What's with the Menu Changes?

[mickey2000]

As far as what is being added - the same Le Chefs menu that is missing the steak has a new duck entree. From where I sit, that's an improvement that addresses one of the most common complaints about some of the World Showcase restaurants - that the menus are homogenized and Americanized and barely ethnic at all.

DUCK IS NOT NEW had it 2 years ago in 2005 and had steak in 2006....
Look at 2005 menu below this will show the decline in choices

CHEFS DE FRANCE
FRANCE - EPCOT
DINNER MENU
Preludes (Appetizers)

Cassolette d'escargots de Bourgogne au beurre persille- casserole of escargots (snails) from Burgundy baked in parsley and garlic butter $8.95

Tarte a la Flamme Alsacienne - Alsace specialty. Flatbread baked with cream fraiche, onion and bacon $6.95

Tarte a la tomate et au fromage de chevre - Tomato and goat cheese tarte $7.95

Crepe au saumon - crepe layered with a lemon-chive sour cream sauce and fresh marinated smoked slamon $10.25

Tartare de saumon legerement fume, sauce moutarde - Tartare of raw salmon lightly smoked with cucumber dill and honey mustard sauce $9.95

Pate de campagne en croute avec sa salade - homemade country terrine in its crust served with field greens $6.95

Assiette de fromages de France - French imported cheese plate $8.95

La Planche Campagnarde - rustic assortment of French imported cheeses, pates, and sliced meats - serves 2-4, $23.95


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Potages (Soups)



Bisque de Homard - Lobster bisque $5.95

Soupe a l'oignon gratinee - the classic onion soup topped with Gruyere cheese - $5.25

L'originale vichyssoise - soup of leeks and potatoes $4.25

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Salades (Salads)

Salade maison - selected greens, house vinaigrette dressing $4.95

Salade au Roquefort - Belgium endive and mixed greens topped with blue cheese and walnuts $8.95

Salade de chevre chaud - Baked goat cheese on walnut and raisin bread served on a bed of arugula salad and confit peppers $7.95


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The French Menu

Soupe a l'oignon gratinee
the classic onion soup topped with Gruyere cheese

Demi poulet fermier a la broche, pommes puree au basilic et tomate braisee - Half of a farm raised rotisserie chicken, basil-flavored mashed potatoes and braised tomato


Creme brulee a l'ancienne
Baked vanilla cream with caramelized brown sugar

$25.95


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Poissons (Fish and Seafood)

Cabillaud en croute de pommes de terre - Baked cod fish stuffed with salmon and scallop mousse, wrapped in potato slices with a lobster demi glace, served on a bed of leeks $23.95

Thon poelle avec salade d'orzo aux fruits de mer
Seared tuna (raw) served cold on a tri-colored orzo shrimp and calamari salad $25.95 $25.95

Filet de sole, riz sauvage
Sauteed sole served with wild rice, lemon butter sauce and vegetables $24.95


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Plat Vegetarien (Vegetarian Entree)



Lasagnes de legumes du soleil a l'huile d'olive au thym - zucchini, eggplant and tomato baked into thin layers of pasta - $15.95

Gratin de macaroni - Baked macaroni with cream and gruyere cheese $15.95


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Viandes (Meat and Poultry)

Jarret d'agneau, servi avec une polenta cremeuse - lamb shank with creamy polenta and fresh tomato compote $22.95

Canard a l'orange, haricots vert - roasted breast of duck and confit leg, with a sweet and sour orange sauce, French green beans and sweet potato puree $24.95

Bavette grillee aux echalottes, Pommes Pont Neuf
Grilled bavette steak with shallot confit in red wine, and pont neuf French fries $22.95

Demi poulet fermier a la broche, pommes puree au basilic et tomate braisee - Half of a farm raised rotisserie chicken, basil-flavored mashed potatoes and braised tomato $21.95

Filet de boeuf grille, sauce au poivre noir, gratin Dauphinois et haricots verts - grilled tenderloin of beef with a black pepper sauce served with potato gratin of Savoy and green beans $27.95




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Desserts

Assiette de fromages de France - imported cheese plate $7.25

Gateau du Jour - cake of the day $5.75

Tarte Tatin et sa glace vanille - warm upside-down spiced apple tart with vanilla ice cream $5.75

Creme brulee a l'ancienne - baked vanilla cream with caramelized brown sugar $5.75

Matignon au chocolat avec sa creme Anglaise - light chocolate mousse cake with vanilla sauce $5.75

Profiterolles au Chocolat - puffs with chocolate and vanilla ice cream $5.75

Crepe Melba - crepe filled with pastry cream and topped with peach and vanilla ice cream $5.75

Gateau au fromage - cheesecake $5.75


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Apéritifs

Cocktail des Chefs
Blanc de Blanc Sparkling wine and black current $9.75

Dubonnet White or Red
Sweet or dry vermouth served on the rocks $6.00

Kir au Cassis
White wine and black currant $5.75

Vermouth Cassis
Vermouth and black currant $6.75

Pernod - Ricard
Anise aperitif served with water over ice $7.75

Kir Royal
Champagne and black currant $12.50

Coupe de Champagne Alain Thienot Brut $12.25

wine list available


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Beverages
Cafe- 100% Colombian coffee, regular or decaffeinated - $2.00
Cafeespresso - $2.75
CafeCappuccino - $3.00
Lait, The, The glace - Milk, tea, Nestea iced tea, caffeine-free tea $2.00
Perrier (Sparkling) - $2.45; large $5.25
Vittel (Non-Sparkling) - $2.45; large $5.25
Jus d'orange - Orange juice - $2.25
Biere Kronenbourg 1664 - French beer (bottle) $5.25
Orangina $3.50
Coca Cola Classic, Sprite, Caffeine-free diet Coke - $2.00


​

 

[disneyfav4ever]

You just can't help yourself, can you? In one breath you say you're not saying don't get upset, and the next you're saying there's no point in getting upset. If someone wants to switch their ADRs to another restaurant, who are you to tell them that is going overboard? And I really think the next person who uses the phrase "I wouldn't let it ruin my vacation" should be sentenced to motion sickness detail on Mission:Space for a day. (My personal favorite, which thankfully has not appeared in this thread (yet), is the "in light of [recent tragedy X], you should just be happy to be alive and able to go to WDW." For that one you should have to spend a month cleaning guano out of the fruit bat house at AK.) That's my whole (OT) point. No one's allowed to express a little disgruntlement around here (much less in a mildly colorful way) without 3 posters offering their oh-so-sincere advice not to let it ruin their vacation. My vacation, and I'm sure that of anyone else who has expressed sentiments similar to mine, will be just fine, thank you very much. We will cope. We will do more than cope - we may even crack a smile at some point, let out a chuckle - heck, we may skip arm-in-arm down Main Street singing "When You Wish Upon a Star."

Enough of the OT stuff. You may resume your regularly scheduled discussion about why the real reason steak au poivre was axed from the CDF menu is because it wasn't French enough, or some such.

There's a difference between being "darn it, the menu's changed," upset, and "OMG! The menu's changed, I need to cancel my ADR. My whole vacation is ruined!" upset. There's a big difference.

 

[marivaid]

As far as what is being added - the same Le Chefs menu that is missing the steak has a new duck entree. From where I sit, that's an improvement that addresses one of the most common complaints about some of the World Showcase restaurants - that the menus are homogenized and Americanized and barely ethnic at all.

Couldn't agree more. You can get steak anywhere in the US and at several different places in WDW. That reminds me of a thread I was reading recently about San Angel and someone was wondering why San Angel didn't serve plain steak. Well gee, maybe because it's a Mexican restaurant?????

Absolutely...and isn't the "DDP is to blame" argument is tantamount to saying that the quality of the Disney resorts has suffered because of AP, AAA or Florida resident discounts? And yet, I've never heard that angle...not even once...

Actually I posted something like that in a thread a few months back. The consensus was that while a guest on DDP getting $55 worth of food for $37.99 represents a huge loss for Disney, thousands of AP holders (like me) saving over $100 a night at their resort has no impact on Disney's finances whatsoever.

 

[mickey2000]

Compare the 2005 & 2007 menus for Le Cellier its obvious about the decline.
More specific items for that country excuse




2005 le Cellier

Entrees

Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon - wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb beurre blanc, topped with fried parsnips $27.99

7 oz. Filet Mignon - glazed with maple barbeque sauce and accompanied by cream cheese mashed potatoes $26.99

14 oz. New York Strip Steak - roasted garlic, pickled Vidalia onions, frisee, and roasted Yukon potatoes, and finished with veal demi glace $26.99

20 oz. Grilled Prime Rib-Eye Steak - roasted garlic, pickled Vidalia onions, frisee, and roasted Yukon potatoes, finished with veal demi glace $36.99

Herb Crusted Prime Rib - roasted Yukon potatoes, finished with a veal demi glace $21.99

Grilled Pork Tenderloin - wild rice pilaf with braised cabbage and infused apple syrup $19.99

Canadian King Salmon - caramelized onions, roasted Sweet Corn, baby spinach, finished with corn shoots, sweet corn puree, and Maple Butter $19.99

Free Range Chicken "Peas and Carrots" - seared chicken breast with fresh English peas, baby carrots, Yukon potatoes, finished with carrot chicken emulsion $18.99

Prince Edward Island Mussels and Pasta - double smoked bacon, morel mushrooms, fresh lemon, linguine and white wine butter $19.99

Vegetable Lasagna Four Ways - mushroom confit, spaghetti squash, roasted butternut and eggplant caponata over an arugula pesto and roasted tomato broth topped with parmesan cheese $15.99

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2007 le Cellier

Entree/Main Course

14 oz New York Strip Steak - Served with balsamic red onions, watercress, and roasted Yukon potatoes finished with veal demi-glace. - $26.99
7 oz Filet Mignon - Glazed with maple BBQ sauce and accompanied by cream cheese mashed potatoes. - $26.99
Beef Bourguignonne - Served with roasted mushrooms, red wine, Pappardelle noodles, and chive creme fraiche. - $21.99
Grilled Pork Chop - Served with sauteed herb gnocchi, wilted rapini, and Icewine apple butter. - $20.99
Herb Crusted Prime Rib - Served with Roasted Yukon potatoes, finished with veal demi-glace. - $21.99
Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon - Baby portobella wild mushroom risotto with white truffle and herb butter sauce topped with fried parsnips. - $27.99
Seared Free-Range Chicken - Served over white beans and seasonal marinated veggies topped with lavender butter. - $19.99
Seared King Salmon - Served over sweet maple corn cake with candied walnuts and maple-ginger glaze. - $20.99
Shrimp, Scallop, & Mussel Bouillabaisse - Served over a pearl couscous with rich vegetable broth. - $22.99
Spiced Black Bean Cake - Roasted red pepper stuffed with black bean and corn dressing served with noodle salad and peanut sauce. - $15.99

​

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Those Le Cellier menus are almost exactly the same. The dishes have changed a little bit, as they should. But there is definatly not anything noticeable to blame the DDP for. And Le Cellier is one of the best "values" on the DDP, so you'd think if a restaurant would change it's menu to cut costs, that would be it.

 

[Colleen27]

Compare the 2005 & 2007 menus for Le Cellier its obvious about the decline.
More specific items for that country excuse

Maybe it is because I'm not a huge steak person, but I fail to see the decline. The giant slab 'o meat was replaced by beef bourguignonne, the PEI mussel pasta was replaced by a shrimp, scallop & mussel pasta, and the vegetarian dish changed. Its not like there used to be caviar and lobster and now there's hot wings and salisbury steak.

 

[mickey2000]

Those Le Cellier menus are almost exactly the same. The dishes have changed a little bit, as they should. But there is definatly not anything noticeable to blame the DDP for. And Le Cellier is one of the best "values" on the DDP, so you'd think if a restaurant would change it's menu to cut costs, that would be it.

20 oz. Grilled Prime Rib-Eye Steak ?????
Its too bad the menu in France didn't also stay the same.
Above its shown that Duck is NOT a new item on the menu.
It was there 2 years ago.
Maybe its away of getting the duck population at the parks in check

 

[disneyfav4ever]

20 oz. Grilled Prime Rib-Eye Steak ?????
Its too bad the menu in France didn't also stay the same.
Above its shown that Duck is NOT a new item on the menu.
It was there 2 years ago.
Maybe its away of getting the duck population at the parks in check

Okay, so one item was kind of a big difference, but 90% of the menu stayed pretty much the same. Which is not a big deal considering the two year difference between the menus.

 

[Colleen27]

Couldn't agree more. You can get steak anywhere in the US and at several different places in WDW. That reminds me of a thread I was reading recently about San Angel and someone was wondering why San Angel didn't serve plain steak. Well gee, maybe because it's a Mexican restaurant?????

Yep. DH commented about it when we were making ADRs for our January DxDDP trip - we're eating at 20 different TS places for lunch or dinner, and he could get steak or prime rib at 16 of them! I can't imagine complaining that it isn't available at the other 4.

 

[mickey2000]

Your missing the point as its a cut from what was previously offered.
Like the Duck that was cut last year only to return this year but NOT as a new item

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Your missing the point as its a cut from what was previously offered.
Like the Duck that was cut last year only to return this year but NOT as a new item

So what are you saying? That restaurants should never take anything off the menu, but still continue to add new items? Do you realize that if that ever actually happened restaurants would have way too many choices on their menus? IMO, WPC menu was too big as it was. I took a menu design class in college and if I remember correctly ten is about the right number for entrees, as well as six for apps, and I believe it's an even smaller number for desserts.

 

[marivaid]

Yep. DH commented about it when we were making ADRs for our January DxDDP trip - we're eating at 20 different TS places for lunch or dinner, and he could get steak or prime rib at 16 of them! I can't imagine complaining that it isn't available at the other 4.

I don't get it either. And while we're on that subject, steak frites in France is something you eat at cheap brasseries on your lunch break. It's not a speciality and it's certainely not one of the best dishes.
Now if they were offering steak tartare, no one would order it. I'm not even sure if it's legal in the US to serve raw meat.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

.

And now you've deleted your original post that was there. Too bad I've already quoted it.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Okay, I guess if you are going by weight, then Le Cellier has dropped the ball. However, I think some of the newer options (which in actuality are very similar to the old ones) are better. But that is for my palette only. Frankly a 20 oz slab of meat reminds me too much of dinners my mother served as a kid, where I felt like I had to eat a whole cow all by myself. That's over one pound of meat. Maybe the disposals in the kitchen got too clogged with leftovers and they just decided to bag it on this one. No idea.

In the end this is an old arguement that CAN NEVER BE WON (by either side). If you want to blame the DDP for a decline in what YOU like, do so, its your right. And for you its as true as truth can be. For others, they are happy with some of the menu changes and not interested in blaming the DDP for menu changes, global warming and the lack of spontaneity in their WDW lives.

Like all things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. But in the end I never understand why so many people who hate the DDP, are angry with what its done to WDW, still continue to go to WDW and spend their money, which in essence continues making Disney think they are satisfying their customers. Why would they change what so many people continue to purchase in mass quantities? I have seen so many of these threads recently where people complain about the menu changes, but still have upcoming trips where they will revisit their old haunts only to be aggravated and disappointed. Its gotten where you feel like a peasant on your first real trip to a restaurant if you admit you like the food at WDW and love the DDP.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I don't get it either. And while we're on that subject, steak frites in France is something you eat at cheap brasseries on your lunch break. It's not a speciality and it's certainely not one of the best dishes.
Now if they were offering steak tartare, no one would order it. I'm not even sure if it's legal in the US to serve raw meat.

I don't know about the legality of it, but I just want to say I love tartare, but I don't know if I'd order it in a restaurant, due to sanitary concerns. Both times I've eaten it before I've seen it made in front of my eyes, so knew it was safe to eat.

 

[illiniowl]

There's a difference between being "darn it, the menu's changed," upset, and "OMG! The menu's changed, I need to cancel my ADR. My whole vacation is ruined!" upset. There's a big difference.

You equate someone wanting to switch their ADR (or go offsite more to eat, or whatever) with someone saying "my vacation is ruined!" But that's your completely faulty perception, and it's unfair argumentation. (I don't mean to pick on you - as I said, this is an oft-seen phenomenon on the DIS.) By the same token, is the person who heads to BTMRR, sees that the line is 90 minutes long, and says to themselves, "I'm not waiting 90 minutes for a so-called roller coaster that is more likely to rock me to sleep than give me butterflies in my stomach, I'd rather go back and ride Buzz Lightyear 3 times" really saying "my vacation is ruined!" if they do that? Of course not, and no one has ever said (or even come close to saying) in this thread that their vacation dreams were dashed.

 

[mickey2000]

And now you've deleted your original post that was there. Too bad I've already quoted it.

Thanlks for pointing that out ! Guess when I added the pictures some how the words vanished like food on menus
I'll fix it

Was trying to show that Duck is not a new item on the French menu ...

 

[marivaid]

Was trying to show that Duck is not a new item on the French menu ...

I think we all got that the first 4 times you said it.
Still missing your point though. Restaurants can't replace dishes every couple years??

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I think we all got that the first 4 times you said it.
Still missing your point though. Restaurants can't replace dishes every couple years??

I don't get what the point is either.

 

[TDC Nala]

20 oz. Grilled Prime Rib-Eye Steak ?????
Its too bad the menu in France didn't also stay the same.
Above its shown that Duck is NOT a new item on the menu.
It was there 2 years ago.
Maybe its away of getting the duck population at the parks in check

Next year they're going to start serving seagull.