I think I've reached that point...

[krismanda]

where I can't read anymore restaurant reviews. I'm just second guessing all my choices for reservations on our upcoming trip. Meals I was excited about, I now feel apprehensive about! I hope I'm not disappointed in my choices.

 

[Cafeen]

Every single restaurant in Disney will have mixed reviews. Every. Single. One. I've even seen poor reviews for V&A! Don't sweat them

Plus, people are more prone to write negative reviews, and complain about a meal than they are to praise one. My typical estimated ratios based on guessing and a Magic 8-Ball is roughly 1 to 1 for bad to good, and 20 to 1 for both to average.

 

[rachel09985]

Don't feel that way, everyone has mixed opinions.

You could just look at the Food Porn pics. A lot of those people just post the pics and don't put comments.

You have to find out if you like restaurants your self. I am sure you will love your choices!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Every single restaurant in Disney will have mixed reviews. Every. Single. One. I've even seen poor reviews for V&A! Don't sweat them

Plus, people are more prone to write negative reviews, and complain about a meal than they are to praise one. My typical estimated ratios based on guessing and a Magic 8-Ball is roughly 1 to 1 for bad to good, and 20 to 1 for both to average.

This is the big issue. People who have a good experience are far less likely to write about it or play it up vs. a negative experience. This came up quite a bit when I was taking classes in advertising, marketing and business psychology. I know I fall into this trap.

I mean- I could tell you until I'm blue in the face about my awful breakfast at one place, but maybe 50 people had wonderful meals there and just don't write about it. On the flip side, there are places with tons of rave reviews which builds up hype- but just b/c it's all glowing in print doesn't mean everyone gets a good meal there. I think some of this is power in numbers...i.e. so many people like some places that not everyone with a bad experience wants to step up and say it wasn't so great.

At some point you just have to step back from all of the reviews and evaluate why you booked it in the first place. If it still sounds appealing- it's the right choice. That's not a guarantee it will be a great experience, but when are these things ever guaranteed? -even at a place that might be fairly consistently good. I have a few adrs for our trip that are making me nervous- but I thought about why I booked them and decided I've made the right choices- even if the reviews aren't all wonderful. In the end- it really only matters what we think when we dine.

 

[Geordietyke]

I've read plenty of reviews and looked at millions of pics and tbh, we've booked restaurants WE fancy trying, regardless of any negative reviews! As everyone has vastly differing opinions or tastes, you just have to go for the ones YOU want to try and see how it goes.

We've chosen many restaurants which don't seem very popular (Marrakesh/San Angel/Biergarten) but it's where we want to try Good luck!

 

[POOHsie]

I've read many reviews on these boards and on allears. I've had mixed opinions about some restaurants myself, and sometimes it comes down to an entree I had vs. a different entree on another visit.

H&V. We had great food there. The chefs had many creative dishes. However, the restaurant atmosphere was lacking. Lots of noisy families and food spills on the floor. The soft serve machine area was a mess. Staff seemed to be trying to keep up with the messes, but it was difficult to do and serve tables, too. So I'm on the fence here. I think the same could be said about Chef Mickey's, Cape May, and other popular buffets.

Bluezoo. I read a negative review recently. The poster never got past the hostess stand. If you didn't actually read the review, you would think, "Oh, bluezoo is lousy. Cross off our list." When we ate there, it was quite clear that their food selections were high quality, and well cooked by chefs with talent. Wonderful food. Pricey, but choice food is expensive to purchase, and finer chefs are paid more.

Kouzzina. Another place we had wonderful food. Lots of negative reviews. Some people try to compare it (negatively) to their beloved Spoodles, which it replaced. Some don't understand the Greek POV of Kouzzina. For 1 TS credit, I think Kouzzina is a top choice.

Another danger of reading reviews is, they are frozen in time. ABC Commissary was lousy. It has improved. However, the bad reviews are still there. My goal is to try every restaurant. There's still some I haven't tried. Others, like Coral Reef and Garden Grill, I haven't visited since the 1990s. It's time to revisit those.

I think you just need to be adventurous and keep an open mind.

 

[lauran cameron]

I did the same thing reading all the reviews some great others terrible...In the end I just looked up the menus and looked of images of the items people had taken of the things I thought I'd like. I know the menu may change but that's a chance I am willing to take.

 

[Phatoomch]

where I can't read anymore restaurant reviews. I'm just second guessing all my choices for reservations on our upcoming trip. Meals I was excited about, I now feel apprehensive about! I hope I'm not disappointed in my choices.

Step. Away. From. The. Reviews.

I had the exact same problem with our first trip last year. These boards tell you its all about planning, planning, planning so I went overboard. I read so many negative reviews about the restaurants I had picked (but a ton of positive ones too) that I had an Alice In Wonderland moment .... you know where shes falling down the hole, spinning & spinning and all this stuff swirling around her?

STOP!!!! (not you, me .... thats what I said to myself). I dropped reviews, refused to look at them, and just read up on the restaurant - what food it served, how it looked etc etc and chose that way.

Loved every single ADR, wouldn't have changed one of them

 

[Missyrose]

I was running into the same problem on my past trips. Especially with 'Ohana and Le Cellier, both of which are regularly called overhyped and overrated on these boards.

But you know what? We ended up loving both and they have become must-dos for us.

Bottom line -- Look at the menus and see what appeals to you. Try it for yourself. And if you don't like it? There are million other Disney restaurants to try!

Be do as the PPs said... Step. Away. From. The. Reviews.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

I am having that problem. We are on the DxDP this trip and 11 ppl are going. I am a member of a FB group and I ask for opinions about a ressie and get so much negative commetns(they are trying to help) DH said to me last night 'stop, what you planned is great to me and your driving yourself mad! I dont agree with ppl that say 1 TS ressie is too much food and you will be sick with so much food...well im sorry but I eat 3 meals a day at home. I know this was OT a little but I am telling you because you are not the only one second guessing yourself. I keepp going back to what I originally wanted so you know what? I am now happy ith my choices. I read bad reviews about H&V but we are still doing it!!! IF its bad-ok we wont go back but if its good.... yay me.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

I was running into the same problem on my past trips. Especially with 'Ohana and Le Cellier, both of which are regularly called overhyped and overrated on these boards.

But you know what? We ended up loving both and they have become must-dos for us.

Bottom line -- Look at the menus and see what appeals to you. Try it for yourself. And if you don't like it? There are million other Disney restaurants to try!

Be do as the PPs said... Step. Away. From. The. Reviews.

I couldnt agree more! Ohana is the one I keep trying to change but we got a 7pm for 11 ppl...Im keeping that sucker

 

[Nancyg56]

You have read the reviews but also looked at the menus so I would suggest that you go with the restaurants that you have chosen. Food and atmosphere are subjective and what one family enjoys will make another wish they had never tried.

My entire family loves 'Ohana. Not me. We go because they all like it. I loved Boma but I was in the minority. Remember that Disney has chosen to theme their resorts in many different ways in order to please a wide variety of guests. Their restaurants work in the same way.

No More Reviews! You will like some places, love others and will be indifferent to some. But you will love being at Disney trying them all!'

 

[IrisSphere]

I am in the same boat and definitely feel your pain! To add to this, it is a surprise trip for my husband, so I can't even ask for his opinion

Just my two cents - the Disney Food Blog has been incredibly helpful for me. They have a page on each restaurant, and for the most part also have a review (either a guest, or the main writer visiting the restaurant). Then the comments give slightly different perspectives. This is very helpful, as the pictures really help to get a feel for the place, and the comments give you a few perspectives that you need to evaluate with a grain of salt.

We are two adults going to Disney for the first time - there is no way we have the same goals and objectives for the trip as 109409430 people out there planning theirs. So just have to go with it

 

[tinacaplan]

I agree with many of the PPs. There are two issues for me regarding reviews, the first being what others have mentioned: there's no accounting for differences in taste. Whether you think a restaurant is good can be really subjective. And second, no one on the boards is writing dining reviews that are edited in any way. In other words, you don't need any qualifications to write one, just an opinion, which may or may not be the same you'd have. I try to only pay attention to folks who seem to know what they're talking about food-wise. I mean, if you think chain restaurants are wonderful (and there's nothing wrong with that if you do), you're going to have a much different outlook than someone who has a more refined palate.

 

[CatNipRules]

I agree with all of the PP's. I made all of my ADR's and felt great about them. however, after reading some less than stellar reviews of some of them, I was second guessing every single one of them. I convinced myself that we are going to have some awful food and was wanting to change them.

What stopped me? DH did. He said that 100 people could eat at the same restaurant and 99 of them could have a great experience, but the one that didn't would be the one to write about their bad experience. He refused to let me change any of them. Even my much wanted, Le Cellier. He knows that I've been dying to eat there. Every time we go I make a comment about how much I want to try it. So, this time he's determined to make sure that I eat there. He even talked to his friend at work and had him tell me how wonderful it was.

We love Garden Grill and have heard mixed reviews about it. It's always been a family favorite of ours.
I've decided that we are going to go. We are going to eat. And we are going to have fun. Sure, we might have some misses, but I'm sure that we will have a lot of hits also.

So, don't worry about what other's say about the dining at Disney. You might find some new favorites. So go and eat at the places that you want to. Because in the end, that's all that matters.....