Holy $#@!...Did you see the price increases?!

[TakeMeThere81]

Last week @ Crystal Palace dinner for adults were 40.99

Woah!! Yes that is rediculous! CP has been a favorite of ours, not necessarily for the Pooh Characters but because we like the food and getting into the park early. Wow, I'm not sure that price is worth it! Especially because our kids are getting older and now we'll be paying for 3 adult meals and 2 kids'.

My suggestion - Go to the Grand Floridian Cafe, Whispering Canyon, or Captain's Grille etc for a good breakfast at a decent price, then get to Epcot's character spot as soon as the park opens. You'll get more face time with the characters and 10x better pictures.

This is a great point! I think we'll see more of these "smart tips" as the prices increase. We are all thrifty WDW-lovers, I'm sure we can work around the price hikes!

B.) There are no sit down breakfast options in the parks without the character upcharge. Soooooo, if you want to be on Main Street before park opening you'll need to book CP then skip it. Not something I like the thought of doing at all. I feel bad for the wait staff. Wonder how many empty tables will be left in that early hour or so. I promise you when it's time for those ADRs I'll be standing outside evaluating and re-evaluating just how hungry I am.

Personally, I would have no issue sending just the hungriest in the family inside. I'd love to see the faces of the wait staff if just my 15 year old went in to eat. I can see it now:

Waiter: Where's the rest of your family?

Chandler: Right there. ((pointing out the window at me smiling & waiving outside)). They weren't $28.75 hungry. I am, tho. May I have 3 of your largest chocolate milks? Thanks!

Waiter: ((speechless))
:ROFLOL:

I know. They'd probably make him leave. I wonder if there's a stated minimum age for eating at table service restaurants without an adult.

LOL, I have to say that I was thinking the same thing...We'll just bring some Clif bars and bananas, and wait for rope drop!

I agree that the Holiday Surcharges are a bit insane. It doesn't even seem like they are trying to hide the fact that they are just reaching for more when they have their largest crowds.

Glad that the pricing is better for you now. We had a similar conversation in the Premium Members area the other day and reactions were similar. I knew something didn't sound right with that though. $40 dollars is a very fine line in Dining I think, so Disney might be careful before crossing it.

I wonder if they are doing with the dining options that they've done with the resorts...value, moderate, deluxe = quick service, table service, character/signature...only the signature just keeps getting more expensive while the others stay the same??


Overall Kelly, I'm so glad you posted this thread. I will be thinking much more about price of each restaurant and doing serious research before our next trip and booking ADRs!! Many factors to be weighed before booking!

 

[sublimesting]

I am fine with needing a minimum ticket purchase for free dining, I am talking about actually paying for the DDP. Disney allowed AP holders to pay for the DDP a couple of years ago but you have to have your room booked one of the two aforementioned AP rates. If no AP discounted rate was available you would have to book using the AP annual offer, which is rack rate, just to be able to purchase the DDP. You can not book a room at a GP, FL resident or a pin code rate and buy the DDP even if you have an AP.

So, next year we were going to use our APs that we are buying this year. My plan to get free dining was to buy 2 park tickets next year as well thus giving me free dining and not use them next year but rather save them until our next trip the year after and roll them into that years AP. Does this make sense? Is it possible?

 

[draybook]

We're on the Free Dining Plan, although we did pay to upgrade to TS since we're staying at a value resort, so not really an issue for me. I know that technically we're paying for it somewhere in the scheme of things, but I'm okay with it. If you can't splurge a little on vacation then what's the point?

I mean that if people here are willing to pay 400-500 a night on a hotel room, then $30 for breakfast shouldn't be much to complain about.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

It looks like "Holiday Pricing" has been in effect since June 11, and ends after tomorrow (starting up again 11/18 for Thanskgiving).

So school being out for summer is one long "Holiday."

I wonder how the restaurants are selected for Holiday Pricing. Why Boma and Chef Mickey's but not 'Ohana?

Ohana is included as well...ate there the other day. Basically it is any all you can eat place.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

We're on the Free Dining Plan, although we did pay to upgrade to TS since we're staying at a value resort, so not really an issue for me. I know that technically we're paying for it somewhere in the scheme of things, but I'm okay with it. If you can't splurge a little on vacation then what's the point?

I mean that if people here are willing to pay 400-500 a night on a hotel room, then $30 for breakfast shouldn't be much to complain about.

Thankfully, I don't have to pay that much for a hotel room even at a deluxe. Regardless of if I paid $100/night for a room the price of the meals doesn't change. It's not just $30 for breakfast. It's $30 for breakfast x4. If I pay $5 more per person per meal, eat 1 TS restaurant per day for the length of my trip, now the additional dollars are really adding up. Over 7 days that's $140 more. We have 13 ADRs booked over 11 nights on our upcoming trip. That would be an additional $260. That's 2 meals and a couple snacks for the family. It all adds up. :wave:

 

[Master Yoda]

So, next year we were going to use our APs that we are buying this year. My plan to get free dining was to buy 2 park tickets next year as well thus giving me free dining and not use them next year but rather save them until our next trip the year after and roll them into that years AP. Does this make sense? Is it possible?

Yes and yes. Many AP holders do this when free dining is the better promotion.

 

[Lucky]

Ohana is included as well...ate there the other day. Basically it is any all you can eat place.

OK. I was going by this list...

http://www.wdwmagic.com/holiday-dining-dates.htm

...but maybe it's not complete.

 

[LeeSeeBabe]

The continually inflating prices sadden me . I do give props to Disney's ability to fluctuate with market demands. Let's face it, while many of US may rethink eating at a restaurant we've been to several times, there are still millions that will continue to try these experiences for their first/second time. TWDC truly is ingenious as a business...

We are AP-holders that go countless times a year but typically only stay 2 nights, 3 if it's a special occasion (any we will only book if we can get a good FL or AP room rate). DDP therefor does not work for us. While I can randomly pull through on some difficult ADRs within 30 days of our trip, our trips are usually go with the flow. But with higher and higher prices, we will spend less and less time even attempting to eat at table-service restaurants. (And CP is one of my faves too ).

 

[DougK]

I know this doesn't work for everyone but it works for my wife and me. Rent a car for your trip and eat offsite. There are a million cheaper places within 5 miles of Walt Disney World.

It is a bit less convenient but much cheaper and frankly the food is better at most offsite restaurants also. That was not always the case but it is true today because the food quality has declined so much at WDW.

 

[captainkidd]

In addition to the suggestions I made earlier, here are a couple other options:

-Main Street Bakery at MK.
-All resorts have some sort of fast food option, and truthfully, the food there is no worse than the buffet food. In some cases, better.

So you have to wake up 30 minutes earlier? Better than spending $35 on some Mickey waffles.

 

[The Mom]

I remember 45 years ago paying $2,900 for my Ford Mustang (loaded) and paying $0.18/gal for Shell premium gas. So, what's your point?

I don't know about his point, but mine was that once upon a time the prices of a hotel included meals, and people "off the street" paid outrageous prices . This appears to be where WDW is headed.

And $110 wasn't cheap 40 years ago, even with meals included. That was over a week's take home pay for me.

 

[disneygirl1]

OMG Kel, I know!!!! It's funny I was JUST looking at the same thing on All Ears when I was looking thru the menus!!! I was thinking of changing our GF Cafe dinner ressie to 1900 Park Fare and saw that is was $42 for the buffett!!! I could not believe it!!! Prices are getting a little crazy if you ask me! Thank the goodness for the free dining plan we got, if it wasn't for that I highly doubt we would be doing any sit down meals this trip!

 

[Tomi-Rocket]

why we choose....

Your post is exactly the reason we go ahead and buy their "stupid dining plans". We can eat at all the restaurants we want to no matter the price. And I couldn't even imagine if we had to try to save money for the food along with tips and souveniers. It would be close to impossible to save to eat at the places we've booked for on our upcoming trip. Having paid for our hotel, tickets and food ahead of time allows us to only have to worry about souveniers. So, if it's a bad, bad year we just won't be able to get as many souveniers but we'll still have a great vacation with meals at some really great restaurants.

We've started paying for our trips earlier and earlier with each trip we've been on and I know so many people think it's a waste of money or you wouldn't spend as much paying out of pocket but for us it's the only choice that makes sense so that we can go all out and eat wherever we choose. We won't even go to WDW without the dining plan, it would just be too much to try to save that kind of money.

 

[njDizFan]

Your post is exactly the reason we go ahead and buy their "stupid dining plans". We can eat at all the restaurants we want to no matter the price. And I couldn't even imagine if we had to try to save money for the food along with tips and souveniers. It would be close to impossible to save to eat at the places we've booked for on our upcoming trip. Having paid for our hotel, tickets and food ahead of time allows us to only have to worry about souveniers. So, if it's a bad, bad year we just won't be able to get as many souveniers but we'll still have a great vacation with meals at some really great restaurants.

We've started paying for our trips earlier and earlier with each trip we've been on and I know so many people think it's a waste of money or you wouldn't spend as much paying out of pocket but for us it's the only choice that makes sense so that we can go all out and eat wherever we choose. We won't even go to WDW without the dining plan, it would just be too much to try to save that kind of money.

Exactly, that's the mindset they are going after. Raise the price points high enough so the DDP looks like the only option.

When a buffet like Hollywood and Vine costs $35/person plus gratuity for all the carbs you can eat, things are getting a little crazy.

 

[WDW_Princess24]

I don't know how families don't go bankrupt with all of these price increases. My BF and I stay at Value resorts and with the money spent we could travel Europe for two weeks.

I should probably start saving now so when we have children we will be able to take them :brick:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Your post is exactly the reason we go ahead and buy their "stupid dining plans". We can eat at all the restaurants we want to no matter the price. And I couldn't even imagine if we had to try to save money for the food along with tips and souveniers. It would be close to impossible to save to eat at the places we've booked for on our upcoming trip. Having paid for our hotel, tickets and food ahead of time allows us to only have to worry about souveniers. So, if it's a bad, bad year we just won't be able to get as many souveniers but we'll still have a great vacation with meals at some really great restaurants.

We've started paying for our trips earlier and earlier with each trip we've been on and I know so many people think it's a waste of money or you wouldn't spend as much paying out of pocket but for us it's the only choice that makes sense so that we can go all out and eat wherever we choose. We won't even go to WDW without the dining plan, it would just be too much to try to save that kind of money.

I was telling a friend just the other day that when asked if I think the DDP is a real bargain I suggest they run the numbers against their personal norms in both directions and add it all up to see what the end number is. I tell people not to look at the DDP as a great savings tool but more like a way to prepay their dining. Just don't forget to figure up how much $$ you'll need for the tips and/or alcoholic beverages because those aren't included.

I personally don't like the DDP because it's waaaaay too much food and given the opportunity with no dollar signs to look at I WILL overindulge. Both trips where we had the DDP I gained 10 lbs. Now the DDP is my nemesis. LOL!

Honestly, it's not that hard to save up for the food out of pocket. If you don't normally eat all the food the DDP gives you at each meal it's not hard to control the expenditures along the way. We've been buying $100 Disney gift cards at our local Sam's Club for $98 + change. Each comes with a $10 bonus gift card to the Disney Store online. We have 13 gift cards stacked up with our Disney stuff and plan to buy at least 5 more when the final payment for a doll I recently sold comes in (prob'ly Monday). We'll put them on our room charge when we check into our resort and just use our room keys to "charge" to. If nothing else, I will have $1800 of our $2500 dining budget that I paid $1,782 to purchase. And I can go to the Disney Store online and use my $180 in bonus cards to purchase Disney Parks merch! :wave:

Exactly, that's the mindset they are going after. Raise the price points high enough so the DDP looks like the only option.

When a buffet like Hollywood and Vine costs $35/person plus gratuity for all the carbs you can eat, things are getting a little crazy.

In my case the DDP isn't even an option. I'd be forced to relinquish my PIN code discount of 40% and need to book using an AP discount or go with the free dining promotion. I don't even see any worthwhile AP discounts for September and the free dining would cost us more out of pocket then what we're currently paying. To break even with what my current out of pocket is using the "free" dining I'd have to downgrade from the Wilderness Lodge to a moderate on the first leg of our trip. A value resort upgraded from QS to regular DDP is only $200 less than the moderate.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

OMG Kel, I know!!!! It's funny I was JUST looking at the same thing on All Ears when I was looking thru the menus!!! I was thinking of changing our GF Cafe dinner ressie to 1900 Park Fare and saw that is was $42 for the buffett!!! I could not believe it!!! Prices are getting a little crazy if you ask me! Thank the goodness for the free dining plan we got, if it wasn't for that I highly doubt we would be doing any sit down meals this trip!

Don't freak out! Allears has holiday surcharge pricing posted! Knock $4 off their prices on those that were just updated with the crazy hikes. :wave:

 

[lighteningqueen]

Man, I'm still steamin' this morning. Told hubby about the price jumps. He wasn't surprised and was fine with it. Whatever. He said, "Have you looked at the price of food lately???". :lookaroun. Like he buys groceries. I'm sorry, I don't buy it. A couple dollars of increase would be different. Correct me if I'm wrong in what I remember Crystal Palace breakfast being, but wasn't it like $19 - $22??? Even at $22, that's a $6 jump per person. Stupid!

I saw that last week when I changed our dates to Jan
It was 18.99 per adult at crystal and tusker.. Its a 10 dollar
hike.. Crazy you have to go on the plan..seems to me

 

[lighteningqueen]

I forgot but now the tip is even higher.. I see it coming people will stop eating at some of these places. A normal family cannot afford this. Not all of us are in the oil business. This is exactly what is going on.Disney will be only for the rich. I see vacations going other places, see other things and eat at chain restaurants, that really want our business now. Yellowstone for us next year. Disney after Jan 2012 will be our last for several years to save up money just to eat.. Or free dining will be the only way to go.

 

[erstwo]

It's just my opinion, but I think price increases are always all about the Dining Plan.

One thing you have to admit, Disney is genius with their Dining Plan. Want to eat at a sit down on property/ in the parks? Well, it will cost you big time. Want to save a little? Use our Disney Dining Plan! But, oh wait! You'll have to book a room at one of our hotels first!

In other words, by making the 'whole' Disney experience (character meals, etc.) just expensive enough to make people balk at the price, they get people to prepay for their food AND fill their hotel rooms. Genius! :king: