Disney keeps finding ways to screw us campers

[bgula]

Started looking at booking next Christmas (2013) today and noticed that the period from Dec 13-19 is now labelled as "peak" instead of "pre-holiday" like this year. Which means roughly another $40 per night over what we'll pay this year. When will the gouging end?

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Started looking at booking next Christmas (2013) today and noticed that the period from Dec 13-19 is now labelled as "peak" instead of "pre-holiday" like this year. Which means roughly another $40 per night over what we'll pay this year. When will the gouging end?

Still called Supply-and-Demand.

 

[becky1960]

As long as people are willing to pay, they are going to keep raising till everybody cries Uncle.. We found this last June the food is going thru the roof, more offsite meals if we return..

 

[bgula]

As long as people are willing to pay, they are going to keep raising till everybody cries Uncle.. We found this last June the food is going thru the roof, more offsite meals if we return..

I know what you mean. It's also the quality of what they're offering. Sort of off topic, but we were there just a few weeks ago and went to eat at one of our favourite spots in MK - Pinocchio Haus - and they had changed from the regular pizza to some flatbread pizza. The wife absolutely hated it, so I took it back and asked them to trade it for a salad. I even tried some and it was terrible! We LOVE Pizza Planet pizza, and if they ever change that to this flatbread crap, I don't know what we'll do then!

The other thing that bugs me with the Fort is that it's getting harder and harder to find a working pay telephone at the comfort stations. We were in the 1600's and the CS that was closest to us didn't have a working phone. The next closest had 1 working and 1 not. Every time I come down I call the front and report the phones as not working, but it doesn't seem to matter - nothing gets fixed. Maybe next time I'll start asking for an extra discount if the phones aren't working. Never know - if you put up enough stink it might work!

 

[kcp1377]

Disney is still less than a lot of the parks we go to - and they let you bring in food and drinks which a lot do not. We go to Hershey every year and spend more in one day at the park than we do at Disney parks.

 

[angelmom27]

The price is getting out of hand. This trip we are taking this Christmas will be camping only no parks. My husband only has paid time off during the holidays. So we have no choice of when we can take a family vacation. The campgrounds are the cheapest and its what we can afford. Now park ticket prices are outragous. We had to remove them from our package. I have been doing a lot of research on the free stuff there is to do. And there is so much to do at the fort alone. Besides all that matters is that we are together. We will have fun. I have heard from others that they are cutting corners to save money but the prices keep going up.

 

[BearwithMouseEars]

Started looking at booking next Christmas (2013) today and noticed that the period from Dec 13-19 is now labelled as "peak" instead of "pre-holiday" like this year. Which means roughly another $40 per night over what we'll pay this year. When will the gouging end?

"gouging " ? I wish it were cheaper myself but gouging ? Its more like free market . If it gets to high people will stop paying . I dont think its hit that point yet .

While it is a magical place for all of us , it IS a business and has shareholders to answer to.

 

[Tented1]

I can't sat I was thrilled to pay what I'm paying for a tent site for our Christmas stay but it's where I want to be for the reason I want to be at that particular time. Truly amazing, magical, Doesnt feel like screwed to me. And as mentioned being able to bring in your own food and free ice and water is a great break that you don't see elsewhere. There are always options.

 

[Mem11]

Started looking at booking next Christmas (2013) today and noticed that the period from Dec 13-19 is now labelled as "peak" instead of "pre-holiday" like this year. Which means roughly another $40 per night over what we'll pay this year.

Well to be fair it doesn't look like they are just screwing the campers, it looks like all the resorts for the period Dec 15-19 are "peak" season.

When will the gouging end?

To paraphrase TheRustyScupper, it will end when the supply out strips demand. Unless Disney sees a significant drop in reservation, it ain't happening.

 

[dsneprincess]

I don't think it is unique to campers or the campground. I agree it is supply & demand. That said, I don't know how much longer we can justify the expense, especially the park tickets. They have gotten so expensive & there has to be a point of no return. I just wonder what the number is. DS2 told me again today "Mickey now, Mommy!" Not today, not tomorrow & maybe not next year.....

 

[serenitygr]

From our point of view here in chilly MN- we as a family have taken one major vacation in the 10 years we've been a family and that was to Disneyworld this past February. We saved for almost 7 years for that trip, and fell in love with Fort Wilderness and everything Disney. What I wouldn't give to be able to go every year! But we will save again, and hopefully every 2 years we can save enough for a trip. For our family of 6- we are talking anywhere from 5000-10,000: depending on what all we do, and the price of gas. We have booked a 13 days vacation at Fort Wilderness campground for next Christmas- that gives us almost 2 years between vacations to save. And just the camping and tickets were around 3000. Personally , altho that's expensive, when we think of this as our "luxery vacation" I don't think it's that bad. In the meantime, a couple times over the year we will have a mini vacation- maybe staying at a local motel for a night and using the pool.

Maybe that's not how the majority of people on these boards does it- I swear it seems like most of you live reasonably close to Disney and go all the time! But who can afford to go ANYWHERE all the time?? Sure not us! So I guess from our point of view it's really not that expensive when you plan and dream and save for so long- in that case because it's so special compared to our other "mini vacations" we EXPECT it to be pricier...

 

[manning]

We have reached the point where the needs of life have overtaken the wants of life.

 

[North of Mouse]

Started looking at booking next Christmas (2013) today and noticed that the period from Dec 13-19 is now labelled as "peak" instead of "pre-holiday" like this year. Which means roughly another $40 per night over what we'll pay this year. When will the gouging end?

Sorry, but we don't feel like Disney is "gouging" us. ALL theme park campgrounds (and some others, beaches,etc.) are expensive. We went to Gettysburg, PA and the campsites were $40-50 per night for NOTHING extra. We feel like we definitely get our $$'s worth at Disney.

Everybody cannot afford everything, and there's a lot of places that others go that we can't, but that doesn't mean it's not worth the prices charged.

We get a lot of perks out of our campsite, so we do not mind paying more than some other places. We also usually get some type of discount.

Also agree with kcp1377, Disney is the only place I know that lets you bring in drinks/food/snacks. Most places make you buy *everything* inside their venues whether it be theme parks, ball games, concerts, etc. We seldom take in anything other than a few snacks, but we could if we wanted to.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Serenitygr - Just in case you haven't considered it, I'd like to offer some suggestions that may help with the price of your trips. Obviously I don't know the $ & travel details, so maybe these won't help, but I'll make the offer.

1. Credit card rewards - We have PNC Rewards Visa for air fare (flew free this last March & free this Nov) & Disney Chase Rewards Visa for dollars to spend at Disney for food, tickets, lodging, anything want to spend it on. No annual fee on either one. Plus we always pay the full balance every month so we don't lose our gain by paying interest charges.

2. Disney's timeshare - $5,000-$10,000 per trip would have paid for a timeshare by now. When buying from the 2 reliable resales companies instead of Disney, it's a good deal. We did that years ago when our kids had their kids. Allowed all of us to vacation together without the hefty one time out of pocket shock. We eventually sold it thru one of the resalers & got our money back - broke even, but no profit which was fine with us. There is the annual charge, but still was a bargain in the long run - at least for us.

Right now = $62 per point at Boardwalk & FtW Lodge; $55 at Old Key West; the total packages are about the price of one of your trips.

Have fun with your family.

 

[canadiens900]

Whats the price per night between those dates?

DEC 13-19

Total price, meaning taxes fee's and everything

 

[duranfan]

Since the 1970s my family had to book a year in advance to get ressies at the Fort. So like others have said supply and demand. Don't they even call it Holiday Rates now. We stopped going at XMAS years ago-(we live in Florida so not escaping the Northern cold weather). I do think other times of the year they gouge-we go all times of the year, and there will be plenty of times where theres plenty of vacant campsites, empty cabins. You think it would be better to offer a little better discount and get people there to spend. The parks and food is where they really earn their dough. For example many of the items you purchase in the park like soda is a zero expense product, the companies do this for product placement style advertising. Look where all the Disney stuff is made-in general CHINA, where things that go for 10dollars might cost them 25 cents to make in the factories they own over there. There really isnt a need for them to charge so much for the parks ...most of the new rides are crap and only exciting ones are the coasters which many people don't go on for whatever reason. I have traveled all over the world and really disney is one of the most expensive things you can do if you are staying at the deluxe hotels and eating out. When they are selling a can of coke for 3xs as much as you would pay at a grocery store while either getting it for free or a huge discount themselves this is gouging (COKE is one product I understand that at least gives all of the fountain drink products to disney in exchange for being there for advertising.)

 

[kcp1377]

But you don't have to buy things there. You have the option of bringing things in yourself. It's not like they are saying you can't bring your own coke in. It's there for your convenience. We brought 6 bottles filled with water every time we went to a park and never had to buy anything. You could say the same thing for movie theaters - why charge $6 for a bucket of popcorn that they make for 5 cents? Or the candy you can get at CVS for $1 they charge $3 or $4 for. It's not just Disney - and we've found that Disney in park prices are actually less than other parks we've been to.

 

[cat_herder]

I can't sat I was thrilled to pay what I'm paying for a tent site for our Christmas stay but it's where I want to be for the reason I want to be at that particular time. Truly amazing, magical, Doesnt feel like screwed to me. And as mentioned being able to bring in your own food and free ice and water is a great break that you don't see elsewhere. There are always options.

Where does one get free ice and water?

Thanks

 

[becky1960]

Most QS resturants will give you ice and there are water fountains there also, we also bring a water bottle and refill as we go..

 

[~Kristina~]

Here's my costs from last year. Dec 17-27:

Sat, Dec 17 $115.00
Sun, Dec 18 $115.00
Mon, Dec 19 $115.00
Tue, Dec 20 $115.00
Wed, Dec 21 $115.00
Thu, Dec 22 $115.00
Fri, Dec 23 $115.00
Sat, Dec 24 $115.00
Sun, Dec 25 $115.00
Mon, Dec 26 $115.00 = 1150.00

2013 for the same dates:

Tue, Dec 17 $113.00
Wed, Dec 18 $113.00
Thu, Dec 19 $113.00
Fri, Dec 20 $121.00
Sat, Dec 21 $121.00
Sun, Dec 22 $121.00
Mon, Dec 23 $121.00
Tue, Dec 24 $121.00
Wed, Dec 25 $121.00
Thur, Dec 26 $121.00 = 1186.00

That's not much of a difference.