News Story: Has the cost of Disney World become unaffordable for the average American family?

[HashberryOTG]

Growing up, a Disney vacation was not something my family could afford. I would say we were solid middle class. Perhaps with a few years skimping and saving, but it was not considered a reasonable expense. Same for most of my friends. I knew a few that had been once, one or two that had been multiple times, but most considered it something you did if you had $. I don't feel that's changed. Inflation and rising prices will always be higher for "luxury" goods, and no one is going to claim Disney is a required expense. I imagine if the parks stop filling up at the current prices, Disney will consider discounts or price cuts. But as things stand, the market is MORE than supporting the price. It's a very entitled world out there right now, and some honestly don't comprehend that they don't have the "right" to do something they can't afford.

 

[jerry557]

I agree with the cost being crazy, but the reality is that these restaurants are fully booked.

Everything is booked and crowded because at the moment, it's a high end destination. But that doesn't mean it really is "high-end" or that it always will be. The quality of the stay or the food varies by location, of course. Some restaurants/hotels at Disney are way better than others. But a survey would likely show a majority of people everywhere (even people who can comfortably afford a Disney vacation) would say it's "overpriced." Is it enough to make people go elsewhere? Apparently not yet. But the prices may be near the peak of what Disney can get away with.

What's happening is Disney is in a favorable environment at the moment. There was pent up demand for travel due to the pandemic. International travel is still cautious and somewhat limited, so domestic destinations are the rave at the moment. Florida is also a state that never really closed down. So people booked their vacations to Florida. Disney is also doing their 50th and there are new attractions. So Disney is a popular destination at the moment. But what happens when all this is over? What happens when the recession hits (even the rich spend less during a recession)? What happens when Guardians and Tron are already open and Universal opens up Epic Universe in a few years?

Disney is right now obviously targeting the upper-middle class. But what's going to keep the upper-middle class coming back? When international travels opens up more, a lot of this class is going to travel to overseas destinations again. Disney is doing absolutely nothing to keep people coming back. In fact, they are right now blowing off their most frequent customers (DVC, APs, Florida residents, etc). Most companies work to reward loyalty and see value in repeat business. Right now, Disney corporate does not see value in return customers. They are after the family in the OP's article that will drop $10k for a 4 day vacation once in a lifetime. Chapek even publicly stated so. They see $$$$ in the one-time 7-day guest...not the many times 2-day guest.

And no, this is not the way it's always been at Disney. In 1990, the admission price to enter the Magic Kingdom for a day was $31. In today's money, that's $60. Today, the price for the Magic Kingdom for 1 day is $130. So Disney's rise in ticket prices is WAY above the rate of inflation. Has Disney become more expensive for the average American family? Yes it has. It's at least double what it cost in the 90s.

 

[LSUmiss]

Here now. Sure are a lot of wealthy ppl in the US. Much more than I thought b/c it’s packed as usual.

 

[Kestryl]

I don’t think Disney has ever been affordable for the “average American family.” Certainly not for the average American family to travel every year or nearly every years.

Are we guessing what the $900+ per night hotel is? I’ll admit, I’m more of the Pop Century/Coronado Springs budget, but Animal Kingdom Lodge is on my dream list- and I think those rooms are less than that.

Honestly, the implied $1600 for four round trip flight tickets is a steal. I’m super jealous of that. Flight prices are our biggest barriers.

Location for vacation is everything. A Gatlinburg vacation for me is super cheap. I don’t have to fly, it’s within a two hour drive. That’s a lot of travel money saved. I can drive to Orlando- cheaper than flying, even with parking and tolls. The Grand Canyon was NOT a cheap trip for us- we paid $1800 for flights for two adults. Yikes.

 

[Gehrig1B]

. For our trip to Europe this fall airfare is $1400 each

Wow, we just got back from a trip to The Netherlands in March, flew United from IAH and it was under $600 RT in coach…

 

[Lilsia]

These stories pop up all the time and like PP said, was DW ever affordable? Nope. I've been going since the early 80s. I was a single mom in a lower middle class/upper lower class salary range (I was a secretary in a small Georgia town). I usually saved for two years for my son and I to go for a week. We always stayed on property, which back then was deluxe MK resorts and the campground. It was much easier to stay on property as a single mom then to try to stay off property, I tried it once. During those two years of saving the only vacations we would take would be long weekends to places within driving distance. We did a lot of visits to the local park, a lot of sharing happy meals and a lot of toys from the dollar store. My son was always aware of why we were saving and was very much all for it. So, no, it has never been affordable. It just depends on what you want to spend your dollars on. Can you travel to places overseas for less? Maybe but for certain people for certain reasons that is not always an option. It was less expensive for us to drive to Disney then to fly out west in the US, driving was not an option because that would take up most of our vacation time.

Currently, going outside of the US isn't an option for me. Hubby hates to travel except for long weekends in our RV. Because of his job, we can't take it cross country because he has to be available at a moment's notice to be anywhere within the southeast. He doesn't like going out of the country, we have been on dive trips to the Caribbean and the south Pacific but because of our current dog, those trips are not an option. He will never travel to Europe, has no interest. So if I wanted to it would have to be solo since my son is grown with a child of his own now. I have travelled over seas and would love to continue to do so, but it's just not in the books for me.

My husband refuses to leave the Country also. That is not going to stop me from going solo. I am currently hoping to go to London next year for my 50th if I can make it work financially. I refuse to let anyone, even my most amazing husband, to stop me from traveling to where I really want to go. This is my one life and I want to live it. And he wants me to go and do what I love.

 

[Lilsia]

Disneyland/DisneyWorld was ALWAYS this 'dream vacation' growing up in the 70s and 80s in my middle-class neighborhood. Only about half of the kids in my school ever went. Half the kids never went as their parents couldn't afford it.

I would bet it was something like this:
50% of kids went once or twice in their entire high school years
5% of kids went 'every' year
45% NEVER went

I was part of the 50% which my parents saved and saved for YEARS to be able to take us once every 8 years. And when we went, we stayed at All-Star-Movies or off-site, even camping to save money. Never went to a restaurant that needed advance reservations. In fact the only restaurant inside Disney I ever remember going to was the Sci-Fi Drive-in restaurant.

It was a LUXURY, and it's always been.

Harper's Magazine actually did a study and found that 70% of people had been to Disneyland/DisneyWorld at least once in their lifetime. 30%, or ONE THIRD never go their entire lives. So, in my estimate if 55% of people went while in school, only 15% more ever went after finishing school (like as adults for the first time).

Where I grew up, not one kid that I knew went to WDW. I am sure that there were some in the school that went, but I don't think that the numbers where quit as high as they are now. It seems that when my kids were in school, most of the kids had been to WDW at least once.

 

[Karin1984]

For our trip to Europe this fall airfare is $1400 each. That's a lot of park tickets.

(Not directed at PP specifically)

Isn't it also about making choices? Choices you might value more than money. Like travelling in a higher cabin, a more expensive season, on a specific day, direct flights.

It can be you are unlucky with a choice in airports in your region, but that is then still a consequence for chosing living in a specific area.

The people who do decide to spend $62 on Be Our Guest or $950 on a night at a hotel, value something in it. And that can just be to be able to say they did X to tell the people back home.

 

[tinkerjo]

I feel we fall in that middle to upper middle class category and most people in my area have not been to WDW unless it was a school trip (band, choir, etc) we have been lucky enough to go every few years for the last 20 years. We drive (13 hrs), we save change( not as much as we used to, debit cards reduced that) we take a lot of our own food and splurge on a couple nice meals and snacks, and rarely buy souvenirs. Lodging varies. Sometimes we stay onsite, sometimes not. We have tent camped at the Fort (super fun) so it is about choices. For us, right now, we still see benefit in going. Not crazy about the thought of using Genie+ But that’s for another thread. At least we do have the ability to control some of the price of our trip. Travel is important to us (and not to “keep up with the Jones”) it makes us happy. Disney will fall from this high and I hope it survives, but they need to realize who their fan base is and not alienate them!!!

 

[Sinder]

If you can spend 10 thousand on a Disney vacation you can’t tell me there’s no where you can’t save money lol we’re a family of 5 and I’ve never spent more than 4000 total for everything. Like every penny.

If Disney has people budgeting 7-10k to go there why would they not oblige?

4000 ever for a family of 5?
The last time my family of 5 spent only 4 grand was back in 2013 and that was with creative budgeting.
Our trip last August was around 8K and that was staying at the Swan.
Disney has always been expensive and of course there are ways to make it less so, staying off site, not eating TS meals or any meals in the park, not getting hoppers, tent camping, etc. For us that’s not how we want to spend our time when we choose WDW as a vacation spot do obviously it’s going to be a more expensive vacation. That is why we go every 4-5 years instead of every year.
The problem I see with Disney is that you are paying luxury prices and not getting a luxury vacation anymore. They are raising the prices and taking away all the special things that made you feel that paying high prices was worth it because you got something in return.
At least I know it’s not special anymore so I don’t have to spend all that money to find out.
I feel for the families who have this idea of what s WDW vacation is and spend thousands of dollars to find out it’s just another amusement park vacation.

 

[bbeagle]

The idea that a European vacation is cheaper is absurd.

The costs never include the entertainment. They just include airfare and hotel. A family of four spending at least a week in Disney pays about $300 a day for tickets. Somehow in the 'Disney Price' it includes tickets, but the 'Europe price' never includes things to do.

If I'm spending a day in London, it costs £90 to go to the Tower of London, another £60 to get a double-decker bus tour, another £90 to ride the London Eye, and so forth. That's already £240, or about $300 for 6 or so hours. You have to pick and choose what you will do - you can't do everything. Do you spend another $100 to go to Buckingham Palace or Windsor castle? Do you spend a bunch to rent a car or get a tour to Stonehenge?

When you're in Disney, the transportation, rides and entertainment are inclusive. You spend extra money on food and souvenirs (the same as you would in London, Paris, Rome, etc.)

 

[Dcgc28]

4000 ever for a family of 5?
The last time my family of 5 spent only 4 grand was back in 2013 and that was with creative budgeting.
Our trip last August was around 8K and that was staying at the Swan.
Disney has always been expensive and of course there are ways to make it less so, staying off site, not eating TS meals or any meals in the park, not getting hoppers, tent camping, etc. For us that’s not how we want to spend our time when we choose WDW as a vacation spot do obviously it’s going to be a more expensive vacation. That is why we go every 4-5 years instead of every year.
The problem I see with Disney is that you are paying luxury prices and not getting a luxury vacation anymore. They are raising the prices and taking away all the special things that made you feel that paying high prices was worth it because you got something in return.
At least I know it’s not special anymore so I don’t have to spend all that money to find out.
I feel for the families who have this idea of what s WDW vacation is and spend thousands of dollars to find out it’s just another amusement park vacation.

Our last trip during 2019 was 29xx for pop tickets and dining plan and we spent about another 1100 or so on travel and souvenirs. We did also spend outside of that budget for MNSSHP. That’s roughly 4K maybe not on the nose but I didn’t spend anywhere near the numbers you see floating around here.

For 2023 I’ve bumped our budget up to around 5k total and I will stay on property and eat maybe 2 TS meals with that budget. I might break it a tiny bit. But I see no reason Disney HAS to cost anyone over 6k. To willingly pay it just shows Disney that it’s cool and to charge more.

I’m happy for you and your family that you won’t be taking trips that are no longer worth it for you. It’s unfortunate Disney made you feel that way, but most of life is about choosing if something is or isn’t worth it. If I felt compelled to drop 500+ a night on a resort room I probably would stop going as well or if the day comes where all resort rooms are 500 a night I again would probably stop going. But every 2-3 years splurging on a 5k vacation for a working family is feasible in my opinion.

 

[john7994]

Everything is booked and crowded because at the moment, it's a high end destination. But that doesn't mean it really is "high-end" or that it always will be. The quality of the stay or the food varies by location, of course. Some restaurants/hotels at Disney are way better than others. But a survey would likely show a majority of people everywhere (even people who can comfortably afford a Disney vacation) would say it's "overpriced." Is it enough to make people go elsewhere? Apparently not yet. But the prices may be near the peak of what Disney can get away with.

What's happening is Disney is in a favorable environment at the moment. There was pent up demand for travel due to the pandemic. International travel is still cautious and somewhat limited, so domestic destinations are the rave at the moment. Florida is also a state that never really closed down. So people booked their vacations to Florida. Disney is also doing their 50th and there are new attractions. So Disney is a popular destination at the moment. But what happens when all this is over? What happens when the recession hits (even the rich spend less during a recession)? What happens when Guardians and Tron are already open and Universal opens up Epic Universe in a few years?

Disney is right now obviously targeting the upper-middle class. But what's going to keep the upper-middle class coming back? When international travels opens up more, a lot of this class is going to travel to overseas destinations again. Disney is doing absolutely nothing to keep people coming back. In fact, they are right now blowing off their most frequent customers (DVC, APs, Florida residents, etc). Most companies work to reward loyalty and see value in repeat business. Right now, Disney corporate does not see value in return customers. They are after the family in the OP's article that will drop $10k for a 4 day vacation once in a lifetime. Chapek even publicly stated so. They see $$$$ in the one-time 7-day guest...not the many times 2-day guest.

And no, this is not the way it's always been at Disney. In 1990, the admission price to enter the Magic Kingdom for a day was $31. In today's money, that's $60. Today, the price for the Magic Kingdom for 1 day is $130. So Disney's rise in ticket prices is WAY above the rate of inflation. Has Disney become more expensive for the average American family? Yes it has. It's at least double what it cost in the 90s.

While I would not suggest we are typical, I am DVC (since December 2021), and I have been to WDW in January and May 2022 - and will return this year in July, September and again in January 2023 (3-4 Day Trips). We aren't Florida Residents (Atlanta - so drivable) or AP holders (sadly not available) - we have many reasons to return including family and friends. Maybe this changes, maybe it doesn't for us.

 

[Kanga and Roo]

Mr J saw an ad for the Rocky Mountaineer train and wants to do that instead of WDW. His opinion is that it is not The Hajj (I had to Google that).

 

[tup1830]

As a testament to the comments here, nobody's budget or travel style or value is the same...hence Disney, like any other destination, will continue to thrive. People will come and go, some will repeat, some won't, its just the way of life.
At the end of the day, I see this all as just change. Times change, situations change, likes/dislikes change, everything in life changes. Disney will not go out of business because of their pricing, but they will change to maximize profits. If its too much, be happy for the memories that were experienced and find new happy memories. If its within budget, i'm sure there are spectacular memories within reach.

Soapbox...done.

 

[Dcgc28]

As a testament to the comments here, nobody's budget or travel style or value is the same...hence Disney, like any other destination, will continue to thrive. People will come and go, some will repeat, some won't, its just the way of life.
At the end of the day, I see this all as just change. Times change, situations change, likes/dislikes change, everything in life changes. Disney will not go out of business because of their pricing, but they will change to maximize profits. If its too much, be happy for the memories that were experienced and find new happy memories. If its within budget, i'm sure there are spectacular memories within reach.

Soapbox...done.

Well said. I hope that people who can’t afford/or dont want to be able to afford Disney find somewhere that makes them just as happy from a value standpoint as Disney used to. It’s going to be up to Disney to decide to win them back or not.

 

[glamdring269]

It has definitely gotten more expensive but the main issue for me now isn’t the cost. It’s the planning. This always used to require planning but it’s just gotten stupid now. Park reservations, dinner reservations, genie+ (Now only day of… more to enjoy while in vacation!), lightning lane, etc. etc. It was already kind of a working vacation but it just doesn’t feel like a vacation at all anymore.

 

[BrianL]

It has definitely gotten more expensive but the main issue for me now isn’t the cost. It’s the planning. This always used to require planning but it’s just gotten stupid now. Park reservations, dinner reservations, genie+ (Now only day of… more to enjoy while in vacation!), lightning lane, etc. etc. It was already kind of a working vacation but it just doesn’t feel like a vacation at all anymore.

It's not just the planning for me, but the competition with other guests. The fact is, you can spend all this money to go and not know that you will even get a boarding group for the latest ride, even if you do everything right and jump on it as soon as it is available. Getting ADRs is becomming ridiculous too. I don't mind going and paying the price for the privilege, but I also want to be able to do the things that I want to do.

 

[Sinder]

Our last trip during 2019 was 29xx for pop tickets and dining plan and we spent about another 1100 or so on travel and souvenirs. We did also spend outside of that budget for MNSSHP. That’s roughly 4K maybe not on the nose but I didn’t spend anywhere near the numbers you see floating around here.

For 2023 I’ve bumped our budget up to around 5k total and I will stay on property and eat maybe 2 TS meals with that budget. I might break it a tiny bit. But I see no reason Disney HAS to cost anyone over 6k. To willingly pay it just shows Disney that it’s cool and to charge more.

I’m happy for you and your family that you won’t be taking trips that are no longer worth it for you. It’s unfortunate Disney made you feel that way, but most of life is about choosing if something is or isn’t worth it. If I felt compelled to drop 500+ a night on a resort room I probably would stop going as well or if the day comes where all resort rooms are 500 a night I again would probably stop going. But every 2-3 years splurging on a 5k vacation for a working family is feasible in my opinion.

It was so much easier when my kids were younger and we could all fit in one hotel room. Now they are adults (real adults not just Disney adults lol) so this past trip was the first where we got 2 rooms. When first booking I was looking at BC but then found rooms at the Swan, 2 rooms (less than $500 total) for about the same as 1 there. We also were there for F&W so we got hoppers (which we normally don't bother with) to be able to be at Epcot every night for dinner and drinks. This was by far the most expensive trip we've ever taken there but we missed out on our Europe trip (which was cheaper) because of COVID and all 3 of my kids graduated (HS and college) so it was a celebration trip and we knew it was going to be a splurge. I have no problem spending that much on a vacation if I feel it's worth it. This trip just wasn't.
I could have done it cheaper but even if I did I'd come away with the same feeling about WDW as I did. It is sad, I have great memories of our trips but we have always made it a point to vacation in different places with our kids. We've had great vacations elsewhere and will continue too.

I am happy that families like yours can afford it and continue to love going. I don't think there will really ever be a shortage of people like you. Having said that, I do know several hard core Disney fans, some even DVC owners, who no longer feel the love and have decided to either go less frequently or not at all anymore. I don't think it's an issue of not being able to afford it, it's about being willing to shell out all that money and come away with just a run of the mill vacation feeling compared to how it used to feel in the not so distant past.

 

[Sinder]

The idea that a European vacation is cheaper is absurd.

The costs never include the entertainment. They just include airfare and hotel. A family of four spending at least a week in Disney pays about $300 a day for tickets. Somehow in the 'Disney Price' it includes tickets, but the 'Europe price' never includes things to do.

If I'm spending a day in London, it costs £90 to go to the Tower of London, another £60 to get a double-decker bus tour, another £90 to ride the London Eye, and so forth. That's already £240, or about $300 for 6 or so hours. You have to pick and choose what you will do - you can't do everything. Do you spend another $100 to go to Buckingham Palace or Windsor castle? Do you spend a bunch to rent a car or get a tour to Stonehenge?

When you're in Disney, the transportation, rides and entertainment are inclusive. You spend extra money on food and souvenirs (the same as you would in London, Paris, Rome, etc.)

We had a trip booked to Europe and it was cheaper. It included most meals, transportation and entertainment too. We cancelled it due to COVID and probably won't be able to book it again at the same price but it definitely was cheaper than the WDW vacation we took instead.

ETA Our entertainment was more sight seeing stuff rather than touristy trap stuff but still, the vacation we had planned the way we wanted was less expensive.