The Spirited 8th Wonder (WDW's Future & You!)

[lazyboy97o]

why do people insist in "offsite" ?
Again, I'm not talking about offsite vs onsite. I'm saying about CM discounts.

Because there really is not a whole lot extra offered by staying on site. We get that you're talking about Cast Member discounts, but those do not create prices that are totally unavailable if one is willing to look elsewhere. Your point is only valid for those who must stay at a Disney hotel.

 

[asianway]

Do a lot of people do this though, eating off site? Seems like a lot of time wasted to me. Leaving the park, waiting for a tram for the parking lot, driving to an off site eatery, driving back to the park, catching a team again, waiting in line for bags/tickets. Wayyy to much hassle for me.

If you're park hopping anyway it's quite easy

 

[GoofGoof]

Do a lot of people do this though, eating off site? Seems like a lot of time wasted to me. Leaving the park, waiting for a tram for the parking lot, driving to an off site eatery, driving back to the park, catching a team again, waiting in line for bags/tickets. Wayyy to much hassle for me.

You can easily eat breakfast offsite before arriving. Lots of people get park hopper tickets and go to more than 1 park in a day. If you are park hopping you need to leave the park anyway and head to the second one. Some people like to take an afternoon break at the pool to cool off. They eat either lunch or dinner or both before heading back in the evening to MK or EPCOT for Illuminations. A lot of people eat dinner at least 1 night in DTD. There isn't much of a difference between that and eating off site. Other than MK the parking tram and car is faster than waiting for a bus.

You don't have to eat every meal off site, but if you eat most breakfasts and even half your other meals you can save a ton of money.

 

[Beholder]

It used to be such a big part of the WDW experience, staying on property, staying in the magic bubble. I still get excited when I drive on Disney property, it's like I'm home. The prices though, are starting to kill that. I'm not anywhere close to that 100k a year figure, and we've always managed to take trips without selling a kidney or raffling off a car, but it's getting harder. I live only about 5-6 hours away driving, so that isn't too bad, but staying on property is getting harder to justify. I hate this, because even though the "value" of staying on site isn't really a value, the intangible nature of how I FEEL makes the cost somewhat bearable. But even that is starting to price itself out if MY range. I know I'm on the low end of the scale, but it stinks nonetheless.

 

[flynnibus]

During the summer, it takes 153 DVC points to rent a standard room at Port Orleans Riverside (POR), which works out to about $104/night using those BLT points. That's a great rate for POR. From a cash flow perspective, Disney is being generous with the exchange.

But that's a shaky way of looking at it... because that $104 in 'revenue' isn't sales revenue. It's $104 that is supposed to only cover operating costs. If Disney (not DVC) were looking at it as revenue, the slice would even smaller.. whatever margin they squeezing from markups built into their fees and transfer costs.

The dollars collected as a hotel room rate are priced with a much higher profit margin. The DVC MF technically have no margin built in, but Disney would be eking out a small margin on the components paid for by that MF.

So it's more like $400 at 30% margin... vs $104 at 0.5% margin.

I think it's bad form to present the $104 collected in MF as a revenue stream compared to a sales revenue number.

 

[GrammieBee]

For the casual reader these threads can move a little fast. My only point is this: When people here talk about the walmarting of WDW they are not putting down people who shop at WalMart to save money. They are putting down Disney management for cheapening the product and making it more generic.

I know this, you know this, but if a person does not closely followi the thread, plus there is a picture of a Wallmart bag in a golf cart, it can come across as if the Wallmart shopper somehow does not belong. There is a certain amount of humor.

Every post does not have to have a deeper meaning and does not have to be explained.

 

[Jennifer66]

We only go every few years because we like to travel to other places too, but our trips have changed a lot due in no small part to Disney's insane price hikes coupled with little to no real growth/improvements in the parks. On our trips up to a few years ago, we stayed Deluxe, bought the DDP, did 7 day hoppers, and never left property. Two years ago we did a Uni-only trip, with a side trip to the beach. This year we are going for a long weekend, staying at the Dolphin, and eating/drinking at the Dolphin as least as often as we will on property. While our trip won't be cheap, we will not be spending nearly as much money as we used to at WDW; it's just not a good enough value.

 

[BrerJon]

My point is.. Not everyone as access to those CM discounts (which are "big" compared to the normal Disney branded discounts).

Yeah I know, but the original point crispy made was asking how come it seems to cost some people 5K to visit WDW, when they were doing a trip for much, much cheaper, with cast discounted rooms. You responded that not everyone can get cast discounts so it's not that affordable, my reply was simply to say that you can pay the same price as a CM discounted room (less even) by staying offsite, so lack of CM discounts would never be a barrier to a WDW visit.

 

[BrerJon]

Unless someone is a very frequent traveler to these locales (and I know some of you are), I question the sanity of anyone who would take a trip to Tokyo with the express purpose of going to a Disney resort.

You obviously haven't been to Tokyo Disneyland then!

Most people go to Japan for a couple of weeks, and that's plenty of time to spend 2 or 3 Disney days without short-changing the rest of the culture and sights that Tokyo has to offer.

Paris is different, as most people just go for a couple of days, the parks aren't much different to the USA ones, and Disney is very much not a French thing, but that's not the case in Japan. The Japanese love theme parks, Disney, and do things wildly differently and it's a cultural experience in itself.

If you love theme parks and Disney then the memories you will take away from Tokyo Disneyland will be just as strong as those of the ryokan, sushi bars or sumo wrestling.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'd say the familiarity of Disney makes the Tokyo Disney Resort a nice introduction to the time, culture and language differences. As an American I am more familiar with Romance languages and can fake my way in French much further than I can Japanese. English also seems to be more common, even if begrudgingly, in France than Japan.

 

[BrerJon]

Do a lot of people do this though, eating off site? Seems like a lot of time wasted to me. Leaving the park, waiting for a tram for the parking lot, driving to an off site eatery, driving back to the park, catching a team again, waiting in line for bags/tickets. Wayyy to much hassle for me.

When people talk about eating off-site they usually mean for breakfast and for an evening meal after going to the parks, on the way back to the hotel (in off-peak times or on ticketed event nights, the parks shut at 7 or 8 so plenty of time for dinner). Even if 'off-site' just means the hotels at Downtown Disney, you're only 5 minutes (barring traffic) from Crossroads mall which offers plenty of cheap eating options (Sweet Tomatoes being my personal recommendation).

With a car, I can get from the Epcot turnstiles to Crossroads, get a take out McDonalds, and be back at my off-site Deluxe quality not-much-more-than Value priced hotel near Downtown in less than the time it takes for many guests to get back to on-site hotels from MK when you factor in the wait for a bus, maybe a second bus if it's too crowded, and then the journey time with possible stops.

 

[GoofGoof]

I know this, you know this, but if a person does not closely followi the thread, plus there is a picture of a Wallmart bag in a golf cart, it can come across as if the Wallmart shopper somehow does not belong. There is a certain amount of humor.

Every post does not have to have a deeper meaning and does not have to be explained.

Let's chalk it up to a misunderstanding then. I think the person who posted that picture was just being funny or at least ironic given the earlier comment about the Walmarting of WDW.

In any case this whole discussion is probably not really on topic anyway so I will save the Mom some extra work and end it now.

 

[WDW1974]

The problem with VB or HH is the distinct possibility Disney could sell their interest to another timeshare company and remove them from their system. You would then be left with an ownership interest at a very nice, but non Disney offsite resort. You would then be playing the II/RCI trading game like any other timeshare owner

I don't believe you will see that.

 

[WDW1974]

All that to say, a Disney trip is never cheap (unless you are a certain Spirit!),

True. But MANY people won't do what's needed to save money (do NOT stay at WDW resorts unless you have CM pals ... and do NOT eat many meals at Disney locations ... and do not buy crappy logo merchandise that some one here will pick up for you when the $35 tee is $5.99 at a Disney outlet!) and have a better and, often times, classier trip.

For most people who are planning WDW vacations, I can knock off a grand to star without even trying. I think people are either addicted to staying on property (if I got over it, then anyone can!) and dining at WDW ... a rental car will always be less expensive than a WDW Resort, btw.

 

[WDW1974]

I wouldn't even consider going to a Disney theme park were I in Tokyo and it has absolutely nothing to do with the expense.

I did spend a day in EuroDisney during a trip to Paris shortly after college, mostly as a lark and to tell a mildly amusing story playing the role of the ugly American. Yes, it was an absolutely gorgeous park and unique in many, many ways. But would I ever do it again or waste a day on an international trip by going to a Disney theme park? No. It's not enough of an incredibly different experience from the domestic parks to warrant the time, in my opinion.

Unless someone is a very frequent traveler to these locales (and I know some of you are), I question the sanity of anyone who would take a trip to Tokyo with the express purpose of going to a Disney resort.

I've never traveled anywhere beyond O-Town with the only goal being visiting a theme park or parks. I think that's ... well, not me. I will say that seeing TDL (and later TDS) was a dream I had from childhood, but so was Tokyo itself. No, I can't fathom an American flying to Tokyo just to visit TDR and leave.

But I can't imagine being a Disney fan, and one would assume you are or else why would you be here, and not wanting to see the international parks. Even now, after living in Hong Kong and dating someone in Germany (where Paris is a great high speed rail trip away!), I can't imagine being in either city and not visiting the Disney resorts even if only for a day or two. And I was a part-time local at DLR for years and always visit when I am on the left coast.

No, I don't take trips to those locales just to visit Disney resorts. They are a nice bonus to amazing cities.

I also don't blow $15,000 in a week at WDW, but plenty of others do. I think that's crazy myself.

 

[WDW1974]

I think a lot of us feel that way.
I can't even understand people who come to FL and never see anything but WDW.

All we have beyond theme parks are beaches (some great to be fair), outlet malls, strip centers, roads in constant states of construction and Indian casinos. Bars and chain restaurants too. Add in bugs the size of VW bugs and gators and other critters ... oh, and backwards voters and politicos ... and, great college football ... and that about covers it.

I still don't get what is so appealing and I'm almost a native.

 

[Nubs70]

I think you missed my point, again. I was merely trying to point out, tongue in cheek, how a lot of the posts would make things seem to a casual reader. Maybe nobody casual reads these posts. I am, surprise, actually able to figure out for myself the indepth analysis. We do tend to see things from a different perspective. But thank you for wanting to help an old lady who obviously didn't understand. (Is this tongue in cheek? Maybe.)

As posted above, Walmart, refers to the management practices of WDW.

How does that photo refer to a Walmart experience?
1. Pertinent given by WDW was wrong and I was informed it was my fault.
2. A single bottle of shampoo for 4 people.
3. No towels at pool yet a towel return?

I have had better facilities, service and amenities for cheaper. Yet it is marketed a something special.

If a casual reader can't figure it out, their problem, not mine.

 

[Goofyernmost]

All we have beyond theme parks are beaches (some great to be fair), outlet malls, strip centers, roads in constant states of construction and Indian casinos. Bars and chain restaurants too. Add in bugs the size of VW bugs and gators and other critters ... oh, and backwards voters and politicos ... and, great college football ... and that about covers it.

I still don't get what is so appealing and I'm almost a native.

That could be because you don't live up north. I can remember coming down from Vermont in February and feeling like I was in heaven. I love exploring the country side and seeing a standard of living so much different then what I was used too. The palm trees, the orange groves, the gators, yes, even the bugs. All those things get taken for granted and become either a massive pain or just plan boring to those that see that everyday.

To those of us with very short seasons, a place like WDW is indeed a fantasy land. But, getting to the place, for me, was always as good as the main destination. From the very beginning, I never spent my whole time just at the parks. I made side trips to the gulf coast, went to Cyprus Gardens, up to Silver Springs, over to the Kennedy Space Center and even Universal and Sea World. I even made a two day trip to Key West, with my base point in Kissimmee. On days when I was just tired of being on my feet all day, I would go to some of the flea markets and just look at what was there. Or I would take a Helicopter tour over WDW and Kissimmee. I'd wander around in the neighborhoods, the back roads. The time that I went to Key West I came back late and there I was riding through the Everglades after midnight. Not another car in sight for the whole distance. Bok Tower and the new Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. Sunken Gardens in St. Peterburg.

As an example of how people that live to close to stuff never appreciate it, for the 60+ years I lived in seeing distance of Lake Champlain, I hardly ever went near it. Yet, people from out of state flocked to the place to see historic Lake Champlain (the sixth largest fresh water lake in the country and major player in the war of 1812) People from Maine would come to see the area. We residents, usually passed them on the road when we were on the way to Maine and the Ocean. Florida has a lot to offer people that are not accustomed to what is there. That said, I wouldn't want to live there, but, I always enjoy my limited trips to Florida. It's none of my business, but, to me people that just want to be sequestered, with no real options, to WDW no matter how nice it seems to be, frustrate me, because I don't understand the logic. Heck, I even have a daughter that, I'm thinking about cutting out of my will, just wants to stay onsite and never leave. She must have been adopted!

 

[GrammieBee]

Let's chalk it up to a misunderstanding then. I think the person who posted that picture was just being funny or at least ironic given the earlier comment about the Walmarting of WDW.

In any case this whole discussion is probably not really on topic anyway so I will save the Mom some extra work and end it now.

OK by me. Irony --- exactly.. I was thinking you guys had no sense of humor.

Back to the topic at hand. I tend to agree with what you are complaining about. There is no question that to us old timers there is less offered for more of our dollars. You would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to be aware of it. We wolud like to hold Disney to a higher standard than other corporations who are busily doing the same thing in the way of less product for an increasing cost.

In other places, in almost any price range, there are better deals for nicer and more spacious accommodations for both hotels and time shares. A decent meal can cost a lot less somewhere else, as well. Fine dining, where available, will always cost an arm and a leg. To be fair, some vacation destinations cost just as much or even more than Disney.

Disney has always known how to squeeze the last penny out of its customers. My husband and I have laughed about this for years. However, there is no other place on earth quite like Walt Disney World and staying on property. I, for one, am not yet ready to concede that it is going to heck in a hand cart and prefer to take the long view that nothing in life is certain.

 

[Cesar R M]

Because there really is not a whole lot extra offered by staying on site. We get that you're talking about Cast Member discounts, but those do not create prices that are totally unavailable if one is willing to look elsewhere. Your point is only valid for those who must stay at a Disney hotel.

That was my point. Not everyone has access to those CM Discounts. Hence I have no idea why many people talk about them like they were easily available.

Also, people like @R W B understand that not always is "easy" to just go elsewhere to buy food.
If you have a rented car or own a car.. it seems easy. But for those who are from international countries.. its not. (also.. I honestly didn't like to park hopp lol)

So Its kinda hard to have a perfect balance between prices vs availability.

Do a lot of people do this though, eating off site? Seems like a lot of time wasted to me. Leaving the park, waiting for a tram for the parking lot, driving to an off site eatery, driving back to the park, catching a team again, waiting in line for bags/tickets. Wayyy to much hassle for me.

For me It was. No way for me to rent a car in a place I dont know, with rules I dont know. Hence why I preferred to be in the parks as much as possible and thus maximize my time on things I wanted.

Thanks god I had other type of discounts ( thanks to my employment in a Small Tour/Concierge/Travel Concentrator) to offset the big cost of my trips.