The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[SuddenStorm]

It reminds me of a conversation I had at an OC party maybe 10 years ago. The man I was talking to had been a manager at Disneyland's Plaza Inn during his youth. He said they always ordered top-shelf ingredients, with great roasts and plump chickens and such. Then Paul Pressler arrived in 1995 and almost immediately they were forced to change vendors, cut longtime suppliers, and go for cheaper cuts of meat and lesser ingredients. The quality crashed. He left Disneyland within a year and was a senior manager for a swanky restauranteur in OC. He says when he takes the family to Disneyland now, he can tell they're still using lesser ingredients and cheaper preparations. It was a fascinating conversation that stuck with me!

It's this kind of random piece of insight that makes this forum worth it. It's quite surreal to learn just how much Disneyland's standards have fallen. I wonder how many people in TDA know the quality of service that got the place it's reputation- and how the quality of service and offerings present today often doesn't live up to that. Or, the frumpy CM's who complain about pay while doing the absolute minimum effort but since they're 'Disney'. Do they realize that the expectations for CM's today are basically nonexistent?

It's worth mentioning that while each restaurant location at Disneyland has a designated 'chef', they aren't chefs in the traditional sense like they would be at any restaurant outside Disney. They're really just there to maybe do a quality check of the food being served and to talk to guests that have concerns about the food or menu options. Their control over menu items is limited.

 

[mickEblu]

My goodness. This Galactic Star Cruiser footage is super cringey.

 

[TP2000]

Or, the frumpy CM's who complain about pay while doing the absolute minimum effort but since they're 'Disney'. Do they realize that the expectations for CM's today are basically nonexistent?

Don't even get me started. I keep referring to Tokyo Disneyland, which still maintains the old standards from the 1980's. The compare/contrast between front line CM's in Tokyo and front line CM's in Anaheim today is depressing. I'll leave it at that.

It's worth mentioning that while each restaurant location at Disneyland has a designated 'chef', they aren't chefs in the traditional sense like they would be at any restaurant outside Disney. They're really just there to maybe do a quality check of the food being served and to talk to guests that have concerns about the food or menu options. Their control over menu items is limited.

It's a problem. It seems to be rooted in endless bureacracy and red tape that an army of TDA cubicle drones have in their best interest to keep going. What's most troubling is that many of those TDA cubicle drones for the past two years have been "working" from home, part of the elitist Pajama Set that spent the pandemic at home in their pajama's on a laptop, occasionally logging in to a Zoom call with Merlot in their coffee mug.

Meanwhile, the real front line staff continued to do their real labor.

But back to the CM's... Out in Florida they just debuted a lavish new Star Wars hotel. And the CM's staffing it are all wearing the same frumpy and lumpy cheap blue outfit with orthopedic plastic shoes, whether they are a front desk clerk, or a waiter, or a bingo number caller. (Yes, there is apparently Bingo in space.) It's not a good look. It certainly doesn't say luxury or elegance, much less does it say Star Wars.

 

[TP2000]

OMG lol. I hadn’t even seen this yet

You're welcome! Care to play Space Bingo?

 

[Parteecia]

Then Paul Pressler arrived in 1995 and almost immediately they were forced to change vendors, bargain down longtime suppliers, and go for cheaper cuts of meat and lesser ingredients. The quality crashed.

You may not want to know that when the salad mix started getting slimy we were told to combine it with a new bag. And you really don't want to know about the Taco Stretch.

 

[DrAlice]

I mean, they are marketing the Galatic Starcruiser as a "cruise", right? Aren't silly dance lessons, cheesy lounge acts, and Bingo part of a lot of cruises?

 

[DrAlice]

nevermind...

 

[Californian Elitist]

I’m supposed to trust the food at the parks after reading these last couple of posts?

 

[TP2000]

And you really don't want to know about the Taco Stretch.

Uh... now I'm actually dying to know! The statute of limitations is up and the lawyers at Pepsi-Cola and Disney can't get to you now. Fess up, please.

I don't have much experience in food service. The summer jobs I had as a teen were not as glamorous and involved hard labor; landscaping crew at a college campus, furniture delivery guy for a furniture store downtown, etc.

Scanning the old memory banks, the only food service experience I have is... I did have a short time after I got out of the service working at a pizza parlor. It's funny the trivial things you remember decades later; the manager's name was "Ken" and he was a stickler for how many pepperonis we were using (less is better!), and how many pretty blondes were sitting in the dining room (more is better!). The rest of that experience is lost in a bit of a haze. Probably for the best.

 

[Parteecia]

Uh... now I'm actually dying to know!

I think this it it:
Amazon product ASIN B07DJS7WJY
Ingredients

TEXTURED SOY PROTEIN (SOY FLOUR, CARAMEL COLOR, ZINC OXIDE, FERROUS SULFATE, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN B12), ONION, SPICE (INCLUDING PAPRIKA AND RED PEPPER), SALT, HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, TOMATO, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), GARLIC, CITRIC ACID, COCOA POWDER PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, YEAST EXTRACT, AND NATURAL FLAVOR

Legal Disclaimer

Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

It was vile stuff. Being assigned to make it was either hazing or punishment.

 

[TP2000]

I think this it it:
Amazon product ASIN B07DJS7WJY
It was vile stuff. Being assigned to make it was either hazing or punishment.

Oh, were you at Casa de Fritos during the Lawry's sponsorship? I'd forgotten about that phase. I think Lawry's continued on their sponsorship after the place was renamed to Casa Mexicana. Or maybe Lawry's, like Frito-Lay, was one of the companies merged/bought by Pepsi-Cola during the LBJ and Nixon years.

Why the heck would they (still!) call it Taco Stretch!?! Like a bad takeoff of Hamburger Helper.

 

[Parteecia]

I think it was only sponsored by Fritos when I was there. Lawry's must've come later after they realized that they could cut a deal on the Stretch.

 

[TP2000]

Fresh from Wikipedia, some Disneyland sponsorship trivia:

It doesn't look like Lawry's was ever a part of Pepsi-Cola, unlike Fritos. However, Lawry's has some very surprising connections to Walt Disney, his company, and prominent people who were big fans of Disneyland. Wikipedia says...

The seasoning was originally formulated by Lawrence Frank, original owner of the Tam O'Shanter and Lawry's The Prime Rib Restaurant, where the seasoning was used and sold to patrons of Lawry's.[3] In 1938, Lawry's began marketing its seasoned salt in retail stores; now many kinds of seasonings and flavorings are sold under the Lawry's name.

The Lawry's product lines were sold to Lipton/Unilever in 1979. In July 2008 they were again sold, to McCormick & Company.[4]

One of Richard Nixon's favorite snacks was cottage cheese sprinkled with Lawry's.

So Lawry's owned the Tam O' Shanter in Glendale where Walt and his favorite animators often crashed into the lounge after work, or even just for lunch. Lawry's The Prime Rib (a fabulous American restaurant!), has long been a part of the Rose Bowl festivities, where the teams often go to Lawry's for the "Beef Bowl" dinner the day after they visit Disneyland. And Richard Nixon, who was a personal friend of Walt's and pops up in Disneyland history often, sprinkled Lawry's season salt over cottage cheese.

President Nixon's cottage cheese trick actually sounds kind of good! I might try it.

The Tam O' Shanter: Walt Disney's Favorite Restaurant - Travel Caffeine

The Tam O’ Shanter in Los Angeles, California was a popular dining spot for Walt Disney, his animators, and Imagineers. This restaurant is a must-do in Los Angeles not for its cuisine (although the food is above average), but for its rich history. In this post, we’ll take a tour of the Tam O...

www.travelcaffeine.com

 

[Parteecia]

I remember him putting catsup on his diet cottage cheese.

Here's my background story:

Once upon a time in the '70s, Disney based hiring on looks and perceived gender. I may have mentioned this before but my blonde blue eyed friend was sent to the brand new Space Mountain, my mousier white friend to Main Street merch, and of course me to Fritos (I worked with a Hawaiian who was furious that she'd been put there instead of Adventureland).

Males worked in the kitchen or bussed and females served. But I guess too many newly hired males did not like where they were assigned and never showed up. The managers were desperate enough to ask me to work in the kitchen. I was their first woman cook and Lead.

 

[TP2000]

I remember him putting catsup on his diet cottage cheese.

Uh... President Richard Nixon? You saw him at Casa de Fritos eating cottage cheese with ketchup (catsup?)????

If so, that's hysterical and fabulous! What a fun memory!

Here's my background story:

Once upon a time in the '70s, Disney based hiring on looks and perceived gender. I may have mentioned this before but my blonde blue eyed friend was sent to the brand new Space Mountain, my mousier white friend to Main Street merch, and of course me to Fritos (I worked with a Hawaiian who was furious that she'd been put there instead of Adventureland).

Males worked in the kitchen or bussed and females served. But I guess too many newly hired males did not like where they were assigned and never showed up. The managers were desperate enough to ask me to work in the kitchen. I was their first woman cook and lead.

Great stuff! I love it.

Do you remember what this uniform pictured below was for exactly? It seems to be your timeframe, and it's in Frontierland. I remember vividly the pretty young ladies they would post out in front of Plaza Inn in similar outfits with parasols, just to hold a menu and greet and flirt. But this is Frontierland and the outfits are different, more farmgirl than Gibson Girl, but the concept looks the same. Who were these girls? Where did they work?

 

[Parteecia]

Uh... President Richard Nixon? You saw him at Casa de Fritos eating cottage cheese with ketchup (catsup?)????

If so, that's hysterical and fabulous! What a fun memory!



Great stuff! I love it.

Do you remember what this uniform pictured below was for exactly? It seems to be your timeframe, and it's in Frontierland. I remember vividly the pretty young ladies they would post out in front of Plaza Inn in similar outfits with parasols, just to hold a menu and greet and flirt. But this is Frontierland and the outfits are different, more farmgirl than Gibson Girl, but the concept looks the same. Who were these girls? Where did they work?

LOL! I seriously botched communicating well on that one. No, I remember it as gossip about Nixon meant to humanize him. I don't recall seeing any celebrities at my stand. My Space Mountain friend did stalk Robert Redford one day ...

I wish I recognized those dresses. Maybe merchandising? I do sincerely miss elaborate costumes.

 

[waltography]

Feel like I'm a broken record every time I do a mini trip report, I apologize! But I did come back from another longer trip to Disneyland today and I had a few thoughts:

• Genie+ unfortunately is the status quo now. After being at the parks from 8am to 4pm, we managed to ride 13 rides today (11 at Disneyland, 2 at DCA). We wouldn't have managed half of them without Genie+, as we had quickly learned from our trip this past Sunday. Genie+ sells like candy, which means it's all too easy for Lightning Lanes to back up quickly and for CMs to start pushing towards the more egregious 40:1 ratios (as was the case at Big Thunder, Astro Blasters, and Soarin' when we went).
• Sad to say a lot of rides need some TLC desperately. Soarin' looked bad; the mesh screen had what looked like dirt on it that was especially distracting in bright scenes, and the projectors were misaligned so towards the center-bottom of the screen it looked out of focus.
• Saw a bunch of folks carrying pretty large cardboard boxes around the park today—turns out we went the day that a new limited edition lightsaber dropped. Asked a couple about it, they had spent $400 for the hilt alone (no blades).
• As a heads up, not many people are wearing masks anymore. When we went on Sunday, it was about half and half; now, it's closer to 80% of folks not wearing masks. Obviously, do what makes you comfortable.

 

[TP2000]

@Parteecia I've got two things for you on this late Saturday night, my dear...

LOL! I seriously botched communicating well on that one. No, I remember it as gossip about Nixon meant to humanize him. I don't recall seeing any celebrities at my stand. My Space Mountain friend did stalk Robert Redford one day ...

1. I went over the hill to Anaheim Hills this evening for a dessert-n-cocktails sociable. The hostess served an elegantly simple yet delicious chocolate mousse with piles of fresh whipped cream and little French cookies, and while talking to the host he mentioned that now that Covid was over he had returned to his docent work at the Richard Nixon Library across the canyon in Yorba Linda. I regaled him with your story and our misunderstanding that I thought you had witnessed the President eating diet cottage cheese with ketchup yourself.

He had a very good point... "At our age, it doesn't matter what the real story is, just make it good! Tell your friend to just take that story on as her own, and tell people she saw President Nixon eating diet cottage cheese with ketchup at Casa de Fritos in Disneyland sometime in the 1970's. Everyone will believe her anyway!"

So take that as you will from a docent at the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library.

I wish I recognized those dresses. Maybe merchandising? I do sincerely miss elaborate costumes.

Aren't they great? They're similar to the parasol girls they used to have out front of Plaza Inn, but with a Frontierland twist to them.

I also just found this photo. Judging by the young lady's hairdo (flat at the crown, but ultra-feathered at the sides) and the excellent Kodachrome quality, I imagine this is in the late 1970's, maybe even as late as 1980. Perhaps a bit after your time. But it is definitely Casa de Fritos during the late Disco Era. Was this the uniform you wore when you worked there???

From the same fabulous blog, is this photo of a burrito cart nearby Casa de Fritos. Judging by Mom's gauchos, and Dad's tennis shorts and adidas track shoes, plus the drip dry polyester leisure wear of the old fogeys walking nearby and the fact that Pepsi-Cola still sponsors the Golden Horseshoe in the background, I'd peg this photo as 1977-1979. But the hostess at the burrito cart is wearing the same pretty uniform as the girl working the taco prep line in the photo above...

 

[TP2000]

Oh, heck, I spent all that time trying to figure out the year those photos were from by judging hairdo's and fashions. When it was right there at the top of the blog post to begin with.

All of those photos above of Frontierland and Casa de Fritos hostesses were taken in July, 1978. So while my reading comprehension may be bad, my talent for remembering hairdo and fashion eras is still pretty good!

More From Frontierland, July 1978

Here are four more vintage slide scans, from our friend, the Mysterious Benefactor. YES, he wears a false nose, but only because of doctor's...

gorillasdontblog.blogspot.com

 

[Parteecia]

@Parteecia I've got two things for you on this late Saturday night, my dear...



1. I went over the hill to Anaheim Hills this evening for a dessert-n-cocktails sociable. The hostess served an elegantly simple yet delicious chocolate mousse with piles of fresh whipped cream and little French cookies, and while talking to the host he mentioned that now that Covid was over he had returned to his docent work at the Richard Nixon Library across the canyon in Yorba Linda. I regaled him with your story and our misunderstanding that I thought you had witnessed the President eating diet cottage cheese with ketchup yourself.

He had a very good point... "At our age, it doesn't matter what the real story is, just make it good! Tell your friend to just take that story on as her own, and tell people she saw President Nixon eating diet cottage cheese with ketchup at Casa de Fritos in Disneyland sometime in the 1970's. Everyone will believe her anyway!"

So take that as you will from a docent at the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library.



Aren't they great? They're similar to the parasol girls they used to have out front of Plaza Inn, but with a Frontierland twist to them.

I also just found this photo. Judging by the young lady's hairdo (flat at the crown, but ultra-feathered at the sides) and the excellent Kodachrome quality, I imagine this is in the late 1970's, maybe even as late as 1980. Perhaps a bit after your time. But it is definitely Casa de Fritos during the late Disco Era. Was this the uniform you wore when you worked there???

From the same fabulous blog, is this photo of a burrito cart nearby Casa de Fritos. Judging by Mom's gauchos, and Dad's tennis shorts and adidas track shoes, plus the drip dry polyester leisure wear of the old fogeys walking nearby and the fact that Pepsi-Cola still sponsors the Golden Horseshoe in the background, I'd peg this photo as 1977-1979. But the hostess at the burrito cart is wearing the same pretty uniform as the girl working the taco prep line in the photo above...

Yup, that was the costume. Another reason I was happy to move to the kitchen and wear whites.

On second look, I'm pretty sure I recognize the people. Thanks for the link.

On third look I'm pretty sure that this is me on the left!

I will work on my Nixon story...

Edited to add: I was a Lead that summer but wasn't allowed to wear the men's chef's coat and toque. I chose my battles.