What has Disney Become ?

[MrKnight]

WDW has always been popular among all demographics, this includes upper-middle to upper-class clientele that demand luxury accommodations and amenities. A great testament to this is the tremendous popularity of WDW Deluxe Resorts such as GF and Y&B, both of which are AAA Four Diamond resorts.

 

[GPC0321]

Apparently not too many folks have been priced out of a WDW vacation. All we read about on here is how the parks are always crowded and there is no "off" season any longer. Sounds like plenty of people can afford to go.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

WDW and the Orlando area has accommodation and dining options at every price point, from ultra-luxurious (Four Seasons, WDW deluxe, deluxe dining plans, signature restaurants, etc.) to budget conscious (WDW values, off-site accommodations, house rentals, QS options, grocery deliveries or grocery shopping on your own). In fact, the new promo that came out is ONLY for value resorts, so no discount incentive for those staying mod or deluxe on that current promo. WDW has given no indication they will adjust on-site perks according to resort level.

When pricing out trips, what I find to be the possible deal-breaker for middle class families may be the ticket prices. When pricing out value resorts, depending on the number of people in your family, it is not uncommon to find the ticket prices exceed the costs of accommodations and dining. So, while I think, many families can find accommodations and food options within their budget, the ever increasing ticket prices may be the deal breaker for many.

My family of seven is definitely getting to this point. This year, even with the Mousesavers Undercover Tourist discounted rate for 5 day base WDW tickets, the cost of six tickets (since our 2 yr old doesn't need a ticket) exceeds what it costs to get two rooms at Pop Century for seven nights with the spring room discount OR exceeds the combined cost of an offsite rental house, minivan rental, gas, and parking fees for a week. Cutting costs by securing lower priced accommodations is only going to soften the blow but for so long. We've accepted that this comes with the territory of being a large family (wouldn't trade that for anything) and for us it just means that our trips to Disney will be few and far between.

 

[clapton]

We have been going to WDW since the 70's, and to think that the first time we stayed at the CR it was around $135.00 a night! Now I realize that was a long time ago, but the price of the Deluxe Resorts especially at prime time are ridiculous. That being said all the resorts are always booked so even though people complain they keep going and paying the prices! We always stayed moderate and a few times Deluxe, we finally bought DVC because it was definitely worth it for us because we go every year, sometimes twice a year.

 

[Minniesgal]

Disney is expensive but I certainly do not consider it high end.

 

[fireman1]

The thing is, some people like to go and be pampered. They like to slow down and smell the roses, and enjoy the finer things without feeling like they're rushed.
Some folks stay on the go the whole time they're there and pretty much just use the resort as a place to sleep at nite in between the hectic park days,
And some people like a little both of both.

There Nothing is wrong with any of these choices, and Disney caters to all three. If you want to pay mega bucks to be pampered you can. If you just want a place to lay your head at nite that's affordable, Disney does that as well WITHOUT losing the magic.

Your choice, your dime.

No vacation worth anything is cheap. We are a family of three ( middle income ) and its taken us a good while to save for this trip but its affordable.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

WDW gets more and more crowded each year so I wouldn't say anyone is getting priced out just yet.
Because of this I'm finding it to be less of a value than I did 10-15 years ago. Everything costs more there but there is less to do in terms of attractions all while fighting more crowds.
And, as Minniesgal noted above, Disney's prices still do not equal a high-end or luxury experience.

 

[DisDad4Life]

I have to agree that it seems the overall experience has not kept pace with the continually rising costs coupled with the annually increasing crowds. That said, we continue to shell out as it still is a very special and magical place for us to vacation, although it seems to be getting a little harder to swallow lately (as we plan for another trip this summer). There does seem to be a lot of great things in the works at HS and AK and I hope the value jumps significantly when those open in 2...3...4...5... years without finally pricing us out of the Magic.

 

[georgina]

I don't think Disney World has changed that much really. It was always expensive. There is a large segment of the population that does not go there. My family never visited WDW when I was a child, there was no way to get a family of 8 from Ohio to Florida on my dad's income!

Edited to add - I disagree with the statement a few posts above that no vacation worth anything is cheap. We have had some great family times on cheap vacations - camping, staying with relatives, weekend visits to cities in driving distance.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

Disney is expensive but I certainly do not consider it high end.

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I disagree.

Rooms are available at every price point. Just look at how huge the value resorts are.

I'm in the minority here, but I don't find ticket prices to be ridiculous in this day and age. When I look at the costs just to go to our children's museums and play places in our city and compare to Disney's prices, we get WAY more for our money in a day at Disney.

Going to Disney has always cost $$, and it will continue to cost $$. Yes, prices have gone up, as they have for everything everywhere. But it's definitely not just for the rich or super rich. Is it a sacrifice to go for many? Yes. Lots of people who wouldn't classify themselves as rich make sacrifices to go because they love it. I don't think they are intentionally pricing anyone out, hence why there are different resort levels, food levels, etc.

 

[Clare Voince]

My family started going to WDW in the 1970s because a week stay at the Polynesian was cheaper than a week at the Jersey shore. The deluxe prices since then have risen to insane levels. I stayed at the Dolphin a few years ago, and I simply can't justify Disney's prices for lodging anymore. While many people can still go to Disney, DVC and hotel prices are pushing middle-lower income people off site.

 

[violakat03]

Admission prices keep rising, yet not bad with multi-day passes. In April we will fly down on Friday and return home 9 days later on a Sunday. We don't go to the parks on travel days, and take one additional day off to swim, etc. So we have 7 day passes, which are currently $335. That is $47/day... which is not that bad.

I think that calculation is the first one in this thread that really hits home the overall value. $47 a day is about the same as you'll spend at any amusement park in the country. (And as a PP pointed out, other local attractions such as children's museums and zoos can also be pretty pricey.) The gate prices at most Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks are in the $40-$50 price range. Dollywood clocks in at $73.13 after tax. So for $47 a day per person, you are getting all of Disney's magic.

The average cost of a new attraction at most amusement parks is in the $10-$20 million range. The average cost of a new Disney attraction is more like $100 million, so it makes sense for tickets to be more expensive considering the level of theming their attractions include. They also have a significantly higher labor cost to keep the parks running every day than regional parks do - BTMRR has 15-20 CMs working at a time, whereas most coasters in regional parks have 4-8 people working them at a time. That isn't including the extra personnel that they have such as the FP+ team, the characters and their escorts, parade personnel, PhotoPass photographers, and who knows how much other extra staffing in areas we don't even see. Continue to add in the complimentary on-site transportation on the busses, monorails and ferry boats, which are not free to operate or staff.

Now thinking about the resorts - when you price out the area hotels, you'll find Disney resorts, especially value and moderate, are very competitive to the market around them. The cheap hotels in Kissimmee are cheap for a reason - and they're also sometimes terrifying. I've had some truly awful experiences when trying to stay cheap in that area. But compare prices to the Marriotts, Hiltons, and the Rosen hotels, and you'll find the prices right in line with them, but with the added benefits of complimentary ME transportation, free parking if you've got a car, and the park benefits such as ADRs, FP+, and EMH.

So overall, I don't think Disney is at all out of line with their pricing. Obviously, neither do the visitors that keep coming in ever increasing numbers. Sure, Disney is not a vacation for everyone - and that's ok. But it's also not completely out of reach for most people. DH and I have never stayed on-site or had a multi-day trip because it wasn't a priority for us. We prefer to travel to multiple amusement parks every summer rather than spending a week at Disney, but if we made sacrifices in other areas, even on our lower-middle-class income, we could easily save up for a full Disney trip, and I know many people that do exactly that.

 

[maxiesmom]

My family started going to WDW in the 1970s because a week stay at the Polynesian was cheaper than a week at the Jersey shore. The deluxe prices since then have risen to insane levels. I stayed at the Dolphin a few years ago, and I simply can't justify Disney's prices for lodging anymore. While many people can still go to Disney, DVC and hotel prices are pushing middle-lower income people off site.

No. People are choosing to stay off site because they have other places they would rather spend their money. Or they would rather stay off site every year than on site every 2 years. Or they would rather stay off site for 7 nights than on site for 5. We all have to spend our money multiple places, not just on Disney trips. We all balance it out where we can. I don't feel bad for people who choose to stay off site, I've done it. I didn't feel like I needed a pity party because of it. No matter what a trip to WDW will always be an extravagance denied to many. It always has been.

 

[DSLRuser]

not at all. as long as there are pop's and all star resorts. There is something for everyone.

Yeah, I hate spending $300+ a night on a deluxe. But I just remind myself what you get compared to the pop's and all stars. Service and style has a price. If it is important to you, you can afford it.

 

[The Sasquatch]

I am paying $550 a night on the spring deal! Is it expensive? Yes but I am quick to do it for two weeks every year. Now my wife caught the DCL bug and we throw 6 or 8 days of that on top.

As much as I complain about the price I am more than wiling to pay it for the great experiences we have had for the last 20+ years. You only live once and we all work too hard not to take some time to enjoy it. You might not be here tomorrow

 

[dk413]

Personally, I feel that the Four Seasons is going to drive down the prices of the Deluxe hotels. There is just no way they are going to compete with that hotel unless they make some major, major changes. We paid the same amount to stay at the Poly as my sister paid to stay at the Four Seasons and there was just no comparison. It's a proper 5 * hotel. Plus it's only a few minutes away from all the other disney hotels (literally around the corner from the Wilderness Lodge), has awesome transportation to all the parks, basically has it's own water park, does it's own character breakfast, has amazing customer service and the rooms are unbelievable (there is a TV **in** the bathroom mirror. IN the mirror!). Meanwhile, my door is broken. The safe doesn't work. Plugs are falling out of the wall. (I did have a nice hair dryer though. It just wouldn't stay plugged in lol)

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

Personally, I feel that the Four Seasons is going to drive down the prices of the Deluxe hotels. There is just no way they are going to compete with that hotel unless they make some major, major changes. We paid the same amount to stay at the Poly as my sister paid to stay at the Four Seasons and there was just no comparison. It's a proper 5 * hotel. Plus it's only a few minutes away from all the other disney hotels (literally around the corner from the Wilderness Lodge), has awesome transportation to all the parks, basically has it's own water park, does it's own character breakfast, has amazing customer service and the rooms are unbelievable (there is a TV **in** the bathroom mirror. IN the mirror!). Meanwhile, my door is broken. The safe doesn't work. Plugs are falling out of the wall. (I did have a nice hair dryer though. It just wouldn't stay plugged in lol)

I agree;but they will only continue to raise prices of the deluxes because of the loyal fan base of people that stay their for nostalgic reasons and the location and convenience factor of being able to walk and/or take the monorail or boat launch to the parks. The Poly and CR are historic WDW icons, I think for many there is always going to be an assumed sense of status and achievement associated with staying there over the comparably priced but more luxurious Four Seasons nearby; and that is something people are willing to pay for in spite of the many reported maintenance issues that are reported about many of the deluxe resort rooms. A comparable argument can be made for other "offsite" resorts that are popular and close to Disney property (Bonnet Creek, Silver Lake, Windsor Hills, Disney Springs hotels,etc.) that are offered at price points many would agree are a good value for the product; but even though they are "close" and may be "nice" they aren't "Disney" and that fact alone is enough for many people to view those places as a step below staying at Disney owned resorts - even the value resorts.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

No. People are choosing to stay off site because they have other places they would rather spend their money. Or they would rather stay off site every year than on site every 2 years. Or they would rather stay off site for 7 nights than on site for 5. We all have to spend our money multiple places, not just on Disney trips. We all balance it out where we can. I don't feel bad for people who choose to stay off site, I've done it. I didn't feel like I needed a pity party because of it. No matter what a trip to WDW will always be an extravagance denied to many. It always has been.

I agree and I'm surprised that a lot of people still associate resort level choice or the choice to stay offsite with socioeconomic standing. Yes, what people are able to afford is one of the many driving forces; but what people are 'willing' to pay (or can justify paying) is another. My neighbors are a family of four and the parents have been a long term, successful college instructor and software engineer and they refuse to stay anywhere but the value resorts when they go to Disney because they feel they can't justify the prices of the moderate and deluxe resorts. I also know a family whose kids qualify for free school lunches that have stayed at the Poly on both of their trips to Disney. Lastly, there are people that stay offsite because they own timeshares or vacation homes in the area, are local and frequent WDW visitors, or just simply prefer what certain offsite places have to offer and could easily stay onsite if they really wanted to.

 

[dk413]

I agree;but they will only continue to raise prices of the deluxes because of the loyal fan base of people that stay their for nostalgic reasons and the location and convenience factor of being able to walk and/or take the monorail or boat launch to the parks. The Poly and CR are historic WDW icons, I think for many there is always going to be an assumed sense of status and achievement associated with staying there over the comparably priced but more luxurious Four Seasons nearby; and that is something people are willing to pay for in spite of the many reported maintenance issues that are reported about many of the deluxe resort rooms. A comparable argument can be made for other "offsite" resorts that are popular and close to Disney property (Bonnet Creek, Silver Lake, Windsor Hills, Disney Springs hotels,etc.) that are offered at price points many would agree are a good value for the product; but even though they are "close" and may be "nice" they aren't "Disney" and that fact alone is enough for many people to view those places as a step below staying at Disney owned resorts - even the value resorts.

That's a good point