We’ve spent some time at Splitsville in the past, particularly in this post and this post.
This time, we’ll actually bowl.
Larger menu: https://www.easywdw.com/reports7/splitsville.jpg. But lunch is first. I’m about as far from being a germ-a-phobe as possible, but the idea of putting my fingers in one of those nasty bowling balls and then grabbing something to eat that isn’t on a stick gives me the heebie jeebies. After lunch, our bowling food/drink server was less enthusiastic about our plan to eat lunch first. They will bring you whatever you want from the menu at the lane so you don’t have to walk over to the bar or anything.
Kenny from KennyThePirate.com was nice enough to invite me out for lunch and bowling. You are probably familiar with his website, which lists the actual character meet and greet times at the theme parks. For example, instead of Disney telling you that Aladdin and Jasmine appear intermittently in Adventureland from 9:30am – 7pm, Kenny will tell you exactly where and when they appear. I also got a preview of the new version of his character finding app and it was looking pretty sweet.
Kenny ordered the Turkey Club – Sliced turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and cheese on thick, Texas toast. He subbed the mayo for a side of honey mustard. This was a ton of food for 12 bucks. I tried a quarter and it was pretty good.
I would have liked some sort of interesting spread in lieu of the (missing) standard mayo. With the extra slice of bread in the middle, it was a little dry and bread-y.
I opted for the Bacon Cheeseburger – Classic Burger (lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion) with cheese and crispy bacon. This didn’t really stand out either, as much as I wanted it to. The bacon and cheese didn’t seem to have a whole lot of flavor and there wasn’t much seasoning to the beef. The bun, lettuce, onion, and tomato were all fresh and (with the exception of the fluffy bun) crunchy.
While we were dining around 1:30pm on Tuesday April 16th, there were maybe six other people in the entire place. Other than those working, which seemed to number 30 just on the lower floor. I mention this because it does seem like their fries have been sitting around somewhere for a while before they’re served. They’ve never been particularly crispy/crunchy or hot.
I was a lot more enthusiastic about the pizza, sushi, and appetizers in previous visits. The burger and sandwich seemed to be a lot more pedestrian.
They do have bendy straws though.
Splitsville seems to change their bowling pricing structure on a weekly basis. This is what it looks like at the moment:
Monday through Friday:
$15/person from 10am to 4pm
$20/person from 4pm to close
Saturday/Sunday:
$20/person from 10am to close
Bowling time based on party size:
1 hour: 1 – 3 people
1 hour 15 minutes: 4 people
1 hour 30 minutes: 5 people
1 hour 45 minutes: 6 – 8 people
Compare that to what was originally offered. Since we were bowling in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, bowling was 15 bucks a head and we had an hour. With so few people around, there was no wait for a lane. Fast forward six hours to 8pm or 9pm and you might be waiting 30 minutes to an hour or more, particularly on the weekends. It would have been nice if they had added an extra half hour or something since there wasn’t a wait. It would probably lead to more food/beverage sales.
I had not been bowling in 20 years and was not particularly excited about it. But it was surprisingly fun. I’m the second “josh” listed and started the first frame of the first game with two gutter balls followed by a “1” in the next frame. And managed to bowl around a 160 the second game. I’m just saying I’m some kind of athletic anomaly. Or Kenny and one of the other Joshes are really bad at bowling.
Excellent form, Kenny. Bowling includes the shoe rental. Shoes seemed to run a bit big. If you’re headed upstairs, you may want to try them on before committing. It’s a trek back down the escalator. I’ve read that the lanes aren’t regulation length or something. I have no idea if that’s true as I forgot my tape measure in one of my other polos. I thought it was neat that the computer could automatically raise and lower the bumpers for each individual bowler as needed. That may be a standard feature these days, but wasn’t back in 1994 when I bowled last. Off to the right, they have another contraption where you can simply let go of the ball and it will head toward the pins. That can help kids who would otherwise bowl a zero hit some pins. We made it through two games at a relaxed speed in about 50 minutes and tried to rush through a third. We made it about half way. I’m not sure I’d go bowling on a short Disney World vacation, but it was certainly a fun way to spend an hour. And you could do a lot worse for 15 bucks.
At least outside, Splitsville has switched up their drink pricing.
You may remember these absurdly priced $14 “Bowl Drinks” that are mostly ice. Outside, they’re $9 and called “Boat Drinks.” I would expect a lawsuit from Jimmy Buffet incoming. I did not investigate what sizing looked like on the Boats as I’m assuming you receive far less liquid if you order a Dragonberry Mojito instead of the Beach Bowl. They also offer a more limited drink menu outside and offer a “Jumbo Squeeze Bottle.” Anyway, I’ll investigate.
Changing gears, we now find ourselves at Animal Kingdom on the afternoon of April 16th at 3:37pm.
The Parade was rolling through as we arrived.
This is the Parade crowd following the Parade towards the exit. Virtually everyone you see here will leave the Park in the next 30 minutes. It’s also the reason I recommend being on Kilimanjaro Safaris right now. You don’t really want to be caught in this crowd, but Kenny and I are really bad at Park touring.
Per usual, we walked right on the Safaris. 10 minute posted wait.
The zebras at the end are gone – apparently because they are mean. These goats with horns have replaced them. They are supposedly very rare. Our safari driver told us there were only 500 left in the world.
Which is weird, because Disney seemed to have about 30 of them. And I have two more in my freezer. Sorry Wilson. Without you, I don’t know poaching is bad!
Pocahontas continues greeting along the path that connects Africa and Asia closer to Africa. As you’re walking to Asia, you’ll see her on the right shortly after passing Tamu Tamu Refreshments.
BREAKING NEWS: Sweet and Sour Chicken Nuggets are no longer available at Mr. Kamal’s. Someone alert WDWMAGIC. The cutbacks are escalating!
Although on the same front, the fountains outside Kali River Rapids work again. Disney really seems to be getting a handle on water.
Very wet.
Straight out of the camera.
The same image Lightroom’d out. Photography is a scam.
The Anandapur Ice Cream truck is being refurbished.
The sign is cute, though I’m not sure anyone is going to take them up on the 20 minute walk over to Camp Minnie-Mickey.
Animal Kingdom was this website’s most recommended Park while our friends at TouringPlans had it as their only Park to avoid. I’m still not sure why you wouldn’t recommend Animal Kingdom on a Tuesday. Anyway, with two more hours until close, there were four people on Everest.
Which meant we got to sit in the very front and the very back in a span of about 15 minutes. If you want to sit in the front row, simply ask at the front of the queue. They will put you in a separate queue with the other people that want to sit in front.
SIGHT LINES COMPROMISED. MAGIC LESS MAGICAL.
This is the sort of cheese plate that will probably not win the girl. It seemed to impress Kenny.
You’ve probably heard about Optimus Prime this and Megayawn that over at some theme park called Loserversil Studios or something. Yeah yeah. Disney continues to innovate themselves with this sick puppet from the dollar store. The puppet is so next level that the cast member has to wear food service gloves to even handle it.
Because Kenny is cruel and unusual, he made me ride DINOSAUR. The line was a little daunting, but we persevered.
Dinner is at Animal Kingdom’s gourmet pizzeria, Pizzafari.
Poor Kenny did not have a lot of luck with quick service. They forgot to make his pepperoni pizza, but Disney went out of their way to hand deliver it when it was ready as well as offer these breadsticks that were made as recently as the day before. They were still kind of warm.
I ordered the Vegetable Pizza – $9.49 with a Side Caesar Salad. I did not have high expectations, but I deemed it pretty good. The vegetables present were finely chopped and added a little crunch to the pizza. I think I see green/red onions and tomatoes. People hate on Disney pizza. And this is basically DiGiorno quality. But I like Digiorno, so whatevz. One nice thing about heading here about an hour before close is that the pizzas are baked fresh, rather than sitting under a heat lamp until someone orders them. It’ll add five minutes to the wait, but it’s worth it, assuming they remember to make your pizza of course.
The side salad is best skipped. You’ll save $2. This was drenched in bottled Caesar dressing, making the lettuce limp.
There is nothing going on construction-wise in Camp Minnie-Mickey.
In fact, they’ve added FASTPASS+ at Lion King.
And Character Landing.
And It’s Tough to be a Bug. Seriously. It’s Tough to be a Bug will have FASTPASS+.
Changing gears one more time if your brain can take it. It’s now Monday April 22nd at 1:36pm. Epcot is the most recommended Park, but it does feel crowded. And more FASTPASS+. Take a breath because I’m about to blow your mind.
That’s FASTPASS+ at Captain EO.
EO runs at about 15% capacity.
No sign of FASTPASS+ at Journey into Imagination with Figment, at least. I asked him what he thought of his current attraction and this was his response. Crestfallen and rather despondent.
Prices continue heading north at Le Cellier as the price of the Rib Eye has been jacked up another ten bucks. Blame Tom Bricker. Seriously. Please send him hate mail. They also have three different “Poutines.” Their quotes, not mine.
Fountain View Cafe has added black tarps.
The Flower and Garden Festival Marketplaces are as popular as ever.
I’m not sure putting physical barriers in the way is the best plan of action.
Straight out of the camera.
Photography is a scam.
“The Doofenslurper.” I would buy a 99 cent Slurpee from 7-11 and donate the other $8.50 to science. Maybe we can live in a better world.
Lunch is at Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion avec Derek Burgan, whom you may recognize from Orlando Informer’s Rumor Roundup and Park Newz.
Napoli is one of the most hyped restaurants on Disney property and one that I think actually deserves much of the praise. Menu:
Those Italian Craft Beers are actually really good. Despite being expensive, they’re actually not a bad value compared to the others. The Baladin would run you $18 at the store., for example..if you could find it. But they serve one. I’m not sure why they put 2-3.
Because I’m a beautiful lady, I went with the Strawberry Limoncello – served frozen, strawberry garnish – $11. It was strawberry-y and cold. I’m not sure there was any alcohol in it, but it was otherwise delicious.
Derek went with the Birra Moretti, a serviceable 4.6% Euro Pale Lager.
This is a large Pepperoni and Spicy Italian Sausage pizza – $28 plus $3.50 per topping.
Pricing may look absurd at first glance. This is a $35 pizza after all. But if you consider your other options at Epcot, it’s really not that bad. This is certainly enough pizza for two people, so we’re talking $17.50 per person, which is only a few more dollars than a lot of quick service options.
The pizza is really, really good with a thin, slightly crispy crust and plenty of toppings. The sausage was divine – actually spicy. I would eat here every day if I could and I wish there was a clone down the street. Napoli may be my favorite restaurant at Epcot.
The restaurant is open and kind of loud.
There’s a large table in the middle of the restaurant, which may make this restaurant a good choice if you have a large party. It seemed like they were seating smaller parties on either side.
Service was lousy. We saw our server when she took our order and when she delivered the check. We wanted to try an Aqua Fresca and never had an opportunity. Nobody asked if we wanted another drink.
I’ll chalk it up to bad luck. Service is usually outstanding at the Italy restaurants. Maybe too good as they tend to stand off to the sides and stare at you throughout the meal.
There’s also patio seating that is usually glassed in.
That’s the news.
Awesome update Josh! What are you hearing about the Epcot Character Spot? Wasn’t supposed to reopen in February then March and now I have no idea? Thanks!
My estimation is that it won’t reopen until Fountain View reopens in August.
Via Napoli is my fave too, just do not care for the communal table it can be awkward. And only real men have the confidence to order a dainty drink.
We’ll be eating at Via Napoli next week, now I’m really looking forward to it!
Dang it, I totally forgot to find one of those Doofenschmirtz beaker drinks when I was there in March. I wanted one even if the kiddo wouldn’t drink it. And I seriously need to try Le Cellier even if just for appetizers – in four trips I still haven’t been.
I lol’ed. Good stuff.
I’ve been to Via Napoli twice for dinner… I’d say it’s my favorite WS restaurant, too. Hands down.
Hey Josh, great update as usual…love the next gen hand puppet at AK…but shame on you for poaching! Just a note, we liked Via Napoli a lot as well, but also had absolutely awful service there last summer….our waiter took our drink order and didn’t bring them out until we reminded the food runner, after our food came…then we didn’t lay eyes on him again until the check. As for Le Cellier and rising prices, I had my son do a food budget for our upcoming trip….had to check his figures when he told me it was going to be $236 with tip for lunch there for four people…one of whom is 8…and that’s without alcohol. This may be our last meal there for a while.
Great update!!! Thank you for the review of bowling at Splitsville. We hope to try that out when we go this June! And I love Via Napoli. Very yummy and lots of food!
Dude, how many Disney blogger/website friends do you have and do you EVER eat anywhere but Disney?
Two. And yes.
So glad to read your review of Via Napoli, Josh! I love being able to actually see where we’re going to eat and look at the actual menu! I’m feeling confident with our VN ADR since you raved so highly about it. Looking forward to it 🙂
I’ve been affirmed in this post that I am:
a person who doesn’t like condiments
a bad bowler
terrible at timing an entrance
impatient with “quick” service
a lover of cheese
Sound’s pretty accurate, but at least I picked the right park to go to! Had fun hanging out with ya. See you again next visit.
I always prefer straight out of the camera.
“The Doofenslurper” sounds like a horrible drink, but I like those green patterns where the blue and yellow meet. And now that I think on it, it’s the sort of inedible combination Hans would likely come up with if he decided he needed to be designing a drink to conquer the Tri State Area with. But he’d name it something stupid like “the Drinkinator” rather than something brilliant like “the Doofenslurper.”
If if *said” “The Doofenslurper” right there on the beaker, I probably couldn’t have been able to resist buying it. Dodged the bullet.
Lawsuits inbound!
Not only did you trespass upon the “Boat drink” philosophy and implied lifestyle there upon, but you have slandered and impugned the good name of Margaritaville’s “Day-before-yesterday” bread stick promotion.
haha
Where do Doofenslurpers come from?
I suspect I am going to own 3 in a few months.
“Because I’m a beautiful lady, I went with the Strawberry Limoncello.”
“The sausage was divine – actually spicy. I would eat here every day if I could and I wish there was a clone down the street. Napoli may be my favorite restaurant at Epcot.”
“Service was lousy. We saw our server when she took our order and when she delivered the check.”
“I’ll chalk it up to bad luck. Service is usually outstanding at the Italy restaurants.”
Okay, who worte these parts of your blog? You let someone hijack it? You took a nap and someone jumped on your computer? That does not sound at all like the Josh we know and love.
I really hadn’t considered Via Napoli as an option for our upcoming trip since I have always felt that if I’m going to be in a park with so many good food choices, why would I choose something I could get every day at home….but wow….that pizza sure looked yummy. You may just change my set ways yet!
“And I have two more in my freezer. Sorry Wilson. Without you, I don’t know poaching is bad!”
Disney quits preaching and the world goes to h-e-double-toothpicks in a handbasket.
I am trying to decide between Marrakesh and Via Napoli for lunch on 5/11. Looks like Via Napoli will win!
Josh and Kenny together!!!! Like a Disney channel cross over special! :))) fun post!
I had forgotten the server just completely disappeared as both Josh and I were planning on ordering a second drink. That said, the food was good enough to overcome the service.
Susie – the Doofensluper is sold in a stand right outside the American pavilion. Be forewarned, it makes a LeFou’s Brew taste like a Butterbeer and I was grilled walking in and out of the International Gateway if it had any alcohol in it. It definitely could have used alcohol, or any other substance other than the concoction that was in it.
28 dollar pizza!!!!!! Josh we are considering dropping the meal plan this time and just paying as we go . Do you think I can do lunch & dinner for a family of 4 cheaper than the meal plan?
@Kevin Judge, I recommend this spreadsheet for calculating Disney Dining Plan vs. Out of Pocket: http://seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon#!dining-plan-calculator/cxc0
Also for a family of 4 at Via Napoli, the Mezzo metro Pizza is a good deal. It is about $40, so it would be about $10/person for an entree. Basically the same as CS.
Where did the cheese/grapes snack come from in AK? This word be the perfect snack for my DD.
I second Cinderelly’s question. It would be good to know where that snack came from or if it’s available in more than one place at AK.
We ate at Via Napoli in December, the Prosciutto and melon pizza was out of this world! Highly recommend it. Can’t wait to get back for it.
Josh, just curious about your AK late in the afternoon strategy. Does that work in July? I know it would never be as empty as the pictures here…..but does it thin out during the busy months as well?
Thanks for the fantastic updates 🙂
I don’t know how Wilson can sleep at night.
“And I have two more in my freezer. Sorry Wilson. Without you, I don’t know poaching is bad!” cracked me up. Hilarious.
I just love Animal Kingdom! Such a beautiful park. And I love Dinosaur, that’s actually my favorite AK ride along with the safari.
The Transformers ride at Universal looks pretty amazing. I would love to check out Universal but I know my husband and little boy will probably not want to go back to Disney afterwards so I’m putting it off a few more years…
I feel very bad for anyone who reserves a Fastpass+ at Captain EO. That’s just cruel to trick unknowing people like that.
I must be the only person in the world not feeling the love for Via Napoli. Meh…I make my own pizza dough and sauce so no restaurant pizza has ever impressed me (except Gino’s in Chicago of course). The only reason I love Disney restaurants are for either the characters or the theming, as far as food goes restaurants usually disappoint because I’m constantly thinking of what could/should have been done differently to make the food taste better, and Via has no real theming to even make it bearable. Okay, rant over 🙂
Josh + Kenny – my two favorite Disney bloggers <3
@Cinderelly/RebeccaMK – I’ve seen that cheese/fruit snack at a cart right outside the entrance to Kilimanjaro Safari’s ad DAK. It has bottled water/drinks and individual pieces of fruit as well. Hope that helps
Our one Via Napoli visit was a few months after it opened, and it was bad. Shockingly bad. Maybe the worse meal we’ve EVER had in 11 trips to WDW. Bad food and terrible service, perfect combination. Despite the MANY glaring reviews we’ve seen, we just can’t bring ourselves to go back.
Just an FYI last Wednesday we were at the Magic Kingdom and were able to test the new Pirate Adventure game. We only got to play 2 maps because that’s all that was available. We did like it and thought some of the effects were pretty good. How they reveal the treasure on the two maps was cool, cannons going off, etc. It was a slower day in the park. Also, we noticed the wait times were very inflated on all but 2 rides over 7 days of park visits. Most waits were half the posted time or less.
@Rob
Thanks – it’s going in my upcoming trip notes.
Josh, did you get your princess makeover yet at BBBoutique? I just saw that Disney Visa has a 20 percent off deal there for cardholders in June, if you want to wait (and have a card). You beautiful lady, you. 😀
$35 for chicken? That is just ridiculous.
Germophobe – feh! We once watched a woman in Las Vegas alternate feeding nickels into a slot machine, dipping chicken nuggets into ranch dressing, and licking her fingers.
Just sayin’.
Absolutely love Via Napoli. It is one of a very tiny handful of must-dos (oh, god, I sound like Stacey) for us when we go, which is shocking as I’m Italian and cook a lot at home.
Your photos of half-empty parks make me so jealous! As a teacher, I’m limited to the most packed times of the year…sigh…oh well.
Visited Disney world this month and just about solely used the advice on this site. Hit all four main parks in four days and did everything we wanted to do. My previous experience if Disney was Tokyo Disneyland which was a nightmare. Your site made our trip and made me a Disney convert. It made me see that it is possible to do Disney without spending the whole time in a queue. Many thanks for your help and keep up the good work Josh
Photography may be a scam, but I do love your pics. That camera is boss.
Started thinking about our next visit to WDW….last went in Nov. 2011 with DH, DM, 3 DS and DD. In 2014, our spring break is the week after Easter Sunday. Is this looking like a good week crowd-wise? Aren’t college spring breaks typically over by then?
The last 2 times we’ve taken the kids, we’ve managed very well (rope drop til close most nights) over busy Veteran’s Day weekend and a few days following. Hit everything we wanted to do despite the crowds….thanks to your advice….and infinite wisdom, of course. Thanks.
Via Napoli is by far my favorite EPCOT restaurant. I was surprised by how big the individual pizza was, I couldn’t finished it all. If you have a small appetite you can easily share the individual pizza, specially after ordering one of the mouth-watering appetizers Via Napoli has to offer.
Hey awesome bowling balls, not like the ones at just about every public bowling place I’ve ever been too which look like surface of the Moon. That’s some Disney quality going on right there! 😀
As to the pizza price.. yeah I don’t think comparing it to how much it costs to eat elsewhere is fair. Out in the real world, $17.50 per person is a normal meal price at quite a few places that don’t start with Mc or end with King. However you’d be hard pressed to get a 2 topping pizza which might be considered “large” in size for $35.
Love Via Napoli! We have eaten at Via Napoli repeatedly since they opened and have yet to have a bad meal. We always order a pepperoni pizza. I don’t know how they do it but the pepperoni almost has a bacon-y taste. Yumm! And here I sit with a peanut butter sandwich, sigh 🙁
attention !! attention !! stay away from le cellier . $$$$$$ not worth it . service horrible , can get a better steak @ well just about anywhere else on property for a lot less money . did not use to be this way . save your points , save your money , no need to sell your kids collage future to eat at this over rated disney attraction . this from someone who use to eat there twice a year.
Please….no more FastPass + entrance pictures. 🙁 It’s like staring into some kind of Disney Apocalyptic Maw.