With all the price increases is it worth even going?

[disneyseniors]

I'm thinking I should stop reading this as it's just putting me in a negative mindset for my upcoming trip. And I really want to keep looking forward to it!

I haven't been to Disney since I was a kid. My only comparison will be to other theme parks, and I think Disney is still going to exceed my expectations based on those. I would never be planning to stay in a fancy hotel or eat a lot of table service meals. Disney's quick service prices and the value hotel price seem in line with other vacation destinations to me.

So I guess I'm that "first timer" (basically) that doesn't know how much better and cheaper it used to be and will likely be satisfied with my experience comparing only to how things are now at other theme parks. Everything has gotten more expensive. I don't feel the price I'm paying for my trip is outrageous (and as a Florida resident, Universal's prices are actually higher or right around the same as Disney's). It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

I know I've been "down" on all the changes at disney. But I have good friends from UK who just got back and they said they had a great time. Sure, there are changes they are not happy with, but they found a way to enjoy disney despite everything. They did rides in the AM,, went to their resort to the pool for a while, and then back for more rides in the PM. They didnt' buy any of the ILL's or genie stuff. They still found that they could do a lot anyway. Sure, the food and everything else was more, but they planned and saved for it.
However, the cost was very expensive and they will probably limit future trips.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that despite everything, you can find joy and have a good time at disney.
I hope you have a great time

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

For the stress involved as well as the price increases - NO. Last April we had a trip to Universal booked and our outgoing flight got canceled twice, so we missed 1.5 days in the parks and our hardest to get dining reservation. But we had included Express passes with our resort and the days we missed were part of a buy 3, get 2 ticket promotion, and the concierge at our hotel was able to rebook our dinner for another night. It was as stress-free as the situation could have been. At Disney, we would have been out that ADR, we would have possibly been unable to rebook park reservations as well so if our first day had been MK we would have missed it, we would have had to pay for those extra nights of hotel room that we didn't get to use (Universal didn't charge us for the missed nights they just adjusted the reservation check in date). Add the stress of Genie+ and ILL, just, no. WDW clawed us back with the Starcruiser, but we'll be a Universal family after this trip. Disney acts like they're the only game in town but they're not, and we found the service at Universal to be better, the food was great, and the rides were a lot of fun. With Epic Universe on the horizon I think WDW execs should be less smug and stop gouging their guests before they lose them all to the competition.

 

[godfather927]

I'm thinking I should stop reading this as it's just putting me in a negative mindset for my upcoming trip. And I really want to keep looking forward to it!

I haven't been to Disney since I was a kid. My only comparison will be to other theme parks, and I think Disney is still going to exceed my expectations based on those. I would never be planning to stay in a fancy hotel or eat a lot of table service meals. Disney's quick service prices and the value hotel price seem in line with other vacation destinations to me.

So I guess I'm that "first timer" (basically) that doesn't know how much better and cheaper it used to be and will likely be satisfied with my experience comparing only to how things are now at other theme parks. Everything has gotten more expensive. I don't feel the price I'm paying for my trip is outrageous (and as a Florida resident, Universal's prices are actually higher or right around the same as Disney's). It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

I was basically in your shoes back in March, just before our Trip in April. Unsure about how each day was going to go and whether my plans would fall apart. There were some hiccups to be sure, but all-in-all the trip was a blast and my kids loved it. So much so that we're going again 8 months later, and for twice as long this time. Hopefully everything works out for your trip as well.

 

[gharter]

Like I said, I'm going to give Universal a try I think.

In April we did a split stay, 1/2 at Disney and 1/2 at Universal. Loved Universal. We stayed at one of their deluxe so had "free" express pass. Other than Hagrid and Velocicoaster, front of the line for every other attraction. So stress free and no planning needed except for meal reservations.

 

[Cupcakesmum]

I still find so much magic at Disney, but the sticker price is getting harder to stomach. I just tried pricing out a trip for next year and went Nope as the price is just out of line with the value - especially when you factor in the extras of finding your own transportation and the increase in food prices. I LOVE Disney but it will be awhile before we return as a direct correlation of the value. We just got back from a week all inclusive in the Dominican Republic with the kids. It was an AMAZING trip with lots of family time, a beautiful resort and it was a fraction of the price. We definitely had some discussions about Disney over that week - it wasn’t as magical but we felt like we were in paradise.

For people who need to stretch their vacation dollars or sacrifice for a vacation Or the once in a lifetime trip, I wouldn’t recommend it for now. I suspect with a recession on the way that better offers may come which could improve the value… but no one knows for sure!

 

[Gabby01]

I'm thinking I should stop reading this as it's just putting me in a negative mindset for my upcoming trip. And I really want to keep looking forward to it!

I haven't been to Disney since I was a kid. My only comparison will be to other theme parks, and I think Disney is still going to exceed my expectations based on those. I would never be planning to stay in a fancy hotel or eat a lot of table service meals. Disney's quick service prices and the value hotel price seem in line with other vacation destinations to me.

So I guess I'm that "first timer" (basically) that doesn't know how much better and cheaper it used to be and will likely be satisfied with my experience comparing only to how things are now at other theme parks. Everything has gotten more expensive. I don't feel the price I'm paying for my trip is outrageous (and as a Florida resident, Universal's prices are actually higher or right around the same as Disney's). It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

You are going to love your trip!! I am the same way—stay value, eat quick service—and in the end my first trip to DW cost the same as my previous trip to Yellowstone. Both great trips to very different but unique and awesome places!

 

[DCLMP]

I'm thinking I should stop reading this as it's just putting me in a negative mindset for my upcoming trip. And I really want to keep looking forward to it!

I haven't been to Disney since I was a kid. My only comparison will be to other theme parks, and I think Disney is still going to exceed my expectations based on those. I would never be planning to stay in a fancy hotel or eat a lot of table service meals. Disney's quick service prices and the value hotel price seem in line with other vacation destinations to me.

So I guess I'm that "first timer" (basically) that doesn't know how much better and cheaper it used to be and will likely be satisfied with my experience comparing only to how things are now at other theme parks. Everything has gotten more expensive. I don't feel the price I'm paying for my trip is outrageous (and as a Florida resident, Universal's prices are actually higher or right around the same as Disney's). It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

A vacation is what you make of it. Yes, things have changed over the last year and they will most likely continue to change. Either roll with it or just don't go. Honestly at this point with everything I see going on in the world I'm just thankful I can still afford to take a vacation. There's a lot of people on this forum that like to complain. If all you have to complain about is your Disney vacation you have it pretty good in life. So go enjoy yourself.

 

[Lisa P.]

With 2 young kids that love virtually all things Disney? Absolutely, without a doubt, 100% worth it. Sure it sucks that we have to cough up a bit more money than before, but what would suck worse is the regret I might feel when they get older and no longer get all excited for family vacations, leaving me wishing I would've taken advantage while they were still so delighted by it. Heck I already feel that way a little bit now, after not going for the 2 years we abstained during the pandemic.

This post made me smile. We used to visit WDW on every other vacation, about once per year, sometimes more. We travelled to a variety of U.S. locations on the "in-between" trips... urban, historic, beaches, nature, a couple cruises. Sometimes we camped in a pop-up and most times, we stayed in timeshare condos for a week. While planning ahead, the kids only expressed excitement for the WDW trips, not knowing what to expect elsewhere. However, when asked in their late 20's which stood out as favorite childhood vacation memories, not one of the 3 mentioned WDW! Maybe we went there TOO often?!?? Their favorite vacation memories were, among others:

• feeding dolphins & watching animal shows at Sea World Orlando
• walking through giant Sequoias in Yosemite
• hiking at the Grand Canyon north rim
• feeding stingrays in Grand Cayman (cruise excursion)
• fishing from a park on Marco Island, FL (Really! They caught an angelfish, a puffer, something colorfully striped, and numerous silvery fish, made friends with a couple observant pelicans, and watched manatees/dolphins swim by!)
• crabbing & kayaking off of Hilton Head Island, SC on the river inlet
• getting spooked by a lantern-carrying storyteller on a nighttime walking tour of old St. Augustine, FL
• taking a jeep tour in the red rocks of Sedona, AZ.

Now that they're all in their 30s with young families of their own, these are still GREAT memories that make all of us smile - and they weren't at WDW. Honestly, we had plenty of fun Disney trips too. So to anyone thinking about going, do go and enjoy! But I'm just SO GLAD we included LOTS of other destinations in our early travels with our kids too, whether they showed interest at the time, or not.

 

[Gabby01]

This post made me smile. We used to visit WDW on every other vacation, about once per year, sometimes more. We travelled to a variety of U.S. locations on the "in-between" trips... urban, historic, beaches, nature, a couple cruises. Sometimes we camped in a pop-up and most times, we stayed in timeshare condos for a week. While planning ahead, the kids only expressed excitement for the WDW trips, not knowing what to expect elsewhere. However, when asked in their late 20's which stood out as favorite childhood vacations, not one of the 3 mentioned WDW! Maybe we went there TOO often?!?? Their favorite vacation memories were, among others:

• feeding dolphins & watching animal shows at Sea World Orlando
• walking through giant Sequoias in Yosemite
• hiking at the Grand Canyon north rim
• feeding stingrays in Grand Cayman (cruise excursion)
• fishing from a park on Marco Island, FL (Really! They caught an angelfish, a puffer, something colorfully striped, and numerous silvery fish, made friends with a couple observant pelicans, and watched manatees/dolphins swim by!)
• crabbing & kayaking off of Hilton Head Island, SC on the river inlet
• getting spooked by a lantern-carrying storyteller on a nighttime walking tour of old St. Augustine, FL
• taking a jeep tour in the red rocks of Sedona, AZ.

Now that they're all in their 30s with young families, these are still GREAT memories that make all of us smile - and they weren't at WDW. I'm so glad we included lots of other destinations in our travels with them.

Awww! I loved reading your family vacation memories—they sound really special! I can imagine how exciting it would be as a kid to go fishing and never know what you’re going to pull out of the water next! And it’s interesting that all of these memories took place outdoors—kids really do love being outside!

Even if they don’t mention WDW now, though, I’m sure it’s healthy to stretch kids’ imaginations with trips to places like that. I know I was really captivated by WDW on the one childhood trip I actually remember, and I always wanted to go back. So I think your kids got the best of both worlds.

 

[Yarbogash]

Everything has changed so much in the past couple years. Is it even worth going? Seems nothing is as good as it was. Prices are higher than ever before and quality and service is lacking. Why spend a small fortune? Just wondering everyones opinions.

heh Asking Disney fans if it’s ‘worth going’ is like asking Deadheads ‘Is this band any good?’

 

[RoseGold]

I just talked a family with teenagers into going into the place across the street instead. I've never even been there, but the math speaks for itself.

 

[Darcy03231]

I think it depends on your family and where you are in life. For years we were frequent visitors (2-3x year). Our children were young, it was an affordable vacation and, at the time, no one was doing it like Disney did with all the little touches and customer service.

Fast forward and our last trip was in 2017 when we tacked a couple of days onto a cruise so DH could see Pandora. Prior to that my mom and I done a split trip in 2016 between WDW and Universal and we both agreed we liked the Universal portion better.

I did have a trip planned with my neighbor and her two young girls for September 2020, but canceled due to COVID and we haven't rescheduled yet. I'm pretty sure we'll end up going, but will probably do things differently (stay off-site with a car, do meals outside of WDW, etc.). Our planned trip included staying onsite, dining plan, park hoppers, etc.

For me, now, there's no value in a WDW vacation. I can go lots of other places, have just as much (if not more) fun, and spend less money. I have no current plans to go. I'm sure as the grandchild(ren) get older, we'll go back at some point, but I don't think it will ever be a yearly destination for us.

 

[Duck143]

I'm thinking I should stop reading this as it's just putting me in a negative mindset for my upcoming trip. And I really want to keep looking forward to it!

I haven't been to Disney since I was a kid. My only comparison will be to other theme parks, and I think Disney is still going to exceed my expectations based on those. I would never be planning to stay in a fancy hotel or eat a lot of table service meals. Disney's quick service prices and the value hotel price seem in line with other vacation destinations to me.

So I guess I'm that "first timer" (basically) that doesn't know how much better and cheaper it used to be and will likely be satisfied with my experience comparing only to how things are now at other theme parks. Everything has gotten more expensive. I don't feel the price I'm paying for my trip is outrageous (and as a Florida resident, Universal's prices are actually higher or right around the same as Disney's). It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

We just got back this past Sunday and we had a great trip! We did have G+ every day and did a bunch of sit down restaurants, but you can definitely have a good time without either of those things. You can ride everything if you plan for it (get up early, take a break and go back at the end of the night)
I would stop reading these types of threads and enjoy the anticipation of your upcoming trip. I think one of the best things about a trip to Disney is getting to look forward to it. I actually got a bit sad when my trip was only a few days away.

Edited to add: There are things that are completely magical that don't require additional planning or funds. See my trip report here
https://www.disboards.com/threads/extended-family-magical-trip-2022.3899397/#post-64373152

 

[foolish-mortal]

I feel like over the past several years we get the most excited about the WDW trips. But, once we're there it's kind of a let down now. The idea of it has become more fun than how we actually spend our time. More stress, rushing around, planning, exhaustion, etc. than we want in a vacation. It's fun and there are things about it that we love. But, it really doesn't feel like a vacation. The amount of planning required now just doesn't leave room for flexibility and that's where they lost me. Yes of course you CAN change plans at the last minute. But, there's a big trade off for it. You'll lose something you can't get back or get charged for a reservation.

On our last trip I was standing outside of our room at Caribbean Beach, at some ungodly hour, with my wifi turned off and all apps closed on my phone, my husband with his phone working as a world clock...trying to get a boarding pass to Rise. Knowing that if we skipped a single beat we probably wouldn't get to ride it at all. That's not fun. So, the next year we went to Hilton Head and it was pure bliss.

 

[AliceIn]

We went last May and while we loved our resort (we are DVC), the park experience was not great. Genie+ sounds great in theory, but the reality of it is that you need to get up super early to get what you want, even if you are willing to pay extra for LL.

We got 10 day park hoppers last year and got length of stay Genie plus and it was definitely not worth it for us. Yes we got to ride the headliners, but at the cost of a relaxing trip.

This year we will buy base tickets and do ILL for 1 or 2 rides during the trip. We will get 4 or 5 day tickets instead of the full trip. We are going to try Universal and maybe some other non-park activities.

I have always loved Disney and I have no qualms paying extra for a premium experience. The Disney parks prices do not match the value.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I feel like over the past several years we get the most excited about the WDW trips. But, once we're there it's kind of a let down now. The idea of it has become more fun than how we actually spend our time. More stress, rushing around, planning, exhaustion, etc. than we want in a vacation. It's fun and there are things about it that we love. But, it really doesn't feel like a vacation. The amount of planning required now just doesn't leave room for flexibility and that's where they lost me. Yes of course you CAN change plans at the last minute. But, there's a big trade off for it. You'll lose something you can't get back or get charged for a reservation.

On our last trip I was standing outside of our room at Caribbean Beach, at some ungodly hour, with my wifi turned off and all apps closed on my phone, my husband with his phone working as a world clock...trying to get a boarding pass to Rise. Knowing that if we skipped a single beat we probably wouldn't get to ride it at all. That's not fun. So, the next year we went to Hilton Head and it was pure bliss.

What is crazy is that is why they say they changed FP+, to allow for more flexibility. But there is no flexibility when you have to have park reservations in advance. Maybe you do have to be flexible to use G+, but I think my issue with it will be that it still requires planning and that planning must be done DURING my vacation!

 

[HopperFan]

Everything has changed so much in the past couple years.

Not everything has changed, most the attractions are the same, the basics are the same. But lots has changed. Costs have changed. Service has changed (or disappeared). CMs have changed. Food prices have changed, but the mediocre quality is about the same. Ticket prices are inflated now with Genie+ and ILL. Merchandise - some is lots more, some is still reasonable. Lines are longer. Park Reservations. Lack of ADR reservations. Mobile order or long lines are common at QS.

Is it even worth going?

That is very relative and personal to each of us. To me it is because (1) I have a low priced AP which gives me shopping discount and free parking (2) I have been coming back for the last 15 months, I'm here on my 7th trip and other than 3 nights in Sept have not paid for lodging. (3) I try to stay where I can cook and save on food, or at least have kitchenette. (40) I drive in one day.

Seems nothing is as good as it was.

There are things not as good, that has been a slow change that jumped to a big change after COVID. But for me it is worth going because cost is low and I go enough I don't need to do everything. Disney is changing, there is still high quality and a feel to it I don't think any other park has attained (park wide) but upper management has moved the parks farther away from some of what made them special.

Prices are higher than ever before and quality and service is lacking.

Truth on all of this.

Why spend a small fortune?

I wouldn't. When folks talk to me about information for planning a trip ... because I go often and it's their first time or first in a while .... I tell them "Don't go. Wait a year and see if Disney has gotten their act together." One example: I'm sorry but $200-400 a night (if you are lucky) without housekeeping is unacceptable ... that has set the tone.

Just wondering everyones opinions.

If you can go like me, go for it. If you are cash flush and don't blink, go for it. If you are spending a small fortune that you saved for a once in a lifetime or decade trip with hopes of doing it all, I wouldn't.

 

[DavidNYC]

What it comes down to - is that while Disney was never "cheap" - when compared it to a lot of alternative choices you had for family vacations, it still was relatively doable. Now - there are FAR more things I can do for the same price as a Disney vacation - most of which do not involve the stress that Disney had injected more and more into the vacation. Disney is now a once every several year trip for us rather than a multiple time per year trip. We'll wait for when there are some deals at some comparatively lower crowd times - but not worth double the price for half the experience. If you have no frame of reference - it probably won't bother you as much. But if you compare cost/benefit to prior years - you'll likely be sorely dissappointed.

 

[Eastern]

The prices are outrageous and the parks are still packed. I can't imagine what it would be like if the prices were reasonable.

 

[dwg]

We are DVC members and currently have no desire to visit the parks. Everything has gotten so expensive that and complicated that it is just crazy. I know of some people who want to either sell their DVC membership or give it to their children rather than go back.

We will primarily be using our points for Disney Cruises instead of the parks. For 3 adults a 4 day park tickets in November is over $1,600 just for basic tickets plus food and hotel costs. A 4 day cruise in a stateroom with veranda starts at over $3,500 mostly all inclusive. Disney has driven us away from the parks. How much of the changes were due to the pandemic vs Disney using the pandemic as an excuse to make the changes, do not know but they are definitely pricing people out of vacationing in Disney. Unfortunately there are enough people that will still go regardless of the changes that Disney will just not care if they have become so expensive that other people either can't afford to go or choose not to go to Disney.