News Round Up

[smitch425]

A look at some new Halloween merchandise...

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...t-disneyland-resort-walt-disney-world-resort/

 

[skier_pete]

Reservations for Osbourne lights dessert party now open

http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/holi...ry-and-bright-dessert-party-now-available.htm

Quick...I need somebody to remind me that this isn't getting out of control...

Please...reassure me and call me paranoid.

Oh not at all. When you should start worrying is when they announce the "Wishes Dessert Party Dessert Party". It's when they give you a cupcake to sit at the Tomorrowland Terrace by the noodle station and watch all the people at the Wishes Dessert Party. (Note: There is no view of the fireworks, only the dessert party.)

In all seriousness....they broke me on this when they started charging for the event in the castle DURING the hard ticket halloween party.

The good news in all this - as long as Disney sees this as a revenue stream and doesn't REQUIRE me to do it, then it's all good.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Quick...I need somebody to remind me that this isn't getting out of control...and it means nothing in terms of future management decisions in the compound.

Please...reassure me and call me paranoid.

I personally think anyone who reserves this is making a bad choice. HOWEVER, I am happy that they're not trying to call it a Frozen event this year. So...YAY? It's less misleading than last year, at least?

 

[Eoghann]

So if the standard isn't other theme parks, what do you expect it to be?

OK - maybe comparing it to Six Flags or something is a bad move, but what should I compare to? I'm not comparing it to eating off the Champs De Eylsee in Paris, right?

Maybe Universal, Sea World, and Legoland are apt? I haven't been to those as often, but I'd much rather eat at Disney than any of those parks.

Well personally I tend to compare on a dollar level. It's not like I expect my chicken nuggets to be gourmet at Disney, but when they cost me so much I have a really hard time calling them good. And when it comes to the buffet options, I could feed my extended family at a Golden Corral for what it costs to feed one person in Disney and the food quality... much the same.

It's not that the food is bad, I mostly enjoy eating at Disney, but you are paying a huge premium for it and it does seem like people are kidding themselves it's better than it really is to help swallow that price.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I look at it this way:

Disney steak (all the same) = $48

FMV = $24
Disney/location legitimate upcharge = $12
Iger era "lost in space" (non -legitimate upcharge) = $12

 

[Spacedog1975]

Ahhhhhh - no. This is a Signature Restaurant offering stunning, and more expensive, offerings. It won't be for everyone.....

Cute. I've been to Narcoossee's. I'll be headed back for my birthday. Dinner is quite good. The description of this brunch includes actual line items from 1900 breakfast. My point is reasonable.

Now if you tell me they are going to prepare the lobster eggs benedict differently than another restaurant at the same resort, I might consider the value add, but I would expect it's the same recipe.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Well personally I tend to compare on a dollar level. It's not like I expect my chicken nuggets to be gourmet at Disney, but when they cost me so much I have a really hard time calling them good. And when it comes to the buffet options, I could feed my extended family at a Golden Corral for what it costs to feed one person in Disney and the food quality... much the same.

It's not that the food is bad, I mostly enjoy eating at Disney, but you are paying a huge premium for it and it does seem like people are kidding themselves it's better than it really is to help swallow that price.

I think some buffet locations are worth it (Boma, Tusker House), others - not so much. For the counter service stuff, if you work at it, you can find some decent food. If you don't work at it, you can have some terribly mediocre burgers and fries.

 

[mcd2745]

Well personally I tend to compare on a dollar level. It's not like I expect my chicken nuggets to be gourmet at Disney, but when they cost me so much I have a really hard time calling them good. And when it comes to the buffet options, I could feed my extended family at a Golden Corral for what it costs to feed one person in Disney and the food quality... much the same.

It's not that the food is bad, I mostly enjoy eating at Disney, but you are paying a huge premium for it and it does seem like people are kidding themselves it's better than it really is to help swallow that price.

They know they got us. I'm not leaving to go off property to get a meal. That's just too much time to sacrifice. So, we do ultimately set the bar kind of low and try to enjoy the meals as best as possible.

FWIW, when we ate at Chef Mickey's a few weeks ago (we let our kids each pick one restaurant that they wanted to go to for dinner - my son picked Via Napoli, and my daughter picked Chef Mickey's), I was actually pleasantly surprised with the food quality. Not that it was 5-star or anything, but I did feel it was markedly better than the couple of other times we ate there over the last handful of years. Hopefully that's the norm now and I didn't just happen to get lucky they were having an unusually good night. That said, we still had total sticker shock when we got the bill (those previous visits we were on the dining plan).

Oh...and can they stop putting 18% & 20& suggested gratuities on the bottom of the check at buffet restaurants? I'm normally a generous tipper - 20% minimum - at regular restaurants. But can't bring myself to do that at a buffet.

 

[Eoghann]

I think some buffet locations are worth it (Boma, Tusker House), others - not so much. For the counter service stuff, if you work at it, you can find some decent food. If you don't work at it, you can have some terribly mediocre burgers and fries.

Many of the buffets are interchangeable but Boma does have stuff that isn't commonly found elsewhere at Disney. I would certainly rate it as well above Disney average, but I don't know that it would stand out so much if it was being compared to restaurants in a big city for example.

 

[romitaz]

I look at it this way:

Disney steak (all the same) = $48

FMV = $24
Disney/location legitimate upcharge = $12
Iger era "lost in space" (non -legitimate upcharge) = $12

Just to chime in here, where are you getting a steak at $24? Outback? Possibly. Ruth's Chris? Not even on your birthday. Most real steakhouses in my area,the Deep South, start at $40. Just an observation.

 

[Spacedog1975]

My greater point is that it does not compare to the food trough at the golden corral.
I have been at some amazing eateries and even some excellent buffets in my time, particularly growing up in and around Boston/Cape Cod.

Disney is definitely more expensive than a comparable restaurant in basically every instance at the parks, but I expect and accept that. There are plenty of average ADRs available, even disappointing ones, but if you do your homework, and try you can find some pretty enjoyable places to eat.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Just to chime in here, where are you getting a steak at $24? Outback? Possibly. Ruth's Chris? Not even on your birthday. Most real steakhouses in my area,the Deep South, start at $40. Just an observation.

The quality is far closer to outback than Ruth Chris...

My valuation is oversimplified...granted...but there's has been - generally speaking - a 200% markup in about a decade.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

My greater point is that it does not compare to the food trough at the golden corral.
I have been at some amazing eateries and even some excellent buffets in my time, particularly growing up in and around Boston/Cape Cod.

Disney is definitely more expensive than a comparable restaurant in basically every instance at the parks, but I expect and accept that. There are plenty of average ADRs available, even disappointing ones, but if you do your homework, and try you can find some pretty enjoyable places to eat.

About adrs...had anyone noticed that since the $10 fee you can get pretty much anything, anytime? Even in the busiest of weeks?

Mission:accomplished.

And before I hear about be our guest or chef mickeys...I'm talking about something worth having and not 80% hype

 

[Spacedog1975]

About adrs...had anyone noticed that since the $10 fee you can get pretty much anything, anytime? Even in the busiest of weeks?

Mission:accomplished.

And before I hear about be our guest or chef mickeys...I'm talking about something worth having and not 80% hype

Not remotely. A lot of my choices were booked to high heaven the week before Thanksgiving. Even Boma was tough, though they seem to be adding seatings there. This was my most difficult ADR coordination in the last 5 years.

 

[Budshark]

About adrs...had anyone noticed that since the $10 fee you can get pretty much anything, anytime? Even in the busiest of weeks?

Mission:accomplished.

And before I hear about be our guest or chef mickeys...I'm talking about something worth having and not 80% hype

Very limited availability first week of November. Least amount of options we'd ever seen. But its been 2 years since we last went.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Very limited availability first week of November. Least amount of options we'd ever seen. But its been 2 years since we last went.

Jersey week...don't go then

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Not remotely. A lot of my choices were booked to high heaven the week before Thanksgiving. Even Boma was tough, though they seem to be adding seatings there. This was my most difficult ADR coordination in the last 5 years.

All i know is that we went the second week of the April Easter block and the last week of June - the first universal week of summer vacation...

Two times I wouldn't be caught dead in years ago...

And we moved/changed at will.

Also...there is almost always windows at the 24 hour mark...so there's that too.

 

[Spacedog1975]

All i know is that we went the second week of the April Easter block and the last week of June - the first universal week of summer vacation...

Two times I wouldn't be caught dead in years ago...

And we moved/changed at will.

Also...there is almost always windows at the 24 hour mark...so there's that too.

No doubt. I have temp'd several things in. Hopefully I can add new reservations before my cancellation window expires.

 

[Clockwork]

All i know is that we went the second week of the April Easter block and the last week of June - the first universal week of summer vacation...

Two times I wouldn't be caught dead in years ago...

And we moved/changed at will.

Also...there is almost always windows at the 24 hour mark...so there's that too.

We went second week of June and had the same experience and are going Mardi Gras week in February and are have the same experience, basically no issues with booking whatever we want too at most times.

 

[cmash95]

I look at it this way:

Disney steak (all the same) = $48

FMV = $24
Disney/location legitimate upcharge = $12
Iger era "lost in space" (non -legitimate upcharge) = $12

more like subsidy for disney dining package if you arent on it =$12 that would replace iger lost in space because before the dining plan, the food especially at the character buffets was at least decent and it didnt cost $60. Some of the price increases are the result of increases in ingredient costs over the years, but alot of the cost increases are to cover the losses incured with the dining plan and of course it's even worse when they do free dining. Disney should get rid of the dining plan and cut prices for everyone. maybe instead of the dining plan you could offer a discount like the do in disneyland.