I hate to say it , and I hope I'm wrong , but ...

[Nancyg56]

So how much do you tip when you must wait 40 minutes after your reservation to be seated even though there is lots of empty tables, because servers can't be found?

Then it takes 20 minutes for your drinks to arrive?

Clearing plates, maybe once?

Refills, good luck!

Now you try and get your bill, 20 minutes!

10 minutes for them to collect bill!

10-20 minutes to return with bill! I can put up with the rest, but not this one! Family want to leave!

This has happened way more times then I can count!

The ones that only take 5 minutes or so to perform these very basic skills will get 25% out of me. Even if the food was just ok. They didn't cook it!

I have no idea how you hold the serves responsible for the seating issues. ANd to be honest, in over ten yeas I have never had service issues at any WDW restaurnat but one. And that one I spoke to the manager about.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I find the table service to be really fast at WDW, sometimes a little too fast. I do agree that you do have to wait too long to be seated sometimes but that's not the server's fault. And I honestly have never had a bad waiter/waitress, you can tell they are all mostly experienced and good at their jobs.

 

[zaccaglin]

Good riddance, it was never really free anyways.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I find the table service to be really fast at WDW, sometimes a little too fast. I do agree that you do have to wait too long to be seated sometimes but that's not the server's fault. And I honestly have never had a bad waiter/waitress, you can tell they are all mostly experienced and good at their jobs.

Well...since I've had several hundreds of meals...I've had dozens.

On the whole not bad. Had a horrid one at ohana once...one in Le cellier that the ins should have escorted to the border...an awfully behaved chef at narcoosees...and a manager at brown derby that messed with a sleeping 3 month old in an empty restaurant and should be on the 7th level now.

Those are the memorable stories...not all servers. We've had dozens if not hundreds of great ones too.

 

[Davey Jones II]

I'm a Florida resident and every spring they would have a special on tickets for us, but Not this year....we get a great discount already, but the spring one was fantastic although some weeks like Easter were blacked out. BUT....now they are advertising that Easter work/spring break week for locals is NO LONGER BLACKED OUT. So that means that their greed is kicking them in the butt.....as the locals aren,t going this year.......and I'm glad.


We also get a discount on Disney cruises and the last 2 years they were few and far between, but this year....I can go on the fantasy for 7 days for under $3000 for 2 people. The discounts have returned!! They are not filling their ships. There is like 6 cruises discounted right now.

So I think they may have to rethink this.

I own DVC so I would purchase an annual pass and go a few time in one year on it because I live so close, but they totally lost me this year. Was going to spend over $1200 on annual passes, but right before my trip they increased the price, so I got other tickets that only cost $600..so they lost $600 in tickets, spending in the parks since I only could go to the parks 4 days instead of unlimited ones and spending on food in the parks And at their resorts(I bring my car And can go off premise to eat and buy grocery and since I had time from the parks that's exactly what I did.

The thing is that people are willing to spend money at DISNEY without even thinking about it....wishes dessert party...yes it was a deal at $25, but $70 a person.....how much dessert can you eat to get $70 worth of food....times that by a family of 5 or 6 and $420 for dessert for 1 night.....really?? .... People just blindly buy the DDP
Fantastic dinner package, premium seats for FROZEN ever after, villains after dark party, the very merry Christmas party....but of course the snow on Main Street and the free cookies and hot chocolate make the $79 ticket price worth it when they are already paying dearly for their regular ticket.

I read about a guy who spent over $1000 to feed his family on thanksgiving at the "special holiday feast" at the contemporary.....he got dried turkey and ham...... But who would pay that.....I'd got to frontierland and get myself a turkey leg if I absolutely had to eat turkey on the 3rd Thursday in November. The food and wine festival....where you spend $50 on dinner and are still hungry.....and that doen't even include drinks.... Not to mention, spending the whole day in a line to get
3 bites of food and now you have the pleasure of doing it in the spring too.

As long as people pay...they will charge!

I spent 8 nights this year at Disney....two separate trips... and spent about $2200 total...including my tickets $600, DVC dues $1200 for GF 1 bedroom for 2 nights, POLY studio for 3 and BW 2 bedroom for 3 nights and food for a family of 3 to 4 ( $400) ....I cooked in my room and ate off premises or counter service.

Yeah, it is all pretty incredible. Are all these people rich, or just mindlessly splurging because "hey, we're on vacation!"

Presumably, a lot of these people are first timers. So how many of these first timers will come back, and how often? Every five, ten years? Or one and done?

These are questions for the future, but Disney seems to be permanently stuck in short term thinking.

 

[monique5]

Whenever we were able to go and get the "free dining" pkg. we always found it cost us less than a room only discount . It really boils down to how well you use the dining plan and what resort you stay in .

Very true.

 

[jade1]

I spent 8 nights this year at Disney....two separate trips... and spent about $2200 total...including my tickets $600, DVC dues $1200 for GF 1 bedroom for 2 nights, POLY studio for 3 and BW 2 bedroom for 3 nights and food for a family of 3 to 4 ( $400) ....I cooked in my room and ate off premises or counter service.

Yep, Disney offers many ways/choices to tour WDW. Love it.

 

[KingRichard]

I have no idea how you hold the serves responsible for the seating issues. ANd to be honest, in over ten yeas I have never had service issues at any WDW restaurnat but one. And that one I spoke to the manager about.

I find the table service to be really fast at WDW, sometimes a little too fast. I do agree that you do have to wait too long to be seated sometimes but that's not the server's fault. And I honestly have never had a bad waiter/waitress, you can tell they are all mostly experienced and good at their jobs.

If you ask why can't my family be seated in those empty tables it will always be the same answer. Servers are to busy!

 

[GatorChris]

I miss the old days when you went to Disney and caught a show and it was about first come first serve. Once you walked through the gates, we were all equal. But if you have a boatload of extra cash you can now get the premium seating for shows, the best spots for fireworks, etc. I've always hated that kind of pricing at other parks. Disney used to be different. No more.

 

[beer dave]

If you ask why can't my family be seated in those empty tables it will always be the same answer. Servers are to busy!

And that is because the management doesn't put enough servers on...............

 

[kandb]

I miss the old days when you went to Disney and caught a show and it was about first come first serve. Once you walked through the gates, we were all equal. But if you have a boatload of extra cash you can now get the premium seating for shows, the best spots for fireworks, etc. I've always hated that kind of pricing at other parks. Disney used to be different. No more.

Unfortunately, that's everything in life, not just Disney. All businesses are open to make money and Disney is no different.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

And that is because the management doesn't put enough servers on...............

To save minimal costs

 

[KYMickey]

I miss the old days when you went to Disney and caught a show and it was about first come first serve. Once you walked through the gates, we were all equal. But if you have a boatload of extra cash you can now get the premium seating for shows, the best spots for fireworks, etc. I've always hated that kind of pricing at other parks. Disney used to be different. No more.

Isn't that the truth! You also didn't have to make plans 6 months in advance to ride a ride at a specific time and if he happened to want to do something else you are SOL because you certainly won't be to do it later! Dining has also gotten so much worse, the food quality has decreased to the lowest common denominator except for a few overpriced places. You can't consider dining at a sitdown restaurant on the spur of the moment at a reasonable hour and even when you do have a reservation you are more than likely going to wait quite a bit of time anyway before you're even seated.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Isn't that the truth! You also didn't have to make plans 6 months in advance to ride a ride at a specific time and if he happened to want to do something else you are SOL because you certainly won't be to do it later! Dining has also gotten so much worse, the food quality has decreased to the lowest common denominator except for a few overpriced places. You can't consider dining at a sitdown restaurant on the spur of the moment at a reasonable hour and even when you do have a reservation you are more than likely going to wait quite a bit of time anyway before you're even seated.

Gone forever...

The parent company wasn't an international media conglomerate run by an outside suit then.

I'm not even venturing an opinion...it's just the facts

 

[beer dave]

Isn't that the truth! You also didn't have to make plans 6 months in advance to ride a ride at a specific time and if he happened to want to do something else you are SOL because you certainly won't be to do it later! Dining has also gotten so much worse, the food quality has decreased to the lowest common denominator except for a few overpriced places. You can't consider dining at a sitdown restaurant on the spur of the moment at a reasonable hour and even when you do have a reservation you are more than likely going to wait quite a bit of time anyway before you're even seated.

I don't know about all of this.... I know about and agree with the fact that pricing has increased above standard inflation, but I can remember when Disney was really only available to the mid to upper middle class or higher, and trips had to be planned over a year in advance...... I believe these are the times you are referring to... Then there was the D Decade..... When they built the econo lodges and some of the moderates, so everyone could have a chance to experience the magic. Some how the prices all increased, but I guess they were spread out over a larger variety of options, to vastly increase the park population. It seems really clear that the only way to go back in time to the low crowds and the non scheduling of everything, getting rid of all the upcharge events, would be to level the cost playing field again by drastically raising the prices. Then when we scrimped for a 5 day trip, we would be in parks that would be much less populated, and we would be once again paying for an exclusive location.

As it is said many times by my compadres here... as long as people keep paying, the prices will keep going up. I'm just surprised they haven't gone up more. I look at the up charge events as their way of expanding the ability to offer a wider range of experiences and price ranges. You can stay off site and pay for admission, you can stay econo and get a package, all the way to deluxe and pay for the upcharge events, or any mix you may desire. The cost range is very spread out. Regardless of where it falls on the value judgement scale.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I don't know about all of this.... I know about and agree with the fact that pricing has increased above standard inflation, but I can remember when Disney was really only available to the mid to upper middle class or higher, and trips had to be planned over a year in advance...... I believe these are the times you are referring to... Then there was the D Decade..... When they built the econo lodges and some of the moderates, so everyone could have a chance to experience the magic. Some how the prices all increased, but I guess they were spread out over a larger variety of options, to vastly increase the park population. It seems really clear that the only way to go back in time to the low crowds and the non scheduling of everything, getting rid of all the upcharge events, would be to level the cost playing field again by drastically raising the prices. Then when we scrimped for a 5 day trip, we would be in parks that would be much less populated, and we would be once again paying for an exclusive location.

As it is said many times by my compadres here... as long as people keep paying, the prices will keep going up. I'm just surprised they haven't gone up more. I look at the up charge events as their way of expanding the ability to offer a wider range of experiences and price ranges. You can stay off site and pay for admission, you can stay econo and get a package, all the way to deluxe and pay for the upcharge events, or any mix you may desire. The cost range is very spread out. Regardless of where it falls on the value judgement scale.

I think you've hit the intersection of multiple points...

1. Disney was never an inclusive destination...or "affordable". That hasn't and will never change.

First...the reason "middle and upper class" was there had larger to do with far fewer people willing to fly. Flying was exotic in unto itself for many if not most into the 1980's

Second, Disney addressed the net they could cast in the "Disney decade"...there were only two parks and a few onsite hotels until the early 90's...the introduction to the moderate class, values, and in some ways DVC made it more available to more people.

They've almost rescinded that now...as rooms at pop century creep toward $200 a night far too often.

And the truth...simplified for this purpose...is that Bernie sanders is right. Many people are not keeping pace with the devaluation of money. That manifests itself in many of these "Disney is insane!" Posts and with all the hubbub about crowds and free dining promos.

 

[FunFamily]

Beer Dave's response is the answer. Indeed, Beer Dave's words here could be bottled and served again in many, many threads on this board.

Complaints about Disney's pricing on this board will have little overall impact on the cost of choosing to vacation at a Disney park. It is the actual bottom line results that will drive Disney's decisions, short term and long term, as they should. Does Disney leadership get every pricing decision correct, no -- but no other business does either. And when businesses miss on the value equation (as demonstrated through actual sales and revenue figures), they must adjust their value equation to customers or risk going out of business. General Motors and McDonald's are two such example of this process unfolding in a highly visible manner.

 

[kandb]

I don't know about all of this.... I know about and agree with the fact that pricing has increased above standard inflation, but I can remember when Disney was really only available to the mid to upper middle class or higher, and trips had to be planned over a year in advance...... I believe these are the times you are referring to... Then there was the D Decade..... When they built the econo lodges and some of the moderates, so everyone could have a chance to experience the magic. Some how the prices all increased, but I guess they were spread out over a larger variety of options, to vastly increase the park population. It seems really clear that the only way to go back in time to the low crowds and the non scheduling of everything, getting rid of all the upcharge events, would be to level the cost playing field again by drastically raising the prices. Then when we scrimped for a 5 day trip, we would be in parks that would be much less populated, and we would be once again paying for an exclusive location.

As it is said many times by my compadres here... as long as people keep paying, the prices will keep going up. I'm just surprised they haven't gone up more. I look at the up charge events as their way of expanding the ability to offer a wider range of experiences and price ranges. You can stay off site and pay for admission, you can stay econo and get a package, all the way to deluxe and pay for the upcharge events, or any mix you may desire. The cost range is very spread out. Regardless of where it falls on the value judgement scale.

Let's say Disney reduced their prices by 25%, that would mean a lot more people would choose to go there. It seems like the crowd levels are high enough, all year. I doubt Disney would be enjoyable with tons more people going. Lower prices would mean way more vacationers and that wouldn't work either.

 

[kandb]

Disney is not cheap but it's definitely not a super expensive vacation. We are going with a family of 5 at the end of Aug. for 10 nights. We have 2 adults, 2 Disney adults and 1 child. Our trip includes 10 nights at a moderate hotel, 10 days of tickets including water parks and the dining plan which includes a sit down dinner every night. My kids were ordering a nice steak at least half the time. Our whole package for the 10 days/nights is $4400. I had priced the Atlantis a while back and it came out to around $1K per day to stay there. I know the Atlantis is a little more extravagant but Disney prices aren't outrageous IMO. We've been going for years and yes the prices have gone up and the thing we don't like about it as much is that's it's so much more crowded. We remember the days of rarely waiting for rides and getting as many fast passes as we wanted.

 

[Eoghann]

Let's say Disney reduced their prices by 25%, that would mean a lot more people would choose to go there. It seems like the crowd levels are high enough, all year. I doubt Disney would be enjoyable with tons more people going. Lower prices would mean way more vacationers and that wouldn't work either.

There's actually very little evidence of that. Prices have gone up every year and yet crowds keep increasing anyway.

It's possible that a lower price would entice more, but it's equally possible that the draw of Disney outweighs pricing concerns for many visitors.