Tink Tested: 1900 Park Fare Dinner

Location: First floor of the Main Lobby of the Grand Floridian

Parking/Transportation Situation: General Resort Parking (across the street) or Valet Parking available. Bus service from Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney. Monorail service from Magic Kingdom, Ticket and Transportation Center, Epcot, The Contemporary and The Polynesian. Boat service from The Magic Kingdom and The Polynesian. (If using Disney Bus Transportation, allow 1-1.5 hours transportation time. For monorail or boat service, allow 30-45 minutes.)

Meals Served: B, D

Characters/Entertainment: Officially called, "Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner", evening meals include table visits from not only the princess herself, but also Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine (The Evil Stepmother), and her daffy daughters, Anastasia and Drizzella.

Type of Cuisine: American with various international items

Type of Menu: Buffet

Pricing/Dining Plan: $$$/ 1 Table Service Point Per Person
Full Menu: 1900 Park Fare Dinner Menu

Atmosphere: A bright and airy carousel themed dining room
Dress Code: Theme park casual

Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Princess lovers who want to avoid, (or couldn't get in to), Cinderella's Royal Table in the Castle, or those that enjoy a unique character experience. (It's rare to see Cindy's sassy step-sisters and step-mother anywhere else.)

Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Moderate

Fun Stuff for Kids: Truly one of the most entertaining of the character meals. The step-sisters will crack your little ones up with their loud and silly shenanigans. Once every hour or so, the characters are announced to the dining room, with Cinderella and Prince Charming occasionally inviting guests to waltz.  
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: What rides???

Stand out dishes: Strawberry Soup, Carved Roasted Turkey, Mongolian Beef, Key Lime Chicken, Bread Pudding
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Only one option here... but buffet and all-you-care-to-eat options are always the most bang for your buck on a Dining Plan point. This one is of particular value, since the regular buffet price runs on the high side.

Experience: So this is gonna sound crazy to you, but we decided to do this one without D. I know, right? How could you not take your 6 year old daughter to see Cinderella??? Well two reasons: 1.) She was unable to attend due to a scheduled event, and 2.) D is most definitely getting to that age where she's starting to question things. On a recent Magic Kingdom visit, she noticed that Tiana on the parade float looked different than the Tiana she took pictures with a few weeks before. The hubs and I are SO not ready for the magic to be destroyed for her, so we decided to do 1900 Park Fare without her, since she LOOOOOVES the step-sisters and step-mother, (she's a villains fanatic), and I knew she'd remember them quite vividly from the last time we dined here, back in November. If they happened to be "looking slightly different", I didn't want her to question what we were trying to pull over on her and ruin Disney face-character magic forever. This was excellent news for K, because it meant all of the character attention would be focused on him, so he was totally fine with leaving Sissy behind.
     We managed to book day-of, but only because we were again eating at an "off" time, at only 4:30pm. We checked in to the podium and were directed to have our picture taken in the waiting area, next to a beautiful mural of Cinderella's Castle. We declined the picture, since we wouldn't be buying a picture of the three of us anyway. For those that do stop for the photo, the photographer will come to your table later, with a photo package for you to purchase, if you like your pictures.
     We were quickly sat, and greeted by our server, who took our drink order and said he'd be getting the chef for K's egg allergy. The server also took a moment to explain the way the characters "flow", pointing out which tables they would be at right before us, so that we would not get up at the wrong time and miss a character. Nice touch. The chef came to the table and offered to bring me up to the buffet and show me around. It turned out that again, there were plenty of options for K and the only thing that would really become challenging would be dessert, so she said to let the server know when we were ready for dessert and they'd bring K something special. I heaped a plate for K with pizza, mac and cheese, turkey, veggies, a hot dog and cheese and went back to the table.
     When I returned to the table, Cinderella was just two tables away,

K loves being loved on

so before getting the rest of our food, we got to have our first meet and greet. Cinderella kissed K's hand and sweetly cooed at him, which, of course, he ate up. But because he's MY kid, as soon as she walked away, he became deeply engaged in his plate again.
     I sent the hubs up for his plate, and then when he returned, I went up for me. The offerings were certainly varied and multiple types of foods were represented, including sushi, pasta, stir-fry, salad and carved meats. On a pouty note, I will say I was very disappointed that the one item I had last time that I was really looking forward to was not present and that was the pot stickers. Last time we had been at 1900, they had the same potstickers that 'Ohana serves, (the delicious ones that I am obsessed with), on the buffet, but not this time. Items rotate on a daily and weekly basis, so you never know for sure what you'll get. The kids buffet pretty much always features pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, mac and cheese and pasta with meatballs. A very important note at this restaurant, unlike many of Disney's other buffets, the two sides are NOT mirrored and each features different items, so you want to walk to whole buffet. There's a kid's section on each of the far ends of the buffet, each with different items. There was a section of the buffet that was all salad bar mix-ins, and one that was all sushi rolls. There were a couple of shrimp dishes, and salmon. The stir-fry section had Udon noodles, Mongolian Beef and green beans. The carving station had Jerk Seasoned Turkey Breast, and carved sirloin. There was also Key Lime Gingered Chicken, Fried Catfish, Mojo Pork Loin and Chicken and Seafood Paella. Side items included mashed potatoes, succotash, a few soups and veggies.

Sushi bar

 

Kid's Selections



Dessert Table

     My favorite items were the Mongolian Beef and the Chilled Strawberry Soup, a Grand Floridian classic, which tastes more like a smooth, whipped dessert than it does like a soup. The kid's pizza was pretty tasty too. The hubby, as per the norm, liked the kid's items the best and tuckered into some chicken strips and pizza. He did try the carved turkey, but said that the jerk seasoning was not really up his alley. He likes sushi a lot, so he enjoyed the freshly made rolls.
     As we ate, those crazy step-sisters came to visit our table. They put on some pretty hysterical antics, fighting over K's attention, and proposed hand in marriage. Each of them spent plenty of time with him, Anastasia asking him if he's rich and can support her, (to which K replied, "Yeah."), and Drizella kissing his forehead and leaving lipstick evidence behind. Lady Tremaine greeted each table like the rock-star of Disney villains that she is, announcing, "Yes, I am here now. You may stand." She somehow masters the stern face that kids find hysterical and non-threatening, despite her attempts to be.

Anastasia asking K if he's rich.

     When it was time for dessert, we alerted the chef, and out came a whole dessert just for my little guy, with ice cream, egg-free cookies, gummy worms and Mickey sprinkles. While he was districted by sugary-goodness, I got my husband and I a plate of the mini-dessert samplings. There were mini-carrot cakes, cannoli, Key Lime tarts, fruit tarts, chocolate mousse cups, brownies, cookies and more. The little chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse were rich and delicious. The hubs liked the carrot cakes and the cannoli. Of course, neither of us were nearly as into dessert as Mr. K was with his "gummy 'urms". In fact, when Prince Charming made his way to our table, K barely took a moment to take a picture with him. Though I did see K checking out Prince Charming's threads while he was greeting another table nearby. He looked perplexed. Almost as though in his head, he was saying, "Wait a sec, there are PRINCE costumes? This is an option? Why do you people only give me dresses to put on when I'm playing dress up at home? What the....?"
     Overall, I walked away feeling like regardless of the "good" food, (at best), the character experience was worth going there. We got super cute pictures of K with the ladies, and made some great memories. The food was decent, fresh, varied and obviously plentiful, but I truly feel like the reason to go to 1900 Park Fare for dinner is the characters themselves. They are fabulous! Plus, if you can do it on the Dining Plan, it's totally worth the point.

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (2 yo boy)  K, did you have fun eating with Cinderella?   "Ella eat. Eat pizza. Eat gummy 'urms."   Weren't her step-sisters funny?   "K funny."   True. I'm not denying that. I think Anastasia and Drizella liked you a lot.   "Yeah."   (I think in his head he said, 'No biggie. All the ladies like me.') What did you think of Prince Charming's outfit? Did you like that?   "Yeah. Pince 'fit, pease, Mamma?" ("Prince outfit, please, Mamma?")  You know what a sucker you have for a mother. Yeah, yeah... we'll get you a Prince outfit. 

Will we be back: We probably will be back at some point, but only if D specifically asks for it. Otherwise, I'd rather either see Anastasia, Drizella and Lady Tremaine in the parks and spend the money on a meal that we enjoy more.

Tink Tested: Breakfast at Whispering Canyon

Location: Just off of the lobby in the Wilderness Lodge Resort

Parking/Transportation Situation: General Resort Parking or Valet Parking available. Bus service from all parks. Boat service from Magic Kingdom. (If using Disney Transportation, allow 1-1.5 hours transportation time.)

Meals Served: B, L, D

Characters/Entertainment: No characters, wooden pony races around the dining room, boisterous and entertaining servers

Type of Cuisine: Hearty country breakfast and BBQ favorites

Type of Menu: Your choice of a la carte, or all-you-can-eat, family-style dining

Pricing/Dining Plan: $/ 1 Table Service Point Per Person
Full Menu: Whispering Canyon Breakfast Menu

Atmosphere: Rustic, NorthWest lodge

Whispering Canyon's rustic dining room

Dress Code: Theme park casual

Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Kids and Families

Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Moderate

Fun Stuff for Kids: Waiting area has a play table with Lincoln Logs available for building, coloring pages are issued, kids are encouraged to take part in wooden pony races around the restaurant, and they are always included in the server's antics, by being asked to do things like loudly sing "Happy Birthday, Cha-Cha-Cha" to table mates, or throw napkins at their table. Kids LOVE it here!
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: What rides?????

Stand out dishes: Mickey waffles (on skillet), Chuck Wagon Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict, House-Made Banana Bread French Toast, delicious refillable milkshakes
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: All-You-Care-To-Eat Skillet (However, as a general rule of thumb, it is best to pay for breakfasts out of pocket, and use your points on more costly dinners.)

Experience: I should start by saying, we LOVE Whispering Canyon. There was definitely no arm-twisting involved in getting my family to eat here for one of my first reviews. My husband and I love the delicious country-style food, my daughter loves the loud, anything goes atmosphere and my 2 year old son thinks that all-you-can-eat anything is a dream come true. Though we frequently eat dinner here, I hadn't had breakfast at Whispering Canyon in many years, and my husband and kids had never had their breakfast. The whole family was excited to be partaking in some Whispering Canyon fun.
     I managed to get a reservation that morning, which isn't uncommon for breakfast. We valet parked, (since we have a Tables in Wonderland card, valet is complimentary and we only have to pay the tip....and we are lazy), and stepped into the gorgeous, spacious lobby around 10:25am, with our reservation being for 10:30am. If you've never been to the Lodge, it's a must-see! Especially if you can get there at Christmastime, when the decorations are amazing. We checked in and, much to the kids' delight, were told they were running a little behind. That meant that D and K had time to play with the Lincoln Logs while we waited. Our pager went off just about ten minutes later, and we were sat at a square table.
     For those of you that are familiar with Whispering Canyon, there was a relatively new twist. It used to be set up so that every table got the same treatment, and even those that were not into it, were subjected to their server's whacky shtick. There must have been some negative feedback, because now, you are given a coaster with green on one side and red on the other. If you are there for the food and not someone who likes to be messed with, you would put it on the red side, and your service will be just like any other restaurant. But, if you are a good sport, and are there to have fun, put your coaster on the green side, and be prepared for anything! I don't want to give away too much, so I'll only share what happened to us while we dined. (Obviously, we set our coaster to the green side.)
     Our server was a very sweet, and funny young man. He spoke mostly to the kids and really made them giggle. Though we did glance at the menu, we all went with the all-you-care-to-eat skillet, since it offers variety and we each enjoy many of the offerings on it. One thing that is unique and really nice about this location is that each family member can make their own choice as to whether they want the skillet or not. If one member of your party is not a big eater, or has a specific item that they want that it is not on the skillet, they can order a la carte, even if others are getting the skillet. Due to K's egg allergy, the chef came out to discuss what he could and could not eat. In 99% of our experiences in Disney restaurants, they have been fantastic about handling his allergy. The chef will verbally talk us through the menu, or physically walk us through the buffet, and tell us what we need to avoid. They also will usually make him his own special dessert, or meal, depending on how hard it is to avoid eggs there. I was surprised to hear that at this location, they could not make him egg-free waffles, as they had done in the past for us at places like 1900 Park Fare and Trail's End. The chef said he could make him some bacon, sausage and potatoes, separately from the rest of the skillet, to ensure that they were not exposed to eggs, but otherwise we would have to order him something. We ended up ordering a bowl of oatmeal for him, which he enjoyed.
     If the all-you-care-to-eat option doesn't appeal to you, the a la carte menu is chock-full-o delectable options, like chocolate chip pancakes, waffles, and egg dishes.
     When our drinks arrived in their mason jars, our server handed D a fist full of napkins and straws and told her to throw them at our table, which she did with glee. This confused K to no end.

Our table, post D's straw and napkin attack.

     In just a few minutes, our skillet came out, complete with fluffy scrambled eggs, smoky bacon and sausage, home fried potatoes, warm biscuits and the fam-MOUSE Mickey waffles. All of the items were fresh, served hot, and there was plenty to go around. Our server put D in charge of dispensing syrup, which she seemed to think was a special honor bestowed upon her. She became a small, syrup Nazi, carefully portioning out small amounts for everyone else, but huge gobs for herself. She thought this was phenomenal. My husband really liked the potatoes. They had little bits of bell peppers in with them, which gave them a roasted pepper flavor. I did not care for that flavor, and opted out of the potatoes. I love scrambled eggs and Mickey waffles, though, so I was all good. D didn't like the potatoes either, but she was more than happy to put some on her plate, because she knew that meant she was going to need...... KETCHUP!!!!! (For those of you that are familiar with Whispering Canyon, you know what I mean, but if you've never been, make a mental note to be sure and make someone at your table ask the server for some of the red stuff.) When our skillet was almost empty, our server asked what we would like refilled. We asked for more bacon, waffles and eggs, which were brought out about ten minutes later. It gave us enough time to digest and not overload ourselves on Round Two, which was challenging not to do, since the second skillet's bacon was far crispier and just the way I like it.

     D was also VERY excited when the announcement was made that there would be a wooden pony race. She had done this before when we had dinner here in the past and loved it. All of the kids, (and any adult that need some embarrassing), are invited to grab a wooden pony on a stick and gallop around the restaurant, whooping and hollerin' all the way! Lots of fun to watch the giggly, smiley faces of the little ones.
     When we were stuffed to the gills and K decided to start throwing things on the floor, we asked for the check, and headed out. Overall, we had a great meal, and left happy and full. Though we enjoyed the meal, next time, we will do dinner instead. We really enjoy the barbeque and smoked meats and K thinks corn of the cobb was sent straight from heaven. Can't wait to remind him of THAT when he is ten and won't eat a vegetable!

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to D (6 yo girl) What did you think of Whispering Canyon, D? Did you like it? What was your favorite thing? Do you think other kids would like it?     "I liked it. The taste was good. Especially the scrambled eggs and bacon." (I swear, this girl could exist on bacon alone and be happy. No shock that she is MY kid.) "I like the Lincoln Logs table at the front. And the server guy was silly. He had me throw straws at people and that was fun. Kids would like that."

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (2 yo boy)  Hey, K, did you like breakfast at Whispering Canyon?  "Yeah"  What was your favorite thing to eat?  "Yeah"  No, what was your favorite food that you ate?  "Dadda hep me ee oh-meal." (Translation: "Daddy helped me eat oatmeal.")  Yes, I know. Did you like it?  "No."  Well, ok then. What about the restaurant? Did you have fun coloring and playing?   "Yeah. Mamma, I go pay in pay oom. Ba-bye." (Translation: "Mamma, I'm going to go play in the playroom. Bye.")   I'm impressed I held his attention for THAT long.

Will we be back: For sure, but next time, we're sticking with dinner. BBQ and cornbread? Yes, please.