Dining Price Increase For Summer *Updated with info from Dining CM*

[Slappy White]

I've looked several places and I can't find the answer to this question: has Disneyland instituted the seasonal price adjustment for character meals? If they haven't, then I don't see any reason to buy the vouchers.

I know they had one this spring but I haven't seen anything to confirm whether they've done it again this summer (although I've seen that they did it in Disney World).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Post edited to delete misinformation on my part.

 

[Canyon girl]

A lot of people here don't recommend the vouchers. The problem is that if you have a $10 voucher and your cost only comes to $6.50, then you are out the $3.50.

I think that you are talking about the "dining plan," and the OP may be talking about the ARES Travel or GAT vouchers. I'm not sure that the summer premium price is being charged for sure, but I think that I read on another forum that it was. I would just call Disney Dining and ask them what the price is for the places you want to eat at the time that you will be there. Since the price can change from time to time even without the summer premium (we gotcha rate), I would just call to check anyway. Remember that if you are going to Storytellers or Lilo & Stitch, you can always order off the menu to cut the cost. We are planning on doing the menu this time to lower the cost; since, dd will be an "adult" price. She doesn't eat enough to recoup the child price (let alone the adult price). She would be happy with a Minnie pancake at L&S for $7.

 

[Slappy White]

I think that you are talking about the "dining plan," and the OP may be talking about the ARES Travel or GAT vouchers. I'm not sure that the summer premium price is being charged for sure, but I think that I read on another forum that it was. I would just call Disney Dining and ask them what the price is for the places you want to eat at the time that you will be there. Since the price can change from time to time even without the summer premium (we gotcha rate), I would just call to check anyway. Remember that if you are going to Storytellers or Lilo & Stitch, you can always order off the menu to cut the cost. We are planning on doing the menu this time to lower the cost; since, dd will be an "adult" price. She doesn't eat enough to recoup the child price (let alone the adult price). She would be happy with a Minnie pancake at L&S for $7.

Thank you. That's a good idea, I will call them. I hadn't thought to do that because in my experience the Disney CMs know less about what's going on than most people here and on other message boards. The two places we were thinking about buying either AAA or Get Away Today vouchers for is Goofy's Kitchen and Minnie & Friends. But at least Goofy's has a discount for Disney Visa card holders and if there is no surcharge, it's cheaper to pay at the restaurant with the discount than it is to pre-pay.

 

[Slappy White]

Thanks to the good advice I received here, I called Disneyland. Seasonal Dining is now in effect and ostensibly will be for another month or so. The CM told me that Goofy's Kitchen, in round numbers is $45 per adult and $20 per child (for dinner).

However, there does not appear to be a seasonal price shift for Minnie & Friends. The price she quoted for me is, again in round numbers, $30for adults and $15 for kids. But she said the price at Minnie's only includes the meal and tip, not tax. That didn't make much sense to me but I just went with it.

Anyway, I thought some other people might be interested in this information.

 

[edit1]

Thanks for the update. If we can swing a DL trip this summer I don't think we'll be eating at Goofy's this time...it will cost $150 for our family of 2 adults/3 kids to eat dinner there!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the update. If we can swing a DL trip this summer I don't think we'll be eating at Goofy's this time...it will cost $150 for our family of 2 adults/3 kids to eat dinner there!

Peak season dinner is the most expensive time to eat at Goofy's - and I am not as much of a dinner person as a breakfast person, so as much as I love Goofy's, I wouldn't be eating there and paying that much for dinner. However, the breakfast is worth it to me, and breakfast is always cheaper than dinner - peak season or off-peak - so the cheapest time to eat at Goofy's is off-peak season breakfast. BUt even if you cannot manage to get there during off-peak times, breakfast will still be cheaper than dinner.

 

[edit1]

Peak season dinner is the most expensive time to eat at Goofy's - and I am not as much of a dinner person as a breakfast person, so as much as I love Goofy's, I wouldn't be eating there and paying that much for dinner. However, the breakfast is worth it to me, and breakfast is always cheaper than dinner - peak season or off-peak - so the cheapest time to eat at Goofy's is off-peak season breakfast. BUt even if you cannot manage to get there during off-peak times, breakfast will still be cheaper than dinner.

Yes, I think I will wait til we go back this fall to eat at Goofy's so we get the off-season prices. Especially as I realize that since my oldest child is now considered an "adult" we will be paying $175 not $150 for dinner as I previously though -- we loved Goofy's last time we went but that's a bit more than I want to spend. I'd like to try the breakfast there but we like to get to DL early and do the rides when it tends to be less busy in the morning.

 

[Sherry E]

Yes, I think I will wait til we go back this fall to eat at Goofy's so we get the off-season prices. Especially as I realize that since my oldest child is now considered an "adult" we will be paying $175 not $150 for dinner as I previously though -- we loved Goofy's last time we went but that's a bit more than I want to spend. I'd like to try the breakfast there but we like to get to DL early and do the rides when it tends to be less busy in the morning.

You do know that Goofy's opens at 7:00 a.m., so you can eat before the park opens (unless you have a MM option, that is)? That is usually what we do - we eat there before 8:00 a.m. It is usually pretty quiet innterms of people in the 7:00 a.m. hour. However, because of scheduling issues, we are doing Goofy's later than we usually do next week. I think it will be more crowded than what we are used to, which I am not looking forward to. The ONLY thing that may make it better is that there may be more and or different characters there than in the earlier hour. We will see!

Yes, the age at which Disney considers kids to be 'adults' is crazy, as there is no way these young kids will eat enough food to justify the prices. I do think they should change their age range for what is considered a child and what is considered an adult. Thank goodness for AAA or AP discounts!!