New Gimmick? Appetizers for 2 ???

[VINN127]

I just noticed that on a lot of menus they are now listing appetizers for 2 people. Does this mean it's 2 credits on the DDP? Another way this free dining is lowering standards. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[catne]

I just noticed that on a lot of menus they are now listing appetizers for 2 people. Does this mean it's 2 credits on the DDP? Another way this free dining is lowering standards. Has anyone else experienced this?

Good heavens--what does free dining have to do with serving an over-sized appetizer in a quantity for two people? You'd have to have an incredibly large appetite to finish one of those apps for two by yourself - and then have an entree, beverage & dessert, too? No Way. And there are both appetizers-for-two as well as several single serving appetizers to choose from on the menus so it's definitely your preference. And all of them, whether meant for one or meant for two, are generally larger servings than you'd expect. DD had the bruschetta, her friend had the salad and DH & I chose an app for two last week - worked out very nicely.

Yes, if you order an app for 2, then two people on the plan must be ordering it together. But in our experience, it was probably closer to an app for 3-4 people - like what you'd get at a sports bar - meant for a table to share. We had the Calimari for 2 at Mama Melrose last week (eating on the Fantasmic Dinner Package, so apps were included on the regular DDP.) The serving is HUGE...no way could DH & I finish it...DD & her friend both helped us eat this, even though they ordered apps for 1. The calimari was very good - hot & fresh, and the dipping sauce was a spicy marinara. Here's a pic - that's an over-sized dinner plate it's served on- you can see part of a blue individual appetizer plate sitting next to it to get a size perspective.

 

[ancestry]

Well my problem with the appetizer for two is that DH and I don't like the same things. We have the DxDP so we get appetizers with our meals. I *really* want the fried cheese at LTT as I LOVE fried cheese but it is now an appetizer for two. DH doesn't particularly care for fried cheese. So either I have to go without or DH has to deal with an appetizer that he doesn't really want. I wish they would just do 1/2 the amount and let it be an appetizer for one.

However I don't think it has anything to do with free dining or lowering standards. It is just an inconvenience if you are dining with people who don't like the same types of food.

 

[Princess Peach]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Appetizers don't come with the plan for free dining, so if you would like to order the appetizer for 2, you would have to pay out of pocket. You would be charged the number of credits for the number of entree's that you order.

 

[catne]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Appetizers don't come with the plan for free dining, so if you would like to order the appetizer for 2, you would have to pay out of pocket. You would be charged the number of credits for the number of entree's that you order.

That's true for most cases, but appetizers do come with Free Dining on the Fantasmic Dinner Package (unless they change the package between now & then. Which could happen.) It's an exception to the usual no-appetizers with the regular dining plan.

Also, a fair number of people get Free dining and then pay the difference to upgrade to Deluxe so they would be getting appetizers during Free Dining.

Though I don't agree that free dining, or the dining plans in general, have anything to do with this change. It's a common practice in most non-Disney restaurants we eat at for the appetizers to be meant for sharing.

And, Ancestry, I agree it would be nice to be able to get some of the apps-for-two in 1/2 size servings for people with differing tastes, but that doesn't seem to be an industry standard either. Maybe they'll come out with a "sampler" platter that would give a little taste of several appetizers.

 

[TDC Nala]

It means that these appetizers may be ordered only by two people on the deluxe dining plan. One person on the deluxe dining plan may not order them - it has to be split between two people and will count as the appetizer for both.

One person who is not on the dining plan may order the appetizer for two and eat it themselves. Another reason for me to not do the dining plan. (Although I am doing the QS plan for one night in August) The other good news is now that these appetizers can easily be a full meal for me!

In my opinion this shift has nothing to do with free dining. Free dining involves the basic dining plan, which does not include appetizers. Most free dining guests do not upgrade to deluxe. The number of basic diners who use the Fantasmic package is small when compared with the number of dining plan users throughout the park. This is another way for WDW to cut costs and control portions.

 

[ShellyLynn3630]

It means that these appetizers may be ordered only by two people on the deluxe dining plan. One person on the deluxe dining plan may not order them - it has to be split between two people and will count as the appetizer for both.

One person who is not on the dining plan may order the appetizer for two and eat it themselves. Another reason for me to not do the dining plan. (Although I am doing the QS plan for one night in August) The other good news is now that these appetizers can easily be a full meal for me!

In my opinion this shift has nothing to do with free dining. Free dining involves the basic dining plan, which does not include appetizers. Most free dining guests do not upgrade to deluxe. The number of basic diners who use the Fantasmic package is small when compared with the number of dining plan users throughout the park. This is another way for WDW to cut costs and control portions.

Thats right, its a way for Disney to cut cost and portions!

 

[kaybird]

Don't know how "new" this "gimmick" is, we have gotten appetizers for 2 at WDW since 1975. Always had some sort of Dining Plan too, from coupons, to Food N Fun, etc.

 

[momx2]

It means that these appetizers may be ordered only by two people on the deluxe dining plan. One person on the deluxe dining plan may not order them - it has to be split between two people and will count as the appetizer for both.

One person who is not on the dining plan may order the appetizer for two and eat it themselves. Another reason for me to not do the dining plan. (Although I am doing the QS plan for one night in August) The other good news is now that these appetizers can easily be a full meal for me!

In my opinion this shift has nothing to do with free dining. Free dining involves the basic dining plan, which does not include appetizers. Most free dining guests do not upgrade to deluxe. The number of basic diners who use the Fantasmic package is small when compared with the number of dining plan users throughout the park. This is another way for WDW to cut costs and control portions.

That's what I thought too, but that is not what is happening. We were on the DxDDP for 3 days last week. We had 3 adults and 1 child. We were at ESPN and still not really hungry because IMO the DxDDP is way too much food and we're big eaters...anyway that's another subject. We had ordered the Nachos for 2 and the Chili Cheese fries for the 3 adult apps. when the waitress heard us talking about how full we still were and we told her we were just going to order the meals to go. She said "No, just order 2 meals and keep one of the credits." I told her that we had the Nachos for 2 so with the fries that equaled 3 apps. She insisted it wasn't that the Nachos for 2 were one credit for the plan, they were just big enough for 2.

Then we were at the Brown Derby (I think) and they had Mussels for 2 and they had us order another appetizer also even though I pointed it says for 2 and they were like, no order another, so we did. I didn't feel as bad there since it was 2 credits and my DD 11 ordered the $15 Cobb Salad.

So while they say "for 2" the waiters say they are only 1 credit.

 

[TDC Nala]

Consider that a bonus. They're supposed to only take the appetizers for two if they're split between two diners. I asked at Prime Time - I was not on the dining plan but was curious - and they said the onion rings for 2 had to be ordered by 2 on the dining plan. What individual servers do is up to them.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thats right, its a way for Disney to cut cost and portions!

Not sure how it does either. Did you SEE the size of the calimari appetizer, above?

 

[gigi1313]

here's my advice and what we did when the appetizers for two did not appeal to us... (we were also on deluxe dining)... one of us ordered the appy for two for the 'two' of us, and the other ordered the appy of choice for one and paid oop... it cost more but it was a guaranteed way of getting what we wanted...