Food Prices have Increased

[Tissa]

You can't really compare WDW prices to your local amusement park or ball park. You only spend a few hours there for one day. At WDW a lot of the people are there for 7 and eat on property three times a day.

The thing for me is not so much that prices have gone up a bit, I understand things cost more. It is that the quality has gone down. I'll pay more but at least let it not taste like swill or it be smaller than before. That is insulting.

I can remember back in 05,06, the POP food court had tasty food. This last trip in January it was gross. I couldn't not eat my breakfast sandwich that I paid $$ for because it was nasty. That has never happened before. The other 12 people that was in my group said the same thing. WCC was disappointing for the first time in 3 trips. I had the dining plan this time but still $100 for the two of us and we didn't even finish. I actually ended up getting sick afterward and spent most of the time in the MK bathrooms.

We are going again in March and I have no plans to eat anywhere onsite. I'd rather eat Mc Donalds and Taco Bell than the stuff WDW tries to sell me.

OK rant over.

 

[bluezy]

Maybe it's because I am used to gouging at my local parks but the new prices don't sound too bad.

A 22 oz soda at my local parks, Dorney Park and Great Adventure are $3.49 at both. The cheeseburger and fries is $11.99 at Great Adventure (and 1 slice of pizza is $6.50!)

Of all the amusement parks I go to, I always find Disney to be the cheapest for food (except Knoebel's but that is the exception and even there a 20 oz soda is $2.00)

I completely agree. Yoshi, we must live in the same general area...we visit the same parks!

Every time I read a post on any message board where people are complaining about the prices of the Counter Service food at Disney, I think to myself, "Don't these people go to other amusement parks?" Our family hits a few amusement parks every summer and other than Knoebels (which is a whole different ball game), every park I've been to in PA, NJ, & NY has had higher food and beverage prices than Disney. Last summer after being thoroughly gouged for food at Hershey Park, I even came home and looked at the menus for Disney on allears just to confirm that the prices were higher than Disney. We paid over $3.00/bottle for water there...and that was the smaller bottles. Even at the newly increased price of $2.50/bottle at Disney, water a bargain at Disney. At Hershey, we bought five 6" subs, 2 individual size bags of chips, and 5 small drinks and that ran us $52.

Obviously, you can buy food and beverages much cheaper outside of the parks so I won't even compare that, but when comparing among amusement parks, Disney's counter service food and beverage prices are on the low side. People can choose to lug around their own snacks, lunches, and water bottles when at Disney; but for us, we'll buy food in the parks because as far as our usual vacation parks go, Disney still has about the least expensive food and drinks. When we're at Disney (or any other park) we're on vacation and I'm not a pack mule, so we just include the current price of food as part of our overall spending plan for that vacation. It is what it is.

And to the PP who said you can't compare DW to local amusement parks because you only spend a few hours or a day at local parks. Well, for us, we spend the entire day (opening to almost closing usually) at any amusement park we go to whether local or not. And in a typical summer we spend 5 days at amusement parks (not necessarily 5 in a row -- just 5 throughout the summer). When we go to Disney, we spend 5 or 6 days there, so it's pretty similar. And with the other amusement parks, if we have to spend the night, we've never gotten a hotel room under $90/night if we wanted to stay close by. At Disney, I've never paid more than $80/night for a room on property. So for us, a Disney vacation is very easy to compare to our usual summer vacations at amusement parks in our tri-state area. Food and lodging is usually less expensive at Disney than any other park we go to.

 

[jjohnson]

I did not notice the higher prices when we were there last week since we were on the DDP, however I did notice that they have gotten more stingy with the DDP allotments. Most noticeable was that last year an individual cereal and milk used to count as 1 snack credit, now it is 2.

Can you tell me where this happened? TIA

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

My husband is a bottomless pit so I have learned to take him to the Golden Corral, off site, for a late breakfast before taking him to the parks. About $5 per and includes drinks plus a nice tip for the friendly wait staff. Takes the edge off.

I agree with a previous poster that the quality of the food has greatly declined. If Wolfgang Puck, and a few other non Disney restaurants, can offer delectable and different foods for a reasonable price I fail to see why cannot also.

Trying different foods is part of an enjoyable vacation. Just getting fewer and fewer options nowadays. Who would have thought that I would cringe at the sight of yet another round bowl of chocolate cake?

I do not go to other amusement parks as they do not offer what Disney does, for me. I am beginning to think that the main thing they offer is a group of like minded folks who I enjoy spending time with.

Bet we see more folks with coolers in the parks because of the prices and the lack of quality food available.

Slightly Goofy

 

[Tissa]

Who would have thought that I would cringe at the sight of yet another round bowl of chocolate cake?
Slightly Goofy

I was thinking the same thing. I was used to getting real slices then trip before last I got a little bowl of cake that cost the same as the slice.
I was just shocked.

 

[delmar411]

I noticed the price increases as well. Each CS meal was like $13-18! I had the QSP so it wasn't a big deal but there were plenty of ppl paying cash for that same stuff!

Made the QSP *look* like a real savings.

*I would never IRL get all those desserts if I was paying cash. And just in case I'm the only one who read the labels on those round bowls...those are servings for TWO! it's like 500 cals just for that one little bowl.

 

[taymaesmom]

I too have found Disneys food to be cheaper than most amusement parks tho the one closest to us that we go to the most has FREE parking FREE softdrinks an FREE sunscreen and their ice cream cones are HUGE an was only like 1.50 last summer.

We go to that one too and everything there is way cheaper than the average amusement park. Cheaper park tickets, souviners and food. We can spend the day there (3 of us) for less than $200 including tickets.

 

[TLinden16]

I'm going to move this over to our restaurant board.

 

[crzyeeyoreangel]

I too have found Disneys food to be cheaper than most amusement parks tho the one closest to us that we go to the most has FREE parking FREE softdrinks an FREE sunscreen and their ice cream cones are HUGE an was only like 1.50 last summer.

hehe I know where you are talking about. I am 45 minutes from Holiday World.

 

[eagillinois]

hehe I know where you are talking about. I am 45 minutes from Holiday World.

We are close to HW and love the free drinks/sunscreen also but we spend over 100 a night to stay in a camper at the campground with no TV and another 50 to rent a golfcart for that night or two. Even a cheaper amusement park expenses can add up.

I think when we come to Disney we expect Disney service and atmosphere and as a vacation, I dont mind paying for it. I can eat at off-site restaurants every day of the year but I am only going to be in Disney every 1-2 years and want to experience it all!!

 

[Dreamfinder2]

I'm thinking it's all about comparing apples to apples ... when you compare WDW in-the-park meals with other theme park food offerings, I just gotta tell ya, there's no comparison. The Universal parks do a good job - I think Mythos at Islands of Adventure can hold it's own. But costs of theme park food elsewhere - well, Disney can come across as a relative bargain. Sort of like airport or ball park food - you're captive. But, then again, you can't really compare WDW to other theme parks.

I'm not afraid of being critical of Disney in general or food in particular, but with just a couple of glaring exceptions, in over 100 trips to WDW, I've never had an awful experience, CS, TS, or otherwise. The only total washout for us was once at the ABC Commissary, and we haven't been back in a couple of years, but I'm just about ready to give 'em a second chance. We had non-existant service at Pepper Market once, and a less than stellar experience at the late Concourse Grill, but otherwise, we've done perfectly fine. A little management intervention at the last two spots noted made everything right, btw.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I have often thought, when this topic comes up, that some of it is regional differences. If you live near a big city where prices are so high you become used to them but if you live in Holiday World territory, as I do as well as several other posters, it is very noticeable. There is a big difference in wages in areas as well. It is not just how much you pay for something but how many minutes/hours etc. you have to work to pay for things that determines their real worth.

The round bowls of cake are not worth it in terms of money nor calories. They sell similar things for about a dollar in my local grocery.

I feel that the downturn in the economy is going to have a lot of folks making different choices than they may have in the past.

Next trip might I suggest that you try the flourless chocolate cake at Starring Rolls? It is under $2.50 and worth every calorie. Sometimes it is about making different choices. If they could not sell those round cups of microwave cake they would quit foisting them on people. The only people who seem to really love them are the people I give them to, for free, on the third day or so of my trip.

Slightly Goofy/who is unique and likes unique food

 

[jrt1176]

$6.00 for a funnel cake is a lot! Not that it will stop us froms sharing a few!

A local amusement park here in WV charges about $4.00, but its about twice as thick as a normal funnel cake!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I figure that the cost of the paper plate and napkin might be more than the cost of making a funnel cake. What makes it worth the money is not having the mess in your kitchen and not being able to make a dozen and eat them ALL!

SG

 

[PinkRhombus]

We LOVE Holiday World. We alternate between it and King's Island each summer.


Regarding the Funnel Cakes....if they're $6 now, they must be off the snack list.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

The cost of certain ingredients have taken a sharp upwards turn - it's not surprising to see the cost of many items going up.

Oh, and the shrinking size is an old food industry trick - you make a smaller size and then don't increase the price (or by a minimal amount) - most people don't notice.

Think about coffee - you used to get a 1 lb package for $XX, then they changed the package size (smaller) but you were still only paying $XX. Many people never noticed the change.

 

[BoosGram]

I find the prices at WDW to be reasonable, but am really on the fence at the moment about buying the DDP. DH thinks it's a lot of money to lay out all at once, but it seems like we would at least break even with the plan. Oh well, we've still got 2 months to think about it I guess.

IMO, I think if you like to have one CS and one TS a day, the DDP will probably save you $$. DH and I have done it for the last 2 yrs and will continue to do it for the foreseeable future (always assuming they don't hike the price too much). We find the entree, drink, and dessert to be plenty of food.

The cost of certain ingredients have taken a sharp upwards turn - it's not surprising to see the cost of many items going up.

Oh, and the shrinking size is an old food industry trick - you make a smaller size and then don't increase the price (or by a minimal amount) - most people don't notice.

Think about coffee - you used to get a 1 lb package for $XX, then they changed the package size (smaller) but you were still only paying $XX. Many people never noticed the change.

Oh, yes, keep the same size container and price, then reduce the amount of product. We've been noticing this for a long time now.

 

[jenseib]

Glad we got the DDP!!!

Ditto!

 

[Glampire31]

thanks for the info.... That is good to know about the food prices and the drink prices going up ^_^

 

[jenseib]

I'm the odd one out. I love that chocolate cake with all the fudgy frosting. .And I usaully NEVER chocola te cake. I jsut don;t like it normall, but the WDW ones are great in my opinion. But I do tire of it as it is one of the only choices for dessert at counter service. But I have to have 1 for sure each trip. LOL!