Disney today - are we getting value for our money?

[CBOMB]

"I'm sorry, but if you have the budget to take 4 people to Disney for 10 days, I don't feel sorry for you. :lol:" I believe Jimbo Jones was actually responding to another poster who thought the loss of gratuity wouldn't amount to several hundred dollars, he was not looking for sympathy. There are a lot of people that have to save for years for a vacation to WDW and price increases can be a set back to some of these folks. Now that Disney has everybody convinced that the DDP is a great deal they can pretty much do what they want with it, and people will fall right in line. So what if the same experience cost you several hundred dollars more than last year. Now everybody think real hard you can come up with thousands of reasons to justify each, and every price hike, and each, and every cut in quality, and service.

I really don't think you can come on a Disney forum, and ask a bunch of Disney fanatics if WDW is still a good bargain, and expect a reply of anything other than an over whelming responce of YES! My wife no longer thinks WDW is a good value for our vacation dollars. The only problem is she's not a WDW addict like I am, so my opinion is pointless. However I can not deny that the quality of service, the quality of maintenance, and the overall quality of the Disney experience has declined over the years, while the price has slowly risen.

 

[brucie]

If you take advantage of the Free Dining and don't mind sharing a room it's the best deal going!! My wife and I went with my brother and his wife. We shared a room and went during free dining, for an 8 day stay at Pop Century including park tickets and all your meals it was only $500.00 per person!! Great Deal

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Just a hunch.. I don't think the Free Dining will be back. I never used it and would be happy if it just went away. I feel that Disney just used the FREE Dining as sort of bait to bring some people down to fill the parks during non-peak times and I am sure they got a family or two to vacation with them for the first time with the so called-Free dining plan. They then hope for repeat visits by these people and now just don't offer the free plan. Another thing Disney is the best at.........Marketing!!!

Hope the hook didn't hurt too much!!!!:lol:

 

[Deadmanwalking]

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.

You have officially fallen into the she/he's been raped once so whats a second raping camp.

It doesn't matter if the Yankees are ripping people off or the National Zoo.... The fact is that Disney is ripping people off when it comes to food and drink when you factor in quality and price. I don't care if every one and his dog along the eastern seaboard tries to rip people off, I don't go there I go to Disney and I don't like getting ripped a new one.

 

[The Mom]

You have officially fallen into the she/he's been raped once so whats a second raping camp.

It doesn't matter if the Yankees are ripping people off or the National Zoo.... The fact is that Disney is ripping people off when it comes to food and drink when you factor in quality and price. I don't care if every one and his dog along the eastern seaboard tries to rip people off, I don't go there I go to Disney and I don't like getting ripped a new one.

But what you consider "ripping off" is considered SOP by a large number of people. Many of us travel to places OTHER than WDW, and have found WDW to be no worse, and sometimes better, than many other vacation sites.

If you find other places to be more economical, then you should certainly go there rather than WDW. But those of us who have been going to WDW for decades just keep seeing the crowds getting larger and larger recently, so feel that the majority of people must think it's reasonable.

You may not agree, but the numbers of guests invalidate your opinion. People just keep on coming; when they stop, WDW will lower prices. Until then, they would be crazy not to charge whatever the market will bear.

 

[jmicro59]

I think it's a good deal for the entertainment, magic & memories that you get in return! :wave:

I agree with you Tink 1000%. I’m a DVC owner and DVC doesn't save me any money but my DD and my DW, OH ok and me too, think it's neat that we "own" a piece of WDW. Well at least until 2054. :lol: And we enjoy every minute that we are there and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I mean how do you place a monetary value on that? The only thing I know is that my money will run out long before my memories will and I want to be able to tell my grandchildren about how I took their mom to WDW and how she is passing on a tradition to them. Just my two pennies worth on this.

 

[jmicro59]

"I'm sorry, but if you have the budget to take 4 people to Disney for 10 days, I don't feel sorry for you. :lol:" I believe Jimbo Jones was actually responding to another poster who thought the loss of gratuity wouldn't amount to several hundred dollars, he was not looking for sympathy. There are a lot of people that have to save for years for a vacation to WDW and price increases can be a set back to some of these folks. Now that Disney has everybody convinced that the DDP is a great deal they can pretty much do what they want with it, and people will fall right in line. So what if the same experience cost you several hundred dollars more than last year. Now everybody think real hard you can come up with thousands of reasons to justify each, and every price hike, and each, and every cut in quality, and service.

I really don't think you can come on a Disney forum, and ask a bunch of Disney fanatics if WDW is still a good bargain, and expect a reply of anything other than an over whelming responce of YES! My wife no longer thinks WDW is a good value for our vacation dollars. The only problem is she's not a WDW addict like I am, so my opinion is pointless. However I can not deny that the quality of service, the quality of maintenance, and the overall quality of the Disney experience has declined over the years, while the price has slowly risen.

Not trying to start an argument or anything but I'm curious, if your wife could set the prices what would she set them to in order to make WDW a good value for the money?

 

[bobr0001]

But what you consider "ripping off" is considered SOP by a large number of people. Many of us travel to places OTHER than WDW, and have found WDW to be no worse, and sometimes better, than many other vacation sites.

If you find other places to be more economical, then you should certainly go there rather than WDW. But those of us who have been going to WDW for decades just keep seeing the crowds getting larger and larger recently, so feel that the majority of people must think it's reasonable.

You may not agree, but the numbers of guests invalidate your opinion. People just keep on coming; when they stop, WDW will lower prices. Until then, they would be crazy not to charge whatever the market will bear.

That is absolutely right, Disney see's large numbers of people clamouring to get into the parks, so they raise prices. As any business would do.

I now consider WDW to be a "bad value" for a family vacation so I'll look at other vacation options now.

I may whine and complain, but Does Disney care ?? No, my business with them scarcely registers. If thier numbers keep increasing or even hold steady at the current rates, then they've got the right formula.

My belief is that they are pricing more and more out of their market without investing enough to improve thier product to match the price. If thier business keeps booming as it has been, then not my assessment of thier value would be apparently in the minority.

 

[disney9752]

without reading all 5 pages ill get brave & post this. disney is getting more & more expensive, throwing more special tix events & raking in the $$$$$$$$$$. i might not mind it as much if they would share it with their cm's more. :fork:

 

[jmvd20]

Since Disney calls everyone who attends their parks "guests" I think it is absurd that they charge anything for admission or food for that matter. How many people out there have guests over for dinner and a pool party and charge them admission? Or charge them for a beer, or a burger, or some chips?

 

[disney9752]

if they keep up the rehabs, & expansion its not so bad, but if execs keep makin $$ & they announce they made record profits again, its time 2 slow down the increases.:brick:

 

[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.

Call "shennanegans" all you want, but you just don't seem to understand the difference between "justification" and "comparison".

I was not talking about city prices, I am talking about small town New England prices, as compared to Walt Disney World, the largest vacation destination in the world. I find them very comparable.

I'm sorry, but reading your others posts you just come across as silly. $2.39 for a large drink is "raping" people? Have you priced fountain soda anywhere else? One of comparable size costs $1.80ish at my local 7-11. Disney charges fifty or sixty cents more. If they cost $4 I'd be with you, but fifty or sixty cents off a small town 7-11 isn't much of a premium.

I'll give you one thing, the McDonalds comparison. It is a neat indicator of prices. You know what? My small town McDonalds Big Mac is ten cents MORE than the "overpriced" McDonalds at DTD.

The point is, prices are high/going up everywhere. Disney World is no exception. And the truth is, Disney could nickel and dime you a LOT more if they wished to and could easily get away with it. They don't, though. It's not "cheap", but to listen to some people you'd think a burger and fries combo cost $17. I think a lot of people also tend to forget that it does feel like you are spending a lot more on food at Disney because most people don't eat out 2-3 times a day like they do on vacation. It sure adds up. But it's just comical how much you have blown it out of proportion.

AEfx

 

[PhilharMagician]

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.

:brick: No Comment

But what you consider "ripping off" is considered SOP by a large number of people. Many of us travel to places OTHER than WDW, and have found WDW to be no worse, and sometimes better, than many other vacation sites.

If you find other places to be more economical, then you should certainly go there rather than WDW. But those of us who have been going to WDW for decades just keep seeing the crowds getting larger and larger recently, so feel that the majority of people must think it's reasonable.

You may not agree, but the numbers of guests invalidate your opinion. People just keep on coming; when they stop, WDW will lower prices. Until then, they would be crazy not to charge whatever the market will bear.

Very well put Mom. We had the same complaints running around the boards after the increases last August and many posters said that the high prices would drive guests away. I personally have not seen that happen yet, but actually the opposite has happened. Certainly it could slow things a little this year which in my book would not be a bad thing to happen.

if they keep up the rehabs, & expansion its not so bad, but if execs keep makin $$ & they announce they made record profits again, its time 2 slow down the increases.:brick:

Disney is a business and making profit for their shareholders is priority one!


Why do so many think Disney is a not for profit organization???:brick:

 

[Deadmanwalking]

But what you consider "ripping off" is considered SOP by a large number of people. Many of us travel to places OTHER than WDW, and have found WDW to be no worse, and sometimes better, than many other vacation sites.

If you find other places to be more economical, then you should certainly go there rather than WDW. But those of us who have been going to WDW for decades just keep seeing the crowds getting larger and larger recently, so feel that the majority of people must think it's reasonable.

You may not agree, but the numbers of guests invalidate your opinion. People just keep on coming; when they stop, WDW will lower prices. Until then, they would be crazy not to charge whatever the market will bear.

You just don't get it... you assume that simply because the number of guest has increased that they are satisfied with the price of food and drink. That makes no since. Then number of people flying is up this year does that mean that people traveling by air are satisfied with the service of the airline... or the speed of the security... clearly it doesn't.

I understand that on this site the majority of people have been brainwashed Disney... I just had no idea that the brainwashing had removed your ability to distinguish[FONT=&quot][/FONT] between reasonable and unreasonable price for quality of the food and drink at Disney.

 

[MiduraMagic4]

You just don't get it... you assume that simply because the number of guest has increased that they are satisfied with the price of food and drink. That makes no since. Then number of people flying is up this year does that mean that people traveling by air are satisfied with the service of the airline... or the speed of the security... clearly it doesn't.

I understand that on this site the majority of people have been brainwashed Disney... I just had no idea that the brainwashing had removed your ability to distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable price for quality of the food and drink at Disney.[/quote
]
Any time you chose to pay for entertainment youre going to be at the high end of the curve when it comes to prices. Youre in the park theres no other way to buy a cold beverage or hot food so they can charge slightly higher than what you would normally pay for something. Its high but its not unfairly price. Again their job is to maximize shareholder wealth and if getting and extra buck for a soda helps they have no choice but to do so. When this is a discussion 10 years from now the prices will be up agian ...its nothing more than the simple laws of economics. With no other factors the value of $1 goes down by about 3-5 % a year. Compound that with the main cost driver of the economy (oil) and you have an increase higher than that for everything. I think the prices of Disney are high but within reason.

 

[PhilharMagician]

You just don't get it... you assume that simply because the number of guest has increased that they are satisfied with the price of food and drink. That makes no since. Then number of people flying is up this year does that mean that people traveling by air are satisfied with the service of the airline... or the speed of the security... clearly it doesn't.

I understand that on this site the majority of people have been brainwashed Disney... I just had no idea that the brainwashing had removed your ability to distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable price for quality of the food and drink at Disney.

If you are so dissatisfied then you do not have to go ever again.


If I go to a place or purchase something that I feel is not worth the money then it just wont happen again.

You have made your point now why are you trying to make everyone else have the same point of view as you.

 

[The Mom]

You just don't get it... you assume that simply because the number of guest has increased that they are satisfied with the price of food and drink. That makes no since. Then number of people flying is up this year does that mean that people traveling by air are satisfied with the service of the airline... or the speed of the security... clearly it doesn't.

I understand that on this site the majority of people have been brainwashed Disney... I just had no idea that the brainwashing had removed your ability to distinguish[FONT=&quot][/FONT] between reasonable and unreasonable price for quality of the food and drink at Disney.

I DO get it. When the costs outweigh the perceived benefits, people will stop coming. When their dissatisfaction over services outweighs enjoyment, they will stop coming. That apparently hasn't happened yet, so WDW has no incentive to stop selling so-so food at gourmet prices until people stop buying it, or stop coming to the parks. But it appears that the majority of us have experienced this in places that DON'T have the overall enjoyment factor of WDW, so we don't find it as unreasonable as you do.

WDW is a LUXURY; the majority of us realize that we are going to pay more for less than if we stayed home and went out to eat locally. If we feel that it isn't worth it, we'll stop doing it. The fact that the majority of us haven't reached that point yet doesn't mean that we're brainwashed, or don't "get it."

I understand your argument completely; I just don't agree, because my experience is different than yours. That doesn't mean that I won't agree in the future, or haven't agreed in the past. I just don't agree right now.

 

[EPCOT.nut]

Brainwashed? :ROFLOL:

I think the quality of food and drink is great where I choose to eat and drink.
I do read the menus and patronize the restaurants that are the better deal.

The food here in Gainesville, FL is not any cheaper. And the restaurants are not themed, there is no chance of Mickey walking up to my table, and there is no where to wander off the alcohol before I get into my monorail..er, car.

 

[jakeman]

There are a few of points to be made here:

1. Disney is well aware of what the market can bear and has no problem reacting when they place too much of a burden on it. Does anyone else remember the brief period of time when bottled drinks when up to $2.75? They are back down to $2.50. If the market cannot bear these new ticket prices they won't be increase for a while or heavy discounts will be offered at all times.

2. With the new pricing system anyone can make any arguement regarding the value or % increase in the cost of a vacation. So since the numbers can say anything, there is not really a reason to throw them out there. It really comes down to what the individual wants to spend on their vacation and what they expect to get out of it.

3. I don't think that anyone will disagree that the price of food and drink is somewhat inflated in the parks. The degree obviously depends on how much food is back home. Again this is all personaly preference on what you believe the quality is.

To answer the original poster's question. Yes for me and my wife Disney is still a great value. We are AP and DVC members and therefore a trip to Disney is actually one of the cheapest vacations we can take when looking at short term finances. We have not seen the overall decline in quality and service that some other lament endlessly about (not to say that we don't come across a bad egg or a paint chip occasionally). We know what to expect out of a Disney vacation and we get what we expect for a price that is reasonable to us. If this ever changes then we simply will not renew our AP and sell off our DVC. It's pretty simple.

 

[erasure fan1]

Again, the problem is not so much the cost of the food, it’s the cost to quality ratio. I don’t mind paying a premium if I am getting a premium product. I wouldn’t have minded paying the $10 for the sandwich, chips and drink if it was actually good. I know some people LOVE Disney food but I still think the counter service food is below average fast food for the most part. I know its Disney and its going to cost more, my point is that why should you just accept mediocrity when it comes to quality. Disney is not raising prices because they Have to, its because they can. I will still go, you will still go and Disney knows this so it wont change unless numbers start to fall. Lets just all remember that we have some people on this board that make 20k a year and some that make 120k a year so "value" doesnt always translate from one to the other.