Budget..... I'm in shock right now... (rant of an old person here)

I agree with the original poster's rant, and others about the huge costs of going to Disney now. My wife and I almost booked a 4 night stay in early November but chickened out when common sense kicked in after the sticker shock hit us. Between paying rack rates for the Poly resort (plus lodging taxes & daily parking fees), another $250 per person per day for park tickets w/hopper, and meals we estimated it would cost us close to a $1,000 / day at WDW. And that didn't even include transportation costs to Florida and back home. I deleted the shopping cart entries in MDE, and we decided not to go. Going to WDW now has become a financial intelligence test for us.
 
I agree with the original poster's rant, and others about the huge costs of going to Disney now. My wife and I almost booked a 4 night stay in early November but chickened out when common sense kicked in after the sticker shock hit us. Between paying rack rates for the Poly resort (plus lodging taxes & daily parking fees), another $250 per person per day for park tickets w/hopper, and meals we estimated it would cost us close to a $1,000 / day at WDW. And that didn't even include transportation costs to Florida and back home. I deleted the shopping cart entries in MDE, and we decided not to go. Going to WDW now has become a financial intelligence test for us.

We've been going to WDW once to twice last 10 yrs. This year I priced out December and February and between the flights and Epcot resort hotels that we prefer, it looked like 40% more than what we paid during the last visit right before covid. Frankly I just can't afford the new prices and that's really been annoying me...

Are millionaires (and DVC members) the only ones going or are other ppl just more flexible in their budgets after covid?
 
For fun I looked through my email and found what we paid in 2013.
2 adults, one Disney adult (15) , one child (8) for 7 nights in February . Preferred room at Port Orleans Riverside , 2 day base tickets - $2491.18
Exact same trip with same inputs in 2022 - $3945.10 .
A difference of $1453.92. The 2013 trip included free dining and free Magical Express.

I’ll just leave that for people to look over. I feel that’s a huge jump in 9 years but others might not. I guess it’s all a matter of our personal tolerance level.
This made me look through my old emails, also from 2013. $2857 for POR Standard 5th sleeper, 3 adults, 1 disney adults, 1 child, 9 nights in Feb, 2 day base tickets. Also included FD.

Same trip in 2022 is $4143 without dining. I think regular dining plan was about $80/adult last they had it, $30/child so that would be another $350/day x 9 nights for a grand total of $7293 for the same trip. Plus whatever it would cost for transportation to and from airport, Genie, etc. Ouch!!!
 
Are millionaires (and DVC members) the only ones going or are other ppl just more flexible in their budgets after covid?

Uhm ... yep! Plus the heavily discounted annual passes/ticket prices for Florida residents (with all due respect you fortunate local residents). IMHO Disney is no longer the creative animation & "magic" power house it was under Walter Elias. It has evolved into a run-of-the-mill marketing company that has resort to acquiring other people's creative ideas (Star Wars, Toy Story, etc) and raise prices to grow their business and satisfy stockholders these days. I live in Arkansas. And in my local newspaper last Sunday was the 12 page advertising insert pictured below promoting Disney's 50th anniversary activities. It arrogantly bragged about everything at WDW, except the cost. 12 pages of full-page newsprint advertising a 1,000 miles away from Orlando!! My 1st thought was ... how expensive was that ad? My 2nd thought was .... no wonder Disney is raising ticket prices, charging rack rates for resort rooms and virtually eliminating all their "Special Offers." Cost, not Covid is keeping me away from WDW.

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Just read an article that
the average cost of college has jumped 3,009% in the past 50 Years. I think that expense would affect middle class families a lot more than an occasional vacation
 
Earlier you said you only go for one day, there really are no deals at any of the theme parks for 1 day tickets. Now the cheapest annual pass is not much more than a 3 day park-to-park ticket and gives great deals on resort rates, that’s where you can really save.

I often have 2 days for Universal. Before Covid I was looking into a full Universal trip with 3-4 days at the Universal parks (I think they are worth a few days).
 
Just read an article that
the average cost of college has jumped 3,009% in the past 50 Years. I think that expense would affect middle class families a lot more than an occasional vacation

Depends. We normally were going on vacation every year and dropping at least $5K. My kid went to trades school for 8 months. Cost me a few thousand?
 


We've been going to WDW once to twice last 10 yrs. This year I priced out December and February and between the flights and Epcot resort hotels that we prefer, it looked like 40% more than what we paid during the last visit right before covid. Frankly I just can't afford the new prices and that's really been annoying me...

Are millionaires (and DVC members) the only ones going or are other ppl just more flexible in their budgets after covid?

Disney's new pricing:

millionaires: value resorts
centimillionaires: moderate
billionaires: deluxe
 
I hear you on Space 220! My husband is pretty liberal with budgeting for a dinner experience. We’ll pay $40-50 a plate without him batting an eye, and he was really wanting to try Space 220 when he first heard about it. But once the menu and pricing came out, he said he didn’t want to anymore. As it turns out, we are planning on being in Disney for my birthday next year and we are going to try for CRT as a splurge, and Space 220 would be at least $20 extra per person on top of that. It really put it into perspective for me. But then there’s the new Star Wars hotel and experience coming out in a year or two, and I can’t imagine paying those prices either. But I’m sure plenty of people will.

in general star wars spending is on another level. the $6 cokes in a round bottle, $130 for plastic figurines made in china. at least make them pewter in the usa. Im a huge fan, i definitely splurged but within reason, it will be a while before i hit up the cruiser, ill wait until my son is old enough to enjoy it.

that said, i was at space 220 and it was cool, but now that ive done it id only go if im with someone who hasn’t.
 
We've been going to WDW once to twice last 10 yrs. This year I priced out December and February and between the flights and Epcot resort hotels that we prefer, it looked like 40% more than what we paid during the last visit right before covid. Frankly I just can't afford the new prices and that's really been annoying me...

Are millionaires (and DVC members) the only ones going or are other ppl just more flexible in their budgets after covid?
I personally just don’t stay at Epcot resorts.
 
I understand not liking the rooms at values or thinking they are subpar. But, I don’t understand saying they are expensive. They are often $150 a night. I can’t get a hotel anywhere near me for less than 175 a night.

Ticket though. Astronomical.
 
It would cost us a bit more now for a week at a moderate than it did for a week at the Poly in 2012 and that stay included free dining. I am comparing the same time period and tickets.
 
I understand not liking the rooms at values or thinking they are subpar. But, I don’t understand saying they are expensive. They are often $150 a night. I can’t get a hotel anywhere near me for less than 175 a night.

Ticket though. Astronomical.

That is near you. The problem is the huge price increase just for staying on-property. When you read reviews on the value motels "Motel-6" comes up often. I picked some random mid-week days in Nov. All-Star is $132, POP is $175, AOA is $210. The Motel-6 nearby is $59 for those same days. 5% less if you join their club. So, $150/nt is probably a reasonable rate for a hotel you'd be willing to stay at. But it is expensive for a motel-6 quality.
 
That is near you. The problem is the huge price increase just for staying on-property. When you read reviews on the value motels "Motel-6" comes up often. I picked some random mid-week days in Nov. All-Star is $132, POP is $175, AOA is $210. The Motel-6 nearby is $59 for those same days. 5% less if you join their club. So, $150/nt is probably a reasonable rate for a hotel you'd be willing to stay at. But it is expensive for a motel-6 quality.
Yeah I get that it’s expensive compared to a motel 6. But I don’t get the comparison. I don’t live in FL, but do motel 6’s out there have multiple outdoor pools and activities for kids? They might because it’s Florida. I certainly don’t think they have food courts or transportation to any local attractions.

moderates and deluxes I agree are very expensive, but I will never get the motel comparisons to the values.
 
Yeah I get that it’s expensive compared to a motel 6. But I don’t get the comparison. I don’t live in FL, but do motel 6’s out there have multiple outdoor pools and activities for kids? They might because it’s Florida. I certainly don’t think they have food courts or transportation to any local attractions.

moderates and deluxes I agree are very expensive, but I will never get the motel comparisons to the values.

I don't know. I'm not picky about hotels but I do have a rule that I don't stay in a Days Inn or any hotel with a number in it. That was after my companies TA booked me in a Days Inn and the room literally had a body-shaped blood puddle that was still tacky. But, the value rooms are motel-style with tiny rooms and a bit crappy with things like tiny disposable cups even pre-covid, and shower curtains instead of bathroom doors. So tiny there is sometimes murphy beds instead of a real bed.

But, I guess my main point is that it is expensive for what you get. So, the people that say it is expensive are also saying they are subpar.
 
I don't know. I'm not picky about hotels but I do have a rule that I don't stay in a Days Inn or any hotel with a number in it. That was after my companies TA booked me in a Days Inn and the room literally had a body-shaped blood puddle that was still tacky. But, the value rooms are motel-style with tiny rooms and a bit crappy with things like tiny disposable cups even pre-covid, and shower curtains instead of bathroom doors. So tiny there is sometimes murphy beds instead of a real bed.

But, I guess my main point is that it is expensive for what you get. So, the people that say it is expensive are also saying they are subpar.

I'd prefer disposable cups as I know they are actually clean. Pop has shower doors not curtains and the Murphy bed is exactly the same size ans matress as the permanent queen bed. They made them murphy beds so those that don't need both beds or want more room when not sleeping can have the extra space.
 
I'd prefer disposable cups as I know they are actually clean. Pop has shower doors not curtains and the Murphy bed is exactly the same size ans matress as the permanent queen bed. They made them murphy beds so those that don't need both beds or want more room when not sleeping can have the extra space.
And you need the beds to go up because that expensive pop room is only 260 SF. The average hotel room size in the US is 330 SF.
 
I don't know. I'm not picky about hotels but I do have a rule that I don't stay in a Days Inn or any hotel with a number in it. That was after my companies TA booked me in a Days Inn and the room literally had a body-shaped blood puddle that was still tacky. But, the value rooms are motel-style with tiny rooms and a bit crappy with things like tiny disposable cups even pre-covid, and shower curtains instead of bathroom doors. So tiny there is sometimes murphy beds instead of a real bed.

But, I guess my main point is that it is expensive for what you get. So, the people that say it is expensive are also saying they are subpar.

I understand what you're saying - that the value isn't there for what you get. I just personally disagree *when it comes to value resorts only*. It's a personal preference, really and I can see that people don't want to stay in a Value because it's not what they are accustomed to. Then, they look at moderates/deluxe's and those prices are crazy.

It's really all a personal preference, but just for the sake of explaining why I don't personally think it's expensive (and it's not to argue that your opinion isn't valid) for me, I wanted to give a little more info on my thought process. Personally, I'm used to staying placed like Holiday Inn's or La Quinta, or the basic Marriott's. The cost of those rooms and a Disney Value resort are very similar. You may find some cheaper prices at those places or a slightly bigger room, but in my view these types of locations are more comparable to Disney Values than a motel 6 is. At Disney values you have the pools, kids activities, transportation, food court etc. You (generally) don't have all that at these other hotels. You'd have to rent a car or take an Uber or take time to eat off site. All of those points are a value add for Disney.

I am in the process of booking a large family trip. My brother was trying to really cut down the costs as much as possible and so he wanted to look offsite. The offsite costs of a room (at a hotel) he was comfortable staying at didn't lower the cost enough (compared to a Value) to justify having to rent a car or Uber. It was the tickets that really costs us.

Now, of course, I'm not saying that a Disney trip isn't expensive and absolutely tickets are way overpriced. You can also stay at a condo or airbnb for cheaper. 100% I'm not even saying staying at a Value is affordable in any way. But when strictly comparing the Value resort costs to an average hotel room? I don't think that is overpriced when compared to hotels with similar amenities. Are hotels in general overpriced? Probably.
 

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