Trails End Buffet for dinner?

[collinsfamle]

We are thinking of trying the buffet for dinner after a day at Typhoon Lagoon, and just catching the bus from the water park to get there. Has anyone eaten there lately that can tell me if it is worth the trip or not?

 

[richmo]

Its OK. The food is fairly decent. Kind of a buffet version of Whispering Canyon, if you've been there (no antics, though). Depending upon the crowd that night, the lines can sometimes get long waiting to pick up food.

Is it worth a special trip? Probably not. But, I've enjoyed it when I've gone and its fun to walk around Pioneer Hall and Fort Wilderness.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you have to catch two buses to get there: one to get to Fort Wilderness, then the FW loop bus to get you back to Pioneer Hall. A couple of other fun ways to get there would be to get yourself to Wilderness Lodge and walk, if its nice out (I think about 0.75 miles), or go to Magic Kingdom or Wilderness Lodge and take the boat.

 

[princess aleya]

I don't think it's worth going to. The food IMOP was not very good, we were really dissappointed with the selection, taste, just the overall experience. We were in MK the day that we went, getting there and back using the boat took a very long time. I just wouldn't waste my time going, but you might enjoy it.

 

[beccasmom]

IMHO it is not really worth an onerous trek to get there, but the food is okay and there is decent variety. Service is good. We got there just when the dinner buffet was opening, but the room filled up pretty quickly. There's lots of competition for the rocking chairs on the porch!

 

[MJMcBride]

I am anti-Trails End. The food is average but the trek to get there is ridiculous. I would not go

 

[Quin]

IIRC it is one one of the lowest priced buffets, making it a very good choice if you are paying OOP. Basic American country-style food, if that is what appeals to your group.

 

[jwfla422]

I tend to agree with the other posters that's its just mediocre. Once upon a time I loved it, but we just stayed at FW last month and ate there one night for dinner and even though it is reasonably priced compared to most of the other WDW restaurant buffets, there's a reason...it's just "ok". I was actually disappointed, just not much selection.

I also think I'm into more healthier or "different" choices these days and TEB has the typical, ribs, fried chicken, really small peel n eat shrimp, simple salad bar and some other items. The desserts were nothing to write home about. It doesn't seem as "fresh" as many of the other buffets. I kinda wished we would have headed to The Wave instead that night, but you live and you learn.

So I would not go out of my way and next time we stay at FW we probably bypass TEB and hop on the boat to another resort.

 

[sotoalf]

We ate at Trail's End in February and, like the other posters, were more impressed by its value than its quality. Nothing was terrible -- the fried chicken and salmon entrees were pretty good if too salty for my taste -- but not worth a special trip. It suited our purposes: it was our arrival night and didn't want to cook or travel outside the campground. The biggest surprise: our party of 12 was sat without fuss (and without a reservation) in ten minutes.

 

[collinsfamle]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Your responses have basically confirmed my impression of TEB. We are not going to be in a hurry to get anywhere that day, as we are going on a cruise the next day, and will not be visiting the parks (other than Typhoon Lagoon) this trip. We are paying for this meal OOP, and the fact that this buffet is about $10-$15 per person cheaper than any of the rest was one of my reasons for selecting this venue. The food selections also sound like they are what we are looking for - nothing fancy, but good. We are counting on having fancier meals aboard the ship - so that is not a must for us this trip, and not worth spending the additional money for. I just figured that this would be better food than the quick service food court type stuff, and it sounds like it will do the trick. After dinner, we can explore a little, and take the boat back to MK to catch our resort bus back "home". Thanks again for your input!

 

[Meredisney]

I guess I'm in the minority when I say that I really enjoy Trails End. I think the fried chicken is outstanding. I also love the Mac & Cheese. Sometimes they feature Tomato Bisque as well as Chili, but when we went there in Dec, only chili was available. I agree that it is a trek to get there by bus, but we always park at the Wilderness Lodge and take a boat. It's no hassel by boat, that's for sure. I highly recommend making reservations though. Everytime I have dined, there has been a wait to get in.

 

[AndreaDM]

We really enjoyed it last summer and our server was fantastic! I had been drinking sweet tea during the meal so when we paid our check he gave me a big to go cup full of it! After dinner we walked over the campfire/singalong so it was a nice, relaxing evening.