Princesses at Citricos You can be $pecial...

[agavegirl1]

Okay, i was thinking that WDW had reached their limit of upcharges but, since they are forced by the refurbishment of CRT to force a Princess meal at Citricos, they have figured out how to recoup any losses. Here you are. How sparkly can you get.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...akfast-and-brunch-with-the-disney-princesses/

 

[mirak]

It really is remarkable how much more money can be fleeced from parents for girls as opposed to boys.

For about $80 total, my two boys can have an awesome time at Pirates League and receive a full "makeover", but a trip to the BBB or, heaven forbid, CRT with all the fixins can easily run north of $400.

I wonder why it is that there's so much more money to be made off of little girls, and is that really sending the right message to them?

 

[agavegirl1]

It really is remarkable how much more money can be fleeced from parents for girls as opposed to boys.

For about $80 total, my two boys can have an awesome time at Pirates League and receive a full "makeover", but a trip to the BBB or, heaven forbid, CRT with all the fixins can easily run north of $400.

I wonder why it is that there's so much more money to be made off of little girls, and is that really sending the right message to them?

Ahh...but there is Star Wars Weekends.

But I do agree. I have four grandsons ranging in age from 8 to 4. I have one granddaughter, age 1. Granddaughters mother has already given me the word that "princesses not allowed". So...Why has Disney ignored boys for so long?

 

[mymermaid]

As long as people are willing to pay they will continue to push. It seems as if it has always been this way in other areas as well. You can probably remember growing up that there was the popular item that everyone wanted. It was usually just expensive enough to put some people our of price range and then the ones who could afford it were somehow better because they had it. Once everyone else had it it was no longer the thing to have. They moved on to next more expensive thing. I will use an example here for both guys and girls. Example 1. Girls are into name brand purses, so the hot purse is a Fossil purse priced at $98 but to take it a step further they moved onto Michael Kors purses $200 and now they all want Tory Burch $400. These are teen girls. For guys, the hot item is the GoPro they are the Hot item at 300, it can't be the $130 one for some odd reason. We are raising a generation of kids who are going to struggle one day when they realize once they get out into the real world that these things aren't going to come easy to them. It's a more materialistic generation I have ever seen.

 

[kittyab]

I would bring some of that stuff with you and present it to the little princess when you get there.

You can probably find some of that stuff at the dollar store.

 

[agavegirl1]

I would bring some of that stuff with you and present it to the little princess when you get there.

You can probably find some of that stuff at the dollar store.

Agreed. I cannot personally believe people will pay for this...but they will. It will result in more and more upcharge experiences. I always thought that the BBT was just another money grab. Now I know it was. Just like this. For another perspective (and where I got my info)....look here.

It may or may not show up depending on moderating but it is from Theme Park Insider.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201412/4324/

 

[cattywampus]

I don't see the big deal. If you don't think it is worth it, just don't do it.

We went to CRT and I looked at the various upsell packages. I didn't think any of them made sense for us, so I didn't order any of them. If others felt differently and purchased them, it didn't detract from our experience one iota.

 

[agavegirl1]

For me, it is not a BIG DEAL. However, the peer pressure thing seems really prevalent when it comes to WDW. How will your "princess" feel when another "princess" is greeted with all this "stuff". To me, it is an escalation of $pecialness that parents will feel compelled to purchase for their (perceived) once in a lifetime trip.

There is so much that is wrong with extra $pecialness that I feel it necessary to point out.

Of course nobody needs to buy it. But the mere act of creating it, WDW has created a tiered experience based on money.

 

[cattywampus]

I'm sure there were other guests at CRT that purchased upgrades, but we weren't aware of it. They didn't parade it in front of everyone in the restaurant and announce it or anything.

I honestly think this is being way overblown. There will always be different people choosing different things that are worth it to them.

 

[kaytieeldr]

By the mere act of creating Walt Disney World, Disney created a tiered experience based on money. Friends went, relatives went, my parents couldn't ever afford to take us.

Not everyone gets/gets to do everything.

 

[klitteral2009]

I am so thankful that my kids, while totally princess and Disney loving, have done the BBB and CRT and found that its not something they care to do a second time. I cannot imagine the money one would have to spend to do all these upsells at Citricos with three daughters as we have. Disney vacations are already ridiculously expensive. I understand marketing and trying to make money, but seriously? I'd hate to be a parent lucky enough to afford a Disney trip and then have your child crestfallen because they caught wind of this and there was no way you could afford it. But to each their own I suppose. If you have that much expendable income, I'm sure its wonderful to walk out with all those goodies! I need to make some of those capes for next Christmas and sell them on Etsy

 

[nugov2]

As long as people are willing to pay they will continue to push. It seems as if it has always been this way in other areas as well. You can probably remember growing up that there was the popular item that everyone wanted. It was usually just expensive enough to put some people our of price range and then the ones who could afford it were somehow better because they had it. Once everyone else had it it was no longer the thing to have. They moved on to next more expensive thing. I will use an example here for both guys and girls. Example 1. Girls are into name brand purses, so the hot purse is a Fossil purse priced at $98 but to take it a step further they moved onto Michael Kors purses $200 and now they all want Tory Burch $400. These are teen girls. For guys, the hot item is the GoPro they are the Hot item at 300, it can't be the $130 one for some odd reason. We are raising a generation of kids who are going to struggle one day when they realize once they get out into the real world that these things aren't going to come easy to them. It's a more materialistic generation I have ever seen.

I think the other problem is we are raising a generation of kids with parents who think everything should be even steven so no child ever feels more special than anyone elses child. Every child should get a trophy and we are all winners, schools don't fail kids even when a F has been earned. Kids are being sheltered from the reality that we aren't all equal in achievements and success and entitled to the same things and when they get older they are going to learn that lesson the hard way.

I have no problem with the add on's, but as I posted on another thread about this IMO WDW missed the mark. What they are offering is kinda lame and probably only appeals to small children. The cape looks like a baby blanket and I can't imagine many 7+ age kids wanting that. Honestly there isn't anything special about it and can be easily replicated by parents to bring in themselves. You can order those shoes for under $10, print your own certificate at home and put it in a $ store frame, grab the blanket at Target for $10 and grab your own crown for under $10. So for under $40 you bring it in if you think this is something your princess will want, bring your dd to the bathroom and have dh put the items on the table and tell her Cinderella dropped off a surprise at the table while she was in the bathroom.

 

[nugov2]

I am so thankful that my kids, while totally princess and Disney loving, have done the BBB and CRT and found that its not something they care to do a second time. I cannot imagine the money one would have to spend to do all these upsells at Citricos with three daughters as we have. Disney vacations are already ridiculously expensive. I understand marketing and trying to make money, but seriously? I'd hate to be a parent lucky enough to afford a Disney trip and then have your child crestfallen because they caught wind of this and there was no way you could afford it. But to each their own I suppose. If you have that much expendable income, I'm sure its wonderful to walk out with all those goodies! I need to make some of those capes for next Christmas and sell them on Etsy

But where does it end for your crestfallen child. You can afford CRT, but your child is so heartbroken by what others have she can't enjoy it. You book BOG, but your poor child is so devastated they didn't get the special light up mug the kids at the next table got, they meet the Beast with tears in their eyes. Instead of worrying about breaking little Veruca's heart teach them to be grateful for what they have. This so called problem isn't exclusive to WDW. When you go to build a bear some kids get the bear and all all the accessories they offer and some kids can only get the bear and some kids only get to walk by and hope they can one day get the bear. Should we put a curtain over the store, should we have different rooms so nobody feels less special? I can afford many of these add on's or to go back to the build a bear example the accessories for my kids, but I choose not to buy them. Why, because they don't need everything. I just brought my dd to build a bear to get the Elsa bear and my dd didn't even ask for anything else. She was happy to be getting just the bear. She has already been taught we don't get everything and it wasn't even an issue. I set the expectation before we went of what we were going for and that is probably what the parents of all of these kids who may be heartbroken needs to do, because there are going to be kids everywhere they look getting things in WDW that they are not.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

But where does it end for your crestfallen child. You can afford CRT, but your child is so heartbroken by what others have she can't enjoy it. You book BOG, but your poor child is so devastated they didn't get the special light up mug the kids at the next table got, they meet the Beast with tears in their eyes. Instead of worrying about breaking little Veruca's heart teach them to be grateful for what they have. This so called problem isn't exclusive to WDW. When you go to build a bear some kids get the bear and all all the accessories they offer and some kids can only get the bear and some kids only get to walk by and hope they can one day get the bear. Should we put a curtain over the store, should we have different rooms so nobody feels less special? I can afford many of these add on's or to go back to the build a bear example the accessories for my kids, but I choose not to buy them. Why, because they don't need everything. I just brought my dd to build a bear to get the Elsa bear and my dd didn't even ask for anything else. She was happy to be getting just the bear. She has already been taught we don't get everything and it wasn't even an issue. I set the expectation before we went of what we were going for and that is probably what the parents of all of these kids who may be heartbroken needs to do, because there are going to be kids everywhere they look getting things in WDW that they are not.

I laughed. And I agree. At Akershus, some girls wear princess dresses and others don't. The ones who do often get more attention from the princesses. For example, each princess seems to hold the hand of a girl wearing her same dress during the parade. So what? Some girls go all out at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, some do the minimum package, and some girls don't do it at all. So what? Rather than stopping people from doing something special for their child because other people can't afford the same thing, how about teaching your child to have fun with what she does have?

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't have a problem with it. I would never have bought it, but I don't have a problem with them offering it. (We never bought more than the basic $55 BBB package).

My beef is when they take something away from the rest of the guests to offer the upsell. (Like taking some of the villains out of MNSSHP to sell the soiree).

 

[ruthies12]

I have no problem with the add on's, but as I posted on another thread about this IMO WDW missed the mark. What they are offering is kinda lame and probably only appeals to small children. The cape looks like a baby blanket and I can't imagine many 7+ age kids wanting that. Honestly there isn't anything special about it and can be easily replicated by parents to bring in themselves. You can order those shoes for under $10, print your own certificate at home and put it in a $ store frame, grab the blanket at Target for $10 and grab your own crown for under $10. So for under $40 you bring it in if you think this is something your princess will want, bring your dd to the bathroom and have dh put the items on the table and tell her Cinderella dropped off a surprise at the table while she was in the bathroom.

This right here. I have a trip planned for my dd's 7th birthday and am planning on doing the basic BBB package and we are doing lunch at CRT afterwards. If Disney had this offered at a reasonable price of less than $100 I would do it simply for the convenience. No way will I pay this considerable upcharge though. Instead I plan on bringing a nice crystal tiara that I will get at my local mall, etc. I will re-create the "experience" myself for less than 50 bucks. And I can guarantee my dd will not realize it is any different from what Disney offers. They are missing out on making some of my money because they have overpriced it IMO, but I guess they figure selling fewer of them at a ridiculous price is better than selling a bunch at a lower price.....

 

[mirak]

I just think this kind of lavish extravagance sends the wrong message to little girls, but what do I know? I'm (1) a guy, and (2) the father of three boys.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Wow, that's a lot of money for a bunch of trinkets! For all that, I could buy a beautiful Tiffany or Pandora charm bracelet or necklace and I'm sure that would be of more lasting value for my little girl. I'm a big believer in "portable property" and think gold or silver is a better investment than simple silver coated jewelry.

A lot of that will become glorified dust collectors IMHO. Paper, roses, tiaras, and slippers. Why not bring your own slippers that she could actually wear? Or a corsage that she could wear around the park all day?

I guess cause it's Disney. We all have our own little addictions - this one just seems a little unnecessary!

 

[Mikie]

This isn't brand new with the move to citrcos. I've been to CRT 3 times and only this most recent trip did I hear about the various glass slipp and other add ons available there (in addition to many people doing BBB before a cinderella meal). I don't know if they were newer or just doing more marketing, but you're sure right about the extravagant spending in general and for girls in particular!

Although these add ons are already there at CRT, I sure didn't notice who did or didn't get them and they don't make a big presentation for the whole restaurant to hear or anything. Honestly, although I'm sure some people will describe enjoying some of these, we were so busy ordering, eating, getting autographs, participating in the wish ceremony (all guests, not an add on) i coud easily justify skipping any extras - we were too busy to do any more!

If not for this site and lots of other trip research, I probably wouldnt know about any of the numerous add-ons besides the hard ticket parties. I've never done tomorrowland dessert party, any private tours, BBB, Pirates league, etc. From home on the computer I can get to feeling a little like I'm going to "miss out", but I've never once felt in the parks like I'm walking past a lot of things that other people got/did and that I was lacking. (Nor have the kids noticed or pointed anything out)

 

[Lavitz]

I don't have a problem with it. I would never have bought it, but I don't have a problem with them offering it. (We never bought more than the basic $55 BBB package).

My beef is when they take something away from the rest of the guests to offer the upsell. (Like taking some of the villains out of MNSSHP to sell the soiree).

1000 x this.

Designing something while leaving room for upgrades for future profit = ok
Designing something then taking away from the base product so you can later sell this as an "upgrade" for future profits = bad

Maleficent during the MNSSHP is a perfect example, and I'd be fuming if I had gone this year.