Truth about H&V Play n Dine

[disneymom88]

OK, so everybody keeps saying H&V is the WORST buffet on property. I wanna know if dinner is the "cursed one" or lunch too?? I also want DETAILS of why is so bad??? Is it not enough variety? was the food under/over cooked? Is it dirty? I have ADR's for lunch because my son loves Little Einteins and I wanna know what to expect when we get there. We are taking my parents for the first time and I don't want them to have a bad impression Please help!!!

 

[rgf207]

If you read enough threads on the DIS you will find that every single restaurant has bad and good reviews. If your son loves Little Einsteins than go. Be your own judge and take any review you read here with a grain of salt.

There was a thread a while back that asked for the worst restaurants in WDW. I think every single restaurant made the list. Everyone's opinion is different.

 

[druidcat]

Wish I could help, but we aren't eating there until May. It was the only option left for the Fantasmic dinner package so we booked it. Can't say we would try it otherwise.

 

[pumba]

remember that not everyone likes the same places to eat.

We actually had a great breakfast there and the grandkids loved the characters..

we had plenty of fresh coffee and orange juice .....and plenty of hot food and nice cut up fruit ....it was very good.

 

[stephie1012]

We had breakfast there in March. It was one of our favorite meals. We didnt think the food was horrible, it was just normal breakfast food. The character interaction was awesome! They came around to the table at least 3x each. JoJo sat down at our table to get DS to open up a little. The place was empty! In our section there was only 2 other families, on our side of the restaurant there were maybe 10 families. Like i said the food isnt knock your socks off, its breakfast. Everything we ate we thought was normal for breakfast food.

 

[danielle.st]

We've only been for breakfast (before park opening) but it's one of our favorites. We thought the food, service and character interaction were fantastic!

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[disneymom88]

We've only been for breakfast (before park opening) but it's one of our favorites. We thought the food, service and character interaction were fantastic!

[/IMG]

I have to tell you, that is an AWESOME picture


Thank you all for making me feel better about my choice, especially after hearing they have great character interaction. We LOVED Chef Mickey's bfast last time we went, so I hope we can have a good time at H&V too

 

[DisneyShannon]

I have lunch resies there in may. I have never been there. I hope it is ok.

 

[jenjersnap]

We've done breakfast, lunch and dinner (x2) there. Dinner was by far the worst meal. The types of entrees were very much like a Golden Corral - everything mushy, uninspired and cooked into submission. We like breakfast best, but lunch was, oddly, much better than dinner for us, possibly because they had some brunch type stuff too (we love breakfast foods).

 

[skier_pete]

We have eaten there twice for lunch in the last three years. The food is not bad, there is just nothing that really screams out as being really good. For instance, Crystal Palace has a number of really yummy things on their buffet...the frittata, the salmon, the pork roast. I can't remember any of the food at H&V. There are no characters at the dinner mealtime. If your kids are into those characters, then go for it, it's really not bad. I just wouldn't go there other than for the characters.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Dinner in 2008, Lunch in 2009. Food at both was edible but absolutely nothing really good, and very limited selections. The only reason we returned in 2009 was for the characters but I regret that because there are lots of characters to meet in Hollywood Studios (not in the restaurants). Most Disney restaurants get some mixed reviews but this one consistently gets bad reviews. Add them up!

The characters (breakfast and lunch only) are old (June, Leo, JoJo, Goliath) but good for young children - most probably don't know how they are but my son liked the music and dancing. Come on Disney, change out these characters for some newer ones. In 2009 for lunch, there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. The food was really not great. Low-grade sliced lunch meat and cheese, a few salads, some salmon (not too bad), chicken nuggets, etc..... This whole meal should cost no more than $10 per person. Maybe breakfast is better. It's not that hard to cook bacon and eggs and provide fruit and cereal.

In contrast, the buffet at Crystal Palace blows this place away -- Crystal Palace had about 15+ different, very unique cold salads, salmon, fresh carved meats, yummy fruit and lots of other choices.

Hollywood Studios lacks good food. We were not impressed with Sci-Fi either. Mama Melrose was OK but nothing spectacular. Next trip we will try 50's Prime Time and Hollywood Brown Derby because they are the only 2 left. If my park plan permits, I'll go on two half days (one morning, one evening) so I only have to eat at one to get a fantasmic package...

 

[EeyoreEma]

We did breakfast there, and it was one of our favorite meals. We loved the food AND the character interaction! I think it's a great place to eat, especially if you're into the characters there.

 

[megan926]

We ate there in 2008 b/c DD loves Little Einsteins. We *had* to make ressies there this time b/c DD (now 4) still loves Little Einsteins!

The food is not horrific---just so-so. There is a variety. I don't think it is so horrible, but if I did not have kids, that would not be my choice.

I KNOW DD is going to have a blast this time around and that is really what matters.

Your kids will love it. And though your meal with not be gourmet, it'll be just fine! ENJOY your expressions your kids have seeing June and Leo!

 

[ursula28]

We ate therefor lunch Dec 09, 3 adults and a 13 yr old (very picky). We all found plenty to eat and we all agreed that we would go back.
The food is not as good as the crystal palace, but there aren't a lot of choices in HS and we did not want to leave the park to use a TS credit that day. The characters were a lot of fun, even though we had no little kids with us. I say give it a try if your kids like the characters.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

We went here once for breakfast and 3x for lunch (food is so so as everyone wrote but not bad but not as good as CP). But this is one of the best place for character interaction and if your son likes the Little Einsten like my son...you'll love this place. The character interaction is wonderful (they visited our table 3 times). They have sing and dance ever 15 mins and June held my son hands and danced with him and they have a musical parade ever 30 mins. this is one of my sons favorite character meal and request to go again for our upcoming trip. Go and try and your son will have a blast.

 

[Big Kid]

We had lunch there in January 2009 on a trip during which we had several different character meals. We don't know these character at all, not even their names. Other than that, it didn't seem noticeably better or worse than other character meals.

I suspect that what drives variation in reviews is the attentiveness of individual servers, which varies with their health, happiness, stress levels, and workload at any given moment of any given day.

If I wrote a review of Liberty Tree Tavern based on last year's trip, for example, I would give it a D based on an impersonal server who was obviously trying to rush us out so he could close down his section for the night and go home. This year, we were Vinnie's first table for lunch and it was the best character meal we've ever had.

If you like these characters, you should surely give it a try. If worst comes to worst, you will overpay for a mediocre meal but get some photos that will be in your scrapbook forever.

 

[Erin1700]

Give it a try! We liked breakfast and would try lunch too!

 

[momof3Disneykids]

Ive never been, we are going in may, and I too was wondering about all the bad reveiws, but we are having breakfast there and from what I can tell Breakfast is the good one. I love breakfast, in fact I made adrs for 3 ts breakfast buffets! lol

 

[Mommytobree]

Go and have fun! We did lunch at H&V and the character interaction is awesome, plus they have the playhouse Disney guy or girl who sings songs and gets all the kids up and dancing with the characters. It was so much fun, and I didn't find anything wrong with the buffet at all. It was a good variety, clean and hot food.

 

[DisneyKT]

We have been there before, I didn't find it the food bad. My kids thought it was fun. But then again my DH and I like Sci fi diner. We have never had a bad meal there. The kids like the cars and movies. Good Luck.