Tip Tuesday: Boma

 

Ok, so it's been a while.  Starting a new masters degree program can do that to you.

But I'm back now, so let's move forward with another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I wanted to share my thoughts about a restaurant I first visited in June and LOVE!

Boma!!

Located in the lower level of the Jambo house of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boma is a buffet restaurant offering breakfast and dinner.  Breakfast items are fairly common and what you'd expect from any breakfast buffet.

But it's a dinner where Boma really shines.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m., Boma offers what the menu calls "an abundance of African and American specialties."  While there are some traditional favorites, the offerings do rotate.

 

My personal favorite is the carved roast pork with the Boma mustard (I could enjoy that mustard day and night!).  If you're a soup person, then Boma is for you.  Each night several different soups are presented from butternut squash soup to crab soup to coconut chicken curry soup.  Again, buffet offerings change daily, so you might not see your favorite item every night.

The desserts at Boma are decadent beyond belief.  I was blown away by what was presented.  To be honest, you could justify the cost of Boma based on the desserts alone.

Speaking of cost, be prepared to pay to dine at Boma.  As of this post, the breakfast buffet runs about $25 for adults, $15 for kids and dinner runs about $40 for adults and $20 for kids.  These prices may be higher during peak periods.

 

Another element to consider is that Boma is quite popular as the photo above depicts.  If you're interested in dining at Boma, you'll want to make your ADR's as soon as you can.  Also be prepared for a bit of a wait in line at the buffet, so you may want to plan to get two plates at one trip.

Finally, dining at Boma is a great reason to get out and explore different resorts, especially resorts that are a little more out-of-the-way like the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

So go!  Enjoy!!

Tip Tuesday: The Garden Grove Seafood Sensation

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I wanted to share my thoughts about the Garden Grove restaurant at the Swan resort.  Located on the main floor, the Garden Grove is comprised mainly of a single circular dining room with a artificial tree in the center.  The decor is light and airy.  Situated around the edge of the circle are buffet stations featuring all sorts of options (dinner only).  During breakfast and lunch hours, the Garden Grove offers a fairly standard menu with traditional breakfast fare and common lunch items.

What makes the Garden Grove so different is that the menu changes greatly during the week when it comes to dinner.  Dinner is served buffet style and the offerings were fairly good.

Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays feature a southern barbecue buffet complete with barbecue chicken, ribs, North Carolina pulled pork, beans and more.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays feature a Mediterranean menu with pastas, baked fish, sausage and pepper, Beef Bourguignon and more.

For these two menus, adult price is (as of this writing) $29.99 each, kids $13.99.

Fridays, though, appear to be the most popular day of the week.  That's because Fridays mean the it's time for the seafood sensation menu.  My family was able to get an ADR for this Friday buffet, so I will share my thoughts.

First, this buffet is fairy large with snow crab legs, scallops, seafood paella, carving station and more.  If that wasn't enough, each table gets a huge bucket of fried shrimp and calamari.  But wait, there's more.  Each adult gets one half stuffed lobster (yes, half of a whole lobster -- tail, claw and all).  Now the lobsters aren't huge, but it's included in the price ($35.99 for adults, $14.99 for kids).  If a child wants a half stuffed lobster, it will cost an additional $10 per child.

There is so much food available here it's not even funny.  The lobsters may have been stuffed, but so was I.

While overall, I enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant, there were a few areas for improvement.

First, the service for the buffet areas was poor.  It took way too long to replenish many of the seafood offerings, especially the snow crab legs.  When they were finally replenished, they weren't as hot as I'd like.  They were cooked fine, but it appeared that they weren't brought straight out.

Second, the carving station attendant was missing often.  Too many times I was hoping to get a cut of beef or turkey and no one was there.

It very well could be that I happened to dine on an off night.  I'm not sure if these issues are consistent or I just happened to catch a bad day.

These two issues aside, the Garden Grove seafood sensation is a fine alternative to the Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club.  While I still prefer Cape May, it can be difficult to get an ADR there, whereas you might be able to get away with a walkup at the Garden Grove, depending on your time.

Just one more reason why you should keep the Swan and Dolphin in mind when you make your dining plans.

Tip Tuesday: The BEST Burger in the World

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

I've often heard various discussions about where the best burger in Walt Disney World can be found.  I've often wondered where I might find that delectable delight that is an outstanding burger.

It's time I entered this debate and render my own opinion about the best burger in Walt Disney World.

Since the Olympics are taking place in London -- let's grant some medals here.

Bronze Medal (tie):  Pecos Bills and Beaches and Cream

 

Now I'm sure that already some of you are saying "WHAT?!?!?"  Pecos Bills doesn't take the Gold??? Others are saying the same thing about Beaches and Cream.  Hear me out.

I think Beaches and Cream (located at the Beach Club Resort) offers a better burger (pictured above), but Pecos Bills (located in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom) has, by far, the best options for toppings -- especially the sautéd mushrooms and onions.  Both burgers are cooked to perfection - nice and juicy.  Taken together, they tie for third place.  I will give a side award to Pecos Bills -- best burger in the Magic Kingdom.

Silver Medal:  Rose and Crown

But the best burger in any theme park goes to an Epcot restaurant.  The royal burger at the Rose and Crown Pub in Epcot's United Kingdom Pavilion is topped with bacon, cheese and fried onions.   This burger is huge.  The fried pickle on the side adds just that extra bit of fried goodness.  The English chips (fries to us yanks) help this burger make it to the podium at the silver medal position.  It's a bit pricey, but it is exceptionally good.

Gold Medal:  The Fountain

Taking the Gold is the Fountain Burger at the Fountain at the Dolphin Resort.  If the Rose and Crown burger is huge, this burger is gigantic!  Topped with everything you can think of including chili, sautéed onions, mushrooms, mounds of bacon and more, this burger really is make for two.  It's that big.  The chips on the side are an afterthought -- there's so much burger to eat.  Add one of the Fountain's legendary shakes and you're in heaven.

So there you go -- the 2012 Best Burger Champion goes to the Fountain.  What do you think?  Where's your best burger?  Post a comment!

Tip Tuesday: Rose and Crown

It's time for another Tip Tuesday!

I thought I'd take you to the United Kingdom pavilion at Epcot and share a bit about one of my family's favorite restaurants -- The Rose & Crown Pub.

Themed after a genuine English pub (down to the panes of glass), the Rose & Crown has two sections - the dining room and the English pub.  The pub often will be packed to capacity, especially in the evening hours before Illuminations.

ADR's (advance dining reservations) are suggested, though I've been pretty lucky with walkups, especially during lunch.  Some of the Rose & Crown outdoor seating areas offer fantastic views of Illuminations, so dinner ADR's are just about a must, and there's no guarantee you'll get one of those few choice tables.

Ok, but really it's all about the food, so let's get to some of our favorites!!

By far the signature dish at the Rose & Crown has to be the English fish & chips -- served just like they do in England.  This is not your average fried fish.  Though (in my opinion) the portion size is too small (really for just about every entree, not just the fish & chips), the flavor and preparation is spot on.  My kids routinely devour this dish - even my picky eaters who prefer chicken nuggets.

Now if you ask my wife, she will say the UK burger is the best entree on the menu.  This is a gigantic burger complete with bacon and all the sides.  If you want, you can even ask for a fried egg (it used to be a standard item, but no longer).  In addition, it comes with a fried pickle, which, to my surprise, was pretty good!  My wife claims the Rose & Crown's burger is the BEST burger in all of Walt Disney World -- a high honor, and one that I don't share, but that's a post for another day.  I agree it's very good, but the best?  That's up for debate.

I have tried several dishes at the Rose & Crown, but I think my favorite has to be either the fish & chips or the cottage pie (pictured above).  Underneath this cheesy mashed potato goodness is ground beef, onions and mushrooms in a delicious brown sauce/gravy.  Again, the portion size could be bigger (I could have devoured two of these), but it still is worth the cost -- about $17 as of this post. 

The Rose & Crown isn't the cheapest place at Epcot -- entrees run from $14 to $27.  The fish and chips runs around $18, so be prepared for a large dining bill.  The Disney Dining Plan is accepted here, requiring only one table service credit, making the Rose & Crown a good value for guests using the dining plan.

And then there's the beer.  The Rose & Crown has a fantastic selection, so just get a pint and enjoy!

Some tips to keep in mind:  a decent amount of the Rose & Crown's seating is outside, though only a handful of tables offer the best views of Illuminations.  Keep this in mind, especially during the very hot and more chilly times of year.  We dined there last December and despite the heaters, we had to go indoors because of the chilly wind.  In a similar manner, when we ate there earlier this summer, we were seated outside and fortunately had a fan blowing on us or we would have withered from the heat.

If you're headed to the pub, keep in mind that there's not many seats, so you'll be doing a lot of standing.  Most evenings, the Hat Lady will come in to perform, so you'll want to be sure to catch her.

I'm getting hungry just writing about this place!!!  Go on -- get over to the Rose & Crown and enjoy!!!  And send me some fish & chips!

Tip Tuesday: Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show

Aloha! Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

As you can see, this week I'd like to talk about one of those special events at Walt Disney World - the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show.

As the name suggests, the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is themed after a Hawaiian luau, complete with lais, Hawaiian cuisine, served family style, Polynesian dancers and the show-stopping fire dancer.

The show takes place at Luau Cove at Disney's Polynesian Resort Tuesday through Saturday nights. There are two show times each day: 5:15 and 8 p.m. The show and dinner runs around 90 minutes. There are different seating categories with different prices, ranging from $55 (category 3) to $64 (category 1) per person. I personally recommend the category 1 seating area (center, lower level) which offers the best views. Yes, it's more expensive, but the better view is well worth it.

But before we get to what you'll see, we need to talk about the food (as my good friend Lou Mongello would say).

The food is pretty good, especially if you're a fan of ribs, grilled chicken, Polynesian rice and vegetables, pineapple, salad with mango poppy seed dressing (which is really good!) and chocolate mouse volcano for dessert. Dinner is all-you-can-eat and is served family style on long, narrow platters. I found the chairs to be lower than normal, which made serving a little cumbersome, so if you plan to take in a dinner show, just be prepared to get up and down to serve you and others.

For kids, there is a limited dinner menu with hot dogs, mac-n-cheese and/or PB&J. Again, these are all-you-can eat. While we were at the Spirit of Aloha in March, I asked our server if any chicken nuggets were available (for my autistic son who is a pretty picky eater). The servers had a few orders of nuggets sent down from Captain Cooks, so parents, if you're in a jam with a picky eater, be sure to ask you server if they can make some alternate arrangements.

OK, I'm stuffed, so let's get on with the show!

And that means dancers, singers and much, much more!

Being the Spirit of Aloha, of course there will be plenty of Polynesian dancers. In fact female and male dancers perform routines representing several different Polynesian cultures including Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and more. You will appreciate splurging for the category 1 seating when you watch these excellent and amazing dances. And you never know, you just might get into the act!

But what's a luau without some fire!

The fire dancer at the end of the show is just amazing! How they do what they do with those fire sticks is unreal. This performance is worth the price of admission alone. You simply have to check this out - it's some of the most incredible sights with fire you will ever see.

One question some may ask: which seating is better? My answer to this question is that it really depends on your party. If you have kids, I would suggest the 5:15 p.m. show only because the kids won't get tired. We attended the 8 p.m. show and by around 9, I was working to keep my daughter awake so she could see the fire dancer at the end.

Personally, I like the 8 p.m. showing, especially during the summer months. At 5:15, the sun still is high in the sky and it's less like a show with controlled lighting and everything. Besides, at 5:15, it's still pretty hot outside. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time stuffing my face when it's still roasting.

Speaking of weather conditions, I do need to mention that this is an outdoor theatre. Yes, your seats are covered, but the stage is not, so the show is weather-dependent. As stated earlier, the summer heat might make a different in which show you want to see.

All-in-all, I recommend the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show. Would I go see this show during every trip to WDW? No, probably not. It is a show that's worth catching at least once and maybe every few years. I'm not sure how often the show is updated. I won't get into the story of the show so as not to spoil it for you.

So Aloha cousins and enjoy the luau!

Restaurant Review: Chef Mickey's

It's time for another restaurant review.

This restaurant needs no introduction. It's run by the head cheese himself - Mickey Mouse!

It just so happens that this restaurant also is the most popular character-dining location in all of Walt Disney World, and for good reason.

Of course I'm talking about Chef Mickey's!

As character dining goes, it really doesn't get any better than Chef Mickey's, located at Disney's Contemporary Resort. In one meal, guests will meet the entire Disney Fab 5: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto.

In recent months, Chef Mickey's has received a decent expansion, taking over a portion of space that was the Concourse Steakhouse, which has allowed for a little bit more seating, but also a better queue area for the pre-meal photo opportunity.

Chef Mickey's is a Disney Dining Plan (DDP) participant, requiring one table service credit per guest. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a buffet format. Parents: this is one meal even the most picky of eaters will find something they will like. The entrees are creative and quite good. I personally prefer lunch/dinner to breakfast, simply because the dinner menu offers more variety as compared to breakfast. Just about every breakfast opportunity at WDW offers eggs, sausage and bacon.

What sets Chef Mickey's apart is the atmosphere. This is a place where even the oldest guest can be a kid again (or finally act like the kid they really are - that would be me!). The characters spend plenty of time at each table and the wait staff helps to make your experience magical. Oh, and talk about celebrations - the folks at Chef Mickey's will find ANY reason to celebrate! My son graduated from 5th grade this summer. The server saw his "I'm Celebrating" button and the next thing we know it's party time!

Before being seated, guests have the opportunity to have a photo opp at a big hidden-mickey themed plate. I have several of these photos. The location for this photo opp changes from time to time and (as you can see) will reflect different holiday seasons (when appropriate). The photos are nice to get if you like family photos. This is the one PhotoPass-like opportunity at Chef Mickey's. Otherwise, you're on your own for character photos.

We don't always purchase the photo - it is optional and runs somewhere around $30 or so for an 8x10 and a pair of 5x7's. The other benefit is that the photo does include a photopass code on the corner, so you can add this shot to your photopass CD and get the digital version as well.

Chef Mickey's is a must-do for everyone who visits Walt Disney World. As for my family, Chef Mickey's has become our most favorite place to eat. In fact this November, we will have Thanksgiving dinner at Chef Mickey's, of all places. We enjoy the fun, the friends, the food and the family time.

What could be better?

Restaurant Review: Cinderella's Royal Table

It's been far too long since I've done a restaurant review here on the DisneyDaddy blog, so I thought I'd go back a few WDW trips ago for a review of one of the hardest ADR's to get in all of Walt Disney World - Cinderella's Royal Table.

Let's start with some basic information: Cinderella's Royal Table is located in (obviously) Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered. The restaurant participates in the Disney Dining Plan (DDP), requiring two table service credits per person. Each meal is a single price with different offerings, similar to a buffet, though it is not all-you-can-eat.

I have been to Cinderella's Royal Table for both breakfast and dinner (the lunch menu is different from the dinner menu), so I will review both breakfast and lunch.

Before guests sit down for their meal, they first meet our host, Cinderella herself. The princess takes time to meet with each person, allowing time for photographs and signing autographs. The photographs are taken by a PhotoPass photographer. Near the end of your meal, an 8x10 and a couple of 5x7's will be delivered to your table (the photo is included in the price of the meal).

While you're waiting in line to meet Cinderella, be sure to look high up on the wall to the left to see a pair of hidden mice. No, these aren't hidden Mickeys, it's Jac and Gus who are keeping an eye on our princess.

Speaking of hidden Mickeys, take a look at the large family crest over the fireplace. At the top left, you'll see what looks like a three-circle Mickey.

After visiting with Cinderella, guests ascend a spiraling staircase to the second level where the dining room is. The room is situated somewhat like an arena with a lower circular area of tables and a upper ring around the circle with additional tables. For both of my visits, I was seated in the upper ring. Little knights are given a plastic sword while little princesses are given a plastic magic wand. To be honest, these are not durable at all. In both instances, they swords barely made it the day. This is one area where Disney could do better. I know it's a "freebie," but these are very cheap and easily break. Parents, be wary and just know that your children have to go easy with the swords. The wands are a little more durable, though they aren't all that magical - just molded plastic.

Once guests are seated, it's time to eat and enjoy meeting different characters. The characters change from breakfast to lunch and dinner. So, let's start with breakfast.

Breakfast runs about $32 for adults, $22 for kids and is served family style. Anyone who has been to O'hana for breakfast will find this breakfast similar. Servers bring a large platter with bacon, eggs, large link sausage, fruits, potato hash and different breads. Guests have their choice of different juices, milk or soft drinks. As breakfasts go, this isn't anything to shout about. The food is good, but standard. You could find better breakfast food with greater variety at other restaurants at WDW. To be honest, I think O'hana does a better job with family-style than Cinderella's Royal Table.

While the food was fair, I found the service to be something I didn't expect - somewhat poor. We didn't have a rude server or anything like that, the server was very pleasant, but didn't really give that much attention. We had to get her attention when we needed drinks refilled or additional food. What really got me was the sense that we were being rushed out. It seemed like every time the server did happen come by, she was offering to take plates when it was clear we were still eating. I could understand if this was a buffet (health codes require a new plate every visit to the buffet), but this is family-style, so why all the hustle to clear away plates?

Of course, Cinderella's Royal Table is a character dining experience so I would be remiss if I didn't mention who guests could meet. At breakfast, different princesses walk around the seating area. We met Belle, Snow White, Jasmine and Aurora. The princesses were wonderful, as always. Meeting the different characters was the most charming part of our breakfast experience. Unlike our server, the characters took their time with our children and made each feel at home. It probably meant about 30 additional seconds per person, but it made all the difference.

Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table is a different affair. If you are coming for dinner, be ready for some fine dining. There are no burgers and hot dogs here (unless you're ordering from the children's menu). Dinner runs about $41 for adults and $26 for kids, making this the most expensive character dining experience on property. At dinner, guests meet Cinderella and get photos just as mentioned earlier, however there are different characters wandering the dining room.

At lunch and dinner, the Fairy Godmother is our host as she goes from table to table doing meet and greets. In addition to the Fairy Godmother, two of the female mice from the Cinderella movie do meet and greets as well.

As for what's served, this is not your average theme park food. Dinner consists of a salad/appetizer, entree and desert. This is for all guests, no matter if you're on the DDP or not.

The appetizers offered include a couple of salads, a vegetable spring roll or a corn and crab soup. I had one of the house salads, which was pretty good and well-portioned.

The entrees are incredible: roasted prime rib, lemon lavender chicken, pork chops with bacon, roast lamb chops, pan-seared salmon or cheese tortellini with vegetables. I had the lamb chops while my wife had the prime rib. The prime rib, in my opinion, was the better choice of the two. My lamb could have been cooked a bit longer. Her prime rib was excellent and, again, well-portioned. There was a ton of food!

As for the kids menu: this is where I had a big concern. The kids menu consists of pretty much the same things you would find at a counter-service restaurant - hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc. While I don't have a problem with the menu options, I do have an issue with the price. I feel Disney could knock off a few dollars on the kids menu - it's way overpriced.

The desserts were pretty good as well. We tried the chocolate cream cheese buckle and the raspberry sorbet. The sorbet was very flavorful, though the kids said the chocolate was too rich - and they were right, it's very decadent.

The service at dinner was similar to breakfast, though not quite as bad. I still felt like I was being rushed so the next seating could come in.

In all, Cinderella's Royal Table is a dining experience I would recommended guests at least try once. It's not a restaurant I would recommend for every WDW visit - it's far too expensive for that. Guests looking for a good princess character dining experience should consider Akershus in Epcot, especially if Cinderella Royal Table's price is unattractive.

If you are considering dining at Cinderella's Royal Table, you had better be ready to book your ADR the morning your 90-day window opens, because these ADR's go fast!

Restaurant Review: Tony's Town Square Restaurant

It's been a while since I gave you another restaurant review, so I thought I'd share my thoughts about Tony's Town Square Restaurant located in the Exposition Hall on Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom.

Tony's is located right next to the main PhotoPass station in the Exposition hall and (as the name suggests) is themed after the Disney film, Lady and the Tramp. There is a nice fountain in the center of the restaurant depicting Lady and the Tramp (see above). This is a participating Disney Dining Plan restaurant, requiring one table service credit per person. My family and I were using the dining plan for this meal.

Just like the restaurant in the movie, Tony's Town Square features Italian cuisine. This is not a character dining experience, nor is it a buffet. Guests order plated meals off a menu. I happened to order the chicken parmigiana, which is one of my favorite Italian dishes. My wife had the grilled salmon while the kids had cheese pita pizza and spaghetti and meatballs.

The atmosphere is a bit dark. The lighting was mean to evoke more of a candlelight affair, but I felt the lighting could be a bit brighter. The photo above was taken with a longer exposure to allow more light, so don't be fooled by the photo. For adults, this darker atmosphere could create a more romantic experience, so I image it depends on your preferences. I wouldn't recommend against dining at Tony's just because of the lighting.

This hidden Mickey made of bread sits towards the back of the restaurant.

OK, now for the food.

In short it was good. It wasn't the best Italian I've ever had, but it was quite tasty, hot and well prepared. Best of all, the portions were quite large, if not huge. I can handle a large plate and I had a hard time finishing a large breaded chicken breast and the big side of pasta and sauce I was served. My wife couldn't finish the salmon and the kids' meals were plenty. For dessert, my wife got the tiramisu while I had the chef's signature cheesecake. The tiramisu was light and well-portioned. My cheesecake was very rich and also well-portioned. This wasn't your basic run of the mill cheesecake

The service was up to the usual Disney standard, which meant outstanding. Our server was very pleasant and frequently checked on us to see if we needed anything.

All-in-all, I'd recommend Tony's to guests at the Magic Kingdom who feel like some Italian food for lunch or dinner. It's not at the top of my list for restaurants at the Magic Kingdom, but it's a restaurant you can expect good food (and a lot of it) and good service. As for price... well if you're on the Disney Dining Plan, price is irrelevant. If not, you can expect prices to be a bit high (you are eating inside a Disney park after all), but they're not insane. My chicken parmigiana was about $17.00.

(insert bad Italian accent here) So if you're-a a-lookin' for some-a good Italiano food-a, give a-Tony's a try. You'll-a be happy with-a your meal-a.

Restaurant Review: Crystal Palace

It's been a while since I've done a restaurant review, so I thought I'd dive back into Disney dining. Up this time is a Magic Kingdom favorite: The Crystal Palace.

The Crystal Palace is located in the Magic Kingdom (as if you hadn't figured that out from the intro) on the west side of the hub on Main Street, just before the entrance to Adventureland.

Quick Facts:

This is a table-service character dining restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Characters featured usually are Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. The restaurant serves all buffet-style meals. The Crystal Palace participates in the Disney Dining Plan and requires one table-service credit per person. Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR's) are highly recommended as this is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) restaurants in the Magic Kingdom.

The Crystal Palace (as the photo above suggests) is bright and open in it's Victorian design. There are windows everywhere, which afford a nice view of Cinderella's Castle (especially if you're sitting along the windows). There are plenty of flowers and other plants throughout the restaurant. It is generally divided into two segments (left and right) with a dual-line buffet in the middle (similar to the layout at Hollywood & Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios).

I have had the opportunity to dine at The Crystal Palace for both breakfast and dinner (the lunch and dinner menus are the same). The breakfast menu offers your typical breakfast fare with scrabled eggs, bacon, sausage, sausage gravy, biscuits, pastries, fruit, Mickey waffles and pancakes. The quality of the food is pretty good and the service (as always) is outstanding. My children especially liked the Mickey waffles, while I was a fan of the sausage gravy and eggs.

The dinner buffet features a couple of salad options (including pasta salad), peel-and-eat shrimp, carved roast beef, carved roast turkey, various vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a wide selection of desserts. The buffet also has several children's selections such as cheese pizza, chicken strips (or nuggets), mac-n-cheese, green beans and more.

While I thought the breakfast options were good, they were similar to other offerings in Walt Disney World (see my review of Hollywood & Vine at DHS), I found the dinner menu to be oustanding. The carved roast turkey was amazing. I kept going back for more. We had dinner during MouseFest week (in early December 2008) at around 5, just before Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and it wasn't all that crowded. Guests were able to move through the buffet fairly quickly. And you needed to be able to move through the buffet quickly because you never knew when the characters were coming to your table.

Speaking of characters, The Crystal Palace is a great place to meet some of your favorite friends from The Hundred Acre Wood. Both times I've dined at Crystal Palace, the characters spent a decent amount of time at each table, allowing guests to get autographs and pictures.

This is one of the Disney restaurants I highly recommend for guests with kids. The food is family-friendly and the characters are a delight to see.

So be sure to give The Crystal Palace a try on your next Disney trip.

Restaurant Review: Hollywood & Vine - breakfast

It's time for another restaurant review. This time, I'll take a look at the Hollywood & Vine restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS).

This is a character breakfast and lunch, featuring characters from Playhouse Disney. You can meet Jo-Jo and Goliath from "Jo-Jo's Circus," as well as Leo and June from "Little Einsteins. Hollywood & Vine does participate in the Disney Dining Plan. This restaurant requires one table service credit per person.

For us, this was another "before the park opens" reservation, which I highly recommend. As you approach the entrance to DHS, a cast member will be at a special gate for those with dining reservations. Once you confirm your reservation with this cast member, you may enter the park (with a valid ticket, of course).

The beauty of these early reservations is you have time to leisurely stroll up a portion of Hollywood Boulevard with very few people in the way (you can't go past Hollywood & Vine). This also gives you some great photo opportunities with the Sorcerer's Hat in the distance.

This restaurant is situated very similarly to the Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom. There are two identical buffet lines that begin at the outside edges and come together in the center where you can get some made-to-order items, such as omelets. The food was pretty good - it is the same you would find at the Crystal Palace or Tusker House (various pastries, scrambled eggs, link sausage, bacon, biscuits, sausage gravy, fruit, cereals, etc.).

At times during the morning (and lunch), two hosts will come out and invite younger guests to come to the middle for a little bit Playhouse Disney fun (one host plays to the left side, while the other plays to the right). This gives kids an opportunity to sing different Playhouse Disney dongs (i.e. songs from the "Wiggles," "Mickey Mouse Playhouse," "Jo-Jo's Circus" and more) and dance with the different characters who also come to the center to dance with the host. This happens about every 30-45 minutes.

We had a wonderful cast member for a waiter who had a lot of fun playing with the different kids and was very attentive to our needs with refills, clearing plates, etc.

As character meals go, this was pretty nice. It certainly is tailored to younger kids, though adults will appreciate the dining fare if they're looking for a nice breakfast before heading into the main areas of the park.

If you're at DHS with little kids, this is a must, especially if the kids are fans of the Playhouse Disney shows. Have fun and remember: "Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!"

Restaurant Review: 1900 Park Fare - breakfast

Next up in my review of Walt Disney World restaurants is 1900 Park Fare, located on the ground floor of the Grand Floridian Resort. This is an all-day character meal featuring Alice, the Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, Pooh and Tigger (characters are, of course, subject to change). We had the opportunity to have breakfast at this nicely themed restaurant.

Speaking of the theme, let's start there. Obviously this is themed to fit in with the Grand Floridian itself, so the restaurant has a Victorian feeling about it. Lots of white and pale colors. 1900 Park Fare features a buffet-style breakfast with a full-service made-to-order omelet station. The offerings on the buffet are a little more limited than you would find at, say Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace. The omelet station, in my opinion, more than makes up for this. They do offer Mickey waffles, so it met my kids' expectations.

More on the omelet station: a chef is on hand taking order for omelets with a slew of ingredient options. I had a chance to strike up a conversation with him as he was fixing no less than six omelets at a time. He gave me a few pointers for preparing omelets (I was having trouble getting mine to flip).

Also on the buffet is the infamous Strawberry Soup. Although the name says "soup," I would liken it more to a thin spread or a kind of dip. It was wonderful! I would take strawberry segments and dip them through the strawberry soup to create a intense strawberry flavor. It also was quite good with pastries, or by itself. For anyone looking for the recipe to this delicious concoction, check out the Cooking with the Disney Chefs book available in many stores on WDW property.

As for the characters, they were great. Alice and the Mad Hatter were especially fun! Mary Poppins was appropriately reserved and Pooh and Tigger were their usual fun selves.

If you're thinking about dining at this restaurant, be sure to plan ahead as 1900 Park Fare is pretty popular, so an ADR is a must. While you're waiting to be seated, be sure to take in all the grandeur that is the Grand Floridian lobby, especially if you're visiting during the holidays.

Now at dinner time (I have not dined here at dinner, but walked by many times), other characters can be seen including Cinderella AND Prince Charming (I think this is the only character dinner he can be found). Also on hand is Cinderella's Cruel Stepmother, Lady Tremaine and her evil daughters, Driscella and Anastasia. I believe Alice and the Mad Hatter are also there, but I'm not positive (again, characters do change).

I hope you have a chance to visit 1900 Park Fare - it's worth the ADR!

Restaurant Review: Cape May Cafe - dinner

Now that the trip report for my Dec. 2008 trip is history, I wanted to delve into some reviews of restaurants, resorts and attractions. First up are the restaurants, and first up in that list is the Cape May Cafe (dinner).

The Cape May Cafe is located in the Beach Club resort and offers a character breakfast and a clam-bake-style lunch and dinner. Both are buffet-style. I had the opportunity to dine at the Cape May for dinner one evening with my family. This is a Disney Dining Plan restaurant, requiring one table service credit per person.

As I suggested in a previous Tip Tuesday post, I checked ahead on some WDW fan sites and found the menu for the Cape May. I noticed the kids portion of the buffet offered pretty standard kids fare, including chicken strips/nuggets - so I knew my special needs son would be fine. Lo and behold, when we entered the restaurant, the menu had changed. The chicken strips/nuggets had been replaced with baked chicken legs. This was not good. Fortunately, the salad bar offered fruit and a selection of breads, so my special needs son at least had something to eat.

Once I got past this little change in the game plan, I had a chance to check out the buffet itself. I knew this was a clambake, but I figured there would be some additional seafood options as well. Not quite. The seafood options pretty much are clams, mussels, clams, and did I mention clams? The only other type of seafood available was cold peel-and-eat shrimp (like in shrimp cocktails).

Now clams weren't the only options on the buffet, thankfully. There was a carving station with prime rib and roast turkey. These were expertly prepared and came with some delicious gravies or as jus. Additionally, there were a few options for side dishes (nothing I would expect at a clambake except corn on the cob) including asparagus, squash, zucchini and a type of mashed potato that had some kind of spice included that I couldn't identify. It wasn't bad, though.

As for the kids, the pickings were a bit slim. Cheese pizza, the aforementioned baked chicken legs and mac-n-cheese were the highlights. I was hoping for some fried shrimp or something else kid friendly.

The layout of the restaurant was a bit awkward. The buffet was in a large square in the middle of the restaurant with booths and tables situated around it. As you were in line at the buffet, the quarters were a little tight, nor was there a logical flow around the buffet. Two lines sort of overlapped each other as guests tried to figure out where to find what they were looking for.

The deserts offered were standard fare as well. Guests could choose from the standard selection of cake slices, small tarts, or ice cream.

Of all the restaurants we visited during our Dec. 2008 trip, this was the least favorite. This was partly my fault as I expected more out of the restaurant than I probably should have. Of course, I also had to contend with Disney healthy kick and probably should have anticipated the removal of fried foods.

That being said, I would recommend Cape May to anyone who is in the mood for clams and mussels (like my Dad who loves mussels). They had TONS of clams and mussels of different types (except fried). If, however, you're looking for a larger variety of seafood, Cape May might not be what you're looking for. If you're coming with kids, be forewarned, the kid's fare is limited.

Restaurant Review: Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus (Epcot)

Short version: If you have kids who love Disney princesses, this is the place for you.

I have been to Walt Disney World twice (June 07 and last March) with my wife and three kids (10, 8, 6) and both times we made an ADR at Akershus, located in the Norway pavilion in Epcot.

Let me say right away that we much preferred this experience to Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom (and it was only 1 table service credit on the Disney Dining plan). I'll have a review of CRT in a future post. The food is much better and the entire atmosphere is far less rushed and hectic than CRT. When we first arrived for our reservation, it's pretty obvious this is a popular place as there are a ton of people waiting outside for a table.

Especially in the summer months, this can be a hot wait, as there is little shade around. Disney doesn't have any paging system in use here, so you have to be within earshot to hear your name called. Once you are brought inside, it's photo time with a princess, usually Ariel. These photos are available for purchase, similar to other restaurants, but guests are allowed to take their own photos if they wish.

After the photo op, guests are ushered to their table. The dinner menu features several authentic Norwegian entrees including the traditional Kjottkake, or meat cake (which I had both times -- it is outstanding and the sauce that comes with it is downright wonderful). Also available is salmon, pasta, braised lamb and a few other entrees. Before we get to the entree, first is the "salad" bar. I put that in quotes because there is much more than salad here. It's more like a salad, cold cuts and fruit bar. The salad selection is fairly standard but the cold cuts are traditional meats including fresh deli sliced ham and turkey. This is one area where my kids loved the bar.

Speaking of the kids, Akershus has them in mind for the children's menu. They offer hot dogs, cheese pizza, grilled chicken (sorry Ricky, no chicken strips or nuggets here) and a few other options - pretty kid friendly. The entrees are BIG portions. I'm not kidding. You get a TON of food, so be ready. My wife fell in love with the salmon. I tried a bite and I quickly understood why - it was quite good.

To wrap up the meal is the dessert tray. I highly recommend the traditional rice cream with strawberry sauce. It is wonderful. It's like very soft serve ice cream with soft rice mixed in. This recipie, btw, is in the Cooking with the Disney Chefs cookbook. I've tried it and it's not too tough to make.

Oh yeah, in and among all this great food are about five princesses. The princesses visiting each night do vary somewhat. Our first time there, Belle and Cinderella were not around. Our second time, they both were there, but Alice and another were not. Aurora, Jasmine and Snow White appear to be regulars.

A tip for young boys -- WATCH OUT FOR KISSING PRINCESSES! Both times we were there, one of my boys got a huge smooch on the cheek from a lipstick-laden princess (Alice and Snow White). Parents, this makes a great photo op and something embarrassing to show at your son's wedding rehearsal dinner slide show years down the road .

But wait, there's more.

The staff at Akershus is quite friendly. Especially on our first trip, we spent about a half hour (in different bits) talking to our waitress from Norway about her homeland. My wife was so taken with what our waitress told us that she now wants to visit Norway.

If you want a fun character dining experience that also offers outstanding dining, Akershus is for you. Just be ready to book that ADR in advance, as it's a popular spot.

So as the Royal Proclamation outside reads, "It shall be a magical experience for all who attend."