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View Full Version : What has happened to the food?



goofyskier
01-18-2016, 10:37 AM
It's been a few years since my last trip but wow what a difference in the quality of the food at Disneyworld. Now I am not a culanary expert by any means but I do know good quality food when I am eating it. Disney it seems as cheapened its product to the point that it is no better then chain restaurants. Mind you I don't have a problem if that how they want to brand themselves but, when you are charging top dollar for what is defined as "signature" dining experiences; my expectation is that the dish meets the discription. If this last trip is a true representation of the way things are going, I may find myself looking for other options well outside of Disney on any future trips.

Fangorn
01-18-2016, 11:48 AM
Unfortunately, it is, IMHO, an ongoing trend. There are still a few bright spots, and dishes, at Disney restaurants, but for the most part, the quality has gone down over the past several years. On our last trip in December, our best meals were at the new places in Disney Springs - Boathouse and Morimoto's. Neither of these are Disney owned or operated and were vastly superior to anywhere else we ate. Our old favorites just don't make the cut - other than the nostalgia aspect - anymore.

Personally, I blame the decrease in quality (and variety) on Disney's hype and marketing of the Dining Plan. Restaurants accepting the DDP are paid a fixed amount when the plan is used. Each restaurant is it's own profit center and consequently the chef is required to create meals whose cost comes in at, or below some arbitrary price point. The result is a tendency toward standardized dishes and the use of lower quality ingredients in order to save money. I've found that if I want something unique and better tasting my best bet is to go with appetizers. They aren't covered by the DDP and hence don't have the caps and restrictions (other than market forces) on them.

Steve

SurferStitch
01-18-2016, 11:51 AM
Wow! I'm sorry you had bad dining experiences. We were there in early December, and our meals were incredible. We dined at our usuals (Narcoossee's, Cali Grill, Flying Fish, Blue Zoo, Biergarten, Nine Dragons, Yachtsman Steakhouse, La Hacienda), and all meals left absolutely nothing to be desired. Food, drinks and service were all top notch.

We dined at the Brown Derby for the first time in about 12 years. We weren't expecting much, and it turned out to be one of our favorite meals of the trip! The food was outstanding, and our server was wonderful and really helped us choose the best wines for our courses.

We also cancelled our Teppan Edo ressie and decided to stay at our resort that night (YC) and had dinner at the Captain's Grille. We were so pleasantly surprised at the quality and selection. Our meals could've certainly been considered signature meals with the amazing crab cakes I had! We love breakfast here (rivals our favorite Grand Flo Café for sure), but this trip was our first dinner. We will definitely go back!

Boathouse was amazing, too. We did a late lunch there, and we loved everything!

I would say our least favorite was Yachtsman, but it was still great. It was much better last year, though. The menu changed quite a bit, and did seem a little more dumbed down.

MrPeetrie
01-19-2016, 06:58 AM
I agree with Fanghorn's assessment that the best meals are at Disney Springs. We ate dinner three times there (BOATHOUSE, Raglan Road, Bongo's) and all three meals were superior to anything we at in parks.

Also, for the first time, I was disappointed with the chicken at the Hoop Dee Do Review. I always look forward to that chicken each trip. My meal tasted stale, so much so that I didn't finish one piece. I concentrated on the ribs instead. (So disappointed!)

Later that week, we ate at Prime Time, where they serve decent fried chicken, too. The taste was still in my mouth from HDDR that I ordered something else for lunch.

I also was let down by Casey's, but wife said it was a move toward a "healthier" hot dog, which she actually preferred. To each his own, I guess.

Hammer
01-19-2016, 01:53 PM
I agree with much of what Steve (Fangorn) said, though I did have some very nice meals during my 3 trips in 2015. While many of these meals were at restaurants that are not Disney owned, some were, such as California Grill, Citricos and Flying Fish. I find what he says to be true at the buffet/family style/all you care to eat meals, character meals and Be Our Guest. At the non-signature restaurants, we tend to order a lot of small plates for the 2 of us to share for our meal. We also tend to not eat sit down meals in most of the parks, with the exception being Epcot World Showcase.

For the record, Morimoto and the Boathouse are on the Dining Plan. Morimoto Asia is 1 credit for lunch and 2 credits for dinner, Boathouse is 2 credits for both lunch and dinner.

rwdavis2
01-26-2016, 03:17 PM
Free Dining has happened to the quality of the food.

Ian
01-26-2016, 06:39 PM
There are definitely pockets nowadays (especially at the character buffets) where the food quality is noticeably diminished, but I have to say my experiences as the sit down restaurants have remained excellent. Via Napoli, Teppan Edo, The Wave (a new favorite), San Angel Inn, etc. have all remained top notch based on my most recent experiences.

I will say the food I had at Whispering Canyon Cafe was a bit of a bummer. I used to love their BBQ, but I don't know if we hit them on a bad night or what but it was nowhere near as good as I remembered it.

#1donaldfan
01-27-2016, 01:45 PM
I guess with our visits and dinning experiences we've been lucky as we've had all good meals, including the food courts. Maybe my travel dinner expectations are lower or the fact that I am starved by the time we find time to sit down but I have always liked out meals ... excluding a few. For me it's quality of service and atmosphere that can make a dull, ordinary burger into a "travel channel find" !! Sure we spend higher prices on food at Disney and sometimes we get sub-par service, yet it's in those instances we find fault with the quality of food. I think it's the service that fails us most times.....

FiggyFan
01-31-2016, 09:24 PM
I have been complaining about this in the survey after every stay for several years. I too believe that the dining plan is to blame. Who remembers the amazing apple turnovers they used to make on site at the Boardwalk Bakery? How many other great items are gone?

We just got back from a trip this past Thursday, and were told by a cast member at Seashore Sweets that they are closing for good as of today, and there are no announced plans to have freshly scooped ice cream anywhere on the Boardwalk. Say it isn't so!