Kinda Scared Now

[bobbiekins]

We do enjoy the Golden Corral here at home because it is just a cheaper option for our family. So when booking reservations for Disney we are doing a few breakfast buffets and one dinner buffet. I am a little worried because I am seeing a lot of talk about Disney Buffet sanitation issues. Is it really that bad? Do the kids run around and stick their fingers in the food or anything? Even though my girls are 10 and 12 I don't let them go up by themselves. I am always with them to make sure they do what they are supposed to. Should I cancel the buffets? I would hate to make this fabulous trip only to end up with food poisoning

 

[pooch]

We do enjoy the Golden Corral here at home because it is just a cheaper option for our family. So when booking reservations for Disney we are doing a few breakfast buffets and one dinner buffet. I am a little worried because I am seeing a lot of talk about Disney Buffet sanitation issues. Is it really that bad? Do the kids run around and stick their fingers in the food or anything? Even though my girls are 10 and 12 I don't let them go up by themselves. I am always with them to make sure they do what they are supposed to. Should I cancel the buffets? I would hate to make this fabulous trip only to end up with food poisoning

inside the World as outside. My guess is kids do the same thing at your local Golden Corral. They just don't have a forum to post on-line about it!!!

 

[Chelley00]

Most of what goes on at Disney buffets is stuff that goes on at your local Golden Corrall.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

inside the World as outside. My guess is kids do the same thing at your local Golden Corral.

I agree, it's no different! The good thing is, there's so many people the turnover of food is at a faster pace than Golden Coral!

 

[MickeyNicki]

WDW buffets are not less clean than any other buffets...you have no control over the other diners and how clean their hands are etc...you have no control over their kids going up to get food and what they touch

We have gone to many WDW buffets a million times over and the only time I was ill was from the pasta dish at Chef Mickeys (I was the only one in my party that ate that and we had all eaten the same food the entire day so that is how I am able to pin point it) but that one episode will not sour me from going to a buffet

 

[Anthony1971]

I would have to say Disney would cleaner only for the fact that most of the Buffets have CM's behind them watching and bringing more food...

 

[VAN]

Well, unless you don't let your children touch the stair railings, seats, etc. I think there is no way to avoid being exposed to other's germs, especially at WDW.

As long as your family is healthy enough to fight off all the germs at WDW, I would think you'd be fine at a buffet.

 

[vicki_c]

Holy cow - the Disney buffets are about 1000% cleaner than the Golden Corral I've been to around our house (it was amazingly disgusting and I will never go back to a Golden Corral based on that experience locally).

 

[budbeerlady]

You will be fine. I feel better eating at Disney than most places, huge turnover!

Chances are better you will get sick from a rail, door handle, rope line, too much heat and too much sun, than from a Disney buffet.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

disney sanitation is 1000X golden corral on its best day....fear not

 

[CityGirlLost]

Most people think they know a lot about food sanitation... for example, commercial mayonnaise is not a likely culprit for inducing food poisoning. It's too acidic an environment for bacteria to thrive. It's more likely the potatoes or pasta in that salad on the buffet that made someone sick.

I'm certified in food safety and sanitation through ServSafe and the State of NJ.

The buffets I saw at Disney followed all of the rules better than my local Golden Corral and Chinese buffets. I watched the CMs turn over food trays the right way-- adding the leftovers from the old tray on top of the new tray. Serving utensils were stored properly. Hot things were hot, cold things were cold.

 

[TDC Nala]

it will not be any different from your local buffet. I assume kids also go there.

If you'd be comfortable at your local buffet I'm not sure why you'd be uncomfortable at WDW, both have the food accessible for guests to serve themselves.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Most people think they know a lot about food sanitation... for example, commercial mayonnaise is not a likely culprit for inducing food poisoning. It's too acidic an environment for bacteria to thrive. It's more likely the potatoes or pasta in that salad on the buffet that made someone sick.

I'm certified in food safety and sanitation through ServSafe and the State of NJ.

The buffets I saw at Disney followed all of the rules better than my local Golden Corral and Chinese buffets. I watched the CMs turn over food trays the right way-- adding the leftovers from the old tray on top of the new tray. Serving utensils were stored properly. Hot things were hot, cold things were cold.

where is there a golden corral in the philly area?

and are your local chinese buffets always in the same strip mall with a petsmart like ours?

that's weird, isn't it?

 

[nytimez]

If you're that concerned, don't eat at buffets -- whether it's Disney or Golden Corral...

 

[Jubilee]

Holy cow - the Disney buffets are about 1000% cleaner than the Golden Corral I've been to around our house (it was amazingly disgusting and I will never go back to a Golden Corral based on that experience locally).

Yeah, I've never even been to one in the first place... I would say you're safe as at any other buffet, or maybe more as posters have said

 

[koolaidmoms]

We don't have Golden Corral or any such buffets around us but I have been to WDW buffets for years and have never gotten sick.

I have however been in line at a WDW buffet and had a child put their fingers in something and I stood there until I could get the eye of a worker and told them they needed to replace that item and what happened. They immediately took the item from the buffet.

This has not deterred me from going to buffets as I hope others who see something like this would do the same thing.

 

[whitney37354]

We ate at least five buffets on our trip and I never saw any sanitation issues. We never got sick either. I'd stick with your plan.

 

[HunnyJar]

We ate at least five buffets on our trip and I never saw any sanitation issues. We never got sick either. I'd stick with your plan.

I agree with this poster. We generally go to multiple buffets while on vacation and and never seen any problems. I think that the buffets at WDW are much nicer and cleaner than any ones I have ever been to locally.

 

[bobbiekins]

Thank you everyone We are sticking with our plans and I got a little freaked out when I was on another forum and people were talking about Disney buffets being the food poisoning capital. But I knew if I come on here you guys would knock some sense into me We are very excited about the character breakfastsI just got finished making the rest of our ressies so everything is planned. Thanks guys for your help.

 

[princesscharming]

Most people think they know a lot about food sanitation... for example, commercial mayonnaise is not a likely culprit for inducing food poisoning. It's too acidic an environment for bacteria to thrive. It's more likely the potatoes or pasta in that salad on the buffet that made someone sick.

That is a shocker to me. Mayo is always labeled the troublemaker. "Don't want to leave that in the sun. It's got mayonnaise."

I have to tell you, this new info, is one of those tidbits you hear in life that you never forget. The next time I go to a 4th of July BBQ, I bet I'll be telling someone this.