The “wealthy” is not going to work

[correcaminos]

I think it all comes down to limits. For some, their limit has been reached, for others, the parks are still very enjoyable. Do I hate some of the changes? For sure. But I'd be lying if I said that our October 2021 trip wasn't really fun. Probably some of the most fun we've had there besides the holiday parties. Us watching HarmonioUS is still a memory I smile thinking about all the time.

Absolutely! And for some the limits will be really high and others it will be low. Then all between. For our first post covid trip was really good. My fall one was so good I started looking into adding on for DVC. Glad we did because our spring break was phenomenal. Sure it was busy and genie+ is obnoxious, but we had a blast!

Though I'd be happier if Harmonious would go away. Sorry the barges are awful to me. We love the new SE lights and music though. We walked away from Harmonious and sat in front of SE instead.

 

[Lilofan]

Most of the wealthy will go once and done. They have the budget to go anywhere else they want, and they will.

The wealthy in my area go to Europe and Asia to enjoy. WDW is an afterthought.

 

[correcaminos]

The wealthy in my area go to Europe and Asia to enjoy. WDW is an afterthought.

In my area they do it all and don't care where they go as long as it's interesting to them. Some are Universal fans over Disney though. Wealthy Disney addicts do Club 33... haven't succumbed to that level of addiction myself.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Absolutely! And for some the limits will be really high and others it will be low. Then all between. For our first post covid trip was really good. My fall one was so good I started looking into adding on for DVC. Glad we did because our spring break was phenomenal. Sure it was busy and genie+ is obnoxious, but we had a blast!

Though I'd be happier if Harmonious would go away. Sorry the barges are awful to me. We love the new SE lights and music though. We walked away from Harmonious and sat in front of SE instead.

If there is one thing I had to pick as my favorite item about the reimagining of EPCOT would be the SE lights!
Also that the three spires are back I like that.
Also eventually when Walts statue is there.

Moana...... I do not like it. its taking too long and it's a waste of space.

 

[mkt]

Really? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.syracuse.com/living/2021/06/are-you-middle-class-use-this-calculator-to-compare-income-levels-in-ny-other-states.html?outputType=amp

What is middle class in San Francisco? - 2024

In 2018, the single-person median in SF was $82,900 per year, while a family of four is $118,400. Applying the two-thirds to double formula gives a rough “middle class” range of anywhere from over $55,000 to $165,800 for one person, or between $79,000 and $236,800 or a four-person household...

theflatbkny.com

They are on the cusp of upper even there. And as I said regionally $200k on average is not middle class.

I challenge you to support a family of 4 in San Francisco with $200k, when the average home price is $1.6 million (about $7k mortgage with 20% down) and the average 3BR rental is $5k (if you can find one). All the while, you're an approximately 30% effective tax rate.

You can do it, but you will be struggling.

 

[mkt]

The wealthy in my area go to Europe and Asia to enjoy. WDW is an afterthought.

Europe and more posh parts of Latin America and the Caribbean here.

 

[Lilofan]

Europe and more posh parts of Latin America and the Caribbean here.

Had a great time in Cartegena Colombia especially Isla del Rosario. Great memories, we stayed in the same hotel that Obama's Secret Service teams had a not so pleasant time with the locals....

 

[mkt]

Had a great time in Cartegena Colombia especially Isla del Rosario. Great memories

Love Cartagena. One of my favorite places on the planet.

 

[Frank the Tank]

It’s not so much that Disney doesn’t want middle class visitors, but rather an application of the 80/20 rule of business: 80% of your sales come from the top 20% of your customers. You likely need 5 families staying at Pop Century or 10 families staying offsite to match the revenue of 1 family staying at the Grand Floridian (plus the greater likelihood of that GF family to spend more on higher-end dining, merchandise, etc.).

 

[Lilofan]

San Francisco with $200k, thats easy. Just pitch a tent on the sidewalk.
Just be sure to watch your step, you may step on a used iv needle or human feces...

Some who work in SF just park their ride on residential streets and call it a night ( s ). It is not just tents where people live.

 

[correcaminos]

If there is one thing I had to pick as my favorite item about the reimagining of EPCOT would be the SE lights!
Also that the three spires are back I like that.
Also eventually when Walts statue is there.

Moana...... I do not like it. its taking too long and it's a waste of space.

That quickly was my favorite as well. I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. Like really took my breath away.

All of Epcot is taking way too long. It's been a dirt pile for many years.

 

[mkt]

The wealthy in my area go to Europe and Asia to enjoy. WDW is an afterthought.

I'm thinking more about this, and will use the example of my sister and her family.

Her husband is a millionaire several times over. They live in a $5 million dollar house in Key Biscayne, one of the most exclusive and expensive neighborhoods in Miami.

Their 4 kids go or went to prep schools in Miami and Ivies for university.

That's the background info - here's the interesting details: The husband is majorly invested in several Orlando developments and has been for years, he regularly goes back and forth regularly to check in on them, sometimes bringing one of the kids along. Beyond this, the youngest daughter competes in volleyball and is regularly in Central Florida for competitions

This is a wealthy family of six (mom + dad + 4 kids), who live 3-4 hours away from Disney, and who have regular reasons to go to Orlando. They've been to WDW 5 times in 22 years. But they've been to the BVI's 8 times (I tag along on those trips), and to London, Paris, and Buenos Aires dozens of times each in the same time frame.

 

[Vinnie Mac]

Though I'd be happier if Harmonious would go away. Sorry the barges are awful to me. We love the new SE lights and music though. We walked away from Harmonious and sat in front of SE instead.

It's all good. It does sting a little when your favorite (currently operating) show isn't liked by many but that's what makes the world interesting, differing opinions y'know. Also yes I love love love the SSE lights. Pictures and videos don't do them any justice. Seeing the brightness of the lights, hearing the inspiring music, and standing beneath the massive structure that is SSE is an experience unlike any other.

 

[mkt]

Some who work in SF just park their ride on residential streets and call it a night ( s ). It is not just tents where people live.

Tech employees that buy a smaller RV (small enough to park in a spot without drawing attention) and park it at work as their home

 

[correcaminos]

It's all good. It does sting a little when your favorite (currently operating) show isn't liked by many but that's what makes the world interesting, differing opinions y'know. Also yes I love love love the SSE lights. Pictures and videos don't do them any justice. Seeing the brightness of the lights, hearing the inspiring music, and standing beneath the massive structure that is SSE is an experience unlike any other.

It's just the barges honestly. Nothing else. It's okay too. We save money not doing firework cruises now (and waste it on others). Much like Enchanted has nice fireworks so we can watch from the shore when staying at a monorail resort. We just don't need to plan to watch it. We see it in passing.

But yes the SSE lights (just saw my phone changed it to SE lol) with the music. I tried to show a video to my kid from November and while he liked it, in person he was in love too. It's our new Epcot night thing.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The wealthy in my area go to Europe and Asia to enjoy. WDW is an afterthought.

The wealthy people I know are as diverse as the middle class people I know, some love traveling the world, others love Vegas, others love Disney, most of them do a little of it all because they can afford to.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed between hanging out with my wealthy friends and my “normal” friends isn’t what we do, it’s the quality of the food we eat, the quality of the cocktails we drink, the seats we get at shows, the resorts they stay at… we do the exact same stuff I do with my middle class friends, just at a higher quality, their fun doesn’t seem to be any different from the rest of us.

 

[Vinnie Mac]

The wealthy people I know are as diverse as the middle class people I know, some love traveling the world, others love Vegas, others love Disney, most of them do a little of it all because they can afford to.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed between hanging out with my wealthy friends and my “normal” friends isn’t what we do, it’s the quality of the food we eat, the quality of the cocktails we drink, the seats we get at shows, the resorts they stay at… we do the exact same stuff I do with my middle class friends, just at a higher quality, their fun dont seem to be any different from the rest of us.

Tbh I think rich people are down to do anything really. Richest person I know I literally met at a Six Flags. Also gotta think about the celebrities that go to Disney World. Kanye West was just randomly at the Magic Kingdom a few months ago.

 

[Patcheslee]

Its costing more and more to vacation at WDW, absolutely true.

Annual income is not the measuring stick.

Disposable income is the measuring stick.

There are many families that make less than 200K but have no debt and have low monthly costs.

They can save up and use their disposable income to feed the Mou$e

We're in the 120k range with low monthly costs, besides a small mortgage, no debt to deal with. Able to balance 401k contributions, college savings for 1 kid, and having fun somewhere each year. Not having childcare and car loans has helped a ton.
As an idea of the area, if someone is looking for a small 1-2 bedroom 1100sqft home is 110k vs 4bed/5000+sqft/3 acre McMansion is 850k at the top end even with housing prices what they are now.

 

[correcaminos]

Tbh I think rich people are down to do anything really. Richest person I know I literally met at a Six Flags. Also gotta think about the celebrities that go to Disney World. Kanye West was just randomly at the Magic Kingdom a few months ago.

To pigeon hole rich is not wise. I mean how often does John Stamos show up at Disney? A fanatic will do what they want when they want. I know some super wealthy who go 3 or 4 times a year along with their other trips.

Middle class still can afford to go and will continue. They might do more off site stays which makes up the majority of the visitors anyway. Upper middle will start doing all the add ons. Wealthy do whatever they want.

The extras do make some things nice and those will be out of reach for some.

 

[correcaminos]

We're in the 120k range with low monthly costs, besides a small mortgage, no debt to deal with. Able to balance 401k contributions, college savings for 1 kid, and having fun somewhere each year. Not having childcare and car loans has helped a ton.
As an idea of the area, if someone is looking for a small 1-2 bedroom 1100sqft home is 110k vs 4bed/5000+sqft/3 acre McMansion is 850k at the top end even with housing prices what they are now.

Can I just say I wish I had those housing prices? Joking... kinda.... we live in a more costly neighborhood compared to others for my area. Our housing is sad to the point where we will eventually keep upper class only if we aren't careful.