Disney today - are we getting value for our money?

[Deadmanwalking]

...

As a side note, aren't cast member still getting paid only $6 or $7 an hour, like they have been for the past several years? and with "new" attractions like Stitch's Great Escape costing $10 million (with the exception of the $100 million Expedition Everest) I think Disney could be doing more with there extra cash, which, it looks like there finally doing.

Unfortunately Disney is doing more with the money... BUT that more isn't in any way related to Disney. Disney owns ABC and ESPN which have shelled out hundreds of millions for the rights to broadcast sporting events (NFL etal)... well guess what whether you like football or not, some of your money you shell out to the mouse ends up paying the NFL and the dog lover Michael Vick. Its the sickening fact of a large holding company like Disney. Money from one operating unit like the Disney parks ends up supporting other things that are less deserving. It makes me long for the day that a KKR will take over Disney, chop it up into its respective pieces and return it to its place as an stand alone company and not part of Eisners' mega corp.

 

[MiduraMagic4]

Unfortunately Disney is doing more with the money... BUT that more isn't in any way related to Disney. Disney owns ABC and ESPN which have shelled out hundreds of millions for the rights to broadcast sporting events (NFL etal)... well guess what whether you like football or not, some of your money you shell out to the mouse ends up paying the NFL and the dog lover Michael Vick. Its the sickening fact of a large holding company like Disney. Money from one operating unit like the Disney parks ends up supporting other things that are less deserving. It makes me long for the day that a KKR will take over Disney, chop it up into its respective pieces and return it to its place as an stand alone company and not part of Eisners' mega corp.

Disney may have shelled out millions of dollars for ESPN ABC (same thing anyway) but Im sure they would not have done this is these projects didnt create some added value. Just as they invest in movies and rides an expect a return the same is true for ESPN and ABC. I think the ticket hikes have 0 correlation with those projects. Those projects were undertaken and expected to produce a return. Of this return some of the money will be funnelled back into the park, via new attractions, rides, shows, etc. I think positive expansion of a company is always a good thing. Though you site the possible negative effects it may have I see it as nothing but positive for the parks of Disney. Michael Vick has nothing to do with Disney whatsoever and to say a dime of Disneys money went to him is just a unbacked ignorant comment. By chopping things up are you suggesting just sell everything off that isnt park related? That would without a doubt raise ticket prices and lead to poorer park quality. When you have different avenues for revenue a dip in one of the sectors is less felt. So if attendance goes down or cost of the parks maitenance or expansion rises it would be less felt by just the parks bc Disney has created so many more avenues to realize revenues. The bigger they become the less we will feel it at the ticket booth. Sorry if I came off as attacking you I just think you should strongly reconsider your stance.

 

[EMThompsen]

Just going to a 2-3 hour musical in LA or NY can cost you upwards of $100 a ticket...and that's usually nosebleed seats.

I'm so glad you brought that up. Going to Broadway to see a musical costs at least $110.00 for orchestra seats and you're behind the VIP seats ( they cost twice as much) Then three hours later the rent on that seat expires & you have to leave the theatre. Seeing Finding Nemo at the Animal Kingdom is just as good as a Broadway production & you get the rest of the park with it. Yes Disney is expensive but almost everything else is too.

 

[sandicinderelli]

Unfortunately Disney is doing more with the money... BUT that more isn't in any way related to Disney. Disney owns ABC and ESPN which have shelled out hundreds of millions for the rights to broadcast sporting events (NFL etal)... well guess what whether you like football or not, some of your money you shell out to the mouse ends up paying the NFL and the dog lover Michael Vick. Its the sickening fact of a large holding company like Disney. Money from one operating unit like the Disney parks ends up supporting other things that are less deserving. It makes me long for the day that a KKR will take over Disney, chop it up into its respective pieces and return it to its place as an stand alone company and not part of Eisners' mega corp.

Could you tell ABC employees (whose perks include park admissions) the same thing you just stated? I think not. They would disagree with you entirely.

 

[jakeman]

Unfortunately Disney is doing more with the money... BUT that more isn't in any way related to Disney. Disney owns ABC and ESPN which have shelled out hundreds of millions for the rights to broadcast sporting events (NFL etal)... well guess what whether you like football or not, some of your money you shell out to the mouse ends up paying the NFL and the dog lover Michael Vick. Its the sickening fact of a large holding company like Disney. Money from one operating unit like the Disney parks ends up supporting other things that are less deserving. It makes me long for the day that a KKR will take over Disney, chop it up into its respective pieces and return it to its place as an stand alone company and not part of Eisners' mega corp.

This would be one of the worst possible thing to happen to Disney as a whole and the parks in particular. I don't need to expand on this as MiduraMagic4 has already adequately explained.

Additionally, your logic seems to be flawed. Just because X pays Y who employs Z does not mean that any of X's money ever goes into Z's pockets especially when you're neglecting the other 23 letters of the alphabet that factor into it.

Since you seem to be in favor of breaking up the company, how would you do it?

Lastly, how can you be sure that your favorite portion of the park is not losing money and is only being supported by the additional funds being brought in by the ESPN/NFL deal?

 

[AEfx]

What is a value to one person is not a value to another. It depends on what you want.

However, yes, many people are paying LESS for a Disney vacation now than they were five or even ten years ago. Very, very, very few people ever utilized the "no-expiration" option, for instance. It was mostly locals who would buy a pass and then use it over a long period of time. For the vast majority of visitors, however, they simply don't need such a thing.

Just look at ticket prices. A 7-day ticket used to cost $350 because you HAD to buy the super-dooper ticket with everything included. Now you can get a 7-day ticket for as little as $219. Even with Park Hopper AND Waterpark options, it's still just over $300, less than what it used to for a "no expiration" pass that virtually no regular vacationer used.

I know for my next big family trip it's saving us a bundle. I have an AP, but even when I don't park hopping isn't an "option" to me. I'd feel caged without it. However, there are a signifigant amount of people who don't need it. There are people out there who truly are happy with going to one park a day (yes, Disney fans find it limiting, but remember, we aren't the "average" guest either). On my big family trips I have a niece who is in a wheelchair, and we learned on our first trip with her that you just can't tour "normally" (i.e. criss-crossing the parks all day, jumping between parks, etc.). While occasionally yes we do save time in lines on some rides, it takes us MUCH longer to go between rides and to get from one place to another. A bathroom break doesn't take us 5-10 minutes, but often a 1/2 hour or more (just finding a truly accessable bathroom can take that long sometimes). So we are getting 9-day tickets for about $230 each for the rest of the family because we wouldn't use ANY of the options. Many people make the same decision for other reasons as well. It's a signifigant savings when you multiply it over three, four, or more tickets.

And I wholeheartedly agree with the point TheMom made above about motels anywhere. I've stayed at Pop for as little as $49 a night, and my local, small town Comfort Inn (comparable quality, though obviously Disney does everything better) has a lowest rate of $99/night, and some times of the year goes up to $169/night. For a motel not near anything.

Food prices are another thing people complain about. I live in the North East, and $7 for a counter service burger and fries is what I pay at a non-tourist spot. I don't know a single restaurant within 20 miles of me that you can get a decent sit-down meal (a steak dinner, for instance) for less than $25-30/pp, same as at Disney.

Prices are going up everywhere for everything. On the rare occasion I visit a non-Disney park, I'm shocked at how money-grubbing they are. It reeks everywhere of getting you to spend more money on more crap, sodas are $4, really gross food costs even more than Disney and that's even before you look at the inferior rides and upkeep. I'll take Disney any day.

AEfx

 

[Deadmanwalking]

Food prices are another thing people complain about. I live in the North East, and $7 for a counter service burger and fries is what I pay at a non-tourist spot. I don't know a single restaurant within 20 miles of me that you can get a decent sit-down meal (a steak dinner, for instance) for less than $25-30/pp, same as at Disney.

AEfx

Sorry but I have to call shennanegans on using the high prices charged in the North East for food as a justification of prices at Disney.

I've lived in the North East and lived in the midwest.... and the only justification I could ever see for McDonalds charging twice the price in New York that they did in Kansas was the transportation to get the Mcfries up there was higher, the wages paid to the Mcworkers was higher and the cost of the building was higher.... In Florida that's not the case. The fact that I can buy a McDonalds from Orlando (not that overpriced one that seems to behave as a grifter for Disney) for the same price as Kansas McDs is proof enough that its just Disney greed when it comes to the food.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Sorry but I have to call shennanegans on using the high prices charged in the North East for food as a justification of prices at Disney.

I've lived in the North East and lived in the midwest.... and the only justification I could ever see for McDonalds charging twice the price in New York that they did in Kansas was the transportation to get the Mcfries up there was higher, the wages paid to the Mcworkers was higher and the cost of the building was higher.... In Florida that's not the case. The fact that I can buy a McDonalds from Orlando (not that overpriced one that seems to behave as a grifter for Disney) for the same price as Kansas McDs is proof enough that its just Disney greed when it comes to the food.

I really don't find food there to be outrageously priced. It is expensive? Yes, it is. But not so bad that it is preventing me from enjoying my trip...

Forgetting the McDonalds angle, I think most would be hard-pressed to find more enjoyable fare in the area.

It is convenient, and they know they have you.

 

[MiduraMagic4]

Sorry but I have to call shennanegans on using the high prices charged in the North East for food as a justification of prices at Disney.

I've lived in the North East and lived in the midwest.... and the only justification I could ever see for McDonalds charging twice the price in New York that they did in Kansas was the transportation to get the Mcfries up there was higher, the wages paid to the Mcworkers was higher and the cost of the building was higher.... In Florida that's not the case. The fact that I can buy a McDonalds from Orlando (not that overpriced one that seems to behave as a grifter for Disney) for the same price as Kansas McDs is proof enough that its just Disney greed when it comes to the food.

So are you implying that in response against high food prices Disney should charge whatever McDonalds is charging? You are paying for the convinience and atmosphere when talking solely about food. In most cases the food is also better than McDonalds even in the single $ diners. I think food is midly overpriced but not to the point where it prevents the average visitor from eating. You would pay at least that for McDonalds prcied food at a sporting event if nto more. I think the prices are fair and even not bad for the mid-level restaurants in the park.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Sorry but I have to call shennanegans on using the high prices charged in the North East for food as a justification of prices at Disney.

I've lived in the North East and lived in the midwest.... and the only justification I could ever see for McDonalds charging twice the price in New York that they did in Kansas was the transportation to get the Mcfries up there was higher, the wages paid to the Mcworkers was higher and the cost of the building was higher.... In Florida that's not the case. The fact that I can buy a McDonalds from Orlando (not that overpriced one that seems to behave as a grifter for Disney) for the same price as Kansas McDs is proof enough that its just Disney greed when it comes to the food.

I also live in the Northeast and can tell you that it is easy to get charged around $7 for a burger, fries and drink. Maybe not at McD's or BK, but there are many other small counter service places around and that is going price. Even McD's for a 1/4 pounder meal with tax is $6.00. Last year at the local Six Flags I ordered 3 burgers w/fries and soda's for just under $25.00 and let me tell you that the food was disgusting. The food that is served at Disney is a much higher quality.

So shennanegans back at ya. :lol:

 

[hrcollectibles]

I'll grudgingly admit that the admission isn't that outrageous, even though it feels like they raise it again every few months. Just going to a 2-3 hour musical in LA or NY can cost you upwards of $100 a ticket...and that's usually nosebleed seats.
What I find an unreasonable value are the Disney Hotels. The second I see their promotional materials saying things like, "Starting at ONLY $79 per night" or "accomodations for all budgets" I bust out in laughter. It's insane that even Disney's version of Motel 6 costs almost $30 more a night than your average motel on the 192. For me, a hotel is a storage unit and a place to plop my head at night. I don't go to hotels expecting pampering and such. As long as I've got a clean bed, a TV, outlets to recharge my various electronic batteries, and hopefully a free continental breakfast, I'm a happy guy. While it might be fun to stay "on property," I see no value in staying there. I can rent a car (which I would do even if I stayed on property, so I could go to Target, Taco Bell, Disney Outlets, etc.) and get to the Park probably as fast as those forced to wait on shuttles and busses, so again, no real benefit there. True, you don't have to pay for parking if you stay in a Disney hotel, but if you buy an annual passport, that negates that cost anyway. Call me cheap, but this is an area where I've always felt Disney was gouging the public...yet the public still seems to eat it up, so they'll keep doing it.

On my next trip to Disney (next weekend) I am staying off property at a hotel like maybe 2 miles from DTD....its under 50.00. I agree a hotel is a place to sleep, recharge my phone and relax...Back on topic I think we get a tone of bang ofr our bucks at disney.....

 

[Deadmanwalking]

I also live in the Northeast and can tell you that it is easy to get charged around $7 for a burger, fries and drink. Maybe not at McD's or BK, but there are many other small counter service places around and that is going price. Even McD's for a 1/4 pounder meal with tax is $6.00. Last year at the local Six Flags I ordered 3 burgers w/fries and soda's for just under $25.00 and let me tell you that the food was disgusting. The food that is served at Disney is a much higher quality.

So shennanegans back at ya. :lol:

You missed my point... I never said McDonalds was the standard of food quality anywhere in the world. However when you want to compare the costs of food in one area vs that of another McDonalds is a darned good way to do it. Any increase in price from one place to another isn't going to be because they can price it higher its going to be because the have to price it higher to cover the costs in that area.

So when I mention Orlando McDs compared to McDs in the Midwest its just to point out that the cost of food/wages/real estate in Orlando isn't like that in New York City its closer to the Midwest.

And I can assure you that I can find much better and cheaper food outside of Disney resorts than Disney is willing to provide. Lets be honest here, is there a valid reason to rape the guest by charging $2.09 or $2.39 for a soft drink that costs less than a dollar at the quick trip outside the park?... or maybe you think it makes sense to charge $5.89 for a quarter pound cheeseburger and fries at Pecos Bills... first off we aren't talking good fries or even good food here we are talking somewhere between Wendy's and McDs quality... so you get a drink, burger and fries for $7.98 compared to a Wendys deal that will cost less than $5.00.... I'm sorry but $2.98 more for less quality is raping the guest. I can justify prices for the parks and I can even justify the prices for hotels... but the prices they charge for food and drink can't be justified.... and sorry but using the high prices at Six Flags as a justification is like saying I can rape him/her because he/she was already raped by someone else. It just don't fly.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

While I haven't been down yet this year, some friends of mine(that go multi times/year) beleive that WDW is losing some of its "magicl" and some of the resorts are losing their uniqueness and individuality. They usually stay at the same resort(which will remain nameless) and felt this time it wasn't as relaxing. They said it seems that things (merchandise, music, soveniers,) have almost become generic and the same items are found at any store, resort, or DTD. They also viewed a not so good CM / CUSTOMER interaction that kinda bothered them. Years ago it wasn't like that.. each resort had its own unique merchandise and speciality items but they said that seems to be changing. In fact they are thinking about scaling back their visits next year based on their vacation this year.
I think changes like those mentioned above as well as the lower quality of menu items since the DDP and the REFURB mania going on, all figure into ones GOOD/NOT SO GOOD value determination. Most people want(and get) good friendly service, some quality NEW attractions(not just characters thrown in here and there) and unique higher quality food choices. Also I beleive Disney needs to crackdown on people that don't know how to behave and act appropriately and thereby ruin other paying customers vacations.

We are going in 11 days and I will make up my own mind after our trip. We have always felt a WDW vacation was pricey but worth it. Good value or not???? We shall see....

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

You missed my point... I never said McDonalds was the standard of food quality anywhere in the world. However when you want to compare the costs of food in one area vs that of another McDonalds is a darned good way to do it. Any increase in price from one place to another isn't going to be because they can price it higher its going to be because the have to price it higher to cover the costs in that area.

So when I mention Orlando McDs compared to McDs in the Midwest its just to point out that the cost of food/wages/real estate in Orlando isn't like that in New York City its closer to the Midwest.

And I can assure you that I can find much better and cheaper food outside of Disney resorts than Disney is willing to provide. Lets be honest here, is there a valid reason to rape the guest by charging $2.09 or $2.39 for a soft drink that costs less than a dollar at the quick trip outside the park?... or maybe you think it makes sense to charge $5.89 for a quarter pound cheeseburger and fries at Pecos Bills... first off we aren't talking good fries or even good food here we are talking somewhere between Wendy's and McDs quality... so you get a drink, burger and fries for $7.98 compared to a Wendys deal that will cost less than $5.00.... I'm sorry but $2.98 more for less quality is raping the guest. I can justify prices for the parks and I can even justify the prices for hotels... but the prices they charge for food and drink can't be justified.... and sorry but using the high prices at Six Flags as a justification is like saying I can rape him/her because he/she was already raped by someone else. It just don't fly.

Just a side note.. 5 pretzels & 5 (16 or 20oz.) cokes at NYC MLB stadium is $50... no joke! :hammer:

 

[erasure fan1]

Food prices are another thing people complain about. I live in the North East, and $7 for a counter service burger and fries is what I pay at a non-tourist spot. I don't know a single restaurant within 20 miles of me that you can get a decent sit-down meal (a steak dinner, for instance) for less than $25-30/pp, same as at Disney.
AEfx

I live in the midwest and I can go to subway and get a footlong sub, chips and a drink for about 8 bucks. It cost me 12 for a 6in chicken wrap w/chips and a drink. The subway is $4 less you get more food and tastes much much better. As for the burger and fries I can go to chilis and get one for $6.29 and its 100% better than a Disney burger. I expect to pay more in Disney but I dont expect to get less quality. Im sorry but a counter service burger at disney is not even up to par with burger king yet its twice the price.

 

[AEfx]

I live in the midwest...Im sorry but a counter service burger at disney is not even up to par with burger king yet its twice the price.

I guess we'll just have to disagree with the latter; I happen to love Disney burgers (except at MGM, for obvious reasons).

I think the key is you live in the mid-west. Things are cheaper in the center of the country. If you live on either coast, things tend to cost more. I know we pay a lot in the north east, but the comparison is to the #1 tourist destination in the world.

I have a local "sandwich truck" that parks in my small town on weekend evenings year round, and opens nightly in the summer. It carries burgers/dogs/etc. A burger and fries with a can of soda runs about $8, and the same thing with a larger drink at WDW costs about $9.50-$10.

It all depends on where you come from, but the point is, WDW is not outrageously priced compared to many areas of the country, when they could afford to be. I'm not saying WDW food is cheap, just that compared to other places, it's not that expensive either. A large bottle of Dasani in my local convenience store costs $1.51, it's $2 even at WDW from a street vendor. Disney could easily charge $3 a bottle and get away with it, but they don't.

It is certain Disney likes to make money, but it's no where near how bad it could be. Been to Universal lately? LOL.

That said, I eat off property often now that I drive instead of fly to WDW. It's sort of like going hungry to the grocery store; I make sure I eat before I arrive so I'm not so tempted. I'm in love with Checkers and their .99cent double cheeseburgers, hehe.

AEfx

 

[The Mom]

When I was in DC, I went to the National Zoo.

Soda from vending machine...$2.50
Cup of Lemonade $4
Bottled Water...$3
Map of Zoo...$1

At least they didn't charge admission.

The prices at nearby restaurants/stores were a bit lower, but the cheapest bottled water was still $1.99. The water in my hotel shop was $3. Now, had I driven into the suburbs, I'm sure I could have gotten lower prices.

I've encountered the same sort of thing at beachside restaurants, museum restaurants, airport restaurants, hotel restaurants, and ski resorts.

So I had a choice to pay higher prices and have what I wanted, when I wanted it, without having to bring it myself, or I could take the time to travel elsewhere, which would take time away from my "fun."

 

[bobr0001]

In my opinion, Disneyworld is now officially an overpriced rip-off.

That coming from a lifelong Disney lover!

Consider:

The same ticket (4-day park hopper) in 1999 was $156 now costs $321

For a family of 7 what used to cost $1092 is now $2247 !!

I realize I could drop the no expiration option, but the price is still pushing $2000.

That's a 100% or more increase in 8 years !!

That's 3 to 4 times the rate of inflation over those years. And I suspect the cast members have NOT been seeing 10% + raises every year. I know I haven't.

Lets See:

Plane Tickets: ~ $1200
Villa: ~ $700
Rental Van: ~ $300
Disney Tickets : $2247

Compare to other Orlando Parks:

Sea World / Busch Gardens: 7 day "park hopping" - $85.00

Universal Orlando: 7 day "park hopping" - $85.99

Disneyworld: 7 day "park hopping" - $264.00

So go ahead and make your own conclusions, but for me, I've had enough....just not worth it anymore.........

 

[scpergj]

Just a side note.. 5 pretzels & 5 (16 or 20oz.) cokes at NYC MLB stadium is $50... no joke! :hammer:

You've actually went where I was about to go...here's mine:

4 Mid-priced tickets to my local NFL team - $48 EACH (if purchased in a 4 game ticket group for $192...again, EACH), and they aren't even the good seats.

2 drinks (coke, whatever) - $8 EACH

Nachos - $5

1 small pizza - $6

2 hot dogs - $7.50

Parking - $20

ok, so by my figures, to take my family to an NFL game would cost APPROXIMATELY $246.50, for an afternoon's entertainment.

I can't do a breakdown of WDW quite like that at this time, but I can tell you that it matches up quite nicely. When we had AP's starting in November of 2005 we spent about $1200 on tickets (for 4 of us - Florida resident AP's), a total of about $1700 at the resorts, but no idea on food. now, that was for 18 days in the parks, so about $162 per day plus food. In that time we only had one sit down meal for all of us, and one adults only sit down, so we didn't spend as bad as we could have, probably less than $60 per day, for about $222 total then.

As far as I'm concerned, that's pretty good value. Any time that I can have fun for a day with my family, on less money than I make in a day's work, I consider it pretty good.

Kevin

Note: ALL numbers were approximate, and may or may not include taxes ect. This was for illustration purposes only. Your mileage may vary.

 

[scpergj]

In my opinion, Disneyworld is now officially an overpriced rip-off.

That coming from a lifelong Disney lover!

Consider:

The same ticket (4-day park hopper) in 1999 was $156 now costs $321

For a family of 7 what used to cost $1092 is now $2247 !!

I realize I could drop the no expiration option, but the price is still pushing $2000.

That's a 100% or more increase in 8 years !!

That's 3 to 4 times the rate of inflation over those years. And I suspect the cast members have NOT been seeing 10% + raises every year. I know I haven't.

Lets See:

Plane Tickets: ~ $1200
Villa: ~ $700
Rental Van: ~ $300
Disney Tickets : $2247

Compare to other Orlando Parks:

Sea World / Busch Gardens: 7 day "park hopping" - $85.00

Universal Orlando: 7 day "park hopping" - $85.99

Disneyworld: 7 day "park hopping" - $264.00

So go ahead and make your own conclusions, but for me, I've had enough....just not worth it anymore.........

Cool...the lines will be shorter by 7 then...:brick: