Food Type: American and Americanized Fare in addition to sushi
Location: West Side across from DisneyQuest and near House of Blues, Bongos, and Splitsville
Dining Plan: 1 Table Service
Cost: For lunch, Appetizers: $8-$15 and Entrées: $13-$29. For dinner, Appetizers: $8-$15 and Entrées: $13-$29. Sushu: $13 – $40. Kids: $7 – $9.
Discounts: 20% Tables in Wonderland; 20% Annual Passholder Lunch; 10% Annual Passholder Dinner; 20% Disney Vacation Club Lunch; 10% Disney Vacation Club Dinner.
Menu:
Lunch (11:30am – 3:45pm): https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/downtown-disney/wolfgang-puck-grand-cafe/menus/lunch/
Dinner (4pm – 11pm): https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/downtown-disney/wolfgang-puck-grand-cafe/menus/dinner/
Bar: Just inside the entrance on the right sits a long bar that doubles as the sushi bar, with additional bar seating nearby. Drinks are $10 – $12 and lean toward the weak, fruity variety. Draft beer menu is standard Boson Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stella Artois, and the like.
Setting: The building houses three separate Wolfgang Puck establishments, which tends to confuse most prospective diners. The Grand Cafe is the less expensive table service restaurant covered here. Express has a separate entrance to the left. That’s where you’ll find the pizzas and sandwiches. The third is The Dining Room and Wolfgang Puck Cafe, which is the signature restaurant on the second floor. Inside the Grand Cafe, you’ll find a hodgepodge of bright tiles and wacky fixtures. The “Colorful mosaics and modern lighting” are more “The Max” from Saved By The Bell than an upscale, fine dining atmosphere. Kids aren’t going to care much for ambiance either. Unfortunately, Wolfgang Puck no longer owns the restaurant and the quality has suffered because of it.
Advantages:
- The menu features a healthy variety of sushi, pizza, pasta, salads, and meats.
- Less expensive entrees for dinner than most Downtown Disney restaurants.
- Sushi is slightly better quality than Splitsville across the way, but portions are smaller and it’s more expensive.
Disadvantages:
- Food is inconsistently prepared and the quality of ingredients continues its downward spiral.
- Extremely loud main dining room. The restaurant features an “open design concept” which means there are no walls to stop noise.
- One of the least interesting places to dine at Walt Disney World.
Tips: Stick to the Express next door for the same pizza at lower prices or visit for fresh sushi. Stay away from the pricier entrees.
Value: Below average to average.
Reputation: Grand Cafe is unlikely to impress under current conditions, though the sushi is still very good.
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)