Len Testa - “Disney positions itself as the all-American vacation. The irony is that most Americans can’t afford it.”

[LittleBuford]

Yet the same on the basic level.

8 day vacation.

That’s like saying a horror movie and a comedy are the same because they’re both films! Or that a meal at an Italian restaurant is likely to satisfy someone hankering after Indian food.

A beach holiday is one thing, a city break another, and a theme-park trip another still.

 

[LittleBuford]

I think the difference for us is Disney used to be our “weekend escape”, almost like a weekend cottage you’d escape too, our other trips were our “real” vacations. We used to average 9-10 weekends at DL per year, it wasn’t a vacation as much as just getting out of town for the weekend. Back when it was a grand a year for passes and a hundred bucks a night for hotels that was feasible, now that’s it’s a couple grand for passes and $250 a night for a hotel it just doesn’t make sense. For what that quick escape weekend now costs we can go to nearly any city on the continent, it’s opened up many more options and as a result we haven’t been to DL in 9 months.

Disney was our easy getaway, unfortunately that’s not the case anymore.

I know it feels like you lost something, but I honestly think the change is for the better. There is so much to see and do in the world besides Disney!

 

[Nubs70]

That’s like saying a horror movie and a comedy are the same because they’re both films! Or that a meal at an Italian restaurant is likely to satisfy someone hankering after Indian food.

A beach holiday is one thing, a city break another, and a theme-park trip another still.

Yes, it's called the substitution effect. As prices rise for one item, the customer substitutes a lower priced similar item for the higher priced item.

For example, filet mignon. As the price of filet mignon increases, customers will substitute lower priced flank steak for filet mignon.

This is the method US Government has used for years when calculating inflation. Thereby justifying claims of low inflation as they are both beef.

More and more, return visitors are substituting the luxury of filet mignon/WDW for lower priced but similar product of flank steak/DR.

 

[John park hopper]

Interesting article Has Disney reach its price ceiling?

"Disney attendance plunges to all-time low for 2025 as visitors report 'ghost towns' at parks​

September is forecast to be Disney World's slowest month as some people call it 'a tomb''​

 

[John park hopper]

Yes, it's called the substitution effect. As prices rise for one item, the customer substitutes a lower priced similar item for the higher priced item.

For example, filet mignon. As the price of filet mignon increases, customers will substitute lower priced flank steak for filet mignon.

This is the method US Government has used for years when calculating inflation. Thereby justifying claims of low inflation as they are both beef.

More and more, return visitors are substituting the luxury of filet mignon/WDW for lower priced but similar product of flank steak/DR.

Yes but even the lower product is overpriced

 

[dlfan1313]

Yes but even the lower product is overpriced

Exactly. The way I see it ( which is, through the eyes of a man who badly needs glasses but is constantly misplacing them and doing his best to carry on without them), the steak analogy gives me a hankering but is inaccurate. For me I found that a better cut of meat is cheaper and I enjoy it more. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison, not much ever is. As much as I still love Disney parks, and I certainly do, my vacation dollars are better spent elsewhere. The Disney experience has lessened (at least the parts that I most enjoyed) yet the prices for about 2 decades have far outpaced inflation.

 

[LittleBuford]

More and more, return visitors are substituting the luxury of filet mignon/WDW for lower priced but similar product of flank steak/DR.

And they’re absolutely right to do so if they do indeed find the replacement similar enough that it satisfies their tastes. But similarity can be a highly subjective criterion. For me, not even Universal is going to work as a substitute for Disney.

At any rate, I’m glad you’re spending your money in the way that works best for you and your family. Everyone should be aware of their options and make informed choices.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Other options can be just as expensive, yes, though many are cheaper. My main point is that the perceived value of a product goes beyond questions of price; it's also (and I would say more so) a matter of what one is actually looking for. An all-inclusive holiday in the Dominican Republic is an alternative to Disney, not a substitute for it. If someone is equally open to both options, then of course they'd do well to choose the cheaper, but that kind of approach makes little sense if it's specifically WDW you want.

Well, sorta. Both are vacations. FYI, I've been going to WDW almost since it opened and WDW was just MK, so Orlando was only 2-nights of a longer visit to FL. Even in the dark ages of the 1970's, WDW was just one tourist option among many somewhat similar options.

While DR is a bit of a different experience, I've always lumped WDW in with all sorts of FL options. In the 1970's it was Sea World, St.Augustine (Ripley's, the fort), Vizcaya, Miami Serpentarium, Gatorland, Lion country Safari, Everglades NP, and many others. The FL beaches were also a part of every visit.

Over the past decade, I've paired with WDW with Universal, Sea World, FL's state and National Parks, many FL beaches, water parks, etc.

I'm not quite sure how to say in a forum, but budget and variation are always important factors when I vacation. I often choose to stay offsite in Orlando, partly for budgeting, but always because I value variation. IMO, a beach view hotel room beats any room view WDW has to offer.

All of this is to say, for me personally - to use your wording- FL offers many great substitutions for WDW, especially because they often cost much less and offer greater variety.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I know it feels like you lost something, but I honestly think the change is for the better. There is so much to see and do in the world besides Disney!

I do feel like we lost something, we had the best of both worlds before, we’d take short trips to Disney and still take 2 “big” trips a year… we still take our 2 big trips a year but our 9-10 DL trips are being replaced with maybe 3 or 4 National Park / new City trips, it’s cool we’re seeing more new stuff but what used to be a monthly escape is now every 2 months on average, we’re still vacation spoiled, just not as spoiled as before.

As difficult and expensive a vacation as Disney is for non-regulars it was about as simple and reasonable as it could be for regulars.

 

[LittleBuford]

All of this is to say, for me personally - to use your wording- FL offers many great substitutions for WDW, especially because they often cost much less and offer greater variety.

“Personally” is the key term here. I have no interest in non-Disney theme parks (except Dollywood, which I’ve yet to visit). But I recognise that for those who do enjoy other broadly similar experiences, meaningful comparisons can (and should) be made in terms of price and value for money. As you yourself acknowledge, however, the comparison to which I was responding was of a rather different sort.

 

[LittleBuford]

I do feel like we lost something, we had the best of both worlds before, we’d take short trips to Disney and still take 2 “big” trips a year… we still take our 2 big trips a year but our 9-10 DL trips are being replaced with maybe 3 or 4 National Park / new City trips, it’s cool we’re seeing more new stuff but what used to be a monthly escape is now every 2 months on average, we’re still vacation spoiled, just not as spoiled as before.

As difficult and expensive a vacation as Disney is for non-regulars it was about as simple and reasonable as it could be for regulars.

I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you find a way to make it a monthly thing again (wherever you end up going).

 

[mysto]

A Disney vacation is manufactured in fantasy worlds. 100% tariffs upon importation to the real world are now doubling the price. A real world originated all-inclusive vacation has no tariffs.

It's just simple math.

 

[Miss Bella]

We were once caught in that trap, twice a year every year to WDW. But you know what? We saw value in it and had great trips so we always looked forward to going back. We bought DVC in 2006, always had AP’s, and continued this through 2018.

Then the price hikes hit along with FastPass+ and other changes that removed value and added cost. This forced us elsewhere…cruising, Hawaii, Alaska, Europe. Honestly the best thing that could have happened to us as our kids finally saw the world outside of Epcot, lol.

Still a little sad that our WDW trips are now typically 3+ years apart as there’s a lot of memories there. Even made the hard decision to sell our DVC while it still had value. Still thankful for all the great trips we had before things really went sideways and hope to return here and there just to get a taste of that nostalgia. We’ll have to see if our kids feel the need to do the same with their families one day.

We had a good run from 2010 to 2015. We also found value in it. Our kids were in grade school then. We went back during Covid mainly because everything else was shut down. I went last Summer when they offered that 4 day ticket deal and we stayed at the Swan with points. I don't ever see myself spending a lot of money to go to Disney World. I may go to Epcot for a day before our cruise in January, but undecided on that.

 

[Miss Bella]

Interesting article Has Disney reach its price ceiling?

"Disney attendance plunges to all-time low for 2025 as visitors report 'ghost towns' at parks​

September is forecast to be Disney World's slowest month as some people call it 'a tomb''​

You would think there would be some room discounts in January then. I was considering doing a couple of nights before our cruise, but found nothing.

 

[Nubs70]

Exactly. The way I see it ( which is, through the eyes of a man who badly needs glasses but is constantly misplacing them and doing his best to carry on without them), the steak analogy gives me a hankering but is inaccurate. For me I found that a better cut of meat is cheaper and I enjoy it more. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison, not much ever is. As much as I still love Disney parks, and I certainly do, my vacation dollars are better spent elsewhere. The Disney experience has lessened (at least the parts that I most enjoyed) yet the prices for about 2 decades have far outpaced inflation.

But you have to admit filet mignon screams "luxury" - or is perceived that way. Kinda like WDW.

 

[LittleBuford]

But you have to admit filet mignon screams "luxury" - or is perceived that way. Kinda like WDW.

I don't think most people view WDW as a luxury destination. An expensive one, sure, but ear hats and spirit jerseys don't exactly scream sophistication.