Healthier WDW menu NOT just for children...link

[CathrynRose]

its your choice to go off site if you wish to. If that works better for you, then by all means do it.

I just dont get all the fuss about this.

The fuss is simple. Many of us make 'eating' and enjoying those ice-cream cookie lunches, as a big part of a vacation. We DONT do it at home, so it's a huge treat.

And for those of us who may do it at home, a week in WDW isnt going to suddenly change our eating habits.

I dont know about everyone else, but enjoying the food on vacation, is a giant part of my families vacation.

My son - whom is 15, and doesnt have an ounce of fat on his body...he's just a toned-machine (Im very jealous and confused where he got this body from.... ) who is not some obese kid obsessed with food - one of the first things he said when he found out we were going to Disney said "Im getting those nuts (cinnamon-glazed almonds) everyday"

For -us- it IS part of the fun on vacation.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Oh c'mon people dont really believe that making people eating "healthy" on a week or two vacation is going to make a huge impact on the obesity problem in the US! are doing it as a publicity stunt. If and when they bag the idea they wont be having a new conference for it.

My son will be happy with some fruits and veggies on his plate.

 

[kaysmommie]

Absolutely ridiculous!!! I want to eat some goodies on vacation. The food and dining is part of the fun for us. And no I'm not overweight either. Just like to save pigging out for Disney.

 

[mom2cookies]

Can someone PM me the link to these changes? I can't seem to find the original " article " or whatever that y'all are discussing. I have 4 children and they like what they were able to get. Thanks!

 

[JJClemson]

Okay folks, before everyone rushes to cancel their ADR's...

There's a follow up to this article in today's Wall Street Journal which is MUCH more clear. The real thing that Disney's going to change is endorsing packaged products for kids that contain pure crap- like allowing Mickey's image to be on a box of Sugar Corn Pops. Instead of appearing on Sugar Corn Pops, A Disney image will only appear on a more healthy cereal like, Corn Flakes or Cheerios (my example, not theirs).

They will still allow Mickey on birthday cakes, and a limited amount of holiday treats, but less of Disney images on Doritos, French fries and the like.


It does say they are trying to make the kid's meals at WDW healthier, but it says nothign about adult meals in the parks. EDIT - Allearsnet DOES say WDW is going to phase in some healthier choices into their genereal menus- subtle, but healthier.

Mostly, Disney is trying to avert lawsuits based on studies which show that marketing crap products to kids encourages obesity among kids, AND trains them to buy things because of an endorsment.

It sounds like Disney is making a wise choice in my opinion! I think it's great!

I could not have said it better myself

Please do not flame me, but I really just think Disney is trying to help the obesity epidemic. It is just that, an obesity epidemic. This generation of children will be the first to NOT outlive their parents Life expectancy in our country is actually declining! Obesity is the 2nd leading preventable cause of death in the US (second only to smoking). Has anyone read Fast Food Nation? Disney and McDonald's are the two companies that influence children the most. Disney is just trying to help! They are not going to allow their characters to promote french fries anymore. I think this is a great idea!

Ok, now that I am off my soap box... (sorry I am a grad student in Public Health who specializes in childhood obesity.. I just feel very strongly about this issue). There is no way that Disney will eliminate our beloved dole whips or yummy dishes from around World Showcase. There is absolutely no way to eliminate trans fat from icing, etc. However, there are healthier substitutes for some ingredients. For example, if dishes are prepared with butter instead of margarine, there will be less trans fat. Notice how the article only mentioned "entrees", "side dishes", and "snacks". No where did they mention desserts.

Please do not cancel your ADRs, I doubt major, noticeable changed will actually happen to the adult menu. The children's menu, on the other hand, I even think is a little ridiculous. They should have added the new options to the already existing ones. I completely agree with everyone who said what you eat should be your choice. However, if you can make a dish healthier without changing the taste, why wouldn't you?

 

[CheshireVal]

I could not have said it better myself

Please do not flame me, but I really just think Disney is trying to help the obesity epidemic. It is just that, an obesity epidemic. This generation of children will be the first to NOT outlive their parents Life expectancy in our country is actually declining! Obesity is the 2nd leading preventable cause of death in the US (second only to smoking). Has anyone read Fast Food Nation? Disney and McDonald's are the two companies that influence children the most. Disney is just trying to help! They are not going to allow their characters to promote french fries anymore. I think this is a great idea!

Ok, now that I am off my soap box... (sorry I am a grad student in Public Health who specializes in childhood obesity.. I just feel very strongly about this issue). There is no way that Disney will eliminate our beloved dole whips or yummy dishes from around World Showcase. There is absolutely no way to eliminate trans fat from icing, etc. However, there are healthier substitutes for some ingredients. For example, if dishes are prepared with butter instead of margarine, there will be less trans fat. Notice how the article only mentioned "entrees", "side dishes", and "snacks". No where did they mention desserts.

Please do not cancel your ADRs, I doubt major, noticeable changed will actually happen to the adult menu. The children's menu, on the other hand, I even think is a little ridiculous. They should have added the new options to the already existing ones. I completely agree with everyone who said what you eat should be your choice. However, if you can make a dish healthier without changing the taste, why wouldn't you?

But.... they are adding low fat cheese to pizzas. Changing the formula of burgers. I'm sorry, but I eat fat free cheese at home and use turkey instead of ground beef. When I'm on vacation, though, I want the real deal.

It's a shame that America is obese, but I'm not, and neither is my family. I shouldn't have to be forced on a low fat diet while on vacation.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

makes me rethink the dining plan

 

[angelmav]

Exactly its a V A C A T I O N! To say this is about obesity in america is a cop out answer pandering to the moment. If you want to do something about the problem get the kids off the TV/Computer/Playstation and back outside, believe me if your active your body can burn off about anything, especially when your young!

 

[Slightly Goofy]

I am all for healthy 'choices" in that you could choose something healthier if you want but would hate to see many of the things we look forward to all year being gone.

We just returned from 3 weeks at DW and I often chose a fruit option when I just could not look at another prepackaged carrot or chocolate cake.

BTW, if the healthy food is a downer for you I hate to tell you what a manager at Boatwright's told me. She told me that DW was working toward 'standardizing' the foods at their restaurants so that a steak at one place will taste just like one at another place. I saw many instances of this on our trip in prepackaged items and the same items on many menus. There would be little or no reason to go to different restaurants if this come to fruition.

Slightly Goofy

 

[MarieA]

Originally posted by Slightly Goofy
BTW, if the healthy food is a downer for you I hate to tell you what a manager at Boatwright's told me. She told me that DW was working toward 'standardizing' the foods at their restaurants so that a steak at one place will taste just like one at another place. I saw many instances of this on our trip in prepackaged items and the same items on many menus. There would be little or no reason to go to different restaurants if this come to fruition.

I hope this is not true. We spend $1,500 - $2,000 per trip on dining at WDW. If all the menus are the same we will definitely be dining off property. I am not going to eat the same thing for 9 days - BORING. If this happens - I think many people will be leaving the property to eat. Some may even decide to stay off property. NOT A WISE BUSINESS DECISION - How many of your guests will be happy eating the same thing for 2 weeks?

 

[Slightly Goofy]

I agree with you but I have wondered how much of a percentage there are of us 'die hard' fans who stay for lengthy trips or many return trips. I doubt that those who visit for 3-4 days with years in between would notice the difference. IMO, many vacation spots have inferior food because they not depend on return visitors. Big mistake though as locals fill in when times are slow.

I know many great off site places if it should come to that.

Slightly Goofy

 

[JamesMom]

I have 3 words - Get a Villa! Stay in a DVC resort or FW cabins and you can cook and grill whatever you want and save tons of money to boot. But that's right, it's a vacation - who wants to cook?! However, for our family, money speaks quite loudly LOL

I think healthier menu items are a welcome respite from hamburgers and fries. I want more veggies and fruit on the menu as well. After 5 or so days of eating junk - I want 'real' food and whole grains! But I want the junk to remain for those initial five days LOL!!

 

[MarieA]

It's funny we did have a 2 BDRM villa our last stay and the stove wasn't turned on once. Cooking is not an option (unless my DH or kids want to cook). It's not a vacation if I have to cook. I work full time and cook every night. I want to be served when I'm on vacation. It's the only time I'm not on the go constantly doing things for everyone else. It's my time to be pampered.

 

[Slightly Goofy]

Marie, I hear you!! Amen!! One of the many reasons I love DW is the fact that I get to live like my husband does all year round when I am there.

I get sleep and someone else makes the bed, cleans the room, cooks the food etc.

As long as I survive the drive down and back I am a happy lady.

Slightly Goofy

 

[mickeysgirl17]

This is crazy! We are on Vacation!!!!!!!!!!! My family (and I'm sure we aren't the only ones) love to splurge on vacation. We like to have sweets and desserts with our meals. If disney starts removing the goodies we love, they aren't going to be making very much money at their eateries. I can understand if they want to serve healthier options as an alternative, but to take over everyone's eating habits is wrong! I also disagree with the choice they made regarding the new children's meals. I'm lucky if I can get my 3 yr. old to eat anything, not to mention the very few choices she'll have now! I'm sure there are other parents out there with the same problem. We don't eat the unhealthy stuff all the time, but at least on vacation, it should be allowed.

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

But.... they are adding low fat cheese to pizzas. Changing the formula of burgers. I'm sorry, but I eat fat free cheese at home and use turkey instead of ground beef. When I'm on vacation, though, I want the real deal.

It's a shame that America is obese, but I'm not, and neither is my family. I shouldn't have to be forced on a low fat diet while on vacation.

I've been trying to stay out of these threads because they tend to breed flame wars between those that are happy about the changes and those that are not, but I just can't seem to let it go. Over on the DL boards there don't really seem to be any debates/heated discussions or concerns of any kind and I posted the following there in a thread discussing the changes:

As a "Westerner" (CA), we definately eat very healthy... At home... While on vacation however, I allow my kids to eat what they want. If that means a donut for breakfast, so be it. It's their vacation as well.

The new menus at WDW are quite limited and if it's correct that some places will not allow fries/sodas even if requested then I will be a very unhappy Guest. My DDs are incredibly healthy, bordering on underweight, not overweight in the slightest. I have spent the last 2 years losing a considerable amount of weight (45 pounds, gained 10 back in the last 9 months and am currently losing again until I hit my target weight), so I understand and know nutrition.

At home I am very careful of calorie/fat intake not just in myself, but in my kids and DH as well. While I'm on vacation I want to splurge. I want to eat unhealthy foods and enjoy it. That's what a vacation is. Breaking from the normal routine and having fun.

I think the biggest negative issue in DL vs. WDW is the ability to go elsewhere if you don't like your options. At DL it's literally a walk across the street to Denny's or Tony Roma's or any number of other places. At WDW it's a lot further to go offsite and a lot of people (myself included) don't bother renting cars because you stay on property the entire vacation. That's an issue as well. DL is a couple of days for a vacation tops, whereas WDW is a week or more of the same menu day in and day out.

All that said, I don't think my children would have too big of a problem with the new menu choices. I, however, do. I want them to have more options, I encourage them to try new things while on vacation and while DL's dining choices have always been a tad limited the choices at WDW used to be amazing for children. Someone reported this morning that ALL TS restaurants will now have the new children's menu with minor changes (cheese soup as an app option at Le Cellier, lobster bisque as an app at Coral Reef). That is very little option for a child who doesn't want to eat chicken nuggets and burgers for a 2 week vacation at WDW.

I will just wait and see how things pan out. Disney may make changes and tweaks as they get feedback from guests.

I agree with CheshireVal, I am not obese and should not be forced to diet while I am on vacation. I literally write down everything I eat at home and limit my calorie intake and it's worked for 2 years.

WDW has encouraged guests to stay (and spend) solely on property and made that a great lure to staying at a Disney Resort vs a (cheaper) hotel offsite. These changes have also made the DDP almost useless for a great deal of people. We have already decided that if these menus are still in place with no changes/tweaks, we will most likely drop the Dining Plan from our trip for Dec 2007. I would pay more out of my pocket (adult meals for the kids) to allow my DDs the choices they want while on vacation. Or, we will rent a car (something we've not done since our very first (and only) offsite stay at WDW pre-children) so that we can dine off-property.

I just felt that I needed to voice my opinion on these changes as well. We haven't done WDW as much as a lot of people, but we have been to WDW 5 times, DL 4 times and 2 DCL cruises in about 10 years. Next year we're planning another 7-night cruise followed by a week in the Contemporary concierge over Xmas. These are not cheap vacations and when I booked my cruise and Resort package over this past weekend (the kids still don't know) I was elated. The dining changes already in place and those that are still coming make me not want to get obsessed with all things WDW before my trip like I usually do. I'm just hoping Disney will hear our feedback and make some changes/tweaks to satisfy everyone, or at least a decent majority.

 

[MarieA]

Slightly Goofy

I always say - Camping to me is a hotel with no room service. At least that's the closest I'll get to camping. The biggest thing I want to do on vacation is decide where we are going to eat and make reservations.

 

[Slightly Goofy]

Ghost, I totally understand your aversion to some of the dissent that sometimes crops up around here. I think that ignoring the ones that are outrageous by not replying to them and such would work pretty well. It worked on my kids and now my grandkids.

I am obese (although working hard on it, 90 pounds down and a bunch more to go) and I would like choices but that being said I am more apt to choose something unique rather than something healthy while on vacation. I seldom eat out in my real life to avoid temptation but DW is a whole new ball of wax.

I love choices as much as I love opinions. I am fully capable of listening to someone else's pov without being obnoxious (I hope) and hope that others would accord me (and you) the same rights. It is how I learn and grow as a person.

I would not worry too much about "changes" as I was able to swap out FF for apple sauce and such on my recent trip and have been able to on other trips also. It is just a publicity thing and believe you me if Disney does not have many 'takers' they will eliminate the 'healthy choices' like many restaurants have done in the past.

Think about it folks, healthy food is more likely to be found in the produce aisle of the grocery store rather than on a plate at a restaurant. JMO- can you imagine how much a restaurant would have to charge for a cup of bouillion, a small slice of turkey with some steamed veggies and a cup of SF Jello or an apple? And if they did so, how many would order that meal?? If I want to eat like that (and I often do) I would do it at home. When we want to eat out we want something different than we can get at home, for the most part.

Marie, I is with you on camping. I have neighbors who pack up their RV and park about 5 miles down the road for the summer. It boggles the mind as they have a very nice home with all the modern conveniences. Different strokes for different folks. I am too cheap to pay for room service though.

Thanks for the all the viewpoints. I am not a fan of the DP myself. Works for some though.

Slightly Goofy/Linda