Walt Disney World General
Topic: Official Magical WDW Cutback Thread ...

#	Author	Message
121	Spirit of 74 Thu 10/23/2008 9:40p	<<Buzz Lightyear actually had rips in the walls as well as the dirtiest queue I have ever witnessed. >> Oh yeah ... holes in the walls all over ... patches with whitewash over them ... just godawful and it's like that all the time. But -- to be a fair spirit -- the Omnimovers have been refurbed and repadded and it appears there's been some plussing in the last third of the attraction (Zurg's escape portal sure looks new to me.) It's just that 15 years ago, that attraction wouldn't be allowed to open in that state. It would be fixed overnight. Now every penny counts and it's embarrassing for a premium 'brand' ... the only place I see money being spent is at DVC resorts. Boardwalk is getting major TLC now as is DAK Lodge ... even saw some brand new carpeting on non-DVC floors and new painting. But if it ain't DVC, Disney's 'leadership' team doesn't appear to give a damn about even meeting guests (already vastly diminished) expectations let alone exceeding them.
122	jkayjs Fri 10/24/2008 2:47a	Spirit my lad. It would have been nice to stroll the lagoon with you last pm. Alas here I am in pretty cool weather. I hate to hear about the decline in food service. This is indeed one of the things we look forward to. We've been trying to cover all of the locations in the parks and most @ the resorts. We've been to many but some not so recent. I've been to Jiko's but Mr. jkayjs hasn't. We were planning on going in Dec. Do I understand that the price has increased but not nec the quality? Well I guess I'll find out soon enough. This trip will be mostly off property even tho we are staying on. US and off property eating(Roy's for one) will take up much of our time.
123	itsme Fri 10/24/2008 7:45a	>>Across the board portions have been cut as well-- Nothing like a fat manager wearing Dockers in Frontierland,--- Get what I am saying?>> Sure do, Disney is cutting down on portions to help people that cant control what they eat and are overweight. How many pounds did you say you have lost lately? See they are helping you and you didn't even know it.
124	magnet Fri 10/24/2008 3:02p	...and I suppose they are charging more for the smaller portions because they need to pay for all the new nutritionists they have hired?
125	bobbelee9 Fri 10/24/2008 4:55p	^^Now you're got the right idea. See Disney is really just trying to help us.
126	CarolinaDisneyDad Fri 10/24/2008 6:45p	I need alot of help. Ha Ha. Because when it comes to buffets, I always help myself.
127	kennect Fri 10/24/2008 8:37p	Spirit, I have to ask...Back when WDW first opened where was the really good food in the park? If there was any I don't remember it...Years later as the resort expanded Epcot's opening introduced some really good food to visitors for the first time that I am aware of...That trend seem to continue as new parks and resorts opened or at least I think it did...Over time I was really impressed with how much better the food had gotten at WDW...Now, from what I understand, it seems to be regressing to the former days when nothing was really special...So I am at a lost here...Is it truly budget cutting that is needed, pure greed to screw the customer or is Disney just not interested in being the food business period...I can actually see how all three contribute to what is going on right now but still I wonder...What is left of the top, I mean the best, restaurants that Disney actually owns and operates?
128	Spirit of 74 Fri 10/24/2008 9:38p	<<Spirit my lad. It would have been nice to stroll the lagoon with you last pm. Alas here I am in pretty cool weather.>> I would have enjoyed that as well, but we both will be back at WDW many times (although I likely won't make the drive up again until 2009). Of course, you visiting might convince me to push that up! ;-) <<I hate to hear about the decline in food service. This is indeed one of the things we look forward to. We've been trying to cover all of the locations in the parks and most @ the resorts. We've been to many but some not so recent. I've been to Jiko's but Mr. jkayjs hasn't. We were planning on going in Dec. Do I understand that the price has increased but not nec the quality?>> I dunno. I haven't done Jiko since 2007. It's been one of my favorite WDW locales since debuting in 2001. But the menu has been dumbed down considerably since opening and the prices keep increasing. Chef Annette, who opened the place, left last year and the menu recently saw some fairly major changes. I just can't justify dining there right now. I'm debating trying Nine Dragons, which looks very nice after rehab but is missing the show kitchen that was promised (likely budgeteered out of existence much like Tutto Italia's ballyhooed redo that was supposed to happen last spring!) ... imagine after spending the summer in China eating amazing food for what seemed like pennies that I'm going for Disney's take on it! Thought about Le Cellier, but the filet I always get has gone from $27.99 (was even less a few years back) all the way to $34.99 and there's no way in hell I'm paying that for a theme park entree. I don't care if you get a free full body massage with dinner! (oops, did I say that? what a naughty spirit I can be!)
129	Spirit of 74 Fri 10/24/2008 9:51p	<<Spirit, I have to ask...Back when WDW first opened where was the really good food in the park?>> I have no idea. I was a tiny spirit when WDW debuted. And my first visits (that took me into the mid-late 70s) consisted largely of quick serve food mixed in with the Hoop De Doo, Terrace Buffet at the Contemporary and Sunday Brunch at Tope of the World for special occasions. I remember all the food being 'good' but I wasn't a foodie at age 10! <<If there was any I don't remember it...Years later as the resort expanded Epcot's opening introduced some really good food to visitors for the first time that I am aware of...That trend seem to continue as new parks and resorts opened or at least I think it did...Over time I was really impressed with how much better the food had gotten at WDW.>> That's exactly how it happened really. Two developments ... first the opening of EPCOT Center brought the level of WDW dining up many notches. Then Michael Eisner made it a priority to attract some of the best chefs he could find and open and develop very cool concepts for resort dining. Things really improved for years. Then two other things happened ... consultants became powerful and convinced Judson and then Paul and Jay to consistently raise prices while cutting quality ... and then the DDP made HUGE price increases in vogue because it was a win-win for the Mouse -- Disney could make it seem like people were getting more 'bang for the buck' if that $28 steak was suddenly $41 and for the poor fools who didn't want the DDP, Disney made all that extra profit on the items. <<..Now, from what I understand, it seems to be regressing to the former days when nothing was really special...So I am at a lost here...Is it truly budget cutting that is needed, pure greed to screw the customer or is Disney just not interested in being the food business period...I can actually see how all three contribute to what is going on right now but still I wonder...What is left of the top, I mean the best, restaurants that Disney actually owns and operates?>> The best are still likely the same ones they always have been ... Victoria and Alberts, California Grill, Flying Fish, Jiko, Narcoosee's, Artist Point, Bistro de Paris, Brown Derby ... those are mine. And I doubt the quality has gone down in those locations at the top. But at the lower end table serves? At the buffets (which other than Boma I never bother with)? At quick serve? Those are the places Disney can really screw over the guests.
130	kennect Sat 10/25/2008 8:28p	Spirit or anyone else...The one restaurant I often wonder about but always forget to ask about is the Rain Forest Cafe at AK....For me personally the AKL lacks just a good basic restaurant and yet the Rain Forest Cafe is almost within walking distance from the resort...I have often wondered if and what spill over business they get from the AKL resort if any...

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