Is it me...or are some of the foods wayyy too fancy??

[wellesleyprincess]

Add me to the not too fancy list and I would dare say the foods pretty standard meat and side (it may have a sauce on it but most are pretty mild or can be removed)
My dad is a comfort food guy and he loves disney food especially buffets.
I'm a vegan and when I cook/dine out I usually go to places much more adventurous than disney. I'd really love to see some more adventurous veggie options beyond basic tofu and pasta.

 

[TRBelle84]

For myself and DH the "fancy food" is probably half of the reason we love traveling to Disney. It's luxurious and frankly, unexpected for a theme park experience. We prefer to eat at Signature restaurants for the fancy food - the standard table service and quick service meals are far more run of the mill, making the meals approachable for everyone who visits.

 

[Niki in NJ]

I actually regularly cook "fancier" foods and I can be disappointed sometimes in the creativity restaurants offer. We tend to be really selective when choosing our restaurants to make sure that the foods are creative enough for us. Living in northern NJ and working in NYC, we are spoiled with delicious, creative restaurants. However, I completely get the other side -- when my sister and dad come for dinner, they frequently say, "you're making what?" I get them to try it, and they almost always love it! You'd be surprised how yummy those sauces and seasonings are.

As far as WDW goes, I think they do a good job of having a little something for everyone on the menus. They are very accommodating - if you know that you don't like something, they will just leave it off! For example, I despise the taste of raw onions (weird I know), and I just let the server know, and it's never been a problem.

 

[AggieTexan]

For myself and DH the "fancy food" is probably half of the reason we love traveling to Disney. It's luxurious and frankly, unexpected for a theme park experience. We prefer to eat at Signature restaurants for the fancy food - the standard table service and quick service meals are far more run of the mill, making the meals approachable for everyone who visits.

It's just the two of us, and we also prefer the Signatures for both the food and the service. We're trying the DDxDP this trip (four nights)...we'll do continental breakfasts, TS lunches, and Signature dinners.

 

[crostorfer]

For the price we pay for food at Disney, I expect it to be at least a little "fancy".

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

I'm surprised no one's asked this yet, OP, but what do you normally eat at home? That would make it easier to suggest places that might work for you.

I'm also on the "not fancy enough" team (I find much of what is offered at the non-signatures fairly generic, if tasty), but my father is a "meat and potatoes" person, so when I was planning our family trip, I had to come up with places he'd be comfortable with.

 

[Reign]

I think some of the restaurants are too fancy, some aren't fancy enough. I personally don't think that something like California Grill would be up my alley, but something like Boma would be. Sometimes it's fun to just step outside your comfort zone and take a risk. Sometimes it might just pay off.

Example, last trip my fiancé tried the potato and leek soup from R&C Pub. I thought it sounded disgusting, but upon trying it I loved it. We even looked up the recipe to try and make it at home, but we never got around to it. One of the things that I thought I would never like was a steak with a red wine reduction as I cannot stand the taste of red wine, but when it's reduced it changes the flavour completely.

You never know what stepping out of your comfort zone will do for you. Sometimes it pays of wonderfully, and others (although less frequently) it falls flat. Take risks and have some fun, especially if its free dining LOL!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Disney offers something for everyone. But my biggest disappointment for Disney is the lack of a good burger.

DH had the burger at Yak & Yeti on our last trip. He gave me a bite and I have actually dreamt about that burger! I cannot wait to order one in August. Course I am not sure it can possibly live up to the way I have it built up in my mind!

That's a great way to think about it....IF YOU HAVE THE DINING PLAN or can afford to drop $50 a person on a meal you may or may not like. I'm not willing to shell out $100 on a meal we don't LOVE, so I would rather just not go. But, again, if you are doing DDP (especially during FREE DDP), take advantage and try new stuff - that's how we were able to try LeC. It seemed too fancy to us, but it was 'free', so we tried it.

This definitely applies to us. We usually upgrade the free dining to deluxe dining and even though we are paying out of pocket, it is a bargain. When DS and I took our Mom & Son trip in '08 he was 12 and for whatever reason decided he was going to try new things on that trip. I figured I should follow suit and we discovered many things that we now love. Last year he tried wild boar, I tried buffalo. We can't wait to see what this trip will bring. I am definitely in the 'want fancy food on vacation' Camp for sure. But also appreciate that Disney will prepare food plain if that is what someone wants.

 

[jking6]

I do agree with the OP to some degree. I still go to these fancy places but as a picky eater (I hate it when everything is piled on top of each other) I ask for sauce on the side so the steak sauce does not cover my potato and veggies too I like to taste each food seperately.
I had an issue at Kona with the pineapple macadamian nut pancakes I asked for butter and pineapple on the side loved it!!!! and now it has become a must for me on every trip and yes I still get in on the side