OFFICIALLY NEVER BASHING A DISNEY CHARACTER BUFFET AGAIN

[valentinasdad]

So as i do feel food quality in most buffets went down hill, and charecter interaction is severly rushed it still is light years better than anyone else. I just got pack from sesame place in pa. We decided to go to the charecter lunch buffet. The name of it is dine with ELMO and friends. Firt for the food. $28per person. Hotdogs chicken nuggets cheeseburgers jello watermelon macaroni and cheese which all were unedible. The bad decision to put broccolli on the buffett stunk the entire room from start to finish. As we didnt really go for the food and went for the charecters i didnt really mind not eating as long as we got some good pics. Well elmo and bigbird are pretty much to sesame street what mickey mouse is to disney...they are the main attraction. Since this was called dine with elmo and friends and my daughter is in love with elmo we were very excited. All the charecters came to our table except elmo and big bird. If you wanted to get a picture with them you had to get in line and pay 25 dollars for a picture after you spent 28 per person to get in and eat cafeteria food. It was the biggest joke i ever seen. Disney did decline slightly with some things but they still are the best

 

[NicoleLarson]

I agree when compared with other parks the prices are better, food choices and quality is 1000% better. For instance we went to Carowinds last year. Its the middle of summer in south Carolina. ...its hot! We only found 1 indoor restaurant, not sit down. The food looked horrible. I ordered a side of mac and cheese, a teeny tiny side salad, kid portion chicken nuggets, 2 small drinks and it was like $35!!! So when people say Wdw is so expensive, I say , have you been to an amusement park lately?

 

[NJlauren]

So as i do feel food quality in most buffets went down hill, and charecter interaction is severly rushed it still is light years better than anyone else. I just got pack from sesame place in pa. We decided to go to the charecter lunch buffet. The name of it is dine with ELMO and friends. Firt for the food. $28per person. Hotdogs chicken nuggets cheeseburgers jello watermelon macaroni and cheese which all were unedible. The bad decision to put broccolli on the buffett stunk the entire room from start to finish. As we didnt really go for the food and went for the charecters i didnt really mind not eating as long as we got some good pics. Well elmo and bigbird are pretty much to sesame street what mickey mouse is to disney...they are the main attraction. Since this was called dine with elmo and friends and my daughter is in love with elmo we were very excited. All the charecters came to our table except elmo and big bird. If you wanted to get a picture with them you had to get in line and pay 25 dollars for a picture after you spent 28 per person to get in and eat cafeteria food. It was the biggest joke i ever seen. Disney did decline slightly with some things but they still are the best

Thanks for the review! We went to sesame place last year and enjoyed it (for the Christmas event). I wanted to go back this year but wasn't sure about the meal, I'm think we will go but skip the meal.

 

[Dis703]

I have to say on our trip just last month I was rather impressed with all the buffets we dined at. Usually there are a few things I don't care for or some meats that are too fatty, maybe entrees are good but not desserts, etc. Quality was really quite good overall at each one we dined at. The steak in particular was really good at 1900 Park Fare with yummy desserts as well. Biergarten is always an enjoyable meal for us and did not disappoint again. Our Crystal Palace lunch was quite delicious and while in the past I found their desserts lacking, this trip they had a delicious apple cranberry crumble and bread pudding that kept me going back for more. I also found service this trip to be the best we've experienced yet.

But in regards to Sesame Place we went for the first time this past Christmas and I didn't bother with the table service meals. They couldn't produce enough safe options for my kids with what they had. Something we don't experience at Disney for sure. But the entire park I found myself constantly looking at everything and saying "Wow, that would not happen at Disney." or "Disney would have done it this way." They've ruined me for other parks, lol.

They also charge for front of the line access and on top of the regular prices and I just couldn't justify it.

 

[wdw4rfam]

We do all buffets because we have picky kids who can always seem to find something to eat. We have never thought food was awful at Disney. I don't expect gourmet food at Disney buffets. The inflated prices are the same as any amusement/ theme park, not high price because it's gourmet food. We also did a character meal at Busch gardens, and had the same food that OP mentioned, and was no where near as good as Disney buffets, and almost as much money

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

$25 extra! That's rough. Well all I can say is that Sesame Street crowd really went downhill after they kicked out Cookie Monster.

I enjoy character meals at WDW. We're really looking forward to CM later this month (holy cow, it's almost here!)

The one non-Disney character experience I would willingly repeat is the breakfast with Santa that Busch Gardens puts on. We did this one year in VA when visiting my sister and her kids, and it was Disney quality all the way.

 

[OasterP]

I'm sorry you didn't have fun, but yay for appreciating Disney stuff more! We went two years ago to Sesame and LOVED it there. Our character breakfast was my favorite part, but my son had a blast, the food was normal, and all of our pictures/autographs were free. I wouldn't have paid 25.00 extra.

 

[cart-mom]

I live about 15 minutes from sesame place and can remember when that space was part of the Oxford valley mall. Four kids. Never been there. We always went to wdw when my kids were younger. I've been to many parks up and down the east coast and even with some decline in quality, I'll take wdw over any other park. Food options are abundant and quality is leaps and bounds over most.

 

[valentinasdad]

I definetly compare everywhere to disney and obviously nowhere comes close. But i find myself expecting crap elsewhere. And holding disney to a higher standard. When i was a kid chef mickeys was fantastic food and fun. Now its still a must do for my daughter but it seems rushed and food not as good. Is it declining? Or am i now an adult that sees through some of the smoke and mirrors? (Again not bashing as they are still the best just wondering if the lack of competition is making them complacent )

 

[SillySallySews]

Not a character meal, but for NYE we went to pirate themed dinner show in Myrtle Beach. I don't know exactly how much it cost because my FIL treated us, but I imagine it wasn't cheap. Worst food I ever tried to eat in my life! They gave you no spoon to eat soup! You were supposed to soak it up with the tiny biscuit they gave you, and I guess drink the rest? The biscuit was the only edible portion of the entire meal and seconds were out of the question when I asked. The main course and sides were completely inedible. Dessert was a tiny apple turnover and mine was still frozen in the middle. And to top it off, they had live animals in the show and the stench from the donkeys and camels while trying to choke down the horrible food just made the entire experience one I don't care to ever repeat. Oh, and live birds flying right over your head while eating! Because maybe bird poop is now a condiment? I was not blown away by the food at HDDR or SoA, but this place made both of those meals look like five star gourmet feasts.

 

[gunderda]

I definetly compare everywhere to disney and obviously nowhere comes close. But i find myself expecting crap elsewhere. And holding disney to a higher standard. When i was a kid chef mickeys was fantastic food and fun. Now its still a must do for my daughter but it seems rushed and food not as good. Is it declining? Or am i now an adult that sees through some of the smoke and mirrors? (Again not bashing as they are still the best just wondering if the lack of competition is making them complacent )

Probably a little of both. For example: I LOOOVEEEEEED spaghetti-o's as a kid. So freaking delicious. On a whim I tried them when I was in high school or college. OMG SO HORRIBLE. Now in my 30's i sometimes thing "mmm spaghetti-o's...." and then I remind myself that my taste buds aren't the same. I think our tastes just change and we're pickier as we get older.

 

[Newsies]

LMAO!!! Sesame Place!!! My family went there once and decided never again!!! Had the exact same experience as you with the buffet... my sister was only 5 or 6 at the time, and obsessed with Sesame Street, so my mom forced a trip on us... worst day ever. Food was inedible, staff was uninterested and condescending towards me when I wanted a photo with big bird (I was going through a typical tween "quirky/random" phase where I was obsessed with him), and when we met The Count he literally hugged me then forced me to turn around for a photo. When we couldn't take the photo because my mom didn't have a camera, he shoved me away... never again

 

[Disfan1968]

I have done the character lunch at Sesame Place and it was "just ok." HOWEVER, in no way did I expect it to be on par with a Disney Character Buffet, so maybe with lower expectations, I wasn't as horrified as the OP.

The best thing I can say for Sesame Place is it is fine for little, little kids. Our kids at 5 and 4, have more or less aged out once we get to next year. We would have gone back this year, but we got free dining on a bounceback at Disney, so that became a bit of a no-brainer.

I will say too, though, that I like their giant water park apperatus thingy. It really is nice to be able to go do water stuff without having to go all the way to another park and we were there two summers ago in a massive heat wave in the northeast. Daily temps in the Philly/NY area were topping 103 at the time.

 

[auroralark]

We took my daughter to Sesame Place last year and did the character breakfast. We thought the character interaction was great, but the food was AWFUL. Inedible really, and it was expensive. I've always had good to excellent food at Disney character meals. Never anything I'd consider inedible.

 

[Disfan1968]

I've always had good to excellent food at Disney character meals. Never anything I'd consider inedible.

For me, I rate Disney Buffet food as "meh to decent." Mostly edible, but a few questionable buffet items. I've done Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's and 1900 PF.

Oh... and Hollywood and Vine.

 

[peg110]

Although not a "Character Meal" but a "Park" experience, up here in NEPA, we have Knoebels Amusement park. No admission, no parking fees, plenty of "Picnic Areas" to bring your own food if you want. You can either use "Tickets" for rides or they frequently offer "Hand Stamps" for ride all day. Their food is typical Park food, but it's usually of good to excellent quality (as you might expect). The nice thing is, is that if you don't ride the rides (or only ride a few) it doesn't cost you $40 - $90 to enter (per person). My DW and I can take our DS10, DS17 (and her BF20) to the park and enjoy the day for less than $100.

Plus they sell tickets. They are typically in books of $20.00 amounts. Rides are typically $0.80 - $2.00 (with some coasters being around $3.25 or so). The tickets NEVER EXPIRE. If you buy them in the park during the Week, a $20.00 book will cost you $18.00. A local chain of grocery stores will sell the $20.00 ticket books for $16.00. That's like buying 5 books and getting 1 free. And again, they never expire. There are bigger parks (Hershey, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, And of course Universal and Disney), but for value and quality, We love this hidden Gem in our area (about an hours drive from us). Oh, and they allow pets in the park too and it's always fairly clean (at least as an amusement park goes).

 

[ElsasFan]

This is slightly off topic, but this thread caused me to look at the website for the local Six Flags park. My kids earned a free ticket that we can use there this summer (though of course, we'll have to pay for the rest of the family to enter). I have not been to Six Flags in at least 20 years, so there have been lots of changes, very few of which I think are for the better. Our kids are not thrill-seekers and it seems like that is mostly what Six Flags offers, there are "opportunities" to rides which come at an additional cost (!), and of course, you can pay for their version of fast-pass, if you so desire. I was grumbling to myself while looking over the park map, when lo and behold, the very last thing listed was...the DOLE WHIP stand! This is going to be an EXCELLENT outing!!!

 

[rmm155]

So as i do feel food quality in most buffets went down hill, and charecter interaction is severly rushed it still is light years better than anyone else. I just got pack from sesame place in pa. We decided to go to the charecter lunch buffet. The name of it is dine with ELMO and friends. Firt for the food. $28per person. Hotdogs chicken nuggets cheeseburgers jello watermelon macaroni and cheese which all were unedible. The bad decision to put broccolli on the buffett stunk the entire room from start to finish. As we didnt really go for the food and went for the charecters i didnt really mind not eating as long as we got some good pics. Well elmo and bigbird are pretty much to sesame street what mickey mouse is to disney...they are the main attraction. Since this was called dine with elmo and friends and my daughter is in love with elmo we were very excited. All the charecters came to our table except elmo and big bird. If you wanted to get a picture with them you had to get in line and pay 25 dollars for a picture after you spent 28 per person to get in and eat cafeteria food. It was the biggest joke i ever seen. Disney did decline slightly with some things but they still are the best

You could take pictures with your camera for Elmo and Big Bird. At least last year, they did, I would be cranky if they said you couldn't take pictures. I'll find out this week, I guess. I must say that the "party" events are better than the Dine With Elmo. I've had the dinners there, but not the lunches. Dinner is usually pretty good.

I will say that I go with a friend who worked for Disney and she definitely cringes over the details that just aren't done. Bathrooms are less clean, lightbulbs out, etc.

 

[rmm155]

Although not a "Character Meal" but a "Park" experience, up here in NEPA, we have Knoebels Amusement park. No admission, no parking fees, plenty of "Picnic Areas" to bring your own food if you want. You can either use "Tickets" for rides or they frequently offer "Hand Stamps" for ride all day. Their food is typical Park food, but it's usually of good to excellent quality (as you might expect). The nice thing is, is that if you don't ride the rides (or only ride a few) it doesn't cost you $40 - $90 to enter (per person). My DW and I can take our DS10, DS17 (and her BF20) to the park and enjoy the day for less than $100.

Plus they sell tickets. They are typically in books of $20.00 amounts. Rides are typically $0.80 - $2.00 (with some coasters being around $3.25 or so). The tickets NEVER EXPIRE. If you buy them in the park during the Week, a $20.00 book will cost you $18.00. A local chain of grocery stores will sell the $20.00 ticket books for $16.00. That's like buying 5 books and getting 1 free. And again, they never expire. There are bigger parks (Hershey, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, And of course Universal and Disney), but for value and quality, We love this hidden Gem in our area (about an hours drive from us). Oh, and they allow pets in the park too and it's always fairly clean (at least as an amusement park goes).

I miss Knoebel's ... havent been in 15 or so years. I used to work there one summer.

 

[SillySallySews]

Although not a "Character Meal" but a "Park" experience, up here in NEPA, we have Knoebels Amusement park. No admission, no parking fees, plenty of "Picnic Areas" to bring your own food if you want. You can either use "Tickets" for rides or they frequently offer "Hand Stamps" for ride all day. Their food is typical Park food, but it's usually of good to excellent quality (as you might expect). The nice thing is, is that if you don't ride the rides (or only ride a few) it doesn't cost you $40 - $90 to enter (per person). My DW and I can take our DS10, DS17 (and her BF20) to the park and enjoy the day for less than $100.

Plus they sell tickets. They are typically in books of $20.00 amounts. Rides are typically $0.80 - $2.00 (with some coasters being around $3.25 or so). The tickets NEVER EXPIRE. If you buy them in the park during the Week, a $20.00 book will cost you $18.00. A local chain of grocery stores will sell the $20.00 ticket books for $16.00. That's like buying 5 books and getting 1 free. And again, they never expire. There are bigger parks (Hershey, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, And of course Universal and Disney), but for value and quality, We love this hidden Gem in our area (about an hours drive from us). Oh, and they allow pets in the park too and it's always fairly clean (at least as an amusement park goes).

I spent a lot of time as a kid at Knoebels, Dorney Park, and Dutch Wonderland. I know Dorney Park and Dutch Wonderland have changed a lot, but it's nice to know Knoebels is still a nice, clean, affordable family park.