Every time ticket price increases, I consider selling our dvc

[Tiki Sean]

I do not think you can expect the ticket prices to go down! They are going to go up year after year until Florida is under water (at which time, prices may indeed go down).

I find airfare to be the killer. Buying 1 ticket from Newark, NJ to Orlando, used to be cheap; now it is usually pricey, often 400$ or more. That used to never be the case. Not anywhere close.

Yeah that is killing me as well out of Newark. I know people in Boston who get it $200 less than i can out of NJ

 

[Lisa F]

Those 40-60 days are 2 annual trips, so it is really just 1 month a year. The only thing that makes it affordable was buying a lot of DVC points back in 2010-2012 when prices for loaded contract were only $50/point. As you say, a 10% increase in ticket prices is not a big deal to me, but that is because I'm already saving so much on the room.

If you can afford to spend an entire month at WDW then this is not a typical middle class situation. I think the people who are getting squeezed are the ones who are approaching the top of their discretionary spending already, and their incomes aren't going up at all... or if they are at nowhere near the rate of the cost to go to WDW. I bought in 1999 and honestly could not afford the every other year trips I take now if I hadn't, or at least not at the level of luxury I have for my $35/month in dues (split with my ex husband). But still park tickets, food, other stuff... wow I can't believe how much it has gone up. I remember when purchasing an annual pass was much less than the cost of what I just spent on the DVC 7 day parkhopper and I took 3-4 trips a year (though it still did not total a whole month, some were just weekends with cheap airfare). My dues have gone up but not enough to fuss about, but that is not the only piece of the puzzle.

Still I have no intentions of selling. I would go less frequently and rent my points to others to finance part of the trip if I had to before selling (which I did during the difficult financial transition of my divorce... rented the points and didn't go for several years.) It was a shock when I started planning after taking several years off how much stuff had gone up. But IF you intend to continue to go to disney at least once every 2-3 years, selling is cutting off your nose to spite your face, unless you have recently purchased and financed and are buried under debt and need to unload it. Mine is a 17 year old sunk cost, and for the cost of a couple of weekly coffees I get to stay at luxury resorts when I do go. you seriously can't beat that with a stick. My membership has paid for itself many times over at this point and I intend to run it out!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I do not think you can expect the ticket prices to go down! They are going to go up year after year until Florida is under water (at which time, prices may indeed go down).

I find airfare to be the killer. Buying 1 ticket from Newark, NJ to Orlando, used to be cheap; now it is usually pricey, often 400$ or more. That used to never be the case. Not anywhere close.

I believe though that when you look at inflation airline tickets are much lower than 25 or 30 years ago. Disney has more than doubled for single day tickets if you consider that and had an increase if you look at multi-day tickets.

 

[jerseyduke]

I believe though that when you look at inflation airline tickets are much lower than 25 or 30 years ago. Disney has more than doubled for single day tickets if you consider that and had an increase if you look at multi-day tickets.

Everything is going up. Four years ago I could have my choice of flights, newark to orlando for like 250. Now I am lucky to get 300 at odd times, any "decent" time, and its like 400.

That being said, Disney has historically raised ticket prices fast to make up for margins. Eisner started that move.

 

[Brian Noble]

I believe though that when you look at inflation airline tickets are much lower than 25 or 30 years ago.

This is an effect of phasing out fare regulation, though, not so much of market forces. Over the past several years, airline consolidation and their resulting willingness to remove capacity from the system has had a real impact on airfares.

 

[Mokat76]

Ticket pricing, among many other things, will lead me to sell my DVC within a year or so. I've borrowed my 2016 points for a family reunion at Aulani and have none until my 2017 UY, so there's no point in doing it now. I can't imagine anyone wanting a stripped contract.
It saddens me, but WDW just isn't bringing me the same joy it once did. I wish it did. Buying DVC was a huge splurge and made me insanely happy.

 

[eagleoneoh]

My family have annual passes so we go for 10 days every year. I dont feel like we pay a whole lot considering we get park hopper and the photo pass with the passes. we only have 105 points and get 10 days every year.

 

[suebeelin]

Here's our breakdown:

$1600 park tickets
$2400 annual dues (400 pts)
$1500-2k airfare
$1500 food and other

That's $7k-7.5 for our 7 day trip for 4ppl. I need to save up for college. I can do DC for half the price!!

My brother went to the carribbean all inclusive for $3k!! He brought his family of 4!!!

 

[jerseyduke]

This is an effect of phasing out fare regulation, though, not so much of market forces. Over the past several years, airline consolidation and their resulting willingness to remove capacity from the system has had a real impact on airfares.

BINGO!
6 major airlines (Continental, Delta, American, USAir, United, Northwestern) is now 3 major airlines. Gas is low, yet fares do not reflect it. My airfares are like 75% more than they were 5 years ago. (Unless I take flights that are super early or super late) I guess that is why I do not notice ticket price increases as much as others do.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

This is an effect of phasing out fare regulation, though, not so much of market forces. Over the past several years, airline consolidation and their resulting willingness to remove capacity from the system has had a real impact on airfares.

Oh I walk by the statue of Howard Cannon every time I fly. The why's of something wasn't really the point - just that not everything keeps rising. However, the airlines are creating a scarcity that is increasing prices now vs what it has been in years past, but still, it's lower in comparison to what it was. The internet and price comparisons - and price wars - between the airlines along with the advent of discount airlines has also had an impact - perhaps just as much as deregulation.

 

[lovewdwfun]

For me, it isn't so much about the price of the tickets, but the value compared to going other places. When we first bought DVC, airfare was $200 RT ($400 now) and we had two kids, one of whom was an infant.

We now have 4 kids. In a few years, we will be paying for 4 adults and 2 kids. I figure we will be paying at least $2,500 for tickets. Airfare will be $2,400. Food will be $3K, or more, the way we like to eat. That's about $8K before figuring in the opportunity cost of using our 450 DVC points ($5k).

I did this math and realized we could take a year off and go to Costa Rica for less than the cost of Disney, staying at a beautiful resort in a two-bedroom house in the middle of the rainforest (gourmet meals included). Tried to sell it to my family - blasphemy! They were outraged that I would think of skipping Disney for a year. How dare I?!?! So, according to my kids, Disney is still doing something right.

 

[Brian Noble]

Tried to sell it to my family - blasphemy!

Keep trying with new destinations. There's a big wide world out there, and it's worth visiting the whole thing!

One way to wean them off is to do a combo trip to one of the overseas Disney resorts. We spent a week in an apartment in Paris, and then four nights at DLRP tacked on to the end. I travel to Shanghai about once or twice a year in my current role, and that would be a tremendous trip once that park opens.

 

[yeahdisney]

I am thinking the same thing. Sell my two same contacts after our next trip. We prob will not return for 6 years, kids will be in college. If we want to go we would rent points.

 

[jodifla]

Here's our breakdown:

$1600 park tickets
$2400 annual dues (400 pts)
$1500-2k airfare
$1500 food and other

That's $7k-7.5 for our 7 day trip for 4ppl. I need to save up for college. I can do DC for half the price!!

My brother went to the carribbean all inclusive for $3k!! He brought his family of 4!!!

Gosh, this seems high.

Our August trip to WDW for the 3 of us cost about $3,500 for a week at OKW in a 1 bedroom. That includes buying 3 annual passes.

Our May trip will be trip:

Annual passes, already paid for
$414 in airfare for the 3 of us (our Platinum card offers a annual companion ticket)
$350 in car rental
$150 in groceries
$850 in restaurant meals

We don't traditionally count our dues in the costs, but we have half as many points as you, so I guess that would be about $1,200.


In general, we budget $3,500 for trips where we have to buy passes, and about $2,500 for ones where we already have our passes. Most any other trip where we factor in airfare, lodging, food and any activities also comes in about about the $3,500 mark for a week -- or much higher.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

My problem has never been the price of the tickets. It's the time! I only get 3 weeks vacation / year. We like to go somewhere other than Disney (we visit friends once a year for 3-4 days and like to visit family for the holidays). If I do DCL, that leaves me no time for Disney!

I agree the crunch is biggest on middle class families. That's why we are keeping DVC. Because even though the price increases stretches us, it allows us to bring friends to WDW who would otherwise not go because of the ticket prices + hotel + food + travel. However, take out hotel, and the trip is affordable for them (and us).

So I keep my DVC not just for me - but so I can make sure that I get to share my love of Disney with my friends kids and they get the opportunity to enjoy what I did as a kid. Something that they probably wouldn't if their parents didn't know someone who had DVC.

 

[Airb330]

I'm still really mourning the loss of non-expiring tickets. We actually are going to Universal and SeaWorld this year again because we feel like we are getting more value for our money there and the freedom of not having to schedule meals and rides. I think Disney needs to step it up to stay competitive with the regular visitors to Orlando.

Same here! We like to go into the parks 1-2 days per trip. The non expiring option has lasted us years and going by today's pricing, hundreds of dollars each! Luckily we have another 10-day non-expiring with the water parks and more that should last us until 2020 or so. Then...we may seriously consider selling at least one contract. If they brought back non-expiration option for DVC members I think we'd be pretty happy.

 

[jerseyduke]

Attendance won't drop. The new fantasy land, Star Wars Land, Toy Story Land, Avitar Land. Disney is pumping a lot of $$$ into it's parks. The studios might hava a rough stretch...that park is going to get worse before it gets better.

I just think its time for Mr. Iger to open up the Disney Wallet and build a fifth gate. (Wishful thinking, I know)

 

[Judique]

Here's our breakdown:

$1600 park tickets
$2400 annual dues (400 pts)
$1500-2k airfare
$1500 food and other

That's $7k-7.5 for our 7 day trip for 4ppl. I need to save up for college. I can do DC for half the price!!

My brother went to the carribbean all inclusive for $3k!! He brought his family of 4!!!

I guess it's also a matter of the level of luxury you want to continue to experience. Many of us would take your 75k and vacation much differently with it and be very satisfied. For you, that's your norm at this time.

I've changed how I vacation in the Disney area over the years. I used to spend 7500-10k on Disney vacations over a year's time, staying at the Poly, dining plan, concierge level at times.

Then we moved over to the moderates for a few trips and even did a few nights at the values. Eventually bought DVC, and now I do not spend that kind of money.

One way to lower ticket cost was annual passes and staggering the trips. The other way was to buy no expiry and just do a couple of park days. (I stockpiled a few of those last February so I'm now good for tickets for my lifetime.)

Dues payments can be lowered by renting some points and taking a smaller room, thereby lowering room cost - maybe by as much as half your total.

Food costs - we used to have an ADR for every dinner and the bill to go with it. Now, I like to plan a few meals, but not $1500 worth.

For some it's not a vacation if you don't have everything that $7500 gives you. For me, I've had it and don't necessarily need it, but I still like to go at some level and I get enjoyment still. But for me, I've pretty much taken the room and tickets out of the equation, as well as 2/3 of the food bill, so I'll continue to go to Disney and keep my DVC.

And strangely, I have no desire to go back to the Caribbean, even free! But I'll take the South of France or Spain any day!

Whatever you do with your vacation funding, enjoy it!

 

[gdrj]

I can fly to Disney and stay a week in a studio cheaper than staying at Ocean City, Md.

I agree that's so funny. We have stayed at OC for an extended weekend and cannot afford to stay there longer than that!

 

[CarolMN]

This says it all for me right now:

Blockbuster Experiences Will Debut This Summer Across All Four Walt Disney World Theme Parks

We'll be there for Earth Day - and I am so hoping to see the new Rivers of Light & Tree of Life Awakening presentations at AK, and trying out some of the new restaurants at DS.