FOOD PRICES: Disney vs Olive garden

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

This is VERY similiar to a previous post I did several months ago, but I'm sure it will be read by lots of different people.

We went to Olive Garden today and had LUNCH. I'm trying to get my children to appreciate the great taste of soups, because they avoid soups like the plague. My wife and I are soup fanatics. were just trying to open their minds to something they dont seem to enjoy very much.

We ordered 4 soups (with breadsticks... yummy) and 4 cups of water.
The total was $17 and some change. After tax the total was $18.51.

On our recent May 2007 trip to WDW we ate 3 different meals that were $17 and some change after tax. All three of the meals were for our same family of four. One of them was at Pecos Bills, one at the restaurant in the American Pavilion in Epcot, and the third (I believe) was Cosmic Rays in MK. All 3 costed less than the cheapest thing on the menu at Olive Garden. Most families I know wouldnt be as cheap as we were today and all 4 people get soups. (Though I can say... Ive had almost every item on the menu at Olive Garden, and that Tuskana whatever soup is better than most of their steaks and signature dishes. The soups at Olive Garden are a small secret. They are AWESOME.)

At the 3 places we ate at Disney we ordered the same thing: 2 double bacon cheeseburgers, 2 extra buns, and 4 cups of water. (With Kool-Aid, Tea, or Crystal Lite packets who needs drinks??? Water is free!) At all 3 places we ate till we were stuffed. No lack of food. We split the burgers to the extra buns, and shared the fries. Load up at the fixins bar... (I LOOOOOOOVE fixins bars!!! I can easily eat 20-30 pickles on my burger! Thats how I fix them at home too.)

I said all this to make the point that Disney food is VERY WELL PRICED if you use a little common sense. When I hear people say the food is so high... I say to myself... YES, it CAN be VERY VERY expensive, but it can ALSO be reasonable if you put forth the effort. It dont HAVE to be expensive if you dont want it to.

 

[hmp2z]

I've read a few posts about people doing this, but it definitely isn't our style. We save up for our vacations, so we don't mind spending the money on a variety of foods, not just things like double cheeseburgers (which we wouldn't eat anyway, since we don't eat meat!). For us, the many foods that we eat on vacation, any vacation, are really why we travel.

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[Christine]

Counter service type food is often priced a bit cheaper than similar type food served at a table service restaurant. Because a table service restaurant has more overhead (the building itself, the host/hostesses which are not paid via tips) and other support staff, their cost for a burger (or soup) is going to more than counter service.

While I agree with your point, your comparison is a bit skewed only because you are comparing a full-service restaurant (Olive Garden) with counter service establishments. I wonder what the price differences would be if you had compared a lunch at Olive Garden to, say, a lunch at Le Cellier order comparable food?

 

[ElizabethB]

You're mixing apples and oranges. Olive Garden is a sit-down restaurant. The Disney places you're comparing it to are counter-service. You have to compare McDonald's to counter-service and Olive Garden to something like Alfredo's, Spoodles or Mama Melrose. Doing the comparison correctly (that is, apples to apples), you'll find that Disney is more expensive (often considerably so).

 

[canron]

go to olive garden disney food is horrible..all tastes the same,,,,and you get nothing for your money,,,we never eat at disney just sleep there..and go to parks..you get more for less off disney or the same p[rice..but more food, and better..try golden coral..its just on the left if you turn right off apopkas road..olive garden is to the left then just down on the right on apopka road,,

 

[MissMet]

go to olive garden disney food is horrible..all tastes the same,,,,and you get nothing for your money,,,we never eat at disney just sleep there..and go to parks..you get more for less off disney or the same p[rice..but more food, and better..try golden coral..its just on the left if you turn right off apopkas road..olive garden is to the left then just down on the right on apopka road,,

What?!

Golden Coral has better food than disney?

Golden Coral is the worst restaurant I've ever eaten at hands down. Also, IMO, you should only be visiting Olive Garden for the bread sticks & maybe the soup. That food is so generic.

With those statements I don't believe you've eaten at any of the sit-down restaurants in Epcot recently.

I'll agree it's much cheaper to eat outside the world but lets not try & say Disney doesn't have good food- because really it appears the problem you have with it is it's price, not it's taste. Unless once again you haven't eaten there any time recently. WDW just received awards for their food & was featured on Food Network for some of the best food in Amusement parks around the country.

If you really don't like Disney's food & you need to compare it to good food than at least compare Disney food to something a little more appealing than Golden Coral, IMO.

but I guess to each his own...

 

[kcrew]

This is VERY similiar to a previous post I did several months ago, but I'm sure it will be read by lots of different people.

We went to Olive Garden today and had LUNCH. I'm trying to get my children to appreciate the great taste of soups, because they avoid soups like the plague. My wife and I are soup fanatics. were just trying to open their minds to something they dont seem to enjoy very much.

We ordered 4 soups (with breadsticks... yummy) and 4 cups of water.
The total was $17 and some change. After tax the total was $18.51.

On our recent May 2007 trip to WDW we ate 3 different meals that were $17 and some change after tax. All three of the meals were for our same family of four. One of them was at Pecos Bills, one at the restaurant in the American Pavilion in Epcot, and the third (I believe) was Cosmic Rays in MK. All 3 costed less than the cheapest thing on the menu at Olive Garden. Most families I know wouldnt be as cheap as we were today and all 4 people get soups. (Though I can say... Ive had almost every item on the menu at Olive Garden, and that Tuskana whatever soup is better than most of their steaks and signature dishes. The soups at Olive Garden are a small secret. They are AWESOME.)

At the 3 places we ate at Disney we ordered the same thing: 2 double bacon cheeseburgers, 2 extra buns, and 4 cups of water. (With Kool-Aid, Tea, or Crystal Lite packets who needs drinks??? Water is free!) At all 3 places we ate till we were stuffed. No lack of food. We split the burgers to the extra buns, and shared the fries. Load up at the fixins bar... (I LOOOOOOOVE fixins bars!!! I can easily eat 20-30 pickles on my burger! Thats how I fix them at home too.)

I said all this to make the point that Disney food is VERY WELL PRICED if you use a little common sense. When I hear people say the food is so high... I say to myself... YES, it CAN be VERY VERY expensive, but it can ALSO be reasonable if you put forth the effort. It dont HAVE to be expensive if you dont want it to.

I agree with the others that this comparison makes no sense. Try comparing it to McDonald's $ menu and all four of you could have had your own double cheeseburger, fries, drink, and ice cream sundae for less than $17.00!!!!

 

[cvallee]

My opinion is that when comparing Disney CS food prices you should compare them to other amusment/entertainment food prices. Since Disney is a self-contained place where many people visiting don't leave the property(myself included) they probably could charge more then they do and still sell a vast amount of food. A recent Six flags and baseball game experience tells me that Disney prices are pretty good. Also we are on vacation when at Disney and will basically spend all that we want to get the food that we are in the mood for.

 

[SamSam]

My opinion is that when comparing Disney CS food prices you should compare them to other amusment/entertainment food prices. Since Disney is a self-contained place where many people visiting don't leave the property(myself included) they probably could charge more then they do and still sell a vast amount of food. A recent Six flags and baseball game experience tells me that Disney prices are pretty good. Also we are on vacation when at Disney and will basically spend all that we want to get the food that we are in the mood for.

Exactly! I actually find WDW prices to be a bit lower than say 'Worlds of Fun' in KC, and the service is so much better. Even our local movie theatre's prices are higher than WDW. $3.50 for a bottle of water. $6.00 for a large popcorn. For a theme park WDW food is definitely a cut above.

 

[nikky luvs mickey]

I'm sorry people i love disney but the food can't compare to olive garden. I love there food but disney is a close second for someplace like lecellier or concourse.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I've read a few posts about people doing this, but it definitely isn't our style. We save up for our vacations, so we don't mind spending the money on a variety of foods, not just things like double cheeseburgers (which we wouldn't eat anyway, since we don't eat meat!). For us, the many foods that we eat on vacation, any vacation, are really why we travel.

Cheers!
Heather W

My thoughts exactly! And I love Olive Garden too!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

The Golden Corral up to the right of Crossroads is not your ordinary GC. It is a protype and is a step above. Since we eat several times a week at our local one I can tell the difference.

That being said the breakfast buffet is a better quality than most of the Disney foods, excepting places like Kona's IMO. The lunch and dinner not so very much but the price is inticing.

It fits our situation, a husband who is a human garbage disposal and me, a dieter, who does not need to be tempted beyond reason and can only eat a little bit.

At home the Senior Rate of $5.29 including drink makes it a deal. I have done the math and feel that I could skip cooking altogether, eat there every day and it would not cost more than I spend at the grocery. Ummmm, thinking about that, very hard!!

Myself and many of my friends tend to get the children's meals for about $4 including a child size drink at Disney which is usually healthy and economical. Saves calories and cash for those special meals that we HAVE to have once in awhile. Wolfgang Puck's here I come!!!

Slightly Goofy

 

[gina2000]

As other posters have noted, you are comparing a table service restaurant with a counter service restaurant. Also, you are sharing meals at the counter service restaurant and ordering separate meals at the table service restaurant. What if someone doesn't want a burger? You're stuck at WDW using your ordering methods and figuring your calculations.

I also disagree with comparing WDW to ballpark/amusement park venues. Ballparks and amusement parks are seasonal; by and large WDW is not. Ballparks and amusement parks see you for one day and then maybe not again for awhile. They make their money on one day transactions, not repeat, day after day transactions made by the same family. People spend multiple days at WDW and many do not have transportation off site. WDW could go easier on the consumer pocketbook considering the decline in quality/quantity recently.

 

[lpizzuro123]

To me saving time and staying at a park is more important then saving a few dollars to leave the park to eat. When you consider the price you are paying to be in the park, the cost of leaving the park to go to an outside place to eat does not compare. If you are in MK and leave to eat lunch outside the park (not at a Disney restaurant) the hour and a half or so seems like a waste of time.

My son and his girlfriend were in Disney Quest a few weeks ago for the day and got hungry and decided they had always wanted to try Cici's all you can eat pizza so they left Disney Quest to go there. They felt the hour and a half it took them to leave Disney Quest go to their car - drive to the restaurant - eat - drive back to Disney Quest and enter Disney Quest was a waste of time.

We always watch the 3:00 parade in MK and would not consider leaving the park to eat to get back in time for the parade.

Linda

 

[Nancyg56]

My opinion is that when comparing Disney CS food prices you should compare them to other amusment/entertainment food prices. Since Disney is a self-contained place where many people visiting don't leave the property(myself included) they probably could charge more then they do and still sell a vast amount of food. A recent Six flags and baseball game experience tells me that Disney prices are pretty good. Also we are on vacation when at Disney and will basically spend all that we want to get the food that we are in the mood for.

ITA! We went to Six Flags New England last week and the counter service food prices killed me! My DH had been complaining that Disney food was pricey, he was talking about the TS in general, but when we got home he agreed that Disney prices are good in comparison.

The CS person went through my bag with a fine tooth comb...no food except if there are food allergies can be brought into the park.

We eat what we want while on vacation, but it would not be my nature to not notice the price.

I think that the OP was trying to compare lunch prices in general not really trying to compare TS inside the World vs CS outside the World.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Everyone has different circumstances as well as tastes but we enjoy Golden Corral before going to the parks if we are planning on a late entry anyway. Not everyday though.

If it were a matter of leaving the parks it would not be worth the time and trouble. Before I learned to drive around on property we used to catch the boat over to FW for the Trail's End Buffet before going in the parks. It was a cheaper alternative but the food was not so very good last time. It was also a great place to take a break from the park (MK) mid day as it is so relaxing and quiet over there.

I applaud Disney for its many choices for people though. From Victoria and Albert's to the humble (but so good tasting) turkey leg there is something for everyone.

Slightly Goofy

 

[tinkerbell1967]

I've read a few posts about people doing this, but it definitely isn't our style. We save up for our vacations, so we don't mind spending the money on a variety of foods, not just things like double cheeseburgers (which we wouldn't eat anyway, since we don't eat meat!). For us, the many foods that we eat on vacation, any vacation, are really why we travel.

Cheers!
Heather W

I would say I would have to agree. One of the reason we love Disney is the variety of food and the different restaurants. We also save for several months to go to Disney and we splurge while we are there.

 

[kennancat]

I'm trying to get my children to appreciate the great taste of soups, because they avoid soups like the plague. My wife and I are soup fanatics. were just trying to open their minds to something they dont seem to enjoy very much.

Just wanted to say that I hated soup as a kid. Mostly, I remember thinking that soup made no sense - all you really wanted was the stuff in the soup, not the broth, so why waste your time with the broth It may have been a texture thing because there were two such different textures in the same bowl. I do like soup now, although I tend to stick to thicker, more chowder-like soups as opposed to the chicken and noodles type. Hopefully your kids will grow into liking it too!

 

[lpizzuro123]

We planned on one great meal each day of our last vacation (July 4th week) and ate light the rest of the day. Here is where we ate:

Boma - Dinner
Crystal Palace - Lunch
Alfredos - Late Lunch (4:00)
'Ohana - Dinner
Chef Mickey - Dinner
Cape May Cafe - Breakfast (10:00am)

Each of these meals was on a different day. For the lunches - we were full for the rest of the day and for the dinners we ate light earlier in the day and for the breakfast we skipped lunch and had a small dinner. Got to save room for those Mickey Bars and Dole Whips.

Linda

 

[frannn]

We'll be doing the DP this trip, but I like the diverse CS choices in Epcot, the yummy chicken at Casey's in MK, and Flame Tree in AK. We've enjoyed these places for dinner on past trips, as well as {{shudder}} the resort food court. We have eaten offsite at Sonic, Denny's, Ponderosa, Golden Coral, Sweet Tomatoes, Baskervilles, Checkers, etc. We only do that when we are looking for a break from the commando pace at the parks.