50s Prime Time Cafe, your experiences? ...

[Katiebell]

We went in September, DH and I both loved it There is a review in my trip report (with pics!), page 6, post #80. We'd definitely go back again.

 

[cndnchicky]

We went in May and we had such a good time!!! My hubby got in "trouble" and had to stand in the corner for 5 minutes for "sassing " his mother in law. After he served his time, he had to remain standing while everyone told him "shame on you". I was laughing to the point of tears, probably funnier for me then hubby.... Anyways the food was great, I had the pot roast and wooooow it was soooo good!!!! I'm going next year again and I'm sure we'll be returning.

 

[jess20k]

We like it. We usually go for lunch. I really like their fried chicken and so does my DS12. My DH likes the meatloaf. Most of the time we have fun servers, other times we have had more subdued ones...but overall the service has been fine. We love the fun atomosphere there as well.

 

[kirrrby]

I personally hated 50 PT cafe.
We ate there two years ago, and swear we'll never go back. I'm not the one who likes to be told to eat my food, or to keep my elbows off the tables, but my father made the ADR.
The host didn't call our names, and when we went to confront him, he said he called us 30 minutes ago, and put us back onto the wait list, when we had ADRS in the first place. Also, the Waitress we had kept bugging us when we were already over the edge from the Host and we specifically told the waitress not to do anything. We had a manager come over to us later in the meal to offer that our desserts be free, but our desserts took 30 minutes to come out!
This was just our personal experience.

 

[hookedonears]

For us, it was always a staple of our dining itinerary on every visit for many years. However, the food quality started dropping the last few times we ate there and on our last trip, the service was not nearly as good as it has been in the past. We will not be going back anytime soon, but I think everyone should try it at least once.

 

[muffyn]

IF you want to have an interactive experience.. ask them at check-in to get you a server who is INTO the action!
they will set you up in the right place. don't let it be chance.. you don't get to wdw that often ,waiting another 15 minutes for a great server is really worth it.( we have waited 30 minutes for the one we want.)

also the same goes if you just want to sit & watch. that is why they have all sorts of degrees of servers, to accomodate everyone.

the milkshakes are well worth it.

 

[GinaBean]

I have been three times. Each time the food and service has gotten worse. Its to the point where we probably won't try 50's prime time for awhile. Same goes for Mama Melrose.

We have eaten once at 50s Prime Time & once at Mama Melrose's. We will not eat at either of them again.

When we went to 50 PT, I ordered pot roast, dd ordered meatloaf, and dh ordered fried chicken. Dd & I liked our entree, but not the side items. My dh did not like his food at all. He even commented to the server (who was no fun at all) that his food tasted like they forgot the salt.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

We love 50"s Prime Time and it is a must do every time we are at the World. We love the atmosphere and have a blast every time we have gone. We think it's very good comfort food.

 

[stlouisdisneyguy]

I love Prime TIme and have been going there for years. In all that time I have only had one bad food experience. And yes, some of the servers are more into being characters than others. SO some times that will disspoint. i am going down to Disney next week and will be eating at Prime Time, so I will let ya know how it goes.

 

[toostsmom]

This is a MUST do for me - I always love the whole experience, and it's not even about the food, it's just fun. A few weeks ago was the first time my DD had the experience (she's 10) and I failed to explain ahead of time that the servers will treat you like they're you're parents, and it's all in good fun, and it's part of the experience...

Well, DH and I had a blast watching "Cousin Mark" pick on DD. But, she didn't get the joke. She got really upset. From the second he told her to set the table, to when she spilled her drink and had to go "help" serve other customers, to when he made her do math. She didn't get the joke and didn't like being picked on. Personally, I found it hillarious when a server from another table threw a wadded up napkin at me because I had my elbows on the table. But Cousin Mark saw her expression, and lightned up, and even brought his manager out so DD could complain to her (then she laughed...)

I LOVE 50's Cafe... so YES GO!!! But warn everyone ahead of time so the "get it".

 

[Camicar]

The first time we went, we had an absolutely fabulous time with a great server. The next time, we were really pumped for the experience and ended up being deeply disappointed bec our server was a sullen glob of slow-paced grumpiness. It went from being our favorite WDW restaurant to our least favorite.

 

[agnes!]

I have been three times. Each time the food and service has gotten worse. Its to the point where we probably won't try 50's prime time for awhile. Same goes for Mama Melrose.

In the past we loved 50s Primetime and it was a must do every trip. The last couple of times we've been there, we didn't have great service or servers and the food was not very good. We skipped the Primetime the last 2 trips to WDW and probably will not go back for a while. We'll be at WDW next week and didn't make ADRs and don't plan to make ADRs there for our trip in May 09.

For us, it was always a staple of our dining itinerary on every visit for many years. However, the food quality started dropping the last few times we ate there and on our last trip, the service was not nearly as good as it has been in the past. We will not be going back anytime soon, but I think everyone should try it at least once.

I agree with all these quoted posters. And it's funny, someone up-thread commented that their food tasted like the kitchen forgot the salt? The last couple of times we've gone our food has tasted almost of nothing *but* salt. Maybe now the salty pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.

agnes!

 

[Christine43]

One of my sons is autistic and won't understand the teasing of the waiter so what I plan to do is pass him/her a note explaining this. Sound like a good idea? Has anyone ever purposefully gotten someone into "trouble"?

 

[Cupcake88]

We were there Jan 08 with my 15 year old son who is also autistic. He's pretty high functioning but sometimes thinks people are insulting him when they are just kidding him. It's a hard distinction to make. His therapist worked with him before we went to explain that kidding is having fun WITH someone and teasing is when they're being mean. When we went to 50sPT, we explained that the waitress would be kidding him. I think she picked up on his deal and laid it more on his father! I am sure you can tell the waitress or the hostess/host about your "special issue" when you check in. I found that every CM in Disney went out of their way to make Evan's time delightful...no matter what tweaks we needed. We had a good time at 50sPT but we chose not to go back simply because we ADULTS didn't want to be picked on!! Evan truly enjoyed it and got into the whole act. He laughed the whole time because, obviously, watching Daddy get picked on is VERY funny! She did just enough to make it fun and then backed off. It was great.

 

[G-Duck]

One of my sons is autistic and won't understand the teasing of the waiter so what I plan to do is pass him/her a note explaining this. Sound like a good idea? Has anyone ever purposefully gotten someone into "trouble"?

We were there with a large group at three different tables, and I was the one the other tables decided to get in trouble. It was a lot of fun and everyone new that I would be the best one to have the waiter pick on, but they set the waiter up also, because I can give as well as receive. We all had a blast and the waiter (Cousin Jimmy) was a great sport.

It is like most things at the World, it's as fun as you want it to be.

 

[Tikitoi]

Food was excellent. We had fried chicken and pot roast in our group. But the wait was so long. Not sure if just and off night or they were just taking it easy. But the cherry flavored sprite made up for it.

 

[My2QTs]

We were just there last Sunday and I agree with the pps who said that each time they went their experience got worse. WE loved it the first two times...this time, not so much. OUr food portions were ridiculous, the wait time was long, we had a party of nine, which they split up so we had two different servers, and ours was horrible (our other table's was great). We had a very grumpy almost condescending older guy (can't remember his name...). He was having a blast with another table (and I meant a blast..) but didn't give us the time of day. He was actually boardering on miserable. WE won't be going back on our next trip. Our brownie sundae was good though. My pot roast said it came with carrots and literally I got about five shredded pieces...like you would put in a tossed salad...not even real whole carrots!!! I got almost no mashed potatoes, and my pot roast was fatty. Very much a let down this time.

 

[Ronni]

I was disappointed the last time I ate there. I had been looking forward to the fried chicken for months--well, the fryer was broken the day Adam and I went! D'OH!

So I got the pot roast. It was tasty, but the meat/potatoes ratio was unbalanced, so I was done with all the mashed potatoes and had a HUGE hunk of meat left. It just wasn't right. *sigh* I got in trouble, but thank GOD they didn't do the airplane on me even though I hid my food under my napkin. Still, I had fun and the squeaky voiced server cracked me up.

 

[jenscottvert]

We ate there this past February and loved it!!!!!! Our CM was a blast, we love the atmosphere, and c'mon...the pot roast and brownie sundae are some of the best things ever! This was definitely a favorite memory from our trip and I'll be booking it again when we go in Dec 09!

 

[4greatboys]

It used to be one of my favorite places to go but not so much anymore. My favorite waiter, Topher, went to Cali Grill. Seems like the past year or so the waiters have toned it down a bit, not quite as much "fun". Next they took Fried Cheese off the menu. No it doesn't sound that bad but it was really good and we miss it.