Restaurant Experiences

Just returned from my Disney vacation.

Mara House – OTC by the pool in AK. I was extremely disappointed in the Mara House. The line was out the door at 7pm and there was no one there willing to assist with information. I decided to grab a bottle of wine and head back to the room and order room service. But there were no prices listed for most of their wine selection. So I had to wait in the line for 20 minutes just to make sure I wasn’t buying an expensive bottle. I felt worse for the lady in front of me because when she got to the front, the lady at the register told her sh needed to go back to the counter for an item and get back in line. It is nice that resort guests have Boma, Jiko and Sanaa as options, but if they don’t have the time or flexibility to make dinner reservations, having Mara as the only non-reservation option is frustrating.

Pinocchio Village Haus: I’ve always loved this place. It was the first time I have been there since they switched to flatbread pizza. I still like it. We went right when they opened, so the line hadn’t formed yet.

Be Our Guest – Dinner Service. WOW! This was a pleasant surprise. We were able to get in as a walk-up reservation. It was super early, as well. 5:00pm, I think. But the food was fantastic. I had the Grilled Strip Steak which was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Wife had the Shrimp and Scallops which were excellent as well. I totally recommend this for dinner…I don’t care about the prices.

Ohana – Breakfast. I read someone earlier say they were not a fan of Ohana breakfast. I can’t understand why. The food I have had there had always been very good. And I like that it is not a buffet, like almost every other Character-Dining breakfast option. Since it is served family-style, you can always ask your server for more of something and they will bring it out fresh. On this visit, all the food was great. The waffles were the best I’ve experienced in WDW…warm and fresh. We asked for more and the second batch was better than the first. I would like to see thicker bacon, but that is an issue at every WDW breakfast place I have visited. The timing of the characters on this visit was perfect. In previous visits, the characters came in the beginning as I was putting food on my plate. This time, my wife and I were able to feed our baby and eat most of the food ourselves before Mickey, the first character, came around. And Stitch, the last character, came as I signed the check…so it was perfect!

Norway – OTC. My wife and I shared a meatball dish in Norway. I was not a big fan at all. I don’t know if it was supposed to be served cold, but it was. It comes with gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. We both thought that it may be better if it was served hot.

Morocco – OTC. This is my favorite place to eat over-the-counter in EPCOT. Their lamb wraps are really good. I always substitute the lentils for hummus. The couscous is tasty.

Rainforest Cafe – Disney Springs. I have always like Rainforect Cafe, ever since I was a kid. The food has never been completely amazing, but I love the theme. This time, the food was really good. I ordered the TRIO which comes with three ribs, coconut shrimp and a small steak. I decided to change the coconut shrimp for shrimp scampi. The first shrimp scampi came out cold, hard and sitting in clear oil, so I had to send it back. The second try it was very good. Ribs fell off the bone and steak was good.

Sleepy Hollow – Liberty Square OTC walk-up spot. I had the ham and cheese waffle there and it was really good! I was very happy. I wish they still had the cappuccino floats though!