Price Nostalgia

[zurgandfriend]

Nostalgia: In 1975 admission to Disneyland cost $8.00 with free parking. If I remember correctly there were 4 "E" tickets in the booklet and you could purchase more but I forget how much addition E tickets were. I was a 1st LT making about $800.00 a month. It is all relative.

 

[networkpro]

OT


Thanks Networkpro.
How in the world can anyone from up North complain about Property taxes?? seriously, my first apartment in NY which was basically an oversized shoe box above a strip joint called the kitkat klub came with a 2300 property tax and that was in 1983!! Jeez Philly has a stupid sugar tax, which is probably why drink prices at wdw never shock me. a 20 oz soda is around 4 bucks.

Its easy. Folks move in from other parts of the country and pay significantly more than the properties are worth and then they get taxed on the price they paid. When they look at what they can actually sell it for after living there, they get the rude awakening and try to get it adjusted. You can always get stuck like a cousin of mine did, with a new construction house which he didnt do his homework and found out it was in a flood plain after the purchase. It cost him about 200K in resale cost. He moved down from Virginia and they took him to the cleaners.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's not Apples to Apples. You didn't post wage growth figures or calculate the cheaper flights of today versus 1983. And again, the parks are far different today than in 1983.

The salaries people make are largely their choice. If you don't like your salary, get a better salary.

I actually don't know if people have more or less disposable income than 35 years ago. People certainly travel more.

Since my original post was never about this to begin with I am going to say... OK, you win. I still believe that all things are relative, but, it's not important to this discussion so I'm out.

 

[Trackmaster]

I pretty much agree with you. However, don't let this wholesome persona we reflect back upon distract you from the simple truth that Walt was a shrewd businessman. I think the "Grandpa Walt" view we have today is slightly distorted and his image is eulogized because he's been gone so long. We only really have memories to look back upon, not daily news and personal accounts of his behavior.

Also, I don't really think prices going up means value declines. Disney is constantly improving too, which is why we keep going back.

I'm not sure if I agree with that. His belief in the American Dream and pure, clean family fun is pretty well documented and probably accurate more or less. And don't forget, he was an animator, he built his company and his empire by doing great work -- it wasn't like he was Rockefeller or J Paul Getty where they were running commoditized businesses. Its not a stretch to think that he had good intentions and wasn't a heartless capitalist. He also never really lived to see Disney parks become what they are today, and see his company grow into the powerhouse that it is today.

 

[larryz]

.... and fly from LA to NYC for $200 on a deal.

But why would you want to?

 

[Chef Mickey]

But why would you want to?

To eat at Daniel in NYC?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Do people actually not know what DVC is at this point?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's not Apples to Apples. You didn't post wage growth figures or calculate the cheaper flights of today versus 1983. And again, the parks are far different today than in 1983.

The salaries people make are largely their choice. If you don't like your salary, get a better salary.

I actually don't know if people have more or less disposable income than 35 years ago. People certainly travel more.

Ok...you just need to steer clear of anything that has to do with labor relations...
...it’s just the safer path to go.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Yeah, you'd have to be a real Disney addict to make good on an out of state AP. They're like a $1,000+ minimum I think. You'd pretty much have to make multiple trips per year, not a small feat when you consider how far people would have to travel. I'm not really sure what the Vacation Club is all about, but that might be kind of like out of state membership equivalent of an annual pass... no free admission, but you get some perks for loyalty and consistency I think.

Debated getting it and trying to convince my wife we should do a marathon or something later in the year, but this next one is a big one with our kids my inlaws yadda yadda. She said a 2 year break will be in order (fyi we have been Disneyland twice since our last WDW visit and a DCL cruise twice as as well, so I think we have our Disney max for awhile

 

[jloucks]

Now post the difference in Universal's ticket prices, your car/home insurance, and your property taxes.

Welcome to life.

This, this right here.

I just spent over $600 on Ford Focus tires!

I spend half an entire WDW vacation on car insurance every year!! (two newbie teen drivers @~$4000 a year)

 

[jloucks]

It's not Apples to Apples. You didn't post wage growth figures or calculate the cheaper flights of today versus 1983. And again, the parks are far different today than in 1983.

The salaries people make are largely their choice. If you don't like your salary, get a better salary.

I actually don't know if people have more or less disposable income than 35 years ago. People certainly travel more.

They don't.

...but that is not to say they don't budget their scarce disposable income differently.

Or, just rack up stupendous credit card debit. That is a thing in the U.S. currently.

 

[Shouldigo12]

You are way too zoomed in on the microscope. Zoom out a little and the concept makes more sense.

This topic hits me on a personal level because of how careful and strategic and difficult my life choices have been. Then to have people complain about their income, having made non of the hard choices I have, just gives me the red ****.

You can choose to drop out of High School to enjoy some meth, or, you can choose to get a degree in the medical field.

Those are extreme examples, but you get the point.

It is really a bunch of choices that when combined equal more money. Or, more broadly, a higher quality of life. Almost always, these choices require hard work. Lots of it. A natural deterrent to these choices I suppose. But it is an individuals choice to be deterred or not.

I made the choice to leave Wal-Mart and get into the I.T. industry. I did it for several reasons, money being one of them.

Yes, it was a choice. Yes is was a boat-load of work (6 years additional grueling education). Yes, I could still be at Wal-Mart if I had not made the choice(s).

Here, this is a really touchy subject. Let's talk about kids! Oh noes. One of the top financial handicaps out there. We waited to have kids until our careers were locked in and humming along. We also did not lollygag (more hard work) so as to not age-out of child bearing. Now we have two awesome kids, and are financial secure. Older parents, sure, but seems to be no issue so far.

My point being, kids too early is another poo-poor choice, if money is what you are after. Again, choices.

Yes, there are exceptions. Touchy subjects most of them. Mainly discrimination issues. Those are very real. But, usually these just make things more difficult and are not an eliminator. Again, there are even exceptions here. Mental & physical handicaps especially.

Maybe he's too zoomed in, but you're way too zoomed out. Life just isn't always as simple as decide to do something and then do it.

 

[jloucks]

Maybe he's too zoomed in, but you're way too zoomed out. Life just isn't always as simple as decide to do something and then do it.

Well, yea, there is the inverse as well.

You also have to decide on what not to do and when not to do it.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that health is the only exception. Assuming the health issue is genetic on not related to some bad choices. Riding motorcycles comes to mind. (one of my sadness inducing choices)

 

[Shouldigo12]

Well, yea, there is the inverse as well.

You also have to decide on what not to do and when not to do it.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that health is the only exception. Assuming the health issue is genetic on not related to some bad choices. Riding motorcycles comes to mind. (one of my sadness inducing choices)

Health is far from the only factor that can play into how your life turns out. I'm not denying that our choices can drastically change our lives, but it isn't the only thing.

 

[Chef Mickey]

"Salaries people make are largely by choice."

Ohhhhh, I didn't realize that. Pardon me while I march into my boss's office and demand that I earn $600,000 a year. That's what I choose to earn. I'll let you know how that goes.

You completely missed the point and that mentality is the problem.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Maybe he's too zoomed in, but you're way too zoomed out. Life just isn't always as simple as decide to do something and then do it.

Yeah, but we aren't talking about saying you're going to be Lebron James and then taking over the NBA.

However, you are the CEO of your own life and you have to make the changes necessary to reach your goals. Of course not everyone can be a billionaire, but you can make changes that improve your situation, significantly. You absolutely can.

I said largely. I didn't say completely. Let's look at an average situation and not just immediately jump to $600k salaries. Let's say you make $50k. You are educated, but you're underemployed and have a bad attitude about it. You can get another certification, degree, work harder in your current role, change roles, leave the company, etc and I guarantee you can improve that $50k to $75k in short order. Then you do it again.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

You can get another certification, degree, work harder in your current role, change roles, leave the company, etc and I guarantee you can improve that $50k to $75k in short order. Then you do it again.

As long as the expenses don't rise 50% along with it - they should be good.

Making $50k and driving a $250/mnth Honda Accord too often turns into making $75k and paying $650 for a BMW. I think too many miss that point.

 

[jloucks]

As long as the expenses don't rise 50% along with it - they should be good.

Making $50k and driving a $250/mnth Honda Accord too often turns into making $75k and paying $650 for a BMW. I think too many miss that point.

Yep. Sooo guilty of this one. I do find myself driving the ridiculously expensive car(s)

 

[SteamboatJoe]

I'm not sure if I agree with that. His belief in the American Dream and pure, clean family fun is pretty well documented and probably accurate more or less. And don't forget, he was an animator, he built his company and his empire by doing great work -- it wasn't like he was Rockefeller or J Paul Getty where they were running commoditized businesses. Its not a stretch to think that he had good intentions and wasn't a heartless capitalist. He also never really lived to see Disney parks become what they are today, and see his company grow into the powerhouse that it is today.

He definitely wasn't a tyrant or a greedy tycoon but I agree that it would be naive of us to think he was completely pure and absent of any fault. I think the good vastly outweighed any bad but he had his faults just like the rest of us.

 

[MAGICFLOP]

I went in 84 and it was about $26 or $28 dollars then.. parking was certainly less than $5

Just prepare for prices to really shoot, they have been raising them like mad and as long as people pay, they will continue until they see attendance dip. When the dip does come, they will throw gimmicks in to make up for it, like give an extra 3 mos on the AP or an extra day 5 day hopper.. but what they wont do is lower the price.. let time catch up to the high price...