Depressing.

[GeorgeG]

I've been spending some time over on the restaurants board and it's getting pretty depressing. Having been to WDW six times in the last month or so, I can personally see the changes for the worse. It's not just in the dining, but in just about every area. Sometimes the changes are subtle, sometimes not. I'd be interested in hearing thoughts and ideas on the situation.

 

[Acklander]

Well, I haven't been thrilled with the restaurants at Disney since the dining plan - not as many good choices, long waits, etc....so instead I just eat off property. Lots of great restaurants in the area and I don't mind the drive. I know the dining plan works great for a lot of families - just not ours, so we adjust accordingly. No biggie.
As far as other changes, I haven't really noticed any differences, but I don't go near as often as you do. Maybe you just need a break from Disney for a while. There are tons of other places I like besides Disney (thank goodness!!!), and it's not as depressing since I don't have all my vacation eggs in one basket.

 

[minniecarousel]

When we were at WDW earlier this month, we wondered if telling the server that we had the "Tables in Wonderland" card was resulting in poor service. They always ask if you're on a dining plan, so we'd tell them TIW. Some of our service was quite slow. None of the meals were lousy though. Our son & daughter-in-law went to California Grill for their anniversary and loved the sushi, but were disappointed in the steaks they got. (we had raved, having been there last Dec.)

I think the free dining has watered down the service and the quality of the food.

 

[MushyMushy]

I agree about the quality and selection. It seems as if many of the restaurants are becoming homogeneous. Also, just getting a reservation, even during a slower season is so difficult for many of the restaurants! It's not that I even mind having to call 180 days out, but that it's just so easy for people to load up on restaurants so that they'll be able to choose where they want to go while they're on their trip.

 

[eliza61]

Look at it another way George, the only way to let the powers to be know how sad things are is to complain about them.

I've never been one to only "sing the praises" of some thing simply because it's a popular destination.

Disney's dining has gone down hill. I read an article today in the Orlando sentinel that said that with all the cutbacks and budgeting, disney's occupancy is still down 8% from last year. So that makes me question, "what will they cut" next to keep ye ole share holder happy? There is only so many places they can do that and food quality is one of them.

First time in a long time it has me considering selling my dvc.

 

[Metro West]

Speaking as a local and someone who hasn't to Disney as a tourist in many years, the fact that Disney has a 180 ADR window is ridiculous. I mean...I can understand wanting to have a nice dinner/lunch or two during the vacation but come on! I will never understand why this is such an attraction at WDW but Disney has made this the norm and people look at you funny if you say you're going w/o ADRs twenty years in advance.

It would be nice to eat at a Disney resort restaurant but that's virtually impossible for someone who is local. They need to go back to first come/first served like it used to be.

 

[FireDancer]

While I do think the quality at the higher end of the restaurant spectrum at WDW has been hurt by the dinning plan (and especially free dining) I think there is a lot of an over reaction on the issue. The restaurant board makes it sound like it is impossible to get a decent meal at WDW and that just isn't the case in my experience.

All I care about is getting a decent, healthy meal while I am down there and I have not had any problem finding that on property. I go down there for the attractions and the restaurants just serve the basic need of having to have food throughout the day. I don't concentrate on the restaurants as a focal point.

I also don't base my expectations heavily on dining reviews, especially of strangers. Everyone who posts on this thread can sit down at one big table, order the exact same meal, have it prepared the exact same way and have very different experiences. Some people have different criteria for what is good, some different expectations of service, many different tastes, and so forth. Unless it is a friend who I know has similar taste to me someone else finding the food "not up to par" doesn't really mean all that much.

 

[Pakey]

I've been going 2-3 times per year for the last 20 years. The dining plans changed dining; there's no doubt. However, as long as WDW is packing the restaurants (which is what the dining plan has done), there is no incentive for WDW to change it. I really miss the days before all of this but I have to feel that I'm in the minority or else people would not be using these plans. As far as service, if I had to serve that many people every shift, I'd probably be slow too.

I have 3 DVC contracts, enough to stay 9 weeks each year. We are considering selling at least 2 of these, if not all 3. While I still enjoy vacationing there, I find that I enjoy my other vacations so much more.

 

[GeorgeG]

I've noticed some downgrading in just about everything, but mostly in the dining. I'm seeing some decline in the resorts and parks also. Prices seem to keep going up and there is less live entertainment than ever. The band at the Beirgarten only plays about half as long as they used to and the Voices of Liberty have cut their show by at least once song, probably two. The Walt Disney World Marchig Band has been gone for a long time except for some brief returns and the stage show don't use live musicians like they used to.

I'm just afraid Disney is competing with places like Universal and Six Flags... and winning by lowering their standards to theirs instead of setting the bar for others to try to come close to.

 

[Metro West]

I'm just afraid Disney is competing with places like Universal and Six Flags... and winning by lowering their standards to theirs instead of setting the bar for others to try to come close to.

I like the food at Universal much better than Disney...plus passholders get a discount.

 

[Jennasis]

I keep hearing this complaint. We just got back from WDW two weeks ago and I cannot stress this enough....

WE ATE LIKE KINGS.

Every time. Every meal (except for the two completely sub=par dining experiences at Universal). Our servers were falling over themselves to make our experience joyful.

Maybe I've been lucky. Maybe I'm too easy to please. Maybe I didn't go with a chip on my shoulder "looking" for the problems. I have seen no evidence of this alleged lessening of quality at Disney.

 

[Pakey]

I keep hearing this complaint. We just got back from WDW two weeks ago and I cannot stress this enough....

WE ATE LIKE KINGS.

Every time. Every meal (except for the two completely sub=par dining experiences at Universal). Our servers were falling over themselves to make our experience joyful.

Maybe I've been lucky. Maybe I'm too easy to please. Maybe I didn't go with a chip on my shoulder "looking" for the problems. I have seen no evidence of this alleged lessening of quality at Disney.

I'm fairly easygoing and have no chips on my shoulder or anywhere else. The restaurants have standardized menus; unique dishes are leaving rapidly and it started when the dining plan gained momentum. It's probably because the kitchens ae now so busy that they just don't have time for creative food anymore. The only place you still see some creativity is in appetizers which are not part of the regular dining plan.

Another example is something I noticed 2 weeks ago. 12 years ago we stayed at Grand Floridian for the first time. We'd get up early every morning and walk and we'd see maintenance crews out doing touch ups on all of those railings at the hotel. Two weeks ago, I went over there for the afternoon tea and I couldn't believe how beat up all of that trim was. Huge chunks of paint missing all over the place.

I understand that WDW is a business, I'm an accountant, I understand margins and profits quite well. I also believe that the majority of WDW visitors are happy with the food there and WDW, as a business, should cater to the majority of their visitors. I'm not complaning, writing letters to anyone that they need to accommodate me. I'm just choosing to vacation elsewhere now instead of always going to WDW.

 

[DWGal210]

I agree with FireDancer. It's SO subjective, each person is different.

Personally, dining at WDW is VERY low on my priority list for what makes a great trip. I do make ADRs but I don't have huge expecations for my meals. Unless I am at a place like California Grill & paying a lot for meal and ambiance, I just want a meal that's not unedible.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm fairly easygoing and have no chips on my shoulder or anywhere else. The restaurants have standardized menus; unique dishes are leaving rapidly and it started when the dining plan gained momentum. It's probably because the kitchens ae now so busy that they just don't have time for creative food anymore. The only place you still see some creativity is in appetizers which are not part of the regular dining plan.

Another example is something I noticed 2 weeks ago. 12 years ago we stayed at Grand Floridian for the first time. We'd get up early every morning and walk and we'd see maintenance crews out doing touch ups on all of those railings at the hotel. Two weeks ago, I went over there for the afternoon tea and I couldn't believe how beat up all of that trim was. Huge chunks of paint missing all over the place.

I understand that WDW is a business, I'm an accountant, I understand margins and profits quite well. I also believe that the majority of WDW visitors are happy with the food there and WDW, as a business, should cater to the majority of their visitors. I'm not complaning, writing letters to anyone that they need to accommodate me. I'm just choosing to vacation elsewhere now instead of always going to WDW.

Ah. I think I figured it out.

I honestly do not ,and really can't fathom how other people manage to, notice or care about such unbelievable minutia like paint chips on trim.

Stuff like that (to me) does not a vacation make.

Food, however, is important to us and like I said...we ate some of the best meals of our lives two weeks ago ON the dining plan.

Service is important to us and we received excellent service from top to bottom (with the exception of Universal but I understand that others have had great service there so I am looking forward to going back next time and having better luck).

Apparently YMMV. I'd say this attitude 'round here lately that Disney has gone to the dogs and we-won't-be-going-back-for-a-good-long-while/ever would be a boon to the rest of us (ie...shorter lines) but the place is crowded as ever.

But I am really sorry your experiences haven't been what you'd hoped and you want to go elsewhere.

 

[DWGal210]

I also think the expectations are crazy; I know it's your money and you want a great trip; but Disney isn't perfect and never will be. If a person goes into it thinking it has to be the greatest experience since the birth of Jesus, they will most likely be dissapointed.

 

[GeorgeG]

I suppose comparing the "new" Disney to the "old" Disney is lost on those who either haven't been going for as long as some of us or for whom the table service restaurants might be a new experience. Same with the upkeep, or lack of, around the resorts and parks. Perhaps we're being unfair to compare things with times gone by. I can appreciate that WDW is a business and any business needs to make a profit, but quality control should be a major issue for any good company. It's not just about profits.

We have dinner reservations for Christmas Day and, as an afterthought, decided it might be nice to stay overnight. Realizing we were not going to get any AP or resident discounts, we expected to pay more for a room, but the best they could do is an All Star (VALUE?) for over $300 for one night! Uh, we'll drive the hour to get home...

The bottom line is that while discounts, dining plans and vacation packages are great for many people who could not otherwise have a WDW vacation, many others are expected to underwrite the cost of those and nobody is getting the WDW experience that made it special some years ago. Everybody loses except Disney, and this could be the beginning of the end for them, too!

 

[DWGal210]

I just wanted to clarify the "you" in my posts was a general you, not the OP.

I'm leaving next week on my 9th trip in 10 years, so I go pretty often. I am most excited to spend some quality time with my goddaughter.

Personally, I don't see this as the "beginning of the end." Disney has a LOT riding on the success of their theme parks; this isn't Joe Schmo who runs 1 park & that's it. They will change to meet demand, they really have no choice. It might not happen tomorrow but it will happen.

 

[RC Fan]

I do miss the unique food and drink aspect of the restaurants. Dining is a large part of what I find enjoyable while on vacation anywhere. I do find the quality has gone down somewhat. Now that I have done all the rides multiple times, the food and drink could keep me coming back. Obviously we foodies can go elsewhere.

 

[rie'smom]

I like the food at Universal much better than Disney...plus passholders get a discount.

Mythos is fantastic! The food here is as good as some of the nicest restaurants we've been to anywhere!

I keep hearing this complaint. We just got back from WDW two weeks ago and I cannot stress this enough....

WE ATE LIKE KINGS.

Every time. Every meal (except for the two completely sub=par dining experiences at Universal). Our servers were falling over themselves to make our experience joyful.

Maybe I've been lucky. Maybe I'm too easy to please. Maybe I didn't go with a chip on my shoulder "looking" for the problems. I have seen no evidence of this alleged lessening of quality at Disney.

No chip on my shoulder. When I go out to eat 9 times out of 10 I order steak. At the Coral Reef I had done this for years and always recommended it to friends. The first year of the DDP, it was as wonderful as ever. The next year the steak was not good-tough and it didn't have a good flavor. I thought maybe it was a fluke so I gave it another try on our next trip. It was the worst yet. Go to Piccadilly orf Golden Corral and order a steak. It will taste better than the steak I had at the Coral Reef. It seems like maybe the quality of the beef is not as good as it was a few years ago.

 

[diznygirl]

I keep hearing this complaint. We just got back from WDW two weeks ago and I cannot stress this enough....

WE ATE LIKE KINGS.

Every time. Every meal (except for the two completely sub=par dining experiences at Universal). Our servers were falling over themselves to make our experience joyful.

Maybe I've been lucky. Maybe I'm too easy to please. Maybe I didn't go with a chip on my shoulder "looking" for the problems. I have seen no evidence of this alleged lessening of quality at Disney.

We used to get prime rib at the carving station but not anymore. There used to be certain desserts, certain entrees only available at certain restaurants. Not anymore.

Sure, we are still eating well. But there is a noticeable difference. Not to mention that locals need reservations 180 days out as well now!

The dining plan is not the end of civilization, but it has changed the way Disney buys their food and plans their menus. And not for the better. The dining plan fills the rooms, but Disney isn't making money off it. So they need to trim the budget a little. It's noticeable.