UGGGGHHHH...Boatwrights no longer serving breakfast!!!

[Uncleromulus]

jlima: Might be hard for many people getting to those other "outlets".

THis ranks right up with the closing of Tony's for breakfast. They took Bonfamilles away entirely, and now Boatwrights for breakfast. How Disney justifies this their business I guess--to me, bonehead decisions.

 

[CanadianImagineer]

Does anyone know of any similar cut-backs at wdw restaurants?

 

[Eastern]

I don't understand why they would close for breakfast. Does this save them money somehow?

 

[kdepot]

We have had breakfast there 3 times and each time we were 1 of 3-4 families there. It's hard to pay for kitchen staff and wait staff when they outnumber the guests. These times are hard and cutbacks or price increases are the norm

 

[indigoxtreme]

Does anyone know of any similar cut-backs at wdw restaurants?

So far No character meals any more at LTT and no lunch at Garden Grill. We will see, where else they cut.

 

[RIPaula]

I recall our one and only trip toWhispering Canyon...can't remember if it was lunch or dinner.

It was completely forgetable because of the lack of guests in the restaurant. Very disappointing, since the fun atmosphere we'd always heard about was totally missing.

If this was happening with any frequency at Boatwrights , I guess I can understand.

 

[elmo2wdw]

I am glad to see that we were not the only ones that loved it here. I have checked every menu in Disney and the sweet potato pancakes are not offered any where else. My family is in mourning over this...we loved this place. When we told the kids last night...my oldest joked that he doesn't need to go to Disney anymore because he will be missing this so much!

Thanks for the support!

 

[KayKyle'sMOM]

I just got off the phone with a CM and they were not even notified that is closing for breakfast. I had to have her check with the resturant directly to confirm.

I am disappointed as this was our only adult only meal.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

Here's the recipe, I found it on all ears. It's just going to have to do. I was looking forward to trying this on our next trip.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Boatwright's
Port Orleans-Riverside

Yield: 12-15 pancakes

Pancakes:
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups milk
3 each eggs
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12-ounce can sweet potato, mashed

Pecan honey butter:
1 stick butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup toasted pecans

To make pecan honey butter, combine butter, honey and toasted pecans. Set aside.

To make the pancakes, combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir in milk and beaten eggs. Add oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in the mashed sweet potatoes (should result in a lumpy texture). In a small nonstick frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Pour in batter to desired size. Cook until dark brown (sweet potato pancakes take a little longer to cook than regular pancakes because of the density of the sweet potatoes). Serve pancakes warm with pecan honey butter.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Dangit! This seriously blows. I fell in love with Boatrights last April during my solo trip. The food was awesome and the service was great. I had hoped to use breakfast at Boatrights as a "selling tool" to talk my partner into staying onsite in October. I guess that's a mute point now.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I guess what I don't really understand is that every restaurant we visit up here (breakfast and dinner) has been mobbed!! We had to wait over 1/2 hour to get a seat at our breakfast spot last Sunday, and last Friday night at Outback we couldn't even get in the door. People were THREE deep at the bar! Two Saturday nights ago people were standing OUTSIDE at the Blue Stone in Timonium, waiting to get in.
So is this WDW guests not eating out just to save $$, not enough guests at the WDW hotels, or ???

 

[KatMark]

I guess what I don't really understand is that every restaurant we visit up here (breakfast and dinner) has been mobbed!! We had to wait over 1/2 hour to get a seat at our breakfast spot last Sunday, and last Friday night at Outback we couldn't even get in the door. People were THREE deep at the bar! Two Saturday nights ago people were standing OUTSIDE at the Blue Stone in Timonium, waiting to get in.
So is this WDW guests not eating out just to save $$, not enough guests at the WDW hotels, or ???

And we've had the complete opposite here. We've gone out the last three weekends for dinner--our Applebees and Chili's were both empty and we went to a German restaurant that is usually booming with business and we were one of only four tables.

 

[stitch1094]

Um; too few people were dining there to justify paying the bills? Now they don't have to pay the people they lay off. Yes, it stinks, but that's the economic realty that so many hospitality companies are looking at right now.

Yes it sucks that there's one less choice for breakfast, but I would ask if those menu items (banana french toast, sweet potato pancakes, etc) are being added to other outlets or other restaurants.

Last time I was at MK there were about 10 people in the Hall of Presidents - lets close that. Oliva's was pretty empty - lets close that too. Turf Club had my family plus two others. Close that as well. I can go on and on.

I am very upset with the closing because it effects my family personally. We usually went there at least once or twice per vacation. It also is upseting because it is part of a trend where it seems Disney is "dumbing down" its dining options. The dining options and service has been declining since we joined DVC in 2001. Its just frustrating. At this rate Disney is trending to be nothing more than a glorified Six Flags.

 

[dizfan]

This may explain the restaurant closing for breakfast...

Disney offering buyouts to execs at parks/resorts.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Disney-offering-buyouts-600-execs/story.aspx?guid={6866FE73-B54C-4969-93EC-85368210BF39}

 

[ashleyrm]

This article has a little more information:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHeq.jQKtGyc&refer=home

"Flagging consumer spending cut profit at Disney’s parks and resorts by 4.2 percent to $412 million in the September quarter, the company reported on Nov. 6. Revenue rose 6.5 percent to $2.97 billion.

To keep parks full, Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger said visitors booking four nights will receive an additional three for free, plus a $200 credit to spend on food or merchandise.

Parks Promotions

Last month, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Staggs told a UBS investor conference that promotions begun in November had improved reservations at the company’s U.S. resorts.

Reservations through March 2009 were running 6 percent below a year earlier, Staggs said at the time. In November, before the promotion started, bookings were 10 percent lower."

 

[Erin1700]

This is crazy! Hope nothing else goes anytime soon.

 

[jlima]

So is this WDW guests not eating out just to save $$, not enough guests at the WDW hotels, or ???

Probably both . . . here in Las Vegas, the research is showing that people are still coming, but they are cutting back. I.E., making 2 trips a year instead of 3 or 4; staying for fewer nights (3 nights instead of 4 or 2 nights instead of 3); cutting back on dining (coffee shop instead of steakhouse or McDonalds instead of a buffet); and people who would normally stay at at four or five star hotels are staying at three star properties and people who would normally stay at low-end properties like Sahara are going off Strip and staying at Motel 6. So you end up with hotels at 93% occupancy instead of 98%; and restaurants with revenues off 15 - 20%. Also, people who would normally see 2 - 3 shows may only see one or none; or get 2 for 1 coupons or buy an all-inclusive package.

If Orlando is anything like Vegas, then people are probably making one ADR instead of 3 on a trip; and skipping character breakfasts and trying harder to see characters in the parks; and bringing pop tarts and granola bars instead of eating hotel food.

At Coronado Springs on our last trip, one morning I purchased 2 muffins, 2 croissants, 2 milks and an orange juice and spent $17. That's a lot of money for a basic breakfast! If one family skips that expense every day, then Disney loses about $100 in revenue over a 5 day stay. When thousands of guests do the same, it adds up.

 

[3boymthr]

At Coronado Springs on our last trip, one morning I purchased 2 muffins, 2 croissants, 2 milks and an orange juice and spent $17. That's a lot of money for a basic breakfast! If one family skips that expense every day, then Disney loses about $100 in revenue over a 5 day stay. When thousands of guests do the same, it adds up.

This is a way people are cutting back at WDW and let's face it you can certainly save a lot of money, especially on breakfast, even eating out at other places. ie, at our local Dunkin Donuts (according to UG there's one just outside the park), two muffins would run about $4, two crossoints about $3.50 and the three drinks would cost about $4.50 - that's a total of about $12; a savings of 30%. Go to the grocery store and you can probably save another dollar or two. Factor that across all your meals and that's huge. Compare that to a sit down meal and that savings becomes even larger closer to 75%. Bring in pop-tarts/cereal bars or cereal or a dozen donuts or a grocery store danish and the savings are closer to 90%.

But I also think that this is going to be part of a going trend where most of the restaurants at disney no longer offer breakfast - not just because of the economy - in part because most people are jumping on the "all inclusive" bandwagon and buying the DDP. It's the economics of the DDP. Aside from the Character Breakfasts and buffets like BOMA, when at most restaurants most adult breakfasts cost @$10 a person even at an expensive restaurant - most people are not going to elect this as their sit down meal because they'd be losing serious money (about $20/person/day). You could just pay out of pocket but why would you when you've got a snack credit that will buy you a muffin.

In future, I'd expect many, many more of the restaurants to be closed for breakfast. I think WDW will probably be closing all but the wildly popular or expensive breakfast options. I think they will keep a few non character meals open but just because of the DxDDP.

 

[debster812]

What that can't be right because they cater to both Riverside and FQ and that would take away a breakfast sit down, not that I doubt you, but can any one else confirm?

I can absolutely confirm this. We were at PO-R from the 9th to the 18th, and had breakfast at Boatwright's. We were told by the CM when we made our ADR (walked up and made it) and also by our waiter.

 

[Klassifyed]

If Orlando is anything like Vegas, then people are probably making one ADR instead of 3 on a trip; and skipping character breakfasts and trying harder to see characters in the parks; and bringing pop tarts and granola bars instead of eating hotel food.

At Coronado Springs on our last trip, one morning I purchased 2 muffins, 2 croissants, 2 milks and an orange juice and spent $17. That's a lot of money for a basic breakfast! If one family skips that expense every day, then Disney loses about $100 in revenue over a 5 day stay. When thousands of guests do the same, it adds up.

MY solution to this: stop making the prices so @#$&& ridiculous!!! $17? LEt me walk away before I start cursing......

We're scheduled to go in May....as obsessed as I am wtih my planning, I fear those tiny lil voices in the back of my head telling me to cancel, and spend that money on stuff I REALLY need for other things. I'm already upset about SM and HoP and Fantasmic and TTA......if I keep hearing about these closures and such, I just might cancel. As it was, I was dead-set on making the most of my DDP, as I planned to spend NO $$$ OOP for food on this trip outside of gratuities. *sigh*

this is depressimg.