Chef Mickeys in DECLINE

[helloirishkitty]

Now i don't feel so bad for not being able to get ADR's

 

[Mickey-4-Me]

Message deleted.

Edited to say: Oops! Made comment and noticed first thread dates.

 

[paigevz]

I was wondering how this popped up in my subscribed list. I thought I didn't remember talking about this lately.

 

[patsal]

Hi, all! I just returned from a wonderful week at WDW. We ate at all of our favorites. Chef Mickeys has been one of them for about 8 years now. (I think it has been that long!) My kids LOVE that place & we would eat several breakfasts and dinners there over our vacation stays.

This time, we had dinner there and it was disgusting. It was the biggest disappointment of our trip. My kids were bummed it was so awful. My youngest said her Mac & cheese tasted like "an old sock". She is a Mac & cheese connoisseur. Mac & Cheese is her fave and about all she eats while at WDW. She has never tried an old sock as she is too picky. My older daughter and I both were repulsed by the FATTY ham and prime rib. She had to spit her bite into a handiwipe. I had to do a lot of fancy trimming around the fat in my slice of prime rib. The mashed potatoes were slimy. The ravioli was over cooked and pasty. I had a salad, but they used to have so many other pasta salads, and eggs, and fruits, etc. There wasn't much to put on the salad. The salad bar seemed skimpy. Not one of us had the stomach for any dessert. They looked good when we walked by, but I was really grossed out by my whole dining experience this time.

I had to handiwipe my chair because it was soooo sticky and crudded up.

I told my kids we won't be back for dinner any time soon and they agreed. I said we can still try bfast, but I talked to some friends that had done bfast there that week and they were very disappointed with their meals, too. Something has definitely changed at Chef Mickeys.

Anyone else have this experience or is it just us?? We used to be big fans and this really was a yucky experience there. I just didn't have a tactful way to tell our waitress that this meal was awful. I really wanted to, but when I looked around and saw that everyone else seemed to be OK with it, I thought I would look like a nit picker or a complainer and I am not. they just have a way at WDW of making any negative experiences seem your own fault.

The food was gross. I have been following that Garden Grill thread and it seems that the nasty food is spreading to Chef Mickeys, too.

Lives4Disney

Sadly, this was rather llike our experience four years ago. I won't go back until it has had a complete refurb. The chairs were in horrid condition the rug was filthy, food mediocre at best!

 

[simonkodousek]

Hmm... I think I'm going to reconsider going to Chef Mickey's after all these bad reviews... Crystal Palace sounds better for breakfast.

~Simon

 

[Lewanc]

Hmm... I think I'm going to reconsider going to Chef Mickey's after all these bad reviews... Crystal Palace sounds better for breakfast.

~Simon

Hi Simon - Saw your post and others regarding Chef Mickey's. Am local Disney and visit Chef Mickey's on a regular basis, although I have not dined there the last couple of months as we have been away. I have never had any of the negative experiences listed in this forum, and have always found Chef Mickey's the best place to go for the character breakfast/dinner and recommend it highly to family and friends. I 'm definitely going to check this out for myself. The Contemporary in going through a face lift, but I can't relate to how renovations would affect the dining service.

The Crystal Palace also provides a lovely character breakfast, but need to let you know (if you don't) , in order to enjoy this restaurant, you would want to get your reservation for the day you would be visiting the Magic Kingdom, as park entry is required, (unless that too has changed since we've been away).

Hope you have a good trip with no negative experiences.

 

[Lewanc]

Hi, all! I just returned from a wonderful week at WDW. We ate at all of our favorites. Chef Mickeys has been one of them for about 8 years now. (I think it has been that long!) My kids LOVE that place & we would eat several breakfasts and dinners there over our vacation stays.

This time, we had dinner there and it was disgusting. It was the biggest disappointment of our trip. My kids were bummed it was so awful. My youngest said her Mac & cheese tasted like "an old sock". She is a Mac & cheese connoisseur. Mac & Cheese is her fave and about all she eats while at WDW. She has never tried an old sock as she is too picky. My older daughter and I both were repulsed by the FATTY ham and prime rib. She had to spit her bite into a handiwipe. I had to do a lot of fancy trimming around the fat in my slice of prime rib. The mashed potatoes were slimy. The ravioli was over cooked and pasty. I had a salad, but they used to have so many other pasta salads, and eggs, and fruits, etc. There wasn't much to put on the salad. The salad bar seemed skimpy. Not one of us had the stomach for any dessert. They looked good when we walked by, but I was really grossed out by my whole dining experience this time.

I had to handiwipe my chair because it was soooo sticky and crudded up.

I told my kids we won't be back for dinner any time soon and they agreed. I said we can still try bfast, but I talked to some friends that had done bfast there that week and they were very disappointed with their meals, too. Something has definitely changed at Chef Mickeys.

Anyone else have this experience or is it just us?? We used to be big fans and this really was a yucky experience there. I just didn't have a tactful way to tell our waitress that this meal was awful. I really wanted to, but when I looked around and saw that everyone else seemed to be OK with it, I thought I would look like a nit picker or a complainer and I am not. they just have a way at WDW of making any negative experiences seem your own fault.

The food was gross. I have been following that Garden Grill thread and it seems that the nasty food is spreading to Chef Mickeys, too.

Lives4Disney

Hi There - I too "LIVE FOR DISNEY" - Sorry to hear of the bad experience you had at Chef Mickey's, as this has been one of my favorite restaurants since 1971. I am local Disney and visit Chef Mickey's quite frequently, but not in the last two months, as we were out out town. Never had the negatives you experienced. You should have mentioned your observations, and dislikes to a cast member at the restaurant , or even reported it at the front desk of the Contemporary. Believe it or not (having been a cast member), management depends on guest comments whether they be positive or negative, and when multiple complaints are received regarding a particular topic, something will be done to rectify the situation. You're not a nit picker, you had dined at Mickey's before and received a certain type of service and quality of food, etc. that's why you returned many times, as a "regular" (I think 8 times qualifies), you should expect things to stay the same or get better, not decline.

This forum has really peaked my interest, hubby and I will definitely visit within the next few weeks to get our own opinion, as I highly recommend this restaurant to family and friends. If I find what you experienced, will re-route all my folk to the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.

 

[nbodyhome]

I have yet to have a bad experience at Chef Mickeys. I thought breakfast was blah the only time I've done it - but mostly because it was just breakfast for a lot of money. I feel the dinner is a better value, even if it has gone up in price so much over the years.

 

[rickydean]

I hate hearing these bad reviews. I just looked in the unofficial guide and over 90% of reader surveys said they would eat there again. My DD12 and I really wanted to try it. I want to ride the monorail from MK to go there. Last time (only other Disney trip) we ate at Liberty tree tavern and really enjoyed the characters and food, but wanted to try something else. Please tell more about if breakfast is worth it or should we cancel?? Is food better if you go earlier? I wanted a late breakfast. Thanks

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Since this thread has resurfaced from the depths, and since we just ate breakfast there this past Friday, here's the scoop:

We called and got reservations on a whim. two days out for 8:10 a.m. (the concierge at SSR said, "Wow, here's your pixie dust for the day.")

Atmosphere: Very Chuck E. Cheese-y, as in noise volume, kids aplenty, just a lot of hubbub. It didn't bother us at all - it's part of the whole package. But if you're wanting a quiet, intimate experience, run away. Fast. Everything seemed clean and well-kept, which has to be an ordeal, given the volume of people who pass through.

Characters: We had visits from Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy. They all posed for photos with our college girls, and while they didn't spend as much time with us as their counterparts did at LTT, I didn't feel slighted.

Food: It's a breakfast buffet, and thereby hard to mess up. I did like the fresh pancakes cooked right in front of me on the griddle. Bacon was bacon, sausage was sausage, and I did appreciate the chef's omelet special, which was chicken and veggie. Light and fluffy and really tasty. The service folks at the buffet were having to work overtime to clean up spills and such. They even had some "regional" items like grits and corned beef hash. It's all pretty good, but not at all economical. And for kiddos - where else can you get brownies for breakfast?

Service: Among the best I've seen at a buffet. Anytime a server keeps my glass full of fresh-squeezed OJ, I'm a happy camper. I hate getting a thimblefull of juice! There was plenty, as there were of other beverages, and our plates were cleared promptly and with a smile.

My counsel? If you've never tried it, it's worth a peek. But we haven't had dinner there in years, so I can't speak to quality these days.

Breakfast was fine, albeit expensive, as befits Disney.

 

[MarieS]

Thanks for posting a current review of breakfast. We have reservations for our trip this fall.
Do they take group photos for breakfast or only dinner? Thanks!

 

[Fionasmommy]

We ate dinner at CM last June and were very disappointed in the food. The adults ended up having a few chicken fingers off the kids buffet, but only enough to curb our hunger until we could pick up a CS on the way home. Everything seemed mushy, bland and way overcooked.

Ever hopeful, we're trying it again for breakfast on our next trip. I've heard that breakfast is often the best bet at a buffet, and the characters at CM are really fun.

 

[lou7401]

We were there last August and I was expecting the worst, however it was a pleasant surprise food-wise. Not bad at all! I would say it was in the middle as far as Disney food. But the character interaction was superb and this year we were disappointed that we couldn't get an ADR when we go this June.

 

[Lewanc]

Since this thread has resurfaced from the depths, and since we just ate breakfast there this past Friday, here's the scoop:

We called and got reservations on a whim. two days out for 8:10 a.m. (the concierge at SSR said, "Wow, here's your pixie dust for the day.")

Atmosphere: Very Chuck E. Cheese-y, as in noise volume, kids aplenty, just a lot of hubbub. It didn't bother us at all - it's part of the whole package. But if you're wanting a quiet, intimate experience, run away. Fast. Everything seemed clean and well-kept, which has to be an ordeal, given the volume of people who pass through.

Characters: We had visits from Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy. They all posed for photos with our college girls, and while they didn't spend as much time with us as their counterparts did at LTT, I didn't feel slighted.

Food: It's a breakfast buffet, and thereby hard to mess up. I did like the fresh pancakes cooked right in front of me on the griddle. Bacon was bacon, sausage was sausage, and I did appreciate the chef's omelet special, which was chicken and veggie. Light and fluffy and really tasty. The service folks at the buffet were having to work overtime to clean up spills and such. They even had some "regional" items like grits and corned beef hash. It's all pretty good, but not at all economical. And for kiddos - where else can you get brownies for breakfast?

Service: Among the best I've seen at a buffet. Anytime a server keeps my glass full of fresh-squeezed OJ, I'm a happy camper. I hate getting a thimblefull of juice! There was plenty, as there were of other beverages, and our plates were cleared promptly and with a smile.

My counsel? If you've never tried it, it's worth a peek. But we haven't had dinner there in years, so I can't speak to quality these days.

Breakfast was fine, albeit expensive, as befits Disney.

So glad you cleared this up. I've been a Chef Mickey's fan for 18+ years, and just couldnt imagine it's "decline", as Chef Mickey's is a Disney buffet staple. I have read so much on this forum, that I was about to make a special trip (I'm local Disney), down to the Contemporary and have breakfast or dinner to make my own assessment. After reading your post, I feel relieved and don't have to hurry. We had dinner there in February 2007, and had no complaints.

Thanks so much for giving a recent review so those folk who haven't visited, or those who are considering another visit, won't get cold feet, due to the items in this forum.

 

[MommaPooh217]

Since the original post was made almost 2 years ago and a lot of people on this board have told me that CM is very good, I think I will keep my CM dinner ADR for September, ignore the bad reviews, and make my own decision on CM.



Blessed Be,
Tina

 

[Lewanc]

We were there last August and I was expecting the worst, however it was a pleasant surprise food-wise. Not bad at all! I would say it was in the middle as far as Disney food. But the character interaction was superb and this year we were disappointed that we couldn't get an ADR when we go this June.

Hi There -- Just a note from my experiences with ADR's, - NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP CALLING, you'd be surprised how many folk cancel. Don't stop trying to get an ADR at Chef Mickey's (or any other restaurant you may want to visit) before you leave, and believe it or not, even after you arrive. You may just get lucky, persistence and determination are the name of the ADR game. By the way, if you find Chef Mickey's unavailable,you may want to try the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.

Have a good trip.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Thanks for posting a current review of breakfast. We have reservations for our trip this fall.
Do they take group photos for breakfast or only dinner? Thanks!

They do indeed take photos at breakfast, or at least did while we were there.

And just a note on my review (and others): Most of the time, they are based on one person/family's opinion, on one specific day. We've had some fine meals in restaurants that received scathing reviews. Conversely, it's entirely possible, in this imperfect world, to catch a restaurant or a server on an off-day. Granted, it "shouldn't" happen in an illustrious resort like WDW, but it does.

Try a restaurant for yourself. If you have a bad experience, mark it off your list, and remember, it's just a meal (albeit a pricy one.) My only exception to this rule is when a restaurant is consistently and earnestly hammered. I'd be a little more wary and go with a second choice, perhaps. In the case of CM, I took my own counsel, and had a very good - not necessarily excellent - breakfast. If you think of CM as more of an attraction than a restaurant, you'll have a better time.

If you've got your heart set on trying a particular restaurant, don't let reveiws completely skew your opinion. Hang on to those precious ADRs if you are trying a hard-to-get-into establishment.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Original poster here......how funny - this is an OLD post.

I just got back from another WDW trip. Again, no CM for us and we don't miss it. My kids will not even agree to go back it was so icky and dirty and it honestly used to be a MUST DO FAVORITE for so many years - and we'd hit it for bfast and again for dinner. Now we always do Crystal Palace, 1900 PF, Cape May bfast which was by far the best ever and our other usual faves every trip.

Glad there are so many Chef Mickeys success stories and it sure it crowded and a hard ADR to get, so maybe we just caught it on a bad night. It was really bad that night (haha almost 2 yrs ago)

Happy dining,

Lives4Disney

 

[marcyinPA]

Man... does anyone have any positive things to say about Chef Mickey's for dinner??? Help!

We just ate there on 5/12, and it was fine. It wasn't GREAT, but it wasn't awful either. This was our...hmm...4th time eating dinner there (maybe our 5th? I've lost count). The character interaction was awesome.

We don't go into buffets expecting much....if we're doing a character meal, we are doing it for the atmosphere, not the food. The food here was certainly edible. Maybe the OP just hit it on an off night.

I never cancel ADR's based on what I read on these boards. Try things for yourself...it's the only way you'll know for sure!!

 

[Pumbaa_]

I started reading this thread and I think I got to page 2 before realizing it was from 2005