Most Recent Reviews
Review of Disney's DELUXE Dining Plan
Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Cannot say enough good things about the Deluxe Plan.
Last year we had some credits left over with no possible room in our tummies to indulge so this year we planned to double up some of the credits and spent them at places like Cinderella's Royal Table, Crystal Palace etc...places we would not have normally eaten and certainly would have racked up serious dollars had we paid out of pocket.
I LOVE the Deluxe plan and would not choose any other plan as although we ate a lot of food, you're a) doing a lot of walking so you're working off the extra food b) you're inclined to try things you would not normally try and that gives a very interesting experience c) we went in July so in between the rain it is very humid so again...the weight is not going to go on. I actually lost 6lbs at Disney in 7 days and we all ate a TON of food.
Highly recommend the Deluxe plan so that you can add variety AND save money.
On the last day, we had 8 credits left for snacks and had learned that we could use them on the fresh baked goodies including fudge from our hotel's bakery counter. How delicious to be able to enjoy another Disney memory...at home...:)
Pros:
Freedom to try new places and new foodCons:
—Review of Crystal Palace Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Definitely top 5 of our dining experiences this year. We were seated promptly and our waitress was very attentive.
The food is really very good and there's plenty of choices, especially for those health conscious (salads were very fresh) and vegetarians. we all loved the Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and had second helpings. DD loved the chicken nuggets, the carvery and the rice noodles with particular rave on the chipotle pasta. The carvery is very well organized.
The desserts were limited but delicious.
The characters are very attentive. I got a kiss from Pooh (I think he loves me), Tigger was the life and soul of the party but everybody loved Eey-ore. The congo was absolutely hilarious. It is moments like that that make you really feel you are in Disney.
The waitress found out it was DD and her friend's birthdays that week and brought over delicious cupcakes and birthday cards signed by the characters.
We would definitely return to the restaurant.
Pros:
Ambience and serviceCons:
—Review of Cinderella's Royal Table Lunch
Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
First of all I was surprised to read anything negative about this experience but I guess that's the luck of the experience. We cannot say enough great things about the experience.
I pre-paid by credit card but the server asked if I wanted to convert to DDP which i did and I have received that credit on my Visa since.
Now to the experience itself. Upon arriving at the podium, the concierge was delighted to make up three badges for us, all decorated with our Princess names and Mickey ears. We were escorted in to the chamber where there was a brief line up for a picture with Cinderella. We had purchased the PhotoPass+ Plus and they delivered the package to our table.
We were escorted immediately up nine stairs to the dining area. I kept thinking "I'm in the CASTLE!!!".
We were seated and our server arrived and was wonderfully attentive. She loaded us with wands and regaled us with tips about he best items on the menu. The meals arrived very promptly. we were served our beverages in beautiful blue goblets with plenty of refills.
The soup was great as were the grapes (very fresh) and cheese.
DD had the chicken as did her friend and they devoured it. I had the vegies with gnocchi pasta and I was in LOVE with it...it was outstanding.
The best was the Signature dessert which is still the cover picture on my FB page. It was delicious.
The Princesses were wonderfully in character. Jasmine was hilarious as was Ariel.
Our waitress arrived with delicious birthday cupcakes complete with candles for the birthday girls and everyone sang happy birthday to my daughter and her friend.
I could not have asked for a better experience.
Thank you again Disney!
Pros:
You are INSIDE the castle111Cons:
—Review of Rainforest Cafe
Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We usually eat here at the RFC and always enjoy the food. Menu is very varied. There are vegetarian choices as well. Servings are large so if dining on the DDP you may find you want to go hungry.
we found the appetizers to be very satisfactory and likely would have been enough food.
They have taken the veggie burger off the menu. That was sad so had the veggie wrap instead. It was ok. DD had the hamburger and enjoyed it. Her friend had the chicken pasta and said it was good. we ordered the Volcano and it was charged as a dessert on the DDP so there was no extra charge.
I treated myself to a margarita and it was great!
The atmosphere was pleasant. The only reason I gave it a 9 was that the restaurant was freezing. We were all shivering....
We have eaten at the RFC in DD and thought it was actually better.
Pros:
Good food, nice ambienceCons:
—Reviewed by alwill Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
To preface this review, we had visited the Grand Floridian resort multiple times during the Christmas Holidays for the decorations and gingerbread house and my wife had always remarked on those occasions she'd like to stay there at least once. So for her 50th birthday, my present for her was to stay at the Floridian in the main building on the fourth floor-- the same floor as the Club level. We were given a turret room with a king bed, which is a larger room than what is shown on the WDW website, with windows all around (no balcony.) Another difference was instead of a jacuzzi bath, it was a large garden bath which pleased my wife immensely.
One of the perks of Club level is the food and beverages, which is served at different times of the day. We found the morning serving adequate for breakfast, with the service much like a bread-and-breakfast. (My wife really liked the oatmeal and add-ons.)
Another perk was the music, with a pianist playing in the afternoon and a full-fledged band in the evenings. The pianist even obliged my wife's request of some Mozart. Very nice guy!
Our turret room (4430) was very nice and quiet. Although it overlooked the construction site of the DVC addition, the sound was not that noticeable. We could also view the Beach Pool and the little kiddy pool play area next to it. We had bed turndown service, which was a nice touch. Our first night there we dined at Narcoosee's and as always, the food was great, but this time we were able to view the MK fireworks from our table.
Our Grand Floridian provided a extremely nice relaxing vacation, free of the demands of visiting the parks and the Floridian more than met my wife's expectations. While it was a bit pricey (we've stayed at many of the other resorts including the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom), the atmosphere was really special and coupled with the Club level food and live music, it was truly a great experience.
One side remark: one night about 11:30 pm, there were several kids (ages about 4 - 10) who were running and literally screaming across the atrium ground level. It appeared there were no parents anywhere within supervising distance and the GF Cast Members didn't appear too concerned. I would think they wouldn't tolerate this type of behavior at this "Flagship Resort" regardless if the children were guests or not. That was the only down side of the experience.
Pros:
Beautiful resort, excellent music, turret room locationCons:
Some unsupervised noisy kids, a bit priceyReview of Be Our Guest -Counter Service Lunch
Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We were invited via email to experience lunch at Be Our Guest. We had to go to City Hall to collect a yellow rose first. We were a little late as the monorail from our resort simply stopped for a while and we explained this to the very helpful clerk at City Hall. She called the restaurant and they said no problem! So we took the railroad around to Fantasy Land (as the park was PACKED), got off and walked over to BOG. We had already pre ordered our meals through My Disney Experience so there were no surprises there. We were whisked into the restaurant, advised to sit anywhere we wanted. We wanted the West wing but it was full so we chose the main ballroom and sat by the window and watched the special effect snowfall. The food was outstanding. Everyone loved everything they had. There was a hot tea selection and that was perfect for me and the water tasted great. Food arrives via heated trolleys and is fairly quick.
It was a lovely last meal as we were leaving for the airport in a couple of hours. Way to go Disney and Be Our Guest. We loved the experience and thanks for inviting us
Pros:
Atmosphere, food, pre-orderingCons:
little confusing as you seat yourselfReview of Chef Mickey's Breakfast
Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Overall a very good experience. We ate here on the 4th July for breakfast. We found the buffet to be good but not outstanding like Crystal Place or 1900 Park Fare. i guess it really depends on how you like your eggs...The pancakes were tough too. None of our party went back for a second trip.
The characters were hilarious, probably the best show ever put on at a character event other than Crystal Palace. Minnie was adorable, very attentive and totally in character. Donald scratched the armpit of a man who had his arms raised and the whole restaurant burst into laughter.
We would go again as most events are worth a second glance, likely tho we would go for dinner.
Pros:
Characters, location, varietyCons:
EggsReview of 1900 Park Fare Character Breakfast
Reviewed by onejasper Review Date: 07/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was our last day and we chose to have breakfast here and lunch at BOG. Could not have asked for better memories than these two experiences, especially for our last day and therefore last memory.
1900 Park Fare has the best buffet (as good as Crystal Palace if not better)...even the eggs....there is something for everyone. The omelette station was a big hit. Food was HOT and well prepared.
We love the Mad Hatter who was appropriately "odd", Alice was in excellent character as was Mary Poppins, one of my favourites. Tigger and Pooh were also there to round out the party event. Our server was great. We had Disney PhotoPass+ and they brought our pics right to our table in a pretty folder.
The Grand Floridian is beautiful and it gives you a nice excuse to check out other resorts. We were staying at the Contemporary so we would pass by the resort on the monorail daily and were glad we booked to be able to walk around inside with a purpose.
We would go back again on our next visit. Great job!
Pros:
Dining with the Mad Hatter 🙂Cons:
NoneReview of Disney Dining Plan
Reviewed by plt964 Review Date: 08/04/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
My husband, son (8) and I just completed an 8 day stay at Disney. We go almost every year and have used the dining plan for the past several years. Due to the change in our eating habits and the increased cost, this was most likely our last time using the plan.
We broke about even on cost. My husband is a vegetarian, that means that the meal choices that he makes are the lowest priced at the sit down dinners. Although we enjoy sit down dinners, we would have been fine with only 5-6 during the length of our stay. Sit down dining takes away from your time at the parks and pool. Also it was hot and we preferred lighter eating. There were times, that I would have preferred to have just ordered a salad and appetizer for an evening meal. Although the overall cost would be about the same, the swop is not allowed on the plan. We also did not always want a dessert at the quick service. We would have preferred more snack credits so that if we wanted a treat we could have enjoyed it later.
The dining plan could still be a bargain for some families. Look at your family's eating habits and do the math. If you have a lot of steak eaters, and will eat your sit down dinners in the evening, and enjoy all the desserts, money will be saved.
Anther note is that when my son turns 10, we would have to play the adult price. I do not see his eating habits changing that much that soon to make up for the added cost.
Pros:
conveniece, possible savingsCons:
lack of flexability, increased costReview of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
Reviewed by elkhunter1 Review Date: 08/04/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
We enjoy eating here for lunch when we come to WDW-decent food and variety-centerally located in the park-usually crowded though.
