I actually find this bothering me as much as the price increase (which bothers me quite a bit). The fact that the people in charge seem to be SO shortsighted and unable to grasp how this could negatively impact the business really makes me question the decisions they may be making. I honestly believe what you have stated is completely true and that nobody anticipated how it could actually negatively impact the profits (let alone the bad PR).
It infuriates me. I'm an over 30-year Stockholder, I love Disney. I love WDW. I go ALOT. I spend ALOT. They area a brilliant company, and so many (myself included at times) drink the kool-aid and/or appreciate their brilliance. But when they go stupid, sometimes they go hard to grasp stupid. BOG is one of them.
BOG has been open over 3 years and it's still a cluster. They should have passed on the Rose Gallery (not even in the movie), expanded the West Wing, and made it TS 3x a day. They could have had Belle & the Beast for the Library meet and guaranteed with them together every seat would be filled at every meal. Make it easy like CRT or Askershus, prix fixe, they'd have to hire a bean counter for all they would be making.
They went through a crazy FP system to eat, folks standing on the bridge for hours wanting to get in, they hear all the complaints from folks who can't get an ADR, all the complaints from folks showing up to the podium without one wanting to eat, the complaints on how expensive breakfast is, they see the numbers coming in so much more than the numbers who eat/pay - well some eat since that pastry tray serves plenty. A middle school math student could tell them the current setup already encourages people to come in and sit and spend nothing. The new menu .... is further encouraging guests to spend little. Bad business.
This restaurant cost a great deal to build, has high overhead and is completely set to be a huge financial hit and cash cow to the bottom line. So much loss potential
Maybe when the hype dies down and they start seating people (just hoping), we may just try the breakfast. The menu does sound interesting. It's such a shame that such a beautiful and detailed restaurant would turn into such a chaotic atmosphere. We have dinners booked so we'll get our time inside.
A few decades later, folks wanting a pre-park breakfast reservation at one of the others - just for an empty Main Street photo .... it still hasn't died down. When they added an inexpensive option where not everyone had to eat/pay AND right next to the two hardest to get FP+ = the scrambling and chaos we have today. Nothing will die down or change about this at all until Disney reigns in this restaurant to be more like the others. And for the later breakfasts, it will get worse because now they have given an option for those who just want to see the inside and not eat.
Nothing will change at all unless they turn this into the TS it should have been all along.