Very, very disappointed with Disney food

[Caren]

Next time, I suggest packing that scooter friend onto WDW transportation and zipping over to Epcot for dinner. A little advance planning could have avoided this entire issue, and could have given you an unforgettable culinary experience, rather than something you could get at any mall in the US.

Cheers!
Heather W

Remember this was a CONVENTION. There were many people there who weren't there for Disney, never went to the parks, and depended on hotel to eat. Not to mention we didn't have hours to go find something to eat. I knew perfectly well what the food situation was at the Coronado and still wound up eating there because I didn't have time to go find something else and you can only eat so many cookies in hospitality.

Personally, I had a couple of decent meals at the Pepper Market. I also encountered a couple of things that were just awful. Overall, I batted about 50% okay to awful. I never did do the Maya Grill because it was widely reported to be very expensive and mediocre. Besides, the Maya Grill had the rather alarming slogan, "You will always be besieged by enchantment at breakfast or dinner." Sounds like a depraved fortune cookie.

Let me tell you, that at this particular convention, the quality of the food at the Coronado was a major topic of conversation.

 

[Sarnia]

Shame you had a bad meal there, but judging all of WDW based on such limited experience is the same as going to a large town and deciding all of the places to eat there are bad because you ate at one or two bad restaurants...makes no sense if you think about it.

Fair enough to criticise the places where you ate, but all of Disney food

 

[indsun]

We stayed at CSR last year. We only had breakfast there so that's all i can comment on. Keep in mind it's a counter service so it's not fine dining but edible and reasonably priced. AT least what we had. i was impressed becasue there where so many choices so it was great to have witha group. Well better luck next time to the original poster!

 

[Badllamamama]

The PM is great! We love the variety, the large portions and the atmosphere!! Never a bad meal!!!

 

[dolphin01]

We love the Pepper Market. Even when we don't stay at CSR we make a special trip to eat there. The food is always great, plentiful and cooked to order. Best CS on the dining plan there is!!

 

[Lilolvr]

The Pepper Market is an awesome food court. You won't find more choices in one place anywhere. The portions are large and we've always had good meals there. It may not be for everyone but its obivous that the poll shows its a favorite of many.

 

[Buzz'sBetterHalf]

Never a bad meal at the the Pepper Market. Good food, good choices and great service. You find more that will like it than not.

 

[lawyergirl]

Never ate at any of the restaurants at CSR... From what I hear, I'm not missing much!

What does confuse me about your post, OP, is that you're judging all of WDW on the basis of one hotel (during a convention, no less, which usually leads to a decline in quality of the food served because of the sheer volume of people). I'm just wondering why you chose to post such a, uh, passionate assessment of the food at WDW on the basis of those two places, especially given that, in your original post, you refer to the fact that most of us rave about the food elsewhere...

Why you didn't venture out of the hotel area in search of more acceptable food? I certainly have (and would have)! Something similar happened to me when I was in Prague - the food in and near my (really frickin' expensive!!) hotel was absolutely awful, but when I asked a few locals where to go... I found a pretty good restaurant that was loads better (and cheaper!!) than the crap I was being fed at my hotel! That being said, I would never attempt to say that all the food in Prague is fit for dogs and that I can't understand how Czechs manage to feed themselves on a daily basis...

 

[maxtomsmom]

I know staying when statying for a convention it is difficult to get out and find some food. AKL is very close to CSR and has two excellent restaurants. Boma was great because it was buffet style with real ethnic food. DH and I eat at very good restaurants some of the best in the world both in NYC and right outside (part of DH job - lucky me) and they were good enough to impress my husband. Don't let two restaurants bring you down. EPCOT also has great restaurants if you ever decide to go back and go into the parks.

 

[Scraper]

My DH and I we are not fancy eaters. We eat when were hungrey. Lot of Times just a hotdog or a pretzel keeps us going. I notice alot of people plan ther Disney trip around ADRs. We have had a few nice meals in Epcot. Loved the Itlian place. I love the fruit in that little food court in the land. My favorite desert frozen Lemonade on a hot day. Just enough to keep my feet going. Disney and a burger give me energy. Although I would have taken advantage of the free dinning had I known. We never pay for the dinning plan. Hopefully all the crowds will be enjoying their free dinning while we take in the shows and the rides. Hope everyone has better meals than the OP

 

[Cruz Family]

Remember this was a CONVENTION. There were many people there who weren't there for Disney, never went to the parks, and depended on hotel to eat. Not to mention we didn't have hours to go find something to eat. I knew perfectly well what the food situation was at the Coronado and still wound up eating there because I didn't have time to go find something else and you can only eat so many cookies in hospitality.

Personally, I had a couple of decent meals at the Pepper Market. I also encountered a couple of things that were just awful. Overall, I batted about 50% okay to awful. I never did do the Maya Grill because it was widely reported to be very expensive and mediocre. Besides, the Maya Grill had the rather alarming slogan, "You will always be besieged by enchantment at breakfast or dinner." Sounds like a depraved fortune cookie.

Let me tell you, that at this particular convention, the quality of the food at the Coronado was a major topic of conversation.

That is all well and fine that most of you were only there for a convention. So maybe this thread should have been called "Very, very disapointed with Coronado food" not Disney food.

 

[mickeymousemom]

That is all well and fine that most of you were only there for a convention. So maybe this thread should have been called "Very, very disapointed with Coronado food" not Disney food.

ITA! Maybe i got up on the wrong side of the bed, but this just totally seems like a type of thread. I really don't think it was meant to be, but for someone to come here and post something like that makes no sense. It seems pretty obvious that the OP has never had much other, if any, WDW food. To gripe based on 2 resort restaurants makes no sense. If the OP had read any of the dining forum at all, they'd know that there are many wonderful restaurants in WDW. I don't particularly like the food at the POR food court at times, but I certainly didnt eat there and then refuse to eat anywhere at WDW the rest of my trip.
It was a convention...not Disney related. The OP obviously didn't do the parks, so why get on here and complain to many of us who have the experience? Sorry, but this whole thing just rubs me the wrong way.

On the other hand, if the OP had worded her post differently it wouldn't seem so negative. Such as asking if ALL the food at WDW tastes the same...or "when I go to the parks next time, where is a good CS place to go?", etc....

 

[Mickey1122]

We have eaten at many, many different Walt Disney World restaurants, and only a couple, such as Nine Dragons, have been so bad that we won't return. Two restaurants at a Mod resort shouldn't put you off Disney food.

 

[moonvine]

Never ate at any of the restaurants at CSR... From what I hear, I'm not missing much!

What does confuse me about your post, OP, is that you're judging all of WDW on the basis of one hotel (during a convention, no less, which usually leads to a decline in quality of the food served because of the sheer volume of people). I'm just wondering why you chose to post such a, uh, passionate assessment of the food at WDW on the basis of those two places, especially given that, in your original post, you refer to the fact that most of us rave about the food elsewhere...

Why you didn't venture out of the hotel area in search of more acceptable food? I certainly have (and would have)! Something similar happened to me when I was in Prague - the food in and near my (really frickin' expensive!!) hotel was absolutely awful, but when I asked a few locals where to go... I found a pretty good restaurant that was loads better (and cheaper!!) than the crap I was being fed at my hotel! That being said, I would never attempt to say that all the food in Prague is fit for dogs and that I can't understand how Czechs manage to feed themselves on a daily basis...

Well, I did venture out of the hotel to feed myself. I went to Ruby Tuesday's and similar places and even to McDonalds (which was far superior to the food at the Coronado). Fortunately I had a car.

I've heard enough people rave about the food at the Pepper Market food court that I felt I couldn't trust the raves about the other Disney restaurants. I don't mind paying $75 for a meal, but it had better be GREAT, and I just wasn't prepared to take that chance. I would think that Disney would have better control over the food quality in their hotels, even if the dining establishments aren't run by Disney. I don't expect gourmet meals from a food court, but I do expect that the cheese not have been out long enough to have gotten hard and crusty and the coleslaw not be sour and rotten. If these are unreasonable expectations, then I don't know what to say.

 

[moonvine]

It was a convention...not Disney related. The OP obviously didn't do the parks, so why get on here and complain to many of us who have the experience? Sorry, but this whole thing just rubs me the wrong way.

I am sorry it rubs you the wrong way. I spent 2.5 days in the parks, and would have spent more had I been able to. I chose not to eat in the parks due to my experience at the Coronado food court and TS restaraunt. This seemed very logical to me, but apparently doesn't to you.

I have no desire to stir any pots anywhere. I learned a lot about the parks by reading here over the past year, and I wanted to share my experience with the posters here. I might have been more cautious in my choices had I read a similar post before I took my trip.

 

[femail]

just a thought; y'know, if we all LOVED all the same thing there would be only one restaurant in the whole place with one item on the menu.... even your mom has probably served something you wished she hadn't tried to... (in my case, anything frozen...) peace..

 

[dawgsgirl]

Advice--Do not come on the restaurants board and criticize Disney food. It doesn't go over too good.

 

[mickeymousemom]

Advice--Do not come on the restaurants board and criticize Disney food. It doesn't go over too good.

Thank you...I feel a little bit validated now. To the OP...it DOES rub me the wrong way...and I think the previous poster who asked "why didn't you venture out more and try other things" meant DISNEY food, not offsite food. For you to now get on here and admit you spent TWO and a HALF DAYS in the parks and wouldn't eat any other food because of your experience with CSR makes it even more ridiculous. You had the chance to try something else and you didn't, then get on here and bash ALL WDW food, with, IMO, nothing to back it up. CSR restaurants are outsourced. They aren't run by Disney. For this same reason they may not end up on the DP next year...you ASSUMED(and we all know what that does) and because you assumed wrongly you missed out on possibly some great dining experiences. As I said before, I don't think you purposely came on here to stir the pot, but I certainly think you should have thought about what you were saying before you posted.

 

[BlindTyldak]

One question: at what times did you eat? I'm just wondering if it was perhaps at times where they would not make more food if necessary because they were preparing to switch menus. no excuse of course, but out of curiosity I do ask.

I don't remember the food being to die for by any means there, except for the pizza, which was by FAR the best I had at any Disney venue then or since. Blew Pizza Planet out of the water, that's for sure. i would call PM decent enough food for a captive audience price, and never left hungry. I also never regretted dining there.

 

[DiszyDeanette]

I think sometimes it might be a matter of setting expectations too high. We all rave about the food at Disney but in all honesty there are places that are not that great. I have never eaten as CSR but will in 44 days! We did eat at the POR food court last year and the food was edible but not great, sometimes not even that good. But, we were not expecting great food. It was usually just a quick breakfast before hitting the parks. The food is expensive at Disney because, well, you are at Disneyworld, not necessarily because the food is gourmet.

There are many great places to eat in Disneyworld but most food courts are not the place to go for that. Sounds like the OP had her expectations set too high in this particular case.