Disney parks costs, crowds, and categorizations

[Roxyfire]

According to the chart Dallas is about 11-15 but Fort Worth is right around the border of that and about 5-10 and Orlando is right around the border of 1-4 and 5-10 so I suppose it depends on where at in those brackets each is (i.e. having 2 for example is a lot different than having 8 and having 6 is a lot different than having 14).

Yeah I'm sure any company building a sizable investment is going to look at the historical data like that and try to maximize their choices.

 

[Reddog1134]

Ehhh...that's a bit of an illusion to make us suckers feel better, isn't it?

The reality is that for any of your points to hold true...it requires a demanding, discerning customer base that hold accountability...

...and that seems to have left wdw some time ago.

Well, this part is always true.

A happy guest spends money.
A happy guest comes back.
A happy guests tells their friends how happy they are.

This part SHOULD be true.

Disney does make some decisions based on what guests want.

The question is "How often is it put to the test at Disney?" Because as you alluded to, many guests are "happy" just because it's Disney.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

We don't even look at the TS options anymore.

$50 avg pp for dinner is really crazy.

But so is $220 for a motel for 4.......

Some of the hotel prices astound me. I'd love to stay at the Poly but I cannot stomach paying $350+ for a night at a hotel. I know some people quote mythical travel agent secret prices that are much lower than that, but I've never been able to find any of those. We used to like moderates but those have steadily gone out of my price range. I am not going to spend $170 + a night when I can just stay at a value.

I was happily surprised to find a value room for about $90 a night for Halloween week.

 

[dlavender]

Some of the hotel prices astound me. I'd love to stay at the Poly but I cannot stomach paying $350+ for a night at a hotel. I know some people quote mythical travel agent secret prices that are much lower than that, but I've never been able to find any of those. We used to like moderates but those have steadily gone out of my price range. I am not going to spend $170 + a night when I can just stay at a value.

I was happily surprised to find a value room for about $90 a night for Halloween week.

I've seen the TA deals, but they are for very specific time frames (I think Labor day is the really good one).

I've always wanted to stay TP view at the Contemporary. $600?! Dream dead.

$90 value at anytime is a great find. With a fam of 5, we have to go off site. Just can't/won't pay $230 on the low end for one of us to sleep on a pull down with one bathroom.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Well, this part is always true.



This part SHOULD be true.


The question is "How often is it put to the test at Disney?" Because as you alluded to, many guests are "happy" just because it's Disney.

That last part is a key and why I often associate Disney customers to that of sports teams ... no matter how much the let us down we always go back for me (remember, "fan" is short for "Fanatic")

and you see this all the time that tons of negative stories come out and then Disney announces that magic bands will be available and purple and then it is like all that negativity is forgotten

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I've seen the TA deals, but they are for very specific time frames (I think Labor day is the really good one).

I've always wanted to stay TP view at the Contemporary. $600?! Dream dead.

$90 value at anytime is a great find. With a fam of 5, we have to go off site. Just can't/won't pay $230 on the low end for one of us to sleep on a pull down with one bathroom.

We did it once a few years ago - but I had an AP and was midweek so it was more like $300-$350 a night ... still pretty crazy but was one of those "once in a lifetime things" and we really wanted to stay in a monorail resort as we had 3 young kids and a double stroller so monorail vs buses was very appealing so once we commited to that, and with the discount it wasn't *that* much more than other rooms on the monorail resort ... but again, was viewed as a one time thing

 

[dlavender]

We did it once a few years ago - but I had an AP and was midweek so it was more like $300-$350 a night ... still pretty crazy but was one of those "once in a lifetime things" and we really wanted to stay in a monorail resort as we had 3 young kids and a double stroller so monorail vs buses was very appealing so once we commited to that, and with the discount it wasn't *that* much more than other rooms on the monorail resort ... but again, was viewed as a one time thing

Yeah, there are a lot of variables into the pricing. I think the lowest I've seen it this year is around $450, with the highest being around $700 (Not taking into account close to Christmas and Christmas time, we all know how that pricing goes).

If I could get it at $300, I think I would do it for a night. But I'm really doubtful that we see one for $300 again.

 

[sachilles]

Food prices are high at Disney, no doubt. Not necessarily the highest of any vacation spot, but definitely high. However, there seems to be plenty of lodging options available to help folks cook at their room if they desired to save money. There are more bargain options for lodging as well, they just don't happen to be on property.

I book a lot of air travel through work. Oddly, from the northeast, costs are similar for LAX or MCO. Airline pricing is a bit of weird model. That being said, families that live near an airline hub are at a huge economic advantage, as LAX and MCO are popular enough to have many flights to the hub.
Booking in advance often gives you lower fares, but only on the less desirable flight times. Travel midweek makes more sense cost wise. However, the real saving can be the gamble to wait to book flights until last minute. Deals can be had doing that, but your family of 4 won't be sitting together.

In general, there are a lot of little compromises needed to truly save money for a vacation, but most folks would rather not be bothered by them especially on vacation.

 

[mcd2745]

I thought one of the more interesting things Len mentioned in the podcast was, according to his data/research, while prices for tickets and food have gone through the roof over the last 15-20 years (even relative to inflation), resort rooms have not.

 

[dlavender]

I thought one of the more interesting things Len mentioned in the podcast was, according to his data/research, while prices for tickets and food have gone through the roof over the last 15-20 years (even relative to inflation), resort rooms have not.

Which is probably why they are converting more and more to DVC.

They have already come too close to the ceiling in the hotel room pricing. We can all hope, at least.

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

You know, speaking as a young married with no kids, I never got it when people said "Disney for $1,500 is impossible!". For DH and I, that would go decently far, what with airline miles, allocating the DVC cost, etc. But boy. Listing to Len talk about the "family of four" made me realize how much more having two kids around would cost. And that's just for vacation!!

Len's suggested vacation costs did not seem very realistic to me primarily because that's not how we vacation. If I only had $1500 to spend on a Disney vacation there is zero chance I'd be spending any of it on a deluxe resort. Our first trip as a family we went for 5 days, stayed off site, no hoppers, packed sandwiches and snacks into the park, ate one meal per day in the parks, spent $250 on souvenirs, and it was less than $2500 for our family of 4, so less than $125 per person, per day. And I know people that can get the total cost per day down to less than that. Granted, some people would prefer the deluxe experience and not pack in their own food. I would rather have 5 days at Disney vs 2 or 3.

 

[Q-man]

Which is probably why they are converting more and more to DVC.

They have already come too close to the ceiling in the hotel room pricing. We can all hope, at least.

I've espoused the theory that Disney got addicted to DVC money to the point that it ended up cannibalizing themselves in the deluxe room category by selling DVCs to those regular visitors that were buying the deluxe rooms. Now Disney has excess deluxe inventory that they can't mark down, as they'd have to mark down the lower categories in a corresponding manner, so now they have to take deluxe rooms out of inventory by converting them to DVC rooms. Which further contributes to the issue.

 

[dlavender]

I've espoused the theory that Disney got addicted to DVC money to the point that it ended up cannibalizing themselves in the deluxe room category by selling DVCs to those regular visitors that were buying the deluxe rooms. Now Disney has excess deluxe inventory that they can't mark down, as they'd have to mark down the lower categories in a corresponding manner, so now they have to take deluxe rooms out of inventory by converting them to DVC rooms. Which further contributes to the issue.

They are trying with their tiered discounting. Sometimes I think values get 10% while deluxes are getting almost 40%. Still, 40% off of $600 doesn't bring it back to where it should be, IMO.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I've seen the TA deals, but they are for very specific time frames (I think Labor day is the really good one).

I've always wanted to stay TP view at the Contemporary. $600?! Dream dead.

$90 value at anytime is a great find. With a fam of 5, we have to go off site. Just can't/won't pay $230 on the low end for one of us to sleep on a pull down with one bathroom.

Thinking of prices for families always really gets me down. I think things are expensive for just the two of us. For a place that is basically marketed as The family destination, it is pretty crazy that you can't really get a hotel room for more than 4 people (and yes, I know you technically can but the prices are somewhat insane).

 

[DisMommyTX]

As much as I would LOVE a TX park, I wish Disney would branch out more overall. I'd love to see a Disney dude ranch, mountain resort, skiing destination, southwestern spa, etc. Aulani-type resorts in destinations all over the world. We love the IP and trust Disney to deliver a good quality, family-friendly experience. They are FAR from perfect, but our trips to Schlitterbahn resorts and other theme parks consistently remind us how much better Disney is than most.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

As much as I would LOVE a TX park, I wish Disney would branch out more overall. I'd love to see a Disney dude ranch, mountain resort, skiing destination, southwestern spa, etc. Aulani-type resorts in destinations all over the world. We love the IP and trust Disney to deliver a good quality, family-friendly experience. They are FAR from perfect, but our trips to Schlitterbahn resorts and other theme parks consistently remind us how much better Disney is than most.

I did like the previous poster's suggestion of a Disney dude ranch. I guess that is kind of what they are going for with Adventures by Disney.

Have you heard of this new ski resort in Canada?

http://dailyhive.com/calgary/disney-ski-resort-squamish-vancouver-canada

I actually hadn't before so I wonder how true this report is. Ah and nope, it was an April Fool's joke. But it actually sounds really nice. I found it while I was looking for information to post on this:

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2016/...d-to-build-the-best-ski-resort-in-california/

Walt was trying to open the Mineral King ski resort. If you wanna give that a glance it has pretty interesting info.

 

[jade1]

Honestly, to me the cost of the park tickets is the least overpriced.

Same. Just bought 13 month AP with water parks no black outs for $505. Cheaper again this year.

On a side note, airfare is crazy low with these low fare carriers.

Just bought 4 more round trips for this winter for $8 one ways direct ($33 with taxes/fees) on Frontier. Cost that to Uber downtown and back.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

we usually stay offsite. Using some sort of timeshare property - we can get a 2-bedroom condo for similar as a value resort room. The extra space (and having a kitchen to help with some meals, especially breakfast) is worth it to us.

I do wish there were more options the family suites at the values are pretty pricey - and while some mods can sleep 5 it is still pretty tight quarters. It is what it is though - everything is trade offs

I find this fascinating...I guess I've never read your travel arrangements before.

For a pretty consistent defender of the shield, aren't you a bit annoyed that they priced you off property?

2 rooms at pop should run about $200 a night if we're being serious about amenities...certainly not $400 for a "suite" at AoA...

I think at that price you'd make the jump back. Interesting...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Same. Just bought 13 month AP with water parks no black outs for $505. Cheaper again this year.

On a side note, airfare is crazy low with these low fare carriers.

Just bought 4 more round trips for this winter for $8 one ways direct ($33 with taxes/fees) on Frontier. Cost that to Uber downtown and back.

Are you talking about dvc?

That's not cheaper...it's a promo. You do get the difference, right?

Coupons are not price reductions. They come around like a boomerang.

In two years that's gonna run you $650...my guess...at least

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The "hidden" discounts can be had through wholesalers if you are open to them.

You go when it's cheap...so you can't Plan around lacrosse or field hockey camp or the kids not missing a geometry test that means nothing...

Travel smarter, not saltier...