Trails End? or Meadow for Counter Service?

[Disney crazy mama]

Ok. So I have read older posts about trails end getting crappy, but nothing recent.

We are headed to the fort in 15 days. I didn't plan any meals from trails end due to the bad reviews that I read here this past spring. We do have the dining plan, now. Didn't at first, but changed our minds.

Can you use counter service credits anywhere at the fort?

Is Trails End Breakfast and Dinner ok or not? We are not gourmet food critics and most of our meals will be buffets or counter service.

Chef Mickeys
Crystal Palace
Akershus
Tusker House
Teppan Edo
Cinderella's Royal Table Brkfst
Whispering Canyon

We were contemplating breakfast at Trails End. What do you think? Anyone ate there lately?

Anyone use the dining plan for take out or counter service?

 

[Brocktoon]

I'm pretty sure there are no CS options at the Fort. But, Roaring Forks at the WL, and the Contempo Cafe at the Comtemporary are both just a short boat hop away. I think both are pretty good CS options.

I don't have too much experience with Trails end, so I'll defer that one to the experts. I've heard enough hit/miss comments that I haven't grabbed a bite there in years.

 

[Labdog]

Yes, hop on the boat and go to WL, Roaring Forks, the roast beef sandwich is very good

 

[U.P. North]

My family and I had Trails End for breakfast one morning while there a couple weeks ago. I was extermly disappointed! I saw the reviews not being to good, but I wanted to try it. We crossed them off our list for the next time we stay at the Fort. We tried the Golden Corral a few days later for breakfast and it was very good! And a TON cheaper. I about had a heart attack when I got the bill from Trails End.

 

[LarryJ]

My family and I had Trails End for breakfast one morning while there a couple weeks ago. I was extermly disappointed! I saw the reviews not being to good, but I wanted to try it. We crossed them off our list for the next time we stay at the Fort. We tried the Golden Corral a few days later for breakfast and it was very good! And a TON cheaper. I about had a heart attack when I got the bill from Trails End.

Yea about 5 years ago we marked TE off our options except for the Giddy Up and Go which last Oct was still good. They used to have a good seat down restaurant and then just the buffet and make your own pizza and then the buffet, but now I just use the Disney Dining Card or whatever it's now called. We get about 90 days at WDW out of it for $65 and spend about $1200 each trip for a total of $2400 on food. Of course a few 5 or so of those meals are for either 3 or 5 since our sons usually join us for some portion of our stay at WDW.

Back in the 1980's when Disney offered package deals it was a lunch, dinner, breakfast, whatever with almost no restrictions on restaurant or what you could order. One year DW and my sister must haven eaten lobster every other meal and they all included appitezer, entree, dessert and non alcoholic drink. Now days while the DDP sounds good it's just too restrictive as the OP is now finding out and scheduling can drive you to base your vacation not on WDW, but where you can eat and not loose credits ... no my idea of a vacation. IMHO for families with little ones or empty nesters the DDP is not worth it. Now if you have 3 or 4 teenagers that can eat cow, horse, and want a pig for dessert that is a different story, but we are way past that point by several decades.

Finally we go for so long at a time (40 to 45 days there is no way we could eat out that much on the DDP) since we only eat out about every 3 days.

Larry

 

[jodipaige2004]

Do you need ADRs for Trails End? Is it considered TS or CS?

I was assuming it was a restaurant you can just go to when/if needed but sounds like you have to be more organized than that?

 

[AuburnJen92]

Trails end is TS and can require ADR's, but we have normally just walked up and waited. It is really up to you.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

We've been 3 times...once we had a 20 minute wait on a Friday night...the other 2 times were for breakfast and lunch...we walked right in,no wait.

 

[UMADDBG]

Walked up on June 22. We had a good meal. It was pricey, but then everything Disney is expencive.

 

[neffernie]

Had breakfast there Tuesday, July 7th. (scouting for our trip..we leave tomorrow) The place was deserted at 10 am. Food was ok, just not great...then again, any place I can eat my weight in Mickey waffles makes me happy.

 

[dtum]

We decided to skip TE this year and went to Golden Corral for breakfast. It was great! Not sure if they had more selection for Father's Day or it's that way all the time, but it had so many lunch selections for breakfast everyone had their fill. GS ate Mac n Cheese and was very happy

Also, noted that they are open for Breakfast every day. Up here in Ohio Golden Corral only has breakfast on weekend so we made note of that.

Ate our fill at breakfast and hit the Disney outlet right down the street to walk off some of it before going back to the parks. It was a nice relaxing morning.

Sad about TE because it had become a tradition to do breakfast there, but guess we started a new one this time around.

 

[TheCabralFamily]

Do they still have the really good Clam Chowder on Fridays at the Trails End?

 

[campingdawgs]

You can use CS credits at the pool snack bar. Not much selection, though. We think TE is okay. Pricey for what you get, but we can almost always get in with not much of a wait. That is worth a lot with 3 hungry kids.
The best option, we think, is to ride our bikes to WL and eat at Roaring Forks. Beautiful ride, and good sandwiches when you get there.