Chef Mickey's for the atmosphere or food?

[hsmamato2]

we love the atmosphere and the food at dinner the prime rib and mashed potatoes are SO good! Once, we waited,and waited for Mickey to visit us....but he didn't.....so we sat,and drank,and had a nice time, while our server hovered,looking concerned when he finaly asked if we needed anything else, we said "yes,when we get Mickey here for our kids,we'll be all set!"
Wow....Mickey was there in a flash,posing,and playing with the kids all you have to do is let them notice that there won't be a free table till your satisfied,and things go great! (we understood,that plcae is BUSY at dinner!) We love it there.....

 

[mickeysgal]

We used to like Chef Mickey's mostly for the atmosphere and the parm. mashed potatoes. Its been several years since we've gone and quite honestly, after reading this thread, I have some serious doubts about our upcoming ADR there.

I wonder if I could get a take out order of those potatoes....

 

[marivaid]

Atmosphere first, food second. We went twice for breakfast, the food was better the 2nd time and we had a very late ADR. We saw all the characters and they were not too rushed, although the characters at LTT spent a lot more time with us. Our servers were also very nice. My 58yo mom celebrated her birthday at Chef Mickey's and had a blast.

That said... been there, done that, and they've raised the prices this year, so we're going to try Cape May instead.

 

[diane254@zoomtown.co]

I enjoy reading all the different opinions ! We are going to do the whole Disney adventure in December and will spend 10 days as a family. If you want a beautiful Christmas experience you must attend the Candlelight Choral at EPCOT.We are making it the closing night of our adventure this year ! Enjoy !

 

[MissMagnolia]

We had the breakfast at Chef Mickey's and I wasn't overwhelmed by the food, but excellent character interaction. My DD was dressed like Minnie and when Mickey came over to our table he reacted in the most awesome way. The photos are definitely priceless. He kept putting his hands to his mouth and then out towards her like he couldn't believe his eyes that he was seeing his beloved Minnie.

I'd go back for the character interaction. Most definitely.

Also, my DS loved to watch the monorail come through the restaurant and watch the birds that had gotten in and were flying around.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

Also, my DS loved to watch the monorail come through the restaurant and watch the birds that had gotten in and were flying around.

Yeah, about those birds... how do they keep them from poohing on the food?

Can any of you anti-Chef Mickey people recommend another Mickey character buffet? I can only think of the Garden Grill.

 

[SGMCO]

Well I'll be the naysayer... neither. The food is lousy. cold (well unless it was suppose to be cold then it was room temp), bland, over cooked mush. The desserts looked like kids had been making sand castles in them. I am seriously shocked we didn't get food poisoning.

Service is worse that the food. Our server took our drink order, drop our drinks off while we were fixing our plates, and never came back until he dropped the bill on the table. We were in desperate need of drink refills that we never got, and the table was pilled high wiht dirty dishes because he didn't come by to clear them off.

The atsmophere. If you are lucky to get in the main diningroom the atsmophere appears to be fun. At least it did to many crying kids in our section that watch the character visit the omain section 3 times and not come near us outcast in the area behind the buffet.

This was in 2000 so I would hope things are better, but it was so bad I don't think you could pay us to go back. We've even stayed in the contemporary since then and wouldn't eat there.

I agree completely!!
We were there last month and this was the only resaurant I thought
that we may get food poisoning.
Saw many little kids wondering around playing with the food
and touching everything (plates, ect.)
I could smell the fish from a distance---NOT GOOD!!
I was so glad that we were on FD because I would have been so
upset if I had to pay for this, it was not worth that amount of money.
The Bill was $104.00 for 3 adults (DS is 11 years) for dinner.
The best food was the mashed potatoes.
The Characters were rushed.
It was also very loud in the resaurant.
We will not risk going back there again in the future.

 

[ChefBilly]

We were there Tuesday night.
The atmosphere was OK.
The food was not.

 

[HopperFan]

Can any of you anti-Chef Mickey people recommend another Mickey character buffet? I can only think of the Garden Grill.

Garden Grill - we did it this year and loved it. Food very good, characters were great and stopped twice. We were at MGM all day, and just went to EPCOT for dinner.

Ohana - not my favorite place at dinner, but LOVED the breakfast. Food and service good, character interaction was great. Mickey so cute there. He even spent time with a family organizing a huge family reunion photo.

What is great about those is, they wait on you !!! Still all you can eat but they bring it to you

 

[fumipappa]

I agree completely!!
We were there last month and this was the only resaurant I thought
that we may get food poisoning.
Saw many little kids wondering around playing with the food
and touching everything (plates, ect.)
I could smell the fish from a distance---NOT GOOD!!
I was so glad that we were on FD because I would have been so
upset if I had to pay for this, it was not worth that amount of money.
The Bill was $104.00 for 3 adults (DS is 11 years) for dinner.
The best food was the mashed potatoes.
The Characters were rushed.
It was also very loud in the resaurant.
We will not risk going back there again in the future.

Kids playing food, plates, this s happening any buffet. Actually adults are doing same thing. It does not matter the resaturant is at Disney or not. If you think other place is clean, it is so naive.
The CM is designed to create party atmosphere. It is designed to be loud.
People who wants to have quiet dinner should avoid CM from beginning.
Again, free dining period, one of the busiest restaunrant at WDW, it's hard to expect perfect experience

 

[MickeyNicki]

Went there last year for my birthday, the characters are alot of fun but the food was terrible. The reason we chose this place was that we had our 2 nieces with us on their first trip and it was on the monorail so we could just pop over to MK for MSSHP.

I would not do dinner again but I wouldnt mind trying breakfast if I was staying on the monorail line.

 

[Surfingstitch]

I like a late dinner option like 9pm. It is much slower and the characters can spend more time with you.

 

[blondemom]

My family of four went to Chef Mickey's for breakfast in June. I hate to say it, but it was more chaotic then fun. The characters would give you a second or two before moving on. I realize that we are just one of the hundreds they have to see, but we really felt like just one of the 100's. The food was so-so. Then again, it seems to me that everything sort of tastes the same lately. Seriously, how much different can one breakfast taste from another? My kids enjoyed the monorail sitings though.

I'm just not sure I would pay the prices again for something we barely remembered a half hour later.

Of course, that is just my opinion. It was our first breakfast there since my honeymoon 13 years ago. I always give places a second chance. We will be leaving this one off our future plans.

I really and truly think that every experience is different. Some places just have bad days. Someone eating at the same place an hour later might have a totally different perspective.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Mersmom98]

It's not a buffet but I second Ohana's for breakfast. We haven't done dinner so I can't comment on that but we've done breakfast there twice. The food is good & the characters are great.

 

[sha_lyn]

Kids playing food, plates, this s happening any buffet. Actually adults are doing same thing. It does not matter the resaturant is at Disney or not. If you think other place is clean, it is so naive.
The CM is designed to create party atmosphere. It is designed to be loud.
People who wants to have quiet dinner should avoid CM from beginning.

We've eaten at several other WDW buffet and have always had a wonderful time. All were clean, the food hot and fresh (not over cooked and cold like CM)Always had good service and character interaction too.
I don't recall anyone here saying they were expecting a quiet dinner. Could you point those post out? There is a difference between a fun party atsmophere, and unbearably loud chaos.
We've done
1900 PF (when it was villians)
Hollywood and Vine (when it was Minnie and other classic disney characters)
Donald's Breakfastosaurus x2
Crystal Palace x2

As for recomendations for another meal with Mickey... while Donald is the "star" at breakfas0osaurus, Mickey is there too. It is a must do for us.
If I remember correctly they have (or soon will?) move it to another restaurant in AK. Hopefully someone here has more info on any changes.

 

[HopperFan]

Kids playing food, plates, this s happening any buffet. Actually adults are doing same thing. It does not matter the resaturant is at Disney or not. If you think other place is clean, it is so naive.
The CM is designed to create party atmosphere. It is designed to be loud.
People who wants to have quiet dinner should avoid CM from beginning.
Again, free dining period, one of the busiest restaunrant at WDW, it's hard to expect perfect experience

I have eaten at Cape May, CP, BOMA, PF, a couple now gone.......and some of those repeated times. This is the only buffet that I found people playing with the food, spilling it all over, it not being cleaned up etc. If it were common to my experiences I would not have been as shocked as I was. The dessert area looked like it had been through a food fight. This is unacceptable, especially given the price paid.

Yes I was looking forward to the party atmosphere and fun. Unfortunately that was reserved for the main room. Was sad the the characters and their CMs felt like the rest of us were not as important. All we experienced were out of control children running all over as characters breezed through. Maybe it's the open feel in that lobby that parents felt like they could just let them go. But I have never see that behavior in any other venue.

For Chef Mickey, there is no slow period. This is a very popular restaurant that is often difficult to book - anytime. Bottom line, free dining or not, it doesn't change the number of people they can book in the restaurant and it doesn't change the requirement of the staff. It certainly doesn't change the behavior that one should exhibit when dining out. I really see no reason why Free Dining should affect it. You staff based on number of people you expect to serve.

And personally during Free Dining those servers need to step it up as they were getting an automatic 18% tip. Pretty good money considering it's a buffet where guests wait on themselves.

 

[fumipappa]

I have eaten at Cape May, CP, BOMA, PF, a couple now gone.......and some of those repeated times. This is the only buffet that I found people playing with the food, spilling it all over, it not being cleaned up etc. If it were common to my experiences I would not have been as shocked as I was. The dessert area looked like it had been through a food fight. This is unacceptable, especially given the price paid.

Yes I was looking forward to the party atmosphere and fun. Unfortunately that was reserved for the main room. Was sad the the characters and their CMs felt like the rest of us were not as important. All we experienced were out of control children running all over as characters breezed through. Maybe it's the open feel in that lobby that parents felt like they could just let them go. But I have never see that behavior in any other venue.

For Chef Mickey, there is no slow period. This is a very popular restaurant that is often difficult to book - anytime. Bottom line, free dining or not, it doesn't change the number of people they can book in the restaurant and it doesn't change the requirement of the staff. It certainly doesn't change the behavior that one should exhibit when dining out. I really see no reason why Free Dining should affect it. You staff based on number of people you expect to serve.

And personally during Free Dining those servers need to step it up as they were getting an automatic 18% tip. Pretty good money considering it's a buffet where guests wait on themselves.

Yes, I completely agree with you, I did not think that way. Cm is always busy no matter what. Your last statement about tips, maybe it was the key reason of diffrence between my experience and free dining period experiece.
As I posted before, I've never vivsited CM during free dining or busy season. I've been there always value season. So the servers might be putting extra effort to get tips from me..(man, if so, they were really good!)

 

[sha_lyn]

Oh and for those who have basically said "during free dining, what do you expect."
sorry but no, our experience was not during free dining