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!
I was shocked and disappointed to find out that Disney’s cost-cutting measures had reached to the fine dining experience, at my favorite dining destination, no less. My husband and I first discovered Artist Point in 1994, and it was the first reservation I made for everyone of our Disney vacations in the intervening years. We gave up on the Disney resorts in 2016, and have started staying at the Four Seasons. Last night we dined at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, and I found myself looking around in relief to observe that is was busy enough not to be turned into a character dinner.
We totally agree with your comments. With all the additions to The Wilderness Lodge area and the DVC accommodationsit it is truly short-sided to eliminate fine dining. We will not be spending the points to stay somewhere where our only option for dining is a bunch of screaming kids.
I agree with you. And here’s the scoop. Some of our favorites are in the territory lounge. Soup still good but ours was lukewarm though and Salmon limited first come first serve basis ! in the new place Disney wants to turn the tables every 60 minutes as they have a skit so reservations start at 415 for the kids. Trust me. You’ll be done in 70 minutes or less and out ! I saw people that would have never come to a nicer signature too. Not just kids but people that went all day to the park and came in to eat. The apps or dessert you have no choice but entree you can pick And it’s pricy. They kept several good wines moved the others to the lounge and the seafood dish is like the old one. No steak or bision and yet gnocchi is good. The chef is the same and he’s doing really well Based on what he has been told to do. I wish they had put some of the original items in the menu let him have one creative dish and that would have been better. They didn’t destroy the murals so it can quickly go back to elegant and signature . I wish they had done a character breakfast and signature at night like in days of old ! I fear this will be short lived when the novelty falls off and then what’s next ? Have you noticed you can get into magic kingdoms be our guest now ? Foodis not good there got pricy and now not a novelty . I fear this will be the same. Most of the people wanting to see characters and like the new concept will be “one and done.” I don’t see repeats of clients. The staff though is the same terrific people so we need to support them. The management at the “resort” makes it hard to come in by car and be a walk up to the restaurant. They want people to take the bus over. Really dumb on their part to stop people by car !
We totally agree with your comments. With all the additions to The Wilderness Lodge area and the DVC accommodationsit is truly short sided to eliminate fine dining. We will not be spending the points to stay somewhere our only option for dining is a bunch of screaming kids.
This is so sad! I just tried to make reservations here, its my favorite restaurant to go as everyone in the family is grown up so we enjoy going out to a nice dinner. I was heartbroken to see it was turned into a character dinner and my mushroom soup, scallops, bone marrow, filet and Oregon wine selection is gone. any hints if they will bring those signature dishes someplace else? I also agree that they should do a better job marketing those restaurants. I knew families who went to disney world almost every year and never knew about it until 2 years ago when i told me. it was there favorite too. 🙁
Totally agree with you !
The mushroom soup is at the bar.
Artist Point is one of those places I don’t go to every trip, but do every 2 or 3. Somehow I missed this blog post at the time so it was a rude surprise to find it closed!
Based on the fact that every time I have visited it, it has been 2/3rds empty, I can see why they have shaken things up. But character dining and signature dining are two completely different demographics. A childless couple looking for a romantic meal won’t be consoled by being told they can meet the Seven Dwarfs. And where the hell are they meant to go? And if you can’t get to a fine dining restaurant without getting in your car, what is the point of staying at a “luxury” resort?
Look at any downtown 4-5 star hotel, and except for a very few lucky ones, every single one will have a half-empty restaurant for the benefit of guests, along with a room service menu. What on Earth makes Disney exempt? It’s bad enough that WL routinely shares buses with the Contemporary. To be perfectly honest, I find it very hard to get into the mindset of people who stay “Deluxe” on-site, or indeed people who buy into today’s DVC.