Have Restaurant Reviews Changed your ADR'S?

[Kata]

I will be making my ADR'S in a few weeks and I am on the fence about a few restaurants because of mixed reviews. I was going to pay OOP for Bluezoo but the bad reviews lately are giving me second thoughts. This is a really expensive restaurant and I am worried it will be a waste of money. I was also looking forward to trying Wolfgang Puck's Cafe it also seems to be getting alot of mixed reviews and the menu has changed and I am not really sure what the current menu really is. Mamma Melrose's seems to have really gone downhill since my last visit and I had thought about doing the Fantasmic package there. Then of course there is Captain Jack's which rarely ever gets good reviews but he chance of having 2 lobster tails is very tempting to give it a try.Even Le Cellier seems to have an increase in dissapointed patrons. Does anyone else have 2nd thoughts after bad reviews or do you add a restaurant because of positive reviews?
Thanks!!!!!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I take all restaurant reviews with a grain of salt and then book what I want. However, if all you are going to be thinking about is how bad the meal 'could be' then I would try something else.

 

[wilma-bride]

I have been known to add an ADR because of good reviews but, unless I'm really not bothered about eating somewhere in the first place, I would be unlikely to change my plans just because a 'couple of people' didn't like it. I think it's all about perspective - the number of people that eat at these restaurants each and every day, then one or two posters post a bad/negative review and all of a sudden the place is not worth visiting.

I'm not saying that these people didn't have a bad experience but that doesn't necessarily mean you will have the same experience. To each their own, I say - and I tend to reserve judgement until I have tried something myself

 

[Kata]

Thanks for the quick responses.I am feeling better about my choices.

 

[Tinkerbellmom33]

Good reviews sway me more than bad, everyone has different tastes and experiences at restaurants. If it's somewhere I really want to eat, I'll go and judge for myself.
The only bad review to trust is Tony's!

 

[want2bamommy]

While I LOVE reading the reviews I do not let them sway me from my ADR's. I know that everyone has different tastes and that I'll make my decision's based on the menu choice.

Missie

 

[mom2my3kids]

I try not to let reviews get me down. I went to Debs site and looked at the menu's plus looked at the pics on here. The only one I am not sure about but my hubby insisted in Nine Dragons. I would rather not but he insists, so I hope it turns out well..

 

[mhf]

If I believe the review has described the overall food type or overall atmosphere accurately, and it's something I wouldn't like, then I would change. For example, several reviews said Calif Grill is large and noisy so we asked to be seated in the wine room which was much quieter. Had to wait a few extra minutes but that's OK.

But I wouldn't change based on one dish or one night of bad service.

Melissa
(started to pack already!! )

 

[MrsB1228]

No, I don't change ADR's based on bad reviews. I totally agree with others who say it's all a matter of perspective and individual tastes. I love to read dining reviews, but reserve judgement on a restaurant until we try it ourselves. We ate at San Angel Inn on our December trip despite many horrible reviews (too crowded, food is terrible, service sucks, etc.) and we had a wonderful experience! Our meals were delicious, our waiter was incredible and sure it was crowded, but no more so than any other Disney restaurant. If I had allowed the reviews to sway me, we'd have missed out on what was one of our favourite dinners. We're going to Nine Dragons in August, also despite bad reviews, and hopefully it will work out as well as our Mexico experience did!

 

[SheenaXena21]

I read them and sometimes think twice if I read a bad review. But with my own experience, I usually love the restaurants that everyone hates!!! Example: We had our best meal last year at Coral Reef and my family was really unimpressed with Le Cellier. Go figure!!! Don't get me wrong everything was very good, just not as good as CR. And the worst place IMO was Donald's Breakfastosaurus and it gets good reviews.

This year we're trying San Angel Inn and I've read hundreds of bad reviews. As long as the food doesn't suck and the service and atmosphere is good, we'll have a good meal. We're easy to please I guess.

 

[robinb]

I have booked restaurants that had bad reviews and then wished I had listened, LOL! Places like Coral Reef and Sci Fi Drive-In. Then again, I have booked places that get rave reviews (like Le Cellier, Kona Cafe and Prime Time) and am also disappointed.

 

[RalphMouth]

yes.... used to always go to
L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante but haven't
seen many good revies of late so we are going to pass
and keep those good memories from past visits-

 

[robinb]

I want to add that I have only been "pleasantly surprised" by two restaurants that get consistently bad reviews. Once was at Alfredos. It was great the first time we went, but consistent with all the bad reviews the second time. The other is Tony's in the MK. We have been there 3 times and each time it was quite good.

I too am tempted by the lobster at Captain Jacks. We may try it the next time we're on the DDP. There are very few restaurants that are new to us and that is one of them.

 

[jimmalru80]

I take all restaurant reviews with a grain of salt and then book what I want. However, if all you are going to be thinking about is how bad the meal 'could be' then I would try something else.

Well said.

 

[darlak]

I try not to let reviews get me down. I went to Debs site and looked at the menu's plus looked at the pics on here. The only one I am not sure about but my hubby insisted in Nine Dragons. I would rather not but he insists, so I hope it turns out well..

My DD's and I love the Honey Chicken at Nine Dragons and we always get the appetizer dish for 2. The egg rolls are some of my favorite anywhere.

I never let bad reviews keep me from trying someplace new, but I will sometimes decide to try a place if it gets lots of favorable reviews. I am influenced by the menus more than reviews.

 

[powellrj]

I'll tell you about our trip last year.

1st night Boma. Was really looking forward to this meal because it gets such great reviews. We were really disappointed in our meal and our service. I had a sinking feeling because if this was the "best" how bad would the worst be.

2nd night Concourse. It was better than Boma, but still nothing we couldn't get at home. More sinking feeling because this was another restaurant that was high on the recommendations.

3rd night LeCelliers. At the time this wasn't getting such hot reviews. We were early for our ADR and had to wait another 1/2 hour longer. I kept thinking what have I done. Turns out we had wonderful service and the meal was great. DS STILL talks about the mussels he had as an appetizer.

4th night Capt. Jacks. By the time we were at Disney this place was getting such bad reviews I was waiting for them to shut it down during our trip. I told DH we could just trade in our TS credits for this meal and use it for a CS. (this was during free dining last year when you could do this) It was wonderful! Our server went above and beyond and the food was really good!

5th night WGP. This one really had me worried. We were standing in line and I kept telling DH how worried I was about this one. I was scared he was going to hate it. It was also getting horrible reviews. Even worse than Capt Jacks! It was our favorite meal of the trip! The service was great and the meal was excellent!

I learned my lesson. Just because somebody's family loves it, doesn't mean my family will. I only book restaurants based on the menus now, not on the reviews!

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I also agree with the PPs. Good or bad reviews, I check out the menus, look at what else is "in the plan" for any given day and try and make a decision based on a restaurant. And I'm almost always surprised at the end result, either I didn't just love the place everyone else does, or the places that get so-so reviews -- both here, as well as comments from friends and family -- we ended up adoring.

I tend to put more importance on "what's in the plan for the day" instead of reviews anyway. Nothing puts a damper on a meal for me more than having to rush to a place or leave something I'm enjoying to get to an ADR.

LeCellier for dinner is an example of that. For years, DH & I never worried about ADRs in Epcot. We loved to snack and sample small things around the world all day and never have a full sit-down meal. We saw all the reviews about LeCellier, as well as several clients of mine expressing what a fantastic place it is to eat. DH & I took the plunge and made an ADR. We walked by all of our favorite places to keep our appetite for LeCellier. No lefsa, no schoolbread, no brats or pretzels in Germany, no egg rolls in China, no chips in England -- we did split a lamb sandwich in Morocco. That was it. We were sooooo disappointed in LeCellier! Half of it was, IMO, because we felt too structured in our Epcot day and the feeling that we gave up some really interesting ethnic foods for steak and potatoes, stuff we get at home.

So even a place like LeCellier, which gets so many good reviews everywhere, just doesn't mesh well with our park touring of Epcot. On the other hand, China doesn't get the greatest of reviews, but we've always enjoyed sharing an egg roll from the CS there. Just works for us

 

[Kata]

Thanks for the great responses!!!!! I think I will stick with my choices.Believe me I really check out the menus at all restaurants.I am obsessive I must print them out also. I could probably find something good to eat at most WDW restaurants. I don't think I will be as irritated if I am dissapointed with a meal if I am on DDP because I think it is a great deal. I will however wait to decide on Bluezoo because that is OOP and very expensive and I hate to waste $100 on a meal and be a dissapointment. I do think I will be swayed on reviews on BZ because the bad reviews there seem to be both from service and food and seems to look as though the restaurant is going downhill as opposed to people going on an off night.
Thanks again!!!!!

 

[vancesmom]

I too let good reviews sway me more than bad. I think that every place out there - even Le Ceiler - have had bad reviews of some sort. My family loves many of the places that get bad reviews.

 

[Colleen27]

Individual reviews don't sway me much, because I figure any restaurant could have an off night or a lousy server. Consistantly bad (or good) reviews have more of an effect, but I still take them with a grain of salt because people do tend to be more vocal with criticism than with praise.

However, pictures have certainly been known to convince me to try someplace I wasn't originally planning on when the food looks especially good; pics of the food ended up being the nudge I needed to plan Cali Grill even though we already have 2 other signature dinners planned.