Mr. Anderson came by our table and he explained that they were going to show us some of the special things that Tony's can do for those who visit and are planning special occasions. Chuck went ahead and ordered the tomato and mozzarella salad. I didn't know what to order, so I passed on the appetizer portion. One of the staff though, came out and brought me their signature Pezzi Parmesan Bread to try. Oh my. This bread looks like a giant muffin and comes with two dipping sauces, a Crème Sauce and Marinara. This was soft and easy to tear. It was some of the best tasting bread I have ever eaten. I loved it in both sauces and could have most likely made a meal out of this.
I had to stop, because I decided to try the Chicken Parmigiana. Chuck decided on the Shrimp Scampi, while both boys went for the cheese pizza. When my chicken parmigiana arrived, I knew I was in trouble. It was a huge portion, and lets face it...pirate corsets should not be worn with plates full of food that smell good. I had to stop Chuck from eating just to get a decent picture. He said that he had never had shrimp scampi taste this good. He was concerned at first because of the sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus tossed in. He found that these really added a new and pleasant taste to the scampi. Chuck was thrilled and only unhappy when our boys needed to visit the restroom and needed his help with their costumes. This took precious time away from devouring his shrimp and linguini.
My chicken pamigiana was another pleasant surprise. It was lightly breaded with crisp gently seasoned bread crumbs, melted mozzarella, drizzled with just enough marinara sauce, and perfectly cooked spaghetti. I was overjoyed by my first taste to find that the first experience here was not to be repeated. It was seasoned well and nothing was overpowered. My only complaint was that I was unable to remotely come close to finishing it. If it had not been for the Halloween party, I would have asked for a to go box.
The boys enjoyed their pizza. Sam, my eldest dressed as Wolverine, made sure we took a photo of his pizza pulled apart like an, "X", for X-Men.
While we ate, we were treated to the many ways that Tony's make one's evening special. When our entrees were delivered, a cast member came to our table. He said he had heard that Lady and the Tramp was my favorite movie and since we were at Tony's...he then began to sing, "Bella Notte". After the song, he explained that he goes around to the tables and any that are celebrating, or are a couple enjoying a romantic meal, he then sings for them. He had a very nice voice and with the Italian food, candle lit in the old chianti bottle (another special touch for those celebrating), the soft glow from the fountain, and my entourage of superheroes; I was feeling that Disney magic. After the song, a Disney photographer came over to our table and took what would become my favorite photo from our vacation. Mr. Anderson had it developed and framed as a thank you gift for trying Tony's again. With the photo, song, and beautiful fountain, this could be a great place for a proposal if you are unable to get reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table.
No dinner is complete though until desserts are brought forth. The boys were each given a special Halloween cupcake in an ice cream cone. They loved it. I ordered the pumpkin cheesecake. I am a sucker for anything pumpkin flavored and when I heard this was on the menu, I immediately asked for it. It was creamy and had just the right balance of pumpkin and cinnamon. I may have had to loosen the pirate corset, but it was worth it just to finish the dessert. Chuck was too full and had to pass on dessert, though I did catch him sneaking some bites of the boys Halloween cupcakes.
Mr. Anderson and his staff really did a fantastic job of making up for our first disastrous visit. The waiters were really wonderful in answering questions about the food, interacting with my children about their costumes, and giving tips not only for what to order but also about the Halloween party. The food had improved beyond what I had hoped for. I may just have to make another quick trip back before the end of fall for a meal of just Pezzi bread and pumpkin cheesecake. As the saying goes, "to err is human, to forgive, divine," and it can be rather tasty.
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Thank you for your followup post.
This is a great reminder that every restaurant can have days when things are running less than optimal. However, when Disney charges a steep premium for admission to its parks and its food vendors (both fast and sit-down), we have much higher expectations than what is often actually delivered.
Other bloggers have pointed out Disney's decline by degrees when it comes to its Orlando parks, from peeling paint, burned out light bulbs and non-functioning audio animatronics to sub-par food choices: Disney lays eggs, too. And the only way they will change for the better is when tourists decide to spend their hard-earned dollars at establishments that do not take them largely for granted, but work hard each day to earn their trust and deliver value to their guests.
For too many years, Disney's Orlando operations have coasted on past glories rather than kept the resorts up to the standards established by company namesake, Walt Disney. Although it's good to see from this report that a single manager is working to address a lousy guest experience, this manager seems to be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to Disney's Orlando operations. Why? Because the WDW parks are still huge moneymakers for Disney. Until and unless that changes, expect more of the same old same old, with an occasional exception from a diligent manager or two.
- Brian
To me, this is what any good restaurant should do, and it's a bit of a shame you did not let the host or manager know about your displeasure immediately. Most restaurants rely heavily on word of mouth, especially in areas where there are tons of other choices, like theme parks. Obviously, guests who consistantly send items back looking for freebies, or finish a meal and then say they thought it was terrible dilute honest complaints about restaurants. Real problems and complaints can also be diluted by servers, so if you do note something that is not to your satisfaction and don't receive a followup visit from a manager or host, you should always be skeptical that it was actually lodged.
It's really nice to know that Disney is beginning to respond to internet media.
This one had me ROLLING and nodding my head because something about the way Amanda writes makes me feel like I am there with her. I am glad I was eating the garlic bread because I felt like I was at Tony's.
I am so beyond happy that Disney reached out to you Amanda. And you have such a gorgeous family and I loved your costumes. Please write more columns. Every time you post is a gem and it makes me fell like I am back at Disney even though my family does not go often.
@Annette, thank you so much! That was a lovely compliment you have given me!!!
Thanks to everyone else for their remarks. It is a great bunch of TPI's on this site. Keep sharing the experiences so we can all be better informed when planning our vacations to the theme parks. I know I will be paying even more attention to Universal Studios Orlando reviews these next few months. The boys are ready to go.
No, not every dining experience is going to be that great with a manager hovering over making sure it is perfect. I don't expect that. But I do love that if you report there was a problem on one visit that management cares enough to make sure that the next visit is just spectacular.
I had not planned on eating at Tony's on our next trip to Disney but after Amanda's column we're going to give it a try. AND I'm going to tell the manager we decided to eat there because one of my favorite writers talked about her experience there.
The comment that Brian made kind of made me think 'Well, if you do have a great experience after a bad one, don't even bother sharing it because it will just upset Brian'. I don't think Amanda made any claim that this extra-super-special night was typical of an experience at Tony's...and Disney sure does not want people to think that Amanda's first experience at Tony's (the bad one) is typical. I think a typical experience would fall somewhere in the middle, closer to Amanda's second experience I think (but without the manager hovering so much for every guest).
I feel really safe dining at Tony's because Amanda's story proved that if there is a problem that management will be all over it. That makes me feel good, and gives me the comfort of knowing that I can speak to a manager that cares in that restaurant. What a relief that is to me and I just loved that Amanda shared her wonderful story. We usually don't get to hear follow-ups like this.
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