Too much money and not worth it..

[Chef Mickey]

So you've basically just described that value is different for different people.

These get old. Some people have the money to "burn" on things you don't see "worth it." We all know the merchandise and food are overpriced, but we buy it because we see the overall value.

See how you got on Tower of Terror for free and all those employees picking up trash and cleaning? Yeah, your park admission didn't cover that.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Do folks eat in the resorts as opposed to the parks.
I find the resort venues are a better price and quality. We had lunch at the contemporary Cafe and it was very good and about 15 bucks per person which is not outrageous. I had the spicy chicken sandwich and a drink. Bottle soda was 4 bucks.

Olivia's at OKW is very good, I love breakfast there. Again 2 eggs, pancakes and breakfasts meat will set you back 15 dollars. Is it cheap like IHOP?? Of course not but I definitely don't think it's crazy priced.

 

[Hula Baloo]

Disney is definitely expensive, but it's not enough to deter me yet. I am only paying for myself and not traveling with any kids, so that helps a ton. I'm also not into pin trading or any other expensive habits that involve purchasing merchandise. I go with a group of adults once a year and everyone pays their own way. We do a long weekend trip of 3-4 park days and I can usually find round trip flight prices of $300 or less.

 

[SSH]

I didn't have a chance to read every reply, so others probably said this and I know OP said they've lived in NY, so this isn't really directed at them. But most people's comparison of what they pay at home vs in WDW makes me want to put up a "for sale" sign and relocate wherever they are.

Sadly, in my neck of the woods, prices aren't that different from WDW, unfortunately - maybe a few bucks less. It's expensive to dine out, shop, or see a show, so when I'm there, it doesn't feel that outrageous to me.

(But I do hate it when a restaurant like Tony's doesn't even make the effort to deliver an experience that matches the fine-dining prices they're charging. Just give people their money's worth....that's all I ask.)

 

[SSH]

There will never be another Walt Disney, but there are others out there that are creative and are willing to create something for the huge numbers of people that Disney no longer cares to attract. I think that is one of the reasons that the cruise business has grown so fast. It is a one price for everything setup. Sometimes quite economical, in fact. Sure they have a thousand ways to suck additional money out of you, but they are all a matter of choice. All your basic needs are taken care of and although they also keep you captive, unless you are a good swimmer, food, ones most basic life supply, is not played that way. It's there for the one price. If you eat like a bird or you are a bottomless pit.. there it is, laid out in massive splendor.

Insightful post. And you're right - I can't speak to Disney Cruise Line value, as I've only been on Celebrity and Princess, but do think cruising on the more family-geared, price-competitive lines like Carnival, Norwegian and others is a far better value for most people than a WDW trip these days. But ya know...people are people everywhere: I'm active on cruise critic (the leading cruise forum) and you should HEAR the complaints & moaning there! It's pretty funny to hear the ranting about decreased quality, cutbacks, price increases, upsells, nickel and diming. Tons of negative posts. Some of the posters make the most ardent WDWmagic complainers look like the biggest fanboys and girls. lol.

 

[ppete1975]

Oh boy. Like I said, I've been to Disney many times. Love the movies, music etc. It's not like I hate Disney and decided to come on here. My last experience as a family was much different than my others. I also mentioned I saw many parents with the same look of misery, so I was left feeling curious. I found this board when I was googling, and thought I would see what others thought. Again, I didn't think it was a cult! Goodness. Pete, can we do a cyber hug? (and I'm not saying that in a snarky way!!)

didn't really feel I was being that aggressive,

Not speaking about you in any way but I will say I have been a bit disenchanted lately in so many posts (not yours) that have been super negative and people just sound miserable and how they didn't have fun, or it costs too much. To me I would take those as a learning experience that its not your cup of tea and find something that is. There are so many wonderful experiences in this world, while I love Disney, I cant imagine going multiple times a year or even every year (to each their own, and I also don't live local). I want to see Europe and id love to explore every state park. There is so much beauty in the world and life is too short. We should find happiness and explore the world. My bank account appreciates I don't like the idea of 10 hour + flights, that has limited some of my traveling.

So if I came across as aggressive and not funny or sarcastic. then I owe you an apology and you can have all the hugs you want, I don't intend to attack anyone.

 

[Vacationeer]

We've tolerated rapid price increases the past few years because there's still such a plethora of quality experiences to enjoy.
Going to sports games, concerts, museums, etc. can easily spend $100's. But would we spend at this rate for days and days on end, racking up an enormous tab without concern? In this respect WDW used to feel like a bargain. That relative value has vanished since the price is now on par with those hourly rates.

Every purchase now undergoes serious scrutiny when in the past most prices were initially acceptable. Needing to defend ourselves from gouging is a common response that cannot be a positive for WDW's consumer relations. I feel resent when considering DAH or EMM. I already paid a premium to enjoy parks, do I really need to spend another $500 to make sure all goes well? Worse, I hate questioning if an artificial need was created for these upcharges by dialing back park hours and CMs. I prefer to feel like WDW hasn't completely forsaken their 'goodwill'.

 

[Hockey89]

I'm not trying to be rude here, but in all seriousness OP, what food did you eat? Because WDW has lots of awesome food, more than any other theme park. Generally I find when people complain about the quality of the food, I also learn that they were eating the typical fast food fare, and well, yeah, of course you're going to be upset when you pay theme park prices for standard fast food.

Not trying to be rude, but where do you eat in normal life that you think there is anything awesome about Disney food? V&A is the only place that is great... The rest are overprized places that would go out of biz if they were in a real city

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Not trying to be rude, but where do you eat in normal life that you think there is anything awesome about Disney food? V&A is the only place that is great... The rest are overprized places that would go out of biz if they were in a real city

Ever been to Jiko? I don't know many places in Fort Lauderdale where I can grab a wild boar appetizer at 10PM with a South African wine pairing, and then wake up the next morning at WDW.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Not trying to be rude, but where do you eat in normal life that you think there is anything awesome about Disney food? V&A is the only place that is great... The rest are overprized places that would go out of biz if they were in a real city

serious question. You really go to theme parks expecting the food to be like a quality restaurant in real life?? Now I do think some of the restaurants are awesome but it's not meant to be competitive with whats being offered in a real city say NYC or chicago or LA.

they wouldn't go out of biz in a real city because the clientele and the rules would be different, the operating parameters would be different and they would be run differently. I can't believe you really go to a theme park expecting it to be like Barclay Prime.

 

[YorkshireT]

I know where you are coming from. I come from the UK. It costs me $5000 in flights just to get there (kids school vacations). This year I am coming three times. So thats nearly $15k just on the flights, before anything else! Albeit one of those trips is travelling pan USA in summer from LA to Florida and finishing off in Disney for a "rest" (!).
Aside from my flights I do not spend silly sums- I refuse. The food is ridiculously overpriced, and even the tips as a result are more than I would often spend on a meal. I have also seen entitlement from the staff in the restaurants-including rushing you out so they get another table and another lot of tips. I know for a fact (more than one server has told me) how much they earn in tips in park and hotel restaurants, and it is obscene.
I have DVC so use that for my accommodations, which is why we keep coming back (economic model for DVC is on Disney's side). We usually get UK tickets (about $500 for 14 day park hoppers, golf, waterparks, memory maker etc all included on UK ticket). This Xmas we will upgrade to a Platinum pass so we can go on our summer trip and next December 2020 will also just fit in- that will thus be about $800 x 4 for 3 trips. I eat mainly quick serve as we hate 'tear-arsing' (as we say in UK) around to ADRs - we prefer the more relaxed nature of the quick serve. Some of it is pretty good- for example we like to wander into say Epcot from Boardwalk on an evening and go to the Japanese, or to Columbia Harbour House in MK. I buy 3 mugs for the 4 of us, me and the wife share. We get lots of groceries in, always have breakfast in the DVC, often take a sandwich in to the parks (people say they cannot be bothered doing that, but I can make up 4x Italian subs in a lot less time than queing for a quick serve in MK) or come back for lunch anyway (we are half day park people, half day pool and shopping etc). I average about $150 for 4 spending a day, with some table service mixed in, including the groceries. I refuse to buy crappy plastic merchandise that is destined for landfill. I like to buy 1 mug- cost about $15 with my DVC discount.
So for that, once I get there, given I have the DVC we have a very enjoyable holiday for not silly money then (aside from flights, maybe I should move to USA!)
If they bring in paid for fastpass that would cost us a fortune as we often come for 10+ days at a time- that maybe would cause me to sell my DVC.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I gave up on it when it became more work than it was worth to enjoy.

 

[Nunu]

After reading along this thread, I've come to the conclusion that my husband and I are easier to please, I guess.

Is a burger more expensive at WDW than at a Wendy's or McDonald's? Yep. We expect that, don't you?

We do our homework before leaving home. All the menus with prices can be found online, no sticker shock here. We set a budget and plan accordingly.

We also dine mostly at counter service restaurants choosing places like Columbia Harbor House or Flame Tree BBQ that have better options. We "splurge" on a couple of buffets or family style meals with several options, that way, we always find something to enjoy. There's also a couple of tried and true restaurants that we already know and like, so no disappointments there either.

We don't consider ourselves gourmands, so that helps!

 

[RustySpork]

Ever been to Jiko? I don't know many places in Fort Lauderdale where I can grab a wild boar appetizer at 10PM with a South African wine pairing, and then wake up the next morning at WDW.

Well, that depends upon how much wine you drink and where you happen to fall asleep.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Well, that depends upon how much wine you drink and where you happen to fall asleep.

True story!

 

[UNCgolf]

Not trying to be rude, but where do you eat in normal life that you think there is anything awesome about Disney food? V&A is the only place that is great... The rest are overprized places that would go out of biz if they were in a real city

Flying Fish is great (or at least it was the two times I've been) and can stand up to any meal I've had in various cities around the world.

Some of the World Showcase restaurants are good too. And they wouldn't be overpriced if they were in a real city -- there are plenty of restaurants in real cities that charge the same prices (and some that charge more) for food that is the same or even lower in quality. I've had TERRIBLE food in both Los Angeles and Atlanta that cost more than a similar meal would cost at Disney.

 

[Goofyernmost]

OK so we've sort of moved into a wider discussion.

lol, vacations in and of themselves are not "wise economical" things to do. Now I do, do a pro and con when I travel. that's how I ended up with a dvc in the first place, for the way we like to travel, we evaluated the most cost effective way to go over the long term. . so I think the disconnect is you evaluate worthwhile as the bottom line while for many there are other considerations. I went to Europe, for me it was worthwhile to save for extra year so I could go business class. Yes economy would have been a lot cheaper and I also would have needed Xanax to deal with 11 hours in a cramped seat. Now can I afford to do that every year? nope but again that's because I'm not wealthy so I save and plan.

You can sleep anywhere. for me the worth isn't just in the bottom cost of the room. When I go to wdw I want to sit on a balcony. when I go on a cruise, I need a suite with a balcony. I'm not going if the bottom line means a berth on the bottom with just a hole to look out of . oh heck to the naw. Yes it would be more economical to go on a cruise and just take advantage of the food that comes with the ticket.

So I will admit ,not all my purchases are "wise economical" things. as you said, if it was no one would be onsite, no one would buy luxury cars, no one would eat out at fancy restaurants. dropping 500 bucks on theater tickets to see a show would definitely not be a "wise economical" decision. but all those things imo enhance the quality of life.
And in the interest of full disclosure, I've gone to wdw for long weekends and never stepped foot in a park. I love it.


Heck, if you wanted to get right to the bottom of it. if all anyone did was plan vacations on the best economical choices Disney itself would be closed or better yet it would be like six flags.

I think you are missing the point. Some people do the research and carefully look at all the pro's and con's. Many more do not. They go and do what they want and what is the best for them personally. The only real time and effort with Disney is how the hell do I decide what I want to eat 6 months from now, how can I get a lot of FP's and the bottom line for resort and travel fees. Unless there is an offer for a free dining plan, no one really decides what it will actually cost to eat while there. They don't usually know until they actually get to the restaurant. Now, I know that you do that research and others do as well, but if I were a betting man I would definitely say that the majority do not. It is a freaking theme park, what's to plan about a theme park and the realization of how much the total cost actually was doesn't really hit home until the following months credit card bill comes in. If you add up every member of this board and all the other more popular boards you would probably only come up with less then a single days attendance at WDW. That means that every single person that attends there on the other 363 days did not do much more then make reservations and try to wade through the mess that is the first time planning needs of those individuals. Disney has enough of a reputation that everyone has heard how expensive it is, so that comes as no surprise. They don't even think about the options until after that first Visa Bill comes in.

It's important to realize that you, like myself, are not the average guest at WDW. Our involvement borders on obsessive. Everyone differs. I would never go near the place unless I was going to the parks. That is my escape. If I paid the rates for the resorts I wouldn't be able to sleep at night just thinking about how much it costs for me to lay there with my eyes closed, oblivious to all the lovely theming..

 

[Lilofan]

Can't comment on it since I am not a member but Club 33 membership is 33k entry fee and 15k annually per person. The drinks and bar food better be out of this world to match the fees!

 

[Goofyernmost]

It is much easier to leave Disney property than it is to leave a cruise ship in the ocean. People who go aren't forced to eat at their restaurants- there's plenty of other options, either in restaurants off site (which you can get to using either your car, a rented car, or a ride sharing service) or in packing your own meals. The prices aren't high because people have no other options, they're high because Disney is well aware people are concerned about time when they're on property and many don't want to waste it driving off property, eating, and driving back. I've always looked at the prices as more of a convenience fee than anything.

It's not necessarily easier as much as it is possible where a cruise ship is an absolute confinement. Disney goes out of its way to make sure that it is enough of a hassle that those the took the magic prison bus from the airport are not likely to venture off property, especially if they have never been to the area before. I know that everyone has a different reason for how they justify it. Yours is a convenience fee (a huge fee for sure) others it is because they don't know of any other way or it is just not feasible to do it anyway other then what is easily in front of them. I know what is outside, I know the choices and the savings that are there for the taking so it is easy for me to say stay offsite, but I am also aware that those without that knowledge would seem like a huge cliff looming in front of them that they don't know how to climb and don't know what to do after the get to the top. It is just the way things are.

 

[Goofyernmost]

These "bonus eligible" executives are not only at TWDC but in many Fortune 500 companies and Wall Street. If they meet or exceed the criteria set to increase their annual compensation and increase the company stock price and enrich themselves and the company shareholders, then they are doing their jobs well to the satisfaction or dismay of the people.

OK, you seem pretty sure about that, so let's just go with it.