Do you agree?

[The Sweetness]

Maybe the best thing for ppl who think that Disney dining is not #up to par#, should stop trying it. Stick to simple, impossible *nearly* to screw up things. Save the fine dining for other trips or home. If it isnt good enough for you, dont bother with Cali Grill etc...

 

[ElizabethB]

We live in NYC and dine out frequently for business and pleasure. I can say that V&A holds its own, no problem, with fine dining establishments here in NYC -- and at about the same price, give or take a few bucks.

Other WDW restaurants we think compare favorably to NYC restaurants include Jiko (including its extensive So. African wine list) and Citrico's. Shula's also holds up well against the classic NYC steakhouses.

From our perspective, the other signature restaurants also generally please, though they are down a notch or so from the above. We always enjoy Artist Point, Narcoosee's and California Grill.

We avoid all buffets, characters dining, counter service places and all you can eat table service places like Ohana, Whispering Canyon Cafe and the like.

We find theme park dining rather hit or miss -- we've had lovely meals at Brown Derby, Alfredo's (during off hours), Coral Reef and Chefs de France.

I am never one to consider food good simply because I didn't have to cook it or clean it up.

Overall, we enjoy WDW dining -- and it has improved immeasurably from the absolute wasteland it was in the 80s!

 

[golden1]

Honestly, I think for a theme park the food is excellent. In general the food is pretty good if overpriced. However, the atmosphere makes up for the food in most cases. The only timeI've been truly disappointed with Disney food was on the Disney Cruise Line. Compared to Royal Caribbean the food was very bland and only average.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

The best meal I ever ate, ever was at Brown Derby last Oct. And I have other meals that I really enjoy, and are must do's - Ohana, Boma, and Le Cellier all being at the top of my list. Also, my favorite breakfast foods are all at Crystal Palace. Some restaurants have food that isn't memorable, not bad, just not that great, but the atmosphere is terrific - like 50's Prime Time and Sci-Fi.

 

[java]

Well we are big restaurant eaters. We spent years of dating in restaurants all over NYC. I had a job that involved many business lunches at great restaurants like Manhattan Ocean club and Morton's. All that being said- Disney dining is a hit or miss imho- it is either great or terrible. The Coral Reef is a great example. They change their menu seasonally and often. The nightly chef makes a huge difference. Sometimes the food here is fantastic- others horrendous. We do really enjoy Kona(is it 4 star? no but it also doesn't cost $200 to eat here) V&A was a great fun night. That was truly a magical dining experience. Was it the best food I have ever had? Not even close..but I was at Disney and it was magic. So do I book disney for the food? No but I do book it because I can go into a "better" restaurant comfortably with my children(well behaved children I will add so not as to start another debate)

 

[webray]

We definately agree, with the exception of a few places Disney could really use to put some quality back into the products they are using. Even the counter serve and food court areas used to be much better.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Not too long ago, I would have to agree with the initial post. However, I think the food at WDW has improved remarkably over the past year. I can only think of a couple of so-so meals we've had recently, and I cannot think of a single "bad" meal. I've eaten many places around the world an can honestly say that the mahi-mahi at Kona and the pork tenderloin at CG cannot be beaten anywhere!

 

[luv2nascar]

well we certainly don't go to disney for the food - except maybe mickey bars and the cookies and cream mickey ice cream sandwiches.
We are not all that thrilled with the counter service meals really. Too chicken finger/burger for us. Need more variety in CS. Mgm's counter services are the worst - huge lines, boring food, waitng for tables etc. I'd say from the CS meals we had Peco's bills and Columbia Harbor House were about the best. We will try some different ones and hope we have better results than Backlot express, Cosmic Ray's (food wasn't too bad but crowds were unbearable)

But we have some really good meals and favorite foods in disney. The pretzel bread in Biergarten was awesome (whole meal rocked). Fish from CHH was great and nice change. Sticky wings from Concourse steakhouse rocked.

 

[Contemporary_Man]

I’m a fan of Disney food. It isn’t the only reason for going, but it is an important part of the trip. V&A’s is 5 Diamond restaurant for a very good reason and is as good as any restaurant I have ever experienced. California Grill is also high on my personal list. The sushi is good, the price isn’t bad, and the panoramic view of the Magic Kingdom doesn’t hurt. Artist Point and Bisto de Paris are also musts for me.

 

[mamacatnv]

This is a tough question. The dining experiences available in Disney are unique and varied. We don't go just for the food, but a lot of good memories involved food in someway. CRT with DD is an event I will never forget, not for just the food but for the experience that came with the food.

Some of the food is good, some okay and some yuck, and everyone has a different opinion. I think it is fun to have unique items some of us don't normally have access to and this does not always mean it has to be at an expensive TS restaurant that has to be booked months in advance ie: CS in Morocco, Turkey Legs in MK, the cold sesame beef salad at the little shack next to Kali River Rapids in AK, funnel cakes, Mickey Waffles etc.....

Considering most people don't spend 7-10 days at an average theme park I think Disney has done a good job of offering a lot of variety and price structures. Plus after walking 8 or 9 miles that so-so meal tastes soooooo much better than it would at home and when it is served on a Mickey platter all the better.

MamaCatNV

 

[Amyg]

I think it all depends on where you are from. I'm from a very small town and we don't even have Olive Garden. To us eating at Disney is wonderful because to eat out here you go to McDonalds. Its really sad.

That being said I find Le Cellier, California Grill, and even the burgers at Beaches and Cream to be excellent food.

Now if you live in New York or D.C. I can imagine you not being to thrilled.

This is SO true! I know people who would probably consider a lot of WDW restaurants first rate compared to what they are used to eating! My MIL took us to one of her favorite seafood restaurants in her town, living in the middle of the Pacific, we felt the food was below average.

Definitely being in WDW and it's atmosphere will make dining much more pleasureable! Personally, I can't wait for our visit to the parks AND restaurants!