Disney-how much is TOO much!

We went in Aug. 2018 with the exclusive magical deal and stayed for 5 nights at Yacht Club and 5 nights at Grand Floridian with tickets for 4 of us (husband doesn't do parks anymore, relaxed at the resorts and played golf) and the cost was just under $4K. I just priced out 9 nights at Port Orleans with tickets and it was $5,600. The moderates at Disney aren't bad but they are no way near as nice as the deluxe hotels. The prices have gone up so much. We will miss our yearly trips. Not sure when/if we will go back.
 
We live 2 hours away and have our last AP's we will have for the foreseeable future. This is our 3rd year with AP's. Just 2 years ago we could find decent onsite rates and would take some long weekends. Now, we find ourselves somewhat forcing ourselves to use the APs as we know it will be our last time having them, and we either do long days and come home or stay offsite only. I know they've replaced us with people who are willing to pay over $200/night for a mod, but I have to think eventually they will have to come back down to reality as we aren't the only one's who have scaled way back......
 
The last few years they have hiked room rates and ticket prices.

The result of the price increases compounding is that prices are way up compared to 3 or 4 years ago.

Even if we were "rich" I would not pay many of the resort rates even if given a 25 percent discount.

25 percent off a bloated price is still a bloated price.
This. Exactly. What is going to happen when another decent recession hits? I mean they can give out 25% - 40% off of the rates, but when the rates are so over the top expensive to begin with, it just won't matter that much. I mean 40% off of a $600 a night room is still $360. And during a recession, that is not going to cut it. If they were to do a buy four, get three deal that will still be high because four nights at $400 a night is still $1600 even if it is for a seven night stay.
 
I'm feeling like our trips are changing, and pretty significantly at that. Normally we do 10 nights and we've had AP's for 10 of the past 15 years. However, we've gone to Disneyworld every year since 2004, often 2 or even 3 times in one year. But that is over. Crowds, decreased park hours, decreased entertainment, parks that often feel dirty, feel like a construction zone and increases in prices for everything with discounts being hard to come by have all driven us to go less.

We used to also go to Disneyland, almost always staying onsite. That ended 8 years ago as they priced us out of that. So no more Disneyland. Now I wonder if Disneyworld is next.

My husband and I decided to go in February. Six nights instead of our usual ten. My sil may have free tickets for us, if not at most we'll be doing two day, non hopping tickets. We obviously didn't renew our annual passes this year.

We were originally booked at CBR but $1734 for 6 nights was really hard to swallow. This is for February, off season. So yesterday I cancelled that, and we are going to Pop which is saving us about $700 for six nights. But even that is ridiculous. A value for $177 a night (includes tax) is quite frankly crazy.

We'll see when we go back. I currently have a reservation at Pop to go in November with my daughter, but I am not all that confident that trip will happen. If it does I will definitely be cutting it from its current 8 nights to probably around 4 or 5 and we'll probably do the Christmas party and a day at Epcot.

They're getting my money but not like they used to. My vacation budget is not increasing in the same inflated rate as their prices are.
 


We go for shorter time periods and since we drive we stay close to Disney the night prior in a cheaper hotel, then drive over in the morning and do check in. Even if room isn’t available we enjoy the pool, have lunch, take bus to Disney springs, etc. We also do our stays midweek to avoid the higher rates for weekends

We take (as in treat) family members on some of our trips, and whereas we usually stayed at Moderate for those trips, the last and future trips when we need two rooms are at value resorts. Or will consider staying at one of the partner resorts near Disney springs.
 
We also have gone just about every year at least once for many years. But what amazes me most, is that with all the price increases, the crowds seem higher than ever!?!? I would guess that Disney is just trying to slow the crowds by increasing prices. It helps that it also give more profit. But the price increases don't seem to have slowed the crowds at all. I can only assume the increases will continue. Bummer.
 
I laughed out loud yesterday when I was able to book a king suite in Dallas during spring break for the same price I paid at Pop for Thanksgiving week.
 


I have been going to Disney for 33 years almost every year and an Annual Passholder for going on 6 years and I will say the last 2 years I have really wavered on renewing. Even as a FL resident, it is expensive. The tickets are moderate with our discount, but I can't get a value room for less than $120/night anymore when I used to pay as low as $65/night with discounts. We haven't stayed on property in 13 months. It is just cost prohibitive. I use Marriott points to stay at the Swan or Dolphin, or we get an Air BnB
The price of food has skyrocketed. The price of souvenirs is almost double.
Lines! The lines are so horrendous. We can really only PLAN to do rides we have fast passes for and then whatever leftover ones we can pull after that. CROWDS! We can't really watch the fireworks from good spots anymore as my claustrophobia direly prohibits that. Parades can barely be seen - only the tops of floats (again because I can't be in the middle of a jam packed crowd)

My VALUE for my dollar has SHARPLY declined recently and we may take a break for a few years as my kids get older and age out of Disney Magic (until they have their own kids of course)

It makes me really sad because I grew up Disney and it is in my blood. But I just can't afford it anymore.
 
I have been going to Disney for 33 years almost every year and an Annual Passholder for going on 6 years and I will say the last 2 years I have really wavered on renewing. Even as a FL resident, it is expensive. The tickets are moderate with our discount, but I can't get a value room for less than $120/night anymore when I used to pay as low as $65/night with discounts. We haven't stayed on property in 13 months. It is just cost prohibitive. I use Marriott points to stay at the Swan or Dolphin, or we get an Air BnB
The price of food has skyrocketed. The price of souvenirs is almost double.
Lines! The lines are so horrendous. We can really only PLAN to do rides we have fast passes for and then whatever leftover ones we can pull after that. CROWDS! We can't really watch the fireworks from good spots anymore as my claustrophobia direly prohibits that. Parades can barely be seen - only the tops of floats (again because I can't be in the middle of a jam packed crowd)

My VALUE for my dollar has SHARPLY declined recently and we may take a break for a few years as my kids get older and age out of Disney Magic (until they have their own kids of course)

It makes me really sad because I grew up Disney and it is in my blood. But I just can't afford it anymore.
Well put. I think a lot of people can relate to the same thing. The one thing I wonder about really is the crowd levels and the lines. I know that the economy is and has been going strong for a while now, therefore more people can vacation, which is no fault of Disney. But, are they making the lines and such worse by under staffing the parks to save money? Are they doing it to eventually get people to pay for all of their fast passes and/or sell more hard ticket events? That is what gets me. But yes, it is to the point where the value is dropping even if you can afford it.
 
I laughed out loud yesterday when I was able to book a king suite in Dallas during spring break for the same price I paid at Pop for Thanksgiving week.

I didn't even know people went to Dallas for spring break. Lived there and it's a great city but is more of just a general vacation destination.

I bet a tiny room on a beach in Florida is more expensive than your suite in Dallas.
 
I didn't even know people went to Dallas for spring break. Lived there and it's a great city but is more of just a general vacation destination.

I bet a tiny room on a beach in Florida is more expensive than your suite in Dallas.


We are going to see the bluebonnets. :)
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top