Terrible food at Disneyland this week

[Chickinvic]

Book these for the seat, the special viewing section, or whatever else you like about the experience but DO NOT expect the food to be good. That's where people end up disappointed. You are not really paying for the meal. Show up to these things already full and just enjoy the seat.

That's a lot of money for a seat. I couldn't be bothered. The food SHOULD be great at those prices.

 

[IslaLila]

Oof the thought of that $26 scallop is killin me!

We haven't felt the sit down places we've been to have been worth it. Blue Bayou is fun once in a while (more for the ambience), but the current menu is a no for me. We stuck to quick service the last two trips. We liked the breakfast Ronto Wrap, everything at Docking Bay 7, and Jolly Holiday. Honestly the best sit down meal we've had in the area was at the Cheesecake Factory.

 

[DLgal]

That's a lot of money for a seat. I couldn't be bothered. The food SHOULD be great at those prices.

Well, I agree. I've only done it twice and it was to accompany out of town friends who wanted to do it. I think it's a total rip off (all of the dining packages).

 

[DLgal]

Oof the thought of that $26 scallop is killin me!

We haven't felt the sit down places we've been to have been worth it. Blue Bayou is fun once in a while (more for the ambience), but the current menu is a no for me. We stuck to quick service the last two trips. We liked the breakfast Ronto Wrap, everything at Docking Bay 7, and Jolly Holiday. Honestly the best sit down meal we've had in the area was at the Cheesecake Factory.

You chose wisely.

 

[Aurora0427]

I'm at the park now. I had a disappointing lunch at Carnation--the potato soup was not even warm. A truly inedible dinner at Blue Bayou of a very fatty prime rib ($89 Fantasmic package). Dinner for 6 at Goofy's Kitchen was better, but was not worth $409.

I cancelled tomorrow's Wine Country Trattoria and Thursday's Cafe Orleans.

Our food has been lukewarm the last two times we’ve eaten at CC. We have not been thrilled with the table service restaurants for awhile…. Smaller portions and the quality is down.

The best meal we’ve had in awhile was actually at Wine Country….. the food was hot, good quality, and tasted good. This was 11/30/22.

 

[Aurora0427]

I was gonna make an ADR for Carnation Cafe because it was so good when we ate there a few years ago but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't. I have to be honest I have heard so much about how much better Disneyland's food is than Disney World but when we went this past April I didn't find that to be true.

Disneyland has better quick service. The quick service restaurants at WDW are awful…. But the table service restaurants at WDW, especially the Epcot and Disney Springs restaurants, are leagues above what is offered at DL. When we go to WDW, we plan around our favorite table service meals.

 

[Aurora0427]

We don’t really eat in the park at all anymore except for Mickey beignets and we had THE BEST FRIES ar Hungry Bear, so much so…we went back twice and just ate fries! How crazy is that???

We had Cali Pizza Kitchen twice, kids size Hawaiian for only $6 each…way better value than the park.

Park food used to be okay but now is just robbery for quality and quantity you get.

Yep. We’ll walk down to Mimi’s off property, we’ve done CPK a few times, and we will also hit up Ruby’s. You have to drive, but they have fantastic burgers and shakes. If we’re just staying for the day, we’ll eat at Rancho for lunch and then snack until we hit the road and stop at Ruby’s on the way out.

 

[Aurora0427]

Oof the thought of that $26 scallop is killin me!

We haven't felt the sit down places we've been to have been worth it. Blue Bayou is fun once in a while (more for the ambience), but the current menu is a no for me. We stuck to quick service the last two trips. We liked the breakfast Ronto Wrap, everything at Docking Bay 7, and Jolly Holiday. Honestly the best sit down meal we've had in the area was at the Cheesecake Factory.

Cheesecake Factory is hard to beat because they give you so much food. As long as you stick to simple, it’s usually pretty darn good.

 

[DLgal]

Cheesecake Factory is hard to beat because they give you so much food. As long as you stick to simple, it’s usually pretty darn good.

CF gets a bad rap, but it's consistently good. They make EVERYTHING from scratch there every day, except for, ironically, the cheesecakes. That's a sign of a good kitchen. I have never had a disappointing meal there.

 

[StormyCA]

Disneyland has better quick service. The quick service restaurants at WDW are awful…. But the table service restaurants at WDW, especially the Epcot and Disney Springs restaurants, are leagues above what is offered at DL. When we go to WDW, we plan around our favorite table service meals.

Agree, we do TS at WDW just about every day of our stay. It's one thing that WDW has ALL over DL, the availability & variety of TS eateries. Although I do have to put in a good word for Regal Eagle (CS) at Epcot. The BBQ there is pretty good.

At DL it's pretty much CS for us because the TS just isn't worth the prices for the quality and/or quantity of the entrees.

 

[GracieB]

Our best experience and most reliable has been lamplight lounge.

We got back last weekend and had our worst experience at Blue Bayou and have crossed it off the list for awhile. The prime rib was gross. Nothing but fat. My kid got the kids prime rib. She got a tiny cut of fat.

We are going to start eating our sit down meals offsite. I no longer trust the sit down meals on the Disney property. Even with the MK discount.f

Five

Five of us ordered Blue Bayou prime rib on 12/27/22, all was terrible.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Disneyland has better quick service. The quick service restaurants at WDW are awful…. But the table service restaurants at WDW, especially the Epcot and Disney Springs restaurants, are leagues above what is offered at DL. When we go to WDW, we plan around our favorite table service meals.

We don't do too much QS at WDW because we always to sit downs. Usually just do QS for a quick breakfast or snacks. Honesty we weren't real impressed with the QS at DL either. It just seems like there aren't any we can really agree on for one thing. We did Flo's at CA and it was just ok. Did Hungry Bear and was really disappointed because the food was cold. Gonna try some other ones maybe and hope for better luck. We may just have to each get something from different places.

 

[DLgal]

We don't do too much QS at WDW because we always to sit downs. Usually just do QS for a quick breakfast or snacks. Honesty we weren't real impressed with the QS at DL either. It just seems like there aren't any we can really agree on for one thing. We did Flo's at CA and it was just ok. Did Hungry Bear and was really disappointed because the food was cold. Gonna try some other ones maybe and hope for better luck. We may just have to each get something from different places.

You can't go wrong with these places (recommendations in parentheses):

DCA:
Pacific Wharf Cafe (Tortilla soup in bread bowl)
Pyms Test Kitchen (chicken sandwich)
Cocina Cucamonga (Birria or chicken tacos)
Boardwalk Pizza (get the Italian chef salad or Boardwalk field greens salad)
Corn Dog Castle (hot link corndog)

DL:
Rancho del Zocalo (chile verde, chicken caldo soup, or half grilled chicken platter)
Jolly Holiday (grilled cheese/tomato soup combo)
Bengal BBQ (get the rice plate)
Docking Bay 7 (get the braised beef pasta)
Alien Pizza Planet (get the antipasto salad, Chicken Fusilli or the Clawsagna pasta dish)

GCH:
Try Craftsman Grill (CS). I like the steak salad here. It's pricey buy TS quality.

 

[irlandaise]

Bengal BBQ (get the rice plate)

+1 on Bengal BBQ.

I sure miss the Mediterranean plates in DCA. :-( I think someone said a while back that they're available occasionally.

 

[Aurora0427]

We don't do too much QS at WDW because we always to sit downs. Usually just do QS for a quick breakfast or snacks. Honesty we weren't real impressed with the QS at DL either. It just seems like there aren't any we can really agree on for one thing. We did Flo's at CA and it was just ok. Did Hungry Bear and was really disappointed because the food was cold. Gonna try some other ones maybe and hope for better luck. We may just have to each get something from different places.

Rancho de Zocalo at DLP is our favorite. Everyone we’ve taken there has loved it. But yes… Disneyland definitely has its own disappointing QS restaurants. The two you just mentioned are among our least favorites, but Flo’s was better before Covid.

 

[Blue32]

Rancho de Zocalo at DLP is our favorite. Everyone we’ve taken there has loved it. But yes… Disneyland definitely has its own disappointing QS restaurants. The two you just mentioned are among our least favorites, but Flo’s was better before Covid.

I so wish they would bring back the original menu at Flos. The Turkey and Beef dinners here were a perfect fit for the diner theme delicious and different than food you can find elsewhere in the parks. I suppose the burger still fits, but those platters….super good.

 

[amyg1975]

+1 on Bengal BBQ.

I sure miss the Mediterranean plates in DCA. :-( I think someone said a while back that they're available occasionally.

The Mediterranean food was our favorite!

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

You can't go wrong with these places (recommendations in parentheses):

DCA:
Pacific Wharf Cafe (Tortilla soup in bread bowl)
Pyms Test Kitchen (chicken sandwich)
Cocina Cucamonga (Birria or chicken tacos)
Boardwalk Pizza (get the Italian chef salad or Boardwalk field greens salad)
Corn Dog Castle (hot link corndog)

DL:
Rancho del Zocalo (chile verde, chicken caldo soup, or half grilled chicken platter)
Jolly Holiday (grilled cheese/tomato soup combo)
Bengal BBQ (get the rice plate)
Docking Bay 7 (get the braised beef pasta)
Alien Pizza Planet (get the antipasto salad, Chicken Fusilli or the Clawsagna pasta dish)

GCH:
Try Craftsman Grill (CS). I like the steak salad here. It's pricey buy TS quality.

Thank you for the recommendations!

 

[BrianL]

Disneyland has better quick service. The quick service restaurants at WDW are awful…. But the table service restaurants at WDW, especially the Epcot and Disney Springs restaurants, are leagues above what is offered at DL. When we go to WDW, we plan around our favorite table service meals.

This is generally true. I will say that some WDW quick service places have upped the game a little out there - places like Satu'li Canteen in the Avatar Land, but generally the palces that serve the basic burgers, etc. are still pretty bad. At DLR you can actually get a decent QS burger, and don't even get me started on WDW pizza!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I think when you eat at the parks frequently you find hidden gems at counter service. I rarely do sit down, but if it do it’s Lamplight Lounge brunch or lunch/dinner, or Craftsman Bar in the GCH. I’ve personally never had a bad meal at either of those places. I also had a good meal at Hearthstone Lounge in the GCH.

For me, the best counter service in the parks is in Galaxy’s Edge. I love most things at Docking Bay 7 and all the Ronto Wraps (breakfast, regular and plant based). The chocolate popcorn sold in this land is one of my favorite treats. I will walk from Main Street to Galaxy’s Edge just for lunch.

Rancho Del Zocalo has good food at decent prices and plenty of seating.

Red Rose Tavern has some decent items: the flatbread is inexpensive and pretty good and we often order their tots as a snack. So good!

In DCA, Award Wieners is surprisingly good. Yes, it’s hotdogs, but they are GOOD hotdogs with great fries at a good price and big portions.

Pym’s Test Kitchen has the yummy chicken schnitzel (it’s really not a sandwich) and more awesome tots.