Am I just cheap?

[richmo]

You're not being cheap at all, its expensive. I've always felt the "sticker shock" of Disney is more with food than with tickets or accommodations. I guess its because you deal with tickets and hotels ahead of time, but the meal costs hit you when you're there. It seems even the cost of a simple lunch (burger, fries and drink) has steadily and quickly increased from $8 to $10 to $12 to around $14 now.

What we've often done is stay offsite at a place with breakfast included, have a fairly large breakfast, then only a snack in the park for lunch, then sometimes eat at a Disney restaurant for dinner, or offsite. There's almost every kind of restaurant you can imagine somewhere within a mile or two of Disney's gates.

 

[HopperFan]

I was spoiled by the early days of free dining where we ate at great TS restaurants with appetizers, entrees and desserts...for free! Last time we went to Disney we bought the quick service DP, which I felt was a little steep.
Now I am planning our trip for May and I think we are just going to eat and pay as we go. I was thinking we may splurge on a nice dinner maybe on our last night like Ohanas (which I haven't been to since free dining). I mean, I know it's delicious and I know eating out on vacation is obviously more than at "home" but is it really worth $250 for a family of four?? Don't even get me started on the luau at Poly. I know it's a show too but wow. We spend a lot of money on a DW vacation for room and tickets but We can barely afford to eat!! Am I just too cheap??
Sorry so long. Maybe I just needed to vent

And gratuities were included too! We stopped in 2013 when we were down to two and the math didn't work out.

I don't call it cheap, I call it budgeting. For us, I would rather have more trips than spend lots of money on overpriced average food.

We eat breakfast in the room, we actually like to pack lunches for parks (although we don't do it every day) and have TS for dinner, drive offsite or go to Disney Springs where food is better.

We now avoid the buffets for lunch/dinner as none are worth it to us and at many of the TS we fill the table with appetizers and eat well for less. Our best is doing California Grill during fireworks for not much more than QS meals. There is so much to do at Disney, and we have eaten at so many places, multiple times, that for the most part dining at Disney is nothing special anymore. We can eat out plenty at home, so we'd rather spend our time and money on other things. Upcoming trip, one ADR, Sci Fi as it's DS favorite and highly themed.

It's expensive, but not really different from most places where you're "held captive". We went to the College Football Playoff national championship game in the Mercedes Benz dome in Atlanta Monday night, and food prices were pretty much on par with Disney World prices. Same with food prices at the Superdome for last week's semifinal Sugar Bowl game.

Arthur Blank set up general concessions to be below the average venue costs and demanded that any outside vendor that was allowed in the dome would have to sell their food at the same prices they would at one of their public locations. Prices dropped considerably from the old dome to this dome. NEVER bought food at old dome, this year (going to every soccer game) bought food at every single game. Prices should have overall been less than Disney prices at counter stops.

Be great if Disney has Guest First Pricing

Disney is improving the quick serve food, adding some sides ........... and they have to because Universal quick food is better price and quantity, and the quality was/is on par sometimes better.

 

[Sparkly]

And gratuities were included too! We stopped in 2013 when we were down to two and the math didn't work out.

I don't call it cheap, I call it budgeting. For us, I would rather have more trips than spend lots of money on overpriced average food.

We eat breakfast in the room, we actually like to pack lunches for parks (although we don't do it every day) and have TS for dinner, drive offsite or go to Disney Springs where food is better.

We now avoid the buffets for lunch/dinner as none are worth it to us and at many of the TS we fill the table with appetizers and eat well for less. Our best is doing California Grill during fireworks for not much more than QS meals. There is so much to do at Disney, and we have eaten at so many places, multiple times, that for the most part dining at Disney is nothing special anymore. We can eat out plenty at home, so we'd rather spend our time and money on other things. Upcoming trip, one ADR, Sci Fi as it's DS favorite and highly themed.




Arthur Blank set up general concessions to be below the average venue costs and demanded that any outside vendor that was allowed in the dome would have to sell their food at the same prices they would at one of their public locations. Prices dropped considerably from the old dome to this dome. NEVER bought food at old dome, this year (going to every soccer game) bought food at every single game. Prices should have overall been less than Disney prices at counter stops.

Be great if Disney has Guest First Pricing

Disney is improving the quick serve food, adding some sides ........... and they have to because Universal quick food is better price and quantity, and the quality was/is on par sometimes better.

No, the two parks are about the same. Universal could do with some more variety of food choices to keep up with Disney's TS- the hot dogs are really nice and yes, better then Casey's Corner but there's still a ton of burgers and fries outside the HP area.

 

[verleniahall]

THats why we always do the dining plan - this year we are doing Yacht Club Club Level and the regular dining plan - breakfast will be at the lounge and that gives us lunch and dinner in the parks, at a resort, etc... don't have to worry about anything other than tips!

 

[HopperFan]

No, the two parks are about the same. Universal could do with some more variety of food choices to keep up with Disney's TS- the hot dogs are really nice and yes, better then Casey's Corner but there's still a ton of burgers and fries outside the HP area.

Overall yes, Disney has the advantage because of all the Table Service and double the main parks ... which give some "themed" type food such as World Showcase and Animal Kingdom. But I was discussing Quick Service. While you will likely find more burgers than at Disney but that is because Disney has been eliminating them from their menu ... and not always replacing them with something much better.

But I disagree that Universal hasn't got an advantage on QS when it comes to Magic Kingdom, Studios and Future World. I was just in Universal, ordered a salad in IOA, at Thunder Falls Terrace and had Rotisserie Chicken Salad for less than $10. Was made fresh in front of me, had wonderful veggies and fruit items along with the chicken and was so large I couldn't finish it. Any time I get salad at Disney it is pulled out of a fridge. As a comparison I like the Chicken Salad at Flame Tree, but it is pre-made, a smaller salad for $11 and I have to eat it outside.

I have AP to both WDW and Universal. We eat at both, each time at Universal we find ourselves discussing this issue.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Arthur Blank set up general concessions to be below the average venue costs and demanded that any outside vendor that was allowed in the dome would have to sell their food at the same prices they would at one of their public locations. Prices dropped considerably from the old dome to this dome. NEVER bought food at old dome, this year (going to every soccer game) bought food at every single game. Prices should have overall been less than Disney prices at counter stops.

Be great if Disney has Guest First Pricing

Disney is improving the quick serve food, adding some sides ........... and they have to because Universal quick food is better price and quantity, and the quality was/is on par sometimes better.

Pro games....yes. The game Monday night....no.

I was disappointed because I had read about the Guest First menu pricing. There was no Guest First menu pricing. Only thing I can figure is that he didn't have control of the F&B sales for the CFPNC game.

Really glad we ate dinner before heading to the dome. Getting through security was a nightmare.

 

[HopperFan]

Pro games....yes. The game Monday night....no.

I was disappointed because I had read about the Guest First menu pricing. There was no Guest First menu pricing. Only thing I can figure is that he didn't have control of the F&B sales for the CFPNC game.

Really glad we ate dinner before heading to the dome. Getting through security was a nightmare.

WOW, that needs to get out there so folks not attending football/soccer games there know that the prices are not as promised. The restaurants in the area need to promote that because his policy probably hurt some of them who previously got much of the business.

 

[DisBuckMan]

WOW, that needs to get out there so folks not attending football/soccer games there know that the prices are not as promised. The restaurants in the area need to promote that because his policy probably hurt some of them who previously got much of the business.

I will have to apologize. We were in a club level area with different offerings from the standard fare. I just talked with my brother, who was sitting in an endzone seat. He said that they did have the Guest First pricing at concession stands where he was. So, hats off to Blank for that policy, and for enforcing it. Certainly not that generous at the Superdome the week before.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

We went in June and with 4 x Disney Adults, we paid OOP for meals. Did mostly QS meals, ate breakfast in our room, but also did some TS meals of favorite places we like. Like others have said, paying OOP is the way to go with meals and snacks. Eve if you have kids under 10, it is going to be hard pressed to find any "value" out of the DDP other than it is pre-paid. If you want pre-paid, get some $500 gift cards and use them just for meals. That is what we did our last trip and I told everyone to order what they wanted, I did not care. I also told them if they wanted a snack, get what you wanted/when you wanted it. In the end, we paid 50% less for food vs what the DDP would have been. Disney got our money other ways, but we were not held hostage to eating on a schedule for the entire week either and enjoyed way more park time.

 

[HopperFan]

I will have to apologize. We were in a club level area with different offerings from the standard fare. I just talked with my brother, who was sitting in an endzone seat. He said that they did have the Guest First pricing at concession stands where he was. So, hats off to Blank for that policy, and for enforcing it. Certainly not that generous at the Superdome the week before.

Okay. I just talked to DS (he and DH have the Atlanta United season tickets) and he told me it was supposed to be all the time and advertised for the game Monday. I guess if you are Club they have you even more captive.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Okay. I just talked to DS (he and DH have the Atlanta United season tickets) and he told me it was supposed to be all the time and advertised for the game Monday. I guess if you are Club they have you even more captive.

Yep...unfortunately, we were "just" club, not suite level. Suite level are all catered.

Couldn't complain, though. One of our vendors from work provided the tickets, transportation, and hotel for the trip to Atlanta. My only expense was food. The trip to New Orleans was all on my dime.

 

[10CJ]

We had a decent experience at Ohana a couple years ago, but it is really hard to say if it would "worth it" to someone else. I think it is okay to splurge on one meal if you can afford it though.

What about Sanaa or The Wave?