Was a steak always on every menu?

Club Cooloholic

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I was checking out menus for sit down Epcot restaurants, was there always some type of regular steak dish at every place? Morocco and Mexico both have NY strip, which is kinda weird and I don't remember that from a few years ago. I assume this is to get people to come in that are on the dining plan and want to max by getting steak.
 
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TrojanUSC

Well-Known Member
pjkdog said:
I was checking out menus for sit down Epcot restaurants, was there always some type of regular steak dish at every place? Morocco and Mexico both have NY strip, which is kinda weird and I don't remember that from a few years ago. I assume this is to get people to come in that are on the dining plan and want to max by getting steak.
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You're pretty much right. People want to feel like they are getting their money's worth. Also, the dining plan forces people pre-pay for food and visit restaurants they can get into, even when they might not want to eat there. This makes restaurants cater to the lowest common denominator. Additionally, many of the menus have been trimmed down substantially over the last ten years or so, reduced to a limited number of items - but generally 1-2 seafood options, a chicken, a steak, etc.
 
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Hockey89

Well-Known Member
trojanjustin said:
You're pretty much right. People want to feel like they are getting their money's worth. Also, the dining plan forces people pre-pay for food and visit restaurants they can get into, even when they might not want to eat there. This makes restaurants cater to the lowest common denominator. Additionally, many of the menus have been trimmed down substantially over the last ten years or so, reduced to a limited number of items - but generally 1-2 seafood options, a chicken, a steak, etc.
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So true.... It really is a shame
 
dieboy

dieboy

Active Member
pjkdog said:
Seriously I see a variation of the same 3 dishes at every country. It's sad. What does a New York strip steak have to do with Moracco?
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Well .. gotta appease those tourists whom want to eat at Morocco, to say they have, but don't actually want to *eat* at Morocco. Its kind of like taking a kid to eat places .. everyone serves some sort of burger for the most part.. well at least every chain restaurant does for the most part. Also, good chunk of this has to do with the meal plans. *yea* for meal plans that are not the best value for *most* (you folks who actually benefit from it, back off, I said 'most' :p ).

Disney Springs is best for culinary delights .. as those restaurants are not under the thumb of WDW, and have many more freedoms than restaurants located inside WDW have. Those menus actually look well .. good. And I've stopped at quite a few of them, normally they do not disappoint.

Over the years, as the food service has fallen off, we essentially have found the *best* quick services at all the parks, and just hit those when we have to eat inside the parks. The sit down menus are barely worth the value anymore. Sure, they are okay, but i refuse to pay that kind of price for a mediocre cut and dry no thought menu. When we want to get table service, we stop at the springs, any one of the newer restaurants are pretty good. This does not include the puke rain forest cafe (sorry folks, this chain disgusts me), or the t rex restaurant, that typically has the aroma of dirty diapers, even walking by you can notice it. But everything else at the springs is pretty well done.

I just don't enjoy table service at WDW anymore, and try to avoid it at all costs nowdays. There was a time I really enjoyed a handful, and they got my repeat business for a number of years, sadly, their menus have changed, and they have changed, IMO, for the worse.
 
Club Cooloholic

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
dieboy said:
Well .. gotta appease those tourists whom want to eat at Morocco, to say they have, but don't actually want to *eat* at Morocco. Its kind of like taking a kid to eat places .. everyone serves some sort of burger for the most part.. well at least every chain restaurant does for the most part. Also, good chunk of this has to do with the meal plans. *yea* for meal plans that are not the best value for *most* (you folks who actually benefit from it, back off, I said 'most' :p ).

Disney Springs is best for culinary delights .. as those restaurants are not under the thumb of WDW, and have many more freedoms than restaurants located inside WDW have. Those menus actually look well .. good. And I've stopped at quite a few of them, normally they do not disappoint.

Over the years, as the food service has fallen off, we essentially have found the *best* quick services at all the parks, and just hit those when we have to eat inside the parks. The sit down menus are barely worth the value anymore. Sure, they are okay, but i refuse to pay that kind of price for a mediocre cut and dry no thought menu. When we want to get table service, we stop at the springs, any one of the newer restaurants are pretty good. This does not include the puke rain forest cafe (sorry folks, this chain disgusts me), or the t rex restaurant, that typically has the aroma of dirty diapers, even walking by you can notice it. But everything else at the springs is pretty well done.

I just don't enjoy table service at WDW anymore, and try to avoid it at all costs nowdays. There was a time I really enjoyed a handful, and they got my repeat business for a number of years, sadly, their menus have changed, and they have changed, IMO, for the worse.
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Oh I blame all this on the DDP. The higher costs of food items as well as the reduction in choices.
 
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Hockey89

Well-Known Member
pjkdog said:
Oh I blame all this on the DDP. The higher costs of food items as well as the reduction in choices.
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No question.... Worse thing to ever happen to Disney.... All so people can upfront cash flow Disney and not "feel" guilty ordering "nicer" menu items... For the special meal, we go to Capa now at the four season... The rack of lamb..... Lightyears better than any Disney places.... I even liked it better than V&A meal we had this year...
 
NeedMoreMickey

NeedMoreMickey

Well-Known Member
I'm a picky eater so I like that restaurants now have steak on the menu. This way I can find something I like and the rest of the group gets to try a restaurant that that we may not have tried.
 
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TrojanUSC

Well-Known Member
dieboy said:
The amount of culinary glory that could come from WDW letting chefs really run their menus, sad that opportunity goes to waste.
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Back in the late '90s they hired Dieter Hannig as head of F&B who did exactly that. Food saw an enormous uptick in quality, as chef's were empowered to update their menus regularly with diversity, seasonal ingredients, etc. Once the DDP came out and the resort started dictating budget cuts and outsourcing, he left the company. Now the only places that have this are the places that are still predominantly cash businesses (CG, V&A, etc).
 
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Hockey89

Well-Known Member
trojanjustin said:
Back in the late '90s they hired Dieter Hannig as head of F&B who did exactly that. Food saw an enormous uptick in quality, as chef's were empowered to update their menus regularly with diversity, seasonal ingredients, etc. Once the DDP came out and the resort started dictating budget cuts and outsourcing, he left the company. Now the only places that have this are the places that are still predominantly cash businesses (CG, V&A, etc).
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Sorry CG is not nearly as good as it once was... Sorry it is not... My last two meals sucked...
 
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hanwill

Well-Known Member
I would also blame reduction of the menu choices on table turnover due to the dining plan.... if you can get the dishes to the table more quickly, you can get that guest finished sooner, and turn the table to get the next guest..... had to be done with the dining plan- or you would have had a serious problem with people prepaying formeals, and then not being able to use them.
 
dieboy

dieboy

Active Member
I just checked Sanaa since i have reservations there i think next tuesday, holy crap i forgot .. i have to pack and leave sunday .. long other story. Sure enough, i can either have "Experience the art of African cooking with Indian flavors " or a new york strip steak. While obviously I cannot eat the tag line, but you get the drift.

Some things you don't HAVE to please everyone, one such instance is a themed restaurant. Its impossible to get reservations there as is, like adding a cheap (well its cheap, but the disney price tags it upwards of 35 bucks) steak is going to really get 'more business'. I don't think they had a problem filling a table if a guest figured out they didn't have meat and potatoes or whatever. Even on short notice.
 
baymenxpac

baymenxpac

Well-Known Member
NeedMoreMickey said:
I'm a picky eater so I like that restaurants now have steak on the menu. This way I can find something I like and the rest of the group gets to try a restaurant that that we may not have tried.
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okay, i am going to do my absolute best to not sound condescending when i say this:

i am a reformed picky eater. i'm talking PICKY. i ate steak every time i went out. chicken tenders and fries were a go-to. no fruit, no veggies. no seafood. and i'm not talking until i was 10. no, like...into my early 20s.

i'm here to tell you that this was complete a choice, and a really silly one that i regret. opening up yourself to the culinary adventures of the world is so, so, so worth any momentary discomfort or anxiety. you should absolutely feel free to do whatever you want, but if you're like i was, you probably get discouraged at times that you wish you could just enjoy food like everyone else does. that you didn't have to order something "without the ___" or "that sounds good, but i don't like _____, so i'll just have steak."

again, i'm really not trying to be a jerk, because i totally know where you're coming from. but throwing off the shackles and just being like, "you know what? screw it!" has made me happier and healthy.

much love!
 
dieboy

dieboy

Active Member
baymenxpac said:
okay, i am going to do my absolute best to not sound condescending when i say this:

i am a reformed picky eater. i'm talking PICKY. i ate steak every time i went out. chicken tenders and fries were a go-to. no fruit, no veggies. no seafood. and i'm not talking until i was 10. no, like...into my early 20s.

i'm here to tell you that this was complete a choice, and a really silly one that i regret. opening up yourself to the culinary adventures of the world is so, so, so worth any momentary discomfort or anxiety. you should absolutely feel free to do whatever you want, but if you're like i was, you probably get discouraged at times that you wish you could just enjoy food like everyone else does. that you didn't have to order something "without the ___" or "that sounds good, but i don't like _____, so i'll just have steak."

again, i'm really not trying to be a jerk, because i totally know where you're coming from. but throwing off the shackles and just being like, "you know what? screw it!" has made me happier and healthy.

much love!
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You said it more eloquently than I could ;)

All I can think of when people say they are picky eaters, is a 10 year old in a adult body, and i just want to scream 'go to your room' .. ha!
 
NeedMoreMickey

NeedMoreMickey

Well-Known Member
baymenxpac said:
okay, i am going to do my absolute best to not sound condescending when i say this:

i am a reformed picky eater. i'm talking PICKY. i ate steak every time i went out. chicken tenders and fries were a go-to. no fruit, no veggies. no seafood. and i'm not talking until i was 10. no, like...into my early 20s.

i'm here to tell you that this was complete a choice, and a really silly one that i regret. opening up yourself to the culinary adventures of the world is so, so, so worth any momentary discomfort or anxiety. you should absolutely feel free to do whatever you want, but if you're like i was, you probably get discouraged at times that you wish you could just enjoy food like everyone else does. that you didn't have to order something "without the ___" or "that sounds good, but i don't like _____, so i'll just have steak."

again, i'm really not trying to be a jerk, because i totally know where you're coming from. but throwing off the shackles and just being like, "you know what? screw it!" has made me happier and healthy.

much love!
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Maybe I should have said it’s more if digestive issues with me than picky eater. Wish I could eat spicy foods but my stomach won’t let me. I’ll sneak a bite from my family at the table but can’t eat an entire meal.
 

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