Just back. SO fun but DL food sucks!!

[LisainCalifornia]

Agreed. I think we just get spoiled living in Seattle with the food. If you live in a place where Red Lobster is fine dining than the food at DL probably looks good.

I love Seattle! Such a beautiful city

 

[AddictedtoDoleWhip]

I found that counter service at WDW is horrendous, doesn't even compare to DL counterservice which I find to be much better. There isn't a lot of TS restaurants at DL compared to WDW so that is where I find WDW superior but other than that I still think DL is better.

 

[bumbershoot]

We are vegetarian so the variety we get at the parks is less than what others get, but we don't find it to be bad overall. Well, except for the veggie option at Flo's (ugh) and any scrambled "eggs" at the character breakfast...those are just awful. Bt other than that...

French Market has a new menu with a jambalaya...they can serve it vegetarian, and I found it to be quite spicy. Their corn chowder, also veggie, also has a spice to it, as does the veggie gumbo at Royal Street Veranda. Spice can be found!

It's funny, but I can really only remember Sunshine Seasons from WDW! I know we have eaten elsewhere, but all I can recall is their noodle bowl, which can be made as just a stir fry without the soup part. Funny.



Hint: if you like real eggs and want a character meal, do Surf's Up! Their omelettes are good, but they will also just make you eggs. They made huevos rancheros for me that nearly made me cry it was so good. Combined with the "avocado salsa" they had on the buffet and I was sooooooo happy that morning!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

French Market has a new menu with a jambalaya...they can serve it vegetarian, and I found it to be quite spicy.

they have always served jambalaya...I love BB jambalaya because mainly its really spicy...way better than Jazz Kitchen but I havent always been able to go to BB so I just opt for FM instead

 

[Huff]

I found that counter service at WDW is horrendous, doesn't even compare to DL counterservice which I find to be much better. There isn't a lot of TS restaurants at DL compared to WDW so that is where I find WDW superior but other than that I still think DL is better.

Epcot is the only WDW park with some pretty good counter service choices. Disney Studios about the worst. At DLR I haven't found much I like inside the parks but have not been to DCA since last March before several new CS's have opened. There are several I like in DTD such as Jazz Kitchen Express.

 

[marcemc]

We usually stick with the places we like, Hungry Bear, Plaza Inn & Pilot's Taste. We have young kids so fine dining is not our priority when we travel to DL, we need practical & eatable. We bring our own fruit because it is so expensive at the parks.

I actually think their food has improved, I remember going about 7 years ago and not being able to eat much.

We had Ghirardelli on Sunday & Tuesday and we thought their food was really good

 

[KateDrake]

If you live in a place where Red Lobster is fine dining than the food at DL probably looks good.

LOL! I think we all know someone like this. They don't know what they are missing. Even so, if you do your research, I think you can find something good no matter where you are. I went to Ukraine on a grad school fellowship last year, and one of the girls in my group refused to eat any of the local food. She lived on McDonald's and Domino's pizza the entire time, with a few trips to the Ukrainian equivalent of Starbucks. Needless to say, she came home complaining that the food was terrible. But the rest of us, who did eat the local food, thought it was fabulous! Not what I would eat at home, but still super. BUT you had to be willing to try something new, and I think some people are just afraid to branch out, and they end up missing out.

 

[julsmom]

It is all about personal tastes. I think my family is used to food that tastes better than that. To me it's not strictly table service vs counter service. The food I ate was ehh and the food I chose not to eat looked unappetizing. I wish it didn't have to be a needle in haystack situation. If I chose all bad places over 3 days, I don't think it's necessarily unlucky, but probably a decent indication of typical experiences.

If its like "you didn't have the soup/salad/sandwich at this place", I don't know why I can't find something decent at any of the places I tried.

 

[Ancient Purple]

It is all about personal tastes. I think my family is used to food that tastes better than that. To me it's not strictly table service vs counter service. The food I ate was ehh and the food I chose not to eat looked unappetizing. I wish it didn't have to be a needle in haystack situation. If I chose all bad places over 3 days, I don't think it's necessarily unlucky, but probably a decent indication of typical experiences.

If its like "you didn't have the soup/salad/sandwich at this place", I don't know why I can't find something decent at any of the places I tried.

Unfortunately, you may have to dig for information in order to find that stellar menu item even at a resort like Disney.

Remember, Disney is catering to a general population and, sadly, far too many Americans are satisfied with or even crave bland, unimaginative, mediocre food. This is why your local mom and pop Italian diner in a strip mall run by immigrants has six or seven tables and Olive Garden has a line out the door.

Couple that with the onslaught of children who are so "picky" as eaters they can only endure greasy chicken fingers, rubbery hamburgers, and something resembling pizza, and you have a recipe for a less than stellar dining experience at a park that has to cater to that on many levels.

That does not mean, however, that you can't find good, quality food at DLR. It just means that you have to do plenty of research and be willing to take some chances.

I am sorry you found the food in the park less than pleasing. I do hope that in the future you will try some of the things I have found quite better than average in the park including the fried chicken at Plaza Inn, the Pomme Frites at Cafe Orleans, the Corn Dogs on Main Street, the skewers at Bengal BBQ, the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Basil Soup at Jolly Holiday, and some halfway decent BBQ at the Big Thunder Ranch.

 

[CamoMama]

LOL! I think we all know someone like this. They don't know what they are missing. Even so, if you do your research, I think you can find something good no matter where you are. I went to Ukraine on a grad school fellowship last year, and one of the girls in my group refused to eat any of the local food. She lived on McDonald's and Domino's pizza the entire time, with a few trips to the Ukrainian equivalent of Starbucks. Needless to say, she came home complaining that the food was terrible. But the rest of us, who did eat the local food, thought it was fabulous! Not what I would eat at home, but still super. BUT you had to be willing to try something new, and I think some people are just afraid to branch out, and they end up missing out.

This, definitely. I also live in Seattle (an OP claimed that if you live in Seattle you won't like the DLR food), nd I love Disneyland food. I love breakfast at the River Belle Terrace, lunches at the Hungry Bear (although I'm still upset that they no longer have the focaccia club sandwich), Pacific Wharf Cafe. the Golden Horseshoe (not a big selection but what they have is good and the entertainment makes it fun), dinner at the Blue Bayou (I've heard bad reviews, but every time I go it's delicious) or Goofy's Kitchen or Rancho Del Zocalo. The hot chocolate at Ghiradelli is amazing and perfect to get just before the fireworks, and of course Dole Whips at the Tiki Room and churros everywhere.

I think every restaurant in the world has served a few less than stellar meals, sometimes the chicken is dry or the steak overcooked or whatever. But I think that most people who criticize the food the most and insist that there's nothing good at Disney are people that are impossible to please in any case.

 

[MillauFr]

The Dole Whips???? I wonder what ingredient that makes them "good", is it the sodium caesinate, corn syrup solids, or maybe it is the mono & diglycerides? Do they make these things inside some chemical factory in New Jersey?

I don't understand why they can't just use milk, cane sugar, cream, and pineapples. Then they would be good.

Dole Whip Ingredients...

Water, Sugar, Dextrose, Pineapple Juice Concentrate,
Coconut Oil, Stabilizers (Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Locust
Bean, Karaya Gum, Pectin), Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking),
Corn Syrup Solids, Citric Acid, Sodium Caseinate (A Milk
Derivative), Artificial Flavor, Potassium & Sodium
Phosphate, Mono & Diglycerides, Artificial Color (Yellow
5 & 6), Soy Lecithin.

 

[Eddygirl]

Unfortunately, you may have to dig for information in order to find that stellar menu item even at a resort like Disney.

Remember, Disney is catering to a general population and, sadly, far too many Americans are satisfied with or even crave bland, unimaginative, mediocre food. This is why your local mom and pop Italian diner in a strip mall run by immigrants has six or seven tables and Olive Garden has a line out the door.

Couple that with the onslaught of children who are so "picky" as eaters they can only endure greasy chicken fingers, rubbery hamburgers, and something resembling pizza, and you have a recipe for a less than stellar dining experience at a park that has to cater to that on many levels.

That does not mean, however, that you can't find good, quality food at DLR. It just means that you have to do plenty of research and be willing to take some chances.

I am sorry you found the food in the park less than pleasing. I do hope that in the future you will try some of the things I have found quite better than average in the park including the fried chicken at Plaza Inn, the Pomme Frites at Cafe Orleans, the Corn Dogs on Main Street, the skewers at Bengal BBQ, the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Basil Soup at Jolly Holiday, and some halfway decent BBQ at the Big Thunder Ranch.

^^^^^^^
This!!
I am a foodie and I loooove to cook. (and am a pretty darn good one at that!) We are from scratch eaters here the majority of the time too. Our kids are pretty adventurous eaters.

I did not expect Park food at Disney to be stellar. The meals they serve even on a slow day would be in the 10's of thousands and they have to cater to the wants of the majority of the people. I did research before we went and found some very good food in the parks that did not leave me disappointed. Bengal BBQ was good, Pomme Frites and Beignets...also good, lunch at the BB was fantastic (although HUGE!!), and the hand dipped corn dogs from the cart or the Castle were a treat. We did not get to the Hungry Bear as I had hoped, but my SIL had the green tomato sandwich and the little pie and loved it.I had the chili cone queso form a cozy cone and enjoyed it a lot. These are just a few off the top of my head. This does not include the "treats" we indulged in too. Candy Palace Peanut brittle and the Mickey and Minnie Caramel apples were amazing.

One of my favorite food moments was getting 2 "Matterhorn Macaroons" from the Jolly Holiday, then getting a Dole Whip and sharing with my DD. OMG...lovley soft moist coconut cookie with frozen pineapple Dole Whip..........Heaven!! Now I am craving it!!!!!

Disneyland is a once every 2-3 year thing for us. When we are there we kinda throw caution to the wind when it comes to indulging on food we would not have at home. There is something about the atmosphere at DL that makes food and treats...well, better! How could you not enjoy a meal eating at the BB?? The eating at night on a Bayou even when it is really 1pm and 105 degrees outside! We had the creme brule for dessert. It was fabulous!! TBH, the creme brule I make is as good or even better, but I can not compete with the atmosphere!!!!!

 

[CamoMama]

The Dole Whips???? I wonder what ingredient that makes them "good"

It's the taste that makes them good. If you're so health conscious that you have to inspect the label on everything, even on vacation, then fine, don't eat a Dole Whip. But they taste good, and I will enjoy them when I'm at Disneyland, even though I wouldn't even consider having one at home.

 

[DisneyBiskit]

The Dole Whips???? I wonder what ingredient that makes them "good", is it the sodium caesinate, corn syrup solids, or maybe it is the mono & diglycerides? Do they make these things inside some chemical factory in New Jersey?

I don't understand why they can't just use milk, cane sugar, cream, and pineapples. Then they would be good.

Dole Whip Ingredients...

Water, Sugar, Dextrose, Pineapple Juice Concentrate,
Coconut Oil, Stabilizers (Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Locust
Bean, Karaya Gum, Pectin), Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking),
Corn Syrup Solids, Citric Acid, Sodium Caseinate (A Milk
Derivative), Artificial Flavor, Potassium & Sodium
Phosphate, Mono & Diglycerides, Artificial Color (Yellow
5 & 6), Soy Lecithin.

Wow.....talk about killing the magic!

 

[lizabu]

Wow.....talk about killing the magic!

lol...next thing you know someone will start posting how many calories are in things

 

[CamoMama]

lol...next thing you know someone will start posting how many calories are in things

NO!!!!!!

I gained 10lbs in 10 days at WDW, I have no idea how I managed to do that, and I don't want to. I just go back to the gym and work out harder when I get home.

 

[Ancient Purple]

NO!!!!!!

I gained 10lbs in 10 days at WDW, I have no idea how I managed to do that, and I don't want to. I just go back to the gym and work out harder when I get home.

My wonderful spouse and I made a deal before we got married: No calorie counting on vacations.

There will be a divorce if that changes.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

I agree--I don't get the love of the Dole Whip. I tried it (twice!) and it's this yucky, syrupy sweet mixture of pinapple juice (from a can) and really bad frozen yogurt. I mean, it isn't an episode of Fear Factor, but it isn't anything to dream about.

I just keep trying new things, and sometimes I hit a winner. This last trip I finally tried one of the mammoth turkey legs that taste strangely of ham. It is enormous and you don't want to know how many calories are in that thing, but I have to say it was freakishly good. I ate that with one of the chili-lime ears of corn (really good!) and now I do find myself daydreaming about eating them again one day soon. The turkey leg is slightly disgusting in theory and looks, but grab yourself a huge handful of napkins to wipe up all the grease and don't plan on eating it all--just it a bit of it. Unless of course you want to end up in the ER that is convienently located a stones throw from Disneyland.

The breadbowls with the clam chowder are always a hit as well, especially with extra hot sauce. Not so good on a hot day, but perfect for a cooler night at Disneyland.

The Blue Bayou is all ambiance and no deliciousness. It is something for all of us humans to do at least once, if not twice--just to get that waterside table and soak in the smell of Pirates.

 

[sheetz]

Wow.....talk about killing the magic!

Hey, they're dairy free so they're good for vegetarians and those who are lactose intolerant!

 

[DisneylandClub]

Is It Just me That Absolutely LOVES Disneyland Food?!