Most Recent Reviews
Review of 'Ohana Dinner
Reviewed by peters Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (6) Recommended
This was our first visit to Ohana and it was a so-so experience. Although I'm not a big meat eater, I found plenty I liked and I gave the food much bigger marks than I expected I would. The service is a different story. Although our main server was pleasant enough, she got very little help from the assistant. Not only did he do very little other than deliver salads and clear plates, he was actually pretty testy. Our drinks were empty most of the meal and the assistant threw a tray down at one point and bellowed, "are you through yet?". He then proceeded to clear plates without waiting for a response. Believe me, this was the carefree, fun brashness you find at the 50's Prime Time Cafe, this was very rude.
Pros:
Food and atmosphereCons:
ServiceReview of California Grill
Reviewed by peters Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (3) Recommended
I can't believe I'm giving the CG a poor review, but after at least a dozen wonderful visits there, this was our worst dining experience during our January 2013 trip.
Host staff was pleasant and helpful, but it went down big time once we were seated. Our server visited our table exactly 4 times during the meal... to take the drink order (which was wrong), to take the food order (steaks overdone, no silverware to eat it with), deliver the bill & to collect the payment. I think she literally forgot about us since it appeared her "main" section was a few tables over from us. It didn't help that a guest at the next table obviously worked at the Contemporary as I would say 60% of the staff stopped by to say hi and check on his meal.
Since this is the first time in a dozen + visits that we've had anything less than exemplary service, this was VERY unusual. We had much better service at the AKL Mara quick service.
Pros:
The viewCons:
(This visit) food preparation & terrible serviceReviewed by peters Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Tied with the Grand Floridian as my favorite Disney resort. The theme is second to none, the restaurants are varied and tasty, has the best gift shop of any Disney resort and the cast members are the absolute best I've encountered. Every time we've stayed here, the staff has gone out of their way to make our stay comfortable and they always fix what isn't right.
Pros:
Room views, food choices, gift shop & particularly the staffCons:
Far from the MK, but that's also part of the charmReviewed by peters Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
I've avoided Saratoga for years based on many reviews I've read here and other sites. Thankfully, I was able to see first hand how beautiful this resort is during a 2 night stay in January 2013.
The rooms are spacious and nicely appointed. Cast members were very friendly & helpful, even by Disney standards and the main pool area is wonderful!
The only reason I didn't give the resort a 10 was due to the bus service. As others have stated, there are 5 stops and it takes a long time to go around that resort. While I understand why Disney has it set up this way, it definitely makes the resort seem more like a moderate. If you have a car, I would highly recommend Saratoga!
Pros:
Rooms, swimming pool, staffCons:
Large resort, bus stopsReview of Kouzzina by Cat Cora - Dinner
Reviewed by nrymut Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Our party of 5 ate here on Jan. 17. The food was excellent and the service was great. I had the sampler. I found the lamb burger to be flavorful but a little too spicy for me. The lasagna was different and very good. The cinnamon stewed chicken was wonderful. Dessert was also excellent. I love eating here. We always have a great meal at this restaurant.
Pros:
Excellent food and serviceCons:
NoneReview of Chefs de France - Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by nrymut Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Very disappointed with our meal here. It was not as good as it has been in the past. I had the scallops and shrimp. It consisted of 3 shrimp and 2 scallops in a lemon and corriander sauce, supposedly with mushrooms, potatoes, bacon, carrots. There were about 5 cubes of potatoes in mine but the carrots and mushrooms were missing. I could see the carrots in the same dish at the table next to us. Our party of 5 was seated at a table for 4 with one extra place setting stuck on the end in a walkway between the main restaurant and the dining area next to the walkway to the theatre. The tables were very small, so they should have put us at a table for 6. We were served one baguette for all 5 of us. I observed at a nearby table that a party of 4 was served 2 baguettes. We requested more and were given one. The quality of the food at our table was fair at best. One of our party was not on the dining plan and ordered from the pric fixe menu. His soup was served in a fancy bowl. He could not find the cheese in his French Onion Soup. I noticed at a nearby table that someone was served the onion soup in a bigger bowl and she had lots of cheese oozing from her spoon as she was eating. Perhaps those using a dining plan or opting for the pric fixe menu are second class citizens here.
Pros:
DessertCons:
Seating, entreeReview of Wild By Design - Animal Kingdom
Reviewed by longislander Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
My 14 year old and I did this tour September 2012. This was our fifth visit to WDW and Animal Kingdom is one of our favorite parks. Both of us enjoyed the tour! We both learned more about the park and the why and how of the “lands.†Meg was our guide and she was beyond wonderful! She is a scientist who worked with the animals for many years so she knew a lot about all aspects of the park. She could also switch instantly into storyteller and gave us the backstory on certain areas with lovely enthusiasm. Our group was very small – only the two of us and another woman. Both my daughter and I felt that we learned a lot, especially the Chester and Hester area, which never really made sense to us before. Meg also pointed out many details that we have missed over the years. Most of these were little details that the imagineers placed around the park. We both commented that we wished we knew these details since the information really helped us enjoy the park even more.
We had a chance to talk to two scientists in depth. We met with a specialist on the monkeys in Asia and another was a bird specialist. I was truly a privilege to hear these two people talk about the care and behavior – we were never bored. (Yes, a 14 year old was never bored!)
This was a FULL three- hour tour. Since you visit every part of the park, it’s a lot of walking. If you have mobility issues, I would strongly recommend a motorized wheelchair. We were tired after the tour. I believe we went back to the resort to rest.
This is a DETAILED tour of the park. There is no backstage. I recommend this tour for anyone with experience with Animal Kingdom. Fourteen is the cut-off age and it’s appropriate. (I’m not sure if younger kids would appreciate all the detail and talk time.) We also did the tour during a low attendance time. While we used headphones to hear, I would think the crowds might be too much during peak season.
The description of the tour was right on. Look it up before booking.
Pros:
All the detailsCons:
Your feet hurt by the end of the tourReviewed by slapps Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My family ate here on December 28th 2012. We did not have a reservation and just walked in to see if we could get in to eat. The only problem I had is that we were staying at Kidani Village and had to take the shuttle van, but not really a problem. The buffet had all of your standard breakfast and some other nice dishes that you would not expect.
The food was great and the variety was outstanding. We fully enjoyed this meal and will return in the future.
Pros:
very good foodCons:
nothingReviewed by PolynesianStitch Review Date: 01/19/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Only ate breakfast here, but all three times we watched them make our food so we knew it was very fresh. Liked the addition of fresh strawberries to waffle and pancake platters. Beignets were delicious. Service was excellent.
Pros:
made while you watchCons:
—Reviewed by PolynesianStitch Review Date: 01/19/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Princess interaction was exceptional. They went out of their way to add something personalized to each conversation, like my just college graduated son graduating from "knight" school. Cold buffet was popular and therefore got picked over quickly.
Hot food was good and varied.
