How much for this thing?!

[robsmom]

I guess i think Disney dining is like at home in that there are someplaces i like and think are worth it and others that just don't do it for me. The big difference is the uniqueness of some of the Disney choices. On the last trip we went to Boma. We don't have an african themed dinner buffet at home! In general, we don't really have many middle to upper scale buffets around me at all. We enjoy and seem to get our money out of the buffets. The other restaurants we enjoy are those with themeing and good food such as 50's prime time. If the food is bad, however, it doesn't matter how great the theme is so I really dislike the sci-fi.

 

[MzDiz]

Sorry about your experiences. Just curious, where else did you dine? Like you said, maybe it's all the rave reviews you read on this board ... your expectations may have been higher than if you hadn't read them. Did you take a look at any of the restaraunt menus before you left home? Maybe you wouldn't have been as outraged about some of the prices. Speaking of which, I don't think Disney's prices are at all out of line, but that's JMO.

I just posted a dining review here - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=11915539#post11915539
I wish I hadn't read the other dining reviews, they spoiled me! Don't get me wrong, not all the prices were bad, not all the food was bad, not all the service was bad. I did look at all the menus beforehand. DD's a vegetarian, so we scrutinized them. I wish people would stop apologizing for my great vacation experiences.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I agree most prices I've paid at Disney I felt were overpriced, but I don't think it's any different than any other touristy area -- with the exception of maybe Vegas. I feel the same way (overcharged) when I go to Charleston, SC, or Savannah, GA. I can go 50 or 100 miles inland from these areas and pay much less for the same types of meals with generally better quality and better service.

I try to travel -- to Disney or any tourist spot -- with the mindset that I'm going to pay a lot for mediocre food, lol. At least when I have an exceptional meal or fantastic service, I'm surprised and thrilled. And I've had some exceptional meals and service at WDW, too.

Something DH and I are talking about doing is taking a "culinary" vacation, a vacation to enjoy food and wine, possibly in the Willamette Valley wine region of Oregon...no lines, no parks, no ADRs (at least I hope!) to enjoy that type of getaway, too. If any Oregonians or folks who have familiarity with this area read this, any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

The prices were insane for what you got. Anywhere else in the real world, if I order a 22 dollar steak, I get a salad at least.

For a REAL steakhouse - not talking Outback here - almost everything is a la carte. LeCellier is right on target in regards to pricing with those type of places.

 

[Imagineer wanabee]

we went down last year to WDW for 12 days. About the 9th day we went off property to eat because we thought the expense was getting out of hand. We at at one of "Orlando's Finest" and the service, food, price was horrible compaired to Disney. We were so thankful to get back on property and resume our vacation. I will Never eat off property again. If I lived in Orlando I would eat at Disney Restaurants regularly.

 

[heatherfeather24]

For a REAL steakhouse - not talking Outback here - almost everything is a la carte. LeCellier is right on target in regards to pricing with those type of places.

I would even say it's a little less expensive than what I'm accustomed to paying. I can't tell you when I've less than $26-30for a steak at Gibson's, Morton's or Capital Grille. Maybe its because I'm used to "big city" pricing, but fancier meals at Disney never strike me as particularly expensive.

For me, the sticker shock comes from the burger/counter service type meals -- but as others have said, with a captive audience, you can charge pretty much whatever you want.

 

[MzDiz]

Paying six bucks for a wedge of iceburg lettuce in those places is crazy too.
I should take out that part of my OP, I swear. Everyone thinks I'm talking about Outback. Nevermind the fact that I've had better steaks at Outback...

 

[MzDiz]

I would even say it's a little less expensive than what I'm accustomed to paying. I can't tell you when I've less than $26-30for a steak at Gibson's, Morton's or Capital Grille. Maybe its because I'm used to "big city" pricing, but fancier meals at Disney never strike me as particularly expensive.

For me, the sticker shock comes from the burger/counter service type meals -- but as others have said, with a captive audience, you can charge pretty much whatever you want.

Oh, I'll pay 30 bucks for a good filet, but this *wasn't* good. It just wasn't worth the money. Especially when you consider that it didn't come with anything else.
I never said that the prices were outrageous for what was on the menu. I said that the prices were outrageous for what actually showed up at your table. I think the way I worded my OP was unclear.

 

[goodeats]

If you live in a low COL area than the prices at WDW are probably a shock. For somebody from Southern California I think most of the places are right on the money for a world class resort. There are some things I think are such a bargain (bottled water only $2!) and some that I think are terribly overpriced (like CRT).

 

[Jen D]

I will agree with other posters that at most upscale steakhouses and other restaruarnts, salads and everything else is ala carte. But since the OP is sorry she posted that part I will lay off.

I will also agree with the OP that I was a little underwhelmed by Le Cellier quality-wise, although we had an excellent server.

I get your larger point that you're paying a lot for often not-so-great food. There are many restaurants at WDW I love, but there are a lot of stinkers too and unfortunately you'll often pay as much for the bad ones as the good ones. All you can do is research your choices and cross your fingers.

Personally my feeling about the pricing at WDW meals is directly related to the meal's quality. I walk out of Chef Mickey's saying "what a rip-off! How overpriced!" And I walk out of Boma saying "what a bargain!" The prices are similar or the same and both are buffets. But (IMO) Boma was better so I didn't feel gouged.

The prices are comparable to prices in NYC too, so the high prices don't surprise me... but I don't excuse a bad meal at $150 here either. As I do in WDW, I accept the high prices as a reality of where I am, but I try my best to get the most (or more accurately, the best) for my money.

 

[abaldacci]

my take on disney dining is: It all taste the same after awhile sorta like cruise food to me ;not bad, just the same. and by the way our service way great we were on dining plan too. So I sorta think you just got bad service.

 

[tweedlewtwinsmama]

Have you been to a college or pro football game lately? $10 to park,$3 for a coke, $3 for an itty bitty hotdog (I mean the real thin short kind not the 1/4 pound hotdogs that they sell at amusement parks) not to mention the cost of the tickets (OSU has the second highest ticket price for college games). Disney seems like a bargain compared to going to just 1 game.

 

[heatherfeather24]

Oh, I'll pay 30 bucks for a good filet, but this *wasn't* good. It just wasn't worth the money. Especially when you consider that it didn't come with anything else.
I never said that the prices were outrageous for what was on the menu. I said that the prices were outrageous for what actually showed up at your table. I think the way I worded my OP was unclear.

That makes sense.

I've eaten at Le Cellier, but frankly I don't recall whether the quality of the meal was worth the price. I don't recall hating it, but I don't recall loving it either.

 

[Fire14]

I eat out a lot. I'm also a culinary arts major, so I get a lot of food knowledge crammed down my throat. Maybe it's where I live. We're cheap in these parts and we like our salads.

it must be where we live because i'm used to getting salad as part of meal also although i prefer soup. I personally have had wonderful experiences at wdw but do agree with you the dp probaly played a factor in service.

 

[thelionqueen]

I think the prices are on par for most entertainment type eateries (ie Six Flags etc). But I think people forget that Disney has a Massive amount of restaurants and UNBELIEVABLE masses of people to feed on a daily basis.

Taking everything into consideration, I think they do a fantastic job. When was the last time Outback served thousands of people daily?

Since I've found the dining plan, that is the only way to go for us. So the prices don't bother me at all

 

[crisi]

I think Le Cellier is generally a good steak for the price. It isn't Morton's or Ruth's Chris. My favorite steak place in the Twin Cities is the St. Paul Grill. Its $7 for a Ceasar Salad, ($6 a Le Cellier), and their 8 oz filet is $31 (Le Celliers 7 oz is $27, but is served with mashed potatos - you'll spend another $6 on mashed potatos at the St. Paul Grill). Now, the food IS better at the St. Paul Grill - but a very similar meal will run $44 as opposed to $33. We've always found the steak at Le Cellier to be decent - but not exceptional.

The same meal at the Yachtsman (which I haven't been to, but I'd expect to have similar quality to St. Paul Grill) - salad is $8 , filet - including the potatoes is $34 - $42 - still not a bad value.

Shulas - $9 salad, 12 oz filet is $40 (Shula's doesn't serve small cuts), baked potato (they don't do mashed either, $7) - $56, but you are getting a bigger piece of steak. Not a good value (though I hear it is an excellent steak.

Kincaids, another national chain steakhouse - $7 salad, $30 petite filet (with au gratin potatos AND asparagus, but no size on the filet) - $37.

My local Outback (I think Le Celliers steak is better than my local Outback), serves the full meal (salad, potato and steak) for $19 - but as you said, you aren't comparing it to Outback - and their filet is a different cut.

(Morton's and Ruth's Chris don't even bother to put prices on their web sites. I remember both meals running at Shula's style pricing.)

 

[cdpa4d]

Your impression of Disney Dining prices are going to vary depending on what part of the country you live. A steak dinner in downtown Manhattant is going to cos you more than the same steak dinner would cost in Cincinnati, OH. People who travel to WDW from New York city probably think WDW dining prices are somewhat of a bargain.

My personal opinion is that Disney dining is above average, but what you really pay for is your surroundings and atmosphere. Disney restaurants are very well detailed and themed. The atmosphere adds to the price just like any other suburbian restaurant.

I also agree with a previous poster that the Dining Plan has hurt the restaurants from a food quality and service perspective. If the waiters and waitresses know you are on the Dining Plan there is a tendancy for them to give you basic service and not go above and beyond since they already know what the tip will be.

There also seems to be a lot of food changes at the restaurants. Take Ohana for example (I still love this place) Pinapple to bread pudding, etc.

I still love the food and atmosphere at WDW. There aren't too many places like it and they do try and make your experience the best possible. Personally, I've only had one bad dining experience at WDW out of all the times I've visited.

 

[DisFlan]

Over 29 years, we've seen WDW dining at low points and high points. We watched it peak in the late '80s and through most of the '90s. Since the late '90s, we've watched it sink again. And it's not just about the DP. We were on a DP back in about 1987. Although I doubt the recent big DP push helped any.

I think it's more about numbers, now. WDW has grown enormously and is required to feed a huge, HUGE mass of people seven days a week in a bewildering array of restaurants. They've gone for the middle ground to please the mosts palates while controlling costs and maximizing profits. So you don't often get terrible food, but you also don't often get the "knock your sox off " great stuff (or service) anymore, even in the higher end places. The only "great" food left is at V&A - and you pay through the nose for it.

These days, we don't go expecting great food. We go for the atmosphere and enjoy it because it's WDW.


DisFlan