Our front page article summarizing what Chef Paul told us at Media Day last Friday is up. A lot of the details are still in flux, but hopefully the post gives everyone an idea of what expect from the Culinary Department this season.
2016 Dining
- Thread starter Mushroom
- Start date
That's fine, and as a business I get that if something doesn't sell they should try other things. However, I'm disappointed on a personal level.
https://www.kingsdominion.com/assets/uploads/KD%202016%20Dining%20Plan%20Locations.pdf
Here is the direct PDF link for the season plan 2016 menu.
If you would like to have it downloaded and saved for reference.
Finally found it on the main site..
Here is the direct PDF link for the season plan 2016 menu.
If you would like to have it downloaded and saved for reference.
Finally found it on the main site..
I think it is possible that both Chicken Shack and Wayside Grill will be added to the dining plan, once they open later in the season.
My wife and son and I were at the park yesterday, towards the end of the day. We were on our way out, and stopped at the "International" food stands under the Eiffel Tower just to see what they were offering. We ran into Chef Paul, who handed us several "Sample" tickets to use at the stands. Man, everything we tried was delicious! What a contrast after eating at Border Cafe for lunch and Country Kitchen for dinner. Why can't ALL the food in the park be that good, or even half that good? For what they charge to eat there, the food quality is still my biggest issue with the park. We hit BG and KD regularly (we have the KD dining plan, so we eat there all the time), and the difference between the two just blows me away every time. I enjoy eating at BG, I deal with the fact that I have to eat at KD. I'm hoping with time, the quality we experienced at those little food stands will spread throughout the park.
KD dining is still inconsistent. If you know where to eat (Country Kitchen, pizza place on International Street, Boarders, or any of the eateries overhauled by Chef Paul (Wayside, Chicken Shack, etc)) you can easily find really good food at KD.
My main gripe with KD food isn't necessarily the food itself as it is everything you have to go through at a restaurant to get food. The portion sizes are mediocre to decent at best, especially considering the price, the portion size is not acceptable IMO. I believe that at a theme park both quality and the ability to satisfy (fill up) the eater are both of equal importance. Additionally, the selection of sides and desserts is minuscule at most restaurants to none at others. I think the main restricting factor in the selection of sides and desserts is the pricing structure. Combo meals are not the way to go for theme park service, maybe it is because I prefer the a la carte process with which I grew up with at BGW, I just think it makes for an easier and quicker process when getting food. This leads me to my next point which is the slow service, something I have yet to overcome at KD. This issue can potentially be scaled back with better serving practices and staffing, but it ultimately is caused by the restaurant structure at KD. Finally, eating at only overhauled restaurants is definitely an option, if they are open. The only two I find to be consistent with this are Country Kitchen and Borders, both of which I have yet to find an outstanding dish that I enjoy at.
Even if I can find the occasional dish that I enjoy, these other issues just cannot be ignored. In fact, I find the process of getting food most unenjoyable at KD that I will stop and eat at BGW on the way home for dinner most times. But I do understand there are things that Chef Paul cannot fix as it falls in another realm of management, maybe even as high up as corporate. I accept that, I just choose not to deal with it.
Even if I can find the occasional dish that I enjoy, these other issues just cannot be ignored. In fact, I find the process of getting food most unenjoyable at KD that I will stop and eat at BGW on the way home for dinner most times. But I do understand there are things that Chef Paul cannot fix as it falls in another realm of management, maybe even as high up as corporate. I accept that, I just choose not to deal with it.
Matthew said:
...You do understand that there are restaurants outside of theme parks....right? I could not imagine going to two theme parks in a day just for food.
I was about to say...
With the exception of F&W type events, the only reason I eat in any theme park is because I am there. The thought, "Hey I want BBQ, lets go to Busch!" has never, not even once crossed my mind. (you can change BBQ to any food type, and Busch to any theme park)
With the exception of F&W type events, the only reason I eat in any theme park is because I am there. The thought, "Hey I want BBQ, lets go to Busch!" has never, not even once crossed my mind. (you can change BBQ to any food type, and Busch to any theme park)
The only thing I can think is you already have a dining or meal plan to the park, so why not utilize it. That said, I'd rather grab a $5 Little Caesar's Hot n Ready on the way outta dodge than pay $16 for 2 slices (sans meal plan of course.)
That said, DW really had it together for food (but that should be no surprise.) Every morning the resort restaurant would be super busy, but it was fast. Things being made on the spot too. Or grab your individual items and head to a register. The lines at KD move like molasses in December. One of our party 2 weeks ago went into Hungry Hippo and wanted a burger. He stood there for 10 minutes without moving, then appeared at the Chicken Shack with us. I realize it gets busy at times, but they should know when they need 2 registers and 2 lines open for serving.
That said, DW really had it together for food (but that should be no surprise.) Every morning the resort restaurant would be super busy, but it was fast. Things being made on the spot too. Or grab your individual items and head to a register. The lines at KD move like molasses in December. One of our party 2 weeks ago went into Hungry Hippo and wanted a burger. He stood there for 10 minutes without moving, then appeared at the Chicken Shack with us. I realize it gets busy at times, but they should know when they need 2 registers and 2 lines open for serving.
Matthew said:
I believe the high price-to-portion ratio comes from Cedar Fair's marketing technique. In contrast to SeaWorld parks like Busch Gardens, where you pay a high gate price and slightly lower meal price, at Kings Dominion and its sister parks, you pay a much lower gate price and balance the cost with heftier meal charges.
For example, we can compare BGW and KD's season pass price. A full-season platinum membership (BGW and WCUSA) is nearly directly comparable to a gold pass (KD and Soak City). BGW's pass costs exactly twice as much as KD's pass; the former is paid off in 12 payments of $18, the latter is paid for in 6 payments of $18.
Now, most of BGW's one-person meals hover around the $9-$10 dollar point, although this can go up or down based on the size of the dish. At KD, most meals are $15-16. Remember that KD meals include drinks, while BGW does not. Based on a friend's recent experience at Hungry Hippo, requesting the meal without a drink shaves off $3.
So now, portion size notwithstanding, a KD meal costs about $12-$13 versus BGW's $9-$10. Of course, this leaves the final variable: portion size.
Portions vary a lot between meals at both parks, making the comparison difficult. Some comparisons are simple: a burger with fries at Squire's Grille costs $9, versus a burger with fries at Juke Box Diner for $12. Likewise, a 1/4 chicken platter with green beans and a roll at Trapper's Smokehouse costs about $10 while a 1/4 chicken at Country Kitchen, with two smaller sides and a roll costs $12.
Some of KD's portions are scrawny compared to BGW- see the $12 two-slice pizza meal. Others, however, contend with BGW's larger (and pricier) meals like some of the Festhaus signatures- such as the large taco or quesadilla meals with unlimited fixin's, chips, and salsa at Border Cafe.
A KD gold pass costs $108 less than a BGW platinum pass. Let's assume the average price difference between a KD meal and a BGW meal is $4. This means you would have to eat a meal at Kings Dominion 27 times per season for the extra meal cost to break even with the lower gate price. I would bet that few guests reach that number.
If you wanted to go to extremes and argue that a KD meal is only half the size of a BGW meal (which is an absurd and false argument that I'm only supplying to be hypothetical), you'd still need to eat at Kings Dominion 13 times to break even. Even with this absurd mathematical disadvantage shoved onto Kings Dominion's meals, they still come on top.
So contrary to what meets the eye, Kings Dominion provides the better deal.
Now, food quality? That's up for debate. But it's hard to settle that one with math.
Username said:
Well, yes. In the specific example I was stating, I went to eat a meal for dinner at BGW in the late evening and then ran around the park and rode some rides after it. I have never solely visited BGW or any other park just to eat a meal. Sorry if that wasn't explained enough, but yes, I agree with you and Zimmy. In fact, I typically split up the days I visit KD in half so I go to BGW later in the day, because I find it hard to spend an entire day at KD without things getting quickly repetitive.