Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt An association of writers focusing on Southern California dining has recognized the DLR restaurant operations team several big awards. From the Disney Park Blog: This year the group awarded Disneyland Resort a dozen awards to eight restaurants – two in Disneyland park, two in Disney California Adventure park and three in Disneyland Resort hotels. Here are the awards: Golden Bacchus Wine Award (the highest wine award): Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge (Disney California Adventure park) Napa Rose (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa) Steakhouse 55 (Disneyland Hotel) 5 Stars (the highest award): Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge Napa Rose Steakhouse 55 4 Stars: Ariel’s Grotto (Disney California Adventure park) Blue Bayou Restaurant (Disneyland park) Café Orleans (Disneyland park) Storytellers Cafe (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa) 3 Stars: Goofy’s Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) Manager of the Year: Jose Barragan – Barragan has been with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for 17 years and manages Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge at Disney California Adventure park. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/page/2/">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c.../page/2/</a>
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt An association of writers focusing on Southern California dining has recognized the DLR restaurant operations team several big awards. From the Disney Park Blog: This year the group awarded Disneyland Resort a dozen awards to eight restaurants – two in Disneyland park, two in Disney California Adventure park and three in Disneyland Resort hotels. Here are the awards: Golden Bacchus Wine Award (the highest wine award): Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge (Disney California Adventure park) Napa Rose (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa) Steakhouse 55 (Disneyland Hotel) 5 Stars (the highest award): Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge Napa Rose Steakhouse 55 4 Stars: Ariel’s Grotto (Disney California Adventure park) Blue Bayou Restaurant (Disneyland park) Café Orleans (Disneyland park) Storytellers Cafe (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa) 3 Stars: Goofy’s Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) Manager of the Year: Jose Barragan – Barragan has been with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for 17 years and manages Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge at Disney California Adventure park. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/04/disneyland-resort-restaurants-win-big-at-southern-california-restaurant-writers-awards/">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...-awards/</a>
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Eating at the DLR is definitely a big part of our vacations at the DLR. I eat low carb now and have given myself the permission to "cheat" when we go to the DLR in October. I can taste the bread and potatoes already!!!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Sorry for the double post. The second post has the correct link at the bottom. "Eating at the DLR is definitely a big part of our vacations at the DLR." I love eating at the parks too, and since I'm typically vacationing I avoid the typical fast food burger joints and try to go for some of the more sophisticated dining establishments. One of my favorite places to eat is on the terrace at Cafe Orleans. I also love the patio at Flo's that overlooks the Cadillac Range.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Unless it's really changed since the last time I ate there (about 4-5 years ago), I have a hard time believing the Blue Bayou should get the 4-star award. Sure it's got great atmosphere and is a really unique experience, but the food wasn't especially noteworthy other than the crazy price. It's definitely a fun experience, but it was hardly fine dining
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I've still never eaten at the Blue Bayou. I guess it's because I know how much it costs, and I know how picky I am, and I always like to choose our expensive meals where my kids where most enjoy themselves. I've always wanted to though. Too bad it has to cost SOOO much.
Originally Posted By monorailblue I dined at the BB once with my wife. The food was fine but nothing overly memorable. Did I have some sort of pasta? We got seated at a small table by the kitchen door--the least ambience-laden seat in the place, as far as I can tell. We enjoyed it, but have never thought of returning. Although, now that I think about it, the chance to dine 'outdoors' with no mosquitos around might be worth doing again. :O)
Originally Posted By LuvsDsnyTrips I was there last week...food is decent, prices are high....but, love the ambience
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I dined at the BB once with my wife. The food was fine but nothing overly memorable. Did I have some sort of pasta? We got seated at a small table by the kitchen door--the least ambience-laden seat in the place, as far as I can tell. We enjoyed it, but have never thought of returning." I finally ate there a couple of years ago and liked it. Definitely an experience and exceeds anything one would expect in a Southern California theme park despite the fact that there is no beer or wine on the menu. As nice as it is it pales in comparison to the Carthay Circle though. That place is splendid in almost every way.
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 The BB has gotten better. They redid the menu a while back, and I like it better. We have always gone at least once a trip though, because the kids love it and the atmosphere is great. Carthay Circle and Napa Rose are both amazing! I am glad Cafe Orleans got a mention too, as it is my favorite casual place to eat there. I was kind of surprised by Ariel's Grotto. I have eaten there twice and was not impressed at all. It has been a few years though, so maybe it has gotten better. I love eating at Disneyland. I didn't realize how good the food there was for a theme park until I went to WDW and Universal. The food options there are not great (with a few expensive exceptions). I love how many different options DL has for quick service eating. In WDW, for instance, it is hard to find quick service food that is not a burger or chicken nuggets.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I agree that WDW generally has worse counter-service options (though there are some fantastic exceptions, like Sunshine Seasons, Flame Tree, and several places in World Showcase), but there's really no comparison when it comes to table service restaurants. For me, WDW wins that competition in a landslide. Yes, they're more expensive, but they're still noticeably cheaper than DL's table-service. They have a huge variety of options, and almost all of them are really good (though there are also exceptions to this). To me, it's reflective of how WDW vacations tend to be longer and more laid back than the typical 1 or 2 day trip to DLR, where you're trying to cram as much in as possible. They definitely need help with quick-service, but I have a tough time hearing that the food in general is bad in WDW
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "For me, WDW wins that competition in a landslide. Yes, they're more expensive, but they're still noticeably cheaper than DL's table-service." Comparing apples to apple though (MK vs DL) I would give the win to DL based on my last visit to WDW, which admittedly, was a long time ago. I expect EPCOT to be a gourmet showcase, but DL and MK? Not as much.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Although I haven't eaten at all of the MK table service restaurants, I still think it's one of the few categories that MK wins over DL. I probably would put Tony's about on par with DL's table service locations, and Liberty Tree Tavern above them. Cindy's, like the Blue Bayou, isn't known for great food, but continually wins guests for atmosphere The Studios also has a lot of neat table service restaurants (in the park that arguably has the worst counter service, though MK isn't great). Mamma Melrose's isn't anything fancy, but it's really tasty food. The Sci-Fi Dine-In has great atmosphere (though, again, the food isn't noteworthy), 50's Prime Time Café has the whole experience, and the Brown Derby is always well rated. DAK really only has Yak & Yeti, but I've heard very good things about it As with anything, you'll never get a true apples-to-apples comparison between the resorts because they're so different, but even if you try and average them for each park (or divide WDW's in half due to the difference in parks), I still think WDW comes out ahead
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Yeah, WDW really REALLY depends on which park you're in. At DLR, both parks have at least one really good high end option (and the Napa Rose is so close it might as well be in the parks), plus any number of quite good more casual places. And if you just want quick, those places tend to be way better than those in the WDW parks.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Plus, when you throw in DTD, (an easy walk from the main gate of EITHER park),it tilts even more to DLR's favor, IMO. They may not be owned by Disney, but I'm just talking about the average guest experience. Most of the really good WTW hotel or downtown restaurants are not an easy stroll from the parks. Some of them are great, but too much of a hassle to go to just for lunch; and even if you go there for dinner, half the time you just feel like ending your day there rather than going back to the parks again – especially since those parks tend to close early a lot.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I ate a couple times at Ariel's too, and wasn't ever that impressed with the food. Now that my daughter doesn't care for the princesses, I'd never shell out the money to eat there again.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "And if you just want quick, those places tend to be way better than those in the WDW parks." That's kind of what I was getting at. My perception of the MK was that it was mostly casual counter locations with fewer nice buffets (ie: Plaza Pavillion, River Belle Terrace or the French Market) or table service establishments than DL. The overall quality of the food struck me as being inferior too, but like I said, things may have changed. For instance the new Be Our Guest restaurant in Fantasyland seems to be getting favorable reviews and the dinner menu sounds pretty ambitious for a Magic Kingdom style park.
