Very, very disappointed with Disney food

[moonvine]

I was at Coronado Springs for a convention last week. Ate at Pepper Market for lunch one day, and that was about enough for me. My friend had a sandwich (I believe it was tuna) and the cheese was hard on the edges like it had been sitting out all day. The coleslaw was rancid. I saw sooo many plates with full containers of coleslaw being collected. The fruit was not fresh. I had a hamburger and fries. The hamburger was tasteless and the fries had been sitting under a heat lamp for way too long - they were barely warm. I do not mind paying $8.50 for a burger, but if I do I would at least like the burger to be edible.

I tried Maya Grill for breakfast - it is supposed to be better, right? The waffles had quite clearly been frozen and reheated, possibly many times. Not worth nearly what I paid for it.

I ended up eating at Pepper Market again because I had a friend in a scooter and her scooter wouldn't fit in my rental car.

I am not sure why people are talking about huge portions there. They sell you half a quesadilla for like $10 - I can get a whole quesadilla here for $6, and it is much, much better than the PM quesadilla.

This experience pretty much put me off Disney food for good, I'm afraid. I'm not about to go spend $75 or more on a meal and have it be as awful as what I had. I ended up eating off property the whole rest of the time I was there.

[Praying Colonel]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. Our family stayed at CSR last week and had better experiences when we ate at PM for lunch twice, but we ordered different items than you and your friend ordered.

I wouldn't judge all WDW food on what you experienced. CSR is only one of dozens of dining locations at WDW, and they have their own cooks and menus. We had some truly outstanding meals last week at WDW and can't wait to try those places again on our next trip.

[Simba22]

we have never had a bad dining experience in WDW and I am sorry that your dining experience was less than magical. Don't judge everyone based on that one location...there are hundreds of dining locations in WDW!

[princesspiglet]

That makes no sense whatsoever. So you tried TWO restuarants out of 100 and now you will never eat anywhere else on property? :rolleyes:

There are many excellent restuarants on property, some mediocre and a few downright awful. However, you should never let a small few spoil the whole bunch. That's like saying, "Well, I tried one place in New York City and it was horrible, so I guess every restuarant IN THE ENTIRE CITY must be awful! :confused3

[gigi1313]

jftr, i learned last week here on the disboards that the PM and MG are not owned/operated by disney... so don't judge all "disney food" by two non-disney restaurants...

[tigerdragon]

I've never stayed at CSR but when I stayed at CBR last October the 2 worst meals I had on that trip were at Shutters and Old Port Royale (food court). I had the lasagne at the food court and it was very dry and the pasta I had at Shutters was some of the worst I have ever had. However, all the other meals we had at the various parks and at DTD were wonderful. I think you should try eating at the parks and you will find much better food there. :)

[Buzz2001]

In my opinion, you won't find a better spot than the Pepper Market (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1133200). Huge portions, great choices and tasty food.

[Letsbgoofy]

We loved the Maya Grill for dinner - going back in 13 days!

[gurleym]

We stayed at the CBR and AKL and both food court areas were good. I do have to say I liked the CBR better though. I just think there were more choices and everything we ate was great. The atmosphere was also better at the CBR in the food court area than at Mara. However Boma was definately better than Shutters. The atmosphere was better in that restaurant as well. All in all when we don't like something we just simply take it back and say can we please have a new one. They have always been very courtious and have always said sorry no problem. Sorry you had a bad experience. But please don't let that keep you from trying new places. They really are great.

[moonvine]

In my opinion, you won't find a better spot than the Pepper Market (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1133200). Huge portions, great choices and tasty food.


I guess all I can really say to that is opinions vary. The Pepper Market was probably the worst place I have ever eaten in my LIFE, and I have eaten a lot of food in my lifetime. :p

I didn't think the portions were especially large either.

[DukeStreetKing]

I've eaten at the Pepper Market a couple of times and I really would not miss it if I never eat there again. However, there are those that enjoy it and probably don't like the restaurants that I enjoy. OP don't give up hope on finding a nice meal at Disney, there are plenty to be found.

[Mom of Sleepy, Bashful and BabyDoc]

I guess all I can really say to that is opinions vary. The Pepper Market was probably the worst place I have ever eaten in my LIFE, and I have eaten a lot of food in my lifetime. :p

I didn't think the portions were especially large either.

Opinions sure do vary. But by the description of your food, it doesn't sound like too many of us would have liked it either. Who knows?

Maybe it was an off day for the PM. Every restaurant has them. And the odds that if you eat at a place 10 times, the majority of meals will be good. The trick is, wanting to go back after you've had a bad first impression. :)

But I would NEVER judge a HUGE resort area, with over 100 restaurants, by one little-old restaurant in a moderate hotel. You see, they almost all have different chefs in charge and some (I believe CSR is included in this) aren't even operated by Disney.

For burgers, I would try Pecos Bills if you are at MK or Sci-Fi if you are at MGM. If you aren't in a park, Rainforest Cafe is one of our favorites, along with Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club.

Sorry this time wasn't a good experience. :( :o

[DznyLvr2005]

This is the first bad thing I've heard about CSR's food. And I'm constantly reading the boards and other 'reviews'. Hopefully it won't be that bad when I go next month!
(Apparenly it's good enough that it's not even on the dining plan for 2007 ???)

[3princesses4us]

Hmm, have to agree with everyone. You're really missing out on a lot of fantastic food by judging them based on one resort! Instead of boycotting all of WDW's food, maybe just start by steering clear of CSR and it's restaurants if they weren't to your liking... :confused3

[Mischa]

Sorry you had such a bad experience with the food at CSR. When I stayed there back in 1998 all I remember of the food was that I wasn't impressed. It wasn't awful, just not impressive.

When DH & I stayed at Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campsite this past May. We had breakfast every morning there (LOVED their breakfast pizza - yummy!) and had a couple of dinners there too. This was at the Tavern. Really great buffet - we loved it. :cheer2:

Thanks for the report!

[markb]

Moonvine,
Tomorrow we leave for my 33rd trip to WDW. I've never cared for the food at CSR, but please don't judge WDW food by those restaraunts. It would be like coming to New Orleans and judging the food by dining at an Applebee's and a Shoney! There is plenty of terrific food in Disney and many gifted chef's doing some world class cuisine... just not at the CSR, imo.

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Why are you saying ALL Disney food when you ate at 2 places????

anyway, we LOVE CSR! we find the portions to be rather large. It one of our fave places to stay AND eat!

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I must echo the sentiment that determining you won't eat at a Disney restaurant on the basis of two restaurants, neither of which Disney operates is doing a great diservice to yourself.

[Caren]

Hey, I was at the same convention :wave2:

And I agree with you that the food at the Coronado sucked. It was such a shame, too, because the hotel is beautiful and the convention facilities are awesome.

[hmp2z]

Um, I personally never expect gourmet quality food from a food court. If you're a Dis member, surely you've read reviews of the dozens of top notch restaurants there. To me, going to WDW & eating at a food court would be (to borrow someone else's analogy) like going to NYC and eating at McDonald's. Some people do it & like it, but it isn't my cup of tea.

I certainly don't blame you for disliking the Pepper Market food; when we ate there, it was food court quality food. Fine, if that's what you like, but certainly not anywhere near the best that WDW has to offer! And, having once eaten at the food court and found it to be food court quality, I'm not sure why you returned, if you were looking for more upscale cuisine.

Next time, I suggest packing that scooter friend onto WDW transportation and zipping over to Epcot for dinner. A little advance planning could have avoided this entire issue, and could have given you an unforgettable culinary experience, rather than something you could get at any mall in the US.

Cheers!
Heather W

[Caren]

Next time, I suggest packing that scooter friend onto WDW transportation and zipping over to Epcot for dinner. A little advance planning could have avoided this entire issue, and could have given you an unforgettable culinary experience, rather than something you could get at any mall in the US.

Cheers!
Heather W

Remember this was a CONVENTION. There were many people there who weren't there for Disney, never went to the parks, and depended on hotel to eat. Not to mention we didn't have hours to go find something to eat. I knew perfectly well what the food situation was at the Coronado and still wound up eating there because I didn't have time to go find something else and you can only eat so many cookies in hospitality.

Personally, I had a couple of decent meals at the Pepper Market. I also encountered a couple of things that were just awful. Overall, I batted about 50% okay to awful. I never did do the Maya Grill because it was widely reported to be very expensive and mediocre. Besides, the Maya Grill had the rather alarming slogan, "You will always be besieged by enchantment at breakfast or dinner." Sounds like a depraved fortune cookie.

Let me tell you, that at this particular convention, the quality of the food at the Coronado was a major topic of conversation.

[Sarnia]

Shame you had a bad meal there, but judging all of WDW based on such limited experience is the same as going to a large town and deciding all of the places to eat there are bad because you ate at one or two bad restaurants...makes no sense if you think about it.

Fair enough to criticise the places where you ate, but all of Disney food :confused3

[indsun]

We stayed at CSR last year. We only had breakfast there so that's all i can comment on. Keep in mind it's a counter service so it's not fine dining but edible and reasonably priced. AT least what we had. i was impressed becasue there where so many choices so it was great to have witha group. Well better luck next time to the original poster!

[Badllamamama]

The PM is great! We love the variety, the large portions and the atmosphere!! Never a bad meal!!!

[dolphin01]

We love the Pepper Market. Even when we don't stay at CSR we make a special trip to eat there. The food is always great, plentiful and cooked to order. Best CS on the dining plan there is!!

[Lilolvr]

The Pepper Market is an awesome food court. You won't find more choices in one place anywhere. The portions are large and we've always had good meals there. It may not be for everyone but its obivous that the poll shows its a favorite of many. :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

[Buzz'sBetterHalf]

Never a bad meal at the the Pepper Market. Good food, good choices and great service. You find more that will like it than not. :cheer2:

[lawyergirl]

Never ate at any of the restaurants at CSR... From what I hear, I'm not missing much!

What does confuse me about your post, OP, is that you're judging all of WDW on the basis of one hotel (during a convention, no less, which usually leads to a decline in quality of the food served because of the sheer volume of people). I'm just wondering why you chose to post such a, uh, passionate assessment of the food at WDW on the basis of those two places, especially given that, in your original post, you refer to the fact that most of us rave about the food elsewhere...

Why you didn't venture out of the hotel area in search of more acceptable food? I certainly have (and would have)! Something similar happened to me when I was in Prague - the food in and near my (really frickin' expensive!!) hotel was absolutely awful, but when I asked a few locals where to go... I found a pretty good restaurant that was loads better (and cheaper!!) than the crap I was being fed at my hotel! That being said, I would never attempt to say that all the food in Prague is fit for dogs and that I can't understand how Czechs manage to feed themselves on a daily basis... :wave:

[maxtomsmom]

I know staying when statying for a convention it is difficult to get out and find some food. AKL is very close to CSR and has two excellent restaurants. Boma was great because it was buffet style with real ethnic food. DH and I eat at very good restaurants some of the best in the world both in NYC and right outside (part of DH job - lucky me) and they were good enough to impress my husband. :thumbsup2 Don't let two restaurants bring you down. EPCOT also has great restaurants if you ever decide to go back and go into the parks.

[Scraper]

My DH and I we are not fancy eaters. We eat when were hungrey. Lot of Times just a hotdog or a pretzel keeps us going. I notice alot of people plan ther Disney trip around ADRs. We have had a few nice meals in Epcot. Loved the Itlian place. I love the fruit in that little food court in the land. My favorite desert frozen Lemonade on a hot day. Just enough to keep my feet going. Disney and a burger give me energy. Although I would have taken advantage of the free dinning had I known. We never pay for the dinning plan. Hopefully all the crowds will be enjoying their free dinning while we take in the shows and the rides. Hope everyone has better meals than the OP:Pinkbounc

[Cruz Family]

Remember this was a CONVENTION. There were many people there who weren't there for Disney, never went to the parks, and depended on hotel to eat. Not to mention we didn't have hours to go find something to eat. I knew perfectly well what the food situation was at the Coronado and still wound up eating there because I didn't have time to go find something else and you can only eat so many cookies in hospitality.

Personally, I had a couple of decent meals at the Pepper Market. I also encountered a couple of things that were just awful. Overall, I batted about 50% okay to awful. I never did do the Maya Grill because it was widely reported to be very expensive and mediocre. Besides, the Maya Grill had the rather alarming slogan, "You will always be besieged by enchantment at breakfast or dinner." Sounds like a depraved fortune cookie.

Let me tell you, that at this particular convention, the quality of the food at the Coronado was a major topic of conversation.

That is all well and fine that most of you were only there for a convention. So maybe this thread should have been called "Very, very disapointed with Coronado food" not Disney food. :confused3

[mickeymousemom]

That is all well and fine that most of you were only there for a convention. So maybe this thread should have been called "Very, very disapointed with Coronado food" not Disney food. :confused3

ITA! Maybe i got up on the wrong side of the bed, but this just totally seems like a :stir: type of thread. I really don't think it was meant to be, but for someone to come here and post something like that makes no sense. It seems pretty obvious that the OP has never had much other, if any, WDW food. To gripe based on 2 resort restaurants makes no sense. If the OP had read any of the dining forum at all, they'd know that there are many wonderful restaurants in WDW. I don't particularly like the food at the POR food court at times, but I certainly didnt eat there and then refuse to eat anywhere at WDW the rest of my trip.
It was a convention...not Disney related. The OP obviously didn't do the parks, so why get on here and complain to many of us who have the experience? Sorry, but this whole thing just rubs me the wrong way.

On the other hand, if the OP had worded her post differently it wouldn't seem so negative. Such as asking if ALL the food at WDW tastes the same...or "when I go to the parks next time, where is a good CS place to go?", etc.... :confused3

[Mickey1122]

We have eaten at many, many different Walt Disney World restaurants, and only a couple, such as Nine Dragons, have been so bad that we won't return. Two restaurants at a Mod resort shouldn't put you off Disney food.

[moonvine]

Never ate at any of the restaurants at CSR... From what I hear, I'm not missing much!

What does confuse me about your post, OP, is that you're judging all of WDW on the basis of one hotel (during a convention, no less, which usually leads to a decline in quality of the food served because of the sheer volume of people). I'm just wondering why you chose to post such a, uh, passionate assessment of the food at WDW on the basis of those two places, especially given that, in your original post, you refer to the fact that most of us rave about the food elsewhere...

Why you didn't venture out of the hotel area in search of more acceptable food? I certainly have (and would have)! Something similar happened to me when I was in Prague - the food in and near my (really frickin' expensive!!) hotel was absolutely awful, but when I asked a few locals where to go... I found a pretty good restaurant that was loads better (and cheaper!!) than the crap I was being fed at my hotel! That being said, I would never attempt to say that all the food in Prague is fit for dogs and that I can't understand how Czechs manage to feed themselves on a daily basis... :wave:

Well, I did venture out of the hotel to feed myself. I went to Ruby Tuesday's and similar places and even to McDonalds (which was far superior to the food at the Coronado). Fortunately I had a car.

I've heard enough people rave about the food at the Pepper Market food court that I felt I couldn't trust the raves about the other Disney restaurants. I don't mind paying $75 for a meal, but it had better be GREAT, and I just wasn't prepared to take that chance. I would think that Disney would have better control over the food quality in their hotels, even if the dining establishments aren't run by Disney. I don't expect gourmet meals from a food court, but I do expect that the cheese not have been out long enough to have gotten hard and crusty and the coleslaw not be sour and rotten. If these are unreasonable expectations, then I don't know what to say.

[moonvine]

It was a convention...not Disney related. The OP obviously didn't do the parks, so why get on here and complain to many of us who have the experience? Sorry, but this whole thing just rubs me the wrong way.



I am sorry it rubs you the wrong way. I spent 2.5 days in the parks, and would have spent more had I been able to. I chose not to eat in the parks due to my experience at the Coronado food court and TS restaraunt. This seemed very logical to me, but apparently doesn't to you.

I have no desire to stir any pots anywhere. I learned a lot about the parks by reading here over the past year, and I wanted to share my experience with the posters here. I might have been more cautious in my choices had I read a similar post before I took my trip.

[femail]

just a thought; y'know, if we all LOVED all the same thing there would be only one restaurant in the whole place with one item on the menu.... :) even your mom has probably served something you wished she hadn't tried to... (in my case, anything frozen...) peace..

[dawgsgirl]

Advice--Do not come on the restaurants board and criticize Disney food. It doesn't go over too good.

[mickeymousemom]

Advice--Do not come on the restaurants board and criticize Disney food. It doesn't go over too good.


Thank you...I feel a little bit validated now. To the OP...it DOES rub me the wrong way...and I think the previous poster who asked "why didn't you venture out more and try other things" meant DISNEY food, not offsite food. For you to now get on here and admit you spent TWO and a HALF DAYS in the parks and wouldn't eat any other food because of your experience with CSR makes it even more ridiculous. You had the chance to try something else and you didn't, then get on here and bash ALL WDW food, with, IMO, nothing to back it up. CSR restaurants are outsourced. They aren't run by Disney. For this same reason they may not end up on the DP next year...you ASSUMED(and we all know what that does) and because you assumed wrongly you missed out on possibly some great dining experiences. As I said before, I don't think you purposely came on here to stir the pot, but I certainly think you should have thought about what you were saying before you posted. :)

[BlindTyldak]

One question: at what times did you eat? I'm just wondering if it was perhaps at times where they would not make more food if necessary because they were preparing to switch menus. no excuse of course, but out of curiosity I do ask.

I don't remember the food being to die for by any means there, except for the pizza, which was by FAR the best I had at any Disney venue then or since. Blew Pizza Planet out of the water, that's for sure. i would call PM decent enough food for a captive audience price, and never left hungry. I also never regretted dining there.

[DiszyDeanette]

I think sometimes it might be a matter of setting expectations too high. We all rave about the food at Disney but in all honesty there are places that are not that great. I have never eaten as CSR but will in 44 days! We did eat at the POR food court last year and the food was edible but not great, sometimes not even that good. But, we were not expecting great food. It was usually just a quick breakfast before hitting the parks. The food is expensive at Disney because, well, you are at Disneyworld, not necessarily because the food is gourmet.

There are many great places to eat in Disneyworld but most food courts are not the place to go for that. Sounds like the OP had her expectations set too high in this particular case.

[Sarnia]

Advice--Do not come on the restaurants board and criticize Disney food. It doesn't go over too good.I'm not sure this is the case, many people here criticize food in specific restaurants. If the OP's post was titled 'Very, very disappointed with Pepper Market food', then the rest of the thread would purely have been debating the merits of that place, some with good experiences, some with bad, like anywhere.

What doesn't go down well is a person eating at one place, which isn't even run by Disney, and stating that because of that he would not want to eat any other Disney food or go to any Disney restaurant.

This is obviously a ridiculous statement, as the OP has never been to any other Disney restaurant, and chose to eat Macdonalds instead!

Now everybody is entitled to an opinion, but to feel the need to post such a strong statement here despite it being based on no facts and the OP having not even tried what he is critisizing is a very strange thing to do. To make matters worse, even when this is pointed out to him he continues.

All I can say is there are all sorts of strange people in the world.

[Uncleromulus]

And with that, I think this has gone far enough.