Goofy's Kitchen — Restaurant in Anaheim

I’ve been going to Goofys Kitchen for over 32 years, and I’m sad to say that their service, quality of food, and whole ambiance have declined a lot. 16 of us were there on Saturday, May 17, 2025 to celebrate my mom’s 85th birthday. It was a day that we wanted to celebrate but it all started when we got there and our host, Briella was really rude, this supposed to be a place where you go and enjoy an experience with great service and food but unfortunately we spent so much money and we all left disappointed, even mom ☹️

When we booked our reservation, we indicated the number of people, including one toddler, but nowhere on the site, indicated that we needed to disclose if we had babies (we had two on their carrier) I called the Disney hotel and asked to be transferred to Goofys kitchen, however they said, they might no answer because I guess they don’t anymore, however someone picked up the phone and I explained that we had two babies on our group but there’s no way to add them to the guest list, and she said not to worries, you can tell the host when you arrive. So we tried to explain to Briella and she was so rude, she said we should have stayed that the had two babies, but we keep telling her there’s no place in the app to disclose this information, so she said, well it’s going to take another 45 minutes for your group to be seated, it’s for safety reasons that it’s required and blah, blah. Anyways, we said ok but if left such a bad taste in our mouths because you said, lady we are paying for this, it’s not free and it’s expensive plus you are treating us like idiots when instead she should apologize because it wasn’t our fault, is their system. We waited, got sat and the waiter was really nice, so that’s why I gave a two star. The food however is another story. The salad bar was almost empty, most of the items were not refilled, the options they had were pizza, corn dogs, Mac and cheese, there were no shrimps or corn on the cob like before; I went to the carving station and was served by a grumpy man, I asked for some prime rib, but it was rare and I asked if I can get it medium well, and all he said was 5 minutes and next, he was so rude, he didn’t even let me finish ordering, he was cutting the slices so paper thin and I wanted another piece, so I had to stand in line again to request a second slice ☹️. We ordered soft drinks and they were completely flat, I asked the server and she brought us new sodas and they were flat again, so had to drink water. A few of us ordered coffee, horrible taste and the coffee was cold, oh my I said can we please have hot coffee, can you make a new pot, she brought us back new cups of coffee, same old, cold coffee. The dessert was also disappointing, they had cookies, cupcakes but nothing interesting, before they had yummy bread pudding and a more variety of treats. Sorry for the long review but like I said, we have been going to Goofys kitchen for over 32 years, we are a family of 37 people and usually make reservations for New Year’s Eve, but I think that was the last time we would go to Goofys, very dissatisfied, disappointed of the way we were treated when it wasn’t our fault, Briella was rude and the food and drinks, nothing compared to what it was before. This was a surprise to my mom for her 85th birthday to cheer her up since my dads passing, and we were really looking forward to it, but it was just not what you expect from Disney, so...

Disappointing Experience - Service Far Below Disney Standards

As a European accustomed to the excellent “savoir-faire” of Disneyland Paris, I had very high expectations for this dining experience. Unfortunately, the evening was extremely disappointing, not so much for the food quality but for the service received.

Issues Encountered:

Reservation Management: we had two different booking for 8:30 PM (last available slot) and despite requesting a table for 7 people, we were seated at separate tables. This occurred even if several large empty tables being visible that would have only needed to be set up.

Allergy Management: I reported my wife’s food intolerances both during booking and upon arrival. However, we had to ask three times and wait 15 minutes before someone explained the available options. No allergen list was available, and we were taken to the buffet for a verbal explanation - an approximate and potentially dangerous approach to allergen management.

Poor Timing: Disney characters finish their shows at 9:00 PM, leaving us very little time to enjoy the experience considering the delays in being served. I question the logic of accepting 8:30 PM reservations under these conditions.

End-of-Service Food Quality: While the food was generally acceptable, it was obvious we were at the end of service: chicken that wasn’t crispy, last pieces of turkey and roast beef, some dishes no longer available.

Pressure to Leave: From 9:15 PM onwards, we were clearly being encouraged to leave through indiscreet gestures: noisy table cleaning, music being turned off, excessive noise with dishes. During dessert selection, a server removed all food labels, and when I pointed out that I didn’t know what I was choosing, he rudely replied they were closing.

Payment Issues: While we were still eating, they brought the bill with a preset, non-removable 18% gratuity. To pay, I was led to a cluttered storage/hallway area leading to the kitchens that was not clean - definitely inappropriate for customers. They then presented me with a second receipt requesting an additional tip, which I obviously refused.

Service Oversights: Despite mentioning during booking that we were celebrating our first visit, there was no acknowledgment from the staff (something that did happen at other Disney restaurants).

Conclusion: While the food quality was acceptable, the service was decidedly inadequate and does not justify the $100 per person...

Attention everybody looking to make a special wedding proposal at Goofy’s Kitchen: don’t bother! My fiancé tried coordinating with them months in advance to do something special. However, not only was the communication unhelpful and indirect, but the employee he tried asking for help to do something in the moment was incredibly condescending and pushy. I don’t know her name, or I would say it. She spoke to the both of us repeatedly in a faux -polite tone suitable for addressing a kindergartener while at the same time applying pressure to my fiancé to propose to me after he signaled to her multiple times he wasn’t interested in doing so at the moment she suggested he do it after all. She continued to ask him to tell me “the secret” they previously discussed with me RIGHT THERE, and when he continuously said no, she added on a nice “are you sure? It’s a pretty important secret,” in that meant-for-a-small-child tone. I’m sorry, but how is that appropriate? Not only was pushing him continuously wrong in of itself, but I was RIGHT THERE, completely unknowing and put off by the apparent “secret” she was teasing me with! What else was that interaction supposed to cultivate other than tension and pressure? It made my fiancé feel a completely unnecessary urge to rush with the proposal and do it right then and there while at the same time making me feel incredibly anxious over what the “secret” was! Of course after that experience I was going to pester him over what that was about! Luckily he was able to divert convincingly enough and do it the next day somewhere else, but it was no thanks to the staff at Goofy’s Kitchen. It’s also worth mentioning the food simply wasn’t that great at all either, especially considering the price. We tried it both during Christmas time as well as this time around and neither experience left us fondly remembering what we ate. The waiter(s) did their best considering the situation, and I’m very appreciative they didn’t try to pester my fiancé any further than he already was. If you want to pop the question to that special someone at Disney, definitely skip anywhere that would force you to...