Why you choose restaurants.......

[DisneyBunch]

I've always wondered what the main reason people choose one restaurant over another at WDW is. Some rave about the theme, some about the atmoshere, and others the food or something else. What is the biggest reason that makes your favorite restaurant stand out?:confused::confused::confused:

[dolphinmickey9170]

The food!! :eat:

[kimommy63]

50-50. I want the food to be great and the ambience to be cool too! We are in a fantasy vacation spot right?:mickey:

[biodtl]

I love great food, but I went with theming. We can have great food any time - including at home, but the theming is what we love about WDW. Besides, I usually like everything I eat at WDW anyway.

[kathiep]

I went with theme. I love being immersed in the experience when we're on vacation.

Not to say that the food isn't important because it is. One of my favorite themed restaturants, San Angel Inn, is one I probably won't go back to because of the food. But if I ever do decide to go back again, it's because I love the atmosphere.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

I went with food because if I don't like the food - the theming and atmosphere don't really matter. I can't eat somewhere that has food that I don't like.

However my favorites have all 3. That's why they are my favorites.

[DisneyGiant]

We choose our restaurants - mostly for the food!

Two exceptions to the rule:

Sci Fi Diner
Prime TV Cafe

There we choose them first - for the theming - then for the food! ;)

[beksy]

I went with theming. There's almost always something on the menu that I like and we do a couple of restaurants just because we really like the food, but when I'm in Disney I really want the whole theming experience!

[Tbelle1976]

I also went with theme, because I have eaten at some many of the restaurants to know what food I like (and we like all of them for the most part). When you have been to so many, you really start going back because of the theme and surroundings.:thumbsup:

[IloveDisney71]

Food is the most important thing for my family. Atmosphere and theming would be a tie for second place.

[pdrlkr]

The food! :thumbsup:

[Natazu]

Food quality first, there's nothing more important than the food. Then service, wine list, and atmosphere. Not so much the characters or the price.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Reasons:
1. Food (quality)
2. Service
3. Location - to us this is HUGE. We have young kids and being able to go to a restaurant without too much hassle is VERY important.
4. Atmosphere

Not to sound like a snob, but price doesn't play too much of a factor. That's not to say we're dining at V&A's on a daily basis! On vacation, we definitely "live large!" :thumbsup:

[prprincess]

I just started doing sit-down restaurants about two years ago, so I'm still trying alot of them out. When I hear other people raving about the food somewhere, then it makes me curious to try. So definitely, the food!

[Mickey91]

I chose great atmosphere. I feel like all the above is the best answer for us. So, atmosphere came closer to saying that. I love Chef Mickeys! But if any of the three main reasons we eat there(food, service, character interaction) is off, then the atmosphere and enjoyment of the meal is lost. We thought Sci FI had awesome theming, but the food was:ack:. Therefore, we won't go back. So, for us, it is all about the total experience!:mickey:

[GrmGrninGost]

I went with great atmosphere. But, the only one that really doesn't figure into the equation is price (as long as I can afford it). If the food, theming and atmosphere aren't all good, we usually don't go back.:mickey:

[KylesMom]

In most cases, food is the most important thing - followed by theming. Since I don't see us going to V&A's anytime soon, price really isn't a factor for us when we're on vacation. If the menu hits us, we'll give it a try.:mickey:

[TheMartellFamily]

If we hear that they have great food then that is one we want to try. It is all about the food.

[Kairi_7378]

The food reviews are what usually draw us to the restaurants. Most of the restaurants have a wonderful atmosphere but that is secondary to us. I don't think I would be able to get DH to go to a place like Whispering Canyon Cafe or to Prime Time because he does NOT want antics when going out to dinner. I may be able to talk him into a character meal when we have kids... but at max it will be one per trip. I will agree with Frank that price is not as big a factor... we usually only do 1-2 TS meals a trip, and they are usually in signature restaurants, and I think that the prices are within the same ballpark as each other.

[Hayden's Dad]

I would have to say themeing. I want to be submersed. That is why we love the Sci Fi and it is a must for us. The food isn't the best but you can't beat the theming. Same with Cinderella's Royal Table.

[Charlee]

For me it is the theme - you can eat good food anywhere is the world - its only in Disney where you can have a meal with the characters or the theming of Sci Fi... of course, we wouldn't go if the food was terrible but I think its the theme that's most exciting and different in Disney!

[Jared]

For me, it's always about the food first. I can appreciate good theming and atmosphere, but I stay away from places like the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater because the food is bad. Everywhere, not just at Disney, some of the best food comes from the most unexpected places. I'll hunt good food, not good decor.

[Hair_Razor]

It was hard for me to choose since I feel I take all these things into consideration. However reading what Haydon's Dad said I have to go with food because as cool as Sci- Fi is to look at the food was so bad we won't go back.

[Crow]

theming & food

[laward32]

I went with theming, but the food has to be good to or I won't eat there again. If it is a character meal, I go with the character interaction.:mickey:

[JerseyDad]

....for me it's all about the food. It's a given that we're in Florida...in November....eating at WDW....and that in itself is special....but the food has got to be good.

Some of the WDW restaurants have food that is "better" than others....and some have very special theming and atmosphere. But there are a few that have a great combo of both...and those are the ones that we usually eat at...like San Angel Inn and Teppan Edo.

....my fingers are crossed that I'll be having dinner in "Mexico" sometime in the week of Nov 3rd this year!!

[moe513]

We dont look at price or food so much ,like the atmosphere. For example, we like beirgarten and san angel in,but dont really like the food,

[Kidsmom]

It is food for us! We like a really good couple hours for dinner.

Each trip though we sacrific the food for theme for the kids a couple of times. DH and I don't like buffets so most character meals are out (already done them before) so this trip we did Sci-Fi again and trying Hoop Dee Doo.

Then they have to sit through Cali Grill and Jiko's for us...although they too love good food so it isn't such a sacrific for them.

[#1donaldfan]

Most people are saying the food, but if you REALLY think about it, it's not the food ...if the food you think is GREAT is presented to you (initially) in "bad" way, you wouldn't care for it as much....it's all in the presentation, coupled with a fun time or "wacky" atmosphere, you feel better about what your eating....

.....so for me it's the atmosphere that makes us like a place so much....:confused:

[RAIDER]

I voted great atmosphere ..but it goes hand in had with great food :thumbsup:

[Spaceship Tigger]

For me it's the theme/atmosphere first, as long as the food is okay. As far as the food itself goes, there's only a few things in WDW that I would rate better than what I could get anywhere at home. It's the themeing and experience of the places that set the restaurants at WDW apart to me.

[mouseketeer mom]

Really good food and fun. Thats the perfect combination for us, and Ohana's is our number one choice that meets that criteria!

[lightyearfan]

when choosing a resturant for me and dw it has to be food first and atmosphere 2nd. the food has to be good, otherwise why are we going to eat at that particular resturant? don't get me wrong we do enjoy a nice Disney atmosphere, like the 50's Prime Time and the Sci-FI and all the Epcot themed resturants, but at the end of the day if we don't like what we are eating then why go to that particular resturant, the atmosphere won't make the food taste any better (imho)

Victor

[Tigerinvestigator]

At WDW it is all about the theming to us. You can get great food anywhere, but where else can you dine in a small Mexican village at Twilight with a pyramid and erupting volcano as your view in the middle of the afternoon?!?:confused: ...OR sat in a revolving restaurant and watched Buffalo grazing on the prairie while crocodiles float just a few feet away, and Disney Characters visit your table?!?....OR well you get the point!:thumbsup:

[Mackflava99]

This is very tough-
Of course the food is important- but then again- so is the theme and the appearence of the restaurant-

So its really a combination-

BUT i have also found that the CMs also make or break the meal-

The places i return to and seem to like the best are the ones with the best mix-


Boatwrights- always tremendous service
Cape may- great selection
Beaches and Cream- tremendous service
Spoodles- tremendous service
Whispering Canyon- themed service ( actually very good but they try to be bad:)
Garden grove- Tremendous service- great food

We had awful service at the restaurant in Italy, and also at Sci fi ( previously we had had good service there) but when we were selecting the ADRs this year- we remembered the service just as much as the food.


We have been to Prime time cafe and had poor service 2 times in a row, but the food is excellent. though i am not sure we will go this year because of that- 2 years ago we had great service but the last 2 were por- an memorably por, enough to outweigh the very unique selection of food.

[dra_rosie_k]

Could have used two choices -- food is most important, but at Disney the atmosphere can make up for food that is not quite as good as somewhere else.

[katzctkpt]

I have to vote for atmosphere and the CMs will also make or break the meal. If both are good you really dont remember as much about the food unless it was really really bad.

[RocknRoller94]

Food!

[Cookie123]

We choose our restaurants - mostly for the food!

Two exceptions to the rule:

Sci Fi Diner
Prime TV Cafe

There we choose them first - for the theming - then for the food! ;)

I could not have said this better !

I dearly love the Sci-Fi, especially when I'm solo. The theming is wonderful!