Even Disney Is Worried About the High Cost of a Disney Vacation

[tigertides]

THIS IS SO SHAMEFUL FOR DISNEY TO ASK:

Per WSJ article

“ One survey asked visitors how likely they were to be "receiving / managing an inheritance" or to experience the "loss of family member or loved one" over the next five years.


A generous inheritance was the only way Melissa Buckley of Cedar Lake, Ind., could afford a trip to Walt Disney World in December.


Buckley, who works in procurement for the oil industry, had been saving up to take her family of four there or about a decade, but unexpect”

WDW IS SO EXPENSIVE YOU HAVE TO HOPE A LOVED ONE DIES AND LEAVES YOU MONEY

 

[Minnie1222]

THIS IS SO SHAMEFUL FOR DISNEY TO ASK:

“ One survey asked visitors how likely they wei o be "receiving / managing an inheritance" or to experience the "loss of family member or loved one" over the next five years.

Wow. I've never received a survey like this.

 

[tigertides]

There is a big discrepancy in the price difference between deluxe and value resorts, should we eliminate value resorts so all guests pay Disney the same? Many AP holders have block out dates and sometimes just blocked out of good dates, just like value resorts might be missing some options.


You are ASSUMING Pixie Pass holders live nearby. Florida is a big state and I'd venture most don't live nearby. I have Pixie Pass, I travel and must have a hotel and spend money on dining etc. I have a Disney Resort booked for 4 trips so far in the rest of 2025, ADRs, Tours and will be booking LL.


Other than a local who makes their living covering Disney World, I'd like to know who these people are that are going to Disney every single day = 200 days a year. That is just doing fuzzy math to try to prove a point. In 2025 I will probably have 20 park days. Yes, still a bargain but that also means I am giving Disney money for about 25+ hotel nights and all the meals plus to go with it. I cost them nothing by being in the park, but I am giving them lots of money those 25+ days.




SO MUCH THIS^ For the last 20 years, when things were bumpy and slow in the economy, I was still going to Disney World because I had an annual pass. APs are the "escrow money", the base they can depend on. The locals who have APs often go to the parks, have a nice dinner, buy drinks, maybe a ride or two, watch some fireworks, hang with friends. They often do not impact park lines at all but they are spending money, booking the extras, filling in all the gaps.

Florida APs are a cash flow they depend on, and can depend on it happening.


I want to know where someone is going that their family only spends $1800 for a week. Travel, Lodging, Dining, Entertainment .... ?? Now I am talking a full packet of costs.

National Park pass: $100

non-fancy independent hotels near national park: $250/night x 5 nights: $1250

Food: $120/day x 5 nights (Panera/Chipotle/CFA): $600


That’s how you do an Epic Non-Disney vacation for $2k

 

[Minnie1222]

THIS IS SO SHAMEFUL FOR DISNEY TO ASK:

Per WSJ article

“ One survey asked visitors how likely they were to be "receiving / managing an inheritance" or to experience the "loss of family member or loved one" over the next five years.


A generous inheritance was the only way Melissa Buckley of Cedar Lake, Ind., could afford a trip to Walt Disney World in December.


Buckley, who works in procurement for the oil industry, had been saving up to take her family of four there or about a decade, but unexpect”

WDW IS SO EXPENSIVE YOU HAVE TO HOPE A LOVED ONE DIES AND LEAVES YOU MONEY

Can you paste the article?

If I don’t have access to the article, I will have to call this as a hoax.

 

[LAS2AMS]

National Park pass: $100

non-fancy independent hotels near national park: $250/night x 5 nights: $1250

Food: $120/day x 5 nights (Panera/Chipotle/CFA): $600


That’s how you do an Epic Non-Disney vacation for $2k

Most national parks are a hike (no pun intended) from the nearest airport, so you’re going to have to include a rental car and gas for most of the population (since they’re mostly out west, and a 2-3 day drive from the cruz of the population).

Alternative, when you visit WDW, you can stay and eat offsite. Last August, we purchased the three day/ three park tickets from AARP and added in MNNSHP. It was about $700 total for two people.

We rented a car for a week from one of the value rental car companies. We brought proof of insurance and refused all upsells ultimately spending $65 for a 7 day rental (shuttle from the airport but offsite means it doesn’t pay airport taxes). We spent about $20 in gas.

We stayed at a hotel just outside the bubble and used the backroads so we spent most of our time in it. The hotel was clean, comfortable and had been fully renovated a few years ago. Basic motel style but included a great breakfast and decent transportation to the parks. Total cost via Priceline was $45/night including taxes - or about $300 after cash back.

We used the car to purchase beverages, snacks and a few frozen entrees from Publix. We paid less for a 5 lb bag of Cuties than WDW wanted for a three pack. Sandwiches were BOGO so we lucked out. We only ate a couple times at WDW and went to White Castle, Texas Roadhouse, etc. for our meals. We spent about $300 on food and beverage for two people.

Total spend for two people was just over $1300 for the week, not including airfare. You don’t have to spend that per night for a club level room at the GF to have an epic vacation.

 

[disneytata]

The price is not the only problem . It is also an issue of value for your buck . Food is now less good and many many rides break down / stop . This wasn t the case 5 years ago

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

Can you paste the article?

If I don’t have access to the article, I will have to call this as a hoax.

Oh, it’s real!!

 

[tigertides]

Can you paste the article?

If I don’t have access to the article, I will have to call this as a hoax.

https://www.pressreader.com/india/mint-hyderabad/20250210/282123527216959

 

[Brian Noble]

Wow. I've never received a survey like this.

The surveys are targeted based on what they know about you. If you are the sort of person who does not need an inheritance to come to WDW, that's not a question that will be on your survey.

It reminds me of the time I called AmEx about ten or more years ago to let them know I was going to be in Paris for a family vacation. The CSR was quite astonished I would call: "Sir, if you are a person who might legitimately find himself in Paris tomorrow, we already know that."

 

[MICKIMINI]

THIS IS SO SHAMEFUL FOR DISNEY TO ASK:

Per WSJ article

“ One survey asked visitors how likely they were to be "receiving / managing an inheritance" or to experience the "loss of family member or loved one" over the next five years.


A generous inheritance was the only way Melissa Buckley of Cedar Lake, Ind., could afford a trip to Walt Disney World in December.


Buckley, who works in procurement for the oil industry, had been saving up to take her family of four there or about a decade, but unexpect”

WDW IS SO EXPENSIVE YOU HAVE TO HOPE A LOVED ONE DIES AND LEAVES YOU MONEY

Well, that proves WDW is waiting for a generation of boomers to disappear. We are the generation that grew them to where they are for the most part!

Most people don't understand that unless you have a trust (the RIGHT trust for your state/situation) set up to protect assets and direct them to heirs (not technical language as I am not an attorney), the states may get it all. In NH, if you end up in a state run nursing home because you can't afford 10-15K a MONTH for a private one, your estate will evaporate pretty quickly as the state claws back whatever you happen to have when you die without that instrument.

People who feel they don't have assets but have a home worth $$$$ through decades of appreciation may as well leave the keys under the mat. Maybe Disney should do estate planning to ensure all that dough goes to WDW trips?

 

[lentesta]

Can you paste the article?

If I don’t have access to the article, I will have to call this as a hoax.

Here are the two survey questions as they were displayed to guests:



I have the entire survey if needed.

 

[lentesta]

It reminds me of the time I called AmEx about ten or more years ago to let them know I was going to be in Paris for a family vacation. The CSR was quite astonished I would call: "Sir, if you are a person who might legitimately find himself in Paris tomorrow, we already know that."

As a former AmEx Technologies person, I 100% believe this.

 

[Brian Noble]

And as soon as she said it, I realized how obviously true it was. I sometimes tell people at cocktail parties that their credit card issuer and cell phone provider know things about them that their spouses do not.

I am not popular at cocktail parties.

 

[Brian Noble]

On the other hand, about ten years earlier than that, I had a jewelry purchase declined on that same card while I was in Schiphol. I have lived in interesting times.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, that proves WDW is waiting for a generation of boomers to disappear. We are the generation that grew them to where they are for the most part!

Most people don't understand that unless you have a trust (the RIGHT trust for your state/situation) set up to protect assets and direct them to heirs (not technical language as I am not an attorney), the states may get it all. In NH, if you end up in a state run nursing home because you can't afford 10-15K a MONTH for a private one, your estate will evaporate pretty quickly as the state claws back whatever you happen to have when you die without that instrument.

People who feel they don't have assets but have a home worth $$$$ through decades of appreciation may as well leave the keys under the mat. Maybe Disney should do estate planning to ensure all that dough goes to WDW trips?

That seems like a way too personal take on it, they aren't doing a generational war here. Besides Boomers are, if speaking generationally, are the ones actually spending what they would traditionally pass down on things with one of the main things being travel. That's been all over the news that the old thought of passing down money is not the same as it once was. Outside of homeownership trends there's less keeping money for future generations and instead more spending money now. But again I don't think Disney is going to war with you as a Boomer.

TBH and especially after Len posted two of the questions it seems to me like they are trying to glean some sort of idea of how many big time one in a lifetime trips people are taking irrespective of what age that person is.

I can tell you I've seen posts on this Board from both people who are specifically going to Disney (mostly WDW because that's the focus of this Board but also DL) due to a family's medical situation.

1. They believe this may be the last trip (or one and only)
2. They are going there to get away from the recent death of a loved one (either to commemorate or because it is a place they can feel at peace there)
3. To celebrate "beating" (I use that in quotations because that definition varies by person) a recent dire medical condition.

As far as the inheritance portion it's somewhat common enough that people do vacations with money they get from a relative and if you get a sizeable enough one you might be "treating" more family members than ordinarily would count in your immediate family OR you may be doing a more splurgy trip OR a combination of both. Along the same lines is bonuses at work. People take their bonuses and go on vacation, perhaps an even nicer one they thought they could too. To me it's just trying to figure out are people using money that is coming from their own personal budgets or is this outside of that. People talk a lot about going into debt to vacation, along that spectrum is using funds obtained from elsewhere.

 

[HopperFan]

National Park pass: $100

non-fancy independent hotels near national park: $250/night x 5 nights: $1250

Food: $120/day x 5 nights (Panera/Chipotle/CFA): $600


That’s how you do an Epic Non-Disney vacation for $2k

For us to have an epic National Park vacation we would have to add a large amount of money for airfare, rental car and to get value from the days we'd likely have 7 nights hotel. Way more than $2K.

Now I can very much do a low budget vacation BUT I think for the average family to go somewhere vacation like you probably have considerable travel costs and most entertainment fees are not calculated like National Parks. There are always outliers and options of course but overall vacation with legit travel and entertainment is costly.

 

[Minnie1222]

Here are the two survey questions as they were displayed to guests:

View attachment 937490

I have the entire survey if needed.

YIKES

 

[MICKIMINI]

That seems like a way too personal take on it, they aren't doing a generational war here. Besides Boomers are, if speaking generationally, are the ones actually spending what they would traditionally pass down on things with one of the main things being travel. That's been all over the news that the old thought of passing down money is not the same as it once was. Outside of homeownership trends there's less keeping money for future generations and instead more spending money now. But again I don't think Disney is going to war with you as a Boomer.

TBH and especially after Len posted two of the questions it seems to me like they are trying to glean some sort of idea of how many big time one in a lifetime trips people are taking irrespective of what age that person is.

I can tell you I've seen posts on this Board from both people who are specifically going to Disney (mostly WDW because that's the focus of this Board but also DL) due to a family's medical situation.

1. They believe this may be the last trip (or one and only)
2. They are going there to get away from the recent death of a loved one (either to commemorate or because it is a place they can feel at peace there)
3. To celebrate "beating" (I use that in quotations because that definition varies by person) a recent dire medical condition.

As far as the inheritance portion it's somewhat common enough that people do vacations with money they get from a relative and if you get a sizeable enough one you might be "treating" more family members than ordinarily would count in your immediate family OR you may be doing a more splurgy trip OR a combination of both. Along the same lines is bonuses at work. People take their bonuses and go on vacation, perhaps an even nicer one they thought they could too. To me it's just trying to figure out are people using money that is coming from their own personal budgets or is this outside of that. People talk a lot about going into debt to vacation, along that spectrum is using funds obtained from elsewhere.

I was being sarcastic for the most part! Sorry you took it the wrong way LOL!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I was being sarcastic for the most part! Sorry you took it the wrong way LOL!

Yeah I did not get sarcasm in your post especially with the informative discussion on what assets are, nursing home cost discussion and estate parts but if that's what you were going for thanks for clearing that up.

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

Agree with the great Tom Bricker here: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-responds-to-rising-costs-criticism/

My “intent to recommend” has taken a nosedive the last few years. We still love it, mostly, but we don’t recommend it, and in fact we’re staying at our DVC resorts and commuting to UO this summer. A lot of customer lifetime value that Disney should be gobbling up with my family of 6 is leaking out. A shame!