TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Yeah…. Disney world is still a good value. Anyone who travels regularly knows that.
There have been some great hotel rates this summer too.
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There have been some great hotel rates this summer too.
Tom P.
Well-Known Member
Said it before, will say it again. Me and my family still like Walt Disney World. I still think it's a good value for what it is. We went last year and imagine my surprise when the place was not a burned out, barren wasteland but was, in fact, still a fantastic vacation destination. We're going back next year. Call me a sucker if you like. I don't care. I still love the place.
I was recently looking at local hotel rates in our city (30 miles north of Atlanta) and half decent hotels were averaging $185 -$225 per night.
You can get value and moderate Disney resorts for the same price or often less than that with the summer/fall offers.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
Umm..,you responded to a Majority Shareholder?
Of note:
1) If one owns any 500 Spider or Index Fund they most likely own Disney Stock
2) Anyone who’s posts “thanks for the dividends” isn’t exactly astute with regards to the Market
Dividends? Why would anyone want dividends from a Disney Stock? Most would prefer Disney to reinvest and make them more money, not send it back to them in form of a Dividend…
How ironic for Disney to flip the script …. Guess that makes the OP the rube?
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Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
The Mouse Wins….
DisneyHead123
Well-Known Member
I dunno. I want to protest that Disney is a “splurge” vs. a great value, but my compass for value is completely broken living through these wild economic times and being a parent for the first time.
I promised my son he could ride the 611 train this fall. Imagine my surprise when, today, I got an email saying tickets for this charming little train ride start at $120 per person. Wondering if I can put him on the train by himself…
And it feels like that with everything. Movies and popcorn are crazy expensive, the pumpkin patch is crazy expensive, for a simple beach vacation they want a couple of mortgage payments. I will say Disney isn’t priced leaps and bounds above other “certified charming vacation experiences”, lol, but dang, it seems like everything is so expensive today. (I feel like a senior from my childhood yelling at anyone who will listen about what you could buy with a shiny quarter back in my day.)
CoastalElite64
Well-Known Member
I dunno. I want to protest that Disney is a “splurge” vs. a great value, but my compass for value is completely broken living through these wild economic times and being a parent for the first time.
I promised my son he could ride the 611 train this fall. Imagine my surprise when, today, I got an email saying tickets for this charming little train ride start at $120 per person. Wondering if I can put him on the train by himself…
It's not just you, everything is more expensive and getting more expensive.
For our family Disney is a good value, but in comparison to other alternatives, like overseas travel or other theme parks.
What specifically did you find that made you believe it was or is a "good" value?
What made you want to spend $6 for a bottle of water or $179 for a fireworks dining package at Geo82 or $60+ per person for a character breakfast or whatever a LLMP costs now?
Chi84
Premium Member
Value is entirely subjective.
We had a wonderful time with our grandchildren at Topolino’s character breakfast so it was worth the cost for us to experience it.
The kids enjoyed Space 220 so much that we’re including it on our next trip even though I would have been happier had it not been prix fixe.
We could have had a great time without those two dining experiences but I don’t regret what we spent for a minute.
Yes, we purchased LLs and I much preferred free FP+ but that changed.
We sailed concierge on DCL even though we would have had a great time without the extra perks. But we decided that the upgrade was worth it to us.
People make their own judgments on what is worth their discretionary vacation dollars.
Castle Cake Apologist
Well-Known Member
I'll give you $50 if you can quote a single post that comes even close to referring to WDW as a "burned out, barren wasteland."
Tom P.
Well-Known Member
Bottled water at most locations at Disney is $4 per bottle. You know what bottled water costs at the Columbus Zoo? $4 a bottle. You know what it is at King's Island? $4.50 per bottle. I realize the cost of water wasn't the specific point of your post, but I find that people tend to exaggerate costs at Disney and always paint it as though everything is more expensive than at other vacation destinations. I don't find that to be true.
Regarding everything else, I'll just echo what @Chi84 said. We did a character meal at Chef Mickey's during our last trip. We have a large family. The total bill was $672.30. And it was worth every penny. We could take them down the road to IHOP for $100 or less. Was the experience we got at Chef Mickeys worth nearly $600 more than that meal at IHOP? Absolutely.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
I didn’t do any of that except I bought 1 smart water from a cart cause it was 90% humidity and I was at MK which has a weird tasting water from most of the counters.
Monetary Value ≠ Emotional Value.
Many of the things I spend on at WDW don't make monetary sense, but are emotionally valuable to me.
@Tom P. sees value in his Chef Mickey's meal with family, he chose Emotional Value over Monetary Value, and I 100% get that, I often do the same thing while on vacation, many of us do.
I'm still taking WDW vacations several times a year, and chosing to spend time and money there. I'm not judging. People are free to find value in whatever, and to spend their (vacation) money as they see fit.
Many of the things I spend on at WDW don't make monetary sense, but are emotionally valuable to me.
@Tom P. sees value in his Chef Mickey's meal with family, he chose Emotional Value over Monetary Value, and I 100% get that, I often do the same thing while on vacation, many of us do.
I'm still taking WDW vacations several times a year, and chosing to spend time and money there. I'm not judging. People are free to find value in whatever, and to spend their (vacation) money as they see fit.
Tom P.
Well-Known Member
Exactly. I realize that our bill at Chef Mickey's was quite high, but my wife and I chose to have a large family, we can afford it, and we enjoy it. So why should anyone else tell us we're wrong? If someone else wants to come to WDW and eat quick service the entire time to save money, I'd totally get that too. And it's not really any of my business even if I didn't.
It is insulting, which is why I won't engage with that particular poster again. But it's also just wrong. First off, $60 a person is hardly an exorbitant amount when compared to many thousands of restaurants across the country.
Second, walk into Chef Mickey's on any random day and you'll see it packed, including tables with large families like ours. People obviously find that it has value and people willing to pay for it aren't just "outliers."
I've said it before, but the yearly attendance at Magic Kingdom is over 17 million people. If WDW is so overpriced as to only be for the wealthy now, then there are a heck of a lot more wealthy people in this country than I've been led to believe. And if spending the money at WDW makes one gullible and not too bright, then at least I can share that trait with 17 million of my closest friends.
We took my then 8yo nephew to Chef Mickey's years ago. Our finances were different at that time, dining at a WDW buffet/table service restaurant was quite a splurge for us back then. Yes, it was expensive, but worth it to us.
I'm an international guest, btw, our currency is X8 per 1 US$, so yeah, the concept of 'monetary/emotional value' is very present in our vacation choices.
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I don’t know why this is complicated. Some people have a lot more money than others. Spending $600 on a family dinner may sound like a once in a lifetime event to one family, and your average Saturday night to another.
I am lucky enough to be very fortunate, but I am very happy for people who are even more fortunate than me. I don’t get mad that they can spend money in ways I can only imagine.
Saying someone is making terrible decisions because they spend too much on a character breakfast is silly. Let people enjoy their lives the way they see fit.
I am lucky enough to be very fortunate, but I am very happy for people who are even more fortunate than me. I don’t get mad that they can spend money in ways I can only imagine.
Saying someone is making terrible decisions because they spend too much on a character breakfast is silly. Let people enjoy their lives the way they see fit.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Chef Mickeys is a terrible value for me, personally. But I loved my meal at Tiffins and thought it was a great value compared to similar specialty restaurants in the real world. (My 40% off helped and of course the Joe Rohde print is priceless!!!)
To imply that all of Disney is bad value because you don’t find value in certain experiences which you don’t have to purchase seems a bit odd.
To imply that all of Disney is bad value because you don’t find value in certain experiences which you don’t have to purchase seems a bit odd.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Woah…calm down in here, bros…
Rodney king asked “why we can’t all just get along?”
Rodney king asked “why we can’t all just get along?”
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Character meals are the worst value on property…but…as long as people are aware of that…have at it. They’re still unique from the day to day and can be a nice diversion.
The two a day crowd…or saying the prices are a “good deal for me…”(within reason)…
Yeah…there’s a prescription to help treat that.
You need a poster with “all new numbers” to twist that. The prices have gone up 400% since the turn of the century…that’s not inflation…there’s no comp to a sporting event or parking outside the T Swift concert…it’s simply a pressure point they poke with a hot cattle prod.
It is what it is…
The two a day crowd…or saying the prices are a “good deal for me…”(within reason)…
Yeah…there’s a prescription to help treat that.
You need a poster with “all new numbers” to twist that. The prices have gone up 400% since the turn of the century…that’s not inflation…there’s no comp to a sporting event or parking outside the T Swift concert…it’s simply a pressure point they poke with a hot cattle prod.
It is what it is…
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DisneyCane
Well-Known Member
Inflation has been across the board but from my experience, vacation inflation has been even higher, especially at "hot spots" like WDW and Vegas. I go to Vegas at the same time every year and, for the the last several years, the increases in hotel rates and food costs are just as bad as WDW.
Vegas seems to be having a bit of a downturn due to multiple factors including cost. While Vegas became a destination it doesn't have the "must do in your lifetime" factor like WDW has become for parents. That allows WDW to be immune to turning off people due to prices except when economic conditions get really bad.