WDW restaurant food quality

[bcrook]

Honestly, I have maybe only had one or two subpar meals at Disney and food is a huge part of the experience for me. Maybe I am just lucky but the vast VAST majority of meals have been good to great... and I HATE Applebees and Chilis and refuse to eat there.

This is remarkable. I've eaten hundreds of meals at WDW. I find them all to be wildly erratic. Chefs Le France, Coral Reef, the Wave, and Kona being the biggest fluctuators. California Grill and Tokyo Dining seem to always be on point. Marrakesh is a complete hit or miss. I've had about 6 meals at Jiko - always excellent. Sanaa
Food is good, but service is often horrible. Chef Mickeys give me the dry heaves. The Grill on the Boardwalk is simply Terrible. I don't like the Brown Derby restaurant but I adore the lounge food.
And the most overpriced overrated food on site = Le Cellier steaks. Yuck. Go to California Grill or Artist Point or Jiko.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

This is remarkable. I've eaten hundreds of meals at WDW. I find them all to be wildly erratic. Chefs Le France, Coral Reef, the Wave, and Kona being the biggest fluctuators. California Grill and Tokyo Dining seem to always be on point. Marrakesh is a complete hit or miss. I've had about 6 meals at Jiko - always excellent. Sanaa
Food is good, but service is often horrible. Chef Mickeys give me the dry heaves. The Grill on the Boardwalk is simply Terrible. I don't like the Brown Derby restaurant but I adore the lounge food.
And the most overpriced overrated food on site = Le Cellier steaks. Yuck. Go to California Grill or Artist Point or Jiko.

Not a bad evaluation of WDW dining.

 

[HopperFan]

I've pretty much given up on Disney and food a few years back....maybe that is why I think it is improving the last few years.
I don't expect much form them ...and if I get something that is decent I see it as improving.
Even their food & wine festival is disappointing and lets not even get started on the beer selections.
I will be in Orlando during F&W and will most likely skip Disney completely - there was a time when I went 2-3 times a year - and just from following these boards I know I am not the only one who has walked away

Stopped bothering with F&W years ago as a focus. If we are there we wander through, maybe get a drink but rarely buy the food anymore. Epcot actually has some decent eats I'd rather sit down and eat.

This is remarkable. I've eaten hundreds of meals at WDW. I find them all to be wildly erratic. Chefs Le France, Coral Reef, the Wave, and Kona being the biggest fluctuators. California Grill and Tokyo Dining seem to always be on point. Marrakesh is a complete hit or miss. I've had about 6 meals at Jiko - always excellent. Sanaa
Food is good, but service is often horrible. Chef Mickeys give me the dry heaves. The Grill on the Boardwalk is simply Terrible. I don't like the Brown Derby restaurant but I adore the lounge food.
And the most overpriced overrated food on site = Le Cellier steaks. Yuck. Go to California Grill or Artist Point or Jiko.

YUP, 2013 was last year I got the Dining Plan because the food has become such a low priority due to the quality/price. Longer trips we choose to eat breakfast in our room, I will often pack sandwiches/chips for lunch and then we will eat a dinner in park/resort or sometimes a late meal offsite or DS (where I do find much better quality). Heck, I'd rather go to Chickfila or Freddy's for a sliver of the price.

 

[DrunkJam]

Stopped bothering with F&W years ago as a focus. If we are there we wander through, maybe get a drink but rarely buy the food anymore. Epcot actually has some decent eats I'd rather sit down and eat.



YUP, 2013 was last year I got the Dining Plan because the food has become such a low priority due to the quality/price. Longer trips we choose to eat breakfast in our room, I will often pack sandwiches/chips for lunch and then we will eat a dinner in park/resort or sometimes a late meal offsite or DS (where I do find much better quality). Heck, I'd rather go to Chickfila or Freddy's for a sliver of the price.

This is a worry to me, we haven't been since 2011/12, and I have heard this complaint re the food before. We have booked a lot of TS for our 2107 trip. Hoping not to be too disappointed.

 

[Stefecatzz]

Since I've been an AP going to WDW every 2-3 months for the past several years, I have done plenty of research into the dining options on property (and off property). You can have a great meal at a QS but I don't put much stock into resort QSs. The ones I make a trip to eat at are Capt Cook's at the Poly & Landscape of Flavors at AoA. That being said, menus seem to be constantly changing so I like to keep up with reviews (take them with a grain of salt) & see what's new. You never know what they may decide to add or take away from menus that could be a change for the better.

On the subject of the OP's initial post, I would not have expected actual carved turkey at that QS & as someone else explained, the CMs working at resort QS most likely are CPs or retired PT workers & who knows how much training they get or if the CPs have ever had a job before. A PP already mentioned it but Flame Tree at AK has an excellent carved turkey sandwich. It is my favorite thing to order there. Kringla Bakery in the Norway Pavilion has good sandwiches, also. I haven't tried the turkey sandwich at BOG but others seem to like it.

As far as TS goes, I am still making my way down the list to try them all. Of the ones I have tried so far, I have had mixed experiences & food is average or at times above average IMO. Of course, everyone will have their own preferences & opinions. And it can be hard to judge a restaurant based on one menu item ordered. I've had better apps at some TS than entrees so I don't necessarily rule out the place based on one thing I tried.

When it comes to value, I think it depends on what you're used to paying for a meal. When I lived in S FL, most meals were pretty much equal to what you pay at WDW. But where I grew up in PA, you can eat out for less. However, it is still hard for me to justify some of the recent price increases (BOG lunch) for the same items that I've paid less for in the past. So I am grateful I had those experiences there & if I go back, will stick to a soup for my meal & maybe dessert to enjoy the atmosphere.

 

[HopperFan]

This is a worry to me, we haven't been since 2011/12, and I have heard this complaint re the food before. We have booked a lot of TS for our 2107 trip. Hoping not to be too disappointed.

It's not that the food is bad other than the known places (CM etc) it's just that it's very average and for the prices .... that's not okay. Disney has a choice and they have chosen to be average. Now I will say I have seen an increase in portions at QS and the addition of some sides we never got before. Few weeks ago we got coleslaw with our Chicken Nugget meal at Columbia House. And we determined 3 of us (adults) could share 2 meals because the portion was bigger than before. Those touches help.

But then things like Garden Grill (used to be one of our favorites) has pushed the price to the $50 range and yet pulled some of the great entrees for .... Golden Corral food. It's not paying 4x the GC price to meet Mickey and friends. I can meet them for free. Ate at both Tiffins and Skipper's Canteen in May .... both off my list. Tiffins entree was very pretty but very average food with very high prices. Not even any atmosphere. I'd rather grab a good burger at Sci Fi. California Grill one of our very favorites for many reasons, but food does not match up to prices so we now order a sushi and assortment of appetizers to be able to enjoy. Actually we have come to enjoy a table full of appetizers at many locations, like Nomad Lounge - great atmosphere and great appetizers. AND non-Disney owned places are competing and usually offer a good meal.

BUT I also acknowledge that everyone has their own expectations for food and prices. I come from a larger city with lots of dining options and I don't need Disney for checking off dining boxes. I'd rather spend food money on stuff like Club Villain (event group makes great food) etc. Everyone is different and has different taste buds. Hopefully you will enjoy your meals ... it just may be because I go so often.

 

[bcrook]

It's not that the food is bad other than the known places (CM etc) it's just that it's very average and for the prices .... that's not okay. Disney has a choice and they have chosen to be average. Now I will say I have seen an increase in portions at QS and the addition of some sides we never got before. Few weeks ago we got coleslaw with our Chicken Nugget meal at Columbia House. And we determined 3 of us (adults) could share 2 meals because the portion was bigger than before. Those touches help.

But then things like Garden Grill (used to be one of our favorites) has pushed the price to the $50 range and yet pulled some of the great entrees for .... Golden Corral food. It's not paying 4x the GC price to meet Mickey and friends. I can meet them for free. Ate at both Tiffins and Skipper's Canteen in May .... both off my list. Tiffins entree was very pretty but very average food with very high prices. Not even any atmosphere. I'd rather grab a good burger at Sci Fi. California Grill one of our very favorites for many reasons, but food does not match up to prices so we now order a sushi and assortment of appetizers to be able to enjoy. Actually we have come to enjoy a table full of appetizers at many locations, like Nomad Lounge - great atmosphere and great appetizers. AND non-Disney owned places are competing and usually offer a good meal.

BUT I also acknowledge that everyone has their own expectations for food and prices. I come from a larger city with lots of dining options and I don't need Disney for checking off dining boxes. I'd rather spend food money on stuff like Club Villain (event group makes great food) etc. Everyone is different and has different taste buds. Hopefully you will enjoy your meals ... it just may be because I go so often.

That Skipper Canteen is an odd place. I really enjoyed the Cachapas for $10.00. The Sangria was nasty. We shared a few other appetizers and my Nellie Noodle Bowl with Duck was only ok. I did like the decor. We chose to eat in the Nomad Lounge last time and ate a bunch of appetizers and a fantastic time. Tiffins wasn't very interesting inside compared to the Nomad Lounge. The prices at Tiffins are crazy.