The Most Expensive Meals in the “World”

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From the Disney Food Blog...

The Most Expensive Meals in the “World”

Jul 18th, 2012 by Erin.

On the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, we field several questions every day from guests looking for ways to economize on their Disney food budget. These are meaningful and important questions, and we’re happy to help.

But every once in a while I find myself wishing that someone would send in a question like, “My rich uncle has died and left me a gazillion dollars. What’s the most expensive meal I can buy at Walt Disney World?” (Or maybe I’m just wishing that I had rich uncle in poor health .)

V&A's caviar. Yummy (and expensive).

The quick answer to the expensive meal question is Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian. This posh-beyond-posh restaurant will set you back at least $125 in the main dining room, or at least $200 in the even-more-posh-beyond-posh Queen Victoria Room or Chef’s Table.

And that’s not including tax, tip, booze, and supplementary extra caviar. I’m sure Uncle Moneybags would approve.

Disney World’s Priciest Meals

But I found myself wondering if there were any “regular” restaurant meals that would inflict nearly this much damage to my shiny red Disney Visa. I decided to figure out the most expensive non-V&A’s meal you could find at Walt Disney World (not counting special event or private event meals).

And as an added bonus, I realized that this would be a good tool for a guest on the Disney Dining Plan who was REEEEALLY looking to get his money’s worth.

So in order to compare apples to apples, or more accurately steak to steak, I decided to construct the most expensive standard three course meal at each Disney World signature restaurant: one appetizer/starter course, one single-serving entree, and one dessert.

Flying Fish, Boardwalk (DDP = Yes)

• Chardonnay-steamed Mussels, $18
  
• Black Angus New York Strip Steak, $42
  
• Trio of Concession Sweets, $9
  

TOTAL: $69

Bistro de Paris, Epcot (DDP = Yes)

• Smoked Salmon Pastrami, $16
  
• Maine Lobster, $46
  
• Raspberry Souffle (and others), $11
  

TOTAL: $73

Brown Derby, Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DDP = Yes)

• Cobb Salad, $15
  
• 8 oz. Charred Filet of Beef, $41
  
• Chocolate Three Ways (and others), $9
  

TOTAL: $65

Filet Mignon at Hollywood Brown Derby

Cobb Salad at Hollywood Brown Derby

California Grill, Contemporary (DDP = Yes)

• Dragon Roll or Deluxe Sushi Platter, $28
  
• Oak Fired Filet of Beef or Cast-iron Seared Bison, $47
  
• Valhrona Chocolate Cake, $13
  

TOTAL: $88

Cast Iron Seared Bison and Truffle Mac and Cheese at California Grill

Citricos, Grand Floridian (DDP = Yes)

• Spiced Ahi Tuna, $16
  
• Braised Veal Shank, $50
  
• Chocolate Banana Torte, $11
  

TOTAL, $77

Il Mulino New York Trattoria, Swan Hotel (DDP = No)

• Calamari Fritta (and others), $11
  
• Medaglione Di Filetto, $45
  
• Tiramisu, $10
  

TOTAL: $66

Jiko, Animal Kingdom Lodge (DDP = Yes)

• Wild Boar Tenderloin or Spiced Ahi, $16
  
• Oak Grilled Filet Mignon, $43
  
• Artisanal Cheese Selection, $14
  

TOTAL: $73

Jiko Cheese Plate

Filet and Mac and Cheese at Jiko (Mac and Cheese by request)

Jiko Braised Short Ribs. Only the second most expensive thing on the menu.

Fulton’s Crab House, Downtown Disney (DDP = Yes)

• Crab Claws, $20
  
• One Pound Alaska King Crab Claws, $55
  
• Cheesecake, $8
  

TOTAL: $83

Artist Point, Wilderness Lodge (DDP = Yes)

• Dungeness Crab Salad or Artist Point “BLT,” $15
  
• Grilled Angus Beef Tenderloin or Buffalo Striploin Steak, $43
  
• Chocolate Indulgence, $11
  

TOTAL: $69

Buffalo Striploin Steak at Artist Point

Le Cellier, dinner, Epcot (DDP = Yes)

• Lobster Chopped Salad or Beef Tartare, $16
  
• New York Strip Steak, $44
  
• Trio of Chocolate, $10
  

TOTAL: $70

Canadian Prime New York Strip with Potato Pave

Trio of Chocolate: Nanaimo Bar, Sorbet, and Lava Cake

Narcoossee’s, Grand Floridian (DDP = Yes)

• Jumbo Crab Cakes, $17
  
• Butter-poached Lobster Tail and Grilled Filet Mignon, $68
  
• Almond Crusted Cheesecake (and others), $10
  

TOTAL: $95

Crab Cakes at Narcoossee's

Almond Cheesecake

Shula’s Steak House, Dolphin (DDP = No)

• 8 oz. Cold Water Lobster Tail, $41
  
• Surf & Turf, $84
  
• Chocolate Souffle (and others), $11
  

TOTAL: $136

Todd English’s bluezoo, Dolphin (DDP = No)

• Baja Oct, $16
  
• Cantonese Lobster, $60
  
• Banana Cream Tart (and others), $14
  

TOTAL: $90

Banana Cream Tart at Bluezoo

Wolfgang Puck Dining Room, Downtown Disney (DDP = Yes)

• Pan Seared Scallops (and others), $18
  
• Prime Ribeye, $47
  
• All desserts, $8
  

TOTAL: $73

Yachtsman Steakhouse, Yacht Club (DDP = Yes)

• Ahi Crudo (and others), $16
  
• Beef Wellington Deconstructed, $47
  
• Artisanal Cheese Platter, $14
  

TOTAL: $77

Deconstructed Beef Wellington at Yachtsman Steakhouse

Yachtsman cheese plate

Oh, and by the way, many of these venues also offer creamy, cheesy, potatoey sorts of side dishes available for an extra $7-10. You could also do some serious damage at the raw bars of Fulton’s or Narcoossee’s.

I left those factors off the analysis, but there’s no reason you have to leave them off your plate if you’re looking to bulk up your bill, or your belly.

Rich Bistro de Paris Souffle.

What Can We Learn From This Experiment?

Are you feeling full yet? ‘Cause I am STUFFED just thinking about all this food. But think more I shall, and here are my thoughts:

• You CAN pay less: You can certainly visit a signature venue and spend much less than this, chicken and veggies are waaay less expensive.
  
• Or pay MORE: It’s possible to rack up a very substantial bill at any of the signature and fine dining restaurants at Walt Disney World.
  
• Pricy items are similar: The priciest items are fairly standard across all the menus: a seafood based appetizer, beef based entree, and chocolate based dessert will hit your wallet hardest every time.
  
• Pricing is similar: The Disney-owned, Dining Plan accepting restaurants have a very similar highest price point — typically between $65-75.
  
• Choice matters: Fulton’s looks high, but would anyone actually get crab claws for both appetizer and entree? Similarly at Shula’s, would you get both a lobster tail AND Surf and Turf?
  
• Don’t forget extras…” With drinks, tax, and tip, you can easily pay more than $100 per person at a signature meal.
  
• Calculate first: If you’re in splurge mode and paying out of pocket, the regular signature restaurants can hit you almost as hard as the main dining room at Victoria & Albert’s. It may be worth thinking about whether an even splurgier splurge is worth it.
  

So what do you think fellow eaters? Have any of you actually had a meal like one of these? If Uncle Moneybags left you gazillions, where do you go first to toast his memory? Let us know in the comments below.

Erin Foster is the Disney Food for Families columnist and a behind-the-scenes guru here at Disney Food Blog! Check out more of her posts here.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/07/18/the-most-expensive-meals-in-the-world/#more-54865

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Thanks Monique!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I'd love any of those meals to instantly materialize in my recliner right now.

[Brent... Just Brent 83]

That's a great update. I did the deluxe dining plan last year and tried to check most of those off of my list... and I did. Since I was on the dining plan, it felt ok, but seeing the prices it doesn't seem like it's as out of reach as people make it out to be. At $99/day for the DDP, I would really have a hard time getting my money's worth since that would take 2 credits and, honestly, I wouldn't order the most expensive things on the menu everyday for a week. That'd be a lot of steak, even for me.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

It's funny because we don't often order steak out. More often than not we go for the seafood.

But for some reason last year turned into the "WDW Steak Tour" LOL

We ate at Yachtsman twice and le Cellier and had some AMAZING steaks every time. Our first trip to Yachtsman we split the 22oz porterhouse. It was $44 but it was more than enough for us to split.

And yeah, if you want to go for the big ticket item on a WDW Dining menu, go with the steak.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

We dropped $200 at Narcoosee's a couple years ago (After TiW discount), BUT that included tip, tax, a cocktail a piece, and a bottle of wine!! Best value EVER for that $200. Impeccable meal, impeccable service and excellent atmosphere!! I'd do it again in a Hearbeat!!!

[Silver Mist 2]

Have you ever noticed that the more expensive you eat the smaller the food! Especially the desert!  Maybe its just me! LOL!  I am a southern girl whose grown up used to grandpas own country cured hams & grandma's mouth watering homemade biscuits & gravy, fried chicken, blackberry & rubarb cobblers and apple stack cakes and all the fresh vegetables you can eat out of the garden! Now that was Yummy!  LOL!  Wish I had one of her biscuits now! LOL!  

[ºoºThomasclan85ºoº 8]

I'm with you! Born and raised southern by my Grandparents eating plenty of homegrown foods! I made fried chicken, gravy, biscuits, mashed taters, mac and cheese, bread pudding with lemon custard sauce last night- ALL HOMEMADE! Definately not a meal I could eat everyday though. We all just kinda layed around afterwards. :)  :)

[Silver Mist 2]

I'm with you! Born and raised southern by my Grandparents eating plenty of homegrown foods! I made fried chicken, gravy, biscuits, mashed taters, mac and cheese, bread pudding with lemon custard sauce last night- ALL HOMEMADE! Definately not a meal I could eat everyday though. We all just kinda layed around afterwards. :)  :)

 

LOL! Yes it does kind of stick to your ribs! LOL! Don't guess we would be able to walk and see much of Disney after a meal like tha either! Especially ride! LOL!