Have the menus changed because of free dining?

[northbend64]

I just wanted to know if any of the menus at the restaurants have been changed due to the free dining. I am most concerned of the signature restaurants. I know that this has been the case in years past... Any comments will be appreciated

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Many higher-end menu items eliminated.
2) Many menu items "dumbed down".
3) Many menu items "Standardized" with creativity reduced.
4) In other words, DDP has reduced the dining experience at WDW.
5) Due, in part, to DDP, we patronize only five sit down eateries at WDW.
6) And, only two of these are owned by Disney!

 

[colinsdad]

1) Many higher-end menu items eliminated.
2) Many menu items "dumbed down".
3) Many menu items "Standardized" with creativity reduced.
4) In other words, DDP has reduced the dining experience at WDW.
5) Due, in part, to DDP, we patronize only five sit down eateries at WDW.
6) And, only two of these are owned by Disney!

Fan of your posts. Any chance you'll list the 5?

 

[francie57]

We just returned and thought all of the TS restaurants we went to were very good and the portions were the same size as we have had in previous years without free dining. As with any place with this economy they have probably made cuts to control costs but we had no complaints. We were even able to get into the new Kouzzina and it was fantastic.

 

[bomzar]

Unfortunately, that's one of the necessary evils of Free Dine. All the kitchens are so busy that they have to simplify the menu to some degree just to be able to keep up. Here's an example: I knew one of the mgrs at Flying Fish several years back. He told me that before Free Dine, their App station on the line would do about 150 apps a night with one CM working there. He said as soon as Free Dine started they had to have 3 people working it and they did about 400 apps a night. He may have been exaggerating a little bit, but from all the kitchens I've been in during Free Dine, I'd say he's about 90% correct!

 

[ElizabethB]

Of course appetizers are no longer included with regular DDP, so no doubt that has slowed way down.

I've noticed that the most expensive things on a menu are removed during free dining. Chefs de France, e.g., removed the filet from their menu during free dining and replaced it with something that purported to be steak frites but bore no relationship to any skirt steak I've ever eaten. I still don't know what it was, but it was about as far from steak as one can get and still be in the meat family. We avoided the place for 2-3 years after we were so disappointed with our meals. A friend had seared tuna that was so overcooked, it was chewy.

But, we broke down and tried it again a week or so ago (before free dining started!) and it was excellent. The escargot and cheese plate were delicious, the chicken was quite good and the beef short ribs were outstanding. I noticed the filet was also available at that point. Of course, the ambience at Chefs de France is basically ghastly now, with tables so close people are nearly in each other's laps -- and that was last week before free dining started. There is one section -- and it is the only section -- that we'll even consider being seated in. We simply insist on being seated there no matter how long of a wait it takes.

Perhaps someone can report this week on whether the filet is still on the menu now that free dining has begun! I bet it's gone but would be interested to know.

Notwithstanding our visit to Chefs de France, like Rusty we are generally down to eating at only the Disney signature restaurants (and only some of those), and the Swolphin restaurants.

The DDP itself has had an negative effect on Disney dining, IMO. We dined last week at Artist Point. The prices for OOP are sky-high -- quite out of proportion to the quality. But, clearly, they are intended to make the DDP people think they're getting a really good deal by purchasing the DDP.

The biggest disappointment was the Berry Cobbler dessert, which used to be large enough and so packed with berries it could be shared by a table of four. And, it cost around $6-7. It's now $10 and about 1/4 its former size. I even noted on the dining receipt it's now referred to as "Small Cobbler".

Happily, we have a couple of signature restaurant favorites we still patronize (Jiko, CG after the fireworks) and then we simply go to non-Disney places. We'll be at WDW for two weeks in Oct. and given that the restaurants will be packed with free dining participants, we'll be avoiding all 1TS restaurants and nearly all of the 2TS restaurants as well. We will be doing V&A Chef's Table and some F&W Dinners. Beyond that, we're organizing our trip around restaurants that do not take DDP -- like Bistro de Paris, the Swolphin Restaurants, DTD Restaurants and Universal Orlando Restaurants like Bice and Emeril's. We may even head over to the new Waldorf Astoria for drinks and small plates at Peacock Alley. And, we may try The Venetian at the Caribe Royal Suites, considered by many to be the best restaurant in Orlando these days (notwithstanding it somewhat downscale location).

Given the mad scene that is free dining, we have no choice. We blame the DDP and free dining for a significant decline in the quality and ambience of Disney dining.

Oh well. Such is life. Fortunately, there are lots of other good choices!

 

[yolie912]

Hello....thanks for the update...Where is everyone seeing these menu changes....can anyone post what has been removed...

Thanks

 

[ChasPowl]

We've been here for the first 6 days of free dining and the restaurants are not the chaos I expected (although the parks are crowded.) We've been seated mostly close to our ADR times and the food has been good. I've been surprised that when we've been seated there are empty tables around meaning that they have enough time between seating. You can see long lines to check in, especially if people are looking for a walk-in.

I know the menus have changed some it looks like to lower costs some. But the food is good. The thing I do miss is no real prime rib on the buffets.

 

[wide awake]

We have always done free dining, so don't know what it was like before. But...I would never order a filet...like a rib-eye myself, and I really don't want a dessert that feeds 4 people...gross !!! I think w/ free dining they've cut down on some of the obvious high cost items, and made the portions smaller...but some of the high cost items were no flavor bland options for people that don't know food, and the portions were wayyyy over the top...3-4 bites of dessert is all I want after a yummy meal.

 

[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.

 

[MissionMouse]

1) Many higher-end menu items eliminated.
2) Many menu items "dumbed down".
3) Many menu items "Standardized" with creativity reduced.
4) In other words, DDP has reduced the dining experience at WDW.
5) Due, in part, to DDP, we patronize only five sit down eateries at WDW.
6) And, only two of these are owned by Disney!

Totally agree. Gone are the days when guest demanded quality dining at Disney and Disney provided it. Today it is affordability and filling restaurants to capacity with the current trend using dining as a marketing tool to get people to vacation at Disney.

 

[ElizabethB]

Cheshire is right. I was speaking with a manager at one of the restaurants about free dining a year or so ago. He said he was glad they did away with including appetizers.

One reason was that people insisted on ordering the most expensive appetizer, since it was free, regardless of what it was or whether they even knew what it was.

The restaurant's most expensive appetizer was mussels. He said you could not believe the number of people who ordered mussels having no idea what they were simply because they thought ordering the most expensive appetizer was the way to maximize the free dining.

He said he'd bring out the dish of mussels and they'd be like, "What in the world are those?" They'd refuse the dish and insist on something else at that point.

He said he dumped so many mussels in the garbage it was unbelievable.

Ahhh, the joys of free dining.

 

[magsmom]

We have come to Disney many times, both during free dining time and other times of the year (we are here now and since we are dvc members we pay for dining at this time).
There is a comparable difference in the menus during free dining time v. the rest of the year, primarily with the apps. The variety is lower.
We have seen menu items disappear especially at mama melroses. There appears to be a lot of "steak" on the menus everywhere
We have not been to the pepper market in a year; we went yesterday and I think this place was a casualty of the dining plan in general. No more chineese, very little mexican, no ribeye. Very sad - we used to go before the dining plan.
This time there also seems to be high priced "specials" for quick serve, that seem to be realtively high priced and don't look to be particularly good.

One very big bright spot this trip - Kouzzina was wonderful. The food was excellent.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Fan of your posts. Any chance you'll list the 5?

. . . Bistro de Paris
. . . Victoria & Albert's (Disney owned)
. . . Citrico's (Disney owned)
. . . Il Mulino
. . . Shula's Steakhouse

NOTE: We used to do Blue Zoo, but have replaced it with Il Mulino.

 

[TDC Nala]

There's some information out (anecdotal only, though) that free dining bookings are down this year from last year - enought that WDW felt no need to offer a TS for CS plus extras trade, so maybe the effect will not be so pronounced this time.

 

[Laurabearz]

count me in as a hater of the DDP and esp Free Dining!! BOO!!!!

we had a 9 day trip and I only made 4 adrs. Next trip it will be even fewer.

If I am going to eat food the level of Pondorosa, I will drive offsite to ponderosa and pay a third of what disney charges

 

[eliza61]

Totally agree. Gone are the days when guest demanded quality dining at Disney and Disney provided it. Today it is affordability and filling restaurants to capacity with the current trend using dining as a marketing tool to get people to vacation at Disney.

One reason was that people insisted on ordering the most expensive appetizer, since it was free, regardless of what it was or whether they even knew what it was.



Ahhh, the joys of free dining.

Which pretty much says alot about our attitude, doesn't it.
I did the dining plan once and I won't comment on it since I don't really have any thing good to say about it.

I think it's a combo of a bad economy and free dining but Disney's restaurants are a former shell of what they use to be. I'll do one or two of the signature dining and then I'm off site. Even with my TIW card I can't justify the mediocre food.

Shula's is good for steak. I do like Boma's breakfast (never had a dinner)menu. Every thing else is pretty much Oliva garden or Outback at outrageous prices.

 

[mickey2000]

Unfortunately, that's one of the necessary evils of Free Dine. All the kitchens are so busy that they have to simplify the menu to some degree just to be able to keep up. Here's an example: I knew one of the mgrs at Flying Fish several years back. He told me that before Free Dine, their App station on the line would do about 150 apps a night with one CM working there. He said as soon as Free Dine started they had to have 3 people working it and they did about 400 apps a night. He may have been exaggerating a little bit, but from all the kitchens I've been in during Free Dine, I'd say he's about 90% correct!

Maybe thats why there is NO appy
Wouldn't they just hire more people ??? I don't understand? This dumbing down of the menus has been going on for years ! IMO people should start eating off property . Don't be trapped on property with the nonsense about a Magic Bus I for one always rent a car and will be eating off property !

 

[EMom]

But, we broke down and tried it again a week or so ago (before free dining started!) and it was excellent. The escargot and cheese plate were delicious, the chicken was quite good and the beef short ribs were outstanding. I noticed the filet was also available at that point. Of course, the ambience at Chefs de France is basically ghastly now, with tables so close people are nearly in each other's laps -- and that was last week before free dining started. There is one section -- and it is the only section -- that we'll even consider being seated in. We simply insist on being seated there no matter how long of a wait it takes.

If you don't mind sharing, where is the area you like? Thanks!

 

[eliza61]

Maybe thats why there is NO appy
Wouldn't they just hire more people ??? I don't understand? This dumbing down of the menus has been going on for years ! IMO people should start eating off property . Don't be trapped on property with the nonsense about a Magic Bus I for one always rent a car and will be eating off property !

Unfortunately in this economy that's not going to happen.

also remember,
If a large portion of your visitors are first timers and feel they are getting a "deal" pretty much as long as the foods not horrible, they're happy. The food's not horrible it's just as another poster said equivalent to eating at the ponderosa.

We also eat a lot more off site, between 8/5-8/15 we ate onsite maybe 5 times.