Some people associate theme park fare with burgers, hot dogs, and churros, and while Disneyland Resort does offer all three, it’s certainly not lacking in variety.
Across Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, you can find a wide range of cuisines and flavors to suit every appetite. For every quick service joint offering up your standard fast food, you can find more unique – and delicious – menu items such as Galaxy’s Edge’s Ronto Wraps, Bengal Barbecue’s Banyan Beef Skewer, and Carnation Cafe’s Baked Potato Soup.
But just like any dining destination, not everything is of equal levels of tastiness. In fact, some restaurants have earned outright negative reputations among the Disney parkgoer community. From low-quality menu items to poor service, these are the lowest-rated Disneyland Resort eateries, as per TripAdvisor.
Galactic Grill (Disneyland Park)
If you can pull yourself away from Galaxy’s Edge, Tomorrowland also dabbles in intergalactic offerings. However, it would be an insult to lump Galactic Grill in with the likes of Docking Bay 7 and Ronto Roasters. Billed as an “extraterrestrial eatery,” it offers some fairly disappointing burgers and the standard Disneyland chicken tenders.
Guests are largely unimpressed. The quick service restaurant has a 3.5 rating on Tripadvisor, where guests have slammed the quality of the food. “We came here and got burgers and veggie wraps. Neither were noteworthy,” said one reviewer. “The veggie wraps, in particular, were not delicious. There are much better vegetarian choices in the park.”
Another noted that the “service is lacking and the food is just ok. There are many other options at Disney that are better.” In the context of how good food is elsewhere in the resort, another reviewer simply said, “Don’t bother.”
Wine Country Trattoria (California Adventure)
Located in California Adventure’s Performance Corridor, Wine Country Trattoria is undeniably beautiful, seating guests in an idyllic Mediterranean garden to experience “Napa Valley’s passion for wine and fresh seasonal fare” firsthand. Of course, you have to pay for the pleasure. Entrées start at $22 per person, hitting as much as $39 for the steak.
This would be fairly standard if the quality was up to scratch. Unfortunately, guests claim that it’s not. “Worse meal I have ever had at Disney,” said one disappointed diner, who noted that their food took over an hour to prepare and that the service in general was disappointing. Another complained of “overpriced mediocre quality,” while a third said the restaurant was on a “downward spiral.”
With 3.5 stars on Tripadvisor, it’s safe to say that Disney’s got some work to do if they want to improve the restaurant’s performance. As one particularly disappointed guest noted, “Disney should do better. They charge 4-5 star food prices and are on the race to deliver 2 stars. It’s all a real shame and getting to be a scam.”
Oga’s Cantina (Disneyland)
When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened, Oga’s Cantina was one of the biggest draws. It was nearly impossible to secure a reservation as guests raced to drink and dine on a remote planet, complete with fittingly alien beverages such as the Fuzzy Tauntaun and the Jedi Mind Trick.
But as time’s gone on, reservations have become much easier to find. If the reviews are anything to go by, that’s because guests have rapidly become disillusioned by the bar’s offerings. “Do not waste your time here,” said one user on Tripadvisor, where it boasts a measly 2.5 stars. “It is tiny and pretty uneventful. The interior is not worth the expense. The most underwhelming site in all of Disneyland.”
For many, the drinks and snacks aren’t the issue. Instead, it’s the service and the fact that you need to share tables with other guests that have put them off. “Horrible experience we got up and left, you are sat shoulder to shoulder on a table with random strangers,” said one guest. “We were sat next to a smelly intimidating group of teens. My son looked scared, staff wouldn’t move us.”
Another guest went so far as to say that the bar is the antithesis of a Disneyland restaurant. “You created a drinks spot that is the very opposite that Walt Disney would have wanted,” they claimed. “The staff was rude end to end. We literally left when I was directed to scoot in more at an already overcrowded table and maybe have my ten-year-old daughter sit in my lap … If you want the experience, go to the one in Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Night and Day difference in staff and experience. Much better.”
Even the most enthusiastic Star Wars fans are disappointed. “Disappointing and I’m a huge SW fan,” said one reviewer. “Very rushed. They wanted to shove my wife and kids to stand at a table for two … It’s not anything you think it would be. Not worth it.”
River Belle Terrace (Disneyland)
Over in Frontierland, River Belle Terrace gives guests the chance to chow down on Southern favorites such as biscuits and gravy, pork chops, and chicken pot pie soup while watching the Mark Twain Riverboat gliding down the Rivers of America.
Idyllic though that sounds in theory, the reality isn’t always as magical in practice, judging by the restaurant’s 3.5 stars on Tripadvisor. Why? “They only have like three items on their menu,” summarized one guest. “All of them extremely heavy. The atmosphere also feels very cheap for a fairly expensive restaurant. I would not really recommend this place.”
One guest went so far as to say “this is the worst restaurant in any Disney Resort that we have been to,” which we’d say is a bit of an overstatement. However, their recollections of the service are pretty abysmal, with the group left waiting throughout their entire experience. “We were brought to our table 1 hour after our reservation for the Fantasmic Standard Package,” they said. “Tables with the same number of people and later reservation times were sat before us. Management has no idea how to run this place.” They also had to wait 20 minutes to receive their check.
Another guest had a similarly disappointing experience after booking the Fantasmic! package. “The Fantasmic package was definitely not worth the money, as our “preferred seating ” was actually sitting on the filthy ground, packed together as tightly as possible,” they said. “Also, although we ended up sitting front row, our view of the show was completely obstructed by the iron fencing in front. It’s a total [gimmick]. Also, the restaurant has no restrooms for customers use.”
Alien Pizza Planet (Disneyland)
Pizza is notoriously disappointing across all Disney resorts. While we wouldn’t say that Alien Pizza Planet is the worst pizza we’ve ever had on property, we’re not going to say it’s the crème de la crème of Disney dining – especially when so many have rated it poorly.
With 3.5 stars on Tripadvisor, this quick-service restaurant is inspired by the Toy Story franchise. Why, exactly, Disney has never attempted a movie-accurate Pizza Planet, complete with arcade games, we’ll never know (seriously? Not even in Toy Story Land?!), but it’s not the atmosphere that’s left guests disappointed, but the food itself.
“Appalling – worse than high school cafeteria food,” wrote one reviewer. “It is so bad. Just don’t bother. The pizza tastes like something you would get at Dodger Stadium, frozen, dry, little toppings, just the worst. The price is absurd for what you are getting. I have never had worse food at Disneyland.”
Others have noted that the pizza is “dry,” it “had no taste,” and seemed “undercooked.” Other dishes haven’t fared much better, with the spaghetti and meatballs also slammed for “tasting like they came from the freezer section.” All in all, not exactly the most glowing reviews. “I would suggest skipping this dining location and going just about anywhere else on property,” suggested one reviewer. “It will definitely taste better and likely cost you less.”
What’s your favorite restaurant at Disneyland Resort?
The post Listen to Guests: These Are the 5 Worst Restaurants at Disneyland appeared first on Inside the Magic.
