Is Free Dining dumbing down the menus?

[1000thhappyhaunt]

I have to wonder.

For example: Spoodles used to be great a number of years ago. Then it became just "meh" in my opinion.

The new menu looks promising, though.

I wonder how the chefs at the restaurants feel? Especially about the impact of Free Dining. And in regards to the signature restaurants... especially.

Anyone have any opinions?

 

[SauceBoss]

DDP and Free DDP seem to be the excuse for everything these days. Ultimately, if's just the most convenient excuse. Menu's change all year long and DDP does not drive the selections, the chef does. Some say that many TS menu's are similar, though the newer trend most WDW chef's seem to be striving for is not to be just like the next guy.

 

[1000thhappyhaunt]

DDP and Free DDP seem to be the excuse for everything these days. Ultimately, if's just the most convenient excuse. Menu's change all year long and DDP does not drive the selections, the chef does. Some say that many TS menu's are similar, though the newer trend most WDW chef's seem to be striving for is not to be just like the next guy.

Are you telling me that you find NO differences in quality and choices in the last few years?

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Giant negative change & I do blame it on free dining & DDP.

 

[allyphoe]

We had the LeCellier shrimp appetizer in September 2005, and it was yummy - fresh-cooked shrimp, beautiful presentation. In September 2006, the shrimp were obviously pre-cooked frozen shrimp (we said "like cheap Chinese restaurant shrimp") and the presentation was sloppier, but you still got the take-out box. My understanding is that the take-out box is gone now, too.

So yeah, quality has gone way downhill, IMHO. I don't know if it's price pressure from the dining plan, or a volume issue (which is at least indirectly related to the dining plan) - when you're working at 75% of capacity in a limited space (so limited sous chefs), there are a lot of things you can do that just aren't possible when you're at 100% of capacity for an entire shift.

 

[NEM]

I completely agree...the special touches....the detail... the options are significantly reduced. I have yet to see a menu change to reflect something costlier....but most are clearly to reduce the cost of producing the meal...

The hotel bars across the WDW resort have gone to a highly unified menu....lost some of the uniqueness they once had.

It is the right of Disney to find ways to make more money....

But to me, i can clearly see a direct link between quality and the advent and popularity of the dining plan. We are self proclaimed foodies, so we do have very high standards, so our opinion may be skewed by this perspective. I do believe the selections are fine and even considered very nice for the masses.

It appears to be here for a while....so we are making do...

Maybe someday in the future, there will be a different choice....but I dont see it on the horizon right now....the DP is tooooo popular and successful.

We still love it....

Michelle

 

[JMLBrats]

I completely agree...the special touches....the detail... the options are significantly reduced. I have yet to see a menu change to reflect something costlier....but most are clearly to reduce the cost of producing the meal...

The hotel bars across the WDW resort have gone to a highly unified menu....lost some of the uniqueness they once had.

It is the right of Disney to find ways to make more money....

But to me, i can clearly see a direct link between quality and the advent and popularity of the dining plan. We are self proclaimed foodies, so we do have very high standards, so our opinion may be skewed by this perspective. I do believe the selections are fine and even considered very nice for the masses.

It appears to be here for a while....so we are making do...

Maybe someday in the future, there will be a different choice....but I dont see it on the horizon right now....the DP is tooooo popular and successful.

We still love it....

Michelle

Nicely put. Other poster above has a very valid point about the ability of the Chefs and cooks at such high capacity. DH and I used to be in the industry and I would imagine that if I was still cooking right now at WDW, I'd probably be aggravated by whole DDP thing-feeling that quality would be doomed to go down in many situations. That said, since we're very into sitting down to a decent meal when we're on vaca at Disney we do do the plan just because it makes sense financially. If I could vote on it though and had the chance to change it back, I probably would. I miss the days when you could just call from your hotel room and book a dinner for that night.-Those days are over and I think that part of it stinks. Hate having to book reservations 6 months in advance just to make sure we have some where to eat for each night of our trip.

 

[magsmom]

We have found that the period where free dining is offered is very different in selection and quality than when it is not.

The food and quality was much better in February 2007 than it was in August 2006 - same restaurants, and in many cases the same items. Things were available in February that were not available in August.

Case in point: Le Cellier - DH had a tuna appetizer in February that was not available in August. I had the tenderloin appetizer. It was the same appetizer I had in August but it was twice the size and the meat was better quality. The irony is, we are DVC owners and we were paying for the meal plan both times (and we will pay again this August).

 

[1000thhappyhaunt]

At Le Cellier the shrimp-in-the-box appie is different now.

Since we were there in May 2005.

And it looks way worse. However... we haven't actually tried it since then.

I've just seen pictures on the food porn network thread. Here. And, even there, you can tell the shrimp are smaller.

Plus... I've notice that many of the restaurants that previously offered add-ons. Like shrimp and scallops. Have discontinued them.

And... I've got to say: None of the presentation is as appealing as it once was!!!

It seems very slapdash. Rushed.

 

[simonkodousek]

Yes, I believe that the food has gone downhill since the free dining package was introduced last year. They are trying to keep items within their budget.

~Simon

 

[La2kw]

Yes, we think dining has definitely taken a turn for the worse. Someone has to pay for all that "free" food during the free DDP promotion. We are all paying for it with lower quality and a lesser experience overall.

 

[EllyLovesDisney]

I've noticed alot of places getting rid of their big ticket offerings like the more expensive steak and seafood dishes and replacing them with lesser foods. I believe Disney only pays a set amount per ddp meal, so restaurants don't want the take the losses. It's annoying. I wonder why they can't just give the option of a surcharge.

 

[bicker]

Free dining doesn't have a substantial impact on menu choices -- the menu choices are very similar the whole year 'round. The way menus are now are a reflection of guests, these days, wanting affordable dining options, where in the "golden age" of dining at WDW, generally only the more affluent guests had table service meals every day. Now, the meals are affordable, and some of the same restaurants which languished practically empty 10-20 years ago are almost full every night. Disney has listened to its guests -- ALL of us -- and did what a greater portion of us wanted.

 

[Cookie Princess]

I would agree that they just don't have the time for the fancy extras due to the increase in volume of customers. I do miss those special touches including the specialty lounge drinks in the various hotels.

 

[JESW]

We don't do the dining plan as we are AP holders and we use the DDE card. That said, good thing we don't have it as our kids mostly ordered off the adult menu during our last trip as they were tired of the same old things being on almost every kids menu.

While I understand why Disney does this, I hope they go back to more choices one day.

Jill

 

[webray]

The menus have been dumbed down forever at disney restaurants. Even in the world showcase..the food has always been americanized to some extent so they don't have to deal with people complaining.

Biggest thing I think is people complaining about their meals, or wanting something off a lunch menu at dinner, things like that. People expecting way to much, asking for things they wouldn't ask for in a restaurant in their own hometown, just because it is disney and they think they deserve it.

 

[bicker]

While I understand why Disney does this, I hope they go back to more choices one day.

We can help make this happen. You're already doing your part, ordering adult meals for your young children, and paying OOP. All that we need to do to prompt Disney to make a change is show them that we'll reward them for doing so (i.e., make it more profitable for them to offer better options instead of lesser options). Of course, just one guest won't make a difference, but if a substantial number of guests with young children start doing as you've done, that will surely be more than enough of a message to Disney that families with young children, in general, are again becoming more willing to pay a higher price for better options.

As long as the vast majority of families with young children continue to prefer low prices over better options, then Disney will give them exactly what they want.

 

[JMLBrats]

We can help make this happen. You're already doing your part, ordering adult meals for your young children, and paying OOP. All that we need to do to prompt Disney to make a change is show them that we'll reward them for doing so (i.e., make it more profitable for them to offer better options instead of lesser options). Of course, just one guest won't make a difference, but if a substantial number of guests with young children start doing as you've done, that will surely be more than enough of a message to Disney that families with young children, in general, are again becoming more willing to pay a higher price for better options.

As long as the vast majority of families with young children continue to prefer low prices over better options, then Disney will give them exactly what they want.

Sorry, but I just don't think it'll happen. The masses far outway the foodies I think. However, I do think it'll go back someday due to the fact that good chef's will cease to flock to Disney like they used to and the complaints from the inside will eventually force disney to re-think the whole DDP thing. (at least I hope so....)

 

[jazznms]

Hi\,
Well being a chef both me and my DH are both chefs (back in the early 80’s DH work at the GF ) and feel that when the free dinning came out the management staff kept the food coast at the same level somewhere between 17 to 25 % witch is not unreasonable but low end is getting a little on the cheep side so quality goes down a little . That being said with the success of DDP upper management saw a chance to make some money and lowered the food coast on the chefs i.e. change the menu lots of chicken and pasta, with the coast of shipping and food coast going up something got to go the food quality or we will pay more for the DDP (DDP will go up in price very soon and I think and hope).

 

[BadgerBruce]

I've never had an opinion either way about this until we went to Tusker House in AK last week. I've raved about the carrot cake there several times on this board. It was a good-sized, delicious piece of actual cake with a layer of frosting on the top & in the middle. It has now been replaced by a smaller, round, prepackaged item. While this new menu item tasted okay, it was nowhere near the quality of the real carrot cake. Not only that, it was still the same price as the good stuff! For those of you that loved the chocolate cake and cheesecake at TH, these have been replaced with little, round versions as well. These are now the desserts offered for the dining plan. We would never do the DDP because it is too much food for us, but it certainly never bothered me before that it was available to those who could take advantage of it. Sorry this kind of turned into a rant---but we both loved that carrot cake!!!!