Big changes to the bars at Disney resorts

[saschab]

Those darn drinks were expensive! But I guess 50% margin isn't the same as 80% margin. It's all about the profit margin.

I tend to agree with the poster who stated it was a time issue for those making the more complex drinks. Time = money.

As for me, Disney will get only those drinking dollars that are unique to the Food and Wine Festival, and maybe a bottle or two of wine over the course of our stay. And we've spent many a drink dollar over the years.

The rest we're having brought in. Cocktail hour will now be in the BCV's!
I'll post the bar location when we check in!

 

[schlepsnort]

Soon Disney property will be overrun with the sound of blenders humming and mixers shaking inside the resort rooms.
Threads will be started complaining about the noise from those making their own cocktails in the room.
It's a travesty but hopefully it will be shortlived when they see that it's not working and they are losing money instead of saving or gaining money.
OR they could come up with a mickey shaped blender that you can rent much like the refrig's, $10 a week to have in your room.
Hmm a mickey shaped blender...sadly I admit, I would buy that!

 

[lovmy2girls]

That or bringing our own flask with where ever we go to doctor the drinks up!

 

[wendy46001]

That or bringing our own flask with where ever we go to doctor the drinks up!

Sadly my mother does this with her margarita....
but a blender in the room is nothing new to my group....I just miss the variety of having different drinks...
Oh on a good note the backscratcher did taste the same...at least the left us one

 

[lillygator]

and the Dawa Bar at AK, which still has it's own menu...but maybe not for long.

We had several drinks at the Dawa Bar on Sunday and they still had the speciality ones. Are they trying to homogonize the drink menu as they are doing with the dinner menu's? Horrible.

On Saturday we were at DTD and the margarita stand only had one CM working it and the line was constant. The Dawa Bar also had a long constant line.

I am sad to see everything become the "mass appeal"......

 

[dizfanz]

That's it, we can't take this anymore!

We didn't take it when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor and we're not gonna take it know, are we?

Someone give me an email address where I can send off a letter regarding this.

BTW, I say NO SYRUP IN THE DRINKS. Can I hear "Man Law"

 

[salmoneous]

Hmm a mickey shaped blender...sadly I admit, I would buy that!

 

[lovmy2girls]

That's it, we can't take this anymore!

We didn't take it when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor and we're not gonna take it know, are we?

Someone give me an email address where I can send off a letter regarding this.

BTW, I say NO SYRUP IN THE DRINKS. Can I hear "Man Law"

I with you, although I don't know what "Man Law" means.

If they syrup down these drinks with little to no alcohol, they will lose the business completely, then there will be no profit. What are they thinking?
Who will be these horrible drinks?
Not me.

 

[ZebraDomeCrazy]

We were in transit the day this thread started. We (four adults) first encountered the standardized drink menu at Victoria Falls and we were truly horrified. We had planned our first-ever monorail drinkathon for the next night, but after suffering through a round of just awful, overly sweet, fake-tasting (yet expensive) drinks at the Outer Rim, we gave up.

If Disney thinks this is a good move, I can only say that our bar tab last week was a fraction of what it normally is. The only places we got good drinks were Francisco's at the CSR (fresh-made authentic margaritas) and the Dawa Bar at AK, which still has it's own menu...but maybe not for long.

AH HAH! I finally found something in this thread to smile about! It is standard tradition to hit the DAWA BAR at AK for a "Blue Cup of Happiness"( obviously I've had too many to remember the real name). But I always get one and my DH gets some sort of red drink, and watch my favorite men of Disney - the Acrobats!!! Obviously we are not big bar types at home - vacation is the perfect place to indulge in new food and new drinks that we wouldn't be exposed to normally. Shame on Disney for this. I already have Applebees on every corner here! I don't want it there. Plus the best part of drinking your way around "The World" is the free transportation!!! We just booked our next trip for June 2007, and if I can't watch "my men" with a blue drink I am going to be pissed!!!!

 

[Jane E.]

Say it ain't so!!!!! One of our favorite pastimes is hitting different restaurants to split an appetizer and order a drink. We've done restaurants at DD, on the monorail and Epcot. Thankfully, only the resorts will be affected but next year I was hoping to include Victoria Falls. Apparently, the bars just aren't a priority with Disney.



I should have known trouble was brewing when we went to POFQ recently. On two different trips we had trouble with the bar. I don't think management really cares what happens in that place. On one trip Dh and I ordered a white zin. The waitress said they didn't have white zin. Dh and I were incredulous. How can a bar not have white zin? Its the Kool Ade of wine! We explained that we were there earlier in the summer and had ordered white zin & she said they've never had white zin. Instead we ordered 2 rose' apiece that evening. When our bill came rose' was not even listed on our bill. Two of our drinks were listed as chablis and the other two we couldn't decipher. Dh took the bill to her thinking perhaps we had someone else's bill & she got angry and said - "Its only a difference of $1." We just wanted her to bill us correctly - 4 rose's. To this day we don't know if we were under or overcharged. She refused to correct the bill on the computer. Finally she just instructed us to pay her $1 less.

Another time we had a very nice waitress but she was overworked. She gave us white zin (maybe it was rose' - like we'd know the difference). When we wanted to leave she said our bill had gotten mixed in with another table's bill. We couldn't leave. After 30 minutes of waiting - dh finally told her we had to leave and she was able to give us a correct bill. I just found it weird that we had billing problems at two different times with two different waitresses. Before these incidents we'd never had any problem.

Thanks everyone for your posts. At least I won't waste my money on the Lapu Lapu and wonder why everyone thought it was so good!
I just hope Epcot doesn't change - I love their Icewine martini at LeCellier.

 

[wintergreen]

Next thing you know they'll be replacing all the good beers with Schlitz, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Keystone, Carling Black Label...........................

Oh come on, these ARE the good beers! You've obviously never had Ranier or Schmidt!

 

[wintergreen]

but I *don't* like to see a mojito made with mojito syrup, rum, and club soda. That's just wrong.

OMG, I couldn't agree more! Had the most disgusting "mojito" at the Territory Lounge last summer. Yuck!

 

[yeartolate]

Just an aside, THE BEST appletine I ever had was at Melting Pot and they made it with vodka and Monin Granny Apple Syrup.

Now carry on.

 

[jessyj1977]

While a well stocked bar is expensive, if you ask any bartender anywhere, they all hate specialty drinks. They throw off your rhythm, particularly the frozen ones and the tip isn't much more than a simple pour drink. With all the premixes, I have a suspicion that it is not cost factor but more of an HR thing.

I am a bartender at a pretty busy bar and frankly, I am glad that the bartenders at WDW no longer have to make those annoying drinks. Another thing I would like to add is that most,if not all, of the drinks that are supposed to be "specialty" are actually familiar drinks with a fancy name. I felt really dumb when I ordered a "specialty" drink at the Outer Rim and then later realized that it was a "WooWoo", a drink that I have made a hundred times before. Maybe of there is something that you remember you like you could look the ingredients up on the internet and order the drink by a different name. Another good tip to get a good drink is to ask the bartender for suggestions, they will have the best ideas for a drink that you may love. Happy Drinking

 

[schlepsnort]

That
Is
The
Coolest
Thing
EVER!!!!!

Where can I get one? Online?

Do you think Santa will bring me one?

 

[salmoneous]

Where can I get one? Online?

Here's one place: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B00065KCTS

 

[doodle]

That's it, we can't take this anymore!

We didn't take it when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor and we're not gonna take it know, are we?

Someone give me an email address where I can send off a letter regarding this.

BTW, I say NO SYRUP IN THE DRINKS. Can I hear "Man Law"

PLEASE tell Disney how you feel!!!

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com
or
Walt Disney World Guest Communications
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

 

[TyRy]

Ooooo - I have one of these supposed "Smoothie Maker." The only thing mine has every made is frozen vodka lemonades and fozen martini's - so yummy!

Ty

 

[ModestMouse]

bumping this thread--and wondering if there has been any improvement in the drinks situation since last fall--are the bartenders still using syrups instead of regular ingredients? I was really looking forward to some of the specialty drinks at Poly and elsewhere. . .will be disappointed if all the drinks preparation and menus have been standardized.

 

[richard_andmel]

I didn't see an improvement at Christmas. The pool bars have all been ruined too.

My question is can I order a regular drink? Like if I ordered a Alabamma Slammer would they/could they make this? Or is it only what is on the menu?