Fountain & Bottled Drink, Popcorn, Pretzel, and Other Snack Item Prices Exponentially

[threvester]

Oh please are you kidding me? I have gone to Phillies games where they have jacket up the price on the 2 day of a 3 game series AND I have seen them jack up the price from team to team. So you could go see them play the mets and water will be 2.50, very next day when Boston comes to town the price is 1 more.

And ever since the Eagles won the superbowl every single thing in that stadium is more, they have not lowered the prices since the lost the last 3 games.

I will say it's a bit easier to get around the water and pretzel prices. lol this is Philly, outside every parking lot at the stadium complex is an enterprising person selling water and pretzels.

Do you think it's more of the fact that Disney is now acting like the rest of the real world?

So when is Caseys doing $1 hot dog night like the Phillies do?

 

[eliza61nyc]

So when is Caseys doing $1 hot dog night like the Phillies do?

Lol, probably right around the century the Phils win another series. I'll be dead

 

[tirian]

But that's all it is. A faceless name. It's just like kate spade she sold her company to Coach yes it retains her name but basically Coach runs the show. Then she complained she did not like how her brand was being merchandised.
No they don't give a patootie about how "Walt" did it. I worked for Dupont, as long as a family members were on the board, they made sure quality was #1. once they left and various CEOs came aboard the emphasis became increase shareholder value. We started saying it was "chemistry by stockholder ".

Now I'm not saying that's the right or wrong way to run a business but I am saying that thinking these major corporations are sitting around thinking "what would Walt do" may be a bit naive.

They definitely don’t care.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I keep seeing this comparison to restaurants/sports/etc. If you are going to really compare, let me know the next time you show up to a football game and the cheeseburger gets jacked up by 20% at halftime. I am a lot more upset that the prices got increased on EVERYTHING, all at once, and without any warning then just the fact that coke costs $0.50 more.

But you can plan in advance for unexpected, substantial price increases by going to touring plans or all ears before your trip, right?

 

[LSLS]

Oh please are you kidding me? I have gone to Phillies games where they have jacket up the price on the 2 day of a 3 game series AND I have seen them jack up the price from team to team. So you could go see them play the mets and water will be 2.50, very next day when Boston comes to town the price is 1 more.

And ever since the Eagles won the superbowl every single thing in that stadium is more, they have not lowered the prices since the lost the last 3 games.

I will say it's a bit easier to get around the water and pretzel prices. lol this is Philly, outside every parking lot at the stadium complex is an enterprising person selling water and pretzels.

Do you think it's more of the fact that Disney is now acting like the rest of the real world?

I can't stand baseball, but you seriously see prices change at concessions from team to team? I've never seen that at any arena I have been to. Tickets, yes. Concessions, no. But you are comparing before games with a vacation stay. I guess you could try and argue for the people that make a vacation trip to the three days Phillies game, stay at the arena, and do not have an accessible alternatives to a jacket purchase (though, a jacket is not exactly the same as food and water). But I wonder how many people actually have that dilemma.

 

[Missing20K]

Person 1: "Disney is expensive"
Person 2: "So is other stuff, don't go if it's too much"
Person 1: "Disney has raised prices to exorbitant levels"
Person 2: "Disney is a luxury, no one is forcing you to go"
Person 1: "Walt wanted it to be for everyone"
Person 2: "Capitalism"
Person 1: "Price gouging"
Person 2: "Free markets"
Person 1: "Once in a lifetime, saved for years"
Person 2: "Do you research"

'round and round we go.

 

[disneyflush]

Its a mind fatiguing comparison after pages of it. We originally were talking about Disney raising the prices on everything and then it gets muddied down to what the Phillies charge between NLCS games 2 and 3 because the #1 vacation destination in the world should take pricing clues from a baseball team. I just don't care what the Phillies charge but I do care what WDW is charging and the manner in which they are increasing those charges.

Focusing on just concessions is missing the broader point. Disney raised prices on so many things and didn't announce it. People have vacations budgeted to a microscopic level because thats the way Disney wants it. Meals have been pre-planned, pre-ordered, pre-alotted 6 months out to help Disney order the right amount of stuff and staff the right amount of people to save THEM the most money possible. We do this to help THEM. This food thing is a 2 way handshake where Disney crosses its fingers behind its back and raises the price of lunch at Biergarten by $7 overnight without any notice or announcement after the customer commits to their end of the bargain by making credit-card backed reservations. But in all the ocean of room prices, park tickets, upcharges, $35 tshirts, all the things the guest purchases by shutting off their brain to what 'real world prices' would be, we don't even find more than a shrug and a 'they can do whatever they want' response. The indifference is sad. Playing stupid games in your brain wins you stupid prizes.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Its a mind fatiguing comparison after pages of it. We originally were talking about Disney raising the prices on everything and then it gets muddied down to what the Phillies charge between NLCS games 2 and 3 because the #1 vacation destination in the world should take pricing clues from a baseball team. I just don't care what the Phillies charge but I do care what WDW is charging and the manner in which they are increasing those charges.

Focusing on just concessions is missing the broader point. Disney raised prices on so many things and didn't announce it. People have vacations budgeted to a microscopic level because thats the way Disney wants it. Meals have been pre-planned, pre-ordered, pre-alotted 6 months out to help Disney order the right amount of stuff and staff the right amount of people to save THEM the most money possible. We do this to help THEM. This food thing is a 2 way handshake where Disney crosses its fingers behind its back and raises the price of lunch at Biergarten by $7 overnight without any notice or announcement after the customer commits to their end of the bargain by making credit-card backed reservations. But in all the ocean of room prices, park tickets, upcharges, $35 tshirts, all the things the guest purchases by shutting off their brain to what 'real world prices' would be, we don't even find more than a shrug and a 'they can do whatever they want' response. The indifference is sad. Playing stupid games in your brain wins you stupid prizes.

Because Disney itself is a NO WIN game. Only here do we make it "life and death". Only here do we equate Disney to your personal happiness. I 'mopposite, I think the amount of stress and emotional investment people put into a Mega corporation is sad and scary. I am really stunned that folks actually think a mega corporation is NOT going to raise it's prices every single year it can.

Why the heck do people get emotionally invested in a place that has proven 9009 ways it is interested in the bottom line.

I don't shut my mind off to the real prices. Why because I am in control of MY money. Disney doesn't have to tell me crap because at any time I don't like what I'm seeing, I don't pay it. All the things you mentioned, 35 tshirts, upcharges, room prices? all are a choice. I'm an not SHUTTING my brain off to a darn thing. It really isn't rocket science to me. It's a simple choice. It goes like this, Me: "may I have a bottle of coke" Vendor: "that will be 5.00 dollars", now two scenarios can play out, I can say "you've got to be kidding me? no thank you" or I can say "thanks and hand over a five"

Yep I totally shrug when they raise the price because once again, I can't control what the company does but I can control what I do.
It's like pinocchios fake island, it is selling you an illusion for a short period of time

I do agree the last minute price increase is rude but I'm assuming that if I'm already there 50cent a bottle of coke or 3 dollar increase in my meal isn't going to change much. It may prevent me from returning but it's not going to do much for the moment.

Ok I'm done. Moving on

 

[kong1802]

Playing stupid games in your brain wins you stupid prizes.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Serious question, Am I correct in assuming that Disney would announce previously when they were going to increase the price on food and merchandise?

 

[kong1802]

Serious question, Am I correct in assuming that Disney would announce previously when they were going to increase the price on food and merchandise?

That's a good question. I don't think they necessarily have. But I will say this is the first time I've seen or noticed F&W pricing changing mid festival. I could be mistaken, though.

I want to say they've announced moves like changing the Biergarten lunch from lunch pricing to all dinner pricing in advance, but again, I could be dreaming...

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Serious question, Am I correct in assuming that Disney would announce previously when they were going to increase the price on food and merchandise?

The only thing they typically report price increases consistently on are tickets. They may make an announcement if something is making a major change like a restaurant going from a la carte to prepaid prix fixe style. But not things like individual food items or merchandise prices going up. They just raise them overnight and hope people who it happens to mid-trip are so entranced they don't know the difference.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Yes the oil companies are some of the most hated companies in the world. On the most hated companies list you see a lot of airlines and cable companies. All companies that are famous for reducing the quality of their products while increasing prices. Disney seems to be moving in that direction.

Oy... The BIGEVILOIL© companies do not set any prices anymore. It's been all in the hands of commodities traders since 2000. Sure, they can saber-rattle and cut production by a percent or two, but in reality they keep the spigots open as much as possible. They're providing the product, but bankers are controlling the price.

But this has nothing to do with the current topic, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Serious question, Am I correct in assuming that Disney would announce previously when they were going to increase the price on food and merchandise?

They've not announced non-ticket price increases in the past to my knowledge.

 

[Jenny72]

I think this has been said in many different ways already, but Disney has been successful in the past by appearing not to be a big old mean corporation. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't, but the brand was that the guests, especially children, were highly valued and that it was Disney's pleasure to do everything possible to make each and every person feel special. That's the brand. Sports stadiums and theaters, etc. do not have that brand. They have a different brand.

I think that many of us liked feeling that Disney cared about our experience. That's what made us want to come back. So for some of us it feels like a personal affront when Disney drops the charade and just acts like any other business. And as it's been said here before, it also damages their brand. Instead of Special Place That Cares About Me, it's Big Business That Has Fun Rides (but so do others). Maybe it was all an illusion, but the old brand really worked for me.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

$7 Mickey pretzels taste better than $6 Mickey pretzels.
$7 Mickey pretzels taste better than $6 Mickey pretzels.
$7 Mickey pretzels taste better than $6 Mickey pretzels.
You are getting sleepy...........

 

[Lensman]

Have prices gone up on the dining plan or is that still to come? If they haven't yet, I guess there's a small window where you can avoid some of the price increase by getting the plan - though I know a lot of people don't see the dining plan as a better value than paying à la carte.

We don't get the dining plan but I know a lot of people who do, so I was wondering what peeps think will happen.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

To all the people saying that all tourist destinations gouge their guests,...

 

[Patcheslee]

To all the people saying that all tourist destinations gouge their guests,...

You forgot free sunscreen and parking

 

[DisneyCane]

To all the people saying that all tourist destinations gouge their guests,...

An amusement park in the middle of Indiana has a different business model than a resort like WDW. Santa Claus, IN isn't exactly a global tourist destination. In fact, up until 5 minutes ago, I didn't know the town or amusement park existed.