Never a bad meal at WDW

[MickeyNicki]

We just came back from a 9 day trip and the food was out of this world. There was only 2 incidents where we were unhappy with the food...the rib eye at the Yachtsman was super fatty and tough, we asked for it med well and it came out med rare .. the mashed potatoes were red from the blood...it grossed DH out. The other was a later breakfast at the Captains Grille, we both had the buffet and it was terrible, dried out and greasy and not replenished for the 30 minutes we were there.

Sometimes there is an ingredient that we do not like, such as red and green peppers in everything! What is up with that?? All the other food, and there was a lot of food that we ate, was to die for. You can read about it by clicking on the review link in my signature.

 

[centurythree]

I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to food. There are individual ingredients I don't like, but I'm generally happy with a range of food types.

There were only two restaurants at WDW that I just couldn't handle, and the problem was probably less that the food was bad and more that my tastes just weren't developed enough as a kid. One was the Adventureland Veranda Restaurant over at MK. From my perspective at the time, the sandwiches had a "weird sauce." The second was the fast food Chinese restaurant at Epcot. My problem there was that it just didn't taste like the Chinese food at home.

Apart from that, I can't say I've had a bad meal at WDW. Then again, I've tried many types of food for the first time there so WDW helps inform my tastes.

 

[stemikger]

As listed above here were my 2 bad experiences.

Sci Fi Dinner. The year before we went for lunch and it was great. The second year we went for dinner and had a rude waiter who couldn't be bothered, and the food was not even edible.

The second (believe it or not) was last year at Raglan Road. Another horrible waiter. He wasn't rude, he was just indifferent and got all the orders wrong and when I sent the steak back because it was raw (I asked for it well done). He totally forgot to bring it back. After not seeing the guy for almost an hour, I found him and told him he never brought the steak back. He brought it back and it was just as raw. It was so beyond bad that I felt like I was in the twilight zone.

However, the rest of my party wanted desert so we stuck around for another 45 minutes and the deserts were pretty good. In total I think we were there for 3 hours. Not rushed, but not served either. If I wasn't on the dining plan, I would have asked for the manager and had him take the steak off the menu.

 

[skater]

Disney is not perfect. Yes, they are way above other theme parks and I love love love Disney. However, they do slip up and some of us genuinely have experienced bad meals. Our worst was in Mexico. And although we have always loved Cape May, 5 out of 7 of us were sick after our meal last Sept. And at LTT (which I love for lunch), we had the worst server I've experienced at Disney.

ON the up side, most of our meals have been good to great. Sometimes I can get better food in restaurants at home (not chains, but individually owned), but they are not near as much fun! Our favorites for food quality are Le Cellier, Boma, and Teppan whatever. I would not trade Le Cellier and Boma for any rest. at home!

In some ways I think its better to have a pragmatic view of Disney's restaurants - that way you won't be as disappointed if you hit that occasional bad experience - either service or food quality.

 

[Tricia1972]

Overall I think that the food at Disney is fine. However, I agree with a PP that it's more of the memories that make it extraordinary for some, which gave me false expectations when we first went back to Disney in April 2007. I truly thought that it would be amazing food at every restaurant for our entire trip in April (and again in October).

Between April of 2007 and March of 2008 we had 21 TS Meals at Disney. Based on food alone I'd say it broke down like this for us:

Bad - Bad Food
Kona Breakfast (I will never hog the Tonga Toast and the omelet was decidedly exactly like an omelet from Denny's)
Boma Breakfast
Chef Mickey's Dinner
Les Chefs de France - both bad food and service here

Average - Food was fine, but not special
Spoodles
50's PTC (Service was AMAZING)
Chef Mickey's Breakfast
Crystal Palace Dinner
Cap'n Jack's
Liberty Tree Tavern
Boma Dinner
Crystal Palace Lunch

Good
Narcoossee's
Mama Melrose Dinner (April)
Mama Melrose Dinner (October)
Beaches & Cream

Great
Victoria & Albert's
LeCellier (April)
LeCellier (March)
Jiko (October)
Jiko (March)

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

I don't remember every having really horrible food at a WDW restaurant but I did just post about a horrible service problem at The Plaza Restaurant.

I will be posting about all the wonderful meals we had on our trip last week, it's just that they far outnumber the one bad experience and that's gonna take me awhile - and I have to get off the DIS and work on my taxes !!!

BTW, just to balance out the Plaza thing, we had the BEST server at LTT for lunch on another day

 

[Luv4Disney]

I guess we've been lucky too because we've never had a bad meal either. Knock on wood!

 

[ntsammy5]

Finally a thread I can really get behind! No, never had a bad meal at WDW.

 

[stemikger]

I will not hijack this thread, but last year we were all extremely surprised with Mamma Melrose. We didn't expect much and the waiter did give me the wrong dinner. However, she was extremely apologetic and it was actually a good mistake because the dinner she gave me was delicious.

We all didn't expect much with this place and all left happy and full.

All in all Disney restaurants are excellent.

 

[Dawn68PA]

We have enjoyed all of our dining experiences. If we had a tough pancake at breakfast, oh well, Tigger was there! Made up for it. I have yet to have something to complain about.

 

[Amy&Dan]

We have never had a bad meal in the sense that at least some part of it wasn't enjoyable. For instance at Prime Time once I got this chicken thing that was crummy, but dd (who was 10 and therefore an adult) got meatloaf that was large enough she couldn't eat it all. So I just shared with her and then had plenty of room for dessert. Other times certain things on the buffet weren't to my liking so it was nice to be at a buffet where I could just go get something else. I have never in ten trips had a meal that was so all around bad I had post how much I hated the place.

Some of the "I hated my food here" reviews sort of crack me up. I am not saying the person didn't hate their food but I always wonder if I had been sitting next to them and taken a taste would I have been just as revolted.

We have also always had good to great service too which I am very thankful for.

 

[crisi]

To me its expectations.

Spend some time on these boards and you'll hear that this place is WONDERFUL, or that place CAN'T BE MISSED. If you get yourself all hyped up about it and expect the best meal ever, chances are really good the food isn't going to live up. Good food becomes bad when you expect it to be wonderful.

On the other hand, go with realistic expectations, remember its a theme park and hotels and the same "bad food" when you were expecting "wonderful" becomes "wonderful" when you were expecting "bad."

My two worst meals at Disney were Boma and Beaches and Cream - both because they were overhyped. In neither case was the food bad. Neither restaurant came close to meeting expectations. I expected better than grocery store ice cream with Smuckers toppings, I can get that out of my freezer (actually, I can't, cause I don't buy that brand, I perfer small shop ice cream. Ice cream I turn up my nose up at home - I'm a proud dessert snob - isn't impressing me at Disney).

 

[bluejasmine]

Im not a picky eater..So for me its gotta be really bad for me to call it bad. I didnt care much for Capt Jacks, thought portions were small and food bland had better seafood here in SC. I thought food at H&V was not bad just bland. I loved Boma, Beirgarten, Le Cellier, Ohana, San Angel, CR. Sci-Fi was just ok Id go back for the atmosphere. I cant say Ive had a bad meal at the CS places just because its what I expect you know?

 

[ElizabethB]

DisMN -- I agree that the DDP has resulted in a significant decline in food quality, choice and creativity. I wasn't saying I've used the DDP. Rather, I simply used the nomenclature (1TS, 2TS, etc.) to distinguish between the various restaurants and the quality of meals we've had.

I have to say, though, that I'm going to start using the DDP. Why? Because most of the restaurants simply aren't worth the out of pocket cost anymore. Last time we were at Coral Reef, for example, we were paying out of pocket and decided to start with the "Surf & Turf" Appetizer. We got exactly two shrimp and one one-inch square piece of beef, for something like $10.95.

The restaurants have revised and downgraded their menus so that they can now afford to serve DDP meals and still make a profit.

I feel that DDP is like a health insurance plan -- if you're not part of a group insurance plan that has negotiated a reduced rate for a procedure, you are going to pay at least twice the plan-negotiated rate for exactly the same thing. With the DDP, I hope to benefit from the rate WDW has negotiated. WDW seems to have done this just like the health insurance companies do -- by strong-arming the non-Disney owned businesses (and taking some losses at the Disney-owned ones).

I now realize that when I pay out of pocket for a meal at WDW, I am paying more than I ought to for that meal and am simply subsidizing meals for those on the DDP.

So, I'm at this point -- if I can't beat 'em, join 'em!

 

[mickeynut1]

The one (and only) bad meal we had was at Crystal Palace about 4 years ago when DH cut into his salmon and it was RAW But other than that, every other meal we've had at WDW has been great I can't think of any other place we didn't like. We haven't been back to CP since that one time and don't have any intention of going back, but there are so many other good places to eat, finding one that doesn't cut it for us isn't bad

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I've never had a bad meal either! Some things I've had haven't been to my taste, but nothing has ever been bad.

 

[Disneytwinz]

With the crowds that Disney greets I would imagine it would be next to impossible to please everyone. Add to that, those that don't do their research as we Dis'ers do..then you are bound to get a dislikable meal review, no doubt. I personally have not had a bad meal yet.

 

[Disneytwinz]

If you get yourself all hyped up about it and expect the best meal ever, chances are really good the food isn't going to live up. Good food becomes bad when you expect it to be wonderful.

Yep...we had that experience with the snacks. We loved the ASMo coffee and didn't care for the Dole Whip...we get those at home and they are better. Back on topic. lol

 

[DisMN]

DisMN -- I agree that the DDP has resulted in a significant decline in food quality, choice and creativity. I wasn't saying I've used the DDP. Rather, I simply used the nomenclature (1TS, 2TS, etc.) to distinguish between the various restaurants and the quality of meals we've had.

I have to say, though, that I'm going to start using the DDP. Why? Because most of the restaurants simply aren't worth the out of pocket cost anymore. Last time we were at Coral Reef, for example, we were paying out of pocket and decided to start with the "Surf & Turf" Appetizer. We got exactly two shrimp and one one-inch square piece of beef, for something like $10.95.

The restaurants have revised and downgraded their menus so that they can now afford to serve DDP meals and still make a profit.

I feel that DDP is like a health insurance plan -- if you're not part of a group insurance plan that has negotiated a reduced rate for a procedure, you are going to pay at least twice the plan-negotiated rate for exactly the same thing. With the DDP, I hope to benefit from the rate WDW has negotiated. WDW seems to have done this just like the health insurance companies do -- by strong-arming the non-Disney owned businesses (and taking some losses at the Disney-owned ones).

I now realize that when I pay out of pocket for a meal at WDW, I am paying more than I ought to for that meal and am simply subsidizing meals for those on the DDP.

So, I'm at this point -- if I can't beat 'em, join 'em!

WOW! You have JUST given me the first and only reason I can agree with for using the DDP! I hadn't ever looked at it this way.......and you're exactly right too! Thanks for sharing your thoughts further....what you said makes a lot of sense being that because the plan has changed the product so much, using the dining plan is actually a better idea than paying "full price" for less! Did I make sense? LOL

 

[acourtwdw]

I am so glad that people are responding to this thread. I was thinking that my standards were just low