When did Disney start pulling this trick?

[stoudt6]

Always get a piece of Carrot Cake from Main Street Bakery. Well got 1 last night but didn't realize until after I ordered and girl was getting me my slice that the cake is much much smaller and now there are 12 slices to a cake instead of 8. But of course the price is still the same.Add to that there used to be a carrot design on the cake ,now its just plain.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

What trick? The cake is in plain sight. Two choices, smaller portions or higher prices that result in carrot cake not being a snack option. It's a shame about the little sugar carrot though.

 

[disnut8]

When the recession started? When gas prices went through the roof? When all costs for everything went higher?

I have found smaller portions for everything these days. Check out what used to be considered a gallon of ice cream.

I don't think Disney should ever be excluded from raising prices. They aren't in a bubble where the real world doesn't exist and we all still can afford everything we did five years ago.

 

[lisaisanurse]

those little sugar carrots are EXPENSIVE!! it's cheap to draw one on with icing though, and real easy,


here, let me show you!
Is there a magician there, rabbit in a hat too? I don't see it being a trick, you see the sizes you get before hand...no tricks, just treats

 

[Glenn]

Yes packages are shrinking but this is a pretty large increase. Think of the math this way, say the cost was $1 ( I know its not that cheap but makes it easier). The old cake would bring in $8. The new cake will now bring in $12. Folks that is a 50% increase Then you also have to consider the removal of the carrot design which would raise the % increase even more. Its a sneaky way to push thru a huge increase. If they raised the price by 50% would everyone be so ho hum about it? Dont think so. If nothing else this might help folks diets. lol

 

[dntd]

Disney over prices their food, giving larger portions makes it look like a $4 cupcake is worth it, yet how much are cupcakes actually worth outside a park? Shrinking it is just cheap on their part.

 

[stoudt6]

What trick? The cake is in plain sight. Two choices, smaller portions or higher prices that result in carrot cake not being a snack option. It's a shame about the little sugar carrot though.

The cake wasn't in plain sight. Had just ran out and got another after I asked and said wanted a piece. that was when I discovered what was going on. I have no problem paying the higher price, my issue was the smaller size for the higher price. kinda like a gallon of gas going form $3.50 to $4 and some gas station only giving you 3/4 of a gallon of gas for that $4.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

The food at Disney is not cheap however have you compared it recently to some other amusement parks. You might just find you are better off at Disney. Also yes there is a price increase along with price increases latley on everything. We have gotten so used to supesized portions also. That new smaller portion may be a more realistic size for portion controll.

 

[MrsLS]

Disney over prices their food, giving larger portions makes it look like a $4 cupcake is worth it, yet how much are cupcakes actually worth outside a park? Shrinking it is just cheap on their part.

$4-5, for me at least in NY Which is why the prices in Disney to me aren't outrageous, same goes for the dining. To me the signatures are what I expect to pay anywhere, to someone else, thats not the case.

But I agree food prices have been increasing, along with everything else & packages have been getting smaller & the prices have either been increasing or staying the same for less, so Disney is no different & I would expect it.

 

[pixie08]

$4-5, for me at least in NY Which is why the prices in Disney to me aren't outrageous, same goes for the dining. To me the signatures are what I expect to pay anywhere, to someone else, thats not the case.

But I agree food prices have been increasing, along with everything else & packages have been getting smaller & the prices have either been increasing or staying the same for less, so Disney is no different & I would expect it.

I know...compared to NY Disney is cheap!

I expect them to make cuts somewhere. Their profit is up this year and drastically but it is because of things like this and discounts they offered and other marketing moves. They have to make up for it, or they have to raise prices- it's common sense. Which would you prefer? Honestly, I don't need a little extra carrot cake, the portions at WDW are absurd to begin with. I say let them save $ by "shaving" the portion (ie making them normal) and not raising ticket and hotel prices.

 

[woodkins]

I know...compared to NY Disney is cheap!

I know, living on Long Island I always giggle when people on the boards complain about paying $100 for table service for 2...that is a discount for dinner around here.

 

[disneychic2]

Compared to a lot of places, Disney is cheap! Look at concerts, other amusement parks and ball stadiums! Also, have you noticed bags of chips? Smaller bag, same or bigger price. Candy bars? same thing. Disney isn't any worse than anywhere else and the atmosphere is so much better!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Disney prices are pretty much on par with food prices in larger US cities and small villages in Norway.

I just read yesterday about how food prices have increased across the board due to investors hitting the commodities market - apparently the investors who normally steer clear of the commodities market have flooded the market looking for better investment returns than the stock market and real estate. So we all are (and will continue) paying higher prices for food across the board. Maybe Disney isn't trying to make an extra buck, but just trying to get the same return?

What a bummer though.

 

[pixie08]

Disney prices are pretty much on par with food prices in larger US cities and small villages in Norway.

I just read yesterday about how food prices have increased across the board due to investors hitting the commodities market - apparently the investors who normally steer clear of the commodities market have flooded the market looking for better investment returns than the stock market and real estate. So we all are (and will continue) paying higher prices for food across the board. Maybe Disney isn't trying to make an extra buck, but just trying to get the same return?

What a bummer though.

It's true.It's not fun, because consumers are getting hit at all ends, and very few pay hikes, but that is the way things are going.

 

[RMulieri]

It's NOT just disney..Lots of companies both food and non-food are shrinking their product size and raising the price.I have bought skin lotion,bandaids, makeup, chips ,ice cream etc..its pretty much everywhere.Less product for the same price or more expensive.I don't think its goin to change anytime soon either

 

[wdwfan1]

Another Long Islander here who does not complain about food prices at WDW.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Always get a piece of Carrot Cake from Main Street Bakery. Well got 1 last night but didn't realize until after I ordered and girl was getting me my slice that the cake is much much smaller and now there are 12 slices to a cake instead of 8. But of course the price is still the same.Add to that there used to be a carrot design on the cake ,now its just plain.

Probably around the same time Dryer's ice cream made their containers smaller and still charged the same price.... It's a marketing trick. Consumers would recognize a price increase before they'd recognize a size decrease, and a cost increase would deter them from purchasing a product while a smaller container wouldn't.

 

[Hootch]

ago many restaurants and bars started ordering more shaker glasses and fewer pint glasses. They look the same but shakers usually hold 14 ounces. The prices didn't change, the portions became smaller and most customers did not notice.

Except one smart restaurant manager who described his special as a 14 oz pint.

 

[traylorc]

This is a standard practice in the hospitality industry....it's not just Disney.

Ask anyone who actually owns, operates, or finances a business in the hospitality industry. In my case, a portion of my job requires that I approve loan requests to finance restaurants.

You either implement pricing the pricing strategy the OP described, or you have to wind up increasing the price of your products because of rising food costs. Other alternatives include reducing park hours, laying folks off, reducing employees hours. In many instances all of the above have to be implemented in order for a business to survive.

It's one of the downfalls of operating a business in a problematic economic environment.

 

[Sammy]

Have you noticed how much thinner the boxes of cereal are lately? And still the same price. It's happening everywhere and with tons of items, not just at Disney.