Does anyone have anything nice to say about dinner at Chef Mickey's?

[ppony]

I used to be a staunch defender of CM. Food was always okay, never great but there was always something everyone could eat. I didn't feel that way last time (Nov 2009). So we won't be going back and it used to be a family tradition. that said, the biggest plus was seeing characters easily w/o long lines and waiting. It can be worth it just for that. Just go in w/ an open mind. You may be satisfied. Don't read too much. Just go to enjoy the interaction and don't expect much from the food, you'll probably be really happy.

 

[Dizmom0923]

We love Chef Mickeys, the food has never been a disappointmnet to us and its a restaurant that focuses on kids. So expect them to be up and around and eve a little bit noisy.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Food wise - we were pretty disappointed with Chef Mickey's. However, we did get some wonderful character interaction here - I believe we even got to see every character twice and the restaurant was pretty busy that night. Plus, it's fun watching the monorail go by!

 

[pinkxray]

Thanks for all the replies. I am already going into it not expecting much, so hopefully it won't be too bad. I really hope they fix the ice cream machine by May. At least if my daughter gets her ice cream she will be happy.

 

[jill062604]

We love it! I think the character interaction is wonderful and the food is not bad! I like the salad bar and the raviolis. I also like the mickey-roni and cheese....of course I like all things mouse shaped. Dessert bar was delicious too! If you want fine dining, this isnt the place for you, but if you want fun decent dining it is. We are going back in May!!

 

[valeriemouse]

I have WONDERFUL things to say about Chef Mickeys! I've been there many times and it has never disappointed me. The character interaction is awesome and I even think the food is good. Yummy meat at the carving station, great food in the kids section, the world's best mashed potatoes . . . I love this place It's always a trip MUST

The only thing that makes me sad is that Chip and Dale are no longer there

 

[bentleygirl22]

We love it!! its a must do every trip!!!

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

We really had a great time. I recommend getting an early ADR, ours was at 4:30 p.m. We didn't have to wait at all and we had good service. The characters came by several times and spent a lot of time posing for pics and talking with the kids. As for the food, we liked it because DD could get vegetables and a variety. She got very sick of the chicken nuggets or plain pasta that so many of the TS offers for kids. It definitely wasn't the best food we had all trip, but we will definitely go back.

 

[tiredsigh]

My family likes it But with a toddler and 11 year old, we don't need anything high end.

Both times last trip (December 2008), we had great servers who took care of any requests. I have severe food allergies and the chefs there were eager to bring me plates of anything I wanted from the line if it was sitting close to fish or shellfish. So I was able to eat things I would normally have to avoid to be careful

I think CM is like anywhere else. You have positive and negative reviews

We just happen to have a positive one. Was it our favorite meal of the trip? No. Would we go back again? It's on our list of ADRs for May!

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

Love it, don't miss it, sometimes we go 2x a trip. Make ADR, just seeing it and wanting to go there does not get you a seat!!

 

[KandD]

We tried it for dinner for the first time in September. It was three adults (me, my DBF, and my sister). We all agreed that we were not impressed with the food. This is the only Disney buffet we have ever tried. But the character interaction was really good, Mickey came over to my table when I was alone and he waited for my DBF and sister to come back so we could do pics which I thought was really nice.
We said we would give it another try at some point but as another poster said, I wouldn't pay out of pocket. I treated my sister for her bday (DBF and I were on the dining plan) and it is over $30 for just so so food.

 

[mommycrawford]

I must say, I actually prefer dinner there to breakfast! (First breakfast there was in September.) That said, some dishes are decent, salad bar/fruit is quite good, but much is fairly plain, and unmemorable. The dessert bar is extensive, so a kid is always enchanted by it. Servers don't do much but bring drinks and clear, but you go for the fab 5.

Bear in mind that you are the paying guest, so if you don't like the area you sit in, speak up...if they can, they will accommodate you. If your server is not serving your needs, say it with your tip, or ask another server for what you need. Stay til you see all the characters EVEN if you have been there a while, and mention to staff who you have not seen, and they will try to get them to your table if they need the table freed up.

I'm not usually so merciless, but you wait, and you pay, so you should at least enjoy the short time you are there!...I believe it is actually supposed to be magical

 

[lizzysmom]

We love chef mickeys. We eat at chef mickey every trip for dinner. We have had only one visit that wasn't good. character interaction is awesome. The desserts are to die for.

 

[jojomoore]

We ate dinner there Thanksgiving night. My entire family really liked the food. Everything was delicious. My daughter and her BFF were both nine and were growing tired of the limited choices on the kids menu at the QS and TS restaurants, so they really enjoyed the variety of food at CM and the make your own sundae station . I will never forget this little boy came up to me while i was standing at the sundae station and said "i filled one of the to go cups with gummy worms". He was so excited. Both girls were also really excited to meet all of the characters that had seem to elude us prior in the week. This was a fun evening. Oh, we had a great server and there is an opportunity to get a family picture made before dinner.

 

[marriedtodisneylover]

We went to Chef Mickey for dinner the night we arrived. It was a fabulous way to start the trip. The kids (ages 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 at the time) were able to see the "main" characters and we knew we had pictures and autographs before we even stepped foot into a park. For us, that alone, was worth it. Was it the best food we had - no, but we all found something to eat and no one walked out hungry. I also felt that the location of Chef Mickey was worth it. The kids really loved seeing the monorail go through the hotel. I think you need to go with an open mind. As far as noise - it is Chef Mickey not Victoria and Albert. Was service the best we ever had - no, but we were in Disney World watching our kids' faces light up when they saw the characters.

 

[ppony]

I want to add that some people are implying that those of us that feel the quality of food has slipped drastically are out looking for high dining. That isn't true of, I would wager, a single person visiting Chef M's. Even something like Applebee's would be okay, but in our last experience, and we go at the beginning of service so what is being put out has had teh elast amount of time to sit, it was just awful. Dry, cold (in come cases) and lacking flavor all together. the first 2 were high on my list. I can salt and pepper things if need be, but it was beyond that when it was cold and dry. I would liken it to Old Country Buffet or worse honestly. It didn't used to be that bad. We never went there loving there food. The atmosphere was what we went for, but when all 3 of us walked away hungry, that really sent a signal to us.

I guess I get very tired of spending over a hundred for a meal for my family and walking away hungry. That's part of why we bought into DVC. I was just tired of spending money to eat and feeling like a Pop-tart would have been more appetizing. I certainly don't plan on cooking much, but cereal on MY dime and some muffins for less than $10 for everyone sounds a lot better after so much waste.

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

We've eaten at Chef Mickey's multiple times, both with and without the dining plan, and have never been disappointed. Actually, it's a running joke in our family when we ask where people want to go for dinner. Someone is sure to say, "Chef Mickey's?" with a big cheesy smile.

The food is a definite step up from usual buffet fare. We've eaten at both Crystal Palace and 1900 Park Fare and been unimpressed. But Chef Mickey's remains a favorite.

Our most recent meal there was on the Fourth of July. Even though the restaurant was busy, the food was fresh and well prepared. The salmon remains a favorite of the adults in our group. The kids love the carved meats and mashed potatoes. We had a party of 11, and no one had a negative comment about any of the food. The dessert buffet is a special favorite. The key lime pies are very tasty, as are the mini-cheesecakes. I have occasionally thought the mickey ear mousses on the oreo cookies were a bit too firm, but I suppose that's because they want them to keep their cute shape.

Our service has always been very good, which is much more than I can say for Crystal Palace. We will most likely visit Chef Mickey's for dinner each time we go to WDW. Unless we decide to go for breakfast some day. Also, the characters are wonderful, but I'm sure that's not a surprise.

Name a restaurant at Disney, and I will find you a review that says it is terrible and one that claims it as the best restaurant ever. Your best bet is to try it for yourself. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

 

[Gypsy Queen]

Gosh, I used to have plenty of good things to say; but no longer. I feel it has gone downhill for awhile now. We gave it one last try in December and were again disappointed. Cold food, slowly replenished and the variety worse than last time. Food on the floor under our table and greasy chairs. They seemed understaffed and the servers harried. The only thing that was good were the mashed potatoes. I'm hoping for it to make a "comeback" one day.

 

[meg8017]

I am so bummed about all the negative reviews. We haven't been to Disney in 4 years, we always had dinner at CM's once per trip. We have a dinner booked for our upcoming trip in 2 weeks, but I am seriously thinking about cancelling. Our little guy is free, but someone mentioned it's about $80 for 2 adults, that's alot for a mediocre meal. Also with the prime rib being substituted, that's a bummer, especially to DH. Maybe someone at Disney will read all this and get their act together.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our Ratings of Chef Mickey's:

. . . food price value: C
. . . food quality: C-
. . . food quantity per serving: A
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: B
. . . seating quantity: C
. . . seating comfort: B
. . . eatery atmosphere: B-
. . . eatery convenience: B
. . . staff friendliness: B
. . . staff helpfulness: A
. . . character interaction: A-

NOTE: As with most character meals, you are paying for the characters, and possibly atmosphere, but not the food. Food is ample and tasty, but only average or slightly below.