Soda price increase

[mcjaco]

...they are angering a large segment of people who aren't high on the pixie dust.

Are they? Where's the proof? Judging by the crowds last month when I was there, no one was staying away over food prices.

No. I've never set foot in a Six Flags in my life. They're akin to the WalMart of parks in my books.

Nice. It's a completely different brand of parks. To not even set foot in one, and then to decsribe it as a "Walmart of parks" once again weakens your credibility on park discussion. And the continued use of the term "Walmart" has diminished it's "wow" factor.

 

[WDW1974]

Are they? Where's the proof? Judging by the crowds last month when I was there, no one was staying away over food prices.

Did I say people were staying away over food prices?

Or did I say they were angering some folks (a lot of folks actually) with them?

Just so I know where to take this discussion, are you going to defend Disney's price points or the dumbing down/WalMarting that has happened due to the DDP? Or are you just arguing that people aren't staying away (which I agree with) because of them?

Nice. It's a completely different brand of parks. To not even set foot in one, and then to decsribe it as a "Walmart of parks" once again weakens your credibility on park discussion. And the continued use of the term "Walmart" has diminished it's "wow" factor.

Of course they are ... they are largely coaster parks and while I enjoy coasters I am a themed entertainment lover. They don't even try in that department.

They also tend to have things like metal detectors and gang violence on a somewhat regular basis (at least at Magic Mountain ... and I have heard similar tales from the park in NJ).

You may not like my viewpoint, but it is widely held in the industry. Six Flags (and Cedar for that matter) are not viewed in the same company (very rightly so) as BEC, Disney and Uni.

And I am not looking for any wow factor when I use any term. I am just calling it like I see it.

I get that people enjoy Six Flags and that is fine ... but I have no desire to ever set foot in one.

~TWDC: WalMarting The Magic Since 1995~

 

[jakeman]

Did I say people were staying away over food prices?

Or did I say they were angering some folks (a lot of folks actually) with them?

Just so I know where to take this discussion, are you going to defend Disney's price points or the dumbing down/WalMarting that has happened due to the DDP? Or are you just arguing that people aren't staying away (which I agree with) because of them?

I think all he was asking for was some data on the "large segement of people" that were angered by the price of food at Disney. If we had that data and data compared to several years ago, we could see if it is a significant issue or not. Blindly claiming "alot of people are mad" is not an argument. I'm not taking a side (I could care less), I'm just hopefully clarifying the direction of the discussion. Apologies in advance to mcjaco if I spoke out of turn.

Of course they are ... they are largely coaster parks and while I enjoy coasters I am a themed entertainment lover. They don't even try in that department.

They also tend to have things like metal detectors and gang violence on a somewhat regular basis (at least at Magic Mountain ... and I have heard similar tales from the park in NJ).

You may not like my viewpoint, but it is widely held in the industry. Six Flags (and Cedar for that matter) are not viewed in the same company (very rightly so) as BEC, Disney and Uni.

You are side stepping his valid point. You are judging the parks and labeling them based on no first hand experience. I don't think (even though I can see how) he was saying that they are at the same level of Disney. He was just commenting on your premptive judgement of something you haven't experienced.

To say you are not interested in something is fine. To label it negatively without experiencing it is somewhat arogant.

Again mcjaco, apologies if this is not what you meant.

 

[yankspy]

Repeating it (even while sticking your fingers in your ears) won't make it suck any less, sorry.



I doubt that will ever happen. I've never had a slice of pizza worth $7 ... even in Italy ... even in NYC ... although a few came close ... and none were Papa John's.

The closest I've come it $6 for one of their personal pizza deals at the local sports arena. Edible to fair would be how I would describe it!

~Pass the Pixie Dust~

Obviously you ate at the wrong pizzeria in N.Y.:lol:

 

[yankspy]

Sure they have. Disney was always considered a premium product and was never priced 'cheaply' ... I think the difference today is that Disney engages in blatant price-gouging when it comes to the cost of food and beverage in order to push the cruise-lining of dining (aka the DDP).

You either commit to eating ALL of your meals at WDW and pay a large sum to do so upfront ... or you have dumbed down menus at absurd price points ($23 hamburgers at Chefs de France in place of a $25 filet when I did the 'free' plan in 2007) ... so Disney makes a bundle either way while the quality and variety continue to drop.

Not smart with an economy in a depression.

Then you have the resort pricing ... rooms are absurdly priced so while Disney 'loses' XXX number of dollars by vast discounting with offers like the Buy 4 Get 3 free deal, the reality is even then you are still paying higher rates than can be found at better places off-site.

People justify a lot when it comes to the pixie dust.

Disney was never cheap ... but it also never felt cheap either.

In many ways it does so now.

I am not sure where you are getting $23.00 for a burger from. I checked the price and it was $15.95. A little high but about what you would pay for a burger in a nice restaurant in a major city.

 

[benji]

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll have to ajust my bugdet and spend less money at the gift shops. When you travel to the parks with your family, a few cents extra can really add up.

 

[disneymoc]

Touchy today I guess.

*sigh*

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Ohh god, fan boys, the eternally depressed and health fascists. Disney like all such operations aims to extort as muchmoney from you as possible. Its just that they smile when they do it and have legions who would willingly support such behaviour because of loyalty.

But hell Im loaded so I dont care.

 

[mcjaco]

I think all he was asking for was some data on the "large segement of people" that were angered by the price of food at Disney. If we had that data and data compared to several years ago, we could see if it is a significant issue or not. Blindly claiming "alot of people are mad" is not an argument. I'm not taking a side (I could care less), I'm just hopefully clarifying the direction of the discussion. Apologies in advance to mcjaco if I spoke out of turn.

No apologies needed. You were right on. I see no data to support the argument, and I certainly didn't see "angry" people in the eating establishments when I was there. Data, data, data.

You are side stepping his valid point. You are judging the parks and labeling them based on no first hand experience. I don't think (even though I can see how) he was saying that they are at the same level of Disney. He was just commenting on your premptive judgement of something you haven't experienced.

To say you are not interested in something is fine. To label it negatively without experiencing it is somewhat arogant.

Again mcjaco, apologies if this is not what you meant.

Again, no apology needed. Hammer meet nail.

I would never put Six Flags or Cedar Fair into the same category as Disney or Universal. That'd be one way to lose all credibility. But at least I've set foot into those chains, and have something to compare them with. I still rank Six Flags over Cedar Fair, as they at least try to theme their parks to a certain degree. But it's on the cheap. Then again, most people go to those parks for high octane thrill rides, not themeing.

As for the gang issue, bring up something more current. Great America had that issue years ago, but not anymore. It shows how out of touch you are with those parks. Besides, didn't PI have gang issues?

 

[epcotWSC]

I love how someone can say "people are upset" but in reality it's more that they're upset and think that because they are upset many other people are upset as well.

Newflash, 90% (random number) of people who go to WDW probably have no idea whether the food was better last year, two years ago, five years ago, or twenty years ago. Have we forgotten that most people who go to these parks have only been to WDW once or twice in their lives? The repeat visitors and fanboys who go annually, semiannually, monthly or weekly are the exception to the rule.

I'm also sure that most of your annual vistors have very little issue with the food. We know it's overpriced going into it. We look for the restaurants that we think have the best food and go there. I don't remember ever having a bad meal at WDW (except maybe Tutto Italia and that Italian place in the Swan. Finding good Italian food south of New Jersey is rough), so the food is far from bad and while overpriced it's the same as if I went to a restaurant in NYC, it's a fact of the trip. If you're so angered by the food, no one is stopping you from going offsite to eat. There are plenty of restaurants in the area.

I think the people who go very often are the most cynical. Too much of a good thing tends to dull it out and you tend to see all of the worst things.

Now I'm not saying Disney has the best food, because I have better food at home on most nights. I still, however, enjoy my meals and while some tend to be expensive, a smart planner tends to budget their money to mix in cheaper meals with more expensive meals. It's just like the merchandise. I don't need to spend $500 on merchandise to enjoy my trip. Heck, I hardly spend $100 on merchandise. I usually buy one souvenir and maybe something for my lady. That's it. No need to go crazy. However, people complain about the crap merchandise like they're filling up their home with crap they don't need.
Budget your money, find the best restaurants, find stuff on the menu which you like, and at a good price point. They're definitely out there. Splurging a couple times on your trip isn't a terrible thing. Don't forget, we also pay for the theme which people so crave. You don't pay $50 for dinner at Cinderella's castle just for the prime rib (which is actually very good may I add)...

I too can be cynical about certain things I see, however, I feel a need to balance out all of the crap and doom and gloom that I read here because some of it just sounds like people whining like little babies.

 

[jt04]

*sigh*

:shrug:

You being hypersinsitive too? Why is it the loudest critics always seem to be the most defensive? I'm sure there is some science involved. :dazzle:

And you can find good food deals at Disney but you have to do your research. JMHO.

 

[epcotWSC]

And you can find good food deals at Disney but you have to do your research. JMHO.

Quoted for Truth :sohappy:

 

[joel_maxwell]

They can charge whatever they want... im not buying. I refuse to pay that for a single coke. If it comes with the meal, so be it.

If everyone stopped buying, they would lower the prices. we all know that isnt going to happen.

IMHO, it does stink. I will say that i do love me some chicken fingers, fries and a big ole fat Coca Cola at Sonny Eclipse (as my wife calls it )

 

[VillanovaBlue]

Last I heard, Disney's contract with Coca-Cola provides the syrup for free. All Disney has to pay for is the water, carbon dioxide, and cups which is close to nothing per cup of soda they sell. Not sure if this has changed, but if it hasn't, that's a lot of profit per cup.

You forgot the cost of the cart/stand where you buy the soda, the power/supplies/maintenance, etc. to run it, and also the salary of the employee who sells you the coke, with a nice big Disney smile on their face...

 

[Siege898]

I discovered a strange scenario with the price increases recently. If you purchase a bottled soft drink at a cart it's $2.50 but I went into the Main Street Confectionary and bought one the price was $2.55. The cast member was unable to explain why their price was $.05 higher than the same merchandise 100 feet away at the popcorn cart near the train station. Doesn't make a whole of sense to me.

In general though, the prices are way lower than most of the other parks in this area for similar items.

I haven't read all the posts, someone may have already answered this, but if not, here's the reason.

Outdoor carts usually round to even numbers (example .25, .50, .75, .00) so that the CMs only have to carry quarters and that they can make change easily and quickly. Disney then includes the sales tax in that price so you're really paying like $2.34 plus 16 cents sales tax or something like that. In the shops, the CMs have a full drawer and time isn't as much of a necessity so they charge you the true price $2.39 which when they put sales tax on that comes out to $2.55. This is what I was told when I went through ODF training. And having worked in ODF, having everything in terms of quarters or dollars makes transactions SO much easier.

 

[hrcollectibles]

I love how someone can say "people are upset" but in reality it's more that they're upset and think that because they are upset many other people are upset as well.

Newflash, 90% (random number) of people who go to WDW probably have no idea whether the food was better last year, two years ago, five years ago, or twenty years ago. Have we forgotten that most people who go to these parks have only been to WDW once or twice in their lives? The repeat visitors and fanboys who go annually, semiannually, monthly or weekly are the exception to the rule.

I'm also sure that most of your annual vistors have very little issue with the food. We know it's overpriced going into it. We look for the restaurants that we think have the best food and go there. I don't remember ever having a bad meal at WDW (except maybe Tutto Italia and that Italian place in the Swan. Finding good Italian food south of New Jersey is rough), so the food is far from bad and while overpriced it's the same as if I went to a restaurant in NYC, it's a fact of the trip. If you're so angered by the food, no one is stopping you from going offsite to eat. There are plenty of restaurants in the area.

I think the people who go very often are the most cynical. Too much of a good thing tends to dull it out and you tend to see all of the worst things.

Now I'm not saying Disney has the best food, because I have better food at home on most nights. I still, however, enjoy my meals and while some tend to be expensive, a smart planner tends to budget their money to mix in cheaper meals with more expensive meals. It's just like the merchandise. I don't need to spend $500 on merchandise to enjoy my trip. Heck, I hardly spend $100 on merchandise. I usually buy one souvenir and maybe something for my lady. That's it. No need to go crazy. However, people complain about the crap merchandise like they're filling up their home with crap they don't need.
Budget your money, find the best restaurants, find stuff on the menu which you like, and at a good price point. They're definitely out there. Splurging a couple times on your trip isn't a terrible thing. Don't forget, we also pay for the theme which people so crave. You don't pay $50 for dinner at Cinderella's castle just for the prime rib (which is actually very good may I add)...

I too can be cynical about certain things I see, however, I feel a need to balance out all of the crap and doom and gloom that I read here because some of it just sounds like people whining like little babies.

:sohappy: I agree with your statement. I honestly wonder if the average park guest notices the things that those that frequent the park might. I alos wonder if WDW1974 has a sponsorhip deal with Wal-Mart.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Oh isn't Disney just sooper. Hoorrahhh.

 

[Dayma]

I hear they are going to raise prices on diet sodas only!!!!!

 

[Phonedave]

I hear they are going to raise prices on diet sodas only!!!!!

Because WDW has a deal where they get the sugar for free, but have to pay for the sucralose.

-dave

 

[epcotWSC]

I hear they are going to raise prices on diet sodas only!!!!!

Drop some Mentos into the Diet Coke, it'll make you happy .