Do You Like Buffets In Disney?

[Maleficent Dragon]

It is more of a question from curiosity and stems from a conversation my Groom and I were having. Do you like buffets in Disney? I am curious to hear what people have to say. Actually, my husband does not do message boards - he is the most curious.

My Groom tends to think buffets are probably one of the most popular options in Disney, but would not otherwise be if that was not where most of the characters are.

I voted 'no I do not like buffets'. I do not like "community food", handles being touched by a lot of people, kids putting their hands in things, I have seen many people sneeze or cough at the buffet line with their faces aimed right at the food. I watched a little boy wipe mucous from his face and then grab some bread (touching a few until he made a decision) with that same hand while mommy said nothing. That was the last time I was in a buffet line.

One thing about Disney buffets is that I find the food is mostly the same at all of them when we are talking breakfast (with the exception of Boma). The only thing that changes is the location and characters. I personally feel like I have tried all of the breakfast buffets in Disney after trying several of them.

 

[SouthJersey]

Only breakfast buffets because it's nearly impossible to mess that up and we get to see the characters and have some interaction.

The dinners...I sleeve.

 

[larryz]

Yes and No.

Breakfast buffets have, in my opinion, been very good but very expensive. Other buffets... not so much good, but also very expensive.

For dinner, I prefer the "all you care to eat" over buffet options. True, the food sits out on a steam table in the kitchen, but it seems to taste better when brought out in a skillet or platter...

 

[JimmyBean42]

I think the buffets are great. Especially if with kids b/c if anyone doesn't like something, there are always other options. Tusker House buffet food is as good as any non-buffet out there.

 

[I M Fearless]

I love love love Trail's End. Not your typical Disney buffet.

It's smaller, almost intimate, food cooked in smaller amounts and refreshed often.

Always try and head there at least once a trip. It feels less hectic than the bigger venues, unless someone decides to get wasted and hijack a golf cart and drive it into Bay Lake, but I think that's the exception.

 

[catmom46]

I've only been to Cape May and Biergarten so far, but I enjoyed the food at both. For our trip next month I've booked Boma for dinner, Tusker, 1900, Crystal Palace for breakfast, and Hollywood & Vine for dinner (Fantasmic!), so I'll have several more under my belt soon.

While I'm aware of people's lack of buffet line etiquette (although I think what goes on in pools is way worse, but that's a whole other thread), I guess I don't think about it when I'm actually there. After dining at many buffets throughout the country, I have yet to get sick as a result, so I figure hey, they're just germs. Either that or I have a super immune system.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I dislike buffets in general. If I go out to eat I like to be served. I like to Relax.

I do Chef Mickey's for DS since it's his one pick. I'm doing cape may breakfast on departure day since we staying at the BC.

Years ago we did tons of buffets for the kids and to minimize character wait times.

 

[Disneylover99]

I love lunch and dinner buffets. I'm not a fan of breakfast buffets because I just don't like breakfast type foods or eating first thing in the morning.

I prefer to choose a little bit of this or a little bit of that when I dine at buffets. Meeting characters is just an added bonus.

 

[Mrs Eeyore]

We love buffets. My daughters and I probably don't even eat enough to get our money's worth (hubby does!), but I like to be able to try a little of everything. Also one daughter is vegetarian and she can usually get a better variety of food from a buffet than by ordering the vegetarian option from a menu.

 

[joannamet]

Kids love buffets, my DD and most other kids that I know. They love choosing from what they see rather than from a list on a menu. They also like being able to get lots of different things. We've tried CP, CM and Boma and love them all but we're not fancy food people.

I find people to be anti-buffet because they're concerned about hygein or they think pretty food tastes better.

 

[supersnoop]

With a buffet, you can get seated and immediatly start eating. You can finish at your own pace, and get out more quickly than a normal table service meal. At Disney, the food is (usually) pretty good, too. So, if you're got a very tight touring plan, I think buffets can make sense. But they're expensive.

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

Kids love buffets, my DD and most other kids that I know. They love choosing from what they see rather than from a list on a menu. They also like being able to get lots of different things. We've tried CP, CM and Boma and love them all but we're not fancy food people.

I find people to be anti-buffet because they're concerned about hygein or they think pretty food tastes better.

Food does not have to be pretty to taste better. I have had some pretty awesome casseroles and they are not always pretty. However, I am one who does think you eat with your eyes before your mouth.

The hygiene thing is a big deal to me. Like the situation I mentioned in my initial post. ICK!!! If you dont think about stuff like that, I can see how people would not care. We never even open the fridge door in our house without washing our hands first.

 

[salamander3]

With the others, yes for breakfast. We really liked Tusker House and Hollywood and Vine. Boma was really good too. Other dinners, not so much.

 

[itchin2go]

I don't tend to like buffets in the real world, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the ones in Disney World.

We've tried Boma (breakfast and dinner), 1900 Park Fare (dinner), Crystal Palace, the Wave, Captain's Grille and Cape May (all for breakfast). Boma was the best, but we were really impressed with the Wave as well. The only one I probably wouldn't go back to is Crystal Palace, and that is mostly because it was mobbed and the crowd was downright aggressive. I just don't like feeling like I have to fight others to get food on my plate.

 

[senadler]

Without the characters we probably would not pick most of the Buffets. We do like Cape May, but most others we only choose for the kids to see the characters.

 

[chocolateavocado]

We don't really like buffets at Disney nor in real life... We did one at WDW, 1900 Park Fare for dinner because my ds LOVES the step sisters. Unfortunately they weren't there the night we went, but the step-mom was awesome! The food- not so good. We have 1 buffet planned for our trip this Nov.- The Crystal Palace breakfast / for the characters and we're thinking (and hoping) breakfast will be better. It's nothing against Disney's buffets, we really just don't like or do them even at home. But for kids- the characters are wonderful & if there was one ds wanted to do to see characters, we'd happily go along

 

[Mano22]

Agree with the general consensus here. Breakfast buffets are much cheaper and much better than dinner ones.

 

[luvformickey]

I like buffets, but not for breakfast (I'm a coffee for breakfast kind of girl). We usually plan 2-3 buffets for each of our trips. It's nice to be able to fill my plate with tiny portions of many things instead of one entree. Boma is hands down our favorite and we will be trying Trails End this trip.

 

[dj1028]

I don't even know how you can enjoy WDW if you're a germaphobe! Fortunately I'm not hung up on that and we seldom if ever get sick.

There are some buffets we love (Crystal Palace) and others we don't (Chef Mickey's). It just depends on the quality of the food.

 

[HopperFan]

1. Yes - I Love Me Some Buffets
2. Yes - Because I Feel I Can Get What I Paid For
3. No - I Do Not Do Buffets
4. No - For Another Reason
5. Yes - Simply To Meet Characters Without A Line

I don't think I can answer.
1) No I do NOT LOVE buffets. A few of them are enjoyable food wise, say Biergarten or Boma. I don't like buffets at all normally so they only interest me at Disney if special food. A meal such as Garden Grill where they bring the food is more my liking.
2) No for the price we never get our monies worth. Well, lunch at Biergarten is not bad with my TIW discount.
3) Neither. I normally don't do buffets if I can help it, but make exceptions on occasion and usually that is Disney.
4) While I will go to Disney buffets, I do not like for another reason and that is the health issues that come with them. DFIL worked for USDA and after he got through telling me why I shouldn't eat at buffets years ago my use of them greatly curtailed.
5) No I do not think the character interaction is better. We honestly have better and longer interactions with them at the meet & greets. But there are at times rare characters are at the meals over the years that we wanted to meet.