My Restaurant Rant...Please No Flames

lordmadcow

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 23, 2005
Messages
97
Last night I ran across my Birnbaum's Disney book from 2003, and I was shocked with how much all the buffets have increased in price in really 2 years since the prices in Dec 2005 were the same. Hollywood and Vine dinner was 16.99 now it is 22.99. Crystal Palace Dinner was 19.99 and is now 27.99. They have averaged a 40% increase in the last 2 years..WOW. Now I am a huge disney fan we have been 2 times in the last 5 months, but this really blew my mind. Even the passes are getting outrageous if you can only go for one day they are now 67.55 they used to be 50.00 in 2003. I know everything has to go up in price but I feel that Disney is making itself out of reach for many average families. I know lots of people who look at Disney as a once in a lifetime vacation and that is sad :guilty: . Cinderella's Royal Table has really bummed me out. They want 39.99 for adults and 24.99 for children 3-9. So a average family of 5 coming to the magic kingdom for one day and making their girls dreams come true at the Castle will cost around 450.00 not including taxes or tips! Ok I got it off my chest and feel better, please no flames just making a observation. princess:
 
No flames here, I agree completley. Prices are getting WAY out of hand at WDW. Seems every time you turn around, they are either raising prices, or cutting back on quantities. Rant on! :teeth: About the only saving grace is that if you are a Florida resident, you can get a Florida residents seasonal pass for around $200. But even that was only $155 a few years back.
 
Interesting info. I've read a lot about price increases around the world so it's interesting to see the specifics. Thanks for sharing.
 
I wholeheartedly agree with you. My niece loves Cinderella and would love to eat in the castle but with a party of 10, her being the only child, we decided it wasn't possible and not worth using 2 ts credits for, that makes it even seem like a larger amount to pay. Of course they're going to raise the prices of something that is almost impossible to get if you don't call right away for the ADR. I remember back in 1987, i won a 4 day trip to disney and i thought, even back then, how can anyone afford to come here? Will they keep taking the prices up at this rate? It's funny, after eating down there and coming home, we think our local Red Lobster is such a good deal, lol.
 

I agree too! However, the Disney Dinning Plan looks better and better each day.
 
Well, based on the crowds and expectations it appears Disney is still considered a great bargin by more than enough people to fill the venues so don't expect them to become benevolent anytime soon.

I personally agree that they are getting close to tipping the balance of cost vs. worth for me but until the masses agree nothing will change...It's either worth it to have these experiences or it isn't.

pirate:
 
NC State said:
I agree too! However, the Disney Dinning Plan looks better and better each day.

I've noticed the prices increasing more since the dining plan has been put into place. :/
 
I agree...I hate it that it does cost soooo much. I have luckily been once and we are going again in July when I thought I would never be able to go. Everytime anyone ever asked me what I wanted to do before I died I said go to Disney World. I am afraid in the next few years it will go up so much that we will not be able to afford it. My 2 sisters have never been and the majority of my friends have never been because it costs so much and it makes me sad..I hate to even talk about our upcoming trip because I don't want them to feel like I am bragging..

It will soon be too expensive for your average family....I wonder what will happen then!!! :confused3
 
I agree completely...we have looked at our trips there as once in a lifetime events. Took older ds when he was 6 in 98 with financial help from my mom (stayed offsite) then took both when second ds was 5 in 2004 (splurged and stayed onsite at mod w/a code). We loved it but spent a small fortune (could have gone to London!) and with prices having increased dramatically since then just don't think it will be on our list again. Ah well...maybe we'll win the lottery or something. :)
 
Are the character meals 2 TS credits now? I thought they were just one. :confused3
 
Biscuitsmom31 said:
Are the character meals 2 TS credits now? I thought they were just one. :confused3

With the exception of CRT, character meals are 1 TS credit. CRT's with its new increased price is 2 TS credit.
 
No flame here. I too think the price of restaurants have gone up way too fast. In particular is CRT. My 5yo DD loves to eat in the castle as do I!! But with the new price increase at CRT I just cannot justify the cost for value. Although we are looking to do the dining plan I still cannot justify to myself using 2 TS credits to eat there. While it is a special meal to eat inside the castle and meet the princesses to me it is just not worth the new price.
 
I wonder if the other character dining locations will follow suit... :rolleyes2
 
With a family of 5 we have been priced out of the table service places. We are only doing 2 this time. Sci Fi for lunch and Rainforest for Breakfast. Luckily we all like counter service and we'd do just about anything to go to Disney!! Last year we brought in sandwhiches! Dh requested we NOT do that this time...don't know why, I didn't mind it.
Kimba
 
Granted, the prices overall have increased. But, our next trip is actually costing us less per day than the trip we took in 2001. Our FW campsite in 2001 was approx. $70/night, this trip will be $56 - diff is peak vs. pre-holiday rates. Last trip, I budgeted $150/day in park OOP money - to cover mostly dining. This trip - dining plan for 4 "adults" (2 parents, 2 kids, 11 and 13) and one child, 9, will cost approx $164/day. Considering the age progression, the same dining plan for the kids ages from our last trip (in today's prices) would be approx $94 per day. Certainly less than the $150/day we budgeted (and spent) last trip - and I guarantee you we didn't eat as well last time as we intend to on the DDP. Last trip, our tickets for 6 days cost us more than our tickets will cost us for 10 days this trip. Factor in the age difference of kids (2 on the last trip were considered kids - now considered adults), and it is considerably cheaper for the 10 days this time than the 6 days last time. We're still park hopping, but the tickets now are non-expiring. We also don't have the "extras", but I have 1 day leftover from last time to visit a water park should December temps allow it. So - I think Disney has made it more affordable in some ways - allowing more choice in ticket design and pre-paying for meals. I guess their thought is - the longer we are in the parks, the more we will spend. OK by me - I want longer to see the parks, and if it costs me less per day per ticket, lodging and meals to be there, I'll take it any day! JMO.
 
CRT is now $40? Holy crap! I thought the $24.99 was high, and yet it keeps climbing. We ate there in 2002 for bfast and I wasn't impressed with the food.

I, too, agree with the prices going too high to quickly. As are ticket prices. I looked at my receipt and my 5 day PHP pass from 2002 is the same price as a 3 day base MYW ticket today.

We're going next week to Disney but only because we're staying with my dad in a villa. We'll have 1 character meal, a few counter service meals and the rest will be cooked in the room. If it wasn't for staying with him we wouldn't be able to afford to go at all.

Up until this year Disney has been an annual vacation. At this point I'm hoping I can do it every other year and not have to make it every 3 years.
 
lordmadcow said:
Last night I ran across my Birnbaum's Disney book from 2003, and I was shocked with how much all the buffets have increased in price in really 2 years since the prices in Dec 2005 were the same. Hollywood and Vine dinner was 16.99 now it is 22.99. Crystal Palace Dinner was 19.99 and is now 27.99. They have averaged a 40% increase in the last 2 years..WOW. Now I am a huge disney fan we have been 2 times in the last 5 months, but this really blew my mind. Even the passes are getting outrageous if you can only go for one day they are now 67.55 they used to be 50.00 in 2003. I know everything has to go up in price but I feel that Disney is making itself out of reach for many average families. I know lots of people who look at Disney as a once in a lifetime vacation and that is sad :guilty: . Cinderella's Royal Table has really bummed me out. They want 39.99 for adults and 24.99 for children 3-9. So a average family of 5 coming to the magic kingdom for one day and making their girls dreams come true at the Castle will cost around 450.00 not including taxes or tips! Ok I got it off my chest and feel better, please no flames just making a observation. princess:

I agree also. The changes to CRT really burn me up. Not to mention what they already did to Akershus (going all character, all day). In addition, it's not like the food has gotten better. In fact, prices are up and things like dinner rolls and real butter are getting cut. Only Disney can get away with this kind of stuff.
 
No flames here. I agree 100%. It is getting too pricey. I really wish they would give more thought to the average family.
 
Attendance is up. CRT is so popular I guess Disney feels they can get away with it. I refuse to pay for the pictures. That's the new package at CRT. But familys who have never experienced CRT may fork the money over. This is the only increase I'm upset with.
 


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