disney testing new interactive special diet menus

[disney david]

they are testing them until feb 28 at hollywood brown derby they are basically ipads. The interactive menu will enhance (not replace) the experience that a guest with a Special Diet has with the restaurant’s culinary team. A chef will still visit your table to discuss dietary concerns if you’d like. i know it only 4 more days but may be this will help guest who don't like the chef coming to their table or give them a better way to order food. let hope they expand this to more restaurants for testing and be able to put it into action.


http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/02/24/news-hollywood-brown-derby-tests-interactive-special-diets-menu/

 

[mistysue]

That looks awesome. I just hope if they start using it they get enough of them... nothing would be worst than sitting down and waiting 45 minutes for the menu, then with DS's allergies we would likely still have to wait for the chef when there was nothing left.

 

[disney david]

That looks awesome. I just hope if they start using it they get enough of them... nothing would be worst than sitting down and waiting 45 minutes for the menu, then with DS's allergies we would likely still have to wait for the chef when there was nothing left.

Yes yorker right lets hope they have enough but right now the testing it to the 28. But he chef will still come to the table so if they don't have enough they suze the chef when needed.

 

[Bete]

I think this can help; so, bring it on.

 

[itradehilton]

I like the idea of an ipad, when you click on a menu item does it list all of the ingredients? I think this would make it easier on the chef if you already have an idea of what is safe to eat. More time for the chef to be in the kitchen supervising and preparing GF food.

 

[JennyWren]

I would LOVE this, if they had pictures of all the food choices. DS is about 60% non-verbal and is only reading at about a 3rd grade level, which makes menu time really hard, if they could do this with pictures he would be able to tell them exactly what he wants.

 

[disney david]

I would LOVE this, if they had pictures of all the food choices. DS is about 60% non-verbal and is only reading at about a 3rd grade level, which makes menu time really hard, if they could do this with pictures he would be able to tell them exactly what he wants.

They should offer pictures of the food I am sure it help a lot because sometimes descriptions of food turn people away. But if they could see what it is then have the chef be able to explain it better. I bet if you write Disney with at they like to hear it and may be work on it. Right now these are being tested to the 28 of feb not sure when and if they will be tested more places if I found out I let everyone know.



Even if they had a big touch screen outside the restaurant like this it give people an idea of what they can have on the menu. So they know what they have to work with and what they can't have because e item description might not always say that item.

 

[nfceagles]

That looks really cool! My only concern is wether it might lead to less customization. It sounds like an extra layer right now, but in the future could it replace chefs coming out and helping create a meal for you. I know it gets daunting to service the needs of the ever growing special diets community and I understand a need to streamline, but I hope we won't lose options that would require just a simple modification. And I hope those with extensive allergies don't lose opportunities for chef created personalized dishes. I hope it's not just an automated system of reduced choices. I also think it would be nice if it displayed ingredients for each dish. For example, it would help if I could look at a pizza and see if could be made dairy free simply by leaving the cheese off or if that won't help because there's also milk in the crust.

Very interesting.

I love the idea of a touch screen outside the restaurant.

ETA: I just read the linked article within the linked article above and it sounds very promising, like this really is intended to be an enhancement to the current system giving you a glance into the menu ahead of your conversation with the chef. Less worried about my concerns above.

 

[disney david]

That looks really cool! My only concern is wether it might lead to less customization. It sounds like an extra layer right now, but in the future could it replace chefs coming out and helping create a meal for you. I know it gets daunting to service the needs of the ever growing special diets community and I understand a need to streamline, but I hope we won't lose options that would require just a simple modification. And I hope those with extensive allergies don't lose opportunities for chef created personalized dishes. I hope it's not just an automated system of reduced choices. I also think it would be nice if it displayed ingredients for each dish. For example, it would help if I could look at a pizza and see if could be made dairy free simply by leaving the cheese off or if that won't help because there's also milk in the crust.

Very interesting.

I love the idea of a touch screen outside the restaurant.

i don't think it will replace the chef coming out because even with the testing it said the chef will come out if you want. i think these will be great at quick service because instead of the binder wouldn't it be better to be able to click through and see what you can have. they are most likely testing it to see if be quicker for guest because sometimes a guest might not want to wait for the chef they may be in a rush to get some where in the park so if they can click through the menu and see something they can eat it might save 5 min.

 

[livndisney]

i don't think it will replace the chef coming out because even with the testing it said the chef will come out if you want. i think these will be great at quick service because instead of the binder wouldn't it be better to be able to click through and see what you can have. they are most likely testing it to see if be quicker for guest because sometimes a guest might not want to wait for the chef they may be in a rush to get some where in the park so if they can click through the menu and see something they can eat it might save 5 min.

A couple of CS places have the touch screen ordering-they still ask allergy guests to speak with a chef/manager as the touch screen doesn't give "options".

 

[disney david]

A couple of CS places have the touch screen ordering-they still ask allergy guests to speak with a chef/manager as the touch screen doesn't give "options".

I know but most don't and you have to look at a binder or manager so it will help with te one that don't and may be they could put this in the. Few that have a touch screen. Like the post said it will not replace the chef coming out to talk to you if you want. But I guess the system they have now at qs where if you say you have an allergy they stop the order and make you read through the binder then have to wait for the chef to come out is fine and dose not need fixing. Well let hope what eer these turns out to be makes it easier for guest with allergys not harder.

 

[livndisney]

I know but most don't and you have to look at a binder or manager so it will help with te one that don't and may be they could put this in the. Few that have a touch screen. Like the post said it will not replace the chef coming out to talk to you if you want. But I guess the system they have now at qs where if you say you have an allergy they stop the order and make you read through the binder then have to wait for the chef to come out is fine and dose not need fixing. Well let hope what eer these turns out to be makes it easier for guest with allergys not harder.

My point is: as they are now, the screens do not make it easier for those with allergies to order. The screens make it harder. The screens I have seen do not list ingredients, so you still need the binder and the chef. So the screens as they are just adding an extra step.


I think this statement goes along with what I have been told by chefs and managers-special diets is overwhelmed with requests and this is an attempt to help.

"This new tool is being introduced to enhance the dining experience for Guests with special dietary needs and lifestyle preferences"

followed by
"I don’t have an allergy, but I want to use the device."

This could backfire in a big way for WDW. There are people who already feel that getting safe food is "special treatment", now there is a cool toy.


"

 

[disney david]

My point is: as they are now, the screens do not make it easier for those with allergies to order. The screens make it harder. The screens I have seen do not list ingredients, so you still need the binder and the chef. So the screens as they are just add an extra step.

Your right the way they have it now it is difficult for guest with allergys and or if you want to change things with the screens. My point is after they they do this testing may be they could roll out an easier system for all the restaurants.

 

[clanmcculloch]

For people like me, this doesn't actually help because not a single thing on their menu is actually safe as-is for my kids due to laundry lists of allergies. For people with single allergies, I can see how this could make things much faster for guests since guests would already know of some options before even being seated. I do doubt though that this tool will be able to identify which items could be easily modified to be free of an allergy by just leaving off a sauce or baking instead of frying or leaving off a single ingredient such as the butter on top of the steak or croutons on a salad. Also, does it take into account things like a dish being allergen free based on ingredients but because it's cooked in a shared fryer it's no longer safe?

I think my biggest concern with this is that right now the Special Diets department is sending out information dated from July 2011 and everybody on this board knows that the information is flat out wrong. Well if they can't get that info right, what makes anybody think that they'll keep this up to date?

In theory this could be a good thing for a lot of people. I just remain skeptical that the Special Diets department can pull it off based on their current track record.

 

[lillykat]

I love this idea - that way I could go and look at the menu with DD and put her in her allergies (she has several- milk, chocolate, shellfish,oranges and strawberries) and see if there are any choices she would be happy with. Then if not - I would be prepared to speak with the chef - but if we could easily find something and just go ahead and order if the item is okay. If not then we could work from there. I think it helps to give you an idea in advance if anything on the menu would at least work.

The only thing I would be concerned about is that it only lists the major food allergens so things like oranges are probably not on there and can be found in sauces. The other concern would be if they change an item would they insure that the menu would be up to date with the current changes.