Here are our dining reviews for our trip Jan.2-13th. Cast- me (25 yrs, sahm and nursing student), dh (29 yrs, chef), ds C (4 yrs), dd A (25 months)
This was our first trip to the world!
Chef Mickeys- This was our first ADR, for the evening of our arrival. I wasnt sure if I should even include this in my dining review, but here it is. Once we checked in, my 4 yr old son was just not cooperating. He wouldnt pose with us for the family picture, so we skipped that. He wouldnt enter the restaurant, so we just hung out by the entrance for a little bit. I think the sight of the characters & surrounding commotion made him nervous. Once I realized that he wasnt going to be happy no matter what we tried and he wasnt going to get over his mood quickly, we decided to call it quits and go back to the hotel. It looked like a fun place to eat and maybe we will try it next time. The staff was very understanding. I think C was just tired from the traveling, but it gave us an ominous feeling about the rest of the ADRs we had planned. Luckily this proved to be a one-time fluke and he was more cooperative the rest of the trip.
Plaza- this ADR was on our first full day. As we walked up, people were being told that it would be approximately an hour long wait and I was really surprised at how many people remarked that they didnt know they could have made reservations when asked if they had one.
We checked in and waited about 10 minutes. We listened to the Barbershop Quartet and A enjoyed watching the nearby ducks. Our waiter was very attentive and stayed right on top of the drink refills (bonus points for that at tip-time!). I had the turkey sandwich but asked for it on a croissant and with fries instead of the potato salad. They were happy to make the changes and my sandwich was great. The kids both had grilled cheese with grapes and apple juice. DH had the corned beef reuben and he said it was pretty good. The kids enjoyed their mickeylodeon sundaes and we took care of the bill. There was no waiting around; service was awesome
We went back at the end of our trip and DH tried the philly cheese steak- also very good.
Well be back for sure. Its a nice, inexpensive lunch spot, and a great break in the middle of a busy day.
Donalds Breakfast- I was really nervous about this ADR after our first nights experience at Chef Mickeys. I wasnt sure how C was going to handle the characters and mentioned my concern at the check-in podium. They were so accommodating and said they would alert the character handlers to skip our table.
Breakfast selections were great. I dont know where Ive been, but I didnt realize that they had Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the buffet. Yes, I must be the last person to realize this, but oh my goodness. The fresh fruit selection was great and A was happy to see the containers of yogurt (her favorite) since it had been a few days since she had one.
I was really impressed with the staff- they went to great lengths to make sure that C was comfortable and explained to us the route that the characters would take upon entrance.
C did hide under the table for a bit, but didnt want to leave the restaurant. He just wanted to watch from what he thought was a safe distance. The character handlers were true to their word and told each character to just wave and move to the next table. When C came out from underneath the table, he asked if he could say hello to Mickey. I was flabbergasted. One of the character handlers heard him and asked Mickey to turn around and C said hi and Mickey waved. C smiled and hurried back to his seat. All-in-all, it was a great breakfast and we were really pleased with the extra lengths the staff went to to make sure that we had a nice experience.
Will definitely be back next time!
Rainforest Café at AK- this wasnt planned, but we were here anyway, so thought we would try to get a table. It was about a 30 minute wait, but we looked around in the gift shop and it went by pretty quickly. A wasnt so sure about the noise and every time the gorillas started their sounds, she hopped into DHs lap. Overall the food was pretty good, but it was really crowded and loud. Dh and I both had the Rainforest Burger and it was good. I think the kids had grilled cheese sandwiches and milk.
Not the place to go for a relaxing dinner, but it was fun. We may try it again. Not sure
Alfredos- We checked in and waited only a very short time for our table. We were seated in the smaller dining room and I was pleased with that. It seemed to be quieter and not as hectic as the main dining room. Our waitress was very pleasant and kept our water glasses filled. My DH and I both had the fettucine alfredo and it was amazing. I really enjoyed it. My son had spaghetti and my daughter had noodles with alfredo sauce. Service was efficient, which we appreciated, because our little ones werent too excited about sitting down for more than a few minutes, so we were in and out of there in a reasonable amount of time
We would definitely go back here, but alas, its closing this August
Sci-Fi Drive-In- We had an early lunch here. Our ADR was for 11:30, I believe, and we were one of the first groups to be seated, so we had a pink Cadillac all to ourselves. The kids were thoroughly impressed with the atmosphere here and thought the movie clips were fascinating. DH and I both ordered burgers and shakes and we were all happy with our selections. Our waiter was less than enthusiastic, but it was okay.
We will definitely go back next time
Mama Melroses- There was some confusion when checking in here. One CM took our information and then when we inquired about our seating time 20 minutes later, we were informed that we hadnt been checked in after all. Not sure where that first CM went with our info, but nevertheless, we checked in again and were seated shortly.
I did feel badly for the CMs working the check-in desk because they were being bombarded with people trying to get in for dinner and they were totally booked & not taking any walk-ins at all. One guest lost her temper after being told that and informed the CMs that they had better fit her in because she had tried all the other restaurants and they were all beeping full. I really wanted to tell her that she should have planned ahead if she was going to be this upset about not getting a sit-down meal. But she got her way and they fit her in, probably just to shut her up. But all those families who just nicely inquired about getting a table were sent on their way.
Anyway- had a bit on confusion here with the waitress about mixing and matching items on the childrens meal. I mentioned that we had already been able to do it at every other restaurant thus far with no problems, and she said okay (Not sure why she was suddenly able to do it, but whatever). We were paying OOP.
Our 2 yr old dd slept through this meal in her stroller so it was strange to be able to eat with both hands and while my food was still warm! DH had the spaghetti fra diavolo and loved it. I had the flatbread pizza, it was okay. C had the childrens pizza and ate most of it. The highlight of the meal was when the restaurant chef came to our table to give C a chefs hat. It said Mama Melrose- Chef C and they also brought him a make-your-own sundae. The chef chatted with us for a bit and said hed like to go home to watch the game, so he asked C if hed watch the place for him. C said Sure! and the chef laughed and handed him the keys. It took a bit of coaxing to get C to hand the keys back, but he did and we enjoyed watching him put his sundae together.
Dh wants to go back next time, so we might.
LeCellier- we checked in for our ADR and waited about 20 minutes or so. It was so crowded. I was really excited about this meal and thought for sure it would be my favorite! C fell asleep while waiting and Dh carried him into the restaurant and he stayed asleep throughout the whole dinner with his head on Dhs lap.
I tried the mushroom filet and Dh ordered the NY strip. Both were just average. My potatoes tasted so strongly like pepper that it made me cough. That was all I could taste. I asked the waitess about it and she brought out another small dish with some potatoes that the chef had cut a little bit with something else. It was better, but still strong. I just didnt eat them.
Overall, we were disappointed. It was our most expensive meal of the trip and the food was really just average, if not below (our steaks at home on the grill are better- really). The service left a lot to be desired. We never received refills and our waitress was nowhere to be found. She forgot our daughters drink completely and never asked about her dessert. It was frustrating all around and we wont be back
Whispering Canyon- This was one of our favorite meals of the trip. DH and I both tried the milkshakes (free refills, gotta love that!) and they were great. DH had the orange and then switched to strawberry. I had chocolate.
DH ordered the canyon skillet, which was all-you-can-eat, and I tried the steak. Both were good. The kids had yogurt/granola and fruit from the childrens menu & some of my steak and potatoes. We were all pleased with the food and our waitress, Prairie Grass Skirt. She threw our straws at us and tossed napkins in the air for us to catch. My four year wasnt quite sure what to make of this place, but he thought it was hilarious.
C took part in the pony race, much to my surprise. Hes usually quite shy around others, but he joined right in with a big smile on his face. It was a really fun evening. The bill was around $85ish, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
We took the boat back to the Magic Kingdom and were able to see the fireworks from the lake. It was breathtaking. Once we docked we hurried the short distance to the bus stop and beat the MK crowd.
CRT (breakfast)- We had an early ADR here (8:10, I believe). We took our pictures with Cinderella and went upstairs to be seated. A received a magic wand and C received a sword. They were both excited. We had a seat right by the stained glass window, overlooking the carousel. It was beautiful! The food was average (and I dont think either child actually ate a bite) but the character interaction was wonderful. We didnt feel rushed at all and each character came to our table. We got some great pictures and even witnessed a marriage proposal. It was really special and definitely memorable.
It was definitely worth the money to try once.
We will be back here again in a few years when A is older
Pizza Planet- I know this is counter service, but the kids really enjoyed this place, so we thought we would include it. We all had the individual pizzas and they were pretty good. We found seating upstairs and enjoyed the atmosphere. Will be back again next time.
Crystal Palace (lunch)- the restaurant was beautiful. I was a little disappointed in the lunch offerings, but we'll be back again- most likely for breakfast, though. Kids had a great time watching the characters and their antics. Restaurant was VERY crowded and there was a bit of wait, even with the ADR.
Thanks for reading! I enjoyed reading dining reviews when planning this trip (our first) so I just wanted to add our input
This was our first trip to the world!
Chef Mickeys- This was our first ADR, for the evening of our arrival. I wasnt sure if I should even include this in my dining review, but here it is. Once we checked in, my 4 yr old son was just not cooperating. He wouldnt pose with us for the family picture, so we skipped that. He wouldnt enter the restaurant, so we just hung out by the entrance for a little bit. I think the sight of the characters & surrounding commotion made him nervous. Once I realized that he wasnt going to be happy no matter what we tried and he wasnt going to get over his mood quickly, we decided to call it quits and go back to the hotel. It looked like a fun place to eat and maybe we will try it next time. The staff was very understanding. I think C was just tired from the traveling, but it gave us an ominous feeling about the rest of the ADRs we had planned. Luckily this proved to be a one-time fluke and he was more cooperative the rest of the trip.
Plaza- this ADR was on our first full day. As we walked up, people were being told that it would be approximately an hour long wait and I was really surprised at how many people remarked that they didnt know they could have made reservations when asked if they had one.
We checked in and waited about 10 minutes. We listened to the Barbershop Quartet and A enjoyed watching the nearby ducks. Our waiter was very attentive and stayed right on top of the drink refills (bonus points for that at tip-time!). I had the turkey sandwich but asked for it on a croissant and with fries instead of the potato salad. They were happy to make the changes and my sandwich was great. The kids both had grilled cheese with grapes and apple juice. DH had the corned beef reuben and he said it was pretty good. The kids enjoyed their mickeylodeon sundaes and we took care of the bill. There was no waiting around; service was awesome
We went back at the end of our trip and DH tried the philly cheese steak- also very good.
Well be back for sure. Its a nice, inexpensive lunch spot, and a great break in the middle of a busy day.
Donalds Breakfast- I was really nervous about this ADR after our first nights experience at Chef Mickeys. I wasnt sure how C was going to handle the characters and mentioned my concern at the check-in podium. They were so accommodating and said they would alert the character handlers to skip our table.
Breakfast selections were great. I dont know where Ive been, but I didnt realize that they had Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the buffet. Yes, I must be the last person to realize this, but oh my goodness. The fresh fruit selection was great and A was happy to see the containers of yogurt (her favorite) since it had been a few days since she had one.
I was really impressed with the staff- they went to great lengths to make sure that C was comfortable and explained to us the route that the characters would take upon entrance.
C did hide under the table for a bit, but didnt want to leave the restaurant. He just wanted to watch from what he thought was a safe distance. The character handlers were true to their word and told each character to just wave and move to the next table. When C came out from underneath the table, he asked if he could say hello to Mickey. I was flabbergasted. One of the character handlers heard him and asked Mickey to turn around and C said hi and Mickey waved. C smiled and hurried back to his seat. All-in-all, it was a great breakfast and we were really pleased with the extra lengths the staff went to to make sure that we had a nice experience.
Will definitely be back next time!
Rainforest Café at AK- this wasnt planned, but we were here anyway, so thought we would try to get a table. It was about a 30 minute wait, but we looked around in the gift shop and it went by pretty quickly. A wasnt so sure about the noise and every time the gorillas started their sounds, she hopped into DHs lap. Overall the food was pretty good, but it was really crowded and loud. Dh and I both had the Rainforest Burger and it was good. I think the kids had grilled cheese sandwiches and milk.
Not the place to go for a relaxing dinner, but it was fun. We may try it again. Not sure
Alfredos- We checked in and waited only a very short time for our table. We were seated in the smaller dining room and I was pleased with that. It seemed to be quieter and not as hectic as the main dining room. Our waitress was very pleasant and kept our water glasses filled. My DH and I both had the fettucine alfredo and it was amazing. I really enjoyed it. My son had spaghetti and my daughter had noodles with alfredo sauce. Service was efficient, which we appreciated, because our little ones werent too excited about sitting down for more than a few minutes, so we were in and out of there in a reasonable amount of time
We would definitely go back here, but alas, its closing this August
Sci-Fi Drive-In- We had an early lunch here. Our ADR was for 11:30, I believe, and we were one of the first groups to be seated, so we had a pink Cadillac all to ourselves. The kids were thoroughly impressed with the atmosphere here and thought the movie clips were fascinating. DH and I both ordered burgers and shakes and we were all happy with our selections. Our waiter was less than enthusiastic, but it was okay.
We will definitely go back next time
Mama Melroses- There was some confusion when checking in here. One CM took our information and then when we inquired about our seating time 20 minutes later, we were informed that we hadnt been checked in after all. Not sure where that first CM went with our info, but nevertheless, we checked in again and were seated shortly.
I did feel badly for the CMs working the check-in desk because they were being bombarded with people trying to get in for dinner and they were totally booked & not taking any walk-ins at all. One guest lost her temper after being told that and informed the CMs that they had better fit her in because she had tried all the other restaurants and they were all beeping full. I really wanted to tell her that she should have planned ahead if she was going to be this upset about not getting a sit-down meal. But she got her way and they fit her in, probably just to shut her up. But all those families who just nicely inquired about getting a table were sent on their way.
Anyway- had a bit on confusion here with the waitress about mixing and matching items on the childrens meal. I mentioned that we had already been able to do it at every other restaurant thus far with no problems, and she said okay (Not sure why she was suddenly able to do it, but whatever). We were paying OOP.
Our 2 yr old dd slept through this meal in her stroller so it was strange to be able to eat with both hands and while my food was still warm! DH had the spaghetti fra diavolo and loved it. I had the flatbread pizza, it was okay. C had the childrens pizza and ate most of it. The highlight of the meal was when the restaurant chef came to our table to give C a chefs hat. It said Mama Melrose- Chef C and they also brought him a make-your-own sundae. The chef chatted with us for a bit and said hed like to go home to watch the game, so he asked C if hed watch the place for him. C said Sure! and the chef laughed and handed him the keys. It took a bit of coaxing to get C to hand the keys back, but he did and we enjoyed watching him put his sundae together.
Dh wants to go back next time, so we might.
LeCellier- we checked in for our ADR and waited about 20 minutes or so. It was so crowded. I was really excited about this meal and thought for sure it would be my favorite! C fell asleep while waiting and Dh carried him into the restaurant and he stayed asleep throughout the whole dinner with his head on Dhs lap.
I tried the mushroom filet and Dh ordered the NY strip. Both were just average. My potatoes tasted so strongly like pepper that it made me cough. That was all I could taste. I asked the waitess about it and she brought out another small dish with some potatoes that the chef had cut a little bit with something else. It was better, but still strong. I just didnt eat them.
Overall, we were disappointed. It was our most expensive meal of the trip and the food was really just average, if not below (our steaks at home on the grill are better- really). The service left a lot to be desired. We never received refills and our waitress was nowhere to be found. She forgot our daughters drink completely and never asked about her dessert. It was frustrating all around and we wont be back
Whispering Canyon- This was one of our favorite meals of the trip. DH and I both tried the milkshakes (free refills, gotta love that!) and they were great. DH had the orange and then switched to strawberry. I had chocolate.
DH ordered the canyon skillet, which was all-you-can-eat, and I tried the steak. Both were good. The kids had yogurt/granola and fruit from the childrens menu & some of my steak and potatoes. We were all pleased with the food and our waitress, Prairie Grass Skirt. She threw our straws at us and tossed napkins in the air for us to catch. My four year wasnt quite sure what to make of this place, but he thought it was hilarious.
C took part in the pony race, much to my surprise. Hes usually quite shy around others, but he joined right in with a big smile on his face. It was a really fun evening. The bill was around $85ish, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
We took the boat back to the Magic Kingdom and were able to see the fireworks from the lake. It was breathtaking. Once we docked we hurried the short distance to the bus stop and beat the MK crowd.
CRT (breakfast)- We had an early ADR here (8:10, I believe). We took our pictures with Cinderella and went upstairs to be seated. A received a magic wand and C received a sword. They were both excited. We had a seat right by the stained glass window, overlooking the carousel. It was beautiful! The food was average (and I dont think either child actually ate a bite) but the character interaction was wonderful. We didnt feel rushed at all and each character came to our table. We got some great pictures and even witnessed a marriage proposal. It was really special and definitely memorable.
It was definitely worth the money to try once.
We will be back here again in a few years when A is older
Pizza Planet- I know this is counter service, but the kids really enjoyed this place, so we thought we would include it. We all had the individual pizzas and they were pretty good. We found seating upstairs and enjoyed the atmosphere. Will be back again next time.
Crystal Palace (lunch)- the restaurant was beautiful. I was a little disappointed in the lunch offerings, but we'll be back again- most likely for breakfast, though. Kids had a great time watching the characters and their antics. Restaurant was VERY crowded and there was a bit of wait, even with the ADR.
Thanks for reading! I enjoyed reading dining reviews when planning this trip (our first) so I just wanted to add our input
Needless to say, we spent NO time waiting in lines to get autographs! 
