Most Recent Reviews
Review of Kona Cafe Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
This was a new restaurant for us and one we were looking forward to very much. Our ADR was for 1:35pm on 12/18. We arrived on time and our party of two was seated right away at a table for four. This turned out to be lucky because a friend decided he wanted to join us and was in the Poly lobby when we were being seated. Our server told us it wouldn't be a problem to add him to the table.
My mom and I came in pretty sure of what we wanted, so we ordered almost immediately. We asked to split the Crab Cakes for an appetizer and the Polynesian Plate Lunch of Pan-Fried Chicken for our entree.
Our friend ordered right after he sat down, maybe two minutes after we had ordered. My appetizer came within 10 minutes of ordering, which was great...but the server brought the entree at the same time! Not a good thing, because then we felt rushed to eat the app before the chicken got cold.
Our friend had the same issue when his food was delivered just a few minutes after ours.
The food was delicious, at least. We had requested the Jalapeno-Lime sauce on the side for our crab cakes, and the cakes were so flavorful they didn't need the sauce anyway. The pan-fried chicken was amazing and so tender. It was served with coconut and mango sauces on top, plus sides of white rice (boring) and pasta salad (boring, but really good). Our friend had the Steamed Pork Buns and the BBQ Pork Tacos and had no complaints at all.
Mom and I looked at all the dessert options but decided to stick with our original intention: the Chocolate Fondue. It did not disappoint! So good we almost licked the dish.
We had explained to our server that my mom and I would be one check and our friend would be separate. We were told that was not a problem but he brought us two copies of only our check. Then it took forever for him to come by again so we could let him know. He had just kind of disappeared throughout the meal, and we never got drink refills.
Overall, amazing food but poor service. Yes, I'd return.
Pros:
Best food of the trip, accommodatingCons:
Poor service, very rushedReview of Olivia's Breakfast
Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
I had last dined here for lunch in early 2012 and it was pretty lackluster. But my mom wanted to come see the resort so I booked us a breakfast for 10:20am on 12/19, our last day. We drove over from POFQ, so not too far of a trip. I think we may have been a few minutes late but they seated us right away in the middle of the big room. Our server was Yanet.
We both started off with some juice. While the Conch Republic Omelet was highly recommended by Yanet, we chose to split the Sunrise Platter
of fresh Tropical Fruit and Yogurt topped with Toasted Coconut and the Banana Bread French Toast topped with Bahamian Banana-Rum Butter Sauce, Coconut Cream, and served with Bacon.
This french toast was AMAZING! I don't normally care for bananas foster type things but this was so yummy! We ate every last bite. The fruit plate was great too, I can't remember the last time I had kiwi. I ate all the pineapple, and even the honeydew melon was not as mushy as it normally is in Disney fruit platters.
It was a very inexpensive and filling breakfast and I liked it much better than my previous lunch experience.
Pros:
Very good food and service, relaxing atmosphereCons:
Out of the way if you aren't staying at OKWReviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (0) Recommended
I had previously stayed at POFQ for one night in May 2012, so my experience was pretty limited. Both my mom and I had come to walk around the resort during other trips, and she really, really wanted to stay here. After many changes to our dates, room types, and discount codes, I was able to snag exactly what we wanted: a garden view room for 5 nights, 12/14-12/19/14. I had done online check-in and faxed in some general location requests.
We arrived by car just before 3pm on the 14th, so our room was ready. The check in process took very little time and we were in our room, #4106, by 3:10. We had gotten a first floor room, as requested, but not the location I wanted. As it turned out, that was fine. This room was 1 minute and 20 seconds from the food court, next to the parking lot, overlooked a nice courtyard (smoking) area, and if we stood outside and looked directly west, we saw the higher bursts from IllumiNations!
The room was plenty big enough for the two of us and pretty clean overall, but we did have some complaints. There just were not enough outlets, and the ones that did exist were inconvenient. We had an ECV for my mom and it would have fit perfectly between the bed and the front wall, but there was no outlet. Instead, we parked it near the bathroom and stretched the cord across the vanity entrance. To do this though, we had to move the bench under the coatrack.
Additionally, we wanted to decorate our window for the holiday season but the glass was just so dirty that nothing would stick! We eventually were able to make do by wiping it down with some napkins, and using a lot of medical tape in addition to our command strips and gel clings.
Our last minor complaint: Our Magicbands worked for everything EXCEPT letting us into the resort when we returned from the parks. We always had to stop at the guard station and show them our parking pass or have them scan one of the bands. The sensor at the gate just would not work.
We spent a lot of time in the room because I was very, very ill during the trip. As such, not a lot of time was spent exploring the resort. On our last day I was feeling better, so we rested by the hot tub in the morning. It was very quiet and empty. We also went for a walk around the grounds. Mom said she didn't like it there as much as she hoped, and she liked the theme and feel of the front building more than that of the resort as a whole.
The cast members were always friendly, even when they had difficulties with their computer systems. The lobby concierge desk was able to print my Hoop dee Doo tickets, and I stopped by the front desk several times to pay off my room charges with gift cards. My mom was able to get AAA batteries in the gift shop when her insulin pump unexpectedly went dead, but she was very letdown by the store as a whole. Other resorts have better ones.
We did use the food court nearly every day and had no problems. I saved the Mardi Gras beads we were given on our first day, that was a nice little touch. Had every intention of going to Riverside to see Yee Ha Bob but my illness took precedent and a trip to CentraCare was necessary instead.
Did not use the pool or any resort transportation. There were always handicapped parking spots available no matter how late at night we returned, which was great. POFQ is just a quick drive to all of the parks, except possibly Animal Kingdom, which we didn't visit this time.
I would stay here again but would like to give Riverside a first try before that happens.
Pros:
Nice theme, friendly cast members, compact resort, close to almost everythingCons:
Requests not met, not enough outlets, dirty windows, Magicband problemReview of Chef Mickey's Dinner
Reviewed by psubelle Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
We usually go see the characters for dinner at Chef Mickey's the day we arrive. The food was much better than our last visit, you can tell they are trying to elevate the selections somewhat. My youngest has a peanut/tree nut allergy and this was our first visit and first Disney restaurant experience dealing with this issue. I notified the three restaurants we were dining at during the week of this issue well in advance and that information was communicated successfully. We waited a long time for a chef to come out and when he did, the characters converged at the same time. The chef did not do a great job at explaining the buffet (esp. in hindsight after dining at Crystal Palace and Garden Grill) and he didn't seem super interested in discussing the food with me. At the Crystal Palace, they walked me through the line so I knew exactly what my son could enjoy. I think it comes down to a chef who didn't have a lot of experience with this type of situation and it showed. It was our least successful meal of the trip. Our waiter was also MIA for a large part of the meal, which made it difficult to even get refills. The food quality saved this meal for sure as the customer service was not up to Disney standard.
Pros:
Food was better than last visit, CharactersCons:
ServiceReview of Crystal Palace Breakfast
Reviewed by psubelle Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
After dining the night before at Chef Mickey's, I was a little concerned about this meal with my peanut/tree nut son. Once we were seated, the waitress was very, very good and the chef came out and asked about my son's allergy. He very confidently told me that this could be easily accommodated and invited me to take a walk through the buffet. He very clearly pointed out the areas that were fine and those that were off limits. He also indicated that while one breakfast bread looked ok, it was not because it contained almond flour. Clearly this was not his first time explaining the food to an allergy parent. He offered to answer any questions I may have throughout the meal and I noticed that he made himself visible throughout the meal. I confidently made my son a plate and it was the best meal he ate at Disney all week. As for the rest of us, the food was great, a much better fruit selection than Chef Mickey's and there were a few elevated items that stood out from the normal breakfast fare. The characters were great and just being about to enter the park before it opened and get some pictures makes this breakfast a must-do. We will be back!
Pros:
Chef interaction, food selection, characters, wait staffCons:
NoneReview of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
What a difference one year can make! First, we had to book our rooms through a travel provider due to staying for a sports event at ESPN WWS. Disney would not let us book directly. The travel provider messed up who was in each room, which screwed up some of the magic bands. One family in our party spent 45 min at check-in fixing the problem. Second, we wanted the 70's building, but we were forced into the 50's since we were there on a group reservation for a sporting event.
The bus service was the one bright spot on this stay. The bus to and from the MK and Downtown Disney were quick with a very small wait time.
The main pool in the 60's building did not have heat. It was ice cold! That is unacceptable in January. Everyone crammed into the other pool areas at the 50's and 90's buildings. Only a handful of people were at the main pool (resort was packed) and they were still doing the pool activities there instead of moving to where all the kids were. If you wanted a drink from the pool bar you had to walk from one of the other pools.
The food court was crazy busy in the morning, but I expected that and warned the rest of our party. Some chose to find out for themselves on Day 2 and were almost late for the sports event at the WWS.
I remembered the beds in the 70's building were very comfortable last year. All the beds in our group section in the 50's building were sagging in the middle and you could feel the springs. One television did not work either.
My rating for Pop Century went down from a 7 to a 4 this time.
Pros:
AfforableCons:
A fewReview of Restaurantosaurus
Reviewed by CinCin Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
I stopped here for lunch in November and it was a little crowded but the lines moved quickly and food was ready quickly as well. I had a very short wait from the time I entered the line (which started outside on the accessible ramp) to getting my burger and fries in my hands. What did take me quite a while was finding a place to sit and dine. This is a really large place and has several dining rooms and even seating outdoors, but I did not wish to dine outdoors due to the poor weather and it took me about 6-7 minutes to find a table and I actually had to wait for a party to depart and hover about to nab their table. It was a large table and I was only a party of one, but I wanted to sit and dine in relative comfort indoors. By the time I got seated my french fries were cold and no longer edible. My burger wasn't much warmer. I was disappointed as the food had been served hot and fresh and fast. I did not want the desserts offered and was able to get the fruit option instead in it's place. That was really nice. The food here is burgers, chicken nuggets, and fries. There were a couple of other options but I don't remember what they were. Other than having a hard time finding a seat indoors, I had no complaints and I would dine here again only maybe earlier to beat the lunch crowd. The theming here is incredible and do take some time to look around at the various rooms and the interesting details. This building has a wonderful story to tell if you take the time to look and learn. I really wanted to dine in the Airstream trailer car, but the tables were full.
Pros:
Wonderful theming in the restaurant, air-conditioned inside seating, fast service and hot foodCons:
crowded and hard to find a seat once you get your foodReview of Chefs de France - Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by CinCin Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
This was my second visit to Le Chefs de France. This time Remy from Ratatouille was not visiting guests. I loved that aspect when we dined here in 2012, but the lack of the adorable and fun character did not take away from the meal at all. It was simply a fun and uniquely Disney attraction that has been eliminated. The food was fantastic again this visit and the presentation is well done and this is a really good meal at a great price for a theme park. I ordered the prix fixe and chose the Quiche Lorraine with a salad, french onion soup, and the creme brulee for dessert. This came with an entire loaf of french bread. The bread was served room temperature and the butter was chilled, and I would have preferred the bread hot and fresh from the oven and the butter softened, but I wasn't really there for bread and butter anyway. The onion soup had a huge piece of cheese melted on top and lots of bread down inside. I don't even like onions much but the soup broth and the bread and cheese part was delicious. I really loved taking the crusty bits from the french loaf on my table and dropping them into the soup and it was so wonderful that way. I would have preferred that they left the brown bread bits out and let me add my own instead, and the next time I will request it made just so. I simply left the onions behind and thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful tasty soup broth. It was super hot though and had to cool to even be eaten. The salad was a blend of tender baby green leaf lettuces and it had a nice viniagrette dressing on it already. The Quiche Lorraine was so delicious and I was a bit nervous as a very picky eater that I wouldn't like it but not only did I like it, I LOVED it. It was ham and cheese and egg and in a pie crust. It tasted like it had nutmeg in it and I love nutmeg too. It was so tasty and memorable that I will definitely be ordering it on my next visit. Not that the Croque Monsieur I got last time wasn't great, it was, but this is even better. I love creme brulee and only ever get it at WDW, so I had to order it again. Oh yes, it was just as tasty. Lovely creamy cool egg custard on the bottom and the wonderfully crispy crunchy toasted burned sugar on top. I love it. This is bargain priced at $26 for the entire meal. By the time you add iced tea, it's still only $30 a person and that is not bad for a theme park meal with 3 courses and great food too served on china with linen napkins and real silver instead of plastic and paper. The quiche and salad alone without the prix fixe meal is only $14.99 and it's filling so it's a good deal too if you don't want all the other with it. This is a nice break from the parks and it feels like you are really in France with the decor and the views out the windows. This remains on my list of "Must Dos".
Pros:
French cafe-like setting, great food, tablecloths and linen napkinsCons:
limited menu choicesReview of San Angel Inn Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by CinCin Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
I arrived here about 10 minutes early for my reservation. The restaurant wasn't open yet so I had to wait to check in until they did. Even when they opened they still didn't start seating diners for a few minutes after. I was the 4th party seated and requested a waterside table but was told the seats were pre-assigned. I asked to speak to a manager about the seating as I really wanted a waterside table and no one was sitting at any of them and pointed out that my reservation was at opening time but they would not accommodate me. I was not too happy about that but they gave me a table second row in from the water which actually ended up being fine and perhaps better since there seems to be little privacy with the fold on the boats getting a good view of your legs and beneath your table too. The tables are placed very close together and I was easily able to hear the conversations at the tables next to mine and I was not eavesdropping. The menu was quite limited in options but I decided to choose the house special which was Loma de Pue en Pipian, pork, pumpkin, chiles, and almond sauce over roasted vegetables. This was quite a spicy dish but also quite delicious and was made with little medallions of pork. I wish that this had come with rice and beans and tortillas and fresh limes and avocadoes but it did not. The dish came out quite quickly though after ordering and the meat was pretty dry as if it had been sitting a while. I was quite displeased with that considering I was there at opening and the dish should have been freshly prepared and not been waiting on me to arrive and order. Overall the dish was quite tasty and I would order it again. I couldn't tell that there was any pumpkin in it per se, but it was good and the flavors were blended so no one taste seemed to be dominant other than the chiles. The chips and salsa were really good too. This came with 2 salsas, a mild green one which was likely tomatillo and a fire roasted red one which was spicier but smoky in taste and of which I devoured most of the bowl. I ordered the house specialty for dessert too which was Crema Bavaria and it was sooo delicious. Very rich and creamy vanilla mousse with a cinnamon dusting. I loved this dish very much. I would like to mention that after my chips and salsa were brought out and I had ordered my entree, the manager came over and offered to move me to a waterfront table, but as I had already started dining and had a nice view anyway I declined. I did appreciate that they made the effort to grant my request although it was a bit too late. This seemed a great place for a romantic meal as the setting is dark and the view is so serene and you feel like you are in an outdoor market in some idyllic setting in South America far away from Walt Disney's World. I plan on dining here again. It was decent and they offered dishes which were more authentic Mexican instead of the usual Americanized TexMex.
Pros:
Great atmosphere, decent food, quiet and romanticCons:
seating pre assigned before you arrive, limited menu optionsReview of Be Our Guest -Counter Service Lunch
Reviewed by CinCin Review Date: 01/20/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
I was able to get a Fastpass reservation for lunch through a special link/website and although I did not get email confirmation I crossed my fingers and showed up at the appointed time and Yes! I indeed had a reservation and was given a menu to look at while I waited. The check in process is a little different. They gave me a menu and I walked across the drawbridge to the castle and entered. Upon entering they have you wait by the suits of armour and then they take you into another room and took my order and scanned my wrist band for my dining information and plan. They were handing out red roses to some diners and I asked about it but those people were not on the dining plan or didn't have a reservation or something like that. I can't remember why, all I remembered is I didn't need one. I was able to choose my own table in any room I wanted as my wrist band had the locator in it and would tell them where I was sitting. I chose the room with the music box centerpiece which featured Belle and The Beast. Drinks were serve yourself and beverage stations were located in all the rooms. I was only seated a few short minutes before my food arrived. I ordered the braised pork with masked potatoes and green beans. It was mostly lean and only had one fatty section which I removed and there was still plenty of lean tender pork to eat. I chose a chocolate cream puff for dessert as I was quite full from lunch and the cupcake with the "grey stuff" sounded too heavy after such a filling meal. I really enjoyed my meal here and will definitely return for lunch. I walked around the place taking pictures after my meal was finished and there was so much detail and this was a fascinating place to dine. The next time I will dine in the main room to watch the snow falling outside the floor to ceiling windows. This is a stunning place and definitely worth visiting. I am surprised that this is a counter service meal as the setting was worthy of a signature meal and the food quality was above counter service and equal to what I experienced at other sit down locations. If you get an opportunity to dine here for lunch, don't pass it by. I'm not going to make this a must do every WDW visit, but certainly I will return.
