Chef Mickey's Bad at Breakfast?

[Asnell]

As a nostalgic thing, I reserved a breakfast at Chef Mickey's for our upcoming trip. We ate dinner there in 2005 and loved it. I thought my boys, now teens, would enjoy going back, buti see so many reports about the food being awful that I'm rethinking my ADR.

Most of the bad reports seem to be about the dinners. Has that really gone downhill? We enjoyed it all those years ago -- not fancy, but something for everyone and the kids found lots to their taste. The character interactions were great.

Is it better at breakfast or just really awful all around?

 

[davedmaine]

As a nostalgic thing, I reserved a breakfast at Chef Mickey's for our upcoming trip. We ate dinner there in 2005 and loved it. I thought my boys, now teens, would enjoy going back, buti see so many reports about the food being awful that I'm rethinking my ADR.

Most of the bad reports seem to be about the dinners. Has that really gone downhill? We enjoyed it all those years ago -- not fancy, but something for everyone and the kids found lots to their taste. The character interactions were great.

Is it better at breakfast or just really awful all around?

If you're going for the nostalgia factor, do it. It's not 'bad', it's just your typical over-priced Disney buffet. What I don't get is why people purchase pictures of themselves with the plastic Mickey ..

 

[buzzrelly]

We eat breakfast here every trip and enjoy it. There are a ton of choices so you definitely won't be leaving here hungry. Plus, that picture with the plastic Mickey has become somewhat of a tradition, and with the MM it's included anyway.

 

[Skywise]

Breakfast is ok - I find all the breakfast buffets to be practically identical (Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, mickey waffles, etc) and you really can't mess that up. I also find all the buffets to be subpar for food and along the lines of a golden corral which is infuriating given the amount of money I'm spending (and I've been to the nicer Vegas buffets too!).

That said - I wouldn't say Chef Mickey's was awful compared to other Disney-fare and I've yet to find a restaurant at DW that's a "must do" for me to return to. (Although a turkey leg and cinnamon roll at Gaston's is darn close. )

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Breakfast is pretty hard to screw up, it's the typical breakfast buffet food. I have seen complaints that Chef Mickey's is extra chaotic and with so many kids there's a good bit of mess.

I also find all the buffets to be subpar for food and along the lines of a golden corral which is infuriating given the amount of money I'm spending

At Chef Mickey's you are not paying that price for the food...and Disney knows it. Not sure what the excuse is for buffets without characters, maybe because they are popular with dining plan guests. Years ago the buffet food was a whole lot better.

 

[Skywise]

Breakfast is pretty hard to screw up, it's the typical breakfast buffet food. I have seen complaints that Chef Mickey's is extra chaotic and with so many kids there's a good bit of mess.



At Chef Mickey's you are not paying that price for the food...and Disney knows it. Not sure what the excuse is for buffets without characters, maybe because they are popular with dining plan guests. Years ago the buffet food was a whole lot better.

Yeah, I was surprised because that same trip we tried the Wave for the breakfast buffet too and it had 95% of the exact same offerings Chef Mickeys did (cheaper, of course) and they tasted identical to Chef Mickeys. Worse, we stayed CL that trip and the pastries at the buffet were exactly the same as the pastries at CL!

 

[goofy4prez]

I would go for the nostalgia and enjoy. However, when it comes to the food I will say that it is absolutely miserable. I went there for the first and will be the last time this past June for breakfast. While it may be hard to screw up breakfast, they did a very good job at doing just that. I also found it to be much worse than any of the sub-par breakfast buffets in WDW. I would rate my experience as even worse than found at a Golden Coral. But then again I am not a buffet fan.

 

[jenjersnap]

We just returned yesterday and hit most, if not all, of the character breakfasts. They are completely homogenized now with the pretty much the same food, none of it great but none of it terrible either. Chef Mickeys was fine and one of our better character interactions. It was our second trip in a row that we enjoyed CM, after not going for a couple trips because it was going downhill,

 

[tina.tina]

We ate dinner at Chef Mickey's. It wasn't as nearly good as Golden Corral and didn't have as many choices.

We ate breakfast at Crystal Palace and it was better than Golden Corral with lots of fresh fruit (huge blackberries) and choices.

 

[mmorris72]

Breakfast is better. We only do breakfast

 

[SouthJersey]

As a nostalgic thing, I reserved a breakfast at Chef Mickey's for our upcoming trip. We ate dinner there in 2005 and loved it. I thought my boys, now teens, would enjoy going back, buti see so many reports about the food being awful that I'm rethinking my ADR.

Most of the bad reports seem to be about the dinners. Has that really gone downhill? We enjoyed it all those years ago -- not fancy, but something for everyone and the kids found lots to their taste. The character interactions were great.

Is it better at breakfast or just really awful all around?

Breakfast is hard to screw up. So, while the breakfast FOOD at Chef Mickey's may be decent, there's plenty of other factors that ruin it. I loved the place as a kid and I wanted to love it when I was older. It's nostalgic for me as well. I remember my mom working to get the ADR forever ago and then so excited telling me about the characters as breakfast.

But...the place is dirty, hectic and has terrible food replenishment. We always did three character breakfasts on our trip, Tusker House and Crystal Palace for head starts in the park and meeting characters and Chef Mickey's for the nostalgia and characters. But, the last three times we tried it, the countless reviews you'll see on here are correct. Food on the floor, food on the seats. The place for some reason has become a free-for-all for kids, yelling and pursuing characters, mixing the buffet utensils into other sections, etc. The staff has come to act like it's normal for chef mickey's to be nuts, so they let it go. The empty food options are refilled slowly, I've seen food all over the floor and on 'clean table' seats.

If you look at the reviews, you'll see the MOST negative reviews, mixed with positive reviews than any other place. Heed the negative ones. Some people rave about the place, but then again, there are people who rave about Old Country Buffet. Breakfast may be the only tolerable option for Chef Mickey's. We've never gone for dinner as we hate buffet dinners, but from pictures and reviews I'd put it on par with a Golden Corral or Old Country Buffet, while those places barely deserve the $11 an adult, if you're solely talking about the food, $40 is absurd lol.

 

[Luvchefmic]

OP you're going to have to go and decide for yourself. Chef Mickey's is one of those places people love to hate on, yet it's hard to get an ADR. I'm not biased due to my avatar, I have been collecting cookie jars and what not long before the items collections changed to " Gourmet Mickey". That being said we eat there a LOT, breakfast and dinner. If it was as horrible a place as reviews give it we wouldn't, plain and simple. I have never experienced a dirty place, even the bathrooms are immaculate every time we have been there, or food not being replenished. Maybe I'm going to a different Chef Mickey's ?

Can it get loud ? Of course, nature of the beast. Never experienced kids running amok though and character handlers are very good about everyone having a turn at their table.

If I had to pick a favorite breakfast for the food only, leaving the characters out of the equation, our very favorite is Tusker House. Timed just right you can get breakfast and lunch items to choose from. Win-Win

 

[momofmaz]

We just ate there Friday morning. We were seated extremely fast and early (checked in at 750 for an 810 ressie). Service was nice, characters were all there and we left by 825.

The Good

• Lots of options
• Attentive service
• Lots of characters

The So So

• Once every one starts checking in it gets a little crazy
• Dessert for breakfast...do brownies really belong on a breakfast buffet at 730AM?!
• Most of the food was just meh. It wasn't good or bad. I had 2 plates.

The Bad

• Lots of dirty dishes in the clean stacks

 

[jenjersnap]

The dishes with food stuck on in the clean pile was a consistent problem at ALL the buffets. It was gross, I agree! Not sure what the issue is but I have never noticed a problem with this issue until this year. But CM was, otherwise, very, very clean both times we have visited in the past year...and I am particular about these things. You have no control over other people's children so I don't pay much attention unless they touch the food...I did inform a cast member in the buffet line when I witnessed this and she removed the platter.

 

[SouthJersey]

OP you're going to have to go and decide for yourself. Chef Mickey's is one of those places people love to hate on, yet it's hard to get an ADR. I'm not biased due to my avatar, I have been collecting cookie jars and what not long before the items collections changed to " Gourmet Mickey". That being said we eat there a LOT, breakfast and dinner. If it was as horrible a place as reviews give it we wouldn't, plain and simple. I have never experienced a dirty place, even the bathrooms are immaculate every time we have been there, or food not being replenished. Maybe I'm going to a different Chef Mickey's ?

Can it get loud ? Of course, nature of the beast. Never experienced kids running amok though and character handlers are very good about everyone having a turn at their table.

If I had to pick a favorite breakfast for the food only, leaving the characters out of the equation, our very favorite is Tusker House. Timed just right you can get breakfast and lunch items to choose from. Win-Win

That could be it! I was referring to the dump that occupy's the corner of the Contemporary resort floor underneath the monorail. The one with the slow food replenishment, non-swapped out food items that sat for a while and crusted over, the dirty floors and rushed character interaction. It has a big Chef Mickey statue too.

 

[Luvchefmic]

That could be it! I was referring to the dump that occupy's the corner of the Contemporary resort floor underneath the monorail. The one with the slow food replenishment, non-swapped out food items that sat for a while and crusted over, the dirty floors and rushed character interaction. It has a big Chef Mickey statue too.

Everyone has an opinion, and is entitled to share their point of view. That's why I said OP should check it out for themselves.

 

[SouthJersey]

Everyone has an opinion, and is entitled to share their point of view. That's why I said OP should check it out for themselves.

I'm just foolin'.
You've got Jesus and USMC in your signature, you're the last person I'm arguing with lol.

 

[mickeynut1]

We have gone for years and have yet to have a bad experience. Like a pp said, you really need to experience it for yourself to see if it's something you like. We have had great experiences for both breakfast and dinner over the years, but everyone's opinion/experience is different.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I'm just foolin'.
You've got Jesus and USMC in your signature, you're the last person I'm arguing with lol.

Covered myself every which way didn't I ?...now before we get in any trouble I will leave you with Semper Fi ! Daughter made General last year so watch yourself there !

 

[SouthJersey]

Covered myself every which way didn't I ?...now before we get in any trouble I will leave you with Semper Fi ! Daughter made General last year so watch yourself there !

O-2 here