Am I Alone... WDW Food is BAD

[Jon81uk]

I've had some great meals at Cali Grill and a lot of mediocre stuff elsewhere as well as some better than expected things.

Generally it is significantly better than most theme park food is in the UK, but also expensive even for quick service (the fall in the value of the pound hasn't helped), $15 for a burger and fries is a lot.

In general though I've never had an awful meal at WDW.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Is WDW Food "Bad"? No it's not bad. But overall it's not great. And it definitely is overpriced.

 

[Hockey89]

This has been talked about a ton.... Food is blah even at the best places and way over priced.... None of them outside of v&a would make it in NYC or Boston or pick your city with the same prices… All would close...

 

[some other guy]

The food going from Pretty Good to Sorta Okay to lolwat over the 90s into the 00s was one of the big things to discourage me from going over the years.

 

[Disorbust]

It wasn't like this in the past but the qualty has really bottomed out. We are jsut back and during out stay at AoA the food court menus changed to just terrible. My DD asked one of the CMs and she said that all the value food courts are now serving items that can be served in 3 minutes and it shows. Bought a $ 15 burger thats was pre-made, wrapped up and it was god awful. Lettuce, tomato completely mushy after sitting under the warmer. Never ate at the food court again after that. We acually went to McDs instead.

Fun treats like the cupcakes were also aweful compared to the past. My youngest DD tradition is to eat the Key lime tarts where every she finds them. She took one bite and tossed it.

The menus at the TS and Signature dining have also become limited. I had planned on Jiko, but their menu was down to 4 entrees since they have the Lion king fixed menu.

 

[deeevo]

Value is subjective and varies from person to person but I’ve never had a meal at WDW that left me with a “wow, that’s the best (blank) I’ve ever had” or “wow, I’ve never had that before”.

Let’s hear it... am I alone or not?!

Quick service in the parks is bad... real bad. Quick service in the resorts is fair and sometimes good or really good... table service in SOME parks is great and not so great.. and yes really great.. Via Napoli, Brown Derby ... table service in the resorts is great and fanatic and sometime the best I have had ever..... Sanaa, California Grill, Flying Fish, Ohana and so on... so to say ALL of WDW never left you with the “wow, that’s the best (blank) I’ve ever had” or “wow, I’ve never had that before”. Where have you eaten?

 

[eliza61nyc]

I’ve eaten almost everywhere... from the worst quick service to the “best” of the more high end restaurants.

I’m also the planning type so I’m not a rookie... I always pulled ADR’s at the 180 mark.

I guess I’m lucky because I live in a major American city with amazing food and a number of smaller cities in neighboring areas that have prosperous food scenes.

Come on dude, seriously why would you compare Disney food to what you can get in NYC, Boston, LA etc.

I'm with everyone else, I've had some really good meals at the world and some bad ones. I know my favorites so we tend to revisit them.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Quick service in the parks is bad... real bad.

Where are you eating?

Flame Tree Barbecue? Harambe Market? Tangerine Cafe? Sunshine Seasons? Columbia Harbour House? Yorkshire County Fish Shop? Les Halles? Pecos Bills even?

None of those are Earth-shatteringly brilliant, but they're counter-service restaurants and aren't supposed to be. Describing them as "bad... real bad" strikes me as a tremendous stretch.

 

[eliza61nyc]

This has been talked about a ton.... Food is blah even at the best places and way over priced.... None of them outside of v&a would make it in NYC or Boston or pick your city with the same prices… All would close...

They are not meant to compete with NYC or Boston. food at all inclusives are not meant to compare to major cities. It's like the deluxes, they are not going to stack up to a 4-5 star in the outside world.

It's like any other destination where you are held captive, part of the cost is the convenience

 

[Hockey89]

They are not meant to compete with NYC or Boston.

Did you think that was insightful?

 

[eliza61nyc]

Did you think that was insightful?

Not at all but I do think people "forget". you read it all the time on this site. we constantly compare the resorts to the four seasons. so insightful or not, we do it. op himself mentioned that he's used to the meals he gets from living in a big city.
Is there a litmus test a post must pass to be considered worthy?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Not at all but I do think people "forget". you read it all the time on this site. we constantly compare the resorts to the four seasons. so insightful or not, we do it. op himself mentioned that he's used to the meals he gets from living in a big city.
Is there a litmus test a post must pass to be considered worthy?

I would say though that you can compare it to at least DL, and I think they have WDW beat, many more healthy and tasty options, even in quick serve.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I would say though that you can compare it to at least DL, and I think they have WDW beat, many more healthy and tasty options, even in quick serve.

Very strongly disagree. We were at Disneyland for seven nights in February and the food was shockingly bad. The two most highly recommended items in our research were a bread bowl at Royal Street Veranda (ice cold soup, stale bread) and fried chicken at the Plaza (cafeteria quality, much worse than Fort Wilderness).

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Very strongly disagree. We were at Disneyland for seven nights in February and the food was shockingly bad. The two most highly recommended items in our research were a bread bowl at Royal Street Veranda (ice cold soup, stale bread) and fried chicken at the Plaza (cafeteria quality, much worse than Fort Wilderness).

I actually have never tried those places but I am sure you're right.
But for me, I never had anything bad at the French Market(which we used to call Tianna's Place because she was always doing meet and greets right next to it), Flo's V8 and my favorite the Paradise Garden Grill which has some great Falafel and skewer items. I also think the themeing of the quick service areas is really nice, with loads of seating, and often entertainment to go with the meal. It really is something lacking at QS in WDW.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Where are you eating?

Flame Tree Barbecue? Harambe Market? Tangerine Cafe? Sunshine Seasons? Columbia Harbour House? Yorkshire County Fish Shop? Les Halles? Pecos Bills even?

None of those are Earth-shatteringly brilliant, but they're counter-service restaurants and aren't supposed to be. Describing them as "bad... real bad" strikes me as a tremendous stretch.

Agreed. And that's just the parks. The QS/Casual spots at DS are actually pretty good. Some of the resorts border on - decent/good.

To me Parks QS is okay. Overpriced and uneventful at best. But I wouldn't say "bad".

 

[deeevo]

Where are you eating?

Flame Tree Barbecue? Harambe Market? Tangerine Cafe? Sunshine Seasons? Columbia Harbour House? Yorkshire County Fish Shop? Les Halles? Pecos Bills even?

None of those are Earth-shatteringly brilliant, but they're counter-service restaurants and aren't supposed to be. Describing them as "bad... real bad" strikes me as a tremendous stretch.

Come on... these are average at best. Probably not bad like I said but the bad and the very bad QS locations out weight the average by 20 to 1. Although Yorkshire County Fish Shop is pretty darn good.

 

[networkpro]

I value other opinions, but yours doesn't coincide with my wife and I. We'll eat at some select counter service locations like Flametree and maybe the half chicken at Cosmic Rays but what we eat is more important than where so consistency of the product dictates most of our dining. We are not foodies, do not have delicate palates, vegan, vegetarian, or other non-mainstream dietary habits. We dont do burgers, fries, or nuggets.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Quick service in the parks is bad... real bad.

Come on... these are average at best.

Although Yorkshire County Fish Shop is pretty darn good.

 

[westie]

Rating meals by quick service locations is ludicrous. That's not dining. That being said, the best and worst meal I ever had on property is from Le Cellier. First time we went, best ever. Second time, not so much. Now we are from CA. we booked the last ressie available because east coast 9pm is still 6pm to us. Anyways, I ordered the prime rib. Waiter brings me a pan fried piece of meat. I question him. Waiter tells me,"That's how we do it in Canada." I explained I've been all over Canada and this pan fried p.o.s. in an insult to your country and is not prime rib. So needless to say we had to get a manager involved and got a steep discount on the meal but I have been apprehensive to go back ever since. But yes, you do get what you pay for and as said places like Boathouse and STK are amazing. A turkey leg is just that.

 

[NCO91590]

I don't know....I typically enjoy 90% of my dining experiences at WDW. My expectations aren't sky high as I'm ultimately in a theme park and not in a trendy neighborhood in NYC. And to that point, I've had food in NYC that everyone goes nuts for online only to be disappointed when I actually try it.

I think in the digital age, we're conditioned to think everything is epic and awesome and delicious by looking at instagram and twitter food accounts. And when you finally get to try the treat you've been drooling over for a year you're like "meh". I'm fully prepared to be disappointed in the Cheshire Cat Tail when I try it in January lol.