Should I be discouraged or are people too critical?

[CynJ]

So my last Disney trip was 2002 with my mom. We did some planning at the time but for most of our restaurant choices we made reservations same day or did quick service. The only meal either of us had a problem with was at a counter service in AK where we got wrap sandwiches which were really nasty. The rest of our meals were good (some better than others, but all were edible).

So fast forward to today and I am planning a solo trip for November 2017 (happy birthday to me!) and I've been reading a lot of restaurant critiques and watching the DISUnplugged restaurant reviews to start planning out my choices so I can make ADRs when the time comes. However, I'm getting really discouraged the more I read/watch. Has the food in WDW really become that bad? Or are folks just being really picky and overly critical?

I live in Connecticut so the menu prices really don't shock me (nor do any of the food/snack prices actually). I know price seems to be a big sticking point with some folks (and the accompanying portion size), but a $45 tab per person at a sit down restaurant doesn't phase me so long as the food is edible.

Should I maybe just wing it and ignore the reviews and make my ADRs at restaurants that fit my touring plan and interest me? Or should I really heed the dire critiques?

 

[sharonabe]

I say go with what appeals to you. If you can work some of the newer restaurants into your plan, they will have better food because they're still trying to gain a following, and most of them seem to have more unique offerings. I think most of the criticism isn't that the food is bad as much as it is about the "dumming down" of what is offered due to the masses.

 

[burberryplaid]

My advice Is to go with whatever interests you. People will always have an opinion on what is good/bad and you might be surprised to find you like something others don't. As an example, we avoided Sci-Fi for a while but ended up loving it! It may not be the best burger I ever ate but it's good, it's fun, and certainly the best lunch option at DHS in our opinion. We also love Cape May & Mama Melrose which get mixed reviews.

Enjoy your birthday trip!

 

[soniam]

I think you are going to get the extremes, particularly negative, of feelings on a website. If someone just thought the food was ok or good, they probably aren't going to bother commenting. However, if it was terrible, they will. Places that we have enjoyed a lot are the following. Since you are a solo adult, I would try the lounges and bars. They don't take reservations, but we usually didn't have problems getting in. Some of them have unique small plates and appetizers that are great for one person.

Jiko
Boma
Tusker House
Tiffins
Nomad Lounge
Hollywood Brown Derby
Brown Derby Lounge
50s Prime Time
Be Our Guest
Victoria & Albert (of course)
Trader Sam's
Homecoming (Disney Springs)
Morimoto
Jock Lindsey's

 

[JerseyJanice]

I'll tell you this--we did a WDW trip in June 2002. For a variety of reasons, our next one didn't happen until February 2008.

As I reading reviews and reports on-line, I got discouraged. People were saying how the food wasn't as good as it used to be.

We took our trip in 2/08 and had a wonderful time with mostly excellent meals. I couldn't figure out why everyone on-line seemed to be saying that the food in the Disney resort had gone downhill.

Between that trip and 2012, we took six trips and enjoyed our dining experiences a lot on all those visits. Now here I am again after a hiatus, hoping that I will have a similar experience to 2008. Which would be that all the talk of things going south are exaggerated.

We will see. We have no dining plan on our upcoming trip; we couldn't even if we wanted to because we are at the Swan. I'm not planning a lot of table service meals and we'll have the Food & Wine Festival to snack at.

 

[mstephen87]

So my last Disney trip was 2002 with my mom. We did some planning at the time but for most of our restaurant choices we made reservations same day or did quick service. The only meal either of us had a problem with was at a counter service in AK where we got wrap sandwiches which were really nasty. The rest of our meals were good (some better than others, but all were edible).

So fast forward to today and I am planning a solo trip for November 2017 (happy birthday to me!) and I've been reading a lot of restaurant critiques and watching the DISUnplugged restaurant reviews to start planning out my choices so I can make ADRs when the time comes. However, I'm getting really discouraged the more I read/watch. Has the food in WDW really become that bad? Or are folks just being really picky and overly critical?

I live in Connecticut so the menu prices really don't shock me (nor do any of the food/snack prices actually). I know price seems to be a big sticking point with some folks (and the accompanying portion size), but a $45 tab per person at a sit down restaurant doesn't phase me so long as the food is edible.

Should I maybe just wing it and ignore the reviews and make my ADRs at restaurants that fit my touring plan and interest me? Or should I really heed the dire critiques?

We have been to Disney twice and ate at a bunch of different restaurants. We have never gotten a bad meal. In fact, most meals have been more than average. Be our guest dinner was a personal favorite of ours. (My husband and I) The food was hot, fresh, delicious and the service was excellent as well. Akershus is another favorite of ours. We haven't been everywhere, but where we have been has been delicious. Ignore the critics. People are jerks and just look for a reason to complain.

 

[DekrRini]

I think it's all a matter of taste and maybe timing. BOG gets a lot of negative reviews and both times I've gone the food has been delicious. The first time I choose pork chops and they were some of the best I'd ever had--and I'm from the corn belt where pork is a staple. I love their French Onion soup. Sci-Fi is another favorite of mine. I've even had good meals at Coral Reef, which also gets a lot of negative reviews. Tusker House, Rose and Crown are also must dos for me. The only time I've had trouble with meals is because something doesn't agree with my stomach and that's not the restaurant's fault. It's mine for not choosing more wisely.

As others said, choose what looks appealing and go in with an open mind. Some meals will be better than others, but I've never had an inedible meal at WDW.

 

[DLgal]

The short of it is people are too critical. The food is fine, no better or worse than it has been over the past 10 years.

 

[shoney]

Just remember you are reading reviews from people from all walks of life. The come with different perspectives, experiences, backgrounds and income levels.

I think overall the food is a bit overpriced for what you are getting....I too am used to paying higher prices, but I feel at home, the quality is usually better.
They are mass producing foods for thousands and thousands of people. If you really look at menus they are lot of similarities....maybe with a different sauce or side.

Set realistic expectations and you will be fine. Go for what your tastes enjoy.

I would never step foot in one of those disney buffets, but plenty of people like them.

 

[AshleeH]

I never read reviews. The majority of the time, the only reason people leave reviews is to complain. The only restaurant I ever stay away from is Tony's because I've never seen anyone say one good thing about it. If I listened to people about Disney restaurants, I never would've tried Chef Mickey's, CRT, Crystal Palace - just to name a few - and those are just a few that get our repeat business. We don't take a vacation without stopping at Chef Mickey's.

 

[Pixie Dust ✨]

The food is neither gourmet (except at V&A) nor disgusting. I will never understand people who go hungry at Disney World. I will also never understand people who had "the best (whatever) I ever ate" at Disney World. For the most part, the food is mediocre to good. You will not starve & if you choose wisely, you should enjoy most of your meals.

 

[DekrRini]

I always say I'm going to give Tony's a try and then I never quite get there. I don't spend that many days in the MK and I'm not about to give up my annual BOG ADR.

 

[DekrRini]

The food is neither gourmet (except at V&A) nor disgusting. I will never understand people who go hungry at Disney World. I will also never understand people who had "the best (whatever) I ever ate" at Disney World. For the most part, the food is mediocre to good. You will not starve & if you choose wisely, you should enjoy most of your meals.

I'm one of those who had "the best (whatever) I ever ate" at BOG. To be honest, after all the reviews I read, I was shocked the meal was so good.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would put together your touring plan, take a look at menus and choose what appeals to you. You will find stellar and terrbile reviews for every restaurant on Disney property! One person's trash is another person's treasure, so to speak. Only you will be able to decide what you like! I've been to WDW over 30 times and only twice was I served something I would deem inedible. I won't even mention the restaurants because people will post they had great experiences there and they probably did! As others have said, the food is not gourmet (unless you are eating at signatures, which I recommend!), but it's fine!

 

[mellyf]

Ignore the critics. People are jerks and just look for a reason to complain.

It seems incredibly dismissive to say that because you have never had a bad experience, that anyone who has, and posts about it, is a jerk and just looking to complain. WDW is huge, and it seems very unlikely they have never turned out a bad meal.

 

[knkmom]

While I read reviews for a general idea of a restaurant I don't automatically pass up on a restaurant because someone didn't like it. We look at menus and if it looks appealing to us we go. There have been places that lots of people love that we didn't like and places that get lots of negative reviews that we really like! It's all pretty much a matter of personal taste/opinion.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

So my last Disney trip was 2002 with my mom. We did some planning at the time but for most of our restaurant choices we made reservations same day or did quick service. The only meal either of us had a problem with was at a counter service in AK where we got wrap sandwiches which were really nasty. The rest of our meals were good (some better than others, but all were edible).

So fast forward to today and I am planning a solo trip for November 2017 (happy birthday to me!) and I've been reading a lot of restaurant critiques and watching the DISUnplugged restaurant reviews to start planning out my choices so I can make ADRs when the time comes. However, I'm getting really discouraged the more I read/watch. Has the food in WDW really become that bad? Or are folks just being really picky and overly critical?

I live in Connecticut so the menu prices really don't shock me (nor do any of the food/snack prices actually). I know price seems to be a big sticking point with some folks (and the accompanying portion size), but a $45 tab per person at a sit down restaurant doesn't phase me so long as the food is edible.

Should I maybe just wing it and ignore the reviews and make my ADRs at restaurants that fit my touring plan and interest me? Or should I really heed the dire critiques?

You know what they say about opinions...

I say look at where you're planning on being for that day/evening, and plan your restaurant choices around that and the food you like.
Disney Food Blog has some great reviews with info on all the TS, CS, and snacks at WDW. I've found them to be really informative!

 

[Hopefully]

I agree with planning what fits your schedule and appeals to you. We too have been over 30 times. We enjoy our Disney meals. I am also from the northeast and don't find the prices outrageous. The Signatures are definitely better than the others. Ignore the negativity and go for what appeals to you.

 

[mstephen87]

It seems incredibly dismissive to say that because you have never had a bad experience, that anyone who has, and posts about it, is a jerk and just looking to complain. WDW is huge, and it seems very unlikely they have never turned out a bad meal.

I was saying in general people just want to complain. OBVIOUSLY people will get a bad meal here or there (even the OP had an experience last time) but overall the food is great and society just looks to point out the bad and none of the good.

 

[Minniesgal]

I do think the food has gone downhill dramatically in the last couple of years. However none of it is inedible to me it is just boring bland and not very imaginative. Which left us with very few memorable meals and a lot of meh. This is why in my opinion people are complaining about th prices. If you pay a lot for a lovely meals that's one thing but an expensive meal that's ok at best is annoying