also asked for a sprite, which Susan forgot to bring until I asked a second time.
We very much enjoyed the free sourdough rolls and onion muffins. For our appetizers, we had a crab rangoon (which I cannot find on any internet menu), the caesar salad, and the truffle macaroni and cheese. I thought the salad was okay; I wasn't expecting a sold half head of lettuce! I am told the macaroni was amazing.
I had to get the filet mignon with potaotes for my entree. Delicious! Very tender and flavorful. I did ask for it cooked medium, and I received it medium-rare but it was still great. My friend ordered the lamb with mashed potatoes subbed for the yuca fries, although she received both. She enjoyed this choice. My other friend wanted the Ramp & Goat Cheese Tortellini, but Susan warned him that it was a very small portion, so he also asked for a side of the Ratatouille. No complaints there either, and he said he was full but not stuffed when we left.
We were simply too full for dessert! It was a wonderful evening out and I'm glad this was my first "Signature" restaurant experience. Even with a 20% cast member discount and a mandatory 18% gratuity, the total was still just over $200. We did enjoy ourselves;I thoroughly recommend this restaurant and will make it a point to return!
Pros:
Delicious food, excellent serviceCons:
—Review of Wolfgang Puck Express Marketplace
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stopped by for lunch on our last day, 7/30. It wasn't very busy around 2pm and we were able to get a table with no difficulty. I ordered the cheese pizza and a frozen yogurt with sprinkles. One friend wasn't super hungry and just wanted the Butternut Squash Soup and a creme brulee. Since we had extra dining plan credits, my second friend ordered two of the chicken fingers and mashed potatoes, with one order to go. She got a creme brulee as well, plus a sugar cookie.
Service was great, as usual. My only minor complaint is that the vanilla frozen yogurt dispenser was broken, so I was only able to have chocolate.
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—Review of Earl of Sandwich
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 08/01/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
We went here on 7/30 to use up our 8 remaining counter service credits on the dining plan. This was just an insane amount of food, and all I've been eating for the last 24 hours is sandwiches!
We ordered two Originals and one each of the Earl's Club, All American, Hawaiian BBQ, Best BLT, Chicken Caesar Wrap, and Buffalo Chicken Wrap. We also got eight desserts: sugar, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies, a brownie, and mini-muffins. The eight bottled waters and diet cokes were given away to other guests since we couldn't take them on the plane.
All the items that I've eaten so far have been delicious, and there were no complaints from the other members in my party. Everything held up well during travel, but I am a bit sandwiched out!
