Here we go again.
Very few, really? How can you summize this anymore than my saying "most all"? The
free dining in particular causes menu changes, based on when they happen and the type of change they are, that leaves the only one reasonable assumption as to why it was done. IMO, it would be unreasonable or naive to think otherwise. We know it's about the money at this point so the removal of a steak or lobster item or relocation of expensive appitizers is obviously being caused by one thing.
You are exactly right.
This is not for or against the DDP or WDW:
I think people need to look at this from a cost accounting perspective. Unfortunately it is not always about making people
perfectly happy 100% of the time, it is more about making money while keeping people pleased overall. Regardless of what everyone believes Disney is in it to make money, that is their number one goal. Is Disney evil because of this, no they are just in business. Do they make us happy for the most part, yes. So, we turn around and make them rich for that bit of happiness.
The resturants removing these expensive items are counting on patrons to dine no matter what is on the menu and more importantly they are counting on most patrons not having any idea the menu has been changed from one month to the next or from year to year and hope the revisiting patrons stay pleased. Millions of people visit Disney and they all have to eat at one point in a day and the majority eat in Disney. Not everyone visits as often as some Disers do and not many are as educated about Disney.
Disney is huge. You have to look at it that Disney is one company that owns a bunch of little businesses. Each resturant in Disney (Disney owned) and each resort (Disney owned), and each store within the park have their own financial reports with their own operation goals. This is required so that Disney upper management knows if that business will sink or swim. That is why some resturants, shops, etc close and are replaced with others. Operation decisions are made everyday to make a profit as each have to meet their goals in order to do so. This includes the cost of food supplies, payroll costs, etc. The dining plan (paid or free) may affect some resturant's bottom line more than it affects others depending on these costs. That is why some changes are made in some and not in others. And of course non Disney owned resturants are concerned with the same things.
It is not just as simple as serving the food the chef wants to serve or making every single patron happy. Some times it just comes down to the bottom line and it is very plain and simple to anyone with basic accounting knowledge or business knowledge as to how the most expensive items on a menu with the DDP or especially during free dining would put a strain on profits for some of these resturants causing them to make changes. The same way the demand for a particular dish may be the deciding factor if still cost effective.
Of course during free dining the resorts may come out making more money, but some of the resturants could be making less. And vise versa when they put out a promotion for a discount at the resort. Disney wants their entire operation to make a profit and they are doing everything they can to make people come to the park and as they offer these packages, discounts, free dining and paid dining they are also examining each business's financial reporting to determine what the ultimate bottom line is and they are learning from that what these promotions are doing and tweaking future promotions because of the results. Even though it is about the bottom line overall, and these promotions are being offered, I can guarantee you that each and every business still has a forecasted revenue and expense goal to reach at the same time which a particular manager is responsible for...resulting in some changes to try to reach these goals.
Would it not be almost mind boggling to see their financial reports.
Certainly not all menu changes are due to the DDP, but it simply has had to be the cause of many.
)
). Current wholesale beef prices of PSMO (means peeled, side muscle on; a classification for untrimmed whole beef tenderlion) run approx. $10/lb. This price goes up once the beef is trimmed, cleaned and cut into steaks; when all is said and done to the tenderloin, wholesale price per pound goes up to about $17-$20/lb. If your butcher is selling it for $9/lb I would suspect a lower grade of meat or as I said earlier, horse meat. 
Let me guess, at least some of them don't want to pay the price, does WPC upstairs room accept the DDE.
