On Friday, November 23, 2007, Jim, Sheila, Donna, Michele, Tony, Lane (10) , Julia (7), Blake (4) and I at dinner at O’Hana at the Polynesian Resort.  None of us had ever been there before, so we were all excited to try it out based on many of the reviews I had read.  Again, we arrived about 15 minutes before our 5:45 pm reservation and were seated within 5 minutes.  On the way to the table, the hostess explains the meaning of O’Hana (a place of family, laughter and sharing — Hawaiian style) and stops at the counter in front of the kitchen and shows the customers the specialty drinks and the dessert — an incentive to clean your plate!

This restaurant serves family style all you can eat, so it is like a buffet, but the servers bring the food to you!  There is a huge fire pit in the middle of the restaurant where the skewers of meat are cooked.  The price of the family-style menu is $25.99 for adults and $11.99 for children (3-9) and consists of the following:

STARTERS:  Fried wontons served with peanut sauce, chimichurri sauce (olive oil with spices) and harissa (I missed the description, but the server insisted that it is not “hot” even though it is a red color) and mixed greens with a honey-lime dressing.

APPETIZERS:  Spicy-sweet and sour shrimp and honey-coriander chicken wings.

SKEWERS PREPARED OVER AN OAK FIRE:  Marinated sirloin steak, Asian barbecue pork loin, mesquite grilled turkey and Hawaiian pork-sausage with pineapple teriyaki glaze.

ACCOMPANIMENTS:  Maui scalloped potatoes and stir-fried vegetables.

DESSERT:  O’Hana bread pudding a la mode with bananas foster sauce.

Although everything was great, the mesquite grilled turkey, Hawaiian pork-sausage and the Maui potatoes were a special hit with our party.  The kids had a great time because they got to roll coconuts with straw brooms around the restaurant and do a few other things with one of the cast members who took them on a “parade” around the restaurant.  Also I was told to let our server know that we were celebrating Lane’s 10th birthday and she brought out a cupcake with a candle — a nice touch!

We will very definitely return here for meals in the future!!!!!

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

On Friday, November 23, 2007, Jim, Sheila, Donna, Michele, Tony, Lane (10), Julia (7), Blake (4) and I ate lunch at the Grand Floridian Cafe at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World.  We checked in at the podium about 15 minutes early for our 12:20 pm reservation and were seated almost immediately.  I was not allowed to use my ECV at the table, but I was able to ride it to the table and then have Jim take it back out to the restaurant lobby and park it there while we ate.

Our server, Tangel, was absolutely excellent!  Blake, the 4-year-old, wanted the Captain Hook light-up clip which came with the Pirate’s Punch (raspberry lemonade served in a souvenir pirate cup with a glowing Tinker Bell or Captain Hook clip-on light — $6.49), but his parents said he would not like the raspberry lemonade.  He started to fidget until his sister Lane (10) offered to order that so he could have the light (she had ordered it on Wednesday when she chose the Tinker Bell light).  So Blake ended up getting the chocolate milk.  Tangel, however, covered all the bases and gave Lane the souvenir cup with Captain Hook and also brought an additional Captain Hook just for Blake.  He was so excited!

Jim and Tony both ordered the Reuben (corned beef, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and sauerkraut on rye bread and served with marinated cucumber salad or homemade chips for $9.99 — Jim had the chips; Tony had the salad).  I had recommended this sandwich based on reviews I had read and they both indicated that the other reviews were right on the money.  Sheila and Donna both had the Orange Glazed Salmon Salad on a bed of mixed greens tossed with smoked applewood bacon and herb vinaigrette ($13.99). They both also gave this dish a hearty two thumbs up!

Michele only ordered the tomato-basil soup ($5.79) knowing that the kids would probably not eat all of their meals.  Julia got the grilled salmon dish off  of the children’s menu ($6.49) , Blake the child’s cheeseburger with steak fries ($6.49) and Lane had the adult version of the cheeseburger and steak fries ($11.99).

Having had a difficult time deciding what to order, Tangel recommended the Grand Sandwich.  I took her recommendation and was very, very glad that I did (open-faced hot turkey, ham, bacon and tomato, with a rich Boursin cheese sauce and fried onion straws - $11.99).  The Boursin cheese sauce was similar to a Blue Cheese sauce and was very YUM, YUM!

Having left no room for dessert, we were ready for our check.  When bringing the damages, Tangel, bless her heart, brought us a tin container filled with 9 huge (about 4″ diameter) sugar and chocolate chip/peanut butter cookies because she said the kids had been so good.  Well, even though Disney adds an 18% gratuity for parties of 8 or more, I felt she deserved much more for her personal attention and rewarded her suitably.

Such a great meal in such a beautiful and elegant setting!  Definitely thumbs up and deserving of many return trips!

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

So far I have found the following restaurants to be difficult to navigate on an ECV:

Big River Grill, Boardwalk (indoor eating area only; outside eating is much easier to maneuver)

Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom (even though they have a separate handicapped entrance, the tables are very close together and difficult to move between)

Grand Floridian Cafe, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (they will not allow you to use the ECV at the table, but they will allow you to ride it to the table and then have someone else in your party ride it out to the restaurant lobby and park it for the duration of your meal)

Coral Reef, The Seas With Nemo & Friends, EPCOT (because of the tiered seating to see the aquarium, you cannot use your ECV at the table, but they will let you ride to the table and then have someone take it back to the lobby for safe-keeping while eating)

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

PS — Please also check out my agency’s other blog on accessibility, www.AccessibleGetaways.com.

Easy access restaurants (using an ECV at the table):

Yacht Club Galley, Yacht Club Resort

Artist Point, Wilderness Lodge

Big River Grill, Boardwalk (outside eating only — it is very difficult to maneuver inside the restaurant)

Spoodles, Boardwalk

O’Hana, Polynesian Resort

Hollywood & Vine, Disney-MGM Studios

Mama Melrose’s, Disney-MGM Studios

Cape May Cafe, Beach Club Resort

ESPN Club

Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, Pioneer Hall, Ft. Wilderness Campground (must sit in Category 1 seating so that you will be on the main floor)

Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

PS — Please also check out my agency’s other blog, www.AccessibleGetaways.com

This restaurant is a must for us every trip that we can fit it in.  The Housemade potato chips (listed under appetizers) are to die for!  The chips are homemade (obviously) and covered with a blue cheese sauce, tomatoes and green onions.  Also, we have never left unsatisfied, no matter what we have ordered.

This particular meal, Tuesday, November 20, 2007, Jim and Donna ordered the spinach salad, Sheila had the salmon burger and I had the fried chicken salad with the addition of hard-boiled eggs.  Everything was absolutely perfect and we left fully sated.

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

On Wednesday, November 21, 2007, Jim, Sheila, Donna, Michele, Tony, Lane (10), Julia (7), Blake (4) and I dined at the Turf Club Bar & Grill at Saratoga Springs Resort by Downtown Disney.  The earliest ADR I could get when I made the reservation six months ago for a party of 9 was at 6:55 pm.  So we took advantage of the later dinner and shopped at Downtown Disney from 4:00 pm until we took the ferry across the lake to Saratoga Springs at 5:50 pm.  Even though we checked in at the podium at 6:30 pm (25 minutes before our scheduled ADR), we were not seated until almost 7:20 pm.

Claude, our server, started us out right away with our beverages, but the service after that lacked the normal Disney efficiency although I personally felt that most of the delay was the fault of the kitchen and not Claude.

The three kids all ordered from the kids’ menu — Lane ordered the pizza, which came with French fries and apples with brown sugar; Julia ordered the beef macaroni and cheese with a salad and another order of the apples with brown sugar; Blake ordered the mac & cheese with no side dishes.  Unfortunately, as with most kids, the mac & cheese was “too cheesy” which Michele, his mom, feels is almost impossible (it was obviously not mac & cheese from the Kraft blue box)!  And … even though their meals came with a dessert, the kids were too tired and full to even order it when dinner was finally over (this was in part due to the fact that the service was horrendous and dinner lasted almost two hours!).  The girls also ordered the Pirate’s Punch which consisted of Minute Maid light raspberry lemonade served in a souvenir pirate cup with a glowing Tinker Bell or Captain Hook clip-on light (both girls had Tinker Bell, of course) ($6.49).

Jim, Sheila, Donna and I ordered the apple-cinnamon barbecued spare ribs with vegetable slaw ($17.99).  All of us felt there was too much barbecue sauce, at least for our taste, and for me the vegetable slaw was way too spicy and “hot.”  I also ordered a side of the Turf Club Potatoes ($3.49) when Claude described them for Tony (the description sounded like a variation of scalloped potatoes) and they were excellent.

Michele ordered the Free-Range chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto and goat cheese served with roasted garlic risotto and balsamic glaze ($16.49).  She shared quite a bit of the chicken with Blake (who had the too cheesy mac & cheese) and said the risotto was too garlicy for her taste (and she is a garlic lover).

Finally, Tony had the grilled top sirloin steak with Turf Club potatoes ($20.99).  You could also add a topping of crab meat and grain mustard sauce for (total of $23.99) or a topping of blue cheese, portobello mushrooms and balsamic port glaze (total of $21.99).  Tony was pleased with his entire meal and Tony also thought the Turf Club potatoes were phenomenal!  In fact, I wanted to take a to go order of about 10 servings!!!

Donna, Blake and I ordered the chocolate milk shake (which we had seen while waiting for our table in the lobby — $4.29) which was superb; Sheila had the blackberry lemonade ($1.99) and Jim ordered decaf coffee which was not refilled until the very end of our meal, even though he has requested a refill quite a bit earlier.

Since our meal was not brought out until about 8:20 pm and we had tired kids on our hands, no one ordered dessert.  All in all, I would probably not go out of my way to visit this restaurant again; I might possibly try it again if I was staying at Saratoga Springs.

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

On Monday, Nov. 19th, we ventured out of our Disney comfort zone and went over to The Wilderness Lodge for dinner at Artist Point.  Having never been to the Lodge, I was so excited to see the Lodge, especially decorated for Christmas.  Walking into the Lodge was almost overwhelming, with a 40-ft tree and beautiful garland hanging off the balconies overlooking the lobby.

After looking our fill and shopping at the Mercantile, we arrived at the podium for Artist Point about 10 minutes before our 5:40 pm ADR.  I requested a window table and within moments we were heading to a prime corner seat with a beautiful view of part of the Lodge and beautiful greenery.  Our server, Katie, came over right away to take our beverage order.

Having previously checked out the menu online, we placed our order as soon as our beverages were served.  Jim ordered the smoky portobello soup with roasted shitakes and chive oil ($8.00) which was a very good-sized portion and pronounced excellent.  For his entree, Jim chose the pan-seared scallops with fire-roasted corn, fava beans, caramelized onions, bacon and corn nectar ($29.00).  Not only were the scallops done to perfection, but Jim said he had never before been able to cut a scallop into 6 pieces and still have a mouthful of food!

Sheila ordered the mixed green salad with roasted beets, hazelnut gremolata, echo mountain blue cheese and blackberry vinaigrette ($8.00).  When I asked how it was, I got a “Yum,” so I believe it was a hit.  For dinner, she ordered the pan-seared halibut with roasted fingerling potatoes, asparagus and rose buerre blanc ($36.00).  She also chose to substitute he mac & cheese for all of the side dishes.  She felt that the halibut was one of the best she had had and that is truly a compliment to the chef.

Donna also ordered the smoky portobello soup with roasted shitakes and chive oil ($8.00) for her appetizer, but chose the Artist Point signature plate of cedar plank roasted wild king salmon with pear and smoked pork belly hash and pear ginger glaze ($34.00).  Donna elected to keep her side dishes, but ordered the mac & cheese on the side.  That meal also elicited a “Yum, Yum,” obviously a good recommendation!

Last, but not least, I proceded to order the baby iceberg wedge with crisp bacon, radish, hard-cooked egs and creamy cucumber dressing ($8.00) for my appetizer and the pan-seared pork chop on Tillamook Cheddar mac & cheese with maytag crust ($28.00).  Not only was the pork chop excellent, but mac & cheese was AWESOME!  Don’t let the maytag crust scare you off — it consists of blue cheese and really makes the dish.

Having eaten our fill, we were going to skip dessert, but seeing the warm heirloom apple tart with buttermilk ice cream, candied pecans and spice syrup ($9.00) and having seem how large the dinner portions were, we decided to order one and split it four ways.  This was the only disappointing thing about the meal — it was excellent, but the scoop of buttermilk ice cream was about as big as a tablespoon and the tart was a “silver dollar pancake.”  Since we had already been full, we didn’t complain, but I wouldn’t suggest sharing if you are really looking forward to dessert!

 All-in-all, it was a delicious meal in a wonderful setting and I would heartily recommend visiting Artist Point if you have never been there before.

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

Jim, Sheila, Donna and I ate dinner at the Yacht Club Galley on Sunday, Nov. 18th.  We have eaten here many times, but never for dinner.  The menu was very diversified and Muthea, our server, was very knowledgeable about the many items on the menu.  Muthea also offered to make us raspberry iced tea and raspberry lemonade, even though neither was on the menu.  According to her, “This is Disney and anything is possible!”

We did not order any appetizers, but the fresh-baked cheese biscuits are to die for!

 Sheila and Donna had the grilled pork chop with mushroom sauce, parsnip and apple bread pudding and green beans ($18.99).  They both proclaimed the parsnip and apple bread pudding delicious even though they had thought the combo different before tasting.  They also indicated that the mushroom sauce was just the right touch with the chop and that the chop and green beans were both cooked to perfection.

Jim had the pan seared halibut with Colcannon potatoes, Virginia ham and lemon butter sauce ($16.99).  The Virginia ham was folded into the Colcannon potatoes together with lettuce.  The lemon butter sauce was not too tart and the halibut was delectable.

 I had originally intended to order the pork chop after perusing the menus I had printed off the internet in anticipation of our trip, but Muthea indicated that the special that night was prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes ($20.99)  and I had not had prime rib in ages.  The meat came out perfectly cooked (medium rare), although I have to admit that it was a trifle tough, even though it tasted wonderful.

Having left no room for dessert, we were getting ready to suitably reward Muthea (as a DDE member, I usually tip the amount of the 20% discount, but Muthea deserved an extra “bonus”), when another cast member in charge of the Galley, came by with four small treats to take home thanking us for our patronage.  It was a small (approx 3″ long) loaf consisting of a bread made with pumpkins, walnuts and carrots.  We saw no one else get this type of treatment, so I’m not sure if that is a sporadic giveaway or something more continuous.

All-in-all, the meal was excellent and we will definitely eat here on future trips!

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC