Disappointed

[scanne]

I have been coming to wdw almost annually since 1997- sometimes 2-3x a year - and this is the first trip where I am feeling disappointed.

First off....there have been Major cut backs on extra magic hours. Even when they charged for extra hours in the park, they were offered 2-3 nights a week. I'm here for 9 nights and there is only one evening EMH per park. My family and I love the evening EMHs. Very disappointed that they're not as frequent.

Food choices - the menus at most of the restaurants are limited to 6-7 entrees. To be fair, I am pleased that the chefs work to accommodate food allergies and intolerances (gluten free/lactose intolerant) but I remember when there were so many more details that added magic to each meal. I remember getting Mickey shaped butter at many locations. It just added to the experience...
We dined at Be Our Guest the other evening and while it was good and the restaurant itself is absolutely gorgeous, we could feel how the service was rushed so that they could turn over tables quickly. They brought our appetizers and entrees out together.

 

[bluejasmine]

From what I understand not enough ppl took advantage of EMH and especially they last hour so it was financially beneficial to keep park open and pay employees..

I was upset when they stopped running monorails for EMH especially since we normally stay at a monorail resort, true we can take a boat or the bus but we pay for the convenience of the monorail. We got stuck once when we had a late dinner at CG had to walk to MK, and ride the boat to TTC and walk over from there.. I was in heels.. lol

 

[Robo]

I was upset when they stopped running monorails for EMH...

We got stuck once when we had a late dinner at CG had to walk to MK, and ride the boat to TTC and walk over from there.. I was in heels.. lol

I'll guess that you meant to say that you were staying at the Poly.

You should not have had to take that route.
They operate buses between the monorail resorts if the monorail shuts down "early."

 

[bluejasmine]

I'll guess that you meant to say that you were staying at the Poly.

You should not have had to take that route.
They operate buses between the monorail resorts if the monorail shuts down "early."

Thats what I thought but for some reason they put us on the boat!

 

[Robo]

Thats what I thought but for some reason they put us on the boat!

Sounds like another case of CM misinformation and/or miscommunication.

Sad that it is so common as to be a "thing" at WDW.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I agree on the dining. We are paying OOP for food for our next trip coming up next week and I am being very selective about any TS. It's just not worth the prices they charge IMO. We are going to seek out mostly QS.

 

[hockey mom]

I hear you. I used to love all the little quirks like green ketchup at cosmic rays.
Also now when we go it seems half the food stands are closed down.

 

[puffkin]

I agree on the dining. We are paying OOP for food for our next trip coming up next week and I am being very selective about any TS. It's just not worth the prices they charge IMO. We are going to seek out mostly QS.

Exactly!

Its the Dining Plan effect. I'm sure Disney makes a fortune off of it, but it is ruining the dining experiences in my opinion. If and when people stop buying the plan and going back to paying OOP (which we do every trip and come out WAY ahead), I think things will change. I don't see that happening though anytime soon unfortunately.

 

[DCbride]

We always pay for meals and in the past actually booked parks around meals. This trip we are here for 12 days and only booked 3 meals. And 1 is the Norway princess lunch just for DD and I. But I am still whining about the blank napkins

 

[d1gitman]

...Also now when we go it seems half the food stands are closed down.

this is a pet peeve of mine. we would like to skip breakfast at the resort and head straight to the park and grab something from a cart, but they just aren't open in the AM. it's no fun to be starving and looking for a popcorn, pretzel or churro cart and a drink and none are open. so now we end up making time in the AM to eat a breakfast, which is better and healthier but time consuming. having popcorn, churros, pretzels for a hold over in the AM was a guilty pleasure of ours in past trips.

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, all I can say is that the evening EMHs that I have been to in the past 3 or 4 years have been so crowded that I've finally stopped going!! Wonder if that was what happened to others. I wish Disney would go back to E-Nights...charge $15 for an addlt 3-4 hrs in the park. Those were great nights.

Don't get me started on the food at Disney. I used to love trying new spots...each restaurant had something special about it. Not anymore. The menus have a sameness about them now. So, we pick and choose our dining spots carefully. We eat out less and when we do, it's at the higher end spots...Shula's, Fulton's, Flying Fish. As the DDP got more popular, the food choices got more mediocre. They started off with a much lower price, per day, and it included the tip. Then, they took away the included tip and left the price the same. Then, they raised the price...several times!!! Go figure. We now have the TiW card...that helps a bit.

But all in all? Sure, WDW is a wonderful place to go...I have 3 trips between now and Christmas planned. But, things have changed a lot since I started going to WDW in '99!!! But if you're new to WDW? It all seems terrific! And we sound like cranks!

 

[Dan Murphy]

The dining plans and the "free" dining have both contributed to the severe degradation of the dining experience at WDW.

 

[LSUfan4444]

First off....there have been Major cut backs on extra magic hours. Even when they charged for extra hours in the park, they were offered 2-3 nights a week. I'm here for 9 nights and there is only one evening EMH per park. My family and I love the evening EMHs. Very disappointed that they're not as frequent.

Rather than increasing costs (that much), they have decided to decrease expenses (labor, etc.) to maintain and/or increase a profit margin. I don't like it either and would happily pay more for more park hours, but not sure how many others would.

Food choices - the menus at most of the restaurants are limited to 6-7 entrees. To be fair, I am pleased that the chefs work to accommodate food allergies and intolerances (gluten free/lactose intolerant) but I remember when there were so many more details that added magic to each meal. I remember getting Mickey shaped butter at many locations. It just added to the experience...
We dined at Be Our Guest the other evening and while it was good and the restaurant itself is absolutely gorgeous, we could feel how the service was rushed so that they could turn over tables quickly. They brought our appetizers and entrees out together. ��

Thank you dining plan. It has been the single worst enemy of quality dining throughout WDW.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Exactly!

Its the Dining Plan effect. I'm sure Disney makes a fortune off of it, but it is ruining the dining experiences in my opinion. If and when people stop buying the plan and going back to paying OOP (which we do every trip and come out WAY ahead), I think things will change. I don't see that happening though anytime soon unfortunately.

Can't stand the dining plan, never used it nor will... I agree it has contributed to the degradation of meals and service in WDW....

I will not schedule my meals 180 days out nor abide to a pre planned dining scheme ....

We used to enjoy the walk ups, choices made that day and food that was great and created individually .... TS across Disney is mediocre at best....

Breakfast is just that, not too many choices to screw up .... Lunch we prefer our homemade salami, ham and cheese sandwiches at the pool made with grocery store fixings ... Dinner will be CS, be it hamburgers, played meals at some moderates food court or pizza....

 

[Schmeck]

Thats what I thought but for some reason they put us on the boat!

They physically plopped you down on a boat? Did you ask about the bus?

About the dining - I agree that most of the table service restaurants serve mediocre food. We rarely eat at them, more so that I have a small appetite and so does my daughter. She's happy with the prepackaged salad at Sunshine Seasons. Then again, we do not go to WDW for the food? Sure, we eat Mickey Bars, enjoy the tea slushies in the China pavilion too much, and have to have one Mickey waffle at least, but that's about it. A burger is a burger, and grilled chicken is grilled chicken. There was a really yummy veggie sandwich at Columbia Harbor House, and my fish at CBR food court was good too. But I don't go to WDW for that.

We bring snack-breakfast foods to get our early start in the park. It's cheaper and I usually wake up hungry and need to eat right away. I'm thinking a lot of people do the same thing to save $$$, so that's why the food carts aren't open so early anymore.

 

[pooch]

for my contribution to this problem. The ONLY thing DH likes about WDW is free dining. He loves watching others pull out their wallets to pay for something he's getting "free". I know, its not really free. But can we not tell DH?? If I lose that hook, I'll never get him there again!!!!

 

[JanaDee]

this is a pet peeve of mine. we would like to skip breakfast at the resort and head straight to the park and grab something from a cart, but they just aren't open in the AM. it's no fun to be starving and looking for a popcorn, pretzel or churro cart and a drink and none are open. so now we end up making time in the AM to eat a breakfast, which is better and healthier but time consuming. having popcorn, churros, pretzels for a hold over in the AM was a guilty pleasure of ours in past trips.

They don't seem to be open in the evenings, either!

 

[bluejasmine]

They physically plopped you down on a boat? Did you ask about the bus?

They physically walked us to the boat that was at the dock, we were so surprised didn't even ask about the bus, we started talking on the boat & DH says" why couldn't we take a bus?" Lol

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[wiigirl]

We always pay for meals and in the past actually booked parks around meals. This trip we are here for 12 days and only booked 3 meals. And 1 is the Norway princess lunch just for DD and I. But I am still whining about the blank napkins

Me too!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I strongly suggest writing to Disney with your concerns. It's the only way that things can change:

Walt Disney World Guest Communications
P.O. Box 10,040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040
Disney Guest Relations - 407-824-4321

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Walt Disney World Guest Relations
P.O. Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830