Is Disney's food cost out of line??

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I think QS is more out of line than TS.

Disney prices the QS options equivalent to what you'd find at a chain restaurant (TGIF, Chilis, Applebees). On average about $16 (including a beverage and tax) for a burger or chicken sandwich. Except Disney QS is not chain quality (not that chain quality is a great thing - but it serves its purpose), it's FF quality. A combo at a standard FF option will set you back about $8

My biggest issue with this is - If I'm paying $16 for a burger, fries and a soda - at least make it a good burger. I always walk away from a QS meal saying - "ah...wasn't terrible" - I'd rather walk away saying "that was a really good burger".

 

[Dr. Ludwig von Drake]

WDW has a captive audience and almost no competition.

... and hence the prices. As long as people keep paying for food in the park, Disney will keep selling it.

We always have a car, but do not leave the parks to eat. We know it costs a lot more, but we would rather not leave the parks every time we are hungry, and we enjoy most of the places to eat in park. Certainly our kids love eating in Cosmic Ray's, Pecos Bill's, Be Our Guest and the like.

 

[jaklgreen]

Well, if you have a bunch of kids or multiple families in tow, I imagine the move would be to find an offsite condo/house w a kitchen and stop for groceries. (This always sounds awful to me, I can't imagine vacation meaning I have to cook for more people than normal) - But at this point I usually expect 2 meals even at a casual place on site to run $25-30.

On days that I know I have a considerable meal coming up at dinner (say, Ohana, Boma, Whispering Canyon, or even Art Smith's or somewhere I might get a big T-bone) then wife & I may try to just do snacks at lunch, like a pretzel, or even a kids menu item with say, nuggets and a small fruit pack that will keep us going yet have us ready to be gluttonous tourists come dinner time.

This is why we only had 2 kids. We wanted to be able to afford to do things like vacation and go out to eat. I would hate having to cook while on vacation. That was my dad's idea of a vacation, staying at his sister's inlaw's cabin and my Mom would have to cook and clean. It was more work for her then being home. But my dad was just cheap. Vacations should be for the parents also. I think the sit down and buffet restaurants at WDW are getting too high but the counter service is a bit more reasonable. I do not live in a tourist city but even here you go out to Panera and places like that and it is $12-$15 for a sandwich and drink meal.

 

[Tinkwings]

I think at Disney folks start factoring in time, we do go offsite to eat but I know for others the "time" involved makes it worth paying Disney prices.

YES!!! And location, location, location.....I too find great "value" in not leaving the bubble, I did on my first few trips and how anticlimactic was that to come and go....TIME.....when on vacation I want to be immersed in it. I use my DisneyVisa rewards to pay for the food so again it doesn't cause me much thought. Sure I could use those reward dollars for other parts of my trip, but it helps me not get anxious that I just spent an entire weeks food budget on ONE meal...... And we do balance out those meals with cheaper fare, not only for cost but frankly I feel better and enjoy the larger meals when hungry from conserving the intake otherwise.

 

[Tinkwings]

But if I could stay for weeks...ha...I would consider renting a house and that experience, but for one week? Yep its vaca....which for this fairy means NO cooking, cleaning, and hopefully no laundry. But TIME to enjoy my family and have fun!!!!

 

[daisyduckie]

At least Disney lets you bring in food. You don't have to eat their stuff unless you choose to.

 

[Hockey89]

I think QS is more out of line than TS.

Disney prices the QS options equivalent to what you'd find at a chain restaurant (TGIF, Chilis, Applebees). On average about $16 (including a beverage and tax) for a burger or chicken sandwich. Except Disney QS is not chain quality (not that chain quality is a great thing - but it serves its purpose), it's FF quality. A combo at a standard FF option will set you back about $8

My biggest issue with this is - If I'm paying $16 for a burger, fries and a soda - at least make it a good burger. I always walk away from a QS meal saying - "ah...wasn't terrible" - I'd rather walk away saying "that was a really good burger".

Could not agree more... QS at Disney is disgusting and way over priced...

 

[larryz]

I can buy a beef tenderloin for about $90 and in 15 minutes break it down into 6 filets, a roast, and really tender boeuf bourguignon or boeuf stroganoff for four.

At Disney prices, that's about $500 worth of food. That leaves lots of room for margin.

 

[Hockey89]

I can buy a beef tenderloin for about $90 and in 15 minutes break it down into 6 filets, a roast, and really tender boeuf bourguignon or boeuf stroganoff for four.

At Disney prices, that's about $500 worth of food. That leaves lots of room for margin.

The real question is why you would ever use Filet to make that dish....

 

[englanddg]

I'm not sure I would call it "overpriced"... There are a variety of options, and the cost is controllable.

I also am not sure about "low quality". Sure, their burgers aren't of the highest standard, but a lot of QS options are. Especially (of course) at EPCOT.

Now, granted, many of the EPCOT Table Service options are not really "Disney", but are privately operated and under lease/contract with Disney. I'm not sure how that breaks down for QS, but, I'd suspect it is similar (if not the same).

All that said, I'd love to say it's overpriced....but, not really. It's in line with what other tourist destinations, especially theme parks, charge. And, for the variety and general quality, Disney surpasses the rest.

 

[erasure fan1]

My biggest issue with this is - If I'm paying $16 for a burger, fries and a soda - at least make it a good burger. I always walk away from a QS meal saying - "ah...wasn't terrible" - I'd rather walk away saying "that was a really goo

Exactly. The food IS expensive for either quick or table. But for me, the rub has always been the quality. I get it's expensive because they have me locked. But after paying $60 for what is barely McDonalds, that gets me. I can't remember the last time we did a breakfast meal, that is where Disney is raking in the serious cash. $35/$40 a person for breakfast? If I'm paying about $1 for a dozen eggs, Disney is paying significantly less. Again, if the food quality was there, I wouldn't really care. I just can't help but feel like I was ripped off after a $150 breakfast that was golden coral quality.

 

[englanddg]

Exactly. The food IS expensive for either quick or table. But for me, the rub has always been the quality. I get it's expensive because they have me locked. But after paying $60 for what is barely McDonalds, that gets me. I can't remember the last time we did a breakfast meal, that is where Disney is raking in the serious cash. $35/$40 a person for breakfast? If I'm paying about $1 for a dozen eggs, Disney is paying significantly less. Again, if the food quality was there, I wouldn't really care. I just can't help but feel like I was ripped off after a $150 breakfast that was golden coral quality.

I haven't been in a bit, but you hit on something that does annoy me about Disney "breakfasts"...

The eggs.

Man, their eggs are bad.

When I travel, I generally stay at a Hilton Garden Inn, and there they have someone that, included in my room rate, will cook me an omelet to order, or eggs over easy, etc.

Disney has more volume than that, so I understand their more "food court" approach (I worked in food service management for over a decade for a national chain, I get it...I really do)....but....that said....the eggs.

The watery, seized up, nasty nasty...eggs....ugh.

 

[smile]

So I'm reading the reviews on the new chicken place at Disney springs and the complaint is that it's "expensive". Now in the interest of full disclosure I live in Philly.
The menu had a chicken combo for 12 bucks. That's expensive???

considering chick-fil-a is a thing that exists, i can't fully agree with you on this one

 

[RaveOnEd]

We just got back from WDW this past Saturday (spent a great week there, with one day for our first ever trip to Universal!)

With a few exceptions in WDW, I would say we paid more for quality that's gone down a little for the food, across the board. I remember that the food in almost every place we ate in the parks was really very good, with most TS being excellent (that was 2010).

This time around, we had food from each level (QS, CS and TS). QS and CS prices were a bit much for the quality we got, and TS was really good, a little expensive, but the TS meals we factored in as being on the pricey side.

This time, we had the day at Universal to compare it to, and the CS we had in Leaky Cauldron at Universal was around Disney prices, but much better quality and much more attentive service with people walking round the dining area, making sure we were OK, if the food was OK, if we needed more napkins, etc.

It convinced me that Disney really should step their food quality up a bit in CS and QS, especially for the prices being charged. It was in those two areas that put us over what we budgeted for food, and luckily we had more than enough money to cover that.

 

[Phonedave]

I stay in a 1 bedroom DVC villa and visit Publix after I arrive. We eat breakfast in the room, so pick up stuff for breakfast, lunches, maybe a dinner or two. And alcohol. Saves lots of $$$ and we don't mind cooking...simple meals.

We do that too. We (as a family) enjoy eating out. We used to eat at TS restaurants almost every night. Not any more. We book a few, but that is it.

We have always done breakfast in the room - It saves a lot of time, and in my family everyone gets up at different times. I especially like to get up early and relax with a cup of coffee before everyone else gets up. Some people are sleeping, some are showering, others are eating - it just works better.

We now do more QSFB at the resort, or we will do something simple in the DVC unit. As a rough estimate, I would say WDW has lost half of our dining expenditure. Most of that has shifted to garden grocer at a much lower cost

 

[Phonedave]

I wouldn't say it's my domain...especially those SOB's over at HBO.

j/k I know a few guys over there.

But part of my regiment of a: dropping a few lbs and b: getting used to the heat before our trip has been walking in-between Penn Station and work, both ways. I almost always walk to Penn Station after work but am now walking to work from Penn Station too. Jeez Louise it's been hot. By the time I get to my desk I look like I just got off Splash Mountain with the jets on high.

I was at HBO last Thursday for the Sports Video Group's OTT streaming forum. I took the NY Waterway over from NJ and used their bus to drop me off. I decided to walk back to the ferry terminal when it was over. I was wearing a sport coat too. Holy mackerel. I should have jumped into the river, I would have been dryer. I don't think I would want to walk TO work in this heat, it has been insane.

 

[slappy magoo]

I was at HBO last Thursday for the Sports Video Group's OTT streaming forum. I took the NY Waterway over from NJ and used their bus to drop me off. I decided to walk back to the ferry terminal when it was over. I was wearing a sport coat too. Holy mackerel. I should have jumped into the river, I would have been dryer. I don't think I would want to walk TO work in this heat, it has been insane.

I joke to my wife that on the plus side I stink so bad on the way home no one wants to sit next to me so I have a seat all to myself, sometimes a whole car.

My sister works for the sea streak and she keeps promising me all the ferry tickets I need if I move closer to where we grew up, but if we did my wife would be too far from her job. It's nice for one of us to be close to home in case any poop hits any fans.

 

[21stamps]

At least Disney lets you bring in food. You don't have to eat their stuff unless you choose to.

And drinks!!! We’ve brought our own bottles of water into the park. I also always have a few Z Bars and a couple of bags of nuts. This doesn’t happen at Cedar Fair.. and I’m not dealing with packing food and drinks in a cooler, and going to the car for a meal. I do see people do that though.

I just don’t see Disney QS as out of line compared to any other parks, zoos, aquariums, sporting events, etc etc etc etc.. and allowing people to bring food or drinks is a really nice money-saver.

 

[jaklgreen]

The real question is why you would ever use Filet to make that dish....

Never use a tenderloin for stroganoff.

 

[correcaminos]

Compared to home, it's on par mostly with amusement parks, but much higher than even places like the zoo. So for us it's high, but not shockingly high. We go often enough that our focus isn't really on the food anyway anymore.