by Beth Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
August 26, 2023
We haven’t had stellar luck booking dining reservations at “Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White,” stretching all the way back to their grand opening in December of 2018. We had attempted to snag reservations at this uber-popular Wilderness Lodge location on no fewer than three different trips, searching out Advanced Dining Reservations for every single day of each trip. We finally nabbed a seating for our third visit, and we (meaning mom, and not so much the dad and son) were elated. It was to be the highlight of the trip (for mom, at least).
And then came COVID… and Disney cancelled our entire trip. When the parks reopened, it took a while for many of the restaurants to return, and Story Book Dining was no exception.
When word came that the venue was bringing Snow and friends back in late 2021, we sat on the My Disney Experience App at all hours of the day and night, watching for a slot to pop up. And we finally got one, just a few weeks after the restaurant was scheduled to reopen. We chalked our luck up to the fact that not many guests realized the place was slated for reopening.
The big night came, and we presented ourselves at the host stand and were escorted to the table. The room was lovely (redone from the former signature dining Artist’s Point) and decorated to look like you were in an enchanted forest, sparkling tree branches dangling overhead with lights that changed color as the various characters made their appearances.
I’d like to say the rest of that evening was just as enchanting as the room décor, but it wasn’t. The restaurant was still under certain COVID protocols, so while the characters were there, you didn’t get close to them. They kind of sauntered by, waving, and you took a distanced selfie with them. That would have been okay, but the food service was the greater problem that evening.
Still under COVID protocols, there were fewer tables in the dining area, with the tables spaced further apart. That meant lower capacity for the evening, and we’re sure that’s what caused the absolute rush in the night’s schedule. They were trying to turn the tables over as quickly as possible. That, plus the restaurant had only been reopened a short time, so the meal service hadn’t exactly gotten to the point of being a well-oiled machine yet.
Not only did the wait staff start to remove the appetizers before we were done eating (the starters are small, so it doesn’t even take that long), but the desserts were brought out to the table before our entrées were half eaten. Our table was off to the corner, near the entrance, and some of the characters never made it down as far as our alcove before our dishes had been cleared and our bill handed over. All in all, a very disappointing night for a dining experience we’d waited years for. We decided NOT to review the evening for the blog, giving Disney the benefit of the doubt with the hope that things would improve as they got back in the groove post-pandemic. (And yes, as character dining veterans, we were well aware of the often chaotic nature of character meals, so we weren’t expecting candlelight and roses.)
Fast forward to 2023, and things look a lot different now. We were on the My Disney Experience app, searching for a dining reservation for our anniversary dinner, and magically, a late night opening for Story Book Dining popped up. We grabbed it, willing to give the Dwarfs a second chance.
And we’re glad we did, because it was an enchanting night (due, in no small part, to our Cast Member, Tim, who not only kept our meal paced adequately, but brought a bit of Disney magic to the table when he discovered it was our anniversary!)
The room is a beautiful setting, and the Evil Queen has her own meet-and-greet area to acknowledge those who’ve come to the forest (A PhotoPass photographer is there to capture the moment.)
Throughout the meal, Snow White, Grumpy and Dopey circulate to the tables, and pose for pictures and hugs tableside. Periodically, a catchy tune plays and the sparkly lights flicker, and the characters will dance and goof around for guests. (Dopey played hide and seek behind one of the trees!)
At your table, a creatively imagined stand designed like a three-branched “tree” awaits the delivery of your food. Everyone gets one of each of the three starters; their own selected entrée; and one each of the trio of shared miniature desserts. As a final parting gift, our Cast Member also brought over the “Huntsman’s Gift to the Queen,” a delicious made-in-house chocolate heart for each of us.
The appetizer trio usually includes the Hunter’s Pie, made with turkey and chicken with cranberry preserves; a delicious Wild Mushroom Bisque served in adorable little cauldrons; and a Wicked Shrimp Cocktail with a Bloody Mary vinaigrette and seaweed salad.
Of the three selections, the mushroom soup was really yummy, with a strong, earthy flavor and creamy texture. While the teeny tiny cauldrons only gave you six or seven spoonfuls, it was so good it left you wanting more. But there were two other delights to try, so we moved on to what was normally the “Hunter’s Pie,” but in our case was more of a flaky puff pastry topped with a firm meatball coated in a sweet barbecue sauce. Three bites and it was gone! The shrimp came as a set of two (one for each of us), and they were a jumbo-sized, fresh shrimp, and while they were named “Wicked” shrimp, and were plated with a spiced house-made seasoning, they weren’t overly “spicy.” There was just a miniscule hint of a horseradish bite in the background.
For our entrées, we ended up with the Royal Prime Rib Roast, served with horseradish-mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, accompanied by a hot and buttery popover (what some would call “Yorkshire pudding”). The mashed potatoes were tangy with the addition of the horseradish, and while they were smooth, they also had small bits of potato in the mix that added a touch of “homemade” texture. The popover was huge, and a lovely side to the Prime Rib. It let out the perfect amount of steam when you broke it open. The center was creamy, with a slight crisp to the outside of the pastry. The Prime Rib itself was cooked to the requested temperatures, and had a nice au jus to complement the meat. While it was a very good cut, we can’t say that it was the best on Disney property.
We also tried “Bashful’s Sustainable Fish,” which on this evening was a sweet and tender salmon. Served with an herbed risotto and gremolata, the fish flaked perfectly, and a breadcrumb topping gave just a tiny crunch to the dish. The herb drizzle over the top of the salmon brought a suggestion of heat to each forkful, a pleasant contrast to the more neutral salmon. A side of crisp asparagus gave a needed texture to the dish. Overall, it was a good flavor combination.
The dessert course was again a shared course, with three petite desserts brought to the tree-shaped serving stand. The best treat was a set of two “Poison” apples, tiny, bite-sized dark chocolate-apple mousse, though the Miner’s Treasures, a cookies 'n cream flavored panna cotta topped by little chocolate dwarfs’ hats with chocolate gems, ran a very close second. The poison apples were a soft mousse with both vanilla and chocolate, covered in a shiny red gel. Light and fluffy, the single bites of those two well-themed desserts were just enough to satisfy, and a welcome end to the meal.
However, we definitely should have eaten the third offering, the Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart, before the sweet mousse-based goodies, because after the sugary duo, the Gooseberry Tart seemed all the more tart. It was sort of apple pie-ish, but not quite. A crumbly tart base had an almost cookie feel to it, and the filling was cheek-puckering tart, topped by a meringue with green Matcha sprinkled on top. (Our Cast Member remembered it was our anniversary, and perched a special chocolate “Happy Anniversary” banner on our tray, too!)
Also available to “plus up” your dinner are a number of location unique specialty drinks, such as the “Transformation Potion” ($6.50), a fun non-alcoholic color-changing drink; or “The Smoking Mirror” ($14.50), with Johnnie Walker Black 12 year Whisky, Wildberry, and lime (and yes, it comes with its own Rosemary Smoke!). There’s also a wide selection of wines from Oregon and Washington State to keep with Wilderness Lodge’s vibe.
Dinner at Story Book Dining is only served from 4:00 -9:00 p.m. each evening, with a prix-fixe price of $65 per adult and $39 per child. If you want to trek to the Enchanted Forest to visit with Snow White and friends, don’t sleep on it – you’ll need to be up at 6 a.m. to snag those coveted reservations – prince or no prince to awaken you!
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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
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