2013: Best Food Values

Kevin,
Let me clarify a little. My experience at the sit-down Disney restaurants has been very good. Like anywhere, some are better than others, but the food and atmosphere at all of the ones I've been too has been great. It's the midway stands, and the quickie-type restaurants I didn't care for. Maybe I just expected too much though, or maybe it was just when we were there.

We have had good luck with Disney's quick service locations as well. Last time we visited, we got quick service meal plans which worked out well. Maybe it depends on which quick service locations you use. Food was good. And they moved people through the lines quickly (which is typically a struggle for Cedar Point).

Off the top of my head, Flame Tree BBQ at AK has really good BBQ. Tusker House was a great location before it was converted to table service. Haven't been there since it changed, but it's no longer counter service. Sunshine Seasons inside the Land pavilion at Epcot is fantastic. Lots of variety there and lots of open seating. Rose and Crown, Liberty Inn also at Epcot. Over at Magic Kingdom, Columbia Harbour House and Pinocchio Village Haus are both good choices. I'm also a fan of ABC Commissary at the Studios and Electric Umbrella at Epcot, though I know those two don't always get high marks from other Disney fans.

Right now, I'll take all the Disney advice I can get when it comes to food. What to hit, what to avoid...so thank you Bret & all.

Keep it coming. :)

One thing we simply have to do is eat with a princess.

Bret said:
While the actual sit-down restaurants are very good (and very pricey), the midway stands and cafeteria-type places are just as crappy and probably more expensive than CP.

They are generally less crappy and less expensive. And here's a pro tip: Many of the counter service locations serve the same or similar items to their nearby table service restaurants. Tutto Italia and Epcot and Yak-n-Yeti at Animal Kingdom come to mind. Both of them are quite good, and the latter is Panda Express-esque food, only better, and less expensive by a few bucks.

djDaemon said:
Well, there's always Subway, if you're not concerned with value.

Yes, I did have Subway but I can't eat that every day. BTW, I am concerned with value, but I also want something beside greasy food.

The last couple times we went to Disney were only with a son so I haven't yet had the pleasure of a princess dining. The next time we go I guarantee I'll be doing that so be sure to let me know how it goes. :)

I guess each of us has our own experience. Maybe my expectations were higher for Disney and thus it didn't reach them, or maybe it was the fact that we were there at Christmas the last two trips and it seemed like every person in the free world was there as well. I'll second the ABC Commissary at Hollywood Studios as decent as well as my already mentioned Italian place. Epcot is probably my favorite for it's variety of different places. If you like German food, the buffet in their pavilion is excellent with good authentic beverages, and the fish and chips in the UK area is good. For some reason, nothing really stands out at Animal Kingdom as being great or bad for me even though it's probably my personal favorite park. And again, just my personal opinion, but Magic Kingdom was my least favorite when it comes to food.

The best advice I can give as far as dining is if you want to eat at the sit-down restaurants, make a reservation as soon as you know which day you will be in each park. It seems like over-planning but when you are there, you'll be thankful you did it especially with younger kids. It will prevent you from standing for an hour waiting for a table.

The bakeries in world showcase in Epcot are awesome!

2dogmom said:
...I also want something beside greasy food.

Then you should probably leave the park to eat. :)

I have to defend the park to a certain extent. I do not think it is fair to try to compare the park to Disney's standards. As people have repeatedly pointed out to me Cedar Point is not Disney. They do not care nor place anywhere near as much emphasis on customer satisfaction. People go to Disney for the experience. Cedar Point is actually a much better amusement park (at least according to the golden ticket awards). Disney wants to make money but every single thing they do has guest expectations and experience in mind. That includes the food. No one can reasonably say that the park has cared about the quality of food in the park for a long time. The food in the park is there purely as an after thought. Cedar point will never compare to Disney in many different areas like theming on rides. food, amenities the parks offer and especially customer service. Those things are obviously not important to the park. While there is absolutely no excuse for the abysmal quality of the food and the egregious pricing of food in the park; lets not get carried away by trying to compare the two parks on food quality when they are not even in the same universe. People come from all over the world just to eat at Victoria & Albert's at Disney. I hope no one tries to say that about Bay Harbor.

The PointGuru said:
They do not care nor place anywhere near as much emphasis on customer satisfaction.

Just because the park doesn't subscribe to your narrow, ignorant opinion on how to run a park does not mean they do not care about customer service.

The PointGuru said:
I have to defend the park to a certain extent. I do not think it is fair to try to compare the park to Disney's standards.

How can you possibly say that Disney has high standards since they don't offer rain checks?

The best food value at Cedar Point is to bring your own and eat it in the car or under a/the shady tree in the Soak City lot.

The four of us (two adults and two teenagers) went to Disney on Valentine's week. We stayed off site so we could not get a food plan. We had a $500 gift card and used that for all food purchases (minus breakfast which we ate in the condo and one dinner for the day we left early) and used up most of the $500. The food quality at the "commisary" type places and quick service places was decent, not great, not horrible in my opinion.

We went to the Princess breakfast one day. It cost $200 for the four of us. The food was excellent! Not $200 excellent but still good. With that meal you are paying for the experience. The four of us each got something different. I thought the worst of the four was the traditional breakfast, eggs, bacon and sausage. The other were awesome!

Speaking of the food now at the point. Has anyone noticed the cheese on a stick seems to be smaller this year?

Pete said:

How can you possibly say that Disney has high standards since they don't offer rain checks?

Touché

Walt said:

Ralph Wiggum said:
Panda Express

Just wanted to clarify that you are simply listing this as a place you eat, not specifically that it is a good value.

Because I had lunch there on Ohio State Day and there were no thoughts of value after paying $15.10 for this. :)

So true! My brother and I paid $40 there and it was disgusting food. The smell by the Millenium drew us in, but never again!

Has anyone noticed the cheese on a stick seems to be smaller this year?

Cheese on a twig?

Wanted to try the perch when I saw the stand by GK but we just ate back in the room. I've seen the Road Trip truck by Wicked Twister and on the boardwalk outside of the park on the beach. I love me some perch. We've got a freezer full now. I also enjoyed Pink's fare. The burger was fresh and they load up the toppings. However, not necessarily in line with value because it wasn't exactly cheap. I remember being a kid loving the beef stew in the tin plates from Chuck Wagon Inn. My dad and I actually looked forward to dinner back then.

I was also that kid. I'm not sure if I liked the beef stew, or the fact that it was served in a tin.

But now that I think of it, it was both.

^^ If you want some truly great perch and fries, I highly recommend for all of you to try a little family restaurant called Berardi's a few exits east of Cedar point in Huron,OH (a little way down on route 2, a little past route 13 Huron Exit).
His grandparent's used to own the original french fry stands at CP and some of the old rides. Now that's some good food....