I am so happy to read this! I hope it continues to hold true for the next several weeks. We'll be there for 12 days starting on the 16th. If we have to be the guinea pigs for LLMP, it would be nice to have low waits and maybe decide to not even buy it.
I also have similar thoughts. Disney is fun and there is definitely a nostalgia factor behind it that can push you into booking another trip. But even good memories aren’t enough for me lately to book another trip. I don’t mind splurging on vacation but at those prices it feels like I am throwing my money out the window. I could travel around Europe and it would still be cheaper. I could eat way better food and not have to wake up early and plan out every hour of my day. I can come back from a vacation without feeling like I need another few days at home to recover.
You are 100% correct on this. The proof is in the fact that Disney posted a 12% increase in operating income (profit) for their experiences segment (theme parks and cruise line are the biggest part of this segment) for the 2nd quarter 2024 and a 7% increase for the 1st. By increasing their prices they are driving out lower income families. This is not necessarily a bad thing for Disney. What it does is lower crowds and brings in people with higher incomes. Those people stay on property in deluxe resorts, eat on property, drink on property (think expensive profitable cocktails), and buy Genie+ and lightning lanes. Lower crowds also means less labor and less wear and tear.
I'm also watching crowds since I'm going soon, too. I think the data supports this trend. You can look at historical/predicted crowd levels vs. actual crowd levels on Touring Plans and at least for the past month or so, predicted 6-7 days have actually clocked in as 3-4 days. Yesterday Magic Kingdom was a 1! It seems crazy low. I hope the trend continues for a few more weeks for us.
For many Disney is viewed as luxury vacation on the same level as a European vacation.
I went to Europe twice last year and yes it is cheaper. I'm really surprised at the resort prices. I hadn't looked at the prices in a few years. The last time we went we rented points. Even with 30% off the mods are over 300 a night when you include tax. That's pretty crazy.
WDW used to be an affordable family vacation. Europe has always been an expensive trip. Now people look at the cost of WDW and think "WOW" the places I could go with that money. Then you think why am I spending a ridiculous amount of money for a theme park vacation when I could actually go to some of the places in Epcot.
The mods have been over 300 night since at least 2018. It's why we finally bought into DVC in 2019 - the math showed we could get deluxe for a moderate nightly price.
And usually, a more enjoyable experience with those lower crowds.
No I stayed Coronado Springs for 129.00 a night June of 2019. I remember because I used my capital one cash back rewards to pay for room. The the Animal Kingdom club level in 2018 for 400 a night in February. I went several few times during covid and stayed deluxe for less than 400. It's just been the last three years that rooms haven't gotten that high in price. I would never pay 300 a night for a mod.
There's a lot of reasons for the BO being down (and let's not forget Disney's record breaking ISO2) and it was not just a Disney problem, it is industry wide. in fact, Disney has held up the best out of all the media companies:
We were always traveling as a family of 5 so POR was one of the few mods that could accommodate us. At the time of year we were going, it was always in the $250 to $300 an night range.
Are those prices before the 30%? I always booked resorts with 35-40% off.
