Via Napoli Pizza Window

[wolf29]

Maybe not bait & switch, but I can't think of anywhere that you would go up to a window of a restaurant and buy an item (same cuisine) and expect to have to see if it's made by that establishment. I also realize that you can check it out beforehand, but why would you expect to have to do that? Not suer why the onus here is on the guest to find out what pizza they are buying.

 

[ses1230]

Anyone think the pizza window is a joke?

Did you stop by guest services or send an email to let Disney know your opinion and dissatisfaction?

 

[TDC Nala]

Seriously, you need a sign saying it's Sicilian pizza when the pizza is right in front of you at the window, you can see the pizza with your own eyes and tell it's Sicilian pizza, and you can make the decision BEFORE you put your money down whether or not you want Sicilian pizza?

Not suer why the onus here is on the guest to find out what pizza they are buying.

I've been there. They don't keep the pizza in a back room and bring it out after you have paid for it. It's sitting right there at the window. A guest has every opportunity to decide for themselves whether they want that type of pizza or not. It's disappointing that the pizza isn't very good, but it isn't fraud or a bait and switch tactic.

The deal here is that Via Napoli and the Patina group are not operating the pizza window, Disney is operating it. I don't know where they get the pizza but they don't get it from inside the restaurant. If it's that big a deal, then all I can suggest is to contact Disney and give your opinion that they should either 1) move the takeout window away from the restaurant or 2) serve the restaurant's pizza.

 

[hroyale]

Thanks for the update, I hadn't realized they were different (haven't been since the window opened). I had been planning to get that for DD for lunch on our EPCOT day, but she won't eat the typical Disney pizza so guess it's out.

For the record I do think it's a little shady of them to attach it to the restaurant and not serve the food from inside. And yes, I had assumed the Yak and Yetti CS and sit-down were basically the same.

We have a nice restaurant in my town that opens a beach style walk-up window that not only serves ice cream, but grill items and sandwhiches etc... It is the same food you can get at the tavern in the restautant and the prices are lower.

 

[Belle5]

Personally, I would think that Via Napoli would have an interest in NOT allowed bad pizza to be served from their window. The average tourist would taste the window pizza and assume that it was representative of what is served inside. They would make a mental note to not ever go inside if that is the kind of food that is offered...

 

[TDC Nala]

Personally, I would think that Via Napoli would have an interest in NOT allowed bad pizza to be served from their window. The average tourist would taste the window pizza and assume that it was representative of what is served inside. They would make a mental note to not ever go inside if that is the kind of food that is offered...

It's not their window, it's Disney's window. That would be between Disney and the Patina group...that may be what happens when you contract with Disney to operate on Disney's property, they do what they want. I do have a friend who says that if people think that's what Via Napoli serves inside, then it should be easier to get reservations there.

 

[HunnyJar]

Honestly, maybe the Patina group wanted to see how the window did before putting in their own pizza. Who knows. Yeah, it would probably be better if it was the Via Napoli pizza, but right now it's not. Making that a suggestion to Disney wouldn't hurt at all.

 

[honugirl]

I'm actually quite surprised to find out that the pizza at the pizza window is not the same as served inside Via Napoli. I can't eat at Via Napoli because they can't accommodate my food allergies, so I was going to suggest to my friend that he get pizza at the window and I could eat somewhere else, but now I won't. Truly we both always assumed it was the same thing served inside. I'm a disheartened to hear that's not the case.

 

[Respect]

It's not their window, it's Disney's window. That would be between Disney and the Patina group...that may be what happens when you contract with Disney to operate on Disney's property, they do what they want. I do have a friend who says that if people think that's what Via Napoli serves inside, then it should be easier to get reservations there.

You're heavily outnumbered in this thread. Look, as someone else mentioned, the onus should not be on the guest to determine whether the pizza is or isn't Via Nap style. The bottomline is that the pizza window is connected to an authentica italian pizzeria. Whether the window is or isn't operated by the Patina group is irrelevant to this discussion.

A guest walks up to a pizza window connected to an authentica italian pizzeria, they expect to get a slice of authentic italian pizza. Not a slice of something completely different.

If a steakhouse has a takeout window for burgers, I expect to get a steak burger, not a McDonald's burger.

 

[TheRealDrDisney]

Put me in the disappointed camp.

Would have loved to get one of those amazing pizzas (or just a slice) to go!

 

[JimmyV]

"You can see the pizza before you buy it. If you are familiar with Via Napoli's thin crust Neapolitan-style pizza it's very obvious that the thick-crust Sicilian style pizza served outside is not the same pizza."

"...but if you are already familiar with Disney pizza..."

Those in the "there is no deception here" camp seem to be of the view that everyone in the world (or World) has been inside VN and has seen the pizza there. But there are two types of people in this world. Those who know what a VN pizza looks like and those that don't. Inasmuch as the restaurant has been open for less than a year, I am quite confident that the latter group far outnumbers the former. The same can be said for people who read Disney Chat Boards vs. those who don't. The latter group far exceeds the former. So if a pizza window is attached to a "new" pizza parlor in Epcot, it is a very fair assumption for anyone who has never been inside VN nor has read a Disney Chat Board that the pizza window serves pizza coming from the same ovens. I have never had the Cheese Soup at Le Cellier. If the Canada Pavillion opened up a take-away counter connected to LC and it served Cheese Soup, I would very much assume that it is the same product, unless told differently. The world being a smaller place now that all information is available to everyone instantly on their phone or computer, I guess that word would leak out pretty quickly. But for the first several months, one should certainly be forgiven if they get deceived.

 

[vicki_c]

Not sure why I torture myself by coming back to this thread ... but what *I* meant was nothing to do with whether it was the same pizza as in the restaurant.

I simply meant - you can walk up and look at it and if looks like what you want, order it. If it doesn't, don't. No different than any other food location.

One look @ that pizza for me - and as I said, knowing how bad Disney pizza is - I would never consider buying it. Whether it was made in the restaurant or not, or whether I knew what kind of pizza they served in the restaurant or not would have no relevance on my decision, and I don't really see how it's relevant to anyone else's decision to purchase it either.

I was just making the point that you can see it before you buy it.

 

[Respect]

Not sure why I torture myself by coming back to this thread ... but what *I* meant was nothing to do with whether it was the same pizza as in the restaurant.

I simply meant - you can walk up and look at it and if looks like what you want, order it. If it doesn't, don't. No different than any other food location.

One look @ that pizza for me - and as I said, knowing how bad Disney pizza is - I would never consider buying it. Whether it was made in the restaurant or not, or whether I knew what kind of pizza they served in the restaurant or not would have no relevance on my decision, and I don't really see how it's relevant to anyone else's decision to purchase it either.

I was just making the point that you can see it before you buy it.

I completely understand what you're saying but as the poster above you pointed out, not everyone knows what the Via pizza looks like. I would even hazard a guess that 95% of the people in Disney World at any one moment do not know what via pizza looks like, considering the fact that it is a new restaurant.

Even if they did know what it looks like, it would be easy to assume that it was simply shaped differently but most likely tasted the same.

Regardless, to purposely attach the pizza window to an authentic italian pizzeria to me is a deceitful business practice. Disney management knew that people would logically think it was related to the restaurant, I mean that only makes sense right?

 

[marivaid]

What I think is deceitful is that the pizza window has the VN logo above it, when in reality it's not serving VN pizza. Like I said before I wouldn't expect to be served something of equal quality from a CS (why would anybody pay twice as much if you can get the exact same thing outside?). But in this case, it's not even owned by the same business.
Selling lower quality at the CS for me that's expected, but putting VN's name on Disney pizza is pushing it a bit too far IMO.

 

[TDC Nala]

Those in the "there is no deception here" camp seem to be of the view that everyone in the world (or World) has been inside VN and has seen the pizza there. But there are two types of people in this world. Those who know what a VN pizza looks like and those that don't. Inasmuch as the restaurant has been open for less than a year, I am quite confident that the latter group far outnumbers the former.

The complaint was that those who like Via Napoli pizza think they're getting the good pizza from the window and they're not. I wasn't including those who've never been to Via Napoli because they can't have any idea that it's different pizza. If you've been to Via Napoli and you see the outside pizza you know it's not Via Napoli. If you've never been to Via Napoli and you don't know the difference, then you really don't care if it's the same pizza as inside.

I'm going for no intended deception. Disney saw a need (guests wanted takeout pizza) and they addressed it. They're not forcing guests to buy the pizza. Now, what if guests REALLY want is takeout pizza that was cooked in the Via Napoli restaurant, they need to get on Disney so they can talk to the Patina group and maybe make it happen. And yes, the onus is on you to decide if you like the looks of the pizza enough to purchase it and eat it. It's not a table service where you don't know what the food looks like when you order it. There seems to be a consensus that Disney should put up a sign stating "THIS IS NOT VIA NAPOLI'S PIZZA," well maybe they should, but I don't see how they are trying to trick guests into buying the pizza.

 

[oybolshoi]

This thread is just funny ... I'm sorry, but it is.

 

[Respect]

The complaint was that those who like Via Napoli pizza think they're getting the good pizza from the window and they're not. I wasn't including those who've never been to Via Napoli because they can't have any idea that it's different pizza. If you've been to Via Napoli and you see the outside pizza you know it's not Via Napoli. If you've never been to Via Napoli and you don't know the difference, then you really don't care if it's the same pizza as inside.

I'm going for no intended deception. Disney saw a need (guests wanted takeout pizza) and they addressed it. They're not forcing guests to buy the pizza. Now, what if guests REALLY want is takeout pizza that was cooked in the Via Napoli restaurant, they need to get on Disney so they can talk to the Patina group and maybe make it happen. And yes, the onus is on you to decide if you like the looks of the pizza enough to purchase it and eat it. It's not a table service where you don't know what the food looks like when you order it. There seems to be a consensus that Disney should put up a sign stating "THIS IS NOT VIA NAPOLI'S PIZZA," well maybe they should, but I don't see how they are trying to trick guests into buying the pizza.

Yes they should have the sign up because the 2 establishments are connected to each other. Who in their right mind would thnk the pizza window was going to serve joke pizza when they're sharing the space? It is mind boggling. I already said in my last post that if a steakhouse opens a takeout window next door and I order a burger, I expect a steak burger from their establishment, not a mcdonald's patty.

 

[Respect]

What I think is deceitful is that the pizza window has the VN logo above it, when in reality it's not serving VN pizza. Like I said before I wouldn't expect to be served something of equal quality from a CS (why would anybody pay twice as much if you can get the exact same thing outside?). But in this case, it's not even owned by the same business.
Selling lower quality at the CS for me that's expected, but putting VN's name on Disney pizza is pushing it a bit too far IMO.

You're not thinking about the costs in the right way. A slice of takeout pizza is $5.00. The solo pizzas at Via Napoli are $18.00 (depending on how many toppings you get). A reasonable person would expect that a solo pizza would be roughly equivalent to 4 takeout slices.

So the costs are roughly equivalent, actually the takeout is slightly more expensive as $5.00 * 4 = $20.00. So yes I do expect the same quality since I'm spending roughly the same amount.

 

[cymbaldiva]

I have not been to Disney since the pizza window was attached. From what I understand the pizza window has Via Napoli's logo over it - if that is the case, it DOES imply heavily that the product that they are serving is produced by the Via Napoli.

Sounds to me like a deception, and I have to think that Disney marketing knew exactly what they were doing when the decision was made to open said pizza window - sorry, can't go with unintentional on this one.

ETA - googled for a picture; yep, that logo is pretty darn misleading...

 

[tomthebarncat]

"You can see the pizza before you buy it. If you are familiar with Via Napoli's thin crust Neapolitan-style pizza it's very obvious that the thick-crust Sicilian style pizza served outside is not the same pizza."

"...but if you are already familiar with Disney pizza..."

Those in the "there is no deception here" camp seem to be of the view that everyone in the world (or World) has been inside VN and has seen the pizza there. But there are two types of people in this world. Those who know what a VN pizza looks like and those that don't. Inasmuch as the restaurant has been open for less than a year, I am quite confident that the latter group far outnumbers the former. The same can be said for people who read Disney Chat Boards vs. those who don't. The latter group far exceeds the former. So if a pizza window is attached to a "new" pizza parlor in Epcot, it is a very fair assumption for anyone who has never been inside VN nor has read a Disney Chat Board that the pizza window serves pizza coming from the same ovens. I have never had the Cheese Soup at Le Cellier. If the Canada Pavillion opened up a take-away counter connected to LC and it served Cheese Soup, I would very much assume that it is the same product, unless told differently. The world being a smaller place now that all information is available to everyone instantly on their phone or computer, I guess that word would leak out pretty quickly. But for the first several months, one should certainly be forgiven if they get deceived.

This is what I said a few threads ago, only the moderator and a few disfanatics have pointed out what we should all know. The reality is that most of the food at the parks is overpriced crap!! and this thread just highlights what many of us already know or are finding out the expensive way! Cost and worth are two very different concepts!