Walt Disney World has raised charges on a number of character eating experiences, with breakfast, lunch & dinner at lots of the hottest (and least common!) meals having gone up by a number of {dollars} every. This provides a rundown of earlier than & after pricing, plus our commentary concerning the doubtful determination to lift charges as ADR demand drops.
This comes amidst different worth will increase to start out the Walt Disney Firm’s new fiscal 12 months. At Walt Disney World, this contains (at the least) Annual Passes and possibly extra. The total extent of the “harm” is presently unknown as a result of WDW is within the midst of a widespread tech outage. Fortunately (I assume?), the web menus are displaying, and we’re seeing widespread worth will increase.
Along with character meals, Walt Disney World bumped up the value of a whole bunch of menu gadgets throughout the parks & resorts at Walt Disney World. This coated every part from counter service staples to snacks at outside merchandising carts to alcoholic drinks, and the a whole bunch–if not hundreds–of various gadgets that went up in worth wherever between $.20 and $2-3 on common. Unsurprisingly, character eating experiences are on the upper finish of the spectrum. Right here’s a rundown of what we’ve seen with character meal worth will increase at Walt Disney World…
Let’s begin inside Magic Kingdom in the direction of the entrance of the park, with Crystal Palace: A Buffet with Characters that includes Winnie the Pooh and Buddies. Breakfast at Crystal Palace went from $48 to $52 for adults and from $30 to $33 for kids. Likewise, lunch and dinner (identical buffet, subdivided by hours) elevated from $61 to $62 for adults and from $40 to $42 for teenagers.
Subsequent up is Cinderella’s Royal Desk, which final noticed worth will increase twice final 12 months. First, when princesses returned to the eating room after which once more in the beginning of the brand new fiscal 12 months.
Following that, October 2024 brings with it the second spherical of worth will increase. Breakfast elevated from $69 to $74 for adults and from $42 to $45 for kids. It’s an analogous story for the lunch and dinner providers, which jumped from $84 to $88 for adults and from $49 to $52 for teenagers.
On high of this, varied premium cocktails, wine, and different alcoholic drinks have additionally gone up at menus round Walt Disney World. Anticipate to pay $.50 to a couple {dollars} extra for drinks at Cinderella’s Royal Desk, do you have to order something that isn’t included within the flat-rate prix fixe worth.
Walt Disney World has additionally raised the value of Magic Kingdom’s different royal restaurant. (Okay, so that you’re not really eating inside that toy fort perched atop the mountain…and that massive mess corridor within the center doesn’t really feel very regal…however that is nonetheless technically inside Beast’s Fort!)
At Be Our Visitor Restaurant, lunch and dinner elevated from $70 to $72 per grownup and from $41 to $43 per little one. Just like Cinderella’s Royal Desk, there are additionally quite a lot of greater booze costs at Be Our Visitor.
Breakfast nonetheless will not be again at Beast’s Fort, which actually looks like Walt Disney World leaving cash on the desk given what they’re charging for lunch and dinner. Final I used to be there for the Halloween dinner, Beast had additionally as soon as once more returned to roaming across the room at a distance from friends prefer it’s nonetheless late 2020. (He was doing the meet & greet this summer season, however that “check” ended, apparently.)
I really feel like I ought to cease sharing this opinion as fewer and fewer individuals agree with every passing 12 months, however Be Our Visitor remains to be our #2 restaurant in Magic Kingdom. That’s not the very best of reward given the (lack of) competitors, however we expect it will get disproportionate hate. Numerous that’s pushed by sky-high expectations and hype. For those who take that away, it’s an above-average Walt Disney World restaurant. (That can be wonderful for those who order the filet and get a very good lower that’s properly-cooked.)
Regardless, even I’m seeing these new costs and questioning to myself whether or not I’m nonetheless on board. I’ve misplaced the capability for shock with regards to Walt Disney World rising costs, however I really feel it’s additionally applicable to level out that the recognition of Be Our Visitor Restaurant as measured by ADR availability has completely plummeted over time. Positive, it’s exhausting to ebook throughout peak season (e.g. many of the subsequent few months), however it’s a lot simpler than it as soon as was.
Whole apart, however it’s fairly wild to me that only some years in the past, individuals have been in a position to do dinner inside Beast’s Fort and order solely a cupcake. Not simply that, however that this was a recognized drawback for a very long time, and it Walt Disney World a number of years to do something about it.(File this beneath “why we will’t have good issues.” It’s additionally the reason the subsequent time you’re questioning why one other prix fixe menu is changing an a la carte one.)
From Magic Kingdom, we take a fast stroll (or monorail trip) over to Disney’s Modern Resort. Within the Grand Canyon Concourse, the flagship character eating expertise has seen one other change, as costs have gone up at Chef Mickey’s.
Breakfast at Chef Mickey’s now prices $58 per grownup, up from $54, and $37 per little one, up from $37.
Dinner at Chef Mickey’s has additionally now been elevated to $69 per grownup (up from $66) and $44 per little one (up from $41). As with different eating places, smoothies and different specialty drinks have additionally gone up in worth by $.50 to a few {dollars} every.
Heading over to close by(ish) Wilderness Lodge, we “lastly” have a worth enhance on the favored Story Ebook Eating at Artist Level with Snow White. This character eating expertise serves dinner options Present White, Dopey, Grumpy, and the Evil Queen.
Beforehand, Storybook Eating was $65 for adults and $39 per little one. Now, it’s $67 for adults and $41 per little one. Nonetheless not a lot of a rise, all issues thought of–particularly because it’s now a 2-credit meal on the DDP. (It’s by some means cheaper than a number of 1-credit meals!)
Extra to the purpose, Story Ebook Eating at Artist Level with Snow White is the most well-liked character meal and might be one of many tougher Advance Eating Reservations in all of Walt Disney World. Subjectively, I might additionally contend that Story Ebook Eating at Artist Level is the perfect character dinner (distinguished from breakfast or lunch–a complete cop out by me) in all of Walt Disney World.
We subsequent enter EPCOT, the place a few character meal costs have elevated. Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Harvest Feast at Backyard Grill raised its costs for breakfast. Breakfast bounced from $47 to $49 per grownup and from $30 to $33 per little one. Lunch and dinner stay unchanged for adults at $62 per particular person, however went up for teenagers from $40 to $42.
Again in World Showcase, the extra common EPCOT character eating expertise additionally elevated in worth. Breakfast at Akershus Royal Banquet Corridor now prices $59 for adults (up from $55) and $38 for teenagers (up from $35).
Lunch and dinner at Akershus now cost $69 for adults (beforehand $67) and $46 for kids (beforehand $43). As with the opposite character eating experiences which have separate prices for alcohol, costs there are additionally up.
You in all probability get the thought at this level. Except Backyard Grill for adults at lunch/dinner, every part we’ve checked has gone up by a couple of {dollars} per particular person. Anticipate that pattern to carry true for many different character eating experiences at Walt Disney World.
As we’ve mentioned beforehand, it’s widespread for Walt Disney World to extend menu costs to enhance the phantasm of worth on the Disney Eating Plan. For those who’re doing the mathematics on meals and evaluating menu costs to the price of the DDP, the latter turns into extra enticing when the previous is greater. Costs already elevated for the 2025 Disney Eating Plan, so it tracks that menus would observe swimsuit, sadly.
That is very true for households inquisitive about doing a number of character eating experiences, as these are among the many most compelling “arguments” in favor of buying the Disney Eating Plan. That is very true now, because the cheaper costs for teenagers and costly costs for adults makes the Disney Eating Plan a greater possibility for households with extra children–and worse possibility for adults with fewer or no kids.
That is in all probability exactly why we’ve seen far much less curiosity within the Disney Eating Plan than regular. When it returned, there was a quick window of pleasure, adopted by complaints as friends noticed the upper costs. Since then it’s been just about crickets.
It’s solely potential that the Disney Eating Plan remains to be promoting properly, and is simply outperforming with first-timers or followers who don’t learn this weblog. Clearly, we’re not consultant of the park-going public. However, I’ve been greatly surprised by the disinterest within the Disney Eating Plan…and in Free Eating!
I’ve talked about this elsewhere, however the fan response to Free Eating wasn’t remotely on par with what it had been up to now. A part of that is attributable to its focused nature, however it was supplied to Disney+ subscribers and Disney Visa members. I’m guessing most readers of this web site have one or each affiliations. And if not, it’s like seven bucks to qualify for the promo through a month of the previous. Not precisely a serious barrier to entry.
The most important cause I’m pretty assured that our anecdotal assessments apply to the park-going public is that Advance Eating Reservations have fallen off a cliff. Plenty of eating places–even ones that aren’t usually that difficult–have been extremely aggressive through the peak of pent-up demand and staffing shortages.
Within the final 18 months, ADRs have gotten progressively simpler for all however a handful of choices (honest warning: Candlelight Processional Eating Packages will in all probability nonetheless be very aggressive–one of many exceptions to the rule). We’ve managed to attain ADRs to every part we’ve needed this 12 months, and very often only some days to a couple hours forward of time. We anticipated this to alter with the arrival of Free Eating season–since that all the time was the case–however it didn’t.
In any occasion, it’s considerably shocking to see Walt Disney World elevate costs on character eating experiences that aren’t even reserving as much as start with. Maybe the technique is making extra money (or sustaining the established order) with fewer friends, however it’s a daring wager that this gained’t simply speed up the decline.
We’ve already been on the fence about some character meals, debating whether or not to go now or wait till Megatron will keep in mind the expertise. At the least for a few them, this tilts the dimensions within the favor of ready. And we’re bloggers! One of many demos that has a better worth tolerance than most! We will see how this strategy works out for them with the broader park-going public.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Inns Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part you want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider these character meals and different current worth will increase at Walt Disney World? Suppose this can be a pure consequence of inflation (and so forth.), or one other instance of Disney getting extra grasping? Will these worth will increase impression your plans for future holidays? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Suppose there will likely be long-term penalties for Walt Disney World ensuing from its pricing tendencies the previous couple of years? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
