Artist Point Confirmed to Become a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Character Dinner

[monica9]

From what I have read, I can't tell if this is a Character dinner only or are they having other meals as well?
As much as I will miss Artist Point, it has been less busy the last few times we ate there. This concept, I have no doubt will fill the place.
Financially, it makes sense.

Right. What can they do? If they are losing money they need to change things up. I don’t blame them.

 

[dachsie]

I am so sad to see a fine dining restaurant turned into bland food with high prices. Disney can get away with serving mediocre meals by throwing in a character. Make it one that is harder to come by and they could serve warm mud & people will line up 6 months in advance and throw hundreds of dollars at Disney. Sad. So sad. No need to care about serving high quality food.

I went to CRT in March. Once & done and I learned my lesson. My salmon was eatable but tasted like the frozen ones I get at Costco. But hey. I got visited by princesses. Guessing this will be much of the same.

Why prejudge that a restaurant will have "bland food" before it is even open? BOG seems to have done something right with its menu change and the good reviews its getting. I just don't understand all the negativity. Give things a chance. You may be surprised

 

[Nancyg56]

Why prejudge that a restaurant will have "bland food" before it is even open? BOG seems to have done something right with its menu change and the good reviews its getting. I just don't understand all the negativity. Give things a chance. You may be surprised

I think BOG is actually getting mixed reviews, with dining time necessary among the lowest comments. The food quality has been inconsistant, and portion sizes, especially the vegetarian choice, have been remarked upon unfavorably.

BOG was not a signature, so moving to that "status" is the opposite of what AP is going to be doing. Disney is taking a signature dining experience and turning it on it's head to make it signature status for a character meal. Because we all have experience in what "signature" character dinign can do to food quality, hopes are not high that AP will manage that transition without a decline in food quality.

CRT used to have a lovely dinner that was not "character" dining per se. You met Cindy I believe, in the foyer but your meal did nto have roaming characters. The atmosphere and quality of the meal was not the same as we have now. The price is still very expensive, but now dinner is a chaotic and loud conglomeration of servers trying to navigate between roaming Princesses, excited kids racing around, and parents attempting (or not attempting) to corral them. This meal went from relaxing and quite possibly the only "romantic" option in the Magic Kingdom to an experience that is far from anything resembling fine dining.

While I understand AP needed a drastic change, and cannot blame management for looking at the change that seemed to bring the fastest turnaround, I also will not judge those people who are bemoaning the loss of a fine dining establishment in a deluxe resort.

Personally, I am not at all sure that adding a character meal at dinnertime is going to solve all that is wrong with the the dining situation within WL, and had I been active int he discussion I doubt that I would have tossed the baby out with the bathwater. A good unique character breakfast and/or lunch might have been the incentive for guests to try WL dining again, and with some targeted changes to the menu and service at dinnertime, AP might have enjoyed a resurgence. Now we will never know, and AP may be in the same boat it was in. If this meal is mediocre and expensive, there wil be little incentive to head over there. I like character meals, but when I asked my DD if she wanted me to look out for openings for this one on our family trip, she said the fam prefers to just keep what we have, adding another 2 credit meal means paying more OOP and her family is not interested in bumping up the bill if all 7 dwarves are not there.

My family is not any different from any other family managing a vacation budget. If we feel something is mediocre or is an experience that is had met, we choose to go elsewhere. Add in that no matter the reality, WL is perceived to be a remote location, so the food and experience better be worth the cost.

 

[sleepydog25]

I think BOG is actually getting mixed reviews, with dining time necessary among the lowest comments. The food quality has been inconsistant, and portion sizes, especially the vegetarian choice, have been remarked upon unfavorably.

BOG was not a signature, so moving to that "status" is the opposite of what AP is going to be doing. Disney is taking a signature dining experience and turning it on it's head to make it signature status for a character meal. Because we all have experience in what "signature" character dinign can do to food quality, hopes are not high that AP will manage that transition without a decline in food quality.

CRT used to have a lovely dinner that was not "character" dining per se. You met Cindy I believe, in the foyer but your meal did nto have roaming characters. The atmosphere and quality of the meal was not the same as we have now. The price is still very expensive, but now dinner is a chaotic and loud conglomeration of servers trying to navigate between roaming Princesses, excited kids racing around, and parents attempting (or not attempting) to corral them. This meal went from relaxing and quite possibly the only "romantic" option in the Magic Kingdom to an experience that is far from anything resembling fine dining.

While I understand AP needed a drastic change, and cannot blame management for looking at the change that seemed to bring the fastest turnaround, I also will not judge those people who are bemoaning the loss of a fine dining establishment in a deluxe resort.

Personally, I am not at all sure that adding a character meal at dinnertime is going to solve all that is wrong with the the dining situation within WL, and had I been active int he discussion I doubt that I would have tossed the baby out with the bathwater. A good unique character breakfast and/or lunch might have been the incentive for guests to try WL dining again, and with some targeted changes to the menu and service at dinnertime, AP might have enjoyed a resurgence. Now we will never know, and AP may be in the same boat it was in. If this meal is mediocre and expensive, there wil be little incentive to head over there. I like character meals, but when I asked my DD if she wanted me to look out for openings for this one on our family trip, she said the fam prefers to just keep what we have, adding another 2 credit meal means paying more OOP and her family is not interested in bumping up the bill if all 7 dwarves are not there.

My family is not any different from any other family managing a vacation budget. If we feel something is mediocre or is an experience that is had met, we choose to go elsewhere. Add in that no matter the reality, WL is perceived to be a remote location, so the food and experience better be worth the cost.

@Nancyg56 Amen. Could not have said it better.

 

[Nancyg56]

@Nancyg56 Amen. Could not have said it better.

I really have tried to see this from a guest POV as well as a management POV, @sleepydog25 . I do nto think this transition is going to be the smooth answer to WL dining problem's prayers, and do hope that they have a plan in place that we just cannot see.

My background is quality services and we had to take six sigma training. If I remembered nothing from all those classes and workshops, it is that the obvious is not always the probem, and that it pays to really dig down to find the root cause. Just from observing during visits to WL, and from reading teh posts about WL, teh changes that DVC expansion has brought to WL, and the complaints in regards to dining, dining quality, dining experiences, resort guest quality of stay concerns, and the reduction of real CS options, I woudl say that WL has some deep rooted problems. Adding a Character meal in a fine dining establishment may simply be adding chewing gum to a fissure in a bursting dam.

 

[Runnsally]

They lived in a cabin in the wilderness didn’t they?

It’s like putting Moana at the Yacht Club because she goes to the beach...lazy.

 

[dachsie]

My point is that you wont know how the food is or the experience is before it even happens. And the BOG times are shortening - it think it was new opening hiccups that made dinners last 2 hours.

Also - did the blog announcement say it was going to stay a signature? I cant remember

I guess I just try to see the positive in things. Makes my life happier amidst the tragedies I have suffered. I need to remember not everyone does that...

 

[sleepydog25]

I really have tried to see this from a guest POV as well as a management POV, @sleepydog25 . I do nto think this transition is going to be the smooth answer to WL dining problem's prayers, and do hope that they have a plan in place that we just cannot see.

My background is quality services and we had to take six sigma training. If I remembered nothing from all those classes and workshops, it is that the obvious is not always the probem, and that it pays to really dig down to find the root cause. Just from observing during visits to WL, and from reading teh posts about WL, teh changes that DVC expansion has brought to WL, and the complaints in regards to dining, dining quality, dining experiences, resort guest quality of stay concerns, and the reduction of real CS options, I woudl say that WL has some deep rooted problems. Adding a Character meal in a fine dining establishment may simply be adding chewing gum to a fissure in a bursting dam.

I agree. I've attempted to reconcile the guest POV and the management POV. The issue is that Disney repeatedly turns to the management POV that screams "we make more money by reducing costs not addressing base issues." By the way, you had me at "adding chewing gum to a fissure in a bursting dam."

 

[MonaMN]

Since Mickey’s Backyard BBQ is going away, I am hoping to switch and do this in March. Bring on the Evil Queen!

 

[HopperFan]

I'm going to compare this to maybe the same situation as Maelstrom. The ride had no line, no wait times, practically walk on. Disney needed to add things that got families through the front gates. Frozen was very popular, so started the refurbishment to a Frozen ride. UPROAR. Maelstrom had many fans, DS was one of them, who were very upset that it was changing. And I can't blame them ... was Epcot supposed to have characters? But there clearly weren't enough fans to maximize the ride capacity. As we have seen - characters are popular with children and adults, they bring folks in parks, they bring folks in restaurants and they bring folks in ticketed events.

Likely Disney had an under-performing restaurant that needed change. It already had a reputation, it already had a fairly narrow market, Disney needed to completely change that to boost revenue. Easiest way is to add characters and hard to meet characters. They hope the dwarfs and the queen are their aces in the hole.

The lines to ride Frozen are long, even this year we saw them so long they went out the land towards China. The uproar has mostly passed on to something else. Guessing this is what they want for AP, that hard to get ADR, a room full of folks paying too much for the food, and profits. I understand the disappointment, Disney has been doing lots of things to disappoint me lately .... but I also get that it's all about revenue.

It's a business, at the core it's always about making money. And in this situation while they may have pissed off a small group of guests, they have made lots of guests very happy, excited to book and hand over the money.

 

[Nancyg56]

So upthread I shared that my DD was not at all interested in this meal. Well.....change of heart! I was discussing the changes with my DSIL and DGD, and Boom! They MUST go! In our knock off 7 dwarfs shirt Grumpy, Winey, Shorty, Nerdy, Bossy, Smiley, and Fiesty. I have no idea what meal I can get rid of if there are ADR's available on our trip, but oh dear, now I may need to regroup!

 

[GPC0321]

CRT used to have a lovely dinner that was not "character" dining per se. You met Cindy I believe, in the foyer but your meal did nto have roaming characters. The atmosphere and quality of the meal was not the same as we have now. The price is still very expensive, but now dinner is a chaotic and loud conglomeration of servers trying to navigate between roaming Princesses, excited kids racing around, and parents attempting (or not attempting) to corral them. This meal went from relaxing and quite possibly the only "romantic" option in the Magic Kingdom to an experience that is far from anything resembling fine dining.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that if you are in search of a relaxing and romantic fine dining experience, maybe don't look for it in the middle of the busiest family-oriented theme park on the planet.

 

[GPC0321]

The bolded part. That's all Disney is about anymore. I would slightly disagree with you and say Disney's business is not just for children, and they've proven it by adding alcohol all over the parks and resorts, by building new venues that cater primarily to adults, by increasing their running events, and by extending and expanding festivals such as Food & Wine. As I stated in an earlier post, much of my ire is directed at the fact that they've chosen to take the single adult-oriented place to dine at WL and make it a crowded venue, and this particular space--AP--is the one where we first dined as a couple, where we had our wedding reception dinner after getting married at the Lodge. I've no doubt they decided to add character dining to put more butts in more seats. However, they did a 180 without trying other options. AP was never marketed well. AP had a reputation for inconsistency (though we had largely wonderful meals over the last decade plus) without staking out territory as destination dining. They haven't tried a refurbishment to bring a bit more modern flair to the restaurant. Rather than dumb down the menu, make it a must-dine destination. No. It's cheaper to simplify the food, streamline prep, and pre-make certain dishes. I don't oppose character dining--my wife usually insists on doing one each trip. I do oppose stripping WL (and by extension TWO DVC resorts) of a Signature, adult-leaning dining option. Now, you can do WCC. . .or RF. . .or GP. . .none of which I wish to take my wife to for a romantic dinner. I firmly believe that a deluxe resort ought to have a Signature dining option on property, or at least very nearby as is the case at Poly. Anything else is mere pandering to the bottom line of making more money. Heaven knows poor Disney is hurting for money, though. . .

I understand that you have fond memories here, and I'm sure you are not alone. But the fact is that Disney has to look at what is in demand, and their research probably strongly suggests that a character meal at WL will be in more demand than a signature dining experience. The resort is popular with families with young children because of its proximity to MK, and it is the only MK area resort without a character meal. Yes, changing AP to a character meal arguably means that Disney will make more money, but it also means that Disney is giving more guests what they want, which in this case is a character meal.

 

[Runnsally]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that if you are in search of a relaxing and romantic fine dining experience, maybe don't look for it in the middle of the busiest family-oriented theme park on the planet.

Yep - you’re way out on a limb here. I don’t think you understand the WDW resort.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that if you are in search of a relaxing and romantic fine dining experience, maybe don't look for it in the middle of the busiest family-oriented theme park on the planet.

I do understand and I did understand. CRT was NOT a character meal for dinner. It was just breakfast at one time. DInenr was a signature and did nto have Princesses. It was a destination for those who wanted a special meal in teh Castle in the middle of the Magic Kingdom.
It was not the chaotic loud meal it is now.

Yep - you’re way out on a limb here. I don’t think you understand the WDW resort.

I am out on a limb now, however it was not always this way. I know times change, I am still mourning the loss of Broadway at the Top and The Empress Lily.

 

[E_Bec]

Since Mickey’s Backyard BBQ is going away, I am hoping to switch and do this in March. Bring on the Evil Queen!

What this about backyard bbq? We were hoping to do this in March too!
And with our littles, I’m v excited about this change at AP. Never been to AP, bc we always heard mixed reviews, and it was a bit out of the way. Now, I’m hoping we can get a res. On our next trip! Here’s to new experiences!

 

[HopperFan]

What this about backyard bbq? We were hoping to do this in March too!
And with our littles, I’m v excited about this change at AP. Never been to AP, bc we always heard mixed reviews, and it was a bit out of the way. Now, I’m hoping we can get a res. On our next trip! Here’s to new experiences!

Disney is building DVC resort where River Country used to be ... mere feet from Mickey's BBQ. The design plans overlaid on the Campground show that building is gone. It has also been "reported" by some sites that is is closing, I think by the end of the year. One said there is a potential it may return, later, somewhere ....

 

[sleepydog25]

I understand that you have fond memories here, and I'm sure you are not alone. But the fact is that Disney has to look at what is in demand, and their research probably strongly suggests that a character meal at WL will be in more demand than a signature dining experience. The resort is popular with families with young children because of its proximity to MK, and it is the only MK area resort without a character meal. Yes, changing AP to a character meal arguably means that Disney will make more money, but it also means that Disney is giving more guests what they want, which in this case is a character meal.

Again, I've no doubt it will make money for Disney, and yes, it will be at the expense of one of our favorite (and most sentimental) adult-oriented restaurants. . .so, yes, it bothers me. There should be room for both, not exclusive. Again, and this is no limb, if you have a deluxe resort, you should have an adult-leaning place where you can relax for a topnotch meal. Others will disagree, and I get that. For me, however, it will always hold true.

 

[Nancyg56]

Again, I've no doubt it will make money for Disney, and yes, it will be at the expense of one of our favorite (and most sentimental) adult-oriented restaurants. . .so, yes, it bothers me. There should be room for both, not exclusive. Again, and this is no limb, if you have a deluxe resort, you should have an adult-leaning place where you can relax for a topnotch meal. Others will disagree, and I get that. For me, however, it will always hold true.

I absolutely agree. I wish that DIsney had placed a little more time into delving into the problems that AP has. I am not sure that they all stem from the restaurant itself, but from other areas that are also riddled with concerns.

I am not a frequent visitor to WL. I have read some posts that detail changes in the CS restaurants, and we all know the issues that WCC generates.

The meal itself may solve the dinner time problem at AP, but will it help the other restaurants within this lovely Lodge?

 

[MonaMN]

What this about backyard bbq? We were hoping to do this in March too!
And with our littles, I’m v excited about this change at AP. Never been to AP, bc we always heard mixed reviews, and it was a bit out of the way. Now, I’m hoping we can get a res. On our next trip! Here’s to new experiences!

Yes - not confirmed by Disney at this point, but not bookable past the end of the year, so the expectation is that disney will announce this soon.

My DD couldn’t care less about Snow White (we have lost count of how many times we have met her and she is oh-so-done with princesses), but she does love villains and the Dwarfs are a draw too!