Why would anyone stay onsite at a WDW Resort anymore?

[Diamond Dot]

I find immeasurable pleasure being in the Disney Bubble and would find that really hard to give up. I would rather offset the costs in other ways: QS over TS, no designer MagicBands over here, and I’m 100 times happier with pictures than a souvenir shirt. Yes, many things have indeed changed, but so has my mentality and my life. Yes, there are reasons to feel upset or disappointed, but overwhelmingly, I feel like once I finally get to go on vacation after practically 3 years, I just want to ~*let it go*~ and be happy. I love me a good deal as much as the next person, but I can’t win them all, and in this case, I don’t want to.

I stopped buying shirts because I just got too many, especially event ones, I now just get pins for events like MNSSHP and the festivals at Epcot, but, a photo is even better, I scrapbook mine and going back to look at them is better than a T-shirt that you never wear again.

 

[Cowboy Steve]

We just got back from a week at POFQ and I can honestly say it was worth every penny, that said we’re seriously considering staying at Bonnet Creek next trip, I work at a Hilton property so I can get employee rates and it’s a massive price difference.

The price is not the deciding factor though, we could have stayed at Bonnet Creek this trip and saved well over a hundred dollars a night but we happily paid more because we love French Quarter, why the change now then? Magical express! Rather than paying for the Mears service we’ll probably rent a car next trip, that means staying “offsite” is much easier, it also makes Universal and Sea World much easier day trips also.

Of all the changes they’ve made, the end of the Magical Express is the most puzzling to me, I can’t understand why a company would take what was a relatively captive audience and encourage them to rent a car, making it easier to stay offsite and spend time away from the parks. Absolutely idiotic decision IMHO.

Only 2 reasons I can think of - cost savings being the primary, and lack of staffing the other. It feels like Disney is counting on the first or second time visitors spending money freely on property vs experienced visitors that are more likely to manage their spending. They are saving money not providing the service, making money on parking fees at the resorts... and if you come from the airport via a transportation service you are kinda stuck there like as if you came via MDE anyway... you can bet that someone did the math and figured there was more profit in eliminating the DME than keeping it. The Pandemic may have contributed to quietly letting it go. Future visitors won't miss what they never had lol.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Only 2 reasons I can think of - cost savings being the primary, and lack of staffing the other. It feels like Disney is counting on the first or second time visitors spending money freely on property vs experienced visitors that are more likely to manage their spending. They are saving money not providing the service, making money on parking fees at the resorts... and if you come from the airport via a transportation service you are kinda stuck there like as if you came via MDE anyway... you can bet that someone did the math and figured there was more profit in eliminating the DME than keeping it. The Pandemic may have contributed to quietly letting it go. Future visitors won't miss what they never had lol.

and actually it's also a few old timers. when I first began going late 90s there wasn't any dme, just mears.
spot on with the other points. LOL I remember our first trip. Good gravy, we purchased every souvenir from Mickey ears to light up toys for the night time fireworks. Now?? the last thing we need is more junk. first trip?? character meal every day? Now?? not a one.

 

[Cowboy Steve]

and actually it's also a few old timers. when I first began going late 90s there wasn't any dme, just mears.
spot on with the other points. LOL I remember our first trip. Good gravy, we purchased every souvenir from Mickey ears to light up toys for the night time fireworks. Now?? the last thing we need is more junk. first trip?? character meal every day? Now?? not a one.

I'm one of those old timers! I remember the first time we stayed on property... it was in the 90's I think. It was one of the All-Star resorts, but to us at the time it seemed wonderful! Food court, buses to the parks, totally new experience. All prior trips we had stayed off property and commuted in. Old days - 4 or maybe 5 days in the parks. Now days... 10 days... lol. Old days - check in the off site hotel, drive to Walmart and get a cheap Styrofoam cooler, OJ, milk, cereal, donuts, and coffee creamer for breakfasts in the room. Mostly counter service in the parks. Then, if we were hungry, take out on the way back at the hotel lol. Today (at least until this trip) meal plan with one CS and one TS meal a day. Meal plans are/were a little ridiculous... but it was paid for when we arrived and it was nice to have guilt free ordering off the menus.

 

[DarthVader]

I had this conversation with my wife just the other day. We already have the POR booked, but even now given the excessive cost, and truth be told lack of value for onsite stays, we're grappling as to why we would do it any longer.

Disney has been more focused on profits and its ruining the experience for my family. Our up and coming trip in a couple of moneths is a delayed/cancelled one that was supposed to occur in 2020. My kids are so anxious to go - well they're not kids any longer - they're teenagers but they're still very excited.

I'll bite the bullet since I've been saving up for years but I'm shocked at the amount of nickleing and diming by Disney and they're not alone - air fare prices are outrageous but that's another topic for a different thread..