POLL: Is it possible to be Frustrated with WDW Value, but still love it?

[jetdoctor]

Has anyone recently stayed in a NYC hotel? Philly hotel? Boston hotel? Chicago hotel? Yup, $300+/night easily.

Disney prices are right in line, even for Deluxe Resorts. I will gladly fork out $$ for what you get, not even a question. There's more to Disney than the so-called 'high prices', it's about spending time with my family for me and sharing this experience every year. This is the TRUE VALUE in Disney.

I realize that but Most families find 500-700 an night at the GF or Poly just insane.

 

[EagleG17]

I realize that but Most families find 500-700 an night at the GF or Poly just insane.

Perhaps so for many, but then there are other tiers of resorts one can stay at.

 

[jetdoctor]

I agree. The food prices are also right in line with other amusement parks or entertainment venues.

Very true

 

[jetdoctor]

I just feel that Disney doesn't care if locals keep coming. In fact I really believe that they want to price us out. I know that they want to manage crowd levels more. But I feel as far as my family we spend just as much if not more then the typical out of town guest. We go like I said in my OP 1 or 2 times a week we might dine @ full service restaurant 1 to 2 times a month. All that adds up to an enormous amount of money. Even if we don't renew our pass's we most likely will continue to go enjoy a really good meal at a signature restaurant here and there.

 

[EagleG17]

I just feel that Disney doesn't care if locals keep coming. In fact I really believe that they want to price us out. I know that they want to manage crowd levels more. But I feel as far as my family we spend just as much if not more then the typical out of town guest. We go like I said in my OP 1 or 2 times a week we might dine @ full service restaurant 1 to 2 times a month. All that adds up to an enormous amount of money. Even if we don't renew our pass's we most likely will continue to go enjoy a really good meal at a signature restaurant here and there.

I see nothing wrong with how things are currently set up. Why would Disney change dining prices for locals? Makes absolutely no sense. Does McDonalds charge anything less from their dollar menu to someone who lives 100 miles away than from someone 100 yards away?

 

[jetdoctor]

I see nothing wrong with how things are currently set up. Why would Disney change dining prices for locals? Makes absolutely no sense. Does McDonalds charge anything less from their dollar menu to someone who lives 100 miles away than from someone 100 yards away?

I never said they had to change there price read the post. I never said that they should change the price of food. I just said I spend as much as as an out of town person total throughout the corse of my yearly pass

 

[EagleG17]

I never said they had to change there price read the post. I never said that they should change the price of food.I just said I spend as much as as an out of town person.

Yes, this is true.

 

[jetdoctor]

Yes, this is true.

and we also have TiW

 

[IrishNYC]

It's a can't win situation. People complain that there's no low crowd time anymore. All summer there have been posts here that the parks don't seem as crowded, and now people are complaining it's priced so high that people are staying away. It can't be both ways.

 

[EagleG17]

I hope they start charging for Fast Passes someday too.

 

[jetdoctor]

Has anyone recently stayed in a NYC hotel? Philly hotel? Boston hotel? Chicago hotel? Yup, $300+/night easily.

Disney prices are right in line, even for Deluxe Resorts. I will gladly fork out $$ for what you get, not even a question. There's more to Disney than the so-called 'high prices', it's about spending time with my family for me and sharing this experience every year. This is the TRUE VALUE in Disney.

In my post I did mention that this could be more local focus thread. I moved here so that I could enjoy Disney more often. Disney has been a great place to spend time with my family. My thing is for the repeat patron it is loses its wow factor for me. I understand fully that I may have over consumed the product. This is to be expected. What I have a hard time with is giving it the break that I know I should give it. I hate then days later I want to go back. Thats all

 

[FastPasser]

.

 

[jetdoctor]

Your source was either misinformed or mistaken. To clarify, the time spent at DU is not training, it's what I would call orientation and being instructed as how to do things the Disney way. It's called Traditions and I have done it 6 times. It's laid back and actually lots of fun. It's not a class and because it's new hires for all departments, no specific job training can occur.

Twenty years ago it was 1-1/2 days with the second day being a behind the scenes tour of MK. Afterwards a rep from your location would pick you up and take you there for administrative stuff. The second day of Traditions was eliminated at least 8 years ago.

The actual job training and departmental orientation is done by trainers at the work location. Having gone through training for 8 positions, my assessment is that the training was complete, extensive and adequate for those wanting to execute it properly. On average it lasted a week, but in a one case it was 3 weeks and in another case, it was 6 weeks. My last training 3 years ago lasted about one work week. There is also continual training. Training is not the issue, who's being trained is.

My mistake. I never did say it was true though. I know it is an orientation class and not training.

 

[yulilin3]

Another local here. Have had an ap for the past 15 years, visit the parks at least once a week. Here are my views on the subject
1. Going that often and I still haven't reached the loss of wow factor. This varies with the person, some people see disney as a one and done, some can't get enough and there a bunch of people in between
2. Disney looses money from me. When I go i usually don't eat and if I do i usually get kids meal, I may eat at a sit down, maybe 5 times a year. I don't buy a lot of Disney merchandise. Disney is the cheapest form of entertainment for me and my daughter, we pay $90 a month for both of us, we do very little else outside disney, we do visit universal but my son works there so we get in for free.
3. There has been a decline in ap benefits. I've met with imagineers that created wishes, went backstage of the safari ride, had special screenings of movies, meet the pupeteer that brings Gonzo to life, had a AK night with rides and food available, and many, many more, all of these special events are gone. I still see a value in my ap cause where else can you have the attractions , entertainment and magic for that price, again this depends on the person
4. Disney has lost its edge, especially in guest communications, it is unacceptable that disney hopes that yout make your dining reservations, hotel reservations and fp in advance, so they can have the data but are not giving the guests the correct times for parks, attractions and entertainment operations. It has very little effect on me, as a local, but it still not right and they have done this all year.

 

[Bullseye]

There's changes for the bad and changes for the good. We just roll with them. We still feel there's a lot of value. We stay at awesome resorts, eat great meals, and are able to have fun from morning until late night.
Were disappointed like everyone else when they get rid of things we love, but then they add other things that add to the magic. I don't feel like the scales are that unbalanced

 

[jetdoctor]

Another local here. Have had an ap for the past 15 years, visit the parks at least once a week. Here are my views on the subject
1. Going that often and I still haven't reached the loss of wow factor. This varies with the person, some people see disney as a one and done, some can't get enough and there a bunch of people in between
2. Disney looses money from me. When I go i usually don't eat and if I do i usually get kids meal, I may eat at a sit down, maybe 5 times a year. I don't buy a lot of Disney merchandise. Disney is the cheapest form of entertainment for me and my daughter, we pay $90 a month for both of us, we do very little else outside disney, we do visit universal but my son works there so we get in for free.
3. There has been a decline in ap benefits. I've met with imagineers that created wishes, went backstage of the safari ride, had special screenings of movies, meet the pupeteer that brings Gonzo to life, had a AK night with rides and food available, and many, many more, all of these special events are gone. I still see a value in my ap cause where else can you have the attractions , entertainment and magic for that price, again this depends on the person
4. Disney has lost its edge, especially in guest communications, it is unacceptable that disney hopes that yout make your dining reservations, hotel reservations and fp in advance, so they can have the data but are not giving the guests the correct times for parks, attractions and entertainment operations. It has very little effect on me, as a local, but it still not right and they have done this all year.

I am in that category of maybe it has value.

My wife loves a few of the signature Dining venus, as do I. I am the Diz nut in my house my wife is not. So that makes it hard for me too. She has been all over the world I have not. So crowded theme parks really aren't her thing. My obsession has gotten me in trouble at home too.

I think its cool for you that haven't lost that wow factor. I haven't completely lost or I wouldn't keep going back.

 

[siskaren]

I hope they start charging for Fast Passes someday too.

Why?

 

[EagleG17]

I would just find value in paying to guarantee quick access to a ride/attraction; I'd probably go as far as $5/pp/per ride or attraction. So I have a family of 4 and in addition to park entrance fee's I could see myself spending $50+/day on Fast Passes if it meant getting on things quicker. Yes, perhaps Disney should give 3 out to everyone, but I'd be willing to pay after that.

 

[yulilin3]

I am in that category of maybe it has value.

My wife loves a few of the signature Dining venus, as do I. I am the Diz nut in my house my wife is not. So that makes it hard for me too. She has been al over the world I have not. So crowded theme parks really aren't her thing. My obsession has gotten me in so trouble at home too.

I think its cool for you that haven't lost that wow factor. I haven't completely lost or I wouldn't keep going back.

It's hard to have a spouse not enough the same things you do with the same passion. I'm note diverged but my ex husband didn't love disney the same way I do. Luckily my DD16 had the same love, she's been a lucky girl with an ap since she was 3 years old, I started taking her to the parks when she was 6 months old, and she still loves it. She even made her girlfriend get an ap , so now she comes with us as well.
But not everyone is alike and that's what makes this discussing so varied, but posting this on a disney planning thread will probably get a high number of votes for " no it hasn't lost the value".
Now if you would post this on a general forum, maybe even fb or Twitter you will probably get a different answer

 

[jetdoctor]

Why?

That has always been a perk, the fact that they didn't charge for fastpass I wouldn't put it pass them