Has Disney Dining Suffered?

[Dreamfinder2]

I'd like to see the DDP stay - we don't use it, but if I can get the quality I used to get, they can keep it.

What I'd like to see to address the quality - a DDP menu. Cash guests get one menu. DDPers get a second, limited menu with DDP items on it. DDPers can upcharge to the cash menu.

Interesting. You know how some restaurants have "bulleted" on their menus items that are house specialities? Perhaps Disney could have menus with items available on the DDP highlighted or bulleted in some fashion. Or the old Chinese menu joke about "one from column A, one from column B" technique.

It'd probably be waaaaay too confusing, but I don't know what we have now is especially simple.

Or, maybe just shucking the DDP altogehter. We went a lot of years without it and managed fine, because we didn't know any better. I'll use it as long as it's around, most likely, although I do miss the 3-course, tax, and gratuities incarnation.

I guarantee you that it will change, sooner or later. It's the nature of the Disney beast.

 

[bonybroad]

I say get rid of the dining plans. People won't spend money on ickypoo food. If they want people to eat there, they will have to improve the quality.
We used the dining plan the last time we were there. My kids were SOOO tired of chicken nuggets and pizza. Even kids get tired of those for EVERY meal!!

 

[frdeb1999]

I voted yes and that it needs some modifications. I think it could still be a very good thing for everyone. It just needs some major help and they keep going in the wrong direction with it.

 

[diskids2]

Interesting. You know how some restaurants have "bulleted" on their menus items that are house specialities? Perhaps Disney could have menus with items available on the DDP highlighted or bulleted in some fashion. Or the old Chinese menu joke about "one from column A, one from column B" technique.

It'd probably be waaaaay too confusing, but I don't know what we have now is especially simple.

Or, maybe just shucking the DDP altogehter. We went a lot of years without it and managed fine, because we didn't know any better. I'll use it as long as it's around, most likely, although I do miss the 3-course, tax, and gratuities incarnation.

I guarantee you that it will change, sooner or later. It's the nature of the Disney beast.

I'd like to see something like this or the option to upgrade (some sort of DDP that you pay for in advance). I actually like the dining plan idea...I'm just worried about the quality.

 

[wendy46001]

Yep. Over the past 30ish years, I watched WDW food go from cruel and unusual, (but faster than going offsite), to expansive, interesting and beautifully prepared/presented, to something a lot closer to cruel and unusual again. I've found places to eat that aren't awful, but WDW is no longer a dining destination for special meals as it once was.

And I wonder how much that hurts them, if at all? Lots of us locals used to claim reservations for CA Grill, Flying Fish, Bistro, Artist Point and the like for holiday meals. Few people I know do anymore because the food and experience just isn't worth the effort of getting there these days.

I'm going to agree...as a local we don’t do disney restaurants as often as we used to. This is mainly due to the lower quality and less variety offered....Now we tend to stick to the Swan and Dolphin for dinners or head offsite

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I live in the Nations Capital. Spend many weekends downtown at the museums and I must say they make Disney look like a bargin. One banana $1.50 a small pudding $3.95 and not only are the prices outrageous but the food looked bad.

I'm not saying Disney food is great for the price, it is not, but there are worse places.

 

[Caren]

I've been noticing how bland, sweet, and mushy most Disney food has become. Even Boma, which used to offer something for the adventurous palate, has gone bland, sweet, and mushy. A couple of the soups tasted like dessert and the sambal sauce for the meat was almost tasteless when it used to be fiery hot. I haven't really run into anything really bad at Disney lately, it's just that none of it is very good anymore.

It's worth pointing out that you can get some very good, reasonably-priced meals at the Swolphin--it's our preferred dining choice when we're at Epcot or the Studios.

 

[murcor]

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

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

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.

Agree

Its sad, it really is.

 

[Laura]

Eliza, you're probably on to something here.

We've been to WDW so many times, and so frequently, that I forget what it's like to be a newbie. It seems like every trip, however, we take a guest or guests with us who either have never been to Disney or haven't been in years. They are routinely blown away by EVERYTHING - the DVC resort, the attractions and, yes, the food.

But if it were just my family going, I think we'd eat in the villa more (I love to cook and am pretty good at it, IMHO), and make our dining out experiences more of an event. When we lived in the area and were going weekly, we'd routinely bring sandwiches in the park and just buy drinks. I think there is a LOT of that going on now.

One thing the DDP has done, for better or worse, is that it has skewed the real value of things. When everything is pre-paid, and a discount is involved, then it's easy for a neophyte to forget that a $30 entree is, well, thirty dollars. If we/they were counting out their meal cost in $1 bills, then it might dawn on folks - dude, this is expensive for what I'm getting, by most guest's standards.

We're using the DDP next week and I'm going to try to be objective about the whole experience. But my objectivity is someone else's subjectivity, you know? Walt Disney World isn't exactly a bastion of haute cusine, but I continue to feel that the best of WDW meals are just fine. I've had a handful of less than stellar experiences, but never anything awful. We did go to Big River Grill once, and it was pretty nasty (as in dirty), and I have unfond memories of the ABC Commissary on my last visit, and slipshod service at the old Concourse Steak House and Pepper Market, but otherwise, we've had great experiences. After hundreds of Disney meals, I think our hit-to-miss ratio is pretty amazing. My opinions reflect that.

I just try to remind myself, on any given Disney day, that I am surrounded by hundreds of people who have saved and sacrificed for years to make this once-in-a-lifetime trip. They are having the time of their lives, and even if I'm dissatisfied with a meal, a long wait in line, or whatever, I can still celebrate along with THEM, they who are blessed even to be there and experience what I take for granted. This discussion we're having would be, to them, so trivial as to be laughable.

But it's important to us; hence, the DISboards.

I feel sorry for first-timers at WDW. When I first went there was only one park and two hotels to worry about!

A lot of newbies expect the park restaurants to be available for walk-ups at dinner with very little wait time. It's hard to know which places are popular and what restaurants are more likely to have open tables (like the Plaza in MK). And without having gone beforehand, they don't really know which restaurants they'll like. Anyone who is actually planning their first WDW vacation must feel a lot of pressure.

 

[jodifla]

I hate, hate, HATE the DDP. ALways have, always will. IMO, it RUINED Disney dining....which had gotten to be a great experience in the 1990s. Now, it's more like it was when the MK first opened...expensive and not very good.

Hopefully, WDW will kill the DDP and leave the Quick Service and the Deluxe DDP, for those who feel they just have to have a dining plan. I think the deluxe is expensive enough to keep the hordes from going that way, and even if they do, then it should be expensive enough to cover the costs and stop the deathward Disney dining spiral.

 

[BarleyJack]

We went to WDW twice last year, once on the DP and once w/o. All truth be told, our prior trips were loads of yrs ago as kids, and we always ate at CS type places, can't remember EVER eating sit down at the parks until last year. That being said, the food quality between the 2 trips last yr seemed about the same, even tho we tried different places each time. The one thing I did notice that was different however was the service we received. While on the DDP, the servers were much more abrupt and straightforward: "you get this or this or this or this, what'll it be? " (not everywhere but at a lot of places), we felt pressured to order the entire meal at once, felt very rushed. The second trip we went w/o the plan, and service was much better. Better paced, friendlier, the servers seemed to actually work harder for their tips. We're going back this Sept with free dining, and now that the gratuity isn't included we'll see what happens. Should the dining plan stay? I dunno. We enjoy the convenience of it and with some planning get to eat where we want, without having to worry about budgeting more cash. We fly down and don't do the car rental, so its Disney Dining either way for us, might as well take advantage of the plan. As far as snacks and CS go, there are great options to be had. A french fry is a french fry, a hot dog is just that. Pizza varies but with some research one can find food that isn't awful, and some is actually quite good. I LOVE Disney, but I don't ever forget that its a collection of theme parks and a resort. Its not Atlantis or a week in Paris. It is what it is and that's just fine by me.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Well, I am not sure "decline" is the right word I'd use. In that our food has still been good, the service has been very good and the prices are about what I'd expect. I do think the selection has suffered a bit. A lot of my favorite things are off the menu now, but then Outback and other chains do the same thing to me! I don't claim to be a foodie but I am not someone who thinks Chef Boy Ardee is tasty. To me I still enjoy the food but like all things, its not a perfect set up.

I miss having the tip included. I can see why they did that, but man that was a sweeping change. When I think back to the days when the tip was part of the price, I really miss it! I just wish they'd charge more and add it back in, I loved having it all taken care of. I sort of miss the appetizer but not really, it was really too much food.

Portions are a bit smaller but I like that, it used to be sort of crazy. Its still a lot of food and we are still able to share at many places.

Holiday pricing annoys the he** out of me, which is one of the key reasons we are doing the DDP this summer. When you add the $6 per person in my family, which drives up the tax and tip, its about a $30 difference for many of our meals. Bad in my book, when we are paying such a high price.

I don't go to WDW for the food. But it does play a part in my vacation. We enjoy the signature restaurants, the buffets, the characters and the cs locations. So I'm not even close to be disillusioned enough to cut back on trips or venture off site to eat. But I would like to see a bit more variety and a few other tweaks.

And I'll add I'm very glad I am done with kids meals. I hate paying adult price for my 12 year old, but I'd hate to pay kids price for the same meals at place after place. I am amazed at the fact that WDW of all places has such lousy kids' choices. If I had a kid under 10, I'd do mostly buffets.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

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

Exactly! I go to WDW for Disney, not for food. If I want fine dining, all I have to do is head into NYC...

 

[Colleen27]

I didn't vote because there's not really an option that matches my opinion. I'd vote "Yes, but I don't blame it on the DDP". Everywhere we go, from the diner down the road to our favorite Disney restaurants, prices are rising, menus are being pared down, and portions are shrinking. The DDP undoubtedly has some effect, but I don't think it is the one reason for all that is wrong with Disney dining that others make it out to be.

 

[Colleen27]

I
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 think that's the issue that most people have and I don't quite get why the DDP is the scapegoat when, as you pointed out, the same thing is happening in Disney merchandising. The same thing is also going on with the bar/lounge menus, and obviously the DDP has no bearing on those. I think the changes that people tend to blame on the dining plan are a consequence of a change in Disney corporate philosophy. It seems like more and more they're following the rest of American big business down the path of offering "good enough" rather than excellence to squeeze a little more profit out of their operations.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the DDP! I've been eating at WDW for 25 years and the food I like is still there but a bit more affordable. Some one said they should upgrade it so the hordes don't get it, well, speaking for the hordes, that ain't gonna happen. Disney wants more people, eating more meals, at the same number of restaurants. That's why they started the DDP. They eliminated the tip and appy and lowered the price a buck to even things out. It's been steady since.
For those that want more upscale, I recommend the DDxP and eating at the 2 credit restaurants. They offer the more expensive entrees. The hordes don't go there much. Just leave PTC, R&C, Biergarten and LTT for me. And maybe WCC and CMCB.