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 with most things on your list. I’m sad to see Fantasmic on the list but I haven’t been to WDW’s version since 2006 so maybe I’m confusing my memories of it with that of Disneyland’s version.
As part of the DDP we ate at Chefs de France for the first time in September and I liked it. Along with BOMA, it was one of my favorite meals of the week.
While I LOVE Tower of Terror, I find WDW’s version incredibly tame compared to the one at California Adventure.
Interesting list and a great idea. Le Cellier is overrated except for the pretzel bread which is to die for and the Unibroue Beer. Yachtsman is outstanding by comparison.
All the monorail resorts are overrated considering the costs but I don’t blame Disney since people keep paying no matter the price. I think Wilderness lodge is the best MK resort and it’s generally the least expensive in my experience.
I love Toy Story Mania even though my wife crushes me at it every time we ride. I would easily put it in my 10 favorite attractions.
Wishes was pretty good but the crowd trying to get out of there was painful.
I would say the most overrated aspect at Disney is the Dining Plan which is overpriced, gives you way too much food (dessert twice per day every day!), and charges adult pricing for kids 10 and up,
We enjoyedLe Cellier (being Canadian after all) but have yet to try Yachtsman Steakhouse which we may have to do on the trip in Septembe. My biggest disappointment after reading all the hype, BOG, Be Our Guest. We were there after snagging the ever elusive reservations for dinner n November, and not 1 of the 3 of us would go back. Service was not good, food was boring and rushed and we didn’t enjoy the atmosphere at all. Not sure why all the hype of this place. As for the dining plan, we love it and have used it since 2007. Back then, it included the appetizer, entrée, dessert and gratuity. The best thing about it now is that you have prepaid all your meals and you are not worrying every day how much you are going to spend eating that day.
I agree about the Dining Plan. Me and my husband went without the Dining Plan on our honeymoon and found we spent more money out of pocket than if we had the plan (although my husband eats a lot which is probably why).
With children it’s a relief not having to work out how much money you’re going to need for food every time you’re buying a souvenir or taking a taxi outside the park.
I would say Test Track is overrated. In fairness I haven’t ridden it since the refurb. The speed at the end is fun but the rest of it is just “meh”. I don’t understand the 90min stand-by wait time. Last time we were there I had a GAC and it still didn’t seem worth it to wait in fastpass line. Like I said, haven’t been since the the refurb so maybe it’s better now?
Two things I’ve never done but have always wondered if they were overrated were Cinderella’s Royal Table and the Poly. I don’t think I would dislike either but even the best reviews never seemed to justify the cost.
I absolutely A..DO..RE the Poly, but you’re right – the costs have gone up SO much recently, that it’s no longer worth the $$$. Just a few years ago when we stayed, it was definitely a “splurge” item, but with the proximity to MK, the monorail, the amazing restaurants (I’m in love with ‘Ohana, and Kona was amazing and NOT expensive at all,) the electrical water parade, and watching Wishes from the volcano pool… it was a worthwhile indulgence. The prices this year have gone beyond “expensive,” bast “insane,” and are quickly leaving “obscene” in the rear-view. With all of the construction, monorail closures, lobby mess, and blocked views with the new DVC bungalows, I wouldn’t go back. I’d consider the Contemporary (if prices are still in the “splurge” range) for a deluxe monorail hotel and Wilderness Lodge for a deluxe MK area hotel, instead.
That makes a little more sense. I’ve only ever looked at prices in the last two years or so. If prices were at one time closer to some of the other deluxe resorts I could see why it would be more appealing.
I love captain EO for all it’s 80’s cheesy glory! But mostly because it reminds me of visiting Disneyland as a kid!
I have to agree with the verdict on Fantasmic. I’ve seen it at both parks, and when compared side-by-side, WDW’s version is kind of mediocre. The show was, however, MIND BLOWING at DLR. I wonder why they can’t do the same at WDW?
I agree 100% with you about the Grand Floridan and Rock N’ Roller Coaster. My dad and I stayed at the Grand back in ’09 and we didn’t like it, aside from the quiet pool, which would be the only reason we’d go back. For me, it felt very elitist and a mix of Kennedy/Kentucky affluence.
I only like a few Aerosmith songs so Rock N’ Roller Coaster isn’t worth the hype to me at all. Of course, I’ve been to Cedar Point several times so I’m a bit spoiled on roller coasters.
Another overrated attraction is the newly redesigned Test Track. I was expecting much more from it and I can’t accurately explain what I expected, just that the new design is a let down, especially for the wait times TT has. I much preferred the original design.
I agree and disagree with some of your picks. Chefs de France is definitely overrated. We had a “not great” experience there and the food was just ok. I find it terribly crowded and noisy. I also agree with your Le Cellier vs. Yachtsman Steak. We had ADR for Le Cellier and still had to wait over 30 minutes for over salted and over sauced steaks. Yachtsmans is wonderful and if you have to wait, at least they have a nice bar to have a cocktail at. I also kind of agree with you about the Barnstormer- its definitely not worth waiting 45 minutes for a 2 minutes ride (but I still make the hubby go on with me when there’s a minimal wait!)
My biggest objection is to the Grand Floridian hotel. We have stayed here the last four years and absolutely love it (so we are with Sarah on this one). Nothing beats the convenience of the monorail, boats, several excellent dining establishments and service. However, if I would have anything negative to say, it would only be about the rooms. They definitely need an update. You can’t beat the views (especially theme park) and they have also been clean, etc., but for what you are paying, they should be nicer. We don’t mind this as much as others, probably because we are only in the room to sleep and shower so its not that big a deal to me. But I can see where people would be annoyed. But I still think you can’t beat the location, amenities and dining.
I agree with this 100%.
I think you’re crazy to say that Rock N Rollercoaster isn’t fun! Sure, the wait is long but it’s also one of those waits that is a lot of fun to stand in. The music is a lot of fun to just stand there and listen to. Sure, it’s dark in there, but that ride is a must ride! It goes upside down for Heaven’s sake!
You are SPOT on with the review of Le Cellier and Captain EO. Le Cellier is dark and unless you’re a meat lover, there isn’t much selection. Captain EO is one of those things that you have to be a huge MJ fan to appreciate the ride.
As for the Prime Evil Whirl, yes, it’s an eye sore, but have you actually been on the ride? I took my 10 year old brother on it and we both loved it. Same thing with the barnstormer (now goofy’s circus something), the queue takes forever but is a lot of fun. It’s a super short ride but still tons of fun.
Don’t knock it till you try it! Love your pictures on Pinterest!
Dinoland & Primevil Whirl- As an adult, I have to agree that they are both overrated… that being said, my nieces & nephews think those are some of the best parts of Animal Kingdom. The first ride they say they want to go on EVERYTIME (and everyday) we go is Primevil Whirl (it’s also quite often the 2nd & 3rd ride they go on with an adult in tow). The adults in the group always groan, but they kids have a blast & think it’s the best ride going at that park. Dinosaur is the one ride that fluctuates with the kids… some trips they love it, other trips they couldn’t be paid to go on it.
I guess the vote for overrated depends on the age of the person you ask…. most adults I know would agree, unfortunately many kids I know would say it’s underrated by us lol.
I’d be careful to judge quality based upon what kids like. I’ve seen kids who are infatuated with cardboard boxes! 😉
While the Disney parks wouldn’t exist were it not for kids, I’d like to think that the measuring stick ought not to be simply whether kids like something or not. A good “family” attraction should be enjoyable for all ages (a new attraction that strikes this balance very well, in my opinion, is Turtle Talk) even if its primary audience is kids.
Two of your choices really stand out for me:
Dino-land is horrible. I think even worse than the Primeval Whirl are the completely awful overpriced games! I dread walking past them with my children. They like the Dumbo-like Triceratop Spin and the Boneyard, so I feel bad avoiding that area of the park completely, but it’s pure torture having to drag them past those darn games!!!
Toy Story Mania is a cute, fun ride in a video game kind of way, but the hype is OUT OF CONTROL! Last time we went, we got to the park for rope drop and by the time we walked over to the Fastpass line, there was a 2hr wait-TO GET THE FASTPASS!!! Think maybe we could have a shorter wait for the ride itself? No way- another 120 minutes and counting! We thought maybe we could tour the park a while and come back, but the line never went down.
Never got the Peco’s Bill love. Very average to me. Give me a waffle sandwich at Sleepy Hallow anyday of the week.
Can’t wait to see the underrated list and hope you have Old Key West on it.
One more comment – I ate at Pecos Bill’s today and thought about your post. I’d disagree with you, although I can’t say how popular it is to give it an over/underrated opinion. But I liked it a lot better than Cosmic Ray’s purely for the themeing of the restaurant. We ate in the back-right section with the flowers growing up the walls. It was dimly lit, pretty, and while not quiet it was quieter than Cosmic Rays.
It doesn’t have quite the same dining plan bang-for-your buck, but my wife enjoyed the chicken wrap and I had a Disney burger that was actually quite enjoyable! (This is probably only the 2nd or 3rd I’ve ever had because they first 1/2 were just that bad. This one restored my hope in humanity.)
I get sort of depressed reading so many down comments on WDW…I love it all! I agree Le Cellier is too expensive, and Primieval Whirl is pretty rough…and sorry, Sonny Eclipse IS creepy…but all of the history and fun times make it all so much fun I don’t stop to think about it being tacky or boring. I love Grand Floridian, but only eat there, can’t afford to stay…my 21-year-old daughter and I have gone together once a year since she was about 7, and we love every minute we spend there together!
Forgive me for not reading through all 100+ comments, but just wanted to point out that should you and Sarah have children someday, your view on Barnstormer will change. Yes, the wait times are stupid. But it is a perfect “roller coaster” for little kids. They absolutely love it. It’s not overrated for parents with kids who are just learning to be thrill-seekers in their own right!
I have 10 year old twin girls and they rode it 3 times in a row last October while there was no wait on an early Sunday morning. Definitely a great memory seeing them enjoy that attraction.
I had a much better experience at Chefs de France back in 2009 than I did this past December. Remy definitely saved the day for us. Otherwise, the food was good–not great. I would probably try out another place next time around.
Something I haven’t seen mentioned yet is the Candlelight Processional Christmas show. I didn’t hate it, but based on the hype I’d taken in, I was expecting a lot more. Thankfully we didn’t waste a lot of time waiting on this show. I’d probably be more irritated if we had.
Test Track is good enough for one ride each visit, but I will most likely go straight to it at rope drop to avoid long waits and then forget about it the rest of the day in the future.
Soarin’ is overrated, but they can fix that by improving the projection room to get rid of the continued degradation of the film.
Toy Story MM is definitely overrated. This past trip I didn’t make it into DHS until 11:30AM (my plane landed that day and DHS was a last minute addition), and I was kind of surprised how easy it was for me to shrug my shoulders and just walk past it. With no FastPasses available and 50+ minute waits there was plenty of other stuff I prefferred to see.
I love the Muppets, but Muppetvision 3D just doesn’t live up to either the love given to it or the Muppet brand in general. I wasn’t annoyed by it, but I’d probably skip it next time after being underwhelmed on each of my last 2 attempts. The building and queue are excellent, but the show itself is kind of spotty.
I feel similarly about the new Little Mermaid ride at MK. With wait times pretty short due to its efficient ride system, I’ll probably hit it again in future trips, but despite a great building and queue and some impressive animatronics, the whole thing just didn’t deliver an experience that entranced me.
RNRC would rank on the low end when compared to a whole list of best rollercoasters, but it is the only coaster in its park and is enjoyable enough that as a coaster lover, I ride it a couple of times on each visit to DHS.
I really enjoy Liberty Tree Tavern based largely on its comfort qualities. The food is not stupendous or fancy, but I find it tasty and satisfying and the theme reminds me of my youth in the historic colonial areas of Virginia. Taking a load off and eating here is just fine for me. And until Be Our Guest opened there really wasn’t anything else in MK that came close.
As far as underrated goes, I had read and heard bad things about San Angel Inn, but my whole party enjoyed our meal there and I liked the themeing. Despite lots of online complaints, I really love the Great Movie Ride.
Well put…couldn’t agree more…on each and every point.
I’m a vegetarian, so I joined my friends at Le Cellier once and had salad. Can’t really comment on their specialty but I can say that we literally rolled up in there at 3 PM and were sat 15 minutes later. All I had ever heard was that it was booked for months and impossible to eat at. Yeaaa, NOT really. So I definitely agree on that one. super overrated and talked up.
The dining plan is a gluttonous affair. I shared one with a friend one time, and we always had so much food to give away afterwards.
Toy Story Mania and Fantasmic are two of my absolute favorite things on property. However, looking at it objectively, I can admit that if it wasn’t based on Toy Story, my favorite movie, I probably wouldn’t care for it as much. Fantasmic I’ve seen about 15 times, because during my college program my friend and I tried to watch it as many times as possible, so I have such fond memories of that show, and I am reminded of them every time I see it since. I love fantasmic.
I think the ride that should be number 1 on this list is Soarin’, seriously, most boring, lamest ride of all time, and yet people wait hours to ride it. It’s my grandmother’s favorite. So there ya go
Far from a grandma but I LOVE Soarin’. I don’t like the wait times but it is my favorite ride that I could do over and over again all day long.
I’m blown away by all of the responses to this post. Thanks! I normally try (without much success, but I try) to respond to every comment. Definitely wasn’t able to do that here, but I do appreciate all of the feedback!!! 🙂
Not bad for someone so pompous. 😀
I’m totally with you on Captain EO. We did it for the first time every due to being stuck over there. We laughed so hard the entire movie and still make fun today. It was an enjoyable moment of vacation when we all got to bask in the ridiculousness of it for sure! The only one that I would differ with you on us Barnstormer. Not that it is a good ride, but the reason that the line gets so long is the height requirement. You only have to be 36 inches to ride it. We rode it too many times to count because it is the only roller coaster the my 3 year old is tall enough to ride on( fingers crossed that we can add Big Thunder Mountain to that list soon!). There are lots of other families who are in that same boat, so I would venture to say that impacts the ride lines a lot. Trust me, we would not have ridden it that much otherwise 🙂
Maybe I should add Captain EO to my “underrated” list with the caveat that you have to go at the end of drinking around the world? I’ll bet it would be a lot of fun then!!!
Oh! You are on to something here!!!!! I think that is going to be our plan when we go back with my entire family next year. Auntie will be there to occupy the kids and drinking around the World is a high priority on my list. Add this for the one, two punch and its a go! Adding it to the touring plan now.