Hi dawnball
I'm going to try to respond to your post (and a bit to bicker) without copying and pasting the whole thing like I usually do, because I know that will make this response realllly long. And I should say right up front, *warning - long post alert*
A couple of choices for a child is fine, at one particular CS. The problem is that if most of the CS are offering
the exact same choices, and a family is eating at the parks for a week, or two, those same choices start to get really old. And families are not allowed to bring in food from outside, so unless they leave WDW, they are stuck. Outside of WDW, I might take my child to McDonald's for lunch, and he's happy. The next day, McDonald's, he's happy. The third day McDonald's -- ok he's starting to get tired of it. If I took him to McDonald's every single day for two weeks, the kid might try to kill me.
And with good reason
So...one day I take him to Taco Bell, so he can have a burrito. Or KFC, so he can have chicken strips. Or Round Table, so he can have a mini pizza. Each place only has a couple of kids' items on their menu to choose from -- but the key is they are appealing to the kids, they are appropriate for the restaurant (ie pizza served at a pizza place), and
they don't all serve the exact same thing.
I'm not saying to serve all of those choices at every single CS restaurant. I'm saying serve a few at each, and make them appealing -- not sloppy joes and chilled chicken. Carrots and grapes are good -- but not every single day, every single meal. In addition, and it doesn't get mentioned often, carrots and grapes are really inappropriate to give to toddlers -- both are serious choking hazards for children under four, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. So yes, they should seriously think of some other options -- of course the parents could just ask for two cups of applesauce. Every single meal. For two weeks.
As for the register programming and difficulty of choice issues on the desserts, it doesn't have to be that complicated. If they are all the same price, all they need is a button on the register for "kids' dessert". Or just one button for "kids' meal" that includes entree, side, drink, and dessert. If they are buying a variety of desserts from the same supplier and they all have the same averaged cost, and they are all the same price for the consumer, then there is no need to inventory exactly what variety is being sold. And I would propose that SF gelatin or pudding should be available at every single CS -- ONE variety, but different at various restaurants -- and it wouldn't be the default, but would have to be requested for a kid's meal, or by an adult who wants a SF dessert. Then two dessert choices -- if we are looking at Kozy Shack as the vendor, then like chocolate pudding and berry gelatin. At another restaurant, vanilla pudding and fruit punch gelatin. Another restaurant, butterscotch pudding or strawberry gelatin. Even if Disney bought just two flavors of pudding and two flavors of gelatin, then there would be at least
some variety. I am proposing this because I want to know if Disney could do this for relatively the same cost as only giving one choice that so many families dislike: SF gelatin.
As for the entree choices -- ask any child if he would prefer a hamburger or a sloppy joe, and 90% (or more) of them will pick a burger. Disney serves kids' hamburgers at several other CS restaurants --
except for Pecos Bill's, which specializes in burgers. Disney sells kids' pizza at several of their CS venues --
except for Pizzafari, where the specialty of the house is obviously pizza. This makes no sense at all, and is disappointing to families who go to a pizza place, wait in line anticipating pizza, and everyone gets pizza, except their 7 year old who gets...a quesadilla? Or PB&J?
I propose pretty much the same thing for kids' entrees -- two or three choices on each menu. One standard favorite (like a hot dog, burger, or chicken strips), one item appropriate to the restaurant's theme (ie: pizza at a pizza place, taco at a Mexican place), and one item appropriate for vegetarian kids. I would hesitate to make that vegetarian item PB&J only because peanut allergies seem to be so common. But there's always cheese pizza, grilled cheese, bean burrito, or mac & cheese (as long as it's good -- the variety they are serving now isn't wildly popular). I say two or three choices because some choices might do double duty -- a burger at Pecos Bill's would be liked by most kids, and would also meet the criteria of keeping with the restaurant's theme. At Pizzafari, most guests wouldn't complain if they only offered pepperoni and cheese pizza for kids. The cheese pizza is ok for vegetarians, and if they take their kids there, they probably aren't expecting -- or desiring -- any other choices.
So, the kid's menu at Pecos Bill's might look like:
Entree: burger or grilled cheese (they already have a grill)
Side: carrot sticks or fries (they already serve fries)
Dessert: berry gelatin or chocolate pudding (SF dessert on request)
Beverage: juice, milk, or small fountain drink
The kid's menu at Pizzafari might look like:
Entree: pepperoni pizza or cheese pizza (they already have a pizza oven)
Side: cup of mandarin oranges or peaches
Dessert: fruit punch gelatin or vanilla pudding (SF dessert on request)
Beverage: juice, milk, or small fountain drink
Columbia Harbor House:
Entree: piece of fried fish or chicken strips (they already serve these)
Side: grapes or fries (they already serve fries)
Dessert: strawberry gelatin or banana pudding
Beverage: juice, milk, or small fountain drink
It's not that hard. They already serve each one of those entrees at a few of their CS restaurants. All they have to do is shuffle the deck a bit. By keeping with the restaurant's theming, the same equipment can be used to prepare kids' meals as adult meals, which will save time and is more efficient. Yes, it costs money to change a menu, but the change menus all the time. Maybe next time they change a menu, they could do something that makes sense. "Scientific" market surveys are all well and good, but the real, unedited voice of the consumer is on these boards -- whether or not Disney chooses to listen to it. Guests would be pleased with the changes. They would meet the needs/desires of
many guests (peanut allergies, vegetarian, want healthy choices like milk and fruit, kids want fries and soda, etc). To help cover any costs incurred, Disney could raise the price of some of the CS meals so they are
all $4.99 or even $5.50, across the board, which further simplifies and streamlines things.
Ultimate benefits to Disney:
Guests will be happier with the choices -- happy, satisfied guests spend a lot of money
Generates customer loyalty (yes, bicker, I do believe in Tinkerbell
and Customer Loyalty)
More guests will want the dining plan/will not be hesitant because they dislike the kids' menus (and it seems like Disney is heavily promoting the DDP and they want guests to purchase it)
Guests will not want to leave the parks to eat -- or go to other parks
Guests will not be as inclined to sneak food into the parks
Guests will not be as inclined to cheat and use child credits for adult CS meals because their kids hate the kids' choices
OK, this turned out to be ridiculously long...don't know if anyone is still even reading it
There's just too many points to address, I guess. I'm going to copy and paste this, edit it a bit, and email it to Disney Guest Services.