Those wieners at Disney are sneaking cheaper meat into their hot dogs
It's happening everywhere. I would swear that the club sandwiches at Denny's have gotten noticeably smaller in the past two years. Same for the bread at Quiznos. We're all paying the same price for the things we buy, but businesses are upping margins by providing less for our dollar.Today's culprit appears to be Walt Disney World. Orlando food critic Scott Joseph, who keeps a close eye on these things, announced on his blog that Disney has unceremoniously yanked all-beef hot dogs from the menu at its theme parks and replaced them with a blend of beef and chicken. Mouseheads are not pleased.
A switcheroo like that could conceivably yield a hot dog that's lower in fat, which lines up with Disney's current push to make its meal options healthier (portion sizes have dwindled noticeably there, too). But the theme park titan didn't announce the change -- it was caught doing it by others. And it has not issued an explanation, despite inquiries from journalists such as myself. so it's reasonable to assume that the change had less to do with guests' health than the company's purse. After all, if it was done magnanimously, there would probably have been a press release about it, complete with trumpets, confetti and the liberal use of the word "magic."
Ironically, it's usually only repeat customers who notice when companies do things like this, and it's those loyalists who stand to be most offended by the diminished value for their dollar at their favorite places. You could probably name a half-dozen places near you that, compared to several years ago, are also providing a lower quality or smaller servings for the same price.
They used to say that the free market was supposed to have the opposite effect. When product quality slides, customers are supposed to flee to rivals. Somehow, in this recession, most customers seem to be lulled into a compliant mood. We forgive companies when they lead us down a spiral of decreased value, partly because in our own lives, we face the need to economize every day. Sympathy breeds forgiveness. In this case, with a dash of relish.
Update: After this story was published, Walt Disney World got back to us to confirm the change. It did not explain why, offering this comment instead: "As we review new products we take into consideration quality, ingredients, seasonality, cost, and operational efficiencies before we make any decision."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
9-24-2009 @ 2:48PM
LaharlD2 said...
yep and make you pay more
Reply
9-26-2009 @ 5:25PM
Ginger said...
what about Panda express down sizing their to go boxes 3 times since they opened and raising prices
9-26-2009 @ 2:17PM
Alpha said...
Boy, do they have some liability -- I have a friend who is allergic to all fowl -- chicken, turkey, etc. One bite and he's having trouble breathing.
It's not a common allergy, but he's not unique. Disney better get the ingredients up on their signs ASAP, before someone else owns a nice chunk of the company.
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9-26-2009 @ 2:41PM
steve said...
Wow I have never seen anyone else that was allergic to chicken and turkey . I have to read the ingredients in everything before I buy it , or I ask if I go out .Which the people working there usually dont know what the ingredients are in the food they are preparing .
9-27-2009 @ 10:20AM
David said...
Nowhere does it say that the new weiner has unknown ingredients. It says the "all beef was removed and replaced with ... ". Besides, if anyone with deadly alergies doesn't ask or the server doesn't know, the item shouldn't be eaten, period. Take some freakin responsibility.
9-26-2009 @ 2:16PM
Sunday said...
I went to Disney for part of my honeymoon in March and was so dissapointed by their new "tactics" that I almost left early. I remember when I was younger, if you complained they not only made the issue right but went above and beyond to make you happy. Now! you are lucky if they care enough to make it right. We booked a honeymoon suite they gave us a double beded room. My husband called them and told them, HEY! we are on our honeymoon do you think we want to be in seperate beds? The guy said he understood and placed us in another hotel (downgraded), I guess at least we got one bed :-/
Even though they said they are floundering with profits, they had more people there then I have ever seen before, and most of the parks where closed to capacity by 11am. The line wait times where 3-4 hours! So your telling me I can only get on 2-3 rides during a whole day in the park. Our only other option was knocking people over for the fast passes that where sold out within an hour, and still where 3-4 hours wait times if not longer.
Disney really sucks now because they don't give a damn about their customers all they care about is the money rolling in. Walt must be rolling over in his grave right now.
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9-26-2009 @ 2:34PM
Wolfman said...
you are right all the Disney parks just want more money and nobody cares about you. The Wolfman
9-26-2009 @ 3:21PM
Cindy said...
Couldn't you have both slept in one bed at the original hotel?
Just because there are 2 doesn't mean you have to use them both. Who are the fools for accepting a downgrade?
9-26-2009 @ 3:15PM
bdk413 said...
disney has become a joke,high ticket prices,monarail crashes,now food substitutes..this isnt the disney i knew as a kid..i live 30 minutes from there and wouldnt waste my hard earn money there..but u rich people keep coming you help pay to keep florida running..we love it when we can stick it to you all..come on down..
9-26-2009 @ 4:55PM
flashygrrl21 said...
The beds were probably at best full-size. There's close and then there's too close and for a couple on their honeymoon depending on how they were pre-wedding it could have easily been too close.
9-26-2009 @ 5:42PM
Nanci said...
Why in the world would anyone in their right mind go to Disney in March on their honeymoon? Spring break season has got to be one of the worst times to go to a place like this. Of course there are going to be long waits for every ride. What did you expect? Use some common sense.
9-26-2009 @ 5:43PM
kelly p said...
Hi Sunday, OMG,Yes, I was at the Disney Property twice this year. Both times we had problems, I was told to write to the corperate office..well, I can tell you i wrote them Last month when i got back from our latest trip. still no response. we spend Thousands of dollars and get treated like garbage. Disney is not like it used to be,and my son did have a hot dog and said it was not a hot dog..I told him that it was. see he even knew the difference.WOW i'm shocked they would pull something like this without saying a word. God someone can get very sick if they were allergic. Sorry about you bad experience at Disney. we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside.( funny it was room issues also) Never Again. yes, we never got an apology .
9-26-2009 @ 6:44PM
Hugh Jass said...
You. Are. Retarded. So many reasons why that was a stupid decision on your part, and If i had done any of that crap, my wife and I never would've mentioned it to anybody. Also, you spelled "were" as "where." I thought it was a simple typo, but then you did it again, so was it deliberate? Or are you really just that damn stupid? Seriously, why would you even want to go there for a honeymoon? Maybe they gave you two beds because Mickey didn't want you to EVER, EVER, EVER, reproduce, and bring more nim-rods into this world.
9-26-2009 @ 2:19PM
Nancy said...
Yea thats how it is everywhere. As long as we keep opening our purses or wallets and let these corporate typhoons take our money willingly they will continue to do so. If we stand up to them by not opening our purses/wallets and say NO! enough is enough will they stop? Probably not. As always way look the other way because of our own greeds and selfish needs. I will not fall prey to them. I don't even carry a purse therefore they can't take my money.
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9-26-2009 @ 2:18PM
Vince said...
Have you ever been to a slaughter house? I have. My family doctor of 27 yrs has told me many times do not eat any hot dogs. Cut one open and you will see little white pieces in them. That is the animals eyeballs and the rest of a hotdog comes from the other end of the animal.
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9-26-2009 @ 3:11PM
pork said...
Worked in a packing house for 20 years. You don't know what you're talking about.
9-26-2009 @ 5:26PM
mike1tofa said...
Yes, yes, and yes......................I remember, I knew, yet I still ate. I'm sure your Doctor slipped and ate them, also (since he probably got paid to represent the Beef Lobby.........ooh.............and the pork industry, since the were down on chickens..................Didn't Doctors used to recommend eating chicken all the time...................Like someone said here, people now, are like Lemmings......They'll follow anything you lead them to................Even off the side of a very tall mountain into the Ocean................or any other large body of water.
9-26-2009 @ 2:20PM
Robert said...
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.....you write an article about what's in a hot dog. the actual answer was less than a paragraph long. Why do you people gotta always lose our attention by putting all the other bullshit in there? I just wanted to know the answer. I saw it and clicked off......DUMBASS!!!!!!
Reply
9-26-2009 @ 2:23PM
pfriedr said...
The dogs are healthier. Now that's good.
Reply
9-26-2009 @ 5:28PM
mike1tofa said...
People complain about ingredients, and forgot we eat anything. Worms, grasshoppers, Chocolate Covered Bees and Ants(some say taste like Chocolate covered Raisans). Your ocassioal Cooked Scorpion is a real special treat for that very unique occassion when you wan the best.......................lol
Basically, we've eaten worse for free............................Think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!