Priced out!

caisland

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Have been to WDW 7 times since 2006. Maybe I have gone too much but the price to go back now is just getting insane. In August 2012 DW and I stayed 14 nights at POR with free dining for about $3,550 CDN. Just priced the same time frame for this year and it is over $7,200 US = over $10,000 CDN.
Triple the price just can't imagine that being a deal.
 
Have been to WDW 7 times since 2006. Maybe I have gone too much but the price to go back now is just getting insane. In August 2012 DW and I stayed 14 nights at POR with free dining for about $3,550 CDN. Just priced the same time frame for this year and it is over $7,200 US = over $10,000 CDN.
Triple the price just can't imagine that being a deal.


I know!!! Even if they come out with a huge discount it usually doesn't even cover the exchange rate. We love free dining, it's a huge deal for us because we are a family of 6 and we have never gone without it. I understand it's a company and free dining is no longer really needed to fill rooms but it sucks. I'm sure they are going to lose a lot of Canadian tourists. The flight prices are crazy high add the actual cost of Disney (hotel,food,tickets) with the exchange it's getting way out of price range for a lot of people.
 
If you go in late August, that's when the room rates are the best. This year a Fort Wilderness cabin is around $250/night, tax included. My three teenagers and myself spend around $200/day for food etc., so the total for 2 weeks would be around $6500 US.

That's just an example, you have to do your own math to see what works best for you. WDW is never cheap, but it's not their fault that the Canadian dollar is so weak.
 


I am well aware that free dining isn't free, and run the numbers on MANY scenarios before booking a trip because my budget is my budget and I am not going over, and I'm well versed in getting the best bang for my buck. Free Dining used to be the best discount for us hands down. 13 trips later and it's nowhere near the best deal ,and even the best deal is far beyond what I am willing to spend without compromising my must haves.

Disney's rapid increases coupled with our awful exchange rate have pushed us offsite. I used to be a diehard onsite fan. But I love the space and amenities and convenience of offsite and don't feel like I am losing out. However, that also means we spend less time at Disney and became AP holders at Universal (where I will still stay onsite.. fabulous). Disney's outrageous prices are obviously working for some people. Not us. I still want to go away twice a year instead of once, and I don't want to pay what they are asking.. so our trips have changed. Not necessarily a bad thing.
 
It's a balance of raising prices and larger crowds. Most of the Orlando theme parks have raised their prices in a similar manner to Disney to keep pace.

Disney are very good at number crunching, and I'm sure you'll see many more Canadian specific deals, like the Canadian ticket deal recently offered, if the dollar stays this low. Also, the latest park attendance numbers may sway things, although it's all about money per guest that really matters, not necessarily sheer numbers. If they can get each guest to spend more per day, it's better for everyone (except your pocket book).
 
Expand your horizons and stay offsite. Our bi-annual trips cost about C$3-4,000 all in mostly depending on what park tickets we buy. That's staying in a luxury 2BR villa with full amenities. Keeping the costs down means we go make more often to keep getting that magic!
 


If you do your homework there are ways to save money and make it affordable. I have been going twice a year, sometimes three times for the last 12 years and that never would have been possible if I paid full price. Staying off site is one way, we mainly stay on site but have stayed off site several times. Using Airmiles or other rewards to get park tickets. Booking via Orbitz with a discount code and first going through Ebates. Bringing simple breakfast items to have in your room every morning. Planning out meals. Bringing in a few grocery items to have snacks or make a few simple lunchs. Don't spend money on beverages.....water is free. Dine at places with large portions that you can share. I could go on and on.....

The most we have ever spent on a WDW trip was probably just this past March. We went during March Break and it cost approx. $4000 CAD and that included everything....airfare, airport parking, hotel(8 nights at POP), rental car for 3 days, shopping and meals. It was just my DD(18) and I.

BTW, an 8 night stay is a short one for us. We would normally stay 10-14 nights.
 
Have been to WDW 7 times since 2006. Maybe I have gone too much but the price to go back now is just getting insane. In August 2012 DW and I stayed 14 nights at POR with free dining for about $3,550 CDN. Just priced the same time frame for this year and it is over $7,200 US = over $10,000 CDN.
Triple the price just can't imagine that being a deal.
I agree. With the rapid rise in room rates and park tickets we are feeling the pinch too, we've never stayed in a value resort for entire trip, but we are this time. Free dining isn't the deal it once was either. With just 2 of us room discount was always the better deal for deluxe resorts, moderate wasn't much of a savings. But now you don't even get the full dining plan at moderates, so no deal for us there.

We really enjoyed our Universal trip, and you get more bang for your buck at Universal resorts. Their value resort is like a WDW moderate. And their deluxe resorts are amazing. And cost less.
I'll still go to WDW, but maybe not as much and sub in some Universal trips instead of WDW.
 
I don't blame Disney for the CDN $ and I don't blame them for putting up prices per se. Get what the market will bear. I'm saying that given what we got from 2006 to 2012 "free" dining is no deal anymore and I don't feel the return for my money is there anymore.
 
Agree. We have gone yearly since 2006 (and a few times twice a year).

After this November trip we're on hiatus for a while. We simply can't afford it every year now with the exchange.

When the dollar was terrible around 1998ish my friend and I went at par - what a deal! I can't see that being offered any time soon though. They don't need us Canucks - the parks are full without us. :(

We might wait as long as Star Wars/50th anniversary. At this point I'm just not sure when we'll make it back. And that makes me very sad.
 
I don't blame Disney for the CDN $ and I don't blame them for putting up prices per se. Get what the market will bear. I'm saying that given what we got from 2006 to 2012 "free" dining is no deal anymore and I don't feel the return for my money is there anymore.
Free dining does seem to be on its way out. I can see how it would be a money-loser for Disney.
 
Disney has become a travel destination for the worldwide top 1% group. It has aligned itself to be a luxurious destination for kids, similar to Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton... It is simply not intended for everyone. In the past, it was more accessible. With the massive Federal pumping and printing of extra money bills in the last decade, many people in the world have become very rich. I mean super rich... They do not care if a one day admission is USD$135 to Magic Kingdom... If you use the Canadian standard, it is C$185 per day.

The average vacation for Disney is about $10-15,000 per family. For many people, this represents 1/3 of their annual income... which is not possible to do on a yearly basis. For the 1%, this is less than half of their private school tuition. These people already send their kids to UCC or Havergal with $30k tuition per year. They see this as part of extracurricular activity fee for their kids. Their 6 or 7 digit incomes can definitively sustain it.

Sad to say... Disney is more focused on targeting that group and not common middle class travelers.
 
Disney has become a travel destination for the worldwide top 1% group.

The average vacation for Disney is about $10-15,000 per family. For many people, this represents 1/3 of their annual income... which is not possible to do on a yearly basis. For the 1%, this is less than half of their private school tuition. These people already send their kids to UCC or Havergal with $30k tuition per year. They see this as part of extracurricular activity fee for their kids. Their 6 or 7 digit incomes can definitively sustain it.

Sad to say... Disney is more focused on targeting that group and not common middle class travelers.
This is not accurate at all. Disney does appeal to the middle class- most visitors are middle class. Only a minority of visitors spend $10,000+ on a trip.

People in the economic top 1% have assets in the 10s of millions & up. They aren't making 6-figure incomes as you seem to think. People earning 6-figures are upper-middle class, far, far below the rich and especially the richest 1%.

Many visitors take short trips and/or stay offsite or at values/moderates to save money. WDW is not an enclave of the rich, even though its prices are rising.
 
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I wish what you said is true. However it is hard to explain how they can sell C$1000 to $2000 per night in their Contemporary and Grand Floridian. If you want a room in monorail resorts for your kids during Christmas, that is the average cost per night $1000 per night. So a one week stay would be $7000 room alone. Then you add $3000 dining plans for a family of 4. Then $5000 for air fare. And $2000 for park tickets. When you add up $17,000 for a family of 4 to enjoy a Disney holiday, it's hard to say it's not designed for the 1%

$17,000 on the other hand, can get at least 3 nice Caribbean all inclusive trips as they average $5000 each trip.

Yes we can stay in roach motels for $50 per night off site with Macdonalds $15 per day meal, drive and line up for the tram and walk 30 min just to get to your car... but it's not really a vacation if you do it that way, is it? So a real Disney vacation with monorail resort and dining plan, it's $10k+ easy.
 
Disney has become a travel destination for the worldwide top 1% group. It has aligned itself to be a luxurious destination for kids, similar to Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton... It is simply not intended for everyone. In the past, it was more accessible. With the massive Federal pumping and printing of extra money bills in the last decade, many people in the world have become very rich. I mean super rich... They do not care if a one day admission is USD$135 to Magic Kingdom... If you use the Canadian standard, it is C$185 per day.

The average vacation for Disney is about $10-15,000 per family. For many people, this represents 1/3 of their annual income... which is not possible to do on a yearly basis. For the 1%, this is less than half of their private school tuition. These people already send their kids to UCC or Havergal with $30k tuition per year. They see this as part of extracurricular activity fee for their kids. Their 6 or 7 digit incomes can definitively sustain it.

Sad to say... Disney is more focused on targeting that group and not common middle class travelers.


Totally disagree that Disney is a destination that attracts many of the 1%

To me Disney is the playground of the middle class. I think it always has been. I don't think it has ever been affordable to all. However to say they are targeting the 1% is totally wrong. They would need seriously luxiourious hotels and many more upmarket restaurants and services for that to be true.

I think maybe we disagree on what middle class is. To me someone for whom a $10000-15000 trips represents one third of annual income is not what I consider middle class. To me the middle class is those with 6 figure salaries paying private tuition. The 1% are way beyond that.
 
I wish what you said is true. However it is hard to explain how they can sell C$1000 to $2000 per night in their Contemporary and Grand Floridian. If you want a room in monorail resorts for your kids during Christmas, that is the average cost per night $1000 per night. So a one week stay would be $7000 room alone. Then you add $3000 dining plans for a family of 4. Then $5000 for air fare. And $2000 for park tickets. When you add up $17,000 for a family of 4 to enjoy a Disney holiday, it's hard to say it's not designed for the 1%

$17,000 on the other hand, can get at least 3 nice Caribbean all inclusive trips as they average $5000 each trip.

Yes we can stay in roach motels for $50 per night off site with Macdonalds $15 per day meal, drive and line up for the tram and walk 30 min just to get to your car... but it's not really a vacation if you do it that way, is it? So a real Disney vacation with monorail resort and dining plan, it's $10k+ easy.

There are plenty of on-site options that are way less expensive.

$3000 dining plan is not a must have, it's a want. There are a lot of really good and healthy food options that won't be any where near that cost.

Staying at a monorail resort is not a must have for a Disney experience. And your rationalization regarding off-site, is reality for many who would also disagree that it is not a Disney vacation.

In fact, pretty much every cost you listed is the max cost for a top tier experience. Most middle class families won't be spending anywhere near that much for a Disney vacation.
 
If you do your homework there are ways to save money and make it affordable. I have been going twice a year, sometimes three times for the last 12 years and that never would have been possible if I paid full price. Staying off site is one way, we mainly stay on site but have stayed off site several times. Using Airmiles or other rewards to get park tickets. Booking via Orbitz with a discount code and first going through Ebates. Bringing simple breakfast items to have in your room every morning. Planning out meals. Bringing in a few grocery items to have snacks or make a few simple lunchs. Don't spend money on beverages.....water is free. Dine at places with large portions that you can share. I could go on and on.....

The most we have ever spent on a WDW trip was probably just this past March. We went during March Break and it cost approx. $4000 CAD and that included everything....airfare, airport parking, hotel(8 nights at POP), rental car for 3 days, shopping and meals. It was just my DD(18) and I.

BTW, an 8 night stay is a short one for us. We would normally stay 10-14 nights.
Can I just say Serious Jealous here. We go once and every other I sneek in a second trip with just one of my daughters and I for bonding time.
 
I wish what you said is true. However it is hard to explain how they can sell C$1000 to $2000 per night in their Contemporary and Grand Floridian. If you want a room in monorail resorts for your kids during Christmas, that is the average cost per night $1000 per night. So a one week stay would be $7000 room alone. Then you add $3000 dining plans for a family of 4. Then $5000 for air fare. And $2000 for park tickets. When you add up $17,000 for a family of 4 to enjoy a Disney holiday, it's hard to say it's not designed for the 1%

$17,000 on the other hand, can get at least 3 nice Caribbean all inclusive trips as they average $5000 each trip.

Yes we can stay in roach motels for $50 per night off site with Macdonalds $15 per day meal, drive and line up for the tram and walk 30 min just to get to your car... but it's not really a vacation if you do it that way, is it? So a real Disney vacation with monorail resort and dining plan, it's $10k+ easy.
Wow if that is what you consider to be the only way to do Disney, then yes it is for the elite. But for a third of the cost, we have stayed in the values, drove down, shared over-sized meals and had a blast that my kids would not know the difference. We now have dvc, but my girls still want to go back to AS Music for the piano pool that they love so much. And the over-sized themeing. So Disney for us is the same or less than a $5000 Caribbean trip for 4.
 

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