In what quickly became one of the most controversial Disney menu changes in recent history, last week we reported that the names of the menu items at Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo (located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge) had been changed to remove any original Star Wars-theming.
Since its opening, the menu at the land’s main quick-service eatery included names like Smoked Kaadu Ribs and Fried Endorian Tip-Yip, adding to the theme of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Overnight, all of those names were switched over to plainly state what each menu item was. For example, Fried Endorian Tip-Yip was simplified to “Fried Chicken”, the Shaak Roast became simply a “Beef Pot Roast”, and the Yobshrimp Noodle Salad was now a “Shrimp & Noodle Salad.” Even the Felucian Garden Spread was renamed to just a “Hummus Garden Spread”.
Now, it seems like the plot has thickened (much like the copious amounts of coconut oil in blue milk), as the Star Wars-themed names have returned to online menus and digital menu boards alike.
Cast Members Batuuians stationed at Docking Bay 7 are saying that there are no handheld menus available today, and are offering instead to read out the options to guests and travelers, in keeping with the oral traditions of the Jedi Order. When asking for menus, the answer is simply that “the First Order has confiscated them.” Hey, at least they’re staying in theme. Cast Members stated that new handheld menus would be available later on.
As for the physical menu boards that were installed inside and outside the restaurant, they still remain, so there may be even more confusion for the time being as differently-worded menus are scattered about. Guests now have to sort throught conflicting physical menu boards, digital menu boards, the lack of handheld menus, and Cast Members verbally telling them what’s available or not.
Here’s a look at the current online menus on Walt Disney World’s Docking Bay 7 landing page:
If you’ll recall from the changes, items such as the Mustafarian Lava Roll were previously renamed to the Mustafarian Cinnamon Roll, while Tugg’s Morning Oats was renamed as Tugg’s Overnight Oats, and the Bright Suns Morning was renamed the Bright Suns Breakfast Platter. All have been returned to their original, themed names.
It’s interesting to note that the Fried Endorian Tip-Yip now lists the option of Vegetable Mashed Potatoes with Herb Gravy or Macaroni and Cheese and Roasted Vegetables, a substitution previously available only by request (although it was a fairly popular one, which is why they finally made it official.)
It’s interesting to note that the newly-added vegan “Meat” Marinara + Pasta that we reviewed as part of the new Kids’ Meals menu is no longer listed. We’ll have to check back in at lunch to see whether it is still available.
The desserts are the only items that have remained unchanged throughout all of the menu item name changes.
Despite menu descriptions and photos, it appears Disney wanted to make ordering easier for guests by removing the themed menu item names. This did come, however, at the cost of the in-depth immersion that was originally a part of the land’s mission. As of publishing time, the themed menu item names remain listed as-is for Docking Bay 7 at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge.
What do you think of this back and forth on menu items? Is it “just” a menu or are the Star Wars names key to the immersive experience on Galaxy’s Edge?