So when people complain about the standard of food within the parks .........

[mergatroid]

On the trot?

In a row or in succession.

 

[matt clark]

Im going to say this from experience... growing up my family JUST had enough to get us through the gates... and before i started my career... i was in the same boat... So every time, until recent trips, our family only had enough money to eat at cheaper restaurants like cosmic rays, umbrella, whatever place used to be by honey i shrunk the kids, caseys corner, etc. These places are pure garbage and overpriced... and not overpriced for the sake of saying they charge too much... Not only do they charge twice what outside restaurants charge, but the food quality is downright horrible.... NOW... now that im better financially and can go to many of the BETTER restaurants Ive completely changed my perspective. Until 5 years ago the only thing I could afford that I thought was even worth eating was the meatball sub at Pinocchio village haus.

 

[matt clark]

oh... and whoever compared Applebess to outback is out of their mind. Outback is DELICIOUS!

 

[njDizFan]

I think we are on the same page here, but I do think that as of late (maybe over the last 3 or 4 years) the food quality (or maybe not quality, but diversity, or creativity) has gone down. It is still good food - it does not taste bad, but its nothing inspiring. At the same time, the amount of "amusement park markup" has gone up. I am fine with a markup on food at an amusement/theme park. WDW is in business to make money, and when you have essentially a captive market, you can charge more. However the percent markup has gone up over the years.

I dont begrudge WDW for doing this - they are out to make money and will serve and charge what the market will bear. I have two choices, either buy it, or don't buy it. Frankly I have stopped buying it, or at least buying it as much. We used to eat TS meals a LOT at WDW when on vacation. Family of 4 or 5 (depending on what kids were with us) every night, at signatures, apps, entree, desserts, alcohol.. We have scaled that back, because we just do not feel the value is there. There are still a few places we enjoy, and we do find some suprise places here and there where both the food, service, atmosphere, and price suprises us (Trattoria al Forno was one such place last trip). For the most part, however, we have scaled back our dining at WDW. Somtimes we just eat QS. Other times we may juse order an entree and leave it at that (because the menu itself is nothing special) I vote with my wallet, and I also make the reasons I am doing so known, both here and in the surveys WDW sends me.


-dave

I was also pleasantly surprised when I went to al Forno this past year, I hope they continue this trend after they added the character breakfast. My best meal in Disney was at Jiko and had an awesome pork loin, cooked and seasoned perfectly.

Overall I agree, the food is slightly uninspired but you can still get a some good meals. I have not eaten at V & A but chef Hunnell was a James Beard semifinalist so I would assume there is more there than just hype. I have a local restaurant with a similar price point and experience (90 acres out in Peapack-Gladstone...give it a try Dave). Overall I am generally happy with the food as I go in with tempered expectations except for a few major fails(Tony's...ughh). And if I want something exceptional I know the few places in or around the property where I can go.

 

[danyoung56]

In a row or in succession.

Never heard that term before. Is that a British thing?

 

[mergatroid]

Never heard that term before. Is that a British thing?

Very possibly old bean, very possibly

 

[correcaminos]

oh... and whoever compared Applebess to outback is out of their mind. Outback is DELICIOUS!

That was me, and here they taste the same. Both not great at all honestly. Not bad, but nothing to shout home about. I toss all of those chains pretty much together (Texas Roadhouse, Applebee's, TGIFriday's, Outback, PF Chang's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster etc). None really are great at all. I'd rather spend my time going to local places that cost about the same or less and have far better food quality. I wind up going to them with family who doesn't know any better. I hate my trips to FL to visit family because we always go to places like that.

 

[danyoung56]

Very possibly old bean, very possibly

You know me - always trying to learn!

 

[Eric H]

Going to V&A in September - completely free on Chase Visa points. Can't wait!

I've been fortunate to have eaten there countless times over the years and I can tell you that it is worth every penny and will likely be one of the highlights of your trip. Take your time and savor it!

 

[Raineman]

Im going to say this from experience... growing up my family JUST had enough to get us through the gates... and before i started my career... i was in the same boat... So every time, until recent trips, our family only had enough money to eat at cheaper restaurants like cosmic rays, umbrella, whatever place used to be by honey i shrunk the kids, caseys corner, etc. These places are pure garbage and overpriced... and not overpriced for the sake of saying they charge too much... Not only do they charge twice what outside restaurants charge, but the food quality is downright horrible.... NOW... now that im better financially and can go to many of the BETTER restaurants Ive completely changed my perspective. Until 5 years ago the only thing I could afford that I thought was even worth eating was the meatball sub at Pinocchio village haus.

IMO, the QS food I've had was fine, on par with any fast food place outside of WDW, but it's really personal preference. I can honestly say I've never had a meal at WDW that I thought was horrible.

 

[jaklgreen]

Exactly. People don't make their kids try new things so they end up raising picky eaters (not a judgement of parenting skills, simply a statement of fact). Then they complain because all they're eating is burgers and fries... because the only restaurants they're going to are The Electric Umbrella, Cosmic Ray's, Backlot Express, and Pizzafari.

I'm going to Walt Disney World for eight nights in a few weeks and my menu will be along the following lines:

Smoked chicken and barbecue ribs
Roasted beef bowl
Fish and chips
Shawarma platter (chicken and lamb)
Rotisserie chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes
Chicken tikka masala
Spicy grilled fish tacos
Nachos Rio Grande

And those are just my quick service locations! Note that I mentioned eight meals off the top of my head and didn't mention "burger and fries" even once. I'll pay $10 - $15 for each of those meals and be very happy with the quality and value of my selections.

Thank you! This is exactly us too. We never get burgers and the quick service pizza when we are there. One of our(even my kid's) favorites is the Shawarma platter in Morocco, my daughter loves lamb. There is decent quick service food available. The problem is that people are picking the crap over the better food. Why in the world would you eat chicken strips over the rotisserie chicken? I was raised by European parents and so I ate pretty much everything. And we ate what Mom put in front of us. That is how I raised my kids too. Chicken nuggets and mac and cheese(which is a side dish not a main meal) did not pass their lips until they were much much older and that was rare. You put the "typical" kids food that Disney sells in front of my kids next to the adult food of filet and shrimp and lamb, and they will 100% of the time eat the adult food. We actually like most of the food we eat at WDW. So it is definitely what you pick to eat at WDW that makes a big difference. Too many Americans are in the same burger and fries rut and even refuse to try something "different". That's their own fault.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Right of the bat, all food in WDW is overpriced - it is what it is. This is not "the outside world" this is WDW and they can charge what they want, and they do. I have made my peace with that a long time ago.

Quick service is fast food - it's what I expect and it's what they serve. Some of it is actually pretty tasty, but over all it is fast food, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Now, for Table Service. WDW used to have some very interesting dishes at some of their table services. They also used to have some creative dishes. While the food was overpriced, it was not insane. You paid a bit more than you would in the "real world" this is Disney after all, but the food was good, and it was around a 10 to 15% upcharge.

In the last 5-6 years or so, the table service restaruants at WDW have gone downhill. For the most part, the food is uninspired, the menus rarely change, the food is clearly cranked out of a kitchen as fast as possible, and the goal of most of the wait staff seems to be to turn a table over as fast as possible. Now there are some hold outs, and some places that do have some stand out dishes, but most of the food is very mainstream. Nothing really stand out, no ingredients that can't be sourced from a bulk food supplier (I'll let you figure out what that is) and nothign really exotic or different.

To top it off, the pricing in the table service restaruants, especially the signatures, is way out of whack. It is well above the old 10 - 15% over real world that it used to be.

-dave

That's because everyone is now raised on Mac & cheese, chicken fingers and burgers. If that's all they eat at home, why would they want to try something different?

 

[Smiley/OCD]

You are comparing WDW to Ruth's Chris? RC is an other overpriced chain that people like to eat at because it makes they feel important

Montville Inn, down the road from my house - and that is Northern NJ pricing.

12 oz Filet
$ 28
Cheddar Cheese Orzo, Grilled Asparagus, Red Wine Demi Glaze

And really, a filet is about the most overrated thing on any menu. Except for maybe surf and turf

You have to try the Delmonico steaks at Arthur's...I think the closest one to you is in Morris Plains... Best French onion soup & chocolate mousse cake I've EVER had! I'll have a hot dog at Casey's, but it will NEVER be a ripper from Rutt's Hut!! LOL

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I actually really like and appreciate the better restaurants on Disney property. To the OP: generally speaking, the better stuff is at the resorts vs. in the parks.

We gradually moved up from "cheap eats" to the better restaurants.

I remember our first few times going, they still had McDonald's, and we'd just eat that or something similar to save money (including the off property McDonald's for breakfast on the way in the morning.) Sheesh, that's a long time ago, I don't eat McDonald's anymore!

But our priority then was the attractions. Our biggest out of pocket expense was the tickets. We'd stay off property in whatever $30 motel on 192, and had no big meals other than the Chinese buffet near the hotel. (They're everywhere.)

As we got older, got a little more money, got AP's - there was no big rush to see everything anymore. We could see whatever attractions had no line, whatever was new, whatever we had a FP for, and we'd start having ONE on-property table service meal per trip, and balance that out by going to Cici's pizza buffet one night with a BOGO coupon from the hotel lobby.

From doing that, we realized how good some of the Disney restaurants are.

I don't like to waste money on food, but when it's worth it, it's worth it.

Two of the best meals we've ever had were at the Flying Fish (Cafe) on the Disney Boardwalk. The experiences were well worth the $150 to $250 for two people (including wine pairings with every course.) I'm not as crazy about it since the new chef took over, though.

You can read the menus online to see what's "standard fare" (even if it's upscale) and what is more creative/exotic. For example, to me the California Grill menu was kind of boring even though it's expensive and a favorite for many people. What I thought was the most interesting thing on the menu (I think it was an ostrich filet) was taken off the menu just before our reservation day.

Everyone's opinion will differ for various reasons and comparisons.

To the guy in Jersey (Montville) I used to work in Denville. There is no comparing most Italian food/pizza in Jersey to anywhere in Florida. Even pizzerias that moved here from NY mostly suck. (I live in South Florida now.)

And to the person who lives near a farm: the produce in South Florida is pretty bad, generally speaking. I lived in Tampa for less than a year and was bored out of my mind, but the produce was much better. Not as good as Jersey, but much better than down here. I'm assuming Orlando is more comparable to Tampa (I-4 corridor, truck route.)

Back to the OP, if you ever get into it where you end up getting discounts and points - like AP discounts and Disney Chase Visa points, that helps justify the cost a lot. I remember one of those Anniversary Flying Fish meals when the check was in that $250 range but we ended up paying like $50 out of pocket because we had a discount and Chase Visa points. It makes you feel like you're getting something you can't really afford. LOL.

Anyway, take reviews with a grain of salt - good ones and bad ones. Some people have an ax to grind, some want to sound snooty or like they know so much, some are cheerleaders.

But to (finally) address your initial question, from what I've heard (not necessarily experienced) portion sizes have gone down recently, and yes I think some menus have been tamed to appeal to the "meat and potatoes" crowd.

Like so many things in life, you get out of it what you put into it. Do a little research ahead of time, and you'll see what's worth it for you vs. what isn't - and that may or may not change over time!

You're right....NOBODY beats a slice if NJ pizza, a Jersey tomato, bagel and some Italian ice to finish it off!!

 

[seabreezept813]

I love the food and drink offerings at Disney.. which is probably due to 2 things
1. When I went as a kid, my mom just packed pb&js because we couldn't afford park food for 6 people

2. I'm enjoying myself so much that I forget to eat (until my husband becomes a bit of a hangry monster), so by the time I eat and am out of the hot sun the food is that much better.

But for quick service I think there's decent variety, especially at EPCOT, AK, and Pop Century.

 

[shipley731]

I'm going to share my thoughts on this. A few relevant details: I worked in food service for 13 years before moving on to something a little less grueling, so I've been on both sides of the coin here. I'm a food show junkie; not limited to food network. There are some shows where I find the cooks to be hacks and refuse to watch, but cooking shows are generally playing in my house at least a third of the time.
1. I despise the term "foodie". It's stupid.
2. Food tastes are highly subjective. To each their own.
3. My husband & I like to eat. We've been annual pass holders for years & while I think there's a fair amount of garbage food at Disney, but there's also some stuff that's pretty darn good. This goes for quick service and table service. We don't generally eat burgers or chicken nuggets, but rather seek out different options at quick service places. I will say we have our favorite TS places & we've had great meals at Chefs de France, Yachtsman Steakhouse, & Jiko in the last month. Price point was decent for what we received. We also just went to a TIW special event last week that was over the top fantastic. (Delicious Disney - Storytelling through food. Focus was The Little Mermaid. Chef was the executive chef of Flying Fish. Expensive, but we enjoyed ourselves & felt it was well worth the money & as good as the meal we had at V&A's a few years ago.)

I cook a lot at home. We don't go out to eat much when not on vacation. We live in a college town and over half the restaurants in town are chains. There are some chains I'm fine with, but I can do better at home for the most part. We also aren't some sheltered folks who haven't been out in the world. We've done a decent amount of traveling in the states as well as a handful of places in the Caribbean & Europe. We try to embrace the food of wherever we go. (Hell, I got my third bag fee waived when coming home from England last year by talking about what I liked about the food in Great Britain when asked by the British Airways agent. Brits know their way around a proper hearty breakfast, good fish & chips, & the Sunday Roast. I think my husband & I shocked the agent by telling him what we really enjoyed instead of what we hated.). I also take offense to the disparagement of food in Florida in general. Good stuff is available; sometimes you just have to go to the farmer's market to get great produce.

Is Disney dining the end all be all fine dining? No. However, there are some solid options there that are on reasonable price points for what you're dealing with. However, to each their own.

 

[thomas998]

Hold up....five guys has gotten to the point where it is twice the price (or close) of In-N-Out? Not really on topic, but that's ridiculous is true.

More than twice the price.... of course some five guys charge even higher prices than those in the photo.... Not sure about In-N-Out but the ones I've been to in both Texas and California were pretty darn close to the same price.

 

[Surfin' Tuna]

Five guys being that much more than In-N-Out is just stupid. I used to live in DC and went to Five Guys a lot before they were on every corner. I thought they were pretty good then, but they slipped. I have not been in years, but they are not nearly as good as In-N-Out. I would also say that I feel that there are a lot of QS places in the parks that are better than Five Guys. The problem is we are a captive audience and buying QS for a family of four gets really pricey really fast. I think a lot of us would think twice before spending too much at any restaurant "on the outside," yet we feel trapped in the park. I have never complained about the park food, though. You get a quick service quality meal at a quick service restaurant. I also feel that a lot of the TS restaurants are equal to the lower end TS places one would have outside the park.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

That was me, and here they taste the same. Both not great at all honestly. Not bad, but nothing to shout home about. I toss all of those chains pretty much together (Texas Roadhouse, Applebee's, TGIFriday's, Outback, PF Chang's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster etc). None really are great at all. I'd rather spend my time going to local places that cost about the same or less and have far better food quality. I wind up going to them with family who doesn't know any better. I hate my trips to FL to visit family because we always go to places like that.

Completely agree.

I've been fortunate to have eaten there countless times over the years and I can tell you that it is worth every penny and will likely be one of the highlights of your trip. Take your time and savor it!

Thanks, @Eric H ! I'm really excited for this. Somehow, even calling first thing in the morning, someone beat us to the chef's table, so we're in the 4 table room.

You're right....NOBODY beats a slice if NJ pizza, a Jersey tomato, bagel and some Italian ice to finish it off!!

Word!

 

[Hakunamatata]

Having spent time in both Disney and at the Grand Canyon this summer I can say that expensive average to low quality food at high volume entertainment venues is not just a Disney thing. Its also prevelant at AMC dine in theaters....