Is Disney Too expensive?

[DarthVader]

First, I'm not trying to troll anyone or intentionally trigger folks, but hear me out. I have a vacation scheduled for February vacation, so I'm not taking this lightly.

Just using broad strokes, my February vacation at POR for 9 days is budgeted to be about 14k (everything, food, universal, misc exp). Back in 2017 the same resort, same park tickets and length, etc - I paid around 6,500. Now that 14k was going to be 16k but I was able to use skymiles for the flight down.

Sticker shock really doesn't describe what I'm feeling and in all honesty there's a level of sadness because I really do feel like Disney is pricing this out of reach. I also have the very real sense of them nickel and diming us at every step. Free services have been replaced with ones that cost us money.

 

[DarthVader]

Disney charging resort parking. It stinks of a money grab

No question

The costs of a Disney room have always been higher

Yes and no. I have found in years past that the value resorts were excellent deals. I've stayed at the all star resorts many times. I've stayed at moderates (and the POR was by far my favorite) and my family and I were blessed enough to stay at the contemporary and Poly. In many respects you're right if most of your time is spent in the park, then what value are you getting by staying at a deluxe. That was the major reasoning for us to choose the POR over the Poly. We just couldn't justify the cost. What I wasn't expecting was the per night cost of the POR, that was beyond sticker shock for me.

However, the room prices are going up and no more free parking, no more free Magical Express, no free Magic Bands, shorted EMH to 30 minutes in the morning, and free FP is gone. They've now lost me on the perceived value of what I was getting from staying at a Disney resort.

Yes, death by a thousand cuts, and the more my wife and I talked, the more it bothered us and the more uneasy we felt about going to WDW. In years past, we'd be SOOO excited, counting down the days, I absolutely loved the planning aspect and nailing down the itinerary to mesh with ADRs and fast passes. This time, I was dreading it. Like the proverbial frog in warm water getting hot, I just didn't see it.

Finally seeing the lack of resort availability the long lines, and long wait times for non-top tier rides, and the pandemic realized perhaps we're forcing something that we ought not force.

 

[SteveAZee]

I agree completely, I wanted to see where you were coming from. I think if you stay at a deluxe resort, you should have resort amenaties commensurate with what you paid. It should not extend to the parks.

I guess I wonder if the price difference between a deluxe and a moderate (for example) has baked into it not just perks for the resort itself but also benefits like the evening entry. For example, there may be a base price for a deluxe that takes into account all of the nice things there above and beyond the moderates. Perhaps, though, Disney charges even more than that so they can throw in things like the late entry. Deluxe resort guests may actually be paying for that privilege, but it's baked into the price. I don't know, but it's possible.

 

[Hitchens]

Yes, it is too expensive. Unless, of course, you can afford it & if it doesn't hurt Disney's profits in the long run.

So the question should be more specific -- too expensive for whom?
I do like your posts though, DarthVader!

 

[LeighM]

Yes, death by a thousand cuts, and the more my wife and I talked, the more it bothered us and the more uneasy we felt about going to WDW. In years past, we'd be SOOO excited, counting down the days, I absolutely loved the planning aspect and nailing down the itinerary to mesh with ADRs and fast passes. This time, I was dreading it. Like the proverbial frog in warm water getting hot, I just didn't see it.

I was talking, well complaining really lol, to a friend of mine recently about Genie+. I understand that not everyone loved the months of planning that a WDW vacation sometimes took if there was a must do attraction or ADR. But that's what I loved!! I liked getting an ADR months in advance and then getting a FP for my important 3 rides scheduled around dining. It helped with the excitement of the trip and gave me something to look forward to. This trip I just had nothing but stress, which I haven't gotten to yet in my trip report but will in final thoughts. I didn't know if the ADRs I had so carefully booked would be doable if I had a conflict with the ILL for Ratatouille or Rise of the Resistance. The closer I got to the trip, the more I was reading about lines and waits even for ILL, and I cancelled my dining for those afternoons, just in case. Then, instead of starting my trip knowing everything was complete (with a general outline of my day) and that I could now relax and reschedule as needed, I had to wake up early each morning of our park days and fight a crappy Disney app for the privilege to pay for a return time window, which may or may not work with the rest of my carefully planned day LOL. Don't get me wrong, I still managed to have fun and enjoy the vacation but my husband, the non planner, had a much more relaxed time than I did

 

[DarthVader]

too expensive for whom?

Oh no question, If Elon Musk decided he wanted to a WDW vacation, he'd not bat an eyelash what it would cost. I guess for me, its directed more towards the working middle class. Yes, even then there's shades of gray where there's upper, and lower middle class. I think my point though is if someone like me, who needs to save up for two years, these increases hit harder.

I've since cancelled my February vacation, the wife and I are looking at perhaps a trip back to WDW for my kid's high school graduation, I'm really hoping at that point Disney will be less focused on charging fees for every service but time will tell.

 

[GimpYancIent]

This holiday time frame during family gatherings the discussion of trips to Disney properties inevitably would arise. For my family and most of the extended family a Disney trip was an annual thing, sometimes multi trips in a given year, as of 2021 that has come to a screeching halt. No interest in any vacation at any Disney property. The entertainment, services, products and condition of the facilities / venues do not warrant the pricing / costs. The value vs price justification is not there, guests are not fully receiving what is advertised and paid for. All the construction really dampened the visuals /ambiance. There used to be a feeling of wanting to return / come back of feeling satisfied and good post trip. I emphasize "used to be" the last trip left everyone feeling underwhelmed, down and just plain wanting to go home. That intangible thing referred to as "Disney Magic" was gone. As a family we realize there are many places that appeal more than Disney now. Trips / vacations to any Disney properties are now off the table.

 

[Horizons '83]

Unfortunately it looks like room discounts are a thing of the past in January/February. We used to love the 25% to 30% off rooms, which allowed us to afford the packages. We will still be going, in April, using Marriott points at the Swan Reserve. Purchased tickets separate and will budget food separately as normal. Its just not worth it anymore to stay onsite unless you stay at a Value resort, even then, there are much better options offsite. Unless there are discounts, I just don't see myself staying on property again.

We are looking to go to Orlando in February for a quick weekend, a Standard room was about $400 all in for a standard room at Coronado Springs. That's nuts and I love that place.

 

[yensid1967]

DarthVader, I understand what you're saying and agree...DISNEY IS GETTING TOO EXPENSIVE FOR MIDDLE CLASS(REGULAR) GUESTS!
If money were no object, I WOULD stay on property ONCE for the experience and to be able to say I stayed at the most expensive resort!
But a lot of posts are complaining ON HERE about the costs, long lines, reduced extras. And it's alright to voice your complaints, opinions here...BUT EVERYONE THAT COMPLAINS NEED TO WRITE DISNEY A LETTER and tell them that we are not going to take them nickel and diming its guest any longer and will be taking our Disney Vacation money somewhere else! Until that happen and Disney starts to feel the blunt force of their ways, they will continue.

LET'S START A WRITING CAMPAIGN AND START FLOODING DISNEY WITH LETETRS OF OUR DISAPPROVAL OF ALL ITS MONEY GRABBING!

Who is with me? (someone write a FORM LETTER and post on here tht we can print and sign and send to Disney!)

 

[GimpYancIent]

DarthVader, I understand what you're saying and agree...DISNEY IS GETTING TOO EXPENSIVE FOR MIDDLE CLASS(REGULAR) GUESTS!
If money were no object, I WOULD stay on property ONCE for the experience and to be able to say I stayed at the most expensive resort!
But a lot of posts are complaining ON HERE about the costs, long lines, reduced extras. And it's alright to voice your complaints, opinions here...BUT EVERYONE THAT COMPLAINS NEED TO WRITE DISNEY A LETTER and tell them that we are not going to take them nickel and diming its guest any longer and will be taking our Disney Vacation money somewhere else! Until that happen and Disney starts to feel the blunt force of their ways, they will continue.

LET'S START A WRITING CAMPAIGN AND START FLOODING DISNEY WITH LETETRS OF OUR DISAPPROVAL OF ALL ITS MONEY GRABBING!

Who is with me? (someone write a FORM LETTER and post on here tht we can print and sign and send to Disney!)

Letter writing campaigns are nice but if people stop staying on property, stop buying merch, stop purchasing park tickets which will mean no one uses Genie+ etc. the revenue streams will shrivel up and eventually dry up. I guarantee Disney management will be huddling in conference rooms quick specially when it's time to face the investors. MONEY! it does talk.

 

[yensid1967]

Letter writing campaigns are nice but if people stop staying on property, stop buying merch, stop purchasing park tickets which will mean no one uses Genie+ etc. the revenue streams will shrivel up and eventually dry up. I guarantee Disney management will be huddling in conference rooms quick specially when it's time to face the investors. MONEY! it does talk.

EXACTLY! JUST DO SOMETHING! and hope Disney sees it quicker than later

 

[yensid1967]

DarthVader, I understand what you're saying and agree...DISNEY IS GETTING TOO EXPENSIVE FOR MIDDLE CLASS(REGULAR) GUESTS!
If money were no object, I WOULD stay on property ONCE for the experience and to be able to say I stayed at the most expensive resort!
But a lot of posts are complaining ON HERE about the costs, long lines, reduced extras. And it's alright to voice your complaints, opinions here...BUT EVERYONE THAT COMPLAINS NEED TO WRITE DISNEY A LETTER and tell them that we are not going to take them nickel and diming its guest any longer and will be taking our Disney Vacation money somewhere else! Until that happen and Disney starts to feel the blunt force of their ways, they will continue.

LET'S START A WRITING CAMPAIGN AND START FLOODING DISNEY WITH LETETRS OF OUR DISAPPROVAL OF ALL ITS MONEY GRABBING!

Who is with me? (someone write a FORM LETTER and post on here tht we can print and sign and send to Disney!)

JUST A SAMPLE... use as you wish!


The Disney Company
500 S Buena Vista St.
Burbank, California, USA 91521 ________________20___
(Date) (Year)
ATTN: Mr. Bob Iger

Dear Mr. Bob Iger,
I am writing this letter in regards to the recent direction that The Walt Disney Parks Division has taken in regards to the offerings at the Disney parks.

It USE to be a joy to start planning a Disney vacation, saving for years to enjoy a few days in a magical and fantasy land. But the joy has been taken away in recent years with the planning of everything. It has sucked the joy and fun of sitting down with regular, middle-class families and helping them plan their Disney vacations, because that is the only place they choose to spend their vacation!

But with the direction that the Parks have taken before COVID and how they are handling the return of the extras that were free for each guest is upsetting. When their was a charge for parking your car overnight on property was the beginning and it just hasn't stopped after that. It seems as though the Disney executives are sitting in a board room coming up with news ways to nickel and dime their devoted following just because they know thy will return year after year, no matter how high prices get!

But I am saying NO MORE! I am rethinking my travel plans and will no be including Disney as my main stay for my vacation. There has been TOO MUCH shedding of benefits for the average guest to justify spending that we have to just to enjoy even one day, let alone one or more weeks. Walt Disney said he “wanted a place for parents and children to enjoy together!” At these prices, my family cannot afford to visit Disney parks and thus, is pushed us to spend our vacation dollars elsewhere.

I truly hope that this letter inspires you to take a good long look at the reason that Disney parks have existed...because of the average guest who saves years to visit...not just those who can afford it! Which is slowly moving toward the richer class of guest.

I sincerely hope you will take a look at the NEW direction YOU can take the company in since returning in 2022.





Thank You,

 

[DarthVader]

EXACTLY! JUST DO SOMETHING! and hope Disney sees it quicker than later

As @GimpYancIent said, Disney is more likely to act if their bottom line is impacted. Sadly they seem more focused on making more money and squeezing insane profits then providing a place where a family will have a magical time - something that Walt Disney envisioned. They've moved so far beyond that ideal imo.

If memory serves me, Disney really embraced various incentives and free services to entice families to visit around the time of the great recession. Now that the resorts are selling out and no availability - why should they discount and offer rooms for less when they know people will be willing to get them at a higher price?

As I've said, they've lost one family vacation and while I may bring my kids back in a couple of years for their HS graduation, I see no reason to stay on property any longer. We can get a timeshare and only pay the exchange fee and then rent a car. Saving thousands of dollars over what a Disney resort would have costed us. My family loved staying on property and were willing to forgo a time share unit and stay on property but sadly there's really little incentives to do so.

 

[Lilofan]

As @GimpYancIent said, Disney is more likely to act if their bottom line is impacted. Sadly they seem more focused on making more money and squeezing insane profits then providing a place where a family will have a magical time - something that Walt Disney envisioned. They've moved so far beyond that ideal imo.

If memory serves me, Disney really embraced various incentives and free services to entice families to visit around the time of the great recession. Now that the resorts are selling out and no availability - why should they discount and offer rooms for less when they know people will be willing to get them at a higher price?

As I've said, they've lost one family vacation and while I may bring my kids back in a couple of years for their HS graduation, I see no reason to stay on property any longer. We can get a timeshare and only pay the exchange fee and then rent a car. Saving thousands of dollars over what a Disney resort would have costed us. My family loved staying on property and were willing to forgo a time share unit and stay on property but sadly there's really little incentives to do so.

I know of some who have bankrolled money that would have been spent on commuting costs, eating out, and instead they work from home for long periods of time, some have cashed in on profits on their respective stocks in the record setting stock market and rightly so, treat themselves by vacationing at WDW. I read there is a $100 panini sandwich now being sold at DCA that can feed a several people.

 

[DarthVader]

rightly so, treat themselves by vacationing at WDW

I have no problem with how people spend their money and truth be told, even if summer arrives and then winter of 2022 and we still see record numbers going to WDW, that's fine. People are free to spend their money how they see fit, even if that validates Disney's new pricing philosophy

My contention is they've priced the working middle class out of the park, and I consider myself one of them and its disappointing to see Disneyworld be more focused on record profits at the expense of a large demographic.

Either way, I can only worry about how I spend my money, and making decisions that I feel is best for my family. Life is too short to worry about how others live their lives

 

[Lilofan]

I have no problem with how people spend their money and truth be told, even if summer arrives and then winter of 2022 and we still see record numbers going to WDW, that's fine. People are free to spend their money how they see fit, even if that validates Disney's new pricing philosophy

My contention is they've priced the working middle class out of the park, and I consider myself one of them and its disappointing to see Disneyworld be more focused on record profits at the expense of a large demographic.

Either way, I can only worry about how I spend my money, and making decisions that I feel is best for my family. Life is too short to worry about how others live their lives

You have valid points but Disney is building, pricing etc and more and more will come spend their discretionary income there.

 

[DarthVader]

more and more will come spend their discretionary income there.

My uneducated contention is there will be less and less people because it exceeds their discretionary income.

 

[networkpro]

My uneducated contention is there will be less and less people because it exceeds their discretionary income.

That assumes that even with the natural increase in population there are fewer people in that monetary demographic as it's not a zero-sum game limited to a single country.

 

[Chi84]

My uneducated contention is there will be less and less people because it exceeds their discretionary income.

Disney was an expensive vacation for my family when our kids were young, but we felt it was worth it because of the all-inclusive aspect of it. We had the option of buying a ticket that would get us into all of the theme parks, water parks and Pleasure Island (now DS) whenever we wanted to go. We used Magical Express and legacy FastPass gave us a shot at the most popular rides without waiting in lines.

We have been very fortunate in our careers and careful with how we spent our money; at this point, it would take quite a lot for Disney to actually "price" us out. But I'm not a fan of abject greed, and that's what we've been seeing recently from this company. They're double selling the parks on many nights with extra hours events, charging for resort parking, taking away perks like Magical Express and Airline Check-In, and seemingly finding every way possible to get people to think about how much money they're spending. Now they've added a paid skip the line system that I personally find aggravating and a pain in the neck to use.

We bought into DVC a very long time ago and that has worked out well for us, especially when we take our expanding family (now a total of 6 adults including us and 3 very young grandchildren). But my husband and I agreed when we bought DVC that we wouldn't be boxed in by it. We have an upcoming family vacation in April. If it turns out to be more aggravating than it's worth, we'll start looking for another place to vacation.

You're right; life is too short to worry about how other people choose to spend their money. And I part ways with the posters who sincerely believe that guests choosing to buy what Disney is selling are "ruining" WDW for others. This is all on Disney and the people now running the company. When the value is no longer there - when the total experience is not worth the cost and the effort to vacation at WDW - people will stop going regardless of how much money they have.

 

[Lilofan]

Disney was an expensive vacation for my family when our kids were young, but we felt it was worth it because of the all-inclusive aspect of it. We had the option of buying a ticket that would get us into all of the theme parks, water parks and Pleasure Island (now DS) whenever we wanted to go. We used Magical Express and legacy FastPass gave us a shot at the most popular rides without waiting in lines.

We have been very fortunate in our careers and careful with how we spent our money; at this point, it would take quite a lot for Disney to actually "price" us out. But I'm not a fan of abject greed, and that's what we've been seeing recently from this company. They're double selling the parks on many nights with extra hours events, charging for resort parking, taking away perks like Magical Express and Airline Check-In, and seemingly finding every way possible to get people to think about how much money they're spending. Now they've added a paid skip the line system that I personally find aggravating and a pain in the neck to use.

We bought into DVC a very long time ago and that has worked out well for us, especially when we take our expanding family (now a total of 6 adults including us and 3 very young grandchildren). But my husband and I agreed when we bought DVC that we wouldn't be boxed in by it. We have an upcoming family vacation in April. If it turns out to be more aggravating than it's worth, we'll start looking for another place to vacation.

You're right; life is too short to worry about how other people choose to spend their money. And I part ways with the posters who sincerely believe that guests choosing to buy what Disney is selling are "ruining" WDW for others. This is all on Disney and the people now running the company. When the value is no longer there - when the total experience is not worth the cost and the effort to vacation at WDW - people will stop going regardless of how much money they have.

The same song and dance doom and gloom prediction , guests will stop going is getting old but some forum members continue to predict this.

 

[Raxel7851]

The same song and dance doom and bloom prediction , guests will stop going is getting old but some forum members continue to predict this.

Everyone on here is entitled to their opinion. It may be “getting old” in your opinion, but opinions are what makes this forum interesting.