A Mess at Via Napoli

[NickC]

Aside from the chaos in the waiting area, that sounds like an authentic meal in Naples...Slow service and good pizza. We just got back from Italy and the wait staff is certainly less attentive than in the US. But, at the same time, they do allow you to take your time to enjoy your food, wine and conversation without trying to turn tables.

Losing an extra hour at Epcot would frustrate me as well. But some of the best memories for us in WDW have come from sitting at the dinner table.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Aside from the chaos in the waiting area, that sounds like an authentic meal in Naples...Slow service and good pizza. We just got back from Italy and the wait staff is certainly less attentive than in the US. But, at the same time, they do allow you to take your time to enjoy your food, wine and conversation without trying to turn tables.

They aren't as concerned about turning tables because they dont survive on tips, like here in the US.

 

[Nancyg56]

They aren't as concerned about turning tables because they dont survive on tips, like here in the US.

To be fair, it is usually not the servers driving the pace in any restaurant, it is management.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't know what part of Italy your then husband visited or what the kitchen was like when you ate there but my southern and northern Italian friends who visited WDW long before me encouraged me to eat at VN before I went for the first time. I will say I've only had the Margherita pie since I'm a purist that way. My thinking is if you can do the simplest pie right the rest is gravy.

He’d been in Rome, mainly. Which I know isn’t Naples. But he had enjoyed the food during his trip, and was very excited for even more of a true Italian experience.

The crust was bitter (and we don’t add sugar to much, so it wasn’t that we have an American palate that requires sweetness). The whole thing was beyond fire-kissed, to be downright burned. The veggies on it tasted off. I personally always have issues with real mozzarella, so I’d taken that off, but it didn’t solve the problem for me, and wouldn’t have been an issue going in for son and then-husband.

I ate literally two bites. The server asked how it was and I told her. And she said “oh” and walked away.

With a big guy and a hungry preteen son in my dining party, we left nearly half the pizza on the table. Unheard of in my family.

 

[leiaorgana]

We’ve been Via Napoli lots of times and pretty much every time we’ve been the waiting area has been packed and there’s never anywhere to sit while waiting. I just expect that for there. It’s a popular restaurant.

We always ask to sit in the main room now though because of how noisy and cold the side room is. We’ve had a couple of less than stellar experiences when we’ve been sat in there and I just tell them we’re happy to wait for a table to come free in the main room now. Never had any issues with the food there though.

Our worst experience with a server there was a couple of years ago when the Brexit referendum vote had just happened a couple of days before and when he realised we’re British he spent the entire meal talking to us about it and wanted to know how we voted etc I just found it really inappropriate tbh It’s like dude we’re on holiday and just want to eat our pizza not talk politics.

 

[NYCgrrl]

He’d been in Rome, mainly. Which I know isn’t Naples. But he had enjoyed the food during his trip, and was very excited for even more of a true Italian experience.

The crust was bitter (and we don’t add sugar to much, so it wasn’t that we have an American palate that requires sweetness). The whole thing was beyond fire-kissed, to be downright burned. The veggies on it tasted off. I personally always have issues with real mozzarella, so I’d taken that off, but it didn’t solve the problem for me, and wouldn’t have been an issue going in for son and then-husband.

I ate literally two bites. The server asked how it was and I told her. And she said “oh” and walked away.

With a big guy and a hungry preteen son in my dining party, we left nearly half the pizza on the table. Unheard of in my family.

You don't strike me as a woman who doesn't know the difference between Rome and Naples
I'm sorry the pie didn't meet with your approval and although I tend towards a plain pie unless clams are involved (I'm talking about you, Pepe's!) we both know that roasted vegetables should never taste off unless they are. I can understand walking away from a bad experience and retaining the thought for years. Hope you get to a better made Neapolitan style pie someday .

 

[buzznina]

We are 2 for 2 with the food being just okay and spending way to much time waiting Might have to give it a 3rd try, since it's one of the cheaper CP options.

 

[emilymad]

My issue at Via Napoli is that they always rush us through our meal. We love the food but we have been in and out in 45 minutes. Even with the CP package one year ( 3 courses) it took at most an hour.

 

[gillep]

Dined here twice, both times bad service and bad food. We are done with VN, which is sad because we have only ever had positive experiences with both food and service at their sister restaurant in Disneyland, Naples.