The Spirited Back Nine ...

[Next Big Thing]

True - but the thing positively screamed TOY, Just like the Ewoks were designed to sell plushies, Plus I have a DBIL who's in the 501'st legion if the next movie sucks I'll have years of family dinners with him carping about how Disney ruined SW.

IF Disney lets JJ make the movie the way HE wants there is no way it will NOT be good, If the movie is directed out of Glendale like Lone Ranger/John Carter were. Lets say all bets are off.

The Lone Ranger and John Carter were bad ideas from the start.

 

[doctornick]

It's the same thing though. It's an isolated environment. Once you are in, there's no going out.

They can charge whatever they want and people will pay it.

Agreed. And I would argue that WDW's prices seems pretty typical of what you'd see in that environment. Certainly not out of line with other theme parks.

Now, if one wants to argue that the entire industry is "gouging", I suppose one can. But I don't see WDW as somehow being an egregious case when it comes to their QS prices (you'd actually have a better case arguing that their TS prices are out of whack). I absolutely don't see $40 for a quick serve meal for an entire family in a theme park as being anything abnormal.

 

[doctornick]

TSPL in Paris cost about $75M. I think that's where the number comes from. Still waiting to hear what the other Billion plus is going to be spent on.

So, that's the thing. At this point, we "know" that there is a healthy budget for a DHS redo -- apparently somewhere in the $1.5B range. We "know" that some sort of flat ride heavy Playland area is in the mix, but that shouldn't take up more than $100M, maybe $150M if there's a lot of waste. We "know" a 3rd track is being added to TSMM -- who knows how much that could cost, but it's probably at worse in the tens of millions. We also know that the BAH is coming down and there will be some sort of refresh for GMR. Let's exaggerate and say the cost for all of that stuff that we "know" is $300M -- and it should be far less than that -- what the heck else is going in for the rest of the cash?

Probably some version of Cars Land, I guess.

Maybe Star Wars some day, though many have said it is not part of that budget.

What exactly are they planning to spend 100's of millions of dollars on?

 

[TalkingHead]

Agreed. And I would argue that WDW's prices seems pretty typical of what you'd see in that environment. Certainly not out of line with other theme parks.

WDW's theme park dining prices are far worse than Universal's park dining prices, especially when you contrast the TS prices.

(Oh, and no need to make reservations or queue up for an hour to eat at the Uni TS places, either...)

 

[Lord_Vader]

So at $33 a person (your number) you normally are paying $26 a person for a take away meal where you are and find that normal??

$33.00 was for the most expensive QS meal I can think of, not one I would eat by myself, there is a difference. Also, the meal is a 1/4 chicken, 1/3 slab of ribs, beans, & slaw which runs about $17 at BBQ places here so not too far off add in drink and brownie you come very close to $26. (Not comparing BBQ styles here, just to be clear)

At Cosmic Rays, the 1/3lb bacon cheeseburger costs $9.79 with fries, a large drink adds $2.99 for a total of $12.68. McDonalds was charging about $7.99 for a 1/3lb steakhouse burger combo before they dropped it with a medium fries and soft drink which ends up being about 50% premium at WDW but you get a larger fries and drink too, not to mention saving two hours of time getting out of and back into the park.

 

[Lee]

another 14day long cruise?
was he in one of the bigger inaugural cruises of the Quantum of the Seas?

Nope.

 

[Lord_Vader]

WDW's theme park dining prices are far worse than Universal's park dining prices, especially when you contrast the TS prices.

(Oh, and no need to make reservations or queue up for an hour to eat at the Uni TS places, either...)

It is much easier to get into and out of USF/IoA than WDW making most guest a more captive audience therefore willing to fork over more for less for convenience. TBH, the only two TS restaurants I have eaten at USR is the Hard Rock and Emril's but I will say the drinks are pretty pricey at Rising Star but the singers get better the more you spend.

 

[stevehousse]

For 2 adults and 2 kids it's about $30-$40 bucks for counter service meals. Our family of 4 usually get 4 meals at McDonald's for about $20, so it's almost double...

 

[doctornick]

For 2 adults and 2 kids it's about $30-$40 bucks for counter service meals. Our family of 4 usually get 4 meals at McDonald's for about $20, so it's almost double...

But McDonald's is at the low end of quick service meal prices in the real world. A $30 meal for a family of four at a quick service restaurant in the real world wouldn't exactly be odd -- say at some place like Chipotle. I guess I'm just not seeing how $40 at WDW is something weird.

 

[Next Big Thing]

For 2 adults and 2 kids it's about $30-$40 bucks for counter service meals. Our family of 4 usually get 4 meals at McDonald's for about $20, so it's almost double...

Honestly it depends on the family though, as my family of four can spend $30+ at McDonalds easily (of course the kids are both older). It's pretty hard to spend about $20 or less there for four honestly if you are getting meals. If you're ordering from the dollar menu, then yeah, but the only fair comparison is by comparing meal prices.

 

[GoofGoof]

But McDonald's is at the low end of quick service meal prices in the real world. A $30 meal for a family of four at a quick service restaurant in the real world wouldn't exactly be odd -- say at some place like Chipotle. I guess I'm just not seeing how $40 at WDW is something weird.

Easy answer to all of this. Open a Chipotle at each park (like Starbucks). Not because it's less expensive, but just because I love me some Chipotle

 

[TalkingHead]

It is much easier to get into and out of USF/IoA than WDW making most guest a more captive audience therefore willing to fork over more for less for convenience. TBH, the only two TS restaurants I have eaten at USR is the Hard Rock and Emril's but I will say the drinks are pretty pricey at Rising Star but the singers get better the more you spend.

I wasn't counting the Citywalk restaurants in the comparison. Table service in IOA/USF is a better value than table service at WDW's parks. The pricing probably does reflect the parks' proximity to outside dining, but that doesn't change the fact that WDW's table service is grossly overpriced (and has been for years).

 

[flynnibus]

$33.00 was for the most expensive QS meal I can think of, not one I would eat by myself, there is a difference

You said $100 for 3 people.. that's $33 on average just for you. . Also, the meal is a 1/4 chicken, 1/3 slab of ribs, beans, & slaw which runs about $17 at BBQ places here so not too far off add in drink and brownie you come very close to $26. (Not comparing BBQ styles here, just to be clear)

Even by your numbers... $9 for drink and brownie?? You just keep fudging the gaps to downplay the differences. Opps, sorry, $8 is the price of a slice of pie at WDW... insane.

At Cosmic Rays, the 1/3lb bacon cheeseburger costs $9.79 with fries, a large drink adds $2.99 for a total of $12.68. McDonalds was charging about $7.99 for a 1/3lb steakhouse burger combo before they dropped it with a medium fries and soft drink which ends up being about 50% premium at WDW but you get a larger fries and drink too, not to mention saving two hours of time getting out of and back into the park.

12.68 / 7.99 = 58.6% premium . That a lot closer to 60% than 50%, again, just glossing over the numbers.
Here, the most expensive burger combo on the menu is less than $7.. so it's really more like 12.68 / 6.89 = 84%

I could go on and on with comparisons of meal prices... but in none of the examples does Disney offer the same type of meal for 20-30% more when we are talking counter service or even QS places. Never mind the quality issues, or how much worse the gaps get when you start talking table service.

For paper plate counter service - its atrocious... justified only by cyclical arguments of other places gouging you just as bad. But plenty of people are happy to bend over and take it.. so probably no end in sight.

 

[Next Big Thing]

But McDonald's is at the low end of quick service meal prices in the real world. A $30 meal for a family of four at a quick service restaurant in the real world wouldn't exactly be odd -- say at some place like Chipotle. I guess I'm just not seeing how $40 at WDW is something weird.

Yup. There's national places, like Zaxby's, that are pretty expensive, and like WDW, the drink comes separate. Last time I was there with 4 I believe it was somewhere around $45.

 

[Next Big Thing]

I wasn't counting the Citywalk restaurants in the comparison. Table service in IOA/USF is a better value than table service at WDW's parks. The pricing probably does reflect the parks' proximity to outside dining, but that doesn't change the fact that WDW's table service is grossly overpriced (and has been for years).

Table Service at WDW is incredibly overpriced, character meals being the worst offender.

 

[truecoat]

Agree JJ will not screw it up on his own, But he still has to make the movie that Burbank wants so we may see JJ going walkabout.

They've already hired Rian Johnson for episode 8. He wrote and directed Looper. Also directed a couple very good episodes of Breaking Bad.

 

[truecoat]

Need some Star Wars info?

Spoiler

 

[truecoat]

More you say?

Spoiler

 

[truecoat]

One more, you can find the rest if you are interested.

Spoiler

 

[stevehousse]

Yup. There's national places, like Zaxby's, that are pretty expensive, and like WDW, the drink comes separate. Last time I was there with 4 I believe it was somewhere around $45.

I love zaxbys! We always stop at least once on the drive down! We don't have them in IL. I'm mad we will be flying this year and won't be able to get any....