Me and my wife have eaten here several times over the years. Both as a couple and with family. Never disappointed but much better as a couple. Not for kids. Last visit was great. Service was excellent. Friendly and professional.
Me and my wife ate at the resturant in early December. We both had high hopes. Reality is, it is hard to tell the difference from the old Spoodles. Average food promoted better then it was.(Had Lamb shank) Felt like we were being served by diner staff; whom were uncomfortable and confused with resturants identity. Wouldn't recommend it and surprized Cat didn't do more to make it her own. To resturant and staff defense. Friends on honeymoon enjoyed their experience. Waitress sat down with them and went over menu. New bride enjoyed casual overly friendly service. Also they loved desert.(Fried dough with dipping sauce) We never made it that far. Sweet shop next day seemed like better option. If you liked Spoodles you will like Kouzzina. Don't expect better or much different.
On Christmas Eve, my wife and I appeared 20 minutes early for our 4:20 reservation. We waited almost 40 minutes, checked and were assured all was in order and we would be seated asap. Eventually, after requesting to talk to a manager, we were told we had been called 35 minutes earlier-- a blatant lie as we had been standing within a few yards of the podium. Then the excuse was offered that a trainee was working and had canceled our reservation. Never any attempt was made to accommodate us, seat us, or accept responsibility for making a mistake on the part of castmembers. Actually, by tone, behavior, attitude, and words they blamed us for the problem. Can't review the food never were seated or ate a bite, but the service and attitude was horrible!
I went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party 12/18/09. This was my first time ever at Disney, and I must say it was very magical and that night I was a child again! The castle lighting, fireworks and parade were awesome, we also rode a bunch of rides, I screamed with laughter and didn't wait in one line for anything. A first class event and I would recommend it to anyone, especially people with kids. I am looking forward to returning next year.
My boyfriend and I went to stay there recently in December, and we took advantage of the online check in that got our rooms ready as soon as we arrived around 9:30 am. The first room we were in was a joke. Our drawer knobs kept coming off and the bathroom door didn't lock. We had an adjoining room door in the room and every time we'd come back to the room, the lock was in a different place. I finally called around midnight after the cable shut off to ask for a different room and didn't get switched until about 4pm the next day. The next room was nice and it was in the building next to the old room, which was the building RIGHT next to the food court and shops so it was a fabulous location. I do like this resort a lot, even though our first room wasn't that great. The hammocks are a great relaxer from walking at night as well!
I've been to wdw more than 20 times in my life and I will say I didn't have any problems away from our resort but had the ABSOLUTE worst experience at the Boardwalk Resort. I was traveling with my best friend from work and staying club level. Let me say first that wdw is my favorite vacation spot because of the level of service and this trip was my christmas present to myself and to her as she's a single mom who'd never gotten to do this type of trip. We've been looking forward to and anticipating this trip for a long time. It was planned to be totally self indulgent and a grown up girls trip (my husband and both our teenagers stayed home). I went to great lengths to ensure we had a double queen room (1st when i'd booked the trip 5 months in advance, 2nd when they sent an email from the concierge asking if we had any requests and to confirm our group details etc, 3rd when we went to the front desk the morning we checked in and a 4th time when the front desk person took us to the concierge person) all of which said we had a double queen room and i quote "no problem". Our first day started out without our "guaranteed" notification of when our room would be ready, ok not a big deal UNTIL we got back to the hotel. We got in after the park closed (around midnight) and couldn't get into our room. the front desk clerk (only person there at the time) who'd told us housekeeping would be right up to let us in finally came himself about an hour later after two phone calls to let us in, only to be told if we left the room we'd be locked out... of the king bed room (separate problem that was making me madder by the minute). his advice was "to call the front desk"... i said you were the only one at "the front desk" and he said, "yeah" and left. they offered us a roll away bed.... for club level prices i don't think so... at which point he said they had open rooms but couldn't give us an upgrade at "this time." so i ended up playing phone ignore with the front desk (put on hold and left there until the phone hung up on their end) and finally got a woman named joyce who literally hung up on me mid discussion as she told me to have a magical stay (click...end of call). We ended up having to share a bed... which i guess wouldn't have been as big of a deal if they'd handled the problem better maybe with an apology for the mix up but ooohhh no, we were given the i don't care, shut up and go away treatment. I was firm but did not raise my voice but at this point i was ready to start by breaking the phone i was staring quite dumbly at in disbelief. I've always had fabulous service at wdw and have stayed on site more times than i can count and have never EVER been treated like this. after almost 3 hours of bs (yes it's now like 330am and we'd been up about 27 hours straight) we were told they'd give us a room if and when something opened up the next day and it would be after 4pm... uh no i told them... the first queen open would be mine. they wanted us to pack and leave our things with them downstairs and i told them my stuff would stay in the current room and they could call me when our new room opened up and we'd move it then... at this point i figured they'd be a little more motivated to correct the problem if it tied up our current room and quite frankly i didn't know if they'd "forget" and we'd end up without a room at all. we were told it would be after 4 before we could get a room and i firmly told them that it didn't take 5+ hours to clean one room and that we'd be ready for the first available double room. this statement was made knowing that most people get up and go to the parks in the morning. (mentally i'm visualizing my arms swinging like a windmill hitting anyone nearby who works there). by 10am i had a phone call that they had an open room and that our things were being moved at this time to the new room... we got in a little after 3pm, couldn't get into either room and of course our things were still in the first room with more yes, more waiting to get things straightened out (it's now 5pm and there's no way to make adr's). i have always had a great time when we go to wdw but after so much bs over things that are soooo stupid you get to the point that anyone associated with the resort saying good morning you want to scream "liar" at them, you can't do any shopping because you can't have things sent back with the room problem so we weren't able to take advantage of that service either. i would NEVER again stay at the boardwalk resort even if it were free... that's how bad our experience with them was. i also thought the walk to dhs was a little scary at night for two women traveling alone... dark and isolated, and close to off property gas station with normal life type traffic and people (not the secure on site property feeling you get at some of the other wdw resorts) but that's another matter. club level offerings were way below what i've had at the gf and poly... tough chicken and beef skewers and pb & j cut into squares...are you kidding me???
Despite all of the criticism this restaurant seems to get, the four of us had a great time. We were seated very quickly on the last row. We could still see the tanks. Our server was good as was the food. Mom did not like her Lobster Ravioli too much. Everyone else had good food. I would eat hear again.
The dinner here was great. It was the first table service meal of our trip and we were all excited. Me, Mom, Sister and 14-year old nephew eached ordered and entree and dessert. All of the food was delicious and my nephew said it was the best restaraunt he had eated in the World. Our server was okay, not great. Overall, a good time was had by all!
Me, my Mom, Sister and 14-year old nephew had dinner here. The decor of the dining room is fabulous! Our waiter was great as well. The food stood out to all four of us. I am an adventurous eater, so I was surprised to hear from my other family members how much they enjoyed the food off of the buffet. My favorite - Zebra Domes...so delicious!
Me, Mom, sister and nephew (14) all ate here for our first time. Our server, Ivan M., was very helpful, upbeat and the nicest CM we had ever encountered! I let Guest Services know as well as his manager. Everyone in the pary liked the food, with the exception of my 14-year old nephew. He did not like the way the steak tasted. He liked everything else. We were on the regular dining plan and the rest of us loved our entrees and everyone loved their desserts.
AKL is my favorite hotel! I hope to stay in AKL for my birthday! I really love the shops and dining! The animals are awesome to watch right in your hotel room! For My birthday next month I hope to stay in the awesome hotel for me and my family!
Over 5 million lights, synced to music, snow fall - doesn't get much better. Be sure to see the switch on at around 6pm. This is a do not miss attraction!!
Everything at the Grand Floridian is just fabulous! The service was great, the location of our room was superb and the resort was always clean. The staff was fantastic. Will stay here again!
Yes, KS can get tiresome occasionally. How in the world can you spice up the usually mondane ride thru harmbe? Harmbe Coolers...In multiplicity! Remember you are in Africa and have been advised not to drink the water. The rum is fine! So chat with the friendly bartenders who know the meaning of service. Ask about the picture of Joe Rhode & the midget behind the bar. Give them a hearty kungaloosh and take another harambe cooler for the road...or the que. Life is an adventure & an adventurer's life is best!
Let me start out by staying Sanaa is not for everyone. Not because the service or food is bad (it is quite the opposite) but the spices that this restaurant uses are not something you will find every day and may not suit everyones pallet. Now for the good stuff. This restaurant was a diamond in the rough this year and i almost didn't go because early reviews were sketchy. The food here was great. I was able to try the bread and salad sampler and I must say that i knew that I was in for a treat when I started with this. Be careful with the bread sauces though there are several that are very spicy but your waiter should tell you which are which. I was able to try 3 of the entree's for lunch lamb keftka, the beef ribs and tandori shrimp sampler, and the angus chuck burger. They were all phenomenal and the biggest surprise was the angus burger. They served it open face with some micro greens with a wonderfully spiced filled mayo....mmmmmmm. I also tried the Chai pudding and Sanna's version of Strawberry shortcake. Both were amazing and made me want to come back for more. The final piece that made this restaurant so great was the view. The only place to compare it to is the Coral Reef in EPCOT. The restaurant has huge windows that are on level with the Savannah. The animals virtually was up to the window and when they don't you have a great view of them from where you are. Make sure you ask for a savannah view seat when you go, you wont be disappointed.
I am a bit of a Foodie and so is my wife, that is half the reason we come to Disney. Like a lot of people here we have our favorites and over the past 4 years Fulton's has been on the top of our list...until this year. Not only did the quality lack but the service was TOO fast, yes TOO FAST. I will touch on the quality in a minute but the "TOO FAST" thing is what bothered me the most. My wife and I were seated, had an appetizer, dinner, and drinks in 30 minutes. Not because we wanted to but because the staff pushed us out the door the minute we came in. I am not sure if they are in holiday mode or what but it was ridiculous. We even complained to the manager and he told us that the staff was still in Thanksgiving mode. I had my soup and drinks at the exact same time and before i finished the soup they were taking the bowl away and serving us our main course. We were asked if we wanted desert before our main course was finished and when we said no we had the bill. Crazy. Then there is the quality issue. My wife and I get the same thing every year King Crab Claws, A couple of bloody mary's (these use to be number 1 in my bloody mary's list...not even in the top 50 now), some crab/lobster bisque, and desert. The only thing that stood up is the Claws. The soup was was bad and reminded me of bad crab bisquee at Wolfgang Pucks and the Bloody's were no longer the quality handmade drink they once were, they seemed commercial at best. Come to find out that Pucks, Fulton's and Portobellos are now under the same management now and are sharing food. Unfortunately I will not be returning to Fulton's and will recommend everyone on this site to do the same unless you want to be ushered out the door as soon as you get in it...and while paying a very high price. Food Quality 5/10 Service 1/10 Ambiance 1/10
Nothing better than seeing the castle lit with 200,000 LEDs, all syncronised to a 5 minute long show. Not to be missed!
This addition is going to sweep visitors off their feet and entertwine princess and tink fans into the world of their favorite characters, I cannot wait!!!
Il Mulino opened a few years ago at the Walt Disney World Swan, and I finally got a chance to experience it. Firstly, before I get into the details, I have to say - what a great experience. The service, food, and dining room were all impeccable. Now onto the details of this Italian restaurant. - The Dining Room The place has a wonderful feel. There is an open kitchen, wood panels, comfy leather chairs, brickwork, great decoration, and perfect lighting. It feels and looks like the upscale signature dining experience that it is. There is a large bar area, and a dining room sectioned into smaller areas, including tabes and booths. - The Service Our servers were absolutely wonderful. Incredibly attentive, knowledgable - they were really beyond fault. Probably the best service I have ever received at any WDW restaurant. The pacing of the service was perfect. We were never left waiting, but enough time between courses to not feel rushed. The servers worked as a team, and we were regularly served by 3 members of staff. - The Food To get you in the mood, compliments of the house, you are served a bread selection and eggplant/sausage dish. I had the Carpaccio Di Carne for appetizer, which was excellent. For the entree, I went with a 10oz Fillet steak with mushroom sauce and roasted potatoes. The steak was perfectly cooked (medium), tender, juicy, and beautifully seasoned and topped with mushrooms. Le Cellier and the Yachstman get a lot of high praise, but for me, the Il Mulion steak is the best of the bunch. To round things off, I had a Tartufo for dessert, big enough for sharing, and very nicely prepared. The menu is large and diverse, and there is something on there for everyone. Be it Fish, chicken, vegetable or beef based dishes. - Cost It's not cheap, but it is a signature dining location. A meal for two, including alcohol, is probably going to run around $150. It's special occasion dining, and the price reflects that, but so does the quality. -Overall Il Mulino is not one of the restaurants that often springs to mind when talking great dining at Disney, but it certainly should be. Give this one a go next time you are looking for some top rate dining at Walt Disney World and I'm sure you wont be disappointed. I highly recommend it, and look forward to returning.
COP is my favorite attraction! I can't wait to see it again!
The Best Attraction!
Summary: Extreme Disappointment. Le Cellier at one time was one of our favorite restaurants. Until yesterday, December 2, 2009. Service was one of the worst ever seen since visiting this restaurant (or any other in WDW for that matter) in the past 20 years. We saw our waiter only two times, and sat with dirty dishes for over 15 minutes. Yes, you saw that correctly: 15 minutes. Not once did the waiter come over to us and apologize. His only comment: I'll be right back. :-( The waiter had only three tables as well. The food: very, very salty. I know my eating habits have changed; however, the food had so much salt that my family and I could not finish it. Even the sauteed spinach was salty: garlic salt was used vs. garlic powder. I know that this may be a personal like/dislike, but the entire meal was like this. I must say that for the first time since the 1980's, I will not be recommending a well known restaurant in WDW: Le Cellier. Stay clear, folks. This place is a disaster!!
Slow for the young ones, I always slept through as a young boy, but an absolute original. I like how they have added the display screens in the cue area, you get to hear Walt talk about the attraction as they develop it. A true classic and will ALWAYS be a Magic Kingdom staple!
Chicken wraps are huge, and comes with fries on a CS credit. I wish they'd let us sub in a bottle of water for dessert though =(
Portions were small for the price and food was just okay. Service was fine. We won't go back.
Pork sandwiches were great, but bring back the chocolate cake! They now offer chocolate mousse instead, which was a good sub. They woldn't let us sub in a bottle of water for a dessert, which was disappointing, but the lunch itself was very good.
We got to head back to Jiko on Thanksgiving '09...service was excellent! We got the filet with mac and cheese, which was delicious. Pistachio creme brulee and tanzanian chocolate trio for dessert were great. Our favorite restaurant in WDW!
Grilled turkey and cheese was good...cheesecake for dessert was awesome! A little out of the way but worh it.
We couldn't believe all of the food a CS credit got us here - soup, sandwich, dessert, and a huge drink! It was too much for us but what we could get down was amazing! A must-visit for every trip.
Love the staff here - they are always so friendly! We had the delicious gnocchi, cheddar cheese soup, chocolate moose and sorbet (seasonal flavor was pumpkin). All were great! We hope to return soon!
Gratin de macaroni is great, desserts are awesome, and service is good...we ate here for a second time in Nov. '09 (first in May '09) and will be returning!
Love the ham and cheese quiche! We stop here at least once every trip! Portions are small.
My youngest daughter (who is 7) was FINALLY tall enough to ride it this year. This is her first REAL roller coaster. I was a lil worried about her at first.. but after we got off the ride, I asked her.."So did you like it?" She looked up at me and asked.. "Can we do it again?" And yes we did.. and yes I bought the picture!
This hotel was PERFECT for our LARGE family we took. 2 queen size beds, plus a single flip over couch! Everything was BRAND NEW. You could even smell the new carpet. HUGE T.V. to watch the weather in the mornings. Heated pool and jacuzzi. We had a pool side room, and we could see the Wishes fireworks from our balcony. We could even hear the music! Very chic bathrooms. The only thing we weren't really too tickled with was paying $5.00 a night for parking in the garage. But other than that.. it was FANTASMIC!!!! (hehehe)
I visit Pecos Bill's every time I go to WDW and am NEVER disappointed!! I can't explain it, but these are the best burgers I have ever had in my life...period!! The fixins bar is fantastic, the place is clean, friendly staff...I have not a bad thing to say about Pecos Bill's, it's the first eatery I hit every trip and highly recommend it to all who love burgers!!
A great park with some of the best attractions in Disney. My only complaint is that there needs to be more rides for families to do and it needs to expand.
Rock n' Roller coaster is a great attraction with a decent pre-show. The only problem with the ride is that it is too short.
A truly one-of-a-kind theme park experience. I was on the fence about Animal Kingdom but this attraction is probably the best in the park.
Definitely the best attraction in the park and in the top 3 in WDW.
It was just terrible, I don't know honestly how else to put it. The fish was small and burnt, the fish taken was disgusting, we where placed in the last row where you can see nothing but complaining people. It was just honestly terrible. SKIP IT PLEASE and go to the world showcase.
We had been to WDW seven times before trying this restaurant. I wish I had found it sooner. Pleasant atmosphere dining characters were a big treat for our son - even though it was suppose to be for all the princesses in your family. Buffet was wonderful and a nice selection of entrees. The dessert was a trio of treats. We will come back there on our next trip.
We had been to this restaurant on various past visits so we always reserve way in advance. There are certain spots we have truely enjoyed setting near. It was one of the dining experience that in the past I have enjoyed. This year the hotel we were staying at called and left a message if it were possible to seat us next to the turtle which my son adored. We went early on Thanksgiving Day prior to 11:30 and the place was busy. After at least three families who came in after us were seated prior to us I thought that we were going to get a table near that area. I was in shock when they set us at the back of the restuarant on the last row, when there still was table seating by the tank. Being Thanksgiving I didn't want to cause any waves. And I was in SHOCK! The waiter was the worst we have ever had at any of WDW restaurants, he couldn't even remember to completely tell us the daily specials, and barely remembered to bring out the rolls and butter prior to the meal arriving. The experience ruined my meal - we usually have appretizers, drinks and desserts, but I couldn't even finish the entree I ordered. The noise level in the place was louded than we ever experienced. It had always been a quiet calming place. My regret was that I didn't walk out of the place and go eat at the service counter in the Land. Which has the some of the best desserts and a great Cesar Salad. When we left there wasn't anyone waiting in the lobby, which really surprised me, usually the place has been packed. I really felt extremely snubbed by the management. We won't be back! If I could have rated this a "0" or a minus number I would have.
D'Vine voices were a very pleasant surprise. I'm not a huge gospel fan but they are a very talented group of performers. I think they did a very good job of making gospel accessible to the Disney theme park masses. They are definately worth checking out!
D'Vine Voices are my favorite musical act at Epcot. They all have incredible voices, great energy, and should appeal to just about anyone. I highly recommend taking some time out to see this 25 min show if you are at Epcot in 2009.
Always going in the firehouse to add to my collection! Since I am a fireman I always stop here and get at least one thing.
CBR is my favorite Resort! The CBR has cool refreshing place to relax in the pool and Food courts and Shops are very good too! I love it! For my birthday on January 14, 2010! We will stay in CBR! This is will be awesome birthday! We Can't wait to stay in CBR for my Birthday
My wife and I are passholders - we go to WDW about every 6 months, and tend to favor Signiture Restaurants. Bistro de Paris is the only Signiture Restaurant in EPCOT. The big brother of Chef's de France, it does not disappoint. It's ambiance is perfect... smaller, quieter - EXCELLENT food and service. Not the place for a two year old throwing a Tantrum :) We're booked for April 2010 - and we are going back :)
My wife and I are passholders - we go to WDW about every 6 months, and tend to frequent only Signiture Restaurants. Our recent trip (Nov 2009)included TWO stops at the Grill... As always - the BEST food, the BEST ambiance. The California Grill is a 12 on a 1-10 scale. It WILL cost you... but it is worth it.
Fultons, year after year, continues to provide excellent seafood. If this is what you want? Go there - you will not be sorry.
Background: my wife and I are passholders. We go to WDW about every 6 months, and tend to frequent "Signiture Dining" restaurants. Portabello is not on this list. It SHOULD be. Their refocuss to Italian Cuisine in 2008 not only worked - it worked BRILLIANTLY. They are a worthy successor to Alfredo's. Go there... try the Shrimp and Black Linguine :) My old Italian Aunt would have been FURIOUS tasting this - because it was far better than what she could produce :) If ther were an 11 rating? I would give it to them.
We are passholders, and tend to frequent Signiture Dining Restaurants. Citrico's was always good - they are now STUNNING! Recent tweeks of the menue have resulted in a restaurant with phenominal offerings. If you have not been here? GO - Yes, you WILL pay Signiture Dining prices - but their filet's are not to be believed :)
Well, at least there is a dcent steak on the menu after 1 year.... BUT The fresh fruit Cobbler that many of us knew and loved is gone - replaced by a poor, traditional (probably frozen & microwaved) joke. Take transportation to Citrico's - nearly the same price, and VASTLY superior.
The room was always clean. The shower was great (I like a good shower). Plenty of towels. Our room was on the first floor of building 5 facing away from the pool and we had no noise problems it was nice and quiet. We only ate breakfast and had one pizza so I can not comment much on the food court but what we had was good and the Gentleman from Wisconsin working the evening we had the pizza was really nice. Bus service was good.
loved it fantastic views large rooms cool pool so many activities for kids and adults.
I think this park has come a long way but it missing something. They need another thrill ride. Possibly a coaster. It needs something that will help spread out the crowds. Has a few amazing rides but i needs something that will make me spend an entire day there.
i loved it back a few months ago and imma love it when i see it again in 4 days :]
My kids loved this ride!! even though it wasn't for adults i enjoyed watching my kids faces light up!
Every time I have came to WDW i always ride this ride. Now I have kids and my son didnt like this ride..for one he has Autism and he has sensory problems. We didnt think it would bother him at all but it was the low tones of the music that got him. So he was miserable. :[ but we are going to try again in 4 days when we come back and see how it goes. :] We have been watching the Disney Sing along DVDs and hes actually been singing along with it. SO MAYBE he wont cry the whole time and hide under his blanket.
love the turkey legs here!! and its in the middle of everything so thats a plus!
My child was TERRIFIED of this ride..never again
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this ride!!
I came across that show whilst vacationing in FL on Christmas Day 1996 (when I still lived in NJ). Like many shows I have seen previous to that, it had a live band, with saxes and horns galore, in a pit, creating an aura similar to the numerous cruise ship shows you have seen. I only saw it once, before the articulated faces came into play, but it was great! The cast of characters was fantastic, as do the famed Kids of the Kingdom. It's a pity that it is supplanted by A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, but I had great memories watching this! I give it 10/10, for having a live band with horns!
The Kona Cafe is mine and my kids favorite place to eat breakfast. We have made it our tradition to go there on our last day for breakfast. We buy a few bags of Kona Coffee so that we can enjoy it at home.
We had lunch during the Backstage Magic Tour. The restaurant was almost empty at noon. We were served the all you can eat Canyon Skillet with an entire skillet full of peach cobbler and ice cream for dessert. It was all delicious and the service was fine. Not over the top a little quirky and attentive.
All of the reviews were right! Everything was delicious. My daughter and I shared the App, salad and dessert and had enough to share a little with others. Breads were good, soup was wonderful! Service was great. Like most restaurants it was too crowded.
Over $100 for three of us to go to a buffet!! I know, I was aware of the cost per person ahead of time, but after all was said and done, not one of us got our moneys worth. The desserts were the best.
We did visited this restaurant with family. Food was find but services from (Jolly) one of the Disney's cast member's services where extraordinary. She did go out of the box to help us during our lunch. We really appreciate her help and enjoyed the services. I thing if all of the Disney's employee are like (Jolly) will do make the difference and make all the guest to enjoy during there vacation time. VA
This place has got to be Disney's best secret, although everytime I go there, it is packed to the gills. The food is excellent, although I do miss the potatoes, anyone that leaves there hungry should just mever go out to eat again. I have eaten at Ohana's at least 8-10 times and "NEVER" had a bad experience. I hope that Disney never plans to close O'hana's because it is one of the things that I like best about WDW. I'm hungry just thinking about this place.
My family and I had dinner here on November 5. We had never been, and I thought my son would enjoy the movie memorablia. When we walked in I was surprised by the tired and shabby decor. I was expecting something much nicer. I had the Sizzling Fajitas, which were neither Sizzling nor Fajitas. It was sauteed vegetables that had been placed in a cast iron pan, with a grilled chicken breast on top. A plain grilled chicken breast. I don't think it had even been seasoned with salt and pepper. Yuck. My daughter, who adores pizza, didn't care for the kids pizza. She finally took the mass of chewy cheese of the top and ate it cheeseless. My husband had the Crunch Chicken, which was decent - but a very small portion for the price. Our server was very pleasant and professional, but this did not make up for the bad food.
My family and I had lunch here on November 2 to celebrate my daughter's 9th birthday. This was not our first visit to this restaurant, but had not been here for a year or two. We were seated along the windows overlooking the Adventureland Bridge. Even though we were a little further from the buffet, we enjoyed this location because it was less noisy (the ceiling is lower and made of wood=less noise bouncing around). The food was much better than we remembered. I especially enjoyed the fire-roasted corn spoon bread, the many cold salads, and the chicken pasta. The flank steak was chewy and was the one item I did not enjoy. My kids liked the mac n cheese, and the mini meatballs (which were not on any of the other kids' menus, so a nice change of pace). They also like the chicken nuggets (which were on the regular buffet line, not the kids') and the pizza. We all liked being able to have a little bit of everything. The character interaction was fun, and my daughter enjoyed the extra attention for her birthday. At one point Piglet became confused and skipped our table, but it was quickly worked out and Management came to our table to assure us that Piglet would be by very soon.
My family and I had lunch here on November 6. It was our first visit to this restaurant, and when we walked in it really reminded us of the taverns in Colonial Williamsburg. I had the Colony Salad - and I have to say, it was the best meal I had on the whole trip. Just really fresh and delicious. My husband had the Pilgrim's Feast, and was not disappointed. He did request some extra gravy - if you are a real gravy lover you'll probably want extra, too. Our server was Will and could not have been more pleasant or efficient. As mentioned on several other reviews, the bathroom was inadequate. My husband waited a good 10-15 minutes just to get in. He did let a small child or two in ahead of him because they looked like they couldn't do a long wait. This is now a "must-do" restaurant for us!
My family and I dined here for dinner on November 1. We were seated inside as it was way too early for Illuminations. The decor was quite charming. I had the Vegetarian Shepherds Pie. It was delicious and creamy (creamy being the operable word - I don't even want to know how much heavy cream was in it). Needless to say, it was very rich and I didn't think I would be able to finish it - but I did! My husband had the Fish & Chips. He really enjoyed it and commented that the fish was very, very mild tasting. A word of warning: the fish doesn't come in pieces - but as a whole fish, minus head and tail. It didn't bother him, but I wouldn't have been able to eat it. My kids both had the Meaty Macaroni. My daughter loved hers and ate almost all of it. My son wasn't as enthusiastic, but he is picky. Our server was Katie. She was great - and very cute. With her melodious Glasgow accent, I really didn't blame my husband for flirting with her a bit. The only downsides were how close the tables were (we joked that we were at the skinny table - I don't think any Pooh-sized people could have squeezed in there), and the bathroom facilities were very small (especially considering it's attached to the Pub).
My family and I ate lunch here on November 1. My kids enjoyed playing a couple games and pressing a few pennies before eating. My husband and I both got the Combo meals which came with a small salad. It was nice to have this healthier option at a CS. I enjoyed my vegetable pizza and we all thought that it was (as far as pizza in the parks go) pretty good. We were there early, but I can see that it would get quite loud when it was crowded - especially the tables on the arcade level.
Considering the pricing at the rest of WDW, this turned out to be a good deal. Largest menu selection we saw at WDW. I know it's not truly WDW but still, was nice to have more than 6-7 entrees to choose from. Food was just fantastic, perfectly cooked, just wonderful. The facility is a bit odd, there is a mcdonalds type place, a cafe, and fine dining all together in one building. We chose the cafe. Had to wait on refills for our drinks a couple times but other than that, this was quite good. One of the best values for the $$$ we saw at WDW. Entertaining deserts here too, just fun for the kids to eat.
Food is, cornbread, Fried Chicken, Pork Ribs, beans, mashed potatoes, and strawberry shortcake. All you can eat too. (and you'll like it or go without) It's a fantastic show, the food is actually quite good for what it is. Our server had a good sense of sarcasm/humor he made it entertaining also. Did I mention the cornbread is fantastic? I just wish that this crowd had more people from other countries, I think many of them would enjoy this more than even we do. This show/dinner is about as good as you can get at WDW.
The food was suprisingly good my fiance and I enjoyed the meal quite a bit. I had the chicken and my fiance had the salmon. Both were quite good, the bread as usual wasn't very good (I'm picky about my breads and nearly all breads at WDW aren't very good) Our reservations had us having dinner during the fireworks show, we saw them through the windows, just a fantastic way to have dinner, inside the castle during the fireworks show. Cinderella is only at the entrance where you get your picture taken with her. You don't come here for the picture though, you come for the entertainment. I'm sorry that some people don't seem to get that. The entertainment is fantastic, and while it's not Cinderella, it is her stepmother and 2 maids (look like chipmunks or something like that) It's just a lot of fun, and I didn't see anyone who didn't have a smile on their face. It was lots of fun and I'd recommend anyone to eat during the fireworks if they can. Picture is a nice momento of your time there, just wish they didn't charge you for it.
Overall I was quite happy with the resort. One of the longest water slides at any of the resorts (I checked with the lifeguards, they said the only one that might compare is the one at the Yatch Club. Decent game room, bar right at the pool. Fairly large hot tub (I visited that daily :) ). I saw many children there having a fantastic time, while it may not cater to children as much as some other resorts, it's certainly not bad for children. I didn't check out the spa/health facilities, but they offer massages, facials, and all the other stuff along with exercise equipment. Anything we called housekeeping for, we got within a reasonable amount of time. No complaints there. When you check in, the agents don't tell you that you can have the bell hops drive you to your room. I asked for a ride so we could get a short tour about the property, the person who drove us was very happy to accommodate us and enthusiastic about showing us around, which helped us get oriented on the property as the resort is extremely large. They do provide maps, but it can still be a bit daunting. The room was clean, the design was a bit odd with the sliding door, but it wasn't as bad as some people claim. I am an extremely large man and didn't have any issues so I don't get people's complaints, disney also gives you typical room layouts so you know you are getting a bit of an odd layout. The resort was very quiet, it never really got noisy at all. Bus service overall was pretty good, but on weekends tended to be somewhat sporadic. Our first day we say 3 downtown disney buses before one Hollywood studios bus. I liked the fact that our buses were typically not full, always plenty of room to sit down after a long day of walking. One time on our way to the Hoop dee doo review, the bus was empty except for us, the driver gave us a ride straight to the review instead of his original destination. That was wonderful. The Gift store is huge. Most anything you need can be found there, and quite a few things you don't hehe. Access to the Concierge desk was sporadic, typically understaffed when lots of people wanted to use it and overstaffed when no one was using it. I also think the desk needs to be open at least one hour later(preferably 2) than it is. If I had anything to complain about, it was this.
Like all the restaurants, there is a limited menu. But everything on it was very good. Pot roast etc. Just good food, service was good, nothing really to complain about keeping in mind it's not fine dining, reminds me a bit of the better diners in the NYC area, without the selection. Only 1 bathroom with room for only 1 person for the entire place, as many people as they have in there, that's not a good thing. Having to leave the eatery to use the facilities, just not good. This I think is the only place I ate where I didn't feel the food was overpriced. Extremely crowded, plan on listening to at least one other table's conversation whether you want to or not.
That's all this really is, just a gimmicky cafeteria. Sure you can get food made to order, but it's still cafeteria dishes. The food was so so. The cooks seemed even a bit surly in this restaurant, which stood out only due to the fact that it is very unusual at WDW as a whole. I was really disappointed as this was supposed to be a "great experience" place to eat. Food was from so so to awful.
While you wait they have a lounge/bar area, to keep you occupied until your table is ready. I come from Northern New Jersey area and I have extensively traveled throughout the US. One of my major complaints traveling is how hard it is to get decent bread. It just seems that bread in most places in the US is awful. This is the only place in WDW that I found decent bread. (I hear the bakery in the French section of Epcot is good, but I didn't try that) The food here was fantastic, while not the best steak I've ever had, it is certainly one of the top 10-20 I've had. (Hard to beat some places in Manhattan or in Texas) They age the steaks on site, you walk in past the butcher so you can see the meats that are prepped. The butcher works in a glassed in area at the front, it can be quite entertaining. This restaurant is extremely busy, so the service was very good also. Like many of the best run restaurants they have people assigned to just run around refilling water glasses. (very handy after a 90 degree plus day) Best meal we had during our entire 10 day trip. Dinner for 2 people was $200 so this is a very pricey place. (that's sticker shock even for someone used to Manhattan prices) Most people are business casual here, but there doesn't seem to be much of a dress code, as I saw a family in t-shirts and shorts. I'd recommend this to everyone who goes there and wants a nice dinner. This isn't quite a 5 star restaurant as the tables are just too close together and it can be hard not to be disturbed by your neighbors. If anything that's my only real complaint about this restaurant, at this price point, a bit more space between tables would be appreciated.
I stayed at the Hotel and was told this was supposed to be a good restaurant. The fact that the food was not as good as a TGIF or an Applebee's was disappointing. The food had a very good presentation but was of poor quality, service was good. A good indication at disney world about how good a place is, is how crowded it is. Even with a convention in the hotel, this restaurant was nearly always empty. The service was good, but the meals were not that good.
My family and I dined here for lunch on Nov. 3. My kids were both pretty excited to see this restaurant and really enjoyed sitting in "cars" and watching the movie clips. Although, it was disappointing that halfway through lunch the clips were already repeating. Can't they add enough to have more than a 45 minute loop? I had the Barbeque Chicken Sandwich - it was ok. Nothing special or flavorful. My husband had the Reuben and felt the same way. It was ok. My kids both had the hot dogs and no complaints from them. Our server was very nice - kind of an old fashioned diner waitress. She took the time to explain everything to us and the kids. Our only problem was after paying the bill, we had to wait 10-15 minutes for her to come back with our card (we had this problem in many restaurants). This was fun experience, but because of the lackluster food this will not be a "must do" restaurant for us..
My family and I ate here on Nov. 5. My husband got the Honey Chicken, I got the Chicken Fried Rice and Egg Rolls. Both kids got the cheeseburger kids meals. I enjoyed the Fried Rice and the Egg Rolls. It was your basic Chinese-style fast food. My only complaint was that the egg rolls were a little too greasy for me. My husband really liked the Honey Chicken - his comment was "for CS, this is really good!" I would probably get the Honey Chicken next time. The kids devoured their cheeseburgers so I guess they were good, too. It was a beautiful day and we found seating in the shade - but this would be a tough location during the heat of summer (many table in the sun) or a rainy day. We will definitely go back.
The Lights of Winter is my favorite Holiday offering at EPCOT. The archway is extremely beautiful creating an awesome colorful walkway toward the tree and into World Showcase. I also love how the Monorail passes right through them, it adds a little something extra when that happens. This is a must see offering if you go to EPCOT during the Holiday season!
Warning: this is a rant. Change is good? I have never agreed with that. If it isn't pristine fields and forests being cut down and plowed over to throw up another nature-eating housing or business development, it's Disney ripping out one of the best and most colorful and fun rides they ever created to replace it with not one, but two colossal failures!! I truly liken it to what it would have been like with them replacing every familiar scene in Pirates of the Carribean with a completely lame movie-tie in with jack sparrow everywhere. Could you imagine that? How gut-wrenchingly sad that would be? They already tampered with Pirates to get Jack in the scenes, and truly ruined The River Of Time in Mexico by cramming Donald and the birds in there for a pointless blast of noise and color. That ride was a historical learning experience about the culture of Mexico...not a kid's ride anyway. People go back to Disney for the nostalgia of what they saw as a child...not to see everything they loved changed and rehashed for today's tweens. Anyway, Journey into Imagination was never as famous or popular as Pirates, but it was as good as for it's theme. I cannot believe how both the second and third iteration of this ride not only got thought of by an Imagineer, but got passed by the board. Or for that matter, why the Disney Powers That Be decided this charming and colorful ride needed to be changed in the first place. (I guess that stink cloud that blasts you was a ride-representation of the one that affected the designer's brain) If ever Disney needed to undo the damage they have done, this ride is first in line. (On a rare Good Change note: Spaceship Earth changed, but in a rare GOOD way...the entire ride was left intact, except for the addition of interactive computers on the seats with a VERY fun and innovative point to them, and the exit room of the ride is awesome! This is a great addition to an already perfect ride.)
i have been to the night of joy 2009 and it was great.If you never went to be at the show and went on rides instead you were not there to see the show.what a bunch of dumd reviews i have read about roud teens.what a crock.not every one at shows were christians .i love the rides but i never went on any as i went to see the bands.vandalism yeh sure mack you are on crack i think.i am going again this year if able my air is already booked.every type of person goes to any event i will go any time not just on my events.no wonder the world is in the mess it is sounding off on every little thing.get a life or stay home.
I went in Sep 2008. All events were fun and engaging. The parade and the fireworks were fantastic! We enjoyed the gravediggers from the Haunted Mansion the most. Good job Disney on a cool halloween party that won't frighten the children into submision. On another note, it's just a touch expensive. I'll do it again if I go during halloween time.
Me and my wife and parents stayed here in September of 2008. My parents gave the stay to us as a gift on us being engaged at the time and for my transitioning from active duty to the reserves after a successful enlistment. I have also stayed at this resort two times prior, once before the rennovation and once during, when we stayed at the contemporary at shades of green prices. Appearance and decor: 10. Before the rennovation, the resort was nice but kind of dingy. Today, the place looks wonderful! There are waterfalls and well manicured plants and landscapes all around. The little R/C boats were interesting for the kids (we don't have any). Nothing was peeling off the walls and the rooms were very clean and looked great! Most of the art and decorations there have some sort of USA theme to it, though not overpoweringly so. Besides that, I think SOG's theme is more than one. The exterior evokes a little of the mountains (ala Wilderness Lodge), the interior evokes a modern, contemporary type design, Garden Gallery seemed elegant, and some of the grounds were almost tropical. I feel comfortable saying that SOG incorporates design elements from Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary, and Wilderness Lodge. But then again, that's just me. Anemities: 9 There is a little mini-bx/px that sells your basic mouse merch. but also sells OTC medication, painkillers, bandaids, and blister treatments (perfect for your disney vacation). There is also a multi unit internet/gaming kiosk right off the main lobby, which charges a bit of an astronomical price for internet access. There is a coffee stand that sells little snacks and decent coffee. There is also a memoribilia shop nearby the bx/px that sells little disney trinkets and statues and such. Tickets to the park are sold there. Military STAR cards are accepted in the bx (darn on me for paying it off and cancelling my account!). Room anemities included a small table with 2 chairs, a sitting chair, a little mini sofa, and a little refrigerator (which was emptied on our request). Our room had 2 queen beds and was poolside. Wi-fi was available but just as the lobby internet kiosks, it was rather pricey. We did not experience room service but did eat breakfast downstairs in the restaurant (buffet style), which was pretty decent. Transportation: 8. Shades of Green busses used to be the Disney-owned busses on my first visit there, but now they are run by a different company and look like generic coach busses. The vehicles themselves are not the issue but the nearly 45 minute wait time to get a bus is. When we waited for the bus at MGM, it took at least 2 bus cycles for other locations before ours arrived. By that time we were all hot and a bit cranky from waiting in the sun. We went to the Hoop-dee-do revue and found out that the Shades of Green bus departs as the revue is ending, just about, so we ended up taking the bus to the polynesian and walking back to the resort. The location of the monorail is fantastic, just a brief walk away. We had fun each time we took the walk trying to spot alligators. Food/dining: 10. During the mornings, I'd sneak out while the wife was sleeping and grab a coffee at the little java stand (they sell hot chocolate too), and come back to sit on my little patio and enjoy the Orlando morning noises and smells (something wonderful about waking up and having coffee at a disney resort). Then when we'd all wake up, we'd go downstairs to The Garden Gallery for buffet breakfast (not normally a buffet guy but it was good), which had your general breakfast foods. I had no complaints about the food or the resturants whatsoever. There is also a little stand at the bus stop that sells bagels and pastries and small things like that, they even sell a boxed lunch/breakfast that you can take with you on the bus to the parks. They had good blueberry muffins for when I didn't eat breakfast at Garden Gallery. Rooms/room services: 10. Our room was clean and very well furnished and looked almost new. Your basic disney-resort tv channels were there, along with some local and international news channels. Bathrooms were clean and stocked properly with enough towels and toilet paper. As with most resorts, the general coffee maker/hair dryer/soap shampoo and conditioner freebies are provided. Alarm clocks worked fine, as well as Mickey Mouse calling to wake me up in the morning. We were glad that the A/C worked and was able to be turned down low (we like to sleep at about 65-68 degrees.). We did not try room service at all, but the housekeeping staff did their jobs wonderfully. For the family: 9. Besides having the parks closeby, the only things for the kids to do are swim in the pool, pay to drive the r/c boats, pay to play on the internet, or play in the playground. If I was a little one, I think I might get slightly bored at the hotel (if I wasnt too pooped to care at the end of the day). Adults (and some teens) will enjoy the golf course right at the front door. All in all: 9.25 (since the only negative I've found is busses). Shades of Green is a fantastic, convieniently located, reasonably priced resort. The pacing of the resort is low key and relaxed, not hectic like at, say... the contemporary. Compared to the other resorts, I'd be comfortable saying that if this resort wasn't exclusive, it'd easily be a Deluxe resort, and priced closer to the polynesian, or the contemporary. You get much much more than what you pay for. Unfortunatley, the SOG bus system is confusing and not timed very well, but it *is* free. If I was paying for the busses, I'd probably complain to management about them. Thankfully, SOG is placed close to both a monorail line and a bus stop for Polynesian. I'll stay at this resort untill I leave the reserves. Good job DoD on giving young families a chance to experience WDW at a reasonable price.
The location is the best of any wdw hotel, next to epcot-walk or take a boat to the studios, and has it's own mini water park
Just returned from 5 nights at All Star Music. 10/29-11/3. We stayed in a family suite in the Jazz building. I had requested the Calypso bldg, but was glad the wish wasn't granted. The poolis full of activity and the jazz just a bit further walk but very quiet. Everything about the resort was great, staff was wonderful, rooms were spacious...even enough room for my moms scooter (broke her foot a few weeks before travel). We gave the bedroom to my mom and my husband and I stayed on the roll out bed and the kids on the fold out chair and ottoman. The roll out bed was a bit rough, but after a day at the park, the floor would have been wonderful. We would definitely stay here again. The kids want to try a different resort next time, but would still keep this as an option.
i find it vey fun! you can see the castle very well and even take some nice pictures of it. it is even better because you are up high at an angle! dumbo with a twist :-)
i think that the wand was a nice addition to the "golf ball". It made it seem more fun and now it just looks very plain!
it is my favorite ride in the world showcase. The trolls are cool and the backwards drop is fun even though it is small. This ride is a must for EVERYONE!
I find it to be interesting and fun. the upside down open house is awesome and figment is a reall cool little dinosaur thing! I would recomend this ride to otheres :-)
I find Star Tours to be very enjoyable! The ride is interesting, fun, and has a good story line. Although many people have felt dizziness and motion sickness on this ride I have always felt fine. I think that this is a must for all disney fans! :-)
I think that Pixar Place is very enjoyable and worth a visit(maybe even 2 or 3) I like all the bright colors and characters walking aroung,and Toy Story Mania is a blast!The decorations and atmosphere is awesome! :-)
Since I first rode it on the year it opened, Mission: Space has been a favorite for me at Epcot. Now some of the luster has been lost over the years but it is still a great ride Lines: When it opened the lines were very long and the division into two different sides didn't help much. Now, for about the past 2 years, it is a short wait in the morning and a literal walk on in the afternoon. Preshow: Eh, all right. Gets you into the mood. Ride (Green side): It was a ok experience, kind of like Cyberspace Mountain at DisneyQuest. Great if you can't stand G-forces. Ride (Orange side): This is the best side by far. It is the best experience short of actually going up into space(would love to do that someday). Aftershow: It is great for the people that don't want to ride it but it is rather boring. Overall: I gave it a 9 because the ride is just great. The problems are that they need to make it more innovative and hands on. The simulation is the same since they opened and needs to be changed. Finally, the postshow needs to change. Great ride, wish that Epcot put some effort to bring back those long lines from long ago. Sseriously, last weekend I went on, place was a ghost town
My boyfriend and I stayed here from 9/30-10/5/09. We took advantage of online check-in before arriving at the resort. Our packet was ready for us when we arrived. We had requested a room in buildings 44, 45, or 51. We were surprised to hear that we have been upgraded to a "preferred room" in Trinidad North instead. In a few minutes, we were out the door and waiting for the Internal Shuttle (which was probably our longest bus wait of the trip...about 30 minutes). Our room had the Finding Nemo theme. Everything was cute and tropical themed. The bathrooms are a little tight, but we were expecting that. Other than that, the room was great. Mousekeeping took good care of us. The Food Court could definitely get busy but the food was fairly decent. The best part of the resort is the pool area. There is much more night activity here than other resorts I have stayed at. The cabana bar provided great drinks from nice CMs. Only down side here is, there were unsupervised kids in the hot tubs. The location definitely makes or breaks your stay here. We were lucky with the room upgrade and convenient bus stops. CBR is not a bad resort, but it may not be for everyone. This is more geared towards families so I think we'll be looking elsewhere next time.
i was very excited to be staying bay lake towers at the end of september. I had a 2 bdrm villa with 7 people in it and a friend had 1 bdrm with 4 people. i got lucky and got one of the few bake lake rooms with magic kingdom view (rm 7702) my friend not so lucky. she had a view of the contemporary first then after her 3rd room change because the rooms were filthy her view was just as bad (the hotel was not crowded) the staff (which is over at the comtemporary was treating her horribly refusing to help her move her luggage. We had ordered food to be delivered to our room and only 1/2 of it arrived. It took them 2 days to find the rest of it. The air conditiner in my room did not work for 5 out 7 days (we went out and bought fans as we had already unpacked everything and didnt want to move rooms) maintaince got it working for 2 days in middle of trip and then it stopped again. the walk to the magic kingdom was wonderful (5 min) but the pool was tiny, the waterslide nothing to write home about and it was just very boring at the hotel. for the money it cost to stay there you are far better off at the yacht and beach club, especially if you have children. if you like staying in your room a lot you may like this hotel.
For me, this is the best Disney resort. I love the themeing! That is what others usually say as the biggest defficit, but I disagree. How is a Caribbean themed room (for example) more Disney? The clean lines and graphic art are very appealing. There are plenty of hidden Mickeys around the room to give you that Disney feeling. We checked in on opening day an got to take two lithographs home with us (one Mickey and one Minnie). We have stayed at other places around the WDW, but never wanted to join DVC because there was never a place that I loved. After we got home from this trip, we purchased DVC points at BLT.
My friends and I are all a bunch of foodies. We have been to Ramsey's Cielo in boca Raton, seen Bobby Flay at cooking shows and look foward to eating at as many culinary delights as possible. We were so excited to hear that "Cat Cora" from the Iron Chef opened her own restaurant in Epcot on the Boardwalk. We stayed at The Boardwalk before and had eaten at Spoodles (where Kouzzina is now). unfortunately the first thing we noticed, was nothing. the decor was the same, if it changed any it was not noticeable. Same tables, chairs, decor. The food was good... but not great. I had so hoped that the food would be so delicious... but it was quite ordinary... not something that you are paying so much for with the "a-la carte" menu. We had spent the day at the wine festival and really for the money I prefered the food from "Greece" at Epcot. Don't get me wrong, the food was good (calamari was good with the garlic sauce, greek salad was good, the steaks were ok...not that great). I have to say the most disheartening part of the whole experience was the fact that when I booked the reservations weeks in advance it was for a special occassion on October 24th. My friend Karen was celebrating her birthday... that was the reason for our whole 4 day trip. When I made the reservations, they asked about it, asked about her name... said they would announce it during dinner. I was so excited. So eventhough the dinner was ok thus far I was looking foward to the announcement. Well I saw a cupcake coming down the aisle with a candle and a birthday song being sung... then they passed us to the next table. never aknowledged Karen's birthday at all. I was so disappointed. I love the persoanl attention you ordinarily get with anything Disney... the hotel even gavve Karen a birthday pin...she was wearing. So I left disappointed. For the food being a bit more pricey, they should atleast up the decor or keep the decor as rustic and just a simpler menu. Hopefully theis was just a fluke and they will pay more attention to personal request in the future. We frequent Disney about 3 times a year but I can say I don't see myself going back to Kouzzina again :0(
Overall, the dining at Sanaa was top-notch. In more detail: - Reception: Excellent staff, very friendly and welcoming. - Food: For appetizer, i had the 'Potato and Pea Samosas'. Serving size was about right, well presented and very tasty without being over-spiced. For Main, I had the Tandoori Chicken wrapped in Naan Bread. This was absolutely delicious. The chicken was melt in the mouth, and the yogurt really balanced the flavour. For Dessert, i gambled and had the Chai Cream. This was also a lovely choice, again not too heavy and tasted lovely. - Restuarant: Lovely restuarant with a very good view outside, plenty of giraffes roaming around outside. Inside was very calm, not too busy. - Restrooms: These deserve a mention, since they are well themed and very clean, with the restauarant music piped over the speakers. Overall: 10/10
Just got back from 7 day trip Sept.28, 2009. Positively the worst i have been too yet. It started with check in, inexperienced cm's and rude management. Two rooms require two separate resevations, making it a complete hassel for dining and room charges. Rooms were not kept up, and very poor housekeeping.Food court is way too small, never ever go for breakfast, 6 different lines to wait for, and no where to eat inside. If your a family, you wont eat together, at least not warm food. The only good things were the banana cabana (great cm's here), pool, and the grounds, even though they were power washing the buildings every morning at 9 am. Overall, it's not worth the crappy service, can get that anywhere and pay alot less. I even sent email to guest services, three weeks later, still no response. CBR needs to have an overall attitude adjustment.
I agree with the previous comment about Disneyland's POTC. The RIDE seems longer,with 2 drops, and I love the beginning when the ride starts out by going through the swampy New Orleans Square. What is BETTER at DWorld is the line area in the dungeons. Disneyland's is out in the sun with no indoor line,once you're inside the ride is there.
Positive: the resort was beautiful Negative: well first we got there at night and it took them a long time to check us in (and they were not very nice Cast Members). So, we finally got to our room, and we were really tired and ready to relax, but we couldn't because the room smelled like SMOKE! So then we had to call the front desk and ask them for a room change (which took forever!) So we had to sit in that smoke-smelling room for over an hour. Then they changed it and we thought that our vacation was going to be great from then on out! The new room was also disgusting but at least it didn't smell like smoke - this time, it smelled like diapers! The rooms here are no better than a Motel. Now, for the WALK. If you want to go eat or go to the main building for something such as drinks or something for the "convenience" store - YOU ARE IN FOR A HIKE - Put on your running shoes! The main building is VERY far from the rooms. There were many children and babies in the pools, and the pool water was not clear - it was YELLOW! What does that tell you? Also, it was very loud at night. So, when you decide that you want to stay here - DON'T!!!!!!
As much as I like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" at "WDW" I found the P of C at Disneyland hands down better. If any of the fine reading at this site ever get the opportunity to go to Disneyland the "Pirates" are a must.
Most of the time there is a really long line fore this great ride. I would say that if you don't have that much time - skip the ride and come back when there is less of a wait (unless you have children - they'll LOVE it!). Reason is because you just go in Dumbo and go up and you have a control that lets you go up and down. It really fun but the ride duration is not that long. I wish that it was longer! This was and always will be my childhood favorite ride!
It isn't that exciting but it's really nice if you don't want to wait that long and go sit inside on a hot day at Disney. I think the song that they sing is really fun when you get into it. I enjoy this attraction and I think others will too. It defiantly not on my favorites list.
When you first walk into Magic Kingdom, you will walk down Main Street and see the beautiful castle! It will give you an amazing feeling inside of happiness, it's truly magical. I don't know what is more beautiful, the back of the castle or the front. All around it is the most amazing thing that Disney has to offer. Make sure that you eat at Cinderella's Royal Table also. I would defiantly live there if I could!
This ride truly makes me happy! I absolutely love the song - it will be stuck in your head all day! I don't think that anyone should go to Disney and miss this ride! You just have to go on it!
Alright, I admit - it's not better than Toy Story Mania, but it's great! I like that in this ride you can turn your own car around, so you have more control. The theme and story is great and it's really fun!
This is a true Disney classic. It was the first roller coaster that I ever went on when I finally reached the height requirement. I was nervous and excited - then when I went on the ride it was SO MUCH FUN! There are a lot of sharp turns and dips! Make sure that you sit next to someone you love because you will slide onto them more than a few times! This is a really great coaster! Its scary enough for me - not too scary :)!
i am afraid of heights so this is not the best ride for me. To get to the ride, you have to take an elevator up, and it is usually a long wait. I went on this ride at night and it was scary for me because we were up so high. Also, the seats that you are in kind of tilt out and i felt like i was going to fall out sometimes. This is not my favorite, but its probably great if you're not afraid of heights!
Adventureland is a really great place to get the Disney feel. Everything is wood and trees - you feel like you are in the jungle! The attractions in Adventureland are the best - splash mountain, big thunder mountain, pirates of the Caribbean, the haunted mansion, jungle cruise, etc. The whole feel of Adventureland always gives me a great feeling because of the decor. If you look at the floor in Adventureland - it has really cool objects in it! This is a really great part of Magic Kingdom!
This is my absolute favorite place to go for breakfast. I go here every time I go to Disney. Here, they have a breakfast "appetizer" called a Sicky Mickey. If you have not had one yet - this is THE place to get one! A Sticky Mickey is kind of like a large cinnamon bun (just 100 times better). It comes straight hot out of the oven to your table! Its light and fluffy sweet bread with a sugary topping and it comes with extra sugary topping stuff on the side. It is absolutely wonderful! Then, the actual breakfast is also amazing! Everything is very fresh and good! Very yummy breakfast and a great menu too! There is something for everyone! The Concourse Steakhouse atmosphere might be my favorite part. When you are eating - you can look up above to see the monorails coming in and out of the resort. I wave to the people in the monorail as they pass by - it's really fun! HINT: instead of going to Chef Mickey's (which is right next to the Concourse Steakhouse) - you should go to the Concourse Steakhouse. There is no wait, and no noise. It's much better especially for breakfast!!
These are not your traditional ices. First, they put shaved ice on a cone. Then, you get to pick a flavor that they put on top. They are really refreshing and a great thing to have on a nice hot day at Disney!
It is your basic "Disney food court" food. It's not the best, but it's okay for a quick and cheap lunch or something.
Yes, it is expensive, but so are many restaurants in Disney. I thought that the Caesar salad was wonderful. I got really great Salmon too. The atmosphere was beautiful. I guess other people had a bad experience here, but I didn't.
When I went here with my parents, I thought that it was going to be cheap (like taco bell) Mexican food. I really wasn't that excited. Then I got the food and it was the GREAT Mexican food! I forgot that I was in Disney - of course it was going to be amazing! I loved the view across the water when we ate there! It was fun with great food :)!!
When I went to Disney, I got a Funnel Cake every single time that I went to Epcot. Sometimes, twice. Those Funnel Cakes are the best I've ever had! I was addicted to them by the end of the trip! The reason they were do good was because they were light and crispy with lots of powdered sugar on the outside! YUM!!!!!!
the only reason why I had to eat here was because I was staying here with my Chorus on a singing competition trip. This was the only place they allowed us to eat sometimes. Anyway, the food was terrible. breakfast: the only thing I could get down was the fruit and packaged cereals. They had powdered eggs and gross french toast along with a bunch of other very disgusting breakfast choices. lunch: same thing everyday! nasty cheeseburgers with greasy fries, gross gross gross! And very expensive salads that were gross too! I had to buy packaged chips and just eat that for lunch because I couldn't eat it. dinner: the worst! Pasta with questionable sauces, disgusting pizza, rubber chicken. EW! never again. not Disney quality.
Last time I went to Disney World, I came back from Magic Kingdom very late and I was hungry for a snack. Kona Cafe was open and they had great food! One of my favorite hidden mickeys is here!
To this date, nothing has beatten the Millennium Celebration, and I've been many many times since then
Our Family Can't wait to stay in ASMO! Because it's my favorite Value Resort in WDW! The Food Courts and shops looks very neat and clean! Theme of all of classic disney films that you will like! I hope our family will take Fantasia or The Love Bug! Those are my favorite disney films! Our Family Can't wait in November!
I always stay at the Old Key West and the food at Olivia's is delicious! I know some people are saying that the "theme" of the restaurant isn't that great, but i think it goes very well with the theme of the entire resort. The breakfast is AMAZING! Their pastries and grits are unbelievable! I would highly recommend this restaurant!
This is by far my favorite Holiday happening at WDW. We always go the last night of our vacation. It is a truly beautiful and moving show.
I'm from the UK, and have stayed at CBR ini 1995, 2000 & 2005. We have also stayed at Grand Floridian, Contemporary & Pop Century (so we have a variety of experiences) and have visted for meals etc most other resorts. I know that some poeple have scored CBR low because of its size and the walk envolved, but even if you are in the FURTHEST room from Port Royal, its only teh same walk as from the entrance of Epcot to Test Track (measured on Google Earth) The rooms are great, and compared to Pop Century, are massive! The layout is really great, with extra island pools, so if you want a quick dip, you don't have to go to the main pool. The spread out buildings make it less opressive than Pop Century or All Stars. Of course its not as nice asGF or Contemp, but then, its no where near the same price. All our rooms have been clean and tidy, and housekeeping has always been excellent. We've had a king size bed once, (which was fab) and two queens the other times, which are still MASSIVE. Its got GREAT themeing, and its own pirate and CBR merchandise, which is fun too. The food court is good, and is the same generic food items as you find in most other mod/budget WDW hotels. Boat hire is a plus, that you don't get at many other hotels. and personally we think teh short walks to food court or bus stops are fun and make the resort a bit more of an adventure, all teh little paths, make going anywhere an adventure for kids, especially if you are opposite food court and go over the island! All in all, for a moderate resort I think its the best, and next year are going back instead of going to GF (weighing up cost vs facilities, CBR won in our planning!)
When I first went on this back on my 1st trip to WDW in '07, I thought it was a decent ride & I had to go on it b/c it's a classic. I thought it could've been faster however, that's my only complaint I have about the ride. When we went back in '08, I thought that it was alittle faster in speed but not by much. Still though, a true classic for the MK & WDW in general.
We did tour the BLT while we stayed the the contemporary tower. We were very impressed and ended up purchasing points.
We were very please with our recent stay. We were in the tower on the 9th floor theme park view. The room was very nice, the pictures do not do it justice. I was also very impressed with the overall resort upgrade. Food options were very good and I really enjoyed the coffee bar in the lobby. I think the theme park view is a little overrated but nice to do once. I think next time I will stay in the tower with the lake view and save some money. The room was very quiet we couldn't here any resort noise. In the morning we could here the ferry horns and at night of course the fireworks. The beds did shake a little when the monorail went through but I really didn't notice it until my husband said something. We didn't have any problems with the bathroom sinks that others have noted but we did have a slow bath drain. Normally we are beach club/yatch club/boardwalk people but this resort has changed our mind. We will be staying again.
Great stay - worth the money for the location and resort. The room is huge, clean, staff is friendly and will meet your requests. Will stay here again and again. Monorail is a time saver. Ohana and kona restaurants are two of the best in WDW. Don't miss them!
This was our 4th visit to CA Grill and each time the food and service just get better! Donald our waiter made the meal so enjoyable. We feel so relaxed and welcomed when we dine and always have a great time! During dessert we always order a glass of Moscato D'Oro and this time we explained how difficult it is to obtain the wine where we are from. Donald gave us some extra wine at no charge and then gave us the bottle to take back home with us so we could track it down! The food was fantastic! Always a pleasure dining there!!! THE BEST!!!
Our final night in the World was spent at EPCOT. After snacking our way around the Food & Wine Festival, we were ready to sit down in Le Cellier. We of course started with the Cheddar Cheese Soup...always tasty! I had the NY Strip Steak and the bf got the Coffee-rubbed Kansas City Strip Steak. Both were tender and delicious. And it's amazing how good that coffee-rubbed steak is. I had dessert from the Paris F&W kiosk before dinner, so we skipped that.
Even 2 guys can have fun here! We started out with a picture with Cinderella. After receiving our Royal Invitation, we were seated upstairs. I had the Castle Salad and the bf had the Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup (which was outstanding!) Then Wishes began, the lights dimmed, the music played, and the fireworks were seen through the stained glass windows. I had the lamb chops with vegetable ragout and gratin potatoes drizzled with herb pesto. The lamb had amazing flavor as did the sides. Our server even gave us 2 swords and of coures our Cinderella photos appeared in no time. The Fairy Godmother and 2 mice also made a visit to the dinner for a song and dance.
We went back late at night for some more drinks. This time we just sat the bar staring at the Wall of Tequilla. The Frozen Sangria was still good, as well as the Mangled Margarita.
Earl of Sandwich had a long line and Paradiso 37 had no wait. Where do you think we went? We started with the Mexican Salsa Trio...all 3 were tasty. I needed to start my day with a Frozen Sangria. And WOW am I hooked!!! If it wasn't so early in the day, I would have had more. The bf had the Argentinian Skirt Steak which was tender and full of flavor. I had the North American Sausage & Pepper Hogies which were also very good and would make a great appetizer to share.
In between Blizzard Beach & Animal Kingdom, we made a stop to try the new restaurant. And we weren't disappointed. Start off with the Bread Service. We chose the Chile Simbal, Cucumber Raita, & Coriander Chutney. All were tasty and especially the Chile Simbal. For the entree, I chose the Tandoor Chicken and the bf had the Red Curry w/ Chicken and Green Curry w/ Shrimp. The entrees were good but not as good as the Bread Service. Plus you get to see the animals from your seat roaming the Savannah. Great place!!!
We wanted a quick post-American Idol Finale Show drink (unfortunately I didn't win) before we went to Fantasmic. Julie was our bartender and she kept the place entertained. Drinks & service were great!
We were looking for a last minute table-service lunch, so we tried 50s Prime Time Cafe first but they were booked. We went to Sci-Fi and were told he would get us the "back of a car" within 20 minutes. It took about 10. I had the Beef & Blue salad which was very good and nicely sized for $15.99. The bf said his Turkey sandwich was also good. It's a fun atmosphere inside and the tacky B-rated movies are enjoyable to laugh at.
I want to try all of the dining spots around the World but I probably won't go back. The food was only okay. We went on Wednesday night (Southern BBQ Night). The buttermilk/bleu cheese salad was bland but then came the cornbread and biscuits...Yum!! The buffet had prime rib, fish, chicken with mango salsa, pork & beans, mac & cheese, a baked potato bar, corn on the cob, ribs, black bean salad, and I'm sure some other things. I used the delicious chili to top my baked potato. My boyfriend preferred the mac & cheese on the kids' buffet instead of the adult buffet. There were plenty of bite-sized desserts as well. Try the chocolate peanut butter dessert and stay away from the spearamint-tasing mint chocolate dessert. Pluto & Goofy were both on hand to take some time for pictures.
My gf & I stayed here for our 3 year anniversary. The requests that I made, prior to us arriving, were taken care of. In addition, they put us on a nice 1st floor corner room looking out over the water. The resort itself was very nicely laid out, it really made you feel as though you were at a tropical paradise. Disney does go above & beyond to really make you feel like you're at that particular themed resort. There was about a less than 5 minute walk to the closest bus stop which wasn't bad. There was about a 10 minute walk (give or take) to the food court. It was good b/c we were kind of isolated from the main pool & that crowd but it took longer to get to the main courtyard. All in all, I'd stay here agin.
This will definitely be one of my must stops from now on in EPCOT. Great Drinks, Great Atmosphere, and Great food. It really gives you the feeling of being in an old Mexican watering hole. Try the Margarita with the jalapeno juice in it, it's delicious. Easily the best drinking area in EPCOT and maybe in all of WDW.
breakfast and dinner: characters were great.....castmembers(waitstaff) very good....if you MUST see Mary Poppins(am) and Cinderella(pm) go there. breakfast -at 8am the eggs were watery, bacon way overdone, sausage like rubber, the other items were okay, but none of it was what you expect at 1900 Park Fare. dinner - food was okay-not the spectacular buffet of the past few years -the menu has changed -again the quality was not as good as it should be in my opinion.
My husband and I just got back from a wonderful trip to WDW. The stay at the CBR was the best one yet. From getting the room I requested to the service, it was just incredible. We never waited longer than 5 minutes for a bus. In fact, there were transportation workers at the stops checking for bus times and ridership. Everything was clean and they were repainting all the railings, posts, benches, etc. I love that they have 7 different bus stops and 7 different pools! The food was also much better than when here in March. That was true for the entire WDW area. Will be going back in 2010 and will not stay anywhere else.
We stayed at the CBR twice, once June 2007 and again June 2009. Both times we enjoyed the grounds and pools. Both the main pool and the smaller pools were very well maintained. Although the main pool was busy but that is to be expected in June! The food court had many options for food and even my picky 9 year old found something he liked. The down side was the room wasn't as clean as I remembered from our first trip. My only other complaint is not necessarily Carribean Beach related but the bus system was less than efficient.
This is a great bit of Epcot live entertainment that is well worth catching as you make your way around World Showcase. Two "waiters" from the nearby restaurant make an impromptu performance. It's funny, interesting, and some great skill on show.
My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon in Nov 2008. While we didn't think the room was anything special, the grounds are magnificent. It is a large place but with the connecting bridge, nothing was more than a 10 minute walk. All the tree and flowers were amazing, and the pool was very nice. I do believe that if we get back down to WDW, we would stay there again.
My family (5 adults and 1 preschooler) stayed in a two level two bedroom suite on the King Kamehameha Club Level in Jan 2007. omg this was the best room ever, the room was a full two bedroom apartment with club level service over looking the water with full view of the castle. full kitchen, dining room, 2 1/2 baths, living room w/pullout sofa, double queen room w/bathroom, huge king room with a regular bathroom and a separate one with a huge tub with space for more than one adult. fabulous service, fantastic theme, easy access to the monorail and buses. room super clean with lots of room for all of us. went off season so price wasn't to bad. would stay there again in a heartbeat. tied for first place for me in all time favorites.
We stayed at Caribbean Beach in 2003 and 2006 with a large group of around 15 people. Many of the buildings have courtyard areas with picnic tables and benches which is a nice place to gather if you have a large group. We loved the Caribbean setting, white sand beaches, tropical birds, beautiful grounds and music. We stayed in Jamaica and loved the walk across the island every day to the Old Port Royale. The bus service was always excellent and is not shared by any other resorts. The rooms are nice enough - queen beds would be a big improvement over full-size beds. The bed size is my only cricism of this resort. This year we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside because we needed a trundle bed to accomodate our family of 5. I think I now have a preference for Riverside due to the boat trip to Downtown Disney and the beauty of the grounds. Alligator Bayou is cool and shady. But, have very fond memories of Caribbean Beach. Our first trip was to Yacht Club. We enjoyed it very much but the moderates are a better value. I wouldn't pay to stay at a deluxe again.
Our family stayed at Caribbean Beach for 10 days in 2005. We really enjoyed it there. We thought the food selections were o.k. Shutters was amazing. I see that they have changed their menu though. There are a couple of things they need to change. The public areas were not as clean as they should have been. The rooms were nice, but I wish all the Moderate resorts would have 2 Queen beds instead of the double beds. The pools were great and the fact that security came around quite often was nicer. The people that thought they did not have to abide by the rules found out they were wrong.
Hard to think thats even real when I go there. I wish I lived closer
We had the opportunity to stay at the CBR in 2003 it was the first time we took the kids to Disney . Previously my husband and I stayed in a deluxe resort. We were not prepared for the walks to the food court or the bus stop. The resort is very large my son lost his card to get into the parks and I had to get another one at the front desk to get to the front desk you have to get a bus and walk across a street to get to the front desk. It is a beautiful resort but it is big !!!!
The first hotel I stayed at was the Caribbean Beach. I was only in second grade, and loved it as a kid. I'm sure at the age, it really wouldn't have mattered where I stayed -- to some extent, that remains true. But, when I went back with my family 7 years ago -- I had a good time as well. We loved the food court, and the layout of the resort offers diversity. If you want privacy, you can find it at your island's pool. Or if you want to have a drink and socialize, the main area's pool/bar is the spot to go. As stated, the main con of the resort are the many bus stops. While the size can be an advantage if you want privacy. I think the next time I go, I'll try somewhere new because I like trying new things. But I would definitely recommend it to moms and dads who are bringing the kiddies! Great value for your money. (As far as Disney resorts go) -Dumbo
The nicest of the 3 All Stars(they're all nice), it has excellent a great set up and wonderful decorations. Giant Disney characters are wonderful for family picture taking and every detail is very well kept. Pools are great, as is taking a stroll around the whole resort for sight seeing. It is rather large and if your room is far from check in, it can be a bit of a walk to the food court and buses. Of course, these are the most quiet areas. All walking is outside, as the resort is set up simliar to most basic hotels. If scooters are common, you can't blame the bus system for being slow. If it's a popular time of year, of course things are going to be crowded (buses, food court, lobby, etc.), which is not something that can be blamed on the resort. After POP Century, this is definitely my favorite budget resort.
First of all, this resort felt more like I was staying at a cheap motel than a disney resort. The magic was definately missing. I love how each individual set of buildings has a pool, as well as there being a pool located at the food court pavilion. The shortcoming is the fact that the only hot tubs are located at the pavilion. One of them didn't work at the time, and that was two months after they finished remodeling the pool area. Each set of buildings should have there own hot tub. To me it only makes sense. Also we had some issues with some individual Disney employees. One lady at the front desk was extremely rude and seemed extremely put out by the questions we had. On top of that, she was either poorly trained or lied to us to keep from having to do anything. The jury is still out on that one. Also our housekeeper was extremely adamant about having us sign off that we didn't require cleaning. This was after the five minutes she spent knocking on the door each day while we were asleep. Disney really needs to institute do no disturb signs here. The rest of the staff went out of their way to make sure all our needs were met, which is what I am used to when I visit Disney. As many people have said there are too many stops for the bus service. They really should split it up and have a bus route for each two or three "islands". The food court is great for what it is. It is nice having a sit down restaurant in the pavilion, but they could really do with another, especially for the size of the resort. If you have the meal plan you can fill up your in room fridge with snacks and sandwiches to keep you from having to make extra trips to eat each day. Overall the stay wasn't horrible, it was Disney. But of all the times I have been to Disney, this is the only time I have had issues with my stay.
we ate at 1900 park fare on christmas eve 2008. my 4 y/o granddaughter was acting a little more tired than her usual even for a busy day (just starting to get sick didn't realize until next day). we'd scheduled 3 character meals during our week long trip, this was our first one. there was a wide variety of food choices but none of us really like anything we had. it was an average buffet at best. i have to say though that the young woman that night playing druzella (spelling?) was the funniest person we've ever been around and made the entire experience more than worth it. the other characters did a good job but OMG this girl was hysterical and made it one of the best times we've had on vacation. so if you're deciding to eat here... don't go there expecting a great meal any more than you would at mcdonalds... but if you have a cinderella fan this was a by far a much better character experience than we had at the castle that same week.
i stayed here with my teenage daughter, sister, and teenage niece in 2004 for 4 days. it was very relaxed and i loved the atmosphere. the room itself was set up well for four and very clean, bright. i have not been back since they've added the new poc themed rooms. the bus situation is much the same as when you stay in the boardwalk are resorts...to many stops so it takes you a lot longer to get around than it would from other resorts. for a moderate resort it was quiet, great for winding down and maybe honeymooners, older adults, but still beach fun for those with kids or teens. the pool is great for anyone but particularly who loved the poc movies [pirate fort theme to main pool]. personally i liked port orleans french quarter a little better (stayed with same group of people), but that again was mainly due to transportation issues.
our first trip to POP was back in April of 2004 when pop was new. It blew our minds away. the food was delicious and every CM was willing to help. Mousekeeping was amazing our hair dryer didn't work and by the time we returned to our hotel 3 hours later it was fixed. I would recommend pop to everyone. the best value hotel out there.
My family and I went to The Wave in August and absolutely loved it! We were at Magic Kingdom for the day and just walked over to the Contemporary for dinner and then went back to MK for the evening. The food was great, as well as the service. My boys (ages 7 and 5) loved the chicken nachos! The dessert options were great - we loved getting to sample several different kinds. We would recommend this restaurant to everyone!
This summer I got the opportunity to see Spectromagic at the Magic Kingdom and Electrical Parade at California Adventure. I must say even without the new update of Electrical Parade it still looked better than Spectromagic did. Spectro screamed 80's. The disco balls everywhere and the tvs showing with tinkerbell flying on them. I was shocked. I have only been to WDW about 5 times and been to DLR about 10, but it seems like Disney in California gets the better parades. Electrical Parade now has tinkerbell and LED lights and everything just looks so fresh and very clean. I thoroughly enjoyed Electro at California Adventure a lot better than Spectro.
i've had two dinners at narcoossee's, once over christmas week 2008 with a party of 7 and once at the end of july 2009 with just my husband. we had great dinners there both times. great service. menu is varied enough to please a large and diverse group but romantic enough for a date night. my daughter LOVED the ahi tuna in particular. we had one non-fish eater with us (my adult son) and i had a bite of his steak which was amazingly good [i'm always cautious about a steak at a seafood place]. my 4 y/o granddaughter loved being able to see the chef's while they were cooking and we were waiting for our table... they were great interacting with our little chef despite being hard at work. my next trip back to wdw is in early december 2009 for a sister's only reunion and we already have our reservations. i have NOTHING negative to say... and that's amazing for me lol.
After 9 visits to WDW, with only one visit spent at Port Orleans due to Caribbean Beach being closed for refurbishment of the OPR facility, we are confirmed fans of Caribbean Beach. We love the theme of the resort, the food court and shopping, and the convenience of bus stops to all rooms. Martinique Building 26 is our favorite and we would probably reschedule our visit if necessary, just to be able to get a room there.
I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach 6 times (also stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and Coronado Springs). I absolutely love this resort and I look forward to staying there every bit as much as I enjoying seeing the parks. The tropical atmosphere is the best with all the palm trees and steel drum music playing throughout the resort. Everything is very clean and the service in the rooms, shops, and food court is second to none. The food court has a great variety of food and is a very relaxing place to eat. The pools are nice, though I've never even used the main pool because I prefer the quieter, less crowded area pools for a quick swim. I love staying in Aruba or Jamaica so that I can make the trip over the bridge to the food court every morning. I grew up with my entire family loving this place, and just this year I went to Disney with my girlfriend for the first time and she immediately fell in love as well. While I'd love to try a Deluxe resort, I just don't think it gets any better for the money than CBR.
Just stayed in a studio at Bay Lake tower the nights of Sept 8 and 9. As others have pointed out the security (exclusivity?) is acute, requiring the room key to even enter the lobby. The hallways and room numbers are way cool looking, very modern and sleek ... but that said, the place has zero warmth and character, none of the rich theme-ing that the other DVC properties have. The monorail access is key for me -- not just for the access to Epcot and Magic Kingdom, but for the other resorts as well. We love the restaurants at Grand Floridian and Polynesian, so it's great to be able to hop on the monorail and get there quickly (Tonga Toast for breakfast!!!) The studio was attractive, but small and not cozy in the slightest. My biggest objection is the arrangement of the bathroom sink -- it's outside the toilet/shower room, which can be convenient, but it's directly across from (and much too close to) the kitchen counter, sink and appliances. You're looking in the mirror brushing your hair and the microwave and coffee maker are literally inches behind you. Some things just belong farther away from kitchen counters. The rooftop lounge was a lovely place to experience the Wishes show (although I still prefer standing inside the park on Main Street; the castle is an important part of the choreography of that beautifully designed fireworks show). The lounge with apps and drinks and TVs and comfy couches is a pleasant way to wait for the show, and the outside viewing platform is large. There were very few people when we were there on Sept 8, but there's plenty of space for larger crowds. I'll stay there again, but will probably combine a stay there with other DVC properties.
I can't wait to see the new Fantasyland in 2012!
I Can't wait to stay in the ASSports for Sophie's Birthday next month and I can wait to see the Sport Goofy gift shop and the food courts. this will be amazing place to stay for someone birthday! ASSports is will be awesome! Our family will enjoy this hotel too! I hope we stay in the Touchdown that is my favorite room theme! Thanks ASSports you bright the Sanchez family day!
I have stayed at this resort 4 times with family and my fiancee and all of us have had a magical stay each and everytime. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed, the staff are friendly, helpful and always go out of their way to make sure you have a magical stay. Out of the 4 times we have stayed here we have never had an issue with wait times for buses. We usually vacation in August and have never waited more than 15mins. During our trip 2 weeks ago a bus turned up within 5 mins every time which was fantastic. The only bus issue we had was going from Animal Kingdom to Polynesian we waited 45 mins and no buses and the same thing happened when trying to get from Saratoga Springs to the studios. I was quite shocked at how poor the bus service was at these deluxe and DVC resorts. The room was always clean and the mousekeeper made wonderful towel animals for us everyday. Every morning we saw people cleaning the quiet pools and a team cleaning the main pool and scrubbing down the sun loungers. The walkways were cleaned everyday with pressure washers and the landscaping continuously tended to. Most of this cleaning happened at 6 in the morning (breakfast time for us) and so was not intrusive to guests. The food court was pleasant however people left their empty trays and containers all over the table and walked away even though there are plenty of bins and recycling facilities, (it's laziness like this which really annoys me). That being said as soon as guests leave a table a member of staff is straight over to clean it and deal with any remains. After experiencing some of the other resorts at WDW I have to say that CBR will always be my home away from home and a visit to the world will not be the same with out staying here.
We have stayed at CB for years since our son was a child who is now grown and we still love it. The lush tropical atmosphere plays into the whole magic of Disney in taking you away to another place. While I agree with many of the other ratings that it can be quit a walk if you are staying across the bridge but it is great exercise especially on a cool crisp September morning and gets you ready for the day. There is also a 1.4 mile walkway around the lake for walkers and runners. You could have a jog to Old Port Royale have your breakfast and have a jog back. The food court is satisfactory after all it is a food court not a 4 star restaurant, good choices for all ages and picky eaters including the health concerned. I do miss a the old pool it had more fun things for kids but the remodeled one is very nice. The staff has always been pleasant and very accommodating to our needs. I remember one year when our son was little that our room attendant who we called Princess Olivia made him a different and very elaborate towel animal every day and we lined them up together all that week. Through the years CB has always done little things like that and even upgraded us for free one year when our room wasn't ready when we arrived so we didn't have to wait. I think they do try their best to give every guest and enjoyable stay and the price is reasonable. Our rooms have always been very clean and odor free, no mystery stains on beds, linens or carpets. I am sure we will enjoy many more stays at CB in fact my husband and I are going in 2 weeks for our anniversary first time doing "Disney without the kids"
We stayed at CBR every year for years. We learned to upgrade to a preferred room. We always requested Martinique Building. It is closest to the food court and convenient for bussing to the parks. Worth every penny. We did have some service issues the last time we stayed. Overall we enjoyed the feeling of leaving Disney for an island "resort" without leaving Disney property.
since we had a car, we didn't mind being at the far end of trinidad south. IT WAS WONDERFUL. if you have a car and don't mind a quick jaunt up to old port royale when you need something, ask to be here. the view was spectacular,mornign, noon or night, but the highlight was every morning when i went out my door, all you could see was the creek, the mist hovering over the creek, the wildlife waking up, and you could hear the sounds of all the animals, it was fantastic. it just felt like the start of a beautiful day in nature. it made me feel like i was far away from civilization, even though civilization was one minute away by car. the room was fine, nothing special, but the setting is beyond words. the pools are great, old port royale is very nice, boats right there, i never stayed moderate before, always deluxe, really not much difference, at least nothing that i cared about. i would go back here in a heartbeat.
The only Mod I`ve stayed at until this year, and wouldn`t hesitate to do so again. I`ve stayed at CBR in 1993, 2001, 2007 and 2008. First, it`s a Mod. You won`t get deluxe rooms or facilities, but it certainly surpassed our expectations. Helpful CMs at check in, lush, beautiful landscaping, well kept and maintained buildings and very adequate rooms. The rooms always seem to be on a continual maintainence cycle - they do get heavily used and this is one of WDWs biggest resorts - we`ve had a brand new one and an old one. The difference is clear, but with 2048 of them there are bound to be well used rooms somewhere. Thr Resort is big - one of the biggest - and so rooms further away obviously need more walking to reach with no car. Same for any large resort. If it bothers you avoid Trinidad South. Some like the seclusion, some don`t. Old Port Royale has a good choice of quick meals with long opening times. Grab and Go was open early and very handy for breakfast on the run. Pools were fine, with plenty of extras available on the lake. Location is good - next door virtually to DHS, a straight run to DAK and right behind Epcot. MK was a little further. Bus service can be slow at peek times, more an issue with WDWT than the resort itself. You get what you pay for, but at the CBR we think you get a litle more. And lots of Disney magic. This year we are at POR with friends, at their suggestion, but we would return to the CBR with no hesitation.
Absolutely a great resort. we were there last sept. for our honeymoon and loved it. The quietness of the place, the private pools, and especially the outdoor bar. The room was preferred and was looking at the lighthouse, great! The island in the middle was really cool, makes for great photo ops, as well as just some private time, nobody ever there. Never waited for buses more than 20 minutes. Way better than a value, but not a POLY. Well worth the money. Room was clean and had much space. The walk to Port Royal is but five minutes, and thats taking a stroll. Only had a a late night pizza there, so i cant talk about the food, but foodcourt had many offerings. We will be back in 5 days! This time with 3 kids, but i expect it to be the same and cant wait!
i stayed here for a week several years back just after they refurbed the pool area. i should indicate that the cheerleading championships were going on so i had to contend with a 1000 neurotics with body dysmorphic disorder during my stay, but i'll try to not to let it influence my report. first, i like to soak...in the hot tub. well despite a recent refurb of the pool area, the tub holds maybe 3-4 people...seriously. the resort is one of the largest at 2000 plus rooms. design flaw anyone? i never even sniffed the chlorine. the food is substandard in my opinion. the food court is not ample for me as i like to have a nice breakfast or buffet at least. i will say that shutters or whatever it was called then is decent a nice place to have dinner. the size of the resort is not to be underestimated. ive heard other complaints about long walks at other resorts, but this resort is amongst the worst. the theming is tip top. i felt comfortable and the tropical feel of the decor was very pleasant and relaxing. the staff were friendly and i dont recall any trouble with the room itself (no different than other moderates in that regard) in summary i wouldnt stay there again unless it meant i couldnt stay at disney at all.
I have been to the Caribbean Beach Resort about 10 times; I love it. I first booked there because of the economical price, but would always come back because I loved everything about it. I love the layout of the grounds, the 1.5 mile promenade. It is not only beautiful to look at but so peaceful to walk. I love the main pool, especially now that it has been refurbished but I love that each island has it's own pool as well. I love Port Royal - the colors, the up beat tempo of the music, the food choices and Shutters fine dining restaurant. The rooms are average, nothing spectacular, but I have nothing to complain about. I have not encountered a bad experience in all the years I have stayed there. Yes the bus situation is not ideal, I have always rented a car from the airport, so that eliminated any of those frustations. I would and will stay at the Caribbean again and would recommend it to anyone.
my wife and i stayed here for our honeymoon last october and it was better than i expected. i thought it was themed very well. the pool was kept exceptionally clean. check-in was quick. i've read stories online about how horrible it is to check in there but we experienced no issues. we always had these towel animals on our bed when we returned at night. i hear they do that all over the disney resorts so its nice to see its consistant. even though you could not go into the large lake in the middle of the resort, the white sand beaches and hammocks strung between the trees were a nice touch. we stayed in trinidad north so our walk to port royale was not bad. i think the only thing i would say was a disappointment was we could not get into the full service dining area but that was also because we did not get there until after 8pm the one night. overall our experience was great and very memorable and will definately want to stay there again
I have stayed at this resort 6+ times. We love everything about it. The food court and shops are great. I only wish they stayed open until midnight for our after park snacks. I love all the color and music! You just get happy walking in there. Tehy even pulled us in to do limbo! I dont go to the pool much but they are nice and clean. We usually drive down so I like parking lot view cause its cheaper and faster to walk to the bus station. Yes sometimes the lines to get the bus home at night are longer but thats just what happens when you stay at a cheaper and larger resort. so be prepared for it. Great facilities all around and close to the other shopping areas. ill definately be back.
We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Grand Floridian,Contemporry Tower, Contemporary Garden wing, Polyneisan, Port Orleans French Quarter and the Yacht & Beach Club(during hurricane Charlie - by the way). The Caribben Beach was te first moderate hotel we stayed at when our children were little tots. They are now 16 & 18 yrs. I only mention that becase since they have grown our choice of hotel has changed, and yours will too as your children grow. Financially, the Caribbean Beach is a decent place to stay IF YOU ARE FORTUNATE TO GET A ROOM CLOSE TO PORT ROYAL AND THE FOOD COURT. I say this because the first two times we stayed there we had such a room and it was a very nice stay. The hotel provided these mugs you could purchase that allowed you to get unlimited refills of beverages. That was very nice since our room was just a short walk away. It was a lovely routine for one of us to walk to the food court in the morning for our coffee, and at night for juices of soft drinks. The rooms are all nice and clean, and the atmosphere is generally quiet. The pool is just right for little ones. The Food Court is better than at Port Orleans. The food just seems fresher and there seems to be more of a variety. The atmosphere in the food court is bright and cheery and the children loved it. The music in the background is always peppy lending to a general happy atmosphere.....all near Port Royal. The problem we encountered the third time we stayed there was that our arrival time was later than the usual morning arrival we had experienced in the past. This led to our room not being ready when we checked in and the room location I had requested was not provided or us. Now, I know that Disney "tries" to accommodate your requests, however, BE WARNED.....THE LATER YOU ARRIVE THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET YOUR ROOM REQUEST GRANTED, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE REQUESTING A ROOM NEAR PORT ROYALE. Obviously, most people with small children want these rooms due to their convienence. Anyway...the down side of Caribbean Beach is that if you get a room across the lagoon - well, boy, prepare yourself for a hike! First of all, gone were our coffee and beverage refills. By the time you get back to your room your coffee is cold and you've drunk your drink. Next, depending on the weather, it is certainly no fun taking that hike to the pool in your bathing suit if your are freezing by the time you get back to the room. So - all in all, THE CARIBBEAN BEACH IS A NICE MODERATE PLACE TO STAY PROVIDED YOU GET A ROOM CLOSE TO PORT ROYALE.....KNOW WHAT - STAY AT PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER INSTEAD. MUCH BETTER LAYOUT FOR THE SAME PRICE (BUT THAT'S ANOTHER REVIEW". CATCH YOU LATER I'M SURE.
The first trip my husband and I ever took together (12 years ago - wow, time flies!) was to Disney World. We were 18 and 24 years old and stayed at the CBR. It was a great stay and we really enjoyed it. The rooms were clean and BIG! We were on the main floor and just steps from one of the smaller pools. We enjoyed walking the pathways (around the lake) in the mornings/evenings and with our rental car, it was a very quick drive to the other resorts and parks. We ate only a few times at the resort, but they had a pretty good selection of food items. I would recommend staying there - to anyone! We now usually stay at either the Yacht Club or Wilderness Lodge but with this economy, I would not hesitate to stay at the CBR again!
The Caribbean beach was the first on property resort I had ever stayed at. It truly gives you the caribbean feel and I love the layout. The Old Port Royale is so well themed and has a magical quality to it that it's hard to put into words. The rooms are well situated to let you stay close to the resort center or secluded. Truly a gem!!
I stayed thier last year and had a very good time. My room was not ready when I arrived, however within the hour I was in the room. I had a preferred room looking over the pool in the Barbados units. The room was clean and CM where very friendly. It was a 5 min walk to Old Port Royale where I had breakfast every morning. The breakfast selections where adaquate since I am not a big breakfast person. All my other meals where eaten else where so I can't comment on lunch and dinner. After breakfast I went to the bus stop outside Old Port Royale and usally was on the bus with in 10 to 15 mins. The only down size is catching the bus back to the resort after and event like Illuminations or MVMCP, the buses where way overcrowed and Barbados was the last bus stop. Over all I would stay here again.
We have stayed at Coronado, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Caribbean. We continue to return to the Caribbean Resort. The grounds are beautiful and quiet. We love the courtyards with the tables and chairs and bright umbrellas. The new main pool area is wonderful and the kiddie pirate area is great. The only reason I did not give it a 10 is because I think the food court is inadequate with few choices for a resort that large. We will be there again in December. Janine
After trudging up Mainstreet the first day of our visit, we got wise. The second day, we got on the train and started the rides at Adventureland and beat the crowd! Had no waits in the a.m.
I experienced the HM over 30 years ago with my kids and recently with my grandkids and it is still amazing! We loved it -- went 3 times!
Absolutely awful. Boring, stupid and claustraphobic! If you want to sit in a pitch dark room, pinned to a seat from which you cannot escape, breathing smoke and getting spit on then this is the ride for you! Somebody needs to be fired for this one!!
We(my family)LOVE the Beach Club. The close proximity to Epcot and Disney Studios is great ! The Lake walk around is also a nice way to spend some time, in fact walks to the parks are also very nice and appear to be rarely used. This time we spent two weeks in July 09 at the BC. We find the pools to be very enjoyable especially Stormalong Bay which is by far the best pool in WDW. We found because of my special needs that the front desk was very accomodating, our room was clean and ready for us on time of check in. Advance check-in worked very very well and made it simple to check in. We did have some issues with housekeeping but they were taken care of immediately to our satisfaction. I have to say both myself and wife find that once we check-in something overcomes us and we become incredibly relaxed and truly comfortable with our surroundings. The weather was also excellent for mid July, hot but very little humidity, except for the daily shower.
We(my family)LOVE the Beach Club. The close proximity to Epcot and Disney Studios is great ! The Lake walk around is also a nice way to spend some time, in fact walks to the parks are also very nice and appear to be rarely used. This time we spent two weeks in July 09 at the BC. We find the pools to be very enjoyable especially Stormalong Bay which is by far the best pool in WDW. We found because of my special needs that the front desk was very accomodating, our room was clean and ready for us on time of check in. Advance check-in worked very very well and made it simple to check in. We did have some issues with housekeeping but they wer taken care of immediately to our satisfaction. I have to say both myself and wife find that once we check-in something overcomes us and we become incredibly relaxed and truly comfortable with our surroundings. The weather was also excellent for mid July, hot but very little humidity, except for the daily shower.
The Polynesian is by far my family's favorite. Every resort has something unique to offer but there's just something about staying here that puts it over the top. Monorail access, boat access, walking distance from TTC, the beach, the luau, the hammocks, the lobby, O'hana's, the theme, the volcano pool, the view across the lake... there's just too much to list. One of our favorite things to do is to just sit in the swing by the beach at night and take everything in. After going a hundred miles an hour and spending all day in one of the parks, it's nice to come back and relax at the Polynesian. Just awesome.
There is nothing better than arriving at 2am and seeing your sleeping boys eyes when he wakes up in the Toy Story hotels courtyard to see a gigantic Buzz Lightyear! This was the highlight of our trip, it was amazing. We spend all our time at the parks so just need a place to sleep and this is perfect. Well, for the price we need to be able to go to Disney. The rooms are small, it's a tight squeeze, but it's all we need. The only thing we had problems with was the service. Always going during less busy times I see no excuse. Waiting an hour at 11pm for them to come take care of the fact our door wouldn't unlock was very upsetting, esp after being told on the second call that no one knew about it, it was apparently not reported to the proper channels. They're not overly friendly, we don't get the nice little "plus" touches from housekeeping, no matter what we tip them... but for the price and our needs it continues to be our choice of stay at Disney and I'd recommend it to anyone.
My family had the opportunity to stay at the Poly in July we stayed in the Fiji longhouse. We had a gorgeous view I took a picture of sunrise 2 mornings just breathtaking. We did have problems with out safe but it was explained to us that only one key card would work in the safe. We didn't get a chance to go to the Luau but you could walk outside our longhouse and listen to the show before the fireworks . The fire dance guy is the best. I can't listen to Hawaiian Roller Coaster without tearing up--thanks guys. We also did not get a chance to eat at Ohana's we went peak of Summer season so it was packed. It was also nice to see that the people working at the Poly seemed like the enjoyed being there. The food is a little pricey but..eh its vacation it is what it is. Will I stay at Poly again maybe but its not my favorite
Patiently waiting to see how this ride could get better! Missed it in August but looking forward to my next trip in Dec to see it completed!
I miss having the skyway operating. It was a blast to ride when you don't feel like walking from Space Mountain all the way to It's A Small World. I was pretty young when I last rode it. The lines were outrageous when we wanted to ride. When I saw the demolition pictures I always cry cause its sad...when I see the pictures I always see those people waiting to hop on and the people in line. Its definately gonna feel weird going there tomorrow. Yes I am leaving for Disney World tomorrow. I hope they bring it back someday. !!WE LOVE YOU SKYWAY!! ***You will always be in our memories***
The All-Star resorts are a great value. My wife and I spend most of our time in the actual parks, so we do not need a luxury room. We love the convenience that all the All-Star resorts have to offer. All-Star Movies is pretty cool in itself. It has awesome movie memorabilia too look at. If you are a Disney fan and you don't need luxury to have a great vacation then this is a great hotel!
We have stayed at Coronado Sprins more than any resort on Disney property. The rooms are stripped down and not near as fancy and nice as the rooms in deluxe resorts. The pillows aren't that comfortable, so bring your own! I did. However, the resort is very beautiful and peaceful. People waiting at the bus stops is rare. We love the Pepper Market (food court). We have stayed in the Cabanas and the Ranchos parts of the resort. I prefer the Cabanas becuase they are closer to the lobby and have a sandy beach with hammocks. Ranchos are nice as well, but tend to be a longer walk. The gift shop is huge and has everything you could possibly need. They have drinks, snacks, gifts, toys, everything! We have only had one single experience with a cast member being disgruntled. Everyone else at Coronado Springs has treated us very well. There are a few negatives to this resort, but we don't let them bother us. To start with, the food is expensive and there are gratuities and things already added in. This is because the resort is home to conventioneers. Becuase of the conventioneers, though, the bus stops are empty and the resort seems peaceful and empty most of the time. :) The steak house restaurant there has changed. When we ate there in 2005, we loved our meal. Now, in 2009, it has changed to be more mexican authentic. It is no longer a steak house, and we recommend you avoid unless you enjoy that sort of thing. Our food wasn't very good, and our wonderful memory of the restuarant was ruined. The resort has changed since our 2005 trip, but we still love it. A lot of things about this resort make our Disney trip very relaxed, and that's the way we like it!
I booked the last 2 nights of our 2005 Disney trip at Animal Kingdom Lodge with a savanah view room as a surprise for my girlfriend. We had an amazing time! The rooms are so much better than the moderate resort rooms we normally stay in. The marble counter tops in the bathroom, bigger mirror, real decor on the walls, including very nice wall paper, all made the room so nice! Even the shower was nicer. Compared to the moderate resorts, these rooms are really decorated well and are taken care of. As for the savanah view, we loved it! We woke up every morning with breakfast (delivered to our door each morning, an ammenity not available at moderate resorts) with the animals. The giraffes were our favorite! When the weather cooled down, the giraffes would come up closer to the resort. I have atleast an hour of video footage that I took of just the savanah view. Very much worth the $$! The resort is also unbelievably close to the Animal Kingdom Park. In addition, you can walk around some of the savanahs outside and see the animals up close. If you stay here, be prepared to fill your memory cards with pictures and your tapes/hard drives with lots of video footage! There are a couple negatives to this resort. The bus station is very busy, especially in the morning. One bus stop for the entire resort isn't right (we are used to 5 bus stops at Coronado). Also, the restuarants are very different from any other resort. If you like these adventurous types of menus, then you'll love your meals. However, the only food stop we enjoyed was the snack bar next to the pool. The rest of the food at the sit down restuarants were not for us. Since we really only ate breakfast in our room, we forgot about the weird food and had patience at the bus stop. We enjoyed the end of our trip at Animal Kingdom Lodge very much! Highly recommend for animal fans!
My son and I always stay at the value resorts and ASM is by far our favorite. The rooms are clean and a nice size for the two of us. The food court has a nice varity that will apeal to everyone in your party. Overall a great place for those on a budget.
All-Star Movies are awesome to stay! and we can't wait to stay in ASMO for my birthday on January 14, 2010! And we hope to stay in Preferred room like my favorite room is Fantasia! We think to take the fantasia! and the food courts and Donald's double feature is good to window shop and eat in the food courts! We will love to stay in ASMO!
The Polynesian has always been my favorite of all the Disney resorts. It could be mostly for sentimental reasons - it was where we stayed long ago when there were only 2 resorts on property! However, the more I have visited, the more I think it's really just the ambiance of the resort! The atmosphere is great - the tropical/Hawaiian vibe is really relaxing. Although, the buildings on the ouskirts are a good walk to the main building, for the most part, everything is very easy to get to. A huge plus is that you are right on the monorail! This is perfect when you are travelling with small children and know you'll be in the Magic Kingdom for the most part. It's a quick ride back to the resort in the afternoon for a nap or some pool time. The beach and pool are great - especially since the pool remodel a few years back. The restaurants are wonderful - we go to Ohana or Kona Cafe on every single trip. The luau is also wonderful. I have nothing bad to say about this resort other than I wished I stayed there more!!
This restaurant offers all sorts of food! It is kid-friendly and fun for adults as well. The characters also walk around and approach you to make sure you are having a good time and to make the environment that much better. I can't wait to go back.
I stayed there with my family two years ago, and just loved the experience! The room was nice and clean, service was great, transportation was efficient. We loved it!!!
I've stayed at all 3 of the AllStar Resorts probably 50 or more times and I'm not being generous. For the $ you pay a night you can not complain at all. The rooms are standard rooms very clean and arent' much different then a moderate resort or even some of the deluxe resorts standard rooms either. The atmosphere is awesome,clean fun and the kids love it. You do not spend much time in the rooms and mostly even the resorts, so for a Florida Resident paying between $49-$69 a night is fantastic. Yeah sometimes you stand for a little bit for a bus (15-20)mins but if the resort is crowded then your waiting no matter where you stay. But for the price it's worth it by a landslide. The food court is fantastic a wide variety like a malls food court, the pool is huge and heated so where can you go wrong. If people keep complaining about rooms sizes and better food then go ahead and spend $350- $800 a night at a deluxe 1 or 2 bedroom resort. I'll sepnd $59 at Allstar any day and have enough $ to spend at the parks later. People stop complaining and have a good time your on vacation!!! Craig- Tarpon Springs Fl
We stayed in here January 2009. It was our first stay in a "moderate" level resort, and we just wanted to see what it would be like. We would NOT stay here again. What we LIKED: (1) Looking around from the outside, the resort is clean, well-maintained, and beautiful to look at. (2) Coming back from the parks, the building we happened to be in (Aruba) was one of the first stops the buses made, which was convenient. What we DISLIKED: (1) If you're not staying in a building closest to the main building with the check-in services or food court, then you have a LONG walk ahead of you, or a LONG wait for the resort buses to roll around to your particular stop. (2) The rooms weren't much better in terms of quality than your average Hotel 6. Beds were way too small. Bathroom was ridiculously small and cramped. We had to have various items in the room replaced by the staff, such as the tv remote and the iron. Floor was dirty, tile work around the bathroom and sink areas were dirty and cracked. (3) Food court offerings for meals were meager and inadequate. CMs working in those various stations were rude and unhelpful. (4) Location. It's basically on the outskirts of the entire Disney World Resort property. Long drives to the main parks, or waits for the buses just to take you there. Coming from regular stays in "deluxe" resorts to a stay in this "moderate" one is like night/day. We would NOT stay in a moderate again unless we absolutely had to. Very disappointing.
We stayed here in May of 2009. We thought the Poly is more Hawaiian that much of Hawaii. The room was big, clean, and had the detail we have come to expect from WDW (iPod clock radio, pretty artwork, good food, etc.) The monorail is a huge plus, as is the view and general feel of the resort. Proximity to MK is another big plus. The only cons we experienced were CM related. Had a waitress at Kona that was pathetic, one of her tables left because she never went over to them, another of her tables complained to the manager, as did we. Which brings me to my next CM, the manager of the Kona. We had asked our waitress for some water that she never brought. When we called the manager over to explain the situation he just wandered away from us and didn't bring us any water either. There were a couple of other drips on the CM front, but they are almost to be expected anymore (as many drips as there are in the general population it is unrealistic to not have them show up at WDW, however the dippy manager at Kona was probably the worst manager I have ever seen.) All in all I give the Poly an 8 out of 10. With some work on staff and some detailing they would be a 10 out of 10.
Although it is nice to stay in a posh resort sometimes, at Disney World there is so much to do that you spend very little time in your room. Isn't that the whole point? I'd rather have the money it would cost for frills to spend in the parks. I like how the resort is setup with kids in mind. We stayed in the Toy Story building and I loved the huge Buzz Lightyear and Woody in the court yard as much as my Granddaughters did. The swimming pool with Mickey the Sorcerer was awesome. Having a food court with a variety of choices is a relief when you have children. We found the food to be very good, quick and reasonably priced. It was fantastic for breakfast in the morning so we weren't wasting time in a restaurant waiting to be served and could get to the parks when they opened. I can't wait for our next trip to Disney World and our stay will either be in Pop Century or All Star Movies again.
My partner and I have been to the Polynesian twice and will be there for the third time the last week of this month - it has become our favorite Disney resort. The theming is perfect and the atmosphere is tranquil as the Polynesian transports you away from the ordinariness of everyday life. The rooms are luxurious and spacious. If you're lucky to have a view of the lagoon, and especially of Cinderella Castle, a stay at the Polynesian becomes a slice of heaven. (On our first stay in 2007 we received a free upgrade from a garden view room to a castle view room, simply because it was my birthday - what a magical gift that was!) In addition to all of this, there is Kona Cafe, which has become one of our favorite restaurants in all of WDW. We have yet to have a meal there that was less than superb. The availabilty and convenience of the monorail to MK and the close proximity to the TTC and the Epcot monorail is icing on the cake. Yes, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for.
My wife and I have stayed at the "Poly" twice, once for our honeymoon and then a year or so later....and got the same room. The resort is beautifully decorated and themed. From the lush waterfall/rock garden in the lobby and just outside, to the landscaping and whole general feel of the area, you're treated to a feeling of both being in Disney World and at the same time being in a tropical resort. It is on the more expensive side, being a "deluxe" resort AND on the monorail line and all, but its conveniences (i.e. monorail access, and proximity to the Magic Kingdom) can't be beat. And for eating establishments, 'Ohana is a MUST and Kona Cafe has its own fair share of delicious meals. The resort Cast Members are always very friendly and helpful. My only real complaint is something that has been rectified for some time now: Captain Cook's. During the two stays we had there, Captain Cook's was sorely inadequate. It was too small, had too few food choices, and really needed work. I have learned in the past year or two that it was re-done, expanded, and is much better. I would go back and stay at the Poly again in a heartbeat. I loved waking up each morning to looking out my balcony to Cinderella's Castle just across the lagoon, and enjoying a drink and watching the Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks show from that same balcony.
In life, you generally get what you pay for. At Disney's All Star Movies, the rule applies more so than ever before. They make no attempt to mask the kind of hotel at which you will be staying. It is listed as a Value Resort. The Service is still Disney Service...but done by fewer people with absolutely no intention on making you their first priority. When there are over 1000 rooms and the place is booked...you feel the pinch when asking for anything to get done. Our bags weren't delivered when they were supposed to, rooms were switched, keys didn't work...problems that weren't huge enough to ruin a trip...but problems nonetheless. Everything was resolved and I always felt like I was being cared for. The food court was mediocre...but no different than any quick service spots in the park. It was doable. Waiting for buses back to the Resort at night at park closing was a MESS. Especially coming back from Downtown Disney...there were far more people in need of transportation than they were prepared to provide... All in all, it was a place to rest your head between days in the parks...so it served its purpose. Just know that you will be getting what you pay for...
Stayed at the Poly for 10 days in early August. Great resort. Here are my pros and cons Pros: Magic Kingdom Monorail is the best transportation in the "world". Volcano slide is fun Rooms are large Service is good Being near the TTC is a great option. Cons: Way overpriced. We used the by 4 get 3 free deal, plus 2 additional nights at a room only discounted rate of $264 per night. I've stayed at Ritz Carlton resorts for about the same amount of money. Main pool is overcrowded. I had people bumping into me, swiming under me, etc. I have heard that people use the pool who are not resort guests. Thats a problem. Seeing the boat parade and/or fireworks is great, but after seeing it once or twice, its not really special anymore. Captain Cooks is too small and doesnt have enough variety. Aside from Magic Kingdom monorail, all other transportation is about as good as it is in every other resorts (slow- even the Epcot monorail)For the price, it should be better.
overall great if u have kids as a couple u need a water room
I'm a Disney Vacation Club member and I will still pay cash to stay at the Poly. We have only stayed in Concierge (Hawaii and Tonga) and I think that the Poly has the best concierge services on property. The view from the Concierge Lounge is unbeatable - the view of Cinderella Castle especially during Wishes. Even more luxurious, get a room on the 1st floor, look out your window and see the Castle and walk out onto your patio right onto the sand. Love it! My favorite bar in WDW is Tambu Lounge and one of my favorite restaurants is Ohana so staying at this resort is the best location for me and my family.
I have had the pleasure of staying at almost every resort on property, and some are truly amazing, but the one that I can't forget and keep going back to is this one. Between its older look and style, complimented with perfect "island charm" this resort reminds me of the idea of what Disney World was and many years later, still is. Now I am partial to polynesian themed anything, so I understand how some people don't feel as strongly about this place as I do, but with that said, this resort compares and surpasses the rest on the property. It never has a crowded or "over run" feeling. It realy has a feel of Polynesia, secluded from the rest of the world, yet everything you could ever want from it. The grounds are wonderful, the food is great, the staff is super and the views are some of the best in Disney. If you can stay here, stay! You won't regret it.
This restort is not only one of the best Disney Resorts i have ever stayed in but one of the best ones period! I loved it! The atmosphere is amazing. You walk in the door and you are insintly transported to the south pacific. The place even smells like it. I sware I could make a trip and stay in this restort and never actually leave. I was lucky and I could see the Magic Kingdom from my room. (If you stay here you have got to try and get one of these rooms.) We were able to sit on our balcony and watch the fireworks. I have seen Wishes more times than I can count but some how seeing it from the comfort of my own hotel room made it even more amazing. Walt Disney would be very proud to know that this resort was part of his Magical Family.
I love Captain Cooks for CS meals. My family always makes a stop here when on vacation. Tonga Toast for breakfast, pork sandwich, adult grilled cheese and of course, dole whips.
We recently stayed in the Roratonga longhouse at the Polynesian resort. Accommodations: We found Roratonga quiet, comfortable, clean and convenient to everything in the resort. The entire resort is decorated in dark woods which, sort of makes things “gloomy”. The bathroom only had one sink and the ceiling fan was on a sensor so it turned on automatically when you walked into the bathroom which tended to be annoying. The only complaint was that we had trouble with the safe in our room several times, i.e. would not program or would not open. I had read somewhere that the showers were not very hot in the morning and to shower later in the day or before bed. I found this to be true, the water just wasn’t that hot in the morning. We thought the volcano pool too small for the number of guests using it. We found the resort grounds to be clean and well kept however. Restaurants: We attended the Luau which was good but we felt the show was drawn out. We also ate breakfast at the Kona Café several times, our son particualy enjoyed the Tonga toast and the “Big Kahuna”. We did not book Ohanna as we ate there on previous trips. Captain Cook’s was good but could have had more menu items. Cast Members: I had read in “The Un-official Guide” that there was “front desk in-efficiency” and difficult cast members at the Poly. Let me say that I did not find that to be the cast at all. Instead at the Polynesian we found the cast members among some of the best we have ever encountered at WDW. As stated above we had trouble with the safe in our room on several occasions each time the issue was quickly addressed. We had an excellent vacation and a very good experience at the Polynesian. We all felt however that there was nothing to “knock your socks off” at the Polynesian as compared to the other Disney resorts we stayed at such as the Grand Canyon Concourse of the Contemporary or the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge. That said, I would recommend the Polynesian to friends as it is on the Monorail so close to the magic Kingdom and many dining locations. I would consider staying there again, It would not however be my first choice.
Ive been to Hawaii and the resort was very nice. The room needed some help. Under the bed was plywood board as a bedframe. I wouldnt go back to this resort to stay..
Stayed 7 nights in August 2009 Bathroom is smaller than other deluxe resorts, only one sink, but there is more counter surface which I prefer. The bedroom area is larger since the bathroom is smaller, another preference of mine. Room is dark with dark furnishing and poor lighting. Fridge has a tendency to overheat since it is in a closed cabinet (tip, leave the cabinet door open to cool off the fridge). Location to MK and Epcot is great, Monorail access great. Bus service was slow to DHS, MK, and DTD. Dining options were great: Ohana's, Kona Cafe and Captain Cook. Volcano Pool was great, but tended to get crowded. Pool Bar was great. Loved the fact that the pool was located next to the beach. It was easy for the kids to run back and forth from the sandy beach to the pool. Life guard staff was great and helpful. Housekeeping services were fair and slow to respond to requests. Don't know if it is a budget cut, but only received towel creations at check-in. In the past at other resorts, we have had them daily. Front desk CMs were slow and not very knowledgable when asked questions or dealing with problems. Check-in was extremely slow, even with doing online check-in (arrived at 10:30 AM, and it took 30 minutes to check in). Was pleased that room was ready when we arrived and ME luggage arrived by 12:30 PM. Room request for buildings and floors was not met, but we were located next door to the Great Ceremonial House. Tip: In the evenings there was a Photo Pass Photographer in the Great Cerimonial House (lower level) taking pictures. Great chance to get a family picture done when everyone is dressed up for dinner. Overall, we had a great vacation. Don't know that the extra cost is worth a stay at the Poly over Wilderness Lodge. Beach Club is still our favorite resort!
My family and I have recently stayed at the Poly a half dozen times in so many years, our last visit was May of this year ('09). My first visit was in '76 when I was a youngster. I rate the Poly a 9 out of 10, as no place is ever "perfect", but I will say, in my eyes, the Poly is close to a 10. First the negatives (maybe a stretch here...). -The "quiet pool" is a bit outdated and not themed. It's older and could use some updates. (My guess is that Disney is keeping the pool old-school to keep it "quiet"...so maybe that's actually a good thing). -The bathrooms, although completely refurb'ed over the past 5 years or so, are small and have poor lighting. -Price. Although there are many aspects that are difficult to put a price to (see below)...it's tough to justify $400+/night for any room. Positives: - Location, location, location (especially with 3 kids under the age of 10 who spend the majority of time in the MK). How can you beat a one minute ride to the MK via monorail ? Monorail access to EPCOT ? Monorail (or more efficiently a resort only boat ride) back to your hotel ? -Refurb'ed rooms, new walls, ceiling, floors, furniture, TV, etc. - Pool and beach (hammocks, volley ball, Tiki bar, etc.) - 2 pools (one "quiet"...see above :) and of course the Volcano pool) - Fireworks from the beach - Electric Water Parade from the beach - Sea Raycers - Surreys - Fishing - Sailing - Luau - Spa (shared with the Grand Flo) - Kona Cafe, OHana (character), Capt Cooks (now serving Dole whips)restaurants - Themeing, flora, fauna, tiki torches (the orange seeds must stay warm...:) ) We've always found our rooms to be clean and tidy. Staff has always been excellent and very accomodating. We'll be going back again in May !! I suppose as the kids get a little older we'll once again venture to some other resorts to try them out (especially to AK Lodge which I'm interested in trying as well as Beach Club). But for now, it will be the Poly for several more visits.
We've only stayed at the Poly once and that was prior to the refurb. The rooms were beautiful but the walls a bit thin....but my review is not based on my stay. When I think WDW, the Poly is one of the first things that comes to mind. It's just incredibly beautiful, both inside and out, the theming among the best of all the resorts, and is home to my absolute favorite Disney smell!
I stayed there a few years ago during Thanksgiving week. The weather was cold (unusually so) but the resort is so steeped in atmosphere, that it made all the difference. I spent some time at the pool bar and it kind of felt warmer then it actually was. The theming was exceptional, the food options - Brazilian style BBQ @ Ohana, sushi, sandwiches and phenominal coffee @ Kona, and one of the best counter service spots on all of property - Captain Cook's. The best feature (better, in my opinion than the themed pool) is the lobby. Disticntly and uniquely themed. High marks!!
I figured since there hadn't been a review written about OKW in so long that I would add mine. I have been staying here yearly for the past 9 or 10 years, and I have never had anything but a wonderful experience. I have stayed all over property and still always look forward to my OKW trips the most. The resort is beautiful, the staff friendly, and the room amenities can't be beat. I highly recommend OKW to anyone looking for a resort with a little less hustle and bustle, and a little more R&R.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Turtle Power! They're the world's most fearsome fighting team! When the evil Shredder attacks, Turtles, Turtles!!!!!! Fight back! ---BRAAAP---- Who stopped the music??? I can't belive it, it's the 25th Annavursery and these fearsome turtles that made TV better aren't here!!! I mean they made a website! http://tmnt25.com and they confirmed a movie in 2011!! And the old series that aired on CBS (you know, that 1987 one?) They released both Season 7 and Season 8 this year!! In this box! There's a dent, THE TURTLES AN'T COMEIN' BACK TO HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS AND I AIN'T SEENIN' 'EM COMIN'
My family and I have gone to disney since 1975. I was four then, and fell in love with the place. We've continued to go twice a year at least. My husband's family also goes at least twice a year and are DVC members. Between the lot of us, we have pretty much tried every single dining spot on the Disney World map, and this is hands-down 100% unanimously our favorite sit-down dining experience in all of the Disney Parks. The atmosphere is cool and relaxing once you are seated. We each have our favorite dishes and we are ALL Italian and from NY and LI. The food is not the traditionally authentic homemade italian, but come on people we are in florida...the only places for real authentic italian food is either NY, NJ, and maybe a few spots in Chicago. As far as disney food goes, there is nowhere better in the parks to eat with the exception perhaps being The Liberty Tree Tavern (entirely different genre of food). For excellent Italian food on Disney Grounds, give Il Mulino at the Swan a try...it was absolutely out of this world, but beware it is pricey. Portabello in Downtown has gotten better since the renovation, but again is pricey. DON'T expect great things from Tony's in Magic Kingdom, trust me. "Park food" as we refer to it, has over the years improved somewhat, but even the best restaurants have often tasted overprocessed and it is expensive for what you get. Here, the prices are reasonable for sit-down...anyone who says differently is not really familiar with sit-down dining prices at Disney. I get the pasta w/ meat sauce every time (it's not always listed on the menu, but is always available upon request). The pasta is ALWAYS perfectly al-dente, and the sauce (at least the kind I've ordered over the course of 20 years) does NOT taste like it's from a jar, and is one of the best I have ever had anywhere(excluding homemade). Aside from Alfredo's famous Fettucine Alfredo, the sauce at Mama Melrose is FAR better than Alfredo's in Epcot's Italy ever was, despite how I loved it...sigh, may it rest in peace :( Anyway, don't pay attention to the reviews that say the food was bad, and give it a try. As far as service, you take your chances everywhere. Even the counter people aren't always such a treat. It is obvious that Disney has had to cut corners where they can, and they have started with taking on less experienced castmembers they can pay less for. But that's happening all over Disney. Just look at the Great Movie Ride...I haven't seen the Western Version in years, and the Guides who used to be engaging, articulate, and fun because they were enjoying themselves are now obviously too young to have heard of the actors and movies prior to their employment with Disney. Unfortunata, their performances are now usually lackluster at best, with no energy and often sounding like 4th grade readers reciting from a cue card. But hey, people, this is Disney...as far as I'm concerned there is nowhere else I'd rather be eating, no matter what restaurant I'm in!
I have stayed at the Contemporary many times before and have always had a nice visit. Visited there late last month for a brief two night stay. Used the online check-in and everything was ready for me, but was suprised that I had to carry my bags all the way out to the entrance to leave them with the bell hop to take to my room later. Returned at 3PM to see if my room was ready and it wasn't. Then I waited in the lobby for 15 minutes for housekeeping manager to call back. By 3:30 they gave me my room number, but when I entered the room it was totally stripped and the beds weren't made. So I picked up the phone to call down to the concierge who helped me to let her know the room wasn't ready, but the operator said he wasn't allowed to direct my call to a specific person (sounded like he was at some call center since he asked me what hotel I was calling from... something is wrong there.) Out of frustration I told him I would go back down to the front desk. On my way out I ran into housekeeping coming to finish my room. Then the bellhop arrived. So we both waited until the room was done, but they were quick. Finally got into my room. High floor with great view of bay lake and near the end of the hallway as requested. So the frustration of the check-in was all but forgotten until I went to the bathroom... no toilet paper! After learning a lesson not to call, I spotted a housekeeping cart on the opposite side and moved in for the kill. The woman gave me two rolls. Finally the vacation started. Oh, last complaint, sorry, the had this huge screen set up out by the pools showing a movie. The sound really traveled even up to my 10F room unless I closed my sliding door. It was very annoying that I just could not sit on the balcony and enjoy a quiet evening. Of course the music of my favorite electric water parade was marred with sounds of machine gun fire and screaming from the movie... Anyway, I will stay again and the comtemporary is still disney's best hotel.
My family and I stayed at this resort some time ago, however our stay was very undesireable. There were, literally hundreds of tour group kids that seemed to move about the resort unsupervised. On 3 occassions I had to call the front desk. On one occassion I went to the front desk to complain. Staff was fantastic. The resort is a fun place to stay. The food court can be extremely hectic, so plan accordingly. the resort is clean, the pools are relaxing. If you can afford to stay at a moderate, do it. But, if you can only stay at a value, then be warry. Request rooms away from tour groups. The walk is well worth the hassle of being awakened at 1 or 2 am by yelling or screaming kids. All in all, you get the Disney experience.
Before PopCentury opened up we would only stay at All Star Movies. ASM was our favorite of the three All Star Resorts. The theme is just great and though the rooms are a wee bit small, it is for sleeping and resting anyways. That was our philosophy. Now for larger families would recommend either another room adjacent or be prepared for being cramped. The bus system back when we were going wasn't too bad except of course during peak time and the buses would go to all three. There were times leaving MK we would wait over an 1 1/2 hrs. So staying at the All Star Resorts have the downfalls but the Movies is the best.
I thought this was going to be a Cars ride, (if it's comeing than HOORAY!) but seriously, it made me like this!! -_- ZZZZ I mean, they had it all over the park!!! Jeez! I just wish they made a Cars ride, I just can't belive that this s**t replaced that Toy Story meet and greet! I might sound like SGE haters, but this is diffrent.
I've stayed at the poly, gf, and wilderness lodge on club level and thought they were all better than the contemporary. stayed at contemporary last week of july 2009. the woman working the concierge desk all 3 days we were there was clueless. the snack offerings were (in my opinion) sparse at best compared to the other resorts. i loved the proximity to the mk and loved being able to just walk in and to watch fireworks from balcony (we were only a few floors from the top) but would not do club level there again. room service is supposed to be 24 hours but was terrible. the room was VERY quiet and nice and dark. good cold air and lots of room in the room. gf and poly have been by far the best we've stayed at. oh and whoever thought a square sink was a good idea must have been a designer not a real human being who actually had to use it.
The shuttle from MCO was slow, as we had to drop off everyone at Sports and Music first. When we got there, the lobby was underwhelming compared to the moderates I've stayed at before. The rooms were VERY small. It was hard to fit the stroller through the doors and past the bed. That being said, the rooms were decorated in Dalmatians, which the kids loved. Also, it was easy to get the kids to leave the park when we told them we were going to see the giant dalmatian at the hotel. And giant it was - at least 30 foot tall. The kids loved it. The food court was as busy as any counter service at the parks, so no suprsie there. It had a good selection of food. The bus service was not good at all. We didn't have to share with the other AllStars, but all the buses were slow in getting there. Also, it seems the AllStars were loaded with moto-scooters...which got to board first regardless of when the showed up. The rider and all 10 of their family guests got all the prime seats. Disney really needs to fix this problem. Overall, it's still a Disney resort, so it was good. The kids LOVED it, but it's at the bottom of this adult's list.
My wife and I went there in 2007 for 5 days on vacation, and we both enjoyed the resort. Obviously I didn't expect the Ritz Carlton, but the room was relatively big (they upgraded us to a family suite for free!), clean, and for the most part quiet. With it just being the two of us, more than anything we were just looking for a place to sleep and an easy way to get to the parks. We didn't use the pool or anything, and the cafeteria was convenient for a quick meal. So, for the traveler that doesn't need a lot from their resort other than the basics, I would recommend the All Star Music.
The theme is excellent. The rooms were average. The food court was ALWAYS overcrowded. The bus situation (in '07 anyways) was terrible. That being said it's still better than music or sports, but POP beats all three hands down. If POP (our favorite) was full I'd have to reluctantly upgrade rather than stay at any All Star resort.
It's hard to beat the All Star Movies resort for the price. Compared to the more expensive resorts, the resort delivers the goods in theme, cleanliness, and the service the cast members provide. While I enjoy the more expensive resorts, it's always the value resorts that seem to be more alive. I don't know if it's all the kids playing or the larger than life decor, but there's definitely more feeling at the All Star Movies.
The theming at this resort was extremely fun. The larger than life icons were adorable. It has a fun atmosphere that excites the young children. As a parent, the ONLY drawback I did not like was the bus situation. At the time of year we went, we shared a bus with AllStar Sports and Music. Movies was the last to get on and last to get off. Being the last to get on the bus, the bus would already be packed by the time it got to AllStar Movies. This was a minor point for us, but for others, it could be a big set back.
We stayed at ASMo during our first two visits to WDW (2005 and 2007) when our daughters were young. Overall, this resort met our expectations and provided a great introduction to the accommodations offered on Disney property. It was great to be emersed in Disney with children! This resort is geared for families with kids and meets those needs very well. I never performed a white glove test, but always found the rooms to be clean, the staff very helpful and friendly, and the atmosphere perfect for our children. With two daughters, ASMo was a logical choice for our Value Resort stay--Sports didn't work for them, and Music wouldn't captivate them. The bigger-than-life characters on the grounds really made them smile! Yes, the bus rides can be longer, but I'd challenge anyone to get "home" to an off-site hotel any faster. We loved the theming, and truly enjoyed both visits. Given the limited time we actually spent in the room, ASMo was the right choice for us. We learned a lot on our first visit, and made even better plans and arrangments on our second trip. As our daughters have gotten older, we decided to move up to a Moderate (POR) this last trip (Aug 2009) in order to have a little more elbow room. This was another wonderful choice for us!
Haven't stayed there since '06 but the rooms were VERY clean. It was a little noisy though. We were in the Toy Story bldg and that seemed like a hike to bus stop and main bldg so wouldn't have wanted to stay in Fantasia or Dalmations. Pool was nice and food OK but the food court was always crowded and unless we got to the bus stop at an 'off' time there was a considerable wait both too and from the parks. Plus, you have to share them with Music and Sports. Like Pop Century a lot better!!
I first stayed here for my honeymoon in 99 . This by far the best Moderate in my opinion. The themeing is beautiful .The layout is nice. I have to say that there are some areas just too far spaced. I love the island walk,the nature all over. the food coutrt is nice .. I would like to see some changes but good. The main pool is awesome, not to mention the nice "island" pools . This has been and will continue to be our resort of choice. You can't go wrong with any Disney resort, but this one stands out .
I went to disney world for the first time ever last year, and stayed at the all-star movies resort... While it was decent as far as room size is concerned, I was a little disappointed at how few busses ran from parks to that particular hotel. On a number of occasions my friend and I would be waiting to return to the hotel from a park and many "Sports and music" Busses would pass, most of them empty, while we waited for a movies bus with many, many others.. I suppose that's the way all the all star resorts are, though.. On top of that, on our last night, the power in the ENTIRE Fantasia broomstick building, which was our building, went out, and could not be restored.. This was particularly bad because we needed the light to pack.. It took a long time, and a lot of lugging of heavy luggage, but we did thankfully get issued a new room.. Still, I suppose the stay was decent enough.
We stayed at the All Star Movies resort in February of 2009. This is an awesome resort with great photo opportunities all around the resort. The restaurant was awesome, as was the staff at the front desk. Just like the rest of the Disney resorts, the bus service to and from the parks was great. The one downside of this resort, is the distance from all of the parks. It seems like you pass every theme park, and every other resort, as well as Downtown Disney on the way back to All Star Movies. The mousecleaning staff took care of the every day stuff very well, but we found that they don't like to clean behind the furniture, or under the furniture. As I was looking under the bed, just prior to our departure, for anything that we may have dropped through the week, I found what appeared to be a year's worth of dirt and dust. It was the same way behind the furniture. All in all, I would stay there again, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great bargain. Just check the cleanliness when you check in.
We stayed in the Fantasia/Sorcerer's Apprentice area of the resort. The theming is a lot of fun and the hotel rooms are very cheap. However, the rooms are very simple. No bells or whistles here! Themed bed spreads and a border below the ceiling is about as fancy as it gets. The Fantasia pool was big, but very basic with just a few jets of water. The cafeteria was always extremely busy. We attempted to have breakfast one morning and had a horrible time waiting in line, only to have to wait for a table after we got our food. The food was good, but just way too crowded. The moderate and deluxe resorts have better dining options that are not even close to this crowded. There are a lot of hotel rooms, so a lot of people are packed into this resort. Nights tend to be noisy with kids running around. The buses are always full, so get ready for standing room only when it's time to travel to the parks. If you are doing Disney on a very strict budget, then All Star Movies is a good choice. However, you get what you pay for! I highly recommend spending just a little more to stay in one of the wonderful moderate resorts.
Cheap , Cheerful and good value.
The All Star Movies Resort isnt all that bad. It gives you a place to sleep for a good price. The pools arent all that bad, either. If you have kids, the area is a good place to tire kids out.
I stayed here a few years ago. Way to many children running around. The busses were few and far between. I really had a very bad time. I know most people might reading this may say hey he must be hard to please but actually i'm the opposite. Pay the extra few dollars a night and stay at Port Orleans its awesome.
I like it better than other 2, newer and better theme, feels more like Disney. Last bus stop does not help, maybe they changed since I was last there in 2005, but it does make a difference.
My family and I stayed at the All Star Movies resort for two nights this past April 2009 in the Buzz Lightyear building. My wife and I have three children ages 7, 8, 14 so finding a resort that the kids enjoy is paramount. We have stayed in every moderate resort as well as the Boardwalk (twice) and Saratoga Springs. Matter of fact, we had stayed in the Coronado for 5 nights prior to switching over to All Star as we wanted to extend the vacation. This was our first value resort stay in the 8 years we have been coming and were pleasantly surprised. Upon arrival my family and I enjoyed the outward appearance of the resort. Although some may think the appearance to be tacky, we thought it was fun. We had a lot of fun walking the grounds as the kids pointed out the various disney characters that were present at every turn of the head. The grounds were clean and well kept. The room is what we expected from a value resort. The size and layout is exactly that of any other motel that we've ever stayed out. The only difference was the disney decor throughout. The room was clean and absent any odors. Rooms are not that important to my family and I as we only use them to sleep and get changed as we are constantly on the move (parks, recreation, swimming, etc). So the room was fine. The swimming pool(s)were fun. We decided to walk around all the value resorts and stop at each main theme pool. The main difference between the All Star pools and that of the moderate and deluxe resorts we stayed out were the absence of water slides. This didn't represent a problem to my wife and I but the kids noticed it immediately and were not overly enthused. Nonetheless they had fun swimming and splashing around. The food was fine, again for a value resort. It's the same as any other "cafeteria" stop at the other resorts. Without question, the main difference between the All Star (value) resorts and the moderates and deluxe's (besides the food options, recreatonal activities and main theme pools)was the amount and types of people present. We noticed that the All Star was full of families and children. We also noticed that there were several sports teams staying throughout. Obviously the value price of these resorts attract young families, clubs and sporting teams. Because of this the atmosphere tended to be much more hectic and noisier than the moderate and deluxe resorts. My family and I would stay at the All Star Movies Resort again in a heartbeat. The only caveat being we would not stay longer than two nights. If you can afford the extra $50-$75 a night (sometimes less or more) a moderate resort commands I would definately suggest staying there. The grounds, the recreational activities and food options are well worth the extra money. However, if you must save money for your trip I would highly recommend the All Star Movies resort.
After being cautioned by others that the All-Stars were rough with crowds, I found that it wasn't bad at all - especially during the holidays (Thanksgiving). My 6 year old loved The Dalmation rooms that my family had booked and we were well pleased with the layout of the resort. The selections in the food court were good and the staff were very pleasant. While the crowds at the bus lines were very heavy especially near the end of the week at Thanksgiving, the staff did quite well in calling in extra buses sometimes to alleviate the crowd. We were all well pleased with our stay and would definetly recommend the All-Star Movies!
I am posting a review that me and my wife posted from our march 2007 trip to all star resort. We go to disney 2 times a year, and half the time stay at all star. All Star Resorts are a good place to stay if you would like to be close to the parks and want a decent value. There are buses that leave to the different Disney parks and Downtown Disney every few minutes, therefore you don't need a car. The rooms are clean and there is a big cafeteria to eat, a bar to drink at, laundry facilities, an arcade and swimming pools. It's a great place for families to stay at. Keep in mind when staying here that this is a value resort so you are not going to get “top of the line” anything. But it really is a decent and convenient place to stay. Another great feature that All Star resorts offer is Magical Express transportation, which picks you up and drops you off at the airport. One complaint we have during our stay at the All Star Movie resort in early March this year was that someone had left a tray of food outside their door near us on the first day we were there, and it was nearly 3 days before housekeeping finally disposed of it. Kind of gross, but surprising because usually their services are highly efficient and our rooms are always clean. I would say from the 2 times we stayed at pop, the busses to all star are better. The advantage, take any of the busses and walk a little. In summary, stay here if you want value and convenience; don't stay here if you want to be pampered.
I agree with the other reviews. Anywhere else, this would be a destination hotel. But having stayed at most of the regular Disney hotels, this lacked the disney magic. Pool at Swan was not kid friendly at all, had to use the pool at Dolphin for a slide.
we have stayed at Asmo's several times. Our kids enjoy the theme more so than the other value resorts.. Last year we were able to upgrade to a mod but did a room only the night before at asmo's. The grounds are nice and the food court offers a variety of foods.
I have stayed at 2 value resorts, All Star Music and All Star Movies. I enjoyed the theming best at the Movies. I thought the overall atmosphere was much more "disney-like" which makes sense since that is Disney's business...movies. However, I didn't like that the Movies is furthest away. I think we were the last bus stop on that road all the All-Stars are on. Personally, I choose to spend more money and stay at a moderate or deluxe mostly for convenience, atmosphere and location (closer to the parks). But if you are on a budget, value is definitely the way to go. My family is probably going to be on a tighter budget for our 2010 trip and we are considering staying at a value resort and we already know it will be "movies" since we enjoyed the theming and look there the best. When we stayed at "Music" we had giant cowboy boots outside our building and it didn't feel very "Disney"!..."Movies" just had great ambiance and theming that made us feel DISNEY-ish everyday, but again the locaiton wasn't the greatest. I would recommend Movies over Music or Sports !
We have stayed at the All Star Movies 8 times now and have stayed in every building there. We enjoy the food and the pools. The kids are very familiar with the resort too and they love the theming. It is a great place to go is you have children. The staff is great there too. Always seem to see the same faces there. It is a great family resort.
The animals weren't always visible but I still think that Disney did very well portraying this habitat. I always do enjoy seeing each animal because of their exoticism.
Like most of the other posters here I have recentlee diskovered I can no longer spel or use cowrecked grammer or sintax. I think it's the water, or the africant phood.
We stayed at the All-Star movies for 7 nights at the end of this past July in the 101 Dalmatians section. It's a decent resort with an adequate food court, basic pool and basic rooms. We did get cute towel animals from the maid staff and the front desk staff was very helpful when we needed medication delivered to the resort. The rooms are indeed small but not really much smaller than other deluxe resorts I've stayed at. The only complaint I really have is the distance this resort is from everything else. Bus rides took forever and were extremely crowded and inconsistent! Now, this may be the case for all the buses but we really had a hard time getting around on a few occasions. I think I like Music a little better than this resort but for the price, it is a pretty good place to stay.
After staying in a savannah view room in the Jambo House I was really excited. The hotel rooms are extremely detailed. The wallpaper used throughout the room have very interesting designs of a map of African cities with some animal drawings on the map. The terraces gave a great exclusive and private view to see the animals. When you get to see a giraffe, cattle, or antelope walk closer and closer to your room you really feel like you are in the middle of Africa. Another great feature of this hotel is the restaurant Jiko. During my last vacation here I ate at both Jiko and California Grill. Personally I enjoyed Jiko more, I thought the food was great and that this cuisine was a unique and original one that I had never tried before.
For me the Dragon Legend Acrobats are some of the best live entertainment you can see at Epcot. The act frequently changes as new groups of young perforemrs are brought into the show. These performers have real talent, and are almost unbelievably precise and professional for their age. Be sure to see their show at the China pavilion on your next trip!
We stayed there about 8 months ago for a couple of nights for a short layover that included a stop at Disney. We stayed in the Mighty Ducks section on the first floor. I found parking (since we had a car) to be rather convenient. I’m glad we did have a car because the bus stops were always mobbed with people. Disney's All Star Movies Resort is a basic resort. Check-in was quick and efficient, even though there were several people in line in front of us. I found the theming to be minimal, but very in-your-face Disney. The room itself is very plain and quite small, but it does the job. It is clean and the service is OK. You have a bed and a place to shower. It really reminds me of a dorm room with the motel 8 layout. The food court was simple, but no different than any other food court. The gift shop was actually better than the ones at the deluxe resorts we normally stay at. The resort itself seemed to be very far from the parks. I wasn’t unhappy with my stay there, but I don’t think I’d stay there again. If I were watching my pennies, I’d stay offsite before staying at another value resort. For the same amount of money, I could stay offsite and have a much nicer and bigger room with roughly the same distance from the parks.
I was there in mid-May and would gladly return to the resort. We were in the Toy Story portion of the resort and found ourselves spending a good deal of time simply exploring the resort after we arrived. There were some great photo opportunities amongst all of Andy's toys that were strewn about. The room was very comfortable. I enjoyed everything from the lamps on the walls to the bedspreads. We also very much enjoyed coming home each night to walk past the windows of everyone else's rooms to see what scene the housekeeping staff had arranged for everyone to view (using plush toys, towels, etc.) The food court was decent. We ate there several times late in the evening so the crowds weren't bad at all. We did observe several magical moments while dining. Kids were selected to be a chef and would assist the cast by making ice cream sundaes. We did frequently wait for 15+ minutes for the busses to run, but given that we didn't have a car and this was free, we didn't mind waiting. We also had some great impromptu conversations with other guests while we waited. The only reason I would not go back is if I choose to stay in one of the Epcot resorts within walking distance.
Great resort for relaxing and being away from it all. We were upgraded there when Riverside was overbooked. Since we had a baby it was nice that the room had a microwave and fridge. But we were a very far walk away from everything. There is no counter service and the sit-down restaurant wasn't that impressive. Since the buses looped through the entire resort they were packed and long rides. My wife and I talked and believe that if we were going without kids or when the kids were older and could do things on their own, then this would be a great resort to stay in. But with young kids the need to do things quick and easy is necessary.
I stayed there with DW back in 2005, so some things may have gotten better. The first issue was (and many others feel the same) the sharing of the buses. Some people don't mind sharing, but at the end of a long Disney day, the last thing you want to do is make 2 stops before you actually make it back to your hotel. The second issue was...and this may just be perception but it just seemed further away than any other place we've stayed on property. You always passed CS you always passed the big McDonalds, to get anywhere. Now for the good. Price was good, for being on property. Like the food court. Liked the theming. Everything else was to be expected for the price. I just think for the same price there is another resort that seems better. We didn't use the pool, so I can't offer an opinion on that. If we had to, I would stay there again.
My sister and I stayed there in 2003. We liked it. The food court provided many food options and the refillable mug is a great conveince. The rooms were clean and housekeeping left plenty of towels. My only complaint was the bus situation. The buses were always crowed and seemed to take a long time to arrive. In all fairness though this was 6 years ago, the problems may have been fixed. When I went in Mar.2009 we stayed at the Pop century.
I have stayed at the ASMovies 3 times over the years and have had nothing but good visits there. It is a nice value hotel, laid out very well, with ok size rooms for what you are paying. The food court is great and a fun place to visit with plenty to choose from. This was the last of the All Star resorts built so it has the same feel as the other two, but it took the best from the first two and expanded upon it. The only down side to the hotel would have to be the bus system, just like some of the other hotels that are all in a cluster, these 3 hotels can share a bus if it is during the mid day and some times at night. ASMovies being the last in the run can get a bus that is already 3/4 full pulling up to a line that would fill a normal bus. It does seem they have attempted to cut down on the sharing of the bus in the evening, but I have waited at MK for 3-4 buses because all they say is All-Star Resorts so everyone is getting on one bus to go to all 3. Until POP Century came around ASMovies was my first choice because of the price, why spend a lot money on a room you only spend a few hours in? If POP is full and you are looking to go on the inexpensive side then I would say go with ASMovies!
The AS Movie resort is my favorite out of all the Value resorts. It always seems to be the least crowded and it is the newest. The rooms aren't anything special, but none of the Value resort rooms are. The over-the-top movie theme is great of course. I really like the 101 Dalmation section. As with all of the Value resorts, the sound proofing is seriously lacking here. If you have stayed at another Value before, you know what to expect. It doesn't really bother me anymore, but light sleepers might find the extraneous noise from other guests unbearable. My other main issue with the resort is bus transportation. Movies is always the third stop on the bus shared with Sports and Music. It generally means full buses going anywhere and being the last one off coming back from the parks. During busier times of the year you can get lucky they will run separate buses for each resort at peak time. It is very hit or miss though. All in all, I would recommend the resort to anyone who is looking to save some money and views their room as just a place to sleep. If you are looking for extensive resort amenities and a luxurious room, look to the Deluxe resorts.
We stayed there in August 2006, in one of the busier time periods. We were trying to save a little bit of money. The hotel was fine, my daughter was 16 mos at the time and enjoyed it. The CMs and the rest of the staff were very helpful. The food court is what you would expect from any food court, quick fast foodish type of food. The only complaint we had was about the other guests. Compared to the moderate and deluxe resorts there seemed to be a lot more unsupervised children, rude teenagers and neglectful parents. We had a family fighting in the room next to us almost every night we were there and had to call the front desk to complain. Security responded quickly and took care of the problem. Overall I had no problem with the hotel itself just the guests that were there. In my opinion, if you can afford the extra money bump up to a moderate for a more relaxing trip.
Dinosaur is a different experience from other rides. Maybe some people aren't such big fans, but i find this ride one of kind. The dinosaurs are always popping out and you never know when. I think it is exciting and everyone should give it a chance.
The price is right but after that it goes down hill fast. The beds are uncomfortable, bus lines are long, food is below average, one main pool thats over crowded, rooms are very small for 2 adults and older teenagers. Don't do it unless you are on a tight budget and HAVE to stay on property. There are many spots offsite that are the same price or less and much, much better!!
This ride is probably my favorite ride i have ever been on. Everything about it just puts me in such a great mood. The music will put a smile on everyone's face, the drops are fun and exciting, and you get wet! I like the one in world better than the one in land, but the only problem is you get more wet in land.
I stayed here during my last visit and I will say i would definitely do it again. Each day by the pool, there was a fun little pool party for everyone. That alone would keep everyone happy. There are many recreational choices including the near Fort Wilderness for a bike ride or fishing. The theme is very interesting and different. You don't see many hotels like this. I would definitely recommend this hotel to most people.
We've stayed at the resort twice now, once in 1999 and again in 2007. In both cases we enjoyed our stay. The rooms were clean and well maintained. All of our experiences with staff were excellent. The theming is a bit over the top, but that is kind of the point. Out of the three All-Star resorts, we ended up picking the Movies resort again in 2007 because the characters/movies were more what our then 4 y/o would be familiar with. The dining court has a variety of options for various tastes, although the fare is definitely of the quick-service type. All-in-all, I would recommend the resort, if it fits into your price point for staying on site. You can definitely save money and stay in comparable accommodations off-site, but that wouldn't be part of the magic, would it? We are looking forward to upgrading to a moderate resort on our next trip, for the larger rooms and more sophisticated theming.
This hotel is so beautiful and will make you feel as far away from home as possible. I have stayed here with my family most of the times i have stayed at Disney. The workers are very friendly and take care of the place very well. There is a lot to do including the pool, Gasparillas, a spa, tennis, boating, and much much more! It also has convenient transportation including buses, the monorail, and ferries. I would definitely come back again and I can't wait to do it.
I auditioned in May 2009. I had signed up ahead of time online, which is actually rather useless if you get there early in the morning. I was 15 at the time. Though the TV show prohibits anyone under 16 from auditioning, the WDW version lowers it to 14. So I went into a sleek hallway and was directed to a small room. In that room was a snazzy-dressed woman sitting at a table with a laptop and notebook. She asked me to sing 30 seconds of any song. I chose "Colors of the Wind" because I've performed that for large crowds before. She said I was fantastic and have a real future in music -- I don't know if they're required to say that, but it's moot. Yet, she said, 14- and 15-year-olds are only permitted to audition; not to perform in the real show. She said to come back when I was 16 and I would be a shoe-in. Suffice to say, I was pretty ticked. Don't set this up for your young, bright-eyed teens. It will make the whole day at DHS very dissapointing.
I stayed there in December 2003, and yeah I actually liked it. It's close to the parks, really comfy, and something the family can have fun in.
clearly one of the best rides in all of magic kingdom. every time we go my family and i get the picture we have over 10 pictures. best ride. but you have to make sure to experience it in other areas. such as disneyland and compare.
One of the greatest shows on earth! Watching it always makes me feel great. The music is excellent, the fireworks are excellent= MUST SEE
What happened? Their food used to be good, but the last time i was there a few months ago it wasn't good at all. The food used to remind me of Panda Express but much better. This time it was awful. They changed their sweet and sour sauce to one that tastes like ketchup mixed with sugar in a pan. The chicken breading was thin and soft, like corndog breading, and ohh the rice - don't get me started; it was like minute rice and was very hard. I am a chef and studied culinary arts so i know what i'm talking about. I really hope someone from disney reads this and changes it fast. If you're in the mood for Asian food, go to Japan's quick service restaurant. It was very good, well at least when i was there last. Good luck everyone! *o*
We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach 3 times and are going back in Sept. The resort is very large, but so quiet and beautiful. We love the food court and the gift shop and all the quiet pools.
This place has really great baked goods. It's a must when in Epcot. I always get at least two or three School breads.
I recently stayed at BLT from August 13-20 in a two bedroom villa. Although it was gorgeous, the living area was really small and it was themed more as a condo that you would expect to see in Miami rather than WDW. If you lost your "Key to the World" room key, you were screwed because you can't open a single door in the building without it. That was nice because not many people can sneak in that way, but its still a real pain. In order to get to the Top of the World Lounge, you have to show someone at the front desk your room key, and than they put their own key in a slot in the elevator to let you up. Kinda redundant if you ask me. The lobby area smelled like cocoa beans mixed with new paint (not very pleasant) and the music in the lobby was quite irritating. There was music playing around the pool area and outside of a couple of Jonas Bros and Miley Cyrus songs (both of which I cannot stand!), it was just rock music that had no correlation to the Disney franchise. There was no true character of the building that would make you feel as if your in the World. To me, BLT struck me as the Hard Rock Hotel minus the musical artifacts throughout the building. The only thing that BLT brought to the table was convenience. It was very convenient to hop on the monorail to go to the Magic Kingdom or to Epcot. However, I must say this, my first five nights, BLT was not at full capacity. I believe it was just under 50% filled. When day six came around, the entire building was filled and my family and I watched four monorails come and go through the station before we could get on one simply because the platform was PACKED with people! Disney should have thought that out long before the opening. Hopefully they'll fix that by putting another monorail on the line. So I guess it's not too convenient anymore. Odds are I won't be staying there again, I was very let down.
There are so many choices and the food is pretty good there. The food court is better than most other Disney food courts, I'd say it's my favorite one.
This was one of our all time favorite meals. I was rather intriqued by the fact that the place rotated around a ride(which we did after we ate). The food was wonderful, the service was wonderful and the characters were awesome. One of the places I will do again when I go to disney by myself in March of 2010.
We had many many character meals- this was by and far one of our two favorites. All of the characters came around to visit and the food was wonderful. This is one of the ones that I will definately do again.
I had heard all of the rave reviews before we went. I was rather disappointed. This was supposed to be the good character meal- I thought the dinner choices were subpar and the place was to busy. It took forever for my son's birthday cake to be delivered.
I think that reveiw titled "don't...drag...kids...onto!" review was a terrible thing! According to other people, there were signs that told people that it was too scary so we had to get used to it until much too much parents started DRAGGING their children on!! I think they're gonna be major glory hogs on SCARING SOME CHILDREN TO HELL!!! Sorry if that was harsh... but seriously folks... I even heard a CM told someone it was scary and someone came over and said the same thing and she just rolled her eyes at him!! NEVER DISOBEY A CM!!!!
I think that my other review was TOO SHORT, but it was TRUE!!! So I'm going to review it again! Stitch's Great Escape haters: 0_o. Now just because this awesome ride replaced another awesome ride (AE) but that doesn't mean that you should start stinking it, people!!! They didn't completely makeover it!! Now some of you might be thinking: "It's not Disney!" You're wrong.... Alien Encounter was not disney! Ever heard of the movies and series: "Lilo & Stich" and "Lilo and Stitch 2 Stich has a glitch" and "Stitch! The Movie!" and Lilo & Stitch: The Series (which aired on Disney Channel) and "Leroy and Stich"!??!?!?!?!?!? Others might be thinking "Hey, that's your opinion!" Well yeah, it is my opinion, that some awesome sit around row features stich and some stuff, but like I said, it was not COMPLETELY madeover! Remember the alien? I forgot his name but it was in the preshow, I think his name was Snooty, (I'm mixxed up with the series of L&S and AE..) and the robot! You may call him 90210, he was madeover from red to blue, but it's the same robot. Stitch's Great Escape Haters: 0__________________________0 Yeah you are right, the teleportation stuff has not been madeover ethier hasen't it????? Just a few or alot of reprogramming! Now the only thing I couldn't agree more from you haters, is the chilidog burp, yikes, I'm just glad we didn't smell that smell outta the level 2, but seriously!! Don't hate the ride because it replaced your favortite ride!! Just hate the Parents that took those poor little kids in Alien Encounter (for more details see my review of AE) As a toon in Toontown would say: "But seriously folks!" I would say as an conclution to a very long review 0_______________________0 This ride is kid-friendly, (but I don't blame you guys on the burp!)^______________________________________^.
Was the best show/dinner in all of WDW. Blows away the Spirt of Aloha.
Good for a quick breakfast.
POFQ is my favorite excellent hotel with waterslides and some awesome food courts and those buildings looks cool and fresh! For My Birthday on January 14, 2010! POFQ will be the place for my 38th Birthday!
This is a very awesome ride! (Which thinking they will never come up with a ride about roger rabbit lol). I guess that's all... bye.
I stayed in alligator bayu and it was terrible. It took forever just to walk to our rooms and we had a terrible view. I am 4 foot 11 inches and if i were just a few inches shorter i would have needed a step ladder to just sit on the bed, i don't see how kids get up there. The electric sockets in the wall did not work, every night we tried to charge are camera's and the plugs would either fall out of the sockets or not fit, but no matter what they did not go in right.The bathrooms were pretty bad to, why are the sinks outside the bathroom it makes no sence. Also the tiles in that bathroom were terrible we talked to a women who's 7 year old grandaughter almost cracked her head open when she slipped in the bathroom because of how slippery the tiles get. The pools were terrible too. They were open untill past midnight which is both annoying since our room was by the one and extremly dangerous,and the one almost never had a life gaurd on duty. Then the one time i went to the pool a kid had thrown up there like 10 minutes ago and it still hadn't been cleaned up and the pool was still open. I came back like an hour later and the puke was still there. The resorts only redeming quility was the boat to downtown disney
Food was poor quality for a customer staying at the BEST resort in the place. The adults that stay here also have gone to Vegas and have had a buffet at any one of those resorts for they same cost. Come on just because they have charaters walking around is no reason to have this poor of a buffet for this much. All the Disney buffets have lost value over the years....
We had the Cinderella character dinner on our May 2008 trip. We enjoyed the step-mother and step-sisters. They were so funny. Prince Charming was very cute with my 6 year old. Cindrella was a dissapointment. She really made you feel she had better things to do. She also jurked away when our 13 month old tryed to touch her dress. I could understand that if she had food on her but my 13 month old daughter was clean. Anistasia posed with her. The food was typical Disney buffet. I like the food better in the castle but the characters are more entertaining at 1900 Park Fare.
This is my favorite themed of the three all star resorts but it is always the most crowded.
Yes , sure this ride is slow , But it's my mom's favorite! It's great to go on for a cool off. The song does tend to get stuck in your head but my family loves it!
This was a beautiful and unique showing of what they can do with plants... awesome
Cannot wait to see this on Sept 4.... I will leave my feedback
Yes may have long lines...but oh my so worth it!
If you want a thrill this is for you
A one of a kind parade that is not to be missed
Its not a bad ride, i wouldnt miss it if i was visiting the resort but it has long lines and it all ways breaks down when your on the ride. Takes a lot of time
When you see this on the first day of your holiday you know you're in the place where dreams come true
I could not belive it when all the maps and signs had changed from this iconic structure to the hidious Sorceror's hat located in front of the Great Movie Ride. Not only does it ruin the great view you used to have as you walked down to the Great Movie ride but it does not represent the whole concept of Hollywood as well as the Earffel Tower did.
This attraction is pure brilliance, whether its the story line, the competitiveness of the scoring or to just sit back and admire the scenery. You will enjoy trying to get the best score in your party.( Which i previously have achieved with a perfect score of 999,999) and that certainly made a talking point for the rest of the day.
I went to this attraction with my Mum and Dad with me thinking it would be a boring documentary type film, boy was i wrong. it was funny mainly because of the host, Martin Short. the effects used are great as is the whole Circle-vision concept. The location is great inside the mountains so i would definitely reccomend this to people that are passing by the Cnada Pavilion.
Thank God this has gone, i have not seen the Finding Nemo show that replaced it because i am worried by how poor the last one was.
As soon as you cross the bridge into Adventureland you are transported to what it says on the tin- a land of adventures. I believe that Adventureland's theming is slightly better than the other lands because you have the building, the rides and the main thing is probably the scenery, like the squirting totem poles and especially the lush plants and trees. It is because of this that you will think after being in Adventureland there is no way we were still in Florida.
Whether it be for an air-conditioned oasis, the clever story line, the catchy song, to see some great audio-animatronics or to just see a small part of Walt Disney's mind. This has something for everyone and I am sure will enjoy like most people do.
I have been going to Disney for 14 straight years in a row, which means i was there when Honey I Shrunk the Audience first opened. I may not remember any of it because i was 1 but this is my point: when i was around 6,(so back in 2000) i loved to go and watch this cool and funny show, also the pre show with kodak was great. But since then they have gotten rid of the pre show and replaced it with a more tediuos one. you have to stand in the holding area with what seems like thousands of other people waiting for the show which is such a let down. Admittedly most of the effects are rather good, but the picture quality is terrible and i could not see the actual movie at all. my waiting time for this attraction was ridiculous: it was about 1 and a half hours once the show was finished.
This qualifies as my sentimental favourite ride. It qualifies for this because on the first full day of our every Disney vacation we go straight to Adventureland and it is the first ride of our vacation. Every time I get my first glimpse of it I get so excited knowing it will be the first of many rides on my vacation.
I am not really sure what the point of this is. I know it isn't intended for older people and it is aimed at younger kids. At the moment i think it is a waste of time, there is hardly anything you can do on it or in it and even kids with the wildest imaginations couldn't find enough fun here to sustain them for longer than a 5 minute period. I hope with this refurbishment comes an entertaining place for children to cool of and have fun
We loved it here. We got luck and without ADR's were able to sit at the tables in the back. Even then my three year old loved it! I had the BLT soup and it was delicious!! The milk shake was also yummy! We will be eating here every trip!!!
We stayed here from 7/30/09 - 8/3/09 in a tower room on the Bay Lake side. Our room was ready when we checked in (10:30 am!), and we were so pleased. We were in room 4611, which is the 10th floor. Our view was beautiful! DH loved the sleekness and modern design of the room. I liked the sliding doors in the bathroom, and we really liked the private toilet area. I fell in love with the square sinks - they drain better than you think that they would! Our room was very quiet - we never heard Chef Mickey's. Mousekeeping was fine. Our room was clean, and I was surprised to see that we were given more than enough toiletries for our stay. No character towels, though! The staff was very friendly. My DD fell in the lobby and busted her lip. A greeter saw what happened, and she ran and got an ice pack. She even offered to get the paramedics. We definitely didn't need that, but her concern was real and appreciated.
We ate here for dinner on 7/30. It was absolutely pouring down rain when we got in, so the lobby area was jammed packed, and the floor was very slippery. They really need the pagers like at Liberty Tree Tavern! We had to wait about 20 minutes past our ADR time because diners weren't in a hurry to leave due to the rain. That was okay, not the restaurants fault. As far as the food goes, it wasn't anything special. I enjoyed my Penne alla Vodka, but DH was less than impressed with the Chicken Pipette. I tasted it as well - the fresh green peas totally overpowered the dish. Additionally, there wasn't much chicken on it, either. For dessert, I ordered the tiramisu, and DH had the warm chocolate truffle cake. The marscapone cheese section of the tiramisu was pretty tasteless, and DH likened his chocolate cake to the kind that you get at the MK at counter service. We had indicated at the time of our ADR that we were celebrating DH's birthday. Our celebration consisted our our waitress sticking a candle in DH's chocolate cake, lighting it and handing him a card. Probably would have been fine if we weren't really ticked at her for her earlier and continued attitude - see below. I did have a serious issue with our server. Once we were seated, our waitress greeted us. She wasn't very friendly, especially by typical Disney standards. She explained that since we were on the dining plan, we could get a non-alcoholic drink, entree and dessert. I had misunderstood the 2009 change in the adult dining plan, so I asked if they still did the appetizer in lieu of the non-alcoholic drink. She said no, the dining plan NEVER included an appetizer. At this point, I'm tired (we'd been up since 5 as this was our arrival day!) and confused. I explained that in all of our prior trips, we did get an appetizer, and I asked if the dining plan had changed. She said again that it had NEVER been that way, and she'd been there for 16 years. I was absolutely speechless. After she took our drink order, DH went and got the manager. The manager was very nice and showed us a little card that explained the plan. At that point, I realized I had misread the initial info I had on this year's dining plan. The manager told us what the waitress COULD HAVE told us but didn't - it changed back in January, and tons of people were coming in asking the same question I did, and the fact that kiddos got an appetizer and adults didn't did not make sense to her, either. We graciously thanked the manager for giving us the info that the waitress easily could have given. The waitress returned with our drinks, and she asked if our question was resolved. I said yes, it HAD changed. The waitress replied that yes, it was a change. Why suddenly the change in her answer? We were kind of laughing and trying to lighten the mood, and I remarked that I was just so tired and confused as I'd been up since 5 and had been traveling. I mean, it was my misunderstanding after all. Her response was given very curtly: "Well, I've been at this all day." That was pretty much it for me and the waitress.
Have gone 3 times. June/December 2003 and May 2008. A show that will last for a long time!! I recommend seeing it and bring your camera to film your memories!!
fun ride. to make it better, put most of your groups weight to one side of the car
This parade (if you can call it that it never moves) is the worst ever. I was very dissapointed. We have tried to see this block party during 2 different trips. The first time we stood in front of the big Hat. We stood there for about 30 minutes before giving up. We could see it but it never moved from the entrance. All they did was jump up and down. Our kids were hot and tired and wanted to do something else. Also it does not fit with the Hollywood theme. The second time we were trying to leave the park and the parade had started. IT BLOCKS THE EXIT. We had to weave our way through the shops (with a stroller) to get out. So remember it starts at 3pm. Leave before then if you are going to leave early. I hate it and will be glad when they change it!!!
We have always loved Rain Forest but T-Rex is on a whole new level. We went to the T-Rex on our latest trip for my nephew's 6th Birthday. He loved it! The decore is fabulous! The Ice room really feels cold. My 2 year old was a little frightened though. (just a warning for those with little ones) The food is great too.
This is my favourite attraction by far! That feeling of coming out of your seat never grows old! That is all I have to say!!
I loved Sanaa. It is a little confusing at first because the food is very Indian and it is in an African themed environment. However, the food is great. The menu is unique because most of it consists of mix and match type items. This menu style really lets you customize your meal though. The Indian bread service is a must and worth every penny. People who have even the slightest interest in Indian food need to try this restaurant.
The funnel cakes are a great snack. About the size of a small pizza, they are very doughy, sugary, and overall just a great snack. If you haven't tried one, give it a go. No better place to try it than at Epcot!
Nothing good to say about Big River. The food quality was very poor - the burgers were right out the freezer, the home cooked chips were right out the bag. The service was lousy. Unfortunately, Big River seems to be relying on the fact that vacationers and conventioners from the nearby Swan and Dolphin will stream into the place looking for something to eat and they no longer care about quality of food or service. Based on the 3 times I've eaten here, I would never return again unless there is a big change in how they operate.
Flame Tree used to be great. Each year, things were taken away, like the thick cut fries, the seasoned fries, the combos, the beef sandwich, the real plastic plates, the basket for the fries, some of the sauce pits. It's really got to the point where the food quality and experience just doesnt justify the price anymore. You can get far far better quality barbecue at somewhere like Chilis just off property. The slight saving quality of the restaurant now, is that it has great views over the water to Everest. Apart from that, I would no longer recommend Flame Tree.
The resort is amazing visually. The problem I had with it was that the resort food court was too small to take care of a HUGE resort like this. Unless you have a room close to the food court, pack a lunch just for the hike there. Also, the bus set up blows! They pick up at each island which fills up the buses fast. After eating at Old Port Royal you go outside to catch a buses to a park. By this time the bus has made several stops and is three quarters full! Bigger food court and more buses!!!
We have been to WDW 11 times in the past 12 years,.....would have been more but kids where born. We have stayed at Riverside 5 times and have loved it each time! Just make sure you ask for a room as close to the food court as possible. you will love the look and the feel of the place!
I really loved the Grand Floridian. My parents and I went in February 09 and it was wonderful. We had a lagoon view room with a private balcony. The room was beautiful and the overall theming of the resort was great. Transportation to the Magic Kingdom was the best with the monorail and ferry. We never had to wait too long for buses to the other parks either. I would absolutely stay at the Grand Floridian again.
After looking at the Sanna menu I had pretty much written it off as something I wouldn't like. I had no intention of ever going there but they were offering a great discount for cast members for lunch so I figured we'd give it a try. I am VERY glad we did! We had the bread appetizer, you have a choice of 3 breads and 3 dips/spreads. We choose the Naan, Roti, and Paneer Paratha along with the roasted red pepper hummus (excellent!!!!), the Tamarind Chutney (fabulous!) and the Mango Chutney (very light and fresh!) For the main course we chose the chicken in red curry sauce and the beef short ribs with basmati rice. I've never had curry before so I don't have anything to compare them to, but they were very good. The beef short ribs were my favorite, they tasted like they were in a tamarind bbq sauce and were fork tender. The rice was perfectly cooked as well not dry or sticky. My only minor complaint is that the portion was much too big. I'd love to see a smaller lunch portion, maybe a choice of one meat rather than two for half the price. It was a lot of food, in the future I think I would split the main entree with my husband. For dessert we split the Cardamon butter cake, here is where I wish I had my own and didn't have to share. It's a very unique dessert comprised of fingers of cake that are dense and almost more cookie-like (but not crunchy) with an almond flavor. It's served with orange slices and a very tasty saffron sauce and cream. It was a nice change of pace and very fresh and light tasting. The service was very good and the view of the Kidani Village savana was really nice. Sanna is a testiment to the fact that Disney can still do dining right. I would definately go back and hope to soon! It would be great if we could continue to see such unique and quality dining establishments from Disney in the future.
Sanaa is a very nice addition to the more exotic side of WDW dining. Following in the style of Boma and Jiko, Sanaa delivers something unique and very different to what you can find elsewhere. I had the Indian Bread Service, the slow cooked Chicken and Beef Short Ribs, and Butter Cake for dessert. Starting with the bread, this was really an excellent starter. So good in fact, I could see myself heading to Sanaa specifically for that course. The choice of breads was excellent, all were very fresh, and the accompaniaments were just right. The entree was deceptive. When it arrived, it didnt seem very big, but the portion size proved to be big enough! I didnt manage to eat everything. The rice was very well cooked, and the beef so tender it flaked, no knife required! The dessert was one of my favorites. Very unique, different, and great tasting. It even featured a SANAA stencil on the plate. Presentation was 10 out of 10. Service was very good, right from the reception, through to the seating and service. The restaurant wasn't anywhere near as crowded as Boma, so may be a good choice for those looking for something a bit quiter. Before I finish this review, I have to mention the view. The dining room overlooks the savannah, and it's very neat to have glimpses of Giraffe and Ostrich as you eat. The large windows mean that the view isnt restricted to just those tables by the windows. Overall I'd very much recommend Sanna. For those who like Boma and Jiko, this is a must do.
Love the theming of an old whaling ship. The food is always hot and tastes great. I know it's a quick service so you could get most of the menu items at any other quick service place on the property but I always have to get my chicken and fries and Columbia Harbour House. Great Atmosphere, Great Dining, a Magic Kingdom MUST!
Just extremely salty turkey. I go for the sweet cream cheese pretzels. They're my favorite WDW snack.
They used to have the most amazing fiberoptic display along with all those amazing props now its a little screen and a dark tunnel I am so disapointed I wish there was more on the way down I was very upset. I miss the old music and all the diplays surounding on the way down the screen dosnt do it for me.
Such a cool show they realey tore up the lake I wish I could see it one more time.
I havent been on that ride or seen video since the hast time i was on it and I remembered everything so clearly. I cant believe its gon such a waste I wish it would come back or at least put the farm, the sea cuty and the space city into spaceship earth and I will be happy. But if they were tp put horizons where wonders of life is even use that building I would be more than happy.
First of all, i think I am in a position to comment as we live around 20 minutes away from the real 'Harry Ramsdens' in Guiseley Uk. Let me tell you...... the fish and chips here are nothing like the real thing, they are of a similar standard to the frozen stuff we can buy that is nothing like real fish & chips. I think that was the main issue.... it was clearly all frozen, they could at least attempt to make decent chips! Loads of people come on here saying how graet they are but i think this is for the novelty factor rather than the quality! Trust me, if you visit the Uk and eat at a fish and chip place in the north of England then eat at Epcot you will know what I mean!!
Although fairly limited to quick bar snacks, the quality of the stuff was good! It was quick and never seemed to be that crowded throughout the whole of our stay at the Dolphin. We were pleased with the service and the surroundings, althought the food isn't as fancy as the decor! But still very good for lunch or a quick dinner.
We stayed in the Dolphin, so it was obviously pretty convenient, I wouldn't travel from another hotel to eat there but if you are around the epcot resort area and want a quick decent meal then it is great! (24 hours) We tried quite a lot of the made to order stuff rather than the really quick stuff that didn't look that great! Had no complaints with any of the burgers, nachos, baked potato's, pizzas etc, thought they were all good for the price. the other great thing is that you can obviously carry this stuff up to your room any hour of the day! We had no complaints and will probably eat most of our quick breakfasts / lunch on our next trip as the quality is much better than in the parks. No complaints at all!
very nice breakfast buffet, they evenmade my son special french toast since he dont like rasins in it. i cant say enough about the staff. ask for rosa ana as a server... she and her manager patricia were excellent. just the way disney should be
we just got back from our stay at CBR from 7/15/09 to 7/22/09. i will say this is the first moderate resort i have stayed at and before we have stayed at value resorts. the last value resort was so noisey with teenagers at night, well not here. didnt hear a sound all night. no more value resorts for me. we will be staying at CBR. it was great to have a nice pool with slides for my 6yr old son. he had a blast. everything was nice and clean, even our room was ready at 11am when we arrived. we had planned on going to the pool and waiting for the room but it was a nice susprise to get right in. it can be a bit of a walk to the main pool or the food court but there is interresort bus if you need it. overall it was a great experiance. and i will be staying there again.
seriously my favorite. we rode it three times, the 5 story drop is the best. it was cool cuz we rode it 2 times in the day, and didnt really get too wet (because we didnt ride in the front seat). well our second time, we got stuck for half an hour! ugh. but to make up for it they gave us passes for a ride with no wait in line. so what did we do? we used it for splash mountain of course =) we got on a 3rd time at night...we managed to get a whole log to ourselves and we sat in the front..i'm talking soaked from head to toe! it was so fun. also they tend to tease you with a couple short drops, and 1 in complete darkness before the big one. hands down the best ride =)
because this ride is all about snow white! a classic! they really didnt do her justice. the ride is short, boring, the way the seats move are basically dumb compared to the other rides. its really outdated. i dont remember any animatronics or anything, i could be wrong but the only thing that sticks out is cheap, painted on characters. they could have done way better with this one. snow white deserves better!
as said before, this ride is way too short. which is a shame because its one of my favorites. why? because its different than the others. it makes you feel like you are actually flying. another thing is i wish they put each thing in separate rooms or something because you come right beside the seat in front of you, which gives away whats gonna happen. either way, no matter how short it is, i still love riding this because of the storyline. you're flying!! weeeee!!!
I'd definitely do this ride again if only for the cast member's witty humor. Its entertaining & my husband liked the fact that he got to ride a real boat as opposed to the ones on tracks like small world, pirates..etc. ha =) but the cast members make a boat ride that might otherwise be boring entertaining with their constant jokes.
this ride, well song, gets made fun of all the time but theres no way you could miss this ride. Its a very relaxing way to get off your feet. You take your little boat and visit all the dolls of the countries...I love it.
scarier than i thought it would be for a disney ride. I absolutely love it. The part at the beginning with the lights off & walls moving was the scariest though. The ride through was just great seeing all the ghosts & stuff you think how did they do that. Probably the best part is when u get a little hitchhiker ;)
so i'm a huge lover of the ocean life and the Nemo movie. But i wasn't too impressed with this ride. It was short, boring and i'd just rather have the original Living Seas back. I like how they repainted everything and the way they mixed the real ocean life with nemo characters but thats about it. it was just boring. This ride was worth it if only because at the end we got to visit the dolphins and other sea creatures. i was disappointed.
i love how at dusk they turn on the lights on the castle. so we have a picture of us in front of it in the daytime, a pic with a blue castle & a pic with a pink/purple castle at night. pretty! i love the castle. it means you know you're entering Disneyworld! Riding on the monorail as soon as you see it & everybody gets all excited, well theres just nothing better than that =) its an icon for sure.
we almost missed this one but since there was no wait we decided to do it. i'm so glad we did! its like a movie theater that turns in a circle. the animatronics are incredible & the story in general just watching the way things have changed throughout history is awesome. (and i'm not a history fan haha) the part at the end where they almost blow up the kitchen was funny.
it seems like this coaster is always in a turn. i like that its tame and easy to deal with, yet its still exciting enough to where its not boring. it could be a bit longer but i still think this is a great one to check out.
adults can truly appreciate this park. Its got fun rides such as Test Track & Soarin on one side and you can visit some of the countries of the world on the other. Authentic food, merchandise & atmosphere in each one. I was very impressed. I recommend the ride in "Norway". I can't decide which side i like best. I do however recommend visiting Future World the first part of the day then finish up with World Showcase. Because Future World opens earlier & closes earlier than World Showcase. so its easy to get there, ride and see all the amazing things FW has to offer, then finish up the night at WS. Wonderful park.
if you want to truly experience Walt Disney World, you have to visit Magic Kingdom. I cant even think of anything i dont like about it. it sounds cheesy but it really is magical. Tons of great rides, even the ones geared towards little kids are enjoyable for me. Especially if you're a kid at heart or a true Disney fan, you will love it. No complaints at all!!
so this park is pretty decent. i love the hollywood theme, & my favorite things to see/do here are basically just the movie ride & fantasmic. the rest of the place is kinda boring for adults. (not counting the 2 thrill rides that i'm not into) the rest of the park just kinda caters to small kids with all the shows and everything. Its not so great for 20 something year olds. hopefully they will add something better than just shows like playhouse disney and such. If you're older Epcot & Magic Kingdom are way better. Next time i come to Orlando i will go here only for Fantasmic, & probably combine this park with Animal Kingdom.
I Adore it so much I wish to ride Soarin' over Florida!
also i'd like to add, this ride is not for people afraid of closed spaces or not being sitting right up the whole time. whew. staring at the touch screen helps haha. also this ride seems to stop often for letting on disabled riders, i dont like that part because if i ever get stopped where i'm coming back down backwards practically laying down i will freak out haha. But this ride is so good i'm willing to take that risk.
so we went in 2003 before its recent update & i dont know why it seemed scary then. but going in jan. of 09 it was so much better. i like the added touch screens where u design your own future. and at the end where u see yourself on the globe & can send your video & card and stuff to an email address so u can watch it back home. GREAT IDEA. i hope they never change it again. its perfect like it is now =) and can i just say that view of the earth right before u turn around to go back down (backwards) is just amazing. i wanted a picture but it didnt turn out right. but seriously coming around that turn to see the earth as you are coming back down our mouths just dropped. beautiful. even though its fake its still beautiful lol. we rode this twice. Definitely a must ride.
i didnt care so much for the wand part. i just miss the part that said epcot on the big "golf ball" i mean it just looks so plain without saying epcot on it. o well. we went in 03 and i got a picture in the daytime of it and at night with the lights it was so pretty.
it feels like you are actually flying over california. i just wish they didnt take this from Disneyland, they need to come up with a Florida version. 2 things, i'm a scaredy cat, and the golfball and fireworks scared me! haha but no this ride is wonderful, we were in the front row & it was just breathtaking. A MUST SEE
we love maelstrom, we rode it 3 times! i hope they never get rid of this ride. its so fun. I only wish for 2 things. one, that it was longer, with more drops instead of just the one. (even though its fun cuz its backwards) and 2, that they made a separate exit so u dont have to wait for the movie if u dont want to. which i believe someone already said. all in all though i would definitely ride this tons more times.
Figment is so cute. the upside down part is a cute idea, & i like the senses part. although getting to the touch sense i was afraid something was gonna come out and touch me haha. But this ride doesnt last very long which i dont like, that being my only gripe its a cute ride to experience. also i like when you're walking through before u get to the ride itself, the doors with the flubber & honey i shrunk the kids movies. those ideas were pretty cool. plus when u get off the ride, the little walkthrough area is entertaining. we took a silly picture on one of their little machines and sent it to our email address to show our family back home. A MUST SEE ATTRACTION IN ALL!
it doesnt sound like too many people like this. while i agree the preshow is a bit long, the 1st time we went we didnt have to watch it. i guess it depends what time u get there if your lucky on your timing. all in all i think its cute, its 3D so of course stuff coming at your face is gonna be scary. i like the water/sneeze effect, but could definitely do without the rat part. you could always do what i did and pick your feet up for the whole show =) if you're a scaredy cat like me it makes the whole thing better. but the show is great & my favorite parts are when the kid picks u up and the sneeze! I would definitely see this again on my next trip to Epcot.
a couple of em are funky to say the least while others still were very tasty. you can sample them all in a nice air conditioned room with music right next to the character spot. we were relieved to discover a place to quench our thirsts on our own without standing in a line to order a drink. I'm so glad this is here.
the line to get in takes forever, but its worth it for the pictures especially if u have little kids. they have tv's with mickey cartoons on to entertain u so its not that bad. i was especially pleased on this day because they had their normal characters, such as mickey, minnie, goofy.. and i cant remember if it was donald or pluto they werent supposed to have. they said chip n dale were gonna be there. Well we had already met them at the entrance to Epcot so we were gonna have more than one picture with them, well we get to the character spot and instead of chip n dale they replaced them with donald or pluto (whichever it was supposed to be. i think pluto) anyway i was just happy that we got the chance to get a picture with someone different =) like 2 for the price of 1. haha but all in all its a great spot to visit if u can handle the line. the characters interact with u instead of just standing there. which is great. minnie flirted with my husband & had him kiss her hand while goofy made me kiss his cheek =) they were so cute. Great photo ops here.
this ride and fantasmic are mainly the only reasons i like going to hollywood studios. this ride is just great with all the movie scenes. the best being wizard of oz. my only gripe is i wish they would add more up to date movies. i mean i've heard of casablanca and such & can get a feel of what its about but i've never seen it. Also as we bring newer and newer generations to Disney World, these movies are gonna seem more and more like a mystery to them. Really how many little kids have seen those movies? But the wizard of oz is great as well as a couple others. the gangster part i can do without, and the alien part is scary yet still entertaining. But all in all i would NOT miss this ride on your trip. Its a definite must see as its cute & great to see how they put these movies together, even if not all are relatable to my generation. Great job Disney! =)
so i saw this show in 2003 and from what i remember it was great. we went in jan. 2009 and they must close it down pretty early because it wasnt even dark yet and it was closed. then we went to the lights motors action and that was closed too. so i wonder if they close these shows down early? if so i suggest getting there early in the day instead of around dinnertime. we didnt know & my husband didnt get to see it. but from what i rememeber of it was decent. bottom line, dont wait! =)
this show to put it simply, is amazing. i love how they put the images into the bubbles. my favorite parts were that, the villain parts and the boat parts. i dont want to give anything away but it is a definite must see. one of the main reasons we go to hollywood studios =)
Space Mountain is one of my favorite rides! I haven't been to Disney in forever and when I go in October it will be closed and that makes me very sad :'(
I am a big fan of MVMCP, I love the atmosphere durning the christmas season, and it seems everyone is in great spirits. Can't wsait for my next trip Nov/Dec 09.
Our family loves to stay at SSR. We enjoy the peaceful grounds, wonderful walking trails, terrific pools and fantastic rooms.
Our family is not big on Halloween and the Halloween Party is OK, but just not great for us.
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a family favorite. We love the festive atmosphere, great shows, the Christmas parade and the short lines for rides.
I went here last fall without a reservation, but we were able to get a table in the bar area right away. All I have to say is you must get the Pumpkin Ravioli! 10 stars just for that.
Great food! Great view! Fun place overall!
Great service, good food, and fun atmosphere! I figured I should stick with tradition and get the Cobb salad and Grapefruit Cake. The salad was a little salty but the cake was great!
I love Captain EO! because of Michael Jackson and his dancing and his acting! I hope to bring Back Captain EO in EPCOT! RIP Michael Jackson!
Seeing all the animals on this ride was a lot of fun. Our kids loved it. Definitely a must see. Grab a fast pass for it early in the morning.
As Horizon and Spaceship Earth, this ride was so informative. I can still see the cave men blowing on there feet(y'all know what i mean). it was a fun ride!
If it were not for this ride, i do not know how my life would have turned out to be. Because of this ride i fell in love with history. the new revamped version is good too, love the interactive part(Horizon like). I hope it never goes away!
What a fun show! You cant beat sci-fi, plus Michael Jackson, and all in 3-D. All i got to say is r.i.p Michael and Captain EO.
I thought I was the only person that misses this ride. When I was a kid and my parents gave me a choice, always I would choose Epcot over Magic Kingdom because of this ride. The ride was fantastic and I can still remember when it passed you by the orange groves how you could actually smell the groves. The other great part of the ride was the interactive part at the end of it. Wow, i have to agree what was Disney thinking. Good to know I'm not alone.
This is a neat little location tucked away along the Boardwalk. There is a full open kitchen where you can see everything being prepared. Crowd control is a bit of a problem, and the queue often forms out of the door. There is outdoor seating available, but nothing inside. The food is great, lots of great bakery items. It's expensive, around $4 for a small key lime pie, but if you are looking for something different from the usual park food, this could be a great bet for breakfast or a snack.
I love Splash Mountain it's cool and fun when to do the fastpass to this ride! Splash Mountain is favorite ride!
Splash Mountain is by far one of the most creative ride in the Magic Kingdom. Worth the wait. Pros) 1. Great music. Extremely catchy. 2. Amazing animatronics. 3. Thrilling but still enjoyable drop. 4. Load of fun. Cons) 1.Long waits 9.1/10 stars
Here is my review: Pros) 1. Queue looks slightly better than it did before. 2. Colorful Ride. 3. Great Music. 4. Cool Animation. 5. Creative. 6. Entertaining Cons) 1. Lacking Mexican feel. Doesn't really focis on Mexico like it should. 2. Lacking set pieces. 3. Somewhat lackluster finale. 4. Over doing characters. 5. Not as catchy as El Rio De Tiempo. 6. Missing mysterious feel in tunnel at beginning. 7. Bumpy return to dock, still not fixed. 7.4/10 stars
Going into TSMM I had no idea what to expect. I was impressed coming out, to say the least. The ride is a load of fun and the queue is one of the best in a Disney park. 8.5/10 stars
What do special effects, The Twilight Zone, a free-falling elevator, ghosts and a creepy atmosphere have in common? Absolutely nothing but they are all, however, in the Twilight zone Tower Of Terror. This is simply put one of the most top notch thrill rides in a Disney park. Possibly even the best. The ride and theming are so well done you will have to go three or four times just to see anything you might have missed. The attraaction is a load of fun and will have you screaming extremely hard as you plummet thirteen stories and shoot back up. 9.6/10 stars
I just recently saw the new attraction and I must say my expectations were met. The show's new technology and score along with updated show scenes were brilliant in every respect. Even the narration was fun. Educational and unique. 9.0/10 stars
I had never ridden Hall of Presidents before so I didn't know what to expect. The new show is amazing, to say the least. The entrance area features many great presidential portraits and gowns that will have any history buff drooling. The show itself is a unique example of Disney imagineering at it's finest. The new films with Morgan Freeman are great and the animatronics are well done. 8.7/10 stars
One little gem many might not know about in Epcot is Club Cool, a real load of fun. Here is a summary; Go inside Get a cup drink as much free drinks as your body can take. The drink selection is very unique with a nice blend of sweet, tasty, fruity, sool, soothing, bitter, or just plain nasty drinks. Some will make you feel ill and other will have you sighing in delight. How do you know which one is which? Just wait for people's reactions after they take a sip. Also, avoid the drink called "Beverly". You'll be glad you did. 8.5/10 stars
One nice little show in Epcot was alway's O' Canada. Unfortunately the old film was so outdated it was not worth the trip. Fortunately, the new film is great. The footage is amazing and shows just how beautiful and unique Canada really is. Even better is a hilarious Martin Short who brings some good humoured entertainment to the show and will provide you with a few chuckles. Definitely a must see. Also, the updated attraction features a newly improved musical score and a song from Canadian Idol winner Eva Availa. 9.1/10 stars
I had so much fun here and it was so authentic I thought I was not in Epcot anymore. The film is amazing, the shops have tons of cool stuff, and the best part were the acrobats that performed at the front of the pavilion. My favorite World Showcase pavilion.
Very cool exhibit with a room full of cool artifacts and a mini version of the tomb with the warriors. Worth seeing at least once.
The beauty and grandeur of Impressions de France completely blew my sox off during my first WDW experience more than 25 years ago, and it's the one World attraction that remains an absolute "must see" for me on every subsequent visit.
Very informative and eye opening. I would not suggest this tour for youngsters who believe in the characters.
Loved seeing all the animals and the storyline was ok.
We have been twice in September of 2007 and 2008. Preferred rooms are the best. Close to everything. We were in Country last year and it is too far from the main building. Housekeeping was ok.
Sorry this is not a formal review as I don't have the experience like some or the gift of writing. But I'm surprised about a couple of bad reviews since we tried Paradiso last week and I have nothing to complain about. Physically the place is beautifull, it has a lake side patio as well. The tequila tower was cool. The food itself was very good, very tasty. However, the night we went the place was packed so it took a while to sit us. Also you could see some orderly chaos with the service, but we never had a problem. I'm sure some bad reviews regarding the service must be because the place is new and it may take them a while to work out the gremlins. But we will comeback for sure.
Last week, I called to book the ATW at Epcot tour and I was invited to instead try a new tour that had just opened, I said why not! The tour started in the same place as the past one I had taken but you ride the bigger off road segway. (It has a much softer ride). The tour focused on how by designing things similar to the way nature does, you can have better results with less impact on the planet. The tour was all back-stage and took us to the Land, Sea and in the Air with back-stage entrance to ride Soarin, then we had a private walk through the green houses at the Land and then back-stage access to some of the Seas support areas. We even got to do a small hill climb and ride our segways on the helipad once used by Ronald Regan. Lots of things I had never seen before! This tour was longer than the other but we stepped on and off the segways a lot so I wasn't as tired at the end. It was fun and very educational.
This ride is a very relaxing boat tour of The Land's greenhouses. The tour is not your average greenhouse tour, there is shaped mickey pumpkins, a fish farm, great edutainment and awesome facts like the food made there is served right in the pavilion. This is a must-do on my trip to Epcot everytime.
This ride is a perfect Disney classic with good theming, excellent story, and it is timeless. This is my favorite ride in WDW.
My favorite ride at Walt Disney World! Just a fun, classic, Disney ride! "Hang on to them hats and glasses, cause this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!"
My girfriend and I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort twice. It has a nice laid back feel and the grounds are pretty nice. I wouldn't recommend it for couples with young children or those traveling with older individuals because the place is huge and can be quite a walk to the food court, gift shop, etc. (Old Port Royale) The food court is pretty normal with a lot of options and the gift shop is great! You can find plenty of souvenirs and things to bring back to your room. The bus rides to EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney are nice and short, while a ride to the Magic Kingdom is probably 10-15 minutes. The staff has always been courteous and pleasant. Nothing at all to complain about. I've enjoyed my stays here and look forward to going back.
We dined here earlier this month and were displeased with our experience. We were told there was no wait when we called; and by the time we arrived it had jumped to nearly 45 minutes. Service was extremely slow and they ran out of several items. Also, our appetizer didn't arrive until AFTER the meal. The manager eventually took it off the bill; but only after waiting another 10-15 minutes for him to return.
We had a late lunch at the Biergarten, and it was the best food we had eaten at Disney. The buffet was wonderful. My husband and I absolutely loved the leek and potato soup, we highly recommend it. The entertainment was a bit cheesy, but it was fun. The Biergarten will definitely be our first dining stop when we go back.
I made reservations for me and my husband the day after we got married. We were on the DPP, which was a good thing, because I would have refused to pay otherwise. We both order the chef's selection, which was the New York strip steak. Both of ours were so tough that we had to swallow most of it whole. Part of his had a tendon in it. We hadn't eaten since that morning, so we were starving; otherwise we probably would have sent it back. Before this experience, the Brown Derby was one of my favorites. But now we have vowed never to go back - horrible! And we used up two of our dining plan meals apiece (4 sit-down meals) on that.
Traveled 10 hours, by car, to find the kennels at Epcot to be unacceptable. We were led to believe our 80 lb. Lab/Dalmation mix would be in a kennel run. They led us to a 3x5 cage with no outside access. They told us she would be let out twice per day on a leash and more if I wanted to do it myself. We left our dog there less than one hour while we found something else (Bass Rd. Kennels in Kissimmee). The best thing I have to say is the staff seemed friendly and they didn't charge us a dime. We were very, very happy with Bass Road Pet Motel and would recommend it to anyone. They offered more in their "basic" accommodations than Disney had available (and at a comparable price).
The appetizers and drinks were good, but the pretentious nature of the menu, price points, and tequila selections were overshadowed by the underwhelming flavors in our entrees. The entrees arrived cold and without the array of flavors you would expect in a place touting it's high variety of the same. Great place to meet for a drink. Eat somewhere else.
My family and I dined at Cinderella's Royal Table On Wednesday June 10, 2009. The breakfast was wonderful. The food was excellent and our waitness was very attenive. The princesses was great. My niece was in heaven. The breakfast is well worth it!!!!!!!
The Pop Century is the best value resort. It has 3 pools, a cafe,lobby, gameroom, giftshop, and a friendly atmosphere. Along with twister boards and larger than life decor this is a must for the value motels.
We did not know what to expect when we decided to stop and eat here. I LOVE tacos and absolutely loved what I received! The salad bar options for your tacos or taco salad was great! It is now a must stop place to eat for me!
This has been one of my favorite attractions since I was a little girl. The show is abbreviated quite a lot, but the costumes,sets, and dancing are very cute and loved by kids. For adults to enjoy, it really all depends on the cast of the show for that particular performance. A bad Belle can ruin the show. Overall, I think it's a great show to stop in at when you're in need of a rest (It's under a pavillion, so it remains pretty cool in the heat.)If it is not compared to the Broadway show, then it will be loved. A great theme park attraction.
We ate at Sanaa (pronounced sa-NAH) on June 11, 2009 and had the following courses, which shared (and were encouraged to by our waiter): Sampler for Two - Potato and Pea Samosa, Pulled Duck with Red Curry Sauce, Roasted Cauliflower Breads: Naan, Roti, Paneer Paratha Accompaniments: Cucumber Raita, Garlic-Ginger Pickle, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus Mustard Seed Crusted Scallops: with a coconut cream Slow Cooked in Gravy, Simple and Well Seasoned: Chicken with Red Curry Sauce and Shrimp with Green Curry Sauce First off, the Sampler for Two. The potato and pea samosa was pretty standard and safe. It was a light pastry filled with potato and pea. Good but obviously the safe appetizer for the timid. While the menu I pulled up online has the Pulled Duck with Red Curry Sauce, we were presented with a Pulled Pork with some sort of sauce. It was delicious but unmemorable. The roasted cauliflower was a favorite and didn’t taste like cauliflower at all. It came with a strained tomato sauce that was mildly spiced. We chose 3 breads at random as we are not real big on the differences and 3 different accompaniments. The cucumber raita was a yogurt based cucumber sauce similar to what you would find in greek restaurants. The hummus was our safe choice in the other two were gross. Nothing to really write home about. It’s pretty hard to screw up mashed peas. The Garlic-Ginger Pickle was unlike anything I have had before and has to be tried. It is not for the faint of heart. It is very spicy and tart. It is such a unique experience I have a hard time putting it in a frame of reference. The scallops were great. The coconut cream brings out a nuttiness in the mustard seed and scallops. The two curry dishes were excellent, with the chicken and red curry being the safe choice. The pilaf was some what bland compared to the other dishes. Overall it was a phenomenal experience not to be missed.
There are only a handful of menu offerings and are not a good value, even by Disney standards. It is currently $5.59 for two tacos that are only slightly bigger than what you would get at Taco Bell. The Taco Salad is the lone entree that seems to reach the same cost to food ratio as other dinning options in the park. Unless you want the taco salad (which you can get at Peco's) I would recommend avoiding this QSR.
this show was perfect disney magic, great music, great visual effects. we loved the show so much we attended it twice. do not miss this one.
my 6 year old son's favorite ride. try to get a FP, but the wait is def worth it. it is different everytime. we like that you can spin your own car for more points. great job disney.
this is one to skip. too bad disney is wasting a great location for this attraction. it is awful. stitch burps a stinky corndog smell in your face & nobody likes someone burping in their face. i didn't think it was fun or funny. my 6 year old son was also not impressed.
most sandwiches are very large, but i feel the selections could be expanded. we stayed at the contemporary hotel so contempo was convenient. we did like the cookies.
This has to be one of the best rides ever,however the line was very long. Fastpasses at 10a.m. were for 8:30 p.m., so we just stood in line.
The buses for the All-Star movies were awful came every 45 minutes to the parks. Had to share with other all-star resorts so we were the last stop. Very over crowded.
My family and I recently stayed at POFQ (June 8 thur June 15 2009). We loved the resort!! The resort was beautful with the fountains and lavish gardens. The staff was very helpful with our needs and our room was always clean with fresh towels and each day a new towel animal which my four year old niece loved. The resort is very quiet which is good after a long hot day in the parks. It makes you think it is your own private resort. The food court is also excellent. My sister loved the beignets!! Each day we would order a dozen of them to start out our day. The last two rips to WDW our fam was always stayed at a vaule resort (all star movies July 2006 and pop century July 2007). The extra money we spend to stay at the modrate resort is well worth the money. We are planning a trip in 2012 and we will be staying at POFQ.
We went with a couple of "sharable appetizers" to try several things but found the portions to be very spall. Even 2 appetizers per person was not enough. Be aware that kids menu items don't come with a side. Food was okay but not as exotic as we were hoping, about half the menu is something you can find at your local Chilis. Our bill came to $55 for 2 adults and a child but we left hungry. I expect to may more at Disney World, but no more than double what I'd pay for a similar meal at home and usually closer to 1.5x as much. For what you get at Paradiso, it's about triple what you'd pay.
this will always give you a great thrill. i am olanning on riding it 7 times this october when i go. so much fun!!!!!!!
I love Caribbean Beach! Because the rooms are awesome and shops and food courts looks awesome! And I can't wait to stay in the Caribbean Beach for my Birthday on January 14, 2010!
Body Wars was a fun little ride. Not very impressive in terms of visuals or technology but was still better than empty space.
One of the Magic Kingdom's top shows is Wishes, a nightly firework show. To start off the music is incredible. The songs are heart warming and the show itself is magical. The fireworks are also well done. A great way to end your day at the Magic Kingdom.
Our stay was 13 days in August 2007. Would definitely do it again if choosing a moderate resort. The room was typical of the other moderates, but clean and quiet. Our housekeeper entertained the teenagers everyday with new towel animals and left small trinkets as well. Transportation (middle of August) was never a problem and we didn't have to wait too long for a bus to arrive. The grounds are very well appointed and made for several nice photo opportunities. The food court was so-so and the pool at the time was in dire need of refurbishing (but has since been done). We stayed at the Riverside resort in '08 and the entire family regretted the decision and preferred Caribbean Beach.
We stayed for 3 days in August of 2008 in a waterview room that overlooked the pool and had a view of the lake. I could live at this resort and never want to leave. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and reminded us of a prior trip to Yellowstone Lodge. Our room was quiet, clean and the beds were extremely comfortable. Housekeeping did a great job each day. The staff was courteous and efficient, the best we've encountered yet after staying in three different locations. After a nightmarish stay at French Quarter Riverside, I wholeheartedly recommend Wilderness Lodge if your budget will allow. We felt as if we got what we paid for in the best sense of the word.
Based on glowing reviews, we decided to stay at Riverside during August of 2008. We have stayed at Caribbean Beach, AK Lodge and Wilderness Lodge. The grounds are fabulous and the food court was great. But the management is the worst ever. First our water view room was facing the parking lot. We were then moved to a totally tree obstructed view. During our stay, they decided to completely remove the tree and all the bushes using bulldozers at (I'm not kidding) 6:30 am. This went on for 3 days. Considering we're on west coast time, that was the equivalent of 3:00 am. There were no advance notifications of our room area being under refurbishment and I had done my homework ahead of time. Management had nothing but excuses and straight out lied that the work was being done because of the hurricane - yet another staff member explained that they had hired the contractors several months in advance of the work. Mgmt did not offer to move us or satisfy us in any way. A room credit was provide by the Travel Company, not the resort. A room credit did not make our stay pleasant. In fact, we had to ARGUE with management about the time and finally had to provide them with video proof! Horrible experience! On the other hand, we moved ourselves to Wilderness Lodge and had the BEST time, BEST service and a terrific QUIET room. I'll never stay at the Riverside again. I want to relax on vacation, not fight with castmembers.
Very fun. If you're a water park person you have to put this right under Summitt Plummitt!
I can't wait to stay in the All-Star Movies in January 14,2010! This will be awesome! I love Disney Movies including Fantasia! I hope to stay in the Fantasia room!
Atmosphere : 4/5 If you are looking for a high class dining experience, this is the place to be. It has everything, from the beautiful chandeliers, to the classical music playing lightly in the back, and to the servers wearing bowties and keeping a towel on their forearms. If you have a big family, with young kids, I wouldn't advise this as the place of choice for you. The decor is fantastic, everything looks great and authentic. This restaurant has all the elements to make it feel and look like a real high class 5 star Italian restaurant. Food Quality : 4/5 At this restaurant, I ordered the classic New York strip steak (with an Italian name), and it was quite good. My girlfriend had the meat sauce lasagna, and I gotta say it was something special (in a good way). The food didn't feel quite like your authentic Italian Mama's cooking, but it was sure a quality dining experience in terms of taste/scent/presentation. In fact, our meals we're so well presented that we took pictures of them just for show! For desert, my girlfriend had the Tiramisu (to compare with Tony's) and I had the lemon sorbet cup. The deserts we're perhaps the highlight of the meal, very high quality stuff being served here (with the hefty price tag that comes with it). Service : 3/5 The best word to describe the service here is : cold. But I guess that would fit with the overall experience of the high class restaurant. The service experience was on par, nothing special, but nothing negative to say about it. The front desk person was an old man who spoke about 7 languages (had all the pins) and I gotta say he took his job very seriously. He wasn't really friendly or anything, but then again I guess he played his part. Portions : 4/5 I've see a couple of people complaining (in the dining section of the site) about the portions at this restaurant. Are you nuts? I'm a big eater and I though the portions we're huge! Maybe something has changed at this restaurant, because the portions we received we're plentiful and we came out feeling very satisfied with our meal. The deserts we're also quite big. Price : 2/5 This is probably the weakest part of this dining experience, the price tag was gigantic. I was awfully glad to be on the dining plan when we received the 100$ bill (with absolutely no extra charges beyond what's included in the dining plan). My meal was around 34$, and my girlfriend's was around 24$. The Tiramisu was priced at 9$, and my lemon ice cream cup? 14$ ! Yeah, that IS crazy. Probably the priciest deserts I've seen in my life. I would definitely not pay out of the pocket for this restaurant, but if you're on the dining plan, it's nice to get something that you normally wouldn't pay. If you are on a tight budget, I do not recommend the Tutto Italia. Overall rating : 3,4/5 Would I eat there again on my next trip ? Mixed opinion here, I would probably prefer to try something new, but you can't go wrong with Italian food.
Atmosphere : 5/5 From start to finish, I actually believed that I was in Japan for an hour and a half. The experience at this restaurant is quite awesome. The dining rooms are designed into small split areas that contain 4 giant 8 person tables a big grill in the middle of it. The staff are all dressed up in authentic Japanese clothes, with the wooden sandals, which only adds up to the experience. When the cook arrives to your table, you can't take your eyes of him. Our cook put on a real show, from ninja-like skills with his cooking tools, to building a steaming volcano out of onion rings, it was quite awesome to witness. It is an experience I recommend to anyone visiting Walt Disney World, especially if you are already in Epcot that day. Every Cast Member plays their part perfectly in recreating the authentic Japanese cook house experience. Everything from the sounds and sight in this place just add up to create the perfect dining experience. It's basically a 30 minute long very entertaining cooking show that ends up with a delicious meal in your plate. Food Quality : 5/5 Japanese cooking isn't overly complex, but the overall quality of the food was quite awesome. I had the chicken and shrimp combo, while my girlfriend had the steak and shrimp combo. Every meal is pretty straightforward : your choice of meat (either single or duo) along with Japanese udon noodle and stir fried teriyaki vegetables. It's hard not to like such a simple, yet very tasty meal. Everything is cooking right in front of you, with a variety of Japanese spices, along with soy and teriyaki sauces. The meats we're very tasty and quite tender. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the quality of the food served at Teppan Edo. I haven't tried Tokyo Dining yet, but from what I've heard, out of the two Japanese restaurants, I can definitely say that this one will be my favorite for years to come. The deserts we're maybe the weakest point to the meal, but still, they we're something new that I had never tried before, so I still enjoyed that part. Service : 5/5 Our waiter was a charming Japanese lady who was quick to bring drinks and very helpful with the menu. She gave us a quick lesson about Japanese pronunciation, which added a very nice touch. Most of the actual service however, is done by the cook that gets sent to your table. Our cook's name was Shinsuke, and boy what a showman he was. His display of skills was quite impressive, he was lightning fast on the grill and very entertaining. Along with playing finding Nemo with the shrimps, and writing Disney in reverse on the cooking grill with oil (I have no idea how he wrote Disney so well, with the actual calligraphy, in reverse from his view, with oil), he was a very friendly cook. We came in not knowing much about the Japanese people, and we came out wanting to visit Japan in the near future. Portions : 3/5 The portions we're perhaps the weak point of this meal. You would get a slight portion of noodles and vegetables, along with a couple of cut shrimps, and maybe half a chicken breast. For some people this is mighty fine, but for someone who is a big eater, such as myself, these kind of portions can be a bit too light. The deserts we're also a tad bit small to my liking. Price : 4/5 I have to be honest here, the price tags we're quite steep. Our meals we're both priced over 30$, and our total tally was somewhere around 95$ (with drinks and desert). However, considering how much fun I've had at this restaurant, I would gladly pay out of pocket for this kind of meal anytime during our next trips. I highly recommend this to anyone capable of shelling out the extra bucks to enjoy a very special dinner experience. The price might be high, but the price/quality ratio is also very positive.
Atmosphere : 4/5 This is one of the best themed restaurant within the parks. It looks exactly like a pleasant evening in Germany during Oktoberfest. Everything from the surrounding building replicas, to the handrails, the tables, and even the stage look quite authentic. All the waiters are dressed with classic traditional German clothes, which gives this place an enjoyable and authentic feel to it. This is the best place to experience Germany, without actually being anywhere close to Germany. They have a staged show that happens during your meal, which includes a traditional German band singing Oktoberfest party songs and some traditional Polka music. This place is definitely not quiet, actually it gets very loud during peak times, and since it's an open area restaurant, there's absolutely zero privacy. This can be seen as a positive aspect however, since it helps replicate the Oktoberfest experience. Depending on the style of dining you prefer, this can be a hit or miss for you. I enjoyed the experience, but once was enough. Food Quality : 1/5 I have tasted quite a bit of authentic German food in my life, and I can safely say that (to my taste), this was the worst German food I've ever had. Everything from the sausage, to the meats, and the sauerkraut just tasted very bland and awful. The only two things I actually enjoyed about this buffet we're the much dreaded Disney mac and cheese served at mostly every buffet, along with the sweet Bavarian deserts. We left the place still hungry and slightly disgusted by the overall food quality. I wasn't expecting much from this restaurant, and I wasn't wrong at all. Service : 4/5 If there's one thing I can say about this place is that the German people working there are quite friendly. Everybody we came in contact with was extremely friendly and nice. The only reason why I'm not giving this restaurant a 5 out of 5 is because it's a buffet with self-service, so we didn't quite get much interaction with our server, even though she was quite charming (looks back... and very cute too!). The people working at the reception desk we're quite nice, and we waited only about 2 minutes until we got lead to our table. The person who led us to our table gave us a small introduction about the ways of German cuisine, and the origins of the food and beer festival known as Oktoberfest. I'm sure this restaurant would benefit from being "A La Carte", because more interaction with the staff would definitely be beneficial. Variety : 3/5 Let me start by saying that the German authentic food options was sort of lacking. There was maybe 3 choices of sausages, along with 5-6 other options. The rest was all American food, that you would normally find at any Disney buffet. However, one thing that was very good about this buffet was the choice of deserts. If you love sweets, this buffets is gonna win you over. Since my main course was so lacking, I had fun in the desert department. I mixed together a Bavarian chocolate cake, together with a load of vanilla sauce, and I threw a cup of mixed berries on top of that, god it was awesome. Back to subject. the variety of things offered was average, but nothing spectacular. It will give you a good preview of German cuisine, but it definitely isn't a culinary voyage. Price : 2/5 The only reason I'm giving the price (20$ per person) such a bad rating is because I definitely did not enjoy the food there. It is worth it strictly for the nice Oktoberfest experience, but beyond that I would have definitely preferred spending my money on something else. I would not pay out of pocket for this restaurant, however, being on the dining plan made me feel better about trying new things in Disney. Overall rating : 2,8/5 Would I eat there again on my next trip ? No, once again I'm not a big buffet fan, but this one was definitely not to my taste as far as food quality goes.
Atmosphere : 5/5 This has to be one of the nicest themed restaurant in the World. Everyone from the decor to the ambiance just feels perfect. It's everything you would expect from an old style outdoor theater. The nightly effect that surrounds the theater is very well done, and it gives a great feel to the place. Similar to the San Angel Inn (in Epcot - Mexico Pavilion), it actually feels like you are outdoors eating in a car at an old Sci-Fi theater. The people responsible for seating you are all moving around with old style roller-skates, which just adds to the authenticity of the experience. To me, it is definitely one of the best atmosphere in concordance to what you would expect from that kind of restaurant. The only thing I would maybe change are the movies they play, for some old times Disney classics. I know this would totally break the idea of a "Sci-Fi dine-in theater", but still, it would definitely make it more family-friendly. Food Quality : 3/5 We both ordered the St-Louis style prime ribs. This meal was served with sides of coleslaw and fries (which you could change for rice). The coleslaw and fries we're pretty stale, nothing spectacular here. It was a slight bit worst than what you would expect from your average American table dinner restaurant. The only thing stopping me from giving the food quality a 2, is the actual quality of the prime ribs rack we got. I gotta say the ribs we're quite flavorful and well presented. They really look and smelled delicious. If you don't mind the stale sides, this is probably the best meal you can get at this restaurant. The quality of the ribs wasn't exceptional, but it's a slight bit above average, hence why I'm giving this meal a fair rating of 3 out of 5. As far as the desert goes, we both had the apple crumble. My girlfriend didn't quite like it because she thought it was way too sugary. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than she did, though I gotta say I'm a big sweet tooth. Service : 4/5 The service here was quite good. From the reception desk, to the seating person, along with our actual server, everything went quite well. We waited around 15 minutes to be seated, even with our reservation, but we didn't mind it at all since it was raining like crazy outside. We we're just glad to be out of the rain for a while. The drinks came quite fast, same goes for our meals and desserts. Our server was a very nice Argentinian lady who did he really best to make sure everything went smooth with our meal. I remember my girlfriend dropped her Key to the World card under the car table seat, and she came right up with her flashlight to help us find it. Overall the service was above average for the whole experience. Portions : 3/5 The portions we're exactly what you would expect from your average restaurant that serves that kind of meals. The prime rib rack was average in size, while the sides we're a bit substandard (which was fine because they weren't that good anyways). The deserts we're quite big, but considering the price tag was somewhat high for an apple crumble, we we're excepting something of that size. Price : 3/5 We paid 21.99$ each for our main course, and around 7$ for the desert. For what you get, I would the say the prices are a slight bit above average. Making this restaurant a tad bit pricy for what you get. However, I could say that the extra money spent goes to the experience you get walking into this restaurant, which is something you won't get anywhere else. Our total tally was around 65$, which I would have paid out of pocket for that kind of dining experience. Being on the dining plan and not shelling out a single dollar on site just makes it even better. Overall rating : 3,6/5
Atmosphere : 3/5 If you want a good themed dining experience, this is not the place to go. This restaurant looks like a regular home-town classic Italian/American restaurant, with a Lady and the Tramp fountain in the middle. For a Disney theme park restaurant, the atmosphere is quite average. The outdoor doesn't look like much either, at first we weren't even sure where to enter. When sitting inside, it sort of feels like a big cafeteria. Food Quality : 5/5 I had the garlic shrimp and pasta combo, my girlfriend had the vegetarian lasagna. The food quality was great, everything was very flavorful, and the presentation was well orchestrated. The menu offered plenty of variety for an Italian restaurant. For desert, we both had the Tiramisu, which was quite awesome. Everything was quite appetizing. In this restaurant, it's all about your typical Olive Garden styled Americanized Italian food, with a touch of Disney quality added to the whole ordeal. However, we came out very pleased with the overall quality of the food. Service : 3/5 The quality of service at this restaurant was a slight bit above average. Our server was doing his job, but nothing much more. He was very cheerful and charismatic, but he never tried to go the extra mile to make our dining experience special. The speed of service however was very good. We didn't wait to be seated, and we got served very quickly. If you want to make the max of your park visit, you should try this restaurant, because if you want, you can be done and out within 30 minutes, and still have enjoyed a great meal. Portions : 4/5 The portions we're great. My meal came with 9 big shrimps and a great deal of linguini pastas. My girlfriend's vegetarian lasagna was also pretty huge, she had a hard time finishing it. The deserts we're also well proportioned to the rest of the meal, we came out feeling filled up for the rest of the evening. The portions are not too much, but it will fill every available inch in your stomach. Price : 3/5 Considering the overall experience and food criterias, I would say the prices we're fair. Maybe a bit high for some people, considering the meal isn't very different from what you would get at Olive Garden for 12.95$. Both of our meals we're priced over 20$ and our deserts we're over 7$. Our total tally was somewhere around 65$, as far as I remember. Comparing the prices here, to those found at the Nine Dragons Restaurant, I can say that we had less food, for almost the same price. I would pay out of the pocket for this restaurant, as it is probably the best option in the Magic Kingdom. Overall rating : 3,6/5
Atmosphere : 4/5 The decor is very nice along with a great attention to details. I've actually been to China, and this restaurant does have an authentic feeling to it. This only reason I'm not giving it a 5, is because it was very overcrowded, and also very loud in the restaurant, and it kind of ruined the overall atmosphere. The ambiance however was quite cheerful, everyone in the staff seemed to be having a good time. Food Quality : 4/5 I had the Steak and Shrimp, my girlfriend had the General Tao Chicken. We both had the "Table d'Hôte" which included (along with the main course), a soup, and one appetizer. I have to say, I wasn't expecting much from this restaurant, but I was quite surprised. The appetizers we're incredible and also plentiful. I had sweet and sour soup, along with pork dim-sums. The food quality is beyond good, and it all smelled pretty delicious. Just being in there looking at other people's plate made me hungry. I can't say it was authentic Chinese taste from actual China, but I would say it's very high quality Americanized Chinese food (which I actually enjoy more than real Chinese food). Service : 5/5 Wow, that's pretty much what I can say about the service. Our server was just great. He gave us a short course on how to use Chinese chopsticks. He answered every single questions we had about the menu, and he really helped us in our choice.Even thought our server had a strong Chinese accent, he really made an effort for us to understand everything he said, and he was very patient with us.All the staff we came in contact with was very friendly and cheerful. We didn't even wait a single second to be seated, even thought the place was crowded. The speed at which the drinks came was pretty amazing, even thought the restaurant was jam-packed. Our meals also came pretty rapidly considering how many orders must have been coming in. I really can't say anything negative about the overall service, it was a really great experience on that part. Portions : 5/5 Another wow here, the portions we're very big. At first we thought the "Table d'Hôte" wasn't included in the Dining Plan, but after talking with our server, we found out we could order the whole deal. The soup and the appetizers we're bigger than what you would expect. The main course was also plentyfull, especially the General Tao Chicken, which had at least 25 pieces of chicken. My girlfriend didn't order any dessert because she was already full. Considering the quality and price factors, I can safely say that the portions we're really amazing at this restaurant. We litteraly rolled out of the restaurant because we we're so full. Price : 4/5 Overall, we would have paid about 70$ for our whole meal for two (soup, appetizer, main course, dessert, drinks). I would say this is a very decent price, considering the portions we're amazing, and the food quality was great. I would definitely pay that out of pocket, have I not had been on the Disney dining plan. Overall rating : 4,4/5 Would I eat there again on my next trip ? Yes, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone, wether you are already in Epcot that day, or not.
Atmosphere : 3/5 This restaurant is themed to look like an operation base for African elephant poachers (hence the Tusker House name). From the outside, the location looks like an outdated gas station, which doesn't make the restaurant look attractive at all. Good thing we had our map, because this restaurant doesn't stand out very much. On the inside, it sort of looks like a giant cafeteria, with some decorations sticking on the walls. The only positive point about the atmosphere, is the awesome buffet section. It is themed to look like a North African marketplace, with carpets hanging from the ceiling. The overall mood inside was pretty bland, perhaps this is because of the terrible rain we had that day. From the staff to the guests, everybody pretty much looked like they wanted to go home. Food Quality : 3/5 Most of the vegetable or pasta items offered in the buffet we're a tad bit above average. The couscous and rice from the African selection we're great. The fried potatoes and spicy vegetables we're also some of my favorites. The main gripe I have with this buffet was the quality of the meats. Most of the meats we're awfully dry and tasteless. The deserts are exactly what you would expect from typical Disney buffet. Small portions of regular cakes and pies you would find anywhere else, nothing spectacular here, but decent taste whatsoever. Service : 2/5 When we first walked up to the entry counter, we we're greeted by some of the rudest CM's I've ever seen in the World. A trio of three old and grumpy ladies we're in charge of taking your name and sending you inside. None of them actually looked at us, or even smiled at us. We we're wondering what was up with them, maybe it was the rain? Who knows. During our dinner, we had 2 servers. The first one was a Latino man who seemed as serious as an army drill sergeant. He never smiled, and never engaged into any conversation beyond the basic needs of service. We thought he was very rude, and we we're glad to see him getting done with his shift, only to be replaced by an awesome server named Luis (which I talked about in the CM gratitude forum). The only thing stopping me from giving the service at this place a 0 is the super cheerful second server we had waiting our table. He kept joking around, signing with his fellow cast members, taking pictures for people, talking about menu items, the whole deal... This guy was beyond amazing, if it was just for him, I would have given Tusker House a 5 on 5 for service. But because the overall experience from the start was so dreary, I can't give it anything higher than 2. Probably one of the worst experience I've had in my 16 trips to Walt Disney World. And trust me, I know service ratings are attributable strictly to individual experience during a set time period, so take this with a grain of salt! Some people might have amazing service experience at this place, but It wasn't our case Variety : 5/5 There is one thing this buffet has going for it, and that's the variety of food choices available. There's about 15 African specialties, ranging from Marrakesh couscous (which is awesome!) to spicy tender marinated lamb. There's also your usual Disney buffet American food to complement the offer. There's also plenty of deserts along with the main course choices. This buffet will have you stuffed out if you try to have a bite of everything. Price : 4/5 The price here is very good for an all-you-can-eat buffet. They charge 19.99$ so this would have been one of our lowest priced meal we had during our whole trip. For the amount of variety offered, and the actual decent taste of the food, the price is great. Considering you get unlimited food for a very good price, I think this is one of the most affordable restaurant in the World. Overall rating : 3,4/5 Would I eat there again on my next trip ? No, I'm not a big fan of all-you-can-eat buffets, I prefer the seated table service kind of dinner, On my next trip I will definitely be trying Yak and Yeti instead, or maybe Rainforest Café (if it's included in the Dining Plan)
I was completely surprised by how good their sushi was. I thought it would be mediocre at best, but it was incredibly fresh and tasty. (I should have known better - Disney doesn't do anything halfway!) They even give you a hot towel to clean your hands before the meal, something you usually only find in very upscale sushi places Try the volcano roll! (but you might need a little help eating it all - I know I do)
This is the most unique shopping experience at any Disney Resort hotel. Many items you'll see nowhere else.
We got the chicken wrap with French fries and strawberry yogurt for dessert. The yogurt was smaller than other CS desserts, but the chicken wrap was very good and large. Overall it was a good meal…but the place gets crowded!
In my opinion, the best counter service in WDW! I got the turkey & muenster cheese on foccacia with strawberry shortcake for dessert. Both were huge and delicious…what a great deal for a counter service credit!
Our reservation at Les Chefs de France was a last-minute switch after we found out Spoodles was closing. We hadn’t really read up on the restaurant and were nervous that it would be a disappointment…but our meal was great! We both ordered the same meal using TS credits from the DDP – Salad Bleu, Gratin de Macaroni, and Crème Brulee for dessert. The salads were great – they had walnuts and blue cheese, which was nice. The macaroni was delicious and the portion was huge! The Crème Brulee was a nice dessert and also a big portion. The atmosphere was pleasant, and our server was great. Plus, we got to meet Chef Remy, which was so cute! We will definitely be back!
We were lucky to score reservations for Le Cellier on our recent trip, and it did not disappoint! The pretzel bread dipped in cheddar cheese soup was great! I asked for a mushroom-less filet with cream cheese mashed potatoes instead of the white truffle and it was no problem. My meal was quite tasty, but my husband’s was so much better – he had the seasoned gnocchi, which was awesome! The maple crème brulee was good, and so was the sorbet. The atmosphere was relaxing and the staff was attentive and friendly. This is a must-visit for our future trips!
The club sandwich was great…pricey but BIG! I felt we got our money’s worth. The eating area is calm and shaded. As we were paying out-of-pocket, we didn’t try any of the pastries…but next trip there is a sweet pretzel with my name on it! They look amazing. Needless to say, we’ll be back on our next trip!
This was our first meal of the trip…a great start! My husband had a ham and cheese croissant and I had the ham and cheese quiche…both were excellent! The only problem was that the portions were small…we knew we’d be hungry again later. As we were paying out-of-pocket, we didn’t get any of the pastries for dessert…we’ll try them next time!
The bread dip at the beginning is awesome! We ordered a beer flight, which was pricey but tasty. My husband ordered the Irish Stew, which was excellent. My sirloin steak was disappointing…not a lot of flavor and overcooked. I wish I’d gotten the stew! My husband had the bread pudding for dessert, which was so good! But the best part of the meal was my dessert – the Bailey’s Crème Brulée tart! This dessert, along with the environment (awesome Celtic music and an Irish dancer) saved the meal for me, since my entrée was so disappointing. I’d go again, but I’d order the stew this time.
My husband I both ordered combos – pizza with a salad and a cookie for dessert. We were surprised at how good the pizza was and it was nice to have a salad option at a counter service place. When I realized I’d been given the wrong cookie, I walked back down to the counter to ask for an exchange only to find that they were closed! It was only 5:30. We normally eat later than 5, so if we’d dropped in around our normal time, we would’ve been out of luck. This seems pretty inconvenient for those that are on the Quick Service Dining plan. We'd go back for antoher early dinner though.
My husband and I ordered chicken sandwiches with fries and chocolate mousse…the food was good, but the environment was not. The never-ending loop of ABC ads playing on the televisions all around us was SO irritating. I’d go back, but I’d take my food to go.
My husband and I ate at Jiko in May 2009 and it was hands down the best meal of the trip...really one of the best meals we've ever had. We started off with the cheese plate, which was very tasty. My husband ordered the chicken dish with goat cheese mashed potatoes...the chicken was nicely seasoned and moist, and the potatoes were awesome! I ordered the filet with macaroni and cheese. The steak was cooked perfectly and the wine sauce added great flavor, and the macaroni and cheese...amazing! My Tanzanian chocolate cheesecake was great as well, and my husband's pistachio crème brulée was delicious. The dining room was quiet and pleasant, and the staff was very accommodating and attentive. Jiko is a must-visit for us for all future trips!
The single greatest thing in all of Epcot...please don't miss it!
We were so excited to eat at Boma after reading all of the great reviews, but what a letdown! We both thought that the food was bland and the dining room was so crowded that it was overwhelming...we understand it's a highly-rated buffet that appeals to families, but people were really packed in. We used TS credits from the DDP and are so glad we didn't have to pay out-of-pocket for such an expensive, boring meal. We won't be back.
We visited Flame Tree BBQ using a credit from our DDP...pretty good counter service! The chocolate cakewas excellent and the pulled pork sandwiches were tasty as well.
we just got back from a 10 day visit and it was amazing. it was our first visit and we found the people very friendly even in the parks. we would diffently go again and stay there.
My sister and I visit WDW once a year and have stayed at the Pop Century six times since it opened. We just love the restful atmosphere. We always request a room in the back of the sixties overlooking the lake. It is so nice to wake up and look outside to see the water. We are always amazed at the wildlife. On one trip, we awoke to a strange noise and walked out on our third floor balcony to see two big birds below in the grass. Found out later that they were sandhill cranes. While feeding bread to the fish we also saw a large turtle and a snakebird flew into the water.along the lake path in the morning and evening you can see many waterfowl.
I like it a lot. Very enjoyable. The only things the old ride offered I liked more was the market scene. I also like that The Three Caballeros are finally getting used!
The information that we had prior to the opening didn't give a lot away, and I went into Paradiso 37 on it's opening night expecting the food offerings to be a bit quirky and not really my thing. I was very pleasently surprised to see that the menu seems to be able to offer the South American inspired foods, with a North American twist. If you think you won't like the food, I'd say skip your instinct and give it a go. There really seems to be something for everyone, but not in a Planet Hollywood kind-of-way. The dining room looks great. Lots to look at, great ambience, lively, colorful - a nice place to be. The decor was still having some finishing touches whilst I was there, so there will be more added to an already great looking dining room. The centerpiece is the open kitchen and the 37 tiquila variety tower. I had a great tasting Tiki Tango speciality drink, a Mexican Chips Salsa Trio, the BBQ Pork platter, and Sopapillas to round things off. Everything was fresh, straight-forward, and perfectly prepared. I would certainly have all four items again, but the menu has a lot to offer, so you wont get bored with the menu on repeat visits. The real standout of the food was the BBQ Pork - it was probably the best pork I have ever had, rediculously tender and flavorful. Dessert deserves a mention - the Sopapillas fritters were fried to perfection, very fresh, and perfect to split. The service was excellent, very attentive, friendly, and the food came at just about the right pace. No waiting around for courses, but not being rushed either. The servers were always willing to bring out more chips, and they kept the drinks coming. For two of us, including drinks, 3 courses, and tips, the bill was around $70. I felt it offered slighty better value than a lot of other Disney area restaurants, but it's obviously not cheap. I did however feel the experience was worth the cost. No discounts are currently offered, but hopefully Annual Pass and Cast discounts will come online in the next few months. When Disney talked of a "bold new vision" for Downtown Disney, a lot of people wern't at all happy. If Paradiso 37 is a hint of what we can expect in terms of quality food at Downtown Disney, the bold new vision certainly has my backing. Disney-owned or not, quality food and restaurants like this are a great addition, and something that Downtown Disney has sorely lacked. Along with Raglan Road and Wolfgang Puck, Downtown Disney now has some real quality restaurants that would stand up on their own anywhere. I would highly recommend trying Paradiso 37 on your next trip.
I had the pleasure of dining at Paradiso 37 tonight on its opening day. It has a very nice mellow vibe and subtle yet ecclectic decor. It looked like rain so we chose to eat inside but on a warm and breezy evening it would be wonderful to eat outside overlooking the water. They have 37 different varieties of tequilla, all displayed in their tequilla tower. I had the Palermo Passion which was tequilla, vodka, passion fruit and cranberry I think. It was excellent!!! We had their fresh house made tortilla chips with salsa trio as an appetizer. I highly recommend it, YUM! My favorite salsa was the pineapple, but it was difficult to get out of its little container. The tortilla chips were bottomless too! The menu is based on street foods, so it is uncomplicated but flavorful and consists mostly of finger foods. There isn't anything overly exotic or intimidating on the menu. I chose the sliders. You get 3 per order and you can choose any combination of grilled chicken, bbq pork, or mahi mahi. I had two chicken and one bbq pork. The pork was very good, the chicken was a bit dull and kind of dry (but that tends to be the case with just about any grilled chicken I've ever had). In the future I would stick with just the bbq pork and skip the chicken. For dessert we had the sopapillas. One word- amazing! Overall I think Paradiso 37 is an excellent addition to Downtown Disney.
Hollywood and Vine is one of my favorites in Disney World and by far the best buffet. There is a great variety of food and it is all well prepared. Most of the things on the menu aren't your typical buffet foods. The mashed potatoes are amazingly good as well. I often visit the restaurant in combination with the Fantasmic! dining package. In the past I have found that it is fairly easy to get into the restaurant without a reservation too.
Sure it's not a gourmet spread but when you need to re-fuel before or after the parks it gets the job done. It's pretty spacious (though it does fill up) and kid friendly (which also means a bit loud). I never had a problem with any of my meals from the food court (having eaten all 3 through the course of my stay) and thought there were quite a few options. My only complaint was that the bacon looked and tasted like rubber, but by not eating it I had more room for my Mickey Waffle. My advice would be to leave time to get your food in the morning because even in January the food court was packed! Seemed like everyone wanted their coffee those mornings!
On my daughter and my first trip together to Disney we decieded to take Grandma. After an accident at our home airport I was worried about her getting around the resort and the parks. Upon arriving at Magical Express check in they saw that she was in a wheelchair and took over from there. When we arrived at the resort the cast members had a wheelchair on hand and waiting for us to use. I asked about renting it for the week and they quickly told me that it was for us to use anytime we needed it and that they would be happy to store it for us after we got back everynight and bring it back to us in the morning. Wow, wait a weight lifted off my shoulders as not to have to worry about that all week. In general the cast members made our stay magical in everyway poosible. We were already planning our next trip back before we ever left. Of course because of the great service in never even crossed our mind to change resorts for our upcoming trip.... Thanks for everything the staff at POP did to make our trip truly magical!!!
OMG!!!!!!! What a thrill blasting down at however many kph! It is soooooo fast I love the sensation you receive when you plummet down that fast. I can't wait to ride it again. Soooo creepy and fun at the same time!
I know this sounds ridiculous, but if I could go anywhere in the universe it would be Walt Disney World, no joke. Why eat pizza in Rome when you can eat any international food you like on the world showcase? Why ride a bullet train in Tokyo when you can just try Splash or Space Mountain! And guess what the very heart of all of Disney World? The Magic Kingdom! Florida is the place for me.
We ate there just a few days after it opened. Everyone enjoyed their meal, and the atmosphere was nice as well. The portions were actually smaller than many Disney restaurants, but it was nice to actually have room for dessert! Overall, I would put it in the top 1/2 of the 10 table service restaurants that we ate in on our last trip.
I have stayed at the Grand Floridian twice now, each time was amazing. The service is incredible the rooms are elegant the lobby really is breath taking. I have never seen that grand of a lobby in my life. The food here is to die for. The only problem is the prices, because though I feel it's worth the price, that is still a lot of money!! But I really love this hotel and HIGHLY reccommend it for whoever is undecided on where to stay at Walt Disney World.
A+++ I wanted to try something new an different and this place gave me both. The food was DELICIOUS, service was top notch, the views and atmosphere were amazing If you are adventurous or you like African/Indian food I think you will love this place and will find it to be a new favorite.
The food was delicious and fresher than those hibachi style chain restaurants. Our chef was very entertaining and overall service was excellent. I highly recommend Teppan Edo.
This is hands down one of the top 5 attractions in WDW. I would go on it 3-4 times each visit...but!!! The line is crazy, which is understandable, since it is a new and AWESOME attraction. However, what got me was they stopped giving out the fast pass tickets around 10-11am the two days we were there. I am sure to go on it again this year, but I will wake up extra early to grab a fast pass. Please make sure you do the same because this is such a great attraction!!! This would easily have been a 10 if you didn't have to wait sooooooo long!
This has to be the greatest ride in the MK. I really feel like a pirate when I get off the ride. My wife can attest to this! It makes you feel like you are really in Tortuga. This is usually the 1st ride or attraction we go on when we arrive. I have been on this ride at least 50 times and I still see something new every time. I can't wait to go on it again at the end of June! AGHRRRRR!!!!
The Golden Oak outpost is a nice change, they still have the standard chicken breast nuggets but they also have some nice looking flatbread wraps and a good fried chicken sandwich. It's a much better option than the McDonald's fry cart that it replaced. On the two occassions that I've been there the service was slow and the multiple windows seemed to confuse guests, but overall it was a good place to grab some lunch.
Mrs. Pott's cupboard has the best soft serve ice cream options in the Magic Kingdom. It's all so good that I have a very difficult time choosing what to get. The strawberry shortcake sundae is a favorite as is the chocolate milkshake (its a thick softserve milkshake, more akin to a Wendy's Frosty, not a handscooped shake. So it wouldn't be to everyones liking) and chocolate softserve with caramel topping. mmmmmm It would be nice if there was more covered seating. When the park is busy it's difficult to get across the walkway to the tables over by Pooh's playground.
The atmosphere inside the castle and the view over Fantasyland is very nice, but it isn't worth the cost of the dinner. The salad that I chose was the best part of the meal (BLT or something like that I think), the lavander chicken was dry and dull, but the dessert was the worst. I had the cream cheese buckle, it was dry, crusty and had very little filling. It didn't amount to much more than a stale chocolate muffin. Yuck! The service was very good though. The show to celebrate special occassions with the Fairy Godmother, Suzy and Perla was cute and unobtrusive- it would be very easy to ignore if you wanted to. Dinner here is often mistaken for a character meal- it isn't. Cinderella's Royal Table is a "once and done" for me.
Flame Tree BBQ used to be one of my favorite counter service locations in WDW. It WAS unique, tasty and offered good value for money. Unfortunately, the prices have been on a steady increase while the quality and number of options on the menu decrease. The ribs are particularly bad- tough with very little meat. Now when I'm in Animal Kingdom I just keep walking past Flame Tree BBQ.
I had the honey chicken. It was the typical chicken breast nuggets coated in a honey sauce (they were quite good!) on top of white rice with some vegetables thrown in the mix, mainly broccoli. It comes in a cute Chinese take out type container. Because of the price my husband and I split it and it was plenty of food for the both of us, though it was mostly rice. It's a shame that there is no covered seating at this location. I would hate to be eating here when one of the abrubt summer downpours comes along!
A trip to Typhoon Lagoon (or Blizzard Beach for that matter) wouldn't be complete without some hot fresh mini donuts coated in sugar. They are so tasty but a bit on the pricey side. They make a nice little vacation splurge. I would avoid the dipping sauce though, its runny and in a teeny tiny little cup- not even close to being worth the $1.25 they charge for it.
I highly recommend a stop at the mini-donut stop for a quick snack. They are just the right size, always fresh, and great for sharing.
We stayed at the Grand Floridian for the week of July 4th 2008. We had a Fantastic time. The rooms were great. The weather was awsome not to hot. We love the atmosphere of the Grand Floridian. Every Staff memeber went out of their way to make our stay the best. We will return to the Grand Floridian in 2010 for the 4th of July again! Can't wait.. it's just amazing and breath taking.
I love what's going on in this ride! All this stuff, it's so pretty! But here comes the part when it's REALLY slow! I'm glad it gives you time to look at all the pretty stuff but it went SO slow I thought the ride was broke down the whole time!!!! At the 1st scene, there's Mr. Ray singing, it was funny the 1st 10 times, but he did it about 70 TIMES, and the shell wasn't even HALFWAY to the next scene which might be why they put the jellyfish next which was at the MIDDLE of the movie! I almost rated it a 4 but it's a 6 now because it was kinda funny the 1st time, in line there's that bottom of the boat, (a.k.a the butt used in the movie) and my dad watched the movie and he goes, "Hey look! The Butt!" And then everyone starts looking at their butts! Even the Imageneer near the shells! That was funny lol.
As some of the other reviews say, this wave pool just isn't quite right. The bobbing waves are more annoying than anything. It's too small and therefore overly crowded. If a wave pool interests you, head to Typhoon Lagoon instead, where they have the king of all wave pools.
The Chair Lift is a very unique attraction at a water park. Not only does it save your legs walking up the side of the mountain to ride the slides, you get a great view of the park on the way up. The only downside, is the wait. Expect 30 - 60 minute waits to ride.
Sure there are no Characters, but the food was always hot, waffles always crispy and the cast are great (super friendly)! Plus, every time I have been there we just walked right on in, it seems they are rarely crowded for breakfast or lunch. (This was our 4th breakfast there and 2nd lunch). There is not a monster selection of food but it does have the standards.
I've always been a fan of the rainforest cafe but t-rex absolutely blows it away. I was there in December and my whole family loved it. Very big and diverse menu that has something for everyone. I will definately be going back on my next trip in september =)
We stayed at Dixie Landings for our Honeymoon in 1997. Since then we have stayed at French Quarter, All-Star Sports, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Old Key West, Boardwalk and Coronado Springs. All were nice and enjoyable with great service, but we will not stay at the All Star resorts again due to room size and food court choices. Dixie Landings/Riverside is the best choice for value in a resort. The rooms are comfortable in size, the food court has nice choices with a great water wheel, the pool was very enjoyable and the resort was easy to navigate. We have toured nearly all of the other resorts on our visits and feel that the walking distance from rooms to central buildings or transportation is not terrible. You really feel right at home in the resort and the price range is just perfect for the accomodations. Our next trip we will be staying at Riverside. Coronado Springs was a close second, however the pool is a very long walk from many rooms and the main building.
It's a Magic Kingdom special edition firework show, so always will rate very highly. Huge pyro, using the full 360 degree firing locations and a mirror on the island in the lagoon. Looks great from inside the park being surrounded by the fireworks, and its great from outside the park. The huge scale of it is a sight to behold.
Epcot, when it first opened, was all about innovation and the world. It dealt with interesting themes, like Communication, the Ocean, and health. It dealt with whimsical and lighthearted themes, like Imagination and transportation. Epcot also dealt with serious themes, the best example being the Universe Of Energy. The attraction was completely understated from beginning to present. The pavilion featured a documentary style look at the story of energy while adding in unique special effects, and one of the most technologically advanced ride vehicles in theme park history. The whole show was unique and was an inspiration to anyone interested in it's concept. The only problem was that the pavilion's dramatic feel was immediately written off as boring and way too educational. In 1996, that all changed. The pavilion received a few outside aesthetics, and some major inside ones. The new attraction, Ellen's Energy Adventure was far better than it's predecessor, entertainment wise. The documentary style was gone and now replaced by a humourus but still educational look at energy with host and hostess Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ellen DeGeneres. Also involved were a couple of other big names. Overall the pavilion has continued to educate and entertain to this day and hopefully in the future as well. Jasonflz
The Disney magic is in full effect in this wonderful themed and exciting attraction. Several little dips (including one in the dark that's almost more fun than the big drop at the end) build to a crescendo as you drop down Chickapin Hill. Wonderful music and cute AAs add to the fun. A true Disney classic.
A relatively boring rollercoaster highlighted by all of five seconds of excitement. Once the launch is over so is the fun. Not themed well enough inside the ride to make up for the very light thrills, the saving grace for this attraction is the themeing in lobby and queue areas. The only problem is Aerosmith really doesn't fit in Disney.
They had a great parade with Tapestry of Nations, but for some reason they decided to mess with it, and totally wrecked it. I give Tapestry of Nations a 9/10, but Tapestry of Dreams just didnt work.
The Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki had good food and decor. It has since closed and been replaced with a new similar styled restaurant.
The E Ride Nights were only at the MK, and carried a $10 fee, but they were less crowded than the new Extra Magic Hours that replaced them.
The Toy Story Parade was the first Toy Story attraction in the parks, and it was a fun afternoon parade. It featured all the characters, including some very vocal Green Army Men calling out to the guests. AS always great perfomers and catchy music.
The Aladdin parade was a good addition to the Studios. Great floats (including those spitting camals that are now at MK), catchy music, and great performers.
Animal Kingdom was never designed to host a parade, and it shows. At parade time it completely derails all foot traffic around the park, making some areas totally inaccessible, it's horrible logistically. The walkways are too narrow to really give the parade scale, and it really suffers for it. The cast give it their all, but I find it repetative, and the whole traffic flow issue just alienates it for me.
A classic Magic Kingdom parade that set the stage for many of the nighttime parades around the other Disney parks worldwide for decades later. Unforgettable music, and great floats.
The original Fantasy in the Sky displayed some huge pyro pieces, but didnt really have any of the precision of the current shows such as Wishes and Reflections of Earth. I was glad to see it replaced when the MK got serious about it's firework show.
Sorcery in the Sky was created by legendary nighttime show producer, Don Dorsey (who has also produced Reflections of Earth and Main Street Electrical Parade). Sorcery used low level foreground, and high level backgrounjd fireworks, very similar to Wishes that came years later at the Magic Kingdom. Other stand out features included a huge (50ft plus) inflatable Mickey Mouse that fired pyro from his finger at the finale of the show. It was a terrific show that unfortunately was discontinued with the nightly Fantasmic! offering.
It's a good show, but I'm not sure about repeat value. You tend to get the feeling that once you have seen a car do some tricks, you've seen it all. Overall a well presented and well executed show.
The T-rex was a delightful suprise. They do not take reservations at all and depending on the time of yr and time of day the waits for a table would vary, but our group of 6 went around 8pm on May 18/09 and waited less then 15mins (just enough time to get our daughters build-a-dino in the gift shop). The themeing, the food and the service were all excellent, everyone in our party enjoyed their food. The only trivial negative i could think of would be: 1. It is a VERY noisey and busy place, so don't go if your wanting a relaxing chance for some conversation (but we were not expecting it to be so it was not a problem for our group) So if you are wanting a FUN place to eat, with very good food I would highly recommend the T-Rex. Oh and don't forget to wander around the place and explore. Everyone does it and even the Bathrooms are interesting :)
We had an early dinner at T-Rex. We LOVED it!!! The dinosaur animatronics were fun. Every few minutes they had a meteor shower on the ceiling. It was just a fun atmosphere. 2 of us split the Rib & Chicken combo. My sister had the lasagne, my son had the chicken fried steak. Everyone said their food was great. My sister got a pina colada "cotton-tini". They brought out a martini glass with a "scoop" of cotton candy. They had a shaker of the mixed drink and poured it over the cotton candy. It just disintegrated! That was a REALLY GOOD drink!! We decided to splurge on the big dessert. It's big enough for 4 people. They brought it out on a square platter. On each corner was a big scoop of ice cream topped with whipped cream. In between each scoop was a 2-layer piece of chocolate cake. There was a caramel filling with crushed Butterfingers. In the center was a shaker with (apparently) dry ice to make a fog overflow onto the platter. This was wonderful!!! Highly recommend this restaurant.
It's a step up from The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe version. If the line isn't long, go look. The props are really interesting. If the line is short, I'd say to go visit but I wouldn't give it over 20mins. And that's me being nice.
Of course it isn't Dumbo. But this is the 2nd best thing. The lines can be crazy so it's best to hit this one late in the day or resort extra magic hours. I prefer Dumbo because Dumbo is the classic variation of this ride, but out of the 4 variations WDW has, this is 2nd in my book.
Wolfgang Puck Express is a great location- great food and good value. Its one of the few dining establishments that has managed to keep the food quality high and the prices in line with what they provide. The food always tastes fresh and they use natural and organic ingredients whenever possible. They have only gotten better with their expanded menu and indoor seating.
I really enjoy the Earl of Sandwich food but the ordering process and the choas of the place really ruins it for me. Its so frustrating to walk around with your hot sandwich getting cold while you try to find a table. The indoor and outdoor seating areas are almost always full- mostly of people who don't even have any food yet! Its just too loud and hectic for me, I skip the Earl these days and just head next door to Wolfgang Puck Express.
I'm not a big fish eater so I can't comment on Raglan Road's signature dish, fish and chips. But they do have many options for those of us who don't care for fish. I love their Fada Burger- excellent beef topped with English style bacon, cheese, and a tomato and golden rasin chutney. It is one of my favorite burgers anywhere. Unfortunately, its only available for lunch and on the late night menu. The sod the stew and bangers and mash are also favorites of mine. For dessert you can't go wrong with the bread and butter pudding, sticky toffee pudding, or the Bailey's creme brulee tart. The Dunbrody Kiss and the strawberry apple cobbler however were disappointing- nothing special at all. The prices at Raglan Road have been going up steadily in my last few trips there (just like everywhere) as good as it is, it is losing its value for money aspect in my mind and therefore gets a 9/10 instead of a 10.
House of Blues has some good offerings that are different to what you might find elsewhere at Downtown Disney. The theming inside is very well done, service seems good, and I would recommend trying this on your next trip if you havnt done so already.
This is my favourite eatery if we don't fancy the sit-down of Raglan Road. The quality of the fish and chips is very good, as good as Raglan Road in my opinion, made all the nicer with the outdoor air. Its also nice to wash it all down with a pint of Guiness. If you have got room the Dohbar is also nice - and i don't like Snickers bars! I haven't experienced any delays in the ordering process like other reviews, its normally on your table within 10minutes.
Kona does the best breakfast at WDW. Its unique and flavorful with great service and large (maybe too large in the case of the Tonga toast)portions. I have two minor complaints: 1. the scrambled eggs- they don't seem to be freshly scrambled eggs but rather powdered eggs from next door at 'Ohana. next time I would opt for over-easy instead of scrambled. 2. The price of the Lilikoi juice. $3.99 per glass and no free refills. The same juice is available at 'Ohana with free refills why not Kona too?
This place more closely resembles a museum of the early 90s than a great up-to-date movie themed restaurant. All of the props inside are unchanged from opening day, and are not at all relevent to today's movies or to most of the current visitors. The menus also look and feel like they are unchanged originals - dog-eared, shabby, and very unappealing. Many of the staff seem very uninterested in being there, and in many cases do not contribute to a good experience. The food is typical large chain stuff, nothing inspiring, unique or particularly good. Some of it is OK, but on the whole, I would have to say there is much better to be had in Downtown Disney, and I would avoid this location until it gets a complete refurbishment of decor and most importantly, the food.
The food at Picabu isn't amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but its more than mediocre. It's simple food buffeteria style (burgers, pizza, sandwiches, turkey and mashed potatoes, etc). The big plus to Picabu's is that its open 24 hours! So when all of the Disney counter service are closed there is still a decent place to eat. The also have some sundries and snacks available 24 hours as well. Its great to be able to get some bandaids for blisters after a 12am MK close!
You can get some good British food here in a very authentic pub environment. However, I think it's somewhat over-priced for what you get. If the weather is not too hot, try sitting outside on the terrace and take in the great views of the World Showcase lagoon. The Rose and Crown is certainly worth visiting at least once.
Cooke's of Dublin is one of the best counter service locations at DTD (possibly all of WDW). The food is made fresh to order and the chips (french fries) are always done perfectly. They have recently expanded their menu to offer more options for those of us who don't particularly enjoy fish. I love the chicken and chips and the dohbars (battered and fried snickers)are excellent! My only minor complaint is that the indoor seating is very limited and the outdoor seating isn't covered.
This restaurant has to be the cleanest on property - I'm always amazed at how frequently and thoroughly they clean the tables. The food is good, Orange Chicken is particularly tasty, although possibly not very authentic to real Chinese food. Sometimes the food can be subject to standing around, and can lose it's freshness, but for a quick service counter restaurant, I would recommend it. One downside is that seating is outdoor only (covered), so no AC to escape into.
What a wonderful character breakfast we experienced at 1900 Park Fare! The food was great, very fresh. The selection was large and varied and the strawberry soup was out of this world. There were a lot of characters and they were very nice and willing to stand for pictures. The only complaint would be the fact that since we were a party of 6, they automatically added a tip onto the bill. HELLO, it's a BUFFET!!!. Why is there an automatic tip on a buffet????? There is no server.
The 50's Prime Time Cafe is the kind of restaurant that's good to go to once so you can say "yes, I was there". It's a nice experience the first time. As you know, it's strictly comfort food, chicken pot pies, pot roast, mashed potatoes, etc. The food is well prepared and presented well, it's just not enough for what you pay for it. $18 for a medium size chicken pot pie??? Plus drinks, tip, etc. Our group of 6 was pretty much shoe horned into a corner booth and when the server was near the table it was quite crowded. So to summarize, I recommend you go for a lunch for the experience, enjoy yourself, then move on the next time your in MGM (oops, Hollywood Studios!)
The Columbia Harbour House has been my favorite spot to eat in the Magic Kingdom ever since my first Keys to the Kingdom tour in 2001. I always have the tuna sandwich and it's absolutly delicious. Like others have said before, sit upstairs if you want to have a little more quiet time. Highly recommended!
Let's face it, there will occasionally be a ride that your kids drag you on repeatedly. This is certainly no exception for the Barnstormer at goofy's wiseacre farm. This short but thrilling ride is great for kids but not much appeal for anyone else.
It's a Small World is undisputedly Disney's ultimate classic and most well known ride. Kids will love the dolls and colors, teens will love the oppurtunity to listen (and hopefully crank up) their iPods, Adults will love the chance to relax, and everybody will hate the song.
Back in 2003 I kept seeing advertisements of this little 3d show that had replaced the Lion King show in Magic Kingdom. Each advertisement feature various Disney characters flying out of the screen towards the audience and spreading the magic. I kept hearing people talk about the show and when I finally went to visit I was amazed, to say the least. Upon entering the building you walk through a fairly small queue featuring posters of various productions put on by Disney characters, each with a hilarious spin on their show. The entrance line is immediately relaxing and calm and really sets the stage for the attraction. The theater, to be honest, is huge. There is the main screen and two hidden screens that "appear" during the show. The film itself is a humorous journey though several films with a multitude of sights, smells, sounds, and action. The in theater effects are groundbreaking as well. Overall I had more fun than almost any other attraction in the park. One show which won't become outdated any time soon. For Kids- 10/10 Pre-teens- 9/10 teens- 9/10 adults- 10/10 seniors- 8/10 Overall- 9.1/10
Everyone kind of gives this attraction a bad name. It's not bad. It's pretty funny. Most people are just looking for the flashy attractions with all this stuff in it and this one is not made for that. I'm glad it's there. There's never a big line and it's a really good break. I know it's not perfect but it's fun. :)
I love this ride! Yes, it's jerky. Yes, the dinosaurs can actually be scary the first time you ride it, but you'll still have a blast! I like to ride it at least a couple of times. After you figure out where they take the picture, ride it again and ham it up for the camera!
we love this little ride in Norway. So incredibly kitchy, but entertaining at the same time. My one gripe is that if your timing is off, you wind up having to wait up to 10 minutes before you can leave! You have to wait for the previous showing of the movie to let out. In the meantime, you're stuck waiting in a twilight Norwegian fishing villiage, which is nifty for about the first three minutes. After that, it's just irritating. All they have to do is put an exit door right there, and all would be well! Does anyone really stop to watch the movie anyway?? OK, I must admit that my hubby and I did once. We wouldn't again. Love the Norway pavilion. And we like the ride so much we go every time we're there, in spite of the irritating wait at the end of it!
Ever since we first spent more than one day at Disney World, we have made sure that we ride this one, usually two or three times. Why? Because you cannot possibly see all that's there in one trip through. It's that full of visual treats.
The two of us are older and we prefer to be entertained rather than to be thrilled by rough, scary rides. Maelstrom is very well-done and has long been one of our favorites at Epcot.
We enjoy ALL the 3D movies at WDW and this one is no exception.
We have scheduled our WDW visits for the period just before Christmas for our last three trips and such passive attractions as this one is one of the reasons we prefer to go at that time of year. It adds greatly to the Christmas decorations in Epcot.
We chanced upon this group's performance a few years ago and enjoyed it well enough that we always look for them now when we enter the United Kingdom.
One of my best areas of epcot love everything inside of it from the land boat ride to soarin' they both are great rides and i would hate to see any of them go. especially the land boat ride
I rode this ride for the first time last year and thought it was a waist of time and that they could use the space for a better ride. No one relle goes to the parks to be educated. I love epcot but just not this the animatronics are very out dated and need to be fixed. Just would never waist 45 mins on this ride
The non-threatening, slow ride through the history of communications is just what we older guests need to be entertained while we rest our feet and legs. The quality of this presentation is very high and is a good example of Disney's applied talents at their best.
We would not think of going to Epcot without visiting The Land. The pavilion itself is huge and I have always thought the balloons add so much good color to it. Everyone can find food here and it's a nice place to rest a bit (if you can find a seat). This part of Epcot is fairly little changed since we started going to WDW, which is okay with us.
The title says it all. The ride is horrible the wait time is a waist of time and the ride lasts like 7 mins and he just spits burps and makes stupid movements throughout the show. Would never recommend it to anyone and lets face it. Disney needs to stop making stitch/nemo rides...Its getting out of hand
I give this attraction a 10 because it fits the concept of Epcot so well: it teaches while it entertains. I saw it before Ellen was in the show and, while the graphics were good even then, the content was a little dry. Ellen's adventure makes a better show.
Myself (F 23) and my DH (23) took our DD3 for her first WDW trip 4/29-5/6 and we absolutely loved it here! This was mine and DH's 3rd stay at Coronado Springs. Our DD LOVED the pool area! We had a renovated room adn the new room decor is just gorgeous! The fact that they are now queen beds rather than doubles was great since we are used to a queen at home! We loved the mornign walks from our room to El Centro and we had a short walk to the pool and bus stop. The busses were a bit off this trip but this was the slowest time we have ever been to Disney so it was fine by us to wait for 15 minutes for a bus as well as only 15 minutes for attractions at the park! because this is a convention resort there are less kids running around! It makes it much more relaxing! The few times you run into conventioneers does not make this resort feel any less "disney" to me! I just appreciate the resort for what it is!
If you like Raglan Road food (Irsh inspired), but want something a bit quicker and cheaper, check out Cookes of Dublin. It's the counter service counterpart of Raglan Road, and specialises in fish and chips. The fish isn't quite of the calibre of what can be found next door at Raglan Road, but it is certainly very high quality (I believe the main difference is that the batter does not contain Harp beer as it does next door, and the fish may be originally frozen). The chips are thick cut (seriously thick cut!), and lots of vinegar and tartar sauce are at hand to complete the meal. My only criticism is that there isn't a lot of seating, maybe 5 or 6 tables inside, and 6 or 7 outside. Overall I highly recommend Cookes.
Everytime I visit Hollywood Studios I always have to meet the Power Rangers. My family and I will wait in every single line because it's such a great meet and greet. You go up to the ranger and they will direct you into a superhero pose for a picture. It's just fun. Favorite one to meet is always the pink ranger. She's usually the most energetic.
Let's face it, the only reason this attraction has a bad rep is because it replaced Alien Encounter. People, it's time to move on. Alien Encounter is gone and I don't see it coming back. As far as this attraction goes, I don't think it's bad. It's not my favorite, but I still visit it everytime I'm at the Magic Kingdom. Stitch is a great character for this ride because you never really know what to expect from Stitch. He's just that versitile. I would like to see this attraction redone a little so Stitch has more interaction with the audience and less time getting chased around by the guns. Still this attraction is fine. It's great for large groups and familes and just fun overall.
This is better than that peice of vomit "Stitch's SuperSuckish Celebration" Stitch's "Great Escape? No, it's Stitch's Awesome Escape!
Fun, but needs more work.
We heard some music playing from the stage and people dancing around be almost NO one was watching. People would come to the stage and leave just as fast. It was 96 degrees last week and as others stated it was just to hot. And why a stage show with stitch how likes this guy that much. You could have a Buzz lightyear show there and the kids would melt but they would stay!
Stitch's Great Escape was awesome, but this sucked me out!
I hope this Excellent Customer service commit is received to the correct department! In March my husband and I spend a few days at the Disney World, after a long first day we stopped at the Contemporary Resort restaurant “The Wave”. The dinner wait was long (Not a problem) we decided to set at the bar. Our Bartender Sam Vansant, was fantastic! Besides Excellent service (we decided to eat at the bar because Sam was so helpfully), his knowledge of getting from point A to point B in Disney World saved us time the next day! It great to know that Cast Members even Bartenders have so much knowledge on the ins and outs Disney World! On our next trip to Florida, we are looking forward to going back to the Wave to say hi to Sam!!!! Thanks again Sam! Gina Clapper
Do this. I'll be doing it again. I needed the hour of training just to get over the nerves. But I was ready to go once we were trained. It becomes second nature when you are outside. Our tour lasted 1:15 and everyone did the 'challenges'. There was nothing difficult, but it was all fun. The two guides were GREAT as was the trivia. And as someone else said, you become part of the attraction when you return through the crowds.
What a mess! Worst thing Disney has done in years. Sad that it's not even Six Flags worthy. The person that decided to put a stage in the middle of the Florida sun surrounded by pavement was genius. (not to mention with no seats...owe!) If I could give it 0 out of 10 stars I would.
The Sandy-Cove Sundries was our second favorite shop, after M. Mouse Mercantile. Along with regular snacks, drinks, and your usual items you would find in a sundries shop, they also sold the Monogrammed GF Robes, larger toiletries for purchase, and different Grand Floridian Clothing Items (Sweatshirts, TShirts and Polos)
We stayed at the Grand Floridian for the first time from 4/13-4/18 and it was fabulous! We had always dreamed of one day staying there, and when we found out that our entire 5-Night Stay would be only $150 more total than the Polynesian we said Yes! The entire trip itself was Grand, beginning with being upgraded on our Flight to First Class. The hotel was great looking even from the DME Bus going in ;) We did have to wait 2 hrs from after we checked in until we got our room, but it was well worth the wait and we also got to just take time and "smell the roses" that we normally might not have done if we didn't have time. When I first saw the Grand Floridian Map at home, It appeared as if Boca Chica was miles away from the main building and I almost freaked out when I found our room was in that building, but the layout of the hotel is great. It wasn't more than a 2 minute walk from the Boca Chica lobby to the main building (and the Grounds are so well kept it was very enjoyable) We got upgraded from a Standard View to a Pool View and had a great view of the Courtyard Pool. As for Food, we only had a chance to Dine at Gasparilla's & The GF Cafe as we didn't make Breakfast reservations. Gasparilla was very convenient and nice, if not maybe a little slow when ordering pizza or burgers. The GF Cafe had great views, along with nice views of the Courtyard area outside from inside. Again, Food Service was a bit slow, but the food was great and the meal was relaxing. As for Transportation, The Monorail outside was so convenient. We were able to leave our room at 9:50 and be at the Magic Kingdom just in time for the Opening Ceremony...can't do that anywhere else! Busses - We experienced none of the problems mentioned with the Busses. We visited in Peak Season and the busses coming were Empty & private, and since only 3 routes service the resort they were very efficient. One day 3 busses arrived at once going to AK, so we actually had a private bus the entire time! Even if there was a larger crowd waiting for the busses, the bus stop was completely shaded and probably had 10 benches for guests to sit on while waiting...very convenient also. We never used the boat system, but it seemed very efficient. I saw boats arriving at the MK the same time as us taking the monorail, departing at the same time. Being Tonga Toast People, we loved eating at the Polynesian for Breakfast...and it is a scenic & quick 10 minute walk from the GF Tower Building to the Great Ceremonial House which we loved. Our Room was great...Looked newly refurbished, Everything was Spotless. We had a brand new LG HD TV (plagued by a finicky remote, however). The Staff was so helpful and courteous. We accidently put one of our Bathrobes in the hamper with the towels and the front desk said they would make sure they wouldn't accidentally chargeus for it. The H20 Toiletries were great...I heard that their Spa line (which the GF Carries) is great and it definitely was. I left a note for our Mousekeeper asking if she could leave some extras so I could take them home and we were surprised with Complimentary Full-Sized H20 Spa Shampoo & Lotion bottles....We were thrilled! The beds were turned down every night and chocolates were left on them, and the Balcony was very nice. The Pools were also very refreshing after a day at the parks. (The only bad thing were covers for the lights in the bottom of the Courtyard pool that hurt your foot if you stepped on them .. watch out for those!) Overall the experience was probably our best Disney trip yet, out of about 10 we have done. It was the most we ever payed per night for a hotel, but it was well worth it and we can't wait to return!
This show is definitely aimed at kids. However, not even the kids in the audience seemed to be interested. The performers are really trying their hardest but they weren't given much to work with. The storyline is confusing and at times nonexistent. The Living Character Initiative aspects of this show don't seem to function very well. The location and set up of this show don't help the case either. I have little desire to sit on the hot, hard, black concrete of Tomorrowland and roast to death in the direct sunlight. I really tried to have an open mind about this show, but I walked away with nothing but disappointment and two legs that I had lost all feeling in.
Kona is a real gem of Disney dining, and has so far managed to avoid a lot of the dining cutbacks that have been going on around property. The breakfast in particular is very well done. What sets it apart are the unique items that you can only get at Kona - such as the Tonga Toast and the Big Kahuna. Even the regular offerings, like Steak and Eggs are very well done. Besides the great food, the Poly is a wonderful place to visit, and it has a great ambience to start your day.
A lot of construction went into this, but having seen the show, you feel it was a waste of time. The performers give it their all, but that doesn't help a poor concept and script. The show is long and repetitive, has no shade over the viewing area, and the LED video screen is borderline visible in bright sunlight. The choice of music seems dated, and the Stitch transition from video to real life is jarring. This show needs a major rework for it to become a solid addition.
Hey there, We just got home from an 9-day, 7 park, orlando vacation that we surprised our 13 yr old with as a birthday gift. As part of that gift I set up an audition on line (which turned out to be worthless, one of the other girls I performed with also did this and they just thru away the form we had to print out and hand over at the park. Maybe if there were crowds and crowds of people auditioning they would have been useful but there weren't crowds of people waiting to audition like they want you to believe) to perform in the AI experience as an additional surprise for my daughter, as we've watched all 8 seasons of american idol together since she was 5. I've always loved to sing and have done a bit at church and karaoke. but never professionally. I've been told by many, and my daughter always wished that, I should tryout for the american idol but have always had to tell them I was to old. Well,in my research for this trip I came across the AI Experirnce, which stresses young and old alike can win, and thought, what a great opportunity to share a fun experience and possibly even win that ticket for my daughter to possibly use someday herself (yes, they say they do give the tickets away to the older singers too and you are permitted to transfer them on to others (paper work required), you just aren't allowed to sell them). Well My husband HATES American Idol and has tolerated our watching it all these years. He won't even stay in the same room when we have it on. I purposely kept my audition a secret till we got to the park so I wouldn't have to hear how much he wasn't going to want to do this. When we got to the park and he found out I was auditioning I had to convince him this was for his daughter, to which he conceded and agreed to participate, tho begrudgingly. Now I do have a bit of a competitive spirit but am also fair minded enought to except defeat if truly warranted. But with what is to follow here I question the validity of the voting process at this show. I made it thru the 2 audition processes to be a contestant, it was fun, fast paced a little bit nerve-wracking and over in a flash. I enjoyed every moment of the experience (it was exactly like the real thing) till the end when I did not win to move onto the finale. You of course get to hear the other 2 contestants sing during rehearsal and it's only natural to compare yourself even tho you really try not to, but I have to say there really wasn't much comparison. I sang You make me feel like a natural woman and really belted it, Got tons of applause thruout and at the end of the song during the live performance, unlike the other 2. The judges (except for simon of course) all had great things to say no critism at all as the other 2 did. One of the other contestants (#1) whispered to me, "I'll be back to vote for you in the finale. Even my husband after hearing the 3 of us shared that he was like thinkin to himself "Oh crap, she's gonna win and I'm gonna have to come back here for the 7pm finale, DARN IT!" I really believed I was gonna win...how could I not? The votes were in...they made us wait for the verdict of course...and then the host said it...Girl number 3 (I was #2) got the most votes. There was a very eerie, awkward silence after that was anounced, like a "huh?" moment before the weak applause. Even the winner looked confused. Needless to say I was very dissapointed and confused. On my way out to reunite with my family. I can't tell you how many people came up to me very confused also saying they had voted for me and felt something was not right. There was an older gentleman sitting beside my hubby who he said was totally not into the show at all. He just sat there and wouldn't participate in the preshow...but when i sang his whole demeanor changed and he applauded and actually voted for me, and when I didn't win, he turned and angrily, made a point of telling my hubby this show has to be rigged. And then my hubby started thinking back and realized that the whole time up to the show they coached the audience to pick this girl. They had people that coached them into yelling her name and that they loved her and that they wanted her to win and that she was the best even before they heard her and with the other contestants family and freinds standing right there listening. He said he didn't think to much of it till he moment that old man said that "this thing is rigged". Later in the day I walked into a bathroom and the whole place broke into cheers and clapping and they all said the same thing it was rigged. Ya know I really wanted that certificate I've really come to believe that I was naive and gullable in thinkin that this was the real thing and that I may have had a real chance of winning, but now I have so many doubts. I just keep reminding myself that I had a good time that I knew I was a winner as did my family and fans. I do want to mention too that they were really scrambling to find people to audition. I'm not even sure they held any other shows because when you get picked as a contestant you wear this big obvious bright yellow tag that lets everyone know your performng and to come and vote for you. and considering there are 7 shows thruout the day, we should've been seeing another 18 of those tags thru out the day and we saw only one person wearing one besides the other 2 I'd performed with. So it's possible this attraction won't last and isn't the big success they thought it was gonna be. So if you are considering performing...be ready to just have fun because although I'm leary of the ligitamacy of the voting process, I have to admit it was fun and exciting, it really was, but also be ready for dissapointment when losing to those less talented than yourself. Ya know, maybe one of the earlier posts who mentioned they thought they were trying to keep us oldies out (I'm a very young and young looking 50) was right, and that only reinforces my doubts in the validity of the vote counts that morning. Now that I'm home and look back on it, I feel we as the contestants are there strictly for the use of the park as entertainment and our dreams really mean nothing to them we are just props for yet another attraction to bring them in more money. I did get to keep the yellow tag (consolation prise), "Whoopi"! and they gave you a Disney photo pass so you can go and "BUY" at $15 dollars a pop as many of the 154 pics they took of you during your AI Experience.
The service and food is a 10! As always, 'Ohana remains our favorite place to eat. We had 7:15pm reservations and showed up about 45 minutes early due to the expected large crowds during the Easter week. However, within 5 minutes we were already being shown to our table (what service!). During our last visit we had a window table (couldn't have asked for anything more as the food and view were excellent). Unfortunately, this time our table was nestled among the heavy traffic of the kids games. Although not the best location, I blame myself for not requesting a window or less trafficked area and I won't downgrade my rating based on this. I have read many reviews stating that the courses of food are served very quickly and are rushed. Remember, if the pace of food serving gets too fast for you, just let them know. We requested a slower pace and they more than obliged. As a result our dinner took us a little over 2 hours to enjoy. Everything was excellent tasting. Out favorites are the dumplings, wings, steak, shrimp, pork, and lastly, the bananas foster dessert. This last served item is out of this world!! The food is unlimited...just remember to keep room for that fantastic tasting dessert! We had a great time and were completely stuffed when we left. Also, keep in mind, if you think you will never be able to replicate tasty food like this when you get home, just remember to ask for one of the recipes.
We were on the Deluxe Dining and ate at 4 signature restaurants on our last trip. Jiko ranks number one all around for us. We had the best server, Shellie. She was more than accommodating to our party of 5 with my daughter 4 and son 2. Our other servers actually made us feel like we never should have brought the kids. Anyways, I had my all time favorite Disney appetizer here. The barbecue chicken flat-bread, yummy. I'm going to try to make it myself. I had some fabulous short-ribs and my husband had the best filet of the trip. Shellie recommended a wonderful bottle of Cabernet, so smooth. All in all it was just perfect. Best Creme Brulee as well. And as a bonus we got to check out the giraffes and zebras after dinner which really made the kids happy.
True, since the refurbishment, the Outer Rim is different and a little smaller. But, the important qualities remain. You still have the excellent views of Bay Lake, great service (Dugan is the best!!), fantastic drinks and snacks, and finally, the monorails gliding through just across the concourse. A great place to unwind after a big day of the parks and resorts. What more could you ask for in a nice relaxing area?
The ride has impressive theming and I think really shines the atmosphere of Norway. From the trolls to the vikings, Norway is a mythical, fun adventure.
This is such a waist of money if they was going to make new meet and greets why not Phineas and Ferb.S.U.P.I.D. PENGUENS!!!!!!!!!
With My obsession with the Mad Hatter, I love the teacups!I even got to ride them with Alice and the Mad Hatter!
This is an amazing ride. The scenery is great as well as the story. It actually feels like your speeding through the city of Los Angeles. AMAZING RIDE!!!!!
I love to watch the rockets fly by in the queue! But that cannot be seen anymore.I'm going to miss the old sace mountain.Just like I miss the old disneyland space mountain.Space Mountain is my favorite ride! Info:This is my rating before refurb
And believe me, I hate roller coasters. Would not go on Tower of Terror for my life, and am debating going on Everest. I went with my cheerleading squad and let me tell you, I was FREAKING OUT. Hyperventilating, sweating, shaking, stomach flipping, the whole enchilada. I watched the ride take off a few times when we were in line and I was like WHOA why am I doing this? I seriously considered saying "STOP THE RIDE!!!!!!!!" before we took off. I don't remember the exact start of the ride. I remember blacking out for about half a second, but that's just my imagination. My stomach did flip a little during the takeoff, but that was just from fear. We went through the two loops and I slowly opened my eyes. And let me tell you, I did not--for one SECOND--regret the decision to ride. After the two loops at the beginning (which I swear you can't feel). Someone had told me the ride made you feel like flying over a city, and that could not be a more accurate description. It doesn't feel like a coaster, your stomach doesn't drop--I would even compare it to Soarin'. It feels like a coaster to the extent that young children, people who've never gone on an upside down ride, and coaster enthusiasts alike, would enjoy very much. I got off the ride and I was screaming and hugging everybody on my squad, and that was a very proud moment for me. I was so glad I had faced my fear and ridden the most intense roller coaster in Disney World. If you've never been on a loop ride before, then I advise this one for your first. It's hard to describe the loops--you feel them but you don't feel upside down, like your head is lower than your feet. It feels kinda like you're going waaaaay to the side, about to flip over. I promise you the takeoff is very smooth, and the whole rest of the ride is a total soar. I guarantee that you will absolutely love the best ride in Disney.
Unfortunately the Under New Management edition totally ruined a classic attraction. Not sure what they were thinking, but it's aweful. I'd give the original a 10 out of 10, but the changes made to it put this right down at a 3.
Too long of an anticipation, though.
Obviously the best thing about this ride is the big drop (where I got SOAKED), but the boat ride is fun as well.
This is the first ride and went on at the Magic Kingdom and I absolutely loved it. Was expecting somewhat of a kids ride and it wasn't at all - a great thrill ride. Will be interesting what it'll be like after the refurbishment, probably better than ever.
Loved this resort and would definitely stay here again. If you're on a budget, this is the place to stay. I'm sure there are nicer resorts on the premises, but the rooms are clean and spacious, the restaurant is quite good, and, of course, transportation directly to the parks.
Saratoga springs is one of the worst resorts on the property.
The Best hotel in the entire WORLD! It is great for kids and adults. It also has a great pool. Also try beach's and cream soda shop.
This is a great example of the detail that Disney goes into, for everything! Such a great dining theme, excellent food and service. I enjoyed it when I was 5 and still enjoy it. =] 9/10 - it is essential that you book a table
don't replace this!! this is AWESOME!!!!! All I can say that it was fully awesome, I CANNOT say anything else!!
We stayed here in October 2008 for our Honeymoon. I know, not much romance, but it was within our budget. We stayed in a preferred room that close to the main building. We loved the simple accomodations and the main swimming pool. Our room was in the Fantasia Building with one king bed and a mini fridge. After a long day at the parks the first day, we were greeted by baloons and an autographed picture from Mickey and Minnie congratulating us on our Honeymoon. After that, Mousekeeping would leave something different in our room made from towels (we took everything home). The staff was great and answered every question we had. We drove our car down from Delaware, so we did not use the hotel transportation, however, the buses appeared to come fairly quickly. The food court had a very good selection of items. We would definately stay here again and plan to return at the end of 2009 (if the economy allows us). Lots of kids having a great Disney experience while we were there. Absolutely recommend to anyone wanting to go to Disney on a budget!
This attraction could be good or bad depending on the time of day you trek through it. I went through about an hour before the park closed and wasted precious time. The gorillas, monkeys, and a few other animals are actually put away out of site because this they have to sleep for the night. They told us that there are other animals and it would be a great attraction. Not so... There were very few animals and some cheesy displays (you know, the frog in the aquarium type things). This attraction relies a lot on how active the animals are and when they're not it was just plain boring. If time permits, try it out otherwise skip it...
It seems like all parks, Disney or not, are getting into the 3D/4D movie thing. They must be popular or all the parks wouldn't be doing them. I was not going to do any movies at first because that's not why I go to parks but if you can get to this with little or no wait then it will add fun to your time in Animal Kingdom. I don't care that it has no plot or storyline. It really didn't matter. It was still fun and intense. I have since been to most of the 3D/4D movies in all Disney parks and this is tied with my favorite which is Mickey's Philharmagic in the Magic Kingdom. This will be scary for the younger kids but everyone else will enjoy it.
The show lasts about 20 minutes and is a lot of fun for kids and adults. It has some audience participation but mostly spectacular dancing, singing, and acrobatic feats. A must see if going to Animal Kingdom.
Great atmosphere, great food. There was a German band playing while we were eating, which was a nice touch.
I really liked the theme and the restaurant itself with all the TVs around. I had the fried chicken - it was alright. Our server was very friendly.
I was a little disappointed when I heard the characters were gone, but that changed after I finished my meal. It was delicious!!!! There wasn't a menu, it was a meal with ham, beef, turkey, potatoes, mac & cheese, stuffing, salad - a little bit of everything!!! Yummy.
The food is good, but the best part of this place is definitely meeting Pooh, Tigger, Eeeyor, and Piglet. Getting my picture taken with them was a highlight of my trip.
We ate here twice, once for supper the day we arrived (flatbread and milkshake - yum) and once for breakfast the day we left (french toast platter - yum). Great value for the price and delicious food. More than I could have asked for from a value resort. Great place to get a cup of coffee before heading off to the parks.
What is the resone for the tarps over the Tomorrowland skyway station? The ride has been closed since 1999..what gives? April 2009...
It's obvious that the creators of this attraction are proud to be American. I appreciate the passion, and that's what makes this worth seeing.
A gentle ride that's interesting and might be fun for kids, but I probably wouldn't ride it again. Actually enjoyed the aquarium when the ride was over more than the actual ride.
By far the scariest ride I was on, and SO MUCH FUN. Would have riden twice if the lines were shorter. A must do.
This ride could you use a facelift. But if you love Star Wars (like me) it really is worth it. You do feel like you're flying the ship and part of that world. Not perfect, but still worth a look.
First ride I went on at Epcot and I absolutely loved it. After a week of thrills, it was nice to go on a historical and informative. They did a WONDERFUL job making this interesting, which is great for kids. The final part of the ride is beautiful as well. I also loved the video of our future and the postcards after the ride is finished.
This ride was wonderful. Probably the most impressive and lifelike audio-animatronic characters I witnessed - I really felt like I was among these pirates. Amazing job combining the older ride with the newer characters from the movies. Loved seeing Jack Sparrow hiding from the villians, and the ending is perfect. Bravo!
If you're a fan at all of musical theatre, this is a must do. I was blown away by this, this could be easily be on Broadway once they expand the screenplay and add more songs. Spectacular!!!
It is a bit corny, but I still enjoyed it. Funny and enjoyable, makes you clap your hands and stomp your feet.
This is so much more than seeing a lot of animals (and you see alot, we got some great shots of giraffes and elephants). There's also a story involving poachers that makes the ride even a bit exciting. Our guide was great as well. One of my favourite parts was this ostrich just walking down a trail towards us - you never know what animals are going to do!
This is a fantastic roller coaster. Going backwards was great and quite original and the final leg of the ride is incredible - you are flying down the track. However, the yeti wasn't working. I knew this going in, but I was surprised it didn't say anywhere close to the ride that the only yeti was on a screen.
I enjoyed this ride quite a bit. One negative is the ride is too short, maybe 3 minutes long. The lines are huge too, not sure why it's as popular as it is. Having said that, it's still a very good ride - you feel like you're flying and the animitronic characters look fantastic. It will put a smile on your face after you ride it. Worth a look.
This was my favourite 3D show, really utilized the 3D well and there was an interesting and funny story. Having Donald Duck as the star was great too. Really really loved this show. Another bonus, we went at a really busy time and the lines were never bad.
Love the Muppets and I love this show. Wished they used a little more 3D, but the show itself is worth it.
My favourite ride at the Magic Kingdom, maybe even the whole resort (though I admit there are some I missed). Not a kiddie ride all, moves at a good speed with some nice twists and turns. I read that the nighttime is the best time to ride it because you can't anticipate the turns, and that's when I rode it. HIGHLY recommended.
This was alot of fun. I was expecting non-stop stunts, but it's more of an explanation of how stunts are executed in films. Very informative, which was nice touch. Add the fact that the performed stunts are really exciting, and you have a winner.
I was going to skip this one because I thought it sounded lame, but the line was relatively short (went the week of Easter with INSANE lines), so we thought we'd give it shot. It was a really nice surpise, I really enjoyed this and laughed quite a bit. Loved how they included the audience.
This was the only attraction at Disney World that I hated. Pointless and uninteresting. Alot of it takes place in the dark where all that happens is a bar going up and down on your shoulders. They should get rid of this ride.
I really enjoyed this. The animitronic characters might not be as impressive as some (might need a refurbishment), but I loved going through the films. Highlights for me were Casablanca, Alien, and The Wizard of Oz. The tour guides seemed like they were having fun too.
We arrived late on our flight to Orlando, so this was one of the first things we did. It is truly amazing and one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. Arrive early, the closer to the stage the better - getting a little wet and feeling the heat of the flames (how did they do that???) adds to the experience.
I have been to the Coral Reef for lunch on several occasions. I felt that the portions sizes were normal for lunch. I also thought that the food looked and tasted very good. My only complaint is the long wait, despite having reservations/priority seating.
I loved it! The trip was fun and easy! Although our resort was one of the last ones to be reached, the trip was magical!
I saw one of the prelim shows March 22nd,2009 and I was very impressed with the set and the whole production of the experience. I don't think they could do much more than they have other than have a different host and judges. Were they good? That's relative. Some might think they were terrible, some might think they were great. I thought everything was good. I laughed at some of the Simon characters remarks and found the other two to be not very memorable. The host wasn't anything you'd want an autographed picture of but he did the job. The only people who really get a fantastic deal on this are the contestants and their friends and family. That experience is something I for one would love to have. My daughter works as a CP so I was ineligible this year but maybe next year. I am 56 though and get the feeling they really are doing there best to discourage older people like myself to be a part of the show. I come to this conclusion because of the tiny song list they provide. The lack of a song list anything close to what you would find at even a mediocre karaoke show screams we've got control over this and that means you don't sing. Come on, it can't be a cost thing. They could have a thousand or more songs to chose from and broaden the talent pool for the show. But that would bring in people that were singing covers of such washed up bands as The Beatles, Billy Joel, etc. I believe the song list was very carefully thought out to attract a certain profile of contestants that the imagineers had in mind when this plan was hatched. After all, who wants to look at some balding old fart on stage singing even if he does blow the doors off the competition. I get that, but don't necessarily agree with it. And for me this could be one of the downfalls of the show. After all this is really just a very glorified "expensive" karaoke show with higher than normal qualifications. It's a shame though that it is missing the boat on what I feel is the shows true potential. All talent in the park that day. Unknown Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffet types, need not apply. It's not stated but the format seems to point that direction. Its only truly an American Idol Experience for the contestants, not the audience. Without the contestants there is no show. But in Disney's eyes, without the right contestants there is no audience. I disagree. So get a larger range of contestants on the stage and you will entertain a wider range of audience. This will give the show more longevity. The way it is now, once you've seen this once I can't see people spending time seeing it again and again to watch three strangers who may not even be that good. Disney did not think this through enough before they pulled the trigger. On the surface it sounded great until I realized that the only thing that was really great about it was that I was maybe going to be able to sing on that set. Other than that it was not something I was interested in doing more than once or twice unless someone I knew was in the show. Simple supply and demand. Sooner or later there will not be enough people who want to watch 21 amateurs sing every day. And sooner or later people might see there's really not much motivation for contestants either to monopolize their whole paid park admission day to participate in the contest. Give the winner an Annual Pass or something. Something he or she can actually dream of winning and use if won. The Golden Ticket is like giving the winner a one dollar ticket for Powerball Lottery. Even if you have it you've probably got nothing. Come on Disney, give up a pass or something. You can still clip me for food, drinks, and souvenirs and make out on the deal. See The American Idol Experience, its well worth the time. I just don't think it can hold the interest of "All" the park guests for very long. I give it between 2-3 years till its gone in its present state. They're hopefully already are talking about how to salvage their investment because unlike some here I think Disney has realized that this isn't going to fly in its current state. If they haven't realized it yet, they'd better hire me to clue them in! ha ha
Despite all of the bad reviews of this restaurant, we wanted to try it out because we all thought it would be great to eat while viewing the aquarium. Boy were we wrong! Our server, Dawn, was hands down the most unpleasant cast member we encountered in all of WDW. We ate right as the place opened, so a days worth of unhappy guests could not have contributed to her very poor performance. We ordered an appetizer called the "Appetizer For Two" which cost $16.99. This "appetizer" consisted of two (2) shrimp, two (2) scallops, two (2) tiny pieces of beef and two (2) itsy-bitsy portions of lobster soup. When I told our server we were not pleased with the portion size for $16.99, she acted as if I was from mars and was not looking at the same tiny plate of food that she saw. I always thought Disney wanted guests in and out of their restaraunts as quickly as possible, but not the Coral Reef! We were there for almost two (2) hours! When the server finally brought our deserts I had to strongly suggested she take my card so our payment could be processed. We almost felt held against our will as we waited for our card to return. Needless to say, we will not be returning! If an aquarium view is what you are after, get it without the meal inside of the Seas pavillion!
POP Century is Awesome in my book! perfect 10! I can't wait to stay there again! I hope our family love to stay in theme of the 60's, 70's and 80's that's why! Everything POP is awesome shop and dining in the same place! I love to buy the dvd of BOLT on DVD in Everything POP!
I have to say this has got to be the best tour I've taken anywhere! I went in January, and granted it was absolutely FREEZING (odd for Florida) but I had the time of my life. We had a really good group of folks so the "training" period only took 45 minutes or so. Then it was off to the World Showcase (with a pit stop at Innoventions West). You learn so many interesting facts about the property while you are making your way around -- and you get to do some obstacle course "gliding" while you are at it! Because we made it through orientation so fast, we were able to spend a bit more time riding through the different areas and learning all sorts of things. This is a must for any Disney freak!
My wife and I stayed there some time ago. The Shower was not clean, the cooks behind the counter at the restraunt was rude, the cashier seemed not wanting to take order, and soda was flat. the dining area was filthy, with dirty table. It has probably done better since, but i will not stay there again.
I had to wait no less than 30 minutes to buy hot dogs and fries for $8.00 not including a soda! The counter staff age was about 84 years old and moving at a snail's pace (sorry seniors). My poor granddaughter then got major hives due to peanut allergy; since they obviously use peanut oil to deep fry. (Why would you do this with all the children going to a Disney Park.) DO NOT EAT HERE and save your money and time. Your much better off bringing your own sandwiches; and you can spend your money buying a gift for your kids...
I saw the show March 23 three times and once on the 24. As you have heard the set is fantastic and the energy levels very high. I did have reservations about the quality of the guest singers. This far into the opening of the attraction I am very suprised that the performances were from just good to very good. In some cases a few of the people I saw are better that what's on the show now. Does the attraction have staying power.? At this point I'd say yes. Two of the shows I saw were within 100 people of being packed and two were complete sellouts. That's a 1000 seat show.
I HATE American Idol on TV!!!! But, the experience at DHS was pretty darn cool! My wife and I both enjoyed the show (she of course likes it on TV though, unlike me).... The host the day we were there was Cast Member Mark... he was pretty entertaining all by himself! The three singers were critiqued by the three judges just like on TV including a cranky Australian Judge who everyone booed (all in fun of course) when he was mean to the contestants. And just like the TV show we, the audience got to vote the winner. Was Well Done! Hats off to the Imagineers they hit a Home Run here (and that coming from someone who like I said above Hates the TV show!) :)
Compared to the available lunch options in Magic Kingdom, this counter service makes for a nice excursion mid-day if you are not on a tight schedule. Or if you are staying at the Lodge you are indeed in luck! There were a good amount of tables both inside and out for comfortable seating. I had a grilled veggie sandwich on multi-grain bread with roasted red pepper hummus for $8.89. It was a large sandwich and could have easily been split for two and paired with the Chicken Noodle Soup or Chili for $2.59. My companion ordered the Turkey Sandwich with Brie, which came on a nice Whole Wheat bread. Both sandwiches were served with a pasta salad side. I regret not taking a pic of the menu, but will do so next time. There was a wide variety at the deli counter and the grill station, including the typical american fare. (burgers, cheesesteak, etc.) I highly recommend this counter service restaurant for healthy and filling food options. (vegetarian options available here too!)
My daughter & I ate here by luck one night. We just came off of Soarin & decided to get a bite to eat & we knew you needed reservations here but took a chance & asked for a table for 2 & in 10 mins we were seated. The service was good, food was good & the characters managed to make their rounds to our table. Compared to other places this was OK.
Well, it was ok, our seats were changed from a great view to an OK view due to a mix up. The menu could be better, I ended up ordering a kids meals with my daughter & that served us just fine. She liked the fact it came in a Mickey dish & it was just enough for us to eat at $7.50 each. I wouldn't go back right away; like I said I'd like to see a better menu for the buck.
My daughter loves eating here mainly for the atmosphere. It's noisy, but we've always had a good time. The food is alright and service was good. I always have a specialty drink so that seems to help.
Although the wait time is usually long during dinner time, the atmosphere is pretty cool and the food is just as good. It can get noisy but over all I'd dine there again.
Ice cream floats & shakes were great. Perfect for cooling down snack time.
Tried this place twice & overall it's pretty darn good for a quick meal. Service was good and as always clean.
We've done lunch here many times & it's good. Quick service and they always get it right.
My family tries to eat breakfast here everytime we go to Disney. We have never been disappointed and even my Harley, biker husband enjoyed a hug from Winne the Pooh, Piglet & Eyore. This place has a great variety of food and fun for the whole family. A perfect way to start the day & venture off through the park when your done!
My daughter & I ate dinner here one evening and we ended up with the best seat in the house or castle I should say. It was just the 2 of us so they sat us right in the center near the window overlooking Fantasyland. Before we were seated Cinderella asked us what we were doing & we just said we were having Mother, daughter time. Then, during dessert our server brings over a cupcake with 2 candles & a certificate declaring our Mother/daughter time together, talk about a surprise!! Both my daughter & I thought the other had put them up to it but no, it was once again, Disney paying attention to detail! This was a night we will always remember. The food was just a good and the entertainment was all smiles!
We have eaten here quite often and have never been disappointed. Our kids when they were younger loved it and and still do as young adults. The characters make it a point to visit every table and take time to get photos taken too. The food is always good and the variety is to die for. They went out of their way for my daughter's 12th birthday one year much to my surprise since it was all very last min. Minnie sat down at our table and wrote a very nice message in our daughters book for her birthday as well. It was a night we have never forgotten and that was over 11 years ago. We plan to go back once again for our June visit.
What a night to remember. The food was absolutely incredible!!! Everything from the service to the atmosphere & food is a 10+! My husband & I ate there in Dec. 08 and look forward to dining there again when we return as a couple.
This coming June will be my 6th trip to the World and my 4th time at Chef Mickey's. Awsome place for kids of all ages to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip and Dale. Oh we can not forget a meal to boot. Just love the place
My family and I went on this ride and it was amazing. We did not have fast passes so we went through the longer line. It was a pretty long line(just cuz alot of people like it)but it was fun looking at all the amazing detail in the inside waiting such as the information about the yeti, the camping store, everything was great. The backwards thing can be a little dizzy because my son got a little dizzy but over all that was one of the best rides there is in the Animal Kingdom and I hope they make more just like Expedition Everest.
this is the best ride me and my daughter has been on. We went on soarin together cuz my son and wife didnt want to but we got to be in the front row and she was please because we were up higher and closer to the screen. I STRONGLY reccommend this to famimlies who wanna go around the world but not around the world showcase. If your kids are afraid of heights a little bit (matters where you are placed) i dont reccommend it. :(
late post but was there in Dec.. already made reservations for the next trip in June. WOuld go sooner but wifey is pregnant.. got to plan ahead for the next vacation with first BABY.....any trip longer than 3 days will definitely need to go back.....
At 504 pages long and measuring 24 x 30 cms, this is a real 'coffee table' book. It follows Walt's life, in art, and is choc full of luscious artwork - both conceptual and completed; some you will recognise and some is unseen. To accompany this, there is some marvellous writing. by Christopher Finch et al. It has sections on The beginning; Feature Animation; Live Action Films and the Stage; and The Magic Kingdoms.
THE BEST show of its kind at WDW. Highly entertaining, engaging, and amazing special effects--it's near perfection. So fun!
Okay, some of the effects were pretty silly, but it was so much fun that it didn't even matter! I rode it a couple of times, laughing and smiling the whole time. A definite must-do in AK.
I love Winnie the Pooh and this ride was cute, cute, cute!!!
I'd been to WDW four times before I rode this, and it was great! Definitely made me wish I'd done it before. Very original idea, smooth ride. A Disney classic that remains charming without an update.
Outdated and in need of...something. :) I did enjoy it. Thought it was cute and funny and, even though I'm prone to motion sickness, the ride was too bad.
Overall, I found it relaxing and mildly entertaining. Our guide was pretty bad and the entire ride is in need of an update--it could be really cool if it gets one! The building that houses it is really beautiful though--quite a landmark.
I LOVE the Muppets, and I love this show. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have noted, it seems to be getting a little worse for wear. I really hope that it gets some TLC/spiffed up for the coming years, but it's still a great, entertaining, and hilarious show! Well worth seeing!
A really strange, eclectic mix of Disney characters with amazing effects. A must-see!
I liked the renovation done to Pirates--I thought it kept a lot of the original charm with some new fun surprises. A good time, overall, and well worth the visit.
This was the first attraction we visited at my first trip to WDW in 12 years and I was not disappointed! It was so much fun, so interactive, so entertaining....just amazing. My husband and I talked about it for the rest of the trip and were really disappointed that we couldn't ride again due to the insanely long lines. Can't wait to go back and do it again!!!
Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of the original Tiki Room and, if you never experienced it, the updated version is probably okay. However, given my bias, I thought this show was awful. The music was lame, the new birds were grating, and the show seemed shorter. It was actually really sad. All of this being said, the effects are still neat and the birds remain pretty fun to watch....So 5/10.
Scary for young children (including one the last time I rode who had to be removed from the ride by a cast member), boring and annoying for adults. I could taste that chili dog for the rest of the day--so nasty. AE was a great, innovative attraction. This just seems like a hokey, weird, and somewhat baffling rip off of the original.
I'm not super fond of thrill rides, so this not-so-wild coaster is great for me. As seems to be the concensus on here, the theme is really cool, and I see something new everytime I ride.
We rode this over and over again. My husband kept trying to beat his previous score, and I just thought it was good, mindless fun. It's no TSM, but it's a great ride!
Tucked away in a small but comfortable location next to Space Mountain is the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. Having survived in the Magic Kingdom since the 1970's, Indy Speedway is a simple but enjoyable ride. Queue- There really isn't much to say about the attraction's queue. You are mainly walking through an outdoor line with nothing to look at but some colorful umbrellas and Speedway facts. The theming is very simple but is not really an eyesore. 7.4/10 stars Ride- Like the queue the ride is a simple things that many people can enjoy. 8.6/10 stars Overall: 8.1/10 stars
When me and my family visit the Magic Kingdom we always visit Pecos Bill. The location in Frontierland is perfect and the food is tasty. Beware of birds though.
Me and my sister went to animal kingdom with my mom one of our days that we visited the parks in 2008. We went there to ride Kilo. Safaris and Expedition Everest.(Not enough to do) But we went on Everest when it opened early in the morning. I had already been on it in previous years and new what to expect. We rode the ride 16 times and still wanted to ride more! SOME ADVICE! The front of the train is the best seating location on the entire ride, you get the whole feeling in your stomach. If your go to Disney World you cant miss this one of a kind attraction...
First time i rode was at disneyland paris, first looping coaster! Ever since it has been one of my top rides in all of disney world!
By Far the best food in the Studios! Great place to get away from the normal Burger and Fries and get something a little more gourmet.
As someone who used to cook (and eat) these on a daily basis, at this very locatation, let me assure you that the legs are 100% smoked, farm-raised turkey. Despite popular belief they are not a pork (or emu) product, though I must admit they do smell a bit like bacon and taste a tad like ham. I prefer mine with BBQ sauce. At $5+ the price may seem a little high, but when you consider the amount of meat you are getting, it's really a deal compared to other Disney snacks and meals. These bad boys weigh just shy of 2 pounds before cooking. A word of caution: the birds around the MK love these things (the irony, I know) so becareful, beause they will ruthlessly come after you. The L-Pad has some other good offereings, most particularly their FCBs (frozen carbonated beverages), or icees as you may know them. Don't stand in line thinking you are going to get a burger or hot dog though. There is a hot dog stand nearby and Cosmic Ray's is just around the corner.
It isn't really a playground. They either need to replace it with a real themed playground like Honey I shrunk the kids or make a finding nemo sub ride like the one in disneyland.
I have done just about every tour in WDW, and this was by far the best one that I have done. Its a bit pricy but I felt it was worth every penny. It lasts for about 2 hours and you should arrive about 30 minutes early by guest relations before you enter Epcot. You are then taken backstage and enter a ear entrance of The Seas with Nemo and Friends. You start off by getting changed into a wet suit (a wet not a dry suit so wear a bathing suit). You then proceed to go on a tour of the backstage of the Seas, this part of the tour is quite educational but very interesting. You are then taken to see where the dolphins are cared for and kept at night. The next part of the tour is the best because you are brought into the actual tank that houses the living seas. If you cant swim it might not be a big deal because you are standing on a ledge and only go waste deep. The dolphins then perform a series of tricks and you are given an brief anatomy lesson. You then each get a turn to pet and take a picture with the dolhpin. This is the end of the tour and it lasts about 2 hours. At the end we were given an exclusive shirt, pin, and we each got a picture. This was a great experience and I highly recomend it.
I just got back from EPCOT Center today, and took the Undiscovered Future World tour.There was only four of us, so it was almost like a private tour. Robert, our tour guide was excellent! We spent the first half hour or so talking about general Epcot history, and the history of Walt Disney and the company. After a brief walk through Innoventions (always Communicore!) we visited the United Technologies (former) VIP lounge in the Living Seas. We even got to see the clear piano! Robert was also kind enough to grant this JII fans ultimate wish; to visit the original Imageworks! He said its not on the tour anymore, but that he would take us up there since I wanted (so badly!) to see it. It was amazing to get to go up there again. The actual Imageworks area is only half accessable now due to construction. We were able to see the old Electronic Philharmonic, pin screens, and kaleidoscopes. Everything else has been blocked off due to construction. I was sad to hear from Robert that the Rainbow Corridor has also been mostly demolished. I still cant get over the fact that it is still up there and unused after 10 years. An area with the BEST view in the entire park has sooo many possibilities. But I guess all I can do is just hope everyday for a JII version 4 (a good one this time) and a new Imageworks upstairs where its supposed to be. We then visited Mission Space and got to visit HP's VIP lounge, very nice! We also went backstage at Test Track and saw where they work on the ride cars. It was freaky to get a look at the exterior track supports when the cars go over. They are mounted on ball bearings and the whole thing flexes about a foot in both directions. We visited the cast building and saw the wardrobe/costume department. Afterwards we saw the area where the wigs are kept, as well as the makeup room. All very interesting! Robert then walked us down to the marina and we saw the inferno barge and the LED planet barge. The tour then ended at the China pavillion.
Generally when people visit Disney World, the theme parks are the main focus of their trip. When my family visits Disney, that is not the case; Typhoon Lagoon is our favorite park, and is really the reason that we vacation in Disney World. The wave pool is the attraction that draws us to the park the most. Most "wave pools" have bobby waves that may be relaxing, but aren't much of a thrill; when you see a wave from Typhoon Lagoon coming towards you, you get the same feeling that you'd get on a roller coaster. I've been to several water parks around the country, and none of the wave pools come close to this one. A definite 10 out of 10.
Soarin' is one of EPCOT's most amazing and well done attractions. It really adds something The Land didn't have before. Queue- Okay Usually Soarin's lines tend to be crowded so being in an indoor queue really helps shorten heat exposure. The theming is not really impressive as there are only video screens that you can answer questions on. The line is not very interesting like some of the other lines however it's calming. 7.8/10 stars Ride- Excellent I have to admit that Soarin' is one of the most amazing experiences you can feel in any theme park. After the room darkens you are lifted off of the ground and thrust in front of a giant IMAX screen. Following are several film scenes accompanied with Jerry Goldsmith's landmark score and a variety of special effects. Soarin' is a well made ride with great effects and a great score. My only complaint was that the film focuses on California, where the ride originates from. Hopefully a new film will emerge in the future. 10/10 stars To warn travelers Soarin' is not a ride people who are afraid of heights will enjoy. Overall: 9.2/10 stars
Disney has made some bad choices every now and then but this was awful. The former area of 20K has been replaced with one of the most poorly made playgrounds this side of the U.S. The area looks very rushed and pointless and is the ugliest sight anyone has to endure. Only very little kids might enjoy it but otherwise stay away from the playground. It can be very dirty with tons of kids crawling over the equipment so it's best to avoid the germs. The whole area should be re-demolished and a dark ride should be added. For Toddlers- 8.9/10 stars For Kids- 7.2/10 stars For Adults- 0/10 stars Overall- 3.8 stars
The Living Seas had always been an ambitious pavilion with a strong scientific message about the ocean. Unfortunately the pavilion was not doing so well. It garnered a reputation by some to be too scientific and even boring. The pavilion also lost it's star attraction, an omnimover system that traveled through the ocean to Seabase Alpha. The pavilion had lost it's old charm and was losing what it once had. Disney finally announced that they were going to re-work the pavilion to bring a new ocean theme and make it more relevant. The pros: The Seas was going to be able to be enjoyed by everyone and was going to get it's old ride back The Cons: Nemo When it finally re-opened it was easily apparent that Nemo had moven in. The Seas With Nemo And Friends is an okay refurb. The ouside sign area got it's old wave machine back and also got the "mine" seagulls from the movie. Artists did a great job with the art on the entrance wall that features some characters. The inside room was remodeled to look like a beach in the evening and it works nicely. The ride itself was very well done in my own opinion. It features tons of the movie's characters and is overall something that kids will enjoy. The inside of the seabase along with all of it's exhibits are very well done and the tank looks just as great with the oceanlife inside. The Nemo theme will turn some people away though. For Adults- 7.4/10 stars For Teens- 6.7/10 stars For Kids- 10/10 stars Overall- 8.5/10 stars
When visiting the Animal Kingdom one can't help but notice the gigantic mountain looming over the Asian section of the park.It is a well detailed recreation of Mount Everest and inside is a high speed roller coaster and a very angry yeti. Disney has really gone all out with the design of the mountain as it is very detailed and impressive. There are several waterfalls and shrubbery to look at from the outside but not much on the inside. Queue- Excellent It is an understatement to say the Imagineers are detailed. The theming to Everest's queue is by far one of the most impressive lines located at any theme park. The outside line has a tibetan village feel to it with it's ritual shrines and detailed architecture. After waiting for a while you enter the inside portion of the queue which is made to look like an Asian musuem. There are several glass cases showcasing evidence of the Yeti and some animal exhibits showing what wildlife is native to Mount Everest's landscape. Even if the line is over an hour the queue is so impressive it may make you forget your tired feet. The loading station is the only downside to the queue as it is not as impressive as the rest of the line. 9.1/10 stars Ride- Excellent To start off I have to congratulate the detail that went onto the making of Expedition Everest's trains. They come complete with several tea trading markings that give a hats off to the attraction's backstory and have real steam that is released in the loading station. That being said, the attraction is impressive from beginning to end. You start off by climbing the lift hill and passing through some shrines for the yeti. Disney Imagineers did a fine job with creating some of the murals for the attraction. Afterwards you finish your ascent and embark on a brief trip through the mountain's glaciers. The mountain is given a tratment involving mist and cold air to give you a sense of being atop the tall mountain. When your trains run afoul of broken tracks they zoom backwards into the roller coaster segment. The backwards portion is, to warn visitors, very disorienting that can make one dizzy. You finally are rocketed down an 80 ft. drop and into a high speed roller coaster ride, complete with an encounter with the Yeti. The inside of the attraction doesn't have much detail like the exterior. The Yeti animatronic is, when it's working however, the most gigantic, impressive, fluid, and detailed character that can be found in any theme park. The rollercoaster portion of the attraction is not as intense as most coasters but is still fun and disorienting in a good way. 8.9/10 stars Expedition Everest is one of Disney's best rides by far and is complete with a painstaking amount of detail the imagineers put in, making it one of the best coasters I have ever ridden. Hopefully this originality will be Disney's first priorities in the making of future attractions at the Animal Kingdom.
I have never experienced the original version so I did not have any low expectations with this ride. After riding a few times I came to the conclusion that it was an okay ride. Families will have alot to enjoy as JIWF has an adorable character and a fun tune. Otherwise, this attraction is very short and not as interesting once you have rode it a few times already. The lines are usually short so anytime is a good time, mostly when you are waiting for another attraction with Fastpass. Overall: 7.8/10 stars
Ever wanted to know what a crash test dummy feels like? Then this is the ride for you. When World Of Motion closed it's doors and Test Track moved in EPCOT got a taste of thrill. Test Track launches you on a crash course of vehicle testing as you learn all of the exciting things car companies do to make sure their vehicles are durable. The finale of the attraction sends you 0 to 64 mph as you go through a series of outdoor banked turns! Test Track is the fastest ride at Epcot and with good reason. Queue- Okay The queue is not very impressive overall and tends to give me a headache. There are some interesting test demonstrations going on that are fun to watch but if you don't have fastpass expect to be waiting for quite a while. 7.4/10 stars Pre-show- Okay After waiting in line you enter a box shaped room with video screens up front. Bill Mckim and co. give you a brief summary of the rigors of car testing and then show you what you will experience, they even throw in a "surprise test". Uh-oh. The pre-show room is for the most part boring with a sense that the Imagineers were rushing through it. The video is kind of entertaining. 6.4/10 stars Ride- Excellent After leaving the pre-show you enter the main loading dock and begin your journey. There are several durability test as well as the outdoor track in which you reach speeds up to 64 mph. The ride is very entertaining and fast paced that teaches you something along the way. 9.5/10 stars Post Show- Good Test Track's post show allows kids and car loving adults to sit inside a large selection of vehicles. This is coupled with a rocking group of car advertisements playing in the front of the room. There is also some learning areas and a virtual reality playfield. My biggest problem with the post show is that it feels alot like a car advertisement and in a way, it is. 8.5/10 stars Every time I experience Test Track I get something new and have alot of fun. There are many families who enjoy the ride so I highly reccomend it for thrill seekers and families alike. Test Track shows that learning can be very fast. Overall: 8/10 stars
Out of the seven lands located at the Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland is the best. With the 1995 refurb it was changed from an all white, dated look at the future into a beautiful looking metropolis with kinetic fixtures, neon lights, and interesting architecture. The land is teeming with an alien, slightly techo theme and works as a community. Each building serves a purpose in the grand scheme of things and the attention to detail is well done. Along with the refurb several new shops and attractions were brought in to match the theme. Unfortunately the land has gone down in it's value. Many of the creative attractions that were top notch have been replaced with awful, cheap imitators. Hopefully that will change in the future.
Remember 3,000 years ago when the Honey series was in thaters. This show is extremely outdated and kinda boring.
Remember the good old days when Disney was actually creative. The Timekeeper was a prime example of that Disney creativity at it's best. The show starred both Robin Williams as The Timekeeper and Rhea Perlman as his quirky robot assistant 9-Eye. The story was that Timekeeper had invented a time machine and was going to send 9-Eye on a trip through time. The film was shot in Circle-Vision 360, meaning the screns circled 360 degrees around the audience to give them a view of everything around them. During the trip something goes wrong and 9-Eye is hurtled back to the past, ecountering Dinosaurs, Ice, and angry scottish soldiers who are in the middle of a large battle. Timekeeper manages to get a grip on things and sends her to various points in time like the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the painting of Mona Lisa, and a young Mozart concert. Finally they arrive at the Futurist Fair in Paris and encounter Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Due to Timekeeper's clumsiness Jules Verne is accidentally sent back to the present with 9-Eye and embarks on a hilarious adventure through the air, on the land, under the sea, and even into space. After dropping Verne back at the fair in time for his speech The Timekeeper selects a group of audience members and "sends them to the future". The attraction was full of hilarious one liners courtesy of Robin Williams and was beautiful composed by Bruce Broughton. The only complaint I had was with having to stand throughout the entire show but otherwise I had a blast. R.I.P. Timekeeper Cast (in alphabetical order) Patrick Bauchau Nathalie Baye Myriam Boyer ... 9-Eye (french version) (voice) Gérard Depardieu ... Paris Airport Employee Jeremy Irons ... H.G. Wells Michel Leeb ... Timekeeper (french version) (voice) Franco Nero ... Leonardo da Vinci Rhea Perlman ... 9-Eye (voice) Michel Piccoli ... Jules Verne Jean Rochefort ... Louis XV Robin Williams ... Timekeeper (voice) Anna Pernicci ... Mona Lisa (uncredited) (voice) Produced by John Badham .... executive producer Antoine Compin .... producer Tom Fitzgerald .... executive producer Charis Horton .... producer James W. Riley .... executive producer Original Music by Bruce Broughton Cinematography by Ronnie Taylor Film Editing by Dennis Orcutt Production Design by Peter Murton Costume Design by Bob Ringwood Production Management Antoine Compin .... unit production manager Olivier Garabedian .... on-location manager Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Antoine Compin .... first assistant director Art Department Clark Anderson .... production designer: future Paris Syd Mead .... production designer: future Paris Sound Department Greg Krueger .... sound editor Dennis Leonard .... sound editor Dennis Leonard .... sound re-recording mixer Shawn Murphy .... sound re-recording mixer Gary Rydstrom .... sound designer Gary Summers .... sound re-recording mixer Visual Effects by Harold Buchman .... digital artist Mike Chambers .... visual effects producer: Apogee David Cornelius .... motion control programmer: Apogee Productions Douglas Smith .... visual effects supervisor Michael Tigar .... digital artist Jim Veilleux .... visual effects supervisor Joseph Yanuzzi .... visual effects editor: Apogee Camera and Electrical Department C.W. Fallin .... cinematographer: additional unit Marc Wolff .... camera pilot Casting Department Fritz Fleischhacker .... casting: Austria Lucky Englander .... casting: Austria (uncredited) Other crew Olivier Garabedian .... assistant location manager Nan Garcia-Wood .... set medic Marc Wolff .... aerial coordinator
Not much words can say.. this was the best food and service we had all week. we ate lunch and the buffet dinner, both were awesome. will go back again and again.
My family went to the 50's cafe last week for our first trip to disney, they service was horrible and the food wasnt that great, this was the worst food experience we had all week. There are much better places to eat.
The Zebra Domes are right up there as the best dessert at Walt Disney World. They are unique, very tasty, and incredibly addictive! Best of all, they are on the Boma buffet, meaning unlimited supplies! Rare I give anything 10 out of 10, but these are impossible to fault, so it's a perfect 10 score from me.
Unlike many people out there I have never rode Alien Encounter so I will give the attraction a fair review based on my opinion. It's Awful! That is the best summary that I can really come up with for this ride. What was Disney thinking?!? Stitch's Great Escape can easily be compared to a popcorn movie, it has great visuals but that's about it. Loading Area- The show's story starts out easily explained, you are recruited to watch prisoners at a jail like teleportation factory. You have to make sure none of them escape from their holding cells while they are getting processed. It's really that simple. The pre-show video you watch literally looks like it came from a C-grade animated television show and is extremely corny. 3.5/10 stars Pre-show- After the video you are sent into the demonstration chamber where your robot host shows you how the prisoners are teleported and explains what levels are used to categorize them. Aside from a couple of inside jokes and an appearance by Skippy,(who probably wished he stayed fried after Alien Encounter) there is really nothing interesting that happens. 6/10 stars Main Show- You are finally seated inside of a large cylindrical theater with a large teleportation tube in the middle. A level three prisoner is teleported in and guess who, it's Stitch. The stitch animatronic is quite impressive for what it is worth and the giant laser targeting guns are very fluid and realistic. That is the only praise I have for this attraction. Throughout the rest of the ride you are in the dark getting assaulted with the disgusting smell of a chili dog that Stitch burps on you or getting tickled by Stitch himself. The effects are either disgusting or extremely poor in their execution and the script the actors read from could have been written better by a couple of Kindergartners who have been held back three years in a row. The finale is also very lackluster and anti-climactic. 2.5/10 stars Overall Stitch's Great Escape is an uninteresting attraction that is corny for all the wrong reasons. Hopefully next time Disney will learn from their mistakes and make a GOOD attraction or even bring back Alien Encounter. Overall: 2/10 stars
Disney has lately been getting into the business of "Digital Puppetry", an art form which allows digitally animated characters to interact with aduience member via hidden cast members. It is an interesting and unique technique that occasionally works and occasionally doesn't. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club is the latter. Replacing the hilarious and clever Timekeeper; MILF, for short, brings a new concept to Tomorrowland. A group of guests are invited to visit Monstropolis via a door and get the chance to join in on the monster's comedy act. The laughter the audience generates is going to be used to power the world the monsters live in. Audience members are picked at random and shown on a big screen while they interact with the monsters that are on the "stage". Most of the jokes rely on who is playing that character and how well they pull it off however you can text your own jokes to the cast members and hope they get chosen. I have personally watched the show several times and was not very impressed. Jokes that are funny the first time usually become very stale the next and at times the show lags on. One good thing I came out MILF with was an appreciation for the digital technique Imagineers use to bring these characters to life with and how well it is executed during the show. All that said, I recommend visiting the show at least once to enjoy it but it is not really worth any repeat visits. I also highly recomend to take your kids to see it if they enjoyed Monsters Inc. Overall it is not an awful attraction but it certainly is far from great. 1st visit- 7/10 stars Repeat Visits- 4/10 stars For Kids- 9/10 stars Overall: 6/10 stars
With a great prize on the line like the "dream ticket" to get to the front of the line at any American Idol Audition, I believe many people will start adding "Studios" to the end of the nationally recognized phrase coined by the stars of Idol. I was there for the Grand Opening on February 14th and have to say that I am hooked! I missed the first show, but saw every one after that and enjoyed each one thoroughly! Unlike other shows and like Millionaire - Play It, this will never get "old" because the content is always different every show. The judges were excellent. I saw both sets, the look alikes to Randy, Paula and Simon and the other set...both judging groups were cast wonderfully. One of them however reminded me how much we all miss the Comedy Wharehouse, because he was one of the talents that performed there. One of the best aspects I believe is the buildup to the daily Grand Finale show. I believe the intrigue as to whether or not the contestant who won in your show will receive the Dream Ticket, may actually help keep quite a few people in the park who may otherwise leave earlier in the day. The only thing that has me worried is that on the day of the Grand Opening, they had very few people auditioning and 99% of those that were auditioning were girls. If this was the Grand Opening and so few were auditioning, I worry about days with less people in the park. Overall though, congrats to the Cast Members who made the Grand Opening a huge success and congrats to Disney for adding AI to our magical experience!
Its a great place to have a drink after a day at the parks but with the new Wave restaurant on the 1st floor with their awesome lounges, why go to the Outer Rim? For one thing, Outer Rim doesn't even have tables anymore to put your drinks on. Oh well. I miss the old version.
The show has a very impressive set, but its all down hill from there. The pre-show guy was quite possibly the most annoying person I've seen on stage. The judges had to give the stereotypical tv responses....randy is ghetto....paula is an airhead....and simon is an a$$....its stupid. It might be a hair better if the judges actually gave true opinions instead of giving a blind response. I've spent almost a year of my life in Disney World and their has only been one attraction I refuse to visit...Stitch...now there's 2.
I went to the AP preview on Feb. 6th at 4:00 and I have to say I really enjoyed it. All 3 performers were teenagers, but they all had decent voices. No one was the trainwreck that people think there will be out there. Sure, you could see nerves, but no one was outright horrible. Also, the stage was outstanding. I know it's been said before, but it does look just like the real stage and blows you away when you enter the theater. The show was very entertaining and worked almost exactly like it does on the show. There were the three judges and the thing that I liked about the Experience show was that they did tend to try to give advice to the contestants about what they could do better. Now, keep in mind, I'm a fan of American Idol. But I don't believe you have to be a fan of the show to be entertained. I think that people who like the show aspect of the Studios will enjoy this attraction. If you're more of a rides person, this might not be for you. However, I'm always one who likes to give everything a try and believes that everyone should go in with an open mind about everything that is there.
Let me start off by saying, both my husband and I were sick on this our last day at WDW, but we had the Annual Passholders preview tickets and wanted to attend. We got there around 11am,had to check in for the 12 noon show, but were told that there were not enough people (audience? contestants?) for the noon show, but that we could attend the 1pm. But we did check in, got our wristbands and spoke to one of the CMs there who told us that her Mom was going to be singing, which puzzled me because I watch American Idol and the cut off age for contestants was 30, the Mom had to definitely be older than 30. We had to be back at AI by 12:30PM for the pre-show. By this point, we couldn't wait to get into the theater and sit down. Finally went in and a CM explained that 3 people would be singing, and that we had keypads on the arm rests and we'll be asked to vote at the end. They introduced the 3 judges, the gentleman judge definitely acted the Simon Cowell part. First up was the CM's Mom that I spoke about, she sang "I Can See Clearly Now" and did a good job. The second was a 14 year old boy from Florida who sang "Sweet Home Alabama", and wasn't bad. The third was another middle aged woman, who sang "Walking After Midnight" in a very soulful, sultry voice and she was fantastic (and the winner). She would be back at the 7pm show, along with the winners of the other afternoon shows. The daily winner would get the front of the line ticket to any American Idol audition (however as explained by the host, today's winner would not be getting the ticket -- probably because of the American Idol age cut off) I am an American Idol fan, so it did interest me to see a form of it live. Would I do it again? Not sure. I don't know if our illness had something to do with my not giving this show a 10. I really didn't care for the pre-show. I do give the performers a great deal of credit and wish them all the best for that coveted Golden Ticket to Hollywood.
Having been to Epcot countless times there is one ride I never miss. Ellen's Energy Adventure! This ride is an instant classic and is immediately one my top favorite list for any theme park ride. The show, located in the Universe Of Energy pavilion, is one of the craftiest, most unique and clever show/ride on the market. Ellen's Energy Adventure has a fairly simple storyline, a woman named Ellen is trapped in a nightmare "dream sequence" in which she has compete on the T.V. show Jeopardy with former college roommate Judy Peterson and none other than Albert Einstein himself. The story takes an even more unique twist as Ellen, with the help of friend Bill Nye The Science Guy, journeys through time to help learn about energy. Ellen and Bill travel to the Big Bang,(it is very loud for those of you with tikes), the dinosaur age, various energy resource plants, underwater, atom splitting, and finally back to the game show. Ellen's Energy Adventure is a 45 minute show that is great for taking a break from the hot Florida sun and walking around the park all day. A portion of the ride also travels through a gigantic dinosaur diorama with life sized dinosaurs, insects, volcanoes and geysers, water effects, and more! This ride is an amazing addition to EPCOT and really shows that learning can be fun and hilarious. Ellen's Energy Adventure Produced By: Antoine Compin Starring: Ellen Degeneres Bill Nye Jamie Lee Curtis Alex Trebek Willard Scott Corey Burton Chris Berman Johnny Gilbert Michael Richards Benny Wasserman Original Music By: Bruce Broughton Second Unit Director: Rusty Mahmood Sound Department: Greg Krueger .... sound re-recording mixer Gary Summers .... sound re-recording mixer Visual Effects By: Tex Kadonaga .... visual effects art director: Rhythm & Hues Rob Ostir .... digital effects artist Sherril Schlesinger .... visual effects editor Ron Simonson .... digital colorist David J. Witters .... visual effects animator Camera and Electrical Department Pat O'Mara .... grip Marc Wolff .... pilot: camera helicopter Editorial Department Danya Joseph .... apprentice editor
I have seen the show a couple of times now. A few weeks ago in the very first soft openings the show was a bit rough, but really that is to be expected. Now that I have gone during the AP and DVC previews I saw signifigant improvement and I LOVE it. Of course I am a big American Idol fan so that may lead me to love it so much. To me the show is very entertaining. I have overhead different guests during the show and at exit and everyone has said they like it. Each time is different because of the guest performers. The lighting, the graphics, the host, and the judges all add to it, but the best part of the show in my opinion is the guest performers because their families and friends are there and each show is different because of them.
First, the decor from the time you check in to the furthest hotel room on the grounds is amazing. It seemed like we found something interesting everytime we went out. We stayed in the 60's complex and could not have picked a better area to be in. The pool was great, it was close to the shops and food, and even had a bar. Second, the room itself was a little small but big enough to hold a family of four. The beds weren't that comfortable and a queen sized would have been preferable, but that's nitpicking. We had a few issues with a broken fan in the bathroom and non-working hairdryer, but they were all fixed the day we reported it to maintenance. Housekeeping also responded to whatever we asked for, which was nice. Third, the kids loved the pools, arcade, and shopping in the hotel. The lifeguards were always on the lookout and cleanliness was of most importance both outside and inside the pool. The pool shut down one afternoon due to one child's "accident". While the shopping wasn't as exciting an experince as in the parks, our store had a fair representation of what you could get in greater varieties in the parks. While a bit expensive, we also had any essentials we may need while on vacation available, which we ended up needing, anyway. The arcade had a decent selection of games and the kids had a blast reloading their cards and picking their gifts, using the tickets they had "won" there. Fourth, the food we had there was pretty good. The muffin I had tasted fresh and the hot food my wife and kids ate was indeed hot. The selctions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seemed fair, if not a little pricey. That's Disney, I guess. The $13.99 refillable mug seemed popular at our resort but they used to be $8.99 and 4 ounces bigger a few years ago. We ended up getting our drinks in the machine on our floor. I'm sure it's still not a bad deal for the mug. Finally, everyone we dealt with was friendly. I spoke to a Vacation Club lady who very pleasant and didn't spnd any of our time trying to sell me anything or get me to go on a tour. While the food area got a bit messy by midday, the entire complex was very clean and well kept. They were even doing some outdoor painting during our stay. While I probably would not stay there again to try a different hotel, I would recommend anyone else with kids head over to Pop Century. You will have great time.
Wife and i are casual Idol fans and we saw a soft opening performance. Great set. It looked like one of the 3 performers was an actual contestant and the other two were disney employees. It was entertaining, I might see it a 2nd time but I dont see how it can survive? It will end up a glorified kareoke show. Also I want to be entertained, I dont want to have to be "part of the show' clapping and screaming like I'm excited about whats going on.. For us, one of the interesting things about Idol is that you get to know the singers. You like some and hate others. This wont happen at disney, at each show you are seeing total strangers... Like I said, Kareoke.... Steve
The name of the constant is Julianne Taylor, not Caroline. The contstants are people visiting the park that day. We spent some time talking with Julianne's family after the show. They weren't expecting this.
If you are an Idol fan you will love this attraction. The stage is awesome. It has all the aspects of the actual show. I would have taken pictures, but the cast members were watching like a hawk. My husband, daughter(9) and I went to the 4pm show on February 4th. We enjoyed the winner so much we went back to the finale show to see if she would win the golden ticket and she did. Remember the name Caroline Taylor, she will do very well on the actual show. The golden ticket gets them to the head of the line of an actual American Idol audition. As they say, "The ultimate fastpass". We loved the warm up guy, Mark. The guy who is supposed to be Ryan S, I was not impreesed with. I think they can find someone better for that roll. He couldn't remember his lines and kept looking up at the teleprompter. They have the words from the songs up there too for the contestants. The judges are ok. I liked the one lady who is supposed to be Randy's counterpart the best. I enjoyed booing the one who was supposed to be Simon. His digs were pretty funny. The judges were better in the finale. More serious and dressed better. The finale was done well and had five contestants. We will definately go to this attraction again. Try it at least once. It is entertaining if you like music.
The American Idol Experience was somewhat disappointing to me. The number one problem was the judges. They filled the stereotypes of Randy Paula and Simon, and, like the people they were portraying but moreso, they were totally rehearsed and predictable. There was little believability that what they were saying was an opinion of the song they just heard. They came across as though they were going to say the "funny" comments that they rehearsed regardless of how the performers did. Now I realize that the show is still in previews and there is an announcement that Disney employees are allowed to perform until the official opening, but at the finale show that I saw, I think four out of the five performers were "planted" there. One came across as a genuine park guest, and coincidentally, he was the only one for whom they prepared a video profile. The others had no video about themselves, and they clearly appeared to be actors made up to look like park guests (though I can't prove this.) It gave the show another aspect of unbelievability. The winner, as chosen by the audience, was one of the people I felt was an actor, and he balled when his name was announced. It all seemed unreal. Another problem is that the contestants were reading the lyrics from a large projection on the back wall of the auditorium. This isn't wrong, especially given the short time they have to prepare, but it looked painfully obvious that they were reading, so it came across as a giant karaoke contest. A small live band would have helped make the show seem more real and believable, also. I thought the host was good, and the warm up host was funny if not a little too hyper. I don't regret having seen it, and it was somewhat enjoyable, but it could have been much better. The show would be better if I felt that all the contestants were actualy park guests, but if I were to return to the park, I'd have no problem skipping the show if there was something else I wanted to do in the time I had.
After staying on property 12 times at varied resorts Fulton's is bar far the best! It has everything pins, t-shirts, food, etc... And at nights while shopping you can hear the piano bar next door. It also has the best resort merchandise.
Obviously for people who love Idol, but there are enough of them to more than justify this very faithful recreation. Only thing I'd have liked more was superstar television 2.0!
has a great selection of tshirts, candy, and other great stuff. if your staying at por its a great place to visit
Beautiful set. That's the end of the beauty! The host and judges are so horribly scripted. The talent was terrible. It's a "once and done" experience --- see it once and chances are you'll never go back. Sad.
I've eaten at a lot of Steak Houses before and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this meal. The NY Strip is the best deal on the menu if you're on the dining plan. The creamery cake for dessert was amazing too. My rating is solely based on the quality of food. The service and ambiance was great too, but the 9 is based on the food. They even had free candy at the entrance for kids. (We laughed as we watched kids try to scoop up as much as they could when their parents weren't looking)
this show was bad wram up guy is the wrost the judges are all wanna bes and bad at the the stage and everything is mint but this wont last to long went with 4 friends everyone hated it the gift shop pushes all the idol cds games etc they should have buld a new ride THIS WONT LAST TO LONG!
We saw the American Idol Experience on January 14th. Me, my husband and son thoroughly enjoyed it. The theater was full. We thought it was well put together. The 3 singers weren't Idol quality but they come out and did their best. We thought it was awkward using the touch pads for voting which are located on the arm rests of the seats. The set is beautiful. Lighting and sound in the theater was good and the commentary from the 3 judges was similar to ones done on the show. We would probably come back to see it again, but not something we would do every time we visited Hollywood Studios.
I stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort for a wedding. It was a beautiful resort, but that might be the only nice thing I have to say about it. We waited for a bus over 45 mins more than once, it just never came. It would have been easier to digest had they came and been full. Our air conditioning didn't work, but the resort was full so they couldn't move us. Also, our bath drain didn't flow properly and the tub would fill with water. There were about 40 rooms that weekend taken at this resort by our friends and family and unfortunately, quite a few people has issues...
The food is good, we would go back. Much improved from the old galley menue
The Gaylord Palms is a real hidden gem around WDW. Firstly, it's very close to WDW, infact so close that it takes less than 2 minutes to drive from the parking lot to the WDW entry sign. The closest WDW resort to the Gaylord Palms would be Pop Century. The actual resort is a destination in itself. The main atrium area is a fully covered, air conditioned tropical oasis. It's full of plants, trees, water, rockwork, even live gators. The rooms are first class, as are the dining locations. This resort is probably the best in the WDW area. If you can look beyond it not being on the monorail beam, it eclipses the best of what WDW has to offer. If you can get the WDWMAGIC rates of around $150-$200, this place is also a real bargain. It has more of a feel of a $300 - $400 per night resort. Give it a go on your next trip, you wont be dissapointed.
needs replacing badly!!!! Last seen in 2003
My wife and I are retired - we visit WDW every six months, and go to EVERY Signature Restaurant. The California Grill is the BEST of these. Best food, best service, best people. It will cost you - but it is HIGHLY worth it.
Deserves the Signature Dining title - perfect food, great service. You will pay for this: Not for those on a budget.
Still has the "Signature" title, but filets are off the menu, replaced by poor NY strips. Very sad, as this was one of my favorites... can no longer recommend it.
Still has the "Signature" title, but filets are off the menue, replaced by poor NY strips. Very sad, as this was one of my favorites... can no longer recommend it.
I loved how realistic the presidents were. When one was speaking, all the others would turn their head to watch. They would also figit like real people!
An absolutely beautiful restaurant! A host sat us down with menus and a wine list right on time for our 9pm reservation and we did not see our waiter for another 20 minutes. I was getting ready to suggest that we leave when he finally appeared. We ordered the olive flat bread as a starter and all three in my party ordered the filet mignon....the flat bread and the steaks were delivered within a minute of each other...which seemed strange but we were starving. The flatbread was wonderful..the olive and cheese flavors were fabulous together and the filet was quite good...cooked perfectly ..I was expecting more 'wow' from the macaroni and cheese after reading the reviews..it was just there to take up space on the plate this night. I ordered the chocolate cheesecake for dessert and fell in love..I would venture back to Jiko just for this dessert..the lavender ice cream was so sweet and yummy!!!
My mother and I took a trip together in November 2008, and I decided we should try POFQ...something new, haven't been there yet but have stayed at Riverside. This resort is the one I'll be coming back to every year. It is beautiful...the pastel colors, the gardens, river, everything. No matter what building they put you in, you will be close.. we were in Building 1, first floor, corner room...love the corner rooms for the 2 windows! The rooms were very clean and they even left us towel animals a few times throughout the week! The foodcourt was never crowded, so waiting was never an issue..LOVED the Beignets yummmm!!!!! We never really shared busses with POR at all...maybe twice and both times it took foreverrrr to get where we needed to be. It was a very slow week of the year, and we had our own busses the majority of the week, which was fantastic! The boat to DTD is a great perk for staying at Port Orleans...so relaxing to get away from the busses and just hang out at Downtown Disney. All in all, I love this resort and will be definately coming back this year in November. From the moment we stepped off of DME, we were greeted by a nice man who gave us beads and made sure everything was ok prior to checking-in... it really was wonderful. This is why I come back to WDW every year. See ya soon French Quarter!!!!!
First thing to say about Idol may seem obvious, BUT, if you like American Idol, you will most likely really like the attraction. If you are so-so, or dislike Idol, I dont think you are going to find yourself in this attraction very often. It seems a very accurate reproduction of the real Idol show. The production quality of Idol at the Studios is first class. The theater, lighting and set is very well done. They really have delivered a great looking show, and even go to such lengths as using a stedi-cam for providing TV pictures during the performances. Where the attraction begins to fail is when you get into the actual substance of the show. In our preview show, we got to see 3 guests sing. Yes the lights were great, the set looked great, and the effects were great, but the singers were not. They did a great job of trying, but the fact is they were not great singers. I don't want to spend an hour of my park time seeing 3 guests sing random songs. The hosts and judges were good, as you would expect. Some of the old Adventures Club hosts have found a new home here. There are then some other issues with the show that need addressing in my opinion. There is a whole section featuring Jordin Sparks, that shows a promo video of the Studios, where the whole audience is supposed to be on their feet cheering and singing along. I am sure the idea behind this was to involve those who were not performing, but it just comes across as cheesy, and will grow tired very quickly for repeat visits. To sum up, it's very well produced, but isn't a good attraction as a whole. I think serious fans of the show will like this, and any potential performers may be counting down the days till they can perform, but for the majority, I think this will turn into a see-it-once attraction.
Let me be perfectly frank to start out saying, I don't think American Idol belongs in Disney. And another thing to get out of the way: I enjoyed the show. Keeping in mind that this was the FIRST public Finale Show (A huge first) I got to see seven of the "best" singers from the Day. Surprisingly, most of them were quite good. The lighting and the amazing camerawork (SteadyCam Operator? INCREDIBLY expensive!) makes the songs entertaining, as well as any flair (or lack thereof) the singers give. I've already mentioned how shiny the set is, as well as the comfort of the seats) so I won't get into it. The pre-show, and main show really shine because of how dedicated, funny, and involved the entertainers are. It's kind of like that line in Pineapple Express: "You know at first I didn't like Red, but you liked him so much, now I like you!". Pretty much. This show will only continue to be exciting as long as the reigns are loosened on the Cast (Continuing to allow them to improvise, and be funny.) and keep being excited about the show, and the audience remains involved. Every time the crowd got a little less-then-hyped, or the singer was sub-par, the show would go from Good Jazz, to Yanni. ("That's the SAME song Yanni.") Another problem is "hyping" people to boo the Judges if you disagree. Maybe it's because I usually AGREE with Simon (And the Show's Simon), or the fact that I don't hold Judges in contempt for JUDGING. Kinda' what they are supposed to do. Let the three funny judges do their thing, I will never boo any of them. So in conclusion, get there fast and see the Finale show. And hope they've found good singers. Because if just one of these things falls out of place (Which sadly, seems very easy.), the show may be like a bad song: Funny at first, but then kind of depressing.
I loved this resort it was nice and spread out not with buildings right next to you which was great! Walking at night was beautiful and peaceful walking through the gardens getting to your building. the beds were slightly uncomfortable though. If you stay there look at the bedspread closely and u will find hidden mickeys! My friend found 15 and I found 10! The only bad part was waiting for buses. We waited a while and the annoying part was a Epcot one would leave and about a minute later another Epcot one will come! So it can be annoying having to wait! The food was Great and so was everything else about the place!
This is a fun place to eat especially with the characters! the only sad part is that my mom said when she talked to our travel agent that on jan 1st 09 the character part will be discontinued. I liked having the characters because u don't have to wait in the long lines to meet them! all THEY DO WAS COME AROUND TO YOU!. The food is great it is just one big thing which is great!
No matter how long the wait is you have to (I mean HAVE TO) go on this ride! After waiting like a hour or two u will be happy that u waited on line! The ride is so much fun to go on!If u r staying in on Disney property go to the magic hours at night and ride the ride during Fantasmic! There is like a 30 minute wait! Cause everybody is at the show! That is what we did!
this is just plain bad, weird, and stupid!
The parade was very unique to watch and especially watching the little boys faces light up when they saw mater and lighting McQueen coming. This will be one parade that I will miss forever!
Club Cool gives you the chance to try Coca Cola products from around the world. Most important, it's free! This translates to free drinks, in an air conditioned environment - not bad! The place does get busy, and you will have to listen to some radio Disney type music, but it's a neat place that is well worth a visit.
I have to agree that river country was definitly the best water park on disney property. I remember having an annual pass for RC and they were less then what the cost of a day pass for BB or TL is now. After doing a little big of research on why RC closed, i now understand why its closed. According to the Florida Dept of Recreation, RC closed because the water that is used to make RC run is coming from Bay Lake and the toxins have made it unhealty for the park guests. So if you have ever wondered why its closed, then that is the reason.
So far the show is still in tech-rehearsal but has alot of potential to be a hit. I really enjoyed the Finale show. It's done really well. A lot of the show has to do with the talent of the singers so I do believe there is a repeatability factor. The stage is awesome. Looks like the real thing. It also has a feel of a live TV taping. I would say this attraction helps put the Studio back into Hollywood Studios. Something that has been missing for awhile.
I hadn't eaten here for about 7 years so I knew it probably wasn't going to be the same. My husband and I planned this to be our romantic dinner during the fireworks in July 08'. Because of the Disney Buses cutting back due to gas prices our trip from Downtown Disney took almost an hour and half. (We left Downtown Disney at 8, didn't get to Ohana till almost 9:20) We were panicking because we thought we had given ourselves plenty of time to get to the restaurant and were 10 minutes late! Because we were late they had given our special requested table to another couple apparently (we had requested 90 days in advance to be next to the window for the fireworks) My husband kept looking at his watch worried we were even going to be seated for the fireworks since they told us they would have wait since we were late. Finally we were seated only 5 minutes before the show was to start...behind a pole. The food was great, and after I moved my chair to the other side of the table and looked over the heads of the table across from us it was a good firework show. Our waitress only refilled our drinks once, and wasn't very happy. My husband still wants to go back because the food was so good. The overall experience could have been better.
My husband is really hard to please as far as Disney dining. (We’ve had some bad experiences) So when he came home for his 2 week R&R from Iraq, I thought it was time to introduce him to WCC. He loved it!!! He couldn't get enough of the ribs, and the price for lunch is half of what it is for dinner! You get almost the same menu less I think a salad and pulled pork for 50% off!!! (hint if your trying to save money) This was July 06' we went back later for a Christmas Eve dinner with my folks and Santa was there. When my husband had to redeploy to Afghanistan all he could talk about was going back to WCC on his leave, so in July 08' we got to go this time with our son. (our little souvenir from our last Disney trip :P) Our waiter was so fun, he had a great time with our toddler. The all you can drink milk shakes are a BIG hit with us, and still the food is to die for. We love the fun you get to have, and my husband loves to play along with the wait staff. We have planned another trip to Disney this time 6 days because of the new Military Salute that’s going on, and this time we are going for Breakfast so we can't wait. We have told all our friends you MUST eat here at least once.
We ate there last month. We thought the atmosphere was great a lot better than Rainforest. The food was good. Our only complaint was it seemed the servers were a little mixed up, at first didn't know who our server was (didn't affect timing) and then other tables meals were first brought to ours. Thought it was a little pricey, but kind of expect that with Disney or touristy area.
So nice we did it twice! I will be the first one to tell you that I feel used and sort of 'unclean' every time I eat at Rainforest....quality is down and prices are sky high. I wanted to build dinosaurs with my 4 and 6 year old sons and I was willing to suffer a night in this restaurant to complete the experience....I was pleasantly surprised. I'm pretty sure the menu is quite similar to Rainforest ..perhaps some different names. The first night my 18 year old son(who also managed to get a box with a dino in it complete with caveman outfit)and my husband both scarfed down boneyard buffets with complete joy on their faces, I had ordered a Omnivore Salad and onion soup...they brought me the wrong salad(something with chicken and chopped egg) but I ate it anyway since I'm not that fussy and it was good the onion soup didn't have a lot of depth to it's flavor but I understand that they need to make it so it is palatable to the majority. The little ones had a pizza and chicken nuggets and both plates were clean by time we left. The second night we invited my BIL and his family to join us as well as a family friend and it was just as good. They placed us in a large booth that faced the iced cave and bar and the meteor shower was much better from here than on out previous visit sitting just past the Octopus bar. Our server this night was AWESOME...I was mad at hubby when I found out he didn't add on to the 18% automatic gratuity. Over the course of 2 visits we spent more than $500 and I have no regrets.
Good food, great service loved it... will come again.
Had the all you can eat skillet....very good value, very good food. Atmosphere was great, wait staff was wonderful. We have determined that this will be a must do each trip.
Take out-cheese pizza and fried chicken pizza is the frozen variety...the kids ate it , I did not care for it. I rate this a 2. Fried chicken-loved it....hubby and eldest son declared it fantastic, compared it to Maryland fried chicken. Rated a 10 Watched a woman flip out because she had to wait for take out chicken from the kitchen when some was available on the buffet...I though perhaps it was a inventory/record keeping issue, but...... Dinner Buffet Not the same chicken as take out..hubby and eldest son said not even close to the same chicken as take out... deemed it disgusting along with everything else except the corn bread..I had to agree..the food was not worth the price of the buffet. rated a 2
I enjoyed the mashed potatoes and the mac and cheese from the kid's buffet..the sausage and peppers were good too. They don't use the soft shelled clams(steamers) they use cherry stone clams(small quahogs)which were bitter and needed to soak in the butter for several minutes before being edible. Now I saw other people going to town on these clams, but as a former New Englander my expectation for 'steamers' was quite different from what was served. The corn on the cob tasted flowery. And I did not care for the ribs. Drink refills were quite slow, it pained me to tip the automatic 18% with the Tables in Wonderland discount.
Great value by WDW standards. Had the chicken alfredo and it was very filling. The tie dye cheesecake was nice. Really, nothing to complain about.
I thought it had some of the best food I've had on property. Not the most exciting place in terms of theming (feels like a typical seafood restaurant), but really good eats.
The show has great lighting effects and set pretty much like the television show. If you are a fan of American Idol than you would like it. If you aren't and don't care for a glorified karaoke performance than don't expect too much. The talent that I saw was very plain. I'm sure there will be some great performers that come through the auditions eventually but I'd rather spend the wait time for another attraction.
A Good addition to Hollywood Studios. Show structure runs well. Only problem I see is with the talent casted, as it could be hit or miss in the future. The Judges really make the show great, and the set/lighting design are top notch. I'm not a fan of the TV show, but was still entertained by this theme park version. May still need some tweeking, but still worth seeing once. (and huge credit to whoever wrote the "delayed show" announcement, it's pretty great)
My wife and I used to love this place! We ate there a few times and loved everything. Just to mix things up one night we had dinner at the place next to Ohana, but walked by it on our way out. For no particular reason, we casually looked at the menu on the wall... and much to our surprise and disappointment they had removed the scalloped potatoes! That was the best part of the meal. No scalloped potatoes? No thank you!
My wife and I flew in the day that Charlie went through the Orlando airport (or I should say late evening). The only place we could find open this late was Beaches & Cream. It was our 25th anniversary and we will never forget this day. The only thing that I can say is I wish they would tear out the Arcade next to B & C and expand it so that more people can enjoy it like we have through the years. You look at the Arcade and nobody is in it and you can never get a seat in the B & C without waiting.
this is a great place to eat - the lines may be long but it is worth the wait - great burgers and even better ice cream - stormalong bay and beaches and cream were our favorite things about staying at the beach club
great pizza, breadsticks, sandwiches and an awesome caesar salad for counter service - pizzafari is one of our favorite places for lunch in the world
The only reason I am adding a comment to this is because I saw a rating of 9.4. If Disney has a 10 anywhere on the grounds it is the Monorail. Far and away the best service you will get at WDW.
The service that these boats provide is fine but the guest (and I include myself) are just way to impatient. If we are staying at the Boardwalk we walk to both parks because it is just as quick and much better for you. If we are staying at the Beach Club we take the boat to the Hollywood Studios sometimes if it is late in the day and we are tired. Try to just treat it as an extension of the parks instead of being in such a hurry and you will enjoy it much more.
We took a trip with our daughter in December of 2006 and the bus service was horrendous. When we were at Downtown Disney (and other places) we had to wait for over an hour for our bus and by the time it arrived there were too many guests for one bus. I thought a fight was going to break out among the last people that would not fit on the bus. I did write Disney and complained about this like everybody should when they have a legitimate complaint. We took another trip in December of 2007 with our 5 kids (3) & grandkids (2) and it was like a different service had taken over. We never waited over 15 minutes no matter where we were at. I again wrote Disney (like everybody should) about this experience to compliment them on how good it was. On a side note I was checking job openings at the Disney web site during the summer of 2007 (in other words between these 2 vacations) and I noticed that there was an opening for the WDW Transportation Manager. It kind of makes me wonder...
This is a great service that I will use again in April, "09". The only problem we have had is the TV's were not working on our last trip to the resort. I would not even bring that up but it was our first trip with our grandkids and it would of been nice if they were working. This is not a big deal compared to what we saved for not having to rent a car or other tranportation. I must say the person who wrote in about it taking 2.5 hours does have a valid complaint (this is not the norm no matter what the cast member said) but to the rest of you squawkers out there rent a car or limo and handle your own luggage if it is so bad. Also I agree with the person who wrote in and said don't yell at the cast members. Treat them the same as you would want to be treated and you will get outstanding service. I never have figured this one out because it does not work anywhere in the common sense world and that includes WDW.
I am baffled as to why this show was placed in "A Bug's Land" at Disney California Adventure. The area is geared to very young children, but this show was loud, aggressive, and frightening. The warning outside should say that the show is not intended for children under 10, or even 12. My nieces are 7 and 5 and both were sobbing and hiding before it was halfway over -- and they are not squeamish about bugs. It was just way too intense. The 3D effects are really something, but the show was too scary to be fun. Why couldn't they have used these amazing effects without frightening the children (and adults)?
If you like to see performers dancing to run of the mill party music like YMCA you'll like this "parade." However, if you prefer a parade with traditional Disney music and where the characters, not unknown performers, are the stars, then this is not the "parade" for you. I tip my hat to the performers, who really do give it their all, but overall, BPB was nothing special for me. See it once, but not worth a repeat viewing.