Do you honestly find the food prices at Disney expensive?

[Kat&Dom]

I have pulled various menus and looks at all the food courts prices at resorts and I don't find the prices to be that out of line. In fact, in many cases, they are less expensive that what I would pay to eat out here in Alberta. I always hear people saying how expensive food at Disney is but when I look at the menu's and the prices - it seems really reasonable. Obviously, eating out every meal gets expensive but that would be the case whether I vacationed at Disney or here in Canada. What are your thoughts - do you find the menu prices to be reasonable or expensive?:confused3

[Sue M]

I find the quick service places in the resorts or parks pretty reasonable, but some to the Table Service restaurants can be a bit pricey.

[monkeyknuckler]

Depends on where you go. If you go to Tony's in the Magic Kingdom and order a pasta dish for $30, you might find it expensive, considering comparative quality can be found in a $1.50 tin of spaghettiO's.

[BellyBaby]

I think the table service is high during summer season (they add at least $5 per plate for the buffets at Epcot), counter service is a super deal, because the portions are so huge we split meals. (no point in getting so stuffed we can't do anything after each meal)!!!

[dvc deernut]

I find it less expensive now that our kids have grown up and we go by ourselves hahaha!!!!!! Dw and select certain restaurants which we like for quality of food. We find the prices no worse than eating at a good restaurant up here. We find it more expensive when your with kids and having to eat at more of the fastfood type places or take the kids into restaurants and for the amount they eat thats expensive. I think they make more off the families than the couples with no kids.

[rodeo65]

I think in many cases it is in line with Canadian prices, but compared to US restaurant prices it can seem excessive.

We noticed this last June when we went to WDW and also visited other parts of FL. We also drove down, so ate meals out at mostly sit down restaurants for almost four weeks. We typically spent $40 for our family of four before tip. Occasionally it might creep up to the $50 range if - :eek: - we had a drink or dessert.

The first night home of course we had no groceries in so went out to a roadhouse style restaurant for dinner. The bill was just under $70 and this is with no alcohol.

[dancin Disney style]

I think the CS places are all fine price wise......shesh we picked up McD's last week and it was $30. The TS places I do find expensive considering that for many of them the quality is no better than say a Kelsey's. I think you're just paying extra for atmosphere. The last time we payed OOP for a TS we went to WCC and our bill was $90(family of 4). That was with no alcohol or dessert.

We really only do TS if we have the DDP and only get that went it's free. Those types of meals are just not that big a deal for us.

[minnie56]

The restaurants I like to eat at ?? Yep:rolleyes1

[LSmith]

It's more about if you are getting what you are paying for rather than the price you are paying.

Considering the price of food and drinks at many of the table service restaurants the quality of food that you are paying for can be less than stellar. Some are better than others but I'd rather go off site to Cheesecake Factory or Olive Garden for cheaper food that is better quality.

If you are more interested in quantity versus quality then you may be happy with paying the price.

Plus, service has gone downhill over the last few years.

Counterservice is about the same as anywhere.

Free dining is a great deal, though.

[irisesareblue]

I think in many cases it is in line with Canadian prices, but compared to US restaurant prices it can seem excessive.



I think you're very right on this aspect - we pay a LOT more comparitively for meals out here in Canada than across most cities in the US. I found that the prices at Disney were not excessive, however, dinner prices at TS spots in Epcot had me taking a second look and wondering which CS restaurants use the same kitchens as the TS restaurants (so I can get the same food cheaper).

[Kat&Dom]

I think you're very right on this aspect - we pay a LOT more comparitively for meals out here in Canada than across most cities in the US.


We do pay a lot more for everything up here in Canada - I do have to laugh when I visit the States and they complain about the price of fuel - we ship that fuel down to them and they pay 1/3 to 1/2 of what we pay at the pumps and they think it is too expensive. :rotfl:

We went out for lunch today at Joey's Only - for 3 adults and 1 child with only water to drink, no appys or dessert and my bill was $47. Eating out prices are way more up here in Canada. Oh well, makes us feel like we are getting a deal when we visit the States.:rolleyes1

[robinb]

Yes. I just has dinner out with my DD and a friend. I had a nice steak with veggies and potatoes. She had a whole Cornish game hen with stuffing and veggies. My DD had a kids meal and I had a glass of wine. The total bill (with tip) was $50. The food was just as good as Disney food at just about half the price.

ETA: Sorry! I just saw this was a Canadian thread :). I do find things more expensive in Canada. It always seemed that you your items were priced higher when I visited in the past. Do you think it was because your dollar was low against the US dollar? However, the prices never came down after the Canadian dollar started to climb against the US dollar, so what do I know!

[ABCanada]

Disney does know how to part you from your money (and have you feel happy about it)

If you are trying to eat inexpensively it is difficult. I find it is the water and snacks, other than fruit, that add up quickly and without being conscious of how much you are spending.

We enjoy the TS restaurants and generally feel we get value for what we pay. The servings are generally way more than we want or need so we usually have one main meal a day and even then would not normally order appetizers or dessert. We have APs so get the TIW card which gives us a 20% discount on food and beverages at most TS and lounge locations.

[robinb]

We do pay a lot more for everything up here in Canada - I do have to laugh when I visit the States and they complain about the price of fuel - we ship that fuel down to them and they pay 1/3 to 1/2 of what we pay at the pumps and they think it is too expensive.:rotfl:Popping my head back in for a second. Those are your taxes which pay for, among other things, nationalized heath care. Color me jealous. Now back to your thread about food prices :thumbsup2.

[smartpeach]

I think it depends where you live in Canada. I live in the GTA and there are so many affordable authentic ethnic restaurants. You can have any cuisine you want (Chinese, Thai, Greek etc.) all within a 5 km. radius. 2 adults can eat very well for under $20 (no alcohol). There's also plenty of discount grocery chains (No Frills, Food Basics etc) that drives grocery prices down.

We used to live in Ottawa. There's not as many selection of ethnic restaurants and eating out, I find, was a lot more expensive.

[minnie56]

I have had a few Christmas Eve's at the California Grill that I almost had to mortgage the house to pay for:scared1:

Last time the bill was the biggest so the waiter gave me a set of inscribed napkins from the restaurant hehehe...he felt my pain I guess.

[Jareds_mommy]

we have just gotten a no frills in the last year
I haven't been back to Safeway since
as for resturants I do find the prices the same some times,

[xipetotec]

I have pulled various menus and looks at all the food courts prices at resorts and I don't find the prices to be that out of line. In fact, in many cases, they are less expensive that what I would pay to eat out here in Alberta. I always hear people saying how expensive food at Disney is but when I look at the menu's and the prices - it seems really reasonable. Obviously, eating out every meal gets expensive but that would be the case whether I vacationed at Disney or here in Canada. What are your thoughts - do you find the menu prices to be reasonable or expensive?:confused3

Well maybe a "bit" pricey, but I can honestly say I don't think they are extravagant for the most part. Especially when you consider the business. If I go to McDonald's at La Ronde ( our local six flags in Montreal ) I pay around, if not MORE, the amount I would pay at say, Pecos Bill's. Actually, I found that when we ate at Mel's Diner at Universal, it was much more expensive.

[crazyfordisney2000]

I've always felt the prices are about the same, at least here in Kingston. We just went out for breakfast, was an all you can eat buffet, the price was $17.99 + taxes. Sooo, what is it as Boma (which would be a waaay better breakfast) $18.99 per adult?? I do find the table services a bit pricy, but if I were to eat somewhere here with the same caliber of food like, say, Cali Grill, again the price would be about the same. Say you got Spaghetti and Meatballs at Tony's in MK for dinner it's 15.99 at East Side Marios the same dish is $13.99. We don't find the food any more expensive, it's just the price of eating out for 10 days strait on vacation, that is!!!:laughing:

[alohamom]

I agree with what most of the posters are saying. In Dec we had what I considered to be a well priced cs meal at Pecos Bill (partially because we did the toppings trick) but the next day I felt we paid wayyy to much for the Nine Dragons(I think it was called)TS in epcot. Well over 120 bucks for 2 adults/2kids and it was all just stuff covered in Hoisin sauce, certainly not "fine dining". However, I feel we always get our $$$ worth at Biergarten because it is really one of the only places I know of that has what I consider good German food to rival my mother in laws and is all you can eat without having to go to Germany. I am sure other German food places exsist but none near me! I just dont want to pay 40 bucks for lunch and 120 for dinner everyday so I guess I do find it on the expensive side. We tend to do a bigger late lunch and an early evening snacky type dinner to stretch the buck...

[dsneygirl]

Well maybe a "bit" pricey, but I can honestly say I don't think they are extravagant for the most part. Especially when you consider the business. If I go to McDonald's at La Ronde ( our local six flags in Montreal ) I pay around, if not MORE, the amount I would pay at say, Pecos Bill's. Actually, I found that when we ate at Mel's Diner at Universal, it was much more expensive.


Me neither. Counter Service compared to McDonalds down the street sure but to another "theme park" or "attraction" and I don't find it out of line at all.

Last year at Marineland at combo (hot dog, fries, drink) was like $9. At the CNE you pay $2.50 for a bottle of water. We dropped $30 on dinner in the food building without batting an eye.

At quick service we almost always get only 2 meals for the 3 of us. Either 1 adult and 1 kids or 2 adults depending on what it is.

For Table Service we really try to do lunches instead of dinners. In most cases the meals are cheaper and the restaurants not as full. You can have a nice lunch entree at $14 or $15 at most restaurants.

[TLPL]

My advice: Just don't do the Dining plan, it make you spend alot of money on food you normally wouldn't. And lots of desserts you normally don't eat.

[candielips]

We have only ever done the DDP so the only time I really pay attention to prices is when we will be paying OOP which we do for quite a few meals. But as all other PP's have said, the prices are pretty comparable to what we pay here, maybe even a little less.
I was at Swiss Chalet last week and a kids meal was $6.99, which is pretty comparable to most TS restaurants at WDW.

[canabrits2]

Honestly, I find that most prices are in line based on what you get for the money. I also think it's quite unreasonable to even expect to pay normal Wendy's, McDonald's, Swiss Chalet prices. I mean, those places do not have the overheads that Disney does (the parks as a whole), when you think of it. Disney has to fund everything from the buses to the package delivery to the security teams etc. Yes, you are paying premium prices but I've come to the conclusion, after having gone to Disney a few times, that you honestly get what you pay for.

For instance, when you go for ice cream there, it's not like you pay a premium price and then receive some budget-value, frozen white water, cheaply dipped ice cream....you really do get a huge, five star, all singing, all dancing ICE CREAM for the money you just shelled out. I think that's fair. They don't do "cheap" and I'm glad for it. If people want cheap and low quality, then go vacation at Wal-Mart. :)

I also did the DDP on the last trip and thought it was awesome. You pay up front and then don't count pennies the whole trip. I find it saved a lot of mental space and it made me go to restaurants and try things that I might normally not let myself because of cost calculations in my head and trying to constantly maximize my dollar or my tendancy to spend on my daughter and never on myself.... DDP is the only way to go from now on.

I LOVE Disney food.

[dopeyluvsgrumpy]

The counter services are a decent price, but the table service is ridiculous if you consider the food and not the fact that its a disney experience. I would NEVER spend $39.99 on a buffet dinner anywhere other than disney.

[papertraveller]

I think so much depends on where you eat, and how much you order. We're finding that the best combination now is to mix the DDP with our other favourite stops. So, for example, we use our double TS credit for California Grill and offset that with a far less expensive meal (for which we pay cash) somewhere else.

Prices, in general, seem okay. I think some of the buffet breakfasts are a bit high, but they are generally higher at home too! That said, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to enjoying some of my favourites again this summer! I know people dispute the quality of the food elsewhere on this board, but we have dined like royalty at Disney.

[VeroBeach]

I would NEVER spend $39.99 on a buffet dinner anywhere other than disney.

Which buffet was that?

[Jareds_mommy]

Which buffet was that?



Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner Adult - $40.46
Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner children 3 - 9 years - $20.23

[VeroBeach]

Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner Adult - $40.46
Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner children 3 - 9 years - $20.23

Yes, but consider the location....and its not a buffet ....AND a photo package is included.

[Jareds_mommy]

Yes, but consider the location....and its not a buffet ....AND a photo package is included.

UMMMM nope it is a buffet and no photo package included you are thinking of Cinderella's Royal Table magic kingdom thats more it's $57.19 and kids are $34.78
, this is the one in the GF

[Jareds_mommy]

Chef mickey breakfast

Breakfast Buffet: Guests 10 & over (7:00 am - 11:30 am) - Premium Fruit Bar: Seasonal melon and fresh fruit display, assorted flavored yogurts and more. Cereal Selections: Almond granola, Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Cocoa Krispies, hot oatmeal and grits. Breakfast Specialties: scrambled eggs, Pluto's cheese blintz, 3 cheese omelet, Chef's daily omelet, Corned Beef hash with cornbread, Goofy's veggie lasagna, Mickey waffles, cheese potatoes with bacon, Breakfast potatoes, bacon & sausage links, Minnie's breakfast pizza, Challah French toast, pancakes with a variety of toppings, and buttermilk biscuits with country gravy. Pastry Chef's Creations: bagels, chocolate croissants, muffins, cinnamon rolls, Rice Krispie treats, peach cobbler, warm bread pudding, assorted danishes and more. Traditional breakfast beverages included. - $35.99

[VeroBeach]

Chef mickey breakfast

Breakfast Buffet: Guests 10 & over (7:00 am - 11:30 am) - Premium Fruit Bar: Seasonal melon and fresh fruit display, assorted flavored yogurts and more. Cereal Selections: Almond granola, Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Cocoa Krispies, hot oatmeal and grits. Breakfast Specialties: scrambled eggs, Pluto's cheese blintz, 3 cheese omelet, Chef's daily omelet, Corned Beef hash with cornbread, Goofy's veggie lasagna, Mickey waffles, cheese potatoes with bacon, Breakfast potatoes, bacon & sausage links, Minnie's breakfast pizza, Challah French toast, pancakes with a variety of toppings, and buttermilk biscuits with country gravy. Pastry Chef's Creations: bagels, chocolate croissants, muffins, cinnamon rolls, Rice Krispie treats, peach cobbler, warm bread pudding, assorted danishes and more. Traditional breakfast beverages included. - $35.99

All you are looking at is the food... you need to factor in the location and characters and the experience to get a fair comparison.

[Jareds_mommy]

All you are looking at is the food... you need to factor in the location and characters and the experience to get a fair comparison.


I am not sure what you mean I am not looking at or comparing anything I am directly answering your question
they said they would never spend $40 on a buffet anywhere but Disney and you asked what buffet that was and I showed where those $40 buffets were nothing more . I think Cape May that is not a character buffet for dinner was about $37.
Originally Posted by dopeyluvsgrumpy
I would NEVER spend $39.99 on a buffet dinner anywhere other than disney.

Which buffet was that?

[CanadianGuy]

You know it's funny.. I go to McDonald's here in New Brunswick and a quarter pounder meal with supersized fries is like $8.

And guess how much it was last time I was in Florida -- same meal (more fries tho) .. was like $8.50.

Now back when you had to mentally add 35 or 40% to every pricetag you saw while in the US.... then yes, I would have found that 12$ for a McDonald's meal was excessive..

[MikeJ]

You know it's funny.. I go to McDonald's here in New Brunswick and a quarter pounder meal with supersized fries is like $8.

And guess how much it was last time I was in Florida -- same meal (more fries tho) .. was like $8.50.

Now back when you had to mentally add 35 or 40% to every pricetag you saw while in the US.... then yes, I would have found that 12$ for a McDonald's meal was excessive..

I find it's not just restaurant food, either. Go buy a dozen eggs or 4L of milk and the sticker prices are the same in Florida as at home. We almost always stop for a grocery run before we check in (we're DVC members) and a week's worth of groceries in Orlando (even if we *don't* shop at Goodings) will be comparable to what we'd spend in London.

- Mike

[Jareds_mommy]

I find it's not just restaurant food, either. Go buy a dozen eggs or 4L of milk and the sticker prices are the same in Florida as at home. We almost always stop for a grocery run before we check in (we're DVC members) and a week's worth of groceries in Orlando (even if we *don't* shop at Goodings) will be comparable to what we'd spend in London.

- Mike

I noticed that too
I have been looking at US flyers and produce is the same as here,
pop and junk food is the same as here too

[TracyD73]

Chef mickey breakfast

Breakfast Buffet: Guests 10 & over (7:00 am - 11:30 am) - Premium Fruit Bar: Seasonal melon and fresh fruit display, assorted flavored yogurts and more. Cereal Selections: Almond granola, Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Cocoa Krispies, hot oatmeal and grits. Breakfast Specialties: scrambled eggs, Pluto's cheese blintz, 3 cheese omelet, Chef's daily omelet, Corned Beef hash with cornbread, Goofy's veggie lasagna, Mickey waffles, cheese potatoes with bacon, Breakfast potatoes, bacon & sausage links, Minnie's breakfast pizza, Challah French toast, pancakes with a variety of toppings, and buttermilk biscuits with country gravy. Pastry Chef's Creations: bagels, chocolate croissants, muffins, cinnamon rolls, Rice Krispie treats, peach cobbler, warm bread pudding, assorted danishes and more. Traditional breakfast beverages included. - $35.99


$35.99?? I have ADRs at CM in April (NOT at Easter) and when I looked online at the menu at allears it said $22.99/Adult $12.99/Kid. Have the prices changed? I'm totally fine with $23 - it's really not out of line to what I would pay at home for a nice brunch buffet, but $35 seems pricey to me.

[Jareds_mommy]

$35.99?? I have ADRs at CM in April (NOT at Easter) and when I looked online at the menu at allears it said $22.99/Adult $12.99/Kid. Have the prices changed? I'm totally fine with $23 - it's really not out of line to what I would pay at home for a nice brunch buffet, but $35 seems pricey to me.

I got it from here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=55

[TracyD73]

I got it from here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=55

Thanks! At least I know in advance and won't be suprised when I get there :). It kinda sucks to spend so much on a meal, but still can't wait :banana:

Tracy

[MikeJ]

I got it from here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=55

That's gotta be a typo. That page shows the adult breakfast is $6 *more* than dinner, but the kids breakfast is $2 *less* than dinner. The price quoted on allears.net seems much more in line with what I would expect a buffet breakfast to cost...

- Mike

[weewuvvdisney]

We were at Epcot last week. Was going to cost us a minium of $30.00 a plate not including beverages, dessert etc. for spaghetti. Our dd (14) eats as much or more than I do.

Decided to hop on the boat and went to Boardwalk's Big River. Our meal came to $87.00 (tax, tip included) and we had a wonderful meal. DH had a beer and DD had a piece of cheesecake.

We also went and eat at Planet Hollywood at DDD and at Hard Rock Café at Universal.

All meals were well under a $100.00 and we really enjoyed them.




Jan