Lately, Disney has been getting fancy with their counter service burgers - and I don't like it. Have you seen some of these? Do I really want or need fried shrimp on top of my burger (ala the "surf and turf" burger available at Disney Studios) or a Caribbean burger topped with fried plantains and a pineapple chutney. No... I do not. If I'm dining at a Disney sit-down restaurant, maybe. But not at the fast food joint.
I don't know who is asking for gourmet burgers at the theme parks, but it is not me. Let's face it, gourmet and fast food just don't mix. Personally, I think it has been done in an effort simply to charge more for the meal without adding much value. A burger at the theme parks used to average $8. The new designer burgers are more than $10 in the parks (and about a buck less from the Disney value resorts).
Today we tried the new designer burger offered at Pop Century. The burger was supposed to have Swiss cheese, bacon, fried onion straws and barbecue sauce for $9.29:
First, this burger (and the fries) were ice cold. Literally cold to the touch. It had to have been sitting out at least 20-30 minutes in the cold air conditioning. Had the burger been hot, it may have had a chance. I actually order a very similar burger from Chilis (at a very similar price) and really like it. This one from Disney, however, barely had any barbecue sauce and we're not even sure there was actually any cheese on it (neither of us tasted it). On the plus side, there were plenty of fried onion straws.
Bottom line, give me back a good old-fashioned Disney burger. It may not have been fancy, but it served the purpose for the average theme park guest. Save the over-priced fancy stuff for the sit-down restaurants where they belong.
Part of the issue is that I'm a picky eater. But, just the same, I think topping combos such as "smoked ham, bacon and smoked Gouda", "sauteed mushrooms, bacon and blue cheese" or "a veggie burger with Monterey Jack and avocado" belong somewhere else.