Christmas Dinner at Goofy's Kitchen

LAS2AMS

Mouseketeer
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Yesterday evening we dined at Goofy's Kitchen for our Christmas Dinner. We have dined many times at Goofy's Kitchen, but this was our first visit since summer 2016. It was also our first Christmas Dinner at a Disneyland restaurant; in the past, we had dinned annually at the Disneyland Hotel Thanksgiving Dinner, but after the price swelled to $180 per adult this year, we cancelled our reservations and opted to instead come to Goofy's Kitchen for Christmas Dinner. As we made our reservation late, there was only a single opening for an early evening dinner (undoubtedly a cancellation), but the timing was great for us. The cost of the dinner was about $61 per adult, which included tax and tip.

We arrived at the Disneyland Hotel shortly before our reservation on a rare windy, cold, and rainy Southern California Christmas Day. Thankfully, dining at a DLH includes three hours of valet parking. As expected, the DLH was decorated very beautifully for the Holidays. There was no wait at Goofy's Kitchen, which made things go very smoothly (wait times can be excessively long). We were offered the opportunity to take a photo with Goofy, but declined (the photos are sold in a 'Cookbook' complete with house recipes for about $40 including tax) and instead opted to watch the Christmas Carolers performing nearby. After just a few minutes, we were promptly seated.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated for the Holidays and compared to the weather outside, very warm and quite comfortable! Despite the crowd (there was not a single empty table, and when guests left, tables were quickly turned over for the next arrivals), help was abundant, drinks were quickly served and refilled and plates promptly removed. For a buffet, service was fantastic and everybody was in a cherry Christmas mood!

Unfortunately, the food was underwhelming. They have the standard "kids" (chicken tenders, mac 'n cheese, popcorn shrimp, hot dogs, various pizzas including the house favorite peanut butter & jelly, etc.) and "adults" buffet. Understandably, for the adult buffet, Disney was trying to appeal toward the various local ethnic groups, and had a couple Mexican, a couple American, a couple Chinese and a couple Middle Eastern dishes. The problem is, selection is very limited to begin with, and we don't eat overly spiced tamales, lamb or Asian noodles. And of the foods we did eat (pork ribs, pot roast, salmon, etc.), the quality reflected that of the Hometown Buffet down the street (which, with a perpetual coupon, is roughly $10 per adult). There were a couple of fall flavors (butternut squash & pumpkin soup, sweet potato salad), but other than the carved turkey -- which is typically offered year-round, on alternating days -- there really weren't any traditional Holiday foods. Overall, a major disappointment.

The day's characters featured Chip and Dale, Minnie Mouse and Pluto. We dined for just over an hour, and saw Chip, Dale and Minnie Mouse twice and Pluto once. And they were very attentive, offering hugs and pictures to every guest in the restaurant. We thought this was very impressive! And of course, the character "parade" happened regularly (and they changed the song since the last time we visited). After dinner, we spent some time walking around Downtown Disney, and through the Grand Californian. A very nice, memorable evening, although given the food quality, I don't think we'll return.
 

Attachments

  • GK1.jpg
    GK1.jpg
    53.6 KB · Views: 15
  • GK3.jpg
    GK3.jpg
    93.2 KB · Views: 17
  • GK4.jpg
    GK4.jpg
    109.9 KB · Views: 17
  • GK5.jpg
    GK5.jpg
    105.5 KB · Views: 16
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top