Does anyone avoid Buffets?

[Three cats]

Yes indeed, we avoid them at all costs.


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[cajunprincess]

I don't entirely avoid buffets, but I limit them at Disney to one breakfast buffet per trip.

I do not do buffets when at home at all, so I think I do well do try one at WDW. Typically, to me, there is a lot of sanitation issues from not only kids but adults that I have a problem with. This is anywhere, not just Disney. So instead of getting all upset & grossed out about it, I avoid them. If I were going to WDW during flu season, I may would avoid even doing buffets all together. I know there are germs everywhere at Disney, but it just seems more risky when you are putting food into your mouth that someone else could have "messed" with if you will.

On another note, the germ aspect isn't the only reason I'm not a buffet fan, the food doesn't seem as good to me as ordering something off a menu. And I eat more than I would normally and don't enjoy it as much. So these two things probably help factor into not doing buffets.

[DisneyLvr55]

We don't do buffets at home, but when in Disney, for us, they are a must. Lots of the character meals are buffet, and with kids, ya gotta do character meals!
I have the hand sanatizer on my belt loop, so we always use it right before we eat, and if you want to go really crazy, just use a sani wipe when holding the buffet spoons. Not only are you saving yourself, but your helping the next person as well.

[Scottiesmommy08]

I despise buffets! My husband loves Golden Corral so we eat there maybe every two months. I just find it gross. And If I go to a restaurant I feel like half the price I am paying is to get served my food. If I'm going out, I don't want to make several trips to refill myself and kids like I would at home. I don't think that's going "out." But, like I said.. I will eat there and we do have ADRs for two buffets on our next trip. I guess because of our budget we don't eat out frequently and I feel like it should be more of a different experience. Or I could just be weird.

[Lucille1963]

We avoid them for the most part. Biergarten is the exception figuring that a couple litres of beer will kill the bacteria

I've experienced too many food items in the temperature "Danger Zone", which is between 40-140 degrees.

I'm far from a germaphobe, but buffets have huge red flags for me.

[PrincessMe]

Originally Posted by DisneyLvr55

I have the hand sanatizer on my belt loop, so we always use it right before we eat, and if you want to go really crazy, just use a sani wipe when holding the buffet spoons. Not only are you saving yourself, but your helping the next person as well.

Unless you would lick the sani wipe, please reconsider using it on the buffet spoons! The idea of those extra chemicals making it into my dinner is just icky!

We generally avoid buffets since I'm not a huge eater, but we love dinner at Boma! I don't worry that much about the germs. They are already everywhere. I don't think a few serving utensils will make that much of a difference.

[LilyWDW]

Originally Posted by DisneyLvr55

We don't do buffets at home, but when in Disney, for us, they are a must. Lots of the character meals are buffet, and with kids, ya gotta do character meals!
I have the hand sanatizer on my belt loop, so we always use it right before we eat, and if you want to go really crazy, just use a sani wipe when holding the buffet spoons. Not only are you saving yourself, but your helping the next person as well.

Please do NOT do this. I don't want those chemicals right there in the food. You also do not know if the person after you may be allergic to. It is just not cool to use chemicals like that on items that are not yours and will be used by others.

[Patrickprincess]

Originally Posted by LilyWDW

Please do NOT do this. I don't want those chemicals right there in the food. You also do not know if the person after you may be allergic to. It is just not cool to use chemicals like that on items that are not yours and will be used by others.

I can take em or leave em. My parents took me to a lot of buffets some good some bad. That beening said i take my wipes and before i eat i wipe my hands with them. Any one who has been on a disney cruise they give you a wipe before you enter any resturant.

[wdw&sonny]

All you can eat buffets don't make you sick, they just make you fat.

We avoid them, but not because of the germs, more because the idea of "all you can eat' doesn't appeal to us. We like Boma because of the "all you care to experience" idea.

In fact, we are more of a probiotic family than antibiotic...too many people are quick to avoid all instances of being exposed to natural bacteria and quick to grab the sani wipes, antibacterial soaps and bleach all of which has lead us to the highly resistant strains of bacteria. Eat more yougurt and dirt and read Patient Heal Thyself by Jordan Rubin...but I digress.

[mana'olana]

Well said wdw & sonny! We eat the buffets and TS. Being in a public place all day, it is hard to say what makes a person sick. Trust me, I get food poisoning very easy, thanks to a very bad experience where I ended up in the hospital, I am now extremely susceptible. I have never gotten it at Disney in all the times I have went. Many buffets, TS, carts....hopefully I am not jinxing myself ;-)

[MinniesYooHoo]

Nope. Not at all. We certainly don't eat exclusively buffet (maybe two per trip), but after 30+ trips nobody in our parties have ever gotten sick in any way. I agree with PP, a bug could've been picked up anywhere in the park. There's no way to tell. However, I'm so sorry your daughter got sick at The Happiest Place on Earth. Hopefully it didn't last long.

[budafam]

We love buffets. Been there 4 times now and only had 1 kid get sick on one trip. It wasn't awful sick either... just a fever that came and went a few times. I wouldn't avoid buffets forever because of it. There's much too goodness offered at them!

[disnut8]

Originally Posted by elaine amj

Germs are everywhere. I refuse to let it control my life.

Same here. And guess what? I haven't had a cold or the flu or any other virus or bacteria illness in well over 20 years.

The human body needs to build up immunities and if a person doesn't allow that then the first "bug" that comes along will just knock that person over.

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I'm not a big fan of buffets in my normal life and avoid them. I don't eat alot and don't feel like I eat enough to cover the costs.

In Disney I do like Boma and Crystal Palace. But I don't eat at them every trip. I have the same issue with the amount of food I eat vs. cost of buffet at Disney.

I also prefer to have my food brought to me. I hate having to get up and serve myself at the prices Disney charges. LOL

[bcrook]

We are officially finished with buffets. Mainly because of cost! $200.00+ for a family of four for dinner, that is simply too much. But we are grossed out by cleanliness too.

The only one I would go back to now would be boma for breakfast only. Go early, everything would still be clean. It is peaceful. Great coffee. Plus we stay at AKV a lot. That being said, in our last ten trips, I have only been there once.

Last year at the Wave, some of our party ordered off the menu to avoid the buffet, but the server got the food from buffet anyway!!! That was disturbing.

My dd just reminded me of our awful experience at the garden grove seafood buffet last year. That was probably the tipping point. We are done with them all.