Dining or Disappointment?

[DanMedix]

Ya know, we've done WDW many times. This will be the first year that we've gone 2 years in a row. While I doubt we'll ever do 2 years in a row ever again, I kinda doubt we'll be going again for a long time. While there are more reasons for this than just WDW's dining, I wanted to touch on this feature in particular.

Is it just me, or do the majority of the dining reviews as of late point to little more than poor quality of food and service at WDW restaurants? Almost all of the recent Kevin Klose reviews show that things are going downhill, especially for what you pay.

What do you think? Are the dining standards reaching rock bottom? What has been your biggest example of this? Or, do you have a good example of a restaurant NOT going down the tubes, and being what they should be?

The Disney name used to stand for quality. Unfortunately, they're not immune to the same virus that has hit many of the other American corporations. I just wish there was something WE (as Disney park fans) could do to make them wake up. I mean, there's only so many letters to WDW guest relations that one can write....

 

[catne]

Sorry, can't agree. We thoroughly enjoy the Disney experience & Disney food. We've been 3 times in last 18 months, twice on the Dining Plan. Had good food and good service.

We have traveled fairly extensively over last few years...Disney does fine by comparison, IMO.

I do think you're hearing the "squeaky wheel" on these forums...a few hundred post bad reviews on here...but you don't hear from the thousands & thousands who like the food just fine and see no reason to go on-line and tell everyone about it.

 

[GailT]

well I think everyone has different tastes and what a good restaurant is. I have only been dissapointed once and that was for 50 Prime time diner, yes I know they have gotten great reviews but I am one person and I thought the food was horrible, I always go with a mind set that it is park food that way if it is decient I wont get dissapointed

 

[Eventer98]

I also have to say that we look fwd. to Disney food...it's one fo the best parts of Disney! I have only had one bad experience at H & V but DH loved it. No food complaints here!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

well I think everyone has different tastes and what a good restaurant is

Not to mention, different standards and different expectations. A restaurant reviewer (paid or voluntary) is likely to be more critical than the typical diner.

 

[scanlooneytunes]

We have gone to WDW for the past 4 years and will be returning May '09. My 82 year old father, Rocco, a stroke and cardiac victim, an amputee, and ex-dialysis patient loves to vacation with his family, so he is generous to invite us back from year to year. We have fun planning and he lives from year to year for this trip! Needless to say, his dietary restrictions are immense - low sodium is a must - and has a very bland diet.

We do get the dining plan and the quality of food is always excellent. The chefs, who I speak with a day in advance, always go above and beyond to accomodate his restrictions. All chefs come to the table prior to our meal to talk to my father, to ensure they fully understand his needs. Many times the dinner that he eats is not even on the menu. I am always grateful for their kindness and compassion.

Having said that, I will say the downside is that from year to year, I have seen the price of the dining plan increase. I remember, not too long ago, when the dinner included and appetizer and tip. I also notice that, from year to year, they seem to exclude more and more restaurants. Tutto Italia, as well as 5 or 6 others in Epcot are no longer a part of this plan. Neither is planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck and a few more. Also, last year and every prior year we ate in Cap't Jack's, twin lobster tales were on the menu, but lobster tales are not on the menus for 2009.

With a party of 8 it is easier to have the dining plan, but is it cost effective when you have an additional bill for appetizers, plus the extravagant Disney tax and the tip? Hard to say.

I look forward to our trip and wish you all a wonderful time when you go.

2008, March .....Caribbean Beachooh:
2007, May......Caribbean Beach
2006, April.....Caribbean Beach
2005, March.....Caribbean Beach
2001, April..... All Star
1996, February......Dixie Landing
1994, February....Caribbean Beach
1991, February.....Caribbean Beach
1975, March.....Off Site
1973, May.....Off Site

 

[onelilspark]

I'm in the food service industry. I'm awfully picky about service, quality, etc (plus I can tell you how much they're jacking up their prices!) My last trip we did a long weekend and mostly at Epcot for F&W. So we only ate at one restaurant. We did Jiko and had such a wonderful meal. From the time we checked in to the time we left, everything was perfect. The quality of the food was excellent. My friend and I each got the filet and I had mine cooked medium rare, she had hers cooked medium well. Both came out cooked perfectly. Our waitress when prompted for her suggestions, didn't just say "oh everything's good" but instead asked what our tastes were and made suggestions for that. Also had an app and dessert that were both excellent. Just perfection. So no, don't think they're going downhill.

 

[aussietravellers]

We ate at many restaurants over our 3 week trip a few months ago and we had some "spectacular" meals and some "spectacular service" (along with some not so wonderful meals and service). Our meal at Yak and Yeti was absolutely fantastic, the service there was not great, but the food was soooooo good, that we went back again. Jiko, again, the food was absolutely fantastic as was the service, both times that we went. I also found excellent service at Cape Mays, Ohanas, Boma (sometimes about 50% great 50% very basic), we ate at Boma about a dozen times, Chef Mickeys, 1900 Park Fare. We found the service atrocious at Garden Grill but enjoyed the food. The ceaser salad at Mara was so good, the chicken on the top was great. So on average over three weeks, three meals a day, the food was ok, to pretty good, with a few sensationals and the service on average was pretty good, with only a few poor service experiences.

 

[OKW Lover]

Sorry OP, I can't agree with your premise. While I would agree that the quality of some restaurant's may fade, I'd also note that others will rise. It depends a bit on the restaurant manager and/or chef.

We've been consistently happy with YSH and AP for a period of many years. No sign of a drop in quality at those places. Similarly, we've been un-happy with places like Fultons, San Angel Inn, and seen no sign of improvement there.

 

[Tricia1972]

We have gone to WDW for the past 5 years and will be returning May '09. The trip is primarily for my soon to be 82 year old father, who is a stroke and cardiac victim, an amputee, and ex-dialysis patient. He lives from year to year for this trip! Needless to say, his dietary restrictions are immense - low sodium is a must - and has a very bland diet.

We do get the dining plan and the quality of food is always excellent. The chefs, who I speak with a day in advance, always go above and beyond to accomodate his restrictions. All chefs come to the table prior to our meal to talk to my father, to ensure they fully understand his needs. Many times the dinner that he eats is not even on the menu. I am always grateful for their kindness and compassion.

Having said that, I will say the downside is that from year to year, I have seen the price of the dining plan increase. I remember, not too long ago, when the dinner included and appetizer and tip. I also notice that, from year to year, they seem to exclude more and more restaurants. Tutto Italia, as well as 5 or 6 others in Epcot are no longer a part of this plan. Neither is planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck and a few more. Also, last year and every prior year we ate in Cap't Jack's, twin lobster tales were on the menu, but lobster tales are not on the menus for 2009.

With a party of 8 it is easier to have the dining plan, but is it cost effective when you have an additional bill for appetizers, plus the extravagant Disney tax and the tip? Hard to say.

I look forward to our trip and wish you all a wonderful time when you go.

If you're looking at a Dining Plan for 2009, the list of participating restaurants is not finalized. It's likely that the restaurants that were participating in 2008 will participate in 2009.

 

[DanMedix]

Well, let me ask about a few particular restaurants. I've seen so many mixed reviews, that at this point, I'm not sure what to think. I'm hoping my ADR's are good ideas, and not total bombs.

This year, our ADR's are at:
Coral Reef, Le Cellier, Thanksgiving Dinner at Crystal Palace (...DW insisted), LTT, Teppan Edo (which I liked), and Ohana Character Breakfast. We also have a few TS credits left on our DDP, so we'll need to consider options for those.

What are your thoughts? Any suggestions? Comments? Complaints? Compliments?

 

[TDC Nala]

The food is OK but it used to be better. Those of us who remember when it was better are not impressed with the way the food is now. If you weren't there when it was better, you'll find most of the food just fine. (This doesn't apply to ALL WDW restaurants)

I don't eat at the one-credit restaurants much anymore. I stick to the signatures. (Not using dining plan). I cannot assist you with that list. I have never been impressed with Coral Reef or Le Cellier - I've avoided them for years except for their now-defunct food and wine festival events- and I also avoid character meals. I do like Teppan Edo.

Tutto Italia, as well as 5 or 6 others in Epcot are no longer a part of this plan. Neither is planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck and a few more. Also, last year and every prior year we ate in Cap't Jack's, twin lobster tales were on the menu, but lobster tales are not on the menus for 2009.

The 2009 restaurant list for the dining plan is incomplete. It does not yet include any restaurants that are not owned by Disney. These restaurants are generally added toward the end of the year when their contracts are finalized. I wish Disney would make this more clear in its preliminary brochures as we have to answer this question multiple times on the boards. It is true, however, that the lobster tails have recently been removed from the Cap'n Jack's menu.

 

[Tink888]

JMHO - I don't think that the food quality or service has gone down in the last few years. I have seen some of the restaurants make changes in their menus that seem to be more uniform with the other restaurants. Overall we've really, really been very pleased with our dining experiences at Disney. I think a lot of it really depends on what your expectations are.

To me dining at Disney has always been high priced - just based on the sheer fact that they've got you. If you're on staying on property and you want to save precious park time - you're either eating in their restaurants (both TS and CS) and paying the high prices or you aren't eating. That's just the way it is. I will say that personally I think Disney adding on "holiday surcharges" to their prices is ridiculous. I don't think portion size has gone down, the menus are still pretty creative, the quality of the food is very good and the theming of the restaurants and atmosphere is excellent.

I've never had bad service but I have had rushed servers from time to time. I don't count that against Disney. The restaurants are always busy and it's a steady stream of diners coming and going. I just expect it and that's why it doesn't bother me. I have never felt rushed to finish my meal, just that sometimes the servers are in a hurry to take my order and get anything that I need. Friendliness of a server is hit or miss just like anyplace else.

In the last few years, dining at Disney has really become a fun part of our vacation that our entire family enjoys and looks forward to. Maybe we've just been lucky but there really hasn't been one place we've tried where the food was horrible or the service was downright bad and we left disappointed.

This year, our ADR's are at:
Coral Reef, Le Cellier, Thanksgiving Dinner at Crystal Palace (...DW insisted), LTT, Teppan Edo (which I liked), and Ohana Character Breakfast. We also have a few TS credits left on our DDP, so we'll need to consider options for those.

What are your thoughts? Any suggestions? Comments? Complaints? Compliments?

Coral Reef - been there twice and had great meals and service both times
Le Cellier - excellent
Crystal Palace - one of our fav character buffets
LTT - Ehh, not bad - not great
Haven't been to Teppan Edo or Ohana breakfast.

We tried GF Cafe and Tutto in Sept. and had EXCELLENT meals and service at both. Also Yak & Yeti - excellent food, average service.

 

[catne]

We have gone to WDW for the past 4 years and will be returning May '09. My 82 year old father, Rocco, a stroke and cardiac victim, an amputee, and ex-dialysis patient loves to vacation with his family, so he is generous to invite us back from year to year. We have fun planning and he lives from year to year for this trip! Needless to say, his dietary restrictions are immense - low sodium is a must - and has a very bland diet.

We do get the dining plan and the quality of food is always excellent. The chefs, who I speak with a day in advance, always go above and beyond to accomodate his restrictions. All chefs come to the table prior to our meal to talk to my father, to ensure they fully understand his needs. Many times the dinner that he eats is not even on the menu. I am always grateful for their kindness and compassion.

Having said that, I will say the downside is that from year to year, I have seen the price of the dining plan increase. I remember, not too long ago, when the dinner included and appetizer and tip. I also notice that, from year to year, they seem to exclude more and more restaurants. Tutto Italia, as well as 5 or 6 others in Epcot are no longer a part of this plan. Neither is planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck and a few more. Also, last year and every prior year we ate in Cap't Jack's, twin lobster tales were on the menu, but lobster tales are not on the menus for 2009.

With a party of 8 it is easier to have the dining plan, but is it cost effective when you have an additional bill for appetizers, plus the extravagant Disney tax and the tip? Hard to say.

I look forward to our trip and wish you all a wonderful time when you go.

2008, March .....Caribbean Beachooh:
2007, May......Caribbean Beach
2006, April.....Caribbean Beach
2005, March.....Caribbean Beach
2001, April..... All Star
1996, February......Dixie Landing
1994, February....Caribbean Beach
1991, February.....Caribbean Beach
1975, March.....Off Site
1973, May.....Off Site

When did these get removed...Quote "Tutto Italia, as well as 5 or 6 others in Epcot are no longer a part of this plan. Neither is planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck and a few more"

I'm looking at a 2008 brochure, and all that you've mentioned are all on the official Disney list.

Perhaps you've been looking at the tentative list for 2009. It is very much a temporary list...and it shows only the actual Disney-owned restaurants since WDW negotiates contracts with each outside company, and all contracts have not been finalized yet for next year. This happens every year, in the Fall. The final list will include most, if not all, of the previously DDP-available "outside" restaurants. (In the Fall of 2007, the on-line brochure for 2008 plan was the same way...none of the outside restaurants were listed. But by the time I booked our vacation in early 2008, they were all on the brochure and we were able to book what we wanted for dinner reservations.)

 

[roselark]

I have not seen a decrease in quality at all. Also remember, that these meals are made and served by real people...even at WDW everyone has their off days.

Also, as much as I love listening to Kevin Close, I very, very rarely agree with his reviews and I would never pick and choose my ADRs by how much he liked or disliked a location. As has been stated several times, everyone has their own likes, dislikes, and expectations.

 

[scanlooneytunes]

Thanks for the info regarding the Dining Plan restaurants. Yes, I am looking at the 2009 list, as I am not going until May. It is nice to have as many choices as possible. Thanks again for letting me know.

 

[BriarRosie]

I tend to stick with the signature restaurants mostly too, because I also remember when I thought some of the places were better than they are now. There are a few exceptions. And I don't do the dining plan.

But we all have different tastes. Years ago, Biergarten didnt' thrill me, but since it's been years since I've been there, I'm willing to give them another try sometime. Maybe. But I won't fight the 180 day crowd for Le Cellier or Coral Reef. It's just not worth my time to do it when I have a lot of other restaurants I enjoy.

 

[kitn]

We just got back yesterday. We go to Disney every year and have to say we were very disappointed with the whole dining process at disney. Very slow service at every restaurant. The portions were small. They only had a few items to choose on the menus. I felt like we spent most of the vacation sitting in restaurants waiting. Not to mention the overpricing. We have decided that next year we will eat offsight often. Hopefully they will get rid of the dining plan. I think that is a major part of the problem.

 

[septbaby]

We were there in 2007 and were very pleased with the quality of food, service and entertainment we received at our meals. The only bad meal we had was Peco Bills and was a 1 for 10 performance, no complaints here.

As for cost and price of the DP, have you seen food prices lately? Do you recall the amount of wasted food on the DP in the past? Have you noticed minimum wages increase? Do you know how health or benefit cost have risen? Trust me, I'm a small business owner in the restaurant business, it cannot be helped.

Finally, the tip was a negotiated item in the last labor contract.

Hope you have a great next trip and sorry to hear it'll be a last in a while. Not sure when I'll be able to go back, but its certainly high on the list!

 

[disnut8]

Other than forcing us to eat those multi-grain buns on things, I don't think Disney has gone downhill rapidly in the food area.

When I'm on vacation, I tend to eat as I would at home. I don't do the dining plan, although I could see the attraction for some people, especially families. My tastes are simple and if someone drops their filet or lobster tail from a menu, I don't really care about it. I want good, decent food.

The problem with eating while on vacation is that you are eating out every single night. Try doing that at home for a week. Do not eat anything at home at all. Copy what you would do at Disney World. You aren't going to be able to duplicate the experience.