Just back: food at all parks really marginal and EXPENSIVE!

[Puffy2]

Went to Universal and Disney and the food at both places was a real disappointment.
It has all increased in price - we spent between $40.00 and $75.00 on every meal (average of $60.00) for a family of 2 adults and 2 children.
At Universal, ate at Mels Drive In (dry chicken sandwiches, fries ok and a wonderful chocolate shake)
At IOA, ate at the often praised Mythos - overrated in my opinion - atmosphere ok but nothing to rave about and the shrimp dish I had was "tough". I'd try this place for dessert and coffee only next time.
At MGM , Holly Wood and Vine had a much smaller "spread" than the last time I went. The Pork Loin was so tough I couldn't chew it. The salmon was ok. Pretty much the buffet meal made for some weird food groupings for lunch (kids enjoyed the characters though).
At MK, Cinderellas Character Breakfast - food was fine and the characters great but the $78.00 price tag (after tip) will make me rethink ever doing this again. (adults are now about $20.99 each)
Also at MK, we had our cheapest meal at Columbia Harbor House, - food ok but the environment is loud.
At Epcot, Chef De France was the best meal we had. I only ordered a bowl of soup, the kids had kids meals,(chicken fingers) and DH had a full meal w/ one beer. Dinner still cost about $65.00 with tip anyway. Ouch.

Advice: take bottled water and drinks with you (water cost $2.79 and many places). If you can , take P&J sandwiches for the kids. If you are not a big eater, consider sharing a meal too.
If the parks don't come down some on their meal prices I don't see how an average family can afford a trip to Disney (or Universal - at least Universal has more reasonably priced City Walk within walking distance though) .

 

[Puffy2]

Make that $74.00 for Cindys - (ooh, big difference ).....

 

[ddank]

next time do your research and try some of the good restaurants in the world, your choices hardly represent what WDW has to offer..

 

[Princesstimes2]

Thanks for your reviews. I, too, am from the SOUTH and do not pay a LOT for food. I HAVE done research and have considered Hollywood and Vine AND we are going to Cindy's for Breakfast. I too think it is too much for breakfast. But, we have not been before and probably won't do it again so we are going to go. Maybe ddank is used to researching and paying this much, but you can't research two months in advance AND plan on a DISNEY PRICE INCREASE and for 19.99 per adult it had better BE A VERY GOOD BREAKFAST!!!!! I personally feel ANY character meal should be of GOOD quality. I know you are paying for character interaction, but for those prices it should also pay for food quality. Thanks again for your honest opinion.

 

[dulluth]

We just returned from WDW and Universal, and although food was a good part of the expense, I think it's is fairly easy to manage. We managed to get through most meals, with the exception of the shows like Hoop de doo, for under $30. (Family of three...two adults,one child.) First of all, we didn't eat at Mythos and the likes for most meals. If you do your research, you go in knowing that Mythos is the pricey place at Universal. We ate at the Oak Tree Tavern (or something like that) near Mythos. DH and I got wonderful grilled chicken salads with a tasty corn muffin, and DS got Mac and Cheese served in a bread bowl and drinks for under 30 dollars. At World Showcase, we ate at the US pavilion, and they had not only burgers and hotdogs, but club sandwiches, salad, and tuna salad sandwiches...we all got our fill plus drinks for under $30. If you choose to eat at Chefs de France, my guess is that you can expect that you are going to pay a bit more. Also, our entire group...5 adults, 1 six yr old... ate at Rose and Crown for dinner...5 meals, one PBJ meal, soft drinks all around and 3 desserts for under $100. I don't think that is awful. For breakfast...we used our flex feature for our character breakfast, but again, if your do your research, you know going in what the cost for this is going to be...but for the other days, we ate at our resort (PO-R). The meals were reasonable, but we chose to go with muffins, bagels, fresh fruit, juice, milk, cereal, yogurt, and an occasional side of sausage or bacon, and we managed to get out of breakfast for under $18. (And always got our fill!)

I know I am sounding like an optimist, but I keep reading posts in all catagories(transportation, resorts, dining, etc) with people doing a ton of complaining rather than trying to move on and realize that they are lucky enough to be experiencing one of the most fun, thoughtfully put together, efficient (especially considering the VOLUMES of people they serve) vacation locations in the world. If you are able to get to Disney, life is good, people. I know that the board is also meant for both positive and negative feedback, but I'd like to see more people looking for the good things! Just a thought!

Sincerely,
A recent renurnee from WDW (OK, you can all slam me now..I've said what I wanted to say!)

 

[pennyplanner]

Puffy2,

We are from the north and nothing seems cheap when it comes to dining out up here!

Our past WDW dining experience was varied. Our family size is one more than yours.

It is disappointing when the quality/quantity does not equal the hefty price tag. We are not returning to Tony's for that reason this November. While the kids loved the atmosphere and their meals, ours were very mediocre for the price.

On the flip side, lunch at Kringla Bakery was not cheap but the quality was exceptional for counter service. We will definitely return to Norway to dine.

We do dine in-room for breakfast and always take our own water to the parks. I do draw the line at making sandwiches without a kitchen! It's my vacation too!!!

Differing opinions make our world an interesting place. I tolerate all of them on these Boards whether I agree or not!

Thanks for your insights,
penny

 

[Dopey Sharon]

well said, dulluth!

 

[dulluth]

Thanks, D. Sharon.............Stinks to be back, but we did have a great trip!

 

[Puffy2]

If they are going to charge those prices, they have an obligation to make it as paletable as possible.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well--it's a "given" that a trip to WDW is expensive--food as well as tickets, etc.
As for the food-I've found it quite paletable over the last 27 years--in fact, I think it's quite good!!
But opinions differ and yours is valuable for folks to consider. I've often seen people in the parks who whip out Granola Bars and some water and absolutely have a grand time eating. They would probably never even consider eating at any WDW restaurant.

 

[webray]

Everybody has different tastes, and some of the WDW restaurants are excellent...some are not, same for Universal.

 

[ddank]

cindy's is not known for its food. the reviews are everywhere that can attest to this. holywood and vine is a buffet.. and a much better buffet than most outside WDW.. however it is still a buffet.. I'm not saying everyone needs to do weeks of review like some people, I'm just saying to make a blanket statement that food in Disney isn't worth is based on Cindys and H&V is IMO unfounded.. everything is over priced at WDW, but it's all worth it.. are the resorts so cheap? nope, but we keep staying there for some reason..

 

[mrsltg]

It's funny, my DH and I were having almost this exact same discussion this weekend. We came to the conclusion that your expectations are really determined by where you live. We live just outside DC so a meal that costs $50 for 2 is about average. We are also both Long Island escapees, so nothing was cheap when we were growing up either! When we're in Disney I expect to easily spend $100 a day between a counter service lunch and a sit-down dinner (we do Hostess for breakfast in the hotel room!). The down side, of course, is that I expect more from a restaurant than someone who lives in a place where McDonald's is considered gourmet! I think that you just have to take everyone's opinion with a grain of salt and decide what's best for you and your family.

Erin

 

[gina2000]

Puffy's been around. I met her 2 years ago on an Illuminations cruise.

I suspect she's commenting on quality and priced based on past experiences. I wouldn't be quick to dismiss her comments.

JMHO

 

[wdisneyaholic]

I would just like to add my 2 cents to the food prices. Were I live my family of 5 can dine for about $30 for dinner, so I have a real hard time paying $60 for dinner in Disney. I think that you just have to do what works best for your family. This past summer we spent $25 for lunch at Mara and all my kids ate were cheetos. I think this year we will be planning more meals off site and taking more snacks and maybe pb & j.

With increasing ticket costs and food costs it is hard for families with children to make yearly trips. So the food budget is the first to get cut.

I must say that one of my favorite meals and surprisingly cheap was a foot long hot dog and Mcdonald's fries at MGM. I also really liked Casey's corner. I felt it was a good deal for the money.

 

[Jen D]

Puffy2, thanks for your post. I agree that in general, some of the prices at the parks are an outrage and we've just sort of accepted them. Obviously, reading reviews is key-- California Grill is one restaurant that I think is well worth the money-- in fact, I think for the quality of the food and experience, it's actually a good bang for your buck. Brown Derby is another pricey one where the price is well worth it. Most of the character meals, on the other hand, border on highway robbery-- I actually liked my breakfast at CRT, to be honest, but the cost is a joke. Rose and Crown had competent enough food, good with a Bass Ale, but the prices were a joke for what is basically bar food-- and when I went they served on paper plates! I think that's the first time I ever spent sixty dollars on a meal served on picnic-ware. But- was I there because I think 14 dollars is a delightful price for ordinary fish and chips? Nope-- I was there for my Illuminations patio seating! Likewise, CRT isn't really about the food at all.

I think it is a shame they're aren't better priced options, but I'm not holding my breath that prices will go down. They charge that much because they can. So I think our best defense is to read this board, other reviews-- Unofficial Guide is pretty unsparing in their opinions-- and try to at least guarantee that when you shell out those big bucks for a WDW meal, it's going to be a decent one.

I'm used to expensive restaurants too-- I live in NYC. And you can be sure I never lay out 60-100 dollars for a place that hasn't been well-recommended.

 

[Puffy2]

Gina 2000!!!!! I haven't "heard" from you in such a long time! How are you?? Feel free to PM me if you like - (I check that sometimes...). Anyway, just wanted to say "hello". Also, if others want to continue this thread, I'd like to see it continue as a topic of "How to get the most out of your food dollars at Disney" rather than a debate....

I'll start,
The vegetable soup (it was the soup of the day) at Chef de France was very good - cost $5.00 (and they bring bread to the table anyway).

At Universal, Mels Diner - the chocolate shake for about $2.50 ...maybe $2.99 really hit the spot. (But get your lunch elsewhere).

 

[punkin]

I'd like to recomend the turkey legs at MGM. One is plenty for two people to share and it's reasonable. I also thought columbia house chowder in a bread bowl and hummus sandwich was not too bad (if not exacly cheap, at least it tasted good.)
California Grill was very expensive, but in that case, you get what you pay for - very good.
CRT I view as a show rather than a meal. I thought the food was close to inedible (except for the healthy choice and paying $20 for yogurt and granolla is just rediculous) Nevertheless, we are going back again because the look on my daughters' faces was worth the $80.

 

[gina2000]

PM sent!

 

[CarolAnnC]

I have found that all the WDW Restaurants either display or have available their menus to peruse before sitting down. I would check them over if I were on a budget, and pass over any that were out of my range.

We try to have the most updated info online, but sudden increases can be checked over before dining at least.

I have been able to visit many of the WDW Restaurants and keep it in budget by sometimes having a breakfast, then only one main meal. Lunch menus are often lesser priced than those at dinner.

It is a fine line to keep in a budget yet enjoy some of the fun dining experiences at WDW!!