Daily Fix - Skipper Canteen Menu Change

[racefans44]

I watched the Daily Fix Tuesday and heard Pete's comments on the Skipper Canteen's menu change. I was wondering if the luke warm acceptance of the Skipper Canteen had more to do with the lack of ADR's and less with the menu. I know that in my personal experience I make my ADR's 180 days out and by the time I get to the parks, my table service meals are already decided. I would probably try the Skipper's Canteen if I could make an advanced reservation, but the way things are set up now with ADR's, I probably won't be able to try it on my next trip. I'm just not sure that the menu change will improve the popularity.

 

[rteetz]

I think that's part of it but only a small part. The menu has a lot to do with it.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Personally, I think think it is a combination of all of that. Especially at the price point I think people were associating it with a table service location and they picture that as having ADRs - if they don't have an ADR then they are probably planning on a cheaper/quick service option.

But I do think the menu intimidated some people - especially since it wasn't some "exotic" and some "safe" options. So if you are a family of 5 and one person refuses to eat that food then you can't go there unless you split up. Also, I think the price point hurt as it's one thing to spend $5 on a sample at the Food and Wine Festival of something different, another thing to spend $30 on something you might not like. Especially for the kids meals that was a bit much to ask people to spend on kids meals when their kids very well might not eat it

I hope they keep some of the best signature dishes and just add a few "safer" options. They could also have different offering from the standard but that are a bit more approachable. There is an Exporer's restaurant at Hong Kong Disneyland that has Southeast Asian food - but it was things that were less intimidating. Or even something like Bengal Barbeque at Disneyland that is a bit different than your standard chicken fingers but is still more approachable to people

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Personally, I think think it is a combination of all of that. Especially at the price point I think people were associating it with a table service location and they picture that as having ADRs - if they don't have an ADR then they are probably planning on a cheaper/quick service option.

But I do think the menu intimidated some people - especially since it wasn't some "exotic" and some "safe" options. So if you are a family of 5 and one person refuses to eat that food then you can't go there unless you split up. Also, I think the price point hurt as it's one thing to spend $5 on a sample at the Food and Wine Festival of something different, another thing to spend $30 on something you might not like. Especially for the kids meals that was a bit much to ask people to spend on kids meals when their kids very well might not eat it

I hope they keep some of the best signature dishes and just add a few "safer" options. They could also have different offering from the standard but that are a bit more approachable. There is an Exporer's restaurant at Hong Kong Disneyland that has Southeast Asian food - but it was things that were less intimidating. Or even something like Bengal Barbeque at Disneyland that is a bit different than your standard chicken fingers but is still more approachable to people

Totally agree with all you said, Max. Keep the "more adventurous stuff", fine, (no - I don't want every location to be the same, or all vanilla!), but add some "safer" stuff, so families don't have to split up. Or - like me - I could try some more adventurous stuff, but also know there is "safer stuff" if I don't care for the "more adventurous". I also agree that the price point(s) was ALL OFF. At least IMHO.

 

[JimmyV]

I am 50/50 with Pete on this. We went to Skipper's last week. We are a family of adventurous eaters. We love the fact that Skipper's Canteen offers a unique menu and did not fall prey to standard theme park food. And I will be sorely disappointed if they dumb the place down. So on that point, Pete and I align 100%. Where we part ways is on food quality. Pete seems to love the food there. Our party of four, (my family and one of my brothers), ordered through a lot of the menu, with 4 different starters and 3 different entrees. (There were two orders of Mac-n-cheese). Problem is, we didn't have a single thing that we thought was very good. On balance, I would rather have an average-to-below-average fish collar than an average-to-below-average cheeseburger. But in the end, the fish collar was average-to-below-average, as was everything else, and for that reason we were disappointed. In his reviews, Kevin mentions that the most telltale sign of an unappreciated dish is how much of the dish gets sent back. Both orders of Mac-n-cheese went back to the kitchen half eaten. I hope that the changes that are rumored/contemplated are more in line with quality than uniqueness.

 

[smiths02]

Unlike PP, I would rather have the average cheeseburger $17.50 burger at Sci Fi than the average to below average bowl of Pho for $23 (not to mention I get a TiW discount at Sci Fi)

With high prices, no discounts, no ADRs, no character/movie tie in (not a character meal or not the theme level of BOG),

I don't think it is just adventure or not. I would eat many of those menu items and so would my family...I just don't really want to pay that much for that experience.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Have never eaten there, but I agree - no matter the price point or items on the menu, quality is job 1 as the old commercial used to say!

 

[JimmyV]

With high prices, no discounts, no ADRs,

We were told that TiW is coming, so the discounts are on the way.
ADRs are available. You just use the mobile app on the day of. Since no one can beat you in terms of timing, as long as you use the app in the morning, you are guaranteed a table. We booked at 11:30 a.m. while waiting for our bus and had our pick of times between 5:00 and 7:30.

 

[pjweaver]

I reread the menu, not a single thing I would eat. I'll admit I am worse than the other Pete in eating fish or vegetables, but exotic Japanese or sushi places have some kind or chicken or steak. We went to an authentic Cuban place that had a great pork shank. They just need to have something for us meat and potatoes guys.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

I reread the menu, not a single thing I would eat. I'll admit I am worse than the other Pete in eating fish or vegetables, but exotic Japanese or sushi places have some kind or chicken or steak. We went to an authentic Cuban place that had a great pork shank. They just need to have something for us meat and potatoes guys.

Yes, PJ - I love Cuban food, and pernil (slow roasted pork shank), churrasco (marinated grilled flank steak, usually served with chimichurri sauce which of course you can get on the side), and some kind(s) of chicken are usually on the menu, and what I tell any "non adventurous eaters" just trying Cuban food to have to get their feet wet. Even ropa vieja (low and slow shredded braised beef, cooked in a tomatoey sauce with peppers/onions/olives) is usually a "middle of the road" option.

So if Skipper's did something like that in addition to what they already have for the more adventurous eaters, I think they'd be in like Flynn - at least as far the menu goes, although I think there are other issues (price point, quality, ADR's, etc.)

 

[Tonyz]

How awful. I hate the fact that Disney has to cater to these families afraid of any restaurants that doesn't offer chicken nuggets or pizza. We can't have even one unique place to eat in Magic Kingdom (well I guess Be Our Guest is still doing okay).

 

[Accident]

I was wondering if the luke warm acceptance of the Skipper Canteen had more to do with the lack of ADR's and less with the menu. I know that in my personal experience I make my ADR's 180 days out and by the time I get to the parks

Every time I walked up, they were full and no room and no reservations left for the day. You can walk in at 8:30pm right now (I suspect that time will get later as disney does wishes later). that's the last seatnig and they don't do reservations for it.

I think this might be a food waste issue as there is some off the wall things like fish throats.. I suspect there are some menu items that don't get ordered and a lot of wasted food happening for them. At least I hope so, a complete menu revamp would be a shame but a couple dishes, I could see needing alternatives.. All the soups are spicy for example. who wants spicy soup when it's 105F out?

I do think the disney mentality that you much book everything 180 days out to get in might be reducing who is going to this place. You can't book it therefore I better book something else to make sure my family eats at the table service credit we get from the dining plan.

It really is a great place to eat, I like doing it when I have the time and they have the room (aka I remember in the morning to put in an adr).

 

[smiths02]

We were told that TiW is coming, so the discounts are on the way.
ADRs are available. You just use the mobile app on the day of. Since no one can beat you in terms of timing, as long as you use the app in the morning, you are guaranteed a table. We booked at 11:30 a.m. while waiting for our bus and had our pick of times between 5:00 and 7:30.

I know about the same day ADR, which might actually work for us.
I do think that having it be the only restaurant that does this might hurt it for other people looking who aren't "in the know."
If they opened it up to TiW, we might consider it for June since I left some open evenings.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

My wife and I ate there for the first time last Week and really enjoyed our meals. We shared the S.E.A. Shu Mai - A legendary blend of Pork, Shrimp, Mung Beans, and Spices wrapped in Gyoza Skin then steamed for $10.00 and thought it was really good. I had the Grilled lamb chops that I really liked and my wife had the Skip's mac and cheese which she said was just ok. I love the fact that there is so many different things on the menu here to choose from that are not found anywhere else in the park. The night we were there there was not an empty table in the restaurant.

 

[JimmyV]

I do think that having it be the only restaurant that does this might hurt it for other people looking who aren't "in the know."

It is odd that they are doing it this way. With so many uber-planners who book in advance, it seems as if they are missing an opportunity here. But as Ron from Michigan points out above, it was packed the night we were there, with one caveat. We booked a table for 6:30. When we were seated, the place was only 1/2 to 2/3rds full. By 7:00, every table was occupied. Not being full between 6:00-6:30 would seem to be a problem. That is part of the prime time.

 

[Grumpy247365]

If the menu is completely changed....what a bummer.

 

[Princess Jes]

For those who make ADRs and stick with that plan, why not just leave a day with no ADR and leave that as an intended walk up to skippers canteen? It's same day reservations, and based on feedback, it seems you'll get a res easily.
The mentally boggles my mind.

I reread the menu, not a single thing I would eat. I'll admit I am worse than the other Pete in eating fish or vegetables, but exotic Japanese or sushi places have some kind or chicken or steak. We went to an authentic Cuban place that had a great pork shank. They just need to have something for us meat and potatoes guys.

Not every restaurant has to have something for everyone though.
They don't "need" to cater for all. There's plenty of other places for plain eaters to get a crappy burger or acid tomato sauce pasta.
Victoria and Alberts doesn't cater to all and you can't get a res after 180 days for that place.
It seems we are back to the entitled guest thing, if a new restaurant opened, it darn well better have something for ME to enjoy, otherwise they better change the menu.

I was really looking forward to this place, I'll be disappointed if they dumb it down.

 

[SarahDisney]

It seems we are back to the entitled guest thing, if a new restaurant opened, it darn well better have something for ME to enjoy, otherwise they better change the menu.

I kinda disagree with this.
The way I see it (and I may be wrong), the problem with not having "something for everyone" really hits home with groups (whether that's a tour group, a group of friends, or a family). If an adventurous eater is travelling with a very picky eater, they're going to pick the restaurant that has options for both, not the adventurous restaurant where the picky eater won't have anything to eat. I don't see it so much as the entitled mentality, I see it more as having options for groups of mixed eaters.

I do agree that it's nice to have a restaurant that doesn't cater to the "dumbed down" palates ... but I really don't think that's a model that works well at Disney, where groups may want to stay together and pick their restaurants based on which have something to please the entire group.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

For those who make ADRs and stick with that plan, why not just leave a day with no ADR and leave that as an intended walk up to skippers canteen? It's same day reservations, and based on feedback, it seems you'll get a res easily.
The mentally boggles my mind.

That's exactly what we have done for our upcoming trip - set aside a meal or two as options for when we will eat there

i think when it first opened that might have been an issue in that people already had their meal plans set but by now people should be able to adjust so i can't believe that would be the driving reason why it isn't doing better

 

[TheMaxRebo]

How awful. I hate the fact that Disney has to cater to these families afraid of any restaurants that doesn't offer chicken nuggets or pizza. We can't have even one unique place to eat in Magic Kingdom (well I guess Be Our Guest is still doing okay).

To be fair, I haven't seen any details of what they are changing it to ... it might just be less intimidating alternatives to chicken nuggets, etc. Like many of the options in Disneyland (Bengal Barbeque, etc.) they carry things that aren't chicken nuggets or pizza but are more approachable than what the current Skipper Canteen is

But fully agree that if they do change it to just chicken nuggets and stuff I will be very disappointed!