Originally Posted By MPierce Gosh, this is a really tricky subject. What may be horrible to me might be great to someone else, and vice versa. My wife, and I agreed almost completely on the subject. Neither one of us are big eaters so this is a very limited judgement of a few menus. We also discovered that the menus on different WDW forum sites or incomplete as some of the dishes we had were not listed on them. I will not include the tip because that is a personal issue, and should not be counted. I almost always tip 20% unless it's horrible service. So here's the damage. Nine Dragons China 2 Pepper beef with rice $37.96 2 Tsingtao beers $11.96 Tax $3.25 Total $53.17 My wife only drinks water with her meals so all of the beer for any meal goes in my belly. Service is always very good at this restaurant. Food was just OK I get much better locally at half the price. I remember when you got noodles with this meal. I wish I had gotten the Honey Seasame Chicken now. Rose and Crown United Kingdom My Wife Fish and Chips $15.99 Me Fish and chips $15.99 1 Tennant beer $8.00 Tax $2.60 Total $42.58 I like the Bangers, and Mash here, as well as the Cottage Pie. Service is better here than the other times we have been. A very talkative friendly server who also was a fan of Tennants, 25% tip. I remember when you use to get English peas with this meal. Long John silvers is cheaper, but this seems to be the only place I can fine Tennants. Chefs de France where else France MY Wife Lasagnes de legumes du soleil a l'huile d'olive au thym The French sure are long winded for Vegetable Lasagne $19.95 Me, and I'm dispensing with the French names Escargots $10.95 Grilled Tenderloin beef $33.95 Kronenborg beer $5.95 Tax $4.61 Total $75.41 My wife liked her VEGGIE meal I wish I had rented a Mears Limo and gone to McDonalds for a Big Mac and Fries. It would have been much better, and a heck of a lot cheaper. The black pepper sauce was horrible, the green beans were bland, even the excellent potato gratin couldn't save this meal. Go to Key West Kools at 7725 W Hwy. 192 in Kissimmee if you want an excellent reasonably priced steak with a much nicer atmosphere. Rude arrogant waiter translated into a 10% tip. Tokyo Dining My wife Ebi Dinner $20.95 Me Grilled NY Steak $26.95 Tax $3.61 Total $59.01 This restaurant is all about service. It was raining outside so we were greeted with Dry towels and a platic bag to put our damp ponchos in. A warm moist towel to wash our grubby little hands with before diner. It's supper at home, dinner when I'm paying. My lovely child bride loved her shrimp but really wasn't fond of the stir fried veggies. I ate most of hers, and liked them. My steak was prepared Japanese Cutlet style. It was OK with the exception of one big chunk of gristle. I wish I could have gotten a plate full of fried asparagus. SCI-Fi Drive-In Theater The Studios formerly know as Disney MGM Studios. That's a lot of typing Spirit! Couldn't you come up with a symbol like Prince did? My Wife Chili $6.99 Me Reuben sandwich $11.99 Onion rings for 2 $9.99 Tax $2.18 Total $35.65 My wife liked her Chili, I tasted it, and thought it SUCKED! The onion rings were ok, and I was very disappointed in my soggy reuben. I am a big B-grade horror fan so watching the old trailers was great for me. I remembered them from when I was a kid, and I have a few on VHS. We were sitting in the back of a 1958 Oldsmobile (no they don't have BMW's for vbdad or Mercedes for Spirit). I tried to cop a feel of my wife, and she slapped me. The service was ok but mostly this night was a loser. Roaring Fork Wilderness Lodge 2 breakfast plates $12.58 Tax $.82 Total $13.40 Very mediocre. I remember when this little place served great food. They would have a really great lunch special everyday at a very reasonable price. Not anymore, thank you DDP. Electric Umbrella 2 cold Cheeseburgers with fries $13.18 1 medium Coke $2.39 Tax $1.02 Total $16.59 This joint didn't even have beer, stike 1. They removed the talking trash can, stike 2, are you ready for this? The condiment bar contained only ketchup, mayo, and mustard, strike 3. I asked the people there where the real condiment bar was at, and she said this is it. I wish to quote one of the CM's here. She said "We work for a cheap Mickey Mouse.". For the first time in my adult life that I can remember I had a cheeseburger without onions. At least they put a piece of lettuce on it, and a slice of tomato. They still have condiment bars everywhere else. Why they removed it from here is beyond me. Liberty Inn 2 cold Cheeseburgers, and fries $3.18 I regular Coke $2.19 1 Bud Light Draft (Thank the Lord) $5.50 Tax $1.36 Total $22.23 They really need to heat their food better, and put a cover on the food like they do at Roaring fork. The restaurant was only about 1/3 full so there was no seating problems. It was just not prepared properly. Tutto Italia My wife Casarecci $25.00 This is pasta with sweet Italian sausage with sundried tomatoes in a tomato sauce with parmesan reggiano Me Farfalle $24.00 Italian prosciutto ham, peas, and parmesan cream @ Moretti beers $1100 Tax $3.90 Total $63.90 This was a fantastic meal. I liked mine, but I think the Casarecci was to die for. I believe it was a little pricey, but it definetly was worth it.I licked my plate clean then polished off my wifes plate. Yes it was that good. Excellent service translates into a 25% tip. You even have a little more room at your table now compared to when it was Alfredo's. I highly recommend this resaurant. In summary out of all the places we ate my wife, and I both agreed that if these restaurants were in Houston, Tutto Italia is the only one we would go to. I think the DDP has ruined dining at WDW for the most part. Also on your check they put the recommendation for an 18% tip, and a 20% tip, as well as informiong you that the tip is not included in the Demon Disny Dining Plan. How very,very,very,TACKY If you use All Ears for a menu guide there are some dishes you will not find on it, also most of the prices have gone up. As if the prices weren't high enough already.
Originally Posted By MPierce That should read 2 Moretti beers at $11.00. At the rate the Mouse keeps raising food prices I look for a couple of beers to run $1100 in the near future though.
Originally Posted By dshyates There are just SOOO many good restaurants around the Orlando Metro area that I find it hard to pay those kind of prices for in park food. Even the better restaurants around WS just aren't all that impressive. And I have 2 off-prop restaurants I REALLY want to try. Roy's of Hawaii and Ocean Prime up on Sand Lake. I know Ocen Prime is California Grill quality.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Is WDW dining really worth it?>> Compared to most restaurants in Mpls-St. Paul? No way. Compared to $10 for a Brat and a Coke at a ballgame, WDW dining is a great deal. When compared against "event dining" WDW doesn't seem so bad. Compared to everything else it is for the most part overpriced. So leobloom... whatcha got to say now??
Originally Posted By dshyates I am glad that it is dawning on folks that there is good affordable food not far from anywhere on prop. In the old days if you left prop your close options were Pondarosa and Denny's. That's not the case now. The food prices/quality is one reason that I don't mind suffering off-prop at The Ritz. I know most of you wouldn't never stoop to staying at the Ritz and eating a a dump like Ocean Prime, but I think I can put up with it for a week or two.
Originally Posted By dshyates Take the Photo tour: <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Orlando/Default.htm" target="_blank">http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/...ault.htm</a> <a href="http://www.ocean-prime.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ocean-prime.com/</a>
Originally Posted By leobloom RT, if you had taken all the qualifers out, I would've given you a gold star. "...it is...overpriced." That's all you needed to say. I would say Disney dining is GROSSLY, criminally overpriced. Don't get me wrong. I like upscale restaurants. But I don't like paying an arm and a leg when I'm rushing to get back out to the attractions. The atmosphere in the theme park restaurants, at least, just doesn't justify the price for me.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 First ... to my dear crazy rightwing redneck wackjob minion, I was working all day until about 20 minutes ago. I got your note and you'll get one back either later tonight or first thing tomorrow ... Lost is on and one must have priorities! Now ... to your dining ... I'll just comment where I see fit (as usual)! <<Neither one of us are big eaters so this is a very limited judgement of a few menus.>> Are these the only meals you had in EIGHT days? Or were the others off property or not worth mentioning? <<We also discovered that the menus on different WDW forum sites or incomplete as some of the dishes we had were not listed on them.>> Disney is constantly changing and tinkering (usually not for the better) their menus so even great sites like Deb Wills are only best guestimates. <<Nine Dragons China 2 Pepper beef with rice $37.96 2 Tsingtao beers $11.96 Tax $3.25 Total $53.17>> Those two beers would have been $2 (total) or less had you actually had them in China. Trust me, I had plenty and I am not a beer drinker. Haven't been there since the redo. It looks nice in there. But the menu was dumbed down considerably a decade ago, but still had quite a bit on it (you actually got a real menu that opened up like a book) until about two years ago when DDP dumbed that down considerably. If you have issues with Epcot dining you might want to contact Jens Dahlman (need to double check spelling) as he was recently moved from California Grill to head of Epcot Food and Beverage. <<Rose and Crown United Kingdom My Wife Fish and Chips $15.99 Me Fish and chips $15.99 1 Tennant beer $8.00 Tax $2.60 Total $42.58>> So no peas now ... that's a way to improve the bottom line yet again ... like when one of the airlines removed olives from salads a few years ago and said it would save $2 million a year. So you pay more for your dinner (think it's gone up a good $3 in the past five years) and you get less. I am sure Disney would spin it as 'our guests told us that even though they appreciate our wanting to provide them with healthy well-balanced meals they'd really rather not have peas with their fish and chips' ...ridiculous. Of course, you could have been there with me last year when our server tried to pass off the quick serve stand next door's portion of Fish and Chips as the regular lunch when the REAL lunch was much larger and served on a plate with chips and peas while she served it in paper in a bread-like basket. We weren't sure until lunch was done and we had scoped out other tables and saw that two other tables had the same quick serve food, while everyone else got the real deal. We found a manager, who blamed it on the server, that was fairly understanding (although I got the idea she was doing absolutely nothing about it after we walked away) and then she comped JUST the lunch entree that wasn't provided correctly when she should have eaten the whole check. Haven't been back since and this place has been a favorite dating back to when they had the best (and only) prime rib at EPCOT. <<Chefs de France where else France MY Wife Lasagnes de legumes du soleil a l'huile d'olive au thym The French sure are long winded for Vegetable Lasagne $19.95 Me, and I'm dispensing with the French names Escargots $10.95 Grilled Tenderloin beef $33.95 Kronenborg beer $5.95 Tax $4.61 Total $75.41 My wife liked her VEGGIE meal I wish I had rented a Mears Limo and gone to McDonalds for a Big Mac and Fries. It would have been much better, and a heck of a lot cheaper. The black pepper sauce was horrible, the green beans were bland, even the excellent potato gratin couldn't save this meal. Go to Key West Kools at 7725 W Hwy. 192 in Kissimmee if you want an excellent reasonably priced steak with a much nicer atmosphere. Rude arrogant waiter translated into a 10% tip.>> That's a shame. This place has really fallen of late, although usually the food is quite good just not worth the price. BTW, that filet of yours has gone up close to $10 in five years. <<Tokyo Dining My wife Ebi Dinner $20.95 Me Grilled NY Steak $26.95 Tax $3.61 Total $59.01 This restaurant is all about service. It was raining outside so we were greeted with Dry towels and a platic bag to put our damp ponchos in. A warm moist towel to wash our grubby little hands with before diner. It's supper at home, dinner when I'm paying. My lovely child bride loved her shrimp but really wasn't fond of the stir fried veggies. I ate most of hers, and liked them. My steak was prepared Japanese Cutlet style. It was OK with the exception of one big chunk of gristle. I wish I could have gotten a plate full of fried asparagus.>> I enjoyed this place when we went when it was in soft opening, albeit I was there with a friend who didn't seem to appreciate the fact I was buying her dinner. But the food and service were excellent. Although you can better at less cost by simply going to Benihana at the DD Hilton. <<SCI-Fi Drive-In Theater The Studios formerly know as Disney MGM Studios. That's a lot of typing Spirit! Couldn't you come up with a symbol like Prince did?>> I have a symbol for myself, but I can't represent it here as there is no key for pure magic. And you got it wrong it's The Park Formerly Known as The Disney-MGM Studios ... you can abbreviate like a Disney geek by calling it TPFKaTD-MGMS if that makes it easier. <<My Wife Chili $6.99 Me Reuben sandwich $11.99 Onion rings for 2 $9.99 Tax $2.18 Total $35.65 My wife liked her Chili, I tasted it, and thought it SUCKED! The onion rings were ok, and I was very disappointed in my soggy reuben. I am a big B-grade horror fan so watching the old trailers was great for me. I remembered them from when I was a kid, and I have a few on VHS. We were sitting in the back of a 1958 Oldsmobile (no they don't have BMW's for vbdad or Mercedes for Spirit). I tried to cop a feel of my wife, and she slapped me. The service was ok but mostly this night was a loser.>> I've only dined here once back in 1996. I thought it was mediocre and loud and the seats were uncomfortable. Haven't seen fit to return. <<Roaring Fork Wilderness Lodge 2 breakfast plates $12.58 Tax $.82 Total $13.40 Very mediocre. I remember when this little place served great food. They would have a really great lunch special everyday at a very reasonable price. Not anymore, thank you DDP.>> I remember when they took the DDE card for us loyal Floridian guests. I remember when they had Cherry Coke. And then when they took it away -- and some important returnee bitched (not I) -- they placed bottles of cherry syrup out so you could make your own (which i thought was even better). Ah, gotta remember the magic because Disney seems unwilling to give us any new magic even when we pay for it! <<Electric Umbrella 2 cold Cheeseburgers with fries $13.18 1 medium Coke $2.39 Tax $1.02 Total $16.59 This joint didn't even have beer, stike 1. They removed the talking trash can, stike 2, are you ready for this? The condiment bar contained only ketchup, mayo, and mustard, strike 3. I asked the people there where the real condiment bar was at, and she said this is it. I wish to quote one of the CM's here. She said "We work for a cheap Mickey Mouse.". For the first time in my adult life that I can remember I had a cheeseburger without onions. At least they put a piece of lettuce on it, and a slice of tomato. They still have condiment bars everywhere else. Why they removed it from here is beyond me.>> Well, they did add the all you can drink refill stations. I don't know if it was a space deal or maybe even with the economy crashing they were afraid too many people would come in and just make dinner out of lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and anything else? <<Liberty Inn 2 cold Cheeseburgers, and fries $3.18 I regular Coke $2.19 1 Bud Light Draft (Thank the Lord) $5.50 Tax $1.36 Total $22.23 They really need to heat their food better, and put a cover on the food like they do at Roaring fork. The restaurant was only about 1/3 full so there was no seating problems. It was just not prepared properly.>> You NEED to stay away from crappy places like that. You want a burger at EPCOT, you're better off grabbing a Friendship launch, riding over to the Dolphin and eating at the Fountain there ... the cost wouldn't have likely been any more or a few dollars and you'd get cooked to order, fresh, high quality burgers and onion rings ... and great ice cream for dessert. You should never have burgers at Epcot. Never. <<Tutto Italia My wife Casarecci $25.00 This is pasta with sweet Italian sausage with sundried tomatoes in a tomato sauce with parmesan reggiano Me Farfalle $24.00 Italian prosciutto ham, peas, and parmesan cream @ Moretti beers $1100 Tax $3.90 Total $63.90 This was a fantastic meal. I liked mine, but I think the Casarecci was to die for. I believe it was a little pricey, but it definetly was worth it.I licked my plate clean then polished off my wifes plate. Yes it was that good. Excellent service translates into a 25% tip. You even have a little more room at your table now compared to when it was Alfredo's. I highly recommend this resaurant.>> I enjoyed it greatly when I dined there in 10/07. But I was on the 'free' dining plan and for five of us the tab would have been what I consider astronomical for pasta let alone pasta not in NYC, Vegas or ... well, Italy. But the food is definitely very, very good at Tutto Italia. Alfredo's was good, but this place is much better. <<In summary out of all the places we ate my wife, and I both agreed that if these restaurants were in Houston, Tutto Italia is the only one we would go to. I think the DDP has ruined dining at WDW for the most part. Also on your check they put the recommendation for an 18% tip, and a 20% tip, as well as informiong you that the tip is not included in the Demon Disny Dining Plan. How very,very,very,TACKY If you use All Ears for a menu guide there are some dishes you will not find on it, also most of the prices have gone up. As if the prices weren't high enough already. >> I can only say out of all the places you list the only place I am sure to return to is Roaring Fork. So long as I have a lifetime of free soda (oh Nikki ...)and they still serve those great salads and sandwiches. I could have saved you some money and sent you to some better choices, but you didn't ask!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Oh and Disney dining has always been overpriced, but you used to get bang for your buck in terms of everything from ambience to quality to service to FOOD ... now, it is all nickel and diming. How many people will notice that you don't get peas at Rose and Crown? How many will complain? How many will even return an inedible burger at Liberty Inn? I'd definitely drop a line to the head of Epcot food and beverage since it appears most of your dining was at 'his' park and he ran California Grill ... so he knows quality and he knows when you're not giving it to guests.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< So you pay more for your dinner (think it's gone up a good $3 in the past five years) and you get less. I am sure Disney would spin it as 'our guests told us that even though they appreciate our wanting to provide them with healthy well-balanced meals they'd really rather not have peas with their fish and chips' ...ridiculous. >>> I think you have it wrong Spirit - the actual complaint was that the peas were taking up too much room on the plate.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 < We were sitting in the back of a 1958 Oldsmobile (no they don't have BMW's for vbdad or Mercedes for Spirit). < hmmm-- maybe a chance for an upgrade ? I never thought about that when I have been there but that'd be cool...maybe DL Paris could incorporate something like this......then again the French...the Germans...likely not
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<the actual complaint was that the peas were taking up too much room on the plate.>> There do seem to be a fair number of people who don't like it when one food touches another... can't have peas mixing with the mash potatoes or the meat, you know.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 overall I think a lot of how one feels about the pricing depends on what you are used to paying. In my case in and around Chicago those prices match fairly closely better than average restaurants and some very average restaurants. After a volleyball match ;ast weekend the parents took the kids out to eat. Much to my dismay they picked Olive garden where I haven't been in at least 15 years. My daughter had the taste of Italy and I had an angel hair pasta dish with shrimp and a bowl of soup. We each had a diet Coke - and she had an ice cream for desert -- total set back $53. btw- for all those telling me how much more Italisn their Tuscan menu is - save your breath next time. The pasta e'fagioli was a thin ( watery) tomato broth with ground hamburger --no wonder they can offer free refills- not the thick hearty bean soup I am used to. The shrimp were actually OK- the pasta seemed microwaved and stuck together for like $17 sorry- I'll stay at real Italian restaurants in the future
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <<<the actual complaint was that the peas were taking up too much room on the plate.>> There do seem to be a fair number of people who don't like it when one food touches another... can't have peas mixing with the mash potatoes or the meat, you know.< gotta watch more Stooges- see you mix the peas and mashed together and eat them with a knife-- problem solved
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I think you have it wrong Spirit - the actual complaint was that the peas were taking up too much room on the plate.*** Or perhaps too many people were filling up on the peas, and complained because they weren't able to sample other things such as fish or chips.
Originally Posted By dshyates I think the problem with the peas was they are peas. Americans in general hate peas. Actually most green foods in general. Maybe if the tried deep frying them and slathering them in gravy.
Originally Posted By Mr F The SCI-FI Dine in SUX, I can tell you that. The Atmosphere is great but the food stinks! Much like a lot of things is Florida.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "Americans in general hate peas." I think there's a huge difference between normal peas and fish and chips peas. Normal peas, while not my favorite thing in the world, are tolerable. They're a little tough to get to stay on a fork, but in the end they don't do any harm. Fish and chips peas are seemingly required to be extra mushy and smell terrible. And on the bright side, they taste worse than they smell. They're a very drab shade of green, looking almost like they've already been digested for you. While normal peas would just sit there and not bother you if you didn't want them, these ones seem to attack your senses with the pungent aroma of 'yuck'. Getting rid of them is a major upgrade in my mind. Though I have heard that on occasion there is a person brave enough to try them, and some actually like them...ick!
