Ever read the reviews from non-Disney fanatics on TripAdvisor?

[Krack]

And if you don't like it, don't go, dont dine there. But good grief, if you're not going to do either, that doesnt quite make you a paying customer, does it? Or is that too many facts to get in the way of your incessant complaining?

I don't dine there anymore. I couldn't tell you the last time I had a waiter in Orlando - it was probably at least 5 years ago. I am still a paying Disney customer - I have purchased park tickets, counter service meals, hotel rooms, popcorn, bottles of soda, etc. As a result of the dining plan and the ADRs (in conjunction with other issues), I vacation at WDW far less than I would if the parks were operating like they did 15 years ago. Because of that, not only does Disney not get my "Table Service" money ... but they get far less of my park ticket, counter service meal, hotel room, popcorn, bottles of soda money, too.

And yes, I'm going to incessantly state I don't like the current system. Over and over again. I'm hoping to state it several more times over the next page just so I can prove I'm not a Disney drone. I don't exist to state how great Disney is. Unlike yourself, I am capable of disliking something Disney does and expressing my displeasure.

The dining plan ruined dining at WDW. IMO

Agreed.

 

[wm49rs]

I don't dine there anymore. I couldn't tell you the last time I had a waiter in Orlando - it was probably at least 5 years ago. I am still a paying Disney customer - I have purchased park tickets, counter service meals, hotel rooms, popcorn, bottles of soda, etc. As a result of the dining plan and the ADRs (in conjunction with other issues), I vacation at WDW far less than I would if the parks were operating like they did 15 years ago. Because of that, not only does Disney not get my "Table Service" money ... but they get far less of my park ticket, counter service meal, hotel room, popcorn, bottles of soda money, too.

And yes, I'm going to incessantly state I don't like the current system. Over and over again. I'm hoping to state it several more times over the next page just so I can prove I'm not a Disney drone. I don't exist to state how great Disney is. Unlike yourself, I am capable of disliking something Disney does and expressing my displeasure.

Gee, I'm sure they're really sad to lose your business with all of the marvelous things you have to say about them here....

And by the way, simply because someone doesn't complain over and over again about Disney (and let's face it, all you do in these discussions is throw out complaints on practically everything under the pretense of "expressing your opinion") doesn't make them a drone, or a shill, or drinking the Disney kool-aid. It simply means they're actually capable of finding the good in something in a topic such as the WDW restaurants, unlike yourself, who doesn't seem to find it in anything, at least in these forums.

 

[jakeman]

Yes, I would call Bloomberg immediately.

EDIT: Here's one thing I know ... when I want to eat dinner at the Blue Bayou, I walk into Disneyland at 8am, walk to the Blue Bayou and make reservations, and enjoy myself. It used to be that way in the Magic Kingdom. Now, personally, I find that dining in the Orlando parks sucks.

Interesting. When I went to Disneyland, I tried to get reservations at the Blue Bayou and they were booked.

At my last WDW vacation we made ADRs at the last minute for California Grill and got in. Therefore the system at Disneyland must be broken.

Anecdotial evidence does not an arguement make.

However, I will agree with wm49rs, this hasn't been a very rational discussion.

 

[Krack]

Interesting. When I went to Disneyland, I tried to get reservations at the Blue Bayou and they were booked.

Really? I lived there 3 years and never had a problem getting a reservation in the morning of ... and I ate there almost every I went to the park. Did you try to get a reservation really late in the day or something?

Regardless, it beats having to make reservations 6 months ahead of time.

 

[jakeman]

Really? I lived there 3 years and never had a problem getting a reservation in the morning of ... and I ate there almost every I went to the park. Did you try to get a reservation really late in the day or something?

Regardless, it beats having to make reservations 6 months ahead of time.

Why does it matter? The point remains the same. Your anecdotial experience at Disneyland does not match mine. Same is true for our experience at WDW.

In fact, you know to get there in the morning for a reservation later in the day, correct? Wouldn't that make you the same type of Disney magic sniffer you mocked just a few post ago? Here it is:

This system is so great because we're cool and we know how to best work it and all those other rubes that are going on their first vacation are wasting all their money and can't even sit down and have a waiter!

While I acknowledge the hyperbole in the above post, the point remains the same. You have spent your time mocking those that are familiar with the dining system at WDW and use it to your advantage, yet you employ the same knowledge to ensure your dining at Disneyland is appropriate. The only thing is a difference in time scale. I can tell you that I have no idea what I want for dinner the day I wake up any more than I do 6 months ahead of time.

Other than my upcoming vacation, which involves someone who has never been before so we want to not leave anything to chance, I've never made a reservation six months out and have found my dining to be more than adequate. Then again, I don't dine at the usualy places; so I might just be missing the crowds.

 

[Krack]

You have spent your time mocking those that are familiar with the dining system at WDW and use it to your advantage, yet you employ the same knowledge to ensure your dining at Disneyland is appropriate.

I didn't say it was the best system. I said it was a better system and a system I enjoy more. And I would never mock anyone for not knowing to go to City Hall or the Blue Bayou, as soon as you enter the park, to make a Blue Bayou reservation. This thread quickly turned into a bunch of "Haha, screw those suckers. I know how the system works and that's all that matters. Can you believe they are wasting all that money on a less-than-optimum vacation???" As a Disneyphile, that's a terrible attitude to have. Not because it's being less than considerate towards others (which it is), but because it's ensuring WDW newbies are not having as good a time on their vacation as they could ... and ... it doesn't have to be that way. The less people who want to return, the less money they will make, and the less money they will reinvest into the parks. Longterm, it is bad business for Disney. And hardcore Disney fans.

 

[MMFanCipher]

Other than my upcoming vacation, which involves someone who has never been before so we want to not leave anything to chance, I've never made a reservation six months out and have found my dining to be more than adequate. Then again, I don't dine at the usualy places; so I might just be missing the crowds.

We enjoyed the food when we went and the DDP (ducks all the thrown objects!). If you don't mind me asking, where do you dine at?

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Disney still has numerous table service and some quick service locations that are outstanding.

The bad news is you have to look for them a little harder. The good news is they are in less travelled areas of the resort.

Agreed... I didn't mean to imply that ALL dining at WDW is poor. But the massive loss of variations on menus (both CS and TS) is my main issue, followed closely behind by horrible (IMHO) CS food in general, with the exception of Seasons. That didn't use to be the case.

 

[PurpleDragon]

There are some awsome counter service meals if you know where to look. Also there are tons of restaurants in WDW where you can usually get a reservation the same day if you call and book early in the morning. The only time you have to book more than a month in advance would be during the busiest times (i.e. xmas season, spring break, middle of the summer) any other time you can usually get a reservation within the same week, if not the same day. One of my favorite table service restaurants is Biergarten in Germany-Epcot. Every single time I've ever gone to WDW I've never had to make reservations, we did walk-ins and the wait was never more than an hour, which is the same as the local Olive Garden down the road from my house. Mind you Biergarten is a buffet style restaurant so its not the norm in terms of wait times or reservations, but the fact still remains, if you do some research ahead of time, you will know how to work the system and find what you want.

Educating yourself about your destination is important no matter where you go. Who in their right mind would go to an unfamiliar destination and just run around flying blind and expect everything to work out the way they want it to? That's just arrogant and foolhardy!! :brick:

 

[jakeman]

We enjoyed the food when we went and the DDP (ducks all the thrown objects!). If you don't mind me asking, where do you dine at?

We have a few favorites: Kona and Sanaa. We also have some that we don't get to quite as often, but are still really good: Captain's Grill at the Yatch Club, Turf Club at Saratoga Springs, and Tusker House in AK, if you are a buffet goer.

We have found most of the best dining is tucked away in the resorts.

Seeing the menus beforehand really helps to sniff out those hidden gems.

Agreed... I didn't mean to imply that ALL dining at WDW is poor. But the massive loss of variations on menus (both CS and TS) is my main issue, followed closely behind by horrible (IMHO) CS food in general, with the exception of Seasons. That didn't use to be the case.

I will agree that you have to work a little harder now to find unique dining at the well trodded places.

Counter Service was horrible, I agree, but I think we are back on an upswing with that. I noticed more variety and better quality the last time we were down.

I've said it before, but in my experiences at Disney, dining swings from one end to the other. It probably goes with the compliants. They get a sea of complaints that all there is hamburgers and hot dogs and they switch everything up, then they get complaints about the homogination of food and they go back to the old standards.

From about 1998-2003, it was legitimately hard to find a hamburger in some parks, usually only one spot had them. All the other choices was a great variety. From about 2004 until I would say last year, they really standardized the menus. I really think we are in the beginning of a swing back in the variety direction.

 

[wm49rs]

We have a few favorites: Kona and Sanaa. We also have some that we don't get to quite as often, but are still really good: Captain's Grill at the Yatch Club, Turf Club at Saratoga Springs, and Tusker House in AK, if you are a buffet goer.

We have found most of the best dining is tucked away in the resorts.

Seeing the menus beforehand really helps to sniff out those hidden gems.

I will agree that you have to work a little harder now to find unique dining at the well trodded places.

Counter Service was horrible, I agree, but I think we are back on an upswing with that. I noticed more variety and better quality the last time we were down.

I've said it before, but in my experiences at Disney, dining swings from one end to the other. It probably goes with the compliants. They get a sea of complaints that all there is hamburgers and hot dogs and they switch everything up, then they get complaints about the homogination of food and they go back to the old standards.

From about 1998-2003, it was legitimately hard to find a hamburger in some parks, usually only one spot had them. All the other choices was a great variety. From about 2004 until I would say last year, they really standardized the menus. I really think we are in the beginning of a swing back in the variety direction.

I agree, and that goes hand-in-hand with the necessity of actually doing a little planning and research before you visit WDW (or truly anywhere else)....

While I'm not a huge fan of it, the ABC Commissary has done a good job of offering a greater selection than burgers and nuggets. The same could be said for the Studio Catering Company since their most recent refurb was completed. And I've always found a good meal at Sunshine Seasons in EP.....

 

[EaglesfanNJ]

We got it, you love getting up at 6AM six months before you intend to eat so you can make reservations. Disney is the greatest!!!! Woohoo!!! This system is so great because we're cool and we know how to best work it and all those other rubes that are going on their first vacation are wasting all their money and can't even sit down and have a waiter! I bet they wish they were just like us and knew every nook and cranny of every park and every arcane system Disney has set up so it can be different than everywhere else in the world!!!

Krack, my apologies if you think that this was the intent of my post, to mock those with less Disney knowledge than me.... i assure you, it certainly was not. The intent was to bring to light the fact that this guy uses a forum like TripAdvisor to blast Disney, yet never really gave it a fair shake, IMHO. I also fully admitted that Disney has it's faults for sure, and even though I'm biased, sure there are things that Disney can improve on.

Maybe the Dining Plan has ruined the experience, but that's what it is now... so we all have to adjust. People can't just show up and try to go wherever they want, out of spite. Again, I was not mocking anyone, but i was sharing my thoughts in regards to the post i found concerning on TripAdvisor. I hope the rest of your experiences as Disney are positive and hope that your Dining situation there improves.

 

[Master Gracey 5]

There are some awsome counter service meals if you know where to look.

Educating yourself about your destination is important no matter where you go. Who in their right mind would go to an unfamiliar destination and just run around flying blind and expect everything to work out the way they want it to? That's just arrogant and foolhardy!! :brick:

I agree, some of the counter service is getting rather good - we always find The Land has some excellent offerings as well as the ones you've mentioned.

And that's the problem. People who have never been there before might just listen to him. WDW will be spontaneous for the first time visitor regardless, but learning a thing or two and realizing you can't just peel through the place like a bat out of hell is another thing. Educate yourself, there is no excuse with the internet

How dare you either of you expect people to use the internet to educate themselves! Its simply a tool for watching funny video clips and complaining as loud as you can about everything! :animwink:

In general though, you're touching on a sad trend in the world - people aren't willing to take the time to understand what they are getting themselves into, whether its a restaurant down the street or a tip to WDW. I'm all for a little spontaneity, but you have to expect the good with the bad on that approach. There is no excuse with the tools we have available today for not being educated and prepared.

 

[wm49rs]

I agree, some of the counter service is getting rather good - we always find The Land has some excellent offerings as well as the ones you've mentioned.



How dare you either of you expect people to use the internet to educate themselves! Its simply a tool for watching funny video clips and complaining as loud as you can about everything! :animwink:

In general though, you're touching on a sad trend in the world - people aren't willing to take the time to understand what they are getting themselves into, whether its a restaurant down the street or a tip to WDW. I'm all for a little spontaneity, but you have to expect the good with the bad on that approach. There is no excuse with the tools we have available today for not being educated and prepared.

And unfortunately those will be the same people who will complain about the quality of food, or the lines, or this ride being closed due to a refurb, when a little planning could have taken them much further in enjoying their trip....

 

[LucyintheSky]

I'd never heard of that site before, so I went and read some of the reviews of WDW. I really don't get the people that complain that ticket prices are so high, and in the same breath complain about the large crowds. What do they think would happen to attendance levels if tickets were cheaper? :brick:

And what's with the person who says that they "bought the fastpass and it was a huge waste of money"??? Huh? :shrug: Are they just *really* confused about what they did on vacation, or just blatantly lying to make Disney look as bad as possible?

 

[Master Yoda]

I'd never heard of that site before, so I went and read some of the reviews of WDW. I really don't get the people that complain that ticket prices are so high, and in the same breath complain about the large crowds. What do they think would happen to attendance levels if tickets were cheaper? :brick:

And what's with the person who says that they "bought the fastpass and it was a huge waste of money"??? Huh? :shrug: Are they just *really* confused about what they did on vacation, or just blatantly lying to make Disney look as bad as possible?

A little from column A and a little from column B.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Agreed. While reading, I also found myself feeling bad for these people :shrug:. I mean, to shell out that kind of money on a family vacation but not do the proper planning, it's a waste of $ for them!

Show up, no ADR's, eat whatever you can find, no FastPass.... WDW is so much more than another theme park for me. I know it's my bias coming out, but even if i was going on a NON-Disney related vacation (yeah right, like that'd happen!) i would do the proper planning to ensure we got the most out of it.

i don't understand anyone who would pay so much money to go on a vacation anywhere in the world without doing a little bit of research about your trip. even before going on a trip to the beach i like to at least look up the hotel/resort i am staying in, things to do in the surrounding area, etc. but i'm a planner and can be pretty frugal so i like to know that i am getting the most out of my money. disney is probably one of the most overwhelming vacations to plan for a first timer, but to not do any planning whatsoever is psychotic! :lol:

I think both of you just really hit the nail on the head. The thing is that regardless of where you go on vacation, you have to plan. I've never been to Universal. I would spend A LOT of time planning if I were to go. I'm a Disney veteran, yet I plan. I do feel sorry for people that spend so much money and have such a miserable time, though.

Reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. I was scared of PORS the first time we went because of the terrible reviews I'd seen. However, I love it.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

We have a few favorites: Kona and Sanaa. We also have some that we don't get to quite as often, but are still really good: Captain's Grill at the Yatch Club, Turf Club at Saratoga Springs, and Tusker House in AK, if you are a buffet goer.

We have found most of the best dining is tucked away in the resorts.

Seeing the menus beforehand really helps to sniff out those hidden gems.

I will agree that you have to work a little harder now to find unique dining at the well trodded places.

Counter Service was horrible, I agree, but I think we are back on an upswing with that. I noticed more variety and better quality the last time we were down.

I've said it before, but in my experiences at Disney, dining swings from one end to the other. It probably goes with the compliants. They get a sea of complaints that all there is hamburgers and hot dogs and they switch everything up, then they get complaints about the homogination of food and they go back to the old standards.

From about 1998-2003, it was legitimately hard to find a hamburger in some parks, usually only one spot had them. All the other choices was a great variety. From about 2004 until I would say last year, they really standardized the menus. I really think we are in the beginning of a swing back in the variety direction.

I don't know why, but I see this as still on the DOWNSWING, at least as far as CS goes. We took a couple years break from WDW to visit the other Disney parks around the world, and when we went back last December, we found a lot less CS choices than before. Being on free dining (yes, I'm a hypocrite), you could just tell where they were shaving pennies. The fries had changed to what we thought were lesser quality. Dessert options (which normally we wouldn't even get, admittedly) were fewer and much smaller. A specific example would be at Flame Tree. We've always thought that was a great CS location, and couldn't wait to visit. Well, the portions were smaller, the fries were different, and instead of a great triple chocolate cake, they only had a small pudding cup. And I can't remember exactly, but it seems they took away the baked beans? Don't quote me on that because I'm not positive. Just going off what I recall.

We saw this kind of thing at most CS locations, with the exception of Seasons. Love, love, love Seasons. Good AND VARIED food options, great desserts. That should be the model for park CS's.

As for table service restaurants... I don't have facts to back up my stance, but it certainly feels like there are only a few main course options at each restaurant... Maybe cut down as much as a half of the options there were at TS locations even just 4 or 5 years ago. That's my issue with TS locations for the most part, rather than the quality of food... Although with a handful of exceptions, I don't believe the quality to be as good as it was 4 or 5 years ago either.

I hope you're right about the upswing, I'm just not seeing it. :shrug:

WOW, we're off topic. :lol:

 

[jakeman]

I don't know why, but I see this as still on the DOWNSWING, at least as far as CS goes. We took a couple years break from WDW to visit the other Disney parks around the world, and when we went back last December, we found a lot less CS choices than before. Being on free dining (yes, I'm a hypocrite), you could just tell where they were shaving pennies. The fries had changed to what we thought were lesser quality. Dessert options (which normally we wouldn't even get, admittedly) were fewer and much smaller. A specific example would be at Flame Tree. We've always thought that was a great CS location, and couldn't wait to visit. Well, the portions were smaller, the fries were different, and instead of a great triple chocolate cake, they only had a small pudding cup. And I can't remember exactly, but it seems they took away the baked beans? Don't quote me on that because I'm not positive. Just going off what I recall.

We saw this kind of thing at most CS locations, with the exception of Seasons. Love, love, love Seasons. Good AND VARIED food options, great desserts. That should be the model for park CS's.

As for table service restaurants... I don't have facts to back up my stance, but it certainly feels like there are only a few main course options at each restaurant... Maybe cut down as much as a half of the options there were at TS locations even just 4 or 5 years ago. That's my issue with TS locations for the most part, rather than the quality of food... Although with a handful of exceptions, I don't believe the quality to be as good as it was 4 or 5 years ago either.

I hope you're right about the upswing, I'm just not seeing it. :shrug:

WOW, we're off topic. :lol:

In my opinion, I think the bottom was only about a year, two at the most, ago. So I'm not at all stating that we are back to it's highs, just that it is getting better.

Maybe the current perception of downswing is for folks using the DDP? I know after looking at the way we usually eat at WDW and the current plan's offerings we elected to go without it for our upcoming 10 day trip.

The DDP is not something we regularly use (but have, so I feel I can compare the two) so we tend not to pay attention to the extras, like dessert, that we normally would get with DDP that put the "value" there.

For a non-DDPer who isn't looking to maximize the value of the plan, there appears to be more options available. I think the best example is the Chicken Wrap at the old fry cart in Frontierland and the added BBQ sandwhich at Peco's. My wife found the chicken wrap was great, but it is not something that would be worth getting on DDP (that I know of).

Perhaps what we are seeing is pressure on DDP to expand the profit margin rather than a direct correlation to quality and variety of food?

I'm enjoying this little tagent, myself!

 

[J.Thaddeus Toad]

If they think 5.75 is expensive for a beer try 9.00 for a miller light at Yankee STadium.