Are $60 buffets Disney's incentive to purchase the DDP

[manning]

$60 for a buffet? Golden Carrol is looking better and better. What's their cost $10 or under? I think there's one around Publix by entrance to Celebration.

I'd take a $10 heart burn over a $60.

 

[davper]

$60 for a buffet? Golden Carrol is looking better and better. What's their cost $10 or under? I think there's one around Publix by entrance to Celebration.

I'd take a $10 heart burn over a $60.

I did GC once. Will never do it again.

 

[manning]

I did GC once. Will never do it again.

I know but that $60 price tag sure gives you incentive

 

[barbaraann]

Personally with the price of table service meals at Disney, you would think the counter service restaurants would be more crowded. However, when people/kids/guests get their heart set on dining at a certain location, Disney up's the charge accordingly. Is there no end to the madness?

 

[davper]

I know but that $60 price tag sure gives you incentive

NOPE! I'll go hungry first.

 

[megster1123]

Our stay starts Oct 3, the day after the reported increase. All this info has done is turn me into a new ADR hoarder - I'm suddenly very interested in LTT and Skipper Canteen! CP and CM will be hittin' the skids if this increase holds true.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

Dang I am very concerned now. There were a few more meals I was looking at but I may only do 2-4. Castle meal, BOG, Maybe the F one, and maybe one at epcot. But I am wondering if the quick service meals would be better now. Just pay for the few I want us to do and call it a day.
Can you pay for those meals with Disney Gift cards?

 

[manning]

NOPE! I'll go hungry first.

Was used as a comparison. Let's say Disney buffet compared to any buffet of equal. quality. That will save $50 or there about. I don't consider any buffet near gourmet dining.

 

[manning]

I take that back. Forgot Villa de Flora at half the price at the Gaylord's Palm.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Actually made the comment to my wife on our honeymoon that these waiters at Yachtsman have to be making a killing. It's not like some random steak house in a normal city where it might be busy 3 or 4 nights out of the week, they stay busy every night all year long. People are on vacation and willing to spend the money....the guy was very good at his job, but i'm sure he was making a killing.

They USED To make a killing...but they started waging war on the waiters (bartenders...cough cough...pleasure island) about 20 years ago...

Less tables...less shifts...not allowing more than one meal period per shift.

Why? Because if some drones make actual money - then the rest of the hive might want some too.

Maybe even those minimum wage college programmers - who Disney pays a couple of bucks out of pocket for after federal subsidies (job training/education programs)...

Labor is a way bigger deal than you can imagine in the swamp.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

I went through the meals I know we want to eat at and added it up
so far I amusingg 6 out 8 table service meals
and 5 out 8 quick service meals. but still have more to plan. I also added in snacks
we are between 250-350 over by buying with dinning plan. I think it works for us knowing we have no breakfasts, and 1-2 table services to still chose, and 3 qs meals to choose. 60 x3 for the qs meals= 180

so on high side 350-180 leaves 170 left to spend on table service meals
40 x 3= 120 thats with 1 ts meal
15 x 3 drink- 45- thats 165
so for me it would be 5 buck loss I would have all the meals I know we want + more

 

[MommaBerd]

Dang I am very concerned now. There were a few more meals I was looking at but I may only do 2-4. Castle meal, BOG, Maybe the F one, and maybe one at epcot. But I am wondering if the quick service meals would be better now. Just pay for the few I want us to do and call it a day.
Can you pay for those meals with Disney Gift cards?

Yes, you can. You can pay at the location or you can charge it back to your room using your MB and then go to Guest Services at the resort and pay your bill with GCs every evening or every other evening.

 

[Nancyg56]

They USED To make a killing...but they started waging war on the waiters (bartenders...cough cough...pleasure island) about 20 years ago...

Less tables...less shifts...not allowing more than one meal period per shift.

Why? Because if some drones make actual money - then the rest of the hive might want some too.

Maybe even those minimum wage college programmers - who Disney pays a couple of bucks out of pocket for after federal subsidies (job training/education programs)...

Labor is a way bigger deal than you can imagine in the swamp.

Labor is complicated everywhere. I keep seeing people attempting to calculate server wages but they base those wages on a minimum wage with that 18% added on top. No. Servers are gauranteed minimum wage by law, but they gratuity is added in to their gross, but that is after it is divvied up between many others who also are not making minimum wage. Servers, bussers, runners, bartenders, etc all get a cut of the tip. This is nto to say you cannot make a decent Living, but it is way moe complicated than some folks guessing what they make based on made up figures.

I run payroll for a lot of small businesses and see the breakdowns of wages, tips etc. It is interesting fo me. I also see how some businesses pay their website managers and IT folks in comparison to their admins and bookkeepers. I can say it is also surprising how value is determined and then compensated.

Finally, I worked for a huge call center for years. We took work outsourced from other businesses, and as a QA analyst, I spent a lot of time in training classes. Why the turnover????? The money spent training was crazy! Many of these businesses profited from hiring and providing "retraining" workers. It was not nice IMO, but the businesses wee getting fed money to do this, and happily took it.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Good news for the restaurants just outside the Disney gates, rental car companies and Uber...

 

[MommaBerd]

It would seem to me that Disney would not up the number of TS credits for buffets for 2016. None of their "print" material about the 2016 Dining Plan have the disclaimer that the number of credits can change, only that some locations may change. So, while they may up the prices for OOP in October, it doesn't seem plausible for them to charge 2 TS credits until 2017, especially since people are still making ADRs for this calendar year.

I can handle the price increases for tix and even resort stays, but these rumored food price increases are just unreasonable and even more illogical to pay. But, maybe they want to decrease demand for the character dining? I saw on another thread where a mom wanted to do *8* character meals in 11 days! Now if she's willing to pay, more power to her, but each of those meals represent an opportunity lost for another family, right? If you raise prices, it seems that people will make those meals more of a once or twice a trip experience, opening availability for new/different families. Or am I being too rational or giving Disney more credit/benefit than it deserves?

 

[Minnesota!]

Seriously, kudos to you!!!!! I wish I could do that!

Thanks! It's one area of my life where I seem to have total control. Being super smart with my grocery budget means I can vacation a heck of a lot more throughout the year! I still won't pay $60 for a dining experience at WDW, though Not with 3 "adults", almost 4, on my dime. $180 - $240 for a single, sub par meal is ridiculous, I don't care how wealthy you are. You are, literally, flushing away money...

 

[Eoghann]

$180 - $240 for a single, sub par meal is ridiculous, I don't care how wealthy you are. You are, literally, flushing away money...

Exactly. The quality of those buffets has dropped noticeably in the last 10 years at about the rate the costs have increased.

If I can afford to go to Disney I can afford a meal or two, but it's just a waste. I could experience actual fine dining with expert waiters who know their food and a sophisticated atmosphere for that amount of money.

Or I could I could sit in an overcrowded, over loud restaurant and have to shove people out of the way to get food that's sometimes dry or luke warm and is nothing I couldn't get at any buffet in the country.

 

[Minnesota!]

Exactly. The quality of those buffets has dropped noticeably in the last 10 years at about the rate the costs have increased.

If I can afford to go to Disney I can afford a meal or two, but it's just a waste. I could experience actual fine dining with expert waiters who know their food and a sophisticated atmosphere for that amount of money.

Or I could I could sit in an overcrowded, over loud restaurant and have to shove people out of the way to get food that's sometimes dry or luke warm and is nothing I couldn't get at any buffet in the country.

100% agree. I know, it's a tourist destination, yadda yadda. However, so are a lot of places. And, in most places $200 will get you, at least, a good piece of steak, with great sides, some wine/good beer, and a dessert. We can go to our favorite steakhouse and have a fantastic meal for less than a buffet at Disney. It's...stupid.

 

[evenrude]

$60 bucks!!!! Maybe they are introducing the Victoria & Alberts Character Breakfast Buffet.....Imagine a family of 4 paying around $280 (with tip) at Chef Mickeys to get eggs slung in your face every 30 minutes....incredible....and no thanks....

 

[MARDUN]

DVC membership and their accommodations keep making more sense. A few counter service meals maybe a sit down for a special occasion and make our own buffet. The restaurants and dining plans are no longer a good value. Maybe Disney is trying to promote DVC.