Author: mouselvrmom
I am back with another round of restaurant reviews. I thought long and hard about what establishment I wanted to review this time. I decided that I wanted to chat about a character meal and what better one to highlight than one that I frequent on every trip. So get ready for a chaotic, fun-filled experience! My kids LOVE rides! And the ride that they love the most is Expedition Everest. Even though I can only ride once or MAYBE twice a day, they can ride over and over again. I think that is one of the main reasons that we started eating with our friend Donald before the park opened at Animal Kingdom. Just like at the Magic Kingdom, one of the biggest advantages to dragging your butt out of bed early in the morning for a breakfast reservation is to be in the park before opening so that you can be on those rides before most even get to the park. (Yes, you late sleepers know who you are…) I personally don’t care as much about being the first on a ride, but I do love taking pictures of the parks without a mass of people in them. So we choose a day to get up early, make a reservation, get on that early bus, and we end up here.
I have mixed feelings about this breakfast. I do so hate to be negative about anything Disney, since I love the World so much, but I both love and hate breakfast at Tusker House. Now here’s one thing that I don’t like about these breakfasts. I don’t like the picture that they take at the front then try to sell you for $30 bucks or so. I almost always say no, and my hubby always feels bad saying no. However, the photographers are very nice and understanding. And when I asked for the Cast Member to take a picture with my own camera, he not only did so, but he took multiple pictures zooming in and out. I thought that was incredibly nice of him.
There is usually a line to get in, but they are experts at getting through it quickly. I mean really, one thing that Tusker House is good at is being a revolving door getting people in and out. That is actually one of the things that makes me a little uncomfortable eating there. I always feel that I’m being rushed out the door. It is a benefit when trying to get in though. Although I suppose being in the first seating certainly doesn’t hurt. Another thing, it is crowded and loud. They certainly know how to pack those tables in there! I think it is more noticeable than at other places becuase it’s just rectangular tables in rows. You can see all the rows of tables behind the kids.
Upon arriving, the characters came around right away. At some places you’ll get outstanding character interactions. We have always had fabulous luck at ‘Ohanas and Cape May Cafe, but at Tusker House it is pretty much quick take a picture, sign a book, and move on. Which is fine. I know that there are a lot of people waiting to see the characters. I just wouldn’t say that this is where you’ll find the best interaction for your buck. That being said, you will find Daisy here, which my girls love. We also saw Mickey and Goofy in fun safari gear. Here’s an example.
It’s loud, it’s crowded, it’s fast paced…you may ask why we keep going back every trip. Well, the answer to that is simple- besides the early park arrival that is. Food. We love our food. And Tusker House has a breakfast menu that is just different enough from the other breakfast buffets to make it worth it to us. There is cereal, donuts, yogurt, granola, eggs, bacon, sausage, rice, potatoes, some sort of quiche, and don’t forget the POG juice. Yum! I love the big buffet stations. They are so spread out that they never feel crowded like Crystal Palace can.
I mean seriously, those potatoes are GOOD! They have just a bit of spice to them. MMM. And that quiche is yummy too!
So even with its faults, we take the bad with the good and we find that it is worth it for us to continue visiting on our trips. If you decide to visit, make sure to say hello to my girl Daisy for me!
-Jenn
Hello, again! I hope that I didn’t completely bore you with my last review of 50s Prime Time Cafe. If I did, I guess it’s too bad, because I’m back again with another review. This one is a personal favorite of mine, so you’ll just have to bear with me.
I know that I told you last time that one of the biggest draws for me is the food at Disney World. I absolutely love it! And my waistband can attest to that! One of the most important reservations for me to make in that first planning stage is Le Cellier. I have always found it to be one of the hardest to make, and it is crucial to me that we visit on each trip. It is usually my favorite place for dinner, but with the new addition of two credits on the dining plan for dinner, I decided to try it for lunch. Last summer, it was only one credit to eat lunch, but two for dinner, so it was really a no brainer for me.
I have talked to many people about their favorite places to eat in the World. Most people that I talk to share a fondness for Le Cellier, but I have also heard quite a few people tell me that it has gone down in quality or experience in recent years. I have met many people who are not as impressed with it. I, however, have not experienced that at all. I feel that it is still just as delicious. In fact, my mouth is watering just thinking of it!
I know, you’re wondering if I’m just going to keep talking or if I’m going to get to the good stuff, the pictures! All right, all right! First off, I love the walk down to Le Cellier. It is simply gorgeous. From the detailed architecture to the beautiful blossoms, it is definitely jaw-dropping.
There is a check in right under the sign, or sometimes if it’s busy, there may be one at the top before you enter the garden. I always feel sorry for the people who are trying to see if there is any walk up availability. It seems there rarely is.
I also love the interior of Le Cellier. I have heard complaints that the tables are too close together, or that it is too dark. It’s a popular restaurant, so if they need to move the tables close together, then I guess that’s okay. We have been squeezed in one of the center tables before, but we have also been lucky on the last few times to get one of the booths. It doesn’t feel so close in a booth, even though there are still tables right next to you.
We were here on my birthday last year. What a way to celebrate! I always love the filet mignon with the cream cheese mashed potatoes. I mean, seriously, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it! We always start with the bread. I love the pretzel bread, but the kids love the sourdough. Either way, it’s delicious. This time I decided to try to the cheese soup. It was my birthday after all, what is a few extra calories, right? Sorry for the fuzzy pictures, but it’s pretty dark in there and I didn’t have a good lens on, you get the idea though.
It was pretty good. The beer added just the right amount of flavor to it. I’m not a huge bacon fan, but it tasted yummy. I was starting to feel full at this point, but I was nowhere near done. My entree arrived, and I found some room in my stomach once again.
I have tried the chocolate moose for dessert. It is much better looking than it tastes. My absolute favorite dessert here is the creme brulee. It is to die for! Really, the perfect end to a fabulous meal.
And here’s me being completely in love with my dessert. I know, complete nerd!!
Well, that’s about it. My dinner is done, although I’m still hungry. Funny, huh? I hope that if you have never tried Le Cellier that you will at least try it once. Or maybe I should hope that you don’t try it so that there will be more reservations for me… Either way, bon appetit!
Jenn
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Disney: World of Great Eats!
I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I feel Disney World is the best place to take a family for a vacation. As my kids have started getting bigger, they can go on more and more rides. They live for the ride. I, however, have discovered that I love the food at Disney. The thing that makes me the most excited about my trip is planning where we will eat during our vacation. I will scour the menus, ask everyone their opinion, and try to find the perfect time to take a break and sit down for a fabulous meal.
I wasn’t sure what restaurant I was going to review for my first blog post. There are so many ones that are must-dos for us on each trip. I love the delicious food at places such as Le Cellier and Teppan Edo, but I decided that for my first post, I would go with a place that is themed to the max, like all things Disney. So I picked an oldie but a goodie, the 50s Prime Time Cafe.
I’m not old enough to have lived in the 1950’s, but I sure do appreciate the kitschy decor. I love how when you walk in, there is a group of cast members standing around pretending to be your long lost family members. I love the old TV’s, the retro furniture, and the fun bar. You can have a seat at one of the TV’s while you wait, or you could saddle up to the bar and get some refreshment. I love the Mowie Wowie or Grandma’s Picnic Punch.
The wait could be awhile, this is a very popular place. I prefer to make my reservations at slightly off times in order to try to avoid this. Usually we’ll do something around 4:00 or 5:00. It’s early, but we also get up early on vacation, so it works for us. This last time, we had reservations at 3:40 and the place was almost deserted. I’m not sure I liked this as much. It’s a bit more fun when there’s more people around you to interact with. Anyhow, the tables and decor inside the seating area are just as themed as the lobby.
Now the food is just plain comfort food. I always used to get the meatloaf, while my hubby usually got the fried chicken or the pot roast. I was quite pleased to note that the last time we were there they had a new menu item that included all three offerings. It’s called A Sampling of Mom’s Favorite Recipes, and it is delicious! Almost too much food to eat all by yourself, but I somehow managed.
The dessert menu is an old viewfinder with pictures on it. The first time I was offered one of these, I was so confused that I didn’t even bother getting dessert. I know better now. Dessert is the best part of eating at 50’s. I do NOT miss the smores. EVER!! They are so good!! Don’t believe me?
My hubby is a weirdo…he usually gets the cobbler.
The food is not the only reason this is a special eatery. The cast members really make this an experience. We have had so many good experiences. Uncle Dale has been a favorite of ours. In 2010, we met Cousin Roman, who my middle daughter fell in love with. They had so much fun flirting with him, and he just played along with them. He teased them mercilessly.
Now my daughter wasn’t really flirting, but they did have a lot of fun. She wrote him a letter telling him what an awesome waiter he was. He insisted it was a love letter, and he gave her a just engaged pin to celebrate their upcoming nuptials.
Just a note, don’t go expecting the cast member to be overly exuberant. There certainly are plenty of them that are…you may see adults being forced to stand in the corner for not eating their vegetables, or you may be asked to join in a rowdy rendition of Happy Birthday to a fellow cousin, or you may see a cast member enter the room through a near-by pass-through window. It is possible that you may get a dud in there, though. On our last trip, we had a cast member that just wasn’t into the role. He seemed really embarrassed and awkward. We had just as much fun though. We laughed and acted silly even though we were the only ones in the room. After all, in Disney World, you are in charge of your own destiny. It is up to you to make sure you have fun and turn any situation into the vacation of your life! Happy eating!! Jenn