News Disney World Hits All-Time High Revenue in Q3 2025, Strong Bookings Continue into Q4

[Trauma]

I think this discussion can easily get dragged into the “value” argument when discussing the clear decline of Disney parks over time.

It’s easy to say “This isn’t a good value anymore” or “The value has been greatly reduced”.

While that may be true to you maybe someone else had never been, so the “value” to them is whatever experience they have when they visit.

Maybe I’m wrong and someone can correct me but I think a better way to say things is “The experience has been reduced at Disney”.

As long as there is a large enough customer base that thinks the current “experience” is worth the money, I expect no changes out of Disney’s current philosophy of price increases coupled with lessening the guest experience.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I think this discussion can easily get dragged into the “value” argument when discussing the clear decline of Disney parks over time.

It’s easy to say “This isn’t a good value anymore” or “The value has been greatly reduced”.

While that may be true to you maybe someone else had never been, so the “value” to them is whatever experience they have when they visit.

Maybe I’m wrong and someone can correct me but I think a better way to say things is “The experience has been reduced at Disney”.

As long as there is a large enough customer base that thinks the current “experience” is worth the money, I expect no changes out of Disney’s current philosophy of price increases coupled with lessening the guest experience.

I also think it can provide less than in the past but still be a good value or "worth" it for many ...

If say in the past it cost 50 units, and you got 200 units of return, that is amazing value. If now it costs 100 units and you get 150 units of return that is still really good and totally "worth" it, but if you focus only on how it isn't as good as before, that can provide some negative feelings even though what is being provided is still great

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

with value - it depends on how you visit. I feel like Disney planning encourages visitors to pre-book restaurants, fireworks / Fantasmic viewing, lightning lane, photo pass….

That can all add up.

I think it’s great value but I buy an AP and know which counter service places I like. I don’t buy any LL or photos, or anything like that.

 

[JD80]

The only way the value conversation is worthwhile is if it's about how someone personally finds value in WDW. Not declarative statements how how there is no value attempting to speak for others.

 

[flyerjab]

I love when posters on here dare us to explain why we’re still paying to go to Disney. Like we owe them an explanation as to why. It’s also fun when we are called rubes - one of the perks I always look forward to when I come on here to post my opinions.

I don’t owe anyone any explanation. My wife and I just got back from a 4 day trip and we had a blast. We stayed at the Poly tower and Riviera. We went into all 4 parks and every dinner is spent at a signature restaurant. I guess we are advanced rubes.

At the end of the day, we pay for what we like. The arguments made on here are fascinating for why we shouldn’t be going anymore. It’s like asking me why I payed so much for the house I live in or the car I drive when there are clearly less expensive alternatives. Maybe I fancy art and like to but paintings. Some might say how could you possibly spend so much on something like that? It’s what is important to me. It is what I get enjoyment out of. Sorry if you can’t grasp that.

You know what I can’t grasp? Why some people spend so much time on a fan forum, literally complaining about everything Disney does with their domestic parks. This isn’t hyperbole. There are some folks on here that do nothing but complain and clearly can’t stand the product anymore. My question is why are you still here? Why haven’t you found something else in life to enjoy instead of spending every day on here complaining? That is what I don’t understand. But the one thing I won’t do is insult you for it. You be you.

 

[Touchdown]

The thing is, amusement parks, even Disney, continue to be one of the cheapest forms of entertainment out there, especially on a per hour basis. Do you know how expensive it is to attend a music festival, do a week of Broadway shows, or spend a week at a sporting event, or a cruise? That’s not a 4 digit cost, it’s a 5-6 digit cost for a family of four. Yes there are cheaper vacation choices (beaches, national parks) but at those places you have to put in considerable more planning/entertain yourself. As long as that’s the case, theme parks will still be the value option if one wants a “manufactured” vacation.

 

[Chi84]

I love when posters on here dare us to explain why we’re still paying to go to Disney. Like we owe them an explanation as to why. It’s also fun when we are called rubes - one of the perks I always look forward to when I come on here to post my opinions.

I don’t owe anyone any explanation. My wife and I just got back from a 4 day trip and we had a blast. We stayed at the Poly tower and Riviera. We went into all 4 parks and every dinner is spent at a signature restaurant. I guess we are advanced rubes.

At the end of the day, we pay for what we like. The arguments made on here are fascinating for why we shouldn’t be going anymore. It’s like asking me why I payed so much for the house I live in or the car I drive when there are clearly less expensive alternatives. Maybe I fancy art and like to but paintings. Some might say how could you possibly spend so much on something like that? It’s what is important to me. It is what I get enjoyment out of. Sorry if you can’t grasp that.

You know what I can’t grasp? Why some people spend so much time on a fan forum, literally complaining about everything Disney does with their domestic parks. This isn’t hyperbole. There are some folks on here that do nothing but complain and clearly can’t stand the product anymore. My question is why are you still here? Why haven’t you found something else in life to enjoy instead of spending every day on here complaining? That is what I don’t understand. But the one thing I won’t do is insult you for it. You be you.

My take is that the people who truly love WDW are anxious that it's dying because of high prices and changes that make it less "Disney." They may be right, although I don't think it's going to be a quick death and misrepresenting the state of the parks won't make it happen any faster.

They try to control that by convincing others to not support the current product - either by arguing that WDW has lost "value" to everyone or by using insults, name-calling and rude memes to make people who still visit feel stupid.

I don't mind the arguments because that's what we're all here for - discussion. I'm confident in using words to explain why I visit WDW.

And I worked and saved far too long to let random members on the internet make me feel bad about how I spend my money, especially if all they have in their arsenal are insults, name-calling and rude memes.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Do you know how expensive it is...do a week of Broadway shows, or spend a week at a sporting event

No one does a week of those things

It's a false equivalency that people have been posting constantly on this forum for years and I wish would stop.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I also think it can provide less than in the past but still be a good value or "worth" it for many ...

If say in the past it cost 50 units, and you got 200 units of return, that is amazing value. If now it costs 100 units and you get 150 units of return that is still really good and totally "worth" it, but if you focus only on how it isn't as good as before, that can provide some negative feelings even though what is being provided is still great

This is much more accurate description of what has happened to WDW this decade.

We know they've raised hotel and ticket rates, while offering less (no Magical Express) or charging for things that used to be free (FastPass). That's not up for debate, even if you still want to go and are willing to pay the asking price.

If people think that's fair, that's up to them, but please try to understand that's exactly why the rest of us may choose to go less or stay offsite because of these exact decisions.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Also, when it comes to Broadway or touring productions of theater shows (even the Disney ones) there's often discount and rush tickets of which there is no equivalent for Disney, especially one-day tickets.

Broadway shows, concerts, Cirque, and sporting arenas also have staggered pricing depending upon what seat you pick

With Disney, you pay for the same park ticket price regardless of how you use it

 

[Touchdown]

No one does a week of those things

It's a false equivalency that people have been posting constantly on this forum for years and I wish would stop.

People take trips to New York, the Olympics, Tennis events, and golf tournaments. While it’s more of a long weekend people also attend the NCAA and conference basketball tournaments as well. All of those trips are more expensive from an entertainment perspective with comparable food and lodging costs.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

You know what I can’t grasp? Why some people spend so much time on a fan forum, literally complaining about everything Disney does with their domestic parks. This isn’t hyperbole. There are some folks on here that do nothing but complain and clearly can’t stand the product anymore. My question is why are you still here? Why haven’t you found something else in life to enjoy instead of spending every day on here complaining? That is what I don’t understand.

I think it’s very similar to a sports team, in a good year we talk about our favorite players, how great the coaching staff is, the new prospects, etc, in a bad year we talk about how players are underperforming, bad contracts, which coaches need to be fired, etc.

We don’t stop loving hockey, football, basketball, etc just because our team is struggling… but we’ll certainly talk about why we feel they’re failing and what we feel they need to do to make the team better.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Regarding negativity towards the parks, I think there are all kinds of reasons, ranging from people just enjoying some good smack talk to people getting priced out. I will say one that I find interesting from a big picture perspective is the idea of the parks as microcosm for aspects of society. To my mind it’s not just about the Magic Express or package delivery, it’s the sense that one era rapidly ended with Covid and another kickstarted in a way you don’t usually see in real time. Customer service kinda fell off the map while integration of technology ramped up to new levels. (I still think Disney customer service is good relatively speaking, but nowhere near what it was in the days of being mailed free Magic Bands and such.)

To me it’s an ok trade. It’s not a perfect trade, there are pros and cons, but I'm ok with more shiny new things in exchange for a bygone era of customer service and attention to detail. I like what someone (AJ Wolfe maybe?) called the "24 hour news cycle" of Disney talk made possible by a never ending release of new snacks, seasonal offerings, construction updates, rumors, announcements, etc. But I do get why people are sad about what seems like a time in society that ended extremely fast. (To my mind, at least.)

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

My take is that the people who truly love WDW are anxious that it's dying because of high prices and changes that make it less "Disney." They may be right, although I don't think it's going to be a quick death and misrepresenting the state of the parks won't make it happen any faster.

They try to control that by convincing others to not support the current product - either by arguing that WDW has lost "value" to everyone or by using insults, name-calling and rude memes to make people who still visit feel stupid.

I don't mind the arguments because that's what we're all here for - discussion. I'm confident in using words to explain why I visit WDW.

And I worked and saved far too long to let random members on the internet make me feel bad about how I spend my money, especially if all they have in their arsenal are insults, name-calling and rude memes.

I agree. We don't feel the love anymore, but that's just us. There are many reasons. There are also many reasons why we miss and love WDW too. I don't berate others for loving Disney either. It's a personal choice made for a variety of reasons.
I hope that one day I will find myself back at WDW, but not at this time. I'm glad there are many people who still find the magic, and I'm sad that I don't. Like you said, no one should make you feel bad about how you spend your money.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Customer service kinda fell off the map while integration of technology ramped up to new levels.

That’s a really good point. What also ramped up is this “think of the poor hourly worker” mentality that creates a villain (aka “Karen”) from a customer that expects basic customer service skills.

If I say something like “that costume doesn’t look professional” on this forum - many will say “what matters most is the cm is comfortable!!!!”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You seem to spend more time and money at WDW then most of the people on these boards so why do you still find enough value to keep going?

I disagree as value is entirely subjective and nearly always dependent on ones monetary situation.

Then you yield your power in the marketplace…by not holding he seller to monetary based standards. It is what it is…that is how that turns out in wash.

“It was $15…then it was $27…then it was $38…then it was $44…then it was $55…now it’s $65

And they cut the offerings in half because of the Disney dipstick plan…

Who cares? I still make plenty!”

That would be the story of quite a few spots over 20 years…say ohana.

Does that lower the value proposition? Of course it does. But in the moment your glands flood you with enough serotonin to cancel it out

Fine… but a week later…it does not mean you got a good value. That’s revisionist

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That’s a really good point. What also ramped up is this “think of the poor hourly worker” mentality that creates a villain (aka “Karen”) from a customer that expects basic customer service skills.

If I say something like “that costume doesn’t look professional” on this forum - many will say “what matters most is the cm is comfortable!!!!”

Truly good customer service involves paying your recruited unskilled workforce higher than the market rate for their job descriptions.

That really never holds…and Disney phased it out in the 90’s over time.

They also - in Florida - had benefited for years from the height of the 20th century work force…which is a fascinating deep dive as well

 

[TheMaxRebo]

That’s a really good point. What also ramped up is this “think of the poor hourly worker” mentality that creates a villain (aka “Karen”) from a customer that expects basic customer service skills.

If I say something like “that costume doesn’t look professional” on this forum - many will say “what matters most is the cm is comfortable!!!!”

And maybe what people look for in customer service. I would much rather the CM be comfortable as long as they are providing proper service and having a good attitude and making my experience better

We were there this week and had some of the best CM engagements I can remember and all our needs were met. Didn't matter to me that they had comfortable shoes on or had visible tattoos or whatever (not saying you are focusing on things like that but know some people do)

I also prefer to do things like self checkout at the grocery store or self checkout at Disney stores. Prefer mobile ordering to speaking with someone, etc so to me the changes are a net positive .... But do want those CMs info engage with to provide a positive experience and still consistently find that to be the case

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

For the 1 billionth time:

Traveling for a week to an Orlando compound does NOT have a reasonable comparison to Hamilton, Taylor swift or an nfl game. They aren’t in the same park as far as how they have to be priced and the limits. And contrary to what Bob says - there are limits. They push people past them every single day. And accelerating.

The onky things that comp to any degree are weeklong foreign travel (but not really) and cruise ships (better but not perfect)

I knew a guy that studied the pricing and marketing/promotion tactics in the ole Sundial house for a bit.

Stop doing this

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The onky things that comp to any degree are weeklong foreign travel (but not really) and cruise ships (better but not perfect)

Yeah, cruise ships are a good comparison but weeklong domestic travel is also a comparison.

If people don’t take a cruise or don’t go to Orlando what do they do?

Destinations like New York and DC, a trip to the beach, road trip where you hit multiple tourist destinations, national parks.

And then there is Branson, Pigeon Forge and Vegas!