There are plenty of “experience“ restaurants that don’t have fixed price menus…Sci Fi, Biergarten, San Angel Inn, to name a few, are probably some of the best themed at Disney. I also wouldn’t classify the prix fixe food as “mediocre hall food”. The meals I’ve had at CRT, BOG, and California Grill are light years ahead of anything I’ve ever had off a buffet at Disney, and for not that much difference in price.
Sigh. Yes, I know. Lots of food options. Only one option to eat at Space. Only one option to eat at BoG. I don’t know why it’s hard to acknowledge that it kinda stinks to basically not be able to take my kids to those places where they really, really want to go. The point of those places is not really the food, but they shouldn’t have to leave hungry.
Then you have had completely different experiences with the food at BoG and CRT than us. Completely. And I’m not really a foodie with high expectations. The experience places you mentioned are not geared toward small children, and while they might enjoy them, they aren’t at all the same for them. When you’re taking about small kids, they want space and castles (and characters).
I guess I’m missing why anyone has to leave hungry. These menus have a pretty standard beef, chicken, fish, pasta, and vegetarian option, plus a kids menu. They are typically flexible with sides, etc. Are the options more limited than buffets? Sure…. But leaving hungry seems like a stretch.
I didn’t say they were fine dining, I just said they’re better than the buffets.
Several members of my family have severe eating issues which has resulted in feeding therapy and all kinds of things just to get them to simply eat. Not allergies, which Disney handles rather well, but borderline eating disorders, which are hard to define and handle. A buffet works rather well for us, even if the food isn’t that great overall, or a restaurant with lots of options. Disney has never had extensive menus compared to the real world, but the recent move toward narrowing the menus even more, and then locking people into a prix fixe option only doesn’t work for us, or for a lot of people. Even if they kept the same items as the prix fixe menus but let people pick and choose and build their own meal (maybe all apps and no entree or dessert, for example) could work for us. And I’m not alone here. All of that would be fine, if no one had to feel like they were missing out on certain experiences. ALL my daughter talks about is eating in the castle. She’s 4. I can take her, but then she’ll be so upset that they have very little she can eat. And she’s too little to understand. I can keep trying to explain, but I won’t because it doesn’t seem to help. I think it’s okay to be very disappointed by this choice that excludes a good amount of people, when there are other options that wouldn’t change their bottom line (a minimum dollar amount per person with freedom to order whatever would be very easy).
Have not been to CRT, but we have not had a bad meal at BoG. Our last trip, I had the scallops and they were as good or better than what I had at Flying Fish.
Go back and review the discussions about BoG when you couldn't get an ADR at noon or dinner because people were getting ADRs to get a cupcake and see the inside. Disney learned from that and is not going to let that happen with Space. Is that unfortunate for those who would have dined there with their family and purchased a full meal? Yes, but there are too many on the other side to offset that.
As previously mentioned, a minimum price per person with freedom on what to order would solve that.
I think that would actually anger people more than the prix fixe option has.
Well there would certainly be plenty of people around to tell them “hey, it’s okay! There are lots of other places out there for you!”
This. We go to a few of these restaurants a year and most are prix fixe. Taking our daughter along since she was a preschooler (or whenever the tantrums stopped, lol, I forget now) and they don't ever charge her-- in fact, they make it fun and make her something off menu (read: plain). Disney has done this for us as well and she is still a picky/plain eater... at 11. Sigh. I think most places, even Disney, have been accommodating for us and recognize who is looking to get out of paying. I'd just ask up front. Hope this helps someone who was on the fence about booking because of prix fixe.
I wonder what they'd do if you walked in with food from a QS or packed from home for the kiddos.
I’m sure they wouldn’t care. But they’d still charge you.
It's a shame you never realized you could comment about your preferences. And it's perfectly valid for others to comment about their preferences. Fascinating, isn't it?
I think many adults just take it in stride. We never eat buffets at home, but it's an occasional thing at WDW. Not my fav by a long shot, but compromise is part of life.
I wonder if you can split one? Otherwise I’d have to leave quite a bit. I know exactly what you mean - I’ve been there. Our current plan is to order a bottle but the pairings sound like fun.
