Interesting. As skiers, we have watched lift prices and theme park prices rise at very similar rates thru the years, with world class theme parks prices actually seeming more reasonable than world class ski resort prices. A big part of our having done the ski area experience quite a few times is that we when DH was working had access to a beautiful home in a ski area for a nominal cost of $300 in taxes out of a Christmas bonus (really great benefit). We stopped that now though ( DH retired three years ago.) And one in our family has a timeshare week that is so easy to trade for an Orlando week, and there are other great deals in Orlando for timeshare resort condo rentals when we need more than one. The reasonable offsite accommodations in Orlando and the fact that we have some relatives in the area are a big reason we keep coming back to Orlando too. We for years at these ski resorts or the Orlando parks on seven night / six day trips, just ski a couple or days or go to parks (usually SeaWorld and a Disney park or two) a couple of days (three park or ski days on a six day trip) and have very much enjoyed and got used to vacationing this way. Do note though that we usually are getting together with an extended family group, so the extra hang out not as active time (resort time, smaller less expensive activities time, family visiting time, game night time, movie night time is quite appealing).
Given all the complaint on these boards about Disney prices, what I have been really surprised by thru the years on these boards is the lack of complaining about the costs of Universal park to park one day
ticket prices and the one time express pass prices. So many frequent Universal visitors though seem very enamored with the parks, do multi day visits (cost per day really goes down for that), and will do the Universal deluxe park stays for all or part of the visit for the express passes (and are so happy with that, that I never hear any complaints). We're in the camp where when we go (which typically has been just a one day visit every 10 years or so to their parks) we end up kicking in for the $200 for one day park to park ticket (ouch). And now for the first time (might be for me the last spring break trip to the area due to how popular the parks are that time of year despite the fact that I love the weather in the area so much this time of year), based on line predictions on touringplans.com, I'll be kicking over an extra $136 per day for the one day park to park express pass. Fortunately the number of people in our group going to Universal on this trip is small (most are skipping) -- looks like two are going for sure and maybe two more for the total of four. Looks like a great day that time of year with the one time express pass, but a not so great day in terms of what they could get done vs. what they want to do and the number of long waits without it (subscribed to Touringplans and mapped out our Universal day what all want to do both with and without the express pass). ( So lol it's $336 pp for the Universal Park experience day which I hate to say makes skiing at a world class resort, a day at Disney even with lighting lane and genie plus, or a day at Seaworld look like a bargain). I checked out a throw away deluxe room and 4.3 people is my break even point, so since I will have two to four, we'll just pony up for the one time express passes.
