World's Longest Dining Review - Part 1

[TheDuckRocks]

Back from WDW with a very large dining review to write and all I can say is…….”I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!”
We stayed for 10 nights at POFQ and used the Deluxe DDP. My sister and her husband, going to WDW for the first time ever, are from California and joined my husband and me for the entire trip and my daughter’s family joined us on the last night of our trip which was the first night of theirs. Due to work and school schedules we were unable to all be together for the whole stay.
10 nights on the Deluxe DDP is just way too much food for us and will be something we will not do again. For that time period having that many large meals day after day is way more than we are all used to having. But surprisingly I didn’t gain any weight.
Was the Deluxe DDP monetarily sound? Absolutely! At $71.99 per person times 2 people times 10 nights, the plan would have cost us $1439.80. Due to the special promotion code I had they deducted the cost of the basic DDP ($799.80), so we only paid $640 in total. I kept very careful track of every cent that we had covered by the Deluxe DDP and the total was $2287.50. A savings for us of $1647.50 or even $847.70 without the promotion code I had.
Once again we were very pleased with Disney dining in general. It is such a difference from when Disneyland opened over 50 years ago and about the only food to be had was a tuna sandwich or a hot dog. There were bumps in the road and 2 real disappointments.
I am only doing reviews of the Table Service meals we had and only what I personally had to eat. The very long reviews that follow are just my opinion and only reflect the food and how it was served to us and your experiences could be vastly different. The preceding statement was made to keep from being flamed.

Day One: Mon. Nov. 30
Ragland Road – Lunch, 1PM
For this meal it was just my DH and me as my sister’s plane didn’t arrive until late afternoon. When we walked into this restaurant the place was so empty I wasn’t sure they were actually open, only about a dozen diners and a total of 6 at the bar. I had potato, cabbage, and leek soup, Tall Tale lobster sandwich served with a small Caesar salad and Ger’s Bread Pudding. The lobster sandwich was outstanding, the soup and salad were OK and the bread pudding was a disappointment (both Ohana and I make a better one). The service was painfully slow it took us well over an hour and 45 minutes for lunch, unacceptable. I had thought of making the statement that I would not return here again. If the only other 2 table service restaurants in DTD on the DDP were Capt. Jacks or Planet Hollywood, Ragland Road is most definitely a better choice.
Boatwright’s – Dinner, 6:30 PM
My sister and her hubby have now joined us and we will be together at meals from here on. After all of us seeing our rooms and visiting for a while we took a nice walk over to POR for dinner. We were promptly seated and once again I was surprised at how the restaurant had quite a few empty tables. Our waitress was very nice and made sure the chef came out to help my sister, who has a tree nut allergy, go over the menu. There were only a few items that would be a problem. I had the Romaine salad, Grilled Tenderloin Medallions and Bananas Foster Angel Food Cake. Everything was wonderful and I was happy to see asparagus served in addition to the potatoes. As old as I am I still am not impressed with the stacking of food, just don’t like the beef juice (blood) dripping over my mashed potatoes. After dinner we took the horse carriage ride through the resorts, a very nice way to end a great dinner. It’s great to have a place to have dinner close to your room after a long day traveling and Boatwright’s did not disappoint.

Day Two: Tues. Dec. 1
Wolfgang Puck Café – Lunch, 11:30 AM
We had a very early lunch time as we wanted to look around DTD before heading out to MVMCP. This restaurant has become one of my very favorites at WDW and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they honor the DDP in 2010. I had the artichoke and 5 Cheese dip (the best ever and I order it a lot at restaurants), Pumpkin Ravioli and Florida Key Lime pie. OK, for me this meal has got to be in the died and gone to heaven category. The food is so good here I even overlook the fact that the waitress we had was snarky.
Liberty Tree Tavern – Dinner, 6:50 PM before MVMCP
LLT has become a tradition for us whenever we go to MVMCP or MNSSHP. The menu has stayed the same and is good with Declaration Salad, the Patriot’s Platter and Cobbler ice cream which is most often apple but sometimes cherry. The characters are gone now and I missed Pluto being there as he always seemed to be more “active” at LTT. Without the characters I do have to say that the noise level is much more subdued. We asked to be seated in Raymond’s section and were very happy that our request was granted, his offbeat sarcastic sense of humor always makes me laugh.

Day Three: Wed. Dec 2
Kona Café – Breakfast, 8:55 AM
On this morning at breakfast the day started with a pattern that continued for the rest of the day. It all began when I couldn’t decide what I wanted for breakfast and I figured The Big Kahuna was the answer. Believe me this breakfast platter has everything on it and there was no way I could even come close to finishing it all. The breakfast sausage they service here is probably the best I’ve ever, ever had anywhere and the pineapple Macadamia pancakes were amazing. I was very pleased that I was able to get Lilikoi juice as it is something I miss very much since moving from Hawaii. Our waitress was wonderful and very upbeat which was a major miracle as most of the dining room was in a foul mood do to the table full of children from heck that was seated next to us. I cannot remember a time that I have seen a group of 7 to 9 kids so ill mannered and completely ignored by their parents who were seated apart, but close enough to be seen and heard by them. The ultimate low point came when 3 of the boys got into a fist fight and the manager of Kona Café had to go tell the parents to control their kids. This resulted in a screaming match between the 6 parents as to who should do it and finally one of the dads going over and preceding to make a bigger commotion than what the kids did in the first place. On a positive note this was the only really, really poor child behavior that we saw.
Chef de France – Lunch, 1:50 PM
Now back to my tale of getting more food than was reasonable. I ordered the Flatbread with creme fraiche, onion and bacon, which was so good, for my appetizer and it alone would have been enough for my lunch. But no, I had Braised Beef short ribs and the apple crepe yet to come. I have not had short ribs cooked as tender since my grandma used to make them, the portion was huge and could easily been shared by 2. At least half of everything was uneaten as it was just too much. Our waiter Maxium was as cute as could be and the French accent was absolutely dreamy……….Oh, BTW he also did a great job. This was the meal we had with the Candlelight Processional dining package. We saw the 5 o’clock program with John O’Hurley and it still was a great part of a trip to Disney for Christmas.
Coral Reef – Dinner, 7:40 PM
By the time dinner rolled around and my sister and I were not very hungry still and we got smart and split an appetizer and an entree. Our waiter Art was great and brought an extra plate for the Caesar salad and had the Grilled New York Strip Steak split onto 2 plates in the kitchen. As she has the tree nut allergy we each got our own dessert. I had the Almond gelato and she had the Butterscotch crème brulee. We both were happy and not as stuffed.

[TheDuckRocks]

Day Four: Thurs. Dec. 3
Sci Fi Dine In – Lunch, 11:00 AM
For out and out fun it’s hard to beat Sci Fi Dine In, but with the number of bad reviews they get for the food, we always go in here a bit unsure as to what we might get. So far we have been pleased with the meals we have eaten here. I started with the Spinach and Artichoke dip and it was pretty good. I then had the Beef and Blue Salad and it was the best salad with a steak I’ve ever had, the steak was tender and perfectly cooked and the greens were fresh and crisp and topped with a very good salad dressing. For dessert I had to have a Hot Fudge Sundae – flash back to being a teenager in the 50s. As we had strangers in the back seat no necking was done at the drive-in.
Kouzzina – Dinner, 8:30 PM
We now come to the biggest disappointment slash worst meal of my entire trip. I love Greek food and when anytime on Intercot the subject of what type of restaurant does Disney need I always say Greek. After reading the glowing reviews from people I was very excited about trying Kouzzina’s. I started with the Kouzzina Spreads, the hummus you can buy at your local supermarket is as good and I have a recipe for a Kalamata olive spread that is far better than the one here. Granted the spreads were not bad but they weren’t very good either. Now on to the main course where it took the turn from not very good to just plain awful, I ordered the Pastitsio (Greek-style lasagna). That had to have been the most bland entrée I have ever been served anywhere outside of a hospital. The pasta was over cooked to the point of mush consistency, there could not have been a total 2 tablespoons of unseasoned ground beef in the portion I was served and the sauce reminded me of product my mom used to use back in the 50s called Aunt Penny’s white sauce. After my 3 terrible bites everyone else at the table took a bite each and the judgment was disgusting. When the waiter who was MIA returned to our table he called the manager over and who then took the dish back to the kitchen and he came back and said there had been a mistake and they were pulling the dish for the remainder of the evening. By this time everyone else at the table had finished their entrée and when the waiter asked if I wanted anything else I politely declined and just ordered Baklava for dessert. Another miss for Kouzzina, it was very dry and not very flavorful. The prepackaged kind I bought at Sam’s Club not long ago was fresher, moister and all around better tasting. First I want to be fair and say that of the 4 of us only my meal was so bad, 2 had very good things and the other deemed his “just OK” but he wouldn’t order what he had again. The real surprise came when I started doing my novel length dining reviews for Intercot and was totaling my bills. Although we were on the Deluxe DDP and saw a final zero balance the total amount recorded on the slip that goes to Disney for reimbursement included the entrée that could not and was not eaten! There is a part of me that screams out - not right.
Day Five: Fri. Dec. 4
Donald’s Safari Breakfast, 8:10 AM
Breakfast with Donald has been a must for me every trip we make to the World. I still miss the Donald’s Cheesy breakfast potatoes from when they were still Breakfastosaurus. Other than that the breakfast since the move to Tusker House is very good. Some of my favorites were the Corned beef hash, ham which is very tender and juicy, the unlimited mixed fruit juice and the apple-cherry crumb cobbler. It’s great to get into the park early and be able to get on the Kilimanjaro Safari before the lines start backing up.
Yak and Yeti – Lunch, 12:30 PM
For all of us this was the best surprise of the entire Disney experience………wow this place was great! When we got to Yak and Yeti it was raining buckets and the lobby was jam packed with people without ADRs trying to get in out of the rain. When we finally wormed our way to the podium we were told there would be a delay in sitting us as no one was leaving their tables. When we did get called they took us upstairs to a corner window table with great views overlooking the soggy streets of Asia. My sister, my hubby and I shared a Dim sum basket and the lettuce wraps. 3 of us had the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp after seeing it served to another table because the presentation was so attractive. I’m oh so happy to say the taste was as good as it looked. The Fried Wontons – OMGosh!! More about Yak and Yeti on Day 9.
Jiko – Dinner, 6:20 PM
Jiko was the first of 3 signature restaurants that we went to this trip. I’m quoting directly from the menus for the signature places so I don’t mess up exactly what I did have. For the appetizer I had the Braised Beet Salad - with smoked bacon, goat cheese, shallot marmalade and sherry vinaigrette. The smoked bacon was a piece of pork belly which I have always thought sounded rather awful. Slicing off a very tiny bite to try I was amazed – I loved it! For my entrée I had the Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon - with Macaroni & Cheese and Red Wine Sauce. The filet was wonderful, great seasoning, but I wish they would have used a more flavorful cheese in the macaroni. I can’t remember what I had for dessert. I guess it must have been OK but it sure didn’t make an impression. Jiko has very quickly worked its way to almost our favorite signature restaurant.
Day Six: Sat. Dec. 5
Grand Floridian Café – Breakfast, 9:00 AM
Shared with my sister Maple-Vanilla French Toast with bacon and a breakfast sandwich that was made with an apple sausage, egg and feta cheese as we couldn’t make up our minds which to have. Nice, quiet and a pretty room with very good food and service.
San Angel Inn – Lunch, 1:30 PM
Disappointment number 2! For quite a while now I have been defending the bad reviews on SAI, after this visit I take back every nice thing that I have ever had to say about it! There was such a huge change in everything about this place it has me wondering if there is a new owner. First the lunch menu only has a choice of 3 appetizers and 5 entrees now. I think the selection of 4 desserts have stayed the same. The chips and salsa are different now, the chips an improvement, the salsa not. I had the Sopa Azteca which I have to say was excellent maybe the best I’ve ever eaten. Followed by the steak with Chilaquiles, which I’ve enjoyed here in the past, unfortunately this visit the steak was a small, thin, fatty, overcooked, tasteless, tough, uneaten after 1 bite thing and the beans were undercooked and bland. For dessert I had the Flan which had to have been leftover from a few days before as it was so dried out. Everyone at our table was experiencing the same type things with what they ordered. Did we complain? Yes, but all of a sudden the girl that had been chatting with us not 15 minutes before no longer understood English. Strange! But stranger still was later on that evening my sister asked me if we had each other’s bills, as hers had a $6.75 item that they hadn’t ordered. When we looked at my bill it too had a $6.75 mystery item. Now once again using the DDP we saw a zero total for all the food, but it still seems to me that Disney is getting charged for stuff they shouldn’t be. Also if you are basing the tip on the dollar amount of the bill your waitperson is raking up more than they are entitled. It will be a very long time before we go back to SAI, the overall experience is not worth just a good bowl of soup. Question – have they rammed in yet more tables in there?
Yachtsman Steakhouse – Dinner, 6:55 PM
Dining at YS has once again put it on the top of our list for a signature restaurant. We had Oscar for our waiter and he is truly a gem and it amazes me when he remembers us. I started with the Tomato Salad - ugly ripe and yellow beefsteak tomatoes with red onions, basil, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, and 8-year-old Balsamic Reduction and I love the lightness and freshness of this dish when you know you’re going to be having meat an’ taters. The Yachtsman Filet Mignon - 8-ounce Filet I had served with the Potato Gratin with Diamond White Cheddar which is normally served with their NY Strip and my sister shared a side order of the Brussels sprouts with me. OK, you may all go yuck now, but we love them. It was the Sorbet Trio - passion fruit, blackberry, and lemon basil for me for dessert, so light, so good, a perfect ending to a lovely dinner.

[TheDuckRocks]

Day Seven: Sun. Dec. 6
50s Prime Time Café – Lunch, 1:00 PM
What a hoot! I have always avoided this place like the plague, as I was raised in the 50s by a Mom who made correct manners at mealtimes an unending torture when we were kids. I’m having a senior moment and I can’t remember the name of our waiter, he is from Morocco and absolutely crazy. Our Mom would have been proud as we did not get into trouble once for manner infractions. My sister and I each had our own appetizer and then shared the rest of our meal. My appetizer was the Shrimp cocktail, and then we had Mom's Old-Fashioned Pot Roast, and Dad's Brownie Sundae. We both thought the Sundae was so much fun that she in California and I in West Virginia both got the stuff for our families to make ones for dessert on Christmas Eve. Good food and a laugh filled meal, can’t wait to go back again.
Ohana – Dinner, 8:05 PM
After viewing the Osborne lights at the Studios we made our way over to the Poly for dinner at Ohana. There has been a lot of chatter about different things being served here over the past year and what we got was; Ohana Welcome Bread, Mixed greens with a honey-lime dressing, Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings, Pork Dumplings with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Mesquite Grilled Turkey, Asian BBQ Pork Loin, Marinated Sirloin Steak, Spicy Grilled Peel n Eat Shrimp served with Peanut, Spicy Mustard, and Sweet n Sour Sauces, Lo mein Noodles, tossed in a Teriyaki sauce with fresh vegetables, Stir-fried Vegetables (broccoli and pea pods) and 'Ohana bread pudding served a la mode with Bananas and Caramel Sauce. Last year we skipped Ohana as we hadn’t been overly impressed the year before. I am so glad we went back this year as everything was the absolute best, we even sent back for more salad and bread pudding. We are eating here again in April and I’m really looking forward to doing so.
Day Eight: Mon. Dec. 7
The Wave – Breakfast, 8:30 AM
On this morning I slept in and let everyone else go to breakfast without me and I caught up with them at lunch. We had ADRs for Kouzzina’s for breakfast but after our experience there on Thursday evening none of us wanted to go back even if it was a different meal. Calling Disney Dining about the only place available for breakfast was the Wave unless we wanted to eat very much later in the morning. From all the good things that they all reported back to me I wish I would have not been so lazy and gone along, it seems I missed a very good meal.
Le Cellier – Lunch, 1:35 PM
I joined everyone before lunch time after “having” to buy a new watch so I’d know the correct time to meet them. Arriving at lunch with new Mickey bling they quickly reminded me that my cell phone had a digital clock on it. My, my however did I overlook that fact? I had a great big bowl of the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup followed by the Grilled Steak Burger with their really good potato salad. For dessert I ordered the Chocolate "Moose" just because from pictures it looked so cute. It was cute and also was yummy.
Tutto Italia – Dinner, 6:45 PM
Dinner was in Italy and we have come to enjoy a very relaxing evening with very good food. I had the Prosciutto di Parma (ham with thin slices of seasonal melon), Petto di Pollo (oven roasted chicken breast with tomatoes and mozzarella, served with roasted potatoes and broccoli), and for dessert I enjoyed the raspberry Sorbetti. We love this restaurant and for some reason it feels the most like you are really stepping into a country far away from home.
Day Nine: Tues. Dec. 8
Yak and Yeti – Lunch, 2:00 PM
We had a “free” day with no plans made and as we had so much rain the day we went to Animal Kingdom we felt that going back and seeing so much that we had missed due to the weather was how we wanted to spend the day. Disney dining was able to get us ADRs for Yak and Yeti for a second time as we loved the food the previous visit. My husband, sister and I shared Pork Pot Stickers, Pork Egg Rolls and the lettuce cups, my sister and I then shared chicken Lo Mein and Sweet and Sour Pork. For dessert we had the sorbet trio which was nice. The second meal very much lived up to the wonderful food we had on our rainy day.
Narcoosee’s – Dinner, 7:00 PM
Dinner at Narcoosee’s was on the agenda for this evening. As our final signature dining experience Narcoosee’s did not disappoint. I started with the Tomatoes and Mozzarella - balsamic vinegar, sea salt, olive oil, basic cream, watercress, and Chervil. My entrée was the Surf and Turf - twin medallions of filet mignon, butter poached rock lobster tail, potato gratin, and choron sauce, oh my goodness, Surf and Turf does not get any better than they do it here. Once again I chose the lighter end to my meal with the Gelato Sampler - chocolate, raspberry, pistachio and cappuccino flavors. We made it an early evening as my grandkids were arriving the next afternoon and my sister hasn’t seen them in awhile and we know tomorrow will be a late night visiting.

[TheDuckRocks]

Day Ten: Wed. Dec. 9
Crystal Palace – Breakfast, 8:05 AM
Our final full day at WDW started with early breakfast ADRs at CP. They do a very nice job of handling a large amount of people with many overexcited kids, who aren’t interested in eating, but just want to see Pooh and the Gang. My favorite thing to eat here is the French toast off the children’s section but I only allow myself 1 piece as the sugar content must be off the charts. I also find the vegetable frittata and the coffee cake to be a stand out. Observation: Pooh and Piglet really needed a bath the morning we were there. Oh, my!
Plaza Restaurant – Lunch, 1:00 PM
As always the PR is a great place to stop for lunch, although service seemed very slow this day. I had what has got to be the best Tomato soup I’ve ever had, the tuna salad sandwich with homemade chips was good and a hot fudge sundae finished my meal. As we left the restaurant I was greeted by happy shouts of “Hi, Grandma!” My daughter’s family had arrived.
Tony’s Town Square – Dinner, 5:50 PM
After a fun afternoon of doing favorite things around the park the 8 of us descended on TTS. We got a waitress that knew she was getting a 18% tip regardless because of our party size and she did minimal service. I was in the restroom when they seated everyone else and before I was even seated she handed me a menu and demanded that I tell her what I wanted for an appetizer. I quickly picked the fried zucchini with dipping sauce, which was good, and sat down. I did not complain about the service as our time with the kids was brief and too valuable to ruin with nonsense from a rude waitress. For my entrée I had a NY Strip steak which was a disappointment after all the outstanding steaks I had gotten everywhere else. Oh, wait a minute this one I could eat which couldn’t be said for the one at San Angel Inn. The Pistachio Creme Brulee was as good as I remembered it being. It was great having the family altogether for the first time in years and that is what made TTS an enjoyable evening.
Random final thoughts:
1) I have included all the dates and times where we ate as you might have been in the same place and had a very different experience from us.
2) As I was writing this it hit me as how it appears we were eating all the time……we were. Unfortunately the 2 men in the group are both type 2 diabetic and must eat 3 meals a day at fairly consistent times. Skipping meals or eating snacks high in sugar and carbs are not an option.
3) I miss Boatwright’s for breakfast! Sweet Potato Pancakes!!!
4) I only mentioned the chef coming out to talk to my sister about her tree nut allergy once in this report. But, there was not one meal that either the chef or his assistant came out or that the waiter would ask her what she was thinking of having and his checking with the chef and then returning to let her know if what she wanted was OK. Never, not once were we not asked! Disney does an amazing job with this issue. We didn’t find one place that we dined that they used nut oils in the salad dressings which is rare. Desserts were the area where problems became limited at times although she always was able to find something she could enjoy.
5) Somewhere around day 3 I got it through my head I’m an adult and don’t have to clean my plate and I can still get dessert. Once that occurred I was much more comfortable and didn’t feel the need to find a place to take a nap after every meal.
6) A list of signature restaurants that we have gone to so far, with our favorite first are: Yachtsman’s Steakhouse, Flying Fish, Jiko, Narcoosee’s and Artist Point.
7) If you are on a DDP and are only seeing zero balances at the end of a meal ask for the itemized copy – the total dollar amount you are paying tips on could be incorrect. Think about it one single $6.75 item increases the tip $1.22 at 18% and $1.35 for 20%.
I think I need to give out awards for any of you who may have read this novel to the end.

[#1donaldfan]

YEAH !!! What "award" do I win ???

....I thought your review was great, and that I totally agree with you on SAI....what a horrid place....the atmosphere is wonderful, the food n service is the worst ever... ..we sorta had the same thing happen to us, our waiter could speak good english till we had a minor glitch, then it just went WAY downhill from there...

....we too miss the sweet potato pancakes at Boatwrights.....

[jwildflower1981]

You have me drooling............
Thanks for the great reviews!

[Dragongirlx]

cool report - you have totally convinced me to try Yak and Yeti when we go in September. :mickey:

[#1donaldfan]

...OH YEAH, guys .... Yak n Yeti is the best place to eat at Disney....we've gone there so many times, and to date, have yet to be disappointed... we love it upstairs at the windows.....we try to coordinate our meal with the parade, what fun !!!:cool:

[SBETigg]

Thanks for the reviews! Awesome job. I don't know how you survived that much eating (oh, maybe the giving yourself permission not to clean your plate, smart!). I'm full just reading the reviews.

Raglan Road- there must have been something up with the bread and butter pudding that night. It's normally better than 'Ohana's version (which is pretty incredible, too). I dread to think that they might have changed it in some way or cut corners, because it was truly the stuff of dreams.

I haven't tried Artists Point or Yachtsman's yet, but we love California Grill, Citricos (maybe try those two on a future visit), Narcoossee's, Flying Fish, and Jiko. Hollywood Brown Derby is good, but it doesn't quite live up to the other Signatures.

I'm really surprised at Kouzzina. I've seen such great reviews for it. I wonder what was up with it for your visit.

[Missy_Mouses_Dad]

I just drooled down the front of my shirt..not very business-like at work. Your detailed descriptions made up for the dry pretzels I am munching on.

We go to WDW in June, and I'll reread your email tonight to possibly change some of our ADR's (or add to them!!). Thanks.

[TheDuckRocks]

YEAH !!! What "award" do I win ???

You too get to live in WV!


we love it upstairs at the windows.....we try to coordinate our meal with the parade, what fun !!!:cool:

Shhhhhhhhhhh.....I was trying to keep that secret!


Raglan Road- there must have been something up with the bread and butter pudding that night. It's normally better than 'Ohana's version (which is pretty incredible, too). I dread to think that they might have changed it in some way or cut corners, because it was truly the stuff of dreams.

Maybe it was just me.:shrug:

We are going to Citrico's in April.

[cer]

Thank you for the reviews! :thumbsup:

[tinkerbelle75]

Thanks for the great detail in your reviews. We are headed there the last week of January and I am thinking of changing some of our ADR's after reading your reviews. Glad you had a good experience. The food is half the fun, isn't it? Great posts!!

[TheDuckRocks]

We go to WDW in June, and I'll reread your email tonight to possibly change some of our ADR's (or add to them!!). Thanks.

Oh, oh this scares me! Your experiences at the same restaurant could be vastly different from mine. Go with your gut feelings and pick what sounds good to you. Some of the places we enjoy the most don't always get stellar reviews.

[GreenBeetle]

I enjoyed every word of your reviews. I was especially glad to hear about O'Hana. I've been very nervous about this one given the mixed reviews lately. We are trying it for the first time next week. :thumbsup:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I totally agree with Raglan Road's bread pudding, I was not impressed although I enjoyed my entree very much. Also, we were disappointed with San Angel Inn. I was sorry to hear about your experience in the Greek restaurant as this was sounding like something we would try.

I read the whole review, what's my prize:D

[VioletIncredible]

Fantastic reviews. :thumbsup: I recently had second thoughts and cancelled Kouzzina because I don't think my 77 year old mom will like it, the bad reviews are piling up and I can get good Greek food here in Pittsburgh.

Mostly, though, thanks for the info on the nut allergy response. My son has a peanut allergy and we are planning this trip to some degree because we've heard Disney is so good at handling food allergies. It meant a lot to hear a recent experience that Disney is still on the ball. I can't wait to be somewhere that I can let my guard down at least a little related to his food safety.

[hardingella]

Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write your reviews.
A bit concerned about Raglan Road though as that is one of our ressies!
Cant believe you didnt gain any weight. I did just reading it;)

[LVT]

Thank you for the wonderfully complete reviews. I especially enjoyed the lack of whining if something did not work out.

[tadcd]

What fabulous reviews!!!! THANK YOU for the detail and info., greatly appreciated!!!

-Teresa

:mickey:

[LoriSan]

great reviews! Thanks!

[MOJoe]

Great job! Very thoughtful reviews. I enjoyed reading them.
Sorry to hear about your poor experience at Kouzzina's. But i have to say that your line about hospital food had me laughing out loud.

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.

[TheDuckRocks]

I especially enjoyed the lack of whining if something did not work out.

Thank you for saying this, I did try hard to just discribe the situations and not rant. I'm also in agreement with a statement that David Lee Roth (anybody else remember him from Van Halen?) made about 30 years ago on a TV interview. When talking about how much he loved to travel the host asked him about bad travel experiences. His reply was the they are worth it as they eventually become just a funny story to tell sometime in the future. I hope he's still traveling and laughing at the bumps in the road.

[Hammer]

Kay, thanks for the great reviews. We just ate at Yachtsmen for dinner and Grand Floridian Cafe for breakfast last week and enjoyed both as well (I also had the Maple Vanilla French Toast).

You are not the only person who likes brussel sprouts. My sister loves brussel sprouts and got them at Yachtsmen as well. Our waiter, who was great, let her know that you can substitute any of the sides if you do not want what comes with the dish. My sister quickly substituted the brussel sprouts for the french fries that came with her steak. She really liked the sage cream in which the brussel spouts were served.

[GreenBeetle]

I'm also in agreement with a statement that David Lee Roth (anybody else remember him from Van Halen?) made about 30 years ago on a TV interview.

C'mon now . . . was Van Halen ever the same once he left?? How could we not remember him! :D

[TheVBs]

Thank you so much for those great reviews! There are several restaruants you wrote about that we haven't tried yet. A few of them just got bumped much further up the list! :mickey:

[pdrlkr]

Great Reviews! :eat:

[ElenitaB]

Thanks for your reviews! :thumbsup:

Your experiences and POVs were different from ours (particularly re: Kouzzina), but diversity of thought is what makes the world a richer place! Thanks for sharing!

[mudpuppysmom]

Thanks for the time you took to share your review with us!

I too agree with SAI......I ate there on a CP package with my son and we were ignored the entire time while the table next us seemed to be BFF's with our server!

AND, I'm glad we skipped Kouzzina in October! I was teetering on the fence on this one and I just finally made the decision that we would not eat there that trip -- instead we opted for Kona which was good, as usual! We even threw the chef a curveball when we had no ADR and a child with many food allergies! The poor chef scratched his head on my DS#2 for a minute then came up with a brillant meal for him -- which he did not touch, but we sure did!

Disney does food allergies VERY well, period.

[Maleficent's Dad]

I don't usually read reviews as there are so many variables involved...

But yours was entertaining and concise. It was an easy read; I cannot believe you took the time to post such a lengthy post(s). Well done and thank you! Nice job!

:thumbsup: :mickey: :thumbsup:

[tinksmom02]

Thanks for all of your reviews--I certainly agree that Narc's knows surf and turf!

I was disappointed to read yor Kouzzina review; we ate there during its soft opening and my mom had that pastitio thing and it was actually pretty good, not dry at all. It's a shame to think that things might be slipping already!

I will agree with you that the baklava was not up to snuff, but I had thought that might have been because I'm spoiled by a friend's mom who makes it from scratch. Overall we really enjoyed our meal there, though, sorry yours didn't work out as well.

Anyway, great reviews; I'm full just from reading!

[Crow]

Yak & Yeti was good. Raglan rd also

[why4k]

Quite possibly the finest dining review I have encountered. My only complaint is that I gained three pounds while reading it.
As a side note, Van Halen ceased being Van Halen when Davo left the band.

[TheDuckRocks]

As a side note, Van Halen ceased being Van Halen when Davo left the band.

I did one of those "I wonder whatever happened to....?" after posting about the remark I had heard David Lee Roth make. During my googling I came across this:
Roth rejoined Van Halen in 2007 for a North American tour that became the highest grossing tour in the band's history.
Wow, somehow I completely missed that whole thing happening.