Anyone besides me dislike buffets?

[dislaney]

I dislike buffets. The only time I go to one is at Disney and it's usually for the characters for my kiddos.

 

[Janice B]

I hate buffets! The food quality is not great, I always end up with a stomach ache after, the bathrooms are always stinky, everyone touches the same serving handle, food gets mixed or dropped in other food at the station, people are talking and coughing around the buffet, just all around NASTY!

These are all the same reasons why I avoid buffets as much as possible.

 

[B-Ride]

When our kids were younger buffets made a lot of sense both at home and when at WDW. They liked the idea of sampling many different items and then having a choice of which they wanted to try again.

Now that they are older we have given up going to buffets when at home and at WDW the only one we still frequent is Boma.

As for people not washing their hands, this is a problem you can't escape no matter where you are.

 

[Golf4food]

We are not big fans. We much prefer non-buffets and will only eat at certain buffets and even then not on a regular basis. We like Boma well enough, and the Biergarten every few trips, but other than that? Until we have kids and HAVE to eat at them for character meals (like the CP, for instance) we generally avoid them.

 

[Chee Chick]

My husband absolutely hates buffets! It took me quite awhile to convince him to attend the Disney character buffets at Tusker House and Crystal Palace. He only did it for our child to have a fun experience. He claims to always get a stomach ache after eating at a buffet. Sometimes I think it is all in his head!

 

[Pugmalion1]

I'm with you. I've never been a fan of any buffet-style dining experience, anywhere. I'm not saying that they can't have good food, but there's too much potential for other people and/or poor buffet management to ruin my dining experience. The idea of queuing up with the masses to pile food on a plate smacks of sidling up to a feeding trough.

If I'm paying for someone else to cook my food, I want someone to bring it out to me, as well. I will gladly pay the premium to avoid the headaches.

 

[photobob]

I'm not a fan of buffets either. I honestly don't think about people handling the spoons or how long it's been sitting out or whatever, but I don't like the random collection of food I end up with on my plate (I know, my fault, but I just think I'll try a bit of this and a bit of that and that looks nice....). I never really enjoy the result. I'd sooner have a plate of food that was intended to all go together and be done.

I think you've really hit the nail on the head from my experience and my wife's biggest problem with buffets. You just really come back with such a random assortment of food! I realize too that it is our own fault because of what we choose. My wife perticularly has this problem with Chinese buffets, she isn't sure what she is eating!

 

[DW2010]

Ok, back to square one. I don't think I can do any buffets at DW after reading this thread...lol. Anyone want to recommend any non-buffet, great character interaction meals at DW? DD will be a few days shy of 4 and is all about princesses and recently started to love Mickey.

**It appears we'll have to eat at a buffet for DD to have a character experience. I guess once won't hurt .

 

[Mommytobree]

Outside of Disney, I never ever go to buffets. Last trip at Disney-we mainly did buffets, mainly becuase I wanted alot of character meals and many are buffets. That said, this upcoming trip, I think I am going to only do a few buffets and more sit down-al a carte style meals Sometimes, especially with me having 5 kids, I feel like I never get to sit when I am at a buffet, I am always escorting one of my kids up there. And when I did let my 12 year old go up himself once, he came back with a bowl full of M&M's

 

[n2mm]

OP, I agree. We avoid buffets completely! We are on vacation and we want someone to bring us our food. The only buffet we still go to on rare occasions is Trail's End and that is usually when we have a larger group of mixed ages. The price is reasonable and you can get a good salad there.

 

[dvcdisney]

I also find less value in dining at buffets. We can never eat our worth. The few times we went to Disney buffets, we each took one plate for the main meal and another for dessert and that was it. So for us, it's far more expensive eating at any traditional buffet than ordering the steak at Yachtsman. We end up still feeling hungry after a buffet.

We haven't dined at any traditional buffets at Disney for a long time now. I think the last time was at Chef Mickey's (for my children) and afterwards, we ended up going next door to the Concourse Steakhouse (when it was still there). I was surprised that we were able to get in without an ADR. The food and service was excellent. My children still sometimes ask if we can eat at Chef Mickey's, but it doesn't take long for them to remember the food.

And I'm not surprise that Disney has so many buffets. A lot of people love them. We're just not one of them.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Wow! I never realized how widespread the "Howie Mandel-ing" of our society has become!

I like buffets more than I should. Maybe I'm a roll-with-the-punches kind of guy, but people touching spoons, railings, trays, etc. doesn't bother me in the slightest. If it did, I'd probably never leave the house! Do some of you freeze with fear just thinking about someone in front of you sneezing while riding BTMRR?

Chef Mickey's is really the only buffet we go to in WDW, and I've always been impressed with the product they put out. It's a fun atmosphere, and the breakfast food is way better than standard buffet-fare.

So, I can't say I agree with the OP about disliking buffets.

I will say, however, that as a PP noted, there is no guarantee that the food you receive from a waiter/waitress is any less contaminated than the food in a buffet line.

 

[dvcdisney]

Ok, back to square one. I don't think I can do any buffets at DW after reading this thread...lol. Anyone want to recommend any non-buffet, great character interaction meals at DW? DD will be a few days shy of 4 and is all about princesses and recently started to love Mickey.

**It appears we'll have to eat at a buffet for DD to have a character experience. I guess once won't hurt .

You can still go to Akershus and not eat at the buffet. The appetizers (lunch and dinner) and fruit/pastries for breakfast are served buffet style, but you don't have to go up. The main course and dessert are brought to your table. And your daughter can meet with 5 Princesses.

 

[Mommytobree]

Wow! I never realized how widespread the "Howie Mandel-ing" of our society has become!

I like buffets more than I should. Maybe I'm a roll-with-the-punches kind of guy, but people touching spoons, railings, trays, etc. doesn't bother me in the slightest. If it did, I'd probably never leave the house! Do some of you freeze with fear just thinking about someone in front of you sneezing while riding BTMRR?
Chef Mickey's is really the only buffet we go to in WDW, and I've always been impressed with the product they put out. It's a fun atmosphere, and the breakfast food is way better than standard buffet-fare.

So, I can't say I agree with the OP about disliking buffets.

I will say, however, that as a PP noted, there is no guarantee that the food you receive from a waiter/waitress is any less contaminated than the food in a buffet line.

No, but I do freeze in fear when somone in front of me sneezes on the mashed potatoes!

 

[ElizabethB]

Dh and I like to sit down and be served. It's not relaxing to us if we have to keep jumping up to get our salad, our main course, our dessert, our drink, etc. We avoid all buffets both inside and outside WDW.

 

[DW2010]

You can still go to Akershus and not eat at the buffet. The appetizers (lunch and dinner) and fruit/pastries for breakfast are served buffet style, but you don't have to go up. The main course and dessert are brought to your table. And your daughter can meet with 5 Princesses.

Thanks for the tip. Akershus is a must do for us !

 

[crisi]

Not a buffet fan.

And my experience with little kids is that they might get fed right away, but I spend so much time in the buffet line getting their plates that I don't get fed at all. The moment I sit down with my food, one of the kids has decided that they are done, unless I'm willing to go get more grapes.

 

[Mommytobree]

Not a buffet fan.

And my experience with little kids is that they might get fed right away, but I spend so much time in the buffet line getting their plates that I don't get fed at all. The moment I sit down with my food, one of the kids has decided that they are done, unless I'm willing to go get more grapes.

My thoughts exactly!!

 

[MonkeyDishwasher]

You can still go to Akershus and not eat at the buffet. The appetizers (lunch and dinner) and fruit/pastries for breakfast are served buffet style, but you don't have to go up. The main course and dessert are brought to your table. And your daughter can meet with 5 Princesses.

You could also check out the Garden Grill at Epcot. The food is served family style, and I think it's Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale that make the rounds.

The Ohana Character Breakfast is also family style (Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto).

The Garden Grove at the Swan has a buffet/a la carte option, but only has two characters at each meal (Timon and Rafiki or Pluto and Goofy).

Cinderella's Royal Table is also family style (but good luck getting in!)

SO that looks like it rounds up the non-buffet options for you

 

[NOLA_Tink]

We almost never go to buffets at home, but I love the family-style all-you-care-to-eat meals at WDW. It's great to sit & be served after a long day at the park. Plus, I hate when people start elbowing me or reaching right over me or in front of me when I'm in line at a buffet...that really irks me. (This one lady at Trail's End was the worst! She was literally pushed up against me & had her arm in front of me & so close to my body that I couldn't get my own food. I finally asked her to go in front of me w/ her children b/c I couldn't take the pushing and shoving.)