Disney restaurant prices

[eliza61]

What I always find so telling is that now we justify the poor quality by saying
"It's worth it because we're on the dining plan or because we have free dining". to me that's just wrong. Even if you are on the dining plan or free dining you should want enjoyable meals.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

Well lets see at Tony's Town Square Restaurant at the MK an entree of Eggplant parmesan is 18.00 and thats all you get no sides . You can go to Olive Garden and get the eggplants entree with a side of spaghetti, all you can eat salad and all you can eat breadsticks for around 13.00. And there are more examples i can give of how expensive disney dining is but this will do for now :

True, but I wouldn't consider Olive Garden to be a high end meal in any way, shape or form. I won't eat there unless I'm on the highway.

I haven't been to Tony's either - I'm a bit picky about my Italian food - but $18 doesn't seem outrageous to me.

 

[tony67]

True, but I wouldn't consider Olive Garden to be a high end meal in any way, shape or form. I won't eat there unless I'm on the highway.

I haven't been to Tony's either - I'm a bit picky about my Italian food - but $18 doesn't seem outrageous to me.

I agree $18 for a pasta dish is not outrageous, but if the local Italian places charged $18 for very average to below average dishes they would not last.
A place that had very mixed reviews, like Tony’s, would not last in the real world.

I do not like Olive garden, but I would pick it over Tony’s or Mama’s any day.

To be fair, Tony's was never that great.

It is passable for a restaurant in a theme park, the same can be said for DHS (Although Brown Derby should be better) and AK.
They are theme parks and should be looked at as such

The real issue for me is when it comes to the restaurants in Epcot.
This is where I see the biggest decline. It was one a true dining experience, now it is average at best.
This is the world showcase. You could be paying $80 for the privilege to come in and eat at overpriced below average restaurants.

It is really disappointing considering just how good it was.
The prices are expensive compared to the local area and even when compared to many cities IMO.

IMO:
$37 for a choice filet mignon is expensive.
$25 for pasta dishes that get very mixed reviews is expensive.
$24 for chicken Mole in a restaurant that packs you in like sardines and served chips from a bag is expensive.
$18 for Kung Pao chicken is a bit much


Even for the items that are reasonable priced the quality is not equivalent to the price, if it was I would be eating there.

 

[GeorgeG]

When we go out to eat around here, which is usually at least several times a week, we often go to one of the country clubs or chain restauarants. That provides us with a lot of options from casual to fine dining. The prices are usually appropriate to the food. When we eat at WDW, which is probably more often than the average vacationer, we're now finding the food to be sub-standard to the prices charged in most restaurants. There are still some Disney restaurants that seem to come up to the standards we have come to expect from Disney over the years, but they few and far between.

A few weeks ago we ate at Liberty Tree Tavern and while the food was pretty good, it's wasn't as good as we've had there many times in the past and was priced around double what we coud get better for in umerous placed around home. My wife had a salad that was supposed to have nuts and there were about 3. The waitress brought her a cup of nuts, put a few years ago it would have come out right. My Chicken and Dumplings was actually chicken noodle soup. That was partly my fault for not understand what a "slippery dumpling" is. It was good, but not worth the price. Last week at the Sci-Fi Dine In, our friend had to send her chicken sandwich back twice and finally switched to a reubin that was only okay. My burger was good, but I can get in my golf cart and go to at least a half dozen places around home and get better for half the price.

Over the past 24 years I've spent more on food at WDW than some people spend on whole vacations so I'm quite okay with paying for good food. I am not okay with paying twice what the food I'm getting is worth, in any setting.

 

[eliza61]

When we go out to eat around here, which is usually at least several times a week, we often go to one of the country clubs or chain restauarants. That provides us with a lot of options from casual to fine dining. The prices are usually appropriate to the food. When we eat at WDW, which is probably more often than the average vacationer, we're now finding the food to be sub-standard to the prices charged in most restaurants. There are still some Disney restaurants that seem to come up to the standards we have come to expect from Disney over the years, but they few and far between.

.

Over the past 24 years I've spent more on food at WDW than some people spend on whole vacations so I'm quite okay with paying for good food. I am not okay with paying twice what the food I'm getting is worth, in any setting.

very well said

I think many return visitors have it harder as we tend to "remember" a better product.

 

[Huff]

Can you honestly say the marinades at San Angel are good?

The Mole marinade over the filet was excellent. I also requested the hot salsa that they normally do not bring out. It was decent but nothing special.

Don't forget that Mexican does NOT mean spicy hot. Thats the American concept based on the influx of Sonoran style food and doesn't accuratly reflect the foods from further south.

The closest to decent Mexican I've had has been in New Mexico. Where heat isn't the object of the use of strong flavorful spices similar to much I've found in Mexico.

But I do agree with your overall sentiment on Disney dining. I enjoy the experience but there is nothing at WDW where I go WOW, great food, great value or better than I can get at home.

 

[Huff]

As I always say I really liked San Angel Inn years ago, but it went downhill.

Up until a year ago they were serving Tostitos out of a bag and salsa from a jar.
Even a chain restaurants like Margarita’s or Chili’s can serve fresh hot chips and decent salsa.

First time I ate at San Angel was 7 years ago. I had the Filet with a Mole marinade. It was excellent. Two weeks ago I ordered a similar dish although it now came with a chile relleno. It was just as good as before. I have not tried the other dishes.

Salsa back then and now was not some store bought jar from what I saw. At Chili's they serve chips out of a bag although they heat them before serving. I wouldn't call their salsa decent! At San Angel I always request their hot salsa that they normally do not bring out. It's very good.

 

[Planogirl]

I personally prefer Tex-Mex to Mexican but maybe that's only because it's what I'm used to. Tex-Mex is pretty lame at WDW whatever the price. The pizza and barbecue are bad too IMO while the steaks are hit and miss.

However the fast food is for the most part decent and priced fairly. Some of the buffets are OK for what they are but they are getting awfully expensive.

I won't comment on higher end places because those depend more on personal taste.

 

[DisneyWisher]

A year before the dining plan came out Concourse Steakhouse would offer a salad as a side when ordering steak. As soon as DP came out it became an appy. A few yrs ago the Mexican Cantina gave you packets of Salsa, oh it was horrible or with the nachos it came in a foiled cover plastic cup. Again horrible. I remark to a CM salsa is so easy to make why doesn't the restaurant make their own. Her reply, shrug of her shoulders. My mom is from south Texas and she whips it up in her mini food processor in less than 3 mins. Milder for my dad and a little more jalapeño for her. Love it on salads instead of tomatoes plus helps cut down on using dressing because it has so much flavor.
We are finding ourselves eating offsite more and more, the quality and prices just don't add up.

 

[tony67]

First time I ate at San Angel was 7 years ago. I had the Filet with a Mole marinade. It was excellent. Two weeks ago I ordered a similar dish although it now came with a chile relleno. It was just as good as before. I have not tried the other dishes.

Salsa back then and now was not some store bought jar from what I saw. At Chili's they serve chips out of a bag although they heat them before serving. I wouldn't call their salsa decent! At San Angel I always request their hot salsa that they normally do not bring out. It's very good.

Last October they got a warning from Disney about the food, that when things started to improve (I have been told).
I think they also have a new chef in the last few months.

Previous to that the salsa was from a jar and the chips were Tostitos brand chips.
The chips at Chilli’s were better.
You can get decent bagged chips, but they chose a really lousy "cheap" brand.
I used Chilli's as an example since I doubt anyone knows the local family run place I eat at.
They could have also taken the time to heat them, it makes a big difference.

Anyway, the recent reviews have been better.

I'm still very hesitant about eating there again after several disappointing meals.
It will take a lot before I spend $25 on overdone Chicken Mole that I can get locally for $15.

I can say that the food in La Cava that comes from the same kitchen was very good and fresh.

 

[havoc315]

True, but I wouldn't consider Olive Garden to be a high end meal in any way, shape or form. I won't eat there unless I'm on the highway.

I haven't been to Tony's either - I'm a bit picky about my Italian food - but $18 doesn't seem outrageous to me.

If it's any good, that's a perfectly reasonable price. Olive Garden is subpar Italian food for the all-you-can-eat masses..... The question is whether Tony's is any better than Olive Garden. (I don't know the answer, but I have an upcoming ADR at Tony's)

 

[Planogirl]

If it's any good, that's a perfectly reasonable price. Olive Garden is subpar Italian food for the all-you-can-eat masses..... The question is whether Tony's is any better than Olive Garden. (I don't know the answer, but I have an upcoming ADR at Tony's)

Interesting this comparison of Tony's to Olive Garden. My aunt likes Olive Garden and I don't have a problem with it because I don't expect much. The food is edible and sometimes even pretty good. It is certainly far less expensive than Tony's.

Maybe expectations are much higher for a WDW restaurant and that's why these comparisons get thrown around?

 

[MarieA]

I live in NYC and find the prices at WDW to be comparable. We spend anywhere from $25 - 50 for breakfast in WDW and spend the same when we go out to breakfast in NY. We've gone to brunch at a restaurant in Manhattan and have spent $50 for the meal. At our local Perkins and IHOP breakfast typically runs $25 for 2 people.

Dinner prices are also similar. As for the quality of the food at WDW it depends on where you eat. There are some restaurants that we stay away from because we've had a bad experience and some we dine at every time we are at WDW.

 

[havoc315]

Interesting this comparison of Tony's to Olive Garden. My aunt likes Olive Garden and I don't have a problem with it because I don't expect much. The food is edible and sometimes even pretty good. It is certainly far less expensive than Tony's.

Maybe expectations are much higher for a WDW restaurant and that's why these comparisons get thrown around?

I'm not going in knowing what to expect.

But I did some quick online price comparisons for curiousity, of typical dinner dishes:
Spaghetti and meatballs: Tony's -- $16.99. OG (near me) -- $13.75
Shrimp Scampi at Tony's -- $16.99, OG, Shrimp Caprese (similar dish) -- $17.50
Steak -- Tony's -- $27.99, OG -- $20.50
Minestrone -- Tony's -- $5.49, OG -- $5.35

So I don't see outrageous differences in the price. On most items, Tony's is about 20% more expensive than Olive Garden.

Now, I expect prices at Disney to be at least slightly higher, because Disney has a monopoly on your dining options in the park. Just the same as I expect food at a baseball stadium to be more expensive.

But I certainly don't see the menu prices as being outrageous.

If the food at Tony's is no better than Olive Garden, I guess I'll be a bit disappointed. If it is better, then I'll be pleasantly surprised, and I'll consider it reasonably priced.

 

[Planogirl]

I see that prices are sometimes location driven at OG. Just to compare:

Spaghetti and meatballs: Tony's -- $16.99. OG (near me) -- $13.75 Our location $12.25
Shrimp Scampi at Tony's -- $16.99, OG, Shrimp Caprese (similar dish) -- $17.50 Our location $15.95
Steak -- Tony's -- $27.99, OG -- $20.50 Our location $18.95
Minestrone -- Tony's -- $5.49, OG -- $5.35 Our location $4.65

Isn't that odd? I did expect the prices to be even more different though. I would hope that Tony's would be at least as good as OG and hopefully better. You're paying for location, location, location though.

 

[MickeyNicki]

We pay OOP and have the TIW card and it is still very expensive, not the CS stuff because that is pretty much normal to the area I live as well but the TS stuff is getting pretty costly

 

[havoc315]

$37 for a choice filet mignon is expensive.

The steakhouse near me charges $36 for an 8 ounce filet.

 

[eliza61]

But I certainly don't see the menu prices as being outrageous.

If the food at Tony's is no better than Olive Garden, I guess I'll be a bit disappointed. If it is better, then I'll be pleasantly surprised, and I'll consider it reasonably priced.

I see that prices are sometimes location driven at OG. Just to compare:

Isn't that odd? I did expect the prices to be even more different though. I would hope that Tony's would be at least as good as OG and hopefully better. You're paying for location, location, location though.

Tony's will probably be worse than Olive garden (at least with the red sauce which was pretty much ragu. and how sad is it when we think we're lucky if the food is lower end chain restaurant quality?

We have a chain called Maggianos that is popular and a lot better than Olive Garden.
All classic pasta dishes are $12.95 (spaghetti various sauces) Most expensive pasta is at 19 bucks and that's a Lobster Carbonara. Linguini with clam sauce dishes average $15 bucks.

And there are at least 25 different items in 5 different categories (veal, classic pasta, signature pasta, chicken and seafood). Along with family dining where you order big huge bowls of food and every one shares thus cutting down your overall bill.

They've got one near Universal that we are going to try next summer.

 

[Huff]

So I don't see outrageous differences in the price. On most items, Tony's is about 20% more expensive than Olive Garden.

OG gives all the salad you want with your meal. Tony's as well as most WDW restaurants are ala cart for the most part except maybe bread.