Disney wrecks the menu at Flo's V8 Cafe in Cars Land

Disney being predictable? That's about as likely as a $300 preview event or Disney Springs opening another celebrity or chain-operated restaurant....Oh wait

Lowest common denominator.

This is disappointing. We ate there early last year, and really enjoyed our meal.

This being said, I feel Disney gets a lot of criticism for things that are routine at other parks. If you take the Three Broomsticks out of USH, the food is the same, just themed to the Simpsons.

Maybe they’re limited time foods from this point on.

They might be in-between menus meaning they throw in a safe bet while they rework a new menu.

I am going to say something that seems to be a bit unpopular but it is an opinion-nothing more. Disneyland USED to have the best food of the US Disney properties. My family and I had a very difficult time with the food in Florida as it felt like cafeteria food. The table service meals aside, the food was very limited and we are not burger, fries and nuggets (except for the occasional corn dog) people but there were a few standouts such as Pecos Bills (with the toppings bar). I can get that at home and I don't need to pay $12-15 for it. My favorite place to eat at Disneyland was French Market. You could get a sliced roast beef meal with wonderful vegetables, corn cake and mashed potatoes. When Disney decided to swap presidents for the parks, the food disappeared almost overnight and we were stuck with the same boring food as Florida. Did Florida's food get better? Yes, in fact! Not quite what was available at Disneyland but there were better counter service meals! As DVC members, we now eat most of our meals in our room. I really miss the food at Disneyland. Now, if WDW would put in a good pizza/pasta place like the formerly named Redd Rocket's (now Pizza Planet!), I would ecstatic!

There’s a reason why I never eat the food at Sea World or Six flags or even Universal. They’re all generic meals I can get elsewhere (except for Three Broomsticks as mentioned above). This is disappointing that DCA would go towards the burger and fries route. I do blame people with no ability to get outside of their comfort zone when it comes to food. At least there are still the service based restaurants that aren’t just burgers or chicken tenders.

This is a disappointing. There are so many "burger" based eateries around the resort, it was nice to have something different at Flo's.

Penny wise, pound foolish. Every year Disney cheapens the brand, even while raising prices. The only solution left for fans: go less often or not at all, eat food outside the park, don't buy overpriced souvenirs.

A simple question...Do we know that park guests were purchasing the sliced meats plates? If the customer doesn't buy what you are selling you can't make them eat it! It's one thing to lament the detuning of the menu, but prove that it was being consumed first.

Booo!

I blame our culture more than anything for this. People are unbelievably reluctant to try new things and our current culture demands comfort over all else. Disney, as a corporation, is likely just listening to the majority of their fanbase. That makes them cowards, but I understand it. Still, this sucks.

Lame. Though I have to say my family is to blame. While I loved it, my wife wasn't a big fan, so I had managed to convince her two or three times to eat there.

That's business for you. It's the same reason Volcano Bay had to revamp the food. If people aren't willing to try it, then you have to make changes, however hard they may be.

Disney's decision may have to do with costs. Burgers may be more profitable than ribs. Burgers and simple sandwiches may require less CM's (payroll hours) to prepare. I'll bet this was a cost-cutting move.

I am afraid evanwesten above hit the nail on the head. There is a reason you can always get a seat at The Moroccan restaurant but not at the Canadian one at EPCOT- people just are not adventurous eaters, and my family loves The Moroccan place. When our kids were younger and we had the dining plan, our biggest complaint was the dining plan kids menu was so restrictive. I must say I have not eaten at Flo's. I have to have a Monte Cristo or eat at one of the hotels or on the run at Disneyland, since my trips there are not as drawn out as Orlando. I wish the Norwegian restaurant was still the traditional smorgasbord with 100% Norwegian food. The thing I loved about the world showcase is you could go and get served by people from the area, the servers would talk to you about the food and where they came from, and haven't I got on a tangent...

Thank goodness it is so hard to get cheeseburgers in LA. Otherwise Disneyland would just be turning into another SoCal strip mall.

I understand that our culture is somewhat to blame for the watering down of menus like this, but what's causing Disney to perform a complete overhaul like this? If guests are asking for hamburgers, chicken strips, and sandwiches, what's wrong with just adding those items to a pared down menu featuring some of the original items? The generic items do not require any specialized equipment or additional space to prep, so why does Disney feel the need to eliminate all of the unique items and replace them with generic park fare? Why not allow these items stand side by side and let customers choose? Or better yet, highlight a nearby generic food stand on Flo's menu ("Looking for burgers, chicken, and fries, see our lame generic theme park stand around the corner") that serves burgers, chicken strips, and fries, and let the customers choose.

What's odd here is that Flo's kitchen and service line were developed with more complex dishes in mind, so why are they wasting that space and equipment to prepare items that could be prepared and assembled in a third of the space and half the equipment?

+1 to Russell.

And this... every time Disney changes the menu at Flo's, the line to order seems to get smaller. I suspect these changes are all about cutting costs to achieve higher profit numbers, and not sales numbers or consumer preferences.

I agree ++1 to Russell.
My husband and I ate at Flo's every time we were at DCA because the food was different and more roadside diner-like. Over at DL we eat at Rancho del Zzocalo, again its because the food is different. Otherwise it's DTD and Jazz Kitchen Express.
What a disappointment to read about Flo's.

It's sad to think that this may be a new(ish) pattern for new restaurants that are themed at Disney parks. I can imagine in the coming years when they open the Cantina in Star Wars land that after a while they will change the menu (which may be very Star Wars themed with some interesting choices hopefully) to more cliche disney park food.

I love a good burger, but not at a Disney park. Add burgers to the menu, but don’t ruin the existing one in the process. Because we are not cars, any food in Radiator Springs breaks the theme, but its a 50s diner, so it should have 50s diner food for us humans to enjoy.

Another thumb in the eye to vegetarians and vegans, who are wildly and weirdly under-served by Disney's Southern Californian restaurants. The veggie tater bake was one of their best offerings, served in a cast-iron skillet, with a recipe so good Disney featured it on its blog. It was so popular, even before I saw this article I got a text from a friend that said "They're taking away the veggie tater bake!!"

Hopefully the veggie pot pie taking its place will be okay. The V has some of the best music in either park, and that window view out to Radiator Springs Racers is a vista like no other, almost a hidden treat. *sigh*