What would you change

[NiarrNDisney]

I would overhaul DHS's dining by rethinking ABC Commissary, Hollywood & Vine, and Pizza Planet

First ABC Commissary would get a menu people would want to and can actually eat! Kind of like the fare found at Studio catering Co.
I would move Pizza Planet to Studio Catering Co near Pixar Place where it would fit in better with the overall theme turning Pizza Planet into a Muppet themed CS restaurant
Hollywood and Vines would change into a CS option serving California style Mexican food (very fresh, fish tacos, tamales, burritos etc etc)
Lastly since there is a lack of Asian dining in the World in general I would build a new Pan Asian style restaurant along San Francisco St.

 

[LucyK]

Actually Giraffas is known for having a great kids menu, chicken breast or beef tips with rice and beans and veggies is their main kid friendly meal and they sell it by the ton. Sure they offer nuggets but it's not on their kids menu, like they do at WDW.

 

[Dwarful]

My children have never been fans of nuggets and the youngest doesn't eat pizza. When they were young enough to get the kids plan on the dining plan we always picked places that offered variety and back in the day Disney had those options....but that was when the dining plan included app, entrée, dessert, drink and tip. We would go to Tony's (they could get a steak and we never had a problem with the quality of the steak here) Le Cellier - they also offered a children's steak and Kona to name a few.

Places that didn't have good choices we would generally split our meals with our girls. Even the kids dessert options at many sit down options aren't all that great. Why do they assume a kid wants one scoop of ice cream if mom and dad are enjoying crème brulee (my fav)

I think the DDP has created a lot of changes and not for the good.

But nuggets, burgers and hot dogs are cheap to purchase, fast to fix and quick to sell. People will buy those. Doesn't mean that is what people want...it just means they need to find something to eat and these are the options sometimes.

 

[Thumper14]

Being able to make online ADRs has been an enormous help. Kudos, Disney!
I agree that we need a Villains character dining options and better QS at DHS.
One more thing, add linking tours to MDE, please!

Please open Seven Dwarfs, I have less that week before I arrive!  

 

[mammaminnie]

On the dinning plan, I would add the ability to choose between having either an appetizer or a dessert. At the moment, the meal plan includes an entrée and a dessert but I'm often left disappointed that I couldn't try any of the appealing starters and sometimes none of the desserts take my fancy

Completely agree!!! By the end of our trips, I am always soooooo sick of dessert!!! I know it's hard to believe but it happens I would much rather have the option to choose which I want with each meal.

I would have a Villains character buffet!

How fun would that be!!! My son especially would love that type of character meal.

I wasn't clear enough.

I mean instead of choosing a quick service meal plan (2 qs per day) or table service (1 qs + 1 TS perday). You could have the option to choose how many quick service days and how many table service days per trip.

For example I would much rather eat only 2-4 table service meals per trip 8-9 day trip. I find it very time consuming to go to a table service reataurant and the gratuity kind of kills it for me. I'd just like to see more flexibility in that perspective.

That would be an interesting option...almost an a la carte dining plan of sorts. It would probably be really popular with DVC guests who can cook some meals in their Villas, but don't necessarily want to cook all meals.

MGM desperately needs some more interesting quick service places.
I would convert Pizza Planet into a fast Chinese or Mediterranean place to better work with the New York street atmosphere (possibly with a muppets overlay) and re-build Pizza Planet full scale with a more show-accurate interior on Mickey Avenue.
ABC Commissary can stay but it needs to revert back to a variant of the 2005 menu- no more burgers there.

Captain Cook's at the Polynesian ought to offer a Hawaiian-style hot dog.
If not them, then Sunshine Tree Terrace.

Completely agree that Hollywood Studios needs newer/better options for Quick Service. We have started eating Table Service for lunch here and doing QS at a resort or DTD in the evening.

 

[Phonedave]

1) Kill the DDP
If it lowers overall cost, do it.
Dining plan seems to do two things to me.

A. Artificially inflate table service prices (higher tax, gratuity, and encourage people to buy the dining plan)
B. keeps more money in the park (much less likely for guests to go outside Disney for food).

The DDP impacts the TS menus. The restaruants are given a dollar "credit" for every TS credit used. In order to stay profitable, they must ensure that whatever is on their menu is under that dollar about. A restaruant could not put a higher priced dish on their menu, because they would loose money every time someone on the DDP ordered it.

4) Enforce dress codes
Disagree for park restaurants, hotel and DD, could be enforced. I don't think any should require suit and tie though.


-dave

The park restaruants have different dress codes.

Suit and tie (aside from V&A) is asking a bit much - I agree.

 

[Phonedave]

I wasn't clear enough.

I mean instead of choosing a quick service meal plan (2 qs per day) or table service (1 qs + 1 TS perday). You could have the option to choose how many quick service days and how many table service days per trip.

For example I would much rather eat only 2-4 table service meals per trip 8-9 day trip. I find it very time consuming to go to a table service reataurant and the gratuity kind of kills it for me. I'd just like to see more flexibility in that perspective.

Of course you would - so would almost everyone. However WDW makes money off the DDP by forcing you to buy things that you normaly would not - that's how it works. It is not going to change.


-dave

 

[DManRightHere]

Of course you would - so would almost everyone. However WDW makes money off the DDP by forcing you to buy things that you normaly would not - that's how it works. It is not going to change.


-dave

I'm also saying that dining plan will/should always be your lengh of stay reservation. That makes sense from a business view.

For families that only buy QS dining plan, disney could make more money by allowing them to upgrade some of their days to TS.

On the flip side this could make families downgrade and not always buy the TS dining plan since they could just upgrade a few of their days if they purchased QS dining.

 

[Maleficent61]

We love the dining plan and have been using it for years. You can spread out your meal credits over the length of your stay up until the day you check out. I also like the suggestion of giving you the option to choose an appetizer or dessert. I also don't mind the 180 days out for reservations I'm a planner and I like to make sure I can eat at the resturants I like, you can make your reservations whenever you want, you are not forced to plan that far ahead if you don't want too.

 

[Phonedave]

We love the dining plan and have been using it for years. You can spread out your meal credits over the length of your stay up until the day you check out. I also like the suggestion of giving you the option to choose an appetizer or dessert. I also don't mind the 180 days out for reservations I'm a planner and I like to make sure I can eat at the resturants I like, you can make your reservations whenever you want, you are not forced to plan that far ahead if you don't want too.

Well, thanks in part to the DDP, you kind of have to book it 180 days out.That is why you see posts like "I was up at 6:00 AM 180 days out and I got 'Ohana, I am so psyched."

Kill the current incarnation of the DDP, make %25 of the reservations available 180 days out, %50 at 90 days, and then the last %25 the day of. That would solve a lot of problems.

-dave

 

[armyfamilyof5]

I also wish reservations could be made the day of or the day before or even the week before. When we've been on the DDP there were several times we went to a meal we didn't really want because we had reservations and it was paid for. It would be really nice to pick what you are in the mood for but with the DDP and reservations being made 180 days out eating at Disney is just not flexible and that's mostly due to DDP.

 

[Mr. Pricklepants]

I would;

1) Kill the DDP
2) Kill the 180 day out reservations
3) Encourage diversity in the menus
4) Enforce dress codes
5) Encourage restaurants in EPCOT to add additional items that are not Americanized. Leave the current items for people who like it, but add some others for those who want them.

-dave

1. I wouldn't kill the DDP but alter it. I like the idea of having a choice between an appetizer or dessert.

2. have no problem with, but i also haven't needed to change anything yet at the last minute.

3 & 5. Yes, I would love to see a few more "out there" food choices. Add some goat, lamb, duck, ostrich, rabbit, guinea pig, and/or alligator on the menu somewhere. Goat is the most popular meat in the world except in the US. I have had everything I have listed except for guinea pig at least once, but my father who used to travel for a living says it's pretty good, kinda like rabbit.

Maybe have a vegan/vegetarian only restaurant at one of the parks or resorts. My town has several and they are really good, but my wife is a pescetarian and I am the same unless there are no other options.

More Asian or Mexican choices throughout the park. The standard non epcot counter service seems to be too whitebread. Maybe I missed it but there is no burrito place, like a chipotle style? Maybe my town just loves burritos since there are probably five or six available.

Make all dishes scalable/downsized for kids so if they would like to try something on the adult menu they can instead of having the usual suspects. Though some restaurants do a better job at offering some decent choices than others.

4. I think Disney is good at what they have now.

 

[PRNCSAurora]

I think there needs to be more variety on QS menus. Yes there are some shining stars out there, but I always feel that the majority of the menus are the same.

I love the idea of being able to "upgrade" to table service for a day or two as you choose. Maybe you use a QS service + x $.

 

[Mr Toad]

Captain Cook at Polynesian should serve saimin as well as Portuguese sausage.

 

[GeneralZod]

Another vote for killing the ddp. Their food offerings are approaching their merchandising. The same generic food at every location (with exceptions of course); not every eatery needs to offer chicken strips, burgers, and fries.

Don't get me started on kids menus.

 

[Phonedave]

1. I wouldn't kill the DDP but alter it. I like the idea of having a choice between an appetizer or dessert.

That works from a choice stand point (never going to happen, because the DDP is all about removing choice) but it does not address the issue of the dumbing down of menus that the plan causes.

[/quote]
3 & 5. Yes, I would love to see a few more "out there" food choices. Add some goat, lamb, duck, ostrich, rabbit, guinea pig, and/or alligator on the menu somewhere. Goat is the most popular meat in the world except in the US. I have had everything I have listed except for guinea pig at least once, but my father who used to travel for a living says it's pretty good, kinda like rabbit.

Maybe have a vegan/vegetarian only restaurant at one of the parks or resorts. My town has several and they are really good, but my wife is a pescetarian and I am the same unless there are no other options.

More Asian or Mexican choices throughout the park. The standard non epcot counter service seems to be too whitebread. Maybe I missed it but there is no burrito place, like a chipotle style? Maybe my town just loves burritos since there are probably five or six available.

Make all dishes scalable/downsized for kids so if they would like to try something on the adult menu they can instead of having the usual suspects. Though some restaurants do a better job at offering some decent choices than others.[/QUOTE]

Rabbit is a hard sell - it is too cute. Duck, Lamb, and Ostrich are all available (I think) Maybe alligator too. I too have had all of these except for guinea pig (I have one upstairs, but it is alive and kicking and the kids would be quite upset if it because dinner). It is a staple meat source in Peru.

I don't think Dinsey needs to go all crazy and offer jellyfish, phesant, venison, bull genitals, tripe (all of which I have had) or any other "crazy" stuff, but just some less "Americanized" dishes. How about a poulet yassa in AK - Chicken, Lemon, Mustard, and a boat load of onions. Not all that strange, but basicaly the hamburger of Senagal. Some Liberkase in Germany (like glorified baloney), pickled herring in cream sauce in Norway (really, it is quite good), just a few things that may take familar flavors and ingredients, and combine them in different ways.

-dave

 

[MasterJedi]

I want a Star Wars themed dining experience to be placed in HS year round. Im going to the first Character Dining experience this Sunday with the Star Wars characters. #dreamcometrue

 

[slappy magoo]

Totally agree on the appetizer/dessert and I would also include being allowed to share a meal. My hubby can eat a lot more than me. There are times when I just want a taste of stuff but not the whole meal. I still buy a whole meal plan but let me use my credits when and how I want to.

I'm pretty sure not everyone has to use the dining plan at the exact same time. On those days that you're not really hungry, unless they're being sticklers, you could probably order an appetizer and drink that your pay for OOP, your husband gets his meal on the dining plan, you each share a bit the other's, and now you have an extra credit to apply to, say, a Signature dining meal.

 

[Jessica Meier]

Some will. For instance Le Chefs allowed my husband to have my appetizer off the pre fix menu because he did not want a full meal. That evening he and my parents ate Biergarten while I enjoyed a Riesling and the band.