OK, I'll Admit it...Disney Prices Are Out Of Control

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Liz, nobody is saying there isn’t a large segment of repeat travelers still going...

But I can say from my experience entrenched in Disney’s operation, studying the history prior and observing what’s happened since that i don’t know they’ve ever taken an approach that can shear a significant portion of Loyals off as they are engaged in now

 

[eliza61nyc]

Liz, nobody is saying there isn’t a large segment of repeat travelers still going...

But I can say from my experience entrenched in Disney’s operation, studying the history prior and observing what’s happened since that i don’t know they’ve ever taken an approach that can shear a significant portion of Loyals off as they are engaged in now

Point taken. And let me say I absolutely do not have your background, didn't even get to the parks until late 1990's.

It will be interesting to watch. When is Iger slatted to leave??

So let me just say that for the next 5 years, IMO unless the economy stalls , I don't see a lost of repeat visitor as having enough of an effect to cause the current management to change course.
Long term?? Well in 20 years I'll be kicking 80 and really won't remember stuff.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Point taken. And let me say I absolutely do not have your background, didn't even get to the parks until late 1990's.

It will be interesting to watch. When is Iger slatted to leave??

So let me just say that for the next 5 years, IMO unless the economy stalls , I don't see a lost of repeat visitor as having enough of an effect to cause the current management to change course.
Long term?? Well in 20 years I'll be kicking 80 and really won't remember stuff.

I believe his contract is officially set to expire in 2021...

But this is Wall Street...you don’t need to be a lawyer to assume he has trigger clauses that allow him to walk with everything (or more) whenever he likes.

He may ride it out if things are good...but I’m sure he’ll bail at recession or maybe even if one doesn’t come

 

[CAV]

I can understand your frustration with the price hikes but that's utterly absurd.
Just for starters, how do you explain the continued existence of the DVC?

Because any timeshare is an absolute rip off to the consumer?

 

[Bairstow]

Because any timeshare is an absolute rip off to the consumer?

Ok, but what's your point?

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

They are out of control. It's one thing to raise ticket prices. OK. Got it. It's going to cost more to get in. Luckily in my case, I still consider my AP a value. But many of the points made throughout this thread are valid.

Disney is not alienating people because ticket prices went up 15%. They're alienating people because the quality is diminishing. And I find it hard to make a "value" case anymore. The buffets (character dining) are terrible, most TS are overpriced and average (there are a few notable exceptions), the QS are overpriced and bland. The resort rates are becoming ridiculous, the merchandise costs are becoming ridiculous, on and on.

It's one thing to try and maximize profit. But if you are good at what you are doing, it is not really noticeable to the consumer (over the fact that everything just costs a bit more). They way Disney is doing it - It's blatantly obvious to everyone what they are doing. And their product and brand are beginning to suffer. Maybe that's why there are quite a few YT videos out proclaiming DL is becoming a ghost town (DW may follow).

It's for that reason that lately I've found myself venturing off property more and more. I find I'm getting better service, better quality of food, and much better value. So it's MK with my FP's for half a day and then off to Fishbones, DelFrisco's, or other like establishment. Heck, even the food at AleHouse is in many cases on par with what you get nowadays a Disney.

 

[NickMaio]

My last trip was last month. This was after 8 years of not visiting at all. We stayed at the Boardwalk as well.

My biggest takeaway was this: the experience itself, overall, is crafted to be so BIG, so planned, so 'scripted', that I went into it (after booking the room a year before I went and the meals 6 months before I went and the rides 2 months before I went, etc) believing that offering Disney this information so far in advance would allow them some type of ability to make my vacation 'even better'. That when my family passed under the Welcome sign that we could just shift into autopilot and float through the week via our meticulously pre-planned itinerary. But when we actually got through the first couple days it hit me that the 'Disney trip' I had planned had so much density and weight that it left me no room to shift direction at all when sudden things caused the need for changes on the fly.

Spontaneity is not ideal there. Super hot days where the kids want to leave early to get back to the resort caused reservation cancellations/changes, FP cancellations/changes with no good rides left (good rides being subjective obviously), cascade effects on many other things. And I realize most people on here would say 'You gotta plan for that' or 'You have to go with the flow' and look back on their multitude of visits to base this off of but this was our first trip in a long time, basically first time visitors since we'd never used Magic bands or electronic Fast Passes. I was not as adept at doing all of that as someone with an annual pass or DVC or whatever that has done it a ton. For first time guests, this experience can be overwhelming prior to going and then super frustrating once there as it plays out. We aren't especially price sensitive but the pricing all around is pretty breathtaking for just about everything. To the point where walking into Ghardelli and being given (for FREE!) a 50 cent piece of chocolate feels like finding water in the middle of a desert. Then to see attractions not fully staffed or poor food or poor service just exponentially increases the anger/frustration. Disney's marketing and reputation are both top notch and our expectations were set accordingly. I certainly had moments where my nostalgia pulled at my heartstrings but my kids have no desire to go back. A lot of me wishes they would have loved it but at least its easy to adjust and change directions in life when you aren't actually there.

I really miss the says of on the fly trips. Paper fast passes and phoning or going into a restaurant to make a res for that week.
Being new parents, our guy will be two this Sept, I really really miss the flexability of the older system.
Anyway, I get your points and totally agree with all of them.
Have a great summer.

 

[erasure fan1]

I certainly had moments where my nostalgia pulled at my heartstrings but my kids have no desire to go back.

This is the thing that I worry about the most for Disney. It can be caused by parents not going and the kids don't form that nostalgia. Or the kids just aren't connecting with the material being released because of how uninspired most of it is. I know my kids haven't cared for much coming out of Disney outside of Marvel.

 

[Darth_Wes]

Over the last 5 years, I have probably spent over $40k at WDW. As APs who live in Florida, we have gone to the parks a minimum of 3 to 5 times every year since being APs. We usually stay for 4 days or more each time and drop almost 3 grand easy. The average profit that Disney makes from us is huge because we eat in the parks several times per trip, buy merch, and participate in some hard ticket events.

Come November, my Annual Passes are set to renew once again. This time, however, we will not be renewing. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't have renewed for this year had my daughter and I not been such big Star Wars fans. It was a virtual kick in the teeth to find that RofR will not even be open until December 5th....so guess Disney got me before I got see it.

As bittersweet as it is, We will not be renewing for the following reasons:

1. The cost of being an Annual Passholder has increased over 75% since our first year...and we've downgraded passes... twice.
2. When we originally became APs, Disney treated us even better than the standard ticket holder. Not just in discounts and special offerings, but in smaller, less quantifiable, ways. We were treated and felt like we were part of an exclusive club. Not anymore.
3. The overall experience has admittedly grown a bit stale. Maybe we're jaded from being there so often, but I cannot help but feel that... maybe Disney's original focus on creating great customer experiences has changed. It's just not quite as magical as it used to be...
4. Paying for parking at a resort in which I am booked is a pet peeve, and it seems like a poor way to pad profits. I'm a capitalist pig, but I recognize cash grabs and don't participate.
5. Food quality, ride quality, and the overall experience has diminished exponentially since we began our tenure as APs.

Again it's bittersweet and it pains me to not renew, but as several have already said in this thread, Disney counts on the tolerance levels to be extremely high when they make their customer experience killing decisions.

They can count on it because of the nostalgia we've obtained from going there. I mean, my family has a lot of great memories in WDW. It has been our primary vacation destination since we originally purchased the APs.

My daughter has 3 books full of Character autographs...some of which you can no longer get (there's that diminished experience for ya). We've eaten with everyone from Belle to Daisy. We've done Star Wars Weekends, Not so Scary, Food and Wine, Garden fests, Extra Magic Hours, Christmas Parties, tours, and everything in between.

Those memories and the nostalgia associated with them make it quite difficult to not renew....but I am because someone needs to take a stand. I will not pay for crappy service, subpar experiences, and kicks in the teeth any longer. And, I will not be a slave to emotion when logic should prevail.

Just my .02

 

[splashspacethunder]

As much as I hate to admit it, yes, the prices are outrageous. But I just love it too much. I'm going in September, and you can best believe I'll be down there for the 50th.

 

[made in china]

This is the thing that I worry about the most for Disney. It can be because from parents not going and the kids don't form that nostalgia. Or the kids just aren't connecting with the material being released because of how uninspired most of it is. I know my kids haven't cared for much coming out of Disney outside of Marvel.

My 11 year old loves the Disney parks, but cares zero about Disney IP characters. He's in it for the thrills. It'll have to be seen if he develops nostalgia for it.

These days Disney has to compete for the attention of a society with ADD. When I was a kid we had cap guns, sticks, dirt and if we were really lucky, maybe an 8 bit video game tethered to a 19" CRT TV.
Now it's a super computer with high speed data, unfiltered access to anything and a social media monster demanding their constant interaction.

 

[erasure fan1]

Those memories and the nostalgia associated with them make it quite difficult to not renew....but I am because someone needs to take a stand. I will not pay for crappy service, subpar experiences, and kicks in the teeth any longer. And, I will not be a slave to emotion when logic should prevail.

I think this is the biggest thing that the Disney apologists miss. Yea, I stopped going because the prices have gotten out of control. But the prices are the secondary reason. I expect that if you are going to charge me more, a lot more, it's because I'm getting new and better experiences. Prices will go up, everyone expects that. But with the amount that Disney has increased, the product and experience can't go backwards.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I think this is the biggest thing that the Disney apologists miss. Yea, I stopped going because the prices have gotten out of control. But the prices are the secondary reason. I expect that if you are going to charge me more, a lot more, it's because I'm getting new and better experiences. Prices will go up, everyone expects that. But with the amount that Disney has increased, the product and experience can't go backwards.

I don't think we miss it at all. I always applaud folks who say they are done with the mouseworld. I absolutely agree if you feel you are not getting the value you pay for definitely don't go. I feel that way with just about every thing. I don't revisit restaurants that are consistently lousy, I have not stepped into a JC Penny's in decades because the clothes became crap, on and on. What we have a hard time understanding is exactly what the op did. Posted a laundry list of stuff that is crappy in his opinion and then turn around and say "can't wait for my next trip". duh???? Now usually the explanation for that is "Oh we still had a good time".

I don't think I'm an "apologist" actually I think I'm a Disney "realist". I know exactly what they are offering and I make the decision of whether or not it's worth my hard earned money. I don't go wishing or thinking it will be different because of what "disney used to be". I know that MK will close early for night time events. yes I know back in the golden days the parks were open for everyone until late, but you know what?? that is useless information. Are those park hours worth the money for me now. What Disney use to be isn't worth the spit it takes to lick a stamp. IMO, I care about what it is now, the moment I book a trip. If that isn't a good experience for me and my family or if I think it's a ripoff, I'm out. I don't think in terms of "accepting anything disney offers" it's more of a "evaluate" what Disney offers. IMO the reality is the only control I have over expressing my acceptance or dislike for a product is whether or not I purchase it.

So I actually admire you for saying that you're done.

 

[gmk3855]

Welcome to the Di$ney, where money matters more than anything. Sure they keep adding events, and parties and such every other day almost, but with each event comes a nice big price. Every year prices go up and up while attendance seems to be going the other way. Even things that used to be free as an incentive to stay on site they charge for. Why because they know people will keep paying and yes people are still paying for them. It's sad to see how things are changing for the worse at WDW, I truely love going there the way things are going, it is going to be less frequently than I want to.

 

[jpeden]

This year my wife and I spent five nights at the Sea Island Resort in Georgia. For those who aren’t familiar with the resort, it’s a five star, five diamond property. It’s the only resort in the world to achieve and keep four five star awards 11 years in a row for their two hotels, their spa, and their main restaurant. It hosted the G-8 summit in 2004.

That being said, a week there shouldn’t be cheaper than a week at Disney world. It was.

We could go there for a week the same time in September we are planning to go to Disney for $1000 less for five nights. Disney has gotten out of control. There is no way they aren’t reaching the tipping point.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Welcome to the Di$ney, where money matters more than anything. Sure they keep adding events, and parties and such every other day almost, but with each event comes a nice big price. Every year prices go up and up while attendance seems to be going the other way. Even things that used to be free as an incentive to stay on site they charge for. Why because they know people will keep paying and yes people are still paying for them. It's sad to see how things are changing for the worse at WDW, I truely love going there the way things are going, it is going to be less frequently than I want to.

I think many of us expect and are even OK with price increase...but not a drop in quality of service.

For me, the service wasn’t slipping to the degree I saw most recently, and that is disappointing. I spend 30 days/yr at Disney and this was the most disappointed I’ve been in years.

 

[jpeden]

You might like this place, the movers and shakers are headed here lately. https://www.montagehotels.com/palmettobluff/

That looks like a great resort. And makes Sea Island look cheap based on what I saw re: prices

 

[eliza61nyc]

Disney Corp. to Customers:
View attachment 391237

lol naw it's more like Disney Customer to the Corporation,

"More cake Please"

Lol sorry, I just had a vision of some poor child with a dirty face pressed up against the gates of MK saying "more cake please" ala Oliver Twist.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

The Cake...is a lie. A Lie I tell you!

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

For me, the service wasn’t slipping to the degree I saw most recently, and that is disappointing. I spend 30 days/yr at Disney and this was the most disappointed I’ve been in years.
[/QUOTE]
We’re you ever contacted by Dis after your sent your emails to them regarding issues during your visit?