Another hefty price increase

[disneykelly]

Since folks didn't like my comparison to museums/sporting events/one day type locations and the prices they charge I did some digging. As you can see Disney is pretty "nice" to allow folks to bring outside food in. You can pack your lunch and enjoy it while sitting outside the Pirates or Haunted Mansion. But try and do that in Seuss Landing and you will be in big trouble. Probably won't even get through the front gate with that PBJ - unless it fits in that tiny cooler.

Universal Studios:

Acceptable items:

• Bottled water
• Small snacks that do not require heating
• Any food required for medical purposes and medically–indicated nutritional supplements
• Any food required for special dietary needs
• Baby food/baby formula
• Soft-sided insulated bags no larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep

Prohibited items:

• Picnic lunches
• Food that requires heating or refrigeration
• Alcohol and glass containers
• Hard-sided coolers
• Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep
• Coolers, suitcases, and bags with wheels

Kings Dominion: Virginia (Owned by Cedar Fair - so this rule applies to all locations 14 total)

Am I permitted to bring my own food and beverages into the park?
For everyone's safety, guests are not permitted to bring coolers, outside food, or other drinks into Kings Dominion. Three shaded picnic areas are available in the guest parking lot. Grills and open fires are not allowed. Individuals who have special diets or need items due to a medical condition are asked to visit Guest Services located at the Front Gate for accommodation.

Hershey Park: Pennsylvania

Other than one sealed water bottle per person, Hersheypark does not permit food or drink to be brought into the Park. Guests with special dietary needs can review our food and beverage information. The Outpost restaurant features allergen friendly food

Is it crazy to pay $3.00 for a bottle of soda - YES / NO / MAYBE
Do you have to pay it? YES / NO / MAYBE
Do you want to pack your lunch or leave to go somewhere else and eat? YES / NO / MAYBE

See what I did there - choices! That's what this is all about. We should be happy that we have choices. Just look above! Does it bother me that someone wants to leave and purchase their lunch off-site - heck no. Means that there's one less family looking for a dining location in the park. Does it bother me that a family is sitting eating their lunch that they packed - heck no. Do I want to leave the park and find lunch or put a PBJ sandwich together in my room and throw it in my bag? Nope - it's not for me. But that's ok. Because not everything is going to appeal to everyone. It's the old saying:
You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time

Well said!!
I personally don't venture outside of Disney property when I go. I want to put the outside world on hold and just do everything Disney while I can.

 

[Mikie]

Their food and drinks won't cost much less. And they might not even allow you to bring yours in.

No, I know the food isn't any better and tickets are similar too. I just mean that Disneybused to be very artful about wrapping you up in a gilded cage - bus to resorts so you don't need a car, extra hours and perks for onsite so you pay the premium resort prices, dining plan for the all-inclusive feel.

They still do those things, but So many large shake ups (prices, hours, add-ons, delays) just seem like they'd cause a risk that a lot of people will remove the Rose-colored glasses and see what else is around, thus spending money elsewhere in addition to or instead of WDW, which used to get all my vacation $$ exclusively. (When in FL)

 

[tlmadden73]

The way it is going, I can easily see Disney implementing a "no outside" food and drink policy like other theme parks (or at least no "coolers" of any size or shape). I am sure they will always let you bring in bottled water.
They will do it:
1) In the name of "security and guest safety"
2) Because they already have the increased security staff at bag check to help enforce it.
3) They want people to pay the inflated prices while 'trapped' inside the park .. just like any other theme park, airport, sporting event does
and ..
Let's be honest .. if people COULDN'T bring in things like that .. it would make security check-in faster and congestion less in the park. I mean somehow my parents survived WDW wheeling my little sister around in a tiny umbrella stroller back in the 80s. I know if I couldn't bring in as much junk I would bring a much smaller stroller for my son .. but since I can . .I use the stroller as a carrier to carry snacks, drinks, ponchos, cooling fans, etc. etc. etc.

I definitely think that Disney will see some cutbacks from all these price increases. Guests who were regularly going on 7 day vacations may just cut it back to 6 days (or cut out several meals, etc.).

But .. they may not care as this will reduce the crowded congestion that the parks have seen of late and WILL (even more) see once those new lands show up.
Price sometimes is an indirect way to do crowd control. This may be intentional to make the guest experience better by making the parks less crowded again, but still making the same revenue.

 

[mom2rtk]

Prices are what they are. Here in KC at Worlds of Fun the prices are just as much if not more than at Disney. I don't have a problem with the Increase Pay it or don't. It what it is. Much cheaper than at a ballgame or movie. Here in KC you can't bring food into the park. Its always been like that

I haven't been to WOF in years, but my daughter goes, and I give her cash for food there. Isn't there a Subway inside the park? Maybe I'm imagining it, but I swear there was a QuikTrip at one point. And I just checked the website and you can buy a certificate for an entrée, side and fountain drink for 13.99. I think that's a lot cheaper than Disney.

 

[TheRealDrDisney]

No, you can order drinks and food from grocery stores and have them delivered to your room. We've done it every year, and Disney has a very liberal policy about food in the parks, you can bring it in.

These prices are not horrible, I pay $2.39 for a regular soft drink at McD's here, less than a $1 differnce at WDW isn't so bad.

Is Disney offering free refills at QS locations like McDonalds does?

 

[anniemae]

The operative word is rumor. Rumor and gossip are the devils tools.

Well many of the topics on these boards are rumors, speculations, what-if's, things people heard from cm's, thing people read on another site etc.

It's just a place to speculate together and see what someone else may know. We work hard to plan and save for these trips, so if there is something coming down the pike that could impact someones trip, we talk about it.

 

[Anal Annie]

I noticed the $3.29 price on soft drinks / iced tea on our January trip at more than 1 place so this isn't entirely brand new. They've been slipping it in. I made up mind on that trip that I was no longer ordering fountain drinks - I'll ask for a cup / glass of water. We already use the refillable Brita water bottles - but sometimes it's just nice to have a new COLD drink.

 

[Megsmachine]

A 24 pack of water costs 6 dollars. I'll never understand how they get away with the prices they charge for water bottles. Esp when they get it on wholesale

A 24 case of water here, in IN is $2.99

 

[Megsmachine]

No, you can order drinks and food from grocery stores and have them delivered to your room. We've done it every year, and Disney has a very liberal policy about food in the parks, you can bring it in.

These prices are not horrible, I pay $2.39 for a regular soft drink at McD's here, less than a $1 differnce at WDW isn't so bad.

I thought all McD's had $1 drinks...maybe it's regional? All of the sodas at the McD's in our area offer $1 soft drinks no matter what size.

 

[mom2rtk]

I thought all McD's had $1 drinks...maybe it's regional? All of the sodas at the McD's in our area offer $1 soft drinks no matter what size.

I'm a McDonalds Diet Coke addict. It's been $1 here for years now. They used to do it as a seasonal promotion but a few years ago just made it permanent.

 

[Megsmachine]

Actually, in many McDonalds markets, the $1.00 any drink size promotion is over

Not in our area.

 

[Megsmachine]

Exactly! What I meant above. . . At slightly inflated prices, I sigh, then hand over my wallet. At drastically inflated prices, especially having taken a recent jump to get there, I gasp and can't bring myself to play along. I imagine this isn't unique to me, and this seems a sure way to actually lose money on a decent segment of customers.

Same here. We are supposed to be going to Disney again in February after this May trip. We are seriously considering canceling it. I used to feel it was worth the $ and anymore with all of these increases I don't think it is. I guess I used to believe (as silly as it sounds) that it was a mutual admiration society between Disney and us (us in the broad sense). Anymore I feel that Disney is in an ugly all out cash grab. I no longer feel that Disney is a "special" place that makes all the $$$ increases worth it. YMMV

 

[hakepb]

Ther

Is Disney offering free refills at QS locations like McDonalds does?

only at the very few DIY drink stations. Electric Umbrella (EPCOT) and DHS next to Indy, and BOG (lunch) are the only ones I can recall.

 

[Hikergirl]

Is Disney offering free refills at QS locations like McDonalds does?

I don't know, I don't get soft drinks at WDW and I don't think I've ever drank enough to have to refill my drink at McD's

 

[Hikergirl]

I thought all McD's had $1 drinks...maybe it's regional? All of the sodas at the McD's in our area offer $1 soft drinks no matter what size.

I took that number off my receipt from the other night so unless they started charging $1 as of yesterday it must be regional. The only drink that was and maybe still is $1 was sweet tea and its huge.

 

[MermaidMommy]

There's no way to spin three price hikes in six weeks as anything but a blatant cash grab. Food prices haven't suddenly skyrocketed since March.

 

[Keyser]

I'm a McDonalds Diet Coke addict. It's been $1 here for years now. They used to do it as a seasonal promotion but a few years ago just made it permanent.

It's still $1 here, too (in Texas). McDonald's is still making significant profit even then - fountain drinks are super-cheap in terms of costs to the seller. A few years ago, I was surprised to find that even in Hawaii (home of expensive everything) the McDonald's drinks were still just $1 (though only at the non-tourist area McDonalds' - the ones by the tourist areas had much more expensive drinks).

Disney will charge what the market will bear. But, as someone who drinks a lot of soft drinks, I'll make it a point to order at least two fewer drinks on my next visit due to this increase. At least for my part, that'll guarantee that Disney loses profit due to the increase .

(Also, I am curious if Disney gives free refills during the same visit - it does make a big difference for those of us who do drink a lot of cokes...).

 

[scrapquitler]

Consider most restaurants charge $2-3 for fountain drinks, those prices aren't horrible.

As stated above .. compared to a sporting event that is pretty good.

The costs of the "kids" drinks are pretty expensive though. I am not sure how large those are (hopefully larger than a juice box). What is shocking is you usually get juice or milk included with kids meals at most restaurants. Those kid's meals cost as much total as some of these drinks.

Disney does include a drink in kids meals, at least at QS locations. I kind of laugh when I purchase a $5.98 kids breakfast, and it includes the milk, which is priced separately at 1.99 or something, but I'm not complaining at all.

 

[scrapquitler]

I thought all McD's had $1 drinks...maybe it's regional? All of the sodas at the McD's in our area offer $1 soft drinks no matter what size.

Not here in New England.

 

[mom2rtk]

There's no way to spin three price hikes in six weeks as anything but a blatant cash grab. Food prices haven't suddenly skyrocketed since March.

I agree. It's indefensible.