Tokyo Disneyland
Topic: April 15, who's going?

#	Author	Message
91	Mr X Tue 4/8/2008 5:14a	Not me. Epcot is severely lacking in quality on the lower end. Not to mention that fact that frankly DisneySea offers even MORE variety imho in the form of interesting recipes and tastes from different places (whereas Epcot has become more and more homogenized despite the large number of ethnic restaurants). No, I put DisneySea out in front, but by a nose. Epcot is also very good of course, and places a solid "second" in my book. DisneySea gets the edge. I wouldn't call either one "head and shoulders" above the other though. Can't comment on DLP, never been there.
92	davewasbaloo Tue 4/8/2008 5:20a	>>>Epcot is severely lacking in quality on the lower end.<<< I don't tend to do counter service very often as I find the value is poor in all counter service restaurants I have encountered (except Rancho Del Zocalo in DL, the place in the Land and the Mexican at Epcot and Flame Tree BBQ at DAK) so I tend to do table service. Also, I like having a seat without having to scout, and being waited on. Maybe TDS would change my view on CS, but I am a fan of good TS restaurants in my Disney parks. Hence my love of Epcot and DLP.
93	davewasbaloo Tue 4/8/2008 5:21a	Oh, and DCA in the early days. Sadly that doesn't fly in a place where most of the visitors are locals on a budget treating the place like a municiple park.
94	Mr X Tue 4/8/2008 5:23a	To give some examples, since I'm sure to be challanged on the "variety" part, I should say that I'm not necessarily talking "ethnic variety" so much as unusual tastes and combinations I've never found in other Disney parks. One obvious example would be the great variety of popcorn flavors. :) To expand on that, the many, many varieties of snacks/deserts you can get in the park. And not just the "usual" stuff either. Gyoza Dogs are the most obvious "popular plus unusual" offering. And those little shrimp things. And the (now sadly gone) banana calzones. The tasty and interesting pita pockets sold in Arabian coast along with other curry and similar Stuff like that. Then you get to the sit down restaurants that offer varieties of Italian fare, Japanese, Chinese, American and European style foods, and so on. Coupled with that you have the many varieties of interesting foods you can only get at various times of the year (similar to the Epcot food and wine festival which I adore and wish DisneySea would COPY as I think they'd do a great job of it). Anyway, it's obviously a matter of opinion but having sampled just about every restaurant in each park at least once (two glaring "misses" for me are China at Epcot and Magellan's at DisneySea), my vote still goes to DisneySea.
95	Mr X Tue 4/8/2008 5:31a	Dave, I must warn you that if you that if quantity factors into part of your "value" equation (it does mine! lol) regarding counter service places, you might well feel the same way at Tokyo Disney...as the portions are EXTREMELY small by western standards. If however, you mean value as far as quality for your buck (or pound, or yen), then I'd say they are quite good. My personal take on counter service is, when I'm at an amusement park I'm there for the amusements. Not to sit around "enjoying" a semi-acceptable highly price-gouged meal. If I want a nice restaurant experience, there are plenty to be found outside of Disney. I've done the sit-down thing (mostly at Epcot, where I've tried it all, and around DisneyWorld and pretty much around Tokyo Disney Resort as well, not so much in Anaheim), and it just really doesn't appeal to me to waste an hour or two sitting around in some restaurant when I could be using that time to ride Tower of Terror again. Just my take on things.
96	Mr X Tue 4/8/2008 5:39a	***Sadly that doesn't fly in a place where most of the visitors are locals on a budget treating the place like a municiple park.*** So you're blaming the customers? If Disney didn't want so many locals showing up, it would be easy enough to discontinue annual passes and local discounts and all that. Obviously, Disney relies on such patrons.
97	davewasbaloo Tue 4/8/2008 5:39a	To me value is based on quality, presentation, service and somewhat portion size. I expect the Japanese portions to be smaller (as they are smaller in Europe compared to the US - I mean a normal Happy Meal in LA serves what would be a large fries and large coke in Europe). I do feel like counter service are a bit of a rip in most disney parks, whereas for about 20% more cost wise you get much more food and value at a table service in the main. Also, I think this is where we are different. In Europe and even the US, I do not think you get the highly themed restaurants where kids are welcome like at a Disney resort. I am very happy taking my kids to Steakhouse55 or California Grill, but if I took them to the Ivy or Claridges, that would be frowned on. Also, I am way passed running from one attraction to another. For me, that is my idea of hell these days. I have been known to spend a whole day at DLP and only go on the train and Mark Twain, with the rest of the day taken up with dining, exploring, pin trading and watching entertainment. To me that is fun. So stay away from europe. We regularly plan 2.5 - 3 hours for lunch. I know from my trip to California, I am probably more European than American now.
98	davewasbaloo Tue 4/8/2008 5:42a	Not blaming the customers, per se, just recognising they are a different demographic. I just noticed a lot more people bringing outside food in, and treating the place like it's there. People going to the BB for just desert really annoys me. But I love DL more than the swamps of WDW or the pushy rainy world of parisian beet fields.
99	Mr X Tue 4/8/2008 5:46a	***Also, I am way passed running from one attraction to another.*** Well, when you put it that way. :p I don't feel that way either, really. I've spent plenty of days just wandering around MGM Studios taking in the sights and people watching, or at DisneySea or wherever. All well and good. BUT, obviously if I'm spending the day at Disney I want to ride rides, see shows, enjoy the atmosphere. I enjoy eating as well, of course, I just don't feel like taking a long time to do it when you can get yummy stuff at quick service places or carts like at DisneySea (WDW, on the other hand, last trip we ate at the sit down places almost exclusively...MOSTLY out of apprehension about the cheaper offerings). I just feel there are PLENTY of dining experiences to be found. You don't need Disney for that, and in fact they generally disappoint. I don't mind dropping a lot of cash on a great meal. I feel very much different when I spend the same cash and feel disappointed. 2.5 hours sounds great for lunch, by the way. Not at Disney though. That would bore me.
100	Mr X Tue 4/8/2008 5:49a	***I just noticed a lot more people bringing outside food in, and treating the place like it's there.*** Don't they have a policy against this? If so, it would be quite easy to enforce with all the security checks out front. ***People going to the BB for just desert really annoys me.*** Again, that's really a decision for management and you should take it up with them. As long as a place doesn't have a "no desert only" policy, the people doing so aren't doing anything wrong. What's "BB", by the way? Also, what is "the Ivy", and "Claridges"? They have a no-kids rule or something?

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