Why dont moderate TS ever get any glory/attention?

[scoobygrl79]

Is it because many are not that good or worth a trip to a moderate resort (which you're not staying at) to eat? I always hear of people going out of their way to eat at Deluxe resort TS, but just seems those moderate ones hide in the shadows. I ask because many of the menus look pretty darn good, especially for my DH/kids who aren't quite as adventureous (such as myself). But I can only imagine my embarrassment of going out of my way to try TS at a moderate that I'm not even staying at. I don't wanna get made fun of!

 

[purple figment]

Many people will tell you that restaurants such as Olivia's at OKW or Turf Club at SSR are hidden gems.

You hear less about the restaurants at the moderate resorts because they are not as convenient to visit to if you are using Disney transportation. They aren't adjacent to the parks so there's no "hopping over to a resort for lunch/dinner" then walking or taking the monorail back to the park.

If someting on the menu sounds good and you have a car or the time to use Disney transportation, they are well worth visiting.

 

[prttynpnk]

When we stay at POR we usually eat at Boatwrights once a trip- it's always good- love the cornbread and the pies. But the convenience factor- as Scoobygirl' said, has kept us from venturing to the other mods.

 

[OKW Lover]

We love Olivia's. But we wouldn't make a special trip just to eat there if we weren't staying at OKW. I think that's really why you don't read so much about those places. They are good, but not spectacular.

 

[TisBit]

Many people will tell you that restaurants such as Olivia's at OKW or Turf Club at SSR are hidden gems.

You hear less about the restaurants at the moderate resorts because they are not as convenient to visit to if you are using Disney transportation. They aren't adjacent to the parks so there's no "hopping over to a resort for lunch/dinner" then walking or taking the monorail back to the park.

If someting on the menu sounds good and you have a car or the time to use Disney transportation, they are well worth visiting.

This is very true and the fact that deluxe resorts will often get the signature restaurants or more highly theme'd restaurants (such as AKV with its african themes, etc). They do not employ top of the lines chefs at the moderates, so they are not as recognizable and don't draw the same "foodie" crowd. It is like eating at a high quality chain steak restaurant vs a local one with a good head chef......the food quality is likely not very far apart, but the local one will generally draw more of a crowd, because you can eat at the chain one anytime.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I've had reservations at all of them before, but have always cancelled because they are so out of the way. Aside from that I never heard many good things about Boatwright's before recently, I've heard horrible things about Shutters, and I never read anything about Maya Grill.

 

[Colleen27]

I think it is mostly a matter of the inconvenience of getting there if you're using Disney transportation. We've enjoyed the couple of moderate resort TS we've tried, Boatwrights especially, but not so much that we'd make the trip over if we weren't staying at that resort. Getting to the park-area deluxe TS restaurants is so much easier.

 

[gigi1313]

i agree with all of the above... if disney were to add some characters (pirates at CBRs Shutters?) or make the restaurants more noteworthy, rather than convenient for resort guests, i am sure they would become instantly more popular...

we have eaten at Boatwrights a few times when staying at POR/FQ and have always found it to be acceptable but not outstanding... for the time and energy it would take to get there from another resort it is not worth it for us...

 

[Havana]

Good thread topic! I don't even look at Mod TS when I am planning meals. I totally forget about them.
I don't think we ever consider them, because we have no desire to go visit the mod resorts. However a deluxe, we like to go experience the atmosphere for a few hours. I do think if we ever stayed at a Mod we would go to their TS for a convenience factor.

 

[Uncleromulus]

We'll do a mod for lunch now and then, but that's about it.
The dinners we've had at the mods have been pretty ordinary, so when we go to dinner, we want a better experience.

 

[TDC Nala]

Because they are serviceable restaurants, not specially themed, no upscale menus, no characters, and are located in out of the way areas for most park guests. Most of their customers are guests of the resort where they are located.

 

[JCMHutch]

I have eaten at Boatwrights a couple of times and really like it. DH really enjoyed it also on our last trip. We made a reservation there for our upcoming trip since we both wanted to go back there. Heck, I could eat the cornbread alone for a meal and be very happy.

I find the feedback on the different restaurants amusing. I have never had a bad meal in any of the places we've gone, whether its at a park or resort. DH & I have eaten at places that have a large amount of bad reviews and had great meals. Some were not what we expected (Sanaa for instance - and that was me, not the food. I do not like dark meat chicken, which was used in the dish I ordered. Now I know for next time). Heck - we even had really good meals at the Coral Reef, San Angel and Mama Melrose's.

 

[HunnyJar]

I do agree with the majority here - the moderate restaurants are just a little out of the way and if there isn't something special drawing a crowd in, people just won't really flock to it. Now if Bonfamille's Cafe was still open at POFQ, I'd be making ADR's for breakfast, but that's me.

 

[MickeyNicki]

DH and I ate at Boatwrights almost 2 weeks ago and it was fantastic, I would not hesitate to go back there again. Full review and pics in my May 11 thread

 

[bumbershoot]

Is it because many are not that good or worth a trip to a moderate resort (which you're not staying at) to eat? I always hear of people going out of their way to eat at Deluxe resort TS, but just seems those moderate ones hide in the shadows. I ask because many of the menus look pretty darn good, especially for my DH/kids who aren't quite as adventureous (such as myself). But I can only imagine my embarrassment of going out of my way to try TS at a moderate that I'm not even staying at. I don't wanna get made fun of!

Well...we ate at Shutters, and while the food was decent, the service was not. They made DS a chicken pizza, when that's not even on the menu, and was NOT what he ordered. They gave hubby a smoothie instead of lemonade (or was it vice versa?). The server disappeared after each of these, so we had to grab the attention of anyone else walking by (after waiting a decent amount of time so the server could take care of it on her own).

We chose to not eat there a second time.


So who would make fun of you?

 

[Quin]

This last trip we deliberately chose to try some more 'out of the way' restaurants and resorts as well as some 'bigger names' (all non-Signatures). Sometimes the food was OK. Sometimes the food was fabulous. Don't think we ever had a completley bad meal anywhere.

Turf Club at SSR was one that was just OK. Went to Boatwrights with very low expectations, just because we wanted to see Bob Jackson perform there afterwards, and was VERY pleasantly surprised by my entree (beef medallions, white cheddar macaroni, & asparagus) although the dessert was just OK. Have not made it to Olivia's yet but based on the menu would like to some day. Also plan to try Maya some day, again with trepidation (DH likes spicy food & I do not) but since Boatwrights was so good, why not?

Laughably, the only one we have not and will not eat at is Shutters - and CBR is our preferred resort! The majority of the reviews are, well, really really not good, and the menu itself does not appeal to me at all.

And who, pray tell, is going to "make fun" of me for my choices? Some strangers hidden behind screen names on an Internet BB? Like I care.....
I say go for it! Pick out meals at ALL those less-publicized resorts; you'll more likey get your choice of ADR times and have some great meals.