Atmosphere Trumping Food (And Being Okay With It)

[NickC]

I agree with the OP. I don't go to WDW to eat, I go for the atmosphere...the experience. Places like Sci-Fi Dine in, Biergarten and HDDR are favorites of mine. The food isn't bad by any stretch. It's just not going to be as good as fresh from the sea, clams and mussels in Naples, Italy...and I'm ok with that.

 

[Saxsoon]

Sci-Fi for us. My kids absolutely love it. This trip we're trying San Angel Inn, I know it's got an awful reputation, but the atmosphere looks awesome, I can't wait to go.

My family has gone for over 20 years. My mom and my sister are not sci fi type people and even they love the place. My dad and I . . . well that is another story. I would never go for dinner but lunch for a burger is great.

 

[nco91590]

Biergarten totally fits into this category for me. As a previous poster said, some of the buffet items are....curious (I'm looking at you white sausages) but there's plenty of standbys that everyone can eat. The atmosphere is so fun and old school Disney I just LOVE it.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Sci Fi, Biergarten, Teppan Edo and T Rex

 

[Quicklabs]

Can't beat a table by the water at San Angel Inn, although any Mexican restaurant anywhere probably serves a better meal with better service.

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

Raglan Road - the food is okay, not as authentic as it once was, and its wine list is cruddy (hubby cant drink beer) but it’s a must do because of the entertainment and fun.

 

[RealBlast3]

I think it's interesting to hear people talk about restaurants they love to visit, not necessarily because the food is great, but because the atmosphere and themeing of the restaurant is top notch. The most popular examples are probably Cinderella's Royal Table and Chef Mickey's; sure, you can get a better breakfast almost anywhere else, but it's the fact that you're meeting the characters that outweigh the quality of the food.

For me personally, the 50's Prime Time Cafe is the perfect example; the food is okay to 'good but I can absolutely do better in Hollywood Studios', but the 50's aesthetics are everything to me. The staff is so friendly and they never break character, it's just too much fun.

So! The question and discussion I want to have is, which places do you eat at just for the atmosphere?

Lots of places, but unlike others I don't think the food is "bad" at any of these places, like some do. I don't go to places where I don't enjoy the food. But I am easy to please. I have had meals I loved at all these "themed" places

Sci-fi Dine-in
Coral Reef
'50s Prime Time
Rainforest Cafe
T-Rex

And all the various character dining places.

To me, there is a wide spectrum of food quality that pleases me and I can be quite happy with above places as well as happy with signatures. I have honestly very rarely had "bad" or even "ok" food at Disney but I realize I am in the minority.

Honestly, the only themed restaurant I have been to at Disney that has stunk each time that not even the theme could save it was Tony's Town Square. Otherwise I have been more pleased by everything else even if it wasn't perfect quality.

 

[Victoriasponge]

I guess I think about atmosphere as something different to theming, so I will give multiple answers (because I love so many restaurants )

Best for atmosphere: California Grill
Best for theming: San Angel Inn, 50s Prime Time
Whilst not top in either of the above categories, the restaurant that has best food alongside good theming: Restaurant Marrakesh

 

[Simba's Mom]

I ranked ours based on our experiences.
Best Food:
The Wave
Chefs de France

Best Atmosphere:
Beaches and Cream
Cinderella's Royal Table
Sci-fi Dine In

I think it's interesting that you chose B&C as best for atmosphere. I've gotta admit that when they blink the lights and give the speech for the "Kitchen Sink" and when they get to "A whole can of whipped cream" and everyone yells "A whole can!!", that's true atmosphere. I love it!

Another favorite for me is 50s Prime Time. Last time I was there, the whole room was singing along to the theme song from "Car 54, Where Are You?" But how many of them knew Idlewild Airport?

 

[Haley R]

I think it's interesting that you chose B&C as best for atmosphere. I've gotta admit that when they blink the lights and give the speech for the "Kitchen Sink" and when they get to "A whole can of whipped cream" and everyone yells "A whole can!!", that's true atmosphere. I love it!

Another favorite for me is 50s Prime Time. Last time I was there, the whole room was singing along to the theme song from "Car 54, Where Are You?" But how many of them knew Idlewild Airport?

I love when they bring out the kitchen sinks and flash the lights. Is the food amazing? No. But it’s still pretty good!

We’ve been to 50s once and probably won’t be back. It just wasn’t that great of an experience

 

[jlb727]

Can't beat a table by the water at San Angel Inn, although any Mexican restaurant anywhere probably serves a better meal with better service.

I agree. The atmosphere is so neat at a table right next to the river watching the boats go by, but the food is standard Mexican that I can get anywhere else for like half the price.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Hanging on my refrigerator for the last 19 years is a picture of our family from Chef Mickey's -my son was 6 years old in that picture, it was our first trip to Disney. Every trip to Disney since then he requests that as our first meal. It's not for the food that's for sure. It's so that we can get a hug from the characters and start the trip on a good note. The food is ok, I actually love the potatoes there and the Mickey Mousse, but I wouldn't go out of my way for a buffet like that anywhere other than Disney.

 

[tinkgrumpy]

I agree with others, Raglan Road is a must do at least once for the atmosphere and entertainment. I do love the theming (and the air conditioning) of the San Angel Inn, though the food I am sure makes all of Mexico red faced with shame at the representation of their marvelous cuisine. We also love Beaches and Cream but we sure loved it better when you could just walk in and get a table for lunch with no wait.

 

[piccolopat]

Be Our Guest - the food was decent (that was last year before the new menu) but I made a deliberate choice when planning my ADRs and I knew I was here for the theming. I went in with expectations so low regarding food that I was actually pleasantly surprised and the theming there is amazing so no regrets here.

On the other end of the spectrum, Sunshine Seasons is a restaurant I went to knowing the theming was going to be problematic for me but I was looking forward to the food. Well it managed to disappoint me - I felt I was eating in a cafeteria and I won't go back.

Sunshine Seasons is really a food court, not a restaurant, and certainly not one with a theme unless you consider its placement in the Land to be theming. The cafeteria atmosphere is exactly what it is. I've always found the food generally OK, certainly not gourmet. I can see how the food would disappoint if you thought this was a restaurant but I'm not sure how anyone could make that mistake. Curious about what you expected.

 

[Burgundy Rose]

Sunshine Seasons is really a food court, not a restaurant, and certainly not one with a theme unless you consider its placement in the Land to be theming. The cafeteria atmosphere is exactly what it is. I've always found the food generally OK, certainly not gourmet. I can see how the food would disappoint if you thought this was a restaurant but I'm not sure how anyone could make that mistake. Curious about what you expected.

I'm really sorry, it's my fault, I should have explained better.

The theming didn't disappoint me (I had zero expectations and indeed, I didn't enjoy the place) but since I was expecting the food to be good, I was disappointed in the food. To me it tasted really bland, even though there were plenty of choices (and between us we ordered multiple items). I've eaten at plenty of places in Disney and I have found that food can be great or poor everywhere - quick service places as well as restaurants. This particular one just didn't do it for me

 

[princessmocha]

Sci-Fi Dine In comes to mind for me. Our last time there in November though the food was really not good and so it is being put on the back burner for a while and so is Chef Mickey's. We have loved eating at BOG even with the food only being ok, but the atmosphere is great. I saw someone commenting on some of the food at Biergarten and since my hubby is 1/2 German, he loves it there and all the weird sausages! LOL We love that atmosphere as well, even when we get seated with another group of people.

 

[Smoomoo]

Coral Reef.
The food is not great but the view is amazing.
I um and ah every trip but still book

 

[jarestel]

The theme of the Disney restaurants is by and large the main draw for me when I'm on vacation. I don't expect my Disney meals to be the "best I've ever had" as long as they're not falling into the "worst I've ever had" category. And for the vast majority of Disney eateries the meals are somewhere in between the best and worst and this is perfectly acceptable. Throw in a generous portion of Disney theming/atmosphere and it hits the spot perfectly.

 

[LovesTimone]

For us.... hummm... I had to think about it...

Sci-Fi for sure.... the burgers and milkshakes, are good and everything else is well just so so... Now sitting in the cars, with the cheesy B rated movie.. is wonderful...

Rain Forest and T-REX... we love to take friends and family here, I will say that is was more like pub food in the past, I have noticed recently in the last 2 years the quality of the food, and meal presentation rising... They are upping their game... Who doesn't want to eat with the Dino's.... come on... its so much dang fun...

 

[Mage of Disney]

Hello, I, the OP, am back!
Wow, I wasn't expecting this thread to get such enthusiastic responses! Thanks everyone! I just wanna make a few comments if you don't mind! First, a correction for myself; I believe when I said "atmosphere", what I'm trying to say is "themeing", but people were able to read my mind with it, so I'm glad my wording wasn't too confusing!

In general, the consensus seems to be that in Disney World restaurants, people do look for atmosphere over food, as long as the food isn't terrible, which I have to agree with! Also, someone early in the thread said that they prefer food over themeing because they don't want bad food and bad SERVICE. Understandable, however, I think atmosphere is VERY closely tied to the service they provide. If the waiters and waitresses are ALL rude (and it's not something like Whispering Canyon where the whole point is they're kinda rude), that ruins the atmosphere immensely. So when I say "atmosphere over food", good service falls into that too!

I have seen a LOT of people replying with Si-Fi as an example of atmosphere trumping food, which I expected. As my signature suggests, I unironically love Si-Fi, and I'm glad people can say they like the burgers at least! Si-Fi is everything I love; 50's cars, milkshakes, and cheesy B movies! The other one that's popped up a lot in this thread is Biergarten, which I've never actually eaten at before, but it does sound fun! Probably a good place to stop and eat if you were to try and drink around the world, lol. Others have suggested Be Our Guest, San Angel Inn, Raglan Road, and Beaches and Cream. I'm also glad people agree with me on Primetime!

People have also been bringing up a good counterpoint to my original talking point too; places they go where they want an amazing meal, but lack on the themeing. The biggest one I've seen is Chefs de France, which I wholeheartedly agree with! I also think Rose and Crown is an amazing restaurant food-wise that isn't the best with atmosphere. Also, in general, I feel that a lot of Disney Springs restaurants trade in a lot of themeing for quality food, but that might just be my childhood memories blocking out possibly clever themeing because I was young and not in EPCOT, haha!

Overall, I think that it's up to you to decided which trait you value more, and to try and find a balance in the restaurants you eat at. No matter what, we can all agree on one thing; if you're in the park, it's expensive no matter what!

Anyways, thank you all so much for the replies! Keep them coming, this is a really interesting conversation, and it's cool to see all the different opinions! ^w^)v