Am I the only one who thinks Disney vaca prices have gotten out of hand?

[disfan07]

Of course the people on these boards think disney is a good value because they are in love with disney. When my co-workers ask me how much it costs to go to wdw they about fallover when I tell them. These are people in healthcare that make good money and would not be satisfied at a value. When I told one doctor what a deluxe hotel cost she looked at me like I had lost my mind.

well thats there choice not to be satisfied at a value.

I have 8 doctors. 4 of them have kids AND have been to Disney (I know this because I mentioned we are going to disney in December) and guess what...they have all stayed at a valueOMG it's amazing isnt it.
They are apparently not as snobby as the people you work with. They loved the values. These are doctors who live in multi million dollar houses in Bevelry Hills, Malibu, etc. and they said that it was one of their best vacations.

My Imunologist asked me where we were staying and when I said Pop Century, she kept goin gon about how much she and her kids love it there. They stayed for 9 days and she said that her kids keep asking to go back (they just had a baby so they dont plan on giong back for a couple of years) and her daughter who is 4(was 3 when they went) keeps asking to stay at the hotel with the giant bike (the Big Wheel at POP) but she was looking at teh family suites becaus ethey have 5 people now and when I told her about the Animation Inn and Suites opening in 2012 she was so thrilled. So now she knows exactly when they plan on going and where they are going to stay and she knows her 3 kids will love it and .

 

[gina2000]

I'm never sure if WDW is worth it or not. I think ticket prices are fair especially after paying out of pocket for individual rides at the Jersey Shore. Of course, I go on very few rides at the shore so it actually costs me less. I do go on almost everything at WDW so it all evens out.

I think the amenities at the deluxes are not up to par with deluxes in the real world. I've stayed at deluxes in many places and from what I can see, WDW deluxes leave a lot to be desired. Moderates and value hotels are just fine. They seem to be comparable with moderates and values in the US.

Food prices verses value are out of control at WDW. The dining plan has forced establishments to cut quality in order to meet their price point on the plan. Paying out of pocket for substandard food is gauling. I'd rather go offsite and eat at this point. And I know people always say that the prices are comparable to prices at a ballpark or themepark. The difference for me is that I go to stand alone venues for one day. I go to WDW for multiple days at a time and the lack of value and quality really shows when you're eating and paying day in and day out.

 

[Disneyx6]

I too have thought that Disney can be very expensive for some families, but I am a very Type A personality and make it my mission to get a good deal!! If you do your research you can make out in the end. We are a family of 6, and this trip we are traveling with my parents too. We are staying in a 2 bedroom villa @SSR for 5night/6days with the Water park tix option, and the deluxe free dining plan for $4600.00!! For 4 adults/4 kids I thought this was a pretty good deal! I probably could have done even better, but I'll never know! Point is that this summer we traveled to Hershey Park w/our family and my in-laws and stayed at their Hershey Lodge for only 3days/4nights and we ended up spending close to $4000.00 after all was said and done!! I'd rather spend that $$$ at Disney. Good luck w/planning!4

 

[goofyboyzmom]

well thats there choice not to be satisfied at a value.

I have 8 doctors. 4 of them have kids AND have been to Disney (I know this because I mentioned we are going to disney in December) and guess what...they have all stayed at a valueOMG it's amazing isnt it.
They are apparently not as snobby as the people you work with. They loved the values. These are doctors who live in multi million dollar houses in Bevelry Hills, Malibu, etc. and they said that it was one of their best vacations.

My Imunologist asked me where we were staying and when I said Pop Century, she kept goin gon about how much she and her kids love it there. They stayed for 9 days and she said that her kids keep asking to go back (they just had a baby so they dont plan on giong back for a couple of years) and her daughter who is 4(was 3 when they went) keeps asking to stay at the hotel with the giant bike (the Big Wheel at POP) but she was looking at teh family suites becaus ethey have 5 people now and when I told her about the Animation Inn and Suites opening in 2012 she was so thrilled. So now she knows exactly when they plan on going and where they are going to stay and she knows her 3 kids will love it and .

The doctor that I work for and her family went last year and stayed at All-Star Music and were very happy - AND I have seen the house she lives in! Guess you just work for snobs??

 

[goofyboyzmom]

The doctor that I work for and her family went last year and stayed at All-Star Music and were very happy - AND I have seen the house she lives in! Guess you just work for snobs??

Sorry, quoted the wrong one! Meant to quote the person you were responding to, also.!

 

[nunzia]

but once again if you compare apples to apples, it's scary. We're going to LV during New years eve. Where are you staying. We're staying at the Venetian, very deluxe, very nice. cheaper than Grand Floridian and it's over a holiday weekend.

I'm more of a "getting the most" for my dollar as opposed to getting the cheaper price.

Now we got a great deal on Cirque du soliel tickets. We're seeing 2 shows Ka and mysteria for 300 bucks, not bad.

Good deal! We're going to LV in 10 days..we used to live there and sure, we would have been happy to stay at Arizona Charlies, our favorite local place when we lived there, but decided to do it up and are staying at the Venetian because I always loved it when I worked down the strip at the MGM Grand. Vegas is like Disney..you can do it as cheap as possible or you can be insane with your costs. Again..it's location..I'd rather stay close and pay more than have to worry about transportation. but that's just me. Probably why we like DLR so much..MUCH easier to get around. Disney has become our 'cheapest' vacation since the big outlays are gone, we have AP, DVC and usually travel by very cheap train. We can do Disney pretty darn cheap. Tickets to the parks are very reasonable IMO..look what you can do for upwards of 15 hours in a clean, safe, friendly (mainly) environment. Food doesn't need to expensive.
In Vegas we are seeing 2 shows, Jersy Boys and la Rev and holy cow are they expensive, but from what I've heard worth it. If I wanted to not pay big bucks and still enjoy Vegas I could, but I choose to see these things, just as people choose how cheaply or extravagent their Disney trips are..there is a wide range of costs and most are controlable to a degree. I don't see Disney as overpriced by any means..but maybe they are starting to cut the huge discounts we saw in the worst of the economic times.

 

[dbelmo]

I guess it really depends on your family dynamics and the time of year when you can go on a vacation. DH and I are both teachers, therefore our time is limited to school vacations and the summer..... with that the prices are higher... I know there are many opportunities for free dining and discounts during the year, those dates still won't work for us. Even in the summer, I know my children! Heat, humidity, and lines don't mix! It is not a pleasurable vacation then....
My oldest is now considered an "adult" by Disney standards... this doubled his portion of the dining plan and also has higher ticket prices.

Needless to say
This Spring Vacation -the week prior to Easter - we will be going on a 7 day Western Caribbean Cruise for $1800 Cheaper then Disney (POP centurY) the same time period! THat includes buying the kids soda cards too!

like I said - each family circumstances are different!

dbelmo

 

[gracie1]

I surely agree that disney is super expensive as well. Cruises are such a deal (but I live 2 hours from the cruise ship and don't have to pay the airfare)

It's hard for some people to get the big discounts with disney like free dining, because of work schedules.

 

[brymolmom]

How funny different styles and opinions...Disney Cruises are one of the only things I can't seem to justify....too expensive to me, but would LOVE to do one (maybe 2012??).

Yes, it can be expensive, but doesn't have to be too bad...We decided on a quick 5 nighter in December to see all the holiday decorations. Here's what we're paying:

hotel :$210 (splitting a 2 BR, 2 bath suite at Staybridge LBV for $75 per night, includes full hot breakfast for all 6 of us)
car: $130 (hopefully)
gas: $40
MVMCP tickets: $220
2 park day tickets: $200 (we have 10 day non-expiring tickets from 2 years ago - with hopping and WPM, considering 20 days at parks (water + major) it comes out to about $25 per day per ticket)
Food:
groceries: $40 - snacks, drinks and some lunches
dinners: $150 (likely overestimating - this is for CS meals and/or takeout on way back to hotel)
one 'big' dinner (would love it to be Cape May but it is full at the moment): $100
souveniers, etc: $100
airfare: $800

TOTAL is UNDER $2000 for 4 of us for 5 nights...would be even cheaper per night if we stayed for longer as the airfare is the major expense on this trip so staying longer would soften the blow of the airfare.

I don't think that's too bad at all.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Hilton came threw again $65!! LOL! Sorry Disney, but I get INTERIOR CORRIDORS, free interet (because I am an elite Honors member) free fridge, Extra Magic hours etc... for less then you want for a value.

My company wont let me stay at "exterior corridor" hotels on business, but Disney thinks they are just great and charges $150 a night for them...

I would have NO problem with Disney hotel pricing if the quality was there, but it's not.

 

[DawnM]

DH's coworker spends $4,000 for a week at the beach every summer, and that is just for the rental house, no actual events or things to do!

We spend way less than that for a week at Disney, so, no, I don't think Disney has gotten out of hand.

Now, it was a shock when we first moved here. Living in SoCal we had SoCal passes ($99 each and $40 parking pass) and we could just pop down for the day so no hotel stays.

Dawn

 

[cseca]

Hilton came threw again $65!! LOL! Sorry Disney, but I get INTERIOR CORRIDORS, free interet (because I am an elite Honors member) free fridge, Extra Magic hours etc... for less then you want for a value.

My company wont let me stay at "exterior corridor" hotels on business, but Disney thinks they are just great and charges $150 a night for them...

I would have NO problem with Disney hotel pricing if the quality was there, but it's not.

See I think that's the best part of WDW, everybody has LOTS of choices. They don't make you stay onsite but if you do, you get more ammenities to go along with the higher prices.

I think there are tons of people that loves to stay offsite because of the cost, but most families (on disboards especially) loves to stay onsite because of the transportation convenience, decors, immersive experience in general. Some wants to be able to see the castle in their room or it won't be special. Some wants to be able to walk to the park, some wants to ride the monorail from their resort.

And some people don't care about all that, they just want a place to shower and sleep. Nothing wrong with that...

But from what they are providing the guests with their prices (values and mods), I don't think they are too far off. Deluxe is a different animal altogether. Disney knows the target audience for those resorts and that people are willing to pay for the experience.

Supply and demand... that's the bottom line

We've stayed offsite and onsite. Ranging from Values to Deluxes. Depending on our mood and budgets we always have a grand time staying at the resort we picked.

Lots of options to make everybody happy!

 

[shaylahc1]

I agree that the prices have gotten insane. We used to go to WDW every year-to every other year....we have 4 kids so we have to rent 2 rooms (in a value resort) and even then it was $2500 min....which I didn't think was so bad.
Now that same trip would cost us more like $4000 (dining included). We are going on a 3 day Disney Dream Cruise in April ($2500!) and I thought we could go to Disney World for 1 or 2 days. There is no way! It would cost $800 for my family to go to WDW for 1 day (that is ticket prices ALONE, no food, no hotel, nothing else but park tickets). I am sorry but that's insane We will probably head over to Universal Studios instead, where there are better deals to be had.
We are HUGE WDW fans but I took my whole family on an 11 day Mediterranean cruise for $4000 (Disney). Compare that to a 6-7 day WDW vacation, I'd rather go cruising in Europe ThankYouVeryMuch!!!

 

[cm8]

well thats there choice not to be satisfied at a value.

I have 8 doctors. 4 of them have kids AND have been to Disney (I know this because I mentioned we are going to disney in December) and guess what...they have all stayed at a valueOMG it's amazing isnt it.
They are apparently not as snobby as the people you work with. They loved the values. These are doctors who live in multi million dollar houses in Bevelry Hills, Malibu, etc. and they said that it was one of their best vacations.

My Imunologist asked me where we were staying and when I said Pop Century, she kept goin gon about how much she and her kids love it there. They stayed for 9 days and she said that her kids keep asking to go back (they just had a baby so they dont plan on giong back for a couple of years) and her daughter who is 4(was 3 when they went) keeps asking to stay at the hotel with the giant bike (the Big Wheel at POP) but she was looking at teh family suites becaus ethey have 5 people now and when I told her about the Animation Inn and Suites opening in 2012 she was so thrilled. So now she knows exactly when they plan on going and where they are going to stay and she knows her 3 kids will love it and .

My husband and I have stayed both value and Deluxe, he is more so the "snob" and I'm just the type that don't care where I stay as long as they don't lose my O2 again. We don't mind staying at a value, and we don't mind staying deluxe, we LOVE saving money and try to get as many discounts as we can. I don't think there is anything wrong with Doctors that stay value, we have bills and other things just like everyone else. It's not like being a Doctor at the deluxe hotels gets you things over values, we all have equal opportunity to getting crappy rooms, and having bad customer services. It's not like we go around saying "hey, we're doctors and you had better give me this,that and the third"

 

[Soarin_04]

I guess Disney IS expensive if your vacation style usually consists of sitting on the beach all day and cook meals in your rental house/condo... (nothing wrong with this style btw, just doing comparison).

Oh, Cseca...even THAT isn't cheap anymore. We're a family of four and we spend a week at the beach each year in a rental, essentially doing what you just said -- hanging out at the beach and making all but about four of our meals ourselves. In August, we figured we spent $2500 for that trip, not counting transportation. If you count in the groceries I bought to do meal prep, add in an extra $150 or so, which included a lot of junk food we normally don't stock up on (Budget board has taught me well in terms of grocery shopping!)

We're heading to Disney next month. We're spending somewhere in the area of $3300, again without transportation, but that includes our meals, our room, and the parks, which is something we didn't do at the beach.

So, is it pricey? Yep. Is it comparable? Again, yep. Has it gone up? Uh huh...but so has every other vacation hot spot.

And as someone else said, you can always decide how many extras to add to your trip, and you can always opt to use pin codes or go during the value season.

 

[TandLMommy28]

It generally ends up costing me over $1200 to go to Rhode Island to visit family, and that's with staying at my mom's house for FREE... so in comparison, the $2,800 we spent for a week at Disney for everything including travel was a BARGAIN... We go to RI 4x a year so now I can't help thinking for every 2 times we skip RI, we could go to DIsney instead!

I think Disney CAN be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. I mean, we could have stayed at AKL with deluxe dining and done all kinds of extras and flown first class and spend hundreds of dollars on souvenirs and on and on... but we drove and stayed at Holiday Inn Expresses along the way and we stayed at French Quarter with free dining (and only did POFQ because we are going to do POP and upgrade to regular dining instead of QS and it came out to the same cost to just stay at POFQ and automatically get regular dining). And we only brought $300 for souvenirs and tips for our meals total... and we skipped the water parks and hopping.

So I think it depends on what you NEED to have in order to ahve a great vacation at Disney whether or not it's really expensive or not.

 

[Planogirl]

It's easy to take a cheap vacation to some places. You can bargain hunt and go to less popular but still nice places. You can even travel to WDW relatively cheaply except for passes. Those things kill me every time.

 

[Shelli_5]

Disney can be a great deal if you go during value season & your whole family can stay in one room. If you have to go during peak season due to work or school schedules & you need two rooms, then the price is outrageous. I also think the food is way over-priced. We're thinking about staying off-site for those very reasons. Don't get me wrong, I still love Disney. I just can't justify the incredibly high price tag for our family.

 

[gracie1]

Disney can be a great deal if you go during value season & your whole family can stay in one room. If you have to go during peak season due to work or school schedules & you need two rooms, then the price is outrageous. I also think the food is way over-priced. We're thinking about staying off-site for those very reasons. Don't get me wrong, I still love Disney. I just can't justify the incredibly high price tag for our family.

Well put

 

[disneygirlmass]

I dont think Disney prices have gotten out of hand. You can get much better deals than 400-500 a night, you just have to look for the right deal and the right hotel. There are plenty of hotels in Disney cheaper than the Animal Kingdom. And of course, any hotel will be pricier since its Christmas season. I would suggest renting points from the site if you want to stay at Animal Kingdom, its cheaper using DVC points. Also, if you do pay for a hotel not using points, if you have AAA you can get additional discounts if you check into it.