Worth the hype?/Unpopular Opinion

[UNCgolf]

It's shocking to me to see so many people mention Boma. I've been there several times and it's been hands down the best breakfast at Disney World; we make a point to drive over there for breakfast once a trip specifically because of how good it is.

It's not Disney World specific, but I see it mentioned a lot as a place to eat at Disney Springs (and it gets really busy there), so I'd say Blaze Pizza is the most overrated. It's not that's it's bad, but it's just mediocre pizza. You can go to Pizza Ponte nearby and get something vastly superior. I think California Grill is a bit overrated as well. The food we had was pretty good, but not anything to write home about. It was still worth going to watch the fireworks at night, though.

As for underrated, I'm going to go with Flying Fish. Not because I've ever seen anyone badmouth it, but because it seems so under the radar. A lot of people have never even heard of it and/or have no idea where it is -- and there have been at least a few empty tables every time I've been -- but it's probably the best restaurant at WDW (not counting Victoria and Albert's, which is a whole separate thing).

 

[unmitigated disaster]

We had a Blaze Pizza here in Tucson. It was mediocre and others must have agreed; it's closed now.

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

We eat at Blaze here at home.....when we run out of other ideas for the evening. We'd NEVER eat there at WDW. Too many other choices.

Another big thumbs up for Boma

 

[zurgandfriend]

Disappointing restaurants for us were Le Cellier, I don’t know what the fuss was about. The cheese soup was the best part of the meal, the steak was only so-so at best.

Artist Point, before the character meal, first visit - severer was rude, children running around the restaurant unsupervised and the food was meh. We decided to give it a second chance, server was very nice food still meh.



Surprises were Kona Café and Grand Floridian Café. At first we thought they would be basic resort restaurants but we have never gotten a bad meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner and service has always been excellent.

 

[Hockey89]

Artist Point, before the character meal, first visit - severer was rude, children running around the restaurant unsupervised

I get this at Cal grill pretty much every meal now....Has killed the place.... The sushi last time could have been prepacked from a Grocery store. We ate at the bar and the bar tender was good...

 

[ppet]

I used to hype Chefs De France, but it has declined. At my last visit in November we removed it from our rotation of restaurants. Sci Fi is probably the most disappointing to me. On the other side my kids got me to go to Yak and Yeti and I loved it.

 

[Hockey89]

As for underrated, I'm going to go with Flying Fish. Not because I've ever seen anyone badmouth it, but because it seems so under the radar. A lot of people have never even heard of it and/or have no idea where it is -- and there have been at least a few empty tables every time I've been -- but it's probably the best restaurant at WDW (not counting Victoria and Albert's, which is a whole separate thing).

Never had a bad meal there which is very uncommon for Disney... Very nice spot and I always stay at the BC so easy walk...

 

[Raineman]

I've heard many people hating on BOG, but I have never had a bad meal there, and that consists of 1 breakfast and 2 dinners for every week we spend at WDW. I especially love the breakfast-the open faced egg sandwich is delicious. And, the theming is great, especially in the West Wing. Also, Rainforest Cafe at DAK was surprisingly good, based on the negative reviews it always gets, and they were willing to make some substitutions for us within the limits of the DDP, which they didn't have to do, but it was appreciated.

We heard alot of good things about Tusker House, but the one time we ate there, we were unimpressed. The food quality was passable for me, but my DW and DD discovered that they are not fans of that kind of food, and some of the food in the buffet was not hot enough, or labeled properly-I put something on my plate that I thought was chicken, but it was tofu . My biggest disappointment was Cinderella's Royal Table. The theming is amazing, the character dining aspect as well-the food, not so much. I swear that the mashed potatoes I got were instant potatoes that they grabbed at Publix, and for a 2 TS credit/$100+per person priced dinner, that is unacceptable. I would have rather grabbed a turkey leg at Tortuga Tavern, and I am not a big fan of turkey legs.

 

[Raelynie]

Underrated for me: Brown Derby, BOG, Whispering Canyon
Overrated for me: 'Ohana Dinner (great my first time, down hill since then), Via Napoli

 

[UNCgolf]

I've heard many people hating on BOG, but I have never had a bad meal there, and that consists of 1 breakfast and 2 dinners for every week we spend at WDW. I especially love the breakfast-the open faced egg sandwich is delicious. And, the theming is great, especially in the West Wing. Also, Rainforest Cafe at DAK was surprisingly good, based on the negative reviews it always gets, and they were willing to make some substitutions for us within the limits of the DDP, which they didn't have to do, but it was appreciated.

We heard alot of good things about Tusker House, but the one time we ate there, we were unimpressed. The food quality was passable for me, but my DW and DD discovered that they are not fans of that kind of food, and some of the food in the buffet was not hot enough, or labeled properly-I put something on my plate that I thought was chicken, but it was tofu . My biggest disappointment was Cinderella's Royal Table. The theming is amazing, the character dining aspect as well-the food, not so much. I swear that the mashed potatoes I got were instant potatoes that they grabbed at Publix, and for a 2 TS credit/$100+per person priced dinner, that is unacceptable. I would have rather grabbed a turkey leg at Tortuga Tavern, and I am not a big fan of turkey legs.

We had breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table in January -- the food was fine, but certainly not remotely worth the price. You're just paying for the characters/getting to eat in the castle (the latter is why we went). It's a fun experience and I'd probably be willing to pay to go back at least once. Had the opposite experience at Be Our Guest. It's obviously nowhere near as expensive as the Royal Table, but it's also overpriced solely because of the theming (at least for breakfast). We had breakfast there a couple of years ago and neither of us are really interested in going back.

I agree on Rainforest Cafe at DAK though. Have had dinner there once and breakfast on the most recent trip (didn't even know they served breakfast until we walked by and saw a sign out front). As long as you aren't expecting something fantastic (and I don't know why you would), the food is perfectly fine. The breakfast was actually really good, and it's a fun place to eat.

Seen a couple of people mention Via Napoli as overrated -- ate there last trip and thought it was average. I'd never seen any high praise for it, though, so I wasn't expecting anything more. It was much better than Tony's Town Square, at least.

 

[Stellajack]

We enjoy Whispering Canyon, Boma's (the secret is to try JUST a small sample of many items), and I MUST have a Cobb salad with wine from The Brown Derby!

We have made one trip to the overrated Ohana just to try the Tonga Toast...no need to return since it seemed like I was eating shoe leather.

 

[DISR]

Some of my overrated judgement is based on the value proposition for the restaurant. I think Boma is vastly overrated. At ~$50 for the meal, the quality isn't there to justify that price point. That leaves quantity, and I am just not that big an eater. I had breakfast at BOG, and I though it was also very overrated...just not worth the cost in relation to other options. Whispering Canyon isn't really a destination restaurant in my mind either. Food is just OK if you are staying at WL anyway. Said it before, but I thought Satuli canteen was very bland. Maybe I need to give it another try, but the bowl just seemed flavorless to me. I suspect I would find Ohana overrated as well, but I haven't tried it yet. I did get the wings at the bar outside the restaurant, and they were good, but not great. IMO there is nothing about Beaches and Cream that makes it worth refreshing your computer at 7:00 am six months out to ensure you get an ADR. It is decent diner food, and that is about it.

 

[UNCgolf]

Some of my overrated judgement is based on the value proposition for the restaurant. I think Boma is vastly overrated. At ~$50 for the meal, the quality isn't there to justify that price point. That leaves quantity, and I am just not that big an eater. I had breakfast at BOG, and I though it was also very overrated...just not worth the cost in relation to other options. Whispering Canyon isn't really a destination restaurant in my mind either. Food is just OK if you are staying at WL anyway. Said it before, but I thought Satuli canteen was very bland. Maybe I need to give it another try, but the bowl just seemed flavorless to me. I suspect I would find Ohana overrated as well, but I haven't tried it yet. I did get the wings at the bar outside the restaurant, and they were good, but not great. IMO there is nothing about Beaches and Cream that makes it worth refreshing your computer at 7:00 am six months out to ensure you get an ADR. It is decent diner food, and that is about it.

Have you been to Boma for breakfast? I've never had the dinner buffet, but breakfast is where it shines. It's also only $30; not $50.

Totally agree on the breakfast at BOG, though. It's the same price as the Boma buffet for much less food, and what you get isn't as good as what's on the Boma buffet anyways.

 

[DISR]

Have you been to Boma for breakfast? I've never had the dinner buffet, but breakfast is where it shines. It's also only $30; not $50.

Totally agree on the breakfast at BOG, though. It's the same price as the Boma buffet for much less food, and what you get isn't as good as what's on the Boma buffet anyways.

I tend to skip buffets in general, but especially for breakfast with my kids. My 6/11 year olds can almost split one Mickey Waffle and be done. The buffets are horrible values for them. The one exception is a character meal which I justify as paying for the interaction. We've enjoyed Cape May Cafe for breakfast a couple of times for this reason and thought it was very good.

 

[UNCgolf]

I tend to skip buffets in general, but especially for breakfast with my kids. My 6/11 year olds can almost split one Mickey Waffle and be done. The buffets are horrible values for them. The one exception is a character meal which I justify as paying for the interaction. We've enjoyed Cape May Cafe for breakfast a couple of times for this reason and thought it was very good.

I get that. Not worth paying if they're barely going to eat anything.

I'm not a fan of lunch/dinner buffets (I'd never even consider going to Boma for dinner), but I love a good breakfast buffet. I think it's because I find it easier to grab a bunch of really small portions of numerous items at breakfast than I do at lunch/dinner.

Speaking of character meals, though -- you could try doing the character buffet at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. My understanding is that the breakfast buffet there is almost identical to the one at Boma, just with an upcharge for characters.

 

[DISR]

We usually only do a big breakfast on our last day or on a resort day in the middle of a longer trip. We are rope droppers and like to hit as many attractions as possible before the crowds peak. A sit down breakfast is a rarity for us.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Have you ever went to a restaurant that was recommended by everyone and it didn't live up to the hype? Or have you experienced great food at a notoriously "bad" restaurant? Do you have an unpopular opinion on a disney restaurant.

Literally everyone told us that Sanaa was SOOO AMAZING! Guess what? I hated it and my husband thought it was just okay but not worth the price. Other restaurants that didn't live up to the hype or served us food we thought tasted terrible? The lunch at Be Our Guest, satu'li canteen, and dinner at spice road table. Spice Road Table also was hands down the worst service I have ever experienced at any restaurant (disney or otherwise).

We also heard a lot of people hate on the food at Crystal Palace. Now we only eat there once and I know the quality of restaurants change regularly. However, when we eat there the food was fantastic.

What about you? What is the "to die for" restaurant you cannot stand? Or what "awful" restaurant would you recommend?

In my opinion, everyplace you eat in WDW is not worth the price. It just comes down to if you like what was served or not.

 

[UNCgolf]

In my opinion, everyplace you eat in WDW is not worth the price. It just comes down to if you like what was served or not.

I think it depends on the restaurant. A restaurant like Tony's Town Square is tremendously overpriced considering the quality of the food you're served. A restaurant like Flying Fish, though, is right in line with the prices I would expect to pay anywhere for such high quality food.

You are also paying for the theming, at least to an extent (in some restaurants more than others). Generally speaking, while the prices are high, they're in line with what you pay at other similar events/locations.

 

[DISR]

In my opinion, everyplace you eat in WDW is not worth the price. It just comes down to if you like what was served or not.

When it comes to Disney I always have to embrace the concept of value rather than price. An $11 dollar beer is a very high price. It may have a good value though if I really enjoy it while walking around the World Showcase. No doubt that much of the food is not on par with elite restaurants outside of Disney World, but people find value in different ways. For many it seems to be nostalgia or the environment, not the actual quality of the food. That only adds to the very subjective nature of restaurant opinions.

 

[Disstevefan1]

When it comes to Disney I always have to embrace the concept of value rather than price. An $11 dollar beer is a very high price. It may have a good value though if I really enjoy it while walking around the World Showcase. No doubt that much of the food is not on par with elite restaurants outside of Disney World, but people find value in different ways. For many it seems to be nostalgia or the environment, not the actual quality of the food. That only adds to the very subjective nature of restaurant opinions.

Good point. We love the Biergarten, some folks hate it, but we love it, and while I know it’s overpriced, we love it because its a buffet and a show and is highly themed.