Concerned about theme park pricing

[Baymax1076]

Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Disney and their theme parks. The family and I will be going to Orlando this May and we can't be more excited!

Heard about the recent price increases to the theme parks and while I'd love to pay less, the extra cost isn't going to stop us from going. However, it got me thinking about how un-affordable a Disney vacation has become for a lot of people (and at the rate the prices go up soon I will be part of that group too haha).

I understand that Disney employs a lot of people and they are constantly trying to improve the experience for their guests. I've heard some arguments that the increases will help keep crowd levels down (which is definitely a problem). I know that Disney at the end of the day is a company and their ultimate goal is to make money or a profit. But I would have to think that they would be/are making a lot of money even without raising their prices. I guess prices can't stand still but it just seems to me that Disney isn't raising prices out of necessity but because they can.

I know its corny but I do believe in the "magic" of Disney and the whole "Happiest place on Earth" stuff. There is a certain feeling (innocence, nostalgia, hope, etc) I get every time I'm there. I save what I can so every so often I can take the family and they can get that feeling too. Disney has created something really incredible and its just a shame to me that more people don't get to share in the Disney experience strictly due to cost and each year it gets a little worse. My son is 10 and my wife and I joke that by the time he has a family he'll need a bank loan (or two) to cover the cost of a Disney vacation.

I believe I had read/heard that Walt Disney wanted everyone to be able to afford going to his parks. If he were still alive today, I wonder if he would be ok with what his parks were charging folks these days.

 

[Rusty2rules]

I understand the whole sentiment. I really do. I've had this discussion with many non-believers who say ohhhhhhh, Disney is so expensive. Here's what I tell them. Let's say you're going to WDW for 5 nights/6 days and staying on-site. At the very least, you don't have to worry about transportation if you do that. And you're completely immersed in "the magic". I know it's going to cost me "X" amount of dollars because I bought a package. Then I tell them to pick out another destination they want to take for a big family vacation. New York? Hawaii? I might even throw Gatlinburg in there or some other place like that. Now tell me how much you're going to spend on that same vacation. People get sticker shock because they see the package price for a Disney vacation. Every place else you see the hotel...and price of admission to whatever it is you're going to do...and gas to get around...they don't see the whole price in one lump sum. I'd be willing to bet you're going to spend as much or more on that vacation as a Disney vacation. You just don't get the sticker shock...until you get home and see how much you spent. My son and I are going to WDW this fall. I'm spending "X" amount of dollars. My boss is taking his son to New York over summer break for a few days. His flight is almost as much as my entire Disney stay. And yet he says WDW is sooooo expensive.

Honestly, I don't think Walt would have that much of a problem with the cost. I mean, he's a business man. I think he'd be more concerned about the cut backs in customer services and quality of service.

 

[lborne]

I hear you, but I'm not sure I know an answer. The demographics have surely changed over the years. When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s living 800 miles away, most people I knew went to Disney once or twice. Many families had to save up for that one trip. Now, those kids that I grew up with take their families every year - sometimes multiple times a year. And while prices have definitely outpaced inflation over the years, there is also so many more options than when the park opened.

 

[Planogirl]

I can spend far less at some destinations but it really depends on what you prefer to do. I like mountains and regional attractions and those trips can definitely cost far less.

Disney might be worth every penny of the price but that doesn't matter if you can't afford it. That doesn't seem to affect crowds though, at least not so far. I think that people get less bang for their buck now and that's a shame.

 

[Nancyg56]

Disney has always been expensive. I am not fond of increases in price but then I ask waht as want to cut in order to reduce the price. Nothing.

WE look at the total cost of the tip. If it is worth it we go, if not we determine if we want to compromise someting to cut costs. Sometimes we do, other times we do not.

I think that families also need to determine their vacation budget and where they might compromise in order to adore the trip. Offsite instead of on? CS instead of TS? Value instead of mod? 5 days instead of 6?

I am not happy that things that used to be free are not excluded due to upcharges. TIcket price increases I am fine with, but reduced areas for that price/ not so much.

 

[FortForever]

It's quite inexpensive if you live in Florida.

We live on a partially fixed income, and spend an average of 6 weeks a year on Disney property.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

I understand the whole sentiment. I really do. I've had this discussion with many non-believers who say ohhhhhhh, Disney is so expensive. Here's what I tell them. Let's say you're going to WDW for 5 nights/6 days and staying on-site. At the very least, you don't have to worry about transportation if you do that. And you're completely immersed in "the magic". I know it's going to cost me "X" amount of dollars because I bought a package. Then I tell them to pick out another destination they want to take for a big family vacation. New York? Hawaii? I might even throw Gatlinburg in there or some other place like that. Now tell me how much you're going to spend on that same vacation. People get sticker shock because they see the package price for a Disney vacation. Every place else you see the hotel...and price of admission to whatever it is you're going to do...and gas to get around...they don't see the whole price in one lump sum. I'd be willing to bet you're going to spend as much or more on that vacation as a Disney vacation. You just don't get the sticker shock...until you get home and see how much you spent. My son and I are going to WDW this fall. I'm spending "X" amount of dollars. My boss is taking his son to New York over summer break for a few days. His flight is almost as much as my entire Disney stay. And yet he says WDW is sooooo expensive.

Honestly, I don't think Walt would have that much of a problem with the cost. I mean, he's a business man. I think he'd be more concerned about the cut backs in customer services and quality of service.

We went to Gatlinburg a couple years ago on a budget and stayed for 3 nights on a Groupon and we still spent over $1000 after food, attractions, lodging and gas.

Took the family to Atlanta a few years back and did the Aquarium, & the Coke Factory Tour and along with food and lodging and transportation, we dropped over $1000 over a long weekend.

We stayed at the beach for a week last summer - and did it rather cheaply in my opinion - but after food, condo, gas, and fun, we spent $2500 easily.

So, depending on where we stay at Disney (value, mod or high end), with a dining plan, ticket hoppers and flights, we are typically in the 4000-5000 range. For us - this is pretty expensive for 5 days - but we love Disney, so we save up and realize it will be our only vacation that particular year. Yes, things are getting out of control (our first Disney vacation was $2500 and that included flights). As long as people are paying the money, Disney is going to continue to raise prices.

 

[FCDub]

The idea that everyone should be able to afford something, albeit idealistic, is just not practical. An economic divide between people who can and can't afford something extends to all facets of life. At the end of the day, destination vacations (especially Disney) are a luxury, not a necessity or something people are entitled to. People can decide for themselves whether the cost of something outweighs the benefits.

(But yes, the costs are getting very high.)

 

[pmaurer74]

I have found Disney to be reasonable compared to other locations and you can get a room for around $100 a night! The prices have gone up and what my friend priced out last night is what we spent 7 years ago. What she is paying I get two trips because I have an AP and a DVC. With those two plus free flights from Southwest is is very reasonable. We are taking 6 people in December for 5 nights for 3k total including airfare, tickets and meals. It would have cost me only my maintenance fees and food if we were not paying for two more adults tickets and meals.

 

[mousehockey37]

The whole topic of the affordability of a Disney vacation is very touchy. Everyone comes from different classes of life. Do I think prices are out of hand? Yes, but at the same time are they necessary? Yes. If Disney were to lower or at least stagnate for a year or two, it wouldn't hurt anyone, but in the end, Disney has ways to get people in the parks... *cough, cough, South American tour groups cough cough*

Whether you live 10 minutes or 10,000 miles away, getting to Disney is what you make of it. Some will mortgage their lives to go multiple times a year, others will put away small amounts and go every few years. It's all about what you think of it.

 

[cigar95]

I believe I had read/heard that Walt Disney wanted everyone to be able to afford going to his parks. . . . . . .

As noble a sentiment as it is, in the 60+ years since Disneyland opened, there have become too many "everyone"s for that to be viable.
Imagine if one had to enter a lottery to get WDW tickets.

 

[IrishNYC]

Disney can definitely be comparable to a regional road trip type vacation for us. For example, we live in NYC. We drove to Cape Cod last summer, stayed a week in a rented house, did some activities, ate one meal out most days, and bought groceries for the meals we didn't eat out. We spent about the same amount as a we would for a week at Disney at a moderate resort. Basically our "big" vacation budget item for a year covers something comparable to going to the Cape, or a week at Disney, or for next year, an 8 night cruise, and renting a house in the Keys the year after that. There's give and take for each type of vacation. For a road trip we're paying for gas to drive there and drive around our destination. Then we have to cook and clean because we're renting a house and not staying in a hotel. For Disney we have to fly, but I don't have to cook or clean. For a cruise there's the expense of alcohol and excursions if we do any. When we go to the keys there's a rental car, gas, cooking and cleaning, flying, and FL fishing licenses. The base price of all these trips are about the same, and then the extras of flying/driving/cooking/etc. all even out as well.

I hear you, but I'm not sure I know an answer. The demographics have surely changed over the years. When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s living 800 miles away, most people I knew went to Disney once or twice. Many families had to save up for that one trip. Now, those kids that I grew up with take their families every year - sometimes multiple times a year. And while prices have definitely outpaced inflation over the years, there is also so many more options than when the park opened.

I do think people that go back to WDW every year help drive the price up. Disney knows they have a captive audience that will keep coming back no matter what. We like Disney, but there's no way we have any interest in doing it every year, especially since DD will be over 10 when we even consider another trip after this year's.

 

[loves to dive]

WDW has always been expensive, you can't say it's x now and it was x 10 years ago unless you factor in cost of living at that time, it's probably not that much difference. I was a single mother, worked as a secretary so my income was not high, when we first started going. It was expensive, that was 30 years ago. We went every other year because it took me two years to save. Back then there weren't any value or moderate resorts, only the monorail resorts and what is now Shades of Green. So we stayed deluxe because staying on property was part of the reason I saved so hard. I'm talking if we went out to eat it was McDonald's and we shared a happy meal. On the off years we would take long weekends somewhere within driving distance, usually a state park or near one. 30 years later, my son is grown and I have a significant other, our income is comfortable. I go twice a year, once solo once with my son (still after 32 years he enjoys going with his Mom). I've priced going other places and WDW always comes out less. I'll admit the other places I go are in the luxury category but that's my choice now. A dive trip to the south Pacific, staying on a live aboard dive boat which is as far from luxury as you can get, will cost 3x what WDW does so it's all how you look at it.

 

[NuttyDisneyDad]

What I have a problem with is that they want over 100$ for a 1 day ticket but cant figure out how to clean a bathroom properly. I just got back and they were atrocious

 

[IrishNYC]

What I have a problem with is that they want over 100$ for a 1 day ticket but cant figure out how to clean a bathroom properly. I just got back and they were atrocious

Yes, the bathrooms should be clean, but $100/day isn't that far off from what a Six Flags ticket costs - about $75/day, Hersheypark (which we go to every year) is $65/day. What you get at Disney is much, much more than what you get at either of those places.

 

[NuttyDisneyDad]

Agreed

 

[HopperFan]

Your main costs that are non-optional AT DISNEY are Tickets, Lodging and Food.

As an example a 7 day Hopper Adult Ticket comes out to $73 a day.
With hopping you will likely have access to parks 12+ hours per day.
That comes to $6 per hour. That is reasonable.

That is the same as we pay for a movie, $13 per movie usually around 2 hours.
That is reasonable compared to:
- NFL Football tickets average $85-100 for a few hours.
- Broadway tickets for good shows range $130-250 for a few hours.
- Concert tickets average runs around $75-100 for a few hours.
- Lower level for Daytona 500 runs $200 ticket.


Lodging and Food are areas where there are so many options, many of which
can save lots of money. We do it all; on, off, hotel, condo .... and no matter
where we stay we have a great trip.

 

[bbak30]

I understand the whole sentiment. I really do. I've had this discussion with many non-believers who say ohhhhhhh, Disney is so expensive. Here's what I tell them. Let's say you're going to WDW for 5 nights/6 days and staying on-site. At the very least, you don't have to worry about transportation if you do that. And you're completely immersed in "the magic". I know it's going to cost me "X" amount of dollars because I bought a package. Then I tell them to pick out another destination they want to take for a big family vacation. New York? Hawaii? I might even throw Gatlinburg in there or some other place like that. Now tell me how much you're going to spend on that same vacation. People get sticker shock because they see the package price for a Disney vacation. Every place else you see the hotel...and price of admission to whatever it is you're going to do...and gas to get around...they don't see the whole price in one lump sum. I'd be willing to bet you're going to spend as much or more on that vacation as a Disney vacation. You just don't get the sticker shock...until you get home and see how much you spent. My son and I are going to WDW this fall. I'm spending "X" amount of dollars. My boss is taking his son to New York over summer break for a few days. His flight is almost as much as my entire Disney stay. And yet he says WDW is sooooo expensive.

Honestly, I don't think Walt would have that much of a problem with the cost. I mean, he's a business man. I think he'd be more concerned about the cut backs in customer services and quality of service.

This. Right here. We spent thanksgiving in Gatlinburg a few years ago and spent a TON of money on a whole lot of nothing. I felt nickled and dimmed to death. When I go to Disney, I know what it's going to cost and what I'm getting. And when you compare to other vacations, it's pretty comparable.

 

[FortForever]

Whether you live 10 minutes or 10,000 miles away, getting to Disney is what you make of it. Some will mortgage their lives to go multiple times a year, others will put away small amounts and go every few years. It's all about what you think of it.

We've never "mortgaged our lives" to go to Disney multiple times a year. In fact, our home is paid off, we don't have a mortgage or a car payment.

We just got back from a week at Disney and spent a grand total of $480. We were trying to do it for $400, but we ended up eating some mid day meals in the park. Whether we go to Disney or not, we pay $13.65 a month for our Weekday annual passes. We stayed in our camper at Fort Wilderness and our resort total was $279. It costs under $20 in gas each way. We brought along all of our own food, intending to not on site at all.

This was the first trip we had ever tried to do that, just to see how cheap we could do a week at Disney. We arrived on Sunday and left Friday night about 6:00 pm, after a day in the parks. In this amount, I also bought 2 Christmas ornaments (we always buy one the first trip of the year, but found two we wanted,) and did 4 Figment's Scavenger Hunts because I wanted all four magnets.

I didn't count the groceries we bought for the week, as it was the same we would spend at home, no microwave meals or anything. I also didn't include the monthly payments on our park passes, since we pay that if we go or not.

A lot of people spend much more because they want to stay in luxury resorts - we don't care - been there done that, and spend minimal time at the room anyway. Also, food is a big expense if people want to eat at the pricey restaurants, or even quick serve at the parks every day. Once again, we couldn't care less about the food.

Disney is only as expensive as people want to make it be. There are plenty of ways to do it cheaper, depending on what your priorities are.

 

[mousehockey37]

We've never "mortgaged our lives" to go to Disney multiple times a year. In fact, our home is paid off, we don't have a mortgage or a car payment.

We just got back from a week at Disney and spent a grand total of $480. We were trying to do it for $400, but we ended up eating some mid day meals in the park. Whether we go to Disney or not, we pay $13.65 a month for our Weekday annual passes. We stayed in our camper at Fort Wilderness and our resort total was $279. It costs under $20 in gas each way. We brought along all of our own food, intending to not on site at all.

This was the first trip we had ever tried to do that, just to see how cheap we could do a week at Disney. We arrived on Sunday and left Friday night about 6:00 pm, after a day in the parks. In this amount, I also bought 2 Christmas ornaments (we always buy one the first trip of the year, but found two we wanted,) and did 4 Figment's Scavenger Hunts because I wanted all four magnets.

I didn't count the groceries we bought for the week, as it was the same we would spend at home, no microwave meals or anything. I also didn't include the monthly payments on our park passes, since we pay that if we go or not.

A lot of people spend much more because they want to stay in luxury resorts - we don't care - been there done that, and spend minimal time at the room anyway. Also, food is a big expense if people want to eat at the pricey restaurants, or even quick serve at the parks every day. Once again, we couldn't care less about the food.

Disney is only as expensive as people want to make it be. There are plenty of ways to do it cheaper, depending on what your priorities are.

This is why I hesitate to post in threads as toxic as this one. There's always someone that will come out and say this....

It's great you have everything paid off and no payments... There's a lot of us here that would love to have your problem.