Are dining plans ruining restaurant menus?

[dizfanz]

I just read a review on the DVC boards that Olivia's menu has changed, apparently not for the better. That, along with menu changes at other restaurants has led the consensus(sp?) to say that these mediocre changes are due to standardize menus in order to make offering the dining plan and free dining more cost effective for Disney. I haven't been back there since Jan '06, so maybe I missed some of this. We never purchase a MYW dining plan, it just doesn't suit our dining habits. We eat mostly at upscale restaurants, so maybe that is why we have not noticed a slip in food quality at the casual TS restaurants. Eisner was loved and hated, but the one thing he did right was to improve the quality of restaurants at WDW.

Do you agree that food quality is slipping, possibly due to the dining plans?

I hate to see this happen just to accomodate the plans. Why not keep the menus the same, but make the more expensive appetizer and entree offerings unavailable on the dining plan? Something like entee "A" requires an extra $5 if purchased with a MYW dining plan.

 

[ducklite]

Menu's at some of the non-signature TS restaurants seem to be getting more limited. If the reason is because of the dining plan, I'd rather see either limits put on the regular menus or a seperate dining plan menu. On any given day probably half the people at WDW are NOT on a DP, so it's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Anne

 

[TLHB70]

Menu's at some of the non-signature TS restaurants seem to be getting more limited. If the reason is because of the dining plan, I'd rather see either limits put on the regular menus or a seperate dining plan menu. On any given day probably half the people at WDW are NOT on a DP, so it's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Anne

ITA!

 

[elastigirl]

I think a number of things - menus, service - about the WDW dining experience have changed with the dining plan. And not for the better.

 

[Laura]

It seems like many TS restaurants are, as ducklite says, limiting their menus. Not so much the buffets, but the regular plated dinners. I was dismayed to see how little there was on the menu at Spoodles versus my last visit there years ago, for example. Very unappealing, especially compared with the variety that used to exist. So we skipped it.

The CS restaurants seem to be doing just fine, though.

 

[tracys2cents]

On the dining plan....if the menu states something like "Steak, $24.99....add shrimp for $4.99"..........can you order both the steak and shrimp or would you be charged for the shrimp? Anyone know?

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I would think you would take the price of the steak and then add the 4.99 for the shrimp if you want to add it to the steak...Is that what you meant??? Or did you mean that if you added the shrimp, you would pay the full price for the shrimp as well as the price of the steak??

 

[calgarygary]

Add ons were additional at most of the restaurants that we used the DP at last year. I have read though that some TS or maybe it's the CM's will allow add ons as part of the plan.

 

[maggiew]

I think they changed the size of the Dole Whips now that it is included on the dining plan.

Here is DD with a Dole Whip in 2003

Here she is last week

Maggie

 

[dpuck1998]

I know this thread is a little old, but I was just sitting her thinking about this so I did a search. As I was making my dining plans, which are a requirement now thanks to the dining plan, I noticed how many menus have changed for the worse. I'm not a fan of the dining plan and really think it is ruining a lot of the reasons we like to dine at Disney.

 

[Antonia]

This is what made me drop the DDP from my upcoming trip.

 

[gina2000]

I think the DDP is a great value for people regardless of whether or not Disney has changed the menus. Unfortunately, for those of us who do not or cannot choose DDP, the menus have become insipid and uninspired. OOP patrons no longer experience the same level of imagination and creativity that WDW restaurants were trying to create in the 90s. It's just become a totally different experience.

 

[honeymo78]

OOP patrons no longer experience the same level of imagination and creativity that WDW restaurants were trying to create in the 90s. It's just become a totally different experience.

It's not just OOP guests who are noticing a difference. I know I'm in the minority on these boards but those of us who chose a more inclusive package than the DDP have been affected. Even at the signature restaurants I've noticed that the menus have gotten smaller - fewer apps and entrees to choose from. Fortunately we don't find the changes extreme enough to warrant a change of plans since we can still find many items to enjoy (plus we enjoy the perks other than just the dining in these packages). However I wholeheartedly agree that it is a different experience that seems to coincide with the introduction of the less expensive dining package - DDP - and the free dining promotion during the "hurricane" months.

 

[Fast Pass]

I think its more plain economics than the dining plan. Disney has had one form of a dining plan or another for a long time so blaming the dining plan isn't fair.

Gas prices,food prices and everything else has gotten so out of hand the only way to control costs is to limit menus and get rid of more expensive items.

The free dining only last a month and those folks have to pay top dollar on the rooms-no discounts so they are in essence paying for the dining.

Plus any way how many people would really want duck? Isn't that kinda sadistic-after all Donald is a duck!

 

[shellybaxter]

I think its more plain economics than the dining plan. Disney has had one form of a dining plan or another for a long time so blaming the dining plan isn't fair.

:

I haven't been to Disney in about a year so I have no personal expirience with whether the menus are being "dumbed down" or not. From the evidence I see on these boards I would say the answer may be yes. I've heard the arguement above before and I don't think it is fair. Evidence on these boards suggest that the current Disney Dining Plan is WAY more popular than the previous Silver Dining Plan. I would hazzard a guess that 10 to 15% of guests purchased the SDP and now closer to 50% of guests purchase (or receive free) the DDP. To me that would mean that Disney would take this larger percentage into account when making business decisions where the percentage didn't used to be large enough to make a difference.

I believe that Disney is shifting their approach to dining and I don't like the shift. They shifted a while back to allowing individual restaurants to make purchasing, marketing, and menu decisions. That shift resulted in a far higher quality restaurants. The current shift seems to be to standardize the restuarants and take the individuality away. I'm not sure if the dining plan is the cause of the shift or a result of the shift, but I'm leaning toward a result.

Shelly

 

[honeymo78]

I agree shelly - the number of people who used the silver plan or other similar plans in the past surely can't compare with the popularity of the DDP. As for the other packages with dining (grand plan, platinum etc) a small percentage of guests utilize these and they are much more expensive than the DDP and aren't really a bargain just for dining like the DDP.

Free dining may only last a month or so each of the years its offered but tons of people are still purchasing the DDP at other times of the year. I guess it's a wait and see approach for us, will menus keep getting smaller/streamlined (seasonal changes are fine with me) for whatever reason? If they keep doing so, I have a feeling we'll eat at one or two regular restaurants and fill the rest of our trip with buffets and signature dining.

 

[crisi]

The Silver Plan was much less popular because it was much more expensive. It used to be difficult to break even on a dining plan for most people - just too much food or too much money. The current DDP its hard NOT to break even unless you don't managed to use your table service meals.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) The menus are letting more limited.
2) Specialty and unique dishes are disappearing.
3) Several restaurants now have the same menu items.
4) There are several reasons, mot due to the DDP
. . . people who didn't eat there, now do
. . . most of the people wouldn't know the difference in cuisine
. . . some use the DDP to simply "graze"
. . . with so many ADR's many people take whatever is available
5) If menu items don't need to attract people, why have unique menu items
6) Most people lose money on the DDP, so the current policy seems to work.


NOTE: This may sound a little edgy, but the same has been noted in MANY restaurant reviews and trip reports. Unless people stay away, restaurants can serve anything and get away with it. If people are more selective, then restaurant have to react and change menus. (Even the recent changes in McDonald menus show this.)

 

[shellybaxter]

6) Most people lose money on the DDP, so the current policy seems to work.

Most of the reports I've seen say people feel they are saving money. Why do you think people are loosing money?

 

[kathylovesdisneyworl]

The free dining only last a month and those folks have to pay top dollar on the rooms-no discounts so they are in essence paying for the dining.

Have to disagree with this part. I saved an average of $110 per day with free dining. Since I stayed at POFG there is no way my room would have been discounted that much.