Please tell me about Trail's End Buffet

[las3888]

We are thinking of dining there on our next visit. We just thought it would be something different and new that we have never been to. How was your experience? What was it like? It is just rarely talked about so I have no idea what to expect!

Thanks!

 

[TxDisneyFan]

Our family ate at Trail's End in June 2004 and again Dec 2005. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet but cannot recommend the dinner buffet. Both times we ate dinner in '04 and '05 the food was average to below average. We felt the price did not justify the low quality of the food offerings at their dinner buffet.

We ate breakfast in '04 there - really early one day before hitting the parks. The food was hot, fresh and plentiful. The food was above average and we will try to go back for breakfast.

 

[estnh]

We ate there once, and it's OK if you are staying at Fort Wilderness, but I can't say that I would even think about making a special trip from another resort. It's just a basic buffet in a rustic atmosphere.

If you are an absolute buffet addict, perhaps its worth a trip, but even then I think there are better ones to choose from.

On the plus side, there is a lot of food, and the price is right.

 

[kristenhh]

getting there was a royal pain. Also, the buffet was set up by a moron! The lines were crazy and you had to wait in the same line for everything -- even if you just wanted more salad.

You can tell that I was less than thrilled. However, if you are at FW already, it would be convenient.

 

[JadenLayne]

We have never had the buffet but we did go to the Hoop De Doo and getting there is what is the pain! You ride the main bus and then transfer to a bus that takes you inside Ft. Wilderness then you walk to the dining hall.

Don't think it would be worth it to make a special trip. For a good buffet try Boma, Crystal Palace, or 1900 Park Fare!

 

[tjmouse]

I have to agree. It was my least favorite meal last trip. I think it would be fine if I were staying at Ft. Wilderness, but I won't do it again. I would have enjoyed a CS at Epcot a heck of a lot more.

 

[PattnFmly]

We did the breakfast buffet on our MK day last August. The boat ride over was refreshing (it was hot that day!) and the breakfast food was fresh and plentiful! We didn't want to do another character breakfast nor did we want to have to choose an entree in the AS food court. We just wanted a breakfast buffet and it was perfect for that. Granted, there is only one line, but it was never so busy that we couldn't get what we wanted (like just seconds on corned beef hash!) and our waitress was right on the ball with the drinks. I would eat there again in a minute, just perhaps not on a day when we're trying to be commando. The day we went it was hot and we were just taking our time and being on vacation and trying to relax - just a little!

 

[Swimnoid]

Thats where we always stay so we have had B, L and D there. I'd say breakfast was the best but I enjoyed the other meals as well. The price is better than other buffets. If I were staying somewhere else I wouldnt make a special trip to get there but I have driven over for breakfast on the day were leaving (and stayed at POR) once.

 

[byoung]

It's the lowest cost buffet in Disney, but it's not the worst. It's great .

 

[marcyinPA]

We've eaten breakfast there a couple of times. It is really good. The food is fresh, hot and there is plenty of it. Bonus: it's probably the best value in Disney for a breakfast buffet!

We have no experience with lunch or dinner, so can't help you there, but breakfast gets a big thumbs up from us. And it's easy to get to if you take the boat from the MK. Trails End is located just steps from the boat launch.

 

[las3888]

Hmmm...I may re-think it, but I think DH and I have been to every buffet at WDW but this one. I wasn't expecting a grand gala or anything spectacular. We are going to have a car so we thought it would be fairly easy to get to. Those who say it was difficult to travel to I am assuming you mean by WDW transportation? We once stayed at WL and rode bikes to the campground and had a nice relaxing time. I remember they had some animals there on the grounds - I remember a peacock in particular. We have DS now and I thought he might like looking at the animals. I don't like the idea of 1 buffet line - that can drive you crazy. Well, we might keep it on the list, but I won't be crushed if we don't make it (BTW, we are thinking dinner).

Thanks for your responses - they have been really interesting! If anything, I have my expectations a little on the low side!

 

[mom2missmous]

FW experts correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that even if you drive your own car there you have to park in the main FW lot and take an internal bus to Trails End. We didn't do it ourselves as we were staying at VWL and took the boat over. Our group enjoyed our meal; not fancy but filling !

 

[lookingforward]

We are in FW now and ate there our first night. I was not thrilled. The food was adequate, basically they offer a simple (very simple) salad bar, the same fried chicken and ribs they serve in Hoop de DO, one pasta dish, peel and eat shrimp (very small but good) and a carving meat (it was buffalo). One hot mixed vegatable, no great bread, globby cobbler for dessert. There is mac and cheese for the kids. I may have forgotten something, but it was 90.00 plus dollars for four adults and one child. Nothing special. I heard that the breakfast is much better and we might try that tomorrow. I would do it again in a pinch but there are better places for just a little bit more $$.

 

[jtdl]

Things must've changed since last year. My family really enjoyed the buffet. No it did not offer gourmet foods, more of a home-cooked style - corn on the cob, several carved meats, I believe we had ham and beef, as well as pasta, pizza, several styles of potato, more than one vegetable, a basic salad bar with your lettuce salads as well as a couple other salads, pickles, etc. I just checked Deb's and here's a link to the menu -

http://allearsnet.com/menu/menu_teb.htm

That's more like what was offered when we were there. I don't know what happened to the previous posters' meals!

It is a very long and time consuming venture to get there by Disney transportation, but well worth it in my opinion.

 

[simba2]

We made the special trip over for lunch and liked it. There was hardly anyone there on the day we went. They serve the same yummy fried chicken as they do for the Hoop de Doo. We'd go again.

 

[jann1033]

i was wondering the same as the pp since it doesn't sound like the place we have been going to for 20 yrs .i always get a kick out ot those who dis te but love the food at hddr...guess the more you spend for it the better it tastes to some

i am not a big buffet fan but we've always had a good time, good service and enjoyed the food,


and it's a 10 min or less boat ride from mk,wl,contemp.( or mono to cont. for other mono resorts)and the rest would be like any other resort, bus to dtd or park( mk in this case) the buses from say epcot drop you off right by te so don't see what is the problem some are having. if you drive you do have to take the internal bus service but i think it says where they are going on the front. ( unless something radical changed????)
at least we never had a harder time getting there than say akl and the notorious Boma

 

[Leota]

When we stayed at FW in 93, 95 & 98 we really enjoyed Trail's End. I love the fried chicken. It was very convenient for us when we were staying there. I have no idea what it's like in recent years. We don't make a special trip there for it, it's just not really our kind of restaurant that we would travel for while staying elsewhere.

Even if you are driving, you can't drive up to where TE is. Like another poster said, you'd park at the front of FW & take the internal bus down. It's easier to take a launch from MK. Then it's just a short walk from the dock up to the complex housing HDDR & TE. I don't think TE is any more complicated to get to than any other resort restaurant.

 

[tinkerbeth]

We went there last August for a meal and really liked it. We were staying at AKL so unless we were already at MK (I can't remember but unlikely since we usually nap and swim in the afternoon) we would have taken the bus to MK and then the boat. We like the boat ride so that wasn't a problem. Ds3 loved the playground, and the birds on the dock.

The food was good, service was good and the price is a bit less than other buffets. I also noticed that a lot of the food was the same as the hoop de doo but minus the strawberry shortcake! Too bad - maybe next time. I liked the atmosphere there and we will go back.

It is a bit out of the way but I don't mind that at all when I'm at wdw. We take the busses/boats/etc everywhere and I find the rides relaxing.

Hope that helps!

Beth

 

[lookingforward]

Things must've changed since last year. My family really enjoyed the buffet. No it did not offer gourmet foods, more of a home-cooked style - corn on the cob, several carved meats, I believe we had ham and beef, as well as pasta, pizza, several styles of potato, more than one vegetable, a basic salad bar with your lettuce salads as well as a couple other salads, pickles, etc. I just checked Deb's and here's a link to the menu -

http://allearsnet.com/menu/menu_teb.htm

That's more like what was offered when we were there. I don't know what happened to the previous posters' meals!

It is a very long and time consuming venture to get there by Disney transportation, but well worth it in my opinion.

I was surprised by the lack of offerings since I had researched the menu before we went on wdwig.com. Maybe it was an off night, but thats what we encountered on Friday night. For the record, I did not enjoy the hddr either but that was for lack of variety and not quality, etc.

Trails was not horrible, just limited for the price, in my humble opinion. The fried chicken was good though. You wanted opinions, I offered mine. We are going to try breakfast there in the a.m.. It is COLD in Orlando tonight...

 

[lookingforward]

i was wondering the same as the pp since it doesn't sound like the place we have been going to for 20 yrs .i always get a kick out ot those who dis te but love the food at hddr...guess the more you spend for it the better it tastes to some

i am not a big buffet fan but we've always had a good time, good service and enjoyed the food,


and it's a 10 min or less boat ride from mk,wl,contemp.( or mono to cont. for other mono resorts)and the rest would be like any other resort, bus to dtd or park( mk in this case) the buses from say epcot drop you off right by te so don't see what is the problem some are having. if you drive you do have to take the internal bus service but i think it says where they are going on the front. ( unless something radical changed????)
at least we never had a harder time getting there than say akl and the notorious Boma

Different experiences, different days, different opinions. That is what makes the world....WDW... go around.