Quick Dining Reviews 12/1-8

Since I have always enjoyed reading dining reviews posted here, I thought I’d include ours for our trip 12/1-8. I’ve tried to include exact prices if I have the receipts.

Lunch 12/1
Au Bon Pain – Atlanta Airport
Yuck. Shared a chicken sandwich and a soda. We were both a little queasy from flying. The sandwich was not very good. Total cost: $7.29

Dinner 12/1
Mara – AKL
We arrived after 8:00pm so all we felt like doing was grabbing a bite and hitting the sack. We ate at Mara, and it was empty! I had Sugar Cane Chicken, which came with a side of pap (cornmeal) and sautéed veggies. It was very good, but really spicy. My mouth was on fire halfway through! DH had his staple - a cheeseburger and fries. We shared a fruit punch, a beer, and a sugar cookie. They bring your food out to your table, you order and then pay for it. A nice gesture, but when you are really hungry, it seems like forever! Total cost: $23.60

Breakfast 12/2
In room dining – AKL
I had arranged this two weeks earlier to arrive between 8:00am-8:30am. Well at 8:40am, I called to find out where it was and was told there was a computer problem, and they were backed up. I tried to cancel it, but was told they would like to send it – complimentary. It arrived about 9:05am. I ordered DH the banana stuffed French toast and I had a Belgium waffle. The French toast was stuffed with bananas and raisins and COATED in sugar and cinnamon. Good, but very, very sweet. DH only ate half. The Belgium waffle was perfect – light, crispy. We both had OJ and I had a small pot of coffee. Total cost (which was comped): $42.00

Lunch 12/2
Pecos Bill – MK
One word – excellent! I had the Chicken salad with the jicama slaw. The dressing was delicious. DH had a cheeseburger (of course!) with carrots. We shared a coke. Total cost: $14.71 We had a snack later that afternoon at Main Street Bakery – an ice cream cookie sandwich and a bottle of water. Total cost: $6.21

Dinner 12/2
California Grill – Contemporary
This was for our anniversary. It was a very nice place, but I was too terribly impressed. Maybe because of how we were treated upon arrival. When we checked in, I explained it was our anniversary, and the host said she was aware. I asked if we could request a window table. I said I knew they couldn’t guarantee it, but I would be very grateful since it would make our anniversary so special. She basically told me it wasn’t going to happen and that if I wanted a window table, I would be waiting up to 1 hour more. The place was jammed. So I said we’d take whatever was available. Not two seconds later, a woman and her husband with a broken leg walked in without a PS and bullied the host and the manager, and said, My husband is on crutches, doesn’t that give us priority? And guess what? She got the window seat! I was really disappointed. But our server was so nice, so that made up for it. For appetizers, I had the baked potato soup with truffle essence, and DH had the goat cheese ravioli with sun-dried tomatoes. Both were EXCELLENT. The entrees were ok. DH had the tamarind bbq beef filet, which he didn’t think was spectacular, and I had the pork tenderloin which was WAY too pink for my taste. After sending it back, it was still pretty pink, so I left it. For dessert, I had pre-ordered a special occasion cake – chocolate with chocolate icing. They decorated it with a sugar orchid. It was very pretty and a deal at $15 considering their other menu desserts are $8-$10 each. We both had a glass of champagne and I had a glass of chardonnay. Total cost without tip: $119.52

Breakfast 12/3
Mara – AKL
I ran down to the Mara while DH got ready. For DH, I got Fruit Loops, a Krispy Kreme (!!!) and OJ, and for myself a bagel and coffee. The coffee here is good…nice and strong. The bakery items were very fresh. Total cost $9.86

Lunch 12/3
San Angel Inn – Mexico - EPCOT
Even though I wasn’t too terribly impressed with our dinner here last trip, we decided to give it a whirl for lunch. We didn’t have a PS but were seated right away. DH had the combination plate – chicken enchilada, beef tacos, cheese quesadilla and rice and beans. I ate his rice and had a bowl of tortilla soup. The chips and salsa were excellent. We both had iced tea to drink. Total cost: around $20.00 (can’t find receipt)

Dinner 12/3
Yakitori House – Japan – EPCOT
We had eaten here last trip and really enjoyed it. We sat outside under the laterns, it’s very nice! We shared the Shogun meal, which is chicken teriyaki, beef and rice. DH doesn’t eat rice, so I had that, a few pieces of the chicken and a green salad with ginger dressing. Yummm. We shared a coke. Total cost $10.98

Dessert 12/3
France – EPCOT
Now you know why we shared dinner!! I had pralineige – chocolate hazlenut mousse. DH had carmel soufflé. I had café au lait and DH had a hot chocolate. We could only eat half our desserts because they were so rich. Total cost $11.98

Breakfast 12/4
ASMu FoodCourt
DH ran down to pick up something – the place was jammed with Pop Warner kids and there weren’t any seats to be had. He had an apple Danish and a banana. He brought me a bagel and coffee. Fresh food and good coffee. Total cost $10.01

Lunch 12/4
Louie’s Italian – Universal Studios
This counter service Italian place was pretty good. We shared a slice of cheese pizza, a small Caesar salad and a small plate of pasta. With a coke, total cost: $16.93

Dinner 12/4
Ohana – Poly
The best meal we had! It was delicious! We didn’t have this arranged, but I called and got us a later PS for 8:10pm. We were seated by the windows and even got to see the water parade go by! But back to the meal. I LOVED the salad, and the meats were delicious. I especially liked the pork dipped in the fruit sauce they give you. The only thing we didn’t try were the dumplings and the shrimp, since neither of us our seafood eaters. Everything was hot, delicious…just a great meal!! The service was fantastic. Total cost with one coke $48.73 I had a Mai Tai from the Lounge that I carried to the table ($6.89)

Breakfast 12/5
Hollywood and Vine – MGM
We had a PS for 9:30am. Overall, I wasn’t that impressed. I like my food hot, and I found the food on this buffet to be lukewarm at best. I’m not a huge breakfast eater, but I wanted to have the chocolate French toast and some potatoes, but they were both cold. DH on the other hand was in heaven! He loves breakfast, and he thought it was quite good. Character interaction was ok. I lost the receipt, but total cost was around $40.00 including tip.

Lunch 12/5
Popcorn from a vendor and a Mickey Ice Cream Bar – after a big breakfast this was plenty!

Dinner 12/5
Wolfgang Puck Express – DTD
Had an early PS at Kona Café, but we were tired and knew we wanted to rest, so I cancelled it. We headed to DTD to do some souvenir shopping and grabbed dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. We shared a cheese pizza, a lemonade, and a bag of chips. Total cost $12.60

Dessert 12/5
Ghiradelli’s
A trip to DTD is not complete without something (anything!) from here. We shared an Alcatraz Rock: one scoop of vanilla, one scoop of rocky road, hard chocolate coating, almonds, whip cream and a cherry. This was DELICIOUS. Total cost: about $6.50

Breakfast 12/6
ASMu FoodCourt
I ran down for breakfast – it was packed! Not one seat empty, and people cutting in front of you everywhere! I grabbed a bagel, a blueberry muffin, a banana, an OJ, and a coffee for us to share. The bakery selection and hot food selection was better than at AKL, and was very fresh. Total cost $9.58

Lunch 12/6
Tony’s – MK
This was the second highlight of the trip – we LOVE this place. DH had the spaghetti and giant meatball, and I had the pasta primavera, which is so good. It’s pasta with red sauce (with basil), sautéed veggies, and feta cheese sprinkled on top. The sun-dried tomato pesto they give you for the bread is excellent! I had an iced tea and DH had a coke. Total cost: around $36.00 including tip (lost the receipt)

Dinner 12/6
Casey’s Corner – MK
DH wanted Casey’s all week, so he had a Great American, and we shared some fries and a coke. Total cost $7.29 We also had a popcorn and many cookies at the MVMCP.

Breakfast 12/7
Mara – AKL
Back at AKL, I ran down to Mara to pick up some food. I ordered DH the child’s breakfast platter – scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage or bacon and a biscuit. It was huge and plenty for him to eat. I had a banana walnut muffin and a coffee. I also grabbed a fruit cup. The biscuit was really good, tasted like it had some cinnamon mixed in. We also shared an OJ we had bought at Goodings the night before (the OJ is VERY expensive at the food courts). Total cost $11.20

Lunch 12/7
Liberty Inn – American Pavilion - EPCOT
We tried to go to Beaches and Cream but it was jammed and after having two couples walk right in front of us while waiting for a seat, we got fed up and left (I can’t believe how many rude people cut in front of us in food lines and ride lines. I was very disappointed) We walked back to EPCOT and ate at Liberty Inn. DH had a cheeseburger and fries and I had a chicken sandwich, which I ordered without the bacon and cheese. It wasn’t very good, and I was disappointed in their lack of healthier choices. We shared a coke. Total cost $12.75

Dinner 12/7
Le Cellier – Canada - EPCOT
This was the third highlight! The only disappointment was having to wait almost 1 hour past our PS time. They were jammed with CP packages and didn’t allot times well. It was frustrating, but VERY worth it. The breads they give are delicious, especially the sourdough. DH was partial to the pretzel bread. For entrees, DH had the herb crusted prime rib, which he said was excellent. His potatoes were really good…roasted. I had garlic-seared chicken, which was very tender. It came with green beans and garlic mashed. It was excellent. For dessert, we had the 100 years of Magic Cake…in one word—SINFUL! I can’t remember the exact description, but if you like chocolate, you must try it! They wrote Happy Anniversary on the plate for us, and gave it to us complimentary. DH had a glass of Moosehead beer, and I had a glass of wine. Total cost including tip: $63.00

Breakfast 12/8
Starbucks – MCO
Tall coffee and a bagel – DH was too nervous to eat. Total cost $3.34

All in all, we had some excellent dining experiences. Any questions, feel free to ask! J

Wow! I wish all members submitted Dining Highlights -- after returning from vacation. I love reading impressions and critiques of the various Disney restaurants.

It sounds like you had some exceptional meals. Thank you so much for the detailed descriptions.

Now -- I'm hungry. [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

Great reviews - thanks!

That was so generous of you to take the time to do this. Thanks for the details, you've helped alot of us!

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. [img]smile.gif[/img] I'm with you on 'Ohana - love it! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Thanks for such a great review - I love reading about the meals people have.

Wow, thanks for the detailed report! I am glad you had some good anniversary memories. [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I think we should all do something like this when we return home from WDW! [img]graemlins/tasty.gif[/img]

My family LOVES Tonys. Great restaurant and wonderful staff.
Thanks for the reviews.

I am starving now from reading this!!

Great reviews! We seem to have the same taste in food. I loved O'Hana's and Tony's! Even though I ate at California Grill, I like O'Hana's better. [img]graemlins/tasty.gif[/img]

Thanks for the reviews! I'd thought about chiming in with notes about dining after we returned - this is a standard to measure up to!

Thanks for posting the prices. We like to eat one "nice" meal per day. This is very helpful for budgeting.

WOW! Great reviews and the prices are great. Thanks for all of the info.

OOPS I forgot to add: Au bon pain... YUCK You said a mouthful with that statement. [img]graemlins/ack.gif[/img]