Consistency at restaurants at Walt Disney World is something that I’ve been wanting to discuss for a while. The problem of consistency doesn’t fall with any one particular operator either, be it an outside company (like Landry’s who operates restaurants such as Yak & Yeti) or in-house. Our good experiences greatly out number those that are sub-par or even bad. I’m honest in my reviews but try to not be overly negative, and do try to find at least something positive.
Living so close to property, I’m visiting very often and having many more dining experiences than someone that visits maybe once a year. With so many food bloggers out there, and not just Disney-centric ones, it’s growing more and more critical for every restaurant to strive for consistency. Between photos, reviews, and a growing palate for diversity, status quo doesn’t cut it anymore. I may visit a the same restaurant on a few occasions, order the same menu item, and find them completely different in terms of appearance and quality. Imagine someone reading a blog post, choosing a new restaurant to try based on the recommendation, and after dining there, walk away feeling like they threw their money down the drain?
Case in point: I ordered some Overtime Fries ($8.99) a little over a month ago at ESPN Club at BoardWalk Inn while watching baseball. Is it just me, or does this look like they just slathered soggy, bottom of the barrel fries with chili and cheese and called it a day? They weren’t nearly as appetizing as when I ordered them last fall. I know chili cheese fries are supposed to be messy, but this was just a conglomerated mess.
They looked much better on my previous visit (pictured below). The chili was thick, and the cheese didn’t get watered down by it. The fries were hot. You could at least eat them with your fingers. Not the case with the ones above, which required a fork and knife.
I hope this was just a mishap. Where many restaurants on property are stepping up their offerings, I don’t like the thought of the food here sliding. Sure, it’s sports bar fare, but you shouldn’t have to be three sheets to want to order food. I stop in often enough as a break from Epcot to catch a few innings of baseball or a quarter of football, so fingers crossed this was indeed just a bad batch.
The Overtime Fries were my major inconsistency that really jump started my thoughts on this subject. Is there a restaurant or food item that you’ve encountered a similar experience?
Good point. Consistency is everything in any kind of business. And I think it is especially important if your business in a tourist location. I feel I’m blessed because I get to travel to the Orlando area at least once a year but most people only get to experience the parks once in several years – if more than once! So, any bad experience they go through, is carried on in their vacation memories for years! And that is what they will tell their families and friends! Not really the type of advertisement that businesses need, right?
Absent food items with ingredients that have actually been changed by the chef (the sides that come with Jiko’s filet, or the white sangria at Kouzzina, for instance) I can’t think of much that I’ve had that I’ve felt was inconsistent. Some days the slush drinks in Epcot taste stronger than others. Then again, I don’t often order the same thing over and over, or even twice.
From reading various blogs on Disney dining and pouring over a few message boards systems, I have to draw the conclusion that some restaurants do have problems with inconsistency, though. I agree that it’s a problem, especially in an era where consumers no longer suffer from asymmetric information. With social media, the whole Internet is willing to tell us how a dish is supposed to look and taste before we ever order it.
Ricardo – Bad news always travels faster than good news!
Melissa – Sometimes the things are minor, like Tangierine Café’s couscous sometimes tastes a bit heavy on the cinnamon. Still good, just more aromatic. And I understand, in the case of sides, sometimes they can’t get the fresh produce and make a substitution. Usually the servers are informed of the change ahead of time, but if you’ve had your heart set on something, it can be a disappointment.
Other times I’ll order something from a menu, enjoy it, and then when I go to write about it, I find a component from the description missing from the dish. Most people probably wouldn’t think twice, but because I’m writing about it, I take notice. But if the dish was still good, and I obviously didn’t miss the element, then it’s not such a big deal.
The social media aspect to dining (that’s a thing now!) can be a blessing and a curse for restaurants. I stay away from sites and apps like Yelp, but I do enjoy Foodspotting as it is photo-based and you are first visually engaged before reading brief comments on the dish.
The most inconsistent restaurants in my experience have been:
Le Cellier – even within the same order it can be inconsistent. I had a steak that was cooked perfectly, while another person in my party received an overly done, gristly steak that was ordered medium.
Brown Derby – I’ve had great meals here, and awful meals here. Sometimes it seems the kitchen struggles to keep up so they just start throwing food out there.
50′s PrimeTime – I think this one depends on what you order. If it’s something in their wheelhouse that is always on the menu, its good. If the chef tries to experiment, don’t bother.
As for Le Cellier, I think it’s overrated in general, although I’ve not been back since its become a Signature. Otherwise, I thought their lunch menu was better, and if I wanted steak, I’d go to Yachtsman or Shula’s.
I’ve only been to Brown Derby once just for apps, which came out great, but have yet to eat a full meal to truly judge.
At 50′s I stick to the tried and true, like the fried chicken and the sampler. Always been good!
I always say, “The only consistent thing about Disney restaurants is that they’re inconsistent.” That’s how I feel about Disney World at least!
I always say, “The only consistent thing about Disney restaurants is that they’re inconsistent.” At least that’s how I feel about Disney World restaurants; haven’t gotten that feeling about Disneyland restaurants yet.