What's Up with Christmas Pricing???

[mars315]

I just called to make PS for Christmas. I thought we'd have breakfast at the Kona Cafe. The not too terribly helpful CM told me the price was 19.99 per adult. I said that I thought it was on off the menu deal. He said, "It doesn't say here what the meal is." I said, "With all due respect, why would I book a meal and give a CC# when you cannot tell me what the meal is? I have eaten there before and we ordered off the menu." He said there was a limited off the menu availability. I booked it anyway, with my CC guarantee. Then I went to book Boma. No problem, CC# required also, etc, etc, until he said the price was $40.00 per adult!!! The price listed on Deb's site is 23.99. I politely asked him if the menu was different. He said "It doesn't say anything about being different." I again, VERY NICELY asked, "Does that mean that it is NOT different, or you do not know? Because quite frankly, I cannot see spending $16.00 per person MORE for a meal unless I know that it has been upgraded somehow." He said, quite snidely, "That means they have not given me ANY other information except it is 40 dollars per person." I said, no thanks. I guess I will eat all counter service meals if that is the deal on Christmas. I have never been on Christmas before. Is this the norm?

Michelle

 

[Local_Girl]

Wow, Michelle, I can't answer your question, but that stinks! We are staying in a condo and were planning to eat in and lay low on Christmas day anyway, but many don't have that option and have to eat out...and would like to have a nice meal on the holiday. I don't know what burns me more hearing this, that the prices have been horribly hiked up for that day, or that the CMs are obviously uninformed and/or rude about the policy!! I need to make a PS for 12/26 tomorrow...I hope the jacked up prices won't extend through the entire holiday week.

 

[BCV23]

Don't know if it's the norm for Christmas dinner at Boma but we've had two Christmas dinners at Rose and Crown and the menu was the regular one with regular prices. We were doing the Candlelight Processional package.

Someone has a post here about CG offering a Christmas dinner for $50some. That actually sounded pretty decent to me.

As for Kona, I would try again. I strongly suspect that he was quoting you the dinner price...or perhaps lunch/dinner Christmas meal price. A couple of times when I've tried making a PS for "Kona for breakfast at 7:30, please" we've arrived to find the CM made it for 7:30 pm. Most Disney Dining CMs do so well but there are a couple who don't seem to give it their all.

 

[BCV23]

Forgot to say that unless you would really be happy with counter service on Christmas, I'd make a PS somewhere. It is very busy in the resort restaurants that day and MK is mobbed.

Another place that probably keeps the price the same as always is HoopdeDoo. Of course it's not inexpensive but it's fun, special and you'll pay that price if you ever go anyway. We've had NYE dinner there twice and it worked very well for us.

 

[WebmasterPenny]

I think the CM was very rude and unhelpful.

I booked the Cape May Clambake buffet today for Christmas Dinner which is on a par with Boma's I'd say - when I asked about a special menu, she went off and looked it up no problem (Regular menu + Turkey + upgraded salad bar incase anyone is interested ) at which point I asked her the price which was $26.99 instead of $23.99 I think. If she could look up that, I see no reason why he wouldn't be able to look up details of the Boma buffet (which sounds <i>really</i> expensive!)

I'd call back and hope for a more helpful CM and see how you get on...

 

[mars315]

Thanks to Webmaster Penny, BCV23, and Local_Girl for your helpful responses. To tell the truth I have been having a rough time in my "real life" lately, and my conversation with the dining CM today really depressed me. I thought, "I can't believe I can't even make the PS's that I wanted for Christmas." Your responses have convinced me to call back. I think I will call after 9:00 tonight, so I can use my "free" cell minutes. I have been burning through my minutes calling everyday to make PS's.

Also, I looked up on Deb Will's site and she has the Thanksgiving menu's/prices listed. Boma is listed there as 23.99. My CM today said this was the meal offered on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years, so hopefully he got the price wrong that he told me. I can see my having to pay a deposit, but $40? And the Kona prices I was quoted, just as BCV23 said, are the prices that they charge for lunch/ dinner. I had asked for the last breakfast PS, which was 11:10. That obviously can't be dinner (!) but the CM must have been mixed up. In all fairness to him, I'm sure it must be frustrating if he was not given the info he needed to do his job correctly.

I feel better now, and will call back at 9:00.

Michelle

 

[nasmith]

I would love to find out what the prices and menus are for all of the various Christmas Dinners in the resorts. I believe MOST of Epcot's restaurants just use their regular menus and pricing - but that most of the other restaurant's have a special menu, and higher prices. I booked AP, and asked, but the very nice CM couldn't find any info on it (I'm the one who posted about CG's $53 dinner). Also- you only give your CC to guarantee your arrival- they don't actually charge your card unless you don't show up (There is a 48' cancel policy -so you could always book Boma now, and hope that more info comes out about the dinner later- and then if you aren't happy paying more for Dinner you could cancel).. Jill

 

[mars315]

Well, as I said I would, I called back after 9:00 and was put through to someone in Dining Help. He was VERY nice, and we talked about all sorts of things. The breakfast issue was solved: Breakfast is still breakfast, just like normal.

However, both the CM I spoke to at the beginning of that (second) phone call, as well as the CM from Dining Help, stated that the price for Thanksgiving Dinner is $40 at Boma. And that, even though the meal has not been released for Christmas, most likely it will also be $40.00. I politely told them that Deb Will's site had the price as 23.99, but that didn't carry any weight with them. I then asked how much is Jiko? They said, "$24.99". I told him I thought this was strange because Jiko is more expensive than Boma normally. He just said, Boma is 40 dollars for Thanksgiving. I think I will e-mail Dib Will's site an ask them to check their sources. I ended up making a PS for BOMA, but I am thinking I should switch it to Jiko, and then eat at Boma another night. It will be a chance to eat at Jiko for less than it would normally cost for an al a carte dinner there.

Michelle

 

[BCV23]

I'm glad Kona was straightened out for you, Michelle.

Would hold on to that Boma PS if I were you. It sounds to me as if the prices for Boma and perhaps a fixed price for Jiko for Christmas have been transposed in Disney Dining's system.

 

[momtotwinglesx4]

Originally posted by nasmith
I would love to find out what the prices and menus are for all of the various Christmas Dinners in the resorts. I believe MOST of Epcot's restaurants just use their regular menus and pricing - but that most of the other restaurant's have a special menu, and higher prices.

Well, I can tell you what's cookin' at the Whispering Canyon Cafe for Christmas dinner. Maybe others can give menus/prices for other restaurants holiday dinners?

"Holiday Family-Style Dinner" at WCC:
Served noon to 10pm
$23.99/A $10.99/C (all-you-can-eat)

Non-alcoholic beverages
Salad
Turkey
Pork
Chicken
Salmon
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Stuffing
Carrots
Cranberry Sauce
Dessert (CM didn't know what the dessert offering(s) would be)

That's where we'll be having our Christmas dinner--unless I change my mind again

 

[Teri Zolman]

I just made a PS for CRT for lunch on Christmas. Does anyone know if their pricing is different. I didn't think to ask.

 

[mars315]

Teri- If you check wdwig it has prices listed for Thanksgiving. The lunch/dinner price at CRT is $28.00. The prices will PROBABLY be the same for Christmas. That must be a set menu, with some choices, similar to the way breakfast is a set menu.

As far as my issue with the Christmas price for Boma (40 vs. 24), I have corresponded twice with someone from wdwig and they told me that they called to confirm that the Thanksgiving day price for Boma is $24.00 (which is the regular price). But I have called 3 times, and once even spoke to a CM "at the podium" at Boma and she said that while the price for Christmas was not set yet, it would most likely be the same as Thanksgiving. When I asked her how much Thanksgiving was she said, 40 dollars! The reason I find this so hard to believe, is that if you look at buffets which are quite similar in terms of price as well as quality and quantity of food selections, the prices are either the SAME for the holidays, or SLIGHTLY higher: Cape May Clam Bake $27/$24, Crystal Palace $22/$22, Chef Mickey's $26/$24, 1900 Park Fair $24/$24. So does it make sense that Boma would be $40/$24?

Hopefully it will turn out to be just a few dollars over the regular price.

Michelle

 

[klynn]

When I called to make our ps for Boma I was told the pricing would probably be out the end of October.

 

[Teri Zolman]

I am totally confused. I called back Disney dining to check on Christmas dinner at the Castle. I was told that there isn't a set dinner for Christmas yet or pricing. She thought it was only for Thanksgiving. I have a strick budget unfortunately and this was going to be the only splerge. I hope it isn't $28 per person. That is over my budget. She also said by the way that Thanksgiving was $22. I wish everything didn't have to be so difficult. Also several people have said that they are having to give there CC'# to make priority seat, I wasn't asked for one. Should I be concerned?