How high is too much for you?

[MsSharkBait]

It is very upsetting that a Premier AP has gone from $849 to $979... but that's not going to stop me from going.

We live in AZ and it's a 5 hour drive to DLR and a 5 hour plane ride to WDW. We go to DLR at least twice a year and WDW once. In addition to the Disney price increase, the flight cost has also gone up. I'm paying nearly double that I did five years ago.

But, with all that said, again... I'm still going. We can afford to still go and if we got to cut back on some spending somewhere else, so be it. We are DVC members, so that helps.

I would almost say that Disney Parks are "the cleanest place on Earth" and that, with the attractions and theme will continue to bring me back.

While we may go to on a weekend trip here or there somewhere else, it's really only Disney for us. I am apprehensive to plan a long trip (and forfeit Disney time) somewhere else and then wish I would have went to Disney.

 

[kfeather]

I go for 2-3 trips a year... not much... especially when you look at what it brings to my son. I go all out on this trip and don't spare an expense. If rates go up, so be it. Totally worth it in the long run.

 

[magicbob]

I think price increases affect ALL of us. But DISboard members tend to take longer trips or multiple trips using NE tickets or APs. While those ticket options are still expensive and getting worse, I think the price structure REALLY impacts folks who can only do a day or two.

I remember well the days when it meant saving up all year so we could take the kids for one day (or occasionally two with a cheap offsite hotel stay) in conjunction with visiting the grandparents. WDW has always been an expensive vacation, often a once in a lifetime event that you saved up for years to take. But it's quickly becoming perceived as unattainable by many.

One big hurdle is the psychological factor of a 1-day ticket being over $100 (after tax). Granted they are still able to display the pre-tax price, so that mitigates things slightly. When tickets bust the $100 mark just to get in the door for one day, a lot of folks are just going to give up on even trying.

 

[toddinboston]

For my family of 6, I budget $1K per night for a vacation trip, whether its Disney or wherever... My in-laws are DVC members, so we don't even pay for lodging, but that savings is offset by the cost of park tickets...
We've been on 5 Disney trips in the past 10 years, the last on in October'12...for the first time, I really started questioning the value of Disney... Everything seemed more costly than usual, food prices especially... With park ticket prices going up yearly like clockwork more than the rate of inflation, I'm starting to feel gouged...at some point, something's gotta give...

 

[North of Mouse]

For my family of 6, I budget $1K per night for a vacation trip, whether its Disney or wherever... My in-laws are DVC members, so we don't even pay for lodging, but that savings is offset by the cost of park tickets...
We've been on 5 Disney trips in the past 10 years, the last on in October'12...for the first time, I really started questioning the value of Disney... Everything seemed more costly than usual, food prices especially... With park ticket prices going up yearly like clockwork more than the rate of inflation, I'm starting to feel gouged...at some point, something's gotta give...

You budget $1,000 a night and your lodging is free? I couldn't afford to go either if we spent that much!

There won't be a price that Disney charges that will keep us from going, but then we are conservative, even eat whatever we want, but never spend over a few thousand for a 10 night stay. Went 3 times with our AP's last year (Apr. '12 - Apr. '13).

 

[cfw213]

The closest park to me is Six Flags Great Adventure, which is 3 hours away. The last time we went the lines were ridiculous, the food was horrible and the employees were surly.

Even if the passes were comped, it still wouldn't be worth it.

And yes, that's *my* perspective.

Agree totally. We live about half an hour away and NEVER go there. The lines are insane, there are a lot of shady people there and its just so rundown looking. I would never compare it to Disney.

 

[momof2n2]

Sadly, I think this next trip is our last for a LOOOONG time.
If we didn't have the cruise portion already booked, I think we would probably skip it altogether.

I'm irritated beyond belief about the proposed FP+ garbage. The ticket prices are getting too high. And the "low" seasons aren't as "low" as they used to be (2003/2005ish).

There are so many other places in the US I want to visit.

 

[verlee]

I love Disney World. I really do. But the Disney CO. is really starting to make me sick. The strategies they are using to increase profits make me feel unappreciated. I am a faithful lover of their product. They should appreciate me! Why do they not have a repeat visitor program? Why at every chance are they takeing away services and chargeing me extra at the same time? I'm not liking it Disney Co..... not liking it.

 

[TJBerry]

One big hurdle is the psychological factor of a 1-day ticket being over $100 (after tax). Granted they are still able to display the pre-tax price, so that mitigates things slightly. When tickets bust the $100 mark just to get in the door for one day, a lot of folks are just going to give up on even trying.

I expect that to happen in the next year or two.

 

[gonitts]

As a family of four we were in Disney in December 2010 and October 2012 and were planning on going again in '14 or '15 but I just don't think we will be able to swing it again. It's getting tough with the price increases. We'll see, and definitely try because we love it.

 

[sbd78]

We spent around $1,000 on park tickets alone for our trip, and 2 of my kids are free! I shudder to think what it will cost when we have to pay for both of them!

I guess you could say we've already been priced out of staying at a Disney resort. Value's were around $150 for our dates and I just can't see paying that much for that little space. Family suites $360+! So we are staying at the Doubletree Suites DTD for much less. I would have loved to have stayed in a Disney resort, but just couldn't swing bigger accommodations and we would be miserable crammed into a value room.

Lets hope we get some nice promotions and raises in the future or my youngest might be missing out!

 

[North of Mouse]

I love Disney World. I really do. But the Disney CO. is really starting to make me sick. The strategies they are using to increase profits make me feel unappreciated. I am a faithful lover of their product. They should appreciate me! Why do they not have a repeat visitor program? Why at every chance are they takeing away services and chargeing me extra at the same time? I'm not liking it Disney Co..... not liking it.

Kind of like every other company in the USA (world), eh? Just out to make as huge profit as they can - nothing new about that. And no, they don't appreciate you (general 'you' as in individuals). If you look at it in that light, it makes sense. Consumers can take it or leave it - judging by all the crowds there each day, many people are 'taking' it!

The vocal 'Dissers' are just a 'drop' in the bucket, if that. As long as we can vacation anywhere, we will also go to Disney when we want to. We just accept rising prices as a fact of life - doesn't mean we have to like it.

If you don't go - if we don't go - there are many others that will fill in.

 

[phyllis1966]

Kind of like every other company in the USA (world), eh? Just out to make as huge profit as they can - nothing new about that. And no, they don't appreciate you (general 'you' as in individuals). If you look at it in that light, it makes sense. Consumers can take it or leave it - judging by all the crowds there each day, many people are 'taking' it!

The vocal 'Dissers' are just a 'drop' in the bucket, if that. As long as we can vacation anywhere, we will also go to Disney when we want to. We just accept rising prices as a fact of life - doesn't mean we have to like it.

If you don't go - if we don't go - there are many others that will fill in.

This is what makes all of us repeat guests so frustrated - no appreciation for customer loyalty, but as North of Mouse and many others have said, there are a thousand new guests to take the place of every repeat customer who decides not to go back. So many businesses have customer loyalty programs. It would be easy for the Disney Co. to establish their own, but they don't need to.

We don't have a trip in the works for the near future, but it's because our DD will be entering high school and we won't take her out in the fall, as we have always done in the past. If her schedule permitted it, we'd probably go back next fall, after the Mine Train officially opens. We love it - they have us hooked and they know it from our track record. If we fall out of love, well, there are plenty of newcomers to take our place.

 

[mejo]

I love Disney World. I really do. But the Disney CO. is really starting to make me sick. The strategies they are using to increase profits make me feel unappreciated. I am a faithful lover of their product. They should appreciate me! Why do they not have a repeat visitor program? Why at every chance are they takeing away services and chargeing me extra at the same time? I'm not liking it Disney Co..... not liking it.

I agree, I would like to be appreciated too, Just a good resort pin that so many get would be nice. I assume I don't get them since I go so often.

But then I do keep going so, not sending me one is not hurting them.

 

[dyna]

I live local, DH an I are retired. We will continue to get AP's but not Premium AP,s then we will get the water park after 2 passes.

We have never done the sit down restaurants or character meals out of pocket. We have cut down on our spending in the parks usually take a PB sandwich in with us an a drink or 2. It is rare that we even get fast food in the parks. It is rare that we buy drinks in the parks....LOVE the cups of free ice tho.

YES it is rare for us to be in the parks all day...that is the advantage of being local we do not have to cram our Disney fix into just a few days here an there.

As far as merchandise we prolly average 1 new shirt a year if that. When Disney cut our discount from 20% to 10% in the middle of the year recently it did take a small amount away from what we will spend in the parks.

 

[toddinboston]

You budget $1,000 a night and your lodging is free? I couldn't afford to go either if we spent that much!

There won't be a price that Disney charges that will keep us from going, but then we are conservative, even eat whatever we want, but never spend over a few thousand for a 10 night stay. Went 3 times with our AP's last year (Apr. '12 - Apr. '13).

Airfare Boston to Orlando...$2,200
Disney Park Tix for 4 days (4 adults, 2 kids)...$1,000ish plus tix to MNSSHP)
Food for 6 days...$1,200ish ( i aint eatin' at McDonalds)
Trinkets...$300ish
Non-Disney - 2 days at US/IOA...$1,000
Boarding dog for week...$250 (ouch)
Limo to/from airport...$300 (splurged a bit but the kids thought it was cool)
Total cost...$6250 for 6 nights...

 

[luvthemouse71]

With the ticket increase now announced, I was thinking about this earlier.

How high will ticket and resort prices have to go before you and your family are priced out of vacationing at Disney? Have you already been priced out?

For some, it comes down to cost vs. perceived value.

Or does price not matter and you will pay whatever they charge, because it is Disney?

I haven't been priced out of Disney yet, but I know I would keep paying to go. I'm honest,lol. I choose to spend my disposable income on trips, rather than on cigarettes, alcohol etc.

 

[Makayna]

We were priced out of Disney before we ever started planning our trip! But this is a once in a lifetime trip that we've been saving for two years for. Unless things change, this will be our one and only WDW trip. We will continue to go to DLR and take Disney cruises because we haven't quite been priced out of those (yet). But for WDW, we were priced out long before we ever even got going.

 

[DISzy]

You know, I have priced out a lot of vacations and trips and we travel quite a bit. Now, there are trips and there are vacations. Trips involve driving, cooking, and laundry. Vacations involve complete release from daily drudgery. As far as vacations go, Disney is still very comparable when compared to other resort-style vacations in the US and all-inclusives.

 

[agavegirl1]

You know, I have priced out a lot of vacations and trips and we travel quite a bit. Now, there are trips and there are vacations. Trips involve driving, cooking, and laundry. Vacations involve complete release from daily drudgery. As far as vacations go, Disney is still very comparable when compared to other resort-style vacations in the US and all-inclusives.

I like this distinction. I think I'll have to borrow that to explain to DBF why I need to go back to Orlando. Even our Caribbean trips are to my Condo where I cook and clean and do laundry and watch the news and ....