Does anyone avoid Buffets?

[3pletprincesses]

We don't avoid them since we have 4 kids and most charaacter mealsare buffets and they are a must in our house. So far no one has been sick. Like someone else mentionned, afte touching all the doors and so on, germs can come from anywhere. the only place I refuse to eat again is Chef Mickey. The food temp was not right. Everything was luke warm at best.

 

[North of Mouse]

like the plague. LOL. but there are many reasons not just the sanitary issues.

1) for some reason the food is always "lukewarm" at best. Unless it's one of those made to order stations, like for omlets or waffles. I hate lukewarm food.

2) I just hate the "out of control" atmosphere. We went to crystal palace one time and children were literally running around following the characters and yelling at the top of their lungs. Now yes I know it's disney and I expect children but I also expect parents to be well, parents. Unless it's chuckie cheese I just don't think running from station to station is the way to go. Buffets always seem overly loud and crazy.

3) food is "meh" at best. I do want to try Tusker house though, I've heard great things about that.
4) lastly, the price. really disney 50+ bucks for buffet food. I went to Ruth Chris's steakhouse and had a prefixe excellent meal for around that price. 45 bucks for crystal Palace? never gonna happen again.

We did like trails end buffet but it's been many years since we ate there. Has anyone been there lately?

Just ate at CP a week ago. Our breakfast was $22.99, and was hot and delicious, also no children were running around noisy while we were there.

The dinner was $35.99, not $50+. Have never ever paid more than this for the dinners. Maybe they are on major holidays - don't know, never desire to be there at those times.

Also, we just ate the dinner buffet at Trails End. It was one of our least expensive meals, and also one of our best ones. The smoked brisket and ribs were outstanding.

 

[ElizabethB]

Absolutely -- we avoid buffets. But, only in part due to sanitary issues. With respect to the OP's child, WDW seemed to have a lot of norovirus going around lately and that could well have been what it was.

Norovirus outbreaks happen on cruise ships and anywhere there are alot of people. There is something of an elevated risk at buffets due to so many people touching the serving utensils. The first thing the cruise ships do when norovirus strikes is suspend self-service at the buffets and instead have employees with clean hands serving the food with no passengers touching the utensils. They also have employees stand at the dining room entrance and no one gets in without using hand sanitizer.

Beyond the norovirus germs, we agree with everything eliza61 said. We dislike buffets because we like to sit down and be served, we don't like warmed over food sitting under heating lamps, we find the food quality generally poor at buffets and we don't like all the disorganization with kids running around and general noise and mayhem.

We would much prefer a sit-down dinner with higher quality food, a nice bottle of wine and a quiet refined atmosphere. Of course, this is getting harder and harder to find at WDW these days.

 

[Peter Fan]

Just ate at CP a week ago. Our breakfast was $22.99, and was hot and delicious, also no children were running around noisy while we were there.

The dinner was $35.99, not $50+. Have never ever paid more than this for the dinners. Maybe they are on major holidays - don't know, never desire to be there at those times.

Also, we just ate the dinner buffet at Trails End. It was one of our least expensive meals, and also one of our best ones. The smoked brisket and ribs were outstanding.

We ate at CM the week before thanksgiving. For the 4 of us the bill came to 220. with tip. Thank goodness we were on free dining plan! I would never go back there and pay oop, not worth it.

 

[North of Mouse]

We ate at CM the week before thanksgiving. For the 4 of us the bill came to 220. with tip. Thank goodness we were on free dining plan! I would never go back there and pay oop, not worth it.

What was your price per person? We were there the Mon. after Thanksgiving and paid $35.99 per person, but our best tips would never equal that much difference. I have our receipt right here - always keep them til we get home just to see how much we spent on food. We always do better without the dining plan, no matter what we eat.

 

[Peter Fan]

Just ate at CP a week ago. Our breakfast was $22.99, and was hot and delicious, also no children were running around noisy while we were there.

The dinner was $35.99, not $50+. Have never ever paid more than this for the dinners. Maybe they are on major holidays - don't know, never desire to be there at those times.

Also, we just ate the dinner buffet at Trails End. It was one of our least expensive meals, and also one of our best ones. The smoked brisket and ribs were outstanding.

What was your price per person? We were there the Mon. after Thanksgiving and paid $35.99 per person, but our best tips would never equal that much difference. I have our receipt right here - always keep them til we get home just to see how much we spent on food. We always do better without the dining plan, no matter what we eat.

I don't recall per person. I just remember looking at total bill after $25 tip and thinking I wish I could be a server here.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

and thinking I wish I could be a server here.

and I've wished for many things in my life in and out of Disney but one thing I'm sure was not one of them, "serving food to thousands of people from many countries, states and far away lands!" In the words of Jack Nicholson, "I'd rather stick needles in my eyes!

 

[Peter Fan]

and I've wished for many things in my life in and out of Disney but one thing I'm sure was not one of them, "serving food to thousands of people from many countries, states and far away lands!" In the words of Jack Nicholson, "I'd rather stick needles in my eyes!

Oh I agree it's a very stressful job, but it could sure be alot of fun also.

 

[AlohaAnnie]

We enjoy Disney Buffets. The only time we eat buffets are at Disney. I like the variety for our family because of our eating habits. Just because a buffet is all you can eat, it doesn't mean you eat all you can. You have a choice, in my opinion.

At home, we avoid buffets, I refuse to step foot in the Golden Corral. DH hates that about me, I just can't do it. But we do eat out often.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I like the variety for our family because of our eating habits. Just because a buffet is all you can eat, it doesn't mean you eat all you can. You have a choice, in my opinion.

You are totally right, I eat no more at Boma than I do at a sit down restaurant, like you, I really enjoy the variety! Now my 16 year and his buddy, 6'3" +, both football players, step aside, it's going to get "ugly"! Though they do have excellent table and buffet manners!

 

[Tormania]

If you are worried about the germs at a buffet then odds are going to a theme park where MILLIONS of people from all over the world go probably isn't a good idea either. YMMV

 

[Megsie1000]

Why would the buffet spoons be any germier than any other surface you are touching hundreds of times a day all around the parks, resorts and buses? That makes zero sense.

Wash your hands before you eat. That is good practice whether you are eating at home, at a buffet or anywhere else for that matter.

To the OP: If you are implying your child got a stomach virus that caused her to be sick, those viruses have incubation periods that make it unlikely she came into the contact with the virus at the restaurant if she was throwing up hours later. More likely she contracted it days earlier.

If you are implying she got food poisoning, that would have nothing to do with the other guests but would be a matter of bad food preparation practices by the restaurant, which is just as likely to happen at a sit-down restaurant as it is at a buffet.

 

[Clamesa]

1) we usually avoid buffets and ayce places.
2) but, not for "germ" reasons.
3) we find the buffets are filled with too many noisy/unruly guests.
. . . Folks let kids run around
. . . Folks talk much too loud
. . . Folks let kids yell and scream
4) we find that *most* ala-carte eateries have more respectful people.

note: I do not expect vacation destinations to have solemnly quiet
eateries, but a roar or din is too much for us.

ditto.

 

[Bob NC]

It's not very appetizing for me to watch people in line at buffets scratch their butt, pick their nose, cough, sneeze, play with the food.

I don't do WDW buffets anymore, though, mostly because, IN MY OPINION, they are on the same quality level as a Golden Corral, or even a high school cafeteria. The hot food is never hot, the cold food is never cold and for me the quality just isn't there.

 

[Peter Fan]

It's not very appetizing for me to watch people in line at buffets scratch their butt, pick their nose, cough, sneeze, play with the food.

I don't do WDW buffets anymore, though, mostly because, IN MY OPINION, they are on the same quality level as a Golden Corral, or even a high school cafeteria. The hot food is never hot, the cold food is never cold and for me the quality just isn't there.

And you don't think that doesn't happen in the kitchen.

 

[North of Mouse]

And you don't think that doesn't happen in the kitchen.

Yep, it does. I know someone who worked in one and was horrified.

The only way to control your food preparation is to eat at your own home. I have no intention of going that route all the time so we try to eat at *clean looking* eateries and not obsess about it.

I have no problems that jump out at me concerning WDW eateries, so I enjoy eating at most of them, including a few favorite buffets. One thing we do because we like to eat early is to make ressies at opening, and the food looks and tastes fresh enough for me. TS foods are not always prepared for a person right at ordering - some things are prepared in advance (has to be). Also, some meals ordered from menu have been gotten off the buffet by the server (or gotten in the back from some of the same dishes). Ordering from a menu does not necessarily mean *food prepared right then fresh and just for me*.

The same cooks in the kitchen handle all types of meals (whether it be from menu or buffet).

 

[Bob NC]

And you don't think that doesn't happen in the kitchen.

I mentioned in the second sentence of my post the MAIN reason I don't do buffets.

You must have missed that part.

 

[Peter Fan]

Yep, it does. I know someone who worked in one and was horrified.

The only way to control your food preparation is to eat at your own home. I have no intention of going that route all the time so we try to eat at *clean looking* eateries and not obsess about it.

I have no problems that jump out at me concerning WDW eateries, so I enjoy eating at most of them, including a few favorite buffets. One thing we do because we like to eat early is to make ressies at opening, and the food looks and tastes fresh enough for me. TS foods are not always prepared for a person right at ordering - some things are prepared in advance (has to be). Also, some meals ordered from menu have been gotten off the buffet by the server (or gotten in the back from some of the same dishes). Ordering from a menu does not necessarily mean *food prepared right then fresh and just for me*.

The same cooks in the kitchen handle all types of meals (whether it be from menu or buffet).

I mentioned in the second sentence of my post the MAIN reason I don't do buffets.

You must have missed that part.

I have no problem with them either. If you obsess with these things you would never leave your home.
And yes Bob I guess I missed that part. Still don't see it.

 

[eliza61]

Yes, you would leave your house, you'd just be selective where you eat. Yes Im sure restaurants have sanitary issues, heck my family owned a NY eatery for 30 years but I still prefer NOT to see it, not saying that I've seen tons of nasty things at wdw but the question was, do I avoid buffets. So if I have my druthers I prefer not to eat where I see little kids sneezing over the pasta them running back to the table.

 

[wezee]

1) We usually avoid buffets and AYCE places.
2) But, not for "germ" reasons.
3) We find the buffets are filled with too many noisy/unruly guests.
. . . folks let kids run around
. . . folks talk much too loud
. . . folks let kids yell and scream
4) We find that *most* ala-carte eateries have more respectful people.

NOTE: I do not expect vacation destinations to have solemnly quiet
eateries, but a roar or din is too much for us.