Got to do the Tables in Wonderland preview of BoG last night. The decor is the first thing in FLE to truly "wow" me. The Ballroom is amazing--the snow!--but that West Wing. I mean it as a compliment when I say I wish it was a dark ride instead, perfectly captures the look and feel of the movie that actually inspired it. The clock/calendar at the center of Belle's room is just amazing as well. Even the little touches, like drink fountains hidden behind drapes. It's clear this is where the majority of creative effort went, and it pays off.
It was cool last night, so my friends and I all went for soup, not salad. The French Onion did nothing for me. Not the worst ever, but nowhere near the best--stock was too weak. But that Potato and Leak soup--a new top 5 favorite food at WDW. Wasn't expecting much but it was sublime. I would almost recommend making a cheap dinner out of that and dessert but I'm jumping ahead.
The mains were a mixed bag. The good first--the ratatouille was delicious. Flavorful as as all get out with nice earthy notes. I'm a carnivore but next time I'd get this. The pork chop was also good, if a bit salty; the home-style mac & cheese was quite good, as well. Would get it again. Not a seafood eater, but my friend liked the shrimp, sauce and puff pastry in the shrimp & scallops meal--unfortunately, the scallops were all grainy with sand. Acceptable at a beachside shack, but not the kind of place this is pretending to be. Another friend and her mom got the steak--she thought it was flavorful, I found it even saltier than the pork chop, but in either case it was ridiculously grisly, she couldn't even chew much of it. For $40, I expect at least Longhorn quality, not Golden Corral. Wanted to send it back but she wouldn't let me.
I think we had one of every dessert--not a bad one in the lot. Best are the Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake and the Chocolate Cream Puff, but the only one I might tweak would be the Triple Chocolate Cupcake, which needed a layer of raspberry preserves or something to cut the cloying sweetness. Still very good tho.
Service was poor. 25 minutes to get seated after our ADR time (again this is a special TiW event, they should have known who was coming). After clearing our dishes, our waiter took 20 minutes to return with the dessert cart--and it was pushing fireworks, so the place was clearing out fast. Plus our waiter was strangely casual--lines like "they're all good, but none are good for you!" I appreciate him being friendly, but that's more suited to the atmosphere of a Fridays than here.
Overall, definitely worth a visit to check it out, at least at lunch. The dining rooms alone are must-see attractions.
BTW, random rant, in the (far too small) bathroom, there's a sign saying the sink uses reclaimed water, don't drink it. So it's not safe to drink ... but it is safe enough to wash our hands in??? :stunned: