Should I be discouraged or are people too critical?

[CynJ]

We live in the North East and prefer veggies to be somewhat firmer when cooked.

lol I know EXACTLY what you mean. I love veggies at that just past al dente point- mushy carrots and green beans give me the willies

 

[CynJ]

@Nancy56 I'm with you there on your palate comment. I enjoy fine dining and all the unique and unusual combinations, but I also appreciate when a simple meal is well prepared. I'm not one to need fancy most of the time. Some of the things that come out of my own kitchen are really uncomplicated meals but family and friends inhale them because they just taste good.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Out of all of our Disney trips, we have only had one truly bad meal. If you read the "food porn" threads with all the pictures of the food, you can see how the food looks. I think that might be a good way to get a better idea about the quality of the food at various restaurants.

 

[Alexsandra]

I feel like the food prices have gone up and the food portions have gone down over the years, however the food quality has remained the same. You can have a great meal at one restaurant and a year later a bad meal because the chef has changed. I say forget the reviews! Read the menus and check prices. See what appeals to you and what is in your budget. Book some restaurants and try them out. You might be pleasantly surprised. I always book my favourite restaurants then choose a couple of new experiences.
Figuring out which ADR you want to book ahead of time can be overwhelming but once your there, you'll be happy you planned ahead. It is nice to know where you'll be eating each day and won't have to wait in line or be turned away. You can always cancel the reservation if your plans change.
Good luck!

 

[tony67]

Have you seen the new thread about how much Tony's has improved. OP said (paraphrasing) it was great and then some others chimed in agreeing!

It would take many many good reviews over a year or two for me to ever think about trying Tony's again....I can't see wasting a meal on a place that I have had for too many mediocre meals at.

 

[keahgirl8]

I've personally never had a "terrible" meal at WDW. No one in our party has ever gotten sick from eating at any of the restaurants. We've never had "nightmare" service or "inedible" food. Our dining experiences have ranged from ok (typically for things like CS chicken tenders or hamburgers) - about what I'd expect from a fast food restaurant near where we live - to very good or surprisingly excellent (for instance, there was a salmon dish at Citricos that was honestly one of the best things I've ever eaten).

Me either. Probably the only things I wasn't happy with were chicken tenders, burgers, and fries, like you said. They seem like either fast food or frozen quality. That would be fine, except they are pretty pricey for that level. That being said, I just don't order that stuff. I'm usually pretty choosy about where I go. I'm thinking I need to try Citrico's! I have heard a lot of good things, and I LOVE salmon.

you should do that. I had this a couple of weeks ago.

Man...I think I need to go there. I've never had the CHH lobster roll, but they used to have (what I found to be) a good one at Boardwalk Bakery. I think it was probably not fresh, but it tasted good!

I just want to thank everyone for the thoughtful replies. I spent some time last night going through all the menus and wrote down any that seemed appealing menu-wise (I don't eat beef and very little pork, and I am also highly allergic to coconut milk/meat so my options get quickly shaved down) and came up with a list of 20+ restaurants.

The menus certainly have changed a LOT! I remember specifically from my 1989 trip (I was 18 and took my 13yr old brother) that there was prime rib literally at every sit down restaurant. I remember this because my little bean pole brother packed away these huge prime rib dinners every sit down meal we ate - now very few places have it if at all. I've been trying to remember what meals stuck out from my 2002 trip with my mom - I remember that we enjoyed Garden Grill (lol we didn't know at the time it was a character meal and had such fun!), Coral reef (mom had the best time trying alligator of all things), Le Cellier, Nine Dragons, Rainforest Cafe (Downtown Disney), and most notably, Restaurant Marrakesh (we had a truly wonderful dining experience- food was spectacular and our server was fantastic). We also ate a lot of counter service here and there. I remember Cosmic Ray's being good, as was Sunshine Seasons. Pinocchio's in the MK little pizzas were just okay, but my mom's blood sugar had dropped like a stone and they were close with no line and the pizzas were really hot and fresh (for a frozen pizza). The only truly "bad" meal we had was at AK - we had gotten wrap sandwiches that were just inedible (dry, tasteless)- I can't remember what the restaurant was but I remember it closed permanently like the year after we visited.

Some of the things I noticed about the current menus:
-seems to be a lot of ingredients/sauces (eg aioli) that many folks may not know what the heck they are. And some of them have very strong flavors which can throw off the flavor of the meal for those who may not care for them (and not know that they may not care for them).

-they really really push the beef and pork. And not for nothing, but there are other options for preparing chicken other than a roast chicken sandwich or a 1/2 a bbq chicken (don't even get me started on chicken nuggets). Why no chicken or turkey burgers?

-I was sort of appalled at the "signature" dining. I am doing the regular Dining plan - so for sit down meals I get an entree, dessert, beverage (you only get an appetizer on the Deluxe plan). If I do a signature meal - I have to use two of my credits, which I don't have a problem with per se, but looking at the pictures of things I would actually eat unless you shell out extra money for an appetizer and salad, it's not enough food. Four sea scallops sitting on a small pile of pureed vegetables with a little greens on the and a cupcake sized dessert is insane for two dinner credits. I like fine dining and I understand that the portions are smaller but to not include a full meal (at least a house salad or side) for that cost is a rip-off. Needless to say- none of these made my final restaurant list cut.

-Many of the descriptions of things are like trying to read ancient Greek. I spent a lot of time googling menu terms because I didn't know what they were. Yes, have the technical "gourmet" description - but have a plain English description as well. I can't even imagine how difficult this must be for folks who do not have English under their language belt. And given that you have to make your restaurant plans SO far in advance now, people need to know if there is something they will actually eat on the menu. I don't want a dumbing down of the food, but the descriptions could be simpler.


So all that said- here is the list that is tentatively in my 8 day tour plan (I have back up restaurants in case I can't get an ADR):

AK: Flametree BBQ, Tusker House (I may swap this for RFC but it's a pain to have to go all the way back to the entrance)
DHS: 50's Prime Time Cafe, Backlot Express, Hollywood and Vine (Fantasmic pkg)
MK: BOG (my birthday dinner!), Columbia House, Cosmic Rays, Crystal Palace (Eeyore!!!!)
EP: Garden Grill, Les Halles Boulangerie, Nine Dragons, Rose & Crown, Sunshine Seasons, Yorkshire Fish
Other: Contempo Cafe (I've never visited the Contemporary)

Again, thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies, I felt much better about the whole thing once I read them and I think @LovesTimone summed up my plan the best, I am going to "go with an open mind and let the magic in."

You've got a lot of good choices there! My experiences:

Flametree: I haven't been there in years, but I remember it being really good BBQ.
Tusker: It's been a couple of years, but they have really unique food for a buffet. They also have "normal" choices, if you've got kids or picky eaters. It's also what I find to be a character meal that is pretty mellow compared to some. It's not as crowded and chaotic (or it wasn't 2 years ago).

I don't really spend much time in DHS, so I don't know about those choices, but I can vouch for cupcakes at Starring Rolls. Red velvet is AMAZING.

BOG: Food is decent (though other's rave...I think I didn't order properly), but the atmosphere is not to be missed!
CHH: I love the salmon there! It's a great place if you're a healthy eater (though they do have non-healthy options if you're not...lol).

Les Halles Boulangerie: The pastries are fantastic! I've never had anything else though.
Sunshine Seasons: Great variety! Also healthy options.
Yorkshire Fish: Delicious! One of my favorite things to do is sit and listen to music while I eat fish and chips. Though I'm not sure if they band is still there. I'm thinking not.

Contempo: Good cupcakes, decent food. I think I had a flatbread of some kind. Make sure you take time to look at the mural if you're into Mary Blair or Disney history. Look for the five-legged goat!

Subscribing to the theory that "where there's smoke, there's fire" has helped me. If an eatery is getting consistent bad reviews, there may be a reason (ABC Comissary, for example.)

I don't think the food quality overall at WDW has gone down at all. I've had some lovely meals as of late, though we tend to skew away from the character buffets and more towards signature dining. That is not necessarily due to food quality but rather about the age of our kids and the type of experience we want.

Dining at Disney is a big part of the fun to us, and so is planning. I love reading the reviews...with a large grain of salt.

That's kind of how I feel, but I've read a lot of good reviews recently for places that I had previously only read bad ones, so maybe I'm going to change that.

Have you been to Tusker? It's a character buffet, but I find it to be different than a typical one.

lol I know EXACTLY what you mean. I love veggies at that just past al dente point- mushy carrots and green beans give me the willies

I live in California, so fresh veggies are big here. I totally agree with this. Some of their veggies seem like they came out of a can. I only want to eat them if it's the only veggies I can get wherever I'm eating.



I have a somewhat related question. I always stay at POR, so that is mainly the food court I'm familiar with. While the food isn't bad, I've heard so many say it is "amazing" and the best food court on property. What do you guys think? I'm enjoying reading everyone's well-thought-out opinions on Disney dining.

 

[crazymomof4]

lol I know EXACTLY what you mean. I love veggies at that just past al dente point- mushy carrots and green beans give me the willies

I know! I honestly don't know what allows them to hold their form at that point! You could literally make "mashed green beans" on your plate with just your fork! But hey.... if I grew up on that it probably would be what I prefer and if I got al dente veggies I may give a review saying the veggies were "under cooked". LOL

 

[crazymomof4]

@Nancy56 I'm with you there on your palate comment. I enjoy fine dining and all the unique and unusual combinations, but I also appreciate when a simple meal is well prepared. I'm not one to need fancy most of the time. Some of the things that come out of my own kitchen are really uncomplicated meals but family and friends inhale them because they just taste good.

That brought to mind my DH and my visit to Charleston last Sept. We went to dinner at "Blossom" after having complimentary wine and cheese at our inn. Not being terribly hungry, I ordered one of the small-plate items: Batter-fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. OMG it was soooo good. Simple, yes, but it's the one meal I distinctly remember and recently DH said when we go back he's ordering THAT!

 

[crazymomof4]

OK is it me or does it seem like a bunch of "foodies" have congregated on this thread. My mouth is watering reading some of the talk of favorite foods!

 

[awalker1015]

Food quality will vary and be subjective but such a big part of Disney dining is the experience, not just the food. We've been to WDW many times and the worst meal we ever had was at Boatwrights. But you know what? Even though TH food was terrible it was our first night and we still remember it as a good time and a fun start to our vacation. And we plan to try it again one day because we've heard so many positive reviews.

This trip we are doing Ohana for the first time. Yes, recent reviews made me pause, but it's one place we've never been. We are looking forward to our Lapu Lapus and are doing evening EMH at MK after. We are prepared for mediocre food and service but with an atmosphere we can't get at home. If the food is good we will be pleasantly surprised but if not, it won't spoil our trip or even our night.

 

[LovesTimone]

Interesting....that would be nice..I know they did not want to do that because people could park at DS and then use the buses to go to the parks...anyone else have info on this?

I only saw them(buses) going from the Parks to Disney Springs.

 

[LovesTimone]

I just want to thank everyone for the thoughtful replies. I spent some time last night going through all the menus and wrote down any that seemed appealing menu-wise (I don't eat beef and very little pork, and I am also highly allergic to coconut milk/meat so my options get quickly shaved down) and came up with a list of 20+ restaurants.

The menus certainly have changed a LOT! I remember specifically from my 1989 trip (I was 18 and took my 13yr old brother) that there was prime rib literally at every sit down restaurant. I remember this because my little bean pole brother packed away these huge prime rib dinners every sit down meal we ate - now very few places have it if at all. I've been trying to remember what meals stuck out from my 2002 trip with my mom - I remember that we enjoyed Garden Grill (lol we didn't know at the time it was a character meal and had such fun!), Coral reef (mom had the best time trying alligator of all things), Le Cellier, Nine Dragons, Rainforest Cafe (Downtown Disney), and most notably, Restaurant Marrakesh (we had a truly wonderful dining experience- food was spectacular and our server was fantastic). We also ate a lot of counter service here and there. I remember Cosmic Ray's being good, as was Sunshine Seasons. Pinocchio's in the MK little pizzas were just okay, but my mom's blood sugar had dropped like a stone and they were close with no line and the pizzas were really hot and fresh (for a frozen pizza). The only truly "bad" meal we had was at AK - we had gotten wrap sandwiches that were just inedible (dry, tasteless)- I can't remember what the restaurant was but I remember it closed permanently like the year after we visited.

Some of the things I noticed about the current menus:
-seems to be a lot of ingredients/sauces (eg aioli) that many folks may not know what the heck they are. And some of them have very strong flavors which can throw off the flavor of the meal for those who may not care for them (and not know that they may not care for them).

-they really really push the beef and pork. And not for nothing, but there are other options for preparing chicken other than a roast chicken sandwich or a 1/2 a bbq chicken (don't even get me started on chicken nuggets). Why no chicken or turkey burgers?

-I was sort of appalled at the "signature" dining. I am doing the regular Dining plan - so for sit down meals I get an entree, dessert, beverage (you only get an appetizer on the Deluxe plan). If I do a signature meal - I have to use two of my credits, which I don't have a problem with per se, but looking at the pictures of things I would actually eat unless you shell out extra money for an appetizer and salad, it's not enough food. Four sea scallops sitting on a small pile of pureed vegetables with a little greens on the and a cupcake sized dessert is insane for two dinner credits. I like fine dining and I understand that the portions are smaller but to not include a full meal (at least a house salad or side) for that cost is a rip-off. Needless to say- none of these made my final restaurant list cut.

-Many of the descriptions of things are like trying to read ancient Greek. I spent a lot of time googling menu terms because I didn't know what they were. Yes, have the technical "gourmet" description - but have a plain English description as well. I can't even imagine how difficult this must be for folks who do not have English under their language belt. And given that you have to make your restaurant plans SO far in advance now, people need to know if there is something they will actually eat on the menu. I don't want a dumbing down of the food, but the descriptions could be simpler.


So all that said- here is the list that is tentatively in my 8 day tour plan (I have back up restaurants in case I can't get an ADR):

AK: Flametree BBQ, Tusker House (I may swap this for RFC but it's a pain to have to go all the way back to the entrance)
DHS: 50's Prime Time Cafe, Backlot Express, Hollywood and Vine (Fantasmic pkg)
MK: BOG (my birthday dinner!), Columbia House, Cosmic Rays, Crystal Palace (Eeyore!!!!)
EP: Garden Grill, Les Halles Boulangerie, Nine Dragons, Rose & Crown, Sunshine Seasons, Yorkshire Fish
Other: Contempo Cafe (I've never visited the Contemporary)

Again, thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies, I felt much better about the whole thing once I read them and I think @LovesTimone summed up my plan the best, I am going to "go with an open mind and let the magic in."

AK: Flametree BBQ, Tusker House (I may swap this for RFC but it's a pain to have to go all the way back to the entrance) - Did not know if you knew But RFC at AK serves breakfast. DH and I eat have eaten here a few times. Great way to start your safari, Flame tree is our go to QS at AK.

DHS: 50's Prime Time Cafe, Backlot Express, Hollywood and Vine (Fantasmic pkg) - For us we don't really care for the Prime time café, we made the mistake of going there at lunch. Food was okay, very edible, but just so heavy. Maybe think about Sci-Fi really fun spot. Food and Service have for us at least always been good. in a word ... Milkshakes.. yummy

MK: BOG (my birthday dinner!), Columbia House, Cosmic Rays, Crystal Palace (Eeyore!!!!)You are going to LOVE BOG for your birthday... Oh and Happy Birthday... Rays is our must do QS no trip is complete without having lunch here, Crystal Palace is another must... Tigger and Pooh !!!!

EP: Garden Grill, Les Halles Boulangerie, Nine Dragons, Rose & Crown, Sunshine Seasons, Yorkshire Fish - All of these are wonderful choices, its been a while since we ate at nine dragons, DH says only for lunch for some reason he thinks the foods and service is better at lunch. I really don't see a difference.

Other: Contempo Cafe (I've never visited the Contemporary) - Chef Mickeys is right next door, and with the fab 5 you cant go wrong. With Contempo Café are you having breakfast there? My friends had breakfast here on their trip a few weeks ago. They felt is was more along the lines of QS quality of food, she said not terrible but wished they would have saved the TS credit for something else. They also had dinner here one night and said it was very good, worth the DDP Credit.

Have a Magical time

 

[tony67]

I only saw them(buses) going from the Parks to Disney Springs.

Thanks - that makes a lot of sense and will save a lot of time - so you can get to DS from the parks directly and then take the bus back to your resort

 

[tony67]

Food quality will vary and be subjective but such a big part of Disney dining is the experience, not just the food. We've been to WDW many times and the worst meal we ever had was at Boatwrights. But you know what? Even though TH food was terrible it was our first night and we still remember it as a good time and a fun start to our vacation. And we plan to try it again one day because we've heard so many positive reviews.

Yeah - I think that is a big part of many positive reviews - and it is a good point. The food may be average...but you had a good experience because of Disney/atmospheres/family maybe even good service etc... It explains Chef Mickey's

One issue is there are those of us that went to Disney many times in the years before DDP (3 times a year) specifically to have nice meals and enjoy the weather in a safe environment where we did not have to drive or deal with day to day things. That is now gone, but we judge are meals now based on the previous experiences.

that being said I look forward to going this year. I skipped last year and based on what I see at DS and a few other locations Disney is making an effort to improve things..so hopefully it will meet in the middle somewhere

This trip we are doing Ohana for the first time. Yes, recent reviews made me pause, but it's one place we've never been. We are looking forward to our Lapu Lapus and are doing evening EMH at MK after. We are prepared for mediocre food and service but with an atmosphere we can't get at home. If the food is good we will be pleasantly surprised but if not, it won't spoil our trip or even our night.

Have a few Lapu Lapus and everything is good...

 

[manhattan]

If you are interested in trying something - go for it! I normally am the type that would rather have a home cooked meal than eating out (always feel that DH could cook it better!) but I am willing to try something at least once. I know that the Coral Reef restaurant gets such mixed reviews and I went and had a descent dining experience. My daughter LOVES the creme brulee in France - but DH doesn't think it's that great. Just go and enjoy!

 

[brnrss34]

Go with your tastes and what appeals to you. What I like u may not. I go for the experience or theming of a place.

 

[lustergirl]

Hit a couple misses here or there (can't remember where) I have enjoyed the food and atmosphere while dining at Disney. Some of my favorites are:

Sanaa (had dinner there, trying lunch next time)
Kona Cafe for breakfast
BOG for lunch
Ohana for dinner
Maya Grill (CSR) for dinner
Earl of Sandwich for lunch
LTT for dinner.
Chef Mickey's for dinner

 

[keahgirl8]

Hit a couple misses here or there (can't remember where) I have enjoyed the food and atmosphere while dining at Disney. Some of my favorites are:

Sanaa (had dinner there, trying lunch next time)
Kona Cafe for breakfast
BOG for lunch
Ohana for dinner
Maya Grill (CSR) for dinner
Earl of Sandwich for lunch
LTT for dinner.
Chef Mickey's for dinner

I had lunch at Sanaa in February. I ordered the burger and it was one of the best I've ever had! I am picky about burgers, so that's saying a lot.

 

[Squirlz]

Your last post contains many good choices. SInce you were there last, food quality had declined and menus dumbed down, due primarily to dining plans and "free" dining. There is still much good food to be found though. You'll read good and bad about everything and restaurants do screw up sometimes. We had awful pizzas at Via Napoli. Tasted like burnt, rancid oil. Yet many rave about them. There's a reason for this.


It's because they don't know what they are talking about

 

[alex9179]

Other: Contempo Cafe (I've never visited the Contemporary) - Chef Mickeys is right next door, and with the fab 5 you cant go wrong. With Contempo Café are you having breakfast there? My friends had breakfast here on their trip a few weeks ago. They felt is was more along the lines of QS quality of food, she said not terrible but wished they would have saved the TS credit for something else. They also had dinner here one night and said it was very good, worth the DDP Credit.

Have a Magical time

Contempo Cafe is QS. You might be confusing it with The Wave.