Pete, you’re off on this one–the juice pearls are very different from traditional boba. Traditional boba is a chewy tapioca ball, the pearls “pop” in your mouth and are filled with a fruity juice. I think the pearls are more pleasing to the general population, which is why the distinction is important. I can’t think off the top of my head anywhere that has traditional boba in the park.

Good tip on DLR (although not happy to hear that…). it’s been 2-3 years since I’ve been out to SoCal but the differences were striking then, as they were on our previous pre-pandemic DLR trip.

The biggest food-related thing I noticed on my last DLR trip was that the Denny’s on Harbor Blvd was light years better than any Denny’s I’d ever visited in the Midwest or Texas. By that, I mean the place was fairly clean, staff friendly, and the food was actually enjoyable (vs. technically edible/functional). I thought it was a good value, too. (Was less impressed by the nearby IHOP quality and value compared to those back home).

Be careful with that DLR comparison. As someone who spends a lot of time in both, I’d argue that WDW is catching up, and that’s largely NOT due to WDW improving (although there is that element to it). Most notably, the festivals at EPCOT are now head and shoulders above DCA.

I don’t disagree with most of what you’re saying (see article). But I do think of this as more of a ‘one-off miss’ than sign of anything more systemic. The really odd part to me is that normally new menus come out swinging and are dumbed-down over time. Between that trend and the fact that Disney not only released a food guide, but teased it in advance, I just assumed this was going to be really good.

Really confused as to why they hyped this up. If they “needed” a boring location that checks the high margin sugar drink & generic treat boxes, so be it. But why market it at all?

That “boba” description, and in fact this whole new menu, is a microcosm of how WDW leans into “we’re aiming at the lowest common denominator of society” with many of their offerings, especially in much of MK and DHS (certainly some exceptions in Epcot). And I’m not on the MAHA train, but dear God, I cannot imagine how many people eat stuff like this regularly and then wonder why they don’t fit in their airplane seats and their A1C is through the roof when they go to the doctor. Sugar upon sugar upon sugar, fried upon fried. And I’m saying this as someone who personally LIKES sugary food and fried things!

Feel free to call me a snob — and I’m REALLY leaning into my snobbiness in these comments, for the snark of it — but this feels like one of those “this is why we can’t have nice things” moments. Meatballs aren’t the healthiest option EVER, but I guess the margins are probably huge on sugary drinks and Disney knows some kid from middle America (maybe my kid, I live in middle America) is gonna beg their parents for a neon concoction that costs 10 bucks and they’ll drink four sips before setting it down somewhere on a railing because it’s too sweet for THEM.

Yes, all theme parks have and NEED their guilty pleasures, and most non-Disney parks are stuffed with standard foodservice offerings that are even worse than we see above. But all you have to do is visit Disneyland or DCA and see that the “standard offerings” at DLR are so much more diverse and higher-quality (yes there are many unhealthy guilty pleasures, and certainly foodservice-y products, but overall so many better snacking options). And it’s one reason why I don’t return to the Florida parks that often.