News Artist Point to become Storybook Dining character experience

[SpoiledBlueMilk]

Blame whoever asked "Why aren't there more character experiences at Wilderness Lodge?".

The theme is "Disney Resort Hotel." Includes any Disney character.


Just order a side of shredded cheese and mix it in at the table...

you also have one of the signature Disney characters left without a themed dining location of their own. Turning the restaurant into a character meal for Snow White makes sense. It doesn't need to the themed to the location. If that were the case, why would I meet Winnie the Pooh at a hotel modeled off of the great Victorian hotels of Coronado or Bretton Woods? Or at the Dolphin?

Say what you want, but people want the character dining experience. Always have and always will. The quality of the food comes second to the chance for a kid to get a picture with character X.

I'm also of the impression that Artist Point's quality was going down of late.

 

[note2001]

The whole character thing feels like an attempt at a quick fix.

It certainly is a cop out from having to address the consistancy issues that are reported from long time patrons. (One good meal, one bad, one good, etc.) As a character meal, and presumably a buffet style one, there is no need to cater to people's tastes. If you don't like it, don't eat it.

I'm curious as to what they'll be changing in the dining room itself. The murals? The support poles and beams? Will we see the thatched straw roof of the dwarf's home over a buffet line? ( <-- that term still gives me the heebie jeebies)

 

[Tom P.]

Say what you want, but people want the character dining experience. Always have and always will. The quality of the food comes second to the chance for a kid to get a picture with character X.

I agree with you regarding the demand for character meals. Heck, my family and I may just do this one next time we go. And I have no problem with Artist Point doing character dining.

However, as Pete over at The DIS has said often, there is no reason that folks should have to choose between good quality food or a good character experience for their kids. Disney could certainly manage to do both and still make a profit on the deal. There is simply no reason to slack on food quality just because you are providing a meet-and-greet with characters.

That being said, I do not think the food quality at many of the character meals is as bad as some others portray. For example, I am fine with the food at both Chef Mickey's and Hollywood and Vine. It's nothing spectacular -- hardly signature dining -- but it is reasonable buffet food. But I still think Disney could still up their game a bit and offer some character dining experiences that were a step up from that. And I think they could draw enough of a crowd and charge enough to make it profitable too.

 

[Tom P.]

It certainly is a cop out from having to address the consistancy issues that are reported from long time patrons. (One good meal, one bad, one good, etc.) As a character meal, and presumably a buffet style one, there is no need to cater to people's tastes. If you don't like it, don't eat it.

I'm curious as to what they'll be changing in the dining room itself. The mural? The support poles and beams? Will we see a thatched straw roof over a buffet line? (that term still gives me the heebe jeebies)

I don't know about the buffet part. According to the article on The DIS:

Dinner will consist of a prix fixe menu, including shared starters, a choice of individual plated entrees, and ‘sweet spells’ to top off the meal.

Assuming that information is accurate -- and I have no reason to doubt it since this is based on an actual official Disney announcement -- that doesn't sound like a buffet to me.

 

[brb1006]

Flower, Thumper, Blossom, and the hunter.

Flower needs to return as a meetable character. He hasn't been since at the parks since the late 1970's.

 

[MisunderstoodGaston]

It certainly is a cop out from having to address the consistancy issues that are reported from long time patrons. (One good meal, one bad, one good, etc.) As a character meal, and presumably a buffet style one, there is no need to cater to people's tastes. If you don't like it, don't eat it.

I'm curious as to what they'll be changing in the dining room itself. The murals? The support poles and beams? Will we see a thatched straw roof over a buffet line? (that term still gives me the heebie jeebies)

I'm sure there will be some changes, but nothing *too* major as winter (as in "Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White is slated to begin this winter") isn't all that far away. I can see them doing a quick mural changeout though. Also, no buffet. It's prix fixe.

 

[note2001]

I don't know about the buffet part. According to the article on The DIS:

Assuming that information is accurate -- and I have no reason to doubt it since this is based on an actual official Disney announcement -- that doesn't sound like a buffet to me.

Hmmm. Forgot that part. TY. Maybe, possibly, perhaps... there is hope?

 

[Chars0704]

I’m probably in the minority but I’m kind of excited about this. My daughter has been really into Snow White lately and we are staying at WL in the spring. It’ll be nice and easy to get to.

 

[brb1006]

Well, since we're going to go there with castles and all, I'd rather see Robin Hood, Maid Marion, Friar Tuck and gang all at the lodge. At least Robin Hood uses a bow and arrow: that's in theme with WL, yes? Maybe they can crash Snow White's Scary Dining experience and bring down that tyrant of a step mother she has.

Now that I think about it, Maid Marian is absent from meet and greets with the other Robin Hood characters. She hasn't been seen since the mid 1990's (And she made very rare meet and greet appearances even back then) but there are pictures as evidence.

 

[Kman101]

Theme is clearly not a concern.

That's been sadly true for a long time now in regards to a lot of things. This really shouldn't be a surprise

Heaven forbid they do something with Pocahontas, Meeko, Brother Bear. Does Disneyland still have their "Wilderness characters" character meal?

I guess it's nice for the guests who want to see Snow White, Dopey and Grumpy, since you know, Dopey and Grumpy are "rare" and all that

 

[RSoxNo1]

Not that I'm suggesting this for Artist Point, but it's surprising to me that they haven't put Marvel Characters at a resort restaurant.

 

[note2001]

I’m probably in the minority but I’m kind of excited about this. My daughter has been really into Snow White lately and we are staying at WL in the spring. It’ll be nice and easy to get to.

You're not in the minority at all. From what I saw on Disney's announcement there was very positive reaction to this. Afterall, as Artist Point it was a dining location that seemed prohibitive to many with small humans in tow. As a character meal, a whole new possibilty has been opened to them.

And then there's the adults who act like kids (count me in!) I still don't do buffet lines though... unless there are mickey waffles. (And I'm not a Snow White fan)

 

[xdan0920]

There used to be a character breakfast at Artist Point called Character Stampede. 1995. I still have the button they gave out. Goofy, Chip and Dale in their fishing/hiking gear.

That made sense.

This doesn’t.

Yeah, but princesses put butts in the seats. $54.99+ tax to be greated by Snow White, fantastic!

 

[Walt d]

Will guests be required to have "recently" bathed before eating?
If so, can this rule be enforced property-wide?

No stinky will get you any table , and muddy is extra points for whatever you want”

 

[asianway]

Disney Dining Plan was the worst thing to ever happen to Disney restaurants. By getting suckers to prepay for way more food than they'd eat on their own, Disney can trim costs, homogenize menus and make the whole experience as bargain bin as can be. By turning every meal into a mass-produced buffet extravaganza, your profit margin increases exponentially.

Some friends really wanted a last-minute character meal, so we wound up at Chef Mickey's for dinner not too long ago. My memory of it from the mid-2000s was that the food was pretty decent. I was shocked at what it is now. Other than the carved meats, it all looked like prison slop. Just horrid all around. Even the signature stuff they had for years, like the famous parmesan mashed potatoes, were removed in favor of pre-made nonsense.

Ate at Yachtsman the other day, by comparison, it was pretty good. However the server lamented about how they're one of only three restaurants on property that are allowed to make their own bread. Everything else is procured from service vendors. This wasn't the case 10-15 years ago. Even 'Ohana, which was one of my favorite restaurants, used to have this trio of amazing homemade sauces is now relegating to serving two store-bought sauces, not to mention their menu reductions (five meats to three, removal of the side dishes, etc).

Definitely miss the sauces but I don’t recall them having 5 meats simultaneously, only 4 until a few years ago dropping to 3.

They’ve rotated thru 6 different options since inception to my recollection

 

[Kman101]

you also have one of the signature Disney characters left without a themed dining location of their own. Turning the restaurant into a character meal for Snow White makes sense. It doesn't need to the themed to the location. If that were the case, why would I meet Winnie the Pooh at a hotel modeled off of the great Victorian hotels of Coronado or Bretton Woods? Or at the Dolphin?

Say what you want, but people want the character dining experience. Always have and always will. The quality of the food comes second to the chance for a kid to get a picture with character X.

I'm also of the impression that Artist Point's quality was going down of late.

Characters won't increase the quality of the restaurant. As you said though, isn't the food at the character dining places less important to most then?

 

[brb1006]

Yeah, but princesses put butts in the seats. $54.99+ tax to be greated by Snow White, fantastic!

The Disney Princess Brand is either the best or worst thing that's happened to Disney. On the negative side, it was the beginning of Disney having their Disney Princess characters being marketed more to little girls especially at the parks. Before that, boys meeting Cinderella or Snow White from the 1950's up till the late 1990's weren't given a weird look or questionable reaction from adults. But due to creation of the Disney Princess brand in the early 2000's. Now MK is viewed more as a kiddie and princess park instead of being aimed at all audiences.

But on the positive side, it actually did some good with Disney. I remember the creator of Disney's Sofia The First had a son who was seen buying Dora The Explorer merchandise and got made fun of. The creator decided to create the show for both boys and girls to enjoy and didn't mind seeing males liking the show or even buying merchandise.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah I'm with you. Trat is really good (probably the best food wise I have had for a character meal), and for breakfast it is quite good, but if characters weren't there, it'd be tough for me to stomach paying over $15-$20.

I will say though, from everything I had read on Artist Point, it had gone REALLY down hill in the last couple years. It needed something done, though not sure this is it.

Funny how a new chef and not strict pennywiss restrictions on ingredients and menus wouldn’t solved that problem, huh?

 

[Kman101]

The Disney Princess Brand is either the best or worst thing that's happened to Disney. On the negative side, it was the beginning of Disney having their Disney Princess characters being marketed more to little girls especially at the parks. Before that, boys meeting Cinderella or Snow White from the 1950's up till the late 1990's weren't given a weird look or questionable reaction from adults. But creation of the Disney Princess brand, now MK is viewed more as a kiddie and princess park.

But on the positive side, it actually did some good with Disney. I remember the creator of Disney's Sofia The First had a son who was seen buying Dora The Explorer merchandise and got made fun of. The creator decided to create the show for both boys and girls to enjoy and didn't mind seeing males liking the show or even buying merchandise.

Yeah, I haven't liked the "branding". First time I really felt "out of place" and a bit weird was watching FROZEN. It clearly wasn't meant for me. And that's fine. But I never felt that way with any other Disney animated movies. They were meant to appeal to everyone. Gee, just like a certain park was. "If you only aim for kids ..."

I really dislike that boys and girls can't just play with what they want. A toy won't shape who your child is/becomes, just an FYI.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

That's been sadly true for a long time now in regards to a lot of things. This really shouldn't be a surprise

Heaven forbid they do something with Pocahontas, Meeko, Brother Bear. Does Disneyland still have their "Wilderness characters" character meal?

I guess it's nice for the guests who want to see Snow White, Dopey and Grumpy, since you know, Dopey and Grumpy are "rare" and all that

The Grand Californian (which visually is very similar to WL) hosted a Chip & Dale critter breakfast from up until a few months ago. It was by far the least popular of DLR's three hotel character breakfasts, with a character lineup that included Koda, Kenai, and then rotating visitors like Baloo, Br'er Bear, Br'er Fox, Meeko, etc. Was it on-theme? Close enough. Did anyone care? No. Nobody wants to meet Koda and Kenai. Nobody. The breakfast changed to fab five in wilderness adventure attire and is now selling better.

Snow White and the dwarfs are extremely popular characters, and as you said, Dopey and Grumpy are now rare to meet, but still popular on merch. This will make Artist Point something it hasn't been in a long time: busy.

Like I said earlier, if this was inevitable I am thrilled a classic Disney IP was chosen and it's not Dinner with Woody's Pixar Pals, which wouldn't have surprised me in the least.