Would you consider a WDW trip a luxury?

[Scotgirl]

I think it totally depends on your definition of luxury. For us it's a definite luxury - we know what we like and we like what we know. A Disney holiday to us is being in the bubble - going to all the resorts we like - eating and drinking where we like. Deciding what merch to buy. We can switch off from our normal lives and just enjoy 'being'.

 

[cabanafrau]

IMO Disney trips have always been fairly pricey. For many years they rewarded your spending with great service and a well-thought out offering of experiences. For more than a decade now I have considered Disney trips cookoo bananas for what you pay and what they no longer offer in service or experience. We were never annual visitors, nowhere close. Too many other great places to experience and see. We did always wish we had more time to return and always looked forward to the time when we'd plan another visit. No more. After our 2013 visit we decided we weren't interested in returning until we heard about some positive changes. Hasn't happened. Matter of fact, most of the changes we've heard about are in a completely different direction from what we enjoyed about a Disney vacation. It reached the point where we've decided we have zero desire to return.

 

[Minnesota!]

Luxury, yes. Luxurious - for the most part, no.

 

[disykat]

For some reason, I've noticed over the years that people here really hate being told we're upper class. To me, "upper class" does not mean "wealthy" or "rich," it simply means we are above the "lower class" designation and can afford some "luxuries" like vacation. No one is saying you have to be Kim Kardashian to go to Disney World.

 

[snappy]

Not necessarily luxurious, more like a necessity for me. I go to Disney for the nostalgia and for escapism. We live closer to Orlando now that we moved to Florida and can and usually do go at off peak seasons and during the week, one of the perks of retirement.

 

[georgina]

For some reason, I've noticed over the years that people here really hate being told we're upper class. To me, "upper class" does not mean "wealthy" or "rich," it simply means we are above the "lower class" designation and can afford some "luxuries" like vacation. No one is saying you have to Kim Kardashian to go to Disney World.

Yes. Our church is heavily involved with the local food pantry and homeless shelter. For the kids there, it is a luxury when we take them to a movie.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

While I love Disney, nothing about it seems luxury to me. Waiting in lines, even with LL, alot of rude park-goers and crying children, all that doesn't have that luxury feel to me. Now, if I had VIP guide for entire trip and depending on where I stayed and dined, then possibly luxury. But for our standard WDW trip, staying at DVC, getting park hopper passes, eating some QS and some TS, getting LL is no.

But for the price of a Disney trip, I think it's priced as luxury. You could have a pretty luxury trip in various places throughout the world for what an average person spends at WDW. Since we have DVC I don't even know room rates. Just did a package at Port Orleans (cheapest moderate) for a week in Oct. Did the cheapest room there. 7 day hopper tix. Did the dining plan with 1 TS & 1 QS. 2 adults it came to $6k. Coming from midwest or west coast, you are probably looking at least $400/pp to fly there. Then maybe another $100 RT for transportation to/from WDW. So you are at $6,900 and you haven't even bought any souvenirs. So realistically you are likely spending $7k+ for a week at WDW and that isn't even getting you LL. For $7k there are a ton of places in this world DH & I could travel to for a week and have what is considered a luxury vacation.

But I still think for what you get at WDW, you are getting a decent value. As I've said in other threads when people talk about cost, this park tix are entertainment all day. If you go anyplace else in this world other than doing a national parks style trip where you are hiking you are being nickeled and dimed all day long to be entertained. Want to play mini golf? $30 for 2 people. Next do an extreme go-kart style ride, that's $40 for 2 people. Hit up some weird museum type place (think Ripley's or Titanic) that's $60 for 2 people. So now you have spent $130 to entertain yourself for maybe 4 hours in a day. You still have alot of the day left and more money to be spent to entertain yourselves.

 

[gsdweller]

If you plan a ski trip for 2 people to a decent resort it would cost even more. A one week trip to Park City or Deer Valley will run you $5500 to $6000 just for lift tickets and a generic hotel room. That is not counting travel or food. Jackson Hole would be around $4250 to $4750, again with no Travel or Food. Sun Valley would be $4500 to $5500. Getting to Park City is easy. Getting to Sun Valley or Jackson is a pain and costs a ton. Eating out every single meal would be costly as well.

I guess what I am saying is that Disney is getting very expensive, but so is everything else where you are entertained all day.

 

[peder]

There are two questions here: is Disney A luxury vs is Disney luxurious? Yes, it's "a" luxury, but Disney itself is not a Ritzy, caviar type of luxury (despite being very expensive).

 

[DCLMP]

As far as cost goes yes. It is a luxury most people can't afford.

 

[Kennywood]

With today's prices and the schedule micro-managing?

Most definitely!

 

[magik]

I think there’s a difference between luxurious and “a luxury”. If it’s not a necessity, it’s a luxury. That does not mean it is luxurious. So I agree with those that say any vacation is a luxury because it’s not a necessity. You do it because you enjoy it, not because you need it to survive. Disney certainly carries the price of a luxurious vacation for many, but I don’t think any theme park vacation, even Disney, is a luxurious experience.

 

[musika]

I think there’s a difference between luxurious and “a luxury”. If it’s not a necessity, it’s a luxury. That does not mean it is luxurious. So I agree with those that say any vacation is a luxury because it’s not a necessity. You do it because you enjoy it, not because you need it to survive. Disney certainly carries the price of a luxurious vacation for many, but I don’t think any theme park vacation, even Disney, is a luxurious experience.

Agree with this interpretation. Among our friend group, it would definitely be a luxury to go to Disney. As a Canadian with our crap dollar it will easily cost $15K for our family of 4 to fly to Disney, stay for a week at a value priced resort, and only get 5 day 1 park tickets. We are fortunate enough to have gone to Florida 3 times as a family, but I am struggling to figure out how we afford the 4th trip. And that is with solidly middle/upper middle class salary for our area, with minimal debt (almost paid for truck, almost paid for house).

 

[Darcy03231]

It's not luxurious but it is priced at a luxury level these days. I didn't used to think so back in the 90s/2000s.

I agree, which is one of the reasons why we haven't been back since 2017, and that was just a quick 3 night/2 day trip so DH could see Pandora.

Every time I price out a week long stay we end up going somewhere else.

We're doing a two week cruise (interior cabin) that includes all of our entertainment, food, alcohol, 3 specialty dining meals, $50 per port shore excursion credit and 300 minutes of wifi each. Adding in gratuities our total is $3,882.16. Adding in shore excursions is about another $1000.00, so for the sake of round numbers say $5,000.00.

Two weeks at an All Star resort for the same time period, with a 10 day park hopper and more ticket, with DDP is $7,554.48. This only includes one quick service meal, one table service meal, and a snack - not unlimited food/alcohol (not that we usually eat more than two meals a day anyway and usually only have 1-3 drinks a day).

I'm not counting airfare as that would be around the same, as would the insurance.