Most Recent Reviews
Review of Flame Tree Barbecue
Reviewed by maze4 Review Date: 03/28/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Ate here our first day, all ordered ribs & chicken. Husband b-day and castmembers all gathered together and sang Happy Birthday and gave him a cupcake. Castmember helped us with trays and led us to a nice shaded quiet area down by the water. We had no complaints and everyone agreed we would return again.
Pros:
Hot food, wonderful locationCons:
noneReview of Boardwalk Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by Disneydreamers3 Review Date: 03/28/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
We'd been wanting to stay at BWV for the longest time and finally was able to this past week,unfortunately it was with big diasappointment. It started with our room not being ready and them telling us it would only be a few minutes longer and that they would text us when ready. After more than an hour and a half waiting and no text we finally asked and was told it HAD been ready for quite awhile!
We had a great room overlooking the main courtyard and side view of the boardwalk/lake, too bad our room was not as clean as it should have been. Food particles on the rug, dust on furniture and a pair of socks from a previous guest under the chair. Our 4th day housecleaning service proved worse, new washcloths placed but all the dirty ones left where they were last used! Although our room view was beautiful it was extremely noisy with everyone on the boardwalk, the bars, restaurants and hanging in the courtyard to all hours and at around 6am and earlier you can hear workers rolling carts on the walkway and making all kinds of noise to get things prepared for the day. If you decide to rent a car beware that the parking lot is as far away as walking to a theme park and you'll have more luck hitting the lotto than actually finding a spot!( I assume due to the convention center).Another big disappointment to us was the inconveinence of getting any form of quick service food/beverage.You had to go out onto the boardwalk or to the pool area(during open hours)to get anything. On a positive note, the boadwalk entertainers are FANTASTIC!!!! We enjoyed each of them night after night. Watching the EP fireworks from our room was great too. And, of course, the biggest positive of this resort is the conveinence of walking to Epcot(it's a nice walk too) and the boat ride to Hollywood Studios.
I reccommend this resort only for the close proximity to EP and HS however, I don't think we'll stay here again.
Pros:
Location, Boardwalk EntertainersCons:
HOUSEKEEPING, noise level, parking lotReview of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by ntaylor28 Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
We stayed in the Little Mermaid section for our stay. Had we known about the long walk to the buses and cafe, we may not have chosen this resort. It seemed closer to Pop Century than to Animation Hall. Disney should consider a shuttle to that area from the buses (or a separate bus stop) because after a long day at the parks, the last thing you want to do is walk even more.
Good selection of food in the cafe. Clean. Liked how a coffee/soda station was set up midway from LM section to Animation Hall.
Rooms were nice, although our second room (we had to change rooms mid stay) was showing a lot of wear already (scuff marks on the walls, trim coming loose, etc).
Glad we stayed for the experience, Would spend more for the suite if we stay there again.
LOVE how the seagulls (on the stairs for the Nemo section) say "Mine, Mine". Detail is fabulous!
Pros:
Beautiful decor/detailCons:
LM section was a LONG, LONG walk to cafe & busesReview of Boardwalk Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by arielwatcher Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
OK, perhaps a 7.5.
While I checked in an off duty cast member chatted with the next station's cast member about the young man serving us. Of course he was half paying attention so you can imagine how our check in went.
I made a point about Wilderness Lodge messing up the 'charging' function of our first 3 day's stay and asked him to be sure our keys were loaded correctly. The first set of keys had only my husband being about to charge, my guest and I didn't have that ability. I handed them back and he had an epiphany then remade them.
Our room was on the lobby level (very convenient but a waste of the pool view points because it was into a thicket of trees)
It was worn, the carpet had a run in the middle of the room, the sofa worn and colorless. It didn't smell but it didn't smell fresh.
Everything worked fine.
The 2nd day my gal pal and I went to Ft Wilderness for a trail ride. When I attempted to charge $43. to my room key I was told I didn't have privileges. The clerk called BW and after several minutes talking to the Front Desk I was told I had to walk to the concierge at Ft Wilderness to get a corrected key....
I put the items back and returned to the BW loaded for bear. I simmered down by the time
I met a Manager in the lobby and quietly explained my situation as well as my embarrassment.
He found my reservation had to be completely backed out and reloaded for our charging privileges to be established. We were given new keys and a credit to our account for our time.
Later that day a tray with three decorated cupcakes and a birthday card were delivered on an elegant wooden tray (I've never had that in all my birthdays at a Disney resort).
After all their recent work on the pool area the Hot tub was abysmal, no real movement from the jets. Very disappointing.
Just a note about reservations:
I had made reservations from the 12-20th in two resorts (Because they didn't have a 1 BR in one resort) I also made a studio reservation for my son and a friend at SS.
The week before we arrived I called Disney to change who was in which room (Because I could not change the names online)
The clerk was surly about having to move a party from SS to Wilderness Lodge Villas because 'The magical express is expecting to take them to SS and now she has to go to WLV'
(And that could be adjusted couldn't it?) Evidently this cast member was put out because she said, 'I have to change the entire group of reservations!' (Isn't that her job since DVC won't let ME change it online?)
Our reservations were hinky from the time we arrived at Wilderness Lodge Villas. I had to ask for a receipt for the $500. cash I put on the account, twice!
All of the snafus had led me to dread the new wristbands they are planning......
Pros:
close to EPCOT/Disney StudiosCons:
worn out carpet/sofa, hot tub doesn't workReview of Be Our Guest -Counter Service Lunch
Reviewed by arielwatcher Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Could not get for dinner (thru May 2013 according to the online reservations).
We arrived at 11am on 3/20 and the line moved fairly steady through great diversions like the decorating and the talking Armor as we lined thru halls to the selection room.
We were given a 'rose' and led to a machine to make our choices and pay on a touchscreen.
The payment aspect only worked after SEVERAL tries for all of the people in front of us and was no different for us. In fact the man from the party behind us was so short tempered he reached around me and pressed the screen, making us go through the process again.
I ordered the ham and cheese sandwich with the green beans, my Beast had the Turkey sandwich with fries. I had the Strawberry cupcake and he had the chocolate cream puff.
We almost had the room on the right to ourselves. The main ballroom was dim and loud and the tables were close together, we chose the Portrait gallery room because it was quieter.
In the room's middle is the lifesized music box of Beast and Belle. The walls are covered with tapestries of scenes we might not have seen in the movie.
Our food was delivered at the right temp and we had a great meal for a MK lunch.
Pros:
relaxing ambiance, good food choices availableCons:
none at allReviewed by arielwatcher Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
Made our DVC reservations so late we had to split between here and the BW.
We arrived on the Magical Express around 10am and our 1BR room was ready!
The cast member was a bit too chatty about Disney Labor policies and I had to ask 2x for a receipt for the $500 cash I put down with my Credit card.
The walk to the Villas was short and close to the Bus stop.
Our room, 3314 overlooked the bus stop. Everything was fresh and clean.
We awaited other members of our party at Downtown Disney with some shopping. Imagine my shock at my room card being rejected for my charge! The store cast member made a call to the front desk and it was discovered I could not 'tap and pay', which was just fine, the card could be used when the cast member ran the card through their reader.
We rode the boat to MK and then took the monorail to EPCOT, using the Bus as little as possible because they insist on resorts sharing buses.
We'll happily return to the WLV.
Pros:
relaxing boats available to the MKCons:
Circuitous, LONG bus ridesReview of Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party
Reviewed by arielwatcher Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
Made the reservation on the phone and was told it would have desserts, fruits and cheese and would be from 8-9:30, be there AT EIGHT she emphasized.
We arrived at 8 to find NOTHING. I was nervous! We sought a CM and were told to wait at the gate.
Families accumulated as time wore on. Eventually slow moving CM's came and went, promising us we'd be seated in 5 min. or a few minutes (we were NOT seated until after 8:50, a waste of 50 minutes of park time on our last night there!).
Imagine our surprise that the majority of the guests were families who brought toddlers to a late night dessert party, they RAN WILD!
The quality of beverages (coffee, teas, flavored lemonades was good).
The selections of desserts were just the right size, the variety of flavors was well-represented. They kept replenishing them all the way until closing. There were no dessert cheeses as described by the operator.
Sadly our excellent seats meant nothing when the hoards of people headed to the railing.
It would have been nice for the Photopass Photographer to go from table to table to take candids.
Would be do it again? Not sure.
Pros:
location, foodCons:
too many people booked, still had to jockey for a place to standReview of Theme Park Photo Pass
Reviewed by arielwatcher Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
I keep HOPING they offer more locations and more photographers, sadly in March 12-20, 2013 there were few of either.
I had pre-bought my disc and arrived in March hoping to catch as many of our moments as possible for our party of 4.
I got about 57 photos over 8 days. AND they didn't drop in the 'magic' so the photos looked goofy, and not in the magical Disney way. After 3 emails they got the magic dropped in.
Where the Test Track photo USED to be put on the regular pass, now it is not.
The cost of the disc has skyrocketed....
This will probably be the last disc we buy.
Pros:
pictures of the entire partyCons:
not enough photographers or locationsReview of Garden Grocer
Reviewed by mmfan Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was the first time we used the Garden Grocer for our needs, and I would use their services again with no hesitation! We always struggled to find ways to have breakfast items and bottled water in our room. If we drove to WDW, we brought food with, but as we flew down and had no car, we decided to try this - -and what a great idea! They had everything we wanted, delivered on time to our resort, all we had to do was call bell services to deliver it! We ordered on line which is any easy process, and were very surprised by all the confirmation tests, emails and phone calls - -- very customer oriented! The milk was cold as perishables are stored by bell services in refrigerators. It was a little pricey, but saved time and money from buying/eating at the resort all the time. Great service and great idea!
Pros:
great serviceCons:
a little priceyReview of Coral Reef - Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by pixarprincess Review Date: 03/29/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
I ate here last October with 3 other adults. We were on the Dining Plan and chose Coral Reef to experience the large views of the aquarium. Unfortunately we were sat about as far away from the tank as possible (even after asking for a close table). Not that big of a deal to us. The tables/carpets/seating seemed to have seen better days and could use an upgrade, not dirty, just well used. Our seats though far from the glass still offered good views of the expansive tank and we got to see fish and a few sea turtles as well.
We ordered appetizers, nothing particularly memorable. I ordered the short ribs for my entree, others in the group ordered pasta dishes and steak. Everything was ok, nothing to write home about with the exception of the short ribs. They were wonderful. The stand out of the entrees. They came with a celery root puree that I was skeptical about but ended up loving! We ordered an assortment of desserts but the Baileys Jack Daniels Mousse was the biggest hit! Delicious, I could have eaten quite a few of those and kept stealing bites from my boyfriend who had ordered it. I had ordered the wave which was ok, but nothing that wowed.
Overall I would say this is worth it at least once, particularly if you can get a seat near the aquariums edge.
