you can't control the wind, but you can steer the sails

[coachsomer]

This isn't saying the podcast team is all wind or hot air..LOL
but have you ever had a personality different experience (good or bad)
contrary to a recommendation made by the team.
Mine was a few years ago, the week before our trip down to the World, the crew ripped apart the Yak and Yeti Restaurant about bad service, food, etc...
We found ourselves in that park and hungry. we talked about our food choices and I related the report, my good friends of the podcast crew's gave about the Y & Y, But; we still decided to try the place, we were seated at a window over-looking the crowds below, had a great server and our food was good. We had a great experience of people watching and dining.

per the new disclaimer it's all about timing and different preferences, I'm still a devoted listener,who still values the crews recommendtions.
Keep up the great work .

Does anyone else have any other stories to add.

IMHO I would recommend Yak And Yeti Restaurant
BASED on a experience a few years old
do you own research, take a chance, and steer your own ship.

 

[OKW Lover]

Always a great idea to "steer your own ship". :sailing:

We find that we agree with the reviews on the PodCast about 95% of the time. The only recent review that I can think of that we disagreed with was the Chef's de France review.

Our experience at CdF at lunch was wonderful (as was theirs), but at dinner it was a totally different story. And it wasn't just us. The people at the table next to ours who had just about finished their meal even asked about ours. When we said we weren't impressed with the texture/flavor and service they responded that their experience was exactly the same.

Here is the link to our review of CdF and Bistro de Paris.

 

[DrMomof3]

We've never done the Princess breakfast in Norway but we've done the dinner multiple times. It's probably not for picky eaters but the fish has always been good. My DH finished his entree and ordered another one (it's all-you-can-eat) and he liked them both. Even my princess-hating 1st grader has enjoyed this meal (I think the fact that Ariel - who was quite attractive - took a shine to him really helped!). The kid pizza is gross so that jibes with Pete's review.

We had a very mediocre lunch at Chefs de France but tried it again for dinner on another trip and had a nice meal.

When we ate at 'Ohana 3 years ago, we were quite unimpressed with the whole experience but I think we may give it another try next trip.

We were very disappointed in our Crystal Palace lunch in January although I think we're in the minority.

I think any restaurant can have an off day. Or you can have an unusually good experience at a mediocre restaurant.

Amanda

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

The only place I can say was horrible that everyone seems to like was Cali Grill for us. Slow service. Fogettable food. Kids running around our table trying to see the fireworks. The only thing I would ever go back for was the sushi. But that was pricey beyond belief.

So that is our tale. No more Cali Grill.

 

[mjaclyn]

Although I agree that the food at Akershus is terrible, I find it hard to believe that Pete wouldn't go back there. Picture this...little Victoria comes to visit and says 'Uncle Pete, can we please eat with Cinderella again?' Can you honestly say that you would tell her no because the food is sub-par?

For those of you with kids, you know what I'm talking about... when your little girl asks 'Can we please have breakfast with (insert princess here) again?' My DD4 is already begging me to go back to Akershus because she loves dining with the princesses. She has already told me what dress she's going to wear and what she's going to say to princess Ariel.

Regardless of a bad meal going for $32 per person, we get all of the princesses in one place, plus a photo package AND guaranteed food immediately which is a necessity with small children. Yes, I am paying for the princesses and the convenience. Powdered eggs or not, the fact that we can be in and out of there within an hour is a gift that you don't get very often. Do I think Disney could provide better food? Absolutely. Am I going to boycott Akershus until they do it? No, and I'll tell you why. It's because when my DD looks at me with her big brown eyes, wand in hand and tiara in her hair, I do not have the heart to tell her that she will not be able to have breakfast with Belle this trip because they serve powdered eggs and we have to make a stand.

Still shame on me? Maybe... I admit that continuing to go there in spite of being served bad cafeteria food just contributes to the problem. However, I have the rest of my life to boycott chewy sausages and dry potatoes while my DD may only love the princesses for another year or two. Can I justify the cost of a bad breakfast once or twice a year in exchange for the incredible memories it will create with DD? YES. Twenty years from now I will not remember how terrible the food was but I absolutely WILL remember when my little girl hugged Ariel for the first time and beamed with delight when Cinderella complimented her dress. They’re only little for such a short time, and I want to make the most of every moment. I still LOVE a great breakfast at WDW, but my photo album isn’t filled with pictures of Pineapple Macadamia Pancakes and Tonga Toast. It’s filled with pictures of my family having a wonderful time.

With Snow White at Akershus last May:

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

We had a terrible meal at Chefs de France, and wouldn't go back. We had booked it because of the good reviews on the podcast.

Then again, we booked Rose and Crown DESPITE the bad review on the podcast, and wow, that was a bad meal.

So, yeah, trial and error, grain of salt and all that.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Although I agree that the food at Akershus is terrible, I find it hard to believe that Pete wouldn't go back there. Picture this...little Victoria comes to visit and says 'Uncle Pete, can we please eat with Cinderella again?' Can you honestly say that you would tell her no because the food is sub-par?

For those of you with kids, you know what I'm talking about... when your little girl asks 'Can we please have breakfast with (insert princess here) again?' My DD4 is already begging me to go back to Akershus because she loves dining with the princesses. She has already told me what dress she's going to wear and what she's going to say to princess Ariel.

Regardless of a bad meal going for $32 per person, we get all of the princesses in one place, plus a photo package AND guaranteed food immediately which is a necessity with small children. Yes, I am paying for the princesses and the convenience. Powdered eggs or not, the fact that we can be in and out of there within an hour is a gift that you don't get very often. Do I think Disney could provide better food? Absolutely. Am I going to boycott Akershus until they do it? No, and I'll tell you why. It's because when my DD looks at me with her big brown eyes, wand in hand and tiara in her hair, I do not have the heart to tell her that she will not be able to have breakfast with Belle this trip because they serve powdered eggs and we have to make a stand.

Still shame on me? Maybe... I admit that continuing to go there in spite of being served bad cafeteria food just contributes to the problem. However, I have the rest of my life to boycott chewy sausages and dry potatoes while my DD may only love the princesses for another year or two. Can I justify the cost of a bad breakfast once or twice a year in exchange for the incredible memories it will create with DD? YES. Twenty years from now I will not remember how terrible the food was but I absolutely WILL remember when my little girl hugged Ariel for the first time and beamed with delight when Cinderella complimented her dress. They’re only little for such a short time, and I want to make the most of every moment. I still LOVE a great breakfast at WDW, but my photo album isn’t filled with pictures of Pineapple Macadamia Pancakes and Tonga Toast. It’s filled with pictures of my family having a wonderful time.

With Snow White at Akershus last May:

I TOTALLY get what you are saying, it is great to see all the Princesses, but I really don't know if we will go back. I really appreciate seeing the Princesses, but at the same time we had a really good breakfast at Tusker House with real eggs and Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald. If they can do it, why can't Askerhaus? The first time we ate at Askerhaus was in 2004, did it again in 2006, it was truly magical and the food was great both times, back again in 2008, it was more expensive, more hurried and the food isn't nearly as good. It's just so disappointing.

 

[dansyr2514]

I take their advice as intended...as a snapshot of one experience. Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don't. I know they have given a bad review of coronado springs in the past but we've always enjoyed it. However, Kevin's review of Flying Fish I completely agree with although others absolutely love it. I believe their reviews are a place to start to do some more research. However, I generally give everything a try at least once and make my own decisions from there.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

My DH finished his entree and ordered another one (it's all-you-can-eat) and he liked them both.

When was the last time you went? I swear that Akershus wasn't all you can eat when we went 2 years ago.

 

[princessbride6205]

I really enjoy the Podcast dining and resort reviews, but we certainly don't always agree. Based on multiple experiences, we disagree with the team's Brown Derby and Rose & Crown reviews.

For Rose & Crown, we go for a lunch on every trip. We've always had friendly attentive servers, fairly quick service, and yummy food.

For Brown Derby, we had bad experiences in both 2008 and 2010. The 2008 experience was DH, me and our then 1-yo DD, where the hosts kept forgetting about us/having IT issues, to the point where everyone else in the lobby got seated, but despite me checking in with them 3 or 4 times, it took us an hour after our ADR. (It really was not a busy night, they just kept bumbling.) Our server paced us so fast and barely spoke to us, we ended up with entrees after literally taking 2 bites of salad. We decided to give them another try in January 2010. This was DH, me, our DD, my parents and sister. We were seated promptly but the waitstaff was not attentive. Example: my dad requested fresh black pepper, so the server brought over the giant waiter's pepper grinder, handed it to my dad, and left. This grinder is too large to be used from a seated position, but we have a hilarious photo of my dad trying it. Food was okay/good, but nothing special, and certainly not special enough to make up for 2 bad services and the signature price tag.