Is WDW good value?

[MJ6987]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but this seemed like the best place!

Maybe it's just a UK perspective, but everything at WDW seems to me to be relatively expensive compared to equivalent things outside of WDW.

E.g. Hotel rooms, restaurants, merchandise, tours.

But yet, we all still pay for them.

So, does this make it "good value". I.e. Is it a quality product that makes this premium justified?

 

[Figment Mom]

You will never get consensus on this.

I think my take is that it is not good value but it is "worth it."

I could get the same number of nights, meals, and experiences elsewhere for less money but I'm choosing to spend my vacation dollars at WDW this year.

 

[zoldalma]

I think it is. You're paying for the atmosphere and the plethora of options at any given time. You can go to an all inclusive resort but will it have fifty different dining options? You can spend a day at an amusement park but unless you're a roller coaster junkie it's really all the same stuff over again in other parks. Every member if our family can find something they will live and we keep discovering new things years on in. The customer service is excellent. The hotel rooms are so-so IMO, even the deluxe ones, but it's worth the value to be in the middle if it all. I wouldn't ever pay for the top tier rooms without a discount - those to me really are overpriced. (Minus concierge maybe, if you utilize the food etc heavily.) but, yes... I feel like we're getting a good value there, everything combined and considered.

 

[kiki02]

I think it is. You're paying for the atmosphere and the plethora of options at any given time. You can go to an all inclusive resort but will it have fifty different dining options? You can spend a day at an amusement park but unless you're a roller coaster junkie it's really all the same stuff over again in other parks. Every member if our family can find something they will live and we keep discovering new things years on in. The customer service is excellent. The hotel rooms are so-so IMO, even the deluxe ones, but it's worth the value to be in the middle if it all. I wouldn't ever pay for the top tier rooms without a discount - those to me really are overpriced. (Minus concierge maybe, if you utilize the food etc heavily.) but, yes... I feel like we're getting a good value there, everything combined and considered.

Just my 2 cents, but it's VERY $ and a goldmine for Disney - WE pay for $$ tix to get in the park and then,,,, we continue to spend the entire day there. Drinks, food, gifts, toys, desserts, drinks. ;0

 

[Planogirl]

It depends on what else you might enjoy.

We spend way less when we travel to the mountains or to some of the little towns we enjoy. WDW can be comparable to big city areas or other touristy places.

Like a PP said, it's can be worth it regardless of cost. How high Disney can go before it's no longer worth it is subjective.

 

[LJSquishy]

I don't see WDW as a "good value" for your money, but I love it there regardless.

It is extremely expensive. The "value" I do see in a Disney World trip is the total immersion in another world. You forget about all of your worries while you're there. I'm also not a very touristy person by nature, meaning I do not enjoy sightseeing trips, so Disney is great for me because there are things to "do" besides walk around and look at things.

My husband and I don't ever go on trips anywhere either, so I prefer to do something big when we actually do go somewhere. In 8 years of marriage we've gone to Maui/Oahu for our honeymoon in 2007 and spent 7 nights at Disney World in 2012...that's it. No small weekend getaways, etc. We had planned to do Disney again in Oct 2014 but never made it as far as booking our stay because we needed to spend thousands of dollars on our house projects. Now I'm hoping to do an Oct 2015 trip but we will see. It would be our last trip to Disney because my husband would rather go to Germany, Ireland, etc.

 

[goofy's_gurl]

This will vary on person to person, to be honest. In my opinion, Disney is worth the money because there is something for everyone. It is not just geared towards people who like thrill rides, older kids, or younger kids. It has a mix of everything, which is great for families who have a variety of interests. Does it cost an arm and a leg? Of course, but that comes with any trip.

 

[Nayan]

I used to think Disney was a good value, but not anymore. Let me say that while I like Disney, I don't love it and with the price hikes I can go elsewhere and have a better time for much less. Some folks love it and think it's a good value for their time and money, others like myself, don't. The only one that can really answer that question is you .

 

[nugov2]

I equate something as a good value when I feel happy when the trip is done in relation to money spent. I view the parks at WDW a good value, but not the hotels. We have stayed in some amazing hotels and pay less than what you would pay for a Deluxe at WDW and you are getting way less. Now that we are 5 we need deluxe 2 bedroom suites at a minimum and the pricing at WDW makes me for what you get. The perks are just not enticing at all. We will always rent a house when visiting WDW, but we actually plan leave our house for a night to stay on site at Uni/IOA on our next trip. They actually make staying on site enticing.(Plus the minion suite looks AMAZING...going to try to talk DH into it!!)


Like a PP stated you can do lots of other vacations for less. WDW is not somewhere I want to go year after year, but I feel value in the vacation when we do go.

 

[ICF]

I dont think it's a good value....tix are expensive, on-site rooms are way more then I'd ever pay for what you get, food is mediocre and overpriced and the parks are often really crowded.....

That said, we've been 5 times with the kids over the last 10 years -- and will likely go another couple of times before they are out on their own.

It's fun and we really enjoy it -- but I dont know that it's a good value.

We utilize off-site condos, drive (or fly via airline miles) and usually eat 2 meals a day outside of the park to make it a better value for us.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

We are a middle class family that also try to live on a reasonable budget. WDW is a splurge, but...............to stretch our dollars farther we sometimes stay off site. We never get soda with a meal, and only use counter service--not table service.

They have been raising all the prices quite a bit the last few years even as we are still not fully recovered from our big recession.

With our AP, it is only a value for us because we drive to WDW and do the things I listed above. There is no way we could justify multiple trips a year while staying on site.

BTW.............my signature only reflects our on site stays and not the off site ones.

 

[artemis4]

I wouldn't call it a good value. We spent a week in the Outer Banks last fall and a week in Colorado this spring for the same amount of money that we are budgeting for WDW next year (7 nights in Orlando, 6 days in the parks). That budget has us staying offsite, eating breakfast and most dinners in the condo, not eating TS and not buying souvenirs, so I'm not talking about an indulgent trip. Tickets alone are almost half of our budget for the trip. 5 adult tickets add up quickly, and add in one child.

Obviously, we feel that the money WDW costs is worth spending or we wouldn't be doing it. I'd never consider calling WDW a good value, though.

 

[PleasejointheFarque]

yep.

 

[mgsquared]

I live in Vienna so I know what you mean! DH and. I were commenting that we could go to Bali and stay somewhere nice for the same money (we are staying at a value with free dining too! Add in the flights and it's still a €3000 trip!). You can imagine all the kuxury trips we could do with the same money! But that's living in Europe where Rome/Paris/Berlin/London are just weekend getaways done at least once a year. Or all of the other well priced breaks we have access to. Is it a good value? Not for any European it isn't!
For a Disney obsessed person- it's at least worth it and worth it to do once with the kids and once before the kids (that's what this trip is to us and why we are doing it!) because it is fun and because Disneyland Paris is SO expensive that it isn't worth it at all. I priced out the same holiday with them and the difference was 1000€ and less to do!
We're going in Sept and getting a few days in NYC in too cause we can't fly all that way only to Orlando. I am super excited. I know it will be super fun!
And then we are done again until we have kids that are old enough to go and we'll take them once or twice. We'll leave it at that then probably because it is not a good value when you consider how much of the world there is to see for the same money!
For 3000€ I can do most if not all of the intenerary of an ABD trip booking locally and have a blast.
That said, "time you enjoy wasting, is not time wasted!" If you are happy and havjng fun and relaxing at Disney- then it is a good value because you enjoyed yourself and relaxed on vacation. That's the point is it not?

 

[Pooh2]

Nope! Not a good value! But I cannot help myself!

 

[Marionnette]

Nope. Not a good value at all! The rooms are overpriced. The food is overpriced. The only saving grace until last couple of years was that you got a lot of entertainment for the price of your ticket. Now, at the cost of about $100/person for a day in the MK, where the lines are long and the attractions breakdown regularly, it's not such a good value at all.

Just as a for instance, my brother spent a day in the MK not too long ago. The HM line didn't move an inch after he and my niece had been standing in it 20 minutes. Once they got on the attraction, it stopped every 50 ft. BTMRR was closed due to lightning (not Disney's fault). They managed to ride it later in the day when the weather calmed down. 7DMTR FP line was wrapped around the attraction. A CM told them that the ride had been closed periodically throughout the day. They had to leave the FP line after waiting in it for 30 minutes because they had a dinner reservation. They were allowed to use their FP later in the evening (during Wishes), once it was back up and running. Their final FP was for SpM and , you guessed it, the attraction was down! They were given a FP to use anywhere and ended up using it on the Speedway.

Now, my brother was there for 2 weeks and has an AP. One bad day in the MK is frustrating but not that big of a deal for him. Imagine the day guest who just spent $100 per person for that experience. I know that I wouldn't be just frustrated with that kind of day. I would have been angry that I spent so much money in order to stand in line for broken down attractions.

 

[QVCshopper]

If you get a room discount, nearly free flights, and annual passes like me, then yes I think it's a very good value. The cost to attend my sister's wedding in Jamaica last year was $3k for myself, my 8 year old daughter, and my 1 year old daughter--all inclusive for 3 nights. For the same amount, my family of five is currently staying at Beach Club resort, with flights and premium annual passes (this is the second trip with the passes, we have one more scheduled).

 

[disney212]

For us it is. We own DVC which keeps our room cost down and get discounted AP's. We do take other vacations also. We have personally found that due to the entertainment factor it is worth it. We can see great shows, hear live music and have non stop entertainment included in admission. Can I go other places cheaper, yes. Can I go other places cheaper and have others entertain my every waking moment cheaper, no.

 

[QVCshopper]

Nope. Not a good value at all! The rooms are overpriced. The food is overpriced. The only saving grace until last couple of years was that you got a lot of entertainment for the price of your ticket. Now, at the cost of about $100/person for a day in the MK, where the lines are long and the attractions breakdown regularly, it's not such a good value at all.

Just as a for instance, my brother spent a day in the MK not too long ago. The HM line didn't move an inch after he and my niece had been standing in it 20 minutes. Once they got on the attraction, it stopped every 50 ft. BTMRR was closed due to lightning (not Disney's fault). They managed to ride it later in the day when the weather calmed down. 7DMTR FP line was wrapped around the attraction. A CM told them that the ride had been closed periodically throughout the day. They had to leave the FP line after waiting in it for 30 minutes because they had a dinner reservation. They were allowed to use their FP later in the evening (during Wishes), once it was back up and running. Their final FP was for SpM and , you guessed it, the attraction was down! They were given a FP to use anywhere and ended up using it on the Speedway.

Now, my brother was there for 2 weeks and has an AP. One bad day in the MK is frustrating but not that big of a deal for him. Imagine the day guest who just spent $100 per person for that experience. I know that I wouldn't be just frustrated with that kind of day. I would have been angry that I spent so much money in order to stand in line for broken down attractions.

I've been here for nearly a week and have not seen one broken down ride this trip. I have in the past--I was escorted out the back of Splash once even. Maybe I just jinxed myself.

 

[captainjen]

For us it is an all inclusive vacation, airfare, hotel, passes, rent a car, an TS free dining for $2000 for the week. I could pay the same amount to rent a 3 bedroom house on the Cape for the Week but sitting on my butt for a week does not seem fun to me. I can go to the Ocean for free all summer. I use Disney Visa during the year to earn points and pay it off in full every month. I always book free dining and I watch for a good price on air fare and car rentals. We eat, drink and are entertained all day, everyday when in Disney. We are an older couple so we love to go to the Signature resteraunts and enjoy the night time events in Down Town Disney!