Is Disney Expensive?

[Randyland]

Exactly.. I’ll continue below.


Our house in Cape May was 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and the crazy outdoor shower room. It was on the water, and had a decent sized inground pool.

Those homes now are not at comparable to their pricing when I was child and my family owned one (they wouldn’t have owned one if the pricing was similar to today’s prices) even to rent one for a week is something that I haven’t been willing to do yet when I figure in all other entertainment expenses associated with the trip.

Point being- it’s a lot more expensive than when I was a child. It also comes out to a higher cost than Disney when comparing entertainment expenses vs entertainment expenses of Disney park tickets.


I also grew up staying at the Poly from 1978 on, and I disagree that most Disney visitors were staying at those resorts at that time. I think the bulk of park visitors were staying at nearby hotels. The Disney resorts were expensive for that time period as well. So were tickets, which is why my parents always bought extra every year to save for the future. My siblings still have some left, I have used all of mine as of November 2017.

I think people try to rewrite the past of Disney into something that it never was.

yes more people stayed off property then they did at the contemporary because there were no other hotels built in the beginning, and most rooms were off property.

sure it cost less to stay off property from the start as it was not right there and you had to drive in.

yes, shore houses have gone way up. people purchased those old bungelos with the crazy outdoor shower, and turned them into year round homes.

plus the friendly realtor sold people on the idea that they can purchase the condo and rent it out for the season to pay it off, still enjoy time there themselves, and have it paid off in 20 years...

only thing is that many folks who bought into that mortgaged their main home to do it, and then when they could not rent it, or the teens who came down to party wrecked the place, many people LOST their condo to the friendly banker... and sometimes their main home as well.

just because things cost more money does not mean they are worth the money.

Also take into consideration that the average family today is no longer what we once considered middle class.

The very rich have grabbed such wealth in this country, they most folks are poor on the scale of comparison.

we are not talking about bread-line poor, but not to far from it.

it has been hidden over the decades of transition, as the stores became flooded with products made cheaply in China and such, so as long as the "average guy" had the new toaster, or press-board furniture, then life seemed good....

meanwhile, economy went out the window and those grabbing the wealth took more and more.

you can make comparisons of all kinds and many things are not apples and apples... but there is no question about the things which everyone knows about, and the prices which have dramatically increased here, there, or anywhere, prospectively.

Meanwhile, it is almost 2pm, and I have to head over to the Magic Kingdom now, if i want to catch the Parade which will hit Town Square at 3:23!.

Yep, I am down here doing my Disney thing while most of you folks are just talking about it!!

Got to love it!!

`

 

[21stamps]

yes more people stayed off property then they did at the contemporary because there were no other hotels built in the beginning, and most rooms were off property.

sure it cost less to stay off property from the start as it was not right there and you had to drive in.

yes, shore houses have gone way up. people purchased those old bungelos with the crazy outdoor shower, and turned them into year round homes.

plus the friendly realtor sold people on the idea that they can purchase the condo and rent it out for the season to pay it off, still enjoy time there themselves, and have it paid off in 20 years...

only thing is that many folks who bought into that mortgaged their main home to do it, and then when they could not rent it, or the teens who came down to party wrecked the place, many people LOST their condo to the friendly banker... and sometimes their main home as well.

just because things cost more money does not mean they are worth the money.

Also take into consideration that the average family today is no longer what we once considered middle class.

The very rich have grabbed such wealth in this country, they most folks are poor on the scale of comparison.

we are not talking about bread-line poor, but not to far from it.

it has been hidden over the decades of transition, as the stores became flooded with products made cheaply in China and such, so as long as the "average guy" had the new toaster, or press-board furniture, then life seemed good....

meanwhile, economy went out the window and those grabbing the wealth took more and more.

you can make comparisons of all kinds and many things are not apples and apples... but there is no question about the things which everyone knows about, and the prices which have dramatically increased here, there, or anywhere, prospectively.

Meanwhile, it is almost 2pm, and I have to head over to the Magic Kingdom now, if i want to catch the Parade which will hit Town Square at 3:23!.

Yep, I am down here doing my Disney thing while most of you folks are just talking about it!!

Got to love it!!

`

You just agreed with the purpose of the OP.. everything has gone up. From summer homes that were fairly common among middle/upper middle class folks, now being priced to where mostly only upper class folks can afford to buy them today.. to Disney, where yep- certain (not all) hotels will be ‘unaffordable’ to a segment of people who once considered them ‘affordable’.. all of this has happened because of Demand. It’s really that simple.

Have fun at MK!! Wish I was there!

 

[Randyland]

You just agreed with the purpose of the OP.. everything has gone up. From summer homes that were fairly common among middle/upper middle class folks, now being priced to where mostly only upper class folks can afford to buy them today.. to Disney, where yep- certain (not all) hotels will be ‘unaffordable’ to a segment of people who once considered them ‘affordable’.. all of this has happened because of Demand. It’s really that simple.

Have fun at MK!! Wish I was there!

Certainly I agree that everything has gone up, except the Fascination Game as I explained is the same 20 cents for 45 years.... However, just as you complained about the shore houses costing so much, somethings are disproportionate in what they cost now to justify to increase as everything else. Again,this goes back to it's a business.... As compared to a man's dream and a place considered almost Holly in the eyes of many. There lay the conflict. It can be both, however a line is dangerous to cross as you risk an undying customer loyalty which money cannot buy. Meanwhile, I sit here in front of the train station on town square, and the crowds are light. Only now, at 3 12 filling in empty street locations for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. This is my area of Control as Main Street Operations is home to me. And I am happier here, right here, then I am anyplace in the whole world. I just hope I can enjoy things forever, just as I have done since the beginning!

 

[Goofyernmost]

yes more people stayed off property then they did at the contemporary because there were no other hotels built in the beginning, and most rooms were off property.

sure it cost less to stay off property from the start as it was not right there and you had to drive in.

Everyone had to drive there back then, either their own car or a rental, even if they stayed at the Poly or Contemporary. They just didn't have to drive to MK. However, it probably wasn't even touching 10% that stayed onsite back then simply because there weren't enough rooms and the cost outside was between $20 and $30 Dollars per night for a room. Most of the hotels were brand new and if they were near the main-gate they were safe and not in a bad place. I doubt that there even were bad places back then.

It's pretty much the same people or, for lack of a better way to put it, the Middle Class. The poor could not go and the wealthy had much better places to go, social wise. They have managed to price me out basically not because I don't have the money available to go, but, because I can't any longer throw money away. My crystal ball is a little cloudy and I don't have an exact handle on how long I will live and what I have, has to last the duration. So the better part of wise is not spend huge amounts of money to "see the dream" when I have to live the actual life.

I, in some way, admire you unicorn and rainbow look at life and how things should be. But, I have been alive long enough to have the shine wear off of a lot of things and see the real thing just below the shiny paint.

 

[21stamps]

Everyone had to drive there back then, either their own car or a rental, even if they stayed at the Poly or Contemporary. They just didn't have to drive to MK. However, it probably wasn't even touching 10% that stayed onsite back then simply because there weren't enough rooms and the cost outside was between $20 and $30 Dollars per night for a room. Most of the hotels were brand new and if they were near the main-gate they were safe and not in a bad place. I doubt that there even were bad places back then.

It's pretty much the same people or, for lack of a better way to put it, the Middle Class. The poor could not go and the wealthy had much better places to go, social wise. They have managed to price me out basically not because I don't have the money available to go, but, because I can't any longer throw money away. My crystal ball is a little cloudy and I don't have an exact handle on how long I will live and what I have, has to last the duration. So the better part of wise is not spend huge amounts of money to "see the dream" when I have to live the actual life.

I, in some way, admire you unicorn and rainbow look at life and how things should be. But, I have been alive long enough to have the shine wear off of a lot of things and see the real thing just below the shiny paint.

I’m sure you can probably remember when Disney was just a portion of a vacation.. not the entire vacation as it is for so many today.
We did @ 4-6 nights on average when growing up.. Disney was always on the tail end of a beach vacation... but that 5avgd nights included SeaWorld as well, and later Universal.
WDW was a fun place, but it wasn’t the obsession that it is today. Disney could see a market for more..and they took the opportunity to accommodate and ‘exploit’ for lack of a better term.. but Disney has changed over the years, mostly due to their expanding market.
This is why I think comparisons to the 80s leave out a huge chunk of the actual progression.

 

[21stamps]

Certainly I agree that everything has gone up, except the Fascination Game as I explained is the same 20 cents for 45 years.... However, just as you complained about the shore houses costing so much, somethings are disproportionate in what they cost now to justify to increase as everything else. Again,this goes back to it's a business.... As compared to a man's dream and a place considered almost Holly in the eyes of many. There lay the conflict. It can be both, however a line is dangerous to cross as you risk an undying customer loyalty which money cannot buy. Meanwhile, I sit here in front of the train station on town square, and the crowds are light. Only now, at 3 12 filling in empty street locations for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. This is my area of Control as Main Street Operations is home to me. And I am happier here, right here, then I am anyplace in the whole world. I just hope I can enjoy things forever, just as I have done since the beginning!

The crowds look great this week! Enjoy!

 

[brifraz]

brifraz.......So you stayed in Times Square....Anyone who know NYC never stays in Times Square. You did not visit Chelsea, SoHO, Greenwich Village, Tribecca and that is just to to name a few of the great areas in Manhattan. To explain it differently it is like going to Disney World and just going on one ride such as Its a Small World and then comparing the two. You stayed and had dinners in an area that no one who actually lives in Manhattan ever visits. So many other sights and real world class dinning and shopping that you missed in the areas that I mentioned above. I worked in Manhattan for one two years and never paid the hotel rates that you paid because I never stayed in Times Square. You should do more research before you visit NYC next time.

I agree that it can be fun to see Times Square and to see a show. What makes me sad is when someone forms an opinion of NYC and Manhattan by just their experience in Times Square and not seeing the other sections of the city and what an amazing city it really is.

I have been to NYC multiple times and visited most of the areas you are speaking of and my opinion of NYC was formed long before this visit. This trip to NYC was a weekend with two Broadways shows for my daughter and wife and a chance to 'stay in the middle of it all.' and we did it because we enjoy going to NYC. I did not describe every minute of our visit, I only described the things cost-wise and entertainment-wise that I felt were comparable with a stay in WDW. We have done a lot of research as we do with all vacations. I apologize for not treating my family to a vacation that meets with your approval. I appreciate your appraisal of my vacation choices; however, I feel it is not well informed. In future I would ask that you ask questions before assuming and being insulting.

 

[Randyland]

Everyone had to drive there back then, either their own car or a rental, even if they stayed at the Poly or Contemporary. They just didn't have to drive to MK. However, it probably wasn't even touching 10% that stayed onsite back then simply because there weren't enough rooms and the cost outside was between $20 and $30 Dollars per night for a room. Most of the hotels were brand new and if they were near the main-gate they were safe and not in a bad place. I doubt that there even were bad places back then.

It's pretty much the same people or, for lack of a better way to put it, the Middle Class. The poor could not go and the wealthy had much better places to go, social wise. They have managed to price me out basically not because I don't have the money available to go, but, because I can't any longer throw money away. My crystal ball is a little cloudy and I don't have an exact handle on how long I will live and what I have, has to last the duration. So the better part of wise is not spend huge amounts of money to "see the dream" when I have to live the actual life.

I, in some way, admire you unicorn and rainbow look at life and how things should be. But, I have been alive long enough to have the shine wear off of a lot of things and see the real thing just below the shiny paint.

i just got home for the magic kingdom; now it is almost 1am.... thank you for admiring my unicorn rainbow look at life!! I completely understand what you say about unknowns, time span, and the shine wearing off so you can see beneath...

i have had way more then my share of real world horrors in my life, so i too can see beyond the glitter.... plus, i have been hit hard with worries about what the road leads to ahead... but this all makes the escape into the Unicorn Rainbow all the more required!!!

For me it is a way of life, and a matter of survival.

 

[Randyland]

In the earliest of the beginning going as far back as Spring of 72, yes, Disney was not the only thing in our Florida trip..... This was because prior to Disney, we would go to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Coral Gables, and do the Parrot Jungle, Monkey Jungle, and the seaquarium, and so we continued that tradition but adding Disney to the trip. However, 2 or 3 years after, Disney took over in our family vacation.... There was only the Magic Kingdom, and that was enough for us. Each year it was 10 nights of living the Disney dream. The Addition of Epcot in 82 added to the experience, and we never went to Sea World, or any other area attraction at that point. We may not have been the normal guest pattern, but that is the way it was.

 

[Randyland]

The crowds look great this week! Enjoy!

Yes, the crowds are not holiday crazy... I have been down here doing the Disney thing for the last few months, and the only time I found crowds really was the Easter Holiday week. Even during February vacation, or Spring Break, I found crowds far less then I expected. On Saturday, I was surprised that the parking lot was not so full at my usual time of arrival. I watched the Parade that day from Frontierland, and I was shocked that 20 minutes before Parade time, there was NO ONE at the Parade ropes on the North side. Yes, the sun was hot, and the side by the buildings in the shade did have a single row of Guests waiting for the Parade, but the other side had a stretch more then two city blocks long of EMPTY ROPES. I mean empty... it was so weird that I had to take pictures of the empty space with ropes up. To make a point, I stood right in the middle of the empty stretch of rope, and I was the ONLY Guest there. Even in the cold of winter, or rain in the Summer, there are people lined up waiting for the Parade.... but not this day. And even 5 minutes before the Parade started when the Guests filled in, there was only 1 row of Guests and plenty of empty space. After the Parade I went to the Country Bears Jamboree.... the Show just after the Parade ends is always a full show, as everyone runs in, but the theater was 1/2 empty. They even held the doors open waiting for Guests before starting the show, but it ran 1/2 empty. The only really bad crowd places I have seen this year has been in the Castle Hub for the Fireworks/Projection Show. They created a reason for everyone to be in front of the Castle at the same time, and even with the Second Hub Circle, the mass of Guests there at that time is something to be avoided. Over all I had a very enjoyable day today, did most everything and never had to wait more then 20 minutes even without Fast Pass.

 

[Matthew Rings]

Last trip to WDW for family 4 1 night at Disney hotel 1 day at park = $1000. I was looking at going to Disneyland this summer, but it was coming in around $3,000-$4,000 sooooo Yeah it's expensive!

 

[spock8113]

"Is Disney Expensive?", YES.

BriFraz, I live in New York and I applaud your visiting.
A visit to NY can be daunting to get to, but once you're in...........................
Plan on no rest areas, aside from Vince Lombardi, about a hour and a half out!

 

[21stamps]

In the earliest of the beginning going as far back as Spring of 72, yes, Disney was not the only thing in our Florida trip..... This was because prior to Disney, we would go to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Coral Gables, and do the Parrot Jungle, Monkey Jungle, and the seaquarium, and so we continued that tradition but adding Disney to the trip. However, 2 or 3 years after, Disney took over in our family vacation.... There was only the Magic Kingdom, and that was enough for us. Each year it was 10 nights of living the Disney dream. The Addition of Epcot in 82 added to the experience, and we never went to Sea World, or any other area attraction at that point. We may not have been the normal guest pattern, but that is the way it was.

I think you were the exception rather than the norm.. I’m not saying that in a bad way, but during those years, at least from my own anecdotal experience/friends/fam., WDW was a stop, not the sole purpose of a vacation in and of itself.
But again, there was a market there for more, as your own anecdotal experience shows. Disney made a smart business decision to build the “more” and make it a week long destination all by itself, without ever needing to exit the gates. With that kind of expansion and the demand that follows, it’s only common sense to realize the prices will rise as well.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think you were the exception rather than the norm.. I’m not saying that in a bad way, but during those years, at least from my own anecdotal experience/friends/fam., WDW was a stop, not the sole purpose of a vacation in and of itself.
But again, there was a market there for more, as your own anecdotal experience shows. Disney made a smart business decision to build the “more” and make it a week long destination all by itself, without ever needing to exit the gates. With that kind of expansion and the demand that follows, it’s only common sense to realize the prices will rise as well.

When I first went, it was to specifically go to WDW. However, it was never the only place that we went. Staying offsite and having a vehicle, we could wander everywhere and we did. We went to Seaworld and Universal when It showed up. We went to the Kennedy Space Center. We drove through the Orange Groves and the Citrus Tower (you could pull over to the side of the road, walk about six feet and pick fresh oranges off the trees), Cyprus Gardens, over to Tampa/St. Petersburgh area and the Sunken Gardens. They were all part of our trips. There currently are more things to see just around the area now then back then. Some were there back then like Gaterland, but, a whole lot more are there now. There are Flea Markets, gift shops that sell Disney stuff for a lot less then Disney does, Dinner shows, Helicopter tours over the Parks. There is just no end to the possibilities.

 

[21stamps]

Op used expensive cost for NYC vs cheap costs for Orlando.

For example on weekend hotel costs on manhatten are a lot cheaper near Wall Street yet OP chose the heart of town square.

Why would a tourist stay on Wall St? There’s nothing there after 5pm. Lol. You’d end up spending the same amount of money per day, only more in transportation fees as opposed to the room.

 

[21stamps]

When I first went, it was to specifically go to WDW. However, it was never the only place that we went. Staying offsite and having a vehicle, we could wander everywhere and we did. We went to Seaworld and Universal when It showed up. We went to the Kennedy Space Center. We drove through the Orange Groves and the Citrus Tower (you could pull over to the side of the road, walk about six feet and pick fresh oranges off the trees), Cyprus Gardens, over to Tampa/St. Petersburgh area and the Sunken Gardens. They were all part of our trips. There currently are more things to see just around the area now then back then. Some were there back then like Gaterland, but, a whole lot more are there now. There are Flea Markets, gift shops that sell Disney stuff for a lot less then Disney does, Dinner shows, Helicopter tours over the Parks. There is just no end to the possibilities.

We always did dinner at Medieval Times every visit even when staying on property. 2016 was the first time in my life where I went to Disney without leaving the property during my stay- taking ME to and from the airport. It’s probably the only time I will ever do that.
Kiddo loves Fun Spot.. and he’s finally tall enough for Universal, so I don’t ever see it happening again.

 

[Goofyernmost]

We always did dinner at Medieval Times every visit even when staying on property. 2016 was the first time in my life where I went to Disney without leaving the property during my stay- taking ME to and from the airport. It’s probably the only time I will ever do that.
Kiddo loves Fun Spot.. and he’s finally tall enough for Universal, so I don’t ever see it happening again.

My last visit to the area, which I admit was February 2017 was two days at Universal and one at MK/Epcot (hopper). Disney just didn't have the pull it once had. Previous to that those numbers would have been reversed. Not many, I realize, but, it is indicative of what is happening with me now.

Spoiler

The last of my 10 day, no-expiration Park Hopper. Never to be seen again along with me possibly.

 

[novanoto]

I've never really understood the "Disney is expensive" mainly because imo taking a vacation at all is expensive. Case in point,
last year we went to Ocean city NJ. the Jersey shore. I love, love love the beach and it's one of the best on the East coast.

Anyhoo, a 2 bedroom weekly rental beach block (not facing the ocean or on the beach) was 3,000 bucks for the last week in July.
The beach tags were not an issue I think 25 bucks for the season.
food and incidentals were easy 1500 bucks.

now generally I don't compare vacations because imo they are all different. I have as good a time in NYC as I do in Disney world. I'm impress you only spent 750 on theater tickets, lol I've been trying to go see Hamilton for a while, waiting for the prices to drop below $500 a ticket.

I am biased to NYC because it's my home town

From a fellow NY'er, Hamilton has gotten a lot cheaper lately. Look for the beginning of next year and I promise you can find plenty of tix in the $300 range. Or wait for the next drop from Ticketmaster and you'll be able to get them for face of $199 or $249/ticket. (For the record, I think it's completely worth any of these prices or more!!)

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I honestly think they just don’t want to do the capex and I think it’s the same reason Disney dragged their feet on meaningful park expansion in the last 15 years. They are FINALLY doing some, but it’s still about 20-30% of what is needed.

It is a SLAM DUNK that doubling the size of the Magic Kingdom (yes, double) over the last 5 years would have and still would make them stupid money over time. Unfortunately, Disney is publicly traded and there is still a lot of red tape.

When I say double Magic Kingdom, it doesn’t even have to be tons more attractions. I just think it needs more space, restaurants, walkways, pathways and just general spreadoutness. I’m not entirely sure how they swing it, but there is space to expand quite a bit if they wanted to.

Stock up on you...

 

[Lewanc]

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.