Help Bad Reviews! Where to eat 1st night?

[Steelersfan]

I'd stay with Chef Mickey's. We have had good experiences there.

It isn't a 5 star meal or anything, but I wouldn't call it "yucky" at all. It is a good family kind of meal and a great way to start your trip!

 

[Tarzan&Cinderella]

I would definitely keep Chef Mickey's. Character dining is about the characters, not about the food. The food there is good. Obviously it's not as good as a sit down restaurant, but it's by no means bad. Your kids will be more focused on the characters than on the food anyways. And kids food is hard to mess up. They will love the dessert bar!!! This is a great way to get them pumped about your trip!

 

[ajh88]

I'd keep Chef Mickey's too - especially if you've never been. If you don't like it, at least you'll know - and you may just end up having a great time!

It is a fun way to get into the Disney spirit - you have to eat anyway. I had said in another thread that we wouldn't go back for dinner. I don't recall the food being bad at all, just nothing that special food wise. And DD loves the make your own dessert bar (assuming it is still there). Maybe we just prefer breakfast because it is less expensive.

It is certainly something to try - we have just found other places we enjoy a little more.

 

[pigletto]

Meh. I've read all the bad reviews and the good ones and we are eating there for our first night too

I appreciate that people here take the time to post their experiences and thoughts. However I do take it all with a grain of salt. Subjective opinions are just that.. subjective.
I could give an absolutely awful review of Ohana. However I recognize that it could have been a bad night, bad server, food I am not partial to, or the fact that I was just in a terrible mood and cranky from the minute I got there.

I really think you just need to experience what appeals to you and form your own opinion.

 

[Donop26]

I'll also admit that I have posted a less than favorable review of Chef Mickey's as well. We visited the last time during a Free Dining period, so I felt that may have had something to do with the restaurant being so crowded, the poor quality, etc. I still stand behind my opinion, but, it's just that, an opinion.

When I was making my ADRs for our next I struggled with the decision as to whether or not to eat there again. Not for the food, but for the characters. I ended up choosing other options since we've done it twice, and there are other restaurants that we would like to try.

That said, your kids will love the characters and that is what Chef Mickey's, in my opinion, is all about, the characters. As long as you keep that in mind, I'm sure you will have a wonderful time. And especially if you are staying at the Contemporary, I think it would be hard to avoid not eating there.

I hope you enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful trip!

 

[palmtreegirl]

We really like Chef Mickey's, I thought the food was good and it was a fun place to eat. Only downside for us was the $.

 

[DisGirl23]

I kept changing my mind over and over about Chef Mickey's. Want to do it because I've never been and it's the Fab gang but, not so much because of the reviews. It wasn't even on my list when I went to book my ADRs last week but, just out of curiosity, I checked to see if they had anything for dinner on our arrival night. Low and behold there was and I pounced on it. Especially since we want to hit up MK EMH that night.
I'm not going to expect amazing cuisine. In all honesty, I just really want to experience it and of course, get us in some serious Disney spirit! Dinner with the Big Cheese himself on your first night? Great idea! So, naturally, I'd say stick with Chef Mickey's. Say you tried it and decide for yourself.

 

[Coconuts]

I say stick with it. Your kids will love the character interaction, especially since they have never been there. I am sure your kids won't complain about the food; kids always seem to find something they like, even if its only dessert!

 

[Vickis3js]

I learned the hard way to definatly try things first before canceling because of reviews. I canceled a restaurant that was getting not so great reviews and went with Teppen Edp becaue everyone raved about it. We were not impressed at all. Same trip I almost cancelled Ohana because everyone was saying how horrible it was and it was my families fav meal. So definatly try it for yourself first.

We did CM for Christmas Brunch 2 years ago, we enjoyed the meal mainly because of the characters and the joy it brought my kids.

 

[tami82]

Definitely dont change it! We went on our arrival night at CR and it really started off our vacation on a fun note. I thought the food was good (not great) but better than 1900 Park Fare and there was plenty variety that i did find some things i really liked (the chicken alfredo pasta)
I would like to add that if you cancel and decide you want it back again, you may have a rough time. We originally got a ressie for 8:15 p.m. and it took me almost 2 months of constant checking on the computer all day to finally snag an arrival day meal at CM for 5:00 and this was about 1 week before our arrival date so it took a long time.

 

[taylor3297]

We went to Chef Mickey's in April of 2007 when my dd was 4. We are going back this Dec, this time also taking dd who will be 8 and ds who will be 4 when we travel. My dd asked that we eat at Chef Mickey's again, she still remembers it having fun. She remembers the character interaction, not the food.

As to the food, dh and I found things that were good on the buffett and other things weren't so good.

 

[JJsmama]

Ok Ok Ok! The majority has convinced me. I am keeping the CM reservation for the first night. I don't go to WDW for the food after all - maybe for the snacks...

I do wish CM breakfast fit into our schedule better, but doing AM-EMH every day, it is going to have to be the yucky dinner. I can't wait for the little guy to see the Fab 5 though! He really doesn't know any characters but them.

 

[therannj]

 

[PrincessBelle39]

I have just said in a previous post that we didn't really enjoy dinner at Chef Mickeys. In saying that I would go back in a heartbeat. The food wasn't terrible. It just wasn't great. But the atmosphere was fantastic. My kids loved it. It will definitely be somewhere we go each trip.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

I would never ever give up Chef Mickey's. You must keep in mind on here you will hear the good & the bad you need to go and see for yourself in my opinion.Don't give up that ress. A must do every trip since it opened. The best Disney feeling resturant

 

[jrsmom]

We have never had a bad meal at Chef Mickey's. Remember that everyones tastes are different.

 

[RMulieri]

Honestly, I would do Chef Mickeys.I NEVER let other reviews make my decisions for me.There are plenty of restaurants I like, and others on this board hate.Personal tastes and preferences are subjective and they do not mean you won't like it

 

[tinkerbell60]

Ok Ok Ok! The majority has convinced me. I am keeping the CM reservation for the first night. I don't go to WDW for the food after all - maybe for the snacks...

I do wish CM breakfast fit into our schedule better, but doing AM-EMH every day, it is going to have to be the yucky dinner. I can't wait for the little guy to see the Fab 5 though! He really doesn't know any characters but them.

For what it is worth, we like dinner better than breakfast at Chef Mickey's - when are you going in July? We will be there (at the CR) from July 1-6 before moving over to AS Sp for our second week.

 

[SydneyFalco]

The list of restaurants I've seen constant horrible reviews for that my wife and I enjoyed--like San Angel Inn, Kouzzina's and Wolfgang Puck's Cafe--keeps growing and growing, as does the list of rave places--like Ohana's for dinner--that we didn't enjoy.

One thing you can belief is how hectic and loud Chef Mickey's is. But first night, that'll be part of the fun!