By: Minnie Diva
I come to you today with perhaps the most unpopular Disney World opinion: I really do not care for 1900 Park Fare, at all. I have eaten there twice; once for breakfast, once for dinner. The food was pretty good; everything else left something to be desired. So here they are, reasons why I would not dine at 1900 Park Fare again.
Reason 1: The Atmosphere
Do not get me wrong, The Grand Floridian is beautiful. It feels like something straight out of a fairytale. The decor is elegant and classy with just a touch of something that makes it feel like home.
Courtesy of Dopey Diva.
The same cannot be said for 1900 Park Fare. The restaurant is crowded and plain. There’s no sparkle. I don’t leave in awe of the magic, I leave wondering ‘Why are the tables so close together?’
Only adding to the crowded feeling, there are no real windows in the restaurant. Which may not bother you, but it certainly bothers me. When you already have a crowded space, not having windows doesn’t help.
Reason 2: The Staff
This reason, of course, is relative. Some members of the staff there, I’m sure, are excellent. Nevertheless, both times I was there, our waitresses seemed overworked and hurried. We were not given star treatment. (Not that we’re stars, but still.) It wasn’t even the waitresses themselves who were bothering me, more the fact that it seemed every waitress was working far too many tables. We waited 20 minutes for drinks to get at our table, and even longer for the check.
Reason 3: The Characters
I think the main reason this meal is so popular is because the characters here are rare and hilarious. At breakfast you get to dine with the hilarious Mad Hatter, and at dinner you get invited to a royal feast, along with the Evil Stepsisters. The interactions with these characters is super fun. The problem is: if you’re older than the age of 10, your interaction is going to be brief. At our March dinner there, I watched in awe as a little boy occupied at least 10 minutes of Anastasia and Drizella’s time. His mother sat there, egging him on: “Tell them about the time…” “I bet they’d love to hear about your pets!” “Talk to them about what sport you play!” This wouldn’t have bothered me so much, except that when the sisters got to our table they spent about a minute with us before leaving, only to go back to the little boy’s table.
Okay, so maybe this isn’t a real reason, just me airing a complaint.
Moral of the story, take this restaurant with a grain of salt. The breakfast was much better than the dinner, and if you have little children, you might have a much more magical experience than we did. This being said, I would much rather dine at ‘Ohana or Cape May Cafe any day of the week. But if you do choose to eat here, remember to book your meal 180 days in advance and show up 15 minutes early for your reservation!
