More Blatantly GREEDY Dining Surcharges on the way

[lntsmom]

I called last night and cancelled our Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's ressys. I kept the one at Tusker House in part because it will be our single photo-op that doesn't involve standing in line and partly because it gets us into the park an hour before it opens.

First I asked the CM about price increases and the answer he gave was a vague, "that depends". I gave a specific example and what I'd heard the new price is, and he then confirmed the info. I told the CM exactly why I was cancelling: the price of these meals increased 50% between the time I booked them and today.

He then tried to sell me a dining plan. My response was that I assume this is exactly why Disney is choosing to raise prices. They are hoping people will opt for the dining plan thinking, "Gee, the price for a full day of meals is about the same as the price of one buffet...why not?" By strongly encouraging the purchase of their plan they are hoping to pocket nearly an extra $1000 months in advance of the actual purchase of the food!

I explained that I've taught for 24 years now, and a week at a value resort, Park Hoppers, and airfare are more than I take home in a month. I'm not going to spend another half a month's pay on food!

He wasn't nearly as friendly and happy at the end of the call as he was to start!

BTW...last week my travel agent sent me a letter from the Disney Travel company. It was addressed to her. In it the Disney folks strongly encourage her to get back in contact with me to push the dining plan. They reminded her that if she books it, she gets the commission. If I wait to purchase it on site, she doesn't.

Does it seem odd to anyone else that they seem so certain I'm going to purchase a dining plan? Hm.

I replaced one of our ressys with dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe. I couldn't come up with anything in the Magic Kingdom to replace the Crystal Palace. Good thing my boys don't mind counter service!

 

[disney-super-mom]

I think Disney is expecting flat or very modest gains in park attendance and hotel room occupancy for 2008, and is therefore implementing other ways to increase earnings.

 

[dioxide45]

This really isn't different than your local buffet charging extra for an Easter or Mother's Day buffet than they charge for every other day of the year.

 

[java]

This really isn't different than your local buffet charging extra for an Easter or Mother's Day buffet than they charge for every other day of the year.

When you are including about 4 months out of the year it is.
We are going end of June through July 6th and we were told - after asking and saying I had read on the interenet- that yes the character meals will have the $4 surcharge per person then as well. Sounded like it would be all summer long too!
I will be curious to see if this really stops people from going. We are not going to do any character meals and with a 3 and a 5 year old(along with a 10 and 13 year old) I think we are their target audience. We have gone to many in the past. But this trip no thanks. It's not that we can't afford it(although that extra $25 a meal is annoying) It is that we WON'T pay it.
Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

 

[lntsmom]

where I've landed for now:

Both the comments that consumers shouldn't be upset by this new policy and that it is a simple matter of supply and demand miss the mark. Disney IS tourism. They aren't a small town in the middle of nowhere that raises gas and food prices along the highway during the peak of travel season. Consumers should not champion Disney at any cost. Disney is a major corporation that promises a service and needs to be held accountable for the way in which they deliver.

Disney is not and has never operated as an economy of scale. If they choose to change tactics and do so now, they may find that they lose the good will of their customers. In the past they have dealt with the supply and demand issue by tweaking room prices. Consumers were used to this and understood that there was a discount for traveling during the "off" season. To my knowledge, Disney never promoted their busy times as being "premium" priced. In addition, to my knowledge, up until very recently the hotel pricing was the only way they addressed the supply/demand curve.

They spend a great deal of their resources attempting to convince the average family that they can afford a Disney vacation. The underlying message in their ads is that they offer the same basic entertainment options to everyone, so whether you are at a value resort or a deluxe resort they value your patronage. I think they began testing an expansion of their money grab to other areas with the change in the ticket packages. Personally, I paid much more for tickets this trip than I did 9 years ago, and for that rate increase I got a decrease in added value: no free character meals this time, no access to water parks, etc. Nobody blinked when Disney implemented this change, thus the new "premium" meal pricing.

The message that this now sends is that they no longer value all their customers in the same way. A family spending $9000 for a week at a deluxe resort and premium tickets and dining plan isn't going to give a hang about an increase in the price of a buffet. The people who won't be able to afford access to the character meals and finer restaurants are the value and some moderate resort customers.

And, in case someone wants to make the point that this is somehow a cost-of-living adjustment, let me share the story of my buffet price changes. In November, when I booked, the price listed at allears was $23 for adults. A month later I noticed it had been increased to $27. I wasn't thrilled, but decided I would absorb the difference. Then came January and another price increase, and now this "premium" pricing, bringing the buffet cost to $34 per adult. That is a 50% increase in the price in just 4 months. Do you know of anything else that has increased in price that greatly in the past 4 months?

If I were asked to summarize my opposition to this change, it would be that Disney is creating a theme park caste system that is in direct opposition to their claim to be an inclusive vacation option. It offends me to be treated as if my family and I were the red-headed stepchildren at the dinner table. Raise the prices across the board and I'm fine with it...add premium pricing to only the better dining options and I'm going to complain...which is just what I did when I cancelled our reservations.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

MousePlanet was right.....more to follow all the way into 2009.

During seasons of high demand, Disney raises the prices at most of the prix fixe restaurants.

Below are the restaurants and dates when you can expect to pay more. On average, it's $4.00 more per person ages 10 and up, $2.00 more per child ages 3 -9.

May 25 - July 5, 2008
November 22 - November 29, 2008
December 16, 2008 - January 3, 2009
April 5 - April 18, 2009
May 24 - July 11, 2009
Restaurants:

1900 Park Fare
Akershus
Biergarten
Boma
Cape May Cafe
Chef Mickey's
Cinderella's Royal Table
Crystal Palace
Garden Grill
Hollywood and Vine
Liberty Tree Tavern (dinner)
Ohana
Trails End
Tusker House
NOTE: This list is subject to change without notice and does not exclude other dining venues. There is no impact on guests using the Disney Dining Plan.

 

[TDC Nala]

Did anyone really not expect this?

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

I expected it, but you know, it still doesn't make it right.

 

[crzy4mk]

I expected it, but you know, it still doesn't make it right.

Right . . . Wrong . . . Whatever.

It's not really your call (or anyone's call) to make except the Disney company.

If the price increases bother you, don't eat the meals. If you really want to eat the meals, cut back somewhere else.

It's a business decision. If you choose not to give them your money, that's a business decision too.

Deal with it.

 

[jellybeans0607]

Because there will be more people paying higher prices.

because they have to pay more servers and more chefs.

 

[Praying Colonel]

WDW...boiling your tourism frog one degree at a time.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Just one more reason I am glad we always get the Disney Dining Plan. In 2005 - 2007 we usually saved about $500.00 and this year I thought we would only be saving about $200.00 with the tips and apps not being included. Well, I just realized today after seeing numerous posts about holiday pricing that our dates of December 12 - 21 would be during the holiday pricing dates. Most of the places we are eating at would have the surcharge, so I'm so glad we have the DDP once again this year.

 

[Narnia]

They DO NOT need to add more waiters and chefs because since the dining plan they are all booked way ahead of time. At 160 days alot of resteraunts are filled. They fill it the same during low and high season. My meals were planned 160 days out and we were lucky because we got the last table at many. Not everyone showes up to adr's but that allows for walk ups. Disney has now found a way to triple the cost of food. I have yet to eat at a buffet resteraunt were they wanted more then $20 I'm sure that unless I'm on a dining plan I wouldn't. I chose the deluxe because we want to eat atleast 2 times a day.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Right . . . Wrong . . . Whatever.

It's not really your call (or anyone's call) to make except the Disney company.

If the price increases bother you, don't eat the meals. If you really want to eat the meals, cut back somewhere else.

It's a business decision. If you choose not to give them your money, that's a business decision too.

Deal with it.

Geez, oh petey, could you dial down your response a notch or two?

I just want Disney to pick a universally applied pricing schedule and stick to it!

I have dealt with the changes. I crafted my December itinerary to exclude any restaurants on or after the 16th that would have a surcharge attached.

The thing that bugs me most is when the "holiday" surcharges at the restaurants are implemented when the resorts are still in "value" season. If I wanted to pay "holiday" pricing, I would schedule my stay during the resort "holiday" season, but I don't. I want to have a "value" priced stay, so I have to work a little harder to keep it that way. Our eating patterns don't make the dining plan a good deal. If we had children, it might be a better deal.

I totally acknowledge the fact that Disney is a business and that it's important for them to keep a healthy bottom line. There has to be a better way of increasing their bottom line, maintaining the quality of the product, and not ticking off the guests with these sorts of blatantly obvious greedy money grabbing surcharges.

 

[TDC Nala]

This discussion is starting to get a little too heated - please don't start sniping at one another. If the thread gets too argumentative it'll be closed.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Disney has now found a way to triple the cost of food.

Disney food used to cost $2 per adult at buffets? Because that's the only way an intermittent $4 increase can be considered tripling the cost of food.

 

[septbaby]

They DO NOT need to add more waiters and chefs because since the dining plan they are all booked way ahead of time. At 160 days alot of resteraunts are filled. They fill it the same during low and high season. My meals were planned 160 days out and we were lucky because we got the last table at many. Not everyone showes up to adr's but that allows for walk ups. Disney has now found a way to triple the cost of food. I have yet to eat at a buffet resteraunt were they wanted more then $20 I'm sure that unless I'm on a dining plan I wouldn't. I chose the deluxe because we want to eat atleast 2 times a day.

The fact that the restaurants are in such high demand suggest the "market" can stand a bit of a price hike, thank goodness it is a temporary/holiday hike.

Not sure if your buffets under $20 were at Disney or away from Disney, but I can assure you that now most Disney buffets cost at least $20, even breakfast. Outside of Disney I can give you a list of buffets costing over $20, $30 and more. It's been my experience and opinion that those non Disney (non Orlando) buffets have been well worth the extra $.

 

[madalex]

I totally acknowledge the fact that Disney is a business and that it's important for them to keep a healthy bottom line. There has to be a better way of increasing their bottom line, maintaining the quality of the product, and not ticking off the guests with these sorts of blatantly obvious greedy money grabbing surcharges.

Okay, what is your suggestion as to the "better way" for Disney to do this? What sort of increased cost (park tickets, room rates, etc.) would you be willing to accept in place of what Disney is doing here?

 

[Lehuaann]

I have dealt with the changes. I crafted my December itinerary to exclude any restaurants on or after the 16th that would have a surcharge attached.

The thing that bugs me most is when the "holiday" surcharges at the restaurants are implemented when the resorts are still in "value" season. If I wanted to pay "holiday" pricing, I would schedule my stay during the resort "holiday" season, but I don't. I want to have a "value" priced stay, so I have to work a little harder to keep it that way. Our eating patterns don't make the dining plan a good deal. If we had children, it might be a better deal.

OP, I completely understand what you are trying to get across and I agree.

Seasonal/Holiday Restaurant Price Increases are not the problem or issue. What is the issue is how inconsistent it appears for Disney to implement the Price Increases to fall within their:

Holiday Season: Disney defines as extreme crowds, very expensive.
and
Value Season: Disney defines as lowest crowds, cheapest.

Obviously the Resorts, Parks, and Restaurants must run on separate seasons.

Per MouseSavers.Com

Avoid Seasonal Restaurant Price Increases
Little known fact: Disney raises meal prices at many of its buffets and character meals during busy times of year. (value season?) During these periods, a buffet or character meal typically will cost you about $4 more for an adult (ages 10+) and $2 more for a child under 10. (If you are on the Dining Plan, this does not affect you.)

This sneaky little maneuver has been going on for years, but for a long time it affected only Thanksgiving and Christmas season, and only at a few restaurants that were serving special holiday food items, making the increase somewhat justified.

In 2008, the price increases were expanded to include Easter and peak summer season, making it a year-round phenomenon, and many more restaurants are now included. At this point, virtually all of the buffets and character meals participate in this upcharge and it is based purely on dates, not on any "enhanced" menus.

Some upcoming time periods when on-site buffet/character meal price increases will be in effect:

May 25 - July 5, 2008 (peak summer season)
November 22-29, 2008 (Thanksgiving week)
December 16, 2008 - January 3, 2009 (holiday season)
April 5-18, 2009 (Easter / spring break)
May 24 - July 11, 2009 (peak summer season)
Other full-service restaurants may charge a premium on holidays (specifically Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day), so be sure to ask when booking reservations.

If you needed another reason to avoid visiting Walt Disney World during peak seasons, this is a good one!