I agree, and that's why WDW has kept so many choices for different budgets IMO.
WDW is offering discounts for families of 4, 4 nights, 4 park passes-so I am assuming that is a common market.
Using rough rack rate numbers it appears a deluxe stay in 2005 was about the same price as a moderate stay today 11 years later for a family of 4, 4 nights and 4 park days. Yea that's a category lower but it's far from saying that family can no longer afford to go.
I did notice the same stay but dropping from a mod in 2005 to a value in 2015 did increase about $200 for the entire trip, which is about $20 a year for the whole family.
Head to head is indeed harder to swallow. Value went up about $50 each year or is flat out $600 more now, a mod stay for 4 went up about $700 and a deluxe went up a bit over $1,000.
So a Value vacation has gone up about 1 family movie night per year in 11 years.
Time of year can save even more, or cost even more of course.
I wish that we had hard figures but we don't so all we can really do is guess. And hopefully throw in a bit of logic.
I would love to know if the common WDW visitor might be shifting gradually from onsite to offsite. Disney is apparently experiencing good numbers at their resorts but are these middle income Americans? A lot of them might be foreign visitors many of whom still get good deals as far as I know. Have those numbers changed at all?
Disney wouldn't care but it could be a sign of a shift.
We have changed from primarily onsite to primarily offsite. It saves us money. We also dine offsite more. This also saves us money. We don't bother much with souvenirs. This not only saves us money but keeps us from spending time looking at way too much generic, poorly made merchandise.
I don't think that we're oddballs but imagine that many regular visitors might be much like us. Those once in a lifetime visitors might see things differently though. If someone only plans to visit once then why not go all out?
Not sure what your point is?
No offense, but if everyone did what you do, they would close all resorts, all shops and most dining-I'm assuming all fine dining would close. Which of course wouldn't matter to you, I do get that. Just not sure that is the best scenario.
I think it's great there are those options for you and others and myself-just glad others fill in the areas that are being utilized/expanded etc.
Actually that's what I like about WDW-so many ways to tour yet expand areas/offerings even if some are splurges.
I have many points but the primary one is that people such as myself might not avoid going but we can cut back on what we spend a lot which can also affect the bottom line. There are those that hold up attendance as proof that all is well but who's to say that others like us haven't made changes?
I doubt that they would close anything but they might be motivated to compete a bit more. I find that most of Disney's food is mediocre and overpriced. Maybe that would change? I think that their resorts are also overpriced and I say that as someone who adores a few of them.
I'm not going to spend money just to make Disney happy plus I believe that they would make sure that they made corrections if their income dropped too far.
As for splurges, we do those. We just pick and choose what we feel is worthwhile.
My point was even if there is a "sign of a shift", why would it matter? And which way should the shift go?
I have many points as well.
WDW has kept a very wide array of pricing options. If $5 subs and $9 cheeseburger baskets aren't good enough for folks, they can go offsite or pay more onsite. How is that a bad thing or putting anyone down?
If the same vacation from 2005 costs the same 11 years later, but one category resort lower-it's still as affordable as 11 years ago, and there has been some expansion since then as well.
If repeat visitors don't want/need any more souvenirs, then souvenir stores are no longer needed,
unless the "shift" brings in guests that do want the souvenirs, the dining, the fine dining, the hard ticket events, the golf, even the HP visits,
the deluxe resorts everyone claims are empty so why wouldn't they want to fill them, the expansions and other improvements like the hub. I prefer those guests have money to spend and higher expectations/demands. A shift does not mean the "value" and "moderate", even offsite (or local) guest is no longer catered to, it's just a shift to the deluxe percentage of the guest population on one end of the very large scale.
It's like what is the percentages of guest population that is ideal? There is no way WDW will ever be or could ever be 90% affluent spenders. But if that group was at 10%, I have no problem increasing it to 25% for example. Likewise-I don't think trending to 90% Value sounds that great either. And it could all be "in addition" to the current base if it's expansion in DVC and even the offsite real deluxe hotels going up. To "shift" further to the value end makes no sense to me, not at all because I don't want everybody in the world to be able to afford it-just that's not realistic on a place that popular. And the "affluent" bring/demand more expectations, expansions and offerings-dumping larger amounts of money into the pool.
It's far from pointing at somebody and saying it's funny you can't afford it or choose not to afford it. Its more pointing at the new crowd in a favorable light IMO.
An affluent spender is more likely to have less park impact IMO as well. They are already spoiled and have less patience again IMO. The have the money to day visit other FL attractions as well, golf, fish, beaches, US/IOA, swim with the dolphins etc. More likely to schedule/use FP+ then head to fine dining and drinks for the evening.
Getting their money's worth is not that same as somebody that scraped together for a year or 3 or 5 and goes commando.
But there is also a subset of more middle class, even lower middle class that do want to splurge on occasion-if even on just one event. Things like a split stay of Value or even offsite with a deluxe resort, or a few nights on a DVC points rental (maybe not the bungalows, but a BLT theme park view, a BWV BW view and I suspect a WL cabin will be on some minds) or purchase, resale or new options are out there.
Some want a
MNSSHP or
MVMCP ticket maybe even just one time. Dessert party? Makes no sense to me but who knows. Fantasmic dinner package-yea maybe. F&W new offerings maybe, EPCOT after hours probably, AK personal safari maybe, behind the scenes tours?
These things aren't complete budget busters on their own, but are nice to have available IMO. How does it hurt anyone if they choose not to do it?
If it was just me traveling, or if for some reason he couldn't do the driving, then the whole value equation changes.
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