CRT New Pricing Poll

[NMW]

I voted for take my credit card. I have an almost 4 year old DD who lives, sleeps, breathes princesses. As I type this, she is wearing her Belle costume and watching a princess Sing Along Songs DVD on the sofa.

I will continue to book the breakfast for our yearly trips until she is "too old" for them. My sons (7 and 9) could care less! If I just had boys I would probably not book it with the price increase even though I love breakfast in the castle.

 

[Uncleromulus]

NMW-
I read somehwere (another post?) that they would no longer honor the DDE. CRT would no longer be a "participating" restaurant.

 

[Dina]

I won't go to CRT with the price increase (and have never been to CRT), however, that's easy for me to say-- I have two boys who have no desire to dine with Cinderella. That being said, if I had a little girl, I'm sure I'd suck it up and take her at least once. I still think the price increase stinks.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We just had lunch in the castle 10/21. It was fun, it was neat to see, we have absolutely no reason to do it again. DS will be 10 in January so he didn't really even care about it this time. I am SURE he doesn't care if we go again. DH said the food was fine, but he has no desire to go back. It was worth one credit each on Dining, but TWO credits? NO WAY!

I would rather do something we haven't done before than knock myself out to get another ressie for CRT. If I had a DD who had never been before I would consider it, but I would pay out of pocket.

 

[jenjersnap]

Well, we did breakfast last December. The atmosphere was lovely. The food stunk (I still feel nauseous remembering the tasted-like-old-grease-fried french toast, it was truly unappetizing). I can't imagine paying so much for that level of food quality, IMO.

We are doing lunch this December. It's mostly for mom (ME!). But that is our last time eating at CRT. Too pricy when there are other good meals to be had at WDW. plus, I have two - soon to be three - boys and my oldest, who loves princess attention now, will be out-growing the idea soon.

Disney promotes it's "affordability" in tv commercials "Experience a Walt Disney vacation for less than $1500!" but, honestly, with the recent prices increases, bumping down the max age for kids at buffets, etc. they are taking away the ability of many families to experience some of the more special, unique characteristics of being at WDW. I understand that they are charging what they feel the market can bear but I am still sad for those families.

 

[DreaminDisney]

We'll never do breakfast there again but will try lunch or dinner. Preferably lunch so DD (5) who loves the princesses can see them.
I wanted to do both lunch and dinner upcoming trip... lunch to celebrate a b-day (mine ) and dinner (celebrate our 10 yr Anniversary) but doubt we'll do both now. I am positive we'll never do breakfast there again. That IMO was not worth it even before price increase but I'm glad we did it once (never do it again though). Looking forward to having lunch there.

 

[Princess Mommy]

We usually dine there evry trip, but now I am relieved we have ADR for December- but I don't think we will on our next rip in Aug 2006

 

[disney queen]

we have had breakfast at the castle several times, even have ADRs for december. but w/this price increase, december might be our last time.

 

[Tina1]

Were going in January . This will be our last time at the Castle, sorry to say. This is my favirote place for breakfast. But don't need pics so can't see paying all that money. This will change who will be eating at the castle, no adults will want to go now. People with children will be more intersted, and possibly just once. At least I have January Tina

 

[puddleduck]

We are going for our first and last time this Dec. I thought it would be a magical way to end our vacation by having dinner at the castle our last night in the world. Having 3 boys, one who abhors all things deemed girly, it probably would have been our last time any way. I think the price is outrageous, but there are a lot of things out there that I would like to do that I feel is more money than they are worth, so I just don't do them. Disney, like any vacation destination, is expensive. If they see that people quit coming then they will lower the price. But, as long as people are willing to "bite the bullet" for that special experience, they will continue to charge more.

 

[ainmama2001]

We did it last month and my dd loved it, but she'll have to get a job if she wants to do it again at those crazy prices!!!!

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

We did it last month and my dd loved it, but she'll have to get a job if she wants to do it again at those crazy prices!!!!

 

[glass slipper girl]

I have sons so it isn't a big deal to me BUT if I did have daughters who were princess fanatics, I would do this ONCE. One trip. That's it. After that we could see Cinderella at 1900 or the other princesses at PSB but only once in the castle. I'd do it once because it is neat to be inside the castle but at these prices it would absolutely not be an every trip event.

 

[Stitch1404]

Does anyone else feel like we (myself included) have a lot to do with this price increase? I mean aren't us folks on this website (and others like it) the ones who were getting up at 7 am 90 days out and having the meal booked by 7:15 am? It wasn't the general public, it was "Disney obsessed people" like myself. Disney saw that and reacted. I think the castle will still fill up at least for breakfast every day.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I already had booked my CRT lunch for Christmas week, so I will definitely keep it. This is the first and last time we'll do it, though. My kids really are aged out on the princess thing, and we're doing this as a lark for my DD17 before she goes off to college. I may have done it again later, when the grandkids start coming (let's hope that's not for another decade!), but by then, I'm sure the pricing structure will have changed a million times over...or maybe by then CRT won't exist. So the short answer is, this really doesn't affect me.

However, IF I were planning a trip after all the price changes, I probably would still book it...if all the variables and reasons were the same. This vacation is turning into a train wreck on my budget, but it's still something I would want to experience at least once.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Does anyone else feel like we (myself included) have a lot to do with this price increase? I mean aren't us folks on this website (and others like it) the ones who were getting up at 7 am 90 days out and having the meal booked by 7:15 am? It wasn't the general public, it was "Disney obsessed people" like myself. Disney saw that and reacted. I think the castle will still fill up at least for breakfast every day.

Well, yes and no. The breakfast has always sold out....for years now. Would it sell out if there were no "Dis"? I think it would. Maybe not over the phone, but for that day it would. Ofcourse, this is just my opinion.

Will it still continue to sell out? I think it will, at least, at first. Can they maintain that? I don't know.

All I know is, IF it ever has trouble filling up, Disney will look into changing it. Only if people don't show up will Disney get the message that we don't like what they have done.

I'm sure people who haven't done CRT will still go. Then they will say that they have done it once and no need to pay that again. I don't think they will get as much repeat business as they have gotten. Again, JMHO.

 

[goofy4tink]

Voted a resounding NO!!! We've had two breakfasts with the princesses, a regular lunch (pre-princess) and a wonderful dinner there. The dinner was, believe it or not, one of the best meals we've had. But, that was when you could order off a menu. My dd, just turned 12, is not a big eater and wouldn't be able to find anything to suit her at either lunch or dinner now. We had planned on having her 13th birthday lunch there but all the changes have made it impossible. It wasn't about the princesses...just the setting and being in the Castle. We'll be having her girly birthday lunch elsewhere.

As far as it being a bad decision by Disney....I still maintain that at least the breakfast will still be completely booked. Lunch will most likely do very well. Look how well the Princess meals in Norway did. So, they will get their fair share of tourists meal budget....just not mine!!

 

[jcriket]

Not to go OT but is the dinner gonna be character?
Because if so why......I loved when they had normal lunch and now we have to do dinner because the lunch is character. And if it is, then do they keep the things that are on the original menu?

 

[Sammie]

No, you added those two sentences after you pressed submit the first time. The fact that 80% of the folks responding to this poll have changed their minds about dining there is an indication that they are not too happy about the pricing change. That is absolutely going to have an impact on the way they feel about their vacation at Walt Disney World. Some have become a little (or perhaps a lot) less excited about it today. $32 for breakfast (regardless of whether or not it includes $0.50 worth of photographic paper) is an outrageous sum of money to pay for eggs and french toast. Sure, some will pay it, but a smaller and smaller percentage of them will walk away feeling like they got value. Fewer will tell their friends at home how great it was. Some may even opt to stay in cheaper accomodations to afford the whole trip. Sounds far-fetched? Not really. As the total cost of a vacation continues to rise, consumers must make decisions on where to cut. You can only push the "what the market will bear" envelope so far before it snaps back and bites you. That's not a recipe for long term success.


When the princesses were added to Akershus, the price went up by $10 a head. Divide the total time the princesses are at your table by the number of guests at the table and you arrive at a unit cost of about $10 a minute for princess time. Value?

But is only 80% of those polled here. Many will never give it a second thought. And those will fill the resturant and be happy to be there.

I think the 80% who posted here, more than likely have gone before and with the price increase will simply not go again.

I sincerely believe that the majority of guests going to WDW do not analyze the cost nearly as much as the DISers do.

As to what the market will bear truly only time will tell. I seriously doubt Disney makes these decisions without studying what the market will bear where I would have to think yours is based on personal feelings and less on facts.

However if they determine they are wrong and you are right, they will adjust it accordingly and you can say I told you so.

 

[speakupjc]

We usually enjoy it at dinner and will be enjoying it this November, however, it will be the last time. If I have a choice of getting a 2 TS meal per person at CRT, CA Grill or the Yachsman. The CRT would come in last place. The meals at the CRT are worth 1 credit but 2 credits for a $38 meal is outragous. I won't pay it or use my dining credits for it.