re: Frustrated w/so many bad/mixed reviews of character meals. Help!

[NOLAmom]

Getting close to ADR time August 1st. The more I read, the more frustrated I become because reviews of WDW restaurants especially these character meals are all over the place and most of them are BAD. some are so bad that the people tell you to run and never eat there again. Could it be that bad? I need your help to tell me what you would do?

My kids, DS is 4 and DD will be almost 3, aren't the best eaters. It's a short trip. Staying at the Contemporary 4 days. Only doing Epcot and MK.

1. Day 1-Arrival late afternoon at CR- had planned a 6 pm Chef Mickey's but sooo many terrible reviews. Should I get rid of this? Do Wave/Contempo Cafe instead?? I just thought it would be something fun and in hotel on late afternoon arrival.
2. Day 2 MK RD- Planned on an 1145 CRT lunch. Everything I read says the food is awful, too much time wasted away from parks and too pricey. Should I keep it or switch to QS lunch at MK instead? Going back to MK hopefully from 4-7 so where dinner if do QS lunch instead of CRT?
3. Day 3 MK RD- Planned 1130 Crystal Palace. Want to keep bc DD loves Pooh.
4. Day 4- Epcot RD- was thinking Sunshine Seasons.

So, between Chef Mickey's arrival dinner, CRT lunch, and Crystal Palace lunch, which one would you get rid of?

FYI- we are staying club level so that's why i was avoiding the breakasts since I hope to eat in club. THANKS EVERYBODY!

 

[kamik86]

Getting close to ADR time August 1st. The more I read, the more frustrated I become because reviews of WDW restaurants especially these character meals are all over the place and most of them are BAD. some are so bad that the people tell you to run and never eat there again. Could it be that bad? I need your help to tell me what you would do?

My kids, DS is 4 and DD will be almost 3, aren't the best eaters. It's a short trip. Staying at the Contemporary 4 days. Only doing Epcot and MK.

1. Day 1-Arrival late afternoon at CR- had planned a 6 pm Chef Mickey's but sooo many terrible reviews. Should I get rid of this? Do Wave/Contempo Cafe instead?? I just thought it would be something fun and in hotel on late afternoon arrival.
2. Day 2 MK RD- Planned on an 1145 CRT lunch. Everything I read says the food is awful, too much time wasted away from parks and too pricey. Should I keep it or switch to QS lunch at MK instead? Going back to MK hopefully from 4-7 so where dinner if do QS lunch instead of CRT?
3. Day 3 MK RD- Planned 1130 Crystal Palace. Want to keep bc DD loves Pooh.
4. Day 4- Epcot RD- was thinking Sunshine Seasons.

So, between Chef Mickey's arrival dinner, CRT lunch, and Crystal Palace lunch, which one would you get rid of?

FYI- we are staying club level so that's why i was avoiding the breakasts since I hope to eat in club. THANKS EVERYBODY!

If you choose to get rid of one of the others maybe try Garden Grill? I have heard that one is really great, although I admit I haven't been there yet (trying it in Sept)

 

[Tricia1972]

I would back away from the computer and stop reading all of the reviews!

Every single restaurant at Disney has great reviews and horrible reviews. One thing to note though is that the food, overall, isn't the same quality at a buffet as it is if you go to a 'plated' TS restaurant. However, that's the case everywhere in the world.

You are taking toddlers to Disney for the first time (?) and it's going to be all about the experience.

Which restaurants sound fun to you?

For us, Chef Mickey's (and we aren't going just for the adequate food) is a very fun way to start our vacation. Napkin waving and the Fab 5 is a pretty fabulous welcome to Disney.

CRT is kind of neat. I thought that the food here was better than Chef Mickey's, but it's not wonderful. However, you definitely won't do better at a CS in the MK. You're doing CP later on in the trip, so I won't recommend that in place of CRT here. I'd keep CRT and use it as a break time away from the parks. Again, it's more about experience than food.

However, if you're dropping one. CRT or CP. I would drop CRT in a heartbeat. If you can do both, then I'd suggest keeping both.

Good luck to you, I know it's hard when you read so many different things. I did it when I first joined and I ended up picking up a reservation that I talked myself into because it had so many good reviews. I hated the food and got a sick to my stomach feeling from it for the rest of the day. Had I trusted my instincts and not reviews, I'd have never picked up the reservation. So I suggest that you trust your instincts. (which may tell you to ignore everything I posted, and that's perfectly fine too LOL )

 

[Nadjalu]

Personally I don't know why so many people hate on the character buffets.

They ARE buffets, so going in you shouldn't expect an elegant meal, but for the buffet food they are pretty good.
Definitely a notch or 2 above stuff like Golden Corral, Ryans...etc.

We always do dinner at Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's and love both. The food has been tasty, hot, replentished on time and good.

So I say, take reviews with a grain of salt. If the menu sounds good go for it, most likely you will like it.

 

[photo_chick]

From our expereince.... my son is a super picky eater. He likes pizza, chicken nuggets, corn, grapes, rolls and peanut butter sandwiches (seriously, that's about it)

My kids love Chef Mickey's. We've done breakfast and dinner there. No, it's not fine dining, but it's good food and a fun experience. Then again, everyones definition of what constitutes good food is different. We're not foodies by any means, but we appreciate a good meal.

CRT is all about the experience. The food isn't worth the price IMO, but its way cool to do and you get a photo with extras for the kids. We've done breakfast there and it wasn't bad, but now that we've had the experience we probably will not do it again.

Crystal Palace... we did dinner here for the first time this last trip. It was pretty good and everyone found something they liked. And you get all your Pooh favorites. If we don't make other plans next trip we will probably go there again.

 

[KTJAY]

I would say keep Chef Mickey's-its in your hotel and a great way to start off the trip with the Fab 5. Plus parmesan mashed potatoes and mickey domes are pretty good.

If you would like an alternative to CRT-1900 Park Fare in GF is alot of fun and a buffet. Again the food wasn't my fav but the characters are the best...Cinderella and PC plus the step-mother/sisters are hilarious. Great time!!

 

[KELLY]

Really don't worry about the reviews. Go and enjoy yourself. We do the QSDP now only beacuse we like not having adr's for 10 days. But we do make a couple of adr's and one is always a character meal. We usually do a non-buffett one only beacuse I cannot relax at a buffett. I'm always up and down. We have garden grill and Arkshurs both at epcot on diffrent days but I love the character and the buffets to me have good food.

 

[mommycrawford]

The quality of different items varies, BUT that should be expected...
everyone should be able to find a few things they like, and no one goes hungry! (Non buffet meals generally are better because a menu has a cohesive theme, thereby being easier to prepare! Think of it like Thanksgiving...there are probably things you look forward to always having, and others that always appear though you wouldn't particularly miss them if they didn't!)

There is almost always beautiful fruit/salad and some familiar items, and the excitement of the characters will be the reason you go. (My DDs tastes run exotic...a la frogs legs, etc, and she survives, so no worries.)

Go have fun!

 

[iheartwalt]

I think your kids sound like a great age for character meals and will really enjoy them. If I were you I would just stick with your plan. When I go to a character meal I go for the character interaction, food being secondary. However with that being said we have done CRT, Storybook Breakfast, Liberty Tree, and 1900 Park Fare and the food was decent to good at all of them (1900 Park Fare was my favorite).
I guarantee even powdered scrambled eggs taste better when you are watching your kids with huge smiles on their faces as they hang out with their new "friends" Have fun!!

 

[Kae]

Go & enjoy. I will have to say CP lunch is our favorite Char Meals, Chef Mickeys for dinner is great fun & a wonderful way to start a WDW trip-Food is ok.

Kae

 

[koolaidmoms]

I also agree with the PPs. There are tons of mixed opinions on all the restaurants. Most of the people who tend to speak out have negative reviews because very often people don't take the time to come back and post how good everything was but they don't hesitate to want to vent about something that went wrong.

If you want to go to all three restaurants with your kids for the character meals do it! I have taken my family to all three and I am glad we did as I have pictures of my children through the years at each place. It is amazing to look back on and now CP is a tradition for us on each trip.

Have a great time and just enjoy it all.

 

[IhrkeFamily]

I wholeheartedly agree that we don't do the character meals for the food. It's all about Mickey, Minnie, and Pooh. So convenient to have the characters come to your table instead of waiting in long lines at he parks. Plus there is always something a little extra at each one to make it special.

And I agree that the food is not "to-die-for" delicious, but definitely good. Some better than others. And I always seem to find something on the dessert line!

 

[miztressuz]

Here's my take having done Ohana's for Lilo&Stitch, Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey and the Akershus Princess Breakfast (I always spell that wrong).

You are definitely going for the entertainment. I look at the price I pay versus returned value. Of the places I went I thought the Crystal Palace had the best quality food. The food was pretty good (obviously not TS quality but pretty good for a buffet.) and I'm a Pooh character fan so I enjoyed the entertainment.

I would not voluntarily do Chef Mickey again because for the price paid, the food does not live up (which I was surprised since it's been around for ages and everyone comes back... but I guess for the reason I go back so there's no need to up the quality...) but we sometimes go around my nephew's birthday and guess what he wants? Chef Mickey dinner! So we go to watch the kids enjoy the heck out of themselves. For me, CM is all about the characters and atmosphere, definitely not the food. (and I just try very hard not to look at the check when I sign) I think young kids get the most kick as they get more time with the character than in the park.

And that brings me to the 2 breakfasts I have attended, the Princess and Lilo&Stitch. Again, it's all about character interaction. Otherwise it's just the same eggs, bacon, hash, and mickey waffle you can pick up in any Counter Service. So for 20-25 bucks a head, not worth it for breakfast for us.

So if the money is not a concern (willing to pay whatever for the kiddos) I wouldn't change it. If you can get them (or have them), go for it. You never know something until you try it for yourself. And I think the most important is how much fun the kids are going to have - that's really what you're getting for the price.

 

[chartle]

Personally I don't know why so many people hate on the character buffets.

They ARE buffets, so going in you shouldn't expect an elegant meal, but for the buffet food they are pretty good.

There are quite a few people in the world that have a major, for lack of a better term, phobia concerning buffets.

I don't want to get into specifics at all but they are already going into the meal with bad thoughts. So the buffet has to be the best thing they ever ate just to get them to the level that its OK.


To the OP you can't just go by reviews. Sometimes there are surveys done here and the same restaurants will be on the top 5 and the bottom 5 list.

 

[princessmorgan]

I think reviews are semi helpful. It's nice to hear some opinions, but at the same time it's confusing. Just don't go with too many expectations. Would you rather have quality food or is it about the character interaction for your kids? You just have to decide what you want.

Now that being said, here are my family's experiences. Chef Mickey's too me is overpriced with o.k. food. I would not personally choose it, but my kids love it! There is enough to keep them entertained and they love the characters.

CRT might be lost on your kids, because of their ages. We took our DD when she was 3. I mean, she loved the princesses, but I like Akershus better. The whole castle experience didn't leave a lasting impression. Maybe now that they're older, it might be worth it. I remember that lunch being very rushed.

My kids also like Crystal Palace, but we've only had breakfast there. We prefer breakfasts, because we like breakfast food. And the kids usually aren't too tired, so they are happier when we sit down to eat.

Good luck with your decisions!

 

[minniebride]

I also think if you asked the kids (not the parents) what their impressions are of places like Chef Mickeys, I'll bet they would give you a very different & positive review!

Book it if you are looking for a fun & convenient place to meet the characters. It's not meant to be fine dining, it's meant to be a fun place to meet the characters while eating!

Personally, I despise the food there (I'm a picky eater), but I recommended it to my BIL & SIL for their first WDW vacation with their two little girls, because I know the girls will think it's a blast! I think the food is very kid-friendly, service is good, & character interaction is great.

My favorite character meal is Crystal Palace breakfast though-I think the food is fantastic, restaurant is pretty, & the character interaction is great.

My favorite character meal used to be Liberty Tree Tavern-LOVED the interaction & the costumes! But sadly it is no more

 

[goofy4tink]

From our expereince.... my son is a super picky eater. He likes pizza, chicken nuggets, corn, grapes, rolls and peanut butter sandwiches (seriously, that's about it)
My kids love Chef Mickey's. We've done breakfast and dinner there. No, it's not fine dining, but it's good food and a fun experience. Then again, everyones definition of what constitutes good food is different. We're not foodies by any means, but we appreciate a good meal.

CRT is all about the experience. The food isn't worth the price IMO, but its way cool to do and you get a photo with extras for the kids. We've done breakfast there and it wasn't bad, but now that we've had the experience we probably will not do it again.

Crystal Palace... we did dinner here for the first time this last trip. It was pretty good and everyone found something they liked. And you get all your Pooh favorites. If we don't make other plans next trip we will probably go there again.

That was my dd until about 2 years ago...she's now almost 18!!!! Too funny.

We normally eat breakfast at Goofy's Beach Blast Breakfast at YC/BC every trip...nice food, great character interaction. The thing to remember is that your kids are young enough to be very happy with the food offerings at the buffets.

I like to book very late character breakfasts...around 10:30, especially if it's an EMH morning at the park we're headed to. For instance...if we are headed to MK, I make an ADR for breakfast at Crystal Palace for around 10:30ish.
At Epcot, it's a little different. We usually stay in that area, so Goofy's works for us...eat there around 8ish, and then enter the park for R/D. Same thing for DHS.
At AK, I like Donald's breakfast at Tusker House...book it for about 10:30.



So, for your needs, I would recommend...
Day 1....go with Chef Mickey's, it will be fine.
Day 2..head over to GF and eat at 1900 Park Fare for lunch. You could eat at the Plaza later in the day...nice spot and not very expensive. Nicer than CS.
Day 3....Crystal Palace is a keeper.
Day 4....if you don't mind spending a bit more, I would consider Garden Grill.

 

[NOLAmom]

Wow, thanks for all the great posts and advice. It really helped me calm down! You are all right that it is about the kids and the character interaction so I probably need to stop worrying about the quality of the food so much as we won't starve! I'm just a perfectionist when it comes to planning trips and it's hard to go into trip accepting some of the places we choose will just be ok if you know what I mean. But it's not an adult food driven trip, so I need to remind myself it's a toddler trip.

I'm definitely keeping CP for lunch as my kids are huge Winnie fans and that 1 just can't be missed and it looks like 1 of the better places to eat in MK and will be nice break.

I thought 1 poster had a good point that my kids may be too young to appreciate CRT. Anyone else agree? DS is 4 and DD will just be 3 in Jan. She just started to like princesses mainly Snow White but it's not a huge obsession yet. Maybe we should wait on this 1 till older? We've got family in Orlando and will probaby be there once a yr for the next couple of yrs so we will be back.

I"m leaning towards keeping Chef Mickey's for now mainly for convenience, in hotel, and a great way to welcome to Disney with FAB 5.

Thanks again and keep them coming if anyone has other thoughts!

 

[dunbarfamily]

I actually don't read reviews. I get overwhelmed easily, and will second guess myself until the cows come home. I'd change and change and change ADRs to make sure I'm getting what I think is the "best" based on others' opinions. I'm the type of person that if I read a bad review, then I'll be "looking" for the problem, like if I see a review that says servers took a long time to bring refills, by golly, on my trip I'll be sure to pay extra attention to how long refills take. That's just how I am. I'm optimistic and glass half full, but still, there's that little part of me. So, for me its better to not read reviews.

Here's my $.02, take it for what it's worth:

For most people, its probably not an issue to read reviews and is quite helpful. Keep in mind that one person's trash is another's treasure. You might really like something that was rated one star, whereas give a one star rating to something that is loved by most everyone. Each person enters a trip with different expectations and ideas of how things should and shouldn't be. Reviews are great, just decide with caution.

 

[TDC Nala]

The buffet food is not the greatest, but it is not utterly horrible either. And part of what you are paying so much for is the one-on-one access to characters with no line to wait in. If you think the kids will enjoy seeing characters, pick some meals with characters you think they will like, and go for it. Expect edible food with a large selection, with some good to really good items here and there, and you'll be fine. The buffets are the place where pretty much even the pickest kid will find something to eat, and they can eat all they want.

I don't know about CRT, it's not a buffet so the selection isn't as wide. But I don't recall many reviews that said the food was inedible. And that one you are paying for the castle and the princesses.