Artist Point Becoming Snow White Character Dining
Walt Disney World has confirmed the rumor we reported on a couple months ago that Artist Point will become a character dinner, featuring Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and the Queen. In the process, Wilderness Lodge will lose its lone Signature Restaurant, leaving this Deluxe Resort without a fine dining option.
In this post, we’ll offer details from Disney’s press release, followed by our commentary on the decision. Per Disney, this will be called “Storybook Dining at Artist Point” and will feature an Enchanted Forest-like setting inspired by Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In addition to the aforementioned characters, there will be music and activities bringing the classic fairytale to life.
October 4, 2018 Update: Reservations just opened for Storybook Dining at Artist Point, which will debut on December 16, 2018. The re-imagined dining experience will offer a prix fixe menu, costing $55 for adults and $33 for children ages 3-9. For a full menu and to make reservations, visit the Walt Disney World Resort website or call (407) WDW-DINE (407 939-3463). We’d recommend making your ADRs as soon as possible–when we just made ours some dates were already unavailable!
Storybook Dining at Artist Point will take place amidst the rustic elegance and exceptional dining for which Artist Point is known. There will be a prix fixe menu, including shared starters, individual plated entrees, and ‘sweet spells’ for dessert. Select fan-favorite Artist Point menu items will be relocated, which means we’ll likely see the Smokey Portobello Soup and Cedar Plank Salmon relocated to Whispering Canyon Cafe or perhaps Territory Lounge.
Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White is slated to begin this winter, after Artist Point ends its Signature Dining on November 10, 2018. While Disney is careful to highlight the ‘elegance’ and ‘exceptional dining’ above, there’s no getting around the fact that this will become a character meal, a change that is incompatible with fine dining.
This is one of those Walt Disney World changes that I can somewhat understand from a business perspective, but it bothers me to no end as a guest. This is particularly true as one who loves Wilderness Lodge, which will soon have no dining suitable for an ‘adult’ meal.
I understand that character dining is immensely popular. With this slate of characters, Storybook Dining at Artist Point will easily book up months in advance. It’ll be one of the most coveted ADRs at Walt Disney World for at least the immediate future. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s so successful that character breakfast is offered in the future.
By contrast, Artist Point is not particularly popular. We haven’t dined there a ton, but on the occasions we have, the restaurant has been about half full at most. Rather than going off our unreliable anecdotal observations, I’ll instead point to the 40% off Cast Member discount that is frequently offered at Artist Point.
As with all Walt Disney World discounts, this is done to fill tables, not out of corporate benevolence. Frankly, knowing the other restaurants on that list sends a shiver down my spine, as several of them are among my absolute favorites at Walt Disney World.
Hopefully other locations aren’t on the chopping block, but I fear that may be the case, especially as new high end and chic dining options continue to pop up at Disney Springs. Even as the proportion of adult guests (and convention-goers) increases as Walt Disney World, the number of more ‘adult’ restaurants at Disney Springs keeps rising, putting pressure on restaurants in the Disney resorts.
If Artist Point is vulnerable now, many more could face similar issues when the economy stumbles. This is a looming problem on the horizon that was easily foreseeable; even though we enjoy several of the new restaurants at Disney Springs, we recognize that there are too many of them.
Third party dining options in Disney Springs aren’t the only problem. If Artist Point was struggling, why wasn’t more done to highlight or promote it? I see a new Disney Parks Blog article about every ridiculous hot dog monstrosity at Casey’s Corner, yet I can’t remember the last time seasonal menus at Artist Point (or any Signature, for that matter) were highlighted. Offering Annual Passholder or Tables in Wonderland special events likewise could’ve spiked interest and created some buzz for Artist Point.
Basically, something–anything–should have been tried before Disney simply threw its hands up in the air and went for the low-hanging fruit of character dining. Or, if guests were “demanding” a character meal at Artist Point, why not start with a trial breakfast at Artist Point (or the more logical venue of Whispering Canyon Cafe) and leave the Signature dinner undisturbed? Walt Disney World Food & Beverage had several alternatives to the choice that was made–they just took the easiest route that would maximize profits for this venue.
Personally, I do not believe this can be justified as a necessary and sensible business move. Wilderness Lodge is a Deluxe Resort charging rates north of $400/night, and will soon offer zero sophisticated dining options. To me, that’s unfathomable. A hotel with luxury price points should absolutely feature fine dining.
From my perspective, fine dining is an expected amenity at hotels of this caliber. That the restaurant may not fill every table every night is immaterial; certain features should exist at hotels that charge luxury prices. This is no different than Walt Disney World using call centers when in-room guests dial the front desk, reducing housekeeping, or cutting other services. It’s degrading the overall experience of a purported ‘Deluxe’ Resort, and not something guests should silently accept given the money they’re forking over to stay here.
Unfortunately, I doubt Disney management is approaching Wilderness Lodge as a comprehensive resort experience when evaluating its slate of offerings. It would appear that management looks at individual components, questioning how costs can be reduced or profits increased. It’s entirely possible Food & Beverage made this decision without regard to the resort at large, because it would be good for that business unit’s numbers.
Character dining is more lucrative, which will likely always be the case as character meals draw outside visitors than other hotel restaurants. By that same logic, swapping out all three of Grand Floridian’s Signature Restaurants for character dining to draw families from other resorts or off-site to eat there could be a savvy move. Yet, that does not occur (or at least has not occurred yet) because it would diminish the resort at large.
Viewing profitability metrics of key amenities in isolation is a dangerous precedent, and could lead to other important aspects of the luxury resort experience disappearing because they don’t generate as much revenue as a bar or a character meal. Yet, those less or unprofitable elements of the experience reinforce the resort experience as a whole, and are what (begins to) justify those sky-high rack rates.
All of this really drives me crazy, and it has been a gradual erosion with Artist Point just being the latest step in an overall trend. With each stay at a Deluxe Resort, we are paying more and getting less. This is unfortunate, as I love several Deluxe Resorts from a thematic perspective, but if someone I knew wanted a true luxury experience, I’d direct them to the Four Seasons or Waldorf Astoria rather than Disney’s hotels.
On a personal note, we really enjoy this restaurant. As I wrote in our Artist Point Review, to me it evokes memories of U.S. National Park Lodge dining rooms, and the ambiance is pitch-perfect to those flagship locations. We haven’t eaten there in a couple of years (which is probably part of the problem–professed “fans” of the restaurant haven’t dined there in a while), but we hope to get a chance to return before Artist Point takes its final bow on November 10. If you’ve never been and have a chance to go between now and then, we’d highly recommend it.
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Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our take on Artist Point transforming to a character restaurant, or are we overreacting? Do you agree that Deluxe Resorts should have fine dining? Would you prefer to see a Snow White meal at breakfast-only, or at Whispering Canyon? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Will this new dining experience count as 1 or 2 table services with the dining plan?
My travel agent was able to get us reservations, and our reservations say that it is one DDP credit.
I have been going to Disney for 26 years. I have 6 kids youngest is in HS. I am all for character dining. But Disney needs to cater to all ages. We still go back every year sometimes twice and we loved Artist Point. Why can’t they do character in the am and fine dining in the pm? Makes me a bit sad!
I truly believe that every deluxe resort should have both a signature restaurant and a character meal. I do feel character dining is missed at both Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. I feel that Whispering Canyon would have been the ideal location for a character breakfast. I know whispering canyon is popular in its own right which I why I suggested just changing the format for breakfast. And for Animal Kingdom Lodge they could do the same with Boma – a character meal for breakfast only.
I really feel that ultimately guests should have both options when staying at a deluxe.
Tom- very thoughtful/interesting post. I realize this might sound stupid (given the reason for the switch in the first place was the lack of success at the restaurant), but any chance this could be just step one of two step plan in terms of dining at the resort? Meaning a character dining option replacing Artist Point and step two being a more sophisticated food option at a different location on the property or a rework of the whispering canyon concept (think something along the lines of Ohana at the Polynesian or maybe something even more fine-dining oriented). I welcome the Character-meal focused add on as the higher quality experience options in that category can be difficult to book…. but completely agree with your assessment that deluxe resorts require a more sophisticated experience for the pricing they charge…. especially in the case of a non-monorail resort. Beyond the dining capacity increase associated with Disney’s Springs’ build out, Disney also needs to consider the logistical challenges it presents for parents who want to enjoy the parks with their kids during the day AND have high quality dining options that allow them to return to the parks. There are only so many reservations available at the GF restaurants and California Grill.
I love Wilderness Lodge! It is our favorite place to be! We’ve stayed there 6 times. I love that a character meal is coming! How fun!!! Hope it is open when we visit in December!
I agree with your blog post 100 percent. We have visited since they calmed it down and was much more enjoyable to me.
It seems to me that the character meals are under-supplied currently at Disney World. My family likes the character meals, and we decided not to go on a vacation to Disney World two years ago because we couldn’t find any reservations for character meals about four months out at a busy time of year. Disney does not want those decisions happening. Though in our case it wasn’t a big deal for them as we went to Disneyland instead.
Also the character meals are probably a big driver for families with small children getting the meal plan. The plans make zero sense for families with children unless you go to a few character meals.
Most of the deluxe resorts have character meals in addition to the fine dining options. It seems that this would also be an expectation of guests staying at deluxe resorts as well. So if in order to be a deluxe resort you should have fine dining and a character meal, and you only have the possibility of having one, would it actually be surprising that they would choose the one that will probably sell out versus the one that is only half full?
I agree with that view on revenue and that is where Disney is going. All dollar driven and nothing else. I just wish they could have worked out where you could have Character breakfast in the AM and still have nice restaurant in the evenings so you have both options. It would be better to have the traffic and sea of strollers in the AM than dinner in my opinion.
One issue with only having the character meal for breakfast is that it would be difficult to get to Wilderness Lodge in the morning from any other resorts. Lunch or dinner would be more convenient for guests at other resorts to come over from Magic Kingdom.
As a mom, I agree with you mornings are better and everyone much happier We have all witnessed parents push their kids too hard and then by Dinner it’s a mad house and lots of unhappy little ones and tired parents
When artist point had a character meal for breakfast and then a nice dinner it was always packed
“It seems to me that the character meals are under-supplied currently at Disney World.”
Totally agree with this. I don’t begrudge Walt Disney World at all for offering more character meals–they could still probably use another 3-4 of them–I just question removing a Signature Restaurant to gain one.
I still think the easy solution here would’ve been adding a character breakfast to Artist Point and retaining dinner as a Signature meal. They did this in the past and it seemed to work then–I’m not sure why it wouldn’t again.
We just had an amazing meal at Artist Point on Monday night. I know typically the chicken dish at any restaurant and especially a fine dining establishment tends to be boring, but the menu’s description of roasted chicken paired with pulled chicken taquitos, masa churros and street corn just sounded amazing. The dish itself was even better. After I ordered it and the waitress commented on how incredible it is, my father-in-law ordered it too. We both loved it. I told my vegetarian husband that this was one of those meals he should really violate his dietary restrictions for, because it would be worth it. I couldn’t leave any of it on the plate even after I was full. Now we are trying to squeeze in another visit before they close.
I couldn’t agree more the service and Food is exceptional. Everyone needs to go before it’s gone ! The steak and buffalo also delicious. The land salad is awesome and the seafood take on the dish is great
There is not one bad thing on the menu
Too bad this is changing and that beautiful Lobby will be a zoo of strollers there will be no reason to go there to eat if you don’t have kids or you aren’t staying there
We planned a quick trip for Food and Wine in early November. We always try to eat at at least one place we’ve never been before on every trip. Coincidentally, we decided on Artist Point and booked it a few days ago, right before this article came out. Now I’m so glad we did! The unfortunate thing, in addition to what all of the others have mentioned, is that we may end up loving our meal and never get to go back to that same experience.
So I have thoroughly enjoyed meals at AP in the past, but had known it wasn’t a major money maker. We had heard the new GM at WL wanted to make sweeping changes to the food and beverage offerings at the resort, so I’m not surprised.
What do you think about the Poly not having a signature dining experience? I’d consider it the second most expensive resort on WDW property and it doesn’t have an elevated experience. I certainly don’t count Spirit of Aloha, even though it’s two credits on the DDP…
I think Poly gets away with it because O’Hana is such a big draw and it’s so easy to get to the Grand Floridian from there on the monorail which has a few sig choices, plus California Grill at the Contemporary.
I was thinking of booking club level at Wilderness Lodge (for the extra fast passes since we’ll be going the week before Xmas) but now I’m not so sure. The menu at Whispering Canyon never appealed to me even when they still had the “show”, but since they got rid of the show why couldn’t they have put these characters there? It also seems like the main open area of the WL will probably be packed at all times just like the Great Ceremonial House is at the Poly with people waiting for their character meal reservations. The appealing tranquility of this resort will be long gone.
The “show” isn’t gone, but the volume level and some of the jokes have been dialed back. It’s still a fun meal if you go in with a good attitude and don’t expect fine dining. Just my two cents…
P.S. – You are dead on about the tranquility piece. That mess at Poly for dining is crazy, and if WL gets like that, it definitely loses some appeal.
Yes I am glad they Dialed it back at Whispering Canyons! Back in the day I would avoid eating there due to the experience. We have visited since they calmed it down and was much more enjoyable to me. I just want to know where the stroller parking is going to be! I hope its not like trying to go to Ohana’s and all the people hanging out and strollers everywhere.
I agree with you 100 percent. Our family of 3 adults will be visiting Disney World for Christmas and were so looking forward to eating at Artist Point. We are extremely disappointed in this change. Christmas Day dinner here was going to be our high point. We love the National Parks and were anxious to dine here. They should have made it a character breakfast and left dinner alone.
They had Pocahontas and friends at a character breakfast about 20 years ago.it was popular when the movie was out. Meeko would go by a “steal “ a biscuit from the kids. It was really cute for breakfast. They are trying to get a crowd that’s why they chose Snow White
So sad that it’s changing. the restaurant quality went up and they brought the manager from California grill and several chefs too and the wine list is great. Everyone should go before it’s gone !!
I’ve often thought that Pocahontas would be the perfect fit for this resort.
While the Snow White meal excites me, and I think it should be popular-guessing it will be 2 credits like the castle & BOG, I just shake my head that there is still not any effort to creat a “boy” meal. As a TA that books a good bit of Disney, I hear it all the time from boy moms! They need a “boy” meal.
I couldn’t agree more. I love these characters, especially that they are classic Disney. My 2 boys would probably be more open to this meal since the dwarves are there, even the queen, but I would like to see something that leans more “boy”. Since SWW, we haven’t done character dining because there isn’t something that appeals to my almost 10yo…certainly any shrug of the shoulders isn’t worth it when we factor in the price.
What is a boy meal?? The character meals, especially Chef Mickey’s, Crystal Palace, Tusker House, Garden Grill, etc are for the whole family. As well as the Bon Voyage breakfast, Hollywood & Vine and many others. I have seen many boys enjoying dining in the Castle as well as Akershus. Perhaps your son would enjoy these as well. But if you call them “girl meals”, you are already sending the message for him to not like it.
While I’m stoked about the Evil Queen being offered in this, agree about having more character meals geared towards boys. We have 3 princess-themed meals. Do we really need another one?? How about a Toy Story character meal? Or even a villain character meal? I get that boys can like princess meals (my own son was obsessed with Rapunzel for years) and girls can like super heroes. But generally speaking there’s not a ton geared towards boys specifically. As a TA I have lots of clients shocked at the lack of options for boys when it comes to dining.
I was thrilled to see this character dining experience coming Wilderness Lodge. So much so, that I will be cancelling one of my other dinner reservations if this is available during my trip in November. What a perfect setting for Snow White and friends!!!! (My favorite princess, by the way) Other deluxe resorts have character dining, why not WL? The Polynesian, a popular favorite, has no fine dining option. Of course Disney is going to try to maximize profit—it is a business, give the people what they want, so to speak. I dined at Artist Point only once, although the salmon was delicious the over all experience was lack luster. It could not compare to Jiko or California Grill. I will be checking daily for reservations to open up for this new experience.
I’ve never eaten at Artist Point but I have never wanted to either. I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney’s research has shown that families are not interested in signature dining. Since this deluxe resort has no convention center attached or a monorail ride away they probably have fewer business travelers with expense accounts to charge that fine dining to.
I think Wilderness Lodge reminds most people of US National Parks. Assuming Disney really wanted to add a character meal to the lodge, why would they choose a German-themed story? It’s the part that confuses me the most: the characters don’t fit.
Perhaps because Snow White lived in the forest with the dwarves. Just my perspective.
*Dwarfs
We have a trip planned for late December. Do you think the character meal will be open by then & if so how will they notify guests that’s it’s available for reserving?
I 100% agree. This is short-sighted and will potentially have negative ramifications for the entire resort. What I don’t understand is the lack of character dining at Disney Springs: Perhaps there are already too many restaurants there, but wouldn’t that actually be effective counterprogramming in that area?
I know that Jiko was also on that 40% list, and Jiko is my favorite on-property restaurant. I understand the marketing logic but I really feel as though this demonstrates how shortsighted and how little vision the current parks management has. I haven’t made it to Artist Point yet, but it was a restaurant I have long wanted to visit. This increasing disregard for theming is upsetting not only for the speed at which it is spreading, but also for the way so many readily gobble it up and accept it. Clearly the Disney parks mean something different for these people that is completely incompatible with how I view them.
I know it won’t happen, but someone at Senior Disney management needs to allow someone who respects and understand the parks to come in and operate them. When Roy Disney brought in Eisner and Wells, animation might have been shuttered, but Roy recognized animation as the heart of the company. While correct, I think the parks are also a second heart, and they are also much more personable than most of the studio’s other products. For that reason they should be taken more seriously, and there should be a greater desire to make the parks division live up to their core values. It’s frustrating to see them so oblivious as they increasingly miss the mark.
Well said Will
I totally agree with you Tom. It is refreshing to read a blog that is willing to call Disney out on their poor business decisions. I have never eaten at Artist Point but now I won’t be able to. I like the idea of a new character meal but not at the expense of the hotel experience. I know Disney is a business but when it involves customer service sometimes your decisions can’t simple be about profit. When you do that your business suffers and you will lose your profit and I see Disney heading down that road with the short sightedness of its current executives.