Am I the only one?

[leebee]

Many moons ago, Disney used to do half-portions in many of their restaurants. You'd get about a half-sized serving for half-price plus $1. I realize that seems a bit simplistic now, but it was amazing for my daughter, who has a "discerning" palate. She'd never touch a nugget or french fry as a kid, but loved Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Thai, etc., food. If it was ethnic, she'd eat it.

I, too, am not excited about making ADRs, and for the first trip in over a decade, we do not have a TS meal reserved for each night of our trip. It's all just too much hassle now that they will charge a no-show fee. I have no idea as to what and where we are going to want to eat. At least in prior years, if we changed our minds we could cancel or change an ADR day-of. Not anymore, and I am not going to pay Disney $30 for us to NOT eat dinner (tonight we had 3 12" wood fired pizzas and 2 large beers for $37, including tax, for crying out loud). Between the prices and the lack of quality, I am just not going to take the chance!

I am also dismayed at the lack of imagination shown lately in Disney's restaurants. Another Italian restaurant is opening at the Boardwalk. What does this make- 7 Italian restaurants at WDW? (Tutto, Via, Mama M, Tony's, Il Mulino, Portabello, and the new one- we won't count Pizzafari). I heard lots of interesting ideas floated, but once again Disney chose the cheap way out- it's quick, cheap, easy to make pasta, frill it up, and charge a bundle for it. Quality and service seem to be lowered everywhere, if reports are to be believed. It seems that unless you are going to shell out mega-bucks for a signature restaurant (and then not always even there), you are going to have a lackluster meal.

 

[kymom99]

We rarely eat out so on vacation, even CS can be a treat. We can do one or two TS meals and be perfectly happy, but we would also be happy doing none. The first couple of times we went to WDW, the restaurants were new and interesting. Now it's kind of been there, done that. The menus are so limited, it is a joke. They have hyped up their restaurants and the dining plan to keep people from leaving property. On our first trip, we walked up to guest services at Epcot and got a reservation for Le Cellier for the same evening. And that was in JUNE! Was it fabulous? No, but it was okay and the prices weren't too bad. Now everyone thinks the HAVE to eat there or their vacation won't be complete and the prices are outrageous. Some of us who have been going for a while are bound to start looking for more value in our dining, but new guests will take our place. That is what they are counting on.

 

[3PrinceMom]

Thanks everyone! Glad to see that I'm not alone. This is not just a cost issue for me. It seems that even our favorite places are just not good anymore. My kids eat small meals and I will not pay for a buffet for them to eat half a plate of food for $20 or more each. There is no value in any type of buffet and they have really outgrown the character dining.

The idea of most meals in the room for 2 weeks is something we have not tried before. Our park touring has changed over the years and we prefer to do night time EMH. In the August heat, the kids prefer to be poolside all day. I also do not like to carry anything in the parks, so I will not be brining in food with me. We will eat the occasional CS and I might add a TS or two when there, but I am not making any ADR's prior to.

The Landry's owned restaurants on site have better kids meal choices over the Disney owned ones. Still nothing to write home about, but I can justify a meal there and need to use my birthday reward anyways, lol.

I've been watching multiple sites for meal ideas off site. We will have a car, so no big deal to leave Disney to eat. We do Disney multiple times a year and it's not an issue for us to have less park time. It seems we are spending less and less time in the parks each trip and I am rethinking the AP for next year, but that's another topic.

I love the suggestion of a site for ideas for alternate eating when at Disney. Going to have to research that one. I just can't get excited to make ADR's anymore like I have in the past.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Thanks everyone! Glad to see that I'm not alone. This is not just a cost issue for me. It seems that even our favorite places are just not good anymore. My kids eat small meals and I will not pay for a buffet for them to eat half a plate of food for $20 or more each. There is no value in any type of buffet and they have really outgrown the character dining.

The idea of most meals in the room for 2 weeks is something we have not tried before. Our park touring has changed over the years and we prefer to do night time EMH. In the August heat, the kids prefer to be poolside all day. I also do not like to carry anything in the parks, so I will not be brining in food with me. We will eat the occasional CS and I might add a TS or two when there, but I am not making any ADR's prior to.

The Landry's owned restaurants on site have better kids meal choices over the Disney owned ones. Still nothing to write home about, but I can justify a meal there and need to use my birthday reward anyways, lol.

I've been watching multiple sites for meal ideas off site. We will have a car, so no big deal to leave Disney to eat. We do Disney multiple times a year and it's not an issue for us to have less park time. It seems we are spending less and less time in the parks each trip and I am rethinking the AP for next year, but that's another topic.

I love the suggestion of a site for ideas for alternate eating when at Disney. Going to have to research that one. I just can't get excited to make ADR's anymore like I have in the past.

We refuse to carry food in too and have found that we're spending less full days in the parks as well. We usually have a good breakfast, spend a few hours in the park, back to the condo/townhouse to swim, relax and have lunch and then we head back to the parks in the evening. We usually have CS in the parks for dinner, but we don't decide where until we're hungry. We have eaten at most TS/CS restaurants so it's pretty easy to narrow down depending on where we are. We don't have to stress about missing an ADR if we're stuck in a line or having too much fun to stop and head over to dinner.

 

[eeyoresmom]

The selection of kids meals and sizes really should be addressed.....I don't even have kids anymore but I shake my head at almost every QS place. The portions are really small, I'd say toddler sized at most places (not all). I love Disney but can't they figure out a way to serve more than 2-3 selections at QS? I do agree that there was a LOT of criticism when they began offering healthier kids meal options ( do a search of BOG when they first opened,) The only way to squash the criticism would be to offer a few traditional kid type foods (pizza, nuggets, etc.) and a few healthy options at each place....they also NEED to offer more than grapes, carrots, applesauce at almost every location. That gets really old after a few days. At $6-9 per kids meal, Disney can and SHOULD do better. I personally think they make the kids meals just unappetizing enough that most adults won't order them.

 

[maxiesmom]

This is why I don't do the Dining Plan! I don't want to limit my kids to this junk. They don't even like a constant stream of pizzanuggestburgers. Disney isn't feeding this to kids, the parents of the kids are.

Without the dining plan I am free to order off of the adult menu for my kids. Sometimes I will split my meals with one of them, or they each order their own and I'll share a bit from each. Sometimes we all 4 order our own meals and enjoy them. I spend so much at home on our whole, fresh, organic food, what's a few extra bucks at Disney?

If you check out the menus ahead of time, your kids don't have to eat only burgers, pizza, and nuggets. They can get salads, steak, grilled fish, meatloaf, pasta of all sorts, and many other things. If all you think Disney offers is pizzanuggetsburgers, then you haven't looked.

I've done meals in the room before, but no way would I do that for the majority of my meals. Dining out is part of vacation. I still get excited when it is time to book my ADRs, and I still end up with more of them than I had planned on.

 

[3PrinceMom]

If you check out the menus ahead of time, your kids don't have to eat only burgers, pizza, and nuggets. They can get salads, steak, grilled fish, meatloaf, pasta of all sorts, and many other things. If all you think Disney offers is pizzanuggetsburgers, then you haven't looked.

I've done meals in the room before, but no way would I do that for the majority of my meals. Dining out is part of vacation. I still get excited when it is time to book my ADRs, and I still end up with more of them than I had planned on.

Have you tried any of these offerings off of the kids menu? The grilled chicken and fish is bland and just not right. All of the pasta dishes are plain nasty. You can't even get a normal PB&J or turkey sandwich anymore. The PB&J is an Uncrustable and the turkey comes on that goldfish bread. Both are nasty. After trying the basics, I'd never make my kids try the child version of Disney meatloaf. There are a few restaurants that offer a steak selection for the kids, which is usually overcooked no matter how you order it.

My original post was about being disappointed in all of the Disney restaurants. Adult and kids. How many below par meals at over $100 each do I have to endure before I just quit? I don't go to Disney to eat. I don't go on vacation to cook either, but given the lackluster choices these days, I'm rethinking how I will do Disney.

I used to be the one at the 180 day mark to make my ADR's. Not anymore, stayed on property for two weeks in April of this year. Not one dining experience justified the cost. All of our family favorites just keep getting worse. After 3 bad experiences in the last year at 'Ohana, why should I give them more of my money? IMO, dining in Disney is hit or miss....and when the bad out weighs the good, it's time to look for another solution.

After the conversations I have had with my kids, they too would prefer eating differently. Will it work? I have no idea, but it does not hurt to try something different. We have never eaten off site before, so I am looking into favorite places of the people that live in the area.

 

[maxiesmom]

Have you tried any of these offerings off of the kids menu? The grilled chicken and fish is bland and just not right. All of the pasta dishes are plain nasty. You can't even get a normal PB&J or turkey sandwich anymore. The PB&J is an Uncrustable and the turkey comes on that goldfish bread. Both are nasty. After trying the basics, I'd never make my kids try the child version of Disney meatloaf. There are a few restaurants that offer a steak selection for the kids, which is usually overcooked no matter how you order it.

My family must eat at a totally different WDW than the one you visit. We have never had any complaints about the quality of food served off of the kids menus. I've had requests for certain restaurants because of how tasty their meals were. Grand Floridian Cafe, I'm looking at you! The grilled fish is not the same at every restaurant, nor is the steak.

My family isn't shy about sharing food, and we have never had one complaint about the kids meals.

 

[eliza61]

My family must eat at a totally different WDW than the one you visit. We have never had any complaints about the quality of food served off of the kids menus. I've had requests for certain restaurants because of how tasty their meals were. Grand Floridian Cafe, I'm looking at you! The grilled fish is not the same at every restaurant, nor is the steak.

My family isn't shy about sharing food, and we have never had one complaint about the kids meals.

really? I gotta go with previous poster. My son tried the pasta dishes on the kids menu and promptly spit it out. Have you tasted the marinara sauce they put on there. I tasted it and demanded my money back. That thing was flat out nasty. My dh and I use to joke that if we were Italian we'd start a petition to demand they change the name of the food from Italian. sort of like making the Washington redskins change their name.


After that I swore off the kids menu. I've eaten at GFC and their kids food is just as nasty. LOL my sons got the breakfast there and whew was it bad. Now they did get the eggs but seriously, scrambled eggs? any line cook should be able to handle that.

actually I was glad to find the dis on this topic, for the longest we use to think it was just us.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Disney dining has gone downhill for us since right around when the dining plans got popular. Now I just cook in the DVC unit...I don't bother to make dining reservations. DH sometimes takes the kids out for a counter service lunch. Whatever Disney is doing with the food must work to their favor because it just keeps going downhill IMHO and yet people keep making more and more dining reservations

 

[mistysue]

I always find it funny to read people blasting how bad the food is. We have had a few bad experiences, but overall like our food experiences at Disney. We tend to eat at the places that nobody wants to go and I've wondered before if the issue is that they aren't busy so they take time... about half of our TS meals we walk up and ask to sit while other places have been booked solid for months.
My kids are huge fans of the kid's meals- DD prefers the kid's meals to the adult. Her only complaint last trip was on one of the last couple days she suddenly realized she hadn't had any "junk" food type stuff- no pizza, nuggets, mac n' cheese, burgers, or fried anything.
If you don't like Disney food, then I'm sad that it can't be convenient and good for you. I would take a look at the menus again if you think the kid's meals are all crap.

I wonder if it would be worth getting enough "cold" foods for half of the trip and having one of those shopping sites replenish your stock mid-trip. We also go through a ton of bananas if we set them on a counter, they might be a good thing to have in the room. It's also helped us feel like our packed meals were more exciting if we used resort mugs to get fountain drinks, coffee or tea while we eat them.

 

[disney1990]

That is tired of the food options at Disney? The quality has gone down and the price has gone up. I remember there was a time that I was in love with planning ADR's....I'm so over it now. We leave in 2 weeks and have one ADR at DHS prior to the Villain party. Not even positive I'll keep that one.

I won't even start with the choices for kids. Have you tried any of that stuff? Most of it is plain gross. So...on with my rant and the reason for posting on the budget board.

Planning to make good use of that fridge in the room. Used to only use it to keep drinks cool. Let's face it, nothing really stays too cold in it. Might or might not buy a cooler for use while there. So... here are my thoughts. Fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge for a few day supply, along with 1/2 gallon of milk for cereal. Kids love toast and fruit anytime of the day. Loaf of bread for the toast. Some lunchmeat and sub buns for a lunch/dinner option with the toppings they like. PB&J is always an option. Salad too. Any other ideas?

Personally, I'd rather eat this way too. I'm so disappointed in the food from our last trip, I can't see spending all of that money again. Even Sanaa was bad. (It was great in Jan.)

I guess I like the meals to be memorable. Good food, great servers, I have nothing for a 2 week stay in April. It breaks my heart! Not sure if I will renew the AP's next year. So sad.

Totally agree. Therefore, we only make reservations for a couple of our favorite places over the course of the week we are usually there.

 

[MomToOne]

We've been going to Disney annually for 10+ years. I never did find the food great - here and there years ago I could find a decent meal, but it was hit and miss even then. And it's just gotten worse. And on those rare, rare occasions we come across a good meal these days, it's either so loud you can't carry on a conversation, or they rush you through - or both.

We manage to survive while eating at Disney, but it's not with meals we can say we enjoy - just that we tolerate.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I agree that (because we're vegan) we do get freshly-made meals, often things not on the menu. We also tend to travel during the less-busy times, so that helps. But honestly, we have had some great meals at WDW and really look forward to eating there.

On our February trip, we ate at Sanaa, California Grill, Tusker House (the chef made us some special dishes as well as showing us what we could have at the buffet), Be Our Guest and Rose and Crown. All our meals were really very good and we really enjoyed ourselves.

In terms of kid's meals, the only vegan option for kid's meals is usually the peanut-butter-and-jam sandwiches. So when my grandkids come too, we usually order adult meals and share them around. The dining plan really doesn't work for us.

TP

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Quote: Planning to make good use of that fridge in the room. Used to only use it to keep drinks cool. Let's face it, nothing really stays too cold in it. Might or might not buy a cooler for use while there. So... here are my thoughts. Fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge for a few day supply, along with 1/2 gallon of milk for cereal. Kids love toast and fruit anytime of the day. Loaf of bread for the toast. Some lunchmeat and sub buns for a lunch/dinner option with the toppings they like. PB&J is always an option. Salad too. Any other ideas?

I don't get this. You are complaining about the quality of the foods in the parks, and wanting to replace it with lunchmeat and sub buns? Bleh! That's your idea of a better quality meal?

Yes, fresh fruit and veggies and salad are always a good thing! You can also get those in the parks, though. I think eating more in the room is a good way to save money, but I have a hard time seeing how lunchmeat on a sub bun is a big improvement over (for example) the bread service at Sanaa or the layered Ratatouille at Be our Guest.

TP

 

[queenofthehive]

TP -in my opinion only - yes, it is.

 

[kirstenb1]

We're longtime DVC'rs. So we have a full kitchen.

I don't like or dislike WDW food. I'm just really indifferent. So I cook simple meals for dinner at our villa, or we go out somewhere in Orlando. For breakfast, we eat something simple in our villa. Lunch is counter service at WDW or Sea World parks. I look at it like this: time is money at WDW. I have 51 other weeks of the year to savor a meal. At WDW, I want to get in and out, and max out rides/attractions. So when we're in the parks, I want to grab food and go.

 

[pigletto]

Quote: Planning to make good use of that fridge in the room. Used to only use it to keep drinks cool. Let's face it, nothing really stays too cold in it. Might or might not buy a cooler for use while there. So... here are my thoughts. Fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge for a few day supply, along with 1/2 gallon of milk for cereal. Kids love toast and fruit anytime of the day. Loaf of bread for the toast. Some lunchmeat and sub buns for a lunch/dinner option with the toppings they like. PB&J is always an option. Salad too. Any other ideas?

I don't get this. You are complaining about the quality of the foods in the parks, and wanting to replace it with lunchmeat and sub buns? Bleh! That's your idea of a better quality meal?

Yes, fresh fruit and veggies and salad are always a good thing! You can also get those in the parks, though. I think eating more in the room is a good way to save money, but I have a hard time seeing how lunchmeat on a sub bun is a big improvement over (for example) the bread service at Sanaa or the layered Ratatouille at Be our Guest.

TP

I don't know if the OP said it was better quality meal. I think she's just saying the hundreds she's paying for the meals she's eating at Disney aren't worth it to her, and they would rather not spend that much money for something that leaves them disappointed. Which I can understand. FWIW.. dd really didn't like they Layered Ratatouille. Just personal preference for her I guess. And since that and the soup were her only choices the meal itself was a disappointment to her.

I'm all for eating whatever makes each family happy. A TS a day just isn't a requirement for a decent vacation. There was a time I wouldn't even consider offsite (resorts or dining). Our wants and needs have changed. It won't be a lesser trip, it will be an all new experience, and for that, I am excited!

 

[Granny square]

One year we traveled with a family who took in sandwiches. They used the flatbreads and made turkey, cheese, cilantro and arugula wraps. Yum. We went out and bought enough for a couple of days.

The op can buy the makings for several days, better quality, and healthier for the cost of feeding one cs meal. If she wants

 

[Marionnette]

Quote: Planning to make good use of that fridge in the room. Used to only use it to keep drinks cool. Let's face it, nothing really stays too cold in it. Might or might not buy a cooler for use while there. So... here are my thoughts. Fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge for a few day supply, along with 1/2 gallon of milk for cereal. Kids love toast and fruit anytime of the day. Loaf of bread for the toast. Some lunchmeat and sub buns for a lunch/dinner option with the toppings they like. PB&J is always an option. Salad too. Any other ideas?

I don't get this. You are complaining about the quality of the foods in the parks, and wanting to replace it with lunchmeat and sub buns? Bleh! That's your idea of a better quality meal?

Yes, fresh fruit and veggies and salad are always a good thing! You can also get those in the parks, though. I think eating more in the room is a good way to save money, but I have a hard time seeing how lunchmeat on a sub bun is a big improvement over (for example) the bread service at Sanaa or the layered Ratatouille at Be our Guest.

TP

I understand what the OP is saying but I have to agree with you. If you're comparing "apples to apples", then a PJ&J sandwich made in the hotel room and carried into the parks is a better option than the PB&J Uncrustable that they sell there. But if I were to compare a cold sandwich of processed meats and cheeses that I somehow have to keep cold enough to be safe to eat, then it pales in comparison to the vegetarian sandwich of fresh mozarella, hummus and cucumbers that I can buy at the Plaza.

I think that people jump too quickly on the "bash Disney food" bandwagon. Yes, there's some pretty bad food out there and some disappointing service to go along with it. I won't deny that because I have BTDT. There is also some very good food, if you're open to trying new things. La Hacienda had some of the best Mexican food that I have eaten and I generally don't like the Americanize version of Mexican food. I'm looking forward to trying Spice Road Table on our next visit. And I'm going to miss Kouzzina when it closes in September.

I still love the pulled pork at Flame Tree, even though it gets trashed over and over again by people who don't care for a whole grain roll. I thought that the braised pork at BOG was amazingly good for a CS menu item, but the quiche was a disappointment. All of the buffets and pre-plated meals are pretty bad but you're paying for the entertainment as well as the food at those locations.

The kids' meals are pretty generic and it's because, like it or not, that's what most American kids are getting at home...frozen chicken nuggets, canned spaghetti, pizza from the freezer (just cheese, please!). Disney is going to cater to what the majority of people want and so that's what appears on their menus. You might want a fresh bowl of mac and cheese, prepared with 5 gourmet cheeses, but little Johnny wants the orange stuff from a box like Mom makes!

None of this will matter to some people. They eat to live. They don't live to eat. So as long as they have something to put in their belly when it's mealtime, they are satisfied. For them, there is no difference between a cold sandwich on white bread and a steak with potato cooked to perfection.

OP, if preparing your own meals while on vacation is something you want to do, then by all means do it. No one should have to pay for overpriced food that leaves them disappointed. One of the reasons that we seldom eat out is that I can cook a better meal than what I can buy in most restaurants. But when I'm on vacation, I am willing to sacrifice a little in the way of cost and quality in order to get a little convenience.