Do bad reviews make your dining decisions?

Have you ever gone to a Disney restaurant with bad review and had a good experience?

  • Yes

  • No


Results are only viewable after voting.
Agreeing with what everyone has said-everyone has different tastes and I really go with what I think my family will like. We have been wildly disappointed by overhyped dining reviews (Ohana-all of us, me-California Grill but husband loved it) but it was still fine-just not worth it to me. And we have LOVED places that others don't (Tony's-both times in the last two years were excellent and we all ordered different things). So you gotta know your people ;) Or at least what you like. And I try to NEVER overhype any restaurant to my family because they set the bar too high...
 
Some people are just negative and want to complain. I've only had one truly bad experience at a Disney restaurant, and it wasn't at one I would have expected. If I look at reviews, I tend to look at the ones in the middle rather than the top or bottom.
 
We’ve been going to chef Mickey, Hollywood &vine, for years. Every trip. I just figure the more people trash it, it will be easier to get an ADR. I’ve also had the opposite where places that get rave reviews are usually the ones we don’t like.
 
I don't know that it makes my decisions, per se, with so very many choices that look good. Pictures (many of the same item) influence me more, honestly.
BUT, those reviews temper my expectations.
I try to schedule mostly homeruns, something new, and limit the "riskier" experiences...I always tell the family in advance, so they know we can always grab a known-commodity CS afterwards if they are still hungry. We are mostly pleasantly surprised. It's always fine, if we can get a good story to illustrate how horrible it was to laugh about later!!!
 


Yes and no. Typically I will try the restaurant for myself and then form my own opinion, for Disney restaurants. For all other restaurants, I will use TripAdvisor or Yelp for reviews and photos. If a restaurant has a very low rating on either of these websites, I may avoid it.
 
Sometimes people make bad reviews since they didn't look at the menu before making a reservation. Poor planning by the restaurant goer doesn't warrant a bad review. Some 3rd party websites are also known to have some dubious practices of how the reviews are shown, so I generally avoid those sites.
 
Yes bad dining reviews influence my decisions on where to eat, but to the opposite degree. When I hear a lot of negative reviews of a place I have to go there to see for myself what the hoopla is. We ended up loving San Angel, Coral Reef, etc. There was only one restaurant that I totally agreed with the negativity (Tony's). It still gets negative reviews and I can truly see why.

I've been hearing a lot of bad reports on the Edison and it almost influenced me not to go, but DH & I decided to try it out ourselves this next trip. Hopefully they were just having several very off nights LOL!
 


I read postive and negative reviews (wherever), filter them through my "internal system" and make my own decision.
 
Many people have different tastes and likes, but when you hear over and over about bad service or just mediocre food then why would you want to go? Food at WDW is expensive so it does pay to do your homework an research reviews, look at youtube dining reviews. I think there are so many other great restaurants on property that there is no reason to just settle with avg or poor food/service.
 
Many people have different tastes and likes, but when you hear over and over about bad service or just mediocre food then why would you want to go? Food at WDW is expensive so it does pay to do your homework an research reviews, look at youtube dining reviews. I think there are so many other great restaurants on property that there is no reason to just settle with avg or poor food/service.
This with the exception of Via Napoli where the food is good (to me) but the service often laughable.
 
I read reviews and then I book wherever my family wants to eat. WE like Chef Mickey and often choose it for our first meal in Disney. Folks seem to despise it, but we enjoy it for both food and atmosphere. Is it the best food on site? Nope, not by a landslide, but it is decent buffet food with the classic characters, and we always have fun.

I also like San Angel Inn, and I do not avoid Coral Reef. It's funny, we know fine dining quality and enjoy it on occasion, however we are also happy with decent buffets, and can find something we liek just about at every restaurant.
 
I have never let a review stop my family from eating at a restaurant. If it looks like the food, atmosphere, schtick, etc. is something we would enjoy, we give it a try. You really cannot judge food by other people's taste. I find it kind of humorous when I see poor food reviews at quality buffets. A buffet is basically like every other restaurant with the exception that the entire menu is yours for the choosing. I may not order every dish on a menu, but I'm sure to order something that I typically enjoy. At a buffet, there is surely something for everyone. You do not need to eat every option available. Service can be hit or miss anywhere, we are all humans and we all have good and bad days. FWIW, My family enjoys Chef Mickeys and Hollywood and Vine for both food and character interactions. However, we thought Be our Guest and Cinderella's Royal Table were just ok for the same reasons. That is our opinion, please do not choose a WDW restaurant based on our likes. You should choose where you want to go and form your own opinions.
 
I have booked at restaurants with negative reviews and been pleasantly surprised by how off they were, and booked ADRs at fan favorites that were disappointing. Different strokes for different folks.
 
Would you ever go to a Disney sit down restaurant knowing it had bad reviews just for the experience or atmosphere?

I would depending on the reviews. I read some people's complaints and marvel at the sense of entitlement in others at times. That being said I did change my ADR for Tony's Town Square for my October trip. I have never dined there but love Italian food so made the reservation for MNSSHP. Looked a few days later at reviews on several venues and quickly changed to Liberty Tree Tavern.
 
We dine where we think we will like the food or experience (hopefully both). We enjoy many places that others don't - Coral Reef, H & V, BOG. And dislike many that others rave about - Via Napoli, Deluxe Burger, Tusker House (like the food, have never had decent service). The only place that we agree with the general consensus is Tony's - we had great service but couldn't stomach the food. We are giving it another try in December because we always try again before totally saying enough. Reviews are simply opinions and they will always vary based on expectations, taste preferences, and what people are used to. We never eat out and I am not a good cook so we enjoy most of what we get at Disney.
 
A few years ago my sister really wanted to eat at Coral Reef. I had read so many bad reviews that I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. We ended up having a wonderful dinner and have been back another time since then.
 
I suppose my experience has been more about going to "MUST DO" restaurants and being very disappointed.

BUT at the high prices of Disney restaurants I would be much more likely to read a variety of reviews before going somewhere new.

There are places we like, that others don't ........... something for everyone.
 

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