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.

 

[cm1988]

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.

There has to be better ways to have fun than competing via cell phone to see who can spend the most money to get ahead of each other for an immersive fifteen minute story.

 

[cm1988]

Maybe the best, most honest answer to the question of this thread is: yes.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It’s funny because my instant reaction when reading the title is yes, but we’re going to DL next month and WDW in Jan so I guess the honest answer for us is no.

That said, we go less than we used to because of the changes, it’s not the price that’s keeping us away but the product you get for the price.

I don’t think that Disney will ever price us out completely but we don’t see the same value we used to so they have priced us out of the frequent trips we used to take.

 

[Disstevefan1]

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.

Everything you say is true. The sad truth is that over time families will be priced out of a WDW vacation. The other truth is there are many more that are not yet priced out and many first time visitors.

Also, folks that are priced out of an annual visit to WDW simply space them out in order to save up over time.

That said, 14K is a lot of money!

 

[FutureCEO]

I'm bored so I just priced a 9 night stay during Labor Day at my favorite hotel, Beach Club (why, I like the location and great running paths) for 5K. Just for the hotel. Obviously it will be half that if you go for Port Orleans or a hotel like that.

 

[disneyfireman]

Nope..Ill work more overtime if I have to....
make it cheap...you get cheap. I have no complaints..

 

[draybook]

Yes, it is. My original plan for October was to take a two-week trip including 2 MNSSHP days along with 6-7 regular park days. Those two MNSSHP days will cost me 2k alone. A 7-day single park ticket for our party of 6 would have been over $3500. You're talking roughly 6k after including parking and that wasn't even including lodging, gas, food, etc. Instead, we're dropping it to a week-long trip, with 2 MNSSHP days and 1 HHN. It's getting ridiculous, and that's coming from someone who's gone 29 times since 2008.

 

[DisneyfanMA]

Family of 5, off property and I've got the trip 9 days (4 disney parks and 1 universal) easily costing us 10k.

The airfare was a killer at over 3k for preferred times and limiting or avoiding transfers.

Disney alone 4 days plus genie + was nearly 3k. That's 6300 just for airfare and park.

Saved off property paying about $110 a night. Then throw in car rental ($50-100 per day) , parking, universal tix and food???

Very first world problems I know, but I'm a bit sticker shocked as well. I was prcing this trip before covid, and airfare was half, other costs much lower too. Probably could have done it all for 7500 before. It's a once, maybe twice trip for us so I want my kids to have this core memory.

 

[yensid1967]

Family of 5, off property and I've got the trip 9 days (4 disney parks and 1 universal) easily costing us 10k.

The airfare was a killer at over 3k for preferred times and limiting or avoiding transfers.

Disney alone 4 days plus genie + was nearly 3k. That's 6300 just for airfare and park.

Saved off property paying about $110 a night. Then throw in car rental ($50-100 per day) , parking, universal tix and food???

Very first world problems I know, but I'm a bit sticker shocked as well. I was prcing this trip before covid, and airfare was half, other costs much lower too. Probably could have done it all for 7500 before. It's a once, maybe twice trip for us so I want my kids to have this core memory.

Hey DisneyfanMA:
#1, I am assuming that MA stands for Massachusetts?
I did some digging on my end to see if I could find a better deal! Here is what I found...

1 Day Universal, 4 Day Disney, 5 Genie+ for everyone for 4 days, Rosen Lake Buena Vista 1 Room with Rollaway and a ALAMO Rental Car at MCO= $5112.85(August 3-11 2022)

As for travel, are you nearby an AMTRAK Station? You can ride the train for less than flying, it would be an adventure and you get to see places you can't see flying! It might take overnight down and back but it would be a different experience.
(For an example:
I can travel from PA->Orlando 18 hrs...in coach seating(VERY COMFORTABLE) for $280 ROUNDTRIP for 1 person! Its worth checking into if you want to save money! Based on this, travel would be $1400 ROUNDTRIP

GRAND TOTAL: $6,512.85
I you have any questions, PM me!

 

[FutureCEO]

As for travel, are you nearby an AMTRAK Station? You can ride the train for less than flying, it would be an adventure and you get to see places you can't see flying! It might take overnight down and back but it would be a different experience.
(For an example:
I can travel from PA->Orlando 18 hrs...in coach seating(VERY COMFORTABLE) for $280 ROUNDTRIP for 1 person! Its worth checking into if you want to save money!

If you have any questions, PM me!

It would be amazing if the US ever stopped their love affair with cars and built high speed trains like Eurostar, Japan and countries like that.

 

[DisneyfanMA]

Ha thats cool you did all that. I like your outside the box thinking. We're very happy with our plans despite the price. but yes you can get creative and cut some things away and still get the most of it for less than we're spending, no doubt!

 

[Californian Elitist]

I personally would never spend $14,000 to go to WDW for a week. I went to Italy and Germany for a month in 2019 and paid $5,000 for literally everything, including all my flights, lodging for five different places, transportation tickets (buses, trains, etc.), activities, and the money I spent there for food, souvenirs, etc.

There’s no comparison, but that’s just me.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

I personally would never spend $14,000 to go to WDW for a week. I went to Italy and Germany for a month in 2019 and paid $5,000 for literally everything, including all my flights, lodging for five different places, transportation tickets (buses, trains, etc.), activities, and the money I spent there for food, souvenirs, etc.

There’s no comparison, but that’s just me.

We spent way more than that on this last trip. This is the first time that I felt that I haven't gotten value for my money. My kids are young and love the parks, but I think we will be looking into traveling to other places next year. Definitely going back to Universal though. Portifino was a great hotel.

 

[TheNoblePoptart]

I'm solo traveling in 6 days, doing 13 days total, majority in the Disney parks.

Room, Flight Disney Tickets (10 days) + Universal AP = 2600

I plan to budget about 1000-1500 for my actual time down there and spend lite.

I definitely agree things are getting more expensive and going solo I'm buffering that a bit. This was already eyewatering for me and I know its on the low cost side.