Changes at Chef Mickey's

[captainkidd]

We've always done Chef Mickey's as it's the big character meal. Even if this change wasn't happening, we still won't bother in the future. The food simply isn't worth the price. Breakfast doesn't have enough options (no french toast or pancakes). The danish and muffins suck. Dinner is better, but the dessert bar is a joke. That crap they call ice cream is nasty.

As someone else said, we've done more than our fair share of character meals. 1 a trip will be enough for us, and for food quality and ambiance, that's gonna be Crystal Palace.

 

[captainkidd]

I don't understand what the big deal is. You aren't obligated to purchase the Disney Photopass picture. The photographers/attendants will be more than happy to take a family photo with you and your family with your camera. What's the big deal if you are getting your picture taken with Mickey at the table or at the front of the restaurant in front of a nice backdrop? At least with Mickey in the front it gives you more time to enjoy your breakfast and dinner without one more interruption from a character.

Can't speak for anyone else, but we wait in enough lines at the parks. Why in the world would I want to stand in line for 10 minutes to have my picture taken when there is no way I'm going to buy it. Just let people in to the restaurant when their table is ready.

 

[SwistakFam]

We have an ADR here in December. Seriously thinking of canceling. This crazy!!!!

 

[Jedi Wizard]

That is unfortunate. However, it is consistent with Disney trying to jack up the revenue from character meals. Once he is out there, it is just a small change for them to make the picture REQUIRED like it is at Cinderella's Royal Table or Princess Storybook Dining in Norway and up the cost of the whole meal.

 

[COProgressFan]

I don't understand what the big deal is. You aren't obligated to purchase the Disney Photopass picture. The photographers/attendants will be more than happy to take a family photo with you and your family with your camera. What's the big deal if you are getting your picture taken with Mickey at the table or at the front of the restaurant in front of a nice backdrop? At least with Mickey in the front it gives you more time to enjoy your breakfast and dinner without one more interruption from a character.

Its a big deal because there is much more character interaction when Mickey comes to your table. Its a lot more fun, and you generally get more time with him. And for parents, you can get some great candid shots of your kids interacting with Mickey, rather than standing posed in front of a backdrop.

It's just amazing how much Disney constantly tries to do things like this, that just p*ss off their customers and leave a bad taste. Hopefully they will see this is a mistake and go back to the old system.

 

[nibblesandbits]

Apparently there are reports on twitter that the trial is already over and Mickey is back at the tables. Not seen the twits myself, just reported on another website. All we need now is confirmation.

I thought that was true too...until today when I actually saw a picture that was taken today at breakfast and Mickey was greeting guests at the front...

I hope Drew is right in that it's a two week only test. And that it fails miserably.

 

[drew81]

I thought that was true too...until today when I actually saw a picture that was taken today at breakfast and Mickey was greeting guests at the front...

I hope Drew is right in that it's a two week only test. And that it fails miserably.

He's back visiting tables now.

 

[Magical Dreamer]

Yeah!!!! Good to hear... Hope it stays that way...we have 11/16 ADR's....I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[mp2bill]

This is rumored to be a test-
Mickey Mouse is no longer visiting tables at Chef Mickey's. He is now in the lobby at the photo location. This decision came from a manager who decided they need to sell more photos. It's similar to what they did to Donald Duck at Tusker House.

Unfortunately, Mickey doesn't have a character attendant assigned to him in the lobby- which is very unsafe for him. Hopefully that will change.

Booooooooooooooooo!

 

[nibblesandbits]

He's back visiting tables now.

That's strange...because like I said, I saw a picture taken today from breakfast and it was most certainly taken at the front.

Glad to hear he's supposedly back...

 

[progroupie]

I could see how this could be more convienant in some ways. Since Mickey Mouse is Mickey Mouse him going from table to table like he's done traditionally often turns into a huge mess. He's the main attraction and everyone wants to get a lot of pictures and a lot of interaction. So it takes him longer than the other characters to see all the tables. So people are always complaining about how they end up waiting and waiting even after they've finished their meal to see Mickey Mouse. So putting him up front takes that issue away. But then you've got people complaining about having to stand in line to see him when they've paid for a character meal where presumably the characters come to you without the lines. So it really just depends on which scenario they're getting more complaints about.

Although I don't get the fuss over photopass. They aren't charging you to pose with Mickey. They're charging you for the photograph.

 

[drew81]

That's strange...because like I said, I saw a picture taken today from breakfast and it was most certainly taken at the front.

Glad to hear he's supposedly back...

Who knows:shrug: They change their mind on things all the time.

 

[BrerFrog]

We've always done Chef Mickey's as it's the big character meal. Even if this change wasn't happening, we still won't bother in the future. The food simply isn't worth the price. Breakfast doesn't have enough options (no french toast or pancakes). The danish and muffins suck. Dinner is better, but the dessert bar is a joke. That crap they call ice cream is nasty.

As someone else said, we've done more than our fair share of character meals. 1 a trip will be enough for us, and for food quality and ambiance, that's gonna be Crystal Palace.

They do have pancakes! At least they did when I went there.

 

[captainkidd]

They do have pancakes! At least they did when I went there.

Those little Mickey ones? ______.

You want pancakes - Go to Kona Cafe!

 

[BrerFrog]

Those little Mickey ones? ______.

You want pancakes - Go to Kona Cafe!

No, aren't those waffles?

I recall there are pancakes in there. I even have a picture, but I am having problems uploading it.

Yeah, I took a picture of my plate at Chef Mickey's, don't judge me. :lol:

 

[WDW-Crazy]

If Chef Mickey's is going to keep Mickey away from the tables, why not just try another venue. Unless you have a strong desire to see Mickey dressed as a chef, why not try eating with him at Tusker House or Ohana where he still visits at your table? I've done all three for breakfast, and quite frankly, I don't care which venue it is, I just want to see Mickey at my table.:shrug: You can also eat with Mickey for dinner at the Garden Grill.

We're doing both Chef Mickey's (9/26) and the Garden Grill (9/27). I know he visits the table there so I'm not really annoyed by this. At least I'll have Minnie at Chef Mickey's while I won't be getting her at the Garden Grill. We did Ohana back during our Sept 2002 trip and I thought the place was pretty good. Not sure if we'll go back though since we have several other places we like better.

 

[Figments Friend]

And I predict Chef Mickey's CMs will be dealing with a barrage of complaints for as long as Mr. Mouse decides to only take pictures with his guests on the entrance.

Heh heh..indeed.

I had breakfast with a couple of my friends around 9am-ish on the 16th and noticed Mickey in the photo spot. He was lonely, so i gave him some positive hand signals that i often use with characters and he cheered up a little.

When my party left around 10ish, the line to get photos was gigantic! It was so huge, it made it difficult to exit the resturant. It was funny seeing everyone so bottled up, but then realized it was simply because they were all waiting to be photographed, not seated!

I can understand them wanting to make the photos more appealing and purchase-worthy for Guests, but seeing the bottleneck it created made me wonder what will happen when Holiday starts and the REAL crowds start to decend on the place.

Best of luck to you, Mick.

 

[Figments Friend]

As if they arent charging enough for the character breakfast, now i have to wait in a long line to get my picture nad to get my table. Nickle and dime us right out of going there completely.:brick:

Cheer up - you can easily op out of the photo and the long line and just get to the desk where they assign you a table.

I did this with no problems. Just skip the photo line completely. At Chef Mickey's, Check in the front desk. You will then be told you can wait in the line in front of you for a photo op. If this is not for you, walk across the cozy waiting area with the cushy seats and couches, and present yourself at the desk on the other side at the end of the photo line. After a short wait, you will be seated when a table is availble for your party. No need to wait in the photo line if you just want to cut to the chase...so to speak.

Use your best judgement when doing so however, as if the place is very busy doing this may be considered 'cutting in line' with those who already took their photo and are waiting to check in with the table-seaters desk. On a slow morning, this is no problem and it is not considered 'line cutting'. If they are very busy, you need to use your best judgement of the situation.

So remember folks - You DO NOT have to have your photo taken with Chef Mickey if you would rather not do so. Never feel you 'must' although of course fellow CMs will encourage it. Also, you do not have to wait in the likely long photo line just to be seated either. Heed my words above and feel comfortable just skipping it if it is not your thing. If you definately want to op out, check in the front desk, get your black buzzer, and make your way to the table check in desk post- photo spot.

Happy Dining!

:wave:

 

[Figments Friend]

If I recall correctly, the Cast Member who took our picture in front of the big cereal bowl was reluctant to do so with our cameras, saying something about "policy." First, is that even true (we've only been once, so it very well may have just been the CM)? Second, if it is true that policy prohibits using guest cameras to take pictures there, presumably to make more money selling pictures, is that also the case at the photo op with Mickey?

When i visited with a friend this past January, during the 'cereal bowl' only photo shoot pre-meal we had the same experience - Photographer not overly keen on taking a similar shot with my friends' own camera, only shooting with the location camera. There was a short Mickey statue there as a photo prop that we posed with, which i thought was a bit odd. I kept thinking it would be better if Mickey himself was there. We had our photo shoot, and later on we were shown the slick photo pack while dining. My friend ended up purchasing the pix ( her 1st trip).

When i returned with more friends last week for another meal, things had changed - Mickey himself, live in the flesh was now in the photo spot instead of the statue. He must have read my mind ! When we checked in for our Priority Seating reservation, we were all throughly ENCOURAGED and welcomed to take as many photos of ourselves with Chef Mickey as we wanted with our OWN cameras. We did'nt even ask them about it...it was just said to us automatically when we checked in. So if there was once a 'policy' about being discouraged to use ones' own camera for such photos, it has changed...or at least it was very open and flexible the day we dined ( Sept 16th).

 

[Figments Friend]

As if I needed another reason to skip character meals going forward. We did 3 on the last trip, and the majority of characters spent about 8 seconds at our table. Complete waste of money.

Sorry to hear about your experience. I find that the characters are naturally attrached to children, so if you were an all-adult party this could explain some things. Also, being interactive with the characters helps them feel more welcome and wanted at a particular table.

Two examples, of two adults-only parties-

Example one: Two adults, dining. Character spots them and starts towards their table. Adults act like 'adults' and don't show much reaction or may even display shy tendencies. Character will read this to mean they are not sending signals that said adults are open for interaction, so Character does a quick wave or pass though and moves onto the next table. Result - a short visit and not much to write home about.

Example two: Two adults, dining. Character spots them and starts over to their table. Adults are showing enthusiasim both visually and vocally. Character reads this as a clear sign they are wanted, and feels welcome and wanted by these people. Adults INTERACT with Character in a positive playful way. Character responds to this equally positively. Result - Win/Win situation for both Character and Guest...plenty to write home about!

So the key here is to be sure to INTERACT with the Characters. Don't just sit there and give em' a wave. TALK TO THEM....express some visable enthusiasim ( in a proper, positive way...yelling 'YO PLUTO!' across a full room of diners is not proper..ha ha!) If it is Minnie, ask her how Mickey is doing or how her garden is coming along. She will react positively if she knows you are open to this type of play. If it is Stitch, ask him if Lilo is still giving him hula lessons. He may then shake his head 'yes' and start to do a dance for you. It it is Pluto, ask him if Mickey filled his water bowl before going to work today. If not, Pluto may want to take a drink out of YOUR cup. Characters respond best to fun interactions with people they 'read' as being open to the experience...and people who are sending clear signals they are.

I find in my experiences that the Characters absolutely LOVE IT when Guests really take the time to INTERACT and talk to them. They have some rough times, and when they meet a Guest who is eager to play and make conversation it really makes their day. The response you will recieve from the Character will make YOUR day too..! It is all up to you.

Try it the next time you have a Character Meal. I can guarentee you will have a much better experience!

:wave: