Is Disney really that expensive?

[bryanfze55]

I’m doing a similar trip next Thursday...and being from the northeast it is a “pricey trip”

So there is variation. But are we talking medians here?

I know that a 7 day trip to wdw in a “mid range” hotel cost for 4 runs a conservative $7500+...

There’s a lot of other places that can be done at or much more cheaply.

So I define that as “expensive”...because it’s possible to do equivalent/better qualify for the same or less.

That just sounds high to me, particularly for a “conservative” estimate.

Two adults and two kids = $1200 flights through Southwest, $2000 park tickets for 7 days, $2000 for a moderate resort (at this point, pretty sure most are pushing $300/night). I guess you could spend $2300 on food and souvenirs, but that doesn’t sound “conservative” to me. But I’m cheap, so...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Frontier City and other parks like that are one day parks so of course they're going to be cheaper than Disney would be.

Actually if you look at pricing dynamics...they should be MORE lb for lb.

They are not.

Remember that until iger Disney heavily incentivized Longer stays with pricing. Those are GONE.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That just sounds high to me, particularly for a “conservative” estimate.

Two adults and two kids = $1200 flights through Southwest, $2000 park tickets for 7 days, $2000 for a moderate resort (at this point, pretty sure most are pushing $300/night). I guess you could spend $2300 on food and souvenirs, but that doesn’t sound “conservative” to me. But I’m cheap, so...

So you are at $5200 before you eat anything...for 7 days...

Want to think if my figure is unreasonable again? Quick served only runs you about $1000-1500 for a week now. And that’s not touching on other thing that costs a penny.

As “moderate” range hotel for me is AoA through wilderness/Dak...which is a way better deal than aoa or moderates.

And Southwest is a damn fortune now...the good old days is gone

 

[bryanfze55]

So you are at $5200 before you eat anything...for 7 days...

Want to think if my figure is unreasonable again? Quick served only runs you about $1000-1500 for a week now. And that’s not touching on other thing that costs a penny.

As “moderate” range hotel for me is AoA through wilderness/Dak...which is a way better deal than aoa or moderates.

And Southwest is a damn fortune now...the good old days is gone

Maybe, but being a better value isn’t the same as being the better option for a budget-conscious family. For me, the parks are the most important thing. I’ll sacrifice on the quality of dining and hotels to get into the parks. Maybe others don’t want to do that.

Not sure what Southwest used to cost. I know the last few years, I can get flights to San Diego or Orlando for $250-275 round trip per person. Not obscene, particularly for San Diego. Being in the Midwest may be an advantage here. You being in the Northeast, I imagine a flight to California may be a lot more.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Maybe, but being a better value isn’t the same as being the better option for a budget-conscious family. For me, the parks are the most important thing. I’ll sacrifice on the quality of dining and hotels to get into the parks. Maybe others don’t want to do that.

Not sure what Southwest used to cost. I know the last few years, I can get flights to San Diego or Orlando for $250-275 round trip per person. Not obscene, particularly for San Diego. Being in the Midwest may be an advantage here. You being in the Northeast, I imagine a flight to California may be a lot more.

again I think it's the trap of comparing it to what it "use" to be. When southwest first launched here on the East coast (I can easily fly out of NYC, Newark or PHL) you could probably get a r/t flight for 100 bucks more or less. those days are long gone for Southwest. we do have cheaper really discount airlines (spirit, frontier) but I hate them with the heat of 10 burning suns.
That's what makes these things so arbitrary. one man's value is another man's ripoff. peoples mileage will vary.

 

[juniorthomas]

There is a cabal of posters for whom a personal appraisal casting Disney in any kind of positive light must be attacked firing on all cylinders, but of course hundreds of thousands of guests make such a determination every year, so if you come to that kind of conclusion yourself, rest assured that your perspective is far more reflective of the typical Disney guest.

That was one sentence. Respect.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

It is expensive, but I have always said many vacations are, if you rent a beach house that can be just as expensive, if not more. But I do have to quibble that the fast pass you get from Disney is not really the same as whatever they are selling at that park. It's like comparing it to Unis, Disney FP is merely a virtual waiting line vs front of the line you can buy at Uni.

 

[unmitigated disaster]

You need to take flights out of the equation. If you're flying that's an expense whether you're going to Orlando or Schipol.

 

[Bender123]

Is Disney really that expensive?

This week I went to frontier city, the Six flags owned amusement park in Oklahoma. It has roller coasters, a log flume, a white water raft, a “dark ride shooter”. Theming is static mannequins if there is theming on a ride, the roller coasters are short. Its like six flags jr. Now I know what there strategy is for the ticket pricing. Make it expensive enough that you buy a membership or the season pass that gets you free parking and entry into all six flags and subsidiaries and water parks.
But….
IF you a one time sucker visitor.
Here are the costs. (same for all six flags) with none of their marketing discounts
One time entry
69.99
Parking
20.00
The fast pass equivalent (which is not included in season passes, daily passes, or memberships)
40.00
So 129.99 for one single park with no theming no story lines to the rides no other parks. There isn’t an epcot, animal kingdom, Hollywood studios or DCA if you get bored. There are no Restaurants, there is chicken strips, hot dogs or pizza. They do have dole whips though…


Disney with park hopper (which gets substantially cheaper the more days you stay) and yes I know the prices change depending on what day you choose.
109.00 (free fast pass)
60 for park hopper
20 (I think) for parking
So 189.99 for 4 parks that lets be honest are a bajillion times better and sit down restaurants, amazing theming and story telling. And beautiful park like theming.
Remove park hopper (if you are only there for one day, you don’t really need it and there is no equivalent at six flag style parks, and also gets much cheaper the longer you stay)
And you are at 129.00 the EXACT same price as a step up from a state fair.

I know this prob sounds like Disney propaganda.. but Disney kind of ruined this park for me (hadn’t been for 20 years, and was bored in an hour), I then compared prices and I was a bit shocked. And its not just this park... Six flags, Silver dollar City and many others are the exact same way.. no theming... no story.. they are really not competitors but one day tickets are about the same.

Except you can buy an annual pass for Six Flags for $83 currently...If you buy them at certain sales, you can easily get a season pass that is around $60-$65. With meals/drinks included for the year its around $100 a person and the parking is included. I don't really think your math is accurate here. If you are buying a single day pass at Six Flags, you are doing it wrong, because their annual passes are actually cheaper than their full price single day, if you time your purchase right.

The other issue is that Six Flags isn't really trying to compete with WDW...Its regional amusement park chain that doesn't really attempt to be anything except a regional amusement park. They don't go in for resorts, fine dining (unless you call Red Robin fine dining...) and don't really make more than a token attempt at theming, which serve more as way finding than theme.

Ive done the math in other threads and WDW is a Vacation that, for my family of five, over $8700 just to get there with passes, airfare, moderate hotel and meal plan. That's not including any expenses we incur during the trip.

Six Flags is a diversion that costs my family about $350 a year (we are fine packing lunches for the parking lot) .

 

[ppete1975]

Including the "FastPass" equivalent from Six Flags parks is an unfair comparison. That works sort of like Universal's Express pass or SeaWorld/Busch Gardens' Quick Queue. If you pay for it, you get a much shorter line no matter what. FastPass+ is "free," but it's also more limited thanks to reservation times running out.

And you're actually lowballing the price for Six Flags skip-the-line pass, but it's offered at such a high price because it would defeat the purpose if many people bought it.

As for the dining.....most quick service at Disney is just hot dogs, chicken nuggets and pizza too.

so the one I looked at there is a fast pass equivalent that is based on reservations. They have two tiers above that where basically you skip lines but they are much more expensive as you pointed out. I was trying to keep it as close to oranges to oranges.

And yes quick dining is almost the same, but there are restaurants available, there isn't even that availability at most theme parks.

 

[ppete1975]

A season pass is basically the same price as a single day. So that kinda skews the argument don’t you think? Anyways.

Yes. A one day visitor paying rack at Six Flags is getting a brutally bad value. Is that the point you were trying to make?

Correct, as I mentioned their marketing strategies are totally different.. they want you to buy a season pass or membership, where Disney wants you to buy a multi day pass.

 

[xdan0920]

Correct, as I mentioned their marketing strategies are totally different.. they want you to buy a season pass or membership, where Disney wants you to buy a multi day pass.

I don't get your thesis at all.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

How much it costs to spend a day at America's most popular theme parks, ranked

Theme parks are thrilling, but the cost to visit them is anything but — the price of a ticket, parking, meals, and accommodation really adds up. With help from HomeToGo, we ranked the total cost to visit 45 of America's most popular theme parks, from Disney World to Universal Studios.

www.businessinsider.com

US theme parks ranked by costs. Disney and Universal in a league of their own.

 

[ppete1975]

I don't get your thesis at all.

Six flags wants you to buy a membership or season pass
Disney wants you to buy multiple days

Neither wants you to buy a single day but they will gladly take your money. If you are talking about the overall first post. It was just an observation that was kind of surprising.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Is Disney World expensive? Let’s see..
Passengers: 4 (Me, my imaginary wife and imaginary two kids, 10 and 8)
When: 7 nights in August (4x 14 day hopper tickets for the price of 7 with quick service meal plan and return flights)
Where: Port Orleans because this was the cheapest, some how.
View attachment 394981
Booked with Disney themselves, that’s £8733.84 or $10,613 for a 7 day vacation. Is that expensive? Hell yeah. Though if you book way in advance, stay off site, use some budgetish indirect airline, no dining plan, you can probably shave £3000 off that if you plan meticulously but as a basic snapshot with no shopping around then yeah, I would not pay that.

Now do another international trip with entertainment for 4.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Yes its expensive but really not its not as expensive as many smaller things that I choose not to do or buy.

Yesterday I went to the Rock and Roll HOF and while the tickets were only like $20 we also had to get to Cleveland from Buffalo.
When I looked in the gift shop and saw that a pen was $18 and a sweatshirt was $100 I thought to myself that last week I bought 2 spirit jerserys for $120 after discount. That made me set those items back where I found them lol.

Our local amusement park which just turned back into a Six Flags has one day passes going for like $45. For the amount of things I want to do there not worth going at all. The hotel that is next to the park is #230 per night ummmm I could stay at a mod for that price.

It always amazes me when someone says they cannot afford Disney yet they spend a pretty close amount to go somewhere local and run down.
Next week the big county fair is coming and everything is crazy expensive and I'm sure there are families that will spend hundreds for that one day yet they couldn't even imagine affording a trip to Disney.

To me its all about opportunity costs.
Would you rather spend your money on this or that.
For me I spend my money on Disney trips and not on other things.
My phone is 3 years old. My tablet is 5 years old, I don't spend extra money on expensive popcorn and drinks at the movies extra.

 

[Bender123]

Six flags wants you to buy a membership or season pass
Disney wants you to buy multiple days

Neither wants you to buy a single day but they will gladly take your money. If you are talking about the overall first post. It was just an observation that was kind of surprising.

Also...Its not like I can make a day trip to WDW. I live in Wisconsin, so my Disney options are either a flight and hotel or two days in a car, minimum.

Unless you live in the Mountain states, there is a Six Flags or Cedar Faire branded park within a day trip or single overnight stay near you. Nobody from outside Florida is making a single day trip to WDW, getting in their car and going home after close.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There is also a “cabal” of posters who can’t accept any criticism.

The “snit quotient” has been abnormally high.

I expect that to translate into universals announcement of a new park - where they threw ALOT of shade at Disney - to be slowly, methodically ripped apart round here as “stupid”

It won’t “game change” like the blue milk

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Is Disney really that expensive?

Yes.

But we still go.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes its expensive but really not its not as expensive as many smaller things that I choose not to do or buy.

Yesterday I went to the Rock and Roll HOF and while the tickets were only like $20 we also had to get to Cleveland from Buffalo.
When I looked in the gift shop and saw that a pen was $18 and a sweatshirt was $100 I thought to myself that last week I bought 2 spirit jerserys for $120 after discount. That made me set those items back where I found them lol.

Our local amusement park which just turned back into a Six Flags has one day passes going for like $45. For the amount of things I want to do there not worth going at all. The hotel that is next to the park is #230 per night ummmm I could stay at a mod for that price.

It always amazes me when someone says they cannot afford Disney yet they spend a pretty close amount to go somewhere local and run down.
Next week the big county fair is coming and everything is crazy expensive and I'm sure there are families that will spend hundreds for that one day yet they couldn't even imagine affording a trip to Disney.

To me its all about opportunity costs.
Would you rather spend your money on this or that.
For me I spend my money on Disney trips and not on other things.
My phone is 3 years old. My tablet is 5 years old, I don't spend extra money on expensive popcorn and drinks at the movies extra.

It’s not the “day” that really frames the cost of Disney travel...it’s the length of stay.

That is hard to equate to many other things...which is why these discussions end up with the rudder stuck.

Best comparisons are still cruises...ski weeks...small duration European and Hawaii trips.

But that is also hard because it’s tough to gauge the Range of costs and options when they aren’t all owned by one entity.