Garden Grill character lunch tests

[lebeau]

Food prices have gone way up everywhere and it's going to get worse. The culprit is Congressional ethanol mandates. My friends and I were just talking about this the other day because I had seen a documentary about ethanol: over 1/3 of the country's corn crop goes to ethanol production. When big droughts hit (like this year), that means that much less corn is produced for food than normal...and then 1/3 of that gets diverted from food into ethanol. Corn is turned into "corn syrup" and is a key ingredient in almost all processed foods.

Corn is also the feed that animals raised for meat products are raised on...so an increase in corn prices causes increases in almost everything you buy.

Another factor for higher food prices is gasoline...when the price at the pump goes up, you see it at the grocery store because food requires gasoline for the harvesting and processing and shipping across the country.

This year, both corn and gasoline prices are through the roof...so all restaurants are feeling the pinch.

My husband was in there restaurant business for many years and you'd be surprised how small a profit margin a restaurant has. Fluctuating food prices can hit a restaurant really hard, even ones like Disney's that can buy in large volumes and can command good shipping and delivery deals.

I know food costs are rising this year due to the draught. But Disney food prices have been escalating for years draught or no.

 

[lebeau]

But is that a reason for tacos to cost $14?

Well sure. That and the DDP. Probably more one than the other though. I wonder which one.

 

[Patricia Melton]

But is that a reason for tacos to cost $14?

Where do tacos cost $14 at WDW and what is served with that?

It's misleading to say that "tacos cost $14" and not tell us where you're quoting that from. You might make someone think that walking up to a counter service kiosk and asking for two tacos would cost $14...which I do not believe is true. I can't think of anywhere in WDW where I've seen tacos for sale, but I doubt they are $14 for JUST tacos.

A taco dinner plate at a restaurant could be $14 easy. I live in central Ohio and there's a little Mexican restaurant in the shopping center we go to when my husband needs to go to one of the stores there. He always gets the taco dinner plate: three tacos (his choice of meat: either beef, chicken, or pork), rice, and beans. It's $12.95 on the menu in Ohio.

If WDW has a taco plate meal with tacos, rice, beans and such for $14 in the middle of a theme park then that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

I've noticed that Disney critics often throw numbers out to make prices seem outrageous without really telling casual readers what that cost includes and where the supposedly "outrageously priced" item can be found in the park. Remember that you pay for convenience when eating in a theme park (as opposed to having the option to leave the park and go across town for food, or bring your own food into the park, if you want a lower priced option).

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

Where do tacos cost $14 at WDW and what is served with that?

It's misleading to say that "tacos cost $14" and not tell us where you're quoting that from. You might make someone think that walking up to a counter service kiosk and asking for two tacos would cost $14...which I do not believe is true. I can't think of anywhere in WDW where I've seen tacos for sale, but I doubt they are $14 for JUST tacos.

A taco dinner plate at a restaurant could be $14 easy. I live in central Ohio and there's a little Mexican restaurant in the shopping center we go to when my husband needs to go to one of the stores there. He always gets the taco dinner plate: three tacos (his choice of meat: either beef, chicken, or pork), rice, and beans. It's $12.95 on the menu in Ohio.

If WDW has a taco plate meal with tacos, rice, beans and such for $14 in the middle of a theme park then that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

I've noticed that Disney critics often throw numbers out to make prices seem outrageous without really telling casual readers what that cost includes and where the supposedly "outrageously priced" item can be found in the park. Remember that you pay for convenience when eating in a theme park (as opposed to having the option to leave the park and go across town for food, or bring your own food into the park, if you want a lower priced option).

Tacos are sold at Tortuga Inn across from PotC. They have a fixing's bar for the taco's. However, the last time we had them, they were around 6.00 each, but you could add all the taco toppings you wanted.

 

[tirian]

Where do tacos cost $14 at WDW and what is served with that?

It's misleading to say that "tacos cost $14" and not tell us where you're quoting that from. You might make someone think that walking up to a counter service kiosk and asking for two tacos would cost $14...which I do not believe is true. I can't think of anywhere in WDW where I've seen tacos for sale, but I doubt they are $14 for JUST tacos.

A taco dinner plate at a restaurant could be $14 easy. I live in central Ohio and there's a little Mexican restaurant in the shopping center we go to when my husband needs to go to one of the stores there. He always gets the taco dinner plate: three tacos (his choice of meat: either beef, chicken, or pork), rice, and beans. It's $12.95 on the menu in Ohio.

If WDW has a taco plate meal with tacos, rice, beans and such for $14 in the middle of a theme park then that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

I've noticed that Disney critics often throw numbers out to make prices seem outrageous without really telling casual readers what that cost includes and where the supposedly "outrageously priced" item can be found in the park. Remember that you pay for convenience when eating in a theme park (as opposed to having the option to leave the park and go across town for food, or bring your own food into the park, if you want a lower priced option).

The outdoor Mexican restaurant at Epcot is somewhere around that price with a drink, and the food isn't too good. It included nothing but a couple of tiny tacos and bagged chips.

FWIW, I'm definitely not a Disney food critic. Did you bother reading my full reply which suggests Disney actually doesn't cost more than most restaurants nowadays? I spent $25 on lunch at Olive Garden two days ago, which is similar to what I would have paid for lunch at Chefs de France.

You jumped on that as if you had personal stake in people's opinions. Did I hurt your feelings or something?

Now, back to the Garden Grille (sorry, Drew!).

 

[Patricia Melton]

You jumped on that as if you had personal stake in people's opinions. Did I hurt your feelings or something?

Now, back to the Garden Grille (sorry, Drew!).

You shouldn't say that tacos are $14 at WDW without being more specific --- it misleads people.

You need to remember that people planning a trip to WDW read these boards and you shouldn't give them wrong impressions. It's not fair to them, or to Disney. I don't know what your personal stake is in misleading people about prices.

So now you have finally said that you're talking about $14 for tacos at Epcot including a drink and a bag of chips.

Before you claimed it was "$14 for tacos"...the drink and the bag of chips changes things. It's not really $14 for tacos, as you claimed originally, but for a meal in a theme park that includes a drink and chips too. That is wildly different than what you originally claimed.

A couple of tacos, a drink, and chips in a theme park for $14 is a good deal in my opinion.

For comparison, at Burger King they have tacos now and a meal with two tacos, a drink, and fries comes out close to $10 with tax (I know this because we ate there for lunch this week and that is what my nephew got). Factoring in the convenience premium that comes with eating anything in a theme park, $14 is not a bad price at all. I highly doubt that the "tiny" tacos you are talking about at EPCOT are smaller than the ones at Burger King.

 

[lebeau]

You shouldn't say that tacos are $14 at WDW without being more specific --- it misleads people.

You need to remember that people planning a trip to WDW read these boards and you shouldn't give them wrong impressions. It's not fair to them, or to Disney. I don't know what your personal stake is in misleading people about prices.

So now you have finally said that you're talking about $14 for tacos at Epcot including a drink and a bag of chips.

Before you claimed it was "$14 for tacos"...the drink and the bag of chips changes things. It's not really $14 for tacos, as you claimed originally, but for a meal in a theme park that includes a drink and chips too. That is wildly different than what you originally claimed.

A couple of tacos, a drink, and chips in a theme park for $14 is a good deal in my opinion.

For comparison, at Burger King they have tacos now and a meal with two tacos, a drink, and fries comes out close to $10 with tax (I know this because we ate there for lunch this week and that is what my nephew got). Factoring in the convenience premium that comes with eating anything in a theme park, $14 is not a bad price at all. I highly doubt that the "tiny" tacos you are talking about at EPCOT are smaller than the ones at Burger King.

Does this mean you're standing by your crazy corn draught story? The one where this year's corn crop is responsible for food prices at Disney rising steadily every year for the last several years. Cause I'm curious to hear more about that one.

 

[menamechris]

Every post doesn't have to be a short story....just sayin...sigh

 

[kbmum]

I wish they'd bring back the Mickey & Minnie ice cream social. I didn't know about it until I took my kids to Disney for their first trip in 2006, and the social was gone when we went back in 2007.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Does this mean you're standing by your crazy corn draught story? The one where this year's corn crop is responsible for food prices at Disney rising steadily every year for the last several years. Cause I'm curious to hear more about that one.

Lebeau,

Please post where I said that this year's draught is responsible for "food prices at Disney rising steadily every year for the last several years".

I talked about THIS YEAR and how I've noticed food prices going up THIS YEAR and that increase coinciding with the severe drought that's hit the west and midwest, the ethanol mandates that have taken 1/3 of the remaining corn crop away from the food supply, the impact of all that on both processed food and livestock, and the increase in gas prices (which are going up yet again according to today's news headlines)...all of which are raising food prices EVERYWHERE.

I never commented on Disney's prices over a historical period.

But, since you asked, I have always thought Disney's prices for food were fair and based on market forces. Disney pays a price to buy its food supplies, and that price is affected by the cost of food and gasoline in the market. Disney adds a convenience premium to everything sold in the parks because you are buying that in a theme park. It is no different than how candy in a movie theater costs more than candy you can buy yourself across town at Sam's Club or Marc's where you can get it in bulk for lower prices. You can sneak candy into the movie theater to avoid their higher prices and you can bring your own food (with Disney's blessing) into the parks if you don't want to pay Disney's food prices. Disney has every right in the world to charge a convenience premium for its food offerings.

The convenience premium of their mark-up is no doubt calculated by economists who determine what the public will pay...the same way movie theaters do this. Movie theater candy is probably 25% more expensive than the same candy sold at the drug store and maybe 40% more expensive than candy I'd buy in bulk at Sam's Club or Wal-Mart. I know this walking into a movie theater and know that if I don't plan ahead and if I want a candy bar when I did not bring one with me, then I am going to pay more in a theater than I would at Wal-Mart.

I don't know what Disney's standard mark-up is, but I doubt they increase that percentage every year. They long ago met a sweet-spot with that and I doubt they trifle with it. If anything, in a very bad economy like we have right now, Disney might lower that mark-up a little if they want to move a higher volume of items in the F&B division. But Disney has little control over the rising food costs themselves as many of these are dependent on things like the drought, the ethanol mandates, the gas prices, etc. Inflation itself also changes the price of things over time, which is not something the Mouse controls.

 

[lebeau]

Lebeau,

Please post where I said that this year's draught is responsible for "food prices at Disney rising steadily every year for the last several years".

I talked about THIS YEAR and how I've noticed food prices going up THIS YEAR and that increase coinciding with the severe drought that's hit the west and midwest, the ethanol mandates that have taken 1/3 of the remaining corn crop away from the food supply, the impact of all that on both processed food and livestock, and the increase in gas prices (which are going up yet again according to today's news headlines)...all of which are raising food prices EVERYWHERE.

I never commented on Disney's prices over a historical period.

But, since you asked, I have always thought Disney's prices for food were fair and based on market forces. Disney pays a price to buy its food supplies, and that price is affected by the cost of food and gasoline in the market. Disney adds a convenience premium to everything sold in the parks because you are buying that in a theme park. It is no different than how candy in a movie theater costs more than candy you can buy yourself across town at Sam's Club or Marc's where you can get it in bulk for lower prices. You can sneak candy into the movie theater to avoid their higher prices and you can bring your own food (with Disney's blessing) into the parks if you don't want to pay Disney's food prices. Disney has every right in the world to charge a convenience premium for its food offerings.

The convenience premium of their mark-up is no doubt calculated by economists who determine what the public will pay...the same way movie theaters do this. Movie theater candy is probably 25% more expensive than the same candy sold at the drug store and maybe 40% more expensive than candy I'd buy in bulk at Sam's Club or Wal-Mart. I know this walking into a movie theater and know that if I don't plan ahead and if I want a candy bar when I did not bring one with me, then I am going to pay more in a theater than I would at Wal-Mart.

I don't know what Disney's standard mark-up is, but I doubt they increase that percentage every year. They long ago met a sweet-spot with that and I doubt they trifle with it. If anything, in a very bad economy like we have right now, Disney might lower that mark-up a little if they want to move a higher volume of items in the F&B division. But Disney has little control over the rising food costs themselves as many of these are dependent on things like the drought, the ethanol mandates, the gas prices, etc. Inflation itself also changes the price of things over time, which is not something the Mouse controls.

They say brevity is the soul of wit, so pardon me if I don't right a novel on the economics of theme park food. They don't do that where I'm from (which i a short drive from where you claim to live - go figure).

You were saying that the drought is responsible for food prices going up at Disney. But if you read anything on the drought, those are forecasts. They haven't happened yet. So any increases in food prices would not be related to this year's food crop. Not yet. That's coming about the same time as Disney's seasonal surcharge on meals. "Holiday pricing" I think they call it.

What we have seen in price hikes so far this year is the same kind of price hikes we have seen for the last sevearl years. Along with cuts in menu choices and food quality.

But, you know, corn, am I right?

 

[Patricia Melton]

Tacos are sold at Tortuga Inn across from PotC. They have a fixing's bar for the taco's. However, the last time we had them, they were around 6.00 each, but you could add all the taco toppings you wanted.

I think that's a fair price. I've seen that toppings bar...and I've read accounts from people on other sites where they say they make a full meal of just the lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, cheese, and other items on the toppings bar (this is a whole chapter, actually, in that Dark Side of Disney book where the author talk about all the "free" food opportunities in the parks for those who are creative).

Two tacos with unlimited toppings for $12 is a good deal to me. My guideline for lunch is anything under $15 is a good deal if it's in a restaurant or somewhere like a theme park or movie theater where I expect to pay a higher price. Even a take-away hot bar package from Whole Foods would weigh in at around $14 or so where I live.

 

[Patricia Melton]

They say brevity is the soul of wit, so pardon me if I don't right a novel on the economics of theme park food.

Not everything needs to be 140 characters like on Twitter. Perhaps you should look into something for ADD if you consider several paragraphs "a novel". If you don't like how I express my opinion, then don't read it. Surely no one is forcing you...but it is also surely not your job to decide how someone can express herself.

 

[lebeau]

Not everything needs to be 140 characters like on Twitter. Perhaps you should look into something for ADD if you consider several paragraphs "a novel". If you don't like how I express my opinion, then don't read it. Surely no one is forcing you...but it is also surely not your job to decide how someone can express herself.

So we're focusing on THAT part of my post and not the short rebuttal that blasts a big hole in your corn theory?

Or is this just misdirection from someone who was trained in forum-fu by social media blackbelts?

*bow*

 

[asianway]

Steve, did you ever relent on accepting payment to ban someone?

I just like to check from time to time. Thanks

 

[asianway]

So we're focusing on THAT part of my post and not the short rebuttal that blasts a big hole in your corn theory?

Or is this just misdirection from someone who was trained in forum-fu by social media blackbelts?

*bow*

The mashable folks say if you can't make your point in 140 characters, you didn't have one...

 

[mgpan]

Seems like the threads took a lot less time to read, and actually had real information to read before July 2012....

 

[wm49rs]

Not everything needs to be 140 characters like on Twitter. Perhaps you should look into something for ADD if you consider several paragraphs "a novel". If you don't like how I express my opinion, then don't read it. Surely no one is forcing you...but it is also surely not your job to decide how someone can express herself.

Brevity: Taco meals at WDW parks are $14 (or more).

Brevity: Insinuating someone has ADD simply because they don't like reading expansive posts is insulting, and against forum rules.

There; short, and to the point. Now everyone's happy. Well, probably not....

 

[lebeau]

The mashable folks say if you can't make your point in 140 characters, you didn't have one...

The problem is the coporate line is usually longer than 140 characters.

Personally, I've never tweeted. I'm not all that savy when it comes to social media. Unlike our 50-something grandma here who whipped out that 140 character line like a seasoned Tweeter (or Twit if you will).

 

[Patricia Melton]

The problem is the coporate line is usually longer than 140 characters.

Personally, I've never tweeted. I'm not all that savy when it comes to social media. Unlike are 50-something grandma here who whipped out that 140 character line like a seasoned Tweeter (or Twit if you will).

I love Twitter. It's a great way to keep in touch with friends during the day. My son got me to use it and it's fun to ping back and forth with him and my daughter during the day.