Trip Comparison, Same resort, same number of days, 2019 vs 2022 - No More Disney :(

[Disneydad101]

Disney Trip Summary Jan 28 through Feb 5th 2022

8 nights and 9 day ticket with Park Hopper

Pop Century 4 people all considered adults

Tickets and Resort cost $4245(no Memory Maker)

Air fair - $1484

Food – $2450

Merch – $206

Genie Plus(4 days) – $256

Lightning Lanes(Fancy rides) (Rise 2x, Rat, Space, Flight 2x) – $264

Total - $8905

COMPARE TO

Disney Trip Summary July 14th to July 23rd 2019

9 nights and 9 day ticket With Park Hopper

Pop Century 3 adults and 1 child

Tickets and Resort $3920(Includes Memory Maker and Free Quick Service)

Air fair - $860

Merch $150

Total – $4930



In Summary, in less than 3 years, while moving the trip to “off peak” rates, with one less day of the exact same resort and no memory maker, my trip cost almost double or about $4000 more than the exact same trip with less offered. No more Magical Express(I did not include airport travel above), no more fast pass, two main rides down(splash and Everest), no parades, barely any housekeeping and the crowds were actually worse. Yes I know I got free quick service, and I actually had another scheduled with free quick service in 2020, but Disney cancelled that due to Covid.

Besides the Covid summers, we have been going at least once a year, if not more often for 8 or 9 days each time. Unfortunately, this will be our last. For basically now 10,000 per vacation, there are more exciting and fun places in the world to explore. While I may make a day trip out of it here or there, I don’t foresee any major Disney Vacations for at least 5 years probably for us. At that costs, I could visit about any country in the world and stay at much nicer hotels.

 

[wdwmagic]

Thanks for breaking that all down with numbers. Those Genie costs really add up fast.

 

[MissViv]

Genie and Lightning Lanes are way out of control. Just returned from Disney and you do not need either to have a good time in the park. We were not going to give Disney any more of our money to ride on rides.

 

[DfromATX]

Wow, $264 EXTRA just to ride the fancy rides. That's insane. I hate Genie+ and I really miss fast passes. Your airfare was a lot higher too. I guess they're trying to make up for all the Covid loss.

 

[MissingDisney]

To be fair, free food vs $2450 is the main culprit, as well the airfare. That’s over 3 grand right there.
Free dining hasn’t been an option for many depending on date availability so that’s really not a fair comparison. I’ve never gotten free dining.
But I do agree the new “pay for perks” can definitely add up crazy quick.

 

[hsisthebest]

We've decided to go to DL this summer instead of WDW. Yes it will still be expensive, but from all the research I've done, wait times top out at about 90min for the headliner attractions (Rise and RSR). It's ridiculous the amount of 2hr+ waits for standby at WDW. We may also plan an Orlando trip in the fall or winter that won't include WDW which I would have never even dreamed of as recently as 2018.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Disney Trip Summary Jan 28 through Feb 5th 2022

8 nights and 9 day ticket with Park Hopper

Pop Century 4 people all considered adults

Tickets and Resort cost $4245(no Memory Maker)

Air fair - $1484

Food – $2450

Merch – $206

Genie Plus(4 days) – $256

Lightning Lanes(Fancy rides) (Rise 2x, Rat, Space, Flight 2x) – $264

Total - $8905

COMPARE TO

Disney Trip Summary July 14th to July 23rd 2019

9 nights and 9 day ticket With Park Hopper

Pop Century 3 adults and 1 child

Tickets and Resort $3920(Includes Memory Maker and Free Quick Service)

Air fair - $860

Merch $150

Total – $4930



In Summary, in less than 3 years, while moving the trip to “off peak” rates, with one less day of the exact same resort and no memory maker, my trip cost almost double or about $4000 more than the exact same trip with less offered. No more Magical Express(I did not include airport travel above), no more fast pass, two main rides down(splash and Everest), no parades, barely any housekeeping and the crowds were actually worse. Yes I know I got free quick service, and I actually had another scheduled with free quick service in 2020, but Disney cancelled that due to Covid.

Besides the Covid summers, we have been going at least once a year, if not more often for 8 or 9 days each time. Unfortunately, this will be our last. For basically now 10,000 per vacation, there are more exciting and fun places in the world to explore. While I may make a day trip out of it here or there, I don’t foresee any major Disney Vacations for at least 5 years probably for us. At that costs, I could visit about any country in the world and stay at much nicer hotels.

Thanks for this example. It’s clear even for folks financially unaffected by the pandemic, the price increases at WDW far outpace folks salary increases, so it’s probably fair to say, at least for the returning guest, your experience is common.

Having said that, from the look of the parks being mobbed in the middle of the week in February like they are, there looks to be a lot more folks who don’t care or who don’t know any better.

We all have seen the first quarter results for TWDC and guest spending is up 40 percent compared to pre pandemic numbers.

I have said it a lot, there looks to be no breaking point when it comes to the parks. For all the families they lose, many, many more come and spend.

 

[Diamond Dot]

I have a trip to Pop booked in November, I booked it way back in May 2021 and got the $504 dining credit and $200 gift card and the room and tickets cost £2600 for two weeks. Out of interest, at the weekend, I checked the price now, same dates at Pop, £2750 and no extras. I'm glad I booked early now.

 

[Diamond Dot]

Genie and Lightning Lanes are way out of control. Just returned from Disney and you do not need either to have a good time in the park. We were not going to give Disney any more of our money to ride on rides.

I'm not doing LL, I'm kind of thinking about Genie+ for one day to see if it's worth it, although I'd only do it for MK and DHS. It is just plain money grabbing by the bods at Disney, the FP+ was perfect, so there is no justification in changing it except to make money.

 

[Dave B]

Why are you still going? tcancel and buy a car you are telling Disney you are ok with the price hike by going

 

[yensid1967]

3 words for you...


GOOD FOR YOU!
I hope others will start the same direction and send Disney a hard message!
(I am even contemplating my 3 day trip down to 1 (or none) day! Prices are RIDICULOUS! I hope Disney gets rid of 'Paycheck' and lowers prices

 

[Diamond Dot]

At the end of the day all you really need to purchase is the park tickets. however, that's easy for me to say as I've only myself to think about. I really feel Disney is hitting the American families who have a limited time at the parks because of the issue of getting time off work, the genuine hard working Americans, not the vloggers who make their money content farming on social media.

It's not right that there are families that have saved like crazy to treat their kids to a once in a childhood Disney vacation, can only take a limited number of days of work because they don't get paid holidays, so plan a day at each park and then have the choice of paying out extra for the most popular rides or spend most of their day queueing in line and not getting to do all they hoped to do. They've managed to save a bit by heading to Publix or Wal Mart for drinks and snacks, but, it's still not the magical experience they hoped for from watching the ads on TV. When you see the cost of adding Genie+ and doing one LL for a family of four per day and comparing this to the FP+ you know full well this was a money making exercise and Bob Chapek and all those making these decisions only care about the people who can afford things like this, the hard ticketed items and VIP tours costing $3-5k per day. Walt wanted families to come and have fun, thank goodness there is no afterlife that would have him looking down from above shaking his head in disbelief at how his vision has been destroyed by corporate greed.

 

[Disstevefan1]

In reality, I think the Disneyparks fans who are returning guests will visit, but do less days at Disney. Perhaps while they are here, they will instead visit Universal, Seaworld even good old Gatorland

I don’t think Disney cares much as they are making so much more money on each visit now.

 

[SteveAZee]

Thanks for this example. It’s clear even for folks financially unaffected by the pandemic, the price increases at WDW far outpace folks salary increases, so it’s probably fair to say, at least for the returning guest, your experience is common.

Having said that, from the look of the parks being mobbed in the middle of the week in February like they are, there looks to be a lot more folks who don’t care or who don’t know any better.

We all have seen the first quarter results for TWDC and guest spending is up 40 percent compared to pre pandemic numbers.

I have said it a lot, there looks to be no breaking point when it comes to the parks. For all the families they lose, many, many more come and spend.

I think the test will be a year or two from now once we're past the pent up vacation demand from being cooped up by COVID and there's (I hope) a return to a more normal behavior. If two years from now they are still charging more and offering less, then you may be right. For me it's too early to tell.

As a side note, if there is no breaking point... why doesn't Disney just double the prices?

 

[yensid1967]

I think the test will be a year or two from now once we're past the pent up vacation demand from being cooped up by COVID and there's (I hope) a return to a more normal behavior. If two years from now they are still charging more and offering less, then you may be right. For me it's too early to tell.

As a side note, if there is no breaking point... why doesn't Disney just double the prices?

My points exactly...that's why I just did a price check on Disney and undercovertourist
Buying 1 or 2 days from disney.com I would save $570 or $11.24
Buying a 3 day from undercovertourist I would save $27.22
So, if we go for 1-2 days Disney is the best choice
BUT undercovertoruist.com is a ONE STOP SHOP= DISCOUNTED TICKETS, HOTELS AND HALF PRICED RENTAL CARS! (as well as other Orlando attractions like Gatorland, ICON Park, I-Drive attractions) I will choose undercovertourists.com

EDIT: That's why, IF the prices get too much than what I want to pay, I WILL still go to Orlando, but will do other attractions in Orlando that most guests overlook, like I-Drive area

 

[Disstevefan1]

I think the test will be a year or two from now once we're past the pent up vacation demand from being cooped up by COVID and there's (I hope) a return to a more normal behavior. If two years from now they are still charging more and offering less, then you may be right. For me it's too early to tell.

As a side note, if there is no breaking point... why doesn't Disney just double the prices?

They do double their prices, but they are smart about it, the prices double, they just spread it out over a few years. In the case of the pandemic, they lost some time, so they had to make some quick price hikes.

There is no breaking point. Look at what is happening right now!