Is Disney Expensive?

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I’m also curious as to what you consider “similar” alternatives

Plain and Simple - Entertainment. Which is what Disney offers. Let's use a local example:

Let's say I want to take my family to see the Eagles (sans Glenn Frey - unfortunately). You can go to Live Nation and price some mid-range tickets for Hard Rock Stadium Miami. Not front of the house, no meet and greets. I just want 4 tickets so I and my family can sit comfortably and somewhere close enough that I don't need binoculars to see the stage.

You're looking at about $600 minimum. For probably 2 hours worth of entertainment (I could care less about the opening band).

We could look at taking the family to an NFL game. Leaving parking, food and all ancillaries out of it.....family of four, decent seating....going to be a bit over $300.....for 3 hours of entertainment.

Or-

We can go to Vegas and see Mystere for $400 and change...for a couple of hours.......Or NYC to see Hamilton or another Broadway show for probably a bit more (again not the nosebleeds - but not the front of the house either).

Those to me would be similar alternatives.

 

[WhatJaneSays]

Disney is just as expensive many similar location/destination based entertainment venues. I use conventions as the nearest equivalence Disney and non-Disney people understand.

For example every year I go to a large convention in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend, Dragon Con. We stay "on property", buy multi-day tickets, eat constantly, buy merchandise, and do many of the same things we do at Disney. Once all is said and done typically I've spent $850 -$900 for 4 nights and 5 days. The folks I go with spend about the same, so to estimate a family of 4 it would be $3,400-$3,600

I just priced out WDW stay on that same holiday weekend (Thurs-Mon) for my fake family at Port Orleans French Quarter, with tickets and dining plan for $3,317.41 (non hopper tickets and QS dining) to $3,852.87 (hopper and QS/TS dining). And that is with no special offers. Fiddling with various offers I've gotten the low end near $3000.

Yes it is very expensive, but that's just the going rate of that kind of vacation.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Plain and Simple - Entertainment. Which is what Disney offers. Let's use a local example:

Let's say I want to take my family to see the Eagles (sans Glenn Frey - unfortunately). You can go to Live Nation and price some mid-range tickets for Hard Rock Stadium Miami. Not front of the house, no meet and greets. I just want 4 tickets so I and my family can sit comfortably and somewhere close enough that I don't need binoculars to see the stage.

You're looking at about $600 minimum. For probably 2 hours worth of entertainment (I could care less about the opening band).

We could look at taking the family to an NFL game. Leaving parking, food and all ancillaries out of it.....family of four, decent seating....going to be a bit over $300.....for 3 hours of entertainment.

Or-

We can go to Vegas and see Mystere for $400 and change...for a couple of hours.......Or NYC to see Hamilton or another Broadway show for probably a bit more (again not the nosebleeds - but not the front of the house either).

Those to me would be similar alternatives.

However those are not similar examples because of length of stay. It’s fine to say it’s comparable IF you go for a day or two or 3...but the reality is it’s not for most due to embedded costs like airfare.

The only truly similar comparables are all inclusive or cruises...and even they aren’t that comparable.

You can’t say things that last short duration are the same...it’s the price AND the length that is where they get you. I’m not guessing on that...it’s part of the sales model.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The park tickets are high, no doubt about it, but, extended over a day, the multitude of experience even if you only spent 8 hours in the park that is $15.00 per hour (less without the PH). I just went to a concert by a group I never heard of, (Rain) but, they were a cover band with a show that simulated the Beatles up to and somewhat beyond the Sgt. Peppers era. It was a 2 hour concert the cost per ticket was $120.00 or $60.00 per hour. Plus $30.00 for parking. They actually were great and if you let yourself it felt like you were actually watching and listening to the Beatles. Because of that it's hard for me to think that the admission price at WDW is out of line. However, I will stand on any soapbox you care to point out and pontificate on the outright robbery that is perpetrated in the Resorts and Restaurants. A steak never existed that was worth the money they charge for that at Disney. I swear if I ever had one of those I would expect it to chew itself.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

However those are not similar examples because of length of stay. It’s fine to say it’s comparable IF you go for a day or two or 3...but the reality is it’s not for most due to embedded costs like airfare.

The only truly similar comparables are all inclusive or cruises...and even they aren’t that comparable.

You can’t say things that last short duration are the same...it’s the price AND the length that is where they get you. I’m not guessing on that...it’s part of the sales model.

I'm looking purely at cost of admission. That was the point of my post. Too many variables when you are looking at length of stay and it is not a given that Disney gets any of that money.

My whole take on "Is Disney Expensive" comes down to price of admission. I am not forced to stay on property, eat on property. If I chose to do so, then I have options ranging from inexpensive to over-priced.

If I stay off-property, eat off-property, and the only money I spend with Disney is on admission. Then not factoring in AP pricing - and as a non-Florida resident (which I happen to be FL resident) I'm looking at $123 per person (give or take) for potentially 12-14 hours of entertainment for a 3 day PH pass - less if I want a one day non-PH pass.

Based on your post above - you felt that was too much. I simply gave some alternate entertainment options as reference (again based solely on price of admission). If I had to travel to each of those destinations to partake in those activities - it would be "apples to apples"....I would have many choices based on type of accommodation, restaurants, transportation (just like I do at Disney)

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

The park tickets are high, no doubt about it, but, extended over a day, the multitude of experience even if you only spent 8 hours in the park that is $15.00 per hour (less without the PH). I just went to a concert by a group I never heard of, (Raine) but, they were a cover band with a show that simulated the Beatles up to and somewhat beyond the Sgt. Peppers era. It was a 2 hour concert the cost per ticket was $120.00 or $60.00 per hour. Plus $30.00 for parking. They actually were great and if you let yourself it felt like you were actually watching and listening to the Beatles. Because of that it's hard for me to think that the admission price at WDW is out of line. However, I will stand on any soapbox you care to point out and pontificate on the outright robbery that is perpetrated in the Resorts and Restaurants. A steak never existed that was worth the money they charge for that at Disney. I swear if I ever had one of those I would expect it to chew itself.

I remember seeing AC/DC in the late 80's for about 20 bucks. And now a Beatles cover band gets a buck twenty....go figure. But the music industry has changed. It used to be that they toured to support the album....now they make an album to support the tour.

 

[xdan0920]

So. Two things are expensive. Cool.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I remember seeing AC/DC in the late 80's for about 20 bucks. And now a Beatles cover band gets a buck twenty....go figure. But the music industry has changed. It used to be that they toured to support the album....now they make an album to support the tour.

Yea, but the venue wasn't candlestick park holding thousands of people. The money ended up being the same, I'm sure. Hell, at today's prices they would have been billionaires with just one tour.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm looking purely at cost of admission. That was the point of my post. Too many variables when you are looking at length of stay and it is not a given that Disney gets any of that money.

My whole take on "Is Disney Expensive" comes down to price of admission. I am not forced to stay on property, eat on property. If I chose to do so, then I have options ranging from inexpensive to over-priced.

If I stay off-property, eat off-property, and the only money I spend with Disney is on admission. Then not factoring in AP pricing - and as a non-Florida resident (which I happen to be FL resident) I'm looking at $123 per person (give or take) for potentially 12-14 hours of entertainment for a 3 day PH pass - less if I want a one day non-PH pass.

Based on your post above - you felt that was too much. I simply gave some alternate entertainment options as reference (again based solely on price of admission). If I had to travel to each of those destinations to partake in those activities - it would be "apples to apples"....I would have many choices based on type of accommodation, restaurants, transportation (just like I do at Disney)

I see your points...but can’t fully agree with them.

See the problem is that WDW is a “destination” that makes it impossible to limit it to cost of admission, parking and a burger that you can at other parks. So the ticket price doesn’t begin to cover it except if you’re local...making up a whopping 5% of travelers on a given day.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

See the problem is that WDW is a “destination”

I completely get that. As somewhat of a local....considering Orlando proper is about an hour and a half away.....to me "Orlando is the destination". That's probably where we differ. I've got AP's to WDW and USO, frequent places on I-Drive, 535, Kirkman, and the surrounding areas.

Let's say Disney decided to charge $50 for a burger....There are so many options that are 10 minutes away (yeah I get the whole monorail or ferry deal to get out of MK....I'm talking away from property)....that I would just spend my money elsewhere.

If Disney is a couple of bucks higher on something....yeah okay I'll probably bite on a combo meal at Cosmic Rays for $13 vs $8 at Wendy's....but if CR hits $20 vs $8 and I'm multiplying that by 4...then I have some options.

I'm not leaving the park to eat and come back....I'll either get there a bit later and eat first, or get there a bit earlier and hit an alternate option on the way out.

I think we are just approaching it from different perspectives...which doesn't make either of us right or wrong.

 

[21stamps]

I remember seeing AC/DC in the late 80's for about 20 bucks. And now a Beatles cover band gets a buck twenty....go figure. But the music industry has changed. It used to be that they toured to support the album....now they make an album to support the tour.

Attended a Green Day concert for $7 in the early/mid 90s.
Got free tickets to a Green Day concert at American Airlines arena (Miami) in mid/late 2000s. Face value of those tickets were over $100. Definitely wouldn’t have paid it for them, but do for other artists.

Even Tiesto, a DJ, was $120 at Club Space (Miami).. in the early 2000s.

Luckily for me, I’ve always prefered amphitheater’s more often than big stadiums, which means cheaper tickets.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Disney is still an incredible value. Cheap, actually.

Disney is a top destination in the world, really. The amount of entertainment you get (practically non stop) is truly enormous.

Start comparing Disney to other top destinations in the world and include entertainment and see how much you spend.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Attended a Green Day concert for $7 in the early/mid 90s.
Got free tickets to a Green Day concert at American Airlines arena (Miami) in mid/late 2000s. Face value of those tickets were over $100. Definitely wouldn’t have paid it for them, but do for other artists.

Even Tiesto, a DJ, was $120 at Club Space (Miami).. in the early 2000s.

Luckily for me, I’ve always prefered amphitheater’s more often than big stadiums, which means cheaper tickets.

Sports and musical celebrities are part of part of that 1% in America whose income has far outpaced the incomes of the other 99%. Prices are high for these events because these celebrities (and their managers & team owners) are being paid mega bucks.

I can buy a non-discounted ticket to my local AAA baseball team for $9. Same 9-inning baseball game, just no celebrities.

I can see a local rock band at a bar for free.

Both are just as entertaining as the big-name celebrity.

I'm not meeting the real Mickey Mouse when I visit WDW. I'm meeting somebody dressed up in a costume. I'm not paying for a celebrity at WDW. I'm paying for Bob Iger.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Remember folks underneath it all is a business. whether we think Disney should be accessible to all and not the rich is unfortunately moot. I'm the evil shareholder. My retirement is based off of my investments. I want Disney to charge what the market can bear to maximize my return.
Now whether or not that lines up with what "Walt" would do really doesn't matter and the reality is Disney does not owe anyone an affordable vacation. no more than Mercedes Benz owes anyone an affordable car.

I brought Alladin tickets on Broadway for June, 181.00 freakin bucks per ticket. yeah I can see a local production that may or may not be as good but if I want the real Mccoy the only choice I have is look for discounts and cough up the dough.

now along with that I can expect a certain level of quality and enjoyment. Seeing a local band at my jazz club is NOT the same quality as seeing Chris Botti, IMO. seeing Elton John's farewell tour isn't as enjoyable as seeing a cover band.

It's a very personal choice but I don't think it's the same experience

 

[DarthVader]

Cheap, actually.

I disagree, while I love going there, there's no way that a disney vacation is cheap.

Start comparing Disney to other top destinations in the world and include entertainment and see how much you spend.

No, I think you have it wrong. When you need to determine if something is expensive, you don't compare it against another expensive item, i.e., well my BMW is 500 dollars cheaper then that Mercades, so that must mean my BMW is "an incredible value. Cheap actually." There's nothing cheap about a BMW.

I measure if something is expensive by how much $$ leaves my bank account.

I love Disney, its a great vacation, but there's nothing inexpensive about it. I still find some value in spending that money (otherwise I'd not go), but there's no way anyone can define it as cheap.

 

[21stamps]

I disagree, while I love going there, there's no way that a disney vacation is cheap.


No, I think you have it wrong. When you need to determine if something is expensive, you don't compare it against another expensive item, i.e., well my BMW is 500 dollars cheaper then that Mercades, so that must mean my BMW is "an incredible value. Cheap actually." There's nothing cheap about a BMW.

I measure if something is expensive by how much $$ leaves my bank account.

I love Disney, its a great vacation, but there's nothing inexpensive about it. I still find some value in spending that money (otherwise I'd not go), but there's no way anyone can define it as cheap.

I definitely don’t think it’s cheap either. I just don’t think it’s as crazy as people here act like it is.. not when you compare it to other top/popular destinations and the entertainment involved. All of it is expensive.
And depending where you stay at Disney, it could actually come out less than other destinations.

 

[DarthVader]

I just don’t think it’s as crazy as people here act like it is

I get the feeling that its like the frog in the pot analogy. Slowly turn up the water up, and the frog won't notice that its being cooked. I'm seeing these small but measured price increases (or new fees) slowly making it more and more expensive to stay at WDW. Parking fees (which don't directly impact me), is the latest example.

 

[21stamps]

I get the feeling that its like the frog in the pot analogy. Slowly turn up the water up, and the frog won't notice that its being cooked. I'm seeing these small but measured price increases (or new fees) slowly making it more and more expensive to stay at WDW. Parking fees (which don't directly impact me), is the latest example.

I agree. I just don’t think that it’s a Disney exclusive. I’m noticing it with almost everything.

 

[DarthVader]

I agree. I just don’t think that it’s a Disney exclusive. I’m noticing it with almost everything.

Agreed, We visited Universal a while back and I was shocked that I had to "buy" fastpasses. I'm sure there are other examples but that comes quickly to mind

My family typically takes less "organzied" vacations, instead we go to New Hampshire and do things in the mountains, whether its hiking, swimming or zip-lining. The amount of money I spend on a that sort of vacation is on an order of magnatude cheaper then spending a week at disney. Yet my kids still have a memorable, extremely fun vacation.

 

[marni1971]

Disney is still an incredible value. Cheap, actually.

Disney is a top destination in the world, really. The amount of entertainment you get (practically non stop) is truly enormous.

Start comparing Disney to other top destinations in the world and include entertainment and see how much you spend.

Or you could compare it to ten, twenty, thirty years ago and how much it cost with inflation relative to today and how much entertainment you got back then?