Wine Country Trattoria: Disney Disappointment
Written: Sep 19 '05 (Updated Jun 21 '06)
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Pros: Table service, inside seating nice in bad weather
Cons: Food was horrible; decor was minimal and not up to Disney standards
The Bottom Line: This Disney restaurant was a huge disappointment.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Wine Country Trattoria |
While wandering around Disney's California Adventure, we decided to stop and eat a civilized meal with table service. This was one of the few options in the park and we gave it a try.
LOCATION
The Wine Country Trattoria is located inside Disney's California Adventure near A Bug's Land. You need to pay park admission to get to the restaurant. To get to the restaurant, you walk up a nice ramp past a mini-vineyard which makes a nice setting.
THE WAIT
We ate at about 2 in the afternoon on a slow day in the park. There were lots of open tables both inside and outside. However, the Disney staff still made us wait about 5 minutes while they prepared a table for us. I don't know why they couldn't have seated us immediately at an empty table but this preparation time seems to be common in Disney restaurants.
THE FOOD
I have to say that the food at the Wine Country Trattoria is about the worst food I have ever eaten. When we sat down, we got complimentary bread and an olive spread. The bread looked like little french bagettes but they lacked the crustiness of the french variety and instead had soft crusts and soft white insides. They lacked flavor and character. The olive spread was very salty but it was probably the best part of a very bad meal.
The menu is best described as casual Italian. There are a couple of soups, a handful of salads and sandwiches and a few main courses on the menu. Except for the salads, everything was pretty much loaded with carbs and, sometimes meat. The food is generally heavy which won't suit everyone. Since the menu is very limited, I recommend making sure that everyone in your party can find something to eat before you sit down. The menus are available at the hostess stand.
I ordered lasagna rustica for $13 which, according to the menu, was supposed to be noodles layered with meat sauce. The dish arrived looking very appetizing. In the middle of a deep dish, there was a piece of lasagna. Over the top of it and around the sides was a tomato meat sauce. I ate the sauce quickly and was disappointed at the small amount of meat and the bland flavor. The lasagna itself was a pile of greasy, folded-up lasagna noodles. There was nothing between the layers except for orange grease. I was looking for cheese or meat sauce but couldn't find any. This pile of noodles was the least appetizing thing I have ever been presented in a restaurant.
Like all Disney restaurants, this one has a kid's menu. My five year old ordered a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which came with flavorless corn chips. Oddly, the sandwich showed up as two pieces of white bread, shaped like Mickey's head, and a small container of peanut butter and a small container of jelly. I actually had to make the sandwich. This was annoying because my meal arrived at the same time and I wanted to enjoy it. Instead, I had to assemble the sandwich. I could do that at home - why was I paying the restaurant premium?
Other adults we dined wtih got the soup and salads on the menu and thought they were okay but not worth returning for. Anything was better than my lasagna.
This restaurant serves wine and beer but no other liquor. Since most Disney restaurants don't serve liquor, the wine with a meal could make this one special.
SERVICE
Our waiter was very well-intentioned but young. He did get the orders right and brought everything timely. The restaurant wasn't busy and it was easy to find him when we needed him. He quickly refilled water and other drinks. I thought the service was fine but felt bad for the waiter who seemed a little nervous, as though it was his first day on the job.
AMBIANCE
This is where I thought Disney really failed. This restaurant has a nice patio. A large amount of tables are set outside with red umbrellas over them. This area is rather nice. We visited on a very hot day and decided to sit inside in the air conditioning. The inside of the restaurant had the worst theming of any place I have been to at Disney. There were off-white walls with little color or decoration. The tables seemed to be arranged randomly, probably as a result of them being pulled together to accomodate large parties. There was no cosiness that you would expect to feel in a trattoria, or even in a mid-price-level chain restaurant. This, particularly given that we were in a Disney park, was a huge disappointment.
KID FRIENDLINESS
Of course, this is Disney so the restaurant will be kid friendly. We got a high chair for the baby. The older kids got crayons and a coloring page when they sat down. There is a kid's menu. However, this restaurant is not nearly as appealing to kids as other Disney restaurants. The decor was really blah, even for adults. There was very little theming and no entertainment. Additionally, the kid's menu lacked certain kid favorites such as pizza and cheeseburgers.
OTHER THOUGHTS
You can make reservations for "priority seating" through Disney. This means that, when you show up, they will seat you rather quickly. However, they don't hold a table for you. Personally, I didn't think this restaurant was worth waiting for and would urge everyone to go elsewhere if there is a crowd.
The restaurant was completely handicap friendly.
They take credit cards. They serve beer and wine but no other liquor.
The menu is very limited. There were a couple of options that looked vegetarian friendly but I don't know if all of the ingredients would qualify.
The outside seating was much nicer than the inside seating. However, the inside seating had air conditioning which made it nice on a really hot day.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
The food here was just so crummy I couldn't recommend this restaurant. Additionally, the ambiance was really not up to Disney standards. There are so many other places to choose for less money that I suggest dining elsewhere.
MY REVIEWS OF THE DISNEY THEME PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK HOTELS IN CALIFORNIA
Disney’s Grand Californian
Marriott Suites Anaheim
Residence Inn Anaheim
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK RESTAURANTS
Storyteller’s Cafe
Blue Bayou
Goofy’s Kitchen
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Soarin’ Over California
Grizzly River Run
The Sun Wheel
Orange Stinger
Mulholland Madness
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Monster’s Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D
It’s Tough to be a Bug 3D
Princess Dot Puddle Park
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies
Flik’s Flyers
Francis’ Ladybug Boogie
Misson Tortilla Factory Tour
Boudin Bakery Factory Tour
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEYLAND
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones Adventure
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn Bobsleds
It’s a Small World
Tarzan’s Tree House
Aladdin’s Oasis
Splash Mountain
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Autotopia
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D
Astro Orbitor
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
MY REVIEWS OF OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Legoland
SeaWorld San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Wild Animal Park
Balboa Park
Cabrillo National Monument
San Diego’s Old Town
The Museum of Making Music
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Recommended:
No
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Nothing was good on the menu; eat elsewhere
Best Suited For: Kids and Families
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modernmarvel
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Can anyone recommend a western family dude ranch for a vacation this summer?
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