Food is getting $$$$$

[d96j97]

Hi Everyone!

We just got back from a 4 day trip to the "world". Although we had a wonderful time...low line waits, great weather, and the usual magical feeling, we thought the food was getting a bit outrageous. We were not on the dining plan and now I see why they want you to be on it. I'm sure that is why the food is so expensive. We couldn't get the dining plan added on because we had 10 day tickets we were using from 2005. Anyhow, we are a family of four with normal appetites, nothing huge. We ate at CRT (prepaid) for $210, LTT for $125 ($150...left a $25 tip) and LeCellier for $123 ($150...left a $27 tip). We will never skip the tip to make the meals cheaper, but we were in awe of how much just 3 meals were. That is a total of $510 for just 3 sit down meals. Although we LOVE the sit down meals, we won't be doing that many next trip only because of the cost. We were supposed to eat at Artist Point our last evening but checked out early because of the weather forcast here in WV. Gosh....that one would have been $$$$ too!

 

[Frothy]

How many of you were there?

 

[daisyduck123]

Yep. That's why we ALWAYS do the Dining Plan. We've got 8 nights of ADRs booked for next month. It is really such a bargain price!

 

[fla4fun]

How many of you were there?

They said a family of four, but didn't mention the ages so it could be young children, or bottomless pit teenagers!

I was there for five days about a week ago. This was a budget trip, primarily to do the Christmas things, so my dining budget was strict. I limited myself to $20 per day, and only ate CS. I was able to do it, but just barely (having doughnuts in the room for breakfast helped a lot). There were a couple times I would stop and look at a TS menu, but I knew I had to stick to budget on this one, so I'd pass it by.

I noticed that some things had increased and some were about the same. But I do agree that Disney dining, especially buffet dining, has become very expensive for those of us who pay OOP for our dining. The TIW card does help some, but I find that I typically only do TS maybe every other day or every third day these days. And I'm OK with that.

 

[GailT]

After reading what is cost you I am glad did the DDP, I dont mind spending money for a good meal but thatis crazy after all that is spent on the hotel and tickets for the park, Disney is just becoming not reachable for alot of families, kinds just going with the times we are in

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I think it depends on where you're from. DH and I had pizza delivered the other night. We got 2 12" pizzas and a 12" garlic fingers from a chain restaurant and it was $34. For us to go out for a relatively nice meal we're talking at least $50. For a very nice meal, it's at least $100. And we don't live in a theme park. So, the prices at WDW are understandable to us. Not only that but the price of food has gone up in the world not just in the World. In any case, you can always go with the cheaper options like CS or some of the less popular TS restaurants if you're trying to save money. There are plenty of people who have gone on multiple trips and have never darkened the door of a TS restaurant.

 

[Frothy]

They said a family of four, but didn't mention the ages so it could be young children, or bottomless pit teenagers!

Missed it first time... thanks.

Anyway, seems to me to be pretty reasonable for 4 people in Disney. This is Florida. It isn't cheap and you are in the vacation capital of the world pretty much. Disney prices are expensive because of the name and rarely does the food live upto the billing. That's why we prefer offsite dining so much.

 

[marsrunner]

I really don't understand paying that much money for food at Disney. The food just is not worth it. For me, if it isn't worth it anyway, I'll just go CS for 90% of our meals.
There are a couple of exceptions where the setting makes it worth the cost. California Grill during Wishes, Coral Reef for the scenery, and at least one character breakfast if you have kids. Cinderella's Royal Table sounds like fun too. Otherwise, I'll just skip the TS thank you. I can make better food at home more than likely.
But, to each their own!
Personally, having used to live in Florida, I'm more looking forward to Steak & Shake. They don't have that out here in Arizona. Steakburger, fries and a chocolate milk shake...yummy!

 

[dburg30]

Hi Everyone!

We just got back from a 4 day trip to the "world". Although we had a wonderful time...low line waits, great weather, and the usual magical feeling, we thought the food was getting a bit outrageous. We were not on the dining plan and now I see why they want you to be on it. I'm sure that is why the food is so expensive. We couldn't get the dining plan added on because we had 10 day tickets we were using from 2005. Anyhow, we are a family of four with normal appetites, nothing huge. We ate at CRT (prepaid) for $210, LTT for $125 ($150...left a $25 tip) and LeCellier for $123 ($150...left a $27 tip). We will never skip the tip to make the meals cheaper, but we were in awe of how much just 3 meals were. That is a total of $510 for just 3 sit down meals. Although we LOVE the sit down meals, we won't be doing that many next trip only because of the cost. We were supposed to eat at Artist Point our last evening but checked out early because of the weather forcast here in WV. Gosh....that one would have been $$$$ too!

Well, CRT you paid for the experience of eating in the castle. It's a popular place, so the demand dictates the price. Was LTT a character meal? And LC, $125 for 4 people? Again dont know the ages, but 4 full meals at a normal 'not in the world' steak house isnt going to be much less then that. And just to say again, WDW really isnt out of line in pricing compared to other theme parks from what I recall on some other threads. The DDP is what about $38/night if you buy it, so using that, it was still cheaper IMO to pay OOP.

 

[d96j97]

Sorry, didn't tell you all that my boys are 10 and 11.....now adult pricing. However, LeCellier let them order from the kid's menu. We chose to eat at these places, and I knew it would be expensive. I guess when you step back from it all and begin looking at the overall picture....you have to wonder if it is really worth that much money.

 

[mbanks21]

$38 x 4 adults x 3 nights is $456 of course CRT is 2 credits but for that you also would have gotten 12 CS meals and 12 snacks. You could have bought a one day ticket to get the DDP.

 

[disnut8]

Most people will eat out every single day they are on vacation. You don't do that at home. If you did, I think you would find the same results. I know for the restaurants I have available within a half hour drive time, I could be spending that much money if I wanted. And that's just for Chili's, Applebee's, TGI Fridays, etc.

This is why we only do one table service meal (a lunch) while at Disney World. Others are counter service or off site. And somehow, we don't starve.

 

[dburg30]

Most people will eat out every single day they are on vacation. You don't do that at home. If you did, I think you would find the same results. I know for the restaurants I have available within a half hour drive time, I could be spending that much money if I wanted. And that's just for Chili's, Applebee's, TGI Fridays, etc.

This is why we only do one table service meal (a lunch) while at Disney World. Others are counter service or off site. And somehow, we don't starve.

We did a lot of TS's our FIRST trip, never again, that's too much food, and takes too much time. CS's are just fine with maybe as you said, 1 or 2 'real' meals for a week or so. Plus we bought DVC so we'll be eating more at the room now also. We're not one of those that worry about cooking while on vacation. I know some people refuse to cook, and that's fine, kinda like me and a car, not driving at WDW while on vacation

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Dining is always the most expensive part of the trip for us, although that is because we like to do signature restaurants most nights and we get appetizers, entrees and desserts...we go all out on vacation. We have AP's, so we uset the Table In Wonderland discount card and that helps take a little of the edge off. We have yet to be swayed by the dining plan, but it does work out well for a lot of people. The food is definitely pricey no matter how you look at it.

 

[Donnainnj]

The meal prices at Disney have seemed to go up a little faster then the past, but I have noticed that my local places seemed to also. We didn't do the dining plan on our last trip, (Nov) mainly because we had a 7 1/2 month old that was a newborn when I had to make the plans, and I didn't know how he would be in restaurants. I did not want to have to leave at every meal when out family paid over $150/night for the plan. What we did was make mostly lunch TS meal reservations when the prices are cheaper, and we tried some of the less expensive sit-downs. We did Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch, always preferred it then, Tusker house, lunch, will definitly go back, good price and good food, Chefs de France, lunch menu is much more reasonable and is still very good, Sci Fi, the kids love it, but it still ended up pretty expensive at lunch, Kona, another good, yet more reasonable lunch menu, and had made reservations for The Plaza restaurant but canceled as we ended up doing another park that day. We were there during Food and wine so had a couple of meals from the booths. We had DDE/Wonderland so that helped keep the prices down. We ended up spending a bit less, but I really like the experience of the dining plan, it is worth the extra to go anywhere without regard to price, and let the kids order anything they want. Our next trip we will have it again, it will be over Easter, so just the holiday surcharge would probably make it worth it. We will use Wonderland for anything not covered on the plan at the TS.
Donna

 

[catne]

yeah, I agree the prices at WDW are high, but you're paying for the location & theming, too, at all the Disney restaurants, not just the castle. Whether or not the restaurant has characters, there's some amount of theming going on (and location! at all.) We love the DDP, both for the value and because when we pay in advance for the high cost food, it's a lot easier psychologically to enjoy the meals when we're there Not sure I'd enjoy them so much if we had to fork over the actual cash meal by meal. But, we do plan the extra cost into the vacation...it's part of our ideal vacation experience getting to try a variety of Disney restaurants.

Prices on food everywhere have gone up a lot. Grocery stores...there's been significant increases on every food item in the last 18 months. And restaurant prices elsewhere have gone up substantially, or the menus have changed so the food you get for the same price is not the same value. We noticed one of our favorite chain steak restaurants changed the menu in the last few months...our favorite steak is still there at about the same price (maybe up a dollar,) but our favorite meal is about 25% more because the salad that used to come with the steak is now ala carte...at about $6 per person. We thought maybe it would be a fancier salad...and tried it last time we were there. For $6, it was exactly the same salad on the same size plate as what used to come included in the price of the steak entree.