Is Disney Expensive?

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Costs...... again all perception...

At least 10 times a year I sit on my deck on a Saturday morning with my wife drinking coffee and discuss "What do you want to do today?"....."Don't know...you want to surprise the kids with a day-trip to DS, EPCOT, MK?" - For me that equates to about $200-$300 which is just a slight bit more than spending a few hours at a restaurant overlooking the Intracoastal. For me that's acceptable. If I had to add in airfare, one night at a hotel, a TS dinner - and now I'm looking at $1k for a day. Maybe not so acceptable.

Locals (close to local in my case) have a different value calculation, because a lot of the ancillary costs don't exist. For me to go to F&W it's about $20. I base that on the cost of my AP divided by the number of days annually I'm in the parks.

If I asked someone in Minnesota how much it would cost them to go the F&W for a day - I'd get $100 for the ticket, $400 for airfare, another $150 for a decent hotel and maybe $80 for transportation.

If they asked me how much it would cost to go to spend a day at Mall of the America's - they'd say it was free - but for me it'd cost about $500 for airfare and hotel.

You’re talking about individual cases and they are very much subjective.

But not perception. Prices are not “feelings”...they can be tracked and documented. As I did back there. The reality is a magic kingdom ticket is 130% more today than it was 12 years ago with 25% more average attendance and only mine train and the crapetetia of be our guest to show for it isn’t really to hard of a thing to point at for the high school debate team.

If you want to go JUST on ticket prices...other costs vary and do get muddled.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
My perspective is from the west coast one.

My Disneyland pass now costs $1,000, basically, and that’s with two weeks of blackout dates. This excludes the money I spend on food and souvenirs (buying souvenirs is rare for me). I don’t have to pay for a hotel because I live in Los Angeles. I am going to England and Croatia next month for a total of 10 days abroad. So far, I have spent a little bit over $1,000 for the trips, including roundtrip airfare for both (L.A. to London, London to Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik back to London, and London back to L.A.), places to stay, and some entertainment. Once food and souvenirs are included, this trip and a year of Disneyland will equal out to be nearly the same.

Now, I could keep my AP and continue to pay more for it each year. Or I could use that money to plan other trips around the world. I will be taking the latter option and will let my AP lapse starting next year. To answer the question, yes, I believe Disney is expensive.

I agree that this question is subjective for multiple reasons. Value is also a contributor. While I love theme parks, I’ve come to a point in my life where I would rather travel to different countries and states than go to Disneyland or Disney World. I value traveling to London to see As You Like It at the Globe Theatre more than traveling to Orlando to ride different variations of the rides I’m familiar with here, or driving down to Disneyland. Even a trip to Colorado sounds more interesting to me.

Whatever floats your boat.
 

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
The problem is their value is in their longterm viability and loyalty...it always has been when times are rough. The current pricing trajectory will erode that.

It’s alot more than the S&D curve.

A fascinating thing to watch - for sure.
Now you’re trying to predict the future, which is really hard. Disney, the company, is actually not doing very well (temporarily). Parks are their only “good” business at the moment.

Disney is unfortunately in this position because of their focus on M&A, expansion around the world, and issues at ESPN and ABC. Parks are a bright spot and I wouldn’t predict pricing trajectory will erode anything enough to hurt them. The beauty of pricing is you can always change it, instantly if needed. People demand their content, of question about it and that is VERY difficult to erode. Disney has one of the biggest moats of any company in the world because the brand “Disney” means something to so many people.

The pricing aspect is just business. Demand has never been stronger.
 

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
You’ve identified as a “foamer”...a term recently explained to me.

Disney is your life...it’s valued at a much higher level than 90%+ of the market. That’s your reality...but it’s not representative of the mass argument.

The original post was “is disney expensive?” Currently, for most...the answer is some degree of “yes”
The fandom I have for Disney just means I’ll pay even more, but it doesn’t mean it’s currently expensive. You can objectively calc costs for “other” vacations and look at the costs for the alternatives. I’ve done it and noticed Disney is a good value, making my opinion “no” on the expensive argument.

You can more broadly say travel and vacations are expensive, but it’s not something inherent to Disney.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
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?
Problem with that is we don't live in the past. We can compare until the cows come home, it really doesn't tell us anything. Wages were a lot lower, entertainment options were harder to get to or afford and were ridiculously primitive and life was just plan different. If going back 40 or 50 years is what is going to Make Anyplace Great Again I prefer that we just stay were we are and decide value based on the life we live today.
 
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Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Now you’re trying to predict the future, which is really hard. Disney, the company, is actually not doing very well. Parks are their only “good” business at the moment.

Disney is unfortunately in this position because of their focus on M&A, expansion around the world, and issues at ESPN and ABC. Parks are a bright spot and I wouldn’t predict pricing trajectory will erode anything enough to hurt them. The beauty of pricing is you can always change it, instantly if needed. People demand their content, of question about it and that is VERY difficult to erode. Disney has one of the biggest moats of any company in the world because the brand “Disney” means something to so many people.

The pricing aspect is just business. Demand has never been stronger.

I agree with that...

But I’m not predicting the future...I’m looking at 85 years of history to identify the reality.

The problem is the bob thought he was gonna get to $200 a share and parachute out.

But that’s NOT disney...that’s a tech company or a bubble industry...Disney has always been profitable, but sometimes painfully stable...it’s a blessing and a curse.

They are not doing particularly well. They misread tv completely and stopped pursuing new sustainable IP after buying outside ones with shelf lives they don’t seem to recognize.

So the seas may be really rough ahead...or they could get lucky in streaming...we’ll
See.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Problem with that is we don't life in the past. We can compare until the cows come home, it really doesn't tell us anything. Wages were a lot lower, entertainment options were harder to get to or afford and were ridiculously primitive and life was just plan different. If going back 40 or 50 years is what is going to Make Anyplace Great Again I prefer that we just stay were we are and decide value based on the life we live today.

Indeed...”great” was horribly, primitively “not great” in reality from all historical context.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
The fandom I have for Disney just means I’ll pay even more, but it doesn’t mean it’s currently expensive. You can objectively calc costs for “other” vacations and look at the costs for the alternatives. I’ve done it and noticed Disney is a good value, making my opinion “no” on the expensive argument.

You can more broadly say travel and vacations are expensive, but it’s not something inherent to Disney.

What comparable situations can you price that equal 6.8 average days on property in the middle classed designed WDW?

That’s what I’ve been trying to find on threads like these for years...or since November...right 🤫
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
It is difficult.

Here’s what’s not: compare line item pricing from different periods and the experience based on number of attractions/wait times.
And yet, no one is forced at gun point to go there. We cannot go back to 1971 unless the next recession is deep enough to put us there. If it is not worth it do not pay and do not go. Otherwise you are just plain one of those suckers that are born every minute. If people really do not have more money now then back then to spend on recreation, then it must be they are all living on credit and that will be an unmitigated disaster.
 
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Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
I agree with that...

But I’m not predicting the future...I’m looking at 85 years of history to identify the reality.

The problem is the bob thought he was gonna get to $200 a share and parachute out.

But that’s NOT disney...that’s a tech company or a bubble industry...Disney has always been profitable, but sometimes painfully stable...it’s a blessing and a curse.

They are not doing particularly well. They misread tv completely and stopped pursuing new sustainable IP after buying outside ones with shelf lives they don’t seem to recognize.

So the seas may be really rough ahead...or they could get lucky in streaming...we’ll
See.
Agreed, but Iger has done a good job acquiring A+ quality assets like Star Wars, Marvel, and potentially the Fox stuff. Disney’s portfolio is insanely strong. I look at this a transitional period where they develop a streaming platform, consolidate their IP, and execute on some expansion initiatives. They are still making some great films and the cycle will continue. The issue Disney has is they make money is the physical world and can’t just write some new algorithm and change the business. They have to actually pour concrete, film movies, and build stuff. They’ll be fine.

I’m very long the company and still see Disney as a best in clas, market leader with a top 5 brand in the world.

Iger run his course, however. I’ll be glad to see him go.
 
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Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
What comparable situations can you price that equal 6.8 average days on property in the middle classed designed WDW?

That’s what I’ve been trying to find on threads like these for years...or since November...right 🤫
Oh I could do some long analysis, but people just poke holes in everything and say it’s not apples to apples, so it’s a waste of time.

I’ll just say this. Fly somewhere decent, eat out every day 3X per day, stay in a hotel, and entertain yourselves 24/7 and calc the total cost. I’ve traveled a lot and can tell you I’ve seen how much it costs just to go to NYC or DC and not have as much entertainment as Disney. Or go to a world class beach and stare at water. Lord.
 
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Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
And yet, no one is forced at gun point to go there. We cannot go back to 1971 unless the next recession is deep enough to put us there. If it is not worth it do not pay and do not go. Otherwise you are just plain one of those suckers that are born every minute. If people really do not have more money now then back then to spend on recreation, then it must be they are all living on credit and that will be an unmitigated disaster.

Nobody is forced to do anything in los estsdos unidos...it’s a society of want.

But you can look at if the value is being maintained and what that means moving forward. Opinions will vary...but it’s worth discussing
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Oh I could do some long analysis, but people just poke holes in everything and say it’s not apples to apples, so it’s a waste of time.

I’ll must say this. Fly somewhere decent, eat out every day 3X per day, stay in a hotel, and entertain yourselves 24/7 and calc the total cost. I’ve travelled a lot and can tell you I’ve seen how much it costs just to go to NYC or DC and not have as much entertainment as Disney. Or go to a world class beach and stare at water. Lord.

Those are reasonable examples...but when people say “broadway is just as expensive”...that is not.

It’s not a one day bill compared to an average week destination...that’s where the comparisons start to go off the rails.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Agreed, but Iger has done a good job acquiring A+ quality assets like Star Wars, Marcel, and potentially the Fox stuff. Disney’s portfolio is insanely strong. I look at this a transitional period where they develop a streaming platform, consolidate their IP, and execute on some expansion initiatives. They are still making some great films and the cycle will continue. The issue Disney has is they make money is the physical world and can’t just write some new algorithm and change the business. They have to actually pour concrete, film movies, and build stuff. They’ll be fine.

I’m very long the company and still see Disney as a best in clas, market leader with a top 5 brand in the world.

Iger run his course, however. I’ll be glad to see him go.

They don’t know what they are doing with Star Wars...and burning through marvel too fast (always ebb and flows when it comes to comic books)...other than that...fantastic 😎

At some point, they’re gonna have to go back to the expensive, tedious process of coming up with original ideas.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
The problem is their value is in their longterm viability and loyalty...it always has been when times are rough. The current pricing trajectory will erode that.

It’s alot more than the S&D curve.

A fascinating thing to watch - for sure.
I have been a faithful follower for the past 35 years, going an average of over 1.3 times a year. But, they have now priced me out and unless I can get family and/or friends to buy me a few Disney Gift Certificates I will not be going again. So I'm am just an interested bystander now. Unless, the price drops back down I am not likely to attend, so whatever happens, if bad, will have no affect on me personally. It's not that I don't care, it's just that it would do me no good to care. And I don't even think that raising their prices are wrong. Any business theory includes whatever the public will stand. From reports of people going to WDW, at least, there doesn't seem to be a decline in people that think it is worth it. So we are just talking out of our butts and are completely wrong about the prices. It isn't hurting them at all, at least at this point.
 

"El Gran Magnifico"

Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
Premium Member
You’ve identified as a “foamer”...a term recently explained to me.

The original post was “is disney expensive?” Currently, for most...the answer is some degree of “yes”

The humor I see in this entire thread...is that if you don't agree that "Disney is Expensive" you get flamed. Look, I'm not Bezos (Buffett and Gates have been knocked down a notch)....but I do okay. I feel in certain areas Disney may be overpriced, in others they are on par, and in yet others they are of great value.

Overall, Disney is priced equivalent to other vacation alternatives....sure you can go to Six Flags - but try going to Vail, Geneva, or London (with the conversion) and tell me Disney is expensive.

If you are maxing out a credit card to go to Disney (which I wouldn't recommend) then Disney is very, very expensive. If you are paying with available funds (which I would recommend), Disney is of average cost weighed against equal options....considering you can control everything outside of the admission price.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
You’ve identified as a “foamer”...a term recently explained to me.

Disney is your life...it’s valued at a much higher level than 90%+ of the market. That’s your reality...but it’s not representative of the mass argument.

The original post was “is disney expensive?” Currently, for most...the answer is some degree of “yes”
Again... only if you buy into the entire brain washing rhetoric. It can be done much cheaper, it is up to the people and those that find it worth the money are what is feeding TWDC right now. There is nothing wrong with those prices as long as people continue to pay them. My oft used example is... I'd love to own a Rolls Royce, but, all I can afford is a VW. No one is screaming that Rolls Royce needs to lower their prices, but, why not... I'd like them to do so. We tend to forget that WDW was not built to be a big hotel area. That came later when the saw the cash cow grazing in the background. We can still go to MK, Epcot, DHS and DAK and not have to mortgage the house. We collectively chose to spend the big bucks for the utility purpose of having a place to sleep and eat. Which isn't necessary. I've gone a lot of times and have never slept out in the car or eaten out of dumpsters.
 
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Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I have been a faithful follower for the past 35 years, going an average of over 1.3 times a year. But, they have now priced me out and unless I can get family and/or friends to buy me a few Disney Gift Certificates I will not be going again. So I'm am just an interested bystander now. Unless, the price drops back down I am not likely to attend, so whatever happens, if bad, will have no affect on me personally. It's not that I don't care, it's just that it would do me no good to care. And I don't even think that raising their prices are wrong. Any business theory includes whatever the public will stand. From reports of people going to WDW, at least, there doesn't seem to be a decline in people that think it is worth it. So we are just talking out of our butts and are completely wrong about the prices. It isn't hurting them at all, at least at this point.

Oh I agree...this is purely philosophical right now.

It hits the fan when a serious recession hits. That’s when we’ll see Bob’s handiwork.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
The humor I see in this entire thread...is that if you don't agree that "Disney is Expensive" you get flamed. Look, I'm not Bezos (Buffett and Gates have been knocked down a notch)....but I do okay. I feel in certain areas Disney may be overpriced, in others they are on par, and in yet others they are of great value.

Overall, Disney is priced equivalent to other vacation alternatives....sure you can go to Six Flags - but try going to Vail, Geneva, or London (with the conversion) and tell me Disney is expensive.

If you are maxing out a credit card to go to Disney (which I wouldn't recommend) then Disney is very, very expensive. If you are paying with available funds (which I would recommend), Disney is of average cost weighed against equal options....considering you can control everything outside of the admission price.

I get flamed for this comparison all of the time, but I’ll make it again.. here’s my top “family destinations/resorts” (in no particular order)

1. Atlantis, Bahamas
2. A Beaches Resort, Caribbean.
3. Boca Raton Resort or Beach Club. Florida (a “beach vacation”)
4. Casa Marina, Key West, FL (another beach with a lot of activities destination)
5. A cruise with fun (usually fairly expensive) excursions at every port.. and a higher than avg priced stateroom.(but not a suite class)
5. Disney World. Preferably a monorail resort, maybe Epcot resort in future years.

Now, compare the overall costs of each.. they are all expensive.. and Disney park tickets are by far the best “entertainment value” out of all 5 options.

I’ve done each one, and I can see the overall price of each from personal experience. People are purposely being misleading if they claim that Disney 5 or 7 day tickets and dining are MORE money out of pocket than 5 or 7 days full of activities and dining at most “top family destinations”
 
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