Is Disney World too Expensive?

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Goofmeister
A co-worker and I were discussing one of my favorite topics, WDW. He made the comment that it was too expensive. I disagreed, but I did notice that two regular sodas in the MK cost six dollars. Is Disney too Expensive?

In comparison to what? Ever go to the US Open tennis tournament? Makes Disney look cheap by comparison.

 

[meiandrew]

This may sound corny and/or cliche...but not putting a price on our ultimate happiness !! Life is too short !!!

 

[C.Ann]

If I lived near WDW I could probably go numerous times a year..

The expensive part is the airfare to get there, rental car (we don't like being "confined"), hotel, etc.. Eliminate those things and I think WDW is priced fairly for the large variety of things they have to offer..

 

[treehugger]

To put it in perspective, I just purchased two tickets to the Radio City Christmas Show in NYC for $85 each. This show lasts for about 2 hours, is nice but it's just a show. The park hopper tickets average about $50 for a full day in WDW. My DH just returned from a business trip to NJ in an average hotel and the charge for 2 days was over $500. Going to Disney is not cheap but no decent vacation is.

 

[indyanna]

I think it is definitely too expensive! We went on our first trip to Disney in late October. Our goal as a family is to see as much of our country as we can so we knew this trip would be our one and only trip to Disney for several years and we did pull out all the stops (almost!), but that said, we could've take at least two week long vacations for what the trip cost us. On the flip side, if we do end up going back, we know we can do it much cheaper than we did.

Don't get me wrong - I really did like Disney and would eventually like to return, but I can't see me ever becoming a Disneyholic - at least not until after I've seen the Grand Canyon, the Golden Gate Bridge, New England in the fall . . .

I'm gonna be kicked off these boards for saying this!!

 

[shelleyz]

I put that I think Disney is expensive, but hopefully I'll be returning in January with DH and no kids and in May with 2DS's and my dad, brother and neice. I went my first time in October and am hooked already. Most vacations are expensive anyways. Cost us like $3000 for everything for our Royal Caribbean cruise in September of 2002. Vacations are meant to spend money.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by treehugger
To put it in perspective, I just purchased two tickets to the Radio City Christmas Show in NYC for $85 each. This show lasts for about 2 hours, is nice but it's just a show. The park hopper tickets average about $50 for a full day in WDW. My DH just returned from a business trip to NJ in an average hotel and the charge for 2 days was over $500. Going to Disney is not cheap but no decent vacation is.

I know exactly what you mean! DH and I are going to NYC next week for our anniversary. We are staying for 3 days. I'm paying $300 a night for the room, $180 for tickets to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, $250 for train tickets, and $100 for one tour. So we are talking over $1000 for 3 days and that doesn't even include food, souveniers or other siteseeing ventures. I can do 14 days in WDW for $4000 and that includes all entertainment, themed resort, food, and souveniers and staying at the Poly. It comes out a lot less going to WDW then NYC!

 

[Chip126]

Yes, Disney is very expensive, BUT it's worth every penny to me!

(meiandrew..........well said!)

 

[tjkraz]

It's a moot point. Disney isn't going to settle for a lower profit margin on its theme park operations, and any reduction in costs would mean a reduction in services.

There are other theme park destinations that my family could choose if we want something more reasonably priced. We are an hour away from Cedar Point, and 1200 miles from WDW. Care to guess which one gets more of our business?

You get what you pay for...

 

[tiggerzpalz]

With regard to Six Flags. We live here in NJ and I can tell you our Six Flags is ridiculously overpriced. It is about $60 for a day, parking is about $15. The discounts are laughable. You know buy 3 entrees and and get one for 10%off. And the food is so expensive. I think it is matter of where it is located. And I have to agree with an earlier post. We have spent more on ski trips than at Disney. Is it expensive, sure, but I don't think it is anything out of the ordinary as far as vacations go.

 

[DisneyDude10171]

as a college student, my only prayer of being able to go is by doing the WDW College Program so I can earn some $$$

 

[diznee25]

*No, a good stratagy will minimize your cost.*

I realize not everyone in the world knows how to cut costs at Disney, or knows about mousesavers & wdwig.com, but I still don't feel Disney is expensive.

Disney is very "high quality" in theme/amusement park industry, and you get what you pay for. I'd rather pay for a Disney vacation then to fork out an arm and a leg for those carnivals that sit out by the mall every summer! You can easily spend $10 in less than 20 minutes to go on carnival rides. (Compare that to a $50 all day park pass at Magic Kingdom, and you've got yourself a deal!)


Diznee25

 

[Chicago526]

It does cost more than a weekend camping trip!

I guess to me, I don't think it's too expensive. Stop and think about all the $$$ Disney has to spend just to keep WDW running. Never mind new rides or new hotels or developments, just the staus quo. All the employees and their benifits, all the transportation and infrastructure, liability insurance, landscaping, wardrobe, ride maintanance, the list is endless!

In order for Disney to make money, they have to charge what they do!

Six Flags is a good example of a company that charges Disney prices for county fair experiances! Dirty parks, bad food, surly and incompetant employees, uhh! The only reason I go is because of their one strenght, top of the line roller costers.

Compared to Six Flags, Disney is a bargin, because you get more for your money!

I want Disney to charge what they do. Maintaining all the Magic takes a lot of money!

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Crunch the numbers, make a budget and save up your money, but when it comes down to it how do you put a price on the one true value of Disney - memories.

cindy21494 - you just gave me my new tag line

Disney is not just a vacation, it's a lifestyle!

indyanna - I think you're already a Disneyholic, you're posting here, right?

tjkraz - Are you really that close to the Point and don't get season passes? We 4 hours, and love the drive up.

JM.02

Mike

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by DMS_cruisers04
tjkraz - Are you really that close to the Point and don't get season passes? We 4 hours, and love the drive up.

Honestly, we took our 2yo son back in August and it was the first time we had been there in about 4-5 years.

I hate to sound like a Disney shill, but my last couple of experiences at Cedar Point just didn't compare to something like WDW. The crowds--the lines--park is usually dirty--employees are often worse than ANY story I've ever read here about a poor CM.

That said, the trip was better than expected. We'll probably go back sometime next year, but I don't know that season passes are in our future.

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Makes sense. We're more of a long weekend group. Drive up Sat stay til Mon night. But yeah, crowds can be horrendous.
I gotta say though, I love me some coasters.

 

[patsal]

I've spent more money for less entertainment value at Six Flags, Hershey Park, and Cedar Point. The food is usually very bad quality and the sodas are easily the same price. Heck, I took the kids to Niagara Falls, Canada and let them have dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, a few attractions and a few hours at the arcade and I spent as much as DH and I spent in a weekend at WDW (minus transportation of course). I guess for the most part it is perceived value. While my sister doesn't mind dropping hundreds to go to Six flags with her family one day per summer she would never lay out $1200 to take her kids to Disney for a week (all she'd have to pay since I'd be driving and putting her up at DVC). Personally I balk at paying out a few hundred dollars for season passes to a small area amusment park, but never cringe at the $2000 I put out for PAP's for four!

 

[indyanna]

I'll put up $1200 to go with you! Just let me know when!

 

[sue1013]

All those that feel a disney vacation is expensive, where are you comparing it to? Where are you going on vacation that costs you less? When we go down the shore for a week we spend pretty much the same as our winter vacation at WDW, minus the airfare.

 

[NMAmy]

Don't get me wrong--I love Disney, but it is expensive. We'll be going in March and our last trip was Halloween 2000. We take cheaper vacations by visiting family and we're lucky enough to have family all over the world. I spent much less going to England for a week last summer then I'm paying for a week at WDW. All we paid for was airfare and souvenirs because we stayed with my husband's family. We also go to my mom's cottage on Lake Michigan and visit family in San Francisco, LA, and New Mexico. By doing these less expensive trips, we're able to have a vacation fund to go to WDW every few years and sock a bunch of money away for retirement. This is what works for us.