A little perspective on the Disney cost increase frustrations.

[Delphinidae]

I have to say that all the talk I keep seeing about how awful it is now with cutbacks and lack of Magic really have me rethinking our trip this summer. I love Disney but I want to have great memories of it and if it's become just "another theme park" along the lines of Six Flags with chipped paint and all (and no more towel animals?! Is that true?) then it isn't my Disney anymore. Sad panda

 

[Ellwood970]

We enjoyed Disney at it's peak. Now it's just another place to go to.

 

[tinawv]

Yes, your prospective on this is going to vary greatly on how much you pay and get out of a Disney trip, too. We get a HUGE value for our money. We get free dining, some of the cheapest room rates of the year, and we get ample time on rides and in shows because of low crowds. Our young family of six does a week's trip for about $3500 (including the drive down) at a moderate resort in September. It's hard for us to do the same caliber of trip anywhere else.

But this will change if they take away free dining, and start charging resort fees on top of lodging fees. All good possibilities.

 

[Sparkly]

Thing is, as Universal expand I can see them going the way of Disney and hiking their prices to match. They're currently cheap- but add more attractions, a park more or two and it starts going up to match. They're not stupid.

 

[Lesverts]

This conversation seems to come up a lot over the last about year I've been on the boards.

I think the OPs have merit, but I also see the cons of it too.

I am someone that has only been to Walt Disney World once, last year. I don't know any different with regards to fast passes, lines, guest services. I don't know what it use to be like, so when I went and spent the money I did I had only my trip to Universal to compare it to and definitely felt I got value for my money. Now that I am going back again, the exact same week I see the hand-wringing on the boards while thinking about the extra 200 dollars I spent for the trip this year. I begin to wonder. Especially since the park hours are lackluster (no midnight closings for MK, 830 closings at DHS and 8pm closings at AK with ROL and sunset being 820ish when I am there). I am nervous that I will have the frustrating experience that other posters are talking about, paying more but getting less out of the trip.

But I absolutely hate resort fees. I think they are an underhanded cash grab. And that would definitely be someone that makes me look to spend my Orlando vacations at Universal instead.

 

[Mofang]

Where do you go for beaches?

We do Hawaii. From the west coast, flights are about $100 more round trip ($350 to Orlando, $450 to Maui). We've got an upcoming six night stay later this year in an oceanfront 1BR rental condo in Kapalua for $280/nt - about on par with a Disney deluxe room for the same timeframe with a decent discount applied. No park cost, but we'll splash out on tickets to Old Lahaina Luau, a few fancy dinners at the restaurant where we got married, and an epic Costco run to stock the condo with food and drink. All in all, factoring in park tickets and dining, we'll spend much more on six days at Disney than on six days in Hawaii.

As another data point, we are also visiting Japan this year, and have rented a traditional machiya house to stay at while in Kyoto. There, too, our accommodations have run around $250/night... obviously plane tickets are higher, though, and the Shinkansen bullet trains for getting around Japan are surprisingly pricey. Dining and attractions are much more affordable, though, and we benefit from a strong US dollar (sorry Canadian friends!)

We enjoy each trip for different reasons, of course - that's why we take international trips, beach trips and Disney trips rather than choosing between them all. We love Disney for what it is and have scored some excellent deals (renting DVC points chief among them) - but it's definitely one of the most expensive vacations we take once you add up lodging, food and extras.

That said, we're two adults without kids - I can easily see a family of four getting free dining at Disney coming out far ahead in the other direction on value. As others have said, it just depends on how you travel.

 

[Nancyg56]

I guess I look at it a little bit differently. I don't think that it helps to look at the cost of other things and then say that a vacation to WDW isn't so bad. For example, I could price out a vacation to Bora Bora and then look at the price of a Disney vacation and say that the latter is a bargain. But this loses the perspective that the reason so many people choose to vacation at WDW is because it is a less expensive alternative. But when Disney starts to close that gap, then maybe people will start to do the other things that they have been putting off or avoiding because they were more expensive. So maybe a WDW might cost me $4,000 and a trip to Paris might cost me $5,000. It isn't enough to say that the WDW vacation isn't so bad. Because when the price climbs to $4,400, maybe all of a sudden Paris becomes a viable option. Frankly, when the cost of a Disney vacation starts to become on par with vacations to other more exotic and culturally significant locations, Disney will quickly fall off my radar screen. I go to WDW because of the stark price difference. When that disappears, so do I.

It's funny, the resort fees, if put into place will have been the fee that took my Disney blinders off. I understand price increases. I understand cutbacks. What I do not understand, or accept, is price increases, cutbacks and then fees, all at the same time.

I have never complained about the cost of a Disney vacation, and I have always felt that my family left with knowing our money spent had value. This is the first time I am planning a trip thinking that it is going to be the last one for a long time. For the same money we can join my DS and DDIL on a pretty awesome cruise, and have no airfare to deal with.

No one needed to sell Dsiney to me. DIsney sold itself. One thing about increases, fees and cutbacks. Whe you cut staff....and it seems that Disney is cutting CM's and increasing the workloads of the remaining staff, guests will feel the strain. No matter how invested a person is in their job, and I have experienced CM's who make it their business to make magic, there comes a point when those people get tired, and they cannot hide it. I cannot blame them, but I do blame the company who put them in that position.

This is the point. Disney increases prices every year. We all know it and we all expect it. However, it seems like they are making bigger price increases at a time when they are also cutting back on what you get for your money. Are they cutting the time of these soccer games? Are they firing and using less players to cut expenses? if not, then its not really a comparable situation.

I agree. It's an apples to oranges in my opinion. About 30 years ago my DH bought 4 seats for the Daytona 500. Evey year he was on the list and moved up a little bit, each time the seats increasing in cost. Finally he made it to the Winston Tower (Long time ago, right???) Now those four seats were four seats times 4 days. Well, times were okay, so every year he was able to sell his tickets. WE never asked more than face price, and they always were sold. Until they were not. We lost a huge amount one year, the next year, and then after that I stopped renewing. The cost was more than people wanted to spend, they did not want more than one or maybe two races, and the loyal folks who purchased year after year, refused to absorb the increases that. There is a cutoff for every event, and sporting events are no different.

I have to say that all the talk I keep seeing about how awful it is now with cutbacks and lack of Magic really have me rethinking our trip this summer. I love Disney but I want to have great memories of it and if it's become just "another theme park" along the lines of Six Flags with chipped paint and all (and no more towel animals?! Is that true?) then it isn't my Disney anymore. Sad panda

Oh no! Don't do that. I do not think any of us are saying that the magic is gone. If t was, we would not mind any changes, we would Have already ditched WDW for anywhere else. Go on your trip and odn't let our complaining damper your enthusiasm. Disney is NOT another theme park, and honestly, all we are doing with our feedback is making sure that it never becomes just another park.

 

[pmaurer74]

You're kind of missing the point. The point is, I can get an entire season pass, for far less than what it costs for 4 days at Disney. Also, most of those places have optional-add ons for parking, the equivalent of EMH etc... which still come out far cheaper than Disney. Also, at most of those places, there isn't the need for FP+ since it's not so crowded. Some people actually find it nice to not have to schedule their vacation. But sure, if you want to compare AP prices:

Annual Busch/AI/SW for a family of 4: $840
Knotts: $348
Six Flags: $248
Disney: $3190

When you look at this comparison, Disney AP is indeed high but when I think about, those other places to me are one and done or maybe every several years. Disney to me is several times a year and I never get bored and there is always something new for us. That makes the values in a Disney AP much higher for me. I have enjoyed being an AP holder and sadly it expires in June.

 

[mom2rtk]

Thing is, as Universal expand I can see them going the way of Disney and hiking their prices to match. They're currently cheap- but add more attractions, a park more or two and it starts going up to match. They're not stupid.

Who would pass on a vacation spot because they might increase prices later? Enjoy it for what it is now!

They are definitely not resting on their laurels. No argument that as any company gets bigger, that's a risk, but it has zero consideration on whether to go there now.

 

[terri33inne]

I understand that Disney needs to increase prices once in a while and I have never said anything before, but it is just getting ridiculous. The problem is that they expect me to pay more for less. They have done some major cut backs (park operations, CMs, shows, going from two parades a night to one, etc) and now they are talking about an extra $15 dollars a night over the price increases they already made. Frankly is insulting to try to charge the fee for ammenities that they already offer on top of rate increases, park ticket increase, food price increase, etc.

THIS!

If they begin a $15 resort fee will we keep going to Disney 1-2 times/year... probably. Will we continue to stay on property? Probably not. I will look to alternatives, look into renting a car, and explore other Orlando attractions in addition to Disney.

 

[mshanson3121]

When you look at this comparison, Disney AP is indeed high but when I think about, those other places to me are one and done or maybe every several years. Disney to me is several times a year and I never get bored and there is always something new for us. That makes the values in a Disney AP much higher for me. I have enjoyed being an AP holder and sadly it expires in June.

Which is great for you. But the majority of people cannot afford several trips a year. Or even a trip every year. Or every other year. And those are the people, who are going to start deciding that no, Disney is NOT worth the money, when compared to everything else they can do with their very limited money. Do I really want to blow $5000 on a trip to a place that while "magical", is overpriced, is very crowded, I'm probably only going to get to do 5-6 rides/attractions per day, and I'll have to "plan" those rides and my meals well in advance etc... Or, I could do two trips elsewhere for the price of that one. Enjoy other theme parks that are less crowded, require less planning, where I actually get to do more rides every day, because I've saved so much money I can probably even experience some other things too while we're away etc... Eventually, people are going to start deciding the "magic" isn't worth it.

I love Disney. I'm looking forward to everything that's coming - SWL, TSL, even Avatarland has grown on me, the changes to AK etc... my only hope is that I actually get to see those things someday, because we are one of those middle class families, Disney is pricing out.

 

[pmaurer74]

Which is great for you. But the majority of people cannot afford several trips a year. Or even a trip every year. Or every other year. And those are the people, who are going to start deciding that no, Disney is NOT worth the money, when compared to everything else they can do with their very limited money. Do I really want to blow $5000 on a trip to a place that while "magical", is overpriced, is very crowded, I'm probably only going to get to do 5-6 rides/attractions per day, and I'll have to "plan" those rides and my meals well in advance etc... Or, I could do two trips elsewhere for the price of that one. Enjoy other theme parks that are less crowded, require less planning, where I actually get to do more rides every day, because I've saved so much money I can probably even experience some other things too while we're away etc... Eventually, people are going to start deciding the "magic" isn't worth it.

I love Disney. I'm looking forward to everything that's coming - SWL, TSL, even Avatarland has grown on me, the changes to AK etc... my only hope is that I actually get to see those things someday, because we are one of those middle class families, Disney is pricing out.

I see your point. I suppose we go more often because the more often you go, the less it costs (our last trip cost $1300 for 4 of us and the next trip will be $2,000). We are DVC now, that is what we did to save on those costs and use Disney Visa Rewards points and airfare points to make it happen. Our next trip will be 3k even with DVC because we have to buy tickets. Sometimes we stay fewer days if we go on a second trip of the year. I understand this situation in reverse of the US... We wanted to go this year since we still have our AP at WDW but I cannot justify one day costing $450-650. I cannot afford both WDW and US tickets so to us WDW will likely always win out. We are middle class too but love everything Disney.

I understand your frustration. I too am annoyed by all the increases but the is no reason for WDW not to do these things. I think we expect them to be different. As you mentioned it is too crowded, the other parks you mentioned are not... why is that? You mentioned only getting on 5-6 rides? Usually we get in 10-12 in the first two hours but we go at park open. I do not enjoy crowds either but I would rather be in a crowd at Disney then at work any day. I hope you still feel that WDW is magical and worth it to you.

 

[jsmla]

I'm with those who say it's not just the ever increasing cost but the combination of higher prices and dismished experience. DH has never been a fan but goes for me. Last night we decided to move our September trip from WDW to Key West and, to be honest, I feel relieved.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I don't know. For our family of 5, Disney still comes out as the cheapest vacation when we price different options.

Other places we were interested in include Beaches Resort - Turks & Caicos - when you add on that 5th person - WOW!! It is expensive.

A lot of people complain about Disney not accommodating "larger" families (I don't think 5 is large, but some do), but I think Disney really caters to it. I will admit though that we do prefer to stay deluxe (so 5 people already fit), etc...I realize some would rather stay value and those options are limited.

But, we are thankfully a very comfortable middle class family that choses to live well within our means. Because we don't overextend ourselves with our everyday expenses, we are able to budget for really awesome vacations to Disney, which make us happy. Sure, we could probably use a bigger house, or a fancier car, etc...but honestly, we just don't put priority on that. We live comfortably, not extravagantly. Except for our Disney vacations, lol

 

[amcnj]

The higher costs do make you comparison shop, looking at trips elsewhere. The strengthening of the dollar over the euro of recent, has also made overseas trips more appealing in general.

 

[starjazz]

I can't say I've ever seen more anger about $15 from the crowd that willingly throws multiple thousands at this place, sometimes yearly or more! I get that its the straw and camel's back kinda thing. But phew - we all drop $15 for a couple of corn dogs without thinking twice once we're there, but Disney drops the idea of a resort fee, and people are ditching their trips for European vacations? Lol.

 

[bobbiwoz]

An entertainment bargain is a Dollywood season pass, and we've had them for years. However, we would be lost without a Disney AP as well. We prioritize our entertainment budget, and unfortunately, it is DCL's share that will go down in 2016, 2017, but we are pretty sure we'll be back when they get new ships, itineraries.

 

[mshanson3121]

I hope you still feel that WDW is magical and worth it to you.

I'm in that place of yes and no, honestly.

I grew up on Disney, I went as a child, when Disney was what I think what we all wish it still were. And that experience stayed with me - the magic, the awe, the excitement, and my whole life I knew it was an experience I wanted to give my children. And we went, and it was magical, it really, really was. We loved it. And definitely left wanting to go back. And the children are dying to go back. And heck, I want to go back, there are so many more things I want to experience.

But... I'll admit, over the last year... as I see corporate greed increasing at a marathon pace with all the raises they're implementing, combined with all the cuts, knowing the changes that are likely still to come before we go back... magical or not, the rational, practical side of me is starting to take over. I have no problem with a company making a profit, I have no problem with keeping up with inflation, but I do have a problem with exorbitant corporate greed, I have a problem with a company who are making record profits, who are increasing their prices at a rate that far exceeds inflation, who are cutting services left right and center, which are decreasing the value the guests are getting for all the increases. And... magical or not, I'm at the point, I'm not sure I want to continue to support that. And even besides that point, is the fact that I'm not sure we'll be able to afford to support it, even if I want to. We all know that tiered pricing on multi-day will likely be implemented next year. And that will price us out, most definitely, so I have to hope that we can somehow buy the tickets before that happens. Likewise, a switch to banning food in the park (I realize that's just a rumor) would also price us out of Disney. And I'll admit, I'm nervous that with all these cuts, we'll go back next year, and find that the experience has diminished, and I would be really upset to spend that huge (to us) amount of money and have that happen.

So, with all of that, yeah... I'll be spending the next year following these boards, the changes, and pricing options, considering do I really want to spend $2000 just on tickets, for 5-6 days of fun? When we could go elsewhere, spend 5-6 days at smaller parks, do some sight seeing, and definitely be more relaxed, for that same amount of money that we spent just on tickets? Or we could put in a pool, or buy a camper etc... So, do I find it magical, yes, but is it still worth it, I'm not sure.

 

[mshanson3121]

I can't say I've ever seen more anger about $15 from the crowd that willingly throws multiple thousands at this place, sometimes yearly or more! I get that its the straw and camel's back kinda thing. But phew - we all drop $15 for a couple of corn dogs without thinking twice once we're there, but Disney drops the idea of a resort fee, and people are ditching their trips for European vacations? Lol.

It's not about the money. It's the point behind it. They're going to make you now pay for something, that used to be free. Let's face it, for many, the early FP+, MDE, EMH etc... were the whole reason people stayed on site anyways, because they were free services Disney gave their guests. And now they're taking that away. They're shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[Livvie]

It's funny, the resort fees, if put into place will have been the fee that took my Disney blinders off. I understand price increases. I understand cutbacks. What I do not understand, or accept, is price increases, cutbacks and then fees, all at the same time.

I have never complained about the cost of a Disney vacation, and I have always felt that my family left with knowing our money spent had value. This is the first time I am planning a trip thinking that it is going to be the last one for a long time. For the same money we can join my DS and DDIL on a pretty awesome cruise, and have no airfare to deal with.

No one needed to sell Dsiney to me. DIsney sold itself. One thing about increases, fees and cutbacks. Whe you cut staff....and it seems that Disney is cutting CM's and increasing the workloads of the remaining staff, guests will feel the strain. No matter how invested a person is in their job, and I have experienced CM's who make it their business to make magic, there comes a point when those people get tired, and they cannot hide it. I cannot blame them, but I do blame the company who put them in that position.







I agree. It's an apples to oranges in my opinion. About 30 years ago my DH bought 4 seats for the Daytona 500. Evey year he was on the list and moved up a little bit, each time the seats increasing in cost. Finally he made it to the Winston Tower (Long time ago, right???) Now those four seats were four seats times 4 days. Well, times were okay, so every year he was able to sell his tickets. WE never asked more than face price, and they always were sold. Until they were not. We lost a huge amount one year, the next year, and then after that I stopped renewing. The cost was more than people wanted to spend, they did not want more than one or maybe two races, and the loyal folks who purchased year after year, refused to absorb the increases that. There is a cutoff for every event, and sporting events are no different.



Oh no! Don't do that. I do not think any of us are saying that the magic is gone. If t was, we would not mind any changes, we would Have already ditched WDW for anywhere else. Go on your trip and odn't let our complaining damper your enthusiasm. Disney is NOT another theme park, and honestly, all we are doing with our feedback is making sure that it never becomes just another park.

I think nascar is a pretty comparable situation. They got greedy, cracked down on ways people were able to make races affordable and look where they are now. Brand new, multi million dollar tracks sit half empty on race days, because they got greedy and people were no longer willing to pay the outrageous prices.