Still good -- but not my fave anymore. on 8/8/2010

We recently returned to Kona Cafe for Lunch with a couple of old friends.  We actually hadn't been here in quite a while so I was curious to see what its like now.  Once this was my favorite restaurant and it is still a great place to get lunch, but it has lost its favorite status.

I started out with the Potstickers (which are made "no sugar added", always a plus for us!) which were quite nice, the creamy asian sauce is especially tasty.  I followed that up with the Kona Angus Chuck Cheeseburger.  This had all the makings of a good burger, but I was a bit disappointed that the burger was overcooked and therefore tough, dry, and chewy... I prefer my Angus burger to be juicy, seared on the outside and tender on the inside.  The fries are very nice homemade fries and I heard rave reviews of the homemade potato chips on our friend's plate.  The chicken with Mango sauce got rave reviews from another friend and the no sugar added apple stack was a very pleasant dessert.

Overall, I'm giving Kona a 4 this time around -- maybe next time they'll come back up to being one of my top 5 Disney restaurants!

Good burger at Magic Kingdom on 6/7/2010

We stopped in for lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom a few days ago.  As usual, it is a nice cool place to catch your breath while roaming the Magic Kingdom on a hot day (tip: we got our Splash Mountain fast passes then headed over here for lunch!)

I got the Angus Chuck cheeseburger with Provolone and it was an altogether satisfying experience at a reasonable price.  The fruit I got with it was a little old looking but at least it was fresh instead of canned.  My companions seemed to like their vegetarian pot pies (deconstructed -- like a stew with some biscuits thrown in) well enough and the turkey feast is always a happy meal.  As to ambience, well its pretty basic and there are no characters during lunch. 

Overall I'm giving it a 4 -- pretty darn good burger for the Disney price point.  We spent $70 for four lunches which is pretty reasonable.

Great chef, excellent food on 6/7/2010

Citrico's has long been a staple of celebratory meals in our family, we recently revisited for my birthday and it did not disappoint.  To start with, the Chef was very helpful and interesting -- giving us lots of tidbits about the Delta asparagus (wild picked from California), the corn and how they don't add sugar to much of anything -- always a great way to impress us!  I had the crab cake -- a rather cheesey creamy concoction which was quite a bit different from the typical crunchy crab cake.  Then I had the Berkshire pork (fed on acorns) tenderloin and belly -- having seen pork belly on many a cook show I was quite curious to actually try one.  The execution of the dish appeared perfect to me, the tenderloin was tender and delicious.  The pork belly was a bit weird to me but quite tender and fatty.  What turned out to be my favorite thing on the plate was the gigande bean (from Italy) and swiss chard cassoulet which was truly exceptional.  Finally, for dessert we had a sugarfree chocolate mousse with fruit and chocolate sauce... the fruit and chocolate sauce really stole the show for us.

My companions were generally thrilled with their meals, in fact our son Lazar gave everything a 5 -- he thought it was much better than Wolfgang puck upstairs and that seemed to be the consensus.  Personally I think the Filet Mignon at Wolfies is still the best I've had in a long time.

Price is high, we paid $226 for a party of 4 -- and that doesn't include any alcohol.

Overall, I think Citricos lived up to its gourmet pricing and reputation.  Service was supreme and the ambience at Citricos is excellent -- one of the most beautiful decors on property I think.  For food I give a rating of 4.6, ambience and service gets a good solid 5, that rounds nicely to a well-deserved 5 overall.

Ok, I'm a convert -- try the Australian Kobe on 6/7/2010

Well, I am finally a full convert to Victoria & Alberts.  We came for my birthday this time -- because this is the only known place on Disney property that will make a sugarfree chocolate souffle.

Service was excellent, informative, and very well timed (everything is synchronized).  We started with a quattro amuse bouche and the tomato fennel custard was a real standout.  Next I had the seared elk carpaccio which was like a delicious salad with edible flowers, I could barely even taste the elk which seemed like it had been painted onto the plate.  Next was turbot (a light portuguese fish) which was lemony, crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside: possibly the best piece of fish I've ever eaten!  Zucchini Tomato soup -- best tomato soup I've ever had, with subtle overtones and a light texture.  Then I indulged in the Wagyu Australean Kobe beef -- some tenderloin and then some short rib meat on top of a potato puree.  This was incredibly delicious, definitely the best piece of beef I've ever had in my life, well worth the $35 surcharge.  Follow this with a sugar free mango sorbet which was just ok.  Finally the sugar free chocolate souffle which was tender, fluffy and delicious -- although I feel it could have used a bit of sauce on it. 

Conclusion -- superb!  The Kobe beef really stole the show and is something you should try at least once in your lifetime just so you know how good beef can taste!  Price -- exorbitant, roughly $125 per person not including alcohol or upgrades.  Rating -- 5

Best mac n cheese! on 6/6/2010

Jiko has possibly the most beautiful and pleasant ambience of any restaurant on property,  We found the service to be excellent and the chef was very helpful with special food requests.

For my appetizer I had a rather unusual cucuumber, tomato and red onion salad.  This was a really unique and fresh tasting salad with a bit of spicy flavor, possibly from the arugula on top.  For my entree I had a Filet Mignon; unfortunately it wasn't really seared properly so it ended up being a bit on the dry side.  However, the mac and cheese that comes on the side is absolutely fantastic, as good as any I've ever had.  For dessert they made me a special sugarfree chocolate cake.

Overall I give the food a 4.2, ambience and service a 4.8.  Price is pretty high as you would expect for this type of restaurant.  Unfortunately, I felt like the food just didn't quite live up to the price point which is why I'm only giving Jiko a 4.  However, Jiko is definitely a unique and exotic experience and worth trying at least once :)

Fantastic! on 6/6/2010

We recently had lunch at the Coral Reef and I was very pleasantly surprised; the food was absolutely delicious and the view of the aquarium is spectacular.  The theming here is exquisite.  The most impressive thing for us was that most of the items on the menu are sweetened naturally, without added sugar -- even the sweet corn chowder which I ordered and it was deliciious.

After the sweet corn chowder I had the seared trout.  I was surprised by how small the trout was, this is not a whole trout as is customary.  However, the two small pieces of trout I received were very delicious and flavorful.   They also had a delicious sugar-free dessert for us, a very light lemony Cheesecake Napoleon with fresh fruit.  Overall I give the ambience a 4.7, service a 4.7 and the food a 4.6 which is good enough to get a 5!  Highly recommended if you are looking for a delicious lunch at Epcot.  Price point is pretty high, around $100 for a party of 3.

sad situation for sugar-free on 6/6/2010

We finally made it to Nine Dragons for the first time ever.  Unfortunately, the situation there for no sugar added is really pretty sad, they basically told us that we couldn't order anything on the menu.  To their credit they did whip up a chicken dish for Ahnalira and a beef and broccoli dish for me.  Both meals were ok and reasonably fresh.  For dessert they found us a couple of Jello rice pudding cups which they served to us in the original containers -- these were quite delicious but the presentation was lacking.  The iced tea was exceptional and really good -- definitely the high point of the meal.  Ambience was ok and certainly presented a chinese theming.

Although the waitress and manager were quite friendly and helpful, the overall experience for us was not very good and I doubt that we will be returning here any time in the near future.  Price seemed a little high in comparison to the food that we received ($7.95 for the jello pudding?).  I'm sure it is a much more positive experience if you do not have any special needs but for us I have to give Nine Dragons a 3.

Nice quick breakfast on 6/6/2010

Artist's palette is our favorite place to grab a quick croissanwich breakfast at Saratoga Springs.  I like Artist's Palette in particular because it is relatively large and has a nice seating area, I find the breakfast fare to be convenient, fresh and good here and they do Lattes.  So I give it a 4, good bang for the buck and really convenient.

Yummy and Exotic -- best to be had at AK on 6/6/2010

We've been to Tusker House for lunch at the Animal Kingdom a couple of times now and thoroughly enjoyed it every time.  We just went there during my birthday trip and they really did us up right with a sugar free brownie and ice cream dessert -- really excellent for a more economical buffet type restaurant.

The chef here was great and toured us through the buffet line letting us know which items had added sugar.  Happily, most of my favorite items were good to go so I immediately went forth and loaded up my plate.  The superstar for me was the curry chicken, really excellent and actually better than many of the Indian restaurants I've visited.  The salmon was also quite good as was the rotisserie chicken.  For $21.95 per person, this is really a great deal and IMHO the best food to be had at the Animal Kingdom Park!

So, given the quality vs price ratio I have to give this a 5. 

Upstairs -- best Filet Mignon! on 6/6/2010

For my birthday we did upstairs at Wolfgang Puck in downtown DIsney.  We've had many celebrations here and the food is consistently great over the years.  I had my standard Filet Mignon cooked medium and it was absolutely delicious, seared perfectly, juicy on the inside and with a nice hot crisp outside.  The spinach that came with it was really tasty also, cooked just the perfect amount.  For my appetizer I had a romaine salad with a creamy garlic dressing -- basically a deconstructed Caesar.  It was tasty but I wasn't really impressed with the lettuce.  For dessert we had a truly sublime no sugar added cinnamon cheesecake thing, very delicious and creamy.  For my drink I had the iced tea which tasted passion fruity and was one of the better iced teas of the week (as opposed to the Disney standard Nestea iced tea which gets a little old...)

Ambience upstairs is generally good and we had a perfect table right by the windows with a spectacular view of Downtown Disney across the water at sunset.  Service was excellent.

Overall I give this a 4.6.  My companions seemed a little less impressed with their entrees (wienershnitzel was just good but not exceptional and sushi was just ok).  However, my filet was a perfect 5 so I'm giving Wolfies the 5 :)

Very Tastey and economical on 6/3/2010

We had lunch at Mama Melrose a few days ago and it was quite a pleasant experience.  Mama Melrose has been one of my favorites for sometime now, and they did not disappoint!

We ordered the Mozzarella and Tomato salad to start and it was good (but not exceptional).  I had the Chicken Flatbread; which seemed a lot like two small chicken pizzas.  I found the chicken to be tender and flavorful, really quite delicious.  Ahnalira ordered the Chicken Parmesan which we both agreed was as good as any we've ever had.  It managed to have a crispy crust and still be tender and moist on the inside... and it was baked rather than deep fried.

They also have a No Sugar Added dessert on the menu, Crema Limone which is sort of a light lemony pudding and is quite delicious.

Best of all, the meal only cost us $39 for two people which is quite a deal by Disney standards.  Great place to pick up a delicious Italian meal without breaking the bank!

Can't go wrong with the Fried Chicken on 6/3/2010

Prime Time Cafe is a regular stop for us, we stopped in for part of our Birthday Celebration and were not disappointed in any way.  The waiter played his part to the hilt, which was a delightful way to revisit the terrors of my childhood! 

I ordered the fried chicken with Southern Greens and mashed potatoes.  The fried chicken was excellent in every way, crunchy crust with tender, moist meat on the inside and the flavor was excellent -- I give the chicken a solid 5, I've never had better!  The southern greens were and interesting experience but not my cup of tea... Uncle Mikey and I had several discussions about this (how did he know I hid them under my mashed potatoes???).  The mashed potatoes were quite delicious.

Ahnalira had the salmon which was good but not great.

Happily they did have a sugar free dessert for us, a very good, fresh cheesecake.

Overall, we decided that this was our most fun meal of the trip.  The ambience is great if you like a lot of noise and 50s decor. The food varied from 3 to 5 so I'm giving the restaurant a 4 overall... a 5 to our waiter and a 5 for the fried chicken :)

Well its cheap... on 6/3/2010

We recently tried out the very popular Earl of Sandwich for a quick lunch.  First of all, let me say that this is probably one of the most economical meals to be had on Disney property.  The lines are usually so long, that we bypass the place entirely and head over to Wolfgang Express.  This time the lines were quite moderate so we decided to give it a try.

I got a tuna melt which was ok, the bread wasn't cooked properly so it seemed a little doughy.  The tuna salad is ok but not excellent.  Ahnalira got the chicken salad and thought it was fresh, she wasn't thrilled with eating it out of the little cardboard container it came in.  For presentation, gets a 0.  Ambience is pretty bad, very crowded loud and chaotic inside... so we ended up sitting in the heat outside and watching little kids playing in the water which was fun.

The highlight of the meal was the iced tea which was a little better than the standard Disney Nestea iced tea that is served almost universally on property.

Overall, I say it's a decent meal and its economical ($5.95 for a sandwich or a salad) -- the low cost is what bumps it up from 2 to 3 for me.  Most likely we won't go there again anytime soon, I like Wolfgang Express so much better!

Kobe burgers, yumm on 6/1/2010

Well there aren't too many Kobe burgers to be found on property, so I was pretty excited to see one pop up on the Maya Grill menu.  Unfortunately, my old fave the Chilean Salmon, is no more.  So I ordered a salad and a Kobe burger and found them both to be quite satisfactory, fresh and flavorful.  I give them about a 3.8 I think.  Ahnalira got a fried pork chop which was really delicious and possibly one of the best pork chops either of us had ever had, with a crispy crust and still the inside was mosit and tender. 

They don't have a no-sugar-added desert and somehow they lost our special dietary request.  However, the chef came out and really brainstormed with us to come up with a no-sugar-added strawberry shortcake using available ingredients, and it was quite tasty I might add!

Price is on the high side, in the 70 ish range for two -- we each ordered appetizer, entree and iced tea (no alcohol) -- our dessert was gratis for my Birthday. 

Ambience is quite fun, with a Mayan/Aztec temple theme and we had a very comfortable booth to sit in.  Overall I'm putting this at a solid 4!

Another quick breakfast on 6/1/2010

Cafe Rix is a welcome addition to Coronado Springs.  Serving basically the same quick fare as you can get at places like Mara etc, good fast food.  The only down side of Rx in particular is that its a bit crowded, they wedged into a spot that didn't really exist before.  When I was there it was insanely crowded and very difficult to maneuver around.  Still, my croissanwich was quite good and Ahnarlia got a little quiche thingee which was delicious and unique -- I have never seen that item at any of the other Rix -like places on property.  We're hoping it becomes a standard because it was quite tasty.

So, I give it a 4 because it's tasty, modern, and fresh, inexpensive and convenient.  Not the place to go for ambience or quiet!

Truly Gastronomique on 6/1/2010

Let me start by stating the obvious, this is not cheap and you'd better be looking for gourmet cooking at the Bistro de Paris. We came back after a prolonged absence to give the Bistro another try, and I'm glad we did!  Either we've developed our taste buds in the last 10 years or so, or the food here has significantly improved (probably both!)

I ordered a warm goat cheese salad which was simply delicious.  We were both amazed to find out that the salad dressing is normally made sans sucre (sugar free) which is unusual for fancy vinaigrettes nowadays.  It was a mustardy sort of vinaigrette and the goat cheese was very flavorful with sort of a nutty aftertaste.  Ahnalira had the butternut squash soup which was much lighter than that type of soup typically is, but by the time she had finished the bowl she was saying it was the best butternut squash soup she ever had.

For my entree I had the rack of lamb which was perfectly cooked (I like mine medium), crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside.  It included a ratatouille which Ahnalira informed me was the best she had ever had (I'm not such a big fan of that stuff!).  I also had a eggplant caviar pastry thing which was very delicious and flakey.  Ahnalira had a pork tenderloin which she says was cooked to perfection and delicious.

Once again, they lost track of our sugar free dessert request.  They scrambled to bring me some sugar free chocolat mousse (probably from Norway ;) which was on the house and quite good... if not up to the standard of the rest of the meal.

By the end we both agreed that this was the best meal in terms of food quality and preparation that we've had on this trip, or anywhere in quite a while.  The ambience was quiet and very pleasant, with comfortable seating and we had a lovely view of the world showcase out the window.  Service was excellent and friendly.  Price was... yes, sky high.  We paid about $113 and we did not have any alcohol nor did we pay for dessert.  So a typical couple might expect to spend as much as $200 for a meal here after paying for wine and a dessert.  Is it worth the money?  Only if you truly can appreciate the Cuisine Gastronomique as they call it!

Still great for quick breakfast on 6/1/2010

For our recent stay at Kidani Village, Animal Kingdom Lodge, we had our favorite croissanwich from Mara every morning.  Its a bit of a hike from our room, but it is a nice fresh croissant and they do have Lattes available too.  The first morning the place was packed, and although they were pumping people through in a very efficient manner, it still detracted from my experience since it was hard to place my order exactly the way I like it.  Today it was much less crowded and I got my stuff exactly the way I like it so I was happy!

For an inexpensive and fresh breakfast I think you can't beat Mara and the other "new" Disney counter services that are popping up in all the resorts.

And again, fun place to visit. on 5/31/2010

We just came back around for another visit, dinner at the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom.  As always, the ambience is great fun ... animatronic elephants, huge aquariums, the occasional thunderstorm.  The food isn't quite as exciting, as I noted in my previous review from 5 years ago!

I had the pastalaya which was good but not exceptional in any way.  Basically a jambalaya with pasta, it was a little spicey but really needed additional heat -- which I obtained in a tabasco bottle.  Ahnalira really had the star attraction, a special macaroni and cheese with Lobster (I don't think this is part of the regular menu) which was quite tasty.

Still, overall, I have to give it a 3 -- as in adequate fare but nothing exceptional that I would seek out again.  Definitely a must see at least once for the ambience.   I think kids will especially love this place.

Basic breakfast fare on 5/31/2010

5 years later I'm coming around to update my review of the Pepper Market at Coronado Springs -- in particular the breakfast.  A few days ago we had the chance to enjoy a pleasant breakfast here and I found it to be quite average, just your basic breakfast really.  I had the French Toast which was good but nothing memorable.  Ahnalira had the Southwest omelette which I would say was definitely better than average.  There have been a few changes to the Pepper Market in the last five years, but it still has the pleasant ambience of a warehouse like latin style market place. 

Overall I felt it deserved about a 3.4, a pretty average breakfast experience in a fairly average ambience.  Pleasant but not exceptional, defintiely serviceable if you happen to be staying at Coronado Springs and would like a standard bacon and eggs sort of breakfast.

Still lovin that Elwood on 5/31/2010

5 years later I'm back and still a big fan of the Elwood.  This is a perfectly seasoned, tender chicken breast sandwich with chopped chiles and chili mayo, rustic artisan bread which tastes freshly baked.  This time I opted for the Sweet Potato fries (which cost $1.99 extra) and they were delicious -- Ahnalira called them a dessert because they were sweet and creamy.  Ambience is fun, especially if you are a fan of the Blues Brothers movies or old blues bars in the South.  I would give my Elwood about a 4.8.  Ahnalira had a Salmon with squash and rice which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall, I'm giving HOB a 4.5 -- and my personal award for best chicken sandwich anywhere!  So it scrapes into the 5 category.  Price is pretty moderate as Disney goes, our meal was in the $30 neighborhood for two lunches and two regular drinks.

Super fun! on 12/26/2009

This is a great ride, kind of like a cross between those old school arcade games that I used to love and some kind of 3D high tech Mario Bros game.  Its really fun, especially if you're lucky enough to be here when its not crowded (not an easy thing to do because this is super popular!) and you can ride it over and over again.

Sf gelato on 11/23/2009

We recently enjoyed lunch at the Captains Grille in the Yacht Club. I had a tuna sandwich with clam chowder -good but nothing to write home about. Then we got th sugar free chocolate gelato for dessert - WOW!

Lunch with the giraffes on 11/17/2009

Best lunch ever, and we made a video review! Tandoori chicken was delicious and the view is spectacular! Gets 5's all the way around. Even better for lunch than it was for dinner :)

Great new remodel on 10/14/2009

We just had a pleasant lunch at the newly remodelled Wolfgang Puck Express.  Tip:  while Earl of Sandwich was packed with what looked to be an hour long line heading out the door, there was little or no line at Wolfgang Puck Express just across the way.

The new WPE has lots of indoor seating, no more sweating out on the balcony.  That was especially relevant as we were having record breaking October heat the day we ate there.  The new line is much easier to navigate and they now have delightful servers bringing out the food, refilling beverages, and taking away dirty plates.

The food was quite good and got thumbs up all the way around the table.  I tried the cheddar roast beef sandwich and was quite happy.  Others tried some of the melts and salads and appears to be similarly pleased.  We were initially baffled by the new "Melts" that have arrived on the expanded menu.  They appear to be a sort of Calzone sort of thing, like a cross between a pizza and a Calzone.  There were lots of new things on the menu that I'd like to try.

Ambience: while I appreciated the new furniture and A/C, it is extremely noisy in the eating area -- I'm afraid it gets 3 stars (up from 2 stars previously).  Food Quality for the money: I'd say about 4.5 stars -- price is moderate and food quality is pretty good considering the price point.  Service: surprisingly excellent, 5 stars.   Overall I'm giving a 4 star rating, definitely recommended quick bite for the marketplace area.

Treehouse villas awesome! on 9/29/2009

We recently spent a night at a newly refurbished treehouse villa and just loved it. The decor is themed after nature with a lot of stone and woodwork. The kitchen islarge with a real icemaker and the living room is spacious and well furnished. This is a great value and ranks #2 on my list of villas.

Just Ok for me on 9/2/2009

We recently returned to the Rose and Crown Pub to see what changes may have occurred in the menu since we were last here about 3 years ago.  As you can see, we made a video review. 

To my dismay, my favorite item -- the pot pie sampler -- is no longer on the menu.  On the server's recommendation I went for the steak.  I requested medium but got a big red bloody hunk of meat.   Eventually got it cooked some more so that it was at least the right temperature.  However, I found it to be a tough, gristly, chewy chunk of meat whose only redeeming feature was that it was well seasoned.

The server did offer to make it up to me but I was ready to be done with it and head for home (long day!).  I did enjoy the potatoes gratin on the side, the cheese popover was decent if bland, the broccolini was a nice bit of green.  My companions were much happier than I with their vegetarian dish.

So, overall I give it a 3 (the steak gets a 2, service 4, rest of the food 3.5).  They do have the best non-alcoholic beer (Kaliber) known to man, I highly recommend it to all of you non-alkies!

Truffle Fries are AWESOME! on 8/28/2009

We recently had an OLP gathering at one of our old faves, Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge.  I ordered the standard Cedar Plank Salmon.  To tell the truth, I wasn't really wow'ed by the Salmon.. it was good but not great.  However, they've added something called Truffle Fries which turned out to be the highlight ... and dessert of my meal!  For only $4 you get a small plate of these fresh cut fries lightly rolled in delicious Truffle Oil.  Amazing!  Fantastic!  A once in a lifetime experience!

As usual, service was great, ambience was superb -- with the lovely view of trees and Wilderness Lodge grounds just out the window.  Overall, I give it a 4.6 (Salmon brought it down a notch) which rounds to a 5.

Finally, a deluxe villa on a monorail! on 8/28/2009

We had our first stay at Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort just a few days ago.  As with the other two new Deluxe Villa facilities -- Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs Resort -- Bay Lake Tower sports the latest amenities.  This includes granite counter tops,  flat screen tvs, auxiliary plugs for your ipod or other video accessory.  One of the things I was most exicted about are the ice makers which save a lot of trips to the ice machine.

Bay Lake Tower is a little different from other Deluxe Villas in that you are in a large multi-story building so you can't park right near your room as you can elsewhere.  However, you also get a spectacular viewing area for fireworks and Magic Kingdom in general on the 16th floor.  You also have easy access to the Contemporary Resort where the monorail and several restaurants are located.  For a Magic Kingdom lover, this is a wonderful place to stay!

The room is nice and very efficiently laid out with lots of good storage space.  I like the way the kitchen is incorporated into the living room.  The wrap around booth dining table is also a very nice feature.  The furniture is very comfortable and seats quite a few people comfortably. 

The theming is very modern, futuristic.  Bay Lake Tower can more suitably be called "Contemporary" in style, with very clean geometric lines and space saving efficient design.  Personally, although I appreciate how well everything has been planned out, I felt like the design is a bit too utilitarian for my tastes.  I place this third in the list of my favorite Deluxe Villas -- first being Kidani Village, second being Treehouse Villas.  I think that makes it a 4 overall :)

Delicious new menus, great breakfast! on 8/25/2009

We recently visited the new Kouzzina by Cat Cora (formerly known as Spoodles).  Cat Cora is known for her appearances on various Food Network tv shows, most notably the Iron Chef where she is one of the Iron Chefs.   Needless to say, we were excited at the prospect of experiencing her food firsthand -- sadly we didn't actually get to see Cat Cora herself!

We popped in for breakfast one morning and immediatly noticed that the furniture is much more comfortable now than the old hard chairs of Spoodles.  We were also impressed by the remarkable breakfast menu and commenced to dig in.  We had the yogurt/granola which we shared out: delicious Greek yogurt was a fave.  Lazar ordered a flatbread which we all though was nothing exceptional.  I got the Challah french toast which I felt was a very delicious and well executed French Toast -- especially after I put some Greek yogurt on top!  Ahnalira got the best dish, Turkey Sweet Potato Hash --which she gave top ratings for.

If we had time in our schedule we would be going back to see what dinner is like.  As it is I have to give the new Kouzzina 4.4 Stars.  Highly recommended for breakfast, especially if you're looking for something a little different from the standard Disney fare!

Above average counter service on 8/23/2009

We wandered into the new Contempo Cafe in the Contemporary Resort today, looking to grab a quick lunch before going to our Bay Lake Towers room.  The ordering process was a bit confusing - you put your order into a computer terminal and then you are supposed to go to the cashier and pay for your food and drinks.  They give you a pager to tell you when your food is ready.  We struggled with the computer terminal for  few minutes (push the selection, hold for a second, then release seems to work well!) and then wandered around the bakery for a few minutes before finally realizing that we needed to go pay for our order.

After sorting that out, I decided that the system is a good way to go, although the touch screens don't seem to be very sensitive.  We got to order exactly what we wanted and the orders were done to perfection.  I got an Angus Cheeseburger -- cheddar cheese, green beans instead of fries.  Ahnalira got a salad (options for no dressing, or dressing on the side) which she was very happy with and we did find a sugar free brownie.   The food got thumbs up around the table, my burger was good but not great (4 star) -- definitely better than average for disney counter service though.   Ambience was pretty good, nice wood furniture and pretty spacious seating area.  This is located at the site of the old Concourse Steakhouse which is no more (I loved that place though!).

Overall, I say this is one of the best counter service options on property with lots of healthy options.  I see a breakfast burrtio on the breakfast menu which I'm eager to try...

Nice little latte shop on 8/23/2009

We stopped by Contemporary Grounds in the lobby of the Contemporary Resort for a quick pick-me-up latte today.  I was very happy because they have a nice assortment of loose leaf teas and the girl working there was perfectly happy to make me a tea latte -- what a treat!  Its a bit noisy and the seating is just so so, being stuck in the corner of the lobby the way it is.  However, they had a top notch espresso machine (Cimbali) and the Masala Chai tea was quite tastey.  5 stars for quality, 3 for ambience averages to about a 4 star experience!

Dinoland gets a basic counter service on 8/15/2009

We stopped in Restaurantosaurus one afternoon for a drink and a bit of A/C -- both of which were satisfied handily.  I miss the Donald Duck evolutionary diagrams that were part of the old breakfastosaurus venue, and it was momentarily disconcerting to be greeted by a counter service at the entrance.  However, once I got over that I found it was an entirely adequate counter service restaurant facility of the standard Disney fare... with a bit of archaelogist theming thrown in.  I'm not sure this new venue is an improvement but it is certainly very convenient

Best on the Magic on 7/27/2009

Of the main dining rooms on the Magic (Parrot Cay, Lumiere's, Animators Palette), I like both the food and the ambience of Lumiere's the best.  It has an elegant feeling, spacious and I like the food as well.  If i'm lucky I get bread pudding - sugar-free of course!  Also a nice spot to grab a more elegant feeling lunch or breakfast -- I do recommend the french toast.

Convenient Basics on 7/26/2009

Beach Club Market Place offers the basic amenities that one comes to expect of Disney resort counter service restaurants.  My standard breakfast croissant sandwich is available, and I have on occasion been able to purchase a sugar free ice cream or brownie.  Very convenient if you are staying at the Beach Club and don't want to travel or deal with crowds to get a decent breakfast!

My new favorite Home on 6/7/2009

We are staying at : the brand new (one month old) Kidani Village Deluxe Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  This place is everything and more that we hoped it woujld be. To start with, this is structured so  that all the rooms are in one very large building that wraps around the Savannah in two large and very long arms -- we have quite a walk to our room 7454 from the lobby.  However, parking is a dream because the parking lot actually goes underneath the building and the elevators (Zazu elevator in our case) comes right down in the middle of the parking area, almost right next to our car.

The walk, albeit long, is covered the entire distance and air conditioned - unlike some Deluxe Villas.  The lobby is a reduced version of what is now called Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge, with a simlar expansive window looking out over the savannah and beautiful African theming throughout. 

We also have a fantastic view of the Savannah from our one bedroom suite, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, wildebeeste have all been spotted.  The rooms are huge, notably more spacious in the living room area.  The kitchen is luxuriously appointed with granite countertops, and the furniture is all nicely usable and sturdy.  The master bathroom is spectacular, as big as some peoples bedrooms!  A large luxurious glass enclosed shower stall sits next to an expansive, ergonimically shaped spa tub with enough floor space to do yoga routines!  Then there is a second full bathroom in the other room.  This is all graced with a couple of LCD tvs, a DVD player and a place to plug your iPod into the tv. 

The only eatery here is Sanaa which is hands down the best Deluxe Villas restaurant ever!  I've already written a glowing review mentioning the spectacular African theming, ground floor view of the Savannah, and delectable assortment of African delicacies finished off with the best Mosala Black Chai tea I've had anywhere!

Unfortunately, there is no counter service in the building.  However, Jambo house is only about a 10 minute walk away where you can get your counter service needs fulfilled at Mara which has the standard counter serve amenities (in my case a breakfast croissanwich and a double latte for Ahnalira!)

The have a great workout fitness area (Survival of the Fittest) and the pool area is extensive and well appointed.

All in all, I am already eager to come back again and we haven't even left yet!  -- Next stop: Bay Lake Towers and I don't know how they are going to be able to compare to be honest!

Wow flashing lights! on 6/7/2009

We visited the American Idol Experience on Star Wars Weekend; it was a very refreshing break from the crowds.  What a stage!  I think this really does give you a taste of what it must be like to see the real American Idol show.  This is definitely a must for all of us Idol fans!  It's really different to experience the sound and the lights in full volume, and the stage is almost overwhelmingly huge and flashy.  Really quite fun and the singers aren't half bad either!  Funny to see people singing on the American Idol stage in their cargo shorts and crocs

The best Chai ever and a view of the giraffes!! on 6/6/2009

We just finished a delightful meal at the new Sanaa restaurant located on the first floor of the brand new Kidani Village Deluxe Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  What a wonderful restaurant.  To start off, the restaurant decor is supreme -- based on the same African theming used throughout the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  To top that off, you have a ground level view of the Savannah -- what can be more fun than watching giraffes and zebras stroll by the window as you stuff yourself with all sorts of African tasty treats?

The menu is great fun, my favorite item was the paneer paretha -- sort of a flat cheesey bread -- with the red hummus.  I also had the roasted cauliflower which was quite delicious, and the tandoori lamb chops which I highly recommend.  To finish my meal was a wonderful fluffy Mango pudding (more like a mousse if you ask me) with a pot of the best chai tea I've ever had.  I heard that the pressed coffee was also extremely good.

Our waitress was delightful and the three South African ladies who periodically strolled about the room with drums singing Happy birthday were all great fun. 

My only critique of Sanaa was that the meal timing was sometimes a bit awkward (as in we waited a while for the appetizer and then it finally arrived two minutes before the main entree) -- hopefully they will iron this out and our next meal (tomorrow) will be fantastic in every way!

We were the First Table! on 6/5/2009

Well we stumbled into Paradiso 37 early, wondered why things seemed a bit disorganized and shortly discovered that we were their very first paying customers!  We thought they had been open a couple of weeks but in fact they just opened today.

Paradiso 37 appears to be oriented largely toward a bar-like atmosphere (37 different tequilas in a tower dominate the main room).  As a result, the entree selection is somewhat limited... but quite good as we were soon to find out.  Our waiter, Jesus, was a very friendly fellow from Venezuela who was extremely friendly and attentive.  The food and drink is largely Latin American with a bit of North American mixed in (the burger looked quite tasty although I didn't get one myself)

Having low bloodsugar, we decided to start off with some Central American Crazy Corn which turned out to be the high point of the meal.   A grilled corn on the cob with cheese and a lime sauce, they were simply delicious.  I am eagerly looking forward to having more of these!

Since we needed something really quick, we went ahead and ordered a guacamole and chips which was also very delicious and fresh tasting.  The appetizer selection is really good. 

For entrees Ahnalira got the Chilean Salmon which was delicious and very flavorful.  I got the Tres Tacos with chicken, beef, and pork.  The tacos were definitely in the Mexican style, very small soft corn tortillas just the way I like them -- delish with the guacamole from the chips.  This sort of thing is not easy to find in Florida - believe me I've tried.

Ambience was very esthetically pleasing, chairs are very comfortable with good back support, and the tables are a good size for 2-seaters with enough space that I couldn't easily eavesdrop on our neighbors.

Overall I say, whats not to like and can we go back next week??

Great lunch downstairs, Wolfie does it again! on 1/26/2009

We've been to Wolfgang Pucks (downtown disney, Westside) quite a few times; the upstairs fancy restaurant is one of our favorite celebratory dinner spots.  But this time, we decided to try out the more moderately priced downstairs area for lunch.

Let me just say, I wish this place was closer to my house so I could eat lunch here all the time!  Time and money are the only things stopping me at this point (not a cheap lunch!)  I had the beef gorgonzola pocket sandwich with Tortilla soup (soup and sandwich -- a more moderate option) both of which were really quite excellent.   My only minor complaint is that the pita bread seemed a bit tough like it might have been a little overcooked.  The sandwich was more like a salad really, with nice fresh lettuce, excellent dressing, cheese and some nice slices of beef tossed in.  The tortilla soup is a Wolfgang Puck specialty, a very hearty and flavorful tomato based soup. 

Ahnalira also enjoyed her meal tremendously, a breaded chicken on mashed potato comforty foody type meal which was quite nicely prepared.  To top it off we got the sugar-free (you know we're happy when that word gets used!) berry cobbler dessert.  To quench our thirst we had delicious orange-cinnamon iced tea.  A delightful meal all the way around, service was excellent and the view over the lake is fantastic.   Even better, it was not especially crowded and the sound level was pretty moderate (as compared to T-Rex which was off the chart).

All in all a very wonderful meal, I hope to catch a few more lunches here.  Price is par for DIsney property standards, we spent about $45 for the two of us with dessert included (and one of our meals was one of the more expensive options available).

Trip down memory lane on 1/9/2009

One of my fond memories as a child was riding the old submarine ride at Disneyland.  And finally its back, with Nemo!  There is even a version for the handicapped (it's a bit of a climb down into those submarines).  Great for the kids and the memories but otherwise its nothing to rave about!

A nice spot for a meal at Disneyland Hotel on 1/6/2009

We've had a couple of meals at Hook's Pointe ver the years.  Generally the food, to me, is good but not exceptional.  The ambience is pleasant, with lots of large windows and a bit of a nautical theme going on.  Of course everything is relative, and for Disneyland this qualifies as one of the better dining options, especially if you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel. 

Great healthy eco-gourmet fare! on 1/4/2009

I've now had the opportunity to eat a breakfast, a lunch and a dinner at the trendy new Wave restaurant, located in the bowels of the Contemporary Resort in Disneyworld.  Seating is fantastic if you are lucky enough to get one of the large, room-like booths. 

Food is generally fantastic and very healthy -- a vegetarian's delight.  Of the three meals, the breakfast was my least favorite.  I ordered a hearty whole grain french toast which I found to be rather bland.  However, lunch and dinner were both quite excellent with lots to please the discriminating palate.  The vegetarian dishes were exceptional by all reports (I didn't order them myself!) and the no-sugar added trio dessert was fantastic: braised pineapple, baklava, and zucchini carrot cake (my fave!). 

Definitely a place to experience, especially if you are wanting to do the "green" thing and/or have vegetarian leanings or you're looking for a new experience.  The Wave also stands on it's own as a gourmet extravaganza and I highly recommend it!  If you want to go for dinner just be sure to get a reservation because the place was packed when we went for dinner. 

Tip: do lunch here, it's a lot less crowded and more peaceful!

Funny show, food so-so. on 1/3/2009

We visited this venerated Disney dinner show during the Holiday season.  We really put them to the test with our special orders, and they had a bit of trouble with the whole concept.  Overall I would say the food was pretty humdrum, the highlight for me being the fried chicken which was pretty good.  Service was not especially good, fast and rather brusque.  However, our server did a great job of keeping my mug of diet coke full, I have to give them props for that   The show itself is humorous and corny, and especially good since our son got to play the Indian during one of the skits

I can't say I am dying to go back, but it is a fun show and every Disneyworld fan should have this experience it at least once!

Tony's going upscale? on 1/1/2009

We recently attended Tony's Town Square Restaurant with some friends and family and had a much better experience than I even expected!  With the help of our friend Charlie we all got exactly what we wanted, special orders all the way around.  I created a new dish, chicken parmigiana with spicy roasted pepper sauce -- had a bit of a nice kick without the sugar of the marinara, not bad!  One of our friends ordered the salmon and that received rave reviews all the way around the table.

The service was truly excellent and deserves a 5 out of 5.  The food varied from simply average Italian style fare to the one exceptional dish, I would give the food about a 3.5 overall.  Ambience is ok, location is extremely convenient.

As Magic Kingdom dining options go, Tony's is pretty good -- especially if you're looking for some family spaghetti.  Just ask for Charlie if you need some special accomodations and he'll set you up.

Alpacas and Incas abound! on 1/1/2009

This was our third Adventures By Disney tour and it was another great one! 

One tip:  this is a high altitude tour, be aware that you will most likely experience effects of altitude sickness.  Personally I had a fierce headache for a few hours after we arrived in the Sacred Valley, others had varying symptoms but suffice it to say I got off easy!

Once you get past the occasional headache and shortage of breath, this is a fantastic adventure.  I have wanted to see Macchu Picchu for about 20 years now, Adventures By Disney finally made it a trip I could get into.  Its a nice easy flight, 5ish hours from Miami to Lima Peru.  Lima is a pretty tough city (2nd largest in South America!) so you don't spend much time there.  Just one verrry short night, up very early the next morning to catch a plane for Cuzco (11,000 feet!) and a bus ride to the Sacred Valley where we spent the majority of the trip.

Another tip: don't count on internet connection in the Sacred Valley!  We got connected the first day, and then it was down until we got back to Cuzco. 

Macchu Picchu was everything we could have hoped for, spectacular and awe inspiring.  Shopping in Peru was fantastic, in particular I suggest you take the optional visit to the pottery studio which was fantastic.  Even now as I sip my energy dring out of a cup I bought there, I wish I had bought several more of these beautiful pieces.

Tip: shipping from Peru to the USA is crazy expensive so don't buy anything you can't carry with you back on the plane.  We ended up using the small duffle that Adventures By DIsney gave us to pack our pottery and carry it on the plane.  Shipping quotes I got were in the range of $1000, unbelievably high!!!

Another really fun shopping excursion was the Alpaca petting zoo where we bought a sweater or two and fed the cute fluffy alpacas on the way back to Cuzco.

As to eating, the food was fascinating and often quite tasty.  Apparently, unbeknownst to me, Peru has an international reputation for great cuisine.  Our expectations were set by the yummy Peruvian chicken we get at TGIF (which can be found in Lima btw).  However, this was not anything we got while actually in Peru!  I loved all the different sauces, the yucca dishes were quite nice.  Nobody does potatoes like Peru (2000 varieties I believe they told us) and quinoa is amazing there as well.  Alpaca meat turns out to be a pretty tasty, gamey sort of meat but I never tried the gourmet delicacy of roasted guinea pig!

The people are delightful, they seem to be a very happy bunch in general and usually quite willing to help out or sell you something.

ALl in all, the trip was fantastic and we are already planning a return to Macchu Picchu in 2012 now that we know our way around -- highly recommended, I'd give it like a 6 out of 5.

Finally lives up to its potential on 12/29/2008

As you may have noticed from my previous reviews, I have not been a big fan of Victoria & Albert's in the past.  But, it was a birthday celebration so I did my best to be a good sport ... and was pleasantly surprised!  Gone was the arrogant, uncommunicative server.  Our servers this time were no longer Victoria or Albert but they more than made up for that in friendly, efficient and top notch service! 

My companions all ordered from the Vegetarian menu which looked quite good, I opted for the standard menu myself.  We found that Victoria & Albert's was very accomodating to our special dietary requests this time around.  Where we got a jello pyramid on our last visit, this time we got a delightful sugar-free chocolate souffle which was quite worthy of being served in a true gourmet venue.

The other seven courses were quite flavorful although I found that the Elk dish and the black truffle brioche (w/black truffle butter!) were real standouts for me.

Overall, a pleasant, well presented and extremely flavorful visit which included lots of laughs and jokes at my expense.  Although I wouldn't exactly call myself a proper convert, I can see myself visiting Victoria & Alberts on future family gatherings without the kicking and screaming that precluded this particular event.

Price is very high, we paid about $600 for a table of four people and this didn't include any upgrades or alcohol but it did include a tip.  Some upgrades are available, expensive caviar for $40, Australian Kobe beef for $35 and so on.  Bon apetit!

Wild and crazy place! on 11/1/2008

We visited T-Rex for the first time today, caught a nice lunch amidst the dinosaurs, next to the "Fire Kitchen".  T-Rex is a lot like the Rainforest Cafe with dinosaurs and Woolly Mammoths.  Instead of thunderstorms you get meteor showers.  However, I found that there is a lot more variation here than the rainforest.  The chairs are very nice solid wood, there is more space between the tables and the menu is more varied.   They have a coral reef room, a fire/desert room, an Ice Cave which is pretty cool!  I really enjoyed the ambience... but it is VERY noisy, just like RFC in that regard.

Wait time was moderate, we waited 25 minutes in a fast moving line to be seated.  I got the "Tribal Tacos" which was a creditable fish taco on corn tortillas.  Ahnalira got a really delicious chicken dish with roasted red pepper sauce which I thought was quite a bit better than my ho-hum tacos.  What we did wait a long time for was our food.  Our waiter was very helpful, although he did go out of his way to let us know that he was still learning the ropes since they have only been open two weeks so far.

So overall ratings: ambience -- noisy but fun gets 4,  food varied and some dishes better than others get a 4,  price -- we paid $45 for soda and an entree for two people (no sugar-free desserts here!) and that doesn't count the tip.  So overall I give it a 4 -- definitely a great place to bring kids and everybody who doesn't mind some noise should try it at least once!

Here's a video I took while waiting in line: http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/aspx/movie.aspx?request=listMovies&cat=restaurant&location=TREX

Vintage elegance on 9/15/2008

We just finished a very pleasant breakfast at Disneyland Hotel's Steakhouse 55, which is tucked behind Goofy's kitchen.  We were immediately impressed by the elegance of the ambience, jazz music playing in the background combined with old black and white pictures on the walls creates a very, dare I say, 1955 sort of feel to the place.  I found the seating to be extremely comfortable and the service was fantastic.  I ordered Huevos Rancheros (I always try to get those when I'm on the West Coast!) and found them to be nicely prepared and quite delicious.

For breakfast I highly recommend Steakhouse 55 if you want a nice quiet, pleasant meal.   We hope to try for a dinner here as well.  Prices were typical for disneyland breakfast, about $10 for a plate, we spent $30 for our complete breakfast with coffee and diet coke.

Best Turkey sandwich ever! on 9/15/2008

We stumbled into the River Belle Terrace, desperate for a snack and turned away from Orleans Cafe by a long line.  What a pleasant surprise, the line here was short and the turkey sandwich is simply amazing... possibly the best turkey sandwich I've ever eaten in a restaurant, it tasted like real home cooked turkey and I don't mean the pressed kind!  The horseradish aioli is to die for, the bread appears to be baked fresh and they have a very fresh and tasty fruit salad to go with it.  

Not the cheapest counter service I've ever seen, we spent a good $15 per person with a drink, sandwich and side of fruit salad.  But I think it was worth it and definitely looking forward to another round of turkey sandwich someday; this time I might even get a whole one just for myself

Something different and loud! on 9/1/2008

Irish Pubs seem to be hot now, and Raglan Road is no exception to that.  We visited here on a couple of different occasions.  The first time we stopped in for an afternoon Iced Tea and conversation with some good friends and found the ambience to be thoroughly delightful and pleasant all the way around!  That visit would have gotten a 5.

Second visit was a very rainy evening and the place was packed.  We waited for a table, and when we got the table the noise was almost overwhelming... I guess thats why they call it a Pub and Restaurant .   We ordered some soup and dinner, both of which were tastey but not extraordinary.  I may have Irish in my blood but it didn't make it to my palate apparently! 

Anyway, given the incredible level of noise and food that didn't excite me overmuch I'd give it a 3 for that experience.  So I averaged it out to a 4.  Just be aware that this is a popular dinner spot and it gets really noisey in there, I think the open air design just makes the noise build on itself or something.  All in all, if you've never done the Irish Pub thing and you like lively environments you might want to at least give Raglan Road a try.  If you like a more peaceful eating experience you might want to come during off hours!

Fun video game! on 8/18/2008

We recently had the opportunity to try out one of MGM's latest attractions, the new Toy Story Midway Mania.  This is a very popular attraction, regular waiting time was between 60 and 90 minutes long and fastpasses were sold out by the time we got there.  We ended up going through the singles line which got us in quick.  Its a fun video game, much improved over Buzz LIghtyear because you can actually see where you're shooting, good fun and highly recommended for the kids!

Interesting, but too short! on 8/18/2008

The sets from the Narnia movie are spectacular, but this tour ends too soon!  Basically you get to see a few cool sets from the movie and an overview of the movie itself, and then thats it, tour over!  Its fun to do once but I can't see repeating this particular attraction.  Hopefully they will add more stuff

Awesome for the kids! on 8/18/2008

We first saw this Jedi Training show at Disneyland and were impressed.  The one at WDW is even better, the Darth Vader is quite compelling and it looks like the kids are having the time of their lives.  If you have any little Star Wars fans, this is a must see!!

I want one! Really fun.. on 5/6/2008

If you have a chance to do this fun new tour, I say jump on it! This was well worth the money, just the chance to play with a new version of the Segway (which was already way fun before!) was awesome. The tour is very reminiscent of the Haunted Hay ride for some reason, except not as many scarey monsters running around ;) The highlight of the tour is definitely the off-road Segway, practically the first thing out of my mouth was "How much for one of those babies?" The answer was something like $6k... cheaper than a new car! We've been batting around the idea of buying one for the farm ever since ... watch out, you may get hooked!!

Tremendous show, don't miss it! on 4/8/2008

Matsuriza is one of my all-time favorite shows on property, we always stop to watch whenever the show starts up in Japan pavilion of the World Showcase.  These guys are fun to watch and the sound is tremendous, definitely a must see if you are spending the day in the World Showcase, right up there with World Showcase Players and Off Kilter!

Great snack spot! on 3/3/2008

Great Tip: is a great place to go during a parade because it's empty!  We especially love the sugarfree chocolate muffins here, moist and very dark, they are especially good with milk!  If you are lucky, you will even get a taste of streetmosphere and a spot to rest your tired dogs.

Another great mid-parade spot! on 3/3/2008

Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is another great place to visit during a parade, there's no lines!  We've gotten a few tastey sugar-free ice cream shakes here over the years (gotta love that Edy's ice cream).  However, of late they seem stuck on Butter Pecan which I don't care for, hence the "3". 

Pleasant counter service with veggie options on 3/3/2008

The Electric Umbrella smells of french fries and ketchup so we hadn't ever actually eaten here.  However, for the good of all man and womankind, we decided to catch a break and a snack here and were pleasantly surprised.  Seems a bit more cozy than most of the other large counter serve on property.  We also noted a few promising looking things like the veggie wrap but didn't actually try any of those.  Fountain bar was huge and sugar-free brownie quite yummy.  Works as a nice place to grab a respite while hoofing it through the extensive grounds of FutureWorld!

Nice enough bite to eat on 3/2/2008

We recently visited the Captain's Grille in the Yacht Club, this was previously known as the Yacht Club Galley.   Truth be told, the name seems to be just about the only change here, everything else is looking pretty much the same.  If anything has changed I think it might be the menu; I found my Angus Cheeseburger to be quite tasty (How can you go wrong with an Angus burge,r I ask you??) and the Soup of the day smoked corn chowder was also very palatable.  However, the definitive standout was the new No Sugar Added Gelato (key lime flavor I believe) which was truly exceptional in the world of sugarfree desserts Iin fact, this was my first ever sugar-free gelato and I was quite impressed!

I give it 4 stars, good food (5 with the Gelato!), ambience just ok(3). 

It just keeps getting better! on 3/2/2008

The Grand Floridian Cafe has really got it goin' on, we stopped in for yet another delightful lunch here and everything we were served was absolutely wonderful.  I love this place for their exceptional Reuben sandwich, but this time I had their Rustic Chicken Sandwich and it was delightful, I really like the ciabatta bread which tasted like it must have been baked that very day!  Ahnalira had the Tuscan Grilled Pork Loin salad and was extremely happy. We started with Tomato-Basil soup and French Onion soup which were both exceptionally good. Service was excellent as usual and the ambience is extremely pleasant with a great view,  What's not to like?!  This is perhaps my number one fave on property, overtaking my previous favorite the Kona Cafe.

Tasty Tempura, Epcot's best kept secret! on 3/1/2008

We recently made a special trip to World Showcase to visit the new Tokyo Dining, so new that it isn't even listed at the Guest Services desk.  We made PS's for dinner a few hours ahead of time at the Epcot Guest Services desk and had no problems getting in (although most of our faves were already fully booked!).  Then, to add insult to injury, we showed up an hour early (5:00).  The place was almost empty, we were promptly greeted by a bevy of Japanese ladies in formal Japanese attire.  The bowing and "Domo Arigato"s were infectious and we found ourselves doing the same by the time we left.

First off, let me just say that the view from this restaurant must be one of Epcot's best kept secrets, this has got to be easily the best view of the World Showcase lagoon to be found!  I'm thinking this must be an exceptional spot to watch the fireworks from! 

Secondly, the service here is amazing!  If this is what service is like in Japan, I'm headin' for Japan real soon!

The food was also very tastey, I ordered the Shibuya (shrimp and chicken tempura) with Garden Salad and hot green tea; Ahnalira got the same with a grilled sushi grade Salmon.  We were both delighted with our dishes, they were quite excellent!  Thats amazing for me because I'm not really a big fan of Japanese cuisine, and make no mistake, this is all Japanese cuisine.  You won't be seeing any happy meals here (well,except maybe on the kids menu) so be prepared for an adventure! 

So, a very pleasant surprise for me!  I say this place has got it all goin' on so it gets the 5 stars all the way. 

PS by the time we left the place was getting quite a bit busier!

Old Tyme Favoryte! on 1/30/2008

Beaches and Cream is one of our standard favorites, Ahnalira is especially fond of the sugar free shakes here (me too if they got chocolate!).  The burgers are ok, onion rings are pretty tastey but the real star is is the mini jukebox on the table ambience.  Its just a fun spot to eat, great music and fun servers

Nice ambience, food pretty good on 1/2/2008

We recently grabbed a lunch at the Portobello Yacht Club with some good friends of ours.  The fare was pretty much a standard Italian deal.  After my recent experience at the new Epcot Italian restaurant, I must say I found the food at Portobello slightly disappointing.  The flavors were not quite as vivid as at Epcot, I wish I could remember the name of the new restaurant in Epcot but thats the one I would recommend most highly if you are looking for some really tasty Italian food on property!

Still, the ambience was nice, service was good and the food was good so I give it 4 stars overall.

New All Time Fave, Ymmmm! on 1/2/2008

We recently visited Tutto with some friends, prepared to be a little disappointed after the demise of Alfredo's!  Well, the menu didn't immediately inspire me (ok, I was really hoping to see Fettucini Alfredo on there but it just wasn't happening!).  However, the new more spacious seating arrangement and excellent service did impress.

And when we got the food, WOW, it was all fantastic, some of the best Italian food I've ever sampled!  This is it folks, the best Italian food to be had on Disney property run, don't walk to Italy in the World Showcase and be sure to order some of that wondrous Bufalo cheese for me while you're at it. 

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I think Tutto's is actually an improvement over Alfredo's even though you can no longer get that wonderful Fettucine Alfredo

Food pretty good, very noisy! on 12/29/2007

We have been to Cape May Cafe several times over the years; over all I have to say its not really my cup of tea.  Great for families, very noisy with lots of little ones racing around and screaming.  The food is ok, I have had some pretty good dishes off the buffet.  Of course, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a big fan of buffets... 'nuff said!

So, for me not so great, but I think for families its a nice spot and very conveniently located for Beach Clubbers so I give it 3 with a half hearted thumbs up

Theming is to die for! on 12/21/2007

Being the avid reviewers we are, we recently visited the newly opened Yak‘n‘Yeti which is a brand new sit down restaurant located at the entrance to Asia in the Animal Kingdom.  We waited impatiently for the doors to open at 11AM, rushed in and were placed on the second floor.  The decorations are amazing, almost as good as a ride!

The menu was a bit disconcerting for us sugar-free types, as the chef proceeded to tell us that we basically couldn‘t eat much of anything on the menu.  I finally settled on some pho which I have never had before (Vietnamese maybe?).  Well, it turned out to be delicioius, with lots of fresh veggies and plenty of hot sauce which I promptly added into the soup and noodle bowl.  I was extremely pleased with this dish and am eagerly looking forward to our next visit, might be the healthiest and best tasting Asian food I‘ve had in the state of Florida!  Highly recommended both for theming and for excellent food, but you will be paying top disney dollar so don‘t expect any bargains

Does the job on 12/21/2007

As part of our recent stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas DVC, I made several visits to The Mara for supplies, breakfast croissants and espresso (for Ahnalira!).  I found that the facilities were adequate, the food was good and the selection very nice.  I was especially happy to find microwave popcorn and big bottles of water for sale   The ambience was nothing special, and it did get a bit crowded at times hence I give it a 4 as being a nice place to grab a snack but nothing special.

Superb view! on 12/13/2007

We recently had the opportunity to use some DVC points to stay at the newly opened Animal Kingdom Villas in the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Basically it looks like they converted a wing of standard rooms into villas, we stayed at a 1 bedroom villa which was beautifully appointed and had a great view of the animals.  A few sacrifices were made to fit the villa into the smaller space, in particular the stand-alone shower and walk-in closet were notably absent.  However, the kitchen was then nicest DVC kitchen with granite countertops we‘ve seen in a villa and the bath tub was wonderful, most comfortable tub I‘ve ever experienced. 

Overall it was fantastic and I was extremely pleased with the accomodations.  Can‘t wait to see the real villas when they get finished!

Deeelicious multi-cultural buffet! on 12/13/2007

We recently visited Tusker House now that it has been converted to a buffet format.  We were actually late due to the parade (they close their doors at 4PM, make sure you‘re on time!) but they eventually did let us in after some cajoling. 

As a result, our experience was a bit rushed but even so, we found the broad variety of options (everything from curry chicken to hummus w/ pita bread) to be absolutely delicious on every count!  Every one at the table appeared to enjoy their meal and I am eagerly looking forward to our next visit... which is not something I say often about buffets since I‘m generally not your buffet kinda guy!  I even heard rumblings that this buffet might be even better than Boma

Not just for kids! on 10/31/2007

Tried this out the other day, it was actually pretty fun-ny. Lots of lame jokes, just what you‘d expect from a Monsters, Inc. show.  Most of your faves from the movie make an appearance and they have put in a fun twist on audience participation!  May end up being my new favorite Tomorrowland attraction

A lively parade on 10/31/2007

We‘ve got a new parade in MGM based on the High School Musical movie(s).  The kids seem to love it, there‘s lots of dancing and singing which is fun. 

Delightful new trend! on 10/21/2007

Just recently discovered the Joy of Tea out front of the China pavilion, what a delight for the iced tea connoisseur!  I had some wonderful green iced tea, much better than your average American green tea I must say.  This is certainly a delightful new trend on the Disney property - little gourmet tea stands everywhere you go, I couldn‘t be happier!

Gotta love a Buffalo Burger! on 10/3/2007

Quest for the West was our 3rd Adventures By Disney trip and it did not disappoint.  Our tour guides (or Chrises as we called them) were the best yet.  The food varied, (I think my favorite food was the Costa Rica trip), but it was good.  I did have opportunity to try some buffalo burgers (from Montana), river trout was abundant and good (from Idaho), and some excellent Elk chops.  One of my faves was the bison chili at Yellowstone, very tasty!  Just remember, Bison is PC for Buffalo

Brooks Lake Lodge was our last stop and my personal favorite, the food here is wonderful, the scenery is spectacular and they have great Wifi!!  Really I could have spent more time here and less time looking at geysers in Yellowstone.  Although, truth be told, once you‘ve paddled the canoe, gone on a hike, a horseback ride and perhaps learned a bit of fly-fishing you‘ve pretty much done all there is to do.

Our group on this trip was primarily composed of couples like ourselves. Everybody was so friendly that the social aspect of the trip became one of the big pluses of the adventure, we really bonded as a group.  Having seen groups that didn‘t bond as well, I was quite impressed and pleased by this development!

Once again Adventures By Disney scores a home run, this trip makes me want to try out the sister itinerary, "Southwest Splendors"... but of course thats after we do Peru and Australia

Still tasty after all these years on 9/22/2007

We recently re-visited Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge for the first time in several years.  Seems to me the last time was during a Hurricane, but thats another story!  Usually I order the classic dish, cedar plank salmon.  However, I just wasn‘t "feeling" the latest rendition; something about the new apricot glaze didn‘t sound so good to me so I went for the free range chicken and Ahnalira did the pork chop and we shared.  The Tamale that came with the chicken was really the highlight of the meal for me, although the macaroni and cheese that came with the pork chop was also very delicious and of course the Venison spring rolls were also very good.

After that, nothing really impressed me, the chicken and pork chop just seemed rather average to me and the beans with the chicken was not something that either of us particularly enjoyed . 

The service was truly excellent and the ambience was pleasant.  However, since the main entree failed to impress I can‘t give Artist Point a 5 star on this round, 4 stars will have to do!

Pleasant, nice spot for a burger! on 8/8/2007

Now that Saratoga is our DVC home resort, we decided to check out all our "home" options   The Turf Club is a pleasant little restaurant, tucked away behind the Artist‘s Palette, just past the pool table.  It sports posh accomodations, a quiet atmosphere and a pleasant view of the river.

I had an Angus Chuck burger and it was quite tasty, along with the Slaw which I found to be a little weird but Ahnalira scarfed it right up.  We both enjoyed our meals, service was great, I give it two thumbs up.  The only reason it doesn‘t get a five from me is that the food didn‘t Wow me, maybe I‘ve been watching too much Top Chef or something.

Good eats, cool lunch spot on a hot day! on 8/8/2007

We recently renewed our acquaintance with the Liberty Tree Tavern, stopping in for lunch on a day of record-breaking heat.  Of course, our first concern was to get out of the heat and something cold and liquid in our hands.  For sure the Tavern came through on that promise.  Right away we realized that the Tavern has been discovered as a lunch place, it was full up on our visit.

I opted for the Tri-Corner roast beef sandwich and was quite satisfied with the meaty results, especially when combined with a never ending flow of Iced Tea (brewed thank you very much!).  Ahnalira opted for the vegetarian special which got lots of happy sounds and thumbs from her side of the table.  Altogether a pleasant lunch break although it wasn‘t nothing to write home about, it takes some "Wow" factor to get a five from me anymore

A bit bland on 8/6/2007

We recently decided to pop in for dinner on a hot sunny day. As usual, the ambience is exotic and cool. The drumming Moroccan music and belly dancer are entertaining (although we were seated way off to the side where we couldn‘t see much). I ordered the chicken couscous which I found to be juicy but extremely bland flavorwise. Its a huge dish, enough to feed a family of four I think! Overall, I give it a 3 because the food was so non-descript! Still, I recommend everybody try it at least once, it is a unique experience. You may have better luck with the Kabobs, unless you like bland dishes.

Viva Espana! on 7/5/2007

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip, which is saying a lot since I wasn‘t really sure why we picked the Adventure to Spain.  I made full use of my High School Spanish and with my natural lisp I fit right in in no time at all.  The food was not nearly as weird as I thought it would be, although a few things were just too weird for me, in general I found the eatin‘s to be good!  

My big tip is, DO NOT give in to the temptation to eat at Starbucks or any other American eatery.  That was the worst food of the trip, that horrific soggy sandwich at Starbucks right after we got off the plane.  They really don‘t understand how to make American food over there! 

Anyway, I really had a great time.  Wish we‘d spent more time in Cordoba because I really liked that town, but Sevilla was really great too.  Be sure to get in shape for this trip, we are talking some serious hiking up and down hills so be prepared.

I love these Adventures By Disney, can hardly wait til the next one

Like shopping in China! on 6/5/2007

This place is great, they have all sorts of wonderful Chinese products.  Jade carvings, silk clothing, we just have the greatest time shopping here!  Definitely a must do for shopaholics while in Epcot

A pleasant polynesian rest break! on 6/5/2007

I know its a bit hokey, but on a hot day in Adventureland you just can‘t beat the Enchanted Tiki Room.  Its cool, dark, and pleasant which earns it 4 stars in my book on a hot summer day   And its amusing and mildly entertaining as well!

Great store on 5/23/2007

I‘m loving Mombasa, this is one store where you can find something a little different from the run of the mill Disney store.  Almost like really being there in a tourist trap in Africa

Its a classic! on 5/22/2007

There is just something soothing and pleasant as you float thorugh the mayhem that is the pirates of the caribbean!  Now its fun to spot the Johnny Depp :P

Always amusing and fun! on 5/22/2007

Let me just say that I am a BIG fan of the World Showcase players no matter where they play or what they are doing. They are just hilarious and the audience participation really makes it exciting, you never know when you"re going to get chosen to be part of the act!  I always stop to watch whenever I see them playing, I highly recommend that anybody with a sense of humor make sure to catch one of these shows.

Chilean Salmon, Wow! on 5/8/2007

We just had a delicious dinner at the Maya Grill; for the first time I really felt that the food itself took center stage (although I still enjoy the Mayan theming!).  Our waitress recommended the Chilean Salmon with such enthusiasm that I went ahead and ordered it, in spite of my normally reticent attitude towards fishy friends!  Wow was that a good choice!  Possibly the best salmon anywhere that I have ever had, I think it even beat out Artist Point which had been my favorite all-time Salmon.  This was a very fresh, wild Salmon (which seems to mean a thinner filet usually!) that was perfectly seared, slightly crispy on the outside and still moist and tender on the inside.   The mashed potatoes were delightful as well!

Big thumbs up, especially for salmon lovers

Excellent! on 5/7/2007

This was just a great show all the way around! I highly recommend it, really the shows are perhaps the best thing about Disneyland vs. WDW.

Awesome! Path to a lot of Fun if you ask me! on 5/6/2007

I have to admit that I was not too sure how our trip on the Path to Pura Vida (in Costa Rica) would turn out.  However, I soon discovered that it was a rollicking good time, hopping from one fun adventure to the next. The guides were great and so was our group.  My only problem was trying to find enough energy for all the activities, believe me it helps if you are in good shape for this trip! Even the pineapple plantation tour turned out to be great fun, even though my initial reaction to the concept was along the lines of ho-hum.  Now I know what pineapple is supposed to taste like (not sour in other words!) and how to properly select a good pineapple at the grocery store (should be refrigerated and firm and a ilttle greenish!). 

But really, everything was fun: splash fights in the river rafts, hikes through butterflies and rainforests, ziplining through rainforest canopy, even driving through the countryside, it was one of the funnest trips I've ever had!

Overall I give this a lot of thumbs up, it was so good that we already booked two more Adventures By Disney trips in the hopes of repeating the magic

Getting better all the time! on 5/6/2007

We recently had a chance to spend a couple of days cruising California Adventure.  Many improvements have been made, including the addition of the Muppets and Monsters Inc.  Although I do miss Millionaire and the Soap restaurant and the improv theater. Meanwhile, all kinds of new kiddie rides have showed up just past Tough to be A Bug (another fun show!); I give it a four, not quite a five yet but its getting there with those money ticket rides like Soaring, my favorite rollercoaster, and Tower of Terror!

Still fun after all these years! on 5/6/2007

Tough to be a Bug has become another classic in my book, a worthy copy of the WDW AK version which I have been enjoying for years now.  Like Muppets, I always get a some good laughs out of this 3D show as well as a few cringes here and there. The queue theming is slightly different than WDW which makes it fun for a Floridian too.  Disney at its finest IMHO!

A reluctant convert! on 5/6/2007

I got sort of, how should I say it, dragged? into this store. So my expectations were quite low and I was surprised to discover that making a stuffed bear (well, penguin in my case!) is really quite fun Then I got Gorgeous the penguin some shades and his own little iPod and my day was complete!

Just plain fun! on 4/21/2007

I recently got to ride the West coast version of Muppet 3D and enjoyed it every bit as much as my beloved MGM version.   Even more fun is that the theming in the queue is different so there's new silly stuff to laugh at.  I have seen this show many times and still find it funny. Gotta love those muppets and that scene with Mrs Piggy and the waterski is to die for!

Amusing but not good enough for an encore! on 4/21/2007

This ride replaces the Limo ride and is definitely an improvement on that.  This was an amusing experience but not a ride I will seek out more than once!  Its basically an old fashioned car on a track type ride with Monsters Inc. theming.

Possibly the best lunch to be found at DCA! on 4/21/2007

We stopped here for lunch the other day.  The food is pretty good, probably the best I've seen in DCA at lunchtime (which is perhaps not saying much)  Of course, all the little girls were thoroughly entranced by the princesses.  That didn't do much for me though, I was mainly enjoying the salad and Salmon BLT which were good enough.  Seating was comfortable, the two-top table we had was a good sized table, and we had a decent view of Paradise Pier.  Unfortunately they had no sugarfree option for dessert, the best they could offer us was a bowl of fruit which doesn't count for dessert with us.  Hence, the downgrade from what would otherwise be 4 stars from me. 

Pretty good, Jambalaya is quite tasty! on 4/21/2007

We recently made our first visit (for dinner) to the DL Rainforest.  After waiting 10 minutes we were told that the wait was 1:45.  So, we promptly walked into the bar area and found an empty table (we got lucky!).  Noise was a bit intense but hey, we got served right away and could still catch a whiff of the famous thunderstorm.   I'm used to the WDW RFC's and this one seemed a bit smaller to me.  I did like the pyramid theming though.  And I found my new fave RFC dish, Jambalaya was very tasty.

Mainly I mark it down to 3 for extreme noise and excessive waiting and it took quite a while to get our food after ordering.  This is definitely something to experience if you've never been to a Rainforest Cafe before, the ambience is unique.  You will definitely want to hit this place on an off day (not Saturday like we did!) and maybe an off-time as well because it gets jammed.  Either that - or be prepared for a very very long wait.

Fun ambience, hand tossed pizza, what more? on 4/21/2007

We did lunch here and had a very pleasant experience overall.  We ate outside (no wait at all!) and I had a Salsicce pizza which was quite tasty.  Our server was friendly and efficient and the ambience was very pleasant.  Definitely qualifies for a solid 4 rating all the way around.

Ho Hum! on 12/28/2006

We took this ride recently, and its pretty tame stuff.  Pleasant enough scenery, and the queue was pretty cool, but we got off the ride wondering if there is another way to get into the Seas so we can see Crush... which is rally awesome btw!  I give it 3 only because I figure little kids might enjoy the ride, for me personally its more like a 2...

Technically very good, great sets! on 12/28/2006

We just saw this for the first time, located in the now enclosed theater where Tarzan used to be, out in the far reaches of Animal Kingdom.  I found the sets and costumes to be quite impressive and innovative.  The performers all seemed quite competent.  The only reason I don't give it a 5 is because I felt the songwriting really didn't measure up to the standards set by shows like Lion King, Tarzan, Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Still, it was very good quality for a theme park show and I recommend that you see it at least once

Heaven for the discerning tea drinker! on 12/28/2006

I love love LOVE this place!  THey serve all sorts of loose leaf, fresh brewed teas here; hot or iced.  I recently had a hot Chai here that was simply exquisite. I've also had all three flavors of iced tea and they are all quite delicious.  Really a wonderful place to wet your whistle on your way to Expedition Everest or Kali River Rapids

High tech fun! on 12/28/2006

This is simply one of the best shows, truly unique.  Now available both in Florida and California.  I'm not sure how they do it, but somehow they've managed to create a technology that allows an animated Crush to interact with the audience. He comments on members of the audience and answers questions.  Its definitely not canned, this is a live interactive show.  Each time we come here the show is more popular, it pretty much dominates The Living Seas pavilion as the line takes up most of the interior of the building!

Definitely a must see, and since the show is different every time it is fun to see over and over again.  It has become a regular stop for us everytime we go to Epcot... that and Soaring of course!

Can you say Loud and Obnoxious? on 12/7/2006

We had quite a mixed experience on our recent visit to Whispering Canyon for lunch.  To start with, "Whispering" is like some kind of sick joke because mostly the ambience here is loud and obnoxious...  be prepared for a lot of noise and yelling by the people working here; the kids were quiet by comparison!  We were unlucky enough to get the slowest server in the world, I honestly think she went backstage and took a 45 minute nap because after an hour of sitting we had yet to receive our food or even a refill on our drinks.

Having gotten that unpleasantness out of the way, the food was really good... possibly the best tasting burger I've had on property and Ahnalira really liked her salad too.  Once the waitress came out of her coma she was actually quite competent, even if she was still loud and obnoxious.  So, 5 stars for the food and 1 star for service and ambience puts it right at 3!

Ch ch changes, but still good! on 12/7/2006

We recently stopped by Chefs de France for a lovely dinner.  As is my custom, I ordered the Soup a l'oignion and a mixed green salad.  Both were quite good but I must say the French Onion soup is not quite the show stopper it once was... I guess thats what happens when you change chefs, n'est-ce pas?  I hope my French spelling isn't too abominable!   And we do miss the old goat cheese tarte, that was so delicious.

Still, its a great place to eat and the French Onion soup is still noteworthy and should be attempted at every opportunity!  Salad was quite good and Ahnalira was very happy with her meal (pork chop, yum!).  Definitely a WDW fave and new comers should definitely check it out, you may get hooked just like I am

Great French Onion Soup! on 11/18/2006

We just got back from a very pleasant trip to Disneyland and had the opportunity to enjoy lunch in the Cafe Orleans.  The menu here is sort of a Blue Bayou Lite, with Monte Cristo sandwiches playing a prominent part.  I ordered the French Onion soup which I promptly gobbled up, what a delight on a cool day!  This is second only to Chefs de France in the world of Disney French Onion soups, real Gruyere cheese melted on top and every spoonful gets a generous helping of onions, what a happy time

The Monte Cristo's got mixed reviews, I didn't particularly like the meat in my Monte Cristo, but I loved Ahnalira's cheese only Monte Cristo.  However, unless you have a really big appetite, I would probably just order the soup!

All in all, a very pleasant experience and probably would have gotten a full on "5" if not for the regular Monte Cristo falling a bit short of the mark!

Just ok on 11/18/2006

On our recent trip to Disneyland we stopped in to Redd Rocket's for a bit of pizza and pasta.  I'm afraid I have to give this one a thumbs down.  Although the ambiance was kinda cute I found the pizza to be rampantly mediocre  I also had salad which was a real basic Ice Berg, nothing to write home about.  Prices are high considering the food quality, we paid $40 for two modest dinners... and I was still hungry afterward. 

To be fair, it seemed my table mates were quite happy with their pasta dishes; lesson learned: don't order pizza even though it has "pizza" in the title!  However, I think at this price you'd be much better off to wander over to Cafe Orleans

Not the greatest Mexi on 11/18/2006

We popped into Tortilla Jo's a few days ago for dinner, I can't resist anything Mexican when I'm in Californian and this looked to fit the bill!  Unfortunately, the experience was a bit on the disappointing side. We immediately ordered up a big bowl of guacamole, but after a few bites everybody got puzzled looks on their faces. Everybody felt there was something missing, although it was extremely fresh tasting and went down well enough with a bit of hot sauce... probably needs some seasoning like garlic, lemon, and so forth.  It turned out that this was a premonition of things to come.  All the food was fresh but lacking in flavor, hence the "3" rating.  Hopefully these guys will figure out that Mexican food tastes better with seasonings

Beautiful spot on a stormy evening on 8/29/2006

Let me start by saying that I have not been a fan of California Grill so up until our recent dinner I would have rated it about a 3; thus my rating of 4 represents a very happy experience to balance a number of less happy times.  To begin with we got an entire 4-top to ourselves, the two of us that is. We were place to the right side and it was significantly quieter than previous experiences on the left (and seemingly more crowded) side.  The view was spectacular as the sun was setting among many storm clouds

The food was quite good, I chose 3 appetizers while Ahnalira went for a Salmon and especially delicious corn chowdery soup.  Of the appetizers, I did find the flatbread quite flavorful, the tomatoes weren't my thing although Ahnalira really enjoyed them!  The Sushi was quite good, California rolls tasted very fresh and there were a lot of them.  Overall I give it 4 because the food was quite good but, to my thinking, not quite as good as the price tag would suggest ( $120 for the two of us drinking only iced tea).

Nice Reuben, no booths! on 8/29/2006

We each had Reuben sandwiches here for lunch the other day, we found the Reuben's to be a bit above the average fare; although I must say that the Grand Floridian Reuben is exceptional by comparison!  The ambience here is nothing special and I don't think there is a booth to be had in the place.  Overall I would say this is a pleasant enough place to grab a slightly better than average sitdown meal. Convenient if you happen to be staying at the Yacht & Beach Club but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to eat here... hence the 3 out of 5 rating which to me means nothing special.

Great RollerCoaster and plenty of eats! on 7/31/2006

I have really enjoyed the California Adventure every time I've been there I know there are purists out there who poo poo the new park, but I think it has really brought the Disneyland California experience up a couple of notches. There's nothing more fun than staying in the wondrous new Grand Californian and walking out the back door and into a theme park!  My favorite thing at the California Adventure is the big wooden roller coaster California Screamin', what a fun ride! Kind of like the Boardwalk roller coaster in Santa Cruz but on steroids. I also really enjoy Hollywood Backlot; very reminiscent of MGM Studios in Florida. They have great shows on the street and in the theater and of course I love the Tower of Terror THe other fun thing about California Adventure is all the eating opportunities, a broad range from fancy sit down restaurants to nouveau fast food eateries; California Adventure has all the restaurants that I wish Disneyland Park had   Overall I give it 4.4 stars; I suspect this park is just going to get better and better though

Muppets and good food, what more could you want on 7/29/2006

MGM is one of my favorite parks; its got two of my fave rides at WDW that being Tower of Terror and Rock'n'Roller Coaster. Also a few of my favorite restaurants like Mama Melrose and PrimeTime Cafe. And finally its got the Muppets which is funny every time I see it

Takes me back on the time machine! on 6/19/2006

A few minutes on the tea cups not only gives me a great upper body workout, it takes me right back to my childhood. And if you're really lucky you might even get dizzy and nauseous and stumble around afterwords

Better than I expected! on 6/16/2006

We recently paid a visit to the Crystal Palace and were all pleasantly surprised Personally I'm not a big fan of buffets so I'm always a bit skeptical when I enter a room with a long table full of food!  The Crystal Palace was a very pleasant surprise; they provided many vegetarian alternatives which made several of our group very happy. Personally I found some Thai Curry Chicken that was absolutely delicious so I just kept going back for more of that. The salads were fresh and other dishes were quite tasty too, I definitely give this the thumbs up as a Magic Kingdom dining option.  The only reason I give it a 4 instead of 5 is that the ambience is not great unless you just really love to float on a sea of sound and chaos

Update: truffle pasta yum! on 5/13/2006

We just revisited Alfredos a few days ago and the food got thumbs up all the way around! A couple of our party got the Trittico di pasta which now includes a pasta dumpling with truffles (instead of fettucini!), quite an exceptional dish we all agreed. Fettucini was great as usual, the appetizer version plus the trittico got lots of happy reviews   All this with dancing servers and live accordion music, how can you beat that?  It was my favorite eating experience of the trip so Im bumping my rating up to a 5

Just OK, not so great for tea drinkers! on 5/13/2006

The Animal Kingdom Lodge Concierge has become a regular stop for us, we love the resort theming and watching the animals is a joy.  Unfortunately, the concierge experience was rampantly mediocre, service was very uneven and several mistakes were made. 

For example,  the dedicated hot tea drinker in our party was less than happy.  Apparently they arent allowed to provide actual hot water on the buffet, so the tea water is provided luke warm and not hot enough for proper steeping. The afternoon tea advertised loose-leaf tea but none was provided.  This is unfortunate since I had previously perceived Animal Kingdom Lodge as a haven for the gourmet hot tea drinker!

However, it wasnt all bad and a few of the staff were quite helpful. We did get a few sugarfree desserts and one of the staff even approached us to let us know that we had sugarfree muffins lying unclaimed in the refrigerator. The blueberry ones turned out to be delicious!  The 5PM items were quite delectable and the breakfast bagels were fresh and tasty.

Overall it seems the concierge service was not quite up to previous standards and we hope to see it improve in the future

Good down home kinda food! on 4/28/2006

Weve eaten at Olivias many times, usually with a big group of friends. Olivias has a nice friendly atmosphere very conducive to family get togethers, you can even get your picture up on the wall along with hundreds of others!  The food is good, down home eating with exceptional buttermilk chicken breast and the burgers and crab cakes aint bad either   I am especially happy with their variety of fruit infused unsweetened iced teas, not something you can find just anywhere on property.  Overall its a pleasant eatery serving good basic fare in a pleasant friendly environment with a minimum of bells and whistle.

Breakfast is still a happy meal! on 4/16/2006

We recently had a character breakfast at Ohanas for the first time in many a year  I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the food, especially the turkey sausage. The chef was very accomodating about our sugar-free requests.  The ambience is great if you love to see kids parading around and making lots of noise; translation: definitely a family environment   So thats why it gets a 4 instead of a 5 from me, not the greatest ambience especially for people like me who prefer a rather quiet experience first thing in the morning

Refurb is a big improvement! on 4/15/2006

We recently visited the Polynesian after their latest refurbishment and I was impressed. They have really upgraded the furniture in the rooms, the closet space is simply delightful now!  Add to that high speed internet service and a great view of the fireworks from your room and youve got a winner!  The concierge area has also been remodelled, I rather like the new layout although I miss the Poly that we first got to know 10 years ago.  I didnt see any fruit sculptures like the old days but we did see a familiar face or two.  Overall Im giving the Poly a 4 because you really cant beat the location and the view.

In addition they have just completed a major remodel of the main building, making a very nice large shopping area right near the entrance (it used to be hidden in the back).  Ahnalira was especially pleased by the selection of Tommy Bahamas womens clothing there although I have to say the mens selection was rather weaker than in the  old days (used to be one of my favorite places to shop for mens clothing).

In summary: The refurb really did a lot for the rooms but you can still tell that this puppy was built back in the seventies (just dont look at those ceilings is my suggestion!) and thats why I dont give it a 5!  If you love the Magic Kingdom and the fireworks then be sure to get a room with a view and you can sit back and enjoy from the comfort of your own bedroom

Awesome! Fun ride. on 1/31/2006

We recently got an Annual Passholder sneak peek of the Animal Kingdoms latest thrill ride, Expedition Everest has great Himalayan theming and the ride itself is really fun!  This has rapidly, after only one ride, worked itself into my personal top five Disney World attractions. Not only that, there are tasty gourmet iced teas to be found at a new stand in Asia; that finished off our Animal Kingdom visit nicely.  The only downside to the ride was the incredibly long line (about 50 minutes).  So go grab your fast pass first thing because they were gone by the time we got there at 2PM!!

Great brands; QuikSilver and Tommy Bahamy on 11/29/2005

We recently visited Team Mickey and it turned out to be my favorite store of that trip, a new addition to a rapidly dwindling list of my favorite Disney Stores  For me this is the best place to get clothes for guys on property, they have several of my favorite brands including QuickSilver and Tommy Bahama among others; I just had a blast shopping here and am very happy with the pile of clothes I brought home with me.

Live love eat, yummm! on 11/28/2005

I really love Wolfgang Pucks Express, and what a great corporate philosophy: Live, Love, Eat! The food here is exceptional for a counter service restaurant and it appears that they have improved the menu and reworked the system since last time I was here a couple  of years ago. I had the Warm Chicken Aioli sandwich which was simply exquisite; possibly the best sandwich Ive ever had I also had the warm tortilla soup but didnt have much appetite left by the time I was done with the sandwich, it was good too.  I like the new setup where they bring you your food. Also loving the larger menu. I give it a five, Ill take Wolfie over the Earl of Sandwich anyday

Great decor... on 11/27/2005

Nestled beside Splash Mountain, one of our favorite rides, is the briar patch. I love the decor here, worth a visit just to see the roots of the briar patch forming the ceiling of the store.  At one time this was a fun store with a nice variety of merchandise, however it has since become a Kids store; nothing much for us adults! I give it 3 only because of the ambience and happy memories of another shopping era.

A pleasant surprise! on 11/18/2005

I have to say I wasnt expecting much from Shutters at Vero Beach, but I was pleasantly surprised. The beach ambience is very pleasant and the food was really quite good! We ate several meals here and they were all quite good!  The spinach and artichoke dip was especially good (a "5" for sure)!!  Though not quite a 5 overall, I give Shutters a solid 4!!

A bit smaller than I expected, but nice! on 11/18/2005

We visited Vero Beach a few months ago and were unfortunate enough to have a lot of rain while we were there. I hadnt realized what a cozy little resort this is; having become accustomed to the huge on property Disney World resorts. Fortunately the 1 bedroom unit we got was the standard spacious DVC 1 bedroom which is really quite nice.

During the one dry morning we did try out some of the rentals, got out there on a couple of waverunners and had a great time! It appears that they have pretty well recovered form the hurricanes of 2004 and the beach is looking good.

Overall I was not very impressed with Vero Beach. It is a good place to go for a quiet time away from everything. I wasnt really looking to have a quiet time away from everything so I thought it was a little bit boring really (except for the waverunner ride). As long as you just want some down time and arent really looking to have anything much to do but lie by the beach or the pool then should have a great time there. We ended up playing games in our room and that was quite fun!

A surprise, great place for adults with Laptops! on 11/15/2005

We stayed at the Swan during SuperSoap weekend; mostly because we never had and we like to research all the different resorts. The first impression was not great, you certainly don't have that Disney feel like you do at other resorts. However, that whole feeling changed as soon as we got to our room! All I can say is Wow! What a nice room, nice and spacious with both a desk and a sofa. This is perfect for the two of us because we both need a nice spot to work on our laptops. This is the best arrangement we've ever found in a standard room on Disney property to fulfill our needs.

After one night on the bed I have to pronounce this as one of the best beds I've ever slept on anywhere, verrry comfortable I'm going to be looking for Westin hotels everywhere I go just to have that bed!  Service was fantastic; we had a broken closet door which the bell boy noticed, within 20 minutes it was fixed! That is unheard of in my experience so I was just floored.

And the ambience of the rest of the hotel grew on me; after a hectic day at the parks I found it very soothing to come back to the nice quiet cool dark ambience of the Swan. We also found that we were able to watch all kinds of movies on the tv which are not available at the true Disney hotels; another thing which made me very happy as I had some catching up to do on the latest movies  like 40 year old virgin and Hustle & Flow

This is the perfect resort if you want to play at MGM Studios, you can't get any closer. A quick boat ride with no stops is all it takes to get there. Epcot is a slightly longer boat ride away. The fun on the Boardwalk is also easily accessible with a short walk.

The only reason I don't give the Swan a 5 is that you can't put your charges at restaurants and shops on the room key like you can at other Disney hotels; the room key only opens the door at the Swan. Considering how much we tend to put on the room key this was a bit of a negative point for us; but other people may find that they spend less and save money!

Overall this is a GREAT hotel for adult couples; perhaps not the best choice if you have kids. A very good value for the money

Food very good, ambiance 3 on 11/15/2005

We ate breakfast at Gullivers/Garden Grove Cafe several times during our stay at the Swan Hotel and found it to be a very pleasant place to eat.  This is a character breakfast on weekends and the characters were not very busy at all so we saw them a lot! I was hooked on the Mickey Waffles with strawberries, these are perfect waffles imho and that is one of my favored breakfasts. Ahnalira seemed to be quite happy to find sugar-free bran muffins on the menu; usually she has to put in special requests for that kind of thing.

Although we found the food to be a happy experience, I wasn't thrilled with the decor which seemed a bit dated to me so I give it a 4 overall.

Wonderful food! Comfy ambiance. on 11/13/2005

We just visited Mama Melrose while visiting SuperSoap weekend and had the most delightful meal First, they happily seated us in a booth when we requested it, and we just love a nice comfy booth. I've always liked the Italian family run homey atmosphere of Mama Melrose. And the menu is a delight, my only problem was deciding what I wanted to try first! I settled on the Toasted Bread salad which was very fresh and tasty. For my Entree I chose the Grilled Chicken Flatbread which went far and above my expectations, truly delicioso! I can't recommend it enough Ahnalira had the Eggplant Napoleon and was very happy with it, she says they really know how to do eggplant at Mama Melrose!  The only negative was the sugar-free dessert, they gave us the omnipresent Disney frozen cheesecake; we each took one bite and sent it back. Fortunately they happily removed the charge so we were satisfied.

Overall I give this place 5 plus , it is now one of my top Disney restaurant experiences and I am eagerly looking forward to a repeat encounter!

5 all the way! on 11/13/2005

We have been to Spoodles many times over the past 10 years and generally it has been a very pleasurable experience. However, our last visit was truly exceptional and warrants a 5 rating! As always, we enjoy the rugged Mediterranean ambience, big thick plates and big rugged tables and chairs. Looking at the latest menu I found that I was having trouble deciding which thing I wanted to try the most; always a good sign I finally settled on the Lamb Kefta for my appetizer, which turned out to be a very flavorable meat patty with tzatziki sauce and toasted couscous. For my entree I selected the Fettucini Alfredo. The noodles were a bit more Al Dente than I prefer, but the sauce was a perfect light Alfredo creme sauce. However, Ahnalira informed me that the Alfredo was prepared to perfection. She had Greek Salad and Lamb Shank on polenta; both of which were very good although we agreed that my Fettucine was the one to die for. She said she wouldn't be able to stop eating it and sure enough, neither could I.

But that wasn't all, a very friendly Chef Jeff prepared a special sugar-free chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and fruit that was absolutely the best sugarfree dessert I've had at Disney in a long time!! So I am forced to raise my opinion of Spoodles from a 4 to a solid 5! I am eagerly anticipating a repeat performance

Nice spot to grab a snack. on 11/13/2005

We stopped in at Starring Rolls during SuperSoap weekend when the park was very crowded and found a welcome respite from long lines and packed streets. The food was not so impressive, they had no diabetic friendly sugarfree treats at all. The only option for us were the croissants which were very good.  I give it only a 3 mainly because of the lack of sugar-free options

Relive some classic RocknRoll! on 11/13/2005

Mulch, Sweat, and Shears are my favorite new act at MGM Studios These guys rock out!  They play some of the big rocknroll hits from my childhood, and they do it really well with lots of audience participation and silly landscaping jokes! Keep our eye out for that yellow truck that looks like your local yard maintenance crew... until they whip out the guitars and knock your socks off They can often be found in downtown New York!  

Fun & inexpensive to boot! on 11/10/2005

The PepperMarket is one of our favorite places to catch an inexpensive meal. The layout is fun, sort of a Mexican outdoor eatery theme.  You have several stations to choose from so there is something for everybody. I always like the Mexican one the best with the pizza/Italian coming in a close second.

I love this festival! on 11/10/2005

The Food & Wine Festival has got to be about the most fun festival of all! How can you beat bunches of new eating opportunities . I don't know about the wine, but I sure do like the food. Here are my favorites for 2005: Mexican Chilaquiles and the Hummus in Morocco .  In Australia we saw the most delightful presentation/demonstration on the didjeridoo or "yiggi yiggi" as some aborigines call it. That one is definitely worth catching.

I highly recommend the Food & Wine Festival

Garden Grill is back and as good as ever! on 11/4/2005

This is another of those restaurants where lots of good times have been had! As a character meal I think the characters here are really quite fun and we usually see them several times each. The semi-circular booths are very comfortable and I always enjoy constantly changing view going from jungle to farmland.

Last time we went the food once again proved to be excellent. I had some of the best turkey Ive had on property, flank steak was delightful as were the potatoes (this was a dinner). I have consistently found the chefs to be very accomodating; usually they will make us up our own special batch of everything on the menu in no-sugar-added form. They have one of the best sugar-free cheesecakes to be found on property; which is saying a lot from me as I am not a big cheesecake fan.

And best of all, you dont pay an arm and a leg for the food here. Perfect in every way, 5s across the board!

A nice dinner spot for MK on 11/4/2005

Weve visited the Liberty Tree Tavern many a time for lunch and dinner both. Generally weve found that the kitchen is very accomodating to our no-sugar-added dietary needs. This last time they even whipped me up a sugar-free chocolate shake (not normally on the menu) and it was quite tasty.

I find the characters here to be quite fun and usually cruise through at least a couple of times each during dinner. There is usually a wait here even if you have PSs. The food is good but not great, flank steak and mashed potatoes being my favorite part of the dinner selection.  Ahnalira did say that her vegetarian platter was excellent! On the other hand, I found the turkey to be a pretty mediocre pressed type which I didnt even finish... not nearly as good as Garden Grille!

I give Liberty Tree Tavern 4s acroos the board. In other words it is consistently good  but not exceptional.  If you are looking for a turkey and flank steak family style restaurant I would recommend the Garden Grille as the better choice.

Still, considering the selection of dinner spots in the Magic Kingdom Id say this is one of your better options if that is where you plan to eat.

Fantastical Iced Teas!! on 11/4/2005

As we were leaving The Plaza Restaurant we happened to notice the Epithet "Noodle Station" underneath the familiar Tomorrowland Terrace sign. We wandered in and let me tell you, this is no longer a burger and fries kinda place. The menu is littered with Pan-Asian items like Pad Thai and Noodle bowls.

But the biggest happy surprise is that they carry two yummy gourmet Iced Green Teas, I tried the Organic Peach and it was delicious. The other one was Blackberry Jasmine or something like that, looked really good too!  I wish I could find Iced Teas like this everywhere in Disney; gone are the days of powdered Nestea thats for sure!

So I give this place a 5 for the best Iced Tea Ive ever had anywhere on property, and for being a refreshing change from the standard quick service fare. Some day I actually hope to try the food too :)

A wondrous alternative to fries and burgers! on 11/3/2005

We discovered the Chakranadi Chicken Shop in Asia on a quest for a sport bottle and some diet coke; but we found much more than that! A taste of Asian cuisine with Chai and Potstickers on the menu, what a refreshing alternative to the omni-present McDonalds fries stands to be found elsewhere. I tried the potstickers, which is really a potsticker soup and found it to be healthy and delicious.  I did manage to acquire a Cheetah sport cup full of Diet Coke as well :)  I will be sure to make this a regular stop on my visits to Asia!

5 for ambience, 3 for food! A must see!! on 11/3/2005

Weve been to the various Rainforest Cafes many times; I do love the unique ambience! Especially the occasional thunderstorms! None of this has changed much over the years.

The food on the other hand, has changed quite a bit and for the worse IMHO.  On my last visit I had the meatless "natural burger" which was just ok, the wife had the "Caribe Chicken" which was delicious: probably the best thing Ive had on the new menu

In conclusion; you have got to do this if you have never been to a Rainforest Cafe before! However, dont expect too much from the food :)

What a gem! on 11/2/2005

The Plaza Restaurant is my favorite kind of Disney World restaurant; inexpensive, tucked away and has good food! We recently had a very pleasant lunch here; I had a Turkey sandwich that was quite good with a very fresh green salad. To top it off I had a sugarfree diet coke float that was simply delightful!  This is now one of my favorite Magic Kingdom eateries.

Great breakfast spot! Stuffed french toast :) on 11/2/2005

We just had breakfast at Boatwrights and a delightful time was had by all. The server was quite a kick, very funny. The manager and chef were very accomodating of our sugar-free requests and made me banana stuffed french toast with no sugar added. This is my favorite breakfast; basically the same thing you get at Kona Cafe. Overall it was a perfect breakfast!

Weve also enjoyed a few dinners here and they were quite enjoyable also.

Love the new buffet area! Staff is delightful :) on 11/2/2005

We had a pleasant surprise on our recent stay in Wilderness Lodge Concierge, they have installed a whole new room (properly themed of course) for the concierge area. Quite nice!  The eating area still feels a lot like chairs and tables in a hallway (because it is) and thats probably the only reason I dont give it a 5. We found the staff, Jack in particular, to be very friendly and accomodating. After the first day they made sure we had plenty of sugarfree muffins and desserts.

Entertainment off the map! Good pizza! on 10/28/2005

I think for famillies there just isnt a better cruise ship than the Disney Magic. The kids really have it good on this ship with all the play areas and the pool.

Of course, as usual, I am reviewing from an adult perspective so I have to say that the Disney Cruise Line is not the greatest for adults. The things I love about the Disney Magic are:

1. The pizza on this ship is fantastic, my favorite pizza of all the cruise lines Ive been on!
2. The entertainment is among the best. I enjoy the Hercules show every time I see it. Great comedy, the night clubs are very good, the dance activities are often well attended and well done!
3. The ship itself is very nice, gotta love those characters on the prow... I think its Goofy isnt it?

And now for the things I dont love so much:

1. First of all, the food is just not up to snuff. It does get better every year but still lags way behind competitors like Holland America and Celebrity.
2. Suite cabin layout, I just dont like the way theyve done it, feels small even though its supposed to be a larger room. Again, other ships have much nicer suites!
3. Noisy pool deck... if you just love kids I think it must be heaven. But for me its just a little too loud and raucous up by the main pool not to even mention the kiddie pool.

Over all I say the pluses and the minuses balance out to give this a 3 overall in my experiences of cruise ships. If you are wondering what kind of ships I really love take a look at the Celebrity Millenium class!

I do like the colors better! on 10/28/2005

The Wonder is the newer ship and I do like the colors better! Food is about the same as the Magic though so its still getting a 3 from me!

Great for kids but not my favorite! on 10/27/2005

I think this park is mainly for the kids; not a great park for the grown ups though. This is undoubtedly the most crowded park on any given day. I highly recommend you come here on an off season day or at least come early in the morning if you can. Go to your favorite ride first and get a fast pass!

On the plus side are some great rides here; Splash Mountain is one of our all time faves and Thunder Mountain is great fun too. I enjoy a lot of the classic rides just for old times sake; Pirates, Jungle Cruise, etc. And of course the parades (if you like that sort of thing) are specatacular and the fireworks show is amazing and inspiring.

On the minus side, the eating here is not great. I would plan to eat elsewhere if possible because I cant say that any of the restaurants here is in my top ten WDW restaurants.

Lots of great entertainment and eating! on 10/27/2005

The two things I go to Epcot for are the shows and the eating. Here you have some of my favorite WDW restaurants; places like Alfredos, Chefs de France, Tangierine Cafe are all delightful eating opportunities.

On the other hand there is great entertainment to be had here in the WorldShowCase. The fun thing to do is stay at the Beach Club and show up at the International Gateway just after the Showcase opens... like 11AM ish. Then you are perfectly positioned to see the World Showcase Players (hilarious, I LOVE this show and I never miss it), Off-Kilter, Mo-Rockin, British Invasion, and the list goes on.

Especially fun are the special events like the Food and Wine Festival, yummm! The Flower Power concert series is also fantastic; you get to see what happened to all the rock stars you remember from your childhood :)

Whats the downside? Well, be prepared to walk, and walk... and walk. There is some serious walking to be had in this place! Yep, thats it, thats the downside! LOL

Great coconut shrimp! on 10/26/2005

Ive always liked the ambiance at the Brown Derby. It is especially nice to get one of the semi-circular booths; for this reason I suggest you have a party of at least three when you go to the Brown Derby. If there are only two of you, most likely you will get put at one of their little tables that is about the size of a postage stamp crushed up against the railing; needless to say this really detracts from the happy time.

Food here is pretty good. Brown Derby is the famous inventor of the Cobb Salad  so thats always a good choice! They usually have a Coconut Shrimp appetizer which is simply delightful, the crab cakes arent bad either. Ive found the roast chicken is really good too if they still have it on the menu. This is one of the better places for sugar-free folks, they almost always have no sugar added cherry or apple pie or strudel from the neighboring bakery.

If you are really lucky youll even see a movie star here; in fact we once saw Susan Lucci and company dining a few tables over!

Whimsy with a great location! on 10/24/2005

The Boardwalk Inn is one of my favorite WDW resorts. The deluxe concierge rooms are especially nice, they have an extra little sitting area which works well for me since I like to have a place to play on my computer in the evenings that is separate from the bed. The location is also wonderful, you feel like you are right in the middle of things with all the activity on the Boardwalk; several restaurants to choose from (I like Spoodles the best personally) and a pleasant boat ride to MGM or Epcot.  The decor is whimsical which isnt exactly my favorite but Ahnalira really enjoys it :) My only warning is this: do not stay at the Boardwalk Inn if you are looking a for a quiet, peaceful room... that would be something more like the Wilderness Lodge or even the Beach Club.

Its ok, very convenient and easy food! on 10/24/2005

First let me say that the food is not the reason to go on a Disney cruise! That said, the Topsider is ok. Generally we chose to eat in one of the dining rooms whenever we could; if that tells you anything! But if you want a fast, casual and easy meal this is the way to go. I suggest you go down to the pizza bar, they have great pizza on these cruises :)

Love the colors, EZ walk to Epcot. on 10/24/2005

The Beach Club is one of my top five WDW resorts. The color scheme is very pleasant and of course the beach theming is great for a beach lover like me. Since the recent remodel the furniture is very nice, most of the rooms have a very comfortable and practical desk. Generally the furniture does not tower over you anymore which makes the rooms seem more spacious. This is the best place to stay if you plan to spend a lot of time at Epcot, just a short walk to the International Gateway which is probably my favorite way to enter Epcot; you really avoid the crowds and long lines. Also a nice boat ride on those Italian air conditioned boats to MGM. The only thing lacking here is a decent restaurant, I really cant say too much for the restaurants available in the Beach Club although Beaches and Cream is a lot of fun.

Dark, quiet, conservative in navy blue! on 10/24/2005

The Yacht Club colors have always seemed a bit on the dark side to me; navy blue and red with dark woods seems to dominate. I think its a bit better since the last remodel and I like the new furniture a lot better... same type of furniture that they put in the Beach Club.

The concierge used to be one of the best but I was disappointed at the rather lackluster minimalist fare presented on our last trip. In general I get the impression that Disney is cutting the concierge budget so I dont think this is specific to Yacht Club, it seems all of the concierge level food outlays have been cut back.  Still, the people in concierge here are some of the best :)

Overall its a good resort, nice and close to the boat dock that will take you to MGM or Epcot and I do love those boats! Some decent restaurants, the Yacht Club is a great place for a steak and the Galley is pretty good, too. If you like the quiet, dark, conservative nautical/navy blue theme  you will love the Yacht Club. Ive heard rumors that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Eisner make regular visits to the Yacht Club. Personally I would choose the Beach Club or even the Boardwalk Inn over the Yacht Club, I prefer a lighter ambience.

Pleasant way to catch your breath! on 10/24/2005

Sure theres not much to it, but I always enjoy this ride. Its especially nice if your "dogs" are feeling a bit tired from too much pavement pounding and waiting in lines. You can catch a ride around the park and just relax in the light breeze, let your mind go into that zombie like state that happens from over-exhaustion hyper-stimulation heat-strokey kind of thing ;)  And there is hardly ever a line either! I like to believe that I never really know whats coming around the next corner... could be Indians or even a space ship; its hard to say. The only thing better than this is a boat ride!

Maybe Im just a fan of 3D! on 10/23/2005

This is another fun 3D glasses kinda show based on those movies that I never saw. I enjoy this show every time and the pre-show is pretty cool too.  Honey I shrunk the audience is a great  way to get out of the sun and get a few laughs on a hot day... especially if youre feeling a little bit too big that day :P

Fun location! on 10/21/2005

The Outpost is a really fun location, looks like Indiana Jones is likely to pop out of the woodwork at any moment! Great place for a break too, during the long walk from China. The menu is nothing much, just a nice place to grab a cone or diet coke and cool off for a few minutes.

Great Fun! on 10/20/2005

This is a great show but the pre-show might be even funnier! You gotta love those penguins! Be sure to catch the Muppets on your next visit to MGM.

I take this ride every chance I get! on 10/19/2005

I love Kilimanjaro Safari! Its always different, the animals you see depends so much on things like the time of day and the weather. Every once in a while you see something really unusual. And at the end you get to save Big Red which I always figures entitles us to a fun shopping trip! I highly recommend doing this first thing in the morning and as late in the day as possible; often the most animals seem to be out and about at those times of day. The line moves quickly but fast pass is a good idea on crowded days.

Gorillas! Another reason to love Animal Kingdom :) on 10/19/2005

Another great attraction in Africa; a very pleasant stroll through lush vegetation and lost of interesting displays. The big attraction is the real live Gorillas, the big guy is almost always sitting by the window watching the people. Usually you get a glimpse of the baby and mom and sometimes weve seen the bachelors off in a separate section. This is a pleasant addendum to the Kilimanjaro Safari!

Relaxing water park! on 10/15/2005

I found Typhoon Lagoon to be a very pleasant place to while away a hot summer afternoon. The wave pool is a cool thing, the slides were fun although teens and young adults will probably prefer the wilder rides at Blizzard Beach. A good time was had by all. The classic Disney theming touch made it a little more interesting than your standard water park.

Perhaps my favorite park! on 10/15/2005

I really love the Animal Kingdom, every little detail is a thing of beauty. It is especially fun to see animals everywhere you turn. Africa is fun because of the drummers and of course, the Kilimanjaro Safari is delightful! Asia has the Jungle Trek and very wet river boat ride. Even the entrance is very pleasant, with so much lush vegetation.  This is perhaps the hottest park for some reason, and there is a severe lack of real restaurants here. Otherwise I just love it! I can hardly wait for Mt Everest to open :)

Fun place to shop for AK Ts and Art of Disney! on 10/15/2005

We stop here just about every time we visit the Animal Kingdom, theyve got all the great T-shirts in here as well as a little Art of Disney section and a gardening section which is a lot of fun! Between this place and Outfitters across the way you can find just about anything you would want!

Not my cup of tea! on 10/14/2005

Weve been to Victoria and Alberts a few times now, and it just hasnt ever been a very enjoyable experience for me. This is a very formal environment although I believe they have toned it down a bit since the first time I went. The menu is very limited, you generally have two choices for each course. The servings for each course tend towards minute, not a place for big eaters! The price is extremely high and their ability to accomodate special dietary requests was very weak; the gave us a jello pyramid (from Grand Floridian Cafe I believe) as our sugar free desert!! 

Not my cup of tea Im afraid! I think there are people who would really enjoy this formalized, Victorian ambiance but Im not one of them.

Very pleasant on 10/14/2005

Weve been to Castaway Cay several times now and each time I find it to be a very pleasurable experience. Disney has really set this place up nicely, the barbecue is quite nice and the food is good. They have a nice store where you can get all  those things you might need and the beaches are both very nice, with nice lounges and umbrellas. They rent all kinds of neat stuff and its usually sunny here. On the 3/4 night cruises I find that Castaway Cay is the highlight of the trip.

Awesome view! on 10/13/2005

The view of the aquarium at the Coral Reef is simply spectaculor! If youre lucky youll even see some humans swimming around in there. The food varies, for a about a year Coral Reef was on our short list of favorites. Unfortunately, you really cannot count on the food being as good as the price warrants; hence the 4 rating. The selection for non-seafood-ites is a bit weak, although one time I did have an exceptional vegetarian dish... it was the best dish at the table! We have also had some exceptional sugarfree desserts prepared for us here, some of the best ones weve ever had.

Coral Reef is definitely unique and something that should be tried at least once if only for the ambience, just be prepared to lay out some cash for the experience :)

A classic! and a bit tame... on 10/13/2005

I remember riding this as a child! Its great for a pleasant few minutes, and probably fun for very small children. I cant really recommend it except for the sake of childhood memories...

Fun but small! on 10/12/2005

I loved this ride as a kid! But as an adult, with two of us in one rocket it was hilariously overcrowded!
I thought we were either going to die laughing or explode in mid-air! Still a lot of fun, but not so great for grown ups.

Interesting and unique, great food, pricey! on 10/12/2005

We popped in here with some friends shortly after Blue Zoo opened. I was immediately amazed at the decor, very unique!  The food was very good; I especially liked the bread and the chicken. This place is pricey, somewhat reminiscent of a Citricos experience; not the place to go if money is an object! I guess money is an object for me because I probably would give this place a 5 if it werent so expensive! Definitely a worthwhile experience and I look forward to a second encounter. 

Great Filet Mignon on 10/12/2005

Ive been to Yachtsman Steakhouse several times and generally had very happy experiences there. The Filet Mignon is exceptionally good. Its a bit hard to eat here if you arent into steak, though. Ahnalira often puts together a plate of sides and is generally very happy with the results. The ambience is pleasant and service has always been very good.

Love the animals! on 10/12/2005

This is one of my favorite WDW resorts! If you get a room with a Savannah view you can watch the animals all through the day; even at night. We have stayed here several times now, and I just love it.  The only down side is that the rooms tend to be a bit on the dark side, I guess its that authentic African looking furniture that is so dark.

Also the concierge here is very nice, you get a great view of the spectacular lobby and they even have a real nice latte machine.

I love that Elwood! on 10/12/2005

The Elwood is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. The Gospel Brunch is really a lot of fun too, although the food is nothing too special. I also enjoy the music in the background being the blues fan that I am! This is a great place to eat before a visit to Cirque!

Delightful location! on 10/12/2005

I just love the view of the fountain from here! Fountain View is a great place to start off your day at Epcot, with a latte or an Iced Tea in my case while you watch the fountain symphony and listen to the music.

Best show on property or off for that matter on 10/12/2005

I would give Cirque du Soleil La Nouba more than 5 if I could, it is unbelievably good! Ive seen it about 5 times now and totally loved it every time. It changes a bit every year, getting better all the time. I havent seen any of the other Cirque shows but I should would like to.  I especially like the guy who soars on the scarf things and the little Asian girls with the Diablos. See the show that has inspired an entire genre of entertainment!

Pleasant and exhilarating all in one on 10/11/2005

We did this on our first trip to DCA and immediately fell in love. Its as close as you can get to flying without actually doing it. In true Disney attention to detail, you even smell pine trees and water as you fly by.

Btw, this is now open in Florida too at Epcot and that one is just as fun!

Great show; love the fire dude! on 10/11/2005

A Cirque du Soleil-ish take on the Lion King; this is a very entertaining bit of fun. The pre-show is pretty amusing, nobody seems to know how to make Giraffe noises... makes me laugh every single time! The fire eating guy is great and the other performances are quite good as well. Still, you really have to see the original Cirque to get the full experience!!

Christmas is especially fun with the carollers on 10/11/2005

I just love the streetmosphere in all its various and tawdry forms. But probably the funnest thing Ive seen was at Christmas when a choir composed of the various movie personae sing the words from one Christmas song to the melody of another XMas song chosen by the audience. How do they do that? It must take years of training, truly and incredible feat :)

Nice and relaxing on 10/11/2005

Castaway Creek was a pleasant surprise for me. At first I thought it looked pretty stupid and boring but once we got out there on our inner tubes I discovered that this is really a very pleasant way to tour Typhoon Lagoon, lots of lush foliage and an occasional bit of excitement, wild animals... oh, wait, I think that was another ride! LOL

A delightful way to get to the park! on 10/11/2005

We stayed at the Disneyland hotel once and found that this monorail was just a wonderful way to get into the park in the morning... AND it saves you quite a walk in the process. I also really enjoyed the way theyve redone this since my childhood days.

Lively place, get out your napkins! on 10/10/2005

This is one of the more lively character meals to be found, lots of singing and napkin twirling. The characters here seem quite lively! I wouldnt go here for the food, though. Its pretty much the standard Disney buffet fare.

Fun 3D effects! on 10/10/2005

I really enjoy this attraction, I jump every time! The pre-show is rather fun too. Just dont miss Figgy while youre in the neighborhood.

This is what I call fun fun fun!! on 10/10/2005

This is my FAVORITE ride at MGM studios, if Im lucky I get to hop right back on for 4 or 5 repeats! I just love that feeling of weightlessness and unpredictability. The theming is immaculate and sometimes you get a really creepy elevator operator which just adds to the fun!

For the adventurous palate, awesome teas! on 10/8/2005

Weve been to Boma many times, and it continues to be one of our faves. One of my favorite breakfast buffets, the selection is good and they do have some unique dishes. But the real standout here is the loose-leaf gourmet teas brewed at your table in a french press!!

Dinner is great fun, all kinds of dishes that Ive never heard of before. Great for meat lovers, there all kinds of tasty meat dishes. The soups are unique and flavorful. The kitchen staff is very helpful, several times the chef cooked us up completely sugarfree meals and brought it all out to our table... way more than we could eat in a week!

All in all I have to say that this is an experience not to be missed. The ambience is great fun too. The only caveat is that you must be an open-minded eater, most of the stuff here you will never have tasted before.

A prime-time favorite of ours, lots of good times! on 10/8/2005

50s prime time is one of our all time favorites, I cant even say how many times weve been here over the years. The servers can be really fun if you get a good one. One of them got our son singing teapot songs to the other room which was quite hilarious. Some servers can be a little annoying, but in general I find that the atmosphere here is fun and lively.

The food is also good, the fried chicken is to die for! Sugarfree chocolate banana shakes, yummm! Other dishes are good too although none really stand out in my memory.

Overall I rate this in my top ten WDW restaurants, not to be missed!

The best sugar free Chocolate Mousse on property! on 10/7/2005

I have to give this little bakery 5 stars because I always look forward to getting some of the sugar-free chocolate mousse when Im at the World Showcase. This is probably one of the best sugarfree desserts on any Disney menu, chocolate lovers of the world unite and meet at Kringlas! And besides, whats not to like about the ambience, sitting between a stave church and a viking raider ship?

Good nouveau fast food! on 10/7/2005

Weve dined here a couple of times and found it to be quite nice as fast food places go. The bread is very good, sandwiches are tasty, salads very fresh. The menu is pretty limited, perhaps the only reason I dont give this place a 5. For the price, this is a great lunch spot and certainly should be tried out at least once. Personally I prefer Wolfies Express for this genre in Downtown Disney, but maybe thats just because I love pizza so much!

Fantastic view of the fireworks! on 10/7/2005

At least once, everyone should eat at the Rose & Crown and watch the fireworks. This is probably the best view you can get from a restaurant and there is nothing like enjoying your dessert while you watch that giant globe opening!

The food, on the other hand, is generally uninspiring but good. Ive found that the pot pies are my favorite dish on the menu and the iced tea here is pretty darn tasty. Fish & chips is very good if you are into that sort of thing; same with the bangers and mash.

The fact is that you just cant beat the location; weve had some great times here over the years!

Lots of good food! on 10/4/2005

Ohanas is one of those places on property that has to be tried at least once! Its a loud fun place to eat dinner with tasty meats cooked Polynesian style. We found the kitchen to be very accomodating, they even made up all the dishes sugarfree just for us and got us a sugarfree Kileauea tort from Kona Cafe next door... possibly my all time favorite Disney sugarfree dessert!! Its good and its all you can eat, what more can you want?

Fun location, food can be very good! on 10/4/2005

You cant beat the location of this place, eating in a castle is way up there on my list of neat locations. As character breakfasts go I think this is one of the better ones; lots of face characters including Peter Pan who is great fun. My recent lunch experiences here were exceptionally good; especially the sugarfree bread pudding that is one of my all time favorite sugarfree disney desserts!! Honestly, Ive generally found the dinner menu uninspiring and the food just ok... I cant say I recommend this as a dinner spot, but this may be the best lunch Ive ever had in the Magic Kingdom!

Youve got to try this at least once so you can see the inside of Cinderellas Castle :)

All Time favorite! on 10/2/2005

I love this place! This is one of my favorite spots for breakfast, the citrus french toast is sublime and the view is very pleasant with the morning sun coming in the large windows. Lunch is also delightful with a great selection of different meals and lots of dessert options. And the price is quite reasonable, you just cant beat it!

Good Grub! on 10/1/2005

We recently ate dinner here with some friends and I felt the food was good basic eatin; nothing special but I was able to fill up on good stuff. Its a great place to bring your kids because there are lots of kids there. This may not be such a great thing if you are looking for a quiet sort of meal. It is a buffet experience; if you love fish and shrimp and things like that then you are going to be in heaven. But there are a few things here for non-fish lovers like myself. All in all, I give it a solid three as a place you can get something good to eat, but its not on my favorites list.

Surprisingly Good! One of the best buffets. on 10/1/2005

BierGarten continues to surprise me as one of the best buffet style lunches on property. The roast chicken is delightful and boy do they know their way around cabbage and sausage! The entertainment is pretty fun too, complete with lederhosen and good old fashioned German music. One time we even got a whole assortment of sugarfree foods which was a real treat! If you are looking for some Bavarian sing along kinda fun and a tasty buffet then make sure to set aside a slot for the BierGarten in your next WDW visit!

Verrry Expensive but good on 10/1/2005

The Catal is a delightful and very expensive Mediterranean restaurant conveniently located next to the Grand Californians entrance to Downtown Disney. I found the food here to be excellent, the service fantastic, but overall Im not sure it was worth the kind of money they charge. Definitely one of the best meals Ive had on Disneyland property; but I liked Storybook Cafe better and at a fraction of the cost!

One of my fave counter service! on 10/1/2005

This is possibly my favorite counter service restaurant on property! The food is delightful Mediterranean fare complete with hummus and souvlaki, well prepared and cost effective. The ambience is very pleasant as well, with the classic middle eastern airy well light architecture and sometimes you can even listen to the MoRockin beat in the background. If you are looking for a quick lunch in the World Showcase I highly recommend the Tangierine Cafe; you cant beat it on property at this price so I give it a 5!

Disappointing! on 9/28/2005

Weve been to Tonys many times over the last 10 years and had a broad variety of experiences there. You cant beat the location of this place and it is one of the very few true sit-down restaurants in the MK; thats why we keep going back. Its the perfect place to go before a Not So Scary night.

We had been ordering an eggplant dish here that was simply out of this world (and Im not a fan of eggplant dishes either)! The last time we ate here the eggplant dish was no longer on the menu so I settled for a rampantly mediocre spaghetti dish (ok, I admit it, I am particular about Italian food!). I heard similar comments from around the table about the food; I dont think anybody there was happy with the dish they got.

In conclusion I have to say that the convenience cant be beat so if you just want to grab a quick plate of mediocre spaghetti on your way in to the Magic Kingdom this is the place for you. Just dont expect to enjoy the food!!

Just ok. on 9/12/2005

We stopped in for a quick bite on a rainy day. I had a sandwich which was just ok, nothing special but certainly edible. They did have a pretty nice selection for what is basically a counter service restaurant; but the quality of the food we got was definitely at the fast food quality level.

Well worth the extra cash on 9/11/2005

Palo is well worth the extra fee, the food is a couple of steps above the meals to be found elsewhere on the ship. Ive found the beef carpaccio to be exceptional as well as the chocolate souffle which is a perfect dessert. The Filet Mignon is also extraordinary.

The view is especially good when in port, such as at Nassau; Service is generally excellent! I would eat here every night of the cruise if I could :)

A unique dinner; great ambience! on 9/10/2005

This is a fun restaurant, I love the ancient Mayan temple theming. You feel like you are outside in the Yucatan peninsula, really very delightful. The food is almost secondary to the ambience! I did enjoy the food, dinner is a bit on the exotic side so don't go to the Maya Grille if you are looking for a burger or fried chicken. This is a place for the adventurous tastebud.

Breakfast is a buffet and anybody who knows me knows I don't much care for the buffet experience. For a buffet it is decent, pretty standard fare as Disney breakfast buffets go.

Fettucini Alfredo is awesome! on 9/9/2005

This is the place for the BEST fettucine alfredo anywhere! The ambience is very genuinely Italian in feel, the tables are perhaps a bit close for my taste but the service is generally very good. The Canoli is also excellent. One of my favorite stops in the World Showcase, I give Alfredos top ratings!

Id give this more than 5 if I could!, 5 on 9/9/2005

The Grand Californian is the best of the Disney resorts in any location! The Craftsman theming is exquisite in every detail. You cant beat being able to walk to both parks, in fact GC has its own entrance into California Adventure and Downtown Disney both. The Storytellers Cafe is one of the best Disney resort restaurants anywhere too! I just love this place, cant imagine staying anywhere else on my visits to Disneyland Resort!

Just ok, but where are the villains? on 9/9/2005

We recently had a sizable group breakfast here and it was ok. Let me say upfront; Im not a big fan of buffet style restaurants! The food was alright, the characters were pretty good to the kids. I do miss the villains which used to hang out here; they really added some pizzazz to the place. Great place for families with little kids and a decent buffet breakfast.

French Onion Soup on 9/7/2005

The French Onion Soup in this place is to die for; it is unquestionably the BEST French Onion Soup I have ever had. Just one warning; this soup is more like a meal than an appetizer so dont order anything else because you will want to finish this soup once you get a taste of that rich broth under a thick skin of broiled Gruyere cheese!

This is my favorite WDW restaurant! on 9/7/2005

I love this place, breakfast, lunch or dinner it is just the best. The ambiance is a delightful polynesian flavor although a bit on the noisy side sometimes. Iced tea is one of the best on property. Tonga Toast is my favorite breakfast of all time (like french toasted stuffed with bananas). For lunch you can get some fantastic sandwiches; the Kahuna burger is excellent as are several of the others. And finally the chocolate lava cake is absolutely scrumpdelicious chocolate heart-attack, yumm!

All time favorite DL restaurant! on 9/7/2005

I love this place! Right from the moment you walk in it is a total delight, the craftsman style theming is beautiful to behold; I only wish I could do my house in such exquisite wood carvings! All meals are a treat. The guacamole is one of the best ever, I never miss an opportunity to scarf down the guac in this place. The Mexican dishes are great, fantastic burger, what more can you want?

Nice view, great spot on 7/19/2002

I dont know why they call this place FountainView but it sure is nice that you can see the fountain from here while you sip down a little iced tea and some sugarfree cheesecake, or perhaps a large cup of Steamed Milk and a croissant!

concierge staff on 4/15/2000

Talk to Scott! He works in the concierge lounge, and he is the BEST! He makes great Sugar Free desserts for us, and he'll make your adventure special, too. Tell him Alan sent you:)

I like food alot on 4/15/2000

Eating at Disney World is my #1 attraction. Mostly, I prefer the full service sitdown restaurants to the counter service restaurants - except for Pure and Simple at Epcot where I get delicious sugarfree smoothies and waffles and tuna salad sammies. My tip: eat early or late for the best service.