Most Recent Reviews
Reviewed by MargieVE Review Date: 05/22/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Our family (two seniors, two 30-somethings, a 3 year old & a 1 year old) ate here on a Tuesday evening in May. Because we were traveling with children & using the dining plan, most of our table service meals were buffets; this was by far the best buffet. (Despite my general aversion to buffets, I rate this a 10. The combination of interesting food and good service put this a cut above other buffets I experienced at WDW.)
The food was very good. It was regularly refreshed, so it did not suffer from being on a buffet. There was a nice mix of "regular" food for the picky eaters and "interesting" food for the adventurous eaters.
The crowds were quite manageable - no long lines at the buffet, and the tables were not as jammed together as at some other buffets.
Our server was fabulous! He never rushed us and was available whenever we needed something. Also, he provided commentary on some of the dishes, pointing out favorites and explaining when they were eaten (e.g. at the end of a fasting period).
Pros:
Selection of food, serviceCons:
NoneReviewed by McHughs Review Date: 05/22/2015
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
We have been DVC members for 20 years with Old Key West as our home resort. We have loved the ambiance and have always received wonderful treatment until our recent visit of May 5 thru May 14, 2015.
My husband and I have limited mobility. we do not need a handicapped accessible room. My husband uses a cane and I cannot walk long distances due to complications from chemotherapy. We have always requested a first floor room near transportation and our requests have been met....until this time.
Our 1 bedroom villa was not ready when we arrived so we went to the check-in desk. I had already done the online check in. They said they would text when the villa was ready. I asked what building we would be in and I was told Building 15. Building 15 is no where near a bus stop and when showing the cast member the map, she assured me that it was. Being here for 20 years I knew she was wrong and she would not agree or listen to me.
I received the text about 3:45 that our villa was ready and the text said it was near the Hospitality House. Building 15 is no where near the Hospitality House. We got to the villa and we knew that we could not walk to either the Hospitality House bus stop or the Millers Road bus stop. I made many calls asking for help. The only "solution" they could give me was to stay in this villa for 2 days and then they could move us. However, we would have to check out of the first villa at 8 am and could not check into the new villa until 5 pm. We would have to pack everything up, including our food and then unpack everything in the new villa. We chose to stay in Building 15.
One morning I called bell services to see if they could take us to a bus stop. I was told no. So being there for 10 days, and due to our limited mobility, we were only able to go to a park 1 day. Very disappointing and no magic at all.
One other problem is parking. Cast members are allowed to park in the guest parking spaces in the buildings. We have friends visit and they had no where to park. I asked about this problem and was told that cast members can park in the guest parking areas and my friends could find other parking areas and walk to our Building.
This has been our home resort for 20 years. I am totally disappointed in the manner in which we were treated this trip.
Our Villa was acceptable, except the location, but the bathroom and laundry room really need a good over-haul.
I never thought I would be writing a negative report about Old Key West, but "The Disney Way" is no longer present at this resort. It is very very sad.
Pros:
Quiet resortCons:
Not accomadating nor helpful to problemsReviewed by EleanorofAquitaine Review Date: 05/23/2015
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
While we rarely stay at concierge level, we had little choice when the Epcot area hotels were so full at the height of the Flower and Garden Show but to book a concierge level suite. Compared to previous stays in the Beach Club villas and in concierge level rooms at the Polynesian (multiple times) and the Yacht Club, I have to say this was a major disappointment.
One major aggravation--- our suite was not on the same floor as the concierge lounge. No padding down the hall in our house slippers at the end of the evening for a snack. No carrying breakfast back to our room. Yes, we had access to the concierge floor, but going down a long hallway to an elevator and then up to the concierge floor each time we needed anything from the lounge meant that we didn't make much use of the lounge at all.
The suite was beautiful, to be sure, and at that price, it should have been. But we also had difficulty with the maid service. One morning, the maid cart was just down the hall from our room as we left for breakfast and when my husband came back upstairs after breakfast for a quick pit stop. So we were very surprised when we got back to our room after a long morning at the park, hot and sweaty and ready for a shower and a nap, only to find that at 3 in the afternoon, our room had not been serviced and the maid cart was no longer in our area. We called to find out why our room had not been cleaned and were told they hadn't gotten to it yet. Asked if we needed anything right away, we asked for some fresh towels so we could shower. After a very long wait, there was a knock at the door and a man handed me a huge stack of towels and washcloths--- six or 8 of each size. Then we had to figure out if it would be okay to take a nap or if we would be awakened by the maid at some point. So we called housekeeping and asked if we could expect the maid soon. We were told, no, we thought you didn't want the maid to come, just some towels. Sigh. So we took our nap and woke up grumpy. And then, as we were getting ready for dinner around 6:30, a maid knocked on our door. ready to clean our room. Since we were trying to get ready and leave, we told her the room was in use and we ended up with no maid service that day.
When we checked in, the complimentary champagne was lovely and the staffer very friendly. My husband told her that he usually had trouble with his magic bands not working after the first time or two he used them each day, so she said she thought she could fix that. She worked with it and handed it to him. Well, he didn't have the same problem this time--- after that, his band didn't even work to get our room open the first time. And since the room was not on the concierge floor, he had to go back upstairs with my band, so he could get the elevator to take him to the top floor to get his band fixed.
We enjoy the Beach Club and its stellar location. But we will not be paying to use the concierge level again.
Pros:
Location of hotel, size of suiteCons:
Room not on concierge floor,staff, lack of good snacksReview of Yak and Yeti Restaurant
Reviewed by monorailmom Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
DH and I dined here for the first time last week. While our entrees were excellent...he had the Sweet and Sour Pork, I had the Honey Chicken..the atmosphere was awful. Not sure if we just hit an "off" day, but the noise level was just SO loud! The music playing was loud as it was, but as more people filled in as lunchtime progressed, it became harder and harder to even hear each other. We were seated on the first floor, and after we were finished eating we went up to the second floor to see if the noise was any better, unfortunately it wasn't. While we really did enjoy the food, and the even the service was good, we will not return. When we dine table service, we are looking as much for a nice atmosphere as good food.
Pros:
excellent foodCons:
noise levelReview of Be Our Guest -Counter Service Lunch
Reviewed by monorailmom Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
This was our third time at BOG..first time was table service dinner, only so-so experience. Second time was counter service, ordered at the restaurant when we arrived. Food was initially delivered with problems: second attempt was delivered with hair on it. (ugh!) This time, however...we had a great time! Pre-ordering worked out nicely. We paid at the front, got our drinks and searched for a table which was slightly stressful! This is one busy place! After about 10 minutes our entrees arrived exactly as we ordered them. This was our most enjoyable experience here, and would definitely do the pre-ordered lunch again.
Pros:
Beautiful atmosphereCons:
finding a table!Review of Spice Road Table
Reviewed by monorailmom Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We have eaten here a couple of times now, and both times have been excellent. We ate inside last week as thunderstorms were looming (though luckily avoided us!) We had a glass of wine, and the garlic shrimp and hummus and olives with pita bread. Everything was delicious, and service was excellent. Our view was of the lagoon with Friendship boats floating by, with Spaceship Earth in the distance. What a great way to spend an evening! The only reason I gave a 9 instead of a 10 is for the changes in the menu since last fall. They decreased the amount of small plate options to favor entrees that would be covered by the DDP. I understand the reasoning, but missed having the kabobs as small plate options. We will definitely return on future trips!
Pros:
Excellent view, great foodCons:
—Review of Grand Floridian Cafe Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by monorailmom Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
DH and I enjoyed lunch here during our recent stay. We were seated right away, though drinks took longer to arrive than they should have. Our server was quite friendly and attentive once drinks had arrived, so maybe we were just seated at a busy time. We both had Caesar salads, mine with shrimp and his with chicken. Both were excellent. I wouldn't travel to the GF to dine here, but if you're staying here and would like a nice quiet lunch, this is a nice choice.
Pros:
Relaxed atmosphere, great serviceCons:
limited lunch menuReview of Gasparilla Island Grill
Reviewed by monorailmom Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
DH and I ate here a few times during our recent stay. For breakfast, he had a side order of scrambled eggs and toast (generous portions!) and I had the kids' Mickey waffles which was really good. Dinner one night was a hot dog for him which was fine, and I had the salad with flank steak which was excellent. It was never crowded in there, and we easily found tables and could refill our mugs without waiting.
Pros:
Food was excellent!Cons:
—Review of Plaza Restaurant
Reviewed by monorailmom Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
We dined here on our arrival day. While our table was a little closer to those around us than we typically like, we had a good experience here. DH had the grilled chicken sandwich, and I had the cheesesteak. Both were excellent. Service was very good, and from my seat I could see out onto the the new garden areas in front of the Castle. As a couple, this was a nice lunch experience. I'm not sure if we had our 4 kids with us that we would find it comfortable in there, though.
Pros:
Good food for the priceCons:
Tables are a little tightReview of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by caltex Review Date: 05/24/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
A family with small kids, adults only, or those folks on a budget should give the POP serious consideration. It is a Value resort so expectations should not be high. However, if you want a clean, relatively comfy bed, and pools then this is for you. Keep in mind it only has twin (not queen) size beds so a family of four with older kids may want to upgrade to a Moderate or check out the suites at AoA.
I have stayed at the POP before and it is consistently good. The cast members are helpful and during this stay some of the cast members danced to "Do the Hustle" which immediately told us we were on vacation! The dedicated bus service is a big plus, but if you opt to visit Downtown Disney in the morning know that the bus service is probably a 20-30 min wait. The food is typical food court offerings - not bad, but not great either. Depending on which building you have been assigned it can be a "long" walk to the lobby, bus, food court. By long I mean a few minutes, but in the Orlando heat it can make a difference. In addition, during this stay it was just my wife and me. If you have little ones, disabled folks, or elderly folks the walking distance can be prohibitive.
Bottom line, if you view a resort as a place to sleep and you spend most of your time elsewhere, then the POP is the resort of choice.
