Going off a point Kevin made a few weeks ago: What restaurants would you not eat at...

[Tonyz]

...without the ambiance or view?

I think Kevin made a really interesting point about the California Grill. Would we all be dying to go there without that magnificent view? It made me think about other places to eat in Disney like this. Imagine every restaurant is now located in a boring looking building on a side street in your city. Which ones are instantly crossed off the list, and which ones have food good enough to still make it worthwhile?

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Great question! Right off the top of my head, I have to say the times I have been to the following, I have gone @ the request of, or to treat, somebody else, did not enjoy the experience, and/or felt it was not a "good value" and would not return of my choice - California Grill, Artist Point, Wolfgang Puck Cafe (the upstairs, expensive one), Mamma Melrose, Shula's, Coral Reef, any restaurant in Mexico, Captain's Grill, Chef Mickey's, Hoop Dee Doo (don't flame me), Victoria & Albert's (again, don't flame me, just do not like to dress up, and most stuff they serve I would NOT enjoy).

These I have had positive experiences at, would have no trouble returning to, and/or are "must dos" on my trips: 50's Prime Time, Hollywood Brown Derby, Garden Grill, Le Cellier (on the fence with this one), Chefs de France, Biergarten, Teppan Edo (every once in awhile, for "something different", Crystal Palace, Jiko, Boma, Trail's End, Olivia's, Turf Club, Whispering Canyon.

Like I said, these are some I thought of right away, and I stuck to table service or buffet only. And these are some that I feel strongly one way or another, and/or have had multiple experiences at over the years, to give them a fair chance, in case they were just having an off day when I went. I also did not list anything I feel "fair to middling" about - there are LOTS of places I wouldn't mind going to if I'm there, or if somebody else wants to go, but are not "must dos". Since I don't drive, I also am limited somewhat in cuisine choices at home, so love to go to WDW for easy transportation to places/cuisines I cannot access easily at home. I also must say I haven't been in over 3 years, so much has/may have changed in my choices. Last but not least, these are only MY opinions.

 

[KingLlama]

By your criteria, there are only two restaurants I'd eat at if they were here in my town:

1. Ohana
2. Chefs de France

These are based partially on food, but also partially on the fact that in my town, you cannot find these two types of cuisine elsewhere. So it's as much a uniqueness factor as anything.

Keep in mind that my dining experiences at WDW are somewhat limited, and I haven't hit many of the places that people rave about. Also, keep in mind that I'm not saying every other WDW restaurant is terrible. I like the food at WDW just fine. But in most cases, it's food I can find elsewhere around here, and at less of a price.

Now, snacks are a different story. I'd leave this office right now for some of that Werther's caramel corn from Germany, a Dole Whip, or even one of those big fresh pineapple spears from Aloha Isle.

 

[smiths02]

By your criteria, there are only two restaurants I'd eat at if they were here in my town:

1. Ohana
2. Chefs de France

These are based partially on food, but also partially on the fact that in my town, you cannot find these two types of cuisine elsewhere. So it's as much a uniqueness factor as anything.

Keep in mind that my dining experiences at WDW are somewhat limited, and I haven't hit many of the places that people rave about. Also, keep in mind that I'm not saying every other WDW restaurant is terrible. I like the food at WDW just fine. But in most cases, it's food I can find elsewhere around here, and at less of a price.

Now, snacks are a different story. I'd leave this office right now for some of that Werther's caramel corn from Germany, a Dole Whip, or even one of those big fresh pineapple spears from Aloha Isle.

Pretty much agree, but Ohana is now taken off our list after our last trip...they did something to the wings, salad and noodles that wasn't great

I did enjoy the food at Via Napoli, Yachtsman, and Chefs to want to eat it again because it was good. I don't know if I would pay those prices.
Everywhere else we ate, that I can think of, I would have been just as happy at Panera, Outback, etc.

 

[GAN]

Chef Mickey's....
'Ohana....

I haven't been since the new Reno, but I'm one that would probably go back to CG. Is it worth the money? Who knows -what really is?

 

[TiggerTrigger]

It was funny to hear him say this, because when people ask about spots for a special signature meal, I always throw in that I pick California Grill and Narcoosee's for the view...but prefer places like Yachtsman and Flying Fish if it's all about the food. While the meals we've had at Narcoosee's have been good, the food also never wows me. Cali Grill is the bigger issue. We've eaten there a number of times, but we always have at least one dish per visit that is below average. Still, I usually book it for the view (and they have good drinks). I'm kind of worried because I have my parents dining at CG in April with some friends and my dad is far less impressed with views, but I know my mom will appreciate it.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It's a hard question because so many restaurants at Disney are about the experience, not just the food. I mean, 50's Primetime without the setting and the servers playing around with you isn't the same either. I mean, we liked Garden Grill, but is it the same/worth the same amount of money if it didn't spin over Living with the Land and didn't have characters?

Explicitly on food we really like Victoria and Albert's, Cali Grill (though the view adds to it), Kona Cafe, La Cava (if you can count that, for the margarita's mostly though), Brown Derby, and Sanaa

I think you just have to decide if the experience (food, theme, characters, etc.) is worth it to you or not - hard to judge if just the food alone is worth the price

 

[disneysteve]

Pete has said many times that he doubts most Disney restaurants would survive if they weren't where they are. If you picked up almost any Disney restaurant as is and moved it to the real world, it probably wouldn't last because the prices, food, and service would not be competitive with other places in the area.

I can't answer this question too specifically because we rarely do TS meals at Disney because even with the restaurants where they are now, we don't think they are worth it.

The last TS meal we had was at BOG 2 years ago. I would not go back on property or otherwise. I'm glad we saw it once but for what they're charging, I would never do it again. Now if they moved it to NJ and dropped the prices by 20 or 30% I might consider it. Without that, though, there are far better options.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The last TS meal we had was at BOG 2 years ago. I would not go back on property or otherwise. I'm glad we saw it once but for what they're charging, I would never do it again. Now if they moved it to NJ and dropped the prices by 20 or 30% I might consider it. Without that, though, there are far better options.

to be though you can't separate it. You aren't paying for a meal in NJ though - you are paying for a meal, with princesses, inside Cinderella's Castle which is in the middle of the most popular park int he world

I guess my point is that you can't compare the price of a meal in WDW to a meal outside of it as they aren't comparable. Now, you can say, I don't think the entire experience is worth what they are charging, but I don't think you can just say that the food on it's own isn't worth what they are charging, compare to what is charged for comparable food outside of the parks

 

[disneysteve]

to be though you can't separate it. You aren't paying for a meal in NJ though - you are paying for a meal, with princesses, inside Cinderella's Castle which is in the middle of the most popular park int he world

I guess my point is that you can't compare the price of a meal in WDW to a meal outside of it as they aren't comparable.

But that's exactly the point of the thread. Would you eat at these restaurants if they were in your city? If you could pick up Via Napoli and put it in downtown Philadelphia, would you still go there for a $32 pizza? I doubt it.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

But that's exactly the point of the thread. Would you eat at these restaurants if they were in your city? If you could pick up Via Napoli and put it in downtown Philadelphia, would you still go there for a $32 pizza? I doubt it.

Saddest part for me is.....I haven't been in over 3 years, and I'm constantly wondering....."do I even want to go to WDW for a $32 pizza?" (or something else as ludicrously overpriced). And - at least for the last 3 years, and foreseeable future, the answer has been/is a resounding "NO".

 

[disneysteve]

Saddest part for me is.....I haven't been in over 3 years, and I'm constantly wondering....."do I even want to go to WDW for a $32 pizza?" (or something else as ludicrously overpriced). And - at least for the last 3 years, and foreseeable future, the answer has been/is a resounding "NO".

Not to get too OT, but Heidi, we go to Disney every year and have a blast. We were there in November. We were there in January. We'll be there again in July. We won't have a single TS meal in any of those 3 trips. We'll have good CS meals that are pretty reasonably priced in my opinion. We average under $25/person/day for meals at Disney which I don't find ridiculous at all. I would never let the cost of the sit down restaurants stop me from going. I've never had a $32 pizza. I don't ever intend to. If we want pizza, we'll drive over to Flippers, which we do on every trip.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

But that's exactly the point of the thread. Would you eat at these restaurants if they were in your city? If you could pick up Via Napoli and put it in downtown Philadelphia, would you still go there for a $32 pizza? I doubt it.

I guess I am having trouble wrapping my head around it because if Via Napoli was in downtown Philly it wouldn't sell $32 pizza - but like a waterside restaurant is going to cost more than one that doesn't have a water view, something in a Disney park will cost more than something that isn't

I guess trying to focus on what places have food that I like that I don't think is overpriced, just for the food:
- Kona
- V&A (though parly due to service, but it would be worth the cost outside of Disney)
- Sanaa
- Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar
- Raglan Road (though we tend to get apps and split entrees, etc.)

Maybe a few more

 

[flvy]

BOG gets crossed off the list so quickly.

Boma stays.

 

[pjweaver]

This is difficult because like many people I don't live near Disney; it's vacation and you pay more on vacation. We have a place at the Jersey shore, and pay $22 for a pizza and two birch beers and Sam's, so Via Napoli doesn't sound that bad. Kona and 50's are in line with any vacation dining, and Be our Guest could serve cat food and people would go for the decor.

My theory is that if you live close enough to pop in for a bite, it will never be that good, but if it is a destination that you wait for all year the food will be fantastic. I am never dying for a cheese steak, but I can get one any time I want (Pats and Ginos are for tourists). If there was a California Grill near my home I probably wouldn't go there, but the lamb shank is damn good when we finally get to go there. It's the same reason I want Waffle House all the time... there isn't one around me.

edit: Max and I have to meet up sometime

 

[disneysteve]

I guess trying to focus on what places have food that I like that I don't think is overpriced, just for the food:

I realize that Tonyz didn't specify TS only. Since I'm a CS fan, let me answer for those. Which CS locations would I still frequent if you moved them to south Jersey?

The first one that comes to mind is Pecos Bill's. I love the new menu. I think the chicken fajita platter is one of the best meals on property. I would go there just for that at least once a month if it was near my home.

If you replaced the local mall food court with the Landscape of Flavors from AoA, I'd turn up at the mall a lot more often. I would say the same about Sunshine Seasons. Having either of those available to me locally would be great.

What wouldn't make the cut? We eat at Cosmic Ray's every trip but there's no way I'd go there outside of Disney World.
I can't think of any place in Hollywood Studios that I'd go to in the outside world. In fact, we rarely even eat in the park when we're there because the food options are just awful. We usually leave the park for meals.
The Yak and Yeti CS location is rather good. If it opened locally, I might go but it would have a lot of competition from other Asian restaurants. They'd need to lower the price point a bit and expand the menu.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

to be though you can't separate it. You aren't paying for a meal in NJ though - you are paying for a meal, with princesses, inside Cinderella's Castle which is in the middle of the most popular park int he world

I guess my point is that you can't compare the price of a meal in WDW to a meal outside of it as they aren't comparable. Now, you can say, I don't think the entire experience is worth what they are charging, but I don't think you can just say that the food on it's own isn't worth what they are charging, compare to what is charged for comparable food outside of the parks

I think this is an excellent point. While not everyone will feel these experiences are worth it...you are paying for an experience - not just food. Take CRT for example...the food quality isn't really on par with other signature spots, but Disney feels the experience of being in the castle is special enough to give it signature classification and pricing. The experience at Akerhsus is very similar, but it costs less OOP and is just 1 credit on DDP because it's not the castle.

We've also seen this concept creeping into local attractions. We went to our zoo this past our weekend, and since our last visit, they've added a restaurant with outdoor seating that borders on the giraffe and ostrich habitat. It's just burgers, hot dogs, and pizza, but they seem to cost a couple of dollars more than other eateries in the zoo...because it's about the experience. It's funny, because some of the people involved in recent additions were previously involved with Animal Kingdom. So, it's no secret where they got at least some of their inspiration. But...I paid a little bit extra for the food for this experience while we dined...

Still, it's this same mindset that drives a lot of our ADR booking...I'm booking for more than just food

 

[disneysteve]

you are paying for an experience - not just food

Absolutely. But again, that's the point of the thread. Would you still go to those restaurants and pay those prices if they picked up the restaurant and moved it to your hometown (assuming you don't live in Orlando)? Could the restaurant stand on its own absent the experience factor?

Your example from the zoo is a perfect one. The Disney influence is definitely spreading. Rainforest Cafe is another example. We've eaten at Rainforest in several places besides Disney (Atlantic City, Niagara Falls, etc.). They are able to maintain the experience factor regardless of the locale.

So which Disney "experience" restaurants would you still go to if they weren't part of the Disney experience?

On a related note, Disney originally planned to build DisneyQuest complexes around the country. The only one that actually got built was Chicago and it didn't last long. They were working on one in Philadelphia but scrapped the plans. Their experience in Chicago showed them that even though it was very popular in Orlando, the experience didn't translate into people's everyday lives.

 

[pjweaver]

This is still hard to quantify. Are we talking about the view like CG, or the experience like at 50's Prime Time or SciFi? I'd eat at 50's no matter where it was and even if they didn't have the whole schtick with your aunt and the decor. I would say that only 50% of a dining experience is the food. Service, ambiance, presentation and plating, and location all make up the rest. Based solely on food there is not a single dining experience in WDW worth the money. However how could you rate Hoop Dee Do or Jiko on just the food?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I realize that Tonyz didn't specify TS only. Since I'm a CS fan, let me answer for those. Which CS locations would I still frequent if you moved them to south Jersey?

The first one that comes to mind is Pecos Bill's. I love the new menu. I think the chicken fajita platter is one of the best meals on property. I would go there just for that at least once a month if it was near my home.

If you replaced the local mall food court with the Landscape of Flavors from AoA, I'd turn up at the mall a lot more often. I would say the same about Sunshine Seasons. Having either of those available to me locally would be great.

What wouldn't make the cut? We eat at Cosmic Ray's every trip but there's no way I'd go there outside of Disney World.
I can't think of any place in Hollywood Studios that I'd go to in the outside world. In fact, we rarely even eat in the park when we're there because the food options are just awful. We usually leave the park for meals.
The Yak and Yeti CS location is rather good. If it opened locally, I might go but it would have a lot of competition from other Asian restaurants. They'd need to lower the price point a bit and expand the menu.

The first one that came to my mind was Sunshine Seasons - I think there is great food there and, for the most part, fairly priced. I also liked Landscape of Flavor, though perhaps similar food at cheaper price is available in a lot of areas

I love the cupcakes at Staring Rolls so that one could potentially work outside of WDW. I think the waffle sandwiches at Sleepy Hallow are good to and could work elsewhere