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Finnegan’s Bar and Grill at Universal Orlando Review

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On my most recent trip to Universal Orlando Resort, my mom and I once again booked the Mardi Gras Ride and Dine package. However, this time we decided to try Finnegan’s Bar and Grill for our dinner. So, here’s my review of that experience.

Finnegan's Bar and Grill

Finnegan’s Bar and Grill

Finnegan’s is an Irish-American pub located in the New York section of the Universal Studios Florida park. It features many Irish dishes as well as some classics like burgers. It’s one of the two sit-down restaurants in this park. The other being Lombard’s Seafood Grille, which we ate at last year for this package.

The restaurant often has live music. I know some people like to enjoy a drink at the bar while enjoying the band. For us though, it was too loud. My mom wears a hearing aid, so the loud music made it hard for us to talk and for her to converse with the waitress. It wasn’t impossible, just difficult. So, something to keep in mind if you have hearing issues.

The Food

Since we ate here as a part of the Ride and Dine package, we were both able to select an appetizer, entree, dessert, and beverage for our meal. My mom ordered a diet drink, which she enjoyed. I ordered a water.

For an appetizer, I chose the Guinness Warm 3 Cheese Dip served with soft pretzel sticks. It reminded me of the pretzel bites we used to sell when I worked at a movie theater. It was good, but not anything groundbreaking. My mom selected the Potato & Onion Webb. It was basically a big basket of fried onions and potatoes. It was a touch greasy but had a good flavor.

For the entree, I ordered the Bronzed Flounder. The fish was a little dry or well-done but tasted good. The vegetables were also fine. Again, not anything mind-blowing here. My mom chose the Irish Fish and Chips. Unfortunately, this was a greasy mess. The fish was mostly bread with very little actual fish. I attempted to tear a piece off to try and got a handful of grease! I was actually shocked by how greasy this fish was. So, maybe don’t order this dish if you don’t like grease.

As for the dessert, we both selected the Apple Caramel Bread Pudding. This was the highlight of the meal. It was warm with a scoop of ice cream! The bread pudding was a little dry, but that ice cream really helped it. It was a nice to way to end the meal.

Mardi Gras Ride and Dine

As I stated above, this meal was purchased for the Mardi Gras Ride and Dine experience. Last year, we were given our lanyard and information as soon as we entered the restaurant. This time we were told we didn’t need anything. However, we spotted other diners as we were leaving wearing lanyards for the experience. So, we asked the attendant who said we needed the lanyard for the event. He went in the back to look for our packet but couldn’t find it. We ended up waiting several minutes for someone to pull our stuff together. Then, we had to sprint across the park to make it in time for the parade line up.

This year, we were on the King and Queen float. Unfortunately, some big guy was beside me and crowded me out of my spot on the float. I spent most of the parade standing behind my mom and we took turns tossing beads. One thing we learned from last year: run directly to the photo pick up location at the front of the park for ride photos. We purchased a few nice pictures this year and I love that we have souvenirs this year.

Is Finnegan’s Bar and Grill worth it?

This is probably one of the harshest reviews I’ve ever posted. However, I strive to be honest here, so it is what it is. I wouldn’t eat here again. The food wasn’t great and certainly not worth the prices charged. My mom’s fish was one of the greasiest dishes I’ve ever encountered. My fish was ok. The dessert was pretty good, but I think you can find better desserts/snacks elsewhere. If we book the Ride and Dine experience again, it will be at another restaurant.

Akershus Princess Breakfast Review at Epcot

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Back in December, my mom and I enjoyed the Akershus princess breakfast at Epcot for our Candlelight Processional Dining Package. In my earlier post, I promised a full review of the meal. So, here’s my post detailing that experience.

Akershus Princess Breakfast

Akershus Princess Breakfast

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is a character dining experience located in Norway in the World Showcase at Epcot. They serve breakfast as well as lunch and dinner here. Breakfast is cheaper, as is usually the case with character meals. Regardless of the meal booked, you will be meeting five princesses. They tend to rotate the princesses, so you never know which ones you will be meeting.

The Food

Given that this restaurant is located in Norway, the food features a few Norwegian inspired dishes as well as some classic American foods. I think they strike a nice balance between giving you something new to try and pleasing the picky eaters that visit character meals.

Previously, this was a buffet meal. However, these days it’s a family-style meal wherein the food and princesses are brought to your table in quick succession. In fact, we had all of our food and had seen all 5 princesses within 30 minutes of arriving at our table!

You begin the meal with a plate of pastries and charcuterie. The pastries were pretty basic. Not bad, but nothing wowed us. I enjoyed trying some Norwegian cheese, along with a fish dip that I can’t recall what it was, and a lingonberry jam. We also received a bowl of fresh fruit at this point. This was quickly followed by a giant plate of the mains! We had Norwegian waffles, which actually tasted a little bit different than the regular Disney waffles! There was also scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon! Plus, there was a tasty potato and cheese casserole!

Since you are allowed to request extras, we ended up getting additional waffles. They were really good. The potato casserole was also a standout for me. It reminded me a bit of the potato casserole my family makes for the holidays. However, instead of using hashbrowns, they use chunks of potatoes and a fancier cheese. Overall, it was a pretty good meal that left my mom and I full.

The Characters

As I stated above, this is a fast moving meal! Within 30 minutes of being seated, we had seen all 5 princesses! Granted we are two adults who try not to take too much time with characters. However, they move at a quick pace! While I never felt rushed with the princesses, it wasn’t exactly a relaxing meal either. We enjoyed the banter with the princesses since they are face characters. In fact, we talked to Snow White above having seen the Seven Dwarfs at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party a few nights prior. So, that was a neat interaction! The princesses are lovely, but it’s not a leisurely meal.

Akershus Breakfast Overall

This is one of only two princess meals at Walt Disney World. The other is Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom and is even more expensive. So, if you have a big princess fan but want to save a few bucks, then this a good option. Additionally, it’s great to meet several princesses without having to wait in any lines. The food is also better than at some other character meals on property. Although, it does mean you will start your day at Epcot full of food. So, that is a trade off here. My mom and I enjoyed our experience here, even though it was a quick one.

Boatwright’s Dining Hall Review

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When my mom and I stayed in the princess rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside in December 2023, we had dinner at the table service restaurant, Boatwright’s Dining Hall, located at the resort. Here’s a review of that experience.

Boatwright's Dining Hall Review

Boatwright’s Dining Hall

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside is a moderate resort. It has a quick service food court as well as this table service, i.e. sit-down restaurant. It’s a southern cookery with a Louisiana bayou theme. In fact, there’s a hull of a boat suspended from the ceiling in the front of the restaurant! The dark lighting makes for a relaxing vibe. The fireplace adds to the calming atmosphere. Eating here after wandering around the large resort really makes it feel like you are in the southern US.

No Reservation

I recommend making an advanced dining reservation for 99% of the table service restaurants at Walt Disney World. However, I wasn’t sure if we would eat here or not. So, I didn’t make a reservation for this meal. Thankfully, they were able to accommodate us within 10 minutes of our arrival without any trouble. In fact, the restaurant didn’t look full. So, this may be one of the few restaurants that you can get into without a reservation pretty safely.

Dinner

My mom and I enjoyed the cornbread and Mickey-shaped butter we received upon sitting down. The cornbread is really sweet though. In fact, I saved some for the end of the meal as a makeshift dessert! It was good.

I wanted to embrace the whole vibe of this resort and restaurant. So, I selected the Taste of the Bayou entree. It’s technically an all you care to enjoy meal, but I was too full to ask for seconds of anything. First up, I tried the ribs. The BBQ was sweet and tasty. However, the meat was a little too fatty for my liking. Next, I tried the Cajun chicken. It had a nice breading (not overly crunchy, but a little crispy). It had a bit of a kick, but not too much. I enjoyed it. I also liked the smoked sausage. It was also a little spicy, but not overly so. Unfortunately, the barbecued beef brisket wasn’t for me. Again, the meat was fatty.

The sides were also plentiful here. The macaroni and cheese was good. Somewhat basic, but still good. The mashed potatoes were fine. I liked the green beans. They were a little salty without being too salty. The corn was fine but a little dry.

My mom got the prime rib. I was shocked with how big it was. It was easily a couple of serving sizes worth of meat! She enjoyed it thoroughly. The broccoli was basic and fine. She also liked the mashed potatoes.

Boatwright’s Dining Hall Overall

Basically, it was nice to have a relaxing dinner at our resort. The food was good, but not great. I wouldn’t recommend traveling over to the resort just to eat here. It’s good for someone already staying at the resort though if you don’t want the quick service or don’t have time to go over to Disney Springs.

Character Breakfast at Storytellers Cafe Disneyland Review

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When my mom and I visited Disneyland last year, we booked the character breakfast at Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Seeing as how we are from the east coast, I booked us the earliest timeslot available and we were able to be some of the first people in the restaurant for the day!

Character Breakfast at Storytellers Cafe

Character Breakfast at Storytellers Cafe

You may recall from my Disneyland Hotel review that we stayed at the amazing Disneyland Hotel on this trip. That meant that this meal was just a quick walk over to Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. We opted to start our day by exploring the other two resorts in the morning since our park ticket for this day was for Oogie Boogie Bash. Following our adventure, we headed back to our resort and took a nap! So, it was a convenient option that gave us an excuse to explore more of the resort.

The Characters

On my May trip, I booked this restaurant for the brunch and enjoyed it very much. However, when I was there in May I missed seeing Pluto. This time, I was able to see all of the characters! In fact, Pluto came over a few times! So, it kind of made up for the last time I ate here.

My mom and I had a great time with the characters at this meal. Since we had an early reservation, we got some extra time with the characters as the rest of the restaurant was empty. I even got to dance with Chip at one point! The character interactions here are top notch!

The Food

As you may recall, I gave the food at brunch here high marks. However, I don’t think I can say the same for breakfast. I tried several things from the buffet and most things were just ok. Nothing was outright bad, but I also didn’t find a single item that wowed me. My mom was also disappointed with the food here. Suffice it to say that I much prefer the brunch menu here and will probably only book it if I come back.

Is the character breakfast at Storytellers Cafe worth it?

According to Disneyland’s website, brunch and breakfast are now the same price of $52. I don’t recall if that’s what we paid for this meal or not. However, if given the choice, I would definitely go with brunch over breakfast. Breakfast wasn’t bad and I probably would have been happy if I had not experienced brunch first. So, if breakfast is your only option for eating here, then go for it. You will leave entertained and full.

Have you ever eaten here? Do you prefer breakfast or brunch?

Grinch Breakfast at Confisco Grille 2023 Review

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While visiting Universal Orlando for the holidays, my mom and I were able to experience The Grinch Breakfast at Confisco Grille at Islands of Adventure! We loved this experience last year, so I jumped to book it when it came out this year. There were many changes made to the experience this year, so continue reading to see if it’s worth it.

Grinch Breakfast at Confisco Grille

Grinch Breakfast at Confisco Grille

Last year, my mom and I absolutely loved this character meal at Universal. That’s why when Universal finally announced its return on October 19th I jumped on booking it. In fact, the site was a little glitchy and there was a long wait on the phone lines. So, I booked it without using my annual passholder discount for fear of missing out on it entirely.

Previously, this meal was held at Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendus. That was the perfect setting for this experience. Unfortunately, the restaurant is currently under refurbishment and isn’t an option. So, the decision was made to move this meal to Confisco Grille for 2023.

Changes for 2023

Once the dust settled so to speak, I was disappointed to realize that Universal had increased the price dramatically while also lessening the experience. Last year, we paid $41.99/each and this year it’s $58.99! So, it went up $17 in just one year. Then, I realized it went from being a buffet to a plated meal. So, that meant less food. I also realized once initial reviews came out that it went from being The Grinch and Friends to just The Whos. So, we lost a few Dr. Suess characters with the change. Additionally, they removed the free photo downloads from the experience and instead rely on you using your cell phone.

So, was it worth the additional $17 for an experience that included less? Let’s get into the specifics of this meal.

The Food at Confisco Grille

We started the meal with a plate of pastries for the table. This included mini croissants, mini blueberry muffins, and a bowl of fruit. The muffins were dry and the croissants were fine. As for the fruit, I ate the pineapple and strawberries. My mom ate the watermelon and cantaloupe. They were good, it’s fruit. I also selected the Grinch Punch for my beverage. It was nice and fruity.

Then, we were able to select an entree for the main portion of the meal. My mom and I both got Martha May’s Chicken and Waffles. The waffles were pretty standard. The real star here was the combination of the whipped honey butter and hot honey drizzle. Everything combined (chicken, waffles, butter and drizzle) was a delightful experience. Then, there were a few random berries tossed on the plate for added color?

Lastly, a plate of sweet treats was brought to the table. It included those famous Grinch Cookies, Max treats, and red velvet hearts! We ate the cookies (a good but basic sugar cookie) and took the rest to go. Maybe it was because we ate them hours later, but the Max treats were fairly dry. It was basically a chocolate shortbread. The red velvet hearts didn’t seem like traditional red velvet. It was more of a chocolate cake pop colored red.

Overall, the food was ok. We got more food than we could eat, but I don’t know that it was better than last year. In fact, I preferred last year’s spread so we could try green eggs and ham pizza plus chicken and waffles.

The Experience

As I stated above, last year’s meal included The Who’s, The Grinch, and Sam I Am. I’ve also heard of The Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 meeting here previously. This year, it was just The Whos. While I enjoyed the added benefit of hearing them sing, I feel like it lost something to not have the additional characters coming around.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out how different this meeting was. Last year, The Whos walked around to each table and spent time with each guest. This year, they kind of wandered around the restaurant and stopped at the same spots to sing. Our waiter ended up flagging them down and making us jump up at the end of a song just to get a picture with them. It seems to be set up to enjoy their appearance/singing more than a meet and greet.

Additionally, this year you go to The Grinch after you finish your meal. I enjoyed seeing The Grinch interact with other guests last year during the meal. So, this meant less time actually being entertained by him. We were also disappointed to have to stand in a line that went outside to meet him. That kind of defeats the purpose of a character meal if I have to stand in a long line to meet the character, I think.

Also, the environment was a little lackluster. I think I read online that some people were told the restaurant was The Grinch’s cave. However, we weren’t told that during our meal. I understand that they had to change the restaurant due to the issues at the other restaurant, however it kind of felt like an excuse to do less with the space.

Is the Grinch Breakfast at Confisco Grille worth it?

Given the price hike and lessened experience, you have to wonder if this meal is worth the high cost. This is still one of only two guaranteed ways to meet The Grinch (the other being the Universal Holiday Tour) at Universal. Plus, the line was much shorter than the hours long one in the park. My mom and I agreed that if this was our first time doing this breakfast, then we probably would have been content. However, compared to last year, this is a much worse experience for a lot more money. I honestly don’t think I would book this again unless there are changes made (either goes back to the other restaurant and/or more character meets added). Then again, if this is your one and only holiday trip to UO, then it’s probably worth it.