Priciest Place on Earth

[Grumpy4196]

Not sure if this is allowed but Foxnews.com has an article out today discussing the pricing and lack of magic currently at Disney World. I know alot of people don't care for Fox but they have a pretty high viewership so I am sure Disney isn't thrilled with the article unless they subscribe to the "any publicity is good publicity" mantra.

Has the cost of Disney World become unaffordable for the average American family?

Visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been a must-do for generations in many American families, but some visitors say the experience now costs so much that it might soon be reserved for only the wealthy.

www.foxbusiness.com

 

[Lilofan]

Not sure if this is allowed but Foxnews.com has an article out today discussing the pricing and lack of magic currently at Disney World. I know alot of people don't care for Fox but they have a pretty high viewership so I am sure Disney isn't thrilled with the article unless they subscribe to the "any publicity is good publicity" mantra.

Has the cost of Disney World become unaffordable for the average American family?

Visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been a must-do for generations in many American families, but some visitors say the experience now costs so much that it might soon be reserved for only the wealthy.

www.foxbusiness.com

Credit cards, taking out loans to finance vacations , being slaves to debt society , supporting big and small business in that way .

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Not sure if this is allowed but Foxnews.com has an article out today discussing the pricing and lack of magic currently at Disney World. I know alot of people don't care for Fox but they have a pretty high viewership so I am sure Disney isn't thrilled with the article unless they subscribe to the "any publicity is good publicity" mantra.

Has the cost of Disney World become unaffordable for the average American family?

Visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been a must-do for generations in many American families, but some visitors say the experience now costs so much that it might soon be reserved for only the wealthy.

www.foxbusiness.com

We have kind of heard this for years. I do think it's expensive, but dang it so is renting a shore house for a week. Also in today's world of Instagram and humblebrags, people will save up and so what it takes to take a WDW vacation so they can brag about it....

 

[DryerLintFan]

I’m sorry, but you don’t get to pick a hotel that costs $945 a night and then complain about being priced out!

Nobody forced your boujee butts to stay at a deluxe monorail resort, mr. Rockefeller.

 

[jloucks]

Not sure if this is allowed but Foxnews.com has an article out today discussing the pricing and lack of magic currently at Disney World. I know alot of people don't care for Fox but they have a pretty high viewership so I am sure Disney isn't thrilled with the article unless they subscribe to the "any publicity is good publicity" mantra.

Has the cost of Disney World become unaffordable for the average American family?

Visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been a must-do for generations in many American families, but some visitors say the experience now costs so much that it might soon be reserved for only the wealthy.

www.foxbusiness.com

So related in the travel budget facet of all of this....

Last weekend we had a trip to Vegas. If you think WDW prices are up, you should check out the Vegas price spike. Goodness, everything was double or more what it was 3 years ago.

We were also back in WDW in March for a Starcruiser vacation. Starcruiser itself was super "magical", but the parks...eeeeehhhh... not so much. Nothing kills magic quicker then 2 hour lines and cattle car crowds....... which you pay big bucks for.

You know, kinda like a root canal. Very expensive and very painful. Bad combo.

Prices are up on everything me thinks, and me also thinks it is just going to get far worse.

Brace for impact!

 

[Weather_Lady]

I’m sorry, but you don’t get to pick a hotel that costs $945 a night and then complain about being priced out!

Nobody forced your boujee butts to stay at a deluxe monorail resort, mr. Rockefeller.

LOL, I had the same thought about that family's choices! While tickets may be expensive (and there are even ways to save on those), nobody forced this family to spend thousands more on on-site hotels, in-park dining, and souvenirs.

The article was at its best when it focused on the things WDW has taken away or started charging for -- the "paying more and getting less" that is so frustrating to current guests who aren't newbies, and which is a fair and objective characterization of recent WDW policies.

While Disney has always been expensive, it used to offer an incredible package of amenities for what you were paying, and "magically" removed a ton of stress by bundling those amenities together in a way you couldn't find anywhere else, short of an all-inclusive resort. Now, a Disney vacation is made up of a frustrating amalgam of upcharges and a la carte purchases, which makes guests feel continually put upon to throw good money after bad.

If you think of a WDW vacation (under present management) like booking a hypothetical flight, it's as though you've bought a business-class ticket because you were so impressed by the quality of the service you received when you splurged for it in prior years, only to find that despite the sky-high price you already paid, you now have to pay extra for things that were once included, like to access the airport lounge, get a seat assignment next to your travel companion, obtain a bottle of water or a bag of peanuts, activate your little TV screen or the reading light above your seat, or use the restroom. Sure, you're still getting a cushy first class chair that's nicer than the ones in coach, but the "magic" of sitting in business class (not to mention its objective value) has been irreparably diminished: you paid a premium for a wraparound business class experience, but are now being nickel-and-dimed at each step as though you bought a cheap "no frills" ticket on a budget airline.

 

[FutureCEO]

Don't spend what you don't have. Easy as that.

And then there's the whole let's take out a loan for a vacation thing which I don't understand. Why would you want to spend more money on interest and everything?

 

[Sbk1234]

I'm no fan of Fox, but to be honest, the article doesn't really say anything that I haven't heard people saying on these boards.

 

[Grumpy4196]

No doubt Disney has always been expensive. But I do agree that the nickel and diming has increased dramatically the last 5 years or so.

 

[mkt]

I've previously mentioned examples - with specifics - of trips I've taken to Europe that cost less than a comparable WDW trip for the same dates and category of lodging.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Just breaking this down a little,...

$950 for sit down meals for a family of 4 over 5 days is roughly $50 a day per person.

$700 for snacks and souvenirs is roughly $35 per person per day.

I find that to be about comparable for any trip we've taken anywhere. I really think their trip is stupid expensive based on their choice of hotel room.

 

[Lilofan]

I’m sorry, but you don’t get to pick a hotel that costs $945 a night and then complain about being priced out!

Nobody forced your boujee butts to stay at a deluxe monorail resort, mr. Rockefeller.

Cruising when that business eventually comes back , is a better financial option. The residents of FL and adjacent states can save on travel since they can just drive to the port.

 

[eliza61nyc]

So related in the travel budget facet of all of this....

Last weekend we had a trip to Vegas. If you think WDW prices are up, you should check out the Vegas price spike. Goodness, everything was double or more what it was 3 years ago.

We were also back in WDW in March for a Starcruiser vacation. Starcruiser itself was super "magical", but the parks...eeeeehhhh... not so much. Nothing kills magic quicker then 2 hour lines and cattle car crowds....... which you pay big bucks for.

You know, kinda like a root canal. Very expensive and very painful. Bad combo.

Prices are up on everything me thinks, and me also thinks it is just going to get far worse.

Brace for impact!

OMG, I posted the same thing in the dining forum. Went to Vegas for mothers day, ouch. 40 bucks for a cocktail

 

[marni1971]

Nice to see it getting traction in the “regular” press.

 

[kingdead]

While Disney has always been expensive, it used to offer an incredible package of amenities for what you were paying, and "magically" removed a ton of stress by bundling those amenities together in a way you couldn't find anywhere else, short of an all-inclusive resort. Now, a Disney vacation is made up of a frustrating amalgam of a la carte purchases that make guests feel continually put upon to throw good money after bad.

Old school Disney was something else. My father complains about every dime he spends on vacation and has refused take my mom on a cruise for the 40 years they've been married. The last time we all went on vacation together, he started bargaining with the concierge. Do any of you watch Curb? He will straight out tell people that his role model is Larry David. In short, he wants you to know that he's keeping the money he has, thank you very much. He's no fool!

When we finally convinced him to take us to Disney World, not only did he not complain, he went back the next year and paid for the Grand Floridian. They were just that nice that they wore him down with Disney magic

 

[Patcheslee]

I've previously mentioned examples - with specifics - of trips I've taken to Europe that cost less than a comparable WDW trip for the same dates and category of lodging.

Flight prices are what always gets me to change my mind about international travel. 800+/person just seems nuts

 

[mkt]

Flight prices are what always gets me to change my mind about international travel. 800+/person just seems nuts

I've crossed the Atlantic for under $300 from Miami.

 

[marni1971]

Nice to see it getting traction in the “regular” press.

…and its hit the national newspapers in the U.K. today.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Folks on these boards have been discussing how everything in WDW is overpriced for many years.

This is nothing new.

Now TWDC can blame COVID AND INFLATION

It doesn't matter, for every family they price out, there are many, many more returning and new guests that will MOB WDW.

 

[Doug Means]

I’m sorry, but you don’t get to pick a hotel that costs $945 a night and then complain about being priced out!

Nobody forced your boujee butts to stay at a deluxe monorail resort, mr. Rockefeller.

y don't we get a chance to complain? How is that hurting you? I can complain about whatever I chose to spend my money on. You can just keep scrolling on by.

Mr. Rockerfeller