Have to vent...a little!

[JWB3]

I have to agree with everyone above: Disney is a great value. Yes, it can be expensive, but after a few trips – and with lots of help from the folks on these forums – you learn strategies for getting the most bang for your buck.

This past spring we spent a week on Sannibel Island, a really nice place with outstanding beaches, cute villages, shops , restaurants, etc. Our ocean front condo was far bigger than anything I could ever afford at WDW: full kitchen, 2 bedrooms, sun porch and sheltered parking, complete with all necessary beach toys. But even with savings on the food we prepared ourselves, overall cost was not much less than a week at a Disney moderate. Sure, we didn’t have to spend money on park tickets, but other activities like kayak tours, ferry boat trips, and park admissions added up. A one day boat rental would have been more expensive than one adult 7 day park hopper!

We also had to deal with the daily question of, “so what do you want to do today?” There’s just so much sitting around at a pool and beach I can do! At WDW that is never an issue since there’s always something to do, and everything is right there and, for the most part, included in your resort stay and park tickets.

So despite the costs during an off economy, I still feel that Disney’s a pretty fair deal all the way ‘round, and I’m already (106 days!) looking forward to our trip in November!

[Terra]

Very true. And you can cut costs if you want. You can stop a local grocer and pack many of your own snacks, sandwiches, chips, drinks. You can stay at a budget HoJo off site for $25-50 a night. You don't have to stay at $200+ a night hotels. You can go in off seasons where prices are cheaper on site wise, and off site. A $100 rental car is cheaper for the week than spending $1000 plus on an onsite hotel.

Things like that. Now I realize though airfare is not cheap. And with gas, you can't always drive as cheaply either. But I'd make up for it by staying in those cheaper hotels, especially when you're not in your room that much anyway, but rather enjoying the WDW complex.

And I really agree that this site has great insight on how to save!!

[disneymomma2010]

My husband and I just went away for the weekend to pigeon forge (tn). We didnt go to any themeparks, just ate, shopped a little and hung around the hotel. We spent $700 for just 2 days! I could take my family for a week to wdw in a value for just double that, especially if they have free dining!

Also my sil wanted to have a beach vacation at the same time we are going to disney and I showed her how much it would cost her family to go to disney and they decided to go with us! It was much more affordable than she thought and we can still afford to go to the beach for a few days afterwards.

[Terra]

My husband and I just went away for the weekend to pigeon forge (tn). We didnt go to any themeparks, just ate, shopped a little and hung around the hotel. We spent $700 for just 2 days! I could take my family for a week to wdw in a value for just double that, especially if they have free dining!

Also my sil wanted to have a beach vacation at the same time we are going to disney and I showed her how much it would cost her family to go to disney and they decided to go with us! It was much more affordable than she thought and we can still afford to go to the beach for a few days afterwards.

That's awesome!

[squad51]

I actually want to know how Disney makes a profit at all. Look around at all of the employees who bring in no direct income. Dancers, cleaners, drivers, even talent contributes no income. Disney has all of these paid staff running around and they do not sell merchandice, offer food, or sell tickets. They (Disney) has so many staff working at any given time that I cannot fathom what there payroll is on a day in the summer. That being said, Do I want a trip to be cheaper? YES. Does it have to be for me to go? Never

[FutureCorpsFan]

I understand the reaction. Yes, Disney does offer value, but increasing prices while you are reducing costs is counter intuitive to helping families justify the trip to Disney in a bad economy.

Being in the financial services industry, I undersand Disney has a fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders. However, families and attendance fuel the parks and resorts division of Disney and increasing prices is a risky strategy in this economy. They are still making money, but with less sensitivity to what's going on outside the theme park. Read their earning report and you'll see. They are really not hurting enough to justify the recent raise in ticket prices.

http://dolimg.com/investorrelations/...daijbjdkl2.pdf

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

My husband and I just went away for the weekend to pigeon forge (tn). We didnt go to any themeparks, just ate, shopped a little and hung around the hotel. We spent $700 for just 2 days! I could take my family for a week to wdw in a value for just double that, especially if they have free dining!

Also my sil wanted to have a beach vacation at the same time we are going to disney and I showed her how much it would cost her family to go to disney and they decided to go with us! It was much more affordable than she thought and we can still afford to go to the beach for a few days afterwards.

Pigeon Forge was actually the last non disney vacation I priced out...accommodations were reasonable but then when I researched area restaurants and attractions and figured those prices in it wasn't so cheap anymore...you actually get a lot for the cost of a disney park ticket....plus you can go on just about any budget...
You can stay in the parks...any three resort level with or without dining plan or with or without villas with kitchens or you can stay offsite in a condo with a kitchen or on the cheap at a Motel 6 type and eat dollar menu fast food and take sandwiches into the park....that's the great thing about it.

[IloveDisney71]

I agree. It's not cheap but it's clean, they provide transportation, they have mulitple shows, fireworks, parades, etc. Oh, and don't forget all of the rides & other attractions. You get what you pay for and that's why I continue you to back time after time.

[johnO]

Yes its expensive, but it's still a great vacation and unlike any other.

[lighteningqueen]

We are staying 7 nights in Dec at pop and it was 720.00 for the room. No not cheap but I dont have to pay gas to tote us around. I do have to drive down 2 days up and 2 days back.Plus 2 extra hotel nights. This is where our cost come in. BUT flights are to dang high this year and you have to have a credit card with something on it to get tickets so we will drive. I do have to say for us if we do not get free dining we probably will not get to go or either we will eat only one meal CS per day.Yes we will be hungry but we are just happy to get to go.

[UCJen]

I understand the reaction. Yes, Disney does offer value, but increasing prices while you are reducing costs is counter intuitive to helping families justify the trip to Disney in a bad economy.

Being in the financial services industry, I undersand Disney has a fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders. However, families and attendance fuel the parks and resorts division of Disney and increasing prices is a risky strategy in this economy. They are still making money, but with less sensitivity to what's going on outside the theme park. Read their earning report and you'll see. They are really not hurting enough to justify the recent raise in ticket prices.

http://dolimg.com/investorrelations/...daijbjdkl2.pdf

I think it's very telling that people have chosen to ignore your post.

I don't have a problem with paying a premium for a top shelf experience, but I am finding the standards are slipping.

I don't feel like I am visiting the parks that were once the gold standard in the theme park experience. But the suits in Orlando have to be able to keep making the mortgage in their McMansions, right? What happened to WoL in Epcot? Why were the toilets filthy in Morocco when I visited? Why are there fewer EMH this year? Why aren't all of the rides' AAs fully functional?

I know people think WDW is the sine qua non in holiday destinations, but there's an entire globe of cultures, languages, and cuisines waiting for you to explore. No, it's not a tightly, socially engineered experience like WDW, but that's the beauty of it. Take a chance, go off the beaten path--who knows what you may find.

Don't get me wrong, I love WDW, but I think too many people don't realize who Disney takes WDW for granted.

And honestly, why should I worry about how Disney is doing as a business? Am I supposed to be corporate social worker? Am I supposed to worry how they pay their utility bill as I walk around the parks? As a consumer, I am worried my experiences. I could give a rat's tail about the upper echelons in Orlando. I'm sure they are not worried about me!

[WDWgoofy]

Good to see all are not blinded by their Disney fanaticism.

I will not argue that Disney doesn't offer a good vacation value.

What I believe is that Disney is raising prices at a fast pace while at the same time lowering the quality of its product. Consequently a WDW vacation does not offer the same value it once did.

Today, I am have a difficult time deciding to take a WDW vacation.

[VWL Mom]

I don't see the oft maligned cost increases. Our room this year is the cheapst its ever been.

When WL opened in 1994 our woods view room was $199 plus tax. Last month we decided to go spur of the moment for August I checked the room only specials and got $219 plus tax. Not bad at all. So IMHO the specials are out there, you just have to look for them and forget about jumping on something that says "free".

[seanyred]

My only response is this :

Is it expensive? Yes
Do they raise prices too rapidly? Yes
Is the Disney experience still better than most other theme parks? Yes (have you been to a six flags lately)

Also one more point. I have a family member who would take their kids to WDW every summer. This past year they decided to take them to the Wisconsin Dells. They ended up spending more money at the Dells. That includes food, transportation and tickets.

The Dells are fun but if I can spend the same money for either trip, I'm picking Disney.

[texas211]

My only response is this :

Is it expensive? Yes
Do they raise prices too rapidly? Yes
Is the Disney experience still better than most other theme parks? Yes (have you been to a six flags lately)

Also one more point. I have a family member who would take their kids to WDW every summer. This past year they decided to take them to the Wisconsin Dells. They ended up spending more money at the Dells. That includes food, transportation and tickets.

The Dells are fun but if I can spend the same money for either trip, I'm picking Disney.

Hmm. Orlando Florida or Central Wisconsin. Tough call.

Tougher call, Disneyland or Disney World. Not really. Still take Orlando.

[mechanic]

outside of ticket prices, i had the idea that a lot of cs food prices have come down or stayed flat. also per day ticket prices are very reasonable on a 5 or 6 day ticket.
we just got back and maintenance looks to be upgraded from last year. everything was clean and fresh.
we like cruise vacations too, but disney is still our favorite place to go. if you have to complain about the cost. ... stay home. or better yet do some planning and use some of the cost cutting ideas posted in these forums.

[DisneyFr33k]

Funny previous posters mention comparing beach vacations. We booked a month ago an ocean front beach house for next week for a fourth the cost of a WDW vacation. I think the beach rental companies are feeling the economy too.

Just to let you know, I love Disney and plan to keep returning again and again as I am a true addict. However, as a PP mentioned, some of their standards have slipped as their prices increase. That is what gets people .

[MrPeetrie]

I SO agree with everyone that WDW is worth the price.

A few years ago, we tried to "save money" and take a driving vacation to Busch Gardens, Virginia instead of flying to WDW. Big mistake. Yes, the park tickets were cheaper. And yes, we didn't need airline tickets. But that's where the savings stopped.

First, while the park is beautiful (on par with Disney), it's built on a mountain. It seemed like all I did was push a stroller up and down hills. And I'm not talking about small grades. I'm talking about some steep grades. After two days, I was exhausted. We actually skipped going back to areas because we didn't want to navigate the incline again.

Food prices were ridiculously high. And the selection was not nearly as diverse as at Disney. I mean RIDICULOUSLY high. Also, since there are no real table-service restaurants in the park, we always went out to dinner each night. Again, more expensive. Also, we were eating with a lot of "locals" who really didn't seem to enjoy the vacationing crowd.

Clothing apparel was not nearly of the same quality, yet over-priced. Same with the other souvenirs.

Shows were average to less-than-average. And there were only two. (One stunk, actually. We made fun of it all the drive home.)

And the big thing was there was very little for my 5YO to do there. She could only ride a handful of rides. (She's on the smallish side to begin with.) Here's an interesting story: my daughter got measured the first day and received a band on her wrist to designate which rides she could ride. I was amazed she could ride The Big, Bad, Wolf.. It seemed too intense for someone as small as her. The next day, she got measures again for her wrist band and she wasn't even close enough for the band she wore the previous day. She shouldn't have been able to ride that coaster.

We stayed off property and drove back and forth each day. All the while I kept saying to myself, "I'd rather be in Disney!"

When we returned, my wife asked "How much did we save?" Not much. "Then let's not do this again."

My DD doesn't want to return, either. We'd rather be on property, engulfed in the Disney atmosphere. Saving money can't buy that.

[texas211]

We've tried something similar. Its hard to get that Disney fix, or to get a substitute.

[DisneyFr33k]

Its hard to get that Disney fix, or to get a substitute.

I need a drug for withdrawal.......