WDW Dining Changes - Any Conspiracy Theories Out There?

[DisneyKidds]

Two messages on the machine today. Both involving changes to our May priority seatings.

Here are the details (on our changes at least). 1900 Park Fare used to start serving breakfast at 7:30 am. 1900 Park Fare now opens at 8:00 am. Donalds Breakfastosaurus used to serve until 10:30. 10:00 is now the latest available priority seating. In addition to the changes that affect us personally, the Hollywood and Vine breakfast is closing, and there are other rumored changes.

So, is this an attempt to shorten hours, pay less staff time, and save a buck at the expense and inconvenience of the guest, or are these innocuous "operational changes" (as they call them)?

 

[cindyfan]

At least they are just shortening the hours and not cancelling them.....for now anyway.
We have PS at H & V for April. When I heard it was cancelling the breakfast and lunch....I called.
I was told that they would be calling the guests and offering another character meal such as Chef Mickeys or Cape May. But our plan was to be at MGM that day.
Anyway the CM felt strongly that this would be replaced with something else. Not sure how reliable she was????
So I just left my PS and said I would wait til they called me.

So, is this an attempt to shorten hours, pay less staff time, and save a buck at the expense and inconvenience of the guest

Hate to say it, but IMHO....yes!

What are the other rumored changes????

 

[dzneelvr]

Definitely ways to cut costs without taking the product away altogether.
When you read other threads about the low levels of attendance since we went on orange alert, I'm sure WDW is trying to shorten the time spans on most services that require larger staffs in order to be cost efficient.
I grew up believing that Disney had a bottomless pocket and that NOTHING would ever impact them as far as what they could spend-- after all, Disney is magical-- unlike the situations those of us in the real world have to live with.
Unfortunately, Disney spends real dollars too and they are hurting right now.
I, for one, accept shortened hours rather than face a consequence of closing something down altogether. I'm thankful only H & V is impacted right now (and I wonder what the attendance levels for that were over the past 6 months....)
Look at some of the stock prices of major companies right now--they are at levels they haven't seen in 10 years, in some cases ever. It is a different economy and WDW is only trying to do what it can to get through it .

 

[BRERALEX]

"And to think, it all started with a chicken finger."

 

[YoHo]

I grew up believing that Disney had a bottomless pocket and that NOTHING would ever impact them as far as what they could spend-- after all, Disney is magical-- unlike the situations those of us in the real world have to live with.

Disneyland and Walt Disney World Have gone through tourist spells like this before.

The difference was that back then the company just did everything they could to give you more reasons to come now they give you less.


Of course back then they also made good movies and didn't own bad broadcast and cable networks...

 

[crusader]

"And to think, it all started with a chicken finger."

"chicks with bricks"

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by BRERALEX
"And to think, it all started with a chicken finger."

Yes, but more and more it seems like Mr Eisner is giving us the finger.

 

[wtg2000]

Disney used to be a company, now it's a holding company. I think there's a difference.

I used to love breakfast at Tony's in the MK - no longer serving, Garden Grill in EPCOT - no longer serving, H&V in MGM - now a character but I think no longer serving.

My solution - I buy power bars at the grocery store and bring them with me!

 

[DisneyKidds]

Shortening hours of restaurant operation only makes sense if the restaurant is hardly being visited during the former hours.

Scoop, you know I agree with you in principle here, but in reality...............

I can't tell you how many times we've gone to breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at 7:30 am. Lack of demand is not an issue in that one.

I'll give you that on Breakfastosaurus. We have often done breakfast at 10:30 and it is most definitely wound down by then. Of course, that is one of the reasons we liked doing it at that time. Anywho, Disney saves nothing by shutting down breakfast at 10:00 as the place is open for lunch and it's not like they can avoid paying staff from 10:00 to 12:00.

I'll refrain from saying anything more at this time so Baron doesn't fling the door open and invite me in . I feel like I have him sitting on one of my shoulders, chiming in my ear "chip, chip, chip". . All in all, this change is pretty understandable and isn't that bad. Of course some will point out that Disney has never been about making such statements .

 

[All Aboard]

Kidds, I think WDW can save on staff at Rest...rus by closing a half hour early. It seems that the staff required at the character breakfast is much greater than when the place turns into a Mickey D's for lunch.

 

[KNWVIKING]

So if demands are low and WDW reduces hours at certain restaruants,that's a bad thing. But if demand is high,ie CG, and they add tables to accomodate more guests,that's also a bad thing.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Originally posted by gcurling
Kidds, I think WDW can save on staff at Rest...rus by closing a half hour early. It seems that the staff required at the character breakfast is much greater than when the place turns into a Mickey D's for lunch.

You are right..............so the sons-a-******* did do it to save a buck .

If there really was a large demand, then the reason must either be that Disney hasn't done a good job control the costs of the meal and/or Disney isn't charging enough for the meal.

I'm not so sure Sccop. First off, I don't believe that 1900 PF is operating in the read. Perhaps on a spreadsheet they found a smidge of red from the 7:30 to 8:00 hour. Far be it from me to take over for AV in the "don't manage by spreadsheets" category, but changing operating hours based on this type of analysis is a dangerous game. You see, we are just as likely to skip the breakfast than we are to go at 8:00. You see, if we go at 8:00 we wouldn't make it to the MK by opening. With hours as short as they are we can't afford that. So, Disney may lose whatever revenue that was being generated between 7:30 and 8:00. People will either choose not to go, or won't be able to because of that defined capacity you mention. If PF was operating in the red before 8am they probably don't care about the lost revenue. However, there will ge guests (how many I don't know - but I've seen a lot of people at PF between 7:30 and 8:00) that will care about a little piece of lost magic.

ps - I know, I know BaronMatt - but don't open the door just yet as I'm not ready to jump .

 

[All Aboard]

Sure, if you have 800 guests during your operating hours (which will accomodate 1000 guests) you can reduce your operating hours down to that which is just enough to accomodate 800 guests.

Best plan for the bottom line. But, the guests choice of dining time has been reduced. And, the liklihood of a longer wait for a table gets increased.

It's just that tricky cost/service matrix Disney deals with all the time. Just seems like cost is really winning a lot these days.

 

[mudhen]

A nickel here..........a dime there..............
Just makes me wonder how the corporate side can
justify these types of moves to "shore up the bottome line" while at the same time award Eisner
another multi-million dollar bonus.

Great quote from earlier...."The difference was back then Disney did everything they could to give you more reasons to come back, now they just give you less."

Amen to that.

 

[wtg2000]

Between Eisner's bonuses, the money paid to Katzenberg and Ovitz, the money that has to be paid for lawsuits for the Wide World of Sports and perhaps Pooh, and the one billion dollar loss in go.com - they have to get the money from somewhere! I mean, Are You Hot? can only generate so much revenue!

 

[Another Voice]

"I mean, Are You Hot? can only generate so much revenue!"

Which will now all go to pay off the lawsuit Howard Stern just filed over the show.

One gets the feeling Disney would make more money if they just shut everything down and put Eisner's bonus into a passbook savings account.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Why would Stern be sueing ? Sounds out of charactor for him.

 

[tracyeliza]

I recieved a call from a cm the other day telling me I could not keep my 750 breakfast Easter morning at 1900 park fare. I made this reservation 120 days out! They state that they don't start seating until 800. They could not reschedule me for later because they are booked. Well I guess so now that it is less than 40 days out. They tried to push me into breakfast at O''hana but I will be there for dinner that night. I ended up with a booking much less desirable that the one that I went out of my way in advance to secure. I guess you could say I was disappointed and a bit angry. The thought had crossed my mind that this was due to "cuts" Reading this just convinces me that it is true......sigh! Tracy

 

[wtg2000]

If Park Faire is booked, why are they cutting hours?

 

[KNWVIKING]

It's so popular nobody goes there anymore...too crowded.