Why isn't the food better at WDW?

[Disneypro1]

I personally think the food is good but to each his own. And I don't have to cook it or clean up. If you dislike it then don't eat it or don't go.

I shall now bow to that statement. that's my feelings about all the silly non issue complaints people have about WDW or DL Dont go if you dont like stuff. Or dont eat their food.
Agree with the above statement 110%

 

[pahoben]

I shall now bow to that statement. that's my feelings about all the silly non issue complaints people have about WDW or DL Dont go if you dont like stuff. Or dont eat their food.
Agree with the above statement 110%

Thank you for this extremely helpful advice. Amazing that someone came up with these wholly original ideas and posted them here free of charge for the benefit of the Disney dining infidels. The world would be so much better if no one ever complained or suggested improvement. Maybe this is the spark that will ignite a world wide change in behavior-always be satisfied and never ever even hint at any shortcomings. It is a brand new powerful internet meme that will sweep the world.

I am sure both of you live 110% by this credo.

Helpful if you listed all your other opinions so we can wholeheartedly agree with those also.

If you read the posts you will see that some people love Disney for the attractions but in their opinion the food is of poor quality and in the WDW parks you have poor options other than eating the food from Disney that is available in the parks.

I suspect that if there was even a McDonalds in the parks it would dominate the QS restaurants. McDonalds is not a very high culinary bar.

 

[Alicefan]

I’m not sure what you’re expecting from a theme park. And honestly, there are so many options in and around WDW including many, many good ones at DS and the resorts. If you can’t find something you like down here, you’re not looking hard enough.

I don't know if "what you're expecting from a theme park" is a fair statement though. Yes they are churning out food for the masses, but all of the restaurants are ran with their own chefs and managers etc...it really is no different than any other restaurant on Earth that is consistently busy, they just happen to be located in WDW. Also, it sure can't be the cost of quality food vs profit thing considering they charge an arm and a leg. I get the fast food being nothing special because it all pretty much comes from a central place and really is for the masses, but the restaurants really have no good excuse. I'll admit that there are a few great places if you know where to look, but good food at those prices really shouldn't be hit or miss like it is. I've eaten at all but 3 places in the whole of Epcot, and for all of the touting of excellent restaurants, there are only 2 that I can think of where the food is outstanding or where I've never had a bad meal and that's Garden Grill and Le Cellier. Even those have gone down in quality according to most people. Le Cellier is no longer a hard to snag ADR. Chefs de France was awful the last time I went. I kid you not, my entree tasted EXACTLY like a Lean Cuisine that I've eaten a million times in my perpetually dieting life lol. I was sooo disappointed. If I had sat there and tried I could have told you exactly which Lean Cuisine it was. I thought I was one of the Griswolds and they just stuck a little French flag in my frozen dinner.

 

[vacationer1954]

it really is no different than any other restaurant on Earth that is consistently busy, they just happen to be located in WDW.

Well, not really. While that's true of the fine dining restaurants, most of the table-service restaurants are to some extent serviced by a central kitchen. Some of the items are made on prem, and all of the dishes are finished on prem, but a lot of prep is done elsewhere.

Also, it sure can't be the cost of quality food vs profit thing considering they charge an arm and a leg.

Just like admission, souvenirs, bottled water, etc.

I'll admit that there are a few great places if you know where to look, but good food at those prices really shouldn't be hit or miss like it is.

Is it really hit or miss? Among the Disney owned restaurants, I think it is very easy to determine quality by the combination of how premium the location is and the menu prices.

I've eaten at all but 3 places in the whole of Epcot, and for all of the touting of excellent restaurants, there are only 2 that I can think of where the food is outstanding or where I've never had a bad meal and that's Garden Grill and Le Cellier.

And other people have different experiences - but that's not because the restaurants are hit or miss but because how much we each personally prefer what each restaurant offers is hit or miss. I like Chefs de France, Rose and Crown, and Hacienda de San Angel.

Le Cellier is no longer a hard to snag ADR.

Since it went from 1TS credit to 2TS credits.

Chefs de France was awful the last time I went. I kid you not, my entree tasted EXACTLY like a Lean Cuisine that I've eaten a million times in my perpetually dieting life lol.

Isn't that restaurant run by Bocuse? I don't doubt you didn't like what you ate, but it is possible even for a chef on-the-line to prepare a meal that happens to taste that way.

 

[Alicefan]

What I cant wrap my head around, is Tony's, and how its stayed in business all these years. Even with all of the complaints it has received over the years, disney just doesn't give a hoot. They kept it going. The same nasty red sauce remained on the menu for so long. They probably didnt feel a need to change things because business was pretty good. If it aint broke, dont fix it right?

However, just recently they took steps to improve the menu by hiring a new chef. Kudos. Is it enough? Personally, I doubt it. The food is so bad at Tony's, that i likely will never return. I've never said that about a disney restaurant before. Even if the reviews are consistently positive, i likely will stay away. I just cant get myself to return. That place needs a complete overhaul. Not only is the food bad, but so is the decore. I find it cold and uninviting.

Rant over.

It's funny because back in the mid 90's, Tony's was hands down our favorite meal of our first trip to WDW. They literally had the best steak I've ever had and they served Italian bread with a sundried tomato pesto dipping oil that was out of this world!!! They printed out the recipe for me! Ever since that trip, I have tried to go back and recreate the dream to no avail. I don't find it disgusting like most do, but it never makes my list of go to's. Man I wish you could've tasted that pesto! Fantastic! I agree though, how they stay open is beyond me. Seems like they would have completely changed this restaurant by now. It's not even themed well enough to remind you of Lady and the Tramp like it's supposed to be. It needs an overhaul for sure.

 

[Alicefan]

Well, not really. While that's true of the fine dining restaurants, most of the table-service restaurants are to some extent serviced by a central kitchen. Some of the items are made on prem, and all of the dishes are finished on prem, but a lot of prep is done elsewhere.


And other people have different experiences - but that's not because the restaurants are hit or miss but because how much we each personally prefer what each restaurant offers is hit or miss. I like Chefs de France, Rose and Crown, and Hacienda de San Angel.

\

We definitely have different taste buds lol. We tried La Hacienda and their idea of "queso" was a large blob of gooey glue that you had to cut with a knife. We honestly thought maybe it wasn't done melting....nope, it was hardening! Never seen anything like it! I do like Rose and Crown though.

 

[Dis703]

I'm always surprised by the number of complaints on these boards about the food. We enjoy most of what we've eaten and have had some really exceptional meals as well. Quick service options are the only place I'd say I've been "meh" about the food, but even at these locations it's about what I would expect at any theme park and sometimes better. Perhaps if I was forced to choose something I'd like to see improved, the desserts at QS locations could be a little more consistent. For example, I've found really delicious cupcakes at Sunshine Seasons and Boardwalk Bakery, but have tried cupcakes at various other QS locations that weren't nearly as fresh or tasty.

I was just at the Flower and Garden Festival in Epcot a few weeks ago and we loved 99% of what we tried. There were only a couple things we didn't care for and those were drinks. And it seemed like everyone around us was commenting about how much they were enjoying their food as well. We've done the Festival of the Arts, F&G and F&W several times now over the years and occasionally something isn't as good as we hoped for, but the majority of the time it's been good.

The food at Disney is actually a huge part of the appeal for us. We usually do at least 1 TS meal per day and we've only had one bad meal. The rest have been good with some that I'd say have been consistently very good (Tiffins, Be Our Guest dinner, Ale and Compass, Biergarten, Hollywood Brown Derby to name a few).

Maybe I've just been really lucky and eaten at the right place at the right times and picked just the right meals.

 

[goofyintoronto]

It's funny because back in the mid 90's, Tony's was hands down our favorite meal of our first trip to WDW. They literally had the best steak I've ever had and they served Italian bread with a sundried tomato pesto dipping oil that was out of this world!!! They printed out the recipe for me! Ever since that trip, I have tried to go back and recreate the dream to no avail. I don't find it disgusting like most do, but it never makes my list of go to's. Man I wish you could've tasted that pesto! Fantastic! I agree though, how they stay open is beyond me. Seems like they would have completely changed this restaurant by now. It's not even themed well enough to remind you of Lady and the Tramp like it's supposed to be. It needs an overhaul for sure.

Im glad you had a great meal there, in the mid 90's. If only it were as good now as it was back then! That Italian bread does sound delicious.

 

[sbdis]

I actually enjoy the food and restaurant choices at Disney. Over the years, I have had some disappointing meals, but overall, the meals have been good to excellent. And, although a lot of the character meals have average food, the excitement of seeing the characters and atmosphere make it a lot of fun. I ate at Flying Fish last year and it was really great. I thought the portions were a little small but I left satisfied and happy. Breakfast at the Wave both times I have eaten there was really good, and I could certainly list others. However, there is one meal that stands out to have been just plain yuck. Tony's

I will add that in many years of going to Disney, we have never been to Tony's. Italian food is one of my favorites and I thought, how bad could it really be? I am not picky when it comes to Italian and I thought the bad reviews were people just being overly picky and maybe just personal preference. I had dinner there two years ago and it was one of my worst meals. I had the chicken parmesan. It was tough and had NO flavor. The salad was bland, the wine was sour (I suppose it was a poor choice on my part, but it added to the disappointment). I do remember the vanilla gelato was good.

This was a solo meal as this was my first solo trip to Disney. By the way, it was a great solo trip and I dined at many table service restaurants because I was on the Deluxe meal plan. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed dining solo and was comfortable in doing so. I actually took another solo trip the following year with the Deluxe plan. But, back to Tony's, as I said, I was dining solo and this was the only meal I was uncomfortable. The restaurant was packed because it was prior to the Halloween Party. There was a couple and a really cute baby sitting next to me. Well, I must have caught the baby's eye because he would not stop staring at me and when I would look back and smile he would giggle and do what babies do (be adorable and love the attention). However, the parents looked really uncomfortable because the baby would not stop waving and giggling no matter how hard they tried to distract him. I really could not wait to leave the restaurant. Looking back, I chuckle at the experience but I don't know if I could try the restaurant again unless the food improved. But, it was a really cute atmosphere and a great location.

 

[aloha7]

I have no "natural skills" in the kitchen so who am I to talk but I am consistently underwhelmed, even disappointed, with the meals at WDW. I've had a mediocre lobster salad roll in MK, a terrible burger in HS, and a run of the mill carrot cake on the Boardwalk. I can't honestly remember the last time I was wow'd by anything culinary in the resorts, parks or DS. Now if you were say, at my house, this would be expected. But there's so much talent there, so much opportunity for great food, why is that not a priority?
Don't want to play the money card but truth is, the food ain't cheap. I believe Disney strives for excellence in so many things, why isn't the food one of those things?

Eating in the parks is hit or miss. Some places have greatly improved such as Pinnocchio Village Haus which serves great flatbreads and salads now. I had read a few bad reviews about CRT but we really wanted to try it. I made the reservation but wasn't expecting much as far as the food, but I was pleasantly surprised. We also like Starlight Ray's for a quick lunch.

 

[aloha7]

Good food is available in all the parks. You just have to know where to go. Yes its harder in DHS and MK, but its still there.

I want this everytimr I go to MK

 

[glocon]

One of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life was at Mama Melrose... the saltimbocca... melt in your mouth....I still think about that meal....

 

[RealBlast3]

I must have a very easy to please palate because I even loved the various selection of home cooked style selections I had at the food court at the All Stars resorts a few years ago. I don't usually ever dine at any of the resort's food courts on my trips, but as this was an unusual situation for me - I had to change my trip and get a late flight out of NY because of a looming blizzard about to hit that would have cancelled my vacation all together, I ended up getting a late flight to Orlando and landing late and getting in very late to the All Stars Music resort, and boy was I glad they were still serving at 9 or 10 pm or whatever it was, but I was prepared for the worst, since I imagine the food courts to be like much of the quick dining is at Disney, which I don't care that much for, while I love most of the sit down eateries.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to say the least! I had like a Thanksgiving style selection of food - think it was stuff like roast turkey, maybe a beef dish, too, green beans and mashed, and maybe corn and rice, stuff like that and it was seriously terrific! They had alot of food choices at the court - I also wasn't expecting it to be that great since it was a value resort food court. But I was totally wrong.

I mean, thankfully, I have only had a few sub-par meals at Disney. It is so rare it happens for me. My last trip last December, all meals at all the restaurants were basically great. Even the least of them, probably Le Cellier, was still pretty good overall.

Also, a word on the hamburgers. If you order a burger in a sit down eatery, they make it THEIR way, and it is great. It is only at the quick service eateries, they follow that hockey puck protocol. The last burger I had at T-Rex was as good as any burger you get at places like Ruby Tuesdays or Fridays, ect. and very enjoyable. The rule of thumb here is don't get burgers or pizza at the quick service unless you really don't care or are so hungry you don't care and must eat those things.

 

[hereforthechurros]

We definitely have different taste buds lol. We tried La Hacienda and their idea of "queso" was a large blob of gooey glue that you had to cut with a knife. We honestly thought maybe it wasn't done melting....nope, it was hardening! Never seen anything like it! I do like Rose and Crown though.

That sounds like queso fundido. Mmm now I wanted melty cheese.

 

[eva]

What months are free dining this year?

July 5 - September 30

 

[gharter]

It's funny because back in the mid 90's, Tony's was hands down our favorite meal of our first trip to WDW. They literally had the best steak I've ever had and they served Italian bread with a sundried tomato pesto dipping oil that was out of this world!!! They printed out the recipe for me! Ever since that trip, I have tried to go back and recreate the dream to no avail. I don't find it disgusting like most do, but it never makes my list of go to's. Man I wish you could've tasted that pesto! Fantastic! I agree though, how they stay open is beyond me. Seems like they would have completely changed this restaurant by now. It's not even themed well enough to remind you of Lady and the Tramp like it's supposed to be. It needs an overhaul for sure.

As you said, there are clearly different palates. We have gone to WDW for over 30 years and never was Tonys one of the best restaurants that we went to. Not in the top 10.
We last went 2 years ago and refuse to go back. now that they have a new chef, we may need to reconsider.

 

[pahoben]

I don't know if "what you're expecting from a theme park" is a fair statement though. Yes they are churning out food for the masses, but all of the restaurants are ran with their own chefs and managers etc...it really is no different than any other restaurant on Earth that is consistently busy, they just happen to be located in WDW. Also, it sure can't be the cost of quality food vs profit thing considering they charge an arm and a leg. I get the fast food being nothing special because it all pretty much comes from a central place and really is for the masses, but the restaurants really have no good excuse. I'll admit that there are a few great places if you know where to look, but good food at those prices really shouldn't be hit or miss like it is. I've eaten at all but 3 places in the whole of Epcot, and for all of the touting of excellent restaurants, there are only 2 that I can think of where the food is outstanding or where I've never had a bad meal and that's Garden Grill and Le Cellier. Even those have gone down in quality according to most people. Le Cellier is no longer a hard to snag ADR. Chefs de France was awful the last time I went. I kid you not, my entree tasted EXACTLY like a Lean Cuisine that I've eaten a million times in my perpetually dieting life lol. I was sooo disappointed. If I had sat there and tried I could have told you exactly which Lean Cuisine it was. I thought I was one of the Griswolds and they just stuck a little French flag in my frozen dinner.

Flags or sparklers atop the food just doesn’t make up for mediocre taste for me either.

 

[pahoben]

I must have a very easy to please palate because I even loved the various selection of home cooked style selections I had at the food court at the All Stars resorts a few years ago. I don't usually ever dine at any of the resort's food courts on my trips, but as this was an unusual situation for me - I had to change my trip and get a late flight out of NY because of a looming blizzard about to hit that would have cancelled my vacation all together, I ended up getting a late flight to Orlando and landing late and getting in very late to the All Stars Music resort, and boy was I glad they were still serving at 9 or 10 pm or whatever it was, but I was prepared for the worst, since I imagine the food courts to be like much of the quick dining is at Disney, which I don't care that much for, while I love most of the sit down eateries.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to say the least! I had like a Thanksgiving style selection of food - think it was stuff like roast turkey, maybe a beef dish, too, green beans and mashed, and maybe corn and rice, stuff like that and it was seriously terrific! They had alot of food choices at the court - I also wasn't expecting it to be that great since it was a value resort food court. But I was totally wrong.

I mean, thankfully, I have only had a few sub-par meals at Disney. It is so rare it happens for me. My last trip last December, all meals at all the restaurants were basically great. Even the least of them, probably Le Cellier, was still pretty good overall.

Also, a word on the hamburgers. If you order a burger in a sit down eatery, they make it THEIR way, and it is great. It is only at the quick service eateries, they follow that hockey puck protocol. The last burger I had at T-Rex was as good as any burger you get at places like Ruby Tuesdays or Fridays, ect. and very enjoyable. The rule of thumb here is don't get burgers or pizza at the quick service unless you really don't care or are so hungry you don't care and must eat those things.

I don’t like the burgers at TGIF or RT also. For me they just seem like a bunch of crap thrown together between two buns (but to each his own). I prefer a simple burger with good natural ingredients. Just put a Five Guys or an In and Out or equivalent in the parks and we would be happy. As I said above even a McDonalds would be a large improvement.

I do get your point though that there is a difference between CS and TS but with two very active little girls that are about to pee their pants with excitement to see Snow White we have to go with CS.

 

[Moliphino]

That sounds like queso fundido. Mmm now I wanted melty cheese.

It is queso fundido at La Hacienda. Not queso the cheese sauce.

 

[snoopy352]

I've never had a meal that I've outright hated

Been to Tony's???