Most Recent Reviews
Review of T-Rex
Reviewed by daffy29 Review Date: 02/05/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
The food was awesome. This is the first time we ate here. I think I like the atmosphere/décor better at Rainforest Café.
Pros:
Yummy FoodCons:
Noisy atmosphereReviewed by Momof4 Review Date: 02/06/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was our 3rd time staying at Kidani but our 1st time in the off season (1/13-1/19) and I think the time of year makes a big difference! We typically alternate between Kidani and the Boardwalk. We chose Kidani this time because it really feels like you are on a tropical vacation. We were celebrating my daughter's 16th birthday and wanted some fun and relaxation outside of the parks.
As mentioned by most, the resort is absolutely beautiful! The rooms are very clean and spacious. We stayed in a 2 bdrm and love that there are 3 bathrooms. This makes it much easier for 3 girls to get ready in the morning. The animal viewing is incredible and the pool is soooo fun!! We do not mind the long hallways and we definitely do not mind the walk to Jambo house. The walkway is beautifully lined with tropical foliage. We walked there a few times over the 6 days. However, Johari Treasures, the shop in the lobby, now serves breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal in the morning. (People spoke and Disney listened!)
The pool is beautifully themed. It is heated so it felt like bath water. We all enjoyed the slide and the ping pong table and the adults enjoyed the pool bar, Maji. It was in the 70's when we were there so we basically had the pool to ourselves.
We love it here and will not hesitate to stay here again but not in the off season. We have stayed here twice in the summer and there is a big difference. This time the buses were very slow. We waited a long time for every bus. Thus, the buses were always packed - standing room only. There's a big difference between sitting and standing for 20-40 minutes. The monitors are nice but it's not fun watching the wait time increase! This was never an issue in the summer. Buses came non-stop. Also, there is not much to do here in the evening. The parks close earlier in January and there isn't much going on at the resort. The animals do not seem to spend as much time on the Savannah. I'm assuming it's due to the temperatures but there were quite a few times there weren't any animals out. My last negative, not a big deal but found it shocking, no one at the resort even mentioned my daughter's birthday. We were celebrating her 16th birthday!! It was clearly stated on our reservation and luckily the servers at 4 out of 5 dinners made a big deal about it but nothing from anyone at Kidani. Definitely odd for Disney!
Pros:
Atmosphere, animal viewing, spacious rooms/ 3 bathroomsCons:
busesReview of Boardwalk Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by Fishfamily Review Date: 02/06/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
My family (self, wife, 2 daughters ages 4 and 6) stayed at the Boardwalk the last week of January, 2015. We loved it. We typically rent points from a DVC member so we can stay at a Deluxe hotel for a reasonable price. We thoroughly enjoy being in the Disney bubble for a full week and being in the middle of the magic makes this worth the expense for us. We stayed in a Studio room with not much of a view.
We have previously stayed at All Star Movies, Port Orleans FQ, Animal Kingdom and Saratoga Springs. We enjoyed this resort at least as much as Animal Kingdom. The atmosphere isn't quite as good for kids but the location is superb. The walk to Epcot is literally ten minutes. The walk to Hollywood Studios was 17 minutes pushing a double stroller. Not having to wait for buses at the end of the day was great. You could also take water transportation to either resort if you liked. The bus ride to Magic Kingdom was 10 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes at night in the traffic which was the least of anywhere we've stayed.
The room itself was nice, a DVC studio. We put our girls on the couch and took the bed. Having a fridge and microwave to prepare breakfast in the room (cereal, waffles/sausage) saves chunk of money. Highly recommended. You can pack lunches a few days in the parks as well. It adds up.
The staff was very friendly, I had a small problem checking in but the woman at the desk was new. Other than that, when we were walking through the lobby my 6 year old noticed balloons and quietly commented on them and one of the bellhops practically came running over and asked her if she wanted a balloon and said she could pick one out. She was so happy.
We asked for and got a room at the back by the Luna pool on a higher floor to minimize noise, I suppose we could have gotten a better view but we were trying to get a room that our girls would sleep in.
The Boardwalk is on our list for a return visit, I recommend it highly.
Pros:
Location, staff, transportationCons:
NoneReview of 50's Prime Time Cafe Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by Fishfamily Review Date: 02/06/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
My family of four plus parents went here the last week of January. It's noted as one of the most fun restaurants in Disneyworld and that seems to be true. When you step in you really do feel like you're in a home in the mid-50s from all the furniture and décor and televisions.
The waitstaff is hilarious treating you like they are your cranky Aunt. My four year old was just aghast at what was happening. The food was good and arrived quickly, it was pricey like every table service restaurant at Disney, but if you get past that, this is a great family experience.
Pros:
Decor and staffCons:
None other than priceReview of Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
Reviewed by mharder Review Date: 02/07/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We had lunch at Via Napoli on Jan. 25, 2015. One of our goals was to "check it out" before a trip with our grown sons that we will be taking next Christmas. It was our first visit to Via Napoli.
We very much enjoyed it. The service was good. I had the pizza and was pleased with it. Definitely worthy getting another time.
My wife has a wheat sensitivity and because of it we normally avoid Italian restaurants. However, I had heard Disney handles allergies well, so we wanted to see how they did. My wife alerted the server to her wheat sensitivity and he sent the manager over, who carefully explained her options. She ordered a carbonara style pasta. Although my pizza and her pasta were treated as "separate" orders in the kitchen, they arrived together, both were piping hot, and my wife was happily enjoyed a pasta. She let me sample it and it was very good. If I had not known better, I would have said it was "regular" pasta.
My only criticism is that it was a pretty expensive lunch. We had a couple of glasses of wine, which undoubtedly contributed (although we also had Tables in Wonderland). However, the portions were generous and if one made it the main meal of the day and grazed or picked a counter service restaurant for dinner, it would not have seemed as expensive.
It's definitely on the short list of places to try when we come back to Disney World during the Christmas 2015 holidays.
Pros:
food, service, ability to gracefully handle a request for gluten free pastaCons:
little more expensive than I had anticipatedReview of Coral Reef - Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by mharder Review Date: 02/07/2015
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
We had dinner at Coral Reef on Jan. 26. We won't go back. I should note at the outset that this is the first time I've ever said this about any table service restaurant at WDW.
We were "checking out" restaurants in advance of a trip with our grown sons next Christmas. I booked the reservation with some trepidation because of the mixed reviews, but we thought we'd give it a try. Unfortunately, the negative reviews proved right.
We arrived on time for a 5:50 reservation and were told they were 15-20 minutes behind schedule. The lobby area was chaotic with too many guests who were all waiting for their tables. It's hard for me to understand how they could be that far behind that early in the evening.
Our table was between the tables next to the fish tanks and the first row of booths. The only good thing I can say is that it gave us a good view of the fish. However, this seating arrangement really should not exist. We felt like, and were, in the aisle. More than once, waitstaff passing through and guests being seated nearly knocked our bread basket off the table.
The food quality was uneven. My wife ordered Mahi Mahi and said it was good. I ordered the manicotti with lobster but was disappointed. The best way to describe it was that it tasted like it had been heated in a microwave (and not long enough). It was warm, not hot. At the table next to us (and I mean really next to us due to the aforementioned arrangement for the table), a woman had ordered a steak and I noted that she returned it to the kitchen because it was grossly overcooked and tough as shoe leather. To their credit, the manager and waiter promptly replaced it with something that she seemed more pleased with.
Undoubtedly our experience was colored by a table of badly behaved children near us. Grandma and Grandpa had taken their adult children and young grandchildren to Disney World. For reasons that I can't understand, the adults sat at one end and left about 5 kids ages 1 1/2 to 6 at the other end. One 3 year old decided her mission in life was to get the baby to pound on the table (by pounding on the table herself). Other kids were up, down, switching seats, yelling, etc. The adults were oblivious. As a result, we could not wait to get out. Unfortunately, based on some online reviews I have seen for Coral Reef, this seems to be a frequent occurrence.
In the end, I can't recommend this restaurant. While the kids at the nearby table were part of the reason, the uneven quality of the food, the seating, and the delay in seating us cause me to not want to return.
Pros:
The fish (the ones in the tank, not on the table)Cons:
Overcrowded, mediocre food, slow to seat usReview of Flying Fish Cafe
Reviewed by mharder Review Date: 02/07/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
My wife and I had dinner here on January 25. It was our first visit. We love checking out new restaurants around the World, especially the signature dining places.
We thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone looking for a great dinner.
I had heard about the theming. My first reaction was that the theming was more subtle than I expected; I thought it would be more colorful and more "in your face." However, as the evening progressed and I looked more closely at the decor, I was more impressed with it.
After a day at Epcot, one thing we appreciated was the relatively quiet of the restaurant. There were not a lot of small children, and we noticed that most of the other guests were middle aged individuals who did not seem to be traveling with kids.
My wife had the scallops and thought they were great. I ordered mussels as an appetizer, and it could have been a meal by itself. I would definitely suggest planning to split it. My entre was the Mahi Mahi and it was quite good, although after seeing my wife's scallops, I wished I had ordered it too.
It's definitely a place to which we will return!
Pros:
Food! AtmosphereCons:
—Review of Citricos
Reviewed by mharder Review Date: 02/07/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
My wife and I had dinner at Citricos on Jan. 27. It completed our VGF "hat trick" after dining at Victoria and Alberts and Narcoosee's on prior trips. We had an absolutely wonderful meal. I am looking forward to a return visit.
I was wearing an "I'm celebrating" button. The staff wanted to know why (we had recently paid the last tuition bill for the youngest of our 4 children, which brought an end to 10 years of tuition payments!) and gave us special menus, which we were permitted to take home. They also comp'd glasses of champagne to help us celebrate.
Our waiter recommended the beef short ribs, which my wife had. She thought they were terrific. She was nice enough to share a bite and it was excellent - very tender.
I ordered the filet mignon medium rare. It was a touch rarer than I expected. I was fine with it that way, and if they are going to err, better to err on the undercooked side because that can be fixed. It was a generous piece of meat, very tender, very flavorful.
I also was very pleased with the wine list. We found a 2010 cabernet from a smaller producer, which went perfectly with our entrees.
Our waiter was appropriately attentive and made recommendations that proved accurate. He took time to review the menu, answer several questions, and had a great sense of humor - all without getting in the way.
We have this on the list of restaurants at WDW again on a future trip. I would definitely recommend Citiricos.
Pros:
the food, the service, everythingCons:
nothingReview of Mama Melrose's Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by mharder Review Date: 02/07/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
My wife and I had dinner at Mama Melrose on January 28. We'll definitely consider going there again.
I had penne with chicken and a marsala sauce. I thought it was very good. Very generous portion.
My wife has a wheat sensitivity and we tend to avoid Italian restaurants as a result. After reading that WDW was accommodating of individuals with allergies, I booked a reservation at Mama Melrose's and noted on the reservation that she had a wheat sensitivity.
The chef came out and met with us to review the menu. My wife asked about a couple of dishes and the chef said he could do them with a gluten free pasta. After considering the alternatives, she ordered a chicken alfredo dish and enjoyed it. I sampled it and agreed it was as good as "real" pasta. They also gave her some gluten free rolls, which I also sampled and agreed with her that they were very good.
Near the end of our meal, the chef returned to the table to ask how my wife's meal was. When she said how much she enjoyed it (and how rarely she had enjoyed a pasta dinner), he asked if she wanted to know what they did. Of course, she and I each wanted to know how they prepared it. He then patiently spent several minutes explaining the process (partially cook the gluten free pasta for 8 minutes, shock with cold water to stop the cooking, toss with olive oil, refrigerate until ready to use, and then finish the cooking by tossing with the sauce for a couple of minutes to bring to serving temperature). We very much appreciated his interest in whether we enjoyed our meals and willingness to share their secrets.
The only thing i can say that approached a negative, is that we spent so much time enjoying dinner and talking to the chef that we arrived at Phantasmic and just missed getting in before they ran out of room for more guests.
We'll definitely go back.
Pros:
How they handled my wife's wheat sensitivityCons:
—Reviewed by KnightTime Review Date: 02/07/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
We were there the second week of January 2015. Construction all over the resort. Should look great when finished! The walk from the TTC was forever long around the construction...a sign warning this (on the "walk to the poly" sign)stating that would have helped us at the end of a long day.
Warning! The bus will not run on a Race day. A BIG sign at the bus stop would have been very nice. Instead, you get a 3" x 7" inch paper at check-in that warns of this, among other rules on the same page along with your welcome folder. AND if they had only told this to the front desk, baggage desk, and to the GUY AT THE BUS STOP...we wouldn't have wasted 40 minutes. Severe lack of communication here and we heard the same thing from the folks at the GF.
Other than that...it's the Poly! Great staff, great place. I still wish they had a food court somewhere a bit larger than the quick service they do have. Rooms are spacious. Bathroom is awesome.
Suggestion: for a deluxe resort, how about a small soda dispenser for the refill mugs at each "village house." But I don't see that happening.
