Thoughts on Tony's

[TCRAIG]

We ate there about one week ago, the service was okay, very busy at the time we were there. The food was okay, the calamari was fair, not as good as MM or Spice Road. We did have the pizza and it was good. We shared our meal and plenty of food for the two of us. Our waitress was very nice except she never did refill our water and she was so busy and very rushed. I don't feel a need to go again, however not as terrible as some have had on here.

I need to use one more table service credit. For our trip next week. I'm still looking for a few things to open, but I was able to get a Tony's dinner at 5:55 on a night we would be leaving at 7 the park because we aren't doing the Halloween party. I thought the menu looked good and I don't have an other Italian restaurants planned. What has been your experience with the food and service?

We ate at Tony's a few years ago - the food was AWFUL - If you like over cooked spaghetti with a can of crushed tomatoes poured over it - you might like it..but I have not been back...

 

[Kimosabe]

The Tony's experience is what you want it to be. Not the best Italian on property, for sure, but there are times when eating in a themed restaurant INSIDE the most popular tourist destination on planet Earth is something you just want to do, and if so, Tony's can be a good experience. We rather enjoyed it the last time we were there, and we had a pretty wide variety of entrees. All were good that day. Were they the best we've ever had -- no, but neither was that our expectation. I don't try to compare restaurants at WDW with those "back home," as it's apples and oranges. On the average day, we don't have the option of choosing a WDW restaurant or the one down the street from my house/office. I'm OK with the Olive Garden comparison, but let's face it...millions of people eat at Olive Garden...they're obviously doing something right. But comparing it to Chef Boyardee is just ridiculous.

On average, the MK table service dining options are at the very bottom of the totem pole on WDW property when compared (again, on average) to the other parks, resorts or Disney Springs. There are exceptions going both ways, but as a general rule, there are no "Top Ten" WDW restaurant favorites of our family that are in MK. Even so, that doesn't mean we avoid them totally. There are times when eating a sit-down meal at MK is simply much more convenient and worth it than to take the time to leave the park and find something else.

With that said, I would agree with a couple of other posters who suggested not stopping for an in-park meal (regardless of location) at 5:55 when you are leaving the park at 7:00. I guess that's subjective and might be more of an issue for some vacations than others (depending on how long you're there, what sorts of tickets you have, whether you're going to another park when you leave MK that night, etc., etc.). My family knows I'd typically push them to maximize park time and try to hang on until we had taken full advantage of it, and worry about dinner after we leave an hour later. But we've also had times when park time wasn't as important.

 

[theostwalts]

We were also pleasantly surprised on our last trip to WDW with our meal at Tony's. We had booked an ADR there for an early dinner before MVMCP. Based on everything I had heard about Tony's, I wasn't expecting much, but it was open before the party. Plus, we had several prior signature ADRs during the week before then, so I though that would make things even worse. However we all thought the meal and service were great! We had the calamari for an appetizer, seasonal soup (which was butternut squash), 2 chicken parmigianas, shrimp scampi and pistachio creme brulee. Was it the best Italian food ever? No, of course not. But is was good meal and great service in a very nicely theamed restaurant. I would eat there again for sure.

 

[mikeyg1479]

Just expect a basic, Americanized casual Italian restaurant. Like Olive Garden. I'm fine with it- you are having a sit down meal on Main St in the Magic Kingdom- works great as a lead-in to the parade/fireworks.

Some will say this is the worst place in the world- but its mostly hyperbole. If you are a picky Italian food person who grew up in an Italian family with "good home cooking" your whole life, or regularly hit up authentic places at the "little Italy" of whatever city you are in, then maybe you might beware. Most regular people who enjoy a pasta dish or a chicken parm here and there will be fine.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Some will say this is the worst place in the world- but its mostly hyperbole. If you are a picky Italian food person who grew up in an Italian family with "good home cooking" your whole life, or regularly hit up authentic places at the "little Italy" of whatever city you are in, then maybe you might beware. Most regular people who enjoy a pasta dish or a chicken parm here and there will be fine.

Hyperbole? I totally disagree. And im sorry, but bad food is bad food. I consider myself "regular people" (not picky by any means) but I had the worst dish at Tony's. I call it like I see it. HORRIBLE. Having said that, I think if someone is curious about Tony's, they should try it out for themselves (just like I did despite many warnings, I went anyway. Boy am I sorry I did!). You never know, you just might like it. My tip would be to avoid any pasta dish that has marinara/tomato sauce!

 

[BarbieGal457]

Hyperbole? I totally disagree. And im sorry, but bad food is bad food. I consider myself "regular people" (not picky by any means) but I had the worst dish at Tony's. I call it like I see it. HORRIBLE. Having said that, I think if someone is curious about Tony's, they should try it out for themselves (just like I did despite many warnings, I went anyway. Boy am I sorry I did!). You never know, you just might like it. My tip would be to avoid any pasta dish that has marinara/tomato sauce!

I agree. I may be biased because as I said in another post, I am from Philadelphia in an area that has an extremely large old school Italian population - my family included - and I am very used to what our authentic Italian food is. Now, I know Tony's is a theme park restaurant and of course not everything can be "authentic" truly....but Tony's is awful. I've gone twice and I will not be going back. I don't say this solely because I am accustomed to my made-from-scratch Italian-as-Italian-gets food, but it's just plain bad food. The spaghetti is limp, the marinara sauce is bland, the bread is greasy....it just isn't that great. I do of course agree with anyone who wants to should give it a try. The beauty is we all have different tastes and what isn't great to one is great to the other. Perfect example, my boyfriend who is also Italian from mere blocks from my house, truly likes their spaghetti and such but we have extremely different palettes. I definitely would give it an experience, and the atmosphere is fun, but when asked for my thoughts on Tony's, it's not a good one.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I agree. I may be biased because as I said in another post, I am from Philadelphia in an area that has an extremely large old school Italian population - my family included - and I am very used to what our authentic Italian food is. Now, I know Tony's is a theme park restaurant and of course not everything can be "authentic" truly....but Tony's is awful. I've gone twice and I will not be going back. I don't say this solely because I am accustomed to my made-from-scratch Italian-as-Italian-gets food, but it's just plain bad food. The spaghetti is limp, the marinara sauce is bland, the bread is greasy....it just isn't that great. I do of course agree with anyone who wants to should give it a try. The beauty is we all have different tastes and what isn't great to one is great to the other. Perfect example, my boyfriend who is also Italian from mere blocks from my house, truly likes their spaghetti and such but we have extremely different palettes. I definitely would give it an experience, and the atmosphere is fun, but when asked for my thoughts on Tony's, it's not a good one.

Ugh. The spaghetti....my son had the spag/balls. I tried the meatball, and let me tell you, it was awful. I could barely swallow it. Thats not an exaggeration. I had a hard time. Disunplugged podcast did a review on Tony's recently and they nailed it. They basically said that it was almost as if they opened up a can of tomato sauce, nuked it, and dumped it on the chicken parm dish. Just terrible. Id like to give it another shot but im honestly scared to go back.

 

[mrzrich]

I sincerely recommend closing the park at 7 and heading to The Wave at the Contemporary.

 

[Diz22]

We ate at Tony's about 2 weeks ago. I had read all the reviews and I forgot the reason I went ahead with a reservation 6 months out! Half our party got caught in a storm the other half turned up on time. They were busy but it was no problem to wait and we were seated immediately. We asked for seats by the fountain and tbh we could only have been closer if we'd sat in it! Our server was wonderful, so attentive without being creepy, funny and chatty. The food was good, my gs loved the meatballs, and we had a great time. I was so happy we gave it a try.

 

[DINKsAtDisney]

I'm with the other posters against Tony's. Grab a snack at Casey's to tide you over and then hit one of the monorail resorts for dinner! If it was a late park night, then Tony's is adequate but no reason to eat there when you can easily head to better fare.

 

[pigletgirl]

We dined there last year. It was so-so. I had the Cannelloni and it was okay. If you were starved and there wasn't anything else open it would suffice, but never again will we choose to dine there. It's a shame because it's an incredible location!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Try it. Form your own opinion.

I'm not being rude. I say it here all the time- food is subjective. Personally, I hated Tony's. My entire family did. We also have a fantastic Italian restaurant nearby and live in NY, so we're snobs when it comes to Italian food and pizza. Best Italian food I've had at Disney is Il Mulino.

But that's not to say you'll hate it too. A great Food Blog wrote a less-than-stellar review about Artist Point. If we didn't love Narcoossee's, AP would be our new go-to. The meal was fantastic.

I think the sauce at Tony's tastes canned. It had a metallic taste to it and the calamari breading was mushy. Which means it was either crowded in the fryer or the oil wasn't hot enough. That was back in 2009. Things change. But we personally wouldn't waste a credit going back.

 

[horner89]

My family and I ate at Tony's for the first time on our trip last year (we weren't aware of the negativity beforehand, so no biased going in) and while we enjoyed aspects of it, we were very underwhelmed with the actual food.

Three of us had the spaghetti and meatballs, all three of us found exactly the same thing: way, way too much sauce that tasted pretty terrible (one of us thought you could even taste the can it was obviously poured out of) with unpleasant meatballs. The other diners found their meals to be average at best, with nothing worth going back for.

The positives were that the waiter was very friendly and accommodating of requests, and the dining area/theme was very nice with Lady and the Tramp decor, but if you want good Italian food then you're better off elsewhere.