Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
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News Artist Point to become Storybook Dining character experience
- Thread starter flyerjab
- Start date
LSLS
Well-Known Member
They have, but they probably shouldn't. Seems a lot of the people visiting the signature restaurants in the recent years find the quality has dropped significantly. I know most places we have tried in Disney Springs have had very good/great quality in both food and service.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Interesting premise about springs...but it’s not the most practical place to get to for eats.
I dispute “unique”...
There’s no upside here...it’s another bottomline dictated, character upcharged, food factory...where quality of food (the reason you eat) Is smokescreened by this premise of “experience”. Not all meals
Are nor need to be like movies...are we gonna have upcharged bathrooms to “complete the experience” next?
I’m an artist point Fan...that was 20 or so bills in the hundred to several hundred dollar range that Disney will not see come from my routing numbers any longer. It is what it is.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
That’s dining plan and catering staffing, prep and quality according to advance reservation forecasts over time. It’s when math turns evil...
Like the torpedos in red October
Gitson Shiggles
There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
I did find out from my better half that we are going here instead of Jiko, which I was looking forward to. This is how I feel:
I buy the DDP for the ease of not having to think about paying for anything but the tip when I’m there. That reason alone is worth it to me. There are people who also enjoy paying their taxes, but Disney won’t come knocking at my door if I choose not to buy the DDP.
Gitson Shiggles
There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Gitson Shiggles
There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
Everybody that “experiences this”
I hope the experience isn’t the punishment.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Yeah the problem is you’re paying retail price for often more food than you would normally pay for...
And as we (mostly) agree...the dining plan encourages restaurants to meet arbitrary financial quotas and leads to deeper cuts to quality and service...which empowers management to increase prices while lowering budgets to squeeze the grapes
Last edited:
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Might be a couple hours later...
Gitson Shiggles
There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
Poison Apple Splatters
That’s awesome that’s it’s only 1 credit! I’m going to definitely book it through the DDP then. I was going to pay OOP if it wasn’t.
Isn't it now the standard for every deluxe resort to have a character dining option?
Lucky
Well-Known Member
Not AKL
Yet.
drew81
Well-Known Member
Excited to try Rafiki's ravioli?
I haven't been to this website in a long time. Miss it!
But this Artist Point issue has got my family P-O'ed. My intention here is NOT to attack anyone's opinion; we all are entitled to our opinions. Jumping right in, so what has happened to Walter Elias Disney's concept of theme-ing? When we visited the Wilderness Lodge and its Villas for the first time, we were amazed at the attention to detail the Imagineers had achieved at this site. We felt like we had just arrived by rail, from a far off place, to one of the great lodges of the West. We could "feel" our adventure just beginning! Just Amazing! Go ahead, walk through those big doors, look at the "immenseness" of the lobby. Now close your eyes and smell the air of that big room. The cypress logs, the foods from Whispering Canyon, listen to the excitement of the newbies as they enter. Wow!
So how the heck does "Story-Book Land" fit in here? I've been to the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, which served as the model for this architecture. It's amazing that the "feel" of walking through their doors and being absorbed by that atmosphere is so much like what the Imagineers have done in Florida. Except, I never saw Snow White nor the Seven Dwarfs.
My wife and I were at Artist Point a few weeks ago. Still had the same menu items, for now; I had my favorite, the Cedar-Plank Salmon. We were bold enough to talk to a few employees about the coming change. Our server has been there since they opened the doors on day one. His responses to our questions were of the "trying to be supportive" type of comment. But we could see in his face that he does not like it, at all. I could tell he was talking to us through his facial expressions. When he could see that I understood what he was NOT saying, he smiled wryly. And, it sounds like there might be a change-over in staffing, not by Disney's doing, either. Another staff member, one who has a position of authority, was being supportive (carefully), and asking to please return and "give-us-a-try". Well, yeah, we'll give the restaurant a try. But after looking at the new menu, themed towards "Story Book Land", the disappointment has already started.
I understand that Walt Disney World is all about entertainment. And yes, there are a lot of restaurants themed towards the concept of "character meals". But you know, why not let the adults have their places too. And it seems to me, that the the signature dining restaurants are a great place for that. They give the adults a chance to relax and enjoy a supreme meal with high-end drinks, if they wish, and maybe share a special moment with their spouse. Artist Point has been such a place since the doors opened. But, now that this change is happening at Artist Point, what's next? Jikos with Timone and Pumba? Victoria and Albert's, introducing Goofy and Donald Duck? How about California Grill featuring Gastogne?
I shudder at the thought!
If the Disney Resorts and Restaurants office wants to make a change at Artist Point, why not re-trace their steps back to those first 5 or 6 years to that menu. That's what those first guests remember, and one of those things that the guests like to go back and re-live again. I've noticed over the years, and I'm sure that many on this website have also, that as the menus change, the quality seems to go up and down. Those first four or five times I've eaten there knocked my socks off. I hope many of you have had those same memories, too.
Anyway, I guess I've bent your ears enough. I hope all of you folks continues to go to WDW. It is a great place go and have fun with your family. I'm sure, in the end, things will work out. Crossing Fingers!
But this Artist Point issue has got my family P-O'ed. My intention here is NOT to attack anyone's opinion; we all are entitled to our opinions. Jumping right in, so what has happened to Walter Elias Disney's concept of theme-ing? When we visited the Wilderness Lodge and its Villas for the first time, we were amazed at the attention to detail the Imagineers had achieved at this site. We felt like we had just arrived by rail, from a far off place, to one of the great lodges of the West. We could "feel" our adventure just beginning! Just Amazing! Go ahead, walk through those big doors, look at the "immenseness" of the lobby. Now close your eyes and smell the air of that big room. The cypress logs, the foods from Whispering Canyon, listen to the excitement of the newbies as they enter. Wow!
So how the heck does "Story-Book Land" fit in here? I've been to the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, which served as the model for this architecture. It's amazing that the "feel" of walking through their doors and being absorbed by that atmosphere is so much like what the Imagineers have done in Florida. Except, I never saw Snow White nor the Seven Dwarfs.
My wife and I were at Artist Point a few weeks ago. Still had the same menu items, for now; I had my favorite, the Cedar-Plank Salmon. We were bold enough to talk to a few employees about the coming change. Our server has been there since they opened the doors on day one. His responses to our questions were of the "trying to be supportive" type of comment. But we could see in his face that he does not like it, at all. I could tell he was talking to us through his facial expressions. When he could see that I understood what he was NOT saying, he smiled wryly. And, it sounds like there might be a change-over in staffing, not by Disney's doing, either. Another staff member, one who has a position of authority, was being supportive (carefully), and asking to please return and "give-us-a-try". Well, yeah, we'll give the restaurant a try. But after looking at the new menu, themed towards "Story Book Land", the disappointment has already started.
I understand that Walt Disney World is all about entertainment. And yes, there are a lot of restaurants themed towards the concept of "character meals". But you know, why not let the adults have their places too. And it seems to me, that the the signature dining restaurants are a great place for that. They give the adults a chance to relax and enjoy a supreme meal with high-end drinks, if they wish, and maybe share a special moment with their spouse. Artist Point has been such a place since the doors opened. But, now that this change is happening at Artist Point, what's next? Jikos with Timone and Pumba? Victoria and Albert's, introducing Goofy and Donald Duck? How about California Grill featuring Gastogne?
I shudder at the thought!
If the Disney Resorts and Restaurants office wants to make a change at Artist Point, why not re-trace their steps back to those first 5 or 6 years to that menu. That's what those first guests remember, and one of those things that the guests like to go back and re-live again. I've noticed over the years, and I'm sure that many on this website have also, that as the menus change, the quality seems to go up and down. Those first four or five times I've eaten there knocked my socks off. I hope many of you have had those same memories, too.
Anyway, I guess I've bent your ears enough. I hope all of you folks continues to go to WDW. It is a great place go and have fun with your family. I'm sure, in the end, things will work out. Crossing Fingers!
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
It’s not standard...nor should it be. People are apparently lazy when they eat too
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
I had a similar experience with the manager the night before they officially announced the change...
He was surprisingly honest. It’s a cost accounting move and I asked him if the dining plan ruined it...which got a smile and a nod. Apparently the cost accounting on restaurants is a lot worse than I knew...it’s really a pennies formula now.
Stop using the dining plan...essentially...it’s killing your palette.
Dining plan has killed off just about any good food at the resorts, except for the handful of restaurants where they still get mostly paying guests. Suckers prepay for more food than they should ever eat and there's no incentive to make it unique, good or to give culinary control to the local departments.
This is why the Disney Springs options are so much better, when they used to be on par with what was offered at the resorts. It brings in so many locals and day guests that there's no way they could get away with offering what the resorts do, it would just be an empty restaurant. The few restaurants that do have mediocre food (Rainforest, TRex) make up for it with the experience and a pretty broad menu, when compared to a Disney Character meal.
To this day I don't understand how someone thinks its a "good value" when they pay $40-50 for powdered eggs, frozen tater tots, mass produced bacon and bread just because Mickey shows up to shake their hand.