$125 for new Princess Character Breakfast

[Malcon10t]

There's plenty of room in the Disneyland universe for a premium princess offering, a non premium princess offering (a traditional character meal) and a "free with park admission" princess offering. Disney World has the high end tea, a bunch of traditional princess character meals (CRT, Akershus, 1900 Park Fare and Artist Point) and countless "free with admission" options in the parks.

Honestly, I have no problem with the high end offering. What rubs people so wrong is to take away the traditional sub $100 offering for the better part of a year, then replace it with only the high end offering. People have been asking for a princess character meal ever since Ariel's Grotto closed. This is not what many of them were waiting for.

I know how money hungry Disney has been lately. But I never thought I'd see the day when I could refer to CRT as the low end offering.

It will be a wait and see. If people protest with their wallets, it won't last and maybe they will get the message. It may also be something they only end up offering on weekends.

Will I do it? I will probably take my DIL once as she is very Princessy, and drags her kids, who would much rather be meeting Rey at Launchbay, so she can visit the princesses and have an excuse.

 

[gottalovepluto]

...Cynical me says that I'm not paying $125 to help clean out NR's refrigerator by eating leftovers from dinner...

 

[lcp9]

We did Ariel's, we usually do Goofy's or Minnie's now. I have a 7 yo daughter and 3 boys, 5, 3, and 1. I have to say I always thought I'd be sad to be done with princesses, but suddenly I'm not that sad about it...

This isn't a matter of not affording it. I am pretty sure I would not find this worth the money. It may be worth $125/person to me if they could meet EVERY single princess, have a good meal, and eliminate the need to wait in line for princesses throughout the park for autographs. Disney needs to know that even for people that have no problem spending $600/family on a worthwhile experience, there needs to be value. You can't just bill something as a "premium experience", serve mac and cheese for breakfast, and expect that people will be blinded by exclusivity. As a PP said, I'd sooner pay for the top package at BBB (although I thought I heard they weren't escorting to the royal hall anymore...)

More importantly, it honestly makes me a little nauseated that Disney is becoming a one percenter type of vacation.

3/4 of my kids only care about Lightning anyway, and luckily he's still free

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

I wonder if the price is specifically targeted for all the bloggers who are expected to do the new things, and then once they've exhausted that for sure audience they will lower the price...

I have a lot of cynical takes lately, but my thought on this is that the meal and price point is targeted for all the bloggers who will go, take beautifully Instagram-able pictures, and tell all their followers, "OMG, this meal was SO worth it, you HAVE to go!" Then, the masses will go, and will be willing to pay, because their favorite Disney blogger personalities say it's worth it.

Hopefully, we will see some honest reviews out there! I am a TA, and I try to be objective when sharing with my clients the cost, what you get, and what my experiences have been. I know some bloggers and reviewers who do the same.

As a PP said, I'd sooner pay for the top package at BBB (although I thought I heard they weren't escorting to the royal hall anymore...)

FWIW, our DD was escorted to the princess meet last week after doing the Castle Package at BBB. (Friday, January 18). Perhaps the practice is alive during slower times of year only?

 

[mummabear]

The seating arrangement at LL really won't work for this. They rearranged all the seating to be more like a bar lounge. And I'm not sure the kitchen could handle it. But... if they really are looking to do "upscale" character meals, there's no reason why they couldn't try one at CCR. That kitchen could handle it. And the "Frozen" meal isn't necessary now for good viewing -- plenty of seating for that show now -- so why not try doing something nice there?

Ah that makes some sense.
Seems a shame that they didnt set it up as such

 

[adamreisinger]

Not a blogger, nor a high-profile Instagrammer, but at first I thought this was exactly the kind of experience that was designed for me: adult fan of Disney Princesses with a trip budget that has plenty of room for higher-cost add-ons. I've eaten at CRT six times since 2016, plus two trips to Akershus and a Bon Voyage Breakfast at WDW. I was so disappointed when there was no Princess meal option at DL when I went in September, having done Ariel's Grotto multiple times before. The $125 price tag seemed a bit high, especially when compared to CRT (where so much of the value is derived from the special atmosphere of eating in the castle), but not a deal breaker. The thing that made this an easy pass for me: the menu.

I love breakfast foods of all kinds, but short ribs, Shepard's Pie, mac and cheese... those aren't breakfast foods. Give me a California Grill brunch menu (buffet + multiple entrees) and combine it with the Princesses, and then you've got a meal I'm willing to pay $125 (or more) for.

 

[yetiowine]

Is it at all possible that some listed entrees DO include eggs, and the current description is just highlighting the protein portion of the dish? Otherwise I agree, what a weird combination of offerings.

This character meal at $125(!!!) a pop isn't on my list despite having 2 daughters. For that price, I'd prefer to take them to Napa Rose for a regular meal or splurge elsewhere. It helps that they're not especially interested in the princesses. I think they enjoy the spontaneous encounters (even if just walking by) with characters in the park than the more formal sit and wait.

 

[Gisele]

So, let me get this straight. The nearly $200 I used to spend at Ariel's for family of 5 to eat with Princesses is not enough. (BTW, we stopped doing that years ago) Now it would cost us $600....and for a meal that's the kinda-sorta meal of the day: breakfast. I can go to WDW and eat INSIDE THE CASTLE with 5 princesses, AND have lunch/dinner (meals where people actually eat more than eggs and bacon) for a maximum of $80/adult and $65/child. And I thought THAT was high!

Add this to the 50% increase for MaxPass, standing-room-only for Fantasmic! unless you buy a dinner package, and APs going up 60% in 5 years. All while things like World of Color have been down for 10 months and PtN on long-term hiatus. Exactly why I'm taking my kids to Universal and Great Wolf Lodge this summer....and NOT DL. I'll miss Splash and all my favorites, but I can't keep paying exponentially rising prices for more crowds and less attractions.

Well said!

 

[wingednike]

I'm sure Disney is trying to sell this as an experience rather than as a character meal. If that's the case, just do the experience.

Here's my armchair engineering. I have no research on this so I'm not sure it's feasible or what the logistics involved are, but this is what I would find enjoyable.

Have a $50 to $60 (per participant) activity session with one princess that lasts at least 30 minutes. For example, Paint with Rapunzel. She tells you to splash color here or there and participants take home whatever they painted.

Bake with Tiana. Participants get a cupcake or something to decorate while she instructs.

I'm sure there are activities that can be tailored for each princess's skill. Sewing with Cinderella could be fun but might require birds and mice.
Serve a small snack and call it a day.

 

[adamreisinger]

I'm sure Disney is trying to sell this as an experience rather than a character meal. If that's the case, just do the experience.

Here's my armchair engineering. No research on this so I'm not sure it's feasible or the logistics evolved but this is what I would find enjoyable.

Have a $50 to $60 (per participant) activity session with one princess that lasts at least 30 minutes. For example, Paint with Rapunzel. She tells you to splash color here or there and participants take home whatever they painted.

Bake with Tiana. Participants get a cupcake or something to decorate while she instructs.

I'm sure there are activities that can be tailored for each princess's skill. Sewing with Cinderella could be fun but might require birds and mice
Serve a small snack and call it a day.

This actually reminds me of what they did with the Riverboat Dessert Party with Tiana at WDW. It wasn't a full meal (obviously) but was lower cost, and the interactive experience was more involved than the standard meet and greet at Princess Fairytale Hall.

Sadly, they don't offer it anymore, but I did it a couple times and it was one of my favorite experiences.

 

[Malcon10t]

I love breakfast foods of all kinds, but short ribs, Shepard's Pie, mac and cheese... those aren't breakfast foods.

I've done the short rib breakfast at River Belle, and it was quite good, BUT it came with eggs, potatoes, and a biscuit.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

This actually reminds me of what they did with the Riverboat Dessert Party with Tiana at WDW. It wasn't a full meal (obviously) but was lower cost, and the interactive experience was more involved than the standard meet and greet at Princess Fairytale Hall.

Sadly, they don't offer it anymore, but I did it a couple times and it was one of my favorite experiences.

Oh man, my kids love Tiana - must have been between our visits. bummer we missed out on that!

 

[Glynis4]

$125 prices this family of 4 out
But it makes me sooooo happy that we splurged on going to two character breakfasts (surf’s up & Ariel’s - I couldn’t pick between the two so we did both!) on our last trip, just before Ariel’s closed. Honestly, Ariel’s was pretty close to the top of what I’d pay for a character meal. And one kid was under 3 at the time so she was free! My two girls are totally into princesses, but I can not fathom spending that much money on breakfast for a 4 & 7 year old. Add in tax & tip and the Canadian exchange rate... . We really enjoyed the free character interactions in the park (especially Rapunzel & Flynn!), so looks like we will be spending a lot of time in meet & greet lines again during our next trip! My kids couldn’t care less about the food anyways

 

[mummabear]

Not a blogger, nor a high-profile Instagrammer, but at first I thought this was exactly the kind of experience that was designed for me: adult fan of Disney Princesses with a trip budget that has plenty of room for higher-cost add-ons. I've eaten at CRT six times since 2016, plus two trips to Akershus and a Bon Voyage Breakfast at WDW. I was so disappointed when there was no Princess meal option at DL when I went in September, having done Ariel's Grotto multiple times before. The $125 price tag seemed a bit high, especially when compared to CRT (where so much of the value is derived from the special atmosphere of eating in the castle), but not a deal breaker. The thing that made this an easy pass for me: the menu.

I love breakfast foods of all kinds, but short ribs, Shepard's Pie, mac and cheese... those aren't breakfast foods. Give me a California Grill brunch menu (buffet + multiple entrees) and combine it with the Princesses, and then you've got a meal I'm willing to pay $125 (or more) for.

I would agree, I am for sure a grown up that will be interedted in such things long after my kids have grown(right now they have been the perfect excuse to get DH on board)...except storytime and Rapunzel teaching you to jump up and down in circles screaming Best Day Ever with a bunch of kids doesnt sound great for $125...

I'm sure Disney is trying to sell this as an experience rather than as a character meal. If that's the case, just do the experience.

Here's my armchair engineering. I have no research on this so I'm not sure it's feasible or what the logistics involved are, but this is what I would find enjoyable.

Have a $50 to $60 (per participant) activity session with one princess that lasts at least 30 minutes. For example, Paint with Rapunzel. She tells you to splash color here or there and participants take home whatever they painted.

Bake with Tiana. Participants get a cupcake or something to decorate while she instructs.

I'm sure there are activities that can be tailored for each princess's skill. Sewing with Cinderella could be fun but might require birds and mice.
Serve a small snack and call it a day.

I would much rather do any of those than any character meal actually. They could fight pirates with Peter!
This sounds like Alice's Tea party at WDW, it was fantastic, we dropped the kids off (the only bummer of it) they had high tea, they painted pots, got autographs had amazing photos taken, played lots of games.

 

[GoldeneyezCA]

Some of my favorite "high-end" Disney experiences that are a better value than this: dinner at Club 33, Cinderella's Royal Table, Be Our Guest, and the truly wonderful Enchanted Fairytales with Belle, which is one of the best character experiences I have ever seen. To be honest, one of our favorite princess encounters at DL was FREE and unexpected, as we happened upon Pochahontas as she was staring out at the river, unnoticed by the passing crowds. She talked to my girls for several minutes, and they were thrilled!

I can't imagine that this meal would compare with any of those experiences, and as many have said, the menu is just bizarre. I really feel for those who are looking for a reasonable princess meal at DL - this is just a slap in the face for most people.

I have one daughter who is out of the princess phase (for now) and another who is obsessed with Star Wars, so we'll be saving our money for any premium offerings for Galaxy's Edge...which will likely be the cost of an annual pass, at this point.

 

[adamreisinger]

I have one daughter who is out of the princess phase (for now) and another who is obsessed with Star Wars, so we'll be saving our money for any premium offerings for Galaxy's Edge...which will likely be the cost of an annual pass, at this point.

The prices will be out of this world!

 

[azdisneylover]

For me, I would consider doing this breakfast if there really was breakfast food, TS, and a gift was a princess Dooney & Bourke purse.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

we saw this and the first thing my hubs Capt Bane said, was I want to hear Peat's rant on this. OMG this is far too much for my family of 3. we did princess's all the time but this next trip we will not be. He wants to redo bb since last time he was sick. and for the price of the tour we could do the walk in walts tour