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Len Testa - “Disney positions itself as the all-American vacation. The irony is that most Americans can’t afford it.”
- Thread starter Disstevefan1
- Start date
Sorcerer Mickey
Well-Known Member
A good portion of the story is centered on Ms. Cressel's scooter breaking down, which has nothing to do with Disney. She seems very satisfied with her trip at the end of the story.
I read this article last week and didn't see the angle or the purpose. It felt like a failed attempt at an incendiary poor vs. rich story. Both guests were happy with their trip, but probably a lot was invested in the story already so they had to publish.
A lot of folks over on reddit raged against Disney because a $10k vacation can take you very far elsewhere (all the haters used that same $10k number) but we go very frequently (no annual pass) and have never paid nearly that much. Some of the hotels are very expensive but you could always stay at an All Star. Yeah, you have to pay up for nicer things. What a concept!
I read this article last week and didn't see the angle or the purpose. It felt like a failed attempt at an incendiary poor vs. rich story. Both guests were happy with their trip, but probably a lot was invested in the story already so they had to publish.
A lot of folks over on reddit raged against Disney because a $10k vacation can take you very far elsewhere (all the haters used that same $10k number) but we go very frequently (no annual pass) and have never paid nearly that much. Some of the hotels are very expensive but you could always stay at an All Star. Yeah, you have to pay up for nicer things. What a concept!
I think we can all agree the constant price increases on everything at WDW far out paces incomes and what we call the middle class is being priced out, no doubt.
My family WILL BE priced out some day. For now we can still afford to go to WDW. The problem my with my family, my wife a life long Disney fan has been going to WDW since 1971 and introduced me in the mid 80s and as a family has been going for decades and we keep seeing offerings going down while prices go up. Its unavoidable, its really happening.
That said, no matter what, there will be folks who defend Disney and Disney should be grateful for the loyal fan base; no matter what Disney does, there will be folks that defend them and that is good for Disney. They will NEED this loyal fan base going forward.
My family WILL BE priced out some day. For now we can still afford to go to WDW. The problem my with my family, my wife a life long Disney fan has been going to WDW since 1971 and introduced me in the mid 80s and as a family has been going for decades and we keep seeing offerings going down while prices go up. Its unavoidable, its really happening.
That said, no matter what, there will be folks who defend Disney and Disney should be grateful for the loyal fan base; no matter what Disney does, there will be folks that defend them and that is good for Disney. They will NEED this loyal fan base going forward.
Except that a bunch of posters here are not middle class. Everyone likes to say they are middle class but they make more than middle class people do. And if they aren't priced out yet, then the premise is false.
DisneyHead123
Well-Known Member
I commented on this article here. It does seem like it’s trying to make a particular point about haves and have-nots and while that’s a conversation worth having, I think there are much better backdrops than the Disney experience. Housing, schooling, access to healthcare, etc. But someone being able to buy a Premier Pass while someone else has to wait in lines doesn’t seem like it’s proof of some kind of hideous inequality. The value resorts continue to be clean, well staffed, with good food options; CMs are equally courteous to everyone; everyone has access to the same park after paying for a ticket, etc. I’m not saying there are absolutely no issues, just that if this is the angle they wanted to highlight, following two children in very different parts of America through an average school day might have been a better example.
TalkingHead
Well-Known Member
The point was about how WDW reflects larger cultural trends vis a vis a middle class lifestyle that has increasingly vanished.
As one of the letters to the editor said about the article, when WDW opened it would’ve been considered un-American to blatantly let the wealthiest customers pay their way into skipping lines and now it seems like the most American thing in the world.
GimpYancIent
Well-Known Member
A Disney vacation is an American vacation at an American amusement venue with quite a history of entertainment. That said, a Disney vacation stopped being in the "affordable" category some time ago. Some people have the disposable income to where cost is not an issue, some need to be creative with their financing such a trip and yet some others (simply put) at the current pricing model cannot afford it. Sadly the "simply cannot afford it at the current pricing model" group is growing while the others are steadily shrinking.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
I actually had done a whole study/report on Walt Disney Americana and how he represented the American view or the idealized version of it and his patriotic nature, etc. ... and then how that transcended him to the company and how the company became a mirror of the country and where it's focus was (though that has shifted of late with a portion of the country viewing it as Woke, etc - but even then, it become a target or symbol of that larger clash within the country). It's really pretty fascinating
HMF
Well-Known Member
That does sound legitimately fascinating but probably would make A LOT of people uncomfortable especially considering that whatever your opinion may be it is mostly very likely Disney money is probably going to be in places that will make your blood boil.
From the article: "Disney’s ethos began to change in the 1990s as it increased its luxury offerings"
They haven’t really added more luxury offerings—they’ve just started calling more things ‘luxury.’
Take the Wilderness Lodge. It is a beautifully themed, family-style resort a step above Disney’s moderate tier, but it’s not a Ritz-Carlton.
It’s nice, but if you’re expecting five-star service and amenities, you’ll need to dial your expectations back a notch.
I really don't consider any of the Disney Orlando resorts "Luxury". Just because they market it that way doesn't make it so. Remember this is the same company that marketed a Box Truck as dynamic and cutting edge transportation for a property they were trying to sell for thousands of dollars per night.
They haven’t really added more luxury offerings—they’ve just started calling more things ‘luxury.’
Take the Wilderness Lodge. It is a beautifully themed, family-style resort a step above Disney’s moderate tier, but it’s not a Ritz-Carlton.
It’s nice, but if you’re expecting five-star service and amenities, you’ll need to dial your expectations back a notch.
I really don't consider any of the Disney Orlando resorts "Luxury". Just because they market it that way doesn't make it so. Remember this is the same company that marketed a Box Truck as dynamic and cutting edge transportation for a property they were trying to sell for thousands of dollars per night.
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HMF
Well-Known Member
Heck, I am surprised the All-Star Resorts are not being praised as the height of Disney's creativity by todays guests in the eyes of WDW management.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
I think they just use "Luxury" as short hand for like premium or upcharge options. Catering to people who can spend more money to enhance their trip not that what is provided is truly "luxury" in the traditional sense when thinking of high end travel
One definition of luxury is "something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary" - I think that aspect of it more than lavish and "5 star"
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
I mean my family wass
squarely in the upper low class to bottom middle and still is able to pull of a Disney trip almost every year so
I was incredibly lucky and do much better now but it’s a lots of things like planning that help a great deal
Dranth
Well-Known Member
A standard room at the All Stars is below $200 a night for most of the year. A preferred room is mid to low 200s.
Don't get me wrong, that isn't cheap compared to other alternatives off site, but Disney has kept the low end relatively steady of late likely because they know they can't push pricing at that tier much further.
JMcMahonEsq
Well-Known Member
Your standard run of the mill Courtyard Marriot outside any city where you would stay on a business trip is going to be around $200 per night. How is that price, for a resort on property at one of the largest tourist destinations in the world not value?
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
Not even mentioning the current promo with a free water park day?? Yeah it benefits Disney just as much but it also adds a massive deal of value especially when you include the transportation and early admission into the parks. It’s not fair to compare such a resort to a marriot which CAN be cheaper without those benefits (they typically also don’t have the same level of kids activities or experiences geared towards kids)
Disneys hotel deal was so good, my family literally just bought a useless night because it made our 4 tickets to Blizzard Beach cheaper. It came out to like $30 a person which is literally less than my local water park
AidenRodriguez731
Well-Known Member
The last two times I booked a value it was $150 or less per night?
I've found the average cost of a room is often $120-150 in the US right now, with the majority exception being paying in advance and having no refundability. In upstate NY, that total does go to $200 more frequently than people would like to admit.
TheMaxRebo
Well-Known Member
I stayed at an All Star earlier this year for $124/night and have a trip in early November over a weekend for $155/night .... Really not much more than anything decent off property plus get the water park perk, including transportation, early access to book things, etc
The deluxe, etc have gotten crazy in price but the values are really still reasonable
I do think they are trying to keep the base line costs relative in line with inflation/reasonable (so saying value, eating at quick service, etc) but milk the people willing to pay for higher end options