Price increase too much?

[Huff]

Maybe it is all the wine I’m drinking by the pool but that seems like a pretty small increase for 10 years.

We were able to get a decent deal for this years trip.

In 2016 we stayed 10 nights at CBR for about the same cost. That was because with free dining, Disney gave QSDP to values and DDP to moderates. It costs us only $100 total for the 10 nights to switch to CBR from a Value resort. Now both values and moderates get QS dining. When upgrading to DDP it would cost us $800 more to move to CBR for the 10 nights. Can't afford that so forced back to a Value.

 

[TeresaWen]

We were able to get a decent deal for this years trip.

In 2016 we stayed 10 nights at CBR for about the same cost. That was because with free dining, Disney gave QSDP to values and DDP to moderates. It costs us only $100 total for the 10 nights to switch to CBR from a Value resort. Now both values and moderates get QS dining. When upgrading to DDP it would cost us $800 more to move to CBR for the 10 nights. Can't afford that so forced back to a Value.

I fondly remember pass holder discounts of 40% at the beach club. We stayed for about $250 a night give or take. Those days are gone & now we stay off site. 5 times the space for a fraction of the price.

 

[Airb330]

I'm currently in Venice, Italy. Supposed to be the most overpriced city in Europe, right? Well, we can order two pizzas, large enough for two adults and two kids plus bottled water and wine for the equivalent of under $30 US. And that's just a few minutes from the real St Mark's square and Campanile. In Paris you can get pastries that are ten times better than at the France pavilion for half the cost. And that's in the tourist areas. Sure, you could seek out a few higher prices, but in over 3 months of travel now I've found that the quality is consistently better and the prices lower than in North America. Tips? Most places only expect you to round up by a few Euros and the service is always just as good as at home.

I find Venice and most of Italy to be reasonable. I think I've seen a lot of the Nordic capitals as the most expensive to eat out in the past few years; personally from my experiences I'd lump London in there too. Disney's pricing since 2010 has really spiraled out of control, and it's the parks are still busy.

 

[ttintagel]

It certainly has increased the sticker shock. Even a year ago, Disney prices weren't THAT far off from prices at comparable restaurants at home. But now? Definitely a bracket up.

 

[TeresaWen]

I've said it before...there is a difference between expensive and over priced. Most Disney restaurants & bars are over priced.

I will pay $17 for a good glass of wine served in a proper glass. I have trouble with a mediocre wine served in a generic stemless glass for that price.

 

[Huff]

I will pay $17 for a good glass of wine served in a proper glass. I have trouble with a mediocre wine served in a generic stemless glass for that price.

I too do not like the stemless glasses showing up. Call me a wine snob but you'll rarely find stemless at upscale restaurants and wine bars.
I collect fine wines...well ok, I buy them and mostly drink them but I do have a fair amount from various wineries in CA and OR.

Anywhere in Disney to get a decent glass or even a bottle of wine at a fair price?

 

[Cramden]

The increases hurt a bit... I was really excited to score a reservation for two of us at California Grill brunch at 55 days out, only to find out that the price has jumped from $80 to nearly $100 each. *sigh*

It’s our one big splurge on this trip after a disappointing and expensive round of IVF, so I’m not going to cancel... but we might pass on MVMCP (we’ve never been) and eat more counter service meals.

Sorry to hear that. Been there and it hurts. Hope you're able to enjoy every minute of your vacation!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I too do not like the stemless glasses showing up. Call me a wine snob but you'll rarely find stemless at upscale restaurants and wine bars.
I collect fine wines...well ok, I buy them and mostly drink them but I do have a fair amount from various wineries in CA and OR.

Anywhere in Disney to get a decent glass or even a bottle of wine at a fair price?

I'm hoping Wine Bar George can live up to that want and I'll be there for the first time in November. Monsieur Paul has a studied wine cellar but you really wont get to decent out side of bubble restaurant markups until you hit the 50 bucks and up price IMO.

 

[Huff]

I'm hoping Wine Bar George can live up to that want and I'll be there for the first time in November. Monsieur Paul has a studied wine cellar but you really wont get to decent out side of bubble restaurant markups until you hit the 50 bucks and up price IMO.

I looked at the wine list for Wine Bar George. It looks decent but there aren't a lot of wines that really caught my attention for the money. Very few high end wines but several I'd say look good. I don't expect great wines at a fair price at Disney. People will pay $15/glass for jug wine at Disney! We'll stop in and have a glass on our next visit.

 

[TeresaWen]

I too do not like the stemless glasses showing up. Call me a wine snob but you'll rarely find stemless at upscale restaurants and wine bars.
I collect fine wines...well ok, I buy them and mostly drink them but I do have a fair amount from various wineries in CA and OR.

Anywhere in Disney to get a decent glass or even a bottle of wine at a fair price?

We were just at the bar in spice Road table. Nice wine, good glasses, reasonable prices.

 

[dmp609]

Regarding ice water at counter service restaurants, since they are now giving smaller cups, is there anything stopping you from ordering twice as many cups? Also, how does requesting cups of ice water work if using mobile ordering? Thanks!

 

[gillep]

Regarding ice water at counter service restaurants, since they are now giving smaller cups, is there anything stopping you from ordering twice as many cups? Also, how does requesting cups of ice water work if using mobile ordering? Thanks!

You can ask for however many cups you need. My husband and I usually get three of the small cups for the two of us. When you pick up your mobile order just ask the CM for however many cups of water you need.

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

Wanted to weigh in... we usually do mostly do counter service and pack lunches/ bring in drinks. We normally pick 2 pricey but fun table service meals like Ohana or something in Epcot.

We are planning a splurgy trip this Dec and had originally planned for 1 TS a day. We picked a lot of the very popular meals and character experiences since our kids are under 3 and did it at 6months .

When i saw the most recent increases we took a step back... I just wasn't comfortable spending $200+ a day and bending over backwards to eat at these places just cause they were so hard to get and "must do's" We opted to cut 3 of our spendy all- you can-eat meals in exchange for flexible, spur of the moment QS options, especially at Epcot, Boardwalk, and Disney Springs. We figured with little ones, the flexibility would be more of an advantage and more cost effective, esp in case of a no show. It just isn't worth it to lock in these ultra specific schedules at expensive restaurants and expect everything to go as planned with toddlers.

I actually feel better now that we cancelled a few TS meals, I was on the fence before about the value, but now its not even close.

If Ohana, Cape May, and Tusker House were $15-20 cheaper, i would be more willing to take a chance and eat a spendier meal...

I wish this would hit WDW in the wallet, but the demand is so high, they will probably fill tables at these places no trouble.

 

[snappy]

Wanted to weigh in... we usually do mostly do counter service and pack lunches/ bring in drinks. We normally pick 2 pricey but fun table service meals like Ohana or something in Epcot.

We are planning a splurgy trip this Dec and had originally planned for 1 TS a day. We picked a lot of the very popular meals and character experiences since our kids are under 3 and did it at 6months .

When i saw the most recent increases we took a step back... I just wasn't comfortable spending $200+ a day and bending over backwards to eat at these places just cause they were so hard to get and "must do's" We opted to cut 3 of our spendy all- you can-eat meals in exchange for flexible, spur of the moment QS options, especially at Epcot, Boardwalk, and Disney Springs. We figured with little ones, the flexibility would be more of an advantage and more cost effective, esp in case of a no show. It just isn't worth it to lock in these ultra specific schedules at expensive restaurants and expect everything to go as planned with toddlers.

I actually feel better now that we cancelled a few TS meals, I was on the fence before about the value, but now its not even close.

If Ohana, Cape May, and Tusker House were $15-20 cheaper, i would be more willing to take a chance and eat a spendier meal...

I wish this would hit WDW in the wallet, but the demand is so high, they will probably fill tables at these places no trouble.

I agree. Our decision to eat offsite, rent a car to pick up groceries to have in BWV villa and avoid almost all table service won’t damage Disney. But it makes me feel less of a sucker. We are also saving boatloads of time too to swim longer and partake of adult beverages on the balcony in late afternoon and evenings. We use more DVC points for the boardwalk view but we maximize our time doing it our way. And we met a lot of friends here this week doing exactly the same.

 

[TeresaWen]

I agree. Our decision to eat offsite, rent a car to pick up groceries to have in BWV villa and avoid almost all table service won’t damage Disney. But it makes me feel less of a sucker. We are also saving boatloads of time too to swim longer and partake of adult beverages on the balcony in late afternoon and evenings. We use more DVC points for the boardwalk view but we maximize our time doing it our way. And we met a lot of friends here this week doing exactly the same.

Yup. Adult beverage on the porch. Very fun. We Disney still. Just differently. 2 weeks. 2 table service meals. I’m sure there are lots of people taking our place. Disney seems to be catering to the “once in a lifetime” guests. Us multi trips a year visitors are not their priority.

 

[4evryoung]

Personally, I don't get all the people buying into the time shares....uh, I mean DVC.

Just sold my DVC points for more than I paid for them back in 2004. Had more than 20 DVC stays during that time just for the cost of the annual dues. So there has been real value for my family in DVC, BUT I'm not sure that the value is there now with the price Disney is charging for the new DVC resorts.

Rising prices (for food, tickets etc) plus the burdensome planning led to my decision to cash in my DVC contracts.

 

[4evryoung]

Maybe it is all the wine I’m drinking by the pool but that seems like a pretty small increase for 10 years.

Perhaps because the room cost is being divided by 4 now compared to 2 in the earlier visit.

 

[twixieshores]

If you can wait until right after he finished basic training and before he has to report for duty, he'll be eligible for any military discounts that might still be out there. That does help to make the costs a little more palatable.

Not only that, but he'll be able to book up to 3 rooms at SoG, which has all the benefits of a deluxe resort at Pop Century prices. And the restaurants at Shades are dirt cheap.

 

[jthornton94]

I think some of these comparisons being made are unreasonable. So dining in Venice is cheaper, but at what cost did it take to get there? Are you paying for Disney characters to be there? While a meal may be cheaper, what does trip to trip overall comparison look like? I can’t just drive to Venice for a two day visit but many can for Disney. And while some children may love. Entice, I doubt it would hold the wonder and awe that many small children get from Disney, which is why many families pay the high price.

Everyone vacations differently. If I can’t afford to go to Disney and stay on property and eat what I won’t, I just won’t go. I prefer the whole experience. I can’t imagine staying off property, shuttling back and forth to eat meals, cooking or packing food for the parks, etc. That is not a vacation for me, though it may still be for someone else.

Having said that, I can’t imagine paying the prices to stay at the GF or the Poly. Others do, and Disney gives them that choice.

Bottom line, I don’t think you can compare a Disney vacation to any other vacation. As many have pointed out, Disney doesn’t care who gets priced out because there are plenty in line waiting to fill the spot.

 

[wcw57]

This year, that's true. But a bad economic turn will have disney offering all sorts of free dining and/or package incentives again. They NEVER lower prices, but make bargains available.

I know a little about business but cannot understand how the demand is there for all those new DVC units.....I know they are selling them like crazy and I know people have lots of money to spend, but...seriously!!?? And, with the advent of Uber et al, it is easier for those DVC people to leave and go to the other parks which offer better incentives. Can DVC exist as a lodging alone?

Anyhow, while I was buying my tickets for Feb, I checked what those other parks cost....there were some real bargains to be had. This may be my last WDW trip in the foreseeable future