Buffet Price Increases

[Regina]

Just an FYI, as of 12/1 almost all of the Disney Buffets went up $1.00 per person. The Liberty Tree had a slightly higher increase of $3.00 per person.

 

[bicker]

Hmmm... LTT is the only one we're doing. I suppose that's some testament to how great the experience is. We can't wait.

 

[Forever42]

Ack, that puts LTT at $28 now? I used to consider it one of the more reasonable character dinners. $3 isn't much to sneeze at, but it's the principle.

 

[AMcaptured]

Disney has a funny way of adding money to an item and taking something away at the same time.

We have been staying at the Yacht and Beach club since the first year it opened and about 3 years ago the prices all went up at Hurricane Hannah's. I remember the chicken fingers went from 5.95 to 6.95 but in the process they now gave THREE chicken fingers instead of 4 and replaced the french fries with a bag of chips. So technically it went up much more than 17% because they were giving you less food.

I know at the buffets a few years ago they stopped including the non alcoholic beverages and increased the price of the meal. They then went up another dollar or two and included the soft drinks again.

I have to wonder how much the meal plans being available will ultimately contribute to a significant price increase for all food park wide.

 

[Forever42]

I have to wonder how much the meal plans being available will ultimately contribute to a significant price increase for all food park wide.

This, along with decline in quality, service, and menu variety (look at Spoodles) is what's worrying us. We'll never do the dining plan since we live in Orlando, so it doesn't benefit us.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

That stinks- the buffets are ok but terribly overpriced IMHO. We only got to 1 or 2 character buffets just to see characters. We just don't eat enough to justify the price.

 

[Amy&Dan]

That's too bad. It doesn't seem like much until you add it to every person in the party for every buffet. LTT will now cost my family an additional $15 since there will be five of us dining there in January. Its bad enough my 11 year old pays full price. Oh well, love the food and atmosphere so you have to take the bad with the good I guess! It won't change my plans (or anyone else's I'll bet)and probably Disney knows that so why not hike the prices?

 

[bicker]

That's pretty-much it, in a nutshell, Amy&Dan.

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

Thank goodness that I got the Disney Dining Experience card!

It should take away a little of the bite of the price increase.

 

[Julia M]

well, I'm glad that I booked Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Fare and Boma during our "splurge" trip this month, while we're on the dining plan.

I just don't see us eating there in the future.......Chef Mickey's (if that's one of the restaurants that increased) will cost our family $149.97 (with tax and a 15% tip) And that's with an 8 year old...he'll be an adult soon!

Dh kind of convinced me to use the dining plan...primarily for the fact that it would be prepaid. I wasn't as sure, but I'm glad we did now!

Julia

 

[bigcrit]

I'm no that impressed with the food at LTT. I love the character interaction though. I'm kinda glad no one wanted to eat there this trip. $3 is significant price increase IMHO. I hope the food quality doesn't get any worse.

 

[mmcguire]

I have to wonder how much the meal plans being available will ultimately contribute to a significant price increase for all food park wide.

I was sitting here thinking the exact same thing. Those of us who have no interest in the Dining Plan are paying for it anyway it in the form of higher prices and poor service. Based on the recent buffet increases and growing frequency of bad service, we are SERIOUSLY considering cancelling half of the meals we reserved.

Is it fair for visitors who want to eat normal meals and be budget concious to suffer because Disney screwed up royally offering this plan, and is learning the hard way that people WILL get their money's worth by eating themselves into oblivion? I can't even count how many references to "dessert at breakfast" I've run across in dining plan threads. Who on earth needs dessert at breakfast, and what kind of eating habit example are they setting for their children???

(Donning asbestos suit) I've never ranted against anything on these boards, but I'm going to tonight. This dining plan is like a runaway train. How is it a value when one must 1) pay rack rate for a room; 2)spend days (if not more) figuring out how to thoroughly gorge themselves to break even and 3)eat many more (and larger) meals, snacks and desserts than you normally would. Isn't time worth something? And how can anyone enjoy the parks after eating so much? I'd be in a food coma the rest of the day!

People using the dining plan as an excuse to be absolute pigs is a testament to how greedy and disgusting we Americans have become. People from other countries who read this board must be horrified at the decadence and gluttony. I'm not referring to all Dining Plan participants, I'm referring mainly to those who buy cookies at breakfast and stuff their luggage with rice krispy treats because God forbid there be a single CS credit left when it's all said and done.

I once read a quote that basically said that eating food you don't want or need is just as wasteful as throwing it in the trash. A lot of food being trashed at Disney these days. Shameful.

 

[tone.def]

(Donning asbestos suit) I've never ranted against anything on these boards, but I'm going to tonight. This dining plan is like a runaway train. How is it a value when one must 1) pay rack rate for a room; 2)spend days (if not more) figuring out how to thoroughly gorge themselves to break even and 3)eat many more (and larger) meals, snacks and desserts than you normally would. Isn't time worth something? And how can anyone enjoy the parks after eating so much? I'd be in a food coma the rest of the day!

People using the dining plan as an excuse to be absolute pigs is a testament to how greedy and disgusting we Americans have become. People from other countries who read this board must be horrified at the decadence and gluttony. I'm not referring to all Dining Plan participants, I'm referring mainly to those who buy cookies at breakfast and stuff their luggage with rice krispy treats because God forbid there be a single CS credit left when it's all said and done.

I'm totally not flaming you, but I understood that the dining plan entails:

- 1 Table-Service meal (appetizer, entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage)
- 1 Counter-Service meal (entre and non-alcoholic beverage, or full combo meal: entre, side dish and non-alcoholic beverage)
- 1 Snack (such as snack-cart ice cream, popcorn or a non-alcoholic beverage)

for $35... That doesn't seem like a lot of food to me (I'm Canadian... I just did a quick check of obesity stats between out 2 countries and I'd say we're pretty close...
While 23% of Canadian adults were obese in 2004, the rate was nearly 30% south of the border.
See articles:
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/d050706a.htm
and
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/), in fact, I think that's about close to what I would eat in a run of a day, minus desert everyday - that's not needed, even when on vacation!

I do get quite the kick out of the way I see some people itemize their dining plan credits with menus and post it here asking for input about how to better get their money's worth because what if one snack is not claimed - oh no!

That being said, I'm not on the dining plan for my upcoming trip because I merely enjoy a bowl of cereal for breakfast with a glass of juice, tend to skip lunch for the most part (I know, bad!), but I'll have a snack of some sort and then have an entree for dinner and I drink water. Who needs to pay $35 when I can pay $20 for 5 out of 7 days and then enjoy a nice sit-down meal for the other 2 and not have to choose from a limited menu? I'm there to go on rides, run around the parks, go swimming and relax, not stress about dining credits.

Do people really buy cookies at breakfast? I did that in college my first year just because I could... but I grew out of that...

They have a Second Harvest program in Toronto where left over food from restaurants goes to those in need... it would be really nice if Disney would do something like that.

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

For the same amount of money as most of the buffets you could eat at the Flying Fish or California Grill and have a meal worth remembering.

We ate at three buffets on our last trip and we'll never eat at one again. What a waste of money. Who cares if it's all you can eat when the food is not that good to begin with. We value quality of quantity.

 

[Cookie Princess]

(Donning asbestos suit) I've never ranted against anything on these boards, but I'm going to tonight. This dining plan is like a runaway train. How is it a value when one must 1) pay rack rate for a room; 2)spend days (if not more) figuring out how to thoroughly gorge themselves to break even and 3)eat many more (and larger) meals, snacks and desserts than you normally would. Isn't time worth something? And how can anyone enjoy the parks after eating so much? I'd be in a food coma the rest of the day!

People using the dining plan as an excuse to be absolute pigs is a testament to how greedy and disgusting we Americans have become. People from other countries who read this board must be horrified at the decadence and gluttony. I'm not referring to all Dining Plan participants, I'm referring mainly to those who buy cookies at breakfast and stuff their luggage with rice krispy treats because God forbid there be a single CS credit left when it's all said and done.

I am usually not one to join in on these type of posts, but didn't like the "greedy and disgusting" part. A lot of places have all inclusive type clubs that people from all over the world enjoy - not just Americans. If you look at the cruise ship industry there is a lot of eating going on there as well. People who eat healthy during the year enjoy eating some excess on vacations. You pay for the meals ahead of time for the convenience. As far as your quote about having to pay rack rate for the hotel, we got the AAA discount for our room by booking our package (including meal plan) through AAA. I think your quote is a tad bit extreme. We enjoyed the dining plan, but at times didn't order the desserts or all the appetizers because we were just too full and didn't want to waste food. Just another opinion. As an annual visitor, I do think that the quality of food has slipped a tad since WDW offered the plan as they are trying to feed more visitors in the same amount of time. P.S. We returned home with 2 CS credits and didn't fret about it. Flame proof skivies fully engaged.

 

[bicker]

I have to wonder how much the meal plans being available will ultimately contribute to a significant price increase for all food park wide.

There is no reason to think that there is any such relationship. Actually, it would make more sense that the meal plans popularity is helping keep price increases down. The more utilization there is for an asset, the less each patron needs to pay with regard to their share of the fixed costs. When considering the costs of running a restaurant, the cost of the actual food ingredients is pretty minimal. The main cost is labor, but beyond that there are significant fixed costs. The more patrons you have, the less you have to charge each patron to cover your fixed costs.

Not that the prices you charge ever really have anything to do with your costs. Prices never are based on costs. Prices are based on perceived value. The only thing that would support a significant price increase for all food park wide is an increase in guest demand -- how much guests desire the food.

 

[lyncruiser]

I agree with MMcGuire that the Dining Plan seems to be contributing to an overall decline in the quality of dining at WDW. Menu items are gone. Menu choices are more limited. Things are done on the cheap. Every extra is being eliminated -- right down to the salsa with the breakfast burrito at the Boardwalk Bakery. That was eliminated during our stay! We got it early in the trip and when we returned a few days later it had been eliminated in favor of packaged ketchup.

Prices are going to have to rise because tables are turning over less while every patron consumes an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. It won't be long before dining at WDW is no different than dining on a mass market cruise ship. Plenty of food and all of it mediocre. But, the Dining Plan as well as the trend in dining at WDW reflects what the public wants -- they want tons of food and they don't give a hoot about the quality. And, Disney appears to be trying to compete with the mass market cruise lines in providing the food-included option.

Too bad -- looks like a race to the bottom between WDW and the cruise lines as far as dining goes!

 

[bytheblood]

Is it fair for visitors who want to eat normal meals and be budget concious to suffer because Disney screwed up royally offering this plan, and is learning the hard way that people WILL get their money's worth by eating themselves into oblivion? I can't even count how many references to "dessert at breakfast" I've run across in dining plan threads. Who on earth needs dessert at breakfast, and what kind of eating habit example are they setting for their children???

(Donning asbestos suit) I've never ranted against anything on these boards, but I'm going to tonight. This dining plan is like a runaway train. How is it a value when one must 1) pay rack rate for a room; 2)spend days (if not more) figuring out how to thoroughly gorge themselves to break even and 3)eat many more (and larger) meals, snacks and desserts than you normally would. Isn't time worth something? And how can anyone enjoy the parks after eating so much? I'd be in a food coma the rest of the day!

People using the dining plan as an excuse to be absolute pigs is a testament to how greedy and disgusting we Americans have become. People from other countries who read this board must be horrified at the decadence and gluttony. I'm not referring to all Dining Plan participants, I'm referring mainly to those who buy cookies at breakfast and stuff their luggage with rice krispy treats because God forbid there be a single CS credit left when it's all said and done.

Hmmm, I peronally think your statements are overboard, somewhat inaccurate and perhaps a bit judgemental.

The dining plan allows 1 table service, 1 counter service and 1 snack. (that does not sound like being a disgusting pig to me)

Many fit people on a daily basis eat breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack and a nice size dinner or a large breakfast, mid-afternoon snack and smaller dinner. That is not unheard of and the plan allows just that.

My best friend and I will be using the plan in May and will be enjoying dinners (without dessert) that cost more than 2x my daily dining plan fee.

Disney food is over-priced anyway and if a person chooses to have a $35 6oz Filet Mignon with a salad and an $8 dessert afterwards, that does not sound like gourging to me. Sounds like I am getting my monies worth while paying high prices for food.

I always come home at least 5 lbs lighter when visiting the World and I love to eat when I am on vacation.


Hmmm - $37.50 daily for a dining plan or
$12 for 1 egg, toast, 2 slices of bacon and OJ (cartiac breakfast)
$10 for a drink and chicken sandwich
$10 for a drink, cheeseburger and fries (cartiac dinner)

 

[bicker]

Well, calling it a "race to the bottom" is really just loaded language. Everyone has different tastes -- true. Personally, I'd rather things trend toward the super-healthy, rather that your apparent preference of haute cuisine, or what you've asserted is the general public's preference of plenty-but-mediocre. The reality is that there are a lot of experiences available for both of our niche interests, but surely the bulk of the options will "rate to the top" (actually) with respect to what the vast majority of folks want.

I think you're right-on-the-money with the correlation to cruise lines. (It should be noted, though, that food-included is the modus operandi for high-end cruise lines, as well as the mass market cruise lines.) This is also the case with the up-and-coming all-inclusive family resorts, like Beaches. I would bet that this is a trend we'll be seeing a lot more of. If they're not already offering it, I'd see it offered at Wisconsin Dells and Great Wolf Lodge.

I'm disappointed that, as a DVC member, the program is not available to me in January 2005. We would use it 100%, and instead we'll pay a bit more. Oh well. When we go back in January 2006 it'll be available to use, and I'm sure we'll take advantage of it. It'll save us a little bit of money, and save us a little bit of the worry about how much we're spending while we're on vacation -- it's not real money by then.

 

[kennancat]

They have a Second Harvest program in Toronto where left over food from restaurants goes to those in need... it would be really nice if Disney would do something like that.

Hi - this is off topic, but just wanted to let you know I've heard that Disney does participate in this program in Orlando.