Price increase show discussion

[TresGriffin]

I agree. Even when I'm driving across Orlando to get to Universal I don't hit any severe traffic. Going to Disney from my hotel there's none. There's usually a tram right there when I park. I like the jokes the tram CMs make. It adds for me rather than takes it away.

Agreed. There’s plenty of hotels in the Lake Buena Vista area to stay in that’s just a stone’s throw of “the bubble” to the point that traffic is a non-event.

 

[Jrb1979]

I went to MK last February, while I enjoyed it, I found Sea World and Busch Gardens much more enjoyable. Its cheaper and have much better coasters. After reading a lot of threads on here, it seems most are terrified of big coasters.

 

[Delite]

I go because I have a 44 inch tall human who likes coasters and can ride everest. Everywhere else wants 4 foot tall humans only.

The price can scare folks away. Most families never go or only once while their kids are young. Many parents I have around me prefer to only spend funds on themselves and not much toward their kids.

Crowds down enough hoping for extra 5% off hotel next month when discounts get released.

 

[disneysteve]

I went to MK last February, while I enjoyed it, I found Sea World and Busch Gardens much more enjoyable. Its cheaper and have much better coasters. After reading a lot of threads on here, it seems most are terrified of big coasters.

I love big coasters, but that's not why I go to Disney World. If I want coasters, I'll go to Six Flags or Dorney Park or Hershey Park or trek out to Cedar Point or numerous other places. Disney is different. It's not all about thrill rides.

 

[Brianstl]

I love big coasters, but that's not why I go to Disney World. If I want coasters, I'll go to Six Flags or Dorney Park or Hershey Park or trek out to Cedar Point or numerous other places. Disney is different. It's not all about thrill rides.

Disney has always done the theme part of theme park better than the rest. I just worry they are forgetting what separates Disney from other options.

 

[DanInMN]

Hi Danin Mn. We live in Minnesota and often wondered about living close to WDW in Florida. But, believe it or not, we love all the seasons in Mn, even winters, although last winter was a bit much Kudo's to you for adopting teenagers. My Dad and Mom took in a foster teenager when I left home. They were told that no one wants the teenagers. My fostersister was given a great chance at a good life and she has done just that. She married a college professor and has 3 grown kids. A happy ending Anyway, I just wanted to say you are doing a wonderful and difficult thing. Also we love visiting Florida and do every year!

Thank you! It has been challenging to raise teens that had a difficult past, and there is no assurance of success. But we try!

macdonaldadoption.blogspot.com

In MN we wasted half the year waiting for summer. Here we have the endless summer!

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I love big coasters, but that's not why I go to Disney World. If I want coasters, I'll go to Six Flags or Dorney Park or Hershey Park or trek out to Cedar Point or numerous other places. Disney is different. It's not all about thrill rides.

Never go to six flags, yuck.

 

[disneysteve]

Never go to six flags, yuck.

Well yeah, I don’t actually go there. I was just saying I could if all I wanted was coasters.

 

[firefly_ris]

Never go to six flags, yuck.

??

We got season passes to our local Six Flags (Darien NY). Is it amazing.... no. They have your standard off the shelf, older amusement rides, but I have 3 small kids and it was plenty amazing for them. They also have a full water park. We got a season pass deal with free parking for 2 vehicles, and the passes were on sale for the same price as a single day ticket. It's about 15 minutes from our house.... we could come home from work, have dinner, and take the kids over to the water park for 2 or 3 hours in the summer, or go on a couple of rides then head home. Is it Disney? Of course not, not by a billion miles, but I wasn't using it as a WDW replacement. It does have a couple of really big coasters for those into that too. It has its place and purpose.

 

[Helvetica]

Never go to six flags, yuck.

My Six Flags season pass renewal was $49.50. My deluxe season dining pass (lunch, dinner, snack, soda every time I visit) was $79.99. My Disney World Annual Pass renewal is $1012.82, and I've had plenty of dinners at Disney World that cost over $80 a plate.

They're not even in the same class. Six Flags is good (for me) because it gives me an excuse to walk around for 5-8 hours and it was very helpful in me losing over 100 pounds. I can go there once a week or every other week and get a lot of miles in. The rides are fine for what they are, but they're certainly not the greatest rides of all time. Although, my local park has two of my favorite wooden roller coasters of all-time. One of which is 43 years old.

I think both parks are good for what they are, a regional park and the most visited resort in the world.

 

[disneysteve]

I'm guessing CampbellzSoup is referring to the same Six Flags park as I am - Great Adventure. That place is not the nicest and they don't attract the greatest clientele. I'm sure some of the other Six Flags parks are just fine.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm guessing CampbellzSoup is referring to the same Six Flags park as I am - Great Adventure. That place is not the nicest and they don't attract the greatest clientele. I'm sure some of the other Six Flags parks are just fine.

Six Flags Great Adventure also isn't as cheap as other options. Just checked their page, and they always have a lot of specials and sales going, but a standard one-day pass is $83 and parking is $25 ... so not *that* much cheaper than WDW and a much different experience

Local parks that are much cheaper and often quite nice (even if not a ton of impressive rides) I think are a different story

 

[disneysteve]

Six Flags Great Adventure also isn't as cheap as other options. Just checked their page, and they always have a lot of specials and sales going, but a standard one-day pass is $83 and parking is $25 ... so not *that* much cheaper than WDW and a much different experience

Local parks that are much cheaper and often quite nice (even if not a ton of impressive rides) I think are a different story

We went to Knoebel's last year for the first time and it was a very fun day. Free admission and you buy tickets for the rides. We've been to Kennywood in Pittsburgh which is another great local park. And we love Hersheypark. Dorney Park in Allentown, PA is also nice. But none of them are theme parks like Disney. They are amusement parks.

One thing with almost all of those parks also is that food is very expensive and lousy. It isn't like Disney where you can get roast chicken or salmon or falafel or a fajita platter for $15 or less at a counter service place. Nope. At those parks, it's $10 for not particularly good chicken nuggets or a hot dog or a burger or a slice of pizza.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I'm guessing CampbellzSoup is referring to the same Six Flags park as I am - Great Adventure. That place is not the nicest and they don't attract the greatest clientele. I'm sure some of the other Six Flags parks are just fine.

Exactly what I’m talking about

 

[firefly_ris]

One thing with almost all of those parks also is that food is very expensive and lousy. It isn't like Disney where you can get roast chicken or salmon or falafel or a fajita platter for $15 or less at a counter service place. Nope. At those parks, it's $10 for not particularly good chicken nuggets or a hot dog or a burger or a slice of pizza.

Yeah, we're the not fun parents, we make our kids eat before we go over there, and bring our own snacks. This particular Six Flags has an Anchor Bar and a Tim Horton's though so there's at least that, lol.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

I love big coasters, but that's not why I go to Disney World. If I want coasters, I'll go to Six Flags or Dorney Park or Hershey Park or trek out to Cedar Point or numerous other places. Disney is different. It's not all about thrill rides.

This does leads to a good side conversation. Many of us have local parks that do fill a huge general “amusement park” need in our life and it makes it harder to justify Disney for that extra part when most of what we like is found elsewhere for almost nothing.
Our local park has annual passes at about $100. It features original coasters, Dole whips, it has the Dumbo style rides, the water rides, Halloween scare houses, expansive kiddie land, entertainment, it’s rich with history and it’s convenient enough to go once or twice a week for 2-3 hours. At night, the games are lit up and we stroll around and people watch, get a snack and ride a handful of favorite rides. We often run into friends and stop to visit. Crowds are almost always modest.
Each year they add something new to keep it fresh and everyone stops at the construction walls to peek up at new structures, sharing rumors what the dipping dot guy told them. I am as excited as I am for new stuff at Disney.
Is it Disney? No, not even close. Not even remotely close. No night shows, parades or rides in the same caliber as Pirates or Haunted Mansion. But it’s does give pause to justify that jump of $100 for a year to the big price tags cost to travel/go to Disney.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Is it Disney? No, not even close. Not even remotely close. No night shows, parades or rides in the same caliber as Pirates or Haunted Mansion. But it’s does give pause to justify that jump of $100 for a year to the big price tags cost to travel/go to Disney.

I think this highlights though why I think a lot of us get unhappy when they get rid of things like the Fantasyland streetmophere or the musicians in Africa, and why we are upset there is currently only 1 parade in all of WDW and hasn't been a night time parade in years ... those are (at least part of) what separates Disney from other amusement parks. The immersive lands and new rides and stuff are great, don't get me wrong, but what many of the "die hards" love about Disney is much more than that - and we want more of that stuff, not less

 

[disneysteve]

Six Flags Great Adventure also isn't as cheap as other options. Just checked their page, and they always have a lot of specials and sales going, but a standard one-day pass is $83 and parking is $25

Unless you by a season pass. I just checked. They are running a special on 2020 season passes for $71.99. That includes Halloween and Christmas stuff this year and next year, free parking this year and next year, admission to the amusement park and water park, and a bunch of other special things, discounts, free tickets for friends, etc. So for just over $200 the 3 of us could go all year. We live about 45 minutes away which is an easy day trip.

 

[TresGriffin]

Yeah...we’ve got Six Flags Over Georgia here. (incidentally, one of only two Six Flags parks, the other being Six Flags Over Texas, that the company built from the ground up.) It’s a totally different experience from Disney. I actually find it funny that their commercials in the 90s used to compare themselves to Disney parks when it’s really an apples and oranges comparison.

 

[Jrb1979]

I agree. Disney does theming very well. For me I need more then just theming. I go to parks for the high thrills and big coasters. After reading the Hagrids thread and people worrying about the drops, there isn't many coaster fans on this board.

Busch Gardens is adding a record breaking coaster in Tampa but more people are excited for Mickey's run away railway.