How far can Disney go and keep you coming back?

[PopPhan]

This is the real beef! Paying more for less. Even if you keep quality out of it. Party events are now double what they were in 2003. You cannot enter (rumor as of now)before 7:00 instead of 4:00 as in the past(loss of 3 hours), and this year there is premium pricing for Oct 29 and 31! You don't get a button, you don't get a free photo and the trick or treat bag is plastered with advertisements for their movies.
Would you not be angry if bought a gallon of milk for more than normal and got home with 3/4 of a gallon? I sure would.

You don't expect to get into a park 3 hours before park opening, so why should you expect to get into the park 3 hours before the party starts? It had been allowed as a courtesy, to keep crowds down at the opening of the party. They have figured out that they are losing 'gate' letting people in early, so now it's gone.

As for your gallon of milk analogy, you were paying for a half gallon and getting almost a full gallon....Now you are paying for a half gallon and getting a half gallon. Maybe slightly less due to the loss of the photo and pin....

[Dsnygirl]

After reading most of the posts here, I think one thing that definitely comes into play is what each person expects from their trip/experience, and what they are willing to reasonably pay (by their own factors) for it.

Many people have mentioned the cost of rooms, the cost/value of off-site rooms, specifically that have kitchens, etc... many have mentioned what's being taken away, like characters at certain meals or the AC... all very valid, and very missed, even by my own family.

But in some respects, what you are looking for vs. what you are getting for your cost comes into play here.

I don't want to cook on my vacation, so having a room with the ability to do that doesn't matter to me. But -- having stayed deluxe now, some of the amenities that go along with that DO matter. Other folks could care less if they're ever in their room or spend time at their resort, so they care even less about their room-- but they might always do character meals, so they feel jipped on that front by what has changed.

I don't believe we are getting a tremendous amount less for our money, but that's just me -- and I haven't been going as long as a lot of folks on here. Certainly, some things have been dropped or changed from how they were put out there originally, so it makes it seem like you're paying more for less. (i.e. the DDP and what it used to include -- which most people actually said was too much food. The included tip would still be nice, but...) But I can say that as a whole, the magic hasn't changed since our first trip -- and if it had that significantly, we wouldn't be returning, as that is what we go for. We do travel elsewhere, and all in all, spend a comparable amount for food and accomodations at other places -- and have had far dirtier rooms, far less care by the staff and worse food.... and far less magic.

I do believe Disney has to cut back in small areas to help their bottom line, and this is always going to bother someone -- it just depends on what you're looking for, and what they've changed.

I'm not thrilled with the price increases -- and I hear what people are saying about the exponential amount of that increase over the past 5 or more years. But gas, groceries, utility bills and everything else has gone up, right along with it, and we keep paying -- because we have to. The most difficult part of accepting a price increase, esp. if things that are important to you are missing, is if it is by CHOICE you are making that purchase. It's a lot harder to spend more when it's not as easy to justify needing to, trust me, I know.

So... for me, I wish Disney cost less, just like any other vacation, but I still think that for our family of four, for what we get out of our vacation, it is still a good value. Hopefully, that will continue... I'll let you know next year!!

[Tekneek]

Given the amount of people who only find value in things like the Hall of Presidents as nap locations, it's not hard to understand that some people are far less discerning than others about the actual quality of "the show" that Disney puts on at WDW. Perhaps Disney is actually aware that a significant percentage of guests will eat up whatever is given to them and so don't worry too much about the more discerning guest who notices the decline from the past.

[Granny Jill A]

My next trip WDW is #20, and I'm thinking that this will be it for me. The Disney organization is having the same problems as any other business, and they are squeezing their employees to get more done with less. It's bound to have an effect on attitude and service. My employer is asking us to do more and more, with no raises. It's hard to maintain an attitude of gratitude.

[Belster]

I'll never stop going! I would sell my left lung for the magic!!!

I guess that we are the minority but it is the one place that we go and we all love it!! We truly speng the best quality family time at the most magical place on earth.

As far as teh parking...we do not rent a car when we go to WDW....we let them do all of the driving.

I do love hearing all of teh different opinions...it is opening my eyes to some new thoughts.

[Dsnygirl]

I do not believe that it is only the "discerning" who are finding fault with Disney and it's value... trust me, just ask my DH my track record for picking apart vacations and what they're worth. And I do believe for that people who have been going regularly for 10 or 20 years, there is probably a decline in service for the cost. We've become a society of "the customer is always right" and people are much more demanding for their dollar b/c of it... we expect a lot for what we spend. And that isn't always a bad thing -- people have a right to get good value, and expectations make companies work harder.

But just because some of us are enchanted by nothing more than walking down Main St and can overlook a few grouchy CM's and find pleasure in the far greater number of helpful and "magic-filled" ones doesn't mean our experience is less than those that want "more" - or expect every nuance to be perfect.

Some people may find the HoP to be worthy of a nap, others may find AK a bore, others may have no interest in the shows. Does that mean they are any less aware of when they are having a good time on their vacation?? If you go down with a happy attitude, treat people well, enjoy who you're travelling with and come home refreshed and you bring back some of the magic with you, have you gotten less or more for your dollar than the person who went down expecting it all and got less than that, and is thus unhappy?

The OP is asking how far Disney can go and still get you to return... I guess for most of us, as long as the magic is there, we will find a way to go, and if we're lucky enough to know how to find the deals, we'll happily pay less. But we'll still go, regardless, if Disney is still magic for us. What creates that magic is up to each individual person to determine.

[Mousefever]

What Blythe says...

And I'm spent.

Amy

[TheVBs]

I think PopPhan and Dsnygirl have summed it up perfectly.

[VWL Mom]

The OP is asking how far Disney can go and still get you to return... I guess for most of us, as long as the magic is there, we will find a way to go, and if we're lucky enough to know how to find the deals, we'll happily pay less. But we'll still go, regardless, if Disney is still magic for us. What creates that magic is up to each individual person to determine.

Well said

[mermaidmarian]

Familiarity breeds contempt.

Disney used to be a save up and have that trip of a lifetime experience, now it is common for it to be an annual or semi-annual event for many many many families. Disney has made it too affordable and therefore it is full of people looking for Disney to hand them the magic, give them upgrades, get them to the front of the line. It is my opinion that if you are looking for declining service you are going to find it. Yes prices are going up, but that's part of life ... at least you are having fun at WDW (my gas bill does not give me as much enjoyment)! I am guilty of panning the restaurants at WDW saying that the quality has gone down ... has it, or am I just too familiar with things .... has some of the magic been lost because I am there so darned often that there isn't time to get the magic up to speed in my own mind again?

Just some food for thought.

I think there is a great deal of merit to your observation. Having just returned from a week at WDW, I agree with it.

[Mickey91]

You don't expect to get into a park 3 hours before park opening, so why should you expect to get into the park 3 hours before the party starts? It had been allowed as a courtesy, to keep crowds down at the opening of the party. They have figured out that they are losing 'gate' letting people in early, so now it's gone.

As for your gallon of milk analogy, you were paying for a half gallon and getting almost a full gallon....Now you are paying for a half gallon and getting a half gallon. Maybe slightly less due to the loss of the photo and pin....

I MIGHT could see your point if the price to go to a party was still $32.00 including tax. But now it is a whopping $60 plus tax with premium prices for the 29th and 31st. That's $11.80+ per hour per person to be in a park where not all the rides are open, not all the food places are open and the party offerings have diminished over the last few years. At least an early entry helped justify the cost.

But the parties aren't the only place where cost has increased and quality decreased. I will end my rant by saying this, Disney has many, many visitors that come as often as possible, my family included. But, the path they are heading on WILL catch up to them. A company can only survive so long diminishing the product and raising the prices. I would think an entertainment company would see a drastic decline sooner than most other companies. Eventually, those of us who live a long drive or plane ride away, are going to decide there isn't enough magic or the magic is just too expensive in comparison to other entertainment or vacation choices to justify traveling so far and paying so much when there are X things we can do closer to home for less $$ or a longer more enjoyable stay for the same $$. Obviously we haven't hit our threshold yet because we leave in two days. I cannot wait! But, I also know not to expect the same magic and value that I once expected. And that makes me a little sad.