Interesting article, Disney may have finally exceeded the price people will pay

[tex1989]

Attendance numbers are very important. Revenue is important as well but from an investor standpoint attendance is the "healthcheck" they look at. That is because that is an indicator of pricing and whether it is set right or not. To me the bigger question is when do they reach the maximum saturation point? I have been to Disneyland but it is a much different operation in my mind that Disney World which is where we go. Saturation point in my mind has to do with how many rooms can you build out and can your parks and attractions handle the amount of rooms there are. When calculating the numbers you have to look at onsite rooms, but also offsite and just how many people it can actual produce looking to go to the parks on any given day. I personally think they are nearing that number and yet they continue to build more resorts rooms. Yes they are building additional lands and attractions but while I have not checked the numbers it just seems room additions are far out pacing park build outs. Sure rooms are easy to build compared to attractions but I am sure there is some factor they use for calculating the effect. I think that they thought they were justified in raising prices as a way to slow crowds, but in many ways I think it was just a money grab.

 

[cabanafrau]

Its sort of funny that this is about DLR. We've reached that point with WDW, but visited DLR for the first time last week and are already planning a return visit. The parks were fabulous, much like I remember WDW being 20+ years ago when we started going, lots of entertainment and wandering characters and reasonable crowds/wait times. That, plus the proximity of affordable off-site accommodations and far better food choices (both on and off site; we only ate quick service at the parks but everything we tried was quite good and not at all the generic burger-or-pizza type of meal) and the ability to do the parks in a few days without feeling rushed, made me think my husband - who hasn't been to WDW since 2012 because of the cost and crowds - would actually enjoy visiting with us. So we're planning on going back next year. I'm not sure when we'll be back to WDW. Probably 2022, because DD really wants a Food & Wine trip for her 21st birthday.

Really encouraging to see that reaction from someone who's visited DLR recently. We reached that point with WDW after our last visit six years ago and decided that any Disney visits going forward would be at DLR. I worried the Star Wars changes and anticipated crowds might not be the direction we'd enjoy. Good to know that DLR still has the potential to deliver the spirit and the style of touring we enjoy at this point.

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm glad we went all those years ('97 to '06) when our sons were young. With the help of this site we learned how to navigate the parks with fast passes and early and late hour situations and much more. It was a a lot of fun and the info here was so helpful.

But for this old lady in me ......I'm not tech savvy enough (as you DISers probably know) to navigate WDW now.

 

[cabanafrau]

I think WDW visitors are willing to pay more than DL visitors. I think WDW’s GE will be a roaring success- everything DL’s GE was not.

A common viewpoint is that WDW visitors are much less discerning about the quality, value and experience expected out of a Disney park visit. Quite honestly it seems that TWDC itself holds that same attitude when looking at the very different approaches taken to the operation of the two resorts. There's a widespread expectation that GE will indeed be a roaring success at WDW.

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm glad we went all those years ('97 to '06) when our sons were young. With the help of this site we learned how to navigate the parks with fast passes and early and late hour situations and much more. It was a a lot of fun and the info here was so helpful.

But for this old lady in me ......I'm not tech savvy enough (as you DISers probably know) to navigate WDW now.

At the end of the day it's a theme park. Should visitors need to be tech savvy to successfully navigate their trip?

Before the obligatory -- it's still possible to visit WDW with little to no planning and essentially tech free if one wants to be flexible and doesn't need to take part in the newest and most popular attractions . . .
It's a theme park. If I book my visit, pay my admission and show up, why shouldn't I have a reasonable expectation of partaking in all operational attractions that are included in admission?

 

[Cindy's Mom]

our tipping point was a while ago....whatever it says in my signature. Instead we go on a cruise, get two balcony cabins, food and booze included for still less than a WDW vacation. IMO its out of control. I always wanted for mine the DH's 25th anniversary to spend 4-5 night without kids at the GF. Well, we're a year away from that and I promise you, its not going to happen. sickens my stomach how high every got. Thankful for the many times we did get to go though

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Um...you haven't eaten yet. Or bought any souvenirs or snacks. For 3 people for 8 days, I'd add another 700-1000, depending on your eating style.

That's how they get you--the little things like eating.

You don't know me very well. There are days on vacations where I fed the three of us for less than $20. I can do cheap better than most

You're right though, I usually don't budget for the extras or count those in to the total cost.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

A lot of this is true. Pre booking fpp is great if you travel with grown ups and can make fixed plans. It’s awful for people with small children, or minor health complaints, or who just like to go with the flow.

My pet peeve is that you can’t trade top flight fast pass in one park for one in another. I know that logistically it probably wouldn’t work, but on our last trip I gave up two sets of fpp for flights of passage on different days because our toddler wanted to do magic kingdom instead (fair play to him, mk is the best for small people) and on both days the choices for new fpp were non existent. All that effort to plan our days out and get gold standard fpp for the most popular attractions at 60 days out gone to waste. If I could have switched them for seven dwarfs mine train I’d have been so much happier! As it was I was a grumpy person because I was effectively losing out despite being well prepared.

And I bet there were people wanting fop that had sdmt on their accounts too...

That's where thy really ruin your day, with those fast passes. We did a similar thing, but I gave up something I really wanted in Magic Kingdom because my kids wanted to re-visit AK. Of course nothing good (FOP, for instance) was available in AK same-day, but someone I was talking to in line at AK told me to just keep checking the app and eventually something would come up. They were correct, but I had to spend a bunch of time staring at my phone instead of enjoying my time at Disney World. The new fast pass system is the most un-magical "improvement" I can imagine.

 

[RamblingMad]

That's where thy really ruin your day, with those fast passes. We did a similar thing, but I gave up something I really wanted in Magic Kingdom because my kids wanted to re-visit AK. Of course nothing good (FOP, for instance) was available in AK same-day, but someone I was talking to in line at AK told me to just keep checking the app and eventually something would come up. They were correct, but I had to spend a bunch of time staring at my phone instead of enjoying my time at Disney World. The new fast pass system is the most un-magical "improvement" I can imagine.

Phone zombies are the new occupants of WDW. I go on vacation to disconnect, not stare at my phone all day long.

 

[cabanafrau]

A lot of this is true. Pre booking fpp is great if you travel with grown ups and can make fixed plans. It’s awful for people with small children, or minor health complaints, or who just like to go with the flow.

Phone zombies are the new occupants of WDW. I go on vacation to disconnect, not stare at my phone all day long.

Regimented schedule to follow and/or being tethered to my phone attempting to obtain more optimal reservations all day long sounds like a magical vacation waiting to happen! I'll pass.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

Disney to me is no longer a vacation. It's an experience. It used to be nothing but fun. Now it's like a homework assignment.

Being a Florida resident living 3 hours away certainly helps with costs as travel is less than a tank of gas. I couldn't imagine paying what some of you do coming from the middle of the country with flights and all that.

I'll never stay at a Disney resort. Why? So I can get an extra hour in the park on certain days and a wrist band? And a chance to plan ever step I take 60 days in advance instead of 30. Yipee.

The simple fact they want to charge me to park my car at their hotel makes the decision easy. I'll go to one of the 100's of hotels around for like 2/3 the price. Free shuttle. Free breakfast. Bigger room. Free parking. Yeah keep your wrist band.

And honestly, I'm just about priced out of the parks. Be honest, what ride at Disney is worth more than $100? Space mountain? To likely only ride once, if you are lucky?

It's mostly nostalgia that gets me there. My wife and I go to a theme park at least once a year and have for the last 15years. Until my daughter was born in 2017, the only Disney park we ever went to was EPCOT for the food and wine fest. MK, AK, and HS are ripoffs. That being said we did take my little girl to MK and it was ok. Certainly not worth the price though.

Sorry for the rant.

EDIT: Yes we are going back in November on my in-laws dime. Hehe. I don't say no when someone else wants to pay.

 

[JimmyBean42]

Maybe I have WDW rose colored glasses on, but with the exception of the increase in prices for annual passes (which were an unacceptable % jump), I don't see how Disney is different than any other amusement / entertainment venue in these aspects. Allow me to compare: Universal hits you up for parking daily at the hotels and you have to pay to park even if going to City Walk b/c it's the park entrances are there. So even if you don't want to go in the parks, you are paying. Ticket prices - Busch Gardens (Tampa) 1 Day ticket w/o discount - $109.99, Universal or Islands of Adventure - $115, Magic Kingdom - $109 to $125 pending day in August. Clearly need to go on weekedays to WDW. But at least they give you the option of FP+ for free. If you want Express Pass for Universal, either pay to stay at their Deluxe hotels (which are comparable in cost to WDW Deluxe) or fork over what can be up to $150 for EP for a 2 park pass during holiday time. Now that is robbery! Food - most other theme parks quick service is actually more expensive than WDW with way less quality. I was just at our local Six Flags this past weekend and for me and my son both to get a smallish sized cheeseburger & fries (no drink), it was almost $20 a meal. Add in a drink at $6 each, I'm looking at over $50 for two people. Snacks there weren't much cheaper than WDW either. Where WDW meets them in price, they typically beat in quality. There are entire forums on WDW food. Outside of butter beer, how much do you really hear about Universal food? Speaking of food, City Walk restaurants are grossly overpriced. More so then Disney Springs of the same quality in my opinion. It's not apples to apples, but City walk isn't easy on the wallet either. Hard Ticket events and upcharge events - If they didn't add so many more nights to Halloween and Xmas parties or at least keep the attendance down like they used, I'd be okay with these. But conversely Universal shuts down their park early for private company events all the time (I did have the luck of being at one though at one point and it was awesome). I have a few other comparison points but I've already written a novel. Completely understand everyone's frustrations, I just look at it as they are no different then any other theme park company.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

I can't argue that Universal is also ridiculous expensive.

They used to be the far cheaper option but not so much anymore.

 

[RamblingMad]

National Parks are ridiculously cheap in comparison. Your car pass is about $40 for a week. If you camp out, it’s less than $50 a day. And if you’re only day hiking, it’s already covered in your weekly pass. Backcountry permits are also cheap

One of my friends just asked me to go to the Rockies in CO. The campsite is $35 a night. I would be responsible for half. The rest is flight and splitting a rental car.

Much cheaper.

 

[L&Lfan]

^^^
Of course they are.... If one’s into that....
But camping’s ️ not MY idea of a vacation.... but to each his own!

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

National Parks are ridiculously cheap in comparison. Your car pass is about $40 for a week. If you camp out, it’s less than $50 a day. And if you’re only day hiking, it’s already covered in your weekly pass. Backcountry permits are also cheap

One of my friends just asked me to go to the Rockies in CO. The campsite is $35 a night. I would be responsible for half. The rest is flight and splitting a rental car.

Much cheaper.

Lol, unless there is an RV involved, and hookups for the RV, I'm not camping! Even if camping is 1000x cheaper than Disney ☺

To each their own, I guess.

 

[RamblingMad]

I love camping.

When I was in my 20s and poor like every other university graduate, I discovered my love for the outdoors. And I sleep much better in a tent than in my bed at home. However, I strictly do tent camping out west. The humidity out east along with the rainfall make camping miserable.

 

[portocall]

I think they did finally find the ceiling of what many people are willing to pay and with warnings of a recession I think Disney is going to have a tougher time getting through it this time around.

 

[belleatdisney]

I hate camping but we went to the smokies and stayed in a nice hotel. A very relaxing and inexpensive vacation.

 

[firefly_ris]

I love camping.

When I was in my 20s and poor like every other university graduate, I discovered my love for the outdoors. And I sleep much better in a tent than in my bed at home. However, I strictly do tent camping out west. The humidity out east along with the rainfall make camping miserable.

Depends on where you are in the east I guess. We tent camp here in WNY near/on Lake Erie usually about 3 times each summer, usually no issues with rain or humidity up yonder. I think maybe 1 night last year we had rain overnight, and this year nothing. Then once or twice a year we get fancy and rent a full-amenities cabin at a state park. I've never been further west than Ohio but would love to one day get out west to Wyoming, Oregon, etc to camp.

My 2 interests are hugely juxtaposed... the great, grand, splendor and beauty of nature, and then the complete, man-made, engineering of Disney World. But they both have one thing in common I guess, an active vacation (beaches are OK too but I get bored real quick). Our budget leans more towards the first one though!!