Just got back from my 11 day stay. We had a blast but feel extorted by Mickey Mouse.

[Ricky Spanish]

Hah, yes. It's even a pet peeve of mine. I'll have a talk with my phone.

Sorry, but I'm of the age when spellcheck meant looking a word up in a dictionary.
And my teachers would make me write the word correctly 100x.
I guess it stuck.

 

[drizgirl]

Sorry, but I'm of the age when spellcheck meant looking a word up in a dictionary.
And my teachers would make me write the word correctly 100x.
I guess it stuck.

I'm of an age that I actually packed a heavy dictionary and thesaurus when I left for college. None of that helps (spellcheck included) when you use voice recognition and neglect proofreading before hitting "post reply".

 

[donnylambb]

At least half the things you've mentioned have made my time at the parks 1000 times more pleasant, the first and second especially though not sure what either has to do with pricing increases. Like others have said, free water is available to you at all times, and you can bring your own water into the park. The last point is just baffling to me.

Anyway, as someone who comes from a pretty broke family & only had the opportunity to visit WDW twice before working there, there are ways to cut costs if you're willing. WDW has extended many of the Disney resort perks (EMH primarily) to Good Neighbor hotels, which cost significantly less per night than the Value resorts, often with better accommodations. Most will offer free shuttle service to the Disney parks, Universal and other tourist-typical locations. Air B&B is also a fantastic, affordable option. Not every single meal has to be eaten in the parks, and there are plenty of 'snack' options within the Disney dining plan substantial enough to substitute for small meals. These are workarounds people on the lower end of the income spectrum have been using for decades & will continue to use...as the lower middle class begins to get priced out w/ the new increases, they'll have to either follow suit or stop going.

Obviously if you can afford it, that's a different story & more power to you.

Even can affording it my two sons really are getting into their teens and like the thrill rides better. So I guess we will wait a few years for Tron and GOTG.

 

[donnylambb]

Accept?

We had a blast but we noticed everything from my sons goofy sours, beer , water etc getting really expensive for what your getting. The money is not the issue I can stay a month its in 5years a beer will be 12.00 water 7.50 goofy candy-12.00 and even that I can afford it I probably wont go every year no more and do something else. Its not the money its the principal.

 

[donnylambb]

11 day trip!? Well, yea, that is going to cost ya!

Most families in the U.S. can afford it, depending on priorities and frequency. [Everything that follows assumes no medical issues. Those can throw a wrench in any well thought out plan]

Just an example here.... take a family of 4 where both adults smoke 1 pack a day. Quit smoking (+$4000)and you can afford an annual 5 day visit in a music resort (you'd have to drive there to make that price-point). Remove from your budget movies, eating out, alcohol, and other vacations and you can really upgrade your trip. Go every 3 years and you are now talking luxury resorts.

I know, I know, there are exceptions. Single parent/income families come to mind. Families where there are truly no luxuries what-so-ever. But the average family, depending on priorities, can afford it. ...supported by ---> U.S. Income

Digressing for a minute.. I have a friend who is super broke. Cannot afford anything. Certainly cannot afford a WDW trip. Which is true, but the reason he cannot afford it, is he bought a $350,000 house with pool!! Monthly house payments are almost the price of a cheap trip. Almost. ....Needless to say my sympathy levels are minimal.

its not the money its the principal is I guess what I wanted to say.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

its not the money its the principal is I guess what I wanted to say.

We had a blast but we noticed everything from my sons goofy sours, beer , water etc getting really expensive for what your getting. The money is not the issue I can stay a month its in 5years a beer will be 12.00 water 7.50 goofy candy-12.00 and even that I can afford it I probably wont go every year no more and do something else. Its not the money its the principal.

Principle?

 

[rkleinlein]

6. rampant political correctness

Kinda off topic but still wonder what you mean by "rampant political correctness."

 

[larryz]

Just got back from a trip to New Orleans. That was much more expensive than a trip to WDW.

Yeah, but at WDW, you give up your money freely. In New Orleans, you give up your money at gunpoint.

 

[erasure fan1]

Kinda off topic but still wonder what you mean by "rampant political correctness."

Things like changing the "we wants the red head" auction scene in pirates for example.

 

[Amidala]

Yes but the ones with Extra Magic Hours cost a lot. And there are only 9 of them.

Sometimes you can get lucky and get the double tree for $89 but then you have to add resort fee. Usually though even the double tree is much more expensive than value

That's fair, I've stayed at Good Neighbors before but honestly...I don't really prioritize EMH, so I didn't pay much attention to whether or not we had access to it. That being said, I still think it's worth sacrificing an hour or two per day of EMH in exchange for saving hundreds. If you can't afford a Disney resort and the alternative to a Good Neighbor is not going at all, this seems like a no-brainer to me.

Things like changing the "we wants the red head" auction scene in pirates for example.

I would like to see myself in a beloved ride as something other than a victim of implied assault or a stereotypical housewife...just saying. Thought we'd all moved on from this months ago & still not sure how it's relevant to rising prices.

 

[erasure fan1]

I would like to see myself in a beloved ride as something other than a victim of implied assault or a stereotypical housewife...just saying. Thought we'd all moved on from this months ago & still not sure how it's relevant to rising prices.

It's relevant because someone ASKED why someone said "rampant political correctness" and that is an example of that. If someone believes that PCing the parks is a downgrade, that is every bit as relevant to being upset about price increases as anything else.

 

[Amidala]

You don't have to do Good Neighbor. Those are more expensive than the normal offsite hotels and for me don't add value since they dont' have EMH. There are plenty of non Good Neighbor hotels that are cheap.

True! Like I said earlier, I've found some (like Comfort & Holiday Inn) to be pretty cheap w/ better value than lower tier hotels, but I'll gladly stay anywhere...Air B&B, motels, etc. it doesn't matter at all to me personally. Others may feel differently.

 

[Mainahman]

you know its funny, as i just started pricing a trip for 6 or 7 people. My sister inlaw has 4 children. there no way in the world she would ever be able to financially afford to take 1 kid, let alone all 4. We on the other hand, are blessed a bit more. To me, the price is worth it to see your happy place through the eyes of a child that has never been, and may be the only chance they ever have at experiencing it all.

 

[graphite1326]

Yeah, but at WDW, you give up your money freely. In New Orleans, you give up your money at gunpoint.

Not really. Actually a nice city to visit. Food is better than anything in WDW.

 

[Dave B]

My only complaint on the water is I don't think you can find water from a fountain that tastes as nasty as the stuff in WDW. It is almost as if they add disgusting flavoring to the water just to push you to buy the bottled stuff.... And I've traveled all over the country and have never tasted water that is consistently as bad as Disney fountain water.

Bu you can get free water at any restaurant all day long, with ice

 

[Dave B]

Stay off-site in a rental HOUSE for less than the cost of a cramped value room. Imagine having three+ bedrooms, a private pool, a full kitchen, complete laundry right there and no noisy people outside your room at 1am. It's possible, my friend. All of this can be had for downwards of $70 a night. Of course, this depends on if you have a car at your disposal and if you're okay doing without EMH. For us, it completely works and is well worth it. It's enabled us to go from 1 trip per year to 3. That allows us to take full advantage of our APs.

You have mentioned this a few times, but I cannot find anything even close to that when I look, and I look a lot, can you point the group in the right direction for these great deals on a rental house with pools

 

[21stamps]

Even can affording it my two sons really are getting into their teens and like the thrill rides better. So I guess we will wait a few years for Tron and GOTG.

Take them to Cedar Point! Seriously, book now coming off a Disney trip and you won’t be in such sticker shock for the hotel.lol. It’s the perfect place for thrill seekers and a pretty/fun location.

 

[graphite1326]

did you go to huck finns? thats a great spot

No. Walked by it a few times on my way to the French Market. We stayed on Canal Street. You know the Canal street where there was never a canal.

 

[HiJe]

You have mentioned this a few times, but I cannot find anything even close to that when I look, and I look a lot, can you point the group in the right direction for these great deals on a rental house with pools

My folks used to have a place nearby that they would rent for around $70 or so. They always went through a management company called Magical Memories. Not sure if they are still around, but they were the ones we went to in order to rent our place and to rent from when needed. All sorts of options on houses and condos to rent. Lots of rooms and most had pools and were 10 minutes from the gate.

 

[draybook]

You have mentioned this a few times, but I cannot find anything even close to that when I look, and I look a lot, can you point the group in the right direction for these great deals on a rental house with pools

Not sure if it's against the site rules but I'll post them and we'll see. We use HomeAway and Airbnb as a backup.