Have the menus changed because of free dining?

[copperbrick]

Have the menus changed? Yes, I've noticed that the menus seem to offer many of the same types of choices, just prepared differently to suit the theme of the restaurant. It does get a bit transparent at times!

Victoria and Albert’s is my favorite restaurant, although it is not on the dining plan. V&A is my type of restaurant . . . when I can afford it and feel like taking time to dress for the evening, it is the BEST.

Years back, we also used to love dining on the Empress Lilly. Does anyone here remember that restaurant? The chef's dessert soufflés were wonderful.

Okay, so now that you know my taste, I must admit, blushingly, that I like the Disney Dining Plan.

Here's my side of things:

First, when we book on the dining plan, we go expecting a very good meal, not a 5-Star one and maybe not even an excellent one. So, that helps from the start.

To me, "very good" means truly that: VERY good, not good and not fair (Ponderosa is fair on my scale).

Next, a true confession: I love not having to think about what the food costs us while we're there.

I KNOW it's not logical -- often the best WDW deals are the ones without free dining. I know, I know, I know, so please don't bash me on this one!

It's just that there's something crazy-wonderful about paying for the food up front -- it gets it off my back, especially since my husband has a habit of wanting to be more food-frugal than I like when we travel.

The psychological aspects of the dining plan are worth it to me.

So, if the menus have changed: Do we feel as though we're sacrificing on taste, variety and selection? Well, yes, sometimes. However, usually not with 1-credit table service restaurants. We were far more disappointed in the 2-credit restaurants last year.

California Grill was one of them. I am a steak snob. At CG, the service was outstanding and the view priceless, but the food didn't rate 2 TS credits to me.

CG has nice presentations, I must say, but it shocked me when the fillet I had at -- would you believe of all places, SAN ANGEL INN was decidedly better than California Grill!

My daughter, who is equally as much of a steak snob as I, agreed. And the CG dessert didn't hold a candle to the fresh, pastry-perfect fruit tart at Sunshine Seasons food court.

Jiko was wonderful, and we're going there again this year, but my fish last year was maybe a 5.5 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best. The dessert wasn't nearly as good as the chocolate ginger cake at Teppan Edo.

Going forward, I've decided never to order seafood unless dining at a restaurant that specializes in it . . . I'm a fish snob, too.

The only 1-credit table service restaurant that really disappointed me last year was Boma. I'm not big on buffets, and those Zebra Domes that everyone raves about? No way. They tasted waxy and waaay too prefabricated for my taste. Cheesecake was good.

We're going to try Boma again this year -- my husband has never been there and wants to try it. Plus, I ate there on our first night last year, I was exhausted and didn't try all that much. For 1-credit, it's worth another shot. We'll see.

Tutto Italia was okay, but we're opting not to go this year. Nothing there really stood out to us. Here I must admit it was a bit like an Olive Garden experience, so I'll give on that one! Coffee was excellent, though.

We'll see how the 2-credit restaurants do this year. (BTW, we order what we want and not what is most expensive just because of the price, which is really silly -- the most expensive meals aren't always the best deal, or the best taste.)

Here's our line-up for this year -- and this year I need to eat gluten-free, so it will be a whole new world. I'd love to hear your opinions on if the menus have gone down on these:

Kuzzina (first time this restaurant just opened, and the menu couldn't have changed there yet)
Jiko (2 credits)
Sanaa (first time)
Citricos (first time, 2 credits)
Boma
Flying Fish Cafe (first time, 2 credits)
Kona Cafe (first time for lunch)
'Ohana (first time - may cancel this one, debating - your thoughts welcome)
San Angel Inn
LeCellier (first time, also may cancel, thoughts welcome)

GREAT thread. I've really enjoyed the diversity of opinions on this one!

 

[PaulaSB12]

Me, too !

I can't imagine not knowing what mussels were, but on the off chance I didn't I certainly would have asked before ordering.

Oh, the waste...The ignorance. I don't know how the servers keep from strangling some of their "guests".

I love mussels but cant eat them its been years since I have and then i spent too much time throwing up to risk it again.

 

[MarkinNM]

I think I will have to disagree with this. Sometimes they remove very popular items, and it's not always a seasonal thing. They have removed many of the most expensive items from various menus. To me that points to the popularity of the DDP as one culprit.

Some of the other changes appear to have been in an effort to standardize everything. You get some of the same foods at every restaurant, sometimes prepared different ways, but still many of the same food items. Like the equivalent of shopping at Sam's Club, lol. They are buying in bulk -- on a huge scale -- and using it at every restaurant.

That doesn't account for every menu change, of course. The rest seem to be seasonal, change of chef, etc.

Every restaurant I have worked in buy in bulk..... The more you buy the cheaper it is.......

What may seem popular (or as in most cases "I like it" = popular) may not be a $ maker for the restaurant, some items were put on the menu at the beginning to draw people in and had no intent on staying on the menu. ALOT of items are indeed seasonal but from my past it is more the evolution of a menu and the cliental base likes and dislikes.....

 

[BriarRosie]

. . . 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.

What? You couldn't make it a list of 6? Todd English's bluezoo™ rocks.

WELL SAID!!

I wish everyone had such good attitudes about their vacations! I mean your going to Disney and not Las Vegas or New York or San Francisco…………..

News Flash, it’s not “a dumbed down menu” rather a simplifying the menu, taking off what’s not popular, finding what the consumers like, more of a refining a menu, ALL restaurants go through this period. It’s the standard evolution of a restaurant, some make better choices then others unfortunately for whatever reasons….

Even Disney makes boneheaded moves removing items that are popular from their menus. I remember specifically wanting the red snapper at Flying Fish at a time when the item was no longer on the menu. I think it might have been my January 2003 trip. At any rate, I couldn't have been the only person disappointed, because it has since returned to their menu as a signature dish, and rightly so.

It's funny now that people mention it, my meals for October are either food and wine festival signature dinners, or places that don't accept the DDP.

When I come back in December, I'd like to visit at least Kouzzina. But I still have yet to try Sanaa or the Wave, and I want to try those, too.

 

[jcemom]

Every restaurant I have worked in buy in bulk..... The more you buy the cheaper it is.......

LOL. Yes. And since Disney lately seems to be heading towards serving the same CS meals at every CS restaurant, and the same foods at nearly every TS restaurant, they must really be buying in bulk... truckloads of chicken nuggets, truckloads of the same cuts of steak.

For now I'm still okay with getting the DDP. My DD is 6 years old, she loves character dinners, 'Ohana, and so on. For her it's not about the food, it's about the experience. When I add up the cost of the meals we'd eat anyway, if we paid OOP, the DDP is still a good value for us. That will probably change in upcoming years. When we are down to only 'needing' two or three TS meals per trip then we will not be purchasing the DDP.

 

[copperbrick]

LOL. Yes. And since Disney lately seems to be heading towards serving the same CS meals at every CS restaurant, and the same foods at nearly every TS restaurant, they must really be buying in bulk... truckloads of chicken nuggets, truckloads of the same cuts of steak.

For now I'm still okay with getting the DDP. My DD is 6 years old, she loves character dinners, 'Ohana, and so on. For her it's not about the food, it's about the experience. When I add up the cost of the meals we'd eat anyway, if we paid OOP, the DDP is still a good value for us. That will probably change in upcoming years. When we are down to only 'needing' two or three TS meals per trip then we will not be purchasing the DDP.

Ordering in bulk: I would imagine Disney also did this before the dining plan -- maybe it wasn't as obvious? Although, maybe not. I remember being able to get fried alligator at Narcoosee's, and that's surely one thing they weren't ordering in bulk!

It's rather like slowly adding more hot water to a bathtub -- once it becomes really hot, you don't notice it as much. Maybe over the years the changes weren't noticed all that much, but now it's added up to where people notice that the menus are all starting to look the same.

 

[copperbrick]

It's been mentioned here that the menus change a bit during free dining -- does anyone know anything more about this?

 

[treehugnmama]

Don't be trapped on property with the nonsense about a Magic Bus

I am trapped by the agic bus lol...i laughed so hard when i read that.
we have been once and had the delux plan and loved it...not all the food was great but the experience for the kids was.

we are returning for fd in 13 days....and again in March not sure if we are doing dp oe tiw.

I have read so much of the excellent dining choices off site. What are they? How long do they take to get there? I have never been off site and live in Canada so many of our chains are different.(not a huge fan of chains anyways) any suggestions for offsite dining appreciated

 

[copperbrick]

Don't be trapped on property with the nonsense about a Magic Bus

I am trapped by the agic bus lol...i laughed so hard when i read that.
we have been once and had the delux plan and loved it...not all the food was great but the experience for the kids was.

we are returning for fd in 13 days....and again in March not sure if we are doing dp oe tiw.

I have read so much of the excellent dining choices off site. What are they? How long do they take to get there? I have never been off site and live in Canada so many of our chains are different.(not a huge fan of chains anyways) any suggestions for offsite dining appreciated

Hi, Treehugnmama! Your question would be an excellent thread all by itself. Since it wanders a bit from the original "if the menus have changed" question, I'd suggest starting a fresh thread in the dining section of the boards. That way, you'll probably get more replies. I know I'll be watching it! Good topic!

 

[TDC Nala]

The magic bus is gonna drive me after I have wine with dinner. If I have to drive to get dinner - no wine. I'd rather have the wine.

The "Orlando Hotels and Attractions" board will probably have more information on offsite restaurants.

 

[copperbrick]

The magic bus is gonna drive me after I have wine with dinner. If I have to drive to get dinner - no wine. I'd rather have the wine.

I'm with you, Nala! Gawd love the magic bus!

Since you mention wine, does anyone know if the bottled wine selections have changed since the dining plan wine option was added?

 

[northbend64]

I want to thank everyone for responding. However, I am looking for specific changes to the various restaurants. I am a DVC member and have to pay for my dxddp and cannot participate in the free dining promotion. Therefore, I just want to know what items were dropped from what TS and the signature restaurants. I don't want to go to any restaurants that only have the temp menus for free dining. Once again, thanks to all.

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't do the dining plan, don't do the wine plan, and don't pay a lot of attention to the selections available on the wine plan. I do know that not all wines on every wine list are available for the wine plan.

 

[northbend64]

Disney doesn't have a free wine plan, so I wouldn't expect the wines to change. However, we all know that the menus change during free dining....

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Since you mention wine, does anyone know if the bottled wine selections have changed since the dining plan wine option was added?

1) The regualr wine list has changed, but not for the wine plan.
2) Wine selections are always in flux.
3) But, specific wines were selected for the wine plan.
4) All the wines have never been under the wine plan, only selected ones.
5) Thus, one could say that wines didn't change DUE to the wine plan.

 

[Beaker74]

.

 

[MarkinNM]

LOL. Yes. And since Disney lately seems to be heading towards serving the same CS meals at every CS restaurant, and the same foods at nearly every TS restaurant, they must really be buying in bulk... truckloads of chicken nuggets, truckloads of the same cuts of steak.

For now I'm still okay with getting the DDP. My DD is 6 years old, she loves character dinners, 'Ohana, and so on. For her it's not about the food, it's about the experience. When I add up the cost of the meals we'd eat anyway, if we paid OOP, the DDP is still a good value for us. That will probably change in upcoming years. When we are down to only 'needing' two or three TS meals per trip then we will not be purchasing the DDP.

So is that what they put in those nuggets, chicken!!!!

"it's about the experience", interesting quote I think thats why the character meals are sooooo popular as from what I have read its not the food.....

 

[PaulaSB12]

Disney doesn't have a free wine plan, so I wouldn't expect the wines to change. However, we all know that the menus change during free dining....

Neither are the coctails but they started to change last year. So there could be changes to the wine as well.

 

[jcemom]

Disney doesn't have a free wine plan, so I wouldn't expect the wines to change. However, we all know that the menus change during free dining....

No, I don't know that the menus change during free dining. At least I have never noticed any changes prior to this year. Everyone keeps saying that, and I wonder what in the world I missed since I have never noticed it, lol. However, I am also interested ifthis is the year they do change since we are paying for our DDP, like you.

"it's about the experience", interesting quote I think thats why the character meals are sooooo popular as from what I have read its not the food.....

LOL. Yes, I'm pretty sure that is why the character meals are always booked solid. It's definitely not because they're a great value for the money, or because they have gourmet food.

 

[livie1205]

We LOVE the ddp!!! WE love that we do not have to worry about our meals while on vacation.WE have 5 people in our family so we do save money if we want to eat at all our fav places while at wdw.The places we tend to go (ohana,boma,1900 park ect) are still very good to us, the only thing that we noticed that has dropped his the service.We always pay for ddp because we do not do free ddp...we have APs so we get a code rate and pay for ddp.
We do miss the appt. but it was to much food anyway.We never spend more on food then what is covered on ddp so it comes out just right for us.I have not noticed that anything we get is missing from the menu.We also end up sharing a lot of the CS credits because we do not eat a big lunch so we always have meals left over for the day we leave so we are even covered for that day.