So Disney IS A Bargain?

[Chef Mickey]

Finally, someone publishes a reasonable take on Disney, using actual experience from going to the parks. This is specifically about Disneyland, but the point is made.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-disney-is-a-bargain-even-at-105-a-day-2015-02-26

 

[Tom]

Thanks for posting this. I think it's a well written article.

It annoys me when people fixate on the $105 for a 1-day admission, and completely disregard the cost-per-day that most guests experience through park hoppers.

And then, compare any of those prices to an NFL game ticket (for 3 hours of entertainment), or an NBA game, or a A-lister concert.

Disney is expensive, but it can certainly be perceived as a bargain too. Everything is relative.

 

[Tony Perkis]

 

[kap91]

Thanks for posting this. I think it's a well written article.

It annoys me when people fixate on the $105 for a 1-day admission, and completely disregard the cost-per-day that most guests experience through park hoppers.

And then, compare any of those prices to an NFL game ticket (for 3 hours of entertainment), or an NBA game, or a A-lister concert.

Disney is expensive, but it can certainly be perceived as a bargain too. Everything is relative.

Yep. That's been my general view that I try to spread. Yes it's as expensive as hell. Which unfortunately means that a lot of people (including myself these days) can barely or not afford it. But on the other hand, compared to all other entertainment it's pretty much in line or even significantly undervalued.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

A few hours at a professional sporting event and a week in the "Disney Bubble" isn't exactly an Apples to Apples comparison.

 

[Hakunamatata]

A few hours at a professional sporting event and a week in the "Disney Bubble" isn't exactly an Apples to Apples comparison.

But comparing three hours at a sporting event to a day in the parks is.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

But comparing three hours at a sporting event to a day in the parks is.

But these are Destination Resorts. Take food as an example. A Father may be willing to pay $121, one time (all that is necessary for 3 hours), for 4 greasy brots, fries, and cokes for the family. He may be disinclined to do it if he has to do it 21 times over 7 days.

 

[40goingon7]

UNI just increased its ticket prices as well. One day/1 park is now $105, I believe so the price barrier has been crossed by both resorts. Still comes down to what you want to do, IMO

 

[Disneyhead'71]

UNI just increased its ticket prices as well. One day/1 park is now $105, I believe so the price barrier has been crossed by both resorts. Still comes down to what you want to do, IMO

I want to stay at nice hotels, eat good food, and ride new state of the art attractions.

Or I can go wallow in the memory of a once great resort.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Or I can go wallow in the memory of a once great resort.

By all means. Move on.

 

[Otterhead]

Fixating on the one-day cost is silly.
WDW becomes a very good deal if you're there for multiple days. The difference between a 6-day pass and a 7-day pass is negligible. And there's tons of value options and ways to make it extremely affordable; I mean, seriously, walk around the park and look at the people who are there. Do you think they're all wealthy?

Now, I personally can't imagine being able to afford staying at Contemporary with a family. But that's the extreme high end.

I can go wallow in the memory of a once great resort.

I never thought Universal was that great, personally

 

[Disneyhead'71]

By all means. Move on.

I, in general, don't go to WDW.

I say, "in general", because I have taken advantage of free media nights once in each of the past 2 years. (MNSSHP'13, MVMCP'14).

I do watch what they are doing down the road. And have hope that we are seeing Disney at least trying to get back some of that old time magic.

DHS is NOT in any form or fashion a "Disney Quality" park. It is an embarrassment. And the fact that I will get flamed for treason because I said it, compounds the problem.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Fixating on the one-day cost is silly.
WDW becomes a very good deal if you're there for multiple days. The difference between a 6-day pass and a 7-day pass is negligible. And there's tons of value options and ways to make it extremely affordable; I mean, seriously, walk around the park and look at the people who are there. Do you think they're all wealthy?

Now, I personally can't imagine being able to afford staying at Contemporary with a family. But that's the extreme high end.


I never thought Universal was that great, personally

Actually, Disney is only a good deal if all you look at is the one day ticket. As soon as you start throwing in nights at Disney Resorts and multiple days of food, it is no longer a bargain. Each additional day, in isolation, costs less. But I have NEVER seen the cost of a vacation go down by adding days.

I, personally, think Universal has top shelf attractions, very nice hotels, and some fantastic dining. But I'm sure that's just me.

 

[Otterhead]

DHS is a park in transition. When it opened (as a worthy competitor to Universal, which was in disrepair), it had a great unifying theme. As it's been added to, it's become scattered, and with the loss of the Backstage Tour, the whole 'Hollywood studio' concept is getting more and more lost. There's huge chunks of the park that are badly dated and underutilized.

However, DHS still has some of the best attractions at all of WDW: Star Tours, HTH, MuppetVision, etc... and still has a great atmosphere around the lake area and main street. It's starting to get a lot of love and upgrades, and the possibilities they've announced with Star Wars are limitless. I'm looking forward to seeing it evolve.

 

[Otterhead]

But I have NEVER seen the cost of a vacation go down by adding days.

I suggest looking at the cost of a multi-day pass (i.e., the Park Hopper). Every day you add costs less. It's more economical to stay for 7 nights than 5 nights, etc.

Yes, Universal's become a very very nice park and they've put in some astoundingly great attractions. I'd love to see it sometime; pity that it's so expensive. I'm not a fan of having to pay extra to see the Harry Potter stuff on top of an already-pricey day pass.

 

[draybook]

DHS is a park in transition. When it opened (as a worthy competitor to Universal, which was in disrepair), it had a great unifying theme. As it's been added to, it's become scattered, and with the loss of the Backstage Tour, the whole 'Hollywood studio' concept is getting more and more lost. There's huge chunks of the park that are badly dated and underutilized.

However, DHS still has some of the best attractions at all of WDW: Star Tours, HTH, MuppetVision, etc... and still has a great atmosphere around the lake area and main street. It's starting to get a lot of love and upgrades, and the possibilities they've announced with Star Wars are limitless. I'm looking forward to seeing it evolve.

More like DHS is a junkie in recovery.

 

[copcarguyp71]

For us it is a personal feeling of ROI of our vacation dollar. I would spend $200/day if I felt the experience was commensurate with price paid.

I am not one of the ones that beats the war drum based on price but rather what we feel we get today for a higher price versus what we got 8 years ago and even 20 years ago for a lower price. For the money our value per dollar is just not where it needs to be. Closed down areas (special events be da*mned), removed features, higher crowds, broken ride AA's and cheapened experiences are though what has tainted our families personal experience. I understand that operating costs increase over time and that is a given but as a guest it is hard to swallow such increases without feeling like a clear and concise effort was made to add value in along with keeping up with operating costs. I am sure it is a very difficult balance and I do not envy the bean counters at TDO or at the mothership. Yes, we have gotten new areas at MK but this is where being a Disnephile has its noted down side because those of us enlightened on projects from concept to final phase realize how little ends up being delivered when compared to when the idea was sold to the board. When you know as much as we do on these boards you are more astute to reduced product and defurbs.

As I always say these are our own personal feelings and I do not foist them on anyone but at the same time I feel compelled to share as others do because I care for the park experience and miss what once was. I understand that things change and I am OK with change...in fact I try to embrace it. I will look forward to trying Frozestrom someday when we return because it is new and fresh which despite the hatred for it others seem to have for it I look at it as a slightly increased ROI and at least it is a change. But...at this point my feelings for not giving them my money for a vacation are solely based on what I feel I get for my dollar and really has very little to do with how much I spend per day.

Bottom line is Disney will continue to pack the parks and as long as that happens then us 1%-ers will never get back what we once had. We will either get over it or not but our ability to effect change is nil so get over it and move on or waste effort being angry. I tend to float somewhere in the middle in that I speak out in the form of discussion and we have enacted a WDW moratorium until 2017( started in 2013) at which time we will take another good hard look at whether we will return or not but on the flip side a part of me really wants to see things again that make me want to lock the front door, hop in the car and drive to WDW at the drop of a hat...I hope to feel that way again someday soon.

Edit: Another deciding factor is the need to carry a smart phone to get the most out of FP+ and MM+ and the fact that I hate having to carry my phone the other 300+ days a year that I resent having to carry it into the parks or wait at an overcrowded kiosk in order to get the most. Making a vacation tantamount to solving a cryptex and charging more for it is another reason why I see less value for the dollar.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

DHS is a park in transition. When it opened (as a worthy competitor to Universal, which was in disrepair), it had a great unifying theme. As it's been added to, it's become scattered, and with the loss of the Backstage Tour, the whole 'Hollywood studio' concept is getting more and more lost. There's huge chunks of the park that are badly dated and underutilized.

However, DHS still has some of the best attractions at all of WDW: Star Tours, HTH, MuppetVision, etc... and still has a great atmosphere around the lake area and main street. It's starting to get a lot of love and upgrades, and the possibilities they've announced with Star Wars are limitless. I'm looking forward to seeing it evolve.

DHS opened before USF. And, yes, Uni had a rough start out of the gate. It would be best for everyone involved to just avoid comparing the two parks today.

 

[Otterhead]

DHS opened before USF. And, yes, Uni had a rough start out of the gate. It would be best for everyone involved to just avoid comparing the two parks today.

You know, you're right. I had this crazy notion that DHS opened a few years after USF. My mistake!

I just remember visiting USF after a few days at WDW back in '91, and being sort of taken aback by how dirty, junky, and falling-apart everything was, and how nasty the employees were. They've come a long way since Islands opened.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I suggest looking at the cost of a multi-day pass (i.e., the Park Hopper). Every day you add costs less. It's more economical to stay for 7 nights than 5 nights, etc.

Yes, Universal's become a very very nice park and they've put in some astoundingly great attractions. I'd love to see it sometime; pity that it's so expensive. I'm not a fan of having to pay extra to see the Harry Potter stuff on top of an already-pricey day pass.

No, adding days does not make it cheaper. A 3 day ticket costs more than a 2 day ticket. A 5 day ticket costs more than a 4 day ticket. Yes, each individual day costs less than the one before. But adding days still costs more.