WDW to Raise All Buffet Prices By Almost 50%?

[George]

Yes, compared to $30 for PKI, so more expensive, but also far more choices in WDW. My thing about your argument is that the dining plans all completely suck and should never be purchased in the first place. Why do you think they charge $14.00 for a cheeseburger in the first place? To make it look like the dining plan is a good deal. The only reason.

I agree with that. I bring in food for lunch and eat meals at a couple of our favorite places. For dinner many nights we're eating in the room. With kids my age, the dining plan is terrible. I come out way ahead at any table or counter service restaurant where I can get a kids meal for my kids. Hell, my parents and in-laws come out ahead because they often get kids meals. I'd consider the dining plan if everyone in our party ate an appropriate amount. Ten is a pretty young age for adult prices. They used to have junior prices.

On the buffet issue, I should note that last Christmas I ate at the venerable Crown Colony House at Busch Gardens. It was 18 bucks/head for a pretty good holiday buffet (it was one of the nights they were open late for Christmas light ogling). I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time at Busch Gardens Williamsburg at the end of June. I'll be curious to see what their prices look like. @ScoutN

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I agree with that. I bring in food for lunch and eat meals at a couple of our favorite places. For dinner many nights we're eating in the room. With kids my age, the dining plan is terrible. I come out way ahead at any table or counter service restaurant where I can get a kids meal for my kids. Hell, my parents and in-laws come out ahead because they often get kids meals. I'd consider the dining plan if everyone in our party ate an appropriate amount. Ten is a pretty young age for adult prices. They used to have junior prices.

On the buffet issue, I should note that last Christmas I ate at the venerable Crown Colony House at Busch Gardens. It was 18 bucks/head for a pretty good holiday buffet (it was one of the nights they were open late for Christmas light ogling). I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time at Busch Gardens Williamsburg at the end of June. I'll be curious to see what their prices look like. @ScoutN

Oh, I agree that they have gone crazy with the buffet prices. But again, it is to make the dining plan look like a good deal, when it isn't.

We eat at sit downs usually once a day, but with the TiW, it makes the prices tolerable for us. There are also many times that we order a few appetizers with no entree or just share the entree at many places. We split the filet at LeCellier the last time we went. With both of us having soup and bread, it was plenty of food for us. We did tip as if we had bought 2 entrees, though. We don't do buffets at all anymore, and probably won't until grandchildren in the future. When we splurge it's at V&A's.

 

[betty rose]

I agree with that. I bring in food for lunch and eat meals at a couple of our favorite places. For dinner many nights we're eating in the room. With kids my age, the dining plan is terrible. I come out way ahead at any table or counter service restaurant where I can get a kids meal for my kids. Hell, my parents and in-laws come out ahead because they often get kids meals. I'd consider the dining plan if everyone in our party ate an appropriate amount. Ten is a pretty young age for adult prices. They used to have junior prices.

On the buffet issue, I should note that last Christmas I ate at the venerable Crown Colony House at Busch Gardens. It was 18 bucks/head for a pretty good holiday buffet (it was one of the nights they were open late for Christmas light ogling). I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time at Busch Gardens Williamsburg at the end of June. I'll be curious to see what their prices look like. @ScoutN

I agree, as we have gotten older, and have medical issues, we can't have high fat, high carb. meals. Safer to eat in the room. Fruit is a horrible alternative for us. Many of Disney snacks are not healthy, if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. Safer for us to stay on our diet, wait that mean's earl is out. Except for a salad, no dressing, we need some protein too. Guess it's time to check out grocery delivery.

 

[prberk]

I agree with that. I bring in food for lunch and eat meals at a couple of our favorite places. For dinner many nights we're eating in the room. With kids my age, the dining plan is terrible. I come out way ahead at any table or counter service restaurant where I can get a kids meal for my kids. Hell, my parents and in-laws come out ahead because they often get kids meals. I'd consider the dining plan if everyone in our party ate an appropriate amount. Ten is a pretty young age for adult prices. They used to have junior prices.

On the buffet issue, I should note that last Christmas I ate at the venerable Crown Colony House at Busch Gardens. It was 18 bucks/head for a pretty good holiday buffet (it was one of the nights they were open late for Christmas light ogling). I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time at Busch Gardens Williamsburg at the end of June. I'll be curious to see what their prices look like. @ScoutN

I think you will love the prices and food at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. They have a meal plan that you can purchase online before you go that is $22.99 for adults and $14.99 for children. Each meal plan (like a meal card) comes with an entrée (or kids' meal), a snack, and two drinks. They advertise it to be about 35% less than in-park prices, and I have found that to be true. https://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-williamsburg/book-online/tickets/bgsdt/

If you are a pass-holder at Sea World (which owns BG), you get 50% discount to BG (and vice versa). They also give three free "bring a friend" passes per year (one each in spring, summer, and fall). https://seaworldparks.com/en/buschg...ok-online/tickets/membership?from=Top_Callout

The food at BGW is really good, by the way, especially in the Trappers Smokehouse.

 

[seabreezept813]

Yes, compared to $30 for PKI, so more expensive, but also far more choices in WDW. My thing about your argument is that the dining plans all completely suck and should never be purchased in the first place. Why do you think they charge $14.00 for a cheeseburger in the first place? To make it look like the dining plan is a good deal. The only reason.

I agree that no one makes out with the Dining Plan. However, my family used it on our last trips 2013 and 2014. For me, I like the idea of it being prepaid. I budget in advance for vacation so I like to know what I'm paying upfront because I usually pay for our trips way in advance. Swiping my own card for each meal would give me total anxiety. Second my husband is a monster if he doesn't eat two complete meals a day (a brazillian thing). If prices are so out of hand we'll find alternatives aka bring gift cards, get a kitchenette etc. But in the past I've splurged for my own peace of mind on vacation. This is where Disney gets away with it..pure convenience.

 

[betty rose]

I agree that no one makes out with the Dining Plan. However, my family used it on our last trips 2013 and 2014. For me, I like the idea of it being prepaid. I budget in advance for vacation so I like to know what I'm paying upfront because I usually pay for our trips way in advance. Swiping my own card for each meal would give me total anxiety. Second my husband is a monster if he doesn't eat two complete meals a day (a brazillian thing). If prices are so out of hand we'll find alternatives aka bring gift cards, get a kitchenette etc. But in the past I've splurged for my own peace of mind on vacation. This is where Disney gets away with it..pure convenience.

Could you do what we do? We have an envelope, look for where we want to eat, with approximate prices, and put money in the envelope, to budget and not pay more than you should. We did that for breakfast and snacks, one for lunch, we shared an evening meal, hubby and I. Now, we have retired full time, we have a smaller envelope!

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I agree that no one makes out with the Dining Plan. However, my family used it on our last trips 2013 and 2014. For me, I like the idea of it being prepaid. I budget in advance for vacation so I like to know what I'm paying upfront because I usually pay for our trips way in advance. Swiping my own card for each meal would give me total anxiety. Second my husband is a monster if he doesn't eat two complete meals a day (a brazillian thing). If prices are so out of hand we'll find alternatives aka bring gift cards, get a kitchenette etc. But in the past I've splurged for my own peace of mind on vacation. This is where Disney gets away with it..pure convenience.

Convenience is the only thing that works for the dining plan. I would contend that if you simply place the same amount you would pay for the plan onto a Disney gift card, then eat like you normally would, you will save money. Unless of course you want to eat steak at every meal.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Could you do what we do? We have an envelope, look for where we want to eat, with approximate prices, and put money in the envelope, to budget and not pay more than you should. We did that for breakfast and snacks, one for lunch, we shared an evening meal, hubby and I. Now, we have retired full time, we have a smaller envelope!

That is what I always advocate for people that are really looking to save money. You can get all the menus and prices from multiple internet locations (including here, allears, and the WDW website), and check out what you might order, and budget accordingly. We order just appetizers or share entrees at many TS locations. Of course, having been there so many times, and being DVC, AP holders, and TiW card carriers, our touring style is different than a lot of people. We know where we have to eat each trip, where we'd like to try, and where we avoid. We don't really budget since we don't have to, but we don't spend willy-nilly either.

 

[betty rose]

Convenience is the only thing that works for the dining plan. I would contend that if you simply place the same amount you would pay for the plan onto a Disney gift card, then eat like you normally would, you will save money. Unless of course you want to eat steak at every meal.

I love this idea. We have a Disney store near us. Now, this will be in our plans.

 

[UberPlannerMom]

I love this idea. We have a Disney store near us. Now, this will be in our plans.

If you have a target redcard then just go there to get your disney gift cards. Unless something has changed you get 5% off of your giftcard purchase when you use the redcard.

 

[rob0519]

I know that this thread is about, "Are prices going up by 50%," but, as shown by some posters above, including myself, the prices are already as "I feel stupid" level and, for me, that happened about 2 years back. Two years back I thought, "The food quality has gone down and the price is at stupid levels - I'm not going to eat on-site any longer."

It happens with me at some local restaurants where I frequent them over a few years because I like them and after a few bad meals (usually the quality just kind of tapers off) and the price increases I'll just sit there finishing the meal and think, "I'm never eating here again." - and I don't. It's not that "me not eating there" is going to crush their business but it is an indicator of an overall problem which they have let go on far too long (it's not one bad meal that does it) and, at that point, it's kind of spiraling out of control to where other customers have picked up on it, had an expensive-bad meal, and aren't coming back. There are two "solutions" to this:
1) Cut costs more and raise prices to cover the missing customers
2) Re-invest in your business, look at what you're doing wrong and what you're doing right, bring quality back and costs under control.

I think most of the local restaurants choose #1 and thus you get the death spiral. #2 is a lot harder because you can have that investment but you have to win your customers back so there's a lot of money going into it and not a lot of return. A better plan is to not let it happen in the first place but, time and time again, it does.

I'm not saying that's where WDW is at or that they don't know how to run their parks. I'm just saying that starting about 2 years back they entered the, "this isn't very good but is stupid expensive - I'm never eating here again"-thought process with me and this was after years of the, "yeah, it's expensive but it's pretty good and I like eating in the parks and at the resorts"-thoughts.

Whether they go up by another 50% or 150% really makes no difference to me at this point. They've lost me.

I think the insane prices of the last 2 years are just to push you into buying the dining plan. We try to go to the World every 12-18 months. At the current prices that is in question, but one thing that is not in question is I will never, ever go to another buffet at WDW if I don't have the dining plan. Our last trip was only 3 days, so we didn't buy the plan. When I got the bill for Dinner at the Crystal Palace my decision was made right there and then. The increase in cost combined with the decrease in the food options, quality and presentation pushed me into the "I feel stupid for giving them that much of my money for this".

 

[UberPlannerMom]

https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me...-ons/dining-plans/2017-disney-dining-plan.pdf

The 2017 dining plan brochure does NOT show buffets as being 2 credits...
which makes me feel a little better!

 

[George]

Oh, I agree that they have gone crazy with the buffet prices. But again, it is to make the dining plan look like a good deal, when it isn't.

We eat at sit downs usually once a day, but with the TiW, it makes the prices tolerable for us. There are also many times that we order a few appetizers with no entree or just share the entree at many places. We split the filet at LeCellier the last time we went. With both of us having soup and bread, it was plenty of food for us. We did tip as if we had bought 2 entrees, though. We don't do buffets at all anymore, and probably won't until grandchildren in the future. When we splurge it's at V&A's.

TBH, part of the reason I'm more agitated about dining than I've ever been is the fact that a) I find the new $150 price point for TiW nuts (you've got to spend 750 to break even) and the fact I didn't make the purchase due to black out dates making it not useful for our party of 10. Further, it is not useable at almost any counter service (I think there was a place or two in DAK for a while...maybe that option has gone now that there are more sit down places in DAK). Also, the DVC and AP discounts are only 10% and not available at quite a few places. I did get to use my DVC discount on my oddly rubbery tonga toast.

To summarize

1) In general I pay 10-25% more at WDW than professional sporting events, other none-Disney theme parks, museums, etc.
2) The discount programs such as they are, aren't very good.
3) The immediate jump to adult prices on the dining plan (any level) is nuts. The jump in price is a factor of 3. This is for all 10 year olds.
4) As noted for PKI and BGW and other places of that ilk, there are ways to actually make dining reasonable by any metric. This is not the case at WDW.
5) I see no point to the prices are high to make you consider the dining plan argument. Both are priced ridiculously.Both could be lowered.
6) I partly reject the more options at WDW argument since I'm not hopping just to eat and WDW is spread out enough that hopping is actually quite inefficient. The only park that has way more than average dining options is EPCOT. BGW seems to have quite a few options.

I think the insane prices of the last 2 years are just to push you into buying the dining plan. We try to go to the World every 12-18 months. At the current prices that is in question, but one thing that is not in question is I will never, ever go to another buffet at WDW if I don't have the dining plan. Our last trip was only 3 days, so we didn't buy the plan. When I got the bill for Dinner at the Crystal Palace my decision was made right there and then. The increase in cost combined with the decrease in the food options, quality and presentation pushed me into the "I feel stupid for giving them that much of my money for this".

This is how I feel as well.

 

[prberk]

If you have a target redcard then just go there to get your disney gift cards. Unless something has changed you get 5% off of your giftcard purchase when you use the redcard.

Another good option is Kroger. They always give 2x gas points (and often 4x as a special) on purchases of gift cards. So, before I go to WDW or DL, I go to Kroger and get the amount of money I need in Disney gift cards, and get a lot of gas points to use at their service stations for gas. It can also limit your Disney budget if you stick to the gift cards.

 

[Brad Bishop]

TBH, part of the reason I'm more agitated about dining than I've ever been is the fact that a) I find the new $150 price point for TiW nuts (you've got to spend 750 to break even) and the fact I didn't make the purchase due to black out dates making it not useful for our party of 10.

I've mentioned this before. I may be recalling wrong but I thought my first TiW card was about $50, years back. I thought that was a great deal and I was venturing to WDW quite a bit. Then it went up to $75 and it was less of a deal I thought it'd still be worth it. At $100 I was thinking that was pretty much it for TiW.

The problem is that you're buying in to save. It's not like a normal coupon. You have to give $150 in hopes that you'll:
1) make that $150 back, which could take several trips.
2) make a significantly larger amount than the cost of TiW. Think about it: It's kind of stupid to pay $150 to, somewhere months down the road, save $5-10. What we're all looking for in something like this is a reasonable ROI and at $150 you're probably not going to get it.

#2 above is offset by the overall higher dining prices. The problem is that now you're paying $150 for TiW to buy not-so-great, stupidly expensive food. Meaning, I suppose on a spreadsheet you could show where your $150 investment in TiW paid off but you're buying $50 waffles. You're paying money to lose money on an overpriced, sub-standard product.

So for me, no more TiW but I think my days at WDW are pretty much done, anyway - which I never thought would happen. My AP expires 3 months and I have no plans to head back.

 

[seabreezept813]

If you have a target redcard then just go there to get your disney gift cards. Unless something has changed you get 5% off of your giftcard purchase when you use the redcard.

BJs also has a discount on gift cards. When we had our wedding at Disney, we wanted to have our "reception" meal at Narcossees. So our family gave us gift cards for xmas, bdays, the shower, etc. We paid a 800 dollar bill using all $25 gift cards

 

[Brad Bishop]

I think the insane prices of the last 2 years are just to push you into buying the dining plan. We try to go to the World every 12-18 months. At the current prices that is in question, but one thing that is not in question is I will never, ever go to another buffet at WDW if I don't have the dining plan. Our last trip was only 3 days, so we didn't buy the plan. When I got the bill for Dinner at the Crystal Palace my decision was made right there and then. The increase in cost combined with the decrease in the food options, quality and presentation pushed me into the "I feel stupid for giving them that much of my money for this".

I could see where the dining plan might work for a family who does everything on a regular basis. For me, I found it limiting. I was buying into:
1) eating at Disney for every meal, no matter what (or at least paying Disney for every meal)
2) I'd have to eat/snack pretty regularly, which I don't do, or I'm paying Disney to not eat snacks/meals
3) It seemed to make eating complicated. I'd have to figure out credits and some meals cost 2 credits and snacks are either different credits or 1/2 credits.. (I don't know)..

I finally arrived at: I understand money and prices. I'll just use that and maybe get the TiW card.

 

[prberk]

I've mentioned this before. I may be recalling wrong but I thought my first TiW card was about $50, years back. I thought that was a great deal and I was venturing to WDW quite a bit. Then it went up to $75 and it was less of a deal I thought it'd still be worth it. At $100 I was thinking that was pretty much it for TiW.

The problem is that you're buying in to save. It's not like a normal coupon. You have to give $150 in hopes that you'll:
1) make that $150 back, which could take several trips.
2) make a significantly larger amount than the cost of TiW. Think about it: It's kind of stupid to pay $150 to, somewhere months down the road, save $5-10. What we're all looking for in something like this is a reasonable ROI and at $150 you're probably not going to get it.

#2 above is offset by the overall higher dining prices. The problem is that now you're paying $150 for TiW to buy not-so-great, stupidly expensive food. Meaning, I suppose on a spreadsheet you could show where your $150 investment in TiW paid off but you're buying $50 waffles. You're paying money to lose money on an overpriced, sub-standard product.

So for me, no more TiW but I think my days at WDW are pretty much done, anyway - which I never thought would happen. My AP expires 3 months and I have no plans to head back.

That's pretty much what has happened to me, and it is sad. I really enjoy being at WDW, but I have not been able to afford or justify going in three years now. I went to DL for the Expo last August, but that is it. I used to get an AP and TiW, and think I had a bargain -- and I did at $50 and $75 sharing my discount with my family (my aunt and cousins would come with us, making a pretty big party).

Then, prices crept up on everything... MUCH more than inflation or wages, and for 10 years straight.

At one point they started adding a non-negotiable 18% gratuity onto the TiW party bills, even on the buffets (where you got your food yourself), which nearly negated the 20% discount right off the bat. (Yes, I know a tip would still be due, and may be that much, but usually not for a buffet -- and it should be able to be split among the party.) Then they started being required (which they had not done previously) that everyone in the party (at my table) be on one check in order to honor the "discount." So, if family had gift cards or debit cards they could not participate in the bill or pay me back (because you cannot exchange them for cash at the restaurant). So, that meant, for my extended family to benefit from the discount as they had done regularly, we would now have to present me with a whopping bill and either pay it all myself and work something out later with them (like them pay next time), or have some combination of payments on their cards that would be complicated. Let me tell you how that went over for customer service, when the TiW card clearly stated that the benefit could extend to up to 10 people in your party. There was no reasonable reason why they could not separate the check and offer the discount to every party member at my table. Period.

And with the incredibly increased prices, this now meant that I needed to be prepared to charge or pay about 10 x $40 = $400 for buffets or even $500 or more for the Hoop De Doo or nicer meals. Maybe you can afford to put one of those on your credit or debit card, but how about every meal for a whole vacation? In addition, probably, to your tickets and hotel bill. It made sense when the server could look at my card and honor it for the whole table on split checks. But all on one check, with some paying by gift card and others paying by debit, was an unnecessary mess -- and bad customer service.

It made the allure of a discount (which probably encouraged more people to come and come more often) just go out the window.

If is just a part of the whole crazy increase in prices while the economy and our wages stayed stagnant, that has caused us all just to really find no reason now to return with everyone.

The only time I see myself coming back anytime soon will possibly be for the D23 Adventureland expo in November with Tony Baxter and Joe Rhode and others, and then only by myself and helped by the discounted tickets and rooms that can be purchased with the expo.

The whole thing otherwise has gotten completely out of hand and has lost sight of customer service that inspires loyalty.

 

[Tiggerish]

I've mentioned this before. I may be recalling wrong but I thought my first TiW card was about $50, years back. I thought that was a great deal and I was venturing to WDW quite a bit. Then it went up to $75 and it was less of a deal I thought it'd still be worth it. At $100 I was thinking that was pretty much it for TiW.

The problem is that you're buying in to save. It's not like a normal coupon. You have to give $150 in hopes that you'll:
1) make that $150 back, which could take several trips.
2) make a significantly larger amount than the cost of TiW. Think about it: It's kind of stupid to pay $150 to, somewhere months down the road, save $5-10. What we're all looking for in something like this is a reasonable ROI and at $150 you're probably not going to get it.

#2 above is offset by the overall higher dining prices. The problem is that now you're paying $150 for TiW to buy not-so-great, stupidly expensive food. Meaning, I suppose on a spreadsheet you could show where your $150 investment in TiW paid off but you're buying $50 waffles. You're paying money to lose money on an overpriced, sub-standard product.

So for me, no more TiW but I think my days at WDW are pretty much done, anyway - which I never thought would happen. My AP expires 3 months and I have no plans to head back.

That's pretty much what has happened to me, and it is sad. I really enjoy being at WDW, but I have not been able to afford or justify going in three years now. I went to DL for the Expo last August, but that is it. I used to get an AP and TiW, and think I had a bargain -- and I did at $50 and $75 sharing my discount with my family (my aunt and cousins would come with us, making a pretty big party).

Then, prices crept up on everything... MUCH more than inflation or wages, and for 10 years straight.

At one point they started adding a non-negotiable 18% gratuity onto the TiW party bills, even on the buffets (where you got your food yourself), which nearly negated the 20% discount right off the bat. (Yes, I know a tip would still be due, and may be that much, but usually not for a buffet -- and it should be able to be split among the party.) Then they started required (which they had not done previously) that everyone in the party (at my table) be on one check in order to honor the "discount." So, if family had gift cards or debit cards they could not participate in the bill or pay me back (because you cannot exchange them for cash at the restaurant). So, that meant, for my extended family to benefit from the discount as they had done regularly, we would now have to present me with a whopping bill and either pay it all myself and work something out later with them (like them pay next time), or have some combination of payments on their cards that would be complicated. Let me tell you how that went over for customer service, when the TiW card clearly stated that the benefit could extend to up to 10 people in your party. There was no reasonable reason why they could not separate the check and offer the discount to every party member at my table. Period.

And with the incredibly increased prices, this now meant that I needed to be prepared to charge or pay about 10 x $40 = $400 for buffets or even $500 or more for the Hoop De Doo or nicer meals. Maybe you can afford to put one of those on your credit or debit card, but how about every meal for a whole vacation? In addition, probably, to your tickets and hotel bill. It made sense when the server could look at my card and honor it for the whole table on split checks. But all on one check, with some paying by gift card and others paying by debit, was an unnecessary mess -- and bad customer service.

It made the allure of a discount (which probably encouraged more people to come and come more often) just go out the window.

If is just a part of the whole crazy increase in prices while the economy and our wages stayed stagnant, that has caused us all just to really find no reason now to return with everyone.

The only time I see myself coming back anytime soon will possibly be for the D23 Adventureland expo in November with Tony Baxter and Joe Rhode and others, and then only by myself and helped by the discounted tickets and rooms that can be purchased with the expo.

The whole thing otherwise has gotten completely out of hand and has lost sight of customer service that inspires loyalty.

Yes and Yes.

Thank you both for saving me all that typing.

 

[George]

Meaning, I suppose on a spreadsheet you could show where your $150 investment in TiW paid off but you're buying $50 waffles.

I'd like to point out that I pay $100 for waffles at the traveling carnival that sets up shop in our local grocery store parking lot.