Mouse Extra

The Wilderness Lodge is one of the most visually stunning resorts in Walt Disney World. Its based on the classic national park lodges in the Western part of the country, places like Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. The lobby like the region itself is best described as “grand.” The pool is reminiscent of bubbling springs. Although not on the monorail system, the Lodge can be reached by boat or bus.

Within the massive lobby, the hungry can find the Whispering Canyon café. A wide open eatery that is one of the better places to take the kids for a bite. The food can be ordered a la carte, but most people get the family style, all-you-can-eat skillets. This costs, at this time, about $22.50 for an adult. You start with salad and apple vinaigrette. The skillets are loaded with smoked ribs, pulled pork, roasted chicken, and sausage. You also get as much cornbread, mashed potatoes, beans, slaw, and corn on the cob that you can shove down your throat. The entrées that you can order separately include things like fish, chops, and meat loaf most of which costing about $20 a pop.

The big draw here is the fun and games. Your kids can enjoy various activities like broom races. The servers are clued into the shenanigans, as well. There are several things you can do/say to elicit some “goofy” response. You can wear something from a rival such as Sea World. You could tell the server its a party member’s birthday. You can claim your straw is not long enough. Ask the server where his “six shooter” is. Have a male member of your party ask for the location of the restroom. Chew gum or ask where one can purchase it. These things may prompt the server or they may not depending on the server and what he/she is in the middle of doing, but try it at some point.

The food is average to above average, but the place itself can be a real “hoot” especially for kids. I’m not a big fan of family-style, but at least here you have the option to steer clear of it. I would recommend you save room for the cinnamon tortilla dessert. Its stuffed with vanilla ice cream and topped with fresh bananas and a banana-caramel sauce.

Today’s review is by Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

Port Orleans is perhaps the most popular of Walt Disney World’s moderate resorts. I suppose people love the French Quarter feel and old Southern charm. In the not too distant past, this resort was actually two different places- Port Orleans and Dixie Landings. They have been combined into Port Orleans with the French Quarter and Riverside districts. Boatwright’s is located at the Riverside section. At the name implies, there are boat making tools and similar items decorating the walls as well as boats hanging over your head.

Way back when, Boatwright’s attempted to be a real Cajun restaurant, but it never really pulled it off. Blackened seafood as well as shrimp & crawfish etoufee could be had. However, it was always guilty of catering to the masses instead of staying true to the cuisine. It sacrificed being an accurate representation of Creole food for a more generalized, boring menu. The facility became less and less Cajun seemingly everyday. Now, it seems to be a more tame Southern style place.

The menu as it stands now starts off with appetizers like shrimp cocktail, onion soup and crab cakes. The prices range from $5 to $10. For an entrée, choices include pot roast, chicken dishes, and penne with shrimp, all ranging from $15 to $20. The lone Cajun holdover is jambalaya: chicken and Andouille sausage with rice and plenty of Creole spices. Southern greens and potatoes accompany most meals.

I would not recommend Boatwright’s for a meal myself. Frankly, it’s quite dull. In a resort called “Port Orleans”, I would expect a real attempt at Cajun cuisine with things like blackened catfish, gumbo, po’ boys and the like. Instead, we get a rather bland menu even back when it tried a more Cajun feel. If you want a pretty good attempt at New Orleans food and not something too toned down, hop over to Downtown Disney and try the House of Blues, a personal favorite.

Today’s Disney Dining Review is by Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

Today’s dining review is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

It’s my understanding that ‘ohana means “family” in the Hawaiian language. For me, it means amazing scalloped potatoes. This extremely popular restaurant is located on the second floor of the main house at the Polynesian resort. It occupies a crowded space with the nearly as popular Kona café. You will notice dozens of patron standing around a too small lounge area waiting for a table. Even when equipped with a reservation, wait times can be extensive. Still, the Polynesian with its central tropical waterfall and Asian island decor make it one of the most architecturally interesting resorts in Walt Disney World. Plus, there is often entertainment in the waiting area.

The setting itself is very nice although it loses a bit of its charm due to the massive amount of people dining along with you. At its center, there is a large open fire pit where you can watch parts of your meal be prepared. There is also entertainment for the kiddies consisting of hula hoop demonstrations, coconut races, and Hawaiian dancing. Your kids come up to the center of the of the restaurant to follow the lead of a singer who also serenades the guests with Hawaiian folk songs. Don’t worry, your children will not attempt any torch juggling or fire eating.

The food is a real plus here. It is the exception to my general rule against “family style.” To me, family style is just a buffet without the variety. That is, its a buffet without its main benefit. Anyhow, the food is quite good. You start off with sweet-&-sour shrimp and honey-coated chicken wings. This followed by sirloin steak, Asian pork, mesquite-grilled turkey, and my personal favorite, Hawaiian sausage. These are accompanied by various, mostly Asian based, dipping sauces. You also get vegetables and the aforementioned potatoes.

You should be advised that the menu changes on occasion and may be different when you go. For example, dessert used to be pineapple slices covered in caramel which may sound weird but is actually delicious. Now, dessert is bread pudding topped with a banana foster sauce. Not bad, but not the same either. Nevertheless, the food is always good.

At this time, you pay $25.99 per adult. For kids, its $11.99. You have to make sure you have an ADR or you can forget about it. This place gets packed quickly. If you can swing it, you should try to get a window seat during the Magic Kingdom’s Wishes show. The view from here of the show over the castle is spectacular.

As its billing states, ‘Ohana is a place of family, laughter, and sharing.

Aloha.

The news of a brewpub coming to Walt Disney World was one that certainly put a smile on face, as I am sure it did for all beer-lovers and tavern-goers that vacation at the Mouse.  But does the Big River Grille and Brewing Works deliver the goods?  Maybe not entirely, but it comes close.

The Big River Grille is not a Disney owned and operated establishment.  It is part of an outside chain that has other brewpubs in Tennessee.  But when it comes to food quality and cleanliness, it has no problem keeping up with the Disney standard.

The Big River is part of the amazing Boardwalk area, just steps from Epcot’s World Showcase.  It has an outside deck that delivers the atmosphere of this wonderful corner of Disney World.  Inside, however, the atmosphere is somewhat dull.  It tries to go with a chic look, but ends up being a bit too “cold” feeling and can also be slightly noisy.  I wouldn’t call this a negative, but certainly not a positive either.

The food has always been good, each time I’ve been there.  Lunch offers a half dozen sandwiches that are all interesting, as well as entrees like ribs, salmon, and chicken Alfredo.  Dinner is similar, but with slightly fewer sandwiches and more entrees.  We’re not talking anything overly adventurous here, but this is a pub.  My only suggestion would be that they add more appetizers, as each menu only has three or four.  But overall, the choices are good and always tasty. 

But let’s be honest here, folks.  This is a brewpub.  Food and atmosphere are not nearly as important as the quality of what brings us here, the beer.  As a beer lover myself, I would say Big River delivers a product you should try.  They usually offer a reasonable variety, including light, wheat, pale ale, pilsner, red, and brown selections.  They are all good, but I have yet to find anything that really “wowed” me.  Having said that, these are all quality products and vastly superior to most beer selections found at Disney World.  If you are looking for a beer that’s totally out of the ordinary, you won’t find it at Big River.  What you will find is good, fresh and worthy beer.

Big River Grille is not a place for connoisseurs, either of food or beer.  It’s a nice pub, with decent drink and tasty pub food.  Give it a try and tell us what you think.

Beaches and Cream is one of those few well publicized resort dining locations. Ever since the Travel Channel featured the “Kitchen Sink”, a sundae so enormous words can’t describe it, this ice cream parlor located at the Beach Club Resort is often recommended by guides and websites. If a place like this can actually have “hype” Beaches and Cream does, and it lives up to it.

Upon my first trip to Beaches and Cream, I was stunned by how small it was. After hearing about it so many times, I was expecting a larger facility, but this place is tiny. Only a handful of seats at the counter and just a few tables is all there is. It serves a very limited selection of “burger joint” type food, basically lunch stuff. You have burgers, roast beef, chicken sandwiches, and your deep-fryer fare, and it’s all good. But this is a 50’s-esque soda fountain, so the food is only a prelude to the sweets. There are terrific sundaes, floats, cakes, and everything else.

The theme here is very well done. The atmosphere is apparent, but not overbearing at all. It gives you a somewhat immersive experience, but keeps from pushing the theme down your throat. The counter has some wonderful 50’s details, plus there’s a nice jukebox in the corner and furniture is just right. My only complaint is that you can see the arcade next door. As far as I can remember, Fonzi never played video games.

Placed just steps from Stormalong Bay, one of Disney World’s best pools, Beaches and Cream makes for a great place to stop for lunch or an afternoon snack. If it’s hot enough, and your appetite is large enough, you can really stuff yourself with some wonderful food here.

I had never stepped foot in the Fort Wilderness Campground at any point during the 25-plus years that I have been going to Walt Disney World.  In fact, I had never seen anymore than the sign on the side of the road.  But I have recently become an avid listener of the WDW Today Podcast, and Mike Scopa has mentioned on more than one episode that people who’ve never tried the Trail’s End buffet should do.  So this past trip, I did just that.

Believe me when I tell you that my confidence level was initially very low.  We took the boat from the Magic Kingdom that runs to the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge as well.  It was jammed full of people, of the very loud and teenaged variety, and it seemed they were all going to the Wilderness Lodge.  Could these people all be going to Scopa’s beloved Trail’s End?  Could even half of them be going?  I have never been much of a buffet line lover, and the thought of standing in a massive and loud line to spoon some cold peas was not high on my list of things to do while on vacation.

We made it to the campground and walked our way to the main building.  I was happy to discover that all these folks were not here for the buffet, as we were the only two heading in that direction.  As I walked in I noticed a bar in a virtually empty area of the building, termed Crockett’s Tavern, which had a television on.  It was NFL playoff time, so we asked to eat at the bar.  Great decision!

The place had a nice, authentic feel.  It is well themed, but not over-the-top campy.  It is a nice tribute to Davy Crockett, one of Walt Disney’s most successful franchises ever.  The food also fits well into the theme.  Chicken and biscuits, mashed potatoes, barbeque ribs are all on the buffet and each one is literally better than the next.  I tried nearly everything I could, and my wife had a plate piled to the point where the bartender couldn’t see her behind the stack of cornbread.   Oh, and let me just say the cornbread is outstanding!  There’s also a nice apple cobbler-type dessert that you must try. 

I don’t think I am overstating this when I say that the Trail’s End represents the best value, the best bang for the buck, I have ever received at a Wlat Disney World restaurant.  The food is good, so good you simply shovel it in, and the price, especially at lunch, is very reasonable.  It may be off the beaten path a bit, but hey…it’s Trail’s End.