Recent discounts indicate travel slowdown?

[hglenn]

With the recent discounts released for December travel, do you think this is an indication of people pulling back on Disney travel? I get the ones for January as that's usually a slow time but hasn't December been notoriously busy for Disney?

 

[Dakota731]

I don’t think it’s just Disney travel. With the high cost of gas, record inflation and threats of exorbitant heating prices this winter, a lot of people are nervous about spending a lot of money right now. We usually go to WDW every other year, but we are holding off planning until we see how things go.

 

[DCLMP]

Discounts were the norm up to 2022. I don't know what craziness went on this year, but I don't think people are going to continue to pay 700 a night for deluxe resorts. As far as I know salaries aren't keeping up with inflation. I think this year was a one-off.

 

[MICKIMINI]

The writing has been on the wall since at least spring IMO. No retailer including WDW wants to reveal a slowdown (they can see future bookings) until they have no choice. Drip, drip discounts may turn into a waterfall over the winter into next spring unless there is a *miracle* that stops inflation. It takes a short time for prices to go up and a long time to go down if ever. Even those with healthy incomes are suffering right now.

We're DVC and AP so we have fairly *fixed* costs and the only variable is dining which we can control to a degree (less ADR's). I believe DVC members will continue their travel patterns pretty much as usual. Revenge travel, lots of DVC points in the pipeline and international travel have fueled this wild year(s) IMO. I could be wrong, but I think discounts will increase rather than prices decreasing YMMV. We will see...

 

[Anthony1971]

I see things slowing down in other areas so it has to have some effect on travel. However Disney will do as little as possible to attract people I would doubt seeing any significant change until we are well into a downturn. There are always people that have money and may be willing to spend it which is why sentiment of an economy is as important as reality.

 

[Disneyhanna]

There are tons of AP room discounts available for my trip around Thanksgiving in a month which blows my mind, usually the AP discounts are slim pickings to start let alone a month out.

 

[DCLMP]

I see things slowing down in other areas so it has to have some effect on travel. However Disney will do as little as possible to attract people I would doubt seeing any significant change until we are well into a downturn. There are always people that have money and may be willing to spend it which is why sentiment of an economy is as important as reality.

The trips people are taking now we’re mostly likely planned months ago. Things can go south pretty quickly as we saw in 2008.
Yes there will always be people with money and our willing to spend, but will they be willing to spend it on Disney. WDW is not the same as it was back in 2009. I’ve always thought Disney demographics was mostly the upper middle class not the 3%.

 

[DCLMP]

The writing has been on the wall since at least spring IMO. No retailer including WDW wants to reveal a slowdown (they can see future bookings) until they have no choice. Drip, drip discounts may turn into a waterfall over the winter into next spring unless there is a *miracle* that stops inflation. It takes a short time for prices to go up and a long time to go down if ever. Even those with healthy incomes are suffering right now.

We're DVC and AP so we have fairly *fixed* costs and the only variable is dining which we can control to a degree (less ADR's). I believe DVC members will continue their travel patterns pretty much as usual. Revenge travel, lots of DVC points in the pipeline and international travel have fueled this wild year(s) IMO. I could be wrong, but I think discounts will increase rather than prices decreasing YMMV. We will see...

You are right they never decrease prices. They just offer deeper discounts.