Heading to a Disney Park is expensive. It costs hundreds just to get a family through the gates, and add-ons like food, Lightning Lane, and souvenirs can add even more to an already expensive day.
Just last week, Disneyland quietly raised the prices at 70 different restaurants across the resort without any warning. Disney World has also been quietly raising its restaurant prices to combat inflation and tariffs that have driven up costs for certain food products.
That’s why it was a bit odd when an article appeared in the Orlando Sentinel that proclaimed that Disney World was slashing its food prices by up to 11 percent. However, that may not necessarily be the good news that Disney fans are hoping for.
The Sentinel heads to EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival every year, and the paper samples every menu offering from the festival’s passport to compare prices. The Sentinel does add alcohol, not just food items and a few beverage items. The paper also orders the smaller size of a dish when available.
This year’s findings are a little startling. The total for all menu items at the booths across EPCOT was $1,468.05, compared to $1,656.51 last year. That marks an 11.3 percent decline in the prices.
Does that mean Disney is slashing prices to bring in more guests? Not exactly.
The paper does not keep a tally of the total menu items offered at the International Food and Wine Festival, so it’s impossible to know if Disney is offering fewer menu items this year. Even the paper admitted that Disney is probably just offering fewer items.
While it makes for a nice headline that Disney is offering lower food prices, the reality is that they most likely raised the prices on most items and cut dozens from the menu to make it appear more guest-friendly.
If you’re planning on eating around the world at this year’s EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, it won’t cost you nearly as much as in years past, but this year, you won’t be getting as much either.
The Food and Wine Festival runs until November 22 at EPCOT.
What’s your favorite part of EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival? Let us know in the comments.
The post Is It a Mirage? Disney World Appears To Have Lowered Its Prices appeared first on Inside the Magic.
