Can you share a place you couldnt wait to eat but was a huge letdown

[Lilsia]

Wow, good to know that reservations mean nothing here. I do not want to waste my time and money going somewhere that allows for "Unknown" preferences with reservations. I've heard great things about this place, but will avoid it on our upcoming trip. Thanks for the heads up. It seems such things are getting out of hand at Disney and they allow it. This is a black spot on Disney's honesty toward their guests.

We have been there several times and have not had any issues getting in within a reasonable time of our reservations. I don't think that this is really a big issue. Until I hear this from the majority of people who eat there, I am not going to go with the doom and gloom scenario.

 

[Beer Me]

We have been there several times and have not had any issues getting in within a reasonable time of our reservations. I don't think that this is really a big issue. Until I hear this from the majority of people who eat there, I am not going to go with the doom and gloom scenario.

I can’t remember ever waiting more than 10 or 15 minutes with an ADR. Some of these accounts are ridiculous (90 minutes??!!). I’m pretty sure my patience would be used up by 30 minutes and I’d insist on an immediate table or cancellation.

 

[captaindavidhook]

I can’t remember ever waiting more than 10 or 15 minutes with an ADR. Some of these accounts are ridiculous (90 minutes??!!). I’m pretty sure my patience would be used up by 30 minutes and I’d insist on an immediate table or cancellation.

I think my longest wait was 20 mins at via napoli

 

[chelynnah]

I can’t remember ever waiting more than 10 or 15 minutes with an ADR. Some of these accounts are ridiculous (90 minutes??!!). I’m pretty sure my patience would be used up by 30 minutes and I’d insist on an immediate table or cancellation.

I can promise you it was 90 min. And they kept assuring us it would be soon, and every time we figured it must be so we waited a bit longer. At some point you feel invested, and we were so hungry and tired that finding somewhere else could have been longer (in our minds) so we believed them and kept waiting. As I said in my post, it won’t happen again. If we can’t be seated within a reasonable amount of time we’ll walk and will not be paying the cancellation fee as they didn’t honour their part while we did.

On a side note we have just got back from a 10 night stay with Free DDP, so we used the opportunity to try several of the TS restaurants we’d been looking forward to trying for years. I can say that not a single one disappointed. The service and food were excellent. Several of them were on this list, so we had tempered our expectations just in case (and maybe that helped). But we were very pleasantly surprised to not have one less than stellar experience just based on the law of averages.

 

[Samantha Morgan]

Garden Grill.

I wouldn’t say I couldn’t wait to try it, but I had heard so many good things I felt secure with our reservation.

Food was very bland. Character interaction was weird. Tables were awkward.

 

[captaindavidhook]

Garden Grill.

I wouldn’t say I couldn’t wait to try it, but I had heard so many good things I felt secure with our reservation.

Food was very bland. Character interaction was weird. Tables were awkward.

The tables are spinning actually slightly while you eat. Weird I know . Always hear mixed results with garden grill.

 

[FTPIxieDust]

BOG dinner without DDP, in spring 2018. It was just ok, not worth the prices.

Ohana - we have been here every trip for 7 years for character breakfast. Couldn’t wait to go back. Went a few weeks ago and we were disappointed! No more bacon - replaced by thick ham slices with weird pineapple mustard glaze, and eggs were really bad and definitely powdered. Waited 40 minutes to be seated past ADR time. No characters came to the table until we were finishing and had the bill, which was very unusual. No character dance line as before. Although when characters finally came around they were great. Servers seemed rushed and stressed and no Auntie/Uncle introductions. It was our favorite due to no buffet, good and hot food, so it was more relaxing, typically multiple character interactions and very friendly service.

 

[Samantha Morgan]

The tables are spinning actually slightly while you eat. Weird I know . Always hear mixed results with garden grill.

The rotation wasn’t even a problem, it’s just the way the booths were set up. It made the character interaction difficult. And the circle layout of the whole thing made it weird for servers and other people to constantly be scooting past our table. We were near the kitchen door so it was just obnoxiously busy.

 

[angierae]

Coral Reef. The food was just okay, and the service was terrible. DH refuses to ever go back.

 

[ShelliRenee]

Our last trip I was looking forward to Maria and Enzos. The food was okay but the service was rushed and it was like they didn't have enough staff. The server tried to be nice but you could just tell he was overworked and in a rush. They didn't even have the first class section open. Major let down.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

'OHana's dinner I thought was overhyped. DH liked it but it was just okay to me. Also, that place is alllllllllllways running behind. We showed up 15 minutes before our ADR like you're supposed to, and we were sent outside to join the huge crowd in the lobby to wait for our table. Any time I have to do a big wait for an ADR I get grumpy. Another one was Trail's End brunch. The wait was ridiculous (I'm talking over 50 minutes), and once we got inside it was really empty. It took so long to get over there we didn't want to bail, and our reservation for at like 11:30am so we were pretty hungry at that point. Everyone waiting outside was in a foul mood - you would see someone come running up apologizing for being 40 minutes late for their ADR, and the CM would seat them really quickly. Every now and then someone would go up and be like "I got here on time and was supposed to be seated at 11am" or whatever and the CM would just say they were running behind. I haven't experienced anything like that at Disney before! The food was fine, nothing special, and they didn't have any of the breakfast pastries everyone raved about. Maybe it was an off day, but it wasted ~3 hours of our MK time and I'll never do it again.

 

[KPeterso]

Just recently back, and I was so disappointed in Kona Cafe for dinner. I have been going there for years for dinner and always love it. Ate there in September and it was great as always. I went this time and the menu had changed. Now, it was my fault for not re-checking the menu closer to the trip, but I never would have expected as drastic a change to the menu as I found. The pan fried asian noodles were gone. And then the steaks were essentially a la carte with no sides. So being solo, I had to get a side that could have been shared with 3 other people for just me to go with the steak. I left so disappointed. The server did say I was not the only person who did not like the changes at all. I made a reservation for this September in the hopes that the menu is changed again before that time, but if not, I will be cancelling that reservation.

 

[nicolebridget22]

The Boathouse was a disappointment to us. I was unprepared for how noisy it was, easiest the noisiest restaurant we visited in Disney (even over BOG dinner in the ballroom). Very obnoxious. And the food was mediocre and very expensive.

 

[Lilsia]

And then the steaks were essentially a la carte with no sides. So being solo, I had to get a side that could have been shared with 3 other people for just me to go with the steak.

I HATE how so many places are doing this now with sides. Solo diners are getting shafted. Plus even when I go with my hubby, we don't necessarily want the same side. This is just greed.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

1. The Boathouse. We had reservations and the place was beyond crowded. We were all given these reservation cards and a girl took a bunch of them I watched while she put a stack on the podium then left the restaurant. After waiting almost 1 1/2 hours I inquired about our "reservation".They said they didn't have it. I then informed them of the handful of cards and they found them. We finally were seated a little while later, and the waitress took our order. She was just bringing it when another employee walked up and asked her to help with the computer or something. I needed something and waited for her to come back. After around 15 minutes I went ahead and ate. She never came back for the entire meal. My son got disgusted and walked out. We ran out of beverages, needed sauces, etc, couldn't flag anyone down. She came back at the end and apologized; brought us a slice of pie. Between the wait and lack of service I was done. I have not been back.
2. 50s Prime Time. Did not get the fun experience we hear about and the food was meh.

 

[cmwade77]

I can promise you it was 90 min. And they kept assuring us it would be soon, and every time we figured it must be so we waited a bit longer. At some point you feel invested, and we were so hungry and tired that finding somewhere else could have been longer (in our minds) so we believed them and kept waiting. As I said in my post, it won’t happen again. If we can’t be seated within a reasonable amount of time we’ll walk and will not be paying the cancellation fee as they didn’t honour their part while we did.

On a side note we have just got back from a 10 night stay with Free DDP, so we used the opportunity to try several of the TS restaurants we’d been looking forward to trying for years. I can say that not a single one disappointed. The service and food were excellent. Several of them were on this list, so we had tempered our expectations just in case (and maybe that helped). But we were very pleasantly surprised to not have one less than stellar experience just based on the law of averages.

Additionally they will be helping me get an ADR at another TS. If I somehow had waited 90 minutes, I would be asking for a manager and asking for a couple of FPs or something to make up for waiting.

I seriously wouldn't wait more than 15 minutes or so, unless I arrived early madand/or made a special request for seating, then that is on me.

 

[cmwade77]

For me, it would be Skipper's Canteen. The food was delicious, the server though was from another country and just brought our food, didn't participate in any jokes or anything that is supposed to set this location apart from the rest. She said my drink was refillable, but I had to ask numerous times for a refill, sorry, but you see my drink is almost empty, either refill or at least offer to refill it.

 

[cmwade77]

For sure. It’s not all about price. We had a terrible experience at Pecos Bill’s a couple of years ago. Ended up speaking to the manager and getting a full refund. But I’ve also had “bad” meals where had the price been half as much, I probably wouldn’t have been that upset.

Other coast, but the last time we ate at Blue Bayou was like that. I had to ask a manager for a refill (sense a theme for me?) our food had been sitting getting come for about 15 to 20 minutes before being delivered to our table. I know, because I remember looking at the dishes thinking, "I feel bad for who ever has that food", imagine my shock when it came to our table.

I sent that back and asked to speak with a manager because seriously, that is not what I expect from that high of a priced restaurant. The manage did end up giving a 40% discount. He was originally only going to do a 20% discount until I pointed out we had APs and at the time was getting 20% at Blue Bayou anyway. Really, it was terrible and the sadest part? The servers were all standing around doing nothing.

 

[cmwade77]

What a sad statement when you think about it. "Hey everyone, we're taking an awesome vacation to Disney World and we'll be eating at really special and unique restaurants with great theming. Just don't expect the food to be very good."

Sorry, I am paying the high prices, I expect quality food and I will send it back if it isn't good. In all honesty, I have gotten to this point at most restaurants, Disney or not.

 

[cmwade77]

Wow, good to know that reservations mean nothing here. I do not want to waste my time and money going somewhere that allows for "Unknown" preferences with reservations. I've heard great things about this place, but will avoid it on our upcoming trip. Thanks for the heads up. It seems such things are getting out of hand at Disney and they allow it. This is a black spot on Disney's honesty toward their guests.

We have a Landry's card, so we never even bother making a reservation here and the Birthday rewards are accepted.