Too expensive

[1DisneyNut]

I would be interested in knowing how many of you that are saying you think WDW vacations are still inexpensive compared to other vacations, are using the promotions such as free dining and NOT paying full price or either have no children or only one and stay in the value resorts. Disney continues to raise the prices significantly each year but are also continuously running significant promotional discounts to attract guests. We don't go to WDW because we compared it to other vacations and found it to be less expensive. We go when we get the desire to go again. We used to go every year but we feel they have degraded the experience by reducing quality while at the same time raising prices. We don't count pennies when we go on vacation. When we go we do what we want, when we want. With all of that said, when we last started planning a vacation to wdw we priced it on their website and a week staying at the Polynesian was something like $6500 with the dining plan. Even at Port Orleans Riverside it was around $5000. We have three children and prefer to stay in a decent resort because we like the amenities. We hate the value resorts with a passion. We go to the beach for a week and stay in three bedroom condos (instead of a tiny cramped hotel room like those at WDW), go to very nice seafood restaurants that actually have great food, visit the attractions and see shows or whatever and still stay below $4000. A couple of years ago we decided we were tired of staying in the small hotel rooms and rented a two bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs for the week at $550 a night and that was with a promo discount. That trip ended up costing us around $7250 and that was with a discount.
We ended up getting a free dining pin back in the spring this year that we could use during the summer so we went to WDW about four weeks ago and stayed in Port Orleans Riverside for a week but it was still close to $4000 even with the free dining pin. We have already scheduled a Caribbean Cruise for next summer and are well below $4000 so we are going to stay on the beach in a condo for a few days too or possibly run over to the magic kingdom for a day.
I just don't get how all of you still think WDW is cheap and are saying it costs more to go elsewhere unless you are using the promo discounts, staying in the value resorts or don't have children. There are a multitude of places we can go and have been to, that were in line with or less expensive than WDW.

[BrerGnat]

Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but we have NEVER paid full price to go to Disney. We've been going on our own dime for 12 years now (since college) and have scored a discount every single time. I will not pay full price for WDW. If it's not "on sale", I just don't go.

That said, of course it is cheaper when you stay at a Value resort. Of course it is cheaper when you have no kids. We used to vacation at WDW (DH and I) prior to having kids for UNDER $1500 per week total including airfare from CA! This was back in the days of airfare around $200 pp round trip. In 2003, they offered a great military promotion, and we stayed at POR for $69/night, DH got a FREE 5 day park hopper, and mine was only $99. That was a CHEAP vacation!

However, times change. Things get more expensive. By comparison, our first trip as a family was this year, over spring break. We had to spend $1700 JUST on airfare for four! We got a 40% discount on the room, and got discounted tickets through our base's MWR. This trip was a big deal to us, though, so we splurged on the resort and stayed CL. We also went over PEAK season, so the rates were high. Still, we managed an 8 night vacation, in a deluxe resort CL at Peak Season, with 7 day park hopper w/WP & More option, and ALL our food and souvenir expenses for around $6500 total. I felt that it was a good value for what we got, and WHEN we traveled. The trip would have cost HALF that amount had we been able to travel in "Value" season. But, that was the choice we made. Was it expensive? Certainly. Could we afford it? Yes.

I think WDW does an excellent job at making vacations affordable for almost everyone, by offering tiers of resorts, and different pricing during different times of the year. I personally find their "value resort, value time" pricing downright CHEAP. But, that's not the type of vacation I want to go on anymore. It works for LOTS of people, though, and I think that's great!

[darthmacho]

I would be interested in knowing how many of you that are saying you think WDW vacations are still inexpensive compared to other vacations, are using the promotions such as free dining and NOT paying full price or either have no children or only one and stay in the value resorts. Disney continues to raise the prices significantly each year but are also continuously running significant promotional discounts to attract guests. We don't go to WDW because we compared it to other vacations and found it to be less expensive. We go when we get the desire to go again. We used to go every year but we feel they have degraded the experience by reducing quality while at the same time raising prices. We don't count pennies when we go on vacation. When we go we do what we want, when we want. With all of that said, when we last started planning a vacation to wdw we priced it on their website and a week staying at the Polynesian was something like $6500 with the dining plan. Even at Port Orleans Riverside it was around $5000. We have three children and prefer to stay in a decent resort because we like the amenities. We hate the value resorts with a passion. We go to the beach for a week and stay in three bedroom condos (instead of a tiny cramped hotel room like those at WDW), go to very nice seafood restaurants that actually have great food, visit the attractions and see shows or whatever and still stay below $4000. A couple of years ago we decided we were tired of staying in the small hotel rooms and rented a two bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs for the week at $550 a night and that was with a promo discount. That trip ended up costing us around $7250 and that was with a discount.
We ended up getting a free dining pin back in the spring this year that we could use during the summer so we went to WDW about four weeks ago and stayed in Port Orleans Riverside for a week but it was still close to $4000 even with the free dining pin. We have already scheduled a Caribbean Cruise for next summer and are well below $4000 so we are going to stay on the beach in a condo for a few days too or possibly run over to the magic kingdom for a day.
I just don't get how all of you still think WDW is cheap and are saying it costs more to go elsewhere unless you are using the promo discounts, staying in the value resorts or don't have children. There are a multitude of places we can go and have been to, that were in line with or less expensive than WDW.

You make some great points about cost. I still think WDW is a great bargain, yet since I have to save for years to get there, it's hard not to admit that cost is an issue. Again, though, for me the difference is usually the added cost of airfare, longer stays, factoring two kids, and high food costs. The free dining saved me at least $1500, I have to admit.
As for the room, I've spent much more for a lot worse, but I admit the deluxe resorts are actually out of our reach right now because of cost. Thank god for moderates. Wish they had more in this category!
Maybe some day...

[TheVBs]

Well, I'm thinking it's obvious that if you opt for a $550 a night room, you're price tag is going to go up in comparison to other destinations, unless you're paying that same amount for your hotel elsewhere. That is how you want your WDW vacation to be and that's fabulous.

We're a family of four, we have always stayed at ASMu and had fantastic experiences there. Granted, we spend very little time at the resort. We do go during value season, which has the bonus of making it more affordable, less crowded and there are usually milder temperatures. So we pay off season rates and about every other visit we're usually able to take advantage of the free dining plan.

Therefore when we go to other destinations we are able to make value comparisons. We still love going to other destinations, and we don't necessarily pay more for the entire trip - but what we get for our money at WDW is often more. I think the best way I've seen someone put it is "More bang for our buck."

We could opt to spend more for a deluxe hotel or villa, and that would certainly impact the comparison. But, we can't think of a single reason to. We love our value resort.

[Scrod]

We've done everything from value to deluxe, actually have found we enjoy the value resorts. I don't know what my kids would do with a week at the beach, they would go nuts from boredom after 4 hours.

[brownie]

I don't think it's way too expensive. You can adjust when you go, how long you stay, and how many days you spend in the parks. It can be quite reasonable, especially if you can get free dining thrown in. It still does require a chunk of change, and we can't swing it every year at the moment (at least not spending 8 days!)

[DizneyRox]

DVC Dues - ~ $800 yr (used almost two years of points this year)
Tickets - ~ $700 (2 APs)
Dining - ~ $1100

That's about $3400 for two people (1 @ 2 didn't really cost anything)

Next year we're doing a cruise at about $2500 (for three people) total. Neither of the above includes airfare, so all in all, the cruise still seems like a pretty good value. No way we're going to spend $900 on shore excursions, we only need a taxi to Charlotte Amalie. We'll surely spend more on "souvenirs" on the cruise, but that's the plan quite honestly.

The problem with Disney right now, is it's getting a lot harder to dine reasonably. I used to maintain that dining was a fairly good value, however the last trip was a different story. Value is gone on dining, and I don't mind paying for quality, but the quality isn't there, the selection isn't there, etc.

It's been a while since we've cruised, but every time we've been, we've always said wow, that was a lot of fun, we need to do that more often. The value has always been there, I would be shocked to see that change. If we were first time cruisers, maybe a different story.

[BrerGnat]

DVC Dues - ~ $800 yr (used almost two years of points this year)
Tickets - ~ $700 (2 APs)
Dining - ~ $1100

That's about $3400 for two people (1 @ 2 didn't really cost anything)

Next year we're doing a cruise at about $2500 (for three people) total. Neither of the above includes airfare, so all in all, the cruise still seems like a pretty good value. No way we're going to spend $900 on shore excursions, we only need a taxi to Charlotte Amalie. We'll surely spend more on "souvenirs" on the cruise, but that's the plan quite honestly.

The problem with Disney right now, is it's getting a lot harder to dine reasonably. I used to maintain that dining was a fairly good value, however the last trip was a different story. Value is gone on dining, and I don't mind paying for quality, but the quality isn't there, the selection isn't there, etc.

It's been a while since we've cruised, but every time we've been, we've always said wow, that was a lot of fun, we need to do that more often. The value has always been there, I would be shocked to see that change. If we were first time cruisers, maybe a different story.

Cruises are a GREAT value for the money. That is why so many people do them. I love cruises.

I'm curious, though. Are you taking a DISNEY cruise? Or not? Reason I ask is that I find Disney cruises INSANELY overpriced. Comparing apples to apples (same room types), DCL is "too expensive", I think.

And, also, depending on your vacation style, cruises can be MORE expensive than a comparable Disney vacation. I'd love to go on another cruise, but there is no way that I am going to cram my family into an inside cabin, at under 200sq ft. for a week. I will only do it in a larger, balcony cabin. And, that costs $$$...no matter which cruise line you go on.

Still, I find cruises to be one of the best ways to vacation. I've not been on one recently, though, and have heard the same sorts of stories of cutbacks, "nickel and diming", and food quality (on ALL lines) being WAY down from the past, which makes me hesitant to do another one.

[DizneyRox]

Not Disney, however if they went to the Caribbean in the summer it may have been considered. You are right, they are insanely overpriced! It's somewhat ridiculous actually.

The above $2500 gets us into an E1 on RCCL, which is an outside balcony room. E1 may be wrong, I'm sure it's outside balcony, I wouldn't have it any other way. We could probably upgrade to a JR suite and still beat our last Disney cost.

Were up for a change. Were not sure what to expect with RCCL, but have never been disappointed (third RCCL cruise) but I do know what to expect at Disney, and I'm willing to take my chances.

[IloveDisney71]

If you get a PIN code or going during the "off season" you can get a better deal at Disney. If you are willing to stay at a Value or Moderate resort you can also get a better deal on your stay. Disney can be done on a budget or you can go all out and stay at the Deluxe resorts and not worry about going during the off season or waiting for a PIN code. If you eat at the counter service restaurants instead of table service restaurants you can save money. It all depends on what type of experience you want to have while you are there. We've had all kinds of different trips to Disney. We've been during different months of the year. We've had short trips and long trips. We've stayed at Values, Mods, and Deluxe. We've eaten only at counter service, paid out of pocket for table service, and sometimes opted for the dining plan. It just depended on what type of trip we wanted each time we went and what kind of budget we had at the time. I think it's great that Disney offers so many different options.
There are other vacation options out there that are cheaper but there are also vacation options out there that are more expensive. I recently took a trip to a major league baseball game and spent one night out of town for just my husband and I. The cost for tickets, gas, hotel, and food was close to $400. That's just crazy! We had great seats but geez!
I've also been wanting to go to Ireland for years but it's expensive to do everything I want to do there. I guess if I didn't go to Disney for about 4 years I could finally save up enough money for my trip to Ireland.

[1DisneyNut]

Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but we have NEVER paid full price to go to Disney. We've been going on our own dime for 12 years now (since college) and have scored a discount every single time. I will not pay full price for WDW. If it's not "on sale", I just don't go.

This is my point exactly! I think this is the case for many people, especially those stating what a great value WDW still is and how they think it is inexpensive. They should price their vacation at full rate and see if they think it would still be inexpensive. Because eventually one of two things are going to have to happen, either Disney is going to stop doing the promos all the time and people are going to have sticker shock or otherwise they are going to have to lower the prices back down. The mere fact that they are constantly running promos and have now offered them a year out should switch a light on above someone's head and say "hey, maybe our prices are too high since they won't come unless we run promos".

Well, I'm thinking it's obvious that if you opt for a $550 a night room, you're price tag is going to go up in comparison to other destinations, unless you're paying that same amount for your hotel elsewhere. That is how you want your WDW vacation to be and that's fabulous.

I think you are missing my point here. When we go to other destinations such as the beach, we stay in three bedroom condos at very nice resorts for significantly less than what a "two bedroom villa" at WDW costs. We pay about $350 to $400 a night vs. $550 with a promo or $650 without in a two bedroom instead of three. They are nothing more than condos but at double the rate. I am comparing apples to apples. If we go to Gatlinburg we stay in a three to five bedroom house in the mountains for $350 a night. You can do the same comparison with the value resorts. If you wanted to go to the beach low cost, you could get a comfort inn a few miles up the road for $39 to $49 a night almost anywhere whereas the all star is $99 to $129 unless you use a promo.

Value is gone on dining, and I don't mind paying for quality, but the quality isn't there, the selection isn't there, etc.

I completely agree. Even with the "free dining" we had this last time, we were dissatisfied with the dining. Quality is out the window and selection is dismal. So much so we threw a day of free dining away and left WDW for a day and went over to the beach to find some nice places to eat. We had lunch and then dinner at a couple of places and both were great. The one for dinner was fabulous. Far better than anything we experienced at WDW this time.

I find Disney cruises INSANELY overpriced. Comparing apples to apples (same room types), DCL is "too expensive", I think.

We priced, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean. Disney was almost double the price. We went with Carnival. We priced another trip to WDW at the same time while we were trying to decide and our trip with the cruise is going to be about $1000 less than a trip to WDW.

[TheVBs]

Well, I'm thinking it's obvious that if you opt for a $550 a night room, you're price tag is going to go up in comparison to other destinations, unless you're paying that same amount for your hotel elsewhere. That is how you want your WDW vacation to be and that's fabulous.

I think you are missing my point here. When we go to other destinations such as the beach, we stay in three bedroom condos at very nice resorts for significantly less than what a "two bedroom villa" at WDW costs. We pay about $350 to $400 a night vs. $550 with a promo or $650 without in a two bedroom instead of three. They are nothing more than condos but at double the rate. I am comparing apples to apples. If we go to Gatlinburg we stay in a three to five bedroom house in the mountains for $350 a night. You can do the same comparison with the value resorts. If you wanted to go to the beach low cost, you could get a comfort inn a few miles up the road for $39 to $49 a night almost anywhere whereas the all star is $99 to $129 unless you use a promo.

Ok, yes, I do see your point now. I misunderstood, sorry about that!

The least we've paid for a value room I believe was $82, most so far is $110. If we found a similar room off-site, i.e. outside entrance to the room, comparable size, etc., we would certainly pay less. However, we wouldn't get the Disney themeing, there would not be a cafe in the hotel or a gift shop, there may not be any pool at all and if there was, it certainly wouldn't compare to what we get even at a Disney value resort. There would be no movie in the evening, dance party or special activities. We would not get free transportation to the parks, we would either have to pay for transport or drive ourselves and pay parking. Certainly, there's a marked difference in the type of service you're likely to receive. So, I guess my point would be that comparing what we get for our money at ASMu to what we'd get at an off-site place, shows that it's not really an apples to apples comparison.

[KEYONNAH]

I'm one of those people that has to save for a long time to get to go to Disney, but it's worth it. To me when I finally save enough it's a wonderful treat. I've been taking at least one of my nieces or nephews every time. This time it will be my 6yr old nephew. I'm not worrying about the cost. What's more important to me is the look of excitement that was on his face when I told him that he's going with me in April. He's even helping with all the planning.

[dnickels]

When we go to other destinations such as the beach, we stay in three bedroom condos at very nice resorts for significantly less than what a "two bedroom villa" at WDW costs. We pay about $350 to $400 a night vs. $550 with a promo or $650 without in a two bedroom instead of three. They are nothing more than condos but at double the rate. I am comparing apples to apples. If we go to Gatlinburg we stay in a three to five bedroom house in the mountains for $350 a night. You can do the same comparison with the value resorts. If you wanted to go to the beach low cost, you could get a comfort inn a few miles up the road for $39 to $49 a night almost anywhere whereas the all star is $99 to $129 unless you use a promo.

I don't think you'd find many people who would disagree with you on this point. It's pretty well agreed that Disney Deluxe is a lesser quality than a true deluxe hotel (of course Disney costs just as much if not more), and the trend continues on down through the moderates as compared to other moderate hotels, and Disney values as compared to outside values. The extra cost can be rationalized in a lot of ways, the transportation, not having to pay for parking, the 'magic' for whatever that's worth. I don't know what those things are worth but quite a few people seem to find enough value in them to pass up the comparable or better accommodations off property.

The good thing is that even if it feels like Disney tips us upside down and shakes all the pennies out of our pockets when we set foot on property, no one is forcing us to set foot there in the first place.

If someone doesn't feel like they're getting a decent value for their money there's an easy way to solve it. Doing anything else just keeps sending the message that customers find appropriate value in Disney's pricing.

Like someone said way back at the beginning, if it feels too expensive for what's being delivered, don't go.

[azcavalier]

We also have never paid full price for a WDW vacation. We always find some kind of discount, whether it's free dining, or just the AAA discount. This year (in 25 days, actually), we're having my DW's family reunion. 14 people (7 adults, 7 kids...well, four of the kids are "adults" according to Disney, as they're over ten years old). Anyway, we're staying at POR for seven days, and we've gotten the free dining plan. Seven days at POR, with free dining and a seven day Park Hopper for 14 people? Just under $9000 (exculding travel costs, though most of us live close enough to drive). Do the math....that's less than $100 per day, per person, for food, room, and Park Hopper tickets. That ain't bad at all. This last summer we went to Virginia Beach for three days with my family, and it cost us more than that for food and the hotel, not including other things we did (museums, souvenirs).

[1DisneyNut]

Like someone said way back at the beginning, if it feels too expensive for what's being delivered, don't go.

Apparently a lot of people have decided the value isn't there and aren't going. The crowds have been way down and were down when we were there a few weeks ago. I completely agree too and that is why we aren't going to WDW as much anymore. We used to go twice a year and when the value started dropping a few years ago we went from twice a year to once every few years. Instead we are going on trips to the beach, cruises and weekend trips to various places. We are still spending about the same on vacationing, we are just doing it elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, we love WDW but we feel like the value just isn't there anymore. As I had thought, if you read through this thread everyone that feels like they are getting a great value and the price isn't bad clearly state they used one of the promos with the most prevalent being free dining. We used to go during the peak summer season when they didn't have any promos so we had to pay full price and we felt like we were getting a lot of "bang for our buck". Now even with the promos the quality and value has degraded so much it just doesn't seem that great. Thinking it is too expensive or thinking you are not getting value are too completely different things. I don't mind spending the money to get the service I desire but when I pay for it I expect the value for the expense to be there.

[BrerGnat]

I think, sometimes, the "value" of a WDW vacation (or, frankly ANY vacation) is something untangible that you really can't define.

For us, as an example, our trip to WDW this year was very special. It was our kids first trip there, and it was our chance to really spend some quality time together as a family prior to my DH's deployment. DH works long hours and is often away from home. Having an ENTIRE WEEK where we could ALL be together, to me, is priceless. It never happens in our daily life. Our vacation cost upwards of $6000. But, it was worth EVERY PENNY. My husband, at the end of it, said to me "I don't know how much that just cost us, and I don't care. That was one of the best weeks of my life."

He is currently 4 months into a 7 month deployment. The memories from that trip are what my kids focus on when they think about their daddy.

During that trip, even when we came across something negative, my thought process never strayed far from "I'm so happy right now and feel so lucky that we are able to be here." Disney ALWAYS gives me that feeling. Always. You can't put a price tag on that.

[TheVBs]

Well, in all honesty, I don't know of any vacation destination that doesn't have off season rates or specials sometimes. We don't pay full rate anywhere we go. Disney offering off season rates and specials at certain times of the year is right in line with any other location. And, if it's working for them and bringing in more people than it would otherwise, why wouldn't they do it? Obviously people are still paying to go in peak, non-discount season as well.

But, I think you summed it up perfectly, it's not the price tag as much as the perception of a good value. We think Disney is a great value and will continue to vacation there every other year, with different destinations in between. We feel that Disney gives us more for our money at their hotels and theme parks. Most importantly however, we have some of the most amazing family moments there that are priceless.

So, absolutely, if you don't feel you're getting good value, you should choose a destination that you feel is worth putting your money towards. We all have to make that choice.

[TheVBs]

I think, sometimes, the "value" of a WDW vacation (or, frankly ANY vacation) is something untangible that you really can't define.

For us, as an example, our trip to WDW this year was very special. It was our kids first trip there, and it was our chance to really spend some quality time together as a family prior to my DH's deployment. DH works long hours and is often away from home. Having an ENTIRE WEEK where we could ALL be together, to me, is priceless. It never happens in our daily life. Our vacation cost upwards of $6000. But, it was worth EVERY PENNY. My husband, at the end of it, said to me "I don't know how much that just cost us, and I don't care. That was one of the best weeks of my life."

He is currently 4 months into a 7 month deployment. The memories from that trip are what my kids focus on when they think about their daddy.

During that trip, even when we came across something negative, my thought process never strayed far from "I'm so happy right now and feel so lucky that we are able to be here." Disney ALWAYS gives me that feeling. Always. You can't put a price tag on that.

I love what your husband said! That's exactly how we've felt after our trips.

[princessjojo]

Cruises are a GREAT value for the money. That is why so many people do them. I love cruises.

I'm curious, though. Are you taking a DISNEY cruise? Or not? Reason I ask is that I find Disney cruises INSANELY overpriced. Comparing apples to apples (same room types), DCL is "too expensive", I think.

And, also, depending on your vacation style, cruises can be MORE expensive than a comparable Disney vacation. I'd love to go on another cruise, but there is no way that I am going to cram my family into an inside cabin, at under 200sq ft. for a week. I will only do it in a larger, balcony cabin. And, that costs $$$...no matter which cruise line you go on.

We are "on the same boat" quite frankly. With 2 teenage boys, DH and myself, a standard oceanview room on a cruise ship is quite cramped so we look for adjoining rooms, but still won't fork out the cost of DCL, even when/if we were able to use DVC points. Won't say I wouldn't do it, but it's not my first choice. It all goes back to how badly do I want this and where am I willing to sacrifice. We will probably still take the cruise, but will think long and hard before we book.

Yes, the cost of my dues can seem a lot, but when broken down, $800 for a week in a 2br villa is a really great deal at the right time of year, and even if I have to use 1 1/2 years of points, it's still a lot of room for the money. But yes, they do take my money in ticket prices and dining. Oh well... BTW I looked at what the cost of a comparable condo would be where we vacation on the beaches of NC & SC and would be $1500-$3500 for the same length of time and not generally any packages or discounts to ease the pocket pain... Sure am glad my parents have homes along our beaches.