Funny Conversation With Cast Member

[lugnut33]

So, a couple Monday's ago I was at the Magic Kingdom and feeling a bit hungry around dinner time, so I remember that the pressed panini sandwich at Pinoch's Village Haus that many podcasters had raved about. I walked in, looked at the menu and didn't see. Thinking I was just missing it I walked over to a castmember working the till and had the following conversation:

Me: Don't you have a pressed panini sandwich?
CM: We got rid of it.
Me: Ohhhh, I had heard that was the best sandwich you have.
CM: Yes, it was our most popular food item.
Me: So, umm, why would they get rid of the most popular sandwich?
CM: Because too many people were ordering it and it would create a long line.
Me: Oh, that makes sense, thanks! <turned around and walked out the door>

LOL, they got rid of the best sandwich. Who is running that place, Homer Simpson?

 

[PrincessBelle94]

 

[Sandy321]

its the reason all the Disney restaurants food is alike - chicken nuggets, CS Desserts -

not because its good, its just not a McDonald's model -

they are making a big mistake, and will blame it on the economy!

 

[Tbelle1976]

Sounds completely crazy to me!

 

[pumba]

they (almost said the same thing at Cosmic Rays) said that to many people were getting the steak and cheese sub and then filling it up with the fixin' bar. That was the best sandwich and they do not make anything similiar to it anywheres else....
big big sigh....

thanks for reminding me of this after three or so years

 

[ROEDISNEY]

They makes no sense.

 

[oybolshoi]

the lunatics are apparently in charge of the asylum ...

 

[cmesq61]

And WDW is laughing all the way to the bank...

 

[maggiew]

LOL, they got rid of the best sandwich. Who is running that place, Homer Simpson?

Maggie

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

there is a growing trend at WDW to streamline everything. they dumb down the menus, they are getting rid of the unique food items. pretty soon there will be no individuality, you will be able to get the same things at all counter service locations.

WHY?

 

[GatorLady]

WHY?

Maybe they want to be more like Six Flags.

 

[Tammy296]

Like I've said before if the food doesn't own up this year (like it did in 2007 on our first trip) we probably won't go back. WDW has gotten cheap on their customers who are paying HUGE bucks to be/eat there.



I've always taken a trip to the Carribean on an all-inclusive vacation in the past and NEVER EVER complained about the food. I only started doing disney for my children. While yes Disney has much to love, it's going to become another six flags soon all because of the food?

One poster said WDW was laughing all the way to the bank yep!!

 

[Tricia1972]

And WDW is laughing all the way to the bank...

That they are. So long as we keep accepting their changes, they'll continue to take away. They're a business, and as crazy as it seems to us, it's good business to offer less for the same price or even charge more.

 

[Lisa Anne Colling]

It's not just the counter service the are "dumbing" down. We noticed the restaurant menus were all very limited. If you ordered ribs in one place they were the same in the next despite the different theme of the restaurant. The kids menus were pretty well the same at every restuarant except for Cali Grill and Le Cellier were they could order "real" food like a kid size steak. Very dissappointing. We have always planned our vacation around the food and like choices and variety especially when there for a week or 2. There is only so many burgers and Chicken nuggets a person can eat!

 

[Grumpy92]

The numbers crunchers are running WDW now. In the last couple years we have noticed that especially fs resort restaurant menus have become very generic. They all have the same NY strip, chicken dish, maybe a fish and a bad pasta dish. The only place we find for some menu variety is EC. The FS in MK just arent that good. We may do LTT for lunch but otherwise come out of the park to eat.
What is really sad is that restaurants that in the past were wonderful really have dropped to off to medocre. Artist Pt & Boatwrights are good examples. We have had DDE/TOWL for years this year may drop it because we just are not using it like we used too.
Have you noticed if you want a good steak you have to go to a high end restaurant like Yachtsmans or Shulas. They got rid of the moderately priced Concourse. We went to GF Cafe and had their steak and it was terrible. They offer a decent terriyaki one at Konas.
I do know that a few years ago the f&B purchases were switched to one dept or person for all of the property, which will help in their cost control. Previously the chefs or indiv parks or resorts did their own ordering.
I say all this having been a foody fan of wdw since its creation in 1971 and my background is in Hospitality.

 

[DCDisney]

It's funny because for years and years we heard how awful the food was at DL as compared to WDW. We recently took out 1st DL trip and thought the food was so much better. They had so many different types and styles of CS foods at DL. Yes, they have tons of churros but otherwise we thought the CS food was infinitely better than WDW for adults and kids. They actually bake and prepare foods on site so all of the desserts were lovely not prepackaged chemicals. Lots of things decorated to be Disney including the cool Mickey shaped pretzels. I don't understand why WDW doesn't have those. Obviously the pre-packaged desserts are a volume thing probably necesitated by the DDP.

 

[crisi]

It makes perfect sense.

If the lines were too long the customers were getting unhappy. How many times have you heard "we even had to wait in line an hour to get lunch!"

Disney is about a lot of things - magic, families, memories - but as a business the theme park division is about crowd logistics as much as it is about anything else - making a magical experience for the tens of thousands of people that enter the Magic Kingdom each day. More of them will have their day made less magical by a long food line or higher prices due to topping bar abuse than will miss the panini sandwich.

 

[eventamy]

What can we do about it?
Is there anywhere that we can let WDW know about a particularly bad meal or a particularly good one?

 

[Tricia1972]

What can we do about it?
Is there anywhere that we can let WDW know about a particularly bad meal or a particularly good one?

You can always make a comment to guest services, but quite honestly it won't make a huge difference to guest services until it affects their bottom line.

IMO The best way to complain is to take your money elsewhere. I am lucky, I own DVC so we can always purchase sandwich meat, bread, etc. It's literally nothing (as in no hassle) for us to make a sandwich for lunch. We always go back to the room for a nap after lunch, so it doesn't even affect our touring style.

 

[wilma-bride]

It's a real shame that WDW is making everything so samey (I know that's not a word but I like it). One of the things we loved about WDW when we first visited in 2004 was the variety - variety is the spice fo life and, to be honest, we will be eating mostly off-site on our next trip. For us, the premium you pay to eat on property is not worth it when the offerings are standardised throughout.