Is attendance really down at WDW this or…

[BuddyThomas]

Disney World never was cheap but for its first 30 years, it was affordable.

For example, the first ticket I ever bought with my own money was a 3-day hopper in May 1983. I paid $35 (tax included) for that 3-day ticket, today’s equivalent of $109. $109 is not cheap but it is affordable for 3 days of entertainment. I was a student and part-time lifeguard making $3.75 per hour. (Minimum wage was $3.35.). Even I could afford a 3-day ticket which, at minimum wage, represented 10.4 hours of work.

Of course people complained about paying today’s equivalent of $109 for a ticket. That’s $436 for a family of four. No matter how you slice it, $436 is a lot of money for many families.

But let’s look at a 3-day ticket today. An equivalent 3-day hopper with tax is $534 or more in July, the month a typical family might go. For Spring break, another popular time for families, it's as high as $609 with tax! At today’s minimum wage, that represents an incredible 84.0 hours of work!

10.4 hours of work versus 84.0 hours of work is a tremendous change in affordability.

WDW never was cheap but it once was much more affordable.

All true but this applies to many things. Tickets for the Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway starring Daniel Radcliffe are going for as high as $599.00 each (and the show is selling out just about every performance). The revival of Cabaret that arrives on Broadway next Spring has tickets as high as $899.00 each. Good tickets to a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden can run north of $400 each. The above examples are just for a couple hours of entertainment. At least the Disney prices you named, high as they are, include multiple days.

 

[BuddyThomas]

So now its 3353.68 for a Family of 4 per day, then add Genie Plus............. Disney where is the value to ANYONE who works a real job in this??????????

Huh???????

 

[seascape]

That's insane. How anyone here can justify that price is beyond me.

SIx Flags Great Adventure is charging $500 a night for their Glamping tents in the safari.

 

[Disstevefan1]

SIx Flags Great Adventure is charging $500 a night for their Glamping tents in the safari.

I figured it out! We are living in the alternate 2023!

 

[Trauma]

I just fought with Disney’s amazing website to price out a basic trip.

6 nights at the boardwalk with a 7 day hopper.

Dec 3rd thru the 9th.

Came out to 9k.

Add in airfare, food G+ etc you will come out around $12-13k.

Make of that what you will, just wanted to post some actual pricing.

 

[Splash4eva]

I agree, if you stay on property its easily north of what 15000 for 10 days........... No food, No Drink, No Souveniers, No Photo Pass, No Genie.................

Thats not correct ive gone for 10-11 days for a few years now. Get 2 value rooms and we do basically All character meals for breakfast and dinner and my daughter is not deprived of any souvenirs and it cost about 12-13k all in give or take. I do get a Fla AP for My Mom and Daughter full disclosure but this includes party tickets as well. Im not saying its cheap by any means but you can come in around 800-900 a day and basically have it all staying Value.

 

[Jrb1979]

Thats not correct ive gone for 10-11 days for a few years now. Get 2 value rooms and we do basically All character meals for breakfast and dinner and my daughter is not deprived of any souvenirs and it cost about 12-13k all in give or take. I do get a Fla AP for My Mom and Daughter full disclosure but this includes party tickets as well. Im not saying its cheap by any means but you can come in around 800-900 a day and basically have it all staying Value.

That's still an insane amount of money. It's not that my family can't afford it. It's just that we have found lots of places that cost a quarter of that and have just as much fun.

 

[Nubs70]

Travelling isn’t just about topography.

No kidding

 

[Splash4eva]

That's still an insane amount of money. It's not that my family can't afford it. It's just that we have found lots of places that cost a quarter of that and have just as much fun.

Not denying that at all. I was just being a part of the conversation. Disney is expensive but so are other places. Disney still has its name to fall back on but the as we are seeing is fading faster than any of the higher ups could have ever imagined.

 

[Jrb1979]

Not denying that at all. I was just being a part of the conversation. Disney is expensive but so are other places. Disney still has its name to fall back on but the as we are seeing is fading faster than any of the higher ups could have ever imagined.

It's not surprise that it's happening as the price is gotten way too much. Why spend $12k on one vacation to Disney when I can use that same money and have 3 to 4 vacations in the same year.

When I see a vacation costing $12k or more that says luxury. I'm sorry Disney is not a luxury vacation and never will be.

 

[Splash4eva]

It's not surprise that it's happening as the price is gotten way too much. Why spend $12k on one vacation to Disney when I can use that same money and have 3 to 4 vacations in the same year.

When I see a vacation costing $12k or more that says luxury. I'm sorry Disney is not a luxury vacation and never will be.

You are 100% and lets face it. It is also not a “vacation” but again its still Disney & still overall a good time. I always said once it no longer is fun is when we stop going. Ill say this tho. No way if i only had 1 vacation would choose & spend that time & money on Disney anymore

 

[TheMaxRebo]

You are 100% and lets face it. It is also not a “vacation” but again its still Disney & still overall a good time. I always said once it no longer is fun is when we stop going. Ill say this tho. No way if i only had 1 vacation would choose & spend that time & money on Disney anymore

Yeah, we still enjoy it and still find it is worth what we spend (last trip we spent around $6,500 for the week for the 5 of us) but it is one of 3 main vacations we did

Kids do still ask to go and is definitely a place our whole family has a great time at (can't say that about every place) but we are adapting how often we go and what we do when we go (doing less TS for example)

But if/when we find not worth it, we won't go - though don't see that happening for a while

 

[Ayla]

2/3 of US citizens earning more than $100K have a passport as compared to a number who have a high school diploma or less education who do not have a passport. I could visit Canada without a passport pre 2007 now I need to show my US passport at the border.

You still can visit Canada without a passport. You just can't get back into the US without a passport.

 

[Jrb1979]

Yeah, we still enjoy it and still find it is worth what we spend (last trip we spent around $6,500 for the week for the 5 of us) but it is one of 3 main vacations we did

Kids do still ask to go and is definitely a place our whole family has a great time at (can't say that about every place) but we are adapting how often we go and what we do when we go (doing less TS for example)

But if/when we find not worth it, we won't go - though don't see that happening for a while

For us, the price is what keeps us away now, especially considering I'm in Canada. So that $6500 US is $9500 in Canadian dollars.

 

[jpeden]

We are staying for 5 nights Nov. 26 - Nov 30 in a one bedroom at SSR. For two adults, one child, and an infant we are all in for right at $6,000 which includes a $1,000 dining card and 6 day park hoppers as we’ll go to MK the day of departure to wear the kids out before getting in the car.

For a weeks vacation in a one bedroom condo, tickets, and food I really don’t feel like it’s an awful deal. That’s right at $300/day per person for lodging, tickets, and dining which seams reasonable to me. Sure it’s more than it used to be but I’m really confused on how people in a normal hotel room with a family of four come anywhere close to spending $12,000 - $15,000.

 

[Splash4eva]

We are staying for 5 nights Nov. 26 - Nov 30 in a one bedroom at SSR. For two adults, one child, and an infant we are all in for right at $6,000 which includes a $1,000 dining card and 6 day park hoppers as we’ll go to MK the day of departure to wear the kids out before getting in the car.

For a weeks vacation in a one bedroom condo, tickets, and food I really don’t feel like it’s an awful deal. That’s right at $300/day per person for lodging, tickets, and dining which seams reasonable to me. Sure it’s more than it used to be but I’m really confused on how people in a normal hotel room with a family of four come anywhere close to spending $12,000 - $15,000.

My biggest crusher is doing character breakfast/dinner every day thats why the DDP worked great for me plus add in tips to those meals yes i over tip its a huge expense that honestly is Not needed but my daughter still loves taking pics and getting autographs and playing with the characters. So what is a Dad suppose to do?

 

[HauntedPirate]

We are staying for 5 nights Nov. 26 - Nov 30 in a one bedroom at SSR. For two adults, one child, and an infant we are all in for right at $6,000 which includes a $1,000 dining card and 6 day park hoppers as we’ll go to MK the day of departure to wear the kids out before getting in the car.

For a weeks vacation in a one bedroom condo, tickets, and food I really don’t feel like it’s an awful deal. That’s right at $300/day per person for lodging, tickets, and dining which seams reasonable to me. Sure it’s more than it used to be but I’m really confused on how people in a normal hotel room with a family of four come anywhere close to spending $12,000 - $15,000.

Are you planning to not spend any money on food outside that $1000 dining card? Because your passes are nearly $2500 and a standard view studio at SSR goes for $2500 for 5 nights.

 

[Miss Bella]

Nah. We just don’t live in the back woods. Dining prices at WDW are relatively normal when compared to prices in most cities that people have actually heard of.

I don't live in the back woods either. I live in a very populated city and you are wrong about Disney dining prices.

 

[tallica]

Travelling isn’t just about topography.

But it is amazing.

 

[LittleBuford]

View attachment 751990
View attachment 751992But it is amazing.

No-one is denying that. But there are still plenty of reasons to see the rest of the world.