Mac and Cheese disappearing?

[kimbac3]

I was just going over the menus on allears and I've noticed that some of the counter service places seem to be dropping the mac and cheese from the kids menu. Specifically Electric Umbrella in Epcot and Rosies in MGM. This got me curious about other places so I started looking over other counter service places. Some still have it listed but the menus haven't been update for some of them.

This does not sit well with my kids! My kids love the mac and cheese. Besides, doing this leaves no meat free options in most places.

The prices have gone up alot on some things too - $6.09 for a hot dog and chips Crazy!

Guess I need to write Disney yet again

Kimba

 

[Neesy228]

I can't speak about counter service, but we were told at Coral reef and....hmmm, somewhere else (can't remember right now!) that they were taking the mac n cheese off the menu and replacing it with a whole wheat pasta with a meat sauce.

I really think that Disney is missing the mark with their push on healthy menu's - to the exclusion of the "fun stuff"....it IS vacation. I also think they're missing the mark with their poor offerings nearly all across the board on kids options...

 

[disnut8]

I really think that Disney is missing the mark with their push on healthy menu's - to the exclusion of the "fun stuff"....it IS vacation.

It's not really Disney's doing. How much flak did McDonald's get because of the documentary Super Size Me? It's a fine line to try and keep everyone happy. I totally agree with you on the healthy menu thing (I detest having to eat a multi-grain bun with a hot dog) but for every one of us, there is another one who likes the changes and another one who really doesn't care one way or the other.

For me, I've stopped eating Disney World's hot dogs after making several complaints about having a choice.

 

[centurythree]

It's not really Disney's doing. How much flak did McDonald's get because of the documentary Super Size Me? It's a fine line to try and keep everyone happy. I totally agree with you on the healthy menu thing (I detest having to eat a multi-grain bun with a hot dog) but for every one of us, there is another one who likes the changes and another one who really doesn't care one way or the other.

For me, I've stopped eating Disney World's hot dogs after making several complaints about having a choice.

I think this is the appropriate response. If I were a Disney exec the letters might get me to monitor the situation, but a significant drop in sales would cause me to seriously reassess whether the switch was a good idea.

 

[carmiedog]

I can't speak about counter service, but we were told at Coral reef and....hmmm, somewhere else (can't remember right now!) that they were taking the mac n cheese off the menu and replacing it with a whole wheat pasta with a meat sauce. .

srsly? No meatless options for the kids? Whole wheat mac n cheese we could handle.

eta: I forgot about cheese pizza at some places. Unfortunately, one of my boys is NOT a pizza fan. (strange kid, I know!)

 

[Amy&Josh]

I would prefer to see the whole wheat pasta and not the mac n' cheese, for my son does not like mac n' cheese.... but he is a strange kid

 

[TDC Nala]

It's not really Disney's doing. How much flak did McDonald's get because of the documentary Super Size Me? It's a fine line to try and keep everyone happy. I totally agree with you on the healthy menu thing (I detest having to eat a multi-grain bun with a hot dog) but for every one of us, there is another one who likes the changes and another one who really doesn't care one way or the other.

For me, I've stopped eating Disney World's hot dogs after making several complaints about having a choice.

Many parents have stated on the boards that on a vacation, they don't want to be fussing with kids who won't eat the food because they don't like it.

Will those who are NOT happy now start taking the family to a vacation destination that actually serves food the kids like to eat?

Disney's shown its interest in at least attempting to follow what they consider to be a socially conscious course with its food offerings. They apparently think that either that will be a draw for customers trying to stay healthy, or some nationwide push is coming to either encourage or force purveyors of food to eliminate less healthy offerings across the board and replace them with something that is at least considered healthier, if not downright healthy, and they think it better to already be in compliance or at least have a head start.

You can of course write to Disney to complain, but I don't believe they will listen unless you speak with your dollars.

I do think it would hit home with Disney to start requesting meat-free, vegetarian options, especially for children, which are supposed to be healthier. If, indeed, they're making these changes so they look like they care about the health of their patrons and not because they're cutting costs and trying to make it look like conscientiousness.

Of course, what would then happen would be that they'd throw in a salad and we'd see a lot of posts saying "the kids won't eat a salad."

 

[belleatheart]

It's not just Disney, it is coming down from the government, many schools can not offer mac and cheese, and when they do it has to be certain types of cheese and pasta. I would hope they do a meatless and meat option, you choose.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's not just Disney, it is coming down from the government, many schools can not offer mac and cheese, and when they do it has to be certain types of cheese and pasta. I would hope they do a meatless and meat option, you choose.

The government can't make Disney eliminate mac & cheese (yet). Schools are government organizations and the government can tell them what to serve (they're state or county organizations, so that stuff comes from the state or county, and the federal government has a say regarding funding, so they have influence too). Disney's doing this on its own right now.

 

[bavaria]

I do think it would hit home with Disney to start requesting meat-free, vegetarian options, especially for children, which are supposed to be healthier. If, indeed, they're making these changes so they look like they care about the health of their patrons and not because they're cutting costs and trying to make it look like conscientiousness.

Of course, what would then happen would be that they'd throw in a salad and we'd see a lot of posts saying "the kids won't eat a salad."

I immediately thought of robinb, who has a veggie child, when I read this post. It is difficult enough to get a hot veggie meal as an adult (sadly, after many years of improvement, WDW has started to remove veggie items or make them homogenized). Too often the option is a salad, not a balanced meal.

 

[ReneeA]

On our trip in August, the kids had mac and cheese at a few different restaurants - both TS and CS. It is no longer the same as it used to be anyway. From what I've read, they are trying to make it more health conscious and it is low fat cheese? I'm not sure, but the texture was awful, it stuck together like glue, and had the taste of cardboard. Neither kid would eat it. After the first half of our trip every mac and cheese meal getting tossed ito the trash, I stopped allowing them to order it.

It just wasn't good anywhere. I don't mind them pulling it off the menus altogether if it's going to be as disgusting as it was while we were there.

 

[jiminyfan]

I am sorry, but a whole wheat meat pasta is not the same as mac n cheese. It seems that anything that kid's like is being removed from the menus.

We have decided that after this set of APs, we will be taking our vacations elsewhere for a while. The culinary diversity at WDW has gone away and dining is a big part of our vacations.

 

[kimbac3]

I am sorry, but a whole wheat meat pasta is not the same as mac n cheese. It seems that anything that kid's like is being removed from the menus.

We have decided that after this set of APs, we will be taking our vacations elsewhere for a while. The culinary diversity at WDW has gone away and dining is a big part of our vacations.

We too have decided to vacation elsewhere next year. It would have been our fifth year in a row, but the changes Disney is making makes WDW less and less desirable. I told the kids that we could go back every two or three years instead.

 

[bavaria]

I made that decision about 2 years ago and most of my theme park money is now going towards DLRP and EuropaPark. I have enjoyed those far more; great attractions, less whinging, cleaner parks, far better food, better quality hotels (at least in the case of EuropaPark), happier employees.

For the first time in 14 years I may let my WDW AP run out and only go for short trips when I am in the area for work.

 

[rrkman]

I don't know if the food choices will keep us from going there but it might keep us from staying on site and using the DDP, we could just eat elsewhere and bring sandwiches, etc. for the kids while in the parks. Our youngest has food allergies so we're already used to doing this everywhere we go (except for WDW).

 

[casaazul]

Say it isn't so!!>!>!>>!!>

My son as a young kid would only eat Mac and Cheese when we traveled. He was afraid that any other food would have spices in it, lol!

Can we let the parents choose the food for their kids?

 

[lady_hlh]

My DD ordered the mac and cheese at almost every meal last year and loved it. This year she ordered mac and cheese at our first meal and it was horrid. I tasted it after she complained and then I didn't allow her to order it again at any location because I was afraid that it would be the same thing. If they take that awful recipe off the menu it would be a good thing because any child who likes mac and cheese wouldn't even eat that stuff.

 

[JSweetman]

My kids are big M&C fans, and we were able to find some for them in each of the parks. But after a couple of meals, they got tired of it and started calling it disgusting. So, maybe there's a reason it's going away at some spots.

To me, the bigger problem is the lack of variety in the kids menus. Why all of the CS only seem to have 2 kids choices? Is it so hard to have smaller portions of the items on the adult menu?

 

[honeymo78]

To me, the bigger problem is the lack of variety in the kids menus. Why all of the CS only seem to have 2 kids choices? Is it so hard to have smaller portions of the items on the adult menu?

Because adults would order that rather than pay full price for an adult meal and then disney would have to enforce an age limit on the kids menu.

Wasted food aside b/c of a smaller appetite, there is nothing stopping people from ordering an adult meal for their child if the child doesn't want one of the kid's choices. There is no rule stating that children must only eat the kids meals. If you are on DDP you can't use your credits but your kid still can eat whatever food they prefer, you just have to pay for it. In that situation you'd need to evaluate whether the dining plan savings for the adults is great enough to overcome the need to purchase additional meals for the children.

 

[sharadoc]

Because adults would order that rather than pay full price for an adult meal and then disney would have to enforce an age limit on the kids menu.

Wasted food aside b/c of a smaller appetite, there is nothing stopping people from ordering an adult meal for their child if the child doesn't want one of the kid's choices. There is no rule stating that children must only eat the kids meals. If you are on DDP you can't use your credits but your kid still can eat whatever food they prefer, you just have to pay for it. In that situation you'd need to evaluate whether the dining plan savings for the adults is great enough to overcome the need to purchase additional meals for the children.

I think the DDP and free dining is causing Disney to "cheapen" the ingredients in the common foods throughout the park. No one complains about getting their money's worth that way! I wish they would just offer significant room discounts and let people pay full price for their meals, then they would be forced to still provide quality and variety rather than volume and quick turnover. Plus maybe you could get into a Table Service restaurant without making the reservations 6 months in advance.

Of course, if Free Dining is offered, we would take it in a heartbeat!!!!