Cape May Dinner - $71 if you want crab legs!?

[kevgraub]

Except it is not a buffet any more. The pre-Covid buffet had far more to choose from than the current platters.

The again, people on here have been saying that the pre-Covid buffet was basically inedible except for the crab legs. So did having all of those other food items really make it worth more money if no one liked them?

Maybe by cutting down the number of items being served (and no longer serving a very expensive food on an AYCE buffet), they can raise the quality of the food that is being served. That seems to be the reviews I am seeing from Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's. Hopefully that holds at Cape May.

I realize I am probably coming off as some major defender of Cape May. Actually not the case at all. I am taking a wait and see approach. We go there next week, and I will know more then. Again though, my review is going to be based on what is currently offered and whether that is a good value for WDW, not based on my wishes that it would go back to what it was pre-Covid.

 

[PPFlight75]

The again, people on here have been saying that the pre-Covid buffet was basically inedible except for the crab legs. So did having all of those other food items really make it worth more money if no one liked them?

Maybe by cutting down the number of items being served (and no longer serving a very expensive food on an AYCE buffet), they can raise the quality of the food that is being served. That seems to be the reviews I am seeing from Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's. Hopefully that holds at Cape May.

I realize I am probably coming off as some major defender of Cape May. Actually not the case at all. I am taking a wait and see approach. We go there next week, and I will know more then. Again though, my review is going to be based on what is currently offered and whether that is a good value for WDW, not based on my wishes that it would go back to what it was pre-Covid.

I think the "worth it" part for me is that there's enough variety to satisfy everyone in our group. We would do a few buffets each trip not to eat until we pop but to have enough for our picky bunch to pick from.
When my brother-in-law wanted Cape May dinner, we easily found other foods for our non-seafood folks. My DH absolutely loves Biergarten, so we go for him. However, if it wasn't for nudel gratin and salad I wouldn't eat anything and my kids pick completely different items.
The variety is what attracts us. We will be ok without going to these family-style dinners, but I hope some of these buffets come back for that reason.

 

[Ziggie]

So disappointed that buffet service won't be available as CM is one of our absolute fave restaurants. We'll be there in July and, hopefully, we will still have a great time!

 

[snoopy352]

The again, people on here have been saying that the pre-Covid buffet was basically inedible except for the crab legs. So did having all of those other food items really make it worth more money if no one liked them?

Maybe by cutting down the number of items being served (and no longer serving a very expensive food on an AYCE buffet), they can raise the quality of the food that is being served. That seems to be the reviews I am seeing from Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's. Hopefully that holds at Cape May.

I realize I am probably coming off as some major defender of Cape May. Actually not the case at all. I am taking a wait and see approach. We go there next week, and I will know more then. Again though, my review is going to be based on what is currently offered and whether that is a good value for WDW, not based on my wishes that it would go back to what it was pre-Covid.

I look forward to your review and am having an open mind. But please let us know ahead of time or during your review whether you thought the food at the previous buffet was good or not - that will go a long way toward me being able to successfully use your review as guidance on our upcoming trip. Thanks!

 

[North of Mouse]

The again, people on here have been saying that the pre-Covid buffet was basically inedible except for the crab legs. So did having all of those other food items really make it worth more money if no one liked them?

Not all people! It was our favorite buffet and we by far weren't the only ones as getting a ressie has been very hard for years. In accordance with other Disney restaurant prices, we felt it was well worth the buffet price. We loved all the food offerings and didn't go just for the crab legs. We will definitely eat there again when WDW is more like it was pre Covid and we plan our next trip (that's hopefully our plans anyway).

 

[persimmondeb]

We've got an ADR for our upcoming trip, and we're looking forward to it. Now, we've never eaten there before (had an ADR once we had to give up for some reason I now forget), so there's nothing for us to compare it to, but the menu looks appealing, and AYCTE for $42 seems reasonable by Disney standards. Now my DH wouldn't eat crab legs on a bet, and my DS and I would probably not have more than a cluster or two, so the lack of crab legs on the platter isn't the end of the world. Unlimited shrimp, clams, and mussels sounds very good to DS particularly. We MIGHT order a pound and split them, but I think it's likely we'll decide that's just not necessary.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Yes, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and fries are available.

I finally got a reservation! Do we need to request the chicken nuggets and fries in advance or just when seated?

 

[suzannews]

I finally got a reservation! Do we need to request the chicken nuggets and fries in advance or just when seated?

Just let the server know when they take your drink order. No need to do anything in advance.

 

[SnowWitch]

Just saw this thread and canceled our Friday night reservation. Disney Springs here we come. They have seriously lost their minds!
Cape May is an okay place to eat but it’s skippable. So skip we shall.

 

[Eastern]

I finally got a reservation! Do we need to request the chicken nuggets and fries in advance or just when seated?

Isn't it funny reading these two sentences together? It's so very Disney.

 

[kevgraub]

I realize I am probably coming off as some major defender of Cape May. Actually not the case at all. I am taking a wait and see approach. We go there next week, and I will know more then. Again though, my review is going to be based on what is currently offered and whether that is a good value for WDW, not based on my wishes that it would go back to what it was pre-Covid.

Almost caught back up at work, and wanted to give my thoughts on Cape May dinner.

It was ok.

Not great, not terrible. Just ok.

Most of our group preferred the turf platter. I enjoyed both, but found the surf platter to be somewhat bland and most of the seafood way over cooked (which is understandable considering the family style setup). The chimichurri sauce on the beef was a bit overpowering, so you may want to ask for that on the side.

There was a lot of food, and no problems getting more of whatever we wanted. Everyone had plenty to eat, and no one really complained about the meal. But at the same time, no one felt the need to stuff themselves (as was the case at Liberty Tree Tavern) and no one was really raving about the place either. I cannot point to one thing that I would necessarily complain about, but also could not point to one thing that I would rave about either.

We did not add on the lobster or the crab legs. I doubt a pound of crab legs would have made the meal much better, but maybe the lobster would have been worth it?

Would I eat there again? Probably. But if I had a chance to eat elsewhere, I would certainly look to that first. It is certainly convenient if you are staying in that area, and the price is in line with any other table service meal you will fine. But it is not going to be on a must do list if we go back to WDW again.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Almost caught back up at work, and wanted to give my thoughts on Cape May dinner.

It was ok.

Not great, not terrible. Just ok.

Most of our group preferred the turf platter. I enjoyed both, but found the surf platter to be somewhat bland and most of the seafood way over cooked (which is understandable considering the family style setup). The chimichurri sauce on the beef was a bit overpowering, so you may want to ask for that on the side.

There was a lot of food, and no problems getting more of whatever we wanted. Everyone had plenty to eat, and no one really complained about the meal. But at the same time, no one felt the need to stuff themselves (as was the case at Liberty Tree Tavern) and no one was really raving about the place either. I cannot point to one thing that I would necessarily complain about, but also could not point to one thing that I would rave about either.

We did not add on the lobster or the crab legs. I doubt a pound of crab legs would have made the meal much better, but maybe the lobster would have been worth it?

Would I eat there again? Probably. But if I had a chance to eat elsewhere, I would certainly look to that first. It is certainly convenient if you are staying in that area, and the price is in line with any other table service meal you will fine. But it is not going to be on a must do list if we go back to WDW again.

We ate there last week, and I’d agree with what you said.

The kids loved the chicken and fries though

Given we were staying at the Boardwalk and it was an easy walk over, I’d go back. Just wouldn’t make a special trip if I wasn‘t staying in the Epcot resorts area.