Overrated Table Service Restaurants at Disney World
Walt Disney World has many great restaurants that are very popular, and a few popular restaurants that aren’t so great. This list of overrated table service restaurants at Walt Disney World takes a look at ones that are worse than their reputation or hype might suggest. Not all are universally beloved, but all aren’t as good as the consensus suggests.
It’s not easy to define what makes a restaurant overrated. In our view, Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) availability, pricing, and cuisine quality are big factors. Equally significant is uniqueness–if a particular restaurant brings nothing special to the table and is surpassed by similarly-situated counterparts that are less popular, cheaper, or serve better food, it’s more likely to be overrated. At least, that’s our perspective on what makes for an overrated Walt Disney World table service restaurant.
Obviously, this is highly subjective and not even remotely scientific, but at least it comes with identifiable criteria considering restaurants overrated. Believe me, it was very difficult to resist my impulse to simply bash restaurants that I dislike. That’s one reason why this list was more difficult to put together than our Underrated Table Service Restaurants at Walt Disney World.
There are several restaurants at Walt Disney World that I do not like for one reason or another. While it’s tempting to pile on to Rainforest Cafe, Tutto Italia, Planet Hollywood, Rose & Crown, Paddlefish, or Crystal Palace (to name a few), I’m not sure it’s fair to call any of those overrated.
That would imply that the consensus on them is positive, and I just don’t think that’s true anymore. If anything, I might still be including a couple restaurants on this list that are no longer highly-hyped. Time has passed them by as Walt Disney World fans have moved on to greener pastures.
The other reason it was more difficult is because there was my even stronger temptation to defend several restaurants that I know many Walt Disney World fans hate. There’s a draft version of this post explaining why one particular restaurant is not overrated just because it’s a difficult Advance Dining Reservation. It’s probably not too hard to guess which restaurant that references.
After rambling on about it for 8 paragraphs, I realized that it was tangential to the topic at hand and that the same reasoning could apply to about a half-dozen table service restaurants that, contrary to popular Walt Disney World fan sentiment, we think are not overrated. So stay tuned for an “unpopular opinion” list of restaurants you (as a community, not you as the individual reader) think are overrated but actually are good.
But even this explainer is now tangential to the topic of the post, so let’s cut to the chase and start listing some Walt Disney World’s table service restaurants that we think are overrated…
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop – This is one of two modestly priced meals we were on the fence about including, with the other being Plaza Restaurant. Both used to be recommended for having entrees at counter service prices, but are now an upwards of $20.
The difference, and why Plaza Restaurant escapes inclusion, is the competition. In Magic Kingdom, there are no good alternatives at or around that price point. You’ll spend less for something inferior or much more for something superior. By contrast, Beaches & Cream is surrounded by great dining at a range of price points. Even with that said, Beaches & Cream does have a couple of tasty entrees (and I’d happily remove the restaurant from this list if they’d just bring back the Patty Melt and Pork Belly Cuban Sandwich).
Then there’s the ice cream, which is literally just Edy’s. Don’t get us wrong, the novelty shakes are a ton of fun, and we’re suckers for a No Way Jose or Kitchen Sink, but the hype is too much. There are superior scoop shops all around Walt Disney World, including a short walk away in Epcot’s France pavilion.
Chef Mickey’s – Chef Mickey’s is overrated for its dinner buffet–meaning it’s fine for both breakfast and its current family style meal. Those will disappear very soon as things go back to normal, at which time we’ll once again sacrifice stomach and wallet to see whether Chef Mickey’s still stinks.
The normal breakfast buffet at Chef Mickey’s (also currently unavailable) is a very different experience. Our memories of it are fond, and it’s generally a good experience that also costs less. Both meals are overpriced given the cuisine, but there’s something to be said for the experience of these characters in their culinary costumes before a day in Magic Kingdom.
Le Cellier Steakhouse – How the times change. A decade ago, this would have been a highly 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 almost impossible to land an Advance Dining Reservation at Le Cellier.
Over time, buzz increased and reservations became more difficult to land. Disney made changes to the 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 Walt Disney World fans. Nevertheless, it remains a difficult ADR even as many steakhouses in or around Epcot have ample availability. On that basis, Le Cellier remains overrated despite not being as overrated as before. It’s still a good restaurant with some solid options, just not deserving of its enduring popularity or price points.
Chefs de France – Another World Showcase entry joins Le Cellier on the list of overrated restaurants. Although Chefs de France never had the same buzz as Le Cellier, it has had high price points and enjoyed popularity thanks to relatively approachable and crowd-pleasing cuisine.
The only problem? It’s overpriced, pedestrian, and like the fourth best dining option in the France pavilion. (Fifth best if there’s a festival happening that has a moderately-good menu–so pretty much always.) This is probably going to be a controversial pick, but we just don’t think Chefs de France lives up to the hype, and we’ve had eerily similar meals from Costco’s premade bulk meals. (In fairness, those were very good, but frozen food shouldn’t compare to one of World Showcase’s most popular restaurants.)
Tusker House – Pre-closure, Tusker House was one of our favorite character meals in all of Walt Disney World. Its buffet served up some of the most ambitious and diverse cuisine, almost on par with Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Nowhere was as hurt by the switch to family style more than Tusker House. In that form, the food spread was a shadow of its former self, with unambitious and okay (at best) cuisine.
Thankfully, Tusker House recently reverted to its normal buffet. The online menu does not currently list the full spread and we haven’t yet had a chance to return and try it, but we’re hoping it’s the same as before. We have ADRs for March 2023, and will be giving it a try then to see whether it still belongs on this list, or is once again one of the better character dining experiences at Walt Disney World. Stay tuned!
‘Ohana – Our post-reopening review of ‘Ohana encapsulates the emotional highs and lows of a meal at this beloved restaurant far better than a couple of paragraphs in this run-down. In a nutshell, ‘Ohana is a Walt Disney World institution for good reason–but that reason is not the food. It’s also not the prices. Or its ease of booking.
For many longtime Walt Disney World fans, revisiting ‘Ohana is an emotional experience evoking all sorts of nostalgia and fond memories. There’s also something to be said for the actual atmosphere, with the fireworks, views of Cinderella Castle, and Electrical Water Pageant. Then there’s the communal energy and vibe that yes, in fact, ‘Ohana does mean family.Â
Given all of that, we can hardly fault Walt Disney World fans who love ‘Ohana. We love ‘Ohana! However, our love for ‘Ohana is based more on the idea of the restaurant and fond memories of past experiences. Trying to untangle that from today’s actual ‘Ohana experience is messy, but to the extent that we can, our perspective is that present-day ‘Ohana is overrated.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Which Walt Disney World table service restaurants would you consider overrated? Do you agree or disagree with our list? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
tusker house is fine served family style. it’s actually nice not as a buffet because your don’t have to deal with people in the way, which is nice after a day of having people in your way ALL DAY LONG.
plenty of food and the ability to ask for more as desired is great. no nasty people sneezing all over the buffet line, good times. keep your COVID out of my food.
I agree about someone else saying Be Our Guest. expensive food for mid quality at best. CRT was SO much better in quality AND experience.
We JUST got home from Disney a few days ago! The Plaza was extremely disappointing. Understandably, the menu’s are limited, however, $20 for a turkey club sandwich seems extreme. The location is great with the parades, but, my kids would’ve been happier to skip dinner at Magic Kingdom and order UberEats!
We also went to Chef Mickey. The food was delish and and experience delightful – the price just isn’t worth it. Keep in mind that kids ages 9+ are considered an adult and even though we encouraged everyone to eat to uncomfortable fullness, kids tend to not do that! I however, devoured the French Toast!
I kind of want to see an accirately rated table service restaurants of places that are as good or as bad as the general public and/or the Disney fan community says they are. Just as good restaurants that everyone knows is good didn’t make Tom’s earlier list, bad restaurants that are well known as being bad aren’t going to make this one. (I saw somebody mentioned Tokyo Dining, which should likely be on the second half of such a list as of last year.)
Be Our Guest should top this list given how hard it is to get an ADR there. Food is so expensive and so mediocre. That’s a one and done.
I agree 100% , this was our favorite lunch spot in all of WDW when it was a counter service meal and the sandwiches were incredible. Now that is is a sit down full service meal for both lunch and dinner with a pre fixe menu and mediocre steaks it is simply not worth the cost of admission just to see the beast….
I couldn’t agree more! We were in Disney in November and had the opportunity to try many of the character meals. I know this is not advertised as a character meal, but the whole experience was lackluster, from the food right down to the ambiance, particularly compared to all of the other food experiences we had in Disney. The restaurant was way too noisy and lacked a cozy feel. The Beast’s walk around left much to be desired, the food was mediocre at best and the service was subpar. And believe it or not, I’m not typically all that picky to please in a restaurant!
I went to Plaza for the first time in November and found it extremely average. The menu seemed boring, the restaurant was small and crowded, and the taste was just okay. Also went to Hollywood & Vine in November and felt the price was a rip off. The characters were cute in their Christmas costumes but the food wasn’t very good and the server wasn’t overly friendly. I think though that my opinion was somewhat skewed as I went to many other very good restaurants that trip including Citricos, California Grill, Olivia’s, Yak & Yeti, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Space 220. I felt this way on my September trip too. I went most let down by Whispering Canyon after reading its praise. But we went for breakfast at an off time and the restaurant was relatively empty. There was nothing interesting about the experience beyond our straws being tossed at us once. But maybe I would have found it better had we not also ate at Citricos, California Grill, Hollywood Brown Derby, Yachtsman, Biergarten, Tiffins, Space 220, and Cinderella’s Royal Table. We also ate at Beaches & Cream and agreed that it’s nothing special. But if you’re looking for comfort food and fun desserts I get the appeal. And we ate at Be Our Guest. We were disappointed at how fast the Beast ran through the dining room without going anywhere near most tables. It was a wave and run. As for Cinderella’s that’s my family’s nostaglic meal like Ohana is to many. We go every trip. While the princess element is lacking now the food has always been good and the service is usually high quality. Another restaurant that I really liked and have seen many disregard is Rose & Crown. I actually was surprised at how tasty the burger was there. I think lately for me it’s about the price point of the restaurants more than anything else. They have all climbed. But I usually feel leaving “all you care to enjoy” or price fix restaurants that I did not get my money’s worth.
Tusker House??!! How dare you, sir!!! lol jk Fingers crossed, after COVID restrictions, it goes back to normal. It’s our favorite character meal. And we haven’t been since COVID hit.
Only 6?
We were at WDW first week in Feb. We had our first dinner at Whispering CC. Both meals were terrible and we have eaten at this restaurant 30 times over the last ten years. Crystal palace was very good albeit expensive. Shrimp, beef, and melon was spot on. The plaza restaurant has changed menu and it was the pits. We are running out of options for our next trip. Trails end was family style; green beans were the best ever, meats were too salty and dry, however the desert was excellent. Please bring back our buffets.
Tony’s at MK was delicious in May 2021. We hadn’t eaten there in 20 years and we will definitely return! Most of WDW still had limited menus and were overpriced. Definitely will not eat at The Living Seas or Garden Grill. Living Seas had few kid options and the Garden Grill has changed their menu to a Thanksgiving Dinner instead of the former catfish selections. Prices are higher with fewer amenities.
I agree with your list Tom, we use to frequent at least 4 from your list. We’ve noticed that many of our favorite restaurants aren’t as good as they use to be and many aren’t worth the price. We’ve dropped several regulars this year noticing the portions are smaller, prices are higher, and quality has slipped. I’m fine paying the price for an amazing meal, but these changes make it hard to justify going back. We still go back to Raglan Road as the atmosphere is great and we enjoy the food/drinks. Monsieur Paul was better than Chefs de France, but sadly hasn’t reopened. We’ve had trouble with finding a good consistent steakhouse, we loved Shula’s but decided against going back from our last 2 visits. Most of the time when we enjoy the food at a new restaurant, its over priced for what we have received.
Here is an alternative to the overpriced and overbooked Disney Restaurants: Order UBER Eats and bring into the park. We did this during Thanksgiving week. I used an Uber Eats offer to order from a nearby Benihana’s. Our kids returned to the park for the evening and rode a couple rides while my husband and I had a drink in our hotel bar at the Dolphin while we waited for the food to arrive. After it arrived we rode the boat back to Epcot and met up with our girls and dined at a picnic table in the park. It was a wonderful experience. We also saved money by sharing two huge meals. No waste.
May I also add Via Napoli Ristorante at Epcot. This WAS a favorite for a reasonably priced pizza, bottle of wine & salad. We ate there in December and it was, simply put, terrible!! Was a complete disappointment and is now on our DO NOT list. We also ate at Tusker House & completely agree with you ! Unless they return to the ‘old’ style, won’t revisit there either……
We have also had this same experience. Our first time there, feels like 3 years ago, was awesome. Even the service was first class. Our last visit, June 2021, was a huge disappointment and put them on our “no more” list. I’m sad to see that Tusker house has fallen so low. We have enjoyed them for years and years and they were a MUST do every visit. I have not tried their family style, nor will I. Cape May cafe has also let us down. Now they charge extra for crab legs when that used to be the attraction for seafood nights on Wednesdays and Sundays. We did try their family style service and were unimpressed. Not sure if, or when we may give them another chance.
Hi Katie, Just speaking about the VN FOOD in my response to you. I used to Host at Via Napoli and I learned ALOT. Specifically, how particular the native Italian management are about providing a genuine final food product on every level. There’s a secret pizza ingredient that i can’t disclose to you but believe me, they are specific and particular. I witnessed all of the behind the scenes (and up front) preparation and there is a lot of care and seemingly infatuation about the food. I’m sorry if your experience was bad this last run but i can tell you this restaurant manages over 700 reservations almost daily so there are times when things may be rushed and below par. Order pizza here because it’s the BEST in WDW in my opinion or within Orlando for that matter. Just my two cents.