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Disney charges 99 cents extra for burger tomatoes
August 28th, 2009, 3:00 am · 49 Comments · posted by Sally French
A ripe, juicy tomato is generally seen as the perfect addition to any burger. Would you still consider it that way if you had to pay extra for that dose of vitamin C?
Disney now charges guests at quick service restaurants 99 cents extra when ordering tomatoes on their burgers. Without paying the premium, the burgers now come sans tomatoes. Guests receive only a patty, bun, lettuce and whatever toppings are advertised with the burger.
Tomatoes were removed from all quick service restaurant menus during the Food and Drug Administration national tomato recall last summer.
“When the recall was over, we made a decision not to bring them back to burgers,” Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said.
Disney was under the impression that tomatoes were unwanted by hungry tourists.
“Tomatoes were often something that guests requested to be removed from their burgers,” Brown stated.
Yet some Disney fans beg to differ. A thread posted at Disney fan site, Micechat.com, by forum user DLFreak71 expresses outrage at the new price.
For park guests who still want to enjoy a burger with all condiments for the same price, dine at Taste Pilot’s Grill, which is located next to Soarin’ Over California at Disney’s California Adventure. There guests have access to a condiment bar, including unlimited tomatoes.
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Hah lousy cheap skinflints….
Whats neglected to mention is that the burgers in the partk are way over priced to begin with. As I recall their fast food meals cost on order of 50 to 100% more than the equivlent outside the park.
A tomato is what? A buck? So they want to charge the entire value of some green tasteless tomato for 10% of it.
Next thing you know they will want to charge another $5 for a the patty.
Walt would roll over in his grave if he knew what ‘corporate’ did to his magic kingdom!!
Walt was cremated, there’s no roll over in his grave
I thought he was frozen to be brought back in the future?
just one more way for disney to try to squeeze another dollar out of the patrons.
I dont like tomatos anyways..
Try this at ANY resturaunt.. ..when you order a burger ask how much for extra tomatos..when they tell you…ask how much do I save from NOT having any? since I have to pay extra FOR them shouldn’t I get a refund for NOT having them at all?
Way to go!!! just raised the price on getting in the park now rase the price on annual pass then charge more for a slice of tomato!!!! Come on!!!!
Right in the midle of a resesion/Depresion!!!!
Get real guys!!! Next is going to be extra for the buns and the meat!!
Just wait untill no one comes there any more then what!!
I can get a knotts pass for 80.00…. thats lower than the ticket getting in here!!!!
Here is another scam fast food places run on you and me..next time you at one check this out for yourself…
a 1/4 pounder cost $ 2.50
A 1/4 cheeseburger cost $ 2.70 (20¢ more for cheese)
not look at the prices of a kidsmeal…
burger vs. Cheeseburger..the cheese costs maybe 15 ¢ sometimes 10¢..
Same size of cheese…. different prices?
and those value meals.?.do the math its the SAME prices at most places as if you ordered seperately..Those were added on so the kids taking your order doesn’t need to know math just what button to push next to the picture of what you want…
Walt’s getting dizzy rolling in his grave, with all of the cr@p management has pulled over the years.
Yet, the hoardes still come.
Let’s see, Disneyland charges over 70.00 for a single adult ticket, in addition to a parking fee. Now, visitors must pay an additional 99 cents for tomato on a burger. I, and many family members, have decided long ago that Disneyland have priced themselves out of a realistic visit financially. This nickle and dime to get more money for something as ridiculous as a slice of tomato is the ultimate shame in greed. I would like to hear from someone, which most likely would be a PR person, to explain how they justify this extra cost. Knott’s Berry Farm is the best option for cost effective family entertainment. At least they don’t charge for a slice of tomato.
If patrons requested not to have them on there burgers, then why change the ‘format’…. unless you are trying to earn money (or save money)
What a stupid answer from Disney. Next thing will be to charge a fee to ‘look’ at the Disney characters. They will say that they thought not all patrons wanted to look in the first place…..
Past time to boycott Disneyland. I use to buy season passes. No more for this Orange County family. We can spend time at other places and have a much better time for less money.
I love how whenever Disney removes something from their parks the spokesperson always finds a way to make it sound like their customers WANTED it that way. Do they really think people can’t see through this tactic?
The tomatoes were removed from the burgers but the price stayed the same. In fact, all over Disneyland the food portions have been shrinking. It looks to me as an annual passholder for many years that Disney had been increasing the prices every year much faster than inflation. It finally got to the point with the last increase that a lot of people stopped eating at Disney restaurants, choosing instead to eat off site or at Downtown Disney instead. They realized they couldn’t hike the prices any higher, so instead they started shrinking the portions.
I really didn’t mind paying $10-$15 for a meal at Disneyland a couple of years ago. Even though the quality of the food was “just OK” the convenience of eating in the park made it worth the price. But then they raised the average cost of a meal to $15-$20. I stopped eating in Disneyland and instead got food on the way there and on the way home. If I got hungry while at Disneyland I’d either get an apple or a pickle or go eat somewhere nearby and drive back to the park. Now that the portions have shrunk and the prices stayed the same, it only cements my “eat elsewhere” Disneyland rituals.
The tourists will always pay to eat at Disneyland no matter the price. But I think the park is losing a huge amount of money to outside restaurants because annual passholders like myself are eating elsewhere instead of in the park.
I am usually a very vocal supporter of Disney, but this is ridiculous. Something likes this just gives critics ammunition. I honestly cannot believe it.
I worked at a fast food restaurant in Disneyland all through the ’90s. Rarely did guests special order their burgers without tomatoes. I can understand removing them during a recall, but to say they thought guests didn’t want them on their burgers is a lie, especially considering the unlimited tomatoes at Taste Pilot. If they really believe their own lines, at least make them available upon request for free. (Like chopped the chopped onions, or are those charaged for now.)
Odd that I could defend the admissiohn price hike, but find this outrageous.
Aside from In n Out, there is that new Bob’s Big Boy! I wouldn’t pay 99 cents more for a slice of tomato.If they charge 99 cents, they better give me the whole tomato.
Is there a bigger blood sucking company that Disney? I’m surprised they don’t charge for the air that gets breathed inside the park.
““Tomatoes were often something that guests requested to be removed from their burgers,” Brown stated.”
What do you expect from a “Lifer” to say? They are program to follow the Disney way and if you don’t, you never make that extra $2.00 an hr…next thing I now, they will charge for condiments such as ketchup, etc..
Heh, oh they do charge for condiments. If you see a prissy out of place person in back don’t ask for extra condiments, they will charge you.
Seriously. I bought a pass this year for my daughter and I. Not going to get another one ever!
There complaining about paying for tomatoes, now? That has been going on for awhile. They only bent if someone ordered a vegetarian burger (huge rip off). How about that summer we were forced to charge customers for extra condiments??? You were paying nearly a dollar for a small package of barbecue sauce! I am glad I don’t work for Disneyland anymore. I feel bad for their employees right now because I’m certain there’s plenty of rude people giving employees a hard time when they cannot change a thing. Hope you know, every time you want to talk to a manager about the cost of something extra, your one step closer to getting your cashier or hostess fired.
“Hope you know, every time you want to talk to a manager about the cost of something extra, your one step closer to getting your cashier or hostess fired.”
I work there awhile back….do you think “Guests” really give a crap…they just want their meals and get ASAP to attractions. Smart Guests know, one complaint to City Hall can get you big trouble…I know, i had one, but I already put my two weeks in at that …and I knew I was never coming back… or I would called for Union Rep to protect myself.
I really feel bad for workers at Disneyland, reemed by Union and under gun by these great Lifer Managers…
I worked in food services for Disney back in 1987, when I was 18. I still shudder about working there. I was the WORST job I ever had.
To this day I tell people no to complain too much about the jobs we have (I have worked at my current job for 22 years).
Patrons of Disney are horrible to the workers, I understand they are frustrated. To this day I have never eaten a MM pancake!
Boycott Disney if you really want to make a difference
For that matter you can go to McDonalds outside the park and get a burger for 99 cents.
They will be charging you to stand in line at the rides next…..yet another good reason to go to Knotts.
D-Land should charge patrons for using the toilets. There is a lot of money to be made there.
That`s disney for ya !!!!! I`ll go to KNOTTS, better anyways!!!!!
I hear alot of talk about boycotting diney, but i see nothing of the sort. It`s a great idea and the publicity would be great. I`s about time disney learns the real meaning of a buck. Start the boycott, bring the signs.`ll be there with friends and family. Watch how fast disney responds. After all, we keep disney in business and we can put them out just as easy with support of each other. Would be fun too!!!!!!
Also watch the ripple effect at baseball and football stadiums. Threaten to do the same at the stadiums and watch the price go down. Just takes one organizer to become a hero. The low and middle class deserve to take their kids to these events but just can`t afford it in this time of ressesion. How about a break for those who kept you in business all these years!!!!!
WHAT??? Tomatoes are in season. My garden’s full of them.
This is just pure greed, on Disney’s part.
A family of four eat at D/L for lunch and dinner…at lunch they all have a burger with tomato except for little Alex, alex does not like tomatoes…
for dinner they have that great mexican restraunt next to big thunder railroad….they do this twice a year for thier vacation and eat the same thing everytime…total extra cost for the trip since the infamous tomato price…6 bucks a year…Come on you live in california everthing is more expensive their…aren’t you used to it?
They at least do not charge for the fast passes…they could easily do it and people will pay…
Six flags parks make most their money on flash pass beacuse their parks are failing…Disney parks are the most visited in the world…and allways will be…deal with it… 2 years from now tomatos will be $1.50 a piece…then the same family of four will have to dish out $7.50 a year to take vacation…god forbid little Alex starts to like tomatoes…
Obviously another well recruited disney employee!!!! I see how this page and post suddenly disappear when you talk boycott. I`t plain to see the register is reall controlled by disney. lol I`LL take the fight to another level. Thanks for the headsup showing the register is disney controlled!!! lol
I am 31 year old resident of Northern Alabama…who enjoys taking my family to disneyworld and disneyland once or twice a year…even if we go 20 times a year…I can’t imagine a 99 cent tomato fee will cause me to miss a mortgage payment…disney is a company that offers great family entertainment for a price…if you can’t fork over 99 cent for a tomato at D/L…you shouldn’t be going in the first place…and if your already not going then what are you so worked up about?
walts dizzy in his grave because he isn’t making the money himself…remember Walt was a business man…
Its not the $.99 that is the issue. It is the sneaky way Disney did this.
When they stopped putting tomatoes in their hamburgers, due to an ecoli scare, did they lower the price of the burger? NO!
But they realized that they were saving money by not putting the tomatoes in the burgers. So the answer is to leave the tomatoes out, charge a fee to you what you were paying for all along. Then claim that it thought it was what the customer wanted.
If we start to agree to this non-sense, just wait. They will come up with some really rediculous non-sense next, to charge you for.
Yes. I CAN afford $.99,
NO I will not be spending my $.99 with them.
Its time for me and the mouse to part ways………..
Disney would charge for air if they could!
Anything in “the magic kingdom” is considered theirs, air included.
It’s OK if Disney serves hamburgers w/o tomatoes, but if asked they should put them at no charge. At the prices they charge to get into the parks now, tomatoes should be provided gratis.
Since they’ve taken away things we liked to eat at the resort… we no longer eat there. And Disneyland’s burgers suck!
So ok Disney that brings one burger to what?!!!!! 13.99?!!!!! Whats next?!!!! $5.00 TO USE THE TOILET?!!!!!!!!!!
So. cal residents have it alot better than anyone else visiting the park…
you can get a annual pass for both parks for the price of two or three individual visits…depending the level of pass you purchase of course…
a family of four 220 day both park pass would run them 776 buck…
one day family of four park hopper pass would cost 368…so if you go 3 times on the pass you have saved 328…plus you get 10% off your food purchases…and other discounts…so the savings can buy you roughly 350 tomatoes…thats a lot of vitamin c….Thanks Disney for the great discounts available to under privileged so cal families…
Nick, do you believe everything everyone tells you? Politicians (and the oil companies) love people like you! Yeah, so lucky. The point is this is obvious gouging. It’s .99 for a tomato slice now and .99 per square of toilet paper later. Disneyland should apologize immediately and put them back on the menu.
How ridiculous! You can buy an entire tomato for less than $.99! For them to charge $.99 to add a slice to your hamburger is highway robbery. Could I afford the extra buck? Sure. But it’s the principle of the thing. I don’t like gouging, and this is gouging.
Let’s see:
- Attendance is down, so Disney raises prices - $72 adults (was there last Monday)
- $0.99 for tomato, on a burger that Walt would be embarassed to even have in his park (dry, stale buns, $8.95 - McDonalds $0.99 double cheesburger tastes better!)
- No thanks!!! I’ll continue going to Knott’s Berry Farm!
It will be the poor workers on the front line that will take the heat daily from customers that are incredulous about this ripoff, not the management behind the scenes.
I wonder if Disney lowered the price of the burgers when they took the tomatoes off? Somehow, I don’t think they did and now they want to charge to put the tomatoes back on.
I attended the park since it’s opening in 55 on a regular basis. In the last 10 yrs Disney officials have made some disastrous decisions in regard to their “guests”. This is another in the string. In the last 3 years my immediate families attendance has decreased down to Zippo. Now, when family and friends come to town we go elsewhere for our entertainment.
Two weeks ago at Disneyland the waitress at Cafe’ Orleans told us they could make a Shirley Temple when ordering our soda. My son ordered one.
When we got the receipt we realized they charged $.50 for the Grenadine. Again, I don’t mind paying it if it’s up-front on the menu, but stop nickle and diming everybody.
Daryl, if a boycott did take place and Disney realized that they made a mistake and went back to the old game, I still would not attend their park. As I said in my earlier post, no more season passes for this family. I will never again step foot on Disney property.
Loved ole Walt , his shoulders are probably real sore from turning over so much.
I flat out REFUSE to purchase food at Disneyland. Just went on Friday and stopped at McDonalds on the way. We have passes.
The thing that doesn’t make sense to me is the Disneyland Managment position of forcing higher revenue by decreasing product. A major complaint by DL Mgmt is, that while park attendance is relatively high, profits per guest are generally lower. They partially blame this on Annual Passport holders (especially SoCal AP’s) not spending as much per visit. So in an attempt to bolster lacking sales they diminish the product they are selling. Do they really expect to see gains in profits by selling over-priced and underwhelming product? Apparently they do. But they are truly short-sighted in not seeing that their actions diminsh the experience for all and they will eventually have to pay the price for their obvious greed. There is only so much the public will stand.