Food Prices

[waymickey]

I was blown away last visit at how expensive all the prices for food have gotten. I know disney food prices are always high but this year the prices seemed ridiculas. I ordered off the kids menu whenever I could since it was enough food for me but not enough for the rest of my family.

We ate just two times a day and ate at mostly CS. I wanted to try one of the places in Italy for pizza but 30+ dollars for a pizza just wasn't happening. I wanted a hot dog but 9 dollars for a nothing special dog seemed outrageous to me. :mad:

Also super sad that the Chicken wrap at Pecos Bills is no longer offered. It was a family favorite and a great value .:(

[Dulcee]

Food prices are pretty on par with other theme parks and amusement parks. I agree they are high but we pay similar prices for the local amusement park and don't get nearly as many options.

Disney does allow you to bring your own snacks in if that helps any!

[spoiledraf]

Compared to the cost of popcorn at a movie theater, Disney's a bargain!
But seriously, there are some good meals for a decent price if you look around. Flame Tree Bar-B-Q comes to mind. And The Grand Floridian Cafe has great meals at prices pretty much comparable to any chain restaurant.

[retiredfigment]

As mentioned, food is comparable priced to other amusement parks and museums. Just recently went to the National Zoo in Washington and paid over $10 for a shrimp basket that only included about 10 fried shrimp and a banana. It was even worse at the Smithsonian.

[waymickey]

I guess it is true that they are on par with other amusement parks but I wouldn't really know since Disney is the only Amusement park we go to and eat at. Disney does have a lot of choices.

Food hit us hard since we had to keep pulling out or wallet where as everything else was paid for in advance. I know that is what Disney wants to hear to **** me into the "free" dinning but I did the math and know it would cost us even more. Other than BOG and Beaches and Cream we were underwhelmed by our meals in general. High prices and mediocre food , I guess I just expect more from Disney.

[thejens]

I would have to agree that the food prices are verging on ridiculous. I live in a large city and eat out in nice restaurants too often. I was appalled by the high prices of lackluster cuisine. I had "free" dining and wondered if the prices were inflated to elevate tips. I don't care what is normal for other parks. I don't mind paying more for high quality or even a little more for location. I think the prices are a reach.

[JerseyDad]

.....the high prices at WDW ...were something I sort of expect ...but I too was blown away by the increases ...since last just year!!

....the entrees in the TS restaurants (ie: Via Napoli ...Teppan Edo) have risen at least $2 each. And ...I don't order pizza there ...so I noticed how the entrees have gotten slightly smaller.

....now ...Via Napoli is 'nice' ...but it's not 'fine dining' ...and if I spend $24 dollars on a PASTA entree ...I expect a side salad and bread on the table ...minimum!

.....a pasta entree, a personal pizza (a basic one), a plate of spaghetti ....2 beers, 2 soft drinks cost us $100 dollars ...FOR LUNCH (with no dessert). Ridiculous is hardly the word ...but, it's the most polite one I can use here.

....now I know why so many people bring or order food to have in their rooms!!.

[BrerGnat]

It's all relative.

See, I think Via Napoli is one of the better bargains on property. We just fed five people there in August for $80 out the door, tax and tip included. We all left stuffed.

We ordered one of the giant pizzas and we all ate from it. We also ordered one salad, 3 sodas, 2 chocolate milks and 1 beer. We were given two bread baskets as well. This was during lunch.

It's hard to see a $39 pizza on the menu, but when you can feed 5 people with that, it's a pretty good deal.

[GoBlueLacheta]

When you are essentially "stuck" somewhere, and somewhere really has a monopoly on the food. It can be quite difficult to find quality on a budget. Yet with proper research you can usually seek out the best available opportunities that you and your family will at least enjoy.

After all, it is vacation and you want to experience quality food when you go no matter what your destination. I've had many a terrible meal off Disney property that has been just as expensive or more with far less quality.

One more note, while I haven't been in a little while to the World, across the country many different food costs are rising and DW is not going to bite the bullet on that one. I remember last year hearing about a brief bump in prices during Free Dining at some locations but that may be a misnomer or a rumor, but I believe it was mentioned on here.

[AvonleaCF]

The prices are definitely on par with airport food courts and the like; about 20-30% higher than your local fast food joint.

One trick I learned is that Disney will show the most expensive item on the menu and in pictures, but if you ask they usually have a smaller version that's also cheaper. For example, they may only show a double bacon cheeseburger, but you can get a single hamburger for less money. Or, get the double, but split it between two people (especially good at the locations with fixins bars where you can pile it up with veggies). And if you skip the soda and just get tap water, you can easily save up to $15 for a family of five (assuming $3 for a soda).

Where Disney is getting outrageous are some of the snack prices; but again, they're usually big enough to share. A $6 cupcake for one is ridiculous, but $3 for 2 isn't so bad.

[mechanic]

I don't find the pricing too bad for a theme park.
When I do math it usually comes out 50% to 100% higher than comparable food at home.
We never order dessert, if we get an appetizer its shared by all. And dining isn't considered a big part of vacations. We do main meal at 1-2pm then snack rest of day.

[Arielfan98]

Sorry about that :( We all experience that. If you'd like you can search "Disney dining calculator" to determine if you need a dining plan or not. People have found in the past the DP have saved them money where on other trips it hasn't. As mentioned, you are free to bring your own snacks and order groceries for a bagged lunch if a refrigerator is an option where you are staying.

[disneynarula]

I honestly think the prices increased along with the introduction of the Disney Dining Plan. I think Disney wants people to buy it. That way, they are guaranteed a certain amount of money.

It works on my husband. He always see the prices and is glad we "saved" money on the dining plan.

At this point for us we usually do save more money on the dining plan than some of the room discounts. Especially if there are five of us in a suite type place.

It always seems expensive to us, maybe it's because we don't visit amusment parks besides Disney. We live in Europe and usually just grab sandwiches here and there. Or we do cruises where the food is included.

If you want true sticker shock you should see the prices at Disneyland Paris. We took the kids there a few years ago and could not believe how much the food cost, even for Europe. We quickly ran out to a grocery store and bought food for bag lunches.