Overrated Disney World Experiences
Some things at Walt Disney World are overrated. While we love most restaurants, rides, and hotels at Walt Disney World, we don’t love it all. These experiences might still be “good,” but they are overrated in the sense that their quality doesn’t live up to the hype, price, or long wait times. Because of that, in some cases, the listed experiences might be things we really enjoy…they just have wait times, prices, or hype that are too high in relation to the quality of what is offered.
Price and wait times are pretty easy to gauge since they’re objective. Hype is more difficult, as it requires a knowledge of what other people really like. We read forums, comments on social media, and listen to a number of podcasts, so we think we have a pretty good idea which Walt Disney World experiences are typically held in high regard by other fans.
This topic is one that was actually inspired by our Facebook page. Folks commenting there aren’t afraid to share opinions on what we review. We frequently read your comments that certain restaurants or hotels are “overrated” in response to our reviews, so we figured that we’d put together our list of “Overrated Walt Disney World Experiences.”
This list does not take into account any of your opinions we’ve read; since many of you frequently disagree with us (which is great–we love the open dialogue of this site and although we happen to like our opinions ;), we hardly think our opinions are the definitive word on anything) and because “overrated” is widely subjective based upon personal tolerances, financial circumstances, and wait-tolerance, we’re really hoping for some feedback from you on what you think is overrated at Walt Disney World!
With that, let’s dig into the list!
Dining
Le Cellier – Four or so years ago, I think this would have been a controversial pick. Then, Le Cellier was a great value on the Disney Dining Plan, while offering some excellent appetizers and good (albeit slightly over-buttered and over-salted) cuts of meat. It was difficult to land an advance dining reservation at Le Cellier, but not impossible.
Over time, buzz increased and reservations became more difficult to land. Disney made changes to the Disney Dining Plan and, eventually, to Le Cellier’s status at dinner. Finally, Le Cellier became a two-credit restaurant for lunch, too, making it a full-time Signature Restaurant. It also moved to a lunch/dinner menu, removing many cheaper options that were popular with those paying out of pocket. By now, I think the perception of Le Cellier has soured with many Disney fans.
For the last several years, we’ve been saying Le Cellier, while good, doesn’t live up to the hype. Now, much of that hype is gone, but it doesn’t live up to its status or price points. If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan and want a great meal from a Signature steakhouse in the Epcot area, you’d be crazy to go to Le Cellier over Yachtsman Steakhouse. The latter has excellent cuts of meat wonderfully prepared, the former is good but isn’t worth the price (either in real money or Dining Plan credits), wait, or effort to secure reservations.
Chefs de France – Chefs de France has never had the same buzz as Le Cellier, but it has long had similarly high price points. If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, Chefs de France is a great value…meaning it’s a poor value for those paying out of pocket. Regardless of how you’re paying, you might want to skip Chefs de France, which doesn’t offer cuisine worthy of France.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe – My opinion of Pecos Bill has improved a bit since our original review of it, but this is mostly due to me developing a greater appreciation for the theming. I still think the food is inferior to Cosmic Ray’s, and its toppings bar is approximately the same. Yet Pecos Bill is frequently hyped as one of the best counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World, while Cosmic Ray’s nary draws a mention. I get why some people dislike Ray’s, but Pecos Bill is nothing special and certainly isn’t deserving of the hype it receives from the fan community. At best, it’s the #5 counter service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom.
Disney Dining Plan – Okay, it’s not a restaurant, and I’ve already shared this in my Disney Dining Plan Review, but I think this bears repeating as many times as possible. Despite getting less and paying more on a yearly basis, people continue to absolutely adore the Disney Dining Plan. A big part of this is because it’s cleverly marketed as being “free,” which savvy Disney guests know is not actually true. While still useful in some circumstances and for some guests, as a whole, the Disney Dining Plan is overrated.
There are a few other “near misses,” but I just couldn’t bring myself to add them to the list. For example, Liberty Tree Tavern is pricey for what amounts to American comfort food…but it is all you can eat, so it’s not overrated if you’re really hungry. California Grill has a lot of buzz in the fan community, and while we prefer a few Signature Restaurants to it, it doesn’t disappoint. Other restaurants that in some ways disappoint seem to compensate for their disappointing elements somehow. Dining is probably the most divisive aspect of Walt Disney World vacationing, so we’re curious to hear what you believe is overrated.
Hotels
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – As Walt Disney World’s flagship resort-hotel, there’s a certain amount of cache that comes with a stay at the Grand Floridian. As a flagship resort, the Grand Floridian works. It’s the most elegant Disney-owned Walt Disney World hotel, has some excellent dining options, and is conveniently located on the monorail. As the “best” Disney-owned hotel at Walt Disney World for the money, it doesn’t work for me.
The exterior is gorgeous, but it the interior is dated. Fans of the hotel will argue that the Victorian theme is inherently dated, but that’s not what I mean. When the resort was designed, the Victorian theming was seemingly “given a modern twist” (I put this in quotes because it’s how Disney describes so much of the theming around Walt Disney World). Unfortunately, the modern twist is no longer modern, but instead seems incredibly dated. Much of what is present in the Grand Floridian reminds me of the design of an affluent Kentucky house, circa-1991, not timeless Victorian beauty.
Beyond that, its price is out of touch with the amenities offered, even considering that you’re paying a premium for it being an on-property hotel. If price were no issue, I would prefer staying at any of the Epcot resorts or Disney’s Polynesian Resort. The one group to whom I’d recommend the Grand Floridian above all else is anyone who places a value on being surrounded by other well-off guests. Even then, why not just stay at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando?
For hotels, that’s the only one at which we’ve stayed that I consider overrated. Every other hotel at which we’ve stayed I’ve enjoyed for different reasons. (Note: this one is my opinion, not our opinion. Sarah loves the Grand Floridian and doesn’t at all consider it overrated.)
Attractions
Toy Story Midway Mania – Based upon past Facebook discussions, I suspect this will be a divisive one. Some on Facebook have called it a glorified Wii game, others have considered it the best attraction at Walt Disney World. For us, it’s neither. It’s a fun attraction that offers way more in terms of interactivity (and strategy) than the Wii game by the same name, but it doesn’t even come close to being a classic Disney attraction in terms of quality. It’s superficial and lacks the longevity of other classics. It’s overrated in terms of its wait times. I suspect this is primarily a result of a serious attraction imbalance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, not a true reflection of its popularity.
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith – Although the pre-show and queue help spruce it up, Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster is basically an unthemed rollercoaster in the dark. It’s fun, but it’s not 90-minute-wait fun, nor is it the caliber of experience you’d expect from Disney. It’s a thrills for the sake of thrills attraction. Not that there’s anything wrong with that in general, but there is something wrong that at Walt Disney World.
Primeval Whirl – Not exactly a beloved attraction among the fan community, and not exactly having long waits, Primeval Whirl is still overrated. As long as a single person visits Primeval Whirl each day, it will be overrated, as that’s one guest too many. Primeval Whirl is the biggest eyesore in Walt Disney World, and it’s arguably more tacky than areas of Disney California Adventure that were demolished for not being up to Disney theme park standards.
Some people rave about Dinoland, claiming that it’s misunderstood and that its backstory makes it incredibly clever. It’s not clever. Its backstory is lipstick on a pig. Just as a landfill would not be appropriate for a Disney theme park (no matter what story attached) because it is a landfill, a roadside carnival with off the shelf attractions is not appropriate in a Disney theme park because of what it is. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a lot greatness, but absolutely none of that is attributable to Primeval Whirl or Dinoland.
The Barnstormer – I can’t imagine anyone will argue with this pick. It’s not overrated because fans love it, but because of often-long wait times. There’s no reason to fixate on this one, except to point out that it’s the only Fantasyland attraction on this list. That might come as a surprise to some. Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid just misses the list because its wait times are expected to subside, Snow White’s Scary Adventures no longer exists, and Peter Pan’s Flight isn’t too bad early in the morning or with FastPass, which is why none of those attractions made the list.
There are a few other attractions that just miss (Soarin’ is not worthy of its standby waits or early morning dash, but FastPass allows those waits to be skipped; Fantasmic! is overrated when compared to Disneyland’s version…but is that a fair comparison for people who only visit Walt Disney World?) making the list, but those are the big ones. Although we’ve come close to blurring the line between just plain “bad” and “overrated” with a couple of these attraction picks, it’s important to remember that there is a difference. With the exception of Primeval Whirl, which is just so awful that no matter what it’s “rated,” it’s overrated, these are all overrated due to reputation and/or wait times.
Make sure you check out our list of experiences at Walt Disney World that we think are underrated! For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles. For updates on Walt Disney World, the latest news, discount information, and tips, sign up for our free newsletter!
Your Thoughts
When first working on this list, I hoped to include some experiences outside these main three categories. Unfortunately, our frame of reference for an “other” category is not thorough-enough to do it justice, and I won’t include things we haven’t personally experienced (for example, Wild Africa Trek looks overrated due to its price, but we can’t be certain of that as we haven’t done it). With that said, we’d love it if you’d share your thoughts on anything at Walt Disney World that you believe is overrated, and what you agree or disagree with on our list!
I agree most Disney experiences are well worth the cost. I also agree with your inclusion of Le Cellier. I hate to say add to your list but, STK
at Disney Springs is now at the top of our list. The steak was good, but I would not say 99 dollars good, actually the steak at Boatswrights may not be as tender but has a better flavor. STK includes your choice of 2 steak sauces, which should be a sign 99 dollar or 135 dollar steaks should not need a sauce. The ambiance is good especially if you sit on the the second floor patio so you can have a conversation, the downstairs tends to get a bit loud. The tuna tartare and oysters were wonderful and worth 20 dollars for each appetizer
Be warned, they changed their truffle fries from crispy steak fries to less appealing shoestring fries which were a bit greasy from the truffle oil and did hold a temperature. All sides are extra, so 13 dollars for fries that are less than fast food fries is not worth it. I know the corn pudding is a favorite and maybe something was off with ours the night we tried it, but it was not really hot and a little loose. I am not saying the meal was not good, it was fine just not worth a price tag which is about the same as a similar amount of food at California Grill and almost the same cost as Alberts and Victoria’s.
Overrated experiences over the past 15 or so years of visiting Disney World:
Coral Reef – Restaurant in Epcot. Sure, you get to sit next to a huge, wall sized aquarium but the food is iffy, at best.
Lunch or breakfast at Be our Guest – Restaurant in Magic. Due to high traffic it always seems like the dining areas are messy. The food for breakfast and lunch is rather ‘meh’ and it requires a reservation for either.
Peter Pan’s Flight – Ride at Magic. This is one that our family enjoys and we will continue to ride it every time we go, but the unnecessarily long wait lines can be a bit frustrating. On a cool note though, on our most recent visit (September 2017) we were able to enjoy a new wait line experience inside of the building. But, overall the ride isn’t worth the tremendously long lines. Thank goodness for FastPass+.
Rivers of Light – Night time show at Animal Kingdom. Maybe they are still working out some of the kinks in this show, but when we saw it last summer it was underwhelming at best.
Kali River Rapids – Ride at Animal Kingdom. Over the years they have changed this ride to the point where almost no one in our ‘boat’ got wet either time we rode on it last summer. Part of the allure of this ride in the past is to help cool off on the hottest of days and the long wait didn’t pan out for us.
The barnstormer is the perfect little kid coaster. A training coaster, if you will. My wild child daughter rode this a million times before she was tall enough for the other coasters at WDW. Her delighted screams are one of my favorite Disney memories. As for Rockin Rollercoaster, it’s easily my favorite ride at any of the WDW parks and the only reason I bother with Hollywood Studios at all. That park is in desperate need of an overhaul and Disney should be ashamed of themselves for charging a full admission price there. Dinoland is the worst part of Animal Kingdom for sure. It makes me angry to have paid so much to get into the park and have carnival style games all over. That’s not Disney special. That’s a waste of land and my time and money. Unfortunately, Primeval Whirl is a current hit with the aforementioned wild child.
OMG! Finally, I have the perfect way to explain my dislike of Grand Floridian, “the Victorian theming was seemingly ‘given a modern twist'”. It is a very nice looking hotel, but the disnification of a Victorian vacation hotel has always bugged me, and suffered in comparison to the real deal. While the “real deal” may not be for every one, if you want to experience it check out the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island, MI. It’s what the Grand Floridian is trying to be.
Sigh, damn you auto speller, Mackinac Island. Adding to spell checker now….
The Grand Floridian we did on our Honeymoon and I think the exterior and the main lobby and the restaurants are beautiful. I love the smell of the main lobby (which I think emanates from the spa shop upstairs). Every time I smell something similar it reminds me of my honeymoon.
What I will say is the room was not particularly special. If you take away the fact that we could see the Disney castle (and if you only book it for that then you might as well go to the contemporary) then it was really a pretty ordinary room.
Hahahaaa…. I live in KY. You’re correct, the GF sure resembles an affluent Ky home. Sorry Sarah…but have you visited Ky and been to a “horse home”? It’s totally like the GF.
Thanks for the review (and the whole dern blog!), you’re saving our upcoming trip!
Wished I’d read this before we visited last week. We stumbled upon Captain EO with hubby and I as Michael Jackson fans (prior to his weirdness), we thought we’d like it. WHAT A WASTE. It was awful. The worst attraction of all the parks we visited. I wrote a blog about our experience and I specifically told people not to bother.
Kristen
http://www.bloodsweatcheers13.blogspot.com
I do agree with you on most of these. However, I love Rockin Roller Coaster. Being a huge Aerosmith fan, I get to meet a lot of other fans and listen to their big hits while waiting in line. The Rollercoaster, for me, is still my absolute favorite out of all theme parks. The only thing that does bother me about the ride is for how quickly it goes and how often it breaks down. I do wish they would shut it down to do a refurbishment and possibly lengthen the ride itself. If I’m going to be waiting that long I would prefer it to be a little longer.
But I agree with all of your other opinions!
Even the cast members will tell you le cellier is overated! On our family trip 3 years ago I couldn’t get me and hubs in for our anniversary dinner… Was kinda bummed but we were redirected to yachtsman steakhouse… Holy cow what an amazing experience!!! Go these adorable anniversary menus, the service was spectacular and the food was out of this world. Needless to say we’ll be skipping le cellier forever more. (Although I may have to con someone into getting me that soup !! It’s almost worth our dining points, but not really lol)
Finding Nemo is highly under rated!!! I work there and I can watch the show over and over!!! Sorry about the bleacher seats!!! If you get there 30 minutes prior to the shows you can sit in the “bubble zone” which is near the stage!!! There is where you get to experience more with the kites, bubbles, and sharks….