Is it worth the hype?

[minnie56]

Oh--Chef Mickeys ALL about the characters. Food is lousy...

 

[Mowdogs31]

I usually eat at Le Cellier on every trip because I feel i have too. It is always good but I don't think it lives up to the hype. If it maintains the same level of quality when it becomes a signature restaurant, I'll never go for dinner again. As it is now, I don't think it compares to the Yachtsman which is always a great experience.

 

[minnie56]

I ate at both the Yachtsman and Le Cellier last month and thought the filet at LC was far superior to the Yachtsman. I guess we all see things differently..

 

[minnie56]

I ate at both the Yachtsman and Le Cellier last month and thought the filet at LC was far superior to the Yachtsman. I guess we all see things differently..

 

[sunshineNJ]

We ate Lecellier in 08 and it was good. Then we went back twice last month and it was outstanding. We all had the fillet both times.

 

[Colleen27]

I think WDW does an above average job of providing above average food for a theme park vacation.

I think that's it in a nutshell. It isn't fine dining like you'd find in a major American city, but it is head and shoulders above what you'd find at any other theme park destination and a step up from the options you'd find in most family-oriented tourist destinations. And like any tourist destination, there's a price premium for location.

One of the things that makes Disney dining worth the cost for me is the fact that aside from V&A kids are welcome everywhere. Right now, with 3 kids ranging from 2 to 12, we're pretty limited when we're in destinations that aren't all about families. There are better restaurants than anything Disney has to offer in Chicago and Toronto and even here in Detroit, but most of them aren't places were a 2yo would be welcome!

 

[MissionMouse]

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.

I agree with what you have stated. The DDP has changed the TS dining landscape and it was designed to fill the TS restuarants with guest. Lots of the new TS diners were counter service diners before who want to dine fast, thus we now see TS restaurants moving more to be like counter service. The once walk-in restaurants like Le Cellier are overhyped which I perceive is directly related to the dining plans popularity, which converts your money over to a ticket which restricts how you dine for a advertised savings. Downgrading menus is now a trend. In the past, if you couldn't find a TS to eat at Epcot you could always drop into Le Cellier.

 

[Tiger926]

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.

Sorry, I should have said we have only had breakfast there. We've eaten there 3x, and it was the same: horribly long waits to check in and be seated, bad service, subpar food, way too chaotic and way too long for characters to come around. Have had the exact same experiences each time we've dined there for breakfast, years apart from each other. There are some really bad servers over there for sure.

Would never eat there for dinner, as we are assuming dinner will be the same. Also, can't stand the whole gorging and wastage at that buffet, with the huge amounts of food that are brought to your table.

Tiger

 

[buzznina]

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.

I believe the same thing. Before DDP, we use to have a good 75% chance of being seated without a ressie, now it is more like a 5%When it was just DW and I, we did a lot of the TS's and none really blew us a way. Since we had our DD, if we do a TS meal it will usually be a character one and I try to always make it at breakfast time, harder to mess up eggs and waffles and if they have an omelet station, like Crystal Palace then that is a big bonus.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Chef Mickey's is fun, but definatly no a must-do. CRT I like every few trips, as I enjoy being in the castle, but the food and character interaction is better at Akershus. Le Cellier is a good meal, but is not the best steak dinner on property. Ohana is good too, but not worth the hype.

CA Grill does live up to all the hype I read about it. That's tied with Citricos for my favorite restaurant on property.

 

[Tiger926]

Chef Mickey's is fun, but definatly no a must-do. CRT I like every few trips, as I enjoy being in the castle, but the food and character interaction is better at Akershus. Le Cellier is a good meal, but is not the best steak dinner on property. Ohana is good too, but not worth the hype.

CA Grill does live up to all the hype I read about it. That's tied with Citricos for my favorite restaurant on property.

Totally agree about Citrico's - very good food and stellar service! Tiger

 

[mcd2745]

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).

I think that's it in a nutshell. It isn't fine dining like you'd find in a major American city, but it is head and shoulders above what you'd find at any other theme park destination and a step up from the options you'd find in most family-oriented tourist destinations. And like any tourist destination, there's a price premium for location.

One of the things that makes Disney dining worth the cost for me is the fact that aside from V&A kids are welcome everywhere. Right now, with 3 kids ranging from 2 to 12, we're pretty limited when we're in destinations that aren't all about families. There are better restaurants than anything Disney has to offer in Chicago and Toronto and even here in Detroit, but most of them aren't places were a 2yo would be welcome!

I totally agree. I think too many people's expectations are way too high when it comes to Disney Dining and therefore they walk away disappointed from many places. Most likely, because of the amount of money being spent on their vacations (whether with the DDP or not), people expect gourmet meals at every location. Most locations are as much about the atmosphere/experience as they are about the food - most particularly with character meals, obviously. This should be expected in a theme park destination as the PP mentioned. This is not to suggest you should accept an awful, unedible meal. But I'm sure something like that is very, very rare. But I should know going in, that I'm not going to find dining experiences (based solely on the quality of the dishes) on par with what I can find at the finest restaurants here in NYC.

 

[JerseyDisneyGirl]

I do not get the attraction at all. The food was rushed, and not very good. Frozen dumplings, boxed noodles, and the meat was disgusting. It was either dry or fatty, and I couldn't eat the shrimp, mushy. I thought the whole meal was gross!

 

[SnowWitch]

Le Cellier- once upon a time was a great TS. In the last few years it has become hit or miss for us. When it goes 2TS for dinner in 2011 we will try to snag it for lunch but forget dinner. They will have to amp up the menu for me and take out a few tables to consider it a 2 TS location.

Chef Mickeys- We used to love this meal, great character interaction. But it was horrible the last 2 times we went and it was put on the "we will never return there again list". Granted its been 8-9 years since it was placed on said list.

CRT- Food is okay at breakfast, its hard to really screw up breakfast. We have never been to lunch or dinner. It is a place we have breakfast after the BBB for the 2 little princesses on birthdays only. I think it is way overpriced but I'm paying for the experience. When the girls say they are to old for this it will be placed in the bye bye category.

California Grill- really good food most of the time, great service, and nice atmosphere when parents aren't pushing the little ones past their bedtimes. I say that as a mother of a now 3 and 5 yr old.

Boma-tends to get alot of time on these boards so I will say we are huge fans of this buffet. The zebra domes alone are worth the trip over to the AKL.

 

[tony67]

I totally agree. I think too many people's expectations are way too high when it comes to Disney Dining and therefore they walk away disappointed from many places. Most likely, because of the amount of money being spent on their vacations (whether with the DDP or not), people expect gourmet meals at every location. Most locations are as much about the atmosphere/experience as they are about the food - most particularly with character meals, obviously. This should be expected in a theme park destination as the PP mentioned. This is not to suggest you should accept an awful, unedible meal. But I'm sure something like that is very, very rare. But I should know going in, that I'm not going to find dining experiences (based solely on the quality of the dishes) on par with what I can find at the finest restaurants here in NYC.

My expectations are based on what dinning was like before the DDP.
Disney made a big push to attract adults and serve quality food.
I have had some amazing meals at Disney at that time.

Now they have gone to the DDP and want to serve average food and charge as if it was quality.
If you are paying OOP for TS meals at Disney you are being taken advantage of IMO and you are subsidizing the DDP.

There is no excuse for powdered eggs at a $25 breakfast buffet.

Peel and eat shrimp at O'hana. Really? This is not Golden Coral it is a $35 buffet.

Serving choice quality steak but charging prime prices.
An 8oz choice filet at the Yachtsman is 40.00.
A 12oz dry aged prime+ filet at Shulas is 42.95
Shula's is in walking distance to Yachtsman.

 

[CT_Pats_Fan]

We've always had great meals and service at:

Le Cellier
Teppan Edo
California Grille

We've been disappointed at Coral Reef (nice view of the fish, but the food and service were so-so).

Character meals are really about the characters and the memories and pics...I'm not really sure how anybody is going to feel good about a $30pp or $50pp breakfast or buffet if they are there for the food. That's alot of eggs...

 

[Sleeping Becca]

As far as hype goes the only restaurant I don't "get" is Ohana. Some people go gaga over it, but it's just not my thing.

CRT dining in the castle with the princesses enough said.
Chef Mickey's dining with Mickey and pals with the monorail wooshing nearby in the hustle and bustle of the CR, enough said.

If you are looking for amazing food CRT and Chef Mickey's is not the place to find it.

Le Cellier good food, the cheese soup is fantastic as advertised.

IMHO the Cobb Salad is the low point of the Brown Derby menu, the food there is excellent. Give it another go and steer clear of the Cobb Salad. The grapefruit cake lives up to the hype.

California Grill is my favorite restaurant, great food and amazing view.

Victoria & Alberts truely amazing, prob the best meal I've ever eaten.

 

[MastaMind]

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.

YES, YES, YES!

I've enjoyed Le Cellier every time we've been, but we don't go just for the steak. It's a decent steak, but nothing beats a couple Unibroue beers and pretzel breadsticks. Some of the best beer on property, IMHO.

 

[jacksmom]

We loved LeCellier and CRT! We also loved Kona and Coral Reef! We thought Ohanas was just okay!

 

[PatriciaH]

I love Boma, Jiko and Sanaa. I really like Brown Derby and we go there a lot. California Grill sushi is awesome. Don't like the meat heavy Ohana. I love V&A and some of the Food and Wine events we have done in the past. Very high quality. Citricos is really nice. Service at Le Cellier has always been some of the best on property-they are well trained.