WORST DISNEY DINING EXPERIENCE

[Vaughanabe13]

I think a lot of the posts in this thread fall into one of two camps: 1) Had a bad experience at a particular restaurant on a particular night. 2) Make sweeping generalizations about how bad Disney restaurants are, how bad the food is, how bad the service is, how expensive it is, how dining plan/free dining is ruining everything, etc.

Now I don't have a problem with #1 and I could even add a few of my own experiences that didn't go so great, but when it comes to #2 I fully disagree with that attitude. You have to consider the sheer number of high quality restaurants on property, the sheer number of people fed per day and the logistics involved with ADRs and staffing and food sourcing, and the fact that everyone dining on Disney property is on a vacation and on high-alert expecting everything to be perfect and 'magical' every single time. With all of those things considered, Disney actually does a remarkable job.

To put it in perspective, I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year and found the food on that ship (Freedom of the Seas) to be beyond abysmal. Just some of the worst, thawed-and-microwaved slop trying to be passed as gourmet. Nothing I've ever had at Disney has even been on the same order of magnitude as bad as the food was on that ship. It really put it into perspective for me just how good Disney food is across the board and how you can have so many wonderful and varied experiences there.

So I just wanted to say it's fun to laugh about bad dining experiences but it's another thing to make blanket statements about Disney food just due to a few anecdotal reports of rude servers or food not cooked to the perfect temperature.

 

[Belleandtinker]

Whispering Canyon and Boatwrights - won't go back. Too many other restaurants to try to go back to these two (for our family(.

 

[lovin'fl]

Our never again places are: Bongos and Marrakesh for meh service and bland/dry yucky food and Bongos was loud and Marrakesh we were sat where we couldn't see the dancers...and CRT-breakfast (mostly not worth the price)
Our iffy places that we prefer not to go back to are: Cape May, Rose and Crown (will still get drinks at bar) and Garden Grill...crap service and meh food, GG had okay service but was chaotic and loud

 

[Lucius Best]

I am not a fan of Grand Floridian Café, especially for dinner. It is very overbooked, loud and chaotic. Expect a LONG wait for your table even though you have a reservation. Food took ages to come out. Kids' menu food was pretty lame. However, the rest of my family loves it, so I'm sure we will eat there again.

That is so weird. When did you go that it was so busy? Grand Floridian Cafe is our top go-to last-minute dinner places. Every time we have been there, it was either a walk-in, or a last-minute ADR. We just ate there last month with no ADR, the place was half empty. We even ate there for dinner one night during a February school vacation week when we were desperate to eat anything not Counter Service, and it seemed like every single restaurant in WDW was full, but Grand Floridian Cafe was half empty.

 

[disneyAndi14]

CHEF MICKEY Dinner
- Long wait for our seats even though we had first reservation time frame
- Food was awful, some inedible, lots cold
- Food stations were filthy and food all over the counters and floor
- Server never checked on us and I had to waive her down for drinks ... since it's a buffet she was pointless
- Restaurant total chaos
- Characters barely stayed long enough to sign their names
- Character handlers did not do their jobs - kids were following characters from table to table, pushing in on our pictures
- LOUD, so loud
- We ate there on Free Dining and I can't fathom actually paying to eat there.

DD ate there a couple months ago for Breakfast with her friends. She no sooner left, she texted me. She had never been and couldn't believe how bad it was.

I absolutely agree with you, we had the same experience, couldn't have said it better!

 

[Lucius Best]

WCC...waited 25 minutes to get seated and then they took us to the tiny back room, with like 5 tables, that is completely separated from the main dining room.

This reminds me of my Whispering Canyon bad experience. Three of us had run the Disney Marathon at 5:30am that morning, then spent the day at MK. We had booked Whispering Canyon ADR for right when it opened for dinner at 5pm, intending to consume mass quantities of protein. We got there before WCC was open, so it was completely empty. We were given a buzzer, okay fine. 15 minutes pass, and other parties are being seated, we are exhausted and beyond ravenous. My wife goes to the podium, and is told "5 minutes". Another 15 minutes go by, I go ask again, "5 minutes" again. The seating area is less than half full, a couple of other people waiting.

By this time, my blood sugar is crashing, I'm feeling dizzy and light-headed. Our friend is fast asleep, drooling on a lobby sofa. My wife looks like she is gong to cry or kill somebody or both. 5 minutes pass, nothing, so I go back to the podium. Old cranky CM tries to tell me "5 minutes" again. I told her that I see lots of open tables, we've been waiting patiently for over a half hour, you've told us "5 minutes" three times, I ran 26 miles today (we were all wearing our finisher medals) and we need to be seated immediately, because if I don't eat soon, I'm going to literally pass out. That was not an exaggeration, if I had known it was going to take so long, we would have gone to the food court.

CM started to lecture me on how ADRs aren't like reservations blah blah blah how busy they are blah blah next available table blah blah, luckily a manager happened to overhear our conversation. The manager took one look at us, apologized profusely, brought us right in to an empty table. She grabbed a waitress and told her to bring us milkshakes on the house. The waitress took care of us, we ate lots of meat, I drank three milkshakes (vanilla, caramel, and creamsicle), the manager came back to check up on us several times. So the meal started off bad but ended on a positive note.

 

[Tom Caselli]

I think a lot of the posts in this thread fall into one of two camps: 1) Had a bad experience at a particular restaurant on a particular night. 2) Make sweeping generalizations about how bad Disney restaurants are, how bad the food is, how bad the service is, how expensive it is, how dining plan/free dining is ruining everything, etc.

Now I don't have a problem with #1 and I could even add a few of my own experiences that didn't go so great, but when it comes to #2 I fully disagree with that attitude. You have to consider the sheer number of high quality restaurants on property, the sheer number of people fed per day and the logistics involved with ADRs and staffing and food sourcing, and the fact that everyone dining on Disney property is on a vacation and on high-alert expecting everything to be perfect and 'magical' every single time. With all of those things considered, Disney actually does a remarkable job.

To put it in perspective, I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year and found the food on that ship (Freedom of the Seas) to be beyond abysmal. Just some of the worst, thawed-and-microwaved slop trying to be passed as gourmet. Nothing I've ever had at Disney has even been on the same order of magnitude as bad as the food was on that ship. It really put it into perspective for me just how good Disney food is across the board and how you can have so many wonderful and varied experiences there.

So I just wanted to say it's fun to laugh about bad dining experiences but it's another thing to make blanket statements about Disney food just due to a few anecdotal reports of rude servers or food not cooked to the perfect temperature.

I completely agree.

 

[Tom Caselli]

I absolutely agree with you, we had the same experience, couldn't have said it better!

Every time that we have been at Chef Mickey's it has been great. We were just there 1 1/2 weeks ago.

 

[hroyale]

Worst service was San Angel Inn a few years back. The line to check in was so long, we were on-line long before 15 mins before our reservation time, didn't make it to the desk until 30 mins after our time and got scolded for being late. They would "let it slide" but made us wait 90 mins after that for our table. We had 6 year old twins who fell asleep at the table before their meal was served. Happy Birthday to me.

 

[Steakgoddess]

Had one pretty bad experience at a Disney restaurant. Back when I had my annual pass in 2012, I was getting to Disney a LOT. I ate at Tony's just about every visit because I enjoyed the Shrimp Scampi. Love me some asparagus!

I receive my pasta, took a bite and then noticed that the tomatoes had bad spots. The waitress came over, I showed her and then she apologized and took it back. She brought me a new dish after a little while and I took a bite, then saw the bad spots on the tomatoes again. This time I asked for the manager.

She came over and tried to convince me that it was because the tomatoes were roasted. I explained that was mold-not roasting marks. That gray/green color was definitely not from roasting. She said, well the chef said it is from roasting. I said I am here every few weeks and I get this dish every single time I am here. This dish has bad tomatoes in it. They are moldy and rottern. She then asked me how I knew it was mold and did I taste it? I told her didn't want the moldy dish and at this point, I would just take my check. She walked away and then the waitress came back and said we comped your appetizer for the trouble. I said, wait a second. I ate my appetizer and enjoyed it. But I am expected to pay for a $20 dish I couldn't eat because it was rotten? She said hold on a second and left.

When she came back, she said I can take the scampi off, but you will have to pay for your appetizer. I am thinking DUH in my head and just said gladly.

Really don't know what the heck happened on that day at Tony's, but we have it planned for our next trip, so I am giving it another go.

 

[jtovey56]

Worst meal: Chef Mickey's. We had been there last time & loved the whole experience. This time, food cold, food practically tasteless, place a mess, & character interaction next to nothing. I especially felt bad for our guest after we had raved about the place & it was the worst meal & last meal of our week long stay. Never again.

 

[themommy]

I actually don't think a 25 minute wait is that bad ...unless it was before 6PM. At least it sounds like you experienced some of their charm ...you know, the fun you were looking for. I understand about being in that back room, but they can't always control that.

I realize that can't control that...it was the attitude that came with it that really bothered me.

 

[themommy]

I just looked at the menu. There is only one shellfish entree and a couple of appetizers so I could see why you would be disappointed if you went expecting lots of shellfish. Actually, I'm a bit surprised by the menu. There are 9 entrees. 4 aren't seafood. So a place that most probably think of as a "seafood" restaurant really only has 5 seafood meals to choose from.

The worst dining experience I had was Coral Reef. Common wisdom is that Coral Reef is great. I emphatically disagree. While we were waiting to be seat they "accidentally" tripped our buzzer and said while giggling that we had to wait some more. When we finally get seat, we discover that there is no actual seafood on the menu. There is only fish. For my family seafood is shrimp, crab, and lobster. I was a Disney newbie at the time and it was our first visit, so I didn't know you could preview menus. The waitress was harried and I think had too many tables. We needed refills and I had to get up and grab another waiter to get our one refill of the meal. The food was poor, the service was worse, and I had three little girls with me and no one thought to sit us by the fish tanks. This being said the rest of our visit was amazing and this was the one bad spot in our trip. If I even mention dining at Disney, my oldest daughter says, "Make sure you we don't eat at the restaurant with the fish tank.
Our favorite is Raglan Road. DH and I love the pub feeling to it and made reservations to go back.

Yes! And there is fried shrimp on the menu...for the kids but, not the adults. What sense does that make? Someone told me once that I could order the shrimp off of the kids menu and that they would give me an adult size but, I am afraid to go there and try and get refused.

 

[Kristi113]

Worst for me was Sci fi drive in. We were looking forward to the experience. We had a reservation, but waited 25 min. Ok, no big deal. Got to the table and were seated right at the doorway.....yuck. We asked to be moved, but said no other tables available. Because we were at the doorway, there were people constantly walking right by us. Very annoying. The waitress barely spoke English and we had to repeat everything several times. She was also very inattentive. No drink refills or even coming to check how the food was, which unfortunately wasn't very good as my husbands steak was undercooked. Sadly, I do not think we will go back because there are so many great places, I don't want to take the risk

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

The longest wait we've had for a table with an ADR is about 10 minutes. I think anything more than 15 minutes or so would make me very irritated. The point of a reservation is that you have a table for your party at about the time you arrive. Waiting 25 minutes is unacceptable, and those who said they had an hour wait would rightly have been very upset. People spend entirely too much money for a Disney vacation to spend any significant time in a waiting room at a restaurant.

 

[GAN]

I realize that can't control that...it was the attitude that came with it that really bothered me.

I understand, but part of that may have been some of their shtick ...not making excuses but they do act that way as part of the "fun". Apparently even when the timing isn't quite right...

 

[disneysteve]

To put it in perspective, I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year and found the food on that ship (Freedom of the Seas) to be beyond abysmal. Just some of the worst, thawed-and-microwaved slop trying to be passed as gourmet. Nothing I've ever had at Disney has even been on the same order of magnitude as bad as the food was on that ship. It really put it into perspective for me just how good Disney food is across the board and how you can have so many wonderful and varied experiences there.

This is exactly how I feel any time I visit a non-Disney theme park: Dorney Park, Great Adventure, Hersheypark, etc. I love those places but dread having to eat while I'm there. The food is awful and outrageously priced. Disney park food is excellent and far more reasonably priced in comparison.

 

[Marissaq]

Agree about chef mickeys. I reserved for daughters first birthday. Waitress brought her a cupcake and Left it on the table without a candle or singing Happy Birthday. I didn't make a fuss over it but I am disappointed in how service changed over the years.

Only 15 years ago, my 5 year old sister received a cupcake with a candle from Mickey Mouse at Chef Mickeys. This was also at high season compared to my low season.

 

[emmabemmainc]

Worst for me was Sci fi drive in. We were looking forward to the experience. We had a reservation, but waited 25 min. Ok, no big deal. Got to the table and were seated right at the doorway.....yuck. We asked to be moved, but said no other tables available. Because we were at the doorway, there were people constantly walking right by us. Very annoying. The waitress barely spoke English and we had to repeat everything several times. She was also very inattentive. No drink refills or even coming to check how the food was, which unfortunately wasn't very good as my husbands steak was undercooked. Sadly, I do not think we will go back because there are so many great places, I don't want to take the risk

We were seated in the same spot a few years ago and it totally ruins the mood. Our waitress was also not very good. We will not be returning either.

 

[emmabemmainc]

I understand, but part of that may have been some of their shtick ...not making excuses but they do act that way as part of the "fun". Apparently even when the timing isn't quite right...

No, making people wait for 45 minutes total, yelling in a rude voice about them wanting another table and huffing and stomping are not part of the schtick. No way. Now, giving you a million bottles of ketchup is....totally different.