Eating at Storytellers Cafe Dinner Buffet

[SGMCO]

Thinking about eating at the Dinner Buffet in Storytellers buffet.
The reviews are all over the place from wonderful to awful.
There are so few nice sit down restaurants at DLR compared to WDW.
I like how pretty the restaurant looks. I guess I'm just trying to
talk myself into eating there. Anyone have any recent experience eating at
Storytellers Cafe Dinner buffet?

Also thinking about eating at:
Ariels Grotto for WOC package
Trader Sams
Cafe Orleans

 

[Peanut Giggleface]

We had dinner at the Storyteller's Cafe back in November. The restaurant itself was very lovely and the buffet looked good too, but it was so expensive. We were given a menu at the time we were seated and there were plenty of items on there that looked good. So we decided to go that route. Altogether, we spent less money than we would have at the buffet and were very happy with our meals.

 

[pixiewings71]

DBF really enjoys the buffet at Storyteller's. I can never eat enough to justify the price so I order from the menu. We've never been disappointed.....

 

[nannyz]

We have eaten at both Storyteller's and Ariel's several times. We have always been pleased with the food; although I would say that I prefer the food at Ariel's.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Our family has found that it is too expensive for us(club 33 is not?), we wind up ordering off the menu and the food has always been good.

Jack

 

[Corpsebride]

If you are considering a WOC dinning experience, we have always enjoyed the Wine Country Trattoria WOC menu. It is a 3 course - soup or salad, entree, and dessert. It comes with yummy rolls. The menu is excellent and you get preferred standing for WOC. The view is beautiful if you get your dinner reservations for just before sunset. You can watch the sky change colors and the lights start to pop on. I would say , for all the spendy places to eat, this is sooo worth it. Ask for a table by the wall , best view of Paradise Pier...Hope this helps!

 

[Priory]

Does anyone know how late you can be seated for the dinner buffet? I would like to do this one night, but fairly late if possible.

 

[k3chantal]

Yes, we went to Storyteller's Cafe for dinner this past October. Half my family did the buffet and half ordered off the menu. This reservation was the second or third time we have eaten there. The very firs twas good; they go out of the way to make sure young children are taken care of and the food taste good. You may end of with a slight wait despite your reservation; this happened to us with lots of other people outside waiting. It's not a five star restaurant like its neighbor Napa Rose though.

My personal opinion is that I would avoid Ariel's Grotto like the plague. Carnival like food for top dollar. But if you want to visit with the characters' that is definitely a way to do it. I would choose Goofys Kitchen (in the DL Hotel) over Ariel's Kitchen.

Wine Country Trattoria is good and there are CS restaurants (a bakery and an asian place) in California Park that have great food for a walk up situation.

Disneyland restaurants are pretty dismay if you are use to Disney World. Especially if you like good food. The last time I made reservations over the phone the CM was very candid and told me that most visitors who go to DL are not there for the food so Disney has closed some good places like the sushi restaurant that was in Paradise Pier. There is a good pizza restaurant in Downtown Disney though.

Have fun!

 

[mmmears]

I agree with the PP that there are few decent sit-down restaurants at DL compared to WDW. I suggest you look at the menus for the restaurants at DTD -- there are much better options there than in the parks (and the hotels) IMO.

 

[disneydreamer74]

We did the Storyteller's buffet this past January..ugh.. Not good! From the horrible service to the limited options at the buffet..We will NEVER do it again. The food was okay,,but there just wasn't much to choose from. For what you pay..you would expect more. We even asked to speak to the lead to voice our dismay at our experience.

 

[Babybears]

You mentioned you were thinking about Cafe Orleans as an option, and we really like that place. The Gumbo is good and the patio seating is nice. Another place that our family likes to eat at that is not on a lot of peoples radar is the PCH Grill and PPH. The food is moderately priced, compared to the parks, and is really good. I highly reccommend the Mushroom Bisque (oh so very good) and the Crab Louie salad. The portions are huge, especially the salads. I was surprised how much crab came on the salad!! Yum!

We plan to try the Storytellers Cafe on our trip this Summer, but planning to go for lunch. I hear the Corn Chowder and the Salmon are excellent.

 

[GrandBob]

Also thinking about eating at:
Ariels Grotto for WOC package
Trader Sams
Cafe Orleans

Trader Sam's is a bar. A themed bar, and one of my new favorite places at DLR; but a bar. For food there, you have two options:

1. They have a bar menu with what looks like some pretty nice appetizers. I haven't tried them, but have heard good reports. But they're appetizers, not really full meal items.

2. You can order food at Tangaroa Terrace next door, and they'll deliver it to Trader Sam's. I was very unimpressed with the food at Tangaroa Terrace.

HTH,
Bob

 

[Mama Who]

The buffet at ST is my teenager's favorite Disney meal. It's in my husband's top three and I definitely enjoy it too. It *is* pricey, but I have big guys with big appetites, so it works out for us.

 

[SGMCO]

Thanks for all of the feedback, I will look into the other restaurants suggestions. I didn't know that you could order food from the other restaurant and eat it at Trader Sams. My DS who is 16yrs wanted to see the inside of Trader Sams so we will see if he can go in before 8:00pm when it is Adult only.

 

[pixiewings71]

Does anyone know how late you can be seated for the dinner buffet? I would like to do this one night, but fairly late if possible.

We eat late some nights, I believe they start to close the dinner buffet 30-60 minutes prior to closing and if they are out of something they may not refill it without a request. DBF wanted more corn chowder but they had run out, he asked the server and she brought him a bowl from the kitchen.

Yes, we went to Storyteller's Cafe for dinner this past October. Half my family did the buffet and half ordered off the menu. This reservation was the second or third time we have eaten there. The very firs twas good; they go out of the way to make sure young children are taken care of and the food taste good. You may end of with a slight wait despite your reservation; this happened to us with lots of other people outside waiting. It's not a five star restaurant like its neighbor Napa Rose though.

My personal opinion is that I would avoid Ariel's Grotto like the plague. Carnival like food for top dollar. But if you want to visit with the characters' that is definitely a way to do it. I would choose Goofys Kitchen (in the DL Hotel) over Ariel's Kitchen.

Wine Country Trattoria is good and there are CS restaurants (a bakery and an asian place) in California Park that have great food for a walk up situation.

Disneyland restaurants are pretty dismay if you are use to Disney World. Especially if you like good food. The last time I made reservations over the phone the CM was very candid and told me that most visitors who go to DL are not there for the food so Disney has closed some good places like the sushi restaurant that was in Paradise Pier. There is a good pizza restaurant in Downtown Disney though.

Have fun!

We dine at ST without a reservation often, if the wait is too long we chose to eat elsewhere.
I disagree 100% about AG, we feel it has very good food choices. I've never felt it had carnival like food, but then I don't eat tri-tip or cioppino when we go to carnivals.
We did not like WCT, however we ate there prior to the menu changes.
There are not a ton of TS places in either DLR or DCA, there are quite a few very good choices in DTD tho.

We did the Storyteller's buffet this past January..ugh.. Not good! From the horrible service to the limited options at the buffet..We will NEVER do it again. The food was okay,,but there just wasn't much to choose from. For what you pay..you would expect more. We even asked to speak to the lead to voice our dismay at our experience.

When you were seated did you not get the buffet menu? When we are seated they provide a regular menu and a buffet menu, the buffet menu is quite extensive and covers all the food offerings available at the buffet, it's been a full page each time we've received one.

 

[bakerudall]

I disagree 100% about AG, we feel it has very good food choices. I've never felt it had carnival like food, but then I don't eat tri-tip or cioppino when we go to carnivals.

Not even deep-fried cioppino?

 

[pixiewings71]

Not even deep-fried cioppino?

 

[jacs1234]

Dh and I and our four kids ate ther last December and we really loved it. Dh and I had the Buffet and ate till we were bursting. Three of our children ordered the make your own pasta and 1 had a pasta dish that he loved but it wasn't quite enough for his 11 year old belly so we should have gotten an adult portion or ordered the buffet for him too. The bread and butter pudding there was amazing.

 

[vettegirl]

We had dinner that twice in Feb and it was wonderful each time! It was a nice surprise and was much better than Goofy's Kitchen.