Is it worth the hype?

[autographlover]

Le Cellier, CRT, etc. The restaurants that are so hyped up that you think they would be serving on gold plates! Well, what do you think of them? Did they live up to the expectations?

I absolutely adore Le Cellier, so personally, it was completely worth it.

Chef Mickey's, though, was definitely more for the characters. The food was good, not great, but still enough to have a happy tummy. You're paying for the experience there, not the food.

 

[Dizzymrslizzy]

I loved CRT and it is one of my favorite restaurants, but my last time there was a number of years ago. I've heard it's gone down hill recently.

Le Cellier- I enjoyed my meal there last fall, but honestly I enjoyed my steak at the French Restaurant a lot more.

Chef Mickeys- I've only been once. I didn't really get to experience the food because DS got really sick in there. So I can't judge it.

 

[kathie859]

was The Brown Derby. It was disappointing service and food wise.

 

[staceyhzoo]

DD and DS loved CRT. The food was blah but I know we were paying for the experiance. We will eat there again.

California Grill was really great. Our server was wonderful, and the chef was even better (dd has food allergies). It was the first meal she ever cleaned her plate (salmon) and has asked numerous times to go back!

Ohana is still my fave.

Le Cellier was the biggest disapointment ever. The food was very over salted, and our server was horrid. We were there for 2 hours. DD ordered plain pasta and it was dripping with oil and garlic. She was so hungry she ate it anyway, but no one wanted to get near her the rest of the night. She meet Belle after our meal and Belle was holding her breath. Poor dd!

We are trying Artist Point this time for a change.

 

[Tiger926]

Not a one, IMHO.

'Ohana - worst buffet on property, for many reasons, IMHO.

Chef Mickey's - has improved over what it was a few years ago in both food and service

CRT - grossly overpriced, horrible kids' meals and food is ok

Le Cellier - stopped going a few years ago

California Grill - not that great for food, but service is good

Brown Derby - yuck! how do you mess up your Signature dish (Cobb Salad), not 1x, but 2x

Tutto Italia - all kinds of wrong: grossly overpriced, horrible service, food is subpar

I know there are others, and we've pretty much eaten at all of them, but I just mentioned ones that were mentioned in above responses.

Tiger

 

[2Tiggers]

Of the "hyped" restaurants,

LeCelliar was great! I would consider it even with a 2TS...because husband liked it so much.

CRT was good. Not sure it's worth 2TS though. I wouldn't do it again unless I have a girl, but I am glad that I did it and would encourage anyone to try it once.

Chef Mickey's - The characters where great! The food not so much.

 

[autographlover]

Not a one, IMHO.

'Ohana - worst buffet on property, for many reasons, IMHO.

Chef Mickey's - has improved over what it was a few years ago in both food and service

CRT - grossly overpriced, horrible kids' meals and food is ok

Le Cellier - stopped going a few years ago

California Grill - not that great for food, but service is good

Brown Derby - yuck! how do you mess up your Signature dish (Cobb Salad), not 1x, but 2x

Tutto Italia - all kinds of wrong: grossly overpriced, horrible service, food is subpar

I know there are others, and we've pretty much eaten at all of them, but I just mentioned ones that were mentioned in above responses.

Tiger

What didn't you like so much about Ohanas? To each their own, I guess! I didn't like how the meat was so well done, but otherwise, I loved it. My mother was treated greatly, too, with her gluten allergy.

 

[chefct]

IMHO, i have no idea what the hype is all about at Le Cellier. I've seen so many post about people having a hard time getting ADRs there. The first time we went ws Oct.'08, no problem getting ADR, food was good. Went again in Apr. '09, again no problem getting ADR, food was just ok. Service however, was excelent both times. Going to WDW again in Apr. '11, and we're not gonna bother. It has nothing to do with it being a "Signature" dinning restaurant either, as we always go platinum. IMHO , it's just not worth it.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I thought Le Cellier lived up to the hype, if only for their selection of Unibroue beers and the Chocolate "Moose" dessert. We just got ADR's for 2011 there again.

I haven't been to CRT since 2002. We are going again in 2011 since we now have a 4-year old daughter who wants to go. I figure the experience is all we want out of it, so the food will be secondary.

I really can't say I've ever had a bad meal during all of my trips to WDW over the years.

 

[Colleen27]

Chef Mickey's and CRT are all about the characters IMO. No one would go for the food. So I suppose they do live up to the hype because the hype is all about seeing Mickey or Princesses with your meal.

Haven't done Le Cellier yet and I've given up even trying for the ADR after a couple of experiences with extreeeeemely long waits despite getting that ridiculously difficult-to-obtain reservation. No restaurant is worth coming back in 45 minutes after our ADR time because when we checked in on time they were so backed up that they ran out of pagers to give people!

California Grill is one that we absolutely think is worth it. We've had nothing but excellent food and wonderful service there, and it is a must do for our family.

Ohana dinner, I really don't get. It is a meat feast, sure, but I didn't think anything about it was special enough to justify the hype it gets. We'll take Kona over Ohana any day, especially now that Kona's got the sushi bar! We like Ohana much better for breakfast than dinner - less crowded, less noisy, and wonderful character interaction with a Stitch who was perfectly, adorably playing the part.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I have yet to read a great review of CRT so I am not interested in that one

Chef Mickeys for dinner, no it is def not worth the hype but breakfast is!

Le Cellier is also worth they hype food wise but no way will I make myself crazy trying to get a ressie there so maybe it isnt worth it?

 

[ilovepete]

To be honest I don't think any of the Disney restaurants would be places I would go if they were here and not where I was on vacation. Especially for the prices. But there are some better than others on Disney property in my opinion. For instance, my husband *REALLY* enjoys Beirgarten. It's not my thing, I could never eat there again and be find but he loves it so I guess that lives up to the hype for him.

 

[a1tinkfans]

LeCell for Dinner was amazing this last visit...food was delicious, hot and perfection, service was amazing...we Loved it....and your cash will certainly flow..........good for the economy .

 

[GovieMom]

Ohana dinner, I really don't get. It is a meat feast, sure, but I didn't think anything about it was special enough to justify the hype it gets.

I agree. The meats tasted to me as if they'd been injected with liquid smoke or something; not that great.

 

[michelleiada]

CRT I have never done but my sister's family and my parents have and they say the food was just "ok"...not worth the money if paying OP.

Ohana...we loved it and will absolutely be booking it for our next vacation.

Le Cellier..thought it was very good but not the best meal I have every had, and IMHO, not worth two TS credits. I will not book there if it goes to 2 credits.

Chef Mickey's has always been a good experience for us and we have always done dinner there. We found the food selection to be very good and plentiful and the character interaction is always excellent. It is just a really fun place to dine. Although...my kids are now teens, 17 and 15. I'm not sure if we will eat there on our next vacations. Maybe.

We love Crystal Palace for breakfast...totally worth it! Food was very good, character interaction excellent, and atmosphere it very nice.

Our worst experience was at the Sci Fi Dinner Theater....HORRIBLE. I had the ribs and couldn't even eat them. The meat was so tough, you couldn't even get it off the bone....HORRIBLE!!! Atmosphere was just ok...not fab.

 

[tony67]

IMO none of the TS locations live up to the hype when it comes to food.

IMO if it were not for the DDP these place would not be booked solid based on the food they are serving today.

The character meals are worth it for the experience, just do not expect a great meal.
Know that you are there for the show and for the kids.

 

[TDC Nala]

Le Cellier's very good. But it's not the greatest place to eat at all of WDW. I don't do the dining plan so I'm not really interested in whether or not the new dinner will be worth 2 credits, and I do intend to try it someday.

CRT is worth the hype if you want the experience of eating in the castle with princesses. The food's just okay.

Chef Mickey's, same. It's the premier character meal with the Disney Fab Four or Five (not sure how many they have there now.) Go for the characters, not the food.

I love the California Grill. However the general hype regarding this place has very little if anything to do with the food (some of which, like the sushi, I think is excellent) but is about the view and the fireworks.

Ohana dinner: the dessert is awesome. Love the pork dumplings and wings. The rest, eh. The entertainment, eh (for those without children). Service, not good (at the last two dinners I have had there)

 

[Pakey]

I think WDW does an above average job of providing above average food for a theme park vacation. With the exception of V&A, it's not fine dining either in food or service. I've eaten at all but about 5 of the TSs now and there's only a handful that I look forward to repeating on a regular basis. We usually rotate all of the places because none of them are so good that I have to eat at every vacation (and only a small few were so bad that I would refuse to dine there again).

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Of the ones you mentioned we have only been to Chef Mickeys and will never go again. It was not worth the hype. We enjoyed the same characters with much better food and atmosphere over at Donald's Safari Breakfast. I am still trying to figure out the rating system because some of these restaurants are no better and some are worse than the local applebees...and yet RAVED about

 

[minnie56]

Love Le Cellier
Love O'Hana
Love California Grill
Love Victoria & Albert

That's it for my faves.
I hate the 'free' dining and have told Disney so on many occasions! ADR's have become ridiculous to get and I just think it brings out the worse in folks...