Eeyore11081
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2007
My wife and I traveled to WDW at the beginning of December for a weeklong stay. Here are my thoughts from some of the restaurants. I had a conference for the first few may of the trip, so we did a lot of improvisation as far as scheduling. We didnt have any reservations in hand upon arrival, but we were able to secure reservations at quality places as the week progressed.
Day 1 (12/3 arrive in Florida around noon):
Morocco counter service lunch was excellent. We didnt want a heavy meal at the time, so we ended up splitting a lamb wrap. Everything about the dish tasted good: the lamb, the bread, the couscous, and the lentil salad.
The counter service meal at Morocco was so great that we decided to return to Morocco for dinner in the table service restaurant (Marrakesh). Unfortunately, that meal was quite a let-down. For more than twice the money, we got less quantity and less quality. Both my chicken dish and my wifes lamb dish were fairly dry and you could tell the food was the result of frantic mass production. The interior of the restaurant had a nice motif, but as we later saw more places throughout the week, we realized the overall atmosphere was lacking. I wouldnt say this was a bad restaurant, but it is nowhere near worth the cost of the meal. Learn and move on.
We finished the evening with a trip to Norway for dessert. The icing and almond pretzel was incredible.
Day 2:
I had to be at a conference in the Swan/Dolphin early in the AM so we ate at the breakfast buffet in the Swan. I believe they use this restaurant for a character breakfast on the weekends. Overall, the food was decent, though the quality and selection dont even compare to classics like Chef Mickey, Crystal Palace, etc. Functional is how I would describe the restaurant. Dont go out of your way for the place.
For dinner we ate at the counter service in Mexico. You cant beat the setting outside on the lake. Though the place seems to get crowded at lunch, there were plenty of seats for dinner time. We used to live in the southwest, so our standards for Mexican food are fairly demanding. However, we thoroughly enjoyed the food here and I would definitely recommend this place for anyone who likes Mexican or southwest fare.
Day 3:
For breakfast we made our first of three trips to Cape May in the Yacht Club. This place was one of our favorites, if not the favorite. The atmosphere is a nice blend of playfulness and relaxation. In other words, you have lots of fun without the cast members trying to move you along the assembly line. The characters spent a few extra seconds to interact beyond the obligatory pictures, which really gave the place a nice ambience. As for the food, there was all of the standard Disney buffet fare and it was all well prepared. There seemed to be a decent kids section too. Note, however, there was no omlette-to-order station like at 1900 Park Fare; only pre-made eggs and omlettes (which were perfectly good). One nice touch here was the assortment of berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) at the yogurt bar.
Dinner was at MGMs Sci Fi Drive In. We both enjoyed the setting and the theme. The food was OK. I had a chicken sandwich and my wife had a reuben. I wouldnt go out of my way to return here, but I wouldnt hesitate to go back if it was convenient.
Day 4:
Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge was a riot (almost literally ). Think of your classic steakhouse with peanuts on the floor type of atmosphere. There are no characters here but the cast members put on a nice act. Food was pretty good but not quite in the league of a Cape May or Crystal Palace. Though some places in WDW try to get you in and out as quickly as possible (to a fault), at this place our server actually moved too slow. There wasnt much sense of urgency around there, which can be a good thing sometimes.
We returned to the wilderness area for dinner, as we dined at the Fort Wilderness buffet adjacent to the Hoop de Do Revue. This restaurant was one of the better deals out there (~$18 for the buffet dinner). Dont expect refined cuisine here. If you like ribs, mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, pizza, apple cobbler, and the like, this place is for you. We both enjoyed the overall experience and would definitely go back again. The atmosphere is more laid back than many other places. Only drawback is that it can make for a long trip with kids if you need multiple bus connections to get there.
Day 5:
This day began at 1900 Park Fare. The guide book rates the food here among the best, and I would certainly agree. The food was pretty similar to Cape May, but with the added touch of a made to order omlette station and a varied array of desserts. The characters here did a great job too. Like Cape May, the restaurant offered a nice blend of playfulness without any sense of an assembly line.
Speaking of assembly line, that brings me to our experience at Norway. Normally we wouldnt do a pricy dinner after a big breakfast, but we couldnt turn down the reservation when it became available after the many accolades we heard. First of all, the food was great. We could have made a meal out of the appetizer buffet. The dessert tray was more than ample for two people to share. However, if we had followed the pace of our waiter, we would have missed the arrival of the princesses by several minutes. Our reservation was one of the first for dinner (4:40). Our waiter was a very nice guy, but it seemed as though he was in a hurry to get us out of the restaurant quickly. The princesses did not begin their rounds until we began our dessert, and if we had not lingered after completing our meal, we would have been gone before they reached our table. Nevertheless, it was a fabulous meal and we hope to do breakfast there during our next trip.
Day 6:
We returned to Cape May for breakfast and went to the Morocco counter service for dinner.
I should note that they do make subtle changes to some of the offerings at Cape May to keep things interesting. For instance, the eggs on our first trip were of a southwest flavor, while they were a different for our second trip. Also, the breakfast pizza was a different flavor for this visit.
The Morocco counter service meal for dinner was just as good as our first lunch there on Day 1.
We did dessert at the French bakery. If you want dessert in the world showcase, this is a cant-miss spot. Plenty of excellent choices.
Day 7:
On this day, we spent the entire time in the Magic Kingdom and began our day at Crystal Palace for breakfast. The selection here was among the best of all places and the quality was excellent as well. The made to order eggs and chocolate chip pancakes were a nice touch.
The only criticism I have for this restaurant is the assembly line feel as compared to within the hotels. It seemed like the characters were on their way to the next table before you took your picture. The whole atmosphere seemed more frantic as well. Festive is nice, but frantic crosses the line. We had a great time there, but if I had to choose between Crystal Palace and Cape May/1900 Park Fare, I would choose the latter two.
For dinner, we stopped at Cosmic Rays for a hot dog and a burger. For a quick stop, Cosmic Rays is a decent place. We arrived at 5:30 and did not have problems finding a table, but if we had gotten there thirty minutes later it would have been a long wait.
Day 8:
We did breakfast in Animal Kingdom at Restaurantosaurus. This place was fairly enjoyable, though both the food selection and quality werent quite in the league of Disneys best. However, I would not hesitate to go back again. Also, the atmosphere was not overly frantic for an in-park restaurant.
For our last night in WDW, we closed the evening at the Cape May Clambake. As you can tell, we are big fans of Cape May for both the food and the atmosphere. There were plenty of great options on this buffet from both the land and the sea. The desert options were great as well.
Day 9:
Only time for one meal on this day as our flight was scheduled to depart in the evening. We were fortunate to snag a coveted breakfast reservation at Chef Mickeys to close out our trip. The setting in here is like none other. Though you could describe the place as frantic, it is frantic in a good way, as most of the chaos is part of an out of control birthday party and not churning patrons through the turnstiles. I especially liked some of the unique offerings on the buffet, such as the PB&J pizza, challah French toast, and the dessert bar.
Day 1 (12/3 arrive in Florida around noon):
Morocco counter service lunch was excellent. We didnt want a heavy meal at the time, so we ended up splitting a lamb wrap. Everything about the dish tasted good: the lamb, the bread, the couscous, and the lentil salad.
The counter service meal at Morocco was so great that we decided to return to Morocco for dinner in the table service restaurant (Marrakesh). Unfortunately, that meal was quite a let-down. For more than twice the money, we got less quantity and less quality. Both my chicken dish and my wifes lamb dish were fairly dry and you could tell the food was the result of frantic mass production. The interior of the restaurant had a nice motif, but as we later saw more places throughout the week, we realized the overall atmosphere was lacking. I wouldnt say this was a bad restaurant, but it is nowhere near worth the cost of the meal. Learn and move on.
We finished the evening with a trip to Norway for dessert. The icing and almond pretzel was incredible.
Day 2:
I had to be at a conference in the Swan/Dolphin early in the AM so we ate at the breakfast buffet in the Swan. I believe they use this restaurant for a character breakfast on the weekends. Overall, the food was decent, though the quality and selection dont even compare to classics like Chef Mickey, Crystal Palace, etc. Functional is how I would describe the restaurant. Dont go out of your way for the place.
For dinner we ate at the counter service in Mexico. You cant beat the setting outside on the lake. Though the place seems to get crowded at lunch, there were plenty of seats for dinner time. We used to live in the southwest, so our standards for Mexican food are fairly demanding. However, we thoroughly enjoyed the food here and I would definitely recommend this place for anyone who likes Mexican or southwest fare.
Day 3:
For breakfast we made our first of three trips to Cape May in the Yacht Club. This place was one of our favorites, if not the favorite. The atmosphere is a nice blend of playfulness and relaxation. In other words, you have lots of fun without the cast members trying to move you along the assembly line. The characters spent a few extra seconds to interact beyond the obligatory pictures, which really gave the place a nice ambience. As for the food, there was all of the standard Disney buffet fare and it was all well prepared. There seemed to be a decent kids section too. Note, however, there was no omlette-to-order station like at 1900 Park Fare; only pre-made eggs and omlettes (which were perfectly good). One nice touch here was the assortment of berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) at the yogurt bar.
Dinner was at MGMs Sci Fi Drive In. We both enjoyed the setting and the theme. The food was OK. I had a chicken sandwich and my wife had a reuben. I wouldnt go out of my way to return here, but I wouldnt hesitate to go back if it was convenient.
Day 4:
Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge was a riot (almost literally ). Think of your classic steakhouse with peanuts on the floor type of atmosphere. There are no characters here but the cast members put on a nice act. Food was pretty good but not quite in the league of a Cape May or Crystal Palace. Though some places in WDW try to get you in and out as quickly as possible (to a fault), at this place our server actually moved too slow. There wasnt much sense of urgency around there, which can be a good thing sometimes.
We returned to the wilderness area for dinner, as we dined at the Fort Wilderness buffet adjacent to the Hoop de Do Revue. This restaurant was one of the better deals out there (~$18 for the buffet dinner). Dont expect refined cuisine here. If you like ribs, mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, pizza, apple cobbler, and the like, this place is for you. We both enjoyed the overall experience and would definitely go back again. The atmosphere is more laid back than many other places. Only drawback is that it can make for a long trip with kids if you need multiple bus connections to get there.
Day 5:
This day began at 1900 Park Fare. The guide book rates the food here among the best, and I would certainly agree. The food was pretty similar to Cape May, but with the added touch of a made to order omlette station and a varied array of desserts. The characters here did a great job too. Like Cape May, the restaurant offered a nice blend of playfulness without any sense of an assembly line.
Speaking of assembly line, that brings me to our experience at Norway. Normally we wouldnt do a pricy dinner after a big breakfast, but we couldnt turn down the reservation when it became available after the many accolades we heard. First of all, the food was great. We could have made a meal out of the appetizer buffet. The dessert tray was more than ample for two people to share. However, if we had followed the pace of our waiter, we would have missed the arrival of the princesses by several minutes. Our reservation was one of the first for dinner (4:40). Our waiter was a very nice guy, but it seemed as though he was in a hurry to get us out of the restaurant quickly. The princesses did not begin their rounds until we began our dessert, and if we had not lingered after completing our meal, we would have been gone before they reached our table. Nevertheless, it was a fabulous meal and we hope to do breakfast there during our next trip.
Day 6:
We returned to Cape May for breakfast and went to the Morocco counter service for dinner.
I should note that they do make subtle changes to some of the offerings at Cape May to keep things interesting. For instance, the eggs on our first trip were of a southwest flavor, while they were a different for our second trip. Also, the breakfast pizza was a different flavor for this visit.
The Morocco counter service meal for dinner was just as good as our first lunch there on Day 1.
We did dessert at the French bakery. If you want dessert in the world showcase, this is a cant-miss spot. Plenty of excellent choices.
Day 7:
On this day, we spent the entire time in the Magic Kingdom and began our day at Crystal Palace for breakfast. The selection here was among the best of all places and the quality was excellent as well. The made to order eggs and chocolate chip pancakes were a nice touch.
The only criticism I have for this restaurant is the assembly line feel as compared to within the hotels. It seemed like the characters were on their way to the next table before you took your picture. The whole atmosphere seemed more frantic as well. Festive is nice, but frantic crosses the line. We had a great time there, but if I had to choose between Crystal Palace and Cape May/1900 Park Fare, I would choose the latter two.
For dinner, we stopped at Cosmic Rays for a hot dog and a burger. For a quick stop, Cosmic Rays is a decent place. We arrived at 5:30 and did not have problems finding a table, but if we had gotten there thirty minutes later it would have been a long wait.
Day 8:
We did breakfast in Animal Kingdom at Restaurantosaurus. This place was fairly enjoyable, though both the food selection and quality werent quite in the league of Disneys best. However, I would not hesitate to go back again. Also, the atmosphere was not overly frantic for an in-park restaurant.
For our last night in WDW, we closed the evening at the Cape May Clambake. As you can tell, we are big fans of Cape May for both the food and the atmosphere. There were plenty of great options on this buffet from both the land and the sea. The desert options were great as well.
Day 9:
Only time for one meal on this day as our flight was scheduled to depart in the evening. We were fortunate to snag a coveted breakfast reservation at Chef Mickeys to close out our trip. The setting in here is like none other. Though you could describe the place as frantic, it is frantic in a good way, as most of the chaos is part of an out of control birthday party and not churning patrons through the turnstiles. I especially liked some of the unique offerings on the buffet, such as the PB&J pizza, challah French toast, and the dessert bar.
