Hollywood & Vine Negative Reviews

[hcompton]

It seems like in the past, I have heard a bunch of negative reviews about Hollywood & Vine for dinner. I'm thinking about giving it a try before Fantasmic. Thoughts on the food? Is it really as bad as everyone says?

Also, we currently have a 5:00 adr on a Tuesday in late January for H&V. Will this give us enough time to head over to a 6:30pm Fantasmic show? Thinking dinner will only take about 45 minutes and only need to get over there 30 minutes early since it's on a Tuesday in January. Is this enough time?

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

we had no problem with H&V Dining.... Loved it....
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...r18053475-Hollywood_Vine-Orlando_Florida.html

 

[es45]

I'm curious too. It seems many reviews are negative because there isn't much theming or the food is standard buffet fare, nothing Disney inspired. I also get the impression that if you don't go to an early lunch or early dinner, then the food tends to be cold and the dining area is messy. I wonder if it is more about the time that you go and the fact that other non-signature dining options are better themed. I'm interested to see what others post.

 

[Hopefully]

H & V is one of only 2 restaurants in all of WDW that We will NEVER return to.
We were surrounded by dirty, unbused tables. Our waitress was rude, the only time that has ever happened to us. The hot food was not hot, the cold food was not cold, the buffet area was a mess. The Ladies Room was filthy.
Never Again

 

[hcompton]

H & V is one of only 2 restaurants in all of WDW that We will NEVER return to.
We were surrounded by dirty, unbused tables. Our waitress was rude, the only time that has ever happened to us. The hot food was not hot, the cold food was not cold, the buffet area was a mess. The Ladies Room was filthy.
Never Again

What's a good table service restaurant in HS for dinner pre-Fantasmic? Having a hard time deciding since none of them really look all that appealing... Open to suggestions!

 

[anhower]

The only decent thing about our dinner at H&V was the waiter. He made sure we always had drinks and checked on us frequently. The food was horrendous, and DH and I both agreed we wouldn't return, and we never agree on anything However, I will say that their breakfast was delicious. When I booked it I somehow missed that it was a character meal, so I spent most of the breakfast asking my husband who the characters were. Plus it was nice being in the park before anyone else, we were up front for rope drop

 

[lovemy3girls]

We loved lunch there! I thought the food was great. Lunch has the Disney Jr characters, and they were the most interactive characters we have ever seen. Our waitress was phenomenal.

 

[minnie mum]

Have to agree with most of the PPs on dining at H&V. It is also on our 'never again' list. But others have given completely opposite opinions. There have been numerous threads (some quite recent) on this restaurant with a similar mix of reviews. You can do a search for them. No need to rehash the same subject. You will have to try it yourself and make your own decision.

I do want to say that a 5:00 ADR for a 6:30 show is being very optimistic. You really can't assume that you will be seated on time in the restaurant. And you can never assume just by your park dates that there won't be a loooong lineup for Fantasmic. Plus you need to leave time just to get to the theatre. I'd try to get an ADR at least 30 min. earlier.

ETA: regarding your question about alternate restaurants: we have always enjoyed our dinners at 50s PTC

 

[hcompton]

Thanks for the input. Thinking of changing ADR to 50s Prime Time Cafe.

 

[minnie mum]

FYI: here's another thread that is currently on today's forum:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2966453

 

[meljean]

OP, we ate here last Sept. We were all so nervous because of all the bad reviews on here. I actually posted a thread asking how bad it was because I was so nervous! We decided to try it and see for ourselves. We had dinner and it really wasn't bad. It wasn't our favorite meal but I would say it was horrible. We were seated quickly and had decent food. Everyone has different experinces and ours wasn't a bad one. We used this for the Fantasmic package. I say try for yourself and see.

 

[spwalsh8]

We just had a dinner at Hollywood and Vine (with Fantasmic) on Tuesday. The service was great, we actually had our party of 11 seated earlier than our reservation time (4:45). Our waitress was also very nice, and was always making sure that we had enough drinks - eveing getting us Ice Coffees for the road! The food was very good, and overall we had a good experience.

 

[2manydaves]

It must be hit or miss...when we went in October 2010, we had to wait for an hour to be seated at lunch, the food was gross, the floors were dirty, and the service was poor. The character interaction, however, was excellent, and that was all my kids really cared about. That said, we haven't been (and won't be going) back.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our Ratings of Hollywood and Vine: (11/15/2011)
. . . food price value: C
. . . food quality: D
. . . food quantity per serving: A
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: C
. . . seating quantity: C
. . . seating comfort: C
. . . eatery atmosphere: C
. . . eatery convenience: B
. . . staff friendliness: D
. . . staff attentiveness: D
. . . character interaction: B

NOTE: H&V had previously been an eatery-of-choice
for Studio guests. But, *possibly* due to DDP and reduction
in tips, the food selection and quality has suffered significantly.
We found it badly kept, and with less than hospitable CM's.

 

[brockash]

H & V is one of only 2 restaurants in all of WDW that We will NEVER return to.
We were surrounded by dirty, unbused tables. Our waitress was rude, the only time that has ever happened to us. The hot food was not hot, the cold food was not cold, the buffet area was a mess. The Ladies Room was filthy.
Never Again

This was our experience as well, and I can't imagine that we would ever return for lunch or dinner. We did do breakfast last year and that was fine. When we went for dinner, we all left hungry. We barely ate anything...it just really was gross, and we're not picky people. Since the lines for Fantasmic! can be pretty bad during busy times, we'd probably consider using a TS credit at H&V if we couldn't get Mama Melrose, just to get the Fantasmic! seating thing, but we would plan ahead and eat either right before or right after our ADR time. We would literally just go in and ask for our bill and receipt.

 

[AddictedtoDoleWhip]

I wouldn't base things off of what you read here, I ate at Hollywood & Vine after reading reviews here about how horrible the food was, etc. etc and the food was so good! We had an early dinner/late lunch and there was nothing bad about the food. It was always fresh, waiter was very friendly.

I would suggest you try it for yourself, I'm definitely going to eat there again when we go back .