Does anyone else get put off by the HIGH cost of the dinners/character meals?

[delmar411]

The 1st day/morning of MK, wanted something "special" that is why we booked the CRT (which we still might keep for the experience) dd like Cinderella (she was Cinderella for Halloween 2007) but she really luvs Jasmine and Belle too. Not sure if they would be a CRT or not?

All the princesses are at CRT for breakfast...

Cindy, Belle, Jasmine, Snow White and I think one more?

 

[crisi]

We compare it to like event buffets at home. Its $40 an adult for a Mother's Day or Easter brunch - that makes a Disney character meal look like a bargain. Its $30 around here just for a buffet Sunday brunch - no characters - on a normal average Sunday.

The photo packages at Cindy's drives up the costs, but at the same time its made it vaguely possible to actually get a reservation

 

[Tricia1972]

With Disney character meals I know that I am paying a premium price for the experience and the characters. I first thought that we'd get comparable food, but we just don't see it on the food quality.

Everyone has different tastes and expectations. When we went to Disney last year, I was truly expecting the 'best food ever' after reading the reviews here. I felt quite let down because the food itself was quite average to even poor in a few instances. There were a few exceptions that shone out to us as rising above the rest. Victoria & Albert's, Jiko and Le Cellier.

To many I think that the experience of being at Disney enhances all of their senses and perhaps food that would be average to them if they put it in their hometown is amazing because of where you are.

Since you've read more and have seen the bad reviews with the good reviews, maybe you'll enter with a more level head than I did and will have a very positive experience with all of your dining choices.


(RE Buffet food - I think that part of my own personal problem with it is that most of my buffet dining experience on vacation has been in Las Vegas, and we tend towards the more expensive buffets out there - ironically priced just a tad bit lower than Disney's buffets. There they have gourmet chefs making fresh food for you constantly. The are pastry Chefs at Bellagio are behind the dessert buffet caramelizing the creme brulee for you as you go up to get it - it's unfair for me to put Disney in the same category as Vegas.)

 

[collcass]

ITA :O) i am currently in sticker shock. I don;t think the cost of breakfast is bad, but $30 for a dinner buffet I believe to be high. Dinner at LTT (which I hesitantly booked) will be $148 for DH,me plus our 4 children.

Keeping a budget in mind, we are only able to do CM for our arrival day and LTT for our last night. The girls are doing CRT for my Dd's bday while the boys do the Pirate Cruise ($32 for a PB&J sandwich)

Like any other brand you are paying for the name. People are always going to pay the 'Disney" price. I may not like it, but I know I am going to pay it in order to bring my children -- like everyone else :O)

We are doing a split stay between two resorts. When I booked I was told I could only do the DDP with the first 1/2 of our stay because that was what our "package" w/ 10 day tickets was. If I wanted the Dining plan I had to "split" the tickets into 2 sets of 5 day. Definitely didn't save us money.

 

[disneyfan2]

we have done the DDP for 2 trips now. But i think next trip i will skip it and probably only do 1-2 sit down meals during the week. It does take up a good portion of time for the meal, getting to and from, unless you have it planned out where you plan to be. If you are eating in the parks it is not so bad as trying to get around to different places. The BF value is best, only if you eat your money's worth. We had CRT and did not find the food to be worth the cost,. Yes the experience was good but if you don't eat large BF you would be better with late lunch or dinner. Akershus prices are said to be going up in the next month, and eventually it looks like that might go to 2 TS. You need to account for how much your family actually eats. On the DDP you get alot of food, in terms of snacks etc. We found we had alot of desserts, and actually gave alot away. We found that we could share alot of CS meals between us. But this was the last time DD would be able to pay the child prices, so the dining worked out well. don;t think i would do it now that they would be considered adult prices, and only eat like birds
As for BBB, if you forgo the costume package, you can get the hair/makeup package for reasonalbe value. We brought the girls costumes with us(bought from home) and i remember the price was around $35(it may have gone up alittle this year)

 

[BeckWhy]

The cost of many menu items at WDW in table service locations are comparable to those of table service restaurants where I live. Granted when I went with my family as a child we would have never been able to afford meals since there were five of us kids.

The only real complaint I have is with the breakfast buffets. They seem a bit steep.

 

[clownfish1452]

I have done alot of the character meals and shows and the only one I didnt like is the Aloha Show I think it is called. It was so hot outside to enjoy it. Otherwise like said I always go with the premium plan and that way the meals are all included.

Sarah

 

[BabyPiglet]

See, I'm the opposite. I think the deluxes are worth the extra money. I have no desire to vacation and sleep in double beds. That wouldn't be comfortable for me or hubby and would make for a restless vacation. The deluxes offer so much more than moderates in amenities, etc. Queen beds, all interior corridors, not having to walk/run all over the place to get to things, transportation, food choices, and theming. We aren't going to Disney worrying about every little detail-Heck, it is Disney afterall and this is our 1st trip and anniversary so we are splurging on alot of stuff but just putting the money where we feel it is best used and having a deluxe resort is good use of our money. Guess, everyone differs on what they feel is a good way to spend their money

Well, we all have different opinions.

Personally I could never justify spending all that on a hotel. We're rarely there except to shower and sleep. The moderates and values offer friendly Disney CM's, clean rooms, decent CS food and good bus transportation for a much less price tag. Because I spend less on rooms, I can afford to go for longer trips, more often.

 

[creativeamanda]

Last year we were at POP for 4 days/4 nights. We did not get the DDP and we spent $400.00 for food. That taught me a lesson quickly. See, we only ate at 2 TS places (not counting going off site to the Ponderosa) the entire time. Had we been on DDP, we could have eaten 4 TS (1 in each park), 4 CS, and had a snack for breakfast. We did not know that it was possible. Someone else had reserved room only for us and we did not even realize we could have gotten AAA discount.

You should really look into the DDP and crunch the numbers to see if you'd save any $$. Had I used the DDP and my AAA discount, I would have saved almost $200. Which seems like chump change except for the fact that last year when we drove down, that was what we spent for gas.

 

[Chloe'sMom]

I agree with you on the cost of the character dining - it is to expensive for my blood - we limit ourselves to ONE character meal per trip and we usually try to do lunch. We aren't big breakfast eaters, and the dinners cost more. So we eat a light breakfast - due our lunch at 11:00a.m. - and eat big and then we usually have a lighter dinner that night.

~Amanda

 

[TDC Nala]

I sort of expect Disney World to be expensive. And the more popular it gets, I'd expect it to get even more expensive.

As for CRT...nobody's going there for the food.

I don't go there at all because I am not interested in the characters, and the food doesn't make up for disinterest in the characters or the eating in the castle atmosphere. I think CRT could serve roasted asphalt with creosote sauce and they wouldn't sit empty.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Any reason why you don't want to do the dining plan? We do it for our family of 5 (2 adults, 1 WDW "adult" (1 year old) and 2 kids). It runs about $125 a day and well worth it when you consider the price of character meals - plus you get the counter service and snack each day.

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

The cost of meals is why we do the DP.

 

[crisi]

Well, we all have different opinions.

Personally I could never justify spending all that on a hotel. We're rarely there except to shower and sleep. The moderates and values offer friendly Disney CM's, clean rooms, decent CS food and good bus transportation for a much less price tag. Because I spend less on rooms, I can afford to go for longer trips, more often.

There used to be a woman on the budget board who would spend six weeks a year at Disney - I believe she stayed at a KOA campground offsite. Her reasoning was the same as yours - by spending almost nothing on a place to stay (she also packed in almost all her food) - she basically spent the summer with her kids at WDW. It taught me that everyone makes the quality/quantity tradeoff at some level. I wouldn't spend six weeks at Disney if I spent it at a suite in the Grand Floridan. She was willing to spend six weeks in a popup camper using campground showers for more time at Disney.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

No, I'm sorry. When we're at Disney we try not to look at the costs of things. If we didn't have the dining plan though we'd only pic our top 4-5 favorite TS and eat the rest CS (but we love CS, too.)

What I'm put of by is the deluxe resort prices! I could never justify staying there when there's equally clean and friendly Disney resorts for much less money!

I agree with everything you said.

 

[Northern_Julie]

Well, we all have different opinions.

Personally I could never justify spending all that on a hotel. We're rarely there except to shower and sleep. The moderates and values offer friendly Disney CM's, clean rooms, decent CS food and good bus transportation for a much less price tag. Because I spend less on rooms, I can afford to go for longer trips, more often.

Yes for the amount of time you spend in the room the added expense isnt worth it. Even if I am at the resort it is at the pool or something. Sitting in the room and watching television isnt an option.

I actually like the walks to decompress and explore and drink in the resort and get away from the bustle. I could afford a deluxe (although most of them are stuffy) but it feels like a waste when I can spend the money on an expierance like a tour of a special meal or a special item I can't get at home (EPCOT is bad for that).

 

[HaleyB]

I didn't read the whole thread, but to the OP's original question. YES.
If we are not on the DDP we will eat one buffet meal, maybe two for an entire trip. It often costs less for us to eat at a nice sit down than at a buffet.

 

[BabyPiglet]

There used to be a woman on the budget board who would spend six weeks a year at Disney - I believe she stayed at a KOA campground offsite. Her reasoning was the same as yours - by spending almost nothing on a place to stay (she also packed in almost all her food) - she basically spent the summer with her kids at WDW. It taught me that everyone makes the quality/quantity tradeoff at some level. I wouldn't spend six weeks at Disney if I spent it at a suite in the Grand Floridan. She was willing to spend six weeks in a popup camper using campground showers for more time at Disney.

Well...I'm not even sure if I could spend 6 weeks at Disney! I definitely could never camp there, I'm not a camping sort of person. And I honestly don't feel like we tradeoff quantity with quality. If I wanted to do that I'd stay at a Motel 6 or Days Inn!

But ya know, different strokes for different folks.

 

[diskids2]

Since we get good discounts to stay at the Dolphin...we stay there and can't take advantage of the Dining Plans.....I have to say that when we go to Disney I budget $260 per day for the four of us.....DH, DD, 17 and DS, 13 and me. This is on the high side and we always bring money back home....but some days we actually come pretty close to that number.

We book ADR's for every dinner, except one at Chef Mickey's breakfast and then we usually do the World Showcase and stop at counter services as we tour. For the family of four it is as you say $120 or more...then you add breakfast (and as you know a yogurt or fruit, cereal for four can add to around 30-40 dollars a day....and I even stop at the grocery store before checking in!)

I have to add that we waste alot of food....and this trip I am going to try to keep an eye out for that....do some splitting meals.....order less appetizers....I guess it goes along being in "vacation" mode but it certainly doesn't mean "throw your money away mode" Something I have to get better at.

 

[tlens]

It would cost your family $96/night to be on the Disney Dining plan. As long as you're staying on site and buying park tickets from Disney you're eligible for the plan. The DP give you a TS meal, CS meal and snack each night on your reservation. The Dining Plan is tailor made for your family as you only pay $10/night for each of your children to eat at Disney. As you know there isn't a character meal that cost under $10 for a child so anything else you get that day is "free".

This no longer includes tip though so it'll still cost them more if they eat at a table service location. I'd plan on adding another $20.00 a day to that total.
When dining plan included the tip, it was a good deal.