WDW to Raise All Buffet Prices By Almost 50%?

[Andrew C]

We stayed for closer to 100. It was an incredible price.

Nice. Actually it looks like tonight they are at 99 for a standard room. Which is really good for them. Well, not good for the hotel but good for guests. although, that doesn't include their resort charge. Lol.

 

[Capsin4]

People have been saying this for as long as I can remember.

Every time tickets or annual passes go up in price, every time they add a new up-charge event, every time the dining plan is devalued, etc.

"Disney has finally gone too far", I've been hearing for years, even decades.

And just about every time, the people keep coming. The people keep paying.

The notion that the masses will ever say "enough is enough", feels like fantasy.

And that's coming from someone who agrees that the buffet prices are heading into "no way" territory for himself.

Attendance is slumping partially due to the expense. We used to go annually (the free dining made a lot of sense for our group and made it worth it). It seems that promotion fills up faster than it used to at the places we like to stay and without it we don't see the value in a 7-10 day stay like we used to. The trend in food prices isn't helping. We went to Universal (1st time in 20 years) for 3 days last year and had a great time. I was worried about our young kids not having a good time, but they loved it too. I know we aren't unique.

 

[BrerJon]

I know they DONT pay for the syrup... So the marginal cost is the price of the cup, water and water treatment, power to run dispenser and the cost of the dispenser itself.

Yup, and the fuss was about taking soda from the fountain instead of water, so other than the syrup all the above costs still apply when you ask for a 'free' water cup, which means that the cost of pouring some Coke instead of pouring a tap water to Disney is exactly zero cents, hardly robbing them blind.

 

[bhg469]

Nice. Actually it looks like tonight they are at 99 for a standard room. Which is really good for them. Well, not good for the hotel but good for guests. although, that doesn't include their resort charge. Lol.

And I may have named the wrong resort it is the Buena vista palace. It is being rebranded to a straight Hilton and I forgot that information. Still was a very big room and was actually under 100 still.

 

[Andrew C]

And I may have named the wrong resort it is the Buena vista palace. It is being rebranded to a straight Hilton and I forgot that information. Still was a very big room and was actually under 100 still.

Ahh yeah. Did u get a renovated room there? I know they are going through major renovations that is going to be done soon.

 

[flynnibus]

Feels like there are decision makers playing a Name that Tune-ish game where the first goes 'I can raise that price by 3%' and the other goes 'I can raise that price by FIVE percent!' and it just goes back and forth as everyone looks admires the guts and courage to be so risky with your division and products.


My family went in 1990 and I remember a gold card with a key on it that let us eat anywhere on property 3 times per day. Plus any activity we wanted to do like fishing, boat rentals, etc. Can't find the information on it but I specifically remember that gold key card when we stayed at the Poly that year. Only year we got it though.

Yup... That was it. Each person would have a credit card like card with a gold key on it

 

[bhg469]

Ahh yeah. Did u get a renovated room there? I know they are going through major renovations that is going to be done soon.

Yes it was definitely a newly done room. It looked fantastic. I travel a bit for work and it was a very cool room.

 

[Andrew C]

Yes it was definitely a newly done room. It looked fantastic. I travel a bit for work and it was a very cool room.

Awesome. Hilton really owns the Disney springs hotel area now with this property coming on board, joining the Hilton across the street and the doubletree guest suites.

Not to mention the Hilton and Waldorf Astoria at bonnet creek.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Attendance is slumping partially due to the expense. We used to go annually (the free dining made a lot of sense for our group and made it worth it). It seems that promotion fills up faster than it used to at the places we like to stay and without it we don't see the value in a 7-10 day stay like we used to. The trend in food prices isn't helping. We went to Universal (1st time in 20 years) for 3 days last year and had a great time. I was worried about our young kids not having a good time, but they loved it too. I know we aren't unique.

Bobby readily admitted that on the ;ast earnings call. Attendance down but revenue up....

 

[flynnibus]

The biggest complaint we had ever was that by the 4th or 5th day, the kids were "Do we have to eat AGAIN". It was a lot (really a lot) of food. And the servers were always willing to bring us the best and most expensive meals, since their tips were (included) and 15% of what the costs would have been.

Yeah but 35+ years later I still have memories and experiences from nearly everything Disney had to offer through the eighties vs seeing it but not experiencing it

I actually learned to water ski while on vacation at wdw thanks to the recreation features

 

[BrerJon]

Yes it was definitely a newly done room. It looked fantastic. I travel a bit for work and it was a very cool room.

But did you feel left out not being immersed in the Disney magic*?


*That magic being the disappearing trick when you open your wallet and find it several hundred dollars lighter than expected.

 

[NearTheEars]

Do you know how much Disney pays for that soda? Go on, have a guess.

What else do you steal and justify it with something like that's? Where do you draw the line?

 

[NearTheEars]

Well, I have never in my life dined at a Taco Bell, asked for a water cup and had a Mountain Dew. I am talking about Disney ... and if Disney wants to screw me, then I'm going to respond in kind. I know how little that soda costs them. If I am spending $14 on dinner and 'stealing a soda' how much profit are they making off me? I really don't care what you think about me or whether you think it is moral or not. I can live with it. Disney simply isn't getting that extra $3 out of me unless I have no choice and 95% of the time, I do. Even if it's sending a CM friend backstage to a Coke machine or into a retail outlet that sells bottles (their 35% discount works on them, not on QSRs in parks). Bob Iger can go eff himself, but he ain't getting what he wants from me. Not after 35 years (more really) of APs and loyalty and God only knows how much money spent.

I would argue that the outright shoplifting that happens in huge amounts daily at WDW (no, not talking about fraud ... like certain ex-con con men engaged in) is a result of Disney making price points up as they go. $35 tees? Really. $13 pieces of vinyl? $16 pins? upcharge, upcharge, upcharge? People are tired of it and tend to act unto others as others have acted unto them.

But thanks for the your opinion.

Boggles my mind that stealing in any form is being justified on here.
Almost speechless. Do you think you're being some modern day Robin Hood or something?

You're better than this.

ETA: Man i really don't know why, but this has really fired me up. And it has nothing to do with a like or dislike of WDW. You seriously are justifying STEALING because you think they'd make too much profit off of you. Its unbelievable. I mean, just at a loss here. And I hope I'm not the only one.

 

[GoofGoof]

Soda theft talk is pointless. Neither side will change their mind. Let's just all agree to disagree and move on.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Do you know how much Disney pays for that soda? Go on, have a guess.

So say someone gives you a car and then someone comes along and takes said car without your permission. You are going to be ok with someone else coming along and telling you that you shouldn't feel robbed because you didn't pay for it?

 

[GoofGoof]

Attendance is slumping partially due to the expense. We used to go annually (the free dining made a lot of sense for our group and made it worth it). It seems that promotion fills up faster than it used to at the places we like to stay and without it we don't see the value in a 7-10 day stay like we used to. The trend in food prices isn't helping. We went to Universal (1st time in 20 years) for 3 days last year and had a great time. I was worried about our young kids not having a good time, but they loved it too. I know we aren't unique.

Staying off property and eating at least some meals offsite will almost certainly save you more money than free dining. You could probably even make out better if you get a discounted room and eat some meals off property than you do with free DDP. It's really only a great promotion if you were going to eat at those places anyway and pay cash.

 

[NearTheEars]

Soda theft talk is pointless. Neither side will change their mind. Let's just all agree to disagree and move on.

I can't believe people can disagree over theft. It's pretty black and white.

 

[GoofGoof]

I can't believe people can disagree over theft. It's pretty black and white.

I'm not condoning it, just saying there isn't any point in talking about it. Both sides are dug in and aren't going to change their minds.

 

[NearTheEars]

I'm not condoning it, just saying there isn't any point in talking about it. Both sides are dug in and aren't going to change their minds.

Obviously no one on the face of this earth could get Mr. Spirit to publicly change his stance on anything, just hoping that others see how crazy this one specific topic is.

But I understand and will move on.

 

[dennis-in-ct]

This spring we stayed at the lake Buena vista Hilton and had a huge room with a disney springs facing view for a lot less than a value resort. I was completely happy.

Our Gay Days trip last week was spent at the Hilton Grand Vacation Tuscany resort. Total price with taxes and resort fee came to 128.00 night. We had a king bed and a kitchenette with coffee maker, microwave, dishwasher - you know - like a DVC room. We also were given two coffees or bottles of water a day and some of the best service I have experienced. We were super impressed. Cost of breakfast? 8.99 per person.

We also were able to walk right into the outlet mall. The resort had a separate gate for our use. The "FUN TEAM" was always at the pool with lots of activies and so forth.

The days of purchasing an annual pass, using the 40% room rates (which often allowed me to book the moderates for 99. a night) are gone. I have felt priced-out for years now. I have such a love for the creative Disney team and the magic they create that I obviously have some hero-worship. I am disappointed in my hero because I do not feel "the love" back from Disney.