Worst meal on Disney property?

[BeachClub]

Ok, let me play the devils :fork: advocate.....we all come on these boards praising everything Disney. (Eisner excluded-wrong thread)...
Now, lets see if we can finagle some answers for this question.

Where have you had the WORST meal on Disney property? And why.

:hurl:

 

[Mitzer]

Originally posted by bugsbunny
Brown Derby - Ate there about 2-3 years ago, so I'm sure things can change. But my wife still talks about how good it was to this day. One of my employee's wife says the same thing about their Cobb salad.

For the oldies out there, maybe some of you will remember this...but the Brown Derby used to have a Fruit Cobb. It was by far their best item. Unfortunately they quit making it and over the years, they forgot how to. I wish someone there still could make the darn thing...it isn't hard, just no one remembers the dressing. It was to die for...

 

[lebernadin]

Originally posted by BRER STITCH
Many good points here, LEBERNADIN!!!

In defense of many, though,...for what it co$t$ to eat at some of these places, it's alot to ask someone to ri$k it again!!

Yes, agreed. If you aren't used to $25+ plates then giving a restaurant a 2nd chance may not be a luxury you can afford.

What I really don't understand, however, is why people would not send their meals back or call the manager about poor service while they are there?? :veryconfu

I thought that's what wdwmagic is for ?
:lol:

I think a few have mentioned something to this effect in their posts, but in general i agree, if you don't give a business the opportunity to correct a perceived wrong that's unfair to the business as well as those you're dining with that may have appreciated it.

Customers would not be expected to pay for lousy food or service at any place outside of WDW....why should they be expected to while there???

Exactly! Its funny, these boards are chock full of scenarios where cast members have gone out of their way to help out a guest in tough situation etc..but dining, by this thread, seems to be viewed differently. Perhaps its because dining isn't something exclusive to Disney. But, folks, you shouldn't be leaving WDW's restaurants out from the perceived Disney standard. If you aren't having a good experience, assert yourself. I'm sure most of these situations wouldn't have left a bad taste in your mouth.

 

[lebernadin]

Re: fire in the hole!

Originally posted by Slosh
By less appetizing cuts, I'm pretty sure lebernadin means the ends of a fabricated cut;

Oui, Slosh. It was very early when i wrote that, so it may have sounded more ominous than is the case. The pieces you wouldn't find Emeril or the other ego-riddled tv chefs pushing in front of tv cameras.

 

[bugsbunny]

The value of these threads has to be taken with some resolve. On my first visit to DL, I saw 50/50 reviews of Blue Bayou. It ranged everywhere from awesome to garbage.

I went and thought it was quite a good meal, though the table next to us kept complaining it was too dark, their steak needed to be cooked more, and that their kids were scared and wanted flashlights.

These are the kinds of people that trash ANY restaurant because they didn't understand it was a THEMED restaurant and also because of the cardinal rule, if your kids are upset, your time is automatically spoiled.

So sometimes you need to read between the lines as with any review.

 

[wdwforus]

Originally posted by bugsbunny

Fulton Crab House - Spent $200 for only 2 people!! We splurged and both got twin lobster tails. But everything was just incredible.

You must have had alot to drink if your bill came to 200 for twin lobster tails. I can buy close to 75 complete lobsters fresh out of the trap up here for that kind of money!!!!

 

[Scooter]

Re: fire in the hole!

Originally posted by Slosh
With the prime rib, the question is, if you have the end pieces that are already well done, why waste an already properly cooked medium rare cut for a well done order?

Sometimes when alot of people order prime rib well done, you run out of end pieces.

Some restaurants will try and serve medium rare or medium pieces instead. 90% of the time these will be sent back to the kitchen. I was merely pointing out that a good Chef can take these center cuts and flash fry them and make them acceptable and still tender and edible for the customer who likes well done.

I have been in places where the the waiter will say. "Sorry..we are all out of prime rib." when it's ordered well done then 5 minutes later I will get my plate of medium rare prime rib and I get dirty looks....LOL...Like I had something to do with it.

 

[jodiey]

My boyfriend and I were not impressed with Wolfgang Pucks.

 

[meekoman]

For us the worst meal was at the
Garden Grille. The flank steak reminded me of the leather work boots my dad used to wear, except the boots were easier to chew.

 

[johnvree]

Originally posted by mrmickeymouse
the worst meal i had was at downtown disney planet hollywood i orderd a burger and found hair in my fries

Gotta say "no hair".

 

[johnvree]

I generally like the food in WDW. Then again, I get so caught up in being there you could probably throw some grass on my plate and I'd ask for seconds.

Here are my favs/least favs:

MK:
Fav: Liberty Tree Tavern. This place rocks for lunch and dinner. The food is good and there are large portions. Usually my wife has to role me out the door into a parade-watching position to let my digestive system catch up.

Least Fav: Pecos Bill. In fairness, this is based on being there only once and it was very busy. We got three burgers and each one was pretty tasteless and overcooked (which kind of made sense because I thought I had heard the cooks snicker when the person taking orders asked me how I wanted them cooked). The food was fair and I wasn't crazy about the atmosphere - it was too cafeteria.

Epcot:
Fav: Le Cellier. Food was great.

Least Fav: The Liberty Inn (American Pavillion). Very unimpressed both times I ate there. I think I actually heard some Brits say, "I thought our food was bad; I'm glad we let them win that revolution thing." :lol:


MGM:
Fav: We always eat at Sci-Fi and it is always great. We do not order anything complicated. Great Shakes.

Least Fav: Starring Rolls. It's OK; just don't go there expecting the pastries from the France pavillion.

AK:
Fav: It's all been very good.

Resorts:
Fav: Ohana for breakfast. Beaches & Cream for lunch. Palio for dinner. Honorable Mention: Kona Cafe for dinner.

Least Fav: The food at the Luau. It's edible. The show more than makes up for though (have not seen the revamped show).

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

i've actually had a pretty good run with Disney food. i've loved most everything i've ever had there (including the hot dogs!) my family and i ate at Alfredo's several years ago (back when Test Track first opened) i had the child's spaghetti w/meatballs, and it was absolutely the best spaghetti i have ever had next to my mom's and grandmother's spaghetti! i usually do order off the child's menu in restaurants like that cuz i'm not a big eater...plus, the child's menu is usually a sure bet.

my worst pick would have to be Hurricane Hanna's at Beach Club. my 2nd time eating there, i got the grilled chicken sandwich for $8. usually, i love grilled chicken, but this was the worst sandwhich i had ever eaten. the chicken was nasty, the bread they had it on was funky and nasty. i choked down as much of it as i could to get my $8 worth. for supper that night, i had chicken strips from The Land, and they tasted a little funny as well. as we were leaving the parks, i got sick and i ended up hurling 4 times after that. i had never gotten food poisoning before, and it's unfortunate that my first time had to happen at WDW. i'm almost certain it was the chicken sandwich.

my least fave sit-down restaurant would have to be Cinderella's Royal Table. I've never been impressed by their main dishes. though they do tend to have wonderful desserts there! and i LOVE their blue glasses...they have to be the prettiest glasses in all of WDW!

my fave sit-down is probably Sci-Fi Dine-In at MGM. their menu changes so much that i can never keep track of what i've had before and what's good and all that, but they have the world's best chocolate milkshake! yuuuuuuummmmm! :slurp: Dairy Queen's pales in comparison!
remember when all of Sci-Fi's menu had cool Sci-Fi names, though? i loved that! now it's just the child's menu that has all the cool names.

i have a question though. on an episode of WDW Inside Out (for those of you who remember this very excellent show) the host ate at 50's Prime Time Cafe, and his waitress (who was 'the Mom') was constantly nagging him to 'get his elbows off the table', 'finish his vegetables', and even made him wash his own dishes as 'punishment'. all this made my dad lose any interest in eating there. but i've always heard great things about their food, and i noticed on Deb's site that they have s'mores. being the s'mores addict that i am, i want to eat there now just to see how their s'mores match up to mine. so, do the waiters and waitresses actually do all that nagging and make you wash your dishes and all, or was that just for the tv show? cuz i'd really like to eat there, but i don't want to be nagged while trying to eat. i get plenty of nagging here at home.

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Originally posted by alice
our faves by park:

MK: COSMIC RAYS: (also try the ice cappicino)

Epcot: Lotus Blossum, the cheaper place in China, try the orange chicken and lomein! to die for.

MGM: toy story pizza planet.

you're makin my mouth water, Alice!!! :slurp: Pizza Planet, Cosmic Rays (which i'll definately have to try the ice cappicino next time i'm down there!)

i tried Lotus Blossum's lo mein this past November for the first time, and i loved it! though, they gave me a bit more than i could eat, which, of course, isn't a bad thing. i love the lo mein at the local Chinese buffets that i eat at, and Lotus Blossum's definately matched theirs! my sister had some kind of chicken that was really good, though i don't think it was orange chicken. i think it was some sort of grilled chicken.

 

[Mitzer]

Originally posted by Dizknee_Phreek
i have a question though. on an episode of WDW Inside Out (for those of you who remember this very excellent show) the host ate at 50's Prime Time Cafe, and his waitress (who was 'the Mom') was constantly nagging him to 'get his elbows off the table', 'finish his vegetables', and even made him wash his own dishes as 'punishment'. all this made my dad lose any interest in eating there. but i've always heard great things about their food, and i noticed on Deb's site that they have s'mores. being the s'mores addict that i am, i want to eat there now just to see how their s'mores match up to mine. so, do the waiters and waitresses actually do all that nagging and make you wash your dishes and all, or was that just for the tv show? cuz i'd really like to eat there, but i don't want to be nagged while trying to eat. i get plenty of nagging here at home.

It really depends on the waiter or waitress you get. We have had quiet ones and very outspoken ones over the years. They do interact with the guests, but more so with the children. They actually made my nephew stand in the corner for "burping" on purpose. He knew the system there and for that he paid :lol: . But they haven't ever done anything to upset a guest...not that I know of. It is all just part of the "Disney fun"...like making the airplane noises if you don't eat your veggies. All in good fun and YES they actually do all those things.

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Originally posted by Mitzer
They actually made my nephew stand in the corner for "burping" on purpose. He knew the system there and for that he paid :lol:

:lol: LMAO! that's hilarious!

my dad would hate that place. we're all very quiet people, and we don't like being bothered while we eat except for the occassional 'Is everything alright?' i'd probably be able to handle 50's Prime Time a little bit better than he would though. so i guess i'll just have to try it sometime when i'm not with my parents.

thanks for the quick reply, Mitzer! :wave:

 

[Mitzer]

Oh no problem Dizknee_Phreek, I just happen to be up (wired from cough syrup) :lol: . It isn't really bad. It is a fun atmosphere and you should definitely try it sometime. I think you might enjoy the antics and the food. The s'mores are really good...sorry, I know that doesn't help :slurp: :lol: .

 

[VinnieG]

Wolfgang Puck at Downtown Disney was the worst the food was garbage.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Originally posted by BRER STITCH


Customers would not be expected to pay for lousy food or service at any place outside of WDW....why should they be expected to while there???

Well actually in the UK you are expected to pay. In fact poor quality and / or small portions or food not actually resembling the menu is not a requirement. The law stands on the side of the restaurateur and withholding payment for a bad meal is classed as theft. All this was discussed on a radio show recently where they discussed the service standards in UK shops and eateries.

What gets me about Disney on the two ocassions where Ive had to complain (three if you include Wolfgang Pucks) is their total ambivelance to the whole thing.

 

[imagineer99]

I find it amazing how much conflicting opinions there are on this thread. Some people love a place...others hate it. It really goes to show the different tastes and atmospheres that everyone prefers.

I've had mostly positive experiences with Disney Dining, but there are a few exceptions...

Beaches and Cream -- This used to be one of our favorite restaurants, and even though the food is simple, it is quite good. However, on our last visit at the end of the meal when the waitress delivered the check my mother was still eating her meal. As we were waiting for my mom to finish, the waitress, frusturated by my mom's pace, came to our table, pointed at the check and said "Tally it up, Please!" She almost ripped the credit card out of my dad's hand.

I know this thread is talking about poor food, but I believe going to a restaurant is all about experience. That waitress truly ruined the magic for us.

 

[rokcandy]

Both my best and worst WDW restaurant experiences were at the 50's Prime Time Cafe. The very first time we went, everything was close to perfect. The waitress was hilarious, my dad went along with all the jokes and would back-talk, and the food was very good. That was quite a few years ago.

Last spring, we had our 4th visit there. The waiter wasn't very friendly and didn't go along with the theme, the food was so-so, and they stuck us in a corner. Of course I'm open-minded and realize it was probably just a 'chance' thing, but it seems that that place has gradually gotten worse.

I have to be completely honest, though: I don't head to WDW for the food. Yes, I haven't attended a few 'pricey' restaurants there (yet), but my overall outcome has been pretty much that I enjoy the food up here in Chicago quite a bit more.

 

[weluvtink]

There many great places to eat in WDW. We won't be going back to L'originale Alfredos again. The lasagna tasted like beef-a-roni. We went once 6 six years ago on our honymoon and were not impressed. ON our last trip we wanted to eat at Le Cellier but they were full so we decided to try Italy again. The food was not great and no CM discount-which was a real kick in the butt since Mr. Eisner himself was sitting two tables away.