WDW restaurant food quality

[patmcg]

We have just ordered a sandwich at the Port Orleans Riverside Mill restaurant. I ordered a turkey sandwich with the condition that the turkey was not processed turkey. After being assured by the server that it was freshly made in the back I ordered the sandwich only to bring it back to the table to find out that it tasted like third rate processed turkey. Not that it would make me happy, but even Boarshead brand would have been better..

To add salt to a wound the coffee tasted burnt.

This isn't our first experience with poor quality food being served at Disney World. Quite frankly I think it is a very troubling trend.

I can go on and on. What the heck gives. The prices are getting higher and higher and the quality is deteriorating.

My wife just brought this matter to the attention of a "coordinator" who advised that the matter will be addressed behind the counter and provided assurance that it would not occur again.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Yup

 

[OKW Lover]

I hope you talked to a manager at that restaurant before you left.

 

[jsmla]

I find it to be a bit hit or miss. I had very tasty meals at Jungle Skipper Canteen Spice Road but was underwhelmed with Liberty Tree.

 

[amberpi]

It varies hugely from restaurant to restaurant. I'm not shocked that a mid-day sandwich at PO was just regular old lunch meat and underwhelming.

ETA: I do not find price and quality at WDW necessarily go together (although there's a correlation certainly), but hands down, my favorite lunch is an order of grape leaves from SRT at less than $10 and sharing another app with a companion. Forgetting alcohol costs, 2 people can have a great meal for $30 - or about the cost of a crappy QS meal - while dining in a delightful atmosphere.

 

[loves to dive]

I think it depends on where you eat. I have never had a really good meal at a resort QS food court. I've had edible breakfasts but nothing that I couldn't get at McDonald's. Now TS restaurants or even QS in the parks is a different matter, I've had some excellent meals there. I agree with SRT, although last time we were there our bill was over $80. In all fairness more than one refreshing adult beverage may have been consumed.

 

[perditax]

(Do any of the WDW hotel restaurants roast and slice their sandwich meats from scratch? Seems highly unlikely.)

 

[DLgal]

(Do any of the WDW hotel restaurants roast and slice their sandwich meats from scratch? Seems highly unlikely.)

I know a lot of Disneyland QS restaurants do. You can definitely tell it is real, fresh roasted turkey and beef.

 

[amberpi]

I think it depends on where you eat. I have never had a really good meal at a resort QS food court. I've had edible breakfasts but nothing that I couldn't get at McDonald's. Now TS restaurants or even QS in the parks is a different matter, I've had some excellent meals there. I agree with SRT, although last time we were there our bill was over $80. In all fairness more than one refreshing adult beverage may have been consumed.

Well, that's why I had to put that in a different line item Our total bills probably aren't that different.

 

[barbliny]

They key word to look for in ordering a turkey sandwich is carved. 'Sliced' won't cut it either - that can just mean they sliced it from a large heated 'loaf' of processed turkey.

That's my rule - I am the same way as you are about turkey - freshly carved or boar's head only for me. I often don't order much 'grilled' chicken at Disney either for the same reason - it some times a 'formed' piece of chicken vs. a real piece of chicken.

BOG has a very good carved turkey sandwich IMHO.

And yes price and quality of food have no correlation as far as Disney is concerned. They seem to attach much more importance to location when pricing the food. The best snack in all of WDW (for me) are fresh out of the fryer french fries from Casey's - they around $2.50 (they are not on the menu separately, but they can be ordered - I do it all the time). And you sit at a table with a direct view of the castle. SHhhh! Don't tell Disney I said that - they'll upcharge my fries for the view.

 

[Micca]

There are some really good restaurants at WDW, but most are just ok. At WDW if you're getting Applebee's/Chili's quality food you're doing pretty good, but you're paying quite a bit more. The QS are probably McDonalds/Subway quality at best, but again you'll be paying a high price. I love high quality food but at some point I'm willing to sacrifice quality for convenience. The other times I'll pay the premium to eat TS/signature eateries or dine on quality deli style food from Publix at my resort.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I agree -- the food quality varies widely between WDW restaurants, can vary at the same restaurant from one trip to the next, and does not seem to correlate with the price range of the restaurant. I have also been frustrated by the overall trend that as quality goes down, prices go up. One of my favorites for moderately priced, good-quality food was Captain's Grille, so I'm sad that it is being replaced and will not return.

 

[melana]

I think quality of food is somewhat subjective as everyone has a different taste for what they think is good and what they think isn't. I have some really great meals at WDW, a lot of better than average meals and just a hand full of meals that if I could have, I would have trashed the food at the table, I would have. I have given up on the notion that food quality and quantity at WDW matches the prices I pay.

 

[arminnie]

I live in New Orleans, but previously lived in the San Francisco area. I am used to good food. Disney can live up to the standards - but so often does not. So much of the food at Disney is gagmatic.

I refuse to pay top dollar for crud. We eat off site a lot. And I often take a sandwich with me when going to the parks if I know that my only choice is to have cruddy food for $15+.

 

[perditax]

I live in New Orleans, but previously lived in the San Francisco area. I am used to good food. Disney can live up to the standards - but so often does not. So much of the food at Disney is gagmatic.

I refuse to pay top dollar for crud. We eat off site a lot. And I often take a sandwich with me when going to the parks if I know that my only choice is to have cruddy food for $15+.

I love NOLA food, but it's not a fair comparison--WDW has to do volume/bulk catering for a bazillion people at a time.

 

[LilyWDW]

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.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I think it really varies between parks and resorts. I find the food quality to be a bit better in EP and really bad in MK. And think, generally, the food is better at deluxe resort TS. And, obviously, better at signatures. This is why I don't get too carried away booking 1 TS ADR's anymore. It's not worth the time or money.

 

[anniemae]

Like others have said, it varies. Many people blame the dining plan for lowering the quality of food. I also think that the fact that Disney is so crowded now, it's hard to maintain quality. They have to feed masses of people. It's almost like banquet style food, mediocre at best. I think you get better food at the signature restaurants.

 

[arminnie]

I love NOLA food, but it's not a fair comparison--WDW has to do volume/bulk catering for a bazillion people at a time.

No it's not a fair comparison at all - but I was just trying to explain that I don't go to Disney for the food. Now I've had some great meals at Disney - but yikes the prices are literally double (or more) what I pay to eat at Commander's Palace in New Orleans.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Greed! Charge more, receive less.

And yes the "Disney Defenders" will tell you that you are wrong to expect decent food for the prices you pay, but...

My new rule is "eat as much as possible either off site or at non-Disney operated locations......