Disney World Guests Gave 1-Star Reviews of These Restaurants. Are They Actually That Bad?

Walt Disney World offers hundreds of restaurants, from quick-service favorites to well-known table-service dining locations. Some restaurants in the Magic Kingdom area aren’t received favorably by all guests, with some receiving one-star reviews on Yelp and harsh commentary.

We looked at the 1-star Yelp reviews for these Magic Kingdom restaurants to see what guests had to say about their experiences and whether we agree. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including five theme movies and shows that are turning into rides and Disneyland’s disappointing dining modification rule.

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1. Tony’s Town Square Restaurant

Let’s start with the one restaurant that’s always rated among the lowest for Disney guests. Tony’s Town Square Restaurant serves Italian-American style food with views overlooking Main Street, U.S.A.

Adam D. on Yelp offered a one-star review that’s similar to many reviews of the restaurant: “The spaghetti was ok but the chicken tater like tap water. Insult to injury, no one ever even asked us how our experience was or how the food tasted. Any other restaurant wouldn’t be able to sustain itself in such a prominent location with food and service that low quality. They’re only getting away with it because you got to eat in a room with the lady and the tramp statue in it. The epitome of riding on reputation”

The theme of the restaurant here is cute, but I don’t think that’s the main factor for why guests book it. The prime location on Main Street, along with its kid-friendly menu, is the bigger draw. I would agree that the food here isn’t great. I find Olive Garden to be higher quality, but I also love Olive Garden!

2. The Beak and Barrel

Next up, we looked at The Beak and Barrel, the newer Pirates of the Caribbean themed lounge. The reviews here are mixed, mostly calling out the strict 45-minute time limit placed on the experience.

Joe left a one-star review on Yelp saying, “The most miserable food experience at Disney. They rush you in, hit you with a limited menu, and then have a stopwatch determine when your time is up. Immediately after delivering our second drink they informed us we had less than 10 minutes to finish and leave. A literal cattle call of dining designed to get as many bodies in and out of the place to maximise profit. Avoid like the plague.”

He’s not entirely wrong. The time limit on the experience does make you feel rushed, especially if you want to have more than one drink. However, the reason Disney does this isn’t to make more money off guests, although I’m sure that does help, but to allow everyone to experience it. I do agree that it’s not a relaxing dining experience.

3. The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace is the Winnie the Pooh character dining spot in Magic Kingdom, and it’s one of our favorite character dining locations in Disney World. But not everyone loves this spot.

There are a few one-star reviews on Yelp, including this recent one from Will: “Crystal Palace used to be my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World (several years ago). Now, I think I would prefer Golden Corral. I’m not kidding. The food here is now very mediocre. The variety is not good. And the desserts are a fail. I don’t know what happened, but this is sad, especially for the price. I can’t recommend this place to anyone anymore.”

I’d be curious to know if this reviewer’s experience was for breakfast or for lunch, since you’ll get a different variety of options. But I’ve never experienced poor food quality here. In fact, this location is also known for its Mickey Churro waffles, which are a fan favorite on Disney Cruises. Perhaps this guest visited on an off day because we usually have consistently good food here.

4. Cinderella’s Royal Table

One of the hardest to get reservations at Disney World is Cinderella’s Royal Table. This Princess character dining experience is incredibly popular and allows guests the chance to dine inside the castle. But despite its popularity, there are some one-star reviews on Yelp.

Brian had this to say about the popular experience: “Don’t waste time on this overpriced place. Food is simply meh at best and as other reviewers have noted- terribly seasoned. We also waited a very very long time after our reservation to be called for seating. You can find food that is ten times better at half the price at Disney resorts. Skip this. If not, I tried to warn you.”

The food at Cinderella’s Royal Table may not match the price tag, but it’s also considerably better than some other Magic Kingdom restaurants. I do think this review is missing the point of Cinderella’s Royal Table, and that’s to dine inside the castle and meet the Disney Princesses.

5. Chef’s Mickey

Chef’s Mickey is located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and is one of the more popular Disney Resort hotel character dining experiences. This is one of the classic dining experiences since it features the classic Disney characters.

But there were a few notable one-star reviews, including this comment from Seth, “The buffet food is very low quality, and the characters don’t speak, just come around for high fives and hugs, all for the grand total of $70, PER PERSON.”

This is a review I don’t agree with at all since, well, this reviewer may not be familiar with how character dining works. The classic characters don’t speak, and $70 per person is a pretty average price for a Disney character dining experience. Most Disney character buffets offer decent quality food as well, so I think in this case, the reviewer was having a bit of sticker shock with Disney pricing.

6. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is another popular spot located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, which is another resort in the Magic Kingdom area. But its popularity can also be a downside, as it’s hard to get a spot inside.

Many reviews on Yelp focused on that challenge, with Savory also saying, “A poorly thought out tribute to better tiki bars further reduced by phony interaction with the bartender who thinks he’s in character but just a misplaced jungle cruise guide reciting terrible dad jokes through a barely masked anger/irritation at his role. the drinks are ok, would be better at half the price, but the constant frat boy shouting of “2 shots!” just blows the whole atmosphere. sadly there’s nothing cool about this closet bar, and it only makes you sad they did away with the adventurer’s club.”

This is a pretty hot take for one of Disney World’s best lounges, especially since this review is directly criticizing the atmosphere that makes Trader Sam’s so popular. This is a review I strongly disagree with, as the cast members at this restaurant are such a big part of the experience.

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