Celebration Roundup to become Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue

[disneynerd420]

Exactly, LavenderPeach. I DO like character meals, but this was never an 'official' character meal, and this was not something I felt was worthwhile for me to try YET. I may have done it eventually, if someone else were treating me to it, but it wasn't worth it to me to spend that money. I would have rather done a real character meal with more food options. Disney never classified it as a real character meal (it is just what guests assumed it was because a couple of characters were there), so it makes it easier to remove the characters now.

This point has been made repeatedly by me and others, and as LuLusApple said, no need to beat a dead horse, but no one is right or wrong here. If some people say that the pricing was fine, the food selection was fine, the characters were fine, then it was fine for them. But another group of us may have thought it was not worth it for us, due to pricing, food selection, characters, entertainment, whatever the reason. No one group's opinion is less or more valid than the other group's opinion. It all boils down to what people feel is worthwhile for their family or their group of friends, and apparently there were enough folks who didn't feel the need to try Celebration because it is now changing.

By the way, didn't Celebration open back in April, and not June? I can't recall the exact month. Earlier this year, though.

I could swear it opened in april... That sounds right

 

[PinkBudgie]

It seems like this place had a hard time deciding it what it was. Was it a character meal or not? It never claimed to be, I guess because they didn't want to guarantee they would be there?

Question for people who went- were there characters to interact with when you ate there? Did anyone go and there were not charcters? DH and I decided not to eat there in June because it was too expensive and we don't care about the characters. But if I wanted to be sure my kids went to a character meal, I wouldn't eat there either because I couldn't be SURE they would be there. Disney seemed rather wishy-washy on the whole thing. I bet if they had promoted it as a place to meet Woody and Jessie, it would have done better.

For us, we would be more likely to try it now since we don't care about charcters or dessert or soda. Although $20 per person is still alot when we can split a chicken sand. at Whitewater for $4 a person and be full.

 

[farmgirljen]

When we were there both Jessie and Woody came to our table several times, they interacted with all of us, signed our autograph books, and also performed on stage, and took turns at the photo op coming in. We also had Tex walking around singing, Miss Chris was engaging the crowd, asking questions, etc... My son was excited because she asked him where he was from, and he said Oregon- and she said Oregon has the most beautiful lakes! Then asked him if he had been to all the lakes yet! I felt like the entertainment, music, and conversations that they took part in made the place more interactive than we experienced at Goofy's. I liked that the seating was concentrated in one area, so you could see the charracters and entertainment from your table- I also liked that most of the wait staff wore lanyards with pins, and they were very friendly to us when we asked to trade or look at the pins- even though they were busy serving, waiting tables, and bussing- they still took time out.

Here is the link to the disneyland.com descritpion of this meal- complete with photo of woody visiting a table, and it shows the food too....

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...ning/detail?name=CelebrationRoundupDiningPage

They also have it listed on the dining page under "character dining"...

Not sure why people said this was not a character meal- it seems that it was being promoted as one...

 

[PinkBudgie]

Well, that's interesting. I just remember when it first opened they didn't seem to call it a character meal. I just didn't hear that much about it.

 

[Sherry E]

When we were there both Jessie and Woody came to our table several times, they interacted with all of us, signed our autograph books, and also performed on stage, and took turns at the photo op coming in. We also had Tex walking around singing, Miss Chris was engaging the crowd, asking questions, etc... My son was excited because she asked him where he was from, and he said Oregon- and she said Oregon has the most beautiful lakes! Then asked him if he had been to all the lakes yet! I felt like the entertainment, music, and conversations that they took part in made the place more interactive than we experienced at Goofy's. I liked that the seating was concentrated in one area, so you could see the charracters and entertainment from your table- I also liked that most of the wait staff wore lanyards with pins, and they were very friendly to us when we asked to trade or look at the pins- even though they were busy serving, waiting tables, and bussing- they still took time out.

Here is the link to the disneyland.com descritpion of this meal- complete with photo of woody visiting a table, and it shows the food too....

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...ning/detail?name=CelebrationRoundupDiningPage

They also have it listed on the dining page under "character dining"...

Not sure why people said this was not a character meal- it seems that it was being promoted as one...

It wasn't multiple people who said that it wasn't a character meal. I was the only one who said that on this thread (and now Pink Budgie remembers it too) - when it opened - it was not being called an 'official' character meal by Disney. There were 1-5 characters there in the first few months so they could get away with categorizing it as character dining, but they were not calling it an actual character meal at first, because that would imply that you would always see characters there and I don't think they wanted to back themselves into that corner and promise that. And now they are phasing the characters out entirely, just a few months in, so perhaps by never really addressing it as an official character meal which promises characters to be onsite at all times, this makes it easier to remove them. In other words, the characters may have been there at first to be a draw to people because it was a new restaurant, and the plan may have been to eventually get rid of them all along anyway and just keep the other entertainment. Who knows? We don't really know the whole behind the scenes scoop. Whatever the case, the characters are going and it won't be a character meal.

Well, that's interesting. I just remember when it first opened they didn't seem to call it a character meal. I just didn't hear that much about it.

You're correct in what you remember, Budgie - it was not classified as an official character meal at first. I think someone else even pointed it out a few months ago on the DIS.

 

[farmgirljen]

I also want to add that both Chip and Dale were at the petting zoo area when we were in there after we had checked in for ps for the BBQ next door-
If you see them in there, ask Dale if he has ever ridden the cow,lol! His reaction an interpretation of being bucked off the cow is quite funny!

 

[LuLusApple]

It wasn't multiple people who said that it wasn't a character meal. I was the only one who said that on this thread (and now Pink Budgie remembers it too) - when it opened - it was not being called an 'official' character meal by Disney. There were 1-5 characters there in the first few months so they could get away with categorizing it as character dining, but they were not calling it an actual character meal at first, because that would imply that you would always see characters there and I don't think they wanted to back themselves into that corner and promise that. And now they are phasing the characters out entirely, just a few months in, so perhaps by never really addressing it as an official character meal which promises characters to be onsite at all times, this makes it easier to remove them. In other words, the characters may have been there at first to be a draw to people because it was a new restaurant, and the plan may have been to eventually get rid of them all along anyway and just keep the other entertainment. Who knows? We don't really know the whole behind the scenes scoop. Whatever the case, the characters are going and it won't be a
character meal.
You're correct in what you remember, Budgie - it was not classified as an official character meal at first. I think someone else even pointed it out a few months ago on the DIS.

Ok...... Sherry you are correct it wasn't billed as a character meal.
It opened in April in time for spring break. I called 60 days out for a PS. I was told they would take my info but didn't have. Anything specific on it and for me to call back at 45 days out. I did and got my April ? Not sure now of the date PS.
The CM told me that
It was not a character meal. They would not be out roaming the crowds. There would be photo ops and a show. Period that's it. I called to confirm my PSs @ 1 week out, then asked if they had any new info on the BBQ and was told it was NOT a character meal. I talked to my kids, told them about it. We already had plenty of other PSs booked, so chose to cancell our ressies. The main reason we bailed was because the value of watching a show and an outdoor BBQ were not there for us. Simply the characters that were performing was not enough of a draw for us. Once we were there and (at DL) checked it out for ourselves, we decided we had made a good decision by cancelling. The place was empty and yes the characters were shmoozing but could that of been because the place was dead? And when or if the crowds started. Coming would they of only been available for the photo op and show?
Ok now I am exhausted! LOL
Cheers everyone here's to the new BBQ
~LuLu

 

[Captain Redbeard]

I'm gonna try it now. I think I will like it more than I would have with an annoying show, and a cupcake and soda that I did not need.

Here, here!

 

[blackjackdelta]

We are reconsidering doing this next week, just have to wait and see.

Jack

 

[Diznygrl]

K- these look incredible!
Are the cupcakes just placed in the cone or does the cake somehow go all the way down the cone?

Also, does the Roundup still give Celebration gift bags & souvenir sippers w/ kids meals?

I've never eaten there, but I believe underneath the cupcake the cone is filled with mousse.

The gift bags being included with the kids meal did not last very long. Maybe a couple of weeks? They now cost an extra $10.


Personally, I wish they would just get rid of the whole fixed price thing and turn it back into a regular ol' barbecue restaurant with a menu like it used to be, when it was actually popular. The way they renovated the area is beautiful, I hate to see it go to waste like this. Dump the annoying "stage show"...if they want to use the stage, they could have a band up there every so often playing music like they have at the French Market. Nothing too intrusive, nobody trying too hard to "interact" with diners...just pleasant atmospheric music. Seriously, I believe simplicity is the answer here.

All IMHO, of course.

 

[Sherry E]

I've never eaten there, but I believe underneath the cupcake the cone is filled with mousse.

The gift bags being included with the kids meal did not last very long. Maybe a couple of weeks? They now cost an extra $10.


Personally, I wish they would just get rid of the whole fixed price thing and turn it back into a regular ol' barbecue restaurant with a menu like it used to be, when it was actually popular. The way they renovated the area is beautiful, I hate to see it go to waste like this. Dump the annoying "stage show"...if they want to use the stage, they could have a band up there every so often playing music like they have at the French Market. Nothing too intrusive, nobody trying too hard to "interact" with diners...just pleasant atmospheric music. Seriously, I believe simplicity is the answer here.

All IMHO, of course.

As to the bolded part of your post above - exactly!! That is exactly what I think they should do, except as I have stated before, add some more items to the menu (in addition to the ones that are currently served which people enjoy) to give people more of a selection of BBQ-themed appetizers, entrees and side dishes, add in some combo platters too, and just sell different dishes like you would on any menu at any restaurant! Since they sent the characters packing, they should go the simpler route, I think, and just treat it like a regular BBQ restaurant with a menu of choices.