I'm begining to think maybe Disney isn't that way over priced

[DisneyMandC]

I guess I'm missing the outrageous expenses some people are seeing. No, park tickets aren't cheap but you're going to pay a small fortune to get into just about any major amusement park with as much included as DW. Aside from food and souvenirs, you don't have to spend another dime once you're in the park if you don't want to. You're able to bring your own food in or come and go as you please if you'd prefer to go back to your hotel room for a meal. A value hotel can be as cheap as $100 a night. Disney will shuttle you to and from the airport and to and from your hotel and the parks at no additional cost (I understand this cost is built in). All of these things are we as a family with three young kids Disney has incredible value for us. I want to get on a plane and not have to worry about anything but making sure I don't lose a kid - Welcome to Disney World! It's also completely customizable. For our trip with DD6 we will do a few character meals because I find it the easiest, most convenient way to meet her favorite characters. When/If we take DS7 for his birthday this fall we will likely only do QS meals because he's not a big eater and doesn't much care about meeting characters. DS7 will probably get an extra park day whereas DD6 is getting a "rest day" at the pool to make up for the cost of the character meals.

I agree with this. The cost of Disney tickets now really isn't outrageous compared to most theme parks. I'm in Central VA and King's Dominion is fairly cheap... but you get what you pay for. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is beautiful and great for a one day ticket... at the price of $90 per person. Universal Studios' ticket prices are comparable to WDW as well. Do I like Disney increasing ticket prices all the time? No. But it really doesn't cost THAT much more per person, and I think the experience far exceeds any other theme park I've been to.

We're visiting both Disneyland and Disney World (as well as Universal) this year, and part of the reason we're doing Disney twice is actually because it's cheaper for us to go there than several other trips we considered. There are so many different ways for us to save on tickets through different credit card points, rewards sites, and just being savvy in purchasing Disney gift cards.

 

[AngieInOH]

Yikes! As someone who vacations in Pigeon Forge/ Gatlinburg every year, $4200 is excessive even for all the things you guys did. It is definitely a location that can be much more affordable than that. Heck, a season pass to Dollywood is $114. Buy the season pass that includes the water park $164 total. Buy Dollywood season passes and you'll get a discount on Dixie Stampede tickets.
.

I'm sorry I don't quite understand your philosophy of buying a season pass at Dollywood. That would have cost me $570! Or your suggested add water park would have cost $820! Yes I agree it could have been done cheaper. We could have stayed in a cheaper hotel. We could have ate fast food or made sandwiches. But that's not how we like to vacation. I did use coupons for Dixie Stampede and got a good discount on Wonderworks. The place we wanted to go ziplining had no coupons on groupon.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Disney would not have to lower crowd capacity. They would just need to run the attractions at full capacity instead of reducing staffing (saving money) and subsequently lengthening wait times. I've been going to Disney since the mid-80s. There is a huge difference in the "Disney Experience" from those early visits and the latest trips. My guess is that those who are "complaining" are people who remember what it was like to visit the parks before the latest round of cost-cutting/price hiking.

So well said!

 

[King Dominic]

But isn't "doing nothing" the appeal of a beach vacation? Sleep in, take a walk on the boardwalk, grab a quick lunch at the condo, pack the cooler, grab a book and a chair and head to the beach. Stroll back to your condo in the late afternoon, shower and head out for dinner. Wash, rinse, repeat. Typical Wildwood vacation!

While I can understand the "it ain't a vacation if I'm cooking and cleaning" mindset, I also understand that it's a lot easier to contain costs with a vacation at the shore than it is to spend a week at Disney resort, dining out for every meal and hitting the parks each day. We live in SEPA, too, and an annual trip to the shore has always been a part of our family's summer. A Disney World trip (airfare, dining, Disney hotel and tickets) far exceeds even the spendiest week we ever had at the shore!

We live like half way between Philly and the Jersey Shore points. I’ve priced staying in OC for a week and it’s not that far off from Disney. Our daughter is 8, she’s going to want to do rides. The tickets are close to a $1 each and each ride is multiple tickets. Mini golf is like $10 per person now. Food is expensive. The list goes on. We go down a few times a year for a day trip and easily spend $150-200 each time and if we do the water park, it’s another $100+. Like I said at the beginning, a week in OC is about the same as Disney, minus the airfare.

If you’re just doing the beach, it wouldn’t be as expensive but I assume your kids would want to do the piers at night too. To each their own, like you said.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I agree with this. The cost of Disney tickets now really isn't outrageous compared to most theme parks. I'm in Central VA and King's Dominion is fairly cheap... but you get what you pay for. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is beautiful and great for a one day ticket... at the price of $90 per person. Universal Studios' ticket prices are comparable to WDW as well. Do I like Disney increasing ticket prices all the time? No. But it really doesn't cost THAT much more per person, and I think the experience far exceeds any other theme park I've been to.

We're visiting both Disneyland and Disney World (as well as Universal) this year, and part of the reason we're doing Disney twice is actually because it's cheaper for us to go there than several other trips we considered. There are so many different ways for us to save on tickets through different credit card points, rewards sites, and just being savvy in purchasing Disney gift cards.

But no one pays that gate price...I mean Groupon has been running 1 day tickets every year for $45/day...most theme/amusement parks are built on this "no one pays gate price" paradigm...Disney and Universal are the only 2 who aren't...so you have to compare real gate entry prices, not gate prices...

 

[tex1989]

I normally try to stay away from threads that discuss the value of things like trips to Disney, be it WDW, DL, or any of the other locations. The reason is because every single person that goes there puts a different value on the trip. Some people don't care about how much it costs (I always stay at deluxe CL) some are budget seekers (discount gift cards, codes, seasonal discounts etc) and some say it's just to much money (we are never going back!). I cannot and will not try to convince any of these folks to think differently because they do what they want to do. Likewise I do not feel the need to justify why I go even in the face of people who tell me time and again that I am wasting my money and they cannot understand why I go time after time. Well my wife and I know why we go (we love it!) and what we are willing to spend (my secret). Life is so much easier when I don't have to explain to others my actions.

 

[disorganizedchaos]

But no one pays that gate price...I mean Groupon has been running 1 day tickets every year for $45/day...most theme/amusement parks are built on this "no one pays gate price" paradigm...Disney and Universal are the only 2 who aren't...so you have to compare real gate entry prices, not gate prices...

Right...but with swagbucks, Ibotta, etc I’m not paying “real” gate prices for Disney either. There are plenty of ways to get discounts for Disney.

 

[disorganizedchaos]

I normally try to stay away from threads that discuss the value of things like trips to Disney, be it WDW, DL, or any of the other locations. The reason is because every single person that goes there puts a different value on the trip. Some people don't care about how much it costs (I always stay at deluxe CL) some are budget seekers (discount gift cards, codes, seasonal discounts etc) and some say it's just to much money (we are never going back!). I cannot and will not try to convince any of these folks to think differently because they do what they want to do. Likewise I do not feel the need to justify why I go even in the face of people who tell me time and again that I am wasting my money and they cannot understand why I go time after time. Well my wife and I know why we go (we love it!) and what we are willing to spend (my secret). Life is so much easier when I don't have to explain to others my actions.

Well said. If you think Disney is too expensive or don’t like their cost-cutting tactics, don’t go! The rest will be enjoying a mickey pretzel on Main Street!

 

[Marionnette]

We live like half way between Philly and the Jersey Shore points. I’ve priced staying in OC for a week and it’s not that far off from Disney. Our daughter is 8, she’s going to want to do rides. The tickets are close to a $1 each and each ride is multiple tickets. Mini golf is like $10 per person now. Food is expensive. The list goes on. We go down a few times a year for a day trip and easily spend $150-200 each time and if we do the water park, it’s another $100+. Like I said at the beginning, a week in OC is about the same as Disney, minus the airfare.

If you’re just doing the beach, it wouldn’t be as expensive but I assume your kids would want to do the piers at night too. To each their own, like you said.

Ah! But there's a big difference between day trips to the shore and longer trips to Disney. If we spent a week at the shore, the kids (who are all adults now) would not have been riding the amusement rides every night. They spent a little time in the arcades (maybe $10 apiece) and the water parks were a one and done thing as far as they were concerned. You can do a water park anywhere, the ocean is only at the shore! If we did mini golf, it was because it was included with the breakfast we ate out on the day that we departed from our condo and a lot of the time the kids didn't want to do it anyway. The kids actually preferred the beach, body surfing in the waves, sitting around with a group of extended family and friends, flying kites. If it rained, or wasn't a beach day, they had their video games and the Netflix DVDs that we rented just for the trip. We played cards, or Boggle or they laughed at me as I attempted Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii we brought with us or we visited with friends and family who were also down the shore for the week. If we got on each others' nerves, there was room to get away from each other.

But if you want to compare apples to apples, the cost of taking my family to Disney for one day would be a minimum of $130 per person (the cost of a 1-day ticket to Epcot, HS or AK for ages 10+). It's already blown your $150-$200 1-day trip to the shore out of the water in terms of cost and it doesn't even include the cost of food or transportation for the day.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

But no one pays that gate price...I mean Groupon has been running 1 day tickets every year for $45/day...most theme/amusement parks are built on this "no one pays gate price" paradigm...Disney and Universal are the only 2 who aren't...so you have to compare real gate entry prices, not gate prices...

I think you're overestimating the people who don't pay full price. If you are a tourist you may be more likely to pay full priced vs a local. But it also depends on what methods you're used to using too for deals in your day to day life.

I remember when our amusement and water park would give discount tickets for specialty marked pop cans or bringing in canned goods (they may still do that don't know). A tourist is a lot less likely to get that deal as I'm sure it was intended (though I don't even know how many tourists come to our area for that).

I do think more and more are doing online deals through their website. For instance Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun is now combined ticket-wise. Last year a 1-day ticket cost $56.99 I believe plus tax plus parking. However, you could get it for $39.99 plus tax plus parking I believe if you bought online. OR you could buy a 2-day pass for the price of 1-day by doing online. Plus they had a few dollars off parking if you pre-purchased it.

BUT if you just showed up at the park you'd be paying higher. I don't know if Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun operates coupons on swagbucks, groupon, etc though.

*don't quote me on the prices I'm doing it from memory.

 

[disorganizedchaos]

Ah! But there's a big difference between day trips to the shore and longer trips to Disney. If we spent a week at the shore, the kids (who are all adults now) would not have been riding the amusement rides every night. They spent a little time in the arcades (maybe $10 apiece) and the water parks were a one and done thing as far as they were concerned. You can do a water park anywhere, the ocean is only at the shore! If we did mini golf, it was because it was included with the breakfast we ate out on the day that we departed from our condo and a lot of the time the kids didn't want to do it anyway. The kids actually preferred the beach, body surfing in the waves, sitting around with a group of extended family and friends, flying kites. If it rained, or wasn't a beach day, they had their video games and the Netflix DVDs that we rented just for the trip. We played cards, or Boggle or they laughed at me as I attempted Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii we brought with us or we visited with friends and family who were also down the shore for the week. If we got on each others' nerves, there was room to get away from each other.

But if you want to compare apples to apples, the cost of taking my family to Disney for one day would be a minimum of $130 per person (the cost of a 1-day ticket to Epcot, HS or AK for ages 10+). It's already blown your $150-$200 1-day trip to the shore out of the water in terms of cost and it doesn't even include the cost of food or transportation for the day.

I think the problem here is you can’t compare these two vacations. My kids (and I) would get much more enjoyment out of riding rides, meeting characters, etc. than flying a kite a the beach. So while a day at the beach may be cheaper dollar to dollar than Disney, I can stay at home by the pool for free playing board games when it rains. For us, Disney is a far better experience. I feel like that’s the problem with trying to compare the values of these trips.

 

[Marionnette]

I normally try to stay away from threads that discuss the value of things like trips to Disney, be it WDW, DL, or any of the other locations. The reason is because every single person that goes there puts a different value on the trip. Some people don't care about how much it costs (I always stay at deluxe CL) some are budget seekers (discount gift cards, codes, seasonal discounts etc) and some say it's just to much money (we are never going back!). I cannot and will not try to convince any of these folks to think differently because they do what they want to do. Likewise I do not feel the need to justify why I go even in the face of people who tell me time and again that I am wasting my money and they cannot understand why I go time after time. Well my wife and I know why we go (we love it!) and what we are willing to spend (my secret). Life is so much easier when I don't have to explain to others my actions.

I own DVC and we go regularly as well. I don't try to justify my Disney obsession to anyone anymore. We just go and have a good time when we are there. However, I am no Disney apologist and as a long-time visitor, it rubs me the wrong way to see the recent spate of money grabbing that is occurring as well as the decline in value that I have seen. I'm looking forward to the renewal of HS, which has suffered greatly in the past 10 years and I hope that the plans for EPCOT move forward quickly. I wish that Disney could put as much effort into refreshing their parks as they put into building new DVC resorts! You can still love Disney and see the flaws for what they are. Sometimes it takes stepping away from Disney for a while to appreciate what it offers. Or, OTOH, to see that there is much more to see in the world than what in contained in the World Showcase.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well said. If you think Disney is too expensive or don’t like their cost-cutting tactics, don’t go! The rest will be enjoying a mickey pretzel on Main Street!

There is a difference between what you said and what the other poster was saying.

The other poster was saying they don't need to rationalize their decision to other people-which is true they don't.

What you're saying is if you don't like the cost or what Disney is doing don't go-which is also true. However, your point missing the other person you would be speaking with's point. You should feel like you can express that Disney is too expensive and you don't like their cost-cutting tactics without someone saying--then don't go. You don't have to be 100% all the time happy with a company and what they are doing. I think Disney is expensive, I don't always like their cost-cutting tactics but I still would go at this point. I am however an infrequent vistor. And I don't need someone telling me that because I recognize that Disney is expensive to me personally especially in comparison to my other trips (Hawaii included) and that I'm not fond of some of the choices Disney has been making that I should just not go. *That last statement is a general one not necessarily aimed at you personally.

 

[Marionnette]

I think the problem here is you can’t compare these two vacations. My kids (and I) would get much more enjoyment out of riding rides, meeting characters, etc. than flying a kite a the beach. So while a day at the beach may be cheaper dollar to dollar than Disney, I can stay at home by the pool for free playing board games when it rains. For us, Disney is a far better experience. I feel like that’s the problem with trying to compare the values of these trips.

And therein lies the rub. You cannot compare the two because, as you correctly pointed out, they are two very different experiences. Each is enjoyable in their own right. The real question lies in whether the "Disney Experience" is still the great value that they once marketed it to be.

 

[DisneyMandC]

But no one pays that gate price...I mean Groupon has been running 1 day tickets every year for $45/day...most theme/amusement parks are built on this "no one pays gate price" paradigm...Disney and Universal are the only 2 who aren't...so you have to compare real gate entry prices, not gate prices...

Sure, those of us who live in a reasonable proximity to BG might be getting those groupons. But I'm willing to bet most of the people who come to vacation in Williamsburg from out of state aren't combing our budget boards and groupons every early spring to look for that deal

Also, this was the first year I've seen since BG started running those Groupons that they haven't all sold out in the first day.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Sure, those of us who live in a reasonable proximity to BG might be getting those groupons. But I'm willing to bet most of the people who come to vacation in Williamsburg from out of state aren't combing our budget boards and groupons every early spring to look for that deal

Also, this was the first year I've seen since BG started running those Groupons that they haven't all sold out in the first day.

But they don't just run Groupons (just like Seaworld, who has also had a recent Groupon, doesn't just run Groupons)...anyone who pokes around their sites once before a trip will see different values vs "gate price" - I mean, the Season's Passes or the 7 day combo tickets with Colonial Williamsburg are always front and center...anytime they have a ticket discount deal, it's also front and center...

The difference is you won't see this from Disney/Universal - they have a gate price and they will give you an small online purchase discount and that's it. Savings programs (like Ibotta or other) isn't really saving from the "gate price" - it's just allowing you to gift card it lower...when you could get different corporate gift cards for other purposes...

It's the difference between a discount and a gift card for payment...

 

[DisneyMandC]

But they don't just run Groupons (just like Seaworld, who has also had a recent Groupon, doesn't just run Groupons)...anyone who pokes around their sites once before a trip will see different values vs "gate price" - I mean, the Season's Passes or the 7 day combo tickets with Colonial Williamsburg are always front and center...anytime they have a ticket discount deal, it's also front and center...

The difference is you won't see this from Disney/Universal - they have a gate price and they will give you an small online purchase discount and that's it. Savings programs (like Ibotta or other) isn't really saving from the "gate price" - it's just allowing you to gift card it lower...when you could get different corporate gift cards for other purposes...

It's the difference between a discount and a gift card for payment...

All that may be true. But not everyone is going to be able to take advantage of when they have a discounted ticket or use season passes.

Dollar for dollar, I'd rather spend my money (or my free/discounted gift cards) at Disney.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I think the problem here is you can’t compare these two vacations. My kids (and I) would get much more enjoyment out of riding rides, meeting characters, etc. than flying a kite a the beach. So while a day at the beach may be cheaper dollar to dollar than Disney, I can stay at home by the pool for free playing board games when it rains. For us, Disney is a far better experience. I feel like that’s the problem with trying to compare the values of these trips.

Exactly.

We play board games pretty much every week. We have a Wii and I can get a movie from Red Box, today. I don't have to be away, on vacation, to do that. If we wanted to fly a kite, we could go over to the field next to work and do just that.

And those activities are great. They are cheap and fun.

But they aren't "vacation." At least not to me.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

I can do that for a few hours...but then I need to DO something.

I'm like this too, and I think the different needs for different people on vacations are one of the main reasons these threads always spark a lot of back and forth. Value for your dollar, especially when it's something intangible like an experience or vacation, is going to be very, very tough to measure. Whereas with other things, let's say a cell phone for example, I can measure its specs and durability and, for the most part, get a good idea of its value versus a competitor's. With experiences, that's tougher, because so much of the "value" takes place inside someone's heart/ mind. Since I'm someone who wants to do something when I'm on vacation, I feel like I get a lot of value per dollar at Disney with what I can do in a hour versus what I might do at the beach.

For my personal situation the value in Disney has gotten better recently. Not because of price, but because of the birth of my son. It's one of the only places where we can go that my 60 year old mother, DH and I in our mid twenties, and our baby can enjoy equally (be it a Disney Park or cruise). The value of that for me is tough to stick a number on. Yes, I can save $1,000 and go to the beach, but if I'm bored in a condo and my mom or I is cooking every day like we'd do at home anyways and DS is bored going to the beach after the second day and grouchy the rest of the week then what am I really saving? Sure, I have more money in my bank account but if none of us is really happy on our trip then I see that as more of a waste than spending $1,000 more and having a great time for everyone with memories and laughs years later.

That's just us, though, and that's not to say there aren't things at Disney I don't do because I think the price is outrageous. Honestly, yes, they're getting more expensive, but so is everywhere else.

 

[King Dominic]

Ah! But there's a big difference between day trips to the shore and longer trips to Disney. If we spent a week at the shore, the kids (who are all adults now) would not have been riding the amusement rides every night. They spent a little time in the arcades (maybe $10 apiece) and the water parks were a one and done thing as far as they were concerned. You can do a water park anywhere, the ocean is only at the shore! If we did mini golf, it was because it was included with the breakfast we ate out on the day that we departed from our condo and a lot of the time the kids didn't want to do it anyway. The kids actually preferred the beach, body surfing in the waves, sitting around with a group of extended family and friends, flying kites. If it rained, or wasn't a beach day, they had their video games and the Netflix DVDs that we rented just for the trip. We played cards, or Boggle or they laughed at me as I attempted Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii we brought with us or we visited with friends and family who were also down the shore for the week. If we got on each others' nerves, there was room to get away from each other.

But if you want to compare apples to apples, the cost of taking my family to Disney for one day would be a minimum of $130 per person (the cost of a 1-day ticket to Epcot, HS or AK for ages 10+). It's already blown your $150-$200 1-day trip to the shore out of the water in terms of cost and it doesn't even include the cost of food or transportation for the day.

Like I said, to each their own. For a one day trip, you’re right, costs aren’t comparable. But to stay anywhere decent down there during the summer you’re paying $1500-2000 for a week. Plus food, etc., etc.

We are going back to DW again this year, the week after Thanksgiving like we did last year. We’re renting DVC points, staying at OKW for a week with the dining plan and park tickets for around $2500. Airfare will make it more than a week at the shore in Jersey but I prefaced that in my first post.

I’m not trying to sway anyone from going to the shore because it’s a lot of fun and I’ve spent my whole life going down a few times every summer. We got a house down there for a week once when I was about my DD8’s age now. I remember being “done with it” after about 3 or 4 days. It’s all preference and wherever everyone decides to go on vacation, I hope you have a great time! I just felt like discussing it. Sorry if anyone took my post the wrong way.