NY Times Today: Is a Disney Theme Park Vacation Still Worth the Price?

[Jrb1979]

What was so special about WDW in the 90's? I was also there yet I don't feel the same. I think the park experience improves with each new decade.

For me what was special is how each park felt different with different themes. The big was Epcot was always my favorite park. I loved the original Epcot with Horizons, World of Motion, the Original Imagination and Body Wars.

While the new attractions coming look great, it's the placement of them and how it's more taking away the theme of the parks to get IP into them.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I also think why Disney Parks vacations are still worth the price is because if you are smart you can go through a travel agency or a good travel agent because when you have a good travel agent or travel agency they find great deals on packages to Walt Disney World and Disneyland which is something my family used when we took our very first Disneyland trip in the 90's and we had a travel agent do everything for us and we saved money that very first trip. But with travel sites like Expedia Priceline and hotel travel sites like Trivago and Trip Advisor the days of travel agencies and travel agents have disappeared today and if you have Rakuten you can find Disney travel deals for real cheap. But I also think that in general the Disney Parks have changed their image because they are no longer focused on doing things for the customers who go. Like I cannot imagine why Character Dining is so expensive and when you get the general picture why Disney considers children under 10 adults for pricing purposes when the children's age should be lowered to 12 and when you look at it I think people who attend Character breakfasts and dinners mainly attend just so they can meet characters easily without waiting in lines at the parks. But I can guarantee you once Universal opens Epic Universe next year Walt Disney World will most likely see a visitor drop in attendance because most likely everybody will visit Epic Universe

 

[Cfabar1]

For me what was special is how each park felt different with different themes. The big was Epcot was always my favorite park. I loved the original Epcot with Horizons, World of Motion, the Original Imagination and Body Wars.

While the new attractions coming look great, it's the placement of them and how it's more taking away the theme of the parks to get IP into them.

Disney used to have their rides sponsored by corporate partners. One of the few examples of this still remaining is Test Track which is presented by Chevrolet (formerly it was presented by GM).

In the absence of corporate sponsorships, Disney has created corporate sponsorships through synergies with itself to spread costs and profitability around.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Jumping in a little late on this one but for what it's worth I believe that Disney ebbs and flows when it comes to pricing based on the greater marketplace. I remember my parents being squeezed in 10' with hyperinflation and the financial crisis, and it seems to be much the same today when it comes to inflation. Every new generation feels that the weight of the world is solely on them, but if you look at history the story keeps repeating itself. My guess is that Disney won't raise prices nearly as fast as they recently have (as inflation finally subsides) for a while, and salaries will gradually come up in the middle class to create balance and make trips feels more "doable". The exception being here is retirees on a fixed income, they always feel it worse than the rest because they have no way of regaining on inflation.

 

[Miffy]

It isn't just the money. As another part of the article notes: "For many guests, price isn’t the only hurdle. Visitors now have to navigate several new apps and tools if they want the best chance at getting on the most popular rides." (A section about Genie+ follows that.)

Oh, by the way:

Since that sentence is about WDW, it should not have had the phrase "happiest place on earth." That's Disneyland's motto. The one for WDW is "The Most Magical Place on Earth." As a California native, I really get tired of writers making that mistake.

Anyway, here's a link to the full article that will allow non-subscribers to read it for the next two weeks:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/09/...e_code=1.Bk4.nSVh.MGkgdXLI0QPH&smid=url-share

Thank you so much for this link. Much appreciated.

 

[Moliphino]

Your response goes back to my question from earlier. Why are comparing a European trip with a Disney trip?

To me a better comparison is a trip to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. I realize many are looking at cost but IMO a European vacation is not anywhere the same as a Disney vacation.

I have no real interest in theme/amusement parks outside of Disney. So for me, the choice is between a Disney trip and going to Europe. For a while we were doing 1 each/year, but for the last three years Europe has won and we've done 2 European vacations and no Disney.

 

[vinotinto]

There's some serious Rosy Retrospection Bias happening in this thread. I went to WDW once in the 90's. Spent 2.5 hours in line at Space Mountain. Decades later, I still have PTSD from it.

I'm not sure what the NYT article is trying to get at. I don't think most people put WDW and Europe in the same bucket of travel. If someone wants to travel to Europe, they'll figure out where in Europe they want to go. If someone want to go on a vacation in the US that may include theme parks, they may decide between WDW and Uni. Some may include a few beach days in that vacation. I think WDW's biggest competitor continues to be the plethora of things to do, including Uni, around Central FL.

I don't think people are going: "Oh, we're going to spend 4 days at Disney, I guess we're not going to Italy."

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

There's some serious Rosy Retrospection Bias happening in this thread. I went to WDW once in the 90's. Spent 2.5 hours in line at Space Mountain. Decades later, I still have PTSD from it.

I'm not sure what the NYT article is trying to get at. I don't think most people put WDW and Europe in the same bucket of travel. If someone wants to travel to Europe, they'll figure out where in Europe they want to go. If someone want to go on a vacation in the US that may include theme parks, they may decide between WDW and Uni. Some may include a few beach days in that vacation. I think WDW's biggest competitor continues to be the plethora of things to do, including Uni, around Central FL.

I don't think people are going: "Oh, we're going to spend 4 days at Disney, I guess we're not going to Italy."

agree 100%

 

[irlandaise]

I don't think people are going: "Oh, we're going to spend 4 days at Disney, I guess we're not going to Italy."

I would say it's more the opposite: "Hey, instead of our usual week at WDW, I just realized that we can go to Italy for the same price or less." Not only was such a decision mentioned in the NYT article, people on this board have said the same thing. IOW, they've had a European trip in the back of their head and are realizing that for what they would now have to spend in Florida, they could actually take that trip to Italy. Perhaps the numbers were always close but a few annoyances about WDW have tipped them over to the other choice.

I think WDW's biggest competitor continues to be the plethora of things to do, including Uni, around Central FL.

Sure, no one is saying that "Europe vs. WDW" is the decision that most people are making. But I certainly believe the people in that article and on this board who say those were indeed the options they considered.

 

[zackiedawg]

With the usual caveat that this is just my personal experience and situation, and opinion, and not meant to imply anyone else's experience should be the same as mine:

I would be one of those mentioned in a previous post, who has no interest in theme parks, but am a Disney fan. I've been to a Universal Park once, 15+ years ago, and no other theme park in more than 30 years, while I go to Disney World 4-5 trips a year. Universal is the same distance from my house as Disney, but I have no interest in their parks at all. I have been a Disney fan since I was a tot - I was taken to Disney World opening month in 1971, and have been to Disney theme parks every year of my life. I grew up on Walt Disney's television specials, nature shows, and movies...so it's a nostalgic connection that's engrained deep inside me.

My Disney trips now aren't about riding rides, as an adult with no kids, the trips are more about just enjoying the atmosphere, people-watching, hitting a few rides that I have fond remembrances of, and maybe a few new rides I like. I love touring around the various resorts, hitting some good table service restaurants, enjoying the bars and drinks, hanging out with friends and family alike.

I can still do all that, and I still go regularly - I still always have a good time and enjoy the parks and the resorts. But I can also say that the past 5 years or so have felt a little bit less special mostly because of all those little things adding up - the costs seem to be rising higher and faster than any previous period I can remember, so many little perks are becoming pay-to-play, or being removed. Free valet parking for DVC, airport transportation, fast passes, and so on. Seems like more ride closures, more spaces going empty for longer or not being replaced, intricate theming being scaled back and more IP taking over what used to be more educational or cultural/ethnic, traditional Disney sightline guidance being broken, some employees not seemingly up to traditional Disney standards and rules of behavior, mood, appearance, and customer excellence. Again - not enough to make me feel like it's not worth going anymore, just making me wish they could restore some of those things again, maybe either reduce costs a bit, or restore more perks as part of those higher costs.

As a DVC member and annual passholder for decades, my costs are still much more controlled than others - without taking dues into consideration, the AP cost has gone up pretty considerably, but still well worth it for me considering I spend at least 16 days or more a year in the parks...I do consider that I don't get the benefit of free fast passes anymore - if I wanted Lightning multipass, it's $25+ per day. I get charged $39 per day to valet park that used to be free, without even considering higher food and drink costs, I'm already $260 higher for a 4 day trip just with those two things. I used to justify going to Disney so often to friends and family by joking that the trip really isn't much more than just a tank of gas to get there and back, and whatever I spend on food and drink (skipping DVC dues and annual pass costs)...now, that's not true anymore. I used to come home with a $300-400 credit card bill for each trip - now it's usually $600-700, doing the exact same things. And I don't even buy the Genie/Lightning multi-pass - I just don't find it worth it. I'll hit a standby line if reasonable, and if it's too long, I skip the ride.

I still do other trips each year - I don't really think to compare Disney OR cruise/European trip - If I ever pared back on Disney trips, I wouldn't be going to another theme park OR adding more international trips in its place - I'd just take one less Disney trip a year and stay home. I do wish I could send Disney a message that the drip-by-drip perk removal and ever-rising costs need to stop, but unfortunately the trips are still well worth it for me, even if they're not AS worth it as they were 5-10 years ago...so I sadly play right into Disney's game to justify what they're doing.

 

[asgur5]

There's some serious Rosy Retrospection Bias happening in this thread. I went to WDW once in the 90's. Spent 2.5 hours in line at Space Mountain. Decades later, I still have PTSD from it.

I'm not sure what the NYT article is trying to get at. I don't think most people put WDW and Europe in the same bucket of travel. If someone wants to travel to Europe, they'll figure out where in Europe they want to go. If someone want to go on a vacation in the US that may include theme parks, they may decide between WDW and Uni. Some may include a few beach days in that vacation. I think WDW's biggest competitor continues to be the plethora of things to do, including Uni, around Central FL.

I don't think people are going: "Oh, we're going to spend 4 days at Disney, I guess we're not going to Italy."

Ofcourse people consider italy vs orlando disneyworld. People only have a small amount of time and money for vacations. All vacation options compete with each other. And who goes to orlando for only 4 days outside locals? Its a minimum 1 week trip and for many quite a bit longer than that.

 

[vinotinto]

Ofcourse people consider italy vs orlando disneyworld. People only have a small amount of time and money for vacations. All vacation options compete with each other. And who goes to orlando for only 4 days outside locals? Its a minimum 1 week trip and for many quite a bit longer than that.

Possibly. I think most people that visit WDW spend a week or less and most people would spend more than a week in Europe to make it worthwhile given the travel time, jet lag and airfare cost. For us, they are completely different. If we have more than a week, we travel to Europe. If we have less, thats when WDW comes to play. The last time we spend a full week at WDW was more than 5 years ago.

 

[Minnie1222]

And who goes to orlando for only 4 days outside locals? Its a minimum 1 week trip and for many quite a bit longer than that.

When the kids were younger, it was very common for us to go to WDW during the long weekends. We would fly-in Friday night and fly-out Monday morning.

 

[asgur5]

Possibly. I think most people that visit WDW spend a week or less and most people would spend more than a week in Europe to make it worthwhile given the travel time, jet lag and airfare cost. For us, they are completely different. If we have more than a week, we travel to Europe. If we have less, thats when WDW comes to play. The last time we spend a full week at WDW was more than 5 years ago.

Im about to go to italy for a two week holiday and just spent over 3 weeks in orlando. For me its the other way around.

A trip to orlando aint just a trip to wdw. Its also universal and a cruise for many. Its a long trip destination just as italy is.

 

[Moliphino]

Ofcourse people consider italy vs orlando disneyworld. People only have a small amount of time and money for vacations. All vacation options compete with each other. And who goes to orlando for only 4 days outside locals? Its a minimum 1 week trip and for many quite a bit longer than that.

The way Disney prices tickets encourages you to stay at least 5 days. The cost per day is insane for a short trip.

 

[vinotinto]

The way Disney prices tickets encourages you to stay at least 5 days. The cost per day is insane for a short trip.

Sometimes. My 4-day Magic Ticket (non-PH) was $399+ tax. A 7-day regular (non PH) ticket was $562+ tax. Per day, the 4-day magic ticket ticket was only $20 more per day.

 

[gmi3804]

And who goes to orlando for only 4 days outside locals?

I wouldn't even go to FLORIDA if WDW and the Miami Cruise Terminal weren't there! And the former is becoming a much lesser draw than ever before.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Ofcourse people consider italy vs orlando disneyworld. People only have a small amount of time and money for vacations. All vacation options compete with each other. And who goes to orlando for only 4 days outside locals? Its a minimum 1 week trip and for many quite a bit longer than that.

This is exactly what I was going to type. I don't have unlimited PTO and/or the ability to go on vacation whenever I want. I have to pick and choose my vacation time carefully so all types of trips are competing with each other.

I'm only going to WDW for a weekend in October but that's not something I would normally do.

 

[AquaDame]

Same, I absolutely consider all options these days. Now that WDW is more expensive its hard to think of it as a mini-trip and go for a long weekend as we had done for years. The price of the flights haven't helped either - we used to get them for ~400 R/T for a nonstop on Alaska (we are in Oregon) but those days are gone, as are point deals. Speaking of, its also been harder to rent DVC points, and it isn't about half the price of rack anymore either... that ship has also sailed. I had a great time at Disneyland last week but can't justify going back next year even though I really want to. I spent just as much in five nights as we did on an eight night trip to Japan last month. Food, hotels, etc were all cheaper there, and the flight to get there was less than my domestic flight and theme park ticket were (I had hopper and MP).

 

[New Mouse]

The foods also 5 billion times better in Italy, even if the costs are the same.


There's something to be said about places like Venice having to implement tourist caps recently. Obviously they are seeing more people finding European vacations more affordable as well.