Why did Olivia's @ OKW have to change?

[BUDDYBEAR]

We Liked The Old Menus, What A Shame,what Next

 

[Chuck S]

All the business trades suggest that Iger is theme-park focused in his profit strategies. He became CEO in 05 - I think your we are starting to see the effects of the parks being "under new management". DDP would never have been expanded to DVC if it was not a profit maker.

As far as the small sub-set - that's because the majority of tourists visiting the parks are NOT WDW resort guests. They are staying at the hundreds of other time shares or hundreds of other hotels, visiting family, or they are local. Only resort guests on a package or DVC members staying on points can even purchase the DDP - and that's a small sub-group of total WDW diners. More resort and DVC members are using the plan (and I think that's just what Iger wants) but MOST diners can't even get the plan because they are not staying on property or are not on a package.

What the DDP does is increase traffic in the restaurants. The popular restaurants are impossible to get into without ADRS (pre DP, I remember making same day ressies for CRT) and the less popular (and less pricey) restaurants are getting lots of overflow business from people still paying big $$ to eat.


From the Orlando sentinel: Feb 06
"Theme park revenue increased 13 percent to $2.4 billion in the quarter, and operating profit was up 51 percent to $375 million."

While it is true that WDW resort guests make up a smaller sub-group of overall ticketed park guests, it may not be true that WDW resort guests on the dinnig plan make up a "small sub group" of those in the restaurants. Many off-site guests grab a burger for lunch and eat off-site for dinner, not doing a sit-down. I'm also seeing more people bringing sandwiches from home. The dining plan has obviously increased dining traffic, but has it increased individual restaurant profits, or only overall "park" profits? While overall theme park revenue may be up, individual restaurant profits may be down...or the restaurants may be re-adjusting their menus to compensate for losing the appetizer, beverage and dessert revenue. Remember a lot of restaurants re-adjusted the menu last year, and dropped more expensive items, including a lot of the higher end desserts, after the DDP started. Volume has to increase substanitally just to make the same profit per table as before. If the restaurants were making a killing on the DDP, the non-Disney operated restaurants at Downtown Disney would be lining up to sign up. That isn't happening, is it?

Rainforest Cafe, Bongos, McDonald's, House of Blues, Portobello, Fulton's, Ghiradelli, all are not listed in the brochure.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Again, it is the WalMart model. WDWTC is WalMart. The restaurants are the supplier and we are the consumers.

WalMart squeezes every bit of discount out of their suppliers so they can offer low prices to the consumer. Walmart offers that supplier volume sales. If that supplier refuses to supply Walmart, WM just finds another supplier that will and the supplier loses the guaranteed volume. They may be more profitable per unit sold, but they have to sell the units and when you lose a large consumer base, selling units is more difficult.

The consumer goes to WalMart for the low prices. They give up customer service and stand in long lines to save money, but they are happy because WalMart is convenient and cheap.

The supplier outsources all its labor to indonesia to cut costs to remain in bed with Walmart who can guarantee them volume sales and a steady production schedule.

 

[dumbo71]

Changes to Olivia's menu!!!!!! Say it aint so! We love Olivias and are a little scred about these changes. We loved getting to go food from the restaurant and eating it out on our "deck". So nice to have a "real meal" made for us. New menu seems scaled down and not as interesting. Oh well, We'll at least give it a shot, can't live without my take out dinners!!!!!

 

[Rozzie]

Changes to Olivia's menu!!!!!! Say it aint so! We love Olivias and are a little scred about these changes. We loved getting to go food from the restaurant and eating it out on our "deck". So nice to have a "real meal" made for us. New menu seems scaled down and not as interesting. Oh well, We'll at least give it a shot, can't live without my take out dinners!!!!!

hate to be the one to do this, but Olivia's no longer does takeout. Some have reported still some success, but they wouldn't budge with us on our last trip.

 

[byoung]

We loved eating at Olivias, this doesn't sound good at all.

 

[BCV23]

I don't think the TS restaurants have standarized the menus at all.

Also think that the DDP is the current scapegoat for any changes that individuals don't like.

It is always hard when anyone's favorites are taken off a menu and that much harder when it happens at a resort that is your WDW home away from home.

I've only dined at Olivias a few times but those new menus look very tempting to me especailly lunch. But then I don't have favorites like so many OKW regulars.

 

[dumbo71]

hate to be the one to do this, but Olivia's no longer does takeout. Some have reported still some success, but they wouldn't budge with us on our last trip.

Why not? When did this start? We stayed in February and we got food from Olivia's to go three times during our stay. This really would diminish our enjoyment of OKW. We like to be a bit pampered on vacation and simply ordering,picking up and dining alfresco on ur deck is just awesome. Anyone else know if this is true and if so who can I complain to?

Why would they stop to go orders? Seems to me business is business. Does DDP have anything to do with this?

We do not use the dining plan by the way.

 

[Rozzie]

Why not? When did this start? We stayed in February and we got food from Olivia's to go three times during our stay. This really would diminish our enjoyment of OKW. We like to be a bit pampered on vacation and simply ordering,picking up and dining alfresco on ur deck is just awesome. Anyone else know if this is true and if so who can I complain to?

Why would they stop to go orders? Seems to me business is business. Does DDP have anything to do with this?

We do not use the dining plan by the way.

I know. I am so hoping they change it back. Here is a thread about it.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1054478&highlight=olivia's+takeout

 

[Laurajean1014]

menu to post?

 

[smjj]

In all this talk about DDP and how it affects Olivia's and other TS restaurants I got to thinking. Maybe this has been asked/answered but what is the furture of DDP. Has there been an extension of it announced? Does it has a drop dead date. We do not use it so forgive my ignorance on this....smjj

 

[Chuck S]

In all this talk about DDP and how it affects Olivia's and other TS restaurants I got to thinking. Maybe this has been asked/answered but what is the furture of DDP. Has there been an extension of it announced? Does it has a drop dead date. We do not use it so forgive my ignorance on this....smjj

I haven't, and won't, use the current dining plan, either...I spend less and eat healthier without it.

There has almost always been some sort of prepaid dining plan, but prior to this current plan, it was part of a room package only (gold plan, platinum plan, etc) and it had to be purchased with a pricier "length of stay" all inclusive ticket, I think what makes this plan more popular is that you can buy it with a "base ticket" or non-expiring hopper..whereas the other plans the length of stay tickets included unlimited use of water parks, DisQuest and mini-golf. I have not heard of any planned or rumored end date for the current plan. As long as it keeps the full price rooms relatively full, the plan will stay with us. Most likely, the price will rise some every year, and after a few years it will no longer be perceived as a value, will lose popularity and slowly die. Sort of like the Food & Fun plan and the other incarnations of the dining plan. Then there will be a "new ticket and dining" scheme to fill up the rooms.

 

[mnlovesdisney]

Please tell me they are not stardizing the menus at EPCOT World Showcase restaurants. The great reason to eat there is for the different ethnic foods. I really look forward to having a few different meals there when I visit Disney. If they standardize them, what would be the point of eating there?

 

[BCV23]

Please tell me they are not stardizing the menus at EPCOT World Showcase restaurants. The great reason to eat there is for the different ethnic foods. I really look forward to having a few different meals there when I visit Disney. If they standardize them, what would be the point of eating there?

The WS restaurants are still unique and so are all the rest IMO. Could someone who thinks otherwise give some examples please?

I do think that if Olivia's no longer offers carryout that it is a loss for OKW.

I suppose it could be as a result of new management. But unfortunately after reading some of the DDP schemes on that board, I can imagine that change might be due to the DDP.

 

[BelleBeast]

Well..I certainly started a debate - I have been declined Olivia's carry-out for the last 2 trips I have taken there. We to used to like to take out Olivia's, as it had better choices than Goods to Go.

We were also disappointed when we couldn't purchase 2 drinks from Gurgling Suitcase and walk them back to our rooms and have a few drinks after the
kids go to bed. (On other threads here, the All-Star Hotels do not have drink limitations!!) For those who don't know, you can only purchase one drink per person whicj means you can't leave an adult at the pool with the kids and go purchase 2 beers. You must drink alone or leave the kids unsupervised.

We are more upscale members who pay alot to be at OKW but can't be trusted to not supply alcohol to minors - but the lower costing hotels don't have this possibility??? This is troubling...

BelleBeast

 

[Chuck S]

We are more upscale members who pay alot to be at OKW but can't be trusted to not supply alcohol to minors - but the lower costing hotels don't have this possibility??? This is troubling...

BelleBeast

I may be in the minority, and I understand what you're saying about not being trusted...but I agree with the 1 drink per person policy. In today's sue happy society, and folks not talking responsibility for their own actions, you know that someone would buy a drink for a minor...and if something happened Disney or DVC would more than likely be held to blame "But I got it from the bartender, (s)he could see I was with this minor...". Just like bars being held legally responsible if they don't cut a patron off early enough. Being "upscale" has nothing to do with it, there are bound to be idiots everywhere, no matter how much $$$ they have.

What I'm really surprised about is them allowing it at all stars.

 

[freediverdude]

As far as the alcoholic drinks, the All-Stars are like this too....at All-Star Sports in the food court, I took two beers up to the register, and was told I couldn't purchase both unless somebody else was with me to purchase the other one. And on a later trip, I saw them say the same thing to another guest. It's some kind of Florida law where you can only purchase one drink at a time per person at bars or places where you can buy individual drinks. But, you can go around the corner in the same building, to the gift shop, and buy a six-pack of the same thing, because that's considered a "grocery store" situation, where you can't consume it right there.

But anyway, the descriptions of the restaurants made me go look at the menus of a lot of the table service places- what they're saying is somewhat true. The places that are considered "signature dining" like CG or V&A are still unique, and some countries in the World Showcase are still unique just because they have to serve that particular kind of food. But a whole lot of the others are the same entrees over and over, just with different sauces or toppings. I stopped counting how many times I saw "pan-seared (or "oak grilled" or similar) salmon", it was on practically all of them. The other ones I kept seeing over and over were roasted chicken, prime rib or new york steak, some type of pasta (often penne, but sometimes ravioli or alfredo), and a vegetable plate. And a whole lot of the restaurants had less than 10 entrees to choose from. Some only 6 or 7. I didn't realize until I started reading the menus and comparing.......

 

[Purrrrfecta]

This is what happens when you have all those meal deals so everyone can afford to eat anywhere. This is just another lowering of standards to meet the needs of the masses. The restaurants are full with the masses now, just like everything else down there over the years the standards have lowered. At least WDW can not affect the nice winter weather which is the only reason I still bother to go down there anymore.

You know I thought the same thing, but I was too scared to post my thoughts without wearing a flame suit. I said the exact same thing to my DH when we left chef Mickey's this June. I think my exact statement was, "Disney has become like a designer handbag- accessible to the masses and cheapened in quality."

 

[BCV23]

But 2-3 years ago, I think there were also about that number of entrees. WDW has never had restaurants like Bennigans or Fridays with a zillion choices (most of them frozen). And 20 years ago, many choices would have been deepfried or battered, etc. Pan seared is just healthier as well as au courant.

I do think the # of entrees shrunk at many restaurants but that was long before this DDP. But maybe from 10 as you said to 6 or 7.

Look at how different Kona is from GF Cafe to Contemporary Steakhouse. Or Raglan Road compared to WPC (which does have a huge menu).

 

[Chuck S]

Raglan Road is not a Disney operated restaurant. Notice most restaurant mo longer have any lobster on their menus. And sauces have tended to get spicier. Spicier sauces and marinades can "hide" some lower quality cuts.

Also, Olivia's has discontinued their "signature" key lime honey mustard dressing in favor of a generic vinagrette. The desserts are just generic and pathetic, no more mango cheese pie or homemade strawberry shortcakes.