M wrote:they have the perfect venue and concept to take the average family on International food journeys and experiences beyond typical fare. Frankly, I think they fall short.
I heartily disagree. I think that they do indeed take the AVERAGE family, both young and old, on an international food journey. Because when you introduce exotic foods to people who have never eaten them, and may in fact be afraid to try new things, you have to start with something that they will eat. What the World Showcase restaurants and Food & Wine Festival does is open a door to a greater culinary world.
Just because something isn't adventurous to you doesn't mean that it isn't stretching the limits of other people. I took my mother to dinner at Restaurant Marrakesh in 2002 and though I was disappointed with the bland flavors we experienced, she was overwhelmed with the new exotic experience she was having. She left saying that she loved it and would happily eat Moroccan again. The experience took her farm fed mind and opened the door to something new and exciting in a safe and control manner that she could handle. Had I simply taken her to a Moroccan restaurant in Chicago she wouldn't have known where to start - but that wouldn't matter because she would have never walked in the door to begin with.
Sure - people who are already gastronomically adventurous may get a little bored (though you can always ask the kitchen to step up the local flavor and they will) but the average American traveler will be able to experience new things that they would never eat at home. I realize that many major cities in the country and their suburbs offer stunning food scenes. But the fact is that the further out you get from a city, the less likely you are to find spectacular food. Trust me - I've lived it. For a LARGE number of Disney Guests that makes Disney a dining mecca of flavors and genres that they can not get in their home towns.
I'm happy that you can drive down the road to a great food truck, that's not the reality for a large portion of the country though.