Tink Tested: Hollywood and Vine Lunch

Location: Echo Lake Area in Disney Hollywood Studios   
Parking/Transportation Situation: General Parking available. Boat service available and/or walking paths from The BoardWalk, The Yacht and Beach Club, The Swan and Dolphin and the back entrance of Epcot. Bus service from all other resorts, The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney. 

Meals Served: B, L, D

Characters/Entertainment: At breakfast and lunch only, appearances are made by Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Jake of Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Handy Manny. Multiple times an hour, entertainers appear and do a sing-a-long song and a dance with the characters. Kids are welcome to join in. 

Type of Cuisine: American fare

Type of Menu: Buffet

Pricing/Dining Plan: $$$/ 1 Table Service Point Per Person
Full Menu: Hollywood and Vine Lunch Buffet Menu

Atmosphere: An Hollywood themed cafeteria

Dress Code: Theme park casual

Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Toddlers and Disney Junior fans

Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Moderate

Fun Stuff for Kids: Your kids will love meeting their Disney Junior friends, as well as singing and dancing along to the live performances! 
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: What rides?????

Stand out dishes: Baked Chicken, Shrimp and Lobster Mac and Cheese, Roasted Pork, Chocolate Dipped Items, Key Lime Tart
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: The only option here is buffet, but generally speaking, any all-you-care-to-eat option will give you the most "bang" for your Disney Dining plan "buck"

Experience:  So, this story starts off a little oddly. We did not have reservations for Hollywood and Vine, nor did we have the intention of eating there. We were at The Studios to play and had made a reservation for the 50's Prime Time Cafe for lunch. Well, let's say, it did NOT go as planned. We ended up having a really terrible experience with a server, prompting us to decide to cancel our order, and go elsewhere. Yes, I do realize the the 50's Cafe is meant to be "shtick-y", and sometimes it is in the server's "act" to be grumpy and fake-abrasive, but this server's attitude was clearly NOT part of his act. He seemed inconvenienced by everything from K's allergy, to having to explain menu items to us, and us asking for "too many substitutions". (The Hubs asked for no gravy and no vegetables, not for them to recreate his grandmother's casserole recipe.) When the server made D feel badly for wanting the salmon with a different side than what it came with, we decided we were done. Make me feel uncomfortable, no big deal. Make my kid feel bad, it's on like Donkey Kong! Rather than get upset, we notified the manager to cancel our order and headed out. I do want to make sure I am clear about this.... I am NOT saying that Prime Time is in ANY way bad. Any place can have a bad server and any server can have a bad day. We will gladly return to Prime Time in the future... as long as we are not sat with the same server. 
     After that experience, the kids were about to loose their minds. It had been about an hour since we first checked into Prime Time and the Littles were HANGRY. I checked the podium at Hollywood and Vine, but they were not taking any more walk-ins for the day. Well, the very gracious manager from Prime Time helped us out, due to our snag, and got us on the list. We were sat within 10 minutes. (NICE way to recover, Disney!) 
     We had actually done this same lunch with the kids the very first time we brought them to Disney and D loved it. K was too little to enjoy it, but now he's totally into Disney Junior, so he was excited to see some of his favorite pals. At breakfast and lunch, your little Disney fans can meet Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, Handy Manny and Jake, (of Jake and the Neveraland Pirates), while you dine on a buffet-style meal. (It is important to note that THERE ARE NO CHARACTERS AT DINNER! Wouldn't want there to be any disappointed dudes and dudettes.) This is one of the ONLY places on Disney property to see these characters, other than their meet and greet locations, also in The Hollywood Studios. 
     The restaurant just sort of looks like a big cafeteria, with some campy Hollywood murals painted on the walls, but you're not really here for the atmosphere. You're here for the STARS! It's a huge bonus that the eats are delicious, as well!
     When we were sat, the Cast Member explained the "flow" of the characters, so that we would not miss any incoming photo ops. Our server came right over and got us drinks, plus noted that the chef would be over to walk us through the buffet for K's egg allergy. 
     Before we even had the chance to get up for food, Jake came to our table. K and D greeted him with an, "Arrrggghhhh!", possibly startling him. He made a quick recovery and posed for some pics with them, and gave them a cuddle before moving on. Before Sofia could get to our row, the chef was over and he took me up to the buffet to tell me what K could have and what we needed to avoid. I got plates for the kiddos and myself, and then sent The Hubs up. All of the items looked fresh and items that were running low were quickly replaced. There was a large assortment of breads and salad items, as well as two soups. The meat options included pork, beef, baked chicken, salmon and ranch chicken. There were plenty of tasty sides, including a sweet cornbread spoonbread, lobster and shrimp mac and cheese and sauteed green beans. The kid's area had chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, broccoli and tater tots. Both our kids dug into the baked chicken and tater tots. The Hubs favored the pork and the meatballs, (he, of course, made tiny sandwiches, as he always does), and I liked the ranch chicken and the salmon. And you have to have some of the spoonbread. Mmmmm.... Good stuff. 

 

 

Mashed Potatoes, BBQ Chicken and Corn

BBQ Meatballs and Green Beans

Plantains and Roasted Pork

Rice and Baked Chicken

Ranch Chicken, Vegetable Pasta and Salmon

Roasted Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Mixed Beans

Mac and Cheese, Tater Tots, Chicken Nuggets and Steamed Broccoli

     As we were eating, Sofia came by. There was no way she was sneaking up on anyone, since her pearls of her dress were clanging on the metal chairs as she walked. K said, "Mamma, Fia's dress play dums?" Apparently it sounded to him like her dress was playing percussion on the furniture. Then again, EVERYTHING sounds like "dums" to K. I think this dude is gonna be a drummer. But I digress... Sofia is a favorite of both of my kids and they fawned over her amulet and her tiara and she was very patient and sweet with them. Then it was time for the "Play" part of the "Play and Dine" experience. Every 20 minutes or so, they play some favorite Disney Junior songs, like "Time For Your Check Up", or "Talk Like a Pirate", and two entertainment Cast Members come out and sing and dance with the characters. Kids are encouraged to come up to the middle and join in the fun, unlike most other character meals where the kids are asked to stay in their seats at all times. They even did a conga line through the dining room! 

Playing and Dancing with Doc and Sofia

Manny gets down!

     When the singing and dancing portion was over, Doc, who was supposed to be headed to our row next, went to a different part of the restaurant. We waited, figuring she'd come back, but she didn't right away. Since the people sitting next to us were about the leave and hadn't seen her yet, they let the character greeter know that Doc had missed our row. She apologized and said she'd send her over as soon as possible, and she did. Doc came over and spent a little extra time with us, letting the kids play with her stethoscope and giving them extra hugs. 

 

     After two rounds at the buffet, we were getting full. We got a quick greeting from Handy Manny, and then D and I went and picked out dessert. They have an awesome chocolate fountain at Hollywood and Vine, which made me think they would have a chocolate fondue-type of thing, but it was items that a chef pre-dips and serves up once the chocolate has hardened. Still good, but not what I was expecting. Since they dip everything from fruit, to pretzels, to brownies in the chocolate, K couldn't have any dipped items. There was too much of a risk that there would be brownie or cookie crumbs on his items. The chef did, however, give him a whole bowl of plain marshmallows and Mickey sprinkles, which he couldn't have been happier about. He could also have ice cream, so he was good. D filled a plate with chocolate covered apples, strawberries, and other goodies. The Hubs and I tried out some of the pastries, and were very happy with the options. I was shocked to enjoy the Key Lime Tarts. I'm usually not a fan, since I find Key Lime stuff to be too sweet, but these were just tart enough and didn't overdo it on the sugar. Perfect! 

 

     We were there long enough that we got second visits from Jake and Sofia.  We left full, satisfied, and very pleased with our service. The server had done a good job of clearing plates quickly, and keeping our drinks filled. She was pleasant and interacted with the kids in a friendly way. Yes, our lunch ended up costing us almost double what we would have spent at Prime Time, but I'd always rather pay more and enjoy our experience, than pay less and leave unhappy. 
      Now, I can imagine that dining here WITHOUT small children would be a less than pleasant experience. It does get loud and crazy at times, and even though very few people would ever be unhappy with a hug and a visit from a character like Mickey, I could see an adult-only party feeling awkward about meeting characters who play to the preschool lot. With that said, if you're coming with toddlers, stand back! They'll be psyched out of their minds! But be prepared that they may not eat much due to their extreme levels of excitement. I mean, it is Sofia. SOFIA... THE FIRST! 

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to D (6 yo girl)  Ok, D... So, were you happy with the way lunch turned out?   "YES! I was so, so, so, SO happy to have lunch with Sofia and Doc and Jake! Oh, and Mandy!"   You mean Manny. Handy Manny.   "Yeah, Handy Mandy!"   Alllllright.... and what about food? What did you like?   "Oh, the salmon was delicious and the chicken was very nice and the marshmallows were chocolatey and good too."   Fair enough. Do you want to go back there sometime?   "YES! It was so, so, so, SO fun!"   But was it fun?    (super seriously, of course) "Yeah. It was fun. I said that."

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (3 yo boy)  K, what about you? Did you have fun with Fia and Doc and Jake and Manny?   "Ummmmm.... yeah, Mamma. I like Jake an Ein-signs."   Einsteins? Little Einsteins weren't there. You mean you like to watch them on tv?   "Yeah, I like them an rockit. BAST-OFFFFFFF!!!!!"   That's right! They tell Rocket to Blast Offffff!!! What about the food? Was it good food?   "Ummmmm..... yeah. Good food too."   What did you like?   "Ummmmm...... Mushellows. An Speen-kles."  Mmmm, marshmallows and sprinkles. Tasty. Totally worth paying a $25 buffet price for, huh?   "Yes! I like it!"   Of course you do, dude.  

Will we be back: We are actually booked for the Minnie's Holiday Dine special event that is coming up in November, so we will be back, but for dinner and with a different set of characters. If that were not booked, I would still be willing to return, but I think I'd try breakfast next time, just to mix it up. 

Tink Tested: Crystal Palace Lunch

Location: End of Main Street, on the left, in The Magic Kingdom. PARK ADMISSION IS REQUIRED!!!

Parking/Transportation Situation: Parking is in The Magic Kingdom main parking lot, at the Ticket and Transportation Center. You will ride the parking tram to the TTC, then either take the monorail or the ferry boat to the park. If you are coming from The Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village, or The Contemporary, take the monorail, or a boat, and allow for 20-30 minutes transportation time. (You can also walk from The Contemporary, in about ten minutes.) From Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge, take the boat. From Epcot, take the monorail. From all other resorts and parks, take the bus and allow anywhere from 45 minutes-1.5 hours transportation time. ALSO ALLOW TIME TO GO THROUGH BAG CHECKS, GO THROUGH THE GATES, AND WALK THROUGH THE PARK!

Meals Served: B, L, D

Characters/Entertainment: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet

                        

Type of Cuisine: American fare

Type of Menu: Buffet only

Pricing/Dining Plan: $$$/ 1 Table Service Point Per Person

Full Menu: Crystal Palace Lunch Menu

Atmosphere: Bright, cheery atrium 

Dress Code: Theme park casual

Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Kids, kid and more kids

Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Moderate

Fun Stuff for Kids: The main focus here are the characters. Your friends from the Hundred Acre Wood will visit tables while you dine. About once an hour, the Cast celebrates birthdays by dancing around to a birthday song, and encouraging Guests to wave napkins above their heads. If you happen to be sat at one of the few window tables that faces the Castle, you may have a view of some of the 3 o'clock parade, the Electric Light Parade, the Castle show, or Wishes, depending on what time you dine. I say this with great hesitation though, because very few tables actually have a view and you cannot request a table with a view in advance. You can ask once you are there, but the amount of time you will likely have to wait to get one is not usually worth it. You'd be better off finishing up, and watching from outside. 
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: What rides?????

Stand out dishes: Salmon with Pineapple Salsa, Parker House Rolls with Garlic Butter, Carved Beef, Turtle Cheesecake, Peach Cobbler, Carved Ham
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Only one option here, the All-You-Care-To-Eat Buffet. However, as a general rule of thumb, buffets will give you the most "bang" for your Dining Plan buck! And being one of the more costly buffets, using a point here makes a lot of sense.

Experience: The Hubs and I brought the littles to The Magic Kingdom last Saturday to visit a friend who was in the park. Since the weather was projected to be scorching hot, humid as a sponge and potentially rainy in the afternoon, (again, summer), we decided it would be a smart idea to do a full service lunch. Our options to book that morning were The Plaza or Crystal Palace, so we figured the kids would like to chill with their friends from the Hundred Acre Wood. We booked the 1:10pm, since it was already 10am and that would give us enough time to do one or two things, say hi to our friends, and head in to eat. 
     Since we were totally melted messes by 12:30pm, after having danced with Woody and Jessie at Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It!, we opted to check in early, and see if we could be sat. We were called in at 12:45pm, which was perfect! 
     We were taken to a window table, facing baby care and first aid. As I mentioned above, it's important to note that very few tables actually face the Castle and would allow for you to enjoy the parade or fireworks from inside, so I would discourage anyone from selecting this restaurant specifically for the view. The inside of the location is beautiful! Since there are so many windows and skylights, it resembles an atrium or even a greenhouse, with bright sunlight streaming in from everywhere. Likewise, when it clouds over, it gets a little gloomy, but I think Eeyore likes it that way. 

     The server came right over and did an awesome job of explaining which way the characters move around the tables, so that we would know when our turn was coming. She did miss K's egg allergy, which was written on our receipt when we were sat. When we reminded her of the allergy, she said that she would get our drinks and that we should stay at the table until the chef was able to come over. Well, the chef must have been caught up doing something, because we waited about 15 minutes and still hadn't seen a chef. Luckily, we had a visit from Tigger which distracted the kids for a while. They loved hugging the day-glow orange tiger and smiling for pictures with him. 

     When the server came by again and saw that we still did not have plates in front of us, she gasped and apologized. We said it was not a problem and that if it was ok with her, that we would go up and at least get fruit and stuff that we knew he could eat. She said that was absolutely fine and so I went up with D and got a round of apple slices, grapes, cheese, salami and cantaloupe for K. While I was up, the chef came to the table and informed The Hubs as to what we needed to avoid, (chicken nuggets, desserts and a couple of other side items). I will say this for the food... considering the preschool audience that this place draws, I was expecting very basic, bland food, but that was not the case. Sure, there was a good kid's section, serving up corn dog nuggets, pasta and meatballs, and mac and cheese, but there were also all sorts of salad choices, stir fried noodles, pierogies, two different kinds of fish, and carved beef and ham. There was a wide variety of nicely flavored foods, and everything was hot and fresh. D liked the salmon with pineapple salsa and the mac and cheese. K ate a whole bunch of stir fried noodles and a good helping of ham. The Hubs was happy to enjoy chicken tender and mashed potato sandwiches, which he made using the garlic buttered Parker House rolls. That man will make a sandwich out of ANYTHING! Pasta, steak, cupcakes... He got skills. He also liked the roasted chicken, which had a spice rub that was flavorful without being too hot or too salty. Personally, I was a big fan of the tilapia and the pierogies. Mini pockets of pasta filled with mashed potatoes? Um, yes. 

Kid's Selections: Mac 'N' Cheese, Pasta, Corn and Peas and Corndogs

Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, Spoon Bread, and Green Beans

Stir Fried Noodles, Rice and Collard Greens

Chicken Tenders, Pasta and Pierogies

Tilapia with Citrus Beurre Blanc and Salmon with Corn and Pineapple Salsa

     We happily munched and lunched for the next hour, occasionally enjoying visits from Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and the bear himself, Pooh! The characters did a good job of stopping at the tables long enough for hugs, pictures and autographs, and the character greeters were efficient at keeping excited kiddos from other tables away. They were not, however, very good at positioning themselves OUT of camera range for the character photos, as I have a greeter in almost every shot of the kids. See? Whoops! 



     When it was time for dessert, K was happy to receive a bowl of soft serve ice cream from the self-serve machines. "Oooooo, ice keeeeeem!", he exclaimed! Our server also brought him some packaged egg-free chocolate chip cookies. D dug into some peach cobbler, which she liked a lot. The Hubs liked the turtle cheesecake squares. I was disappointed in dessert, since dessert is my jam and the offerings here were not all that exciting to me. I really wished there was something yummy and chocolatey, but alas, there was not. Trust me, I was plenty full from lunch. 

Brownies, Sugar-Free Raspberry Tarts, Turtle Cheesecake, Coconut Flan and Key Lime Pie

     Overall, we found service to be pleasant and efficient. The food was tasty and surprisingly "adult". It does get pretty loud, due to the amount of small children, but nothing that those with their own kiddos aren't used to. The littles had fun with the characters and left with smiles on their faces, which is always what matters to us the most. 
     Since we had obligations for that evening, we walked out of Crystal Palace and right on down Main Street. Time to bounce on home like Tigger! TTFN, Magic Kingdom!
Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to D (6 yo girl) So D what did you like best about Crystal Palace?   "I liked seeing the characters and I didn't really eat that much, but I liked the food. Like, I liked the food, and I liked... what else? I liked the salmon. Aaaannndd... what else did I like? And.... I liked the dessert. The ice cream and the peach pie thing. And, yeah, I think that's it. Oh, and I liked looking outside the windows."    ....You done?   "Yeah."   I don't even need to bother asking you questions anymore, do I?   "No."

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (2 yo boy)  K, did you like having lunch with Pooh?   "I see Inny Da Pooh, an Piggit, an Tee-gar!"   I know! Super fun, right?   "Right, Mamma. Inny De Pooh upstairs. An Simba."   I know that you have a Winnie the Pooh up in your bed, and a Simba, too. I got them for you, actually. What did you like to eat at lunch?   "Uuuuuuummmmmm..........uuummmmmmmm.....uummm... Brocky."   What? Broccoli was your favorite thing?   "Brocky and ice keem."   Of course.   

Will we be back: I will go back if one of the kiddos requests it and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone, but there are buffets with lower price tags, outside of the parks, that I would prefer. 

Tink Tested: Trail's End Dinner

Location: The back of Fort Wilderness, (The Settlement area), next to Pioneer Hall
Parking/Transportation Situation: Park in the main parking lot and take an internal bus from the bus stop. (Busses are named by colors: Orange, Yellow and Purple. ALL busses go to the Settlement stop.) Boat from Magic Kingdom. Bus from Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney.

Meals Served: B, L, D

Characters/Entertainment: No characters, or live entertainment.
Type of Cuisine: Down home, country fare

Type of Menu: Buffet for breakfast and dinner. A la carte for lunch.

Pricing/Dining Plan: $$/ 1 Table Service Point Per Person
Full Menu: Trail's End Dinner Menu

Atmosphere: Rustic mess hall

Dress Code: Theme park casual

Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Families, anyone who likes a good deal on a great meal

Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Easy

Fun Stuff for Kids: While there's no real entertainment IN the restaurant, there is a small arcade attached to the back end. Just outside of the restaurant, in the outdoor waiting area, there are hoola hoops to keep the kiddos entertained. Oh, and just to the side of the building, there is a playground. And on the other side, a petting farm and stable, which is the home of pretty much all horses that appear on Disney property. (The Main Street Trolley horses, the Headless Horseman's horse, even Cinderella's ponies that pull her carriage.) Kids can ride a pony, for a small fee. If you've never been to Fort Wilderness, I HIGHLY recommend going there for a hang out. Lots to do and so much outdoor fun. I'll share more in an upcoming post.
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: This is cool!!!

Stand out dishes: Fried Chicken, Fresh Cornbread, Ribs, Carved Ham and Brisket, Apple Cobbler, Lemon Bars
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: The only option at breakfast is the buffet, but generally speaking, any all-you-care-to-eat option is a good value on the Dining Plan. I will say, however, being a relatively low price point, you may want to pay cash for this one, and save your point for a more expensive meal.

Experience: I told ya we liked it, didn't I? Yes, I just reviewed breakfast recently, but we ate dinner here a week later, so you're getting that review too! If you missed the breakfast review and want to check it out, click HERE! There's more info there about the atmosphere, etc.
     We were celebrating a special occasion and D loves Trail's End, so we decided to do an early dinner on a Sunday night. We also invited our neighbors, who had never been to Trail's End before. We booked about a week out, just because we (for once) knew when and where we wanted to go. Normally Trail's End can be booked day of without too much trouble. In fact, it's the perfect back up for when you can't get into somewhere else that you wanted to dine. Easy to book and never disappointing! We had a 5:30 reservation and got to the campground at about 4:50pm. Unfortunately, it had once again been raining on and off, as it tends to do in summer, so everything was damp. Looks like no playground or petting farm visit before eating again today! Sorry D and K! We took the bus back to the Settlement area, and walked on over to the restaurant. We checked in, and the kiddos grabbed hoola hoops to wiggle away the time while we waited. They didn't get to wiggle very long though, since we were sat within ten minutes.
     We sat in the lower part of the restaurant, referred to as "Crockett's Tavern". Our server immediately acknowledged K's egg allergy, but since we have eaten here many times, we were comfortable getting started without the chef coming to the table yet. After getting our drinks in mason jars, we dug into the buffet. While I was up getting the kids their first plates, the chef found me and asked if I had any questions and said that he would make K a special dessert out back. Perfect!
     If you've never been to Trail's End, be prepared to be impressed by the variety. Aside from the basic salad bar and side items, the buffet is FULL of meats! In fact, a vegetarian may be a bit put off by it. They would still have plenty of items that they could eat, but the majority of the buffet is meat. There was fried chicken and ribs, (the same as the chicken and ribs from the Hoop Dee Doo!), baked chicken, salmon, pulled pork, and carved brisket and ham. Our neighbors were happy with the selection and the quality is always high here. The fried chicken was tasty and delicious, without being too greasy. The salmon happened to be a cornbread and honey butter salmon and it was savory, with a little sweetness to it. D loves the mac and cheese here because they make the topping with Goldfish crackers, so she gobbled it up. K loves Disney pizza, and ate about 3 slices, plus fried chicken, and ham, and green beans, and pulled pork, and ribs, and corn... K has NO problem tuckering in at Trail's End. The Hubs loves the ribs and chicken, but his favorite item is probably the fresh made cornbread, served in the skillet. It's easy to miss, because they put it on the dessert buffet, so keep an eye out. There's also a baked potato bar with all the fixin's. You'll have SO much to choose from!

     One little tip we did learn from eating here a number of times... try to avoid eating dinner here until 5:30pm or later. The way the buffet is set up makes it hard for a lot of people to access the food at one time. If everyone is just starting at the same time, you end up waiting in a rather long line to get food. By the time you get through the line, you won't want to go up for seconds because you don't want to wait again. After about 5:30, things even out and you won't run into that problem as much.
          As we were just finishing dinner, we heard some pretty loud thunder and looked outside. Oh my. Right then and there we decided that we were going to take our sweet time eating dessert because there was no way we were walking back to the bus stop in a typhoon. The majority of the restaurant seemed to feel the same way, since just about everyone was sitting around, picking at their desserts. Our poor neighbor had to use the restroom and didn't realize that the only restroom is not only outside of the building, but down past the Hoop Dee Doo. He came back looking like a drowned rat. Thanks, Florida.

     Dessert here will make a Southerner (or anyone) swoon. Lemon Bars. Red Velvet Cake. Banana Pudding. Bread Pudding. Strawberry Shortcake. Apple Cobbler. Snickerdoodles. Not to mention Chocolate Bundt Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies, fresh fruit and Soft Serve Ice Cream with M&Ms and Gummi Bears for toppings. They brought K a plate with egg free ice cream and cookies, along with Gummi Worms. So for dessert, K pretty much ate gummies and M&Ms. D likes the Apple Cobbler the most, as do many people, which is why every time they bring the hot pan out, there's a line waiting and the pan is scooped clean within ten minutes.

     After having what may have been a 45 minute dessert, the rain finally started letting up, and we moseyed on outta there. Another great Trail's End meal, with even better company. I stand firm on my declaration that Trail's End is a "Hidden Gem" of Disney Dining!
Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to D (6 yo girl) I know I don't even need to ask, but you liked Trail's End for dinner, right?   "Yeah, I liked dinner. The fried chicken is real good and I like that macaroni with the Goldfish in it."   Yeah, you seem to enjoy that. What do you think of dessert at Trail's End?   "I like the Gummi Bears."   Oh, I thought you were going to say that you loved the Apple Cobbler.   "Well, I DO, but I also love Gummi Bears."   Well you do have that well rounded palate.  "Huh?"

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (2 yo boy)  Was dinner yummy, Bud?   "Yes. I eat the chickin an the bone."   They are called ribs. You ate ribs. Not bones. You don't eat bones.   "Bones yucky."   Well, yeah. You had another special dessert huh? What did you think of that?   "Diz-urt good, Mamma. Num-num-num-num-num Num-num-num-num-num."   Are you pretending to eat dessert now?   "Yeah. Ice keem, Mamma. Eat."   Num-num-num!   "It gooooood, Mamma?" (stares me down like he might shank me if I say no)   Oh, yeah. It's delicious! (Does anyone else's toddler freak them out sometimes? Like, you look at their face and wonder, 'Are you gonna turn on me in my sleep at some point?')

Will we be back: Absolutely! Probably more frequently than to any other restaurant on Disney property. Cheapest dinner buffet and really high quality food.