Restaurant Changes--Current and Past

[Yellow Shoes]

How have menu changes, current and past, affected your opinion of restaurants at WDW? Was there a restaurant that you just LOVED until they dropped one of your favorite entrees?

Currently we have a thread about the changes at 'Ohana. Most people are not too happy about the menu changes. (This, of course, is consistent behavior from a Disney board. We seem to HATE change!)

Many people seem to feel that the changes take away what made 'Ohana distinctive--the pineapple bread, the stir fried green beans, the rice, wontons, pineapple and caramel, etc.

I'm sure this isn't the first time a WDW restaurant has had a major menu overhaul.

In a similar vein, I have noticed that restaurants (and rides) seem to have a limited life. For example, when I was at WDW in 1993, the lines for Body Wars were 2 hours long. 22 years late, BW is nearly gone. Also around that time, Coral Reef was THE hot spot to eat. No one seems to talk about it much here, and what discussion we have is neutral to negative.

 

[shoppingnut]

I am one of those people who is very very unhappy about the pineapple & carmel at O'Hana's. O'Hana's was never really high on my list of places to eat anyway, but when they made the changes recently, it was removed from my list entirely.

I'm also not happy about the changes at the CRT for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We don't need photo's and generally when we go we are celebrating someone's birthday. So this place is now off our list which is a real shame because the food here is very good and MK has very few places that have good food as a sit down meal.

We stopped going to the Cali Grill when they removed the banana souffle from their dessert menu. This was my favorite dessert and since their regular menu items can be had at other restaurants for less money, no need to go here and pay more.

Coral Reef used to be good, but when I went two years ago, the food was just okay. I think Coral Reef is living on the fact that it has a fish tank in its restaurant and not worrying about the food quality. If I want fish I'd rather go to the Flying Fish as it is much better.

 

[Master Yoda]

Whilst Rainforest Café is not an official Disney restaurant I do feel it bears mentioning. The changes in the menu and more so the drop in food quality and service have really been a detriment to this once great place to eat. Up until the last couple of years it was a mandatory stop during every Disney trip. Now we simply skip it.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Let me buck the trend for you and mention a positive change. Originally Le Cellier was a buffet and a pretty average one at that. We had written it off over many visits and couldn't understand how people had started raving about it...Finding out it had changed to a regular restaurant and the offerings available was a nice surprise...although it took us years to rediscover.

Germany has gone the other way however...but based on lines, I won't be surprised if it goes back.

The new version of The Land was a bit surprising as the offerings are rather adventureous. I would like to see a balance between that and more standard fare.

 

[shoppingnut]

Whilst Rainforest Café is not an official Disney restaurant I do feel it bears mentioning. The changes in the menu and more so the drop in food quality and service have really been a detriment to this once great place to eat. Up until the last couple of years it was a mandatory stop during every Disney trip. Now we simply skip it.

I totally agree, it's such a shame.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Whilst Rainforest Café is not an official Disney restaurant...........

Are AR's available through Disney (or direct to Rainforest Cafe) or do you just turn up and wait for a table (I've never dined at a RC)

 

[shoppingnut]

Are AR's available through Disney (or direct to Rainforest Cafe) or do you just turn up and wait for a table (I've never dined at a RC)

No AR through disney. You turn up and wait for a table or there is some sort of RF club that you can join for a fee that would get you priority seating. I know it's on RF's website.

 

[Shellybelle]

Whilst Rainforest Café is not an official Disney restaurant I do feel it bears mentioning. The changes in the menu and more so the drop in food quality and service have really been a detriment to this once great place to eat. Up until the last couple of years it was a mandatory stop during every Disney trip. Now we simply skip it.

I agree. The last time we were there the service was horrible.

 

[Master Yoda]

No AR through disney. You turn up and wait for a table or there is some sort of RF club that you can join for a fee that would get you priority seating. I know it's on RF's website.

You are correct it is called the Safari Club. I believe the current price is $15 and as long as you spend enough at the restaurant each year it is automatically renewed each year free of charge. The card also entitles you to discounts at the store. It was well worth it when Rainforest was still a quality establishment.

 

[Aurora23]

I'm happy to see that they added the Chicken Pot Pie on the Dinner menu at the 50's Prime Time. Used to be, you could only get it at lunch. :sohappy:

 

[Hakunamatata]

You are correct it is called the Safari Club. I believe the current price is $15 and as long as you spend enough at the restaurant each year it is automatically renewed each year free of charge. The card also entitles you to discounts at the store. It was well worth it when Rainforest was still a quality establishment.

We have two Rainforest Cafe's in the Houston area. One at the Katy Mills Mall in Katy, Tx, and one in Galveston. The food is ok at best. I have really never had anything there that I would rave over, except the volcano desert. I have not been to the one at DTD in Orlando, but did go to the one in DTD in Anaheim. The service was horrid and we were seconds away from walking out when the waiter came by and got our drink orders etc......We now only go for our kids on special occasions. We use the Safari Club discount more at "sister" resteraunts.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

No AR through disney. You turn up and wait for a table or there is some sort of RF club that you can join for a fee that would get you priority seating. I know it's on RF's website.

Thanks

 

[surfsupdon]

Caribbean Beach's Old Port Royale, which underwent a massive overhaul in 2003ish, has both positives and negatives.

The positive is Shutters. The food and service is a huge improvement over Captain's Tavern, which was more an afterthought it appeared in the planning phases. One of my favorite WDW meals was at Shutters--the sirloin steak. Granted that Shutters is nowhere near appointment dining, it is a vast improvement over Captain's Tavern.

On the other hand, the new foodcourt layout is far below the original. It is not as personable as before, yet I am sure is more convenient for families with children. Each shop used to be unique, not so much anymore. Overall, the food court has had subtle changes--the menus are not as varied as they once were. There is no longer "Caribbean fare" served, rather more hotdogs, pizzas, pastas, and other typical theme park fare. The food, though tasty, has gotten very generic and not as original (Island style) as when the Resort was in its younger years.


The biggest dissappointment for my parents is the changeover from foot long hotdogs in the theme parks to turkey legs. Now, most hot dogs are the normal size, foot longs cannot be found. And to make matters worse, the hotdogs do not even have saurkraut as a topping anymore.

 

[Woody13]

Both the Nine Dragons and the Lotus Blossom Cafe have lost my business. Their food used to be excellent but they changed their menus a few years ago and since then I have found the food to be of poor quality. Over the many years that we have visited WDW, we have found the food quality to be very inconsistent during our visits at all of the food venues.

However, one thing I know for a fact is that there is no accounting for taste. You may find this hard to believe, but some people don't like giant turkey legs! Another thing is that my food preferences are similar to our friend Walt Disney. There is nothing I like better than to heat up a can of chili and beans, and eat that with some fresh saltine crackers and a cold can of tomato juice!