Spending Less with Disney

[CaptainAmerica]

To add... you, @scorp16 are not a very profitable guest from Disney's perspective. They might actually be making more money by you not coming if the families that replace you spend more than you do on a per-guest or per-room basis.

If you're semi-retired, I assume you're traveling as either a couple or solo for the most part? Since you visit frequently, I imagine you're not buying as many doo-dads and trinkets as a family who visits once every five or ten years? Disney would gladly trade two @scorp16 stays for two different families of four, one from Cleveland and one from Worcester, who fly in and rely on Disney for every piece of food and merch.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I don’t know. Spite doesn’t generally enter into my vacation planning. I guess I must be a dumb, pixie dust crack smoker.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

It's clear you are not the average guest to WDW. In my opinion you are more hard core WDW fan and what I consider a local, yes a long drive, but still driving distance.

What I suspect would happen is happening. Universal/IOA is chipping away at the tourist dollar in central Florida. There is no actual threat to WDW, but Disney is reacting and it's all tourists who win.

For all of you WDW fans who refuse to give Universal/IOA a chance you should reconsider, Universal/IOA is great!

I also enjoy Seaworld, it's a lot of fun and it's a vacation from the crowds at WDW

I have seen some big crowds at SeaWorld too.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I have seen some big crowds at SeaWorld too.

I must admit, at Christmas time it gets crowded at SeaWorld. In fact one year we could not find parking. Seaworld does not have parking attendants. Still, we love their festivities at Christmas time

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I must admit, at Christmas time it gets crowded at SeaWorld. In fact one year we could not find parking. Seaworld does not have parking attendants. Still, we love their festivities at Christmas time

We went once the week before Thanksgiving and it was pretty nuts

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don’t know. Spite doesn’t generally enter into my vacation planning. I guess I must be a dumb, pixie dust crack smoker.

You are actually...and I’m proud you’ve taken this important first step on the road.

I’ll be your sponsor

 

[RustySpork]

So, I figure, annually I’m at the $5k mark right now. Its money I used to spend with Disney that I no longer spend with Disney. It’s not an affordability thing, nor have I cut out any vacations. I just decided I want to limit the money I give to Disney as my way of a silent protest for the many “cash grabs” and dumb policy decisions they’ve made.

A lot of people take the “That’s it, I’m done with Disney” approach. My take is – I’ll still go, but I’m just going to give Disney a little less of my money. Sure, there’s a mindset that Disney doesn’t care and I’m easily replaceable. In most cases yes, in some, no. But it works for me.

As an example, I go to the Orlando area about every month for 3-5 nights. 7 of those visits were with Disney, on property at a Deluxe or Moderate. The rest are at Uni or the Uni area.

I’ve cut my on property stays from 7 down to 5. Instead I opt for places like Hilton Bonnet Creek, Hilton Orlando, maybe somewhere over on Palm Pkwy or Western Way if I’m using points. I’ve also cut out 1 TS dinner from every trip and opt to eat and spend an evening outside the “World” at places that IMO have better a quality (and I’m actually beginning to enjoy escaping the resort for a few hours). Might be cutting my on-property stays down to 4 soon.

Anybody else do this? If so, what part of your vacation dollar are you keeping away from Disney.

I give Disney a lot less of my money than I used too. I've become the sort of passholder that they don't want. I visit the parks to enjoy the attractions but I go out of my way to not spend very much money there. I no longer buy food, or merchandise, except maybe a drink or snack now and then. I always leave the property to eat a meal.

It's not because I don't want to support Disney, it's just that there's not much that I want there anymore and if I did I automatically expect it to cost a lot more than it should because they've gone head first into their captive market pricing model.

Which of course is fine, but it's become a natural progression for me to just spend money elsewhere.

 

[MaryJaneP]

We think everyone is missing the changing demographics that will only magnify the OP's message. Younger generations are debt-ridden (student loans) and choosing not to have kids. This may significantly impact not only your local schools, but all these "theme parks" whose clientele is aging out. Who can possibly spend the vast amounts of money needed for these entities to survive? Not us.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

We think everyone is missing the changing demographics that will only magnify the OP's message. Younger generations are debt-ridden (student loans) and choosing not to have kids. This may significantly impact not only your local schools, but all these "theme parks" whose clientele is aging out. Who can possibly spend the vast amounts of money needed for these entities to survive? Not us.

...uhhh Huh...

I was tiptoeing around something along those lines:

I always see “they’re creating the new generation of loyal fans”. That was the walker/Miller/Eisner model. The problem is that the 20th century ended 20 years ago.

There is a $2,000,000,000,000 college debt bill that cannot be paid. This isn’t an exaggeration. No money exists for it.

The millennial “economists” want it both ways...they want to assume that the cycle is gonna continue for them and theirs while not being bound to the economics that dictated the cycle in the first.

Trying to hatch chickens without eggs.

 

[eliza61nyc]

We think everyone is missing the changing demographics that will only magnify the OP's message. Younger generations are debt-ridden (student loans) and choosing not to have kids. This may significantly impact not only your local schools, but all these "theme parks" whose clientele is aging out. Who can possibly spend the vast amounts of money needed for these entities to survive? Not us.

But entities are not some concrete things unable to change. businesses change to meet the current demographics all the time. the Birth rate has been declining since 1970 and has more to do with women have much more choices than student loans.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

But entities are not some concrete things unable to change. businesses change to meet the current demographics all the time. the Birth rate has been declining since 1970 and has more to do with women have much more choices than student loans.

...but nobody owed any money then, Liz...

There are other factors...but the college thing is an Out of control freight train heading off a cliff.
Nobody will talk about it...business, banks, politicians...
They figure they’ll be dead first. Hoping for it - actually.

 

[eliza61nyc]

[

...but nobody owed any money then, Liz...

There are other factors...but the college thing is an Out of control freight train heading off a cliff.
Nobody will talk about it...business, banks, politicians...
They figure they’ll be dead first. Hoping for it - actually.

wait I'm sorry, I thought the last crash was because people owed crap loads of money on their mortgages and a bunch of credit card debt?
You mean the subprime mortgage collapse was actually because people didn't owe money? that all those foreclosures were a figment of the imagination?

Come on dude.

OK I'm going to throw out a scenario. What do you think will happen if all those student loans default? worst case?

there are actually a lot of economist that want the student loan bubble to burst because it will then begin controlling the out of control tuition prices/increases.

 

[eliza61nyc]

edited to add: I AM in no way making light of the student loan debt crisis.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

[

wait I'm sorry, I thought the last crash was because people owed crap loads of money on their mortgages and a bunch of credit card debt?
You mean the subprime mortgage collapse was actually because people didn't owe money? that all those foreclosures were a figment of the imagination?

Come on dude.

OK I'm going to throw out a scenario. What do you think will happen if all those student loans default? worst case?

You’re not paying attention, dudette....

The college bubble is bigger than credit debt. And real estate at least has some collateral behind it.
College debt has NOTHING to back it other than a job market with stagnant wages for decades. Literally nothing.

And the world’s economy was within a hair of collapsing in August 2008...read up on it. It was that close.

And then we wouldn’t have to worry about our APs or “wishes viewing parties”


You’re doing “that thing”....just assuming that nothing could ever actually change. It’s dangerous.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

edited to add: I AM in no way making light of the student loan debt crisis.

My not want to make it a hoax or “just worry” then next time

 

[John park hopper]

My sons all went to WDW when growing up and now have their own families. I don't see in them the over whelming desire to go to WDW simply because there are many other places they prefer to go and can afford it. I wonder if this is a factor in the changing demographics (maybe not the correct term)

 

[eliza61nyc]

You’re not paying attention, dudette....

The college bubble is bigger than credit debt. And real estate at least has some collateral behind it.
College debt has NOTHING to back it other than a job market with stagnant wages for decades. Literally nothing.

And the world’s economy was with a hair of collapsing in August 2008...read up on it. It was that close.

And then we wouldn’t have to worry about our APs or “wishes viewing parties”


You’re doing “that thing”....just assuming that nothing could ever actually change. It’s dangerous.

yes it is bigger but I was going with your assumption that the debt crisis is some how new. it is not. the fact that there is no collateralize behind the debt is actually a good thing. So the debt is not the actually problem, what has gotten with that debt is the problem.

you hit it on the head.
Stagnant wages and the increasing wealth income gap IMO is a much bigger issue that will effect Disney than a student loan default.

close doesn't count much now does it?

 

[eliza61nyc]

My sons all went to WDW when growing up and now have their own families. I don't see in them the over whelming desire to go to WDW simply because there are many other places they prefer to go and can afford it. I wonder if this is a factor in the changing demographics (maybe not the correct term)

absolutely it's a factor. I've said that many times. Disney has big time competition. think about it when I was growing up very few families even thought about taking their kids to Europe or on cruises. Cruising in particular has become a staple of family travel.

Caribbean islands now have all inclusive that cater to families, every big city across the country has programs to entice families.

And flying is extremely cheap compared to the 1970's.

 

[NickPytlinski]

I think a lot still depends on personal circumstances.
we have stopped on site 3 times, off site 2. our 3rd time offsite will be December.
the perks of stopping on site kinda out weigh stopping offsite imo.
i travel from the UK, the upfront cost is a lot more stopping onsite but the experience and ease of getting around Disney is great!

however,

the hotels in orlando seem to offering more and more services to get to and from disney at a lot cheaper prices. (shuttles etc.)
The choice of restaurants will still be there within disney once you get to a park on a shuttle from your cheaper hotel but the ease of eating offsite are much easier stopping outside of disney, you can walk to them.
travelling to orlando area attractions is much easier when stopping off site imo.

overall i always check prices and weigh up the odd's, some years my trip costs more than the next, its weird.

in regards to the op's position, i kind of agree with what your doing as it is frustrating for people like you who travel to orlando/disney a lot and seeing first hand the increase in prices and crowds month on month/year on year. Im doing it on a smaller scale.

i still think its based on personal circumstance for me. if i have the extra spare then its on site disney every time.

 

[networkpro]

You’re not paying attention, dudette....

The college bubble is bigger than credit debt. And real estate at least has some collateral behind it.
College debt has NOTHING to back it other than a job market with stagnant wages for decades. Literally nothing.

And the world’s economy was with a hair of collapsing in August 2008...read up on it. It was that close.

And then we wouldn’t have to worry about our APs or “wishes viewing parties”


You’re doing “that thing”....just assuming that nothing could ever actually change. It’s dangerous.

The ability to get student loans has been putting the cart before the horse in far too many cases. When the ability to incur debt against an "education" that doesn't yield sufficient annual remuneration to pay it back in a reasonable amount of time is economically insane. Since these debts in the majority of cases cannot be discharged through the bankruptcy process (Brunner test), they are a fairly "safe" bet for the lenders, but a toxic hazard for any consumer who lacks a clear understanding of the terms and conditions of the product.