I also wanted to post a quick review of Geyser Point since we were just there. We've been to Geyser Point a good handful of times now, but usually we are just enjoying a cocktail and the view. On our last visit we noticed that they'd added a host stand for seating and we briefly discussed the popularity of Geyser Point and the need for organized seating with one of the bartenders. I didn't think much of it, but between that visit a few weeks ago and our visit last weekend, one of the unofficial Disney news/fan sites posted a re-review of Geyser Point that was pretty negative. In that review, the complaints were about portion size, the flavor/quality of the food, and that the menu offerings had changed since Geyser Point opened. I wanted to post my review as I had lowered my expectations based on that other review, but we ended up having a great experience.
We came hungry and cold after having snacked around Epcot for a while earlier that afternoon. We were seated on the side of the lounge near the lake and told we could sit in either half of the two adjacent tables for two. We chose the interior table nearer the bar, and there wasn't really a heater aimed at us so we were a little chilly. The host repeatedly kept attempting to seat another party at the other table for two (which is basically right on top of where we were sitting, in case you haven't been there) but every other party asked for another table - probably partly due to the fact that they'd more or less be joining us for lunch and also it was really chilly and breezy.
This is an official disney photo, not my photo, but you can see in the lower left a duo of tables like we were seated at, in case you can't visualize:
I feel certain that guest reluctance to sit basically *with* another party played a part in Disney implementing host and hostess seating here.
First up was our drinks - R, my fiance, had a Space Dust IPA draft and I received not exactly what I ordered. What you see pictured here is the Huckleberry Punch with a splash of lemonade. What I actually ordered was the huckleberry vodka (that they use in the huckleberry punch) with lemonade. What I ordered is supposed to look like this:
The huckleberry punch is good, though, so I just kept it instead of sending it back. The huckleberry punch is 44 North Mountain Huckleberry Vodka, Bols Creme de Cassis, fresh lemon juice and cranberry juice ($12). It's delicious, just sweeter than I would like, hence my failed attempt to order just the vodka and lemonade. R was glad to see the Space Dust on draft and enjoyed it.
I wanted to try the chili cheese waffle fries after we'd seen the waffle fries looking golden and delicious on prior visits, but the article I read made me scared of the "bad" chili. We ordered the fries with the chili on the side:
I didn't take a photo of the menu and I can't find the current lounge menu online. They've definitely changed a few things, but these were waffle fries with queso cheese and crumbled queso fresco with chili and green onions ($12). This was a large portion, as you can probably tell, and the fries were perfectly cooked and crispy with a nice battered texture to the outside of the fry. I noted that they were like the outside texture of an Arby's curly fry, albeit without the spice. I thought the chili was pretty good too! I don't know that it was spicy enough for me to want a bowl of to eat on its own, but it was definitely good on the fries - hearty and beefy.
We also ordered the bison burger:
Which is on the menu at the quick serve window. "Bacon, tillamook cheddar, sweet onion straws, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli, and marionberry barbecue sauce served on an artisan roll" ($14). We asked for no onion straws and no barbecue sauce. The sauce came on the side anyway so we got to try it.
Let's just take a moment to observe the magnificence. This burger was really, really good in my opinion. We didn't have to wait too long on the food so we got a delicious, fresh, perfectly cooked burger with tons of crisp bacon and fresh tomato and lettuce. The bun was a tad dry, but that was easily remedied by applying some aioli (which also came on the side). The cheddar also had a nice bold flavor and everything that we had on our burger worked well together, flavor-wise. This is the best quick service burger on property in my opinion, better than D-Luxe and only bested by the Boathouse and Crew's Cup (if they still have a burger...?). The barbecue sauce that came on the side was more of a fruit sauce, which would have been good on a donut but I was glad it wasn't on our burger.
For round two, I had the Bourbon & Strawberry Sour – Bulleit Bourbon, fresh Lemon Juice, Strawberry Puree, and Sweet-and-Sour topped with Sprite ($12). Again, this was really refreshing and not too sweet. R had another Space Dust. I greatly enjoyed my strawberry bourbon concoction and would have had another if we weren't ready to move along with our day. Our total for two rounds of drinks, the nachos and the burger was $70.82. I just wish that they took TIW.
Overall, I think the changes are fine. While I know folks are lamenting the loss of the Salmon BLT sandwich, I don't eat salmon anyway and appreciate the addition of the chili cheese fries. I hope that Geyser Point continues to offer new and different specialty cocktails, rotating small plates, and focusing on seasonally fresh foods.