Anyone else completely priced out of the buffets at Disney now?

I guess this is why we always do the dining plan. And its not because the dining plan necessarily saves us any money. We do it because it means we've prepaid all of our meals and won't have to stress about the cost of meals while we're there. We just eat where we want to eat. Typically we do snack type stuff for breakfast but we do like to have a sit down breakfast here and there. In those cases we will use our swagbucks for that.
 
My wife was born in South Africa and Boma brings back memories for her. Other than that al a carte offers a much better value.
 
It's not just Disney buffets. Here in Phoenix good quality weekend brunch buffets at the various resorts are upwards of $50-$75pp. Buffets here in the $30 or less range are very basic lacking much selection.
 
Interesting. Here in my city in south Louisiana there are no reputable buffets with the exception of some thanksgiving thing.

We do better as said above a la carte.
 


We are going next May. Yes, I was a bit shocked at the price increase but I know ahead and am still doing some sort of TS/character meal at least once a day for two weeks. It’s a lot of money but I am at a different place in life than I was during previous trips. We are taking my sister, nephew and his wife and little girl. This may be the first and last ime we get to go as a family due to my husband’s health. We are doing it up this trip. Also, not just financially in a different place but mindset as well. I don’t want to spend my vacation cooking or leaving the parks to eat or packing a lunch. It’s all about where you are in life.
 
We are going next May. Yes, I was a bit shocked at the price increase but I know ahead and am still doing some sort of TS/character meal at least once a day for two weeks. It’s a lot of money but I am at a different place in life than I was during previous trips. We are taking my sister, nephew and his wife and little girl. This may be the first and last ime we get to go as a family due to my husband’s health. We are doing it up this trip. Also, not just financially in a different place but mindset as well. I don’t want to spend my vacation cooking or leaving the parks to eat or packing a lunch. It’s all about where you are in life.

When my family was young and our finances were different, we made do. Day trips, packing lunches, etc. As they got older things changed, but we still needed to travel with a tight budget, and we did. My family is all married and our circumstances have changed, but like you, our mindset has as well. I am not cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry on vacation. If we decide to take people with us, we plan how much we will be able to spend on all of us, and go from there. Each trip is different, but we consider those who are with us and plan accordingly. I am not sure how long we can sustain the increase in a WDW vacation, however like you, if we do choose to go, we will manage our overall budget. I am not sure how Disney has looked at their revenues, and where they want them to be, but I know I have a finite budget, so if I spend it on dining I do not spend it on souvenirs. When it is gone: it's gone.
 
So has anyone else pretty much been priced out of buffets at Disney? We are completely.
Yep. We used to do lunch at Crystal Palace every visit because we liked the food and are big Pooh fans. The last time we went, which was quite a few years ago, my wife happened to see the bill and was appalled at how expensive it was (and it's only gotten worse since then). We haven't been to a Disney buffet since.
 


We aren’t necessarily priced out, but we refuse to pay those prices anymore. On our last trip, DH and I decided that buffets are way too much money for the quality of food you get, especially now that my twin sons are considered Disney adults.

On a bright note, we really feel Disney has stepped up the QS offerings. We decided for our next trip we are doing only QS. In addition to the cost benefits, we also appreciate and look forward to not having to plan our whole day around one TS meal.
 
especially now that my twin sons are considered Disney adults
I think this is the tipping point for a lot of families. Very few 10-year-olds (or 11 or 12) eat like adults. Heck, my 23-year-old still orders from the kids menu more often than not. So paying full adult prices for kids who are going to have a scoop of mac and cheese and some bread and butter just isn't something many people are willing to do.

Years ago, Disney used to have a 3-tier price structure: Child, Junior, and Adult. Adult was 18+. I don't recall the range for Junior but it was probably 12-17. At least that made it a little easier to swallow the prices.
 
For our January trip we're eating at Tusker House, Crystal Palace, BOG breakfast, Trail's End. After the price hike, I decided to get the dining package. We actually got it for $60 pp pd, so with the alcohol & snacks, it's worth it. If we would be paying our selves, I would probably give up on some of those venues.
 

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