Every time I book an ADR someone posts a negative thread!

[Simba's Mom]

I was anxious to try some new restaurants this trip, but I get discouraged reading negative reviews. I am at least hoping for some decent meals with the prices were are paying!

Try wherever you want! For years, we avoided Nine Dragons because of all the negative reviews. Finally, last year, we stopped there for lunch because we hadn't made any ADRs for lunch, and we could walk in there. Well, we loved it. DH has been to China and enjoyed eating there. So lesson learned-don't pay much attention to reviews! On the other hand, lots of people love Chefs de France, and we were definitely underwhelmed.

 

[jedi jen]

We do DxDP and try many restaurants. We have always had a good time. While there are some that are our favs and some we wont be back to....we enjoyed them all. We look at the menus and where we are to be and choose what appeals to us. I will add that because we have had such posiitive experiences, logistics is something I give great weight to. Why waste time and energy travelling far for a meal when I can usually find one close that we will love.

 

[Beer Me]

I learn many times bad reviews comes from disappointment and high expectations, people judge their food from the price they paid for, the server, and even the location of the table inside the restaurant. I lost count of how many bad reviews Ohana gets from people who are vegetarians

And just to show how truly subjective these things are I've also seen rave reviews for Ohana from vegetarians. You never know until you try it for yourself.

 

[agavegirl1]

Definitely make ADRs at places that interest you for the menu, the theme, the experience, the location and how it fits into your touring plan. One thing I have found helpful is reviewing the menus and interior photos of the restaurants. I like a combination of food and "vibe" as it were. Negative reviews only serve to give me more information in order to set expectations and potentially avoid certain menu items. I agree with PP, use the review to discern "why" the negative review was made and whether that reason matters to you.

 

[meggiebeth]

I love to plan reading dining reports and particularly looking at the photos of food to get an idea of whether a restaurant would suit us or not. I try not to take to heart more subjective statements reviewers make about their experiences, because at the end of the day there is a good chance that we will have a different view of the restaurant. For example, everyone raves about 'Ohana for dinner and we were pretty underwhelmed. Plus, the entertainment others praised we found tacky. However, we went to Chef Mickey's which is now one of our staple restaurants, despite it being criticised by other diners. I really think a lot of it is subjective.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

And just to show how truly subjective these things are I've also seen rave reviews for Ohana from vegetarians. You never know until you try it for yourself.

Exactly. I'm a vegetarian and although I haven't been to Ohana yet, it is one of the ADRs I am most looking forward to for our trip in August. I've read several reviews of vegetarians receiving a separate appetizer with flat bread crisps, hummus, and baba ganoush and a tofu and veggies dish. Honestly though, just the bread, salad, veggies, and noodles that everyone gets sounds like a wonderful vegetarian meal to me. On the other hand, the restaurants in Morocco are highly praised by vegetarians but I can't stand that kind of food.

Everybody likes different things.

 

[arminnie]

I vote with the "read the menu" folks. Seriously - look at the menu. If it doesn't sound like there's anything you'd like to order - then it's not right for you. Doesn't matter if others like the food or not.

If you are trying to exist on a budget it really helps to look at the menu and to make decisions on how to allocate your funds. Don't book Victoria and Albert and then find you have no more money left for the week. That makes more sense than someone's remark that says "it wasn't worth the money".

The reviews are helpful in describing the atmosphere and ambiance. They can give a first time user advice about the character interaction. And helpful advice about how hard it is to get an ADR.

There's lots of good advice in reviews. Just use what works for you.

 

[jsmla]

I'm not going to say totally discount reviews because the restaurants can vary greatly even with the same dish. For example, I eat an insane amount of QS salmon at WDW (I have big plans to branch out in September!) and the quality varies widely depending on the venue. For example, the salmon dishes at Wolfgang Puck Express and ABC Commissary have huge differences in quality and the chicken at Flame Tree is far superior to that at Cosmic Rays, IMHO. Same thing with salads. I love the grilled chicken salad at Sunshine Seasons but once was served one at Liberty Inn that was so bad that, had I not been with new friends, I would have taken back up to the counter and demanded something that at least vaguely resembled the picture on the menu.

I'm going into Tony's with lowish expectations because I want the parade viewing. I've read a ton of reviews and they have helped me to decide that I will be avoiding the red sauce. I feel like my meal here may not be stellar but at least I'll go with realistic expectations and an idea of what to avoid.

 

[2hapykdz]

Opinions are just that......some of my fave places on property get killed on this site. Gotta take it all with a grain of salt...and try it!

 

[DekrRini]

Food is so subjective. I had the best pork chops I'd ever eaten at BOG and I grew up in the Midwest where you can get really, really good pork chops. I've never had a bad experience at Coral Reef, but I always check the menu because it changes. Right now there's nothing that appeals to me. I checked the menu at some of the highly rated restaurants like California Grill and Le Cellier where the food looked interesting, but I'm just not willing to pay $50 for a steak. Anyplace. So when I make ADRs, menu, ambiance/experience, and price point are the deciding factors.

I've never had a bad meal anyplace so far, but some are definitely better than others. I'm trying some new places this year--The Wave, Chef Mickey's, and Tony's. If Tony's lives up to it's reputation, maybe I'll have my first terrible experience at WDW this year.

 

[2hapykdz]

Food is so subjective. I had the best pork chops I'd ever eaten at BOG and I grew up in the Midwest where you can get really, really good pork chops. I've never had a bad experience at Coral Reef, but I always check the menu because it changes. Right now there's nothing that appeals to me. I checked the menu at some of the highly rated restaurants like California Grill and Le Cellier where the food looked interesting, but I'm just not willing to pay $50 for a steak. Anyplace. So when I make ADRs, menu, ambiance/experience, and price point are the deciding factors.

I've never had a bad meal anyplace so far, but some are definitely better than others. I'm trying some new places this year--The Wave, Chef Mickey's, and Tony's. If Tony's lives up to it's reputation, maybe I'll have my first terrible experience at WDW this year.

DekrRini......Tony's does get killed a lot....but one piece of advice ....choose a dish that's not red sauce based...like a cream dish or meat dish. I had a braised lamb shank a few years ago that was out of this world! Wife had the Ckn parm.....one of the worst things I've ever eaten.

 

[shaycamp21]

Sometimes you can't believe the hype either way. The worst meal on property we ever had was at Raglan Road, truly awful--yet it gets RAVE reviews-we were sooo disappointed. However, going for the character experience to Hollywood and Vine we were pleasantly surprised with the food and it has some of WORST reviews on property. It's all subjective.

 

[KimBean]

We just went with what we wanted last time and booked two restaurants that are usually bombed on the dis. Coral reef was excellent in food, service, and atmosphere. Chef Mickeys was worse then I could even imagine was possible. Dirty, no atmosphere, stuck in dark corner, and food was terrible. Bland no flavor. Random selections, nothing worked together. Tons of pretty desserts that had no flavor.

But my point is if I had listed to the dis I wouldn't have had he excellent meal at Coral Reef.

Just pick what sounds good to you and your family.

 

[Squirlz]

Try Tripadvisor for more subjective reviews. The ones here often have hidden agendas.

 

[arminnie]

I've been to WDW multiple times a year for the past 25 years. I've been willing to try just about anything. Some I will never go to again, but others I'm glad I went to once.

I think a lot of it depends on your point of reference. I lived in the San Francisco area for many years. I've had great Chinese food so I'm probably not going to be that impressed with anything in the China area of Epcot. It doesn't mean it is bad - it just means that I've had better. Same with Mexican food as I also lived in Texas for years.

As I also lived in two great food meccas for decades - San Francisco and New Orleans I don't get impressed by food that is just good. But sometimes just good is good enough. You need to look at each meal as to what your objectives are. Is it to be fed with something that is just okay or are you trying to expand your food horizons and experience new things.

If I am just hungry and want to be fed maybe I'll be thrilled with going off property to something like Tom Chee (Tomato soup and grilled cheese with lots of variations at Crossroads). But maybe I want a truly gourmet dazzle me experience and choose Victoria and Albert. Or I am in the parks and don't want to leave to go eat so I pick the best of what is offered.

Even when I am home - I may decide to have beans and rice, grilled shrimp, a prime steak, or just vegetable soup depending on what I feel like. There is no one answer ever.

 

[Nancyg56]

This is a glowing review, but I still don't want to eat there if the best thing on the buffet is amazing fresh fruit. I mean, that's wonderful, but serving fresh fruit is no testament to the skills of the kitchen.

It's not like, for example, going to Chef Mickey's for their legendary parmesan mashed potatoes. Or the Crystal Palace for their chocolate French toast. A signature dish may entice me to try some place that typically gets awful reviews.

I think that you just made the point that folks have been suggesting. We all have our priorities in regards to food and dining. IMO fresh fruit is important if folks include it as a major componant of their meal. I have had some really crummy fruit and believe me, the kitchen staff has a hand in that portion of service. If a restaurant consistently serves ripe cut fruit, or consistently serves fruit that is past prime or unripe, I know that there is more I need to be looking at in terms of quality.

I tend to ignore reviews and try a place for myself. I like Tony's, think that Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch is horrible, and enjoy Chef Mickey's for dinner. I am probably the only person on the DIS who in over ten years of dining at 'Ohana has never found it to be a must do even though my family loves it, who thinks Le Cellier was among the worst meals I have had, and who has no desire to go to Tusker House ever again.

Dining is subjective. I always suggest that folks try a restaurnt for themselves and make their own decision.