Raymond and I try to book at least one “date night” dinner on every Walt Disney World visit. In January, that dinner was at Wine Bar George. Located near some of our favorite eateries in The Landing area of Disney Springs, Wine Bar George has a cool exterior and the menu boasts an impressive wine selection. We like wine.
Disney Springs Dining – Wine Bar George Review
After a long day in the parks, our feet were killing us and we hobbled into Wine Bar George quite a while before our reservation time and were welcomed by a friendly and professional staff. We were offered two options for seating – upstairs inside or outside on the second-floor patio near a heater. It was pretty chilly out that evening and we’d been outside all day, so we opted for indoor seating. This was a big mistake and while our overall experience at Wine Bar George was good, our seating location had a negative impact on what we’d hoped would be a romantic dinner.
Our server, Collin, approached our table right away and helped us select three wines from the extensive wine menu to share in a wine flight. He made some recommendations and answered questions as we made our dinner selections, but it was challenging! The problem with where we were seated (at a table for two) in a hallway was noise.
When I say it was noisy, I’m talking super loud! The room at the end of the hallway was filled with a boisterous crowd and as they talked and laughed, the volume at our hallway table made hearing our server and each other virtually impossible. Collin apologized several times as he tried to hear us and be heard. Raymond and I spent our meal smiling at each other across the table and making gestures to indicate which wines we liked best and how we liked the food. It was funny and sad at the same time.
The good news is that we’d go back, sit somewhere else and try more wine! Next time we’ll bring friends since the menu offers family-style plates that serve two to four and we didn’t go with any of those options on this initial visit. What did we eat?
The Food Was Delicious
We tried the Artisanal Cheese Platter, the Porchetta Spiced Pork Cheeks, and the Burrata. By far, the Burrata was my favorite, but we though everything we ordered was delicious and reasonably priced. Collin’s wine recommendations were spot-on with what we like. I’d recommend Wine Bar George to all my fellow wine-lovers out there, but if you go…don’t sit in the hallway!
Have you been to Wine Bar George? How was your experience?
We did not have to wait too long for a bus at any time. The only negative I could see is that this is the last bus stop in the loop. While the rooms at Saratoga Springs are a bit dated and could use an update or at least a little extra TLC, our room was clean, everything was in working order, and the building appeared well-maintained. Last June, in The Paddock section, we had “Welcome Home” doormats which were nowhere to be found on this visit.
We did enjoy getting to see unusual characters and the wait times for rides were super reasonable. We had dinner at Skipper Canteen, checked in and got our wristbands, then managed to ride Pirates, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Little Mermaid, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Buzz Lightyear, and the People Mover. 
We left Megan practically all alone on the People Mover while Raymond, Joseph and I rode Space Mountain (since it’s off limits for expectant mothers). There were photo ops with lots of characters and we stopped for pictures twice. 
We met Louie and Balou in Adventureland and then space-Pluto and Goofy in Tomorrowland. We got to see both Wishes and the event’s special fireworks show which had a special name, but it escapes me now, but leads me to…
The service was okay, but our server was clearly spread too thin. A tall man, who seemed to be a manager of some sort, kept coming by and asking how everything was, but he never made eye-contact or smiled and was completely insincere. I ordered a salad that was made up of horrible lettuce scraps and a single clump of blue cheese among the other ingredients. Nothing was so horrible that we felt we needed to formally complain, but the overall experience was lousy enough that we all agreed to take an extended break from Raglan Road before trying it again (maybe) in the future. On the bright side, new choices for dining at Disney Springs abound!
Not so with the big guy who came straight towards us, turned slightly to the side, lowered his shoulder and literally plowed between us. I tried to hold my ground for a minute because I was both incredulous and furious, but he was too big and I didn’t want to get knocked to the ground. I did turn back and yell, “EXCUSE YOU!!!!”, but that reaction was stupid. Clearly, when a younger guy, built like a linebacker, feels it acceptable to shove mature fellow guests out of his way in a DISNEY PARK, something is wrong with the World. Makes me sad that we’ve come to this as a society, but here we are, I guess.