Most Recent Reviews
Reviewed by Ptorquemada Review Date: 05/27/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
What I'm specifically reviewing is the Prix Fixe lunch, because my wife wanted to do this to see the new World of Color show and Disney's own menu doesn't specifically say what entree choices are available for lunch.
So, for the record, they are:
Tuscan Salad with Sauteed Shrimp or Grilled Chicken
Lasagna Rustica
Braised Beef Ravioli
Potato Gnocchi
You also get soup or salad and a dessert tray. Remember the desserts; I'll be coming back to them.
The salad sounds so chef-y it should come in a miniature toque: Arugula, fennel, red onion, spiced walnuts, goat cheese and a "fig-balsamic dressing". Actually, if it had said "iceberg" or "romaine" I might have gotten this, but in my mind the entry for arugula reads "bitter unpleasant cross between lettuce and oak leaves" so I gave it a pass and had the italian wedding soup.
It wasn't what I was expecting. It was kind of bland, and instead of spinach leaves it had what seemed to be pesto in it. It wasn't terrible, but it was mostly just sort of there.
Both my wife and I considered the gnocchi, but she didn't like the sound of the "citrus cream sauce" it came in, and I don't care for crab. So we both got lasagna, which didn't have as much cheese as she likes and the sauce was a little bitter for my tastes. Again, it certainly wasn't inedible, but it really seems they were cooking for people with fancier tastes than us.
And then came dessert. There were two shot glasses of tiramisu (not the best I've ever had but still good), two lemon creme puffs (meh), two macaroons (one pistachio and one raspberry; both pretty good), and two shot glasses of chocolate (delicious) caramel (double delicious) panna cotta with a layer of raspberry pure on top.
It's definitely pricey, and I've heard the inside seating is kind of institutional (we were out on the terrace, which was nice except they had the heaters on and I was plenty warm already). That said, you can easily spend $15 per person on lunch at just about any place in the park without getting unlimited soft drink refills or the FANTASTIC panna cotta, and that's without factoring in that you're also getting a fairly good viewing spot for World of Color. I won't be making a habit of eating here, but for a special occasion it's not a horrible choice.
Pros:
ample portions, great dessertCons:
pricey and "chef-y"Review of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
Reviewed by jjbmtperk Review Date: 05/28/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
3 times in 5 years and it doesn't get old. From the setting, to the atmosphere, to the cast, to the servers, to the food, to the entertainment just a very enjoyable event Our server, Rob, even gave us small gifts as we left.
Pros:
fun evening outCons:
—Review of Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe
Reviewed by mreaji Review Date: 05/29/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We love this place! We tried it the first time two years ago and each time we came to M.K. that trip (three total) we ate here! Going again in September and will eat here at least once.
Pros:
great food, large portionsCons:
—Review of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by Oneanne Review Date: 05/29/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
Just returned from my 05.16 - 23 trip and 5th stay at POP. Had requested upper level lake view (my favorite) and this is the first time that request wasn't fulfilled... they didn't even get close as the assigned room was on the ground floor/pool view. As a single traveler ground floor is not desirable, so I asked if they could at least change this and they did give me an upper level/pool view. This is the first time I've done advance on-line check-in, and I don't know if that made a difference or not: I take a red eye from the west coast and always arrive early. If I check in at the front desk they do try to see if they can assign at room at that time but trip I got lumped in to the mass room assignments at 3pm, and I don't think they even saw the special request. Pool view is definately louder - the happy voices are enjoyable but the cleaning and maintenance noises in early morning not so much. I was also in the 70's building for the first time, somehow in the past I have always been in 50's or 60's. Cutting thru the parking lot makes the walk to the bus stop pretty quick, but I would much rather walk thru the resort... just a personal preference.
Only got a few things at the food court... can't say I loved any of the food items but the Brownie Sundae was devine - and huge. Food court cast members seemed friendlier and more up beat than in the past.
Room was fine, in good shape and clean. The bus service was great, even though the POP buses are always at the very last bus stop - at every park :).
For the price this is a great option due to location and dedicated bus service - and only one bus stop for the resort.
Pros:
Location, Bus Service, PriceCons:
—Reviewed by MouseDaddy Review Date: 05/30/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
We (two families of four each) enjoyed a short (4/1-4/4) stay here in a 3 br villa, Room 4923...about as far away as you can get from the Hospitality House. Not DVC members but have stayed at several WDW resorts. We found OKW to be charming. Loved the overall theming of the buildings & grounds. We enjoyed the quiet while sitting on our balcony. And we could watch golfers tee off directly behind our bldg.
It is a large resort but we had a car that we used to get back & forth to the pool/HH. And we took buses several times without much more than a 10 min wait, although a lot of stops on the way to the front of the resort. I agree with others re: lack of parking. But I've found similar situations with other resorts, notably Saratoga Springs, that have limited parking around the main building. I was usually able to find something in the lot near HH but found open spots near bldgs 11, 12, or 13 as well.
We found the staff to be up to the usual Disney standards...polite, welcoming and friendly.
Pool area was nice but due to the size of the resort we found it helped to get there early if you wanted a primo spot.
One issue we questioned...we took our refillable mugs to the Turtle Shack snack bar one early evening and were disappointed to see it closed at 5pm. I would have expected the one food/drink station on the far side of this resort to open longer to accommodate guests who are located so far from HH.
Another concern...the furniture in our villa was in a bit of distress. Cabinets/armoires/dressers all seemed worn in both bedrooms and living room. HUGELY spacious room, though. Our 3 br suite measured nearly 2400 sq. ft.
We're a Yacht & Beach Club family but we enjoyed our stay at OKW and would hesitate to stay here again if the opportunity arose.
Pros:
Spacious rooms; quiet resort; beautiful groundsCons:
Furniture a bit worn; bathrooms could use upgradeReview of Be Our Guest -Counter Service Lunch
Reviewed by MouseDaddy Review Date: 05/30/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
Visited here with my DD (14) for lunch on 4/19/15. Of course, we had heard nothing good things about BOG and were really excited to have snagged an opening. I must say I was really impressed with the quality of the food. While the menu was a bit limited, I ordered the Croque Monsieur (ham & cheese) and it was quite good. The ham was carved, not lunchmeat and the bread was rich and chewy. My daughter ordered the roast beef sandwich (minus the horseradish) which was also very tasty. Beef was really tender and the baguette was crunchy and substantial. We split a bowl of the potato leek soup and agreed it was a hit.
We had to try the cupcake with grey stuff, of course, and we tried the raspberry-lemon cream puff. Both were excellent.
We loved the little rose token they gave each group. Just another example of how Disney makes everything just that little bit special. Ordering process was super easy and my daughter felt right at home with the touch screen.
It was a trial finding a table. The joint was hoppin'. But we eventually got settled in although they would not serve our food until the table had been cleared of the previous diners' plates. But no problem...they called over a busser who removed the old dishes and wiped down our table with a disinfectant wipe. Something my germophobic daughter REALLY appreciated.
The little carts they use to bring your food are just charming, as is the overall theming of the restaurant. We were seated in the great hall and were mesmerized by the view out the windows.
As I mentioned, it was very busy and the place was quite noisy. We have no problem with that, it's Disney after all. But be forewarned this is not the place for lunch if you're seeking a quiet refuge.
Overall we really enjoyed our experience and will absolutely be coming back. One thing I'd add that I'll also post to the Tips section...don't ever give up on trying to secure a reservation. My daughter was at Disney with her band/choir group and I came down on my own to record their performances and to get some time in the parks together 1 on 1. I had been trying to get res's for BOG for 6 months and was shut out at every turn. We were in MK about 11 and I started checking for table availability via the My Disney Experience app. After about 15 minutes of checking and re-checking, I secured a res for 12:45!! I couldn't believe it! So keep checking availability. You never know when something will open up.
Pros:
Food quality; themingCons:
Noise, chaosReview of Food & Wine Food Booths
Reviewed by MouseDaddy Review Date: 05/30/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
My wife & I experienced the F&W fest on our first trip to Disney back in '99. We've been lucky enough to get back a few times since and it seems this event just gets better & better. The food and wine, the music, the presentations. Something for everyone.
Now we're back with our 14 yr old twins and the family loves the idea of purchasing smaller plates that we can all share. If we find something one of us really enjoys, we grab another little taste.
We were in Epcot on 4/3/15 and we came with some friends who now live in the area with their two daughters. We had carne asada tacos from the Mexico booth. We always go to the China booth to get those candied strawberries. We loved the chicken buns and spring rolls they had this year. I think we went back to get 2 extra orders of those buns. Delish! Manicotti from the Italy booth, burnt ends hash from one of the bbq booths. Everything was excellent.
Food, wine, music, family & Disney. Does life get any better? I only wish we could go every year.
Pros:
Variety of foods; tapas sized servingsCons:
noneReview of Olivia's Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by MouseDaddy Review Date: 05/30/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
My family & I (DW, DS & DD 14 yo twins) ate here for lunch on 4/2/15. We arrived early and had some time to kill before our room was ready. Worked our perfectly as I had wanted to try Olivia's after reading some of the reviews here. We were not disappointed at all. Our server, Shana, was very friendly and attentive. My son enjoyed his bacon cheeseburger, daughter loved her loaded baked potato soup (it was very tasty) and her berry smoothie. My lovely wife said her fresh mozzarella & tomato salad was VERY fresh and excellent. I had the buttermilk chicken w/mashed and it was outstanding. Perfectly cooked, incredible gravy. Just a great experience for us and we'll be making a point to get to Olivia's on our next trip.
Pros:
Food, ServiceCons:
NoneReview of Outdoor Kitchens
Reviewed by MCMod Review Date: 05/31/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Originally posted by MouseDaddy
My wife & I experienced the F&W fest on our first trip to Disney back in '99. We've been lucky enough to get back a few times since and it seems this event just gets better & better. The food and wine, the music, the presentations. Something for everyone.
Now we're back with our 14 yr old twins and the family loves the idea of purchasing smaller plates that we can all share. If we find something one of us really enjoys, we grab another little taste.
We were in Epcot on 4/3/15 and we came with some friends who now live in the area with their two daughters. We had carne asada tacos from the Mexico booth. We always go to the China booth to get those candied strawberries. We loved the chicken buns and spring rolls they had this year. I think we went back to get 2 extra orders of those buns. Delish! Manicotti from the Italy booth, burnt ends hash from one of the bbq booths. Everything was excellent.
Food, wine, music, family & Disney. Does life get any better? I only wish we could go every year.
Pros:
Variety of foods; tapas sized servingsCons:
noneReviewed by yanyans Review Date: 06/01/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
here with elderly parents and family 2 rooms requested opposite each other and close to main entrance for 80 year old parents. all as requested from check in to check out
spectacular views of animals all day every day
no issues with rooms
buses frequent and on time
stay was for 21 nights when asked refill cups re programmed free of charge at the end of 2 weeks for further week stay
