Disney is a good value

[squirrel4569]

Value, as some have said, is also relative to your budget and personal situation. In pricing out a trip to WDW in November for Thanksgiving week it broke down to about $3600 to stay onsite at AoA for my family of 4 with tickets and dining. I looked at off property as a way to save money and get more "value." $1200 for a 2 bdr condo, $1200 for tickets and about $1100 for meals puts me at $3500. Add in $120 for parking for a week and $65 for MagicBands and any "value" is lost. You get more space (which for some is a value) but that's it.

Now, if we bring a friend or family member and have to upgrade to a suite then we're talking "value" of staying off site.

Value is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[lauradis]

I was surprised when someone told me they enjoyed Golden Coral more.

Was it the price or quality, or both

Ill just say yucky. My mother loves golden coral.

We took her and my dad to a really nice steak house with aged beef that was to die for and her comment was it was good but Golden Coral was just as good and cheaper, so you could have steak (if that's what you call what they sever???) more often.

Now I love Disney, but the food isn't the best. It has changed for the masses which is very sad to me. Need to get my booty into Alberts to see if I haven't lost all faith in quality fine dinning at Disney.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Value, as some have said, is also relative to your budget and personal situation. In pricing out a trip to WDW in November for Thanksgiving week it broke down to about $3600 to stay onsite at AoA for my family of 4 with tickets and dining. I looked at off property as a way to save money and get more "value." $1200 for a 2 bdr condo, $1200 for tickets and about $1100 for meals puts me at $3500. Add in $120 for parking for a week and $65 for MagicBands and any "value" is lost. You get more space (which for some is a value) but that's it.

Now, if we bring a friend or family member and have to upgrade to a suite then we're talking "value" of staying off site.

Value is in the eye of the beholder.

We were able to do an offsite cabin for $586. The values were pricing at $1,500-1,700 for the same timeframe (8 nights, June). Saving nearly a grand and getting more space was a definite value. In your case, we'd have stayed onsite as well.

 

[dsneygirl]

We just did Great Wolf this weekend and even with an Amazon local deal for $199/night (which was almost 50% off rack rate!) we spent a total of $1100!!! In two days!! Obviously, we could have skipped some of the extras and it would have been cheaper, but still....that's a lot of money! I do think Disney can be a good value, especially for longer trips.

We're going to GWL next month, not our choice with family and it is insane $$$$. And when we went back in 09 I was NOT impressed at all. It was a poor man's Wilderness Lodge and our room actually had graffiti on the wall. For $300 a night I expect it to be clean.

And they nickel and dime your for everything. The food is $$$.

 

[jimandami]

We're going to GWL next month, not our choice with family and it is insane $$$$. And when we went back in 09 I was NOT impressed at all. It was a poor man's Wilderness Lodge and our room actually had graffiti on the wall. For $300 a night I expect it to be clean. And they nickel and dime your for everything. The food is $$$.

Yes it was expensive. $60 for breakfast buffet that was pretty gross and $30 for burgers/fries that we split (3 meals for 5 of us!). I would take food with me if I were you. Having said that, our kids had a great time!!

 

[havaneselover]

We're going to GWL next month, not our choice with family and it is insane $$$$. And when we went back in 09 I was NOT impressed at all. It was a poor man's Wilderness Lodge and our room actually had graffiti on the wall. For $300 a night I expect it to be clean. And they nickel and dime your for everything. The food is $$$.

I have a discount and can usually get a room for $200 (Saturday stay). We went with dd's Girl Scout troop in January and packed breakfast. Also the one in Williamsburg has a Dunkin donuts in it so breakfast doesn't have to be crazy expensive. Food quality stinks and $30 for crappy burgers and fries is a lot. All in all I spend $300 for one night and two days and for us there's value there. Ymmv.

 

[crisi]

Totally different value equation then. And I agree, that makes Disney trips rise in price for you. What about non-expiring tickets? Last year I wanted to go to Disney for 1-2 days and simply couldn't justify it, so did some Disney math and ended up buying 10 day non expiring tickets with WPF&M. I think I calculated it out to something like under $35 per person per park now. Perfect for short trips. Thinking of running down for Thanksgiving just to get my Disney fix.

Non expiring tickets used to be a good deal, but haven't for about four years. They are pretty much just as expensive as two sets of four day tickets now. They are a better deal than one day tickets, but if you are going four or five, like we do, you are better off buying four or five day tickets.

 

[eliza61]

If you open up a dictionary, House on the Rock is pictured under Tourist Trap.

We did the Dells, spent the day hiking, stayed in hotel not close to the Dells, and then went to Taliesin for the day. The Taliesin house tour is pretty expensive at $50 a person. But its Taliesin.

Yeah, DD9 had read about it in a book about a family traveling cross country stopping at tourist traps

Now you know I generally hate to disagree with 2 of my favorite posters but the WORLDS premier tourist trap has to be....

SOUTH OF THE BORDER.

I remember when we first drove down to Florida, the freakin signs begin in Virginia. We couldn't wait to see the thing and then we got there and started laughing hysterically.....

They bill themselves as America's favorite highway oasis.

 

[HM]

I worked out what a trip to WDW cost us in 2000 and what it would cost us in 2014 recently. The trip was around $2000 in 2000 and to do the same resort, ticket type, and food would cost us around $4400 now. I didn't include travel costs or souveniers (which we rarely buy now). In 2000 the value was definitely there, in 2014, not so much.

I'd be interested to see what others find if they do the same thing.

 

[KennesawNemo]

I worked out what a trip to WDW cost us in 2000 and what it would cost us in 2014 recently. The trip was around $2000 in 2000 and to do the same resort, ticket type, and food would cost us around $4400 now. I didn't include travel costs or souveniers (which we rarely buy now). In 2000 the value was definitely there, in 2014, not so much.

I'd be interested to see what others find if they do the same thing.

Below is the quote for my 2008 vacation right before Christmas 2008. It was for 2 adults and 1 three year old, 5-day, no park hopper, free dinning at a value resort.
The Disney Visa Free Dining is available in a Preferred View room at All Star Movies for $1083.15

I just priced vacation for a 5-day, no hopper, no dinning, 2 adults 1 three year old, Dec 15 to Dec 19. It'll cost
$1,636.74.

 

[squirrel4569]

I worked out what a trip to WDW cost us in 2000 and what it would cost us in 2014 recently. The trip was around $2000 in 2000 and to do the same resort, ticket type, and food would cost us around $4400 now. I didn't include travel costs or souveniers (which we rarely buy now). In 2000 the value was definitely there, in 2014, not so much. I'd be interested to see what others find if they do the same thing.

Prices have gone up for sure. I was telling my wife that when I went in 1999 with my ex, her brother and 3 kids a 4 day, non expiring hopper was under $1000 for all six of us. Now it's $1200 for 2 adults and 2 kids for 6 day base tix that expire.

In 1999 though there were no fastpasses of any kind. No reservation systems for restaurants and not as many rides. While we had a blast on that trip I do recall standing in a lot of lines and not eating at any fun or nice restaurants. Rides, restaurants, meet and greets, shows, PhotoPass, transportation and hotels have been added or greatly expanded over the past decade. IMO those additions add to the value.

 

[HM]

Prices have gone up for sure. I was telling my wife that when I went in 1999 with my ex, her brother and 3 kids a 4 day, non expiring hopper was under $1000 for all six of us. Now it's $1200 for 2 adults and 2 kids for 6 day base tix that expire.

In 1999 though there were no fastpasses of any kind. No reservation systems for restaurants and not as many rides. While we had a blast on that trip I do recall standing in a lot of lines and not eating at any fun or nice restaurants. Rides, restaurants, meet and greets, shows, PhotoPass, transportation and hotels have been added or greatly expanded over the past decade. IMO those additions add to the value.

1999 was our first trip. We went the week of Columbus Day in October. We really didn't deal with lines that week. (In fact the trip was so ideal that what was a one and done trip became an annual thing up until this year). (I hear it's now a very busy week due to F&WF).

I don't really think all that much has been added since that trip. A couple attractions in each park (EE, New Fantasyland, Mission Space, ?), but a few things have disappeared competely with no replacements (Skyway, all of the attractions in Wonders of Life building, Pocahontas show at AK, Hunchback show at MGM, for example). And that year, they had the Millenium village in Epcot. And as for restaurants, what is new usually replaced something else. The only real new restaurant I can think of is in BOG in MK. We don't use Photopass (extra cost) and meet and greets used to be meeting up with characters as they moved about the parks (which I liked better).

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Now you know I generally hate to disagree with 2 of my favorite posters but the WORLDS premier tourist trap has to be....

SOUTH OF THE BORDER.

I remember when we first drove down to Florida, the freakin signs begin in Virginia. We couldn't wait to see the thing and then we got there and started laughing hysterically.....

They bill themselves as America's favorite highway oasis.

I bet Wall Drug would rank pretty high too

Oh, and speaking of tourist traps, in my youth I worked at both Six Flags and Meramec Caverns

 

[squirrel4569]

1999 was our first trip. We went the week of Columbus Day in October. We really didn't deal with lines that week. (In fact the trip was so ideal that what was a one and done trip became an annual thing up until this year). (I hear it's now a very busy week due to F&WF). I don't really think all that much has been added since that trip. A couple attractions in each park (EE, New Fantasyland, Mission Space, ?), but a few things have disappeared competely with no replacements (Skyway, all of the attractions in Wonders of Life building, Pocahontas show at AK, Hunchback show at MGM, for example). And that year, they had the Millenium village in Epcot. And as for restaurants, what is new usually replaced something else. The only real new restaurant I can think of is in BOG in MK. We don't use Photopass (extra cost) and meet and greets used to be meeting up with characters as they moved about the parks (which I liked better).

I could be mistaken on some of this, but if I recall correctly, TSMM, EE, New Fantasyland, FOTLK, the Nemo show, Soarin, TT 2.0, Star Tours 2.0, AIE, Jedi Academy, RnRC, a bunch of new hotels, DME plus infrastructure improvements (not all the tech upgrades have been bad) have all been added in the last 15 years. Could more be done? Sure. Have prices outpaced inflation? Yes. Is it enjoyable for kids and adults alike? Yes. I think it has value and value is not always about money.

 

[JanaDee]

I bet Wall Drug would rank pretty high too

Oh, and speaking of tourist traps, in my youth I worked at both Six Flags and Meramec Caverns

I remember seeing Wall Drug for the first time and saying "this is it? This is the place we've been seeing billboards and bumper stickers for hundreds of miles? THIS IS IT??"

 

[ponyboy]

All things considered, I think Disneyworld is very expensive. That said, there's nothing else like it in the world so it's difficult to compare it to something else to decide whether it's a good deal or not. If you want to compare it to the closest thing which would be Universal then it appears to be average since the costs for both are similar.

 

[elaine amj]

Non expiring tickets used to be a good deal, but haven't for about four years. They are pretty much just as expensive as two sets of four day tickets now. They are a better deal than one day tickets, but if you are going four or five, like we do, you are better off buying four or five day tickets.

Very true. What tipped the value equation for us is that we like WPF&M. Plus, we bought it to hedge against ticket price inflation in the years to come. I expect in another 2-3 years, these non-expiring tickets will be very valuable! My Mickey Math was - better rate of return on investment buying Disney tickets than putting the money in stocks!! The way prices have been increasing - it's absolutely nuts.

I worked out what a trip to WDW cost us in 2000 and what it would cost us in 2014 recently. The trip was around $2000 in 2000 and to do the same resort, ticket type, and food would cost us around $4400 now. I didn't include travel costs or souveniers (which we rarely buy now). In 2000 the value was definitely there, in 2014, not so much.

I'd be interested to see what others find if they do the same thing.

Spurred by your post, I did it. Before tips, my Jan 2011 trip was $2200. I priced the exact same scenario (kids ages, tickets, and free QSDP upgraded to DDP) and got $2565. 16.6% inflation in just 3 short years - OUCH.

There's got to be some slowing down somewhere - but the parks are more crowded than ever. Which means prices will continue to rise

 

[havaneselover]

I too bought no expiration park hoppers in 2006 for next to nothing ($35/day) and still have 2 days left. Those were a great deal. They now are about $80/day.

I agree that Disney prices are crazy now but part of it is I got spoiled by the deals offered because of the recession. Now that the economy is somewhat improved, the deals aren't as good. I know in 2009 I paid $240/night for a room at the contemporary and $250 for a one bedroom at bay lake tower in 2010 (week after thanksgiving). That's not happening again.

Disney cruise is the same way. Easter week on the Disney fantasy is 35% more in 2013 than it was in 2015.