Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[JD80]

I checked and a burger with cheese and bacon at the local Outback's is $13.99. The same type of burger at Sci Fi Dine In is $23-$25 so just shy of double the pricing is about correct. Marie

60% more but fair.

 

[JD80]

LOLOL $35 a plate at a Disney sit down? You're funny.

We eat at mostly local places. We went to a local hotspot on Friday evening and got a crabcakes app to share ($16), two entrees of lake perch with sides ($15), one dessert ($12) and two drinks ($12)...plus tax and tip.

Skipper's Canteen:

The Edison

 

[Ayla]

And a lot of that goes into other factors, I went to a local beach this summer called point pleasant nj. Ordered a plain large pizza (16 inch) pie. Cost $32.00 bucks. under normal circumstances would I do that?? Heck no but we weren't packing up our stuff, walking somewhere else and then coming back. So we accept the cost of going to the shore, no to mention having to buy beach tags just to sit on the beach

An example of one of the restaurants we ate at a couple weeks ago...We each had a slice of pizza, garlic bread, DH had a local craft beer and I had a bottle of water.

Menu — Uptown Slice

www.uptownslice.com

 

[Ayla]

I'm not linking the places we eat where we live, because I'm not that stupid.

 

[JD80]

No one is saying you can't get good food locally that's less expensive than $25-$35 a plate but Disney's prices are not that far off from what's normal in any other major US city/tourist destination.

 

[eliza61nyc]

In Philly, Pats or Ginos cheese steak with a soda, sitting on a picnic bench outside and I'm content. Why can't WDW make something similar.

Lol. No, not Pat's I'm a ishkibbles on south street gal. Unfortunately they're both creeping up there also. Ginos has gotten pricey but they're are definitely a tourist spot.
But you're absolutely right, they're good sandwiches at halfway affordable prices. you're diet won't that you but vacation calories don't count

 

[LSLS]

I think I'll have to disagree, but it's probably extremely location dependent with quality of food. I was at SH71 for lunch a year ago and it was Fantastic. I've never had a bad meal at Skipper's.

Tusker House always has good food and I think the majority of quick service options are fantastic assuming you're just not going after a simple burger/nuggets type of meal. Ronto Wraps? yes please.

But food is different for everyone, but there are some bad restaurants and good ones. WDW is not immune to that.

HA, fair point. Never been to Skipper, nor 71 (though I did really like the Wave). Personally, I thought Tusker was horribly disappointing. And I've just thought the quick service has gotten so much worse personally. The last couple years, I've struggled to find anything at MK for quick service, and most of the resorts I find pretty bad too (outside of Polynesian which remains my favorite quick service in Disney). I also went to the Japanese one last time since I remembered it being really good long ago and legit threw it away after about 4 bites and went to find something else.

 

[Andrew25]

Disney Table Service is overpriced.

Quick service however is very good, cheaper, and a better value compared to SeaWorld and Universal.

Universal pricing is equivalent, but far slower service and not as great quality.

SeaWorld makes Disney World look like a dollar value menu... they charge $17.99 for chicken tenders. That's on the low end of their options.

 

[AEfx]

LOLOL $35 a plate at a Disney sit down? You're funny.

2003 called, they said "Yo, what's up bro?"

 

[JD80]

HA, fair point. Never been to Skipper, nor 71 (though I did really like the Wave). Personally, I thought Tusker was horribly disappointing. And I've just thought the quick service has gotten so much worse personally. The last couple years, I've struggled to find anything at MK for quick service, and most of the resorts I find pretty bad too (outside of Polynesian which remains my favorite quick service in Disney). I also went to the Japanese one last time since I remembered it being really good long ago and legit threw it away after about 4 bites and went to find something else.

MK quick service is pretty weak. My go-tos are to leave and go somewhere else, Columbia Harbour House or if it's for breakfast Friar Nooks.

 

[Disstevefan1]

And a lot of that goes into other factors, I went to a local beach this summer called point pleasant nj. Ordered a plain large pizza (16 inch) pie. Cost $32.00 bucks. under normal circumstances would I do that?? Heck no but we weren't packing up our stuff, walking somewhere else and then coming back. So we accept the cost of going to the shore, no to mention having to buy beach tags just to sit on the beach

Holy cr@p! (16 inch) pie for $32! I know prices for everything is higher in NJ but looks like this pizza place is taking a page out of Disney's playbook!

 

[networkpro]

I'm not linking the places we eat where we live, because I'm not that stupid.

I wouldnt hesitate as we typically have to drive at least 20 minutes away for dining. Disadvantages of living in low desnity areas.

 

[erasure fan1]

Yeah and a local place near me had a deal for a $4 spicy chicken sandwhich and with a soda it was $5.50. So I guess Chili's is 200% more expensive. Chilis is over priced!

Just look at their regular menu if you really want to compare apples to apples. Chili's has burgers from $12 to $18 near me.

I get it, but they're comparable restaurants. And why order the individual items when they offer them together? Disney is expected to be more expensive, that's just how the world works. I used to stick up for Disney food, but I just can't anymore. If the quality was better, I wouldn't have that big of an issue. Like you said, it's not all 300%, but it is, as a whole, significantly higher than it should be, for the quality you are getting. I find that we generally average about double the cost of local while in Disney per comparable meal.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I’m behind. When did this thread turn into a dining discussion lol

 

[Disstevefan1]

Yeah and a local place near me had a deal for a $4 spicy chicken sandwich and with a soda it was $5.50.

Yea, in my opinion, local places will always have better food for lower prices. They MUST do better to stay in business.

At the parks we take whatever cr@p they dish out. Its either that or leave property and this takes time from your day and they know this.

 

[JD80]

I get it, but they're comparable restaurants. And why order the individual items when they offer them together? Disney is expected to be more expensive, that's just how the world works. I used to stick up for Disney food, but I just can't anymore. If the quality was better, I wouldn't have that big of an issue. Like you said, it's not all 300%, but it is, as a whole, significantly higher than it should be, for the quality you are getting. I find that we generally average about double the cost of local while in Disney per comparable meal.

I'm not sticking up for it, but I'd like ground the conversation in proper context. You compared a value meal at Chili's to a sit down meal at any restaurant. Not sure you can do that.

I would probably imagine that two of the value burgers would equal the weight of the meat in a scifi burger. If we're going to compare the two.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Holy cr@p! (16 inch) pie for $32! I know prices for everything is higher in NJ but looks like this pizza place is taking a page out of Disney's playbook!

I think that’s in part par for the course at an increasing number of places. I got a lollipop for my son this weekend and thought I misheard when the cashier said it was $5. Then there was a $20 (for two of us) train ride around the food court that I’d promised him. Literally two laps in a circle.

I have to remind myself to always check prices before going to the register these days, because I used to be able to assume “Oh, X costs approximately Y, give or take.” Now X might suddenly cost 3 times as much as I assume it would.

 

[JusticeDisney]

That's not just one local place. That's the average price for many places where I live. While I expect it to cost more at Disney, it's hard for me to justify when you compare it to what I usually pay for eating out.

The one I don't get is character meals. Why pay $60 for lousy buffet food to see characters I can see for free with a park ticket

Maybe because not everyone agrees that the food is lousy and the character interactions are most certainly not the same in the park as they are in the restaurants?

Seeing as, by your own admission, you have not been to WDW in quite some time, I’m not sure how you even feel qualified to comment on the quality of the food and/or the character interaction that currently occurs.

EDIT: I honestly did not mean for that question to sound as rude as it came across, so I apologize for that. I was genuinely trying to just ask what you base your opinions on? Anyway, again I’m sorry about that.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Anyone who thinks theme park food is not overpriced does not live in reality.

It’s overpriced and we accept it because theme park food is always overpriced and of course it’s not limited to Disney, if fact, when Disney raises prices, IT ALLOWS other theme parks to raise prices.

And most others are much worse options and as much or more expensive

Dorney Park has just burgers and chicken tenders and low quality at that and as much or more than Disney (as a recent example we have had)

And of course not just theme parks - food at sporting events is crazy expensive too - just part of the entertainment cost when in a semi-trapped scenario

 

[JD80]

At least it's not airport pricing... yet.