Differing Palates Of WDW Guests

[correcaminos]

I agree about the kids meals and the quantity of food you get. We would always just order an extra adult meal for the kids to split. That way we avoided the junk on the kid's menu and they had a decent sized portion. At the table service restaurants, the servers would sometimes even bring the meals out on 2 separate plates already. They were all very nice.

I'll sometimes split with my 10yo. They're always nice about it. Some of the TS kids meals aren't bad. We've had excellent grilled meats and decent sides going with. But sometimes the kids meals are just so junky that we split a meal.

 

[Phonedave]

I like the food pretty well. To add on to what OP said, I think expectations play a large role in enjoyment too. A lot people look at $20 dollars for a meal and think that that meal should be the food of the gods, while others look at the price tag and shrug. I'm in the latter- I expect theme park food to be wildly expensive compared to quality so I'm usually not disappointed or surprised, but others have a higher standard they judge their food on at that price point.

If I spend $20 or under for a meal I am either at a fast food place, or a BYOB and have ordered a pasta entree and nothing else. The problem is, entrees at WDW are no where near $20. Take a look at some prices at TS restaurants, even accounting for the theme park factor, they are still highway robbery.

 

[RustySpork]

If I spend $20 or under for a meal I am either at a fast food place, or a BYOB and have ordered a pasta entree and nothing else. The problem is, entrees at WDW are no where near $20. Take a look at some prices at TS restaurants, even accounting for the theme park factor, they are still highway robbery.

Captive market pricing.

 

[Shouldigo12]

If I spend $20 or under for a meal I am either at a fast food place, or a BYOB and have ordered a pasta entree and nothing else. The problem is, entrees at WDW are no where near $20. Take a look at some prices at TS restaurants, even accounting for the theme park factor, they are still highway robbery.

I looked at prime time cafe and the entrees ranged from like 17 to 27, going by a quick glance, so I'm not sure if you thought I should have put a higher number or a lower one. But anyway, like I said, some people are ok with the prices and some aren't. Neither are wrong, it just comes down to opinion and what you expect from your meals.

 

[Phonedave]

I looked at prime time cafe and the entrees ranged from like 17 to 27, going by a quick glance, so I'm not sure if you thought I should have put a higher number or a lower one. But anyway, like I said, some people are ok with the prices and some aren't. Neither are wrong, it just comes down to opinion and what you expect from your meals.

Higher - You are not getting out of a WDW restaurant, for dinner, for $20. The $17 entree is a Caesar Salad with Chicken. Now this is a good example. I have had expensive Caesar salads, but I highly doubt the Prime Time Cafe Caesar is a $17 salad. It is, bagged pre-chopped romaine (maybe iceberg now with the e. coli) Pre-shaved Parmesan cheese that is most assuredly not DOC, dressing from a bottle, and most likely an factory farmed cryovac chicken breast.

Now don't get me wrong. I will eat all of the above, I have eaten all of the above, and I have made salads just like all of the above in my own house.

The problem is, I know that I can put one like theirs together for under $5. And that is at my costs, WDW contracts with Sysco are likely cheaper. It's also served a quickly as possible, in a low maintenance restaurant. Industrial china, paper napkins, plastic tables. Yes it's a theme, I get that, but it's a low cost theme.

Honestly, 50's Prime Time Cafe is from far the worst offender. When you start to get into the "higher end" of restaurants at WDW is when the price gouging really comes out. Look at Le Cellier. Lets forget the steaks. There are people that love them - they are not that swift. A half chicken for $39 and again, it's run of the mill chicken.

The point is, I have eaten at many places. I have had food that was excellent and I have had food that was not that great. Sometimes I feel like I got a great value, other times feel like I got what I paid for, and sometimes I feel like I was robbed. Most of the time that robbed feeling comes at a WDW restaurant - even after adjusting for theme park captive audience prices.

 

[RustySpork]

Lets forget the steaks. There are people that love them - they are not that swift. A half chicken for $39 and again, it's run of the mill chicken.

..and something you can get at SeaWorld for $12.99 before AP discount.

 

[Shouldigo12]

Higher - You are not getting out of a WDW restaurant, for dinner, for $20. The $17 entree is a Caesar Salad with Chicken. Now this is a good example. I have had expensive Caesar salads, but I highly doubt the Prime Time Cafe Caesar is a $17 salad. It is, bagged pre-chopped romaine (maybe iceberg now with the e. coli) Pre-shaved Parmesan cheese that is most assuredly not DOC, dressing from a bottle, and most likely an factory farmed cryovac chicken breast.

Now don't get me wrong. I will eat all of the above, I have eaten all of the above, and I have made salads just like all of the above in my own house.

The problem is, I know that I can put one like theirs together for under $5. And that is at my costs, WDW contracts with Sysco are likely cheaper. It's also served a quickly as possible, in a low maintenance restaurant. Industrial china, paper napkins, plastic tables. Yes it's a theme, I get that, but it's a low cost theme.

Honestly, 50's Prime Time Cafe is from far the worst offender. When you start to get into the "higher end" of restaurants at WDW is when the price gouging really comes out. Look at Le Cellier. Lets forget the steaks. There are people that love them - they are not that swift. A half chicken for $39 and again, it's run of the mill chicken.

The point is, I have eaten at many places. I have had food that was excellent and I have had food that was not that great. Sometimes I feel like I got a great value, other times feel like I got what I paid for, and sometimes I feel like I was robbed. Most of the time that robbed feeling comes at a WDW restaurant - even after adjusting for theme park captive audience prices.

And that's fine. I was just trying to say that some people are fine with paying the extra price and some are not, and that's obviously going to affect their opinion of the food. Neither opinion is wrong. You fall into the former camp. Ok, that's fine and I'm not going to argue with you about it or try to change your mind. That wasn't my goal when i made the post, I was just offering up a possible reason for why people may have wildly different views on the food quality.

 

[Phonedave]

And that's fine. I was just trying to say that some people are fine with paying the extra price and some are not, and that's obviously going to affect their opinion of the food. Neither opinion is wrong. You fall into the former camp. Ok, that's fine and I'm not going to argue with you about it or try to change your mind. That wasn't my goal when i made the post, I was just offering up a possible reason for why people may have wildly different views on the food quality.

I get where you are going, but my point is I can separate quality from price. I am fine with high prices for high quality. I am also fine with low quality for low prices. The problem is, WDW has middle of the road quality food (and I get why they have that, with the volumes they do it is almost impossible to do otherwise) but they insist on charging prices that you would find at a much better restaurant.

 

[Shouldigo12]

I get where you are going, but my point is I can separate quality from price. I am fine with high prices for high quality. I am also fine with low quality for low prices. The problem is, WDW has middle of the road quality food (and I get why they have that, with the volumes they do it is almost impossible to do otherwise) but they insist on charging prices that you would find at a much better restaurant.

I know you already mentioned that you think the prices are ridiculous even for theme park standards, but this is one of the most popular theme parks in the US. Some people, like you, don't give two figs and expect meal quality to line up with the price at least somewhat close to what it is in the real world. Which is completely understandable. Other people go in and lower their expectations based on the fact that they're in a theme park and theme parks are known for doing this kind of thing, which is also understandable. I don't really disagree with either one. But, one group is going to come out of the meal more satisfied than the other most of the time. So, in your words, WDW offers food of medium quality but charges the price of a much better restaurant, and you're not happy with that. And I can see why you're not happy, because the prices do get insane. Shoot, one of my favorite things to do when I was there was take pictures of food prices and send them to my miser dad to watch him freak out. But that doesn't change my original point that if someone eats there with the expectation that food quality isn't going to match the price, they'll probably have a more positive view of it.

 

[RustySpork]

<snip>but that doesn't change my original point that if someone eats there with the expectation that food quality isn't going to match the price, they'll probably have a more positive view of it.

That's all well and fine, and absolutely true. The problem is that fan forums and Disney themselves seem to describe the food as the best thing anyone will eat anywhere in the world setting unrealistic expectations.

You can read that as .. if one expects they're going to get ripped off and have a mediocre experience, they'll have a good time.

Just set your expectations lower!

 

[Shouldigo12]

That's all well and fine, and absolutely true. The problem is that fan forums and Disney themselves seem to describe the food as the best thing anyone will eat anywhere in the world setting unrealistic expectations.

You can read that as .. if one expects they're going to get ripped off and have a mediocre experience, they'll have a good time.

Just set your expectations lower!

I don't endorse either opinion, since i agree with both to an extent...but fair point Haha. I don't know about the fans setting up unrealistic expectations, since for dining recommendations I usually use The Disney Food Blog (not owned by Disney) and imo the reviewers on there are pretty fair.

 

[RustySpork]

I don't endorse either opinion, since i agree with both to an extent...but fair point Haha. I don't know about the fans setting up unrealistic expectations, since for dining recommendations I usually use The Disney Food Blog (not owned by Disney) and imo the reviewers on there are pretty fair.

I prefer options off property, once you get closer to the edge of the bubble the food quality goes way up and the prices go way down. Then again, I've travelled nearly a hundred miles each way for a sandwich craving.

 

[Shouldigo12]

I prefer options off property, once you get closer to the edge of the bubble the food quality goes way up and the prices go way down. Then again, I've travelled nearly a hundred miles each way for a sandwich craving.

You know I've gotta ask what sandwich that was.

 

[RustySpork]

You know I've gotta ask what sandwich that was.

A cuban at Columbia in Ybor.

 

[networkpro]

I prefer options off property, once you get closer to the edge of the bubble the food quality goes way up and the prices go way down. Then again, I've travelled nearly a hundred miles each way for a sandwich craving.

There are quite a few options off property that my wife and I prefer, but we're also at the parks to have fun and don't want to take the time to drive over to Uncle Julio's at ICON or Hollerbach's in Sanford. We're not particularly price sensitive, but we are time sensitive. We also like to sit and enjoy each meal so for the most part quick service locations are not attractive. I also try to avoid fried foods.

 

[Shouldigo12]

I also try to avoid fried foods.

Pffft. If I'm not on the verge of a heart attack when I come home from vacation then it wasn't worth going.

 

[RustySpork]

There are quite a few options off property that my wife and I prefer, but we're also at the parks to have fun and don't want to take the time to drive over to Uncle Julio's at ICON or Hollerbach's in Sanford. We're not particularly price sensitive, but we are time sensitive. We also like to sit and enjoy each meal so for the most part quick service locations are not attractive. I also try to avoid fried foods.

If we only had limited time in the parks we would probably do the same.

 

[networkpro]

Pffft. If I'm not on the verge of a heart attack when I come home from vacation then it wasn't worth going.

Only if there were an option with Lipitor sprinkles

 

[networkpro]

If we only had limited time in the parks we would probably do the same.

We are, we only spend about a week three or four times a year. That's about all we can manage since I still work and we have two places about 850 miles apart to keep up.

 

[RustySpork]

Only if there were an option with Lipitor sprinkles