RIP Le Cellier, we'll miss you!

[goofy4prez]

For me personally I say to Le'Cellier, Donadagohvi, Ahoj, Arrivederci, Addio,Bis dann, Ade, Adios, Farvel, Alvida, Farewell, and Goodbye.

Sorry, in it's present incarnation of a restaurant I'm not going to miss it, shed a tear, nor ever visit it's gravesite. I will not miss it's hype, over-rated food, it's arrogance of management, nor it's decor. To me, it's done nothing to earn it's merit other than offer a traditional comfort food (steak), do an average job of what it does, while doing all of this with a 1 ts credit.

Perhaps now Le'Cellier will be forced to reinvent itself. It will need to "earn" it's business by offering excellent entrees as a 2ts, offer excellent service, management needs to change it's haughty "we are Le'Cellier" attitude, and now compete on something other than a great value dollar wise on the dining plan.

Hopefully, if it can achieve being worthy of a signature restaurant and meet the hype, I will visit it again. Until then, I personally will not miss it. And before I get flamed, I am in no way attacking those who love Le'Cellier. This is just my opinion based on my one and only time visiting this place with great expectations and experiencing a very average encounter.

 

[ebird08]

well, all i know is that i'm glad i was able to squeeze in a reservation for Feb!! it will be my first and most likely, last. Here's hoping it sucks so i won't feel bad when i can't afford to go back!

 

[DebbieB]

It will be interesting to see if they upgrade their menu. I would expect them to for 2 credits.

 

[iman]

We love it here and would pay the 2 dinnng credits. But, there are NO available reservations for December 1-9 for ANY time. Totally bumed, first time in Disney without eating here

 

[disneydreamgirl]

Yeah, sure, that famous Canadian princess...you remember, what was her name? The one that married the Mountie...

no, she married a Canadian hockey player!!!! a la Janet Gretsky and more recently Hilary Duff and Carrie Underwood.

We really enjoy Le Cellier and will try it for lunch for 1TS before we go for a dinner to see the changes and spend 2TS. I'm pleased changes are in store and if Alberta Beef gets added to the menu that will be a good change. We'll be finding out whatever we can while there in December this year. We've always had terrific service at LC and usually go on the last night of our trip, partly to cap off the trip and partly because that is when we can get a good dinner time ADR.

 

[tinkamom]

All I can say is I hope they retrain their chefs!

They had quite a problem cooking our steaks to our desired level of doneness last time we visited.

We ordered our filets medium rare, I even explained to our waitress that we meant nice and pink from top to bottom in order to make sure our defination of med rare and the chefs were the same.

Didn't work. Our steaks were extremely well done so we nicely requested new ones. Anyone could make a mistake right? Maybe the waitress accidently picked up the wrong dishes, no big deal. But when the replacements arrived without even a ting of pink

We just gave up and ate them!

I found it quite ironic that a "steakhouse" had such trouble grilling a steak.

 

[palavra]

I seem to be in the minority, but I think we will continue to go to LeCellier, even when it goes to 2 credits. I'm not sure if we will use our dining plan there or pay OOP, but I am crazy about the filet and DH loves the pretzel bread, so we won't want to give that up. We will go during dinner to make sure we get the meal that we want.

They don't have the filet, but Biergarten also serves the pretzel bread. We loved it!

 

[TACK]

When I'm able to get the dining plan, I normally try one 2 credit meal just to have the experience. It's the same with character meals - at least one per trip. For my upcoming trip I reserved Le Cellier twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. It is my daughter's favorite restaurant so most likely in the future, I'll go back. I, like many others, believe the menus will change to reflect a 2 credit restaurant. No judging from me until I try it.

 

[MurphyJoe]

I haven't read through this thread in it's entirety, so if somebody else has made this prediction consider me a co-signer. I have no inside information, but to me, it seems as if Disney is using Le Cellar as a major test bed for the 1TS Lunch / 2TS Dinner concept. If the split works as well as Disney hopes, I'd expect within a few more years other restaurants to institute the idea. Most likely, the next split credit restaurant would be Coral Reef. The menu could be easily spruced up for dinner, and the aquarium view is unique enough, that Disney would probably have no problems selling dinner at 2TS a person.

Perhaps (in the long run) the goal is to have ALL, on site, table service restaurants that accept the Dinning Plan to have a credit split between lunch and dinner. Thus, pushing more people to fill the restaurants at lunch (instead of waiting until dinner to use their credits on a more expensive meal) and increase the number of people purchasing the DxDDP (and leaving more unused credits at the end of their stay, which is 'free' money to TDO.)

 

[catne]

I haven't read through this thread in it's entirety, so if somebody else has made this prediction consider me a co-signer. I have no inside information, but to me, it seems as if Disney is using Le Cellar as a major test bed for the 1TS Lunch / 2TS Dinner concept. If the split works as well as Disney hopes, I'd expect within a few more years other restaurants to institute the idea. Most likely, the next split credit restaurant would be Coral Reef. The menu could be easily spruced up for dinner, and the aquarium view is unique enough, that Disney would probably have no problems selling dinner at 2TS a person.

Perhaps (in the long run) the goal is to have ALL, on site, table service restaurants that accept the Dinning Plan to have a credit split between lunch and dinner. Thus, pushing more people to fill the restaurants at lunch (instead of waiting until dinner to use their credits on a more expensive meal) and increase the number of people purchasing the DxDDP (and leaving more unused credits at the end of their stay, which is 'free' money to TDO.)

OP here...wow, you raise some interesting points. I could see them doing that -- it would be a way to manipulate how people use the free dining plan...as people with free dining might be more apt to go ahead and book the lunch table service if that was the one credit option, instead of using up their credits too quickly with 2 TS dinners. Or would cause them to spend more OOP to buy meals if they did use up credits quickly on 2 TS meals. Hmmm--could really see that happening.

By the way, I remember reading on here that Coral Reef was, at one time--briefly--a 2 TS restaurant.

 

[bicker]

There is a lot of logic in what you're saying. I could see "regular" Dining Plan being 1TS for lunch, 2TS for dinner, and Signature dining experiences being 2TS for lunch and 3TS for dinner.

 

[skater]

I think a 2 TS for dinner plan would be the end of it for me. Disney draws us in every year with the fun of the ddp and the flexibility of it. Actually, some of our sit down meals are lunch, but I like the flexibilty of choosing without feeling like I'm sacrificing a credit because I choose to eat our TS at dinner.

I'm sure Disney won't miss us too much . Many people will still do it, but I would look elsewhere (we used to actually do National Park vacations ) . I"m not saying we would never go to WDW again, it would just not be every year.

 

[goofy4tink]

I haven't read through this thread in it's entirety, so if somebody else has made this prediction consider me a co-signer. I have no inside information, but to me, it seems as if Disney is using Le Cellar as a major test bed for the 1TS Lunch / 2TS Dinner concept. If the split works as well as Disney hopes, I'd expect within a few more years other restaurants to institute the idea. Most likely, the next split credit restaurant would be Coral Reef. The menu could be easily spruced up for dinner, and the aquarium view is unique enough, that Disney would probably have no problems selling dinner at 2TS a person.

Perhaps (in the long run) the goal is to have ALL, on site, table service restaurants that accept the Dinning Plan to have a credit split between lunch and dinner. Thus, pushing more people to fill the restaurants at lunch (instead of waiting until dinner to use their credits on a more expensive meal) and increase the number of people purchasing the DxDDP (and leaving more unused credits at the end of their stay, which is 'free' money to TDO.)

Have to agree with this thought. Disney has constantly been making changes to the DDP since it came out. They have gotten a ton of people used to buying it..but they have changed it up considerably. I used to buy the DP but not anymore. The TiW card works out much better for us. But not everyone can get that. Once Disney took the automatic gratuity off the DDP, it became harder to accept for me. They took away the appetizer. They raised prices. They changed menus. They added free dining. Now, they have the CP dinner pkg priced at 2 TS credits since it's during free dining. I have to believe that they know exactly what they are doing.
I do see a time, not too far down the road, when we will see many meals priced at 2 TS credits. As of right now, CRT is there...can Akershus be far behind??? Same with Coral Reef or Tuttu. There are many spots that Disney could conceivably make 2 credits. But lunch time would remain just the one credit.
Nope, the ddp isn't getting it done for us anymore.

 

[PoohBear]

Have to agree with this thought. Disney has constantly been making changes to the DDP since it came out. They have gotten a ton of people used to buying it..but they have changed it up considerably. I used to buy the DP but not anymore. The TiW card works out much better for us. But not everyone can get that. Once Disney took the automatic gratuity off the DDP, it became harder to accept for me. They took away the appetizer. They raised prices. They changed menus. They added free dining. Now, they have the CP dinner pkg priced at 2 TS credits since it's during free dining. I have to believe that they know exactly what they are doing.
I do see a time, not too far down the road, when we will see many meals priced at 2 TS credits. As of right now, CRT is there...can Akershus be far behind??? Same with Coral Reef or Tuttu. There are many spots that Disney could conceivably make 2 credits. But lunch time would remain just the one credit.
Nope, the ddp isn't getting it done for us anymore.

Well said, I completely agree. I was thinking all character dining down the road will be 2 TS. And anyplace Disney sees becoming a tourist attraction all it's own, like Le Cellier. We used to buy the DP years ago but all the changes (and all my alcohol ) now make it cheaper for us to use TIW.

 

[goofy4tink]

All I can say is I hope they retrain their chefs!

They had quite a problem cooking our steaks to our desired level of doneness last time we visited.

We ordered our filets medium rare, I even explained to our waitress that we meant nice and pink from top to bottom in order to make sure our defination of med rare and the chefs were the same.

Didn't work. Our steaks were extremely well done so we nicely requested new ones. Anyone could make a mistake right? Maybe the waitress accidently picked up the wrong dishes, no big deal. But when the replacements arrived without even a ting of pink

We just gave up and ate them!

I found it quite ironic that a "steakhouse" had such trouble grilling a steak.

I have had completely different experiences at LeCellier when it comes to cooking to specifications. This is the one restaurant that has consistently brought out my beef medium rare...just as asked for. I have had my beef killed at Yachtsman in the past. LeCellier and FF both have done it correctly every time.
Now...I'm not saying they don't mess up...they do. I just wanted to go on record as having my meal cooked perfectly every time. Still doesn't make it a 2 TS spot for me though!!!!
I find it hard to swallow the prices that the 2 TS spots get. Sure, you have a bit more room around you vs being crammed in, practically sitting at someone else's table. But, the quality of food at the 2 TS spots just isn't worth what I pay for them. We try one Signature dining spot on each trip...that's it. But, then again, I may just have that 'meat and potatoes' mentality going on.

 

[eliza61]

Personally I'm hoping that the 2 TS credits will force Le Cellier to become a true "signature" dining place.
It wasn't worth the 1 credit imo.

 

[eliza61]

I
Perhaps (in the long run) the goal is to have ALL, on site, table service restaurants that accept the Dinning Plan to have a credit split between lunch and dinner. Thus, pushing more people to fill the restaurants at lunch (instead of waiting until dinner to use their credits on a more expensive meal) and increase the number of people purchasing the DxDDP (and leaving more unused credits at the end of their stay, which is 'free' money to TDO.)

Interesting way to look at it. Makes me doubly happy when I rent a car and eat off site. I can't even imagine giving them 2TS for the food at Tony's

 

[tony67]

Personally I'm hoping that the 2 TS credits will force Le Cellier to become a true "signature" dining place.
It wasn't worth the 1 credit imo.

I agree - I hope it goes back to the quality they provided up till the first year of the DDP.
My most recent visit reminded me of an Outback, not a Canadian Steakhouse.