Ask It Results: Should Disney Post Calorie Counts?
The discussion really heated up for this topic! Last week we asked you:
Should Disney post calorie counts on their menus?
Going beyond the numerical results, there was a lot of good discussion about this issue. Overall, Yes won out by a 2:1 margin, but there were also many people who voted one way or the other with caveats. Here’s your results.
Yes: 1,651 votes
In general, yes votes included people who felt that more information is always better, people who need the information for medical or lifestyle reasons, or people who have come from places where calorie counts are already printed and so this wouldn’t be unusual. What was very interesting is that several people felt that more information would be better. In addition to calorie counts, information like carbs, sodium content, fats protein, or sugar content were often mentioned as useful information that people would like to see. Even just something like the Mickey Check logo found next to heathier kid meal options would be useful to many Currently at Disney, this kind of comprehensive information is only detailed on pre-packaged items like Mickey bars.
No: 1,020 votes
The overall theme for no votes were “I’m on vacation, I really don’t want to know.” It’s a valid concern. No matter how much we try to tell ourselves that vacation food has no calories or that we’re walking enough to burn off all the calories we’re eating, deep down we know that our diet tends to suffer when on vacation–and we don’t necessarily want to know how much it suffers.
What was interesting is that even among those who voted No, many people were agreeable to add that information into the MyDisneyExperience app or on the Disney website. Just because they don’t want to see it doesn’t mean that they don’t want the information to be available for those who do need or want it!
As an interesting postscript, over the weekend I popped into Blaze Pizza at Disney Springs, and noticed that they do have calorie counts on their posted menus. I know that it probably has been there since day 1, and yet I had never noticed it before — so at least for me, if calorie counts start being posted, I’ll be able to see them when I want them and ignore them when I don’t.
Any final thoughts about calorie counts at Disney? Let us know in the comments. Meanwhile, this week’s Ask It is now live on Twitter and on the blog here. We’ll see you next week as we tally up your results.
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It doesn’t have to be posted on the menu board, but full nutritional info should be readily available to anyone who wants to see it, either digitally (MDE app, website) or physically (e.g. printed info in a binder at each cash register).
I currently have to watch my carb count for medical reasons and at home I restrict eating out to restaurants where they have online nutritional information so I can make sure I am getting the right amount of carbs. I think it would be great for Disney to have that information available–online would be easiest since then before you pick a restaurant for you family you can make sure the menu items will appeal and work with everyone’s dietary restrictions.
I was a “no” vote. I certainly wouldn’t get upset if the calories were posted for those with dietary concerns, but I do like to be in the Disney bubble as much as I can where everyone is kind and calories don’t matter. I’ve lost about 60 pounds recently and am thrilled to be a healthy weight and that I’m no longer embarrassed to have my picture taken in front of Cinderella’s castle. I have absolutely no intention of eating healthy for that 1 week though – it’s a vacation and the diet will be here when the magic is over.
Funny enough I posted on a DFB post the other day jokingly complaining that Ghirardelli post the calories for their sundaes on their menus. I agree with both sides, I’d like to be able to choose the ‘healthier’ choice if I’m torn between 2 meals, but I don’t think it needs to be on display. I’d be happy with the Mickey check symbol or if the information was available on the app. I wonder if the information is already available upon request?
I voted yes for the display of calories then noticed a picture of the Ghirardelli menu board on the Disney Food Blog and felt with some of sundays coming in at 1800calories it was making it hard for me to justify “i’m on vacation and calories don’t count when your on vacation” idea that I had before finding that out. Seriously 1800 that’s like a days supply of calories in 1 desert.
I don’t care about calorie counts being right on the menu (it would be nice just to have some sort of guide when choosing food), but I would *love* for there to be a website with the nutritional value so if I actually wanted to track my food at Disney I actually could (I’m on weight watchers). As it is I would have to guess at points, and honestly I’ll be so far off it wouldn’t be worth it- ill just do my best to keep in reasonable and hope all the walk helps offset my cheats. .
It’s not a huge loss to us- we go on vacation not really expecting to be able to track- but for someone with dietary needs like diabetics who need to count carbs and sugars I wish it was there. It’s not a huge deal in the long run if I gain back a few pounds over a vacation, but for a lot of people keeping track of that stuff isn’t an option, and guessing wrong can be a big deal.
Isn’t it interesting that ‘our diet tends to suffer while on vacation’ – no matter WHERE or WHEN we go on vacation? This isn’t just Disney’s fault – it’s the entire society! We can’t eat out without getting ADDED sugar, ADDED fat and ADDED salt. This makes the food ‘more palatable,’ they say. Watch the movie ‘Fed Up’ if you want the low-down on why Americans are so fat. (I am one of them, but I’m trying.) The country does NOT have to be this way – and neither do we! Disney’s doing some great stuff to help, but until the eating-out options change from ‘palatable’ to ‘healthy and palatable’ we are all doomed.