Swan and Restaurants

[Lady from NYC]

Hi everyone. My first trip to the Swan is coming up in a few weeks and I was wondering how the restaurants are there. I have heard mixed things about Palio's and bad things about Gulliver's/Garden Grove. We usually stay the YC and I love breakfast at their main restaurant (YC Galley, I think). What is good for breakfast at the S/D? Also, where is a good place to get coffee in the mornings at S/D? How is Tubbi's to get a cup of takeout coffee? Also for a character buffet which is better Chef Mickeys or 1900 Park Fare (even though they are a bit far from the S/D we'd like to try one of them)? I was at Chef Mickey's a couple of years ago and enjoyed the food. I was curious to try 1900 Park Fare--How is food there? Any other food reccomendations in the Epcot Resort area?


Thanks so much for the help

 

[wuv tigger]

I was just at the Dolphin/Swan and ate at both Gulliver's and Palios. I can't really comment on the value because I wasn't paying the bill , but the wine was good.

I enjoyed Gulliver's, but I do not think it was outstanding. Service was not up to par in my opinion. I ordered off of the menu, but there was a seafood buffet that night. If you like King Crab Legs they looked very good on the buffet. I would not recommend for a character dinner. They only had Pluto and Goofy which was fun for adults, but I think that the kids would have been disappointed in not seeing more characters.

I thought Palios was very good. We had excellent service and the calamari was great. Veal was good, and dessert was excellent. Try the coffee creme brulee if you like coffee. It was not the best Italian restaurant I have been to, but it was very good and a nice place to conduct business.

There is a new Mediteranean restaurant in the Dolphin called Fresh that just opened last week. I was there for breakfast buffet and it was excellent. I heard many good things about dinner there. They also have Shula's steakhouse which is supposed to be very good.

There is a brew pub on the Boardwalk called Red Something??? The beer was excellent (I had red rocket ale) and the food was good also. I would also not forget Beaches and Cream at the Yacht Club, best burgers and milkshakes.

For coffee I just used what was in my room, but the conferences usually have starbucks service set up if you want to pretend you are in the conference

Hope this helps. You will have a nice time.

David

 

[BuzzMe]

Tubbi's serves Starbucks coffee!

 

[Lady from NYC]

Wow. Thanks for all the great info. Beaches and Cream is my favorite restaurant in all of Disney and we definitely plan on eating there. We love Italian food--Palio's sounds like a good choice and I think we will try that. I think we might check out that new restaurant that you mentioned. I had heard rumors of new restaurants at the S/D, but wasn't aware that they had opened yet. Good coffee tips. If I am not a fan of the in-room stuff, I will try Tubbi's or sneak into one of those conventions (shh ) My husband is a beer fan, so I think I'll take him to that new pub/brewery you mentioned. Sounds like there are plenty of new places from even the last time we were in Disney (less than a year ago.) Thanks again to both of you for the great info

 

[smfnj]

There is a brew pub on the Boardwalk called Red Something??? The beer was excellent (I had red rocket ale) and the food was good also. [/B]

Big River Grille and Brewing Works.

 

[smfnj]

Originally posted by Lady from NYC
I have heard mixed things about Palio's and bad things about Gulliver's/Garden Grove........
We usually stay the YC and I love breakfast at their main restaurant (YC Galley, I think)........
Also for a character buffet which is better Chef Mickeys or 1900 Park Fare

We've only eaten at Palio's once but it was very good, we may do it again next month.

YC Galley is one of my favorite b'fasts on property. Don't give it up just because you're staying at S/D.

We eat dinner at Chef Mickey's every trip, never had b'fast there. We've done 1900 Park Fare several times. It is standard buffet fare in a very nice setting.

Have you checked the menus on Deb's page for Epcot resorts?
http://wdwig.com/menu/menus.htm

steve

 

[jwfla422]

We've eaten at Gulliver's on several occasions and always enjoyed it, good food and good service.

Tubbi's is a good choice for morning coffee. You can also get coffee and assorted pastries, bagel, fruit, etc at the bar area downstairs in the Swan.

The S/D also have coffee makers in the room with "take it with you" type mugs if you're in a rush. The Yuban coffee is quite good.

As far as Park Fare vs Chef Mickey's breakfast buffet. I like the characters at CM's better, but I think PF has the best breakfast buffet food in WDW.

We're also big fans of the YCG. It's a nice quiet place for breakfast and lunch and the servers are very friendly. The food is also good. I like their crabcake sandwich

 

[Bobump]

Palio's is EXCELLENT !!!!

Service is excellent !!! Servers very attentive and usuaslly have a violin player strolling playing your picks. We took our 25 yr old daughter and she also thought it was great. Try it.

 

[VINN127]

We are DVC members and spend lots of weekends at the S/D resorts. Palios is excellent. One night we just had the great bread, an appetizer and a brick oven pizza. All were very good. Gullivers was also very good. Prime Rib on the buffet the night we went was med rare (my favorite) selection, while not huge, was very well prepared. Both nice quite places when you're tired of the noise that's sometimes Disney. Shula's Steak was excellent also but be prepared it's pricey. We enjoy all of the S/D restaurants looking forward to Fresh and the other new Dolophin Restaurant forget what its called.

My wife and I travel a lot and I can say from experience that if you think the food in WDW is expensive or not up to par, try other world class resorts for price and quality. Forget the amenities and no one has the MAGIC!!!!!

So how was Fresh? What was on the menu? Any reviews posted yet?

Have a great trip!!!!

 

[Lady from NYC]

wow all this food advice is great--thanks!! i am really happy to hear all these good things about palios--can't wait to try it. all the coffee info is super too. i have heard that there is a coffee bar place in the swan lobby, but i heard it was expensive ($3 a cup), i am glad to hear that the in-room coffee is good and not just typical no name hotel stuff. although i find starbucks a little strong in general, it certainly is a step up from the coffee i have had at most disney places. i remember that last time i was at wdw, the coffee at beaches & cream & the YC took awhile to get used to. thanks for the tip about the menu webpage smfnj, i am going to check that out this afternoon.

i am still up-in-the-air about whether to do 1900 park fare or chef mickey's for dinner one night. we will definely be going to comtemporary for a out "spulrge meal" at the california grill (one of our all-time favorite restaurants--and we live in nyc where there is certainly no shortage of fancy restaurant and we still love calf. grill above anything). we want to go for dinner and i am not sure whether 1900 will have better food than chef mickey's. i guess i can't go wrong with either one of them