DISNEY if you don't want the average Joe to stay at the parks just say so...

[Ensusieasm]

Well........
I hope I never act my age.

At least not at Disney World!

 

[kyomagi]

So what? We easily spend three days at the Universal parks while DHS and Epcot are both half day parks for us. All this indicates is that we all have different tastes.

The point was, he said he would rather do universal parks. which currently cost $155 a day to do both parks. Compared to the roughly $110 (give or take non-peak or peak pricing) a day to go to AK, Epcot, MK or HS.

Yet he complain about pricing. sounds like just a bunch of hate on disney. I looked up a one day pass at disney the two times I go a year. One has a $10 a day increase and the other non. So it does not bother me one bit

I know disney trips are expensive. Im already paying for plane tickets, hotel, saving for food and admission. whats an extra $50-100 bucks for tickets? Its really not that hard to save up

 

[Ofinn]

We used to AP holders. We stopped going 3 years ago and I've never looked back. We started cruising and taking other vacations. We are going to Europe this year for less than the cost of WDW vacation. I would love to take another trip to WDW before my kids get too old, but every time I price it out I'm shocked at how much higher the cost is compared to three years ago. There's also no new attractions that would entice me to spend more money for something I've already done. If your one the people that has become disenchanted with WDW and don't feel it's worth the cost try something new. There's a great big world out there.

 

[EveDallas]

The point was, he said he would rather do universal parks. which currently cost $155 a day to do both parks. Compared to the roughly $110 (give or take non-peak or peak pricing) a day to go to AK, Epcot, MK or HS.

Yet he complain about pricing. sounds like just a bunch of hate on disney. I looked up a one day pass at disney the two times I go a year. One has a $10 a day increase and the other non. So it does not bother me one bit

I know disney trips are expensive. Im already paying for plane tickets, hotel, saving for food and admission. whats an extra $50-100 bucks for tickets? Its really not that hard to save up

If you're talking about me, I'm a girl. And I can get a three day park to park at Universal for $225. A three day park hopper at Disney costs $360. Plus I can stay at a Universal deluxe cheaper than a Disney deluxe and get the added benefit of unlimited express pass. Universal is worth it to me. Disney not so much. I've been to Disney lots of times and have seen the experience steadily decline while Universal has been ramping things up. If you think that's hate, so be it.

 

[MolonLabe]

If you're talking about me, I'm a girl. And I can get a three day park to park at Universal for $225. A three day park hopper at Disney costs $360. Plus I can stay at a Universal deluxe cheaper than a Disney deluxe and get the added benefit of unlimited express pass. Universal is worth it to me. Disney not so much. I've been to Disney lots of times and have seen the experience steadily decline while Universal has been ramping things up. If you think that's hate, so be it.

I think that the rose colored glasses some people wear towards Disney really prevent people from seeing this.

The experience at WDW has been declining. Now when I say that, I don't mean it's taking a huge nose dive and now sucks. It just simply isn't what it used to be. Keep in mind I live in the midwest and currently have a coast to coast PAP (last year for that), it's not like I hate Disney.

Conversely Universal is steadily increasing their brand and experience. Back 20 years ago, Disney was head and shoulders above Universal in every single way imaginable. Thiings change.

Little things at Disney new people wouldn't notice are just a part of it, have you rode the railroad lately? 20 years ago you NEVER saw anything on it 'they' didn't want you to see, likewise, seeing other lands from other lands? Un heard of, but many people just starting their Disney experiences won't notice that, this thread is filled with people who 'never went as a child' or 'until they had kids'. Which means this is all they have to base their experiences on.

Remember Eve, you are also on a Disney board, so the loyalty tends to outweigh objectivity.

US has and is addressing concerns from guests every single year, they are responsive and they are catering to guests.

Conversely, Disney seems to riding the legacy magic and going the opposite route. Then again can we blame them for their declines? Every year numbers and profits rise, it's not like they *need* to be responsive to guest requests, concerns and needs.

I think many peoples views would change if they burst the Disney bubble and do something different, 4.5 days "on property" at US/USIOA and Lowes Royal Palm really reopened my eyes, I think it would do the same for others as well.

 

[EveDallas]

I think many peoples views would change if they burst the Disney bubble and do something different, 4.5 days "on property" at US/USIOA and Lowes Royal Palm really reopened my eyes, I think it would do the same for others as well.

This was all I was really trying to say. I was a die hard Disney fan for years - couldn't imagine another park comparing. Last year, my son decided he wanted to go to Universal for his graduation trip, so we did. A week at the Royal Pacific Resort, with express line access and no advance planning, blew me away. The parks are amazing and the employees were so friendly. It reminded me of what I used to see at Disney. I can't see going back to Disney anytime soon. Maybe when they finish Star Wars land.

 

[dr2004]

Disney has always been crazy expensive. My parents talk, only half jokingly, that they are still paying for a vacation they took us on years ago.

We are comparing apples and oranges when we point out how much it has gone up since the mid 2000s without recalling why Disney got so cheap. I want to be respectful, I am not minimizing 9/11 but that is a big reason Disney came out with huge discounts/free nights etc 2001-2003. The travel industry had collapsed….Disney did not slash rates to be nice they did so to get people on property. They shut down hotels, cancelled expansions and some days the parks were closing as early as 6 or 7p. They were hurting.

As people returned, rates went up. Supply and demand.

I also think the people who found these boards , the internet, etc early were benefiting. I remember years ago Disney would never tell you if they were running a discount if you did not ask. People on this board (myself included) knew all the codes, all the offers, etc and were able to get some great deals. They could make us happy but still soak most visitors and profit.

Now everyone is online and the offers could not be hidden. Also, Disney made it easy to find codes, deals, etc. I would guess they were sick of people calling after a vacation asking why the person they met in the hotel paid 40% less then they did , or got free dining, etc. Once everyone started taking advantage, rooms started fill up. I recall one earnings call Disney mentioned they were going to wean people off discounts.

So what they did was take away all the discounts by artificially inflating prices and then offering "30% discounts" off inflated rack rates.

My humble opinion is now that people have returned, they once again made it crazy expensive. You can still go on the cheap but you need to go off times…look for "Magical Deals" and dig deep online to find how to save.

The average Joe comment is relative. There are millions of people in this country who could not imagine ever spending the money to fly to Orlando and pay for decent lodging off site let alone what it costs once you drive into WDW….no disrespect intended but the average Joe never could afford WDW.

Disney always has been about making money. Yes, Walt was better at disguising that then the current leadership, but everything in his park had sponsors. He did not care about the people he fleeced when he set up fake companies to buy the land for WDW on the cheap and he used his TV show as an infomercial for the parks same as ABC does today.

 

[Plaid Princess]

....poor.. poor Walt's dream is dead....

Um, Disney's dream was to have a successful, profitable company. He might have sugarcoated it, but he was a business tycoon far ahead of his time.

 

[Planogirl]

The point was, he said he would rather do universal parks. which currently cost $155 a day to do both parks. Compared to the roughly $110 (give or take non-peak or peak pricing) a day to go to AK, Epcot, MK or HS.

Yet he complain about pricing. sounds like just a bunch of hate on disney. I looked up a one day pass at disney the two times I go a year. One has a $10 a day increase and the other non. So it does not bother me one bit

I know disney trips are expensive. Im already paying for plane tickets, hotel, saving for food and admission. whats an extra $50-100 bucks for tickets? Its really not that hard to save up

How much does it cost to buy a one day Disney pass with the hopper feature? If you're going to compare pricing it's only fair to compare the same products.

 

[kyomagi]

If you're talking about me, I'm a girl. And I can get a three day park to park at Universal for $225. A three day park hopper at Disney costs $360. Plus I can stay at a Universal deluxe cheaper than a Disney deluxe and get the added benefit of unlimited express pass. Universal is worth it to me. Disney not so much. I've been to Disney lots of times and have seen the experience steadily decline while Universal has been ramping things up. If you think that's hate, so be it.

Glad you find value in universal, its a great park. But kindly see yourself out of the thread and board if you no longer find disney worth it. No need to hate on it needlessly

 

[kyomagi]

How much does it cost to buy a one day Disney pass with the hopper feature? If you're going to compare pricing it's only fair to compare the same products.

$155 typically when we go. dont get me wrong, i love universal, i want to go again, but saying universal is the better value is beyond me. I dont know anyone that can spend multiple days at universal

 

[CarolynU]

Glad you find value in universal, its a great park. But kindly see yourself out of the thread and board if you no longer find disney worth it. No need to hate on it needlessly

I'm sorry, why should she? Are differences of opinion no longer allowed on here or respected? I think her opinion is just as valuable as yours whether you choose to agree with it or not. How rude!

 

[Planogirl]

$155 typically when we go. dont get me wrong, i love universal, i want to go again, but saying universal is the better value is beyond me. I dont know anyone that can spend multiple days at universal

We can stay 3-4 days just in the Universal parks but we also enjoy other area attractions. I do know people who spend a whole week at Universal but they are pool people which we are not.

I admit to getting bored at WDW even back in the day though. Two days at MK and one each at the other three parks with Disney Springs thrown in there somewhere and we are ready to see other things.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm sorry, why should she? Are differences of opinion no longer allowed on here or respected? I think her opinion is just as valuable as yours whether you choose to agree with it or not. How rude!

I agree. I think that only the board moderators can decide who can post here.

 

[GAN]

Um, Disney's dream was to have a successful, profitable company. He might have sugarcoated it, but he was a business tycoon far ahead of his time.

I see Walt as more of a dreamer/creator, everything I've read or seen portrays Walt as always struggling for cash. If not for Roy, nothing would have been possible from a pure business standpoint. It seems like the more successful Walt became the more money he wanted to pour into his creative visions. Sure he had plenty of money when he passed, so ultimately was very "successful" but I don't think he even thought much about it.

 

[EveDallas]

Glad you find value in universal, its a great park. But kindly see yourself out of the thread and board if you no longer find disney worth it. No need to hate on it needlessly

This board isn't only for Disney World. And I wasn't aware that you had the power to decide who gets to post here.

 

[kyomagi]

This board actually is just disney related. Its under the "disney planning forums"

take a look at the universal section right below.

 

[lovethattink]

A reminder to keep it friendly here.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Disney has always been crazy expensive. My parents talk, only half jokingly, that they are still paying for a vacation they took us on years ago.

We are comparing apples and oranges when we point out how much it has gone up since the mid 2000s without recalling why Disney got so cheap. I want to be respectful, I am not minimizing 9/11 but that is a big reason Disney came out with huge discounts/free nights etc 2001-2003. The travel industry had collapsed….Disney did not slash rates to be nice they did so to get people on property. They shut down hotels, cancelled expansions and some days the parks were closing as early as 6 or 7p. They were hurting.

As people returned, rates went up. Supply and demand.

I also think the people who found these boards , the internet, etc early were benefiting. I remember years ago Disney would never tell you if they were running a discount if you did not ask. People on this board (myself included) knew all the codes, all the offers, etc and were able to get some great deals. They could make us happy but still soak most visitors and profit.

Now everyone is online and the offers could not be hidden. Also, Disney made it easy to find codes, deals, etc. I would guess they were sick of people calling after a vacation asking why the person they met in the hotel paid 40% less then they did , or got free dining, etc. Once everyone started taking advantage, rooms started fill up. I recall one earnings call Disney mentioned they were going to wean people off discounts.

So what they did was take away all the discounts by artificially inflating prices and then offering "30% discounts" off inflated rack rates.

My humble opinion is now that people have returned, they once again made it crazy expensive. You can still go on the cheap but you need to go off times…look for "Magical Deals" and dig deep online to find how to save.

The average Joe comment is relative. There are millions of people in this country who could not imagine ever spending the money to fly to Orlando and pay for decent lodging off site let alone what it costs once you drive into WDW….no disrespect intended but the average Joe never could afford WDW.

Disney always has been about making money. Yes, Walt was better at disguising that then the current leadership, but everything in his park had sponsors. He did not care about the people he fleeced when he set up fake companies to buy the land for WDW on the cheap and he used his TV show as an infomercial for the parks same as ABC does today.

I just want to point out that Walt didn't fleece anyone. He paid what the land was worth. He had to buy the acres through dummy corporations. Otherwise, people would have jacked up their asking price just because Disney is buying! He's the one who would have gotten fleeced, or been forced to pass up his dream location for Disney World.

 

[billlaurie]

It is possible to love Disney and Universal simultaneously while at the same time recognizing that the cost/ experience ratio is increasing at Disney while declining at Universal. Disney simply has not added attractions proportional to the increase in prices, the opposite can be said for Universal. Add in the level of advanced planning required to get on a whopping three rides in a Disney Park and eat a sit down meal, and some of us just aren't feeling the magic we once felt for Disney. Not "hating" on Disney, cause Disney really is special in comparison to Universal; however, right now Universal is easier, cheaper and fresher.