Breaking Point for Disney Cost

[Davey Jones II]

For us, the value is still there, but the Canadian dollar has taken a beating, so this year's trip (Cali/San Diego/DLR) will be more expensive than our Orlando vacation last year. During some other years, the Canadian dollar was doing much better, and actually cut into our trip expenses somewhat.

We alternate between Orlando and Cali, so, for us, some of the value comes from experiencing the new stuff that opened -- whether at Disney or Universal -- in the two year interim. That worked out great in recent years. In 2013, the entire DCA makeover was new to my g.f. Last year, New Fantasyland and Diagon Alley were entirely new to both of us. And this year, we will enjoy the Disneyland 60th anniversary goodies.

If you go to WDW year after year, I think the value might not be as strong because there is little new from one year to the next. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, because WDW and Orlando have a great deal to offer. But if you're like us, the lure of "new goodies" is one of the reasons we keep coming back. So you might want to consider following our vacation template, and alternating between coasts and resorts.

I love Orlando, but, to me, there's more to Disney than WDW.

 

[Disneyliscious]

My breaking point was in 2004 at DHS. Haven't been back since and have no plans to visit that park until after its rehabilitated. regarding the other 3 parks, I see one trip left in me after this one in October (when my granddaughter is old enough to go). The food prices and astronomical prices of the special events did it for me. $100 a day to go to a theme park and you still have to pay out the ying yang for extra stuff once you are inside.

 

[Kaigler]

If you'd told me in 2000 how much I'd be spending for a trip in 2015 it would definitely have been far below that!

Frogs in the slowly warming water don't see it that way.

We did finally reach the threshold for MVMCP this year, first time in 7 trips at Christmas we won't be attending.

I can totally see this. They're charging way too much for what you get. Yes, it is nice. But it is basically just an opportunity to get some character meet/greets with terrible cookies and hot chocolate. The parade is great, but that same parade runs on regular nights as well. I just don't see the value.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I can totally see this. They're charging way too much for what you get. Yes, it is nice. But it is basically just an opportunity to get some character meet/greets with terrible cookies and hot chocolate. The parade is great, but that same parade runs on regular nights as well. I just don't see the value.

MVMCP used to be amazing when it first started. It has been slowly gutted and is a shadow of its former self.

 

[Nancyg56]

I have read every post, and must agree that for my family, the breaking point is not reached yet. I continue to cost different vacation destinations because my DH wants very much to haul the whole Fam Damily to Myrtle Beach and recreate that trip we took when the kids were all young. They are all married now, and they all have the same personalities they had when they were kids, but BIGGER! LOL! So far, by the time I cost lodging, entertainment (the shows everywhere else but Diisney cost money!) and food, we are way over our WDW budget. Nothing is included. Not even beach chairs. You have to rent them! It is also almost impossible to cost food because this is not something you can really pre plan the way you can preplan Disney, but we can estimate, and that cost makes me faint.

One of the things we do is to decide what type of vacation we are planning in WDW. WE are not invested in staying DEluxe on every trip, and we are not compelled to din at every dinner show either, so we can control our costs by simply choosing activities that are included in our package. We also use the DDP, an often travel when the FD is offered. Now I know that people do not always find this a cost savings, but it is for my family. We are also not invested in too much family privacy, so when we travel to Disney we have no problems sharing rooms. If we all had separate rooms, the cost would be way over what we are comfortable with. This is a compromise that so far has worked to keep our per person cost down. And that is how we cost Disney...per person, not including kids.

For my family, the cost for DIsney is not a "bargain" any longer, but as long as we can find enought to keep us occupied for the duration of our trip, as long as we leave without any buyers remorse, and as long as we leave wanting to plan the next trip, we will continue to go back. We may make changes to rduce some costs in orrder to absorb others, but we will still go.

 

[cjparker0110]

As a married father of 3 (#4 coming in September!) I think my breaking point comes MUCH earlier than most. We are a one income family, and that income isn't very high at all. However, we are blessed to live in an area with low cost (house paid off in 5 years!), and where I can walk to work in 5 minutes. That saves us a lot of money that we can then save for WDW (or anything else). So we are planning our first WDW trip for 2017. I think for us we are finding that the breaking point comes before the lowest cost because we are so budget minded. But since that would eliminate the trip we are weighing our options carefully. We know we are going to spend a ridiculous amount of money on this trip. But we also know the memories will be worth it...I know because I still have my memories of going there as a child...even remembering some aspects of my first trip at age 4.

 

[LoodlesNoodles]

I wouldn't say my 'breaking point' has been reached but after October, I know I won't be going back for many years unless the price drops significantly. My priorities are changing from what they once were and no longer have the disposal income I once had to spend on a trip to Orlando when I was living at home/single.

My next trip will be the most expensive, it will be the first time staying on site and we have free dining so i know it will be more justifiable than previous trips. I do still remember fondly my cheap and cheerful trips for £700 for 2 weeks though. Might have been off site but they were a bargain to get us there!

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

I have read every post, and must agree that for my family, the breaking point is not reached yet. I continue to cost different vacation destinations because my DH wants very much to haul the whole Fam Damily to Myrtle Beach and recreate that trip we took when the kids were all young. They are all married now, and they all have the same personalities they had when they were kids, but BIGGER! LOL! So far, by the time I cost lodging, entertainment (the shows everywhere else but Diisney cost money!) and food, we are way over our WDW budget. Nothing is included. Not even beach chairs. You have to rent them! It is also almost impossible to cost food because this is not something you can really pre plan the way you can preplan Disney, but we can estimate, and that cost makes me faint.

So if you stay at Marriott's OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes (as an example), which is right on the beach, you're telling me that Marriott will make you rent beach chairs? That doesn't sound right.

 

[bcrook]

As a married father of 3 (#4 coming in September!) I think my breaking point comes MUCH earlier than most. We are a one income family, and that income isn't very high at all. However, we are blessed to live in an area with low cost (house paid off in 5 years!), and where I can walk to work in 5 minutes. That saves us a lot of money that we can then save for WDW (or anything else). So we are planning our first WDW trip for 2017. I think for us we are finding that the breaking point comes before the lowest cost because we are so budget minded. But since that would eliminate the trip we are weighing our options carefully. We know we are going to spend a ridiculous amount of money on this trip. But we also know the memories will be worth it...I know because I still have my memories of going there as a child...even remembering some aspects of my first trip at age 4.

Nicely said. I too remember my first trips to the Magic Kingdom as a kid very well.

When I think about it though I remember that trip to Gettysburg and DC, and the trip to the Smoky Mountains, and The camping trip to Silver Dollar City vividly too.

I wonder if it is really just time with the family on vacation that is the true magic?

Disclaimer: This is from someone who takes about 45 vacation days a year and is writing this moments before heading into a national park to hike with his 19 year old son. I find this time with my kids to be irreplaceable.

 

[Nancyg56]

So if you stay at Marriott's OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes (as an example), which is right on the beach, you're telling me that Marriott will make you rent beach chairs? That doesn't sound right.

I am saying that at the resorts we stayed at when my husband and I visited, there were no chairs available on the beach. You had to rent from independent vendors. I cannot say that the Marriot does not have their own area on the beach where they have lounge chairs for guests, but I can say most do not. The cost is not cheap.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Nicely said. I too remember my first trips to the Magic Kingdom as a kid very well.

When I think about it though I remember that trip to Gettysburg and DC, and the trip to the Smoky Mountains, and The camping trip to Silver Dollar City vividly too.

I wonder if it is really just time with the family on vacation that is the true magic?

Disclaimer: This is from someone who takes about 45 vacation days a year and is writing this moments before heading into a national park to hike with his 19 year old son. I find this time with my kids to be irreplaceable.

I do think it is the time with the family that is the magic. But I do think that each family has its likes and dislikes. We used to own a small cabin by a lake about two hours from our home. It was *magical* for about a year. And then....we got bored. Then we put in WiFi. And cable. And then we started driving to little amusement parks and water parks when we were up there. We can sit by a lake for an hour then we are done. We eventually sold it. Ditto for vacations at the Jersey Shore. The beach just isn't fun for us. We have certain things that we like on vacation...that includes eating out, not cleaning and having stuff to do. I do want to start visiting more cities with the kids as they get older though. I kind of think of WDW as a city vacation actually.

 

[MrInfinity]

I do think it is the time with the family that is the magic. But I do think that each family has its likes and dislikes. We used to own a small cabin by a lake about two hours from our home. It was *magical* for about a year. And then....we got bored. Then we put in WiFi. And cable. And then we started driving to little amusement parks and water parks when we were up there. We can sit by a lake for an hour then we are done. We eventually sold it. Ditto for vacations at the Jersey Shore. The beach just isn't fun for us. We have certain things that we like on vacation...that includes eating out, not cleaning and having stuff to do. I do want to start visiting more cities with the kids as they get older though. I kind of think of WDW as a city vacation actually.

This is pretty much our family too. We can take relaxing -- for about a half-day, then we want to do something.

As to the cost of Disney World, I think it's pretty reasonable. It was a big deal for my parents to be able to afford to go 30 years ago, and it's a big deal today.

What a lot of ppl overlook is the real thing that drives the cost up is not Disney but themselves. Our first trip, we had 2 kids and a baby, and we did no extra stuff, and ate mostly quick service. By the 2nd trip we were 3 older kids and booking more character meals, and by our 3rd trip we were 4 kids. Now our next trip we no longer fit in a Disney Deluxe room. So what's affecting my costs in the larger scale is my own family changes. The Disney changes of the single day park ticket going from $85 to $100 or whatever, are trivial in comparison. I could cut out one TS meal and more than offset the Disney price increases.

 

[blondietink]

Well, after our trip to WDW last December, we reached our breaking point, and we are DVC members. We stayed at POFQ and paid OOP for food, with a Candlelight Processional package ($$$$). We are 4 adults. 5 day PH tickets. We drove from Buffalo, NY to Orlando. It cost us a small fortune.

Anyway, we have found we can spend a whole lot less money and
1. go to Puerto Rico for 5 days and go on a cruise (did this in April)
2. go to Cancun for 10 days (going here in September)
3. go to Disneyland in California (we are doing this in November)

We priced out Disneyland and with the cheap hotels available right across the street, tickets that are reasonable, cheap eats near the parks, reasonable flights and a new experience, we are very excited. With WDW seemingly ignoring Hollywood Studios, AK being a mess of construction and the parks being taken over by all things Frozen, and the crowds, we need a very long break, I think. For people who used to be AP holders, this is significant.

By the way, if any of you are thinking about our DVC, we are using all our points to go to Aulani in Hawaii next year. We have booked free flights for 4 (though our AA Advantage card) and our only OOP expenses besides our yearly dues will be a couple of nights in Waikiki, a rental car and food at the grocery store. Yes, cheaper than WDW!

 

[secretpantssam]

I may have reached that point my last trip. We took a few years off since my husband wanted to take some trips to other destinations. When we booked the trip last October, it just seemed a lot more expensive than it used to be- which I guess you don't notice the prices rising as much when you go every year but when you wait that jump seems bigger. Then with the new Fast Pass+ it seemed to just pull some of the magic out of the trip. I spent so much time planning for us and my parents that anytime something went wrong or got delayed- I felt like I ruined everyone's vacation because I was in charge of their Fastpasses and reservations. And the Halloween party was so crowded this year that we felt like we didn't get to do half as much as previous years and it felt like a waste of money. At the end of the trip I just didn't feel as excited as I always do to come back.

 

[Richard M Nixon]

As a DINK couple, I'd say around 6-7k/pp/week would make me start to consider somewhere else. If kids were ever added in to the mix, I know that number would drop significantly.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

I don't think that there is a concrete answer for us because we still enjoy the experience so much. So I really think that instead of bailing on future trips we would probably start making changes in the trip itself instead. Ex: opting to stay offsite, bringing more food/eating outside the parks, not attending the special ticket events, etc.

We do other trips as well like cruises, beach vacays, mountains, Vegas, etc...but I don't think that the family as a whole has more fun at WDW than it does on any of the other trips. So I really can't see us stopping barring some big financial family issue. We'd just adjust the trip accordingly should we need to decrease the costs.

(note: this does not include the possibility of WDW closing the Haunted Mansion. Should that happen - I'm going on a full scale riot and getting banned for life! )

 

[Phoenixrising]

Honestly it's getting to be too expensive for us as well. We are planning a family trip to WDW in Jan/17. I'm also planning a solo trip for later that year. After looking at DL for 5 days expense wise, I figured for a small amount more I could visit Waikiki, Oahu for 7 days, so that's where I'm headed instead of DL for my solo trip. I've heard more and more from our friends how complain about how expensive Disney vacations are getting, and more of our friends are opting out of going to Disney parks and going on vacation other places instead. As to if this will be our last Disney vacation as a family, we won't make that decision until after our WDW trip. Our kids are getting older, and because of this we have a desire to travel to new places with the kids.

 

[flicx]

After Disney shut down the no expiration tickets we can see the end is near for us. We always went on shorter trips ( 3 or 4 days) and tried to squeeze in all we can because 7 to 10 day trips just aren't possible with us. Now the ticket cost will be prohibitive for this kind of trip. At the rate on site stays have gone up it is just getting too tough. Heck I am seeing some prices of values almost at what we paid for deluxe a little over ten years ago. CRAZY! Once the last of our no expiration hopper tickets are gone it will take a lot to get us back. Oh well its been a good several decades of fun.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

One interesting thing I'm observing is that it seems quite a few folks are either making adjustments to compensate for the increased prices and/or taking fewer trips altogether. This is occurring despite a fairly strong economy mixed with some fairly low gas prices (at least relative to the past 5 years). If the economy were to ever take a nosedive, I'm guessing Disney park attendance would get destroyed to its core.

 

[Nancyg56]

One interesting thing I'm observing is that it seems quite a few folks are either making adjustments to compensate for the increased prices and/or taking fewer trips altogether. This is occurring despite a fairly strong economy mixed with some fairly low gas prices (at least relative to the past 5 years). If the economy were to ever take a nosedive, I'm guessing Disney park attendance would get destroyed to its core.

I think it would certainly take a hit. We have a decent income and are not raising a family, so we have discretionary monies that we did not have when the kids were in school and growing up. We help the others so that we can vacation as a family because they are raising their own families. If our income was reduced or our expenses were increased, we would need to rethink our priorities, and vacations would not top that list. I imagine other people would determine that a WDW vacation needed to be less expensive in order to compensate for the changes in circumstances as well.