Holy Cow! Tutto Italia prices!

[marivaid]

[begin rant]

For the love of all things good and holy, enough with the Caesar salad people! A. It's not supposed to have chicken on it (but they do offer that as an add-on) and B. It was created in Mexico! Now I can see why those horrible CS restaurants are all over the place serving burgers and fries because, for some God-awful reason, people don't want to experience actual food.

[end rant]

I don't care if it was invented in Guatemala and is supposed to have fried ants on it.
They're charging sixteen bucks for some leaves and a few grams of cheese.

What do CS restaurants have to do with this ?! So, because some of us think that $16 for a salad or $12 for a canoli is insane, that means we don't know what good food is and only eat burgers/fries.
Geesh... I eat maybe 2 burgers a year.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I certainly didn't mean to incite a riot (or a food fight if you will ). I'm not saying that anyone here "doesn't know what good food is". That's not what I mean. I'm saying that the average diner at WDW goes with the burgers and fries and that's why there are so many CS restaurants. I also don't equate big bucks with good dining. However, sometimes it does work out that way. I have no idea if that's the case at this new restaurant but I think it deserves a lot more benefit of the doubt than its getting here. I am pleased to hear actual reviews (whether they are good or bad) and not just people guessing that it's a bad place because they charge a lot of Casesar salad, which is a weird thing to judge fine Italian dining on. I hope that's a little clearer. Didn't mean to sound like a food snob.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Maybe they serve that REALLY big cannoli Alfreddo's use to display. Maybe you get a regular cannoli and a photo op with the huge one.
Well, can't say I am enticed to try it. Depends on the discount...
For a lot of $ I rather go to Flying Fish.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Have any of your eaten at California Grill or Victoria and Albert's? Do you have a problem with the prices there?

 

[IluvKingLouis]

I certainly didn't mean to incite a riot (or a food fight if you will ). I hope that's a little clearer. Didn't mean to sound like a food snob.

Thanks for the explanation

I have eaten in Canada a lot and find the food up there to be outstanding. I'd love your review of TI if/when you go. Just curious, how do you think Le Cellier compares to Canadian food?

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I've never eaten at Le Cellier. Never really saw the point since I can get all of that stuff here. It's supposed to be fantastic, though.

 

[IluvKingLouis]

I can certainly understand you not eating at Le Cellier. When we lived in Hawaii we never traveled to the outer islands for vacation (why go to another tropical paradise for vacation??). None of our mainland friends ever got it.

I think Le Cellier is quite good, but The Keg, in Canada is far far better.

 

[byoung]

My Italian DH grew up in Chambersburg, NJ, home of some of the finest Italian restaurants in NJ (and that's saying something). Many of the restaurants cater to the Trenton lobbyists (dining on expense accounts) and none would stay in business with prices that ridiculous for those menu items.

A $12 cannoli? No way.

Also from Trenton NJ and agree with you.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Honestly, not a big fan of The Keg, but then again, I'm not a big fan of chain food in general. It's not bad food but it is very overpriced. You can go to a nice bistro in Quebec for the same price or maybe a little more.

 

[marivaid]

I am pleased to hear actual reviews (whether they are good or bad) and not just people guessing that it's a bad place because they charge a lot of Casesar salad, which is a weird thing to judge fine Italian dining on.

I don't believe that anyone on this thread said that this is a bad place (most of us have not been there yet) - just that it seems very expensive. Several of us have used the example of the salad because it's such a basic and common "dish" that the price tag really does seem extreme. I wouldn't order that if we went to an Italian restaurant. We're not that far from Italy, close enough that we sometimes pop over there for a weekend. I know good Italian food and caesar salad does not make the cut.

Have any of your eaten at California Grill or Victoria and Albert's? Do you have a problem with the prices there?

Not yet but we'll be trying California Grill in December and looking forward to it. The prices are higher than the usual restaurants we go to in WDW, but the menu is original. $11 for a flatbread or $19 for a sushi platter does not seem too excessive to me.Plus, it's on the top floor of the Contemporary with a special deck you can watch Wishes from!
A lot of times at WDW you pay for the location as well as the food - just look at CRT. Food's mediocre at best according to a majority of reviews, but the place is booked up 6 months in advance.

 

[danielle782001]

I've never eaten at Le Cellier. Never really saw the point since I can get all of that stuff here. It's supposed to be fantastic, though.

It is VERY good. Worth the money! Excellent value on the DP.

We have decided not to go to Tutto Italia. The menu is a bit too fancy for us. We are Italian. Come from a long line of Italian cooks and we just don't like too many ingredients in our Italian food. We are not the Molto Mario types. We like the simple foods Nana made. So we are skipping it this time and waiting for more reviews to come out. Maybe we will go next year.

We need to hear from more people that have eaten there before we can decide if it is too expensive/ worth it. Can't wait to hear from those of you that go!

 

[Colleen27]

Why would it be insane??? CRT is $39.99 for lunch??? And more then likely a lot less food!

But CRT can get away with it, because the price is more about the experience than the food. It is Cinderella's Castle after all! Quite honestly, nothing on the CRT menu looks especially good to us, but still I was on the phone at 7AM, 180 days before check-in, cutting off the very polite Disney dining CM who answered in my mad rush to get that ADR. Why? Because we've never been, and my DD would like nothing better than to eat in the castle.

I don't think any of the Epcot restaurants can get away with the same pricing, because none of them offer anything that unique. Tutto Italia might do well, simlpy on the strength of the dining plan (especially among those who seek to maximize the value they get out of the plan), but those paying OOP will most likely settle on Le Cellier or Bistro de Paris or Marrakesh for a nice meal that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

I'm waiting not-so-patiently for more reviews, because I am thinking about changing one of our Epcot ADRs and can't decide between trying Tutto Italia or Chefs de France. But we'll be there on the deluxe dining plan, so I'm not even thinking about the cost.

 

[Colleen27]

The menu prices look more attractive to those on the DDP than those paying OOP. If they really want that much for the food, I can't imagine they would accept 1 TS credit for long. Without a lot of OOP diners, 1 TS just won't bring in enough money for a restaurant that thinks their food warrants the price. They'll need to either lower the prices or require 2 TS credits. The latter is more likely. As it is now, it's a great deal for 1 TS credit on DDP.

It isn't meant to last. Tutto Italia is temporary, remember, and is only going to be there until sometime next year (I would assume that Disney didn't want another restaurant closed right now, with the delays at Teppanyaki and Nine Dragons scheduled for remodelling after New Years). Then it will close for a major remodel and reopen as a "flagship" restaurant for the company that is operating it. At that point, it is anyone's guess whether it will be 1TS, 2TS, or off the dining plan entirely.

 

[madcoco]

We enjoy some of the Managing Co's other restaurants in Las Vegas and SoCal. Going this weekend for dinner. Reserving judgement until then. Price does not always equate quality that is for sure. If it doesn't pass the test then
Uh-oh!

 

[shovan]

This sounds very disappointing to me. It doesn't seem to be any more authentic Italian than what's available at good Italian places in our city. And those prices, for that kind of money, I expect at least equivalent to a Signature rest. I think we will wait to hear more reviews.

Colleen27 has mentioned this is temporary? That will just be a decorative remodel correct? It will still be run by the same company & I would assume the same management & a similar menu?

 

[Colleen27]

This sounds very disappointing to me. It doesn't seem to be any more authentic Italian than what's available at good Italian places in our city. And those prices, for that kind of money, I expect at least equivalent to a Signature rest. I think we will wait to hear more reviews.

Colleen27 has mentioned this is temporary? That will just be a decorative remodel correct? It will still be run by the same company & I would assume the same management & a similar menu?

I don't know how extensive the remodel will be, but I'm not assuming the menu will be similar. I went to the company's webiste (patinagroup.com, if anyone is interested) and looked at some other menus, particularly the one at their Disneyland restaurant, and now I'm *really* disappointed with the Tutto Italia menu/pricing. Their other Italian restaurants seem to have better menus and cheaper prices.

My guess? This temporary restaurant is only operating because of the demand created by the DDP. Disney knows the ADR situation is such that having 2 major restaurants out of commission simultaneously, at least with the DDP as it currently exists, is impossible. So they've put off the substantive changes to the Italian restaurant until next year, when Teppan Edo/Tokyo Dining will be open and the dining plan changes will most likely have reduced TS demand somewhat. I don't think what we see now is necessarily indicitive of the long-term menu or pricing at this restaurant, but only time will tell.

 

[shovan]

I don't know how extensive the remodel will be, but I'm not assuming the menu will be similar. I went to the company's webiste (patinagroup.com, if anyone is interested) and looked at some other menus, particularly the one at their Disneyland restaurant, and now I'm *really* disappointed with the Tutto Italia menu/pricing. Their other Italian restaurants seem to have better menus and cheaper prices.

My guess? This temporary restaurant is only operating because of the demand created by the DDP. Disney knows the ADR situation is such that having 2 major restaurants out of commission simultaneously, at least with the DDP as it currently exists, is impossible. So they've put off the substantive changes to the Italian restaurant until next year, when Teppan Edo/Tokyo Dining will be open and the dining plan changes will most likely have reduced TS demand somewhat. I don't think what we see now is necessarily indicitive of the long-term menu or pricing at this restaurant, but only time will tell.

Whoa! The lunch prices in WDW are higher than the dinner prices at DL!! What is up with that????? I would think that dining in DL overall would be more costly than WDW. In general, dining out in CA is more expensive than FL, so how can they justify the higher prices? Let's hope this doesn't mean we should expect price hikes at all WDW dining venues.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

It isn't meant to last. Tutto Italia is temporary, remember, and is only going to be there until sometime next year (I would assume that Disney didn't want another restaurant closed right now, with the delays at Teppanyaki and Nine Dragons scheduled for remodelling after New Years). Then it will close for a major remodel and reopen as a "flagship" restaurant for the company that is operating it. At that point, it is anyone's guess whether it will be 1TS, 2TS, or off the dining plan entirely.

Same company, same location. I don't think we can assume anything at this point, but it's probably not a great idea from a business standpoint to open a temporary location that's lesser quality & higher price than the restaurant to follow. I'd be surprised to hear the Patina Group made a conscience decision to do just that. There's something to be said for 1st impressions.

Without dining in the restaurant, I don't really have an opinion on whether the food is overpriced. My thoughts are based solely on DDP vs. OOP. We've eaten at many 1 TS & 2 TS restaurants in WDW. I know from experience the quality change between the 2. We don't hesitate to pay menu prices at Signature restaurants. In our opinion, they're worth it. Knowing full well what experience to expect at 1 TS restaurants, I'm not willing to pay 2 TS prices. Simply put, those paying OOP will be getting ripped off compared to DDP patrons. OTOH, if we decide to go with the DDDP next year, we'll probably try it for lunch once. I don't have a problem with TI being 1 TS credit. I do have a problem with paying twice as much for the same meal. Fortunately, there's lots of other places to eat at WDW, so I won't feel forced to.

 

[budbeerlady]

We are trying it on the DDP, I would never pay out of pocket that much but I wanted a meal that wasnt the usual steak verison I see at all the WDW dining places. Do I think it is very high, yes but I am not paying for it so we will give it a go.

 

[SGMCO]

That's why we will be trying this resaurant next trip
with FREE DINING and that will make the tip that we
pay close to what the food price should be.