Has Disney Dining Suffered?

[diskids2]

I can't help but wondering if the quality, quantity, choice selection and service has gone downhill since the introduction of the DDP's...not the older one's but the one's added a few years ago and also the introduction of free dining at certain times.

I have my favorites but find that I like them because of their decor rather then the food...ok well maybe some I like the food....can you say Cheddar Cheese Soup!

So, my vote is that I think the dining is not as good as it used to be and that does bother me.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Good question but, for me, tough choices ... my write in option would be, "No, it doesn't 'bother' me, but I would still like to see some changes."

I do think the portions have shrunk. In the last 30+ years, though, I haven't seen a decline in service, and the quality of what is available still seems fine.

Sooooo ... I'm not bothered, but I did like the previous DDP (with apps, entrees, dessert, tax, and gratutity) much more than its current incarnation. As with all things Disney, I'm sure it'll change again soon enough. They'll tinker with it to protect that bottom line, which is fine, because I think capitalism ROCKS.

If I'm ever dissatisfied, I'll vote with my feet.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Unfortunately, many people on the DDP, whether they pay for it directly or paying a higher rate for their room and getting "free" dining, look to the highest price items on the menu. This is based either on the attitude of "I paid for it and can get whatever I want" or "as long as it's free, let's get the best items".

For example, at Le Cellier there is a $22.50 difference in price between the lowest price adult lunch entree and the highest price dinner entree. Each restaturant receives a fixed dollar amount credit for each meal sold under DDP. Each restaurant has to make a profit.

As food costs go up it takes more money to operate a restaurant.

So as things progress more and more of the higher end cost items will vanish.

The signature restaurants do not have so much of a problem as they get paid double the regular restaurants.

If they ever do away with the Basic DDP within about six months you will find a lot more high end selections at all the restaurants.

 

[Tiggr924]

This is a hard question because I do feel it has changed and I wouldn't say I'm not bothered by it, but I'm also not sure how they would change things. My biggest disappointment with it is that the luxury of dining has diminished. By this I mean, you always need a reservation and the restaurant rarely take walk-ups. And this is definitely because of the dining plan. I miss being able to make reservations the day of and still eating where I want. And because more people are dining all the time the quality and service in some restaurants are suffering.

 

[RMulieri]

Yes I have noticed a decline, but it really doesn't bother me. If I want fine dining I don't go to Disney

 

[diskids2]

I really apprecate all these responses....so much to ponder.

 

[Bob NC]

I have already voted with my feet. We were the biggest Disney fans. I have had 29 onsite stays. After the kids were born we went at least once a year for 12 years. We haven't been in the past 2 years and I can't envision myself going again.

Do we miss it? YES

BUT, I am finished subjecting myself to a small chicken breast and a small pile of grits for $30.

There will be posts from the folks that say: "I live in New York and food is cheaper in Disney than it is here."

That may be true, but if you live in NY, you arent eating every meal out.

Want a cheap sit down breakfast? Tough. A family of four is gonna spend $50 for bacon & eggs.

Want to go cheap for lunch and have hot dogs? Good luck with that. Try Caseys. Have a dog, fries, brownie and drink for about $13. Family of four? $52. And this is counter service.

And character meals? I can't figure out how people would pay $200 for their family to eat a breakfast buffet.

I have finally had it. If the food were superior to anywhere maybe it would be different. Except for a couple signature restaurants, you are getting school lunchroom meals.

 

[kingcrab]

it really doesn't bother me. If I want fine dining I don't go to Disney

exactly how I feel, on past visits I didnt go in expecting the food on the Disney property to be very good, so I was not disappointed with what I got.

This time for the week we are staying at a Disney hotel we are only eating 2 meals on Disney property(our one day at the park we are doing Cinderellas table for lunch(leaving the park for dinner, and the night after we arrive we are going to Sanaa). the rest of the week we are going to do lunch and dinner off the Disney property.

Good food & drink is an important part of a vacation to us.

 

[PatsMom]

I voted that it bothers me and to get rid of those dining plans. When we first started visiting Disney, DD was young enough that we didn't eat in sit down restaurants much and if we did, it was a lunch time. By the time she was 6 or 7 and able to behave for dinner, we made a big deal of choosing our restaurants as we always wanted to encourage her to try new things. And even at that age she enjoyed planning the trip.

Over the years we've seen the variety decline considerably. The food is still decent and we definitely like some restaurants better than others. I have to agree with Cheshire Figment that the decline in variety is likely due to the fact that people tend to order the higher priced items under the theory of "wanting to get their moneys worth" out of the dining plan. Even if they have free dining, they are paying for it through higher room rates.

 

[diskids2]

I have already voted with my feet. We were the biggest Disney fans. I have had 29 onsite stays. After the kids were born we went at least once a year for 12 years. We haven't been in the past 2 years and I can't envision myself going again.

Do we miss it? YES

BUT, I am finished subjecting myself to a small chicken breast and a small pile of grits for $30.

There will be posts from the folks that say: "I live in New York and food is cheaper in Disney than it is here."

That may be true, but if you live in NY, you arent eating every meal out.

Want a cheap sit down breakfast? Tough. A family of four is gonna spend $50 for bacon & eggs.

Want to go cheap for lunch and have hot dogs? Good luck with that. Try Caseys. Have a dog, fries, brownie and drink for about $13. Family of four? $52. And this is counter service.

And character meals? I can't figure out how people would pay $200 for their family to eat a breakfast buffet.

I have finally had it. If the food were superior to anywhere maybe it would be different. Except for a couple signature restaurants, you are getting school lunchroom meals.

Well I live in NY (15 miles north of the city....Westchester county) and you are RIGHT...we don't eat out every night! Funny thing...we were in the Danbury, CT mall on Mother's Day doing some shopping and we had a quick bite to eat in the Foodcourt. Four of us....DS had some type of Panda Express meal....DD had Nathans...chicken fingers and fries...and a drink....DH had two hotdogs at Nathans and fries and a drink and I had subway with a drink....Guess how much I spent?...and make sure you don't even consider anything under $50. It was 51.22.

 

[jimmalru80]

It really doesn't bother me.

 

[DisMN]

I voted Yes it bothers me, get rid of those dining plans......

Nice to see I'm not the only one. LOL

Living where we do we don't have fine dining restaurants as it is but when we went to Disney we indeed found plenty of what we'd call fine dining. Now, however, and soon after they started them, those darn dining plans wiped out the variety of menu items and the quality of the food suffered.
These days we don't expect anything much better at the Disney restaurants than we get at home.

Good food and dining is an important part of a vacation for us but we've had to lower our expectations when we go to WDW restaurants. Kinda bums me out.....because it used to be soooooooo good!

 

[diskids2]

Interesting....so far....50% of the responders would like to see the dining plans go away.

I can see why so many feel that way.

 

[jlynne01]

Unfortunately, many people on the DDP, whether they pay for it directly or paying a higher rate for their room and getting "free" dining, look to the highest price items on the menu. This is based either on the attitude of "I paid for it and can get whatever I want" or "as long as it's free, let's get the best items".

For example, at Le Cellier there is a $22.50 difference in price between the lowest price adult lunch entree and the highest price dinner entree. Each restaturant receives a fixed dollar amount credit for each meal sold under DDP. Each restaurant has to make a profit.

As food costs go up it takes more money to operate a restaurant.

So as things progress more and more of the higher end cost items will vanish.

The signature restaurants do not have so much of a problem as they get paid double the regular restaurants.

If they ever do away with the Basic DDP within about six months you will find a lot more high end selections at all the restaurants.

I just wanted to say that this is not always true! I dont look for the most expensive thing on the menu to get, I look for what I like and get that... My dd usually ends up getting the lowest priced thing on the menu (not because of its price it just so happens that is what she likes). We dont always get the dining plan but when we do (and no we have never had free dining) we eat the same as we would if we didnt have the ddp.

 

[peyjax]

We just got back and I have to say I have seen a big difference in food. Now we use to be those that went for the free ddp. That was in fact our first trip as a family and let me say the food was great. That was in 05 the food now is just crappy and we stopped doing the ddp last year. It is even worse when you are paying at the end of the meal.

We also did the disney cruise for the first time and talk about crappy food. YUCK! I can definatly now say you don't do disney for the food. A couple of years ago I would have definatly said something different.

 

[Chuck S]

I just wanted to say that this is not always true! I dont look for the most expensive thing on the menu to get, I look for what I like and get that... My dd usually ends up getting the lowest priced thing on the menu (not because of its price it just so happens that is what she likes). We dont always get the dining plan but when we do (and no we have never had free dining) we eat the same as we would if we didnt have the ddp.

While it is true that many, in fact I'd say most DDP users don't shop by menu price, there is a percentage that do. I have a friend that if they get taken out for dinner, will always order the most expensive item on the menu...no matter what.

I voted to get rid of the plans...and I hate to feel that way...I don't think raising the price on the plans is a viable alternative, it will simply lead to their decline in popularity, and would defeat the marketing appeal that Disney relies upon. However, folks do need to realize that rarely are all inclusive plans designed to be a "bargain" for the consumer, they are a convenience item. I think it is simply unfortunate that Disney chose to make this plan an "add-on" type offering, rather than requiring it to be a major travel package like the older plans. Overall the older travel packages were no bargain compared to paying each item individually, they were really a convenience item.

While I have not noticed a decline in overall service at restaurants, I have noticed a decline in the variety of offerings and some decline in overall quality. And while I usually did not order the most expensive item when paying out of pocket, I did order it occasionally, if it was something I truly wanted to eat.

 

[Kay1]

DDP has really ruined Disney dining for us to the point we try to stay offsite or at a Universal resort. We still have lunch at CS but avoid TS restaurants. Funny, we used to eat at TS for lunch and dinner when we earned a lot less money than we do now. There are just so many restaurants in the area that offer great variety, prices, and quality. Leave the Disney restaurants for the DDP people.

If they ever ditch the DDP, we'll be back.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm at about 20+ trips since '99. Has food quality changed? It sure has. We used to love eating out at WDW..the food was usually good. Even the burgers were okay. Not so much nowadays. I can't order the burgers anymore..they taste awful!! The chicken strips, while probably really bad for you, were wonderful. But, Disney has done away with those. So many changes, and not for the good. I truly think that about a year after the DDP came along, Disney started dumbing down the menus. When dd and I were in WDW last month, we had some pretty horrific meals. I had eaten at Mama Melrose's last Dec and really enjoyed it. So, dd and I went. It was awful. The service was abysmal, the food was barely edible. Crystal Palace?? That one is, or was, a must-do on every single trip. After dinner and breakfast there last month, no more. My roast beef was so fatty that I could get two bites out of each piece that was carved. The salad offerings seemed to all be marinated or such. The desserts were the same old, same old. Service was barely okay. Breakfast was 'okay' but not great. And the service was borderline bad. It took forever for our plates to get taken away..they actually sat there while dd and I ate from refilled plates. No more Crystal Palace for us.
We are returning in Aug...this time there will be a lot more meals eaten in our villa..thank heaven I booked a one bedroom with full kitchen!!! Almost every lunch will be in our villa, with most breakfasts there as well. We have chosen to just not eat 'out' nearly as often. Way too expensive with not so great quality.

 

[eliza61]

I've probably been the most vocal "complainer" on these topic for the last year. So I apologize.

For me it's probably a number of issues. First I am a life long disney vacationer so I readily admit it's hard not to compare to previous years.

I believe that Disney is cutting corners to keep stockholders happy. As a stockholder I would much rather give back a little of my profits to keep that "disney high standard"

IMO, the food isn't terrible its just so-so. Prices have gone up but quality has gone down. Food is unimaginative. Please, Do we have to have mahi mahi as the seafood choice on every menu? Italian restuarants are "Olive Garden" quality at best. I've had pasta at Mama melrose that could have been confused as paste.
Signature dishes have been removed in the name of cost cutting and Buffets have a rushed "cafeteria" feel now.


Disney has taken individuality from every thing. Any one remember when you could go into gift shops and see different merchandise. Now in every gift shop it's the same stuff, POTC, Hannah Montanna and nightmare before Christmas. Maybe a Mickey or goofy thrown in.
Please tell me why are you selling Nightmare before christmas stuff in the Indiana Jones gift shop?

Food is the same way
We went to Sci fi diner and the best part of the meal was the milkshake. How sad is that.
I have no real issue with the dining plan, I don't use it but I'm glad people can save a bit of money with it.

This August, we decided to rent a car. Out of 10 days, I've only made adr's for 3 nights. I don't mind paying high prices, I pretty much expect that on vacation. I do mind lukewarm, hint of taste food for a high price.

 

[MissionMouse]

Without a doubt Disney Dining has suffered and it will continue as long as the plans are used as a tool of affordability. In the next five years I would expect individuals who started to dine under the recent DDP plans will be joining the crowd who currently see the decline.