Disney Prices - Do you have a breaking point?

[agavegirl1]

Breaking Point? For me, there are individual "breaking points". I will no longer stay at a Deluxe Resort due to the "value" I get for my money. I will no longer purchase T-shirts at Disney. I will not buy the Dining Plan. I will not buy overpriced, made in China, craptastic, "memorabilia" from my trips. I will not buy any "Special" upcharge tickets to an event I feel my admission should cover. I don't like the idea of selling a spot to see fireworks or a good seat at a show.

BUT: I will get park-hopper tickets in case my thinking on which park will be crowded is wrong. I will stay on site because I don't want to drive around Disney World. And, I will go less often, buy shorter tickets and wait around until there is something new to see. I do not consider an overlay of an existing attraction, new characters to meet and greet, a new parade or a newly themed fireworks display to be new things.

 

[TuneTownMagic]

I am okay with the park admission prices for Disney right now, and think the add-ons and special events are pretty much worth the cost, but I think the resorts are way overpriced. I stayed on property the last few visits, with an off-property stay before that, and I am no longer seeing a big advantage to staying on property besides having the regular access to the bus system. I love getting the full Disney experience and having Disney-themed lodging only adds to that magic but it's not so magical at the rates they charge! If I'm really honest with myself, I think I really just loved the idea of being fully part of Disney World by staying onsite. And I understand guests aren't as polite as they once were and so CMs will naturally be less cheerful because of it, but I did not feel there were any kind of guest services or experiences that were above and beyond or even excellent by staying onsite. I am totally okay with staying off property for future trips.
Also, I know OP asked what a breaking point would be without food being a factor, but the Disney dining is really part of the experience for me, so I'll just mention that dining at Boma has been a tradition for every single trip but I can definitely skip it next time with those exorbitant prices. I don't know if there are good reasons why Free Dining isn't offered as often anymore, but I was able to do that just one trip in my life and I loved it. It certainly helped my budget and added to the experience.

 

[knlanf]

I don't see one, we'd just go less often like we've done in the past and/or adjust where we stay. If you love it, you love it no matter the cost and that's where we find oursleves. Friends and family look at us strange when we say we're going back.....again. It's a good kind of crazy.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I reached my breaking point on hotels a few years ago. When I see the pricing they want for subpar hotels I either do the Swan/Dolphin or I am offsite. I am not paying $150 a night for a cinderblock motel with exterior corridors. And luckily in my prior business life I got to stay at a lot of top drawer hotels, for what Disney wants in a Deluxe I can find some TRUE deluxe hotels. (Heck in Orlando I just would head over to the Waldorf or Ritz if I felt like spending that kind of money) Disney's hotels don't measure up once you get past "look it's cute"

The TS meals are generally much fewer then in years past. Yes, I can afford them but the food quality is just so poor it's not worth wasting the money.

As for buying stuff... it's now the same junke everywhere. The "special' finds are harder and harder to find. And if you are a woman how doesn't want to show her "****ies" to the entire park good luck finding a t-shirt that's not see through and cut down to "you know where". Kind of typical of the merchandise if you aren't a kid or a teeny booper it's pretty sad now. (Exactly how many purses do they think we need? They are beating that idea to death LOL!)

So far I find value in the parks, but I don't do special events anymore. I don't see the value in parties etc.

As to "other places cost more" I actually don't find that. I am lucky that in my job I earn Frequent Flyer miles so I don't really consider airfare. Once you back that out, I did a week in Paris a few years ago for less then a week at Disney staying in AKL cost me!

I do still go, but I have changed my habits while there a lot. I only stay "on property' if I can use my DVC and I no longer have TS meals at Disney. It's just not worth the pricing

(And as for the "foreign" tourist groups. Before you complain about them check your backyard. Some of the WORST behaved groups I have EVER seen anyplace are US school kids on trips.. Here are some hints... playing chicken in Epcot with the scooters is bad form. Cheering on the bus LOUDLY is bad form. Playing "get off the bus at every stop, run to the front and reboard" is bad from, Climbing on things that you clearly shouldn't is bad from, pushing shoving and breaking line is bad form" And doing all this while wearing your school cheerleading uniform or t shirt is just stupid as my friend's kids found out the hard way LOL!)

 

[kathy884]

They've already priced me out except for doing one theme park day per year:

(1) I've never stayed onsite except when we had my husband's company paying. He's had a couple of seminars at the Contemporary he had to go to, and on three of those the whole family came. Onsite accommodations for me are overpriced and that's including discount and free dining offers. Offsite deals are too good (seem like a great value)

(2) Table Service and/or shows (e.g. Spirit of Aloha and Hoop de Doo) (Used to do one per trip) // Now these seem too pricey and I just do counter service on park days

(3) Theme park tickets -- I just go to one park for year -- about $100 per person now. I'd be priced out over $120 a day per person in today's dollars unless there was something just super new and innovative that we wanted to see.

(4) Have thought about Key to the Kingdom tour, but adding up a one day park ticket and the tour, the cost was just more than I was willing to spend. I can see someone who is going to the park several days and has a lower cost per day for the parks doing this. // That won't be me, as I have an aversion to multiday tickets without much of a bargain or discount till you get to day four. One or two days at Disney per year is perfect, but I really don't want to do more than that. // When all tickets were non expiring and there wasn't a huge add on premium to get a non expiring ticket I used to buy the multiple day ones.

 

[edk35]

We still go but are pretty much ONLY going once a year now compared to past years with multiple trips. We eat less TS meals...than in previous years..the prices are HIGH for the quality and speaking of quality....so many of the TS restaurants we used to LOVE are not really worth it now. We definitely spend less in the stores. I usually get a Christmas ornament or two, a calendar and maybe something from Jim Shore. We have been driving more than before and we actually will dine 2-3 times out in town while at Disney. We used to love the character meal buffets, but those have gone downhill too.

We are just smarter with our money now than in previous years. We love the atmosphere of the resorts and parks.....the food is NOT that important to us and never has been. TS meals take such a long time and we would rather have fun in the parks riding, seeing shows and watching parades. That is what Disney trips are to us.

 

[Suvadoo]

Interesting thread, OP, as we have recently hit this point after over 50 enjoyable trips to the World. We have dropped our AP's, TIW, D23 membership and will be selling our DVC membership next year.
We will occasionally continue to visit but our disposal income, in our opinion, can be better spent other places.
We used to enjoy dining at WDW when the quality and variety of food was good and we didn't mind paying a bit more for it nor for good service. Since the inception of the dining program we have seen a steady decline in the food and steady rise in the prices to a point we consider unreasonable. Not to mention being packed in like sardines...
And the amount of people allowed in the parks today is highly unreasonable and sometimes unsafe. It's no wonder tempers flare! Don't guests today realize they are paying much more money to ride fewer attractions per visit because of this overcrowding? Guess not. All hail FP+!
DVC has helped with our lodging costs because we are not people who could afford to pay $300-$500 per night for a glorified Comfort Inn room. But they are building so many DVC properties that everyone should be asking what all these new owners are going to be doing in the parks when no new attractions are being added. And it will be good not to have to pay those maintenance fees every year also.
Have we made a lot of wonderful memories? Absolutely! The CM's have been wonderful and are the primary reason we kept coming back. And we realize that this is a company that needs to make a profit to survive and thrive. But we don't appreciate management who tells us to our face that they are creating technology to "keep us in the parks longer" to "spend more money" because "we don't realize how much we are spending while using the magic band instead of cash". In our obviously inferior opinion, we find this approach greedy and insulting and we have decided to fight back by withholding our meager dollars.
Sorry to be so long winded. We certainly respect differing opinions.
Auntie Peep

Auntie Peep,

this is a very articulate post. Please consider sending it to WDW.

 

[smraynor]

We are just going less frequently but on a different note.

It seems to me that the vacation experience is changing for most Americans. Growing up in the 1970's my Dad would take us on a one week vacation to Florida (which obviously cultivated my love for Disney). It was one week and nothing else.

Now with my own family we take several small trips each year (it helps that I am a teacher and get some time off in the summer). We were going to WDW 1-2 times each year but now it is about once every other year.

Harry Potter over at Universal is a force to be reckoned with and will hopefully continue to stimulate the competitive spirit.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Airfare is the real killer for me. I've helped plan a few Disney trips so I do realize it's certainly expensive. However, I think about my own experience at Disney and think about if I'm willing to pay for that, and I am. Then again even now I live fairly cheap, so I do like to splurge on something once in a while. When it comes to money, I'm very conscious about spending it...except when I'm on vacation

 

[DisUniversal]

Over the past few weeks, I've seen numerous threads pop up about how Disney isn't what it used to be, Disney is greedy, Disney is charging too much while not being innovative. However, the same people who are complaining are still visiting the parks which is totally cool. But that means that Disney is doing exactly what they should be doing.

So the question is, is there a price at which you would no longer go to Disney World? And I don't mean cut back on food or souvenirs. I just mean, flat out, not going to WDW anymore.

It really is more of an issue Disney World becoming stagnant than it is a price issue, especially when there are other options in the area. It's like if there were two car manufacturers...one already has the 2015 models on the lot and the other is selling 2009 models at the same price.

Probably won't ever flat out stop going to Disney, but am not going to renew the annual passes which expire next month. We'll stick with Epcot After 4 passes at most and perhaps go to either MNSSHP or MVMCP each year until they start doing something to actually justify the cost of a pass again.

 

[Junebugwv]

Apparently, I have stages of breaking points, as do many who have posted. I no longer see the value of an annual pass because of the overall price increases in the pass and the resorts. We are able to travel during less busy seasons which has allowed us to enjoy 2-3 trips per year because of the lower rates. But, the value season is very limited now so we have cut back. Multiple 8-10 day trips per year seemed affordable in the past. Even though we have the money to vacation how we please, it goes against my grain to pay excessively more than I paid in the past.

Crowd levels have increased, so my opinion is obviously not shared by the masses.

 

[CinqueTerre]

We are just going less frequently but on a different note.

It seems to me that the vacation experience is changing for most Americans. Growing up in the 1970's my Dad would take us on a one week vacation to Florida (which obviously cultivated my love for Disney). It was one week and nothing else.

Now with my own family we take several small trips each year (it helps that I am a teacher and get some time off in the summer). We were going to WDW 1-2 times each year but now it is about once every other year.

Harry Potter over at Universal is a force to be reckoned with and will hopefully continue to stimulate the competitive spirit.

That was the way I grew up as a child in the 80s and early 90s. 1 trip for a week per year, that was it. Maybe a weekend getaway to the Dells as well.

I believe there has been a mentality shift when it comes to vacations. 30-40 years ago, going on vacation was considered a true luxury, and a lot of people didn't even get to take them. Now, I think a lot of folks consider it a right to go on a vacation or multiple vacations. And then there is the obsession with taking a selfie in front of as many cool places as possible. The end result is a lot of folks taking 4 and 5 trips per year, even if some are shorter than a week.

 

[gericoronado]

So the question is, is there a price at which you would no longer go to Disney World? And I don't mean cut back on food or souvenirs. I just mean, flat out, not going to WDW anymore.

There is no price at which I would no longer go to WDW. (OK, maybe if it were a million dollars...then maybe not). Am a life-long Disneyland AP'er and still find the strength to go to work to save up $ for WDW!

 

[LBIJim]

I've already reached my breaking point on Disney Deluxe hotels. Even with discounts, they're seriously overpriced for the quality received. The moderates with a discount, while somewhat overpriced, are still reasonable.

Most table service restaurants passed the breaking point a decade ago.

Park admission, on the other hand, is still a great value. I suppose an average of $125 per day over a 4 or 5 day ticket would be my breaking point. Or $150 for a single day ticket.

Jim

 

[Beer Me]

I've already reached my breaking point on Disney Deluxe hotels. Even with discounts, they're seriously overpriced for the quality received. The moderates with a discount, while somewhat overpriced, are still reasonable. Most table service restaurants passed the breaking point a decade ago. Park admission, on the other hand, is still a great value. I suppose an average of $125 per day over a 4 or 5 day ticket would be my breaking point. Or $150 for a single day ticket. Jim

I agree with this. I think Disney is a bit overpriced but worth it for the unique experience. I'm really nowhere near the breaking point for as often as we visit. However I've never stayed deluxe. I can definitely see where those rates are a sticking point. The disparities between Disney and the real world seem to grow larger at the deluxe level.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

"Expensive" really does depend on your interests, priorities, and whether or not you can rationalize it. Whenever people spend money, they attempt to rationalize it (knowingly or unknowingly) as money is scarce.

If you ask a group of Disney fans, they'll tell you that $336 for a 3-day PH ticket is an awesome value but most would not agree. For a family of 4, $1,344 could get a lot for a weekend in NYC. At this point though, I've learned to just absorb the price increases 'cause after all I enjoy WDW. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it to me? Of course.

What I've always found incredibly interesting is how price increases affect guest experience. Going back to rationalizing expenditures, often many (particularly first-time) guests will attempt to rationalize their $100 day as $10 per attraction thus if they want to get "their money's worth", they need to hit 10 or more attractions otherwise their money is wasted. Of course, that's not taking into account the various street entertainment, the small nooks and crannies, the characters, music, and all the other fun, but most first-timers neither expect nor care about that. It's just interesting to see. Kind of a shame too as those in a rush to hit every headliner tend to miss some of the small details.

By the way, I've found it interesting to see a number of rather prominent posters on this board suggest that they have not renewed their APs due to price. Most seem to still be planning trips but just not as frequently. I'm lucky enough to be able to have an AP and wouldn't have it any other way but it's just interesting to see.

Len Testa said that when they were doing research for The Unofficial Guide, they found that people felt like thay had to ride/experience at least 7 attractions a day to feel like they were getting enough value from their tickets. I've always wondered if that isn't one of the reasons WDW came up with FP+. With the cost of tickets increasing every year, they wanted to ensure that the majority of guests could experience enough attractions to jusity the cost of their tickets.

Because of the ticket pricing structure, Disney is not significantly "more" than other destinations if we stay a week plus - BTW, this is only true because we stay offsite and don't indulge in TS meals.

OTOH, because of their ticket pricing structure, Disney IS significantly more expensive than a 3-5 day stay at our other favorite destinations. And many years, a 10-14 day vacation is just not doable for us. So, Disney is off the table completely for shorter trips.

Yep. I simply can't justify a short Disney vacation. We thought about going down in May for the 24 hour event. We have one day parks passes from 2009. But by the time I factored in staying at Pop for 3 nights and adding an extra day to the tickets so we could spend a day at Epcot, it was just too much for a long weekend. We can easily get to the beach or mountains from where we live, so those are much better choices for short trips.

I think a lot of people balance each increase, with some other change in spending habits. I have read reports on other boards stating that Disney is strugging to keep hotel occupancy as high as they would like it, since lots of poeple are choosing to stay offsite to balance the high cost of tickets/food.

 

[kerplop]

We're at it right now and sadly I think that might be the case in the foreseeable future because prices aren't going to go down again. We had a good run, but honestly it's not an expense I can justify anymore with the fun value return. YMMV obviously, but for us it's time to move onto other things and that saddens me.

 

[JustPeachy2014]

I like that there is so much I have yet to see and do at Disney. Every trip, I can do something new. And things are always changing. But the appeal of Disney to me over going to other places with lots to do (such as NYC) is that I live close enough to Disney that I can drive instead of fly. I'd go MUCH less often if I had to buy airline tickets.

 

[lugnut33]

Hi Plano!

Actually the foreign crowds, especially Brazil are going down especially the last3 years as the economies there are going down.

My point was that WDW not over the top when compared to .....say rock concerts...............easily in the hundreds.............even Streisand at her last NYC tour demanded a minimum price of $ 250.00 per tickets those seats are in the pigeon seats.

Yes I am sure their are cheaper off site, and that great if your happy with that. However we save and go to WDW and want to stay on property and with some planning you can get off the rack prices at a good rate.

The bottom line is that the WDW value is still right there and the Disney experience is unmatched.

What I don't understand is people complain about WDW prices but not all the other entertainment venues rising prices like UNi and not complaining !

AKK

Int'l attendance has been rising, especially at WDW. This is from last August, and I'd assume they will be issuing another news blurb this August:

Disney said this week that international traffic jumped 7 percent at both Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. during its fiscal third quarter, outpacing domestic attendance growth at the two resorts. Total attendance grew 3 percent during the April-June quarter between the two coasts.

International tourists make up a bigger piece of the pie at Disney World, where they typically comprise between 18 percent and 22 percent of total attendance. They've been a big growth driver for the Orlando resort in recent quarters, particularly travelers from Brazil, which might just be Disney World's most important overseas market now.

This however is from a July 1, 2014 article from the Chicago Tribune talking about how more Brazilians visit Orlando than Brits do:

The upturn in Brazilian travelers to Orlando, which jumped 20 percent from 2012, coincides with a slight decline since 2006 in visitors from the UK, which continues to struggle with the effects of the recession, said Mark Jaronski, a spokesman for the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Brazil sent almost 1.2 million people to Florida in 2013, compared to fewer than 1.1 million from Britain. In 2012 there were only 971,000 from Brazil and almost 1.1 million from Britain.

The number of Brazilians coming to the United States overall has jumped 292 percent since 2006, reaching a total of 2,060,000 visitors in 2013, according to the commerce report.

 

[TerrytownGrl]

Interesting question. This past weekend, my DH and I came across paperwork that we've saved from previous trips. Including our honeymoon in 1987, our trip at the CBR in 1989 and trips in 2008 and 2010.

The amount of money we paid back in the 1980s is just crazy low! Even for CBR back in 1989 was about $80 per night.

Even in 2008 and 2010, we paid only about $79 and $92 per night respectively at POP during Thanksgiving week. I believe one year we had a pin and another year we used a AAA room-only discount. Those discounts during TG week are gone for good, I believe.

Contrast that with the $169 or so per night we will be paying for Pop for this year's Thanksgiving trip and you can see how its been getting harder and harder to afford WDW.

So my answer is we will just go less often while praying that Disney brings back discounts during Thanksgiving week.