How high is too much for you?

[KatieCharlotte]

We do not spend the $$$ for table service meals. We've always found counter service to be a decent deal, often with meal sharing for the lighter eaters.

We have not stayed onsite since we became a family of five. I just can't justify the price. Maybe for a one-night stay. Too many affordable nearby options. Art of Animation sounded great but ended up too expensive. Staying off-site also makes us more likely to spend some of our time at other nearby theme parks.

The cost of three-day tickets is what I paid for four days not very long ago. Soon, we'll have two children treated as "adults." Our Disney rewards Visa helps but not that much. This will affect how many days and how often we go because I do compare the value to other trips. This includes non-Disney cruises, which become a better and better value for our money and take us new places. My kids also have a pretty awesome time camping in tents and hiking outdoors all day, so that tends to affect how I perceive the cost/benefit of Disney trips. My feelings are also affected by all the uncertainty and potential hassles surrounding the FP+ and magic bands. The thought of paying for an expensive trip, our only big trip of the year, and then running into technical headaches...Ugh. I think the best way for me to keep the Disney is to include Disney as only one small part of our trips to Florida, rather than booking a week at Disney.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I don't think I will ever stop going to Disney because of the rising costs but it will definitely come in to play as to how often we are able to go now. We used to go every other year but now I see a little longer between vacations there.

 

[aceguitarist3]

For us, the biggest cost is plane fare from Montreal - Orlando. Other than that, I find the hotel and ticket prices reasonable. We have also been going lately during Free Dining Plan month, so that helps.

 

[Planogirl]

For us, the biggest cost is plane fare from Montreal - Orlando. Other than that, I find the hotel and ticket prices reasonable. We have also been going lately during Free Dining Plan month, so that helps.

That's our biggest headache too. I have trouble finding good deals from Dallas to Orlando.

 

[phillymummer]

For us, the biggest cost is plane fare from Montreal - Orlando. Other than that, I find the hotel and ticket prices reasonable. We have also been going lately during Free Dining Plan month, so that helps.

I've been thinking about this topic and airfare is the bigger concern for us. Contrary to wait I said before, we have made Disney our "big" vacation 2 out of the last 3 years and it will be our next big vacation in 2015. But that second time in 2012 was only bc of the free airline tickets. Had it not been for those tickets, we would not have gone.

In two weeks, we are going to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA.

Here is breakdown for 3 of us:
* 3 nights at an "off-site" hotel, about 10 minutes away = $462.87
If I wanted to stay at the Hershey Lodge (one of their "on-site hotels". it offers free transportation to the park and early admission!) = $1096
We are not staying there simply bc of the price, so it's not just "Disney prices" that I avoid paying.

* 2-day tickets to Hershey Park (total for all three of us) = $210
* One day at the Renaissance Faire = 62.85

Total- $735.69

It would cost me more just to fly to Orlando! So, this is why we try to go to places that are within reasonable driving distance.

So, really... it is the cost of airfare that is keeping me away from Disney more than Disney itself.

 

[ArwenMarie]

It would cost me more just to fly to Orlando! So, this is why we try to go to places that are within reasonable driving distance.

So, really... it is the cost of airfare that is keeping me away from Disney more than Disney itself.

You should try Busch Gardens in Williamsburg too!

 

[stitchfriend]

Sad to say, but its getting way to expensive. I LOVE DISNEY....but its increases make it hard for a middle class family to enjoy.

We haven't been since 2010. I would love to go back, but DH and I have to much increasing debt along with not enough income coming in. He works full time and I have 2 part time jobs.

And to add to the debt, We have our DD going to college in another year(2014).

Maybe someday in the near future we'll be able to make it back. I sure miss it thou.

 

[kathy884]

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?

Ticket prices about $100 pp are about the same as a ski lift ticket. And there are no substantial discounts unless you purchase four days or more. // For years now with these high prices, I just do one Disney park per trip. // We do like Disney parks and can fit one day in the budget pretty easily.

Resort prices -- I only stay onsite if someone else is paying (e.g. DH has a conference there.) My nephew is in the college program and could get me a 60% off of retail discount for a mini trip I'm doing in October, but even with that it wasn't a good enough value for me. I'm staying offsite. I like the deluxe resorts, but they are just way too expensive. The moderates and the value don't excite me, and you get so much for your money offsite (Orlando has always been so overbuilt).

I think, though, my just doing a mini trip occasionally vs. a longer vacation these days is more a matter of life stage than economics. I find that most vacations we do are higher priced than a trip to Orlando. // At one point it was the best value and most fun I could imagine having with my kid. Now it's more been there a million time (Well just 25 times to be exact), done that, bought the T-shirt. Still an occasional very quick mini trip still excites me (I have a three night / two day trip in October), but we'd pick other destinations for a longer stay (more expensive than Disney, but more what we are interested in doing). e.g. Yellowstone this summer, cruise out of San Juan spring break 2014, and trip to Kauai next June.

 

[antree]

How much is too much? HMMM, I have been complaining a lot recently about the price of Disney. We do own DVC and in a 1 1/2 yr our contract will be pd off. with that said, I figure if the price of tickets keep going up we will stop buying annual passes and spend more time at the hotel and doing other things. We will eat more counter service. If airlines go up again and we can't get a decent price we are driving next year.

If I had to pay for Hotel, Airfare, Tickets and Food. We could not keep going every year.
Having DVC has helped, it's one less thing to pay for at reservation time. So our plan is, Passes will be cut down, counter service is what we will eat and driving will be our transportation.
I give it maybe another 2 years then I will have to go by this new plan of vacationing at Disney, at the rate the increases keep happening.