Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' Dinner Review

Homecomin' is one of the newer restaurants located in the expansion and overhaul of Disney Springs, formally Downtown Disney. Homecomin' is at the Landing section of Disney Springs opposite Morimoto Asia. 

Homecomin' is 1 Table Service Credit on the Disney Dining Plan. 

When you arrive, you check in outside with a Cast Member. We arrived very soggy and in ponchos because it appeared that we chose the rainy evening to walk from our boat dock to the opposite side of Disney Springs! When you check in, you will be told that you will receive a text when your table is ready. As we have UK phones that were on flight mode and only worked on wifi, we were told to just hang around under the cover of the restaurant and we would be called once our table was ready.

We were then called inside as our table was ready. However, we were then told to sit down on the indoor seats whilst our table was prepared. I was just glad to get out of the rain at this point! We were waiting all of a few minutes before the Manager came over to apologise for the delay. Within less than a minute after this we were then being taken to our table.   

Homecomin' has the option of sitting inside or outside on a covered veranda. We were lucky enough to be seated outside and next to the netted windows which had a stunning view of the Springs. 

We had a lovely server who was so nice to us. We also had a manager come and personally check on us throughout our meal and check everything was OK with the allergy menu and the options. I cannot fault the service here at all.

The menu reminds me of southern home-style food. I was spoiled for choice and couldn't choose between a few of the dishes. I asked on Twitter for recommendations of what to go for and went with the most popular option. 

I ordered the fried chicken and donuts. I swapped out the original side for mac and cheese because I had heard so many good things about it that I couldn't leave without trying it. Normally, I really struggle putting sweet and savoury foods together so I was a bit skeptical at first. But my, wasn't I surprised?! The chicken was amazing, there was so much of it that I couldn't finish it. The donuts were coated in brown sugar and the maple syrup tasted like "real" syrup I had in Canada and not out of a bottle. The mac and cheese was in a league of its own. It was packed with stringy, delicious cheese and is way bigger than it looked. I couldn't stop eating this to the point where I had to force myself to stop! 

When the dessert menu was passed round I almost had to say no, until I saw the chocolate cake! I expected a small slice with a little bit of ice cream. Then I remembered that we are in America and no portions are small!

I am fussy with my chocolate cake. I like a real chocolate fudge cake and for it to be moist, not dry. Well, this one really hit the spot. The cake, despite being massive, was lovely and moist and the ice cream, we were told, was made in Winter Park in Orlando! It was so good, but I had to put some in a box to take back to the hotel. 

We were pleasantly surprised by Homecomin'. I knew I would like it, but I didn't know I would like it as much as I did! Being sat outside was great and to watch the sun set from the veranda was really nice paired with our food. 

I would definitely recommend Homecomin' for older families. I didn't see a huge amount of younger children in there and I can't comment much on the menu, but it would also be a good dinner location for a family. I'd also recommend seeing if you can be sat outside, it really did make a difference to our experience and felt more peaceful than indoors. 

Have you been to Homecomin'? 

Tony's Town Square Restaurant Dinner Review

Tony's is an Italian restaurant themed to Lady and the Tramp by the main entrance to the Magic Kingdom. It is a lovely restaurant, with three options for seating; inside the main restaurant, in the conservatory or on the balcony. The balcony is a great place to be seated if you want to watch the parade come by at 14:00. You can always ask to be seated in a particular area, you may just have to wait a little extra.

Tony's is a Table Service restaurant and is 1 Table Service Credit on the Disney Dining Plan. As with most table service restaurants, reservations open up 180 days before. Although I highly recommend getting a reservation at the 180 day mark just to be safe, it is not uncommon to find reservations closer to the time, even on the same day. They also accept walk ins, but you may have to wait longer for a table.

The restaurant itself is lovely and blends in perfectly with the Town Square Theatre style. Outside the main restaurant in the concrete by the balcony you can find the paw prints of Lady and Tramp in a heart. You may have to move a few strollers out the way, but they are there! 

As Disney is keen on Halloween, the decorations were up. All the buildings were beautifully decorated in autumnal colours of orange and deep reds. The front of Tony's was equally decorated in these colours and matched the remainder of the building.  

Check in for the restaurant is in an entrance to the left of the Town Square Theatre where you can meet Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell. There are a couple of seats there for you to wait, as well as a large container of water that you can help yourself to.

We were seated in the conservatory and I much preferred it to being sat in the main restaurant where I have been seated before. It is much lighter and you can see right on to Main Street, another ideal seating location if you are there for lunch to watch the parade. 

The menu is delightfully Italian with multiple pasta dishes. They also have an extensive allergy menu which caters for most allergies. 

Before your main meals come out, your drinks will arrive followed by a complimentary bread service with olive oil. The bread, I believe, is a sourdough which is gorgeous. They also provide a separate gluten free bread with individual dipping oils. 

I ordered the Chicken Parmigana, a favourite of mine. The chicken itself was massive; extremely thick, moist and coated in golden breadcrumbs. The sauce was lovely and rich, but not too chunky. The pasta was spaghetti with holes in it...that is all I can describe it as. I have never seen it here in the UK, but it didn't feel as heavy as a huge bowl of spaghetti normally is. As with most the restaurants, the portion was massive. 

Another menu favourite is the trio which has a "small" portion of the parmigana, meatball and alfredo pasta. Most of my family had this and said it was lovely. 

For dessert I ordered the Cannoli. I love the cannoli's in Disney. You get two in a portion and they are coated on the edges with chocolate flakes which adds a nice flavour. The shells they are in are nice and crisp and equally as tasty. I definitely recommend just picking them up and going for it; cutting them makes them disappear on to the floor! 

Overall, Tony's was a huge success with my family and everyone loved their meals. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and our server was great. She dealt with the allergy on our table fantastically and even explained to my Grampy about how the steak is cooked and which part it is in order for him to decide how he wanted it cooked. 

Our reservation was for around 18:00. This is probably the best time to get a reservation for dinner, most people are still out in the parks, it is still light outside and still very warm in August. It is nice to split the evening up a little with a nice hearty meal. You may come out of it needing a nap though! 

50s Prime Time Cafe Lunch Review

50s Prime Time Cafe is a home-style cooking restaurant based in Hollywood Studios. It is located on the left in Echo Lake, next door to Hollywood & Vine. 

The restaurant is 1 Table Service Credit on the Dining Plan. However, you can sit at the bar just inside the door if you want to go in just for a drink. You can even order one of their signature milkshakes to take out! 

50s Prime Time Cafe is an extremely popular restaurant, not just for their food but for the dining experience. Reservations open 180 days prior to your trip and I definitely recommend making your reservation at that 180 day mark. They do accept walk ins but you may be waiting a while or even turned away in peak times. 

The restaurant is themed to an old 1950s style house, featuring 1950s TVs playing old shows such as the Dick Van Dyke show! 

Check in is directly inside the door on the right. You check in with a Cast Member, dressed beautifully in pink 1950s diner dresses. You will then be asked to take a seat in the waiting room if your table is not yet ready.

You will then be called to your table in traditional 50s Prime Time style - with shouting and ever so slight rudeness! 

We were sat towards the back of the restaurant. Each section of the restaurant is immaculately themed and is incredible immersive. The one thing you should know before you come to 50s Prime Time is that the servers will treat you like you are family. 

We were told to put our "walkie talkie's" away and that they shouldn't be at the table - we would be in trouble! My sister and I were told to set the table and everyone should keep their elbows off the table at all times! It is fantastic. Our server and the server across from us were incredible and I couldn't fault them whatsoever! Although, we did notice they were a bit more lenient with us as Brits, the American family on the table across were absolutely slaughtered! Either that or we were just well behaved. 

The menu is very traditional home cooked food and I love it! There isn't anything on the menu that I wouldn't recommend. They also have a highly extensive allergy menu. 

My first recommendation for 50s Prime Time is any of the milkshakes. They are so worth it for a drink; they are massive and made with real ice cream. I would also suggest getting a water on the side! I had the chocolate shake and my mum had the peanut butter and jelly shake. Both are equally amazing. It is worth noting, that potentially due to the size of it, you can have the shakes for either a drink or a dessert. I'd say get it as a drink, then you can get dessert too! 

The food at 50s Prime time is so, so, so good. I had the fried chicken which comes with an amazing mashed potato and seasonal vegetables, which in this case was sweetcorn. You get three giant pieces of chicken, each on the bone in some way. Now, I don't like chicken on the bone, but I make an exception here. The chicken is so tender and not dry in any way. The mash is also so good that I always sit there wondering if I should ask for the recipe.

Another menu favourite had by my sister and mum was the trio. It comes with a portion of the fried chicken, pot roast and meatloaf as well as mashed potato and seasonal vegetables. It is a great way to try a little of everything. 

Now, let's talk dessert. The dessert menu has a good selection of different options. I, of course, had the chocolate brownie. It is a nice, heavy and chocolatey brownie with chocolate chips. It also comes with both cream and ice cream which I love!

Overall, 50s Prime Time Cafe is worth it just for the dining experience on its own. The servers are hilarious and sometimes it is worth doing something wrong just for the fun experience you get! Everywhere you sit is so amazingly themed it really does feel like you walked through a time machine.

I cannot recommend this restaurant enough to anyone. I would suggest getting a lunchtime reservation to take a break from the Florida sun and sit down to a huge meal. Cindy, the server who was sorting the tables next to us, was so good in including us in the amazing conversations and banter she was having. She even told my grandma off for not eating her greens! You might have seen Cindy on YouTube - I recommend trying to find videos of her, she is amazing! 

Have you ever been to 50s Prime Time Cafe? What has been your best experience? 

1900 Park Fare Breakfast Review

1900 Park Fare is a buffet restaurant located in the Grand Floridian at the back of the main lobby if you are coming in from the main entrance. If you are staying at an on-site Disney resort, the best way to get to 1900 Park Fare is to take a Disney bus to the Magic Kingdom and then jump on either the resort boat or monorail to get over to the Grand Floridian. I definitely recommend the boat, it is such a nice journey and docks towards the rear of the resort. You then have to walk a few short minutes and one of the doors leads directly into the entrance for 1900 Park Fare. 

1900 Park Fare is 1 Table Service credit on the Dining Plan. If you don't have the Dining Plan, the set price for breakfast is $35 for an adult and $20 for children aged 3-9 years old, plus sales tax. 

Check in is directly under this sign. You check in with a Cast Member and may be asked to take a seat whilst they get your table ready. My butt had only just touched the seat when they called us through! Another Cast Member will take you to your set and get you set up.

It is worth noting that unlike most restaurants, you exit through a different entrance than where you came in. The exit for 1900 Park Fare is at the back of the restaurant, opposite the entrance. You will have your last character photo here which is taken by a Disney PhotoPass photographer. The character changes on a daily basis and we had Tigger! 

1900 Park Fare is character dining at breakfast and you can meet Mary Poppins, Alice, The Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. What I took from that was that it is the English-based characters. Being from England, I always find this interesting! 

                                                 

At this point, I am going to give a special mention to Mary Poppins who completely made my dad's day; as you can see by the photo below. She saw me nudge him when she was coming to our table and told him that she clearly has to keep an eye on him as he is trouble! 

As the restaurant is buffet style, I forgot to take photos of my food. They have a large selection of normal breakfast items such as eggs, sausages, bacon, pancakes, waffles etc. They also have some other items such as cheesy eggs, bread and butter pudding and the signature strawberry soup. Then they have a massive bowl of gummy bears. At breakfast. I have no idea. 

There was also a huge bowl of what my dad thought was whipped cream. Upon taking a massive spoonful of it, he discovered that it was Cool Whip. Essentially a bowl of icing. 

The restaurant also has carousel horses decorating towards the sides, splitting up some of the seating areas. I can't help but think of Mary Poppins and the scene where they ride the carousel horses through the horse race. I imagine this is purposeful, knowing Disney! 

There is also an organ that sits at the top of the buffet area on the back wall leading to the exit. At intervals throughout the day this puts on a little show which is so charming! We didn't get to see it this time, but have a search on YouTube to have a look.

1900 Park Fare is such a lovely experience if you have younger kids, or you are a big kid at heart like me. It is also a great way to meet characters that usually have such a long line at a meet and greet location. They have to seating down to perfection. All the characters came round not long after we had been seated which meant that we were able to eat our breakfast without getting up and down for photos, not that we mind that!

They were also great in their interaction with us. The Mad Hatter is incredible anyway, but he told my grandma her her reminded her of a hedgehog. My sister asked if he wanted to sit down with us and he shouted "noooo!" in his amazing voice which had us in stitches. 

I think with character buffets, you pay for the character interaction more so than the food. Although, don't get me wrong, the food is so good and I definitely had almost a whole plate of tater tots as we don't get them in the UK, but the characters are priceless.

I do prefer character buffets to be for breakfast, so if you have little ones and are staying on-site then 1900 Park Fare for breakfast is a must do! 

Sanaa Lunch Review

Sanaa is a African/Indian inspired restaurant located in Kidani Village at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. For guests staying on site, take a bus from your resort to Animal Kingdom and then head to the bus stop for the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The bus ride is extremely short and Kidani Village is the first stop. For guests coming from a park or Disney Springs, take the bus from that park straight to Animal Kingdom Lodge. 

You enter the lobby of the hotel on technically the first floor. Sanaa is located downstairs. There are a set of stairs at the far end of the lobby and an elevator to the right.

The view onto the savannah from the stairs at the end of the lobby is amazing. The rooms of the hotel surround the savannah where you can see all sorts of animals. Coming down these stairs, there is a single door that takes you out into the savannah and seating area. I definitely recommend getting here early to sit and look at the view from the outside.

I spent at least half an hour looking at the giraffes who were happily wandering around picking up fallen leaves and playing! I can only imagine the view from the rooms facing the savannah. It is my dream to stay here one day!

Here is a panoramic shot of one side of the savannah, giving you a bit of scope of how big this space really is. To the left is the main lobby building, followed by the savannah and the rooms on the right. The large windows on the bottom floor of the lobby building is Sanaa. 

Head back into the main building the same way you came and take a left. You will see the sign for Sanaa and the check in desk. We had a little bit of time before we could check in so we sat on the rocking chairs on an outdoor veranda overlooking the savannah. It was incredible and I could have sat there all day!

A Cast Member will check you in and ask you to take a seat whilst your table is being prepared. I really love the attention to detail on the wall - the bumpy texture is to make it look like a mud hut!

The restaurant itself is beautiful. It is very bright thanks to the large windows that overlook the savannah. We were seated in the second row of tables behind the windows which was still an incredible view. If you are really keen on sitting by the window, then do let the Cast Member know when you check in and they will do their best to accommodate you. 

This was the view from our table. We could easily see all sorts of animals, including a bird which was very determined to somehow come into the restaurant! 

The detail and theming even continues to the back of the chairs. There is also a (not so) Hidden Mickey on one of the booth tables at the back! 

The menu is amazing and very varied depending on how much spice you like. My recommendation is to go with the Journey and Harvest options. You are able to pick one from the Journey and one from the Harvest and it is served with rice. I was really torn between the Paneer Tikka or the Aloo Masala. They also have an extensive allergy menu that caters for all allergies. 

I ordered the butter chicken with paneer tikka. For those of you who don't know, paneer is a non-meltinng farmers cheese. It doesn't taste of a huge amount and has a texture similar to halloumi. The sauce is was in was so tasty and so perfectly spiced it added an amazing flavour to the cheese. You get a lot of it and I didn't manage to finish it. 

The butter chicken is on a whole new level. The sauce is beautiful, with a lovely balance of spices that compliments the paneer tikka really well. The chicken was lovely and tender and I really liked the fact that it wasn't just chunks of chicken breast, but all sorts of different parts of it. The rice was really well cooked and wasn't sticky which it can be in some restaurants. 

For dessert I ordered the 3 chocolate mousse that comes with a biscuit crumb, strawberry coulis and strawberries in a syrup. It was amazing! I want the syrup recipe! The mousse was so light and creamy and each chocolate flavour worked very well together. 

I can't recommend Sanaa enough. It is a nice break from the parks without ever feeling like you have left Animal Kingdom. If you have young ones, I would definitely recommend getting there a bit earlier to sit outside in the savannah - there are some rocking chairs and smaller chairs for you to sit in and relax. The lounge area is equally nice to sit in if you want a bit of air conditioning. 

The restaurant itself is so amazingly themed and the food is incredible. We had on our reservation that we had a birthday and an anniversary. They brought my parents some champagne, my sister a birthday flair to her dessert and all the servers sang happy birthday to her with a Sanaa twist. 

It was very quiet at lunch which was quite nice. It is almost like a bit of a hidden gem! There were a few business meetings going on which I took as a good sign. 

Have you been to Sanaa? What was your favourite thing?

California Grill Dinner Review

California Grill is a signature restaurant located at the top of the Contemporary Resort overlooking the Magic Kingdom. For on-site resort guests, take your Disney transportation to the Magic Kingdom and either hop on the monorail to the Contemporary at the next stop, or take the walkway over which takes a few minutes. 

California Grill is 2 credits on the Disney Dining Plan. 

Check in for California Grill is the floor down from the monorail stop. Take the escalator and walk over to the right to find the check in desk. A Cast Member will check you in and direct you to a series of elevators. Another Cast Member is permanently in one of the elevators which takes you directly to the entrance of California Grill. I felt very posh! 

The first thing I noticed here is the view. It is breathtaking. The whole restaurant overlooks the Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon. There is pretty much no bad view. 

There is an incredibly clear view of Cinderella Castle, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. You also have a side view of Main Street USA and the tents of Storybook Circus. 

As we were early for our table, we loitered around the bar for a while and watched the bartenders whip up some pretty impressive looking drinks. Although I am almost 25, I didn't want to carry around my passport for ID, so I just stared longingly! 

Once our table was ready, we were taken over by a Cast Member. Each table is beautifully set with branded napkins, wine glasses, water glasses and side plates. 

A dedicated Cast Member comes round and fills your water glass with triple filtered water and tells you about that specific water. I never had any idea there were so many different types of water! 

The menu is amazing. I was determined that I would have something that wasn't chicken as I had pretty much eaten chicken every day at this point. 

Once we had ordered, the server brought over a complimentary bread service with a sun-dried tomato olive oil for dipping. The bread was lovely and served warm. I am not a fan of olive oil so I just had it on its own and it was so good! 

We had a 19:30 reservation so by the time we had ordered, it was almost time for Happily Ever After. Due to the fact that the chefs stop cooking during that time, we were told our food wouldn't be out until the fireworks had finished. Luckily, we were going to ask to wait anyway! You can stay inside the restaurant to watch the fireworks as they pipe in the music. Alternatively, you can go outside onto the balcony and watch it from the rooftop of the Contemporary. 

The view of Magic Kingdom from outside the restaurant is absolutely incredible. Everything is lit up and every now and again you can see the flash of the camera on Splash Mountain as it goes down the drop. 

The view of Happily Ever After from up here is incredible and second to none. We were stood directly in front of the speaker so could hear the music perfectly. The castle is still close enough that you can see the projections very clearly. It really gives sense of how far behind the castle the fireworks are launched from. 

Coming back into the restaurant when it has gotten properly dark really shows up the lighting of the restaurant so well.

When we got back our food came out about 10 minutes after we sat down. I ordered the beef filet which came with a BBQ style sauce, slices potatoes, green beans and caramalised onions. I don't normally like a steak or onion but wow. The filet was seasoned to perfection and the onion sweetened the flavour of the beef. I had mine cooked medium-well which was so good. The filet melted in my mouth and wasn't tough. I would highly recommend it. 

For dessert I ordered the chocolate cake. It came with a milk chocolate whipped panna cotta, a chocolate twirl, vanilla bean ice cream and the cake itself. The cake was served hot and the middle was molten with small pecans chopped inside it. The cake was rich, but was complimented so nicely with the ice cream. The whipped panna cotta tasted like a really light chocolate mousse, it was lovely! I would definitely recommend this as a dessert as a nice sweet ending to your meal, and especially if you are a chocolate lover! 

I am already looking forward to going back to California Grill. We were in the restaurant for a good 3 hours, including watching the fireworks. There is no sense of rush like you can get with some other table service restaurants, the servers all take their time with you and everything is down to your timings and how you like things. 

Overall, this is one dining experience that I will never forget. The food was incredible and the view was worth it on its own. California Grill is not just aimed at adults as a signature dining experience, but it is also very family friendly; there were children at most of the tables in the restaurant. 

California Grill is an ideal romantic dinner location or fun for the whole family. It is definitely worth the evening reservation just to watch the fireworks. I would recommend getting there an hour before the fireworks are due to start to make sure you are ready to go outside to watch them.

Have you been to California Grill? What is your opinion?