A little perspective on the Disney cost increase frustrations.

[toddinboston]

I agree about how much everything costs. I wanted to see Def Leppard (don't judge) but the tickets are $111 a person once all the fees are added on. For a 3 hour show. Parking not included. No thanks!

not to hijack, but try $130 a pop for June 22 at Xfinity Center, Mansfield Mass...don't ask me how I know...

 

[starjazz]

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.

i hear you. i guess i just think that so far all we have is a survey, right? no confirmation that the resort fee is going to happen? and in response, there's what, 6 different threads on this topic? I think the DIS needs a whole new board dedicated to complaints to free up the theme park strategies board.

i'll also disagree that the only reason people stay on site is to get an extra 30 day jump on FP+, and a bus ride from the airport. when we stayed on site, it was about being immersed in Disney. it was about getting that voice message from Mickey. it was about seeing characters in the lobby. it was about boat rides to MK. there's no way i'd pay the crazy prices for on-site just to get a ride from the airport and the unnecessary 30 extra days to book FPs. know what i'm sayin? ymmv.

 

[Nancyg56]

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.

Exactly. The races were never cheap, but they were fun, and were a great get away for my DH, who never gave himself permission to vacation. Even as teh prices rose, e was onboard. But there is a tipping point for everyone, as the greed outpaced the rest, he and many more reached that point. No matter how many times they called to see if he would buy those tickets, we said no.

The truth is that no one wants to feel that they are either being taken advantage of, taken for granted, or taken for a fool. People have said that the fee is only $15 per night if the survey accurately predicts Disney's next move. But what do I get for that money that I am already paying dearly for? Nothing. There is no enhancements that we already do not get. There are no additional perks that make the fee understandable. The costs for resorts, park tickets, dining in general an the dining plan specifically have been increased already, so we have already covered the increased costs of doing business. We know that staffing is being reduced, we also know that a lot of the little things that Disney offered are now gone. I have been okay with most of those increases. I pay for what I want, and knowing that the staff has been cut, I try not to make additional work for anyone left. But I do not like anyone or any company thinking that my vacation dollar is always allocated to any venue, and that if they increase I will still come. That is an insulting way to do business and I prefer not to be insulted.

So far, I am okay with the costs of our Disney vacation. I have never felt that I miss out if I choose not to pay for events that used to be sort of included, I simply do something else or make do. A fee? Just to stay in a resort I am already paying for? I am not going to do it.

One last example. I live in CT and there is a venue that was Jai LAi I think. Anyway it is a big old building that has home shows once in a while. Or at least it did. Anyway, DH and I were expanding our home and went to a Timber Home show, there, knowing we would pay an entrance fee. Now the building has a big old (OLD, as in WORN OUT) parking lot and we were charged to park there. It was attached to the building, for goodness sakes! Well we paid, but we have never gone back. DH was livid, we were not in a parking garage or an independent lot. This was all one unit! They got my money that time, but never again. To us, this is greed pure and simple. THe resort fee is greed in my opinion.

 

[cabanafrau]

i hear you. i guess i just think that so far all we have is a survey, right? no confirmation that the resort fee is going to happen? and in response, there's what, 6 different threads on this topic? I think the DIS needs a whole new board dedicated to complaints to free up the theme park strategies board.

i'll also disagree that the only reason people stay on site is to get an extra 30 day jump on FP+, and a bus ride from the airport. when we stayed on site, it was about being immersed in Disney. it was about getting that voice message from Mickey. it was about seeing characters in the lobby. it was about boat rides to MK. there's no way i'd pay the crazy prices for on-site just to get a ride from the airport and the unnecessary 30 extra days to bood FPs. know what i'm sayin? ymmv.

We stayed onsite for the convenience and the immersion in the ambience of the entire resort, particularly at night. The Poly was our happy place and one of our top Disney memories was dragging ourselves off of the monorail at night, heading down the ramp, through the TTC and over to the path that led into a tiki torch lit wonderland. More than once after a long, exhausting day at the parks where we felt we could barely walk another step to get out of the park, we'd arrive back at the resort and find ourselves with the energy for "just a quick stroll around the pathways". Couldn't get enough.

The entirety of WDW was filled with the potential of little experiences like that all day long, around any corner you happened to wander along. Things really began to change for us when that level of ambiance, the feeling you could just meander until something piqued your interest, a bench with a snack, a street performance, a larger attraction, a shop with a great window display of merchandise you didn't just see racks and racks of at the hotel giftshop on your way out that morning -- and decide on the spot to stop and look, enjoy or get in line to ride or view. When the calm nooks with a bench or two began disappearing altogether or having their landscaping and surroundings cutback to the point the calm disappeared it was a big loss. When crowd levels soared to the point you felt either herded around in a great mass all day or penned behind cattle gates waiting for your chance to get on an attraction or into a show and your turn finally came and the seats in the theater were grubby or upholstery was worn down or ripped or several effects on the ride weren't functioning or there were giant cobwebs hanging above your head on the boatride it felt very unconvincingly Disney and more like something you could pay much less for elsewhere.

We look at the Poly pricing of $400 plus a night, know the monorail service hours are cutback, know the resort has had changes and cutbacks, know the MK is always chock full of visitors and know that it's simply not possible to wander along, decide Pirates sounds fun today, hop in line and skip out 45 minutes later feeling a pirates life was fun. Nope, you needed to book that prior, arrive at the appropriately scheduled time, ride and emerge and assess your wet footwear situation. Yeah, now you're free to "wander" to a gift shop, cart, quick service restaurant or restroom without preplanning ahead. Beyond that it's probably pretty slim pickings if you don't have something booked -- and of course if you do you might find yourself hobbling to make it there because your wet feet are blistering. Maybe a pirates' life isn't for you anymore afterall.

Disney used to be a vacation you could very loosely plan and know that once you were there, in the bubble, all the work was done and it was time to have fun. Now it's easy to find yourself "on the clock". I do that in everyday life. If I'm going to be on pretty heavy planning and scheduling mode on my vacation, I can do that elsewhere with a wider variety of options, price points, and quite frankly often much more quality -- particularly when including the factors of dining and lodging. Disney no longer offers the carefree vacation advantage anymore. That's been a huge turnoff for us.

 

[EricInPA]

Saw some discussion here about the price of beach vacations... I used to go on those with my family (OBX etc). You could tell me one of those houses costs $100 a week to rent and I still wouldn't go.

i hear you. i guess i just think that so far all we have is a survey, right? no confirmation that the resort fee is going to happen? and in response, there's what, 6 different threads on this topic?

I'll just jump in quickly with the cynical response: "Oh but if they have a survey, you just KNOW they are planning it and just gauging the reaction. Just like seasonal pricing!"

More realistically: we don't know the rest of the survey or the targeted guest. It's likely an a-la-carte vs "all-inclusive" series of questions and whether that would change the guest's booking preference and/or chance they would return.

 

[Dr Gevil]

Hey, Def Leppard rocks! They're the best of the "hair bands" for sure! 111 bucks to see them though...ehh, I'd pass too. I have Hysteria & Pyromania digitally now.

You need to add High N Dry to that list! Seeing them during their Pyromania tour in 1983 (damn I'm getting old) is still one of the best concert I've been to.

 

[hookedonears]

Well said. I'm skipping Iron Maiden's tour this year because the only way I can get tickets is if I pay an outrageous amount on Stub Hub. We're also considering flying out the Minnesota for an NFL game. Last time we did that, we spent over $1000 on a three-day weekend.

Entertainment is expensive. Upper-tier entertainment even moreso.

And $333.47 for 3 tickets to an over the hill Steely Dan concert, not including parking, and $180 for a night at a lousy Hampton Inn. People do need some perspective.

 

[lugnut33]

Touring Plans twitter feed just loaded a photo of a special pricing ad they just got from Disney for stays in October, $147 per night plus tax at Value resorts and $202 per night plus tax at Moderates. Seems reasonable to me..... NOT!

 

[tlmadden73]

Agreed on perspective.

I live in a beach town and I think families could spend just as much on a beach vacation as they would on a Disney one .. getting a beach-front hotel (or condo) isn't cheap ... throw in entertainment excursions (outside of the beach) .. and you'll pay a lot. (Consider a trip to a local aquarium could run $25/person for a few hours for something not much bigger than the Living Seas).

Add in food and shopping .. etc.

A family vacation in any tourist destination will be expensive.

A Disney vacation (in my mind) is only truly expensive if you "splurge" and do a Deluxe resort and pay those crazy $400/night rates!

And any vacation can become more affordable by simply cutting out a day .. or a big activity.

 

[eagillinois]

excellent point.

I have a lot of friends that tell me that they don't do Disney because it's too expensive. But they spend a week or two at the beach for vacation every year. I have to imagine that adding up the cost of the rental cottage, the restaurants, the waterpark they visit, the dinner show they go to, and all the other things they do during the course of the week at Myrtle Beach it probably isn't actually any less expensive than a week at Disney World. Sure, if they ate at the cottage and just sat on the beach all week it would be cheaper, but once they add those extras in, the price really adds up quickly.

I agree - my brother won't bring his 2 kids to WDW because it is too expensive, but the beach house they are renting for spring break is $3800. That is only the house, no food, transportation or entertainment. I think it comes down to what is important to you and what you are willing to spend money on.

 

[mshanson3121]

Now it's easy to find yourself "on the clock". I do that in everyday life. If I'm going to be on pretty heavy planning and scheduling mode on my vacation, I can do that elsewhere with a wider variety of options, price points, and quite frankly often much more quality -- particularly when including the factors of dining and lodging. Disney no longer offers the carefree vacation advantage anymore. That's been a huge turnoff for us.

You just took the words out of my husband's mouth. He is willing to go back to Disney, but he has said - for him, it's not a vacation. It's a trip to a theme park, but not a "vacation", a break. Dealing with the crowds, the heat, having to schedule rides, etc... Having to plan every day. That is not even remotely what he considers a break, or relaxing. His ideal vacation would be to rent a cottage for a week, whether by a lake, the beach etc... and just get away from it all. No schedule, no to-do list, no having to be here or there. Having entire days to just do nothing but maybe do some scenic sight seeing, go river tubing, go swimming, maybe take the kids to a local park or fair for a day... a place where you can wander around at ease, without having to "plan" the whole day... Basically, the complete opposite of Disney.

 

[Tomh]

not to hijack, but try $130 a pop for June 22 at Xfinity Center, Mansfield Mass...don't ask me how I know...

I think it was about $120 each at Bethel Woods last summer . .. and I wasn't there to see Def Leppard, they have like 3 songs I like. I paid that price for 3 people to go see Tesla, which happened to be the opening act lol.

 

[mshanson3121]

More realistically: we don't know the rest of the survey or the targeted guest. It's likely an a-la-carte vs "all-inclusive" series of questions and whether that would change the guest's booking preference and/or chance they would return.

Right. So basically, identical to the surveys they sent out on FP+ and tiered pricing...

 

[mshanson3121]

Agreed on perspective.

I live in a beach town and I think families could spend just as much on a beach vacation as they would on a Disney one .. getting a beach-front hotel (or condo) isn't cheap ... throw in entertainment excursions (outside of the beach) .. and you'll pay a lot. (Consider a trip to a local aquarium could run $25/person for a few hours for something not much bigger than the Living Seas).

Add in food and shopping .. etc.

A family vacation in any tourist destination will be expensive.

A Disney vacation (in my mind) is only truly expensive if you "splurge" and do a Deluxe resort and pay those crazy $400/night rates!

And any vacation can become more affordable by simply cutting out a day .. or a big activity.

Talk to someone who lives 1000, 2000, 3000 miles away and ask them if Disney is expensive.

A Disney vacation is expensive no matter where you stay. Why? Because the tickets are frigging expensive. Because getting there can be expensive. Because their lodging is expensive. Yeah, even the value resorts. Sure they're on par with other places, but it still adds up. Eating there (if you choose to), even on the cheapest dining plan, is outrageously expensive. Heaven forbid you want to do any of the extras they promote - the shows, tours, special character dining etc.

If we were to drive (cheaper than flying) to Disney, stay in a value resort for 6 nights, get 5 day basic passes, skip the dining plan and only eat two meals a day, not buy any snacks, do not do any shopping, do no extra activities etc... it would still cost us $3700 US. If we flew it would be $4500. So, glad you have enough money to think that a $4000 vacation isn't "expensive". But that's not the reality for most people. The people here on this board, most of whom have pretty adequate pockets, are a very, very small sampling of the people that actually attend Disney.

In the meantime, we could drive to Cape Cod, spend 6 nights there in a beautiful cottage, do a few things like a museum, aquarium, whale watching, make our own breakfast and lunch, eat supper each night, and spend less than $2000.

 

[EricInPA]

Right. So basically, identical to the surveys they sent out on FP+ and tiered pricing...

Unless folks start posting every post-guest survey, we'll never know how many surveys turn into changes and how many don't.

I filled out a survey a month or so ago about how I would feel about different perks if they were added to one of my credit cards. Hopefully it happens, but it might not.

ETA: People are more quick to believe a bad thing than a good thing. No emotional downside to the good thing working out. You see it with sports all the time, so maybe that's why rumors don't do much for me.

 

[Nancyg56]

Agreed on perspective.

I live in a beach town and I think families could spend just as much on a beach vacation as they would on a Disney one .. getting a beach-front hotel (or condo) isn't cheap ... throw in entertainment excursions (outside of the beach) .. and you'll pay a lot. (Consider a trip to a local aquarium could run $25/person for a few hours for something not much bigger than the Living Seas).

Add in food and shopping .. etc.

A family vacation in any tourist destination will be expensive.

A Disney vacation (in my mind) is only truly expensive if you "splurge" and do a Deluxe resort and pay those crazy $400/night rates!

And any vacation can become more affordable by simply cutting out a day .. or a big activity.

Agreed, a family vacation anywhere is expensive, and I have not seen anyone suggesting otherwise. We have compared costs for alternative destinations and discussed those pros and cons. WE have discussed what is included as well as what is additional costs, and have discovered that we all have different comfort levels in terms of cost for lodging, travel and dining. No one is suggesting that beach vacations are cheap....I find them incredibly expensive. But that is because I am bored to tears after a few hours on the beach. And I hate to cook on vacation. IT adds up.

What you seem to be suggesting here is that in order for folks to absorb the additional fees and expenses that may be added onto the resort stays, they need to cut back. No. If I set my budget and if it includes a Deluxe resort, park tickets, and dining, I refuse to drop my wine pairings so I can give Disney the additional moneys they may tack on just because they can.

WE are bottom line vacationers. I know what my budget is, and what I want to do. If I cannot make the budget work and still include what I feel is necessary< I am not going. I am not dropping a day and I am not changing my level of stay if that happens to be important to me on that trip. In December we originally booked POR, but my DH may join us. He likes the monorail resorts, and when he is along we choose deluxe. I swapped POR for the BC because that will work for the others in the group, and he is willing to compromise there. he would never on POR. If I tell him that we chose a pretty pricey resort, but Disney has decided that we are not spending enough so they will charge us an additional fee....that's it. We are done here.

Be clear....this is not about the amount of money, vacations cost money. The thought that people need to change plans to absorb it is not okay/ As I said, once we begin to feel the onsite resorts are too much about greed.....we go elsewhere, and for my family, if we stay off site I am going to other attractions.

 

[Minnesota!]

It's the value you are getting for your money, though. Seeing a great game for your money or seeing the same, stale, unimaginative things for more money?

If WDW was updating and adding along with upping the price, I would be less upset. But, they are cutting left and right, taking WAY too long to build their new stuff, and cutting quality on everything else (CM training, Mousekeeping, entertainment).

No thank you. I will gladly spend the money for a game/concert where I will see something new and exciting vs. lining Disney's pockets for doing the same old/same old and, in the end, screwing the consumer.

 

[Virtucomp]

The local Casino in Conn. charges $260 a night for a room in April. No food, no transport. This is so I can go there is give them more money in their casino or pay another $100 a person for a show. The rooms are about Moderate level for the nice factor.

 

[amg35]

Touring Plans twitter feed just loaded a photo of a special pricing ad they just got from Disney for stays in October, $147 per night plus tax at Value resorts and $202 per night plus tax at Moderates. Seems reasonable to me..... NOT!

So from my perspective, $147 does not seem unreasonable actually.

See? We're all so different.

 

[DVCcurious]

I agree about how much everything costs. I wanted to see Def Leppard (don't judge) but the tickets are $111 a person once all the fees are added on. For a 3 hour show. Parking not included. No thanks!

I just found out recently that "pour some sugar on me" is about sex!

I reacted the way Jack Burns did when he heard that Puff the Magic Dragon was about drugs:

"Puff's just the name of the boy's dragon."