Worst meal experience?

[DisneyHardin]

Our only bad experience at a Disney restaurant was at Kona for breakfast. We had an early ADR right when they opened. There were only a few tables with customers, but one of the tables was a regular. Our server was much more interested in hanging out at the table of the regular than checking on us. Our food was brought out by a food runner and it was horrible - like almost inedible, but since our server never came over to check on us until she brought the bill, we couldn't tell her how terrible it was. When she finally came with the bill she saw that I hadn't eaten much of anything and questioned it. I told her how bad it all was and she offered to get me something else, but at that point we had been there as long as I wanted to be. In retrospect, I should have asked to speak to a manager and gotten the food taken off the bill, but at that time, I just paid the bill, left a VERY small tip and got out of there.

 

[armerida]

I think we must have had the same server - the wonderful bartender saw how our server had completely abandoned us and he came over to get us drinks and actually get our (cold, not good) entrees to us. We will never return.

That must have been Sergio! He's the best - we always eat at the bar there and have exceptional service.

 

[epcotobsessed]

That must have been Sergio! He's the best - we always eat at the bar there and have exceptional service.

Yup, he was the one bright spot, and he was fantastic.

 

[Kevlar10]

surprised to see quite a few negatives on Le Cellier....it was my favorite meal a couple years ago. Maybe things have changed since then? Either that, or for the price point people expect way too much.

We have eaten there three times. The first time, our oldest was 4 and he threw a tantrum for the first 15 minutes we were there. We were mortified but the server brought him a cute Buzz Lightyear drink with a light up straw holder and he settled down immediately. The steaks were amazing and the cheddar cheese soup was great. The second time, we were really looking forward to the steaks and CCS, but the steaks were overcooked and we had to wait because we were told they had to make more soup. ??? The second time it had become a signature meal and it was definitely not worth the 2 credits. We complained and they added the 2nd credit back onto our account. The 3rd time was a few years later and we decided to give it another try. The food was so so but they packed the 5 of us in a small table (we now had a third child since the last visit). We barely had room for all five meals on the table and the tables were so close, people were constantly squeezing past is to get to their own tables. It would be acceptable except Le Cellier is definitely not a “signature” level restaurant and I doubt if we will ever go back.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

We've had a few meals over the years that were mediocre (which is still frustrating considering the high cost of those meals), but the only meal I ever had at WDW that I would describe the food as just plain BAD was the buffet at 1900 Park Fare.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I’ve never had a bad experience in a WDW restaurant. I do think Tusker House is just too dang loud, so we won’t return.

The only time I threw my food away was at Boardwalk Bakery. Worst meatball sandwich in the history of the world. Subway is better!

 

[DrunkJam]

I also think Disney Makes it harder for themselves.
You have to book 6 months out for the most popular places (to get the time and date you want) so you are anticipating that meal for half a year. So, you hold it to higher standard. I mean, if the character interaction is awesome, it mitigates less good food, but, if you have booked something advertised as a signature experience, then, you have 6 months to build it up in your mind, and so, if you wait ages, or its crowded or the service is off, it's MORE of a let down. Especially if it WAS good, because you looked forward to that meal for even longer!

 

[North of Mouse]

Oh, I love, love, love all the replies!! If a person considered them all on where to eat at Disney, guess what? You wouldn't eat anywhere!!

We have been going to Disney since MK opened in '71 and have had very few bad meals/experiences - yes, that's right!
A few off meals, a few won't returns, but overall after many many visits hardly amount to anything.
I love to cook, but don't begin to compare anything I eat out with home cooking that I put so much time and effort into, so we're nearly always content with our meals.

As for 'Ohana and Cape May, they are two of our never miss restaurants to dine at. Can't say enough good about those two places. Have never had the bad experiences that a few others have mentioned.

The best thing to do is to try for yourself, then only you can determine if you enjoy it or not.

 

[ahhhshmatthew]

I also think Disney Makes it harder for themselves.
You have to book 6 months out for the most popular places (to get the time and date you want) so you are anticipating that meal for half a year. So, you hold it to higher standard. I mean, if the character interaction is awesome, it mitigates less good food, but, if you have booked something advertised as a signature experience, then, you have 6 months to build it up in your mind, and so, if you wait ages, or its crowded or the service is off, it's MORE of a let down. Especially if it WAS good, because you looked forward to that meal for even longer!

This is such a great, but under-discussed, take on the topic. My admittedly OCD self loves all of the detail, strategy and planning involved in a Disney trip, but it makes absolute sense that this (likely) greatly contributes to your letdown if the meal doesn't meet expectations, much more so than it otherwise would. Good take!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I think we have a couple different ways to look at our dining experiences over the years. The first: we've been going to Disney World for a million years now! But even though we've been fortunate to get there often, we have a rule where we always eat at someplace new - just so we give them a try. Of the 'first-time' places we do, I'd say maybe 1/2 them stay on our list for a repeat visit in the future, while the others are been there/tried that/thought it was fun and OK/ moving on to something else. The second type of dining would be our 'must do or never do" places. And believe it or not, those have actually changed over the years. As an example, 15+ years ago, 'OHana was an absolute must-do for us. With changes in the menu and some lesser experiences since then, it's no longer must-do for our family. On the other side, we had some awful experiences at Coral Reef 15+ years ago. There was a stretch we didn't eat there for a really long time. But friends told us they ate there and thought they had fixed things we didn't like - so we tried it recently,and now we're back and eating there again.

So I think our opinions are based on experiences - and those opinions can shift - and it's also why when 100 people respond to a post like this, there are likely 100 different favorites and least-favorites! I like reading about the other experiences you all have, but I usually only pay close attention when it involves a place we haven't eaten yet, and might on a future trip. Only we (and you) can determine where you like to eat at Disney!

 

[MarkS2112]

The Edison. Will never go back there ever!

We ate here at the end of September and were looking forward to trying it as it was something new. I was hoping that some of the old Adventurers Club mystique would be there in the new steam punk vibe. While some of the decor was interesting most seemed to be confused as to what it wanted to be. After checking in 15 minutes early we waited 30 minutes past our reservation while others arriving after us were seated. Then after being seated we had a hostess, that while nice, should not have been a hostess. After placing our app order and meal order she came back to tell us that what I had ordered was no longer available. Instead of bringing a menu at that point I had to wait. Then our app came, but we still did not have water or drinks yet. Finally after finishing the app we got a menu. Alternatives were scarce. Finally after 90 minutes we got our meals. Not much better than a standard chain meal. My wife's chicken came in a plastic basket. The salmon came with a plate full of 1/2 cut tomatoes. It was also greasy. After that it took 45 minutes to get desert. The key lime creme brule was poor. Overall it took 2 hours and 15 minutes from when we sat down. If you count the wait it was 3 hours. We felt forgotten and attention to service was lacking as well as food quality. I am not sure this place knows what it wants to be or what it wants to serve as the menu is all over the place. To boot later that night I got ill with a touch of food poisoning. HUGH disappointment and not worth of a Disney Springs establishment. Will never ever go back here.

 

[Disneypro1]

Well. IMHO all the QS is pretty good. I even like cosmic rays. However. For the money...La Cellier was just not good. Better steak at Texas Roadhouse. Not worth the $$ to me

 

[Boopuff]

Our family had the ultimate worst dining experience at the Big River Grille (at BW) we were seated, waiter came by got our drink order, then, in good time, took our order (apps and main course) Then we never saw him again. Suddenly our apps, dinner came out stone cold brought out by a busboy. Called over Manager. He said the waiter had quit! (gee thanks for telling us!) asked if we wanted us to re-order (he comped the entire meal and it came out correctly) Needless to say we won't ever go back.

 

[North of Mouse]

Our family had the ultimate worst dining experience at the Big River Grille (at BW) we were seated, waiter came by got our drink order, then, in good time, took our order (apps and main course) Then we never saw him again. Suddenly our apps, dinner came out stone cold brought out by a busboy. Called over Manager. He said the waiter had quit! (gee thanks for telling us!) asked if we wanted us to re-order (he comped the entire meal and it came out correctly) Needless to say we won't ever go back.

It was definitely the waiter's fault, the manager was nice, fixed you a new meal which was correct, comped your meals, and you won't return??

 

[kwdw]

O'hana and Le Cellier for me! Won't be back. Course - I love some of the places folks say they won't be back to on this list!

 

[Mazz519]

Last Trip we went to Ohana it was always one of our favorites they changed the menu around a little and we all felt it wasn't the same.... Steak was a cheaper cut got rid of the Turkey replaced it with a not so good chicken only thing good was the shrimp..... also not a big fan of Cape May Cafe...has gone downhill in the past few years

 

[Jennasis]

Our family had the ultimate worst dining experience at the Big River Grille (at BW) we were seated, waiter came by got our drink order, then, in good time, took our order (apps and main course) Then we never saw him again. Suddenly our apps, dinner came out stone cold brought out by a busboy. Called over Manager. He said the waiter had quit! (gee thanks for telling us!) asked if we wanted us to re-order (he comped the entire meal and it came out correctly) Needless to say we won't ever go back.

The manager fixed everything and you wont go back cause the waiter quit?

 

[SteveH]

The Edison. Though I won’t say I won’t go back as I hope that our experience really was just an off night.

We arrived on time for our ADR and were seated promptly on the second floor over looking the stage. Our waiter arrived and helped us make a couple of drink selections and we placed our order for the Clothesline Candied Bacon! Drinks and bacon arrived and we were not disappointed. We’d also placed our meal orders, Old Fashioned Meatloaf & Gravy and my wife had The Edison burger. Things went down hill when we’d not even finished our Bacon when our entree arrived via the food runner (not our waiter). Which seemed way to fast based on when we ordered, but with a fairly limited menu we assumed they just had an efficient kitchen.

One bight into my wife’s burger we found out why it was so fast, it was way under cooked. She preferred her burgers to be well done, this one was pink, it was still mooing on the bun. It took a couple of minutes to flag down our waiter and from his expression on the way over we figured something else was up. Sure enough that wasn’t our meal, another couple a few tables away had ordered the same thing, just medium rare for the burger.

So I will share my personal thoughts. This is exactly why I generally do no like any restaurant that uses the food runner system vs the waiter bringing the food out. The waiter was left out of the equation in getting things right, and of course the food runner doesn’t know who ordered what. This is a big pet peeve of mine. Back to the ordeal.

So our waiter explains the situation and offered to remake my meal as well as my wife. She insist I go ahead eat and she will wait. Normally I would decline but honestly I was pretty hungry. She salvaged a few fries before her plate took off. By that time my wife had made visual connection with the table that was still waiting for their food. Very shortly after the food runner reappears with another Edison Burger and Meatloaf, just like the first time it came out way too fast. We sent him away and told him he had again gotten the wrong table. He was visually irritated with our reply, but frankly I didn’t care how he felt.

The waiter eventually made it back, frantically apologizing for yet another mix up. At this point my wife had begun to lose it. I’d given her some of my meal and she told him she wasn’t interested in waiting for another burger. We lost count how many times he apologized to us.

The manger did come to apologize, and offered to comp our meals, though it was a bit vague exactly what he was going to comp. He was very nice and genuinely seemed concerned by what we’d been though. He did offer to buy our desert, but as nice as that was my wife really just wanted to be done as she doesn’t like confrontation and even less when she’s hungry.

A few minutes later the waiter comes back, and again apologies over and over. When he said it wasn’t his fault is about when I’d had enough and asked for our check. He then asked a very awkward question, wanting to know what we and arranged with the manager. Honestly this shocked me more than anything else that night. We told him he was going to comp our meals. He ran off and came back with our check which had our drinks, bacon and my meal. Normally I would have protested, but out of respect of my wife I just handed over my credit card to expedite our departure.

I saw our waiter run into his manager and by his expression I knew he was not happy. The manager returned and politely handed me my credit card and apologized for the service and problems we had and told us there would be no charge at all, even offered for us to return another night for a meal. I appreciate what he did, but we declined the offer and left.

My meatloaf was ok, nothing amazing and the consistency was more like a pate then meatloaf. But the food really wasn’t the issue, it was the breakdown of service. I have no doubt our waiter is a great young man, but the food runner system and the food runner getting the orders wrong twice was the problem.

So yes I might go back, but probably won’t any time soon. To bad we we were really excited about our night out at The Edison.

 

[treygn]

Our worst dining experience was at Tony’s where the service was terrible and the hostess made my son cry. The food was also bad. But the reason we won’t go back there is because of the bad memories that were made there, not because the food was bad years ago. Chefs, managers, and other personnel change which is why some restaurants that used to be the worst are now pretty darn good. Same can be said for resorts. My recommendation is to only pay attention to RECENT reviews when it comes to Disney establishments. So here are my recent (within past year) rankings of best & worst dining experiences based on food, service, value, & atmosphere.

Best
1. Sanaa (dinner)
2. The Boathouse (dinner)
3. Topolino’s Terrace (breakfast)
4. Trail’s End (breakfast)
5. Sci-fi Dine-in (lunch)
HM: Big River Grille (dinner)

Worst
1. Restaurantosaurus Burgers & Sundaes (dinner)
2. The Plaza Restaurant (breakfast)
3. Whispering Canyon Cafe (dinner)

On top of these, there were lots of good experiences that we’d recommend but maybe aren’t the best of the best like: La Hacienda de San Angel (dinner), Mama Melrose’s (lunch & dinner), Chef Mickey’s (breakfast), Tusker House (breakfast & lunch), Geyser Point (lunch), and ESPN Club (lunch).

 

[Alan1972]

We have eaten there three times. The first time, our oldest was 4 and he threw a tantrum for the first 15 minutes we were there. We were mortified but the server brought him a cute Buzz Lightyear drink with a light up straw holder and he settled down immediately. The steaks were amazing and the cheddar cheese soup was great. The second time, we were really looking forward to the steaks and CCS, but the steaks were overcooked and we had to wait because we were told they had to make more soup. ??? The second time it had become a signature meal and it was definitely not worth the 2 credits. We complained and they added the 2nd credit back onto our account. The 3rd time was a few years later and we decided to give it another try. The food was so so but they packed the 5 of us in a small table (we now had a third child since the last visit). We barely had room for all five meals on the table and the tables were so close, people were constantly squeezing past is to get to their own tables. It would be acceptable except Le Cellier is definitely not a “signature” level restaurant and I doubt if we will ever go back.

You let him throw a tantrum in a restaurant for 15 mins and didn’t take him outside ?