The Disney Parks Value Story Just Got Stronger

Chef Mickey

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My wife and I are again headed to Disney in September for 9 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We got an awesome deal and the deluxe hotel as part of their promotions during early September. Airfare was cheap and yes, the $449 8 Day Park Hopper seems like a real value after our most recent outing.

We decided to go to our local MLB park and watch the home team play. We had a great time.

Game Tickets: $150
Parking: $25
Hot Dog: $13 (crumbled stale chips included)
Chicken Nuggets: $14 (NOTHING else, not even fries)
Water: $4.25 per bottle (we got 2)
Coke: $6.75 per drink (we got 2)
Ice Cream: $7
Peanuts: $7
Gas: $3
Frustration with parking/traffic: ?
Total: ~$242

Again, I had a great time, but both my wife and I brought up Disney on the way home.

The food at the game was not good. Lukewarm and very low quality. The chicken was far worse than the standard breast nuggets at Disney. However, we both said the same thing. Wow, for 3 hours, we spent $242 and didn't enjoy the food.

We both brought up Liberty Tavern. For literally the same money as our "entree" of hotdog/chicken and Coke, you get a Thanksgiving meal. Sure, it's not the greatest food ever and the stuffing is probably Stovetop, but it's pretty good food for $19.

People complain about $3 water? Well, it's $4.25 here and you want it just as badly. Oh btw, no coolers or brought in food here.

Totally different experiences, but doing anything under the provided entertainment category is pretty expensive these days. Sure, you can make your own fun, but going to the mall, movies, or any sporting event can be quite an expense.

I love the Disney value of around $50/day for all your entertainment in the parks on an 8 day ticket. Sure, you have to get there, eat there, and stay in the hotel, but you have to do that anywhere. The entertainment value is great!!
 
Hakunamatata

Hakunamatata

Le Meh
Premium Member
AndyS2992 said:
Whilst yes you make a good point, however you could have done it waaay cheaper if you wanted to.
Example:
Game Tickets: $150 (possibly available cheaper depending on if there was seat tier pricing or whatever, pick a cheaper seat)
Parking: $0 if you don't park in the stadium but park on a street not too far away.
Hot Dog: $0 Not necessary.
Chicken Nuggets: $0 Not necessary.
Water: Grocery stores sell individual water bottles for like $1 each, get those beforehand and bring them with you
Coke: Same as the water, buy the little bottles in the grocery store for much cheaper, about $2 each.
Ice Cream: $2 at a convenience store, put it in a cool bag and bring it with you if you must.
Peanuts: $2 from grocery store
Gas: $3
Rough total: $160 there abouts. A saving of $82.

Is Disney good value for money? There really isn't an answer for that as everyone's Disney experience is completely different from the next person's, some go all out and spend thousands, whereas others do the minimum, don't eat, stay off site etc and do it for much cheaper.

$50 a day is great value so make the most of it :) However being from the UK, for me, doing it at $50 a day would be impossible.

I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore lol
Click to expand...
Could have stayed at home for zero dollars, had a garage sale and made a couple hundred dollars. The OP comparison was legitimate for entertainment with travel and food.
 
G

gsimpson

Well-Known Member
AndyS2992 said:
Whilst yes you make a good point, however you could have done it waaay cheaper if you wanted to.
Example:
Game Tickets: $150 (possibly available cheaper depending on if there was seat tier pricing or whatever, pick a cheaper seat)
Parking: $0 if you don't park in the stadium but park on a street not too far away.
Hot Dog: $0 Not necessary.
Chicken Nuggets: $0 Not necessary.
Water: Grocery stores sell individual water bottles for like $1 each, get those beforehand and bring them with you
Coke: Same as the water, buy the little bottles in the grocery store for much cheaper, about $2 each.
Ice Cream: $2 at a convenience store, put it in a cool bag and bring it with you if you must.
Peanuts: $2 from grocery store
Gas: $3
Rough total: $160 there abouts. A saving of $82.

Is Disney good value for money? There really isn't an answer for that as everyone's Disney experience is completely different from the next person's, some go all out and spend thousands, whereas others do the minimum, don't eat, stay off site etc and do it for much cheaper.

$50 a day is great value so make the most of it :) However being from the UK, for me, doing it at $50 a day would be impossible.

I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore lol
Click to expand...
The comparison is nonsense. IF you say "could have gotten cheaper seats" then "could have stayed at a value resort". Hot do not necessary? Then I guess we don't need to eat at disney either. I hate to be the one that says Disney is a bargain because they aren't but I can't get behind most of your comparisons because you could also "cheapen" your Disney vacation by cutting it back.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
AndyS2992 said:
Whilst yes you make a good point, however you could have done it waaay cheaper if you wanted to.
Example:
Game Tickets: $150 (possibly available cheaper depending on if there was seat tier pricing or whatever, pick a cheaper seat)
Parking: $0 if you don't park in the stadium but park on a street not too far away.
Hot Dog: $0 Not necessary.
Chicken Nuggets: $0 Not necessary.
Water: Grocery stores sell individual water bottles for like $1 each, get those beforehand and bring them with you
Coke: Same as the water, buy the little bottles in the grocery store for much cheaper, about $2 each.
Ice Cream: $2 at a convenience store, put it in a cool bag and bring it with you if you must.
Peanuts: $2 from grocery store
Gas: $3
Rough total: $160 there abouts. A saving of $82.

Is Disney good value for money? There really isn't an answer for that as everyone's Disney experience is completely different from the next person's, some go all out and spend thousands, whereas others do the minimum, don't eat, stay off site etc and do it for much cheaper.

$50 a day is great value so make the most of it :) However being from the UK, for me, doing it at $50 a day would be impossible.

I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore lol
Click to expand...

Depending on where you are parking on the street isn't an option... Or free
You can't bring drinks or food into games anymore...
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
AndyS2992 said:
Whilst yes you make a good point, however you could have done it waaay cheaper if you wanted to.
Example:
Game Tickets: $150 (possibly available cheaper depending on if there was seat tier pricing or whatever, pick a cheaper seat)
Parking: $0 if you don't park in the stadium but park on a street not too far away.
Hot Dog: $0 Not necessary.
Chicken Nuggets: $0 Not necessary.
Water: Grocery stores sell individual water bottles for like $1 each, get those beforehand and bring them with you
Coke: Same as the water, buy the little bottles in the grocery store for much cheaper, about $2 each.
Ice Cream: $2 at a convenience store, put it in a cool bag and bring it with you if you must.
Peanuts: $2 from grocery store
Gas: $3
Rough total: $160 there abouts. A saving of $82.

Is Disney good value for money? There really isn't an answer for that as everyone's Disney experience is completely different from the next person's, some go all out and spend thousands, whereas others do the minimum, don't eat, stay off site etc and do it for much cheaper.

$50 a day is great value so make the most of it :) However being from the UK, for me, doing it at $50 a day would be impossible.

I don't even know where I'm going with this anymore lol
Click to expand...

Oh enough with the "it's not as bad as the other guy..." Arguments. This hiding in the shadows of others pricing justification just ratchets the prices up and up. It doesn't change the value proposition, it doesn't justify the pricing. It's just excuses to try to see just how far people will tolerate.

And when people start buying into these relative price arguments they just boost the model even more by falling right into the trap.
 
Chef Mickey

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
And I made the value claim about Liberty Tree because it is so much better quality than what we got at the game. Of course cooking at home would be cheaper, but going out for a hot meal with service at Disney for $19 is pretty reasonable.

Even if you go to your local Chilis, you're paying $15/person and I'd argue the food is worse...
 
21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Chef Mickey said:
My wife and I are again headed to Disney in September for 9 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We got an awesome deal and the deluxe hotel as part of their promotions during early September. Airfare was cheap and yes, the $449 8 Day Park Hopper seems like a real value after our most recent outing.

We decided to go to our local MLB park and watch the home team play. We had a great time.

Game Tickets: $150
Parking: $25
Hot Dog: $13 (crumbled stale chips included)
Chicken Nuggets: $14 (NOTHING else, not even fries)
Water: $4.25 per bottle (we got 2)
Coke: $6.75 per drink (we got 2)
Ice Cream: $7
Peanuts: $7
Gas: $3
Frustration with parking/traffic: ?
Total: ~$242

Again, I had a great time, but both my wife and I brought up Disney on the way home.

The food at the game was not good. Lukewarm and very low quality. The chicken was far worse than the standard breast nuggets at Disney. However, we both said the same thing. Wow, for 3 hours, we spent $242 and didn't enjoy the food.

We both brought up Liberty Tavern. For literally the same money as our "entree" of hotdog/chicken and Coke, you get a Thanksgiving meal. Sure, it's not the greatest food ever and the stuffing is probably Stovetop, but it's pretty good food for $19.

People complain about $3 water? Well, it's $4.25 here and you want it just as badly. Oh btw, no coolers or brought in food here.

Totally different experiences, but doing anything under the provided entertainment category is pretty expensive these days. Sure, you can make your own fun, but going to the mall, movies, or any sporting event can be quite an expense.

I love the Disney value of around $50/day for all your entertainment in the parks on an 8 day ticket. Sure, you have to get there, eat there, and stay in the hotel, but you have to do that anywhere. The entertainment value is great!!
Click to expand...
It's so nice to read something like this. I always get shocked when I read people constantly complaining about WDW prices..ok I do think the room rates are ridiculous certain times of the year, I'm not too happy that my weeks did not fall during a discount, but oh well..I'm choosing to go and know what I'm going into.

We are very active and always out and about exploring our city, trying new things, taking weekend trips. Disney isn't really out of line with their pricing compared to other entertainment options. (Again, besides certain room prices I admit those are crazy and I'm semi sick about it lol). But even compare them to other family vacations like a cruise, Atlantis, or a Beaches resort- most of the time WDW comes out less, especially when you include airfare.
 
21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
Or compare the costs to the WDW of a year ago, or two years, or ten. Inflation adjusted of course.
Click to expand...
But then you would have to do that with everything, to be fair.

The price of automobiles have gone up drastically in that time span. Much higher than WDW percentages have.
Entertainment has pretty much risen across the board.
Hotel prices have pretty much risen across the board.
Flights cost more, a lot more than they did 10 years ago on most carriers.
Schools? Their rates are going up at an alarming pace.
Childcare? Also up drastically.
Sporting events? Up once again.
Netflix? Went up and now charging tax.

Disney isn't the only thing rising at a rate higher than inflation.
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
21stamps said:
But then you would have to do that with everything, to be fair.

The price of automobiles have gone up drastically in that time span. Much higher than WDW percentages have.
Entertainment has pretty much risen across the board.
Hotel prices have pretty much risen across the board.
Flights cost more, a lot more than they did 10 years ago on most carriers.
Schools? Their rates are going up at an alarming pace.
Childcare? Also up drastically.
Sporting events? Up every year.
Netflix? Went up and now charging tax.

Disney isn't the only thing rising at a rate higher than inflation.
Click to expand...

No, I'm comparing like for like. Which is why we spend less time and money in WDW than we used to. As per the recent edit survey, WDW has gotten more greedy.

By the way, our airfare is actually cheaper than it used to be.
 
21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
No, I'm comparing like for like. Which is why we spend less time and money in WDW than we used to.

By the way, our airfare is actually cheaper than it used to be.
Click to expand...
If I did that in regards to everything we do then I would be home most of the time.lol. I'm not saying that I like WDW prices, trust me. Just that they aren't out of line compared to the rest of the other premier family destinations.

Is your airfare less because you now travel on a different airline, or because the prices went down? Delta has gone up so much from what they used to be. People who have switched to southwest, frontier, etc are flying for less.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Chef Mickey said:
My wife and I are again headed to Disney in September for 9 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We got an awesome deal and the deluxe hotel as part of their promotions during early September. Airfare was cheap and yes, the $449 8 Day Park Hopper seems like a real value after our most recent outing.

We decided to go to our local MLB park and watch the home team play. We had a great time.

Game Tickets: $150
Parking: $25
Hot Dog: $13 (crumbled stale chips included)
Chicken Nuggets: $14 (NOTHING else, not even fries)
Water: $4.25 per bottle (we got 2)
Coke: $6.75 per drink (we got 2)
Ice Cream: $7
Peanuts: $7
Gas: $3
Frustration with parking/traffic: ?
Total: ~$242

Again, I had a great time, but both my wife and I brought up Disney on the way home.

The food at the game was not good. Lukewarm and very low quality. The chicken was far worse than the standard breast nuggets at Disney. However, we both said the same thing. Wow, for 3 hours, we spent $242 and didn't enjoy the food.

We both brought up Liberty Tavern. For literally the same money as our "entree" of hotdog/chicken and Coke, you get a Thanksgiving meal. Sure, it's not the greatest food ever and the stuffing is probably Stovetop, but it's pretty good food for $19.

People complain about $3 water? Well, it's $4.25 here and you want it just as badly. Oh btw, no coolers or brought in food here.

Totally different experiences, but doing anything under the provided entertainment category is pretty expensive these days. Sure, you can make your own fun, but going to the mall, movies, or any sporting event can be quite an expense.

I love the Disney value of around $50/day for all your entertainment in the parks on an 8 day ticket. Sure, you have to get there, eat there, and stay in the hotel, but you have to do that anywhere. The entertainment value is great!!
Click to expand...
This Pro Sports Game VS Disney Vacation comparison gets trotted out regularly by the faithful. Let me show why they really aren't comparable.

"I know you're hungry honey, but I'm not paying these ridiculous prices. We'll eat when the games over in 3 hours"

"I know you're hungry honey, but I'm not paying these ridiculous prices. We'll eat when we leave.....in 9 days".
 
blueboxdoctor

blueboxdoctor

Well-Known Member
True, but a sports stadium is an event and an experience. You are paying to be there at the stadium and depending on the market, demand for tickets may be higher, raising ticket prices. But part of it is being there with the fans, which is a far superior experience than watching a game on TV (at least I think so, though, my experience is mostly limited to Eagles games and an occasional Phillies game here and there). Though, food does vary from stadium to stadium. The food selection for Eagles games is pretty bad, but they let you bring in food as long as it is wrapped in clear material, like Cling Wrap (new rules, all food must be in clear bags). But the experience of being with the fans is great.

But you are right in regard to what you can get for your money. For instance, a vacation to the Jersey shore (and by this I mean nice areas like Ocean City) can get really expensive. I can't see spending that much to go there and I'd rather go to Disney, but again, the demand/market is there.
 
Dead2009

Dead2009

Horror Movie Guru
Chef Mickey said:
And I made the value claim about Liberty Tree because it is so much better quality than what we got at the game. Of course cooking at home would be cheaper, but going out for a hot meal with service at Disney for $19 is pretty reasonable.

Even if you go to your local Chilis, you're paying $15/person and I'd argue the food is worse...
Click to expand...

Chili's is delicious how dare you
 

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