So who is going?

[Heppenheimer]

At least for the next few years, I'm only planning to go to any Disney resort as part of a conference. I still enjoy the resorts and retain that childhood emotional connection, but with so many other vacation options, I can't justify going there with my family without the cost being heavily subsidized.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Who's going? I am with my family. Many of my relatives are. Many of my friends are.
No, none of us are rich or have wealthy families or inheritances. We work for a living and do what we can to live within our means, pay our bills on time and manage to enjoy life... which includes a Disney trip when we can do them. Sometimes its every year, sometimes theres a year or more in between, but we will go back.

Typical visitor? Two types...Someone who knows about Disney and grew up watching Disney films. They want to experience a trip to ride attractions, try Disney snacks, see characters once. They want do what theyve heard other Disney trip goers did. Their goal is to give their kids a memorable time and have family moments. They watch the commercials and see themselves there one day. So they save up or extend credit to make it happen at some time. If they plan properly or have a friend or TA whose knowledgable enough to help them plan, they will have a great trip. They will go back for more trips if they had an enjoyable time.
Secondly...Then theres the return visitor who knows how to do Disney properly. Plans properly and enjoys their entire time on return trips. They know the resorts, the parks, the restaurants well. THey can do Disney with their eyes closed. They know how to be happy there.

Dont believe those who say Disney is only for the rich. Its still affordable if you want it. If you want it you will save for it and it will happen. No one says your trip must be only at the deluxe accommodations and eating at signature restaurants. So it is there for the doing.

I think the words rich, wealthy, comfortable and living week to week with no extra money to be spent no matter how good the experience might be or how long it has been traditional to go is average. Yes, you are hard working, that I don't doubt but unless you are making above average income, more then you need to pay for basics, then you really can't speak for most people. Income doesn't necessarily connect with hard work. It is where the hard work is happening in many cases.

There are so many aspects to why some, like myself, cannot go at this point. Some is money, some is what we define as fun and enjoyable. My idea of fun and enjoyment is not having to get approval for every thing I want to do and when they want me to do it. I don't want to have to decide weeks before exactly what day in, let's say February, I want to go to MK or Epcot, DHS or DAK. I don't want to have to keep my nose stuck either in my phone or looking at the back of someone's head just to watch a couple of, at one time impressive, robots move their arms and mouth. I don't want to have to walk from the back of a huge parking lot that I just paid $25 to park in. I don't want to have to plan and organize more for a relaxing vacation then I had to do when I was working. That is not my idea of something that justifies my spending down on my retirement account to see or do. Yes, the cost is the very first sting and is like having constant stings through the stay, it is what I am getting for the money that once was much more affordable. Small World is basically the same now than it was 39 years ago when I first saw it for less than $20 per day, no additional fees and I could eat where the mood struck me when I was hungry, not weeks before or when the magic makers told me I could be squeezed in to the place.

You need to consider yourself fortunate that you can still afford to go, but don't kid yourself by deciding that you are just the average family. You are able to spend money, with no fear because you are in that position, but there are many, many people that would like to be financially able, without massive debt, to go there. Just because the parks are crowded doesn't mean that the majority of folks have the resources to be there or are willing to jump through so many hoops, for a constantly decreasing amount of fantasy.

 

[seascape]

Basic question. So for a while, we've been saying...
1) Disney is becoming only for the rich
2) Disney no longer has any loyal customers.

So who is going to WDW? Who do you think is a typical visitor?

My wife and I are going and will continue going. We love Food and Wine, The Festival of The Holidays, Festival of Arts and

"I am puzzled as to why Disney is charging so much more and people are still coming in droves."
"Personally, I'm going to Disney World no matter how much they charge."

LovePop you answered your own question

The issue is not what Disney charges per individual but for the combined trip. Remeber family size has decreased over time and so a family of 3 will only need one room compared to 2 rooms for a family of 4 or 5. Not only that but only need 3 tickets versus 4 or 5. Then don't for get in 1971 family income was much lower because most women hadn't entered the work force yet. That demgraphic change started in the 1960s and ended in the 1980s. Finally, you may or may not believe this but Disney vacations were never for the middle class. I grew up in an upper mIddle class neighborhood and the only one friend of mine ever went to WDW or DL.

 

[JohnnyDVoices]

Several parties in my family had to cancel our trips due to Covid so we decided to plan together and do one big blow out trip in March! It's been about 20 years since all of us have taken the trip together, and now we'll have two kids with us!

This is likely to be the last trip to wdw for quite a while so we're going big!

 

[Heppenheimer]

My wife and I are going and will continue going. We love Food and Wine, The Festival of The Holidays, Festival of Arts and

The issue is not what Disney charges per individual but for the combined trip. Remeber family size has decreased over time and so a family of 3 will only need one room compared to 2 rooms for a family of 4 or 5. Not only that but only need 3 tickets versus 4 or 5. Then don't for get in 1971 family income was much lower because most women hadn't entered the work force yet. That demgraphic change started in the 1960s and ended in the 1980s. Finally, you may or may not believe this but Disney vacations were never for the middle class. I grew up in an upper mIddle class neighborhood and the only one friend of mine ever went to WDW or DL.

Particularly true if you didn't grown up in Florida or one of the near-by southern states. Not only was Disney World itself always one of the more expensive vacation options, but getting there involved significant time and costs as well associated with the actual travel.

Come to think of it, in the firmly middle class suburban Philadelphia neighborhood where I grew up, I can only think of one other family besides us that made multiple trips to Disney World, and most of the other kids I know never visited. If they even had a yearly summer vacation, it was to the south Jersey shore (which itself has now become too expensive for many families).

 

[chama1]

I will still be going but spending less....with prices (not only Disney) going up everywhere, I've realized I don't need to buy so much stuff...I don't have to do as many special events, I'm good with Very Merry and Dapper Day)...I'll try to make dinner reservations at the places I've had the best service/meals (which lately are not many)....I love Disney but it has changed not only prices wise but the attitudes of the ppl attending and CM's are different...

 

[Disstevefan1]

I agree somewhat with that. I still think some of these changes they have done are what they have always wanted to do. I fully believe Genie+ was going to come at some point and Magic Express is something they wanted to end as well.

Yes, I agree, some changes they always wanted to do; instead of phasing them in slowly, the pandemic allowed them to implement them more rapidly.

For me, I guess the one change I can’t get past is the park pass reservation system. For years prior to the pandemic I purchased Platinum APs for myself and my family so we could drop in on a whim, even if that was for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday, to me, that was the true value of the no blackout AP at any cost.

That looks to be gone forever and I can’t get past that.

 

[Roy G. Dis]

A new generation of (Disney-raised and millennial-lead) families that value "experiences" and have the incomes to support "all-out" visits to the parks.

I think this is a major differentiator between Disney parks and Universal... Universal is still a long way away from getting their grasp on the "family" market and the few dozen Youtube video essays whining about IP-in-parks, resort hotels, and Genie+ by childless 30-somethings have yet to convince me otherwise. Financially, the "family dollar" is most willing to spend an arm and a leg for ways to optimize their visit (like paying to not wait in line with your cranky kids) and Disney knows it.

 

[Chi84]

A new generation of (Disney-raised and millennial-lead) families that value "experiences" and have the incomes to support "all-out" visits to the parks.

I think this is a major differentiator between Disney parks and Universal... Universal is still a long way away from getting their grasp on the "family" market and the few dozen Youtube video essays whining about IP-in-parks, resort hotels, and Genie+ by childless 30-somethings have yet to convince me otherwise. Financially, the "family dollar" is most willing to spend an arm and a leg for ways to optimize their visit (like paying to not wait in line with your cranky kids) and Disney knows it.

I agree. We planned a couple of trips this year - just DH and me in October and then a family vacation in April to celebrate our grandson's third birthday. The family trip was originally scheduled for May 2020 and rescheduled twice.

WDW is great for multigenerational families. There are rides for the adults and others for the grandkids, and we'll use Genie+ and ILLs to make waits tolerable (FP+ would have been better and free but it's gone). Hopefully, we'll get Topolino's character breakfast for the 3-year-old's birthday party, and we would like to do one other character meal - probably Storybook Dining at Artist's Point in WL. Our grandson is currently in love with Mickey's Clubhouse and knows all the Disney characters.

We'll spend some time at the resort pools, and both water parks (TL should be open by then) have really nice shaded areas for young children.

We're staying at SSR, so the plan is that DH and I will babysit a night or two so the parents can walk over the bridge to Disney Springs for a late dinner and drinks. Maybe even take the boat down to POR to see the entertainment.

 

[jloucks]

Basic question. So for a while, we've been saying...
1) Disney is becoming only for the rich
2) Disney no longer has any loyal customers.

So who is going to WDW? Who do you think is a typical visitor?

If they get prices set high enough to control the *overcrowding, I will go back often.

So, the typical visitor is a person who's time is too valuable to waste in lines and crowds, and who is willing to pay more for quality time.

*personal opinion

 

[JohnD]

Basic question. So for a while, we've been saying...
1) Disney is becoming only for the rich
2) Disney no longer has any loyal customers.

So who is going to WDW? Who do you think is a typical visitor?

My last trip was the 50th anniversary in October. Possibly Spring of next year. Or if not that, after GOTG opens. I'm still on the Silver Pass through March then have a decision to make whether I should renew at one of the new levels or let it lapse.

 

[Jrb1979]

If they get prices set high enough to control the *overcrowding, I will go back often.

So, the typical visitor is a person who's time is too valuable to waste in lines and crowds, and who is willing to pay more for quality time.

*personal opinion

It's why I enjoy the majority of other parks more. I have no problem paying more to use a skip the line system as they are intended to be used. I have issue with paying $160 or more at Cedar Point so I can ride things multiple times with little to no wait. IMO that's how Genie+ should work.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I think the words rich, wealthy, comfortable and living week to week with no extra money to be spent no matter how good the experience might be or how long it has been traditional to go is average. Yes, you are hard working, that I don't doubt but unless you are making above average income, more then you need to pay for basics, then you really can't speak for most people. Income doesn't necessarily connect with hard work. It is where the hard work is happening in many cases.

There are so many aspects to why some, like myself, cannot go at this point. Some is money, some is what we define as fun and enjoyable. My idea of fun and enjoyment is not having to get approval for every thing I want to do and when they want me to do it. I don't want to have to decide weeks before exactly what day in, let's say February, I want to go to MK or Epcot, DHS or DAK. I don't want to have to keep my nose stuck either in my phone or looking at the back of someone's head just to watch a couple of, at one time impressive, robots move their arms and mouth. I don't want to have to walk from the back of a huge parking lot that I just paid $25 to park in. I don't want to have to plan and organize more for a relaxing vacation then I had to do when I was working. That is not my idea of something that justifies my spending down on my retirement account to see or do. Yes, the cost is the very first sting and is like having constant stings through the stay, it is what I am getting for the money that once was much more affordable. Small World is basically the same now than it was 39 years ago when I first saw it for less than $20 per day, no additional fees and I could eat where the mood struck me when I was hungry, not weeks before or when the magic makers told me I could be squeezed in to the place.

You need to consider yourself fortunate that you can still afford to go, but don't kid yourself by deciding that you are just the average family. You are able to spend money, with no fear because you are in that position, but there are many, many people that would like to be financially able, without massive debt, to go there. Just because the parks are crowded doesn't mean that the majority of folks have the resources to be there or are willing to jump through so many hoops, for a constantly decreasing amount of fantasy.

The words the OP used and what so many others are saying is that only the RICH can afford to go. Thats why I said I'm not rich but I can afford to go. Yes I work hard and am responsible with how I save and spend my money. Just because others are irresponsible with their money and cant afford to go to Disney doesnt mean others cant do what Ive done. Blaming Disney because others are in debt so they cant afford a trip doesnt mean they are being priced out. It means the choices theyve made have consequences. If they wanted to go and save instead of squandering their income thats on them. Even if they have a bad paying job and need every dollar to pay for basic living, there are ways they can save and budget for a lower costly trip. It may take longer to do it, but it can be done....Ive been there years ago when I had a poorly paying job and didnt know how Id pay my bills week to week. I did it... others can too.
Your choices to not go regarding Disneys policies are not stopping you from affording a trip. Rather its your dislike of how theyve decided to structure their business. Thats irrelevant to the OP's query.
Yes I am fortunate and I am very average. I never said crowded parks correlates to guests affording a trip. Theres no way you can tell what income level any of them are at or how they got to Disney. No one says you must spend down your retirement fund or go into debt by charging up costs. Thats how you only see to afford a trip and Im saying thats not the only way.

 

[Mrs Potato Head]

i really don't think you will get an unbiased gauge asking this question on a disney fan site. I mean the results will probably skew pretty high to one side.

 

[Ldno]

Been going to disney since I was kid but now that I have own my kids And can have overexceeded their ride heights haha I started going every year frequently since 2017 until now.

I have a 4 kids with 1 step kid, 2019 was the ultimate trip in regards to WDW and DL.
Ever since 2020 it’s been downhill for us, I can attest to the fact that it has outpriced us. Right now we are paying more for less and there’s people content with that but when we went in 2020 we have to split up our trips; my girlfriend went with her daughters, I had to go with my boys because of different pricing.

Hell we are doing the same in 2022 because after a while it’s gets ridiculously expensive since we need 2 rooms to go as a family.

I budget everything to T, I would rather pay 300 a week over anything inside the resort, the perks to stay there are non existent, so i can save more money renting a car Plus staying at a hotel off 192 in Kissimmee to have more money to spend on my kids on food and merchandise. They understand they want more stuff they can buy and they just pass out when they get back to the hotel.

Around the mid 2000’s I could do disney with less than a $1000 but for me to have a good time with everyone and my kids I need at least $7000k minimum, food alone takes $1,500 because of meals and drinks so go figure.

 

[ppete1975]

People who want to go. IF they can afford it or not.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The words the OP used and what so many others are saying is that only the RICH can afford to go. Thats why I said I'm not rich but I can afford to go. Yes I work hard and am responsible with how I save and spend my money. Just because others are irresponsible with their money and cant afford to go to Disney doesnt mean others cant do what Ive done. Blaming Disney because others are in debt so they cant afford a trip doesnt mean they are being priced out. It means the choices theyve made have consequences. If they wanted to go and save instead of squandering their income thats on them. Even if they have a bad paying job and need every dollar to pay for basic living, there are ways they can save and budget for a lower costly trip. It may take longer to do it, but it can be done....Ive been there years ago when I had a poorly paying job and didnt know how Id pay my bills week to week. I did it... others can too.
Your choices to not go regarding Disneys policies are not stopping you from affording a trip. Rather its your dislike of how theyve decided to structure their business. Thats irrelevant to the OP's query.
Yes I am fortunate and I am very average. I never said crowded parks correlates to guests affording a trip. Theres no way you can tell what income level any of them are at or how they got to Disney. No one says you must spend down your retirement fund or go into debt by charging up costs. Thats how you only see to afford a trip and Im saying thats not the only way.

You are sticking to close to your vision of RICH. There are people with much more money than you, I'm sure. I'm also sure that they are the ones that you consider rich. There really is no socially solid definition of that status. And it is a status, not really a solid financial structure. For people with less money and or wealth, in the general term, look at you as being rich because you can afford to do things that they cannot. When MK and Epcot existed even the just above dirt poor could scrap together enough to go there and experience the place. I can remember back in the early 2000's they used to have a Florida Day and it was amazingly crowded and I witnessed families working among themselves scrounging money to by a large soda that they then shared among themselves (no they didn't go back for refills). That to me was poor .

So maybe instead of identifying people as rich or poor, it is more of what income levels can find a way to go there and not end up getting late payment notices from every other expense they have. I would say that it is a lot higher then it was then when you had an option and like I did a couple of times, extended my credit card balance because I felt that it was manageable and I would be able to catch up. That is what defines Rich when it comes to theme park guests. Rich enough to be able to spend that money on something that is so far down on the life's necessities list that it cannot be seen easily.

 

[Nottamus]

We will go. We spend less on things.

just got back from a 14 night stay where we only had one table service meal- and I was good with that! Lots of QS and food and wine - saves lots there.

never purchased Genie anything and still managed to do what we wanted to do.

We are pretty sure there will be a point where it’s just too much. Some say that’s now. Being DVC, we are shielded from some of the crazy charges —-that can’t last forever.

we have 2 - 2022 vacations booked, and really hoping revenge vacations are not a thing by then…

 

[GraysonsDad]

We'll be there in 12 days, can't wait! Used to have a resident annual pass when living in FL but now in Virginia so can't go nearly as often. Love it just as much now as I did then...yes it's more expensive and there's things I don't necessarily agree with, but I (we) still love it. We love it=we're going!

 

[GuyFawkes]

If they get prices set high enough to control the *overcrowding, I will go back often.

So, the typical visitor is a person who's time is too valuable to waste in lines and crowds, and who is willing to pay more for quality time.

*personal opinion

I would say price to value which how big the crowd is, is part of the over all experience. It's not just that. The crowd level may go down and Disney simply has less people working along with the attractions running at low capacities? That's where experience is king not pure crowd numbers.

I have been to high end places so I know how those places run. Disney even in their high end hotels is not running a high end operation. That has to change for me to come back. I'm very happy at Universal for a theme park experience.