Is Disney Expensive?

[WondersOfLife]

I understand what you are saying and if the issue was "is wdw expensive for a theme park vacation", then yes you would be right. But what I think most of us are talking about is how we always hear from people that they would go to wdw but they can't afford it, it's too expensive . In reality, a lot of people spend just as much if not more going in vacation to other destinations. Especially if you break down the amount of entertainment you get for your money. I think it is a mental thing. People are willing to spend more money on certain things and not others. I hear "Disney is too expensive" mostly from those who have never been. I don't think they comprehend the size and the amount of things to do there and mentally compare it other theme parks, so they don't see the value in it. All they see are the dollar signs.

I see. I agree.

 

[Pirate Magic]

I live in New York and even though I love New York!! I would take WDW any day!! New York has very many amusing things, but it will never compare to that feeling of otter joy and magic that Disney does for me. And New York can be very pricey if you do not know what you are doing.

 

[draybook]

Isn't NYC the most expensive city in America? Kind of distorts the comparison.

 

[DarthVader]

I think Disney is very expensive, and the past 5 years, its gotten very pricey. I've slowed my visits down, from doing annually, to once every few years. I may push that out further in the future.

 

[Mickey5150]

I do a WDW trip in October and a spring trip elsewhere in the US every year and pricing is similar depending on what I do. The one thing about WDW is that if I stay in the bubble I don't have to worry if the hotel is clean, walking down the wrong street at night, how I'm gonna get around and how to get to and from the airport.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Isn't NYC the most expensive city in America? Kind of distorts the comparison.

Once WDW is compared to any other form of entertainment, the comparison becomes difficult to make.

Really, WDW is best compared with other amusement parks. WDW is the most expensive amusement park on the planet. To me, the question then becomes: Is it the best?

As a group, the Disney theme parks probably are the best, although there are a few strong contenders. My opinion is that the Tokyo Disneyland Resort is the best amusement park resort on the planet. In many ways, it's still operated the way WDW and DLR were run in the 1970s and 1980s. Meanwhile, a one-day hopper there costs ¥7,400, about $69. A 4-day ticket costs ¥22,400, about $210. Comparing these numbers to WDW's ticket prices makes WDW very expensive. And cost of living in the Orlando area is less than the Tokyo area.

Conversely, a Universal Orlando one-day ticket is comparable in price to WDW. Multiday tickets cost less. Prices for comparable onsite hotels are less. But then we get into the endless argument about which is better, which I really want to avoid.

Given its extensive offerings, WDW would have to be one of the World's top 5 amusement park resorts, probably a top 3. So, IMO, we end up with a situation where WDW is one of the World's best amusement parks but also its most expensive.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

In terms of my headliner wait time comment, let's take a look at Epcot. Currently the three big attractions have the following wait times:

• Frozen Ever After - 60 minute wait
• Test Track - 125 minute wait
• Soarin - 80 minute wait

Due to the tiered nature of fast pass, you would have to wait at one or two of these if you wanted to do them all. In this case you would be waiting over two hours, which is higher than my original stated 60 wait time, but it was an example.

Anyone that's paying attention will learn that you don't have to wait this long for *anything.* Get your Fastpasses, show up at rope drop or shortly after, and you won't wait more than 30 minutes for anything.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

Isn't NYC the most expensive city in America? Kind of distorts the comparison.

It was brought up as a vacation destination; which it is probably the most common one; probably more common than WDW. But other city destinations are just as expensive: San Francisco, Chicago definitely. You can do Los Angeles and Washington D.C. a little cheaper because LA is a driving city anyway, so there's no need to pay for the expensive hotel - and Washington doesn't charge for many of the "attractions," but it still ain't gonna be like staying at the local Super 8.

We were a little tight on funds a few years ago and decided to take a "cheap" vacation to Louisiana and Texas. We still wound up spending over $3,500. Leaving the house, staying in motels, eating out and paying people to entertain you and your kids is expensive.

 

[erasure fan1]

Either side of the discussion can skew things to their side. Is Disney expensive? I say very. We stayed in a 2 bedroom condo on Estero beach and it was $250 a night. We ate at a local seafood place and it was $60 for us. I compare that to Disney where a 2 bedroom at Saratoga is $680 a night and it cost us the same amount for us to eat quick service and 2 people shared. I really don't like the "hours of entertainment" argument. Someone earlier said Magic Kingdom was about $8 hr. Well, guess how much the beach cost? $0 hr and its open longer! I have complained a lot about the cost of Disney. But the root of my issues come from the lack of expansion in the parks. I dont mind prices going up as long as you are giving me new worthwhile experiences. Not removing attractions and adding meet and greets then adding tons of extra hard ticket events all while raising prices and then nickel and diming me with parking fees and micro chips in the drink cups.

 

[Jeff456]

Yes as a comparison with Disneyland Paris (I am aware they are not the same and Disneyland Paris is not in the same league). This is hotel and tickets only (food is comparable at Disneyland Paris maybe slightly cheaper but the quality is horrendous).
Also these are £ prices converted to $.

Both 5 nights from the 28th of October this year with tickets and park hopper.
Disneyland Paris (Davy Crockett Ranch one bedroom lodge) $1260, you won't get this price right now this was booked with nights free promotion a couple of months ago.
All Star Music (standard room which is would be pretty uncomfortable for 3 adults and a child anyway) $2391. It's more than double.
The main difference to be honest is the tickets which make up $1740 of the disneyworld cost (Two week UK tickets would cost $2066 so they would be infinitely better value)
On top of that you're now going to have to pay to park if you have a car at ASM whereas that's free in DLP.
So all in all WDW costs twice what DLP costs.

Yes it is expensive now and the worst thing for me is all the little extra costs they keep adding, parking is a real bummer where you stay for longer trips such as 14 days.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Once WDW is compared to any other form of entertainment, the comparison becomes difficult to make.

Really, WDW is best compared with other amusement parks. WDW is the most expensive amusement park on the planet. To me, the question then becomes: Is it the best?

As a group, the Disney theme parks probably are the best, although there are a few strong contenders. My opinion is that the Tokyo Disneyland Resort is the best amusement park resort on the planet. In many ways, it's still operated the way WDW and DLR were run in the 1970s and 1980s. Meanwhile, a one-day hopper there costs ¥7,400, about $69. A 4-day ticket costs ¥22,400, about $210. Comparing these numbers to WDW's ticket prices makes WDW very expensive. And cost of living in the Orlando area is less than the Tokyo area.

Conversely, a Universal Orlando one-day ticket is comparable in price to WDW. Multiday tickets cost less. Prices for comparable onsite hotels are less. But then we get into the endless argument about which is better, which I really want to avoid.

Given its extensive offerings, WDW would have to be one of the World's top 5 amusement park resorts, probably a top 3. So, IMO, we end up with a situation where WDW is one of the World's best amusement parks but also its most expensive.

Just to put it into prospective we really have to add in what it would cost to get to Tokyo to pay that lower price. Comparisons have to be about specifics related to the likeliness to actually go there. If you live in Japan it is a good price, if not it isn't. When you take an hourly rate and extend all of them out to equal time, it's not expensive per hour, just the up front "ticket" price that can kick you into a coma. It ends up being if we think it is worth the money, it is a good price and if we don't then we have to ask ourselves why we pay it and not think it is worth it? Doesn't that go against all common sense?

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

Just to put it into prospective we really have to add in what it would cost to get to Tokyo to pay that lower price. Comparisons have to be about specifics related to the likeliness to actually go there. If you live in Japan it is a good price, if not it isn't. When you take an hourly rate and extend all of them out to equal time, it's not expensive per hour, just the up front "ticket" price that can kick you into a coma. It ends up being if we think it is worth the money, it is a good price and if we don't then we have to ask ourselves why we pay it and not think it is worth it? Doesn't that go against all common sense?

Thank you. We can't compare Tokyo, Paris or Shanghai to WDW or DL. Those places are half a world away and VERY expensive for Americans to access. Then there's the whole "doing business in a different culture" thing; of course they're different.

 

[Lucky]

If this planned space hotel charges almost $800,000 per night, Disney would still be inexpensive if it charged $750,000. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...almost-800000-a-night/?utm_term=.49ef3d2b2d4d

 

[Monty]

"Expensive", like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I can comfortably afford the vacations I plan, so I don't consider them expensive. Could I do them cheaper? Probably. Could I spend more? Easily. Do I? No.

 

[jaklgreen]

Either side of the discussion can skew things to their side. Is Disney expensive? I say very. We stayed in a 2 bedroom condo on Estero beach and it was $250 a night. We ate at a local seafood place and it was $60 for us. I compare that to Disney where a 2 bedroom at Saratoga is $680 a night and it cost us the same amount for us to eat quick service and 2 people shared. I really don't like the "hours of entertainment" argument. Someone earlier said Magic Kingdom was about $8 hr. Well, guess how much the beach cost? $0 hr and its open longer! I have complained a lot about the cost of Disney. But the root of my issues come from the lack of expansion in the parks. I dont mind prices going up as long as you are giving me new worthwhile experiences. Not removing attractions and adding meet and greets then adding tons of extra hard ticket events all while raising prices and then nickel and diming me with parking fees and micro chips in the drink cups.

But I don't see how you can compare the beach with Magic Kingdom which has rides and shows and fireworks, etc.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

But I don't see how you can compare the beach with Magic Kingdom which has rides and shows and fireworks, etc.

Exactly. The beach is sooooooooooooooooooo boooooooooorrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnng....

 

[larryz]

Thank you. We can't compare Tokyo, Paris or Shanghai to WDW or DL. Those places are half a world away and VERY expensive for Americans to access. Then there's the whole "doing business in a different culture" thing; of course they're different.

LA to Orlando on

American, $293 r/t (mid-range prices, there are some cheaper, and some more expensive)
LA to Tokyo on

American, $773 r/t (mid-range prices)

The ~$500 difference is one night at the Poly in cheap season, four nights for a family of four, so I'm not sure Tokyo is "VERY expensive" for Americans to access...

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

LA to Orlando on View attachment 276137American, $293 r/t (mid-range prices, there are some cheaper, and some more expensive)
LA to Tokyo on View attachment 276138American, $773 r/t (mid-range prices)

The ~$500 difference is one night at the Poly in cheap season, four nights for a family of four, so I'm not sure Tokyo is "VERY expensive" for Americans to access...

Using your prices, it will cost me $4,000 just to fly my family to Tokyo. I can drive to WDW for $120 in gas (and just did it three weeks ago). If you don't think that a vacation in Japan is very expensive, then please adopt me!

 

[thomas998]

I don't want to get into any crazy arguments and chaos or anything, but our family took a vacation last weekend and it occurred to me to compare the cost of this vacation we took to a Disney vacation. Why? Well...we went to NYC for a couple nights and saw a couple shows on Broadway. Those who have followed my trip reports or been in discussions with me know that I do tend to enjoy a little Pixie Dust, but also come at things as a realist (25 years in public education will make you nothing if not a realist...). These costs are for our party of 3 - considered adults in Disney terms and in NYC it makes no difference! So, here's a little comparison from our perspective.

Travel (round trip)
WDW - 26 hours in the car, no tolls, about 4 full tanks of gas (thank you hybrid), and 4 fast food meals - $180
NYC - 8 hours in the car, lots of tolls, just over a full tank of gas, and some snacks - $110

Hotel (comparing like quality and Easter weekend)
WDW - in the middle of the action, but cheap - All-Star resorts for 2 nights - $410
NYC - Times Square area, cheap but not nasty! - for 2 nights $600

Parking
WDW - at an All-Star for 2 nights - $40
NYC - 2 nights in a garage (discounted by hotel, no in-out privileges) - $80

Entertainment
WDW - For comparison sake, we'll go with 3-day Park Hoppers (about 36 hours of entertainment)- $1160
NYC - 2 Broadway shows, 2 museum entrances (about 14 hours of entertainment) - $750

Food
WDW - 2 tables services, 5 quick services (we do tend to share meals at times) with adult beverages at times - $500
NYC - 2 decent dinners, 2 breakfasts at hotel, 3 lunches on the go, with adult beverages at dinners - $450

Totals
WDW - $2290 - with lots more car travel time, but lots more total entertainment
NYC - $1990 - lots less car travel time, but lots less total entertainment

Hmmm....either Disney isn't quite as outrageously expensive as I often think or NYC is beyond outrageous.

In terms of quality of experience, I'd have to side with Disney. Even on the worst days of quality of show at WDW, it's far worse walking down Broadway than any area of a Disney park. While the shows on Broadway are amazing for 3 hours at a time, the rest of the 3 days/2 nights isn't quite so quality. Yes, the Disney bubble ain't what it used to be, but it's still vastly superior to NYC for sure!

In terms of our family time - well, Disney again will win the argument. We tend to enjoy family time in the car for discussions and sing-alongs and maybe a movie or something. The shorter NYC drive is certainly less tense, the traffic issues on I95 from Baltimore to NYC are at least comparable to I4 if not a little worse. Once there - at WDW it is pure family-time and we are more than comfortable enough to do just about anything. In NYC, there's certainly a bit of looking over the shoulder at most times and there is no way we are letting our daughter of on her own to do things she is interested in!!!

It's funny because I've always thought of visits to WDW as crazy expensive, but something we enjoyed as a family and would continue to enjoy. After this past weekend...maybe they aren't quite so expensive and beyond just enjoying WDW, despite some decline, it is a quality experience that is above just about anywhere else.

NYC is beyond outrageous. You'll also make Disney look cheap if you do comparisons to Tokyo or London... but none of those places are amusement parks or resorts.

 

[21stamps]

I've compared a beach vacation where I like (15minutes away) to a Disney vacation and Disney is still cheaper when we compare everything like you did. The lodging alone on the beach is triple during the same time we go to Disney. Our beachs rival tropical locations and has won top beach recently, but it's not the same as far as what you get. I love the beach, but it's just that. I can come and go when I want but filling the same amount of time at the beach vs Disney? The kids are bored halfway through the first day. Everything is expensive now. I think Disney seems more expensive bc we are well aware of the cost before we go. Other vacations you may have your hotel booked and that's it. The rest is pay as you go...so what started out as a $800 price tag, ended up being $2200 when you added food, souvenirs, and any fun outings you did. With disney you can have it all paid for, including food, before you go so you see that $2000 and think "that's expensive for 3 nights". But then you only buy a few souvenirs and the rest is done.

I’ve said the same so many times.

When you add in all of the a la carte entertainment of other destinations.. Disney tickets come out way ahead.