A twist on the dining thread - bad food?

[Sherry E]

Wow, this seems to be a popular thread. I need to jump in on it! I agree that the Tomorrowland Terrace food is not great. However, one of my friends used to LOVE that place for some reason. I used to love this drink they served in Tomorrowland called Space Mist - way back in the early '80s - but other than that, forget it. The pizza SLICES only at Redd Rocket's Pizza Port were $5.00 and counting last time I checked. $5.00 is too much for bland pizza. My other friend got sick after eating the pot pie at Carnation Cafe, and yet we keep going back there to eat! I found the buffet at Storytellers Cafe not as varied and assorted as Goofy's buffet, and yet I did not care for the Goofy's dinner buffet much at all. I like the meatball sandwiches at Wine Country Trattoria in Cal. Advent. but they don't melt the cheese on them, which bugged me for some reason. They just sprinkle it on. The bacon is very greasy at all the buffets - it tastes darn good but it is greasy and if I eat more than one slice of it, I can just feel the grease sitting in my stomach. The waffles were very dry at Carnation and the scrambled eggs were lukewarm. Also, has anyone seen the prices for the bottled juice they sell in carts around the parks - it's like $4.00 for a small bottle of juice. Too much.

 

[Diznygrl]

I find the comments about the mac n cheese to be pretty funny. I haven't tried it myself, but I saw a program on Food Network about how Disney goes to great lengths to perfect their recipe for mac n cheese so that it pleases the palates of children, even going so far as gathering kids to participate in a taste test so they know which recipe is the best to use.

HOWEVER, I believe this show was about WDW, so maybe DLR is different and just doesn't care about what their mac n cheese tastes like. Anyone have any experience with WDW's mac n cheese?

 

[CrAzY4DL]

I ate at Rancho del Zocalo on my last trip and I have to say, NEVER AGAIN!

It was soooo nasty and the lines to order the food were HUGE, and the line to get drinks was HUGE and the line to pay was horrendously HUGE so by the time we got outside to eat, the food was cold. I got a chicken enchilada and it was hard as a rock, super salty and just blech. I ate less than half and tossed it. Steer clear!

 

[bumbershoot]

I find the comments about the mac n cheese to be pretty funny. I haven't tried it myself, but I saw a program on Food Network about how Disney goes to great lengths to perfect their recipe for mac n cheese so that it pleases the palates of children, even going so far as gathering kids to participate in a taste test so they know which recipe is the best to use.

HOWEVER, I believe this show was about WDW, so maybe DLR is different and just doesn't care about what their mac n cheese tastes like. Anyone have any experience with WDW's mac n cheese?

The Blue Bayou mac and cheese is different from anywhere else we saw or bought it. I think maybe since it's so dark in there, they have to make it brighter so the servers can see it? Hence the nuclear orange? And I *think* it was spiral pasta...maybe they are trying to make it look gourmet? I don't know, but it was different than the other stuff we saw and bought for DS at DLR.

 

[jlima]

The pizza at Redd Rocket's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland. Tasted like cardboard. Never again.

 

[tink too]

I find the comments about the mac n cheese to be pretty funny. I haven't tried it myself, but I saw a program on Food Network about how Disney goes to great lengths to perfect their recipe for mac n cheese so that it pleases the palates of children, even going so far as gathering kids to participate in a taste test so they know which recipe is the best to use.

HOWEVER, I believe this show was about WDW, so maybe DLR is different and just doesn't care about what their mac n cheese tastes like. Anyone have any experience with WDW's mac n cheese?

DD has always loved the Mac n Cheese at WDW!

Guess I'll have to try to steer her away from DL's though.

 

[MicknMinnJen]

hmmm...haven't made it back to DLR in a couple of years, but aside from the HORRIBLE continental breakfast at our hotel, the only meal I can remember us complaining about was the wildlife/safari restaurant in DTD (cant remember the name). Service was SLOOOOW and the food left much to be desired. honest cant remember what was even ordered now, aside from my niece being fairly happy that they had Costco Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets...her favorite.

The atmosphere was AWESOME and the thunder storms were so fun! The light up drink cups were too.

 

[Sunobo]

hmmm...haven't made it back to DLR in a couple of years, but aside from the HORRIBLE continental breakfast at our hotel, the only meal I can remember us complaining about was the wildlife/safari restaurant in DTD (cant remember the name). Service was SLOOOOW and the food left much to be desired. honest cant remember what was even ordered now, aside from my niece being fairly happy that they had Costco Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets...her favorite.

The atmosphere was AWESOME and the thunder storms were so fun! The light up drink cups were too.

Based on the last line, it sounds like your talking about the Rainforest Cafe.

 

[Sunobo]

I also would never eat at Redd Rockett's Pizza Port again. The food was poor and very expensive. We got 4 slices of pizza, 2 salads, 2 small (8 oz) bottles of water and 2 soft drinks from the fountain and it cost $53.00!

 

[MicknMinnJen]

YES! it was the Rain Forest Cafe.!!!! Thank you!


...lack of sleep causes LARGE brain farts!

 

[bumbershoot]

And see, I like the Rainforest Cafe's food! We're veggie so things are limited (though the appetizer nachos without the meat were wonderful), but maybe those limited food choices are their best?

Service was slow, though, as it is at our local RFC. They are just busy all the time, alas.

 

[pumpkin5156]

I agree with the service being slow at Rain Forest and the food sub-par at best.

Also, Tomorrowland Terrace burgers are gross. Never again. We also ate at Rancho del Zocalo....I got carnitas that were nasty but ate little since I was starving. I got sick later that evening

The pizza is now $6.00 per slice. I liked the pizza, just waaaaay to too expensive.

I also think Blue Bayou food is sub-par at best.

 

[Sherry E]

I have mixed feelings about Rain Forest Cafe. It is a great theme and atmosphere, but it can get so crowded that you have to climb all the way to the top of the restaurant and eat outside by the mega-hot heat lamps. Even when it was not too crowded, we could not get seating by the aquariums, only by a gorilla. They do have a lot of choices on the menu, and their Rain Forest Ricky drink is very tasty. I have ordered their chicken fried chicken on two occasions, and the chicken is SO dry and almost hard to bite into without dunking it in gobs of gravy. I like the gravy, but I also like the chicken to be somewhat moist without it. They do serve you generous portions, though. Don't go there if you aren't really hungry.

 

[J. Galt]

I forgot about that! I felt that it tasted like vaguely pineapple-flavored melted plastic.

And my son went nuts after eating part of one, and once we got back home I found out it has corn syrup solids...DS can't have anything like that. Sadly, he LIKED it, but can't have one until his body figures out how to deal with corn syrup (or the solids or the high fructose version), or maybe he'll never be able to have another. for him.

Say it isn't so...... . This is one of my most favorite things at WDW. Could it be different at DL? I don't want to have a yucky one at DL and ruin myself for them at WDW

 

[Diznygrl]

Say it isn't so...... . This is one of my most favorite things at WDW. Could it be different at DL? I don't want to have a yucky one at DL and ruin myself for them at WDW

NO, don't worry. It is exactly the same at both places. It's just that some people like Dole Whips, and others don't. It's a matter of personal preference (but I happen to LOVE them!!).

 

[fairycat]

#1 Avoid the quick serve Italian deli thing at DTD thats part of Naples. It was over priced and Disgusting. A Friend and I were horrified at just how terrible it was

#2 any of the marinara sauce pasta (though it has been a few years) this was a veggie offering and the pasta was so thick and terrible like big twisted noodles of goo. The only pasta at DLR I will eat is Ariel's and that has been a while for me too.

#3 anything but the Tostadas at Rancho I have to say this thing was great, tasty, cheap, big enough to share, fresh and good. Everything else I have tried as a veggy I thought tasted a bit like the food they served you in elementary school lunch rooms. But I have friends who really like it, go fig.

I will be honest I eat at the same three or four places at DLR for all my trips (probably more then 30 last year) partially because I am veggy and also because I like were I go.

 

[Sherry E]

I think the quick-serve place adjacent to Naples that you are talking about is Napolini. The Mexican place in DTD also has a little adjacent quick-serve thing. I love Naples, however, so I would say DON'T avoid that. Maybe avoid it's little adjunct Napolini, but the pizza at Naples is good and very generously sized for even the smallest one! But we do tend to revisit the same three or four places over and over, too!

 

[J. Galt]

NO, don't worry. It is exactly the same at both places. It's just that some people like Dole Whips, and others don't. It's a matter of personal preference (but I happen to LOVE them!!).

 

[mariezp]

I agree with mystic path that the cream cheese filled pretzels were yucky.

The mint juleps that seem to get such rave revues tasted like mouthwash to me.

None of my family like the tamales that were out at Christmas time in CA.

But the absolute WORST was our meal at Hooke's Pointe in 2006 for the Candlelight Processional. I had some sort of chicken meal that was nastier than even the worst tv dinner I have ever eaten! Luckily the huge chunk of chocolate cake was soooo good it almost made up for the meal. (and I don't even like chocolate cake that much.)

 

[mhm]

I was overall very disappointed in most of the food at DL. However, some deserve particular attention:
--the fish & chips at Ariel's Grotto was the worst--mushy and not even recognizeable as fish
--crabcakes at Rainforest Cafe were fishy tasting (I know I shouldn't expect good food there, but I've had them at other Rainforest Cafe's & they've been good)
--my older dd, normally a mac-&-cheese vacuum, barely ate more than a bite or two of it each time she ordered it.