Taking Names: Orlando paper

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Taking Names has column not especially complimentary to Disney. They have broken down the expenses for one day at WDW for a family of 4. They have come up with $600 - and that doesn't even include a hotel!!

Parking
Park - one day
Lunch
Dinner
Cirque du Soleil

Many families will visit Florida and spend one only or two days at WDW.....choosing other theme parks, the space center.....or just a day or two at the beach or with family.

I realize the "Single-Day" family of 4 is WDW's most favorite vs. the rest of us who stay longer and search for discounts......will squeeze the most $$$ out of them p/day.....but $603 seems obscene.

Unless you drop Cirque and eat peanut butter sandwiches you brought from home, there isn't much to discount in a single-day visit.

Still seems a shameful exploitation.

 

[Disneybag]

I really don't see Cirque as something to include in a standard family visit. Granted, Disney vacations are pricey, but I think they were just trying to run up the number.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Take out Cirque and you are still at $368 with NO hotel (God forbid you try to add a nice hotel to the mix) or breakfast.

Add a moderate at $165 (regular season --- did not want to pad the bill with a peak season rate) and $30 for breakfast for 4 people (skimpy breakfast) and you are back to $ 563 p/day.

By the way, the original quote budgeted $30 for lunch and $60 total for dinner....for 4 people - more than low for Disney standards.

hummmmmm

 

[minnie61650]

Take out Cirque and you are still at $368 with NO hotel (God forbid you try to add a nice hotel to the mix) or breakfast.

Add a moderate at $165 (regular season --- did not want to pad the bill with a peak season rate) and $30 for breakfast for 4 people (skimpy breakfast) and you are back to $ 563 p/day.

By the way, the original quote budgeted $30 for lunch and $60 total for dinner....for 4 people - more than low for Disney standards.

hummmmmm

I guess that explains why so many people will pull their children out school to stay at a WDW resort during 'free dining".

For $79 a night a family 4 can stay at value resort. If the family typically eats 3 meals a day you would need to add another $30 for a light breakfast at the food court.

Transportation or free parking if staying on property is included so the only other fees are the park tickets and Cirque du Soleilor or some other outside entertain if the guest so chooses.

Just my 2 cents

 

[jimmymac]

I think OP's intent was to point out an article that shows that if you're Jane and John Sixpack and don't know how to work the WDW system, aren't willing to (or can't ) pull the kiddies out of school, then WDW is awfully pricey. As Adam Smith said, "there's no such thing as a free lunch." Free dining is not Disney's way of burning off excess profits

 

[raidermatt]

Most people don't pull their kids out of school to go to WDW. It's a fairly popular notion among the hardcore Disney fans, but most other people don't do it.

Yes, free dining is a great way to save money, but if you're looking for the average guest experience, it's not really part of the equation. It's the opposite end of the spectrum from picking a peak season, three sit down meals including V&A's, Concierge level accomodations at rack rate, full price single day park tix, Cirque show, etc. Neither is really the average.

I will say though that if you are looking for an average daily cost of an average family, even if they are only staying one day, Cirque doesn't belong. True, they left a lot of stuff out, so in the end the cost isn't much different, but putting Cirque in just clouds the issue.

 

[minnie61650]

I think OP's intent was to point out an article that shows that if you're Jane and John Sixpack and don't know how to work the WDW system, aren't willing to (or can't ) pull the kiddies out of school, then WDW is awfully pricey. As Adam Smith said, "there's no such thing as a free lunch." Free dining is not Disney's way of burning off excess profits

Very true.
I agree.

I always call the "free Dining" special "Disney's hurricane special" akin to the fall cruise specials since a lot of people will not vacation in Florida or the Caribbean in the fall for fear of a hurricane ruining their vacation.

Edited to add: I was remarking about the "free dining" because we just returned from a WDW "free dining" vacation.
We have gone during "free dining" the last 3 years.
I was really surprised by the increased number of school age children that were there during our stay this year. Maybe the number increased because Disney has shortened the "free dining" period. Maybe word has just gotten out.
Last year there were a lot of toddlers and early elementary children but this year there were a lot more children and a lot of them were middle school and upper elementary age.

Just my observation.

 

[JimB.]

I don't see what the big deal is. Compare a day at WDW to a Nascar Nextel Cup race (Daytona 500 tix $100+) or an NFL Football game.

It's not that out of line. At a UCF football game, a 22 oz coke is $3.50!!!!

Some things at WDW are a bargain in comparison.

And, IMHO, to label entertainment as "exploitation" is kinda' off the mark.

 

[Golf4food]

I don't see what the big deal is. Compare a day at WDW to a Nascar Nextel Cup race (Daytona 500 tix $100+) or an NFL Football game.

It's not that out of line. At a UCF football game, a 22 oz coke is $3.50!!!!

Some things at WDW are a bargain in comparison.

And, IMHO, to label entertainment as "exploitation" is kinda' off the mark.

Very true. A trip to a cheap NFL game:

4 tickets @ $63 ea. (roughly the league avg, some more, some less): $252

4 cokes @ $3.50 ea.: $14

4 hotdog meals at the concession stand @ $8 ea.: $32

Parking/shuttle bus: $20-$50

So even without souveniers or programs you are at $318-$348 just to attend a single four hour sporting event. If you double that and come up with $650 for eight hours, then Disney doesn't seem so bad...

 

[YoHo]

The difference being that NFL games and Nextel cup races are singlular events with a significantly more limited guest capacity. Disney World has 4 parks which each hold the equivelent of the biggest NFL stadiums 365 days a year for from 10-18 hours a day. There is absolutly nothing similar in the pricing model.

30% of WDW's ticket sales are single day tickets.
Still, even with multiday tickets, you have to look at average length of stay and what type of ticket is being purchased. The cost of a day at Disney is still significant.

 

[Revulkcor]

Take out Cirque and you are still at $368 with NO hotel (God forbid you try to add a nice hotel to the mix) or breakfast.

Add a moderate at $165 (regular season --- did not want to pad the bill with a peak season rate) and $30 for breakfast for 4 people (skimpy breakfast) and you are back to $ 563 p/day.

By the way, the original quote budgeted $30 for lunch and $60 total for dinner....for 4 people - more than low for Disney standards.

hummmmmm

There are some value resorts around the Disney area that are off Disney Grounds, but the cheapest you can get a room in a disney resort is Pop Century Resort or one of it's other ones. I don't know if that helped or not, but there you go. lol.

 

[Donald&Tinkerbell]

I've been to WDW many times and I haven't been. Not my cup of tea, and to assume that a family of 4 who only has 1 day in the parks would leave to go to the show seems absurd to me. Very few entertainments are attractive to the whole family as WDW is. Everyone has to decide what is best for them and their family, but we all know people who don't get it and it's surprising how many of them are reporters.

 

[Mallow]

I agree about Cirque. I often take the kids to Hershey Park (here in Pa), & I can't imagine going to a show after spending all day @ the Park, I'm exhausted (although not quite Disney exhausted ).

I think you can compare a football, nascar, other amusement park, etc. when considering prices @ Disney. A family of four only has so much to budget for vacation &/or entertainment and could decide to spend it however they want.

 

[disrailfan]

Taking Names has column not especially complimentary to Disney. They have broken down the expenses for one day at WDW for a family of 4. They have come up with $600 - and that doesn't even include a hotel!!

Parking
Park - one day
Lunch
Dinner
Cirque du Soleil

Many families will visit Florida and spend one only or two days at WDW.....choosing other theme parks, the space center.....or just a day or two at the beach or with family.

I realize the "Single-Day" family of 4 is WDW's most favorite vs. the rest of us who stay longer and search for discounts......will squeeze the most $$$ out of them p/day.....but $603 seems obscene.

Unless you drop Cirque and eat peanut butter sandwiches you brought from home, there isn't much to discount in a single-day visit.

Still seems a shameful exploitation.

Wow! I really am glad I have my DVC and Annual passes for our frequent trips (two or three times a year).