Trip Report -- Musings of a Foodie, and Plan for Next Time

[topmonkeygirl]

I'm not a huge foodie, and frankly V&A scares me, but come on you're judging the food by the restaurants you went to? Half of the meals you were counter service, they're there for one purpose to fill the mass' not to be gourmet. You've got like 7 restaurantsin the park and you're trying to feed I don't know how many people in a short amount of time, the food is not going to be great but it will be quick. The table service meals you did pick aren't that great either. There are so many better options you could have chosen from. Le Cellier' (for lunch), Ohauna, Grand Floridian Cafe', Yak and Yeti, the list goes on. I try different ones every time I go and they range from terrible to excellent. The best so far was Narcoossee's, next time I'm trying Artist Point. Next trip post on here where you're going and ask what people think about your list and pick from the ones that get the most positive reviews. The only one's on your list I would have went to would have been the ones at the resort only if I were staying at the resort and Flame Tree. I wouldn't have went out of my way to go to any of them.

 

[Pakey]

Not if you are on the dining plan.
Victoria and Albert's is a spectacular restaurant by any measure. Not just a good "theme park restaurant". No other place really qualifies as a "destination restaurant", per se. But very good meals can be had at bluezoo, Bistro de Paris, Il Mulino, and Shula's, none of which are on the dining plan. And most of the signature restaurants (except Le Cellier, IMHO) have something going for them that make them worthwhile to visit, if you order the right things. Just adjust your expectations so that you do not go in thinking that dining at the Top 10 at WDW will be anything like dining at the Top 10 in New York or San Francisco.

I agree with JimmyV.

We have owned DVC for about 14 years now and we used to eat out for all meals. Now we use our villa and reserve our dining out for these places that still offer excellent food in an tad more upscale dining atmosphere.

I would also add Citricos to the list. Although a Disney signature, it has consistently given us very good taste, plating and service. We try to dine late in the hopes of getting a quieter atmosphere so that we can enjoy some great wine and conversation along with the food.

 

[jrtoastyman]

I'm not a huge foodie, and frankly V&A scares me, but come on you're judging the food by the restaurants you went to? Half of the meals you were counter service, they're there for one purpose to fill the mass' not to be gourmet. You've got like 7 restaurantsin the park and you're trying to feed I don't know how many people in a short amount of time, the food is not going to be great but it will be quick. The table service meals you did pick aren't that great either. There are so many better options you could have chosen from.

Respectfully, no kidding. I really only included the reference to the quick service places because for the time and money involved, I actually had a better experience at most of them, and the BBQ at Flame Tree was actually GOOD. Kinda underscores the broader point that the TS places may not be worth the hassle. With respect to the places chosen, these weren't my choices, I made other choices and they were overruled, and some places I knew better than to suggest at all on account of the people I was traveling with.

Yes, it may be unfair to extrapolate my experience at a few mediocre places to Disney Dining across the board. With that said, however, to borrow a comment from a PP, when the Italian restaurant can't make a decent marinara sauce -- which, by the way is exactly what we experienced at Tutto Italia, if the sauce was "made" at all -- I don't think it's completely unreasonable to look askance at the operation as a whole.

 

[MulanMom]

My DH swears that the dining plan has resulted in the dumbing down of the food available at WDW restaurants and I have to agree. Prior to the dining plan, food choices at most TS restaurants attempted to be adventurous. We joined DVC back when OKW was its only property. I remember loving a breakfast dish served at Olivia's that was similar to Eggs Benedict, but utilized chicken breasts and oranges instead of ham. Or being offered a taste of a new recipe the chef was working on...."sauerkraut soup". Those days, sadly, are long gone.

Many of the restaurants others have suggested are ones that we now go to for a nice meal. For exceptional, in the Orlando area, our experiences at Emeril's Tchoup Tchoup over in Universal has to be one of the most memorable.

Thank you for sharing your dining experiences. Hearing your honest opinion helps!

 

[DisMN]

OP thanks for sharing your reviews. I completely agree with everything others have said about the dining plan dumbing down the food.

The Italian place was a hoot. Our family we were traveling with had decreed it The Greatest Italian Restaurant They Had Ever Visited from their previous visit and insisted that we go, so we moved heaven and earth to make it happen. I may be a snob, but I'm not a jerk, so I basically sat there and pretended to love what was a thoroughly disappointing lasagna -- especially as compared to the hype -- to avoid bursting their bubbles as they gushed about every bite. And yes, I know how completely pompous that sounds, but it is what it is...

I guess this raises a question for our next trip, for the foodies on the board: are there places at Disney that would qualify as destination dining, where you can get a truly exceptional, one of a kind meal?

Agree about the lasagne and several other items we've tried. I had no idea pasta could be cooked to a point of disintigrating when the fork hits it. We decided to give the place a second shot, thinking...nay...HOPING we'd just hit it on a bad day. Second time around it was just as bad as before. Pretty dang sure it's Chef Boyardee sauce.

Since the dining plan ruined the restaurants we haven't re-discovered any hidden treasures but from what I'm seeing/hearing Flying Fish might be one to try as well as the restaurants over at the Swan and Dolphin.

Yes, it may be unfair to extrapolate my experience at a few mediocre places to Disney Dining across the board. With that said, however, to borrow a comment from a PP, when the Italian restaurant can't make a decent marinara sauce -- which, by the way is exactly what we experienced at Tutto Italia, if the sauce was "made" at all -- I don't think it's completely unreasonable to look askance at the operation as a whole.

I must repeat. Chef Boyardee. The sauce is that odd orange color with the same consistency.

 

[jrtoastyman]

For exceptional, in the Orlando area, our experiences at Emeril's Tchoup Tchoup over in Universal has to be one of the most memorable.

Yeah, the day we left Disney, we went over to Universal and dined at both of Emeril's places on back to back evenings to rehabilitate our taste buds. The meal at Emeril's was great, but Tchoup Tchoup, where we did the tasting menu with the wine pairings, was really exceptional. Best meal I had on the trip by a wide margin.

 

[jrtoastyman]

JR, first of all Welcome to the Dis(looks like you haven't been here long), and
"Welcome Neighbor" from another DVC family

Thank you!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

1) I disagree.
2) A "foodie" would have an even higher expectation for a signature.
3) Thus, a signature eatery could be a bigger disappointment than a TS.

NOTE:
However, I must agree with what the OP. Well put.

.

And that's why setting expectations in the first place is a problem. Why else would there be so many people crying on the Dis about not getting a cupcake for their birthday?

 

[madalex]

1) I disagree.
2) A "foodie" would have an even higher expectation for a signature.
3) Thus, a signature eatery could be a bigger disappointment than a TS.

Or not. A "foodie" could be very satisfied by Disney's signature restaurants, as they provide fine dining experiences that are head and shoulders above most of Disney's 1 TS restaurants.

Foodies don't go to QS restaurants or TS restaurants like Tutto, Nine Dragons, Kona and the Wave and then complain that the food was not up to the standards of "the nation's best and most interesting restaurants." The TS restaurants the OP went to are more like chain restaurants; foodies don't go to those expecting top notch food and service.

 

[jrtoastyman]

Foodies don't go to QS restaurants or TS restaurants like Tutto, Nine Dragons, Kona and the Wave and then complain that the food was not up to the standards of "the nation's best and most interesting restaurants." The TS restaurants the OP went to are more like chain restaurants; foodies don't go to those expecting top notch food and service.

First and foremost, I'm not comparing them to Michelin-starred restaurants. Even as compared to chain restaurants, though, these places fell short. As has been pointed out to me a number of times over the arc of this thread, it looks like the places our group went to could have been better, but it doesn't follow from that that a place just stone cold sucking is acceptable. While our TS restaurant choices clearly contributed to the underwhelming experience, I have a hard time believing that we picked the 5 worst TS places around, and that had we chosen other places, our experience would have been 180 degrees different.

Here's what I hope people like me take from this thread: don't plan your trip around the dining. The food at the TS places is not good enough to be worth the hassle associated with the ADRs, and you can get food that will get you by at the QS places and leave you more time (and money) for aspects of your trip that you might actually enjoy. Even though I typically like to swing for the fences from a dining standpoint when I'm traveling, I'm as capable as the next guy of enjoying a good old-fashioned burger, and that would have undoubtedly been a better plan of attack on this trip.

With that said, I'm definitely going to set aside an evening or two to hit V&As and maybe one other place on the next trip and see what I think. The days of us doing the DDP and having TS reservations control our daily itinerary, however, are likely over.

 

[JimmyV]

With that said, I'm definitely going to set aside an evening or two to hit V&As and maybe one other place on the next trip and see what I think. The days of us doing the DDP and having TS reservations control our daily itinerary, however, are likely over.

A very sound strategy. We do the same thing. We pick one or two nights to have a nice dinner. Usually on the days that we go to AK (since it closes early all the time) and the day that we hang at the resorts and skip going to a park. Those two meals tide us over and satisfy our craving for a dining destination. Our roster of choices includes V&A, bluezoo, California Grill, Citrico's, Il Mulino, Shula's, Wolfgang Puck Dining Room and Bistro de Paris (if we happen to be in Epcot on our "dining day".) The rest of the time we book average dinners, but try to keep it fun. We enjoy some of the iconic Disney restaurants, but not because of the food. We just like going because it keeps the magic alive more so than going off property or having two QS meals per day. For example, we almost always go to 50's Prime Time. We know that Thomas Keller is not in the kitchen making the fried chicken and meat loaf. But it doesn't stop us from laughing and having a good time. We just don't sit and ponder the food the way we would if we were at a more serious restaurant. And we know that Daniel Boulud wouldn't be caught dead in Les Chefs de France. But still, we manage to enjoy it for reasons that have little to do with what is on the plate.

 

[MrsLS]

Sorry you were disappointed with the food but the places you went to weren't all the best that Disney has.
I consider us foodies too; we go to the top places in NYC & Vegas, NYC more since we live here. If you had went to the signatures, with the exception of some meals at some that we didn't care for, your opinion, I think, would have changed. We love Flying Fish, Brown Derby, Citricos & California Grill. I also like some of the 1 credit TS places but I wouldn't say they were gourmet, but they are good. We like Kona and Tutto. I think their food is pretty authentic italian and far from chef boyardee, yes its not gourmet but I think its pretty good, the other italian place in Epcot is horrible mostly for service & Tonys & Mama Melrose, not so good (those are on par with Olive Garden) - too each their own.
Since we go so much, I ignore the posts that say that the food in Disney isn't good since my & my DH's opinion is the opposite. I use to get worried but not anymore. But we never do CS or the dinner shows which I wouldnt' think has the best food, nor the buffets - but I don't really like buffets anyway, with the exception of maybe the Wynn in Las Vegas.

 

[madalex]

Here's what I hope people like me take from this thread: don't plan your trip around the dining. The food at the TS places is not good enough to be worth the hassle associated with the ADRs, and you can get food that will get you by at the QS places and leave you more time (and money) for aspects of your trip that you might actually enjoy.

I've never found ADRs to be a hassle, but then again I don't use the dining plan. You write in your first post that, since you were on the dining plan, you had to make some ADRs in times/places that you didn't want in order to avoid wasting TS meals. If you are not on the dining plan, you really don't face the same issues. So, I think what you really learned is the the Dining Plan is not the right thing for you (just as it isn't the right thing for many, including myself).

Next time, try some of the signature restaurants (including those at Swan and Dolphin that are not on the dining plan). You will have a signficantly better experience in terms of food, service and ambience than that which is available at any 1 TS restaurant. I imagine your "foodie" sensibilities will be more satisfied with such places.

 

[BriarRosie]

Yeah, the day we left Disney, we went over to Universal and dined at both of Emeril's places on back to back evenings to rehabilitate our taste buds. The meal at Emeril's was great, but Tchoup Tchoup, where we did the tasting menu with the wine pairings, was really exceptional. Best meal I had on the trip by a wide margin.

Tchoup Chop was the highlight of my Food and Wine Festival trip last October. I also did the chef's tasting with wine pairings.

That being said, you can plan some good food. And as others have said, they are mostly at the signature dining restaurants. And a good chunk at the Swan and Dolphin, too.

Since you're a DVC member, you can get the discount on the annual pass. That in turn can make you eligible for the Tables in Wonderland card, which gets you a discount at the table service restaurants and a couple counter services at Animal Kingdom and the Value resort food courts.

If you spend $375 on meals, the card is a deal. After you spend that as a break even point, you're saving money mostly covering gratuities.

 

[TGaines107]

We did the dining plan once about three years ago. I too found that its a lot of food. To be honest, most of the counter service meals can be split between two people (young or old) and I think you would still walk away from the table feeling full.
I hear people complain often about the prices of disney food but if you split the meal (what we do now) then its actually cheap for what you get. Especially the deserts. They're huge! Add in snacks and your table service meals and it really is a ton of food. I remember feeling like I "had" to eat it since it was "free" (LOL!) and feeling miserable. Even felt a little guilty about leaving all the uneaten food. We used our snacks to buy stuff to eat on the way home as the meals made us miserable although in a happy way.
About the Aloha show, I'd completely agree that the show is great but the food is kinda lousy. I understand they have to feed the masses and maybe thats why its so bland and unappealing.

 

[JimmyV]

About the Aloha show, I'd completely agree that the show is great but the food is kinda lousy. I understand they have to feed the masses and maybe thats why its so bland and unappealing.

FWIW, "real" luaus in Hawaii suffer from the same malady, so it isn't just Disney that is failing in that regard.

 

[aheaviside]

So, what are the absolute best restaurants for a foodie from New Orleans in the wine business who will have a sitter for 1 night during her WDW trip with 2 kids?? Not on dining plan but don't factor in money in your recs.

What is the absolute best place to get excellent food for 2 adults for dinner in January?

 

[nkereina]

A PP mentioned Shula's as a place to try on a future trip. While I love it there, it is a chain restaurant and has been on those travel channel food shows so it may be overrated to some, especially foodies. I like to avoid chain restaurants while on vacation (never go to Rainforest/T-Rex/PH) but we will do Shula's once in a while because the steak is great.

 

[BriarRosie]

So, what are the absolute best restaurants for a foodie from New Orleans in the wine business who will have a sitter for 1 night during her WDW trip with 2 kids?? Not on dining plan but don't factor in money in your recs.

What is the absolute best place to get excellent food for 2 adults for dinner in January?

For a foodie? Victoria and Albert's. They just won another AAA 5-Diamond Award. One of only three restaurants in Florida, something about 50 to 55 restaurants in the country to get it. The dress code is dresses or dressy pantsuits for women and a dinner jacket for men. Men don't need a tie, just an appropriate jacket.

Basic main dining room is $125 pp prix fixe. Add $60 pp for wine pairings. There are some optional upcharges for things like caviar and kobe beef.

The Chef's Table is only one sitting per night, and if you don't get it, you can get a similar experience in the Queen Victoria Room. They are both $200 pp with $95 pp extra for the wine pairings.

I've done the Chef's Table and main dining room but not the QV room yet. It is an excellent fine dining experience.

 

[sotoalf]

Others:

Jiko
Artist Point
Citricos