Has Free Dining ruined WDW restaurants?

[GeorgeG]

Here's a radical concept:

WDW could offer a wide variety of dining venues from "value" to "premier" and match the prices to the quality of the food. No free dining. Pre-paid dining plans, perhaps. Guests would simply choose whatever restaurants they like and can fit into their budgets.

 

[Mimi1965]

And kudos to you, I've never been the type of girl that goes in for camping, van or no

I havent camped since back in those days .

on that trip we stayed at Jellystone in Kissimme-lots of mosquitos-then we "splurged" to stay a couple nights at Fort Wilderness

I was determined to stay "onsite" in a hotel one day=and have gone some 12 or more times to WDW

 

[tony67]

Given the current WDW and Disney in general business model, I tend to think that the negative effect on the quality of the restaurants would have occurred with or without the dining plan. I know I mentioned the standardization push has also affected Disneyland restaurants. Disneyland does not have a comparable dining plan.

Did Disneyland change first or did they see the "success" in WDW and do the same in DL?

I can see them reducing the quality and standardizing at DL.
Although I have not been there is it not in the middle a strip where there are many chain restaurants they have to compete within walking distance of the main entrance?
Are the prices as ridiculous as WDW?

I was at Disneyland Paris in 98 and the food at the castle was amazing.
I have heard now it is a buffet and not so good, so you could be on to something.
I've never seen a need to go back to DLP, so I do not know.

I still can't imagine the prices would be as high in WDW as they are now without the DDP.
The restaurants would be close to empty without the DDP if they charged these price and provided this quality IMO.

 

[TDC Nala]

I think the prices at Disneyland may actually be slightly higher than at WDW. I know California has higher taxes than Florida.

It is true that at Disneyland there are a lot fewer restaurants to choose from (it's a much smaller resort though - only two parks and three hotels) and plenty of outside food within walking distance. There's also a different guest demographic - many more locals and day trippers.

Disneyland has a dining plan, but it is a strictly prepaid, voucher-based program. You get vouchers to spend based on what you have paid. There isn't a lot of opportunity to realize savings, so it's just for convenience.

 

[kid-at-heart]

The free dining promotion has affected the food at WDW and not in a positive way.

 

[mickaholic4077]

The last time we were at the World was in 2008, so I may be out of touch, but I don't remember having one bad meal (though Jiko was the first time we've done a Signature and just weren't impressed). I do understand how menu prices going up due to the DDP could be really frustrating to those who choose to pay OOP, though.

I think a good compromise might be a fixed price type of thing for DDP guests at ALL TS restaurants that accept the DDP. Maybe slightly smaller portions of 4-5 of the most popular dishes at each place, no prices listed. Not sure how that would work with gratuities being extra, but I'm sure something could be worked out. That way, those who wanted to forgo the DDP wouldn't have to feel like they were being gouged (that's IF Disney adjusted the regular menu prices accordingly).



Internet tone is a funny thing. If it hadn't been for the winking smilie at the end of that sentence, I'd have thought nothing of it, but as it is, I'm sorry that those of us who can generally only afford (or choose) to stay at the Values or off site have ruined your "dream" vacation destination. I'm happy that WDW staff has never made me feel like some of the posters here do simply because we happened not to be staying at a monorail resort.

Thank you!!!!

 

[GeorgeG]

Out of 24 years of going to WDW, the dining and quality of the food has always been great, without exception. That has changed in the last few years. I was poking around the menus section here in the DIS and thought I'd check out Shutters at the CBR since we will be staying there for a few days tomorrow. An audio review started and if you have about 23 minutes you should listen to it. We can argue whether the decline is due to "Free Dining" (many of us believe it is), but there is a serious decline in quality in many restaurants any way you shake it. Check out the Shutters menu on this site and listen to the audio review.

 

[Brygida]

I'm going to stick my neck way out and add that, to some extent, the quality of the visitors to WDW has declined, which could be related to the decline of the quality in dining. Bouncin Tigger makes a good point regarding the disappearance of so many good restaurants at WDW. The "Top of the World" (Contemporary) had a nightclub atmosphere and a show (Broadway at the Top" with dinner and dancing. Men were required to wear a jacket and tie. There was a truly fantastic bunch there as well as one of the best breakfasts in WDW. The California Grill just doesn't come close. The Gulf Coast Room, also in the CR was another fine restaurant (jacket and tie) with great food and a strolling guitarist. The Pueblo Room (CR) was a nice casual restaurant. The Empress Room in the old Empress Lilly was special. Now Fulton's Crabhouse, it's among the best restaurants in WDW, but nothing like the Empress Room was. The Yachtsman Steakhouse started as a very good restaurant, but the quality has slipped while the prices just about doubled. The old King Stephan's Banquet Hall in the castle was so much better than Cinderella's Royal Table. And so on, and so on.

I did love "Top of the World" and old "King Stephan's Banquet Hall. I agree Stephan's was better than CRT, but I think that California Grill is one of the best restaurants at WDW currently, so I don't think that Top of the World was better. I think Yachtsman Steak is still quite good, but agree it is way overpriced - a tablecloth on the table does not mean you can charge twice the price! I thought the Empress Room was special too! If I remember correctly, it had one of the first character breakfasts!

On the same topic, just this past trip we ate at 1900 Park Fare (which we hadn't done in about 15 years???) and it was awful. Not only was the food just about in-edible, we all commented how, the clientele were all in tanks&shorts, rowdy, food thrown everywhere, it was crowded and a mess -every inch of space had a table crammed into it. I remember dressing up to go the Grand Floridian for this dinner (when I think mainly only GF residents ate there!) and feeling under-dressed. All the women and girls in freshly pressed cotton dresses and the men in fresh, sporty golf outfits.

Somewhere along the line - Was it the princesses? - the regular people found out about the GF and started coming. This probably did coincide with the DDP being instituted and people learning (maybe for the first time?) that you could eat at the resorts. Probably prior to DDP, most people did NOT go to the trouble to eat at resorts. Unfortunately, the word got out!

Certainly the DDP has ruined 1900 Park Fare and Cinderella's Royal Table!

 

[justbishop]

I did love "Top of the World" and old "King Stephan's Banquet Hall. I agree Stephan's was better than CRT, but I think that California Grill is one of the best restaurants at WDW currently, so I don't think that Top of the World was better. I think Yachtsman Steak is still quite good, but agree it is way overpriced - a tablecloth on the table does not mean you can charge twice the price! I thought the Empress Room was special too! If I remember correctly, it had one of the first character breakfasts!

On the same topic, just this past trip we ate at 1900 Park Fare (which we hadn't done in about 15 years???) and it was awful. Not only was the food just about in-edible, we all commented how, the clientele were all in tanks&shorts, rowdy, food thrown everywhere, it was crowded and a mess -every inch of space had a table crammed into it. I remember dressing up to go the Grand Floridian for this dinner (when I think mainly only GF residents ate there!) and feeling under-dressed. All the women and girls in freshly pressed cotton dresses and the men in fresh, sporty golf outfits.

Somewhere along the line - Was it the princesses? - the regular people found out about the GF and started coming. This probably did coincide with the DDP being instituted and people learning (maybe for the first time?) that you could eat at the resorts. Probably prior to DDP, most people did NOT go to the trouble to eat at resorts. Unfortunately, the word got out!

Certainly the DDP has ruined 1900 Park Fare and Cinderella's Royal Table!

Wow. Just...wow.

 

[Brygida]

Wow. Just...wow.

Just to be more clear. I have not yet been able to afford a stay at GF. My comments were about manners and etiquette which seemed to have disappeared at 1900 Park Fare.

 

[Mamu]

Free Dining or Pre-paid Dining has effected WDW Dining. I wouldn't say it's ruined it though.

It's harder to get ADR unless you plan 6 months out.

Choices have changed. Especially in the childrens menu. In world showcase there were great children choices, no more.

Restaurants that I loved have completely changed their menu and offer fewer choices.

I've noticed it specifically in the service you receive, servers are rushed.

 

[tfc3rid]

Free Dining or Pre-paid Dining has effected WDW Dining. I wouldn't say it's ruined it though.

It's harder to get ADR unless you plan 6 months out.

Choices have changed. Especially in the childrens menu. In world showcase there were great children choices, no more.

Restaurants that I loved have completely changed their menu and offer fewer choices.

I've noticed it specifically in the service you receive, servers are rushed.

In reading this thread it seems like table turnover has taken priority over providing a quality product (food, service, etc.) That's very sad.

 

[justbishop]

Just to be more clear. I have not yet been able to afford a stay at GF. My comments were about manners and etiquette which seemed to have disappeared at 1900 Park Fare.

my disbelief was mainly directed at the bolded in the following (though a lot of this portion of your quote also made my mouth drop):

Somewhere along the line - Was it the princesses? - the regular people found out about the GF and started coming. This probably did coincide with the DDP being instituted and people learning (maybe for the first time?) that you could eat at the resorts. Probably prior to DDP, most people did NOT go to the trouble to eat at resorts. Unfortunately, the word got out!

Certainly the DDP has ruined 1900 Park Fare and Cinderella's Royal Table!

I'm not quite sure what you could mean by "regular people", but you may want to rethink your wording to convey your concept in a less judgmental way. I'm not sure if you really do look down on the people who do not stay at places like the GF for whatever reason, no matter how appropriately dressed or well-behaved they are when visiting for a meal, or if you just misspoke and mean something more along the lines of "inconsiderate people." In the example of 1900 Park Fare being unpleasant, there really is no way for you to know whether the restaurant was filled with GF guests when you were there or not. Money does not buy manners, i.e. GF guests have the potential to be classless jerks as easily as anyone else.

 

[Brygida]

my disbelief was mainly directed at the bolded in the following (though a lot of this portion of your quote also made my mouth drop):

I'm not quite sure what you could mean by "regular people", but you may want to rethink your wording to convey your concept in a less judgmental way. I'm not sure if you really do look down on the people who do not stay at places like the GF for whatever reason, no matter how appropriately dressed or well-behaved they are when visiting for a meal, or if you just misspoke and mean something more along the lines of "inconsiderate people." In the example of 1900 Park Fare being unpleasant, there really is no way for you to know whether the restaurant was filled with GF guests when you were there or not. Money does not buy manners, i.e. GF guests have the potential to be classless jerks as easily as anyone else.

Point taken. Wrote that too quickly. Let me try again....

There was a point in time when "day" visitors, as well as those staying at other resorts, starting realizing that you could "tour" resorts and eat at restaurants NOT at the resort you were staying at. Once this started and the availability of the DDP advertised it even more and then people heard of a princess meal, at least 1900 Park Fare became overcrowded. The waitstaff can't possibly keep the same level of cleanliness between diners when the restaurant is CRAMMED with tables. It seems as if everyone (the people who run the place, and the diners) all gave up. If you treat people like cattle, they will behave like cattle. I bet for every family who ate at 1900 Park Fare, if they ate at California Grill, they wouldn't allow the screaming, crawling under tables, food everywhere behavior we saw at 1900 Park Fare.
And I bet they would try to dress up a bit and make "an occasion" out of it as used to be the case at 1900 Park Fare.

So what caused this? The diners? The management? The DDP? Free dining? The decline of etiquette?

Don't know if the dressed-up people at Grand Floridian were staying there? Attending a wedding? A conference? But I guess if you go now, the attitude is - why bother?

 

[justbishop]

I can totally see your point when put that way, thanks

Although I do think that being able to tour a resort that you're not staying at is a GOOD thing, I also think that everyone has a responsibility to behave in a situation and location appropriate manner. I also do think that it's a bad thing if Disney is allowing some special meal experiences to be dragged down by running them more like a "turn and burn" chain restaurant, but on the other hand it's nice that they want things like a meal with a princess to be accessible to more people. I guess it's finding and walking the line between the two that's the problem, and from what most are saying, Disney hasn't found that line yet. Here's hoping they do soon!

 

[TinkBride]

Here's a radical concept:

WDW could offer a wide variety of dining venues from "value" to "premier" and match the prices to the quality of the food. No free dining. Pre-paid dining plans, perhaps. Guests would simply choose whatever restaurants they like and can fit into their budgets.

Interesting concept........I think you should pitch it to Crofton!

 

[GeorgeG]

I'm sure several of us who posted here are being considered snobs. That's okay. We've paid our dues and know what we're talking about. That may be difficult for relative newcomers to understand, but there was a time when a lot of the better restaurants at WDW were, well, special. You could dress nicely, spend a few more dollars, and get a really great meal. I guess the trend in recent years is leaning more towards casual dress, really casual, for what used to be 4 and 5 star restaurants and if the food is slightly better than Waffle Hut, it's special, especially if it's on a dining plan or free dining. I remember not so long ago when CS was a bit pricey, but you still got decent food in generous portions. McDonald's and Burger King are now offering better food and affordable prices. It doesn't take a genious to figure out what Disney is doing wrong.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

I agree. I LOVE the FREE DDP!

I just returned from 10 night trip, where (on regular DDP) I ate at California Grill twice, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Wolfgang Puck Express 5 times, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, Boma, Akershus, Chefs de France, and many others. ALL FREE (except for tip ). Plus we had countless snacks. Anytime my 6yo asked for a snack I said sure!!!

Plus, I used the $500 gift card I got from my trip in February to pay down the room!

We maximized our DDP credits and it was great. FREE DDP is great for middle-class people with kids. It is absolutely a money-saver!

Was free dinning the main reason you went to WDW on that trip? I keep reading TR's who say if it wasn't for the free DDP they wouldn't go!!

I don't know the actual reason, but WDW restaurants have certainly dropped in quality over the many years we've been going there.

We haven't been to WDW since 2008 and it seems like there are more and more complaints about the quality of the food.

The free dining promotion has affected the food at WDW and not in a positive way.

Free Dining or Pre-paid Dining has effected WDW Dining. I wouldn't say it's ruined it though.

It's harder to get ADR unless you plan 6 months out.

Choices have changed. Especially in the childrens menu. In world showcase there were great children choices, no more.

Restaurants that I loved have completely changed their menu and offer fewer choices.

I've noticed it specifically in the service you receive, servers are rushed.

Servers rushed? The only restaurant we felt rushed was at CM's for breakfast. Getting ADR's even at 6 moth's is getting harder and harder.

I'm just worried that WDW will make it to where food at WDW will be just as bad as high school cafeteria food. The DDP was worth it at one point. Now if you do DDP and eat all breakfast's, the only winner is WDW.

 

[SaraMc]

We went and did lunch with the playhouse Disney characters. We went for DS so he could meet the likely einstiens. I was not expecting much. We went for the first seating of lunch and things were fresh infect one side of the buffet was still breakfast. I loved the beef in the wine reduction Pp was right the desserts were lacking. We would go again for lunch.

 

[justbishop]

I'm sure several of us who posted here are being considered snobs. That's okay. We've paid our dues and know what we're talking about. That may be difficult for relative newcomers to understand, but there was a time when a lot of the better restaurants at WDW were, well, special. You could dress nicely, spend a few more dollars, and get a really great meal. I guess the trend in recent years is leaning more towards casual dress, really casual, for what used to be 4 and 5 star restaurants and if the food is slightly better than Waffle Hut, it's special, especially if it's on a dining plan or free dining. I remember not so long ago when CS was a bit pricey, but you still got decent food in generous portions. McDonald's and Burger King are now offering better food and affordable prices. It doesn't take a genious to figure out what Disney is doing wrong.

I only consider people who are behaving as though eating a sit down meal at WDW should be reserved for people staying at the GF or something.

I do think it's sad that some of the nicer places are ALLOWING people to show up in less than appropriate dress and behave as if they were at Chuck E. Cheese, but times do change. Character meals were meant for kids, so I think it's wonderful that the free dining promos (and the DDP in general) have opened things like that up to kids who otherwise might never have been able to experience them (not that that excuses people allowing their kids to be downright rude, but even the most well behaved kids and well meaning parents are generally going to make more of a mess than a typical group of adults, which should be expected at a character meal).

As for the other restaurants, I can totally see not appreciating screaming kids and people dressed in tshirts and cutoffs at sit down restaurants, but I get the impression that many here feel like, rather than put rules in place to avoid issues like that but still keep things realistically accessible to everyone, certain groups of people should simply be excluded.

I grew up going to WDW and never getting to eat at the sit down restaurants or character meals. That was something that "rich people" got to do. Thanks to the DDP (which we've done on the free promo each time we've gone with it), that feeling of being excluded from some of the Disney magic is no longer there. Personally, I hope everyone gets to feel something like that in their lifetime, and I'm happy that Disney is making it easier, rather than more difficult, to get in on that magic