Are the Buffets worth it? And, who has gotten sick at Buffets?

[Rudy6]

We just returned from an eleven night stay at WDW.

Most of the buffets are $31.00 per adult. In the past we have had some type of discount, either free dining or Tables in Wonderland, so I did not give the price a lot of thought. Now, we were paying full price, over a hundred dollars for a buffet. Now, the ones that have characters may be worth a little extra, but without characters, it is just not worth it.

In the past six years, WDW has surely increased the price of these meals. In addition, I think that they were also reducing the number of choices - replacing foods with cheaper foods.

I just wonder if anyone else noticed this increase. We can feed our family of four at a counter service, for a little more than one adult buffet. Sure the counter service food isn't as good, but let's face it, buffet food is, well, buffet food.

One other thing that happened this trip, is that we all got sick. The last four days of our trip were a loss. We all had a stomach flu. I spent nearly three days in the room. I think that we got is from the Tusker House Buffet. Germs spread so easily in those buffets, and people are always touching the food.

I think that we may have eaten our last buffet at WDW.

In addition, I strongly urge people to carry, and use, the sanitizer. I will not make that mistake again. I will make sure we use it whenever we touch anything.

Being sick at WDW sure sucks.

I am curious if anyone else gets sick at WDW.

Take care,

 

[Jess6001]

I agree about the buffets. A buffet is just a buffet even at Disney (except if you want to see characters I guess). I'd rather eat CS really. I also think they can be dirty and that's the main reason I don't like them...I can't stop thinking about all those other people being around my food or that it may be out there for awhile. Yuck!

 

[Chelley00]

I think that we got is from the Tusker House Buffet. Germs spread so easily in those buffets, and people are always touching the food.

Germs also spread from people touching the handrails in the lines for rides, from touching the restraints on the rides, from shaking hands with the characters. Last trip most of our family got the stomach flu, and we didn't eat at a buffet until our last night there.

 

[sand2270]

My DD and I did a bunch on our trip, we were on the dining plan, she at a child's price, and since it was our first trip there were many we wanted to experience. I never had any problems with food, I personally thought most items were fresh and tasted good. Nothing comes to mind as just plain bad. My DD hardly ate anything at the buffets though, so I was happy I was only paying a child's price for her.

That being said, now that she is 10 and I have to pay an adult price for her, and knowing she won't eat much we are going to skip the buffets we did our next trip. We also aren't doing the dining plan our next trip.

We will do the 1900 Park Fare breakfast since we haven't done that yet, but that will be our only buffet.

The buffets we did do are Chef Mickey's breakfast, Cape May breakfast, Crystal Palace breakfast, 1900 Park Fare dinner and Biergarten. I would do any of those again (on a side note, we also did the CRT dinner...we both thought the food was terrible, experience was fun, but we won't eat there again ).

 

[cbg1027]

I got sick once at Disney, I know it sucks. orry you lost so many days of your trip.

I know I didn't get sick from a buffet though, since I didn't eat at a single one on that trip.

I avoid buffets like the plague at home because the food sucks and I dont feel like I get a good value for the money.

At Disney, I like some of them because compared to ordering 3 courses at TS, I get much more for the money.

The cleanliness issue isn't a factor for me at all. I've worked in 3 different restaurants so I know how things are back there. I look at it as improving my immune systems defenses. The buffets at Disney as cleaner than a lot of TS places you probably dine at anyways!

 

[2Tiggies]

We like the buffets. We wash our hands before we eat and never had a problem. It is no different having people around the food serving themselves than it is having the staff in the kitchen around it preparing it. If it is a concern and you really do want to do a buffet, you could make sure you get a ressie near to one of the first sittings for whatever meal you want to do. That way the food will be freshly out and it would have had less exposure to other people.

Personally, I don't think hygiene at a buffet is that different to that at any other restaurant, but that is just how I feel about it and could be wrong.

 

[notaclue]

We really like the buffets because we have some big eaters in our family and the fixed price doesn't wreck our budget. We've never gotten sick after eating at a buffet but last year I became very sick after eating at Rose and Crown.

 

[danielle.st]

We loved all of the buffets we went to, and we went to plenty. We will go to plenty this time too
I'm sure there are germs there. I think there are likely just as many on any ride we or arm rest in any show at WDW.
There are likely even more on the airplanes we use to get to the world!
Germs are unavoidable and I don't let fear of them ruin my fun.

 

[rockydek]

Buffets always make me sick...Hoop Dee Do did as well.
I have to stay away from them..I can only eat freshly made items at Buffets.
Omelets..etc

 

[MrsLS]

Thats why I hate buffets, I always fear getting sick because people touch the same spoon over & over again, plus I don't like how things just sit there too. Although if you think of the price $30+ isn't that much because if you go to a TS restaurant and get an app, entree & dessert it will cost much more than $30, plus most of the buffets at Disney have the characters. But i still avoid the buffets.

 

[amyy]

We love the buffets. My DBF likes to eat a lot and I am picky so I can load up on the things I do enjoy. I think we have only ever done character buffets.

 

[Tikitoi]

Thank goodness, never gotten sick. So, yes worth it for me. But for DD12 who weighs 65 pounds and gets charged as an adult, NOT.

 

[Pumbaa_]

2 different issues

Buffet prices - vote with your dollars - I agree with the price and we do not go to very many buffets, usually Boma & Cape May. That may change with cape May increasing their price yet again

Sick at Disney hard to track down. You could have gotten it in the airport and it just took a while to incubate. BTDT, so sick, just wanted to go home but too sick to pack. Could have gotten it anywhere. Wasn't at any buffets that trip.

 

[ssawka]

I'm with you on the buffets. I refuse to eat at them anymore. Not because of the sanitary issue but because I really don't believe the food provided is worth the price. I'd much rather eat at a regular TS restaurant even if it costs a little more.

 

[Nadjalu]

We always do many buffets and have not gotten sick.
Yes the price is terrible, but you are going to pay the price of "amuesment park" food if you want to eat in the parks.

Sorry that you got sick, that was not fun. But saying that it most likely came from the buffet is a bit over kill. There is no way to know. Just like kids at school, you are in an enviornment that is packed with germs, it is the luck of the draw and your immune system.

Sorry again.

 

[Lynne M]

Everyone assumes if they get sick to their stomach, it must have been the last food that they ate. Norovirus is rampant at WDW right now, and that's likely what you had. You could have picked it up from any surface, anywhere. A railing, a doorknob, an elevator button.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I got sick once at Disney, I know it sucks. orry you lost so many days of your trip.

I know I didn't get sick from a buffet though, since I didn't eat at a single one on that trip.

Yep - I got pneumonia once at Walt Disney World. Pretty sure I didn't get it from a buffet, or any other meal, or any attraction, or even any hotel room - because each was shared with other members of my party! Oh - except the getting sick part. That was just me!

 

[tndisneyfan]

I didn't get sick at the buffet but I don't think they are worth the moeny. We ate at Chef Mickey's in October and before the TIW discount our meal was $110, after tax but before tip. That was for three adults, well two adults and a Disney adult (DS14). I'm not a picky eater and I thought the food was mediocre at best. On the other hand we went to LeCellier and had a nice meal for right around $110 also. I would rather eat at a normal sitdown restaurant or a nicer CS than spend the money on a buffet.

 

[Eeyorerocks!]

We have dined at Disney buffets, multiple times, on every trip we have taken, and have never gotten sick.

We love the buffets (espcially CP and Chef Mickey's). Yes, they are expensive, but everything is expensive in WDW

For us, the buffet usually takes the place of two meals, and we always find things that we each like. The variety is great (I think my fave so far is lunch at CP), and I think it's worth it to have a large selection from which to choose. The CS options can be limited (though we do really enjoy Cosmic Ray's).

I think as others have pointed out, there are lots of germs everywhere - very difficult to pinpoint where and under what circumstances you got sick, IMO. Though I do understand some people are very wary of buffets. The good thing is that there are so many types of dining at Disney!

 

[goofy4prez]

I don't do many buffets, but it has little to do with the chances of getting cooties from the serving spoons. I simply don't do them often because I personally don't care for the quality of the food compared to those at a TS restaurant (Boma's the exception).

There are hundreds of places in WDW where you can catch a virus other than buffets. Thousands of people are touching rails, seat belts, shoulder restraints, and every other object that one touches. Germs are just floating all over WDW along with the pixie dust. I guess the only way to really avoid it is to arm yourself with sanitizer, Lysol, a surgical mask, and gloves.

I personally have never gotten sick at WDW in any of my visits including the winter months of December and January. I didn't wear gloves and a mask either. I'm wondering if some (note I said some, not most or all) picked up the germs while flying down on the plane and gotten sick while down there because of it.