What's so special about Chef Mickey's?

[HopperFan]

We went based on the talk here....and were sorely disappointed.

We were not seated in main room and therefore most the fun, dancing etc was not in our view and we were excluded. The characters were hurried and barely stopped. They practically ran from table to table. The server was indifferent and only brought drinks when I flagged her down. The food was below par and not much variety. The food stations stayed messy and food all over. Clearly was not well staffed. It was the only place we have eaten that the parents considered a free for all. Kids running all over, making a mess of dessert station, chasing the characters.......chaotic.

PS We do CRT about once a year, went to CP last trip and was wonderful experience..the opposite of CM.

 

[Tricia1972]

We went based on the talk here....and were sorely disappointed.

We were not seated in main room and therefore most the fun, dancing etc was not in our view and we were excluded. The characters were hurried and barely stopped. They practically ran from table to table. The server was indifferent and only brought drinks when I flagged her down. The food was below par and not much variety. The food stations stayed messy and food all over. Clearly was not well staffed. It was the only place we have eaten that the parents considered a free for all. Kids running all over, making a mess of dessert station, chasing the characters.......chaotic.

PS We do CRT about once a year, went to CP last trip and was wonderful experience..the opposite of CM.

This would be very similar to our dinner experience at CM in October. Thankfully we've had two good breakfasts to balance it out a bit for us. (We've also sworn - only breakfast from now on)

However, I must agree on service. No matter what meal I swear that the CM's here wear invisibility cloaks. Refills and plates are very slow here (not as bad as our CP dinner, but still slow)

 

[poeticdiabetic]

I went to CM twice and had a blast both times! I do have to say that the first time (2006) was much better than the 2nd (2007). But I think that we were still kinda full that 2nd time around.

In 2007, our waitress was much better, because in 2006, our waiter disappeared. Also, it is much more fun in the main room, but we still had a great time in the second area. Plus, in 2006, we met some of the chefs, and that was always cool.

Oh, and I did see a couple complaining about their table last year. They did finally accommodate them, so just ask them to be seated where you want to be seated.

But the character interactions at CM is the BEST! Even if they are rushed the first time, they'll come back to your table... just wait a little while!

This year, we couldn't come up with ADRs that work, so we won't be going, which is upsetting.

 

[SGMCO]

We went based on the talk here....and were sorely disappointed.

We were not seated in main room and therefore most the fun, dancing etc was not in our view and we were excluded. The characters were hurried and barely stopped. They practically ran from table to table. The server was indifferent and only brought drinks when I flagged her down. The food was below par and not much variety. The food stations stayed messy and food all over. Clearly was not well staffed. It was the only place we have eaten that the parents considered a free for all. Kids running all over, making a mess of dessert station, chasing the characters.......chaotic.

PS We do CRT about once a year, went to CP last trip and was wonderful experience..the opposite of CM.

Sounds like we had the same experiance at CM Dinner at you did!!!
We won't be returning!!
We were so glad we were there for FD or I would have really be upset
about paying $104.00 for 3 to eat there. The food was gross--I could smell the fish from my seat.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

The place is huge. DH and I both commented after we felt like we were eating in a university cafeteria. Just so many people, it didn't feel so much a "restaurant" as "cafeteria".

My DS could see Mickey, etc way across the room... hard to wait for him to make his way all the way over to our table. I will say we had decent interaction once they each got there, but the wait was painful.

To be honest, I don't remember a whole lot about the food (I guess it wasn't overly good or bad.) I do remember the one bar with candy, etc to put on the pancakes (waffles?) I'm by no means a health nut, but that was a bit much. (This was followed with a cupcake at breakfast.) Not a battle I want to be fighting with a kid (who sees everyone else eating it) before taking him into a park!

We have also done Ohana's, which we very much liked. (This was 4 years ago- Mickey, Chip, Dale, and Goofy? I think?) Similar "party" atmosphere, they had a parade where all the kids got to march around with the characters and a little noisemaker. Plated meal, so less choice than a buffet, but everything was great. No one went hungry.

Our favorite character meal is the Pooh one they used to have at WL. Best food and atmosphere, and of course they stopped doing it! ugh!

 

[chief19spixi]

Could someone please explain the napkin dance! We will be going there for the first time for my sons 7th birthday in april!! He is soooo excited! I am now currently driving myself nuts trying to figure out what cake I want to have made for him!!

 

[Tricia1972]

Could someone please explain the napkin dance! We will be going there for the first time for my sons 7th birthday in april!! He is soooo excited! I am now currently driving myself nuts trying to figure out what cake I want to have made for him!!

They play a special "Celebrate" song (every 45 minutes to an hour or so). Each dining section has at least one character who comes into that section during the celebrate song. The character dances (a little) and twirls their napkin in the air. All the guests are invited to/encouraged to pick up their napkins and twirl them in the air with the characters during the song.

(This was fun with our 2 yo DS who was at just the right height to almost take out all of the plates at the table with his twirling Beware if you have small children that you may need to shift your plates a bit when the song starts)

 

[ElizabethB]

We don't love it. We've done breakfast and dinner and won't do either again. The overall ambience is manic and insane.

 

[chief19spixi]

They play a special "Celebrate" song (every 45 minutes to an hour or so). Each dining section has at least one character who comes into that section during the celebrate song. The character dances (a little) and twirls their napkin in the air. All the guests are invited to/encouraged to pick up their napkins and twirl them in the air with the characters during the song.

(This was fun with our 2 yo DS who was at just the right height to almost take out all of the plates at the table with his twirling Beware if you have small children that you may need to shift your plates a bit when the song starts)

Thanks for the info!! I have no lil ones that young but I do have 3 that will probly take the napkin twirling way to serious!!

 

[blue_eyes5212]

I love the "Celebrate" song and twirling my napkin!! I'm 27 years old (no kids).
I have only done breakfast at CM and we love it! We always do it our first morning there as a way to "kick-off" our trip!!

I think the food is good! My favorite is Goofy's vegetable lasagna! I have to have 2 helpings of it!! (And I'm not a big vegetable eater).

CM is a must do for us!!!

 

[septbaby]

Could someone please explain the napkin dance! We will be going there for the first time for my sons 7th birthday in april!! He is soooo excited! I am now currently driving myself nuts trying to figure out what cake I want to have made for him!!

We did breakfast for my nephew's 6th birthday he was in nirvana. They set them up with a laminated Happy Birthday placemat (he still eats on his at home) and he was given a Mickey decorated birthday cup cake. Honestly I think a big cake is overkill there. The buffet offers so much and he'll get the cup cake anyway so you really won't need it there and won't have to worry about leftovers.

They actually did one of the napkin songs in honor of my nephew "our pal Zeke" he was so excited. One down side of CMs, they get so stimulated it might be hard to get them to actually eat...lol we had to make a pit stop at McDonald's next door to the Lego store in Downtown Disney. He ate really well there! That was my first time at CM's too and I loved it. I'm way older than 6 and dare not say how far past 27 I am!

I don't think he'd allow us to go to Disney w/o going to CM's. It's that memorable.

 

[DisneyGirlie]

The characters were hurried and barely stopped. They practically ran from table to table. The server was indifferent and only brought drinks when I flagged her down. The food was below par and not much variety. The food stations stayed messy and food all over. Clearly was not well staffed. It was the only place we have eaten that the parents considered a free for all. Kids running all over, making a mess of dessert station, chasing the characters.......chaotic.

This sounds like my experience around 2 years ago. Went for breakfast and the characters barely stopped at our table. Minnie and Goofy didn't come to our table at all. I saw Goofy standing in the middle of the restaurant on the way out so I sort of just caught him and got a quick picture. Saw Minnie at other tables, but never could track her down. The food stations were really gross. Near the pancakes/waffles, syrup was everywhere. The buffet just didn't look all that sanitary to me.
I won't be back. I have too much fun at 'Ohana's and Cape May Cafe for Character breakfasts.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

The overall ambience is manic and insane.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[chief19spixi]

We did breakfast for my nephew's 6th birthday he was in nirvana. They set them up with a laminated Happy Birthday placemat (he still eats on his at home) and he was given a Mickey decorated birthday cup cake. Honestly I think a big cake is overkill there. The buffet offers so much and he'll get the cup cake anyway so you really won't need it there and won't have to worry about leftovers.

They actually did one of the napkin songs in honor of my nephew "our pal Zeke" he was so excited. One down side of CMs, they get so stimulated it might be hard to get them to actually eat...lol we had to make a pit stop at McDonald's next door to the Lego store in Downtown Disney. He ate really well there! That was my first time at CM's too and I loved it. I'm way older than 6 and dare not say how far past 27 I am!

I don't think he'd allow us to go to Disney w/o going to CM's. It's that memorable.

Thanks for the tip about the cake!! I agree.. a cake probly will be too much! We will be staying at the fort in our travel trailer so no cake will be wasted.. just stored!! LOL I may just get a cake for our arrival instead!!

 

[Tricia1972]

Thanks for the tip about the cake!! I agree.. a cake probly will be too much! We will be staying at the fort in our travel trailer so no cake will be wasted.. just stored!! LOL I may just get a cake for our arrival instead!!

If you tell them it's your birthday they'll usually present the guest with a cupcake during the song and have a candle in it and everything.

 

[chief19spixi]

Thanks!!

 

[CinderellyCinderelly]

The napkin twirling is hysterical!!! all the kids get so into it but they wind up knocking over their drinks or the food off the table or hitting someone in the face. we were dying laughing as we twirled our napkins lol

 

[TikiGoddess]

I'm one one the ones (and I guess I'm in the minority) that does not get the whole Chef Mickey's craze. We started our trip off with it last year and it was by far the weakest meal we had anywhere and our character interaction was not spectacular either.

The food was school cafeteriaish at best...most of it was cold. I did like being in the Contemporary though so we might book a different restaurant there for Sept.

Maybe the breakfast is worth it, but for us the dinner was a total flop.

Of course I was also underwhelmed by Le Cellier...good, but nothing incredible.

To each his own!

 

[Tomader]

What so special about Chef Mickey's? Nothing! I have given this palce numerous chances but it fails everytime. The food is horrible. The place is not that clean and the food is cold. I would pass on that place.

 

[chief19spixi]

The napkin twirling is hysterical!!! all the kids get so into it but they wind up knocking over their drinks or the food off the table or hitting someone in the face. we were dying laughing as we twirled our napkins lol

My DH will probly lead my lil ones and take it too far too!!
Gotta luv him!!