Len Testa - “Disney positions itself as the all-American vacation. The irony is that most Americans can’t afford it.”

TheMaxRebo

TheMaxRebo

Well-Known Member
Dranth said:
Just going to throw this out there, the longer you stay, the more you need park hoppers.
Click to expand...

Interesting take - I would think he opposite as with more days you have more time to hit things in your 2nd day at a given park where as with fewer days you don't have that "2nd chance" at a park without hoppers

I am probably the wrong person to ask as we only get hoppers if we go less than 4 park days so we can hit each park, I've also never gone for more than 5 days
 
jah4955

jah4955

Well-Known Member
Some interesting perspective I don't think's been addressed before (at least here). I remember "discovering" the A-E ticket system (as it was in the 70s) as a child in the early 90s and thinking, "WOW!....I could have done several Disney rides with just one day's lunch money!" Of course I had yet to learn economics. Later, I was gifted several newspapers documenting the opening of WDW in 1971, and almost all of them, some very-harshly, bemoaned how prohibitively expensive WDW was....how overtly greedy Disney was being! "Only" 90 cents for an (actual) "adult" to ride E-tickets like HM! But 90 cents was a still a big deal in 1971.
 
Last edited:
Jrb1979

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
Splash4eva said:
Then stay off site if its that big a deal. People cant complain its too expensive then complain they dont want to stay at more affordable options. You cant have it both ways. I never knew an outdoor hallway was a deal breaker at Disney. Never even thought of it either on all the years ive stayed
Click to expand...
That's the thing. Yes you can stay off site, not buy LLs, cut back on Character meals, less table service meals, only visit each park once. Rope drop the parks every day to avoid LLs.

That's what many are missing. While there are ways to make a Disney trip more affordable, you are cutting out a lot of what makes a Disney trip enjoyable.

For us, if we are cutting our time in the parks to 4 days and also staying off site, it's not worth a weeks vacation any more. We might as well go somewhere else.
 
TheMaxRebo

TheMaxRebo

Well-Known Member
Jrb1979 said:
That's the thing. Yes you can stay off site, not buy LLs, cut back on Character meals, less table service meals, only visit each park once. Rope drop the parks every day to avoid LLs.

That's what many are missing. While there are ways to make a Disney trip more affordable, you are cutting out a lot of what makes a Disney trip enjoyable.

For us, if we are cutting our time in the parks to 4 days and also staying off site, it's not worth a weeks vacation any more. We might as well go somewhere else.
Click to expand...

Yeah, basically 3 options I see:
- Spend more money per trip (not everyone can/wants to do that)
- Adjust your trips (go for less days, stay value instead of deluxe, less TS, etc)
- Go less often (do same types of trips but go every 2-3 years instead of every year) ... Or I guess just stop going altogether

We are largely doing the 2nd option. - been doing shorter trips and less TS, etc ... Which is fine for us, we are still having amazing times, but I know many people don't want to do Disney if not able to do it as they did in the past
 
Miss Bella

Miss Bella

Well-Known Member
LSLS said:
Many people not having indoor hallways are a deal breaker for them.
Click to expand...
The deal breaker for me is not having a gym. The only mod that has one is CSR. That is such a simple thing that every hotel chain out there has. Universals values have great gyms.

I'ver rented points and stayed at SSR a couple of times. The lack of indoor hallways isn't a deal breaker for me, but it is a inconvenience when it's pouring down rain.
 
Miss Bella

Miss Bella

Well-Known Member
TheMaxRebo said:
Yeah, basically 3 options I see:
- Spend more money per trip (not everyone can/wants to do that)
- Adjust your trips (go for less days, stay value instead of deluxe, less TS, etc)
- Go less often (do same types of trips but go every 2-3 years instead of every year) ... Or I guess just stop going altogether

We are largely doing the 2nd option. - been doing shorter trips and less TS, etc ... Which is fine for us, we are still having amazing times, but I know many people don't want to do Disney if not able to do it as they did in the past
Click to expand...
I did that for a while with DCL. I went from balcony, to porthole, to inside to another cruise line and now I'm back to balcony just not on DCL.
 
S

Splash4eva

Well-Known Member
Jrb1979 said:
That's the thing. Yes you can stay off site, not buy LLs, cut back on Character meals, less table service meals, only visit each park once. Rope drop the parks every day to avoid LLs.

That's what many are missing. While there are ways to make a Disney trip more affordable, you are cutting out a lot of what makes a Disney trip enjoyable.

For us, if we are cutting our time in the parks to 4 days and also staying off site, it's not worth a weeks vacation any more. We might as well go somewhere else.
Click to expand...
PH to me are not overly expensive and LL the same to me worth it for a trip staying value is not a big deal rope dropping or staying late to capitalize on shorter lines not a big deal either. I have been crushed for doing character meals by plenty for many reasons. Are things more money 100% unaffordable ? Definitely not. Just my opinion.
 
wannabeBelle

wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
Splash4eva said:
PH to me are not overly expensive and LL the same to me worth it for a trip staying value is not a big deal rope dropping or staying late to capitalize on shorter lines not a big deal either. I have been crushed for doing character meals by plenty for many reasons. Are things more money 100% unaffordable ? Definitely not. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Affordable or not is a very different thing from one person to the next. Also value for your money spent also varies. Marie
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Splash4eva said:
PH to me are not overly expensive and LL the same to me worth it for a trip staying value is not a big deal rope dropping or staying late to capitalize on shorter lines not a big deal either. I have been crushed for doing character meals by plenty for many reasons. Are things more money 100% unaffordable ? Definitely not. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
The park hopper fee now is egregious…what are they supplying you to justify that fee?

The opportunity to spend more money in different places and dilute their locked in labor costs…is what it actually is
 
Disstevefan1

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
TheMaxRebo said:
Yeah, basically 3 options I see:
- Spend more money per trip (not everyone can/wants to do that)
- Adjust your trips (go for less days, stay value instead of deluxe, less TS, etc)
- Go less often (do same types of trips but go every 2-3 years instead of every year) ... Or I guess just stop going altogether

We are largely doing the 2nd option. - been doing shorter trips and less TS, etc ... Which is fine for us, we are still having amazing times, but I know many people don't want to do Disney if not able to do it as they did in the past
Click to expand...
I wonder why they keep building DVC towers?
While its fine for the folks who want to spend more money per trip.
I do not see building more DVC towers works for the other two options.
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
TheMaxRebo said:
Interesting take - I would think he opposite as with more days you have more time to hit things in your 2nd day at a given park where as with fewer days you don't have that "2nd chance" at a park without hoppers

I am probably the wrong person to ask as we only get hoppers if we go less than 4 park days so we can hit each park, I've also never gone for more than 5 days
Click to expand...
That makes sense…if Disney parks are designed to be “pounders” that people show up for at 8 am and drag their butts out of at 11 at night

They are not. That approach takes a lot of the charm and appeal out of what they offer that made them different over “six flags over hurlville”
 
S

Splash4eva

Well-Known Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
The park hopper fee now is egregious…what are they supplying you to justify that fee?

The opportunity to spend more money in different places and dilute their locked in labor costs…is what it actually is
Click to expand...
Imo there really is no need to park hop anymore but for those who enjoy it so be it … to me its for those who maybe after their initial full day in parks they want to do 1/2 days again hitting highlights etc
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Splash4eva said:
Imo there really is no need to park hop anymore but for those who enjoy it so be it … to me its for those who maybe after their initial full day in parks they want to do 1/2 days again hitting highlights etc
Click to expand...
Sure…that I can agree with

But it doesn’t negate my point about how they’re handling it and what it does to the thought process in the marketplace

Park hopping is like a $300+ a week fee now. That’s a significant upcharge
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom