Bad food?

[ToffPrincess]

CRT, BOG are not just bad but TERRIBLE to me. Food quality wise it’s shameful what they cost. I think it would be wrong not to complain when so many people save up so hard for their Disney holidays and could end up bitterly dissappointed and could have used the money elsewhere.

When people complain, I get them because sit down meals can eat up a good chunk of your park time. Especially when servers are rude or food is bad it can really be so upsetting to have wasted that time on that experience.

I am a foodie, I do eat in expensive restaurants here in London and I always try to keep in mind to judge things not by London standards but by adjusted Disney standards. But when you pay the higher prices at Disney you better believe you are expecting (and rightly so) a fantastic meal and fantastic service.

 

[ToffPrincess]

I've been to Disney 14 times for 10 days each. We do table service about 15 times over those 10 days. The only horrific meal- bad service, table fully exposed to blazing sunshine, water poured directly into my shoe by the bus person, every course of food disgusting, lobster shell served with the lobster missing- was at The Boathouse. They consistently get glowing reviews so I'm at a loss to explain. It was so bad that we felt like we were in The Twilight Zone!

Not just you. I tried it 2x on my last visit and am still scratching my head. I found the food to be terrible on the first visit and below average on the second. In no world, Disney or realworld, did what I eat deserve any praise. I wouldnt even give it 3/5 not to mention the awful service. I keep reading good reviews and trying to tell myself maybe I had two fluke visits.

 

[GrantDB]

Hi all, booked our vacation to Disney World for August 2019, found these forums and think they're great!

With regards to the topic of bad food, I think we live in a world where these days we have a tendency to complain rather than compliment and you might tend to see quite a few more negative reviews rather than positive as people tend to write their reviews when they've had a bad experience immediately or when asked about something in the past they bring up the bad experience as it sticks with you more than the good ones for some reason.

I'd always say if you fancy trying something, then give it a go, it's always nice to have a look and see how other peoples experiences were, but you will only know yourself once you've been there and done that. If you have the exact bad experience as somebody else like a previous poster has said, then maybe that is fair warning for other patrons to stay away as more and more negativity would mean something is seriously wrong so in that instance I'd say maybe it isn't wise to try but you just never know.

If only we spread more love online but I personally think we spread that via word of mouth to friends and family as most of the time places are local to us unless like Disney where it's usually a vacation.

 

[ToffPrincess]

If only we spread more love online but I personally think we spread that via word of mouth to friends and family as most of the time places are local to us unless like Disney where it's usually a vacation.

Amen to that. Although I must say when you read the trip reports here everyone seems to get the mix just right. Lots of praise where praise is due and some wonderful stories which go beyond just a compliment. I think this forum has a good balance unlike some non-disney review sites! Some of those can be pretty tough to read, you wander if anything is good at all.

 

[vacationer1954]

A lot of the complaining that you see is from Disney vets that had food at these same restaurants before things like the dining plan and such came along.

I believe you're correct. There was a period of time, from the early-to-mid-1990s until the early 2000s when Disney restaurants were offering food far better than people would expect given the venue and the pricing. That is no longer the case. When some restaurant in the parks is really incredible, Disney charges higher than you'd expect for it, if it wasn't for where you were and that you can't just walk next door to a restaurant owned by some other company. When some restaurant in the parks is priced affordably, many people can count on it being mediocre compared to their local restaurants at the same price.

 

[vacationer1954]

CRT, BOG are not just bad but TERRIBLE to me. Food quality wise it’s shameful what they cost. I think it would be wrong not to complain when so many people save up so hard for their Disney holidays and could end up bitterly dissappointed and could have used the money elsewhere.

When people complain, I get them because sit down meals can eat up a good chunk of your park time. Especially when servers are rude or food is bad it can really be so upsetting to have wasted that time on that experience.

I am a foodie, I do eat in expensive restaurants here in London and I always try to keep in mind to judge things not by London standards but by adjusted Disney standards. But when you pay the higher prices at Disney you better believe you are expecting (and rightly so) a fantastic meal and fantastic service.

I hear what you are saying, but I think people going anyplace where they are voluntarily making themselves captive (like a theme park, a cruise ship, a sports stadium, etc.) have to factor into their expectations that they are captives. They shouldn't be expecting restaurants inside theme parks to be the same value as their local restaurants, even in London, New York, San Francisco or Tokyo. They should be expecting a significantly higher price for the same quality.

Having said that, I do think that CRT and BOG are remarkably bad values, though. This sort of thing happens when a restaurant gets over-popular. CRT has been that way forever, it seems. Ten years ago it was Le Cellier: After a few years of being so much better than the rest, it got a reputation and became the darling of repeat guests. It it stayed popular long after the restaurant started cashing in on its popularity by making prices higher and cutting costs to milk the place for profits on top of profits. What is interesting about BOG is that it was like this pretty much from Day 1. I guess there was so much anticipation about the place, and the place looks so incredible from the outside and inside, that value based on just the food was practically never a major consideration.

That's why we've started focusing on eating at restaurants that people don't really talk about much. We've had a lot of success getting really great meals, though still very overpriced if you ignore where the restaurants are located.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Everybody is different. Much depends on how you eat day by day

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Aside from personal palate preferences, IMHO I think it's a combo of "DISNEY!" and the pricing. You see $26 for an entree plate, you think, "Mmmm this should be foodie-quality. Let me Instagram this! And I'll write a little review, too." *bite* "Um this is like a Wendy's value menu burger - just average food service slapped onto a paper plate."

 

[ToffPrincess]

-
That's why we've started focusing on eating at restaurants that people don't really talk about much. We've had a lot of success getting really great meals, though still very overpriced if you ignore where the restaurants are located.

Would love to hear your pics! I am always up for trying new things and love a lesser appreciated place! If you dont want to post it here do drop me a DM or link to a post because I’d love to know. Would be so helpful as i am going over ADRs currently!

 

[Stigsmom]

The only food I do not like and hope not to get again is the resort take-out pizza- I think it’s the same as room service pizza. I am not a fan of frozen pizza with puffy crust and that was it at a premium price. I’d rather let everyone get individual items than split this, and wait to have better pizza elsewhere.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I feel like I’m constantly reading complaints about the bad, over- priced food at WDW. While we’ve had a few disappointments, we very much look forward to the wide range of food options and dining is a huge part of our trips. Other than Pizzafari ( tried twice and won’t go back) and some bland cupcakes, we’ve been happy and enjoyed our meals. What gives?

I feel the same way. - I've always just assumed "foodies" had higher standards than I do.

I do think it depends on what you're used to at home. We're not gourmet diners here. - We just rarely spend that kind of money unless we're on vacation. So I'm really not comparing my meals with similarly priced ones in "high-competition, not captive-audience" settings.

I also agree with what someone above said about reviews being skewed. People tend to complain about bad experiences while they're still upset, but only recommend favorites when someone asks.

 

[Shanti]

CRT, BOG are not just bad but TERRIBLE to me. Food quality wise it’s shameful what they cost. I think it would be wrong not to complain when so many people save up so hard for their Disney holidays and could end up bitterly dissappointed and could have used the money elsewhere...

I am a foodie, I do eat in expensive restaurants here in London and I always try to keep in mind to judge things not by London standards but by adjusted Disney standards. But when you pay the higher prices at Disney you better believe you are expecting (and rightly so) a fantastic meal and fantastic service.

Different strokes. We've had nice meals at CRT & BOG. Half of the price you pay is for the experience of eating in those themed castles, often with character access- you have to take that into account.

Your post is a prime example of how many of the food complaints are really complaints about the price of the food, rather than the food itself being bad. I think it does a disservice when people say food is "bad" instead of just stating they think it's overpriced for what it is. It misleads future travelers into thinking those are bad restaurants that must be avoided. Price of restaurants is based on a lot of factors, not just food. Location, atmosphere & character access are a big part of it at WDW, too. The same goes for the pricing of resorts.

 

[epcotobsessed]

I have had actual bad food at several places, not just food that was below my expectations given the price. These places include CRT, BOG, Biergarten, and some QS places at HS (can't remember the names). Just about every restaurant on the planet has an off day/night, and with the volume of customers that Disney restaurants get, of course some people will have bad experiences just about everywhere. What I look for is consistently mediocre or poor reviews, which some Disney restaurants have. I avoid those places. If others love them and/or have not had bad experiences there, great.

 

[ToffPrincess]

Different strokes. We've had nice meals at CRT & BOG. Half of the price you pay is for the experience of eating in those themed castles, often with character access- you have to take that into account.

Your post is a prime example of how many of the food complaints are really complaints about the price of the food, rather than the food itself being bad. I think it does a disservice when people say food is "bad" instead of just stating they think it's overpriced for what it is. It misleads future travelers into thinking those are bad restaurants that must be avoided. Price of restaurants is based on a lot of factors, not just food. Location, atmosphere & character access are a big part of it at WDW, too. The same goes for the pricing of resorts.

Oh no, I’m sorry you misunderstood me. I find the food itself terrible. Price is one thing but if you read my trip report you will see, i find the food quality terrible. I was shocked in particular with the steak salad thing that looked and tasted like it had been made a week before. Really unpleasent tasting food in our family’s oppinion.

 

[ToffPrincess]

I have had actual bad food at several places, not just food that was below my expectations given the price. These places include CRT, BOG, Biergarten, and some QS places at HS (can't remember the names). Just about every restaurant on the planet has an off day/night, and with the volume of customers that Disney restaurants get, of course some people will have bad experiences just about everywhere. What I look for is consistently mediocre or poor reviews, which some Disney restaurants have. I avoid those places. If others love them and/or have not had bad experiences there, great.

I think thats a really fair way of seeing it. Especially how you mention when a place consistently gets poor reviews. I, for example, have never had dinner at Ohanas. I keep seeing that on the threads it has transformed from a favourite ‘must do’ for many people, to seeing more and more similar sounding bad reviews. I appreciate the reviews as I now know not to 1-prioritise getting that ADR over others and 2-if I go I know what to expect,

 

[mel&me]

don't think I ever had a bad meal, Had some mediocre ones. With amount of food being served daily, there will be bad ones its going to happen.

 

[freshmanjs]

I feel like I’m constantly reading complaints about the bad, over- priced food at WDW. While we’ve had a few disappointments, we very much look forward to the wide range of food options and dining is a huge part of our trips. Other than Pizzafari ( tried twice and won’t go back) and some bland cupcakes, we’ve been happy and enjoyed our meals. What gives?

I think it depends a lot on expectations. A few thoughts:

- I eat at multiple restaurants every week that are better than any restaurant on WDW property in their category (Italian, Asian, Steak, etc). These restaurants are at similar or lower price points to WDW. So, compared to those, WDW food is mediocre
- On the other hand, compared to most theme parks, I think WDW food is overall very good, with a lot of variability
- I've had some truly terrible meals (by any standard) at WDW. In particular, Coral Reef is one of the worst restaurants I've ever been to. 'Ohana is truly awful (I can't understand how people like it). 1900 Park Fare and Crystal Palace are also very, very bad. Il Mulino is awful and such a pale imitation of the real locations in nyc and elsewhere.
- At the same time, I think Boma, Cali Grill, Flying Fish, STK, Via Napoli are consistently good

 

[Spencer Wright]

I think it depends a lot on expectations. A few thoughts:

....

'Ohana is truly awful (I can't understand how people like it). 1900 Park Fare and Crystal Palace are also very, very bad. Il Mulino is awful and such a pale imitation of the real locations in nyc and elsewhere.

...

I very much agree!

I love probably about %90 of the places I have eaten at WDW, and even the ones I didn't like were not terrible. However, I think being at WDW can make a lot of food taste better (if that makes any sense).

You mentioned that Ohana is awful. There's a niche group of us who are obsessed with John and Kevin's dining reviews from years ago (they are hilarious and can be pretty sassy and scathing). They describe Ohana meat as having a sort of lighter fluid taste, and all the same seasoning. I can taste that in my mouth now as I think about it and it makes me want to gag. Also the service can be disorganized. We love the sides and bread pudding dessert. However for my family, Ohana is an absolute must-do and we love it. Being at the Poly, across from the MK, and using Monorail transit makes this restaurant more than worth while. But I should not want to gag thinking about the meat. So I think that is one place where the context allows us to look past the flaws.

I've had too much Italian food cooked by Italians (my mother is half Sicilian) to really eat it anywhere but someones home. But I've seen what Disney serves as Italian food and it is truly cringeworthy.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Everyone raves about the Deluxe Burger restaurant in DS. I don't know whether I actually had a burger that was "bad" meat but I took one bite and had to throw it away. It immediately mad e me feel sick. I didn't even take it back to counter or complain but wish I had. I just left. I have had meals once in a while that I didn't care for but this was different definitely something wrong with the meat. It wasn't one of the fancied burgers just the plain cheese burger.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We have had few problems. It's all subjective and you just can't please all of the people all of the time.