Showing posts with label Disney World Character Dining. Show all posts
Review: Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
The newest Character Dining Experience at the Walt Disney World Resort is called Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. This is a re-imagining of the previous Signature Dining restaurant Artist Point that is located within Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort. As the name implies the meal is themed around the story of Snow White with a chance to meet Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and even the Evil Queen.
The best way to report on a restaurant is to go there and experience it for yourself, which is exactly what we did recently to see how this Character Dining experience stacks up again the others that you can find at the Walt Disney World Resort. This newly added meal just started during the month of December and our visit was within the first 3 weeks of operation.
The Dining Review in 3 Parts
Since this is a Disney Character Dining meal let's break the review into 3 distinct parts:- Character Interaction
- Restaurant Presentation and Theming
- The FOOD and Beverages!
Character Interaction
During the meal there are 3 forms of character interaction that you will find: Characters coming to your table to meet you, whole restaurant character entertainment, special photo opportunity with specific characters with backdrop.
During your meal Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey will individually come to your table. Snow White was very friendly and carried on a conversation with us. Dopey and Grumpy did not talk,but they were extremely expressive and provided a fun interaction and photo opportunities. If you are a fan then this is a rare opportunity at Disney World and definitely a fun experience. These 3 interactions were the highlight of the meal. Very well done!
The broad-based character entertainment involved music and inviting those celebrating a birthday to come dance with the dwarves. This was fun, but very short and the tables on the perimeter of the restaurant (where we were seated) did not have a good view of the happenings. For those of you used to the music during meals at Chef Mickey's this did not impress as much.
The last character interaction was to meet the Evil Queen and get your picture taken against a special backdrop The queen did talk to each group and stayed true to character during her conversations. This provided a great photo opportunity that is hard to get. The only downside was that the timing for getting your picture with the queen did not appear to be well organized.
Restaurant Presentation & Theming
The make-over to transition from the original Artist Point to the woods that Snow White calls home fortunately was an easy one. There were additional trees incorporated into the restaurant decor that blended well with the original Arts & Crafts themed decor. Overall a nicely themed area.
One of the drawbacks was the table arrangements. The tables at the extreme ends and the perimeter definitely were at a disadvantage compared to the ones in the middle. Having been seated at the extreme end, this did negatively impact the overall experience.
The tables have a unique 3 tiered tree serving attachment that made presentation of the different courses easy to display, but it made conversation across the table more difficult. The look is cooler than the actual use during dining.
There were also special themed touches during the meal that involved simple special effects such as smoke, but the timing was off somewhat for our server and we never really got to see the full effect of these "touches" as intended.
The FOOD and Beverages!
The key to any dining experience is great food. The better the food, the more memorable the dining experience. This meal is somewhat unique to other Disney meals. There is a pre-set appetizer selection that is brought to every table, followed by an entree that each individual orders off of a menu, and the meal is completed by another pre-set selection of desserts that is brought to the table to share.
This meal is only a 1 Table Service Credit Dining Plan option which includes all of the above plus the addition of one alcoholic beverage for those of age.
The beverages included a number of specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic concoctions that were created for this Snow White themed meal. Other more traditional wines, beer, soft drinks, milk, and juices were also available to choose from.
For our beverages we selected some of the specialty drinks to take full advantage of the theming. Although they were not what we would normally try, it was part of the fun of being at a Disney Character meal. We tried the Enchanted Apple, Evil to the Core, The Smoking Mirror and the non-alcoholic Through The Forest.
All of the drinks were good, but The Smoking Mirror, which is a presentation drink infused with rosemary smoke at the table, is quite smoky and may not appeal to most. We got it for cool appearance.
The Appetizers
The trio of appetizers with portions for every include: Hunter’s Pie, Winter Squash Bisque and Wicked Shrimp Cocktail. Of the 3 choices by far the Winter Squash Bisque with Marshmallow stir was the star of the course. It was great, the Hunter's Pie was good and the Shrimp Cocktail was forgettable. Overall it was a nice beginning to the meal that differentiated it from other Disney Character meals.
The Entrees
There were several entrees to choose from that spanned the gamut from beef, to fish to vegetarian. We tried 3 of the entrees in our party to evaluate. We tried the Prime Rib, the Snapper, and the Veal Shank.
Although they all photographed well we came away somewhat underwhelmed by the flavors. They were all good, not great and certainly not what you would be hoping for coming from a kitchen that was producing Disney Signature Dining meals. For example the Snapper dish featured flavors that were all one noted and nothing really stood out from the dish. The Prime Rib just did not stand out from something that you would get in a local buffet restaurant.
We went into the meal looking forward to the menu descriptions of the entrees and came away feeling that this did not stand up to the standards that we had come to expect from our Disney Dining meals.
The Desserts
Of all of the courses, this unfortunately was the most disappointing. From a creativity and presentation standpoint it gets high marks, but the actual desserts were not choices that we enjoyed tasting. There is the “Poison” Apple; Fairy Tale Gooseberry Pie; a sponge cake with chocolate gems and buttercream icing called Miner’s Treasures. Of the 3 the Poison Apple was our favorite.
The last part of the dessert is called The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen, which features cracked maple popcorn with a ganache heart. This is another special presentation part of the meal that should have a special smoke releasing reveal, but got lost in the shuffle because our server brought it to the table while we were getting our picture with the Evil Queen.
Review Summary
The Storybook Dining At Artist Point with Snow White does provide an excellent reason to visit Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort which we are always in favor of. The Character interaction was excellent and we really liked the ability to meet and interact with Dopey and Grumpy which rarely happens elsewhere at Disney World.
The theming was nice and there was a real attempt to create a cohesive thematic feel to the meal that transports you to the realm of Snow White. Fans of Snow White and the movie will treasure this special dining experience that allows Snow White to be the star of the show. Also Disney Villains fans will also enjoy the chance to interact and get special photos with the Evil Queen.
Although a pricey $55 per adult if you are paying cash, it is a great deal if you are using the Disney Dining Plan, which also includes an alcoholic beverage for only 1 Table Service Dining credit.
If you are going for the food, this may be a disappointing meal. The food was good, but not great. This was not a memorable foodie meal by any means.
All told this is a meal we would recommend trying at least once if you are on the Disney Dining Plan. It is a great value and provides character interactions that you cannot normally get elsewhere. If you are not on the Disney Dining Plan there are certainly many other place at Disney World where you can get better food for the money.
Minnie Mouse Comes To Hollywood & Vine Character Dining!
Minnie Mouse will be coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios as part of Minnie's Seasonal Dine at Hollywood & Vine year round! Mickey Mouse's main squeeze will vary her look by the season, but she will become a regular honored guest at the Hollywood Studios favorite buffet dining location.
Minnie Mouse at Hollywood & Vine
Minnie’s fabulous dinner parties celebrate the cheerful togetherness of the holidays, the glamour of Hollywood, the delight of spring, the excitement of summer and the frightening fun of Halloween. With each new season, look for unique music, décor, all-new costumes, menu items and interactive musical moments.
Reservations open October 27 for the next seasonal dine. From January 4 to March 20, Minnie will be hosting a dinner party celebrating the magic of the movies and the glamour of Hollywood.
Make your night even more magical by adding the Fantasmic! Dinner Package to your meal. For reservations, visit DisneyWorld.com/dine or call 407-WDW-DINE.
Chef Mickey's Adds Brunch To Disney World Dining Options
One of the favorite Disney World Dining locations has added more opportunities to dine there! Chef Mickey's, which is located in the Contemporary Resort, is adding Brunch in addition to the Breakfast and Dinner dining options. All 3 will be Disney Character Dining meals including that Mouse who started it all: Mickey Mouse!
Chef Mickey's
Now there will be more opportunities to dine at one of the toughest to get reservations in all of the Walt Disney World Resort. Chef Mickey's is a Disney World MUST DO for all families. This character dining, buffet style restaurant, is one of your best ways to get to meet and interact with Mickey Mouse and his friends as they make their way to each and every table for an opportunity for autographs and pictures.For brunch, the menu of breakfast favorites expands with soup; salads including Caesar; seafood, fresh broccoli, antipasto, chicken and Caprese, and hot dishes such as barbecued ribs, seafood étouffée and baked salmon. (And, yes, the famous Mickey waffles are on the brunch menu.) The ice cream bar and Contemporary bakery sweets also will be part of the expansive buffet.
Hours for brunch are 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Breakfast is still 7-11:30 a.m. and dinner 5-9:30 p.m.) Meals are one table-service entitlement on the Disney Dining Plan. For reservations, visit www.disneyworld.com/dine or call 407-WDW-DINE.
Disney World Character Dining: Cape May Breakfast with Goofy, Donald, and Minnie Mouse
There is always something special about dining at the Walt Disney World Resort when Disney Characters are involved. Young or old, your inner child comes out when Minnie Mouse or Goofy comes to your table to greet you. They may even spot you dining on a Mickey Waffle. Today we travel to the Beach Club Resort to review the Character Breakfast at Cape May!
Disney Characters Bring Fun To Any Breakfast!
The Character Breakfast at Cape May involves Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Duck Duck dressed in their Beach attire that is fitting for a meal at the Beach Club Resort. Their colorful outfits and playful attitudes cannot help but get your day off to a great start!
You want to make sure to bring a camera with you to breakfast, because these characters love to pose for pictures.
They visit each table one at a time, making sure that they visit with everyone during their meal. They will sign autographs and pose for pictures with everyone in your party. They were not rushed. This is certainly the best way to get pictures and autographs with characters for your family.
Cape May Breakfast - The Food!
Like most Disney World Character meals, the Cape May Character Breakfast is served buffet style. This makes it easy to please everyone in your party and also provide plenty of food for the hungriest of appetites. Disney World buffets are better than your average buffet and Cape May is no different.
You can find a wide range of choices from the standard breakfast fare to items that you may not expert to see. There are four sides to the large buffet area. The first side includes: Fresh Fruit, Yogurt, Steel-cut Oatmeal, House-made Granola, and smoked salmon.
The 2nd side includes typical breakfast items like scrambled eggs, link sausage, bacon, and assorted pastries.
The 3rd side features a carving station that included ham and additional fresh baked items like breads and muffins.
The last side features Mickey Waffles and French toast sticks.
Cape May Character Breakfast Review - Summary
Disney World Character Meals are about the interaction with the Disney Characters and this meal certainly provides that! Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck each come to visit your table and interact with you. They will sign autographs, interact, and pose for pictures in a relaxed setting taht did not feel rushed like you may feel in the theme parks.The attire of the characters was appropriate to the theme of the restaurant and they were fun to interact with.
The breakfast buffet was certainly above average. They had breakfast staples that traditionalists will love and other specials like the smoked salmon, house-made granola, and carving station that makes this a great breakfast experience.
If you are looking for a Disney World Character meal then this is a great choice! We would definitely recommend it without reservation!
Star Wars Character Dining Returns To Disney World For 2015
Two great Star Wars Character Dining Experiences that debuted in 2014 will be returning to the delight of fans to the Walt Disney World Resort. Starting on May 4th and running every day through June 15th both the Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast! at Sci-Fi & Jedi Mickey's STAR WARS Dine at Hollywood & Vine will be available to guest at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast! At Sci-Fi
The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Disney's Hollywood Studios will once again play host to this special Star Wars Character Dining Experience! Guests will get a chance to meet Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Stormtroopers, Greedo, and Jawas during this special breakfast with Star Wars influenced menu items.
Here are the key details:
DATES: May 4 - June 15, 2015 (Every day, not just during Star Wars Weekends!)TIMES: 8:00AM - 11:00AM
COSTS: $49.99/Adult, $31.99/Child (includes taxes, but not gratuity)
During the inaugural year of this breakfast, Only WDWorld had a chance to experience it first hand and we have to admit it was a lot of fun. The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is not normally open for breakfast, so that made this a special treat in addition to all of the Star Wars theming. The characters make their way to each "car" to visit with the guests and pose for pictures. The film clips are replaced with Star Wars themed clips that include some rarely seen material from the 70's and 80's.
See more pictures and our Review from 2014:
Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast Review
Jedi Mickey's STAR WARS Dine at Hollywood & Vine
Star Wars and Disney comes together as your favorite Disney Characters portray their favorite Star Wars characters for this fun Character Dinner. Mickey Mouse is now a Jedi, Minnie Mouse is portraying Princess Leia, Donald Duck is a Stormtrooper, Chip n Dale have become Ewoks, and Goofy has gone to the dark side becoming Darth Goofy! Add the characters to a great buffet filled with Star Wars inspired foods and desserts and you have a special dining experience that you will not want to miss.
Here are the key details:
DATES: May 4 - June 15, 2015 (Every day, not just during Star Wars Weekends!)TIMES: 4:15 PM - 8:00 PM
COSTS: $57.99/Adult, $34.99/Child (includes taxes, but not gratuity)
See more pictures and our Review from 2014:
Jedi Mickey's STAR WARS Dine Review
Disney Dining Tip
Make sure you make reservations early for these great Star Wars Character Dining meals! They will fill up and they will turn away those without reservations. Your best chance for reservations are to pick days that are not hosting Star Wars Weekends (Monday-Thursday).Good Luck and May The Force Be With You!
