Sticker Shock!

[MBELSANTI]

Wow it has been almost 3 years since I have been to WDW and I am now planning our June trip looking over menus. I guess I never looked at prices before because we have always had DDP. This time we are going to stay at the Swan, so no DDP and I am just speachless over the prices. Is Chef Mickey Dinner really $59 pp? So for me and 15 yo DS will pay $120 plus tax and tip for buffet dinner? I am just really shocked. I am wondering have others that were not planning to do DDP change their plans to include it so that they can enjoy their favorite TS restaurants? We are planning to eat at Le Cellier, Captains Grille, Kona Cafe, Teppan Edo, Chef Mickey's. Would it behoove us to switch to Pop Century and get the DDP?

 

[mlittig]

I agree, the prices keep going up and up But they do have a captive audience

 

[DebbieB]

Wow it has been almost 3 years since I have been to WDW and I am now planning our June trip looking over menus. I guess I never looked at prices before because we have always had DDP. This time we are going to stay at the Swan, so no DDP and I am just speachless over the prices. Is Chef Mickey Dinner really $59 pp? So for me and 15 yo DS will pay $120 plus tax and tip for buffet dinner? I am just really shocked. I am wondering have others that were not planning to do DDP change their plans to include it so that they can enjoy their favorite TS restaurants? We are planning to eat at Le Cellier, Captains Grille, Kona Cafe, Teppan Edo, Chef Mickey's. Would it behoove us to switch to Pop Century and get the DDP?

$59 sounds high. Are you sure? Maybe that includes tax & tip?

All Ears is showing $40.46 as of 8/2011. Plus the peak season surcharge, which I think is $4.

 

[saskdw]

Wow it has been almost 3 years since I have been to WDW and I am now planning our June trip looking over menus. I guess I never looked at prices before because we have always had DDP. This time we are going to stay at the Swan, so no DDP and I am just speachless over the prices. Is Chef Mickey Dinner really $59 pp? So for me and 15 yo DS will pay $120 plus tax and tip for buffet dinner? I am just really shocked. I am wondering have others that were not planning to do DDP change their plans to include it so that they can enjoy their favorite TS restaurants? We are planning to eat at Le Cellier, Captains Grille, Kona Cafe, Teppan Edo, Chef Mickey's. Would it behoove us to switch to Pop Century and get the DDP?

Yep, I here you. We wouldn't have went last time without the Free Dining. We stayed 14 nights at CSR in Dec and the bills for the food we got totaled $2500 for 3 of us for 14 nights.

 

[MBELSANTI]

Sorry I just realized that I posted this on the wrong thread...I will move it to the DDP board!

 

[Sue M]

We went without DDP in Jan, still did a CS & TS every day. But we didn't do the more expensive buffets and we didn't order a dessert after lunch, and at dinner we split dessert which was plenty. We also aren't pop drinkers, and were happy with ice water for our drinks. I carry Mio in my purse if i want a flavored water. Love the peach/mango!

At LeCellier you can do lunch there, the menus for some TS are cheaper for lunch, and have pretty much the same items as dinner.

I wouldn't go from Swan to POP just for DDP.

We put what it would have cost us for DDP on Disney Gift Cards, and used those for dining. We found we saved money.

 

[Moodyzblu]

We only do a couple of TS meals .. the rest we do QS. It's just too expensive .. it's only food, after all ! You can meet the characters for free in the parks. You might find it cheaper to rent a car and eat outside of the resort area.

 

[kadesha]

If you're planning on that many TS meals, I think it would benefit you to use the dining plan.

We too haven't been in 3 years, so I was in shock by some of the prices when I started planning our May trip. I thought about not getting the dining plan this trip and paying OOP. But once I calculated the prices for the meals that we wanted to have, the DDP was the better deal. I enjoy having a TS meal daily.

Pop is a great resort, I think if you switch you'd still be happy. Either way, have a great trip!

 

[MBELSANTI]

If you're planning on that many TS meals, I think it would benefit you to use the dining plan.

We too haven't been in 3 years, so I was in shock by some of the prices when I started planning our May trip. I thought about not getting the dining plan this trip and paying OOP. But once I calculated the prices for the meals that we wanted to have, the DDP was the better deal. I enjoy having a TS meal daily.

Pop is a great resort, I think if you switch you'd still be happy. Either way, have a great trip!

We love love love Pop too, but I wanted to try Swan and since we spend a lot of time at Epcot, logistically it seemed like a good choice. I think I need to sit down and see exactly what I would spend OOP and see if it is a good deal. I chose Swan also because the total cost was less than $400 more than Pop would have been for room only. I thought that price for a deluxe resort was excellent.

 

[Sue M]

We love love love Pop too, but I wanted to try Swan and since we spend a lot of time at Epcot, logistically it seemed like a good choice. I think I need to sit down and see exactly what I would spend OOP and see if it is a good deal. I chose Swan also because the total cost was less than $400 more than Pop would have been for room only. I thought that price for a deluxe resort was excellent.

That would be the best idea, no one knows your eatting habits, so going on Allears to look at the menus and see what you'd order, vs DDP would give you a good idea.

We saved about $100 each just by not ordering pop at every meal, and skipped dessert at lunch, and splitting a dessert at dinner, if we felt like it.

So $67 saved by just ordering ice water at lunch and dinner (we aren't pop drinkers so this was no hardship), plus not having dessert with lunch. The rest of the savings were from sharing a meal, sharred desserts at dinner, skipped some snacks. WE ate well and were always full!

 

[Aliceacc]

This will be our first time not on the meal plan too; we're getting YES tickets, so a Magic Your Way package is out.

I still wanted one sit-down meal a day-- that's prime family time and I didn't want to give it up. So about half our table service meals this time around are lunches. That should save us some serious money.

Would it work out for you and your daughter to take a YES class and save money on tickets??
https://www.studentguest.com/yes/