Sorry Disney, I Can't Eat On-site

[DCLbrideSept2009]

There are 4 (daughters are 14&11) of us and we are staying in a 1 bedroom at Kidani, so we will have a a full kitchen. And honestly, we always leave the parks at around 1pm, so it's not that big of a deal to hit up a lunch on the way back to the room. While yes, I'd like to be able to eat in the parks (or on-site) because I love the theming and its convenience, but the price is just a killer.

Like I indicated before if we ate at Sci-fi our bill would probably shake out around $75. If we swing by Chick-fil-a it'll cost us around $25. That's a $50 savings. Then, if we eat in our room later that's an even bigger savings. It's not that I'm cheap, it's just I feel bad paying those inflated prices.

We always take a midday break back to the room also. There's a CFA really close to Kidani. There are 7 of us, so a little higher cost x 7 equals A LOT! We do quite a few on-site meals, but we also do off-site meals and meals in the villa. We hit up Panera when we get there and get bagels and cream cheese for breakfasts for the week. We will also hit up Costo and get some ready-to-bake meals, pre-cooked bacon for BLTs, etc. For our upcoming trip, I have some restaurant.com GC's that I plan on using also.

 

[Mazz519]

We are a family of 5 and my wife and I feel that eating out in the parks or hotels is part of the vacation. We enjoy going to different restaurants in EPCOT as well as the hotels just outside the parks..(Contemp. Grand Floridian, BCV,BWV). We do feel that the quality of food has gone down while price always seems to go up. We get the DDP everytime and feel that this is a good deal, even though they just raised the price again and are restructuring the restaurants around (LeCellier). We are DVC members and always get a full kitchen that allows us to have a big bkfst in the morning.

 

[lugnut33]

you guys are making me sad I have been to WDW 4 times (last time 2003) and WDL 4 times (in the 90s) and I am about to take my twin Daughters for the 1st time. It sounds like Disney has gone downhill and is not the special place I remember it to be. It sounds like any other amusement park (we live near a six flags). When we went in 2003 it was wonderful and we still talk about our meal at Le Cellier.

It doesn't sound like you guys enjoy being there. I can see both side of the arguement. I will say we go to Chilis and a normal burger costs about $9 and it sound like Disney is near that cost and normally I would say I would rather be a Disney for that price but now???

Please don't take what we are saying the wrong way. Plus it's just our opinion. You should go and eat wherever you want, the restaurants are not bad. Really this discussion is about the sit down restaurants (like Crystal Palace or Coral Reef) and price versus quality.

The burger costs are a bit different depending on where you go. The quick service restaurants (like Cosmic Rays) will be around $9 for a burger and fries and $2 for a soda. Pretty much the same burger and fries at the Plaza Inn (considered a sit down restaurant) will run you $13 for the burger and 2.50 for the drink. Not really out of control.

It's when you get to the real sit down restaurants where things add up in a hurry and our family of 4 isn't going to get away with a bill less than $120. To me that's a sizable chunck of change and I'd prefer to spend my money in other ways, like more trips to WDW.

 

[TDC Nala]

Is Boma's buffet to the point where it costs $46 for an adult plus tip? If it's not, I don't see how you get the snack and CS free on one night of DDP, using your one TS credit at Boma. You might get the snack "free," and save a little money on the CS meal, but you wouldn't get both free if the Boma price is $40 including tax. You would save a little money though, assuming you wanted the CS meal and the snack to start with. I don't think you'd save nearly as much as if you ate both meals offsite and brought in your own snacks.

Sorry, but the Restaurant Board has a rule about tip discussions - we can't do them on the main board. We have a Tipping Information Thread for that, and ask that all tipping discussion take place there. There's an FAQ in the first post to explain why we needed a dedicated tipping thread in the first place. I have deleted 2 posts where it was discussed about what people prefer to tip or not tip at a buffet. That discussion is under personal tipping habits.

 

[brunette8706]

Is Boma's buffet to the point where it costs $46 for an adult plus tip? If it's not, I don't see how you get the snack and CS free on one night of DDP, using your one TS credit at Boma. You might get the snack "free," and save a little money on the CS meal, but you wouldn't get both free if the Boma price is $40 including tax.

Sorry, but the Restaurant Board has a rule about tip discussions - we can't do them on the main board. We have a Tipping Information Thread for that, and ask that all tipping discussion take place there. There's an FAQ in the first post to explain why we needed a dedicated tipping thread in the first place. I have deleted one post where it was discussed about what people prefer to tip at a buffet. That discussion is under personal tipping habits.

Hi!
We're going May 13th. It's approximatly $35 and change (This is NOT Holiday Pricing period) that price includes TAX but not tip. If it were Holiday pricing your looking at approximately $40.00 PLUS tip. Just think 3 years ago Boma cost ONLY $26.00 plus tax and tip. That's approximatley a 40 percent increase in 3 years! I think they are reallly pricing themselves over and beyond the true value in my opinion. Face it, you can go to Shula's at the Swan hotel with a restaurant dot com 20 percent off certificate and get a great meal that's better and cheaper than Disney!

 

[goNDmay9]

you guys are making me sad I have been to WDW 4 times (last time 2003) and WDL 4 times (in the 90s) and I am about to take my twin Daughters for the 1st time. It sounds like Disney has gone downhill and is not the special place I remember it to be. It sounds like any other amusement park (we live near a six flags). When we went in 2003 it was wonderful and we still talk about our meal at Le Cellier.

It doesn't sound like you guys enjoy being there. I can see both side of the arguement. I will say we go to Chilis and a normal burger costs about $9 and it sound like Disney is near that cost and normally I would say I would rather be a Disney for that price but now???

Oh no!!! Please do not think that at all!!! Obviously, I cannot speak for everyone, but Disney is still an amazing, magical place that we LOVE The theming of the resorts, the parks, the atmosphere, etc -are all still there.

This is just a general discussion on whether or not people feel the price of some of the restaurants warrants the price tag etc. I think that you will find that even the ones questioning the prices, still eat on-site. It is just that (in my family) we used to eat almost all the meals on-site, but are wondering if there might be value in trying a few things off-site.

 

[Anthony1971]

There are still a good number of places to eat at WDW for reasonable price that still have good quality food. We like Germany as an example yes going up in $ but not as fast as some others. I think the key with Dinsey is eating a SD lunch as the prices are much less and the food for the most part is the same. We also like a lot of the DTD places...
We prefer a SD lunch either way-- it works out great with younger children they are out of the hot sun for the hottest part of the day -- no cranky kids for dinner when all the people are rushing to eat we are on much shorter lines and cooler no cranky kids
We would do a SD lunch without kids as well as we prefer to have snacks at night rather than a heavy meal on weekends and on vacation...

 

[goNDmay9]

you guys are making me sad

It doesn't sound like you guys enjoy being there. I can see both side of the arguement. I will say we go to Chilis and a normal burger costs about $9 and it sound like Disney is near that cost and normally I would say I would rather be a Disney for that price but now???

another point to bring up - is that everyone's vacation is different. I do not think i would contemplate going off -site to eat if we did not already have a car, or if we did not have the opportunity to go as frequently.

ALSO - we do not typically spend all day in the park either. If you are already going to leave the park - why not venture out and see what is there? We like to enjoy the resorts as well as the parks - so leaving the park is not something we would be doing specifically to try and save money / find another value in regards to dining.

 

[Donnask8pro]

There are still a good number of places to eat at WDW for reasonable price that still have good quality food. We like Germany as an example yes going up in $ but not as fast as some others. I think the key with Dinsey is eating a SD lunch as the prices are much less and the food for the most part is the same. We also like a lot of the DTD places...
We prefer a SD lunch either way-- it works out great with younger children they are out of the hot sun for the hottest part of the day -- no cranky kids for dinner when all the people are rushing to eat we are on much shorter lines and cooler no cranky kids
We would do a SD lunch without kids as well as we prefer to have snacks at night rather than a heavy meal on weekends and on vacation...

Maybe we could get a thread going for best meals vs prices for Dis'ers not on the dining plan? Like me...

 

[lugnut33]

It has been brought up several times about adding the DDP onto a night or two of my DVC reservation. I just got done reading through a thread of people who are doing that and some of the words used to describe it are "disasterous", "struggle", and "horrible". I think I'll skip doing that unless they were to get a handle on easily putting the dining credits on the KTTM card.

Here's a link to that thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2651745

 

[The QC]

$35-$40 for an adult seems like a reasonable price for a decent buffet.


At my local favorite buffet, (not a Sizzler or Golden Corral) Dinner is $58.95 (not including, drinks, tax or tip) for an adult and $19.95 for children 5-10. Nobody dresses up as Mickey Mouse of Cinderella, either. Oh, and they charge extra for holidays. "Expensive" is very relative.

If you want to talk prices, let's talk $90 for an adult to walk into a theme park with a dozen rides (looking at you, Animal Kingdom).

Question: how much SHOULD Boma cost? Name a price. "Expensive" doesn't mean anything, for all I know the OP makes $5,000 a year.

 

[MelissathePooh]

$35-$40 for an adult seems like a reasonable price for a decent buffet.


At my local favorite buffet, (not a Sizzler or Golden Corral) Dinner is $58.95 (not including, drinks, tax or tip) for an adult and $19.95 for children 5-10. Nobody dresses up as Mickey Mouse of Cinderella, either. Oh, and they charge extra for holidays. "Expensive" is very relative.

If you want to talk prices, let's talk $90 for an adult to walk into a theme park with a dozen rides (looking at you, Animal Kingdom).

Question: how much SHOULD Boma cost? Name a price. "Expensive" doesn't mean anything, for all I know the OP makes $5,000 a year.

My guess is that New York City is generally a bit pricier than most other places in the country - in terms of what something usually costs compared to WDW.

WOW - my head is about to explode with soooo many potential sarcastic responses I love New York!!!

 

[lugnut33]

$35-$40 for an adult seems like a reasonable price for a decent buffet.


At my local favorite buffet, (not a Sizzler or Golden Corral) Dinner is $58.95 (not including, drinks, tax or tip) for an adult and $19.95 for children 5-10. Nobody dresses up as Mickey Mouse of Cinderella, either. Oh, and they charge extra for holidays. "Expensive" is very relative.

If you want to talk prices, let's talk $90 for an adult to walk into a theme park with a dozen rides (looking at you, Animal Kingdom).

Question: how much SHOULD Boma cost? Name a price. "Expensive" doesn't mean anything, for all I know the OP makes $5,000 a year.

I make enough where i could live in NYC, but I find the prices there out of sight, just like at WDW.

 

[cluvsdisney]

$35-$40 for an adult seems like a reasonable price for a decent buffet.


At my local favorite buffet, (not a Sizzler or Golden Corral) Dinner is $58.95 (not including, drinks, tax or tip) for an adult and $19.95 for children 5-10. Nobody dresses up as Mickey Mouse of Cinderella, either. Oh, and they charge extra for holidays. "Expensive" is very relative.

If you want to talk prices, let's talk $90 for an adult to walk into a theme park with a dozen rides (looking at you, Animal Kingdom).

Question: how much SHOULD Boma cost? Name a price. "Expensive" doesn't mean anything, for all I know the OP makes $5,000 a year.

Are you talking about Plataforma Churrascaria? That place is absolutely delicious! In my opinion, there is no comparison in the quality, variety and flavor of the foods. For me it's not so much the cost but enjoyment and by extension the value of the meal. While I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Platafoma for $60, you couldn't get me to go back to say the Captains Grill for $35-40 (I haven't been to a dinner buffet at Disney for a while to make that comparison).

 

[waldiddy]

If you think WDW is bad, you should see other amusement parks. My family went to Storyland in NH two years ago and their prices were even higher and the food was MUCH worse, not to mention the filthy tables.

Hear hear !! I don't get the gripes about the food quality at WDW. Usually, it's really good. Often it's superior to what we get from our own local restaurants. And, yeah, the prices are high, but they're not as bad as at regional theme parks. Those prices are just nutty.

 

[The QC]

Are you talking about Plataforma Churrascaria? That place is absolutely delicious! In my opinion, there is no comparison in the quality, variety and flavor of the foods. For me it's not so much the cost but enjoyment and by extension the value of the meal. While I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Platafoma for $60, you couldn't get me to go back to say the Captains Grill for $35-40 (I haven't been to a dinner buffet at Disney for a while to make that comparison).

Yes! I agree, Plataforma is amazing.

I'm not expecting that kind of quality at Disney, but their buffets aren't the Ponderosa either.

Also, how much is the "convenience factor" worth? My time and energy are worth something. Last time I was at Disney the most exhausting part was getting offsite to eat (at the Steak and Shake, Sweet Tomatoes, etc.) to "save money". And I can't eat fast food or Applebees every night anymore.

From the Magic Kingdom, it was 1/2 an hour just to get from the gate to the TTC, then a tram to my section of the lot, then waiting for the A/C in the car to work long enough for the car to be cool to drive, then 10 minutes to leave Disney property, then another 10-15 minutes to commute to the restaurant, then sitting down and ordering, etc. etc. For what? A burger and fries or a salad bar? Also, at $4 a gallon, this looks even less appealing.

I don't want to become Suze Orman, but the words "DVC member" and "10 night trip" are key here. If you have $12,000-$15,000 minimum to drop on a timeshare, plus points, plus APs for your whole family (not cheap either) why is a $100 meal (with 20% off from TIW) bothering you? Once you've dropped $20,000 on Disney, $1000 for meals is like a rounding error.

Time, Energy, Money : pick two. And this goes for every vacation, not just WDW.

 

[TDC Nala]

Some folks just don't like the idea of paying that much for mediocre food, anywhere. Makes absolutely no difference if they can afford it or not, they just want quality for their money. That's why I don't do the Disney buffets anymore (and yes I now find the buffet food mediocre, whereas previously it was mostly on the good side.) For me, characters don't enter into it - for some, the characters trump the food. But I'm still eating onsite. I've just written off the buffets. I really liked Via Napoli. Took half the pizza with me and had it for lunch the next day.

 

[GeorgeG]

I've been following this thread and others that address Disney food quality and prices. I'm not shy about adding my two cents, either. No matter how you shake it, there's plenty of disagreement to go around. Some people still think Disney food is great, others don't. Perhaps those who love the food catch the restaurants on a good day, or are used to worse, or put atmoshere and/or characters above all else. Maybe those who don't like the food are catching the restaurants on a bad day or have higher expectations given the prices. We all have different tastes, but what is evident is the inconsistency that never existed until recent years. Why?

We've been going to WDW for 25 years and never had any complaints about the food until recently. It was consistently great. Yes, we paid premium prices, but never felt we didn't get our money's worth. The most difficult part of every vacation was deciding where to eat because we had so many favorites. Now, we have fewer favorites.

Disney has a reputation for being right on top of what the public wants, so maybe the younger generations are easier to please. Whatever the reasons, things have changed. I really don't know why. We have been blaming the dining plans, and I do believe they have a good deal to do with many of the changes, but dining plans at Disney are nothing new, and they, too, have changed.

We're seeing the same thing happen to dining that is happening to the parks, in general. Thrill rides are replacing classic attractions and cheap quality/high-priced food is replacing good quality. Yes, Virginia, WDW is just another amusement park...

 

[shalom]

you guys are making me sad I have been to WDW 4 times (last time 2003) and WDL 4 times (in the 90s) and I am about to take my twin Daughters for the 1st time. It sounds like Disney has gone downhill and is not the special place I remember it to be. It sounds like any other amusement park (we live near a six flags). When we went in 2003 it was wonderful and we still talk about our meal at Le Cellier.

Don't be sad. Remember that the taste of food is one of the most individual things there are -- even when it comes down to trained chefs, you'll find one thinking something is "perfectly salted" where another says "way too much salt" (witness Chefs Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan, memory serves).

There've also been studies using blind taste tests (where both samples are the same) showing that, for most people, the more expensive the food, the better they think it tastes. OTOH, for some people, the more expensive the food, then past a certain level, the worst they think it tastes. And personally I expect there are some people who just aren't that influenced by price, although they're probably the rarest of all.

So if the negative reviews you're seeing are from people who score down food that costs more, and you're someone who is either price immune or prefers pricey stuff, then those reviews say nothing about your probable experience. If you like salty food and they don't, ditto. Taste is hopelessly subjective.

If you enjoyed the food before and if the prices don't bother you, you'll probably be fine with the food at WDW. OTOH, whether the food is terrific or not (I'm one who eats there if convenient but eats somewhere else if I'm leaving anyhow), WDW is definitely not "just another amusement park." My guess it that you and your daughters will have a great time.

 

[mcd2745]

Yes! I agree, Plataforma is amazing.

I'm not expecting that kind of quality at Disney, but their buffets aren't the Ponderosa either.

Also, how much is the "convenience factor" worth? My time and energy are worth something. Last time I was at Disney the most exhausting part was getting offsite to eat (at the Steak and Shake, Sweet Tomatoes, etc.) to "save money". And I can't eat fast food or Applebees every night anymore.

From the Magic Kingdom, it was 1/2 an hour just to get from the gate to the TTC, then a tram to my section of the lot, then waiting for the A/C in the car to work long enough for the car to be cool to drive, then 10 minutes to leave Disney property, then another 10-15 minutes to commute to the restaurant, then sitting down and ordering, etc. etc. For what? A burger and fries or a salad bar? Also, at $4 a gallon, this looks even less appealing.

I don't want to become Suze Orman, but the words "DVC member" and "10 night trip" are key here. If you have $12,000-$15,000 minimum to drop on a timeshare, plus points, plus APs for your whole family (not cheap either) why is a $100 meal (with 20% off from TIW) bothering you? Once you've dropped $20,000 on Disney, $1000 for meals is like a rounding error.

Time, Energy, Money : pick two. And this goes for every vacation, not just WDW.

Maybe I'm Disney's ideal guest, but I agree 100%. I rarely have a car at WDW, so it's even easier to make the decision to stay onsite. But even if I had a car...I still would. What you described, sounds an awful lot like many people's daily commute - exactly the thing they are supposed to be on vacation from. To me, it's about maximizing every possible minute of enjoyment while on vacation. So, for me at least, when it comes to your last sentence, time/convenience and energy always trumps money in the decisions.