Skipper Canteen "push"

[TheMaxRebo]

I might quibble with the term "weird" to describe the food at SC (or any Disney restaurant for that matter)--the pork essentially is a variation on Chinese and Korean dishes; the shu mai simply are pot stickers; fish collar is still just fish; flank steak and strip loin are merely beef; pho is an Asian staple; and the baladi salad is still just a salad with a unique dressing. However, I fully agree that they need "better prepared" dishes. The pork was dry; the shu mai were gummy; the dressing on the salad was listless as it lacked an acidic element; and the pho was bland and nearly spiceless. Having different flavor profiles than most other eateries is a bonus, but when you don't make those flavors sing, then no one is satisfied. Well-prepared dishes are the key, and thus far, SC hasn't quite hit the target. We likely will return just to see if they've improved on what has great potential.

I think what you describe is a bit of the issue though. Most of the food isn't really that "weird" but the names they use could intimidate some people

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I think the price point is a bit much for people to "Go there and give it a try, then make a decision. If you don't like it, don't go back". I know I would not want to pay alot of money for a meal I didn't eat. Not only is that wasting my money and park time, but it's a waste of food. After reading the menu online, checking out pictures of the entrees, we have decided it is not going to be a good fit for our family. I don't think anyone is saying to get rid of the whole menu, but maybe add a dish or two that might appeal to people with less than exotic tastebuds.

I think it is a combination of the menu being different and perhaps intimidating to some people AND the price point. It's a lot to ask people to pay, including for the kids meals, if they are afraid going in they won't like it or it will be too "weird"

I think if they did small plates, at least at lunch, that were lower priced and let people try a number of different things (and perhaps add a few tamer items, without "dumbing down" the rest of the menu) it would go a lot better

And they maybe add ADRs for dinner

 

[HopperFan]

Perhaps people who don't find the food interesting, or want ADRs, TIW, or alcohol, should just give up on Skipper Canteen and find somewhere else to eat. It'll make more tables available for the rest of us who actually enjoy the restaurant! I mean, if you don't like pizza, you don't go to a pizza joint...right?

just a thought ...

I don't think you have a problem getting a table. Just got back from 9 days, all of which the parks and restaurants were packed with long lines, even out the doors. Went by the Canteen many times at all hours. There was never more than a couple people waiting to be seated and CMs with menus were still trying to pull folks in. Getting a table is not a problem.

I've eaten there. Friend has eaten many times. I think they highly themed one third of the restaurant and loosely themed the bulk. Odds are you will get the lowly themed room. The food is okay but the sides are minimal and filler, and therefore the plates are overpriced. When overpriced you need the base camp of eaters (AP and CM) but they have removed their discounts. No ADRs makes it hard for those who have DDP or want to plan, the price point is too high for those with no daily plan other than getting some counter service, and it's a great destination for the folks who would normally fill it .... the ones with discounts they can't use. They don't even have the mule mugs that everyone wants ... almost two months later. Seems to be poor planning on many fronts sadly.

 

[jess20k]

To me, the menu is awful. I love different types of foods too, but this just does not do it for me. That is just my opinion. But, I have no interest in going there for that reason. Also, I agree with many that they should accept ADR's. Why not, it does not make sense, I mean at least for dinner,

 

[TeresaWen]

No TIW? We were the first week they opened and it was accepted then. I wonder why this stopped.

I posted this sentiment before - love the menu, love the look & feel of the restaurant, but soda or some kind of fruit punch just does not pair well with the food (or the price of a meal)

 

[cigar95]

To me, the menu is awful. I love different types of foods too, but this just does not do it for me. That is just my opinion. But, I have no interest in going there for that reason. Also, I agree with many that they should accept ADR's. Why not, it does not make sense, I mean at least for dinner,

you're probably a good candidate for my question then - Is the fish collar one of the things that pushes you away, even though you may generally enjoy fish?

That was my first reaction - why would I want to eat a fish's neck? But when we tried it, it was just a really good fish dish that happened to be contained in an unusual part of the fish skeleton.

Course, if you don't like fish in the first place, my question isn't going to help much.

 

[Megsmachine]

I'm sorry, how can it possibly be both "out there" and "boring" at the same time?

I find it boring that all the food is "out there". Not enough diversity. JMO

What a silly post! To (sic) out there, to (sic) boring.

too too too too too too...

 

[GaryDis]

I find it boring that all the food is "out there". Not enough diversity. JMO

Isn't that true of all the restaurants at MK?

I haven't eaten at BoG yet, but all the other TS restaurant in the MK are pretty poor. That's the main reason I hope they don't dumb down Skippers.

 

[Megsmachine]

Isn't that true of all the restaurants at MK?

I haven't eaten at BoG yet, but all the other TS restaurant in the MK are pretty poor. That's the main reason I hope they don't dumb down Skippers.

I haven't eaten at Tony's so I can't speak to that one, but CP is a buffet and pretty much anyone can find something there, The plaza has pretty standard items that would work across the board for a group of people. When Looking at BOG, there is a wide enough range that pretty much anyone can find something they like. LTT, I would agree is a pretty limited menu. Skippers, is out there. The kids menu is out there. I find that boring.

 

[Megsmachine]

Isn't that true of all the restaurants at MK?

I haven't eaten at BoG yet, but all the other TS restaurant in the MK are pretty poor. That's the main reason I hope they don't dumb down Skippers.

I meant to add.... I was just stating why we wouldn't go to Skippers. If they work out the kinks I bet it will be a hit. There will be plenty of people that love it. I'm not advocating to get rid of it, I think they need to add it to the ADR's and maybe add at least a few kids menu items that a picky (or normal) kid would like. If they do that it will probably end up being a hit!

 

[Callie]

They could maybe add a few items to the menu that are a bit more normal to get people in there? There are a lot of groups with adventurous eaters that have people who can't or won't eat interesting food. Plus its an expensive risk to test food you aren't sure about if you will like or not.

 

[Tennessee Turk]

We ate there the other day. The lamb chops with lentils was pretty good but the service was well below average. We tried it once, but won't be back.

 

[L&Lfan]

To me picky does not equal normal. Just my opinion.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I finally got over to SC last night for dinner. I liked the theming, my server was great, and the food was fine - I had the pork dish with rice, it had a good flavor and wasn't overcooked.

My issue with it was the same as my issue with a lot of Disney restaurants: the price didn't match the food. If they start offering the cast discount there, I'll go back, but I wouldn't pay full price for it again.

 

[AngiTN]

No TIW? We were the first week they opened and it was accepted then. I wonder why this stopped.

I posted this sentiment before - love the menu, love the look & feel of the restaurant, but soda or some kind of fruit punch just does not pair well with the food (or the price of a meal)

My theory is it was a mistake to take them at all. As soon as they started to see the discount the staff was reminded there is no TIW discount and it stopped. But that's my guess.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Resort restaruants are different from park restaurants.

Can probably count on one hand the number of park restaurants that serve anything that "sings." Especially for one dining credit (and yes, even if you do not use the DDP your meal and its ingredients are being constructed around those who do). Serving the masses is tough. A fish collar may be just fish - but how many are rejecting it because it is an unfamiliar part of the fish, an unfamiliar descriptive name, and maybe because "it has bones!!" People want a fish fillet, that is what they are mostly familiar with. They don't want to pick it off bones, especially something really unfamiliar like neck bones. (It would be the first thing I order though, because I know what a fish collar is.)

I'd probably think the food was ok or maybe even good - but I won't be going there because it makes no sense to me that they won't accept TIW. Maybe if they were anticipating a huge influx because the place was new, but now it seems they are struggling to fill it. I can go somewhere I know is good, that will accept the TIW, easily.

 

[sleepydog25]

I think if they did small plates, at least at lunch, that were lower priced and let people try a number of different things (and perhaps add a few tamer items, without "dumbing down" the rest of the menu) it would go a lot better.

This is a great idea which has caught on at many restaurants--small plates. Certainly, some would cry that Disney is still charging too much and not giving you enough to eat, yet it would allow diners to sample dishes without being socked with dinner entree pricing.

As for the "weird" moniker, I do see your point about being less adventurous in their descriptions. Still, to me that would be a step toward dumbing down the menu. It wouldn't surprise me if patronage isn't what they were hoping for the staff to include a couple more dishes for less adventurous palates. Again, our biggest gripe was that what they offer wasn't terribly good--not terribly awful, either, but no one wants to pay above average lunch dollars in a park for pedestrian food.

 

[TheRealDrDisney]

They don't even have the mule mugs that everyone wants ... almost two months later.

Are you serious? No one had mentioned this for a while, I just figured that issue had been resolved.

Wow.

 

[HopperFan]

No TIW? We were the first week they opened and it was accepted then. I wonder why this stopped.

I posted this sentiment before - love the menu, love the look & feel of the restaurant, but soda or some kind of fruit punch just does not pair well with the food (or the price of a meal)

We used it as well. They shortly after stopped all discounts. But, hey, no problem getting a table.

 

[GaryDis]

but CP is a buffet and pretty much anyone can find something there, The plaza has pretty standard items that would work across the board for a group of people. When Looking at BOG, there is a wide enough range that pretty much anyone can find something they like. LTT, I would agree is a pretty limited menu.

So here's the difference between us:

You're looking for a restaurant that will have something for everyone. And I get that, and I get that some people just want table service and some food that will satisfy their hunger and their kids' demands.

But if "something for everyone" were my criterion, I'd stick to counter service, since there are lots of choices, no need for reservation, and generally no problem with bringing food from one CS restaurant to another eating area. Why spend money on table service if the primary goal is "something that everyone will be willing to eat."

If I'm eating at Table Service, it's not enough that it be acceptable, it has to be special and enjoyable to be worth the extra price. Buffets, by definition, can't be counted on for freshly cooked food. For anyone who prefers a light lunch, with a snack or dessert an hour or two later, a buffet is going to be really overpriced, particularly with the price inflation for character buffets. The menus (at both Disney and allears) for the CP are pretty random - who knows what you'll get with the array of salads or seasonal fish? And then there are all the kids who are too short for the sneeze guards to be effective.

So yeah, I could probably get my calorie allotment at any of the TS restaurants, except perhaps CRT. But I base my decision on something other than palatable calories per dollar.