Just back from WDW - Has the food gotten worse or is it just me?

[drakethib]

Hi all.

Not trying to bash WDW as I usually stick up for them, we just got back from a great trip at WDW and my one complaint is the food. Maybe it was because free dining was going on and they were trying to minimize their losses, but we didn’t take part of free dining (we are DVC members) and paid full price.

At one time, I thought it was some of the greatest food to be had ever, now even the table service places are just ok at best. The Brown Derby is just overpriced cafeteria food. Counter Service Hamburgers and Nuggets haven gotten to the point of just being edible at best. The Rainforest Cafe was probably one of the best meals we had the entire trip.

The one thing at WDW that they did do well food wise was the Wishes Dessert party. Everything else is just getting disgusting.

I hear others speaking of this time to time but this is the first time both my wife and I agreed that the food quality has gotten ridiculous, especially for the price. I do understand I am in a theme park and know food will be expensive, but there has to be a common ground. My wife and I both have come to the conclusion that more offsite dining may be in order on our next trip. We ate offsite which we have never done before and maybe that is why this is more “visible” to us now?

Are my expectations to high?

[Eveningsong]

We love Disney Dining. We had great food during our last trip September 1 - 11, 2009, part of the free dining promo. We stayed at POP. We are also DVC members and pay for the dining plan when staying on points.

The best TS meal we had was at Sanaa, great food, great service, great location.

[NWOhioAngela]

We were at the World the same time, but didn't notice any bad food. Some of it was just "meh"--(Plaza) We didn't do any counter service, so I can't speak to that.

We too were unimpressed with Brown Derby this time. While I wouldn't call it "cafeteria food" it was just okay. Certainly not worth 2 credits this time.

[mikelan6]

Are my expectations to high?

No. I've always expected the best from Disney.

Have you gone to Guest Services and told them about your issues? Are you going to write to Disney to tell them?

[dizneedoll]

We visited this past February and I felt the same way about the food that you did. I don't think I had even one meal that I could call "good." Most things we ate (and we did some TS and some CS at both the parks and resorts) was just blah and a few dishes were down right awful. I agree with what you said about CS burgers and nuggets. My DS lives on nothing but chicken nuggets and he hated the WDW ones. I thought they were gross too. I'm going back next year and I'm really hoping it was just a fluke that we had lousy dining this past trip.

[dpuck1998]

I 100 percent agree. My first major trip back in 2003, the food was a highlight of my vacation. The last trip I went on the food was a huge disappointment. I can really see how the food has gone downhill since the dining plan was introduced.

[dizzy203]

Could it be because they are trying to cook in a more healthy way? I'm sorry but a hot dog is not that good on a wheat bun. Give me a good old white bun for my hot dog.

[dpuck1998]

Could it be because they are trying to cook in a more healthy way? I'm sorry but a hot dog is not that good on a wheat bun. Give me a good old white bun for my hot dog.

I'd say more likely they look at cost. If healthy was the issue they could offer another option for a healthy choice and keep the existing choices available.

[3guysandagal]

I can only go by our last few trips, and in 2006 the CS food at POR was pretty good, with a good selection, in 2007, not bad, but selection had dwindled, 2008, awful, and even less selection.
I actually took a burger back that was inedible.
Cosmic Rays was THE WORST MEAL we had in May 2009, none of us were impressed, and the boys simply didn't eat theirs.
Mind you, we only had burgers there, but at $8 a burger, you would hope it could at least be eaten.
Maybe they should start adding beets?
It would hide the taste of the "meat".

[dizzy203]

Maybe they should start adding beets?
It would hide the taste of the "meat".

:rotfl::rotfl2:

[Paul in CT]

Did you dine at any of the resorts? If so, how did you find the food there where it is even more expensive?


Hi all.

Not trying to bash WDW as I usually stick up for them, we just got back from a great trip at WDW and my one complaint is the food. Maybe it was because free dining was going on and they were trying to minimize their losses, but we didn’t take part of free dining (we are DVC members) and paid full price.

At one time, I thought it was some of the greatest food to be had ever, now even the table service places are just ok at best. The Brown Derby is just overpriced cafeteria food. Counter Service Hamburgers and Nuggets haven gotten to the point of just being edible at best. The Rainforest Cafe was probably one of the best meals we had the entire trip.

The one thing at WDW that they did do well food wise was the Wishes Dessert party. Everything else is just getting disgusting.

I hear others speaking of this time to time but this is the first time both my wife and I agreed that the food quality has gotten ridiculous, especially for the price. I do understand I am in a theme park and know food will be expensive, but there has to be a common ground. My wife and I both have come to the conclusion that more offsite dining may be in order on our next trip. We ate offsite which we have never done before and maybe that is why this is more “visible” to us now?

Are my expectations to high?

[look1angel]

I wonder if it's all in the timing? I was at The Brown derby in Oct 2007 & had the BEST Cobb Salad ever! Went back with my husband in Dec 2008 & it was a huge disappointment! Going to give it one more try in Nov & see what happens.

Did the Cinderella dinner in 2007 on the DDP when gratuity was included & the food was surprisingly good, went back in June 2009 it was terrible & I ordered the same thing. Might have alot to do with the chef/cooks in the kitchen I'm sure. I wonder how often they change hands?

I will say Victoria & Alberts was incredible, then again so was the tab. Chef Mickey's has it's moments too.

Heard Boma was suppose to be good so we'll be trying that one out in Nov too.

[WaltD4Me]

Well, I don't know, but I just read an article that Disney is no longer going to be using all beef hotdogs!!!!! :scared1:
They are switching to a beef/chicken mix hotdog at all food service locations in WDW.

First they switch to wheat buns, now they are changing the hotdogs. Might as well close Casey's up and put in another generic giftshop. :mad:

[3guysandagal]

Well, I don't know, but I just read an article that Disney is no longer going to be using all beef hotdogs!!!!! :scared1:
They are switching to a beef/chicken mix hotdog at all food service locations in WDW.

First they switch to wheat buns, now they are changing the hotdogs. Might as well close Casey's up and put in another generic giftshop. :mad:


This would solve the backless chair problem at Casey's at least!

[DSNY4ever]

Aw, I certainly hope the food isn't going down hill. I have always thought most of the counter service was gross and overpriced...so no change there, but on our trip last December my husband and I both agreed that our meal at the Brown Derby was one of the best meals we had ever had period. I hope it is still just as good next trip because I am already dreaming of eating there again.

I am shocked that Disney switched to wheat buns though, that just surprises me, since I would think most people wouldn't want that. But I like wheat bread/buns better so that's a pleasant surprise for me :)

[3guysandagal]

Just to add.
We have had many fantastic meals on property.
And Brown Derby was one of them.
I hope it stays the same for Dec as we have 2 ADRs set up.
But we will not be back to Cosmic Rays.

[WaltD4Me]

Aw, I certainly hope the food isn't going down hill. I have always thought most of the counter service was gross and overpriced...so no change there, but on our trip last December my husband and I both agreed that our meal at the Brown Derby was one of the best meals we had ever had period. I hope it is still just as good next trip because I am already dreaming of eating there again.

I am shocked that Disney switched to wheat buns though, that just surprises me, since I would think most people wouldn't want that. But I like wheat bread/buns better so that's a pleasant surprise for me :)

I love the Brown Derby too. I ate there in May and it was delicious. LOVE the grapefruit cake. :lovestruc

As for the wheat buns, they switched I think a year ago. I know some people prefer wheat buns, I just don't care for them, I wish they would give you a choice. White or Wheat?

[DisneyEG]

We were there in August with the dining plan, the first time we've done that, and we were pleasantly surprised how good the food was. We went there thinking we would be eating theme park or even chain restaurant quality food.
We were wrong, some of the restaurant food was fantastic. Especially, The Wave, Chefs De France, Le Cellier, San Angel, Chefs Mickeys Breakfast, Narcoosees, even the buffet at 1900 Park Faire was good. We did have some meals that weren't so good loke Crystal Palace, ABC Commisary, Whispring Caynon. Overall though the food was great. Gained 8 pounds, been trying to lose it since I got back, halfway there. We can't wait to do it again and try some of the other restaurants.

[DSNY4ever]

I love the Brown Derby too. I ate there in May and it was delicious. LOVE the grapefruit cake. :lovestruc

As for the wheat buns, they switched I think a year ago. I know some people prefer wheat buns, I just don't care for them, I wish they would give you a choice. White or Wheat?


Yeah, I assumed they would give a choice, because I think I am in the minority, and most other people would prefer a white bun. - oh I was dying to try the grapefruit cake, but that visit I went with the pumpkin cheesecake (it was delicious), but I can't wait to try that grapefruit cake some day. Aw, now I want to go so badly!

[SamIAm21]

I'll be dining at Brown Derby on October 9th. I'm really hoping it's at least fairly good because I made the reservation especially for my sister in law who is a ,"foody". She's an amazing cook, and although not professionally trained has made some of the best food I have ever tasted in my life. She has the ability to taste something and tell you every ingredient, spice and nuance to the food. Besides the Food & Wine festival, I made us a reservation at the Brown Derby in hopes of her having a decent meal and being able to recreate the Grapefruit cake at home. She can do that.

She totally recreated Maggiano's gnocchi dish from scratch and makes it for me on my birthday!

[TXYankee]

I'll be dining at Brown Derby on October 9th. I'm really hoping it's at least fairly good because I made the reservation especially for my sister in law who is a ,"foody". She's an amazing cook, and although not professionally trained has made some of the best food I have ever tasted in my life. She has the ability to taste something and tell you every ingredient, spice and nuance to the food. Besides the Food & Wine festival, I made us a reservation at the Brown Derby in hopes of her having a decent meal and being able to recreate the Grapefruit cake at home. She can do that.

She totally recreated Maggiano's gnocchi dish from scratch and makes it for me on my birthday!

Please let her know that if she needs a taste tester, I am available!

[ADP]

There's been a drop in food quality at WDW. Whether it's because of healthier dining options is debatable. I sort of think Disney is taking advantage of the healthier dining initiative to save money.

My biggest complaint about dining right now is the cost and quality of quick service meals. That is where I've seen the biggest drop in Disney Dining. The other areas have dropped as well, but CS dining has become laughable. For a family of 3 (2 adults, 1 child) to eat at a typical CS location it costs $30 or more. You wouldn't mind paying it if the food was good. Even healthy food should taste better than what they serve. When we first visited WDW in 1993 the cost for a family of 3 was around $18, and the food was much better with more choices.

I know the dining plan was created for families to prepay for their meals and even save a little money, but we've found (and many others) that we wouldn't normally eat that much food on our vacation. So, in essence we are spending more for food with the dining plan than without the plan. Don't get me wrong, the plan works for some families, but from what I've seen, heard and read over the years it's an over-indulgence. You're better off with the Tables in Wonderland card; especially with next years DDP price increases and seasonal price hikes.

[dizzy203]

I agree with ADP about the drop in food quality. The cs is getting so expensive and hasn't been that good lately.
I'm sure the dining plan is great for some families but not for us. I did the DDP once during free dining and we didn't want to waste the credits so we had lunch everyday and reservations every night. I never eat that much at home. I wouldn't pay for the DDP because for my family it's not worth it. I never spend the amount it cost per day and we like eating a couple times off property. If sounds like we'll be eating off property more if the food is getting worse.
I'd also like to have an option white or wheat. How much extra work could that be to offer a choice?
Have they already changed the hot dogs? My brother in-law loved the hot dogs but last year he said they tasted different but we just thought it was the bun.

Jackie

[Live2Plan]

Wow, I sure do hope that the food hasn't changed too much since our trip in August 2008! We have plans for FD in December and to be honest the food is a big part of our trip!:rotfl: Anytime I can go on vacation and enjoy wonderful meals that I didn't have to create I'm happy!:banana:

[MaryKatesMom]

I agree the quality and quantity have gone downhill. I love the mushroom rissoto at Le Cellier but I swear last year I got only a few forkful's and the filet shrunk!

I tried the "wheat" bun at Casey's and I'm sorry but it was so dry we nicknamed it the "sawdust" bun. We eat wheat at home and it was nice on vacation to indulge in my childhood memories of a white squishy bun. The wheat hot dog roll's at home are much, much better. Just being wheat isn't an excuse.

Although I don't mind the DDP overall I think it is so much free dining that has caused a decrease in the food overall.

[look1angel]

Well, I don't know, but I just read an article that Disney is no longer going to be using all beef hotdogs!!!!! :scared1:
They are switching to a beef/chicken mix hotdog at all food service locations in WDW.

First they switch to wheat buns, now they are changing the hotdogs. Might as well close Casey's up and put in another generic giftshop. :mad:

OH YUK!!! :eek: I HATE the taste of beef/chicken hotdogs. How could they? :confused: I only buy Nathan's or Hebrew National myself. So disappointed :sad1:

[Joshua_me]

As for the wheat buns, they switched I think a year ago. I know some people prefer wheat buns, I just don't care for them, I wish they would give you a choice. White or Wheat?

I know ! Those awful 'multi-grain' buns are *everywhere*. From the parks, to the hotels, even in room service... :mad:

We're on vacation ! We want our squishy, white buns back !!!

Quit stepping on our happy buzz ! ;)

[DisneyKevin]

I agree the quality and quantity have gone downhill. I love the mushroom rissoto at Le Cellier but I swear last year I got only a few forkful's and the filet shrunk!

We noticed this Christmas Eve 2007.

I've already told this story but.....I'll tell it again.

The menu listed my favorite appetizer....the tomoato stack.

It was described as a stack of beefsteak tomatoes and buffalo mozzerella.

It turned out to be a slice of tomato and two little mozzerella balls.

We have not been back to Le Cellier since that night.

[Paul in CT]

We noticed this Christmas Eve 2007.

I've already told this story but.....I'll tell it again.

The menu listed my favorite appetizer....the tomoato stack.

It was described as a stack of beefsteak tomatoes and buffalo mozzerella.

It turned out to be a slice of tomato and two little mozzerella balls.

We have not been back to Le Cellier since that night.

I remember that review quite well! What a disappointment! My DW used to like that appy.

Regarding the resotto, the last time I had the mushroom resotto the portion was adequate, but was overcooked and mushy. :(

Hope springs eternal, however. We have a lunch ADR at Le Cellier for our upcoming visit in October. :)

[NWOhioAngela]

Here's a (poor quality) photo of the tomato stack from last week. It was good.

http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx131/vacayphotos/IMG_0175.jpg

[jcb]

I wonder if it's all in the timing? I was at The Brown derby in Oct 2007 & had the BEST Cobb Salad ever! Went back with my husband in Dec 2008 & it was a huge disappointment! Going to give it one more try in Nov & see what happens.

. . .

Heard Boma was suppose to be good so we'll be trying that one out in Nov too.

I had the same experience with the Cobb Salad at Brown Derby. Boma, however, has been consistently wonderful the several times we've eaten there.

[irunnoft]

We've been to WDW this past June, July and for my birthday last weekend. I noticed some definite drops in food quality at certain locations.

First, I think the portions and food have both changed for kid's meals. In December, we ate at Mama Melrose's and had a very enjoyable meal. It wasn't outstanding, but it was good. Good enough that I booked it again in June. At that time, my son ordered the cheese pizza from the kid's menu. The portion was large and the pizza looked similar to something you'd get a Pizza Planet. In June, my son's cheese pizza looked like the crust was made of motza and it was embarrassingly small. My food was also utter garbage.

However, the food at Brown Derby was just as excellent as we remembered it. In fact, the pork tenderloin at BD has become my favorite on property. I even prefer it to the California Grill's tenderloin. We ate at the BD again in July and it was still every bit as good.

The California Grill has remained an excellent dining experience. We ate there last Saturday and loved it. Simply amazing food.

We tried 50's PTC this past summer and we all liked it very well. It's not gourmet, but it was good. I know my wife didn't care for the gravy on the potatoes that came with the fried chicken, but everything else was good. I especially loved the PB&J milkshake. Sounds gross, but I tried it anyhow.

One of the surprises for us was Planet Hollywood. We'd never tried it, but we'd always get the $15 voucher in our information from WDW for our room booking. We decided to use it this June instead of throwing it away. We just went for lunch and had hamburgers, but they have the best burger I've had in WDW. They will actually cook the burger Medium Rare and most places won't. Most locations will only cook it to Medium or Medium Well. This was a true Medium Rare burger. . . the kind Pete would've given his left something or another for when he was in Australia!

This past weekend, we tried Fulton's Crab House and found Kevin's review to be spot on. It was a great dining experience. I had the "genius" selection for lunch - the fried platter (shrimp, scallops, fish) and it was excellent. We also ordered the portobello mushroom fries and loved those, too.

I agree with the comment that the filet and risotto at Le Celier have shrunken. Le Celier, IMHO, is coasting on its fame from earlier in its career. It's not worth the hassle to even attempt to eat there.

Jiko, like the CG, has also remained excellent. This past summer, we tried Boma and while the dining environment could best be described as a frenetic cacophany, we enjoyed the food. They really do need to do something about the check in for this restaurant. It's obnoxious when that small area from the podium to the doors exiting the resort towards the pool gets crowded.

Some places have been great. Some places have been horrible. However, I don't think you can ever paint anything with a broad, subjective brush.

[drakethib]

Some places have been great. Some places have been horrible. However, I don't think you can ever paint anything with a broad, subjective brush.

I don't know about painting everything with a broad, subject brush, but there sure is a lot of "paint" going on a lot of the Disney resturants.

This really is a shame as I really had been an advocate of Disney dining in the past. I was down in March of this year and it wasn't this bad.

[drakethib]

No. I've always expected the best from Disney.

Have you gone to Guest Services and told them about your issues? Are you going to write to Disney to tell them?

I have not Mike, but it is my intention to do so.

[drakethib]

Did you dine at any of the resorts? If so, how did you find the food there where it is even more expensive?

We did not do so as we were staying the the Tree House Villas.

With that being said we usually hit the Turf Club and find that it is pretty good.

We just didnt do so this trip.

[drakethib]

We noticed this Christmas Eve 2007.

I've already told this story but.....I'll tell it again.

The menu listed my favorite appetizer....the tomoato stack.

It was described as a stack of beefsteak tomatoes and buffalo mozzerella.

It turned out to be a slice of tomato and two little mozzerella balls.

We have not been back to Le Cellier since that night.

Kevin.

I was hoping you would chime in on this thread. You guys have been speaking in regards to the food for quite a while, but being kind of the hard headed person that I am, when I would disagree with some of your reviews I would think to myself "These guys live near WDW, and probably just get tired of the Disney Themed Resturants".

My wife, daughter, and cousin went try Bostons Lobster feast ( I think that is the name of the place) near Celberation and it was wonderfull. Didn't you guys say Bob used to like that place? If so I understand why, nothing fancy but alll you can eat lobster and snow crab !!!!

[DisneyKevin]

Hi Drake...

I have never been a fan of the Disney Dining Plan.

The DDP is designed to do one thing....keep you from leaving Disney property and eating at Olive Garden.

Disney wants guests to stay longer and spend more and by getting guests to pre-pay for meals, they are guaranteeing that you arent leaving property and spending your dining dollars elsewhere.

We had a couple of years where the DDP was pretty wide open and you could order anything on the menu. The DDP gained popularity because of that but the problem was that Disney guests were savvy and learned the loopholes. It was a common discussion to figure out how to get the most out of the DDP. Everyone should order the steak or lobster. Two guests should split one meal using only one credit etc etc etc

Trying to beat the DDP became such a common game that Disney decided change the rules. By "dumbing down" the menu and taking away the high end entrees, taking away the appetizer and taking out the gratuity....the DDP became much more profitable.

I often hear that the dining plan makes things easier. I dont see it.

I dont understand how anyone can enjoy a vacation where every meal was planned months in advance. I love going to NYC and there are some amazing restaurants. I might even make a reservation or three....but I cant imagine making a reservation for every night of my 7 night trip 90 or 180 days in advance and trying to keep to that schedule. There is no place I want to dine badly enough to do that.

I agree that the restaurants at Disney have taken a downturn. Prices have increased, selection has been lowered and menus have become more generic. Are there exceptions......absolutely. Can you still get a good or even great meal at Disney....again absolutely. I just think it's getting harder and harder to do.



As for Boston Lobster Feast.....Bob loved to eat and specifically seafood, but the placed Bob loved was Boston's Fish House on Aloma Avenue in Winter Park. They serve very fresh New England seafood in a "no frills" atmosphere. It's no chaep by any means....but in this case....you get what you pay for.

Hope that helps.

[hipchickie]

Kevin.
I was hoping you would chime in on this thread. You guys have been speaking in regards to the food for quite a while, but being kind of the hard headed person that I am, when I would disagree with some of your reviews I would think to myself "These guys live near WDW, and probably just get tired of the Disney Themed Resturants".

*hanging head in shame*
I took Kevin to task over that Le Cellier review...then I went again and he was totally.spot.on
I couldn't believe how much it had changed - it went from a place where I had one of the best meals of my life to a place I don't think I will go again. From the cheesy laminated menus to the sad state of the food. sigh.

I am worried this trip, we decided to go CS DDP and I am worried we are going to spend 10 days having awful food. Part of vacation to me is NOT driving, so we don't have a car to eat offsite.

[OKW Lover]

I don't think I'd make a blanket statement that the food is worse at all the WDW restaurants. We've been going for years (20+) and there is an ebb and flow at each individual restaurant. For example, when WCC opened in the early 90's it was a great place to eat because of the food. Now its food isn't that special, but people love it for the antics.

Yeah, only one example here - there are many more - but the point is that you have to gauge each place individually and recognize that some will be on their way up, some on their way down. If you happen to hit the ones on their way down then I can see how you would come to the conclusion that the food is getting worse. If you happen to hit the ones on their way up, you'd say its getting better.

[drakethib]

I don't think I'd make a blanket statement that the food is worse at all the WDW restaurants. We've been going for years (20+) and there is an ebb and flow at each individual restaurant. For example, when WCC opened in the early 90's it was a great place to eat because of the food. Now its food isn't that special, but people love it for the antics.

Yeah, only one example here - there are many more - but the point is that you have to gauge each place individually and recognize that some will be on their way up, some on their way down. If you happen to hit the ones on their way down then I can see how you would come to the conclusion that the food is getting worse. If you happen to hit the ones on their way up, you'd say its getting better.

Valid Point, but what I am getting at, out off all the dining that we did on our last trip, we really did not come across anything that made us go "Wow that was good"! That is kind of heatbreaking for us.

We consider dining a very big part of our trip. I know there are some out there who get down to the parks 5 - 10 times a year. On average we go down 2 - 3 a year and have been doing so for about the last 9 years or so.

There may be some good resturants at WDW, I am not saying that there aren't, but of the places that we ate on our last trip and we ate at a bunch, even with the understanding that we are paying theme park prices, the food seems to be getting worse.

JMHO

YMMV

[Fairiebee]

Well....I hate to hear that, but I take it with a grain of salt, because I am sure your theory has something to do with that [free dining] and that is a bummer when you're DVC members and paying. However, even Disney has bad days, [they'll never admit it] but it's true. You can't maintain 24/7 365 day perfection. A CM is going to have a bad day or the food is off...overall I think the quality is phenomenal, considering the volume of service they provide on any given day. :confused3

[drakethib]

because I am sure your theory has something to do with that [free dining] and that is a bummer when you're DVC members and paying.


You could not be more wrong in regards to the theory.

As I have said before and I believe a couple of others have said the same, I have no issue for paying for good quality food. I do it while I am at home, I have no problem doing it on vacation.

Again, some may find the food was great for the time period that we were there and maybe my families taste buds were out of whack that week. I don't know.

But when one the Rainforest Cafe was one of our best tasting meals in 7 days of dining, I think there is an issue.

Again. JMHO. YMMV

[BriarRosie]

I don't think I'd make a blanket statement that the food is worse at all the WDW restaurants. We've been going for years (20+) and there is an ebb and flow at each individual restaurant. For example, when WCC opened in the early 90's it was a great place to eat because of the food. Now its food isn't that special, but people love it for the antics.

Yeah, only one example here - there are many more - but the point is that you have to gauge each place individually and recognize that some will be on their way up, some on their way down. If you happen to hit the ones on their way down then I can see how you would come to the conclusion that the food is getting worse. If you happen to hit the ones on their way up, you'd say its getting better.

I wanted to chime in to add to the "on their way up" comments. But for me, I'm referring to the executive chefs themselves.

Back when Le Cellier was in its prime, the chef in charge was Brian Piasecki. He left Le Cellier to run Jiko after Annette Gray left Disney. And most recently in the spring, Brian left Jiko and became the executive chef at California Grill after Jens Dahlmann left to be the executive chef for Epcot food and beverage.

Again, Jens started at Flying Fish, moving to California Grill, on to Epcot now. Hopefully he can foster some change there. But as you see, some of the star chefs can impact the restaurants, too.

[Beckypooh1972]

We have had similar disappointing dining experiences at Disney. IMO, the counter service restaurants tend to offer too few choices while the T.S. meals are overpriced and poor quality (at times) compared to the quality you can get off property. That said, Disney does a decent job considering how many people they feed and let's face it, we're a captive audience. The DDP works great in terms of convenience but I know I can get better meals (value-wise) off property. We've never used the DDP unless it was free; the food options would have to improve for us to consider paying for the DDP. Also, we have small children so the T.S. dining experiences are sometimes a hassle if service is slow and the kids get antsy or we can't find something they'll eat on the kid menus. (Really miss the chicken strips!)

[snocrossmechanic]

I have never used the dining plan and I don't think I will. We have two little kids and they get hungry at off times and varied times.

I am quite bothered every time you sit down at a disney restaurant and are asked, " are you on the dining plan" as the first question. Can't we just assume everyone would like something to drink, dining plan or not? Maybe ease into the question when we start to order rather than present it as the first question. I feel that we are given different levels of service based on that answer. Also, I would not like to be told what specific items I can eat based on a "plan". I would like access to the entire menu and I choose the Tables of Wonderland as such.

I concur that the food has gone downhill in the last few years. We now eat two meals away from the parks and do our best to pick a simple lunch in the parks. My kids can live on Mickey bars if needed :)

[lindsey clare]

Maybe they should start adding beets?
It would hide the taste of the "meat".
:lmao:

i'm not sure if anyone else has pointed this out yet, but the beets on our burgers are not raw! they usually use canned beetroot which is pre-cooked and sliced. and it is yummy ;)

[gbrchill]

We came back from WDW on the free CS DP at the beginning of the month. We found the range of food available on the CS dining plan a real problem. We were staying at PO FQ but the food court there and at POR didn't seem to have the same level of choice that they did have when we last visited two years ago. We enjoyed eating at CS in the Pepper Market, but there wasn't a great deal of choice there either (imagine being there for any length of time). There appeared to be lots of rubbish food but not much good food (lots of fried food [or chicken/ribs] but not much in the way of vegetables). We also thought that the quality was worse than last time.

Our favourite place to eat was Wolfgang Puck Express. The food was consistently good, from a broad menu, although there's only so many times that you want to eat creme brulee.

The free CS dining plan saved us money, but there's no way that I'd spend money on it or the TS one. I'd rather spend my dining dollars eating decent meals off site.

The best meal we has was also the cheapest one (at Manny's Chop House in Haines City).

[rosiep]

I've been to Disney every year for the past 6 years and there is a noticable decline in the quality and variety of foods being offered. I make it a point to go out of my way to make my meal experiences diverse but I am finding a lot of the food disappointing to say the least. The Asian foods are grocery deli quality, The Italian restaurants all offer the same dishes, and the hamburgers have begun to taste like cardboard!

So what's the answer? Is letter writing effective? Do our opinions matter more than cost cutting?

I don't know...but I do know that if we don't speak up Disney will assume that the changes are not being noticed and the quality will continue to decline.

[Joshua_me]

I am quite bothered every time you sit down at a disney restaurant and are asked, " are you on the dining plan" as the first question. Can't we just assume everyone would like something to drink, dining plan or not? Maybe ease into the question when we start to order rather than present it as the first question.

This bothers us as well.

It's as if the server is saying, "I need to know if I have to pretend to be nice to you or not..."

That's not *always* the case, of course, but I've seen too many smiles on server's faces when we tell them we are NOT on the dining plan to think otherwise.

The restaurants at The Swan and Dolphin get more and more appealing on every trip. "The Fountain" at The Dolphin is where we eat most of our meals these days, and we leave feeling happy and full.

[Jennygt]

This bothers us as well.

It's as if the server is saying, "I need to know if I have to pretend to be nice to you or not..."

That's not *always* the case, of course, but I've seen too many smiles on server's faces when we tell them we are NOT on the dining plan to think otherwise.

The restaurants at The Swan and Dolphin get more and more appealing on every trip. "The Fountain" at The Dolphin is where we eat most of our meals these days, and we leave feeling happy and full.

I agree, we just came back and the food was not as good and the ddp is now a pain, just try to get out at the end of a meal with 4 adults who are in 2 different rooms and all on the plan, we walked out with 6 reciepts, most of the wait staff can not explain things and it makes for long delays getting oiut and I am sure later adrs for others, I also felt very rushed, Cali grille was the exception and Chefs was better, Kona had no idea how to do the bill and it took my parents 45 min to get out with only needing to pay for one kids meal and tip. I am done with ddp after this trip and I was a fan in the past. What is the cost of talbles in wonderland? Where can i get it? How long does it last?

[teskak]

:lmao:

i'm not sure if anyone else has pointed this out yet, but the beets on our burgers are not raw! they usually use canned beetroot which is pre-cooked and sliced. and it is yummy ;)

Hooray - an Aussie to stick up for us! If you no want beetroot - do not ask for an Aussie burger

[Kimberle]

The food and service has become much, much more generic and "assembly line". There is an old saying "be careful what you wish for, you just may get it". Well, WDW "wished" for more people to eat more food on property, and they got it. Many times they are not capable of handling the volumn. The dining was the worst I've ever seen it during our August trip. Because of "free dining", more people were eating more food than they normally do. The counter service lines were ridiculously long. I waited over 20 minutes to get lunch at TL. When I left, the line was more than double. I felt bad for the staff as they were working hard, guest were getting short tempered. They were just not equipt to handle such a volumn.

I hate "free dining". You have to pay full price for a room. You get way to much food. When not on the dining plan, how many people really order dessert with each counter service meal? The dining plan itself is poorly designed. My 10 yo was served giant portions of adult meals that mainly went into the trash. What a waste. Many times we'd eat when we really weren't hungry because we had to follow the "schedule". You couldn't make last minute changes to your TS meals because everything was booked. We'd walk into a park and see signs that all TS locations were full, and please try xyz counter services locations.

I do think "free dining" will be around for a long time. It's gotto be a big money maker for WDW. Guests seem to "love" it.:confused3

[kaligal]

It's not you, OP. Selection and quality have been declining steadily ever since they started the dining plans.

[kbelle8995]

The food has become monotonous. The Cheeseburger, pasta dish and cucumber melon salad are everywhere. The individuality of the restaurants has disappeared. I find myself looking for restaurants off property more and more

I've always placed this problem on the dining plan. I just don't see the dining plan as being a bargain.:sad2:

[lugnut33]

My experience with CS meals in the parks (had about 4 while we were there) was less than pleasurable. The food quality was low and prices high.

All other meals we ate either in our villa (DVC, you can do that) or off-site. We had some really good meals off-site, especially Sweet Tomatoes. Loved that place and it was about $11 per person for a huge delicious salad, soup, potato, and desert buffet.

[TDC Nala]

I don't post here normally but this is the only board my computer will actually open for some reason and I need to use up my lunch break.

When the servers ask first thing if you are on the dining plan, they don't do it so they can decide whether or not to hate you - they do it because dining plan checks are different from non-dining-plan checks and they have to know what kind of check to ring up. If you have people at one table like the last time I went to Artist Point - 2 on the dining plan, 2 not on the dining plan, non-plan people using TIW, plan people using TIW for a bottle of wine - guess what, the server got everything mixed up and split all the checks incorrectly and it took forever to get out of there because there wasn't any easy way to fix the checks - they had to get manager overrides and ring everything up over again. No wonder they're relieved if they get a table that isn't using the dining plan and just wants a regular old check. I loved the food at Artist Point but I am not really interested in going back for awhile after the service issues.

I do NOT like the dining plan. I can't imagine using it for a long trip. Actually I would now have a difficult time using it for ANY trip. I like spontenaity, and the really good restaurants at WDW don't take it. Some are forgetting the other variable about Disney keeping people onsite - Magical Express. If you don't want to rent a car (or pay for a cab) you lose the option of eating offsite, and a lot of guests (like me) are not going to rent a car to eat offsite when we can get our transportation at no extra cost. We just have to know where to go to eat - and now, if you want consistently good stuff you almost always have to pick a restaurant that won't take the dining plan.

Read the restaurant board sometime - just today we had a post from a guest who loves the California Grill, just got back, and said the sushi was "awful." Agreed upon by the poster, her husband, and the people at the next table. Went back on another night, got entrees, didn't like those either. I was there September 1 and found the sushi as excellent as I've always thought it was. So a month ago it was excellent and now it's awful? Are these the same restaurants? That happens a lot on the dining board.

The CS restaurants aren't awful but they're not all that great either. I was especially disappointed in Wolfgang Puck Express (August 30) which was serving soggy pizza with dry chicken pieces on it. And most everyone else seems to love Wolfgang Puck Express (so did I when I bought pizza there a couple years ago).

[DisneyKevin]

I don't post here normally but this is the only board my computer will actually open for some reason and I need to use up my lunch break.


Welcome....even if we are your default choice.

[TDC Nala]

Thanks...I'll wander back to my own board when it works... was trying to see if anyone else was getting "awful" sushi at CG.

[wishspirit]

My experience with CS meals in the parks (had about 4 while we were there) was less than pleasurable. The food quality was low and prices high.

All other meals we ate either in our villa (DVC, you can do that) or off-site. We had some really good meals off-site, especially Sweet Tomatoes. Loved that place and it was about $11 per person for a huge delicious salad, soup, potato, and desert buffet.

We loved Sweet Tomatoes too. We walked (yes walked John, I told you we'd do it! :goodvibes ) from Downtown Disney one night, which was only about a 20 minute walk. Although Goodings was terrible (most of the food there was cheaper at Disney! :scared1:), Sweet Tomatoes was great for a bit of fruit and veg!

[dgackey]

It would be interesting to overlay overall satisfaction with dining with attendance numbers and whether "free dining" was an active promotion or not.

Based on the fact that many posters report a wild inconsistency in food quality from trip to trip or even during the same trip, it seems only reasonable to assume that patron volume is really hurting the overall quality of the dining experience.

I haven't been to WDW in a decade, but am planning a trip in May (including taking both my young kids who have never been) and have been considering the DDP as a cost-saving measure, but some of the comments in this thread have given me pause.

I certainly don't want to be driving all over Orlando for dinner. Staying on-site carries a premium and part of that is knowing we don't have to do that. I can even deal with the 6-months-early reservations (I'm a planner) but I'm a little dumbfounded by the idea that after all of that, the food just wouldn't be good.

I don't expect gourmet (all the time), but I do expect better than average.

[BriarRosie]

Thanks...I'll wander back to my own board when it works... was trying to see if anyone else was getting "awful" sushi at CG.

Heh. I was surprised to see you posting here, Catherine. But I think you brought up some good points that I agreed with about the servers asking you if you're on the DDP. I always thought they did that because they might need to explain to first-timers how the plan worked for table service meals. They wouldn't know if this is your first meal using the DDP or your tenth. I didn't know they would need to know before ringing up the check, but that makes sense.

And I saw that post on the dining boards about the "awful" sushi. It's funny, but I bet we could take a popular menu item from any of the restaurants, then ask anyone to give an opinion of that item. I'd be willing to bet that you'd see a pretty even split for "loved it", "hated it" and "it was just ok" for the poll results.

[lindsey clare]

We had some really good meals off-site, especially Sweet Tomatoes. Loved that place and it was about $11 per person for a huge delicious salad, soup, potato, and desert buffet.
a little OT but i just googled their menu and it looks great! definitely adding it to my list of off-site places to visit. :thumbsup2

[lugnut33]

a little OT but i just googled their menu and it looks great! definitely adding it to my list of off-site places to visit. :thumbsup2

Be sure to sign up for their mailing list as they will send you great offers like 2 for the price of one and 40% off.

[lugnut33]

It would be interesting to overlay overall satisfaction with dining with attendance numbers and whether "free dining" was an active promotion or not.

Based on the fact that many posters report a wild inconsistency in food quality from trip to trip or even during the same trip, it seems only reasonable to assume that patron volume is really hurting the overall quality of the dining experience.

I haven't been to WDW in a decade, but am planning a trip in May (including taking both my young kids who have never been) and have been considering the DDP as a cost-saving measure, but some of the comments in this thread have given me pause.

I certainly don't want to be driving all over Orlando for dinner. Staying on-site carries a premium and part of that is knowing we don't have to do that. I can even deal with the 6-months-early reservations (I'm a planner) but I'm a little dumbfounded by the idea that after all of that, the food just wouldn't be good.

I don't expect gourmet (all the time), but I do expect better than average.


Your idea of "better than average" is probably different than mine or anybody elses.

If this is your first time back in a long time you probably won't be disappointed with the dining plan (I do NOT recommend the quick service plan unless you're a cheeseburger junkie) because you don't have anything to base your opinion off of. The food is good, it's just not exceptional considering the price being paid (even on the plan).

Unless you plan on taking breaks from the parks eating off-site can be a pain, especially if you don't have a rental car. If you have a rental car and a GPS, finding good dining around WDW is really easy.

In August we ate all our breakfasts and dinners off-site (we are DVC so we had full kitchen) and had 3 our of 6 lunches in the parks. I know we ate well and saved a lot of money over the dining plan (remember, the savings that Disney advertises is dollars saved when compared to dining prices in the parks, not dining outside of Disney).

[BriarRosie]

If this is your first time back in a long time you probably won't be disappointed with the dining plan (I do NOT recommend the quick service plan unless you're a cheeseburger junkie) because you don't have anything to base your opinion off of. The food is good, it's just not exceptional considering the price being paid (even on the plan).


I don't like the Dining Plan because it doesn't fit around the way I like to eat at WDW. But I think if I wasn't going to eat at any table service restaurants, I bet I could appreciate the quick service plan. I've found lots of non-cheeseburger quick service meals around WDW.

For instance, I absolutely love the tuna sandwich at Columbia Harbor House. I'd use QS there. In Epcot, I'd either go to Tangierine Cafe or Sunshine Seasons. At the Studios, most of the food is "bleh" to me anyway, but the Backlot Express has alternatives to burgers. And at Animal Kingdom, I like Flame Tree BBQ. Then there's always Earl of Sandwich or Wolfgang Puck Express at Downtown Disney.

IMHO, I think there's plenty of variety out there that this dining plan wouldn't be that terrible. But I like the full service restaurants way too much to do this plan. ;)

[angelmav]

We had 'some' pretty good food recently both at CS and TS (I need to get around to posting a TR and a DR) the problem is that some things are getting to be an absolute rip off and some things are just not that good. It's one thing to be dissapointed in an offering, its another when it is way overpriced.

It was curious because I kept wondering who it is that Disney is after? There pricing themselves like the one day six flag parks while trying to keep everyone for longer stays. When we look at staying onsite for a holiday trip it's no better, as the DDP with the upcharge is rediculously high. I really fail to grasp what there strategy is and felt more than a little dissapointed on several occasions, sometimes with the quality, sometimes with the price and sometimes with both. I dont see paying nearly $50 a day for a seasonaly upcharged DDP as the solution either.

[Joshua_me]

We loved Sweet Tomatoes too. We walked from Downtown Disney one night, which was only about a 20 minute walk.

:scared1:

You can walk to Sweet Tomatoes ???

Hmm...

[lindsey clare]

Be sure to sign up for their mailing list as they will send you great offers like 2 for the price of one and 40% off.
great tip, thanks!

[wishspirit]

:scared1:

You can walk to Sweet Tomatoes ???

Hmm...

Indeed you can, there are pedestrian walk ways from Downtown Disney to Crossroads, it really wasn't hard. Although I'd recommend waiting until its out of the heat of the day, we didn't leave DTD 'till 7pm.

Sweet Tomatos is on the left hand side section, quite near the end (nearer TGI Fridays), we did also pop into Goodings, but it was a HUGE waste of time. I won't be going there again, I can tell ya!

[Joshua_me]

Indeed you can, there are pedestrian walk ways from Downtown Disney to Crossroads,


Wow. I'm amazed I never knew this... Thanks for the tip.

And yes, Goodings is an over-priced nightmare. ;)

[ADP]

Indeed you can, there are pedestrian walk ways from Downtown Disney to Crossroads, it really wasn't hard. Although I'd recommend waiting until its out of the heat of the day, we didn't leave DTD 'till 7pm.

Sweet Tomatos is on the left hand side section, quite near the end (nearer TGI Fridays), we did also pop into Goodings, but it was a HUGE waste of time. I won't be going there again, I can tell ya!
Not to go off topic here, but there used to be a day when Goodlings was a decent supermarket....Back in the mid 90s. But, my oh my has it gone downhill. It now reminds me of a huge, overpriced gas station convenient store.

Back on topic....I can't wait to try Sweet Tomatos. It sounds like it might be right up my alley. Hope to give it a try in December.

[safetymom]

Not to go off topic here, but there used to be a day when Goodlings was a decent supermarket....Back in the mid 90s. But, my oh my has it gone downhill. It now reminds me of a huge, overpriced gas station convenient store.

Back on topic....I can't wait to try Sweet Tomatos. It sounds like it might be right my alley. Hope to give it a try in December.


I agree there was a day when Goodings was a great place to shop. Overpriced but they had some specialty items we like to splurge on. I wouldn't step foot in there now. Dirty and dingy.

Crossing the street to get over to the shopping center on foot is not for the faint of heart. That is a very busy road.