Menus are changing!

[FigmentFinder]

Yes we were at Sci Fi last month and our server mentioned the entire menu would be changed starting in May.

I noticed the change yesterday. I'm a little disappointed the chicken wings have become boneless wings. It's a disagreement in my house. I tell my husband boneless wings aren't wings. They are chicken nuggets with sauce.

 

[TwoMisfits]

What do you mean? It's the same thing, pancakes with macadamia nut butter and pineapple syrup. Or did the pancakes had macadamias in them? Then yes, it's different.

But I guess, if the nuts are pricier right now, what's better? Keep the item and raise the price?

I don't know. It does stink when a favorite goes away though.

Yes, they used to be in the pancake and on top...now the menu seems to imply they have dropped them out of the pancakes...

http://www.thedisneychef.com/2013/02/macadamia-pineapple-pancakes-wi.html

 

[KVH]

I think there's another factor here too. My guess would be the upcoming free dining also has some impact on what is being offered. I have no proof yet though. Need to find a correlation between potentially pricier items that have been removed versus what is available now. Then again, I don't want to be Fox Mulder in this scenario either.

 

[cmash95]

If you purchase cheaper ingredients (cheaper cuts, more available items), it saves a ton of money. Macadamia nuts might be pricey right now, so it's an easy call to get rid of them for normal syrup and pancakes (normal fake maple syrup costs pennies)...

just checked the menu and it still has macadamia nut pancackes but no blueberry ones

 

[FelisLachesis]

I noticed the change yesterday. I'm a little disappointed the chicken wings have become boneless wings. It's a disagreement in my house. I tell my husband boneless wings aren't wings. They are chicken nuggets with sauce.

For the longest time, you wouldn't actually see "boneless wings" on any menu. It would be "boneless wyngz" or something like that. It's been recent that the restaurants have stopped misspelling wings. Regardless, "boneless wings" is an abomination. If I want wings, give me something that looks like it came off a bird.

How does changing a menu save the restaurant money? Its different ingredients at different prices. That makes no sense?

It gives restaurants a chance to use different ingredients, at maybe the same or similar price. Things that aren't selling well will get cut from the menu. Prices to up (rarely do they go down). It gives them a chance to pull the olives off that pasta dish. A new dish or two will appear, maybe at better margins.

There's always the murmurs that the Disney restaurants cut their high price, low markup items off their menu in prep for free dining.

You do it at once like this, and no one should notice, or everyone just gets overwhelmed with the changes and stops paying attention. But this is Walt Disney World, everything is under a microscope. What sales and marketing do, and when they do it is recorded for posterity. Price increases, the old prices, when resort sales happen, old menus, new menus, it's all on the Internet, somewhere.

 

[purple figment]

just checked the menu and it still has macadamia nut pancackes but no blueberry ones

It used to be "Macadamia Nut Pancakes" because the pancakes had macadamia nuts in them. Now it's just "Pancakes" so it sounds like there are no more macadamia nuts in the pancakes.

 

[TomServo27]

If an old favorite gets dropped from the menu you can often still get it just ask your server.

 

[maxiesmom]

If an old favorite gets dropped from the menu you can often still get it just ask your server.

We can see if we are able to order the new Polynesian egg platter but sub pancakes for the fruit and muffin. Doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[DJFan88]

Aghhh, no island chicken sandwich with the sweet potato fries plate for lunch. I'm out!

 

[Disneylover99]

I think there's another factor here too. My guess would be the upcoming free dining also has some impact on what is being offered. I have no proof yet though. Need to find a correlation between potentially pricier items that have been removed versus what is available now. Then again, I don't want to be Fox Mulder in this scenario either.

There's always the murmurs that the Disney restaurants cut their high price, low markup items off their menu in prep for free dining.

You do it at once like this, and no one should notice, or everyone just gets overwhelmed with the changes and stops paying attention. But this is Walt Disney World, everything is under a microscope. What sales and marketing do, and when they do it is recorded for posterity. Price increases, the old prices, when resort sales happen, old menus, new menus, it's all on the Internet, somewhere.

We've been going during fd times for years. So I don't really pay attention to menus during other times of the year. Are high priced entrees missing from the end of May til January? Or are lower priced sides substituted in? Curious.

I'm not always on the dining plan, but I've never noticed lower quality and I've seen plenty of high priced entrees.

 

[maxiesmom]

We've been going during fd times for years. So I don't really pay attention to menus during other times of the year. Are high priced entrees missing from the end of May til January? Or are lower priced sides substituted in? Curious.

I'm not always on the dining plan, but I've never noticed lower quality and I've seen plenty of high priced entrees.

They don't change the menus to go with Free Dining. I've paid for dining, I've used it when it is "free". They don't take away items then add them back once free dining is done.

 

[Disneylover99]

They don't change the menus to go with Free Dining. I've paid for dining, I've used it when it is "free". They don't take away items then add them back once free dining is done.

I know they don't blantantly make changes. I'm thinking about more subtle changes that most people wouldn't necessarily recognize as a cost cutting measure.

 

[maxiesmom]

I know they don't blantantly make changes. I'm thinking about more subtle changes that most people wouldn't necessarily recognize as a cost cutting measure.

I don't think so. Looking at the current California Grill menu listed, chicken is gone, Ostrich is in. The same steak is still listed.

 

[FelisLachesis]

We've been going during fd times for years. So I don't really pay attention to menus during other times of the year. Are high priced entrees missing from the end of May til January? Or are lower priced sides substituted in? Curious.

I'm not always on the dining plan, but I've never noticed lower quality and I've seen plenty of high priced entrees.

I did say murmurs I don't go during free dining, so I couldn't tell you. Just that this year, many of the menus did some shuffling right before FD guests are coming just gives more fuel for the conspiracy theorists.

Now I did specify high cost, low markup. If they can charge high for something while still making a nice profit, they may not cut it.

... Ok, I'm taking my tin foil hat off, now.

 

[Planogirl]

Ostrich?

I think that if cost cutting happens that it can happen at any time.

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't think so. Looking at the current California Grill menu listed, chicken is gone, Ostrich is in. The same steak is still listed.

Hmmm, lack of chicken will steer those families away from CG during fd into cheaper eats. Subtle right?

For the record, I don't really think anything changes during fd, but who knows? The possibility is always there.

 

[danielocha30]

it's hard to let go and embrace changes but with the prices of Disney Restaurants they should be offering better quality at some places, unfortunately Disney have a precedent of charging more and giving you less (Ohana dinner anyone?). Sci-fi does desperately need a better menu ONE good burguer can hold the place.

 

[DeterminedOne]

Are the menus on the MDE app up to date?

 

[MouseOfCards]

Kona got rid of the Shrimp Tempura roll my daughter and I loved. Now it includes eel and cream cheese. That's super disappointing. But I know there is still plenty of delicious food in Disney World so we'll move on and find something else to love.

Would sharing your disappointment with Disney help? Maybe if enough people complained, they would bring back popular dishes?

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

Thank you for posting this. As we love eating at many restaurants at Disney - we absolutely pick restaurants for items we really enjoy. My DS will miss the Big Kahuna - we eat at Kona breakfast at least twice when we are in DW, but we will still eat at there and see how the new items are. We love the Pineapple Macadamia Nut pancakes and the Samoan - so we will try the changes.
Thanks again. We are now going to check the other restaurants that we have planned.