"What's Up With This Butter?!" — This Shocked Me on My Last Flight

Okay, we can’t be the only people to experience this weird airplane phenomenon.

Air travel

If you ever visit a Disney Park, chances are you’ll walk by some of the DFB team. We — quite literally — visit the parks every single day. And our Disney days aren’t just limited to the domestic parks. We love to visit the Disney parks overseas to stay up-to-date, experience new offerings, and continue to bolster our knowledge on all things Disney. While we fly internationally often enough, we’re still sometimes shocked by some cultural differences — even ones as small as butter!

Butter is such a small thing to be surprised about, but bear with me, because this tiny detail opened the door to a much bigger realization about flying internationally.

Orlando International Airport

The shock doesn’t set in immediately. You’ve already been flying for some time, but now it’s time to put your tray table down, unwrap your roll, grab a butter knife, spread the butter, take a bite, and then…confusion sets in. “Why does the butter taste…DIFFERENT?” you think to yourself. It’s not bad, just not what you’re used to. Creamier, tangier, and almost cheese-like.

But it makes perfect sense.

Bread and butter at Disney World

On international flights, especially those operated by airlines based outside the U.S., the brands we’re used aren’t always the ones being served onboard. That means you should expect different food, including butter, bread, snacks, desserts, coffee, etc. Our everyday brands are not every other country’s everyday brands, so it makes sense — it’s just not something we actively think about.

©Air Canada

Still, it’s best to be prepared for the culture shock to start early! Sure, you expect a culture shock once you arrive at your international destination, but the truth is that the real change can happen when you’re 35,000 feet in the air.

In fact, the shock can come much sooner. How the crew interacts with passengers, how formal or informal the service feels, meal pacing and presentation, languages spoken, and expectations around politeness, patience, and personal space might all quickly become unfamiliar.

©Air France

Keep in mind that none of this is bad! In fact, it can be really cool! You’re traveling internationally — I hope — to experience different cultures and embrace this change. But if you’re expecting a standard U.S. airline experience, it’s easy to be thrown off. The trick is to view the flight itself as part of the travel experience.

Once you do that, the experience can actually become quite delightful and exciting.

Have you experienced this kind of culture shock when flying internationally? Let us know in the comments, and continue to follow us here at DFB for more travel tips! We’re always out and about and ready to give you our best travel advice and updates along the way!

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