WDW--What a bargain!

[DancingBear]

Two recent experiences have reminded me that Walt Disney World is a great travel/entertainment bargain:

(1) Took our 2yo DS to the county fair. Ride tickets are 75 cents each, most of the kiddie rides were 3 or 4 tickets. You could buy a wristband for unlimited rides for $14, but it was only good until 5 p.m. There were about a half-dozen rides for him big slide, elaborate moonbounce thing, mini-rollercoaster, and a couple of carousel-type things.

(2) Made reservations for a 2-night stay in Ocean City, MD. Rate for oceanfront room at the Holiday Inn suites: $289 for weekend night, $259 for weeknight. These go up to $349/night (weeknight or weekend) after next week for the rest of the summer high season. Rates at the much more modest motel-like Days Inn will be $249/night during high season.

I feel like I'm constantly dipping into my pocket to keep my son entertained. Admission to Port Discovery in Baltimore--$11 per adult ($8.50 3-12). Discovery Creek Children's Museum at Glen Echo Park--$5 ea. Carousel at Glen Echo Park--$1.

On the 3yo ticket thread someone said charging $334 for an AP for a 3yo was greedy. Well, if you use if for 12 days, that's less than $28/day--a bargain in our book! Last December, our 2yo DS did all of Fantasyland, Mickey and Minnie's houses, steam train, Haunted Mansion (he's fearless), POC, Alladin, Jungle Cruise, Buzz, TTA, among others, and enjoyed the parades, characters and live entertainment--and that's just MK.

I know I'm largely preaching to the choir here, but these recent experiences have just driven home what we get for our money at WDW.

 

[mamamia]

I know what you mean. We are going to Boston and New Hampshire this summer. In Boston the hotel we were going to stay at was going to be $309/night and it was within walking distance of everything, but then I switched it to a cheaper hotel which is outside of Boston and we will be paying about $175/night, but we will have to take mass transit to get anywhere. One of the reasons I decided to switch was because the hotel was right next to the Big Dig thats going on there and I don't want to deal with the traffic delays it is causing. Luckily a lot of the attractions in Boston are free. But it will still cost us about $150 to see other attractions (like the USS Constitution, the Science Museum,etc.). In New Hampshire we are going to Santa's Village and that's going to cost a little over $100.00 for all 5 of us to get in and I'm guessing it will not be a full-day kind of thing, so then we are going to go to Six-gun City and drop another $100 or so to get in.

We don't even bother with the little fairs that come into town - they usually turn out to be pretty costly.

 

[Spinning]

I agree totally! My biggest problem is getting to DIsney with a family of 4 flights can be pricey but I feel it is worth the money when you try to compare it to anything else around here! We don't do the town fairs anymore just way to expensive!

 

[disneyjunkie]

I have to agree with you. I always get a kick out of people getting upset about Disney charging $2.50 for a soda. I pay $4.00 for that same soda when I go to a Mets game.

The last game DS and I attended, I had to pay $27.00 for 2 sodas, 2 fries, 2 hotdogs and a pretzel. Of course DS HAD to have popcorn and ice cream to "wash down" the other food.

 

[emmagata]

Maybe it's just me.

But I think that $249, $289, $349 per night is outrageous!!!!!!

I think that $2.50 for a 25 cent (or less) bottle of water is outrageous as well.

I think $50 for admission to WDW is a bargain.

I know people will say that I don't need to spend it if I don't want it. And I don't.

But that's just my opinion.

Carry on...

 

[crazymomof4]

I have had this very discussion many times. At least once/summer we take the kids to the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ.
When I think of what we spend for tickets!!
For example: A little kiddie ride that just goes round and round for about 2 mins costs 4 tickets (@.75 each) or $3. We put 2 kids on that and we've blown $6!!! And what did we get? Disney attractions are SO much better as far as quality, length and the whole family can go on most rides together. If you broke down the numbers by the minutes of actual time spent on the attraction, I'm sure WDW would come out ahead even before factoring in the quality aspect.

Good subject for a thread!

 

[JimB.]

Wanna' see expensive??

Checkout the price to go to the Pepsi 400 Nascar arae at Daytone International Speedway on July 5th:

(only seats left)

Back Stretch r0w 1-32 $99
Pit Pass $50
Turn 3 RV parking
(OUTSIDE the turn) for 4 days: $950!!!!

WDW is a freakin' BARGAIN in comparison!!!

 

[colleen costello]

I agree here. We drive down to save money plus we eat "cheap" and this means I can "do Disney" a few times each year. Disney also lets you bring small food items into the park. Today at our local theater (I took the kids to Rugrats/Thornberry's) there was a sign saying that large tote bags aren't allowed. They obviously realize people are smuggling in food. Who can blame us? That popcorn is a quarter a kernel!

What I realize with kids is, life is expensive. Disney is certainly expensive, but so is everything. At least Mickey provides the magic for the money!

 

[crazymomof4]

Originally posted by colleen costello
Today at our local theater (I took the kids to Rugrats/Thornberry's) there was a sign saying that large tote bags aren't allowed. They obviously realize people are smuggling in food. Who can blame us? That popcorn is a quarter a kernel!

TOO FUNNY! I just took the kids to see Nemo today and we were all stuffing our pockets with candy from the dollar store. I'm very thankful that the style of boy's pants are baggy w/ large pockets My 2 yo DD was watching us and grabbed a roll of Smarties in each hand and shoved them into her little pockets. (We train them young). I do buy sodas when we get there.

 

[DocRafiki]

THANK YOU for saying this! I make this argument any time people say Disney is expensive. I beg to differ!

My example is the cost of a movie itself. $10 for a movie -- $5 an hour. that's equal to 11 hours at Disney for $55. I think the entertainment value I get at $5/hr at Disney is WAY better. Then of course it's less per hour if you buy a hopper and spend ALL day at the parks.

As for expensive snacks... I paid $3.50 for a bottled water at the movie theater the other week. I should have asked what the price was first. I assumed it would not break the bank.

 

[nativetxn]

You know, when you think about it and compare WDW to state fairs or carnivals it truly <i>is</i> a bargain.

 

[MinnieGi]

I sooooo agree - WDW is a bargain!!!!!

At WDW there is entertainment all around you!!! You pay your admission and you are constantly being entertained by dancers, street musicians, characters, bands, fireworks, laser shows, parades, music, demonstrations, not to mention all the attractions!! Whereas going to a county fair or boardwalk park you pay for an attraction, ride it and your entertainment is done until you pay for another attraction and the attractions are certainly not on the scale of Disney!

We visit other places but it is the entertainment value that you get for your money at Disney that keeps us coming back.

Great post!

 

[OhMari]

In Wisconsin we have a tour area in Wisconsin Dells. You cannot touch some of their resorts all year $250 a nite. They have A Fort Wilderness type hotel and the cheapest room is $199 during the slowest time of the year, in which I don't know when that would be.

Summer rates run $450-$600 and you just get a room and a inside water park area. No early entries to any parks, cause there are none!

When people go, I always ask them, "Wouldn't you rather go to WDW"?

 

[ChiTownZee]

I agree with you Dancing Bear, though it's been a while since I've been to Glen Echo Park (a loooong while) I was considering a weekend at Ocean City in August. After checking the hotel prices, I think not! I could stay at WDW, with tickets, food and spending money for the same price!

 

[laceemouse]

I agree with Mari, the Dells is outrageous! A friend of mine, who says they can't afford Disney, pays a mint to rent a house in Michigan for a week every summer. My mom just told me about a good friend who took her son and granddaughter to Ringling Brothers circus last weekend. Lafayette, Louisiana folks, not New York or L.A. Anyway, the prices were crazy high. Snow cones were $7 a piece!!! She said she almost had to mortgage the house to pay for the afternoon, LOL!!! We have 4 kids, going anywhere is expensive. Thank God for the cheap movies, we usually wait until things go there....Lacee

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Amen! We say the same thing! When we plan our beach trips we realize that the WDW resorts are not badly priced at all! Disney is a REAL bargain for those of us lucky enough to get seasonal passes. And we do skip the fair, can't stand to pay so much and then compare it to Disney the whole time ! Not even the same ballpark! And speaking of ballparks, DH and I waited until we left a major league game a couple weeks ago to have a drink. The prices...yikes !

 

[crazymomof4]

Originally posted by laceemouse
We have 4 kids, going anywhere is expensive. Thank God for the cheap movies, we usually wait until things go there....Lacee

I hear 'ya! We always go to the mid-week mattinee when all seats are $4.50. Or, better yet, wait 'til it comes on video and rent it. We turn off the lights, turn on the surround sound, throw a vinyl table cover over the carpet, pop a huge bowl of buttery popcorn and have "Movie Night".

 

[Minnesota!]

THANK YOU!!! I priced a 4 day weeked in Duluth (just No. MN, here, people), for my anniversary. It was close to $1000. With hotel ($200/nt), admissions, gas, and stopping at the casino on the way up, it was ridiculous. I then priced Disney, for the same 4 days, and it was HONESTLY about $150 difference. Well, its no comparison. We went to Disney. And, actually, the Duluth trip was from a Thurs - Sun. We went Disney from Wed - Sun. I wish people who don't know this, would. Then they would quit asking why I waste my time.

 

[crazymomof4]

Just went to Six Flags-Great Adventure here in NJ yesterday. I had a couple of free passes and coupons so I paid nowhere near full price which is $49.95 for a regular one day adult admission. Our 6-Day WDW passes come w/ 3 water park days so I figure we are paying about $32/day for the tickets. To quote the words of the OP: What a bargain!
The food and souvenir prices at 6 Flags are right up there with Disney, if not more. The parking there was $10, I believe WDW is $8.
You can't even compare what you get at 6 Flags with WDW. Many of the rides had rusted areas in plain view. I also saw paint peeling and plywood buckling. The parade was SOOO hokey! The "floats" consisted of John Deer tractors pulling decorated flatbed trailers and old busses painted with colorful colors and characters riding on top. It passed us in about a minute and a half.


My kids were still very young the last time we went to Disney so all day yesterday I kept telling them to remember what they are seeing and then you will appreciate WDW even more in Sept.

 

[Liz]

I totally agree!!! Sure, there are some things at WDW that on the surface seem like it costs a lot, but when you spend your money carefully, learn about deals (on the DIS perhaps ), and realize the value of what you are getting back I think it is priceless!

We just returned from Disneyland with our BIL, SIL & their kids. At home they eat out 2-3 times a week, go to movies usually once a week, BUY just about every new video & DVD that comes out, etc., etc. But at Disneyland they pinched every penny till it screamed and complained about the cost of food! Even a few days before going on vacation they called and asked us to go to the movies with them. We said no, we were saving for vacation. They said they'd pay our way! We still said no. The day after we got home from vacation they were out to eat again. You'd think after a week of eating out they'd want to eat at home. I can't figure it out. Sorry for getting off track but it still bugs me!!!