Are Disney parks no longer for the Middle class?

[Searc]

What’s the percent increase?

It depends on the location. They don't all cost the same.

 

[RamblingMad]

It depends on the location. They don't all cost the same.

It looks steep for the kids.

 

[Searc]

It looks steep for the kids.

Yes, that is a ridiculous price jump for kids meals. One dollar, 'eh, not that big of a deal, but anything above that is crazy.

 

[RamblingMad]

Yes, that is a ridiculous price jump for kids meals. One dollar, 'eh, not that big of a deal, but anything above that is crazy.

Yeah. It’s not kids are going to eat a lot.

 

[SaintsManiac]

My kid will be a Disney adult by the time we return and she does not eat nearly enough to justify the prices for kids!!! We will have to cut back on character meals.

 

[RamblingMad]

This will blow your mind.

https://allears.net/walt-disney-world/wdw-planning/wdw-ticket-increase-guide/

 

[Cubbiecakes]

Ridiculous.

Ridiculous that people would waste money on a dining experience to meet locals in costume? Totally agree.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Ridiculous that people would waste money on a dining experience to meet locals in costume? Totally agree.

Ridiculous prices. I'm not so cynical to tell my kid, "sorry we won't waste money to meet locals in costumes."

Give me a break.

 

[Darcy03231]

Pricing went up overnight for 11 Character dining experiences for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Adult prices increased by $1, kids pricing increased by $3-$4, depending on location.

Now I'm really glad I bought the dining plan for our trip. We plan to do a character meal every day and when I ran the numbers I was saving about $100. Now it's a bigger savings.

 

[Heather07438]

This will blow your mind.

https://allears.net/walt-disney-world/wdw-planning/wdw-ticket-increase-guide/

We bought APs April '18 $850. Didn't renew after they expired. 2 months later $1120 (+$270, 30% increase)

Tickets around the holidays cost around $100 in 2015. $159 in 2019

Advance purchase MVMCP in 2015 $80. $100-$140 in 2019. 4 years! T.T

 

[RamblingMad]

We bought APs April '18 $850. Didn't renew after they expired. 2 months later $1120 (+$270, 30% increase)

Tickets around the holidays cost around $100 in 2015. $159 in 2019

Advance purchase MVMCP in 2015 $80. $100-$140 in 2019. 4 years! T.T

Meanwhile wages went up 2-3% annually. At today’s prices I wouldn’t have gone as a kid.

 

[luvsJack]

Ridiculous that people would waste money on a dining experience to meet locals in costume? Totally agree.

If that is the way you choose to view the meals, then they aren't worth the money at any cost. But for a HUGE number of people, character meals are a part of the magic of Disney.

and they used to be a great way to meet the characters and free up time in the parks. But, sadly, the prices are getting a little too steep to use them like that.

 

[RamblingMad]

If that is the way you choose to view the meals, then they aren't worth the money at any cost. But for a HUGE number of people, character meals are a part of the magic of Disney.

and they used to be a great way to meet the characters and free up time in the parks. But, sadly, the prices are getting a little too steep to use them like that.

This is why we did one character breakfast at the Contemporary. My mom liked the hotel, and she wanted character pictures.

 

[firefly_ris]

While the cost of flying really hasn’t gone up other than baggage cost, it’s still more expensive than driving most of the time.

Right, but not everyone has vacation time to drive long distances.

Ridiculous prices. I'm not so cynical to tell my kid, "sorry we won't waste money to meet locals in costumes."

Give me a break.

Yeah... We haven't done character meals ourselves because my kids eat like birds and they couldn't split meals at those so it would be a fortune to waste most of it. Plus my kids like the characters but never believed they were the "real deal", but I think certainly for a lot of children it's very thrilling for them, especially kids who believe. I mean, it's Disney World, I suspend my cynical thoughts (at least in relation to things like that) for the trip. Even though we don't do them I can see the value of them for others.

 

[RamblingMad]

Yeah... We haven't done character meals ourselves because my kids eat like birds and they couldn't split meals at those so it would be a fortune to waste most of it. Plus my kids like the characters but never believed they were the "real deal", but I think certainly for a lot of children it's very thrilling for them, especially kids who believe. I mean, it's Disney World, I suspend my cynical thoughts (at least in relation to things like that) for the trip. Even though we don't do them I can see the value of them for others.

My significant other is in her 40s, and she still likes to get her picture with Mickey.

 

[mrodgers]

I realize that there are alot of Disney fanatics here who think that the way they do WDW is the only way it can be considered a vacation, and that you have to compare that to every other vacation you have taken or will ever take. And yes you sound like one of them no matter what you claim above.

You may choose to do WDW differently but staying at POP for a week, going to the parks for 4 days and doing other stuff like hanging out by the pool IS STILL A DISNEY VACATION. You may think it is a waste but that is just your opinion, one that not everyone is required to share. Your WDW way isn't the one and only way.
You also may choose to compare every single aspect of your WDW vacation with every single aspect of your vacation elsewhere but that isn't how I roll. Besides I gave a cost comparison of my 2020 summer vacation and a week at WDW and it was not double. It was more, but not significant enough where it makes WDW unaffordable over the other (I never claimed they were equal in price BTW).
A vacation means I get away from my day to day life. It means I fly or drive to a destination of my choosing to do things there of my choosing. Some of those things may cost alot of money, some may be free.
It is still a vacation that I can compare to all my other vacations in fun, relaxation and yes even in cost to WDW.

The comparisons come up because the discussion is about cost. When you are talking about cost, you have to compare similar. You can't compare 4 days at Disney parks, then sitting around doing nothing with a week doing a vacation elsewhere.

Or I suppose I could just come and sit in the room at the cheapest Disney resort and say I don't know why you all think Disney is expensive, I just had a Disney vacation for less than 2 days at the beach.

When one says Disney vacation, I assume they are actually at Disney doing Disney things, which is the parks, and not just sitting doing nothing at one of their hotels.

What you are saying is, I can book 6 nights at Wyndham hotel for around $1400 and just visit Downtown Disney which doesn't cost anything. Heck, I changed my mind, a Disney vacation is a lot cheaper than going to the beach!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Nothing. Rental car costs are very dependent on local taxes, market demand and calendar considerations, just like airline seats. Also, 4 day rentals, unless they begin on Thursday afternoon, are almost always the most expensive multi-day scenario you will find. At DFW, taxes and airport-imposed fees usually amount to a surcharge of somewhere between 23-29% on top of the actual rental charges.

Pricceline used to be a great option, but bidding for cars there is no longer offered. IME, Costco offers the best standard-terms rental pricing around right now.

Yup and we just reserved a Costco rental for a ski trip in a few weeks (we're driving from KC to CO) last night for 4 days worth. Just checked and the price dropped by $40 for the same location and same Premium SUV category with the same company (Avis) so I've just easy peasy did a new reservation and I'll cancel the old.

My husband's corporate discount while quite good isn't normally as good as Costco's. Plus Costco waives the additional driver fee. For us we like Avis. Avis gives the spouse for free anyways but now we'll add on another driver with no added cost.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Yup and we just reserved a Costco rental for a ski trip in a few weeks last night for 4 days worth. Just checked and the price dropped by $40 for the same location and same Premium SUV category with the same company (Avis) so I've just easy peasy did a new reservation and I'll cancel the old.

My husband's corporate discount while quite good isn't normally as good as Costco's. Plus Costco waives the additional driver fee. For us we like Avis. Avis gives the spouse for free anyways but now we'll add on another driver with no added cost.

I'm going to keep checking it and hope it comes down.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The comparisons come up because the discussion is about cost. When you are talking about cost, you have to compare similar. You can't compare 4 days at Disney parks, then sitting around doing nothing with a week doing a vacation elsewhere.

Or I suppose I could just come and sit in the room at the cheapest Disney resort and say I don't know why you all think Disney is expensive, I just had a Disney vacation for less than 2 days at the beach.

When one says Disney vacation, I assume they are actually at Disney doing Disney things, which is the parks, and not just sitting doing nothing at one of their hotels.

What you are saying is, I can book 6 nights at Wyndham hotel for around $1400 and just visit Downtown Disney which doesn't cost anything. Heck, I changed my mind, a Disney vacation is a lot cheaper than going to the beach!

To be fair people go to Disney and do resort only trips meaning they don't step foot in the theme parks and people go on a beach vacation and do more than just sit around doing nothing.

 

[maddiel]

Now I'm really glad I bought the dining plan for our trip. We plan to do a character meal every day and when I ran the numbers I was saving about $100. Now it's a bigger savings.

I think the introduction of the dining plan was where the food pricing started to get out of control. It seemed to me that a la carte prices escalated rapidly once the the dining plans were established to make the dining plans look like a better value (and thus by getting visitors to go with dining plan, they got visitors locked in to only eating on property and into prepaying for food.) I found the food prices on our last trip (in 2016) literally left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

M.